Le Journal

50-Year Mortgages: A Game-Changer or Debt Trap? U.S. President Donald Trump has sparked debate by suggesting 50-year mortgages as a potential solution to housing affordability challenges. Supporters of Trump’s proposal view it as a way to reduce monthly payments, although critics highlight the downside of extended payment terms and increased interest costs.Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte revealed that work is underway to develop such long-term mortgage options, labeling them a 'complete game-changer.' The agency is also considering other flexible mortgage terms, aiming to enhance housing affordability amid ongoing cost-of-living concerns.Despite lower mortgage rates, housing market conditions remain tough, with first-time homebuyer ages now averaging 38 years old. President Trump and his administration may address these issues in an executive order, looking to alleviate pressure within the housing market, incentivize home purchases, and potentially benefit specific financial firms.

Iraq's Parliamentary Elections Surpass Turnout Expectations In a remarkable show of civic duty, Iraq's electoral commission announced that the parliamentary elections saw a voter turnout of over 55%. This impressive figure underscores the nation's expanding democratic engagement.After years of political turbulence since the early 2000s, the election marked a pivotal moment for Iraq's citizens, who actively participated to influence their nation's political trajectory.The high voter participation rates accentuate Iraqis' desire for change and representation, amidst the evolving landscape of the country's democratic processes.

A Senate Republican has drafted legislation that would effectively cut a $42 billion broadband deployment program in half. The bill would complement the Trump administration overhaul of the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. The administration required states to rewrite their grant plans, reducing the overall projected spending and diverting some of the money from fiber projects to satellite. The result is that over $21 billion is projected to be left over after money is allocated to projects that expand broadband access. Current US law allows nondeployment funds to be used for other broadband-related purposes, like providing Wi-Fi and Internet-capable devices to US residents. But a draft bill by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) would change the law to redirect all the remaining money to the US Treasury for deficit reduction.Read full article Comments

We’re running out of ways to tell you that Google is releasing more generative AI features, but that’s what’s happening in Google Photos today. The Big G is finally making good on its promise to add its market-leading Nano Banana image-editing model to the app. The model powers a couple of features, and it’s not just for Google’s Android platform. Nano Banana edits are also coming to the iOS version of the app. Nano Banana started making waves when it appeared earlier this year as an unbranded demo. You simply feed the model an image and tell it what edits you want to see. Google said Nano Banana was destined for the Photos app back in October, but it’s only now beginning the rollout. The Photos app already had conversational editing in the “Help Me Edit” feature, but it was running an older non-fruit model that produced inferior results. Nano Banana editing will produce AI slop, yes, but it’s better slop. Nano Banana in Help me edit Nano Banana in Help me edit Google says the updated Help Me Edit feature has access to your private face groups, so you can use names in your instructions. For example, you could type “Remove Riley’s sunglasses,” and Nano Banana will identify Riley in the photo (assuming you have a person of that name saved) and make the edit without further instructions. You can also ask for more fantastical edits in Help Me Edit, changing the style of the image from top to bottom.Read full article Comments