Category: ESTA News

A recent survey conducted by the UVA Weldon Cooper Center found that Virginia’s population growth has slowed since the pandemic. Virginia, which has claimed to be the front yard of Washington DC, the capital of the United States, has grown steadily since the Civil War, but in 2023, population growth fell by nearly half, recording the lowest growth rate in 150 years.

Analysis suggests that although the decline in the overall birth rate has had an impact, the number of people leaving Virginia has increased due to soaring real estate prices and high living costs. According to UVA data, Virginia previously recorded a population growth rate of 3 to 4 percent, but the population growth rate will decline to less than 1 percent in 2023.

This change was noticeable due to the impact of the pandemic, and “as telecommuting increased, many people left Virginia and moved to places like Raleigh, North Carolina, or Charlotte, which are cheaper,” he explained. In the past, Virginia grew faster than other regions due to the large number of people immigrating from other states, but recently, people are flocking to other southern states.

As the population movement triggered by the pandemic moves from large cities to small cities and from urban centers to suburban areas, Richmond and Bristol continue to grow in Virginia, while Northern Virginia is decreasing. There are many professionals in cities who can work from home, and it is easy for them to move to other areas.

In the past, only 6 to 7 percent of workers worked from home, but during the pandemic, that number jumped to a third, and in Northern Virginia, to 50 percent. A real estate official said, “Housing costs are the biggest burden for almost everyone,” and “During the pandemic, real estate prices in Fairfax and Arlington counties have skyrocketed, making people look to other distant areas that they had not even considered before.”

For this reason, the fastest growing city in Virginia was Winchester, adjacent to Northern Virginia, and the area north of the Chesapeake Bay also saw notable population growth. Additionally, the slowdown in Virginia’s population growth is due not only to migration to less expensive areas, but also to the continued decline in birth rates.

According to UVA data, there were 27,000 more newborns than deaths in 2019, but the gap narrowed to 13,000 in 2022. The issue of low birth rate began to be discussed in 2007, but over the past 5 to 10 years, as the young population has decreased and people over 65 have become the mainstream, it is raising serious concerns such as labor shortage. The UVA professor who conducted the survey predicted, “The number of high school graduates is still relatively stable, but it will begin to decrease in the future,” and warned, “If this change occurs, we will face a very different world.”

Mackenzie Scott (53), the ex-wife of Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, the world’s largest e-commerce company, was found to have sold 14 trillion won worth of Amazon stock last year. According to Bloomberg News on the 27th, Scott recently reported to regulators that he sold 65.3 million shares of Amazon stock he held over the past year.

Considering that Amazon’s stock price closed at $159.12 on the 26th, the total sale size amounts to $10.4 billion.

The stocks sold last year represent about 0.6% of all Amazon stocks and about 25% of the stocks held by Scott. As a result, only about 1.9% of Amazon’s shares held by Scott remain. Scott received a 4% stake in Amazon as part of her settlement from her 2019 divorce from Bezos. The value at the time was $38.3 billion.

About half of these have been sold off over the years. It is not known why Scott sold a large amount of her stock last year. However, Scott has pledged to donate a significant portion of her wealth to her charity. It is known that since 2019, she has donated a total of $16.5 billion to a total of 1,900 organizations. Even with her stock sales and astronomical donations, Scott’s net worth is still estimated at $42.6 Billion.

Meanwhile, Bezos’ total assets, most of which are Amazon stocks, amount to $184 billion.

Ahead of the South Carolina primary on the 24th of next month, which is expected to be the final battle for the Republican presidential nomination, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley launched an even sharper attack on former President Donald Trump.

Former Ambassador Haley appeared on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’ on the 28th and responded to former President Trump’s criticism of her Indian origin by saying, “I know Trump well, so I laugh every time I see his tweets,” and added, “I don’t think he feels insecure.” “He starts to get angry. He starts waving his arms and gets angry.”

“The moment he feels threatened, he starts putting everything out there,” he said. “I’ve always told Trump that his worst enemy is himself.” “He’s showing exactly that,” Haley said. “He’s proving to himself that he’s confused. These things don’t hurt me, and I don’t feel them personally.”

Former President Trump continued to dispute qualifications based on conspiracy theories by mentioning former Ambassador Haley’s Indian background in posts posted on campaigns and social media.

Former President Trump has also made claims of racism in the past regarding the birth of former President Barack Obama. Meanwhile, unlike the Republican Party, where former President Trump has secured an unprecedented and clear victory after two consecutive wins in the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, the Democratic Party, for which President Joe Biden’s confirmation of his candidate for re-election is almost a fait accompli, is planning to run a third candidate.

This is a sign of confusion due to variables.

CNN reported that Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, who has raised his political voice as a center-right candidate by voting against every major policy of the Biden administration, is openly hinting at the possibility of running as an independent candidate. Rep. Manchin is said to be maintaining his private position that his chances of running as an independent are increasing due to President Biden’s health and the possibility of former President Trump’s conviction.

Rep. Manchin, whose constituency is West Virginia, is embarking on a national campaign by touring New Hampshire and South Carolina. Officials have warned that if the three-party structure becomes a reality, unlike former President Trump, who formed a solid force centered on far-right supporters, centrist votes may leave, and an unpleasant situation may arise for President Biden. There is also growing interest in the possibility that Rep.

Manchin will run as a candidate for the centrist political group ‘No Labels’, which is promoting its own candidate in this presidential election. CNN reported that former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, known as the ‘Korean son-in-law’, has stepped down from his position as co-chair of No Labels, exposing the organization’s recent turmoil.

Business owners need to take measures instead of automatically reflecting it in food prices.

Seattle’s minimum hourly wage has been raised by 75 cents since January 1st, raising it to $17.25 for small businesses (500 or fewer employees) and $19.97 for large businesses (501 or more employees), resulting in higher wages for restaurant owners and employees. How big will the impact be? Annelies Barnes-Sherman, the state’s chief economic analyst, said that since most restaurant workers are part-time workers, the impact of raising the minimum wage on business owners will inevitably be greater than on other industries, but annual minimum wage increases will not automatically lead to higher menu prices. He said it would be.

She explained in an interview with the Seattle Times that restaurant owners can take a variety of measures, including raising prices, reducing costs, and shortening operating hours. When the total number of employees at 24 chain restaurants exceeded 501, Stowell, the owner of ‘Isan Stowell Restaurant’, did not raise the minimum wage individually by 75 cents, but collectively raised it to $19.97. She instead charged a service fee of 22 percent of the food price and eliminated tips. However, she maintained the tipping system at ‘counter service’ restaurants, such as bagel shops, rather than formal restaurants.

Shannon Phelps, an employee at a cocktail bar in Pioneer Square, said that although the minimum wage increased to $17.25 per hour starting this month, it is still difficult to live in Seattle with this wage, which is about $36,000 per year. She said that on days when her business wasn’t working, she would only work four hours, but last year her hourly income, including wages, was $35 to $65, thanks in large part to tip income.

According to data from the Seattle-King County Workforce Development Council, a person would need to work full-time, 40 hours a week, and earn $21 an hour to cover the basic costs of living in Seattle. The data estimated it would cost $416 per month for food, but the actual cost is much higher, the Times said.

Dexter Scott King, the third son of American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr., passed away on the 22nd. He died at the age of 62. The King Center, chaired by Dexter King, announced in a statement on this day that the third son of Reverend King, a symbol of the American civil rights movement, died at his home in Malibu, California.

“He passed away peacefully in his sleep,” Dexter King’s wife said in his statement. T

he deceased was suffering from prostate cancer. As an adult, Dexter King worked as a lawyer and took the lead in protecting his father’s legacy and the King family’s intellectual property, the Associated Press reported.

“Words cannot express my heartbreak at the loss of another close friend,” Bernice King, the deceased’s sister, said in a statement.

His older brother, Martin Luther King III, called it “an indescribable moment” and asked “please pray for our entire family.”

A landslide occurred in the mountains of central California, killing one ski resort visitor, and injuring three others. According to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office in California, an avalanche occurred at Palisades Tahoe around 9:30am on the 10th of January.

The avalanche occurred on the ski slope’s expert course and struck skiers who were at the scene. Among them, Kenneth Kidd, a 66-year-old man who was a resort guest, died, the sheriff’s office said. According to the Associated Press, of the three-remaining injured, one was receiving treatment for a leg injury, and the other two were discharged from the hospital after being treated for minor injuries.

The resort company explained that immediately after the avalanche, it mobilized about 100 employees to assist in the search and rescued two people with minor injuries relatively early. The sheriff’s office said the snow that fell from the avalanche was about 150 feet (45.72 m) wide, 450 feet (137.16 m) long, and 10 feet (3.05 m) deep. Authorities are investigating the cause of this avalanche. When the accident occurred the previous day, around 9 to 10 a.m., gusts of 50 to 61 kilometers per hour were blowing at the top of this ski resort at an altitude of 8,000 feet (2,438 m).

Skier Mark Sponsler, who was at the resort, said that at the time of the accident, the wind was so strong that he could barely see. This ski resort was where the 1960 Winter Olympics were held. According to the National Weather Service, most of the United States is currently under the influence of winter storms.

It was observed that the low pressure that developed over the southwestern United States would amplify, leading to a storm system that would affect the eastern part of the country.

Snowfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) were forecast in areas from eastern Nebraska to central Michigan. Heavy snowfall was also expected to fall in the mountainous regions of the western United States and the Rocky Mountains.

A strong wind warning has been issued for the mountains of San Bernardino County and Riverside County, east of Los Angeles (LA).

A storm struck New York and New Jersey, causing damage such as power outages and flooding.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, from the afternoon of the 9th to the early morning of the 10th, heavy rain, and strong winds of 50 to 60 miles per hour struck New York City and northern New Jersey, causing a series of power outages in various places. In the case of Queens, 3,000 households, 3,700 Long Island households, and 37,000 New Jersey households lost power, causing great inconvenience to residents.

Flood damage continued due to heavy rain. A Bronx River flood warning was issued in New York City as more than 2 inches of rain fell on average, while a coastal flood warning was issued in the southern coastal region of Queens. Due to heavy rain that day, about 2,000 refugees living at Floyd Bennett Field Refugee Camp were urgently transported to the James Madison High School gymnasium in Brooklyn in the early morning hours.

In New Jersey, an average of 2 to 4 inches of rain fell, and the Saddle River in Bergen County overflowed, causing flooding in Lodi. The Saddle River rose to 10 feet, exceeding flood stage of 7.7 feet. Auckland’s Crystal Lake also overflowed, flooding the streets, and flood warnings were issued for Hackensack, Ramapo, Pompton, and Passaic River.

Flight cancellations and delays continued to occur. This morning, 81 flights were canceled, and 26 flights were delayed at LaGuardia Airport, and 41 flights were canceled, and 35 flights were delayed at JFK Airport. At Newark Airport, 67 flights were canceled and 9 were delayed.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 7th, citing anonymous people familiar with the matter, that Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s drug use has raised concerns among the company’s management and board of directors in recent years.

According to reports, Musk often took the psychotropic drug LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), cocaine, ecstasy, and hallucinogenic mushrooms at private parties, and people who witnessed him or knew of his use told the WSJ.

Additionally, people close to Musk told the WSJ that his drug use, particularly ketamine, continued. The WSJ reported that Linda Johnson Rice, a Tesla board member, left the board after her term ended in 2019 without seeking reelection, and there were concerns about Musk’s drug use in addition to his erratic behavior. This is not the first time Musk has been controversial about drug use.

WSJ previously reported in July of last year, citing internal sources, that Musk used ketamine to treat depression or for entertainment at parties. In September 2018, he sparked controversy by appearing on comedian Joe Rogan’s podcast show and appearing to smoke a puff of marijuana after receiving it from the host. Musk was subject to a federal investigation and drug test for his actions.

Musk’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, told WSJ, “Musk was subject to regular or unexpected drug tests at Space Musk also posted on his own social media platform, He denied suspicions of drug use, saying, “Not even trace amounts of drugs or alcohol were detected.”

He then pointed out, “WSJ is not even suitable to be used as a litter paper in a parrot’s cage.” SpaceX, of which Musk is CEO, is currently the only American company approved to send NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).

The U.S. Department of Defense is also increasing purchases of launch vehicles from SpaceX.

With the Supreme Court deciding to hear the issue of former President Donald Trump’s presidential candidacy, it was revealed on the 7th that more than half of the American people are opposed to disqualifying former President Trump from being a presidential candidate.

It is analyzed that the division of public opinion in the United States over the January 6 Capitol riot, which occurred to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, was influenced by the deepening situation ahead of the presidential election in November this year.

According to a public opinion poll released by CBS and YouGov on the 3rd to 5th of 2,157 people in commemoration of the 3rd anniversary of the January 6th Capitol riot, 54% of respondents said, ‘Each state should list former President Trump’s name on the ballot. ‘It should be included,’ he answered. 46% of respondents said that former President Trump should be restricted from running for president.

By political party support, 81% of Democratic supporters supported disqualifying former President Trump as a candidate, and 90% of Republican supporters supported maintaining former President Trump’s candidacy. Even among independents, former President Trump’s support for retaining his candidacy (56%) was higher than for his candidacy being disqualified (44%).

The CBS poll also reaffirmed division over the January 6 Capitol riots that occurred three years ago. Within the Republican Party, criticism of the January 6 Capitol riot appears to be weakening. Among Republican supporters, the response that they strongly criticize the storming of the Capitol decreased from 51% in 2021 to 32% currently.

Additionally, 66% of all Republican respondents said that those who stormed the Capitol should be pardoned. This figure is significantly higher than the total number of respondents in favor of amnesty (38%). In relation to this, former President Trump called the people detained in the January 6 Capitol riot “hostages” at a rally in Iowa the previous day and said to President Joe Biden, “Joe, release the January 6 hostages. They have suffered a lot.” He also said, “I experienced it.” Furthermore, the CBS poll also confirmed public concerns about the possibility of violence surrounding the U.S. presidential election.

Only 51% of respondents said that the presidential election loss would be accepted peacefully, while the remaining 49% said that ‘there may be violence.’ In an opinion poll released by the Washington Post (WP) on the 3rd, only 62% answered yes, 7 percentage points lower than in the December 2021 survey, to the question, “Do you think Biden’s election in the 2020 election was legitimate?”

In this survey, former President Trump’s theory of responsibility was also weaker (53%) than in 2021 (60%). In relation to the January 6 Capitol riot, the state Supreme Court considered former President Trump to have participated in the insurrection and applied the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which prohibits him from holding public office if he participates in the insurrection.

In the case of Maine, the Secretary of State, who manages elections, decided that former President Trump was ineligible to run due to the same constitutional provisions. Former President Trump filed a lawsuit against the Maine decision and appealed the Colorado Supreme Court decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Federal Supreme Court is scheduled to accept former President Trump’s appeal and proceed with a hearing on the Colorado Supreme Court ruling.

During the New Year’s holiday, a 10-year-old boy stole a firearm from his father’s car and fired it, killing a boy of the same age. This gun was reported stolen several years ago and was found to have been illegally owned by the boy’s father.

According to CNN, at around 4:30 p.m. on the 30th of last month, a 10-year-old boy took a gun out of the car of his father, Akhete Davis (53), in a parking lot in Sacramento County and fired at a boy of the same age nearby. The victim, who was struck in the head and neck, was taken to the hospital but eventually died. The names of the two boys and their relationship were not disclosed.

At that time, the assailant said he would bring his father cigarettes that were stored in the car and then took a gun from the car, police said. Police explained that he boasted that ‘Dad has a gun’ and then shot the victim and fled to a nearby apartment.

It was discovered that the gun used in the crime was a gun that had been reported stolen in 2017. Davis was legally prohibited from owning a gun.