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☆ State of Small Business: Challenges & Opportunities in Today's Economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Kate Rogers | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailState of Small Business: Challenges and Opportunities in Today's EconomyWith optimism currently at its lowest level in over a decade, inflation continues to pose major challenges for small business owners across America. The head of the Small Business Administration discusses assistance programs and resources available to help owners weather these economic headwinds and share stories of entrepreneurs she's met all over the country.

Persons: she's Organizations: State, Small, Small Business Administration Locations: America

Washington CNN —Kim Kardashian will join Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House on Thursday for a roundtable to discuss pardons issued by President Joe Biden earlier this month, a White House official said Thursday. Kardashian previously met with former President Donald Trump at the White House as part of her advocacy for criminal justice reform. In 2019, she delivered remarks from the White House East Room on a new initiative aimed at helping former inmates get jobs out of prison. She met with Trump at the White House again in 2020. Axios first reported Kardashian’s visit to the White House.

Persons: Washington CNN — Kim Kardashian, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Kardashian, Donald Trump, Alice Marie Johnson, Axios, Biden, Rolling Stone, “, ” Biden, Harris, Steve Benjamin Organizations: Washington CNN, White, Trump, Rolling, Administration Locations: Ottoman Empire, Armenia, Azerbaijan

☆ Meet the typical new entrepreneur: A young woman living in the South who's doing it as a side hustle
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The newest entrepreneurs are both young and old and looking to grow their wealth through their businesses. The share of new Hispanic entrepreneurs rose from 8% in 2022 to 13% in 2023, Gusto found. Many new entrepreneurs are open to using AI tools and hiring remote workers, per the Gusto survey. The share of entrepreneurs who started a business while juggling another gig rose from 27% in 2022 to 44% in 2023. The Babson report found that most US entrepreneurs, 71%, were motivated by the prospect of boosting their wealth through their businesses.

Persons: They're, —, Ewing Marion, Luke Pardue, Babson, Entrepreneurship isn't Organizations: Service, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Babson College, Midwest Women, Pew Research Center, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Bureau, Kauffman Foundation, Entrepreneurs, Business Administration, Entrepreneurship Locations: Midwest, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Montana, Northeast, West

☆ The world of government contract jobs is incredibly complex. Here are the basics.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Ana Altchek | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

This lets the government tackle specific jobs and projects quickly without all the steps of regular government hiring and bureaucratic obstacles. Thomson ReutersThere are a wide range of large government contracting companies that the government regularly makes deals with. John Breth, 40, worked in government contracting roles for 12 years before starting his own contracting company. If awarded the contract, you have to meet specific requirements set by the government, which may involve getting clearances or certifications. Once you understand the landscape better, you'll be able to recognize which jobs you qualify for and define your path forward.

Persons: —, Lockheed Martin, Lauren Irizarry, John Breth, Kevin Jennings, Jennings, you'll Organizations: Service, Department of Labor, Business, Raytheon, Thomson Reuters, Defense, Lockheed, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Judge, US Small Business Administration Locations: Woburn, sba.gov

WWE and its parent company, TKO, have said that they take Grant's allegations "very seriously." Staying in touchMcMahon has also talked to Trump, according to two of the people close to the wrestling impresario. The two billionaires have been in touch regularly, according to a person close to McMahon, although it isn't clear what they've discussed. Another person close to McMahon said that the two men don't discuss their legal problems and that Trump doesn't provide legal advice. Publicly, Johnson has thanked TKO and WWE executives regarding his addition to the TKO board earlier this year.

Persons: Vince McMahon, Donald Trump, Mark, McMahon, Janel Grant, he's, hasn't, Mark Shapiro, doesn't, McMahon hasn't, Paul, Levesque, Stephanie McMahon, wasn't, Jessica Rosenberg, Grant's, Jan, John Laurinaitis, Janel, couldn't, Ann Callis, Grant, Nicholas Biase, Linda McMahon, McMahon's, Bill Pugliano, Donald J, Trump, Dwayne, Johnson, John Cena, Cena, Howard Stern, I'm, William Morris, Cena didn't, Endeavor Group's, Ari Emanuel, Brendan Mcdermid Organizations: WWE, Austin Straubel, Getty, World Wrestling, NBC News, CNBC, Triple, Federal, U.S, Attorney's, Southern, of, Trump, WWE Hall of Fame, PAC, Trump Media, Technology Group, Street Journal, Trump Foundation, Hollywood, William, William Morris Endeavor, Endeavor Group, Endeavor, Endeavor Group's UFC, Longtime Hollywood, New York Stock Exchange Locations: Green Bay , Wisconsin, United States, Caicos, Italy, of New York, Connecticut, Manhattan, Atlantic City, Trump's, York, New York City, U.S

☆ Trump’s campaign said it raised $50.5 million at a high-dollar Florida fundraiser
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Donald Trump's campaign said it raised $50.5 million on Saturday, a staggering reported haul as his campaign works to catch up to the fundraising juggernaut of President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party. Trump and the GOP announced earlier in the week that they raised more than $65.6 million in March and closed out the month with $93.1 million. Biden and the Democrats announced Saturday that they took in more than $90 million last month and had $192 million-plus on hand. Campaign fundraising reports filed with the Federal Election Commission detailing donations from Saturday's event are not expected until a mid-July filing date. But when checks of any amount are written to the combined campaign, the campaign and Save America get paid first by default.

Persons: Donald Trump, John Paulson, Melania Trump, —, that's what's, Trump, Biden, Chris LaCivita, Susie Wiles, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Donald Trump's, Joe Biden, Jaime Harrison, Lara Trump, Robert Bigelow, Ron DeSantis, John Catsimatidis, Linda McMahon, Steve Wynn, Georgia Sen, Kelly Loeffler, South Carolina Sen, Tim Scott, Doug Burgum, Vivek Ramaswamy —, Nelson Mandela, South Africa's, Jasmine Harris, Jesus Christ, that's Donald Trump Organizations: America, Trump, Republican, Radio City Music Hall, Democratic Party, GOP, Mar, Democratic, Federal, Commission, Republican National Committee, Save, RNC, Save America, Florida Gov, World Wrestling Entertainment, Small Business Administration, South, Tim Scott , North Dakota Gov Locations: Palm Beach , Florida, Beach , Florida, New York, Florida, Las Vegas, Georgia, South Carolina, Tim Scott , North, York

☆ European police seize Lamborghinis and Rolexes over alleged $650M Covid-19 fraud
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Christian Edwards | Sharon Braithwaite | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Police have arrested 22 people and seized assets worth more than €600 million ($650 million) in connection with alleged fraud linked to the European Union’s post-pandemic recovery fund. The alleged fraud is likely to renew concerns about the misuse of the EU’s €800-billion recovery fund to help revive the bloc’s economy. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) said a criminal organization is suspected of running a fraud scheme between 2021 and 2023 to swindle Italy’s recovery packages. The prosecutor’s office claimed the group used cryptocurrencies, artificial intelligence and offshore cloud servers to carry out and conceal the fraud. The United States has also attempted to crack down on alleged fraud involving Covid-19 relief resources.

Persons: Lamborghinis, Cartier Organizations: CNN — Police, Prosecutor’s, Police, Public, ”, United, Small Business Administration Locations: Italy, Austria, Romania, Slovakia, United States

☆ Trump turns to his 'old cast' to raise millions for 2024 and the PAC paying his legal bills
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The hedge fund founder is hosting a splashy fundraising dinner for Trump April 6 at his house in Palm Beach, Florida. But Paulson is not the only GOP kingmaker who is privately gearing up to help Trump. "It's the old cast coming back together to take it across the finish line," said an advisor to one of Trump's bundlers. Many of these "old cast" members are business leaders who have been close to Trump for years. As for the money going to pay Trump's legal bills, at least some of the people attending the Paulson event don't seem to care.

Persons: Donald Trump, John Paulson, Mike Segar, Trump, Paulson, Republican megadonor Rebekah Mercer, Robert Mercer, Rebekah, Oliver Contreras, Rebekah Mercer, Todd Ricketts, Wilbur Ross, Small Business Administration Linda McMahon, Woody Johnson, Meredith O'Rourke, Susan Necheles, Brendan Mcdermid Organizations: Economic, of New, Reuters Veteran, CNBC, Trump, GOP, Republican, New York, The Heartland Institute, Washington Post, Chicago Cubs, Trump Commerce, Small Business Administration, Trump's, New York Jets, NBC News, Save America PAC, Republican National Committee, America, Former U.S, Reuters Trump Locations: of New York, Manhattan , New York, U.S, Palm Beach , Florida, Palm Beach, Trump, Washington ,, Trump's U.S, United Kingdom, Former, New York City

☆ Gen Z Is Primed to Succeed at Starting Their Own Small Business
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Eve Upton-Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

He was able to scale the business to more than $600,000 in revenue by 2018, when he graduated from high school. Before the internet, starting a business was a serious hassle. The problem wasn't that people weren't interested in starting a business: A 2016 EY study found that 62% of 18- to 34-year-olds had toyed with venturing into business ownership. That has made starting a business all the more appealing — and affordable — for prospective entrepreneurs. And with the plethora of digital tools we have today, starting a business is more accessible than ever.

Persons: Luke Lintz, Lintz, Bernhard Schroeder, Schroeder, Gen Zers, —, Martin Warner, Warner, GoDaddy, HighKey, Nicki Minaj, Kevin Hart, Khloé Kardashian, Tom Peters, Peters, " Schroeder, ZenBusiness, Gen, Zers, he'd Organizations: Apple, Shipping, Lavin Entrepreneurship, San Diego State University, Entrepreneurship, Dynamics Statistics, Business, Fast Company, Small Business Administration Locations: North America, China

☆ Great Lakes small businesses and ski areas pivot following a record warm winter
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Whitney Wild | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

All told, eight states experienced a record-warm season, including Wisconsin, Michigan, New York and Minnesota, plus North Dakota, Iowa, Vermont and New Hampshire. Instead of a winter wonderland, the past several months have offered tourists less snow, less ice aind less opportunity for some outdoor activities. According to the BEA, snow activities in states clustered around the Great Lakes add hundreds of millions of dollars to the region’s economy. For example, Wisconsin snow activities added $83.6 million in 2022, according to the BEA, and roughly $130 million in Michigan the same year. “The identity of the UP and especially Marquette is very much tied to the winter season and always has been.

Persons: Kelli, ”, –, “, Covid, I’ve, Tim Waltz, Susan Estler, ” Estler, Erin Hooley, Darlene Welch, Estler, Christopher Germain Christopher Germain, Germain, ” Germain Organizations: Chicago CNN, National Center for Environmental Information, US Drought Monitor, Small Business Administration, ”, Travel Marquette, CNN, BEA, Lake Superior Community Partnership Locations: Gwinn , Michigan, Marquette, Wisconsin , Michigan, New York, Minnesota, North Dakota , Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Michigan , Minnesota, Marquette , Michigan, Lake Michigan, Montrose Harbor, Chicago, Alaska, “, Estler

☆ She’s the boss: The ‘she-conomy’ boom continues with new business growth
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

In 2019, that picture looked quite different: 29% of new business owners were women, according to Gusto. The US Census does not break out new business formation by gender, and the most recent available data on women-owned businesses is from 2021. The business growth and the community impact garnered her a Young Entrepreneur Award from the US Small Business Administration. Filling the (skilled trades) gapYelp also found that in 2023, women opened more new home services businesses than beauty businesses. “There has absolutely been an uptick in interest over the last few years in this [skilled trades] work” by women, Perez said.

Persons: Bernadette Corbeil, “, ”, Corbeil, she’s, ” Tara Lewis, Bernadette Corbeil Yelp, Yelp, Abby Vandenberg, Ventureneer, Geri Stengel, Wells, Marie, Cyr, Marie Saint, leapfrogged, Saint, ” Lewis, workforces, Allie Perez, Perez, didn’t, Blythe Zemel, Ginny Stogner McDavid, Bernadette Corbeil’s, I’ve, ’ ” Organizations: CNN, Artemis Construction, Wells, Marie Saint, Cyr, New York City Public Schools, US Small Business Administration, NYC, of Labor Statistics, National Association of Women, Construction, Alamo City, George Plumbing Company, Texas Women, AFL Locations: Wildwood , Missouri, hyperdrive, ”, New York, SIBSPlace, Rockville Centre , New York, New, Saint, San Antonio, Alamo, happenstance, Harris, In Missouri

☆ To get $9 million in pandemic aid, Lil Wayne pledged to operate a 'drug-free workplace.' The feds believed him.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Lil Wayne loves weed. But in 2021, Lil Wayne — whose real name Dwayne Carter — told the government that his touring company was a "drug-free" workplace. No one at the Small Business Administration appeared to question it, and the government cut a $8.9 million check to Lil Wayne's company Young Money Touring Inc. Representatives for Beach House didn't respond to a request for comment, nor did press contacts for Lil Wayne or Post Malone. The feds could claw the money backThe SBA told grant applicants that they could be sued or even prosecuted for lying.

Persons: Malone, Lil Wayne, —, Lil Wayne —, Dwayne Carter —, Lil Wayne's, Post Malone, Post, Joe Rogan's, they're, Carter, , Harold Pollack, Josh Schiller, Schiller, Dan Meyer, Andrew Preble, should've, Day Organizations: Service, Small Business Administration, Inc, Austin Post, Post, SBA, Touring Inc, University of Chicago, Elon, SpaceX, Beach House, NME, Beach Locations: people's, San Francisco, Angeles, New Orleans

☆ 4 tips financial planners are always giving solopreneurs and small-business owners
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Bella Sayegh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Solo business owners face unique challenges in managing business finances. Starting simple and delegating tasks are important skills to help owners stay organized. Build in necessary expensesSolopreneurs often operate all aspects of their business — building a product, dealing with customers, and keeping track of finances. Business owners should also be mindful of how they go about outsourcing these services , Camp added. Camp said these resources could help solo business owners build their teams and stay organized without losing money.

Persons: —, Rachael Camp, you’re, it's, ” Camp, Kathryn Knighton, Knighton, ”, Camp, “, ” Knighton, don’t Organizations: Service, Wealth, Camp, Business, Small Business Administration Locations: ” Knighton

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge in Texas has ordered a 55-year-old U.S. agency that caters to minority-owned businesses to serve people regardless of race, siding with white business owners who claimed the program discriminated against them. The agency, which helps minority-owned businesses obtain financing and government contracts, now operates in 33 states and Puerto Rico. Justice Department lawyers representing Minority Business Development Agency declined to comment on the ruling, which can be appealed to the conservative-leaning 5th U.S. John F. Robinson, president of the National Minority Business Council, said the ruling is “a blow against minority owned businesses," and does nothing to help majority-owned businesses because they already enjoy access to federal resources through the Small Business Administration. "It has the potential of damaging the whole minority business sector because there will be less service available to minority-owned businesses,” Robinson said.

Persons: Mark T, Pittman, Donald Trump, Nixon, Biden, ” Pittman, Dan Lennington, ” Lennington, John F, Robinson, ” Robinson, Arian Simone, Alphonso David, David, Stanley Goldfarb, ”, “, —, David Glasgow, Graham Lee Brewer, Haleluya Hadero Organizations: —, U.S, Northern, Northern District of, U.S . Commerce Department, Infrastructure Investment, Jobs, Black, Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, Justice Department, Business, Agency, Circuit, National Minority Business Council, Small Business Administration, Economic, Pfizer, The, Appeals, American Alliance for Equal Rights, Meltzer Center for Diversity, New York University’s School of Law, Supreme, AP Locations: Texas, Northern District, Northern District of Texas, Puerto Rico, New Orleans, Tennessee, Atlanta, The New York, Florida, New

☆ Trump-allied election groups burned through millions with no evidence of widespread fraud
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Jonathan Ernst | ReutersThe mission of the Election Integrity Alliance, likewise, was ending election fraud. "The Election Integrity Alliance will unite groups and efforts across the nation focused on combating election fraud," the group's now-defunct website trumpeted in 2021. But Trump never publicly designated the Election Integrity Alliance as the standard bearer for the MAGA universe's election integrity efforts. AFPI also launched an election integrity effort, the Center for Election Integrity, and staffed it with former Trump White House press aide Hogan Gidley and conservative author Ken Blackwell. It even launched its own color-coded election integrity scorecard map, which looks strikingly similar to the one that the Election Integrity Alliance had created for its now-deleted website.

Persons: Donald Trump, Shannon Stapleton, Joe Biden, Trump's, Brad Parscale, Parscale, Trump, Jonathan Ernst, Katrina Pierson, Pierson, Drew Angerer, Tim Dunn, Dunn, Jim Renacci, PCG, Jenna Ellis, Ken Paxton, Bernard Kerik, MAGA, Linda McMahon, Larry Kudlow, Brooke Rollins, AFPI, Hogan Gidley, Ken Blackwell, Cleta Mitchell Organizations: Winthrop Coliseum, South Carolina Republican, Reuters, Trump, Republican Party, CNBC, PAC, U.S, Alliance, Jefferson Rising Fund, Republican, Tower, Getty, hasn't, Partners, American, New York Police, Mar, Policy, Small Business, White, West Wing, Center, Trump White House, Heritage Foundation Locations: Rock Hill , South Carolina, U.S, United States, Manchester , New Hampshire, Texas, New York City, American, Ohio, Israel, New York, Trump, Florida, America, Palm Beach

☆ AI is Uncle Sam’s new secret weapon to fight fraud
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Starting around late 2022, the Treasury Department began using enhanced fraud-detection methods powered by AI to spot fraud, CNN has learned. Treasury’s AI-powered fraud detection recovered $375 million in fiscal 2023 alone, Treasury officials tell CNN, marking the first time Treasury is publicly acknowledging it is using AI to detect fraud. Instead, Treasury officials say the type of AI they are using falls more into the bucket of machine learning and Big Data. The goal is to move with such speed that anomalies are flagged and banks are alerted before fraudulent checks are ever cashed, Treasury officials said. Catching fraud in millisecondsAmiram Shachar, co-founder and CEO of cloud security startup Upwind, told CNN the federal government should “absolutely” use AI to detect fraud.

Persons: Sam, Sam’s, Fraudsters, Wally Adeyemo, ”, ” Shachar, Steph Curry Organizations: New, New York CNN, Treasury Department, CNN, Treasury, Data, Washington, Office, Business Administration, Social, Internal Revenue Service, IRS, Google, Facebook, Penny Jar, NBA, Mastercard Locations: New York, Banks, Washington, Hong Kong

☆ For Black workers, progress in the workplace but still a high hill to climb
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

"We were in a situation where folks accepted that Black unemployment was going to always be high and there was nothing that they could do about it. The Black unemployment rate in January was 5.3%, up a touch from December but still near the all-time low of 4.8% hit in April 2023. For Black workers, weekly before-tax earnings as of the end of 2023 have risen 24.8% since the first quarter of 2020. "High unemployment for Black workers is a solvable problem," Fulton said. Black workers are interested in tech and believe there are opportunities.

Persons: Ali, Jamila Wright, there's, Jessica Fulton, Fulton, Cox, she's, MilSpouse, they've, Sue Harnett, Goldman Sachs, Harnett, I'm, Ali Wright Organizations: Brooklyn Tea, Joint Center, Political, Economic Studies, D.C, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, McKinsey & Company, Companies, Bank of America, Black Colleges, Universities, New, Small Business Administration, Ivy League, Conference Board Locations: America, U.S, Washington, Brooklyn, New York City, Atlanta

But the donors in the American Opportunity Alliance do not move in unison, and people supporting Ms. Haley — and who had supported Gov. Some members of the group have been open about wanting a candidate other than Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump also has repeatedly attacked major donors as being part of the “swamp” that he derides. The network supported Ms. Haley, but as The New York Times recently reported, some of its donors regretted that endorsement. They also suggested that they would be focusing intensely on Senate and House races, especially if Mr. Trump became the nominee.

Persons: Republican megadonors, Donald J, Trump, Nikki Haley, Haley’s, Betsy Ankney, Trump’s, Susie Wiles, Puck, Ricketts, Paul Singer, Kenneth Griffin, Haley —, Ron DeSantis, Haley, Mr, DeSantis, —, Linda McMahon, President Trump, Nikki Haley’s, Mark Kauzlarich, Jean Carroll, Koch, Emily Seidel, Michael Palmer, Ms Organizations: Republican, American Opportunity Alliance, Chicago Cubs, Sunday, New, Small Business Administration, President, The New York Times, Trump Republican Party, Mr, Prosperity, New York Times Locations: Palm Beach, Fla, Florida, Dallas, Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Indian Wells, Calif

☆ Biden’s Gaza problems are deeper than just being interrupted in public
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Camila Dechalus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

The administration appears to be struggling with finding Arab American and Muslim leaders who are willing to even meet with White House officials, and no Muslim or Arab American groups have endorsed Biden’s reelection bid. And I think that’s a pretty good descriptor of Arab American voters right now.”The ceasefire calls are coming from a diversity of progressive groups, including those representing Jewish voters, voters of color and young people – key parts of Biden’s winning 2020 coalition. In the last presidential election cycle, Biden received the support of several prominent Muslim American elected officials and community leaders. At least 146,620 of the 200,000 Muslim American voters in Michigan cast a ballot in the 2020 election cycle, according to an analysis by Emgage. Some Arab American and Muslim voters say even if Biden’s campaign ramps up their outreach, it will be too late.

Persons: Washington CNN —, Rashida Tlaib, Joe Biden, Biden, …, ”, Tlaib –, Biden’s, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Abdullah Hammoud, he’s, ” Hammoud, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Hammoud, it’s, Kamala Harris ’, Harris, Harris ’, ” “, Hanan Shaheen, Wadee Alfayoumi, Joe ”, Adrian Hemond, “ He’s, Hemond, Chavez Rodriguez’s, Assad Turfe, Wayne, he’d, Chavez Rodriguez, there’s, “, we’ve, Osama Siblani, Siblani, Dilawar Syed –, –, Usamah Andrabi, Khalid Turaani, Farah Khan, Trump, Hillary Clinton, Nabila Taha, ” Taha, ” Michael Tyler, Ariana Afshar, Hassan Abdel Salam, Dawud Walid, Samraa Luqman, ” CNN’s Kaanita Iyer Organizations: Washington CNN, Michigan Democratic, Palestinian, firebrand, Muslim, CNN, Democratic, White, Dearborn, ”, Intergovernmental Affairs, American, American voters, Jewish, Arab American, Lebanese American, US Small Business Administration, Democratic Party, Republicans, Justice Democrats, Muslim American, Biden, Michigan, Trump ., University of Minnesota, Islamic, Trump Locations: Michigan, Palestinian American, Israel, Gaza, Tlaib, Detroit, Arab, ”, Palestinian, America, Illinois, Chavez Rodriguez’s Michigan, Gaza’s, Dearborn, Lebanese, Northville , Michigan, Minnesota, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Washington ,, California

☆ As Climate Shocks Worsen, U.S. Disaster Agency Tries a New Approach to Aid
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Christopher Flavelle | More About Christopher Flavelle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Those changes would especially help renters and people with low incomes, according to Frank Matranga, who runs the agency’s aid programs for disaster survivors. And because people in those groups are more likely to be people of color, the changes should reduce the racial inequity in federal disaster aid, he said. About one million Americans each year receive some sort of direct aid from FEMA, according to the agency. Weather-related disasters pushed more than 3.3 million American adults out of their homes in 2022, census data shows. “We heard that survivors found it confusing and challenging to apply for an S.B.A.

Persons: Frank Matranga, “, ” Ms, Criswell Organizations: FEMA, Small Business Administration

☆ US Launches Disaster Relief Reforms as Climate-Driven Events Rise
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's administration on Friday said it was launching the most major reforms to disaster management relief in two decades as climate change-driven extreme weather events, such as floods and fires, increase. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reforms of its federal assistance policies and expanded benefits for disaster survivors aim to cut red tape that victims have said makes it difficult for them to access resources after a disaster. FEMA said the reforms follow feedback from disaster survivors. Previously, the payment was assessed on a disaster-to-disaster basis. FEMA said the changes will take effect for new disasters declared on, or after March 22, 2024.

Persons: Joe Biden's, ”, Deanne, Valerie Volcovici, Sharon Singleton Organizations: WASHINGTON, Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, U.S, Small Business Administration Locations: U.S, Maui, California

New rules announced Friday by the federal agency in charge of emergency management aim to simplify and speed up the process. With natural disasters now affecting more people across the United States, insurance markets in many states are buckling under the weight of payouts to those hit by wildfires and hurricanes. Previously, FEMA couldn't help them because their insurance payout already exceeded the agency's assistance cap of $42,500 per disaster. GETTING RID OF THE LOAN RULEUnder previous rules, disaster survivors first had to apply for a loan with the Small Business Administration and get rejected before they could apply for FEMA assistance. And FEMA is creating a new category of aid called displacement assistance, designed to help those who can't return to their home.

Persons: —, Deanne Criswell, Nature, ” Criswell, ”, Criswell, deductibles Organizations: WASHINGTON, Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, Small Business Administration, SBA, https Locations: United States, Louisiana, Florida, California

☆ Small business owners gear up for the biggest shopping weekend of the holiday season
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

According to a new American Express survey of small business owners, “55% anticipate Small Business Saturday will make a significant contribution to their overall holiday sales this year.” In a consumer survey conducted by the company in October, half of respondents said they plan to participate in the upcoming Small Business Saturday, and 85% said they anticipated shopping small this holiday season. Over the past 13 years, the company says consumers have reported spending nearly $184 billion during Small Business Saturday. American Express estimated that Small Business Saturday drove nearly $18 billion in consumer spending last year. Donnell Johns, who runs Veterans Growing America, an organization that supports veteran- and military-spouse-owned small businesses, said that Small Business Saturday is valuable because it creates an awareness for shopping small. For Ken Moorman, founder of Jirani Coffeehouse in Manassas, Virginia, Small Business Saturday means an average 10% uptick in sales than a typical Saturday.

Persons: Donnell Johns, We’ve, ”, Ken Moorman, “, Covid, ” Moorman, it’s, ” Elizabeth Rutledge, Isabel Casillas Guzman, “ The, Harris, Bidenomics, Biden Organizations: New, New York CNN, Amazon, Walmart, American Express, ”, Small, Express, Business Administration, American Express ’, SBA, “ The Biden, Harris Administration, American, Pacific Islanders Locations: New York, Manassas , Virginia, ”

☆ A financially independent entrepreneur says there's an overlooked but 'incredible opportunity' for young investors to buy businesses right now — and they're not as expensive to acquire as you may thin
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

He started with an "index-first strategy," he told Insider, and invested up to 80% of his earnings into low-cost index funds in the early 2010s. While index funds are ultimately what catapulted him to financial independence in the first place, he wouldn't necessarily go that route if he had to start from scratch today. "I'm still very pro low-cost index funds for almost everyone," he said. Lower returns mean index funds won't grow as much, and investors potentially have to save and contribute more to hit their goals. "I think business ownership is really where it's going to be for the next 10 to 20 years."

Persons: Grant Sabatier's, Sabatier, Charlie Munger, you've, boomer Organizations: Business, Fidelity, Federal Reserve, FedEx, SBA, Chase, Bank of America Locations: Morningstar

The approach is unusual for a stopgap spending bill. Johnson decided to go with the combination approach, addressing concerns from GOP lawmakers seeking to avoid being presented with a massive spending bill just before the holidays. “The bill will stop the absurd holiday-season omnibus tradition of massive, loaded up spending bills introduced right before the Christmas recess." A document explaining Johnson’s proposal to House Republicans, obtained by The Associated Press, said funding for four spending bills would be extended until Jan. 19. House Republicans pointed to the national debt, now exceeding $33 trillion, for Moody's decision.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, Joe Biden, Chip Roy, “, Pelosi, ’ ”, Karine Jean, Pierre, Kevin McCarthy Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Republicans, “, Democratic, Treasury Department, Small Business Administration, House Republicans, The Associated Press, Veterans, State Department , Homeland Security, GOP, Moody’s Investors Service Locations: Israel, Ukraine, U.S, Mexico, Southern, Texas

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