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Miami Herald
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
What's the real name of Alligator Alcatraz? Get inside look at detention center
South Florida What's the real name of Alligator Alcatraz? Get inside look at detention center These articles discuss the Florida detention center "Alligator Alcatraz," its conditions, and the challenges faced by those trying to access it. The reports reveal a state-run facility built quickly to detain people under Trump-era immigration policies. They highlight issues like denied entry to lawmakers, heat and bugs inside the tents, and difficulties for detainees to contact legal counsel. "Alligator Alcatraz" is officially recognized by the state and has inspired merchandise. Read the stories below to catch up. No image found US President President Donald Trump arrives to attend a roundtable discussion as he visits a migrant detention center, dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz,' located at the site of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, Florida, on July 1, 2025. President Trump is visiting a migrant detention center in a reptile-infested Florida swamp dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz.' Trump will attend the opening of the 5,000-bed facility -- located at an abandoned airfield in the Everglades wetlands -- part of his expansion of deportations of undocumented migrants, his spokeswoman said. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images) NO. 1: IT'S OFFICIAL: ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ IS NOT A NICKNAME. IT'S FLORIDA'S NAME FOR DETENTION SITE Alligator Alcatraz is not just a moniker designed to sell political merchandise. | Published July 1, 2025 | Read Full Story by Ana Ceballos No image found Florida state Sen. Carlos G. Smith and fellow lawmakers speak to the media before being denied entry into Alligator Alcatraz, the state immigration detention facility in the Everglades, on Thursday, July 3, 2025. By PHOTO BY AL DIAZ NO. 2: 'WHAT ARE THEY HIDING?' FLORIDA LAWMAKERS SHUT OUT OF ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ In a surprising and possibly unlawful act, five state legislators were denied entry Thursday into a taxpayer-funded migrant detention center deep in the Everglades, raising questions about what will happen behind the razor-wire fences that are being erected surrounding the controversial facility the state has named Alligator only with state law and a growing list of humanitarian concerns, state Senators Shevrin Jones and Carlos Guillermo Smith, along with Representatives Anna V. | Published July 3, 2025 | Read Full Story by Antonio Maria Delgado No image found Aerial view of structures including gigantic tents built at the recently opened migrant detention center, 'Alligator Alcatraz,' located at the site of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, Florida on Friday July 04, 2025. By Pedro Portal NO. 3: GIANT BUGS, HEAT AND A HOSPITAL VISIT: INSIDE ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ'S FIRST DAYS Concerns about conditions for detainees were heightened when one was rushed out of the detention center Monday in an ambulance. | Published July 8, 2025 | Read Full Story by Ana Ceballos Alex Harris Claire Healy The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Business
- Newsweek
More Than Half Remote Staff Work a Side Hustle While on the Clock
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Companies have long held concerns about remote work, fearing productivity declines, disconnected workforces and worsened team culture. However, a new study reveals there might be another problem for employers: the majority of remote employees are using their time on the clock to earn extra income on the side, according to a new study. The LendingTree study discovered that 51 percent of remote workers are earning additional income while working their primary job, and 58 percent have considered doing so. Male remote workers were significantly more likely to work for additional income while at their remote jobs, at 58 percent versus 42 percent. Why It Matters The survey's revelations add to a growing body of research documenting how economic pressures, changing job structures, and evolving expectations are reshaping how and when Americans work. With many employees facing distractions, juggling caregiving, and saving money on commuting costs, remote work continues to redefine the boundaries of productivity and accountability. Remote work has become increasingly popular since the coronavirus pandemic. While it was first seen as a necessity to curb the spread of the virus, it now has a strong hold on the larger workforce, and many top talent will not consider a job without remote work as an option. Nearly all, or 95 percent, of working professionals want some type of remote work, and 63 percent said it is the most important aspect of their job, even more important than salary, according to a recent FlexJobs report. However, employers continue to have looming concerns regarding productivity. File photo of a remote employee working from his bedroom. File photo of a remote employee working from his bedroom. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images What To Know The LendingTree survey of 2,000 Americans, which included 450 remote workers, found there were many benefits to remote work on the employees' side. "One of the greatest appeals of remote work is the ability to have more flexibility within your own home," Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek. "However, that autonomy can lead some to go down the road of doing additional work, even for completely different professions, on the clock of their primary employer." Roughly 70 percent of remote workers reported getting more sleep, 66 percent felt more productive, and 90 percent said they had an improved work-life balance, according to the survey. However, remote workers were also likely to fear being let go if their company underwent layoffs, with 47 percent saying they were concerned about this. This may reflect the reality of today's workforce, as fully remote workers were 35 percent more likely to be laid off than in-office employees, according to a 2023 study by Live Data Technologies Inc. Even amid these fears, 45 percent of remote workers said they were opposed to returning to the office full-time, and 42 percent relocated after securing a remote job. What People Are Saying LendingTree chief consumer finance analyst Matt Schulz said in the report: "It can be tempting to try to generate some extra income while working remotely, but it comes with real risk, too. Splitting your focus that way can make you less productive. That's dangerous any time, but especially in a time of significant economic uncertainty in which many companies are already looking for ways to get leaner and more efficient. The last thing you should do is keep secrets from your employer." Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: "As appealing as the notion may be, it's important to understand the ramifications could be dire and include you losing your current role and potentially dooming other employees to return to the office if the employer feels like violations of their policies may be widespread." What Happens Next Beene said that if more employees take advantage of their employers' offering remote work, it could lead to these types of positions being less available in the future. "Remote work is a job feature many employees would love to have," Beene said. "Trying to take advantage of it ensures there will be fewer of those opportunities in the future." A previous national survey collected by found that 33 percent of remote employees are working two or more jobs. The reasons cited include the rising cost of living and the relative ease of managing remote roles. "Remote workers are increasingly working multiple jobs due to the rising cost of living in recent years. Additionally, many remote roles are relatively easy to manage, allowing workers to take on additional jobs without a noticeable drop in productivity," Kevin Thompson, CEO of 9i Capital Group, previously told Newsweek.
Miami Herald
26-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Housing market update spells more trouble
Let's say it like it is The housing market of late has been far from dazzling, and everyone's feeling the pinch. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter New home buyers are hitting pause, with builders stuck with unsold inventory, as lenders continue clamping down. What looked like a robust housing market not too long ago now feels frozen. Buyers are stepping aside, builders are trying to unload homes, and no one's sure how ugly this dip might get. High mortgage rates, inflated home prices, and tariff drama have collectively led the new-home market into no-man's land. Affordability's taking a hit, and buyers continue being circumspect. Moreover, given the most recent development, things could take a while to improve. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/Getty Images Since Covid, the U.S. housing market's been on a rollercoaster ride. Related: Huge housing brand franchisee was running a huge con The first was a massive price surge, followed by a Fed-fueled pullback and now a choppy cooldown heading into mid-2025. For perspective, home prices jumped about 43% from early 2020 to June 2022. That momentum had everything to do with rock-bottom mortgage rates, stimulus-fueled savings, and the powerful remote-work boom. However, the market started to cool fast once the Fed kicked off its aggressive rate hikes in early 2022. By mid-2023, 30-year mortgage rates surged from just under 3% in early 2021 to over 7%. Price growth hit the brakes, too. By late 2024, some cities were seeing significant year-over-year declines, and by April of this year, national gains were down to just 2.7%. Yet affordability is getting squeezed hard. Home prices continue outpacing wage growth, and with borrowing costs stuck high, a lot of current homeowners are staying put. At the same time, tariffs are messing with material costs, crippling supply. Inventory levels still feel tight as smart money dumps rental homes after nearly two years of falling rents. Looking ahead, the majority of analysts see either sluggish growth or slight price drops through the rest of 2025. J.P. Morgan expects sub-3% gains, while Redfin sees prices slipping about 1% by year-end. More on the housing market: New Home Sales Plunge, Keeping Us on the Sidelines With This Bullpen NameBillionaire Bill Ackman doubles down on major housing market betRising gold price has a surprising connection to house sales The real relief for buyers depends on the Fed cutting rates and boosting new-home construction to ease the supply crunch. Sales of new single-family homes nosedived again in May, dropping to a 623,000 annual pace. That's down roughly 13.7% from April and 6.3% lower compared to a year ago, highlighting significant market duress. Related: Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway expects housing market price changes soon Meanwhile, inventories of new homes continue piling up while revenues cool off. By the close of May, builders had just 507,000 new homes on the market, up 1.4% from April and 8.1% from last year. That's close to 10 months' worth of supply, pointing to substantial oversupply. Affordability remains the biggest roadblock The National Association of Realtors' chief economist, Lawrence Yun, says that median home prices have jumped over 50% since 2019, but wages haven't kept up. Layer that up with a 6.8% average mortgage rate and it's no surprise people are backing off Moreover, it's not homebuilders feeling the pinch. The weakened housing market has hit everyone from mortgage lenders to furniture stores. If this slump sticks around, it could prove to be a drag on consumer confidence and slow down the broader economy. Naturally, things are unlikely to get much better unless mortgage rates drop or prices take a meaningful dip. Builders might need to cut prices and throw in more incentives. It seems like high inventory and soft demand will stay for a while. Related: Major housing expert predicts huge change to mortgage rates in 2026 The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Miami Herald
13-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Micron makes massive $200 billion AI bet
Some readers may get the wrong impression that I am a Luddite. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, Luddites were members of organized bands of 19th-century English handicraftsmen who rioted against the use of textile machinery that was displacing them. The term is now used broadly to refer to people opposed to technological change. I criticize artificial intelligence, but that doesn't mean I am against machine learning. It can be used for good. Finding patterns in data that the human mind can't "digest" properly is very useful. It has already led to scientific breakthroughs. Related: Google resolves major privacy issue Many recently launched supercomputer systems have been slapped with AI tags for marketing purposes, even if those supercomputers (hopefully) won't be used for useless stuff like chatbots. And to mention the Luddites again, we hear every day how AI will replace humans in the workplace, or that it is already taking jobs. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/Getty Images More than 150,000 tech workers were laid off in 2024. It doesn't matter if it is Amazon, Google, Tesla, or Microsoft, tech companies are looking for ways to use AI, rather than humans, to generate as much code as possible. Relying heavily on AI to generate code, or "vibe coding," unfortunately, only works if a person can review the AI-generated slop. AI will surely work if you are updating a website that has been made hundreds of times before. If you want to build something original, you'll have plenty of mistakes to fix. Related: Apple WWDC underwhelms fans in a crucial upgrade I don't know about you, but I don't like fixing AI's mistakes. Even before AI, gigantic "enterprise" codebases were the topic of horror stories among programmers. These vibe-coded ones will make those codebases look great, if not impeccable. When these vibe projects get stuck, the developers hired back to fix all the AI-generated code should request higher pay to deal with it. More Tech Stocks: Palantir gets great news from the PentagonAnalyst has blunt words on Trump's iPhone tariff plansOpenAI teams up with legendary Apple exec Micron Technology, Inc. (MU) is poised to profit from AI regardless of the project goals and is also helping to create more jobs in the US tech sector. Micron and the Trump Administration announced on June 12th that Micron plans to expand its U.S. investments to approximately $150 billion in domestic memory manufacturing and $50 billion in research and development, creating an estimated 90,000 direct and indirect jobs. The company plans to invest an additional $30 billion beyond prior plans, which include building a second memory fab in Boise, Idaho, and expanding and modernizing its existing manufacturing facility in Manassas, Virginia. The second Idaho fab will increase Micron's production of DRAM in the U.S., serving growing market demand fueled by AI. Related: Klarna CEO sounds the alarm on a growing problem Micron will bring advanced packaging capabilities to the U.S. to enable long-term growth in high-bandwidth memory (HBM). HBM is indispensable to the AI market. As GPUs that power AI systems become increasingly powerful, they are bottlenecked by memory bandwidth. HBM provides the bandwidth necessary to leverage these powerful processors in the most effective and efficient manner. The more the AI market grows, the more the demand for HBM grows. This investment includes its previous plan for a mega fab in New York. This expansion plan includes two high-volume fabs in Idaho, up to four high-volume fabs in New York, and the expansion and modernization of its existing manufacturing fab in Virginia. Idaho fab is expected to start DRAM output in 2027. "President Trump has made it clear that the time to build in America is now. In partnership with the Department of Commerce, Micron is announcing a $200 billion semiconductor manufacturing and R&D investment to bring the full spectrum of memory chip production back to the United States. Micron's planned investment will ensure the U.S. advances its lead across critical industries like AI, automotive, and aerospace & defense," stated Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick. If everything goes according to plan, the factories will add many new job positions, but it will take time, as building a new semiconductor factory takes years. Related: Amazon's latest big bet may flop The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Newsweek
10-06-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
Remote Work and Mental Health—Is Employment Trend Sparking a Crisis?
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Remote work has surged in popularity since the COVID-19 pandemic, with 33 percent of white collar workers being fully remote as of late 2024, according to OnePoll. However, the trend could be fostering a mental health crisis, new research suggests. A new study from the Headway app found that 56 percent of remote workers go entire weeks without leaving their homes, and one in four do not speak to anyone for days. This has led to concerns over social isolation and even depression for employees who have become used to working all day from their bedroom or home office. Why It Matters Nearly all, or 95 percent, of working professionals want some type of remote work, and 63 percent said remote work is the most important aspect of their job, even more than salary, a recent FlexJobs report found. However, being able to perform your job from your home could have larger consequences for your mental health if it means you're less likely to engage with others and build a social life outside of your own living space. What To Know Through a survey of 1,000 remote workers in the United States, Headway found that while over half credited remote work with improving their work-life balance, these gains often came at the expense of productivity and overall well-being. Only 23 percent of respondents reported consistently working a full eight-hour day. The majority admitted to averaging about six hours of focused work, struggling with motivation, and engaging in non-work activities during scheduled hours. Notably, 40 percent acknowledged faking activity to deceive monitoring systems, suggesting a struggle to maintain consistent performance outside traditional office settings. The survey also revealed widespread distractions and blurred boundaries between work and personal life. Half of remote workers reported regularly running errands or attending to personal matters during work hours, and 54 percent indicated that they spent more time on household chores than on their job. Danny Crouch sits in his basement as he works from home in Arlington, Virginia, on May 25, 2023. Danny Crouch sits in his basement as he works from home in Arlington, Virginia, on May 25, 2023. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images A lack of routine appears to affect professional standards as well, with a significant portion admitting to skipping daily hygiene routines and holding meetings in unconventional locations, such as beds or vehicles. Roughly 67 percent admitted that they often skip showering, drawing concerns that this, alongside the lack of social interaction, are signs of remote work's impact on mental health. "This is seemingly more normal than one might think," Hallie Kritsas, a licensed mental health counselor with Thriveworks, told Newsweek. "When working remotely, especially alone, an individual loses the natural structure that comes with leaving the house, such as getting dressed, interacting with co-workers, or doing small things like grabbing coffee or lunch. A routine and structure can help someone feel both motivated and connected." From a broader employment perspective, FlexJobs' Remote Work Economy Index for Q1 2025 described a dynamic landscape in which remote postings dipped slightly but demand for remote roles—particularly those offering flexibility and financial benefits—remained high. Nearly 70 percent of workers surveyed by FlexJobs reported changing or considering a career change in the previous year, with remote work being the most important factor for 37 percent of job seekers. The survey also reflected growing financial pressures: 77 percent of respondents reported considering a job switch for better pay, and a significant number were pursuing side hustles alongside their primary jobs. This search for balance and income security can reflect deeper mental health issues. According to SHRM, organizations are confronting the downside of remote work: higher reported rates of depression and social isolation. The flexibility and convenience of remote employment, while valued, can lead to disconnection from co-workers, heightened loneliness, and difficulties in maintaining distinct work-life boundaries. These factors have made it essential for companies to provide robust support structures, such as mental health days, access to counseling, and regular check-ins to combat the growing mental health strain. Roughly 64 percent of executives reported that remote work had a negative impact on their employees' mental health in 2022. That was an increase from 55 percent the previous year, according to a survey by professional services firm RSM US and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The overlapping research suggests that remote work's impact on mental health is complex. Many individuals report being able to manage their familial and personal responsibilities better while working from home, but a large segment also experiences fatigue, stress, and feelings of isolation. Employers are increasingly tasked not only with monitoring productivity but also with fostering environments that mitigate the negative health impacts of remote work and sustain employee well-being over the long term. What People Are Saying Toni Frana, a career expert manager at FlexJobs, told Newsweek: "Working from home offers people the flexibility and work-life balance they often crave, but without setting intentional boundaries for work time and off time, it's easy to dive right into work when waking up. Then, before you know it, the full workday has passed, and you haven't even left your desk. To avoid potential feelings of isolation that can accompany remote work, being intentional about your work time––and off time!––is critical." Hallie Kritsas, a licensed mental health counselor with Thriveworks, told Newsweek: "Things such as skipping showers or going days without social interaction can definitely be a red flag and can speak to a mental health crisis if not addressed. These symptoms can lead to things such as burnout, depression, and feeling disconnected from the world. It is essential to health to have both social connection and daily structure." What Happens Next To combat some of the social isolation that can come with remote work, experts urge employees to prioritize interaction with others, even if they're mainly working from their home office all day. "While the majority of people say a remote job would best support their mental health, it's also important to prioritize interacting with people," Frana said. "Whether that's taking a workout class, volunteering, or having a coffee with a friend, maintaining social interaction when you work remotely is important for your mental health and overall well-being."
