Latest news with #Evangelou
GMA Network
6 days ago
- GMA Network
Cyprus-based Filipino groups pledge safer online spaces
Over 80 Filipinos representing 22 diaspora communities in Cyprus attended a digital media literacy seminar in Nicosia to prevent cyberbullying and promote safe online spaces. Courtesy: Ester Beatty NICOSIA, Cyprus – Hotel housekeeping staff Lea Evangelou still recalls how she and her close friends felt worried after her Filipina colleague went missing. After several hours of searching, they found her wandering by the beach, seemingly distraught by the alleged bullying she faced on social media. Evangelou, a 55-year-old Filipina migrant worker who has lived in Cyprus for 33 years, told GMA Integrated News that this incident deeply affected her colleague and almost led to their hotel employer becoming involved in the investigation. This incident prompted her to encourage other community leaders to organize a digital media literacy seminar for Filipino migrants in Cyprus. After months of planning, the seminar took place on July 6 and drew over 80 Filipinos from 22 different civic and community organizations across the island nation. The activity was titled, "DigiPinoy: Safe and Ethical Social Media Use". "Para makahikayat kami sa mga OFW (overseas Filipino workers) na huwag gamitin sa harassment ang social media (The seminar was organized so we can encourage OFWs to refrain from using social media to harass others," Evangelou said. "Dahil sa social media, naise-share 'yung mga karanasan natin sa ibang bansa. Pero 'yung paninira, hindi maganda at lumalawak 'yan kasi." (Social media helps us share our experiences abroad. But bullying and speaking ill about others through the platform aren't good as they spread quickly.) Pinoys in Cyprus One of the seminar's co-organizers, 53-year-old businesswoman Valerie Badilla, has observed that most Filipino migrant workers in Cyprus use their off-days or vacation to make more money, leaving them with less time to mingle with other kababayans. "More often, a regular Filipino worker here earns up to EUR 400 (approximately P26,500) every month, while their counterparts in mainland Europe earn significantly more, between EUR 1,000 and EUR 1,500 (approximately P66,350 to P99,525). OFWs in Cyprus use their days off for gigs, which makes it difficult to maintain real-time and in-person connections," shared Badilla, a co-founder of Nicosia-based tech company Artemis Intelligence. "I lived and worked in Hong Kong and Singapore, and OFWs would gather every Sunday or on their day off to see friends. It helps in their community building." Badilla has observed that many Filipinos in Cyprus tend to post personal or community issues immediately on social media without reaching out to others, which has led to gossiping and bullying—including the incident Evangelou's friend faced. The seminar, Badilla shared, was their way not only to reintroduce digital media literacy to Filipinos in Cyprus but also to emphasize community building across different diaspora organizations. "At the DigiPinoy seminar, participants learned beyond just identifying misinformation and scams, but they were also encouraged to practice respectful and ethical social media engagement," Badilla said. "They were given concepts to help them recognize and prevent cyberbullying. Towards the end, the participants reflected on their own online habits to consider how their digital actions impact others." One of the seminar trainers, Michael Glaros, founder of the tech company that Badilla also co-founded, reminded participants to "uphold the Filipino values of respect and community" amid their constant connectivity. "A simple moment of reflection—asking if our words might harm or expose others—can help build a safer, kinder digital space for all," Glaros added. Maura De Vos, a psychology researcher on misinformation at the University of Central Lancashire, warned participants about the risks associated with manipulated content. "For the Filipino diaspora, especially those far from home, the digital world offers a lifeline—but it also brings risks," De Vos said. "By pausing, questioning, and relying on evidence over emotion, we become more resilient." Promoting digital safety At the close of the seminar, all 22 participating groups presented personalized commitments to promote a safer online environment. These included pledges to verify information before sharing, avoid spreading harmful content, and encourage constructive online dialogue. "We commit to shaping safer, kinder digital spaces—starting today," the groups declared in a unified statement. Organizers said the pledge symbolized not only digital responsibility but also a renewed sense of cultural integrity and leadership within the Filipino community in Cyprus. The organizers shared that DigiPinoy was the first in a series of community-led education initiatives aimed at empowering Filipinos in Cyprus. Evangelou added that she would continue pushing for similar digital media literacy seminars and community-building activities to strengthen Filipino migrants in the island nation. "Kailangang maulit muli para hindi mawala yung spirit na sinimulan namin. May mga OFW kasi na ginagamit sa maling bagay ang social media. Dapat iwasan 'yun dahil nakakasira ng buhay, tulad ng nangyari sa kasamahan ko," Evangelou said. (This event should be repeated so its spirit of what we started won't be lost. There are OFWs who social media for the wrong things. This should be avoided because it can affect other people's lives, just like what happened to my colleague. "'Yang pambu-bully sa social media, nagiging dahilan kung bakit naii-stress at nade-depress ang ibang tao. Ayaw ko namang mangyari 'yun, kasi hindi naman lahat ng gumagamit ng social media ay matapang o malakas ang loob. Mayroong ibang mahina at dinidibdib ang ginagawa sa kanilang pambu-bully." (Social media bullying is also a reason why others get stressed or depressed. I don't want that to happen because not many people can deal with social media bullying. Others get affected more easily.) — VDV, GMA Integrated News
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fashion 4 Development Touts Diplomacy and Culture at The Pierre Hotel
In advance of its 15-year anniversary, Fashion 4 Development held the 'Ambassador Summer Circle' reception at The Pierre Tuesday by the Taj Hotel-operated property, the event aimed to encapsulate fashion, diplomacy and cultural richness. The gathering, which featured a mini fashion show for two Ukrainian eveningwear designers, was also meant to celebrate the United Nations Sustainable Development adopted in September 2015, the UNSDGs are a call to action to end poverty and inequality, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy health, justice and prosperity. U.N. ambassadors from 42 nations were among the approximately 190 guests at the cocktail party. The event was also designed to highlight F4D's nearly 15-year connection to the U.N. Welcoming the crowd, F4D's founder Evie Evangelou credited Ban-Ki Moon, the eighth secretary general of the United Nations, for 'being the one who saw the vision in 2011 and said, 'Yes, let's bring fashion to the U.N.' This fall Skira will publish 'F4D: An Empowering Journey,' that will trace the organization's journey. There are also plans for a second book, 'Global Runway,' that is being written by the same author, Stephanie Dillon, and will also be published by Skira at the end of 2026 or at the beginning of 2027, Evangelou guests at the summer circle mingled around the circular table in the center of The Pierre's Cotillion Room, which was laden with Mediterranean canapés and hors d'oeuvres. To relay an Amalfi Coast-inspired feel, boughs of lemon tree branches sprang from the centerpiece, and bowls of lemons adorned the table. Several attendees sought out the longtime correspondent at the U.N., Gloria Starr Kins, a nonagenarian who is editor in chief and publisher of Society & Diplomatic Review. She said that she helped with the guest list, having invited at least 50 setting of the Upper East Side hotel was appropriate, considering that The Pierre is where F4D has hosted its annual 'First Ladies Luncheon' on multiple occasions. After taking a reprieve and holding the F4D luncheon at the event space 583 Park Avenue for a few years, the organization will be welcoming guests there again at this fall's 13th annual event. Evangelou said she had initially chosen the hotel because of its unmatched elegance. As in the past, the September gathering will be held during the U.N.'s General Assembly. More from WWD EXCLUSIVE: Stella McCartney, David Attenborough to Be Honored by New Environmental Start-up The Nat Capri CEO John Idol's Pay Slips to $9.1 Million G-III Hits PVH With $250M Breach of Contract Lawsuit Attendees who had never been to one of F4D's 'First Ladies Luncheon' learned how each year the designs of a different culture or several cultures are featured in its global runway fashion show. Evangelou also informed guests how each gathering salutes 'Agents of Change,' who are honored for their groundbreaking work. Iman, Naomi Campbell and the late Franca Sozzani are among the honorees that F4D has recognized. Looking ahead, Evangelou said she aims to gather 100 nations through a runway show, an art book, and a series of documentaries 'to bring together the beauty of each, the preservation and the techniques of the cultures, and the international language of fashion.'As cohost of the Ambassador Summer Circle, The Pierre's general manager Spiridon Sarantopoulos clued in the crowd to another anniversary — the Upper East Side hotel will turn 95 in November. Thanking the crowd for braving Tuesday night's sultry temperatures, he said, 'But this is an Amalfi night. It feels like summer in southern Europe. It could be Italy, the south of France, Spain or Greece.' Evangelou noted how Coco Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, Valentino, Andy Warhol and various heads of state have been welcomed to The Pierre. 'This is a jewel in New York City. That is why we host our First Ladies Luncheon here whether that be first ladies, royals and first spouses now, because of the number of heads of state being women. That's kind of cool, right?' she Lions Management's chief executive officer Julia Kisla Taylor introduced the fashion presentation, which featured designs by J'Amemme and Paskal. The Kyiv-based Julie Yarmoliuk's J'Amemme 'is about self-love' that encourages wearers to embrace who they are, Kisha Taylor said. Meanwhile, Paskal' 's Julie Pascal 'transforms structure into healing' with leitmotifs like a butterfly wing or flower petal evoking emotions like joy and hope, Kisla Taylor said. 'The hope of these designers remind us that creativity is an inherent human trait, and that even in the hardest of times, you can create beauty and share it with the world.' Kisla Taylor, who will cohost F4D's First Ladies Luncheon, said a Ukrainian fashion show will be part of that. Just last week she introduced eight Ukrainian designers to some key players in New York's fashion scene. The creatives all live, work and produce their ready-to-wear and eveningwear lines in Ukraine. Not a merchandising or sales trip, the idea was to give the group the chance to learn about the U.S. fashion market. While some take part in Paris Fashion Week and London Fashion Week, Kisla Taylor said, 'America is very different when it comes to fashion.' The designers visited the offices of Michael Kors, Carolina Herrera, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nicole Miller, Calvin Klein, the Fashion Institute of Technology, LIM, Condé Nast, and New York magazine's The Cut. While spending time with Carolina Herrera's Wes Gordon, one of the seamstresses from the company's atelier, who is Ukrainian, met the Ukrainian designers, which was emotionally moving, according to Kisla Taylor. She said, 'They went to see brands, institutions and editors. And there were a couple of events to compare notes with marketing and PR people and to ask relevant questions like, 'What do you look for in a brand that is not American?'' The Ukrainian creatives paid for their air travel and hotel accommodations, and The Lions Management covered the other expenses. Born and raised in Ukraine, Kisla Taylor said she has been Stateside for 30 years. Now an American, she said the male members of her family are mobilized in Ukraine's efforts to combat Russian forces, as the war there is in its third year. Her mother and aunt have relocated to the U.S. due to the war. But once the fighting stops, she said she plans to return. Best of WWD Fashion Meets Cinema: Jaws 50th Anniversary and Calvin Klein Spring 2019 RTW Show Retro Glamour: Giorgio Di Sant'Angelo's Summer 1973 Chic Straw Hat Statement The Story Behind Jackie Kennedy's Cartier Watch: A Royal Gift With 'Traces and Clues of Her Life' Revealed
CNBC
30-05-2025
- Business
- CNBC
The best places in America to buy a house on a $125,000 salary
If you want as many options as possible when house hunting, don't sleep on Ohio. The Buckeye State is home to the five areas with the most affordable homes for Americans making $125,000, according to the 2025 Housing Affordability and Supply Report from the National Association of Realtors and The South was well represented in the top 10, too, including cities in Arkansas, Florida, South Carolina and Texas. The U.S. housing market "is at a turning point," says NAR Senior Economist Nadia Evangelou. After a years-long shortage, inventory has started to rebound: The number of listings shot up nearly 20% between March 2024 and March 2025. But an affordability gap persists. "For many first-time homebuyers, navigating the current housing market still feels like window shopping," Evangelou said in a release. "Listing prices don't match [their] budgets." According to the report, middle- and upper-middle-income homebuyers (households earning between $75,000 and $100,000 a year) have seen the largest uptick in affordable housing supply. Meanwhile, households earning $75,000 are only able to afford about a fifth of home listings nationwide. Offers in this section are from affiliate partners and selected based on a combination of engagement, product relevance, compensation, and consistent availability.10–30 years62010-, 15- and 30-year fixed-term conventional loans, 30-year VA and FHA loans, custom mortgages with fixed-rate terms from 8 to 29 years.620 To determine the share of listings that are financially accessible on a $125,000 salary, NAR used listings from March 2025 in the 100 largest metropolitan statistical areas (MSA).The calculations are based on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with a down payment of 20% or less, assuming that no more than 30% of a family's earnings are allocated toward housing, as recommended by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Maximum home price: $410,340Share of affordable listings: 89% The MSA encompassing Youngstown and Boardman, Ohio, and Warren, Pennsylvania, is popular with commuters who work in nearby Cleveland or Pittsburgh. In 2024, NAR identified Youngstown as one of the last metro areas where a household of nearly any income level could find an affordable single-family home. Maximum home price: $402,940Share of affordable listings: 83% The fourth-largest MSA in Ohio, the greater Dayton area includes Kettering and the surrounding Miami Valley. A loss of manufacturing jobs and the 2008 housing market crash fueled a steep population decline, but the region has begun to recover: In 2022, the population was over 812,000, up from 799,700 in 2010. Maximum home price: $413,210Share of affordable listings: 82.7% Akron was the heart of the U.S tire and rubber industries throughout the 20th century, and both Bridgestone and Goodyear still have a major presence. The median household income in the Akron MSA was $48,544 in 2023, a 4.18% increase from 2022. Maximum home price: $408,270Share of affordable listings: 81.5% The Toledo MSA, which includes Ohio's Fulton, Lucas, and Wood Counties, has long been a bedroom community for Detroit. It's also home to Fortune 500 company Owens Corning, the world's largest manufacturer of fiberglass composites. Maximum home price: $414,350Share of affordable listings: 79.3% The Cleveland-Elyria, Ohio, MSA incorporates Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, and Medin Counties. In 2022, it had a population of 2.06 million, making it the third-largest metropolitan area in the state and the 33rd-largest in the nation. Maximum home price: $381,960Share of affordable listings: 79.1% Northeastern Pennsylvania's coal industry helped fuel the American industrial revolution. In 2024, the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre MSA remained the state's fifth-largest metropolitan area, with a population of 574,000. Maximum home price: $423,590Share of affordable listings: 78.2% The state capital, Little Rock is a political, economic and cultural hub in the American South. The Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway MSA has seen a population surge over the last half-century, from 396,462 in 1970 to nearly 777,000 in 2024, Maximum home price: $427,430Share of affordable listings: 78.1% About 30 minutes east of Tampa, the Lakeland-Winter Haven MSA had a population of 852,878 in 2024, a major increase from 485,378 in 2000. Florida Southern College in Lakeland is home to the largest gathering of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture in the world. Maximum home price: $362,540Share of affordable listings: 78.0% The population of the El Paso MSA ballooned from 680,942 in 2000 to 879,392 in 2024. Located on the Mexico-U.S. border, El Paso is the epicenter of the Borderplex Region, considered the largest bilingual workforce in the Western Hemisphere. Maximum home price: $436,330Share of affordable listings: 77.8% The Columbia MSA is another region enjoying a growth spurt in the last quarter-century, with a population that jumped from 649,181 in 2000 to 870,193 in 2024. In addition to serving as the state capital, Columbia is home to Fort Jackson, where roughly half of all soldiers in the U.S. Army receive basic combat training. According to HUD, no more than 30% of your gross income should go toward housing expenses. That includes mortgage principal and interest, as well as: With that in mind, someone earning $125,000 a year should keep their total housing budget to $3,125 a month or less. How much you can spend depends on the size of your down payment, and the cost of expenses like homeowners insurance, property taxes and private mortgage insurance in your location. When NAR accounted for these variables, it found that the maximum price that families earning $125,000 could afford ranged from $356,940 to $542,440. See how much home you can afford using our mortgage calculator. In part, the current scarcity is being fueled by Covid-era supply-chain issues, material costs and labor shortages. But new home builds dropped sharply after the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis. And historically high mortgage rates have deterred many homeowners from selling, just as millennials entered their peak homebuying years. According to the Federal Reserve, the median U.S. home price in the first quarter of 2025 was $416,900. There are wide variations depending on the state, city and neighborhood you live in, however, and that figure doesn't factor in homeowners insurance, property taxes and other housing expenses. Someone earning $125,000 a year can spend as much as $542,440 on a house, depending on their location, down payment, outside financial obligations, current mortgage rates and other factors. Ohio is considered the most affordable state for homebuyers. The median household income is 1.5 times more than what's needed to afford a median-priced home in the state. At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every mortgage article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of financial products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Not quite the American dream: Renting is becoming a better deal, even if you're wealthy or a retiree
Gen Z and millennials are delaying homebuying, and more older adults are renting. High home prices and maintenance costs are making renting more appealing than buying for many. Wealthy people are also choosing the flexibility and amenities that come with renting. Gen Zers and millennials are postponing buying their first home, a growing number of older people are renting, and tenants are staying in their rentals for longer. This adds up to a record-high number of renters and an increasing share of those renters in older generations. "Renting today isn't just for young adults starting out," said Nadia Evangelou, a senior economist for the National Association of Realtors. "It's actually a much more mixed picture. Over the past decade, we have seen more older millennials and Gen Xers staying in rentals longer, and even some boomers, for example, opting to rent later in life." The overall number of renters has grown over the last several years. There were 45.6 million renter-occupied housing units in the US in 2023, up from 39.7 million in 2010, based on the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. Are you renting a home longer than you thought you would, or have you become a renter again later in life? Share your experience with these reporters at erelman@ and mhoff@ The US is also seeing an uptick in older tenants. An Urban Institute projection found that the share of people 65 and older who rent their homes will grow from 22% in 2020 to 27% in 2040 — an additional 5.5 million renting households. Older Black renters will see the biggest jump, doubling in number between 2020 and 2040. A smaller share of US renter-occupied housing units were headed by people under 35 years old in 2023 than in 2010. Meanwhile, the share of rental households headed by someone 65 or older grew over that period. This embedded content is not available in your region. Renters are staying in their homes longer as well, per a Redfin analysis of Census Bureau data. "Renting is becoming less of a short-term stop and more of a long-term reality for many households," Evangelou said. This embedded content is not available in your region. The main reason people are renting for longer: the surging cost of homeownership. Home prices have soared across the country amid a housing shortage. At the same time, property taxes, home insurance, and home repair and maintenance costs are on the rise. All of that has made renting a better deal than buying in many places — a reversal of the historic norm. Indeed, homebuyers purchasing starter homes in 50 major cities in 2024 spent over $1,000 more on housing costs each month than tenants do. To be sure, many renters are struggling, too. Tenants' incomes aren't keeping up with rising housing costs, and a rising share of renters are cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing. Some Americans are renting for longer by choice. Rich renters are on the rise. Many millionaire millennials and boomers with healthy savings, who could afford to buy a home, are opting instead to rent. They like the flexibility of a lease, the convenience of having a landlord handle home maintenance, and the amenities luxury rentals offer, like in-building doggy day care, dry cleaning, and yoga classes. "I think of renting as paying for a service, and liken it to a hotel," start-up founder Tori Dunlap, a 30-year-old multimillionaire, told BI last year. "Renting is flexible, and I don't have to worry about things that homeowners worry about, like committing to a particular place or neighborhood or dealing with a burst pipe." Some of these affluent renters opt instead to keep their money in the market or other more flexible, higher-return investments. "People are reevaluating whether or not they want their homes to be their asset wealth-builder," Doug Ressler, an analyst at Yardi Matrix, part of the property-management software firm Yardi, said. He added that higher-income tenants "want to have the freedom and mobility of time, and they don't want to be saddled with the things that a house brings with it." Some financial advisors are also challenging the conventional wisdom that buying a home is a smarter financial decision than renting. "You've been lied to about buying property," Ramit Sethi, a popular financial advisor and star of the Netflix show "How to get rich," said in a 2023 video titled "Why I Don't Own a House as a Multi-Millionaire." Sethi recommends that those who buy a home take into account the "phantom" costs of maintenance, repairs, insurance, and buying and selling fees, and urges them to maintain diverse investments. Read the original article on Business Insider Sign in to access your portfolio
Business Insider
21-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Not quite the American dream: Renting is becoming a better deal, even if you're wealthy or a retiree
Gen Z and millennials are delaying homebuying, and more older adults are renting. High home prices and maintenance costs are making renting more appealing than buying for many. Wealthy people are also choosing the flexibility and amenities that come with renting. "Renting today isn't just for young adults starting out," said Nadia Evangelou, a senior economist for the National Association of Realtors. "It's actually a much more mixed picture. Over the past decade, we have seen more older millennials and Gen Xers staying in rentals longer, and even some boomers, for example, opting to rent later in life." The overall number of renters has grown over the last several years. There were 45.6 million renter-occupied housing units in the US in 2023, up from 39.7 million in 2010, based on the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The US is also seeing an uptick in older tenants. An Urban Institute projection found that the share of people 65 and older who rent their homes will grow from 22% in 2020 to 27% in 2040 — an additional 5.5 million renting households. Older Black renters will see the biggest jump, doubling in number between 2020 and 2040. A smaller share of US renter-occupied housing units were headed by people under 35 years old in 2023 than in 2010. Meanwhile, the share of rental households headed by someone 65 or older grew over that period. Renters are staying in their homes longer as well, per a Redfin analysis of Census Bureau data. "Renting is becoming less of a short-term stop and more of a long-term reality for many households," Evangelou said. Renting could be a smart financial move The main reason people are renting for longer: the surging cost of homeownership. Home prices have soared across the country amid a housing shortage. At the same time, property taxes, home insurance, and home repair and maintenance costs are on the rise. All of that has made renting a better deal than buying in many places — a reversal of the historic norm. Indeed, homebuyers purchasing starter homes in 50 major cities in 2024 spent over $1,000 more on housing costs each month than tenants do. To be sure, many renters are struggling, too. Tenants' incomes aren't keeping up with rising housing costs, and a rising share of renters are cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing. Some Americans are renting for longer by choice. Rich renters are on the rise. Many millionaire millennials and boomers with healthy savings, who could afford to buy a home, are opting instead to rent. They like the flexibility of a lease, the convenience of having a landlord handle home maintenance, and the amenities luxury rentals offer, like in-building doggy day care, dry cleaning, and yoga classes. "I think of renting as paying for a service, and liken it to a hotel," start-up founder Tori Dunlap, a 30-year-old multimillionaire, told BI last year. "Renting is flexible, and I don't have to worry about things that homeowners worry about, like committing to a particular place or neighborhood or dealing with a burst pipe." Some of these affluent renters opt instead to keep their money in the market or other more flexible, higher-return investments. "People are reevaluating whether or not they want their homes to be their asset wealth-builder," Doug Ressler, an analyst at Yardi Matrix, part of the property-management software firm Yardi, said. He added that higher-income tenants "want to have the freedom and mobility of time, and they don't want to be saddled with the things that a house brings with it." Some financial advisors are also challenging the conventional wisdom that buying a home is a smarter financial decision than renting. "You've been lied to about buying property," Ramit Sethi, a popular financial advisor and star of the Netflix show "How to get rich," said in a 2023 video titled "Why I Don't Own a House as a Multi-Millionaire."
