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☆ Home prices could drop 10% 'in many places' this year, said a 50-year real-estate veteran who's witnessed many booms and busts
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Aj Latrace | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

One real-estate veteran sees the housing market cooling down further after a multiyear bull run. As prices fall, he added, there will also likely be a mass exodus of real-estate agents. For instance, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, and Phoenix have all seen their median home prices decline by 10% or higher since the housing market peaked last year. Liniger, who in 1973 established ReMax, which now has 140,000 real-estate agents in 110 countries, has witnessed numerous economic peaks and valleys over his 50-year career in real estate. Real-estate agents may flee the industryHowever, the housing bust of 2008 led to severe attrition of real-estate agents, and that exodus from the industry could be repeated this time around, Liniger said.

☆ Why a U.S. national electric grid would be great for the climate — and is nearly impossible
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +15 min

But the energy grid in the U.S. has developed over decades as a patchwork of thousands of individual utilities serving their own local regions. The Department of Energy is in the process of conducting a National Transmission Planning Study,to look into all of this. "Many mid-U.S. states have excellent wind resources, and the southwest U.S. has excellent solar resources, but the population is insufficient to use them," McCalley told CNBC. Finally, improved energy sharing would also lead to a more reliable energy grid for consumers. At the kickoff for its next round of transmission planning, MISO had a three hour planning meeting with 377 people in the meeting.

☆ In this volatile housing market, here's how to know when the bottom is in
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Tim Mullaney | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

"People for the most part have come to terms with interest rates." No return of 2008, or 3% mortgage rate The biggest reason why housing prices aren't plunging like they did after 2008? At current levels, the Housing Affordability Index says the median buyer can afford the median U.S. home — but barely. Having seen 6 percent interest rates when she bought her first place in 2007, she's not daunted by today's rates, she said. "People have wrapped their heads around where interest rates are, and they have adapted," Fisher said.

[1/5] Eldery people who use the free subway service to deliver parcels gather in Seoul, South Korea, February 8, 2023. "But honestly, I wouldn't be doing it if subway rides weren't free because there wouldn't be much left over for me." Free rides have been a perk enjoyed nationally by those 65 and older for four decades and are credited with keeping senior citizens active. In the greater Seoul area, where almost 3.7 million people are 65 or older, more than 233 million free rides were taken last year. Sixty percent of Koreans support raising the minimum age for senior citizen benefits including free subway rides to 70, according to a Gallup poll released last week.

☆ Kidney dialysis-related infection rates higher in U.S. minorities -report
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Nancy Lapid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Feb 6 (Reuters) - Preventable bloodstream infections related to kidney failure treatment are more common in U.S. Patients whose kidney function falls below a certain level require a dialysis machine periodically to do the organs' work of cleansing the blood. The highest use of central venous catheters was seen in Black patients ages 18 to 49. Even after accounting for use of these catheters, the risk of S. aureus bloodstream infections was still higher in Hispanics than in whites. There were also more S. aureus bloodstream infections in areas with higher poverty, crowding, and lower education levels.

☆ I'm a 17-year-old trans kid in Utah, and I'm uprooting my life because of a law that bans gender-affirming care
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Yelena Dzhanova | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Luka, a 17-year-old trans kid living in Utah, is moving to Portland to evade the ramifications. Then I learned I'm trans. They really, really helped me figure out who I am and helped me feel comfortable living as who I am. So I'm planning to leave Utah. So I'm making the decision to leave Utah as soon as I can.

☆ A Consumption Tax Is the Shock Our Broken System Needs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( John H. Cochrane | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Buddy Carter introduced the “Fair Tax” bill to the House of Representatives, and secured a promise of a floor vote. The bill eliminates the personal and corporate income tax, estate and gift tax, payroll (Social Security and Medicare) tax and the Internal Revenue Service. It replaces them with a single national sales tax. Business investment is exempt, so it is effectively a consumption tax. Each household would get a check each month, so that purchases up to the poverty line are effectively not taxed.

☆ TikTok and its parent company spent about $5.4 million on federal lobbying last year as it faced renewed threats of a ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

TikTok and its parent company ByteDance spent about $5.4 million on federal lobbying in 2022. TikTok and its parent company ByteDance spent about $5.4 million on federal lobbying in 2022, a roughly 4% increase from the previous year, according to year-end disclosures filed by the companies and their hired lobbying firms on Friday. While ByteDance's and TikTok's lobbying spend remained relatively flat between 2021 and 2022, both years represented a significant spike from 2020 when the companies spent around $2.6 million. In late 2020, the Trump administration attempted to ban TikTok's app from US app stores. TikTok's app has faced similar government-device bans at the state level.

☆ University of Texas at Austin blocks TikTok from its IT network
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington CNN —The University of Texas at Austin blocked TikTok from its IT network on Wednesday under an earlier order by Gov. The university had already begun removing TikTok from official cell phones, tablets and other devices as part of complying with the directive, the message continued. The university is not the first to restrict TikTok from its network. The University of Oklahoma and Auburn University in Alabama have each taken steps to clamp down on TikTok in response to governors’ orders in their respective states. In all, more than half of states have banned TikTok from government devices, according to a recent CNN analysis.

☆ No, the GOP isn't going to abolish income tax — or the IRS
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The House is planning to vote on a Republican bill that would abolish the national income tax. It would implement a national sales tax in its place and eliminate the IRS. The House of Representatives is planning to vote on a Republican bill that would abolish the national income tax, payroll tax, and estate tax and replace it with a single national consumption — or sales — tax on the purchase of goods and services. "Go home and tell your moms, they're going to be really excited about that," Biden said of the national sales tax proposal in Thursday remarks. Critics say replacing the national income tax with a consumption tax would be highly regressive and shift the country's tax burden from higher-income Americans to middle- and working-class taxpayers.

Despite layoff announcements and signs of a slowdown elsewhere in the economy, the labor market for clean energy jobs remains tight. said Abigail Ross Hopper, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association trade group. The Biden Administration has repeatedly promised that new green energy jobs would be well-paying union jobs. Some solar companies have tried to recruit veterans, saying the skills learned in military life translate well to the industry. Utility scale solar developer SOLV Energy, SunPower and Nextracker last year teamed up with nonprofit Solar Energy International to fund a women-only training program for solar installers.

COVINGTON, Ky. — A key part of the White House plan to combat the new House GOP majority was on vivid display Wednesday: President Joe Biden talked about bridges and bipartisanship, while Republicans bickered among themselves. They plan to show him addressing real-world problems that are Americans' top concern while painting congressional Republicans as being focused on raw politics. They are refining plans to pressure House Republicans in swing districts to stop any impeachment votes in committee — before the issue reaches the House floor. The general view inside the White House is that there is little of substance to worry about. There, Barack Obama challenged McConnell and congressional Republicans to “help us rebuild this bridge!” and put unemployed construction workers to work.

☆ The soda market is flat, but not for Dr Pepper
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

And recently, Dr Pepper has been gaining ground on its competitors, even as the overall soda market goes flat. “One of the bright spots … has been Dr Pepper.”Founded in 1885 in Waco, Texas, Dr Pepper was the first in a wave of 19th-century upstart soda companies. Courtesy Keurig Dr PepperToday, Dr Pepper advertises itself as a treat, using a pint-sized mascot called Lil’ Sweet in its commercials. After Dr Pepper established itself as an alternative to mainstream colas, it launched on a path that ultimately made it part of the country’s third-largest soft drink maker, Keurig Dr Pepper. Dr Pepper hits the sceneDuring the wave of mega-mergers in the 1980s, Coca-Cola tried to scoop up Dr Pepper.

☆ Some US security officials are considering calling for TikTok owner ByteDance to sell US unit, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Members of the US government are reportedly mulling whether to call for TikTok's US unit to be sold. Ongoing "security concerns" about TikTok are behind the thinking, the Wall Street Journal reported. TikTok is working to "address all reasonable national security concerns," a representative told Insider. Sign up for our newsletter for the latest tech news and scoops — delivered daily to your inbox. Security officials who are part of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. have been considering such a plan, the Wall Street Journal reported.

☆ Some universities are now restricting TikTok access on campus
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A small but growing number of universities are now blocking access to TikTok on school-owned devices or WiFi networks, in the latest sign of a widening crackdown on the popular short-form video app. The 26 universities and colleges in the University System of Georgia are also reportedly taking a similar step. Auburn University in Alabama started restricting access to TikTok on school-owned devices or Wi-Fi networks last week, in accordance with Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey’s recent executive order for state-owned networks and devices to block access to and from the TikTok social media application. But an Auburn University spokesperson told CNN the decision is “not a ban on campus.” TikTok users will still be able to access the app on personal devices via their own mobile data.

☆ Starbucks union organizers wanted credit-card tipping. Now they’re being left out
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

They also wanted a better tipping option. “One of the first public demands that we made last fall, when our campaign launched, was for credit card tipping,” the Starbucks Workers United said in a statement to CNN. The coffee chain has for years allowed customers to tip when they pay using their Starbucks card in the Starbucks app, or to leave a cash tip. But Starbucks (SBUX) only started rolling out the credit and debit card tipping system, which is now available nationally, in September. “Even though union-representated workers do not have credit card tipping at the moment, it still feels like a union victory,” she said.

☆ For the first time in his presidency, Biden's approval rating on Main Street goes up
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Eric Rosenbaum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Carlo Allegri | ReutersIt may not have increased by much, and it's rising from an all-time low, but for the first time during his presidency, Joe Biden's approval rating on Main Street has gone up. The CNBC|SurveyMonkey Small Business Survey for Q4 2022 was conducted Nov. 9-Nov. 16 among nearly 2,600 small business owners. Biden's approval rating still remains heavily partisan: Just 8% of small business owners who are Republican approve of President Biden. "This is the first quarter of Biden's presidency where we've seen any improvement whatsoever in Biden's approval among small business owners, so it's important because it breaks the trend," said Laura Wronski, senior manager of research science at Momentive. Small business owners are more confident this quarter than last, with the overall survey reading moving up modestly and fears of recession declining quarter over quarter.

☆ 'Pancake cereal' went viral on TikTok two years ago. Now IHOP and General Mills are turning it into a thing.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

IHOP and General Mills are making pancake cereal, an homage to the 2020 TikTok trend. Restaurant chain IHOP and General Mills, which makes Cheerios and Lucky Charms, is releasing a blueberry-and-syrup-flavored mini pancake cereal. Pancake cereal took off in early 2020 when TikTok users posted videos of themselves making tiny pancakes – sometimes smaller than a dime. A post shared by Kitchen League (@kitchenleague)"After the viral moment in 2020, we knew guests had an appetite for an IHOP cereal," IHOP Chief Marketing Officer Kieran Donahue said in the statement. The campaign is the company's take on the "dirty soda" trend on TikTok, which involves mixing soda with cream and syrup.

☆ Brazil soccer legend Pele says he remains 'strong' amid cancer battle
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Gabriel Araujo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

loading"I'm strong, with a lot of hope and I follow my treatment as usual," Pele said. Pele, one of the greatest footballers of all time if not the greatest, was admitted to hospital on Tuesday to re-evaluate his cancer treatment. He had a tumor removed from his colon in September 2021 and has been receiving hospital care on a regular basis. The newspaper also said he had a general swelling and cardiac issues when admitted to hospital earlier this week, as previously reported by ESPN Brasil. On Thursday, Pele said in an Instagram post that he was at the hospital for a "monthly visit".

☆ Top Canada banks post fall in profits as deals drought offsets rate boost
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) -Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and National Bank of Canada, two of the biggest banks in the country, posted a drop in profits as their market-focused businesses took a hit from the central bank’s hawkish monetary tightening campaign. FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: A Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) logo is seen on Bay Street in the heart of the financial district in Toronto, January 22, 2015. To cushion the hit from markets, banks have turned to their lending business that got a boost from the central bank’s rate hikes. While National Bank posted an adjusted profit of C$2.08, below analysts’ expectation of C$2.24. RBC reported a modest drop in profit to C$3.88 billion, while National Bank’s earnings dropped 4% to C$738 million.

☆ US leaders who want to send billions more in aid to Ukraine need to ask what kind of war they're willing to pay for
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Andrew C. Jarocki | Defense Priorities | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The final weeks of the current Congress will feature debate over another aid package for Ukraine. Before opening the checkbook again, lawmakers need to ask how they want this war to end and how more aid will bring it about. Before Washington opens the checkbook again, lawmakers need to subject aid proposals to a simple Petraeus Test. So far, the story of American support of Ukraine against Russia's terrible invasion attempt has been one of unhesitating generosity. At the very least, legislators must push advocates of more aid for Ukraine to explain exactly how America's national security would be enhanced.

☆ Top Canada banks RBC, National Bank's profits dip as bad debt provisions mount
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Profit from personal and commercial banking for RBC and National Bank in the quarter grew 5% and 13%, respectively. RBC earmarked C$381 million in provisions for credit losses (PCL), compared with a C$227 million release last year. National Bank reported C$87 million versus a C$41 million release a year ago. Shares of RBC, which agreed to buy HSBC's (HSBA.L) Canadian business on Tuesday, were down 1.4%, while National Bank fell nearly 4%. National Bank, on the other hand, posted an adjusted profit of C$2.08 per share, below analysts' expectation of C$2.24.

[1/2] French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech as he hosts a reception for the mayors of France, at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, France, November 23, 2022. The visit also highlights the unique way that Macron has raised France's profile on the world stage, and particularly in the United States. From Beirut to Bangkok, and from the Kremlin to the White House, he has sought to place himself at the center of every crisis, with a flair for seizing the moment. The White House defends the bill as necessary to boost the electric vehicle industry and other clean energy initiatives, saying subsidies play an important role. After Biden apologized publicly, Macron seemed less than mollified, saying "Trust is like love: Declarations are good, but proof is better."

[1/4] Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee delivers his first annual policy address at the Legislative Council in Hong Kong, China October 19, 2022. REUTERS/Tyrone SiuHONG KONG, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Hong Kong leader John Lee said on Tuesday the central government in Beijing was "highly concerned" about the issue of foreign lawyers appearing in national security cases, with a landmark legal interpretation on the matter by Beijing expected soon. Lee said Hong Kong authorities are seeking a delay to the start of the trial. "It is a grim moment," said one veteran Hong Kong criminal lawyer. Hong Kong officials, including Lee, have said repeatedly that Hong Kong is strongly committed to the rule of law, and its independent judicial power is constitutionally protected.

☆ I run a Christmas-tree farm. This is how I built it as a business after a life-changing accident ended my previous career.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Laura Cooke | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

While in the hospital, he decided to build a business planting Christmas trees. At forestry school, we used to talk about growing Christmas trees as one way of making money. When the trees come to the yard for collection, I can get around easily and simply. But it's necessary as I spend about 50% of my time on the Christmas trees. I've always thought the Christmas tree is the biggest present at Christmas.

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