HGTV | 40 Before-and-After Curb Appeal Makeovers

After.

Before.

See how HGTV’s all-star designers, architects, landscapers and contractors turn neighborhood eyesores into real showstoppers.  –view gallery–  

HGTV | Dogs + Home Design: 50 Adorable Photos

Impeccable home design and adorable dogs all in one – it doesn’t get much better than that. These photos are absolutely pawfect.  –view gallery– 

Related: HGTV | Literally Just 15 Cute Pictures of Puppies

HGTV | Literally Just 15 Cute Pictures of Puppies

Let these adorable puppers brighten your day.  –view gallery–  

Related: HGTV | Dogs + Home Design: 50 Adorable Photos

CNN Weather | Hot records are outpacing cool by more than 10-to-1 this year as Europe, US brace for dangerous heat

People shield their heads from the sun on Monday after a scaled down version of the Changing of the Guard ceremony took place outside Buckingham Palace in London during an extreme heat wave.

(CNN)- Hot-temperature records are far outpacing cool records across the globe this year as Europe and the United States brace again for dangerous heat waves.

In the US, 92 all-time record high temperatures had been set through July 16, compared with only five all-time record low temperatures, according to data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Globally, 188 all-time heat records were broken versus 18 cool records.  –read more–

Related:
CNN Weather | Graphic shows all the changes in global temperature since 1850  –watch– 

CNN travel | How American tourists are saving France’s summer

Predicted huge tourism losses in the Alpes-Maritime region have failed to materialize. Li-Lian Ahlskog Hou/CNN

Paris (CNN) — Summer is in full swing in Paris and the entrance square to the Louvre is busy with vendors selling water or Eiffel Tower souvenirs. Among them, US tourist Chris Walkley is enjoying his first visit to France, taking selfies with his girlfriend by the art museum’s glass pyramid.

“Paris definitely lived up to its reputation,” says Walkley, from Boston. “Food’s been great. Everyone’s been very hospitable.”

For Walkley, traveling to France has been a symbol of getting his life back to normal after two years of restrictions and disruptions caused by the pandemic. “I feel like things are back on track,” he adds with a smile.

For France, Walkley’s presence is a symbol of optimism.  –read more– 

CNN travel | North American hotel guests are less satisfied. Here’s why

(CNN) — After two pandemic years of high satisfaction with hotels — thanks to good value, positive staff experiences, confidence in cleanliness and proactive communication — things have taken a turn for the worse for hotel guests.

Cost and fees are the biggest issue, according to J.D. Power’s 2022 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study. Prices are up, and many travelers aren’t satisfied with the value for their money.

The 2022 satisfaction study, released Wednesday, showed an 8-point dip in overall satisfaction, for an overall satisfaction score of 822 out of 1,000. That score in 2020 and 2021 was 830.  –read more– 

CNN BUSINESS | Hertz faces lawsuit from 47 customers claiming false arrests

Washington, DC (CNN) – 47 Hertz customers have filed a lawsuit against the rental company that describes horror stories after they were allegedly falsely reported as having stolen its rental cars, and in some cases even jailed.

The plaintiffs allege being blind-sided by arrests — sometimes at gunpoint — and in some cases spending time in jail. Some plaintiffs describe losing their jobs in the fallout from the arrests.  –read more– 

CNN BUSINESS | Why BMW is offering heated seats on a monthly subscription

(CNN) – BMW is now offering British drivers the option of enjoying a heated seat on a monthly subscription basis. Of course, you can still get heated seats the regular way — just buy them as an option when you purchase the car — but for those who didn’t do that, or who bought a used car without the feature, BMW will enable it for a monthly fee so you can try out having a nice warm seat on a cold day.

Heated seats, purchased on a subscription basis, will cost British drivers £10 a month, the equivalent of about $12.  –read more– 

CNN BUSINESS | Google becomes the latest tech giant to slow hiring

(CNN Business) – Google plans to slow its pace of hiring for the remainder of the year in the latest sign of tech companies rethinking staffing amid a market downturn that has hit Silicon Valley particularly hard.

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and parent company Alphabet, announced the news on Tuesday in an internal memo, noting “the uncertain global economic outlook.” Google confirmed the authenticity of the letter to CNN Business, but declined to comment further.  –read more–