News

[ad_1] Massachusetts identifies first 2022 U.S. case of monkeypox infection [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a host of amendments to the National Policy on Biofuels, 2018 and advanced the target of blending 20% ethanol-blended petrol by five years, from 2030 to 2025-26. It also allowed more feedstocks for the production of biofuels, which when mixed with auto fuels, can help the country cut dependency on imported oil for meeting its energy needs. At present, the oil marketing companies blend around 10% of ethanol in petrol. The amendment also added new members to the National Biofuel Coordination Committee (NBCC). These decisions will help India, which depends on imports for meeting 85% of its oil needs, to cut reliance on overseas shipments. According to the statement, the approved amendments are in line with advancements in the field of biofuels and various decisions taken in the NBCC meetings, to increase biofuel production. It also provides for promoting the production of biofuels in the country under the ‘Make in India’ programme, by units located in special economic zones (SEZ)/export-oriented units (EoUs). The Cabinet also approved granting permission for export of biofuels in specific cases. “The proposal will also attract and foster developments of indigenous technologies which will pave the way for ‘Make in India’ programme and thereby generate more employment, and thereby lead to a reduction in import of petroleum products by the generation of more and more biofuels,” the statement said. “Since many more feedstocks are being allowed for the production of biofuels, this will promote the Atmanirbhar Bharat and give an impetus to Prime Minister’s vision of India becoming ‘energy independent’ by 2047,” the statement added. Reacting to the amendment, the sugar industry said that it welcomes the move and looks forward to playing a leading role as the country’s ethanol supplier. “Thanks to positive initiatives taken by the Government, there are significant new investments happening to augment ethanol production across the country. However, for the smooth roll-out of the programme, we request the removal of certain process impediments like signing of bipartite and tripartite agreements with all ethanol producers and equal preference be given to new and old ethanol plants, instead of only new plants. We further request that Uttar Pradesh, which is the country’s largest ethanol producing state, be given preference and oil marketing companies should encourage more production rather than cause impediments,” said an official of the industry. [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] The  U.S. Census Bureau released their new residential construction report for April, showing a miss on the estimate and a negative revisions data line, which I believe is lagging behind the current market reality. Housing starts came in at 1.724 million, and housing permits came in at 1.819 million — both are still very healthy numbers.  However, the sting of higher mortgage rates is hitting the single-family construction data, and the real story is that the housing completion data, which has been bad for a long time, is still terrible. We simply cannot finish homes in America promptly, and now that mortgage rates are over 5%, some buyers won’t be able to purchase a home. The builders are mindful of this and will be cautious on single-family starts.  In the summer of 2020, I wrote that what would cool down housing is having the 10-year yield go over 1.94%, which means 4%+ mortgage rates. While historically low, 4%-5% and higher mortgage rates have constantly cooled down housing, especially when working from a solid uptrend. This happened in 2013-2014, and in 2018 when mortgage rates moved toward 5%. Housing in 2020 and 2021 benefited from rates between 2.5% – 3.75%, which gave buyers more purchasing power. After the big run-up in home prices over the last year, 5%+ mortgage rates are a payment shock. So, this is a traditional slowdown we see, not a housing crash. As you can see below, the builders pushed their pricing power and made their margins look great, even with higher lumber and labor costs. From Census: Privately‐owned housing starts in April were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,724,000. This is 0.2 percent (±8.7 percent)* below the revised March estimate of 1,728,000, but is 14.6 percent (±14.2 percent) above the April 2021 rate of 1,505,000. Single‐family housing starts in April were at a rate of 1,100,000; this is 7.3 percent (±7.7 percent)* below the revised March figure of 1,187,000. The April rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 612,000.  As you can see below, the housing demand data from 2002 to 2005 was never apparent in any housing data lines from 2018 to 2022. When you don’t have a credit boom with exotic loan debt products, housing demand has limits. This is a huge positive for the U.S. housing economy because the demand curve we have had in America is more accurate. This demand curve prevents a boom and bust cycle from happening, as we saw from 2002 to 2008. From Census: Privately‐owned housing units authorized by building permits in April were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,819,000. This is 3.2 percent below the revised March rate of 1,879,000 but is 3.1 percent above the April 2021 rate of 1,765,000. Single-family authorizations in April were at 1,110,000; this is 4.6 percent below the revised March figure of 1,163,000. Authorizations of units in buildings with five units or more were at a rate of 656,000 in April. The housing starts story in 2022 is that while demand has gotten softer for single-family starts, multifamily construction has been a good thing this year. With rent inflation high and supply low, shelter construction for the renting side of the housing market has more legs, whereas higher mortgage rates are impacting single-family construction plans. From Census: Housing Completions Privately‐owned housing completions in April were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,295,000.  This is 5.1 percent (±11.5 percent)* below the revised March estimate of 1,365,000 and is 8.6 percent (±7.5 percent) below the April 2021 rate of 1,417,000.  Single‐family housing completions in April were at a rate of 1,001,000; this is 4.9 percent (±14.1 percent)* below the revised March rate of 1,053,000. The April rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 281,000. It’s the worst timing possible in history. It takes forever to finish a home, and now the builders are dealing with the reality of borrowers who went into contract with sub-4% rates and are now dealing with 5%+ rates. Nothing has been easy in housing since 2020. Now that mortgage rates have been in real terms f a 3% increase from the shallow bottom we saw during the COVID-19 recovery, some contract sales are at risk. Today wasn’t a terrible housing starts report, but the data is currently lagging behind the reality of the big mortgage rate move and the uncertainty of how many of those housing units will be sold. The builders know this as their confidence data is already fading and remember, with this data line, the rate of change is more important than where the data line is today on a historical level. From the National Association of Home Builders: For the future, the key is how many single-family homes in contract will be lost due to the mortgage rate moving higher and how much damage higher mortgage rates do to future housing demand. Much of the housing data lags behind the big rate move, but we are coming to an end of that reality so that the upcoming months will reflect the current state better. The one positive data line that we have seen is multifamily construction, which is desperately needed as rental inflation has taken many Americans by surprise. Renters don’t have the protection of a fixed debt loan like homeowners do. As we can all see, the housing inflation story is hitting Americans on both the home-buying and rental side of the equation, hence my theme of a savagely unhealthy housing market.   The post Housing starts data lags reality of higher mortgage rates appeared first on HousingWire. [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] The post Get Paid to Review Calls appeared first on Millennial Money. Almost anyone with the right skills and attitude can make money reviewing calls. It can be a great side hustle—and maybe even a full-time gig. If you’re interested in working as a call reviewer, you’ve come to the right place.  Keep reading to learn more about how you can make money reviewing calls to find out if this line of work is right for you. What Is Call Reviewing? Companies today care a lot about optimizing their customer service capabilities. As such, they are increasingly digging into conversations with agents and analyzing them for quality purposes. By listening to customers and responding to their needs immediately, it’s possible to increase satisfaction, prevent churn, and ultimately make more money. This is where you come into the equation. As a call reviewer, you can make money listening to calls and reporting what you find. The job isn’t usually very hard if you have the right background and skills. And best of all, it’s something you can do from your home office or living room sofa. Qualifications for Reviewing Calls Interested in reviewing calls for cash? Here’s a breakdown of what you need to make money reviewing calls. A Smartphone or Computer Unfortunately, most companies won’t send you equipment to review calls from home. If you want to make money reviewing calls, you need to have a functioning computer, smartphone, or tablet. Strong Listening Skills You have to be an above average listener to excel in this line of work. You’ll also need to be able to pick apart critical parts of a conversation. Let’s just say that if you can’t pay attention to your friend for more than thirty seconds on the phone, this job probably isn’t for you! Proficient Language Skills In most cases, you have to be a strong English speaker if you want to review calls in the United States. At the same time, many companies are looking for bilingual candidates—especially organizations that operate in areas with high Spanish-speaking populations. Pro Tip: If you’re bilingual, emphasize that fact on your job application. Earning Potential According to Glassdoor, call reviewers make an average salary of $32,212 annually, which isn’t a ton of money by any stretch of the imagination. Most people who work call review jobs for companies and call centers typically work other part-time jobs and side hustles. But if you work part-time, you could rack in between $15 and $16 an hour, depending on the company you work for. So, while it might not be an excellent career option, as a side gig, it could be pretty sweet. The more you hustle, the more money you can rack up over time—making it that much easier to achieve financial freedom. Top Call Review Opportunities  Businesses often hire quality assurance (QA) professionals to listen to recordings and provide feedback. Truth be told, it can be a little bit tricky to find these opportunities. You may have to poke around the internet and dig into job listing sites like Indeed or Monster. With that in mind, here are a few opportunities to explore. Humanatic Humanatic is a company that specializes in call reviewing. The organization helps its clients review calls and provides them with analytical reports which they can use to improve their customer service strategies. When working for Humanatic, you can set your own schedule and put in as much time as you want. One nice aspect is that when you start, the company pairs you with easy call categories. As you review more calls and gain experience, you can unlock new opportunities that are more challenging. As such, there’s room to grow with Humanatic as you improve your skills over time. The company pays weekly, but you must have a verified PayPal account to collect. According to Humanatic, you can make anywhere from $1 to $4.50 per hour. Most likely, you’ll want to look for a higher-paying opportunity. CVS Health CVS Health hires quality assurance specialists on a work-from-home basis. In this role, you have to monitor and evaluate inbound and outbound call quality and provide feedback to call center staff. Reynolds and Reynolds Reynolds and Reynolds is a company that provides automotive retailing solutions for automakers and dealers. The company occasionally hires at-home call quality analyst positions and typically pays about $12 per hour. This position involves listening to phone recordings between clients and customers and evaluating them for quality. The company’s main goal here is to identify sales opportunities and ensure the sales team is doing a good job. Analyst positions aren’t always available, but keep your eye out. While it may be a long shot, you can also contact the company directly and submit your resume to them. You never know when you might be able to get a gig that way. American Financing  American Financing is a national mortgage lender based in Colorado.  The company routinely looks for call center QA specialists. Part of the job entails reviewing calls to ensure agents are giving accurate information to customers. QA specialists also need to recognize and report call compliance violations. Freelance Sites for Call Review Jobs If you’re looking for something a bit more flexible, consider working as a call reviewer on a freelance basis. On sites like Fiverr, Upwork, and Craigslist, you can occasionally find call reviewing gigs that you can do on your own schedule. Of the three options, Upwork seems to have the most legit call reviewer profiles, so it’s also more likely to have legit clients. Fiverr Fiverr is one of the top platforms for finding freelance gigs for around the world. Sign up now for free! Sign up with Fiverr Similar Opportunities to Explore Talk with Strangers through Listeners The Listeners app provides a way to make money by engaging with random callers about just any subject of your choosing. Here’s how it works. Customers call in for advice on all sorts of topics. If your area

[ad_1] This is a great deal on these popular Antigravity Chairs! Kohl’s has these Sonoma Antigravity Chairs on sale for only $48 right now! Plus, text SAVE02 to56457 to get a 15% off coupon you can use. Even better, you will get $10 in Kohl’s cash for every $50 you spend. Buy 2 Sonoma Goods For Life Anti-Gravity Patio Chair – $48 eachUse 15% off unique coupon code (text SAVE02 to56457)Pay $81.60, Get Back $10 Kohl’s Cash for spending $50 (x5/22)$40.80 each shipped + $10 Kohl’s Cash That’s like paying just $35.80 for this chair which is a great deal. Choose from several color options. Hurry – these will sell out quickly. Thanks, Free Stuff Finder! [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] U.S. to study whether longer Paxlovid course needed to combat reinfections [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] The Congress on Wednesday said it will hold state-level “shivirs” across the country on June 1 and 2 to communicate the decisions of the “Udaipur Declaration” adopted after a three-day “Chintan Shivir”. AICC general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said similar conclaves will also be held at the district level on June 11 to send across the party’s message to the grassroot-level workers. The decision was taken at a meeting of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretaries and in-charges of various states at the party headquarters here over Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss the recommendations and decisions taken at the Udaipur Chintan Shivir. After the conclusion of the “Nav Sankalp Chintan Shivir” and the adoption of the “Udaipur Declaration”, under the guidance of the general secretary (organisation), all the in-charges and general secretaries of the Congress held deliberations and post these two days of discussions, certain decisions were taken, Surjewala said. “On June 1 and 2, there will be state-level shivirs in all the states, in which the highlights, points and the way ahead taken from the Udaipur Declaration will be communicated to the leaders and grassroot-level workers. The shivirs will be attended by our MPs, MLAs, MP and MLA candidates, District Congress Committee presidents, Pradesh Congress Committee office-bearers and prominent leaders of the party. “As a follow-up exercise, a similar one-day shivir will be held on June 11 at the district Congress committees. The idea is to carry forward up to the grassroots the various highlights and points on which a way forward has been decided for the party at the Udaipur Nav Sankalp Chintan Shivir,” he added. The party leaders also decided that a three-day “Azadi Gaurav Yatra” shall be undertaken by all the district units between August 9 and August 15, where 75 people, in accordance with the 75th anniversary of India’s independence, will work permanently and hundreds and thousands will join them. “On August 15, the pradesh Congress committees will organise a major function to commemorate the sacrifices and lessons of the freedom movement,” Surjewala said. The Youth Congress and the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) will undertake the “Rozgar Do Yatra” and “we will be conferring with their leadership and the way forward will be decided at that point of time”, Surjewala said. The meeting of the office-bearers comes immediately after the Chintan Shivir, where Congress leaders from across the country brainstormed to evolve ways and means to make the party election-ready. The Congress has brought a host of structural changes within the organisation in a bid to overhaul it, with a focus on granting 50 per cent representation to people below 50 years of age and giving 50 per cent poll tickets to them starting the 2024 Lok Sabha election. The party has decided to implement the “one family, one ticket” and the “one man, one post” formulae, with the exception of allowing only those family members to get a poll ticket who have worked for a period of five years in the organisation. The Congress has also decided to create new departments — a public insight department, an election department and an assessment and training department. It has decided that no one shall hold a party post for more than five years. In this context, following the Udaipur Declaration, New Delhi DCC president Virender Kasana has submitted his resignation to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. Kasana also met senior party leader Ajay Maken after his resignation to re-confirm his commitment to the Congress. “Congrats Kasana Ji! Hope others to follow,” Maken said in a tweet. [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] If you’re in the market for a robotic vacuum and mop, don’t miss this deal you can get today! {Sponsored by Shellbot Tech.} Amazon has this Shellbot SL60 Robotic 2-in-1 Vacuum & Mop Cleaner for just $279.99 shipped when you clip the $20 e-coupon. This model gets great reviews and features super strong 4000Pa suction for deep cleaning (perfect for pet hair!), multiple-floor mapping for no-go vacuum and mop zones, smart app control with a remote or Alexa, a long-lasting battery, quiet cleaning, and more! Sign up for a free trial of Amazon Prime to get free two-day shipping (and possibly one-day or same-day shipping!) with no minimum. If you’re not sure Prime is worth it, read this post for some helpful info to help you decide! And don’t forget you can sign up for Swagbucks to earn free gift cards to use on Amazon deals! Valid through May 22nd, while supplies last. [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] Moscow says more Mariupol fighters surrender; Kyiv silent on their fate [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru have developed nano-sized robots that can be controlled using a magnetic field and it can help in killing bacteria deep inside the teeth and increase the success of root canal treatments. According to scientists, root canal treatments are frequently carried out to treat tooth infections in millions of patients. The procedure involves removing the infected soft tissue inside the tooth, called the pulp, and flushing the tooth with antibiotics or chemicals to kill the bacteria that cause the infection. “The dentinal tubules are very small and bacteria reside deep in the tissue. Current techniques are not efficient enough to go all the way inside and kill the bacteria,” said Shanmukh Srinivas, Research Associate at the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE), and co-founder of IISc-incubated start-up, Theranautilus, according to a report by PTI. The findings of the study were published in the journal Advanced Healthcare Materials. The scientists designed helical nanobots made of silicon dioxide coated with iron, which can be controlled using a device that generates a low-intensity magnetic field. These nanobots were then injected into extracted tooth samples and their movement was tracked using a microscope. By tweaking the frequency of the magnetic field, the researchers were able to make the nanobots move at will and penetrate deep inside the dentinal tubules. “We have also established that we can retrieve them, we can pull them back out of the patient’s teeth. ” said Srinivas. “Crucially, the team was able to manipulate the magnetic field to make the surface of the nanobots generate heat, which can kill the bacteria nearby. No other technology in the market can do this right now,” said Debayan Dasgupta, Research Associate at CeNSE, and another co-founder of Theranautilus. The researchers said that using heat to kill the bacteria also provides a safer alternative to harsh chemicals or antibiotics, as reported by PTI. Meanwhile, the researchers are also working on developing a new kind of medical device that can easily fit inside the mouth and permit the dentist to inject and manipulate the nanobots inside the teeth during root canal treatment. “We are very close to deploying this technology in a clinical setting, which was considered futuristic even three years ago. It is a joy to see how a simple scientific curiosity is shaping into a medical intervention that can impact millions of people in India alone,” added Ambarish Ghosh, Professor at CeNSE. [ad_2] Source link