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- Revisiting the Great Work of Medical Missionary Dr. Anne Livingston in Haiti
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- 2026 US Senate Race in North Carolina
- The Fall of Man: John Calvin, Leibniz, and Deeper Truths
- Time of Reassessment America
- Appeals Court Refuses to Dismiss Greenville County Republican Chairman’s Contempt Case
- The America That Once Was (A Christmas Memory)
- Teachers’ Unions’ Backing of Radical ‘No Kings’ Rallies Speaks Volumes about America’s Education System
- The Battle for Pokrovsk
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- Project Ukraine and Ukrainian/CIA Intelligence
Financial
SWIFT Launches Digital Currency System
- Details
- By Stefan J. Bos - Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
BRUSSELS (Worthy News) – The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) launched a central bank digital currency system despite worries the move would lead to more control over people’s finances.
SWIFT, the world’s biggest network ensuring transactions and interbank lending between nations, connects over 11,500 banks and institutions in more than 200 countries.
It also manages trillions of dollars worth of transactions per day. Nick Kerigan, SWIFT’s chief of innovation, said this system should be operational within 12 to 24 months.
1.4 Million New Homes in 2023, but Plummeting Permits Point to Future Slowdown
- Details
- By Andra Hopulele - Point2Homes.com
The number of new homes added to the housing inventory increased in 2023, but the declining number of homes under construction and permits could be a sign of future challenges.
If completed units reveal the more immediate state of the housing market, housing starts and permitting activity are the canary in the coalmine: Fewer homes under construction and falling permits mean dwindling options for future buyers, adding more pressure to a market already strained by tight supply.
In 2023, housing completions seemed solid: 1.4 million new homes hit the market, a 4.2% increase compared to 2022. The catch? The number of new homes increased only due to the development of the multifamily sector, which jumped 22% year-over-year.
Coupled with the fact that new single family homes are dropping, this could point to a shift towards bolstering the rental sector rather than relieving the pressure on the homes for sale front.
People Soon Paying With Hand, Face And Eyes
- Details
- By By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
TAIPEI (Worthy News) – A Taiwan-based company expects people to soon pay for goods and services through their “facial recognition, fingerprints, eye scans, and handprints.”
Jean-Philippe Niedergang, a regional CEO of global payment industry leader Castles Technology, said using “a totally personal and irreplaceable mechanism, biometric payment will significantly reduce fraud.”
He said payments at “points of sale,” such as in stores and restaurants will “allow for greater efficiency in the automated payment process by reducing waiting times for customers.”
President Biden Outlines Vision for Higher, More Complicated Taxes in State of the Union Address and FY 2025 Budget
- Details
- By Garrett Watson, Erica York, William McBride - Tax Foundation
President Biden’s 2024 State of the Union Address presented a vision of higher taxes for American businesses and high earners combined with carveouts, credits, and more complex rules for taxpayers at all income levels. On Monday, the president released his proposed budget for fiscal year 2025 outlining how the White House would implement the president’s tax vision, amounting to a gross tax hike exceeding $5.1 trillion over 10 years.
Rather than aiming for a simpler tax code that broadly encourages investment, saving, and work in the United States, the president has promised higher taxes that would decrease economic output and incomes, reduce U.S. competitiveness, and further complicate the tax code.
While the Biden budget claims to reduce deficits as a share of the economy over the next decade, that claim is based on several unrealistic assumptions, including:
Greenville Takes 21st Place Among Cities Where Renters Can Stretch Their Dollars the Furthest
- Details
- By Felicity Domentii - RentCafe
With prices surging faster than paychecks, American renters are left wondering: Where can they stretch their dollars the furthest? To answer this, we've compiled data from 189 cities to identify the sweet spots between income and expenses by weighing how much of their income went toward rent and basic expenses for utilities, food, healthcare and other essentials.
Greenville is the 21st-best city for renters looking to get the best bang for their buck. This is because renters here spend a smaller portion of their incomes on all analyzed expenses compared to most U.S. cities. Plus, Greenville’s income-to-rent ratio is one of the most favorable in the country.
Property Taxes by State (2024)
- Details
- By John S Kiernan, WalletHub Managing Editor
Depending on where you live, property taxes can be a small inconvenience or a major burden. The average American household spends $2,869 on property taxes for their homes each year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and residents of the 26 states with vehicle property taxes shell out another $448.
Property taxes might appear to be a non-issue for the 35% of people who rent their homes, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. We all pay property taxes, whether directly or indirectly, as they impact the rent we pay as well as the finances of state and local governments.
State Corporate Income Tax Rates and Brackets, 2024
- Details
- By Tax Foundation
Key Findings
- Forty-four states levy a corporate income tax. Top rates range from a 2.5 percent flat rate in North Carolina to a 9.8 percent top marginal rate in Minnesota.
- Four states—Alaska, Illinois, Minnesota, and New Jersey—levy top marginal corporate income tax rates of 9 percent or higher.
- Twelve states—Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah—have top rates at or below 5 percent.
- Nevada, Ohio, Texas, and Washington impose gross receipts taxes instead of corporate income taxes. Delaware, Oregon, and Tennessee impose gross receipts taxes in addition to their corporate income taxes. Some localities in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia likewise impose gross receipts taxes, which are generally understood to be more economically harmful than corporate income taxes.
- South Dakota and Wyoming are the only states that levy neither a corporate income nor gross receipts tax.
Corporate income taxes are levied in 44 states. Though often thought of as a major tax type, corporate income taxes accounted for only 7.07 percent of state tax collections and 3.32 percent of state general revenue in fiscal year (FY) 2021. And while these figures are not high, they represent a substantial increase over prior years. Corporate income taxes accounted for 2.27 percent of general revenue in FY 2020, which is more in line with historical norms.
- Ban a Central Bank Digital Currency in South Carolina
- Ban a Central Bank Digital Currency in South Carolina — Support H.4373
- Stop Digital Currency Tyranny – Enact H.R. 1122
- Amid Recession Fears, Americans Expected to Step Up Charitable Giving
- Stop Digital Currency Tyranny with H.R. 6415 and S.3954
- Size Does Matter
- Stop Federal Digital Currency Tyranny with H.R. 6415 and S. 3954
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