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Eviction rates at New York City Housing Authority ( NYCHA ) properties under the Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program decreased slightly in Queens in 2024, bucking a citywide trend that saw eviction rates spike significantly elsewhere in New York. A recent audit by NYC Comptroller Brad Lander found that eviction rates at PACT properties tripled in 2024 and resemble citywide eviction rates in private properties. Get the Full Story The PACT program, designed to address decades of underfunding and disrepair in public housing, transfers some management responsibilities to private and non-profit partners to secure funding for critical renovations, aiming to address an estimated $80 billion shortfall in NYCHA’s capital needs. However, the Comptroller’s recent audit found that eviction filings and executions at PACT properties occurred at a faster pace than at other NYCHA developments throughout the city and now resemble citywide eviction rates in private rental units. Evictions in PACT properties rose from 29 in 2023 to 91 in 2024—a staggering increase of over 300%. This brought the eviction rate at PACT properties to 0.57%, up from 0.18% last year, nearly matching the 0.60% rate in private rental units. In contrast, eviction rates at standard NYCHA properties increased from 0.01% to 0.12% during the same period, rising from 15 to 180 evictions. In Queens, however, the eviction rate decreased slightly in 2024 compared to 2023. NYCHA’s Ocean Bay Apartments development in the Rockaways, the only Queens-based NYCHA development to convert to PACT, saw evictions drop from 10 to eight in 2024, a drop of 20%. Eviction rates spiked in all other boroughs containing PACT developments, jumping from seven evictions to 55 in Brooklyn, from 4 to 12 in Manhattan and from eight to 16 in the Bronx. A total of 87 NYCHA developments have converted to PACT, with none located in Staten Island. However, eviction filings at Ocean Bay Apartments, which consists of 28 residential buildings, have been rapidly increasing in recent years, according to the Comptroller’s audit. The audit highlighted that there were 33 filings in 2021, rising to 66 in 2022 and rising again to 153 in 2023, a staggering 363% rise across the three-year period. The Comptroller’s report included no data for eviction filings in 2024. Elsewhere in the city, filings rose at an even greater pace, jumping from 57 to 867 in Brooklyn across the same period as well as jumping from four to 181 in Manhattan and from 38 to 313 in the Bronx. The 153 eviction filings at Ocean Bay Apartments represented roughly 10% of the 1,514 eviction filings registered in PACT properties across the city in 2024. The audit, which was released on Dec. 18, also criticized NYCHA for failing to ensure that PACT property managers adhered to pre-eviction outreach protocols and tenant protections. Auditors found that managers did not consistently make multiple attempts to contact tenants at risk of eviction, inform them of potential financial assistance, or use on-site social service providers to engage with residents. Additionally, managers often failed to establish repayment agreements or report all eviction-related activities, hindering NYCHA’s ability to oversee compliance. Lander said that NYCHA must do more to ensure that PACT operators follow standard procedures and provide adequate support to tenants. However, the audit acknowledged some positive steps taken by NYCHA, such as increasing resident involvement in the PACT process. NYCHA representatives now meet with tenants to explain the program and discuss community needs before renovations begin. In response, a NYCHA spokesperson defended the program, highlighting its success in investing $7 billion to redevelop and renovate public housing units since its inception. “This unprecedented investment demonstrates our commitment to improving living conditions for NYCHA residents,” the spokesperson said. The spokesperson added that the Comptroller’s audit does not take NYCHA’s financial and operational challenges into account. The audit only provides a “superficial assessment” of the program while making no substantive recommendations. They also described PACT as “one of the most successful” long-term strategies for preserving crucial affordable housing stock. The fact remains that there have been very few evictions under PACT, and the program upholds resident rights and protections and provides households with ongoing social services and financial assistance to resolve existing rental arrears. NYCHA and its PACT program undoubtedly prioritize keeping New Yorkers housed, and any suggestion otherwise is misguided and false. NYCHA officials also told QNS that the integrity of NYCHA buildings will continue to decline without the assistance of the PACT program. Officials noted that 24,000 homes have been converted to the program to date, with repairs made to over 11,000 homes. NYCHA’s stated goal is to convert 62,000 units to PACT by 2028. Officials also contended that they made efforts throughout the audit process to provide the Comptroller’s team with additional information but said the feedback was not reflected in the final document, stating that the authority is “concerned” by the lack of context provided about resident rights and protections provided by the PACT programs. They noted that all PACT sites are protected by both federal and local protections under the program.

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When you're a kid, there's an unending rush of hot new toys and gadgets to play with. Every birthday, holiday, or celebration is a chance to get some new piece of tech you've never seen before. When you get a little older, you might start to long for the hot toys of yesteryear. It feels like the last 10 years have been a nonstop wave of unprecedented circumstances. Seemingly every day there's some new historic event that rewrites the world as we know it. Consequently, nostalgia is at an all time high. It can be triggered by sights, smells, reminiscing, old objects, and more, leaving you with a strange combination of happy recollection and longing. An expansive study performed by the University of Southampton reveals that many people report an intense desire to return to a time and place that no longer exists. It's been said that the past is a foreign country and that you can't go home again, but that hasn't stopped anyone from trying. While we might not be able to return to the past, we can try to rebuild it with these throwback gadgets from decades gone by. Today, most people have slim flat panel TVs which hang on the wall and are barely any wider than a framed picture, but not that long ago we were all sporting chunky CRTs. They take their name from their interior cathode-ray tubes which emit electron beams used to construct a moving image. The tubes are relatively long and stretch from front to back, which is why old CRTs were such bulky beasts. They are also known as vacuum tubes, because nearly all of the air inside has been removed to prevent electron scattering from ruining the image. In the 2000s flat panel displays became more affordable, increasingly popular, and eventually superseded CRTs. In many cases, a modern TV really does provide a better viewing experience, but a CRT can't be beat for retro gaming or watching old movies . Visual content from the early 2000s or earlier was mostly designed with CRT displays in mind. That's why some of your favorite movies and games from your childhood don't look quite right when you watch and play them today. Not to mention that games like Nintendo's "Duck Hunt" rely on the specific technology of a CRT display and won't work without one. They can go for a pretty penny depending on size and features (color versus black and white, built-in VHS or DVD player, etc.) but you can pick up an old CRT for under $50 on a secondary market like eBay . Home video has gone through a few evolutions in recent decades. Streaming has largely supplanted physical media like Blu-ray, which grew out of DVDs, which themselves were a replacement for the VHS format. Along the way, the way we experienced home video changed. Before DVDs introduced a digital component, allowing viewers to navigate menus and skip through scenes with a button push, everything was recorded on magnetic tape. You had no choice but to watch the advertisements and the previews, and you had to rewind the tape when you were finished or else suffer social consequences. In the '80s and '90s, even that was a technological marvel. When televisions made their first incursion into the home, content was entirely broadcast. You could use a dial to flip through channels and watch whatever happened to be beaming over the air. The VCR allowed people to watch what they wanted when they wanted for the first time, by recording content for later playback. They could also, of course, play prerecorded tapes of popular movies and now you can watch your favorite movies in the least convenient and most nostalgic way possible. Buying a newly manufactured VCR can set you back a couple hundred dollars, and many companies have discontinued production , but you can buy a vintage VCR for $20 to $40 on eBay . The youth of today are accustomed to making a record of everything they do and say. Every smartphone has a voice memo app and at least one camera, usually more. Modern kids have TikTok accounts and YouTube channels where they share their every thought and creation with the world, but in the old days the ability to record yourself was novel. Its most iconic '90s-era representative was the Talkboy, a handheld voice recorder created for the movie "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York." Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) used it to facilitate some of his hotel hijinks in the Big Apple and the toy was later released for real-world kids to enjoy. Around the same time, Yes! Entertainment developed a line of simpler and more affordable voice recorders under the Yak Bak line. The Yak Bak allowed kids to record a few seconds of audio and play it back later using internal storage instead of a cassette. Later Yak Bak models included sound effects and the ability to modify the pitch of a recording during playback. The company also made the slimmer and infinitely portable Yak Bak Power Penz, which mounted a working Yak Bak back to the top of a pen, as the name suggests. If you want to find a legitimate Talkboy on eBay, it'll set you back at least $100, but you can get your hands on a Yak Bak pen for about $20. In the late '90s kids everywhere were playing with Tamagotchis, Digimon, Giga Pets, and other virtual handheld pets. The Tamagotchi was first released in Japan November 23, 1996, and hit U.S. store shelves in May of the following year. Like an invasive species, they quickly spread throughout the population, popping up in pockets and backpacks of kids everywhere. To date, more than 90 million Tamagotchis have been sold. The initial concept for the Tamagotchi was that it would be worn on the wrist, like a watch. As a result, the creators named their gadget after the Japanese words for egg (tamago) and watch (uotchi). Later, it was changed to the keychain design we're familiar with, but the egg shape remained with a small monochrome display and three buttons for interacting with your pet. Interaction was limited but we cared about our little pocket friends, at least for a while. Unless you've been unusually vigilant, it's likely that the Tamagotchi from your youth is long gone and long dead, but you can try again. Tamagotchis have been rereleased and are available on store shelves for about $20 and you can get a vintage one on eBay for about $40. Of course, some '90s-era Tamagotchis are worth quite a bit more . Smartphone evolution continues at a breakneck pace but modern cell phone innovations mostly happen inside the phone. While each year offers better cameras, faster processors, and a constant stream of new apps, the smartphone you buy next year is likely to look pretty much the same as the one you bought last year. Things were very different just a couple decades ago. By the early 2000s cell phones had become relatively common but we hadn't yet settled on what they should look like, which meant it was a time when phone designers dared to dream. Before smartphones dominated the cell phone market, feature phones – what some people call dumb phones today — were locked in an arms race to become increasingly interactive and increasingly weird. We had phones that spun, rotated, and flipped. They had physical buttons, easily removable batteries, and low-resolution displays. If you were really lucky, there was a second smaller screen on the front cover when the phone was closed, so you could see who was calling. There's something so satisfying about the tactile and sonic experience of flipping a phone open and closed and there's no better way to hang up in anger. Pressing a red symbol on a flat touch screen just isn't as effective. There are a wide range of old flip phones on the secondary market, including the famous Motorola RAZR, which you could find on eBay about $30. In the modern world with its almost constant internet connectivity, streaming devices, and Bluetooth headphones, it's hard to imagine a world before private, personal music. Most of us walk around listening to our own private soundtracks, delivered seamlessly over the internet — but that wasn't possible just a few decades ago. The invention of the Walkman allowed people to take their music with them and listen to it discreetly for the first time. It combined the functions of a portable cassette player with headphones in a package small enough to tote around comfortably. It's a combination that's so obvious in retrospect but was revolutionary at the time. Sony's Walkman was quickly imitated and innovated, leading to similar devices from competing companies. Over time, the portable cassette player evolved along with the dominant music format, giving us the Discman and the MP3 player. Eventually, the portable cassette player was absorbed by the many functions of the smartphone but you can bring it back. The only thing stopping you from returning to an era of mixtapes is about $20 on eBay and the will to make it happen. Clap on, clap off, the Clapper! One poorly produced TV spot, an engaging gadget, and one of the most memorable jingles of all time were all it took to launch the Clapper into the hearts and minds of people everywhere. First released in 1984, the Clapper is a sound-activated switch capable of activating or deactivating up to two electrical appliances. To use the Clapper, just plug it into your electrical outlet and then plug your chosen appliances into the Clapper. Each of its ports is designed to trigger when the device hears either two or three claps. An interior microphone mounted at the front of the device listens for any nearby sounds and sends them to a filter. That filter is looking for certain frequencies which are likely to be claps, while ignoring everything outside that range. Then it determines whether there were two or three claps and triggers the appropriate appliance. Of course, it's not a perfect system. As a result of when and how the Clapper was designed, it sometimes mistakes non-clap noises (like dog barks) for claps, and sometimes it doesn't register actual claps if they are too quiet or delivered at the wrong speed. The Clapper was one of the first attempts to give consumers hands-free control over their homes and it worked well enough that they are still being made today. Turn the lights off the way grandma used to with your very own Clapper for the low price of about $20 on Amazon . Teddy Ruxpin was an alien creature called an Illiop, who only looked like a teddy bear. The character started out as a plush toy with moving parts and electronic components invented by Ken Forsse and distributed by Worlds of Wonder. Hidden within his adorable exterior were a cassette player, a speaker, and a few motors for controlling the movement of the eyes and mouth. Kids could slide a cassette tape into his back and read along as Teddy told them stories about his adventures. Ordinary cassettes have two tracks, a right and a left, allowing them to produce stereo audio. Teddy Ruxpin tapes kept the audio on the right track and used the left track for control data which told the ears and mouth how to move. Teddy Ruxpin hit store shelves in 1985 and it was such a hit that an animated series, "The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin," was quickly produced to expand on the mythos of Teddy and his best friend Grubby as they explore their alien world and learn valuable lessons along the way. Updated versions of the toy have been produced over the years but they just don't make Teddy Ruxpin like they used to. You can get an original all your own for about $50 on eBay . When you call someone on a cell phone, your voice gets converted to an electrical signal, then translated to a radio wave which goes to a cell tower. Then the process reverses itself from a radio wave, back to an electrical signal, and finally to sound waves on the other end. By contrast, old landline phones maintain a more direct physical connection from end to end. When you talk into a landline, the sound waves are converted to electrical energy which travels along physical phone lines to its destination, where it's converted back into sound. The whole thing relied on a complex and sprawling network of telephone cables connecting city to city and house to house. Before cellular technology put a mobile phone in everyone's pocket, people usually had a single phone number for their house. If you wanted to talk to your friends, you had to call someone's house and ask to speak with them. Phones either sat on cradles on counters and tabletops or were mounted to the wall and wired directly to a phone jack. If you were lucky, your phone was cordless, otherwise you had to lean against the wall and twirl your fingers in the cord while you talked. The very coolest phones of the '80s and '90s had transparent cases, letting you see the inner workings. Make a phone call like it's pre-Y2K with a transparent landline for about $25 on eBay . The iPod changed the music game when it first hit store shelves in 2001. Even its comparatively small storage capacity meant it could carry dozens of albums in a package small enough to fit in your pocket. With the help of a compelling advertising campaign , the iPod became the hottest gadget of the new millennium and helped revive the Apple brand. The first incarnation of the iPod could hold up to 1,000 songs and play for 10 hours straight. You could also recharge it, which was novel in a world where portable cassette and CD players depended on single-use batteries. When the iPod was new, people happily handed over hundreds of dollars for an iPod, but today you can get your hands on one from eBay for under $50. As is often the case with vintage tech, the older and less advanced models are among the most expensive because there are fewer of them and they carry maximum nostalgia value. The iPod evolved quite a bit throughout the line's lifetime and a wide range of competitors cropped up offering their own take on portable digital music. As a result, there are plenty of different iPods to choose from and if brand isn't a factor, you can find MP3 players from a variety of lesser known companies for $10 or less . In the late '90s and '00s Palm was one of the biggest names in mobile computing. Their Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) devices were a staple among working professionals, allowing users to take notes, keep a calendar, manage contacts, and a lot more, while on the go. Palm mobile computers, originally called Palm Pilots, were designed and manufactured by Palm Inc. They were among the first commonly available portable computers, setting the stage for and eventually being overtaken by the smartphone. Like a smartphone, Palm devices featured a touch screen interface and access to a variety of applications. Users navigated through Palm OS using a stylus to access preinstalled applications and take notes. The Palm could connect and sync to a computer to share data or install additional applications including some rudimentary games. Instead of a physical or virtual keyboard, writing was achieved through handwriting recognition, but you had to write characters in a specific way for the Graffiti software to recognize it. Palm Inc. is now defunct and some of the Palm functions are no longer supported, but a Palm pocket computer could be a fun and affordable – they go for about $30 on eBay – way for vintage tech fans to keep track of basic information like it's 1996. Originally released in 1998, the Furby was the must have toy of that year's holiday season. In its original form, the Furby looked an awful lot like a mogwai, the adorable juvenile stage of the creatures from 1984's "Gremlins," and they were just as mischievous. A few motors, some audio capabilities, and a cute exterior were all it took to take the toy market by storm and foster a few conspiracy theories at the same time. Furbies were programmed with the illusion of awareness. It's what made them one of the first successful consumer robots. Out of the box, Furbies were programed to speak only the fictional language of Furbish. Over time, they would slowly transition from Furbish to English, or one of 13 other languages, depending on the preferences of the user. It gave the impression that your Furby was learning to speak the same way a human baby would and that it was listening to you. It seems silly now, but there was a non-zero amount of anxiety over whether Furbies could be trusted. In any case, the Furby became one of the most successful toys of the late '90s and it's still around today. Furbies have gone through a few design changes , most recently in 2023. You could pick up a brand new Furby for $70 directly from Hasbro or you could relive Furby Mania with a Furby that's old enough to rent a car for half that price on eBay .Lea en español For many people, this time of year is all about the shopping. And there's a fair chance many feel less than joyful about the prospect. If fulfilling your lengthy list feels overwhelming, learning what brain science and evolutionary psychology say about shopping and gift-giving might help you understand exactly why you're stressed – and even point you toward a healthier, happier holiday season. Our reactions are encoded into our nervous system, said Dr. Beth Frates, a part-time associate professor in the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School in Boston. "By understanding these brain responses, people can develop strategies to manage stress better, such as setting realistic expectations, focusing on mindfulness and simplifying holiday preparations," said Frates, who also is the immediate past president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. The idea of exchanging gifts at this time of year can be traced back to pagan solstice celebrations. But the drive to share with another is as old as humanity itself, said Dr. Diego Guevara Beltran, a postdoctoral fellow in psychology at the University of Arizona in Tucson who studies cooperation and generosity. The science of generosity is more about survival than stocking stuffers, Guevara Beltran said. Sharing food gave early humans an evolutionary advantage. "Generosity is just one of the ways by which we can accumulate resources, be it wealth itself or friendships or work partners or more attractive, more intelligent mates," he said. Sharing with other people, Guevara Beltran said, is "a signal that communicates how much you value them, their welfare, your relationship with them." Research has shown that helping people makes us feel good. Part of that, he said, is because when someone is part of a community, they feel protected. One way this manifests is through the act of giving gifts. But to derive happiness from gift-giving, the giver needs to feel both that it was not an obligation and that it was effective, according to the 2019 World Happiness Report . That means it could be stressful to be in a culture where gift-giving feels mandatory, or if we can't see that a gift helped someone, Guevara Beltran speculated. It also might be stressful if gift-giving becomes a competition to show that you care about somebody more than the others around them. Our brains on shopping Stressful shopping can cause several physiological responses to kick in, Frates said. First is the "fight or flight" reaction that comes with stress. The release of chemicals that increase our heart rate, raise our blood pressure and intensify our breathing evolved to give us bursts of energy to escape danger. Frates said that while holiday stressors are not life-threatening, they can still trigger the stress response. The pressure to stay within budget could create a sense of scarcity, she said. "This taps into an evolutionary response, where the fear of losing resources like money can feel urgent and distressing." The holiday season also involves a lot of choices. "The brain has limited capacity for decision-making, and making multiple decisions can lead to decision fatigue," Frates said. "This fatigue reduces the ability to self-regulate and cope, which can lead to heightened stress responses when confronted with even minor setbacks, like a long line or out-of-stock item." The stress of needing to complete tasks within a limited time can intensify the fight-or-flight response, she said, as the brain interprets the ticking clock as a sense of urgency or threat. Meanwhile, Frates said, holiday shopping can also trigger brain chemicals that affect our feelings. "Dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, is released when we anticipate something exciting or enjoyable, like finding a great gift or finding a good deal," she said. "This anticipation can feel rewarding even before any actual purchase is made." For some people, this dopamine boost can make shopping a relaxing experience. "It provides a temporary distraction from other stressors and allows them to focus on something positive, creating a 'holiday high,'" Frates said. For some people, that can be problematic. "When shopping becomes a way to chase that next dopamine hit, it can lead to excessive spending or impulsive purchases," she said. "This can become a trap, particularly during the holidays, when deals, sales and gift-giving pressures are everywhere." Understanding how all these processes work can help people recognize why they feel the way they do and adopt strategies to cope, Frates said. Here are some of her suggestions. 1. Start with self-care before shopping Prioritizing self-care means people can be their best selves and make good decisions, Frates said. So, "eat food that is delicious and nutritious. Get seven to nine hours of sleep. Make sure to enjoy physical activity. Take walks when you can and invite friends along. Practice stress reduction like meditation or yoga to help you calm your body and mind." Before going shopping, try taking deep breaths using stress-relieving techniques such as 4-7-8 breathing (inhale through your nose for four counts, hold for seven counts, and exhale through your mouth for eight) or box breathing (inhale through the nose for four counts, hold your breath for four, exhale for four, then hold for four). 2. Be strategic Don't shop when you're hungry, tired, lonely or stressed, Frates said. And don't start shopping 15 minutes before a store closes or a website's online deals end, she said. That's setting yourself up for triggering the fight-or-flight response. 3. Be mindful Before making a purchase, take a moment to consider whether it's truly needed or whether it's an impulsive choice. To avoid overindulging, set a specific budget or limit yourself to a couple of hours or specific shopping days. "This keeps dopamine-driven spending in check while still allowing for the enjoyable aspects of holiday shopping," Frates said. Look for post-shopping activities that provide rewards without the financial cost. That can satisfy your brain's desire for more dopamine in a healthier way. "Plan enjoyable, stress-relieving activities after shopping, like going for a walk, spending time with friends or indulging in a hobby," she said. 4. Bring a friend Not only does this support healthy social connections, Frates said, but if things start feeling stressful, "you have a buddy, and you have a support system right there for you." 5. Rethink the focus of the season "With gift-giving, we need to change mindsets in order to be able to manage the stress," Frates said. The holidays could be used to emphasize social connections, she said. "Thinking about the connection with the person and making gift-giving more about deepening the connection than anything else, I think, will really help to reduce the stress around the process," she said. So instead of scouring shops and websites for the "perfect" gift, think about making a meaningful and personal one, she suggested. It could be a poem, a painting, a song or a framed photograph that captured a special time. 6. Lessons for children It's easy to get caught up in the hunt for a hard-to-get item, Frates said. But ask yourself what the holiday means in your family's traditions. "Is it about getting that perfect gift for the child? Or is it about celebrating the meaning of that holiday?" So instead of having children ask for one specific toy, or a specific brand of clothing, teach them to leave a little leeway on their lists. "It is a good reminder to express to children that this season is about giving and sharing what we can in the best way that we can," she said, "and sometimes the exact gift is not available." Encouraging such an attitude can be a tall order, Frates said, but it's a place to start. "A simple mindset shift could be the difference between a stressful holiday shopping season or a joyful journey to find meaningful gifts for people you care about." American Heart Association News covers heart and brain health. Not all views expressed in this story reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved. Sign up here to get the latest health & fitness updates in your inbox every week!

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Washington, D.C., Nov. 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RAINN released the following statement after former Rep. Matt Gaetz announced that he has withdrawn from consideration to be Attorney General: "Make no mistake that this decision was in response to survivors and advocates using their voices to demand accountability, and because of the courage of members of Congress who refused to endorse this pick,” said Scott Berkowitz , RAINN president and founder. "RAINN called for the sex trafficking allegations against Gaetz to be thoroughly investigated since this nomination was announced. We could not reconcile the Justice Department - the department responsible for providing survivors with avenues for justice - being led by an alleged abuser of women. RAINN heard you, Matt Gaetz heard you, and survivors will not be silenced.” "For the other nominees facing allegations of sexual assault: We ask the relevant Senate committees to gather and consider all the facts before voting on any such nomination,” said Berkowitz. "Sexual assault happens to someone in the U.S. every 68 seconds. It occurs in our places of business, our schools, our doctors' offices; urban or rural, in private and in public. Every single political appointee will have to confront their role in sexual assault response, prevention and recovery. And it starts now.” "This is not the end,” said Jennifer Simmons Kaleba , vice president of communications for RAINN. "Mr. Gaetz may have stepped down, but he is not the only nominee facing sexual assault allegations. We're seeing what survivors already know-when individuals, especially those nominated for some of the highest public offices in our nation, are accused of sexual assault and are promoted without fully considering the allegations, everyone suffers. Not only does this reinforce the important role the Senate plays in vetting and voting on nominations, it underscores how critical it is that survivors speak up, speak out and be heard. Change is possible - we saw it happen today.” For any survivors for whom this is a difficult time, RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline stands ready with free, confidential, 24/7 support for survivors and their loved ones in English and in Spanish at 800.656.HOPE (4673) and hotline.RAINN.org .” ( Note: Berkowitz and Simmons Kaleba are available for reaction, comment and interview) ### About RAINN RAINN , the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization, created and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline. RAINN also carries out programs to prevent sexual violence, help survivors, help organizations improve their sexual assault prevention and response programs, and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, free, confidential help is available 24/7 by calling 800.656.HOPE (4673) or visiting hotline.RAINN.org . CONTACT: Erinn Robinon Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) 8133351418 [email protected]SHENZHEN, China , Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As technology continues to evolve, consumer electronics have become essential to everyday life. Elephant Robotics, a high-tech company specializing in robotics design and production, is thrilled to announce its participation in the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025. This premier technology trade show will be held in Las Vegas , USA , from January 7-10 , where you can find Elephant Robotics at Booth 8963 in the LVCC North Hall. With a mission to "Enjoy Robots World", the company offers a diverse range of robotic products, including educational collaborative robots, professional robots, the Mercury humanoid robot, and bionic companion robotic pets. Committed to pushing the boundaries of robotics technology, Elephant Robotics aims to provide everyone with opportunities to experience the convenience and benefits of robots in daily life. At CES 2025, the company will showcase innovative robotic solutions and host 3 engaging interactive activities. Elephant Robotics is dedicated to reducing the barriers to robot applications by offering a diverse range of personal desktop robots, including 4 DOF collaborative robotic arms, 6 DOF cobots, 7 DOF robot arms, and mobile robots. These intelligent robot assistants are characterized by their versatility, high openness, cost-effectiveness, and ease of use, making them perfect for creative projects, daily tasks, and production applications. Equipped with a variety of end effectors—including cameras, suction pumps, grippers, and dexterous hands—these robots can perform a wide range of tasks. This versatility enhances the practicality of robotic arms, reducing the workload and increasing efficiency, allowing people to spend more time on creative and recreational activities. Ultimately, these robotics innovations enhance convenience and joy in everyday life. Whether functioning as personal assistants, production tools, or artistic platforms, they are becoming essential components of modern living. Alongside personal entertainment and convenience, the broad commercial applications of robotics technology are a significant aspect of future intelligent living. At CES 2025, Elephant Robotics will present 2 commercial collaborative robots with powerful performance and sleek, integrated design aesthetics. The myCobot Pro 630, a high-performance commercial collaborative robot, boasts a sleek integrated design and advanced capabilities. Equipped with a holographic device, it provides an immersive and dynamic experience for commercial displays and exhibitions, enabling multi-angle movement and captivating 3D visual effects. This robot offers a fresh approach to business marketing and displays with impressive flexibility and a wide range of applications. Additionally, the Mercury X1, a universal wheeled humanoid robot, features a mobile chassis with high-performance LiDAR and 19 DOF dual-arm robotic arms, delivering exceptional agility and intelligence. Mercury X1 can work seamlessly alongside humans to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and expand commercial opportunities in sectors such as service, hospitality, education, scientific and academic research, entertainment and smart home applications. Since its official launch in late 2023, Mercury X1 has received significant market attention, already delivering notable success in sectors like electronics, chips, and the 3C industry. Since its official launch in late 2023, the Mercury X1 has garnered significant market attention, achieving mass delivery just 7 months post-launch. This versatile wheeled humanoid robot is easily integrated into light industrial manufacturing, particularly in sectors such as electronics, and chips. There are some already successful applications include stripping adhesive sleeves from mobile phone components and assembling flexible connectors. By replacing manual labor, the Mercury X1 improves work efficiency and reduces costs. Robots can also be soft and cuddly, bionic companion robot pets are set to become the most heartwarming intelligent companions in daily life. Elephant Robotics will unveil its new series of bionic robotic pets—metaCat AI, metaDog AI, and metaPanda AI—at CES 2025. These AI bionic robotic pets, available in cat, dog, and panda shapes, closely mimic the appearance, texture, sound, and experience of real animals, fulfilling people's need for companionship and emotional comfort. Equipped with AI models, they understand human language and emotions, providing a life-like interaction experience. Designed to provide companionship and emotional support, these pets are equipped with lifelike features such as realistic fur, interactive movements, and engaging behaviors. These AI bionic companions understand human emotions and can respond to voice commands, offering a truly immersive and responsive interaction. Equipped with AI models, they understand human language and emotions, providing a "life-like" smart interaction experience. Particularly beneficial for children, seniors, and individuals with autism or Alzheimer's disease, these AI bionic companion robotic pets help reduce feelings of loneliness, alleviate anxiety, and promote mental well-being. In addition, their AI capabilities allow them to engage in dynamic, lifelike conversations, and even respond to emotional cues, fostering deeper connections with users. In family environments, these pets can serve as both educational and comforting companions, while in healthcare settings, they offer potential in emotional support and mental care. They represent a new frontier in human-robot interaction, where robotics not only enhance productivity but also improve emotional quality of life. Elephant Robotics is not only showcasing its cutting-edge robotic products at CES 2025, but is also offering visitors the opportunity to participate in 3 exciting interactive activities. Innovative Robotics Workshop: In this hands-on workshop, visitors will experience the power of graphical programming tools like myBlockly to control the 6 DOF collaborative robot arm, myCobot 280. By arranging code "blocks" in a fun and intuitive way, participants can easily bring their creative ideas to life. The workshop simplifies programming, allowing participants to enhance their practical skills and hands-on experience through direct interaction with various robotic products. This engaging environment encourages more people to explore the applications of robotic arms in everyday life. Share & Win: Visitors can participate by sharing posts on social media platforms (Facebook, X, LinkedIn) with the hashtag #ElephantRobotics to win a free, limited-edition panda doll keychain. It's an easy and fun way to engage with the brand while standing a chance to win a unique souvenir! Explore to Win – NVIDA and Partner Passport Program: As an official NVIDIA partner, Elephant Robotics is honored to be invited to participate in the Explore to Win event, part of the NVIDIA and Partner Passport Program at CES 2025. Visitors who scan the QR code at Elephant Robotics' booth (LVCC, North Hall – booth #8963) will be able to collect points and have a chance to win exciting prizes. CES 2025 is an unparalleled platform for showcasing cutting-edge technology and fostering idea exchange. Participation in CES 2025 allows Elephant Robotics to showcase its latest robotic innovations and emphasize its mission to integrate AI and robotics into everyday life. It also offers opportunities to explore collaborations with international organizations and companies, fostering loyalty and trust among its customers. Visitors are encouraged to visit the company's booth at LVCC North Hall – booth 8963 to experience their innovative robotics technologies firsthand and discover how these innovations can transform everyday's life. For more information, please visit: CES2025 - Elephant Robotics ; or connect with them on social media: X: https://twitter.com/CobotMy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mycobotcreator Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elephantrobotics/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/elephantrobotics View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/elephant-robotics-to-exhibit-at-ces-2025-featuring-cutting-edge-innovative-robotics-solutions-and-ai-bionic-robots-debut-302336834.html SOURCE Elephant RoboticsUS confirms billions in chips funds to Samsung, Texas Instruments

WASHINGTON — The House on Wednesday passed a $895 billion measure that authorizes a 1% increase in defense spending this fiscal year and would give a double-digit pay raise to about half of the enlisted service members in the military. The bill is traditionally strongly bipartisan, but some Democratic lawmakers opposed the inclusion of a ban on transgender medical treatments for children of military members if such treatment could result in sterilization. It passed by a vote of 281-140 and next moves to the Senate, where lawmakers sought a bigger boost in defense spending than the current measure allows. The Pentagon and the surrounding area is seen Jan. 26, 2020, from the air in Washington. Lawmakers are touting the bill's 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted service members and a 4.5% increase for others as key to improving the quality of life for those serving in the U.S. military. Those serving as junior enlisted personnel are in pay grades that generally track with their first enlistment term. Lawmakers said service member pay failed to remain competitive with the private sector, forcing many military families to rely on food banks and government assistance programs to put food on the table. The bill also provides significant new resources for child care and housing. "No service member should have to live in squalid conditions and no military family should have to rely on food stamps to feed their children, but that's exactly what many of our service members are experiencing, especially the junior enlisted," said Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. "This bill goes a long way to fixing that." The bill sets key Pentagon policy that lawmakers will attempt to fund through a follow-up appropriations bill. The overall spending tracks the numbers established in a 2023 agreement that then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., reached with President Joe Biden to increase the nation's borrowing authority and avoid a federal default in exchange for spending restraints. Many senators had wanted to increase defense spending some $25 billion above what was called for in that agreement, but those efforts failed. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who is expected to serve as the next chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the overall spending level was a "tremendous loss for our national defense," though he agreed with many provisions within the bill. "We need to make a generational investment to deter the Axis of Aggressors. I will not cease work with my congressional colleagues, the Trump administration, and others until we achieve it," Wicker said. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., speaks with reporters Nov. 21 on Capitol Hill in Washington. House Republicans don't want to go above the McCarthy-Biden agreement for defense spending and are looking to go way below it for many non-defense programs. They are also focused on cultural issues. The bill prohibits funding for teaching critical race theory in the military and prohibits TRICARE health plans from covering gender dysphoria treatment for children under 18 if that treatment could result in sterilization. Rep. Adam Smith of Washington state, the ranking Democratic member of the House Armed Services Committee, said minors dealing with gender dysphoria is a "very real problem." He said the treatments available, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy, have proven effective at helping young people dealing with suicidal thoughts, anxiety and depression. "These treatments changed their lives and in many cases saved their lives," Smith said. "And in this bill, we decided we're going to bar service members' children from having access to that." Smith said the number of minors in service member families receiving transgender medical care extends into the thousands. He could have supported a study asking medical experts to determine whether such treatments are too often used, but a ban on health insurance coverage went too far. He said Speaker Mike Johnson's office insisted on the ban and said the provision "taints an otherwise excellent piece of legislation." Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, called the ban a step in the right direction, saying, "I think these questions need to be pulled out of the debate of defense, so we can get back to the business of defending the United States of America without having to deal with social engineering debates." Smith said he agrees with Roy that lawmakers should be focused on the military and not on cultural conflicts, "and yet, here it is in this bill." Branden Marty, a Navy veteran who served for 13 years, said the loss of health coverage for transgender medical treatments could prompt some with valuable experience to leave the military, affecting national security because "we already struggle from a recruiting and retention standpoint." He also said the bill could regularly force service members into difficult choices financially. "It will be tough for a lot of them because of out-of-pocket expenses, especially enlisted members who we know already struggle with food insecurity," said Marty, the father of a transgender teenager. "They don't get paid very much, so they're going to be making a lot of choices on a day-to-day, tactical level." House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., responds to reporters Dec. 6 during his weekly news conference at the Capitol in Washington. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader, said his team did not tell Democrats how to vote on the bill. "There's a lot of positive things in the National Defense Authorization Act that were negotiated in a bipartisan way, and there are some troubling provisions in a few areas as well," Jeffries said. Overall, 81 Democrats voted for the bill and 124 against it. On the Republican side, 200 voted for the bill and 16 against it. "It's disappointing to see 124 of my Democrat colleagues vote against our brave men and women in uniform over policies that have nothing to do with their intended mission," Johnson, R-La., said. The defense policy bill also looks to strengthen deterrence against China. It calls for investing $15.6 billion to build military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region. The Biden administration requested about $10 billion. On Israel, the bill, among other things, includes an expansion of U.S. joint military exercises with Israel and a prohibition on the Pentagon citing casualty data from Hamas. The defense policy bill is one of the final measures that lawmakers view as a must-pass before making way for a new Congress in January. Rising threats from debt collectors against members of the U.S. armed forces are undermining national security, according to data from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a federal watchdog that protects consumer rights. To manage the impact of financial stress on individual performance, the Defense Department dedicates precious resources to improving financial literacy, so service members know the dangers of notorious no-credit-check loans. “The financial well-being of service members and their families is one of the Department’s top priorities,” said Andrew Cohen, the director of financial readiness in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon. But debt collectors are gaining ground. Last quarter, , and attempts to collect on “debts not owed” surged 40%. Complaints by service members against debt collectors for deceptive practices ballooned from 1,360 in the fourth quarter of 2023 to 1,833 in the first quarter of 2024. “There’s a connection between the financial readiness and the readiness of a service member to perform their duty,” said Jim Rice, Assistant Director, Office of Servicemember Affairs at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Laws exist to protect the mission readiness of U.S. troops from being compromised by threats and intimidation, but debt collectors appear to be violating them at an alarming pace. “If they’re threatening to call your commander or get your security clearance revoked, that’s illegal,” says Deborah Olvera, financial readiness manager at Wounded Warriors Project, and a military spouse who’s been harassed herself by a collection agency that tried to extort money from her for a debt she didn’t owe. But after she requested the name of the original creditor, she never heard from them again. —Andrew Cohen, Director of Financial Readiness at the Pentagon Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, it’s illegal for debt collectors to threaten to contact your boss or have you arrested because it violates your financial privacy. The FDCPA also prohibits debt collectors from making false, deceptive, or misleading representations in connection with the collection of a debt, even for borrowers with scores. But according to the data, debt collectors are increasingly ignoring those rules. “Debt collection continues to be one of the top consumer complaint categories,” said a spokesperson at the Federal Trade Commission. The commission released a report earlier this year revealing that consumers were scammed $10 billion in 2023, a new benchmark for fraud losses. In his book Debt: The First 5,000 Years, David Graeber argues that debt often creates a relationship that can feel more oppressive than systems of hierarchy, like slavery or caste systems because it starts by presuming equality between the debtor and the creditor. When the debtor falls into arrears, that equality is then destroyed. This sense of betrayal and the subsequent imbalance of power leads to widespread resentment toward lenders. Photo Credit: Olena Yakobchuk / Shutterstock The debt collector reportedly harassing military service members most was Resurgent Capital Services, a subsidiary of collection giant Sherman Financial Group. The company tacks on accrued interest and junk fees and tries to collect on debts purchased for pennies on the dollar from cable companies, hospitals, and credit card companies, among others. Sherman Financial Group is run by billionaire Benjamin Navarro, who has a reported net worth of $1.5 billion, according to Forbes. Sherman Financial also owns subprime lender Credit One Bank and LVNV Funding, which outsource collections to Resurgent Capital. According to CFPB data, the second worst offender is CL Holdings, the parent company of debt-buyer Jefferson Capital Systems. The company has also been named in numerous for alleged violations of the FDCPA, such as failing to properly validate debts or update credit reports with accurate information. Under the leadership of CEO David Burton, Jefferson Capital Systems is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CompuCredit Corporation, which markets subprime credit cards under the names Aspire, Majestic, and others. The third most referenced debt collector is publicly traded Portfolio Recovery Associates [NASDAQ: PRAA], which was forced to pay $27 million in penalties for making false representations about debts, initiating lawsuits without proper documentation, and other violations. Portfolio Recovery Associates is run by CEO Vikram Atal. Fourth place for alleged worst offender goes to Encore Capital Group [NASDAQ ECPG], which was required to pay $42 million in consumer refunds and a $10 million penalty for violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Encore collects under its subsidiary Midland Credit Management Group. These debt collectors all operate under a veritable shell game of company and brand names, almost none of which are disclosed on their websites, sending consumers on a wild goose chase to try and figure out how they’re related to each other. But despite their attempts to hide their tracks behind a smoke screen of subsidiaries, a leopard can’t change its spots, and the CFPB complaint database makes it harder for them to try. Photo Credit: Bumble Dee / Shutterstock Although widely considered a consumer-friendly state, complaints spiked most in California, which saw a 188% increase in complaints filed from the fourth quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024. California is home to 157,367 military personnel, making it the most populous state for active-duty service members. The second-largest increase in debt collection complaints was in Texas, which saw a 66% jump from the fourth quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024. The U.S. Department of Defense reports 111,005 service members stationed in the Lone Star State, which is the third-most populous state for active-duty military. The rising trends do not correlate to the number of military personnel by state. Complaints against debt collectors in Virginia, the second most populous state with 126,145 active duty personnel, decreased by 29% in the same quarter-over-quarter period. And complaints filed quarter-over-quarter in North Carolina, the fifth most populous state with 91,077 military personnel, decreased by 3% in the same period. The third largest percentage increase in debt collection complaints was from service members stationed in Maryland, where alleged harassment reports jumped 112% from the fourth quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024. Maryland ranks number 12 with just 28,059 active duty service members. Fourth place goes to Ohio – the 28th most populous active-duty state – where complaints doubled, followed by Arizona – the 15th most populous military state – where complaints were up 70% in the same quarter-over-quarter period. Photo Credit: - Yuri A / Shutterstock In 2007, Congress passed the to cap the cost of credit to a 36% annual percentage rate, inclusive of junk fees and late charges, for active duty military service members. That rate is still considerably higher than average credit card rates, which range from 8% for borrowers with excellent credit scores to as high as 36% for borrowers with bad credit. But lenders still get hauled into court for violating the MLA. Don Hankey, the billionaire subprime auto lender who funded Donald Trump’s , is among those violators. His company, Westlake Financial, which markets high-interest car loans for bad credit, has been sued twice by the Department of Justice for harassing military service members. In 2017, the DoJ alleged Hankey’s Westlake Financial illegally repossessed at least 70 vehicles owned by military service members. to settle the charges. In 2022, for allegedly cheating U.S. troops out of interest rates they were legally entitled to. Westlake Financial continues to receive complaints from military service members alleging abusive debt collection practices on its no-credit-check loans. A steady year-over-year increase in the number of complaints filed against Westlake Financial continued from 2020 to 2023. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau data shows a 13% increase in the number of complaints against the company from 2020 to 2021, a 28% increase from 2021 to 2022, and a torrential 119% surge from 2022 to 2023. The numbers suggest systemic complaint-handling processes and inadequate customer service resources. Photo Credit: Cynthia Shirk / Shutterstock On May 16, 2024, a deceptively named predatory lending industry front group dubbed the Community Financial Services Association of America (CFSA) lost a legal attempt to defund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In an effort to deprive Americans of essential consumer protections, the lobby group argued that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s funding structure was unconstitutional. But the Supreme Court denied its claim. In a 7-2 ruling, the Court held that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s funding structure is indeed constitutional. That means the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau cannot be defunded, but it does not mean the agency cannot be defanged. The New York Times suggested that Hankey’s incentive to finance Trump’s $175 million bond could have been a reciprocity pledge to neuter the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau if Trump wins the upcoming U.S. presidential election. If Trump wins a second term, he could replace Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director Rohit Chopra, an American consumer advocate, with a predatory lending advocate. In 2020, the Trump Administration secured a Supreme Court ruling that made it easier for the president to fire the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The ruling struck down previous restrictions on when a president can fire the bureau’s director. Like other federal agencies, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has also been confronted for overstepping its bounds, pushing too far, and acting unfairly against entities it regulates. Photo Credit: Lux Blue / Shutterstock Seasonality and rising interest rates do not explain the increase in debt collection complaints from service members. The surge in complaints is not tied to predictable seasonal fluctuations or changes in interest rates. The increase in debt collection complaints by service members may point to underlying systemic issues, such as aggressive and predatory debt collection practices that exploit the unique financial vulnerabilities of service members, who face frequent relocations and deployments. Debt Complaints by Service Members The 24% spike in debt collection complaints exhibits no correlation to fluctuations in interest rates. 30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Pandemic stimulus checks were also not a factor. COVID-19 relief benefit checks went through three major rounds during the pandemic. The final round of Economic Impact Payments went out in . To better understand the rising trend of debt collection complaints, calculated the increase in the total number of complaints and the percentage increase quarter-over-quarter. For example, New Jersey has the second largest percentage increase in complaints quarter-over-quarter, but the total number of complaints increased by just 16. The data for this study was sourced from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) complaint database. The dataset specifically targeted complaints filed by U.S. military service members, identified using the tag “Servicemember” within Q4 2023 and Q1 2024. Readers can find the detailed research methodology underlying this news story in the accompanying section . For complete results, see on . Homelessness reached record levels in 2023, as rents and home prices continued to rise in most of the U.S. One group was particularly impacted: people who have served in the U.S. military. "This time last year, we knew the nation was facing a deadly public health crisis," Jeff Olivet, executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, said in a statement about the 2023 numbers. He said the from the Department of Housing and Urban Development "confirms the depth of the crisis." At least 35,000 veterans were experiencing homelessness in 2023, according to HUD. While that's about half of what it was in 2009—when the organization began collecting data—things have plateaued in recent years despite active efforts to get that number to zero. Although they make up just 6.6% of the total homeless population, veterans are more likely to be at risk of homelessness than Americans overall. Of every 10,000 Americans, 20 were experiencing homelessness. Of veterans living in the United States, that number jumps to 22, HUD data shows. Complicated by bureaucracy, family dynamics, and prejudice, the path from serving in the military to homelessness is a long one. According to a by Yale School of Medicine researchers, homelessness typically occurs within four years of leaving the military, as veterans must contend with the harsh reality of finding a job in a world where employers struggle to see how skills on the battlefield transfer to a corporate environment. These days, veterans also deal with historically high rent and home prices, which causes many to rely on family generosity while figuring out a game plan. examined academic studies, analyzed government data, and spoke with members of the Biden administration, experts, and former members of the armed forces to see the struggles members of the military face when leaving the armed forces. The Department of Veterans Affairs offers transition assistance to the roughly 250,000 service members who leave each year. However, those programs can be burdensome and complex to navigate, especially for those who don't have a plan for post-military life. Only a small portion of when they leave, according to 2019 Pew Research. Many also choose to live with relatives until they get on their feet, which can be longer than anticipated. Some former service members are unsure what kind of career they'd like to pursue and may have to get further education or training, Carl Castro, director of the Military and Veteran Programs at the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work at the University of Southern California, told Stacker. "It takes years for that kind of transition," Castro said. Many have trouble finding a job after leaving the service, even if they are qualified. Some employers carry misconceptions about those who have served. A 2020 analysis from the journal found that some veterans face hiring discrimination due to negative stereotypes that lead hiring managers to write them off as a poor culture fit. Underemployment, or working low-wage jobs below their skill level, is also an issue. While the was 3% in March 2024, a study released by Penn State at the end of 2023 found three years after leaving the service, 61% of veterans said they were . This phenomenon can have long-term economic effects, and eventually, that frustration can boil over, strain relationships, and potentially lead to housing instability. Working, especially a low-wage job, is not protection against homelessness. A from the University of Chicago found half of people living in homeless shelters and 2 in 5 unsheltered people were employed, full or part-time. High rents make it difficult to save up, even when applying for a VA loan—a mortgage backed by the Department of Veterans Affairs that typically has more favorable terms. While the VA does not require a downpayment, some lenders, who ultimately provide the loan, do. They're not entirely risk-free either, and veterans can still lose their homes if they are unable to keep up with their mortgages. In November 2023, the VA put a when an NPR investigation found thousands of veterans were in danger of losing their homes after a COVID forbearance program ended. Biden officials pointed to high rents and the end of COVID-era housing restrictions like eviction moratoriums to explain the spike in Americans experiencing homelessness. In the last year, homelessness rose 12%—to more than 650,000 people—the highest level since data began being collected in 2007. Overall, more than half of people experiencing homelessness in 2023 live in states with high living costs. Most were in California, followed by New York and Florida. Western states, including Montana and Utah, experienced massive population growth during the pandemic, becoming who drove home prices and rents even further. For veterans, housing costs certainly play a role, but those who leave the military also face systemic barriers. "It's worrying there are people that continue to fall through the cracks," said Jeanette Yih Harvie, a research associate at Syracuse University's D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families. Just under a quarter of adults experiencing homelessness , according to 2022 HUD survey data. They are also but are unable to maintain preventative care, which only exacerbates these problems. Veterans facing homelessness are , either before or after joining the military, according to Yale researchers who analyzed the 2019-2020 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. Childhood trauma was among the most significant commonalities among vets who become homeless. Substance use disorder is also widespread and can indicate an . Racial and ethnic disparities are at play, too. A 2023 study in the showed that Hispanic and Black veterans were more likely to screen positive for PTSD, and Hispanic veterans were more likely to report having suicidal ideation. Overall, access to mental health care has improved in the last decade or so. In December 2023, the VA announced it would open nine additional counseling centers. However, the stigma of getting help remains, especially after years of being and pull oneself up by their bootstraps. That help, in the form of public policy, is slowly working to catch up to the need. In 2023, the Biden administration invested millions into research programs and studies on suicide prevention by the VA office in addition to a proposed $16 billion to improve quality and lower-cost mental health care services for veterans. And, in February of this year, HUD and the VA announced they would give up to to public housing agencies for veterans experiencing homelessness. The program would also offer case management and other services. Still, with a culture that pushes people to keep going, it can be challenging for servicemembers to take advantage of these opportunities, Harvie said. "When you've been doing that for the last 15 or 20 years, it's difficult to stop and say, 'I'm the person that needs help.'" Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.KULR Technology, a company specializing in thermal management solutions, has made a significant financial move by investing $21 million in Bitcoin. This strategic decision reflects KULR’s plan to allocate up to 90% of its surplus cash to Bitcoin, a part of its broader Bitcoin Treasury strategy. The acquisition included 217.18 bitcoins, purchased at an average price of $96,556.53 each. Following this announcement, KULR’s shares experienced a rise of 3.51% in pre-market trading, as reported by Nasdaq. In support of this initiative, KULR has chosen Coinbase’s Prime platform to provide custody services, alongside USDC and self-custodial wallet services. CEO Michael Mo highlighted the increasing global adoption of Bitcoin as a key influence on their strategy, emphasizing its potential to reinforce the company’s financial stability and promote growth. KULR’s move aligns with a broader trend of corporations integrating cryptocurrency into their financial strategies. For instance, Genius Group, an artificial intelligence company, recently invested $4 million in Bitcoin, resulting in a total of 153 bitcoins held under their “Bitcoin-first” approach, focusing 90% of reserves on the cryptocurrency. Similarly, businesses like MicroStrategy and Acurx are enhancing their Bitcoin holdings to utilize its role as a hedge against inflation and a store of value, advancing technological innovation.