(BPT) - Consumers are facing increasing costs on virtually every purchase these days and auto insurance is no exception. While skyrocketing costs of this auto-related expense can be attributed to everything from parts replacement to service — even health costs as a result of accidents — consumers can better manage these increases with thoughtful study and attention to detail. Some of the common causes for higher insurance rates are Inflation, car accidents, extreme weather conditions such as hail, hurricanes and wind, along with increased vehicle theft claims. Mercury Insurance has partnered with financial literacy influencer Sam Jarman to highlight specific ways consumers can address these rising costs. "Your car is the second biggest expense for most people, right behind your home, and car insurance is a big part of that," said Jarman. "Checking rates and coverage with your Mercury Insurance agent makes sense along with choosing a car with low maintenance costs." According to Consumer Price Index data released earlier this year, car insurance rates are up almost 21% year-over-year for the 12 months which ended in February. The last time car insurance rates rose that much on an annual basis was 1976. Here are some auto insurance statistics recently released from Forbes : The national average cost for car insurance is $2,150 annually for full coverage. The cost of auto insurance increased by 63.8% between 2014 and 2023. The average car insurance cost for 16-year-old drivers with their own policy is $8,765. The average rate for 17-year-olds is $6,829. Car insurance is cheapest for 60-year-old drivers, averaging $1,915 annually. The vast majority of drivers have comprehensive and collision coverage . In addition to buying liability car insurance, 79% of insured drivers buy comprehensive coverage and 75% purchase collision coverage. A staggering one in seven drivers have no car insurance. "Our goal is to help our customers get the best rates possible because we know that every dollar counts." said Justin Yoshizawa, Director, Product Management, State. "We encourage consumers to build a close relationship with their agent and discuss what discounts they may be eligible to receive. The answer might be surprising." Mercury offers the following tips for lowering your insurance costs: Review your deductibles with your insurance agent – It is recommended that you review your coverage and deductible with your Mercury agent at least once a year. Their wisdom and experience can help you make wise decisions regarding your insurance. Explore car insurance discounts – In addition to bundling your home and auto insurance, Mercury offers discounts for multi-car, good drivers, good students and auto pay. Your agent may have additional discounts to offer. Let Your Insurer Track Your Driving – Most insurers offer discounts for customers who install telematics. This technology allows your insurance company to collect information regarding your mileage and driving habits. This can also provide valuable information regarding your driving as well as saving you money. Drive a safe car with low repair costs – According to Bankrate , some of the cheapest cars to insure are the Subaru Outback, Honda CR-V and Honda Pilot. Also, look for cars with lower repair costs such as the Toyota Corolla, Toyota Prius and Tesla Model 3. Doing some research before you purchase a vehicle can save you money over the length of ownership. Install an anti-theft device on your car – Drivers may receive an additional discount on your auto insurance if you install an anti-theft device on your car. Before you buy a car, compare insurance costs – You can get a fast and easy quote from your Mercury Insurance agent. To receive a quote, you can reach us at 844-514-2893. To learn more about common types of auto insurance discounts, visit https://www.mercuryinsurance.com/resources/auto/understanding-types-of-auto-insurance-discounts.html . For more information on your auto insurance, you can reference the Insurance Information Institute .Live chat with the Star's Ottawa bureau on the year in Canadian politics
Report: Leadership needed to address quantum threat mitigation(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) , (THE CONVERSATION) In whether President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for is fit for the job, it’s easy to lose sight of why it matters. It matters a lot. To speak of telling truth to power seems terribly old-fashioned these days, but as , I know that is the essence of the job. The director of national intelligence is the , though the CIA director has remained somewhat co-equal in that role. The director of national intelligence is responsible for both the , where the most crucial and sophisticated intelligence is presented, and for the work of . Most of the President’s Daily Brief items are still done by the CIA, but the , daily in most administrations but one or two times a week in the . The issues in those briefings lean toward the immediate and tactical: What is the situation on the ground in the Ukraine war? If action X is taken, how will Russian President Vladimir Putin respond? But intelligence strives to push presidents and their colleagues to think more strategically: What are the implications of hypersonic missiles? What is the trajectory of the relationship between Russia and China? What are China’s geostrategic objectives, and what is the role of the in that vision? The , who is my friend and former colleague from when she was the deputy national security adviser in charge of the National Security Council policy committees and , providing the intelligence support to those committees. As director of national intelligence, Haines sits atop the 17 agencies that make up what is called . She does not run those agencies. Nor does she have full control of their budgets. Rather, the director of national intelligence coordinates them, which sometimes seems like the proverbial herding of cats. She assembles a combined budget for intelligence, but many of the big agencies, such as the National Security Agency, which , belong to the Pentagon. The creation of the director of national intelligence position was a direct result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The was vividly damning between agencies in the run-up to 9/11. In meetings in New York that summer, CIA and FBI officers were literally unsure what they could tell each other: The former wondered whether the FBI people were really cleared to hear this, while the latter feared that talking might blow a case they were working on. That lack of coordination played a role in letting the plotters slip through intelligence, often in plain sight. The result of the commission’s work was the , which created the director of national intelligence position. Before that, the director of central intelligence wore two hats, as the director of the Central Intelligence Agency and loose coordinator of the broader intelligence community. Hardly surprisingly, directors of central intelligence spent most of their time running the CIA, for that was the source of their troops – and their troubles when they arose. A had recommended breaking the director of central intelligence’s conflict of interest – coordinating agencies and their budgets while running one of them – and creating a director of national intelligence position. for whom I worked as chair of the National Intelligence Council, constantly emphasized “integration.” Across agencies, integration mostly means talking to each other and sharing information. This works against the natural tendency to scoop your colleagues. Across disciplines, integration means better aligning what information intelligence agencies collect with what analysts need. If presidents want to know what the CIA thinks about a particular issue, they can simply ask. Usually, though, the question is what does the intelligence community think, and then the question goes to the , the director of national intelligence’s interagency group for intelligence analysis. The National Intelligence Council is organized like the State Department, with officers for regions and functions. Once a question has been presented, the relevant national intelligence officer will convene his or her council colleagues from the other agencies. They will argue about the answer to the question, a process sweetly called “coordination,” then agree on the answer. If need be, the process can be done in a few hours. Major strategic analyses – national intelligence estimates – like one done in 2022 on the implications of the , may take months. In all cases, though, the analysis carefully records where there are differences of view in the intelligence community. In my last year chairing the National Intelligence Council, of the 700 or so analyses we did, about 400 were responses to questions – called “taskings” in governmentese – from the national security adviser or one of the deputies. National intelligence officers are national experts from inside or outside federal government, and their deputies – the heart and soul of the NIC – are all assigned from intelligence agencies. The largest number come from the CIA, but I worked with a cyber analyst from the Secret Service and a wonderful analyst from the New York Police Department. What was striking then and has struck me both times I’ve had the privilege of running a U.S. intelligence agency is the dedication of the officers. They work for the nation, not for a political party or ideology. As chair of the NIC, I had no idea of the politics of my people, save for the several closest to me. For them, telling truth to power is not a slogan. It is what they do. They are always worried about “politicizing” – producing an assessment to suit a policymaker’s preference or, worse, being pressured to do so. , for instance, give up a year of their lives to come to work at 4 a.m., learn their briefs and then fan out across Washington to brief senior officials. They like being “on the team” of the person they brief, but they become uncomfortable if the conversation turns political. The director of national intelligence sets the tone for that resolutely nonpolitical stance and through principles articulated in the agency’s . As chair of the NIC, for instance, I’d receive regular assessments of both the quality of our analyses and whether we risked becoming “politicized.” For their part, do politicians and agency leaders like it when their pet projects are assessed by intelligence as unwise or infeasible? Of course not. I’ve been on that side of the intelligence-policy divide as well. But the United States is much the better for it. This story is part of a of Cabinet and high-level administration positions. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: .
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Pay first, deliver later: Some women are being asked to prepay for their babyThousands of Syrians gathered in Damascus’ main square and a historic mosque for the first Muslim Friday prayers since former President Bashar Assad was overthrown , a major symbolic moment for the country’s dramatic change of power. The rebels are now working to establish security and start a political transition after seizing the capital on Sunday. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Friday, pressing ahead with efforts to unify Middle East nations in support of a peaceful political transition in Syria. It’s part of Blinken’s 12th trip to the Mideast since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year in Gaza but his first after Assad was ousted. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Broadcom (AVGO+21.64% ) has surpassed the $1 trillion market cap for the first time after it reported a 220% jump in artificial intelligence revenue. Why generative AI is in its 'Angry Birds' phase, according to DataStax CEO Chet Kapoor CC Share Subtitles Off English Why generative AI is in its 'Angry Birds' phase, according to DataStax CEO Chet Kapoor The chipmaker's shares were up by about 20% during Friday morning trading, pushing its market cap to $1.02 trillion. Broadcom stock is up by about 10o% so far this year. Advertisement The San Jose-based company reported revenues of $14.05 billion for the fourth quarter ended in November — a 51% increase from the previous year. Net income was $4.32... Britney NguyenYankees trade away Nestor Cortes, prospect for late-inning ace
By MARY CLARE JALONICK and MATT BROWN WASHINGTON (AP) — Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Defense Department, said he had a “wonderful conversation” with Maine Sen. Susan Collins on Wednesday as he pushed to win enough votes for confirmation. He said he will not back down after allegations of excessive drinking and sexual misconduct. Related Articles National Politics | Donald Trump will ring the New York Stock Exchange bell. It’ll be a first for him National Politics | The Trump and Biden teams insist they’re working hand in glove on foreign crises National Politics | ‘You don’t know what’s next.’ International students scramble ahead of Trump inauguration National Politics | Trump is threatening to raise tariffs again. Here’s how China plans to fight back National Politics | Trump won’t be able to save the struggling US beef industry Collins said after the hourlong meeting that she questioned Hegseth about the allegations amid reports of drinking and the revelation that he made a settlement payment after being accused of a sexual assault that he denies. She said she had a “good, substantive” discussion with Hegseth and “covered a wide range of topics,” including sexual assault in the military, Ukraine and NATO. But she said she would wait until a hearing, and notably a background check, to make a decision. “I asked virtually every question under the sun,” Collins told reporters as she left her office after the meeting. “I pressed him both on his position on military issues as well as the allegations against him, so I don’t think there was anything that we did not cover.” The meeting with Collins was closely watched as she is seen as more likely than most of her Republican Senate colleagues to vote against some of Trump’s Cabinet picks. She and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a fellow moderate Republican, did not shy from opposing Trump in his first term when they wanted to do so and sometimes supported President Joe Biden’s nominees for the judicial and executive branches. And Hegseth, an infantry combat veteran and former “Fox & Friends” weekend host, is working to gain as many votes as he can as some senators have expressed concerns about his personal history and lack of management experience. “I’m certainly not going to assume anything about where the senator stands,” Hegseth said as he left Collins’ office. “This is a process that we respect and appreciate. And we hope, in time, overall, when we get through that committee and to the floor that we can earn her support.” Hegseth met with Murkowski on Tuesday. He has also been meeting repeatedly with Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, a military veteran who has said she is a survivor of sexual assault and has spent time in the Senate working on improving how attacks are reported and prosecuted within the ranks. On Monday, Ernst said after a meeting with him that he had committed to selecting a senior official to prioritize those goals. Republicans will have a 53-49 majority next year, meaning Trump cannot lose more than three votes on any of his nominees. It is so far unclear whether Hegseth will have enough support, but Trump has stepped up his pressure on senators in the last week. “Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!” Trump posted on his social media platform last week.(All times Eastern) Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts Friday, Dec. 20 COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN’S) 4 p.m. ESPNU — Chris Paul HBCU Challenge: Norfolk St. vs. Grambling St., Uncasville, Conn. 6:30 p.m. ESPNU — Chris Paul HBCU Challenge: Delaware St. vs. Alabama St., Uncasville, Conn. 8 p.m. FOX — St. John’s at Providence 8:30 p.m. ESPNU — Cincinnati vs. Dayton, Cincinnati COLLEGE BASKETBALL (WOMEN’S) 8:30 p.m. FS1 — Ohio St. vs. Stanford, San Francisco 11 p.m. FS1 — Creighton vs. UCLA, San Francisco COLLEGE FOOTBALL Noon ESPN — The StaffDNA Cure Bowl: Ohio vs. Jacksonville St., Orlando, Fla. 3:30 p.m. ESPN2 — The Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl: Tulane vs. Florida, Tampa, Fla. 8:10 p.m. ABC — CFP First Round: Indiana at Notre Dame ESPN — CFP First Round: Indiana at Notre Dame ESPN2 — CFP First Round: Indiana at Notre Dame (Command Center) GOLF 3:30 a.m. GOLF — DP World Tour: The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, Second Round, Mont Choisy Le Golf, Grand-Baie, Mauritius Noon GOLF — PGA Tour: The PNC Championship Pro-Am, Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Orlando, Fla. 4 a.m. (Saturday) GOLF — DP World Tour: The AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, Third Round, Mont Choisy Le Golf, Grand-Baie, Mauritius HORSE RACING 3 p.m. FS2 — NYRA: America’s Day at the Races NBA BASKETBALL 7:30 p.m. NBATV — Milwaukee at Cleveland NBA G-LEAGUE BASKETBALL 11 a.m. ESPNU — Winter Showcase: Texas vs. Motor City, Orlando, Fla. 1 p.m. NBATV — Winter Showcase: San Diego vs. Long Island, Orlando, Fla. 1:30 p.m. ESPNU — Winter Showcase: Mexico City vs. Rip City, Orlando, Fla. 3:30 p.m. NBATV — Winter Showcase: Cleveland vs. Salt Lake, Orlando, Fla. 4 p.m. ESPNEWS — Winter Showcase: Delaware vs. Santa Cruz, Orlando, Fla. TENNIS 6 a.m. TENNIS — Next Gen ATP Finals: Round Robin 11 a.m. TENNIS — Next Gen ATP Finals: Round Robin The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive TV listings provided by LiveSportsOnTV .Hegseth meets with moderate Sen. Collins as he lobbies for key votes in the Senate