The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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We're hard-wired to connect over food. In ancient Greece, revelers gathered at "symposiums" to eat, drink, and philosophize or recite poetry. The Romans also often feasted together, and the rules and rituals they developed in antiquity set the precedent for the modern-day dinner party. From grandiose Victorian affairs with multiple courses and lush decorations that flaunt one's social status to the "hostess with the mostest" trend in 1950s America, dinner parties often come with strict rules...
The holiday season is one of joy and cheer, but it can come with increased risks. Holiday disasters like house fires, vandalized decorations, and home burglaries often spike come November and December. Fortunately, a homeowners insurance policy can help out if the holiday season takes a turn for the worse, Policygenius explains. Key takeaways: - Homeowners insurance covers many common types of holiday disasters—including kitchen or Christmas tree fires, vandalized decorations, and burglaries. -...
Traditions are a big part of what makes the holidays special, from decorating the tree to rewatching your favorite Christmas movies. But have you ever considered leveling up the holiday season by enjoying the foods featured in those iconic films? If this sounds like a fun way to spice up the season, you may be wondering which Christmas movie foods are the healthiest—especially if you're on a weight loss journey. Around 35–64% of people try to lose weight during the holiday season, and that sta...
While the majority of drivers still finance their vehicle with a loan, a share of drivers in the U.S. choose to lease. Leasing can have a few advantages over buying, such as more manageable payments and warranty coverage, but some of the advantages afforded to drivers who prefer leasing to buying are disappearing in 2024. According to Experian data from the second quarter (Q2) of 2024, the average auto lease payment was $638—lower than the average monthly auto loan payment of $655. The d...
Charitable donations are historically concentrated in the final weeks of the year, specifically between "Giving Tuesday" (the week following Thanksgiving) and the last day of the year. It's during this period that people are in the religious and holiday spirit. It's also when nonprofit organizations blast fundraising campaigns—and when donors rush to qualify for tax deductions. In fact, nonprofits raise between 17% and 31% of their online donations in December alone, according to data from D...
Incoming president Donald Trump has vowed to deport all of the country's undocumented residents. For students who are eyeing college, his presidency represents a potentially brutal Sophie's Choice if they have undocumented parents: Risk exposing them to a possible immigration dragnet by completing the federal Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, or leave thousands of dollars in cash for school on the table, CalMatters reports. While researchers and advocates have yet to hear...
Health promises to continue to make headlines next year with nearly half of Americans saying they'd prefer to have a healthier 2025 (47%) than a wealthier one (53%), according to a 2024 study from Hims. Here are the headlines in health from the Hims study that are the most jaw-dropping. 1. 35% of Americans Would Rather Lose 10 Pounds Than Be Debt Free Weight loss is on most of our minds daily—75% of Americans say they think about their weight every day, and 14% say it's constantly on their m...
When you first open a restaurant, daily tasks can take up so much attention that it can be easy to forget to step back after a while and think about whether it might actually be a good time to expand. Restaurant owners scale their footprint for good reason: Growing can help them reach more customers, maximize their revenue potential, and diversify their risk in the market. That's been the case for the team at Ggiata, which operates four delis in Los Angeles that are among Eater's list of the...
Nothing beats a real Christmas tree, from the crisp evergreen scent to choosing the perfect Tannenbaum to adorn with glistening ornaments come December. Across the U.S., nearly 15 million trees were harvested in 2022 and there were 16,000 tree farms with over 290,000 total acres in production. Christmas trees are a big business, bringing in about $550 million in sales. The tradition of chopping down and purchasing an authentic Christmas tree from a local farm makes for an unforgettable annual...
Purchasing a home is one of the most important investments there is. More than a place to live, homeownership is an asset with the potential to tremendously rise in value. But with home prices reaching record heights, affordability plays a huge role for buyers. The typical home value in the United States was $358,761 in November, 2.3% higher than the year before. High mortgage rates are also making monthly payments more expensive; as of December 19, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate sits at...
Purchasing a home is one of the most important investments there is. More than a place to live, homeownership is an asset with the potential to tremendously rise in value. But with home prices reaching record heights, affordability plays a huge role for buyers. The typical home value in the United States was $358,761 in November, 2.3% higher than the year before. High mortgage rates are also making monthly payments more expensive; as of December 19, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate sits at...
Purchasing a home is one of the most important investments there is. More than a place to live, homeownership is an asset with the potential to tremendously rise in value. But with home prices reaching record heights, affordability plays a huge role for buyers. The typical home value in the United States was $358,761 in November, 2.3% higher than the year before. High mortgage rates are also making monthly payments more expensive; as of December 19, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate sits at...
Every now and then, a new song releases and dominates radio airwaves, Spotify playlists, and, of course, the esteemed Billboard Hot 100 chart—and in terms of those types of hits, 2024 has been pretty impressive. Morgan Wallen and Post Malone's collaboration "I Had Some Help" became the first major hit of the year. It spent six weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and was named the official song of the summer. The single was succeeded by another country-pop track, Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)," w...
The world has witnessed a boom among ultra-wealthy people since the COVID-19 pandemic began, but cracking the top 1% of earners in the U.S. has become less attainable than ever. Knight Frank's 2024 Wealth Report shows that the wealthiest 1% of individuals in the U.S. are each worth at least $5.8 million. Meanwhile, Federal Reserve economic data shows that, in 2022, the wealthiest households joined the ranks of the 1% with a minimum of $11.2 million. That's down slightly from 2019 when adjusted...
If you've hunted for apartments recently and felt like all the rents were equally high, you're not alone: Many landlords now use a single company's software—which uses an algorithm based on proprietary lease information—to help set rent prices, The Markup reports. Federal prosecutors say the practice amounts to "an unlawful information-sharing scheme," and some lawmakers throughout California are moving to curb it. San Diego's city council president is the latest to do so, proposing a ban tha...
It was a July afternoon in 2011 when a car bomb exploded just a few blocks from Robert Ullmann's office. Because it was the summer, only two employees from Kanvas, his nonprofit that manages 64 child care programs around Norway, were at their desks on the third floor of a narrow, nondescript building in central Oslo. Although the floor-to-ceiling glass windows shattered when the bomb exploded at 3:25 p.m., both members of his team were unhurt. When I arrived at Ullmann's office a few months ago...
The real estate frenzy spurred by the coronavirus pandemic continues, though at a slower pace. Buyers are still competing for a limited supply of housing, driving up prices for affordable properties. The typical home value in the United States was $358,761 in November, 2.3% higher than the year before. Increasing mortgage rates have slowed growth, with prices even declining in some places. But some areas are still seeing price jumps compared to the year before. Stacker compiled a list of cities...
The real estate frenzy spurred by the coronavirus pandemic continues, though at a slower pace. Buyers are still competing for a limited supply of housing, driving up prices for affordable properties. The typical home value in the United States was $358,761 in November, 2.3% higher than the year before. Increasing mortgage rates have slowed growth, with prices even declining in some places. But some areas are still seeing price jumps compared to the year before. Stacker compiled a list of cities...
The real estate frenzy spurred by the coronavirus pandemic continues, though at a slower pace. Buyers are still competing for a limited supply of housing, driving up prices for affordable properties. The typical home value in the United States was $358,761 in November, 2.3% higher than the year before. Increasing mortgage rates have slowed growth, with prices even declining in some places. But some areas are still seeing price jumps compared to the year before. Stacker compiled a list of cities...
The real estate frenzy spurred by the coronavirus pandemic continues, though at a slower pace. Buyers are still competing for a limited supply of housing, driving up prices for affordable properties. The typical home value in the United States was $358,761 in November, 2.3% higher than the year before. Increasing mortgage rates have slowed growth, with prices even declining in some places. But some areas are still seeing price jumps compared to the year before. Stacker compiled a list of cities...
The real estate frenzy spurred by the coronavirus pandemic continues, though at a slower pace. Buyers are still competing for a limited supply of housing, driving up prices for affordable properties. The typical home value in the United States was $358,761 in November, 2.3% higher than the year before. Increasing mortgage rates have slowed growth, with prices even declining in some places. But some areas are still seeing price jumps compared to the year before. Stacker compiled a list of cities...
While it may not seem obvious at first, the obesity epidemic and economics have a direct connection to each other, especially when it comes to spending categories like healthcare, food, and fitness. One study places annual healthcare costs related to obesity at $173 billion. But the rise of weight loss medications could shift these economic trends. The use of semaglutide as treatment for obesity has skyrocketed over the last five years, which could mean major changes in how people spend and...
Think you can pull over and park in a bus lane to grab your morning latte? Think again—at least in cities using computer vision technology to catch and fine drivers who block bus lanes. As cities across the U.S. invest in new bus lane infrastructure to speed up travel times and prevent delays, drivers continue to flout the red (or green) paint, Next City reports. One 2023 study from Philadelphia's SEPTA recorded 36,000 violations during a 70-day pilot on two bus lines, with half of all bus s...
When immigration agents raided chicken processing plants in central Mississippi in 2019, they arrested nearly 700 undocumented workers—many of them parents of children enrolled in local schools. Teens got frantic texts to leave class and find their younger siblings. Unfamiliar faces whose names weren't on the pick-up list showed up to take children home. School staff scrambled to make sure no child went home to an empty house, while the owner of a local gym threw together a temporary shelter for...
There's a lot to consider when deciding where to apply to college. Tuition costs, financial aid offerings, and student loans are high on the list, but so are questions about campus culture and free speech policies. The Hechinger Report created a whole suite of tools with brand-new data that can answer your questions and help you research what life might be like at thousands of colleges and universities across the country. Here is what these tools do and how they can help you. - Tuition Tracker s...
