Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions

Home insurance rates are rising in the United States, not only in Florida, which saw tens of billions of dollars in losses from hurricanes Helene and Milton. homeowners insurance increased an average of 11.3% nationwide in 2023, with some states, including Texas, Arizona and Utah, seeing nearly double that increase. Some analysts predict an average increase of about 6% in 2024.

With Trump continuing to be Trump, Fox’s immediate future looks very bright. Political fortunes aside, the longer term future for Fox News looks much less bright. Fox News was a good and faithful campaigner for Trump, but it is notable that when people explain Trump’s victory, Fox is never mentioned. The best way to take the heat out of the Murdoch family conflicts would be to sell, or to float, Fox News, and this is likely to be more profitable now than in a few years’ time.

Some 79 countries around the world continue to enforce blasphemy laws. And in places such as Afghanistan, Brunei, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, violation of these measures can result in a death penalty. While the U.S. is not among those countries, it also has a long history of blasphemy laws that reflects a complex fight for the freedom of religion and speech.

Foreign students pump more than US$40 billion into the U.S. economy and support over 368,000 jobs. That’s not just paying professors and buying textbooks – it includes everything from renting apartments to late-night DoorDash and Grubhub deliveries. And it’s near a record high.

Nearly 95% of people who have experienced loss report dealing with at least one symptom of physical or mental distress. Holidays and special occasions, which often include family gatherings, traditions and reminders of what’s missing, can amplify this pain, leaving those grieving feeling isolated and overwhelmed.

Messages that link attraction to violence and contempt can occur in different settings and in different ways, and this association is known as “coercive dominant discourse”. Long-term exposure to this discourse leads girls to consider violent boys attractive, eventually pushing them into toxic emotional and sexual relationships.

Today, seed banks around the world are doing much of the work of saving crop varieties that could be essential resources under future growing conditions. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway supports them all. It is the world’s most famous backup site for seeds that are more precious than data.

Still traumatised by the 25% Trump tax in place from October 2019 to March 2021, the French wine industry is anticipating further difficulties in exporting to the United States. However, a comparison between the previous tax and what the president-elect has announced for his second term provides some hope.

Over the past few years, the location of the Bornplatz Synagogue, a former landmark, has become the site of controversy as residents debated whether and how to rebuild the old synagogue, which would demolish the memorial standing there today.

The rebel group that just took over Syria, led by Abu Mohammad al-Golani, originated as an offshoot of the Nusra Front, the official al-Qaida affiliate in Syria. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham was initially recognized for its combat effectiveness and its commitment to global jihadist ideology, or the establishment of strict Islamic rule across the Muslim world.

For the 1.5 million Syrian refugees already in Lebanon, having fled civil war in Syria, the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah introduces new uncertainties. Syrians who temporarily fled Lebanon or were displaced within its borders now face growing hostility and restrictive policies regarding their return, namely from the Lebanese themselves, who have a history of brutality toward and ill treatment of refugees.