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In France, the bloc's second-biggest economy, factory activity returned to growth albeit not as strongly as initially forecast. In Asia, factory activity contracted in January as the boost from China's COVID reopening had yet to take full effect. China's factory activity shrank more slowly in January after Beijing lifted tough COVID curbs late last year, a private sector survey showed. China's Caixin/S&P Global manufacturing (PMI) nudged up to 49.2 in January from 49.0 in December, staying below the 50 mark for a sixth straight month. Factory activity expanded in January in Indonesia and the Philippines but shrank in Malaysia and Taiwan, PMI surveys showed.

☆ Steelmaking Is Trying to Make Itself Greener and Researchers May Have Found a Way
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Yusuf Khan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

Steelmaking is one of the most carbon-intensive industries in the world, but researchers may have found a way to make it greener. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ Pro Sustainable Business A weekly look at environmental, social and governance issues and strategies for corporate decision makers. The system essentially creates a closed loop where the carbon split using the perovskite is put back into the system. “After five years, this system would save the U.K. steel industry £1.28 billion [equivalent to $1.57 billion], while reducing UK-wide emissions by 2.9%,” Ms. Kildahl said. For example, H2 Green Steel in Sweden is looking to cut carbon emissions by using hydrogen as a fuel source.

Summary Phuc blamed for conduct of officials under himPresident highest-profile casualty of graft crackdownPhuc's replacement unclearHundreds of officials hit by 'blazing furnace' campaignHANOI, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Vietnam President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has resigned after the ruling Communist Party blamed him for "violations and wrongdoing" by officials under his control while prime minister, the government said on Tuesday. Phuc, 68, who was premier from 2016-2021, has held the largely ceremonial position of president for less than two years and is the highest-ranking official targeted by the party's sweeping corruption crackdown. Vietnam has no paramount ruler and is officially led by four "pillars": the powerful party's secretary, the president, the prime minister and the chair of the legislature. Phuc was chosen in April 2021 to be president, and was widely tipped to succeed the party's General Secretary, the state's most prestigious job. "As prime minister for the 2016-2021 term, he has made great efforts in leading, directing and administering the COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control, achieving important results," it said.

Proptech customers, employees, and investors said they went from delighted to disillusioned. Proptech investors eager to capture these trends pumped $32 billion into the industry in 2021. As markets deteriorated, disillusionment set in among proptech customers, investors, and employees. Some customers say they were disappointed buying homes via proptech startupsReal-estate startups like Divvy Homes and Better launched under the auspices of helping customers afford quality homes. Investors in proptech firms are taking financial hitsYou don't need to ask proptech investors whether they're disappointed in the sector's performance — just look at share prices.

☆ A flurry of environmental tax breaks just came into effect thanks to last year's climate bill. From solar to electric vehicles, here's how you could save thousands of dollars.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The bill includes tax credits for electric vehicles, solar panels, and home energy updates. At that price, the claimable tax credit would be $6,000. The tax credit for solar is set to last until 2032, at which point it will lower and then expire in 2035 unless Congress renews it. As of January 1, a household can claim a tax credit of up to $150 for an energy audit conducted by a professional inspector. Buying an electric vehicleIncentives to purchase new or used electric vehicles were also boosted in the new climate bill.

☆ A Colorado man says his green home renovation paid off during a winter storm when temperatures dropped below -10 degrees
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Chaz Teplin spent $30,000 to electrify his home and tracked what happened during the winter storm. The winter storm that blanketed much of the US in late December put Chaz Teplin's green-home renovation to the test. Modern heat pumps can keep homes warm from snowy Colorado to chilly Maine and come with a fail-safe known as electric-resistance heating. Despite the name, heat pumps both warm and cool a home by circulating heat from indoors to outdoors and back again. After the winter storm, Teplin said he compared notes with a neighbor who has a gas-powered system.

☆ Homeowners spent up to $6,000 average on repairs, maintenance in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Sarah O'Brien | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"For a $400,000 home, the [$4,420] in maintenance and emergency spending in our report is closer to 1%. Maintenance costs may reduce repair expensesWhile it's wise to have money set aside, maintenance can help reduce what you spend on unexpected repairs, Hicks said. "We're seeing an increased focus on maintenance activities, which is good to see," Hicks said. While the specifics of a necessary roof repair determine the cost, the average is $1,000, according to thisoldhouse.com. That compares to an average $3,342 shelled out for water-damage repairs, according to Angi.

☆ Cramer: Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and Google will fuel the next rally — but not in the usual way
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Those who fought this trend abandoned Twitter, hired bodyguards and tried to hide from the angry mob that was attempting to will stocks higher by savaging the sellers. As a result, they overran their brains and outsourced them to others who claimed to know more than they did. My point is this: The crypto con and the Robinhood dollar conflagration can't produce enough money to buoy stocks. We will hold Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT), Alphabet (GOOGL) and Amazon , even as we've trimmed them higher. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

☆ Heat pumps are an energy upgrade for homeowners that's becoming a climate and financial winner
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Cheryl Winokur Munk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Heat pumps are becoming more popular for residential housing with energy prices increasing and the need to reduce use of fossil fuel heating systems. Thinking about a home heat pump? The use of heat pumps will become more common as governments legislate their adoption. Here are four important things to know about upgrading your home to a heat pump system. "While there's an upfront cost, millions of homeowners would save money with a heat pump over the life of the device," he said.

☆ Another OPEC? Indonesia wants to create a cartel for battery metals
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Julia Horowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The nickel market is also structured very differently than the market for crude oil, with private firms rather than national companies running the show. The country now accounts for more than 38% of global refined nickel supply, according to data from market intelligence firm CRU Group. People who track the nickel market are skeptical such an arrangement is workable. But other countries that have direct access to battery metals and other important minerals also want a say. “The metals market and its importance to the energy transition is something we’re all waking up to and adapting to how it’s going to work in practice,” Bronze said.

☆ Real estate investing 'created this life of freedom': Michigan couple brings in $11,000 a month for only 2 hours of work
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Megan Sauer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Those real estate ventures aren't their only income streams. But the real estate business is particularly important to them, both financially and symbolically, they say. Of their multiple income streams, the real estate investments give them the most bang for their buck. High costs, high rewardsAfter realizing they had a knack for flipping housing, the couple started venturing into real estate during the winters, when Michigan weddings were sparse. Jamie and Sarah spend an additional 40% of those earnings on services like trash collection, ground maintenance and pest control.

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☆ 'Easy to bully': A corporate landlord in Cincinnati is aggressive in trying to evict tenants, critics say
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Gretchen Morgenson | Gretchen Morgenson Is The Senior Financial Reporter For The Nbc News Investigative Unit. A Former Stockbroker | She Won The Pulitzer Prize In For Her | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +13 min

“We had the exact same story and the exact same company — VineBrook Homes,” Allen told NBC News. VineBrook Homes Trust Inc., which owns over 3,000 single-family homes in the Cincinnati area, is one of the most aggressive landlords in bringing eviction proceedings against its residents, they say. A big institutional owner of over 24,000 single-family homes in mostly lower-income areas, VineBrook Homes is a real estate investment trust (REIT) with properties in 18 states, including Alabama, Indiana, Missouri and Mississippi. “I left in Dec. 2021,” Jenkins told NBC News. Vinebrook Homes owns over 3,000 single-family homes in the Cincinnati area, including many in suburbs like North College Hill.

☆ Michelle Obama opens up about realities of menopause, undergoing hormone therapy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Gina Vivinetto | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Michelle Obama is getting candid about the physical changes in her body since reaching menopause. I’m going through it, and I know all of my friends are going through it. Like many women in menopause, Obama and some of her boot camp pals have put on weight. “I am still physically active,” she added, “and my goal now, instead of having ‘Michelle Obama arms,’ I just want to keep moving.”In August 2020, Obama opened up about going through menopause on the “Michelle Obama Podcast,” where she revealed that she began using hormone replacement therapy while living in the White House. “He didn’t fall apart because he found out there were several women in his staff that were going through menopause.

☆ One of China's inflation gauges drops for the first time since 2020
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

China's producer price index fell year-on-year in October 2022 for the first time since December 2020. BEIJING — China's producer price index fell in October for the first time since December 2020, dragged down by drops in iron and steel prices, according to official data released Wednesday. The producer price index, which tracks the price of raw materials and other input costs, fell by 1.3% in October from a year ago. Changes in China's producer price index tend to precede similar changes in that of the U.S. by about one or two months, Francoise Huang, senior economist at Allianz Trade, said in October. While inflation has surged in the U.S. and Europe, China's consumer price index has remained subdued due to lackluster domestic demand.

☆ BHP Group, ArcelorMittal trial carbon capture at Europe, US steel plants
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoLONDON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - BHP Group (BHP.AX) is teaming up with steelmaker ArcelorMittal (MT.LU) and two others to test a new technology to reduce carbon emissions in steel making at two plants in Belgium and North America. By discharging over 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, the steel industry accounts for 7-9% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. BHP's partnerships, for example, also include one with India's Tata Steel (TISC.NS), which uses biomass as a source of energy. "There isn't a silver bullet, there isn't one path or technology for low-carbon emissions in steelmaking," Pant said. "We are covering many different technologies and geographies with these partnerships ... to enable lower GHG emissions steel and support the reduction of carbon intensity in blast furnaces," Pant said.

☆ 3M Sales Fall as Weaker Consumer Demand, Strong Dollar Pressure Results
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Bob Tita | Will Feuer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

3M said the strong dollar reduced sales by about 5% in the latest quarter. 3M cut its profit and sales forecast for the year, as weakening demand from customers and the U.S. dollar’s strength against foreign currencies pulled down quarterly sales. Sales of the industrial conglomerate’s products, which include Scotch tape, bandages, furnace filters and safety equipment, fell 3.6% from the same period last year, 3M said. Executives said inflation weighed on consumer spending, and declining cases of Covid-19 reduced demand for the company’s face masks.

☆ A 55-year-old who never made more than $52,000 a year built a 25-unit real estate portfolio in 5 years and is now financially independent: 'If I can do it as a basic blue-collar worker raising a famil
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-09 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

A former cop who never earned more than $52,000 built a 25-unit real estate portfolio. He spends time managing his investments, including a 25-unit real estate portfolio, which Insider verified. Here's how Mark built a 25-unit real estate portfolio in just five years on a salary that never exceeded $52,000 a year. He agreed, called up a real estate agent he knew in the area, and told her he wanted to invest in real estate. "At that time, I had not read any real estate books, I had not watched any YouTube videos, and I really didn't know anything about buying real estate," said Mark.

☆ Steel makers fear deepening crisis from energy crunch as output halted
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Philip Blenkinsop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Stainless metal coils are seen at the Belgian site of stainless steel maker Aperam, which has been forced to slow production due to spiralling energy prices, in Genk, Belgium September 22, 2022. Even with four wind turbines and over 50,000 solar panels at its site in eastern Belgium, stainless steel maker Aperam has been forced to halt production as surging energy prices bite. Hallemans says the potential payout producers such as Aperam would receive is unclear and could be months away, with energy prices sky-high just as Aperam seeks to bind customers to annual contracts. ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe has trimmed production there, with customers hesitant in the face of an emerging recession and energy prices that challenge its international competitiveness. Eurofer says the situation has worsened markedly since its August forecast of a modest 1.7% decline of European steel consumption this year, but a solid 5.6% rebound in 2023.

☆ Answering people's questions about RVs made $115,000 in a year. Here's how I turned niche expertise into easy income.
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-01 | by ( Chris Stokel-Walker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Randall Gibbons, 76, used to own an RV business, but now answers questions online about motor homes. This is how he got into answering questions online, as told to Chris Stokel-Walker. I thought that sounded like a great deal, so I went online, found a Buick guy, asked him a question, and he helped me fix my car. I said yes, because I already had what was basically a full-time job answering questions online. So I'd answer questions in my free time and make around $400 or $500 a month.

Property taxes : Tax liabilities vary from state to state and within each state, amounts can differ from town to town. : Tax liabilities vary from state to state and within each state, amounts can differ from town to town. Some of these costs include lawn care, landscaping, trash pickup, and minor fix-ups. Some of these costs include lawn care, landscaping, trash pickup, and minor fix-ups. : Amounts vary based on whether it is heating or cooling season, but homeowners still must take these costs into account.

I learned I'll be paying Private Mortgage Insurance for years, an extra $100 a month expense. Plus, my insurance company demanded I install a new roof, sewage backed up into my basement, and more. But the relief didn't last for long: Turns out, there were a myriad of unexpected costs to tackle in my first month of homeownership. But a lot of items were ruined, adding up to a substantial unexpected cost. And what's underneath your home might surprise you when it comes to the cost of maintenance.

I have several rental properties, and in my first year as a landlord, I learned a few lessons that could have saved me money if I'd known. Also, it's important to have good contractors lined up for when you need them, and to keep good tenants. With the purchase of your first rental property, you're not just a homeowner, you're an entrepreneur. Houses — and tenants — require tending; there's no such thing as a rental property that runs itself. Here are six things I learned when I first became a landlord.

☆ More than 300 people live year-round in Death Valley, one of the hottest places on Earth. Here's what it's like.
▼ + stars: | 2020-08-19 | by ( Susie Neilson | Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

It takes time to get used to the heatTaylor's first summer in Death Valley was "pretty hard," he said. The Death Valley community stays closeCow Creek, Timbisha Shoshone Village, and Stovepipe Wells, Death Valley's three main year-round communities, are remote: The nearest town is an hour's drive. Yes, Death Valley residents go running. Climate change is making life in Death Valley even tougherThe coronavirus pandemic has made it harder for the small group of Death Valley residents to gather, but they're staying in touch via technology like everyone else. In Death Valley, six of the 10 hottest months on record have occurred in the last 20 years.

Pros Check mark icon A check mark. Competitive APY Check mark icon A check mark. No opening deposit or minimum account balance Check mark icon A check mark. Easy to save for various goals Check mark icon A check mark. Easy to save for various goals Check mark icon A check mark.

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