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Last week, average 30-year mortgage rates fell 18 basis points compared to the week before, according to Freddie Mac. Average 15-year fixed mortgage rates decreased even further, dropping 24 basis points from the prior week. If Fed officials feel they'll be able to stop hiking rates after this month's meeting, mortgage rates will likely hold steady and may even fall a bit. But whether mortgage rates will drop in 2023 hinges on if the Federal Reserve can get inflation under control. This means your entire monthly mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, shouldn't exceed 28% of your pre-tax monthly income.

Persons: Freddie Mac, we'll, they'll, you'll, Fannie Mae Organizations: Federal, Zillow, Federal Reserve, Mortgage, Association, Sky Locations: Chevron

☆ Psychologist: The No. 1 soft skill highly successful people use at work—‘It’s like having a superpower’
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Millionaires and CEOs alike tout the importance of being productive, organized and grinding 24/7 to build a successful career. While this might be true, there's a different skill that gives successful people a competitive edge in the workplace — being a good listener, says Sarah Sarkis, a psychologist and Exos' senior director of performance psychology. "Few people know how to be fully present in a conversation and respond thoughtfully to what another person is saying," Sarkis adds. But sometimes this very style of listening is why your conversations, your negotiations and your conflicts go sideways." Here, the performance psychologist offers three strategies for becoming a better listener at work:

Persons: Sarah Sarkis, Exos, Sarkis Organizations: NFL, Fortune, Intel, Humana Locations: Exos

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. Mortgage Rates for Buying a Home30-year Fixed Mortgage Rates Increase (+0.17%)The current average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.60%, up 17 basis points since this time last week. 20-year Fixed Mortgage Rates Go Up (+0.45%)The average 20-year fixed mortgage rate is up from last week and sits at 6.46%. 15-year Fixed Mortgage Rates Rise (+0.25%)The average 15-year fixed mortgage rate is 5.93%, an increase from last week. Mortgage Refinance Rates30-year Fixed Refinance Rates Spike (+0.58%)The average 30-year refinance rate is 7.38%, which is 58 basis points higher compared to last week.

Persons: Freddie Mac, you'll, refinance, It's Organizations: Mortgage, Zillow Locations: Chevron

☆ Morgan Stanley upgrades Anheuser-Busch InBev, says it's attractive valued after Bud Light controversy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Anheuser-Busch InBev is a buying opportunity even after its controversial handling of a social media campaign involving a transgender influencer, according to Morgan Stanley. Simon called the parent company behind Bud Light a top pick that's attractively valued after its decline this year. "We see a very favourable risk reward underpinned by attractive valuation," Simon wrote to clients on Thursday. BUD 1D mountain Anheuser-Busch InBev shares 1-day The analyst raised her price target to $68.50 from $64, which represents about 17% upside for Anheuser-Busch InBev from Wednesday's closing price. Anheuser-Busch InBev has come under pressure in the U.S. this year after it partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney for promotions of Bud Light.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Sarah Simon, Simon, Bud Light, Bud, BUD, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Anheuser, Busch InBev, Busch, Brewers Locations: U.S

☆ Thousands of authors demand payment from AI companies for use of copyrighted works
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington CNN —Thousands of published authors are requesting payment from tech companies for the use of their copyrighted works in training artificial intelligence tools, marking the latest intellectual property critique to target AI development. In an open letter they signed, posted by the Authors Guild Tuesday, the writers accused AI companies of unfairly profiting from their work. “Millions of copyrighted books, articles, essays, and poetry provide the ‘food’ for AI systems, endless meals for which there has been no bill,” the letter said. “The high commerciality of your use argues against fair use,” the authors wrote to the AI companies. In May, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman appeared to acknowledge more needs to be done to address concerns from creators about how AI systems use their works.

Persons: Margaret Atwood, Dan Brown, Michael Chabon, Jonathan Franzen, James Patterson, Jodi Picoult, Philip Pullman, “, OpenAI, didn’t, Sarah Silverman, Margaret Atwood Rich Fury, Monika Skolimowska, Goldsmith, Andy Warhol, Prince, Warhol, Sam Altman, “ We’re, ”, –, Catherine Thorbecke Organizations: Washington CNN, Facebook, Google, IBM, Microsoft, OpenAI, Meta, Warhol

☆ James Patterson, Margaret Atwood, and 8,000 other authors want AI companies to pay them for using their works
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

There has been deepening criticism of AI companies from across the media and entertainment industries. Over 8,000 authors — including Margaret Atwood and James Patterson — have signed an open letter demanding compensation from AI companies for using their works to train AI without permission. The letter is addressed to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Stability AI CEO Emad Mostaque, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. AI systems are trained on large volumes of data, much of which is text scraped from the internet. These authors aren't alone in voicing collective discontent towards AI companies.

Persons: Margaret Atwood, James Patterson —, Sam Altman, Sundar Pichai, Mark Zuckerberg, Emad Mostaque, Arvind Krishna, Satya Nadella, Guild's, Dan Brown, Suzanne Collins —, OpenAI, Sarah Silverman, aren't, —, Sarah Andersen —, they've, Insider's Matthew Loh Organizations: Morning, Microsoft, Wall Street Journal, Google, IBM

☆ Llama copyright drama: Meta stops disclosing what data it uses to train the company's giant AI models
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Alistair Barr | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The company didn't disclose what training data was used to train Llama 2. The AI industry typically shares many details of AI training data sets. One way to avoid the issue is to just not tell anyone what data you used to train your AI model. Until now, the AI industry has been open about the training data used for models. That last data set made up more than two-thirds of the information Meta used to train LLaMA.

Persons: Meta, Rupert Murdoch, Sarah Silverman's, OpenAI, Halimah DeLaine Prado, Meta's, Sharon Zhou Organizations: Publishers, Wall Street Journal, Big Tech, Microsoft, SEC, European Union, Google, Meta Locations: EU

At long last, homebuyers may finally be getting some relief in the form of lower mortgage rates. Average 30-year mortgage rates dropped significantly last week, ending the week around 40 basis points lower than where they started it. Mortgage rates are still relatively high, but it's likely that we'll see some more substantial drops later this year and throughout 2024. But whether mortgage rates will drop in 2023 hinges on if the Federal Reserve can get inflation under control. This means your entire monthly mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, shouldn't exceed 28% of your pre-tax monthly income.

Persons: homebuyers, you'll, Fannie Mae Organizations: Federal Reserve, Zillow, Mortgage, Association, Sky Locations: Chevron

☆ Jamming over video chat is nearly impossible for musicians right now, but an experiment with 5G showed promise for 2 artists 2,600 miles apart
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Sarah Sloat | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

(Some programs do support real-time music collaboration, but they're often expensive and lackluster.) This can lead to smoother streaming and more reliable online experiences — factors that could support real-time music playing. "Typically, virtual performances break down at about 1,000 miles — it's really difficult to be syncopated in the music," Pond told Insider. In earlier experiments without 5G, Pond and others attempted to jam virtually at a distance of 400 miles. 5G could power synchronous collaborationPond views the experience as a proof of concept for digital performances and real-time collaboration for musicians.

Persons: Warick Pond, Pond, Mike Sanchez, Ritchie Fliegler, Hamilton Organizations: Arizona State University, ASU Enterprise Technology, 5G, Elk Audio Locations: COVID, Phoenix, Massachusetts, Arizona

☆ 5G chargers may be the key to electric-vehicle-powered road trips, says the CEO of an EV charger company
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Sarah Sloat | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Hooman Shahidi, the CEO of the EV-charger firm EVPassport, said 5G could help change this. A test with 5G chargers showed EVs charged faster and more efficiently than 4G-powered chargers. Hooman ShahidiA bad road trip inspired the company's founderUsing the EVPassport system, as Shahidi describes it, is simple. The company got a 5G boost in 2021Roughly a year after the company's founding, something new augmented the EVPassport system: 5G. The majority of EV chargers are currently operating on WiFi, ethernet, or 4G because 5G isn't yet available everywhere across the US.

Persons: Hooman Shahidi, Shahidi, Aaron Fisher, Fisher, Aaron, EVPassport, — it's Organizations: BMW, Google, Apple, BMW i3, 5G, Verizon, EV Locations: Santa Monica , California, Venice, Los Angeles, New York City, Hartford , Connecticut

☆ A serious accident inspired a biomedical engineer to build a VR rehab company. Things really took off when she tapped into 5G speeds.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Sarah Sloat | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

She founded Immersive Rehab, a digital-therapeutics company. In September 2016, Van De Keere founded Immersive Rehab, a social-enterprise startup. A Paralympic athlete and spinal-injury patient getting treatment using an Immersive Rehab tool. Immersive Rehab utilizes off-the-shelf technology including VR headsets, laptops, and external motion-tracking sensors. She said she's already seen incredible growth in headset innovation since Immersive Rehab launched.

Persons: Isabel Van De Keere, Isabel Van De, Van De Keere, Van de Keere, They've, she's, It's, we've Organizations: VR Locations: London, United Kingdom, Germany, United States

☆ The Phoenix Suns made it to the NBA finals in 2021 for the first time in 28 years. They had 5G to thank.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Sarah Sloat | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Phoenix Suns made it to the NBA finals in 2021 for the first time in 28 years. In 2021, the Phoenix Suns made it to the NBA finals for the first time in 28 years. The 5G Performance Center is outfitted with several features that capture real-time player data during practice and workouts. The Suns' facility is outfitted with cameras, sensors, AI, and moreIt's a major step up from the Phoenix Suns' previous training facility, which was in the basement of the arena. For now, no other NBA training facility is using 5G in the same way.

Persons: Chris Paul, Brian Mecum, Mecum Organizations: Phoenix Suns, NBA, Verizon, Suns

☆ 5G and Connectivity Playbook
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Presented By | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Whether you're aware of it or not, 5G technology is shaping your world every day. Like 4G before it, the fifth generation of cellular wireless technology powers high-speed internet on our phones. It's also forward compatible — meaning it's built to support technologies that are still in development or don't even exist yet. Business Insider's 5G and Connectivity Playbook is built for anyone who wants to know what's possible with this tech and other connectivity advancements — how they can take your business to new heights, expand your creativity, or enliven your world. Credits:Series Editors : Stephanie Hallett, Lily Katzman, Julia Naftulin, Ashley DavisReport ers : Sarah Sloat, Kristina Etter, Iona Brannon, Chris Stokel-Walker, Isabella Sayegh, Erin Gee

Persons: It's, Stephanie Hallett, Lily Katzman, Julia Naftulin, Ashley Davis, Sarah Sloat, Kristina Etter, Iona Brannon, Chris Stokel, Walker, Isabella Sayegh, Erin Gee

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. Mortgage Rates for Buying a Home30-year Fixed Mortgage Rates Drop (-0.49%)The current average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.43%, down 49 basis points since this time last week. 20-year Fixed Mortgage Rates Plummet (-0.79%)The average 20-year fixed mortgage rate is dramatically down from last week and sits at 6.01%. 15-year Fixed Mortgage Rates Fall (-0.49%)The average 15-year fixed mortgage rate is 5.68%, a decrease from last week. Mortgage Refinance Rates30-year Fixed Refinance Rates Drop (-0.52%)The average 30-year refinance rate is 6.80%, which is 52 basis points lower compared to last week.

Persons: they've, you'll, refinance Organizations: Zillow Locations: Chevron

After rising steadily for several weeks, mortgage rates ended the week at their lowest level since mid-June. Average 30-year mortgage rates have dropped around 40 basis points from where they were at the start of this week. 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. 30-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesThis week's average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.96%, according to Freddie Mac. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesThe average 15-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.30% this week, according to Freddie Mac data.

Persons: you'll, Freddie Mac Organizations: Federal Reserve, Zillow Locations: Chevron

☆ Morning Bid: Relief over US inflation keeps Asia upbeat
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A woman shops for groceries at El Progreso Market in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood of Washington, D.C., U.S., August 19, 2022. Indeed, Friday's rise in the yen put it within striking distance of its converging 100-day and 200-day moving averages near 137.00 to the dollar. The Reserve Bank of Australia was also in the spotlight in Asia, with the much-anticipated announcement of its next governor. The rest of the day is light on economic data with euro zone May trade, U.S. export and import prices and University of Michigan consumer sentiment the main releases. But it's a bumper day for bank earnings as JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N), Citigroup (C.N), Wells Fargo (WFC.N) and BlackRock (BLK.N) are all due to report second-quarter results.

Persons: Sarah Silbiger, Sonali Desai, Michele Bullock, JPMorgan Chase, Luis de Guindos, Edmund Klamann Organizations: El Progreso Market, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, Treasury, Bank of, People's Bank of China, The Reserve Bank of Australia, University of Michigan, JPMorgan, Citigroup, BlackRock, Hollywood, Central Bank, JPMorgan Chase, Thomson Locations: Mount Pleasant, Washington ,, Asia, Japan Asia, U.S, Wells Fargo, Brussels U.S

☆ The Amex Platinum gets you automatic elite status at Marriott and Hilton — here's what that unlocks at thousands of hotels around the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( David E. Slotnick | Sarah Silbert | Senior Reporter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Amex Platinum; InsiderIf you have The Platinum Card® from American Express , you can get complimentary Gold elite status with both Hilton and Marriott**. Without the Amex Platinum Card, you'd generally need to spend at least 25 nights in Marriott hotels to earn Gold status in the Bonvoy program, or a whopping 40 nights in Hilton hotels to earn Hilton Honors Gold status. Here's how Marriott and Hilton Gold elite status with the Amex Platinum card works. Marriott Gold Elite Status BenefitsHere's what you can get with Marriott Bonvoy Gold status from your Amex Platinum Card. Hilton Gold status comes with a handful of extremely valuable perks, of which I'm definitely a fan.

Persons: Hilton, We're, Uber, Peacock, Uber Cash, you'll, You'll, I'm, — Hilton Organizations: Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton, American Express, Marriott, Service, American, Express, Saks, Entertainment, Disney, ESPN, The New York Times, Street, Walmart, Credit, TSA, Global, Saks Fifth, Reading Chevron, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Honors American, Hilton Honors, Card, Hilton loyalists Locations: Wall, Silicon, Marriott, Hilton, Hulu

How cash management accounts workCash management accounts are multifunctional accounts that combine checking and savings account features. Where to find cash management accountsBelow, you'll find fintech companies we've reviewed that have cash management accounts. Wealthfront Cash Account: Wealthfront is an investing platform with a cash management account. Cash management account FAQsWhat is the purpose of a cash management account? Betterment Cash Reserve, Wealthfront Cash Account, and Fidelity Cash Management are all popular examples of cash management accounts.

Persons: Tony Molina, You'll, Banks, Read, you'll, Cash, It's Organizations: Service, Governors, Federal Reserve, FDIC, Cash, Fidelity Cash Management Locations: Wall, Silicon, Wealthfront

While we've been keeping tabs on the best Prime Day deals, we're seeing a handful of exceptions where rarely discounted products are dropping to incredible prices. The 12 best rare Prime Day deals ending soonDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. It rarely sees price drops, but right now it's down to only $17 in a rare deal for Prime Day. Help keep your pup cool anywhere with this dog bath that's 20% off during the second day of Prime Day. Prime Day officially lasts from July 11 to 12 — that means most of these deals will end tonight at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Persons: we've, Bowser's Fury, Vera Bradley Microfiber, Vera, Collar Organizations: Razer, Deal, Belkin, Amazon, Nintendo, Walmart, Bands Locations: Cha Kyusu, Birch

Prime Day 2023 ends at midnight, so we're rounding up the best last-minute deals you can still find available. Our editors have worked all Prime Day to keep you updated on the best deals and this is your last chance to save. The key to smart shopping during deal events like Prime Day is having a discerning eye for what is actually a "good deal." Here are the best last-minute Prime Day deals worth your money. Our top picks for the best Prime Day deals you can still shop

Organizations: Amazon

☆ Flash Floods Soak Parts of Mississippi
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Johnny Diaz | More About Johnny Diaz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Heavy rains led to road closures and several flash-flood warnings in Mississippi on Thursday, a day after warnings were issued for parts of Arkansas and Louisiana. About 13 inches of rain had fallen in Winston County by Thursday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service office in Jackson, Miss. A flash-flood emergency alert, indicating life-threatening danger, was in effect for cities including Louisville, Miss., which is in that county. Flash-flood warnings were issued for other parts of the state. Winston County is about 100 miles northeast of Jackson.

Persons: “, ” Sarah Sickles, ” Organizations: National Weather Service, Miss Locations: Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Winston County, Jackson, Louisville, Miss

Farmers Insurance will stop offering insurance in Florida. Compare homeowners insurance quotes with Policygenius »Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. News 6 Orlando reported that this change will affect about 100,000 Farmers-branded home, umbrella, and auto insurance policies. However, the bulk of insurance policies offered by Farmers in Florida are under other brands, like BristolWest and Foremost Signature. "Affected customers will receive notifications detailing when their coverage will end and will be advised of options for replacement coverage," Farmers told News 6 in a statement.

Persons: Policygenius, it's Organizations: . Farmers Insurance, Farmers, Service, Farmers Insurance, Orlando, Farm, Allstate Locations: Florida, Wall, Silicon, California

☆ Open AI is being investigated by the FTC over data and privacy concerns. It could be ChatGPT's biggest threat yet.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Gabriel Rivera | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The FTC is investigating OpenAI over its lack of transparency regarding data and privacy. The FTC is demanding Open AI detail how and where it collects data. The investigation adds to growing legal challenges filed against the AI company behind ChatGPT. Like the FTC's current probe, many existing legal challenges to OpenAI concern the company's collection of data to train ChatGPT. But Altman has yet to comment on any of the recent legal challenges aimed at his company.

Persons: —, OpenAI, ChatGPT, Sarah Silverman, Sam Altman, Altman Organizations: FTC, Morning, Federal Trade Commission, The Washington, The Post, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Abu Dhabi

Prime Day is over and the results are in: The first day of Amazon's huge 2023 deals event marked the largest sales day of all time for the online retailer. With so many incredible deals filling out the site's roster, it makes sense — dozens of great products were down to new all-time lows, and you can still snag some lingering Prime Day deals right now. That is, if Amazon chooses to skip holding another Prime Early Access Sale in the fall. Last year's Early Access event aimed to replicate the success of Prime Day but fell short, and it's not yet clear whether a new Prime Early Access Sale will take place in October. Though Prime Day deals have expired for most of these items, most of them are products we recommend in our buying guides even at full price.

Persons: Amazon's, we've Organizations: Amazon, Apple, Samsung

While hunting for the best Prime Day deals in every category, we've also seen our fair share of first-timers. A select handful are celebrating Prime Day by offering their first-ever deals. You won't want to miss out on these incredible price drops, so act fast: Prime Day ends at midnight tonight. During Prime Day 2023, it's on sale for the first time, saving you $60. We'll be surfacing the very best deals until the event ends at midnight, so make sure to keep tabs on our Prime Day coverage.

Persons: we've, Hoover, Pro Air Fryer Organizations: Razer, Samsung, Cleaner, Amazon, Pro Air, Athletic, Deal Samsung Locations: Ekrin

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