Advice For Home Remodeling Amid an Uncertain Economy
Video Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories - Duration: 01:31s - Published
Advice For Home Remodeling Amid an Uncertain Economy
Advice For , Home Remodeling , Amid an Uncertain Economy.
'The Independent' reports that recent
economic uncertainty has thrown many
home improvement plans into question.
Here are some expert tips
for remodeling during
the current economic climate.
Make an emergency fund, Eric Maldonado, a certified financial planner,
suggests that an emergency fund is a good
idea even when the economy is doing well.
.
What you’re trying to avoid is starting
with nothing saved, taking out debt
to afford these things and not really
providing yourself with a smart
foundation to start from, Eric Maldonado, Certified financial planner, via 'The Independent'.
What you’re trying to avoid is starting
with nothing saved, taking out debt
to afford these things and not really
providing yourself with a smart
foundation to start from, Eric Maldonado, Certified financial planner, via 'The Independent'.
Refine your goals, Maldonado recommends adding your remodel
to a short list of annual financial priorities
and planning your budget accordingly.
Refine your goals, Maldonado recommends adding your remodel
to a short list of annual financial priorities
and planning your budget accordingly.
This means determining how much each goal
would cost and how much your household
can spend on realizing those goals.
Prioritize properly, Katherine Fox, a certified financial planner,
says projects that have the potential to
impact your finances should come first.
Topping the list is repairs that could be costly to
delay.
Then comes updates that could save money
in the future, including new windows or insulation.
It might not be the right time, According to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling
Activity, home improvement spending is
forecast to start dropping in early 2024.
Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies found that
while the pandemic triggered a steep increase, costs
for labor and materials are likely to soon start falling.
Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies found that
while the pandemic triggered a steep increase, costs
for labor and materials are likely to soon start falling
Microsoft Makes $1.5 Billion , Investment in Leading , UAE Technology Firm.
Microsoft Makes $1.5 Billion , Investment in Leading , UAE Technology Firm.
'The Independent' reports that Microsoft has announced
a $1.5 billion investment in a leading United Arab
Emirates-based artificial intelligence firm. .
'The Independent' reports that Microsoft has announced
a $1.5 billion investment in a leading United Arab
Emirates-based artificial intelligence firm. .
The deal, overseen by the UAE's powerful national security
adviser, will see Microsoft president Brad Smith join
technology holding company G42's board of directors.
The deal, overseen by the UAE's powerful national security
adviser, will see Microsoft president Brad Smith join
technology holding company G42's board of directors.
The UAE's national security adviser,
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is the
current chairman of G42's board of directors. .
In a statement released on April 16, Microsoft
said the deal “was developed in close consultation
with both the UAE and U.S. governments.”.
In a statement released on April 16, Microsoft
said the deal “was developed in close consultation
with both the UAE and U.S. governments.”.
G42, which runs data centers in the Middle East
and elsewhere, has built the world's leading
Arabic-language AI model, Jais. .
According to Microsoft, G42 will move its
AI applications and services over to the U.S.
tech giant's cloud computing platform. .
According to Microsoft, G42 will move its
AI applications and services over to the U.S.
tech giant's cloud computing platform. .
The deal will also look to bring digital infrastructure
to regions that G42 has already established
a presence, including the Middle East and Africa.
'The Independent' reports that G42 previously cut ties with
Chinese hardware suppliers to limit U.S. concerns that
the company was closely tied to the Chinese government.
'The Independent' reports that G42 previously cut ties with
Chinese hardware suppliers to limit U.S. concerns that
the company was closely tied to the Chinese government.
Prior to Microsoft's investment, the company
reportedly faced allegations of spying for its
connection to a mobile phone app identified as spyware.
The tech company also faced accusations
that it gathered genetic material from
U.S. users for the Chinese government. .
The tech company also faced accusations
that it gathered genetic material from
U.S. users for the Chinese government.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
EPA Takes Aim at, US Chemical Emissions, That Are Likely Carcinogens.
'The Independent' reports that over 200 chemical
plants in the United States will be required
to reduce toxic emissions under a new rule. .
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
released the new rule regarding toxic
emissions likely to cause cancer on April 9.
The rule is meant to deliver critical health protections
for communities faced with industrial pollution from
dangerous chemicals, such as chloroprene and ethyl oxide.
The rule will significantly reduce
emissions from the Denka Performance
Elastomer facility in LaPlace, Louisiana.
The facility is the largest producer of
chloroprene emissions in the U.S., according
to EPA Administrator Michael Regan.
Every community in this country
deserves to breathe clean air.
That’s why I took the Journey
to Justice tour to communities
like St. John the Baptist Parish,
where residents have borne
the brunt of toxic air for far too long, Michael Regan, EPA Administrator, via 'The Independent'.
We promised to listen to folks that
are suffering from pollution and act
to protect them. Today we deliver
on that promise with strong final
standards to slash pollution,
reduce cancer risk and ensure
cleaner air for nearby communities, Michael Regan, EPA Administrator, via 'The Independent'.
According to officials, the changes
are meant to reduce ethylene oxide and
chloroprene emissions in the U.S. by nearly 80%.
'The Independent' reports that the rule updates
several regulations on chemical plant emissions
that have not been altered in nearly 20 years.
The EPA said that the new rule will reduce a total of over
6,200 tons of toxic air pollutants annually in an effort
to address health risks in neighboring communities
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
Scientists Capture , Radio Signals , From Long-Dormant Star.
'The Independent' reports that scientists have
been puzzled after receiving unprecedented
radio signals from a previously dormant star.
The star, named XTE J1810-197, is a magnetar. .
Magnetars are a type of neutron star and are
the most powerful magnets in the universe.
XTE J1810-197 is the nearest known magnetar
to Earth, about 8,000 light years away.
Now, scientists have received radio
pulses from the dormant star that
do not fit previous expectations.
Unlike the radio signals we’ve
seen from other magnetars,
this one is emitting enormous
amounts of rapidly changing
circular polarisation. We had never
seen anything like this before, Marcus Lower, Postdoctoral fellow
at Australia’s national science agency,
CSIRO, via 'The Independent'.
Scientists discovered that the new pulses are emitting
a type of spiraling light that is different from the
polarized light emitted by most other magnetars.
In 2003, XTE J1810-197 became
the first known magnetar to
produce a radio signal.
After being discovered, the magnetar
then went silent for over a decade. .
The team that discovered it said that
the findings could change our
understanding of intense magnetic fields.
The signals emitted from
this magnetar imply that
interactions at the surface
of the star are more complex than
previous theoretical explanations, Manisha Caleb, University of Sydney,
a co-author on the study, via 'The Independent'.
The team's findings were published
in the journal 'Nature Astronomy.'
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
US Highway Agency Says 2023, Saw Second Consecutive Year of, Declining Traffic Deaths.
'The Independent' reports that traffic deaths
in the United States fell 3.6% in 2023, recording
approximately 41,000 deaths on the nation's roads.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, 2023 was the second year in
a row that saw the number of fatalities decrease.
On April 1, the agency also released
final numbers for 2022, registering
42,514 fatalities related to crashes.
According to NHTSA Deputy Administrator
Sophie Shulman, Q4 of 2023 marked the
seventh consecutive quarter of declining traffic deaths.
'The Independent' reports that the news
comes despite people driving more.
Estimates by the Federal Highway Administration show
that people in the U.S. drove 67.5 billion more miles
in 2023 than they did the year before, a 2.1% increase.
According to Shulman,
the numbers remain too high with many of
those deaths the result of distracted driving. .
An estimated 3,308 people were killed in
distracted driving crashes, while another
289,310 people were injured in 2022.
Distracted driving is
extremely dangerous, Sophie Shulman, NHTSA Deputy Administrator, via 'The Independent'.
The agency is set to launch its 'Put the Phone Away or Pay'
advertising campaign, which will include a law enforcement
crackdown on the behavior from April 4 to 8. .
The agency is set to launch its 'Put the Phone Away or Pay'
advertising campaign, which will include a law enforcement
crackdown on the behavior from April 4 to 8.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
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