One year ago, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency tapped Northrop Grumman to build it a TERN prototype, capable of launching from and landing on small naval warships. Just six months later , before TERN had even conducted its first test flight, DARPA decided it liked the new drone so much that it “doubled down” and ordered Northrop to go ahead and build it a second test vehicle.
Day: December 18, 2016
Millions of Americans Are Still Signing Up for Obamacare, Despite Pledges to Repeal It
Donald Trump ran for president on promises to repeal and replace Obamacare, but that hasn’t stopped millions of Americans from signing up for healthcare insurance through the ACA marketplaces.
Gift Tax in 2017: Will You Owe Tax on Holiday Presents?
The end of the year is the season of giving, and where there are gifts, there’s also the potential for gift tax. The U.S. tax laws impose gift tax on gifts of cash or property whose value exceeds annual limits, with rates as high as 40%.
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It was a pretty big deal when the park’s Be Our Guest restaurant opened in 2012, and with it a menu complete with a few adult beverages to accompany its upscale dinner service. Walt Disney, who passed away 50 years ago, was adamant that alcoholic beverages not be served at Disneyland, and that wish carried over to Disney’s Magic Kingdom when it opened five years after his death.
Businessman says NJ Transit reneged on promise, owes him $1M
In a photo taken Thursday, Dec. 15, 2016, Russell Graddy poses for a photo outside his diner Mr. G’s in Paterson, N.J. Graddy said New Jersey Transit owes him more than $1 million after reneging on a promise to let him run a restaurant in Atlantic … In a photo taken Thursday, Dec. 15, 2016, Russell Graddy poses for a photo in his diner Mr. G’s in Paterson, N.J. Graddy said New Jersey Transit owes him more than $1 million after reneging on a promise to let him run a restaurant in Atlantic City’s … A small businessman says New Jersey Transit owes him more than $1 million after the agency reneged on a promise to let him run a restaurant in Atlantic City’s bus terminal.
The 6 Best Tax Deductions for 2017
Most U.S. taxpayers can agree on one thing: We’d all like to pay as little as possible. Thankfully, there are a number of tax deductions that can shield more of your income from the IRS.
The 5 Best-Selling Handguns in America All Have 1 Thing in Common
You can argue over which brand of handgun you like, but when it comes to features, there is little room for argument. Most shoppers are looking for a gun that is compact, lightweight, and accurate.
This ring of soap solves a major shower problem
Ring Soap fixes the most annoying thing about traditional bar soap – ruining your bathroom sink with gooey residue. It can be purchased through Gessato .
How to make texting on your iPhone as private as possible
Personal privacy is not all about how your information is sent and received over the internet. Sometimes we just want a more private experience in our physical environments, so random people can’t read our texts.
Aging baby boomers increasingly embrace marijuana, heavy alcohol use
I wrote earlier this week on how fewer teens are using drugs or alcohol than at any point in the past few decades. Indeed, while anti-drug PSAs still encourage parents to talk to their teens about drugs before someone else does, two recent studies suggest there’s another high-risk population we should be worried about: our kids’ grandparents.
Forget Social Security Cuts: Here’s What Americans Fear Most in Retirement
We all know that Americans fear Social Security benefit cuts, and rightfully so: Social Security is currently on an unsustainable path that will lead to the Trust Fund’s being depleted by 2034, according to current estimates. That would lead to a 25% or so benefit cut for retirees to keep the program operating.
Are You Caught Up On Catch-Up Contributions?
Millions of baby boomers are closing in fast on retirement, and while retirement savings are coming up short for many, the IRS allows you to significantly boost your savings once you turn 50. These catch-up contributions can make a big difference in attaining financial security in retirement, so let’s review the IRS’ catch-up contribution limits for 2017, and provide some insight into just how valuable this tool can be. People participating in workplace retirement plans, including 401 and 403 plans, can contribute up to $18,000 of earnings to their plan in 2017.
Monte Paschi to Start Share Sale in Effort to Avert State Rescue
Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA will begin taking orders for shares Monday as it aims to complete raising 5 billion euros by the end of the year to avoid a rescue by the Italian government. Monte Paschi will sell stock to institutional investors through Thursday, while the offer for retail investors will end on Wednesday, the Siena, Italy-based bank said in a statement Sunday.
BP Gains Abu Dhabi Oil Field Stake for $2.2 Billion in Stock
BP Plc cemented its 77-year relationship with Abu Dhabi by swapping about $2.2 billion of its own shares for a stake in one of the emirate’s largest onshore oil concessions. The U.K.’s second-biggest oil group will issue new ordinary shares to pay for 10 percent of the Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Petroleum Operations Ltd., giving the emirate a 2 percent holding in BP, the London-based company said Saturday in a statement.
Lufthansa Customers Spared Holiday Strike as Pilots Extend Truce
Deutsche Lufthansa AG’s namesake brand took a step toward ending a pay dispute with pilots, sparing the German airline’s customers strikes over the Christmas holidays. The Vereinigung Cockpit pilots union said Friday that it agreed to arbitration, with a target of reaching a wage agreement by the end of January.
Yoga for Everyone
It’s time to roll out your yoga mat and discover the combination of physical and mental exercises that for thousands of years have hooked yoga practitioners around the globe. The beauty of yoga is that you don’t have to be a yogi or yogini to reap the benefits.
Airborne phone use facing ban
Answer : If airlines allow passengers to make in-flight cellphone calls, the carrier must notify passengers in advance, under a rule proposed by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The rule, proposed last week, may be a moot question because the Department of Transportation is still considering a complete ban on airborne voice calls within, to or from the United States.
Chinese city cancels flights in 2nd day of smog alert
A security guard wears a mask during duty in Beijing, China, Saturday, Dec. 17, 2016. China’s capital and other northern cities have banned half of all vehicles from city streets and ordered factories, schools and construction sites closed in … A woman adjusts her mask before walking outdoors in Beijing, China, Saturday, Dec. 17, 2016.
These Universities Are Training The World’s Top Coders
With early college admissions under way for many universities around the country, we got to thinking: Which colleges have the best coders in the world? While there are academic rankings, like the Top Computer Science Programs by U.S. News & World Report , there is no list that ranks colleges purely by their students’ ability to code. The criteria for the U.S. News & World Report , for instance, includes number of research papers produced, global research reputation, and number of conferences.
What I want for Christmas: An end to robocalls, more savings, less fraud
CLEVELAND, Ohio — It’s time for my 12th annual “What I want for Christmas” list. Some wishes from Christmases past have come true: Most major retailers have finally — a year after they should have — shifted to payment terminals that accept credit and debit cards with EMV chips.
Cable giants step up battle against ‘free TV’ Android box, but can they win?
Sophia Harris has worked as a CBC video journalist across the country, covering everything from the start of the annual lobster fishery in Yarmouth, N.S., to potash prices in Saskatchewan. She now has found a good home at the business unit in Toronto where she produces for national TV news and writes and shoots and edits video for CBC.ca.
Cashless Christmas and help booking winter getaway: CBC’s Marketplace consumer cheat sheet
Some parents pay more for child care than for their mortgage . A report this week found childcare in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and St. John’s usually costs more than $1,000 a month .
Senator: Exploding e-cigarette recalls need to be considered
In this April 23, 2014 file photo, E-cigarettes appear on display at Vape store in Chicago. U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer is increasing the heat on the federal government to consider recalling e-cigarette batteries and devices that explode and … catch fire, injuring users.
FCC Chair Wheeler To Step Down
The Federal Communications Commission is about to get a big shakeup in terms of personnel and quite likely in policy. On Thursday, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler [seen here], who pushed through controversial rules protecting net neutrality and guarding consumer privacy, announced he will step down from the commission on Jan. 20, the same day that Donald Trump will be inaugurated as president.