Survey: Youth troubled with leaders of today
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- Published on 18 April 2016
- Written by PRNewswire
As the presidential election hoists leadership to the forefront of national dialogue, a new survey asks America's youth to weigh in on the topic – finding that today's leaders are believed to have their own agendas and demonstrate weak leadership. Additionally, young people would like better preparation as leaders.
Ninety percent (90%) of young people say they are concerned about the future leadership of America, and two-thirds are more confident in the next generation of leaders than in the leaders they see today. This is according to the 4-H National Youth Survey on Leadership conducted online by Harris Poll among 1,501 9th through 12th grade students.
National 4-H Council released the survey findings last week at a youth-led rally in Washington, D.C. to kick off the 4-H Grow True Leaders Campaign – giving young people across the country a forum to put their voices into positive action and rally the nation to invest in the next generation of true leaders.
More than 1,500 youth nationwide responded to the survey, which revealed:
- Most youth (81%) think leaders today are more concerned with their own agendas than with achieving the goals of their organizations.
- Seventy-six percent (76%) say leaders are focused on different priorities than what matters most to them.
- Half of youth rate government and political leaders as having weak leadership (51%), among the highest relative to other groups of leaders examined in the survey. Overall, weak leadership is related to not accomplishing what is promised (59%); not working collaboratively (56%); and not offering new solutions (53%).
- Most youth (96%) think leadership is important to addressing the country's most pressing issues; but only one in three young people says they have the skills they need to be prepared to lead.
"America is facing a critical need for more leaders – true leaders – who are prepared with the skills to deal with the problems of today and the challenges of tomorrow," said Jennifer Sirangelo, president and CEO, National 4-H Council. "A true leader leads by example, works well with others, tackles tough challenges head-on and sticks with a job until it's done. This campaign is giving youth a platform to ask for more support in preparing them to lead and to be recognized for their positive contributions."
More than 300 youth gathered at the 4-H Grow True Leaders Rally where they identified specific areas they want more support from adults: hands-on experience in leadership roles, programs to build confidence and regular encouragement to lead. They asked adults to offer positive encouragement of young people by participating in the True Leaders Shout Out online – sharing positive messages and photos or videos using #TrueLeaders to shout out a young true leader who exemplifies a positive example of courage, responsibility and resilience.
Youth also shared action platforms for the issues identified in the survey as most important to America's youth:
(1) Access to College;
(2) Jobs & The Economy;
(3) Bullying; and
(4) The Environment.
They were joined by Grammy award-winning music artist and 4-H National Spokeswoman Jennifer Nettles and 2016 Miss America Betty Cantrell; both are 4-H alumna. Other notable 4-H alumni include CNN host Nancy Grace, Facebook executive Andrew Bosworth, U.S. Congresswoman Terri Sewell, and Weekend TODAY host Craig Melvin.
More Than 1 Billion People Will Be Involved in Earth Day
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- Published on 15 April 2016
- Written by The Peorian
ThisEarth Day,April 22, more than one billion people in 192 countries will take action to protect our shared environment.
All across the globe, from big cities to small villages, people are organizing, demanding climate action, cleaning up their local communities, meeting with their elected officials, planting trees, and teaching their children to protect our planet.
In a rare and unprecedented event, United Nations Secretary GeneralBan Ki-moon has invited every world leader to the United Nations to officially sign the Paris Climate Agreement reached last December.
BothChina andthe United States– the two largest carbon emitters worldwide - have confirmed that they will sign that day. It is no coincidence that the agreement is being opened for signatures onApril 22,Earth Day.
"Earth Dayis the largest, most recognizable face of the environmental movement," saidKathleen Rogers, president ofEarth DayNetwork. "Millions of people the world over will become lifelong environmentalists on Earth Day. Hundreds of thousands will be children – our planet's future. They will join the more than 1 billion people who already useEarth Dayto focus on the urgent need to stabilize and reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change."
This yearEarth DayNetwork is focusing on planting new trees and forests worldwide. As we begin the countdown toEarth Day's 50thanniversary in 2020, EDN is pledging to plant7.8 billion trees worldwide– one for every person on Earth! That's ambitious, but this down-payment must be made in order to combat climate change and keep our most vulnerable ecosystems from extinction.
"We have no higher priority this year than to make surethe United States,China,India,Russia, the EU, and all the largest CO2emitters sign the Paris Agreement to prove that what happened inPariswas not all talk. Signing the Paris Agreement thisEarth Dayat the United Nations is just the beginning," Rogers said. "That, coupled with our global activities, will make this the largest, most significantEarth Dayin years and a perfect start in our countdown toEarth Day2020, our 50th!"
For information aboutEarth Dayactivities in your community contact 202-518-0044 or to schedule an interview contact 202-355-8875
Cat maintains dividend rate
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- Published on 13 April 2016
- Written by Paul Gordon
Caterpillar Inc. on Wednesday announced it will maintain the quarterly cash dividend of 77 cents per share of common stock, payable May 20, 2016, to stockholders of record at the close of business on April 25, 2016. That decision was made by the company’s board of directors.
"Caterpillar's balance sheet remains strong, and I'm pleased to announce we're maintaining our dividend despite continuing difficult marketplace conditions. We've taken actions to further strengthen our competitive position, including lowering our costs and increasing our machine market position for the past five years," said Caterpillar Chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman. "We remain committed to rewarding stockholders through the cycles."
Caterpillar has paid higher dividends to its stockholders for 22 consecutive years, and since 2007, the company's cash dividend has more than doubled. Caterpillar has paid a cash dividend every year since the company was formed and has paid a quarterly dividend since 1933.
Caterpillar will announce its first quarter sales and profits on Friday, April 22. Wall Street analysts who follow Caterpillar expect the company to announce a profit of 69 cents a share, according to a consensus of 16 analysts. While that would be considerably below the profit of $1.86 per share posted in the first quarter last year, it is consistent with the company’s forecast that sales and revenues, and thus profits, would continue to decline in 2016.
Those analysts predict first quarter sales and revenues will be about 25 percent below those of a year ago.
Because of because restructuring costs Caterpillar sustained a loss of 15 cents a share in the fourth quarter of 2015. Without those costs, however, the company made a profit of 74 cents a share.
Caterpillar stock has been climbing in value steadily the past three months. It closed at $57.91 a share on Jan. 25 and ended trading on Wednesday at $79.13 a share, up more than $3.
Homes with certain design elements sell faster
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- Published on 14 April 2016
- Written by PRNewswire
Why do some homes sell for a premium? In addition to timing, a home's listing description can have a significant impact on its final sale price.
Listings mentioning keywords like "barn door," "shaker cabinets" or "subway tiles," sell faster and for up to 13 percent more than expected, according to a Zillow Digs® analysisi.
Zillow Digs analyzed listing descriptions from over 2 million homes nationwide sold between January 2014 andMarch 2016 to see how certain keywords referring to home features, amenities and design styles impacted their sale price.
Of the 60 keywords analyzed, listings mentioning "barn doors," a rustic sliding door often used on bedroom closets and kitchen pantries, saw the highest sale premium (13 percent above expected values). Other common craftsman-style keywords like "farmhouse sink" were also found in top-performing listings. Furthermore, homes described as "craftsman" performed better than any other design style analyzed. While people may think the rustic mason jar-vibe is out, it is still very popular with today's buyers.
"When it comes to real estate listing descriptions – words matter," says Dr. Svenja Gudell, Zillow chief economist. "Your listing description is an opportunity to highlight specific details and finishes that might not be visible in photos. Craftsman-style homes and amenities resonate incredibly well with today's buyers – so if you've got them, flaunt them! Meanwhile, not only are subway tiles and shaker cabinets popular with home buyers, they may also signal that the home has other desirable features like an open floor plan or a well-appointed kitchen."
Understanding what's popular among buyers can also help homeowners who are considering remodeling. For example, listings descriptions that included "new carpets" had no effect on the home's sale price, but listings mentioning "hardwood floors" sold for two percent more than expected. While everyone has different preferences, when it's time to sell, a listing mentioning hardwood floors may be more likely to catch a future buyer's eye.
This report stems from an analysis in the New York Times best-seller, "Zillow Talk: Rewriting the Rules of Real Estate," which looks at how certain listing descriptors like "unique" or "captivating" can impact final sale prices. More information can be found at http://www.zillow.com/zillowtalk/.
| Home Feature Keyword |
Effect (percent homes sells for above expected values) |
Effect (how many days faster than expected the home sells) |
Most Common Metro |
| Barn Door | 13.4% | 57 | Phoenix, AZ |
| Shaker Cabinet | 9.6% | 45 | Los Angeles, CA |
| Farmhouse Sink | 7.9% | 58 | Los Angeles, CA |
| Subway Tile | 6.9% | 63 | Philadelphia, PA |
| Quartz | 6.0% | 50 | Los Angeles, CA |
| Craftsman | 5.4% | 14 | Seattle, WA |
|
Exposed Brick |
4.9% | 36 | New York, NY |
| Pendant Light | 4.6% | 48 | Phoenix, AZ |
| Frameless Shower | 4.6% | 38 | Dallas, TX |
| Heated Floors | 4.3% | 28 | Seattle, WA |
| Stainless Steel | 4.2% | 42 | Chicago, IL |
| Granite | 4.1% | 38 | Dallas, TX |
| Backsplash | 4.1% | 46 | Philadelphia, PA |
| Tankless Water Heater | 4.0% | 43 | Los Angeles, CA |
| Outdoor Kitchen | 3.7% | 19 | Tampa, FL |
Zillow Digs® is a hub for home improvement and design inspiration. Users can browse more than three million photos of interiors and exteriors of real homes, organized by space, style, cost and color. Product tags allow users to easily locate similar products and accessories as seen in their favorite photos, and patent-pending Digs® Estimates help people understand what it would cost to recreate the actual bathrooms and kitchens they are viewing.
In addition, Zillow Digs users can collect images, share favorites and follow others for inspiration, from the Zillow Digs App for iPhone® and iPad®, or on the Web.
Analysis shows housing becoming less affordable for low-income families
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- Published on 12 April 2016
- Written by PRNewswire
U.S. metros that historically have offered the best chance of success for children from low-income families have become among the least affordable cities in the country, according to a new Zillow analysis of mortgage and rental affordabilityi.
This relatively new phenomenon limits opportunities for low-income people who cannot afford to live in places that offer the most potential to climb the socioeconomic ladder.
Nationally, homebuyers could expect to spend about 15 percent of their income on a monthly mortgage payment at the end of 2015, while renters could expect to pay just under 30 percent of their income on monthly rent payments.
Across the country, low-income people have been most affected by unaffordability. Wages are growing slower than home values, and tight inventory at the bottom end of the housing market has driven up values, pricing many of them out of homeownership. Zillow's new affordability report highlights how unaffordability may be impacting the ability of children from low-income families to improve their socio-economic status when they become adults.
People Are Paying More Than 40 percent of Their Income on Rent in Major Job Markets
The percent of income renters could expect to pay for a monthly rental payment has increased since 2000, when renters spent 25 percent of their income on rent. After the housing downturn, builders stopped building many new homes, restricting the number of available rentals and driving up prices, especially because an increasing number of renters drove up demand.
In two thirds of metros, renters could expect to put more of their income towards rent than the historical averageii. In major job markets like the Bay Area, New York, and Los Angeles, the median rent requires more than 40 percent of the median income. Renters in Los Angeles can expect to spend nearly half of their income on rent.
Home Buying is Relatively Affordable, but Low-Income People Cannot Take Advantage
Conversely, persistently low mortgage rates are keeping the share of the income homebuyers can expect to spend on their monthly mortgage payments lower than the historical norm, even as home values continue to recover.
However, low-income people may not be able to take advantage of relatively affordable mortgage payments, due to high rents making it difficult to save for a down payment and few available homes within their price range.
The Gap in Home Values Between Places with the Best and Worst Opportunities for Upward Social Mobility Has Nearly Tripled Over Past 20 Years
Researchers from Harvard University's Equality of Opportunity Projectiii found that children from low-income families in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Seattle, Denver, New York, and Boston were among the most likely to join the middle class as adults. Zillow data shows that these are some of the least affordable places for both renters and buyers.
Home values have increased most in the very same metro areas that offer a path to a prosperous future – and incomes have not kept up. In the late 1990s, the average home value in the places with the best opportunities for upward socio-economic mobility was about 56 percent higher than home values in the places where getting ahead is most difficult. Today, that gap has nearly tripled to 147 percent.
"This research shows that it's harder than ever for kids who grew up in the country's lowest income households to live in the places where they're most likely to succeed," said Zillow Chief Economist Dr. Svenja Gudell. "Getting ahead and improving your socio-economic status is at the very heart of the American Dream. We already knew that high rents and growing housing costs were hitting low-income people hardest, and it's clear the housing affordability crisis on the coasts is a barrier to their upward social mobility."
Below are the most and least affordable metrosiv for homebuyers and renters, based on the share of income they can expect to pay on a monthly mortgage payment or rent.
| Most Affordable Metros | |||
| For homebuyers | For renters | ||
| 1. | Detroit, Mich. – 10.2% | 1. | St. Louis, Mo. – 23.4% |
| 2. | Pittsburgh, Penn. – 10.6% | 2. | Pittsburgh, Penn. – 24.2% |
| 3. | Indianapolis, Ind. & Cleveland, Ohio – 11.0% | 3. | Kansas City, Mo. – 24.5% |
| 4. | St. Louis, Mo. – 11.2% | 4. | Minneapolis, Minn. – 24.6% |
| 5. | Cincinnati, Ohio – 11.3% | 5. | Detroit, Mich. – 24.9% |
| Least Affordable Metros | |||
| For homebuyers | For renters | ||
| 1. | San Jose, Calif. – 42.6% | 1. | Los Angeles, Calif. – 47.6% |
| 2. | San Francisco, Calif. – 41.3% | 2. | San Francisco, Calif. – 46.1% |
| 3. | Los Angeles, Calif. – 40.4% | 3. | Miami, Fla. – 43.8% |
| 4. | San Diego, Calif. – 33.0% | 4. | New York/Northern New Jersey – 41.4% |
| 5. | New York/Northern New Jersey – 25.2% | 5. | San Jose, Calif. – 41.2% |
Zillow
Zillow® is the leading real estate and rental marketplace dedicated to empowering consumers with data, inspiration and knowledge around the place they call home, and connecting them with the best local professionals who can help. In addition, Zillow operates an industry-leading economics and analytics bureau
