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Waste water from the city sewage pipe is flowing onto the drainless floor and washing away my short-lived homeowner's honeymoon. Insider's Featured Homeowner Insurance Companies Lemonade Homeowners InsuranceAllstate Homeowners InsuranceNationwide Homeowners Insurance Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Bright and early the next morning, the plumbers, excavators, and insurance man arrived and set to work ripping up my driveway. I'm reminded of my baptism of fire — or, more accurately, baptism of waste water — every time I see that driveway. If it hadn't been for the safety net of my homeowners insurance, telling the harrowing tale of the first week in my new home would have been more tragedy than comedy.

☆ U.S. urges Ukraine to be open to talks with Russia-Washington Post
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"Ukraine fatigue is a real thing for some of our partners," it quoted an unnamed U.S. official as saying. Zelenskiy signed a decree on Oct. 4 formally declaring the prospect of any Ukrainian talks with Putin "impossible" but leaving the door open to talks with Russia. If Russia is ready for negotiation, it should stop its bombs and missiles and withdraw its forces from Ukraine. The Kremlin has demonstrated its unwillingness to seriously engage in negotiations since even before it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine." The fiercest fighting over the last week had taken place around Bakhmut and Soledar, in the eastern Donetsk region about 500 km (300 miles) northeast of Kherson, Zelenskiy said late on Friday.

Austin's remarks coincided with a Russian-installed official in Kherson region saying Moscow was likely to pull its troops from the west bank of the Dnipro River, signaling a significant retreat, if confirmed. Ukraine said it was still fighting in the area and was wary of the occupying Russian forces setting a trap. The region's capital and river port Kherson is the only big city Russia has captured intact since its invasion began on Feb. 24. Russia has fought for months to hang on to the pocket of land it holds on the west bank at the mouth of the Dnipro river that bisects Ukraine. Ukraine has targeted the main river crossings for months, making it difficult for Russia to supply its huge force on the west bank.

☆ Palm oil is in almost everything, and it's devastating rainforests. This Bill Gates-backed company used microbes to create an alternative
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Palm oil grows best in the regions right around the equator, so palm oil producers chop down rainforest and clear that felled vegetation by burning it, making it a prime target of conservation organizations like the Rainforest Rescue and the World Wildlife Fund. Palm oil trees grow at the Cikasungka palm oil plantation, operated by PT Perkebunan Nusantara VIII, in Bogor Regency in West Java, Indonesia, on Monday, June 20, 2022. To make its palm oil alternative, C16 Biosciences uses a wild yeast microbe that makes a functional equivalent to palm oil with a kind of fermentation process. Photo courtesy: Cat Clifford, CNBCChemically, the palm oil that C16 Biosciences makes is not identical to the palm oil that is grown in industrial agriculture farms. However, "it contains the same fatty acids, which are the molecular fingerprints of fats and oils, that palm oil does," Heller told CNBC.

☆ Sure, Twitter and Facebook have deepened polarization — just not in the way you think
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The conventional wisdom blames social media for the widening divide because the timing lines up. Maybe the problem isn't that social media has driven us all into like-minded bubbles. Maybe it's that social media has obliterated the bubbles we've all lived in for centuries. On top of that, Törnberg adds, there's the way people react to all the new ideas that social media exposes them to. And as one leading social media and polarization researcher told me, the model is not empirical, which makes it hard to test.

☆ In Arizona, Kari Lake Makes Waves
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Kenneth L. Khachigian | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Political professionals, the Democratic establishment and an antagonistic media are aghast that Kari Lake , the Republican candidate for governor of Arizona, appears to be on a glide path to victory next month. Name recognition and communication skills developed over a 25-year career as a TV news anchor in Phoenix have served Ms. Lake well as a candidate. But authenticity is her best asset. “I don’t need a pollster or a consultant from D.C. or another big city to come into Arizona and tell me what Arizona is about,” she told Politico. Ms. Lake campaigns on instincts and personal energy, never shirks a question or a debate, and gathers attention, as Axios reported, by “dressing down reporters and eviscerating the mainstream media.” GOP candidates across the country have much to learn from her mettle and her sense of citizens’ outrage.

☆ The only US state without commercial airline service is getting 5 new routes to Florida next year — see the full list
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Low-cost startup Avelo Airlines is launching five new routes to Wilmington Airport in New Castle, Delaware. Delaware is the only US state without commercial airline service after Frontier Airlines left in June. Low-cost startup Avelo Airlines announced on Thursday that it will open a new base at Wilmington Airport in New Castle, Delaware on February 1. Henryk Sadura/Getty ImagesAvelo will launch twice weekly flights on Mondays and Fridays between Wilmington and Fort Myers starting on February 3. Walter Bibikow/Getty ImagesAvelo will launch twice weekly flights on Wednesdays and Saturdays between Wilmington and West Palm Beach starting on February 4.

☆ New contemporary art event boosts Paris scene
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Elizabeth Pineau | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A visitor walks past the "Buste de Diego" (1961) by artist Alberto Giacometti as Paris+ par Art Basel international contemporary art fair opens in Paris, France, October 19, 2022. The event, "Paris+ par Art Basel", was awarded to Art Basel, one of the giants in the art world, which hosts fairs in Switzerland as well as Miami and Hong Kong. Contemporary art, dating roughly from 1945 onwards, made up 23% of the art market in 2020-2021, compared with 3% in 2000-2001, according to the Artprice data bank. The Paris event replaces the International Contemporary Art Fair (Fiac) and follows the high-profile Frieze fair in London. Paris is the only big city in the continent, the only important city for contemporary art, so it was an obvious choice," Kilchmann told Reuters.

To determine how much house you can afford, think about your monthly payments and upfront costs. When buying a house, the general rule of thumb is that you should spend 28% or less of your gross monthly income on housing expenses. To calculate 28% of your monthly income, multiply your gross monthly income (that's your income before taxes) by 0.28. If you abide by the 28% rule, you can afford to spend up to $1,400 per month on your house, including your mortgage, interest, property taxes, homeowners insurance, and homeowner's association dues. Ways to boost your buying powerYour interest rate can make a big difference in how much house you can afford.

☆ Formula shortage has improved in the US but still poses challenges for many
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Despite improving stock rates, many families with new babies in the United States are still having trouble finding baby formula. But stock rates are still worse than they were before the formula shortage hit. My baby’s 7 months old now.”Throughout the formula shortage, quantifying the severity of the situation has been challenging. The Census survey data adds an important measure of personal experience to the mix, but it has limitations, too. About half of all baby formula sold in the United States is purchased with WIC benefits.

☆ How one professional athlete is helping IBM encourage people to embrace a new era of data
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Ibm With Insider Studios | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In this relationship, we use IBM's advanced analytics and AI capabilities to analyze the massive amount of data produced by fantasy football. The second reason is that ESPN Fantasy Football offers IBM a powerful platform to demonstrate our AI capabilities to 11 million people. Both Trade Analyzer and Player Insights are produced by transforming vast quantities of data into insights that inform decision-making. That's why we showcase the work of IBM Consulting through partnerships like the Masters, the US Open, and ESPN's Fantasy Football. Learn more about how IBM and ESPN are working together to bring data-driven insights to fantasy football.

☆ For first time, Brazil's census counts Black communities founded by enslaved people
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

SALVADOR, Brazil — For the first time in its 132-year history, the Brazilian census now underway includes a question counting members of the “quilombo” communities founded by runaway enslaved people. “One of our objectives is to escape an intentional invisibility.”Her friend Eliete Paraguassu, 42, is mounting another front in the strategy. Quilombos were formed over centuries by enslaved people who escaped forced labor to create isolated, self-subsistence communities in remote forests and mountain ranges or on islands like Ilha de Mare. Quilombo residents now hope that a proper count of their numbers and more elected voices will open the door to improved social services and guarantees of rights for people and places long left off official maps. On Ilha de Mare, quilombo residents have for generations survived on the hard work of artisanal fishermen and fisherwomen.

☆ A Goldman banker quit his job to build a startup — and scored an Alibaba deal. He shares 4 top tips
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Goh Chiew Tong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"One of the things that I love the most about e-commerce is that it's fair, it's a fantastic equalizer," said Bjarke Mikkelsen, founder and CEO of Daraz. After spending six years working for Goldman Sachs as an investment banker, Bjarke Mikkelsen faced a dilemma. "The idea was always to build something that was inspired by Amazon and Alibaba, where you have three elements. "If I came in try to build an e-commerce business that look the same way that Amazon looks in Denmark, that would not work," he added. Bjarke Mikkelsen Founder and CEO, Daraz"I didn't know what I was doing … just doing a few things 100% right was very, very challenging."

Paraguassu is one of the record number of Black candidates running for state and federal office in October 2022 elections. REUTERS/Amanda PerobelliSALVADOR, Brazil, Sept 20 (Reuters) - For the first time in its 132-year history, the Brazilian census now underway includes a question counting members of the "quilombo" communities founded by runaway slaves. Quilombo residents now hope that a proper count of their numbers and more elected voices will open the door to improved social services and guarantees of rights for people and places long left off official maps. Bolsonaro was fined 50,000 reais ($10,000) in 2017 for insulting quilombo residents, saying that "they do nothing" and are "not even good for procreating." On Ilha de Mare, quilombo residents have for generations survived on the hard work of artisanal fishermen and fisherwomen.

☆ From a Punjab village to 'RushTok': How a local police constable's hit song became a viral trend
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-16 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +12 min

A viral dance trend on TikTok that’s caught on with everyone from “RushTok” pledges to Jimmy Fallon is based on an unexpected beat — the song “Kala Chashma,” which started in a small Punjab village and made its way to Bollywood. It’s followed by a turntable scratch and several components of contemporary sound effects used in Western music and electric dance music before the autotuned lyrics begin. “I knew if she was in our village, everyone would stop and admire her beauty.”Beaster-Jones said Shera’s inspiration for “Kala Chashma” is common for Punjabi songs. Sidharth Malhotra and Katrina Kaif in "Baar Baar Dekho." But the one thing we always had was ‘Kala Chashma,’” Zaria Parvez, an online content creator, said in a TikTok.

☆ Paris plans to turn off Eiffel Tower's lights early to save electricity, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-11 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Paris plans to turn off the Eiffel Tower's lights earlier each night to save electricity. The tower's lights have given the "Iron Lady" her golden glow since 1958. In Germany this summer, cities limited heating and turned off lights to save energy. The Eiffel Tower went fully dark on Thursday after Queen Elizabeth II's death was announced. The last time the tower's lights were turned off was following terrorist attacks in Paris in November 2015.

☆ A parking spot at a condo complex in San Francisco is on sale for $90,000
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-10 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

San Francisco has a notoriously high cost of living. Case in point: A parking space at a condo complex near Oracle Park is currently on sale for $90,000. "It is NOT a condo but a single parking space near the lobby." In 2020, another South Beach parking spot in San Francisco listed for $100,000. In 2018, a Hong Kong couple sold a parking spot for HK $6 million, or roughly $760,000, setting a new property record at the time.

☆ 9 hotel credit cards that offer free nights after each account anniversary — and 7 alternatives that can save you money on stays each year
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-26 | by ( Joseph Hostetler | Credit Cards Reporter | Read More | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +90 min

Earn 100,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Each calendar year after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases, Card Members are eligible to select an Earned Choice Award benefit. More Information 60,000 Bonus Points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Show more Regular APR 18.24% - 25.24% Variable Editor's Rating 4.8 /5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star 4.8 out of 5 Stars Our editor's ratings analyze fees, bonuses, rewards, and benefits to highlight the simplest and most valuable credit cards available. More Information Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

☆ I traded a tiny apartment for a sprawling farm in the countryside. I make $600 a month renting out the extra rooms and couldn't imagine living anywhere else.
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-22 | by ( Leo Ginsburg | Nathan Rennolds | Business Insider Deutschland | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

He and his family moved to a farm in the countryside that they bought for 210,000 euros. Now, I live on a farm with my family and our horses, chickens, dogs, and cats — and I couldn't be happier. I live with my wife, Franziska, and our three children in the village of Mosigkau, near Dessau-Roßlau in eastern Germany. Since we started living on the farm, my life has drastically changed. Working on the house has been another key reason I've loved living here; I've been able to learn so much.

☆ Cities in Germany are limiting heating and turning off spotlights to save natural gas as Russia slashes fuel supply
▼ + stars: | 2022-07-29 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

German capital Berlin is turning off 1,400 spotlights highlighting historic monuments and buildings. Munich and Hanover are taking similar steps, including limiting heating ahead of winter. Germany is facing an energy crisis as major supplier Russia has cut natural-gas supply. Sign up for our newsletter to receive our top stories based on your reading preferences — delivered daily to your inbox. Germany, an industrial powerhouse and Europe's biggest economy, is reliant on piped natural gas from Russia, which accounts for 35% of the country's imports of the fuel.

☆ I moved from a big city to a small town in North Carolina for a job and regretted it immediately
▼ + stars: | 2022-04-27 | by ( Alexis Lawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Lawson felt isolated in the small town where golf courses outnumbered people who looked like her. After receiving my bachelor's degree in December 2019, from Appalachian State University, I began scrolling through LinkedIn job listings. ArtistYear is a yearlong program in which recent grads in the arts go to low-income schools and teach their practice. There was a six-month gap between getting the offer and moving to start my job, so I moved back to Charlotte temporarily. I had spent a year at Appalachian State University in Boone, another small North Carolina town, so I thought I was prepared.

☆ The real Volodymyr Zelenskyy. His US film editor reveals the man behind the scenes.
▼ + stars: | 2022-03-05 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has become an international icon amid the Russian invasion of his country. David Dodson, left, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, in Lviv, Ukraine. Maya_MaksimovaDavid Dodson, an American film editor, first met Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York in 2008. And for Dodson, it was the start of a decadelong working relationship with the future Ukrainian president. David Dodson and Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a rehearsal in Kyiv, Ukraine.

☆ Lululemon's new shoes — Raleigh's hot housing market — The youngest world traveler
▼ + stars: | 2021-10-15 | by ( Jordan Parker Erb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Settle in and enjoy some of our best reads from the past week, including stories about wealthy parents buying homes for their adult children, Lululemon's new sneakers, and Raleigh's red-hot housing market. Jessie Casson/Getty ImagesThere's a new trend in the housing market: Wealthy parents are taking out cheap loans they don't need so they can buy homes for their adult children. Lexie Alford23-year-old Lexie Alford recently broke a Guinness World Record by becoming the youngest person to travel to every country in the world. Traveling by boat, plane, and train, Alford told us about her experiences as a solo female traveler crossing the globe. Even as the rest of the housing market shows early signs of cooling, Raleigh has stayed hot, in part because of the area's emergence as a tech hub.

☆ I moved from Atlanta to a tiny Alaskan village of 270 people. It's wildly expensive, but I've never felt more at home.
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-10 | by ( Taryn Williams | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Instead, I started looking at different possibilities in places I'd never considered before, like Hawaii, Alaska, and Kentucky. The closest I'd come to living in a rural community was a small German town that was a 12-minute train ride from the nearest major city. There aren't as many options for entertainment, but the connections I've made with others are unparalleled to anywhere I've lived before. Most food items are harder to come by, so I've become much more creative and versatile in the kitchen. In Atlanta, I was just another young professional living a life typical of 20-somethings in the big city.

One of the most popular rewards cards, the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, is getting new benefits like DoorDash credits and 10x points with Lyft through March 2022. I used to recommend the Chase Sapphire Reserve® to everyone, but in light of these changes I think it's really best for a few different types of users. If the following situations apply to you, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® could be well worth the higher annual fee. The Chase Sapphire Reserve makes sense if:You travel — a lotThe Chase Sapphire Reserve® has been Business Insider's top travel rewards card pick, but the upcoming changes make it harder to recommend to occasional travelers. For everyone else, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great pickSure, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card can't compete with all the Chase Sapphire Reserve®'s bells and whistles, but if you can't identify with any of the situations above, you probably don't need them.

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