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China Rolls Out New Measures To Fix Its Property Crisis, Spur Growth

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China's metropolitan landscapes: Image Pixa Bay 

China launched a slew of new steps Friday to revitalize its struggling real estate business, as the latest data revealed that house prices had fallen over 10% since the beginning of the year.

Among other measures, the central bank said it will lower the minimum down payment for mortgages and eliminate the floor on interest rates for first and second homes.

China’s housing market has plummeted following a crackdown on excessive borrowing by property developers many years ago. This has dragged down a wide range of other sectors, including home furnishings, appliances, and construction, and delayed growth in the world’s second-largest economy.

Dozens of developers, whose armies of high-rise apartments have changed China’s metropolitan landscapes, still need to pay their obligations. Many initiatives have just stagnated, incomplete.

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China: Getty Images

China Rolls Out New Measures To Fix Its Property Crisis, Spur Growth

He Lifeng, a deputy premier, stated that officials would implement laws tailored to each city and “fight the tough battle of dealing with the risk of unfinished commercial housing.”

“We will solidly advance key tasks such as guaranteed housing delivery and absorption of existing commercial housing,” He said during a top-level property policy teleconference, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

The drive to entice more families to buy homes has gathered traction after previous moves, such as interest rate cuts and government-backed financing, failed to attract buyers when developers struggled to produce housing that had already been promised and paid for.

Housing is a mainstay of Chinese investment due to the cheap interest rates paid by banks, and many potential purchasers may be waiting for the market to bottom out before making fresh purchases. Furthermore, layoffs and other economic disruptions caused by the pandemic have made many individuals wary of spending.

The People’s Bank of China said that beginning Saturday, the interest rate for first-time housing provident fund loans for less than five years will be reduced by 0.25 percentage points to 2.35%. The loan rate for loans for more than five years has decreased by 0.25 percentage points to 2.85%.

According to the report, the minimum down payment for first-time homebuyer loans will be 15% of the total purchase price. The tax on second residences will be 25%.

According to Chen Wenjing of China Index Holdings, a Nasdaq-listed company that specializes in information about China’s real estate market, the latest efforts, which have reduced down payment levels and mortgage interest rates to historic lows, demonstrate Chinese leaders’ determination to stabilize the real estate market.

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China’s metropolitan landscapes: Image Pixa Bay 

China Rolls Out New Measures To Fix Its Property Crisis, Spur Growth

“Reducing the down payment threshold and home purchase costs for residents will likely boost their willingness to buy homes,” Chen stated. He said that if large cities follow through with such initiatives, market sentiment would likely rise even further.

Dong Jianguo, vice minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, stated that officials should focus on ensuring that property buyers receive what they paid for, and if that is not possible, the courts may have to intervene.

“In judicial proceedings, protecting the legitimate rights and interests of homebuyers should also be a top priority,” Dong said at a news conference in Beijing.

Earlier Friday, officials from the National Bureau of Statistics acknowledged that domestic demand — spending by consumers and businesses — remained “insufficient” and said the government was considering additional ways to revitalize the property industry after housing prices fell 9.8% in January-April compared to the previous year.

“The complexity, harshness, and uncertainty of the external environment are rapidly growing. “There is insufficient effective domestic demand, high business pressure, and numerous risks and hidden dangers,” said Liu Aihua, a bureau spokesperson.

“The foundation for recovery needs to be strengthened,” Liu stated.

One of the primary measures being implemented is for local governments to buy units that have gone unsold owing to low demand and rent them out as cheap housing in pilot schemes that are national policy.

As part of the newest policy easing, the central bank announced the establishment of a 300 billion yuan ($42 billion) fund to finance the purchase of vacant homes by state-owned enterprises and local governments for use as affordable housing.

China’s economy expanded at a healthy 5.3% rate in the first quarter of this year, but this is rather slow for a developing country, and signals of fragility remain.

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China’s metropolitan landscapes: Image Pixa Bay 

China Rolls Out New Measures To Fix Its Property Crisis, Spur Growth

On Friday, the National Bureau of Statistics said that manufacturing output increased by 6.7% in April compared to the previous year, while investment in fixed assets such as factory equipment increased by 4.2%.

However, housing starts plummeted nearly 25% yearly, while sales by floor area fell 20%. Financing for property projects declined by 25%.

Retail sales increased only 2.3% in April.

Officials predicted demand would revive as the government implemented initiatives encouraging people to sell their old cars and appliances and acquire new ones.

SOURCE – (AP)

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Howard Schultz Violated Labor Law By Telling Employee ‘If You’re Not Happy At Starbucks, You Can Go Work For Another Company’

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Starbucks’ interim CEO, Howard Schultz, violated federal labor law in 2022 by telling a California barista who expressed concerns about unionization that “if you’re not happy at Starbucks, you can go work for another company.”

The National Labor Relations Board ruled on Wednesday that Schultz’s statement constituted an unconstitutional, coercive threat.

The decision highlights Starbucks’ difficult relationship with organized labor, as more and more employees at its outlets unionize.

Howard Schultz Violated Labor Law By Telling Employee ‘If You’re Not Happy At Starbucks, You Can Go Work For Another Company’

In 2022, as interim CEO, Schultz visited a business event in Long Beach, California, to address and improve working conditions at Starbucks locations. According to the NLRB, Barista Madison Hall attempted to discuss the benefits of unionization as well as Starbucks’ claimed history of unfair labor practices.

“Why are you angry at Starbucks?” Schultz inquired. He stated that the occasion was not the appropriate forum for discussing union problems before remarking on working elsewhere. The administrative law decision states that he “had an angry expression on his face.” The NLRB ruling maintains an administrative law judge’s decision from October 2023.

Starbucks issued a statement expressing its disagreement with the board’s decision. “Our focus remains on training and supporting our managers to ensure respect for our partners’ right to organize, and we are making progress in our discussions with Workers United,” a business representative said in a statement Thursday.

Though Schultz stepped down from his third term as CEO in March 2023, he remains involved with the company. When he retired from Starbucks’ board of directors in September, the business named him “lifelong chairman emeritus.”

“We note that the judge identified the Respondent’s highest official, interim CEO Schultz, as a ‘legendary leader,’ a status that would exacerbate the coercive nature of Schultz’s statement,” the ruling read.

Since the first Starbucks branch in Buffalo, New York, unionized in 2021, the coffee business has been embroiled in hundreds of labor battles over alleged union-busting practices. In June, the Supreme Court heard Starbucks v. McKinney, a case involving seven employees who were fired after attempting to form a union. The Supreme Court agreed with Starbucks.

An NLRB administrative law judge earlier stated that Starbucks had engaged in “egregious and widespread misconduct” in its dealings with employees involved in unionization efforts at Buffalo outlets, including the first site to unionize. Starbucks dispatched high-level executives into Buffalo-area stores on a “relentless” campaign, according to the judge, which “likely left a lasting impact as to the importance of voting against representation.”

Starbucks stated at the time that it is “considering all options to obtain further legal review,” and that “we believe the decision and remedies ordered are inappropriate given the record in this matter.”

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Howard Schultz Violated Labor Law By Telling Employee ‘If You’re Not Happy At Starbucks, You Can Go Work For Another Company’

The union reports that on October 1, the 500th Starbucks location in Washington state decided to unionize.

The NLRB ordered Starbucks on Wednesday to stop threatening to terminate employees for unionizing and to post a notice of employee rights in all of its Long Beach outlets.

“We are pleased to see the NLRB continuing to advocate for workers and their legal right to organize. At the same time, we’re looking ahead and proud to be on a new journey with the firm,” said Michelle Eisen, co-chair of Starbucks Workers United’s national organizing committee and bargaining delegate, in a statement to CNN on Thursday.

SOURCE | CNN

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Tesla Recalls 27,000 Cybertrucks Due To A Rearview Camera Issue

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CNN | Tesla

Tesla is recalling around 27,000 Cybertrucks due to a rearview camera issue that delays the image being presented on the dashboard, increasing the danger of a collision.

According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report, the rearview display may appear blank for up to 8 seconds when the Cybertruck is in reverse. That is far over the two seconds required by US federal safety regulations.

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Tesla Recalls 27,000 Cybertrucks Due To A Rearview Camera Issue

Tesla has issued a free, over-the-air software update to address the issue. Drivers can also reverse the Cybertruck by “performing a shoulder check and using their mirrors,” according to the NHTSA.

This is the fifth recall for the electric vehicle, which was released last year. The most recent recall, in June, concerns the truck’s large single windshield wiper and a piece of plastic trim along the edge of the truck bed that might become loose and detach from the vehicle while driving.

In April, the trucks were recalled because the accelerator pedal could become stuck when depressed. Tesla launched a software recall in January for 2.2 million of its cars, including Cybertrucks, due to warning light letters that were too small to read. That issue was likewise resolved with an over-the-air software upgrade.

Tesla Recalls 27,000 Cybertrucks Due To A Rearview Camera Issue

Tesla announced a rise in sales this week for the first time this year, however, year-to-date sales still trail the same period in 2023.

The company delivered approximately 463,000 automobiles worldwide in the third quarter, rising 6% from the previous year’s sales number and 4% from the second quarter of this year.

SOURCE | CNN

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The Biden Administration can go Ahead With Student Loan Forgiveness, Says a Federal Judge.

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(VOR News) – A temporary restraining order that was obtained against the expansive new student loan forgiveness system that was planned by the administration of Vice President Joe Biden will be allowed to expire by a federal judge.

Injunction was issued against the program that was being proposed. It is possible that the execution of this strategy may reduce the suffering of tens of millions of people in the United States of America.

There is a possibility that the idea might be beneficial to as many as three out of every four people who are now in possession of federal student loans, as stated by an estimate that was provided by the Center for American Progress.

This happens because the student loan plan takes into account government initiatives.

A victory was granted to the administration of Vice President Joe Biden, according to an announcement made by United States District Judge Randal Hall in Georgia before the close of the day on Wednesday. The previous Republican president, George W. Bush, was the one who appointed Hall to his current post. Hall now serves in that capacity.

In the next few weeks leading up to the election that will take place in November, it is quite likely that Vice President Joe Biden will press forward with the proposition that his administration has offered to cancel student loans. There is a chance that this will occur given the verdict.

A new condition has emerged as a result of a lawsuit that was filed against the aid package by seven states that are run by Republicans. This lawsuit was filed against the aid package after it was submitted.

There are a number of states that have ruled that the debt cancellation scheme that is now being carried out by the United States Department of Education is illegal. These states include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, North Dakota, and Ohio, amongst others.

The conclusions of Hall, on the other hand, indicate that Georgia did not have the legal jurisdiction to launch a legal action against the relief plan. As a result, the state was unable to fulfill the duty of the forum for the application.

The judge made an order that the case be relocated to Missouri because the states argue that the notion that was proposed by Biden would be most detrimental to Mohela, which is the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority.

Which is responsible for servicing student loans?

The judge issued the order as a result. The United States Department of Education’s spokesman applauded the judge’s finding that Georgia had “no legal basis” to pursue the action; yet, the spokesperson also criticized the Republican drive to prevent relief from being granted. The verdict made by the judge was lauded by the authorized spokesperson.

This case is the outcome of an ongoing campaign by Republican elected officials who, according to what they claimed, seek to prevent millions of their own people from having breathing room on their student loans. This campaign is the cause of this complaint.

That campaign is reflected in this lawsuit that has been filed. “The fact remains that this lawsuit reflects an ongoing effort.”

Our efforts to improve the flawed student loan system and to provide support and relief to borrowers all throughout the country are not going to be abandoned, and we are not going to stop up on providing these services. We have declared our intention to carry on with our work.

Under the plan that was proposed by Vice President Joe Biden, student debt would be forgiven for four different groups of borrowers:

Those who owe more than they initially took out; those who have been in repayment already for decades; students who attend schools with a low financial value; and those who are eligible for loan forgiveness under an existing program but have not yet implemented the program.

SOURCE: CNBC

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