Mom, why did you and Dad get divorced? I asked for the hundredth time. I was accustomed to hearing her respond, We just couldnt live together anymore. But this time she did not say that. We were on the way to the laundromat, and I can remember exactly where we were when she answered.

Because your dad is gay.

Oh, I know that, I lied, trying to cover my shock. I didnt know that. I was 9.

I didnt know that.

Although my parents had raised me with a Christian worldview and I knew the Bible well, my world began to shift radically after my father explained why he was sleeping with men. Before long, both my dads apartment and our visits began to change. A calendar of mostly nude men appeared in the bathroom, along with some revealing art. It was very uncomfortable to visit, but I tried not to let it bother me.

On the weekends when I visited, Dad and I would head to Castro Street in San Francisco. It was a colorful place, and I quickly found that I had to be careful where I looked, lest I would see more than I bargained for. I learned my way around the neighborhood, knowing which were the gay bars and which were the lesbian bars. I even attended the gay Olympics to cheer on a family member.

I was hip. I was open-minded. I was enlightened.

But I was also torn. When someone in authority, especially someone who is trusted, tells a child something is true, that child will believe them. In fact, that child may build his or her worldview on that foundation. I did. This is why Pride parades, drag queen story hour, and teaching gender as a social construct are so insidious.

Out of loyalty to my father, I would never have shared my instinctive doubts about his lifestyle, but I distinctly remember being unsettled by it. And yet I shrugged off my feelings and ignored my discomfort so that I could be a supportive daughter. As I got older, I became a good social justice warrior at my school. I learned to put condoms on bananas and the importance of safe sex, regardless of whom your partner happened to be. I certainly wouldnt judge.

My dad died of AIDS when I was 17, on the morning of my senior prom. I watched him suffer his last months without a partner, and I listened to him voice his regrets.

Shortly before my mom remarried, she and I became Catholic. But at our ultra-liberal California parish, there was very little accurate catechesis on what the Catholic Church taught on these issues. However, I certainly embraced what I heard the Church taught on sexuality: open-mindedness, tolerance, acceptance. I was desperate for a way to explain away what the Bible said so clearly, and the progressive wing of the Catholic Church was eager to help me.

My Jesuit university did a fantastic job of not just excusing but celebrating the behavior of my by-then deceased father by wholeheartedly embracing and validating the homosexual lifestyle. In my Theology of Marriage class, rather than have a heterosexual couple speak, the instructor had a gay couple come to talk about the sacredness of their marriage. At the time, I said I was so glad that the Church was changing their backward views on homosexuality; however, deep inside, such an idea left me unsettled.

This illusion of the changing Church continues today. In his recent essay at Outreach, Fr. James Martin, S.J., explains why Pride and the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus are not just compatible but complementary. He argues that Our Lord loves everyone, which is certainly true. But his slippery case that Pride Month is something Catholics should celebrate is filled with implied approval for homosexual relationships. First, he says, Imagine a young LGBTQ person who is not in any sort of sexual relationship but simply wants to be accepted.Where is the sin?Second, it ignores the fact that all of us are sinful. Who among us has not sinned?

Of course, a chaste person who struggles with same-sex attraction is not sinning. But then Fr. Martin pivots to the argument that we are all sinners. Well, yes. But we are also supposed to try to stop sinning. This sort of you-hate-chaste-LGBTQ-individuals gives way to we-are-all-sinners, and then the reader is able to fill in the blank as he is inclined: but God loves me anyway; or, so the Church is wrong; or maybe, so we should never judge the actions of anyone else.

This type of article is exactly the type of evidence I clung to in my progressive, liberal days when I was trying to justify not just the homosexuality around me but my own sinful choices. While Fr. Martin is correct that we are called to love everyone, sometimes the most loving thing we can do is call others out of mortal sin.

After I had my own children, I was befriended by several traditionally-minded Catholic women who took the time to educate me on the Churchs teaching on homosexuality. What made them so effective was that they shared the truth in the context of our larger relationship. Even though our family did not homeschool, these homeschooling moms welcomed me. We had monthly dinners out and occasional stump the priest nights when we could ask questions and discuss the Faith freely. It was through these encounters that we were able to discuss and debate, but only after we shared our favorite recipes and lamented the sleepless nights up with our babies, and before we arranged the next park day for our kids to play together.

These sometimes-heated discussions on homosexuality did not define our friendship. They were just one facet of our relationship, and these women cared about me even when I was a relativist. That we could move on to other topics on which we shared common viewpoints gave me the space to reflect on their words and let down my guard. What I said as we argued was often no longer what I thought to be true. Sometimes, even as I believed what they were telling me, I felt I had to make every argument to the contrary.

Through the influence of my friends and by the grace of God, our family began to conform ourselves to the teaching of the Church. But without their courageous truth-telling, I wonder if I would have changed.

On Rod Drehers blog, he recently described the experience of a progressive artist he called Jane. One night, in the throes of depression, and in the clutches of transgenderism, she happened to click on a Jordan Peterson video that was in her social media feed. She was shocked to find that she agreed with everything Peterson said. His lone voice amidst the sea of insanity into which she had been swept, just like the courageous voices of my friends, gave her permission to pull herself out. She gave up her art career because she realized that the wokeness it required was not worth it.

Hearing the truth mattered to Jane, and it mattered to me. For those who are in the position of teaching others the truth on homosexuality, marriage, or transgender ideology, please do speak up. Share the beauty of the truth fearlessly because yours may be the only sane voice that your friends and family hear. Know that people may be angry. They might feel attacked. They could be defensive. But in a world where the schools, media, corporations, and even many within the Church (such as Fr. Martin), are teaching half-truths or outright lies, how will anyone find the truth if we do not show them? The fruits of wisdom and counsel are often unseen, but that does not mean that the seed of truth you sow will not grow.

Eventually, I was able to accept that the people who told me the truth and who defended the actual teachings of the Church were the people who cared about me. They were the ones who loved me and who wanted me to know of the plan God has for human sexuality. I did not always react with grace to their correction, and there were many arguments and disagreements, but my friendsmy real friendsalways patiently met my arguments with the truth, delivered compassionately. They neither backed down nor did they ostracize me when I was in the throes of my ignorance. They spoke the truth in charity and, over time, softened my hardened heart.

[Photo Credit: Shutterstock]

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How Having a Gay Father Showed Me the Lies of Progressive Catholicism - Crisis Magazine

In the wake of the Uvalde, Texas, school shootings, Fathers Day feels different this year. As the national conversation has again turned to the intersection of gun access and troubled young men, we are wondering what is driving this streak of nihilism. Are boys and men in crisis? Is there something uniquely worrisome about American masculinity?

These were some of the questions bouncing around my mind when I spoke with scholar and author Warren Farrell about masculinity. Before his foray into boys and mens issues, Farrell, 78, was the only man elected to the board of the National Organization for Women three times. His commitment to feminist issues earlier in his career informed his passion to understand the experiences of men later in life.

Farrells 2018 book The Boy Crisis, which he co-wrote with John Gray, looks at why boys are falling behind girls, with an eye on the impact that absent fathers and male role models have. His work has been featured on the Dr. Phil show and Andrew Yangs podcast, and he has been a repeat guest on Jordan Petersons podcast, most recently on June 13.

We originally met months ago in his neighborhood in Mill Valley, California, just north of San Francisco, across the Golden Gate Bridge. On a balmy February afternoon, we walked alongside a meandering stream which cuts through the residential hillside bordering Muir Woods National Monument and the Pacific Ocean. Farrell took me to his church, the forest where he does some of his best thinking, and we walked under the canopy of 100-foot-tall redwoods. Here we discussed what issues are plaguing boys today and what can be done to help them.

This Q&A is a synthesis of that conversation and a recent phone interview. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Ari Blaff: Im curious to get your reaction to the recent mass shootings committed by young men. Are they connected to what you have called the boy crisis?

Warren Farrell: Weve been blaming access to guns, violence in the media, violence and video games, family values, replacement theory-style hatred (for mass shootings). And yet our daughters are exposed in the same homes with the same family values, the same access to the same guns, the same violence and the same media, the same violence and the same video games. They have similar mental illnesses, and our daughters have not been doing the killings.

Whats happening with boys is that there is a global boy crisis: boys committing suicide far more often than girls five times more often in their 20s dropping out of high school, dropping out of college more, dying from opioid overdose. All these are more than the 70 different ways that boys without fathers mostly do worse.

The difficulty is not just with boys. When boys dont do well, girls cant find good fathers (for their children) and that leads to children being raised by single mothers or divorcees.

The boy crisis resides where dads do not reside. There are about 10 causes of the boy crisis but fatherlessness, or dad deprivation, is the single biggest cause of it.

AB: You wrote an op-ed a couple of weeks back reflecting on the mass shooting in Uvalde. Is there something happening with American boys in particular? Obviously, there are instances of mass violence in Europe and even in Canada, but it doesnt seem to be the same rate or at the same frequency. Is there something about American masculinity, or a broader social crisis in American society, which is impacting boys?

WF: Well, I think theres two big things. One is the fatherlessness issue is the biggest here and in the United Kingdom. But the mass shootings are not as much in the U.K. as they are here. So it has to be more than just a fatherlessness issue. I believe that in the United States we have an addiction, and that addiction is to guns.

We also have very lax laws that a boy on his 18th birthday, without having any type of background check, was able to pick up a gun, despite having put threats on social media and showing many worrying signs of having significant problems, and none of that was detected or checked for.We have more guns in the United States than we have people. We dont have mass stabbings. We have mass shootings. The more powerful the gun, the more the boy has an ability to express his anger, and behind almost all anger is vulnerability. What we need to understand is that boys who hurt us are almost always boys who hurt.

When youre talking guns, you alienate the conservative community. However, when youre talking dads and fathers, the liberals are not very responsive. Were caught between a liberal and a conservative rock and a hard place. Very few peoples minds are opened to both issues.

Girls are not doing the mass shootings. And not all boys are the problem. It is more frequently the fatherless boys more than any other group of boys.

We need to pay attention to to three things. One is the boy crisis. No. 2 is the fatherlessness issue. And No. 3 is guns as the magnifying issue.

AB: How do you find your message is being received?

WF: Well, the people that interview me, if they are conservative, they want me to either minimize or leave out the gun issue. They are OK with my saying that guns are the third thing down the list and serve as a the magnifier for underlying issues. But if I start to talk about it in a more in-depth way, then they begin to get nervous. They get me back to families and fathers.

With liberals, I went out to interview the Democratic presidential candidates (in 2019) and there were a few people, like Andrew Yang and John Hickenlooper, who really understood. The campaign managers were not interested in having the candidates make boys and mens issues a feature of the campaign because they were afraid of alienating their feminist bases. They were also afraid that saying the father is important would alienate and offend single mothers.

AB: With Fathers Day upon us, what message do you have for parents?

WF: We really need to understand what I discussed in The Boy Crisis about the nine differences between dad-style parenting and mom-style parenting. Children do best when they have what I call checks-and-balance parenting which recognizes both mother and father communicating in a loving and respectful way.

Both mother and father bring unique parenting styles. Mom-style parenting focuses on protecting the child and being sensitive to the childs needs. The importance of the dad-style parenting is enforcing boundaries. From that, children learn to postpone gratification, to fulfill their dreams.

AB: I find it fascinating that your background complements the journey of gender equality. You began as an advocate for feminist issues in the 50s and 60s when it wasnt popular by any means and then expanded to mens rights and the importance of fathers. But for that, you get a lot of flak. Unlike feminist activism, mens rights activism appears to be a thankless pursuit. Does that surprise you?

WF: When I started speaking at colleges and universities, Id hand out these yellow pads throughout the audience. This was before computers and people would sign up to see whether they would want to join either a mens group or a womens group. I would get together with all the people that were interested, often until 1 in the morning. Id teach them how to run mens groups and womens groups and then keep in contact with them afterwards.

As I started paying attention to both of the mens group in New York, and then also to the feedback from the other mens groups and womens groups, I began to incorporate some of their insights into my presentations. It was at that point that my standing ovations became mixed standing and sitting. Then they became not mixed at all. Just sitting.

At the beginning, when I was just speaking from a feminist perspective, I got about four or five speaking engagements in referrals per event. Whereas after I started incorporating the male point of view, I would get one or zero referrals. I started to see that if I spoke about the male experience, or what was happening with boys, that I would soon be more and more unpopular.

AB: Fatherlessness is a big issue but does flow downstream from our cultural values. How would you reverse that trend?

WF: First, it involves getting women to understand that were all in the same family boat; when you focus on only one sex winning, both sexes lose. As parents, we want our daughters to have a man who is worthy of her love and respect. Someone who is able to have his act together enough to be able to take care of her and do his part in taking care of the children.

Historically speaking, every generation has had its wars, and during those wars, if Uncle Sam said, We need you. You are necessary to kill off Nazis, men signed up and came forward when they were told they were needed.

We have had to tell males now that they are no longer needed so much to kill and be killed, but to love and be loved. Women need their support, their skills, their checks, their balances to help with protecting and raising children. We need them to be father warriors now. The real warriors in the future are the ones who share the responsibilities and joys of raising children.

Original post:

What does fatherlessness, boy crisis have to do with mass shootings? - Deseret News

University of Ottawa law and epidemiology professor Amir Attaran is facing international backlash for shaming a maskless United Airlines flight attendant on social media.

On Saturday, Attaran posted a picture of a flight attendant on a United flight from Ottawa to Chicago and accused the airline of breaking the law because masks are required on all flights out of Canada.

Transport Canada says masks are mandatory on all flights to and from Canada, a policy that has created confusion given that masking is not required on planes in America.

Canada is not the USA, you f***ers, said Attaran, who added that United should be banned from operating flights to Canada for not following the Trudeau governments mask mandates.

Attarans online conduct was quickly criticized by Canadian and international figures from all sides of the political spectrum.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis spokesperson Christina Pushaw called the University of Ottawa professors actions creepy, and suggested he should not fly if he cant handle seeing someones face.

Pushaw also called out Uniteds response to Attaran and accused the airline of throwing its employees under the bus. United had thanked Attaran for bringing the issue to their attention.

Fox News personality Greg Gutfeld and BlazeTv podcast host Elijah Schaffer also reacted to Attarans tweets.

Progressive personalities including Huffington Post contributor Yashar Ali and former The Young Turks correspondent Emma Vigeland also criticized Attarans actions.

Meanwhile, former University of Toronto professor Jordan Peterson reacted to Attarans tweets by calling him a pathetic ranfink and a horrible piece of work.

Attaran responded to Petersons criticism by claiming he was a baby. He also challenged him to a public debate in Ottawa.

This is not the first time that the University of Ottawa professor has caused controversy for his conduct on social media.

Attaran, whose Twitter bio states that he wrecks grifters, anti-vaxxers & scientific illiterates, has also come under fire for comments he made about unvaccinated people.

Attaran previously called those who do not believe in Covid vaccinations racist, low life trash, losers, stupid, villiage idiots, homophobic and anti-Semetic.

Were asking readers, like you, to make a contribution in support of True Norths fact-based, independent journalism.

Unlike the mainstream media, True North isnt getting a government bailout. Instead, we depend on the generosity of Canadians like you.

How can a media outlet be trusted to remain neutral and fair if theyre beneficiaries of a government handout? We dont think they can.

This is why independent media in Canada is more important than ever. If youre able, please make a tax-deductible donation to True North today. Thank you so much.

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University of Ottawa professor faces international backlash for shaming maskless flight attendant | The - The Paradise News

Deciding what to wear is hard enough. But try doing it while fighting breast cancer at the same time.

Yet thats the reality for so many women and its hardly easy. Thankfully, one organization has stepped up to provide a little bit of help.

The Evening Star Quilters, a Mineola-based not-for-profit quilting organization, donated 50 seatbelt covers to Dress for Recovery a clothing bank at the Chabad Center for Jewish Life, which serves an area that includes Merrick, Bellmore and Wantagh.

Dress for Recovery was founded by Loraine Alderman of East Meadow back in late 2020. She had been diagnosed with breast cancer the year before, and found that when patients faced cancer treatments like mastectomies, they often must wear surgical drains to aid recovery.

Dress for Recovery provides large shirts with ample space for the drains, as well as various zippers for doctors and nurses to access chest ports for chemotherapy.

Theres not one store in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut where you can walk in and buy this type of clothing, Alderman said. Theyre only available online, and theyre expensive. We are the only place where people can come and get everything free of charge.

You need the shirts that open up in the front and have the pocket for the drains. When you go into treatment, if you have a port, its helpful to have shirts that have a zipper for the port opening to allow access to treatments.

But its not just clothes cancer patients have to worry about. Its wearing just about anything including seatbelts.

While theyre great for keeping drivers and passengers safe in a car, seatbelts tend to rub against a patients torso, Alderman explained, which can cause pain and discomfort on surgery wounds, radiation burns, and raw chemotherapy ports. Seatbelt covers usually a small, fabric wrap that goes around a seatbelt offer protection.

Chemotherapy ports are normally found on someones chest, and are the approximate size of a nickel. Because they are attached to the main artery, Alderman says these ports require a lot of protection.

Most of them are under the skin theyre inside of you, added Aldermans husband, Bill. So, if (a seatbelt) pushes on it, it really, really hurts.

Catherine Peterson, a member of Evening Star, developed the quilting pattern for the seatbelt covers that could be completed by any of its members. From that, 50 of these covers were made.

They really picked out beautiful material, Alderman said. The craftsmanship was just amazing, I was blown away by what they did. It just shows the person thats receiving it that care went into it.

Petersons quilters kept in mind personal preferences when making the covers, using a number of colors and patterned fabrics.

I was thinking, when we were making these, you want to have something that appeals to a wide variety of people, she said.

When someone seeks out Dress for Recovery for help, Alderman stops to take the time to meet with them.

We let people choose what they feel most comfortable with, she said. Theres so many things that are out of your control when youre going through this whole process. Its all these little things that can chip away a little bit of the stress.

Since founding of Dress For Recovery, Alderman has seen the impact the clothing bank has had on those making the long journey through cancer.

When youre going through treatment, you sit there for many hours and you have a lot of time on your hands, Alderman said. We believe that you have to pay things forward, and we couldnt believe that there wasnt one store where you can walk in and buy this clothing. We tried to figure out how to make something good out of what was going on.

Dress for Recovery is part of the Chabads Circle of Hope initiative, which helps individuals and families coping with breast cancer and other illnesses. Services are offered to everyone, regardless of religious beliefs.

Both groups also provide counseling, wigs, food and financial assistance for those facing breast cancer treatment.

With the donation of the seatbelt covers, Dress For Recovery can allocate resources to getting more shirts and other items. Working toward raising $20,000 for its own, designated workspace at the Chabad Center, every donation helps.

I wish this was around when I was going through treatment, Alderman said of her program Dress for Recovery. We want to let people know that were here and everything is free of charge its really about paying things forward and just trying to help other people.

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Dress for Recovery, which helps women with breast cancer, gets useful donation - liherald.com

The Native Economic and Financial Education Empowerment (NEFEE) program is a Federal Reserve System effort led by the St. Louis Fed to reach a historically underserved population with economic and financial education. We support the prosperity of Native nations by providing economic and financial education in partnership with Native partners and other Federal Reserve banks who offer economic and financial education programming.

The Native Economic and Financial Education Empowerment program combines the public service mission of the Federal Reserve, its commitment to serving underserved populations, and its expertise in economic education. Since 2018, we have provided economic and personal finance education for tribal nations and Native communities and organizations throughout the country.

We believe economic and personal finance knowledge helps foster resilient and healthy individuals, families and communities. We respect the unique challenges that tribal nations face as sovereign governments to enhance the financial well-being of their people.

Our core work includes partnering with tribal nations to provide economic and financial education programming to their members and citizens. We offer in-person and virtual programming for Native educators; develop economics and personal finance curricula for use in classrooms and youth programs; and conduct research to measure the efficacy of our programs.

We are dedicated to increasing opportunities for members of Native communities to develop financial skills, especially for Native youth. Investing in education for youth can have significant returns. Not only can it benefit individual young people and their families, it can also help develop youth to be future leaders and contributors to their communities by preparing them to make important financial decisions.

We believe greater access to economic and financial education helps advance a more inclusive economy for all.

We have extensive experience in teaching economics, personal finance, curricula development and conducting outreach to underserved communities. We provide high-quality resources and professional development to improve instruction. Our resources and professional development programming are all free.

In its work with tribal nations and Native communities and organizations, NEFEE incorporates personal finance and economic education into a broad array of programs across generations, including programs for:

We acknowledge the importance of language and culture in education and value opportunities to highlight them to better engage Native students and foster a more inclusive learning environment. We partner with tribal nations to incorporate their Native language and culture within curricula in a variety of formats.

Megan Cruz leads the NEFEE outreach effort.

megan.cruz@stls.frb.org

Megan Cruz

The Federal Reserve Board announced on Oct. 13, 2021, that it joined the Central Bank Network for Indigenous Inclusion, which fosters ongoing dialogue, research and education to raise awareness of economic and financial issues and opportunities for Indigenous economies.

The Boards participation is supported by the Native Economic and Financial Education Empowerment (NEFEE) program at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the Center for Indian Country Development at the Federal Reserve of Minneapolis. Along with Indigenous partners, the network is a collaboration with Te Ptea Matua (the Reserve Bank of New Zealand), the Bank of Canada and the Reserve Bank of Australia.

Continued here:
Native Economic and Financial Education Empowerment (NEFEE) - Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

SAN DIEGO, June 23, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Out-of-state applicants for rental properties increased 42% from 2020 to 2021, according to a new analysis of TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) data. In that same period, rental applications in rural areas increased 28%, while urban rental application volume rose just 10%. The primary driver of these trends appears to be rising housing costs and the widespread availability of remote work, which began during the COVID-19 pandemic.

TransUnion is presenting its findings at the National Apartment Associations Annual Apartmentalize conference. They are also available in the Quick Guide, How COVID-19 and Remote Work is Reshaping U.S. Rental Demand.

With remote work firmly in the norm, weve seen renters actively seeking new locations that better suit their budgets and lifestyles, said Maitri Johnson, vice president of tenant and employment screening at TransUnion. While many are going out-of-state to sunnier environments, were also seeing a preference for rural areas and exurbs that have more space and a lower cost of living, but also a relative proximity to cities and airports.

Texas saw the largest increase between 2020 and 2021, with more than 310,000 new residents. Meanwhile, New York had the highest decrease, losing more than 319,000 residents. Generally, the cross-state migration patterns show more people leaving the Rust Belt and Northeast in favor of the Southern Atlantic and Mountain states, as well as Arizona and Texas1.

Affordability an issue

Overall occupancy of U.S. rentals reached a record 98% in January 20222. This may have been driven in part by an influx of homeowners who capitalized on their home equity by selling while housing prices were at an all-time high, and renting until valuations come back down. When looking at rental applications from 2020-2021, there was a 37% increase in applicants who had sold their home within the past year and a 16% increase among applicants with an outstanding mortgage.

The higher costs for home purchases simultaneously kept many younger adults from becoming first-time homebuyers. However, the same inflationary trends have impacted affordability in the rental market as well. Rent prices increased 14% between 2020 and 2021 while the median income of applicants has only increased 6% over that same time. Predictably, delinquencies on rent payments have increased. Whereas on-time rent payments were at 96% in January 2020, they had dropped to 92% at the end of 20213.

Demand is clearly very strong right now, which is all the more reason for a thorough rental application screening process with an emphasis on income and debt ratios and their effect on affordability, said Johnson.

Incoming immigration boom

There are signs that the housing market is cooling down as the Fed has bumped up interest rates several times already this year, which means renters can expect to continue renting until economic stability is regained. That said, TransUnion analysis suggests immigrants may well buoy the rental markets high demand over the long term.

Citing data from the U.S. Census Bureau and Joint Centers for Housing Studies of Harvard University, the report provides highlights about this populations participation in the rental market.

In 2022, immigrants represent more than 14% of the total U.S. population. That percentage is expected to grow through 2060, when the U.S. Census Bureau projects immigrants to represent 17% of the nations population4.

Because people who immigrate to the U.S. tend to remain renters for long periods, there is likely a compounding effect to this sustained increase, said Johnson. The current demand resulting from the housing market may subside as home prices come down, but this population will likely keep rental demand elevated over the coming decades.

As immigrants navigate the housing market, they may have questions about how credit works in the United States. This TransUnion blog answers common questions about building credit as an immigrant, including tips on how to establish a credit history.

Tips for renters

As with owning a home, renting can have an impact on consumers credit. For starters, a rental application may include a credit check. Depending on the service your landlord uses, this may result in a hard inquiry on your credit report, which can cause a temporary dip in your score, said Margaret Poe, head of consumer credit education at TransUnion.

However, consumers should know that monthly rent payments could be a boon to their credit health, as well. Payment history is one of the major credit score factors, so if your landlord reports your monthly rent to the credit reporting agencies and youre consistently making on-time payments, the history of that account will reflect positively on your report, said Poe.

For more information about the research, read the Quick Guide, How COVID-19 and Remote Work is Reshaping U.S. Rental Demand.

About TransUnion (NYSE:TRU)

TransUnion is a global information and insights company that makes trust possible in the modern economy. We do this by providing an actionable picture of each person so they can be reliably represented in the marketplace. As a result, businesses and consumers can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good.A leading presence in more than 30 countries across five continents, TransUnion provides solutions that help create economic opportunity, great experiences and personal empowerment for hundreds of millions of people.

http://www.transunion.com/business

Originally posted here:
Renter Migration Patterns Drive 42% Increase in Out-of-State Applicants as Renters Seek ... - The Bakersfield Californian

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Its no secret that employee engagement is a critical ingredient for heightened productivity and lower turnover at work. When we feel heard, valued, and empowered at work, we tend to be more productive, satisfied, and committed to the job. Yet widescale employee engagement seems to be constantly out of reach for a number of companies. After a few decades of steady progress in engagement numbers, 2021 data from Gallup showed the first decline in more than 10 years.

Sure, we can point to myriad factors that might have influenced that drop, including the global pandemic. However, too many company leaders ignore a fundamental truth when trying to help employees realize their potential: They wont achieve long-term engagement with only extrinsic rewards like money or tangible goods. Instead, they need to tap into their teams intrinsic motivators to build a more committed, motivated, and satisfied workforce.

We want to feel like our opinions truly matter. We want to have a say in how things are run. We want the freedom to adapt and respond to problems in real time at work. We want to have some control to set our tasks and make decisions based on whats best for us. Unsurprisingly, according to a Society for Human Resource Management survey, 7 in 10 employees ranked being empowered to take action at work as important to their overall engagement. If youre among that number and are searching for a new job at a company that has a culture of employee empowerment, look for these four features:

1. A company that is a safe space.

One of the biggest misconceptions about empowerment at work is that its something company leaders bestow upon their employees. In reality, we already have the power within ourselves; we just need the space to exercise it. However, its hard to step up to the plate if were afraid well get hit by the pitch.

So, look for a company that fosters psychological safety, allowing you to do great work without a manager or company leader constantly looking over your shoulder to reprimand you if something goes wrong.

According to Timm Urschinger, cofounder and CEO of LIVEsciences, thats all empowerment really is: In essence, the much-talked-about empowerment means nothing more than creating a safe space where people feel encouraged to try new things, make decisions, and not be afraid to be blamed if something doesnt work out, writes Urschinger. In other words, you need to look for a company that nurtures a risk-tolerant culture, promoting spirited debate and inviting employees to experiment.

2. A company with a mentorship program.

There will undoubtedly be more bumps along the road at a company that offers strong psychological guard rails for helping you realize your full potential. Letting you try and fail at work is one thing; leaving you to flounder is another entirely. This is where a companywide mentorship program is essential.

According to a survey by Deloitte and Moving Ahead, 87% of mentors and mentees said that the relationship helped them feel more empowered and confident. Having a mentor will not only allow you to take ownership of your personal and professional development, but it will also help you grow from inevitable missteps that will happen in your new role.

Mentoring our employees through their mistakes will give them space to grow, and will help to create a culture of growth and resilience, explains Ali Novitsky, CEO and founder of Life Coaching for Women Physicians.

3. A company that appreciates its employees.

From the time were small, most of us crave the affirmation of a job well done from our parents, teachers, and even friends. So great is this need that we often perceive neutral reactions negatively.

This applies to the working world, too. When O.C. Tanner asked employees what their employers could do to motivate them to produce great work consistently, almost 40% of respondents said more personal recognition.

During your job search, consider whether the companies youre looking at show appreciation for their employees contributions. Do they consistently recognize team members based on their goals and strengths? Or do they go radio silent when employee engagement week ends?

4. A company with clear expectations.

You dont want company leaders breathing down your neck while you work, but you also dont want to be left twisting in the wind. Without set expectations, employees may be left to wonder where their impact lies and, therefore, fall behind, says Luanne Tierney, chief marketing officer at Betterworks.

Ensure the on-the-job expectations at the companies you apply to are unambiguous, but also leave room for employees questions and feedback. And look for a company where employees inputs on how to refine workplace and job expectations are taken into account.

However, set expectations are only half of the equation. If a company has clear expectations but doesnt provide its employees the time and resources to meet those expectations, it doesnt have a true culture of empowerment.

When you feel more empowered and engaged at work, you can thrive. The question is: How can you recognize a company that has a culture of engagement during your job search? Look beyond quarterly bonus structures or beer taps in the break room. Rather, ask the right questions during the interview and tap your network (and company reviews) to rate a prospective new employer on these four game-changing aspects.

William Arruda is a keynote speaker, co-founder of CareerBlast.TV and creator of the 360Reach personal brand feedback survey which allows you to get the real scoop about your professional reputation from those who know you.

Link:
4 Things To Look For If You Want A Culture Of Empowerment At Your Next Job - Forbes

The fact that we continue to rely on passwords this deep into the digital age is more than a bit jarring. These alphanumeric scraps, the equivalent of digital skeleton keys, once served as a valuable tool. Unfortunately, passwords are now far more trouble than they're worth. They provide little protection against identity theft, breaches, and myriad other problems.

Yet completely ditching passwords is out of the question at least for now. While they may rank as an almost total security fail and a bane for everyone, they remain an entrenched standard. Consequently, multifactor authentication (MFA) has become a necessity, but it too presents challenges bordering on outright problems.

This is the first of a two-part series about how businesses can adopt stronger and better authentication methods. While there's an immediate need to boost MFA adoption, it's also critical to move to more advanced and secure passwordless frameworks, including those that use biometrics.

As with every technology, an accumulation of solutions eventually becomes a new problem. Most organizations and many consumers recognize the need to move beyond password-only authentication. Yet two-factor authentication (2FA) and even many MFA techniques were never designed for today's sophisticated digital frameworks.

"When you log into six different systems during the day and each of them uses a different method ... you wind up with two-factor authentication PTSD," says Michael Engle, co-founder and chief security officer at 1Kosmos. "You spend a significant time fetching codes and launching apps."

The mix of methods including time-based one-time password (TOTP), SMS and email 2FA, push-based 2FA, universal second factor (U2F) tokens, WebAuthn, and desktop agents introduce an often-confusing array of options for both companies and consumers. Making matters worse, they deliver varying levels of protection, and most people aren't equipped to understand the pros and cons. For instance, widely used SMS and email codes are easily intercepted or breached when a crook has access to a device. Toolkits that facilitate man-in-the-middle attacks and other password exploits are now widely available on sites such as GitHub.

Consumer and enterprise fatigue is at a breaking point. And while significantly better MFA and passwordless systems are taking shape Apple, Google, and Microsoft have announced they are moving to passwordless sign-ins built on the FIDO2 standard organizations continue to struggle with adoption.

Design, usability, and functionality are all critical. There's a need to convince people to move beyond a basic password and adopt MFA, but it's also critical to deploy higher grade MFA methods while moving to passwordless.

"This requires improved UX and education. There's a need for the process to be seamless," says Don Tait, a senior analyst at Omdia Consulting.

It's a startling and entirely disturbing fact: Despite a seemingly endless string of hacks, attacks, breaches, and breakdowns 81% of hacking-related breaches are caused by password issues only 29% of consumers believe that the inconvenience of 2FA is always worth the security trade-off. About 36% are willing to use 2FA in some cases, depending on the importance of the account.

The reasons for this reticence are at least partly rooted in the nature of today's online world. For better or worse, people expect Web pages to load instantaneously, and they seek access to accounts without any latency even when dozens of APIs and servers around the world are required for a transaction. Remarkably, one study conducted by Microsoft found that the average person only has an attention span of approximately eight seconds.

Yet it's also clear that MFA frameworks can be a big hassle. Oftentimes, it's necessary to request a text code or pull out a phone and open an authenticator app from Google or Microsoft and type in a code. Meanwhile, physical tokens, such as YubiKey, offer stellar security but they can be difficult to set up and use.

MFA participation is ticking up due to the pandemic and ominous warnings about the risks of relying on a password only; Okta found that MFA adoption rose by about 80% during the early stages of the pandemic. However, attacks are escalating and becoming more sophisticated. The net result is a relative move backward.

"There are too many companies giving too little thought to how to implement more advanced MFA and passwordless systems," says Jasson Casey, CTO for authentication vendor Beyond Identity. "You can't build a security architecture without considering design and usability. As the level of friction goes up, participation goes down."

These issues unfold in several ways. Design elements may hide MFA options or deliver confusing instructions for how to set it up. They sometimes provide confusing or ominous warnings that frighten users, or a site or service doesn't communicate the value of using MFA. Frequently, users don't see any compelling reason to adopt this additional layer of security.

"People turn to digital services because they're looking for ease of use and convenience," says Kalev Rundu, senior product manager at authentication firm Veriff. MFA must not be any different. It must fit seamlessly with the broader digital interaction and deliver a clear advantage or other forms of authentication.

Gaining buy-in is critical. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Security and Privacy; the University of California, San Diego; and Facebook found that one of the keys to convincing people to turn on MFA is to present the decision as a personal empowerment choice. This might include a message like, "You can increase your protection against account hacking" or "Protect your account, pages and friends."

When researchers tested this personal responsibility approach with accompanying buttons on Facebook, it led to an uptick in MFA adoption by 33% among 622,419 participants. When users viewed a message about the advantages of being protected, they were 28% more likely to adopt MFA. On the other hand, the corporate responsibility button didn't prompt any change in behavior.

Another technique that boosts adoption revolves around an incentive or a reward an approach that has already gained traction within gaming platforms like Fortnight and World of Warcraft. In 2019, a group of researchers from the University of Bonn and Leibniz University Hannover in Germany found that even a small incentive, such as an upgraded avatar or another small gift, can push numbers up.

Colors, placement, and design elements also matter. Delivering the request at the right moment without interrupting the flow of an interaction or transaction is crucial.

"It must be so easy that doing it for the first time has nearly no friction," 1Kosmos' Engle says. QR codes and push-to-app authentications can help, especially when a user can authorize the sign-in from a separate authorized device.

Still, none of these approaches are seamless and they aren't bulletproof. The future of MFA and full passwordless systems lies in biometrics, FIDO2, and emerging systems that not only authenticate to an account on a device, but also verify a person's identity.

"A new era of authentication is emerging," Omdia's Tait says.

In part 2, Dark Reading takes a look at the rapidly evolving passwordless space and what companies need to do to stamp out passwords once and for all.

View post:
Evolving Beyond the Password: It's Time to Up the Ante - DARKReading

Of course MANifesto has a manifesto. Its right there in the freakin name.

No rush on thinking it all through, though. Catch up with the Toronto Man Band a self-described gaggle of grown-up gays covering songs originated by girl groups belatedly via last summers entirely lovable mid-pandemic debut Pinky Swear and its accompanying volley of glamourpuss videos for tunes like Labelles Lady Marmalade and All Saints One Strike or MANifestos brand-new cover of local 80s one-hit wondertwins Tus Stay With Me and youll soon realize there are numerous layers of subtext and social commentary operating amidst all the fun.

Oh, the layers are many. Theyre plentiful, concurred founder and frontman R. Kelly Clipperton, relaxing over cocktails on his patio with singularly named bandmates Twaine, Dionisio and Brayo after an evening rehearsal in Liberty Village last week. Even in just doing the research for the album and trying to pick the songs and understanding that the majority of them were actually written by men for women to sing for men to sing what a man would want to hear I realized there were even more levels to it, that the Supremes and the Chordettes and LaBelle and the Pointer Sisters were essentially puppets within a concept. So the idea was to take that and pull it back and empower not only us, but the women who originally sang those songs and kind of turn it on itself.

Clipperton, already well established in Toronto as the frontman for bands such as Merkury Burn and Kelly and the Kellygirls not to mention a photographer, occasional playwright and hairdresser of no small repute had been toying with the idea of forming a mature, out-and-proud version of the typical, dubiously heterosexual boy band for more than a decade when he finally forged ahead and recruited the MANifesto lineup through contacts in the worlds of music and theatre in late 2019, just in time to have the whole project derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The chemistry between the nascent MANifesto lineup (originally a five-piece) was so evident to all involved that the men decided to steam ahead amidst the lockdown era, kicking out harmonious covers of the Pointer Sisters Automatic, Girls Alouds The Promise and the Spice Girls Say Youll Be There before finally electing to release Pinky Swear last September even though there appeared to be little foreseeable opportunity on the horizon to actually take their decidedly theatrical oeuvre to the stage.

I just felt that we didnt have a choice. It was, like, We cant sit on this. Itll disintegrate. Itll just go away, said Clipperton. Ive always wanted to sing with other gay men. All the projects Ive ever created have been very diverse with regards to gender and sexual orientation and race and sound and everything and its always been like that, but Ive never really had the opportunity to do something that felt really at home for me.

Even with the number of gay men who are pop stars who are now out and doing their own work, Ricky Martin released a video just recently and theres, like, zero homo-evidence. And hes been out for 15 years now. Theres still no gay evidence. Its all still kind of washed over. Its still too dangerous. Ive always said that gay men are the last greatest taboo. Lesbians will always be accepted because straight men think lesbians are for them, right?

MANifesto finally gets to stage its long-delayed, official coming-out party towards the peak of Pride celebrations on Friday at the Buddies in Bad Times theatre with an elaborate stage show entitled MANifesto Are Gay.

Needless to say, theres a lot of pent-up performative energy waiting to be unleashed after two years in stasis.

Its definitely gonna be a bit of a spectacle, said Traine ahead of the performance. We want to stand out a bit and we want to have a lot of fun but we also want to share the connections to all the talented people around us we have in our own lives. So weve got dancers, weve got singers, weve got costumes, weve got projections

Weve got makeup. Weve even got some Cirque de Soleil s-t happening, added Dionisio. We wanted more pyro but its not in the budget. However, were gonna be on fire. I cant hardly wait.

If theres a more sobering side to all the camp and conviviality of the MANifesto experience, its embodied by the groups unflinching support of Rainbow Railroad, an organization that helps LGBTQ people from countries where being queer is a genuine threat to their lives and livelihood escape to more accepting climes. All proceeds from Pinky Swear are donated to Rainbow Railroad and MANifesto has vowed to advocate for the non-profit as long as it has a platform from which to sing out.

A native of Uganda, Brayo has personally benefited from the charitys good deeds, having arrived in Canada just in time to experience the last true Toronto Pride party to go on before the pandemic three years ago. His story is, sadly, a reminder of why events like Pride have come to exist in the first place.

My social media accounts are still monitored by my persecutors. They still monitor. My family is home so anything that they see I do, they know they cant attack me directly so they attack my family. So thats a dilemma, he said. But when I got here and I saw the way people were free and enjoying life I made it my personal vendetta to support Rainbow Railroad. And when I shared my stories with these queens, they all got on board.

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Amid Toronto band MANifestos camp and conviviality theres a message of empowerment - Toronto Star

As life circumstances change and grow, many women find themselves in positions of financial independence for the first time later in their lives.

When Im partnering with women on their financial journeys, I truly believe a trusted relationship between us with shared experiences allows for honest questions and honest answers. My clients and the other women in their lives can feel comfortable sharing any financial fears and doubts, while also confident in telling me their goals and ambitions without feeling self-conscious.

With new financial knowledge in hand, these women come to see they can make brave choices and create a new way forward theyd only imagined before. This freedom and self-empowerment comes from venturing into financial decisions on their own, with support from advisors and advocates like myself and my partners. Now financially independent, women can achieve personal and retirement goals they didnt realize were possible before.

Sometimes women choose to leave neighbourhoods behind, buying a new style home theyd never imagined owning before. Other times, they can reach their financial goals and take the trip thats always been at the top of their wish list. As they find financial independence, the options become endless.

Financial freedom looks different for everyone. The transition can be difficult and uncomfortable, but having support along the way can help women find their way and create new possibilities. The results may be different than they imagined, but with a detailed financial plan and the support of a trusted advisor partnership, they have the support they need to navigate the changes to their financial situation.

As women meet with trusted financial advisors and forge a path for a brave new future, here are my top tips for getting the most out of their money.

Advisors are not here to pass judgement on where youve come from. By sharing where youre at right now, and what you hope to accomplish with future funds, will help you and your advisor make realistic divisions with your money.

Be open and honest about exactly what you hope to gain and achieve in your future

Its important for your advisor to understand your financial goals so they can put together a plan that works for you and will help you achieve those goals. Even if a goal feels too big, your advisor can help you determine if its a possibility or find alternative goals based on your financial situation.

As you move into a brave new financial future, its important to leave behind any poor memories from past financial experiences. Some decisions and outcomes in the past may have negatively affected you without having had your input. Find an advisor who listens to your hopes and concerns, working with you to find financial success.

You shouldnt feel intimidated by your financial advisor. As you learn about your money, ask questions, learn more about your financial situation and uncover whats possible.

I have helped women transition through many life changes, including losing a spouse, losing a lifelong home, changing careers, unexpected retirement and children moving back home.

Watching women thrive through challenging parts of their lives is such an empowering experience for me. I enjoy watching women come into their own and make their own choices; realizing a new life is possible for them and their loved ones.

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Forging a new financial future: How women can empower themselves by taking control of their finances - SaultOnline.com