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☆ Food prices hold steady, but Americans have a beef with the cost of a burger
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

For burger proprietors — including smaller, mom-and-pop shops — and burger lovers alike, the price environment may not get any easier. Nearly eight decades later, the Owl Burger remains a draw, but it’s become noticeably more expensive since Covid. “Maybe 45 cents each year,” Argabright told CNN in an interview, adding that the Owl Burger sits at $7.95 now. “When you’re ordering pounds and pounds and pounds of it, it adds up pretty quick.”Beth Steele, founder of Beth's Burger Bar, in Edgewood, Florida. Where’s the beef price headedLike most aspects of inflation, there are several contributing factors behind higher burger prices.

Persons: that’s, ”, Tyler Schipper, Thomas, “ We’re, Wendy’s, Fries, Burger, Frank Chavez, it’s, Janice Argabright, ” Argabright, Beth Steele, Steele, “, hasn’t, we’re, Schipper, “ Don’t, ” Schipper Organizations: CNN, University of St, Trinity, Beth’s, Beth's, American Farm Bureau Federation Locations: Minnesota, San Antonio , New Mexico, Orlando, Beth’s Burger, Beth's Burger, Edgewood , Florida, Texas

The title acceptance pilot waives the need for a lender's title insurance policy on some refinance mortgages. The Federal Housing Finance Agency recently rolled out a new pilot program that would lower refinance closing costs for some borrowers. Called the "title acceptance pilot," this program would waive the requirement that conforming loans have a lender's title insurance policy on certain refinance mortgages. Borrowers are required to purchase a lender's title insurance policy, which can be a significant out-of-pocket cost. Pushback from the mortgage industryLeaders from the mortgage and title insurance industries overall weren't pleased with this announcement.

Persons: —, Biden, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, homebuyers, Christopher Tyson, Tyson, doesn't Organizations: Service, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Mortgage Bankers Association, Union, Consumer Financial, National Community Stabilization Trust, homebuyers

☆ Adrianne Lenker Isn’t Scared of Sadness
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Jeremy Gordon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When the singer and songwriter Adrianne Lenker was 21, she was involved in a bike accident that knocked out one of her incisors. But after she was able to invest in a porcelain tooth, Lenker realized she actually didn’t want to forget about the injury. “After all that time with just a gap, it kind of felt strange to not see the scar,” she said in a recent interview. And over the past several years, she has earned a reputation as a songwriter who sees the scars, and turns them into something beautiful. Though Big Thief is a band of four equals, Lenker — who sings, writes and plays guitar — is the engine powering its sound.

Persons: Adrianne Lenker, Lenker, “, ”, Fleetwood Mac, Lenker —, Philip Weinrobe

Mortgage rates fell last week, and they remain low today. But as the economy continues to balance out and inflation cools, mortgage rates should trend down. In its most recent forecast, Fannie Mae predicted that 30-year mortgage rates could finally drop back down below 6% by the end of the year. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's interest rates will affect your monthly payments. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesAverage 15-year mortgage rates inched down to 6.22% last week, according to Freddie Mac data.

Persons: There's, Fannie Mae, you'll, Freddie Mac, it's, they've Organizations: Federal Reserve, Zillow Locations: Chevron

☆ Elon Musk Has a Giant Charity. Its Money Stays Close to Home.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( David A. Fahrenthold | Ryan Mac | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Before March 2021, Elon Musk’s charitable foundation had never announced any donations to Cameron County, an impoverished region at the southern tip of Texas that is home to his SpaceX launch site and local officials who help regulate it. Then, at 8:05 one morning that month, a SpaceX rocket blew up, showering the area with a rain of twisted metal. The Musk Foundation began giving at 9:27 a.m. local time.

Persons: Elon Organizations: SpaceX, Musk Foundation Locations: Cameron County, Texas

☆ Liverpool 1-1 Manchester City: Points shared in ferocious Premier League title clash
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Thomas Schlachter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

CNN —The points were shared in the biggest game of the Premier League season so far with Liverpool and Manchester City drawing 1-1 on Sunday. Manchester City went 1-0 up in the first half when defender John Stones swept home a well-worked corner kick from Kevin de Bruyne. Liverpool fought back valiantly in the second half and deservedly leveled through an Alexis Mac Allister penalty kick. It’s a result that neither side would have wanted heading into the game, but it keeps the Premier League title race wide open with Arsenal remaining top after Saturday’s win over Brentford. More to follow.

Persons: John Stones, Kevin de Bruyne, Alexis Mac Allister Organizations: CNN, Premier League, Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Brentford

Mortgage rates fell this week and are now back down to where they were early last month. This means that, as many experts have predicted, mortgage rates should go down in 2024. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. 15-year Fixed Mortgage RatesLast week, average 15-year mortgage rates were 6.22%, a four-basis-point decrease from the previous week, according to Freddie Mac data. Once the Fed cuts rates, mortgage rates should fall even further.

Persons: we're, you'll, Freddie Mac, it's Organizations: Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, Zillow Locations: Chevron

☆ How the Canadian mortgage model could help unfreeze the housing market
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewCopying the way mortgages work in countries such as Canada and the UK could help thaw the frozen US housing market, experts say. Prospective buyers are also balking at paying such high mortgage rates, especially when national home prices are near record levels, fueling an affordability crisis. AdvertisementOffering portable mortgages would enable hesitant sellers to keep their rock-bottom mortgage rates when they move, potentially boosting overall inventory and transaction volumes. She suggested the best fix for the frozen housing market will be if inflation cools, the Fed cuts interest rates, and mortgage rates fall to historical norms. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored enterprises that direct the mortgage market, would have to be on board to make mortgage portability a reality, but that doesn't appear to be the case.

Persons: —, Julia Fonseca, Fonseca, Richard Martin, University of Georgia's Terry, Susan Wachter, Wachter, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Organizations: Service, Business, University of Illinois, University of Georgia's, University of Georgia's Terry College of Business, The Wharton School, Federal Reserve, Federal Housing Finance Agency, American Banker Locations: Canada, University of Illinois Urbana, Champaign, conservatorship

So we have to talk about the drama that has been playing out in the past week between OpenAI and Elon Musk. According to OpenAI, Elon Musk wanted majority, equity, initial board control, and to be CEO of this new for-profit subsidiary. It’s basically —casey newtonIt’s like, I’m going to find a way to follow your rule, but in the worst way possible. Like, working was one I thought that, oh, I’m going to work in this all the time. kevin roose[LAUGHS]: Well, I thought, like, I’m going to take some spatial videos.

Persons: casey newton Casey, kevin roose, casey newton, Kevin, casey newton What’s, Kevin Roose, Casey Newton, OpenAI, Will, Joanna Stern, Casey, it’s, kevin roose I’m, Elon Musk, It’s, casey newton Let’s, Elon, he’s, I’ve, casey newton What’d, there’s, you’ve, we’re, GPT, Sam Altman’s, that’s, AGI, Annie “, Sam Altman, who’s, isn’t, “, we’ve, ” casey newton Go, He’s, Ilya Sutskever, Greg Brockman, Ilya, casey newton Yes, Tesla, casey newton Well, they’ll, casey newton Oh, kevin roose It’s, don’t, kevin roose Will, casey newton Right, casey newton Mhm, kevin roose They’re, Microsoft’s Bing, Microsoft Bing, Bing, Apple, Europe — casey newton, Charles Duhigg, John Gruber, they’ve, casey newton It’d, — casey newton, they’re, They’ve, you’ll, Apple’s, casey newton It’s, I’ll, casey newton Sure, GDPR, you’re, kevin roose Really, let’s, kevin roose Casey, kevin roose —, Jonah Stern, casey newton Wow, Joanna, Let’s, kevin roose Joanna Stern, joanna, casey newton Hi, kevin roose Long, joanna stern, —, kevin roose We’re, Kara Swisher, kevin roose Don’t, I’m, casey newton Don’t, casey newton That’s, Neil Patel, Um, kevin roose That’s, kevin roose Sure, casey newton Great, KEVIN, IV, wearables, Fitbits, kevin roose Oh, hadn’t, casey newton —, casey newton I’ve, Joe Rogan Organizations: The New York Times, Elon, Apple’s, OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, Google’s, Facebook, Tesla, Big, European Union, Digital Services, Giants, Apple, Digital Markets, EU, Bloomberg, Digital, Spotify, General, Apple Vision Pro, Street, Apple Vision, Vision, New York Times, “, Housewives, Club, Ray, Tesla Chargers, Vision Pro, Apple Watch, Sony Locations: Los Angeles, Europe, what’s, Elon, OpenAI, Japan, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Reddit, American, America, California, Florida, United, Mars, The

☆ Rivian pulled off a Steve Jobs moment with its surprise announcements
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Camilo Fonseca | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Rivian's "one more thing" was a nod to Steve Jobs' habit of teasing a last product reveal at events. Scaringe stunned his audience with the reveal of the R3 midsize crossover, catching the audience by surprise. That comment — and perhaps the whole surprise reveal — was a thinly veiled reference to Apple cofounder Steve Jobs' habit of making last-minute product announcements, introducing "one more thing" after seemingly finishing his keynote speech. AdvertisementBut the R3 wasn't the only surprise that Scaringe had up his sleeve, who added that "there's one more thing." The Rivian R3X performance variant Elliot Ross Studio, INCWith his double-surprise reveal, Scaringe seems to have taken Jobs' penchant for theatricality to heart.

Persons: RJ Scaringe, Steve Jobs, Scaringe, —, Rivian, Tim Cook's, Elliot Ross Organizations: Service, Apple, Apple Watch, Air, MacBook, Elliot Ross Studio, INC

Mortgage rates are expected to go down in 2024, but they increased in February in response to hotter-than-expected economic data. Once the Fed starts lowering rates, mortgage rates should trend down, too. In its latest forecast, Fannie Mae predicted that 30-year mortgage rates will reach 5.9% by the end of the year. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates will affect your monthly and long-term payments. Now that the Fed has paused hiking rates, mortgage rates have come down a bit.

Persons: Freddie Mac, Sam Khater, Freddie Mac's, Fannie Mae Organizations: Federal, Zillow, Federal Reserve, Fed Locations: Chevron

☆ Biden says he can fix America’s housing affordability crisis. Will it work?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Bryan Mena | Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Washington CNN —Americans are in the throes of the worst housing affordability crisis in decades. If inflation keeps coming down, mortgage rates will come down as well. The first is a $10,000 refundable credit for middle-class homebuyers – essentially an interest rate buy-down. So, when inflation is too high, the only thing the Fed can do is jack up interest rates to slow demand. “We’ll still have the underlying housing shortage and and it’s going to be causing upward pressure on housing prices,” he said.

Persons: Joe Biden, I’m, ”, Biden’s, Biden, David Dworkin, ” Dworkin, “, Ed DeMarco, Jerome Powell, Freddie Mac, Powell, ” Powell, “ We’ll Organizations: Washington CNN, National Housing Conference, Council, Federal, Senate, Fed Locations: Thursday’s State, America

☆ The housing market may finally be thawing as mortgage rates and housing inventory improve
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Mortgage rates eased for the first time in five weeks, Freddie Mac said Thursday. Easing affordability and improving inventory suggests a gradual thawing of the market. "It's important to remember that rates can vary widely between mortgage lenders so shopping around is essential." However, Capital Economics strategists wrote earlier in the week that easing mortgage rates won't be enough to spark a meaningful, lasting rebound in home demand. Advertisement"Even if mortgage rates fall to 6% as we expect, mortgage rate 'lock in' will continue to curb home moves," Capital Economics strategists wrote in a note.

Persons: Freddie Mac, —, — that's, Freddie Mac's, Sam Khater, Jerome Powell, Realtor.com, that's Organizations: Service, Capital

The overhaul rolling out Thursday only in the Europe represents the biggest changes to the iPhone's App Store since Apple introduced the concept in 2008. Among other things, people in Europe can download iPhone apps from stores that aren't operated by Apple and are getting alternative ways to pay for in-app transactions. That came during testimony in a May 2021 trial resulting in a U.S. judge ruling that the App Store isn't a monopoly. In that decision, the judge required Apple to begin allowing links to outside payment options inside iPhone apps in the U.S. Apple still doesn't permit alternative iPhone app stores in the U.S. or more than 100 other countries outside the EU.

Persons: Apple, Tim Sweeney, Steve Jobs, Epic's Sweeney, ” Apple Organizations: Apple, Union, Digital Markets, Spotify, Epic, European Commission, U.S, Regulators, Google, Facebook, Apple Watch, Supreme, EU Locations: Europe, Apple’s, Sweden, U.S, It's

☆ Mortgage rates drop after climbing for four weeks
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington, DC CNN —Mortgage rates ticked down slightly this week, a tiny boon to buyers eager to make a move with newly listed homes coming to market. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.88% in the week ending March 7, down from 6.94% the previous week, according to data from Freddie Mac released Thursday. While mortgage rates are expected to fall further in 2024, Sturtevant added, short-term movements in mortgage rates will likely be influenced by congressional testimony given this week by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. During his semiannual monetary report to Congress, he indicated there is no rush to cut interest rates with more evidence of cooling inflation. The February jobs report, which will be released Friday, is also likely to have some bearing on mortgage rates.

Persons: Freddie Mac, ”, Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s, homebuyers, Khater, Redfin, Lisa Sturtevant, ” Sturtevant, Sturtevant, Jerome Powell Organizations: DC CNN —, Mortgage, Association, Federal Housing Administration, Redfin, MLS, Bright MLS, Federal, Congress Locations: Washington

When it comes to newer consumer-social startups, the environment they're entering is turbulent — investor checks have dwindled, users are facing subscription burnout, and successful advertising models require massive scale. AdvertisementSo how are the emerging, buzzy social startups approaching monetization in 2024? "There's really only two monetization business models for consumer products," said Tiffany "TZ" Zhong, founder of new social platform NoSpace and early-stage VC firm Pineapple Capital. 3 ways new social-networking startups are approaching monetizationWhile some newer social startups are already monetizing their product, many are still pre-revenue and experimenting with different models to see which will make sense for their product and audience. And Verse CEO Bobby Pinckney told BI that the social platform, centered around music, plans to add a premium subscription that will unlock advanced AI tools, analytics, and templates.

Persons: —, there's, Eric Wittman, Tiffany, Zhong, VCs, Bianca Ambrosini, Ambrosini, Marlon Nichols, Nichols, Emma Bates, Andrew Kahn, Danial Hashemi, Alexandra Debow, Bobby Pinckney Organizations: Service, Meta, Business, Pineapple, Mac Venture Capital, Twitter, Crush Ventures, Crush, BI Locations: Berlin

☆ Kraft’s newest Oscar Mayer hot dog is missing meat
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

In the past year, the company rolled out a vegan boxed Mac & Cheese, mayonnaise and vegan cheese slices. Sinking sales have sparked troubles for pioneers, like Beyond Meat (BYND), which also has sausage products. The once-trendy plant-based meat company has faced falling demand and ballooning costs in recent years. Frey said that recent innovations in plant-based meat products, such as improving taste, texture and expanding options (i.e. Besides taste, plant-based meat “faces challenges like price competitiveness, distribution issues and consumer skepticism,” Frey said.

Persons: New York CNN — Oscar Mayer, Kraft Heinz, Oscar Mayer “ NotHotDogs, NotSausage, there’s, Sherry Frey, Frey, “, Oscar Mayer, ’, ”, ” Frey, Kraft, NIQ’s Frey Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, Kraft The Kraft Heinz Company, Kraft, Kraft Mac Locations: New York, Kraft’s, ”

☆ The 5 red flags steak-house owners look for when dining at a high-end steak house
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Rachel Askinasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementA good steak house shouldn't be inexpensive or easy to bookMeat is expensive to source, Michael said, and the restaurant's price range should reflect that. A good steak house shouldn't be too easy to book for a Friday night. Acrylic Asylum Art/Getty ImagesThere should be transparency in meat sourcingBoth brothers told BI that at a luxury steak house, you should be able to get the story behind what you're eating. A dull knife can take away from diners' overall experience, he said, which is the main reason to go to a steak house to begin with. "There's nothing worse than being in a high-end, high-check-average steak house and you're handed a dull knife," he told BI.

Persons: —, Bryan, Michael Voltaggio, That's, Michael said, Michael, that's, there's, it's, Dixie, I'm Organizations: Service, Voltaggio, telltale, Business, Food, Washington Locations: Food

Donald Trump, who is urgently seeking a cash infusion to aid his presidential campaign, met on Sunday in Palm Beach, Fla., with Elon Musk, one of the world’s richest men, and a few wealthy Republican donors, according to three people briefed on the meeting who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a private discussion. Mr. Trump and his team are working to find additional major donors to shore up his finances as he heads into an expected general election against President Biden. Mr. Trump has praised Mr. Musk to allies and hopes to have a one-on-one meeting with the billionaire soon, according to a person who has discussed the matter with Mr. Trump. It’s not yet clear whether Mr. Musk plans to spend any of his fortune on Mr. Trump’s behalf. But his recent social media posts suggest he thinks it’s essential that Mr. Biden be defeated in November — and people who have spoken to Mr. Musk privately confirmed that is indeed his view.

Persons: Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Trump, Biden, Musk, It’s, Trump’s, Forbes Locations: Palm Beach, Fla, —

☆ I'm a business owner and 6-figure earner. Here's how my stay-at-home husband and I handle the kids and 'chore wars.'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Robin Madell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . My husband handles 90% of our home life while I earn 100% of our family's income: I'm the family's breadwinner. For the last seven years, my husband has been a stay-at-home dad for our four children — ages 19, 14, 7, and 5. This grueling period tested my resilience and our family dynamics, particularly as my husband stepped up to manage our home life solo.

Persons: Andrea Mac, —, It's, I've, We're Organizations: Service Locations: Greater Chicago

☆ Apple announces new MacBook Airs with its latest M3 chip
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Todd Haselton | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Apple on Monday announced new versions of its 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air laptops with its latest M3 chip. The M3 chip first launched in October, when Apple launched versions of the chip for its iMac desktop computer and more powerful versions of the processor for its MacBook Pro laptops. The new M3 chip allows users to add up to two external displays, an improvement from a single screen supported by earlier chips. It called the new MacBook Air the "world's best consumer laptop for AI." The 13-inch MacBook Air starts at $1,099, while the 15-inch starts at $1,299.

Persons: it's, Anthropic's Claude, Apple, Tim Cook Organizations: Apple, Monday, Apple's, Conference, CNBC, YouTube

Mortgage rates have been holding steady after rising last month, and they could stay near their current levels throughout March. This means that mortgage rates will likely remain elevated for at least a few more months. But investor expectations how of Fed rate changes could impact the broader economy can push mortgage rates up or down. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's interest rates will affect your monthly payments. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesAverage 15-year mortgage rates inched down to 6.26% last week, according to Freddie Mac data.

Persons: you'll, Freddie Mac, it's, they've Organizations: Federal Reserve, Zillow Locations: Chevron

This week, we'll be getting two big pieces of labor market data that could have an impact on mortgage rates. This means it's possible we'll see mortgage rates start to ease right as the homebuying season is heating up. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. 15-year Fixed Mortgage RatesLast week, average 15-year mortgage rates were 6.26%, a three-basis-point decrease from the previous week, according to Freddie Mac data. Once the Fed cuts rates, mortgage rates should fall even further.

Persons: we'll, you'll, Freddie Mac, it's Organizations: Labor, Zillow, Federal Reserve Locations: Chevron

Mortgage rates are still expected to go down in 2024, but it will probably be at least a few more months before we see rates start to trend lower. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates will affect your monthly and long-term payments. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesAverage 15-year mortgage rates were 6.26% this week, according to Freddie Mac data, which is a three-basis-point decrease from the previous week. Now that the Fed has paused hiking rates, mortgage rates have come down a bit. Once the Fed starts cutting rates, which is likely to happen this year, mortgage rates should fall even further.

Persons: Freddie Mac Organizations: Federal Reserve, Zillow, Fed Locations: Chevron

☆ Why 7 prominent VCs are investing millions in new social startups like Diem, Lex, and 222
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Sydney Bradley | Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Mervana Parekh is a principal at Acrew and has invested in social startups like Diem, Afterparty, and Anything World. Best Nights VC. Nichols is a founding managing partner at MaC, which recently invested in social startups like Spill and Swsh. Boyce has backed a slew of new social startups, including Diem, Lex, Koodos Labs, and Swsh, alongside associate Rhian Horton. In 2024, Best Nights is looking to invest in companies that facilitate travel experiences after hearing people say their best nights have happened during trips or vacations, said de Silva.

Persons: —, Connie Chan, Mervana Parekh, Peter Boyce II, Marlon Nichols, Catalyst, Web3, Peter, Diem, Afterparty, Lorrain de Silva, Andrew Kahn, Miley Cyrus, Lorde, Kahn, Aaron Matusow, Dan Kruchkow, Nichols, Elizabeth Weil, Kevin Weil, John Smothers, Boyce, Lex, Rhian Horton, Lorrain, Silva, BestNights, Aaron Leithäuser, Gen Z, Peter Boyce, de Silva, Acrew Organizations: Service, Business, Acrew, Stellation, MaC Venture, VCs, Stanford University, Startup, Pudgy Penguins, Crush Ventures, VC, Crush, MaC Venture Capital, MaC, Catalyst, Koodos Labs, Big Tech Locations: 1kx, San Francisco , New York, Lisbon, Acrew, San Francisco, Berlin, Los Angeles and New York, Los Angeles, New York, Rythm

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