Both houses of North Carolina's state legislature voted to curtail the powers of newly elected Democrats in the state after overriding the Governor's veto . The GOP-led House of Representatives voted 72-46 on Wednesday to override Gov. Roy Cooper's veto. The Senate, where Republicans also have a majority, had also approved the measure, according to NPR. The bill in question aims to provide relief to victims of Hurricane Helene with $227 million. However, the funding bill also included clauses aimed at curtailing the authority of the state's newly elected Democratic officials. The bill undermines the Governor's powers by transferring the ability to appoint State Board of Elections members to the state auditor instead, a position that will soon be assumed by Republican Auditor-elect Dave Boliek. The bill also curtails the authority of the state's attorney general, a position to be assumed by Democrat Jeff Jackson, by restricting which stances they can take and which consumers they may advocate on behalf of. Republicans currently hold the exact amount of seats they need to use a supermajority to override vetoes, though this will soon change as the state's GOP lost its supermajority in the state legislature this election year. The state's outgoing Governor, Roy Cooper, has been vocal in his criticisms of the efforts. "This legislation is a sham," Cooper wrote in his veto message, obtained by WRAL . "It does not send money to Western North Carolina but merely shuffles money from one fund to another in Raleigh." "This legislation was titled disaster relief but instead violates the constitution by taking appointments away from the next Governor for the Board of Elections, Utilities Commission and Commander of the NC Highway Patrol, letting political parties choose appellate judges and interfering with the Attorney General's ability to advocate for lower electric bills for consumers," Cooper continued. Democratic Governor-elect Josh Stein has also voiced his frustrations at the state's GOP representatives. "Many people and communities are hurting and need our help, but instead of stepping up, the Republicans in the General Assembly are grabbing power and exacting political retribution," Stein posted to social media Tuesday. "How about they do their jobs so we can do ours? North Carolina deserves better." I spent today with local leaders, business owners, and volunteers in western North Carolina. Many people and communities are hurting and need our help. But instead of stepping up, the Republicans in the General Assembly are grabbing power and exacting political retribution. How... Originally published by Latin Times.As TikTok bill steams forward, online influencers put on their lobbying hats to visit WashingtonJason Mackey: After strong start to season, Mike Tomlin deserves blame for Steelers' frustrating loss to Browns

The Photos You're Not Supposed to SeeHarris Dickinson was nervous to approach Nicole Kidman . This would not necessarily be notable under normal circumstances, but the English actor had already been cast to star opposite her in the erotic drama “Babygirl,” as the intern who initiates an affair with Kidman's buttoned-up CEO. They’d had a zoom with the writer-director Halina Reijn, who was excited by their playful banter and sure that Dickinson would hold his own. And yet when he found himself at the same event as Kidman, shyness took over. He admitted as much to Margaret Qualley, who took things into her own hands and introduced them. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get updates and player profiles ahead of Friday's high school games, plus a recap Saturday with stories, photos, video Frequency: Seasonal Twice a week

So much for diversity: Companies kowtow to conservatives and ditch DEI

Noodles and wine are the secret ingredients for a strange new twist in China's doping sagaHeaded South for Winter? 5 Tips for Snowbirds About to Take Flight

NoneBieber re-signs with Guardians

Frost Festival returns to Queen City for fourth yearCLEVLEAND — Shane Bieber's comeback with Cleveland has double meaning. The former Cy Young winner re-signed with the Guardians on Wednesday, a reunion that seemed unlikely when he became a free agent. However, the 29-year-old Bieber decided to stay with the AL Central champions after making just two starts in 2024 before undergoing Tommy John surgery. Bieber agreed last week to a one-year, $14 million contract. The deal includes a $16 million player option for 2026. It seemed like a long shot that Bieber, who is 62-32 with a 3.22 ERA in 132 starts, would return to Cleveland. He had turned down long-term offers in the past from the club, and it was expected he would sign with another contender, likely one on the West Coast. But the California native has a special connection with the Guardians, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2016 draft. Bieber, who won the AL Cy Young in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, threw only 12 innings last season before lingering issues with his elbow forced him to have surgery. He is expected to join Cleveland's rotation at some point in 2025. A two-time All-Star, Bieber was named MVP of the midsummer event in 2019 when it was held in Cleveland. He has the highest strikeout ratio per nine innings (10.2) and third-highest winning percentage (.660) in the franchise's 124-year history. Bieber is one of just three Cleveland pitchers to start five season openers, joining Stan Coveleski (1917-21) and Corey Kluber (2015-19). While Bieber had some elbow issues in the past, he didn't show any issues before being shut down. He struck out 11 in six scoreless innings against Oakland on March 28, and followed that up with six more shutout innings at Seattle on April 2. DALLAS — Pitchers again dominated the big league phase of the Rule 5 draft at the winter meetings, comprising 11 of the 15 unprotected players who were picked Wednesday. The 121-loss Chicago White Sox had the first pick and selected 24-year-old right-hander Shane Smith from the Milwaukee Brewers organization. Smith was an undrafted free agent out of Wake Forest when he was signed by Milwaukee in July 2021. The 6-foot-4, 235-pounder has gone 13-7 with a 2.69 ERA and 203 strikeouts over 157 innings in 19 starts and 54 relief appearances over three minor league seasons. There were 14 teams who made picks in the major league portion of the Rule 5 draft of players left off 40-man rosters after several minor league seasons. Only Atlanta made two selections, after making none since 2017. Atlanta chose right-hander Anderson Pilar from the Miami Marlins with the 11th pick, and then took infielder Christian Cairo from the Cleveland Guardians with the 15th and final pick in the MLB portion. The 26-year-old Pilar was original signed by Colorado as a minor league free agent in 2015 and has pitched in 213 minor league games that included 17 starts. He is 28-20 with a 2.86 ERA. Teams pay $100,000 to take a player in the major league portion. The players must stay on the big league roster all of next season or clear waivers and be offered back to their original organization for $50,000. Six of the 10 players selected during the Rule 5 draft last December — five of them right-handed pitchers — remained last season with organization that selected them. Two of the four position players taken Wednesday by other teams came from the Detroit Tigers organization: catcher Liam Hicks and third baseman Gage Workman. Miami drafted second after Colorado passed making a selection, and took Hicks. Workman was taken by the Chicago Cubs with the 10th pick. Baltimore lost two right-handed pitchers on back-to-back picks, Juan Nunez to San Diego with the 12th pick before Connor Thomas went to Milwaukee. DALLAS — Tom Hamilton, who has called Cleveland games on the radio for 35 seasons, won the Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting on Wednesday. Hamilton, 70, joined the team's broadcast in 1990, when he was with Herb Score in the booth and part of the coverage of their World Series appearances in 1995 and 1997. Hamilton became the voice of the franchise when Score retired after that second World Series. Hamilton will be honored during the Hall of Fame’s induction weekend from July 25-28 in Cooperstown, New York. He was selected the hall's Frick Award 16-member committee as the 49th winner. There were 10 finalists on this year's ballot, whose main contributions came as local and national voices and whose careers began after, or extended into, the Wild Card era. The other nine were Skip Caray, Rene Cardenas, Gary Cohen, Jacques Doucet, Ernie Johnson Sr., Mike Krukow, Duane Kuiper, Dave Sims and John Sterling. DALLAS — The Texas Rangers acquired slugging corner infielder Jake Burger from the Miami Marlins on Wednesday in a trade for three minor league players. Burger hit .250 with 29 home runs and 76 RBIs in 137 games for the Marlins last season, with 150 strikeouts in 535 at-bats with 31 walks. He started 59 games at third base and made 50 starts at first. Five days of service time short of being eligible for salary arbitration this offseason, he will be eligible next winter and can become a free agent after the 2028 World Series. Miami got infielders Max Acosta and Echedry Vargas and left-handed pitcher Brayan Mendoza. The acquisition of Burger comes about a month after the Rangers hired former Marlins manager Skip Schumaker as a senior adviser for baseball operations. Luis Urueta, Miami's bench coach the past two seasons, also was added recently to manager Bruce Bochy's on-field coaching staff for 2025. BRIEFLY WHITE SOX: Mike Tauchman is switching sides in Chicago. The White Sox announced a $1.95 million, one-year contract for the outfielder. Tauchman, 34, grew up in Palatine, Illinois, about 35 miles northwest of Chicago, and played college ball for Bradley in Peoria, Illinois. He spent the previous two seasons with the Cubs. TRADE: All-Star left-hander Garrett Crochet was acquired by the Boston Red Sox from the Chicago White Sox for four prospects. Catcher Kyle Teel, infielder Chase Meidroth, right-hander Wikelman Gonzalez and outfielder Braden Montgomery are headed to Chicago. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Save 55% on this rich-mom-style sweatshirt that 'rivals Lululemon,' down to $24 for Black Friday

PHOENIX — As of Friday, south-central Phoenix is one step closer to more accessible public transport. Valley Metro started testing trains on the new South Central Extension for the light rail. The 5.5-mile expansion will connect the existing routes in downtown Phoenix to Baseline Road. You can expect to see trains running Washington and Jefferson streets, as well as 1st, 3rd and Central avenues during the testing period. Testing will ramp up as Valley Metro nears its projected opening date in mid-2025. Valley Metro shared the following safety tips for the new developments: Follow all traffic signals and use designated crosswalks Stay alert and listen for warning signals and train sounds Avoid standing on tracks—light rail trains are quiet and may approach at any time Do not enter the new station platforms during testing as they are currently closed You can visit valleymetro.org/southcentral for more information. Watch 12News for free You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere thanks to the 12+ app! The free 12+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV . 12+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona. Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives. Roku: Add the channel from the Roku store or by searching for "12 News KPNX." Amazon Fire TV: Search for "12 News KPNX" to find the free 12+ app to add to your account , or have the 12+ app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app. Up to Speed Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.The Farm Bill was extended once again for another year as Congress approved a final-hour spending package to avert a government shutdown Friday. Along with the extension, the bipartisan legislation also includes financial aid for farmers and money for recent natural disasters. However, the extension means they will still be relying on outdated provisions from the 2018 Farm Bill. The Farm, Food, and National Security Act, also known as the Farm Bill, is considered a “must-pass” package of federal legislation that is typically reauthorized every five years. The last Farm Bill was passed in 2018 and was supposed to be renewed in 2023, until lawmakers extended the deadline to Sept. 30. The Farm Bill extension was part of a package that will keep the federal government funded after Friday night, when funds expire. Congress needs to pass legislation each fiscal year designating how much the federal government will spend on its programs. When Congress does not meet its deadline, lawmakers pass “continuing resolutions” which buy time by keeping funding at previous levels. The package also included a disaster relief package that will allocate money for sectors critical to Texas’ economy to respond to recent natural disasters. Over $3 billion was estimated to go to the state’s farmers in addition to the Farm Bill, $122 million to repair Johnson Space Center and $950 million to repair the state’s roads and transportation infrastructure, according to a memo by House Appropriations Committee Democrats. The Farm Bill sets policies for many agricultural programs, such as federal crop insurance and loans for farmers. In Texas, the bill supports more than 230,000 farms and ranches that can be found in nearly every corner of the state — from sprawling pastures in the northern Panhandle to loam-covered rice fields in East Texas. According to a 2024 Feeding the Economy report, an economic impact study organized by food and agriculture groups, the state’s food and agriculture sectors contribute about $860.8 billion in economic activity and employ more than 4.5 million people. The bill also helps provide more than 3.4 million low-income Texas families with benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), according to Every Texan, a nonprofit advocacy organization that analyzes public policy and its impact on Texas residents. SNAP funding has been a source of contention for this Farm Bill. In a May version advanced by the U.S. House agriculture committee, led by Rep. Glenn Thompson, a Pennsylvania Republican, SNAP would get about a $30 billion cut. That was a nonstarter for many Democrats. The U.S. House was set to pass a continuing resolution earlier this week to keep the government open until March in a bipartisan deal negotiated by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana. But rank-and-file Republicans revolted over the agreement, saying it was negotiated behind closed doors without their input and released without sufficient time to review. The tenor amplified after Elon Musk, the billionaire Texas transplant who has the ear of President-elect Donald Trump, trashed the package on social media for including so many priorities unrelated to keeping the government open. Within 24 hours, the continuing resolution was effectively dead. Trump threw in a curveball on Wednesday when he demanded that a continuing resolution also include an increase or elimination of the debt ceiling. The debt ceiling does not impact future spending levels and caps borrowing to cover past expenses. When the debt ceiling is reached and the country can no longer borrow to cover its bills and interest payments, it risks defaulting on its debts. This has never happened before, but economists warn it would have a devastating impact on the economy. Republicans have used the threat of a default to corner Democrats into agreeing to restrictions on future spending. Republican leaders released a new, drastically slimmed down continuing resolution Thursday afternoon that would keep the government funded until March, include the disaster relief package, extend the Farm Bill, raise the debt ceiling and exclude other priorities that Musk and Republicans criticized as being irrelevant to keeping the government funded. But Democrats were irate, asserting they were excluded from the negotiations and that Republicans had gone back on their word on priorities that would help everyday Americans. Democrats were especially angry at Musk, who has no experience in public office, saying he had no business dictating how Congress should do its job. “Which branch of Government does Elon belong to? Asking for a friend....” U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, posted on social media. Several fiscally minded conservatives, including U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin, were equally furious that his own party would raise the debt ceiling without securing future limits on spending. Trump threatened to primary Roy for opposing a raise to the debt ceiling without future spending limits. Thursday’s package failed with 38 Republicans joining all but three Democrats in voting no. In addition to Roy, U.S. Reps. Michael Cloud of Victory, Wesley Hunt of Houston, Morgan Luttrell of Willis, Nathaniel Moran of Tyler, Keith Self of McKinney and Beth Van Duyne of Irving all voted no. The final package that passed the House on Friday excluded any mention of the debt ceiling. Democrats signed on and helped House Republican leaders reach a supermajority required for passage.In the current session, the stock is trading at $113.82, after a 0.65% spike. Over the past month, Arista Networks Inc. ANET stock increased by 11.50% , and in the past year, by 91.51% . With performance like this, long-term shareholders are optimistic but others are more likely to look into the price-to-earnings ratio to see if the stock might be overvalued. Comparing Arista Networks P/E Against Its Peers The P/E ratio measures the current share price to the company's EPS. It is used by long-term investors to analyze the company's current performance against it's past earnings, historical data and aggregate market data for the industry or the indices, such as S&P 500. A higher P/E indicates that investors expect the company to perform better in the future, and the stock is probably overvalued, but not necessarily. It also could indicate that investors are willing to pay a higher share price currently, because they expect the company to perform better in the upcoming quarters. This leads investors to also remain optimistic about rising dividends in the future. Arista Networks has a better P/E ratio of 54.3 than the aggregate P/E ratio of 49.32 of the Communications Equipment industry. Ideally, one might believe that Arista Networks Inc. might perform better in the future than it's industry group, but it's probable that the stock is overvalued. In summary, while the price-to-earnings ratio is a valuable tool for investors to evaluate a company's market performance, it should be used with caution. A low P/E ratio can be an indication of undervaluation, but it can also suggest weak growth prospects or financial instability. Moreover, the P/E ratio is just one of many metrics that investors should consider when making investment decisions, and it should be evaluated alongside other financial ratios, industry trends, and qualitative factors. By taking a comprehensive approach to analyzing a company's financial health, investors can make well-informed decisions that are more likely to lead to successful outcomes. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Beyond evangelicals, Trump and his allies courted smaller faith groups, from the Amish to Chabad

India is set to allow homegrown carriers to use wet leased planes on new routes as the government seeks to address a severe aircraft shortage which is driving up ticket prices and hindering airlines ' expansion plans, people aware of the development said. ET Year-end Special Reads Top 10 equity mutual funds of the year. Do you have any? How India flexed its global power muscles in 2024 2024 was the year India became the talk of America IndiGo and SpiceJet are likely to be immediate beneficiaries of the government move. IndiGo, India's largest carrier, is finalising a leasing arrangement of up to six Boeing 787 jetliners with Norwegian carrier Norse Atlantic, the people said. The government decision will also allow Air India to wet lease planes for starting new flights with the Tata Group airline's much touted turnaround under its new owner getting delayed due to an ageing fleet amid a global aircraft parts shortage. A government official said the change in policy will help carriers mount new routes besides boosting capacity on existing services, helping temper airfares. "Supply of aircraft is tremendously lagging demand due to engine issues and slowdown in delivery. Hence, this change is necessary," the official said. 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Current rules permit airlines to wet lease planes for up to a year. However, the airlines are barred by sector regulator directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) from using these planes on new routes. More than 100 aircraft are grounded due to unavailability of engines and other spare parts, minister of state for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol told the Lok Sabha last week. "Across the world, only India barred airlines from launching new routes with wet leases. US, Europe, Australia permit such arrangements. DGCA will ensure that airlines lease planes only from countries which have high safety standards and are in good condition," the government official cited above said. IndiGo, which currently has two Boeing 777 aircraft on wet lease from Turkish Airlines, is planning to start flights to London and Paris with the 787 aircraft from Norway, the officials said. This will help IndiGo expedite its foray into the lucrative India-Europe market which would have otherwise been possible with its new Airbus A350 aircraft whose delivery starts only in 2027. Norse Atlantic has tentatively agreed a wet-lease for six of its Boeing 787s to another carrier, the airline said without disclosing the lessee airline's identity. If the agreement is finalised, two aircraft would be deployed in February and the remaining four in September. IndiGo didn't respond to ET's queries. More than 60 of IndiGo's Airbus A320 and 321 aircraft are grounded as US aerospace company RTX recalled 1,200 Pratt & Whitney engines after it found contamination in the powdered metal used in their manufacturing. IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers in October said while the airline has managed to reduce the number of grounding from the peak of over 70 aircraft, it will have a little less than 50 grounded planes by March 2025. To tide over the capacity shortage, IndiGo has already wet leased 24 aircraft. This includes 10 Airbus A320 planes, two Boeing 777 and 12 737 Max aircraft. The airline which used to return aircraft after six years has now been forced to deploy them for a longer period amid the shortfall in available fleet. Nominations for ET MSME Awards are now open. The last day to apply is December 31, 2024. Click here to submit your entry for any one or more of the 22 categories and stand a chance to win a prestigious award. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers, meet your latest lobbyists: online influencers from TikTok. The platform is once again bringing influencers to Washington, this time to lobby members of Congress to reject a fast-moving bill that would force TikTok's Beijing-based parent company to sell or be banned in the United States. On Tuesday, some influencers began a two-day advocacy event in support of TikTok, which arranged their trip ahead of a House floor vote on the legislation on Wednesday. But unlike a similar lobbying event the company put together last March when talks of a TikTok ban reached a fever pitch, this year’s effort appeared more rushed as the company scrambles to counter the legislation, which advanced rapidly on Capitol Hill. Summer Lucille, a TikTok content creator with 1.4 million followers who is visiting Washington this week, said if TikTok is banned, she “don’t know what it will do” to her business, a plus-sized boutique in Charlotte, North Carolina. “It will be devastating,” Lucille said in an interview arranged by the platform. In an unusual showing of bipartisanship, a House panel unanimously approved the measure last week. President Joe Biden has said he will sign the legislation if lawmakers pass it. But it’s unclear what will happen in the Senate, where several bills aimed at banning TikTok have stalled. The legislation faces other roadblocks. Former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump, who holds sway over both House and Senate Republicans, has voiced opposition to the bill, saying it would empower Meta-owned Facebook, which he continues to lambast over his 2020 election loss. The bill also faces pushback from some progressive lawmakers in the House as well as civil liberties groups who argue it infringes on the First Amendment. TikTok could be banned if ByteDance, the parent company, doesn’t sell its stakes in the platform and other applications it owns within six months of the bill’s enactment. The fight over the platform takes place as U.S.-China relations have shifted to that of strategic rivalry, especially in areas such as advanced technologies and data security, seen as essential to each country’s economic prowess and national security. The shift, which started during the Trump years and has continued under Biden, has placed restrictions on export of advanced technologies and outflow of U.S. monies to China, as well as access to the U.S. market by certain Chinese businesses. The Biden administration also has cited human rights concerns in blacklisting a number of Chinese companies accused of assisting the state surveillance campaign against ethnic minorities. TikTok isn’t short on lobbyists. Its Beijing-based parent company ByteDance has a strong lobbying apparatus in Washington that includes dozens of lobbyists from well-known consulting and legal firms as well as influential insiders, such as former members of Congress and ex-aides to powerful lawmakers, according to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will also be in Washington this week and plans to meet with lawmakers, according to a company spokesperson who said Chew’s visit was previously scheduled. But influencers, who have big followings on social media and can share personal stories of how the platform boosted their businesses — or simply gave them a voice — are still perhaps one of the most powerful tools the company has in its arsenal. A TikTok spokesperson said dozens of influencers will attend the two-day event, including some who came last year. The spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions about how many new people would be attending this year’s lobbying blitz. The company is briefing them ahead of meetings with their representatives and media interviews. Lucille, who runs the boutique in North Carolina, says has seen a substantial surge in revenue because of her TikTok page. The 34-year-old began making TikTok content focusing on plus-sized fashion in March 2022, more than a decade after she started her business. She quickly amassed thousands of followers after posting a nine-second video about her boutique. Because of her popularity on the platform, her business has more online exposure and customers, some of whom have visited from as far as Europe. She says she also routinely hears from followers who are finding support through her content about fashion and confidence. JT Laybourne, an influencer who also came to Washington, said he joined TikTok in early 2019 after getting some negative comments on videos he posted on Instagram while singing in the car with his children. Laybourne, who lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, said he was attracted to the short-form video platform because it was easy to create videos that contained music. Like Lucille, he quickly gained traction on the app. He says he also received more support from TikTok users, who reacted positively to content he produced on love and positivity. Laybourne says the community he built on the platform rallied around his family when he had to undergo heart surgery in 2020. Following the surgery, he said he used the platform to help raise $1 million for the American Heart Association in less than two years. His family now run an apparel company that gets most of its traffic from TikTok. “I will fight tooth-and-nail for this app,” he said. But whether the opposition the company is mounting through lobbyists or influencers will be enough to derail the bill is yet to be seen. On Tuesday, House lawmakers received a briefing on national security concerns regarding TikTok from the FBI, Justice Department and intelligence officials. AP Journalist Didi Tang contributed to this report. This story was originally published on March 12, 2024. It was updated on December 23, 2024 to clarify a quote by TikTok content creator Summer Lucille.

Nobody really wants to be a Nazi, but....Hair specialist reveals why drugstore products are actually better for your locks than high-end brands Certified trichologist Abbey Yung recommended drugstore hair products She said they contain better ingredients than most high-end brands READ MORE: Dermatologist reveals her favorite hacks for promoting hair growth By EMILY LEFROY FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 16:49 EST, 26 December 2024 | Updated: 17:04 EST, 26 December 2024 e-mail View comments If you've ever reached into the back of your bathroom cupboard and found an old shampoo and conditioner bottle, than you could have stumbled upon a winning combination. TikTok user and certified trichologist Abbey Yung recently explained why your locks may feel and look more luscious after using a drugstore branded shampoo and conditioner rather than a high-end brand. 'Everything you have ever been told about drugstore haircare is a lie,' Yung began an eye-opening video shared to her TikTok. 'The reason why your hair instantly feels drastically better after using a drugstore shampoo and conditioner is either because of the sulfates, the silicones or both,' she explained. The expert added that there are 'too many' haircare brands that have removed sulfates and silicones from their products, which means they don't clean your hair properly. 'Not because it's better for your hair and scalp, but because it's part of a marketing strategy to be able to label their products in a certain way that make it more likely to for you to spend their money on them,' Yung claimed. However, the hair expert said there are 'two huge issues' with the tactic. The expert explained that when brands remove effective cleaning agents, like sulfates, from shampoos, they remove the ability of that shampoo to give your hair and scalp the proper cleanse it needs. Certified trichologist Abbey Yung recently explained why your locks may feel and look more luscious after using a drugstore shampoo and conditioner rather than a high-end brand 'In the exact same way when brands remove effective conditioning ingredients, like silicones from their conditioners, they have removed the ability of that conditioner to properly condition and protect their hair,' Yung continued. 'That is exactly why you notice such an immediate, drastic difference when you switch to a drugstore shampoo and conditioner - you're finally using products that haven't eliminated the exact ingredients that make our scalp and hair cleaner, softer, smoother, shiner, more bouncy, more manageable, less frizzy, less tangled.' Users shared their own experiences of using drugstore shampoo and conditioners in the comment section - and many agreed that their hair had never looked better. 'Pantene is hated by most stylists, but I had my best hair days when I used it in the past,' one user wrote. 'There is no conditioner that conditions like Pantene!' agreed another. 'Went back to Pantene after years of expensive salon products. My hair looks amazing!' gushed someone else. 'Pantene has never been good for my hair. The L’Oréal brand - I can use that and my hair feels great,' added another. Another hair expert previously revealed how often you really should be washing your hair. Dr Crystal Aguh, an Associate Professor of Dermatology and an Olaplex Scientific Advisory Board Member, shed light on the mistakes people tend to make in the shower and the two 'must-have' products customers can't get enough of back in July. The expert said there are 'too many' haircare brands that have removed important ingredients from their products, which means they don't clean your hair properly (stock image) Users shared their own experiences of using drugstore shampoo and conditioners in the comment section - and many agreed that their hair has never looked better Read More Are you washing your hair wrong? Expert spills her secret to shiny locks While most only condition the ends of their hair, Dr Aguh recommended applying product from the root all the way to the tip. 'This allows the strands to stay moisturized and helps minimize damage from everyday wear and tear,' she said. The professional added that a quick 30-second lather is all that is required when shampooing your hair - and additional cleanses can actually cause more harm than good. As for the number of times you should wash your hair, she said that will be determined by your 'curl type.' 'A quick 15 to 30 second lather is all that is required for adequate shampooing and cleansing. Double shampooing can be helpful if you have a lot of product build-up,' Dr Aguh said. TikTok Share or comment on this article: Hair specialist reveals why drugstore products are actually better for your locks than high-end brands e-mail Add comment