You’re a game changer, Senator Barau eulogises Ganduje at 75None
Princess Kate’s brother James praises his sister in sweet tribute as she leads Christmas carol concert
The classic Christmas movie “ Home Alone ” tells the improbable tale of a family who leaves their 8-year-old son home when they embark on a vacation. Yet in the years since the 1990 film was released, viewers have focused on another question — how wealthy was the fictitious McCallister family featured in the movie? The family orders 10 pizzas on the eve of their trip, lives in a house that can sleep 15 people (including extended family) and all fly to Paris for the Christmas holiday . “They’re well off and in a good place financially,” Cody Garrett, a certified financial planner, and owner of Measure Twice Financial in Houston, said of the first impression of the McCallisters’ circumstances. But the family may not be quite as wealthy as they seem, Garrett said. To better understand the details of the McCallister family’s financial circumstances, Garrett recently did a deep dive analysis of the family’s finances from “Home Alone” and “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” which debuted in late 1992, and hosted a webinar with around 25 financial planners to discuss financial planning opportunities that arise in the movies. Both movies were shot long before social media made it popular to flaunt personal wealth online. Nevertheless, the lifestyle the McCallister family shows to the world may not necessarily be an indication of their wealth, Garrett said. “There’s a lot of things that are showing that they spent a lot of money, or at least financed a lavish lifestyle to the public,” Garrett said. “But inside their own home, they’re actually maybe a little scared about money.” What the McCallister lifestyle would be worth now What looked lavish more than 30 years ago when the first two movies were shot is now even more luxurious today, thanks in large part to the effects of inflation. The actual five-bedroom, six-bathroom Winnetka, Illinois, home where the movie was filmed was listed for $5.25 million in the spring. Today, it is still under contract, and a final sale price won’t be known until the deal is finalized, according to Zillow spokesperson Matt Kreamer. To buy the house at $5.25 million today would cost approximately $34,000 per month, with principal, interest and property taxes, according to Kreamer. That’s with 20% down and a 7% mortgage rate. To comfortably afford the home, you would need $100,000 per month in income, assuming you’re adhering to an affordability threshold of not spending more than one-third of your income on housing costs, Kreamer said. “It’s a pretty spectacular house, and certainly one of the more famous movie homes that people can instantly recognize,” Kreamer said. In 1990 when the first movie debuted, the home would have likely been worth a little less than $1 million, Kreamer estimates, which is still high for that time. Yet the home may not necessarily point to a high net worth for the McCallister movie family. “I would not be surprised if they don’t have much equity in their house,” Garrett said, given the couple’s stage of life and circumstances. In the films, the McCallisters are also driving what at the time were relatively new cars — a 1986 Buick Electra Estate Wagon and a 1990 Buick LeSabre — each of which would be valued at $40,000 in today’s dollars, according to Garrett’s estimates. While the family is eager to show their wealth — including mother Kate paying in cash for the $122.50 pizza bill while also offering a generous tip — they’re frugal when it comes to the things people don’t see, Garrett said. How the family talks about money can sometimes point to a scarcity mindset, he said. For example, Kate mentions she doesn’t want to waste the family’s milk before they leave on vacation. The family’s lifestyle isn’t paid for all on their own. Peter’s brother, Rob, actually foots the cost of the Paris trip for the family. That airfare would cost around $55,650 today, GoBankingRates recently estimated , with first-class tickets on those Christmas travel dates going for $8,528 each. However, the McCallisters could get the flights for an average of around $25,000, Garrett said based on his recent flight searches. That would still be a significant cost for most families. What financial planning lessons are hidden in the movie Many major details about Kate and Peter McCallister’s finances are not disclosed, including what they do for a living. Nevertheless, the financial planners who evaluated the family’s circumstances saw some holes that could be addressed with planning. On the top of their wish list: proper insurance coverage. Because Kate and Peter McCallister have five children, having enough life and disability insurance should they pass away or become unable to work should be a top priority to ensure their dependents are provided for, according to Garrett. The movie — which includes many slips and falls at the family’s home as 8-year-old Kevin tries to ward off a pair of robbers — also signals a need for an umbrella insurance policy, in case the McCallisters are found liable for injuries or damages that occur. Kate and Peter — who forget or lose their son Kevin in both of the first two “Home Alone” movies — would also be wise to make proper estate planning arrangements in the event they can no longer provide or care for their children. That includes having wills, powers of attorney, advance directives, beneficiary designations, trusts and proper account titling, all kept up to date. The couple should name physical and financial guardians who can care for the children. They may also establish a pre-need guardian for the children who can step in if the parents are unable to care for them even for a short period of time, said Aubrey Williams, financial planner at Open Path Financial in Santa Barbara, California. “If the parents are not there to take care of the kids, there’s the possibility that kids, even if briefly, will become a ward at the state because there’s no one to care for them,” Williams said.VIDEO: Indian Railways Imposes ₹1 Lakh Fine On Catering Service For Overcharging Passengers For Water Bottle; Know How To Register Complain
StarV Launches Indiegogo Campaign for Cutting-Edge AR Glasses: Air1- MYVU and ViewStock up on these popular board games for your next get-togetherOklo ( OKLO -0.12% ) stock investors are curious about these factors. *Stock prices used were the afternoon prices of Nov. 19, 2024. The video was published on Nov. 21, 2024.Aries March 21 – April 20 It’s a supercharged start to 2025 for you Aries, with your ruler in proud Leo, your fellow Fire sign, and at a potent angle to the planet of change, Pluto. This can be a year with a lot of positive developments. As Jupiter and Mercury connect potently, your words and ideas can create an impact. And with the Solar Eclipse in your sign in late March, the arrival of Neptune, then Saturn, for their first blushes in your sign for many years, and Uranus nipping into Gemini for four months from the 7th of July, a new beginning shapes up. This may be around where you live as much as your worldly interactions. Both the start of the year and from the 9th of June can see you thinking seriously about relocating. If you do, it’s because you’re so much clearer about who you are and what you want. Once you’re settled, the things you put into action will really start to come to fruition from the start of 2026, when first Neptune then Saturn return for the longer haul. With the Point of Destiny visiting your most spiritual sector from January, your interest in healing, releasing past issues and spending time in places that can recharge you will increase. Taurus April 21 – May 21 Your ruler Venus starts this year in your sector of success, along with the planet of evolution, Pluto. This combination can help you to elevate your personal charisma and talents and connect with influential people in 2025. With the planet of change Uranus with you for eight months of the year, this may require you to refocus your plans. Longer-term schemes can make progress but may require a lot of commitment due to Saturn, the planet of hard work, squaring off Jupiter the planet of growth in your sector of everyday money as the year begins and in mid-June. New ways of earning money will show up in the summer months, but the Solar Eclipse in your sister earth sign of Virgo on the 21st of September suggests, along with Saturn and Neptune’s role in your sector of deep appraisal for some of the year, that old strands are going to make way. This will free up space for you to pursue new priorities, and key to this is going to be how you share your ideas, which with Jupiter’s help, if you can express them with enthusiasm and self-belief, can bring lots of new opportunities from the 9th of June. Gemini May 22 – June 21 With Mars and Pluto face to face as the year begins, you have a fantastic opportunity to be passionate about your ideas and how you share them. This can also be a year when you travel a lot, and connections with like-minded people and friends could really come to life from the end of March. Lots of positive interactions are possible, but also some people may make way as newer and fresher faces seek out your company. Your financial sector gets a huge boost from the 9th of June through to the year’s end, and with the electric energies of Uranus joining you for four months from the 7th of July, some exciting and very novel possibilities start to take shape. Where you live will take on more precedence from the Solar Eclipse of the 21st of September, when balancing your home, family and work needs with your professional or worldly commitments can play a larger role. Expect to be in demand Gemini, as your skill set is going to see you very much in vogue and promotions and greater recognition are possible with the Point of Destiny so beneficial. Really driving this success through, however, will require a lot of focused effort and discipline. Cancer June 22 – July 23 Your ruler, the Moon, is always very influential for you, as well as the Moon’s Nodes, and they’re suggesting new experiences and possibilities are in the celestial mix. Even if you are not a particularly materialistic person, influences from the start of the year can see you take resources more seriously. Or will it be a magnetic connection which makes your pulse race? It could be either or both. If variety is the spice of life, you may want to freshen up your daily routines or interests. Equally, you may find yourself making a change around your work. This could see you pitching into a completely new sector or redeploying hard-won skills and experiences in a new way. The planet or fortune Jupiter joins you for a year from the 9th of June, and this can feed into a sense of excitement but also a desire for fresh experiences. If you’ve long thought of working for yourself, or you already do, your enthusiasm can prove infectious. This is also a year when you may consider a new vehicle. Technology has a major role to play with many of us these days, but it could also be a way which you can liberate yourself, so working from home can appeal. Leo July 24 – August 23 The year begins with the planet of desire, Mars, in your sign, and this is going to fire up considerable determination and willpower in you. Just be conscious that despite the best-laid plans, it might not be until March that things really start to build up momentum. You may find yourself wanting to complement your existing talents with new skills and knowledge, so any kind of course you do could prove to be crucial. The Solar Eclipse of late March can certainly give your enthusiasm a big push, and when Uranus moves into a sparkling location from the 7th of July, new and unexpected chances can just seem to fall for you. Jupiter’s arrival in your sector of deep revelations for a year in the early summer can also see you beginning a journey of personal and spiritual understanding. A guide, life coach or professional could give you great encouragement this year, but ultimately it’s what you take from them and deploy in your everyday life that’s going to be crucial. If you travel this year, it can be life-changing. You may visit somewhere that really grips your senses, but do make sure all the documentation is in order before you head off. Virgo August 24 – September 23 It’s a really big year for you Virgo, because of the Lunar Nodes and the Eclipse series being your sign and your opposite sign of Pisces. A major focus will be relationships, but this can be with yourself as much as anyone else, and they don’t have to be romantic, they could be with friends, colleagues or family members as much as more intimate involvements. What you’re being asked to do is become more aware of any habitual patterns that you retreat into that stop you from growing. With the planet of limitations, Saturn, moving from the end of May to the end of August in the area associated with karma, there could be some powerful transformations. Brightly, Jupiter gives you support from early June to connect to people who will be good for you. The Solar Eclipse in your sign on the 21st of September makes you more single-minded about following your muse when it comes to personal interests and spheres where you can showcase your individual needs. The delicate balance between collaboration and self-realisation is this year’s overarching theme. Libra September 24 – October 23 As you enter 2025, you’re still surfing the tailwind of your last Solar Eclipse. And with Pluto the transformer now firmly entrenched for the long haul in the most charismatic part of your solar chart and Mars applying considerable thrust, it may seem that your social and romantic realms will hold most sway. And they can. But there will be a hiatus from the 6th of January through to the 18th of April, when your leadership qualities, professional demands and innate ambitions will need engaging with. In this sense you could surprise people with just how much willpower and authority you can manifest. The big lunation of late March and the move of Neptune followed by Saturn into your relating zone brings another powerful dynamic to life: your unwillingness to budge on the boundaries you’ve worked so hard to firm up. Good for you if so! After years of being a people-pleaser you’re becoming more aware of the need to fulfil your desires. But as first Jupiter and then the Cancer Solstice clash with this duo’s fiery new home, don’t be too intransigent. Stay with your love of fairness and justice too. Scorpio October 24 – November 22 Your two rulers clash as you surge into the new year. You may find yourself unexpectedly determined and perhaps a tad forceful as 2025’s new dawn emerges. Any politics could give you the push to break out and do something to burn off any frustration. Whether you head off for winter sun or snow, early January can be a fine time to shake things up. As the year unfolds you might find yourself looking to juggle your social interactions, friendships and sex life with the more practical demands which develop from the end of March onwards. Delightfully, the opportunity to travel to exotic or interesting destinations will be repeated from the 9th of June to the year’s end, and for a sign that can like a certain amount of familiarity to your life patterns, excitement pulses through your veins as new vistas beckon. If you’re single, a sizzling connection can occur, ironically in the most mundane of situations and places. But in any ongoing relationship, a fair balance of who does and contributes what to everyday chores will help to create greater domestic and harmonic bliss. Sagittarius November 23 – December 21 Once more a year begins with chatty Mercury in your sign, but the great news is that this year it’s not in Retrograde. Also, it’s in a direct opposition to your ruler, Jupiter. This combination can bring a sense of lighter energy and possibility. Further, potent Mars stirs your love of change and variety, or does it? For soon enough Mars is asking you to think of a very deep bond, shared finances, business matters or what you would like to break down and transform in your life. As the year unfolds, the Aries Solar Eclipse can sure help you to create a greater sense of possibility. But whatever choices and directions you take, do be guided by your inner voice, Archer. For this is the lesson that Saturn has been asking of you over the last couple of years, and the Point of Destiny will guide you towards this year. If you’re unfulfilled in a close romantic relationship, you may have some big decisions to make. Again, be guided by your instincts. Any energetic space you do create could prime you in readiness to go for a major prize in the last four months of the year, one you can seize. Capricorn December 22 – January 20 Wherever your guide planet Saturn is located is a big deal for all of us, but an even bigger deal for Capricorns, and particularly so this year. Why? Well, for just over three months he makes an expeditionary journey into Aries. And for you, that’s the part of your situation to do with how you feel, where you live, your family life and emotional sphere. With Neptune entering this arena for nearly eight months, and a Solar Eclipse in March, it’s fair to say that where you live, with whom and how, is going to be part of this year’s story. But equally, how you express yourself, how you think about things, your belief systems, your level of knowledge and expertise are all at the heart of this celestial equation too. Now with Jupiter, the planet of fortune, lighting up your relationship sector from June, and Mars asserting himself in it from the 6th of January to the 18th of April, there could be a link. Essentially, relationships with those closest to you can be most gratifying or perhaps the most challenging. Yet if you do want to break out and be a free spirit, you’ll be able to do this in the last four months. Aquarius January 21 – February 19 Your two co-rulers, Saturn and Uranus, are right at the heart of the year 2025’s action Aquarius, but in a seriously positive way for your zodiac sign in particular. And with Pluto with you now for many years to come, this is a year when celestial cycles will start to turn in your direction. The action begins with assertive Mars helping you to establish your relationship needs loud and clear. If you’re solo but would like to meet someone this is significant. But so will the four months from the 7th of July onwards, as Uranus absolutely lights up the most exciting and riveting part of your solar chart. The Golden Triangle that this creates back to Saturn and Neptune in your 3rd House of expressive ideas, and Pluto in Aquarius, could see people finally start to be drawn to your magical and innovative ideas. But the exciting conversations you hold won’t be without a sense of purpose. Oh no, people will sense your gravitas and know that what you say is what you mean. True, shared finances, everyday income, business costs and investment will be areas that will require a juggle. Pisces February 20 – March 20 The Point of Destiny enters your sign on the 11th of January. It hasn’t visited for just over eighteen years and can be seminal. This, and a series of Eclipses going between your sign and your sector of relating in Virgo, gives you some serious opportunities to find that fine balance between what you want from situations, what you’re prepared to give, and what other people require from you, but most of all work hard on your creative talents and individual flair. Saturn has possibly limited your energy in the last couple of years, and that can be a factor still now, but you could counter this by not scattering your energies too thinly. He suggests from the 27th of May to the end of August that you might take on a diet challenge or look to squeeze more from your resources, and you can! However, as Jupiter helps you to get more playful from the 9th of June, you may find yourself surprising loved ones and playing host over the four months from the 7th of July onwards. The Solar Eclipse in your relationship sector on the 21st of September can trigger some important connections in the last months of the year, be they professionally or personally.
Mangaluru: Belthangady police have recorded statement from the youth involved in a prank reel where a group of young men stitched a youth's ripped jeans. The incident gained attention after the video went viral. However, a formal complaint from the individual involved is still awaited. The incident occurred on Thursday in Santhekatte, Belthangady town. According to sources, a youth wearing ripped jeans was confronted by three persons in public, who stitched his jeans using a sack-packing needle. The act was recorded on a mobile phone, and the footage soon went viral. Distressed by the viral video, the youth whose jeans were stitched is suspected to have consumed poison. In response, Belthangady police recorded statements from the individuals involved in the prank, and are awaiting a formal complaint to proceed further. Belthangady police confirmed that the youth is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital. According to an officer, "Those involved in the incident are friends and were recording a reel for Instagram. They work together and created the reel as a prank before sharing it on social media. We will take necessary action only after recording statements from the youth under treatment and his parents," the officer said Police sources added that a case will not be registered if the youth or parents refuse to file a complaint. Maharashtra Jharkhand Maharashtra Alliance View i Party View Seats: 288 L + W Majority: 145 BJP+ 229 MVA 47 OTH 12 Leads + Wins : 288 / 288 BJP+ WON Jharkhand Alliance View i Party View Seats: 81 Results Majority: 41 INDIA 56 NDA 24 OTH 1 Results : 81 / 81 INDIA WON Source: PValuePHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies and right-handed pitcher Joe Ross finalized a one-year contract on Monday. The 31-year-old Ross made 10 starts and 25 total appearances for the Milwaukee Brewers last season. He went 3-6 with a 3.77 ERA. Selected by the San Diego Padres in the first round of the 2011 amateur draft, the 6-foot-4 Ross has pitched in 123 career games across seven seasons with the Washington Nationals and Brewers. In his career, he has combined for a 4.19 ERA with 469 strikeouts to 170 walks. He's 29-34 with a 4.19 career ERA. Ross is the latest in an offseason of minor moves for the NL East champs. The Phillies acquired left-hander Jesús Luzardo from the Miami Marlins and signed free-agent outfielder Max Kepler to a $10 million, one-year deal. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLBThe recently proposed BRICS investment platform utilizing digital assets is poised to significantly alter the global financial landscape as it has the potential to challenge the dominance of Western financial systems, according to Professor Victoria Panova, an international relations expert at HSE University in Russia. The professor stressed the platform’s goal of empowering nations to make sovereign decisions regarding investment, leveraging new technologies to direct resources where they're most needed. She cited the substantial growth in intra-BRICS foreign direct investment (FDI), increasing from $1.1 trillion in 2011 to $3.7 trillion in 2021, as evidence of this potential. Panova also highlighted the difficulties faced by countries like Egypt and Ethiopia due to restrictive conditions imposed by the IMF, arguing that the BRICS investment platform, with its access to potentially $100 billion, can offer alternative financing free from political interference and better tailored to the needs of recipient nations. Prof. Panova emphasized that the BRICS investment platform serves as a crucial safeguard against the "restrictive, punitive, unilateral, and illegal," financial measures employed by Western nations. She proposed several avenues for African nations to cooperate with BRICS to further reduce their dependence on Western financial systems. This includes collaborative development of cross-border payment systems, the establishment of networks of corresponding banks and exchanges utilizing national currencies, and the exploration of a joint BRICS-Africa clearing and settlement system .
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies and right-handed pitcher Joe Ross finalized a one-year contract on Monday. The 31-year-old Ross made 10 starts and 25 total appearances for the Milwaukee Brewers last season. He went 3-6 with a 3.77 ERA. Selected by the San Diego Padres in the first round of the 2011 amateur draft, the 6-foot-4 Ross has pitched in 123 career games across seven seasons with the Washington Nationals and Brewers. In his career, he has combined for a 4.19 ERA with 469 strikeouts to 170 walks. He's 29-34 with a 4.19 career ERA. Ross is the latest in an offseason of minor moves for the NL East champs. The Phillies acquired left-hander Jesús Luzardo from the Miami Marlins and signed free-agent outfielder Max Kepler to a $10 million, one-year deal. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
The Metals Industry Research and Development Center (MIRDC) is establishing regional metal testing centers and extension offices in Northern Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao to promote innovation through localized training and consultancy services. MIRDC Supervising Science Research Specialist Ma. Girlie Millo underscored the importance of the metals and engineering sector to the nation’s economic growth. “There is metal everywhere we look,” Millo said in Filipino in a forum on strengthening the capabilities of the state universities on metals and engineering. “From the tip of our ballpen to the cars that we drive, big structures and factories, we can see metal components,” she said. However, she shared that building these centers faces obstacles, including limited human resources in science and technology, low research and development (R&D) funding, underdeveloped research culture, weak stakeholder linkages and a lack of market-driven systems. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2023 reported that the Philippines’ R&D spending is only 0.2 percent of its GDP, one of the lowest in Southeast Asia. In 2021, former Department of Science and Technology undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara said that the country’s R&D expenditure has ranged from 0.14 percent to 0.18 percent of GDP over the past 30 years, well below UNESCO’s recommended 2 percent benchmark. (See: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2024/10/31/the-cost-of-priorities-dost-sets-out-initiatives-as-phls-rd-funding-remains-low/ ) With such challenges, the MIRDC is delivering advanced metalworking equipment to partner universities and offering capacity-building programs in welding, metal fabrication and design thinking. The center is also funding the expansion of Metals and Engineering Innovation Centers in universities that were already implemented in five regions across the country. Since its launch in October 2023, MIRDC’s Advanced Welding Training Center has trained 497 participants and held nine programs. The MIRDC’s 2024 budget amounted to P299 million.Maputo tense after disputed poll result