Foreclosures on the rise

For the second year in a row, foreclosures are up across the country, and the trend has a lot of folks remembering the Great Recession. But we’re still nowhere near the levels we saw when that bubble burst. About 25 of every 100,000 homes in America had a distressed property or foreclosure filing in June, which is about 15 times lower than during the recession.

And the pain isn’t spread equally. The highest rates of foreclosure can be found in small to mid-sized metro areas like Modesto, which checks in at number ten on this list from Realtor.com.

Community Preparedness

There’s only so much you can do to protect your home from the impacts of climate change and natural disasters. If we’re not prepared as a community, we’re all vulnerable.

CHIC (Pearl)

Many of the changes we need to make are actually pretty simple. We just need to focus our efforts on things like replacing old water, sewer, and electrical infrastructure, expanding the ranks in our fire departments, and upgrading their firefighting technology. How can you make this happen? Start by talking to your local city councilperson or the appropriate public agency.

GEEK (Kevin)

Whenever government officials pass the buck on the climate crisis, their objection seems to come down to money. As in, they don’t have any. Well, here’s the thing: The upfront costs of adapting to a new climate reality are naturally high. But the long-term payoff on the investment would be huge, particularly for our children — and our grandchildren. I, for one, think it makes a lot of cents!

Food for you

In honor of National Junk Food Day, we encourage you to ditch the junk and pick up a healthy snack. Need some ideas? Visit our junk food exchange!

So you want to move to Phoenix?

Yesterday, the city of Phoenix, Arizona, experienced its 18th consecutive day with temperatures of 110°F (43.3°C) or higher. That matched a record from 1974, which is likely to fall today if the city hits the projected high of 115°F.

Meanwhile, according to the National Weather Service, the Monday morning LOW in Phoenix was 95°F, the 8th straight day with an overnight low of at least 90°F. Get more numbers from Axios.

Chic vs. Geek: It's hot.

Nobody feels like doing much of anything in the blazing heat we’ve seen this week. But there’s always work to be done. So how do you cope?

CHIC (Pearl)

If you’re not lucky enough to have air conditioning at home — or you want to avoid sky-high electricity bills — pack up your laptop, don’t forget your charger, and head to the local coffee shop for an iced latte and free WiFi. You can always find a quiet corner to get work done. But don't get caught up chatting with other mobile workers!

GEEK (Kevin)

Whether you’re talking extreme heat or frigid cold temps, it’s all mind over matter for me. When it starts heating up, I picture myself on a cool island beach, enjoying a frosty beverage with my feet dipped in the ocean. You’d be amazed how easy it is to forget where you are and focus on anything from simple tasks to complex problems.