Fluffy

  About 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by water, with the majority being oceans. This vast coverage of water plays a crucial role in Earth's climate, ecosystems, and weather patterns. Some key aspects of Earth's water coverage include: Oceans : The five oceans (Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Southern) cover most of the Earth's surface. Hydrological Cycle : Water circulates through evaporation, precipitation, and runoff, influencing weather and ecosystems. Marine Ecosystems : Diverse ecosystems like coral reefs and deep-sea habitats support a wide range of biodiversity.

  Earth's circumference. The Earth's circumference at the equator is approximately 24,896 miles (40,075 kilometers).

Domestic Skills : Focus on skills like cooking, sewing, and household management. Child Rearing : Guidance on caring for and nurturing children. Social Etiquette : Instruction on behavior and conduct at home and in social settings. Marital Roles : Expectations around supporting husbands and managing household responsibilities. Historically, terms like Home Economics or Domestic Science were used to describe educational programs teaching these skills. These programs were often part of school curricula aimed at preparing women for traditional roles.

Alibi Scammers have defrauded individuals globally of an astonishing $1.03 trillion over the last year. This figure has increased from $1.026 trillion the previous year, as detailed in the 2024 Global State of Scams report by the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), in collaboration with Feedzai, a company specializing in fraud management for financial institutions.   According to the report, globally, just 4% of individuals who fall victim to scams manage to reclaim their losses. The U.S. and U.K. had the highest rates of recovery but the report states these figures are still low on a worldwide scale, leaving most scam victims without a solution. This situation underscores the pressing need for enhanced consumer protection strategies and more efficient financial recovery systems, the report notes. Additionally, 70 percent of victims choose not to report the scam. Even with persistent efforts to fight scam activities through awareness initiatives, scams continue to pose a major and in...

Photo: Ali Bi A new study by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) reveals that America’s wealthiest billionaires pay a lower share of their income in taxes than most workers and even less than the national average. The analysis, conducted by economists Akcan S. Balkir, Emmanuel Saez, Danny Yagan, and Gabriel Zucman, used administrative data from 2010 through 2020, matching Forbes’ list of the 400 richest Americans with individual, business, estate, and gift tax returns. It found that the top 0.0002 percent of households—roughly the “Forbes 400”—paid an average total effective tax rate of 24 percent from 2018 to 2020. That compares with 30 percent for the overall U.S. population and 45 percent for top labor income earners. The authors define the effective rate as all taxes paid relative to “economic income,” which includes labor income, business profits, and capital gains. The report concludes that billionaires “appear less taxed than the average American” when all s...

class="separator" style="clear: both;"> The increasing financial pressure from real-life expenses, such as grocery shopping and paying high rent, is prompting more Americans to turn to deferred payment options, making this service very attractive to some consumers. These plans, known as “Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL), can be used for expenses such as clothing, healthcare, entertainment, groceries, or dining out. However, at what cost to consumers? These services offer short-term loans that enable consumers to purchase products and services, with the option to repay the amount in a set number of installments over a predetermined period. The most prevalent BNPL model is known as “4-in-6” or “pay-in-four,” where consumers settle a purchase in four equal, interest-free payments: The initial payment is made at the point of sale, followed by the remaining payments in three bi-weekly intervals. --- This service can seem like a quick convenience. During tough economic ti...

I dare, brothers of Latin America and the Caribbean, to call for the union of all rebel people, social movements, to defend Venezuela’s right to sovereignty, peace, self-determination and its own development We express our firmest and absolute support for the constitutional President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro Moros, who is once again facing a disastrous offensive of political and judicial persecution promoted by the United States   In the face of imperialism that threatens with wars and blockades, Latin America and the Caribbean reaffirm that they will follow the path of Bolívar, Martí, Chávez, and Fidel, and ratify their irrevocable commitment to protect the region so that we may continue to be a Zone of Peace. What we’re looking at is another attempt to intimidate a sovereign nation that’s committed to building a society in which all of the people are recognized as having fundamental human rights and dignity. Venezuela, left to its own devices, has t...