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☆ Super-aged Japan now has 9 million vacant homes. And that’s a problem
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Chris Lau | Mayumi Maruyama | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“This is a symptom of Japan’s population decline,” said Jeffrey Hall, a lecturer at Kanda University of International Studies in Chiba. “It’s not really a problem of building too many houses” but “a problem of not having enough people,” he said. According to figures compiled by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 14% of all residential properties in Japan are vacant. “When an earthquake or a tsunami occurs, there is a possibility that vacant houses will block evacuation routes as they break down and get destroyed,” he said. In other rural areas with a high concentration of vacant houses, akiya have stalled development, the professor said.

Persons: ”, Jeffrey Hall, “ It’s, don’t, Akio Kon, it’s, “ They’re, Buddhika Weerasinghe, Yuki Akiyama, Akiyama, ” Akiyama Organizations: CNN, Kanda University of International Studies, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Kanda University, “, Bloomberg, Getty, Ministry, Internal Affairs, Communications, Tokyo City University, Homes Locations: Japan, New York City, Tokyo, Kyoto, Chiba, Kanda, Yato, Yokosuka City, Kanagawa prefecture, Tambasasayama, Noto, Ishikawa, Europe, West, “

CNN —Vladimir Putin has formally begun his fifth term as Russia’s president in a carefully choreographed inauguration ceremony, in a country he has shaped in his image after first taking office nearly a quarter of a century ago. Putin won Russia’s stage-managed election by an overwhelming majority in March, securing for himself another six-year term that could see him rule until at least his 77th birthday. Attendees wait in the Kremlin as Putin arrives for his inauguration ceremony. Putin waves during his inauguration ceremony. To ensure it has enough drones and missiles to bombard Ukraine, Russia has also entered into deeper partnerships with Iran and North Korea.

Persons: CNN — Vladimir Putin, Putin, – Putin, “, Matthew Miller, Putin’s, Maxim Shemetov, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Alexey Navalny, Navalny, ”, ” Putin Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, US State Department, Reuters, US Embassy, Presidential Locations: Russia, Ukraine, United States, Kremlin, Moscow, Russian, Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Iran, North Korea

☆ Biden brags about his environmental record to win young voters, but most have no idea what he's done to fight climate change
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up for our newsletter to get the latest on the culture & business of sustainability — delivered weekly to your inbox. President Joe Biden has sought to use his pro-environment policies to boost his support among young voters, but most of them have little to no knowledge of his administration's actions to tackle climate change, according to a recent survey. And many of the administration's climate policies are seemingly popular with the American public. The most polarizing Biden policy in the survey was the allowance of tax credits for electric vehicles, but even it had a plurality of support (43 percent) among respondents. Meanwhile, 35 percent of respondents opposed such credits, and 21 percent of respondents indicated they hadn't heard about it.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Donald Trump's Organizations: Service, CBS, Business Locations: White House, Paris, United States

☆ Meet nuclear power's newest fans: data centers
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Daniel Geiger | Ellen Thomas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The deal illustrates data centers' new-found interest in nuclear power. Joe Dominguez, the CEO of Constellation, the nation's largest operator of nuclear plants, said in a March earnings call that powering data centers with nuclear energy was "kind of a perfect marriage." AdvertisementVistra, another nuclear owner, also indicated it was arranging data center deals for a nuclear plant it owns in Ohio and one in Texas. Greg Poulos, the executive director of a PJM watchdog group, said that "one of my highest priority, highest radar items" is how data centers could push costs onto consumers and also whether nuclear data centers deals could reduce grid reliability. Beyond the nuclear optionNot all data centers, of course, are seeking out nuclear power to seize their energy independence.

Persons: —, Wes Swenson, Swenson, Joe Dominguez, Jim Burke, Ralph La Rossa, La Rossa, Steve Helber, Burke, Dominguez, PJM, Michael Jacobs, Brian Janous, Greg Poulos, Poulos, Biden Organizations: Service, Susquehanna, Amazon, Business, US Energy Information Administration, Nuclear, Constellation, Public Service Enterprise Group, Microsoft, International Energy Agency, Dominion Energy, Talen Energy, Energy, Union of Concerned Locations: Pennsylvania, Salt Lake City, Ohio, Texas, New Jersey, Our, Jersey, Virginia, Chester , Va, Susquehanna, Chicago, New York City

☆ A GOP senator says Kristi Noem is 'done' as a possible Trump running mate after revealing she killed her dog
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Kristi Noem has long been touted as a potential running mate for former President Trump. A GOP senator told The Hill that Noem has essentially tanked her VP chances with Trump. But according to a GOP senator who spoke to The Hill, Noem has sunk her chances with Trump. Related stories"She's just done, too much drama," the unnamed lawmaker, who remains in contact with the former president, told the outlet. Advertisement"I don't see how it helps," the senator told CNN last week.

Persons: Kristi Noem, Trump, Noem, —, Donald Trump, Mike Rounds, I've, Dusty Johnson, that's Organizations: GOP, Trump, Service, Dakota GOP Gov, Republican, The Guardian, Fox News, CNN Locations: America

☆ House GOP embroiled in escalating primary feuds with majority on line
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Manu Raju | Melanie Zanona | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

For more on House Republican primary infighting, watch “Inside Politics with Manu Raju” on Sunday at 8 a.m. Washington CNN —GOP Rep. Don Bacon has had it with the far-right of his conference. Now McCarthy allies in the House GOP Conference are considering giving a boost to Aaron Dimmock, the retired Navy officer facing off against Gaetz in the August 20 primary. And while the outcomes in most of these primary races won’t impact the GOP’s efforts to keep the majority, they will shape the makeup of the next House Republican Conference and how they pursue their agenda. Several of Gonzales' colleagues in the House are backing a GOP primary challenger in his race for reelection.

Persons: Manu Raju ”, Don Bacon, They’ve, Republicans —, Bob Good, “, Bob Good’s, ” Bacon, we’ve, Tony Gonzales, Matt Gaetz, Good —, Adam Morgan, William Timmons, Kevin McCarthy, John McGuire, McCarthy, Mike Johnson, Dan Newhouse, Donald Trump, MAGA, Scott Perry, Jerrod, Gaetz —, McCarthy —, Gaetz, Aaron Dimmock, Derrick Van Orden, tubby ”, Chip Roy, Samuel Corum, Trump, ”, Ralph Norman, Morgan, Timmons, Joe Biden, Sen, Tony Vargas, Bacon, Dan Frei —, Lee Terry, “ He’s, ” Frei, Frei, Eric Underwood, Underwood, Bacon doesn’t, ” Underwood, he’s, Frei mailer, it’s, Gonzales, Tom Williams, Sarah Chamberlain, McGuire, Good’s, Steve Bannon, I’ve, ” Johnson, that’s, undercutting, CNN’s Jeff Zeleny, Sheden Tesfaldet Organizations: Republican, Washington CNN, GOP, Republicans, Nebraska Republican, CNN, Congress, Caucus, Rep, Good, Washington, Trump, Freedom Caucus, House GOP Conference, Navy, Gaetz, ”, Wisconsin Republican, Capitol, Getty, House Republican Conference, Democratic, Nebraska Republican Party, Nebraska Republicans, “, mailer, Republican Main Street Partnership, Nebraska GOP Locations: Nebraska, Texas, Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Washington, Ukraine

☆ Tech titans love Modi's economic powerhouse India — despite mass unemployment and abject poverty
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Youth unemployment, income inequality, regional disparities, and Russian oil remain big problems. But the work starts there, as he'll have to navigate thorny issues such as youth unemployment, income inequality, and reliance on sanctioned Russian oil. "The other key economic policy was JAM — the trinity of bank accounts for the poor, mobile numbers and a biometric card. Indian demand for Russian oil has cooled in recent months as new sanctions have made it more expensive, but the buying remains controversial. Alexandr Demyanchuk/AFP/Getty ImagesIndia the IT hubUnder Modi, India has made big strides in modernizing its economy, combating bureaucracy, and appealing to foreign investors.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Elon Musk, Jamie Dimon, Tim Cook, —, Modi, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan's Dimon, He's, Musk, Apple's Cook, Joe Biden, Sundar Pichai, Anna Moneymaker, Jensen Huang, Satya Nadella, Alphabet's Sundar Pichai, Richard Rossow, Demonetisation, Kunal Sen, Sen, Tim Graham, Rossow, tycoons Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, Mukesh Ambani, Isha Piramal, Rihanna, Shloka Mehta Ambani, Akash Ambani, Radhika Merchant, Anant, Radhika, Ambani, they'd, Neelima Jain, Vladimir Putin, Alexandr Demyanchuk, Sanjay Shetty, Shetty Organizations: Service, titans, Monetary Fund, Gross, World Bank, Economic, of New, Google, Apple, Nvidia, Microsoft, India, Studies, Center for Strategic & International Studies, United Nations, United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics, University of Manchester, International Labor Organization, Oxfam, Bloomberg, Reliance Industries, Adani, CSIS, Indian, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Getty, Modi, Big Tech, Randstad, Economic Times Locations: India, Britain, Japan, Germany, China, of New York, Nimaj, Rajasthan, North Korea, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Moscow, Western, Samarkand, AFP, Randstad India

☆ Georgia rocked by protests as government pushes Putin-style ‘foreign agent’ bill
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —After spending his days making wine in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains, Tsotne Jafaridze returns home to Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital, and begins his new routine. Jafaridze, who also owns a travel business and says he receives 95% of his income from foreign sources, says he would “immediately” be listed as a foreign agent under the broadly-written law. But the government reintroduced the same bill in March and appears determined to force it through, despite protests that grow fiercer every week. Despite recent Russian aggression against Georgia, Georgian Dream has long been accused of harboring pro-Russian sympathies and its billionaire founder, Bidzina Ivanishvili, made his fortune in the Soviet Union. Bidzina Ivanishvili addresses a rally in support of the "foreign agent" law in Tbilisi, April 29, 2024.

Persons: Jafaridze, ”, Vladimir Putin, “, Giorgi Arjevanidze, isn’t, ” Natalie Sabanadze, –, Levan Khabeishvili, Khabeishvili, Bidzina Ivanishvili, ” Buziashvili, Ivanishvili, Bidzina, Shakh, Sabanandze, Irakli Kobakhidze, Kobakhidze, ” Sabanadze, Viktor Orban, Europe’s, Matthew Miller, Washington, Georgia “, Irakli Gedenidze, Viktor Yanukovych, doesn’t Organizations: CNN, European Union, Getty, EU, United National Movement, National Security Council, Soviet Army, Soviet Union, Belarus ’, Party, Georgian, Conservative Political, United, State Department, Protesters, Reuters Locations: Caucasus, Tbilisi, Georgia’s, Russia, Georgian, Russian, Soviet, AFP, Brussels, Georgia, Belarus, Ukraine, Soviet Union, Hungary, Hungarian, United States, stoke, ”

☆ Top 10 most livable small to midsize cities where the median home price is $500,000 or less
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Livability, a media and marketing company that ranks places based on how livable they are, released its annual list of the 100 most livable small to midsize cities in the US this week. AdvertisementThe list is limited to cities with populations under 500,000 people that also have median home values under $500,000. Livability's list of 100 cities is not ranked in order, as you are able to filter and rank the list based on your top priorities. All one 100 cities can also be viewed on a US map, so you can easily search by region or state. AdvertisementThe following ranking of the top 10 best small to midsize cities to live in is based on the overall livability scores.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Business, Census, of Labor Statistics Locations: Los Angeles and New York, Montana, Miami, Oakland

CNN —For South Dakota Gov. A bipartisan group of members of Congress set up a Congressional Dog Lovers Caucus in a not so subtle dig to the South Dakota governor. Some Republicans came to her defense, like South Dakota Rep. As many questioned why she volunteered this story in her book, Noem said it demonstrates how she doesn’t run from the truth. As governor of South Dakota during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, she resisted lockdowns.

Persons: Kristi Noem, –, Donald Trump’s, ”, Noem, Dusty Johnson, Dakota Sen, Mike Rounds, “, ” Noem, ” Trump, Stephen Colbert, Kim Jong, Emmanuel Macron, Kim, Nikki Haley, Haley, Ian Fury, ” Fury, ” Jesse Hunt, Trump, She’s, Corey Lewandowski, That’s, ” Nancy Pallozzi, Matt Gorman, Gorman, it’d Organizations: CNN, South Dakota Gov, Cricket, The Guardian, Caucus, South Dakota Rep, Fox News, Dakota Scout, US House Armed Services Committee, North Korean, Scout, Politico, South Carolina Gov, Republicans, Republican, Republican Governors Association, National Rifle Association, Trump, Trump loyalists, Mar, California GOP, Jefferson County Republicans, Jefferson County Republican Party Locations: Dakota, America, Texas, South Dakota, California, Denver, Jefferson

☆ Urris: Irish moonshine and the village that declared itself an outlaw republic
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Yolanda Evans | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Back in the 19th century, however, this county was at the center of an illegal trade in poitín – or Irish moonshine. Inishowen in particular was such a hive of illegal activity that the area was jokingly referred to as the Urris Poitín Republic. Fed up with the heavy fines, the people of Urris declared themselves the independent nation of the “Urris Republic of Poitín” and sealed themselves in by collapsing the pass in 1812, McLaughlin-Doherty explains. The townspeople were able to be self-sufficient because of their farmlands and fishing, thus allowing the Urris Republic of Poitín to last for three years before the coup was ended in 1815. The Catholic Church, a stronghold in Ireland, was instrumental in the eventual curbing of illegal poitín production.

Persons: there’s, Malin, –, uisce, Innis Murray, Martin Hegarty, Jennifer McLaughlin, Doherty, “, Urris, McLaughlin, Poitín, ”, Pat Doherty, poitín, Clara Molden, Aengus King, Pádraic Ó Griallais, Poitin, Ó Griallais Organizations: CNN, Donegal, distillers, Irish Ancestral Tours, Research, “, Catholic, Camera, Drinks, Micil Distillery, Revenue, Department, Agriculture Locations: Inishowen, Ireland’s, There’s, Clonmany, Lenan, poitín, Republic, Ireland, Sligo, Urris, Poitín Republic, Poitín, Urris Republic, Republic of Urris, Ireland’s Shannon, Dublin, Drinks Ireland, Galway, “, Britain

☆ Jill Biden Hosts Gala, With Teachers as the Honored Dignitaries
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Zach Montague | More About Zach Montague | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The hallmarks of a state dinner were there: lavish floral displays festooning the White House, the first lady arriving in a floor-length sequined gown, and members of Congress and cabinet secretaries mingling with attendees. But the honored guest was not the president of France or the prime minister of Japan. It was Missy Testerman of Rogersville City School in rural Tennessee. Jill Biden, the first lady, kicked off a new format for delivering the National Teacher of the Year award on Thursday by hosting this year’s winner, Ms. Testerman, and dozens of other teachers from across the country at the White House with a ceremony emulating the pomp normally reserved for foreign dignitaries. “Tonight we celebrate you because teaching isn’t just a job, it’s a calling,” Dr. Biden said, adding, “To answer this call of service is in itself an act of hope.”

Persons: Missy Testerman, Jill Biden, Testerman, Dr . Biden, isn’t, it’s, ” Dr, Biden, ” Organizations: Rogersville City School, White Locations: France, Japan, Tennessee

Those quiet times, less than three years ago, soon became a whirlwind. The flurry of activity reflects new investments in a region of North Carolina that has lagged behind: the Triad. The average income in Randolph County, which includes Liberty, is $47,000, and some jobs at Toyota will offer an hourly wage comfortably above that. More people moving into the area could breathe life into Liberty’s downtown. Mr. Kidd worried that many local workers lacked the education and skills to work at the plant.

Persons: Scott Kidd didn’t, Kidd Organizations: Liberty, Toyota Locations: N.C, North Carolina, Randolph County, Liberty, Liberty’s, Greensboro, Winston, Salem

☆ Demand for riskier adjustable-rate mortgages hits highest level of the year, due to rising rates
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

When mortgage rates rise, consumers look for any way to lower their monthly payments, and that often leads them to adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs). These loans offer lower interest rates than their fixed-rate counterparts but are considered riskier. When mortgage rates hit record lows back in 2021, the ARM share of applications was in the 3% range. Meanwhile, the average contract interest rate for 5/1 ARMs decreased to 6.60% from 6.64%. "Inflation remains stubbornly high, and this trend is convincing markets that rates, including mortgage rates, are going to stay higher for longer.

Persons: Mike Fratantoni Organizations: Mortgage, Association, ARM, MBA's, Federal Reserve Locations: Hawthorn Woods , Illinois

A nearly 60-foot segment of an expressway in a rural area of southeastern China collapsed before dawn on Wednesday after days of heavy rain, killing 24 people and injuring 30 others. Photos released after the incident appeared to show that a landslide had begun under two lanes of an expressway that ran along the side of a hill. A wide, brown scar of mud ran down the side of the hill between bright green foliage, leaving a large gap in the expressway. Vehicles lay jumbled at the base of the hill below the hole, blackened and still smoking from a fire that had burned vigorously during the night, drawing a large number of fire trucks to the area. The state news media said that many of the survivors were seriously injured, with drivers and passengers alike suffering severe bone fractures and injuries to internal organs.

Organizations: Vehicles Locations: China

☆ Affordable internet gave Native Americans a way to preserve community and culture. Now it’s another broken promise
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Within weeks, the two-year-old US Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is set to run out of funds, and Congress appears unlikely to authorize more. Even as many older and rural Americans may be thrust into financial hardship due to the ACP’s collapse, indigenous communities could fare even worse. Because tribal members can now work remotely, they are no longer forced to move away from their communities to seek opportunity, they told CNN. For example, Mitchell said, after decades of decline in Mohawk fluency, a growing number of tribal members are now involved in online language immersion. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Seth Wenig/AP/FileInstead, some say, the collapse of the ACP will become another stain on the US government’s centuries-long track record of breaking promises to tribal communities.

Persons: Kelly, ”, “, “ That’s, ” Kelly, Mike Johnson, Pennsylvania Democratic Sen, John Fetterman, Fetterman’s, Jonathan Nez, “ I’ve, Loren King, Geoffrey Starks, ” Starks, Allyson Mitchell, Mitchell, Nez, ” Nez, Derrick VanSoolen’s, Choctaw, ” VanSoolen, they’re, Bois, Randy Long, Gary Johnson, Paul, Seth Wenig, I’ll Organizations: Washington CNN, Mohawk, CNN, Connectivity Program, FCC, Pennsylvania Democratic, Federal Communications Commission, Treasury, US Federal Communications Commission, Mohawk Networks, Navajo, ACP, Emergency, Program, Choctaw Nation, Bois Forte, Paul Bunyan Communications Locations: St, Lawrence, New York, Canadian, Mohawk, America, Navajo, Oklahoma, Oklahoma , Arizona, New Mexico, Alaska, South Dakota, Arizona, Minnesota, Regis

☆ Walmart will close all of its health care clinics
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —Walmart, the largest retailer in the United States, will close all 51 of its health care clinics in six states and end virtual health care services, the company said Tuesday. Walmart had made a big push into health care in recent years, opening clinics next to its superstores that offered primary and urgent care, labs, X-rays, behavioral health and dental work in six states — Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri and Texas. Walmart had targeted rural and underserved areas that have a shortage of primary care facilities. The announcement is an abrupt reversal in Walmart’s strategy and may leave a gap in health care access, particularly for lower-income patients without insurance who relied on the clinics. Walmart also said it will end virtual health care services.

Persons: “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, Walmart Locations: New York, United States, — Arkansas, Florida, Georgia , Illinois , Missouri, Texas

☆ Interest rates: It’s a mystery when the Fed will begin to cut them
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Washington CNN —Nowadays, it’s anyone’s guess when the Federal Reserve will begin to cut interest rates this year — if at all. Fed officials are meeting this week, starting Tuesday, to discuss rates and set policy. That guidance will be key for market observers who clearly have divergent views on interest rates. Forecasts from major Wall Street banks on the first rate cut are all over the place: JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs expect the first cut in July, while Wells Fargo is betting on September. Some Fed policymakers, meanwhile, have even floated the possibility of a rate hike, instead of a cut.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Wall, Liz Ann Sonders, Charles Schwab, Jerome Powell, “, ” Kathleen Grace, John Towfighi, That’s, nearshoring, Alberto Ramos, Ramos, Morgan Stanley, Read, Cindy Westman, —, Brian Fung, Jason Carroll, I’ll, ”, Westman, ’, Westman — Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, Washington CNN, Federal Reserve, JPMorgan, Bank of America, CNN, Labor Department, Manufacturing, Commerce Department, Program, Social Locations: Washington, Wells, Mexico, —, China, United States, Eureka , Illinois

☆ Cyberattack on UnitedHealth firm forces doctors to dig into personal savings to stay afloat
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +19 min

Change Healthcare offers payment and revenue cycle management tools, and other solutions such as electronic prescription software. On Feb. 21, UnitedHealth Group , which owns Change Healthcare, discovered that hackers compromised part of the unit's information technology systems. UnitedHealth told CNBC earlier this month that there is "no evidence of any new cyber incident at Change Healthcare." It's just one of the ways Change Healthcare touches cash flow within the health-care sector. A controversial mergerSheldon Cooper | Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesUnitedHealth's ownership of Change Healthcare has raised eyebrows from the outset.

Persons: Omar Marques, Dr, Angeli Maun Akey, Akey, she's, UnitedHealth, I've, Andrew, Mike Bradley, Barbara McAneny, McAneny, Sarah Carlson, Carlson, Sheldon Cooper, Optum, Michael Nagle, Tyler Kisling, Kisling, he's, There's, it's, Purvi, Parikh hadn't, they've, Amit Phull, Phull, Igor Golovniov Organizations: Lightrocket, CNBC, Healthcare, UnitedHealth, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Change, Inc, Bloomberg, Getty, U.S, American Medical Association, AMA, U.S . Department of Justice, DOJ, U.S . Department of Health, Human Services, Wall Street, New York Stock Exchange, Change Healthcare Locations: Gainesville , Florida, U.S, Minnetonka , Minnesota, UnitedHealth's, New Mexico, Boulder , Colorado, California, New York City, UnitedHealth

☆ Meet the little people whose bodies may hold a key to longevity
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Sandra TorresTorres has a rare disorder called Laron syndrome that is caused by a genetic mutation. “This is how powerful this mutation seems to be.”What is Laron syndrome? Laron syndrome is a recessive gene, so only those who receive a copy from each parent will be affected. The condition leads to extreme obesity, a trigger for diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other diseases. While technically overweight at 100 pounds (45.4 kilograms), she was in good health, with no signs of diabetes or heart disease.

Persons: Paola Castro Torres, ” Torres, Torres, “, ” Nathaly Paola Castro Torres, Sandra Torres Torres, ”, Valter Longo, Longo, Laron, Jaime Guevara, Aguirre, Guevara, ” Longo, ” Guevara, Andrew Freeman, Freeman, ” Hope, it’s Organizations: CNN, gerontology, University of Southern, of Endocrinology, Laron, Jewish Health Locations: Los Angeles, Quito, Ecuador, University of Southern California, Israel, Yemen, East, United States, Croatia, Ireland, Denver

☆ ‘Should have been done yesterday’: Rural, older Americans could get hurt as affordable internet program runs out of cash
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Brian Fung | Jason Carroll | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

But in just a few weeks, her internet bills, and those of other Americans like her, could skyrocket by hundreds of dollars a year. The program is heavily used by Americans over age 50, military veterans and low-income working families nationwide, according to FCC data. Amira Karaoud/Reuters/FileRural and older usersThe ACP has quickly gained adoption since Congress created the program in the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law. Large swaths of the ACP’s user base trend older; Americans over 65 account for almost 20% of the program. The FCC’s Lifeline program, which dates to the Reagan administration, similarly gives low-income households a monthly discount on phone or internet service.

Persons: Cindy Westman, —, I’ll, ”, Westman, ’, Westman —, Gigi Sohn, “, Biden, Allison Bailey /, Cynthia George, George, ” George, Marc Veasey, They’re, Geoffrey Starks, “ It’s, ” Starks, Amira Karaoud, Walter Durham, I’m, ” Durham, Michelle McDonough, McDonough, she’ll, doesn’t, “ I’m, ” McDonough, Kamesha Scott, Louis, Megan Janicki, ” Janicki, Reagan, Mike Johnson, Blair Levin, Johnson didn’t, Levin, Jonathan Blaine, ” Blaine, they’re Organizations: CNN, Program, Social, Federal Communications Commission, FCC, Capitol, Getty, MSN, White, ” Texas Democratic, “, Comcast, ACP, Navy, American Library Association, Lifeline, Republicans, Republican, New, Research, ” Bills Locations: Eureka , Illinois, America, Dallas, Las Vegas, Kentucky, San Diego, United States, Maine, St, Vermont

☆ A boomer explains why he left coastal Florida for a rural Arkansas town of 900 residents
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

So he decided to move from his city of 24,000 along the beach to a town of just 900 in rural Arkansas. While many older Americans continue moving to Florida, some have told BI that Florida has lost its feeling of "paradise." AdvertisementLeaving Florida and settling in ArkansasNovak was born in New Jersey but moved to Florida at 19. His wife wanted to sell his 4,000-square-foot Florida home, as their kids had moved out, and he and his wife wanted to downsize. AdvertisementMilan Novak bought his small home for $38,000 a decade ago in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas.

Persons: —, Milan Novak, he's, Novak, they'll, Arkansas Novak, Novak Fulton, there's, you'd, I'd Organizations: Service, Business, Chrysler Dodge, South Central, Realtors, Novak Fulton County, Walmart, Social Locations: Arkansas, Florida, Missouri, New Jersey, Edgewater, Daytona, Florida's, Willow Springs, Missouri's Ozark, Spring , Arkansas

☆ For the vibrant springtime celebration Vaisakhi, Sikhs from near and far gathered to honor their faith and community
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Nimarta Narang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The April celebration Vaisakhi is a time when Sikhs gather for community worship, meals, and parades. Here I was in America about a century later trying to honor the community he helped build and, by extension, the Sikh faith. Anumeha Sinha for BINow in my late 20s, it's been 11 years since I've lived in a close-knit Sikh community. To feel closer to her community, Kaur said she's now making a personal effort to honor traditions she learned when she was younger. But outside the Sikh community — and increasingly after 9/11, like Singh mentioned — I saw people misunderstand our symbols of faith.

Persons: —, Vaisakhi, Anumeha Sinha, Guru Nanak, Guru Gobind Singh, Singh, Kaur, it's, I've, Harmeet Kaur, Harman Singh, Harmeet, hadn't, Sahib, she's, Kaur's, nishaan sahib, I'm, It's Organizations: Service, New, BI, Khalsa, ., BI Kaur, New York, Darbar Locations: New York City, Richmond Hill, Queens, Punjab, South Asia, Bangkok, America, . Orange, Brooklyn, Kentucky, Pikeville, Lexington , Kentucky, Atlanta and New York, New, Detroit, India, Windsor , Ontario, Bangkok , New York

☆ How One Reaction to a Mural Tore a New England Town Apart
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Jenna Russell | John Tully | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Few were present at the select board meeting in Littleton, N.H., last August when Carrie Gendreau, one of its members, began to talk about a mural that had recently been painted on the side of a building downtown. Its subject matter — a blooming iris, dandelions, birch trees — did not seem controversial. But for Ms. Gendreau, 62, who was also a state senator representing northern New Hampshire, the mural had set off alarms. She was certain there were subversive messages in its imagery, planted there by the nonprofit group that had planned and paid for it. The group was North Country Pride, founded four years ago to build more visible support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the rural region.

Persons: Carrie Gendreau, Gendreau Organizations: North Country Pride Locations: Littleton, N.H, New Hampshire

☆ After Israel Aid Vote, Pocan Seeks to Show Biden Liberal Dismay on Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Robert Jimison | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

During a town hall-style meeting a short drive from her home in rural southwestern Wisconsin, Elizabeth Humphries asked her congressman how a 66-year-old woman like her could get the message to President Biden that she and her peers are deeply dissatisfied with his administration’s approach to Israel’s war in Gaza. Representative Mark Pocan, the Democrat who has held the district’s seat in Congress since 2013, assured her that he was working to pass along those very concerns. “We’re videotaping this to share with the White House,” he said, gesturing to the iPhone set up on a nearby tripod to capture the event with two dozen or so voters seated in a room in Dodgeville’s City Hall. “They can hear me say this ad nauseam, but you all saying this is, I think, very helpful.”

Persons: Elizabeth Humphries, Biden, Mark Pocan, “, ”, gesturing Organizations: Democrat, White Locations: Wisconsin, Gaza, Dodgeville’s

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