The Little Delaware Youth Ensemble and Prep Orchestra perform their Spring Concert at the Foothills Performing Arts Center. Music Director Uli Speth joins us to talk about the program, and about the history of the ensemble and some of the former members who are still pursuing music.
Stock futures were little changed in overnight trading as the S&P 500 attempted to snap a seven-week losing streak.
Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed about 40 points. S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures were near flat.
Retail corporate earnings continued after the market closed Thursday. Ulta Beauty shares rallied more than 6% postmarket after better-than-expected quarterly results, while Gap sunk about 13% after slashing its profit guidance.
The postmarket moves came after stocks gained in Thursday's regular session. The Dow rose for a fifth-straight trading day, adding more than 500 points, or 1.6%. The S&P 500 climbed about 2% and the Nasdaq Composite rose nearly 2.7%.
A batch of strong earnings from the retail sector boosted market sentiment Thursday. The SPDR S&P Retail ETF gained more than 4%. Macy's, Williams-Sonoma, Dollar Tree and Dollar General were among the leaders.
The three indexes are on track to close the week higher. The Dow is up 4.4%, the S&P 500 is 4% higher and the Nasdaq Composite is up 3.4% on the week.
Still, the averages are well off their highs, with the Nasdaq Composite solidly in bear market territory and the S&P 500 having briefly dipped more than 20% below its record last week.
The Nasdaq after Thursday's close is down 27.6% from its record, while the S&P 500 and Dow are off by 15.8% and 11.7%, respectively.
"We think there's a good chance for some more strength here. This is sort of a classic bear market rally or bounce off the bottom," Troy Gayeski, chief market strategist for FS Investments, told CNBC's "Closing Bell: Overtime" on Monday. "Inflation expectations have rolled over recently."
On Friday, investors will be eyeing economic data releases, including personal income, consumer spending and core personal consumption expenditures.
Join the North Liberty Library for a free outdoor children’s musical performance from Little Miss Ann on June 24.
The five Ws
Who: All ages welcome, but geared towards children ages birth through elementary.
What: A free outdoor children’s musical performance with award-winning Chicago kids’ musician, Little Miss Ann. Arrive early for decorate bikes, wagons and whatever else rolls at the Freedom Roll starting at 9 a.m.
Where: Penn Meadows Park pavilion.
When: Friday, June 24, at 10:30 a.m.
Why: To sing and dance to music that has good messages and infectious melodies for everybody.
More on Ann Torralba, aka Little Miss Ann
Ann is an award-winning Chicago kids musician, a former Chicago Public School teacher, an instructor at Chicago’s iconic Old Town School of Folk Music, a mom, and a first generation Filipina American.
Little Miss Ann has made five family music albums that span different genres such as folk, rock, punk, country, bluegrass and more. Ann sings and plays guitar, ukulele, various flutes, and percussion instruments on her albums. Little Miss Ann’s album “Keep On” was produced by Grammy winning producer Dean Jones. She has received accolades for her albums such as a NAAPA award and the Parent’s Choice Award. Her sixth album, “28 Days,” also produced by Dean Jones, was released May 7, 2021, with special guests, Suzi Shelton, Elena Moon Park, Tommy Soulati Shepherd and son, Frances England, Mil’s Trills, Anna Jacobson, Ric Salazar and others.
Besides writing, recording and performing reinvented classics and soulful originals that all children can enjoy, Little Miss Ann has also written and collaborated on songs that highlight her Filipina American culture.
What to bring
Bikes, blades, wagons, wheelbarrows, wheelchairs and whatever else rolls to decorate for the Freedom Roll at 9 a.m. before Little Miss Ann’s concert.
Lawn chairs and blankets to relax on while enjoying the show.
Snacks, water, sunscreen and whatever else your group may need.
How to get there and where to park
Penn Meadows Park in located at 310 N Dubuque St.
Skip the car and walk, bike or roller blade to the show!
You also might be wondering
Penn Meadows Park has permanent restrooms on site.
Dogs are welcome as long as they are on a leash and you clean up after them.
The use of tobacco, nicotine, vape and other electronic smoking devices are prohibited in North Liberty parks, trails and public recreation areas.
Since this event is outside, there are no additional COVID mitigations.
Stay in the loop
In the event of bad weather, this event will be moved inside the recreation center gym. Follow the Facebook event for updates.
Share your photos with us by tagging the City of North Liberty and North Liberty Library on Facebook or Instagram.
Stay connected with the City by subscribing to the North Liberty Bulletin or signing up for news alerts.
Accessibility
We’re committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation at our events for individuals with disabilities. For accommodations, please reach out to [email protected] or call (319) 626-5755.
More City Slate Fun
This event is part of the City Slate, a compilation of North Liberty’s largest and free city-produced events, with more than 40 events planned in 2022. The yearlong schedule of events is made possible by Adam Schechinger State Farm, Centro, Inc, The Eastern Iowa Airport – CID, GEICO Philanthropic Foundation, Hills Bank, MidWestOne Bank, Shive-Hattery, South Slope Cooperative, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics and Veridian Credit Union.Explore the schedule at northlibertyiowa.org/cityslate.
(CNN)Mortgage rates fell for a second consecutive week, but still remain above 5%.
The 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage averaged 5.10% in the week ending May 26, down from 5.25% the week before, according to Freddie Mac. It is still well above the 2.95% average from this time last year.
"Mortgage rates decreased for the second week in a row due to multiple headwinds that the economy is facing," said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac's chief economist. "Despite the recent moderation in rates, the housing market has clearly slowed, and the deceleration is spreading to other segments of the economy, such as consumer spending on durable goods."
Buyers are finding homes even less affordable as inflation takes a larger chunk of their income and the cost of borrowing has reduced their purchasing power. Rates have risen sharply since January, pushing the cost of financing a home significantly higher for buyers.
At the end of May 2021, a buyer who put 20% down on a $375,500 home -- a price just under the median price for an existing home -- and financed the rest with a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage at an average interest rate of 2.95% had a monthly mortgage payment of principal and interest of $1,258, according to numbers from Freddie Mac.
Today, a homeowner buying the same price house with an average rate of 5.10% would pay $1,631 a month in principal and interest. That is $373 more each month and $134,140 more in cumulative interest payments over the life of the loan, according to numbers from Freddie Mac.
Analysts expect mortgage rates will remain at these levels or move higher, as long as the Federal Reserve is still working to stem inflation. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has said the central bank will continue to raise interest rates until the goal of healthier prices is met.
Mortgage rates tend to track 10-year US Treasury bonds, but they are also indirectly impacted by the Fed's actions on inflation.
"Investors taking part in the stock market sell-off of the past five weeks have shifted their attention to the debt market, driving up prices on T-bills and mortgage-backed securities," said Joel Berner, Realtor.com's senior economic research analyst. "This allowed mortgage rates to fall, even amid inflation-cooling policies initiated by the Federal Reserve."
Buyers are getting squeezed out
As mortgage rates have moved higher and the cost of buying a home increases, more buyers are expected to drop out of the market. That, in turn, is likely to reduce competition in some markets, slowing the pace of home price growth.
"Mortgage rates leveling off is a lifeline for prospective homebuyers already dealing with inflation and record-high listing prices, and welcome news for the housing market at large," said Berner.
"The current slowdown in the market, while increasing the number of homes for sale, may actually exacerbate the existing overall housing shortage in the long term if the news causes builders to pull back," Berner said.
As the cost of buying and financing a home remains high, current homeowners may opt to stay put and hold on to their lower mortgage rate.
Homebuilder sentiment, as measured this month by the National Association of Home Builders' Housing Market Index, is down 10.4% from May of last year and at its lowest level since the early days of the pandemic. New home sales fell by nearly 17% in April from the month prior as buying became even less affordable.
Pending home sales also slipped in April, as contract activity decreased for the sixth consecutive month to the slowest pace in nearly a decade, according to the National Association of Realtors. The forward-looking indicator, which tracks contracts signed but not closed, dropped 3.9% in April from March and is down 9.1% from a year ago.
"Pending contracts are telling, as they better reflect the timelier impact from higher mortgage rates than do closings," said Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist.
The higher cost of borrowing is already a burden, he said, but it becomes even more problematic for families on a budget and already contending with rapid inflation, including surging fuel and food costs.
"Dark and stormy is the current mood, but a period of steadier rates below recent highs will give buyers, sellers, and builders alike the time to adjust to the new financial environment," said Berner.
LITTLE VILLAGE — Construction on the long-anticipated Xquina Incubator & Cafe project is expected to start this summer, officials said.
The community hub and business space, which was introduced to residents in 2018, will soon take over the rehabbed two- and three-story buildings at 3523- 3525 W. 26th St.
Project leaders and local officials held a groundbreaking ceremony in September 2020, but construction was repeatedly delayed due to the pandemic, said Kim Close, interim executive director and chief operating officer of the Little Village Community Foundation. It was slated to wrap up last summer, but even that date was a delay from a previous expected completion of 2019.
Close said she now anticipates the entire building will be open and operational by 2023.
“We’re just so thrilled that this is moving forward,” Close said. “At the end of the day, it’s about creating the most impactful community of Little Village, that’s the end goal. It’s a place-based entrepreneurial ecosystem that will live on 26th Street. It’s important that it has a home on this extremely important corridor.”
The first floor will feature a cafe run by Ambrosio Gonzalez, of La Catedral Cafe, a bilingual business incubator. It will also have a shared commercial kitchen run by Little Village-based Food Hero, a culinary education startup. The second floor will have a co-working space, while the third floor will be a gallery for local artists and an event space.
While the project was delayed most recently, officials continued funding efforts and have now fully financed it, Close said. It’s a $4.8 million endeavor with a mix of city, state and private money, Close said.
The Little Village Community Foundation is also the sole owner of Xquina, Close said. It was previously a joint effort from the foundation and the Little Village Chamber of Commerce. There was a settlement to make the foundation the lone owner, Close said, but she declined to provide details.
The business services Xquina will offer are already being offered through the foundation, but the building will give infrastructural support to create lasting economic and community opportunities, Close said.
“These resources, this technical assistance to help [people] get access to capital, like micro grants, whatever they need to get their business to grow and to prosper … those services are currently being delivered by the foundation,” Close said.
Although the incubator will be in Little Village, the services will be available for anyone, Close said.
“Entrepreneurial services exist in The Loop. They exist in other places. Why is Chicago putting $1.5 million into into Xquina? It’s because they want those services available here on the Southwest Side in Spanish,” she said.
Credit: ProvidedConstruction on rehabbing the two- and three-story buildings on the corner of 26th Street and Drake Avenue is expected to start this summer.
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May 26, 2022 at 08:22PM
https://blockclubchicago.org/2022/05/26/little-villages-xquina-incubator-cafe-is-fully-funded-construction-expected-to-wrap-by-2023/
Little Village's Xquina Incubator & Cafe Is Fully Funded, Construction Expected To Wrap By 2023 - Block Club Chicago
In our review of the G502 Hero, we gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars and an Editors’ Choice Award. “If you’re looking for a new gaming mouse, or maybe your first gaming mouse? The G502 Hero is a top-tier option,” we said. It’s also our top pick as the best general purpose gaming mouse.
The G502 Hero has 11 programmable buttons with mechanical switch tensioning and a HERO 25K sensor. The sensor allows the mouse to hit an astounding 25,600 DPI. That’s way past the usual 16,000 DPI we see with most gaming mice. It also has RGB lighting, adjustable weights to get the feel just right, and onboard memory for up to five profiles.
This mouse is an excellent value, as most high-end gaming mice cost upwards of $75.
Ian is an independent writer based in Israel who has never met a tech subject he didn't like. He primarily covers Windows, PC and gaming hardware, video and music streaming services, social networks, and browsers. When he's not covering the news he's working on how-to tips for PC users, or tuning his eGPU setup.
