The press recently villifed high-interest financing as exploitative and predatory. Yet, savvy entrepreneurs use these tools to prosper. Here’s the truth. “Merchant cash advance.” “High-interest loans.” “Short-term loans.” “Bridge loans.” For business owners and individuals looking for quick, alternative funding sources, the names and loan types are many. No wonder most confuse them all as one big bad thing. As always, knowledge is clarity. Let’s review. Merchant cash advance: High on interest AND flexibility. Merchant cash advances are paid back through a percentage of future credit card earnings, and are therefore not considered loans. Based on this technicality, the industry remained largely unregulated during its inception in 1998.

A woman tried to board a plane in New York with a loaded handgun in her carry-on luggage, the Transportation Security Administration said. TSA officers spotted the .380-caliber gun as the woman went through security at Stewart International Airport in Newburgh on Friday, the agency said in a news release. The gun was loaded with seven bullets including one in the chamber, the TSA said. The woman, a resident of Lagrangeville, New York, told officials she had forgotten that she had her gun with her. New York State Police confiscated the weapon and detained the woman for questioning. The TSA says a typical penalty for carrying a handgun into a checkpoint is a $4,100 fine. (AP)

Former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett pleaded not guilty Monday to restored charges that accuse him of staging a racist, homophobic attack against himself last year in Chicago and falsely reporting to police that the phony attack was real. His lawyer, Tina Glandian, entered the not guilty pleas on his behalf to six counts of felony disorderly conduct. She also told Judge James B. Linn that she has asked the Illinois Supreme Court to halt the case. A somber looking Smollett, 37, entered the Cook County courthouse wearing sunglasses and sporting a beard, flanked by his legal team and surrounded by reporters. “He’s obviously frustrated to be dragged through this process again,” Glandian told reporters after the hearing.

Firefighters from federal and New Jersey agencies battled a forest fire for a second day Monday in a popular hiking area that is crossed by the Appalachian Trail and a major interstate highway. The fire burned in New Jersey’s Worthington State Forest and the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. A Facebook post from a nearby fire department in Pennsylvania indicated the fire had grown to 70 acres (28 hectares) by Sunday night. It still wasn’t clear what the fire’s cause was, but fire officials said it was about 30% contained by late Monday morning. A helicopter and 40 firefighters were working to put the fire out Monday, officials said.

Pastor Antonio Velasquez says that before the Trump administration announced a crackdown on immigrants using government social services, people lined up before sunrise outside a state office in a largely Latino Phoenix neighborhood to sign up for food stamps and Medicaid. No more. “You had to arrive at 3 in the morning, and it might take you until the end of the day,” he said, pointing behind the office in the Maryvale neighborhood to show how long the lines got. But no one lined up one recent weekday morning, and there were just a handful of people inside.

The new virus took aim at a broadening swath of the globe Monday, with officials in Europe and the Middle East scrambling to limit the spread of an outbreak that showed signs of stabilizing at its Chinese epicenter but posed new threats far beyond. In Italy, authorities set up roadblocks, called off soccer matches and shuttered sites including the famed La Scala opera house. In Iran, the government said 12 people had died nationwide, while five neighboring countries — Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Afghanistan — reported their first cases of the virus, with all those infected having links to Iran. Across the world, stock markets and futures dipped on fears of a global slowdown due to the virus spread, with the Dow down more than 900 points during midday trading.

Harvey Weinstein was convicted Monday on some but not all charges at his assault trial, sealing his dizzying fall from powerful Hollywood studio boss to archvillain of the #MeToo movement. He was convicted on charges stemming from assaults against women in 2006 assault and one in 2013. The jury found Weinstein not guilty on the most serious charge, that could have resulted in a life sentence. Weinstein, 67, had a look of resignation as the verdict came in, and was seen talking to his lawyers shortly after.

Stock markets are falling around the world after the number of coronavirus cases surged in Italy and South Korea, putting two more major economies at risk from a virus that has already caused widespread disruption in China. The Dow plunged as much as 997 points, or 3.4%, when US markets opened on Monday. The S&P 500 fell up to 3.2%, and the Nasdaq lost nearly 4.3%. The VIX, a measure of market volatility, shot up 40%. The indexes have since recovered slightly, but the Dow is still off nearly 800 points, or 2.7%. The declines follow steep losses in Asia and Europe on Monday as investors take in the risks to corporate profits and economic growth posed by the coronavirus’ spread. (YWN World Headquarters- NYC)

By Monet Binder, Esq. A power of attorney is one of the most important estate planning documents, but when one sibling is named in a power of attorney, there is the potential for disputes with other siblings. No matter which side you are on, it is important to know your rights and limitations. A power of attorney allows someone to appoint another person — an “attorney-in-fact” or “agent” — to act in place of him or her — the “principal” — if the principal ever becomes incapacitated. There are two types of powers of attorney: financial and medical. Financial powers of attorney usually include the right to open bank accounts, withdraw funds from bank accounts, trade stock, pay bills, and cash checks. They could also include the right to give gifts.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu warned Islamic Jihad and Hamas on Monday that there will be a war if rocket fire from the Gaza Strip continues. In an interview on Army Radio on Monday morning, Netanyahu said that he sent a message to Hamas that if it doesn’t stop the terror groups launching the rockets, Israel will target Hamas. “If you don’t shoot them we’ll shoot you,” Netanyahu said. “I’m talking about a war. I’m not looking for a war.