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☆ Even one of the biggest apartment landlords in the US is having trouble hiking rents as much as it did in the first half of the year
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The slowdown is affecting Equity Residential's over 79,000 units and clouding building valuations. Earnings reports show that average rents across Equity Residential's 79,594-unit portfolio rose by an average of just 1.7% last quarter, down from the 2.8% and 3.1% upticks in the second and first quarters, respectively. Meanwhile, the data shows that rents in many Texas and Florida cities, as well as a couple of key New England cities, keep rising. Meanwhile, in Boston, a scarcity of housing supply helped drive rents up 5.9% — making it the second most-expensive city to be a renter nationally. The deceleration in rent growth nationally is welcome news for renters who have had to cough up increasingly large chunks of their paychecks each month to their landlords.

A farmer spreads nitrogen fertilizer in his wheat field in Blecourt, France, May 27, 2021. Russia, under financial sanctions, is a major producer of fertilizer and natural gas, key in making nitrogen products to boost yields of corn and other crops. Since Russia's February invasion of Ukraine, Europe started weaning itself off Russian natural gas and a pipeline transporting ammonia from Russia to a Ukraine port shut down. European countries typically buy most of their imported urea, a form of nitrogen fertilizer, from North Africa, but are now purchasing it further afield, Wallace said. EU nitrogen prices eased in mid-October as some European plants resumed production due to softening natural gas prices, he said.

Crop Watch corn fields were harvested last week: Nebraska and eastern Iowa. The eastern Iowa corn finished at 4.25, down a quarter-point from earlier predictions and a half-point below last year. The Nebraska corn is irrigated this year, but the producer would score his dryland corn yield around 1.5. That would be slightly above the 2020 result, which is consistent with the Crop Watch corn scores in 2022 versus 2020. REST OF HARVESTFour more Crop Watch corn fields remain.

☆ Biden's student loan forgiveness plan is on hold. Here are key issues borrowers need to know
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Porquenostudios | Istock | Getty ImagesFor those with student debt, the last few months may have given you whiplash. Here's what borrowers need to know about the development, and what it could mean for your student debt. They filed an appeal, and asked the court to stay the president's plan, which was supposed to start unfolding as early as this week, while their request is considered. Circuit Court of Appeals granted the states' emergency petition, leaving the Biden administration unable to start forgiving any student debt for now. The U.S. Department of Education had said borrowers who hold these FFEL, or Federal Family Education Loans, can take this step to qualify for its relief.

☆ How to Apply for Student Loan Forgiveness
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +15 min

The official student loan forgiveness application is available on the Federal Student Aid website. What you can do now to prepare for student loan repayment and reliefFirst and foremost, you can fill out the application for up to $20,000 in student loan forgiveness on the Federal Student Aid website. “January will almost certainly be a chaotic time for the [student loan] servicers,” says Michael Lux, attorney and founder of The Student Loan Sherpa. You might also check out alternative options for student loan forgiveness, such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Teacher Loan Forgiveness. If your state charges a tax rate of 5%, for example, expect to pay about $500 in taxes on $10,000 in loan forgiveness or $1,000 on $20,000 in loan forgiveness.

A federal appeals court on Friday halted implementation of President Joe Biden’s student debt relief program, dealing a blow to the administration just days after it began accepting applications from borrowers to have as much as $20,000 in loans canceled. In its one-page ruling, the court prohibited any student loan debt to be discharged under the program until the court rules on the appeal. The court said that the Biden administration had until Monday to respond. In announcing the program, Biden said the cost of education has increased and that “an entire generation is now saddled with unsustainable debt.”The program began officially accepting applications this week. As of the end of June, 43 million borrowers held $1.6 trillion in federal student loans, it said.

☆ Court temporarily blocks Biden's student loan forgiveness
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks about the student loan forgiveness program from an auditorium on the White House campus in Washington, October 17, 2022. A U.S. appeals court on Friday temporarily blocked President Joe Biden's plan to cancel billions of dollars in college student loans, one day after a judge dismissed a Republican-led lawsuit by six states challenging the debt-forgiveness program. Circuit Court of Appeals granted the states' emergency petition to freeze the loan forgiveness plan until the court rules on their request for a longer-term injunction while Thursday's decision against the states is being appealed. Their case is one of a number that conservative state attorneys general and legal groups have filed seeking to halt the debt forgiveness plan announced in August by Biden, a Democrat. The Congressional Budget Office in September calculated that the debt forgiveness would cost the government about $400 billion.

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks about the student loan forgiveness program from an auditorium on the White House campus in Washington, U.S., October 17, 2022. U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey in St. Louis said that while the six Republican-led states had raised "important and significant challenges to the debt relief plan," they lacked the necessary legal standing to be able to pursue the case. Autrey ruled an hour after Barrett denied without explanation an emergency request to put the debt relief plan on hold in the challenge brought by the Brown County Taxpayers Association. The plaintiffs in the case are represented by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, a conservative legal group. Circuit Court of Appeals subsequently refused the group's request to block the debt relief program pending an appeal.

☆ Biden's student-loan forgiveness could be delayed as lawsuits mount. Here's where 6 major cases stand.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Biden's student-loan forgiveness is facing at least six lawsuits from conservative groups. The administration faces at least six major lawsuits seeking to halt Biden's debt relief plan. For now, borrowers can still continue applying for debt relief on the studentaid.gov website that will close in December 2023. On September 27, the Pacific Legal Foundation — a conservative nonprofit legal organization — helmed the first major lawsuit against Biden's debt relief. On October 19, WILL asked the Supreme Court to halt Biden's debt relief will waiting for a decision on its appeal.

Crop Watch producers have been evaluating yield potential for their corn and soy fields on a weekly basis since early July. CORNThe third and fourth harvested Crop Watch corn fields, Indiana and southeastern Illinois, were both completed on Sunday, and the results diverged. Indiana was among the driest Crop Watch locations this summer, but soil moisture was high at the start of the season, delaying planting. Crop Watch corn fields could be completed this coming week in Nebraska, eastern Iowa and North Dakota. Photos of the Crop Watch fields can be tracked on my Twitter feed using handle @kannbwx.

☆ Digital LeBron vs. analog Mantle: Sports collectibles remain hot despite NFT boom
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Jake Traylor | Jake Traylor Is An Associate Producer For Msnbc. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

But amid a crypto winter, the future trajectory of the sports memorabilia market, tangible or NFT, is being disputed. Meanwhile, the success of NBA Top Shot, arguably the most successful sports NFT market, soared and eventually crashed. Millennials are driving the NFT market, according to a Morning Consult survey that found 42% of all NFT collectors are 26 to 40 years old. Some sports market experts argue that regardless of an NFT bounce back, tangibles and NFTs in the sports memorabilia market don’t compete with each other. “I don’t think that [NFTs] are going to eat into the physical memorabilia market,” said Pete Giorgio, leader of Deloitte Consulting’s global and U.S. sports practice, who tracks and forecasts the sports memorabilia market.

☆ These colleges promise no student debt: 'Loans are not part of the deal'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

More than 20 schools now have "no-loan" policies, which means they will meet 100% of the undergraduate's need for financial aid — without education debt. "Loans are not part of the deal," said Anne Harris, the president of Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa, which offers grants in the school's financial aid packages instead of loans. "I couldn't even afford to apply to go to college," Lambert said. Recently, Emory expanded its financial aid offerings to cover 100% of demonstrated need by replacing loans with grants. "Being able to support students and have a world-class financial aid program helps us have a world class student body," Emory's Leach also said.

☆ Biden's student-debt cancellation goes to court today. Republican arguments will center around the 'enormous' financial harm the relief will cause loan companies and states.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Six Republican-led states are seeking to block Biden's student-loan forgiveness. Their defense outlines financial harms the relief will cause to state and company revenues. Financial harms to MOHELAThe Republicans countered the Biden administration's claim that MOHELA is separate from the state, and financial harms to the company would not impact the state. They said that MOHELA must report to the Missouri government, and because student-loan forgiveness would impact revenue from direct loans, "it reduces MOHELA's resources to perform these essential education-advancing functions for Missouri. The filing also noted that there is "concrete and direct — and enormous" harm to MOHELA's finances brought on by debt relief, citing a loss of tens of millions of dollars per year in revenue should the relief go through.

Crop Watch soybean fields still await harvest, but those should be finished early this week as most producers’ harvest paces are ahead of normal. The western Illinois corn last week became the second completed Crop Watch corn field, and the final yield score ended at 4.5, a quarter-point below expectations. Crop Watch producers have been evaluating yield potential for their corn and soy fields on a weekly basis since early July. Ohio is the only Crop Watch location where harvest pace has been a little slow as crops are still holding moisture from late-season rains. Photos of the Crop Watch fields can be tracked on my Twitter feed using handle @kannbwx.

The pork industry has defended the size of the cages used at pig farms as humane and necessary for animal safety. A legal doctrine called the "dormant" Commerce Clause bars states from passing laws discriminating against commerce in other states. "If you're looking for an example of an unconstitutional law, this is it," said Michael Formica, chief legal strategist for the pork producers. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court's decision to throw out the lawsuit, finding no Commerce Clause violation. 'DRAMATIC EXPANSION'A ruling by the Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, favoring the pork industry would have major implications for Commerce Clause interpretation, according to some legal experts.

☆ Iowa reporter announces on newscast that she is transgender
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-07 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

DES MOINES, Iowa — A Des Moines television reporter announced this week on a newscast that she will publicly identify as a transgender woman. Reichardt of WOI-TV said that for a long time she didn’t think she would be able to reveal her identity on air. She is not the first reporter to make that announcement. Voepel announced in a tweet in August that he is transitioning and would use male pronouns. In an interview with a friend who is a former reporter for the station, Reichardt said she had thoughts about being transgender in high school.

Prosecutors with the 18th Judicial District and DEA agents seized 114 pounds of pure fentanyl in Colorado. A spokesman for the Colorado State Patrol, which made the initial discovery of the fentanyl, provided a blunt account of the botched operation. But after this story was published, a DEA official confirmed the seizure of 114 pounds of fentanyl. "DEA is relentlessly pursuing the individuals that were involved in the trafficking of the seized fentanyl and will continue to do so." “We’ve got a record amount of fentanyl involved here, in fact, enough fentanyl to kill everyone in the state of Colorado,” Figliuzzi said.

☆ 10 US cities where homebuyers can find a good deal right now
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

It's an interesting moment in which several cities are boasting housing deals not seen in years. However, for those who can still afford a home purchase, there is some good news — the real estate market is becoming less competitive. With less Americans purchasing homes, prospective buyers are finally beginning to see home price declines in cities across the country — some more than others. To determine what markets present a good deal for homebuyers, Realtor.com analyzed housing data from the nation's 250 largest cities. Its researchers were able to identify that several cities across the country are softening for homebuyers.

☆ How to make the buy vs. rent housing decision as mortgage rates surge
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Cheryl Winokur Munk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

With mortgage rates rising, more people may be asking themselves the age old question: rent or buy? The latest Federal Reserve interest rate increase, while not directly tied to mortgage rates, is having some effect on lending and home prices. Although they are higher than the recent past, rates are still among average levels over the last 30 years, he said. If the buying elements are right for you, it could still make sense to buy, even as rates are rising. Phillips offers the example of a client who is looking to buy a house in the $200,000 to $275,000 range.

However, cooler temperatures this week in eastern areas could slow things down, which was already a factor this past week for the Crop Watch locations in Indiana and Ohio. The Kansas Crop Watch location got more than an inch of rain this past week, helpful for winter wheat planting prospects. The 11 Crop Watch corn fields were planted an average of 11 days later than in 2021 and the soybeans 12 days later. The 2019 season also featured similar challenges, but soybeans were the bigger problem that year for the Crop Watch producers. Photos of the Crop Watch fields can be tracked on my Twitter feed using handle @kannbwx.

☆ How this 31-year-old got fired from his job and re-hired at the same company in 24 hours
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"He was very humble and didn't give me a bunch of excuses as to why he failed," Mac Nab says. Listening to McCann during the meeting, Mac Nab started to question his decision to let the recent hire leave the company altogether. "I felt he was genuine, authentic and hardworking, and my gut instinct kicked in during that conversation, it was a heat-of-the-moment decision," Mac Nab says. "I had leads on other opportunities that paid more, but I saw something special in VizyPay," McCann says. Kyle McCann, Shannon McCann, and Austin Mac Nab at VizyPay's Iowa headquarters Photo: Kyle McCannLessons learned

☆ A QAnon supporter who told police to 'go arrest the vice president' at the Capitol riot and then scaled the walls of the Capitol building and chased an officer up a staircase has been convicted for Ja
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( Yelena Dzhanova | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Douglas Jensen of Iowa was convicted on Friday for his participation in the Capitol riot, the AP reported. Jensen showed up at the riot wearing a shirt that showed his support of the QAnon movement. He showed up at the riot wearing a T-shirt that had a "Q" on it, representative of his commitment to the QAnon movement, they alleged. In the midst of the scene, he also told officers to "go arrest the vice president," prosecutors said, per the AP. Two days after the riot, Jensen turned himself in to the Des Moines Police Department because "he thought he was in trouble," the statement of facts says.

☆ Senate Committee Advances Bill Aimed at Helping Small Publishers
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( John D. Mckinnon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Revenue at many local news outlets has reduced as online giants get a greater share of digital-advertising dollars. WASHINGTON—A Senate committee approved a bipartisan bill allowing smaller news publishers to band together to negotiate payments from big tech companies for their content, overcoming conservative objections that it could further empower the online platforms. The Thursday vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee was 15-7, with only Republicans opposing. Supporters included Democrats and a handful of Republicans, including Sens. Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa) and John Kennedy (R., La.

A sign advertising E15, a gasoline with 15 percent of ethanol, is seen at a gas station in Clive, Iowa, United States, May 17, 2015. The government and labor unions reached a deal last Thursday that averted a railway shutdown, possibly supporting a rebound in ethanol output for the current week. But a near-term recovery may be capped by sagging U.S. gasoline demand and poor corn crop prospects. Some analysts have questioned these figures, based on recent traffic trends that might suggest better fuel demand, though high prices have pained consumers for much of this year. A subpar U.S. corn crop could also disrupt the ethanol industry, especially if harvest results are worse than expected.

☆ Drug overdose death rates highest among American Indian people and middle-age Black men, study shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Drug overdose deaths in the United States increased sharply throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, reaching record levels in 2021. But by 2021, rates among Black men had surpassed those of American Indian men. In 2021, overdose death rates among Black men ages 35 to 64 were higher than any other demographic group. Drug overdose deaths continue to rise, with the CDC’s latest provisional data showing that more than 109,000 people died of a drug overdose in the 12-month period ending March 2022. Relative to state population, rates of overdose deaths were by far the highest in West Virginia, with 83 overdose deaths for every 100,000 residents.

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