DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Californians are fleeing to Texas, where homes and the cost of living are cheaper
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Many Californians have relocated to Texas, as higher housing costs drive them out of the state. In 2021, almost 108,000, people migrated from California to Texas, according to an analysis of the most recent Census data. The saying is that everything is "bigger" in Texas but, for Californians, is it also cheaper? And in June, Redfin found its median home sale price to be $362,000, compared with the US median sale price of $425,177 as of June. In 2022, he and his wife, Erika Dominguez, moved to Dallas, after struggling to afford rent in California, USA Today reported.

Persons: Rogelio Saenz, Saenz, Redfin, Ryan Petersen, Erika Dominguez, Petersen, Peterson, Petterson, Alcynna Lloyd Organizations: Census, Service, Lone Star, University of Texas, USA Today, USA, Instacart, alloyd Locations: Texas, California, Wall, Silicon, San Antonio, Orange County, Dallas, USA

"So why not be in a situation where you're just much more ready in case you...need to access this discount window?" An analysis of Fed data by Reuters, though, shows a lot still needs to be done to meet that goal. All told, about 3,800 banks borrowed from the discount window during the 11-year period detailed in the central bank data. The biggest banks also stepped up to borrow so as to reduce discount window stigma. Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari said small banks should think of the discount window as a backup.

Persons: Brittany Hosea, Jerome Powell, I’ve, Lorie Logan, Banks, Goldman Sachs, Huberto Ennis, Michelle Bowman, Brad Tidwell, SVB, Austan Goolsbee, Richmond Fed's Ennis, Neel Kashkari, Ann Saphir, Michael S, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Bank, REUTERS, Federal Reserve, Reuters, Dallas, U.S, Fed, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Richmond Fed, National Credit Union Association, Chicago Fed, Federal Home Loan Bank, Minneapolis, Home Loan Bank, Thomson Locations: Santa Clara , California, U.S, Silicon, Washington, While California, Texas, Logan's, New Mexico, Louisiana, Henderson , Texas

☆ Why the US should be more excited about tiny homes
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

While there is a lot of interest in tiny homes, it's too early to measure their success. Tiny homes, generally defined as homes under 1,000 square feet — compared with the typical US home size of 2,500 square feet — are a growing market for those seeking affordability, community, and simplicity. Tiny homes — and accessory dwelling units, their slightly larger counterpart — are being eyed as a solution to the country's housing shortage. A tiny home designed and built by Colorado-based tiny home developer, Mitchcraft Tiny Homes. Tiny homes are "a spear point against the armor" to these restrictions, he added.

Persons: Katie Sandoval, Clark, Blue Wells, you've, Skylar Olsen, Zack Giffin, Giffin, Louise Beaumont, Getty, Rebecca Zisser, Muhammad Alameldin, Gavin Newsom, Joyce Higashi, Tiny, Newsom, Alameldin, It's, Barbara Clark, Sandoval Organizations: Service, Consumers, California, University of California, Housing Innovation, state's Department of Housing, Gov, Washington D.C Locations: California backyards, Wall, Silicon, Bay, Blue, South Carolina, New Hampshire, San Diego, Denver, Portland, Cities, Indianapolis, Austin, Colorado, California, ADUs, Jose, While California, —, Washington, Jersey, Sonoma .

☆ More people actually moved out of Florida than New York or California in 2021
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

While out-of-staters were flocking into Florida in 2021, 674,740 residents moved out. That's more than the total number of people that left California or New York that year. Those who moved out previously told Insider the state had become too unaffordable and crowded. An estimated 674,740 people reported their permanent address changed in 2021 from Florida to another state, according to the data. That's more than any other state, including New York or California, two states have gotten the most attention for outbound migration during the pandemic.

Persons: Thomas Barwick, Danielle Hale Organizations: Service, American Community Survey, Sunshine State, Getty, Texans Locations: Florida, California, New York, Wall, Silicon, Georgia . Texas, Texas

☆ California Rep. Maxine Waters introduces bills to spend hundreds of billions of dollars to fight homelessness and solve the affordable housing crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rep. Maxine Waters, a California Democrat, introduced a trio of bills addressing the housing crisis. They would expand housing vouchers and send $100 billion to help first-generation homebuyers. The legislation — which includes expanding housing vouchers and sending $100 billion to help first-time, first-generation homebuyers — is focused on reducing the racial wealth gap. One bill — the Housing Crisis Response Act of 2023 — includes over $150 billion in funding for affordable housing and investments in closing the racial housing gap. Overall, just one in six eligible families live in public housing, receive a rent-reducing voucher, or live in a subsidized multifamily unit, according to the US Census Bureau.

Persons: Maxine Waters, —, Waters Organizations: California Democrat, Service, Interagency, Homelessness, Census Bureau, Financial Services Locations: California

☆ Climate change: Thousands of dead fish have washed up on a Thai beach. Experts say global warming may be to blame
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Reuters Laura Paddison | Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

“Various natural phenomena, such as coral bleaching or plankton bloom, have naturally occurred for thousands to tens of thousands of years. According to local authorities, plankton blooms happen once or twice a year and typically last two to three days. This month, thousands of dead fish washed up on beaches in Texas, and experts are warning of algal blooms along the British coast as a result of rising sea temperatures. In Southern California, hundreds of dolphins and sea lions have been washing up on beaches dead or sick, amid a toxic algal bloom. While California’s algal blooms were caused more by strong coastal upwelling than high temperatures, scientists say climate change likely to increase toxic algal blooms, as some thrive in warm water.

Persons: Thon Thamrongnawasawat, it’s, ”, Sarah Perkins, Kirkpatrick Organizations: of Fisheries, Kasetsart University, British Met Office, it’s, University of New Locations: Chumphon, Texas, Southern California, it’s Australia, England, University of New South Wales, Australia

☆ These tiny Japanese pick-up trucks that cost about $5,000 are winning fans in America
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tiny Japanese trucks that cost as little as $5,000 are winning over some Americans. It's not just tiny homes taking America by storm – now tiny trucks made in Japan are becoming increasingly popular too. The tiny trucks are a common sight on Japanese roads, but they've also won over some Americans wanting a versatile, compact – and cheap – vehicle. The cheapest Kei truck sold by Japan Car Direct is about $5,000, with shipping costs accounting for much of that sum. Japan Car Direct and its competitors will walk customers through the import process, which requires several forms to be completed.

Persons: they've, It's, Kei, Subaru Sambar, Suzuki, Matt Matusiak, we've, Matusiak, there's Organizations: Japan, Morning, Daihatsu, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Honda, Nissan, of Transportation, Environmental Protection, Vehicles, Twitter Locations: America, Japan, Pennsylvania

☆ Column: Texas trumps California as key US energy transition driver
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Gavin Maguire | Thomson Reuters | Gavin Maguire Is The Global Energy Transition Columnist. He Was Previously Asia Commodities | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Texas vs California vs Rest of USA electricity generation mixSince 2018, Texas has also outpaced California and the national average in both total electricity generation additions and in cuts to power emissions, making the Lone Star state a key beacon for others looking to reduce emissions but increase power generation totals. Texas vs California electricity generation by sourceThe rapid renewable energy capacity development is also a major driver of jobs growth in the state, which is helping to offset potential concerns about stranded assets and reduced demand for energy sector workers once global energy systems transition away from fossil fuels. A heavy historic reliance on natural gas and coal for electricity generation has also meant that Texas has one of the most carbon-intensive power systems in the United States. TEXAS TEMPLATEWhile California is losing its lustre as a model for power sector planners elsewhere, Texas has shown it is possible to boost electricity generation totals while reducing emissions in recent years. But many states will be able to learn from Texas' evolving mix of generation sources that have been harnessed to push electricity generation levels higher while curbing emissions.

☆ California superbloom: Hillsides are exploding with wildflowers. Here's what it looks like from space
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Stephanie Elam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesVisitors walk through a field of wildflowers at the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve in Lancaster, California on April 14. Hillsides are covered in colorful wildflowers, seen here in a satellite image in Palmdale, California, on April 10. Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesWildflowers bloom at the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve in Lancaster, California, on April 14. Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesWhile California hasn’t closed state parks because of the superbloom, at least one town is demanding that tourists stay away. The Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve in Lancaster, California, on March 30.

☆ Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus Supplier Paid California Workers $1.58
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Department of Labor randomly investigated 50 clothing companies in Southern California. It found that more than 80% were breaking one or more provisions of federal labor law. One garment maker was paying workers just $1.58 an hour. In what the department described as a "particularly egregious case," one garment manufacturer — making clothes for brands including Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Stitch Fix, and Von Maur, per investigators — was found to be paying some workers an hourly rate of just $1.58. It shows, she argued, "that strong federal action is needed to change the abusive pay rates in the American garment manufacturing industry."

☆ This could be Big Oil's last surge
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

The era of Big Oil could end sooner than its massive profits suggest, analysts told Insider. But the worst-case scenario for the environment — that oil and gas companies reinvest all their extra money to keep growing — isn't happening, Logan said. The role of oil and gas companies in the energy transition is an ongoing debate, analysts told Insider. The UK company cited the need for an "orderly" energy transition. And while Big Oil's finances may begin to show some cracks over the next decade, he doesn't expect them to "suffer financially" for another 25 to 35 years.

☆ This Texas crisis center fields half the state's 988 suicide hotline calls. Their VP describes how they handle it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Sarah Al-Arshani | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

After rolling out in July 2022, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Support Line has seen a rise in calls, per federal data. Here's how one Texas crisis center is handling the increase in calls. The Harris Center, based in Houston, is one of the over 200 crisis centers fielding calls all across the country. The center, which has been working in partnership with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline since 2007, has fielded about half the crisis line calls in the state. The center is the largest crisis center in the state and has fielded a majority of the crisis line calls in Texas.

☆ The coast of Southern California is becoming a hotspot for great white sharks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Great white shark numbers are increasing off the coast of Southern California's beaches. Adult white sharks can reach 12-20 feet, but they rarely come close to the shoreline. California banned actively targeting white sharks in 1994, as well as certain fishing nets that often entrapped the sharks. Warning signs for shark sightings remain in Long Beach, California, on May 16, 2017, where Great White sharks and their pups have been sighted regularly off southern California beaches. Researchers emphasized it is still safe to swim along the Southern California coast, which sharks have historically inhabited longer than us.

☆ Inside California's tiny-home takeover
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

For the state with the most dire housing shortage, the move could be a game changer — eventually. As the US grapples with a massive housing shortage, one possible solution is playing out in California right now — and the state may have struck gold. Oregon, Maine, and Nebraska, as well as cities like Miami, have enacted laws similar to California's. There's been opposition to ADUs from homeowners worried about the density of their neighborhoods and sometimes the aesthetics of the structures. Ultimately, the housing shortage could be alleviated, she said.

☆ Lousy Tippers Are Just Misunderstood
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Spencer Jakab | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Photo: Rachel Woolf for The Wall Street JournalAn IRS proposal would reduce cumbersome reporting requirements for tipped employees, such as those who work at restaurants. Tips have always been a touchy subject. Now, they have entered the culture wars. “Joe Biden’s radical war on the working class just expanded to tipped workers,” reads a recent memo from the Republican-controlled House Ways and Means Committee. A conservative outlet’s news coverage last year of Toast’s Restaurant Trends Report that showed residents of the Golden State being America’s worst tippers said: “While California has its fair share of high rollers, not everyone is willing to share the wealth.”

☆ Over 1,400 flights canceled as major winter storm threatens to produce historic snowfall
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Chantal Da Silva | David K. Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Rush hour traffic travels southbound on Interstate 35W in Minneapolis as a winter storm hit the Twin Cities Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. The National Weather Service issued winter storm, blizzard and high-wind advisories for swaths of the western and the north-central U.S., with up to 2 feet of snow expected in some areas through Thursday. 'Numerous weather hazards'Residents warned to 'limit travel'"We're working to ensure we're ready — and Minnesotans have a part to play, too. Schools across the state also announced closures, with Minneapolis Public Schools saying on its website that all its buildings would be closed "due to the upcoming winter storm." Heavy winds and power outagesCalifornia is also facing winter weather, with winds that began Tuesday expected to bring possible rain, snow and hail to parts of the state.

Houseboats on Lake Oroville during a drought in Oroville, California, U.S., on Monday, Oct. 11, 2021. Lake Oroville, California's second-largest reservoir, has experienced a dramatic rise in water levels after a series of atmospheric river storms in January triggered widespread flooding while boosting the Sierra Nevada snowpack and the state's drought-stricken reservoirs. Previous record-low water levels at Oroville were triggered by drought conditions exacerbated by climate change. While California consistently experiences drought, climate change has fueled especially high temperatures and dry soil that have significantly reduced water runoff into the reservoirs. Photos taken in 2021 and 2023 show how much more full Oroville is following the January storms:

☆ Brandy Melville owners to pay $1.5 million settlement to thousands of employees over claims they worked 'off the clock' and without breaks
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Kate Taylor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In 2021, Brandy Melville employees described racism, Hitler memes, and exploitation to Insider. Thousands of former employees of controversial fast-fashion retailer Brandy Melville are receiving checks in the mail this holiday season. Alec, who worked at Brandy Melville from 2013 to 2014, received a settlement check for $162 in late December. Over the last year, Brandy Melville has opened a number of new locations, including its second store in Australia. "I'm surprised that Brandy Melville hasn't closed down or had more people boycott them," Emily said.

☆ Why California’s 2022 Wildfire Season Was Unexpectedly Quiet
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Elena Shao | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

Maps of California show the perimeters of wildfire burns for every year between 2018 and 2022 (desktop version) or 2017 and 2022 (mobile version). The extent of acreage burned in 2022 is far less than what burned in 2021 and 2022, and looks more similar to what burned in 2019. 2018 2017 Camp fire 2022 2021 2020 McKinney fire 2020 was the state’s worst fire year on record. Wildfires have burned about 362,000 acres this year, compared to 2.5 million acres last year and a historic 4.3 million acres in 2020. Acres Burned by Wildfires in California A bar chart showing the total acres burned by California wildfires since 1987.

☆ Florida's attorney general says Americans from blue states are moving to the Sunshine State because it's tough on crime: 'It's not rocket science'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Isabella Zavarise | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Florida AG Ashley Moody says Americans are moving to Florida because it's a law and order state. Americans have flocked to the Sunshine State largely due to its low taxes, and business-friendly policies, according to the state's CFO, Jimmy Patronis. Using data from the FBI's 2018 Uniform Crime Reporting Program, USA Today ranked states from lowest violent crime rate to highest. Florida ranked 21st with a violent crime rate of 384.9 per 100,000 people, while California — the most populous state — ranked 14th with a violent crime rate of 447.4 per 100,000 people, according to the news outlet. New York was 25th on the list with a violent crime rate of 350.5 per 100,000 people.

☆ Startups trying to turn cities into carbon sinks to fight climate change have raised a record $2.2 billion this year, new report shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Green construction startups have raised a record $2.2 billion in 2022, per VC firm A/O PropTech. The construction and operation of buildings account for 37% of global CO2 emissions from energy use, according to the UN. The adoption of bio-based materials, such as wood, and a circular approach to construction can help cities become carbon sinks, the report stated. A carbon sink is when something can store more carbon emissions than it produces. Most building materials are currently "down-cycled" and used for things like filling potholes, she added.

☆ Exclusive emails show Austin officials bragging about its lack of oversight of a new self-driving delivery service from Ford and Argo AI
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Caroline Haskins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Several cities launched an autonomous vehicle delivery service for Walmart orders with Ford vehicles using Argo AI's self-driving car technology. In 2016, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey announced Uber's self-driving car pilot by proclaiming that Arizona "welcomes Uber self-driving cars" while states with regulatory laws do not. Part of the companies' motivation for the self-driving car delivery service is the drive to meet Walmart's consumer demands for "next-day or same-day delivery." Argo AI was founded in 2016 by two former engineers from Google and Uber's self-driving car programs, respectively. Argo AI hired more than 1,700 people in 6 years but laid off many of its recruiters in July.

☆ I moved to Turkey on a whim and now work here remotely full time. I love the low cost of living and don't plan on returning to the US anytime soon.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Kaila Yu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Jacki Ueng started working remotely in Turkey over the pandemic as a "digital nomad." The flight I booked on Turkish Airlines had a layover in Istanbul, so I decided to go there instead. I work remotely while I travel throughout the country, exploring all its regions and meeting locals. I cringe when people ask how I go on vacation so much, because I'm not on vacation — I'm working wherever I travel. I also fell in love with the owner of that first hostel I stayed in — so that's an extra perk.

☆ I'm a 22-year-old student making $200 an hour as a notary signing agent. It's shocking how much I can make for such an easy side hustle.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Dorothy Cucci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Andrea Morgan is a 22-year-old notary signing agent who makes up to $200 for a single signing. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Andrea Morgan, a 22-year-old student and notary signing agent who works in California. A notary signing agent is quite different from a notary public. It only took me $1,600 to start my business as a certified notary signing agentAfter I became a notary public, I had to become a certified notary signing agent. You can literally Google "notary signing services near me" to find them, but there are also popular platforms that notary signing agents use, such as SigningOrder, Snapdocs, and Notary Rotary.

☆ 7 people who left California detail the bigger and better homes they were able to buy or rent in their new locations
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Jordan Pandy | Robert Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Seven people who chose to leave California told Insider about the bigger and better homes they could afford in other locations. Brittany PhillipsName: Brittany Phillips, 37Profession: Hairstylist making about $85,000 a yearHome in California: Phillips shared a three-bedroom, 1,353-square-foot house with a roommate. Home in Florida: Phillips and her 13-year-old daughter moved in with her parents in a northwest Florida hot spot, Panama City Beach. Worst part of California: Phillips felt that California is simply unaffordable. Worst part of California: Berube said Chino Hills was getting crowded and expensive.

Search resuls for: "While California"

25 mentions found