Get those No. 19 jerseys out.

After tons of speculation over the past week, the Vikings are bringing Adam Thielen back home to Minnesota where he belongs.

To brokerage the deal, the Vikings are trading the Carolina Panthers a fifth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and a fourth-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. To offset the cost, the Vikings are getting a seventh-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and a fifth-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.

Not that the compensation should matter too much for the Vikings when considering everything Thielen will bring on and off the field.

Though the headlines about the homecoming pretty much write themselves, the Vikings would not have made this move if they didn’t think the 35-year-old veteran receiver could still contribute at a high level. In his most recent campaign with the Panthers, Thielen hauled in 48 receptions for 615 yards and 5 touchdowns across 10 games.

It’s likely that Thielen will take on an important role for the Vikings right away playing alongside Justin Jefferson while Jordan Addison serves his suspension and Jalen Nailor works his way back from a hand injury.

It helps that Thielen has familiarity with Kevin O’Connell and his offense having played for him in the past. It also helps that Thielen has familiarity with J.J. McCarthy after hosting a throwing session at Woodbury High School this summer.

Now to the sentimental stuff.

This type of full circle moment doesn’t happen in sports very often.

It’s not hyperbole to say Thielen is among the greatest receivers to ever play for the Vikings. A list that includes Randy Moss and Cris Carter at the top also features Thielen not too far behind those living legends.

After growing up in Detroit Lakes and going undrafted out of Minnesota State Mankato, Thielen famously came to the Vikings on a rookie tryout. He did enough to stick around, parlayed that into a contract, then slowly but surely turned himself into a legitimate superstar.

In nearly a decade with the Vikings, Thielen established himself as a face of the franchise, recording 534 receptions for 6,682 yards and 55 touchdowns.

As shocking as it was to see Thielen get released a couple of years ago while the Vikings revamped their roster, he now has a chance to finish his career where it started once upon a time.

Then it’s only a matter of time before that No. 19 jersey is hanging in the rafters.

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By Daniel Lathrop, NerdWallet

About half of Americans (51%) say they regularly stress out about money, according to an April 2025 NerdWallet survey, conducted online by The Harris Poll.

That stress hits some groups of Americans harder than others. According to the survey, women are more likely to say they stress about money regularly than men (56% vs. 45%), and baby boomers (ages 61-79) are much less likely to stress about money than those in younger generations.

Factors that could be making Americans feel off-kilter include inflation, uncertainty over tariff policy and high housing costs.

If you’re among those regularly stressed out about money, here are six large and small ways to improve your financial well-being.

1. Keep tabs on where your money is going

How much are your core monthly expenses? What is your discretionary income? How much money did you spend last month? Many Americans may not know the answers to these questions, which can make understanding their finances challenging. Facing your finances may be difficult if they’re a source of stress for you, but having a realistic view of your money is an essential first step to making improvements.

Knowing where all of your money goes may not be as easy as it sounds. People use a variety of different payment methods — debit cards, credit cards, automatic payments, payment apps, cash end even maybe paper checks. But you don’t necessarily have to track your spending forever; reviewing your spending for at least a month can give you enough of a handle on where your money is going.

Expense tracking apps can help automate the process, but you can also opt to review your various accounts manually at the end of the month, if that works better for you.

2. Create a plan for the money you have

Once you know how much you’re spending, you can take control and make changes to hit your spending and savings goals.

There are many approaches you can take to create a financial plan that works for you. One useful framework is the 50/30/20 budget: using 50% of after-tax income for needs, allowing 30% for wants, and setting 20% aside for long-term savings and debt repayment. You can use a budget template to see how much you’re spending and how far off it is from the 50/30/20 targets. From there, you can adjust your spending to be better aligned with your overall goals.

3. Start (or increase) your emergency fund

The NerdWallet survey found that 41% of Americans are concerned that they don’t have enough money saved for emergencies. Knowing an unexpected expense or job loss would be financially devastating is enough to stress anyone out.

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Ideally, everyone should have enough money set aside to cover three to six months of their core expenses — like housing, food, utilities and minimum debt payments. That goal can be intimidating, especially if you’re starting from scratch. Use a savings calculator to find out how much you need to add each month to get the balance to your target, and don’t be afraid to start small.

Consider putting your emergency fund in a separate account — such as a high-yield savings account — and only tapping it for true emergencies or unavoidable expenses. Having this cash cushion in place can provide peace of mind and keep you from financial derailment when the unexpected happens.

4. Reduce debt

Unsecured debt, like credit card debt, is associated with higher stress levels and negative mental health effects, according to the American Public Health Association. In fact, the organization reports reducing this debt can improve health outcomes.

Indeed, the survey found 23% of Americans are concerned about having too much credit card debt. Getting a debt payoff plan in place could be a great way to reduce financial stress.

Some with credit card debt may also have car payments, student loans and personal loans to pay. But because those interest rates tend to be much lower, it almost always makes sense to start by reducing credit card balances.

One popular approach is the debt snowball — paying off your balances from smallest to largest to reduce the number of different payments and get quick wins. Another approach, known as the debt avalanche, has you prioritize your balances from highest to lowest interest rate. Depending on how much credit card debt you have, paying it off can seem a tall order. But every dollar you put toward your balances can reduce your interest burden and stress level.

5. Explore the property ladder

Stability can help reduce stress, which may explain why homeowners aren’t as financially anxious as their renting counterparts. According to the NerdWallet survey, Americans who own their home are less likely to stress about money regularly than those who rent (46% vs. 62%).

This could be because buying a home typically stabilizes housing costs based on current prices for the long-term, whereas renters generally have to renegotiate a lease from time to time. Further, home ownership provides numerous non-financial benefits — like stability and the ability to customize — while also providing some financial gains, according to the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education.

Despite affordability barriers — especially in major cities — purchasing a house or condominium may be more accessible than you think.

More than 3 in 5 (62%) of Americans mistakenly believe that a 20% down payment is required to buy a home, according to a NerdWallet’s 2025 Home Buyer Report. That’s not true, although it is one way to avoid paying for private mortgage insurance.

It’s not the only way, though. Veterans, for example, can secure a mortgage without a down payment through VA loan programs. And many first-time homebuyers can borrow with a down payment as low as 3%. It’s also a good idea to research home ownership incentives and programs offered by community groups and local, state and federal agencies.

Ultimately, purchasing a home, let alone down payment and loan decisions, are complex and highly dependent on your individual situation.

>> MORE: Should I Buy a House? How to Tell If You’re Ready

Homeownership isn’t right for everyone, and may not be right for you at the present time. But don’t count yourself out without looking into your options. If you see purchasing a home as a reasonable long-term goal, saving for it now can make the buying decision less stressful down the road.

6. Keep reading about personal finance

One thing that can reduce stress is simply educating yourself about personal finance. Financial literacy may lead to improved financial well-being, according to 2023 research published in the journal Sustainability.

Overall, 27% of Americans aren’t confident about their overall financial knowledge, according to the recent NerdWallet survey.

The good news? Just reading this article was an excellent first step. To go further, consider making it a regular practice to learn more about personal finance topics that are new to you. Newsletters, podcasts and social media accounts from reliable sources can boost your financial literacy, and thus, your confidence.

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

Daniel Lathrop writes for NerdWallet. Email: articles@nerdwallet.com.

The article Many Americans are Stressed About Money, 6 Ways to Cope originally appeared on NerdWallet.

By BERNARD CONDON, Associated Press Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump has a message for critics who think turning the U.S. government into a major stockholder of Intel is a “socialist” move: More is coming.

“I will make deals like that for our Country all day long,” the president posted on Truth Social after critics piled on, adding later about future ownership stakes, “I want to try and get as much as I can.”

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One possible target: defense contractors, whom Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told CNBC Tuesday were ripe for the picking given the U.S. government is a big customer.

Free-market conservatives were already wary of Trump’s tendency to interfere in corporate decision-making by, for example, telling Apple where it should make iPhones, or even demanding a cut of Nvidia’s sales of chips to China. But the Intel move is a startling defiance of Republican orthodoxy that says governments shouldn’t try to pick corporate winners and losers and risk messing things up as owners by rewarding executives for politically smart but financially stupid decisions.

The U.S. government is getting a 10% stake in Intel through the conversion of billions in previously granted government funds and pledges, making it one of Intel’s largest shareholders.

“If socialism is government owning the means of production, wouldn’t the government owning part of Intel be a step toward socialism?” Republican Sen. Rand Paul said in a post on X. “Terrible idea.”

Scott Lincicome, a Cato Institute trade expert, says Intel could end up making decisions now to please Trump even if they’re impractical, say, by going ahead with plans to open a long-promised chipmaking factory in Ohio. And even short-term gains from government ownership, such as more companies buying Intel semiconductors, will hurt business in the end by saddling those companies with inferior chips.

“Intel might simply gain customers from folks that are looking to stay on Trump’s good side,” he said. “But innovation requires ruthless competition, an endless drive for an advantage — and now they might accept a disadvantage because they need the political win.”

Many Republicans remained silent on the issue, prompting others to suggest they are free market hypocrites.

“For so many of my self-described true conservatives, you’re going to have to explain to me how this reconciles with true conservatism and true free-market capitalism,” Republican North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis told CBS in an interview. “I don’t see it.”

Early last year, the Biden administration agreed to provide Intel with billions of dollars in funding under the CHIPS Act for it to build semiconductor manufacturing factories around the country, part of a plan to produce 20% of the world’s most advanced chips in the U.S. by 2030, up from zero at the time.

Trump argues that he got the Intel stake for free by converting $11.1 billion of funding into the equity stake. He also notes that Intel shares shot higher after he struck the deal Friday, handing a big win to U.S. taxpayers.

“I love seeing their stock price go up, making the USA RICHER, AND RICHER,” Trump posted Monday morning before the stock trading began. “More jobs for America!!! Who would not want to make deals like that?”

The price of Intel stock fell slightly both Monday and Tuesday, and investors have reason to be cautious.

In a filing to its investors after the deal was announced, Intel warned that it may lose overseas customers reluctant to buy from a U.S. government-owned business. The company has lost more than $22 billion since the start of 2023 after largely missing out on the frenzy surrounding artificial intelligence.

James Secreto, a former Biden administration official who helped hammer out the CHIPS Act grants, said a falling stock price is a big danger given Trump’s tendency to measure his success and failure by gyrations in the public market and his willingness to jawbone companies to do things to help him politically.

“The Trump administration now owns Intel’s success or failure,” said Secreto, former Commerce Secretary deputy chief of staff. “The next question is how far will the U.S. government go to defend its equity postion?

He called the Intel stock purchase a “bridge too far” even for Democrats who believe government help is needed occasionally.

“For the sake of national security, we still need Intel to win on performance, not politics,” he said.

That Trump would be labeled a “socialist” by members of his own party is ironic given that he has long wielded that term against his opponents.

Yet in some ways the Intel move fits a pattern.

Trump has erected the highest tariffs in decades, a trading strategy that his party has long rejected, and has tried to influence corporate decisions the GOP used to say were best left to business owners. In addition to telling Apple not to shift production to India, he has gotten Coca-Cola to change ingredients and warned Walmart not to raise prices.

There have also been a series of moves that will directly benefit or hurt the government depending on how businesses perform.

In June, Trump struck a deal approving Nippon Steel’s takeover of U.S. Steel in exchange for a “ golden share ” that essentially gives the U.S. government veto power to ensure national security interests are protected against cutbacks in steel production. In July, he spent $400 million of taxpayer money on MP Materials stock to make the U.S government the biggest owner in the Las Vegas rare earths miner. Then earlier this month came his deal with Nvidia and AMD to give the U.S. government a 15% cut of revenue from selling certain chips to China.

A White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe internal deliberations said the deals with Intel, Nvidia, and U.S. Steel are seen as one-offs, necessary moves because the companies have outsized importance to the country’s national security. The source likened the deals to the government’s departure from free market principles when it limits American aerospace companies from selling fighter jets to countries like China.

Some conservatives aren’t buying it.

“This isn’t about funding innovation,” said influential conservative radio host Erick Erickson on Friday. “It’s a paradigm shift towards socialism.”

In addition to Lutnick’s comments about targeting defense contractors, Trump’s top economic adviser has also said hinted about what is likely coming next. He said the president is interested in setting up a sovereign wealth fund in which federal government would invest in an array of companies.

“There’ll be more transactions, if not in this industry then other industries,” said Kevin Hassett, the director of the National Economic Council.

One prominent politician did voice support for the Intel deal, but it more likely hurts than helps Trump’s cause with Republicans.

“Taxpayers should not be providing billions of dollars in corporate welfare to large, profitable corporations like Intel without getting anything in return,” said Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist and Trump antagonist. “The taxpayers of America have a right to a reasonable return on that investment.”

AP reporter Michelle L. Price contributed from Washington.

By SAM METZ and SALLY ABOU ALJOUD, Associated Press

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Israeli and American officials will meet in Washington on Wednesday to discuss the aftermath of war in Gaza, despite no sign that the conflict, which has killed tens of thousands and pushed its largest city into famine, is nearing its end.

Their meeting comes as ceasefire talks show little apparent movement and outrage mounts over deadly Israeli strikes on a southern Gaza hospital that killed 20, including journalists and emergency responders.

The sun sets behind buildings destroyed during Israeli ground and air operations in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Levin)

Israel’s military said it would investigate the hospital attack. In initial findings Tuesday, it offered no immediate explanation for striking twice and no evidence for an assertion that six of the dead were militants.

U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff told Fox News on Tuesday that President Donald Trump would chair the meeting, which would feature “a very comprehensive plan we’re putting together on the next day.” He did not offer details.

Talks about the strip’s future are unfolding as aid groups warn an expanded Israeli offensive could worsen the humanitarian crisis in the besieged territory, where most residents are displaced, neighborhoods lie in ruins, and parts teeter on famine.

The meeting comes nine days after Hamas said it accepted a ceasefire plan from Arab mediators, following Israel’s announced plans to seize Gaza’s biggest city, where some health and infrastructure services remain online and hundreds of thousands are sheltering.

An official from Qatar, one of the countries mediating the talks, said last week that the proposal under discussion was “almost identical” to an earlier draft that Witkoff put forth and Israel accepted. Hamas and Israel have both previously announced acceptance of truces under discussion. But many have fallen apart, with both sides accusing the other of last minute changes.

The deal said to be under discussion would include a 60-day truce, the release of some hostages held by Hamas in return for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and a road map toward talks on a lasting ceasefire.

Many in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition oppose such a phased deal. Israel has pressed ahead with plans to mobilize tens of thousands of reservists for an expanded offensive.

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On Wednesday, hospitals reported at least 10 casualties, including one near an aid distribution site in central Gaza and at a displacement camp in southern Gaza.

An Israeli strike killed three people, including a child and a woman, and injured 21 others when it hit displaced people’s tents in Khan Younis overnight on Wednesday, the Kuwait Specialized Field Hospital said. Three separate Israeli strikes killed at least six others in Khan Younis, Nasser Hospital said on Wednesday.

Israel’s military did not immediately respond to questions about the strikes. Its military offensive has killed more than 62,819 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many were fighters or civilians but says around half were women and children.

The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. The U.N. and independent experts consider it the most reliable source on war casualties. Israel disputes its figures but has not provided its own.

Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people and killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war. Most of the hostages have been released in ceasefires or other deals but 50 remain inside Gaza, around 20 of them believed by Israel to be alive.

Protests have swelled in Israel, with families of hostages and their supporters urging a ceasefire. The government argues that a broadened offensive is the best way to bring them home and cripple Hamas’ capacity to launch such attacks again.

Abou Aljoud reported from Beirut, Lebanon. Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel contributed to this report.