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Joshua WaiteCourtesy of Northwestern Mutual Name: Joshua Waite Firm: Waite Financial Group / Northwestern Mutual Location: Peoria, IL Total Value of Policies: $1.1 billion Background: Joshua Waite grew up in a small farming town outside Peoria, Illinois—just a mile from the family farm where his grandfather, one of his childhood heroes, helped shape his values of hard work, humility, and integrity. After earning a finance degree from nearby Bradley University, he joined Northwestern Mutual in 2003, where his father had long been a policyholder. Although he describes himself as a natural introvert, Waite found success in sales by asking thoughtful…

Lorrie BaldeviaCourtesy of AssuredPartners Name: Lorrie Baldevia Firm: AssuredPartners Location: Seattle, WA Total Value of Policies: $6.3 billion Background: Lorrie Baldevia describes her connection to insurance as deeply personal. The eldest of five children, she lost her father in a tragic construction accident at age 12 in Guam. Her mother raised the family on her own and was able to do so thanks to a life insurance policy—an experience that would ultimately shape her career. “It gave us a kind of financial security we wouldn’t have had otherwise,” she says. Baldevia moved to the United States at 17 on a…

CNN  —  Layoffs may not be mounting, but it’s getting harder to find a job in a labor market where hiring is “anemic” as tariff-driven economic uncertainty has put a chill on some employers. New data released Thursday showed that initial claims for unemployment benefits — considered a proxy for layoffs — fell last week. However, the number of recurring claims made by people who already have filed for unemployment rose to their highest level since November 2021. There were an estimated 227,000 first-time applications for unemployment insurance made during the week that ended on July 5. That’s down 5,000…

People shop at a grocery store in Manhattan, New York City, on April 1, 2025.Spencer Platt | Getty ImagesRepublicans’ “big beautiful” reconciliation package includes tax cuts that policy researchers have found primarily benefit the wealthy. To help pay for that, the legislation also includes “substantial” cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, according to research from the Urban Institute.The changes will cause 22.3 million families to lose some or all of their SNAP benefits, according to the institute, a nonpartisan provider of policy research. Its analysis is based on the legislation passed by the…

A drone view shows flooded houses, following torrential rains that unleashed flash floods along the Guadalupe River in San Angelo, Texas, on June 4, 2025, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video.Patrick Keely | Patrick Keely Via Reuters’Every home can be exposed’Texas is one of the most flood-prone areas in the U.S., Worters said — flash floods, river overflows and tropical storms result in billions of dollars in insured losses per year.”Flooding in Texas has become a growing threat,” she said.But it’s a nationwide risk. Over the past 20 years, 99% of U.S. counties have experienced a…

CNN  —  Economists, researchers and analysts have warned that President Donald Trump’s sweeping trade policy of tacking steep tariffs on most goods that come into America will deliver a taxing blow to consumers via higher prices. However, recent months’ economic data has shown that overall inflation has remained fairly tame. Trump and members of his administration tout the positive economic reports as signs that tariffs are working. However, the chorus of concern is growing: Prices are moving higher, and economists say this is just the beginning. Here’s a look at the mechanisms behind why price hikes, and hotter inflation, are…

WELLINGTON: New Black Caps coach Rob Walter says Kane Williamson still wants to represent New Zealand in international cricket despite opting out of the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe. The 34-year-old master batsman turned down a central contract with New Zealand Cricket for this season, enabling him to pick and choose his availability and take up lucrative contracts in franchise cricket. So instead of playing two tests in Bulawayo in late July and August, Williamson will be captaining London Spirit in The Hundred in England. “Myself and Kane have had a nice conversation, a long conversation,” South African Walter told the…

LONDON: Jannik Sinner overcame Ben Shelton in straight sets to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals for the second time on Wednesday, easing fears over an elbow injury he suffered in the previous round. Sinner wore a protective sleeve on his right arm and could be seen grimacing at times in his 7-6(7/2), 6-4, 6-4 quarter-final victory against 10th seed Shelton on Court One. But the 23-year-old battled through the discomfort. Sinner had sparked fears he may have to pull out of Wimbledon after injuring his right elbow in an awkward fall during his fourth-round tie against Grigor Dimitrov on Monday. The…

Members of the University of North Carolina’s diverse student body mingle on campus as the Supreme Court weighs the issue of race-conscious admissions to colleges, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, U.S., April 5, 2023.Jonathan Drake | ReutersInternational student enrollment increased last year, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security — contrary to data the agency previously posted, which showed a decline.A new analysis by Chris Glass, a professor at Boston College, found that student and exchange visitor information system data issued by DHS underreported the number of international students by more than 200,000 — an error that the agency corrected this month.…

CNN  —  President Donald Trump sent letters to the leaders of six more countries Wednesday, adding to the growing list of US trading partners for whom he has threatened new tariff rates. Among the latest recipients were the Philippines, Moldova, Brunei, Algeria, Libya and Iraq, with rates going as high as 30% on goods they ship to the United States. The new tariffs go into effect August 1, pending negotiations. The rates Trump said would be imposed on goods from Moldova, Iraq and Libya were lower than those he announced in early April. The rates on goods from the Philippines…