Global Scans · Homes · Weekly Summary

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WHAT'S NEXT?: The number of smart homes is expected to grow further and by 2020 it is expected 46.2 million homes in the US and 44.9 million in Europe will be classed as smart homes. By 2022 there could be nearly 500 smart devices that can be connected to a smart home.

• [New] CAIRO, (Reuters) - Egypt unveiled plans today to build a desert city that will see about 7% of Egypt's annual Nile River quota rerouted from fertile delta land to pass by upscale glass-fronted housing units and eventually a large agricultural project. Stabroek News
• [New] Foods containing certain ingredients would require warning labels on new packaging beginning in 2027 in order to be sold in Texas, which is the second-most populous US state with 31 million residents. KFF Health News
• [New] The Home Office recently issued new recommendations to help police and local councils address the threat posed by synthetic opioids, including better information sharing and fast-tracked drug testing when suspected synthetic opioids are seized. Drink and Drugs News
• [New] A big amount of the US's structural net inflow of capital is spent on R&D and data centers to train AI, which is what affords the U.S. to take big investment risk and keep its current innovative edge without reducing household consumption. Edge and Odds -
• [New] A section in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA, Section 899) will potentially impose taxes on foreign investors in the US if their home country is deemed to discriminate against the US with taxes, which will threaten foreign investment in the US. Propel Financial Advice
• [New] Given the complexity and resource requirements of international expansion, it is highly likely that established players in the US and Europe will focus on consolidating their home markets rather than expanding to new geographies in the near future. Insignia Business Review - Insights into startup founde
• [New] The UK faces war in Europe, growing Russian aggression, new nuclear risks, and daily cyber-attacks at home. GOV.UK
• [New] Today, as Canada faces economic uncertainty and trade challenges, including threats declarations from the Trump White House about the possibility of Canada becoming the 51st state, there's a clear call for a new national dream. NetNewsLedger - News at the Speed of the Internet
• [New] Thousands evacuated in 3 provinces as Canadian wildfires threaten air quality into some US states: More than 25,000 residents in three provinces have been evacuated as dozens of wildfires remained active Sunday and diminished air quality in parts of Canada and the U.S.. The Verardo Group's Substack
• [New] Egypt plans desert city supplied with diverted Nile water: Egypt unveiled plans on Sunday to build a desert city that will see about 7% of Egypt's annual Nile River quota rerouted from fertile delta land to pass by upscale glass-fronted housing units and eventually a large agricultural project. The Verardo Group's Substack
• [New] 55% of households are predicted to have smart speaker technology by 2025, leading to a surge in demand for voice interfaces within applications. Vasile Crudu
• [New] Hearing directly from Kiev residents offers a powerful glimpse into the realities of living under constant threat of drone and missile attacks. Archynewsy
• [New] The world's biggest cryptocurrencies surged in May, underscoring investors' growing appetite for risk, with the price of bitcoin rising as high as $111,965 on hopes that the White House is on the cusp of agreeing its first regulations for digital assets. Peter Lewis' Money Talk
• [New] The average price of new homes across 100 cities in China climbed 0.3% in May, suggesting supportive policies could be yielding some effect. Asian Market Sense
• [New] While the world debates justice in courts and parliaments, many women are still fighting for justice in their own homes - for space, for voice, for opportunity. The Nation
• [New] Researchers frequently cited Colorado regulations - a state with no Homes of America parks - as policies that could be adopted in other jurisdictions or on a national level. KPVI
• [New] Bipartisan sponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a bill in April to allow renewable energy developments the opportunity to access master limited partnerships. Novogradac
• [New] Donald Trump's big, beautiful bill will raise energy costs for American households by as much as 7% in 2035 due to the repeal of energy tax credits and could put significant investment and energy innovation at risk. no2nuclearpower
• [New] Over the next few months, new funding from the British Red Cross' Disaster Fund will help to significantly scale up a Danish Red Cross cash assistance program that will support 1,050 households facing the highest risk of the most extreme forms of food insecurity. British Red Cross
• [New] The Trump administration's One Big, Beautiful Bill could make it more expensive for migrants in the United States to send money to their families abroad, with the U.S. government taking a cut of all remittances sent to foreign nations. Just Security
• The repeal of the clean energy tax credits alone would reportedly increase US household energy costs by $16 billion by 2030, and cost more than 830,000 jobs and $1 trillion in GDP over the next eight years. Precinct Reporter Group News
• 58% of Americans have the opportunity to work from home at least once a week, and McKinsey found that between 20 and 25% of employees could adopt a hybrid work arrangement where they work from home three to five days a week. Blog

Last updated: 07 June 2025