Mois : décembre 2024

The Biden administration indicated Friday it plans to scrap his latest student loan forgiveness proposals, which could have wiped away debts for tens of millions of Americans and cleared new paths to relief for borrowers in dire financial straits. 
The rationale? The U.S. Education Department has limited time and resources, and its leader would rather dedicate them to helping at-risk borrowers repay their loans. The plans would also likely face more legal challenges and be abandoned once President-elect Donald Trump takes office. 
In official notices set to be published the day after Christmas, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona acknowledged the “uncertainty around the implementation” of the proposals.
“The Department at this time intends to commit its limited operational resources to helping at-risk borrowers return to repayment successfully,” Cardona wrote. 
The move amounts to a death knell for one of President Joe Biden’s biggest initiatives to help Americans whose lives have been hampered by crushing student debt. Some advocates for borrowers said they were not surprised by the decision, which they viewed as another missed opportunity to fix a mounting crisis. Conservative critics characterized the administration’s reversal as a recognition that the plans never had a chance. 
“The Biden-Harris administration’s student loan schemes were always a lie,” Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said in a statement Friday. “With today’s latest withdrawal, they are admitting these schemes were nothing more than a dishonest attempt to buy votes by transferring debt onto taxpayers who never went to college or worked to pay off their loans.” 
On the campaign trail, Trump pledged to dismantle the Education Department entirely. As January approaches, officials at the agency are scrambling to safeguard policies they see as essential to Biden’s legacy. Their decision to axe the proposed student loan relief regulations reflects some of the hard choices they’re confronting with limited time.  While Biden managed to forgive roughly $180 billion in student loan debt for about 5 million Americans, he failed to enact the sweeping relief he’d envisioned. A maze of litigation and congressional opposition stood in the way.  
Scott Buchanan, the executive director of the Student Loan Servicing Alliance, which represents student loan servicers, said the strategy mirrors a broader effort by the Biden administration to shield federal rules – which can take years to finalize – from being altered or dismantled after the president leaves office. 
“The new administration could come in and change the language to whatever they want,” Buchanan said.
Education Department officials spent years pushing the regulations through red tape. After months of public debate, the far-reaching proposals were greenlit by a panel of federal negotiators in February. The department released one of the plans in April and promised that borrowers could expect debt relief as early as fall 2024. They released another plan 11 days before the November election. 
Both plans will now be tossed, according to the announcement on Friday.
One of the plans would have forgiven up to $20,000 of unpaid interest for more than 20 million borrowers, the White House said in April. More than 4 million borrowers in repayment for 20 years or more would have been eligible to have their debt canceled in full. 
The other policy would have canceled the debt of borrowers the federal government determined were likely to default on their loans in the next two years. (To qualify, those borrowers also needed to meet criteria related to their preexisting debt, household income and assets.)
The second plan would have created a new application offering debt relief to borrowers experiencing different types of economic hardship, including medical debt, losses due to natural disasters and child care expenses. 
Advocates for borrowers said Friday’s about-face left them frustrated. Braxton Brewington, the press secretary at the Debt Collective, said now that Biden’s larger plans are off the table, he hoped officials would spend the waning days before Trump’s inauguration fast-tracking relief for specific types of borrowers, such as people defrauded by predatory colleges.
“In some ways, it actually does make sense to not move forward with plans that were, in our eyes, destined to fail,” he said. “It’s just a shame that we’ve wasted so much time.” 
In addition to tossing aside the student loan proposals, the agency moved Friday to officially rescind a suggested policy that would’ve clarified the rights of transgender athletes. 
Changes to rules concerning college accreditation and textbook fees were officially quashed, too.
Other regulations, to expand federally funded college access programs to undocumented students and require attendance-taking in online college courses, may still make it through before Trump takes office.
Zachary Schermele is an education reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele.

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Posted by Atascadero News | Dec 22, 2024

This month, I wanted to take an in-depth look at both the buyer and seller and talk about some of the interesting statistics that have been reported this year. For this article I will be using information and statistics gathered from the California Association of Realtors (CAR).
It has been a real rollercoaster for buyers this year. Interest rates have continued to remain in the mid-6 to low 7 percent; the National Association of Realtors (NAR) announced that buyers are now responsible for their agent’s compensation, and inventory is still historically low (although it’s getting better). How do all these factors affect the average buyer? 
Let’s start out by demographically defining who our buyers are. According to CAR, Millennials make up the largest group of buyers in 2024. Millennials, aged 28-43, make up 47 percent, Gen X (ages 44-59) are 28 percent, Boomers (ages 60-69) are 21 percent, Gen Z (ages 12-27) are 2 percent, and buyers seventy and up make up the remaining 2 percent of buyers. If we take a look at the workforce in our country and how the different generations account for it, it makes sense that Millennials make up the largest group of buyers since Millennials make up most of the full-time workforce, 39 to 42 percent. Gen X represents 35 to 36 percent and Boomers 18 to 19 percent.  
Some other characteristics that CAR evaluated are marital status, median age of a buyer, median income of a buyer and whether or not a buyer is a first-time buyer or a repeat buyer. The majority of buyers, 61 percent, are married, 29 percent are single, and 6 percent are friends and/or family. The median age of a buyer is 45 years old, and the median income is $150,000. So far in 2024, repeat buyers make up 63 percent of the buyers, while first-time home buyers make up 37 percent. 
It is interesting to note that Millennials currently make up the largest generation demographic in the US. If we break down where people are generally at in life by each generation, Millennial buyers (at least the older ones) are more than likely married with either a family or want to start one. They are the ones who are outgrowing their starter homes and looking for a home that is typically larger so there is more room for their family to continue to grow. Gen X buyers are at a stage in life where they don’t necessarily need something bigger, they want something bigger or they are finally in a financial position to be able to afford what they have always wanted. Boomers are the generation that are either moving to be closer to family or are moving to an area that is more affordable so that they can retire more comfortably. Of course, each generation has its exceptions, but, in my experience, this is what I would typically see from each generation. 
Now, let’s look at the seller and the different characteristics that help define them. Looking at the generation breakdown of sellers, Boomers lead the way at 49 percent, followed by Gen X (23 percent), Millennials (16 percent), and buyers over the age of 70 make up 12 percent. CAR estimates that 46 percent of sellers plan on purchasing another home after they sell their current home, and the majority of sellers, 53 percent, are married, and 31 percent of sellers are single people. They also discovered that the median number of years a seller owns their home before selling is 13 years.
There are many reasons why a seller would choose to sell their home after owning it for more than a decade. Boomers are at an age where they are downsizing and looking for a simpler life. They’re retiring, kids are out of the house and they long for a more relaxed lifestyle. Gen X, as we explored above when looking at the buyer, are oftentimes looking to find a larger home to accommodate a larger family or a different lifestyle. They need to sell their current home, often their starter home, to buy the next one. Boomers and Gen Xers are also the ones more likely to sell their home to relocate for either a job, to be closer to family or move to a less expensive location for retirement purposes.
It is also interesting to look at what services both buyers and sellers value the most. Both buyers and sellers report that negotiating the price and/or terms of a sale is the most important service they receive from their real estate agent. Buyers also report that finding the right property, project managing the transaction, providing expertise on real estate/mortgage finance and navigating legal/regulatory complexities are the other services they value (in that order). While sellers reveal the services they value the most, in order, are project managing the transaction, preparing the home for sale, setting the right price and navigating legal / regulatory complexities. While buyers and sellers value the many services a real estate agent provides differently, they also have several in common. With all that said, you will likely find yourself in either category or demographic. Your realtor is also experienced in the complexities specific to both the buyer and seller and will work with you with that knowledge in mind to help you get to your next home.
Website used for reference: car.org/Global/Infographics/2024-Buyer-Snapshot

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FARGO — The coronavirus feels like it is going around, but health officials say it isn’t as concerning as other illnesses, now that the vaccine and immunity has helped the general public fight the infection.
North Dakota reported 296 cases of COVID-19 the week of Dec. 14, an uptick from 289 in the week before, according to the state Health and Human Services Department.
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It’s not as high as a peak in September, when weekly cases exceeded 500 per week. In August, cases per week jumped to above 400 cases a week.
Dr. Avish Nagpal, who is a Sanford Health infection diseases physician in Fargo, said it is hard to get accurate data on the coronavirus since most states are not tracking numbers in real time, like they did during the pandemic.
“Many people don’t test for COVID anymore, so it’s really hard to get an accurate number on COVID,” he said.
The hospital does get some numbers on the virus since people come into the hospital for testing, Nagpal said. Those numbers have been steady over the past several months, he said.
“We do see a few weeks in a row where the activity will pick up, then it will go down,” he said. “We are having a little bit of peaks and troughs, but nothing out of the ordinary.”
The most cases North Dakota had in one week was in late January 2022, when the state reported 15,926 cases, Health and Humans Services said. The most hospitalizations that the state had was 527 patients in mid-November 2020, according to state data.
As of Thursday, North Dakota reported 53 COVID-related deaths in 2024, a small number compared to the 1,159 people who died from COVID in 2020, the state’s highest yearly count.
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People will still get sick with COVID, but the severity of symptoms are “not even close” to pandemic times, Nagpal said. For the 2024-25 season, which began in early August, North Dakota reported 241 hospitalizations, including 11 in the week of Dec. 7, Health and Humans Services said.
At Sanford, all of the beds allocated to COVID patients were full during the peak of the pandemic, Nagpal said. Today, the hospital may get two patients.
He attributed the drop in cases and severity to vaccines, boosters and immunity built from infections.
Doctors have been concerned with whooping cough, especially among children. Also known as pertussis, North Dakota has recorded 115 cases of whooping cough this year.
“That has been the big struggle this year,” he said. “It’s basically affecting kids all over the state.”
It’s the first time since 2012 that cases have exceeded 100. That year, North Dakota had 214 cases. Almost all other years since then have been less than half the count this year, according to Health and Human Services data.
Whooping cough cases across the U.S. are six times higher than this time last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of Thursday, Minnesota reported 2,814 cases for 2024, double of the outbreak in 2016, according to the Minnesota Health Department.
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Influenza and cold activity are starting to pick up, Nagpal said. North Dakota hasn’t seen the outbreaks present in southern states, which are experiencing moderate to high activity, according to the CDC.
North Dakota and Minnesota are classified as minimal activity, according to the CDC.
“I anticipate that in the next three to four weeks, we will be at that place, too,” he said.
He said this is the best time to get a flu shot, especially as people prepare to gather for Christmas.
If a person tests positive for COVID, the CDC recommends they isolate until 24 hours after symptoms improve overall and they don’t have a fever without taking fever-reducing medication.

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Experts predict three altcoins, including Near Protocol, Render, and Rollblock, will see a 3,000% rally, excluding XRP.
Industry experts are buzzing about three altcoins set for substantial growth and are forecasting a 3,000% rally. Near Protocol is gaining popularity for its scalability and developer-friendly design, and Render is redefining decentralized digital rendering with its platform. 
Meanwhile, Rollblock, a rising star in crypto gambling, is capturing interest with its unique DeFi integration. XRP, however, is notably absent from these projections, making way for these exciting contenders.
Rollblock (RBLK) is redefining the traditional casino model for the modern era through its Web3-powered platform. With the online gambling market valued at $450 billion and projected to grow by 8% annually over the next decade Rollblock is perfectly positioned to disrupt this thriving sector.  
Unlike traditional casinos known for dishonest practices, Rollblock ensures complete transparency. Each transaction is saved on the Ethereum blockchain, enabling players to place bets securely and fairly. The platform offers over 7,000 immersive games, including poker, roulette, slots, and new titles, including Candyland and Cash Compass. Rollblock also launched a sports betting option last month, and this upgrade has received overwhelmingly positive feedback.
Trust is at the heart of Rollblock’s mission, reflected in its gaming license from the respected Anjouan Gaming Authority. The casino also offers a revenue-sharing model that rewards holders. Weekly, a percent of the casino’s revenue will be used to buy back tokens, burning 60% and distributing the remaining to holders. 
The platform’s unique approach has attracted over 32,000 presale registrants, with RBLK tokens now priced at $0.043 in stage 9 of its ICO. Analysts believe this GambleFi gem has the potential for a meteoric rise, predicting a run to $10 by 2025 as Rollblock cements its place among the leaders in crypto gaming.
Near Protocol has dropped by 10% to $5.02 during the last twenty-four hours as it enters a bearish market pattern. Despite that, its 24-hour trading volume jumped 81%, suggesting that investors are buying the dip. In comparison, XRP also slid by 6% during the same period. 
Over the last month, Near Protocol lost 11% of its value, decreasing from $5.60 to $5.02. Nonetheless, the protocol is continuing to improve its blockchain scalability features. Near Protocol’s adoption of BlockDAG technology is set to improve efficiency, delivering faster transaction speeds and enhanced security. This innovation positions Near Protocol as a candidate for blockchain leadership.
Render’s value has dropped by nearly 8% over the last 24 hours and is now trading at $6.94. Despite the dip, trading volume surged by 52%, indicating steady investor confidence in Render amidst market volatility. Recently, Render achieved a $5 billion market cap and solidified its position as one of the leading AI coins. 
Currently ranking third in social dominance among the top five AI cryptocurrencies, Render trails FET and VIRTUAL, both of which have gained traction in recent weeks. However, Render’s robust market presence keeps it a significant player in the AI and blockchain industries.  
While XRP faces challenges in the broader market downturn, Render’s continued advancements set it apart. Analysts suggest RNDR could hit $15 by Q1 2025, aligning with growing confidence in AI-focused cryptocurrencies, much like XRP’s steady appeal among institutional investors.
While XRP, Render, and Near Protocol face notable declines, Rollblock is gaining momentum as the most promising contender for long-term growth. Unlike its struggling counterparts, RBLK shows impressive resilience and upward potential, making it a standout in the crypto market. 
For more information, visit the Rollblock presale website and join the online community.
Disclosure: This content is provided by a third party. crypto.news does not endorse any product mentioned on this page. Users must do their own research before taking any actions related to the company.
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How to make restaurant quality prime rib at home  WGN Radio – Chicago
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SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. (WMTV) – A Sun Prairie yoga studio opened its doors to the community on Sunday to help people heal from last week’s tragic shooting at Abundant Life Christian School that killed three people.
“I feel right now a lot of people are overwhelmed just with fear, with anxiety, with stress, with the what ifs. So we teach here at Twisted Grit Yoga just to come in and take a deep breath. And that breath is so important,” Twisted Grit Yoga owner Amy Phillips said.
Twisted Grit Yoga not only welcomed in community members for free yoga classes, but other local businesses offered their services as well like spiritual guidance and tarot readings.
“It’s not about touching your toes, it’s about touching your heart. Finding what it is that you need to heal your body,” Phillips said.
Phillips and her husband Scott Kruchten opened Twisted Grit almost two years ago. She says they felt compelled to help the community.
“We know a lot of people that responded to the event and were there taking care of the kids, the teachers. And then we also do have teachers that have kids that have friends that go there. We definitely know kids that were in the school there. But no matter if you know someone or you don’t know someone, it just opens up your heart and just inspires you to do whatever you can to help, to find a little bit of peace. So it’s tough.”
Phillips says Twisted Grit is a studio that honors first responders.
“It’s important to honor and give them a space to heal too,” she said.
Phillips said they are expecting between 100 and 120 people of all ages to take part in the free yoga classes throughout the day Sunday.
“I really hope opening up our doors today will just let people know that hey, you can be sad, you can be broken, you can be anything and you belong and you fit in here at Twisted Grit Yoga,” Phillips said. “We just want everyone to find whatever it is they need.”
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Some 620,000 Mozambicans were affected by the storm, with most of the devastation taking place in the troubled region of Cabo Delgado.
The death toll from Cyclone Chido in Mozambique climbed to 94, according to the country’s disaster management agency.
Cyclone Chido made landfall in Mozambique a week ago. Although the most devastated region after Chido’s impact was the Mayotte archipelago, Mozambique was the second-most affected.
In particular, the storm ravaged the northern province of Cabo Delgado with gusts of around 260 kilometers (160 miles) per hour, battering the area with 250 millimeters (10 inches) of rain in a day.
Some 620,000 Mozambicans were affected by the storm, with more than 500,000 of them concentrated in the area of Cabo Delgado.
Experts say Cyclone Chido’s strength and its effects were made more intense by human-driven climate change.
Cabo Delgado is regularly ravaged by tropical storms but is also battling with unrest from a long-running Islamist insurgency.
The devastation from Cyclone Chido comes as Mozambique was still reeling from political unrest following post-election violence where at least 130 people were killed.
Daniel Chapo, ruling Frelimo party’s presidential candidate, visited the affected areas on Sunday.
His win at the ballot box in October triggered the unrest, as it was denounced by the opposition as fraudulent.
Chapo urged citizens across the country to donate food and clothes to the victims of the cyclone.
“Even if we are using them, our brothers need them,” he urged.
jcg/kb (AFP, Reuters)

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Incredible moment Tiger Woods’ son Charlie hits his first ever hole-in-one while playing alongside his dad  Daily Mail
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Google late Friday countered a U.S. call to sell its Chrome browser, suggesting a judge address antitrust concerns by barring the firm from making favorable treatment of its software a condition of licensing.
Google filed a 12-page proposed order banning the internet giant from requiring favorable distribution or treatment of its software on mobile devices as a condition of licensing popular apps like Chrome, Play or Gemini.
In contrast, the U.S. government in November asked a judge to order the dismantling of Google by selling its widely used Chrome browser in a major antitrust crackdown on the company.
The U.S. Department of Justice urged a shake-up of Google’s business that includes banning deals for Google to be the default search engine on smartphones and preventing it from exploiting its Android mobile operating system.
Determining how to address Google’s wrongs is the next stage of the landmark antitrust trial that saw the company in August ruled a monopoly by U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta.
Google has proposed that Mehta bar it from using the licensing desirability of its applications to compel mobile device makers to pre-install its search software or make it the default offering, a court filing showed.
“Nothing in this Final Judgment shall otherwise prohibit Google from providing consideration to a mobile device manufacturer or wireless carrier with respect to any Google product or service in exchange for such entity’s distribution, placement on any access point, promotion, or licensing of that Google product or service,” the proposed order stipulates.
Calling for the breakup of Google marks a profound change by the U.S. government’s regulators, which have largely left tech giants alone since failing to break up Microsoft two decades ago.
Regardless of Judge Mehta’s eventual decision, Google is expected to appeal the ruling, prolonging the process for years and potentially leaving the final say to the Supreme Court.
The case could also be upended by the arrival of President-elect Donald Trump to the White House in January. His administration will likely replace the current team in charge of the Justice Department’s antitrust division.
The newcomers could choose to carry on with the case, ask for a settlement with Google or abandon the case altogether.
The trial, which concluded last year, scrutinized Google’s confidential agreements with smartphone manufacturers, including Apple.
These deals involve substantial payments to secure Google’s search engine as the default option on browsers, iPhones and other devices.
The judge determined that this arrangement provided Google with unparalleled access to user data, enabling it to develop its search engine into a globally dominant platform.
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“Oh, we promise not to give the browser we developed favorable treatment, because we will have already driven all the competition out of business anyway!”
Apple NEXT,
Apple is now forcing Instagram advertisers to be pay for the adds thru it’s Apple Store
and charging an extra fees between 20 to 30% for using it’s the phone IOS, I don’t know if android is doing that too but users now have NO CHOICE but to pay Apple in order to run their adds.
That is as dirty as it gets since consumers have already paid apple for it’s IOS when they purchased their phones, if they knew that this will be the case they could have chosen others systems.
This is a monopoly run by Apple. .
A couple of observations.
Remember we went through this previously with Netscape, explorer and in the end something better came along and where are they now!
Second, if governments want people to have a choice or for Google chrome to have less power then governments should stop forcing us to use it.
If you want to file e-tax in many countries, make applications for certain things, get permits, etc…from these governments, they give you 2 or 3 browser options.
Edge, chrome and possibly Safari.
Don’t try using Firefox, Vivaldi, opera, etc … They will not work often the needed extensions, etc…are not available.
I recently found this out from both Japan (edge or chrome only) and for Canada (edge chrome and safari).
So if governments are going to say Google has too much power well then stop making it the primary choice for dealing with the government.
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