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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Companies from United to Nestlé have talked about a sales slowdown due to the presidential election.</li><li>Experts say some shoppers are holding back until after November 5 — but not everyone.</li></ul>Companies are bracing for people to shop, travel, and drink less around <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-going-on-with-economy-jobs-inflation-election-voting-2024-10">Election Day</a>.Executives at some major brands have said on earnings calls in recent weeks that they expect their <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/election-impact-companies-trump-harris-2024-10">financial results to take a hit</a> around the time voters will decide between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. They range from Constellation Brands, the maker of Modelo, which expects fewer people to go out drinking around the election, to airlines like United and Delta, which often see passenger counts dip around Election Day.Some companies already have seen political news distract customers. When a gunman died after injuring Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania in July, for instance, Amazon saw some people put off making purchases on the website, CFO Brian Olsavsky said in August."A lot of times, purchases will defer and people will come back and buy what they were going to buy," Olsavsky said on a call with reporters. "And other times — that won't happen."Other companies have invoked the election but not provided details about the dynamics leading consumers to pull back. Anna Manz, CFO of Nestlé, said on the company's earnings call last week that it's facing a slowdown in the US and "concerns around the elections are playing out." Nestlé did not immediately respond to a request for more details from Business Insider.Research suggests that some consumers — though not all — do indeed reduce purchases around the event.Some shoppers are holding off on making purchases until after November 5, according to a September survey of 400 Kroger shoppers by 84.51, the grocer's marketing subsidiary. Eighteen percent of those surveyed said they were holding off on buying big-ticket items such as electronics or appliances. Slightly smaller percentages said they were holding off on an investment decision or buying a car.Consumers might be holding off on big purchases because they need loans and hope that interest rates will fall more in the months after the election, said Alex Trott, director of insights at 84.51. But some might not actually care as much about the election as the seasonal promotions that tend to follow in November and December, she added. "We are also bumping up against a holiday season where there are always sales," Trott said.People under 34 were also more likely than older consumers to put off a major financial commitment until after the election, 84.51 found.Older consumers, such as Baby Boomers and members of Gen X, "can make some of these bigger decisions," said Trott. "Younger people don't have that spending power. They are sensitive to these smaller price changes."Most people — 53%, according to 84.51 — said they weren't delaying any big purchases as a result.This US election is taking place after years of inflation have squeezed consumers. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pennsylvania-grocery-store-voters-talk-economy-inflation-harris-trump-2024-10">The economy is a top concern</a>, voters told BI this week. Deutsche Bank said <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sticky-inflation-outlook-risk-cpi-fed-rate-cuts-geopolitics-recession-2024-10">inflation will remain stickier than expected</a>.Many companies are also forecasting that demand will return after either Trump or Harris wins the election. Modelo maker Constellation, for instance, said it expects beer demand to pick up again.Ron Hill, a professor at American University's Kogod School of Business, said consumers' retreat could last longer if determining who won takes weeks.Polls show that the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/harris-trump-presidential-election-swing-state-polls-sun-belt-2024-10">race between Trump and Harris</a> is close to a toss-up just over a week ahead of Election Day. If the race comes down to a single evenly divided state, as it did in 2000, when it took five weeks beyond election day to determine that George W. Bush had won the White House, shoppers might spend more time focused on that news and less time making discretionary purchases, Hill said."That's going to be hell to pay" if that happens, he said.

Election Day stress is affecting some companies' sales

8 ways too much sugar affects your body

The <keyword id="19897865" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telangana-government" source="keywords">Telangana government</keyword> on Monday stepped up <keyword id="21349143" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="relief-measures" source="keywords">relief measures</keyword> following <keyword id="19922385" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="heavy-rains" source="keywords">heavy rains</keyword> in the state which led to the death of at least nine people and inundation of low-lying areas. The affected people were shifted to relief camps at some places in the state. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy will conduct a meeting with officials on the <keyword id="23005417" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rain-relief-measures" source="keywords">rain relief measures</keyword>. People in several places in the state were grappling with the situation though there had been some let up in the rains on Monday morning. The <keyword id="21479339" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="flood-victims" source="keywords">flood victims</keyword> at Khammam, as Munneru rivulet was in spate, said their belongings were washed away and that drinking water was not available to them. Some local residents provided them with food on Sunday, they said. They alleged that they had got no relief from the officials. Traffic on the <keyword id="19900176" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hyderabad" source="keywords">Hyderabad</keyword> - Vijayawada National Highway was diverted due to rainwater overflowing on the road. State Panchayat Raj Minister Danasari Anasuya visited <keyword id="22686850" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rain-affected-areas" source="keywords">rain-affected areas</keyword> in the Mahabubabad district and enquired about the <keyword id="21349143" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="relief-measures" source="keywords">relief measures</keyword> taken up and about help provided to those who were shifted to relief camps. The Secunderabad-headquartered <keyword id="19986382" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="South-Central-Railway" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="South Central Railway" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="South Central Railway">South Central Railway</keyword> cancelled train services, while diverting some others. The Met Centre of IMD here said extremely heavy rainfall is likely to occur at isolated places in Adilabad district on Monday. In view of <keyword id="19922385" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="heavy-rains" source="keywords">heavy rains</keyword>, the Cyberabad Police here requested all IT and ITES companies to encourage 'work from home' on September 2. Allowing the employees to work from home would minimise the risks associated with commuting during this weather, said D Joel Davis, Joint Commissioner of Police (Cyberabad Traffic) in an advisory. Additionally, this measure would also help reduce traffic congestion and ensure that emergency services are not hindered, he said. Due to the forecast of heavy rains in <keyword id="19900176" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hyderabad" source="keywords">Hyderabad</keyword> district, a holiday has been declared for all primary and secondary schools, under all managements (Government, Aided, and Private) on September 2, as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of the children, officials said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday spoke to Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy over the phone and enquired about the flood situation in the rain-hit areas and the damages caused due to flood fury in the state. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/realme-13-plus-5g-vs-iqoo-z9s-pro-battle-of-the-under-25000-smartphones/slidelist/112924868.cms">Realme 13 Plus 5G vs iQOO Z9s Pro – Battle of the under ₹25,000 smartphones</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/baazar-style-retail-ipo-price-band-to-risk-factors-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/112920678.cms">Baazar Style Retail IPO – Price band to risk factors, all you need to know</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/upcoming-cars-launching-in-india-in-september-2024/slidelist/112917920.cms">Upcoming cars launching in India in September 2024</a>

Telangana govt steps up relief measures following heavy rains

<ul class="summary-list"><li>This post originally appeared in the Insider Today newsletter.</li></ul>Welcome back! A 72-year-old VC investor still runs four marathons a year. He spoke to BI about <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/training-tips-for-older-runners-from-72-year-old-marathoner-2024-10">how he fits the training into his busy schedule</a> as he tries to run 100 marathons before he turns 100.In today's big story, a final look at the impact a Harris or Trump presidency <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/election-preview-consumer-outlook-how-trump-harris-housing-taxes-2024-11">will have on your finances</a>.What's on deck:<ul><li>Markets: A survey exclusively shared with BI shows how a slice of Wall Street <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wall-street-election-predictions-professional-investor-survey-2024-11">thinks the election will go</a>.</li><li>Tech: Nvidia is replacing Intel in the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/intel-struggles-qualcomm-deal-chip-industry-turmoil-2024-9">Dow Jones Industrial Average</a>.</li><li>Business: We spoke to more than 750 people about <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cant-find-job-unemployment-applications-retirement-mba-age-competition-openings-2024-11">their struggles finding a job</a>.</li></ul>But first, let's go over it one more time.If this was forwarded to you, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/newsletter/insider-today">sign up here.</a><h3 id="7fa5f018-5b05-4a37-a8dc-d3f89138bcb3">The big story</h3><h2 id="5fd547b9-ec52-41fc-8e08-4f4b27dd8097">The White House and your wallet</h2><div type="image" title="Trump and Harris." height="1743" width="2323" msid="114952573" hostid="261" sizebytes="392138"></div>On the eve of election day, we're offering a final breakdown of how both candidates might affect your wallet.Business Insider ran a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/election-preview-consumer-outlook-how-trump-harris-housing-taxes-2024-11">five-part refresher series</a> last week examining how the policies proposed by Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump impact US consumers.With little middle ground between the two candidates, there are a wide range of implications. Let's get into it:<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/market-impact-presidential-election-scenarios-trump-harris-stocks-bonds-crypto-2024-10">Investing</a>: The corporate tax rate is the major difference between the two sides that'll likely have the biggest impact on markets. Trump's plan to reduce the rate, which stands at 21%, is viewed by most as beneficial for corporate earnings. Harris wants to raise the corporate tax rate, which would likely have the opposite effect.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cost-expensive-goods-price-impact-presidential-election-scenarios-trump-harris-2024-10">Cost of things</a>: Both candidates are looking to keep leveraging tariffs, but Trump's policy is much more aggressive. His broad-based 10%-to-20% tariff on most imported goods will ultimately make those products more expensive, according to most economists. When it comes to grocery prices, Trump previously said he'd restrict food imports to boost local farmers. Harris wants a federal ban on price gouging, but that'd only be applicable during national emergencies.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/housing-affordability-supply-impact-presidential-election-scenarios-homebuyers-harris-trump-2024-10">Housing</a>: Harris wants to boost construction, with a goal of adding 3 million new housing units during her first term. The former president views his immigration plan — deporting millions of people from the country — as a way to address the housing shortage. Banning mortgages for immigrants living in the US illegally is another way to lower demand, according to Trump.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tax-cut-tariff-plan-outlook-presidential-election-scenarios-harris-trump-2024-10">Taxes</a>: Trump is expected to expand on the tax cuts he established in 2017. The highest earners in the country, those in the top 0.1%, would see a tax reduction of nearly $280,000 whereas middle-income Americans would get a $1,000 break on their taxes, according to one analysis. Harris' proposals will favor lower-income earners, although she's promised to not raise taxes for anyone making below $400,000. She does support a minimum income tax for billionaires.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/childcare-costs-presidential-election-scenarios-parents-paid-leave-harris-trump-2024-10">Childcare</a>: Both candidates have discussed increasing the amount of the child tax credit, which currently provides up to $2,000 per child. Harris has also zeroed in on childcare costs, promising to cap those expenses at no more than 7% of families' income. Neither candidate has suggested funding childcare facilities or boosting hiring, which is a key issue for the industry.<h3 id="77f31a4c-8462-4e3d-a71f-838cb79493fb">News brief</h3><h2 id="1fcd294b-3f53-425f-9f20-4093e8623b59">Top headlines</h2><ul><li>Harris leads Trump by three points in a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/harris-trump-iowa-polling-lead-swing-states-2024-11">new poll in GOP-leaning Iowa</a>.</li><li>TGI Friday's <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tgi-fridays-files-for-bankruptcy-2024-11">filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy</a>.</li><li>Scoop: Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle brand Goop <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gwyneth-paltrow-goop-lays-off-employees-pivot-beauty-food-fashion-2024-11">conducted another round of layoffs</a>.</li><li>In an all-hands, Intel CEO addresses employee concerns about <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/intel-chips-act-funding-all-hands-meeting-2024-11">the US election and CHIPS Act funding</a>.</li><li>WATCH: How Elon Musk is reshaping American politics. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-reshaping-american-politics-ahead-of-2024-elections-2024-11">A conversation with Politico and BI</a>.</li><li>How a free meal cost an investor <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-a-free-meal-cost-an-investor-his-retirement-savings-2024-10">his retirement savings</a>.</li><li>The China threat and the EV slowdown — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/auto-industry-faces-trouble-in-china-ev-slowdown-2024-11">2 takeaways from a busy few weeks in auto news</a>.</li><li>Record producer Quincy Jones has <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/quincy-jones-dead-obituary-2024-11">died at 91 in his home in Bel Air</a>.</li><li>The US dollar is jittery, and it's not <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/us-dollar-presidential-election-fed-interest-rates-china-npc-stimulus-2024-11">only because of the presidential election</a>.</li><li>The Navy's top ballistic missile interceptor comes with a heavy price tag, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-top-interceptor-missile-heavy-price-tag-low-procurement-2024-10">but the US can't afford to go to war without it</a>.</li></ul><h2 id="8120060b-ae66-48dc-b149-f0489a30ffa2">3 things in markets</h2><div type="image" title="Photo of Wall Street with American flags" height="1333" width="2000" msid="114952577" hostid="261" sizebytes="241826"></div><ol><li>These investors give the slight edge to Trump. A survey of some of SumZero's investor community, which includes small hedge funds and family offices, found 53% believe <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wall-street-election-predictions-professional-investor-survey-2024-11">Trump will win the election</a>. That follows other signals the finance world is sending that it views Trump as the favorite, including European stocks trading at a discount due to concerns over tariffs.</li><li>Interest rate cuts are back. The Fed will announce Thursday what it plans to do with rates, with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/interest-rate-cuts-federal-reserve-election-jerome-powell-inflation-jobs-2024-11">most traders expecting a 25-basis-point cut</a>. After that, there's one more chance for the Fed to cut rates in December, although JPMorgan's strategy chief said a Trump win <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-win-fed-pause-rate-cuts-easing-jpmorgan-david-kelly-2024-11">could give the central bank pause</a>.</li><li>Wall Street analysts are scratching their heads over Comcast's potential reorg. The company's president suggested it might spin out CNBC and MSNBC into a new firm while retaining NBC and adding a partner to its steamer. On paper the move makes sense, but analysts question how the cable networks could survive by themselves and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/comcast-cable-network-spinoff-peacock-partnership-deal-wall-street-analysis-2024-11">who would be willing to team up with Peacock</a>.</li></ol><h2 id="f4b54806-7f81-450c-ba32-92560d4fae9b">3 things in tech</h2><div type="image" title="Jensen Huang" height="3526" width="5289" msid="114952576" hostid="261" sizebytes="532426"></div><ol><li>A monumental swap. S&amp;P Dow Jones Indices announced Nvidia will replace Intel in the Dow Jones Industrial Average index, which looks to project the most relevant picture of the US economy. It shows <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/intel-struggles-qualcomm-deal-chip-industry-turmoil-2024-9">how far Intel has fallen from relevancy</a>, and raises questions about the future role it'll play in computing and AI. BI's Emma Cosgrove explains <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-nvidia-replacing-intel-dow-jones-industrial-average-explained-2024-11">why it's such a big deal</a>.</li><li>Everything we know about the Apple Intelligence rollout. Some of Apple's long-awaited AI features rolled out last week, including a new Siri interface and enhanced Messages. However, other features unveiled at WWDC in June won't be available until 2025. We've got <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-intelligence-features-rollout-timeline-iphone-16-2024-9">an estimated timeline of the rest of the releases</a>, based on what Apple experts and the company have said since WWDC.</li><li>Some Democratic political advertisers are still betting on X. Though Musk's ownership has shifted the platform's political stance, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/democratic-political-advertisers-using-elon-musk-x-twitter-2024-11">a small number of Democratic ad campaigns still see opportunity</a>. Montana Sen. Jon Tester and Texas Rep. Colin Allred are among the Democrats still hanging on tight to X.</li></ol><h2 id="9260fa45-d397-4b3c-b4f8-4bb193976216">3 things in business</h2><div type="image" title="Fish with price tags." height="3000" width="4000" msid="114952579" hostid="261" sizebytes="975922"></div><ol><li>Endless options are ruining e-commerce. The allure of online shopping was the ability to compare a variety of options from the comfort of your home. But what happens when there are literally tens of thousands of products to choose from? Information overload, choice paralysis, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/online-shopping-ecommerce-comparison-burnout-too-many-choices-overwhelming-decision-2024-11">extremely frustrated shoppers</a>.</li><li>The great American shoplifting spree. Regular Americans are shoplifting everything from tape measures to blocks of cheese, and they don't feel particularly bad about it. Some of these opportunists view it as a way of fighting back against <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/middle-class-shoplifting-retail-theft-crime-stealing-stores-2024-11">goods that are unjustly expensive</a>.</li><li>The biggest woes of finding work. BI spoke to over 750 people who have struggled to find a job, from older workers just shy of retirement to eager recent graduates. They shared what they're most frustrated with, including fake job postings, competition from AI, and the feeling of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cant-find-job-unemployment-applications-retirement-mba-age-competition-openings-2024-11">being shut out from some careers</a>.</li></ol><h2 id="9f5d80ac-3466-429f-a50a-2ffbb70c65ff">What's happening today</h2><ul><li>Fox Corp, Goodyear, Marriott, and other companies report earnings.</li><li>Boeing's unionized workers vote on a new pay offer.</li></ul>The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York. Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Ella Hopkins, associate editor, in London. Amanda Yen, fellow, in New York. Milan Sehmbi, fellow, in London.

Here's a final breakdown of how both presidential candidates might affect your finances 

Photos show how the Olympics affected tourism in Paris

<ul class="summary-list"><li>About 700,000 passengers were affected by air traffic control chaos in the UK in August 2023.</li><li>A report found an engineer struggled to log in remotely, meaning it took longer to resolve the issue.</li></ul>An engineer's login struggles hindered attempts to solve an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/becoming-air-traffic-controller-career-pros-cons-of-job-2022-1">air traffic control</a> meltdown that affected 700,000 passengers in the UK.The details were revealed Thursday in a report by the UK's Civil Aviation Authority about the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/london-airports-travel-chaos-flight-delays-europe-photos-2023-8">August 2023 travel chaos</a>.It estimated the event cost airlines, airports, insurers, passengers, and others between £75 million and £100 million ($127 million) — and that about 300,000 people had their flights canceled. Another 95,000 were delayed by more than three hours, and a further 300,000 faced shorter delays.The incident was caused by a software failure. A single flight plan for a journey from Los Angeles to Paris — passing over the UK — contained two waypoints with the same name.This confused the automatic flight planning system, causing both the primary and the backup to shut down within 20 seconds.The system can usually process 900 flight plans an hour during peak periods, but <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/air-traffic-control-problems-delays-travel-chaos-holiday-weekend-uk-2023-8">air traffic controllers had to process them manually</a> — reducing its capacity to just 60 an hour, the report found.It also identified numerous factors that meant it took longer to identify and rectify the problem.One such factor was that a Level 2 engineer systems expert was on call but couldn't intervene remotely because their login and password "could not be readily verified due to the architecture of the system."It took the engineer 90 minutes to reach the air traffic control site — just over three hours after the meltdown began.All the traffic regulations implemented due to the incident were lifted after a total of nine-and-a-half hours.Delays and cancellations had knock-on effects on airline schedules, causing further issues for the next week. The report estimated that airlines lost £65 million ($82 million) as a result.The report recommended that NATS, the UK's air traffic control provider, has a Level 2 engineer working on-site during busy travel periods.Its 34 recommendations include government legislation, requiring airports and airlines to review the support available for affected passengers, and for NATS to provide earlier notices of possible disruption.UK Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said, "My department will look to introduce reforms, when we can, to provide air travelers with the highest level of protection possible."A <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ryanair-ceo-calls-air-traffic-control-boss-resign-flight-chaos-2024-9">NATS</a> spokesperson said in a statement that it welcomed the report and apologized "for the inconvenience passengers suffered because of this very unusual technical incident. Over the 15 months since this incident, we have worked hard to address the lessons from it, and to ensure this particular issue cannot happen again."NATS has implemented most of the 48 recommendations from its own investigation, including "improving our engagement with our airline and airport customers, our wider contingency and crisis response, and our engineering support processes."

Air traffic control chaos affecting 700,000 passengers was made worse when an engineer couldn't log in remotely

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Microplastics have been found in the human body in recent studies.</li><li>Scientists are trying to understand their potential negative effects on our health.</li></ul>An expert on how <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/human-blood-microplastics">microplastics</a> affect our health shared how she reduces her exposure at home.Professor Fay Couceiro leads a team at Portsmouth University, UK, that researches the potential health impacts of these fragments of plastic measuring less than five millimeters long. She told Business Insider that the study of microplastics initially started in marine biology. Not only do microplastics harm marine ecosystems, they damage associated economies. An estimated $500 to $2,500 billion is lost annually because of how marine microplastics impact industries including fishing and recreation, according to a 2019 study by researchers at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory.Once scientists found microplastics in all parts of the marine ecosystem, they discovered them everywhere else they thought to look, too, Couceiro said.<div type="image" title="A glass beaker with water and microplastics, held by someone in a white coat and plastic gloves." height="1414" width="2121" msid="114325882" hostid="261" sizebytes="53160"></div>Research suggests that microplastics could contribute to the development or worsening of health issues such as asthma, Couceiro said. A study released earlier this year, meanwhile, suggested <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microplastics-risks-heart-attack-stroke-study-2024-3">microplastics increase the risks of stroke</a> and heart attacks. That's concerning, considering that microplastics have been found in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microplastics-found-in-human-testicles-what-to-do-2024-5">human blood, brains, and testicles</a>.Although experts don't yet fully understand how <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/you-are-consuming-microplastics-how-much-what-to-know-risks-2022-4">microplastics</a> affect our health, Couceiro said that "it would be sensible to try to limit the number we expose ourselves to while we determine what the problems are."Couceiro added that while legislation and wider systemic changes are needed to meaningfully reduce the number of microplastics we come into contact with, there are things we can do to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/expert-how-i-keep-baby-family-safe-toxic-plastic-microplastics-2023-1">reduce exposure</a> at home.<h2 id="af91ad2d-fdb9-4cc9-a1d1-4c2028bb7c07">Don't microwave food in a plastic container</h2>Couceiro tries to remove food from plastic packaging before microwaving it whenever she can. But she doesn't stress if this isn't possible when she eats out.<div type="image" title="A steaming Thai green curry in a microwaveable plastic pot." height="1414" width="2121" msid="114325879" hostid="261" sizebytes="121222"></div>Heating plastic means it breaks down more easily and can release microplastics into food, a 2023 study published in Environmental Science &amp; Technology found.<h2 id="d8db174e-3632-4810-87d9-0365d40b9dd6">Don't buy plastic clothes and carpets</h2>Couceiro recommends people buy clothes and carpets that aren't made from plastic."You don't have to go and replace all your clothes and carpets — especially not at the moment when things are so tight," she said. "But if something is starting to wear out, and you're thinking about buying a new one, look at what non-plastic alternatives are out there that you can afford."She still has a few pieces of polyester clothing, which she plans to replace non-plastic items when the time comes.<h2 id="151047ca-b498-4803-8816-c2a5992dea67">Vacuum regularly</h2>"The more you vacuum, the less plastic will be in the air from your carpet," Couceiro said.If you don't have much carpet in your home, don't worry about this one too much, she said.<h2 id="418e7f7a-deb6-41af-9b4b-24a2c93e90f1">Avoid plastic cookware</h2><div type="image" title="Wooden and ceramic kitchen utensils and bowls with a metal grater." height="1412" width="2124" msid="114325880" hostid="261" sizebytes="103910"></div>"When you see things like plastic spatulas melting and bubbling, there's little pieces of plastic coming off them," she said.Where possible, Couceiro cooks with metal or wood cookware instead of plastic, and avoids buying plastic utensils.<h2 id="4cc175a5-ccca-4fe1-9305-a291d8397f47">Avoid really fluffy materials</h2>This can be tough with kids, so Couceiro just limits fluffy materials in her home rather than banning them.But she's wary of them because they are more likely to be made of plastic fibers that shed easily.<h2 id="d6503b62-a0ec-48e9-8d00-de373ad69f39">Ventilate your home</h2>Couceiro likes to have fresh air in the house, and recommends ventilating your living space by opening windows to reduce the number of microplastics in the air.But, she said, you have to make sure that you won't be undoing the benefits by allowing pollution into your home, which is more likely if you live near busy roads or in a city center.Alternatively, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/home/best-air-purifier">air purifiers</a> can help improve air quality if left running for long periods, she said.

An expert in how microplastics affect our health does 6 things to avoid them at home

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Longshoremen went on strike on Tuesday, shutting down East and Gulf Coast ports.</li><li>A prolonged strike would most heavily affect automakers importing vehicles from Europe.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/consumer-products-most-likely-to-be-impacted-by-port-strike-2024-9">Dock workers across the East and Gulf Coasts </a>of the United States went on strike Tuesday morning.The effects of a prolonged work stoppage would likely be <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dockworker-strike-what-will-be-impacted-prices-inflation-martime-longshoremen-2024-9">felt throughout the US economy</a>, including the automotive industry, which depends on ports like New York, Baltimore, and Savannah to handle millions of vehicles arriving from abroad.Fortunately for US consumers, there is a glut of inventory at dealerships across the country, so the immediate impacts of the strike will likely be limited.The latest September data provided by <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.coxautoinc.com/market-insights/new-vehicle-inventory-august-2024/">Cox Automotive</a> shows that more than 2.84 million new cars are on sale. If no new inventory arrives, car companies have, on average, a 77-day supply of vehicles to sell. That's well above last year's levels and higher than the 65-day level industry experts agree to be the healthiest. European carmakers like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and Volvo will be most heavily affected, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-east-coast-dockworkers-head-toward-strike-after-deal-deadline-passes-2024-10-01/">Reuters reported</a>, citing research by Barclays analysts. But most of these automakers have significantly more than the national average of 77 days of inventory.<div type="image" title="Car for export and import parked on Thursday, May 16, 2019 at the port in Bremerhaven, Germany" height="2064" width="4848" msid="113860491" hostid="261" sizebytes="1336476"></div>According to Cox, BMW has 88 days, Mercedes has 100 days, and Volvo has a 142-day supply.As for VW, the Volkswagen brand has a healthy 66-day supply, while its Audi luxury division has an 86-day supply.The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://governor.maryland.gov/news/press/pages/governor-moore-announces-new-port-of-baltimore-cargo-records.aspx">Port of Baltimore</a> led the nation last year, handling more than 847,000 cars and light trucks. BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and Volkswagen all operate vehicle processing and distribution facilities at the port.Although West Coast ports, which aren't affected by the strike, handle the bulk of traffic coming from Asia, automakers like Toyota and Hyundai also use East Coast ports.Toyota, which brings vehicles for its southern dealerships ashore in Jacksonville, does have the benefit of a hearty inventory to rely upon. Both the main Toyota brand and its Lexus luxury division have less than half of the national average, with 35 and 30 days' worth of inventory, respectively.A Toyota spokesperson told Business Insider in a statement that the company is "monitoring the situation closely and developing countermeasures to minimize any impact" on its customers and dealers.<div type="image" title="Kia Telluride SUVs at the Port of Brunswick in Georgia awaiting transport." height="1688" width="3000" msid="113860488" hostid="261" sizebytes="298436"></div>Other key ports include Savannah and Brunswick in Georgia, which combined processed 830,000 vehicles last year from brands like Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, and Kia. At the same time, the Port of Jacksonville handled just over half a million vehicles from Toyota and Volkswagen in 2023.More than 45,000 dock workers represented by the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) walked off the job on Tuesday after failing to come to terms on a new work agreement with a consortium of maritime employers called the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX).The ILA's demands include a 77% increase in pay over the lifetime of the six-year agreement and limits on automation at the ports, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://apnews.com/article/longshoremen-strike-pay-automation-ports-jobs-consumers-3aa66e0a05db25a49645fad404a5f000">the AP reported</a>.The USMX has counted by offering to increase wages by nearly 50% and retain the current policy on automation.

Car companies have plenty of inventory, but the port strike will affect European brands the most

<div type="image" title="In case RBI is in the mood to hike the interest, your home loan EMIs might end up taking more from your pockets. Or, if it leaves the rates unchanged, your EMIs wont budge one bit" msid="114284206" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;In case RBI is in the mood to hike the interest, your home loan EMIs might end up taking more from your pockets. Or, if it leaves the rates unchanged, your EMIs wont budge one bit&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> On September 18, 2024, the <keyword id="19951097" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="us-fed" source="keywords">US Fed</keyword> delivered a jumbo-sized surprise to the global economy. Not only did they trim their interest rates by a massive 50 basis points to bring their yields down to 5%, but also hinted at further rate cuts in the upcoming months. This move from the fed and several other central banks globally had pushed expectations high for a similar rate slash closer home, from the <keyword id="19899808" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="rbi" source="keywords">RBI</keyword> this month. But governor <keyword id="19913110" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shaktikanta-das" source="keywords">Shaktikanta Das</keyword>, in a “picture abhi baaki hai” moment, decided to hold the repo rates here steady, leaving them unchanged at 6.5% for the record 10th straight time. Although, he did tinker with the policy stand, changing it from “rate cuts are absolutely off the table” to a more accommodating “we’re okay with bringing down the rates, if needed”. This, rather neutral, stance from India’s financial custodian sparked hopes for a rate cut in December this year. However, the stubborn <keyword id="22195" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="inflation" source="Orion">inflation</keyword> levels in September have again dented such hopes. As consumers, you may be wondering what all the hullabaloo this is about, since it hardly makes a difference to your regular financial routine. Well, the majority of both economic growth and inflation is closely connected to this policy stance from the central bank and it does have a rather indirect effect on both our earnings and spending. But more directly, it would have clear implications for those looking to own a house. Even the slightest modification of interest rates, or the lack of it, influences the <keyword id="19916018" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="emi" source="keywords">EMI</keyword> you pay significantly. So, all aspiring homebuyers, is this the right time to take out a loan and buy a house? Can you expect a rate cut anytime soon, and what will that mean for your home-owning dreams? We lay it out. <h2>What’s the connection?</h2>You see, buying a house is no small feat, at least financially. The task becomes even more herculean if you are scouting for your own roof in cities like Delhi, Noida, Bangalore or Mumbai where, as Circuit from Munnabhai says, “room shuru hote hi khatam ho jata hai”. Naturally, you’ll have to take a <keyword id="6354730" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Home-loan" source="Orion">home loan</keyword> from the bank. Don’t be mistaken, the bank won't give you a loan that covers 100% of the value of the property you want to own. Rather, your loan amount will be equivalent to a certain percentage of the property’s total value. RBI’s guidelines on this are pretty clear: <ul><li>If your loan amount is up to Rs 30 lakh, you can get a loan worth 90% of the property’s value.</li></ul><ul><li>If the loan amount is between Rs 30 lakh and Rs 75 lakh, you are eligible for a loan worth 80% of the property’s value. </li><li>If you are taking a loan of more than Rs 75 lakh, your loan amount will be equivalent to 70% of the property’s value. </li></ul>Now assuming that you have the money, it's all about paying back the principal amount, but not without a little (read hefty) interest added on top. See, when you’re taking a home loan, you are actually signing up for a long-term, even multi-decadal financial commitment, which will unfailingly present itself to your bank accounts and finances every single month, in the form of EMIs, or equated monthly instalments). When you take a home loan, you can choose to pay the interest in two ways (talk about choices!). One is that you decide to keep a fixed rate of interest throughout the tenure of your home loan. So, if you opt for a 25-year fixed-rate home loan at the rate of 8.8% p.a., you’ll have to pay interest at this rate for the next 25 years, till your entire loan is paid off. Yes, you can go backsies and switch to a floating-rate home loan by paying a fee. Floating, as the name suggests, means that your interest rate is not set in stone. But starting October 2019, when it comes to a floating interest rate home loan, your payable interest and EMIs are directly impacted by any changes in <keyword id="20094323" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="repo-rate" source="keywords">repo rate</keyword>, which were left unchanged by RBI this time around. Why are these two so chummy, you might ask. Well, <keyword id="173069" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Home-loan-interest" source="Orion">home loan interest</keyword> rates are a sum of two things: <ol><li>Repo Rate (the rate at which RBI lends money to banks)</li><li>Operational cost + margins</li></ol>Any plus or minus in this equation would send your home loan interests tanking, or skyrocketing. Vivek Iyer, Partner, Grant Thornton Bharat explains that any change in the repo rates impacts the cost of funds and thereby the home loan interest rates. “When the interest rates are expected to reduce, the corresponding impact will be in the form of a reduced EMI. Home loan borrowers should always try to borrow at a floating rate when interest rates are expected to reduce and at a fixed rate when the interest rates are expected to increase. This minimizes the outflow in the form of EMIs that the home loan borrowers will experience”, he continues. So, no change in repo rates means no change in your home loan interest payout and no financial relief whatsoever. A rate cut, which most experts are anticipating will start this December, would mean your EMI payments come down, and your wallet might save a little more. But there’s also a chance of an UNO reverse happening. In case RBI is in the mood to hike the interest, your home loan EMIs might end up taking more from your pockets. Consider this. You took a floating interest rate home loan worth Rs 50 lakh in January 2022 at 8% p.a., for a period of 20 years. This brings your total monthly EMI to Rs Rs 41,822. But, as luck would (or won't) have it, RBI raised the interest rate by 250 basis points between May 2022 and February 2023, bringing it to its current status of 6.5%. Some back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that now, your home loan interest payout will also rise by a hefty 2.5%, taking the total to 10.5%. In other words, you’ll have to dish out Rs 49,919 per month as EMI. Now, won't you heave a sigh of relief if the RBI were to bring down the interest rate by say, even 50 basis points, or 0.5%? Agreed, your EMI will come down just marginally, to Rs 48,251. But look at this over a 20-year period, and you’ll see how big the difference is. <h2>Are rates set to change anytime soon?</h2>Generally, RBI hikes the repo rates if it sees inflation spiralling out of control. Then, in a bid to reduce consumer spending, it raises interest rates to make borrowing expensive. But when the apex bank sees sluggish consumption in the economy, inflation in control and wants to boost spending, it slashes down on interest rates, making it more lucrative for people to borrow. As of now, most experts are not anticipating any changes in the interest rates anytime soon. This means home loans are not getting cheaper anytime soon. The CPI data, which came out yesterday, saw inflation rise to 5.49% in September, compared to 3.65% last month. Food and beverage prices jumped to a four-month high of 8.36% in September, as opposed to a 5.3% rise in August. So a rate cut seems a no-go at the moment! Apurva Sheth, Head of Market Perspectives and Research, SAMCO Securities explains that the RBI had probably expected a hardening of inflation and that's why it chose to hold on to the rates in the monetary policy announcement last week. “Now, it seems that RBI will take a cautious stance going ahead and will not be in a hurry into rate cuts like its global peers”, he added. In all this, one thing is clear, in the grand movie of the Indian economy, the RBI has chosen stability over drama. And just like in every good Bollywood film, we're left wondering what twist the sequel will bring. Until then, it might be “The End" for rate cuts, but the show must go on for the Indian economy!

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