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☆ Is the Electoral College Becoming Fairer?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( David Leonhardt | More About David Leonhardt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Many political analysts (including me) assumed that Trump’s presidency would aggravate racial gaps in voting, given Trump’s embrace of white nationalism. White voters have moved toward the Democratic Party, while Asian, Black and Hispanic voters have moved to the right. Voters of color still lean clearly Democratic, and white voters clearly Republican, but the shifts are big enough to matter. White voters have helped Democrats win recent elections in the Midwest and Georgia, while voters of color have helped Republicans keep their hold on Florida and Texas. The most progressive segment of the American public, by contrast, is disproportionately white, the Pew Research Center has documented.

Persons: Trump, Covid, Republicans ’, lockdowns Organizations: Democratic Party, Republican, Midwest and, —, Republican Party, Republicans, Equis, Pew Research Center Locations: Midwest, Midwest and Georgia, Florida, Texas, U.S

☆ Number of billion-dollar weather disasters in US blows through annual record with four months left in the year
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

This year’s billion-dollar disasters have caused 253 direct and indirect fatalities and have resulted in $57.6 billion in damage, NOAA data shows. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Ken Kruse looks out at floodwaters surrounding his apartment complex in Tarpon Springs, Florida, on August 30. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Florida's Fort Myers Beach is seen during high tide ahead of Hurricane Idalia on August 29. Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg/Getty Images Shelves are left empty at a Target store in Gainesville, Florida, on August 29. Sarah Salmonese sits where her apartment once stood in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Friday, August 11.

Persons: CNN — It’s, Idalia, Hilary, Rachel Cleetus, ” Cleetus, Cristobal Herrera, Shutterstock, Sean Rayford, Cheney Orr, Reuters Jewell Baggett, Ulashkevich, EFE, Thomas Simonetti, Jack Lemburg, Richard Burkhart, Douglas R, Clifford, Zuma Press Donnye Franklin, Joe Raedle, Rebecca Blackwell, Ron DeSantis, Savannah Alderman Nick Palumbo, Ken Kruse, Hurricane Idalia, Eva Marie Uzcategui, Christian Monterrosa, Stephen M, Dowell, Reagan Ortagus, Tyler, Bob Self, NOAA Ana Iris Aguiar, Alexandre Meneghini, Marco Bello, Adrees Latif, Samson, Victor Cassano's, Chris O'Meara, Yamil Lage, Sharon Walsh, Doug Engle, Christine Willis, Andrew West, Harvey, Irma, Maria, Adam Smith, Michael, Laura, Ida, Ian, ” Smith, Deanne Criswell, Sarah Salmonese, Go Nakamura, Ken Alba, Jae C, Yuki Iwamura, Patrick T, Fallon, Bryan Anselm, Mike Blake, Matthew A, Foster, Rick Bowmer, Lauren Haley, Makalea Ahhee, Justin Sullivan, Max Whittaker, Zoltan Balogh, Robert Gauthier, Mengshin Lin, Evelio Contreras, CNN Vixay Phonxaylinkham, Lana, Phonoxaylinkham, Marco Garcia, Claire Rush, Myrna Ah Hee, Sui, Ty O'Neil, Ku'u Kauanoe, ZUMA, Matthew Thayer, Criswell, It’s, ” Criswell, Cleetus, ” Organizations: CNN, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Idalia, NOAA, Tropical, Union of Concerned, “, Tampa Bay Times, ZUMA Press, Reuters, Press, Washington Post, Angels Episcopal Church, Savannah Morning, USA, Network Rescue, Zuma Press, AP Florida Gov, Savannah, Bloomberg, Getty, Duke, Orlando Sentinel, Florida Times, Union, AP, Reuters Pike Electric, Southwest Airlines, Tampa International Airport, Reuters Home Depot, Reuters Fort Myers, Federal Emergency Management, FEMA, Senate, Ukraine, New York Times, Staff, US Army National Guard, Maui Police, Facility, AP Volunteers, Grace Baptist, Volunteers, Los Angeles Times, Kahului Airport, Technologies, Kahului, AP Helicopters, Hawaii Army National Guard, Hawaii National Guard, Reuters Residents, ZUMA Passengers, Maui News Locations: United States, South, Midwest, California, Horseshoe Beach , Florida, Bend, Tampa, Horseshoe Beach, Perry , Florida, Keaton Beach , Florida, Madison , Florida, Steinhatchee , Florida, Samarra, St, Savannah , Georgia, Savannah, Steinhatchee, Crystal River , Florida, Perry, Crystal, Tarpon Springs , Florida, Mayo , Florida, Tarpon Springs, Myers, Hurricane, Gainesville , Florida, Sumterville , Florida, Johns County , Florida, Florida, NOAA, La Coloma, Cuba, Clearwater , Florida, Playa Majana, Suwannee , Florida, Batabanó, AFP, Guanimar, Ocala , Florida, USA, Reuters Fort Myers Beach, Gulf, Lahaina , Hawaii, Lahaina, Hawaii, Maui, Wahikuli, Wailuku, Kula , Hawaii, Kula, Kihei, West Maui, Grace, Napili, Honokowai, Honolulu, Maalaea, Kahului, Las Vegas, Church, Lahaina Hongwanji

☆ Apartment rents are on the verge of declining due to massive new supply
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Apartment rents have been cooling off sharply for several months, and they look like they're about to go negative compared with a year ago. The issue instead is just a massive amount of apartment supply. While rents nationally haven't gone negative yet, they have in several local markets. One exception is New York, where rents were up just 1.9% annually as significant supply comes on the market. Looking ahead, supply should remain high through next year, which will push rents lower potentially through 2025.

Persons: That's Locations: Austin , Texas, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Jacksonville , Florida, Midwest, New York

All fuel centers and pharmacies associated with the divested stores will remain with the stores and continue to operate. Kroger, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, bid $20 billion for Albertsons. C&S, which was founded in 1918, is a supplier to independent grocery stores, supplying more than 7,500 independent supermarkets, retail chain stores and military bases. It currently runs Grand Union grocery stores and Piggly Wiggly franchise and corporate-owned stores in the Midwest and Carolinas. Shares of Kroger Co., based in Ohio, rose 5% Thursday and Albertsons Cos., based in Idaho, rose 3%.

Persons: Debi Lilly Design, Primo Taglio, Kroger, ” Kroger, Rodney McMullen Organizations: Kroger, Albertsons, S Wholesale Grocers, Waterfront Bistro, Walmart, Amazon, Aldi, Winn, Dixie, Federal Trade Commission, Union, Kroger Co, Albertsons Cos Locations: Cincinnati , Ohio, Midwest, Carolinas, Ohio, Idaho

DETROIT (AP) — The United Auto Workers union on Friday rejected wage and benefit offers from all three Detroit automakers, raising tensions just six days before a strike deadline for 146,000 employees. Union President Shawn Fain told workers in a Facebook Live appearance that he filed proposals from Ford, General Motors and Stellantis in a wastebasket. Stellantis offered wage increases in each year of a new four-year contract totaling 14.5%. To handle inflation, Ford offered cost of living pay that he called severely deficient, while GM and Stellantis offered lump sums. All companies kept tiers of wages for factory workers but lowered the number of years needed to reach full pay, he said.

Persons: Shawn Fain, ”, Fain, Stellantis, counterproposal, GM’s, Mark Stewart, Stewart, ” Fain, “ Organizations: DETROIT, United Auto Workers, Detroit, Union, General Motors, Fiat Chrysler, Ford, France's PSA Peugeot, U.S, GM Locations: Ford, North America, Stellantis

Many companies have complained about poor railroad service over the past couple years as the industry worked to recover from the depths of the pandemic. It, however, welcomed regulators establishing some clear minimum service standards for railroads that never existed before and requiring railroads to report more details about their performance. Getting the rule right is important because roughly 75% of refineries and petrochemical manufacturers are only served by a single railroad. Canadian regulators have long had similar rules that allow companies to hire other railroads to deliver their goods. The Canadian rules don't require companies to prove they are getting poor service like the proposed new U.S. rules.

Persons: Scott Jensen, Martin Oberman, ” Oberman, Rob Benedict, Benedict, Ian Jefferies, ” Jefferies, Jeremy Ferguson, ” Ferguson Organizations: — Companies, Surface Transportation, American Chemistry Council, Chemistry, American, and Petrochemical Manufacturers, Association of American Railroads, Transportation Division, International Association of, Rail, Transportation Workers Locations: OMAHA, Neb, U.S, North America, Canada, Mexico

☆ Opinion | The American Renaissance Is Already at Hand
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( David Brooks | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

A forecast from Bloomberg Economics now projects that the size of the Chinese economy will not successfully surpass the size of the American economy — despite its vastly greater population. But the core problems are endemic to the regime: Centralized authoritarian control is incompatible with a wide-open, innovative, free-flowing modern economy. Open information flow is crucial to any nation; when the state suppresses information unflattering to the regime, then everything is bound to sink into mediocrity. Since late 2021, investment in the construction of manufacturing facilities has more than doubled. Chips, electric vehicles, renewable energy sources and batteries are being manufactured in places like Michigan, Kentucky, Minnesota and Arizona.

Organizations: Bloomberg Economics, . Locations: China, America, Midwest, Michigan , Kentucky, Minnesota, Arizona

DETROIT (AP) — The head of the United Auto Workers warned Wednesday that the union plans to go on strike against any Detroit automaker that hasn't reached a new agreement by the time contracts expire next week. “That’s the plan,” President Shawn Fain responded when asked if the union would strike any of the companies that haven’t reached a tentative deal by the time their national contracts end. In an interview with The Associated Press, Fain left open the possibility of avoiding a strike. He acknowledged, more explicitly than he has before, that the union will have to give up some of its demands to reach agreements. Last week, the union filed charges of unfair labor practices against Stellantis and GM, and it said Ford's economic offer fell far short of its demands.

Persons: hasn't, “, Shawn Fain, haven’t, Ford, Fain, don’t, Stellantis, Marick, Masters, ” Organizations: DETROIT, United Auto Workers, Detroit, —, Motors, Stellantis, Associated Press, GM, Ford, Fiat Chrysler, UAW, Wayne State University Locations: Detroit

☆ Big Farms and Flawless Fries Are Gulping Water in the Land of 10,000 Lakes
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Dionne Searcey | Mira Rojanasakul | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +19 min

UNCHARTED WATERS Big Farms and Flawless Fries Are Gulping Water in the Land of 10,000 Lakes When Minnesota farmers cranked up their wells in a drought, they blew through state limits. The location of the White Earth Reservation is also shown, in the upper left portion of the map. Cloud St. Paul Minneapolis Rochester Sandy Soils WHITE EARTH RESERVATION Duluth Irrigation Wells St. Cloud St. Paul Minneapolis Rochester Sandy Soils WHITE EARTH RESERVATION Duluth Irrigation Wells St. “There’s a lot of water in this area.”His farm is awaiting approval for two new state permits for irrigation wells.

Persons: Warren, Mike Tauber, they’ve, ”, Trevor Milbrett, Warren Warmbold, “, Mr, Warmbold, Offutt, Ellen Considine, don’t, Carlos Gonzalez, It’s, farming’s, Robert Glennon, John Nieber, Paul Minneapolis, Nieber, White, Jamie Konopacky, Allan Armstrong, Armstrong, Armstrong’s, Austin Tersteeg, Erskine, Tersteeg Organizations: R.D, Offutt, Minnesota Department of Natural, New York Times, Irrigation, Farmers, state’s Department of Natural Resources, United States Department of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture, Star Tribune, Getty, Park Rapids ., University of Minnesota, Twin, Paul Minneapolis Rochester Sandy, Paul Minneapolis, White, Department of Natural Locations: Lakes, Minnesota, R.D, Warren, Minn, Backus, Eagle Bend, United States, Midwest, Park Rapids, In Minnesota, North Dakota, America, Offutt, Twin Cities, Sandy, Duluth, Wells St, Cloud, Paul, Paul Minneapolis Rochester, Austin, Red Lake County

☆ Forget snowbirds: 'Sweat birds' flee the heat of Texas and Arizona to spend summer in cooler northern climates
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

It allows them to partake in outdoor activities in the summer and provides a change of scenery. "I have never been happy with the heat," Woudenberg told Insider. "Sweat birds" — or "fire birds," which Woudenberg prefers — ditch the heat and opt for a cooler experience in the summer by relocating north. Northern California provides some relief from the Dallas heat for one sweat birdChuck Anderson is originally from Nebraska but has lived in Dallas since 1980. He naturally gravitates toward warmer climates, he said, but Dallas' summer weather has become a bit too much.

Persons: Cindy Woudenberg, Woudenberg, it's, Mike Pennekamp, Galia, Mike, Chuck Anderson, Kim Anderson, Chuck Anderson Anderson, Anderson, Kim, Dallas, Realty Anderson Organizations: Service, Midwest, Dallas, Anderson, Realty Locations: Wall, Silicon, Phoenix, Woudenberg, Baldwin , Michigan, Grand Rapids, Arizona, Arizona and Michigan, Michigan, In Michigan, Lake Michigan, Florida, Idaho, Miami, snowbirds , Florida, South Florida, Driggs , Idaho, Jackson , Wyoming, North Carolina, Teton, California, Nebraska, Dallas, Colorado , Idaho, Montana, Truckee , California, Nevada, Reno, Lake Tahoe, Truckee

☆ Case Shiller: Home prices rose for the fifth straight month in June
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington, DC CNN —Home prices rose again in June, marking the fifth successive month of gains, and remaining near the all-time highs notched a year ago. Prices rose 0.7% from the month before, according to seasonally adjusted data from the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US National Home Price Index released Tuesday. While home prices have remained strong in 2023, stubbornly high mortgage rates complicate the situation for potential homebuyers, said Selma Hepp, CoreLogic’s chief economist. Home prices in San Francisco were down 9.7% from a year ago and Seattle prices fell by 8.8%. “Many existing homeowners remain on the sidelines of the market, content to stay put as mortgage rates reach 20-year highs,” said Jones.

Persons: ”, Craig Lazzara, Selma Hepp, Hannah Jones, Freddie Mac, Jones Organizations: DC CNN, Realtor.com, ” Builders, “ Locations: Washington, “, Midwest, New England, Cities, Chicago, Cleveland, New York, West, San Francisco, Seattle

☆ The 10 hottest ZIP codes in America right now
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Leading the pack are ZIP codes in the Midwest and Northeast, where housing remains relatively affordable. Realtor.com reported America's hottest ZIP codes as of June 2023. Using internal listing data from from January to June 2023, the brokerage ranked homebuying demand.in all 29,000 US ZIP codes. Topping Realtor.com's list of 2023's hottest US ZIP codes is 43230, belonging to Gahanna,, a central Ohio city of 35,127 residents. If Ohio isn't your vibe, Realtor.com has identified other popular ZIP codes in states like Connecticut, New York and Pennsylvania.

Persons: Realtor.com, Hannah Jones, Read Organizations: Service, Phoenix, of, Columbus International Locations: Midwest, Northeast, Wall, Silicon, Austin, Boise, Gahanna, Ohio, of Ohio, Downtown Columbus, Columbus, Connecticut , New York, Pennsylvania

☆ Nvidia set the market alight last quarter. Can it repeat the trick?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Artificial intelligence darling Nvidia’s upcoming earnings report could be a boost or a drag on a market already mired in the summer doldrums. Nvidia reached a $1 trillion market cap in May, becoming the ninth company to achieve that milestone. Tech stocks rose on Monday, indicating optimism among investors about Nvidia’s earnings. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite index on Monday gained 1.6%, marking its biggest one-day jump this month and stalling the recent sell-off in tech stocks. Tech stocks faltered somewhat on Tuesday, as weak retail earnings and elevated Treasury yields put pressure on stocks.

Persons: Jensen Huang, Phillip Toews, that’s, …, ”, Louis Navellier, Dan Ives, Jerome Powell, Anna Bahney, Read, Clare Duffy, —, X Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, CNN, Nvidia, Toews Asset Management, US Federal Reserve, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Tesla, Navellier, Associates, Tech, Nasdaq, Wedbush Securities, Federal, Kansas City, Dow Jones, National Association of Realtors, NAR, Homeowners, Twitter Locations: Jackson Hole , Wyoming, Northeast, Midwest, West

☆ US home prices rose in July after 5 months of declines
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington, DC CNN —US home buyers have a new challenge in addition to mortgage rates above 7%: Prices are rising again, reversing five months of year-over-year declines, according to a National Association of Realtors report released Tuesday. Prices rose in the Northeast, Midwest and South but were unchanged in the West in July, the NAR report found. Current homeowners are refusing to sell and are hunkering down with their ultra-low mortgage rates that are at least half the current rates. Sales of existing homes — which include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops — dropped below expectations and were down 2.2% from June to July. “Two factors are driving current sales activity — inventory availability and mortgage rates,” said NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun.

Persons: —, ”, Lawrence Yun, Freddie Mac, Melissa Cohn Organizations: DC CNN, National Association of Realtors, NAR, ”, William, Mortgage Locations: Washington, Northeast, Midwest, West

☆ US existing home sales drop, but prices up from a year earlier
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Safiyah Riddle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Sales fell in the Northeast, Midwest and South, but rose in the West. Home resales, which account for a big chunk of U.S. housing sales, fell 16.6% on a year-on-year basis in July. At July's sales pace, it would take 3.3 months to exhaust the current inventory of existing homes, up from 3.2 months a year ago. The median existing house price rose 1.9% from a year earlier to $406,700 in July, the fourth time it has topped $400,000. "Two factors are driving current sales activity - inventory availability and mortgage rates," said Lawrence Yun, the NAR's chief economist.

Persons: Sarah Silbiger, Freddie Mac, Lawrence Yun, Safiyah Riddle, Paul Simao Organizations: REUTERS, National Association of Realtors, Reuters, Federal, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Northeast, Midwest

☆ Biden Visits Hawaii Biden Heads to Maui to See Wildfire Devastation
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Peter Baker | Zolan Kanno-Youngs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

Terri Thomas’s family has been waiting for days. “It’s tragic — this hopeless feeling,” said Ms. Thomas’s niece, Terra Thomas, who lives in North Carolina. Spotty-to-nonexistent phone reception, especially in the immediate aftermath, made it hard for survivors to contact loved ones. Chief John Pelletier of the Maui Police Department urged people searching for loved ones to take a DNA test that could help identify their remains. Once the couple was able to inform loved ones they were safe, the social media attention proved helpful.

Persons: Terri Thomas’s, Thomas, Thomas’s, “, ”, Terra Thomas, Jill Tokuda, “ It’s, Noelle Manriquez, John Pelletier of, Pelletier, ” Terra Thomas, Terri Thomas, Harry, Toni Troupe, Toni, Max Whittaker, ” Emily Cochrane Organizations: Democrat, Maui Police Department, ”, The New York Times, huskies, Credit, Facebook Locations: Lahaina, Hawaii, North Carolina, Maui, Congress, West Maui, State, Napili, Honokowai, Ohio, Midwest, Bali

☆ Tennessee natgas pipeline declares force majeure due to fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The headquarters of U.S. energy exporter and pipeline operator Kinder Morgan Inc. is seen in Houston, Texas, U.S. September 27, 2020. REUTERS/Gary McWilliams Acquire Licensing RightsAug 18 (Reuters) - Kinder Morgan (KMI.N) unit Tennessee Gas Pipeline on Friday declared force majeure due to an explosion and fire caused by equipment failure at a compressor station near Centerville in Hickman County. The fire was extinguished, and there were no injuries and all personnel had been evacuated, the company told Reuters in an email, adding that Highway 48 has been isolated and closed as a precaution. Tennessee Pipeline is an interstate natural gas pipeline system that gathers gas from basins between Texas and Alabama and delivers it to the Northeast, Midwest and Southeast. Reporting by Seher Dareen and Rahul Paswan in Bengaluru Editing by Marguerita ChoyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Gary McWilliams, Kinder Morgan, Seher Dareen, Rahul Paswan, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Kinder Morgan Inc, REUTERS, Tennessee Gas Pipeline, Reuters, Tennessee Pipeline, Thomson Locations: Houston , Texas, U.S, Centerville, Hickman County, Texas, Alabama, Midwest, Bengaluru

☆ US home builders ramped up construction in July, beating expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Housing starts, a measure of new-home construction, climbed to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.452 million in the month, beating market expectations of 1.448 million, according to data released Wednesday by the Census Bureau. “Buyers embraced new homes in the first half of this year as a welcome alternative to the massive shortage of existing homes,” Ratiu said. The slight increase in starts suggests builders have some optimism, she said, though it remains to be seen what future mortgage rate increases may mean for the market. “In many cases, even repurchasing their same home at today’s mortgage rates would be out of a typical buyer’s price range.”Mortgage rates are hovering around 7% and interested buyer traffic is slowing down for some builders. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, released Tuesday looks at current sales, buyer traffic and the outlook for sales of new construction homes over the next six months.

Persons: George Ratiu, “ Buyers, ” Ratiu, “ Homebuilders, ”, “, eeking, Kelly Mangold, ” Mangold, Alicia Huey, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, LEN, Horton Organizations: DC CNN, Housing, Census, “, West, Real Estate Consulting, National Association of Home Builders Locations: Washington, Midwest, West, Wells Fargo, Lennar

☆ US housing starts surge in boost to economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The sharp rebound in groundbreaking on single-family housing units reported by the Commerce Department on Wednesday was another sign of the economy continuing to defy dire forecasts of a recession. Single-family housing starts, which account for the bulk of homebuilding, jumped 6.7% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 983,000 units last month. The increase in groundbreaking was led by the West, where single-family starts soared 28.5%. Overall housing starts increased 3.9% to a rate of 1.452 million units in July. TIGHT SUPPLYDespite the rise in starts, housing supply is likely to remain tight.

Persons: Mike Blake, homebuilding, Christopher Rupkey, Freddie Mac, Nancy Vanden, Daniel Silver, Goldman Sachs, Lucia Mutikani, Chizu Organizations: REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Commerce Department, Federal, National Association of Home Builders, Reuters, Oxford Economics, Treasury, Realtors, U.S, Fed, JPMorgan, Thomson Locations: San Marcos , California, U.S, New York, homebuilding, Nancy Vanden Houten, Midwest

☆ Homebuilder sentiment drops sharply, as mortgage rates surge over 7%
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Rising mortgage rates are hitting potential homebuyers hard, and that is taking steam out of the homebuilding market. That is the first decline in seven months and the lowest level since May, when sentiment first rose out of negative territory. Mortgage rates are now holding solidly over 7%, hitting 7.24% Monday, according to Mortgage News Daily. Higher mortgage rates and the decline in buyer activity has more builders using sales incentives once again. The share of builders using all types of incentives, including buying down interest rates, rose to 55% in August from 52% in July.

Persons: Alicia Huey, NAHB, Robert Dietz, NAHB's Organizations: National Association of Home Builders, Mortgage News Locations: Wells Fargo, Birmingham , Alabama, Midwest

☆ Maui wildfire death toll of 55 expected to rise amid search for victims
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Marco Garcia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

KAHULUI, Hawaii, Aug 11 (Reuters) - The death toll from a wildfire that killed at least 55 people on Hawaii's Maui island was expected to rise on Friday, as search teams prepared to comb through the charred ruins of a historic resort town for more victims. "Understand this: Lahaina Town is hallowed, sacred ground right now," Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said, referring to humans remains that have yet to be recovered. In addition to searching for the missing, officials were drafting a plan to house the newly homeless in hotels and tourist rental properties. The Lahaina fire is one of three major wildfires on Maui. There was no estimate for the Upcountry fire in the center of the eastern mass of the island, Maui County said.

Persons: John Pelletier, Poweroutage.us, Richard Bissen, NBC's, Knickerbocker, Josh Green, Green, Kamehameha III's, Gregory Knickerbocker, Nicoangelo, Brendan O'Brien, Frank McGurty, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Maui Police, Authorities, U.S . Midwest, Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Reuters, Thomson Locations: KAHULUI, Hawaii, Maui, Lahaina, California, Washington, Maui County, Oahu, Kahului, U.S, Kingdom of Hawaii, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Europe, Canada, East Coast, Maui ., Chicago

☆ Market sentiment around commercial real estate is worse than the reality, says RXR's Scott Rechler
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMarket sentiment around commercial real estate is worse than the reality, says RXR's Scott RechlerScott Rechler, RXR chairman and CEO, joins 'Last Call' to talk a rise in return-to-office in the Midwest and how other regions of the country are stacking up.

Persons: RXR's Scott Rechler Scott Rechler Locations: Midwest

☆ Longtime Democratic Rep. John Dingell, who helped make the NRA's lobbying arm into a political force, privately sought to repeal the 1994 assault weapons ban that he voted for: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The late Rep. John Dingell played a major role in the rise of the NRA's lobbying operation in DC. In the 1970s, Dingell advocated for the NRA, in an era where many Democrats backed the group. The New York Times examined a trove of documents which outlined Dingell's relationship with the NRA. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. But according to Debbie Dingell, her late husband's views on the NRA and guns had shifted during his nearly 60-year political career.

Persons: John Dingell, Dingell, John Dingell of, Bill Clinton, Dingell's, Debbie Dingell, — Organizations: DC, NRA, New York Times, Service, Democrat, The New York Times, The Times, Capitol, Republicans, Times, Columbine High School, Sandy Hook Elementary Locations: Wall, Silicon, John Dingell of Michigan, Detroit, Midwest, Littleton , Colorado, Newtown , Connecticut

☆ Half of US faces dangerous sweltering heat wave
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CHICAGO, July 28 (Reuters) - One of every two Americans will face brutally hot and dangerous temperatures and sweltering humidity as a unrelenting heat wave settles over the Midwest and East Coast on Friday and into the weekend. Excessive heat warnings and heat advisories have been issued for more than 170 million Americans as heat index temperatures in many spots are expected to rise well past 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 C) through Saturday afternoon, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. In Philadelphia, where the heat index could top out at 108 degrees F (42 C), officials extended public pool and spray grounds hours on Friday and Saturday. It also was the 47th consecutive June and the 532nd consecutive month with temperatures above the 20th-century average, according to the weather service. The hot weather through much of the U.S. is expected to dissipated by late Saturday, leaving behind chances of thunderstorms and mild temperatures into next week, the weather service said.

Persons: Brendan O'Brien, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Midwest, National Weather Service, NWS, Thomson Locations: East Coast, Chicago , New York, Philadelphia, Boston, U.S, New York City, United States, Chicago

☆ Mysterious meat allergy passed by ticks may affect hundreds of thousands in US, CDC estimates
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Lack of awareness, lack of diagnosisScientists have only recently begun to understand alpha-gal syndrome. Another third of respondents said they were not confident about their ability to diagnose or manage a patient with alpha-gal allergy. Diagnoses on the riseResearchers haven’t had a good idea how many Americans might have alpha-gal syndrome. This led to them to estimate that between 96,000 and 450,000 Americans may have been affected by alpha-gal syndrome since 2010. A CDC map shows the geographic distribution of suspected alpha-gal syndrome cases per 1 million population per year from 2017 to 2022.

Persons: Ken McCullick, “, …, “ I’m, ” McCullick, ”, Scott Commins, aren’t, they’d, wasn’t, haven’t, epidemiologists, Commins, ” Commins, Johanna Salzer, CNN Salzer, ” Salzer, Salzer, McCullick, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, anaphylaxis, ‘, ’, lightbulb Organizations: CNN, Alpha, US Centers for Disease Control, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, CDC, “, Get CNN, CNN Health Locations: Brooksville , Florida, United States, Lenexa , Kansas, Midwest

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