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Student loan payments restart will dent US housing market, survey finds

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:15:34 GMT

Alex Tanzi | BloombergThe resumption of US student-loan payments in the coming weeks will deal a significant and lasting blow to the housing market, according to a new survey of real estate professionals.Home-purchase applications fell to the lowest level in a generation last week — and demand may be depressed even further when the pandemic-era freeze on student debt ends in October, according to a poll conducted by Pulsenomics LLC among more than 100 housing experts.Most respondents said that household formation and homeownership rates will be significantly affected for at least a year, and many predicted a longer-lasting impact.About 70% of student loan borrowers — amounting to some 30 million people — are 25-49 years of age, a time of life when many Americans typically look to set up a new home, perhaps as they get married or have children. That source of demand is likely to come under pressure as household budgets are strained by student loan repayments after almost four years o...

Why Wall Street’s obsession with a Silicon Valley company most people never heard of is sending stocks surging

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:15:34 GMT

New York — The stock market has boomed this year, and one big reason is a company without much name recognition — unless you’re a hard core video gamer.Nvidia (NVDA) has surged 222% this year, including a 3% bump Thursday following super impressive earnings. Although it’s been known for graphics processors, Nvidia has now become almost synonymous with AI, after successfully diving head-first into the production of the type of microchip that powers the promising technology.Demand has outpaced supply, making Nvidia the hottest of hot stocks: It’s leading the S&P 500 this year by a mile, and is now one of only a handful of companies with a market capitalization of more than $1 trillion.Investor enthusiasm for AI has also helped boost other tech stocks. Meta is up 144% this year, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq has grown 31%. But Nvidia is by far the most sought-after AI stock. The American chipmaker produces the building blocks of generative artificial intelligence (think ChatGPT and the...

Review: If players can scale difficult wall, ‘Armored Core VI’ turns into a masterpiece

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:15:34 GMT

Every FromSoftware game seems manageable at first. Players figure out the gameplay and overcome a few tough encounters, but then they run into a boss that’s a brick wall. No matter how hard they try, the dangerous foe beats them down and turns joy into frustration. It becomes a seemingly insurmountable obstacle.In “Elden Ring,” that boss is Margit the Fell Omen. Going up against him a few times left plenty of players frustrated. With “Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice,” that boss was Lady Butterfly, who seemingly got harder the more one fought her. In “Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon,” that boss, for me, was Balteus, an autonomous mech that has a shield, shoots out dozens of missiles and spews out fire when it’s damaged.I suffered through two agonizing nights trying to beat the mech. It haunted my dreams, but when I finally beat it, that’s when I realized that I learned how to play the game. I mean really play it, not just mash buttons...

The 10 most expensive reported home sales in Danville, San Ramon, Dublin, Pleasanton the week of Aug. 14

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:15:34 GMT

A house in Pleasanton that sold for $4.5 million tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in Danville, San Ramon, Dublin, Pleasanton in the past week.In total, 21 residential real estate sales were recorded in the area during the past week, with an average price of $2.4 million. The average price per square foot ended up at $810.The prices in the list below concern real estate sales where the title was recorded during the week of Aug. 14 even if the property may have been sold earlier.10. $2.3 million, detached house in the 6000 block of Alpine Blue DriveThe 3,136 square-foot single-family house in the 6000 block of Alpine Blue Drive in San Ramon has been sold. The transfer of ownership was settled in August and the total purchase price was $2,340,000, $746 per square foot. The house was built in 2016. The house features four bedrooms and five bathrooms.9. $2.4 million, single-family house in the 400 block of Trebbiano PlaceThe sale of the single family resi...

COVID vaccine program for uninsured could be late to pharmacies

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:15:34 GMT

WASHINGTON — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new program to get the next generation of COVID-19 vaccines to uninsured and underinsured Americans will likely not be ready in pharmacies by the time the new vaccines hit the market as early as this September, leaving millions of high-risk Americans in the lurch.The change comes during a post-pandemic transition. The government has paid for Americans’ COVID-19 vaccines with every previous generation of COVID-19 vaccines, but with this next iteration of shots, the cost will switch to the commercial market.The CDC said the uninsured and underinsured won’t be completely out of luck. While shots are not accessible in pharmacies, uninsured and underinsured individuals can get their COVID-19 shots at community health centers and state health departments.But throughout the pandemic pharmacies have been a primary point of contact for vaccines. Nine out of 10 Americans live within five miles of a pharmacy, according to an analysi...

Kaiser reinstates mask mandate in Santa Rosa due to rise in COVID cases

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:15:34 GMT

(KRON) -- Kaiser Permanente has reinstated its mask mandate policy at its Santa Rosa hospital due to an increase in COVID-19 cases. The masking requirement is mandated for physicians, staff, patients, members and visitors in the hospital and medical offices. For all other Kaiser Permanente facilities in Northern California, masks are highly recommended to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses. Scientists solve deep-sea ‘Octopus Garden’ mystery off California coast Infection prevention and control experts for Kaiser continue to monitor transmission rates closely and encourage individuals to get the COVID-19 vaccine.Kaiser Permanente issued the following statement to KRON4 that read in part: "Kaiser Permanente Northern California is committed to protecting the safety of our members, patients, employees, physicians and visitors, which includes taking appropriate steps to prevent the spread of transmissible infectious diseases in our facilities."

Man who violently attacked 2 women in SOMA convicted on multiple charges

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:15:34 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- A man who violently attacked two women in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood in 2021 has been convicted of multiple charges, the San Francisco District Attorney's Office announced Thursday. Javon Knighten, 29, was convicted in a trial by jury for the attack which occurred on Steuart Street on Oct. 26, 2021.According to evidence cited by the DA's office, Knighten attacked a woman near the intersection of Mission Street and Steuart, tackling her as she walked past him and knocking her to ground. The woman was 66-years-old at the time of the attack. 2 women shot near Fruitvale BART station in Oakland A witness, a 31-year-old woman, pursued Knighten on her skateboard before he later punched, kicked and stabbed her. He was arrested a few blocks away on the 200 block of Market Street after resisting officers, the DA said.Knighten was convicted on charges that included:Assault with a deadly weapon with an allegation that he caused great bodily injuryAssa...

Prigozhin’s Legacy Is the Global Rise of Private Armies for Hire

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:15:34 GMT

The shocking, if widely predicted, reported death of warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin marked the last chapter in the most substantial threat to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s two-decade rule. As Putin continues to grapple with his shaken grip on power and Russia’s flailing war on Ukraine, the hot dog vendor-turned-global mercenary leader’s deadly legacy is likely to reverberate for years to come, as private military groups like Wagner play an ever-growing role in conflicts around the world. Prigozhin, who was Putin’s close associate before he attempted a mutiny against him two months ago, was reportedly on board his private plane when it crashed outside Moscow on Wednesday. On board were nine other senior members of the Wagner Group. The mercenary outfit that made Prigozhin a household name worldwide is infamous for having committed widespread atrocities in multiple countries and most recently for having fought alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, where it sacrificed tens of thous...

Abortion Bans or Democracy — You Can’t Have Both

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:15:34 GMT

People celebrate the defeat of Issue 1 during a watch party in Columbus, Ohio, on Aug. 8, 2023.Photo: Jay LaPrete/APThe defeat of Ohio Issue 1 on August 8 demonstrated the strength of the pro-abortion rights vote. Activists secured an initiative to be placed on the November ballot constitutionally enshrining the right to abortion until fetal viability. To head off what promises to be a slam dunk for the pros, Ohio’s anti-abortion Republican legislature proposed its own amendment, to raise the bar to amend the state constitution. That was Issue 1, the sole question on the ballot of the special August election.Issue 1 was a transparent ruse — polls showed 58 percent support for the abortion rights measure; the lawmakers specified a 60 percent majority to pass an amendment instead of the current simple majority — and voters soundly rejected it.Now Ohio is set to follow the six states that have conferred the highest level of state protection on reproductive freedom through popular refe...

Chargers seeking more depth in running game going into final preseason game

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:15:34 GMT

COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP) — Austin Ekeler is entrenched as the Los Angeles Chargers starting running back. Yet, the competition to determine who will back him up remains wide open.Joshua Kelley and Isaiah Spiller have shown improvement during training camp and the first two preseason games, while undrafted rookie Elijah Dotson is making a bid for a roster spot.All three running backs will get one final chance to make their case during Friday’s preseason finale at San Francisco.“I think that anyone on the active (roster) in the running back room, you’re going to want to utilize all of those different guys,” offensive coordinator Kellen Moore said. “We’ll just see how it all plays out. That will be through the season, I think, by game plan.”The Chargers have been searching for a consistent backup for Ekeler since he became the starter in 2020. But there is some optimism that there might be a feasible plan this season.Coach Brandon Staley has discussed emphasizing the running game more s...