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Small Business Lifestyle

Voters split on whether Harris or Trump would do a better job on the economy [Video]

Going into November’s election, neither Kamala Harris nor Donald Trump has a decisive edge with the public on the economy, turning an issue that was once a clear strength for Trump into the equivalent of a political jump ball.About 4 in 10 registered voters say Republican Trump would do a better job handling the economy, while a similar number say that about the Democratic vice president, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. About 1 in 10 voters don’t trust either candidate, and a similar share has equal faith in them. Video above: Latest Franklin and Marshall College Poll: Kamala Harris Leads Donald Trump in PennsylvaniaThe finding is a warning sign for Trump, who has tried to link Harris to President Joe Biden’s economic track record. The new poll suggests that Harris may be escaping some of the president’s baggage on the issue, undercutting what was previously one of Trump’s major advantages. The economy has long been a weak issue for Biden: A separate AP-NORC poll conducted in late June, before Biden’s disastrous debate with Trump, found that about 6 in 10 Americans disapproved of his handling of the economy. Earlier this year, Americans were much more likely to say that Trump’s presidency helped the country on cost of living and job creation, compared to Biden’s.The new poll found that the economy is one of the most important issues for about 8 in 10 voters as they consider which candidate to support, dwarfing other top issues like health care and crime.The aftermath of inflation’s spike in 2022 to a four-decade high has pervaded this year’s presidential contest. Shoppers are upset over their grocery bills. Higher interest rates are financially squeezing the buyers of homes and motor vehicles. All that has appeared to matter more to the public than the low 4.2% unemployment rate and stock market gains. According to the AP-NORC poll, only about one-third of voters say the state of the national economy is somewhat or very good, although they’re more optimistic about their own situation, with about 6 in 10 voters saying their household’s finances are somewhat or very good. Both of those numbers have remained steady over the course of the year, despite falling inflation.The candidates have clashing ideas about how best to straighten out the economy, giving voters a stark choice that might hint at how partisan identity increasingly informs views of the economy and policy. But neither campaign has fully explained how its plans would be implemented. Harris insists her plans would be fully funded and not add to the deficit, while Trump’s team assumes in defiance of most economic models that growth will be high enough to offset the cost.Mark Carlough, 33, who works on medical records in Philadelphia, plans to vote for Harris and says he believes that the taxes on imports proposed by Trump would hurt most consumers.”The tariffs would be horrible for the economy,” he said.Richard Tunnell, 32, of Huntsville, Texas, plans to vote for Trump, just as he did in 2020. He’s not sure if the Republican has an advantage over Harris on the economy, but he noted that Trump has been a great businessman who remains one of the “richest men on the planet” even after filing for bankruptcy multiple times.”I believe this country needs someone to reach their hand in it and work it like a game of Monopoly and that person is Donald Trump,” said Tunnell, a military veteran on disability.Chantelle Breaux, 38, a stay-at-home parent from Lafayette, Louisiana, feels neither candidate has much to offer on the economy. She doesn’t plan to vote unless a candidate more to her liking enters the race.”Kamala wants to put a Band-Aid where major surgery needs to be done on this economy,” said Breaux. “Trump wants to run the country as if it’s a business, but it isn’t a business that is going to support all of the people.”Former President Trump suggests growth would come from tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy leading to more investment, while a universal tariff of as much as 20% would direct that investment to building U.S. factories.Harris has campaigned on more benefits for the middle class to be funded by higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy, saying that would help to contain costs and deliver growth. Her team has warned that Trump’s tariffs would lead to higher prices and worsen underlying inflation challenges.The economy is one of many issues shaping public sentiment as the campaigns seek to turn out their voters. More than half of voters said health care was a top concern, while roughly half said that about crime, immigration, abortion policy and gun policy. Only about one-third called climate change one of the most important issues for their vote, and about one-quarter said that about the war between Israel and Hamas.Trump and Harris are evenly matched in the poll on who would better handle crime and the war in Gaza. But the issues soon splinter in ways that reflect the distinct priorities of Republicans and Democrats.Trump has an advantage over Harris on whom voters trust to better handle immigration. This issue was a problem for Biden, as well: Illegal immigration and crossings at the U.S. border with Mexico have been a challenge during much of his administration. Republicans are more likely to care about immigration, the issue where Trump has a clear upper hand.Harris fares better than Trump when it comes to issues that Democrats care more about, including gun policy, health care, abortion policy and climate change.Rosamaria Nunez, a 68-year-old retiree in San Antonio, Texas, identified gun violence as the most important issue facing the country, saying it became personal when her grandson called her last year to be picked up because of a school lockdown.Nunez said she plans to vote for Harris, saying: “First of all, she’s a gun owner, so she can relate to the safety issue. She seems like she’s more in tune with a real person than Trump is.”Overall, voters see high stakes for the presidential election’s impact on the country’s future, the economy, and the future of democracy in the U.S., but they’re less likely to think the election will have an impact on them personally. About 8 in 10 voters say the election will have “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of impact on the country’s future. About three-quarters say the election will have a similar impact on the nation’s economy and the future of democracy in the U.S.By contrast, half of voters say the election will have at least “quite a bit” of impact on them personally. The poll of 1,771 registered voters was conducted September 12-16, 2024, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for registered voters is plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.

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Home Based Business Small Business Lifestyle

Key Bridge collapse victims’ families announce lawsuit [Video]

Families of the construction workers who died in the March collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge announced on Tuesday they’re filing a lawsuit against the owner of the cargo ship that crashed into the bridge.Video above: Wife remembers husband killed in Key Bridge collapse in her own wordsThe three families are speaking out for the first time at a news conference Tuesday afternoon hosted by national Latino advocacy organization CASA to seek justice and share plans to hold the ship company accountable for the deaths of their loved ones.”It was a long an agonizing night for the families, including the three families who are present right here today, as they waited for the news of their loved ones — most who never returned home,” said Gustavo Torres, CASA’s executive director. “No financial loss can compare to the loss of human life … no legal loophole should ever be able to erase the value of a human life.”The Dali container ship lost power before the March 26 collision and collapse of the Key Bridge that killed six highway construction workers, according to an update from the National Transportation Safety Board released in June.”Based on the preliminary investigation by the NTSB, the ship involved in the disaster had lost power several times before even leaving port, and then just two hours after leaving the Baltimore harbor, it lost power again several times over. We have so many questions of that night. What followed was nothing short of devastation,” Torres said.The six construction workers who died were Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, Maynor Yasir Suazo-Sandoval, Carlos Daniel Hernndez Estrella, Miguel Angel Luna Gonzalez and Jos Mynor Lpez. All are remembered as beloved members of their community who were devoted to their families.The families announced a claim to be filed by public interest and plaintiff-side appellate firm Gupta Wessler LLP.”We are here today because we seek truth, we seek justice, and nothing should move faster than the pursuit of truth and justice in the face of such an unimaginable tragedy,” Torres said.Video below: Watch the families’ news conference in its entiretyIn April, the companies linked to the Dali filed a petition in court for liability protection.”Not even a week after the bridge fell, Grace Ocean Private filed a court petition to limit the legal liability for the disaster. As if that were not enough, they went further and hired a federal lobby firm working behind closed doors to rewrite the very law designated to protect the vulnerable in trying to reduce the liability and responsibility,” Torres said. “Grace Ocean Private has chosen the path of impunity of the path of justice, driven by profit and self-interest. Their action seeks to erase accountability they owe to these families, to these men whose lives were stolen. But we will not let that happen.”Torres said the families plan to file its court notice by a Sept. 24 deadline to file claims.”We will seek justice in court,” Torres said.The Associated Press reported on April 15 that the FBI started a criminal investigation into whether federal laws were followed. The same day, the city of Baltimore launched “legal action to hold the wrongdoers responsible.”The six construction workers were described as Latin American immigrants, most of whom had lived in the United States for years.”Our hearts break for (the victims) — six essential workers who were simply doing their jobs, six men who came to this country with dreams of a better life, better future,” Torres said.El Salvadoran-native Miguel Luna is described as a husband and father who worked in construction for Brawner Builders. His wife, Maria del Carmen Castelln, spoke about her husband of more than 14 years and their dreams.”My best friend, my companion, my husband was missing. Miguel was not just an incredible husband, he was a father of five, he was a grandfather and he was a son,” Castelln said. “That day, a wound was opened in my heart that will never heal, something that I do not wish to anyone.”Residents of Glen Burnie, he and his wife planned on expanding Castelln’s food truck business to a brick-and-mortar restaurant. They visited a commercial space for their business expansion the day before his death.In addition to the lawsuit, it was announced that the families are calling for policy changes to protect construction workers, who are often immigrants.”We should be able to live in a world where our loved ones come home safe and we do not have the threat of losing them to dangerous work,” Castelln said. “We honor our loved ones through this lawsuit, and we honor our loved ones through demanding systemic change that will bring about dignity and justice for immigrants and essential workers because they, too, deserve it in this country.”Torres said they are calling for temporary protective status for immigrant essential workers.

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Home Based Business

Natural gas pipeline explodes in Houston suburbs [Video]

A natural gas pipeline east of Houston exploded Monday, setting houses around it on fire. The pipeline owner, Dallas-based Energy Transfer, says a 20-inch main carrying natural gas liquids ignited, triggering mandatory evacuations for about 1,000 homes and businesses while others were told to shelter in place.

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Home Based Business

The Israeli military says 3 hostages recovered months ago were likely killed in November airstrike [Video]

The Israeli military says there is a “high probability” that three hostages found dead months ago were killed in an Israeli airstrike.Related video above: Thousands take to streets in Israel to call for Gaza hostage dealThe army on Sunday announced the conclusions of its investigation into the deaths of Cpl. Nik Beizer, Sgt. Ron Sherman and Elia Toledano.It said investigations had determined that the three were likely killed in a November airstrike that also killed a senior Hamas militant, Ahmed Ghandour.All three of the hostages were kidnapped in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. Their bodies were recovered in December, but the cause of death was only recently determined.In its report, the army said there was a “high probability” they were killed in the strike, based on where the bodies were recovered, pathological reports and other intelligence. But it said, “it is not possible to definitely determine the circumstances of their deaths.”The conclusions could add pressure on the government to strike a deal to bring home the remaining hostages held by Hamas. Critics say it is too difficult and dangerous to try to rescue them.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. A missile fired by Yemen’s Iran-backed rebels landed in an open area in central Israel early Sunday and triggered air raid sirens at its international airport, in the latest reverberation from the nearly yearlong war in Gaza. Israel hinted that it would respond militarily.There were no reports of casualties or major damage, but Israeli media aired footage showing people racing to shelters in Ben Gurion International Airport. The airport authority said it resumed normal operations shortly thereafter.A fire could be seen in a rural area of central Israel, and local media showed images of what appeared to be a fragment from an interceptor that landed on an escalator in a train station in the central town of Modiin.The Israeli military said it made several attempts to intercept the missile using its multitiered air defenses but had not yet determined whether any had been successful. It said the missile appeared to have fragmented midair, and that the incident is still under review. The military said the sound of explosions in the area came from interceptors.The Yemeni rebels, known as Houthis, have repeatedly fired drones and missiles toward Israel since the start of the war in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, but nearly all of them have been intercepted over the Red Sea.In July, an Iranian-made drone launched by the Houthis struck Tel Aviv, killing one person and wounding 10 others. Israel responded with a wave of airstrikes on Houthi-held areas of Yemen, including the port city of Hodeidah, a Houthi stronghold.Israel indicates it will respond to attackIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at a similar response in remarks at a Cabinet meeting after Sunday’s attack.”The Houthis should have known by now that we exact a heavy price for any attempt to harm us,” he said. “Anyone who needs a reminder is invited to visit the port of Hodeidah.”Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a military spokesman for the rebels, said they fired a ballistic missile targeting “a military target” in the area of Tel Aviv.The Houthis have also repeatedly attacked commercial shipping in the Red Sea, in what the rebels portray as a blockade on Israel in support of the Palestinians. Most of the targeted ships have no connection to Israel.On Sunday, a European Union naval mission operating in the Red Sea said salvagers had begun towing a tanker that had been on fire for weeks after a Houthi attack. Operations Aspides said the Greek-flagged Sounion was being taken to a “safe location.”The war in Gaza, which began with Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel, has rippled across the region, with Iran and allied militant groups attacking Israeli and U.S. targets and drawing retaliatory strikes from Israel and its Western allies. On several occasions, the strikes and counterstrikes have threatened to trigger a wider conflict.International carriers have canceled flights into and out of Israel on a number of occasions since the start of the war, adding to the war’s economic toll on the country.Iran supports militant groups across the region, including Hamas, the Houthis and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, its most powerful ally, which has traded fire with Israel on a near-daily basis since the war in Gaza began. Iran and its allies say they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians.Rockets fired from LebanonThe military said around 40 projectiles were fired from Lebanon early Sunday, with most intercepted or falling in open areas.In a separate incident, Israeli forces dropped leaflets over the Lebanese border town of al-Wazzani calling on residents to evacuate. The military later said there were no such evacuation orders, and that a local commander had acted without the approval of his superiors. It said the incident was under investigation.It was not clear if anyone had evacuated the town, or if any message had been conveyed to residents that the leaflets were dropped in error.The strikes along the Israel-Lebanon border have displaced tens of thousands of people on both sides. Israel has repeatedly threatened to launch a wider military operation against Hezbollah to ensure its citizens can return to their homes.”The status quo will not continue,” Netanyahu said at the Cabinet meeting. “This requires a change in the balance of power on our northern border. We will do everything necessary to return our residents safely to their homes.”Gaza smuggling tunnels blockedHezbollah has said it would halt its attacks if there is a cease-fire in Gaza. The United States and Arab mediators Egypt and Qatar have spent much of this year trying to broker a truce and the release of scores of hostages held by Hamas, but the talks have repeatedly bogged down.In recent weeks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted on lasting Israeli control over the Gaza side of the border with Egypt, which Israeli forces captured in May. He has said Hamas used a network of tunnels beneath the border to import arms, allegations denied by Egypt, which along with Hamas is opposed to any lasting Israeli presence there.An Israeli military official said late Saturday that of the dozens of tunnels discovered along the border, only nine entered Egypt, and all were found to have been sealed off. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence, said it was not clear when the tunnels were sealed.The discovery appeared to weaken Netanyahu’s argument that Israel needs to keep open-ended control of the corridor to prevent cross-border smuggling.Egypt has said it sealed off the tunnels on its side of the border years ago, in part by creating its own military buffer zone along the frontier.___Melzer reported from Nahariya, Israel. Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo, Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

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Small Business Lifestyle

University of Missouri to see massive Mizzou football stadium renovation [Video]

The University of Missouri Board of Curators this week approved a massive $250 million renovation to the Mizzou football stadium hoping to elevate the university’s competitive standing in the Southeastern Conference. Designed by Kansas City architecture firm DLR Group, improvements to Memorial Stadium include a new multi-level north concourse that will bring more options for seating, concessions, an expanded video board and more. According to plans announced by the University, the project will break ground on Saturday, Nov. 30, when the Tigers host division rival Arkansas. The project is expected to be complete in 2026 to coincide with the stadium’s 100th anniversary. “The Memorial Stadium Improvements Project is a milestone in Mizzous continued growth, University of Missouri President Mun Choi said. This project symbolizes the university’s strategic vision to provide world-class facilities for our student-athletes while reinforcing Mizzous role as a driver of economic impact for the state. This investment is about more than football. Its about community and economic development for the state of Missouri. The new north concourse structure will total approximately 191,000 gross square feet, including 99,000 gross square feet of enclosed, climate-controlled areas. This includes a new retail outlet for Mizzou merchandise, the integration of an enhanced video board and sound system in the north end zone and improved wayfinding and graphics throughout the stadium.The Bunker Club in the south end zone will be transformed into a recruiting center, and the entire stadium will see enhanced LED lighting for Faurot Field, Wi-Fi improvements, upgrades to concourse restrooms and concessions, auxiliary locker room conversion, and more. In a release, the university said, “The project envisions the development of 14 field-level open-air suites behind the north end zone and two new club sections, including a field-level, 300-person Rock M Club built directly under the historic Rock M Hill behind the current north end zone, and a 500-person Mezzanine Club. The project will explore the addition of 150 family lounge boxes, 250 club seats and 28 ‘Tiger Den’ private outdoor patio boxes for families or corporations. Under DLRs design, the stadiums capacity will increase to approximately 65,000.””This project is a game-changer for Mizzou Football, our fans and our student-athletes, Mizzou Director of Athletics Laird Veatch said. This could not be possible without the leadership of our Board of Curators and President Choi. Their unwavering commitment continues to push Mizzou Athletics on an upward trajectory. This historic stadium renovation will not only enhance the overall fan experience but provide the resources necessary for our program to compete at the highest level in the SEC.”This is an incredible statement by our Board of Curators and President Choi, Missouri head football coach Eliah Drinkwitz said. Their leadership has been instrumental in pushing this project forward. These stadium improvements are crucial for recruiting and developing the next generation of Tigers. Were building something special here, and a renovated Memorial Stadium will be the heartbeat of that progress.” Click here to learn more about the project and to see renderings.