Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Galey Alix is not afraid to tackle big installs with limited time, and she is a certified fan of ceiling-height backsplashes. After remodeling her own kitchen, which aired in Episode 7 of her new show "Home in a Heartbeat," the star took to Instagram, saying, "Run backsplash ALL THE WAY UP to the ceiling. Always. No question. Give me a reason why one should not." As the image with her caption beautifully depicts, ceiling-height backsplashes add impact, drama, and attitude. They feel very finished off and can even make your kitchen look taller. By taking backsplash tiles to the ceiling and not chopping them off after a few inches, you can create an uninterrupted area that pulls the eye upwards.

Now, there is one reason that keeps backsplashes low, and this is budget constraints. Depending on labor and material costs, you can expect to pay around $1,000 on average for a kitchen backsplash installation. A ceiling-height backsplash is going to cost double, triple, if not quadruple, the price, depending on how tall your walls are. It might sound crazy to fork out for so much extra tile that isn't going to be, well, splashed on. But because uber-tall backsplashes have such a strong visual impact, they can pay themselves off in sheer style alone. If your kitchen needs a focal point, taking your tiles to the ceiling is a simple, chic solution. What's more, there are savvy ways you can save to make financial room for this splurge. For instance, if you were toying with the idea of handmade zellige tile, consider going with cheaper subway tile and laying it in an interesting pattern like soldier stacks or chevron.

See the article here:
Kitchen Upgrades That Are Definitely Worth The Price, According To HGTV Stars - House Digest

Renovation without regrets.

Renovating your kitchen is a great way to add value to your home, especially a full-on remodel. There are so many decisions to make, especially if you have a limited budget. Whether youre planning on selling your home in the near future or you just want to have a kitchen you can enjoy with your family, its a matter of figuring out what renovations make the most sense for you. If youre looking to maximize your budget, here are five kitchen upgrades that are actually worth the money.

Related: 5 Ways to Refresh Your Kitchen Cabinets If You Hate How They Look

Every kitchen needs a place to throw out trash. But having a trash can just sitting out can ruin the aesthetic of your kitchen, especially a recently renovated kitchen. Interior designer Audrey Scheck tells me an integrated trash drawer is worth the money. If you are customizing the cabinetry in your kitchen, integrating a trash/recycling drawer is certainly an area to not skip on. Having a dedicated drawer near the sink makes the functionality of a kitchen seamless, and it saves on the square footage necessary for a bulky, freestanding trash receptacle.

Quartz and other types of composite countertops have grown leaps and bounds in recent years because they have the look of natural stone at a far better price. But nothing beats the real thing, according to interior designer Sarah Stacey. I always suggest real marble over quartz.

Sometimes kitchen renovation projects can be so stressful that we often forget what the kitchen is really forcooking. So, its important to have room in your budget for high-quality appliances that make cooking easier or faster. For example, a high-quality range will have additional features to improve cooking, such as induction cooktops, burners designed to heat evenly, or built-in smart technology.

High-end appliances also tend to have better aesthetics, such as those by Lacornue, which is a brand that Stacey is a fan of. These types of appliances not only improve the cooking experience, but they can also boost the value of your home.

Story continues

And while its truly a matter of preference and style, panel-ready appliances are another smart option, according to both designers. Panel-ready appliances allow for a custom panel to be installed on top of a refrigerator or dishwasher to seamlessly integrate them into kitchen cabinetry. Eliminating the visual description of mismatched appliances makes the space feel more cohesive, says Scheck.

Some upgrades arent about what you see, but rather what you dont see. Scheck tells me recessed vent hoods are worth the extra cost and construction. Similarly to panel-ready appliances, recessed vent hoods allow for the exhaust liner to be hidden inside an intentional design element, says the designer. A recessed liner would be installed above a cooktop, then it can be framed around with wood to create any shape you desire. Once the framing is done, the options are endless on how to conceal it, such as plaster and wood painted similarly to the cabinets.

Most of us dont renovate our kitchens very often. So if youre going to invest in it and you arent planning on selling youre home anytime soonget what you want and you wont regret it. If youve always liked hunter-green cabinetsdo it. Gold hardware instead of builder-grade stainless steelwhy not? A built-in espresso maker? If you enjoy an espresso shot every daygo for it.

For more Real Simple news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Real Simple.

Read this article:
5 Kitchen Upgrades That Are Actually Worth the Money, According to Pros - Yahoo Movies UK

Painting kitchen cabinets is one way to give a home an easy refresh without going to the expense and inconvenience of a full remodel.

Updating tired cabinets with paint or experimenting with different colors and finishes can brighten an old kitchen and breathe new life into the family room. Here, we will outline basic tips and techniques to get one started on an easy DIY project, whether you are a pro or a beginner about to undertake your first home painting project.

For starters, one willl need to paint-prep the cabinets, which includes cleaning the surfaces to remove cooking grease/dirt/dust/grime and sanding them to a smooth, receptive surface the paint adheres to.

One will also want to take time to remove the cabinet doors and hardware, and carefully label each with painters tape for reassembly.

Prepping the cabinets is going to be the most time-consuming and crucial part of the entire project, so make sure to stick it out through the preparation process and not jump to the fun part of painting.

Taking due care to prep the cabinets will yield a long-lasting and polished paint finish that one can be proud of, improving the functionality and beauty of the kitchen for years to come.

Good paint and brushes and rollers for painting cabinetry will apply easier and better and last longer for the kitchen cabinets.

Scrub the surfaces of the cabinet to remove grease or grime that may have built up over the years. Next, lightly sand the cabinets this is a very important step particularly if you like a professional-looking finish.

Preferably, paint and prime rather than vice-versa, but there's a case to be made for applying the primer before applying paint when working with stained cabinets.

Priming before painting can seal the surface, improve paint adhesion and help prevent any stains from bleeding through. Choose a primer that's formulated to adhere to cabinet doors, and follow the manufacturer's directions for application.

Thin out the paint by using multiple coats (thin coat one, thin coat two, thin coat three), rather than making thick paint (thick coat one).

So no one gets runs, sludges and other puddles of unapplied mess. Allow each coat to dry fully before applying the next.

Break the work into little sections, several square feet each, so one wont get so overwhelmed by painting the entire kitchen that one ditches the idea of giving the cabinets a smooth, even finish for kitchen cabinets.

When painting around edges, corners, and small detailed areas, slow down, use the smallest brush one has, or a foam brush, and make sure that one continues to smear out drips and brush strokes as one paints them.

If one is painting just cabinet doors, select the cabinet doors first for painting. That way, as they are bare on all sides, one can paint them more conveniently. Also, the access to all sides is better, making painting kitchen cabinets easier.

Each coat needs to have good drying time between the coats of paint and before opening cabinets, so plan accordingly. Dont rush the process, or the of risk smudges, print and even ruining the final look entirely for the kitchen cabinets.

If one is working in an interior, this is a must: no one wants to be breathing in the fumes from the paint and primer. Open windows, and use fans to increase airflow.

Take one's time, and make sure to wait between layers for good, full drying. Dont rush this part, or the finish will show evidence.

When the paint is completely dry, reattach the cabinet doors and labels on the doors, and be sure to guide the hardware in carefully.

If you want a finish on the paint job that will resist stains and scratches, ask the paint store about a clear, protective topcoat for the kitchen cabinets.

Painting kitchen cabinets oneself can be a fine DIY project, an inexpensive way to rejuvenate the kitchen when one is not yet ready for a full kitchen remodel.

As long as one uses good materials, premium finishes and excellent techniques, one can achieve professional results. Eventually, updating one's cabinets by painting them oneself will revive the cabinetry, return appeal to the kitchen and save one truckloads of money.

Read the original here:
How to paint kitchen cabinets? Easy tips, techniques, and other details explored - Sportskeeda

ST. PETE, Fla. When first-time homeowner Chris Whalen got the notice he was being dropped from Citizens Insurance through depopulation and facing yet another rate increase, he decided to be his own advocate to find lower rates.

When Whalen bought his 2/1 bungalow in 2019, his property insurance rate was under $3,000, but now $6,400 through Citizens, and after depopulation, he was facing a renewal with a new company at $7900.

"I lost a lot of sleep, so I kept doing my own research," Whalen said.

Through friends and family, he was referred to Florida Strategic Insurance to shop around for new policies. They suggested Whalen get a home inspection.

He had one in 2021, but didn't realize it was no longer valid.

"I was pretty expected to tell the new insurance agent that I already had an inspection done, and that's when they told me I have to get it redone," he said.

Latest on the State of Insurance

So he went with Turning Point Home Inspections and passed.

"This is my new quote of $3,600," he said happily.

His new quote is more than 50% less than his renewal quote at $7,900.

"It's almost too good to be true," he said.

Cliff Turner with Turning Point Home Inspectionssaid he's seen rates come down after inspections.

"Especially if you get a clean inspection," Turner said. "And usually what we find in the field, if there is a deficiency, it's very minor."

There are different kinds of inspections, but he suggests homeowners do a combo with a 4-point inspection and a wind mitigation inspection.

A 4-point inspection looks at electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and your roof. Wind Mitigation, Turner said, looks at how your roof will hold up. These are the ones that bring the discounts.

"That wind mitigation would give them additional discounts, and people don't realize that," Turner said.

He added people, like Whalen, also don't realize these inspections expire. 4-point inspections are only valid for one year. Wind Mitigation is valid for 5 years.

"I think that's something that people should know," Whalen said. "Ask them if having an inspection redone at $150 dollars is going to save you a couple of grand in that renewal. Because if it worked for me, I really think it's going to work for a lot of people."

Share Your Insurance Story with Nadeen

Follow this link:

Can a home inspection bring down your insurance rates? - ABC Action News Tampa Bay

Democratic state lawmakers are pushing legislation to increase state oversight of nursing homes while Republican legislators are advancing a bill that could reduce such oversight.

Both initiatives are being advanced now due to a spate of deaths and serious injuries tied to regulatory violations in Iowa nursing homes. Republican lawmakers say the situation calls for a more collaborative approach to enforcement, while Democrats argue the state isnt being tough enough on violators.

On Tuesday, the House Subcommittee on Health and Human Services reviewed a GOP-backed bill, House Study Bill 691, that would revise the state law that requires the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing to make a preliminary review of a nursing home complaint and, unless DIAL concludes the complaint is intended to harass a facility, make an on-site inspection.

The bill would add new exceptions to the requirement for on-site inspections, allowing DIAL to forgo an on-site visit if the agency concludes the complaint involves an issue that was already the subject of a complaint or a self-report from the facility itself within the previous 90 days. So, for example, if a facility self-reported an incident tied to insufficient staffing or a failure to monitor residents, it might not face another on-site inspection if a resident complained of the same issue two months later.

Another element of the bill would allow DIAL to forgo an on-site complaint inspection if the agency believes the matter can be investigated by phone or through an exchange of documents.

HSB 691 would also require DIAL to provide semiannual joint training sessions in which both state inspectors and industry officials would review the most frequently cited violations in Iowa during the previous year. As part of that process, the state agency would identify for the industry any regional patterns of violations.

In addition, DIAL would be required to establish a new process whereby every citation issued to a care facility for substandard quality of care or for residents being placed in immediate jeopardy would first be reviewed with representatives of the nursing home so they could provide additional context and evidence before top officials at DIAL decide whether to issue the citations.

GOP backers of the bill say the changes would help foster a more collaborative relationship between the care facilities and the state agency thats tasked with enforcing federal laws and regulations that are intended to ensure quality care.

At Tuesdays subcommittee meeting, the three-member panels lone Democrat, Rep. Timi Brown-Powers, voiced support for the bill.

You want to make sure our nursing homes feel like were supporting this, she said. Right now, Iowa nursing homes are making headlines and not in a great way, and so anything that we can do (needs) to make that a more positive transition.

After the meeting, Brown-Peters said she has concerns with the bill, including the provision that could result in fewer on-site inspections. But at the end of the day, Im not sure this bill is going to do anything, she said. Im still concerned were not going to have people out there investigating.

John Hale, a consultant and advocate for Iowa seniors, said Tuesday he is particularly alarmed by the broad language in the bill that would allow DIAL to dismiss resident complaints if they thought they were unreasonable or if they were seen to be harassing. Ive worked with dozens of residents or their family members over the years who are seen as irritants by facility management. The reality is that sometimes you have to be annoying to get any attention or action. DIAL should not be able to simply dismiss the complainants because they continue to complain about issues that are seen as unresolved.

Hale also said hes concerned by the provision that would allow DIAL to forgo an on-site inspection if the same issue was the subject of a prior complaint or self-report. It seems to me that repeat complaints should be seen as a great concern rather than a nuisance, he said.

Another bill, Senate File 2063, that has the backing of some Republican lawmakers would require DIAL to launch, at taxpayer expense, a pilot training program in which the state would pay a portion of privately employed nursing home administrators salaries while those individuals undergo training.

That bill has drawn objections from the former head of the state inspections agency, Dean Lerner.

This presents a conflict on its face, Lerner said. It should be obvious to everyone that DIAL, the nursing home regulator, should have nothing to do with the establishment of, or payment for, a program for trainees who would themselves be under the regulatory oversight of DIAL.

Also on Tuesday, Senate Democrats announced they were backing several newly filed pieces of legislation to address what they called the resident safety crisis in Iowas nursing homes.

Sen. Claire Celsi, a West Des Moines Democrat, said the news media has reported dozens of tragic situations and the Legislature can no longer ignore this The system that we have is clearly broken and its time to fix it.

Celsi said the legislation she and her Democratic colleagues are proposing is necessary partly because Republican lawmakers have refused to hold any Government Oversight Committee hearings on Iowas nursing homes and their oversight.

Among the proposals:

In a written statement responding to the Senate Democrats assertions, Iowa Health Care Association President and CEO Brent Willett said Iowas nursing home industry is committed to work alongside policymakers to ensure Iowas long-term health care facilities are equipped to provide access to high-quality care across our state.

He said federal data shows that Iowa nursing home providers outperform the nation in terms of the federal governments five-star quality ratings for overall performance.

Delivering quality care is a continuous process, and there is always more we can do, which is why IHCA continues to advocate for common-sense policies designed to attract, train, equip and retain more permanent direct care workers in Iowa communities to meet the growing demand for long-term care services and supports.

The stories weve been hearing about understaffing, abuse, neglect and an overall lack of accountability in Iowa nursing homes are devastating and unacceptable, Celsi said. Our states current approach to long-term care is fundamentally broken and failing to protect Iowans. Today, were offering a comprehensive approach that will protect seniors and give Iowa families confidence in their long-term care decisions.

Iowans deserve safe, high-quality care that allows them to live their best lives and age with dignity in our long-term care facilities, but also at home and in their communities, said Sen. Janice Weiner, D-Iowa City. Senate Democrats are introducing this comprehensive package of legislation to provide seniors with the safeguards, options, and accountability, no matter what kind of care they choose.

Continued here:

Republicans and Democrats offer competing solutions to nursing home 'crisis' - Iowa Capital Dispatch

CNET has tested tons of home security cameras over the years, and can help you find the right one for your needs.

There are hundreds of home security cameras on the market, ranging drastically in price, functionality and quality. With all the options, it can be hard to not become overwhelmed fast, especially when you're considering something as important as your home's safety. After CNET's years of testing home security cameras, we have some tips if you're on the hunt for a new one. Here are a few parameters to consider:

This, of course, is a big one. You don't want anyone peeping on your property or hacking into your camera. Wireless home security cameras can be more susceptible to hacking due to their connectivity to Wi-Fi networks and remote access, especially if you have poor router security. Wired home security cameras that don't use Wi-Fi at all are generally more secure. (Read more about the pros and cons of wired vs. wireless systems here.) And as we mentioned above, data breaches and security vulnerabilities can also be dangerous for your privacy, so it's important to consider a company's recent reputation.

One of the first things you'll need to consider is where you want to place your home security cameras. If you want your camera to be located outside, recording your porch or yard, you'll likely want an outdoor camera that's also weather resistant or features night vision.

While many cameras can be used interchangeably for indoor or outdoor purposes, some cameras are solely made for indoor usage, like the Wyze Cam Pan v2, so make sure you're buying cameras that can handle the outdoor elements.

Video quality should be a major consideration when buying a home security camera. In simplest terms, your camera won't be effective if the only footage being recorded is grainy and unreadable.

The higher the resolution, the better the video quality. Most home security cameras on the market now have 1,080p resolution, but others even have 2K resolution (like the Arlo Pro 4) or 1,536x1,536 resolution (like the Arlo Video Doorbell). Just remember, the higher the video quality, the more bandwidth it takes up and the more likely your camera is to experience lag times or glitches.

Field of view (usually provided diagonally) refers to how broad the camera's view is. Broader is generally better because it captures more space and makes it easier to spot activity. The average security camera tends to top out around 130 degrees, although some go beyond that. Pan and tilt features make the field of view less important since the camera can move around.

Battery and wireless cameras versus wired options are a matter of taste, since both types have pros and cons.

Wireless options are usually easier to install and operate, and often use cloud storage, so you can access your footage from anywhere. Wireless security cameras have their own power supply, so even during an internet or power outage, they can still record and save footage. One of the biggest disadvantages, though, is you'll need to manually change the batteries or charge them every so often, unless you get a solar-powered home security camera.

Wired cameras are hardwired to a steady connection, so they don't need to be recharged and can often boost a high-quality video resolution. They tend to be more reliable, secure and consistent in video quality while not requiring monthly cloud storage fees. On the negative side, wired home security cameras often need to be professionally installed and don't integrate with smart home systems like Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa.

Some Wired home security cameras (like the Google Nest Cam Indoor) typically have better video and audio quality.

Not all video storage is equal. You have two main options and picking one is up to your personal preference. There's cloud storage, which sends your video footage to a remote server to be saved, and local storage, which relies on a separate accessory or piece of hardware, usually a microSD card, to hold any footage you'd like to save. Usually, cloud storage requires a monthly fee.

When you're installing wireless home security cameras, keep in mind that the smart home camera you buy (and your security system as a whole) will only be as good as the quality of your Wi-Fi connection at the location where you plan to install it. So check your Wi-Fi speed before you drill holes in the walls or otherwise mess up your door frame, brick or siding for your home security camera. If the connection is spotty on your wireless security camera, you'll notice significant lag times, pixelation in the live feed and other Wi-Fi delays that make the video quality poor and home security cameras a pain to use.

With a good Wi-Fi connection, you should be in good shape to use your indoor home security camera or outdoor home security camera without any major camera system issues and get clear footage every time. Still have questions? Take a look at my home security camera buying guideand the below FAQs.

Read more here:
Best Home Security Cameras of 2024 - CNET

While Amazon's Ring makes some of the best video doorbells we've tested, the tech giant also owns the entry-level security camera brand Blink. The battery-powered Blink Video Doorbell lacks the more professional monitoring features of Ring's options (like identifying subjects as package delivery), but Blink's budget camera makes up for it in performance and ease of use. You can see how the two compare in this Blink versus Ring video doorbell faceoff where Blink bested Ring in several key areas.

Right now, the Blink Video Doorbell + Sync Module 2 is just $44 on Amazon. That's $25 off and the lowest price for the complete system. You'll want to buy it bundled with the Sync Module 2 to store video locally rather than pay a monthly fee, which is an especially hot pro coming off of Ring's recent service price increase. While you won't get package detection or a more granular level of smart home controlthis is still an excellent way to keep an eye on your doorstep.

Although you can buy the Blink Video Doorbell for even less at $36 by itself without a Sync Module, I wouldn't recommend this bundle. The Sync Module not only lets you record the crisp 1080p video to a USB drive to avoid paying for cloud storage, but also lets you access live-view and two-way audio at any point in time rather than only in response to a doorbell press or motion event.

Blink's Video Doorbell battery lasts for up to two years at default settings. While Blink doesn't sell a separate chime you can play a sound for button presses and motion alerts through Blink Cameras or Amazon Echo devices. If you opt to install it to your existing doorbell wiring it can tap into your in-home chime. Plus if you have an Alexa smart home you can see who's at your door and respond from an Echo Show or Fire TV device.

More here:
Blink's video doorbell just crashed to $44 and it doesn't require a subscription - Tom's Guide

This Amazon sale on Blink gear is the perfect opportunity to pick up some home security cameras or thatvideo doorbellyou've been wanting to buy. Luckily, since Blink is Amazon's budget-friendly alternative to the Ring cameras, which are quite expensive, you can save yourself a pretty penny. There are a lot of options to pick from and several bundles which are perfect if you're looking for a more comprehensive solution. We've collected some of our favorites below, but it's worth checking out the whole sale using the button below.

If you want something like the Ring Video Doorbell for less, you can opt for theBlink Video Doorbelland get one for just $35 in this sale. The Blink Doorbell runs on batteries and has a relatively easy setup that doesn't require you to run cables. It has a 1080p resolution, motion detection and can store content locally, assuming you have the Sync Module 2, which is going for $35 on Amazon. It's also available bundled with two fourth-gen Blink Outdoor cameras for $138 instead of $240.

If you're looking for additional coverage outside your home, you can't go wrong with the third-generation Blink Floodlight camera. It has a 1080p camera with a relatively clear picture and two-way audio, so you can have a conversation. The floodlights can hit 700 lumens, which should be more than enough to light up the average yard. Best of all, it's wireless and runs on four D-cell batteries, so you don't have to worry about running a power or Ethernet line. Unfortunately, it's only discounted in a bundle with the Video Doorbell, but if you're buying a new setup from scratch, you can grab the set now off Amazon for the discounted price of $125 instead of $150.

Be sure to check out the entire sale for more discounts and bundles to suit your home's needs. And if Blink's offerings don't work for you, our smart home deals roundup has got you covered with alternative picks.

See the rest here:
Snag Up to 43% off These Blink Security Cameras and Doorbells - CNET

WASHINGTON In their second attempt in as many weeks, U.S. House Republicans impeached Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday, marking an inflection point in the growing rift between the GOP and the White House over immigration policy decisions at the southern border.

In a 214-213 vote, the House approved two articles of impeachment that charged Mayorkas with willfully ignoring immigration law and lying to Congress about the status of border security. It is only the second time in history that a Cabinet member has been impeached; William Belknap, the secretary of war and a former Iowa state legislator, was impeached in 1876.

A vote on the same resolution failed spectacularly last week, 214-216, while House GOP Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana was absent due to ongoing cancer treatments. Republican Blake Moore of Utah switched his vote from yes to no as a procedural move to allow the resolution to be reconsidered.

House Republicans are far from done, House Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green of Tennessee wrote on X before the Tuesday vote. Secretary Mayorkas has sparked the worst border crisis in American history, and its long past time for him to be impeached.

Green held several hearings on impeachment proceedings against Mayorkas.

All House Democrats present and three Republicans voted against the two articles of impeachment. Critics of the process have said a Cabinet official should not be impeached over what they say are policy disputes.

The Republicans who voted against impeachment were Reps. Ken Buck of Colorado, Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin and Tom McClintock of California.

President Joe Biden slammed House Republicans, calling the impeachment vote petty political games.

Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas, a Cuban immigrant who came to the United States with his family as political refugees, has spent more than two decades serving America with integrity in a decorated career in law enforcement and public service, Biden said. Instead of staging political stunts like this, Republicans with genuine concerns about the border should want Congress to deliver more border resources and stronger border security.

Following the vote, Mia Ehrenberg, a spokesperson for DHS, said in a statement that House Republicans will be remembered by history for trampling on the Constitution for political gain rather than working to solve the serious challenges at our border.

The Senate will be required under the Constitution to hold an impeachment trial. Conviction would require a vote by two-thirds of that chamber.

According to the office of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House impeachment managers will present the articles of impeachment to the Senate when the chamber returns later this month. Senators will be sworn in as jurors in the trial the next day. Senate President Pro Tempore Patty Murray, a Washington state Democrat, will preside.

The impeachment effort, initiated by Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, is perhaps the most high-profile example of the growing clash between Democrats and Republicans on how to handle an unprecedented number of migrants at the southern border.

Tensions have only increased after Senate Republicans tanked a bipartisan border security deal last week. The agreement would have significantly overhauled U.S. immigration law by creating a temporary procedure to shut down the border during active times and raising the bar for asylum claims.

The border security deal, which was tied to a $95 billion security package, died in the Senate after Republicans fell in line with GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump, who has centered his campaign on stoking fears about immigration at the southern border.

The global security package passed early Tuesday without the immigration deal.

House Democrats have decried the efforts to impeach Mayorkas as political, while Republicans have argued that Mayorkas should be held accountable for what they have deemed a crisis at the southern border.

The first article of impeachment accuses Mayorkas of a willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law, and the second accuses him of a breach of public trust by making false statements during congressional testimony, particularly citing statements by Mayorkas telling lawmakers the border is secure.

Due to House Republicans razor-thin majority and absences last week, House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana could only afford to lose two votes during the first impeachment vote, on Feb. 6. Scalise was back in Washington on Tuesday, giving Republicans the margin they needed to overcome three members voting with Democrats.

The same GOP lawmakers who voted against the second impeachment also voted against the first Buck, McClintock and Gallagher.

Gallagher, who was a key holdout in the effort to impeach Mayorkas, announced shortly after that he would not seek reelection.

In an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal, Gallagher explained his vote against impeachment, expressing concern about the precedent it would set.

Creating a new, lower standard for impeachment, one without any clear limiting principle, wouldnt secure the border or hold President Biden accountable, he wrote. It would only further pry open the Pandoras box of perpetual impeachment.

The White House said in a statement last week that impeaching Mayorkas would be an unprecedented and unconstitutional act of political retribution that would do nothing to solve the challenges our Nation faces in securing the border.

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

SUBSCRIBE

See the article here:
U.S. House Republicans impeach Homeland Security chief Mayorkas on second try Oregon Capital Chronicle - Oregon Capital Chronicle

A serial burglar in Edina, Minnesota is suspected of using a Wi-Fi jammer to knock out connected security cameras before stealing and making off with the victim's prized possessions. Minnesota doesnt generally have a reputation as a hotbed for technology, so readers shouldnt be surprised to hear that reports of Wi-Fi jammers used to assist burglaries in the U.S. go back several years. PSA: even criminals use technology, and more are now catching on -- so homeowners should think about mitigations.

Edina police suspect that nine burglaries in the last six months have been undertaken with Wi-Fi jammer(s) deployed to ensure incriminating video evidence wasnt available to investigators. The modus operandi of the thief or thieves is thought to be something like this:

A security expert interviewed by the source publication, KARE11, explained that the jammers simply confused wireless devices rather than blocking signals. They usually work by overloading wireless traffic so that real traffic cannot get through, the news site was told.

Searching back through news reports concerning burglaries where Wi-Fi jammers have / may have been used surfaces plenty of prior evidence of this practice. A Ring community post about one of the firms wireless doorbells missing a porch thief after being subjected to a Wi-Fi deauthentication attack was posted back in January 2020. It is also easy to find reports of burglars using Wi-Fi jamming technology over 2021, 2022, and 2023 with reports becoming more frequent over time.

We mention Ring as one of the firms that popularized video doorbells to solve multiple home security concerns, but other wireless smart home security products from Blink (Amazon) and Nest (Google) will also be vulnerable to wireless signal jamming.

Worryingly, Wi-Fi jamming is almost a trivial activity for potential thieves in 2024. KARE11 notes that it could buy jammers online very easily and cheaply, with prices ranging from $40 to $1,000. Jammers are not legal to use in the U.S. but they are very easy to buy online.

Before we go, there are a few suggestions given to those now wondering about the efficacy of their home security systems with wireless components. Firstly, physically connect some of the devices which allow for a wired connection and local storage of footage. Secondly, utilize smart home technology that makes it appear that someone is at home. Your device may also have the ability to send alerts when the signal / connection is interrupted, and playing with those settings might be worthwhile.

More here:
Wi-Fi jamming to knock out cameras suspected in nine Minnesota burglaries -- smart security systems vulnerable as ... - Tom's Hardware