Looking to buy a home? You may now need to factor in the cost of your agent’s commission
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Thinking of buying a home with the help of a real estate agent? You can no longer take it for granted that a seller will cover the cost of your agent’s commission. Home sellers have traditionally offered a blanket commission to a buyer’s agent when they listed their home on the market. But that will no longer be allowed as of this weekend, when various changes to U.S. real estate industry practices are set to take effect. A homebuyer may still try to negotiate such an offer from the seller. But if they decline, that would leave the homebuyer on the hook for paying for their agent’s services.
US consumer sentiment rises slightly
WASHINGTON (AP) — The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index edged up to 67.8 after coming in at 66.4 in July. Americans’ expectations for the future rose, while their assessment of current economic conditions sank slightly. Democrats’ sentiment rose, and Republicans’ fell. The survey found that 41% of consumers considered Harris the better candidate for the economy, versus the 38% who chose Republican nominee Donald Trump. Before President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race and gave way to Harris, Trump held an advantage on the issue.
Harris tries to blunt Trump’s economic attacks by proposing new tax breaks in a bid to lower costs
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris is promoting a broad set of economic proposals that she claims would offer new tax breaks and lower the cost of living for Americans. She’s aiming to address the financial concerns that are at the top of the mind voters and that are at her doorstep. The plans she’s outlining during a visit Friday to North Carolina claims she would cut taxes for middle- and lower-income families, give incentives for builders of starter homes and provide federal support for down payments by first-time homebuyers. She wants to expand the child tax credit and the earned income tax credit, and lower health insurance premiums through the Affordable Care Act.
TikTok compares itself to foreign-owned American news outlets as it fights forced sale or ban
TikTok has pushed back on arguments that the popular social media platform is not shielded by the First Amendment. The U.S. Justice Department had said in a legal brief submitted last month that TikTok’s owner, China-based ByteDance, as well as the platform’s global and U.S. arms were not entitled to First Amendment protections. The argument was made in a case between the U.S. and TikTok over the federal law that could lead to a ban on the popular app. TikTok attorneys argued in a court document Thursday that the platform’s U.S. arm doesn’t forfeit its constitutional rights because it is owned by a foreign entity. They drew a parallel between TikTok and well-known news outlets such as Politico and Business Insider, which are owned by a German publisher.
Germany’s quarrelsome government clinches a deal on the 2025 budget
BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s quarrelsome governing coalition has reached an agreement on details of the country’s 2025 budget. Friday’s accord comes weeks after Chancellor Olaf Scholz and top officials clinched an initial deal that then got bogged down in a new dispute, further damaging the unpopular government’s image. Scholz has run a three-party coalition of his center-left Social Democrats with the environmentalist Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats since December 2021. The alliance, which brings together parties that weren’t traditionally allies, has become notorious for frequent infighting and on several occasions reopened hard-fought policy agreements.
Kim Dotcom loses 12-year fight to halt deportation from New Zealand to face US copyright case
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Kim Dotcom, founder of the once wildly popular file-sharing website Megaupload, lost a 12-year fight this week to halt his deportation from New Zealand to the U.S. on charges of copyright infringement, money laundering and racketeering. New Zealand’s Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith divulged Friday that he had decided Dotcom should be surrendered to the U.S. to face trial. A date for the extradition was not set and Goldsmith said Dotcom would be allowed time to get advice on the decision. A lawyer for Dotcom signaled an appeal. Prosecutors said Megaupload raked in millions from people who used the site to illegally download copyrighted works. Defense lawyers say the users of the site were responsible, not the founders.
They look like — and link to — real news articles. But they’re actually ads from the Harris campaign
A Harris advertising campaign that uses Google search is prompting some concerns among news outlets about their work being co-opted for political purposes. The campaign, which includes links to news stories, shows the importance for news organizations to protect their independence at a time many consumers are suspicious of bias in journalism. The Harris campaign says it has no plans to stop the under-the-radar campaign after it was revealed this week. Google says the ads are clearly labeled as such for people who come across it. With less than three months before a closely-fought election, campaigns are looking to find new ways to reach voters.
As the Middle East frets about conflict, Dubai booms with an influx of anxious wealth
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — As conflict casts a shadow across the Middle East, people are getting rich in Dubai. Years after a momentary slump in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the desert sheikdom’s economy is buzzing with tourism and construction as it positions itself as a safe haven in a region that’s resting on a knife’s edge following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran. Dubai has a long history of indirectly benefiting from crises in the region. When the ultra-wealthy worry about turmoil, the city offers stability, low taxes and a friendly visa system.
BMW recalls 1.3 million vehicles in China that may have Takata airbag inflators
BEIJING (AP) — Officials in China say BMW is recalling more than 1.3 million vehicles that may have Takata airbag inflators following a similar recall in the U.S. last month. The Chinese State Administration for Market Regulation said Friday that the recall covers nearly 600,000 vehicles made in China and more than 750,000 imported vehicles made between 2003 and 2018. A small number of the vehicles may have Takata inflators if the owner changed the steering wheel. The inflator can explode when the airbag deploys, sending dangerous fragments into the car. Takata inflators have been blamed for the deaths of at least 35 people worldwide.
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