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☆ Shopping for a home? There’s a lot working against you right now
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In recent weeks, as mortgage rates closed in on 7%, affordability has worsened. Nationally, it takes about 36% of the median household income to make the average mortgage payment — more than the recommended 30% allowance for housing. The Mortgage Credit Availability Index fell by 3.1% to 96.5 in May, the lowest level since January 2013, and was essentially unchanged in June. The MBA index that tracks jumbo loans — loans that are larger than conforming loan limits — saw its second monthly contraction, as some financial institutions reduce their appetite for larger loans that aren’t backed by the government. Mortgage rates are expected to drop the second half of this year as inflation continues to cool, with economists and housing analysts forecasting rates to end the year around 6%.

Persons: Nick Gaylord, “ I’ve, ” Gaylord, it’s, “ I’m, ”, Gaylord, “, Black Knight, Knight, ” Joel Kan, Department of Veterans Affairs —, — Organizations: DC CNN, CNN, Mortgage Bankers Association, ICE Mortgage Technology, Federal Housing Administration, US Department of Agriculture, Department of Veterans Affairs, National Association of Realtors Locations: Washington, Minneapolis

[1/2] A general view of the White House in Washington, U.S. June 12, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File PhotoWASHINGTON, July 24 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden would veto Republican-backed defense, health and agriculture spending bills if he were presented with them, the White House said on Monday, alleging House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy was backing away from spending levels agreed to in a debt-limit deal. McCarthy and House Republicans were pushing cuts the Biden administration could not accept, the White House said in a statement on Monday. This year's bipartisan debt ceiling deal keeps fiscal 2024 spending flat at this year's levels, allowing a 1% increase for fiscal 2025. The deal was approved by 149 House Republicans - a strong party majority - along with 165 Democrats.

Persons: Jonathan Ernst, Joe Biden, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, Biden, H.R, Kanishka Singh, Jon Boyle, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: White, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, House Republicans, Department of Veterans Affairs, House, Democratic, Republicans, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, H.R, United States, Washington

☆ Remote work has made downtown DC a ghost town as federal office buildings sit mostly empty
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But unlike many other US cities, much of DC's downtown office space is controlled by a single landlord: the federal government. There are three major issues when it comes to empty federal building space, Marroni said. Many congressional Republicans have also demanded that the Biden administration both restrict telework and get rid of unused office space. The White House Office of Management and Budget asked federal agencies in April to "substantially increase meaningful in-person work" by limiting telework. But there are concerns — including from employee unions — that restricting remote work could hurt the recruitment and retention of federal workers.

Persons: Muriel Bowser, hasn't, —, David Marroni, Marroni, She's, Biden, Scott Perry, they've Organizations: Office, DC, Service, Republicans, Transportation, Infrastructure, GAO, Pennsylvania Republican, White, Office of Management, Department of Education, Department of Veterans Affairs, Post, Trump International Locations: Wall, Silicon, Washington, DC's, Pennsylvania

☆ Former Disney, Marvel exec Ike Perlmutter plans major donation to back Trump for president
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

US President Donald Trump shakes Ike Perlmutter, CEO of Marvel Entertainment, hand before signing an executive order at the US Department of Veterans Affairs April 27, 2017 in Washington, DC. Ike Perlmutter, the former chairman of Marvel Entertainment at Disney , is planning a key donation to back former President Donald Trump's 2024 run for president, according to his spokesman. His wife gave over $2 million to the same pro-DeSantis PAC, according to the records. Disney doesn't have the right to get involved with politics," Perlmutter reportedly told DeSantis in a phone call. Perlmutter told the publication he doesn't remember such a call taking place.

Persons: Donald Trump, Ike Perlmutter, Donald Trump's, Perlmutter, Trump, Perlmutter's, Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, Ron, DeSantis, Bob Iger, Iger Organizations: Marvel Entertainment, US Department of Veterans, Disney, Trump, PAC, Commission, Department of Veterans Affairs, Marvel, Republican, Florida Republican Gov, DeSantis PAC, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Star Wars Locations: Washington , DC, Florida

☆ Buying my first home as a 37-year-old veteran and single mother was difficult but totally worth it. The sacrifices I've made will give my child a better future.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

I have made many sacrifices along the way but being able to give my child a sense of security is worth it all. Saving for a home purchase was tough as a single motherIn January, I began my home buying journey. I was working for the US government and receiving additional money from the Department of Veteran Affairs for a disability. I was scared during my home buying journey, and there were times that I wanted to give up but I persisted. I've also missed out on family gatherings and pursuing relationships — all so I could save money to buy a home.

Persons: Breanna Dill, Dill, —, that's, it's, I've Organizations: Marine Corps, Service, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Veteran Affairs, Veterans Affairs Locations: Wall, Silicon, Minnesota, Austin , Texas, Austin, Houston, Houston —, Dallas, United States

Tom Schroeder, the whistleblower accusing Medtronic of a kickback scheme, left, is interviewed by Morgan Brennan, in Kansas City, Missouri. Schroeder said rumors circulated that Medtronic sales representatives were bribing VA staff to purchase an excessive amount of the company's inventory. The veterans hospital purchased more devices than some of the largest veterans medical facilities, according to data the VA's investigation gathered. Medtronic also said that Schroeder has "admitted under oath that he has no firsthand knowledge of any problematic procedure involving Medtronic devices." Douglas Winger, one of the Medtronic sales representatives named as a defendant in Schroeder's lawsuit, won a Medtronic President's Club award in 2016 for his sales.

Persons: Tom Schroeder, Schroeder, Becton Dickinson, Medtronic, Morgan Brennan, Schroder, Boua Xiong, Robert J, texted, Rick Ament, Ament, filet mignon, …, I'm, Brendan Donelon, Donelon, CNBC Donelon, Xiong, Douglas Winger, Winger, Kim Hodgson, Hodgson, Dole, ProPublica, John Laird Organizations: Inc, CNBC, Dole Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Dole VA, Department of Veterans Affairs, United, VA's, Department of Justice, Covidien, Dole, Medtronic, Society for Vascular, Drug Administration, FDA Locations: Kansas, United States, Kansas City , Missouri, Dublin, Ireland, Medtronic's, Wichita ., Dole, Covidien, Medtronic, Dole VA

☆ America's largest office tenant is embracing remote work, creating more pain for a market already in distress
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Daniel Geiger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The federal government is embracing remote work and cutting back its office footprint nationally. President Joe Biden and Donald Trump might not appear to agree on much, but when it comes to cutting back on office space, they're aligned. Now federal tenants are in for a new phase of belt-tightening as more accept remote and hybrid work, real estate experts say. "The majority of federal offices are still largely vacant on most days," said Darian LeBlanc, the director of government services at Cushman & Wakefield. So far, only the Department of Veterans Affairs has publicly said how it plans to use remote and hybrid work.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Biden —, Darian LeBlanc, LeBlanc, Rachel Davis, Davis, — Davis, Bob Hunt, Martin Selig, Jesse Lawder, Selig, Shalanda Young, Denis McDonough, Cushman, JBG Smith, Christi, who's Organizations: —, Trump, Cushman &, Washington DC, General Services Administration, Department of Labor, Management, FBI, Securities and Exchange Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, Minerals Management Service, Department of Veterans Affairs, National Transportation Safety, L'Enfant Plaza, state's Department of General Services, National Association of State Locations: Cushman & Wakefield, United States, JLL, Seattle, Washington, L'Enfant, . Tennessee, Nashville, Knoxville, Memphis, Chattanooga, Branscom, California , Illinois, North Carolina, Florida

your moneyThere are still plenty of ways to get your student debt wiped away. That’s because the Supreme Court’s disapproval of the plan does not change laws and regulations that already give many federal student loan borrowers an escape hatch. What follows is a list of ways to eliminate your federal student loan balance aside from paying in full. If you know someone who is struggling with student loan debt, suggest that the borrower review every last option. Bankruptcy DischargeYes, you can discharge your student loan debt by filing for personal bankruptcy.

Persons: Biden’s, —, It’s, Biden, Tara Siegel Bernard, Ann Carrns, Ann, Donald J, Trump, Tara Organizations: U.S . Department of Education, Education Department, Public, Westwood College, Corinthian Colleges, DeVry University, ITT Technical Institute, Social Security Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs Locations: forbearance

☆ Oracle cuts hundreds of jobs, rescinds job offers in its health unit - Insider
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 15 (Reuters) - Software firm Oracle (ORCL.N) on Thursday laid off hundreds of employees, rescinded job offers and cut back open positions within its health unit, the Insider reported, citing three people familiar with the matter. The layoffs follow thousands of cuts in corporate America as companies wrestle with elevated levels of inflation and rising interest rates. Oracle's health unit includes electronic medical records firm Cerner which it acquired for $28.3 billion, its biggest ever deal, in December last year. The layoffs were largely due to Cerner's challenged work with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which hired Cerner to replace its homemade medical records with Cerner's technology, the report said. Reporting by Kannaki Deka and Samrhitha Arunasalam in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju SamuelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Cerner's, Cerner, Kannaki Deka, Maju Samuel Organizations: Software, Oracle, U.S . Department of Veterans Affairs, Thomson Locations: America, Bengaluru

☆ Oracle lays off hundreds, rescinds job offers, and cuts open positions in its $28 billion Cerner health unit after troubles with a massive government contract
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Ashley Stewart | Blake Dodge | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Oracle laid off hundreds of employees in its health unit on Thursday, insiders said. Oracle Health includes health IT giant Cerner, which it acquired last year for about $28 billion. Cerner is Larry Ellison's primary focus as he bets on it to prove Oracle's cloud to the world. Oracle on Thursday laid off hundreds of employees, rescinded job offers, and cut back open positions within its health unit, three people familiar with the matter told Insider. Oracle Health includes health IT giant Cerner, which it acquired last year for about $28 billion.

Persons: Oracle, Larry Ellison's, Cerner's, Cerner, Larry Ellison, Ashley Stewart, Blake Dodge Organizations: Oracle Health, Oracle, US Department of Veterans Affairs

☆ The Hottest Thing in Real Estate Is a Loan From Two Years Ago
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Conor Dougherty | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

From the pedestrian to the dodgy, it all seems to underscore the manner in which the nation’s real estate market has been frozen by regret. In lieu of acceptance, a determined few are trying to use imagination and fine print to build a portal to the cheap-money days of 2021. In theory, any of the millions of homeowners holding a assumable low-rate mortgage have a valuable perk to sell with their home. Still, real estate agents say it can be hard in practice to transfer them. For instance, homeowners who transfer a V.A.-backed mortgage can lose their ability to get another similar loan unless they can find a V.A.-eligible buyer to take their original mortgage.

Persons: ”, influencers, “ It’s, Scott Trench, Sellers, Michael Fratantoni, Black Knight Organizations: Federal Housing Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Agriculture, Mortgage, Association Locations: U.S

Find a lender that offers the type of mortgage you needNot every lender provides each type of mortgage. VA mortgage lenders . How to compare mortgage lenders at each stage of the processMortgage prequalificationMortgage prequalification is one of the first steps in the homebuying process. Mortgage loan estimateOnce you choose a home, you will apply for a mortgage and receive a loan estimate from a lender. Between the qualification, preapproval, and loan estimate, the loan estimate is the most detailed and official of the three.

☆ Insiders say Oracle is crushing morale at $28 billion acquisition Cerner by cutting over 3,000 workers, banning raises, and sidelining its former CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Ashley Stewart | Blake Dodge | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

After the acquisition closed in June, Oracle has laid off more than 3,000 of the 28,000 original Cerner employees, one of the people said. According to his LinkedIn, Feinberg left the CEO role in September before becoming "chairman" of Oracle Health. After Johnson left, Oracle moved data and artificial-intelligence back under its cloud business. Internally, the face of the unit appears to be Oracle Health General Manager Travis Dalton, who has been in charge of all-hands meetings. Oracle Health is in charge of a contract worth several billion dollars to overhaul the US Department of Veterans Affairs' information systems.

☆ Biden administration has canceled $66 billion in student debt. How to know if you qualify
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Still, advocates are worried about the administration's plan to soon resume federal student loan payments, which have been suspended since March 2020, without deeper debt cancellation. Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, 1 in 4 student loan borrowers were in delinquency or default. Here's a breakdown of the debt relief already granted — and how to know if you qualify for it. Defrauded borrowers got $13 billion in reliefThe Biden administration has been focused on canceling the student debt of borrowers who say their colleges misled them. Betsy Mayotte president of The Institute of Student Loan AdvisorsThe Project on Predatory Lending at Harvard University has a list of some of the institutions that were part of a student loan cancellation settlement.

☆ Midtown Atlanta shooting: A military vet is in jail, his mother apologized, and hospital patients and staff are traumatized
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Ryan Young Gary Tuchman Elizabeth Wolfe Sara Smart Holly Yan | Ryan Young | Gary Tuchman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

The suspect, Deion Duwane Patterson, 24, was armed when he was arrested Wednesday evening, Cobb County Police Chief Stuart VanHoozer said Thursday. “Just be careful.”A mother of two was killedAmy St. Pierre was killed in the Atlanta shooting, medical examiners confirmed. Generous supporter of worthy causes, she was the social conscience of our family.”The family of Amy St. Pierre, who was killed in the Midtown Atlanta shooting, said she was their pride and joy. On Friday, two of the victims were still in critical condition in the ICU, said Robert Jansen, chief medical officer at Grady Health System. They need help.”‘The impact … is something you can’t imagine’The rush of shooting victims who arrived at Grady Memorial Hospital is not uncommon, the chief medical officer said.

☆ My Dead Father Had a Secret. Do I Tell Our Family?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Kwame Anthony Appiah | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

If you are your father’s legal representative, you can also apply for a “discharge upgrade.” But the terms of your father’s separation don’t tell you much about him. Perhaps he was bisexual; he had a long marriage with your mother — and there’s the child he had while stationed in England. Because you’ll probably never have decisive evidence about his sexuality, the only sure thing you can tell your siblings is what’s written on that paperwork. Not knowing your mother, I won’t second guess your decision to not tell her. My partner texted the woman to ask if she was OK or needed help, but she brushed it off.

☆ My grandfather hid the emotional toll of World War II from his family for decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Chloe Melas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

CNN —For decades after returning home from World War II, my grandfather did not talk about his wartime experiences. Frank Murphy, the grandfather of CNN's Chloe Melas, after he was captured and taken a prisoner of war by the Nazis in 1943. Everyone could see the physical toll of war on his body, but we didn’t know about his invisible wounds. After World War I, it was “shell shock”; post-World War II it was known as “combat fatigue,” and after Vietnam it was called “post-Vietnam syndrome.” In 1980, the American Psychiatric Association officially recognized it as post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. “When your grandfather and my grandfather served in World War II, they didn’t talk about it,” Paul Rieckhoff, founder and CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, told me.

☆ Veterans File 500,000 Claims for Toxic Exposure
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Ben Kesling | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

President Biden said that he will fight budget cuts that could imperil the processing of veterans’ claims. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg NewsVeterans have filed half a million claims for benefits stemming from toxic exposure while serving, the Department of Veterans Affairs said Wednesday, part of the largest expansion of VA coverage in a generation. The many claims come after the VA and veteran-service organizations let veterans know about benefits and healthcare coverage for those exposed to burn pits, radioactive material, herbicides and other toxins after passage last summer of the PACT Act. The bipartisan legislation was launched in response to criticisms that the Department of Defense and the VA had not done enough to recognize the effects of burn pits and other toxic exposures or to fund research and treatment of those who had been exposed.

☆ George Santos insists he's donating his congressional salary, but he won't say where it's going: 'I owe you no explanation'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Rep. George Santos has pledged several times to donate his entire congressional salary. "I owe you no explanation to what I do with my salary," he told Insider at the Capitol on Thursday. Two weeks ago, spokeswoman Naysa Woomer told Insider that "updates will be available at a later time," declining to provide further details. Pointing out that he's not legally required to disclose his salary donation details, Santos said that he still planned to make a salary donation announcement, but without any details. In May 2021, he again wrote on Twitter that he would "not accept a congressional salary at all."

☆ VA Pauses Rollout of $16 Billion Health Record System
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Ben Kesling | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough says he believes a contract should have marked accountability. The Department of Veterans Affairs is holding up further rollout of a problem-plagued, multibillion-dollar electronic health record system as the contract is renegotiated. Officials from the VA and Oracle Corp., which last year acquired the company that developed the system, are in discussions about changes in the contract designed to provide the VA with a record system.

☆ A mom took out over $77,000 in student loans to send her son with autism to college. He got his debt wiped out — but she's still paying hers off with no end in sight.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Marsha Wipperman, 59, took on parent PLUS student loans so her son with autism could attend college. "I'm going pay it. So I just signed away on my parents loans because that's what a parent does." Marsha Wipperman took on $77,000 in PLUS loans for her son. 'I've done 100% what I needed to do at that time'Parent PLUS loans gave Wipperman's son the opportunity to attend college, and she wouldn't have done it any other way.

VA loan borrowers with mortgages that close on or after April 7, 2023, will pay a reduced funding fee. Because it's often financed, a reduced funding fee can lower the amount VA loan borrowers pay in interest. The VA funding fee is a one-time cost that many VA loan borrowers must pay when getting a mortgage. This means that if a borrower defaults on a VA loan, the VA will compensate the lender. For first-time VA loan borrowersDown payment amount Old funding fee New funding fee Less than 5% 2.3% 2.15% 5% or more 1.65% 1.5% 10% or more 1.4% 1.25%For subsequent VA loan borrowersDown payment amount Old funding fee New funding fee Less than 5% 3.6% 3.3% 5% or more 1.65% 1.5% 10% or more 1.4% 1.25%VA cash-out refinanceOld funding fee New funding fee First use 2.3% 2.15% Subsequent use 3.6% 3.3%Other types of VA loansFunding fees for other VA loans remain unchanged.

☆ When Is The Best Time to Buy a House?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +8 min

By Michele LernerAs with much else in real estate, the best time of year to buy a house depends on location, market conditions—and you. “But the best time of year to buy a house depends a lot on the type of buyer.”The spring housing marketTraditionally the housing market’s most active season, spring can be the “best” time of year to buy or the “worst” time of year to buy, depending on your perspective. Best time to buy for: Buyers who hope to move before the holidays or at least before the end of the year. Best time to buy for: Buyers and investors looking for a better deal. “Sometimes it’s the right time to buy a house when you’ve found ‘the one’ that feels right for your family and your circumstances,” Bloch says.

But unspent COVID aid is a small target, with less than $80 billion unspent as of January, White House budget figures show. CARPENTERS, VETERANS AND MEDICAL RESEARCHReclaiming unspent COVID funds would have real-world repercussions. A clawback could also affect veterans' healthcare, as the Department of Veterans Affairs has yet to spend $4.6 billion of the money it received for COVID-19 related care. Republican governors of Nebraska and Arkansas last year rejected a second round of aid for people behind on their rent. Republican Senator Rick Scott in January urged governors and mayors to voluntarily return that money to help pay down federal debt.

Nate was identified with tinnitus and now is one of more than 200,000 claimants suing 3M over its Combat Arms earplugs. To protect his hearing, Frei wore standard issue earplugs made by 3M . Plaintiffs claim 3M earplugs were "defective" and failed to protect against hearing loss and tinnitus. 3M's Combat Arms CAEv2 earplugs CNBCEach earplug had two ends: The green end was designed to block out all sound. 3M disagreed with those claims, telling CNBC: "The data support what 3M has maintained throughout this litigation: the Combat Arms Earplugs version two were safe and effective to use.

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