Havana, Cuba — Socialist Cuba, the birthplace of salsa and other rhythms that have conquered the world, is now surrendering to the invasion of South Korean pop music. Thirteen thousand kilometers of distance separate the Asian nation and the communist-run island, as well as a different language and cultural traditions. However, all of these barriers would […]
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MIP Africa — an event that matches African film and TV creatives to the people and countries that produce their work, wrapped up last week [Sept. 4] with several signed deals. Industry members and legislators from film meccas worldwide attended the event, part of the larger Fame Week Africa conference for creative professionals. Reporter Vicky […]
Beirut — At a shop nestled in a busy, crowded Beirut district, Hasan El-Makary is weighing out containers of warm, fragrant mufataka, a traditional sweet in the Lebanese capital that is rarely found in stores. “I’ve been in this shop for 50 years, but we started specializing in mufataka 30 years ago,” Makary said from the […]
NEW YORK — Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka beat American sixth seed Jessica Pegula 7-5, 7-5 in the U.S. Open women’s final on Saturday. Sabalenka blocked out the wild cheers of the home crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium to break Pegula in the final game and win her first title at Flushing Meadows. A year after coming up […]
VENICE, ITALY — Spanish director Pedro Almodovar’s first English-language movie “The Room Next Door,” which tackles the hefty themes of euthanasia and climate change, won the prestigious Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday. Starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, the film received an 18-minute standing ovation when it premiered at Venice earlier […]
Six years after Jifeng Bookstore was forced to close its doors in Shanghai, the shop has reopened in Washington to bring debate and literature to a new audience. Liam Scott has the story for VOA News. Videographer: Yi Ruokun details ⇒ BusinessMediaguide.Com portal received this content from this noted web source: VOANews.Com
Mortgage rates remained flat following a jobs report on Friday that continued to show a cooling labor market. Mortgage rate pricing for homebuyers hasn’t changed significantly as lenders have already priced in a Federal Reserve rate cut of 25 basis points (bps) that is expected later this month, loan originators told HousingWire. Kevin Leibowitz, president […]
RIO DE JANEIRO — Sergio Mendes, the celebrated Brazilian musician whose 1966 hit “Mas Que Nada” made him a global superstar and helped launch a long, Grammy-winning career, has died after months battling the effects of long COVID. He was 83. The death Thursday of the Brazilian pianist, songwriter and arranger was confirmed in a statement […]
Aging in place continues to be the preference for the vast majority of older Americans. But the financial and emotional ramifications of staying in one’s current home, rather than moving to a nursing home or assisted-living facility, can be a heavy burden. The Wall Street Journal highlighted aging-in-place issues this week by interviewing several families […]
The reverse mortgage industry is pressing ahead with a chance at lower interest rates later this month. While there were signs of weakness in performance metrics in August, there are also commensurate signs of encouragement, according to industry experts. Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) endorsements fell by 3.3% from July to August, with the total […]
Music cassette tapes are making a comeback in the U.S, with more than 430,000 sold in 2023 – about five times the number sold just a decade ago. Cassette tapes are especially popular with younger generations who grew up with digital music. Karina Bafradzhian has the story. Videographer: Sergii Dogotar details ⇒ BusinessMediaguide.Com portal received this […]
In an industry where managing a web of technology vendors to support LO’s sales and marketing needs has become overwhelmingly complex, inefficient and creates unnecessary security and compliance risks, CANDID is quickly becoming a leader in transforming how mortgage lenders operate. With its new partnership with Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group, CANDID is set to make […]
The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) is calling for policy changes that would help alleviate the difficulties for homebuyers using Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans when competing in tight markets. Buyers using FHA loans often face stigmas and cannot use many of the competitive strategies commonly utilized by conventional borrowers and cash buyers, according to […]
Dan Snyder rarely steps into the spotlight, but his name, strategic moves and execution are talked about frequently in mortgage banking circles. This changes on Oct. 1, 2024, when Snyder, the CEO of Lower, steps on to the main stage at the George W. Bush Presidential Library in Dallas for the HousingWire IMB Summit. A […]
Education Department Releases State Fact Sheets Detailing Biden-Harris Administration Investments in America’s Students, Schools, and Colleges details ⇒ BusinessMediaguide.Com portal received this content from this noted web source: Website of U.S. Department of Education
Retirement in America comes with a lot of concerns related to finances and health, with both of these issues often being intertwined. Long-term care is emerging as a key concern for older Americans, especially since its costs will most likely need to be covered from a fixed income. This is one reason why home equity […]
U.S. home-price growth is predicted to finish this year at 4.7% before slowing to 3.1% in 2025, according to a quarterly survey of housing experts conducted by government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) Fannie Mae. The third-quarter 2024 survey polled more than 100 mortgage, real estate and academic experts to determine its predictions in partnership with data analytics […]
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) today announced that the Four Rivers Special Education District in Illinois has entered into an agreement to ensure its disciplinary practices do not deny students with disabilities a free appropriate public education (FAPE) and comply with civil rights obligations to students with disabilities under Section […]
Mortgage lender and servicer OCMBC has acquired HomeStar Financial Corp., marking a significant expansion across the country. The acquisition formally closed on Aug. 29, OCMBC announced Thursday. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. “Their extensive experience in servicing and their commitment to providing outstanding customer service align perfectly with our values at OCMBC,” […]
LONDON — Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein won’t face charges of indecent assault in Britain, prosecutors announced on Thursday. The Crown Prosecution Service, which in 2022 authorized two charges of indecent assault against Weinstein, said it decided to discontinue proceedings because there was “no longer a realistic prospect of conviction.” “We have explained our decision to […]
With elevated levels of home equity across the U.S., mortgage lenders are making home equity lending more accessible to reach more borrowers. Nearly all of the companies analyzed that provide home equity lending have a digital application process, while about half incorporate a soft credit pull before they fully underwrite these loans, according to a […]
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) on Wednesday published Mortgagee Letter (ML) 2024-18, which implements updates to debenture interest rates and reimbursements for Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) program claims proposed in July. The ML goes into effect on Sept. 28. Debenture interest refers to the percentage of a return that an investor would receive for […]
Mortgage demand rose slightly last week as mortgage rates moved lower. Loan application volume increased 1.6% on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending Aug. 30 compared to the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). The MBA’s refinance index decreased 0.3% from the previous week but was 94% higher than the […]
U.S. Department of Education Additionally Releases New Data on Public Service Loan Forgiveness Approvals in Every State The U.S. Department of Education (Department) today announced more than $28 million in new awards in the Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) program to recruit, prepare, develop, and retain a strong, effective, and diverse educator workforce for classrooms across […]
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Declining mortgage rates in August provided some relief for U.S. homebuyers and made it the most affordable month since February. Of the 2.5 million “in-the-money“ mortgage holders as of Aug. 22, more than 60% took out their mortgages in the past two years, including 850,000 in 2023 and 560,000 this year. The average highly qualified […]
The U.S. Department of Education (Department) today announced $179 million in grants focused on supporting academic acceleration for every child, building on the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal to improve academic achievement nationwide. details ⇒ BusinessMediaguide.Com portal received this content from this noted web source: Website of U.S. Department of Education
When people think about the US state of Texas, they often think of cowboys in big hats and pointy-toed boots. But Texas is more than that. A study found that its biggest city, Houston, is the most diverse large city in the US. This is reflected in the immigrants and the many cuisines and cultures […]
With elevated mortgage rates having persisted over the past two years, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell indicated recently that a cut to the federal funds rate at this month’s meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is on the table, which would likely have the effect of driving mortgage rates lower. Elevated interest rates […]
CMG Home Loans, the retail lending division of CMG Financial, announced on Tuesday the appointment of Kari Van Kleef to the position of reverse mortgage operations manager. She is one of “several industry veterans who will be directing the dedicated reverse mortgage department at CMG,” the company said. Van Kleef, who previously worked for the […]
Mortgage servicer Nationstar, doing business as Mr. Cooper, is expected to settle a lawsuit with electronic payment processing vendor ACI Payments that is related to alleged damages from unauthorized mortgage payments imposed on Mr. Cooper’s customers three years ago. The settlement notice was filed Aug. 30 in a U.S. district court in Texas. Mr. Cooper […]
The chief economist of Fannie Mae expects to hang up the cleats this year. Doug Duncan, who’s been the chief economist at the government-sponsored enterprise since 2008, will be retiring effective Sept. 22, according to Rob Chrisman, who first reported the news on his blog Tuesday morning. Mark Palim, the company’s deputy chief economist, will […]
SEOUL, South Korea — An Apple TV+ documentary series, “K-pop Idols,” premiering Friday, offers an intimate look at how the K-pop industry is embracing diversity while grappling with challenges in a field that demands perfection. The six-part series features Korean American star Jessi and up-and-coming K-pop bands like Cravity and Blackswan, documenting the highs and lows […]
Home equity fintech Unlock Technologies has landed a Series B funding round that includes a $30 million investment by D2 Asset Management. D2 also pledged a $250 million capital commitment to Unlock to support originations. Also participating in the Series B round were Saluda Grade, Second Century Ventures and REACH, the venture and tech subsidiary of […]
Dan Sogorka Sogorka will spend much of his time with broker partners to help them understand the technology needed on the Rocket Pro TPO platform, and how buyers and sellers interact with Rocket’s tools. “We want to provide choice for brokers, choice for their consumers and the best tech for everybody involved in the process,” […]
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) today announced that the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has entered into a resolution agreement to ensure compliance with federal civil rights obligations not to discriminate based on national origin (including shared Jewish, Muslim, Palestinian, or Arab ancestry) under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act […]
New York is one of the fashion capitals of the world, but the industry has made fewer strides in advancing and promoting minorities. In the uptown neighborhood of Harlem, a program is tapping into community talent, led by a local who almost missed out on the industry entirely. Tina Trinh reports. Videographer: Ting-Yi Hsu details […]
NEW YORK — Parisa Imanirad, a scientist and cancer researcher from San Francisco, is married and has a wide circle of friends. But once or twice a week, she goes to a restaurant by herself. Imanirad said dining alone gives her time to think or read. She tries not to touch her phone and relishes the […]
Today, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) announced over $11 million in grants to support the recruitment and retention of bilingual and multilingual educators and provide high quality programming to Native students in an effort to strengthen and revitalize Native American languages. details ⇒ BusinessMediaguide.Com portal received this content from this noted web source: Website […]
los angeles, california — Halloween has arrived earlier than ever at major U.S. theme parks, as operators such as Disney, Six Flags, and Universal Studios seek to expand their reach and build on consumers’ love of spooky costumes and scares. Theme park operators have introduced a range of attractions, live performances, merchandise and food and beverages […]
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Venice, Italy — Hollywood heavyweights George Clooney and Brad Pitt admit they are disappointed their latest comedy “Wolfs” is not getting a broad cinema release and instead heading almost straight onto Apple TV. “It is a bummer,” Clooney said on Sunday, adding that television streamers, such as Apple AAPL.O, were nevertheless vital to the future of […]
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Blantyre, Malawi — A 72-year-old woman has shot to music stardom in Malawi, challenging societal norms in a country where elderly people are often abused, tortured or even killed over false accusations of witchcraft. Christina Malaya, now popularly known by her stage name, Jetu, is breaking the internet with her amapiano-style tracks. Jetu started her music […]