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Ask a real estate pro: How can I get my neighbor to keep it down during 5 a.m. workouts?

Ask a real estate pro: How can I get my neighbor to keep it down during 5 a.m. workouts?

Q: I live in an apartment, and my upstairs neighbor gets up to work out every day at 5 a.m. He’s often loud, dropping the weights and waking me up. I’m kind of at my wits’ end. I really don’t want to have to report him to the community, but I also need to get some sleep. What can I do? — Adrian

A: Living in an apartment comes with its own set of challenges, including dealing with noisy neighbors. Sometimes, it might be a barking dog, late-night parties, loud music, or, like in your case, an early-morning workout routine.

While every apartment community has its own rules and guidelines, the steps for addressing noise issues are generally the same.

Communication is always your first step.

Try to have a polite and respectful conversation with your neighbor. They may not be aware that their routine is bothering you, and a simple conversation may resolve the issue. Choose a time when you’re both calm and not in the middle of the problem, perhaps in the evening or on a weekend. Explain how the noise is impacting your sleep and ask if they could take steps to minimize it, like using a mat to cushion the weights or adjusting their routine slightly. Approach the conversation with understanding, and you might be surprised at how willing they are to cooperate. read more

Meme stock resurgence prompts return of central meme investment fund

Meme stock resurgence prompts return of central meme investment fund

By DAMIAN J. TROISE

NEW YORK (AP) — A resurgence of meme stock interest has prompted the return of a one-stop fund for the volatile and quirky investments.

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Roundhill Investments is launching a meme ETF, which is an exchange-traded fund consisting solely of meme stocks. Several of those stocks have ridden a wave of meme investment sentiment this year. The move comes two years after the provider of ETFs closed the fund because of slumping interest. The new fund trades under the “MEME” symbol.

Investors have been sporadically turning to meme stocks throughout 2025 in an effort to find bargains amid a very pricey stock market. The S&P 500 has had a busy year setting records. That has made it more difficult for investors to find stocks at lower prices that have potential for growth. read more

Disney World raises prices of annual passes

Disney World raises prices of annual passes

Walt Disney World has raised the prices on all levels of its annual passes to its four theme parks, effective immediately.

The Disney Incredi-Pass, the top level of passes, which allows entry for a year without any block-out dates, now sells for $1,629. It has been priced at $1,549 since an increase last October. It’s up 5.2%.

The Disney Sorcerer Pass now costs $1,099, up from $1,079, an increase of 2.7%. This level is designated for Florida residents and Disney Vacation Club members. These passes come with block-out dates during the November-December holiday period.

The new Disney Pirate Pass price is $869, up from $829, a 4.8% increase. This level is for Floridians and features about 50 block-out dates in the next year, including around key holidays and peak periods such as spring break.

Finally, the Disney Pixie Pass now goes for $489, up from $469, a 4.3% increase. This ticket allows theme park entry Mondays through Fridays, although there are block-out dates for some weeks.

Annual passholder receive complimentary parking at the theme parks as well as various degrees of discounts on food and merchandise.  The resort’s park reservations policy, instituted as Disney World reopened from its pandemic shutdown in 2020, remains in place. read more

Is there an AI bubble? Financial institutions sound a warning

Is there an AI bubble? Financial institutions sound a warning

By KELVIN CHAN and MATT O’BRIEN, AP Technology Writers

LONDON (AP) — Lingering doubts about the economic promise of artificial intelligence technology are starting to get the attention of financial institutions that raised warning flags this week about an AI investment bubble.

Officials at the Bank of England on Wednesday flagged the growing risk that tech stock prices pumped up by the AI boom could burst.

“The risk of a sharp market correction has increased,” the U.K. central bank said.

The head of the International Monetary Fund raised a similar alarm hours after the Bank of England’s report.

Global stock prices have been surging, fired up by “optimism about the productivity-enhancing potential of AI,” IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said.

But financial conditions could “turn abruptly,” she warned in a speech ahead of the organization’s annual meeting next week in Washington.

FILE – Sam Altman, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, OpenAI,... FILE – Sam Altman, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, OpenAI, testifies before a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, file) ARCHIVO – El logotipo de OpenAI aparece en un teléfono... ARCHIVO – El logotipo de OpenAI aparece en un teléfono móvil frente a una pantalla de computadora con datos binarios aleatorios, el 9 de marzo de 2023, en Boston. (AP Foto/Michael Dwyer/Archivo) FILE – A sign for a Nvidia building is shown... FILE – A sign for a Nvidia building is shown in Santa Clara, Calif., May 31, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

Is there an AI bubble?

“Bubbles obviously are never very easy to identify, but we can see there are a few potential symptoms of a bubble in the current situation,” said Adam Slater, lead economist at Oxford Economics. read more

Fed minutes: Most officials supported further rate cuts as worries about jobs rose

Fed minutes: Most officials supported further rate cuts as worries about jobs rose

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER, AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Most members of the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate setting committee supported further reductions to its key interest rate this year, according to minutes from last month’s meeting released Wednesday.

A majority of Fed officials felt that the risk unemployment would rise had worsened since their previous meeting in July, while the risk of rising inflation “had either diminished or not increased,” the minutes said. As a result, the central bank decided at its Sept. 16-17 meeting to reduce its key rate by a quarter-point to about 4.1%, its first cut this year.

Rate cuts by the Fed can gradually lower borrowing costs for things like mortgages, auto loans, and business loans, encouraging more spending and hiring.

Still, the minutes underscored the deep division on the 19-person committee between those who feel that the Fed’s short-term rate is too high and weighing on the economy, and those who point to persistent inflation that remains above the central bank’s 2% target as evidence that the Fed needs to be cautious about reducing rates. read more