Free Republic

The cost to afford a median-priced home has increased at twice the rate that the average household income has risen as inflation and high interest rates inflame housing expenses, according to Redfin. The median monthly home payment in February was $2,838, up 12% year-over-year, while the median household income was just $84,072, an increase of 6% over the last year, according to Redfin. Over the past decade, the income needed to afford a home has tracked closely with the median household income until around the start of 2022, when the amount of household income needed skyrocketed to its current median...

The new head of Boeing’s troubled commercial airplane unit said the planemaker faces a “pivotal moment” as it works to boost quality and address significant concerns from regulators and airline customers after a panel flew off a 737 MAX 9 jet in January. “This is a pivotal moment for us, and we have serious work ahead to build trust and improve our operations,” said Stephanie Pope, who was named president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes ... Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun announced he would leave by the end of the year, while the company’s long-time head of commercial airplanes, Stan...

Police have warned Canada's leaders they will struggle to contain the fury at its deteriorating economy and a generational revolt by young people unable to ever buy a home. The secret report by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police paints an apocalyptical picture of the future for America's northern neighbor, predicting it will be riven by economic crisis, ecological meltdown and territorial disintegration. The report has caused a sensation in the Great White North after a heavily redacted version was released following a long-running access to information request by a Canadian academic. Described by its authors as a 'scanning exercise', the...

Mayor John Whitmire proposing a 5% cut across the board, except for fire and police departments.. Tax hikes and increased fees for parking and city services are likely .. The Mayor of Houston says the city is 'broke' after overspending for decades. Experts say the problem has existed for years, but COVID handouts from the federal government helped mask them. ... A tax hike through a bond is expected in November. ... The city has been struggling to make firefighters whole, from meeting its contractual obligation to their pension, to paying backpay and wage hikes that have been promised years...

In a recent earnings call, Best Buy, a woke retail giant, announced the closure of 24 stores in 2024, with an additional 10-15 stores expected to shut down in the fiscal year 2025. While the specific locations of the impending closures have not been disclosed, this decision is part of Best Buy’s broader efforts to adapt its retail footprint to the changing consumer shopping habits in an increasingly digital marketplace. As of now, Best Buy operates over 1,000 stores across the United States. “In fiscal ’24, we closed 24 stores. And in fiscal ’25, we expect to close 10 to...

President Biden’s reelection campaign has dubbed former President Trump “Broke Don,” taking a strategy out of Trump’s playbook that his political rivals know all too well. Trump has used nicknames — from “Little Marco” to “Crooked Hillary” to “Lyin’ Ted” — to put down a variety of opponents. For much of 2020, Biden’s moniker, courtesy of Trump, was “Sleepy Joe.” Now, the Biden team is seeking to turn the tables in attempting to make one stick to Trump while it worked this week to highlight the former president’s lagging fundraising numbers in the 2024 race.

California just filed its 2021-2022 audited financial statement, 350 days past the filing deadline. In its filing, the state admits that COVID-era unemployment fraud cost the state $29 billion that must be paid back to the federal government, and that in 2022, the state had $256 billion more in liabilities than it had in unrestricted resources. After accounting for restricted resources, such as purpose-specific state trust funds and bonds, the state still owed $55 billion more than it had. With massive stock market gains and unprecedented job growth in the high-earning tech field amid a post-pandemic recovery, 2022 was a...

A majority of America's largest cities are broke and unable to meet their liabilities, according to a new analysis. In its eighth annual Financial State of the Cities report, the right-leaning think tank Truth in Account determined that as of 2022, 53 of the country's 75 largest cities have fewer assets than liabilities. The report notes:At the end of the fiscal year 2022, 53 cities did not have enough money to pay all of their bills. This means that to claim their budgets were balanced—as is required by law in the 75 cities—elected officials have not included the actual costs...

Paradis Books & Bread, a book café located in North Miami, has closed down following a controversial decision to ask Fox News political analyst Gianno Caldwell to leave the establishment due to his conservative political beliefs. Gianno Caldwell recounted the event during an interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, expressing his disbelief and disappointment over being ostracized for his political stance. Caldwell explained, “I never thought I would make international news for being a Florida man kicked out of a restaurant because of my conservative values.” He detailed how the conversation turned uncomfortable when the café’s owner directly asked...

Blackstone defaulted on the $308 million mortgage on a Manhattan office tower more than a year ago — and the debt is now up for sale at a discount of more than 50%. ... The skyscraper has been losing value since 2014, when the mortgage was originated and 1740 Broadway was appraised at $605 million, ... Blackstone ceased funding operating shortfalls at the building and stopped paying the mortgage as of March 2022,.. Midland, however, has yet to foreclose on the tower, though it’s unclear why. ... As of September 2023, the occupancy at 1740 Broadway was a mere 7.4%,...

Look, I am not automatically inclined to tell a business owner how to run their operation. It is their money, their venture— run things as you see fit. If anything, I have encouraged this brand of self-reliance. Often, when leftist activists command that a business cater to a particular group or forcibly demand particular levels of inclusion, I have stated that if they feel that strongly about this being a viable plan, then they should back their thoughts with their own cash and sweat equity and go for it. ... Such is the case with the rather Bohemian-themed business in...

The jets collided on the tarmac while passengers were inside both aircraft.. One was headed to Las Vegas, while the other was on its way to Orlando.. The FAA confirmed that the collision occurred at 6.40am at the Boston airport ... Two JetBlue airplanes collided on the tarmac at Boston's Logan Airport on Thursday. The jets collided while a fleet full of passengers were inside both aircraft. One plane was left with damage to its wing, while the other aircraft’s tail section was wrecked. Debris was scattered on the runway and both jets were taken out of service. The incident...

(Outside The Beltway with John Fredericks reporting from the closed to the press rnc winter meeting in las vegas)

Megyn Kelly is joined by Andrew Klavan, author of "The House of Love and Death,” to discuss major layoffs at the Los Angeles Times, Sports Illustrated potentially shutting down, media outlets losing audience and money after going woke, and more.

The Democratic Socialists of America are red all over — with a financial situation so dire that some leaders are demanding job cuts and the layoff of staffers just like a corporate America entity, The Post has learned. The DSA — which has led protests against Israel over the Jewish state’s retaliatory response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack — is deep in a seven-figure hole and desperately in need of a way to stanch the red ink, members acknowledge. “We will cut $500,000 from staff-related expenses. We will first ask for volunteers from both director-level and bargaining unit staff...

acknowledging a "clearly disappointing" quarter marred by one-off charges that resulted in a $1.8 billion loss. ... in the middle of a multi-year effort to cut bureaucracy, increase profits and boost a stock that has lagged peers ... "The fourth quarter was very clearly disappointing," CEO Jane Fraser .. We know that 2024 is critical." ... layoffs from the sweeping reorganization, Chief Financial Officer Mark Mason ... Citi will also no longer count 40,000 jobs when it spins off and lists its Mexican consumer unit Banamex in an eventual initial public offering, eventually aiming to reach a staffing level of...

Academic dishonesty and crime are alike: ... When my peers are found responsible for multiple instances of inadequate citation, they are often suspended for an academic year,” wrote the student who sits on Harvard’s honor council.. When the president of their university is found responsible for the same types of infractions, the fellows of the Corporation ‘unanimously stand in support of’ her ... Gay’s plagiarism, the Harvard Corp. showed that its commitment to academic integrity was as phony as its other ideals. ... serious academic-integrity offenses, are too often ignored or excused—much like petty crimes in cities with left-wing governments....

Etsy’s employee costs have grown even as gross merchandise sales have been near flat, CEO says.. Etsy Inc. shares fell more than 7% in Wednesday trading to place among the S&P 500 index’s biggest laggards after the e-commerce company announced layoff plans. The company intended to cut about 11% of its staff, or roughly 225 employees, as it embarks on a broader restructuring. ... We are operating in a very challenging macro and competitive environment, and [gross merchandise sales] has remained essentially flat since 2021. This means we are not bringing our sellers more sales, which is the single most...

VIDEOBill Mitchell's big grift is apparently over. His Ron DeSantis money well has apparently dried up leaving poor Shill Bill not only broke but severely constipated as well. As an excuse for pulling out of the DeSantis shill racket, Shill Bill recently claimed he conveniently stubbed his toe while watching a football game which sent him to the hospital. Which is more ridiculous? Getting hospitalized for a stubbed toe or for having an ingrown toenail? While in the hospital, Mitchell whined that shilling for DeSantis sent him to the poorhouse with a horrible case of constipation to boot. His GiveSendGrift...

Woke books that were bought for huge advances by 'inexperienced' editors have flopped commercially, insiders say. 'Ideological fanatics' allowing their politics to dictate professional decisions have seen profits slump, according to industry experts. Among the works responsible for huge losses is a hotly anticipated memoir by the actor Eliot Page about his journey transitioning. 'Pageboy' sold for a $3 million advance but has sold just 68,000 copies. Industry standards suggest for publishers, paying roughly $7 per book sold is considered a good deal It means that even novels that sell tens of thousands of copies such as Page's can still...