State Farm has ceased accepting homeowner insurance applications in California due to increasing catastrophe risks and rising construction costs.
Driving the decision: The insurance giant cites "historic increases in construction costs outpacing inflation, rapidly growing catastrophe exposure, and a challenging reinsurance market" as reasons for the decision. * The measure took effect on Saturday, covering both personal and business properties. * State Farm was the leading company offering home insurance in California.
Context: California has faced a years-long issue of insurance companies dropping homeowners due to the growing risk of wildfires. * California has experienced some of the most destructive wildfire seasons in its history, leading to increasing insurance premiums and stricter eligibility requirements.
Industry impact: American International Group notified the state's insurance regulator last year that it will exit the homeowners market. * California officials have tried to mitigate such efforts by temporarily barring insurers from dropping customers in wildfire-affected areas and directing insurance companies to provide discounts.
View original article on NPR
This summary was created by an AI system. The use of this summary is subject to our Terms of Service.

When my account with Uber became deactivated, it was nothing short of an existential crisis personally. In large part, it was a significant income I came to rely on. My rating as an Uber driver was 5 stars, without a single negative complaint. I also performed services for Uber Eats delivery with above average ratings. The last year many news reports have surfaced concerning drivers with an otherwise exemplary performance record with Uber, whose accounts were deactivated for erroneous and typically unfounded claims. The appeal process is essentially a complete charade, whereupon drivers are guilty until proven otherwise, regardless of how baseless the claims are. My account was deactivated for “fraudulent activity”, for which Uber would not provide any further elaboration. Initially, I thought it best to seek legal counsel to formalize an appeal. Through a reddit search, I discovered a company named Gigrocket mentioned in a forum that claims it can reactivate driver accounts. Although I wasn’t able to find any reviews of the company, Gigrocket does have a presence on Youtube. Viewer comments are numerous, but there are no substantiated comments that would indicate a successful reactivation.
The following is a summary of my experiences with the service. I sent roughly $70 to initiate an appeal, and was sent an email confirmation of receipt. Gigrocket claims various partnerships with legal firms, but no copies of the appeal were ever sent to validate ongoing negotiations with Uber. Roughly 3-4 weeks had gone by thereafter, without any updates as to the progression of the appeal. Since no phone numbers are provided, I reached out by email to the owner, Torsten Kunert. I was informed that Uber apparently was unwilling to reactivate my account upon appeal, and therefore the issue would progress to small claims court. I was not provided with a timeline, other than the process was likely to be long and protracted. Again, no documentation from any law firm was sent to my home indicating small claims activity. After two additional months went by, I reached out to Torsten again, and there was no response. I contacted Uber concerning the status of my account, only to find no appeal had ever been presented to them.
It’s unfortunate that there are those who will prey upon the misfortunes of others, as I’ve lost a great deal of time that otherwise could have been remedied by a reputable law firm. Please perform your due diligence by avoiding any service claiming to reactivate driver accounts.

Hey there :)
I've had great experiences on here before, so I'm back again to try my luck. I'm 35, male, 5'7(exactly, no lying here), Asian-American, decently fit. Think a cross between a powerlifter and body builder. I am single and have my own place! I'm really looking for in-person sessions and connections, but if you're online only I'm not opposed to chatting and seeing how we click.
I'm a very gentle daddy type, but I do enjoy being rough mean and nasty ONLY if that is a kink that gets you extra turned on. A few of my kinks are: Spanking, making u beg and call me daddy, humiliation, deep-throating, bondage, spitting, cnc and more. I also enjoy pleasuring my sub, so that could include body worship, fingering/eating you out, using toys on you, fucking, etc. I'm huge into verbal expression, so you'll be hearing a lot of "good girl", etc, throughout our conversations and sessions. My ideal mate is a girl who gets off being pleasuring me. But also can be the focus of my attention too.
Vanilla me: Currently employed, but about to switch jobs/careers. I am probably most available to talk later in the evening. I don't mind a little travel, but I have my own apartment, so it is most cost effective if we play at my place. But I do prefer to meet in public first, for your safety and mine. I also love daytime dates, so brunch, coffee, or shopping is always on the table. My hobbies include playing video games(League of Legends is my main), going to the gym, and working out. I'm looking for someone that wants to build a connection inside and outside of kink.
If you don't live near me we can still chat too! I am super into sexting, specifically video or voice chat. I love showing off and having girls watch me jerk off and cum, but of course you have to earn it ;)
Shoot me a message or a chat with a little about you and what you're looking for! Feel free to ask me any questions as well.
Thanks and hope to talk soon!

I've had great experiences on here before, so I'm back again to try my luck. I'm 35, male, 5'7(exactly, no lying here), Asian-American, decently fit. Think a cross between a powerlifter and body builder. I am single and have my own place! I'm really looking for in-person sessions and connections, but if you're online only I'm not opposed to chatting and seeing how we click.
I'm a very gentle daddy type, but I do enjoy being rough mean and nasty ONLY if that is a kink that gets you extra turned on. A few of my kinks are: Spanking, making u beg and call me daddy, humiliation, deep-throating, bondage, spitting, cnc and more. I also enjoy pleasuring my sub, so that could include body worship, fingering/eating you out, using toys on you, fucking, etc. I'm huge into verbal expression, so you'll be hearing a lot of "good girl", etc, throughout our conversations and sessions. My ideal mate is a girl who gets off being pleasuring me. But also can be the focus of my attention too.
Vanilla me: Currently employed, but about to switch jobs/careers. I am probably most available to talk later in the evening. I don't mind a little travel, but I have my own apartment, so it is most cost effective if we play at my place. But I do prefer to meet in public first, for your safety and mine. I also love daytime dates, so brunch, coffee, or shopping is always on the table. My hobbies include playing video games(League of Legends is my main), going to the gym, and working out. I'm looking for someone that wants to build a connection inside and outside of kink.
If you don't live near me we can still chat too! I am super into sexting, specifically video or voice chat. I love showing off and having girls watch me jerk off and cum, but of course you have to earn it ;)
Shoot me a message or a chat with a little about you and what you're looking for! Feel free to ask me any questions as well.
Thanks and hope to talk soon!

This is the definition of rags to riches to rags, not replacing their GK and sacking Brenden Rogers cost them this. Hopefully it works out all right for them and they get promoted in a few seasons.
This is the 2nd ever premier league champion to go down, the last time was Blackburn who went down 15 years after their win in 95 while Leicester went down after only 7.

I have recently developed a interest in late B-body wagons. I am trying to figure out how to do a big brake swap without breaking the bank. I now Kore3 makes billet hubs, but would it be possible (and safe) to get some rotors and turn them into hubs by cutting the rotor portion off and replacing the studs with longer ones. I am concerned about them cracking over time due to the load put on the studs from braking. The other thought I had was instead of machining new rotors every time they had to be replaced i would buy a 2 piece rotor ring and make some custom hats, but would those still need to be billet or would it be fine to use a more cost effective materials. Thanks in advance.

Clickbait HA! Betty White is not dead.
MODS: please don't delete this thread. I think it is very important, especially in light of another thread posted recently condemning research chemical endeavors.
What makes a person a degenerate? A weirdo? A drug abuser? An internet nerd who can source pure drugs more efficiently than the average person who occasionally partakes in reality augmentation through exogenous means?These are all questions. Hypothetical, yes, but the last one is a bit intriguing, no? Why are drugs even "bad"? Because your teachers in school always said so? Because the TV commercial said so? Maybe you have seen drug addicts, first hand, destroy their lives and the lives of others.
Alright, I'm throwing my coffee maker away. I'm setting my car on fire; it can go WAY too fast. I'll never go to another social gathering where alcohol is served. I'm throwing away my favorite beer bong. I'm stomping on all my crack pipes. I'm selling my childs' swing set.
My whole life is a sham. I thought I was just living my life the way that I chose to without harming anyone in the process. Sigh, I guess my interest in pharmacology is just too dangerous to continue entertaining. I should do what other people say, and live by their ideals so I don't appear "bad".
I could really go on forever criticizing anti-drug propaganda and the war on drugs as a whole. But I welcome anyone to come and share their opinions. Please don't belittle anyone else's opinion. But please respect the views of others even if they differ from yours. I.e. if you believe I am a degenerate, feel free to intelligently explain how and why. And yes, I love augmented reality compounds.
Thanks!

Need help :(
Hello guys,
New to this subreddit. Anyways, Me and my girl met on call of duty 3 years ago. At that time she had a boyfriend, we were just friends. Then we got into a little argument and didn’t speak for like a year. Then, December 2022, I met her again on the game and we started clicking again. On January 1st, 2023, I asked her to be my girlfriend and all. Everything is going great and all. Then, on April 28th 2023, I went to go see her for the first time (flew 15 hours from the plane). She was everything we talked about, nice to talk to and all. So, one night, she went to go shower and left her phone in the room. I figured why don’t I see what’s going on.. everything was good so far, it’s everything that I know of (keep in mind that we share screens to watch movies so she sometimes even shares her screen to show her photo gallery or messages). But like, I saw a hidden folder, I unlocked it with her password and saw my pictures only and her sexy pics ;) ,one picture of her with this guy and the picture was of her kissing him on the lips at this music festival 21 days after we started our relationship.. she has never told me about this. I even remember her showing me pictures of her staying at her besties (female) house and we FaceTimed too. This gotta be a random guy that she met at the music festival.. she did tell me that she was drunk that day too.. I was speechless when I saw the picture because she told me that she doesn’t cheat and that she has been cheated on in the past with her ex two times. Anyways, when she came back to the room after the shower, I pretended like I didn’t check her phone because I don’t like arguments and she doesn’t like it either.. she finds it toxic and psycho. So I don’t do that for the sake of our relationship. She’s going to another music festival in two weeks with her besties (females that also have boyfriends), and I kind of beat around the bush and was like “are there usually any simps that u meet at the festivals?”, she said yes there is many but I usually stay with the girls and don’t give them attention. Then I was like “have u ever kissed a guy in a festival before our relationship or during our relationship even if drunk?”, she said “during our relationship, I have not”. In my mind, I was so bothered cause she lied to me… but anyways, I went to visit her for 3 weeks during that time and came to find that out. Again, I don’t want to confront her about this cause I’m scared and I know that she will say “that’s so psycho, why did u go through my phone while I was showering?? You know I don’t like psychos cause my ex was psycho and I don’t want to be with another psycho”. She has another festival in 2 weeks.. I don’t even live close enough to her to be going to festivals. It costs alot too (festival, plane tickets).
Wanted to share it with you guys and tell me with you guys think? You guys think she kisses that guy because she felt like this relationship wasn’t that serious at the time?

Whenever survivors bring blood point offering and the killer finishes the game quickly they complain. It is a blood rush event. I have tried bringing low tier killers in with fun perks and a bloody party streamer. However, everytime I do it I get gen rushed making everyone leave with the minimum amount of points. Just stop with the hypocrisy already. Survivors suck just as much if not more than the average killer.

24M 180 lbs. 6’2 I take valacyclovir, strattera, adderall, propranolol, and lots of aleve
For some context, for the past year and a half I've been dealing with severe RSI in my hands. Still recovering.
A couple days ago I noticed a rice grain shaped bump under my skin. It’s at the palm side ball of my thumb joint. It's stationary and seems like it's attached to whatever body is right below my skin. I’ll sometimes get dull bruise like pain moving my thumb, but it’s really only painful on contact. Not protruding or visible.
Any idea what this might be?
I bring up my RSI, because I’m scared that I might have to do a surgery for it. That may seem like an over exaggeration, but RSI has been a living nightmare and has very much consumed my life.
Lost my job, my ability to do what I love, and the only viable treatment (besides a previous cyst removal I had elsewhere) is on the other side of the country, has costed my family a fortune, and is slow acting. If I were to get a surgery, I’d no doubt lose a lot of my progress.
It’d be nice to know if this is nothing, or something I need to take care of. Google’s best guess is that it’s a rheumatoid nodule, but I don't think the symptoms line up. I’ll see a doctor about it, but it’ll be a hot minute, as I’m tied up.

Have you ever had a podcast and one of your co hosts you maybe got a long with for first two episodes but then later on showing true colors?
​
-- inconsistent schedulling
-- just a vibe that we don't really like each other
-- we both get on with the other guy more who is like the "glue"
Its a sports comedy podcast. Do you think this kind of tension can add good experience for both of us in a podcast or should one of us part ways? How did you all overcome this? Maybe you dont have to be good friends with your podcast buddies?
We are 30 episodes in. Averaging 20 listens per episode

Have an older guitar i found on the street that looks fine but actually has a broken piece that keeps it out of tune. Would cost a lot to repair and even then the guy said it would see issues in a year anyways.
Don't want to sell since the buyer will likely just have issues with it down the line. Was thinking of smashing it but not sure where. Seemed weird to just leave on the curb since someone might take it not knowing how it's broken.
What do?

I can’t help but time to time, i feel like If I give in to my family’s tantrums, we will never improve our standard of living. I come from an average middle class family of six consisting of my grandma, my parents, my elder brother, my twin sister and me. My dad is an average government employee, most of what he earns goes towards loan repayments and living expenses & there isn’t much left in the end.
Here’s some context or background story you need to be aware of : We aren’t poor, so far i got what i asked for as long as it’s reasonable ( like a 110 cc commuter bike & a entry level Gaming laptop that I’ve been using for 5 years now). For the most part I’m grateful for the life i have. I realize that there are many who do not even have access to basic needs and there are those who don’t even realize how fortunate they are to be able to spend lakhs per month without any repercussions to maintain an extravagant lifestyle, I understand that the world is an unfair place and it’s on me to do what i can to make the most of what i have at my disposal. As someone who’s born into the middle of these two extremes, I’ve seen both of their lifestyles & I’m grateful for the wisdom i got (which neither the poor or filthy rich will get)
Anyway since i was a kid, Things haven’t always gone well for me, when i was growing up, i never had a stable loving family environment. I always had to step up to resolve conflicts all the time when i was kid myself. I had to learn the difficulties of life early on, my father isn’t a responsible man, he doesn’t have much concern about what the future holds. He’s a kind of brute that only cares about drinking & dining. in the present. When he’s got the cash he spends it without any respect for it & acts as if the world revolves around him. But when the money runs out, he doesn’t even bother to provide us with the things we need (not wants, but needs). My mom had to put up with this man, she had to step up and manage finances even if she herself wasn’t very good at it (she did what she could) and thanks to her we at-least have all of our needs accounted for.My mom made sure that our Education was a priority and made sure that we got a good education.
We do not have any generational wealth, or we used to until my dad like a moron he is, signed away the property my grandfather passed on because of his blind trust in a builder from the same caste. Long story short, he “sold” a high value property in the middle of the city for pennies, after creating thus problem in the first place he spent more money on lawyers to undo it only to learn his fuck up was irreversible. The property on my mother’s side doesn’t amount to much, and i pretty much grew up with the mindset that if i wanted anything in my life, i have to earn it myself. My mom despite the best she did, she too sometimes get carried away with spending. She has a taste for luxury and it’s a constant temptation for her. For some context, She’s a bit of a hoarder & buys things we don't need & just hoards stuff that hasn’t been used for ages. Her room looks like a store room & it doesn’t stop there. There’s a lot of excess stuff lying around in the home & to accommodate all this stuff we have to rent a bigger house. Even if it’s a relatively bigger house, the joke is i still don’t have my own room, because my mom & dad each take up their own room & the remaining room is shared by mom & grandma.
My brother moved abroad to study & work, he plans on settling abroad. The diploma he got isn’t that great, he studied at some shady college, in-fact it’s now blacklisted. He got a job with the of a consultancy. His line of work isn’t lucrative by any means and what little he earns goes towards paying off consultancy support fees & his living expenses. It’s been about 4 years since he’s been abroad and 2 years since he got a job he still has a lot of money to pay back and to this day the interest payments are deducted from my dad’s salary account to this day. I am trying not judge him, but i think he can do a whole lot better with his life. He isn’t a bad person, but he did inherit some worst traits from my dad and at times I’m disappointed in him.
Like my mother, my sister too has an affinity for expensive things. She is a Dentist now, she graduated fairly recently and now she’s doing her internship at her college and she is not making any money (she got a B-category seat and we had to pay a lot of money). We plan on taking another education loan for her Masters in an years time, hoping that my brother manages to pay off his loan, so that my sister’s loan can be approved.
Fortunately for me, i got into a reputed private University for to pursue my Master’s degree and fairly recently and i had to take an education loan with my dad as the co-applicant to fund my education. From next month, My education loan interest amount will be deducted from my dad’s account and things will get even tighter. I’m saying all this because i want you to get a clear understanding of my family’s financial situation.
Background story Tldr: My dad is the sole earner at this point & we’re living paycheck to paycheck. We do not have generational wealth to rely on.
Why did i get into a fight with my mom?
My mom thinks it’s time to get my sister married, and people are inquiring about my sister. So she’s feeling the peer pressure & wants my sister to get married and I’m objecting the idea because it’s absurd. She’s been discussing this idea with me, the youngest son (cause I’m the de facto head at this point) & I’m asking her to be patient & not give in to FOMO.
I want my sister to finish her Masters & achieve financial freedom before she got married. It’s not even like she’ll be too old to get married by that time. Me & my twin sister are 2 years old and if we’re to wait for three more years our financial situation will vastly improve when the three of us were to start earning. 25 is by no means too late for a wedding, but my mother seems to have trouble keeping her shit together and is going on and on about getting her married.
To make matters worse, 2 days ago my sister said she if she’s gonna married at minimum she’s going to spend One Crore rupees on her wedding. That’s bat shit insane to even consider provided we live pay check to pay check, drowning in debt with no generational wealth to rely on. And my mom took it seriously and she’s expecting me & my brother to foot the bill when she gets married. My mom keeps telling me about her miserable life, a tale i’ve heard about a million times & i’m now desensitized to it, She keeps telling me that marriage is a one time thing & when my sister looks back at her wedding, it has to be a memorable event.
I said in today’s day & age, thinking that marriage is a once in lifetime is kind of a joke. More importantly i told her that one has to maintain a lifestyle they can afford, looking back my sister has to be glad about her wedding, not regret that she spent a fuck load of money she didn’t have every-time she paid the Monthly EMI. My mom tried to counter that by asking me why my sister will foot the bill when me & my brother are there for her. I said that we will support my sister & make a generous contribution to her wedding (like an year’s salary) but by no means are we footing her entire bill. We aren’t getting her educated for nothing, if she wants an expensive lifestyle it’s up-to her to maintain it. Then my mom was like it’s actually the parent’s responsibility and dashed off into the kitchen. I was like if that’s what you think a parent’s responsibility is, then you already failed.
Why am i angry?
I’m trying to make peace with my parent’s mistakes, I realize that i have to make the most out of the life i have and I’m trying to undo their fuck ups, I really am. But entertaining these ridiculous ideas & letting my own sister fuck me over with her demands is something i cannot allow.
And the twist is, my sister is in a relationship with a guy from a different religion (which my family will not be cool with) and this is a fucking time bomb that i have to diffuse or at-least make the necessary arrangements to minimize the fallout. My family doesn’t know about this (ignorance is bliss) and I’m the one cursed with this knowledge. My sister doesn’t realize how much effort i put into advocating for her education and financial independence & she continues to make stupid statements like “ I want to at-least spend One Crore in my weeding” adding even more fuel to the dumpster fire I’m trying to suppress.
If i tell my sister the actuality of the situation I’m protecting her from, I’m afraid this idiot might elope & cause irreparable damage to her ties with my family, to make matters even worse if it doesn’t work out for her, she’ll have no place left to go. If she were to simply insist on finishing her Master’s first, at least by that time we’ll be doing financially better and at the very least she will actually have a greater say & control over own life to deal with ensuing consequences. We have no choice but to play the long game, to play our cards right & these idiots seem to complicate things when I’m trying to undo the fuck-ups.

Notion has emerged as an essential writing tool over the past few years. It already allowed users to manage virtually every aspect of the content creation process in an easy to use interface. That’s why I was excited to see that Notion just lauched its AI tool, Notion AI. But what exact is Notion AI and what are the potential uses of Notion AI for writers? Read on to learn more!

What is Notion?

​
Notion is a digital workspace that allows you to organize and manage various aspects of your life, including tasks, projects, notes, and more. It is a flexible, all-in-one platform that combines the functionality of various productivity tools, such as project management software, note-taking apps, and databases, into a single workspace.
Notion features a customizable interface that allows users to create pages, databases, and templates that suit their specific needs. It also supports a wide range of integrations with other tools and services, such as Google Drive, Trello, and Slack.
Notion is available on desktop and mobile devices, and it offers both free and paid plans with varying levels of features and capabilities. Its popularity has grown rapidly in recent years, making it a popular choice for individuals, teams, and businesses looking to streamline their workflows and increase productivity.

What is Notion AI?

Notion announced on February 22, 2023 that all users could access notion’s latest tool, Notion AI.
Notion AI is an artificial intelligence assistant that can be used natively within Notion documents, spreadsheets, or other Notion products. Notion AI uses the same GPT-3 language model that is behind ChatGPT.

What Are The Features of Notion AI?

​
Notion AI contains a number of features designed to enhance productivity for writers within Notion.
Notion AI allow users to:
- Create a content calendar to plan ahead and stay organized with your blog posts.
- Write catchy headlines that will grab your readers’ attention and encourage them to read further.
- Use visuals, such as images and videos, to make your blog posts more engaging and memorable.
- Make sure your blog is mobile-friendly, as more and more people are accessing content on their smartphones and tablets.
- Use social media to promote your blog and reach a wider audience.
- Engage with your readers by responding to comments and encouraging discussion on your blog.
- Focus on a niche or specific topic to establish yourself as an expert in that area.
- Collaborate with other bloggers or brands to expand your reach and bring new perspectives to your blog.
- Use SEO techniques, such as keyword research and meta descriptions, to improve your blog’s visibility on search engines.
- Experiment with different types of content, such as listicles, how-to guides, and interviews, to keep your blog fresh and interesting.
You can see a full list of the current Notion AI features in the screenshots below:

Notion AI Pricing

​
Anyone (including users with a free Notion plan) can try Notion AI for free, in order to test its capabilities before purchasing the add-on subscription.
However, once you’ve used all your complimentary Notion AI responses, you will see a message that a Notion AI add-on subscription is necessary to continue using AI features. You’ll then need to purchase the Notion AI add on.
The Notion AI add-on costs $8 per member / month for users choosing the annual plan (an additional $96 per year) if you already have a paid Notion account.
If you have a paid Notion plan and choose to purchase the Notion AI add-on but pay with monthly billing, or decide to keep your free Notion account and only upgrade to receive Notion AI, you will be charged $10 per member / month ($120 per year).

How Can Writers Use Notion AI?

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Having experimented with Notion AI (both as an early beta tester and using the plan currently available to all users), here are some of the top use cases demonstrating the value of Notion AI for writers:
​

1. Summarizing Written Content

Notion AI offers an easy to use, one click command, that automatically summarizes a portion of text highlighted.
For the purposes of this example, I entered the text of a recent WSJ article, Fed Minutes Show Most Officials Favored Quarter-Point Rate Rise.
​
The original article text is listed below:
Most Federal Reserve officials thought slowing the pace of interest-rate increases at their meeting three weeks ago offered the best way to balance the risks of doing too much or too little to combat inflation, but some warned against the hazards of slowing or stopping rate increases too soon.
“A number of participants observed that a policy stance that proved to be insufficiently restrictive could halt recent progress in moderating inflationary pressures,” said the minutes of the Jan. 31-Feb. 1 meeting, released Wednesday.
Fed officials unanimously approved raising their benchmark federal-funds rate by a quarter percentage point to a range between 4.5% and 4.75% on Feb. 1. That increase followed six larger increases, including a half percentage point in December.
Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday the central bank will raise interest rates a quarter-percentage-point. Powell said more increases will likely be needed to continue lowering inflation.
The minutes of the gathering said that “almost all participants agreed that it was appropriate” to raise rates by a quarter point, or 25 basis points. Many of these officials “observed that a further slowing in the pace of rate increases would better allow them to assess the economy’s progress… as they determine the extent of future policy tightening,” the minutes said.
But a few participants favored or would have also agreed to a larger half-point move, the minutes said. “The participants favoring a 50-basis-point increase noted that a larger increase would more quickly bring the target range close to the levels they believed would achieve a sufficiently restrictive stance,” the minutes said.
Their discussion suggested another increase of a quarter point was likely at their next meeting on March 21-22. Since then, new data indicated stronger economic activity and slower progress on inflation than previously expected, which could keep the Fed raising rates longer than anticipated before the latest reports.
At the time of the recent meeting, Fed Chair Jerome Powell was facing increasing skepticism from investors over whether the central bank would continue raising rates because economic activity had been mixed around year’s end, with signs that consumer spending had moderated and weakness in the hard-hit housing sector was spreading to manufacturing. Investors were also anticipating rate cuts later this year.
The Fed raises rates to combat inflation by slowing the economy through tighter financial conditions—such as higher borrowing costs, lower stock prices and a stronger dollar—that curb demand.
Most Fed officials projected in December that they would raise the fed-funds rate to 5.1% this year, which would imply quarter-point rate increases at their next two meetings, in March and May. More than a third of officials anticipated lifting the rate above 5.25%. No officials projected rate cuts this year.
Some officials at the meeting observed that any continued easing in financial conditions could require the Fed to raise rates to higher levels or keep them at higher levels for longer than anticipated.
In the three weeks since they met, fresh U.S. economic reports showed that hiring and retail spending surged in January. The unemployment rate fell to 3.4%, a 53-year low, surprising economists who have long anticipated that Fed rate increases would slow economic growth soon. Economic growth also has rebounded in Europe, further easing worries of a global recession this year.
As a result, investors now expect the Fed to lift the fed-funds rate to around 5.4% in June–more than central bank officials had projected in December.
Inflation’s swift decline late last year also stalled in January. The 12-month inflation rate edged down to 6.4% last month from 6.5% in December and a recent high of 9.1% in June, according to the Labor Department. The department’s widely followed gauge, the consumer-price index, rose a sturdy 0.5% in January from the month before, a sign of still strong price pressures.
Two Fed presidents said last week they would have supported a larger half-point rate rise at the last meeting, rather than the quarter-point increase approved. One of them, Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester, said officials aren’t limited to quarter-point steps. “We can move faster, and we can do bigger [increases] at any particular meeting.”
St. Louis Fed President James Bullard also said he would support moving as quickly as possible to raise the fed-funds rate to 5.4%. “I don’t see much merit in delaying our approach to that level,” he told reporters last week.
Most other Fed officials have expressed a preference for quarter-point increases. Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin told reporters last week he liked that approach “because I believe it gives us the flexibility to respond” depending on how the economy evolves.
Mr. Barkin said he didn’t favor moving rapidly to an estimated peak rate before pausing because he isn’t confident the central bank can gauge how much its past rate moves are slowing the economy. “That theory, to me, requires more confidence in understanding” the effectiveness of tighter rate policy “than I have,” he said.
Overall inflation had slowed in recent months largely because of falling prices of energy and other goods. Large increases in housing costs have slowed, but haven’t yet filtered through to official price gauges. Mr. Powell has nevertheless justified continued rate increases by pointing to still-tight labor markets, elevated wage pressures and high inflation for labor-intensive services.
Mr. Barkin noted the surprising strength in January spending and hiring, but said he wasn’t ready to substantially revise his economic outlook because of the potential for unusual seasonal volatility, including a longer holiday spending season in the fourth quarter, warmer weather and changes in how employers are managing their staffing given recent difficulties hiring workers.
Investors’ shifting expectations about the Fed could already be helping the central bank because interest-rate policies work through financial markets. Changes to the anticipated trajectory of rates, and not just what the Fed does at any meeting, can influence broader financial conditions.
Since November, anticipation of a milder interest-rate path led financial conditions to ease somewhat after tightening substantially last year. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate, for example, jumped from 4% one year ago to 7% in November. It then edged lower, to around 6% earlier this month.
Over the past two weeks, however, financial conditions have tightened again as investors anticipate an interval of higher short-term interest rates. Mortgage lenders have reported rates are returning back to 7% in recent days.
After a few seconds, Notion AI generated the following text summarizing the article:
The minutes of the Jan. 31-Feb. 1 meeting of the Federal Reserve show that most officials favored slowing the pace of interest-rate increases to balance the risks of doing too much or too little to combat inflation. However, some warned against slowing or stopping rate increases too soon. The minutes also suggest that another increase of a quarter point is likely at the next meeting on March 21-22. Fresh U.S. economic reports showed that hiring and retail spending surged in January, which could keep the Fed raising rates longer than anticipated before the latest reports.
Investors’ expectations about the Fed could already be helping the central bank, as interest-rate policies work through financial markets. Changes to the anticipated trajectory of rates, and not just what the Fed does at any meeting, can influence broader financial conditions. Since November, anticipation of a milder interest-rate path led financial conditions to ease somewhat after tightening substantially last year.
Over the past two weeks, however, financial conditions have tightened again as investors anticipate an interval of higher short-term interest rates. Mortgage lenders have reported rates are returning back to 7% in recent days. Two Fed presidents said last week they would have supported a larger half-point rate rise at the last meeting, rather than the quarter-point increase approved.
St. Louis Fed President James Bullard also said he would support moving as quickly as possible to raise the fed-funds rate to 5.4%. Most other Fed officials have expressed a preference for quarter-point increases, as they believe it gives them the flexibility to respond depending on how the economy evolves.
Overall inflation had slowed in recent months largely because of falling prices of energy and other goods, but large increases in housing costs have slowed, but haven’t yet filtered through to official price gauges. Mr. Powell has nevertheless justified continued rate increases by pointing to still-tight labor markets, elevated wage pressures, and high inflation for labor-intensive services.
While not perfect, this is a really good summarization of a complex article/topic. And the Notion AI tool also provided options for further editing this text, including making the summary longer, rewriting the entire summary, or replacing a section of the article.

2. Changing Tone of Text

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Another great feature of Notion AI is its ability to change the tone of text.
For example, I used the following excerpt from a Washington Post article on winter weather:
A strong, intensifying storm system continued its trek across the Lower 48 early Wednesday, unleashing high-impact winter weather that could cause widespread power outages and grind travel to a halt. At least 75 million Americans are under winter storm, ice storm, blizzard warnings or winter weather advisories.
In addition to hefty precipitation in much of the Midwest and parts of the Plains, there could also be snow in notably low elevations — including in areas that rarely see measurable snowfall. Even the Los Angeles County mountains are included in a rare blizzard warning — the first issued by the National Weather Service office there since 1989. Snow levels could descend to below 1,000 feet elevation as extreme anomalous cold at high altitudes whips up a serious elevation storm.
That same lobe of frigid air aloft is also spawning a surface low that’s marching across the country. Over the Upper Midwest and the northern Plains, up to two feet of snow could fall in what the National Weather Service office in Minneapolis is calling a historic winter storm. It could prove to be a top-5 event in the Twin Cities, where blizzard warnings slice through the metro.
On the southern fringe of the snowfall, mild air a mile above the ground will favor freezing rain, with a quarter- to a half-inch of ice accumulation, or glaze, possible in some areas. Parts of the Corn Belt and Michigan are expected to be hardest hit, including places like Dubuque and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, or Lansing, Kalamazoo and Ann Arbor in Michigan.
The storm should finish its cross-country assault in the Northeast late Thursday into Friday, where additional winter storm warnings are in effect for northern New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
I then used the Notion AI change tone function, and selected the “casual option”:
The Notion AI tool then quickly generated the following text:
Wowza, we’ve got a major storm system heading across the US of A, bringing some serious winter weather that could knock out power and put a stop to travel plans. That’s no joke, folks! It looks like around 75 million Americans are under winter storm, ice storm, blizzard warnings or winter weather advisories, so you know this is serious business.
And get this, it’s not just heavy precipitation we’re talking about – parts of the Midwest and Plains could get snow, and we’re talking about areas that don’t usually see snowfall. The Los Angeles County mountains are even included in a rare blizzard warning – the first one issued by the National Weather Service office there in over 30 years! The snow could even come down to below 1,000 feet elevation. Yikes!
There’s a lobe of frigid air up high that’s causing all of this, and it’s also spawning a surface low that’s going across the country. In the Upper Midwest and the northern Plains, we’re talking up to two feet of snow in what the National Weather Service office in Minneapolis is calling a historic winter storm. That’s right, it could be a top-5 event in the Twin Cities, where blizzard warnings are all over the place.
On the southern edge of the snowfall, freezing rain is likely, and some areas could see a quarter- to a half-inch of ice accumulation. The Corn Belt and Michigan are expected to be hit hard, including places like Dubuque and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, or Lansing, Kalamazoo and Ann Arbor in Michigan.
This storm is going to finish up with a bang in the Northeast late Thursday into Friday, where more winter storm warnings are in effect for northern New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Stay safe out there, folks!
While perhaps a bit over the top, it definitely demonstrates the AI tools ability to create content using different tones.

3. Writing Social Media Posts

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While the previous two use cases demonstrate the Notion AI tool’s ability to synthesize and mimic different forms of text, this next example shows its power to create text based off of very short prompts. Specifically, how it can quickly generate social media posts.
I selected the option from the Notion AI menu to write a social media post. It asked for me to enter a prompt to complete this sentence:
Write a social media post about_____________
And I simply entered “spring cleaning.”
In response, it generated the following social media post (including the hashtags):
Spring is here and it’s time for some cleaning! Whether it’s decluttering your home, organizing your closet, or deep cleaning those hard-to-reach areas, now is the perfect time to get started. A little bit of cleaning can go a long way in making your space feel refreshed and renewed. Don’t forget to donate any items you no longer need to charity or recycle them responsibly. Let’s all welcome spring with a clean and organized home!
#springcleaning #declutter #organization #cleanhome #refreshed #renewed #donate #recycle
While not perfect, I didn’t give the AI tool much information, so I was fairly impressed with this output.

4. Writing a Blog Post

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Similar to the last use case, I wanted to further text the Notion AI tool’s ability to generate written content. So I selected the “write a blog post” option and entered the following prompt:
The tool generated the following blog post:

The Benefits of Jogging

Introduction

Jogging is a popular form of exercise that has numerous benefits for both physical and mental health. It is a low-impact exercise that can be done anytime and anywhere, making it a convenient choice for people of all ages and fitness levels. Jogging is also an affordable form of exercise, as it requires no special equipment or membership fees. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the benefits of jogging and how it can improve your overall health and well-being.

Physical Benefits

Jogging is an excellent way to improve cardiovascular health. It helps to strengthen the heart and lungs, lowers blood pressure, and reduces the risk of heart disease. Jogging also helps to build endurance and increase stamina, which can improve athletic performance in other activities.
In addition to its cardiovascular benefits, jogging can also help with weight loss and weight management. It is an effective way to burn calories and boost metabolism, which can help to shed excess pounds and maintain a healthy weight. Jogging also helps to build muscle and tone the body, giving you a leaner and more sculpted appearance.
Jogging is also good for bone health. It helps to strengthen bones and prevent osteoporosis, a condition that causes bones to become brittle and weak. Regular jogging can also improve joint health and flexibility, reducing the risk of injury and improving overall mobility.

Mental Benefits

Jogging is not just good for physical health, it also has many mental health benefits. It is an excellent way to reduce stress and anxiety, as it releases endorphins that promote feelings of happiness and relaxation. Jogging can also boost self-esteem and confidence, helping to improve overall mood and well-being.
Regular jogging can also improve cognitive function and brain health. It has been shown to improve memory, concentration, and overall brain function, reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia in later life. Jogging can also help to improve sleep quality, which is essential for overall health and well-being.

Social Benefits

Jogging can also provide social benefits, as it can be a great way to meet new people and make friends. Joining a jogging group or running club can provide a supportive and motivating environment, where you can connect with other like-minded individuals who share your passion for jogging.

Getting Started with Jogging

If you are new to jogging, it is important to start slowly and gradually build up your endurance. Begin with short, easy runs and gradually increase the distance and intensity over time. It is also important to wear proper shoes and clothing to prevent injury and ensure comfort while jogging.
To make jogging more enjoyable, try listening to music or a podcast while you run. You can also join a jogging group or find a jogging buddy to keep you motivated and accountable.

Conclusion

In conclusion, jogging is an excellent form of exercise that can benefit both physical and mental health. It can improve cardiovascular health, aid in weight management, strengthen bones and joints, reduce stress and anxiety, boost self-esteem and confidence, and improve cognitive function and brain health. Jogging can also provide social benefits, making it a great way to meet new people and make friends. If you are looking for an easy and convenient way to improve your health and well-being, jogging is a great place to start. So put on your running shoes, hit the pavement, and enjoy the many benefits of this simple yet effective form of exercise.
Overall, I was very impressed with how quickly it generated this grammatically correct and well written blog post. It’s worth noting that once the Notion AI tool finishes generating the text, there is a button you can click to make the article longer, which it also does with ease.

5. Finding Action Items

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Last, I wanted to test the “finding action items” tool. To do this, I found a publicly available copy of a county’s meeting minutes over their local water authority (see PDF here):
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I then ran the text through the AI tool, using the “find action items tool”:
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Notion AI generated the following:

• - [ ] Purchase hydrants to replace existing hydrants in the Pinebrook Water System
• - [ ] Complete the activation of the system, replacing the hydrants, and other miscellaneous punch list items to complete the Pinebrook Water Interconnection Project
• - [ ] Engage legal counsel to advise on the assignment from Global Foundries to Onsemi
• - [ ] Request a preliminary meeting with the Poughkeepsie Joint Water Board to discuss issues and concerns regarding the assignment from Global Foundries to Onsemi
• - [ ] Speak to the Deputy County Executive, Ron Hicks in regard to the request to assign the water sale agreement to Onsemi
• - [ ] Consider retaining auditors, RBT to review Onsemi’s financials
• - [ ] Follow up with Ron Haase, Rust & Co. about purchasing the Market Street Plant

Overall, I was very impressed with the ability of the AI tool to generate action items. Since many Notion users (students, office workers, etc.) use Notion for note taking, this seems like an extremely valuable feature.
Conclusion
The examples of Notion’s AI tool make a strong case for adding the Notion AI tool to your writer toolkit! And the examples above only represent a fraction of the total use cases. Notion is already one of the best productivity tools for bloggers, and the addition of Notion AI for writers further cements its place on this list!

I've been working with a DJ for a few years now, and recently he said that if I ever wanted to start any kind of business that he would be willing to help.
I told him that I wanted to start a music store which heavily focuses on kpop. The store would include a small restaurant where people could listen to their favorite albums while talking to fellow kpop stans.
But we both wondered whether a physical music store would work these days, especially for kpop. I think it might because it's one of very few places where kpop fans can meet other fans physically (if you don't count festivals or concerts, which cost a lot of money to enter).
That's why I made this post to ask the question in the title: would you go to a kpop store if one opened nearby?

If this isn't the correct place for this post, please let me know and tell me where I can post it because I don't like filling landfills if I can help it: My MIL is an interior designer and has HUNDREDS of fabric samples books that are discontinued lines from brands. Mainly upholstery fabrics for curtains, cushion covers, etc. Various materials, some natural some synthetic. They're taking up so much space in the house and just piling up. The designers don't want them back and now we're stuck with them. My question is twofold:

1. Is anyone interested in them? I will gladly send them off, just PM me and pay shipping. I'm not kidding when I say there are HUNDREDS.
   
2. If these are not useful to anyone currently, does anyone know how I can donate/recycle them in such a way that can help keep them out of a landfill? I personally can't use them for anything of mine. I live in Greenville SC and will drive up to an hour to drop them off or will ship them off if the cost is reasonable. I know we have a donation based craft shop called ReCraft that has taken some off us before, but I really don't know that they want the billion and one we currently have on hand.....I'd call and ask but they're currently moving and won't open again till Mid-June. I'll ask them then if we still have them by then.
   

Any help appreciated on this. Again, if this is not the appropriate place for this post, please let me know and direct me to where is appropriate so I can keep these things out of the dump as much as possible.