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BREAKING NEWS BRIEF
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Image Source: NBC News
Nijeer Parks, of New Jersey, is suing police and prosecutors, claiming he was wrongly arrested and jailed after facial recognition software mistakenly linked him to a hotel theft. Parks was accused of shoplifting from a Hampton Inn gift store and clipping a police car as he sped off. Parks claimed that he didn’t own a car at the time, nor did he possess a driver’s license.
After an arrest warrant was issued, Parks went to the Woodbridge police headquarters to clear up the matter and was arrested. Parks sat in jail for ten days. Police and prosecutors didn’t bother checking fingerprints and DNA at the scene that could have cleared him.
While facial recognition technology is growing, critics say algorithms struggle to distinguish the faces of people with darker skin tones.
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ARE YOU READY FOR THIS EXPLOSIVE NEW TECH?
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YOUR MORNING MARKET UPDATE
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Stock futures rose slightly this morning during the final trading days of 2020. Though the stimulus relief bill and government spending package were signed on Sunday, lawmakers are still struggling to increase the direct payments as President Donald Trump instructed.
“We expect strong economic growth to reemerge in 2021 in the wake of headwinds from the pandemic in 2020 and the U.S.-China trade war in 2019,” said Janus Henderson Investors Portfolio Manager Brian Demain.
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MAKE LIFE A LITTLE EASIER!
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Image Source: After School Finance
A recent survey found 51% of Americans will make a financial resolution for 2021. The top three include reducing debt, raising credit scores, and increasing savings. But if you’re planning to make financial resolutions for the new year, what should take priority?
First, set up a plan to save more. Often, people focus on paying down debt but don’t put enough away in their savings for an emergency, which will happen at some point.
To help, consider getting a savings account at a different bank than your checking account. That prevents you from touching your savings unless you need to.
And make sure to automate your savings! Have a set amount taken out of your pay and sent to your savings account every week or month.
Be sure to check out this information about the best financial resolutions for 2021!
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WEIGHT LOSS WEDNESDAY
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Losing weight can be difficult, but there are a few simple healthy habits you can adopt that might help.
Surprisingly, having a consistent bedtime and getting an adequate amount of sleep can help boost weight loss. According to scientific studies, dieters who sleep five hours or less and have inconsistent bedtimes put on more than two and a half times more belly fat than their counterparts who have a consistent bedtime and get six or seven hours of sleep each night.
If you drink alcohol, it is important to cut sugary drinks from your diet. This includes frozen margaritas and other fruity drinks that could be packed with sugar and sodium. If you want an adult beverage while trying to lose weight, opt for a club soda and lime-based cocktail or red wine. What other simple healthy habits can help you shed the pounds?
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More Weight Loss Advice
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PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE
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Image Source: Getty Images
If you think that estate planning is just for the uber-rich – think again!
The reality is that it’s an opportunity for people of any age or income to have some control over who will inherit their money and property. Or to decide who can make the important medical or financial decisions for you if you can’t do it yourself.
The older you get, the more estate-planning decisions you’ll need to make. But even if you’re young and just starting on building your future, you should have at least some key documents in place. If there’s one thing this pandemic has taught us is that you never know when disaster might strike.
You’ve got to be prepared – no matter how old you are.
“The pandemic has heightened public awareness of how important it is to think these things through,” says Bernard A. Krooks, founding partner of the law firm Littman Krooks LLP in New York City. “This gives you the ability to control who makes these decisions – not only with the documents, but also talking to the person you give the authority to about your wishes. If something happens, you can save your family a lot of heartache.”
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More Planning for the Future
Stay Informed,
Rex Jackson
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