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Investopedia
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Any federal loans taken out this school year will have an interest rate higher than any in the past 16 years.
Monday, the Department of Education enacted previously announced increases to student loan interest rates. This increase will not affect any loans taken out before July 1, only federal student loans disbursed during the 2024-25 academic year.
Student loan interest rates are determined in part by yields on 10-year Treasurys, which have risen as investors remain concerned about high inflation and the Federal Reserve has hiked its benchmark interest rate to its highest level in more than two decades. Depending on the loan type, there is additional interest added by the Department of Education.
As borrowing is becoming more costly, the Department of Education is still working to help student loan holders with their payments. On the same day that high interest rates were implemented, the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan cut payments in half for borrowers enrolled in the program.
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Instablog9ja
2 hrs
9
Businessman Mompha has reacted after EFCC released a report of a witness narrating how N35 billion was found in his accounts.
He said EFCC is the most useless£s§ and most corr¥pt Nigerian government agency.
Investopedia
2 hrs
11
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Ford (F) reported solid second-quarter sales of its hybrids and electric vehicles on Wednesday, with overall sales growth coming in at about 1%.
Ford on Wednesday said it sold 536,050 vehicles in the quarter, 0.8% higher than the same period in 2023. Sales of its hybrid Maverick pickup jumped 81%, helping the company hit a record of 53,822 hybrids sold. Sales of the electric F-150 Lightning jumped 77% to 7,902.
Combined, Ford truck sales were up 4.5% to 308,920. Total sales of F-Series trucks, the most popular vehicles in the U.S., declined 6.1% to 199,463.
Hybrid and electric vehicles, along with post-purchase add-ons like hands-free highway driving options, are driving growth at Ford, according to Ford Blue President Andrew Frick.
Electric vehicle (EV) sales came in at 23,957, a 61% increase. More than half of the gains were produced by the Mustang Mach-E, which saw sales rise 47% to 12,645.
It's been a strong week for EV sales. Along with Ford and General Motors (GM), pure-play EV manufacturers Tesla (TSLA) and Rivian Automotive (RIVN) also posted solid quarterly delivery numbers.
Ford shares have gained about 5% so far this year. They were little changed in Wednesday's holiday-shortened trading session, closing at $12.85.
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Healthwatch
3 hrs
15
You've probably heard the news: Cicadas are coming. Or — wait — they're already here.
And are they ever! Due to an unusual overlap of the lifecycles of two types (or broods) of cicadas, trillions of cicadas are expected to emerge in the US by the end of June, especially in the Midwest.
If you'd like to see where they've already arrived, track them here. And if you're wondering if this cicada-palooza could help with grocery bills, read on to decide for yourself how appealing and how safe snacking on cicadas is for you. The pros and cons could change your outlook on the impending swarm.
What to know about cicadas
Don't worry, cicadas are largely harmless to humans. In fact, their appearance is welcome in places where people routinely snack on them as a low-cost source of calories and protein.
Estimates suggest up to two billion people regularly eat insects, especially in South and Central America, Asia, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Cicadas, when available, are among the most popular. And if you thought no one in the US eats cicadas, check out this video from a May 2024 baseball game.
Are you tempted to eat cicadas?
For plenty of people, cicadas aren't the food of choice. Some people can't get past the idea of eating insects as food. That's understandable: after all, the culture in which we are raised has a powerful influence on what we consider acceptable in our diets. Something some Americans might find off-putting (such as eating snakes) is common in China and Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, people outside the US find aspects of the typical Western diet unappealing (such as root beer, peanut butter and jelly, and processed cheese).
But some people shouldn't eat cicadas because it could be dangerous for them.
Why you should — or shouldn't — eat cicadas
Eating cicadas is common in many parts of the world because they are
In years when cicadas emerge, recipes for dishes containing cicadas emerge as well.
Then again, there are several good reasons to avoid making cicadas a part of your diet, including these:
But there is one more very important entry on this list: people with a shellfish allergy should not eat cicadas. Odd, right?
The shellfish-cicada connection
Cicadas are biologically related to lobsters, shrimp, crabs, and other shellfish. So if you're allergic to shellfish, you might also be allergic to cicadas. A particular protein called tropomyosin is responsible for the allergy. It's found in shellfish as well as in many insects, including cicadas.
The allergic reaction occurs after eating the cicada. Just being around them or handling them won't trigger a reaction.
Among people with a shellfish allergy, developing a reaction after eating cicadas could be a bigger problem than it seems: up to 10% of people have shellfish allergies and, as noted, insect consumption is common worldwide.
Is it okay for your dog or cat to eat cicadas?
Walking your dog after the emergence of cicadas can be a new and exciting experience for you and your pet! Dogs may chase after cicadas and eat them. Cats might, too, if given the chance. That can be a problem if your pet eats too many, as some will experience stomach upset or other digestive problems.
While the insects are considered harmless to dogs, the American Kennel Club says it's best to steer them away from cicadas once they've eaten a few.
Which other insects trigger allergies?
While insect-related allergic reactions (think bee stings) and infections (like Lyme disease) are well known, the insect-food-allergy connection is a more recent discovery.
One recently recognized condition is the alpha-gal syndrome, in which a person bitten by certain ticks develops an allergy to meat. The name comes from a sugar called galactose-α-1,3-galactose (or alpha-gal) found in many types of meat including beef, lamb, pork, and rabbit. According to the CDC, up to 450,000 people in the US may have developed this condition since 2010.
There aren't many rigorous studies of the overlap of insects and food allergies, so there are probably others awaiting discovery.
The bottom line
When it comes to eating cicadas, I'll pass. It's not because of the risks. I've never had a problem with shellfish, and for most people the health risks of eating cicadas seem quite small. It's just unappealing to me, and I'm not a particularly adventurous eater.
But let's go easy on those who do enjoy snacking on cicadas. Insects offer a good source of calories and protein. Just because eating them seems unusual in the US doesn't make it wrong.
So, if you like to eat cicadas and have no shellfish allergy or other reason to avoid them, go for it! This may be a very good summer for you.
Source: Harvard Health Publishing
Instablog9ja
5 hrs
13
Activist Gwamnishu kn+cks NPF PRO, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, for claiming that 33-year-old suspect, Erasmus, di3d of asphyxiation and wasn’t t3rtured in police custody.
He said Why do Police Image Makers always report what you were told without investigation? How can a suspect d#e of asphyxiation? That’s s¥ffocation. Did you visit the scene so they show you where he di£d of asphyxiation? Autopsy result is what you are coming to quote and also boldly tagging the young man a c¥Itist who has not been convicted and can’t even defend himself now.
Did you make findings about his accusers? Did you visit the community where he was said to have k#lled and r+pe people? What kind of cell was the young man locked up? Do you know what sack k+lling is?
He concluded by telling the force PRO that is so educated and decent to be rushing to the media without getting all the fact.
Click to watch
Instablog9ja
6 hrs
10
Music producer, SamKlef, has continued to fir3 back at Seun Kuti for supporting VeryDarKMan and criti3izing Iyabo Ojo.
He said he should post the award for the world to see and is it not the white that he critic#zes that has the ward. Without forgetting that nomination isn’t an award .
