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Category: 3. Business

  • Holy Cross 84-73 American University (Jan 10, 2026) Game Recap

    Holy Cross 84-73 American University (Jan 10, 2026) Game Recap

    WASHINGTON — — Tyler Boston had 19 points in Holy Cross’ 84-73 win over American on Saturday.

    Boston shot 7 of 15 from the field for the Crusaders (7-10, 2-2 Patriot League). Gabe Warren scored 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds. DeAndre Williams and Joe Nugent had 12 points apiece.

    Madden Collins led the Eagles (9-8, 2-2) with 26 points and eight rebounds. Greg Jones added 15 points and six rebounds for American. Julen Iturbe and Matt Mayock had 10 points each.

    Warren scored 11 points to help American take a 38-37 lead into the break. Boston’s jump shot with 17:59 remaining in the second half gave Holy Cross the lead for good at 43-42.

    ——

    The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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  • Cabinet calls for developing digital infrastructure

    Cabinet calls for developing digital infrastructure

    Proposal is to let public sector entity acquire/lay optic fibre infrastructure and sell onwards. PHOTO: FILE


    ISLAMABAD:

    Cabinet members have suggested that half of telecom spectrum auction proceeds should be deposited with the Universal Service Fund (USF), the entity responsible for developing digital infrastructure in the country.

    The suggestion came in a recent meeting of the cabinet, chaired by the prime minister. While discussing the upcoming spectrum auction, the cabinet members suggested transferring 50% of proceeds from the spectrum auction to the USF.

    The cabinet formed a committee, headed by the finance minister, to monitor the spectrum auction process. The committee will determine the percentage of spectrum auction proceeds to be allocated to the USF for nationwide tower fiberisation in support of digital infrastructure development.

    The cabinet observed that the condition of mark-up – Karachi Inter-Bank Offered Rate (Kibor) plus 3% – for deferred payments was too stringent and should be revisited to bring it to Kibor plus 1%. Some cabinet members recommended that the terms of deferred payment should be relaxed by allowing the licensee to pay any percentage of the amount payable after one year of the issuance of a licence, with the remaining payment to be made in 10 equal annual installments starting from the second year of the issuance of the licence.

    The cabinet was of the view that in order to ensure complete transparency, the proceedings of the spectrum auction should be broadcast live on all media channels, as was done during the recent privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

    The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoIT) informed the cabinet that the proposal for the auction of licences of International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) spectrum for the improvement of mobile services in Pakistan was aimed at increasing the speed of 4G by five times and that of 5G by 13 times.

    The cabinet was told that according to the GSMA’s Mobile Connectivity Index Report 2023, Pakistan was ranked the lowest in South Asia in spectrum allocation, which was evident from the slow speed of internet and the proposed auction of spectrum would elevate Pakistan to a middle-tier country in terms of spectrum allocation.

    The MoIT said that successful bidders would have the option to either opt for full upfront payment or go for deferred payment by releasing a minimum 50% payment by the first anniversary of the licence issuance date with the remaining amount payable in five equal annual installments from the second anniversary of the licence.

    The cabinet was informed that the deferred amount would carry a cumulative mark-up of one-year Kibor plus 3% per annum and the spectrum licence fee would be specified in the licence in equivalent of Pakistani rupees instead of the US dollar.

    Accordingly, the decision taken by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) was placed before the cabinet for ratification. Following consideration of a summary titled “Ratification of the Decisions taken by the Economic Coordination Committee,” the cabinet gave its nod for the ECC decision in respect of the “IMT Spectrum Auction for Improvement of Next Generation Mobile Broadband Services in Pakistan.”

    The cabinet also constituted a committee, named the “Cabinet Committee on IMT Spectrum Auction for Improvement of Next Generation Mobile Broadband Services,” under Rule 17(2) of the Rules of Business, 1973, comprising the finance minister as convener and the economic affairs minister and IT minister as members.

    The committee will steer and monitor the IMT spectrum auction process and streamline, if required, the payment terms, including the upfront payment structure, deferred payment options and installment arrangements.

    According to the terms, the decisions taken by the committee will not require ratification of the cabinet in terms of the proviso to Rule 17(1)(c) of the Rules of Business, 1973. All bidding and auction processes to be carried out by the federal government or any of its entities will be broadcast live to ensure transparency.

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  • Mobile banking accounts cross 120m

    Mobile banking accounts cross 120m

    Mobile banking. Design: Ibrahim Yahya


    KARACHI:

    A few years ago, there was a debate over whether Pakistanis would adopt digital banking and, if so, how quickly — a common phenomenon in any society, as fear of the unknown often prevails before the acceptance of new ideas. However, following the Covid-19 lockdowns and support from international donor organisations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Pakistan has witnessed a tremendous rise in the use of advanced banking modes, with over 120 million customers now using mobile apps for personal and commercial transactions on a daily basis.

    According to recent data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), more than 25.8 million customers of commercial banks were using mobile banking by the end of the first quarter of the financial year 2025-26. Customers of branchless banking using mobile apps surged to 87.9 million by the end of September 2025. In addition, customers of fintech operators were also on the rise, standing at 6.27 million by the end of the same period.

    There are 34 commercial banks, 14 branchless banking operators and six fintech operators of Electronic Money Institutions operating in Pakistan, according to the Quarterly Payment System newsletter published by the banking regulator. These customers are utilising mobile banking for the transfer of funds, payment of utility bills, booking of tickets, online shopping, digital loans and credit, mobile top-ups and other services. Among them, a significant majority are using multiple mobile apps of different banking companies at the same time.

    The growing utility of mobile banking apps among the masses in Pakistan reflects the increasing adoption of technological trends over the past few years, made possible by the rising use of smartphones and internet services, said Abdullah Tariq, a software engineer and mobile app architect.

    He added that financial institutions, including banks and branchless banking operators, have invested heavily in the development of their mobile apps, particularly in customer interface and backend systems, resulting in improved customer experience, reliability and utility. The mobile apps empower users to transfer funds easily with a single click within a few seconds, significantly transforming the country’s banking landscape by enhancing transactions while saving time and cost for both customers and banking companies, Abdullah Tariq said.

    With the emergence of digital banks and fintech operators, and their innovative services for earned wage access, digital insurance and digital investment, transaction values through mobile banking are expected to grow at an accelerated pace, he added. According to the SBP, a total of 2 billion transactions worth Rs337 trillion were made through mobile banking apps offered by banks, branchless banking players and Electronic Money Institutions. This accounted for 81% of all payments through digital channels, as total transactions stood at 2.5 billion during the period from July to September 2025.

    These transactions include account- or wallet-initiated payments made by customers to merchants at both online and physical stores.

    Ibrahim Amin, a banking and financial consultant, said mobile phone adoption by Pakistanis was greatly facilitated by the banking regulator in recent years through the launch of the RAAST payment system and QR payment options, enabling customers of banks and branchless banking operators to make instant financial transactions without any cost. He added that the role of branchless banking operators had enabled merchants, including shopkeepers and service providers, and their customers to use digital payments instead of cash.

    He said customers of commercial banks generally made high-value transactions, whereas customers of branchless banking and fintech operators carried out low-value transactions. Ibrahim Amin, who is chairman of TriStar International Consultant, said he foresaw increasing use of mobile banking services in the future, as bank customers continue to adopt convenient and fast modes of banking and the country’s young generation remains tech-savvy, preferring mobile apps.

    He noted that banks offering the best mobile banking experiences would attract more customers, underscoring the need for continuous upgrades of backend systems, including safety features. At the same time, customers must be educated to avoid scams in the future.

    According to a report by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), only 21% of adults in Pakistan have access to a bank or mobile money account, amounting to approximately 91 million individual accounts as of 2025. In addition, companies, associations and non-governmental organisations also maintain accounts with banks.

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  • Town cashing-in on China’s billion-dollar appetite for luxury durian

    Town cashing-in on China’s billion-dollar appetite for luxury durian

    Getty Images Close up of a durian fruit being held in two hands.Getty Images

    China’s surging demand for durians is shaping South East Asia’s farming towns

    Driving around Raub, a small town in Malaysia, it’s impossible to miss the prickly fruit that powers its economy.

    You can smell it from the steady stream of trucks winding through mountain roads, leaving a faint fragrance on their trails.

    You can see it too: the green spikes of a giant sculpture, murals painted fondly on low walls and road signs that proclaim: “Welcome to the home of Musang King durians.”

    A gold mining town in the 19th Century, Raub has seen its economy take on a new hue of yellow in recent years. Today it’s better known as the land of the Musang King — a buttery, bittersweet variety that the Chinese have dubbed the “Hermès of durians”, as prized as the French fashion house.

    Raub is one of many South East Asian towns that sit at the heart of a global durian rush, pumped by China’s growing demand. In 2024, China imported a record $7bn (£5.2bn) worth of durians — a three-fold increase from 2020. This is where more than 90% of the world’s durian exports are now headed.

    “Even if only 2% of Chinese people want to buy durians, that’s more than enough business,” says Chee Seng Wong, factory manager of Fresco Green, a durian exporter in Raub.

    Wong recalls how farmers cut down durian trees to make room for oil palms, the country’s main cash crop, during an economic downturn in the 1990s.

    “Now it’s the other way round. They’re chopping oil palms to grow durians again.”

    BBC/Koh Ewe A giant statue of a hand holding up a durian, against sunny blue skies in the background.BBC/Koh Ewe

    Durians are the pride of Raub

    A very hungry China

    With an aroma that has been likened to cabbage, sulphur and sewers — depending on who the nose belongs to — the durian packs a pungence so divisive that it’s banned on some public transport and hotels. It has been maligned for gas leaks, and was the reason a plane was grounded after passengers remonstrated against the smell wafting from the cargo hold.

    Fans from the region have christened it the “King of fruits”, but on the internet it has earned a less flattering tag — the world’s smelliest fruit — as tourists unused to its odour seek it out with squeamish curiosity.

    Yet it has found a growing fanbase in China: as an exotic gift exchanged among the affluent; a status symbol to be unboxed on social media; and the star of culinary heresies from durian chicken hotpot to durian pizza.

    Thailand and Vietnam are the top durian suppliers to China, accounting for nearly all of its imports. Malaysia’s share of the market is sprouting fast, having earned a reputation with premium varieties such as the Musang King.

    The average price of durian starts at less than $2 (£1.4) in South East Asia, where they are grown in abundance. But luxe versions like the Musang King could cost anywhere from $14 (£10) to $100 (£74) a pop, depending on their quality and the season’s harvest.

    “Once I ate Malaysian durian, my first thought was, ‘Wow, this is delicious. I have to find a way to bring it to China’,” says Xu Xin, who has been sampling durians at a shop in Raub. The 33-year-old sells the fruit back home in northeastern China, and is on the hunt for the best durians to import.

    BBC/Koh Ewe Side view of a middle-aged man in a white T-shirt holding a slice of durian in one hand and a yellow glob of durian in the other hand. Behind him are two women sitting at a table eating durians with plastic gloves.BBC/Koh Ewe

    Visitors to Raub are delighted with its durians

    With her are two durian exporters from southern China, one of whom says business has been booming. The other expects it to continue: “There are so many people who haven’t eaten it yet. The market potential is huge.”

    It’s easy to see why they’re so confident. Seated nearby is a large Chinese tour group — one of many that have been flocking to rural Malaysia for a bite of the fruit.

    Eagerly they dig into platters of durian, carefully arranged from the mildest to the richest. If eaten in the right order, locals say, fresh notes should emerge with each glob on the flight: caramel, custard and finally, an almost alcoholic bitterness heralding the Musang King.

    Such pedantry is perhaps why Malaysian durians have earned a special place on the Chinese table.

    “Maybe in the beginning we only liked durians that were sweet. But now we look for things like fragrance, richness and nuanced flavours,” Xu says. “Nowadays there are more customers who walk into the shop and ask, ‘Are there any bitter ones in this batch?’”

    BBC/Koh Ewe Six slices of durians arranged neatly on a brown tray. Stuck on each durian is a label printed with the name of a durian variety, such as Tekka and Musang King.BBC/Koh Ewe

    Durians arranged from mildest (top left) to richest, ending with the Musang King (bottom right)

    Raub’s durian dynasties

    Just hours before the durians ended up on Xu’s plate, they were painstakingly harvested at a nearby farm owned by Lu Yuee Thing.

    Uncle Thing, as he’s known in town, owns the durian shop, along with several farms. He is one of many success stories in Raub, where durians have made millionaires out of farmers. In family businesses like his, sons often help with transporting durians while daughters handle accounting and the finances.

    “Durian has contributed a lot to the economy here,” Uncle Thing says.

    Driving to his farm one morning, there is quiet pride in his voice as he points out the Japanese pickup trucks that have replaced the rickety jeeps he used to rely on for transporting crates of his fruit.

    BBC/Koh Ewe Uncle Thing who has a long white beard is wearing a white shirt. He is reaching up to a durian dangling from a tree.BBC/Koh Ewe

    Uncle Thing is one of Raub’s big durian success stories

    Still, farming is hard work. At 72, Uncle Thing wakes up at dawn every day and weaves around his hilly farm to collect ripened durians, either dangling from trees or nestling on nets close to the ground. A couple of years ago, a falling durian landed on his shoulder, leaving him with a throbbing pain that acts up now and then.

    “It looks like farmers make easy money. But it’s not easy,” he says.

    Once harvested, the durians are brought to Uncle Thing’s shop, where they are sorted into baskets ranging from Grade A, for the large and round ones, to Grade C, the small and odd-shaped.

    Sitting in the middle of the sorting floor is a lone basket reserved for Grade AA durians, the handsomest of the lot.

    Those will soon be flown to China.

    BBC/Koh Ewe Durians piled in the back of a pick-up truck parked in a durian farm. Workers are piling more durians to the back of another white pick-up truck, parked behind.BBC/Koh Ewe

    The daily haul at Uncle Thing’s farm

    A durian coup?

    China’s insatiable appetite for durians has shaped up to be a nifty diplomatic tool.

    Beijing has signed a flurry of durian trade agreements, touting them as a celebration of bilateral ties — not just with major producers like Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia, but also budding suppliers like Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines and Laos.

    “In this durian competition, everyone’s a winner,” declared a state media article in 2024.

    The deals also dovetail with China’s investments in infrastructure in the region. The China-Laos Railway, launched in 2021, now transports more than 2,000 tonnes of fruit every day, most of them Thai durians.

    But this clamour to keep up with China’s appetite comes at a cost.

    Food safety concerns about Thai durians erupted last year, after Chinese authorities found in them a carcinogenic chemical dye believed to make the durians more yellow.

    In Vietnam, many coffee farmers pivoted to durians, driving up global coffee prices that were already affected by severe weather.

    And in Raub, a turf war has broken out. Authorities felled thousands of durian trees they said were planted illegally on state land. Farmers say they have been using the land for decades without any issue, and allege they are now being forced to pay a lease to continue farming there, or face eviction.

    Getty Images Wide shot of green durian trees and palms planted on hilly terrainGetty Images

    Durian trees and oil palms dominate Raub’s landscape

    Meanwhile, a coup may be on the way in China’s island province of Hainan, where years of trial and error are bearing fruit. Its durian harvest for 2025 was expected to reach 2,000 tonnes.

    Like in so many industries, from renewables to AI, China has long pushed to be self-sufficient in food too.

    Even as it reaps the fruits of this durian diplomacy, it is eyeing what state media calls “durian freedom”.

    “For one thing, we won’t have to rely on Thai and Vietnamese vendors when buying durians anymore!” proclaimed an article in August.

    BBC/Koh Ewe A young man in a grey sweatshirt and grey pants handles a pile of durians. BBC/Koh Ewe

    Can Hainan unseat Raub in the durian supply chain?

    That is still a distant dream. Hainan’s first home-grown durians hit the market with much fanfare in 2023, but accounted for less than 1% of China’s durian consumption that year.

    But the way Uncle Thing sees it, “Hainan has already succeeded in its experiment… If they have their own supply and start importing less, our market will be affected.”

    He shrugs it off for now: “That is not something we can worry about. All that we can do is take good care of our farms and boost yields.”

    Ask anyone else in Raub about Hainan’s quest, and your question will be swatted away with a smug comeback: they are still no match for Malaysian durians.

    And yet, as China chases “durian freedom”, it’s hard to ignore the fact that the Musang King sits on an ever shakier throne.

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  • Town cashing-in on China’s billion-dollar appetite for luxury durian

    Town cashing-in on China’s billion-dollar appetite for luxury durian

    China’s insatiable appetite for durians has shaped up to be a nifty diplomatic tool.

    Beijing has signed a flurry of durian trade agreements, touting them as a celebration of bilateral ties — not just with major producers like Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia, but also budding suppliers like Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines and Laos.

    “In this durian competition, everyone’s a winner,” declared a state media article in 2024.

    The deals also dovetail with China’s investments in infrastructure in the region. The China-Laos Railway, launched in 2021, now transports more than 2,000 tonnes of fruit every day, most of them Thai durians.

    But this clamour to keep up with China’s appetite comes at a cost.

    Food safety concerns about Thai durians erupted last year, after Chinese authorities found in them a carcinogenic chemical dye believed to make the durians more yellow.

    In Vietnam, many coffee farmers pivoted to durians, driving up global coffee prices that were already affected by severe weather.

    And in Raub, a turf war has broken out. Authorities felled thousands of durian trees they said were planted illegally on state land. Farmers say they have been using the land for decades without any issue, and allege they are now being forced to pay a lease to continue farming there, or face eviction.

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  • Nearly 40,000 cases of tater tots recalled, FDA says

    Nearly 40,000 cases of tater tots recalled, FDA says

    (Gray News) – Nearly 40,000 tater tots were recalled in multiple states.

    According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), McCain Foods USA Inc. has initiated a voluntary recall of two frozen potato products due to the potential presence of “clear hard plastic fragments.”

    A total of about 38,800 cases of tater tots were impacted for two specific frozen potato brands, Ore-Ida Tater Tots shaped potatoes and Sysco Imperial Potato Tater Barrel.

    Both products were distributed across multiple states, including the following:

    States impacted by the recall:

    • Alaska
    • Arizona
    • California
    • Colorado
    • Florida
    • Hawaii
    • Iowa
    • Idaho
    • Illinois
    • Kansas
    • Kentucky
    • Louisiana
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Missouri
    • Mississippi
    • Montana
    • Nebraska
    • New Mexico
    • North Dakota
    • Nevada
    • Oregon
    • Texas
    • Utah
    • Washington
    • Wisconsin

    The Ore-Ida Tater Tots, item number OIF00215A, are packaged in 30-pound clear, unlabeled poly bags and have batch codes including 1005479808 and 1005480444.

    The Sysco Imperial Potato Tater Barrel, item number 1000006067, is distributed by Sysco Corporation and packaged in 6/5-pound clear, unlabeled poly bags.

    Copyright 2026 Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

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  • A computational intelligence approach for classifying dental caries in X-ray images using integrated fuzzy C-means clustering with feature reduction and a weighted matrix scheme

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  • Special advisory: daytime winter weather parking ban in effect on Sunday, January 11 from 10 am to 7 pm

    Due to weather conditions, a daytime winter weather parking ban will be in effect on Sunday, January 11 between 10 am and 7 pm across Ottawa. These hours might be extended if additional time is needed to complete winter road operations. Alternative parking during a parking ban can be found by visiting the Winter Parking webpage. Please be sure to remove your vehicle when the ban ends if you use it. 

    During a winter weather parking ban, parking is prohibited on city streets so crews can plow easily and effectively. Vehicles parked on the street during a ban may be ticketed and towed. On-street monthly parking permit holders are exempt from this restriction when they are parked in residential parking permit zones.

     

    Available parking

    During winter weather parking bans, residents will have access to select OC Transpo park and rides as well as certain recreation centres. Some City parking garages are available for parking during winter parking bans, however it is important that residents take note of what time they need to remove their car. Visit our winter parking web page for more information about which City facilities are available during winter weather parking bans.

     

    Commercial main streets

    To help residents shop local, some commercial main streets are exempt from winter parking bans. When a parking ban is called during winter weather events, residents can park in the identified areas while observing all posted signage and pay and display requirements.

     

    Be in the know about snow

    • Subscribe to our electronic email alerts. If you subscribe to e-Alerts, you will receive notification each time a winter weather parking ban is put in place, extended or lifted. There is no charge for this service, and you can unsubscribe at any time. 
    • Follow us on Facebook, Bluesky and X to receive updates.
    • Residents can also download the City of Ottawa app on their Android or Apple device to receive up-to-date information on winter parking bans and other City news.

     

    For more winter parking information, please visit the winter parking web page.

     


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  • Alberta auto insurers lost more than $1B in 2024: report

    Alberta auto insurers lost more than $1B in 2024: report

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    Alberta’s rate cap is deepening financial losses in the province’s auto insurance market, industry experts say, as a new report found auto insurers lost more than $1.2 billion in 2024.

    The latest annual report from Alberta’s superintendent of insurance, released last month, cited the Calgary hailstorm and the Jasper wildfire as major factors driving the loss.

    As a result, the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), the national industry association, said insurers had to pay out 18 per cent more in claims than drivers paid in premiums. About 35 auto insurers in Alberta suffered a financial loss that year.

    “The superintendent expects this pressure on Alberta’s automobile insurance profitability and stability to continue through 2025,” the annual report says.

    Aaron Sutherland, IBC’s vice-president of Pacific and Western regions, said provincially regulated rate caps and high legal costs are factors that make it difficult for insurance companies to operate in the province.

    “We’ve seen multiple insurance companies forced to leave Alberta. That means less competition, less choice, and the insurers that remain here are restricting the sale of coverage,” Sutherland said.

    “It’s not improving affordability. In fact, it’s doing the opposite and it’s making auto insurance much more difficult to secure at a time when it’s needed the most.”

    The provincial government introduced the “good driver rate cap” in 2024, limiting the amount insurance premiums can go up in a given year.

    The cap was initially set around 3.7 per cent, then increased to 7.5 per cent in 2025.

    The annual report forecasts escalating claims costs will continue to exceed that cap due to inflation, growing severity of bodily injury claims, vehicle theft rates and weather-related losses.

    A portrait of a smiling man wearing a dusty pink button down dress shirt and grey blazer.
    Aaron Sutherland, the Insurance Burean of Canada’s vice-president for the Pacific and western regions, said insurance claim costs are rising and companies can’t raise premiums enough to keep up. (Insurance Bureau of Canada)

    “[The rate cap] pales in comparison to the growth and cost pressures underneath coverage —  legal costs, the cost of theft, the cost of natural disasters like hail events, those are going up well in excess of that,” he said.

    “With the cost of delivering coverage growing far faster than the price you’re able to charge, that simply isn’t sustainable.”

    Those observations ring true for Heather Mack, manager of education and engagement with the Alberta Automobile Insurance Rate Board, which sets auto insurance rates in the province.

    She said the biggest cost driver in auto insurance in Alberta is third-party liability or bodily injury — when the driver who isn’t at fault sues the other to compensate for things like medical costs and property damages.

    “We’ve seen a huge spike in the size of these awards — and it’s not money that’s definitely going to medical and rehab. [They are] significant legal awards and it’s driving up the cost of insurance for everyone,” Mack said.

    In a statement to CBC News, the Ministry of Treasury Board and Finance listed inflation, legal fees, more vehicle thefts, weather-related losses and tariffs as factors putting pressure on Alberta’s auto insurance market.

    Its list excluded the rate cap.

    New insurance model planned

    The Alberta government plans to implement the Care-First insurance model in 2027, which would settle the majority of injury claims without going to court.

    The system would resemble the publicly delivered “no-fault” systems in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia, but it would be delivered by private insurers.

    The government’s announcement has been met with mixed messages. Some critics have said dangerous drivers would face less accountability and leave few options for drivers who have been injured in collisions.

    But Mack said, if done right, the new system would prioritize recovering people faster, “without lengthy delays and lawsuits being required,” while stabilizing the cost of auto insurance for all drivers.

    “That’s going to take a bit of a culture change, especially on the industry side,” she said, adding that the current system takes more of an adversarial approach.

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  • Banks balk as Trump pushes for 1-year, 10% cap on credit card interest rates

    Banks balk as Trump pushes for 1-year, 10% cap on credit card interest rates

    NEW YORK (AP) — Reviving a campaign pledge, President Donald Trump wants a one-year, 10% cap on credit card interest rates, a move that could save Americans tens of billions of dollars but drew immediate opposition from an industry that has been in his corner.

    READ MORE: The economy is giving mixed signals. Here’s what experts say they mean

    Trump was not clear in his social media post Friday night whether a cap might take effect through executive action or legislation, though one Republican senator said he had spoken with the president and would work on a bill with his “full support.” Trump said he hoped it would be in place Jan. 20, one year after he took office.

    Strong opposition is certain from Wall Street in addition to the credit card companies, which donated heavily to his 2024 campaign and have supported Trump’s second-term agenda. Banks are making the argument that such a plan would most hurt poor people, at a time of economic concern, by curtailing or eliminating credit lines, driving them to high-cost alternatives like payday loans or pawnshops.

    “We will no longer let the American Public be ripped off by Credit Card Companies that are charging Interest Rates of 20 to 30%,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

    Researchers who studied Trump’s campaign pledge after it was first announced found that Americans would save roughly $100 billion in interest a year if credit card rates were capped at 10%. The same researchers found that while the credit card industry would take a major hit, it would still be profitable, although credit card rewards and other perks might be scaled back.

    About 195 million people in the United States had credit cards in 2024 and were assessed $160 billion in interest charges, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says. Americans are now carrying more credit card debt than ever, to the tune of about $1.23 trillion, according to figures from the New York Federal Reserve for the third quarter last year.

    Further, Americans are paying, on average, between 19.65% and 21.5% in interest on credit cards according to the Federal Reserve and other industry tracking sources. That has come down in the past year as the central bank lowered benchmark rates, but is near the highs since federal regulators started tracking credit card rates in the mid-1990s. That’s significantly higher than a decade ago, when the average credit card interest rate was roughly 12%.

    WATCH: Rising prices push many Americans further into credit card debt

    The Republican administration has proved particularly friendly until now to the credit card industry.

    Capital One got little resistance from the White House when it finalized its purchase and merger with Discover Financial in early 2025, a deal that created the nation’s largest credit card company. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which is largely tasked with going after credit card companies for alleged wrongdoing, has been largely nonfunctional since Trump took office.

    In a joint statement, the banking industry was opposed to Trump’s proposal.

    “If enacted, this cap would only drive consumers toward less regulated, more costly alternatives,” the American Bankers Association and allied groups said.

    Bank lobbyists have long argued that lowering interest rates on their credit card products would require the banks to lend less to high-risk borrowers. When Congress enacted a cap on the fee that stores pay large banks when customers use a debit card, banks responded by removing all rewards and perks from those cards. Debit card rewards only recently have trickled back into consumers’ hands. For example, United Airlines now has a debit card that gives miles with purchases.

    The U.S. already places interest rate caps on some financial products and for some demographics. The Military Lending Act makes it illegal to charge active-duty service members more than 36% for any financial product. The national regulator for credit unions has capped interest rates on credit union credit cards at 18%.

    Credit card companies earn three streams of revenue from their products: fees charged to merchants, fees charged to customers and the interest charged on balances. The argument from some researchers and left-leaning policymakers is that the banks earn enough revenue from merchants to keep them profitable if interest rates were capped.

    “A 10% credit card interest cap would save Americans $100 billion a year without causing massive account closures, as banks claim. That’s because the few large banks that dominate the credit card market are making absolutely massive profits on customers at all income levels,” said Brian Shearer, director of competition and regulatory policy at the Vanderbilt Policy Accelerator, who wrote the research on the industry’s impact of Trump’s proposal last year.

    There are some historic examples that interest rate caps do cut off the less creditworthy to financial products because banks are not able to price risk correctly. Arkansas has a strictly enforced interest rate cap of 17% and evidence points to the poor and less creditworthy being cut out of consumer credit markets in the state. Shearer’s research showed that an interest rate cap of 10% would likely result in banks lending less to those with credit scores below 600.

    The White House did not respond to questions about how the president seeks to cap the rate or whether he has spoken with credit card companies about the idea.

    Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., who said he talked with Trump on Friday night, said the effort is meant to “lower costs for American families and to reign in greedy credit card companies who have been ripping off hardworking Americans for too long.”

    Legislation in both the House and the Senate would do what Trump is seeking.

    Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., released a plan in February that would immediately cap interest rates at 10% for five years, hoping to use Trump’s campaign promise to build momentum for their measure.

    Hours before Trump’s post, Sanders said that the president, rather than working to cap interest rates, had taken steps to deregulate big banks that allowed them to charge much higher credit card fees.

    Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., have proposed similar legislation. Ocasio-Cortez is a frequent political target of Trump, while Luna is a close ally of the president.

    Seung Min Kim reported from West Palm Beach, Fla.

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