kp88 President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged leaders from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to ensure the maturity of democracy in the region. Tinubu told West African leaders to draw inspiration from Ghana’s recent peaceful elections, which are a model of democratic maturity and commitment to national unity. At the opening of the 66th Ordinary Session of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government on Sunday in Abuja, President Tinubu, in a statement by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, lauded President Nana Akufo-Addo and the people of Ghana for the resounding success of their recent presidential and parliamentary elections, which set a high standard for the region. “I urge all of us in the region to learn from this good democratic practice and prioritise our country’s national unity to ensure political stability of the region so that this manner of peaceful transition becomes the culture of democracy not only in West Africa but also in the entire Africa continent,” he stated. “Despite the challenges of interrupted democratic governance in some West African countries, the region has continued to record democratic gains. Just a week ago, on December 7 2024, Presidential and Parliamentary elections took place in Ghana, the second-largest democracy in our region. “One of the leading candidates who happens to be the incumbent vice president, His Excellency Mahamudu Bawumia, together with the leadership of the ruling party, New Patriotic Party (NPP), conceded defeat and accepted the outcome of the presidential election by congratulating the president-elect, His Excellency, John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for his victory, even before the official announcement of the election results. “This gesture, as it happened in Nigeria in 2015, demonstrates political maturity and respect for the will of the people of Ghana.” President Tinubu praised President Akufo-Addo for his exceptional leadership and unwavering commitment to ECOWAS during his two terms of office, describing him as a formidable Pan-Africanist. President Tinubu also congratulated the government and people of Senegal on their successful parliamentary elections. He praised Ghana’s Foreign Minister Shirley Ayokor Botchwey for painstakingly leading the ECOWAS Ministerial Committee of the Reform and wished her a successful tenure as the Secretary General of the Commonwealth. In his second term as ECOWAS chair, President Tinubu highlighted achievements from his first term, including strides in regional integration, economic growth, conflict resolution, and counterterrorism efforts. He said the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) and Common External Tariff (CET) had strengthened trade and economic cooperation. Similarly, regional infrastructure projects such as the West African Gas Pipeline, the West Africa Power Pool, and modernising key border posts with advanced equipment and joint border operations utilising state-of-the-art technology have significantly enhanced connectivity and promoted greater regional integration. “Furthermore, our efforts in stabilising our region through peacekeeping missions currently in the Gambia and Guinea Bissau, as well as previous operations in Liberia and Sierra Leone, have demonstrated our capacity to act decisively in the face of adversity. President Tinubu said the ECOWAS Regional Action Plan on the Fight Against Terrorism had provided a comprehensive framework to combat violent extremism and enhance regional security. President Tinubu urged member states, as ECOWAS nears its 50th anniversary in 2025, to recommit to the bloc’s founding ideals of economic integration, peace, and prosperity. “As a regional community, we must maintain our fundamental responsibility: to protect our citizens and create an enabling environment where they can prosper. As leaders, we know that security is not a luxury but a necessity. Equally, enhancing the living standards of our people is not an aspiration but an obligation,” he said. The presidents of Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, and Senegal attended in person alongside the vice president of Sierra Leone, the finance minister of the Benin Republic, the foreign affairs minister of Togo, and the Ambassador of Cape Verde to Nigeria. The president of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray, commended Nigeria for paying 100 per cent of its community levy for 2023 and substantial remittances for 2024, saying it reflected Nigeria’s leadership and commitment under President Tinubu. “For the first time in 19 years, Nigeria has paid 100 per cent of its community levy from 2023. I’m therefore pleased to announce that on Friday, December 13, 2024, Nigeria spent N85 billion and $54 million, representing 100 per cent of the 2023 levy and the 2024 levy up to July 2024. “We all agree that this payment underscores the leadership and commitment of President Tinubu, the government and the people of Nigeria to our community. At a more personal level, it represents confidence in the management I have been privileged to lead since 2022.” He encouraged other member states to meet their financial commitments dutifully. Meanwhile, ECOWAS has announced that Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger will officially withdraw from the regional bloc on January 29, 2025. The announcement was made during the 66th Ordinary Session of ECOWAS at the presidential Villa in Abuja, where president of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, delivered a communique detailing the withdrawal timeline and subsequent plans for managing the separation. The decision marks a significant shift in West Africa’s geopolitical landscape. The three countries decided to sever ties with the regional bloc following recent political tensions and military-led transitions within their borders. According to the communique, the three countries will cease to be ECOWAS members on January 29, 2025, as per Article 91 of the bloc’s revised treaty. A six-month transitional period, ending on July 29, 2025, has been established to facilitate diplomatic efforts to reintegrate the countries into the organisation. During this period, ECOWAS will continue mediation efforts led by Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé, whose mandates have been extended until the end of the transition. Despite the impending withdrawal, ECOWAS has expressed its openness to the return of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. “The Authority decides to keep ECOWAS doors open to the three countries during the transition period,” the communique stated. ECOWAS has, however, directed its Commission’s president to initiate formal withdrawal procedures after the January 2025 deadline and develop a contingency plan to manage the separation. The plan will address political and economic relations between ECOWAS and the three nations. The withdrawal follows months of strained relations between ECOWAS and the three Sahelian countries, which have been under military-led governments since recent coups. ECOWAS imposed sanctions on these nations, citing their deviation from democratic norms, which further isolated them from the regional bloc. Efforts by ECOWAS leaders, including its chairman, President Tinubu, had sought to bridge the divide, but the latest decision signals a shift towards formalising the separation. ECOWAS has directed its Council of Ministers to convene an extraordinary session in mid-2025 to address the implications of the withdrawal. This session will focus on adopting separation modalities and defining the framework for future interactions with the departing nations. Meanwhile, the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS has given Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger six months, from January 29 to July 29, 2025, to reconsider their decision to exit the regional bloc. According to a statement by the special adviser on information and strategy to President Bola Tinubu, Bayo Onanuga, ECOWAS Commission president, Dr Omar Touray, announced the six-month grace on Sunday in Abuja after the 66th Ordinary Session of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government. “The Authority takes note of the notification by the Republic of Burkina Faso, Republic of Mali and Republic of Niger of their decision to withdraw from ECOWAS. “The Authority acknowledges that by the provisions of Article 91 of the revised ECOWAS Treaty, the three countries will officially cease to be members of ECOWAS from January 29, 2025. The Authority decides to set the period from January 29, 2025 to July 29, 2025, as a transitional period and to keep ECOWAS doors open to the three countries during the transition period. “In this regard, the Authority extends the mandate of the President of Togo and the President of Senegal to continue their mediation role up to the end of the transition period to bring the three member countries back to ECOWAS,” Touray read from the communiqué. ECOWAS leaders commended the exemplary diplomatic engagement of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal and President Faure Gnassingbé of Togo, as well as the diplomatic efforts of the Chairman of the Authority of ECOWAS, President Bola Tinubu, and other individual member states toward the three countries. In his closing remarks, President Tinubu called on all member states to redouble their efforts to ensure that the decisions reached at the session translate into tangible benefits for ECOWAS citizens. He congratulated the outgoing chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, as he attended his valedictory session as AUC chair. He further praised Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, whom he fondly called “Mr. Democrat,” saying ECOWAS will continue to draw from his fountain of wisdom.Fairways & Bluewater's brand: Their key to success

Trump threatens to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China on first day in office NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is threatening to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China as soon as he takes office as part of his efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and drugs. He said he would impose a 25% tax on all products entering the country from Canada and Mexico, and an additional 10% tariff on goods from China as one of his first executive orders. The tariffs, if implemented, could dramatically raise prices for American consumers on everything from gas to automobiles to agricultural products. The U.S. is the largest importer of goods in the world, with Mexico, China and Canada its top three suppliers. Trump’s latest tariff plan aims at multiple countries. What does it mean for the US? WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has identified what he sees as an all-purpose fix for what ails America: Slap huge new tariffs on foreign goods entering the United States. On Monday, Trump sent shockwaves across the nation’s northern and southern borders, vowing sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada, as well as China, as part of his effort to crack down on illegal immigration and drugs. Trump said he will impose a 25% tax on all products entering the country from Canada and Mexico, and an additional 10% tariff on goods from China, as one of his first executive orders. Canadian officials blast Trump's tariff threat and one calls Mexico comparison an insult TORONTO (AP) — Some Canadian officials have blasted President-elect Donald’s Trump’s threat to impose sweeping tariffs. The leader of Canada's most populous province on Tuesday called Trump’s comparison of Canada to Mexico “the most insulting thing I’ve ever heard.” Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on products from Canada, Mexico and China as soon as he takes office in January as part of efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and drugs. He said he would impose a 25% tax on all products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico. Canadians say their economy and the U.S. one are deeply intertwined and Americans would feel tariffs, too. Biden proposes Medicare and Medicaid cover costly weight-loss drugs for millions of obese Americans WASHINGTON (AP) — Millions of obese Americans would be eligible to have popular weight-loss drugs like Wegovy or Zepbound covered by Medicare or Medicaid under a new rule the Biden administration proposed Tuesday morning. The proposal, which would not be finalized until after President-elect Donald Trump takes office, could cost taxpayers as much as $35 billion over the next decade. It would give millions of people access to weekly injectables that have helped people shed pounds so quickly that some people have labeled them miracle drugs. Stock market today: Wall Street hangs near its records despite tariff talk NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are hanging near their records on Tuesday as Wall Street takes Donald Trump’s latest talk about tariffs in stride. The S&P 500 rose 0.4% in Tuesday afternoon trading and was on track to top its all-time high set a couple weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 49 points from its own record set the day before, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.6%. Stock markets abroad were down, but mostly only modestly, after President-elect Trump said he plans to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China as soon as he takes office. Treasury yields rose modestly in the bond market. What Black Friday's history tells us about holiday shopping in 2024 NEW YORK (AP) — The holiday shopping season is about to reach full speed with Black Friday, which kicks off the post-Thanksgiving retail rush later this week. The annual sales event no longer creates the midnight mall crowds or doorbuster mayhem of recent decades, in large part due to the ease of online shopping and habits forged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hoping to entice equivocating consumers, retailers already have spent weeks bombarding customers with ads and early offers. Still, whether visiting stores or clicking on countless emails promising huge savings, tens of millions of U.S. shoppers are expected to spend money on Black Friday itself this year. Biden administration to loan $6.6B to EV maker Rivian to build Georgia factory that automaker paused ATLANTA (AP) — President Joe Biden’s administration will loan $6.6 billion to electric vehicle maker Rivian Automotive to build a Georgia factory. The announcement Tuesday comes less than two months before Donald Trump becomes president again. It’s unclear whether the Biden administration can complete the loan in that time, or whether the Trump administration might try to claw the money back. Rivian announced a $5 billion Georgia factory in 2021. But the startup automaker couldn't meet production targets and rapidly burned through cash. The company paused construction of the Georgia plant in March. The company now says its plans for producing electric vehicles in Georgia are back on. US consumer confidence ticks higher on better outlook for hiring WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans’ outlook on the economy improved modestly in November, lifted by expectations for lower inflation and more hiring. The Conference Board, a business research group, said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index ticked up to 111.7 from 109.6 in October. The small uptick followed a large gain in October. Small business owners breathe easier over labor costs after decision to strike down overtime rule Small business owners have had a mostly positive reaction to a judge’s decision to strike down an overtime rule that would have qualified more workers for overtime pay. On Nov. 15, a federal judge in Texas blocked a new rule from the Biden administration that would have expanded access to overtime pay to millions more salaried workers across the U.S. Nearly all hourly workers in the U.S. are entitled to overtime pay after 40 hours a week. But many salaried workers are exempt from that requirement — unless they earn below a certain level. Will Trump's return lead to a new wave of bestselling books? NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump is coming back to the White House, but don't expect another “Fire and Fury,” or much fire and fury in book publishing in general. Authors and publishers doubt that the reading public will snap up Trump-related works in the same way it did the first time around. Among the skeptics is Mary Trump. As Donald Trump's niece and author of the bestselling takedown “Too Much and Never Enough” told The Associated Press in a recent interview, “What else is there to learn?” Bob Woodward has written several Trump-related books and now wonders what he's to write about next.Wayne Christian Rustad, 80, of Austin, Minnesota passed away Thursday, December 26, 2024 at the Cedars of Austin with family at his side. Wayne was born on January 11, 1944 in Rushford, Minnesota to Clifford & Dora (Torgerson) Rustad. He grew up on farms in the Rushford area, and was baptized and confirmed at Highland Prairie Lutheran Church. He graduated from Rushford High School in 1962 and from Winona State College in 1965 with a degree in elementary education. Later he earned a master’s degree. He taught for two years in Preston, Minnesota before moving to Austin where he continued to teach until his retirement in 2000. In 1969 he met a fellow teacher, Geraldine (Gerry) Carlstrom, and they were married in 1970 in Red Wing, Minnesota. Through the years Wayne was active in church activities and with Hot Meals on Wheels where he served as president and driver coordinator in addition to delivering meals. Wayne also worked as a crop hail adjuster for Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance of Iowa for many summers. He especially loved golfing, and enjoyed canoeing in the Boundary Waters, deer hunting, listening to music, and reading books by his favorite authors. He faithfully read the Star Tribune newspaper every day. He took up coin collecting as a hobby after he retired. His lifetime achievement was getting two holes in one playing golf with friends. He loved to tell stories, was proud of his Rushford roots, and loved his family. Once Gerry retired in 2003, they began spending parts of every winter in Apache Junction, Arizona where his favorite activities were golfing, hiking, and playing games and going out to eat with friends. Wayne is survived by his wife of 54 years, Gerry; daughter, Laura (Chad) Sayles; two granddaughters, Natalie (Nick) Baier and Emily (Trent) Brown; two great grandchildren, Bennett and Chloe Baier. Also surviving are two brothers, Dale Rustad and Rick (Shirley) Rustad; brother-in-law, Charles Ruen; and many nieces and nephews. Wayne was preceded in death by his parents, Clifford and Dora; his sister, Gloria Ruen; daughter, Susan Beth, who died at 15 months of age; and two sisters-in-law, Becky Rustad and Lesy Rustad. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am on Thursday, January 2, 2025 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Austin, with the Reverend Dr. Kristen Venne officiating. Visitation will be held at 9:30 am Thursday until the time of the service. Interment will be at Oakwood Cemetery, Austin. In lieu of flowers, memorials in his honor may be sent to Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Austin; Hot Meals on Wheels, Austin; or donor’s choice. Clasen-Jordan Mortuary is assisting the family with arrangements.

Braswell also contributed three steals for the 49ers (5-4). Nik Graves scored 15 points while shooting 5 of 7 from the field and 5 for 9 from the line. Jaehshon Thomas totaled 13 points and seven rebounds. Zarigue Nutter led the Panthers (4-6) with 19 points. Nicholas McMullen and Toneari Lane both finished with 13 points and six rebounds. Charlotte took the lead with 8:06 remaining in the first half and never looked back. The score was 32-25 at halftime, with Braswell racking up seven points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

ATLANTA — As she checked into a recent flight to Mexico for vacation, Teja Smith chuckled at the idea of joining another Women’s March on Washington. As a Black woman, she just couldn’t see herself helping to replicate the largest act of resistance against then-President Donald Trump’s first term in January 2017. Even in an election this year where Trump questioned his opponent’s race, held rallies featuring racist insults and falsely claimed Black migrants in Ohio were eating their neighbors’ pets, he didn't just win a second term. He became the first Republican in two decades to clinch the popular vote, although by a small margin. Supporters of Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris hold their fists in the air after she delivered a concession speech after the 2024 presidential election Nov. 6 on the campus of Howard University in Washington. Jacquelyn Martin, Associated Press “It’s like the people have spoken and this is what America looks like,” said Smith, the Los Angeles-based founder of the advocacy social media agency, Get Social. “And there’s not too much more fighting that you’re going to be able to do without losing your own sanity.” After Trump was declared the winner over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, many politically engaged Black women said they were so dismayed by the outcome that they were reassessing — but not completely abandoning — their enthusiasm for electoral politics and movement organizing. Black women often carry much of the work of getting out the vote in their communities. They had vigorously supported the historic candidacy of Harris, who would have been the first woman of Black and South Asian descent to win the presidency. Harris' loss spurred a wave of Black women across social media resolving to prioritize themselves, before giving so much to a country that over and over has shown its indifference to their concerns. AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters, found that 6 in 10 Black women said the future of democracy in the United States was the single most important factor for their vote this year, a higher share than for other demographic groups. But now, with Trump set to return to office in two months, some Black women are renewing calls to emphasize rest, focus on mental health and become more selective about what fight they lend their organizing power to. “America is going to have to save herself,” said LaTosha Brown, co-founder of the national voting rights group Black Voters Matter. She compared Black women’s presence in social justice movements as “core strategists and core organizers” to the North Star, known as the most consistent and dependable star in the galaxy because of its seemingly fixed position in the sky. People can rely on Black women to lead change, Brown said, but the next four years will look different. “That’s not a herculean task that’s for us. We don’t want that title. ... I have no goals to be a martyr for a nation that cares nothing about me,” she said. Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts Supporters cheer during a community rally with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris on Oct. 27 in Philadelphia. Susan Walsh, Associated Press AP VoteCast paints a clear picture of Black women's concerns. Black female voters were most likely to say that democracy was the single most important factor for their vote, compared to other motivators such as high prices or abortion. More than 7 in 10 Black female voters said they were “very concerned” that electing Trump would lead the nation toward authoritarianism, while only about 2 in 10 said this about Harris. About 9 in 10 Black female voters supported Harris in 2024, according to AP VoteCast, similar to the share that backed Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. Trump received support from more than half of white voters, who made up the vast majority of his coalition in both years. Like voters overall, Black women were most likely to say the economy and jobs were the most important issues facing the country, with about one-third saying that. But they were more likely than many other groups to say that abortion and racism were the top issues, and much less likely than other groups to say immigration was the top issue. Despite those concerns, which were well-voiced by Black women throughout the campaign, increased support from young men of color and white women helped expand Trump’s lead and secured his victory. Politically engaged Black women said they don’t plan to continue positioning themselves in the vertebrae of the “backbone” of America’s democracy. The growing movement prompting Black women to withdraw is a shift from history, where they are often present and at the forefront of political and social change. One of the earliest examples is the women’s suffrage movement that led to ratification in 1920 of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which gave women the right to vote. Black women, however, were prevented from voting for decades afterward because of Jim Crow-era literacy tests, poll taxes and laws that blocked the grandchildren of slaves from voting. Most Black women couldn’t vote until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Black women were among the organizers and counted among the marchers brutalized on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama, during the historic march in 1965 from Selma to Montgomery that preceded federal legislation. Decades later, Black women were prominent organizers of the Black Lives Matter movement in response to the deaths of Black Americans at the hands of police and vigilantes. In his 2024 campaign, Trump called for leveraging federal money to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs in government and discussions of race, gender or sexual orientation in schools. His rhetoric on immigration, including false claims that Black Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating cats and dogs, drove support for his plan to deport millions of people. Tenita Taylor, a Black resident of Atlanta who supported Trump this year, said she was initially excited about Harris’ candidacy. But after thinking about how high her grocery bills have been, she feels that voting for Trump in hopes of finally getting lower prices was a form of self-prioritization. “People say, ‘Well, that’s selfish, it was gonna be better for the greater good,''' she said. “I’m a mother of five kids. ... The things that (Democrats) do either affect the rich or the poor.” Where can Black women feel supported and flourish financially? When posed that question, Dr. Lori Martin, a professor of African and African American studies and sociology at Louisiana State University, had this to say: "A livable place for Black women is safe, and for women with children, it is home to schools where all students have access to an excellent education. It would also be diverse, with a visible and thriving Black community, including Black businesses." While the socioeconomic realities of our current time touch all corners of the country, there are pockets of the U.S. where the wealth gap narrows and Black women have more opportunities. MoneyGeek analyzed data on income, the cost of crime , homeownership , and poverty levels from 164 cities across the United States to rank the best — and worst — cities for Black women to live and financially flourish in. Key findings Suburban cities of large metropolitan areas ranked highest. Southfield — outside of Detroit — and Pearland — a suburb of Houston — ranked highest in the analysis. The South is home to 13 of the top 25 cities for Black women, led by Pearland, Texas; Port St. Lucie, Florida; and Garland, Texas. Minneapolis, Minnesota, ranks at the bottom due to significant income and health insurance disparities for Black women compared to white men. Miami has the second-lowest overall ranking and second-largest income gap of the cities analyzed, with Black women earning only over a third of what white men make. SNEHIT PHOTO // Shutterstock MoneyGeek ranked 164 cities with populations greater than 65,000 from the best to the worst for Black women. The ranking includes analysis of income, poverty rate, homeownership, educational attainment and health insurance gaps between Black women and the entire population nationally and locally. The size of the local Black population and the cost of crime in the area were included in the ranking to reflect the presence of the Black community and safety, respectively. Southfield — a suburb of Detroit — and Pearland — a Houston suburb — ranked as the top two cities in the analysis. Notably, Southern cities make up the majority of cities in the top 25, with 13 located in this region. MoneyGeek In contrast, Minneapolis, Minnesota, ranked as the worst city for Black women. In Minneapolis, Black women face high poverty rates in absolute and relative terms and have low rates of health insurance coverage compared to the cities analyzed. Meanwhile, Miami ranks as the second least favorable city, with a significant local income gap — there, white men earn almost triple the income of Black women. MoneyGeek Income disparity is a key measure of how well Black women are doing today. For each city in the analysis, we calculated the local Equal Pay Day — the day in the following year when Black women would make an equivalent amount as white men — using the median income of Black women working full time and the median income of white men working full time in each locality. In Carson, California, the median pay of Black women is higher than the median pay of white men. However, in Evanston, Illinois, Black women make just over a third of white men's earnings, meaning they would need to work until September 24, 2024, to earn the equivalent of a white man's 2022 pay. Economic challenges faced by Black women include restricted career advancement opportunities, insufficient health insurance, and inadequate retirement savings. Survey data from Goldman Sachs indicates that 42% of Black women perceive limited career growth opportunities compared to 35% of U.S. adults, and merely 43% are able to obtain health insurance through their employer, in contrast to 53% nationwide. Additionally, 71% of Black women feel they are living paycheck to paycheck, compared to 63% of the general population. The intersection of racial and gender bias contributes to these challenges, resulting in low-wage jobs and a considerable wealth gap. Our analysis validates this, demonstrating that Black women who work full-time, year-round, earn 64 cents for every dollar white men earn working full-time, year-round. Less access to economic opportunities puts Black women at a disadvantage in building wealth. The FDIC's National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households found that 11.3% of Black households were unbanked compared to just 2.1% of white households. Unbanked households are credit invisible — that is, they don't have a credit history and, therefore, can't build credit. Having no credit history makes it difficult to utilize credit cards to manage cash needs and mortgages to buy homes. Advocating for economic opportunities for Black women The struggle for economic equity remains a persistent challenge for Black women in America, who have historically faced systemic wage disparities and employment obstacles. However, there are tools and resources that can provide Black women with economic opportunities and empowerment. Dr. Ukanwa shares additional solutions, such as: 1. Invest in education: Research has already shown that degrees increase lifetime earnings, close some societal gaps, and increase job security. But if degrees are not your path, it also means continuing to build that knowledge and expertise in something you can be the best at. Figure out your expertise and what you bring to the table. 2. After building your expertise in a field, build your reputation and personal brand: With an excellent reputation and personal brand, people will start to seek you out rather than the other way around. This increases the worth of your expertise. 3. Find out what your expertise is worth: Educate yourself on how to negotiate . Negotiate to be paid what you are worth. 4. Get into the habit of ownership: Build your own equity, which decreases the dependence on someone else for your income. For example, this could be your own business, stocks , or real estate. Methodology To rank the best cities for Black women, MoneyGeek analyzed data from the American Community Survey , MoneyGeek's Safest Cities and Safest Small Cities and Towns studies, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The analysis started with over 500 places in America with populations of 65,000 or more. Places without granular data about Black women or lacking other data points for the analysis were removed to get to the final set of 164 cities. The ranking of the best cities for Black women was based on eight factors: safety, Black population, educational attainment, poverty rates, income, employment, health insurance, and homeownership. Each factor was weighted equally and scaled to a score between 0 and 1. The factors were calculated as follows: Safety (full weight): This metric equally comprises two metrics. Crime cost per capita (50%): This metric is based on the per capita cost of crime calculated in MoneyGeek's Safest Cities series. Racially motivated hate crimes per 1 million people (50%): This metric indicates the number of racially motivated hate crimes for 2022 per 1,000,000 population, with data sourced from the FBI's Crime Data Explorer. Percent of local population that is Black (full weight): This percentage represents the proportion of Black individuals within a city's total population, as reported by the United States Census Bureau's five-year American Community Survey (ACS) from 2021, the most recent data available. Educational attainment (full weight): This metric equally comprises two metrics. High school diploma gap (50%): The difference in percentage points of the rate of female Black high school diploma achievement compared to the national rate of male white high school diploma achievement. Higher education diploma gap (50%): The difference in percentage points of the rate of female Black bachelor's degree or greater educational attainment compared to the national rate of male white bachelor's degree or greater educational attainment. Poverty rate (full weight): The percentage point difference between the city's rate of Black women earning at or above the poverty level and the rate of all women living above the poverty level nationally. This finding comes from the 2021 Census ACS five-year data, the latest available source covering over 200 cities. Income (full weight): This factor equally comprises two metrics. Local Income Gap (50%): The ratio of Black female median income as a percentage of the local median income of white males. National Income Gap (50%): The ratio of Black female median income adjusted for purchasing power as a percentage of the national median income of white males. Employment (full weight): The difference in percentage points between the Black female employment rate and the white male employment rate in the locality. Health insurance (full weight): This metric reveals the percentage point difference between Black women (ages 19-64) and white men (ages 19-64) with health insurance. This information comes from the Census ACS five-year data from 2021, the most recent data source available. Black female homeownership (full weight): This factor comprises three metrics. Local Black homeownership (25%): Proportion of Black-owned homes compared to all local owner-occupied housing. National Black homeownership (25%): Proportion of Black-owned homes compared to all national owner-occupied housing. Mortgage cost percentage relative to income (50%): Black homeowners' monthly costs as a percentage of Black women's median monthly income. The full data set can be found here . This story was produced by MoneyGeek and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media. MoneyGeek

With the holidays taking up much of your time, you may not be concentrating on retirement moves to make before 2025. But if you’re the type of person who does everything to the max, investing in your future retirement now could be a game changer. Contribution limits In 2024, you can invest up to $23,000 into your 401(k) retirement plan as per IRS contribution limits. If you’re over 50 and need to play catch-up, you can invest an extra $7,500. That means your total possible contribution for 2024 is $30,500. If that seems like a lot, it is. But you don’t have to max out your contributions if you can’t afford it. Employer matching can help. In 2025, you can invest $23,500, bringing your possible contribution up to $31,500. If you’re over 50, the catch-up contribution remains at $7,500 for 2025. But a huge change was made in SECURE 2.0 for employees aged 60 to 63 who participate in workplace retirement plans. Starting in 2025, this super catch-up contribution limit is $11,250 instead of $7,500. People are also reading... Adobe Stock Four ways to max out 1. Figure out how much you contributed. If you’ve contributed as much as possible for the year, you’re in good shape going into 2025. If you’re not sure, you changed jobs or haven’t contributed consistently in 2024, you still have time to make adjustments to max out your 401(k) contributions for the year. 2. Check your employer’s match. Employer matching is a job benefit not to be overlooked. After all, for every dollar you save in your 401(k), your employer matches your contributions dollar-for-dollar or offers a partial match up to a certain percentage of your wages. Knowing where you stand can help you make the most of this opportunity. For example, let’s say you earn $50,000 per year and contribute $3,000 to your 401(k), or 6% of your salary. If your employer offers to match 50 cents of each dollar you contribute up to 6% of your pay, they would add $1,500 each year to your 401(k) account, boosting your total annual contributions to $4,500. 3. Look at your budget. Maxing out your 401(k) is always a good move. However, retirement planning can be a balancing act; sometimes, your budget is downright against it. If you have high debt or no money set aside for emergencies, you may want to hold off a bit. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t contribute to your retirement plan at all. Maintaining contributions is important, even if it means not maxing it out. Still, if you wait too long to save, you’ll have to play catch-up. Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts If you save too much, you may have to tap into your account early, which can mean early withdrawal penalties if you are under age 591⁄2. 4. Boost your contributions. If you have enough cash stashed away to cover a large lump sum contribution to your 401(k), you could max out your 401(k) contributions before the end of the year. You can do this by increasing the percentage you contribute monthly from your paycheck. You’ll want to speak with your employer or HR department to see if this is possible and fill out the necessary paperwork. Keep in mind that how often you increase it or even if you can will depend on your plan rules. You may also want to check to be sure your contributions are still automatic. Since it’s usually easier to save money if it’s automatically deducted from your paycheck, it may be worth reviewing your budget to see if you can boost your contribution amount to max out your 401(k). If you haven’t set up automatic payroll contributions, now is a good time to do so. 1 in 4 people say they’ll go into debt for the holidays. Is social media to blame? Benefits of maxing out Maxing out your 401(k) has some clear benefits. This is especially true if you’ve fallen behind on your savings goals or you simply want to grow your retirement nest egg faster. The main advantage is that you’ll have more money saved for retirement. According to Northwestern Mutual’s 2024 Planning & Progress Study, most retired Americans believe they will need nearly $1.5 million in the bank to retire comfortably. That’s a 15% increase — which far outpaces the 3% to 5% inflation rate — over 2023 and is up 53% from 2020. The money you put into your 401(k) lowers how much you’ll pay in taxes for the year, which may put you in a lower tax bracket. Also, 401(k) investments grow tax-deferred, so you won't pay taxes on the money until you withdraw the funds in retirement. If you have a Roth 401(k), you don't get a tax break on contributions because you fund your account with after-tax dollars. But the money you contribute grows tax-free and you won’t pay any taxes on your withdrawals in retirement. Speak with a pro Maxing out your 410(k) each year may not be enough to retire comfortably, but it is a great start. That’s why enlisting the help of a financial adviser in 2024 can help you get a head start on 2025 and a happy retirement down the road. 4 tips to help you experience exceptional cruise dining | PennyWise podcast You need to make $108,000 to afford a home in America Americans who bought homes in 2024 were older and richer than ever Why you shouldn't store your money in payment apps Be the first to know

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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump's supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump's movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump's Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer , a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the U.S. Loomer declared the stance to be “not America First policy” and said the tech executives who have aligned themselves with Trump were doing so to enrich themselves. Much of the debate played out on the social media network X, which Musk owns. Loomer's comments sparked a back-and-forth with venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks , whom Trump has tapped to be the “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar." Musk and Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tasked with finding ways to cut the federal government , weighed in, defending the tech industry's need to bring in foreign workers. It bloomed into a larger debate with more figures from the hard-right weighing in about the need to hire U.S. workers, whether values in American culture can produce the best engineers, free speech on the internet, the newfound influence tech figures have in Trump's world and what his political movement stands for. Trump has not yet weighed in on the rift. His presidential transition team did not respond to questions about positions on visas for highly skilled workers or the debate between his supporters online. Instead, his team instead sent a link to a post on X by longtime adviser and immigration hard-liner Stephen Miller that was a transcript of a speech Trump gave in 2020 at Mount Rushmore in which he praised figures and moments from American history. Musk, the world's richest man who has grown remarkably close to the president-elect , was a central figure in the debate, not only for his stature in Trump's movement but his stance on the tech industry's hiring of foreign workers. Technology companies say H-1B visas for skilled workers, used by software engineers and others in the tech industry, are critical for hard-to-fill positions. But critics have said they undercut U.S. citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right have called for the program to be eliminated, not expanded. Born in South Africa, Musk was once on an a H-1B visa himself and defended the industry's need to bring in foreign workers. “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent," he said in a post. “It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.” Trump's own positions over the years have reflected the divide in his movement. His tough immigration policies, including his pledge for a mass deportation, were central to his winning presidential campaign. He has focused on immigrants who come into the U.S. illegally but he has also sought curbs on legal immigration , including family-based visas. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the H-1B visa program “very bad” and “unfair” for U.S. workers. After he became president, Trump in 2017 issued a “Buy American and Hire American” executive order , which directed Cabinet members to suggest changes to ensure H-1B visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants to protect American workers. Trump's businesses, however, have hired foreign workers, including waiters and cooks at his Mar-a-Lago club , and his social media company behind his Truth Social app has used the the H-1B program for highly skilled workers. During his 2024 campaign for president, as he made immigration his signature issue, Trump said immigrants in the country illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country" and promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. But in a sharp departure from his usual alarmist message around immigration generally, Trump told a podcast this year that he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges. “I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country," he told the “All-In" podcast with people from the venture capital and technology world. Those comments came on the cusp of Trump's budding alliance with tech industry figures, but he did not make the idea a regular part of his campaign message or detail any plans to pursue such changes.

Daily Post Nigeria Femi Johnson: NCAA: When delayed, cancelled flights are celebrated, glorified Home News Politics Metro Entertainment Sport Sponsored Femi Johnson: NCAA: When delayed, cancelled flights are celebrated, glorified Published on December 28, 2024 By Daily Post Staff Industry watchers, experts and passengers received the shocker recently when the Acting Director General of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Mr Chris Najomo disclosed how he shared government money to staff in order to improve their welfare, boasting that the money shared belongs to nobody but the federal government, hence he fears no evil. This was revealed in a viral video. He went further to hail the minister whom he said God was using to do a lot for NCAA. In another shocking comment, the NCAA acting boss also announced that over 5,225 flights were delayed, and 190 were cancelled in 2024. No details on sanctions or punishments for erring airlines. In a BusnessDay report, he said, “Adequate compensation is provided where applicable. Non-compliance with these regulations will not be tolerated, and going forward, the NCAA will not hesitate to impose the necessary penalties where violations are observed. I have instructed my team to monitor and enforce compliance and apply sanctions.” Apprehension over future of aviation Currently, there are concerns by major industry players and passengers over the future of aviation sector going by the handling of regulations. Firstly, the Acting DG has become chronically patronizing in his effort to continually gain the support of the staff at the detriment of aviation safety. His claims that monies are being shared to staff who constantly get alert because they belong to the federal government is an aberration and speaks volume about administrative insensitivity. It’s not entirely wrong to prioritize staff welfare in line with civil service rules, but it amounts to recklessness when you prioritize same at the expense of aviation safety. Unfortunately, throughout his speech where he constantly hammered on his intention to continue in office, he did not mention any airline that was sanctioned over delayed or cancelled flights. The Acting DG, showed no mercy to stranded passengers whose flights were either delayed or cancelled when he said going forward, erring airlines would be sanctioned. So what happened in the past one year? How many airlines were sanctioned or queried in the period under review? This is a complete lack of incompetence and the sad reality of the regulatory agency. It’s unfortunately disturbing to tag incompetence as a success story and should we continue on this trajectory, the aviation sector will face grave setback. What then is the job of the regulator when 190 flights were cancelled in a single year and 5,225 were delayed yet no question was asked? This unfortunate collaboration between the airlines and the regulator portends serious danger and must be stopped now. It’s unfortunately becoming clearer that instead of engaging in the job of regulation, the atmosphere in the NCAA is that of joke, merriment, speech making, campaign and sharing of money to staff to gain support for continuation and confirmation of the Acting DG. What difference does it make if staff smile, eat fat and make merry but passengers lament delayed and cancelled flights? It shows a near absence of regulations. One of the underlined issues is the understanding of the DG that passengers whose flights were cancelled or delayed should be ignored. No Nigerian passenger in the past one year can confirm being compensated for a delayed or cancelled flights. We have had cases of passengers sleeping in the airport for days over flight delay. NCAA cannot point at a single passenger who had benefited in terms of compensation either by the airline or by the regulatory body. This is not only sad, but capable of bringing to disrepute the renewed confidence in aviation. When staff get compensated for allowing airlines to operate without regulation, when the attention is shifted from regulation to celebration, when the regulator becomes the collaborator, then danger looms. Findings have revealed that more than 5,000 flights were canceled in September and October 2024 alone, yet staff and airline owners have continued to write to the President to confirm him. This looks more like a situation irony. Many believe that the alleged manipulation by the Minister who had been insisting on the confirmation of the DG for the next 5 years has torn the industry apart. No wonder the then DG, Capt Musa Nuhu without any serious investigation for a year now. The NSIB report indicting NCAA indicated that the fatal helicopter crash, which resulted in the deaths of 8 individuals, including 6 NNPC employees was due to NCAA permission to the helicopter to operate without a valid FDR, autopilot, life raft, and other essential equipment. It is also not news that the recent Bell Police helicopter crash was as a result of the NCAA’s inadequate supervision and the presence of unqualified pilots. Sadly, the recent multiple aviation incidents, including two aircraft engine failures and a cargo aircraft overshooting the runway within a span of five days call for serious concern. These alarming developments should ordinarily reawaken the Minister of Aviation in order to take action against Captain Chris Najomo, who happened to be his Uncle from the same village. The safety of the aviation industry is far more important than any relationship or tie. This current disregard for safety concerns has raised international scrutiny on Nigeria’s management of its airspace. The country has lost its FAA Category One Certificate, prohibiting Nigerian airlines, including Airpeace, from operating passenger flights to the United States. The concerns of many is the Minister’s inaction or reluctance to intervene and prioritize the safety of citizens. The current leadership incompetence in NCAA has continued to re-echo and must be addressed now before it’s too late, else we will return to the era of Sosoliso and those dark years in the sector. Politicising NCAA at the expense of professionalism will take us 100 steps backwards. Watch video here... View this post on Instagram A post shared by Adoyi Abah Ali (@official_aliadoyi) Femi Johnson, an aviator writes from Canada. Related Topics: Promoted Don't Miss Olufemi Soneye: Setting the record straight: Meritocracy and milestones at NNPC You may like Olufemi Soneye: Setting the record straight: Meritocracy and milestones at NNPC Preye celebrates husband, Prince Yellowe in grand style on his 60th birthday Chivita|Hollandia spreads love to Nigerian homes with Blue Santa campaign Is realme a top contender for Nigeria’s smartphone market in 2025? How Golden Terra Oil made LAIF history Rev Ben Eragbai of Divine Appointment Ministry Int’l celebrates Christmas with less privileged in Lagos Advertise About Us Contact Us Privacy-Policy Terms Copyright © Daily Post Media Ltd

AP Business SummaryBrief at 1:04 p.m. ESTEmbracing the natural world through plant decor has surged in popularity recently, infusing our homes with soothing and enriching vibes. Indoor plants, available in a diverse range of sizes, shapes, colors, and textures, have evolved into flexible and artistic decoration options cherished by homeowners. In essence, plants captivate attention, akin to great art, becoming focal points that elevate interior aesthetics and seamlessly complement all areas within a home. Arranging plants in layers can wonderfully infuse vitality and fascination into any space. Opt for an assortment of plant forms and silhouettes, positioning them at varying elevations adds a whole new dimension to the home décor. Consider placing plants in planters with minimalist designs, ensuring they harmonize rather than detract from the elegance of your plants. CitySens is a compact vertical garden tailored for restricted home spaces, effortlessly bringing greenery indoors. Easily assembled with a base, pot modules, and frames, it adapts to any space. This all-in-one solution combines vertical planters, shelves, and self-irrigation. Specially designed hydroponics plants thrive on a closed irrigation system, saving water. It syncs with smartphones, caring for plants for over a month. CitySens maximizes home greenery and air quality, a viable option for space and time-constrained gardeners. Who says sculptures are only limited to materials like wood, stone, or resin? Why not utilize plants to craft sculptures that enhance the beauty of your home? Plants can transform indoor spaces into vibrant installations by introducing natural beauty and enhancing air quality. Vertical gardens, hanging planters, and terrariums create dynamic visual displays that bring the outdoors inside. These installations can be tailored to any space, from small shelves to entire walls, offering flexibility in design. By incorporating diverse plant species, textures, and colors, indoor installations become living art pieces, fostering a calming and refreshing atmosphere. Indoor planters offer convenient plant care at home – simple, modern, and nearly self-sufficient. The Klaustrafloria planter exemplifies this. Its tall, cage-like design features a sleek futuristic look in stark white. Enhanced with phytolamps, backlight, and automatic watering, it supports young or winter plants. LED lights provide an ideal photosynthesis spectrum, while the self-powered system includes water level indicators. Indoor gardens offer a means to remain indoors while accessing farm-fresh produce, eliminating the need to venture outside. It allows individuals to grow fresh, organic produce year-round, reducing reliance on store-bought goods and minimizing carbon footprints. This practice enhances food security and offers nutritional benefits by providing access to homegrown vegetables. Additionally, indoor gardening fosters a connection to nature, reduces stress, and improves air quality, making it a rewarding and eco-friendly addition to any living space. OGarden simplifies home produce growth with its indoor gardening system. Shielded from weather, you control the process, nurturing up to 90 plants—60 in the wheel and 30 seedlings below. Unique watering ensures optimal intake, a rotating wheel and secondary reservoir sustain thriving plants. Embrace hands-on food cultivation, save on groceries, and provide family-fresh produce through OGarden. The role of a compost bin can go a step further than simply facilitating the natural decomposition of organic matter into a valuable resource for the garden, also serving as a medium for growing plants. A multifunctional compost bin and planter is essential for sustainable living, combining waste reduction with urban gardening. By composting kitchen scraps, it transforms waste into nutrient-rich soil, promoting a circular economy and reducing landfill contributions. This dual-purpose design supports healthy plant growth directly in the planter, enhancing urban spaces with greenery. KAGURA, crafted by Chaozhi Lin, champions sustainability within your living space. This contained indoor gardening system empowers eco-conscious individuals to nurture self-sustaining gardens, regardless of location. Comprising a food waste container, elevated light, and three soil pots, KAGURA transforms scraps into compost, fueling plant growth. The elegant light fixture provides vital energy to the garden. Compact and self-sufficient, it fits kitchens and living areas seamlessly. Dumping food waste into the left container initiates the process, of nourishing the soil in the trio of pots for thriving plants. Multifunctional furniture with planters integrates greenery into living spaces while maximizing utility. These innovative designs combine elements like seating, tables, or shelves with built-in planters, seamlessly blending functionality with nature. Ideal for small spaces, they enhance aesthetics, improve air quality, and promote well-being. By incorporating plants directly into furniture, they offer a unique way to enjoy the benefits of greenery without sacrificing space, catering to eco-conscious individuals seeking stylish, practical home solutions. Designed by Ben Hansen, this innovative dog house repurposes excess plant-watering water, filtering it into your dog’s bowl. Rattan with green accents imparts an airy touch. This minimalist dwelling brightens any home nook, housing both a pet and potted plant. It’s a graceful planter, harmonizing with interiors. Ben’s concept reverses conventional pet-plant dynamics. Advocating sustainable rattan, a sturdy metal frame counterbalances its lightness, preventing tipping making it an elegant fusion of function and design. Multifunctional lights that hold plants elegantly merge illumination with nature, creating a unique and practical home feature. These innovative fixtures provide necessary lighting while supporting plant growth, making them ideal for small spaces or urban living. By combining functionality with aesthetics, they enhance interior design, improve air quality, and promote well-being. These lights offer an eco-friendly solution that brings the calming effects of greenery indoors, appealing to those seeking modern, sustainable living options. Combining a lamp and planter, the Brot offers gentle illumination and a compact kitchen-garden. Terracotta-clad, its upper portion provides light, while the lower half nurtures plants. A stainless-steel tray inside holds seeds soaked beforehand. With regular moistening, within a week, healthy herbs or sprouts are ready for meals. Additionally, Brot serves as ambient lighting, making it a versatile dual-purpose addition to your space. Coffee tables with integrated gardens bring a touch of nature indoors, transforming living spaces into vibrant, green environments. These innovative designs combine functionality with natural beauty, featuring built-in planters that allow for growing herbs, succulents, or small flowers. They enhance aesthetics while promoting relaxation and well-being by connecting occupants with nature. Ideal for urban dwellers or those with limited outdoor space, these tables offer a unique, sustainable solution for incorporating greenery into everyday life. SOLE, a compact home gardening system, cleverly conceals a self-maintained mini garden within a space-saving coffee table. Ideal for city dwellers craving hassle-free natural greens in limited urban homes. Unlike traditional grow box containers, SOLE optimizes climate, temperature, and nutrients, ensuring flourishing plants even in small studios deprived of ample sunlight. Terrariums for indoor plants offer a captivating way to bring nature into any space, providing a self-contained ecosystem that supports plant growth with minimal maintenance. These glass enclosures create a humid environment ideal for moisture-loving plants like ferns and mosses, enhancing air quality and adding visual interest. Available in various sizes and designs, terrariums serve as stylish decorative pieces, perfect for small spaces, and inspire a connection with nature in modern living areas. Briiv redefines air purification with a modern terrarium-inspired design, eliminating HEPA filters and UV lights. Its sleek, Homepod-like appearance adds greenery to apartments. The filter, containing sustainably grown dried moss, naturally traps harmful particles, kills microorganisms, and emits clean air. Multiple bio-filters, including coconut fibers, carbon-infused hemp, and woolen microfiber, capture particles as small as PM 0.3 while neutralizing bacteria, molds, and organic compounds. Creating wall art using indoor plants transforms vertical spaces into living masterpieces, blending natural beauty with artistic expression. By arranging plants in creative patterns or using vertical planters, walls become dynamic, eco-friendly installations that enhance aesthetics and air quality. This approach maximizes space, ideal for urban living, while fostering a calming, nature-inspired environment. Living wall art offers a sustainable, innovative way to personalize interiors, appealing to those seeking unique and vibrant home decor solutions. Solace addresses limited space and urbanization’s impact on farmland, offering an accessible solution as growing microgreens requires less water, no pesticides, and reduces waste. Solace’s scalable design utilizes wick moisture and automatic lighting, aiding beginners. The circular system conserves space, doubles as ambient lighting, and integrates with an app. Wall-mounted, Solace fosters sustainability and a healthier living environment. Lego-based planters offer a playful and customizable approach to indoor gardening, allowing creativity to flourish alongside plants. These unique planters are constructed using Lego bricks, enabling endless design possibilities and the ability to adjust size and shape as needed. Perfect for small succulents or herbs, they add a touch of whimsy and color to any space. Lego planters engage both adults and children, fostering a hands-on connection with nature and imaginative decor solutions. Designer Lorenzo Vega introduces a modular planter inspired by LEGO blocks, ideal for vertical farming in limited living spaces. Starting with a single cube, it expands vertically as modules link. Each planter includes a dish and cubic case for crops to grow. Influenced by Japanese metabolism and social modernism architecture, the sleek design prioritizes usability and customization. Vega’s creation finds its niche in small spaces, offering practical and aesthetic benefits. And if nothing else works, get yourself a plant from the LEGO Botanical collection. A timelessly elegant solution that adds a hint of green to your space and no chance of killing these babies! LEGO’s Botanical Collection merges the joy of building blocks with meditative gardening, aligning with pandemic trends. The set lets you construct intricate flowers, like Birds of Paradise and orchids, using over 1,000 blocks for three-dimensional art. This ‘adultified’ LEGO endeavor combines childhood play with calming puzzle-like engagement, offering restful creation. Orchids, succulents, bouquets, and bonsai tree pieces further fuel imaginative construction in this unique collection.