(Reuters) -Contracts to purchase previously owned U.S. homes rose by the most in 11 months in May driven by a decline in mortgage rates as well as an uptick in listings.
FILE PHOTO: A for sale sign sits outside a house in Miami Beach October 22, 2009. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
The increase could signal some imminent relief from the shortage of homes for sale that has weighed on sales and driven residential property prices to record highs.
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) said on Wednesday its Pending Home Sales Index, based on contracts signed last month, rose 8.0% to 114.7. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast pending home sales would decline 0.8% percent.
Pending home contracts are seen as a forward-looking indicator of the health of the housing market because they become sales one to two months later.
“May’s strong increase in transactions – following April’s decline, as well as a sudden erosion in home affordability – was indeed a surprise,” Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist, said in a statement.
Compared with one year ago, pending sales were up 13.1%.
New and existing home sales have fallen sharply this year because of a shortage of houses on the market, and the limited supply has resulted in skyrocketing home prices.
But Yun said listings were up recently - with the inventory of existing homes climbing to 2.5 months’ supply at recent sales rates, the highest since last October, according to NAR data.
He also pointed to an easing in borrowing costs as a factor helping to lift the volume of contract signings.
After hitting record lows below 3% late last year, the interest rate on 30-year fixed rate mortgages climbed sharply in the first quarter, but then fell back somewhat in May. The average contract interest rate for traditional 30-year mortgages was 3.20% last week, according to the Mortgage Bankers’ Association..
“Home price growth will steadily moderate with increased supply, but a broad and prolonged decline in prices is unlikely,” Yun said. “However, if a reduction occurs in some markets, homebuyers will view the lower home price as a second-chance opportunity to get into the market after being outbid in previous multiple-bid market conditions.”
Reporting by Evan SullyEditing by Paul Simao, Aurora Ellis and Dan Burns
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. private payrolls increased more than expected in June as companies rushed to boost production and services amid a rapidly reopening economy, though a shortage of willing workers continues to hang over the labor market recovery.
FILE PHOTO: People line up outside a newly reopened career center for in-person appointments in Louisville, U.S., April 15, 2021. REUTERS/Amira Karaoud
The ADP National Employment Report on Wednesday showed hiring in the leisure and hospitality sector accounting for nearly half of the increase in private payrolls this month. Manufacturing payrolls growth slowed, likely reflecting labor shortages as well as scarce raw materials. A global shortage of semiconductors is hampering production of motor vehicles and some household appliances.
“The labor market is continuing to heal,” said Rubeela Farooqi, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics in White Plains, New York. “Job growth is expected to pick up on a broader reopening, but timing is uncertain given it is unclear how quickly supply constraints will ease.”
Private payrolls increased by 692,000 jobs in June. Data for May was revised lower to show 886,000 jobs added instead of the initially reported 978,000. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast private payrolls would increase by 600,000 jobs.
More than 150 million Americans have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, allowing authorities to remove pandemic-related restrictions on businesses and mask mandates for the inoculated.
Employment gains in June were evenly spread among small, medium and large companies, indicating that the economy’s recovery from the pandemic was broadening in scope.
Leisure and hospitality payrolls increased by 332,000 jobs and there were solid gains in education and health services. Factories added only 19,000 jobs, below the monthly average 43,000 jobs in the past three months.
Hiring at construction sites increased by 47,000 jobs. The sector is being underpinned by strong demand for housing, thanks to historically low mortgage rates and a shift to home offices during the pandemic.
A separate report from the National Association of Realtors on Wednesday showed contracts to buy previously owned homes rebounded 8% in May. But the housing market is grappling with a severe shortages of homes for sale, which is driving up prices well beyond the reach of some first-time buyers.
Applications for loans to buy a home fell last week, the Mortgage Bankers Association said in another report. Home purchase loans were down 17.3% compared to same period last year.
“We expect record high home prices and scarce inventories of existing homes for sale will continue to weigh on home sales,” said Nancy Vanden Houten, lead economist at Oxford Economics in New York.
Stocks on Wall Street were mixed. The dollar gained versus a basket of currencies. U.S. Treasury prices rose.
LABOR CRUNCH
The ADP report is jointly developed with Moody’s Analytics and was published ahead of the Labor Department’s more comprehensive and closely watched employment report for June on Friday. But it has a poor track record predicting the private payrolls count from the Bureau of Labor Statistics because of methodology differences.
The ADP report has in recent months overestimated the private payroll gains reflected in the BLS data after understating that growth through much of the jobs recovery, which started in May 2020.
“It remains difficult to use the ADP data to accurately predict the BLS data,” said Daniel Silver, an economist at JPMorgan in New York.
According to a Reuters survey of economists, private payrolls likely increased by 600,000 jobs in June after rising 492,000 in May. With government hiring expected to have increased by about 100,000, that would lead to overall payrolls advancing by 700,000 jobs in June.
The economy created 559,000 jobs in May. A shortage of willing workers is frustrating efforts to ramp up hiring. There were a record 9.3 million job openings as of April.
The precise cause of the labor crunch is a matter of fierce - often political - debate. Economists generally point to several factors, among them the unusually generous unemployment benefits, including a weekly $300 subsidy from the federal government, that were part of the Biden administration’s pandemic relief package.
A lack of child care facilities as some centers which shut during the pandemic never reopened, is also keeping some parents home, and there is also indication that some workers remain worried about the health risks of returning to work.
At least 26 states mostly led by Republican governors are terminating federal government-funded unemployment benefits before the Sept. 6 expiration date. No evidence has emerged so far that the early terminations, which started on June 12 and will run through July 31, are pulling the unemployed into jobs, although the rolls of those receiving benefits is shrinking faster in those states.
A survey by job search engine Indeed here found that while the vast majority of unemployed indicated they would like to start looking for work in the next three months, many did not express a sense of urgency. It showed rising vaccinations, shrinking savings and the opening of schools in the fall will be key catalysts.
About 9.3 million people are officially classified as unemployed. Job growth could, however, surprise on the upside this month. The Conference Board’s survey of consumers showed households extremely upbeat in their views of the labor market.
The survey’s so-called labor market differential, derived from data on respondents’ views on whether jobs are plentiful or hard to get, surged in June to the highest level since 2000.
Reporting By Lucia Mutikani; additional reporting by Evan Sully; Editing by Dan Burns and Andrea Ricci
LOS ANGELES — As the Clippers prepared to play their eighth consecutive playoff game without Kawhi Leonard, Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes reported that the Clippers’ star was “doing better.”
Haynes also presented the possibility Wednesday on NBA TV before Game 6 of the Western Conference finals that the superstar’s camp and the Clippers could discuss his return from what’s been characterized as a sprained right knee if – and only if – the Clippers advanced to their first NBA Finals.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue has offered only game-by-game updates on the two-time NBA Finals MVP, who suffered the injury when he tweaked his knee on a drive to the rim late in the Clippers’ Game 4 victory of their second-round series against the Utah Jazz.
“Sources have informed me that Kawhi Leonard will not return at any point in this series,” Haynes said. “So if the Clippers are able to force a Game 7, he will be out.”
Before the start of this season – in which the Clippers have gone deeper into the playoffs than ever before in their organization’s 51-year history – Leonard stated his intention to opt out of his current contract, noting that he’ll be able to make more money by signing a new deal, whether it’s with the Clippers or another team.
For now, Haynes reported that the All-NBA first-teamer has “been staying in L.A. rehabbing” and that “he’s feeling a little bit good.”
“To the next step,” Haynes added. “if the Clippers are able to get two more wins and advance to the NBA Finals, sources have told me that Kawhi’s camp and the Clippers will meet and decide his fate from there. So they will decide if it’s worth it for him to get back out there in the NBA Finals.
“He is not ruling out a return at all in this postseason, but if he’s going to return it will happen in the NBA Finals if they get to that point, and even if they do get to that point, they will consult with the team and they will go back and forth and figure out the best course of action from there.”
Besides Leonard, the Clippers played Wednesday without starting center Ivica Zubac, who missed his second consecutive game with a sprained right MCL. Fellow center Serge Ibaka was lost for the postseason when he had back surgery during the first round.
Even short-handed, the Clippers have proved a formidable foe, closing out the top-seeded Jazz and notching a 4-3 record without Leonard entering play Wednesday.
So, yes, after the Phoenix Suns lost Game 5 at home, 116-102, on Monday against an undermanned Clippers team – and with a second shot Wednesday to wrap up the series and return to the NBA Finals for the first time in 28 seasons – Coach Monty Williams wanted his team to remain on-guard.
“We understood not only how good they were without Kawhi, but the coaching, the experience that they had that we didn’t have,” Williams said. “Obviously when you lose a guy like Kawhi, it affects your team – I mean, we didn’t have Chris for a couple games (due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols) and when we played with the Lakers, he was playing with one arm, so we certainly understand what that’s like.
“You always coach for the best team, you know what I’m saying? You prepare like they’re gonna come out and be the best team you’ve ever played against, no matter who’s on the floor.”
And, Lue said, the Clippers had experience this season filling in when one or more of their mainstays was absent, whether it was Leonard (who missed 19 games in the regular season), Paul George (who was out for 17), Patrick Beverley (who missed 34 games) or Ibaka (30 games).
“We’ve had practice at it,” Lue said. “With PG and Kawhi being out, with Serge being out, Pat Beverley being out a lot this year, I think our young guys really have had a chance to step up and play well in big games and big moments all season. Like, Luke Kennard, Terance Mann have been phenomenal all year. Reggie (Jackson), just taking over that starting role with Pat being out. He’s been phenomenal.
“Guys have stepped up. They have the experience. I think that’s the biggest thing, having the experience of being able to get consistent minutes throughout the regular season, and you just carry it over to the postseason.”
Beyond that, Lue said, teams without their full arsenal tend to present wrinkles that wouldn’t otherwise arise if an opponent’s leading man was in the lineup.
“I think at times you come into the series, into the games, thinking about trying to take away a team’s best player and how to defend them,” Lue said. “Then when he’s out, the other team kind of plays a different style of basketball. So you just really can’t key in on one or two guys.”
CAM JOHNSON OUT
Paul was available for Phoenix on Wednesday, the All-Star point guard’s third game back after being away from the team for 11 days due to the league’s health and safety guidelines – but they were without a key role player.
Cameron Johnson was ruled out shortly before the game with a non-COVID illness. In the first five games of the conference finals, the second-year forward was averaging 10.2 points, shooting 70% (21 for 30) from the floor and 52.9% (9 for 17) from 3-point range.
Sources: My @NBATV report on the plan for Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard and the possibility of returning to postseason action. pic.twitter.com/eS7ZVVSRZv
Tax return delays:The Internal Revenue Service ended the tax-filing season with 35.3 million unprocessed tax returns, more than four times what it had during the last pre-pandemic filing season in 2019,The Wall Street Journalreports,Delays are affecting amended tax returns, paper returns and identity-theft cases. IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig says that employees are using mandatory overtime to process the returns, adding that reconciling the stimulus payments on tax returns has contributed to more than 9 million returns being slowed.Read the full story.
Apply now:The Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce is now accepting applications for Leadership Livingston class of 2022. The 10-month leadership program begins with a retreat followed by monthly daylong field trips, from September through May, where participants will learn about different aspects of the parish. Applications for the program areavailable onlineand will be accepted through July 22.
16-year-high:Contracts to purchase previously owned U.S. homes rose strongly in May to the highest level for that month since 2005,Reutersreports.The National Association of Realtors says its Pending Home Sales Index, based on contracts signed last month, rose 8% to 114.7.Read the full story.
LOS ANGELES — As the Clippers prepared to play their eighth consecutive playoff game without Kawhi Leonard, Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes reported that the Clippers’ star was “doing better.”
Haynes also presented the possibility Wednesday on NBA TV before Game 6 of the Western Conference finals that the superstar’s camp and the Clippers could discuss his return from what’s been characterized as a sprained right knee if – and only if – the Clippers advanced to their first NBA Finals.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue has offered only game-by-game updates on the two-time NBA Finals MVP, who suffered the injury when he tweaked his knee on a drive to the rim late in the Clippers’ Game 4 victory of their second-round series against the Utah Jazz.
“Sources have informed me that Kawhi Leonard will not return at any point in this series,” Haynes said. “So if the Clippers are able to force a Game 7, he will be out.”
Before the start of this season – in which the Clippers have gone deeper into the playoffs than ever before in their organization’s 51-year history – Leonard stated his intention to opt out of his current contract, noting that he’ll be able to make more money by signing a new deal, whether it’s with the Clippers or another team.
For now, Haynes reported that the All-NBA first-teamer has “been staying in L.A. rehabbing” and that “he’s feeling a little bit good.”
“To the next step,” Haynes added. “if the Clippers are able to get two more wins and advance to the NBA Finals, sources have told me that Kawhi’s camp and the Clippers will meet and decide his fate from there. So they will decide if it’s worth it for him to get back out there in the NBA Finals.
“He is not ruling out a return at all in this postseason, but if he’s going to return it will happen in the NBA Finals if they get to that point, and even if they do get to that point, they will consult with the team and they will go back and forth and figure out the best course of action from there.”
Besides Leonard, the Clippers played Wednesday without starting center Ivica Zubac, who missed his second consecutive game with a sprained right MCL. Fellow center Serge Ibaka was lost for the postseason when he had back surgery during the first round.
Even short-handed, the Clippers have proved a formidable foe, closing out the top-seeded Jazz and notching a 4-3 record without Leonard entering play Wednesday.
So, yes, after the Phoenix Suns lost Game 5 at home, 116-102, on Monday against an undermanned Clippers team – and with a second shot Wednesday to wrap up the series and return to the NBA Finals for the first time in 28 seasons – Coach Monty Williams wanted his team to remain on-guard.
“We understood not only how good they were without Kawhi, but the coaching, the experience that they had that we didn’t have,” Williams said. “Obviously when you lose a guy like Kawhi, it affects your team – I mean, we didn’t have Chris for a couple games (due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols) and when we played with the Lakers, he was playing with one arm, so we certainly understand what that’s like.
“You always coach for the best team, you know what I’m saying? You prepare like they’re gonna come out and be the best team you’ve ever played against, no matter who’s on the floor.”
And, Lue said, the Clippers had experience this season filling in when one or more of their mainstays was absent, whether it was Leonard (who missed 19 games in the regular season), Paul George (who was out for 17), Patrick Beverley (who missed 34 games) or Ibaka (30 games).
“We’ve had practice at it,” Lue said. “With PG and Kawhi being out, with Serge being out, Pat Beverley being out a lot this year, I think our young guys really have had a chance to step up and play well in big games and big moments all season. Like, Luke Kennard, Terance Mann have been phenomenal all year. Reggie (Jackson), just taking over that starting role with Pat being out. He’s been phenomenal.
“Guys have stepped up. They have the experience. I think that’s the biggest thing, having the experience of being able to get consistent minutes throughout the regular season, and you just carry it over to the postseason.”
Beyond that, Lue said, teams without their full arsenal tend to present wrinkles that wouldn’t otherwise arise if an opponent’s leading man was in the lineup.
“I think at times you come into the series, into the games, thinking about trying to take away a team’s best player and how to defend them,” Lue said. “Then when he’s out, the other team kind of plays a different style of basketball. So you just really can’t key in on one or two guys.”
CAM JOHNSON OUT
Paul was available for Phoenix on Wednesday, the All-Star point guard’s third game back after being away from the team for 11 days due to the league’s health and safety guidelines – but they were without a key role player.
Cameron Johnson was ruled out shortly before the game with a non-COVID illness. In the first five games of the conference finals, the second-year forward was averaging 10.2 points, shooting 70% (21 for 30) from the floor and 52.9% (9 for 17) from 3-point range.
Sources: My @NBATV report on the plan for Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard and the possibility of returning to postseason action. pic.twitter.com/eS7ZVVSRZv
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. private payrolls increased more than expected in June as companies rushed to boost production and services amid a rapidly reopening economy, though a shortage of willing workers continues to hang over the labor market recovery.
FILE PHOTO: People line up outside a newly reopened career center for in-person appointments in Louisville, U.S., April 15, 2021. REUTERS/Amira Karaoud
The ADP National Employment Report on Wednesday showed hiring in the leisure and hospitality sector accounting for nearly half of the increase in private payrolls this month. Manufacturing payrolls growth slowed, likely reflecting labor shortages as well as scarce raw materials. A global shortage of semiconductors is hampering production of motor vehicles and some household appliances.
“The labor market is continuing to heal,” said Rubeela Farooqi, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics in White Plains, New York. “Job growth is expected to pick up on a broader reopening, but timing is uncertain given it is unclear how quickly supply constraints will ease.”
Private payrolls increased by 692,000 jobs in June. Data for May was revised lower to show 886,000 jobs added instead of the initially reported 978,000. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast private payrolls would increase by 600,000 jobs.
More than 150 million Americans have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, allowing authorities to remove pandemic-related restrictions on businesses and mask mandates for the inoculated.
Employment gains in June were evenly spread among small, medium and large companies, indicating that the economy’s recovery from the pandemic was broadening in scope.
Leisure and hospitality payrolls increased by 332,000 jobs and there were solid gains in education and health services. Factories added only 19,000 jobs, below the monthly average 43,000 jobs in the past three months.
Hiring at construction sites increased by 47,000 jobs. The sector is being underpinned by strong demand for housing, thanks to historically low mortgage rates and a shift to home offices during the pandemic.
A separate report from the National Association of Realtors on Wednesday showed contracts to buy previously owned homes rebounded 8% in May. But the housing market is grappling with a severe shortages of homes for sale, which is driving up prices well beyond the reach of some first-time buyers.
Applications for loans to buy a home fell last week, the Mortgage Bankers Association said in another report. Home purchase loans were down 17.3% compared to same period last year.
“We expect record high home prices and scarce inventories of existing homes for sale will continue to weigh on home sales,” said Nancy Vanden Houten, lead economist at Oxford Economics in New York.
Stocks on Wall Street were mixed. The dollar gained versus a basket of currencies. U.S. Treasury prices rose.
LABOR CRUNCH
The ADP report is jointly developed with Moody’s Analytics and was published ahead of the Labor Department’s more comprehensive and closely watched employment report for June on Friday. But it has a poor track record predicting the private payrolls count from the Bureau of Labor Statistics because of methodology differences.
The ADP report has in recent months overestimated the private payroll gains reflected in the BLS data after understating that growth through much of the jobs recovery, which started in May 2020.
“It remains difficult to use the ADP data to accurately predict the BLS data,” said Daniel Silver, an economist at JPMorgan in New York.
According to a Reuters survey of economists, private payrolls likely increased by 600,000 jobs in June after rising 492,000 in May. With government hiring expected to have increased by about 100,000, that would lead to overall payrolls advancing by 700,000 jobs in June.
The economy created 559,000 jobs in May. A shortage of willing workers is frustrating efforts to ramp up hiring. There were a record 9.3 million job openings as of April.
The precise cause of the labor crunch is a matter of fierce - often political - debate. Economists generally point to several factors, among them the unusually generous unemployment benefits, including a weekly $300 subsidy from the federal government, that were part of the Biden administration’s pandemic relief package.
A lack of child care facilities as some centers which shut during the pandemic never reopened, is also keeping some parents home, and there is also indication that some workers remain worried about the health risks of returning to work.
At least 26 states mostly led by Republican governors are terminating federal government-funded unemployment benefits before the Sept. 6 expiration date. No evidence has emerged so far that the early terminations, which started on June 12 and will run through July 31, are pulling the unemployed into jobs, although the rolls of those receiving benefits is shrinking faster in those states.
A survey by job search engine Indeed here found that while the vast majority of unemployed indicated they would like to start looking for work in the next three months, many did not express a sense of urgency. It showed rising vaccinations, shrinking savings and the opening of schools in the fall will be key catalysts.
About 9.3 million people are officially classified as unemployed. Job growth could, however, surprise on the upside this month. The Conference Board’s survey of consumers showed households extremely upbeat in their views of the labor market.
The survey’s so-called labor market differential, derived from data on respondents’ views on whether jobs are plentiful or hard to get, surged in June to the highest level since 2000.
Reporting By Lucia Mutikani; additional reporting by Evan Sully; Editing by Dan Burns and Andrea Ricci
(Reuters) -Contracts to purchase previously owned U.S. homes rose by the most in 11 months in May driven by a decline in mortgage rates as well as an uptick in listings.
FILE PHOTO: A for sale sign sits outside a house in Miami Beach October 22, 2009. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
The increase could signal some imminent relief from the shortage of homes for sale that has weighed on sales and driven residential property prices to record highs.
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) said on Wednesday its Pending Home Sales Index, based on contracts signed last month, rose 8.0% to 114.7. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast pending home sales would decline 0.8% percent.
Pending home contracts are seen as a forward-looking indicator of the health of the housing market because they become sales one to two months later.
“May’s strong increase in transactions – following April’s decline, as well as a sudden erosion in home affordability – was indeed a surprise,” Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist, said in a statement.
Compared with one year ago, pending sales were up 13.1%.
New and existing home sales have fallen sharply this year because of a shortage of houses on the market, and the limited supply has resulted in skyrocketing home prices.
But Yun said listings were up recently - with the inventory of existing homes climbing to 2.5 months’ supply at recent sales rates, the highest since last October, according to NAR data.
He also pointed to an easing in borrowing costs as a factor helping to lift the volume of contract signings.
After hitting record lows below 3% late last year, the interest rate on 30-year fixed rate mortgages climbed sharply in the first quarter, but then fell back somewhat in May. The average contract interest rate for traditional 30-year mortgages was 3.20% last week, according to the Mortgage Bankers’ Association..
“Home price growth will steadily moderate with increased supply, but a broad and prolonged decline in prices is unlikely,” Yun said. “However, if a reduction occurs in some markets, homebuyers will view the lower home price as a second-chance opportunity to get into the market after being outbid in previous multiple-bid market conditions.”
Reporting by Evan SullyEditing by Paul Simao, Aurora Ellis and Dan Burns
The 31-year-old Virginia, Minnesota, man who was arrested over the weekend following an altercation that left one man dead was released from St. Louis County Jail on Wednesday pending further investigation.
James Marice Edwards was arrested early Saturday morning on a preliminary charge of second-degree manslaughter. He's no longer facing formal charges. The Midwest Medical Examiner's Office has yet to determine a cause of death, according to Assistant St. Louis County Attorney Bonnie Norlander.
The Virginia Police Department and St. Louis County Sheriff's Office responded to the altercation near 443 Pine Mill Court around 12:45 a.m. Saturday. The reporting party said one person was unresponsive. Virginia police have identified the man as Ryan Douglas Moats.
Police said they attempted a number of lifesaving measures on Moats, including administering Narcan. He was pronounced dead shortly after arrival at Essentia Health in Virginia.
Minnesota court records show only a pair of disorderly conduct convictions and multiple traffic offenses on Edwards' record.
News Tribune reporter Tom Olsen contributed to this report.
A bill that is heading to Gov. Andrew Cuomo's desk that would make it easier to sue gun makers has the potential to bring changes to the firearms industry, advocates for gun control on Tuesday said.
The measure, approved at the end of the legislative session this month, is meant to crack down on illegal guns that enter the state and hold gun manufacturers liable for them in the process through civil proceedings. Gun rights supporters have argued the measure could have a cascade effect on other industries.
But advocates for tighter gun laws in New York pointed to other industries, like opioid manufacturers as well as tobacco and automobile makers, which have reformed themselves in the wake of lawsuits.
The bill was approved this month amid heightened gun violence in cities across the country and in New York, a state with already strict gun control laws. Advocates have long argued illegal weapons continue to enter the state through illicit means and transportation.
"For far too long, our laws have protected the worst actors in the gun industry from liability, while leaving communities from Brownsville to Buffalo exposed and vulnerable,” said Sen. Zellner Myrie, a Brooklyn Democrat who sponsored the bill. "Our legislation finally levels the playing field, and gives New Yorkers an opportunity to hold reckless gun companies accountable for their irresponsible actions. I'm grateful to my partner Assemblywoman Fahy, advocates like Everytown and Moms Demand Action, and the countless survivors and local groups who helped make this moment possible. I look forward to the governor signing this bill into law."
At the same time, state lawmakers who pushed for the bill in New York hope the measure could be replicated elsewhere in the country.
“We are again leading the country on common sense gun violence measures here in New York,” said Assemblywoman Pat Fahy. “New York’s first in the nation legislation will allow gun manufacturers who supply the flow of illegal guns into our communities from Upstate to downstate to be held accountable, and civilly liable for their misconduct."
SURFSIDE, Fla. – The building collapse in Surfside concerned residents at Maison Grande Condominium who said they are worried about “unsafe structure” warnings. As the search for survivors at Champlain Towers South continued, the president of the Maison Grande Condominium Association blamed the delays on repairs on the city’s “slow” turnaround on permits.
Maison Grande at 6039 Collins Ave. is far from Champlain Towers South. On Tuesday, the condo association president said the violations are already being corrected. The association has been waiting on city permits for concrete restoration in the garage and pool since Feb. 16th. There is also a 3-month delay on permits to repair a 72-square-foot area in the ceiling of the penthouse level.
Maison Grande’s condo association also plans to install a new sprinkler system and smoke detectors by November. Records show Maison Grande was built in 1971 and passed its 40-year recertification process in 2013. An engineer deemed the building “structurally sound” and determined the deterioration of concrete was minor and cosmetic and the rebar corrosion in some balcony slab edges was minor.
The association hired Hollywood-based Coast To Coast General Building Contractors to make the repairs on the exterior envelope of the building during the recertification process in 2013. Yanieve Levi, the president of Coast To Coast, said the repairs were not as significant as he had anticipated before the work about eight years ago.
“The building seemed to be in pretty good shape,” Levi sad on Tuesday.
City officials believe that has changed. The outstanding violations on the building in Miami Beach are linked to alleged evidence of spalling concrete.
Levi said property owners need to be in communication with their board associations and be proactive and ask questions such as, “When was the last improvement? What is budgeted? How are we going to pay for it? Do we plan on reserves?”
Meanwhile in Surfside, search-and-rescue teams faced sporadic rain and spontaneous fires at 8777 Collins Ave. Officials said more than 150 people remained unaccounted for. The death toll was rising slowly. President Joe Biden will be visiting the area on Thursday.
Editorial note: Local 10 News has a pending request with city officials who did not respond in time for the deadline of this story.
Crews work in the rubble of Champlain Towers South residential condo, Tuesday, June 29, 2021, in Surfside, Fla. Many people were still unaccounted for after Thursday's fatal collapse. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)(Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Coverage on Tuesday
Workers search the rubble at the Champlain Towers South Condo, Monday, June 28, 2021, in Surfside, Fla. Many people were still unaccounted for after Thursday's fatal collapse. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)(Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Coverage on Monday
Crews work in the rubble at the Champlain Towers South Condo, Sunday, June 27, 2021, in Surfside, Fla. Many people were still unaccounted for after Thursday's fatal collapse. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)(Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Coverage on Sunday
Workers search in the rubble at the Champlain Towers South Condo, Saturday, June 26, 2021, in Surfside, Fla. One hundred fifty-nine people were still unaccounted for two days after Thursday's collapse, which killed at least four. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)(Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Coverage on Saturday
Search and rescue workers go through rubble at the Champlain Towers South Condo in Surfside, Fla., section of Miami, Friday, June 25, 2021. The apartment building partially collapsed on Thursday. The teams continue to work at the site hoping to detect any sounds coming from survivors. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)(Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Coverage on Friday
This photo taken from video provided by ReliableNewsMedia firefighters rescue a survivor from the rubble of the Champlain Towers South Condo after the multistory building partially collapsed in Surfside, Fla., early Thursday, June 24, 2021. (ReliableNewsMedia via AP).
COLUMBUS — State Rep. Jena Powell (R-Arcanum) on Monday issued the following statement after reports of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine issuing an executive order allowing Ohio college athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness (NIL):
“Today, we have learned that Governor DeWine prioritizes delivering profits to college athletes over protecting little girls in Ohio. Instead of advocating for female athletics under the Save Women’s Sports Act, the governor has decided to bypass the General Assembly.
His executive order, which will disproportionately benefit male athletes, does nothing to promote fairness in women’s sports. College athletes have large institutions and big money on their side. Little girls don’t — and that’s why I’m fighting so passionately for them.
I fully support college athletes receiving compensation for the use of their name and likeness. But legislation benefiting them must also benefit the young female athletes who compete in our state.”
For the first time in months, West Virginia men's head basketball coach Bob Huggins met with the media to discuss a variety of topics. Among those that were discussed were the pending decisions of guard Miles McBride and Sean McNeil. Both entered their name into the 2021 NBA Draft shortly after the season ended and have been weighing their options ever since.
McBride appears to be the only one of the two that is getting serious interest from the NBA as he had already worked out for a handful of teams and recently participated in the NBA Combine.
Huggins said he recently spoke to McBride but that he is still unsure of which way he is leaning.
"He called me either last night or the night before and we talked for a while," Huggins said. "It was more updating me on his workouts and said he's keeping an open mind. He certainly wants to do what's in his best interest which I think we're all on board with."
As for McNeil, it's the same story; no answer just yet.
"No, nothing official yet on Sean's decision."
As always, Huggins does his best to help his players make the best decision possible for them and their future even if that means heading to the NBA early. Huggins didn't come right out and say that it would benefit McBride to return for one more year but he did bring up a comparison to former Oklahoma State guard Marcus Smart that would have you thinking Huggins believes McBride should return.
"You take, for example, Marcus Smart, if he had came out after his freshman year he was projected to make $653k a year. He stayed. So the next draft year, he moved up in the draft and he made $3.7 million. I think those things are things that guys have to take a really hard look at. Where am I going to be in the draft? Who is on the team that potentially I'm going to get drafted by? There's a lot of things for 19-20-year-olds to think about. Do you go right away? Do you think you can come back and have a bigger year and move up?"
The consensus seems to be that McBride at the very best, will be a late 1st round pick. Returning to West Virginia for his junior season could catapult him up the draft board and who knows, maybe even become a lottery pick.
Although there's not much intel on McNeil's decision, it seems more likely that he will be back for his senior year. Huggins talked about how much his return would impact next year's team alongside Taz Sherman who has already announced that he will be taking advantage of his extra year of eligibility.
"Obviously those guys (Sherman & McNeil) were two of the best shooters in our league. Those two guys can really get going and make shots. I think both of them are going to continue to get better in other areas. We certainly need to pass it better and we need to guard better. I feel very confident that those guys will be able to do that."
The deadline for players to withdraw their names from the 2021 NBA Draft is set for July 7th. So in one way or another, some questions should be answered very soon.
PARIS, June 29 (Reuters) - Google (GOOGL.O) has put on hold a preliminary deal with some French publishers to pay for news content as it awaits an antitrust decision that could set the tone for copyright talks on online news in Europe, two sources close to the matter said.
Under the three-year framework agreement signed by Google and the Alliance de la presse d'information generale (APIG), a lobby group representing most major French publishers, the U.S. company agreed in January to pay a total of $76 million to 121 publications, according to documents seen by Reuters.
It is one of the highest-profile deals under Google's "News Showcase" programme to provide compensation for news snippets used in search results, and the first of its kind in Europe.
However, no individual licensing agreement has been signed by Google with an APIG member since then and talks are de facto frozen pending the antitrust decision, the sources said.
Only a few publications, such as daily newspapers Le Monde, Le Figaro and Liberation, had reached individual deals prior to the framework agreement.
"We're still working with publishers, the APIG and the French competition authority on our agreements in order to finalise and sign more deals," Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc, said in a statement.
APIG had no immediate comment.
It is not clear whether the framework agreement might be scrapped as a result of the antitrust ruling in France, which is expected in the coming weeks, the sources said.
The French competition authority hasn't said when it will publish its decision.
The deal freeze was triggered by a report presented by French antitrust investigators in February, the sources said.
In the report, which was not made public, antitrust investigators accused Google of failing to comply with the French competition authority's orders on how to conduct negotiations with news publishers over copyright, sources who read it told Reuters at the time. read more
It is up to the watchdog's board to decide whether to issue a penalty.
One of the key demands issued by the watchdog was for Google to hold "transparent, objective and non-discriminatory" talks in good faith over three months with any news publisher that asked for them.
Google has repeatedly said it held talks with French news publishers in good faith. Many French news outlets disagree.
"The APIG-Google deal is the perfect example of what shouldn't be done," said Laurent Mauriac, the co-president of Spiil, an union for independent online news publishers.
The APIG-Google deal includes the commitment for any signing news publisher to supply Google's News Showcase product, a provision decried by news publishers outside APIG.
Google is ready to hold talks with news publishers beyond APIG, Sebastien Missoffe, head of the firm's French division, told Europe 1 radio last month.
He added he was open to giving access to some of Google's online traffic data - a key element to determine the value of news content - to an independent third party.
Reporting by Mathieu Rosemain Editing by Christian Lowe and Mark Potter
More than a week after the opening round of the 2021 season, the DTM issued a short statement stating that it will investigate a potential breach of sporting regulations at the Lausitzring next month.
"The result of Qualifying 1 on Saturday of the DTM opening weekend in Monza (Italy) cannot yet be finalised for reasons of sporting law," the statement read.
"The reason for this delay is a pending procedure. The next steps in this process will take place on site at the next DTM weekend at the Lausitzring (23-25 July)."
While the press release fell short of mentioning which team is under investigation, according to Motorsport.com's sister title Motorsport-Total.com, Mercedes-supported Haupt Racing Team appears to be at the centre of a potential rules violation.
HRT driver Abril claimed pole position in the first-ever DTM qualifying under GT3 regulations on June 19 with a time of 1m46.488s, leading a Mercedes top-four lock out.
At the end of the session, a routine fuel sample was taken from Abril's AMG GT3, which did not exactly match the specimen from the Shell tanker.
"It is a pending case," HRT managing director Ulrich Fritz told Motorsport-Total.com. "That is why we are not allowed to say anything about it."
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Irregularities in the fuel sample doesn't necessarily provide evidence for cheating as there are several other reasons for the fuel tank being contaminated.
GT3 teams typically use their cars in a variety of championships and even an empty fuel tank may contain petrol residues from other series, leading to a sample showing traces of unauthorised substances.
According to the DTM regulations, "Modification of the prescribed fuel is prohibited. For example, no substances may be added, removed or altered in concentration. Any mixing with other fuels is prohibited; even if this has been allocated at one of the previous events."
It is unclear what kind of penalty may be handed to Abril or Haupt should they be found guilty of a rules breach.
If the regulators of the DTM are convinced that no sporting advantage was gained, it is possible that Abril may only lose the three points he scored for topping qualifying.
The wording of the statement suggests that his race results are unaffected, meaning he remains officially classified in second place behind the Ferrari of Red Bull protege Liam Lawson.
A Maui man was being held in lieu of $150,000 bail on multiple drug charges, after a search warrant was executed on a Waiehu home last week.
Officers from the Maui Police Department’s Crime Reduction Unit executed warrants to search a Waiehu residence at around 10 p.m., June 24.
As a result of the search, police say they recovered: 1,946 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 119 grams of heroin, two vials of anabolic steroids, $17,045 in US currency, and paraphernalia associated with the use and distribution of narcotics.
Clarence Hookano Jr., 46, of Waiehu, and a 23-year-old Kīhei woman, were placed under arrest for first degree promotion of a dangerous drug and promotion of a controlled substance near a park. Hookano Jr. was also placed under arrest for fourth degree promotion of a harmful drug.
Police say further investigation revealed the identity of the individual supplying the crystal methamphetamine to Hookano Jr. and the woman.
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On Friday, June 25, 2021, at approximately 5:45 p.m., Crime Reduction officers executed a separate warrant to search a Wailuku residence. As a result of that search, 0.95 grams of crystal methamphetamine, $174,157 in US currency, and paraphernalia associated with the use and distribution of narcotics were recovered.
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A 47-year-old Wailuku man was placed under arrest for first degree promotion of a dangerous drug and criminal conspiracy.
Hookano Jr. was charged and was being held in lieu of cash-only bail at last report. The other two individuals were released pending investigation and will be charged at a later date, according to police.
The University of Minnesota will officially rename the Gophers' home football venue from "TCF Bank Stadium" to "Huntington Bank Stadium," if the Board of Regents approves a resolution Tuesday, as expected.
Two of the three men accused of the gang rape of a 25-year-old pregnant woman last Wednesday in Athens have been remanded in custody pending trial.
The investigator and the prosecutor in the case took the decision on Monday after hearing testimony from the two men.
A third man, accused of acting as a look out for the other two, was released on condition that he report every month to his local police station.
A criminal charge of rape was also brought against a fourth person who is wanted by the authorities.
It is understood that the men denied the charges of rape, claiming that the woman was never in their apartment. They have requested that DNA tests be taken.
According to the case file, the defendants approached the woman early Wednesday and then convinced her to get into a taxi in which they traveled to a basement apartment in Agios Panteleimonas in central Athens, where they raped her.
The three apprehended suspects are Pakistani nationals.
Dennis Schroder’s stock has not been trending in the right direction and an anonymous NBA scout did not have nice things to say about the pending free agent guard.
Schroder took on a starting role with the Los Angeles Lakers last season, stepping up when injuries hit the team. He averaged 15.4 points, 5.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game. However, the consistency from Schroder as both a playmaker and scorer was not always there and he had a tough postseason. In Games 5 and 6 against the Suns he shot 3-of-22 from the field and scored just eight combined points.
While Schroder made it a point that he wanted to start in LA after arriving via trade, there’s an argument that he’s a bigger asset off the bench, providing energy and quick offense. After all, there’s a reason Schroder finished runner-up for Sixth Man of the Year in 2020.
One NBA scout is not too keen on Schroder running a team’s top unit from the point guard spot.
“I like Schroder, but don’t like him running the team as No. 1 point guard,” that scout told Marc Berman of the New York Post. “I question his leadership and shooting.”
If that is the sentiment around Schroder, he might be kicking himself over not accepting what was reported to be a four-year, $84 million extension offer from the Lakers back in March.
Lakers Legend Magic Johnson Not a Fan of Dennis Schroder
Schroder didn’t make the best impression on the fan base in Los Angeles, including with Lakers legend Magic Johnson, who had quite the criticism of the guard following the season.
“Schroder, I don’t think he’s a Laker,” Johnson said on AM570 LA Sports. “That’s just my opinion. I don’t know if they’re going to sign him back or not. I don’t think he brings the winning mentality and attitude that we need.
“And he had a chance to show that in this series and, to me, he failed in this series. But again, if he comes back a Laker, I’m going to support him, I’m going cheer for him and all that, but I just don’t think he’s a Laker.”
Schroder made it fairly clear that he’d like to run it back next season during his exit conference.
“We’re going to be back,” Schroder said. “I’m going to work my ass off to come back here, to give everything, because we owe the fans one. I want to win a championship and I’m going to work my ass off this summer, come back and be me.”
Dennis Schroder Won’t Play for Germany in the Olympics
GettyLakers guard Dennis Schroder.
Schroder’s pending free agency will keep him off the court this summer. The 27-year-old is not suiting up for Germany in the Olympic qualifiers, or the Tokyo Olympics, if his national squad makes it that far.
“It’s to my regret that the team will have to do without me in Split and I can’t support them. I’m convinced that the guys will still make the Olympics and I’m already looking forward to the EuroBasket 2022 in Germany,” Schroder said, per the Federation.
The insurance cost to have Schroder on the team was the stickler, with the team saying “enormous insurance requirements that can’t be met.” The team said It was noted that the insurance fee was significantly higher than usual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
CINCINNATI — Nurses at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center have authorized their union to issue a strike notice if contract negotiations don't yield what they consider to be "safer" staffing levels.
RN Kelly Hickman-Begley said nurses are being asked to monitor too many patients at a given time, leading to potentially hazardous situations and staff burnout.
"When you're on the job and you're a nurse, the patient is always your priority," she told WCPO. "When we are working with higher numbers than are ideal, you worry if that's going to affect the patient care that you can provide."
It's why the Registered Nurses Association at UCMC has launched a campaign demanding "safe staffing now," handing out flyers, social media ads and even a billboard along Interstate 71.
"Nurse conditions are patient conditions," said Dominic Mendiola, a labor representative with the Ohio Nurses Association. "We're proposing…a contractual commitment for them to make swift and diligent efforts to staff to nationally recognized nurse-to-patient ratios."
According to the hospital, UCMC had 1`50 open nursing positions as of Friday and has hired nearly 500 nurses over the last fiscal year.
"There is a local and national shortage in nurses…but ensuring safe staffing levels is our highest priority, and we consistently meet all state regulatory requirements for staffing," said a hospital spokesperson in a written statement emailed out to the nursing staff Friday.
Hickman-Begley said a nursing shortage isn't just a hospital problem; it's a community problem, too.
"When you're sick and your family member is sick you have to go somewhere and you want to trust that the people taking care of your mom or your dad or yourself are doing it to the best of their ability," she said. "We'd love to see staffing ratios in our contract. To us, that is a real commitment in writing from the hospital to say that that is their goal, as well."
A union spokesperson said they will hold three bargaining meetings next week and that it plans to bargain in good faith.
That's because the lawsuit -- triggering the latest dispute about the scope of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act -- came as the Supreme Court is poised to release an opinion on the very same section of the law. The opinion -- in one of the marquee cases of the term -- will come down next week. In addition, Garland timed his announcement to the exact eight-year anniversary of the court's last big voting rights case. In the landmark decision called Shelby County v. Holder, Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for a 5-4 majority, effectively gutted a separate section of the law and declared that "things have changed in the South."
Garland wanted to send a clear message Friday: Roberts was wrong. "I express concern about the dramatic rise in state legislative actions that will make it harder for millions of citizens to cast a vote that counts," the attorney general said.
Garland, a former judge steeped in precedent, knows full well the impact of the Shelby County decision and will be carefully watching how the justices rule next week. But the Justice Department filing also reveals a careful strategy. It is crafted in a way that will allow it to endure even if the court's majority further trims the Voting Rights Act next week.
Here's why:
The case before the Supreme Court -- Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee -- largely revolves around what is called the "results test" of Section 2 of the law. That is, whether the provisions of Arizona law at issue violated Section 2 because they resulted in voting discrimination. A lower court said they did.
"We hold that Arizona's policy of wholly discarding rather than counting out of precinct ballots and the criminalization of the collection of another person's ballot have a discriminatory impact on American Indian, Hispanic, and African American voters in Arizona in violation of the 'results test' of Section 2 of the VRA," a panel of judges on the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals said.
At oral arguments before the Supreme Court, Michael Carvin, a lawyer for the Republican National Committee, urged the justices to reverse the decision, arguing it would "subject nearly all ordinary elections rules" to challenge. Carvin and other conservatives believe the states have a strong interest in passing laws to protect the integrity of the electoral system.
In a withering set of questions, however, liberal Justice Elena Kagan pressed Carvin on his argument that laws are OK under the Voting Rights Act as long as they are race neutral and offer all voters an equal opportunity to vote. Kagan slung hypotheticals at him, trying to press the point that a law might look like it was preserving equal opportunity on its face but could in fact produce a disparate result. What about putting polling places at country clubs or limiting Election Day voting to 9 to 5 or getting rid of Sunday voting, she queried. Carvin was left to back away some from his position.
Oral arguments focused almost exclusively on the "results test," which includes a searching look at whether a law produces a disparate impact on minority voters.
But even if Carvin wins and the Supreme Court pares down the kinds of cases that can be brought under the "results test," that may not impact Garland's suit, and that's why it was carefully crafted. Because instead of relying on the "results test," the Justice Department made a different argument: It said Georgia legislators passed the law with the "intent" to discriminate.
That's a different test under the law.
"The courts will consider a different set of factors in order to determine whether Georgia's legislature intentionally discriminated against Black voters in the state," said Sean Morales-Doyle, of the Brennan Center for Justice.
"The question of discriminatory intent could come up in the Brnovich case, but the focus of that case has been on the 'results test,' " he said. "That means the Supreme Court's decision is unlikely to impact the likelihood of success in the new case."
Rick Hasen, a voting rights expert at the UC Irvine School of Law, said in a blog post that because the Justice Department had brought its case only under the "intent test," it "insulates it from an adverse ruling in Brnovich." That means the new suit could go forward even "after a potentially adverse ruling."
At the Friday news conference Garland was flanked by associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta and Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Kristen Clarke. The two women led voting rights groups before joining the Biden administration and have been in the trenches for years battling restrictive laws. They were bitterly disappointed when the court ruled eight years ago and hope the courts now will keep in mind something that the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote in dissent in 2013.
The liberal lioness accused the majority of "throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet."
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