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☆ A 31-year old real-estate investor with a 134-unit portfolio shares the strategy he's using to sidestep high mortgage rates and buy properties with none of his own money
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Seller-financing is when a property owner agrees to sell their property to the buyer directly instead of using a bank. For one, they might be able to command a higher price if they're able to offer a lower interest rate than one could get from a bank. That translates to $13,125 per month in interest payments alone for eight years. It's enough to cover their interest payments, he said. He added: "Those are the same people who call me for deals, they're the same people who sometimes sell me property, they're the same people who have financed me.

WASHINGTON, April 27 (Reuters) - The United States will expand a family-reunification parole program currently available to Cubans and Haitians to include additional nationalities, U.S. officials said on Thursday, as part of a suite of measures aimed at curbing record border crossings. The program will be expanded to nationals of Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras in an effort to create new lawful pathways for migrants, the officials said during a briefing with reporters. Biden, a Democrat seeking re-election in 2024, has struggled politically with record numbers of migrants caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. Reuters reported on Wednesday that the United States is also discussing increased refugee processing in Ecuador and Costa Rica. The family reunification program is distinct from a program that Biden launched in January that allows up to 30,000 migrants per month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela with U.S. sponsors to enter the country by air.

Amazon Web Services CEO Adam Selipsky and human resources head Beth Galetti sent notes to staffers informing them of the job cuts. I wanted to let you know that conversations with impacted AWS employees started today, with notification messages sent to all impacted employees in the U.S., Canada, and Costa Rica. In other regions, we are following local processes, which may include time for consultation with employee representative bodies and possibly result in longer timelines to communicate with impacted employees. To those to whom we are saying goodbye today, thank you for everything you have done for this business and our customers. In other regions, we are following local processes, which may include time for consultation with employee representative bodies and possibly result in longer timelines to communicate with impacted employees.

☆ Internal email shows Amazon has started laying off cloud employees as part of its plan to cut 9,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Amazon Web Services began laying off cloud employees on Monday, an internal email shows. The cloud unit's professional services team, ProServe, is one of the units being cut, two people said. Amazon Web Services began laying off employees on Monday as part of Amazon's plan to trim 9,000 jobs across the company, according to an internal email viewed by Insider. I wanted to let you know that conversations with impacted AWS employees started today, with notification messages sent to all impacted employees in the U.S., Canada, and Costa Rica. In other regions, we are following local processes, which may include time for consultation with employee representative bodies and possibly result in longer timelines to communicate with impacted employees.

☆ Netflix is already losing masses of customers over its password-sharing ban. Here's how it's clamping down around the world.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In Spain, users have gone on a canceling spree. Netflix is pushing ahead with its password-sharing clampdown — and research shows that scores of customers have gone on a canceling spree. In Spain, where password-sharing rules were enforced in early February, Netflix subscribers have been on a canceling spree, per Bloomberg. Citing research from Kantar, Bloomberg reported that Netflix lost more than one million users in Spain during the first three months of 2023. Netflix has tested other rules aimed at stamping out password-sharing, including temporary-access codes for traveling, Insider previously reported.

☆ 13 hot spots for real-estate investors seeking solid rental income returns and cheaper property instead of high prices and taxes, according to an expert who's spent 2 decades investing around the glob
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

With the right locations, he believes investors could double their cash investment in the next five years based on property appreciation and rental income. you'll also need to pay taxes on rental income which varies by state. If you plan on generating short or long-term rental income, find a strong rental or property manager. If you're on a budget but want to invest in a good shorter-term rental property for Airbnb, look in high-traffic destinations, he said. Top picks for short-term rental income are internationalized destinations that have easy air access, great amenities, and a lack of hotel competition.

☆ Costa Rica president gets tougher on security as crime soars
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAN JOSE, April 19 (Reuters) - Costa Rica's president on Wednesday presented a set of security measures in response to surging crime rates in the Central American country, which is currently on track this year to beat 2022's record murder rate. Costa Rica ended 2022 with a record 12.6 homicides per 100,000 residents, according to the judicial research agency OIJ. "We are going to mend the course we lost a long time ago," said Chaves, a week after criticizing those who condemned the security crisis. The country's main business chamber on Friday called for a state of "national emergency," fearing a hit to foreign investment and tourism. Reporting by Alvaro Murillo; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Isabel Woodford and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Coral reef discovered in Ecuador's Galapagos Islands
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Quito, Ecuador Reuters —A scientific expedition has discovered a previously unknown coral reef with abundant marine life off Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands, the country’s environment ministry said on Monday. “A deepwater scientific expedition has found the first totally pristine coral reef, approximately two kilometers (1.2 miles) long, at 400 meters (deep), on the summit of a submarine mountain,” Environment Minister Jose Davalos said on Twitter. “Galapagos surprises us again.”Scientists had believed that the only Galapagos reef to survive El Nino weather in 1982 and 1983 was one called the Wellington reef, along the coast of Darwin Island, but the new discovery shows other coral has persisted, the ministry said in a statement. The South American country last year expanded the Galapagos marine reserve by 60,000 square kilometers (23,166 square miles), an extension of the 138,000 square kilometers already in place, to protect endangered migratory species between the Galapagos and the Cocos Island in Costa Rica. The Galapagos, which inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, are also home to giant tortoises, albatrosses, cormorants and other species, some of which are endangered.

☆ You may have about 2 more months left to let your mom, brother, or anyone else outside your home use your Netflix login for free
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Pete Syme | Samantha Delouya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Netflix announced it planned to start rolling out paid account sharing later this quarter. The company has already cracked down on password sharing in Canada and some European and Latin American countries. You may have less than 2 months left to share your Netflix password with people outside your home before the company starts charging for the privilege. That means that by the end of June, you may be unable to give out your Netflix password for free. The streaming giant said account sharing affected over 100 million households, which "undermines our long-term ability to invest in and improve Netflix."

☆ Interpol-led LatAm swoop seizes thousands of weapons, $5.7 bln in drugs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, April 18 (Reuters) - Interpol said on Tuesday its largest-ever fire arms swoop across Central and South America resulted in the seizure of thousands of illegal weapons and $5.7 billion worth of drugs after unprecedented cooperation by 15 countries. The operation found 8,263 illicit firearms and nearly 306,000 rounds of ammunition, as well as 203 tonnes of drugs and 372 tonnes of drug precursors. Eleven people were rescued in Paraguay when authorities dismantled a human trafficking ring, Interpol said. It said law enforcement had reported a spike in drug-related violence over the past year, fueled by trafficking of illegal firearms. The swoop saw participation from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.

☆ EV tax credits 2023: Which models are eligible for up to $7,500 in tax credits?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Under the new rule, consumers can get up to $7,500 back in tax credits on eligible cars. Which models are eligible for the new EV tax credit? Nine models, mostly from foreign brands including Hyundai and Nissan, do not qualify for the new tax credit. Under the new rule, consumers can get up to $7,500 in tax credits on eligible cars. Which countries can the materials come from under the new EV tax credit rule?

☆ Africa needs more help with climate change, debt and food crises
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Joe Bavier | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, April 15 (Reuters) - Africa is struggling with the triple shock of rising debt burdens, an ongoing food crisis and climate change fallout and needs more help from international institutions and wealthy nations to cope, African finance ministers said on Saturday. "African countries are really victims. The trio were speaking on behalf of the continent's finance ministers. The African finance ministers, meanwhile, called for a G20-backed framework aimed at helping countries restructure burdensome debt to go further. Two African countries - Zambia and Ghana - have already defaulted on their sovereign debt since the start of the pandemic.

☆ She met her long lost cousin on a cruise ship
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The following year, 2015, Eileen celebrated her 70th birthday with a voyage on board Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth cruise ship. She was in shock when she met Paddy at the cruise bar. “We compared stories of travels around the world.”Transatlantic friendshipHere's Paddy, Hazel, Gerard and Eileen photographed on board the Queen Elizabeth cruise ship in 2015, not long after they met. Monaghan familyFor the remaining two weeks of the cruise, the two long lost cousins and their spouses were inseparable. Eileen has also met a whole host of other Irish family members through Paddy.

☆ Tech execs like Bryan Johnson and Sam Altman are optimizing their diets to live longer. Here's what experts say to eat to expand your lifespan, from pomegranates to red onions.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Here's a list of fruits, vegetables, spices, and drinks that experts say can lead to a longer life. Others, like biotech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, methodically prepare smoothies with compounds like creatine, spermidine, collagen peptides, and consume copious amounts of vegetables. Still, those like Johnson aren't abiding by fastidious nutrition plans simply to stay healthy — they're aiming to live longer. Breaking it down to the cellular levelVinjamoori said that it can also be helpful to think about eating for longevity from the cellular level. Insider set out to figure exactly which foods would optimize those processes, and ultimately, help you live longer.

☆ I'm a flight attendant who loves my job, but I'm frustrated by how outdated, uncomfortable, and impractical my uniform is
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Jen Glantz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Her airline's uniforms aren't, though. Ever since I was a teenager, I wanted to become a flight attendant. It seemed like getting to fly for free as a flight attendant was the best option to make that dream happen. The uniforms aren't as exciting as I thought they'd beGrowing up, I thought flight attendants wore such fashionable outfits. My mom told me I looked like a bartender at a fancy restaurant, not a flight attendant.

☆ I'm a flight attendant. I thought I'd get a cute uniform — but in reality, I just get sweaty legs and blisters on my feet.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Jen Glantz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

☆ Ahead of Easter, Nicaraguan Catholics press on despite procession ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Ismael Lopez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ortega's tough stance on the church has been met by a mix of fear and determination among the Central American nation's Catholics. "What's most important is to live our faith," said Maria Flores, who noted that the canceled street procession this Friday - when Christians worldwide mark the crucifixion of Jesus - will be the first time in over four decades she will miss it. Eliseo Nuñez, a Nicaraguan political analyst in exile in neighboring Costa Rica, said government officials banned the processions to quash the prospect of further unrest. In 2005, former Marxist rebel Ortega converted to Catholicism ahead of winning the presidential election the following year. Reporting by Ismael Lopez; Writing by David Alire Garcia; Editing by Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Taiwan strengthens ties with Guatemala following Honduras rupture
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen walks with her Guatemalan counterpart Alejandro Giammattei, during her visit at Chimaltenango hospital in Chimaltenango, Guatemala, in this photo released on April 2, 2023. Guatemala Presidency/Handout via REUTERSGUATEMALA CITY, April 2 (Reuters) - Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen completed a three-day trip to Guatemala on Sunday where she offered more cooperation with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei's government, one of Taiwan's few allies in the world. Tsai's tour, which will take her to Belize on Sunday afternoon, comes a week after Honduras severed diplomatic relations with Taipei in favor of Beijing. China refuses to allow other countries to maintain diplomatic relations with both at the same time. While visiting Guatemala, Tsai signed a $4 million agreement to modernize rural areas and promised to promote and increase cooperation between the two countries.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Britain had agreed to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), in a move his office said was the biggest trade deal since Brexit. Britain has been looking to build global trade ties following its departure from the EU in 2020 and has looked to pivot toward geographically distant but fast-growing economies. The overall impact of the trade deal is set to be modest. Japan has asked the U.S. to return to the trans-Pacific trade pact after Washington in 2017 formally withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, the predecessor to the CPTPP. Japan's chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said it was "desirable" for the U.S. to rejoin the trade pact and Tokyo would persist in pressing Washington to become a member.

☆ EV tax credits: New rules could slash the number of eligible electric vehicles. Here's what you should know
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The new tax credit and the guidance are complex, and more information will be coming out in the coming weeks and months. The clearest impact on consumers will be the reduced number of vehicles eligible for credits starting April 18. Under the new rule, consumers can get up to $7,500 in tax credits on eligible cars. What is in the new EV tax credit rule and why is it complicated? New guidance from the Biden administration suggests fewer EVs will be eligible for tax credits starting April 18.

☆ EV tax credit rules are about to get a lot more complicated
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( John Rosevear | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Critical minerals. The critical minerals ruleFor critical minerals, the Treasury Department proposed a three-step process for determining eligibility:Figure out where the critical minerals in the batteries came from. In addition, an EV that contains any critical minerals sourced from a "foreign entity of concern" won't qualify after 2025. The battery components ruleThe Treasury Department proposed a four-step process for battery components:Identify which battery components were manufactured or assembled in North America. In addition, starting in 2024, an EV that contains any battery components from a foreign entity of concern won't qualify for the credit.

WASHINGTON, March 30 (Reuters) - The United States and some of its partner countries on Thursday called for strict domestic and international controls to counter the proliferation and misuse of commercial spyware. The countries said they were committed to preventing the export of technology and equipment to end-users who are likely to use them for "malicious cyber activity." The joint statement also said the countries would share information with each other on spyware proliferation and misuse, including to better identify these tools. On Monday, a senior U.S. official said at least 50 U.S. government staffers stationed in 10 countries were targeted with commercial hacking tools. Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Biden aims to lift democracies with more funds despite questions over effectiveness
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Biden will announce $690 million to fight corruption, support free and fair elections and advance technologies that support democratic governments at a second White House-led Summit for Democracy, senior administration officials said on Tuesday. He announced over $400 million for similar programs in 2021 when he last held such an event. The world has seen big changes since then with countries emerging from the global pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The summit will be co-hosted by the governments of Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea and Zambia. Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Additional writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Michael Perry and Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Biden to announce new funding to boost democracies as critics question effectiveness
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 29 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will announce new funding to bolster democracies around the world on Wednesday amid criticism his administration has made little progress in advancing human rights and democracy as a focus of its foreign policy. Biden will announce $690 million to fight corruption, support free and fair elections and advance technogies that support democratic governments at a second White House-led Summit for Democracy, senior administration officials said on Tuesday. He announced over $400 million for similar programs in 2021 when he last held such an event. The world has seen big changes since then with countries emerging from the global pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The summit will be co-hosted by the governments of Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea and Zambia.

☆ U.S. to Provide $25 Million to Costa Rica for Cybersecurity
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( James Rundle | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. will provide cybersecurity support to the government of Costa Rica, officials said, almost a year after a ransomware group laid siege to its critical infrastructure and triggered a state of emergency. The funds will also help Costa Rica with strategic and technical cyber planning, training, hardware and software licenses, the official said. The official said the U.S. government believes Costa Rica’s support for Ukraine may have been a factor in Conti’s attack, as the group previously expressed its support for the Russian government’s invasion. PREVIEWThe grant to Costa Rica follows similar efforts from the U.S. to assist Albania in recovering from a cyberattack, which the federal government has since linked to Iran. Costa Rica has applied to join this initiative, which comprises 36 countries and the European Union, the official said.

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