The Cabinet approved draft legislation meant to strengthen Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service, the BND, and its domestic intelligence service, the BfV, and reduce the reliance of the European Union’s most populous nation on tips from its allies. The threats Germany now faces require intelligence services that are “competitive with our partner services in the European Union, but also with friendly services beyond that,” said Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt. The reform

Are Americans richer than they were 50 years ago? The answer can be complicated, depending on where you are in your life experience. According to a report by the Tulsa, Oklahoma-based consumer news operation ConsumerAffairs, in some ways the answer is unquestionably yes. In looking at buying power, which measures income against inflation, the report found general purchasing power had risen 73.1% between 1974 and 2024. The average individual income, adjusted for inflation to 2