$001 News
Below you will find an example newsletter edition of $001 News from Nov. 30. Our goal is to bring center-right audiences facts and information that cut through narratives to get you the context you need to better understand the news.
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$001 Dollar News // Thursday, Nov. 30
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In the wake of “Bidenomics’” failure to resonate with Americans, President Biden has made a strategic messaging adjustment: Instead of touting the benefits of his economic policies, he’s going after billionaires and corporations. (The Messenger)
Then:
“Our plan is working. And one of the things I’m proudest of is that it’s working everywhere, not just on the coasts and big cities, like previous recoveries,” Biden said in July during a speech in South Carolina.
“This time, investment is working, and factories are being built, and jobs are being created — happening in rural America, the heartland, all across America — in communities that have been left out and hollowed out.”
Now: Biden has in recent weeks hinted at a more pessimistic vision of the U.S. economy, and laid blame at the feet of greedy corporate actors.
Junk fees: "Junk fees take real money out of the pockets of average Americans. They can add up to hundreds of dollars, weighing down family budgets and making it harder for families to pay their bills."
Corporate profits: “Any corporation that has not brought their prices back down, even as inflation has come down, even as the supply chains have been rebuilt, it’s time to stop the price gouging.”
Billionaires: “It’s clear that [House Speaker Mike Johnson] and Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans are determined to protect the tax cuts that are ridiculously low for the corporations, as well as billionaires who are paying less — and millionaires who are paying less than school teachers in a percent of wages that they pay. They oppose any investment for working people.”
Context: While the White House has repeatedly promoted the positive effects of “Bidenomics,” public approval of Biden’s handling of the economy has steadily declined.
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Students’ GPAs are getting higher, but they’re learning less, according to a recent study. (Education Week)
The facts:
Between 2010 and 2022, average GPAs in English rose from 3.17 to 3.39, and in math from 3.02 to 3.32, a study by Act Research found.
In 2022, over 89% of high school students received A or B grades in core subjects (math, English, social studies, science).
In Los Angeles, 83% of 6th graders got A, B, or C grades in Spring 2022, but only 27% met state and national assessment standards.
From 1978 to 2000, while Algebra 2 completion increased by a third and math GPAs went up, actual high school math performance declined, according to one analysis.
Perspective:
44% of educators report students often ask for better grades than earned, a 2023 poll found.
80% have given into demands due to pressure from students or parents.
Former President Trump previously said Black Lives Matter activists “hate our country” and that the group’s moniker was a “symbol of hate.”
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More Americans committed suicide last year than ever before. (WSJ)
Chart: The Wall Street Journal
The facts:
Nearly 50,000 suicides took place in the U.S. in 2022, the highest rate (14.3 deaths per 100,000 people) since 1941, according to provisional National Center for Health Statistics data.
The factors: The impact of the pandemic, economic disruptions, healthcare worker shortages, the opioid crisis, and firearm availability all contributed to the increase.
While U.S. life expectancy increased to 77.5 years in 2022, up from 76.4 in 2021, this was mostly due to fewer COVID deaths.
Zooming in:
Men aged 75 and older had the highest suicide rate, nearly 44 per 100,000, double the rate for ages 15-24.
Men are four times more likely to die by suicide than women, though women more commonly have suicidal thoughts.
Women ages 25-54 saw a significant increase in suicide rates in 2022.
X owner Elon Musk on advertisers leaving the platform formerly known as Twitter over concerns about antisemitic posts:
5 stories you should know about:
Campus: Since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, Jewish college students in the U.S. increasingly feel uncomfortable with others on campus knowing they are Jewish. (NBC News)
U.S. News: Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has died. (NYT)
Trump: Speaking at the Dealbook Summit in New York yesterday, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said if former President Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign is “about renew, rebuild and restore, he’ll win. If it’s about revenge, he’ll lose.” (The Hill)
Economy: In order to maintain the same living standard they had when President Biden took office, Americans must spend an average of $11,434 more per household. (CBS News)
Tech: Right-leaning media outlets are less averse to AI (artificial intelligence) than left-leaning ones, according to a new study. (Defense One)
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