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☆ I drove 40 hours round trip to Disney World to avoid pricey airfare. I saved $300, but I'm not sure I'd do it again.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Carly Neil | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

I drove 20 hours from Connecticut to Florida to save money on airfare. Next time, I'd gladly pay a little more to get my Disney World vacation started faster. AdvertisementBecause I live in Connecticut, flying to Orlando usually makes the most sense when I visit Disney World. In exchange for driving nearly 40 hours roundtrip, I saved about $300 on travel. Here are the pros and cons of driving from Connecticut to Florida instead of flying.

Persons: I'd, — Organizations: Disney, Service Locations: Connecticut, Florida, Orlando

House lawmakers on Wednesday passed a government funding package ahead of a partial government shutdown slated for Saturday in an attempt to break what has become a pattern of passing stopgap bills ahead of shutdown deadlines. The package, which passed 339-85, includes six funding bills that cover several agencies, including the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Justice and Veterans Affairs. More than 130 Republicans endorsed the legislation, which passed under an expedited process known as suspension of the rules that requires a two-thirds majority. “The watchwords for the Senate will be cooperation and speed.”And at least one Senate Democrat is planning to vote against the package, citing a gun policy rider pushed for by Republicans. "It’s unacceptable this provision was pushed by Republicans.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Chuck Schumer, Sen, Chris Murphy, Connecticut, " Murphy, Democrats shouldn’t Organizations: Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Veterans Affairs, Republicans, Union, Democrats Locations: ”, Joe Biden’s State

Speaking at the Next.io forum on internet gambling and sports betting, several mentioned New York and Maryland as likely candidates to start offering internet casino games soon. And some noted that, despite years of difficulty crafting a deal that satisfies commercial and tribal casinos and card rooms, California is simply too big a market not to offer internet gambling. Shawn Fluharty, a West Virginia state delegate and chairman of a national group of legislators from gambling states, listed New York and Maryland as the most likely states to add internet gambling soon. Both men acknowledged the difficulty of passing online casino legislation; Thirty-eight states plus Washington, D.C., currently offer sports betting, compared to seven with internet casino gambling. Fluharty said four casinos opened in Pennsylvania after the state began offering internet casino gambling.

Persons: ”, Rob Heller, Shawn Fluharty, Brandt Iden, Iden, Fluharty, Joseph Addabbo, Kathy Hochul, Edward King, ” Adam Greenblatt, “, Wayne Parry Organizations: Spectrum Gaming Capital, West Virginia ., Betting, Gaming, Washington , D.C, New, Acies Investments, BetMGM Locations: U.S, New York, Maryland, California, Rhode, New Jersey , Connecticut, Delaware , Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, West Virginia . Nevada, Washington ,, Pennsylvania, Texas, www.twitter.com

☆ Opinion | How to Fix the Crisis of Trust in Higher Education
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Jessica Grose | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Since the beginning of the year, I’ve been keeping track of every report I see about major budget shortfalls at universities. Here’s a sampling:“SUNY Warns of Future $1B Deficit Without Higher Tuition or More Aid” — The Times Union, Jan. 2. “Penn State Plans Nearly $100M in Cuts for FY26 Budget” — Higher Ed Dive, Jan. 24. “As U. of Arizona Confronts Budget Cuts, Workers and Students Brace for the Worst” — The New York Times, Feb. 21. The other is the decline in Americans’ confidence in higher education.

Persons: I’ve, Brace, Sharon Otterman, Josh Moody, Ed Organizations: The Times Union, UConn, Connecticut, “ Penn, Workers, New York Times, Gallup Locations: Arizona, New York

While a number of AI systems have been found to discriminate, tipping the scales in favor of certain races, genders or incomes, there’s scant government oversight. Those bills, along with the over 400 AI-related bills being debated this year, were largely aimed at regulating smaller slices of AI. The use of AI to make consequential decisions — what the bills call “automated decision tools” — is pervasive but largely hidden. The AI was trained to assess new resumes by learning from past resumes — largely male applicants. Requirements to routinely test an AI system aren’t in most of the legislative proposals, nearly all of which still have a long road ahead.

Persons: ChatGPT, ”, Suresh Venkatasubramanian, Taylor Swift, —, Christine Webber, Mary Louis, Louis, California’s, Craig Albright, ” Albright, it’s, Rebecca Bauer, Kahan, what’s, Trân Organizations: DENVER, Congress, Brown University, The Software Alliance, Fortune, Commission, Pew Research, Amazon, BSA, Microsoft, Associated Press Locations: statehouses, chatbots, California, Connecticut, guardrails, Massachusetts, Washington, Colorado, Rhode Island , Illinois , Connecticut, Virginia, Vermont, That’s, Sacramento , California

☆ 1 million Arizonans will have all their medical debt wiped out, joining other states' efforts to make sure the burden doesn't 'torpedo' Americans' lives, Arizona's governor says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewNearly 1 million Arizona residents will soon see their medical debt balances turn to zero. AdvertisementA February analysis conducted by nonprofit health organization KFF, based on government data, estimated that about 20 million Americans owe at least $220 billion in medical debt, with 14 million people owing over $1,000 in medical debt and about 3 million people owing more than $10,000. Ned Lamont, who announced in early February that the state would cancel $650 million in medical debt for about 250,000 residents. Arizonans deserve a break, and they deserve a government that fights for them, helping ensure that medical debt is not going to torpedo their lives." Are you struggling to pay off medical debt?

Persons: —, Katie Hobbs, Joe Biden, Jeff Smedsrud, Hobbs, Smedsrud, Ned Lamont, Phil Murphy, Murphy, Arizonans, Jim Baker, Baker, I've, I'm Organizations: Service, Arizona Gov, American, Plan, Business, Arizonans, Connecticut Gov, New, New Jersey Gov Locations: Arizona, New Jersey, Phoenix

☆ Inside a prison healthcare company's ownership shell game
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Dakin Campbell | Nicole Einbinder | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +22 min

Sen. Elizabeth Warren has criticized Corizon successor company YesCare for its opaque corporate structure. Yet Geneva's track record is scant; it only incorporated in November 2021, six months before it got the YesCare contract. AdvertisementOnly one agency with a YesCare contract told BI it was aware of the extent to which YesCare had outsourced its operations. AdvertisementAn October 2022 YesCare bid document, submitted to the Alabama Department of Corrections, says PharmaCorr will dispense all prescription medications for YesCare. AdvertisementThe agreement between Geneva and prison healthcare provider YesCare requires YesCare to pay at least $500,000 a month to Geneva.

Persons: Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Corizon, YesCare, —, Dick Durbin, Raphael Prober, Prober's nonanswer, Warren, Christopher M, Lopez, Robert Green, Corizon —, Green, Lori Mayer, Aaron Kaufman, Chris Atkinson, Joel Landau, Tehum, Martin Horn, Alabama Department of Corrections YesCare, Thomas Mailey, Bryan Baker, Isaac Lefkowitz, Perigrove, — Lefkowitz, Lefkowitz, David Gefner, Gefner, Storm Harper, PharmaCorr, Jeff Sholey, Steven Weiss, Atkinson, Sara Tirschwell, Zalman Shapiro, Tirschwell, Michael Farrier, Jeffrey Sholey, Judge Lopez Organizations: Service, Corizon Health, Business, Getty, YesCare Holdings, Justice Department, Tehum Care Services, Geneva Consulting, Genesis Healthcare, BI, Geneva, American Correctional Association, . Maryland Department of Public Safety, Correctional, CHS, PharmaCorr, University of West, of Health, Allure, New York State Department of Health, Public, New York City Department of Correction, Alabama Department of Corrections, Alabama, New York State Department of Corrections, Community Supervision, Doña, Okaloosa, LinkedIn, YesCare, YesCare . Alabama Department of Corrections, Gefner, Court, Western, of, Corizon's, Florida's, Florida's Hillsborough County Sheriff's, Tehum's Locations: Missouri, Houston, Texas, Geneva, Florida, Alabama, New Jersey, YesCare, University of West Florida, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Riker's, Doña Ana County, New Mexico, Okaloosa County , Florida, Wyoming, Maryland, Colorado , Florida, North Carolina, Suffern , New York, YesCare's Alabama, of Missouri, Florida's Hillsborough County

☆ It looks like Taylor Swift is a distant relative of Emily Dickinson — a poet she's thought to have long admired
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewGenealogy website Ancestry announced that Taylor Swift is distantly related to the American poet Emily Dickinson. According to Ancestry, Swift and Dickinson are sixth cousins, three times removed, tracing their roots back to the same 17th-century English immigrant. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. AdvertisementA Business Insider overview of the literary references in Swift's songs from last year noted that many fans think the 10th track on "Evermore" was inspired by Dickinson. The Apple TV+ series "Dickinson," which largely focuses on the poet's supposed romantic interest in Gilbert, featured the song.

Persons: —, Taylor Swift, Emily Dickinson, Swift, Dickinson, Dickinson's, Taylor, Emily Dickinson's, Sue Gilbert, Gilbert, Alena Smith Organizations: Service, Business, Poets Department, Nashville Songwriters Association, Apple Locations: American, Windsor , Connecticut, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, West Reading , Pennsylvania

☆ Kyrsten Sinema announces she is retiring from the Senate
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Manu Raju | Clare Foran | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona independent, announced Tuesday she will retire at the end of her term this year, blaming growing partisanship and mudslinging in Washington for driving her decision to not run for reelection. “I believe in my approach, but it’s not what America wants right now,” Sinema said, in a video announcing her decision. Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego of Arizona and former Arizona Republican gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake are among the candidates who had been seeking to challenge Sinema. Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, who chairs the Senate GOP’s campaign arm, told CNN that Sinema’s decision not to run for reelection will help Lake’s candidacy. Senate Republicans initially demanded that any foreign aid package be passed along with border measures, but ultimately turned against the border deal and blocked it amid harsh criticism of the package from former President Donald Trump.

Persons: Sen, Kyrsten, “, ” Sinema, Ruben Gallego, Kari Lake, Sinema, Steve Daines, ” Daines, Jake Tapper, “ I’ve, I’ve, ”, Republican Sen, James Lankford of, Democratic Sen, Chris Murphy of, Donald Trump, Mike Johnson Organizations: America, Democratic, Arizona Republican, CNN, Senate, Democrats, Republicans, Democratic Party, Republican, Senate Republicans, The Locations: Arizona, Washington, Ruben Gallego of Arizona, Montana, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Ukraine, Israel

☆ Taylor Swift is related to famed poet Emily Dickinson and now it all makes sense
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Turns out Taylor Swift was spot on naming her forthcoming album, “The Tortured Poets Department.”The company Ancestory, which helps people trace their genealogy, has found evidence that Swift is distantly related to the famed poet Emily Dickinson. “We need to calm down…but how can we when we have BIG news! “Renowned American poets Taylor Swift and Emily Dickinson are 6th cousins, three times removed.”CNN has reached out to Swift’s representative for comment. Her album “Evermore” was announced in 2020 on December 10, which happens to be Dickinson’s birthday. “If my lyrics sound like a letter written by Emily Dickinson’s great-grandmother while sewing a lace curtain, that’s me writing in the quill genre,” Swift said, noting that her single “Ivy” from “Evermore” would fall under that category.

Persons: CNN —, Taylor Swift, Swift, Emily Dickinson, “, ” Dickinson, ’, –, ne’er, ” “ Swift, Dickinson, Dickinson’s, Ancestory, ”, Emily Dickinson’s, ” Swift, Evermore ” Organizations: CNN, Poets Department, NBC’s, Lions, Hulton, Nashville Songwriters Association Locations: Windsor , Connecticut, American

☆ No. 2 Senate Democrat says ‘killing has to stop’ in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Aileen Graef | Michelle Shen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

2 Democrat in the Senate, said Sunday that the killing of innocent people in Gaza “has to stop” and that the United States needs to focus on securing a ceasefire and, eventually, an end to the conflict. “This killing has to stop of the innocent people there. More than 30,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel’s war with Hamas began in October, according to the health ministry in Gaza. Durbin’s comments came a day after news that Israelis have “basically accepted” a six-week ceasefire proposal in Gaza, according to a senior Biden administration official. People mourn as they receive the bodies of victims of an Israeli strike on March 3, 2024, in Rafah, Gaza.

Persons: CNN — Sen, Dick Durbin of, it’s, ” Durbin, CNN’s Dana, ”, Durbin, Democratic Sen, Chris Murphy of, ” Murphy, it’s “, Joe Biden, Benjamin, Durbin’s, “, Israel, “ We’re, ” Biden, Ahmad Hasaballah, Biden, uncommitted ”, Bash, Donald Trump, Jack Smith’s Organizations: CNN, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Union, Hamas, United Nations, Democratic, Washington Post, US Central Command, Biden, White House, Arab, Supreme Locations: Gaza, United States, “ State, Chris Murphy of Connecticut, U.S, Israel, Cairo, Rafah, Michigan

☆ How some boomers are overcoming loneliness and finding new friendships in retirement: 'It's been a lifesaver'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

While loneliness among older adults has been an issue for years, the pandemic exacerbated it across all age groups. Some experts told me that cities could help counter loneliness with policies that bolster senior centers and ensure accessibility to vital resources and that governments should invest more in mitigating loneliness for older adults. That's largely why Lamy felt compelled to organize an easy way for older adults in the community to meet and talk to one another. What we know is that isolation and loneliness among older people tend to lead to pretty serious health complications very quickly. So there is a real reason for us to try to help older people find connection."

Persons: Maria Maki, Maki, Andrea Ellen Reed, Buffalo Community Center Andrea Ellen Reed, I've, Vivek Murthy, Gen Zers, Joe Lamy, Lamy, Jovelle Tamayo, Dianne Stone, winder, he'd, Jan, —, that's, that'll, she'd, There's, they'd, Preeti Malani, who've, Malani, Garey Schmidt, Schmidt, Sedona , Arizona Matt Martian Williams, Matt Martian Williams, Sen, Chris Murphy, Murphy, Rick Grossman, Grossman, Stone, we're, Jeff Keilson, Maura Healey, Keilson, it's, we've, BI Murphy, he's Organizations: Buffalo Community Center, BI, National Council, National Institute of Senior Centers, National, Healthy Aging, University of Michigan, Democratic Locations: Buffalo , Minnesota, Buffalo, Seattle, Las Vegas, New York, Chicago, Sedona , Arizona, Flagstaff, someone's, Sedona, Connecticut, Massachusetts

☆ The deep Biblical spirituality of Bob Marley’s music is being overlooked
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( John Blake | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

They hiked, jet-skied and spent much of the time listening to Scott’s favorite musician, reggae superstar Bob Marley. He found refuge, though, in Marley’s music. “But Bob Marley’s music is what got us through. These Marley fans and scholars say it’s time to stop glossing over or editing out Marley’s “subversive spirituality.”“The Bible was as important to Marley’s music as his guitar,” MacNeil says. Actor Kingsley Ben-Adir, who plays Marley in "Bob Marley: One Love," attends the movie's premiere on January 23, 2024, in Kingston, Jamaica.

Persons: CNN — Dean MacNeil couldn’t, “, MacNeil, Scott, Bob Marley, ”, Marley, ” MacNeil, Bob Marley’s, Rita Marley, Kingsley Ben, Adir, Marcus Ingram, Matthew, Jesus, Luke, Vivien Goldman, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Jimi Hendrix, Goldman, King James Bible, Judah, Haile Selassie I, Selassie, “ Jah, it’s, “ He’s, ” Rastafarians, Collin Reid, Adam Hochschild, ” Hochschild, Deepak Sarma, ” Marley, Marcus Garvey, Marley’s, didn’t, White, ” Marley didn’t, Jamaicia, Angela Weiss, Gibson Les Paul, John Lennon, John Blake Organizations: CNN, Time, BBC, Getty, Case Western Reserve University, National, Forbes Locations: Connecticut, Vermont, Jamaica, Kingston , Jamaica, America, Jerusalem, British, Ethiopia, “ Bury, United Kingdom, Jamacia, Ohio, ganja, Jamaican, Africa, Miami, Trench, Hollywood, Kingston

☆ Sports Gambling Was a Gateway Drug to Online Gambling and the Lottery
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Emily Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

As the prevalence of online betting grows, there's plenty of revenue to be had. The more people gamble — and the more culturally acceptable gambling becomes — the more possibility gambling addiction becomes a bigger issue. Of course, as fun as sports gambling is — as is gambling in general — it has some serious downsides for society. According to the National Council on Problem Gambling, 2 million Americans have a severe gambling problem, and another 4 million to 6 million a mild or moderate problem. The more people gamble — and the more culturally acceptable gambling becomes — the more possibility gambling addiction becomes a bigger issue.

Persons: Lia Nower, DraftKings, Jason Robins, iGaming, Robins, DraftKings isn't, —, West Virginia —, Chad Beynon, Benyon, they're, Nower, Chris Grove, Grove, There's, let's, I've, legalizes iGaming, Emily Stewart Organizations: Knicks, Sports, Disney, American Gaming Association, NBA, NFL, Center for Gambling Studies, Rutgers University, Golden Nugget, Caesars, MGM, Macquarie, Companies, Atlantic City, Acies Investments, EKG Ventures, Vegas, National Council, Business Locations: Washington, Boston, Dublin, — New Jersey , Connecticut, Delaware , Michigan, Rhode Island , Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York, Atlantic, New Jersey, Jackpocket, America

☆ Airlines Avelo and Breeze, three years after their pandemic debut, prepare for a profitable year
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Ryan Anastasio | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The inaugural flight of an Avelo Airlines Boeing 737-800 takes off from Hollywood Burbank Airport to Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa on April 28, 2021. "When you have Goliaths, and you're just David, it's really hard," said Avelo Airlines CEO Andrew Levy. David Neeleman, founder and CEO of Breeze Airways, before boarding the airline's inaugural flight at Tampa International Airport in Tampa, Florida, on May 27, 2021. A Breeze Airways airplane on the tarmac at Tampa International Airport in Tampa, Florida, on May 27, 2021. Operational costsOffering low airfares has made industry-wide cost increases all the more daunting for Avelo and Breeze.

Persons: Charles M, Schulz, Patrick T, Fallon, They've, David, it's, Andrew Levy, Avelo, Levy, David Neeleman, Matt May, Henry Harteveldt, Harteveldt, Connecticut's, Neeleman Organizations: Avelo Airlines Boeing, Hollywood Burbank Airport, Airport, AFP, Getty, U.S, Breeze Airways, Los Angeles International, Avelo, United, Breeze, Southwest Airlines, Tampa International Airport, Bloomberg, Atmosphere Research, New Haven Airport, Wilmington, JetBlue Airways, Azul, Westchester County Airport, Canton Airport, International Airport, Airlines Locations: Hollywood, Sonoma, Santa Rosa, Angeles, Islip, Long, New York City, Delta, Southwest, U.S, Ukraine, Tampa , Florida, Florida, South Carolina, California, Puerto Rico, New, Westchester, Akron, Ohio, Hartford , Connecticut, Charleston , South Carolina, Vegas, Los Angeles, Breeze

☆ Former M.I.T. Student Pleads Guilty in 2021 Killing of Yale Student
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Christopher Maag | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A former graduate student at M.I.T. has pleaded guilty to killing a Yale graduate student in January 2021 in a gruesome shooting that shocked people on both university campuses. That changed on Thursday, when Mr. Pan pleaded guilty, possibly bringing an end to a case that had caused some Connecticut residents to question the competence of local police. Mr. Pan faces a single charge of murder, according to a statement by John P. Doyle Jr., the state’s attorney in New Haven. ’s department of electrical engineering and computer science, Mr. Pan met Zion Perry, an undergraduate student at M.I.T., and they became friends.

Persons: Qinxuan, Pan, John P, Doyle Jr, Zion Perry, Perry, Kevin Jiang Organizations: Yale, New Haven, Facebook Locations: M.I.T, Connecticut, New Haven

☆ You might have extra time to file your tax return—here's who qualifies
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

For most Americans, the deadline to file your 2023 federal tax return is April 15. ConnecticutResidents affected by severe storms and flooding that began Jan. 10 now have until June 17, 2024 to file their federal tax returns. MaineResidents affected by severe storms and flooding that began on Dec. 17, 2023 now have until June 17, 2024 to file their federal tax returns. TennesseeResidents affected by severe storms and tornadoes that began on Dec. 9, 2023, now have until June 17, 2024 to file their federal tax returns. WashingtonResidents of Spokane County affected by wildfires that began Aug. 18, 2023, now have until June 17, 2024 to file their federal tax returns.

Persons: Dickson, Robertson, Stewart, Sumner Organizations: Internal Revenue Service, California Residents, Connecticut, Mohegan Tribal Nation, Pequot Tribal, Pequot Tribal Nation ., Tennessee Residents, Washington Residents, West, West Virginia Residents Locations: California, San Diego County, New London County, Pequot Tribal Nation, Pequot Tribal Nation . Maine, Androscoggin, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis , Somerset, Waldo, Washington counties, Michigan, Eaton, Ingham, Ionia, Kent, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Wayne counties, Rhode, Providence County, Cheatham, Davidson, Gibson, Montgomery, Weakley, Spokane, West Virginia, Boone , Calhoun, Clay, Harrison, Kanawha, United States, Puerto Rico

☆ Home Equity Loan Alternative Could Revolutionize the Housing Market
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Like a lot of homeowners, Schummer was keen to convert some of his theoretical wealth into real cash. These kinds of deals, often referred to as home-equity-sharing agreements or home-equity investments, have existed on the fringes of housing finance for decades. The success or failure of home-equity investments could shape the future of homeownership in America. If the home's value has gone up, everyone wins; sell it for a loss, and the investor might share in that downside. "Over time for us, the customer becomes everybody," Eoin Matthews, the chief business officer and a cofounder of Point, told me recently.

Persons: Kennis Schummer, Schummer, Laurie Goodman, Goodman, he'd, Eoin Matthews, —, Hometap, Jim Riccitelli, Riccitelli, Adam Rust, Rust, Rust wasn't, I'm, Jordan Gilberti, Holly Bunting, Mayer Brown, Edwin Remsberg, Matthews, they'd, Jeffrey Glass, Glass, I've, he's Organizations: Consumer, Urban Institute, Federal Reserve, Bain Capital, Palisades Group, Redwood Trust, Getty, Consumer Federation of America Locations: Pensacola , Florida, California, homeownership, America, Connecticut, Maryland, Florida

☆ Home prices continued to soar higher across the US in the 4th quarter
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Yuheng Zhan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

US home prices climbed up 6.5% year-over-year in the last quarter of 2023. AdvertisementUS home prices continued their rise in the last quarter of 2023, though they showed slower growth compared to the prior quarter. The Federal Housing Finance Agency on Tuesday said home prices climbed 6.5% year-over-year in the fourth quarter, up 1.5% from the third quarter, and up 0.1% on a seasonally-adjusted basis in December compared to November. "U.S. house prices increased modestly over the course of 2023," said Dr. Anju Vajja, acting deputy director for FHFA's Division of Research and Statistics. "However, the market showed signs of softening as house price appreciation was lower in the fourth quarter of the year than in the previous quarter."

Persons: —, Anju Vajja Organizations: Service, Federal Housing Finance Agency, FHFA's Division of Research, Statistics, District of Columbia, Federal Reserve, New England, West South Central Locations: Rhode, Vermont, West Virginia, Connecticut, New Jersey, Hawaii, New

☆ Ex-N.Y.U. Official Admits She Stole Public Money to Add Pool at Her Home
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Ed Shanahan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A former New York University administrator admitted on Tuesday to spending $80,000 in public money meant for minority- and women-owned businesses on a swimming pool at her Connecticut home as part of a broader $3.5 million fraud she orchestrated, officials said. The former administrator, Cindy Tappe, made the admission while pleading guilty to second-degree grand larceny, court records show. Under a plea agreement with the Manhattan district attorney’s office, she will be sentenced to five years’ probation and must pay $663,209 in restitution to cover the full sum of money she diverted for personal expenses. Ms. Tappe’s “fraudulent actions not only threatened to affect the quality of education for students with disabilities and multilingual students, but denied our city’s minority- and women-owned business enterprises a chance to fairly compete for funding,” Alvin L. Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, said in a statement. Deborah Colson, Ms. Tappe’s lawyer, said in a statement that her client “strongly regrets her misconduct.”

Persons: Cindy Tappe, Tappe’s, ” Alvin L, Bragg, Deborah Colson, Ms, ” Organizations: New York University Locations: Connecticut, Manhattan

☆ Kellogg’s CEO faces backlash for saying people should eat cereal for dinner to save money
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

In an interview with CNBC last week, WK Kellogg CEO Pilnick said the company was advertising cereal for dinner to consumers looking for more affordable options. CNBC host Carl Quintanilla asked Pilnick if encouraging weary customers to eat cereal for dinner could “land the wrong way.”Pilnick thought the opposite. Cereal prices alone increased 28% since January of 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Food brands under fireDespite the CEO’s assurances, Kellogg’s advertisement and Pilnick’s comments have led to a backlash on social media. They note that boxes of popular cereals now cost more than $7 and cereal is not an adequate substitution for a full dinner.

Persons: New York CNN —, Gary Pilnick’s, WK Kellogg, Pilnick, Bran, ” Pilnick, hasn’t, Carl Quintanilla, Kellogg, TikTok, CorporateGreed ”, McDonald’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNBC, Wall Street, US Agriculture Department Food, Bureau of Labor Statistics Locations: New York, Darien , Connecticut

☆ Commercial real estate services firm restructures debt after default as industry's problems widen
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Daniel Geiger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The announcement came after S&P Global Ratings lowered Avison's credit on Friday and reported that the company had defaulted on the loan. Weeks earlier, S&P had downgraded the credit rating of Cushman & Wakefield, another major services firm. Higher interest rates have dislocated property values and stifled sales transactions, cutting off a major revenue stream for these firms. Leasing activity across major property types, meanwhile, including office, remains diminished. A push into US real estateAvison sought to rapidly grow in the US over the past decade, including in major commercial real estate markets such as New York City.

Persons: Avison Young, Weeks, Cushman, –, Mark Rose, Avison, Rose, CDPQ, Arbour, MSCI, doesn't, that's Organizations: Cushman & Wakefield, Business, Leasing, Caisse, Federal Reserve Locations: Toronto, Avison, Lane, Stamford , Connecticut, New York City

☆ Alabama ruled frozen embryos are children. Here’s what it could mean for embryos frozen across the state
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Zoe Sottile | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Rumbley, 44, says she has three embryos frozen at a local fertility clinic. The process left three frozen embryos unused. Here’s what we know so far about the possible future of the frozen embryos currently stored in Alabama. Ruling leaves frozen embryos in ‘cryogenic limbo’When Alabama’s top court ruled frozen embryos are legally children and people can be held liable for their destruction, it complicated the options available to families. But the court ruling has left those frozen embryos in “cryogenic limbo.”“It’s gonna be someone’s problem long after I’m gone,” he said.

Persons: Kristia, Dustin Chambers, Andrew Harper, ” Eve Feinberg, Feinberg, Rumbley, ” Rumbley, aren’t, ”, “, Ben Birchall, Seema Mohapatra, CNN “, Mohapatra, hasn’t, ” Lauren Bowerman, CryoFuture –, Steve Marshall’s, Harper, I’m, Bowerman Organizations: CNN, Alabama Supreme, Life Sciences, Reuters, Huntsville Reproductive, Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, SMU Dedman School of Law, University of Alabama, Seattle Sperm Bank, Medical Association of, of Locations: Birmingham, Alabama, United States, Birmingham , Alabama, Huntsville, Madison , Alabama, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Seattle, of Alabama, Madison, Minnesota

☆ Stand-up comic made $19 an hour on Taskrabbit waiting in line: 'This job requires absolutely zero special skills'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Gili Malinsky | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Stand-up comedian Casey James Salengo has picked up some interesting side hustles. The task took about two hours and paid $32 altogether. These days, the New York-based comic juggles stand-up, delivering flowers, cleaning houses and various other jobs. And though he spends less time on Taskrabbit, specifically, he managed to do some other unique hustles early in his tenure on the site. Another odd side gig he got hired for: Standing in line for someone.

Persons: Casey James Salengo Locations: New York, Connecticut , New Jersey, Delaware

☆ How the fall of Roe v. Wade led to the Alabama Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos are children
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —An Alabama Supreme Court ruling that decided frozen embryos are children, and those who destroy them can be held liable for wrongful death, shows a new way in which the overturning of Roe v. Wade can affect how embryos are viewed under certain state laws. That decision is the first known case in which a US court has ruled that frozen embryos are human beings. Events leading up to the Alabama Supreme Court decision can be traced to 2006, when the criminal statute for homicide in the state was changed to include in utero. President Joe Biden said in a statement Thursday that the Alabama Supreme Court decision was a “direct result” of the overturning of Roe. “From the beginning, I’ve been warning that the fall of Roe v. Wade wasn’t just about abortion – and the recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling proves that,” Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who introduced the legislation with Pennsylvania Rep. Susan Wild, wrote in an email Thursday.

Persons: Roe, Wade, Mack, Carmack, ” Dr, Shaun Williams, ”, Williams, Joe Biden, ” Biden, “, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, I’ve, Wade wasn’t, –, Illinois Sen, Tammy Duckworth, Susan Wild, ” CNN’s Devan Cole Organizations: CNN, An, An Alabama Supreme, Alabama, of, Democratic, Senate, CNN Health, “, Pennsylvania Locations: An Alabama, US, Alabama, Connecticut, of Alabama, “, America, Illinois

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