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☆ Earning $300,000 a year is still considered middle class in this U.S. city—it’s not New York or LA
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Kamaron Mcnair | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Around half the American population is considered middle class, according to the most recent Pew Research data. That means you can earn $100,000 and be considered middle class in some locales, but not others. In fact, middle class income ranges vary widely across the largest 100 U.S. cities, according to a new study from SmartAsset. Fremont, California, has the highest-earning middle class with those earning up to $311,936 still falling in the middle-income range there. SmartAsset used a variation of Pew’s middle class calculation to determine where middle class Americans are making the most money.

☆ What Walmart’s pullback from Chicago says about Corporate America’s limits
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

New York CNN —A line of Chicago mayors heavily courted Walmart over the last two decades, brushing aside community protests. Chains like Dollar General and Family Dollar are expanding in low-income areas, but they don’t sell fresh groceries. Walmart is closing neighborhood markets around the country, and three of the four stores closing in Chicago fall into that category. In Chicago, Walmart is closing in both low-income and high-income areas, a sign that it’s struggling across the city. But it’s the stores in low-income areas that will feel the loss most.

☆ These are the top 10 cities to find a remote job
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Jennifer Liu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Fewer people are working from home today compared with the last few years, but remote work is continuing to reshape major cities across the U.S. Nationally, roughly 12% of job openings explicitly allow remote work at least one day a week, according to data from WFH Map, a group of economists and researchers measuring the lasting impacts of remote work, and Lightcast, a labor-market analytics firm with access to online job postings across the nation. Markets with labor shortages and a high share of job vacancies are more likely to have openings that will allow remote work, compared with cities where hiring has returned to pre-pandemic levels. When compared with international counterparts, the share of remote job openings in the U.S. is similar to what's being offered in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, hovering around 11% to 12%. The U.K., meanwhile, stands out with about 18% of jobs open to remote work as of February.

☆ The top 3 countries where it’s easy to settle into a new life abroad, according to expats
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Jennifer Liu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Traveling abroad is one thing, but starting a new life overseas is another. Expats who've moved abroad say Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Singapore are the top three places where it's relatively easy to settle in, according to a 2022 Internations survey of nearly 12,000 expats around the world. Newcomers say it's easy to get a visa, find housing, access government services online and get around without speaking the local language. These expats are most likely to work in finance or banking, Internations says, and the countries aren't big spots for retirees. New residents there say it's easy to deal with local authorities, open a new bank account and access a robust digital infrastructure.

April 6 (Reuters) - Shares of Airbnb Inc (ABNB.O) fell as much as 6% on Thursday after an online independent publication released a report that probed unpleasant experiences that customers had during stays booked through the short-term rental platform. The company's shares were last down 5% in afternoon trading. Nights and experiences booked rose 20% from a year earlier but missed analysts' estimates. Last month, a fire broke out in a building in Montreal being used by long-term residents and short-term guests who booked lodgings through Airbnb. Some of the company's top professional hosts have cut out Airbnb and built their own booking platforms and are offering cheaper deals.

[1/2] Cook County commissioner and mayoral candidate Brandon Johnson campaigns a day ahead of the runoff election in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. April 3, 2023. REUTERS/Jim VondruskaCHICAGO, April 4 (Reuters) - Brandon Johnson was elected Chicago mayor on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press, defeating Paul Vallas in a runoff between two Democrats to take over a city grappling with crime, an issue that dominated the race. Johnson, a 47-year-old Cook County Commissioner, becomes the 57th mayor of the third-largest U.S. city, after incumbent Lori Lightfoot was eliminated from the race in February. Vallas called for more police officers, while Johnson suggested more mental health support and opportunities for young people. Johnson, a former Chicago teacher and union organizer, says he will promote 200 new detectives from the existing pool of police officers.

☆ Chicago to elect new mayor as crime emerges as key issue
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

CHICAGO, April 4 (Reuters) - Crime is the central issue in Tuesday's mayoral runoff in Chicago, where voters are choosing between two candidates with contrasting approaches to public safety. Former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas calls for more cops; Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson calls for more mental health support and opportunities for young people. Johnson, a former Chicago teacher and union organizer, says he will promote 200 new detectives from the existing pool of police officers. A poll last week by Emerson College Polling, WGN-TV and The Hill showed Vallas leading Johnson by 5 points, with 13% undecided. Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; Editing by Donna Bryson and Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ This Philly suburb is the No. 1 best place to live in America for the fourth year in a row
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The best place to live in the U.S. isn't a major metropolis such as New York City or Los Angeles, but a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, according to Niche's 2023 ranking. The best places to live were decided based on the following factors: AffordabilityLocal housing marketNeighborhood diversityArea public schoolsWalkabilityTop 10 best places to live in the U.S. 2023Chesterbrook, Philadelphia, Pa. Colonial Village, Arlington, Va. Ardmore, Philadelphia, Pa. Hyde Park–Spanishtown Creek, Tampa, Fla. Penn Wynne, Philadelphia, Pa. City Center, Santa Monica, Calif. Cambridgeport, Mass. North Quarter, Orlando, Fla. Devon, Philadelphia, Pa. Great Neck Gardens, Long Island, N.Y. Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania, is the No. 1 best place to live in America for the fourth year in a row. The Philadelphia suburb is known for its high-ranking education system.

☆ The No. 1 best U.S. city to live in is Cambridge, Massachusetts—see which other cities made the list
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Niche released its list of the best U.S. cities to live in 2023. This month, Niche released its ranking of the best cities to live in America in 2023. The list ranked 228 cities by using data from the U.S. Census, FBI, Bureau of Labor Statistics and CDC in combination with millions of resident reviews. Like Cambridge, the second city on the list, Arlington, Virginia, is home to top-class universities like Georgetown and George Washington University. Arlington, Virginia also ranks as one of the best cities to raise a family and retire.

☆ Miami Beach curbs alcohol sales after 'unruly' spring breakers violence
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Brad Brooks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 23 (Reuters) - The city of Miami Beach curtailed alcohol sales through Monday morning after drunken revelers on spring break got tangled in multiple shootings, fights, assaults and stampedes that resulted in at least two deaths in the past week. Miami Beach, a small barrier island just to the east of Miami, has long been a magnet for wild parties, as college students from around the country take advantage of an annual school vacation to descend on its white sand beaches for an alcohol-soaked rite of passage. All alcohol sales, including by liquor stores, for off-premises consumption are banned from 6 p.m. Thursday until 6 a.m. Monday under an emergency declaration by city manager Alina Hudak on Wednesday. Businesses that sell alcohol oppose the measure, saying it will severely hurt their revenues. But the Miami Beach city commission earlier this week voted 4-to-3 against a curfew, with those opposed saying it would hurt businesses during this peak tourist season.

☆ California lawmaker introduces bill to ban caste discrimination in state
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Kanishka Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 22 (Reuters) - A bill to ban caste discrimination was introduced in the California Senate on Wednesday by a Democratic lawmaker, which, if passed, could make California the first U.S. state to outlaw the practice, a problem for the state's substantial South Asian diaspora. The Dalit community is on the lowest rung of the Hindu caste system; members have been treated as "untouchables." India outlawed caste discrimination over 70 years ago, yet several studies in recent years show that bias persists. Activists opposing caste discrimination say it is no different from other forms of discrimination like racism and hence should be outlawed. U.S. discrimination laws ban ancestry discrimination but do not explicitly ban casteism.

☆ Venture Capital Investors Are Trying to Take Over Pandemic Response
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +19 min

Private capital has been eyeing public health for years. Several founders and investors told me that the failure of Kleiner's fund made Silicon Valley wary of investing in pandemic preparedness. Venture investors love that kind of thing. Public health and private industryWhen COVID hit, Charity Dean was the assistant director of the California Department of Public Health. In the end, almost every pandemic-related product created by Silicon Valley will ultimately require the government as a primary customer.

☆ How to Read Your Pay Stub
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +14 min

So residents of these states may have to work a little harder to track their earnings if their employer elects to forgo sharing pay stub documents. Only residents of California, Hawaii, New York, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico will see this on their pay stub, according to Greene-Lewis. 10. pretax DeductionsDepending what workplace benefits are offered by your company and which ones you’ve elected to participate in, you may see pretax or before-tax deductions listed on your pay stub in addition to the various taxes you must pay. There is also another kind of common FSA you might be contributing to that could appear on your pay stub: the dependent-care FSA. Any after-tax withholding your employer makes should be noted on the pay stub.

☆ Toronto school board becomes first in Canada to recognize caste discrimination
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Kanishka Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 9 (Reuters) - Toronto's school board has become the first in Canada to recognize that caste discrimination exists in the city's schools and has asked a provincial human rights body to help in creating a framework to address the issue. The Toronto District School Board on Wednesday voted in favor of a motion to that effect, which was introduced by board trustee Yalini Rajakulasingam. It comes weeks after Seattle became the first U.S. city to outlaw caste discrimination after a city council vote. Rajakulasingam called for a partnership between the human rights commission of Ontario, Canada's most populous province, and Toronto's school board. Activists opposing caste discrimination say it is no different from other forms of discrimination like racism and hence should be outlawed.

☆ Russia Launches Deadly Missile Strike on Ukraine Apartment Block
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Isabel Coles | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Russia struck a multistory apartment block in the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia overnight, killing at least four people in an attack condemned by President Volodymyr Zelensky as an act of terrorism. Rescue workers were digging through the rubble of the building on Thursday, officials said. Eleven people were rescued from the wreckage. City-council official Anatoliy Kurtiev said Russia hit the residential block with an S-300 surface-to-air missile, which Moscow has deployed extensively to strike targets across Ukraine.

☆ Seattle becomes first U.S. city to outlaw caste discrimination after council vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Kanishka Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 21 (Reuters) - Seattle became the first U.S. city to outlaw caste discrimination on Tuesday, after its local council voted to add caste to the city's anti-discrimination laws. "The fight against caste discrimination is deeply connected to the fight against all forms of oppression," Kshama Sawant, an Indian American Seattle City Council member, said. The Dalit community is on the lowest rung of the Indian Hindu caste system and have been treated as "untouchables." "Caste discrimination doesn’t only take place in other countries. Activists opposing caste discrimination say it is no different from other forms of discrimination like racism and hence should be outlawed.

☆ Detroit Aims to Spur New Housing, Boost Property Values With Tax Change
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Konrad Putzier | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Detroit city officials are weighing a radical change to the way the city taxes property, which proponents say will help revitalize the city and become a model for the Rust Belt. Detroit would be the largest U.S. city to introduce a so-called land-value tax. Like most U.S. cities, Detroit calculates property taxes by estimating the value of a property’s land and buildings and charging a fixed percentage each year.

A map of Turkey showing the city of Kahramanmaras in relation to the epicenter of the earthquake. A set of before and after images that show how a block in the downtown Kahramanmaras area was turned to rubble by the earthquake. For days, rescue teams and family members have been working through rubble of collapsed buildings throughout the city. Residential buildings Before Residential buildings After Google Maps Street View from November 2022; Adem Altan/Agence France-Presse, via Getty Images from Feb. 7, 2023On many blocks, only a few buildings remain. A set of before and after images that show another block of residential buildings destroyed, leaving the Clarion Hotel Kahramanmaras standing alone.

☆ Mississippi House OKs new court system — to be appointed by white state officials — for second-Blackest U.S. city, stoking racial tension
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Mississippi state flag (bottom) waves in front of the city skyline in Jackson, Mississippi on June 28, 2020. The change would break with the rest of the state, where judges and prosecutors are elected by voters. If approved by the state Senate and governor, the system and its judges would preside over a so-called improvement district spanning Jackson's downtown and shopping and entertainment areas. If the new Jackson system is approved by the Senate and governor, its judges and clerk would be appointed by the state Supreme Court's chief justice, who is white. And prosecutors would be named by the state attorney general, who also is white.

☆ Man City charged by Premier League over alleged financial rule breaches
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

City were acquired by their Abu Dhabi-based owners, City Football Group, in 2008. If the charges are proved City, could face a range of sanctions, including a points deduction or expulsion from the Premier League. City are also alleged to have failed to cooperate with and assist the Premier League in its investigations from December 2018 to date. "The members of the Commission will be appointed by the independent Chair of the Premier League Judicial Panel," the Premier League said in a statement. "The Premier League will be making no further comment in respect of this matter until further notice."

☆ Firefighters battle dozens of wildfires in Chile, death toll at 22
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SANTIAGO, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Dozens of wildfires blazing though Chile caused the government to extend an emergency order to another region on Saturday, as a scorching summer heatwave complicates efforts to control fires that have claimed at least 22 lives so far. On Friday, an emergency-support helicopter in La Araucania crashed, killing its pilot and a mechanic, according to officials. The orders allow for the deployment of soldiers and additional resources to deal with the natural disaster. National forestry agency CONAF reported on Saturday that 80 of 231 total wildfires are being actively battled, while 151 of them are under control. Reporting by Fabian Cambero and Natalia Ramos Miranda Editing by Marguerita ChoyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Memphis police fire officer involved in Tyre Nichols' death -statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] An image is projected onto the facade of the Oakland Police Department during a protest against the fatal beating of Black motorist Tyre Nichols by Memphis Police officers, during a rally in Oakland, California, U.S. January 29, 2023. REUTERS/Laure AndrillonFeb 3 (Reuters) - The Memphis Police Department said on Friday it had fired an officer involved in the death of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man who was beaten by officers in the U.S. city last month. The department named the officer fired as Preston Hemphill. In a statement, it said he had violated department policies on personal conduct, truthfulness and compliance with regulations. Reporting by Rami AyyubOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ On Groundhog Day, Punxsutawney Phil predicts six more weeks of winter
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] AJ Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil during the Groundhog Day Festivities, at Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, U.S., February 2, 2023. According to folklore, if the rodent sees his shadow on Groundhog Day, then frigid and blustery weather will persist for six weeks. The first official celebration of Groundhog Day was in 1886, according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. The annual event, famously featured in the classic 1993 film "Groundhog Day" starring Bill Murray, draws visitors from around the world. As Punxsutawney Phil made his prediction, some 450,000 homes and businesses in Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee were without power after several rounds of sleet and freezing rain downed power lines and trees.

☆ Norfolk Southern Rail-Yard Plan Faces Key Vote as Chicago Tries to Expand Cargo Hub
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Joe Barrett | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

CHICAGO—An expansion of a freight yard where oceangoing containers are moved from railcars to trucks faces a crucial vote Wednesday, a sign of the third-largest U.S. city’s importance as a rail hub and the challenges of running a railroad in a dense urban area. The city council is expected to hold a final vote on whether to turn over the streets that pass through block after block of empty lots now owned by Norfolk Southern Corp. The railroad began acquiring and eventually demolishing a total of 500 homes in Englewood, one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods, for the multimillion-dollar project in 2008.

☆ Norfolk Southern Rail-Yard Plan Wins Key Vote as Chicago Tries to Expand Cargo Hub
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Joe Barrett | Photographs Taylor Glascock For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

CHICAGO—A long-planned expansion of a freight yard where oceangoing containers are moved from railcars to trucks cleared a final hurdle Wednesday, a sign of the third-largest U.S. city’s importance as a rail hub and the challenges of running a railroad in a dense urban area. The city council approved a measure to turn over the streets and alleys that pass through block after block of empty lots now owned by Norfolk Southern Corp. The railroad began acquiring and eventually demolishing a total of 500 homes in Englewood, one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods, for the multimillion-dollar project in 2008.

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