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Airbnb is fundamentally broken, its CEO says. He plans to fix it

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:31:04 GMT

Nikki Ekstein | (TNS) Bloomberg NewsAirbnb Inc. CEO Brian Chesky hasn’t had an easy 2023. First there was the “Airbnbust” frenzy in March, in which hosts took up arms on Twitter (now X) about shrinking profit margins and a potential short-term rental bubble. Then competitor Vrbo beat Airbnb to a feature that customers have long requested with a loyalty program. And in September, New York City vastly tightened its rules on short-term rentals, nearly squeezing Airbnb out of a market that in the early days represented roughly 80% of its business. Never mind the increasing strictness of return-to-office policies, which has hampered the flexibility that spurred Airbnb’s business in the pandemic years.By mid-September, when he rolled out a handful of site improvements, it seemed as if Chesky had found himself in a Catch-22, caught between the conflicting demands of guests and hosts. Top of mind among them: Guests want to spend less money and be guaranteed a better product, while hosts are...

Healey to sign tax relief bill Wednesday at Massachusetts State House

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:31:04 GMT

Gov. Maura Healey plans to sign a $1 billion-a-year tax relief bill Wednesday afternoon without making any changes to what lawmakers sent her last week, according to a spokesperson.Nearly two years after some form of tax relief was first floated on Beacon Hill, Healey will join top Democrats at a 1 p.m. State House event to sign a bill, which her office touted as the “first cuts in more than 20 years and highlight the ways in which the package saves money for Massachusetts residents.”The House and Senate passed a compromise version of the bill last week after reaching a deal in late September. The bill will cost $561 million in fiscal year 2023 and $1 billion annually starting in fiscal year 2027.A Healey spokesperson said the governor could only sign or amend the proposal because it was not a spending bill. Healey had until Sunday to act on the measure.The bill takes aims at a series of key credits and taxes that supporters have argued need updates to help residents dea...

7 tips for using credit cards while traveling

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:31:04 GMT

Dana Dratch | Bankrate (TNS)Vacations and holidays are all about relaxing, so it’s unlikely credit card balances and bills are on your radar.But if you’re traveling, “checking balances more often is probably good advice,” according to Nessa Feddis, senior vice president for consumer protection and payment for the American Bankers Association. Staying cognizant of your card activity can help you avoid overspending, added fees and any security risks that could arise abroad.“And because of mobile banking apps, it’s easier to check,” she says.Want to keep that plastic safe, even as you hit the slopes? Here are seven strategies, plus a few bonus tips, that you can use right now.1. Let card issuers know you’re travelingNotify your card issuer before a trip to avoid your first purchase away getting wrongfully flagged for fraud.“If you’re going to be outside your normal stomping ground, make sure you let your card issuer know,” says Susan Tiffany, who previously spent 17 years as director o...

Bruins notebook: Matt Poitras making a strong push for a roster spot

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:31:04 GMT

The Bruins are giving Matt Poitras every test available to see if the slick-passing 19-year-old is ready for a National Hockey League season.The latest? He was in the B’s lineup in the second half of a back-to-back coupled with a plum assignment in what would be a top six centerman role. After playing in Monday’s game in Philadelphia, picking up a helper in the B’s only goal of the game, Poitras was set to get right back at it on Tuesday at the Garden against the Washington Capitals, this time playing on a line with Brad Marchand and Trent Frederic.It seems Poitras has at the very least earned a longer look. While the preseason is winding down and opening night is just a week away, coach Jim Montgomery said the nine-game window in the regular season teams are allowed to test out players who aren’t eligible for the AHL like Poitras could be helpful, though he didn’t definitely say that’s the way the club is going.Poitras certainly seems to have the...

Laphonza Butler sworn in to replace Feinstein in Senate

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:31:04 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former union leader and Democratic insider Laphonza Butler was sworn in as the newest member of the Senate on Tuesday, replacing California Sen. Dianne Feinstein after her death and becoming only the third Black female senator in history.Butler was appointed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday, just two days after Feinstein died at her home in Washington. Butler is a longtime fundraiser and strategist in the state’s Democratic circles and was the head of Emily’s List, a national organization that raises money for women candidates who support abortion rights.On the Senate floor Tuesday, Butler was sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris, who served as the second Black female senator until she resigned in 2021 to join President Joe Biden in the White House. The first was Democratic Sen. Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois, who served one term in the 1990s.The Congressional Black Caucus was also holding a ceremonial swearing-in for Butler. "Her ...

Memorial service for Sen. Dianne Feinstein will be held Thursday at SF City Hall

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:31:04 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- A memorial service for the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein will be held on the front steps of San Francisco City Hall on Thursday, beginning at 1 p.m. SF's iconic City Hall will serve as a backdrop for a memorial for the iconic senator, which will be open to members of the public to attend.There will also be a limited seating area for 1,500 invited guests. SF Fleet Week 2023: schedule, events, what you need to know Notables and dignitaries lined up to speak at Sen. Feinstein's memorial include:U.S. President Joe Biden (recorded)U.S. Vice President Kamala HarrisSan Francisco Mayor London BreedU.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck SchumerU.S. House Speaker Emerita Nancy PelosiEileen Mariano (Sen. Feinstein's granddaughter)California Gov. Gavin Newsom will also be in attendance; however the governor is not expected to be among the speakers. Sen. Feinstein will lie in state at SF City Hall on Wednesday and members of the public are invited to pay their respects between ...

Turkey hits Kurdish militant targets in Iraq and detains about 1,000 people days after Ankara blast

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:31:04 GMT

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish warplanes carried out new airstrikes against suspected Kurdish militant sites in northern Iraq on Tuesday, days after a suicide attack in the Turkish capital. Police, meanwhile, detained almost 1,000 people in raids across Turkey. A defense ministry statement said the air raids hit 16 targets, including caves, shelters and depots, used by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK in the neighboring region. It said the operation aimed to protect Turkey’s borders and prevent terror attacks.It was Turkey’s second cross-border aerial operation against PKK targets in northern Iraq since the attack in Ankara on Sunday. Earlier, police conducted raids in several Turkish provinces, detaining close to 1,000 people, including dozens with alleged links to Kurdish militants. An opposition news anchor was also briefly detained. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said that 55 people suspected of being part of the PKK’s “intelligence structure...

Joly says Canadians ‘want to do more’ to help Haiti as military intervention looms

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:31:04 GMT

OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says Canada is determining how it can best help with an international military intervention in Haiti, but a fellow Liberal MP says it’s unlikely that will involve any military role for Canada.“Canada has always been involved in issues related to Haiti. We will continue to be,” Joly told reporters Tuesday morning on Parliament Hill, in French.“We want to do more. So we’ll thus continue these diplomatic conversations, and I would say that we’ll also continue to support solutions that are by and for Haitians.”The United Nations Security Council approved a multinational force Monday to help combat violent gangs in Haiti, which Kenya has offered to leadand expects to kick off by January.Joly said she’s spoken with her counterpart from Kenya as well as Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae, on how Canada can be of help.Haiti’s unelected prime minister asked for an intern...

Vermont dedicates marker in honor of birthplace of Burton Snowboards

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:31:04 GMT

LONDONDERRY, Vt. — The state of Vermont, dozens of snowboard enthusiasts and local history buffs dedicated a site Tuesday in honor of one of the most iconic brands in the sport, which played a key role in its rise from a curious hobby to an Olympic event.Snowboard lovers used the event to commemorate the birthplace of Burton Snowboards with a small blue sign down the road from where the company was born more than 40 years ago. The sign states that “from its humble beginnings in Londonderry, snowboarding grew from a backyard hobby to one of the world’s most popular winter sports.”The Vermont Division for Historic Preservation participated in the event to recognize the creation of the first Burton snowboards. Jake Burton founded the company in 1977, preceding a revolution in winter recreation.The company’s Londonderry factory, which was lost in a fire, is critical to the history of snowboarding, said Hilary Batchelor, president of the Londonderry Arts and Historical Society.“It ...

‘Tennessee Three’ Democrat sues over expulsion and House rules that temporarily silenced him

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:31:04 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Democratic Rep. Justin Jones filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday challenging his expulsion in April and the House rules restricting lawmakers’ floor comments that Republicans applied to silence Jones for part of one day in August.Filed against House Speaker Cameron Sexton and House administrative officials, the lawsuit in Nashville federal court argues that Republicans have repeatedly blocked Jones from speaking during debate in violation of free speech rights under the state and federal constitutions. Additionally, the lawsuit by the Nashville member of the “Tennessee Three” contends his constitutional due process rights were infringed upon by the expulsion proceedings. Republicans ousted Jones and Rep. Justin Pearson, a fellow young Black Democrat, over their megaphone-amplified protest calling for gun control on the House floor just days after a Christian elementary school shooting killed six people. Republicans spared Democratic Rep. Gloria Jo...