From free root beer floats to complimentary admission to all national parks, NBC’s chief consumer investigative correspondent Vicky Nguyen joins TODAY with a roundup of ways to cash in on freebies for the month of August.

A recent survey found 97 percent of travelers regret at least one trip, with two-thirds wishing they could get a redo. Travel expert Misty Belles joins TODAY with tips on how you can avoid vacation remorse, including managing expectations, setting a budget to avoiding overspending, allow yourself time to explore on your own, and more.

The ruling follows lawsuits from the Justice Department, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Polymarket and Kalshi.

From acting and singing to game show hosting, Keke Palmer joins TODAY’s Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones to talk about her many projects, her viral moment with Oprah, and her newest project, “Southern Belle Insults.” She also opens up about the overwhelming reaction to her connection with Sean Evans. “They write the story quicker than you can live it,” she quips.

Oil prices tumbled Monday as the United States and Iran paused their escalating strikes to make “space” for diplomacy.

The affordability crisis is revving up again. The war in Iran and Trump’s tariffs are pushing prices up and raising fears of renewed inflation.

Ryan Reynolds’ Portland gin distillery – once advertised as “Disneyland for adults” – just poured its last drink. It comes as booze brands struggle to adapt with barely half of Americans saying they consume alcohol, a record low. NBC News’ Camila Bernal reports.

Paramount Skydance has agreed to delay its merger with Warner Brothers until June 2027, unless a federal judge issues a ruling on the suit filed by a dozen Democratic state attorneys general before then. Paramount will have to pay a penalty for every day the deal doesn’t go through after a Sept. 30 deadline, potentially costing the company millions of dollars. 

Paramount Skydance has agreed to freeze its merger with rival entertainment conglomerate Warner Bros.

A group of small businesses on Friday sued the Trump administration over its latest tariffs on 60 U.S. trade partners, less than a day after they were enacted.