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Lumber prices have been on a wild ride since the pandemic onset. The price, measured per thousand board feet, was around $400 in December 2019, before the outbreak. It fell to $236 in April 2020 before skyrocketing over the next year, reaching almost $1,700 in May this year. The price started crashing as economies were reopening, falling to nearly $400 in August. Now, it's surging again, trading at $755 as of this writing. Home improvement retail giants Home Depot ( NYSE:HD ) and Lowe's ( NYSE:LOW ) sell a lot of lumber to professionals and do-it-yourselfers. Therefore, changes in lumber prices can have a significant impact on their business. Let's look at Home Depot and Lowe's and see if the recent lumber prices increase is good or bad news. Image source: Getty Images. Increasing lumber prices decrease spending at Lowe's Lowe's last reported quarterly financial results on Aug. 18, for the three months ending July 30. Its fiscal third quarter will include results …

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Compiled by C. ARUNO, JUSTIN ZACK and R. ARAVINTHAN SINGER Fara Hezel’s son locked himself inside her car in Lagoon Kuala Ibai, Terengganu, before being rescued by members of the public, reported Utusan Malaysia . During the incident on Tuesday, the singer, whose real name is Nurfaraazira Yusri, had taken her son out for a walk in Lagoon Kuala Ibai. “Aisy (her son) was in the baby seat and we were ready to head home. But when I tried to enter the car, it was locked from inside. “I don’t know how to explain how scared I was. Luckily, Aisy did not cry,” said the 25-year-old. The singer, who took part in the first season of the Big Stage reality show, said she was concerned about the heat as her car engine was turned off. The baby was later rescued by members of the public who came to her aid after she called out for help. Harian Metro reported that a man, who used to call himself an anti-vaxxer, had a change of heart after he and family members tested positive for …

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BERA: Salaries of police officers and personnel will be further discussed by the Home Ministry with the relevant ministries and agencies as the matter needs a more comprehensive study, says the Prime Minister. Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the discussions would involve, among others, the Finance Ministry and the Public Service Department. “The matter needs in-depth discussion because it involves finance,” he told Bernama at a press conference after attending the wearing of rank ceremony from DSP to Superintendent for Bera district police chief Mansor Samsudin here yesterday. The ceremony was conducted by Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani. Also promoted was Bera deputy district police chief DSP N. Kumaran from ASP to DSP. Ismail Sabri said this in response to a recent media report that the low salary and allowance of police personnel, especially at the lower ranks, was the cause of them facing problems and getting into debt. It is learnt …

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BERA (Bernama): The Home Ministry will discuss the issue of salaries of police officers and rank-and-file personnel with the relevant ministries and agencies as the matter needs a more comprehensive study, says Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. The Prime Minister said the discussions would also involve, among others, the Finance Ministry and the Public Service Department. "The matter needs in-depth discussions because it involves finance," he told a press conference after attending the wearing-of-rank ceremony from Deputy Superintendent to Superintendent for Bera OCPD Mansor Samsudin at the Bera District Police Headquarters here Sunday (Oct 17). The ceremony was conducted by Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani. Also promoted was Bera deputy OCPD N. Kumaran, from ASP to DSP. Ismail Sabri said this in response to a recent media report that the low salary and allowance of police personnel, especially the low-ranking ones, was the cause of them facing …

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Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin White House Weighs Wide-Ranging Push for Crypto Oversight The Biden administration is weighing an executive order on cryptocurrencies as part of an effort to set up a government-wide approach to the white-hot asset class, according to people familiar with the matter. The proposed directive would charge federal agencies to study and offer recommendations on relevant areas of crypto, touching on financial regulation, economic innovation and national security. The plan would push departments that have given scant attention to crypto to focus on it. Officials have also considered appointing a White House crypto czar to act as a point person on the issue. [ Bloomberg ] Why Debit Use Is Soaring in the Restaurant and Hospitality Sector The pandemic not only forced the closure of restaurants in March 2020 but also effectively shut down the use of cash. Eight percent of U.S. businesses went cashless at the pandemic’s onset and …

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Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The Department of Education has started notifying student loan borrowers that they may be much closer to getting their student loans eliminated under the Biden administration’s major expansion of a student loan forgiveness program. On October 6, the Biden administration announced that it will be enacting huge changes to Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) , a federal student loan forgiveness program that has long been plagued by problems including complicated eligibility requirements and low approval rates. The program has traditionally required 120 “qualifying payments” to obtain loan forgiveness, but payments are often rejected on technical grounds. Through the Department’s new “Limited PSLF Waiver” initiative, which will be active through October 2022, the Biden administration will temporarily ease the opaque program requirements that had restricted PSLF relief to only certain types of federal student loans and …

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MELAKA (Bernama): Ticket sales at the Melaka Zoo have exceeded RM800,000 with 10,000 visitors recorded in 16 days since the state’s iconic tourism spot resumed operations on Oct 1. Hang Tuah Jaya Municipal Council (MPHTJ) head Datuk Shadan Othman said the total number of visitors to the zoo has breached the 1,000 daily mark with the highest recorded at 3,500 on Saturday (Oct 16). "We have seen a daily increase in visitors to the Melaka Zoo from Oct 1 until yesterday and most of them are from outstation such as from Johor and Kuala Lumpur. "We foresee more people coming, notably on weekends because the Night Safari has been opened on Friday, Saturday and Sunday," he said after a cleaning operation with MPHTJ at Ayer Keroh here Sunday (Oct 17). He said the Melaka Zoo management was complying strictly with standard operating procedures (SOPs) under the National Recovery Plan where entry is only allwoed for 800 visitors at a time, to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Meanwhile, …

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JOHOR BARU: There was an increase of around 30% traffic, in and out of Johor, since the interstate travel ban was lifted on Oct 11. Johor Public Works, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman Mohd Solihan Badri said about 35,600 vehicles entered the state and 36,000 vehicles travelled out of Johor on Oct 10 when interstate travel was still not allowed. “Based on information from the highway concessionaire, about 46,200 vehicles entered Johor and 46,800 vehicles travelled out of the state, which was an increase of 29.77% and 30% respectively. “The main entry and exit points were through the Kulai, Senai North and Skudai tolls. “I also expect the traffic volume to increase further as the Deepavali season nears,” he said in a statement on Sunday (Oct 17). He advised interstate travellers, whether inbound or outbound, to stay alert and be careful while driving to their destinations. “Road users should also ensure that their vehicles are in good condition. “Make …

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KULAI: Police have arrested a 35-year-old man suspected of threatening a woman and splashing red paint at her house. Kulai OCPD Supt Tok Beng Yeow said the suspect, who has a criminal record for drug abuse, was arrested in his house here at around 7.30pm on Saturday (Oct 16). The arrest followed a report lodged by a 62-year-old woman on Sept 26 after her front gate and porch at Taman Manis Kelapa Sawit here were splashed with red paint. The victim also found a sheet of paper, with threatening messages stuck to her letterbox that night, Supt Tok said. “During initial investigations, the suspect admitted that he was hired to splash paint at houses in the Kelapa Sawit and Ulu Tiram, Johor Baru areas. “We are still investigating his involvement in several such cases in and outside Kulai,” he said on Sunday (Oct 17). He added that the suspect also tested positive for methamphetamine. He said the suspect has been remanded for four days until Oct 20 for investigations under …

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Howard Hughes Corporation ( NYSE:HHC ) is unlike any other publicly traded real estate company. It isn't a real estate investment trust, it isn't just a developer, and it isn't a homebuilder. Rather, it develops large-scale master-planned communities in a real-life version of the popular video game Sim City . In this Fool Live video clip, recorded on Oct. 1 , Fool.com contributor Matt Frankel asks David O'Reilly, CEO of Howard Hughes, why the market has such a tough time valuing its stock and why this could be a great thing for long-term investors. Matt Frankel: I would like to ask you, do you think that the market has a tough time valuing your company just because of how unique the business model is. I feel like a lot of times, analysts don't know really how to place value on your assets. How do you value land that you're going to sell 20 years from now? Do you think the market really has a tough time valuing it? How has that really played into the company's …

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