DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ NextEra considers restarting Iowa nuclear plant amid rising demand for carbon-free energy
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

NextEra Energy is considering restarting a nuclear plant in Iowa as demand for carbon-free energy grows amid a historic surge in electricity consumption. The Duane Arnold Energy Center in Palo, Iowa ceased operations in 2020 after 45 years of service. "There would be opportunities and a lot of demand from the market if we were able to do something with Duane Arnold," Ketchum said on NextEra's second-quarter earnings call Wednesday. The Duane Arnold plant was scheduled for retirement in late 2020 after a key customer, Alliant Energy, sought cheaper energy alternatives. Nuclear energy fell out of favor over the past decade as plants struggled to compete with cheaper energy sources such as natural gas and renewables.

Persons: Duane Arnold, John Ketchum, Ketchum Organizations: NextEra Energy, Duane Arnold Energy Center, Alliant Energy, Congressional Research Service Locations: Iowa, Palo , Iowa, Japan, U.S

☆ Trump-Vance Administration Could Herald New Era for Dollar
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-16 | by ( Alan Rappeport | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Vance of Ohio to be his vice-presidential nominee pairs him with a kindred spirit on trade, taxes and a tough stance on China. But it is their shared affinity for a weak dollar that could have the most sweeping implications for the United States and the global economy. In most cases, Mr. Trump likes his policies to be “strong,” but when it comes to the value of the dollar, he has long expressed a different view. That’s because their money is worth so much less than the dollars that they need to make those purchases. “As your president, one would think that I would be thrilled with our very strong dollar,” Mr. Trump said in 2019, explaining that U.S. companies like Caterpillar and Boeing were struggling to compete.

Persons: Donald J, J.D, Vance of, Trump, Mr Organizations: Caterpillar, Boeing, Congressional Research Service Locations: Vance of Ohio, China, United States

☆ The Chinese Base That Isn’t There
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-14 | by ( Agnes Chang | Hannah Beech | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +10 min

Security gate Chinese-funded buildup CAMBODIA Chinese warship CAMBODIA CAMBODIA Dry dock and other repair facilities Before After China insists it is not building a naval base in Cambodia. CHINA Ream, CambodiaThe Chinese Base That Isn’t There New facilities and the months-long presence of Chinese warships show Beijing’s growing global influence. In 2020, something curious happened at Cambodia’s Ream military base, on the Gulf of Thailand. The Chinese military presence near one of the world’s most vital sea lanes raises fundamental questions about Beijing’s ambitions. “The Ream military base is Cambodia’s, not the military base of any country,” Mey Dina, the commander of the base, told The New York Times.

Persons: CHINA, —, ”, Jan, John, “ We’re, Lloyd J, Austin III, ” Mey Dina, Mey Dina, Xi Jinping, dredgers, Ream, Gregory B, Poling, ‘ Ream, Xi, Hun Sen, Mr, Hun Sen’s, Hun Manet Organizations: U.S . Defense Department, Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona State University, Agence France, Navy, Planet Labs, Ream, Pentagon, New York Times, China’s, China’s Djibouti Naval, Basketball, Djibouti ETHIOPIA Perimeter, NAM Ream, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Cambodian, Congressional Research Service, White, AMERICA Ports, SOUTH AMERICA SRI LANKA, China, China ASIA EUROPE CHINA AFRICA Djibouti Ream SRI LANKA, United States Military Academy Locations: CAMBODIA CAMBODIA, China, Cambodia, CHINA Ream, Thailand, Ream, South China, American, Cambodian, U.S, People’s Republic, China’s, Djibouti, Horn of Africa, China’s Djibouti, YEMEN Djibouti, Djibouti ETHIOPIA, THAILAND, Cambodia Malacca, Africa, Asia, Southeast Asia, Djibouti Ream Africa, ASIA EUROPE, China CHINA AFRICA Djibouti, AUSTRALIA, China ASIA EUROPE CHINA AFRICA Djibouti, United States, Spratlys

☆ Israel is inching toward a wider war and a nasty fight against an enemy poised to bombard it as no other foe has
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-06 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

AdvertisementFor Israel, a larger war with Hezbollah would look very different from the full-scale conflict it's fighting against Hamas in Gaza. Before the 2006 Lebanon War, a monthlong conflict fought against Israel, Hezbollah maintained some 15,000 projectiles. REUTERS/Avi OhayonBut a larger Hezbollah war could overwhelm some of these systems, a scenario that has caused concern in Washington. During the 2006 war, Hezbollah fired somewhere between 100 and 200 rockets per day at Israel, according to estimates cited by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank. More than two dozen soldiers and civilians have already been killed in Israel, and in Lebanon, that figure has surpassed 450.

Persons: —, Ariel Schalit, Daniel Byman, MAHMOUD ZAYYAT, Avi Ohayon, Stringer, Rami Shlush, Antony Blinken Organizations: Service, Hezbollah, Tehran —, Business, United Nations, Israel, Hamas, AP, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Getty, Institute for National Security Studies, CSIS, REUTERS, Foundation for Defense, Democracies, Israel Communications, Research Center, Congressional Research Service, Institution Locations: Israel, Iran, Lebanon, Tehran, Gaza . The Lebanon, Kiryat Shmona, Gaza, Lebanese, Nabatiyeh, AFP, Israeli, Washington, Khiam, Israel's

☆ Israel has never been impressed with its version of the $1 billion Patriot air defense system. Now it could offload up to 8 to Ukraine.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-29 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

It would be a welcome moment for Ukraine, which has long coveted more of the $1 billion US-manufactured Patriot systems. "Israel's Patriots would greatly expand Ukraine's air defense capacity at a time when it is sorely needed," John Hardie, the Deputy Director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Russia Program, said. Zelenskyy's Patriot pleasUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has never been shy about his desire to get his hands on more Patriot systems. AdvertisementIn April, Zelenskyy told NATO members that Ukraine needed at least seven Patriot or other advanced air defense systems to defend against Russian attacks. The Patriot air defense systemA 2023 report by the Congressional Research Service describes the Patriot system as an "integral component of U.S. air and missile defense."

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin's, John Hardie, Ryan Bohl, RANE, Bohl, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy, Putin, Joe Biden, John Kirby Organizations: Service, Russian, Financial Times, Business, Israel's Patriots, Foundation for Defense of Democracies Russia, Israeli Air Force, Patriot, Iraqi Scud, Officials, East, Hezbollah, NATO, Patriots, New York Times, National Security, Congressional Research Service Locations: Israel, Ukraine, North Africa, Lebanese, —

☆ What would happen if Biden decided to leave the race?
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | Ethan Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Things would be very different in 2024 if Biden decided to leave the race, although Democrats’ convention will return to Chicago in August. It also means that if Biden dropped out of the race, it would largely be Biden backers who would be responsible for picking his replacement. You can assume, for instance, that Vice President Kamala Harris would be a top contender to be on the ballot in such a scenario. The DNC actually needed to convene a meeting to affirm Sargent Shriver as Democratic nominee George McGovern’s second-choice running mate. Under the 20th Amendment, if a president-elect dies, his or her running mate, the vice president-elect, becomes president.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Biden, ”, David Axelrod, Hubert Humphrey, Lyndon Johnson, Humphrey, aren’t, they’re, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Gavin Newsom –, Harris, Republicans –, Sen, Thomas Eagleton, Sargent Shriver, George McGovern’s Organizations: CNN, Voters, Democratic National Convention, Democratic Party, Biden –, Biden, Democratic, Republicans, Democrats – The Democratic National Committee, Republican, Republican National Committee, Service, CRS, Democrat, DNC, Congress, Electoral Locations: Vietnam, Chicago, California

CNN —US officials have serious concerns that in the event of a full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group could overwhelm Israel’s air defenses in the north — including the much-vaunted Iron Dome air defense system, three US officials told CNN. Israeli officials have told the US they are planning to shift resources from southern Gaza to northern Israel in preparation for a possible offensive against the group, US officials told CNN on Wednesday. “We assess that at least some” Iron Dome batteries “will be overwhelmed,” said a senior administration official. Earlier this month, Hezbollah released a video purporting to show a drone striking and damaging an Iron Dome battery on an army base in northern Israel. The Iron Dome is fundamental to Israel’s defense and the US government has spent over $2.9 billion on the program, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Persons: “, ”, “ We’re, Amos Hochstein, Hochstein, Israel, Israel ‘, Antony Blinken’s, Yoav Gallant, Hassan Nasrallah, Nasrallah, Assad Organizations: CNN, Hezbollah, Congressional Research Service, Israel Defense Forces, Islamic, Biden, US, IDF, Hamas, Israeli, Command, Radwan Force, Rocket Locations: Israel, Iran, Lebanon, Gaza, Lebanese, Jerusalem, Beirut, Rafah, ”, Cyprus, Syria

☆ US Navy faces 'most intense combat since World War II' against Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, defense experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-16 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewThe US is facing its most intense battle since World War II against Yemen's Houthi rebels, experts say. "This is the most sustained combat that the US Navy has seen since World War II — easily, no question," he said. US warships from the US Navy's Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group had fired over 500 munitions fighting the Houthis, Business Insider reported on May 23. Sailors often have only a few seconds to confirm an incoming Houthi strike.

Persons: —, Yemen's Houthi, Bryan Clark, Navy submariner, Dwight D, CENTCOM, Yemen's, Mohammed Hamoud, National Intelligence Avril Haines, Cmdr, Eric Blomberg, Laboon, David Wroe, Eisenhower, Navy Carlos Del Toro, Biden, Brian Finucane, Fabian Hinz Organizations: Service, Navy, Hudson Institute, Associated Press, Business, US Navy, Congressional Research Service, Eisenhower Carrier Strike, military's, Command, National Intelligence, AP, Pentagon, Munitions, Crisis Group, Institute for Strategic Studies, Palestine Locations: Israel, Gaza, Red, Yemen, Iran, Palestine, Eilat, London

☆ Biden pulls from Trump’s immigration playbook in election year twist
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | Long-Standing Authority | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Read the full story on Biden’s announcement from CNN’s White House team. Trump and Biden remain very far apartIt’s still very true that their rhetoric on immigrants remains very different. “I’ll never refer to immigrants as poisoning the blood of a country,” Biden said at the White House. Expect challengesThe American Civil Liberties Union, which challenged Trump’s border actions when he was president, now plans to challenge Biden. “We continue to work closely with our Mexican neighbors instead of attacking Mexico,” Biden said at the White House, drawing a distinction between his approach and Trump’s.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump’s, Trump, Biden, Donald Trump, Go Nakamura, Reuters Biden, “, ” Biden, ” Lee Gelernt, CNN’s Rosa Flores, Flores, Richard Cortez, ” Cortez, Priscilla Alvarez, Trump’s, Mexico’s, Harry Enten Organizations: CNN, White, Republicans, CNN’s White House, Trump, Reuters, Republican, American Civil Liberties Union, Immigrants, Rights, CNBC, Biden, Congressional Research Service, Department of Homeland Security Locations: Mexico, Eagle, , Texas, Piedras Negras, Hidalgo , Texas, Springs , California, Hidalgo County, United States, Iran

U.S. defense spending and military aid costs are adding up. President Joe Biden signed a $95 billion U.S. military aid package in April allocating funding to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region. On top of that, the National Defense Authorization Act of 2024 authorized military spending of a record $886 billion. A big chunk of that money will go to bolster the American defense industry. So where does the U.S. send military aid and personnel and how does defense spending affect the world at large?

Persons: Joe Biden, Gregory Hayes, CNBC's, Lockheed Martin, RTX, Northrop Grumman Organizations: National Defense, U.S, Dynamics, Boeing, Northrop, Northrop Grumman —, of Defense, Congressional Research Service Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, U.S

☆ The US Army's new plan to counter Russia and China has a glaring problem, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The 2024 Army Force Structure Transformation would be the Army's fifth major reorganization since 2003. The most striking aspect of the Army's plan is the large number of new units, for counter-drone protection as well as air and missile defense. In addition, there would be nine counter-small UAS batteries tasked with destroying small drones, and four more Maneuver Short Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) battalions to stop manned aircraft, helicopters and drones. Monica K. Guthrie/US ArmyThe Army is also basing its plans on untried weapons, such as the Long-Range Hypersonic Missile and air defense lasers. China and Russia have much stronger air and missile forces than the regional opponents the army has faced for the last generation."

Persons: Monica K, Mark Cancian, Cancian, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, US Army, 2024, Army, Business, Congressional Research Service, Congress, Air Defense, Domain, Forces, CRS, Special Operations Forces, Security Force, Guthrie, Energy, Center for Strategic, International Studies, US, Nuclear Forces, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Russia, China, Soviet Union, Ukraine, Forbes

☆ Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz shares the playbook he thinks Trump will use to stay in power if he wins a second term
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

If former President Donald Trump wins a second term in the November election, expect him to try to stay in power beyond his allotted four years, says Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz. Right now, a second Trump term is a real possibility. AdvertisementInstead, Trump is more likely to declare a state of emergency, Stiglitz said, in an attempt to delay or cancel elections. The executive branch has no power to move the date of elections, according to the National Constitution Center. AdvertisementChanging an election date via Congress would need the approval of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, and the two chambers would have to come up with a new election date, per the National Constitution Center.

Persons: Donald Trump, Joseph Stiglitz, Putin, Orbán, Bolsonaro, Stiglitz, Trump, Joe Biden, Brad Raffensperger, Mike Pence, I'm, Pence, Ronald Reagan Organizations: Service, Business, Trump, RealClearPolitics, Georgia, Capitol, Republican Senate, Congress, National Constitution Center, Senate, Representatives, Constitution Center, Congressional Research Service, CRS, :, Good Society Locations: Ohio

☆ As Social Security's funds face insolvency, experts say these are key factors to watch
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Phoenix Wang | Moment | Getty ImagesA new Social Security trustees report released on Monday provides a modest bright spot for the program. watch nowThe trust fund shortfall may be addressed through tax increases, benefit cuts or by taking funds from general revenues, he said. But Social Security is poised to be an issue in the upcoming House, Senate and presidential campaigns, he said. Here are some key revelations to note from this year's Social Security trustees report. If there is a major recession, many workers who are at the margin may apply for disability benefits, he said.

Persons: Wang, Jason Fichtner, Fichtner, Max Richtman, Laura Haltzel Organizations: Social Security, Center, Committee, Budget, National Committee, Preserve Social Security, Social, Congressional Research Service

☆ Trump’s bombardment of dishonesty: Fact-checking 32 of his false claims to Time
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +43 min

We’re paying for close to 100% of NATO.”Facts First: Trump’s claim is false. They don’t pay their bills.”Facts First: Trump’s claim is false. (It rose to about $314 billion in 2020, Trump’s last full year in office.) Facts First: Trump’s claim is false. Facts First: Trump’s claim that “nobody died other than Ashli” is false.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, “, William Barr, Bill Barr, Barr, Bill, I’m, ”, it’s, Biden, Joe Biden, Tamar Hermann, Hermann, Bill Clinton, “ Trump, ” Trump, …, National Guard Trump, I’ve, George Floyd, Tim Walz, Walz, Paul —, –, Erwan, George Washington, “ don’t, they’re, Stoltenberg, Trump’s, Lagadec, Marc Lipsitch, Barack Obama, European Union won’t, Cortellessa, “ Moody’s, Moody’s, Mark Zandi, Zandi, ’ ” Zandi, Joe Biden’s, rioter Ashli Babbitt, Brian Sicknick, Sicknick, Trump’s ‘, patriotically, ‘, patriotically ’, ” Nancy Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi, “ Nancy Pelosi, Pelosi, Christopher Miller, Miller, Eric Cortellessa, Alvin Bragg’s, Bragg, Matthew Colangelo, Colangelo, Alvin Bragg, ” Cortellessa, Hillary Clinton, —, Roe, Wade, Kimberly Mutcherson, “ Donald Trump’s, Maya Manian, Mary Ziegler, Davis, Ziegler, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Roe should’ve, ’, Crime Biden, don’t, “ Biden, he’s, James Biden, Jeff Asher, Asher, It’s, ” “, ” Asher Organizations: Washington CNN, Time, Trump, NATO, Capitol, Trump’s, Trade Center, didn’t, World Trade Center, Department, ISIS, CNN, Democratic, White House, White, South Korea Trump, Pentagon’s Defense Manpower Data, Biden Administration, Congressional Research Service, Israel, Israeli Democracy Institute, National Guard, Minnesota Democratic Gov, Minnesota National Guard, Guard, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, Transatlantic, for Disease Control, World Bank, Washington Post, Harvard, Harvard’s, National, Trump -, of Health, Human Services, Strategic, Biden, U.S . International Trade Commission, European, Benz, Volkswagen, BMW, European Union, US, European Automobile Manufacturers ’ Association, Bloomberg Economics, US Capitol Police, Capitol Police, “, Republican, Democratic Rep, National Guardsmen, District of Columbia National Guard, Army, Capitol Police Board, Senate, Justice Department, Pulitzer Foundation, Pulitzer, New York Times, Electoral, Democrat, ” Rutgers Law, American University, university’s Health, University of California, ”, Customs, Border Protection, Crime, Manchurian, Republicans, FBI Locations: “, New York City, Saudi, Florida, al Qaeda, New York, Texas, Mexico, South Korea, Trump , South Korea, South, Korea, Israel, Washington, Trump , Minneapolis, Minneapolis, Trump, Minnesota, St, United States, Germany, Brussels, Belgium, Harvard University, China, EU, DC, Trump’s, ”, York, Manhattan, York’s, Russia, That’s

☆ China's new aircraft carrier is being tested at sea for the first time, but US carriers 'remain in an echelon of their own,' expert says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewChina launched the first sea trial of its newest aircraft carrier on Wednesday, per the state-run news agency Xinhua. However, according to John Bradford, a Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs fellow, the Fujian falls far short of US aircraft carrier standards. Related stories"There is nothing yet that compares to the USS carriers," he told Business Insider. AdvertisementUnlike China's two other carriers, the Liaoning and Shandong , the Fujian features a catapult system designed to launch aircraft, according to reports, much like US aircraft carriers. Business Insider previously reported that China's two other aircraft carriers — the Liaoning and Shandong — had outdated Soviet-era designs and smaller air wings, making them notably inferior to US carriers.

Persons: —, John Bradford, Bradford, Richard Kouyoumdjian Inglis, Gerald Ford, Shandong — Organizations: Service, Xinhua, Business, People's Liberation Army Navy, Foreign Relations International Affairs, US, CNN, Chilean Naval Reserve, Congressional Research Service, Center for Strategic, International Studies, CSIS, Gerald Ford Class, Defense, Naval Locations: China, Fujian, Shanghai's, Shanghai, Liaoning, Shandong

The US Department of Justice is expected to recommend that marijuana be rescheduled as a Schedule III controlled substance, a classification shared by prescription drugs such as ketamine and Tylenol with codeine. The standard rulemaking process is lengthy, is subject to a public comment period, and could take months to complete. However, rescheduling marijuana will not solve that federal-state conflict, the Congressional Research Service noted in a January 16 brief. States with medical marijuana programs do currently have some federal protections in place via appropriations legislation that restricts the Justice Department from interfering in those programs. The FDA’s scientific and medical evaluation of marijuana did not address products containing plant-derived cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, General Merrick Garland, Joe Biden Organizations: CNN, US Department of Justice, Associated Press, White, Office of Management, US Health, Human Services, Food and Drug, Justice Department, Staff, National Institute on Drug, Delta, National Conference of State Legislatures, Congressional Research Service, CRS Locations: Colorado

☆ The 'peak boomer' crisis might only get worse: A fifth of Americans 50 and up have no retirement savings, and the majority are worried they won't have enough money
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Ayelet Sheffey | Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Americans say they don't have enough money for retirement, with a solid chunk having no savings at all. At the same time, the economy is about to see the "peak boomer" generation retire and deplete their savings. Tourangeau is part of a generation of older Americans who don't feel confident in their financial situation. Any of those who leave the workforce to retire may need to rely on any retirement savings they have built. AdvertisementAre you a peak boomer or older American worried you won't have enough money for retirement?

Persons: —, Pam Tourangeau, let's, it's, Indira Venkateswaran, Venkateswaran, Nancy LeaMond, LeaMond Organizations: Service, Congressional Research Service, AARP, Research, Savings, Americans, Federal Reserve, University of Michigan Health, Alliance, Lifetime, Security, Social Security Locations: America

☆ Biden promise to rival China on shipbuilding faces a big economic problem
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

The Biden administration is correct that China has not played fair. But he said the nations that could rival China in shipbuilding are Asian competitors. Shipbuilding subsequently dropped to around five ships per year, which is approximately the current rate of U.S. shipbuilding. President Joe Biden speaks to members of the United Steel Workers Union at the United Steel Workers Headquarters on April 17, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Biden announced new actions to protect American steel and shipbuilding industries including hiking tariffs on Chinese steel.

Persons: Biden, Ben Nolan, Nolan, Reagan, Joe Biden, Jeff Swensen, —, Darron, Wadey, Lloyd, Matson, George Washington, Ronald O'Rourke, O'Rourke Organizations: Mitsui Shipbuilding Co, Taicang Port Economic, Technological, Future Publishing, Getty, CNBC, Shipbuilding, Global, United States, Trade, U.S . Trade, U.S, China's Ministry of Commerce, United Steel Workers, Japan's Nippon Steel, United Steel Workers Union, United Steel Workers Headquarters, Analysts, Matson Shipping, Jones Act, Philly Shipyard, CMA CGM, Matson, United, Maritime Administration, U.S ., Huntington Ingalls Industries, News Shipbuilding, U.S . Navy, U.S Navy, Newport News Shipbuilding, Virginian Pilot, Tribune, Service, Force, warfighting, Navy, Biden, Congressional Research Service Locations: Taicang Port, Suzhou, Jiangsu province, China, U.S, Japan, South Korea, United States, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania, American, Bangladesh, U.S . Virgin Islands, Great, Mississippi, Ohio

☆ Here's why FEMA has spent about $4 billion to help destroy flood-prone homes
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Lindsey Jacobson | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

'I have no regrets'Andrea Jones accepted a floodplain buyout for her home in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area. CNBCAndrea Jones, 59, sold her home in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area in a floodplain buyout. On average, federal buyouts can take two to five years, though 80% of the FEMA acquisitions are approved in less than two years. Jones' buyout was delayed by the pandemic, but once she started the process up again in May 2022, things moved quickly. In addition to FEMA, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and many state and local communities fund floodplain buyouts.

Persons: Siders, Andrea Jones, CNBC Andrea Jones, Jones, Andrea Jones Jones, they're, Mathew Sanders, Sanders Organizations: Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, University of Delaware's, Program, CNBC, Finance, Charitable, Congressional Research Service, U.S . Department of Housing, Urban Development Locations: Charlotte , North Carolina

CNN —The Biden administration is close to approving the sale of as many as 50 American-made F-15 fighter jets to Israel, in a deal expected to be worth more than $18 billion, according to three people familiar with the matter. Since Hamas’ attack on Israel in October, which killed over 1,200 Israelis, the US has made more than 100 foreign military sales to Israel. Most of those have fallen under the specific dollar amount that requires a notification to Congress, an official familiar with the matter previously told CNN. A congressional aide told CNN that House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul has also approved the transaction to proceed to formal congressional notification. “What you hear about the frustrations within the administration over the Israel policy, it is real,” one US diplomat told CNN on condition of anonymity.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Sen, James Risch, Michael McCaul, Ben Cardin, Greg Meeks, Biden administration’s, Joe Biden’s, “, ”, Israel won’t, Josh Paul, Matthew Miller, Israel what’s, Pat Ryder, ” Steven Katz, Katz Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Biden, Democratic, House Foreign Affairs, Foreign, State Department, Republican, Senate Foreign Relations, House Foreign, Congressional Research Service, UN, The State Department, State Department’s Bureau, Political, Military Affairs, ”, Pentagon, Army, Defense, U.S, National Intelligence Locations: Israel, Gaza, State, Washington , DC, United States, “ Israel, Iran

☆ 1 in every 13 bridges in America is in ‘poor’ condition. Thousands could collapse from a collision
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

A container ship colliding into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore is drawing attention to potential vulnerabilities among some of America’s more than 600,000 bridges. The Key Bridge stood for 47 years, and in that time it never received the sort of jolt that anyone could have thought would bring it down. Extreme weather events, increasingly heavy trucks and collisions from larger container ships pose significant risks to US bridges, engineers and other infrastructure experts say. The Key Bridge was “fracture critical,” the National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday. To minimize the potential of ships bringing down bridges, bridges need to be built with what are known as redundancies— protections around bridges’ danger points.

Persons: Francis Scott Key, Dali, Ananth Prasad, Prasad, ”, Jessie Yeung, Curt Devine, Casey Tolan, Isabelle Chapman Organizations: American Society of Civil Engineers, Congressional Research Service, National Transportation Safety, World Association, Transport Infrastructure, Florida Transportation Builders ’ Association, CNN Locations: Baltimore, America, United States, China, Argentina, Florida

☆ Meet the Americans who can't retire
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

More people over 65 are working as pensions disappear, people live longer, and Social Security benefits are seemingly always in peril. Business Insider spoke with several Americans of retirement age about why they are still trading their time for money. "I think older people become very invisible, and maybe it's going to take other older people to help heighten that visibility." On average, Americans who have pensions receive $25,000 annually from them; the average estimated annual Social Security benefit is $38,418 for 2024. Indeed, BI's analysis of retirement data has found that nearly 80% of retirees have Social Security income.

Persons: —, Marcia, I'm, hasn't, she's, Steve Biddle, he's, He's, he'll, Bill, Geoffrey Sanzenbacher, Sanzenbacher, they're, Debra Giarrusso, She's, didn't, I've, there's, Pam, Kurt Vonnegut's, David Certner, Certner, Rebecca, It's Organizations: Service, Business, Social Security, Behavioral Health, Disability, Aging, —, Boston College, Center for Retirement Research, Congressional Research Service, Ford Motor Company, AARP Locations: North Carolina, Connecticut, Philadelphia, America, Michigan

☆ Continuing resolutions are a silly way to run a government, but we do it every year
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

October 1 has been the official kickoff date for the federal fiscal year since 1977. Lawmakers have passed at least one continuing resolution in all but three of the years in the nearly half-century since. Instead, they will wrap the spending bills into larger packages – frequently called an “omnibus” that is passed in December or later. In 1997, for instance, there was no CR, but the spending bills were all passed together as an omnibus. Don’t hold your breath for them to get the 2025 spending bills done on time.

Persons: ”, Joe Biden, haven’t, Maya MacGuineas, CNN’s Tami Luhby, arrearages, Biden, What’s, Mike Johnson Organizations: CNN, CRs, Journalists, Senate, Lawmakers, Congressional Research Service, GAO, Federal, WIC, Budget, Low Income, Energy Assistance, National Energy Assistance, Association, Partnership for Public Service, Democratic, Capitol Hill, Agriculture, FDA, Commerce, Justice, Science, Energy, Water, Veterans Affairs, Transportation, Housing, Urban Development, Defense, Financial Services, General Government, Homeland Security, Labor, Health, Human Services, Foreign Locations: Washington, State

☆ House GOP's budget 'poison pills' could force spending cuts, rattle economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

House Republican hardliners' efforts to stonewall a budget deal ahead of a looming government shutdown could risk triggering automatic spending cuts later this spring that may put pressure on the U.S. economy's already fraught recovery. A full-year budget deal to avert the FRA cuts appears increasingly unlikely, amid staunch opposition from the House's ultraconservative wing. Freedom Caucus derailmentMembers of the House Freedom Caucus, a coalition of hardline conservatives, have been working to derail a permanent budget. Instead, they want to extend the current temporary spending resolution through the rest of the fiscal year, ensuring the FRA's spending cuts are triggered on April 30. But if the FRA's automatic spending cuts take effect, they could rattle the broader economy's teetering recovery.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Jake Sullivan, economy's, Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell, Hakeem Jeffries, Jan, Johnson, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, McConnell, Piper Sandler, Nancy Lazar, Lazar, Sen, Patty Murray Organizations: National Security, U.S, Capitol, House Republican, Congressional Research Service, Caucus, Democrat, Freedom Caucus, Congressional Locations: Washington ,, stonewall, D

Either way, Washington paid little attention to his birthday according to Mountvernon.org, the website of the organization that manages his estate. The official designation is as Washington’s Birthday, although it has come to be known informally as Presidents Day. A small number of states, including Illinois, observe Lincoln’s birthday as a public holiday, according to the Library of Congress. And some commemorate both Lincoln and Washington on Presidents Day. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act took effect in 1971, moving Presidents Day to the third Monday in February.

Persons: George Washington, Alexis Coe, George of Washington, ”, “ It's, “ Jefferson, Lincoln, Washington, ” Coe, Marquis de Lafayette, —, Coe, Thomas Jefferson, comte de Rochambeau, Seth Bruggeman, Bruggeman, Arbelbide, “, ” Bruggeman Organizations: Washington, Temple University, Congressional Research Service, District of Columbia, Library of Congress, National Archives, The Locations: NORFOLK, Va, Washington, Virginia, Mount Vernon, Philadelphia, District, Illinois, Lincoln, The Republic, America

Search resuls for: "Congressional Research Service"

25 mentions found