Baby center stage

Bank of England, London (File image: Reuters) The Bank of England raised interest rates by half a percentage point Thursday as it sought to tame double-digit inflation that is fueling a cost-of-living crisis, public-sector strikes and fears of recession. The bank’s monetary policy committee voted 7-2 to push its key rate to 4%, approving the 10th consecutive rate increase since a post-pandemic surge in the world economy and Russia’s war in Ukraine drove inflation to 40-year highs. Economists suggest this may be the last big rate increase for Britain’s central bank as inflation begins to slow. “The extent to which domestic inflationary pressures ease will depend on the evolution of the economy, including the impact of the significant increases in Bank Rate so far,” the bank said in a statement. “There are considerable uncertainties around the outlook.” The U.S. Federal Reserve has already started tapering its response, boosting its key rate by just a … [Read more...] about Bank of England hikes rates by half-point to tame inflation

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin In Maui, life revolves around the beach. The $5.5-million plantation-style residence in Wailuku on Hawaii’s second-largest island takes full advantage of its oceanfront setting. The 4.5-acre property at 490 and 497 Lilihua Place was custom-built in 2020 to maximize access and views. The beach lies right outside the backyard, a perfect location for surfing, kitesurfing, standup paddling and just kicking back and watching sunsets. “There’s big wave activity out there that’s just amazing,” says listing agent Brad MacArthur of Hawaii Life. Love horses? There’s plenty of room for equestrian activities too. Views abound inside the elevated main house. “As soon as you walk in the front door, all the glass around the hall showcases the ocean view,” MacArthur says. There’s not a bad view from any window in the five-bedroom, 5.5-bathroom home. The property also has a one-bedroom cottage with a private entrance. The main … [Read more...] about 4.5-Acre Oceanfront Maui Property Hits The Market For $5.5 Million

All products and services featured are independently selected by Forbes Vetted contributors and editors. When you make a purchase through links on this page, we may earn a commission. Learn more Terry Ward , Contributor Forbes Vetted S inger Bob Marley perhaps summed up Jamaica’s laid-back vibes best when he crooned, “Don’t worry about a thing.” With sugary beaches lapped by clear waters and verdant mountains, Jamaica promises the quintessential Caribbean vacation. There are delicious seafood and jerk dishes to sample and vivid sunsets that should be taken in at a beachfront bar to the sound of mellow reggae beats. The third largest island in the Caribbean, Jamaica has diverse landscapes and intriguing culture and history. Your vacation can be intrepid and adventurous or all-out luxurious. The best hotels and resorts in Jamaica offer friendly service, beautiful beaches, world class spas and wellness programs as well as activities for kids, golfers and … [Read more...] about The 10 Best Jamaican Resorts

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Wondering whether your Congressperson is actually doing a good job? Is there some type of metric besides number of times the Congressperson tweeted expressions of outrage and used ALL CAPS? Well, it could help to see what’s really happening with the health of people in your Congressional District. After all, improving the lives of people in the district is kind of what a House of Representatives person is supposed to do, right? Say, for example, more people in your District are binge drinking than any other District. You may, in turn, be inclined to tell your Congressperson, “Maybe it’s time to bottle up the rhetoric and figure out what’s going on here” That’s why the new Congressional District Health Dashboard (CDHD) , just launched by a team from the New York University (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, can be a useful tool to help separate out the Congresspersons … [Read more...] about New Dashboard Shows Key Health Measures In Each Of 435 Congressional Districts

The humanitarian crisis on the Southwestern border has reached a critical stage. El Paso, Texas, is struggling to handle the influx of migrants. It converted a convention center and two middle schools into migrant housing facilities because the city shelters were overwhelmed, but hundreds of migrants still sleep on the city streets. And the challenge is not confined to the border towns. Hundreds of miles away, New York City, Chicago, and Denver, among others, find their resources strained to address the needs of the migrants. The crisis cries for a solution, but none is in sight. Critics call for securing the border, and deterring the illegal crossers, including giving border patrol authority to immediately expel them, strictly enforcing the immigration laws, and reinstituting former President Donald Trump’s harsh policies such as “Stay-in-Mexico” and separation of children from parents and families. Deterrence has not worked, and the surge of migrants continues unabated. … [Read more...] about Opinion: Border security won’t quell the crush of humanity seeking safety in the U.S.

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin My grandmother Estelle Craig was a remarkable woman. She was a journalist in the 1940s; a letter to her from J. Edgar Hoover hangs on my office wall. In the 1950s she founded a travel business – World Adventure Tours – that marketed tours via celebrity talks on exotic locales; a signed photo of Sir Edmund Hillary hangs right above J. Edgar. When the Duke of Bedford came to town – presumably to sell tours of Bedford and environs – she got media attention by starting a rumor that he was planning to buy Toronto’s only castle . She loved travel, hobnobbing, and making trouble, in that order. She was also generous. Before she passed away at the age of 103, my kids would send her thank you cards for birthday gifts. Even at that remarkable age she was as sharp as a tack, but had trouble seeing and hearing. My son Leo liked to type his on an electric typewriter, leading to this exchange: Leo: Dad, should I type her thank you … [Read more...] about When The College Of Last Resort Is A Resort

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin An iRobot robot vacuum has been on my wishlist since the day I set foot in my first apartment. The thought of a little machine effortlessly whirring around my floor picking up dog hair and dust was too good to be true. Though there’s a time and a place for a stick vacuum , I excitedly accepted this assignment for a Roomba 694 review to put the gadget to the test using common messes found in my home. As the mom of a 17-month-old baby girl and a 3-year-old German Shepherd mix, there’s no shortage of messes in my house, so I wanted to see if Roomba’s most affordable robot vacuum was up to basic, everyday cleaning tasks. I wanted to test how well this robot vacuum could avoid cords, shoes and laundry without getting tangled in a mess, overheating and giving up. I put this vacuum cleaner to work over the course of six months and observed how it cleaned carpets, wood floors and tile. Though the Roomba 694 isn’t the … [Read more...] about Roomba 694 Review: The Best Roomba For Daily Maintenance

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Istanbul has its share of grand, gorgeous palace hotels, dripping with crystal chandeliers and bedecked with inlaid marble. So it’s refreshing to find that the Mandarin Oriental Bosphorus —for all of its understated opulence—is not one of them. Rather, the architects at Singapore’s HBA Architecture and interior experts at New York’s Tihany Design took inspiration from a more humble sort of Ottoman housing, the traditional yali houses that line the shores of the Bosphorus river. That makes sense because its setting at the water’s edge—making it one of just a handful in the city that have that kind of access—is one of its main selling points. Not only is the river beautiful and one of the most fascinating in the world, with Europe on one side and Asia on the other, but also it’s convenient. The hotel’s pier makes it easy to get downstream to the historic city center, upstream to the fashionable Bebek neighborhood and … [Read more...] about Understated Luxury In Istanbul: Mandarin Oriental Bosphorus Hotel

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The mass tech layoff impacted women across the board and turned the tables in the tech industry. Perseverance and practical advice from experts are needed more than ever, especially for the BIPOC woman in tech. According to Crunchbase , over 58,000 U.S. tech workers have been laid off due to budget and job cuts in 2023. Sadly this is just the beginning, and more layoffs will take place throughout the year. In January, data from layoffs.fyi , shows another wave of layoffs took place with private and public startups across the U.S. workforce. Some notable companies are: Coinbase 2,110 layoff's Amazon 18,000 layoff's Salesforce 9090 layoff's (Google) Alphabet 12000 layoff's SAP 3000 layoff's IBM 3900 layoff's The economy has made a drastic shift to deal with the reality of the tech fast growth mentality and hiring quickly and recklessly. According to Crunchbase , in 2022, when the … [Read more...] about 8 Tips For Black Women Navigating Tech Layoffs