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☆ Existing home sales fall to a 10-year low in September, as mortgage rates soar
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Sharply higher mortgage rates are causing an abrupt slowdown in the housing market. Despite the slowdown in sales, inventory continues to drop. There were 1.25 million homes for sales at the end of September, down 0.8% compared with September 2021. Homes priced between $100,000 and $250,000 dropped 28.4% from a year ago, while sales of homes priced between $750,000 and $1 million declined 9.5%. "Homeowners love their 3% mortgage rate, and they don't want to give that up," Yun said.

☆ Idaho man dies while fighting as volunteer in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The 34-year-old Idaho man died Tuesday from injuries sustained during during a Russian attack in Luhansk. “I have a picture of the truck,” Corry said in a phone interview Friday. “Sometimes it was harder for him to mesh in the civilian world.”When Russia invaded Ukraine, Partridge felt a need to help the Ukranians. At least four other U.S. citizens have been killed while fighting in Ukraine, based on reports from their families and the U.S. State Department. The Ukrainian government has recruited people with military experience to join the International Legion for the Territorial Defense of Ukraine.

A 20-ounce packet of Sara Lee Classic White Sandwich bread goes for $2.50 at Kroger, compared to $2.24 at Walmart. Nearly two-thirds of Kroger's 2,700 stores are unionized, like a "majority" of Albertsons stores, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union says on its website. Grocery stores such as Kroger, Albertsons, in contrast, are often forced to rely on coupons or buy-one-get-one-free promotions funded by companies like P&G and Conagra in order to compete. Euromonitor data shows that 25.2% of all dollars spent on groceries in the United States last year went to Walmart, while Kroger got 8.1% and Albertson's 4.8%. Walmart shoppers have a median income of $73,000.

A 20-ounce packet of Sara Lee Classic White Sandwich bread goes for $2.50 at Kroger, compared to $2.24 at Walmart. Nearly two-thirds of Kroger's 2,700 stores are unionized, like a "majority" of Albertsons stores, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union says on its website. Grocery stores such as Kroger, Albertsons, in contrast, are often forced to rely on coupons or buy-one-get-one-free promotions funded by companies like P&G and Conagra in order to compete. Euromonitor data shows that 25.2% of all dollars spent on groceries in the United States last year went to Walmart, while Kroger got 8.1% and Albertsons 4.8%. Walmart shoppers have a median income of $73,000.

☆ U.S. grocer Kroger in talks to merge with rival Albertsons - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 13 (Reuters) - U.S. grocery giant Kroger Co (KR.N) is in talks to merge with smaller rival Albertsons Companies Inc (ACI.N), Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. Shares of Albertsons rose 7% on the report, while Kroger's stock slipped. Kroger, which also houses supermarket chains such as Fred Meyer, Ralphs and King Soopers, trails Walmart Inc (WMT.N), the top grocer in the country. A deal could be reached as soon as this week, Bloomberg reported, adding that no final decision has been taken and talks could still be delayed or falter. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Aishwarya Venugopal in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli and Sriraj KalluvilaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ $4 gas could be coming — again
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN Business —Here’s the bad news first: Gas prices are on the rise in most of the US and could soon hit a national average of $4 a gallon for the first time in two months. The national average price Monday was $3.92 for a gallon of regular gas. That’s up 12 cents in just the last week and 24 cents since a 98-day price slide ended late last month. Now those refineries are starting to come back online — and the price of gas in Western states is already falling. Currently roughly 25% of the nation’s 130,000 gas stations are selling regular gas for $4 or more, up from about 15% when the slide in prices ended last month.

☆ At least 66 clinics in 15 states have stopped providing abortions since Dobbs, analysis finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-09 | by ( Julianne Mcshane | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

At least 66 clinics in 15 states have stopped providing abortions since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, according to a new analysis from the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion rights research organization. The analysis notes that those states had 79 total clinics that provided abortions before the Dobbs decision, compared with 13 today. All of the remaining open clinics are in Georgia, where a law prohibits abortions once a "detectable human heartbeat is present." The most closings were in Texas, where at least a dozen clinics shuttered, the Guttmacher analysis says. Planned Parenthood also provides STD testing, pregnancy testing, transgender hormone therapy and primary care services, according to its website.

☆ Abortion: Clinics in 14 of 15 states have stopped providing services, survey finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-06 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The survey found that among 15 states that were enforcing either total abortion bans or near-total abortion bans between the decision and October 2, nearly two-thirds of clinics that once provided abortion care – 66 of 79 – had been forced to stop offering abortion services. That means there are no providers offering abortions in 14 of the 15 states, says Rachel Jones, principal research scientist at Guttmacher. The 15 states included in the survey are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin. The impacts of these closures are being felt far beyond these 15 states. States where abortions are still legal have seen large influxes of people who are traveling to get the procedure.

☆ NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell says movie business benefiting from new release model
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-04 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

CEO of NBC Jeff Shell arrives for the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on July 06, 2021 in Sun Valley, Idaho. NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell said Tuesday the company's movie business is performing well on the hybrid model of releasing some films simultaneously in theaters and on streaming services, while waiting to make others available for viewers at home. That changed when the Covid-19 pandemic shut down theaters, leading some companies to release films directly on streaming services for a period of time. "That construct of the windowing combined with the fact that streamers really want movies, movies are driving platforms, has in my opinion made the movie business economically better," Shell said. Some evaluated releasing movies directly on streaming services on a case-by-case basis, which Shell said NBCUniversal continues to do.

☆ Jefferies beats quarterly profit estimates on lift from merchant banking
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sept 28 (Reuters) - Jefferies Financial Group Inc (JEF.N) on Wednesday beat analysts' estimates for third-quarter profit as robust performance in its merchant banking unit helped cushion the blow from sluggish dealmaking. The merchant banking division was boosted by the sale of its wood and lumber products business, Idaho Timber, the bank said. The bank said in July it would reduce the size of its merchant banking portfolio that includes investments in real estate, oil and gas, and other public companies as part of a restructuring. After a stellar run in 2021, U.S. investment banking giants have struggled for most of this year as a market sell-off crushes corporate appetite for dealmaking. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Niket Nishant in BengaluruOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ How Bryan Lourd became one of the most powerful people in the history of Hollywood
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +18 min

Lourd, 61, isn't a household name, but he wields a stunning amount of influence in Hollywood. Lourd's Hollywood clients aren't just A-listers, they're A+-listers: Brad Pitt. An old-fashioned talent agent who loves discussing old movies and doesn't mind pointing out the flaws in his own clients' work, Lourd has become arguably the most powerful person in Hollywood. "He's one of the most powerful people in the history of Hollywood," said Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos. But Lourd's clients are such bankable stars that it's equally important for Hollywood executives to be friendly with him as it is beneficial for Lourd and CAA.

☆ Fact Check-Biden and Obama did win states that required photo ID to vote
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

It shows that in 2020, six states strictly required a photo identification to vote: Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Tennessee and Wisconsin. OBAMA WON THREE OF 10 PHOTO-ID STATES IN 2012According to the NCSL, four states required strict photo ID to vote in 2012: Georgia, Indiana, Kansas and Tennessee. An election map from 2008 shows that among states requesting photo ID, Obama won in Indiana, Hawaii, Florida and Michigan (here). Obama won in some states that had photo identification laws in both the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections, and Biden won the 2020 vote in five states that required photo ID. Both lost in several states that had no photo ID laws at the time in all three of these elections.

And rather than worship the divine, the crowd was there to herald the malign: Donald Trump and his brand of hateful, intentionally divisive politics. Similar to a creed, Trump shared his litany of election-denial lies that have come to constitute the Republican Party platform. The intentional coupling of MAGA politics with religious imagery isn’t merely a rhetorical act, either. Trump’s Ohio rally is hardly the only recent example of a politician appropriating religious symbols to seize power. Here, too, Christians are speaking out against his hijacking of the church for right-wing politics.

Family Dollar is recalling six Colgate products sold stores in 11 different states because they were stored outside of recommended temperature requirements. Family Dollar has notified its affected stores asking them to check stocks immediately, and to quarantine and discontinue the sale of any affected products. It said customers who may have bought an affected product may return it to the Family Dollar store where they were purchased. Customers with questions regarding the recall may contact Family Dollar Customer Service at 844-636-7687 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST. The full recall notice, including the list of affected products, can be found on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's website.

Still, if you can't qualify for a personal loan elsewhere and need money fast, you may consider using MoneyKey. How MoneyKey personal loans compareInsider's Featured Personal Loan Companies LightStream Personal LoanMarcus Personal LoanSoFi Personal Loan Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Fees 4.5/5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star APR 6.99% to 24.99% Fees 4.25/5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star APR Fixed rates from 7.99% to 22.73% APR APR reflect the 0.25% autopay discount and a 0.25% direct deposit discount. Show more 7.99% - 23.43% (with all discounts) Fees 4.25/5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star Compare rates On Lightstream's website Compare rates On Goldman Sachs' website Compare rates On SoFi's websiteMoneyKey, Fig Loans, and OppLoans are slightly lower-cost alternatives to payday loans, many of which have interest rates around 400%. However, you'll still pay a much higher interest rate with these three than you would with a traditional personal loan lender.

☆ Satanic panic is making a comeback, fueled by QAnon believers and GOP influencers
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-15 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Brandy-Zadrozny-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Brandy Zadrozny | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +23 min

Utah County Attorney David O. Leavitt speaks on July 31, 2019, in Provo. The accusations were part of a new case from Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith. Discussion about satanism and satanic abuse has increased in recent years, according to data provided to NBC News by Zignal Labs, which analyzes social media conversations. Popular culture and social media have also ferried ideas about satanism and widespread child abuse from fringe to the mainstream. (Anti-LGBTQ politicians and activists have equated LGBTQ people with predators who abuse children as part of a “gay agenda,” the well-worn panic that the gay rights movement’s true motivation is recruitment.

☆ Mortgage rates just hit a high not seen since the 2008 housing crash
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-11 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

More interest rate hikes are on the horizon and that means mortgage rates could climb further. Sam Khater, Freddie Mac's chief economist, says the uptick is attributed to economic volatility that is seeping into the US real estate market. "The combination of higher mortgage rates and the slowdown in economic growth is weighing on the housing market," Khater told Insider. Numerous interest rate hikes have lifted mortgage rates at the fastest pace in decades. The move has effectively put an end to the home buying frenzy that rocked the US real estate market.

☆ Irene Gakwa moved to the US to attend nursing school in Wyoming. Then she vanished
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-04 | by ( Faith Karimi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

CNN —Irene Gakwa’s last WhatsApp video call with her parents was filled with gentle ribbing. After Gakwa’s brothers could not reach her, they looked through her phone records and called a close friend she’d talked to numerous times. A group formed to help find Irene Gakwa prepares to post signs seeking information about the missing woman in Gillette, Wyoming, on June 18. Lacey Ayers talks to Stacy Koester, left, and Melissa Bloxom as they place signs with an image of Irene Gakwa in a yard in Gillette, Wyoming. Gakwa and Hightman eventually moved in together in Meridian, and she started nursing school at College of Western Idaho.

The complaints, obtained by CNBC, were filed by nonprofit law firm Whistleblower Aid, which is representing Twitter's former head of security, Peiter "Mudge" Zatko. Whistleblower Aid, which also represented Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, verified the authenticity of the documents with CNBC. A Twitter whistleblower is alleging "extreme, egregious deficiencies by Twitter" related to privacy, security and content moderation, according to complaints filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice. If government regulators were to find Twitter misled consumers about its security protocols, that may be considered a violation of its 2011 agreement with the FTC. At the time, Twitter was barred for 20 years from misleading consumers about how it protects their security and private information.

☆ These are the top 10 cities for work-life balance, according to an analysis — and there isn't a single US city among them
▼ + stars: | 2022-05-26 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A new analysis found the Norwegian capital, Oslo, to be the world's best city for work-life balance. The top six cities for work-life balance as determined by the software company Kisi were all European, and no US city ranked in the top 10. According to Kisi's data, workers in Oslo take on average 25 days of vacation a year and get 707 days of paid parental leave. The city also scored highly for remote working, quality and availability of healthcare, and air quality. The surge in remote working means some people have used the past two years as an opportunity to relocate.

☆ Yelp says it will cover travel expenses of employees who are unable to have abortions in their home states
▼ + stars: | 2022-04-13 | by ( Urooba Jamal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Yelp joins a growing corporate response to restrictive abortion laws in the US. The company told Insider it wants to ensure its workers have equitable access to reproductive care. A number of states in recent months have passed laws restricting abortion access. The online review platform said it is expanding its health insurance policy, which already covered abortion care, to allow employees to receive expenses for travel to another state to get an abortion, the company told Insider. In March, Idaho adopted a law, modeled on the Texas legislation, that banned abortions after about six weeks.

☆ Atmospheric river of moisture will trigger storms and tornadoes this week
▼ + stars: | 2022-04-11 | by ( Jennifer Gray | Cnn Meteorologist | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

(CNN) You may have heard of atmospheric rivers impacting the West Coast. Apparently, atmospheric rivers also occur in the eastern US, unleashing a river of moisture like what we will see this week. The reason East Coast atmospheric rivers aren't talked about much isn't because they are rare. The West gets about half that number of atmospheric rivers each year, yet they account for double the annual rainfall percentage. It will combine with the available moisture provided by the atmospheric river we talked about and will result in the perfect setup for severe weather.

☆ In many states, workers still earn only $7.25 an hour. If we want to fix the 'labor shortage,' it should start with raising wages.
▼ + stars: | 2022-01-08 | by ( Paul Constant | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Amid the ongoing labor crisis, Constant says raising the minimum wage could be a key solution. Raising wages has proven good for workers and business, yet many states are stuck at the $7.25 federal minimum. Last week, the minimum wage in Seattle reached $17.27 per hour, while the minimum wage in Washington state increased to $14.49, and none of those threats have come true. But despite this progress, the federal minimum wage is still stalled at $7.25 per hour for non-tipped employees and $2.13 per hour for tipped employees. The Economic Policy Institute recently found that the $7.25 federal minimum wage is worth 21% less today than it was worth when established in 2009.

☆ If you voted early and changed your mind, you can switch your choice in several states — here's how
▼ + stars: | 2020-11-02 | by ( Rebecca Harrington | Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

But some voters who have a change of heart can alter their early vote after casting it. A handful of states allow voters to switch their votes before Election Day, but they have different restrictions and deadlines. Ballots cast early this year surpassed total early votes in 2016 a full nine days before Election Day. But some voters who have a change of heart can alter their early vote after casting it. A handful of states allow voters to switch their votes before Election Day, but they have different restrictions and deadlines.

If you're unable to decide how to divide your assets during a divorce, the courts will do it for you. Most US states observe equitable distribution, meaning all property acquired during the marriage is divided fairly at a judge's discretion. Nine US states observe community property law, where marital assets are split 50-50. Which states are community property states in a divorce? In community property states, marital assets — and debts incurred by either spouse during the marriage — are divided 50-50.

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