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Japa: 7 Cities In US That Pay New Residents Who Move In

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In a notable shift, many residents in United States of America are moving away from larger cities and coastal states to smaller locations across the country. This is just as migrants are also trooping into these locations for the benefits they offer.

Between 2021 and 2022, California saw a net loss of nearly 350,000 residents, while rising living costs are driving some residents in New York out.

In response, several cities and towns are offering financial incentives to attract new residents.

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In this article are 7 cities in the United States, as rolled out by Business Insider, who pay people that move in:

READ ALSO: Sacks BPE DG, Makes Replacement

Cities that pay you when you move in there

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Tulsa, Oklahoma: $10,000 to Relocate

Ryann Cooke, a social media professional in her late 20s, moved from Washington, D.C., to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in June 2022. Tulsa’s “Tulsa Remote” program, which offers $10,000 to remote workers willing to relocate, drew her attention. Cooke highlighted the significant cost savings and improved quality of life in Tulsa compared to D.C.

Tulsa Remote is one of the most well-known programs aimed at boosting local populations and economies by attracting talent and spending.

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Columbus, Georgia: $5,000 for Remote Workers

Columbus, Georgia, offers remote workers $5,000 to move to the city. The program, managed by the local chamber of commerce in partnership with Make My Move, targets remote workers earning at least $75,000 annually. Besides the cash incentive, new residents receive six months of coworking space membership and various community perks.

READ ALSO:!

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The program has been popular, with applications closing for 2024 and set to reopen in January 2025.

Lincoln County, Kansas: $4,500 and More

Lincoln County, Kansas, is offering $4,500, a $500 internet credit, a gym membership, and monthly baskets of farm-fresh eggs to new remote workers. Participants must earn at least $50,000 annually and commit to living in the county for at least a year. Additional incentives include free land for building a home and extra cash if a spouse finds local employment.

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Mississippi County, Arkansas: Up to $50,000 for Homebuyers

Mississippi County, Arkansas, offers up to $50,000 for new and existing residents to build or renovate homes. Participants must work for local companies and commit to living in the county for at least four years. The program has attracted 80 new buyers since its launch in fall 2022, many being first-time homeowners.

Newton, Iowa: $10,000 for Home Purchases

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Newton, Iowa, provides $10,000 to individuals purchasing homes worth at least $240,000. There are no residency duration requirements, and new homeowners receive a “Get to Know Newton” welcome package valued at $2,500. The initiative aims to attract new residents and boost the local housing market.

READ ALSO: Cleric Bags Life Jail For Raping Minor In Ekiti

The Shoals, Alabama: $10,000 for Remote Workers

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The Shoals area in northern Alabama offers remote workers $10,000 to relocate. The payments are staggered over a year, with $2,500 initially, another $2,500 after six months, and the remaining $5,000 after a year. Eligible applicants must earn at least $52,000 annually and be able to move within six months. Applications for this program will reopen in September 2024.

West Virginia: Ascend WV Program

West Virginia’s Ascend WV program, launched in April 2021, has attracted 295 new residents and 272 family members by June 2024. Participants receive $10,000 in monthly installments over the first year and a final $2,000 after the second year. Additional benefits include free coworking space access, outdoor gear rental, and recreational activities.

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Australian Govt Official Declares ‘Red Wednesday’ Over Attack On Kwara Church

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Chairman of the Australian Committee for NATO enlargement, Gunther Fehlinger-Jahn, has declared a ‘Red Wednesday’ as part of a global awareness campaign against alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

Gunther made this known in a post on X while reacting to the recent attack on Christ Apostolic Church, CAC, in Kwara State.

Recall that terrorists on Tuesday invaded the church located in Eruku town, Ekiti Local Government Area of the state, and opened fire on worshipers.

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READ ALSO:Court Jails Two Men 26 Months For N8.5b Fraud

According to reports, the resident pastor and some persons were killed while majority of the worshipers were taken away to unknown destinations.

Reacting, Gunther in his X post said the incessant attacks on Nigerian Christians “is unacceptable”.

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He wrote, “I got this video sent of an Islamist attack on a church in Nigeria. Today is #RedWednesday the global awareness day against prosecution of Christians.”

 

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Pope Decries Lack Of Political Will On Climate Change

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Pope Leo XIV on Monday urged “concrete actions” on climate change and complained that some leaders lacked the will to act, as he addressed religious dignitaries on the sidelines of the COP30 summit.

The Vatican released the American pope’s address to churches of the southern hemisphere assembled on the sidelines of the UN climate talks in Belem, Brazil, in which he called the Amazon region “a living symbol of creation with an urgent need for care”.

“Creation is crying out in floods, droughts, storms and relentless heat,” the pope said.

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“One in three people live in great vulnerability because of these climate changes. To them, climate change is not a distant threat, and to ignore these people is to deny our shared humanity,” he added.

“What is failing is the political will of some.”

READ ALSO:Young Catholics Converge On Rome For Pope Leo’s Vigil

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The UN climate negotiations enter their final stretch this week, with nations split on key issues as government ministers began arriving Monday to take over negotiations.

There is still time to keep the rise in global temperature below 1.5C, but the window is closing,” warned Leo, who called for “concrete actions” while championing the landmark Paris Agreement.

– Pope defends Paris Agreement –

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The historic 2015 accord, from which US President Donald Trump has said he will withdraw the United States for the second time, aims to keep temperature rises “well below” 2C compared to pre-industrial levels and, if possible, to 1.5C.

The Paris Agreement was the “strongest tool for protecting people and the planet”, Leo said, decrying a lack of effort by some leaders, whom he did not name.

READ ALSO:Pope Leo XIV Declares Friday Global Prayer, Fasting Day For Peace

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True leadership means service and support on a scale that will truly make a difference,” he said, urging firmer climate action to bring about “stronger and fairer economic systems”.

“Let us send a clear global signal together: nations standing in unwavering solidarity behind the Paris Agreement and climate cooperation,” he said.

Since being made pope in May, the Chicago-born pontiff — who spent about 20 years as a missionary in Peru — has urged more pressure on governments to stop climate change.

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Last month, during a climate conference near Rome, he called for an “ecological conversion” to help vulnerable communities.

READ ALSO:VIDEO: Tinubu Meets Pope Leo XIV After Inauguration Mass In Rome

October marked the 10-year anniversary of the late Pope Francis’s landmark climate manifesto “Laudato Si”, which appealed for action on human-caused global warming.

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COP30, without the presence of the US government, is scheduled to end in five days, but groups of countries still disagree on many issues, including climate ambition, unilateral trade measures, and finance.

Some countries also want a roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels.

UN climate chief Simon Stiell welcomed what he called Pope Leo’s “strong message”.

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His words urge us to continue to choose hope and action,” he said.

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Genocide: U.S. Lawmaker Alleges Tinubu Lying, Protecting Own Interest

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Riley Moore

Congress to debate ‘Christian Persecution’ in Nigeria on Thursday

United States (U.S.) lawmaker, Riley Moore, has dismissed President Bola Tinubu’s denial of the targeted killing of Christians as “completely false”.

Moore said Tinubu’s denial was to “protect his interests,” adding that Nigeria’s political leaders were “complicit” in the killing of Christians.

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In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Moore noted Tinubu’s statement, claiming that the “characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality” as incorrect.

Meanwhile, the Congress will, on Thursday, debate the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

READ ALSO:Trump To Receive Full Menu Of Options To Stop Nigeria Genocide – US Rep, Moore

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This was as International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule (Intersociety) raised fresh claims 99 Christians were, again, killed in Nigeria in 14 days.

Unfortunately, that is completely false. There are states in Nigeria that have blasphemy laws. People are facing the death penalty for blasphemy against Islam,” the U.S. lawmaker said. “I know President Tinubu is in a difficult position, and trying to protect his interests there in the country. But they are complicit in this to some degree or another for a statement like this.”

Moore cited the case of an Adamawa Christian farmer, Sunday Jackson, who was sentenced to death for defending himself against a killer herdsman.

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“There is serious persecution in Nigeria,” Moore said.
CONGRESS is set to convene a hearing on Thursday to examine allegations of widespread persecution of Christians in Nigeria, following President Donald Trump’s recent decision to redesignate the country as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).

READ ALSO:Ex-US Mayor, Sultan Clash Over Alleged Christian Genocide

The session will be led by Congressman Chris Smith, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, and a vocal advocate for stronger U.S. action on reported religious violence in Nigeria.

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Smith previously introduced a congressional resolution naming the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore as responsible actors in several attacks. The resolution recommends visa bans and asset freezes against members of the groups.

It also called on White House to classify “Fulani-Ethnic Militias” operating in states such as Benue and Plateau under the Entities of Particular Concern (EPC) framework established by the International Religious Freedom Act.

Witnesses scheduled to testify include Jonathan Pratt, senior bureau official at the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, and Jacob McGee, deputy assistant secretary at the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour.

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READ ALSO:Trump Breaks Silence On ‘Christian Genocide’ In Nigeria

A second panel is expected to feature Nina Shea, senior fellow and director at the Centre for Religious Freedom; Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of the Makurdi Catholic Diocese; and Oge Onubogu, director and senior fellow for the Africa Programme at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
INTERSOCIETY alleged in a statement yesterday that 99 Christians were killed within the last 14 days.

It stated that the killing occurred between October 28 and November 11, adding that 114 others were kidnapped by the group that carried out the action, called Jihadist militants.

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The report was signed by the Head, Intersociety, Emeka Umeagbalasi, and two human rights lawyers, Joy Igboeli and Ogochukwu Obi.

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