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☆ A couple's retirement plan was derailed in 2008, so they moved abroad for a lower cost of living. They explain how they live comfortably on Social Security and spend just $2,000 a month.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Edd and Cynthia Staton's retirement plan was derailed when the Great Recession wiped them out. They took what savings they had and moved to Ecuador, where the cost of living was lower. They've been living comfortably abroad for over a decade on a budget of $2,000 a month. Edd and Cynthia Staton met as teenagers when Cynthia's family moved from Charlotte, North Carolina to Atlanta, Georgia in 1967. Living stress-free on $2,000 a month in Ecuador for 10 yearsTheir immediate hurdle was finding a place to live.

☆ Monterey Park, the first suburban Chinatown, remains a beacon for Asians, residents say after the mass shooting
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Sakshi Venkatraman | Sakshi Venkatraman Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

When 11 people were killed in his hometown of Monterey Park on Saturday, Raymond Cheung struggled to find the words to tell his mom. After his parents immigrated from China in the 1960s, and then to the West Coast, Monterey Park was the obvious choice. “We didn’t have to worry about that in Monterey Park. Courtesy Raymond CheungA history of resilienceThe residents of Monterey Park have never been strangers to hatred and vitriol. “The folks who live in Monterey Park are super resilient.

To capture this moment of adaptation, we contacted 200 New York Times readers who had sent us photographs of their pandemic lives at the end of 2020 and asked them to share a new photo reflecting what normal means two years later. Nearly the same share, 42 percent, said the pandemic had changed their lives in lasting and significant ways. Just 12 percent said the pandemic never changed much: “I didn’t give up anything,” one respondent said. What is one thing about your life that the pandemic has changed in a lasting way? Together, the photos collected below capture a kind of then-and-now of pandemic times, when many are still figuring out what comes next.

☆ Indians face up to 3-year wait times for U.S. tourist visas
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Sakshi Venkatraman | Sakshi Venkatraman Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Other consulates are only taking appointments for emergency tourist visas, which experts suspect have a shorter backlog of their own. NBC News reached out to the State Department and has not received a response. “The Department of State is successfully lowering visa interview wait times worldwide,” the statement said. The State Department cites staffing issues which it is trying to remedy, but Gelatt says it won't be a quick process. “The State Department says that they’re doubling their hiring and they’re training up staff,” Gelatt said.

☆ Climate change will become a CEO dealbreaker
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( John Foley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

While StarMark Financial again delivered record earnings in 2022, my own views on climate change are no longer compatible with my duties as the CEO of a global financial firm. A Pew Research survey last year showed that respondents in nine countries including the United Kingdom, France and Spain ranked climate change as the most pressing of five threats to the country. While we believe that supporting measures that advance climate change mitigation creates value, it is clear that some large public-sector clients disagree. At the same time, some Democrat-led local governments have threatened to take business away from us if we take too mild a stance on climate risk. I believe we face the risk that climate change will prove catastrophic within our lifetimes.

☆ Spending more time with your kids, grandkids—and their germs—may lower risk of a severe outcome from Covid-19, recent studies show
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Renée Onque | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

That's according to two studies that were published in August and November of this year, which researched how exposure to younger kids and common colds may impact outcomes for adults after contracting Covid-19. Exposure to kids may lower your risk of hospitalization from Covid-19The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) in August, discovered an association between people who were exposed to young children and lower risk of severe illness from Covid-19. And researchers compared the severity of outcomes from Covid-19 for people without children and people with children in three different age ranges: 0-5, 6-11 and 12-18. The findings showed that chances of Veteran Affairs patients contracting Covid-19 decreased by 80% to 90% if they tested positive for any of the common coronaviruses between February 2020 and February 2021. This means developing a common cold may shield people from Covid-19 infection, even if for a short period time.

For Love & Money is a biweekly column from Insider answering your relationship and money questions. Write to For Love & Money using this Google form. My kids love it, and I still say I love it. And, to clarify, her asking you to do the Christmas shopping for her grandkids is absurd. Rooting for all of you,For Love & Money

☆ How Trump Org's tax fraud conviction could bar Trump from federal contracts, even for Secret Service
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Laura Italiano | Dave Levinthal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The Trump Organization was found criminally liable of tax fraud on Tuesday after a six-week trial. A ban could end his 'exorbitant' billing of Secret Service agents who protect him at his resorts. At the Trump Organization headquarters in Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, the cars, apartments, and tuition were considered part of Weisselberg's $940,000-a-year income, prosecutors said. Secret Service a tough targetWatchdogs concede that Trump's Secret Service billing is a tough target. Barring the unlikelihood of a cash-free solution — Trump letting the Secret Service "stay at our properties for free," as Eric Trump once promised, or forgoing Secret Service protection voluntarily, as Richard Nixon did — Trump's Secret Service spigot may well remain open, watchdogs acknowledge.

☆ I produce the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Designing and testing the balloons takes all year — and the feeling on parade morning is indescribable.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Jamie Killin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Will Coss is the executive producer of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Coss said the feeling on parade morning is indescribable unless you're there. Being the executive producer of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a dream role. Now, I'm about to lead the team through what will be my second Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which is a true honor. The preparation for an event like the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a year-long processI joke sometimes by saying that the day after the parade is when we start planning next year's parade, but there's a lot of truth in that statement.

☆ A grandmother accidentally texted a stranger to make Thanksgiving plans. 7 years on, they’re still celebrating together.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Becca Wood | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

On Tuesday, Nov. 22, Jamal Hinton shared a photo standing beside Wanda Dench outside The Cheesecake Factory restaurant, revealing the two are carrying on their viral tradition. In 2016, Dench accidentally sent a text to Hinton, telling the then 17-year-old that Thanksgiving dinner was at her house on Nov. 24 at 3 p.m. When the teen asked who sent him the message, Dench replied, “Your grandma,” with an elderly woman emoji. Hinton wrote back, asking for a photo to prove that the number really belonged to his grandmother. However, that year was different as Dench’s husband, Lonnie, died earlier that spring due to complications from Covid-19.

☆ I couldn't let my mom sell our family's drive-in theater, so I took over. Now I work with Universal, Warner Brothers, and Paramount to bring hit movies to the cornfields of Idaho.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Eboni Boykin-Patterson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

She says she never thought she'd come home to run her family's drive-in theater. Of course when you're young, you don't realize how special something like our drive-in really is. When I was younger I never imagined I'd run my family's drive-in theater one day — but I couldn't let my mom sell itMy parents had sold their indoor theaters over the years, so the drive-in was the last one my mom was still operating. With any drive-in theater, weather is the biggest determinant of turnout. The drive-in really brings the community together.

☆ Loyal ex-CFO Allen Weisselberg is done testifying at Trump Org tax-fraud trial that Trump calls 'VERY UNFAIR!'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Allen Weisselberg, Trump's ex-CFO, has finished testifying in the Trump Org trial. The Manhattan DA's case "has fallen apart," Trump grumbled, meanwhile, of the "VERY UNFAIR!" Still, his loyalties clearly remain with the same Trump Organization that is paying him. on salary that wasn't declared as salary, Susan Hoffinger, one of the two lead prosecutors, asked Weisselberg. "It was some benefit to the company," Weisselberg admitted, though he added, "but it was primarily through my greed."

Gifts with inherent stability and even history appeal right now. Meanwhile, the Technicolor tree skirt in our selection is stitched together from hearty wool blankets handwoven by indigenous women of the Andes. When your giftee’s grandkids pull it out from their closet down the road, they’ll think of their parents, and their parents’ parents, and maybe even you. Brand New Serving Plates With Ancient PatinaHaand’s three-piece serving set looks as if it were hewn from centuries-old trees. 3 Piece Serving Platter Set in Burl, $265, Haand.us

☆ Trump Org's ex-CFO says Eric Trump will decide if he'll get his annual $500,000 bonus after his testimony in the criminal trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Laura Italiano | Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Weisselberg testified in court that Eric Trump will decide if he gets his annual $500,000 bonus. Weisselberg is the prosecutors' key witness in the criminal tax-fraud trial of Donald Trump's company. When asked by a prosecutor whether he still expects to receive his annual $500,000 bonus this year, Weisselberg replied, "I don't know yet." prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked Weisselberg in the lower Manhattan courtroom, prompting him to reply, "Eric Trump," who is one of Donald Trump's three sons. Hoffinger asked Weisselberg, who then answered, "Yes."

☆ RSV hospitalization rate for seniors is 10 times higher than usual for this point in the season
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

In the years before the Covid-19 pandemic, hospitalization rates for seniors were about 10 times lower at this point in the season. Based on best estimates, there are between 10,000 and 15,000 adult deaths in the United States from RSV each year and around 150,000 hospitalizations for RSV, Falsey said. Adults with weakened immune systems need to be careful in RSV season. Doctors’ offices have swab tests that can determine whether an illness is flu, RSV or Covid. Protective measures for this busy RSV season will sound familiar: Wash your hands frequently, disinfect surfaces, and wear a mask in crowded spaces.

☆ Debt ceiling showdown could be first battle for new Congress and White House
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Patti Domm | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Congress last raised the debt ceiling by $2.5 trillion December, 2021, providing enough borrowing capacity to get past the midterm elections. "Since 2011, the market really hasn't reacted too much to the debt ceiling fights. That would pit the White House against congressional Republicans, who see raising the debt ceiling as an opportunity to cut and redirect spending. President Joe Biden, in a tweet, last weekend talked about the pending debt ceiling battle. He said that even before the debt ceiling, Congress needs to pass a continuing resolution in December to temporarily fund the government.

☆ Democratic incumbent Sen. Brian Schatz faces off against Republican state Rep. Bob McDermott in Hawaii's US Senate election
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Hanna Kang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz is running against Republican state Rep. Bob McDermott to represent Hawaii in the US Senate. Schatz has raised over $4 million and still has just over $2 million on hand, while McDermott has not reported raising any money for his campaign. McDermott told a local news outlet that running against Schatz "looks like a suicide mission." He currently chairs the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and also serves on the Senate Democratic Caucus' leadership team as chief deputy whip. The money raceAccording to OpenSecrets, Schatz has raised $4.6 million, spent $4.7 million, and has $2.1 million cash on hand, as of October 19.

☆ Prayers, the pledge of allegiance and culture wars: Inside a Doug Mastriano rally in the final days of his long-shot bid for governor of Pennsylvania
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

A Doug Mastriano rally in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, featured praying and wading into culture wars. National and state Republican donors and groups have offered little support to his candidacy. "He's just been there the whole time," a Mastriano voter in Bucks County who only identified himself as Jeremy, told Insider. "You can't get your message out one-on-one to voters," Josh Novotney, a Pennsylvania GOP strategist, told Insider. "It's a different tactic and I pray it works," Joe Vichot, chairman of Lehigh County's GOP, told Insider.

☆ Trump Org jury sees 1st evidence linking Donald Trump's Sharpie to alleged tax-dodge scheme
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The documents were introduced through the trial's first witness, Jeffrey McConney, who as Trump Organization's controller is responsible for its payroll and tax reporting. "President Trump," McConney said of the signature, identifying the now widely-recognized, mini mountain range of Sharpie ink at the bottom of the letter. "In other words, Donald J. Trump authorized Donald J. Trump to sign the lease" for the apartment, Steinglass asked of the letter's content. "Weisselberg did it for Weisselberg," as Trump Organization lawyer Michael van der Veen told jurors repeatedly in openings. "Who decided that Donald Trump would pay Allen Weisselberg's tuition," the prosecutor then asked.

☆ Jill Biden holds the key to the nation's political future as her husband weighs re-election in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

"Joe Biden wouldn't have run in '20 if Jill Biden had not wanted him to run and he won't run in '24 if Jill Biden doesn't want him to run," he told Insider. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden watch fireworks go off on national mall from the White House on July 4, 2022, in Washington, DC. Jill Biden divorced her first husband after five years and married Joe Biden two years later. First lady Jill Biden tours a classroom at the James Rushton Early Learning Center in Birmingham, Alabama, on April 9, 2021. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrive at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on May 18, 2022.

☆ A prospective juror excused from Trump Organization tax evasion trial said 'there is no chance in hell' she could have been impartial
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Laura Italiano | Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Trump is not on trial, but his real estate and golf resort empire — the Trump Organization — is. The woman, who lives in the Midtown East neighborhood, made the remarks as jury selection was underway in the tax evasion trial of Trump's business, the Trump Organization. Last year, the Trump Organization and Weisselberg were indicted on 15 felony counts, including criminal tax fraud, falsifying business records, scheming to defraud, and conspiracy. Prosecutors have accused the Trump Organization of running a 15-year scheme to defraud federal, New York state, and New York City tax authorities. The Trump Organization, which has pleaded not guilty, could face harsh tax penalties and be fined more than $1 million if convicted.

☆ Jury selection for the Trump Organization trial started with a warning: Brace for a long trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Laura Italiano | Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The criminal tax fraud trial of Trump's business empire has begun in Manhattan. The Trump Org was charged in 'a long-time scheme to defraud the tax authorities,' the judge said. Jurors were told that jury selection should take one week and that the trial could take five to six weeks after that. The Trump Organization, which has pleaded not guilty, could face harsh tax penalties and be fined more than $1 million if convicted. Conviction could hamper the company's business dealings and even prompt the government to bar the Trump Organization from doing business as a federal contractor, as Insider has previously reported.

☆ How a conviction in Trump Org's upcoming trial could bar Trump from federal contracts, even for Secret Service
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Laura Italiano | Dave Levinthal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

A ban could end his 'exorbitant' billing of Secret Service agents who protect him at his resorts. Add to that the recent news that the Trump Organization had billed the Secret Service more than $ 1.4 million to stay at Trump properties during the former president's time in office. At the Trump Organization headquarters in Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, the cars, apartments and tuition were considered part of Weisselberg's $940,000-a-year income, prosecutors allege. Secret Service a tough targetWatchdogs concede that Trump's Secret Service billing is a tough target. Barring the unlikelihood of a cash-free solution — Trump letting the Secret Service "stay at our properties for free," as Eric Trump once promised, or forgoing Secret Service protection voluntarily, as Richard Nixon did — Trump's Secret Service spigot may well remain open, watchdogs acknowledge.

☆ Kris Jenner gets emotional as she undergoes hip replacement surgery
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Marianne Garvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Kris Jenner had to undergo hip replacement surgery on Thursday’s episode of “The Kardashians.”The 66-year-old visited an orthopedic surgeon who told her the diagnosis after Jenner was unable to sleep or walk properly. I’m here to see the doctor because I have this excruciating hip pain,” Jenner said. “Hearing the doctor say that I need a hip replacement is very scary for me,” she said. “It reminds me of somebody older than I feel on the inside and somebody who is going to have challenges for the rest of her life. This is serious.”Kim Kardashian was in the hospital while her mom had surgery, along with Jenner’s longtime boyfriend Corey Gamble.

☆ Toy companies expect grown-ups to shop more for other adults this holiday season
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Paul R. La Monica | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The toy giants realize that many adults aren’t just looking to buy toys for their children, grandkids, nieces and nephews. Companies like Hasbro (HAS) are increasingly looking to adults (and not just parents) as buyers for nostalgic products, whether its gifts for older loved ones, friends or for themselves. Toy companies and other collectibles makers clearly recognize that grown-up shoppers are still invested in the brands that they played with as kids. Mattel (MAT) is hoping to cash in from more adults buying toys for other grown-ups as well. “The Bear Cave has more lighthearted products for adults,” Price John said, including some bears drinking a glass (or bottle) of wine.

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