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A curated guide to major national security news and developments over the past 24 hours. Heres todays news.

ATTACK ON THE CAPITOL

As lawmakers hid from rioters, trapped inside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, they could not get through to President Donald Trump, who was was too busy watching fiery TV images of the crisis unfolding around them to act or even bother to hear their pleas, report Ashley Parker, Josh Dawsey, and Philip Rucker for the Washington Post.

Karl Racine, the District of Columbias attorney general, said he is investigating whether he can charge anyone with incitement to violence after last weeks attack on the Capitol. Clearly the crowd was hyped up, juiced up, focused on the Capitol and rather than calm then down or at least emphasize the peaceful nature of what protests need to be, they really did encourage these folks and riled them up, Racine told MSNBCs Andrea Mitchell. Dan Mangan reports for CNBC.

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf resigned Monday. Mr. Wolf told employees of the Homeland Security Department he would be stepping down on Monday night in part because of court rulings that invalidated some of the Trump administrations immigration policies, citing the likelihood that Mr. Wolf was unlawfully appointed to lead the agency, Zolan Kanno-Youngs reports for the New York Times.

Peter Gaynor, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is replacing Wolf as the acting DHS secretary and is now tasked with helping secure President-elect Joe Bidens inauguration on Jan. 20. Wolf will remain with the department as an under secretary for policy, a position for which he was confirmed by the Senate, Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Helene Cooper report for the New York Times.

House Democrats received a disturbing briefing Tuesday night about other potential violent demonstrations being planned. On a private call Monday night, new leaders of the Capitol Police told House Democrats they were closely monitoring three separate plans that could pose serious threats to members of Congress as Washington prepares for Democrat Joe Bidens presidential inauguration on Jan. 20, Matt Fuller reports for the Huffington Post.

Congressman Jason Crow (D-Colo.), a former Army Ranger, has asked Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy for the militarys criminal investigation units to review troops participating in the inauguration to ensure they are not sympathetic to domestic terrorists. Ryan Pickrell reports for Business Insider.

Several U.S. Capitol Police officers have been suspended and many others are under investigation, for suspected involvement with or inappropriate support for the demonstration last week that turned into a deadly riot at the Capitol, report Aaron C. Davis, Rebecca Tan, and Beth Reinhard for the Washington Post.

Twitter says it has suspended more than 70,000 accounts associated with the QAnon conspiracy theory following last weeks U.S. Capitol riot. The AP reports.

As Congress investigates the events of Jan. 6, it should establish a commission to investigate the security failures and make recommendations to prevent them from happening again, Kyle Murphy writes for Just Security, offering his suggestions for questions that should guide such an investigation.

Companies Try to Distance Themselves from Trump and his supporters on the Hill

Deutsche Bank, the presidents largest lender, and Signature Bank, are looking to distance themselves from Trump and his business. Signature Bank plans to close his accounts and issued a statement calling on the president to resign. Meanwhile, Deutsche Bank, which has been Mr. Trumps primary lender for two decades, has decided not to do business with Mr. Trump or his company in the future, according to a person familiar with the banks thinking, Eric Lipton, Ben Protess and Steve Eder report for the New York Times.

Defense company Northrop Grumman has paused its political donations to members of Congress, the first defense company to do so, reports Defense News.

IMPEACHMENT

House Democrats introduced an article of impeachment against Trump on Monday.

You can read the Article of Impeachment here.

Before moving to impeachment, House Democrats are calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment. House Democrats are expected to begin debate on the impeachment resolution on Wednesday morning, marching toward a vote late in the day unless Mr. Pence intervenes beforehand, Nicholas Fandos reports for the New York Times.

Here is a detailed timeline from Just Securitys Ryan Goodman, Mari Dugas and Nicholas Tonckens of President Trumps statements and actions relevant to the case that he incited the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

CORONAVIRUS

Two Democratic congresswomen have tested positive for COVID after sheltering with their Republican colleagues who refused to wear masks on Wednesday during the attack on the Capitol. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) are both quarantining. The attending physician to Congress, warned over the weekend that lawmakers may have been exposed to the virus while taking cover from the rioters, reports Teo Armus for the Washington Post.

The CDC is expected to encourage states to widen access to Covid-19 vaccines even further. Health officials on Tuesday will push states to expand the shots availability to anyone older than 65, regardless of underlying conditions that might put them at greater risk of severe disease, and anyone 16 and older with such a condition, according to two U.S. officials who asked not to be named because the information isnt public, Jennifer Jacobs reports for Bloomberg.

A map and analysis of all confirmed cases of the virus in the United States is available at the New York Times.

US and worldwide maps tracking the spread of the pandemic are available at the Washington Post.

A state-by-state guide to lockdown measures and reopenings is provided by the New York Times.

Latest updates on the pandemic at The Guardian.

STATE DEPARTMENT

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected to give a speech on Tuesday in which he presents newly declassified information linking al-Qaeda to Iran. It was not immediately clear how much Pompeo intends to reveal in his speech to the National Press Club in Washington on Tuesday, report Humeyra Pamuk and Matt Spetalnick for Reuters.

The State Department designated Cuba a state sponsor of terrorism on Monday in a last-minute foreign policy stroke that will complicate the incoming Biden administrations plans to restore friendlier relations with Havana, report Michael Crowley, Ed Augustin and Kirk Semple for the New York Times.

Congressional staffers were furious with the State Department on Monday after it announced an 11th-hour move to designate the Houthi rebels in Yemen as terrorists, putting in jeopardy desperately needed humanitarian assistance to the country. Jack Detsch and Robbie Gramer report for Foreign Policy.

A Voice of America reporter has been reassigned after she tried to ask Pompeo questions on Monday. Patsy Widakuswara, who covers the White House for VOA, was ordered off the beat by Director Robert Reilly after firing questions at Pompeo after his speech and a brief Q&A session conducted by Reilly, reports Paul Farhi for the Washington Post.

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS

The Treasury Department issued new sanctions on seven Ukrainians accused of interfering in the U.S. election. The U.S. Treasury Department described the targeted sanctions as the inner circle of Ukrainian lawmaker Andrii Derkach, who was sanctioned last year. Derkach has previously worked with Rudy Giuliani to dig up damaging information on President Donald Trumps Democratic opponent, President-elect Joe Biden, and his son Hunter, reports Amanda Macias for CNBC.

The FDA cycled through three different top lawyers on Monday. The unusual sequence began with Trump appointee Stacy Cline Amin abruptly stepping down as chief counsel and the FDA announcing that career civil servant Mark Raza would be her acting replacement. Then, HHS on Monday night announced that Trump political appointee James Lawrence would instead serve as chief counsel a move that unnerved health officials as the Trump administration heads into its final week, Dan Diamond reports for POLITICO.

Bidens selections for his Cabinet are finalized. If confirmed, his Cabinet will be more diverse than not only Trumps Cabinet, but also Obamas, the Washington Post reports. You can see all of his nominations here.

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Early Edition: January 12, 2021 - Just Security

A WELL-used Uppermill bridleway bridge which had to be removed on safety grounds by Oldham Council is to be replaced.

In May last year, the wooden bridge over Church Road, Uppermill - part of the Pennine Bridleway was closed immediately after defects were spotted in the structure.

Since then council officers have been working to secure funding to replace the bridge.

The authority has now been informed Natural England and the Pennine National Trails Partnership have granted 32,500 towards a replacement. The council will pay the remaining 37,500 out of its budget.

The new bridge will have steel beams which will be faced in timber and all other elements of the bridge will be timber. The bridge will look similar to its sister bridge at Station Road, Uppermill.

Once the bridge has been manufactured, the authority is intending for it will be put in place in Spring 2021 and the route will then be re-opened to all users

Cllr Barbara Brownridge, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and culture, said: Theres not a lot of good news about at the minute but were sure this replacement will go down well with local residents and all those who use the bridleway.

Due to the current situation funds are tight but our officers have worked really hard to find money to replace the bridge as we know its a popular route for walkers, runners, cyclists and horse riders. Wed also like to thank Natural England and the Pennine National Trails Partnership for their contribution.

We appreciate removing the bridge caused issues, but we had to do it for safety reasons and to protect the public.

Until the work is complete, people can carry on using the temporary bridleway diversion that is in place.

Preparatory work at the site has already started, including the clearing of vegetation, improvements to the pathway and removal of the remnants of the old timber footbridge.

Original post:
Well-used Uppermill bridge set to be replaced - theoldhamtimes.co.uk

But inside, she's been modernized by her owner Andrea Heap, who lives and works in the camper trailer, and her dad, Paul.

Heap spotted a camper trailer for sale near her parents' home in Colorado in 2019 and bought it for $3,000. She spent $2,000 and a year and a half renovating the tiny home on wheels with her dad.

While she added modern features, Heap said she kept all of the original hardware, light fixtures, and cabinetry to maintain its "vintage flair."

Heap told Insider that she wanted to preserve everything she could from the original camper.

The kitchen includes all the necessities a stovetop, oven, sink, and fridge.

Heap kept the trailer's original oven, stove, sink, and refrigerator but updated the countertops and backsplash.

Original post:
Inside a $3,000 camper trailer from the 1970s that a woman transformed into a tiny home on wheels - Insider - INSIDER

Big brows are all the rage on runways. But sparse or thinning eyebrows arent uncommon everywhere else. A 2012 research review showed that there are many possible causes of thinning or sparse eyebrows, including:

Lets cover some strategies for filling in and treating eyebrows that have lost some of their fullness.

The easiest way to treat thin eyebrows is to use makeup to make them look thicker and fuller. There are several types of makeup products that you can use to do this, including:

You may want to experiment with a few products, mixing and matching to find the beauty routine that gives you the eyebrow look you want.

To try filling in your eyebrows to make them look fuller, start with these steps:

If you want a remedy thats more permanent than makeup, you can consider these other techniques and treatments for filling in your eyebrows.

You can use semipermanent or permanent hair dye to add a darker pigment to your eyebrows. This can give the illusion of brows that are thicker and fuller.

You can DIY this treatment yourself with drugstore hair dye or go to an esthetician.

A 2017 research review showed that hair loss has been linked to some vitamin deficiencies, including vitamin D and iron deficiencies.

So, it makes sense to think that taking nutritional supplements for vitamin D and iron may help regrow your hair, including at your eyebrows.

Additionally, the same research review above showed that if you dont have a nutritional deficiency, dietary supplements likely wont be effective.

Anecdotally, some essential oils are said to promote hair growth on your head and at your eyebrows.

Be sure to always dilute them with a carrier oil, and do not use oils too close to your eye and on your eyelid. Castor oil and peppermint oil are two anecdotal favorites for hair growth.

Microblading is a cosmetic procedure performed by a licensed provider. The goal of microblading is to make your brows look full and even.

Microblading (and its cousin procedure, nanoblading) does this by making tiny, feather-like strokes that mimic real hair and filling these strokes with a semipermanent pigment.

The results of microblading last 8 to 30 months, after which you will have to get a touch-up if you like the result.

Similar to microblading, microshading is a procedure also performed by a licensed provider.

Unlike microblading, microshading mimics the appearance of a powdered makeup application (in other words, it looks like makeup and not like real eyebrows). Microshading lasts 3 to 6 months.

Semipermanant eyebrow tattoos (such as henna) and regular, permanent tattoos have been around for many years. They often do not look as realistic as microblading.

According to a 2016 study, bimatoprost (Latisse) has not yet been approved by the FDA for the use of eyebrow restoration and would be considered off-label use. The dosage is a topical application to your eyebrows once or twice daily.

This FDA-approved medication for eyelash growth stimulation is by prescription only, and it may take several months to see full results.

Minoxidil (Rogaine) is available as both an over-the-counter and prescription-strength medication. It can be used as a topical foam, a concentrated solution, or be given orally.

In a small 2014 study, 39 participants were asked to use a lotion containing minoxidil on one side of their faces, and a placebo product on the other side in an attempt to treat eyebrow thinning.

The study found that the minoxodil side saw significantly better results than the placebo.

You can talk with a dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon about hair grafts that target your eyebrows. These types of grafts use your existing hair follicles to fill in thin spots and encourage regrowth.

These eyebrow transplant procedures can be quite expensive, require a few weeks of recovery, and there is a risk of serious side effects and infection.

Sparse eyebrows can have several causes.

Overplucking or tweezing your eyebrows can damage your hair follicles and lead to poor hair regrowth. Other causes of sparse eyebrows include:

Hair loss from your eyebrows can be frustrating, but there are lots of available treatments. You can also look into cosmetic procedures and even hair grafts to make your brows look bigger.

If youre concerned about hair loss or cant figure out whats causing it, talk with a doctor.

See the rest here:
Sparse Eyebrows Treatment, Home Remedies, and Precautions - Healthline

On Wednesday, a crowd of President Trump's supporters stormed the United States Capitol in a domestic terrorist attack while Congress met to certify the most recent presidential election. As elected officials were evacuated, the group broke through police barriers and into the historic building, causing a stunning wake of damage: They smashed windows and doors to senators' offices, vandalized hallways and statues, and stole furnishings and politicians belongings (such as podiums and mail).

Many have expressed disgust at this attack in our nations capital. But what exactly makes the Capitol building so important, and what will be done to fix the damage?

Since 1800, the United States Capitol has been the meeting place of the House of Representatives and the Senate, which together form the United States Congress. This iconic building serves many purposes: Its where our nations laws are created and its also where presidential inaugurations take place and where presidents give their State of the Union Addresses.

The Neoclassical-style building that we know as the United States Capitol was designed by architect William Thornton. His creative vision was chosen as part of a competition established by then-Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson in 1792, wherein architects submitted design plans for both the Capitol building and the White House. (The prize? $500 and the honor of designing two of the most important buildings in the United States of America.) Thornton's submission came in late January of 1793, months after the competition was established in spring of the prior year. George Washington, who was president at the time, admired Thorntons designs for their grandeur, simplicity, and beauty, according to the official Senate website. The architect's inspiration for the Capitol building's design came from the Louvre and the Paris Panthon.

While the January 6 attack was in many ways unprecedented (and not just because it was carried out by our country's own citizens), this is actually not the first time the Capitol has been damaged: In 1814, the buildingas well as the White House (then called the Presidential Mansion)and other notable landmarks were set on fire by invading British troops following the Battle of Bladensburg as part of the War of 1812. But within five years, the Capitol was restored.

ROBERTO SCHMIDTGetty Images

After the January 6th attack, shattered glass was found from insurgents breaking into the edifice and into various senators offices, including that of Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi's mail was stolen, as was her name plaquewhich was also brokenand papers and folders found in her office were defaced with phrases such as WE WILL NOT BACK DOWN. There was also damaged and broken furniture, papers scattered all over senators offices in disarray, pieces of door frames broken off, trash scattered about the building, and bloodstains on the busts of important historical figures, among even more grotesque defacement.

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While we cant predict just how long it will take to restore the Capitol to the way it appeared prior to the January 6th attack, we can speculate how the damage might handled. A large part of it, apparently, will be through prison labor.

When purchasing furniture on its own dime, the government is legally required to buy through UNICOR, a Washington, D.C.-based prison labor program run by Federal Prison Industries, Inc. (or FPI). UNICOR was created in 1934, and its a requirement that all physically able convicts who do not have any health or security risks must work for either UNICOR or another prison labor program. In 2018, Vox reported that the inmates who are forced into doing this work make items such as lamps, office supplies, air filters, and clothinglabor for which they are paid a minimum of 23 cents per hour to a maximum $1.15 per hour. UNICOR is owned by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and it made over $530 million in revenue in 2019.

There has yet to be an official announcement on plans for restoring the Capitolalthough some senators, including New Jersey Rep. Andy Kim, took it upon themselves to begin clearing garbage and debris in the days following the attack, joining custodial workers tasked with clearing the halls of the building.

Many have speculated that this week's attacks will mean more restricted access to the Capitol building for tourists and visitorsthough no government officials have yet to confirm or deny that this will be the case.

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Why the U.S. Capitol Building Is So Important and How the Damage Will Be Fixed - HouseBeautiful.com

Living a happy life requires a person to surround himself with a positive environment. Every person spends most of his time at his home so it is really important for him to go for home remodeling after a few years. The home renovation adds more value to a home by increasing livability and comfort in it.

It is a desire of every person to live a safe and comfortable life at his home. With the use of the best home renovation practices, it is possible for every homeowner to get the desired level of comfort and functionality in his home. Due to the rising disposable income of the US people, most people are now going for home renovation to a great extent.

Apart from renovating other areas of their houses, people are consulting suitable firms for a bathroom remodel in Denver after a regular time interval. It is helping people create a more relaxed and private space in a bathroom. Kitchen remodeling is also being considered by people to make the cooking process a lot easy and fun.

Installation of eco-friendly kitchen cabinets and energy-efficient kitchen gadgets are now becoming a popular thing in houses.As the size of a family grows, it becomes all the more important to renovate a house to add more spaces to the house.

Moreover, improvement in the living and dining area must be considered to add more value to a house. Adding more features to a house can make a house comfortable to live in. And every family member can do different home activities in a satisfactorily and convenient fashion.

Originally posted here:
Home Renovation Ensures a Boost in Liveability and Comfort in a Home - The American Reporter

Coral reefs all over the world are struggling to survive, with hundreds of millions of people and tens of billions of dollars in business that rely on them at risk on top of the fundamental tragedy of losing such a crucial ecosystem. Coral Vita aims to modernize both coral restoration techniques and the economy surrounding them, and has raised a $2 million seed round to kick things off in earnest.

I wrote about Coral Vita late in 2019 when I encountered co-founder Gator Halpern on the Sustainable Ocean Alliances Accelerator at Sea. At the time, the operation was both smaller and under siege by Hurricane Dorian, which wiped out the teams coral farm in the Bahamas and then, of course, the pandemic arrived just in time to spoil the teams 2020 plans along with everyone elses.

But despite the general chaos of the last year, Coral Vita managed to start and at last close a $2 million round, with the intention to come back bigger and better and demonstrate a new global model for the field.

We decided rather than just rebuilding our pilot farm to that pilot level, wed just take the next step forward in our journey. We really believe this is an opportunity to jump start a restoration economy, said Sam Teicher, co-founder and chief reef officer.

To picture how reef restoration looks today, imagine (as Teicher invited me to) an underwater garden near the shore, with floating ropes and structures on which grow coral fragments that are occasionally harvested and transported to the area in need of young, healthy corals.

Image Credits: Coral Vita

But when you think about the scale of the problem half the worlds reefs are dead and 90 percent of the other half are predicted to die in the next 30 years relying on underwater facilities alone isnt possible, he said.

The plan Coral Vita has is to transition away from ocean-based farms to land facilities that allow for much improved yield and survivability, and employ advanced techniques to speed up corals growth and increase its survival rate. One such technique is coral microfragmenting, developed by the restoration community at large, in which corals are broken up into tiny pieces, which can grow as much as 50 times faster in aggregate. And by doing so on land they can exert much more control over the corals attributes.

Weve got tanks on land with clean sea water pumping through and the ability, among other things, to control conditions, he explained. So if you think of what itll be like off the coast of Grand Bahama in 40-50 years, we can essentially simulate that to harden the corals against those conditions. Up front, an ocean-based nursery is much cheaper, but when you start thinking about the need to grow millions or billions of corals around the world, land-based facilities start to look a lot more realistic. The cost goes down with scale, too ocean-based nurseries go to about $30-$40 per coral; we can get it down to $10 as we get up to a hundred or a thousand tanks.

On the left, a Bahamanian tourism official (far left) listens to Sam Teicher. On the right, Gator Halpern (center) talks with others before the pandemic. Image Credits: Coral Vita

Not only is the physical scale limited at present, but the income sources are as well: Often its government money instead of the inexhaustible well of private cash. Coral Vita hopes to be able to change that by increasing and diversifying supply and income, and going directly to those affected.

As the world starts to open back up, Coral Vita hopes to be able to rely again on eco-tourism, with people coming by the coral farm as they might go to a hatchery or wildlife reserve. That helps balance far-flung income and projects with more local ones (and connects the company to smaller communities like those where its based).

While things were still locked down, the company took the opportunity to allow distant support for its local operations, however, by expanding its adopt a coral campaign. Anyone whos contributed to one of these for an endangered animal or ravaged forest will be familiar with how it works, but until last year Coral Vita hadnt actively pursued the concept.

Were trying to transform the space away from grants and aid were selling to customers that depend on the ecosystems of reefs, Teicher said. If youre a hotel that relies on scuba or snorkel tourists, if youre a coastal property owner or insurer, a government, a development bank, a cruise line, you can hire Coral Vita to restore the reefs that you depend on.

This superficially mercenary business model where commercially important reefs get priority wouldnt be necessary, of course, if governments and industry hadnt systematically neglected these reefs to begin with. Not that privately funded projects are somehow fundamentally tainted, but this type of restoration work tends to be seen as the milieu of nonprofits and government agencies. One might consider this approach a direct, if late, tax that cuts out the government middle man.

The fact is this is globally crucial work that needs to start now, not in five or 10 years when the correct conservation funds are organized by concerned parties. Every month counts when reefs are actively deteriorating, and private money is the only realistic option to scale up fast and do what needs to be done. Plus, as the process becomes cheaper, it becomes easier to fund projects without commercial backing.

Image Credits: Coral Vita

On top of that is the ability to innovate, added Teicher. What were trying to do with this round is to make advances to the science and engineering, including 3D printing and robotics in the process. Were launching R&D projects not just for restoration but protection.

He cited Tom Chi, co-founder of Google X and an early advisor and investor, as someone who has pushed on the automation side, comparing the industry to agriculture, where robotics is currently having a transformative effect.

Proving out the scalable land-based farms opens up the possibility of a global presence, as well lowering costs and lead times for corals to be brought to where theyre needed.

Were at a point where we need to rethink adaptation and how to fund it, said Teicher. The two-year plan is to launch more farms in other countries ultimately we want them in every nation with reefs and for this to be the biggest coral farm that ever existed.

Of course he, like most, would rather that restoration never had to happen in the first place. If people would stop the practices that kill reefs, it would certainly help though as with most of these global-scale problems, stopping the behavior doesnt mean the problem disappears. Coral farming will still be crucial for recovery, just as other mitigations and contributions will be needed to help nature reestablish balance, or at least something approaching balance.

Leading the $2 million round was the environment-focused Builders Collective, with participation from Apollo Projects Max Altman and baseballs Max and Erica Scherzer. Earlier investors (in a pre-seed or seed one round) include the Sustainable Ocean Alliance, Tom Chi as mentioned, Adam Draper, Yale University, and Sven and Kristin Lindblad.

Read the original:
Coral Vita cultivates $2M seed to take its reef restoration mission global - TechCrunch

Grounded by the pandemic, many housebound homeowners (at least, those who could afford it) spent the past year improving their living spaces, whether they were converting basements into boardrooms or transforming backyards into makeshift family resorts. Despite a COVID-ravaged economy, Americans spent a projected $338 billion on home improvements in 2020, according to Harvards Joint Center for Housing Studies, a 3.4 percent increase over 2019.

But after the construction crew has cleaned up and cleared out, theres still one more item that should be on any homeowners remodeling to-do list. Changes to your home often demand adjustments to the insurance policy that protects it.

There are a number of ways a renovation can affect your homeowners insurance, but chief among them is this: After a major remodeling project, your home is probably worth more and it would cost more to rebuild to its current standard should it be destroyed by fire or water.

When you first get an insurance policy, they assess the features of your home and they say, Heres how much it would cost to rebuild your home, explained Angi Orbann, vice president of property and personal insurance at Travelers. And as you make renovations and improvements to the home, that replacement cost, that cost to rebuild, likely increases. You want to make sure you have enough coverage on your policy in the horrible event that you might have a total loss.

You probably dont need to call your insurance company after, say, painting the dining room, but if its a big remodel, including kitchen and baths, youve just increased the value of your home, and your current policy probably doesnt cover all the upgraded kitchen cabinets, appliances, and bath fixtures, said Mark Philben, manager of project development at Charlie Allen Renovations in Cambridge.

Its even more important to reevaluate your replacement cost coverage if youve added square footage or invested in high-end finishes and new furnishings. The goal is to ensure the home is adequately insured to repair or replace the home with the same level of detail, finishes, and quality of workmanship, said Scott Harold, regional risk consulting manager for the Northeast region at insurer Chubb.

Your homes replacement cost is simply the amount of money it would take to rebuild it with all the stuff in it from scratch. A lot of factors influence that figure, but homeowners are often surprised to learn that it has little to do with their homes market value. Thats because the land your home sits on is just as valuable as the structure itself, at least in the Boston area. A homes lot accounts for about half of its market value in metro Boston, according to a 2019 Redfin study.

Yet in lower-priced areas, a homes replacement cost could actually be higher than the market value especially for an old home, since new construction must meet stricter modern building codes. The lesson, Orbann said, is not to conflate one with the other. Market value does not equal the cost to rebuild a home, she said.

Its even more important to reevaluate your replacement cost coverage if youve added square footage or invested in high-end finishes and new furnishings.

And if a renovation cost you $100,000, adjusting your homes replacement value isnt just a matter of tacking on that sum to your existing coverage. Sometimes a significant part of the expense of a home renovation is associated with tear-out costs, expenses that help a contractor tie in the new with the old, or expenses involved in replacing older furnishings with newer ones, said Daniel Heinold, a sales and client services director at Amica insurance. Those types of one-off costs often dont apply when rebuilding after a total loss, he said, so you may not need to add quite as much additional insurance as you think.

So how do you know how much coverage you need after a remodel? Insurers have appraisers and sophisticated algorithms to help determine that so in most cases, its just a matter of explaining the scope of work to your insurance provider. But if you want to come up with your own ballpark figure: A survey by the National Association of Homebuilders found that the cost of constructing a new home in New England not including the land averaged $158 per square foot in 2019. That would put the replacement cost of a 2,000-square-foot home around $316,000 (a number thats surely risen in the last year due to inflation and lumber shortages).

You dont have to wait until a renovation is done to contact your insurer, though. In fact, Philben suggested notifying them ahead of any remodeling work, to make sure youre fully covered. For example, not all homeowners policies cover building materials from damage or theft, and some insurers may require fire extinguishers or other safety measures during a big renovation.

Outdoor upgrades can necessitate insurance changes, too. Backyard pools were a hot item last summer, with many installers reporting backlogs into 2021 and even 2022, the Syracuse Post-Standard reports as summer vacation plans evaporated. If you were among those who managed to get a pool installed, Orbann said thats definitely something to tell your insurance provider. Theres different liability on the policy when you have a pool, she said.

New pool owners will probably want to increase their Coverage B insurance, too, Heinold said, which applies to detached structures on the property. Your insurance company will also want to know that youve met local safety codes. Wed want to ensure there are certain safeguards in place, such as a locking fence, Heinold said, [but] there wouldnt be too much of an impact on their premium.

In fact, a remodel doesnt always increase your insurance bill. Some home improvements reduce the risk of property damage or injury, and thus may actually lower your premiums.

Some carriers have discounts available for older homes if the home has been renovated, Heinold said. Installing a new roof, for example, or replacing dated electric, plumbing, or HVAC systems could result in a discount. Replacing these systems in an older home mitigates the potential for loss or damage and enhances the overall safety of the home, especially in the case of an older electrical system with knob-and-tube wiring, Harold noted.

Many insurers also offer discounts or credits when you install monitoring systems or devices designed to protect your home, Heinold said, such as burglar alarms, fire alarms, sprinkler systems, leak-detection devices, generators, or storm shutters.

With non-flood-related water damage (such as from a burst pipe) accounting for more than 37 percent of total losses in 2017 and 2018 in Massachusetts even more than fire insurance companies typically reward homeowners who install an automatic water shut-off device. [Its] a nominal cost when renovating, and the investment can typically be offset by a premium credit, Harold said.

Some home improvements reduce the risk of property damage or injury, and thus may actually lower your premiums.

Such home-monitoring systems are simple enough to install, Philben said, especially during a renovation. When youre doing a remodel and the walls are open, it makes a lot of sense to do it then, he said. He suggests contacting your insurer beforehand to see what kind of discounts you can expect and what level of monitoring is required. For example, its neat to be able to keep tabs on your homes major systems with your smartphone, Philben said, but often when it comes to discounts, the key is that its being monitored by an alarm company and they can track if theres a sudden or prolonged drop in water pressure in the house.

Another such home upgrade is an automatic whole-house generator, Harold said, which can ensure your heat stays on during a power outage, reducing the risk of frozen and burst pipes. While the benefit is to maintain safety and comfort during power outages, its an often overlooked upgrade that may be eligible for a premium credit, he said.

As always, its helpful to take and safely store photos of any remodeling work performed and the contents of your home in case you ever need to file a claim. And in that unfortunate event, Philben said, it can pay to bring in your own adjuster. If there is, God forbid, a claim, you want to get a public adjuster somebody you hire as opposed to the insurance companys adjuster, he said. Oftentimes theyll negotiate a better deal for you.

Even if you didnt complete a renovation in 2020, the start of a new year is a good time to review your homeowners policy.

We typically encourage people to revisit those coverages once a year anyway and think about their current home situation, Orbann said. And theres no need to wait until your policy is up for renewal if you do decide to make changes. You can review it at any point in the year and call in and make updates, she said.

That sounds like a good new years resolution for any homeowner.

Jon Gorey blogs about homes at HouseandHammer.com. Send comments to [emailprotected]. Follow him on Twitter at @jongorey. Subscribe to our free real estate newsletter at pages.email.bostonglobe.com/AddressSignUp.

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Renovating? Why your insurance needs an update, too - Boston.com

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Prison Fellowshipwill host a Zoom virtual reporters roundtable on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021 from 11noon (EST) to discuss the impact ofthe recent actions of the U.S. Congress in restoring access to Pell Grants for incarcerated students as a provision within the Fiscal Year 2021 omnibus package.

Learn more about the impact of the Pell ban for incarcerated students, their families, and society in general. The virtual panel will include:

"Pell Grant access offers people in prison the opportunity to pursue good citizenship behind and beyond bars," said James Ackerman, president and CEO of Prison Fellowship. "We applaud federal policymakersand particularly Secretary DeVos, the White House, bipartisan cosponsors of the REAL Act, and higher education leaders like Senators Lamar Alexander and Patty Murray and Representatives Virginia Foxx and Bobby Scott for moving this historic reform to transform lives, livelihoods, and communities across the finish line."

"Hope is such a powerful gift," said Heather Rice-Minus, senior vice president of advocacy and church mobilization for Prison Fellowship. "Access to Pell Grants has been denied to aspiring incarcerated students for a quarter century. Today's inclusion of this reform opens a new window of hope that will pay back dividends in the form of safer communities inside and outside corrections facilities for decades to come."

About Prison FellowshipPrison Fellowship is the nation's largest outreach to prisoners, former prisoners, and their families, and a leading voice for criminal justice reform.With more than 40 years of experience helping restore men and women behind bars, Prison Fellowship advocates for federal and state criminaljustice reforms that transform those responsible for crime, validate victims, and encourage communities to play a role in creating a safe, redemptive, and just society.

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Virtual Reporters Roundtable to Discuss Restoration of Access to Pell Grants for Incarcerated Students Seeking to Become Productive Citizens - KHQ...

The project to bring the Paignton Picture House back to life has moved another step forward.

Listed building consent has been granted for the north facade repairs project which will restore the front of the building in Torbay Road which was also known as the Torbay Cinema before it closed.

As revealed last week, the Paignton Picture House Trust has secured 200,000 from Historic England to begin work on the facade.

The full restoration of the cinema will take several years, and is being funded in part by the governments Future High Streets funding for Paignton, which will mean more than 13m to be spent on projects in the town.

Trust spokesman Paul Hawthorne said he hoped the cinema would become a beacon for the regeneration of the town.

Some of the most vulnerable parts of the building, including delicate stonework and stained glass, are found on the front of the building.

Conservation architects Le Page Architects put together a detailed application for consent based on survey work they had previously carried out.

Historic Englands feedback to the statutory planning consultation said: The application is thorough and detailed, identifying appropriate methodologies to undertake each type of repair, and clearly illustrating which parts of the building these apply to.

Conservation best practice is applied, with the maximum conservation of original fabric.

Mr Hawthorne said: This is another positive step forward to saving this incredibly important building and reopening it for us all to enjoy.

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Another boost for Paignton Picture House restoration project - In Your Area