CHICAGO (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration has asked a military base outside Chicago for support on immigration operations, the base said Thursday, signaling a push to expand its law enforcement crackdown to other cities.

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The Department of Homeland Security has asked Naval Station Great Lakes for “limited support in the form of facilities, infrastructure, and other logistical needs to support DHS operations,” said Matt Mogle, spokesperson for the base 35 miles (56 kilometers) north of Chicago.

He said no decisions have been made on the request and that the base has not received an official request to support a National Guard deployment.

The request shows the Republican administration’s desire to move beyond Washington as it ramps up immigration operations. Trump has threatened to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago and other Democratic-led cities after he called up troops to target crime, immigration and homelessness in Washington.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, told The Associated Press that the nation’s third-largest city doesn’t need or want military intervention to fight crime.

The Chicago Sun-Times first reported about the Trump administration’s request.

By Erin El Issa, NerdWallet

The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments.

Generation Z is the youngest adult generation in the U.S. today, giving Gen Zers (ages 18-28) ample time to get financially prepared for retirement. But for many, it doesn’t appear to be a priority, at least not yet.

Fewer than 1 in 5 Gen Zers (18%) say they’ve contributed to a retirement account in 2025, according to NerdWallet’s Financial Goals Midyear Check-In Report. This could be attributed to several factors — like a lack of urgency, know-how or extra funds to get started.

But another NerdWallet survey on retirement, conducted online by The Harris Poll, suggests that many Gen Zers may not think they’ll even need retirement savings, and some have trepidation about the U.S. stock market. If this is you, here are a few things to know and tips to get started saving so you can eventually stop working, even if it seems too far away to worry about.

Many Gen Zers plan to work indefinitely

The retirement survey finds that three-quarters of Gen Zers (75%) plan to stay in the workforce for as long as they physically can. Maybe they’ll still feel the same three or four decades from now. But maybe not. Things change, and no matter your age, it’s smart to prepare for an eventuality where you’ll want to (or have to) retire.

What Gen Zers can do: Allow yourself to change your mind and set a goal

One of the best things money can buy is opportunity. In this case, the opportunity to change your mind later.

Whether or not you currently plan on retiring some day, set a goal number. It doesn’t have to be perfect and it will probably change over time, but start somewhere. Use a retirement calculator to estimate how much you might need in your golden years.

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It can be hard to imagine your future self without just picturing an older-looking version of current you. But over the decades, it’s almost a certainty that your life will change. You could experience disability or need to take on caregiving responsibilities for a loved one. Or, you might find you just don’t want to continue working after thirty or forty years. If you don’t save for the future, you’re limiting your ability to retire without financial hardship.

More than 2 in 5 Gen Zers think Social Security will be enough

With a retirement goal amount in mind, you might be curious how much of that will be covered by your Social Security benefits. Likely some, but not all of it. According to the retirement survey, 43% of Gen Zers think Social Security alone will provide enough income for them to live comfortably during retirement. But Social Security is meant to cover just a fraction of your income — about 40%, though this can vary — when you stop working, not replace it.

In June 2025, the average monthly Social Security benefit for a retired worker was $2,005. By the time Gen Zers are ready to leave work, this could be even lower (adjusted for inflation): The 2025 Social Security Trustees Report estimates that the combined Social Security Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Disability Insurance Trust Funds will be depleted in 2034, at which time Social Security benefits would be reduced to 81%.

This means Gen Zers likely won’t have the same benefits their predecessors had, and even if they did, Social Security wouldn’t be sufficient for most to live on. Instead, it’s a good idea to save as if this benefit will be reduced in the future.

What Gen Zers can do: Start saving now

Retirement may not seem like a pressing concern in your twenties, but it’s smart to start early. Ideally, Social Security income will be there to supplement your savings when you’re ready to retire. But in any case your age puts you in a great position to prepare.

Let’s say you’re 25 years old and have a retirement savings goal of $1.5 million by age 65. That may sound like an impossible sum, but most of the total will come from returns earned by investing your retirement savings in the stock market. Based on past market performance, we can assume an average annual return of 7%, after accounting for inflation.

If you postpone saving until you’re 35, you’d need to invest $1,280 a month for 30 years. But if you start investing today, you’d have to save less than half that per month — just $604 — for 40 years.

Note that by starting now, you’d have to save around $170,000 less than if you waited to start until age 35. That’s because your returns have more time to compound.

Saving several hundred dollars a month may be a tall order, but don’t let that stop you from saving anything at all. Forty years is a long time, and it’s likely your financial situation will change over the course of your working life, hopefully for the better. Start by saving something for the future — whether that’s just hitting an employer match on a 401(k), putting a small percentage of take-home pay in a Roth IRA and/or committing to increasing contributions when you get a pay bump. It all adds up over the decades.

Some Gen Zers have trust issues with the stock market

Three in 10 Gen Zers with retirement accounts (30%) say their confidence in the U.S. stock market decreased in the past 12 months, according to the retirement survey. Market fluctuations can be hard to stomach, especially if you’re risk averse. But throughout history, the stock market has always eventually recovered from downturns. And while past performance isn’t indicative of future performance, it does provide some comfort that even the worst stock market crashes ultimately bounced back.

While some may feel apprehensive about the risk of investing in the stock market, it’s arguably riskier to forgo it. Let’s take our earlier example of investing $604 a month for 40 years. We’ll assume 7% returns for investment accounts and 4% returns for savings accounts, the latter of which is generous and a rate currently available on some accounts, but unlikely to be sustained over four decades.

Despite the same total amount contributed, the retirement balance at the end of these two scenarios is very different. With 7% returns, you’d end up with the $1.5 million we calculated before. But with 4% returns from a savings account, it would be less than half that, at around $704,000. And this doesn’t take into account lost employer matches or tax advantages that often come along with investing in retirement accounts.

What Gen Zers can do: Diversify and trust the process

So how do you invest without feeling like you’re playing roulette? Diversify your portfolio. This means buying a mix of different assets so if one underperforms, your portfolio has a better chance of withstanding the hit.

Diversification can be achieved pretty easily with low-cost index funds and a little research. An index fund tracks a market index, like the S&P 500, which tracks the stock performance of 500 major U.S. companies. There are index funds for U.S. companies of different sizes — large-cap, mid-cap and small-cap — as well as international funds, bond funds and more. Index funds themselves are diversified, but you can strengthen your portfolio further by choosing a handful of funds that track different markets or asset classes.

It can be easy to deprioritize a financial goal that’s decades away, like retirement savings, when dealing with more pressing money concerns, like student loan payments or just living expenses in general. But getting started — whether it’s with $50 or $500 — and investing consistently can truly make the difference for your financial future.

The complete survey methodology is available in the original article, published at NerdWallet.

Erin El Issa writes for NerdWallet. Email: erin@nerdwallet.com.

The article How Gen Z is Preparing (or Not) For Retirement originally appeared on NerdWallet.

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER, Associated Press Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer Americans sought unemployment benefits last week as employers appear to be holding onto their workers even as the economy has slowed.

Applications for unemployment benefits for the week ending Aug. 23 dropped 5,000 to 229,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

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Measures of the job market are being closely watched on Wall Street and by the Federal Reserve as the most recent government data suggests hiring has slowed sharply since this spring. Job gains have averaged just 35,000 a month in the three months ending in July, barely one-quarter what they were a year ago.

Weekly applications for jobless benefits are seen as a proxy for layoffs and have mostly settled in a historically healthy range between 200,000 and 250,000 since the U.S. began to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic more than three years ago.

While layoffs are low, hiring has also weakened as part of what many economists describe as a “no hire, no fire” economy. Still, the unemployment rate remains a low 4.2%.

Growth has weakened so far this year as many companies have pulled back on expansion projects amid the uncertainty surrounding the impacts of President Donald Trump’s tariff policies. Growth slowed to a 1.3% annual rate in the first half of the year, down from 2.5% in 2024.

The sluggishness in the job market is a key reason that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled last week that the central bank may cut its key interest rate at its next meeting Sept. 16-17. A cut could reduce other borrowing costs in the economy, including mortgages, auto loans, and business loans.

The Labor Department’s report also showed that the four-week average of claims, which softens some of the week-to-week swings, rose by 2,500 to 228,500.

The total number of Americans collecting unemployment benefits for the previous week of Aug. 16 fell 7,000 to 1.95 million, down from nearly a four-year high reached earlier this month. The stubbornly high number of people continuing to collect jobless aid suggests that once out of work, many Americans are having trouble finding new jobs.

‘Match Game” legend Nipsey Russell has been hanging out with the Grim Reaper for a while now, but he and Kevin Cusick are still following the NFL with feverish intensity. That’s still our story, and we’re still sticking with it …

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

“A Tale of Two JJ’s”

New QB on the scene

Is novice Wolverine

Can he be among best in the game?

Will be tragic, alas

If, again, comes to pass

All-world Jefferson coming up lame

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is seen before the start of a preseason NFL football game against the New England Patriots Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

“The Life of a Showgirl’s Beau”

For years he shattered tight end mold

Each hardened critic turned believer

But as Travis Kelce gets old

Now Patrick’s sixth-favorite receiver

Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs kisses Taylor Swift after defeating the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium on Feb. 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS

“What’s in a Name”

Should DC’s team take back old name?

Commander-in-chief turning preachy

On this, “Redskins” fans feeling shame

Backing Trump, whose face paint’s more peachy

FILE – Native American leaders protest against the Redskins team name and logo outside U.S. Bank Stadium before an NFL football game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Washington Redskins in Minneapolis on Oct. 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn, File)

GREEN BAY PACKERS

“Riding Coach”

Despite all his wins with the Pack

Some fans look askance on LaFleur

From tone of the trolling attack

You’d think that his name was “Shedeur”

Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur talks with side judge Jeff Lamberth (21) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

DALLAS COWBOYS

“Jerry Rigged”

This week’s football fix

We turned to Netflix

An eight-hour ode to The Boys

Thirty years, Dallas moans

Thanks to foibles of Jones

Their crash, one of life’s purest joys

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones walks the field before the game against the Washington Commanders at FedExField on Jan. 07, 2024 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

“In the Pink?”

What’s powder Diggs dished out on cruise?

Our old Vikings fave has no answer

Pats fans can relax with the news

They’ve found their new locker room cancer

New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs during an NFL football practice, Monday, June 9, 2025, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

“Ode to a Sign Stealer”

Franchise has 65 years with no crown

So a Super Bowl ring would be sweet

Millions will cheer when again Bolts go down

Since risible coach is a cheat

Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Los Angeles Chargers looks on during warm ups prior to the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Dec. 08, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

“The Jordan Rules”

Old Pete Carroll acted quick

Unretired like Belichick

At seventy-three, he’s a sage

Still has something to prove

Matching Bill’s power move:

Date someone his granddaughters’ age

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll holds a football while wearing Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s sunglasses before an NFL preseason football game Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

DETROIT LIONS

“Campbell’s Soup”

There once was a burly coach, Dan

Biting knees as hard as he can

Blowing chances at crown

Foolish gambles: fourth down

‘Til proved otherwise, just a clown

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell speaks at a news conference after the NFC Championship NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)

BALTIMORE RAVENS

“Addition by Subtraction”

Ravens couldn’t act quicker

In dumping their kicker

Despite thoughts that Tucker might sue

Removing the weirdo

Who lived by the credo

“What would Deshaun Watson do?”

FILE – Baltimore Ravens place kicker Justin Tucker (9) walk on the field before an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun, FIle)

CHICAGO BEARS

“QB or not QB?”

McCaskeys have shelled out big bucks

To bolster a roster in flux

T’will be same old sad tale

Johnson destined to fail

If No. 1 quarterback sucks

Minnesota Vikings linebacker Dallas Turner (15) sacks Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) in the third quarter of a NFL football game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

CLEVELAND BROWNS

“Legendary”

Surely, Shedeur could be humbler

While breaking Cleveland from slumber

As he barely makes team

All those Deion fans scream

To demand Browns retire his number

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) answers a question during a news conference at NFL football minicamp in Berea, Ohio, Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

“If You Can’t Beat ‘Em …”

Birds’ rivals proved to be some votes short

In their failed rule-making ambush

So from now on, we’re sad to report

32 teams will use the Tush Push

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) scores against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half of the NFL Super Bowl 59 football game, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

BUFFALO BILLS

“HBO Maxout”

They’ll again be the beast

Of the AFC East

For bettors, it’s safest of locks

But we’ll be party pooper:

No one has been Super

After starting the year on “Hard Knocks”

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) runs with the ball against Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton (32) during the AFC Championship NFL football game against the Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Peter Aiken)

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

“Immunized from Victory”

Despite Aaron’s hopes to be gunning

Tomlin’s Steelers just keep on running

Rodgers’ only recourse

Hit the airwaves, of course

Complaining to McAfee … stunning!

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers participates during practice at NFL football minicamp Thursday, June 12, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

MIAMI DOLPHINS

“Goin’ to Kansas City?”

Hill’s salad days ceased

Getting cuffed by police

Miami turned vice on the Cheetah

Tyreek much more at home

Catching balls from Mahomes

Going back to the Chiefs would be neat-ah

Cleveland Browns linebacker Mohamoud Diabate (43) attempt to tackle Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) during an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Kirk Irwin)

HOUSTON TEXANS

“C.J. M.I.A.”

As a rookie, Stroud was starring

With his prowess to run and to pass

So his sophomore slump was jarring

When he spent all last year on his a**

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, right, is sacked by Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis (56) during the second half of an NFL football divisional playoff game, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025 in Kansas City, Mo. The Chiefs defeated the Texans by a score of 23-14. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

“Two Ways to Nowhere”

You’ve got to love Hunter

He’s all but a punter

Would play offense and defense for Jags

But sadly, in Duval

Their last overhaul

Left roster with just scallywags

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) poses for a photo with a fan during practice at NFL football minicamp, Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

NEW YORK JETS

“Justin Time”

In the swamps, Meadowlands

They’ve been paring down plans

And ratcheted down visions of glory

So they’re hoping Fields

Eventually yields

Something better than usual gory

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields (2) celebrates during an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, in Cleveland. The Browns won 24-19. (AP Photo/David Richard)

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

“No-Run CMC”

McCaffrey once set world ablaze

Leaving lesser teams’ fans amazed

But he’s constantly lame

Barely makes half a game

Niners dynasty talk: Just a phase

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) warms up before an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

“The Spirit of ‘24””

Indy fans have no cause to rejoice

Their impending offensive disgrace

The Horseshoe’s quarterback choice

Is worst since last president’s race

Quarterback Anthony Richardson #5 of the Indianapolis Colts holds off Isaiah Oliver #23 of the New York Jets as he scrambles during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium on Nov. 17, 2024 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

“That Darn Quarterback”

‘Twas wonderful year for ol’ Sam

Then Vikings requested he scram

Now he’s at Puget Sound

For another rebound

More likely, again runs aground

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold warms up during practice at NFL football minicamp, Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at the team’s training facility in Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

DIVISIONAL RACES

NFC North

Lions (11-6), Vikings (9-8), Packers (8-9), Bears (8-9)

NFC East

Eagles (11-6), Commanders (9-8), Cowboys (7-10), Giants (4-13)

NFC South

Buccaneers (10-7), Falcons (9-8), Panthers (5-12), Saints (1-16)

NFC West

49ers (10-7), Rams (10-7), Cardinals (9-8), Seahawks (7-10)

AFC East

Bills (12-5), Dolphins (9-8), Patriots (8-9), Jets (8-9)

AFC North

Ravens (12-5), Bengals (10-7), Steelers (9-8), Browns (3-14)

AFC South

Texans (10-7), Jaguars (9-8), Colts (7-10), Titans (5-12)

AFC West

Chiefs (12-5), Chargers (11-6), Broncos (11-6), Raiders (8-9)

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) is sacked by Detroit Lions defensive end Za’Darius Smith (99) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Rey Del Rio)

PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

NFC wild card

Vikings over Cardinals, Rams over 49ers, Lions over Buccaneers

AFC wild card

Chiefs over Broncos, Ravens over Chargers, Bengals over Texans

NFC divisional

Eagles over Rams, Lions over Vikings

AFC divisional

Bills over Bengals, Ravens over Chiefs

NFC championship

Lions over Eagles

AFC championship

Ravens over Bills

Super Bowl LX

Ravens over Lions

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) breaks away from Houston Texans safety Calen Bullock during an NFL football game Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Coming next week

The Loop begins our annual drive for prognostication perfection with the Week 1 Fantasy Football column on Wednesday and the Week 1 NFL picks on Sunday.

You can hear Kevin Cusick on Wednesdays on Bob Sansevere’s “BS Show” podcast on iTunes. You can follow Kevin on X — @theloopnow. He can be reached at kcusick@pioneerpress.com.

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