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☆ Haitians in the U.S. feel pressure to sponsor friends, family back home
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Brian Ellsworth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"Many people unfortunately are not in a position to sponsor family members or friends back home, but they are receiving calls nonstop." She said her clients have described being expected to sponsor entire extended families and in some cases face threats. "I would say it's also a program that will place undue stress on families and cause family divisions." "People will say 'I have more than one cousin I would like to sponsor, I'm only able to sponsor one of them,'" Jozef said. She is also opposed to the expulsions of Haitians and other migrants arriving at the southwest border, many who are seeking U.S. asylum.

WASHINGTON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - The United States is poised to start using fast-track asylum screenings at the U.S.-Mexico border, part of U.S. President Joe Biden's recent efforts to address a record number of illegal crossings, five sources told Reuters. A group of Biden administration officials visited the U.S.-Mexico border this week in preparation for the new effort, said two of the sources, both U.S. officials. It was unclear when the fast-track screenings will begin. Under the plan, asylum seekers detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) would have remote interviews with a U.S. asylum officer within days, the sources said. Reuters first reported in December that the fast-track screenings were under consideration.

After finding Sayfullo Saipov guilty of committing murder with the goal of joining the militant group Islamic State, also known as ISIS, the Manhattan jury will return on Feb. 6 to consider whether the death penalty is appropriate punishment. The only point of contention between prosecutors and Saipov's lawyers was whether the defendant carried out the attack in order to join Islamic State, which the United States brands a terrorist organization. These included murder and attempted murder to gain entrance to Islamic State, providing material support to a terrorist organization, and damage or destruction of a motor vehicle. The U.S. Department of Justice said in September that it intends to seek the death penalty for Saipov, despite a moratorium on federal executions since July 2021 as the department reviews the practice. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler, Bill Berkrot and David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A home flipper who helps sellers get up to 30% more for their properties shared 5 easy upgrades that help boost resale value — and 5 design choices that turn buyers off
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Her company, Homegirl, advises clients on the interior design trends that boost resale value. She spoke with Insider about what trends buyers want right now that will help sellers get up to 30% more when listing their homes, and what styles are no longer in their favor. Minimalist art, right, is out of style. Unlacquered brass hardware, left, adds a sense of age to a room while black hardware, right, has fallen out of favor. Nadav Havakook/Homegirl, Wachirawut Priamphimai/EyeEm/Getty ImagesStatement-making, sculptural lights that double as art pieces are what buyers are looking for these days.

☆ 'P.R. job' or antidote to 'groupthink'? Bank of Canada to offer policy-meeting minutes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Steve Scherer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Annual inflation shot to 8.1% in June, the highest in 39 years and four times the Bank of Canada's 2% target. On the recommendation of the International Monetary Fund, the BoC in September said it would release minutes to improve transparency,Other central banks including the U.S. Federal Reserve, the Bank of England and the European Central Bank already provide some form of record of their meetings. "The big enemy for policymakers and investors is groupthink," said Marc Chandler, chief market strategist at Bannockburn Global Forex LLC. JOB'Other market-watchers say releasing minutes is more an exercise in public relations than an effort to boost transparency. Reuters GraphicsReuters GraphicsReporting by Steve Scherer, additional reporting by Fergal Smith, editing by Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Tens of thousands of Israelis protest against Netanyahu justice plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Emily Rose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Israelis protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new right-wing coalition and its proposed judicial reforms to reduce powers of the Supreme Court, in Tel Aviv, Israel January 21, 2023. REUTERS/Ilan RosenbergTEL AVIV, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Israelis joined demonstrations on Saturday against judicial reform plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new government that protesters say will threaten democratic checks and balances on ministers by the courts. "We are fighting for democracy," said Amnon Miller, 64, among crowds of protesters, many bearing white and blue Israeli flags. Likud has long accused the Supreme Court of being dominated by left-wing judges who it says encroach on areas outside their authority for political reasons. A survey released by the Israel Democracy Institute last week showed trust in the Supreme Court was markedly higher among left-wing Israelis than among those on the right, but that there was no overall support for weakening the court's powers.

☆ The 10 most powerful passports in the world in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Henley Passport Index ranks the most powerful passports in the world for visa-free travel. US passport holders can access 186 countries globally without a visa, putting it in seventh place among world passports on the global mobility spectrum, according to the 2023 Henley Passport Index. The US shared its seventh place ranking with Belgium, the Czech Republic, New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland. Of the top 50 best passports for international travel in 2023, only eight countries offer citizenship-by-investment programs, in which applicants can obtain passports in exchange for an approved investment within the country, Insider reported. Below are the countries with the most powerful passports, ranked by ascending number of visa-free travel options.

☆ See how a millennial transformed a dull 1960s bungalow into a lavish Georgian mansion dripping in one-of-a-kind antiques that hosts boudoir photo shoots for $200 an hour
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Emmanuel Hébert grew up in a tiny Montreal bungalow that he has transformed into a Georgian mansion. See the renovation step-by-step, and why people rent the finished home for titillating photo shoots. Hébert is an online antiques dealer who decided to forgo a traditional storefront and transform his home into a staging ground for his business. He said he's had a handful of rap music videos filmed there, as well as many boudoir-style photo shoots. See how the home went from its drab beginnings to being a showpiece mansion with a one-of-a-kind style.

☆ We sold our belongings and bought a $2.5 million cabin on a luxury residential cruise ship that will sail the world. Here's what we're excited about and how we're preparing to live at sea.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

We got the whole ship, and we're going to be going ashore as much as we like. They sold their house and went all-in on living at seaAngela: We opted for the leasehold period of 24 years. That's really what we're gonna live off of. So everyone that's living on this ship, you're not going to be having the carnival nights and the crazy college party ambiance. Well, the Narrative is not going to spend just one day at port, they're going to spend three days, four days, five days depending on where you're going.

☆ Americans can sponsor refugees directly under program launching this week
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Ted Hesson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Groups of Americans will be able to directly sponsor refugees for resettlement in the United States under a new program launching on Thursday, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters, a step that could bolster admissions and reduce government costs. The sponsor groups will also be required to pass background checks and create a support plan. The program will aim to find U.S. sponsors for 5,000 refugees in fiscal year 2023, which ends on Sept. 30, another of the sources said. The administration also used parole to admit Afghans and Ukrainians and piloted sponsor programs to support them in the United States. Refugee Resettlement Program, which takes referrals from the United Nations and U.S. embassies.

☆ Americans can sponsor refugees directly under program launching this week -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Ted Hesson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

☆ Millennials are living with their parents at higher rates than past generations, and they're not ashamed
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Since 2020 adults aged 25 to 34 are living at home at higher rates than past generations, said the Census Bureau. According to the US Census Bureau, about 18% of men and 12% of women ages 25 to 34 were living with their parents in 2022. Barwig estimates she's saving about $30,000 a year. "I don't really spend a lot of money," she said. She's been able to maintain the job as a mostly remote employee at the Jersey Shore, where her parents live.

☆ Israelis rally in three cities against Netanyahu legal reforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] Israelis protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new right-wing coalition and its proposed judicial reforms to reduce powers of the Supreme Court in a main square in Tel Aviv, Israel January 14, 2023. Among those opposed are the Supreme Court chief justice and the country's attorney-general. Channel 13 TV last week found 53% of Israelis were opposed to changing the court appointments' structure while 35% were in support. Critics of the Supreme Court say it is overreaching and unrepresentative of the electorate. "We promised the people change, we promised governance, we promised reforms - and we will make good on that."

☆ I spent $165,000 on a 215-year-old home I found via Instagram. It's falling apart, but I have big plans.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Kayli Angeleaux bought a home via Cheap Old Houses, an Instagram account with 2 million followers. She found it via Cheap Old Houses, an Instagram account and newsletter started by Elizabeth and Ethan Finkelstein that spotlights homes for sale across the country and abroad that are, mostly, less than $150,000. Cheap Old HousesAngeleaux and her husband Connor, 29, are chronicling the intense restoration process on YouTube. I was on the Cheap Old Houses Instagram, and I spent way too much time on there. And then on May 11, 2022, I got the Cheap Old Houses email.

You may also access Centurion Lounges if you've got one of the following Delta credit cards:You can only access the Amex Centurion lounges when you're flying Delta, and you'll need to pay $50 per guest. Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (Concourse E) — coming soonCharlotte Douglas International Airport (between Concourse D and E)Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (Terminal D)Denver International Airport (Concourse C)Intercontinental Houston Airport (Terminal D)Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (Concourse D)Los Angeles International Airport (Tom Bradley International Terminal)Miami International Airport (Concourse D)John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York)Newark Liberty International Airport (Terminal A) — not yet openNew York LaGuardia Airport (Terminal B, pre-security)Philadelphia International Airport (Terminal A)Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (Terminal 4)San Francisco International Airport (Terminal 3)Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Concourse B)Washington, DC Ronald Reagan National Airport (Terminal B) — coming soonLondon Heathrow (Terminal 3)Hong Kong International (Terminal 1)International locations Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Hong Kong International Airport (Terminal 1)London Heathrow Airport (Terminal 3)Stockholm Arlanda Airport (Terminal 5)Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (Terminal 2)Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (Terminal 3)Buenos Aires Ministro Pistarini International Airport (Terminal B)Sao Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport (Terminal 3)Melbourne Airport (Terminal 2)Mexico City International Airport (Terminals 1 and 2)Monterrey General Mariano Escobedo International Airport (Terminals A and B)Sydney Airport (Terminal 1)Centurion Studios (Escape Lounges) Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Hartford Bradley International Airport (Terminal A)Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport (Concourse B)John Glenn Columbus International Airport (Concourse B)Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (Terminal 3)Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (Concourse B)Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (Terminal 1)Oakland International Airport (Terminal 1)Palm Beach International Airport (Concourse B)Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (Terminals 3 and 4)Rhode Island T.F. With these cards, you can enter 1,300+ lounges from networks such as: Amex Centurion Lounges (widely considered to be the best airport lounges in the US)Priority Pass** (access to more than 1,300 airport lounges worldwide)Delta Sky Club lounges (only when you have a same-day Delta boarding pass)Escape Lounge – The Centurion Studio PartnerPlaza Premium loungesLufthansa lounges (when flying Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, or SWISS)Can Amex Gold cardholders use Centurion Lounges?

☆ An architect shares interior-design upgrades for 4 rooms in your home for an extra-cozy winter
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

NYC architect and designer Michael Gabellini recommended four upgrades to make a home extra cozy. His clients may demand luxury, but that doesn't mean that some upgrades can't be affordable. Install heated walls in the bathroomGabellini Sheppard designed the interiors for 611 West 56th Street in New York, with bathrooms that include heated floors. He's seeing a growing demand for heated walls, which are already popular in Germany. Gabellini SheppardYou've heard of heated floors — and now, heated walls — but what about heated countertops?

☆ Dollar, euro rangebound ahead of U.S. inflation report
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The dollar was little changed on Wednesday versus the euro and other major currencies as traders held off from making big moves ahead of U.S. inflation data on Thursday, which may offer a clearer picture of where interest rates are headed. The euro was up 0.3% at $1.07675 against the dollar. "Unless the global growth backdrop continues to improve more materially, we expect dollar downside to remain constrained," Rosenberg said. The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, including the euro, dipped 0.068% to 103.18. The Australian dollar edged up 0.04% to $0.6896 after data showed the annual pace of inflation increased to 7.3% in November, leaving room for more rate hikes.

☆ Amazon workers press company on climate change response after Pakistan floods
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Eli M. Rosenberg | Eli Rosenberg Is An Investigative Tech Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The employees say the aid is a way for Amazon to take greater responsibility for its role in producing the greenhouse emissions that cause climate change. Scientists have said the flooding that killed more than 1,700 people and displaced millions in Pakistan was much more likely to occur because of climate change. And it is attracting some Amazon workers not previously involved in workplace activism. One letter received 8,700 signatures from Amazon employees. “It definitely had an effect on people,” said Eliza Pan, a former program manager at the company who left in 2019 to go work on climate change issues, but is still involved with Amazon Employees for Climate Justice.

☆ One of the first banks to dive into crypto is exiting the business, citing 'recent developments' in the market
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Metropolitan Commercial Bank says the firm will terminate its crypto-related offerings for clients. The bank was one of the first to jump into the nascent digital asset market. Metropolitan Commercial Bank's holding company says its the firm will wind down its crypto-related offerings this year, according to a statement on Monday. Metropolitan Commercial Bank "expects minimal financial impact" from the move. Metropolitan Commercial Bank become one of the first traditional financial institutions to begin serving the nascent space.

☆ Meet the guy whose algorithm could solve the crisis of America's empty office space
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Converting offices into apartments brings people back to downtown areas as residents, not commuters. The algorithm is able to quickly assess which office buildings are viable for conversion to apartments, which are known in industry parlance as multifamily residential. "And then, actually, the demand for the remaining office buildings goes up, because you're creating scarcity by taking some out of the market." Most urban centers lack sufficient housing, but turning office buildings into apartments helps add additional units to rent or buy. About 28% of the area's office space is vacant.

☆ Explainer: Why migrants are crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in record numbers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Mica Rosenberg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

What is happening at the U.S.-Mexico border now and why are there record numbers of crossings? U.S. Border Patrol made more than 2.2 million arrests at the U.S.-Mexico in the 2022 fiscal year, which ended last September, the most ever recorded. The number of Venezuelans crossing the border plummeted after Mexico agreed to accept expulsions of Venezuelan migrants last October. The Biden administration has said it wants to surge resources to process more claims quicker but faces budgetary and other constraints. The Biden administration also set a goal of resettling 125,000 refugees in 2022 who apply from abroad after Trump dramatically slashed admissions during his term.

[1/4] Migrants queue near the border fence, after crossing the Rio Bravo river, to request asylum in El Paso, Texas, U.S., as seen from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico January 5, 2023. Initial backlash to Biden's policy shift also signals it could be challenged in court, from both those who favor restricting immigration and advocates for asylum seekers. The restrictions, known as Title 42, allow U.S. authorities to rapidly expel migrants caught at the border back to Mexico without the chance to claim asylum in the United States. The Biden administration tried last year to end the Title 42 border restrictions, but U.S. courts have left them in place and legal challenges are ongoing. The court rulings that left the Title 42 order in place give the Biden administration time to experiment with different strategies.

☆ FTC proposes to ban noncompete clauses, says move will strengthen workers' hands.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Eli M. Rosenberg | Eli Rosenberg Is An Investigative Tech Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The Federal Trade Commission proposed a new rule Thursday to ban the use of noncompete clauses in worker contracts, a change that would significantly boost the negotiating power of employees. “The freedom to change jobs is core to economic liberty and to a competitive, thriving economy,” FTC Chairwoman Lina M. Khan said in a statement. According to a 2019 study by the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute, somewhere between a quarter to about a half of all workers are subject to noncompete clauses. The FTC said that 1 out of 5 workers are bound by noncompete clauses. Wilson said she believed the rule was outside the FTC’s scope and would be vulnerable to legal challenges.

☆ Veteran economist David Rosenberg said there's 'not a snowball's chance in hell' that he'll get bullish on US stocks until this key event happens — and he's investing in these 6 assets in the meantime
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"The theme for 2023 is not recovery," Rosenberg said in a recent interview with Insider. But Rosenberg believes that the biggest sign that stocks can recover will be a bond market rally. "I think that there's not a snowball's chance in hell that we will get a bottom in the stock market without there being in advance a rally in the bond market," Rosenberg said. Rosenberg continued: "Bond yields have to come down to reestablish the equity risk premium. Outside of stocks, Rosenberg said he recommends a barbell of gold bullion and bonds.

☆ Here's why investors can expect returns in the S&P 500 this year after 2022's stock market bloodbath.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

This time last year, the S&P 500 was coming off its all-time closing high, which had arrived on 2022's first day of trading. It's only happened four times, but when the S&P 500 sees back-to-back losing years, the second is always worse. Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., March 2, 2020. And if you look at Bank of America's Sell Side Indicator, a year in the green for the S&P 500 seems to be in the cards. Morgan Stanley just revamped a nine-stock list that's beaten the S&P 500 by 18% over time.

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