Good morning! It’s Daniel de Visé with your Daily Money.

Last year, USA TODAY reached out to Americans across the nation who were struggling with credit card debt over the holidays, and we told their stories.

Who knew things could get worse?

The nation faces a quiet crisis of credit card debt: card balances are rising, and interest rates reached an all-time high this year.

Against that bleak backdrop, USA TODAY revisited the six Americans we profiled in December 2023, all battling credit card debt. We wanted to see how they are doing in December 2024.

Here’s what we learned.

A buyer for TikTok?

With less than one month until TikTok could be banned in the United States, a billionaire is tossing his hat into the ring as a potential buyer.

Frank McCourt, founder of Project Liberty and executive chairman of McCourt Global, announced last week that he is building a group of associates to purchase TikTok in order to prevent a ban of the platform in the U.S.

If the sale went through, here's what the new TikTok might look like.

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🍔 Today's Menu 🍔

2024 has been a year of rapidly cycling headlines. Between the major pop culture moments and historic presidential election, however, there was one recurring theme: food recalls.

From Boar's Head and McDonald's to cucumbers and carrots, outbreaks of illnesses caused by E. coli, listeria and salmonella have been the primary cause of the recurring recalls, some of which resulted in hospitalizations and deaths.

Are food recalls on the rise?

About The Daily Money

Each weekday, The Daily Money delivers the best consumer and financial news from USA TODAY, breaking down complex events, providing the TLDR version, and explaining how everything from Fed rate changes to bankruptcies impacts you.

Daniel de Visé covers personal finance for USA Today.