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Many readers will probably say they don’t trust US economic statistics very much as it is, and as we’ll discuss, there are sound reasons to hold that view. But we’ll soon turn to economist Menzie Chinn explaining how their quality in the process of taking a further leg down thanks to DOGE spending-whacking and why that matters. Even in the old days, one could see heavy-handed signs of manipulation. I recall, early in the dot-bomb era, an initial GDP release that depicted growth in the last quarter as 2.2% annualized. I was so offended that I called over a dozen…

The San Francisco-based AI design app Lovart was officially launched on Wednesday, focusing on North American users.LovertBeijing – China’s developers are driving some of the latest artificial intelligence tools targeting the global market.Melvin Chen moved from China to San Francisco and co-founded AI design startup Lovart.”We’ll focus on North America as our first step,” Chen said in Mandarin, translated by CNBC. He previously led the China business of Capcut, a popular video editing app from Buidan, which is the first to rank in the photo and video category of Apple’s US App Store.Lovart uses AI to generate logos, stickers and…

Back in May a bipartisan(!) group of lawmakers led by Rep. Josh Harder (D-Calif.)  started a roughly 30-member bloc that’s claiming inspiration from the “abundance movement.” “Abundance” was penned by the liberal duo of Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, and in this time of genocide, accelerating climate catastrophe, and Trump shock therapy, it zeroes in on zoning laws and environmental regulations as central problems to our society today. Less red tape, they argue, will mean that private capital will finally be free to deliver everything you need and want—housing, climate-friendly infrastructure, and loads of other stuff.  The book has become…

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for Dispatches, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week. Reporting Highlights Under Surveillance: Law enforcement agencies have collaborated with private security to surveil largely peaceful protesters opposed to a Nevada mining project called Thacker Pass. Terrorism Task Force: An FBI-led joint terrorism task force has at times focused on the protests, according to internal law enforcement communications. Tribal Land: Indigenous people protesting the mine say they have been unfairly singled out by authorities for trying to protect their…

Yves here. While Uruguay has a well-designed cooperative model, whose success is proven by the number of housing units is has built, it’s hard to see it as a model for “the world,” as in the US in particular. Uruguay is a small and one assumes cohesive country with shared values. Importantly, it also has a high literacy rate, 99% for those over 15 years of age, which is important in assuring that those who join these cooperatives understand what they are signing up for. By contrast, the US literacy rate is only 79% and the population at the lowest…

Capital One shares rose Tuesday evening despite reporting a highly raucous second-quarter results due to discovery integration. Still, we like the place where the company is heading towards this game-changing acquisition. According to LSEG, revenue for the three months ended June 30th increased 31% year-on-year to $12.5 billion, missing a consensus estimate of $12.5 billion. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) rose 75% year-on-year to $5.48, exceeding the $3.72 estimate, according to LSEG data. The shares rose about 3% in extended trading on Tuesday night to around $224 per share. On Wednesday, the stock will hit a new all-time high. The…

Check out companies making headlines in after-hours trading: Texas Instruments – Makers of analog and embedded processing chips fell to more than 9% after sales and revenues in the second quarter surpassed Wall Street estimates, but the low end of guidance in the third quarter was shorter. Stocks have skyrocketed 46% over the last three months of the results. Costar Group – Stocks in the online real estate market rose 1% after reporting revenue better than expected in the second quarter. Costar earned 17 cents per share and excluding items, earnings of $781.3 million, with analysts voted on fact sets,…

The power of L&D’s AI AI is changing the way we work and learn. From chatbots answering customer questions to smart tools that help teams work together, AI is becoming an important part of our work. The same applies to the impact of AI on learning and development (L&D). Organizations are beginning to see how AI can help employees grow by improving their skills rather than replacing them. However, if you’re scared to integrate AI into your L&D strategy, you’re not alone. Many experts believe that AI will replace roles or that learning may feel impersonal. Thankfully, AI will not…

Propublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates power abuse. Sign up for Dispatches. This is a newsletter that spotlights misconduct across the country, where you receive your stories in your inbox every week. Despite the Trump administration’s official declaration hiring sufficient wild firefighters, documents obtained by Propublica show internal concerns among senior officials as more than a million acres burn in 10 states. A month ago, Agriculture Secretary Brook Rollins announced that the Trump administration has done a historically good job preparing the country for the summer fire season. “We are on track and we may be able to achieve…

Whether you’re considering moving to another home or buying your first home, a $20,000 salary will open up options for what you can afford. Before signing a tour home or signing documents, it’s important to know that you’re looking for a home to buy in Portland or expect to buy it in Charleston, South Carolina. Using Redfin’s mortgage calculator, you’ll be considering a home that’s under $820,000 with a current salary of zero debt, a 20% down payment and 36% debt revenue. Of course, this is a simple answer to a more complicated question. How much you can afford on…