Semafor: “The devastating wildfires that are sweeping Los Angeles may accelerate the flight of home insurance companies from California in spite of recent regulatory changes aimed at retaining them, the state’s previous top insurance official told Semafor. At least two major fires are still raging largely uncontained, aided by ongoing high winds, and 24 people… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Economy
U.S. Employee Engagement Sinks to 10-Year Low
Gallup: “Employee engagement in the U.S. fell to its lowest level in a decade in 2024, with only 31% of employees engaged. This matches the figure last seen in 2014. The percentage of actively disengaged employees, at 17%, also reflects 2014 levels. The percentage of engaged employees has declined by two percentage points since 2023,… Continue Reading
In ‘a mass erasure of heritage,’ numerous historic landmarks lost in L.A.
LA Times providing free access to updates on the fires – There have been at least 24 deaths and more than 12,000 structures damaged or destroyed in the L.A.-area fires. Cal Fire reported the Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth and Hurst fires had consumed more than 62 square miles, an area larger than San Francisco. The Palisades… Continue Reading
LA wildfire damages set to cost record $135 Billion – 10,000+ buildings destroyed
Semafor – “JPMorgan said this morning, more than double an earlier estimate. That comes as those companies are still rebuilding their reserves from the 2017 and 2018 wildfire seasons, which included the deadly Camp Fire in California. Insurers have been fleeing California in recent years as weather-related catastrophes become more common, pushing more homeowners to… Continue Reading
What the data says about federal workers
Pew Research Center – “President-elect Donald Trump has focused much attention on shrinking the size and scope of the federal government for his second administration. Most notably, Trump has appointed tech mogul Elon Musk and GOP-primary-rival-turned-ally Vivek Ramaswamy to lead an advisory task force dubbed the “Department of Government Efficiency.” Musk and Ramaswamy have said… Continue Reading
Container ships
Nearly everything you own, including the clothes you’re wearing and the device your’re reading this on, was delivered by a container ship. Continue Reading
Experian Conducted ‘Sham Investigations’ Into Errors in Its Credit Reports
Gizmodo: “Experian has routinely provided inaccurate information in credit reports that help determine whether consumers are approved for loans, jobs, or housing and failed to properly investigate or correct errors when consumers disputed the mistakes, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. CFPB data shows that last year the agency… Continue Reading
US Cyber Trust Mark launches as the Energy Star of smart home security
The Verge: “Consumers shopping for new smart home devices will soon be able to look for the official stamp of trust from the US government: the US Cyber Trust Mark. Similar to how an Energy Star label on home appliances denotes a certain level of energy efficiency, the Cyber Trust Mark is meant to be… Continue Reading
Landlords have been accused of price fixing. See where it may be happening.
Washington Post gift article: “Millions of rents across the United States may now be set using one company’s algorithmic software, according to a federal lawsuit and a Washington Post analysis. RealPage, a property management software company, uses a trove of data to suggest rental prices to landlords. The software has been widely adopted by property… Continue Reading
Gigantic SUVs are a public health threat
Vox – Why don’t we treat them like one? “The anti-tobacco playbook could help turn the US public against their beloved oversized cars. With an annual toll of 40,000 American lives, the deadliness of secondhand smoke is now common knowledge. But it was only a few decades ago that puffing on a cigarette was defended… Continue Reading
CFPB Finalizes Rule to Remove Medical Bills from Credit Reports
“Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) finalized a rule that will remove an estimated $49 billion in medical bills from the credit reports of about 15 million Americans. The CFPB’s action will ban the inclusion of medical bills on credit reports used by lenders and prohibit lenders from using medical information in their lending… Continue Reading
USAFacts’ top 10 articles of 2024
“Foreign aid, election data, border security, and the standard of living in America were among readers’ favorite articles. In 2024, Americans came to USAFacts seeking information about safety and homelessness across the US, how many people are immigrating here, the 2024 election, and government spending related to foreign aid and foreign debt. Here are the… Continue Reading
