The White House is stepping up pressure on lawmakers to renew a section of electronic surveillance law which permits the government to conduct targeted surveillance of foreign persons located outside the US.
The provision, known as section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (Fisa), is set to expire at the end of the year. But its renewal is facing pushback from privacy advocates and lawmakers, some citing examples in which law enforcement search requests were misused to conduct illegal surveillance on US citizens.
On Monday, Joe Biden’s administration circulated examples showing the US had used electronic surveillance under section 702 to catch fentanyl smugglers as well as the ransomware hackers who temporarily shut down the Colonial Pipeline Company in a 2021 cyber-attack that led to gas shortages along the eastern seaboards.
The public campaign to build support for the provision comes as a poll released last week showing that
The demand for construction materials has plummeted, with sales dropping by a third in both value and volume in May. The decline is worsening month by month, indicating a worrisome trend. Renovations are on the decline, and several new construction projects are being initiated. With the falling prices on the construction market, there has never been a better time to start building our new home or renovating the current one.
In the first five months, building materials traders experienced a sharp decline in turnover. The market declined by 24 percent compared to the previous year. Distributors reported a 32 percent decrease in sales and a 35 percent decrease in turnover in May. This growing backlog compared to the previous year is cause for alarm. However, there are no signs yet of the trend reversing, writes Világgazdaság.
Construction at all-time low
Attila Juhász, President of Új Ház Építőanyag Nagykereskedelmi Plc., expressed
Home improvement is practically an American pastime, with millions of homeowners completing projects each year. while renovations will generally improve your quality of life, many don’t actually provide a financial return.
“In most cases, only home projects that add additional functionality or livable square footage add to the home’s value,” says David Steckel, home expert at home services marketplace Thumbtack.
The exceptions are kitchen and bathroom upgrades, as well as extensive enhancements to the exterior such as a new roof, windows or landscaping because these projects can elevate the home’s feel.
To identify projects that can increase your property value when you sell—or at least save you money while you live there—we spoke to home improvement experts and shifted through return-on-investment data. Below, a look at five popular home improvements and tips to make sure they pay off.
Do solar panels increase home value?
Interest in solar has been growing