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☆ California and other Western states lead in unhealthy levels of air pollution, report shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The "State of the Air" report found that nearly 120 million people, more than a third of the population, lived in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution between 2019 and 2021. The report assigned letter grades reflecting the number of days that air quality in a specific area reached unhealthy levels on the Air Quality Index. Exposure to unhealthy levels of ozone air pollution makes breathing difficult for more people across the U.S. than any other single pollutant, the report said. Wildfires in the region were a major factor in the increasing number of days and places with unhealthy levels of particle pollution, the report found. The report used data from air-quality monitors managed by state, local and tribal air pollution control authorities in counties across the country.

☆ Bagnaia smashes lap record to take Americas GP pole
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Apr 14, 2023; Austin, TX, USA; Francesco Bagnaia (1) of Italy and Ducati Lenovo Team rounds turn 11 during the MotoGP second free practice at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-USA TODAY SportsApril 15 (Reuters) - Ducati's reigning MotoGP world champion Francesco Bagnaia smashed the circuit lap record to take pole position for the Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin, Texas, on Saturday. The factory team rider's best lap of two minutes 01.892 seconds, at an average speed of 162.8 kph, secured pole for Saturday's later sprint and Sunday's race at the Circuit of the Americas. LCR Honda's Alex Rins, second but 0.161 off the pole pace, and VR46 Ducati's Luca Marini completed the front row. Gresini Ducati rider Alex Marquez, VR46 Ducati's championship leader Marco Bezzecchi and Aprilia's Alex Espergaro filled the second row.

Splash Financial Student Loan Refinancing Apply now Compare loan options and get your rates today. Types of Student Loans Offered by Splash FinancialSplash Financial only offers student loans refinancing in two forms, including:Student loan refinancingMedical student loan refinancingSplash Financial Student Loan Refinancing DetailsTo get a loan, you must meet the following qualifications:A low debt-to-income ratio (no more than 30%)A history of on-time paymentsGood to excellent credit (preferably 700 or higher)You should consider your federal student loan options before refinancing into any private student loan, including one with Splash Financial, as you can often get better terms and protections through the government. Splash Financial Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat credit score is needed for Splash Financial? Splash Financial CompetitorsSide-by-side snapshot Splash Financial Student Loan RefinancingLaurel Road Student Loan RefinancingEarnest Student Loan Refinancing Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Methodology: How We rated Splash Financial Student Loan RefinancingWe rate all student loan products in our reviews and guides on a 1-5 scale.

☆ 130 Regal, Eastgate, and other movie theaters could close in the US — see the list of those already shuttering
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Travis Clark | Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Cineworld has sought to exit its leases for 130 theaters in the US. A bankruptcy court in Texas has already approved its plan to walk away from 47 of those locations. Cineworld filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September. So far, the Texas bankruptcy court overseeing the proceedings has approved the company's plan to exit 47 leases, according to court filings. The North American box office hit $7.4 billion in 2022, according to Comscore, down from over $11 billion in 2019 and 2018.

☆ A tech company posted a job seeking only white applicants with the note 'don't share with candidates'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A job post from IT firm Arthur Grand Technologies went viral for specifying white candidates only. The firm later edited its apology to say an ex-employee published the job post without authorization. Arthur Grand Technologies, HTC Global, and Berkshire Hathaway did not immediately respond to requests for comment. "Every minority who ever applied for a position with Arthur Grand Technologies and was denied employment needs to lawyer up," one person tweeted. Arthur Grand Technologies / LinkedIn"A former employee took an existing posting and added discriminatory language, then reposted it through his own account.

☆ US House committee chair signs subpoena for State Dept Afghanistan documents
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Anna VoitenkoMarch 27 (Reuters) - The Republican chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee on Monday said he signed a subpoena to be delivered to Secretary of State Antony Blinken for documents related to the August 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Michael McCaul has launched an investigation into the messy withdrawal from Afghanistan under Democratic President Joe Biden and events in the country since. McCaul has given the State Department until Monday to produce the documents. "Unfortunately, Secretary Blinken has refused to provide the Dissent Cable and his response to the cable, forcing me to issue my first subpoena as chairman of this committee," McCaul said in a statement. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters on Monday evening.

And I'm prepared to serve this," Representative Michael McCaul told Secretary of State Antony Blinken as he testified to the committee about the department's budget request. McCaul has launched an investigation into the messy withdrawal from Afghanistan and events in the country since. McCaul sent a letter to Blinken this week requesting the information before Thursday. Blinken responded at Thursday's hearing that the department is working to provide as much information as possible. Blinken told the committee that several Americans were being held in Afghanistan, but they were not being identified at their families' request.

☆ Apple will require a subscription to watch 'Friday Night Baseball' this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Broadcasts of Major League Baseball games on Apple TV+ this season will require a subscription to the service, Apple announced on Wednesday. In 2022, Apple started broadcasting one or two MLB games every Friday night with a rotating cast of teams. Now, users will need an Apple TV+ subscription, which costs $7 per month in the U.S. While some games will air for free, a subscription with access to all games costs $14.99 per month, with a discount if the person also subscribes to Apple TV+. Apple said the first "Friday Night Baseball" doubleheader broadcast will take place on April 7, featuring the Texas Rangers at the Chicago Cubs followed by the San Diego Padres at the Atlanta Braves.

☆ TikTok went big at SXSW and creators discussed building lasting businesses. Here are 3 takeaways that I left Austin with.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Creators gathered at Meta's Austin, TX offices for a series of talks hosted by the Asian Creator House. Whether creators were talking about pay transparency, or startups were pitching their products as solutions, creator monetization was an ongoing conversation at SXSW. "More and more creators are being transparent as to how much they're making," said Monica Ravichandran, creator and Collective Voice staffer. At the Asian Creator House, led by Always Be Creating cofounders Justin Nguyen and Jerry Won, creator pay and business building were also top of mind. But on the brand and marketing side of SXSW, AI wasn't a potent topic, according to Influencer's Penchin.

☆ This steel producer can rally 15% as companies move supply chains closer to U.S., Morgan Stanley says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Terniun is expected to perform better in the year ahead, helped in part by moves to bring supply chains closer to the U.S., according to Morgan Stanley. Analyst Carlos De Alba upgraded the stock to overweight from equal weight and increased his price target to $52 from $34. "We think TX shares will continue to work as profitability inflects higher," he said in a note to clients Sunday. "We believe Ternium's profitability has reached an inflexion point, which historically has proven a good entry point for the stock." Going forward, he said the stock will be a beneficiary as companies try to bring their supply chains closer to where they are located, a trend dubbed "nearshoring."

☆ Texas congressman who broke with GOP is censured
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

That independent streak includes opposing a sweeping House GOP immigration proposal over the U.S.-Mexico border, which includes a large portion of his South Texas district. Gonzales was defiant before the vote and did not attend the meeting of Texas GOP leaders and activists in Austin. "The Republican Party of Texas would be wise to follow his lead and do some actual work." Last year, former Texas GOP Chairman Allen West stepped down from the job to mount a faint primary challenge against Republican Gov. The state party in 2018 also censured a former moderate Texas House speaker who opposed bathroom restrictions for transgender people.

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See Insider's picks for the best private student loans >>What is student loan interest? See Insider's picks for the best tax software >>"Student loan interest is tax deductible," says Leslie Tayne, a financial attorney who specializes in student loan debt. Insider's Featured Student Loan Refinance Companies SoFi Student Loan RefinancingSplash Financial Student Loan RefinancingEarnest Student Loan Refinancing Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. APR Variable: 5.09% - 8.99%, Fixed: 4.49% - 8.99% Editor's Rating 4.5/5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star APR Variable: 3.99% - 9.24% with AutoPay, Fixed: 4.39% - 9.24% with AutoPay Editor's Rating 3.5/5 A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star APR Actual rate and available repayment terms will vary based on your income. See Insider's picks for the best student loans without a cosigner >>Will my student loan interest rate change?

☆ Goldman Sachs shares 4 charts that explain the state of the housing market right now — and show why 4 cities could soon see the biggest price declines
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Housing supply on a national basis will remain tight, Goldman Sachs strategists say. Part of that call — which is less bearish than forecasts from firms like KPMG, Interactive Brokers, and Pantheon Macroeconomics — is due to Goldman's outlook for housing supply levels. In certain areas of the country, supply levels are rising faster than in others. In four cities in particular, supply levels are above pre-pandemic levels, the bank said, which will result in greater price declines than the national average. Goldman SachsSupply developments in the multi-family housing market could also signal trouble for prices down the line, the strategists said.

☆ The CIO of a $9 billion real-estate investing firm explains why the US will avoid a 2008-sized crash — and says it's a good time to buy in correction-hit cities like Austin
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Even cities that were hit the hardest, such as Austin, are starting to come back from their lows. Macdowell explains why these types of correction-hit cities now offer intriguing buying opportunities. "I would take the view that in the right property markets, this would actually be a pretty good time to buy," he said. "On the real estate value side — in certain markets, certain neighborhoods — given the lack of inventory, prices will be well supported from where they are today." Although prices in the city have already corrected from their peaks, Macdowell believes that rental rates and growth will remain strong due to local housing demand.

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Our experts answer readers' student loan questions and write unbiased product reviews (here's how we assess student loans). Federal student loan rates for the 2023-24 school year have risen by the widest margin in about 20 years. While private student loan rates aren't directly affected by federal rates, they're likely to increase because they don't have to stay as low to remain competitive with federal ones. For instance, the Biden administration extended the repayment pause on federal student loans through the end of August 2023. Insider's Featured Student Loan Refinance Companies SoFi Student Loan RefinancingSplash Financial Student Loan RefinancingEarnest Student Loan Refinancing Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.

☆ Key inflation data in the week ahead will offer clues to future Fed rate moves and the market's path
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Looking forward The January consumer price index (CPI) , which calculates the average change over time in prices that shoppers pay for goods and services, is slated for Tuesday. Economists and investors will use the number to gauge the odds of a soft landing or hard landing for the economy. The producer price index (PPI) for January, which calculates the change in selling prices received by producers of goods and services, is out on Thursday. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio.

Average interest rates on refinanced student loans are mixed from two weeks ago, according to Credible. Federal student loan rates for the 2023-24 school year have risen by the widest margin in about 20 years. While private student loan rates aren't directly affected by federal rates, they're likely to increase because they don't have to stay as low to remain competitive with federal ones. For instance, the Biden administration extended the repayment pause on federal student loans through the end of August 2023. Insider's Featured Student Loan Refinance Companies SoFi Student Loan RefinancingSplash Financial Student Loan RefinancingEarnest Student Loan Refinancing Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.

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☆ The top 10 best U.S. cities for STEM careers, according to new research
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Ashton Jackson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Despite recent mass tech layoffs , STEM careers have remained in high demand — and some cities are better than others for professionals in the field. Seattle, WATotal Score: 70.82Professional opportunities ranking: 1Quality of life ranking: 222. Austin, TXTotal Score: 67.33Professional opportunities ranking: 2Quality of life ranking: 103. Sacramento, CATotal Score: 60.16Professional opportunities ranking: 38Quality of life ranking: 32According to Jill Gonzalez, a WalletHub analyst, most of these cities have consistently remained the best places for STEM careers for almost a decade. The recent layoffs have only affected a small part of the total labor force and the STEM field encompasses more areas than just tech.

☆ How to pinpoint the housing markets most set to decline in 2023 — and why real estate in the most expensive cities could fall 30%
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

BiggerPockets' Dave Meyers forecasts national housing prices will come down in 2023. Low interest rates, easy money, and a dwindling supply of new homes sent nationwide housing markets into uncharted territory over the last two years. "When you see inventories start to spike, that signals a significant shift towards a buyer's market where prices are probably going to go down. Prices are likely to go down in 2023According to Meyer, the housing market in 2023 should be a tale of two halves. But once affordability begins to improve again, Meyer believes the housing market will bottom, spurring new growth.

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