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The article examines how home equity loan interest rates can change after approval if they aren’t locked in, and contrasts these rates with the higher costs of personal loans and credit cards. It also advises borrowers on strategies to secure favorable rates and compares the potential benefits of home equity lines of credit as an alternative.

President Trump announced reciprocal tariffs on imports from 90 countries, aiming to address the trade deficit and level the playing field with nations imposing higher tariffs on US imports. The tariffs, effective April 9th and 5th, respectively, are expected to boost domestic manufacturing but could also lead to inflation and retaliatory measures from trade partners.

German investigators, supported by authorities in 38 countries, have dismantled "KidFlix," a major platform for distributing child sexual abuse images, with over 1.8 million users worldwide. The operation, coordinated by Europol, has identified almost 1,400 users and seized a hard drive containing 72,000 videos of child sexual abuse.

Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa has declared war on drug gangs, blaming them for a surge in violent crime in the once-peaceful South American country. One of the most prominent figures in this war is José Adolfo Macías Villamar, the fugitive leader of the violent gang Los Choneros, who has been indicted in New York City on charges of importing thousands of pounds of cocaine into the United States.

Amazon has informed the White House of its interest in purchasing TikTok as the U.S. government pressures China-based ByteDance to sell the app before a looming ban deadline. The bid is part of a broader industry recognition of TikTok's influence over impulse e-commerce, while other companies such as AppLovin have also shown interest.