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Listen to and follow ‘Matter of Opinion’Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon MusicThis week, the “Matter of Opinion” hosts debate how religious voters will react to Donald Trump’s betrayal of anti-abortion positions, the evolution of Christianity as the domain of the right and whether religion is actually as powerful as it seems in modern U.S. politics. Plus, Ross finds aliens, again. (A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication in the audio player above.)

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Ross Organizations: Spotify Locations: U.S

☆ Consumers Hate ‘Price Discrimination,’ but They Sure Love a Discount
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-06 | by ( Lydia Depillis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Perhaps that’s why, in late February, the internet revolted over Wendy’s plan to test changing its menu prices across the day. If the Breakfast Baconator winds up costing $6.99 at 7 a.m. and $7.99 three hours later, what in life can you really count on anymore? The company later issued a statement saying it would not raise prices during busy parts of the day, but rather add discounts during slower hours. Nevertheless, the episode won’t stop the continued spread of so-called dynamic pricing, which describes an approach of setting prices in response to shifting patterns of demand and supply. It might not even stop the growth of “personalized pricing,” which targets individuals based on their personal willingness to pay.

☆ Why Is Adeel Mangi’s Confirmation Still in Jeopardy? - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Lydia Polgreen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In 1999, a Florida lawyer, Anuraag Singhal, represented a man convicted of gunning down a police officer. Singhal had to somehow persuade a jury that his client, Jeffrey Lee Weaver, should face life in prison rather than the electric chair, the punishment the hard-charging prosecutor sought. The article described tears rolling down his cheeks, and his voice breaking with emotion as he pleaded for Weaver’s life. A divided jury recommended life in prison. He would become active in conservative legal circles, joining the local chapter of the Federalist Society.

Persons: Anuraag, gunning, Singhal, Jeffrey Lee Weaver, Jeff Weaver, you’ll, ” Singhal, Donald Trump, Catherine Cortez Masto, Jacky Rosen, Joe Manchin Organizations: The Sun Sentinel, Federalist Society, Democratic Locations: Florida, Nevada, West Virginia

Listen to and follow ‘Matter of Opinion’Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon MusicIt’s not just bad vibes — America’s kids are not OK. As study after study shows worsening youth mental health, a popular theory has emerged: The rise of smartphones and the addictive nature of social media is making young people miserable. But can it really be that simple? This week on “Matter of Opinion,” the hosts debate the myriad possible factors contributing to teenagers’ unhappiness, and discuss how parents, schools and the government can protect kids without doing further harm. Plus, a sui generis Lozada family vacation. (A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication in the audio player above.)

Persons: It’s Organizations: Spotify

☆ How to Revive a Burned Forest? Rebuild the Tree Supply Chain
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Lydia Depillis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After the smoke cleared, Mr. Harland found creeks running black with soot and the ground hardening more with every day that passed. A former timber industry executive, Mr. Harland knew the forest wouldn’t grow back on its own. Nor did he have the money to carry out a replanting operation, since growing for timber wouldn’t pay for itself; most of the nearby sawmills had shut down long ago anyway. Then a local forester Mr. Harland knew suggested he get in touch with a new company out of Seattle, called Mast. After visiting to scope out the site, Mast’s staff proposed to replant the whole acreage, free, and even pay Mr. Harland a bit at the end.

Persons: Don, Harland Organizations: Montana : Flames Locations: Montana, Long, Seattle

☆ Chair Powell says the Fed isn’t more tolerant of higher inflation. Some economists disagree
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Some economists interpreted that as a sign that the Fed is now more tolerant of higher inflation. Powell pushed back on the perception that the central bank has grown more comfortable with inflation being higher for longer than expected in his post-meeting news conference. and my sense coming out of this month’s meeting was that Fed Chair Powell wants to get this easing cycle going sooner rather than later. What’s allowing the Fed to be patient or more tolerant of higher inflation? They’re willing to essentially look through some of the bumpiness in the inflation data at the beginning of the year.

Persons: Jerome Powell, That’s, Powell, “, ” Powell, “ We’re, Mohamed El, Erian, ”, Bell, Lydia Boussour, they’re, What’s, we’ve, Nathaniel Meyersohn, Read, Levi Strauss, Tupperware Organizations: Washington CNN, Federal Reserve, Financial Times, Fed, Home Depot, Home, P Global, Institute for Supply Management, Maine Foods, Dave, Buster’s Entertainment, US Labor Department, US Commerce Department, Stanford University Locations: EY, Cal

Listen to and follow ‘Matter of Opinion’Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon MusicThe sociologist and New York Times columnist Tressie McMillan Cottom joins the hosts of “Matter of Opinion” this week to discuss the role of celebrity in politics. Could Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, with their tens of millions of fans, sway the presidential election? And beyond brand-name pop stars, what role does celebrity play within the political system? Plus, Tressie goes a little “Dr. (A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication in the audio player above.)

Persons: Tressie McMillan Cottom, Taylor Swift, Tressie, Oz ” Organizations: Spotify, New York Times

☆ A Biden Judicial Nominee Is Facing an Islamophobic Smear Campaign. Why Is It Working? - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Lydia Polgreen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On paper, President Biden’s nominee to fill a vacancy on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals is an archetypical candidate for a federal judgeship. Adeel Abdullah Mangi has a sterling legal education, which he followed with a distinguished career at a high-profile private firm mixing corporate litigation with important pro bono work. The candidate has another quality that was especially appealing to Biden, who has made diversifying the federal bench a key priority: Mangi would be the first Muslim American federal appellate judge in the United States. When Mangi appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee in December for a hearing about this lifetime appointment, Republican senators did not ask him about his legal background or judicial philosophy. Such bad faith ambushes are Cruz’s stock in trade, especially since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas.

Persons: Biden’s, Adeel Abdullah Mangi, Biden, Mangi, Ted Cruz of Organizations: Third, Appeals, Muslim, Republican Locations: United States, Ted Cruz of Texas, Mangi, Pakistani American, Palestine, Israel

NEW YORK (AP) — Garden centers enjoyed a pandemic boom, particularly with millennials, as people looked for outdoor activities during lockdowns. To regain the sales momentum, garden centers must navigate a number of challenges as another spring season kicks in. At Flowercraft Garden Center, a San Francisco garden center that is in its 50th year of operation, houseplants, vegetable starter plants and citrus trees are selling well, said general manager Lydia Patubo. That was good for an area suffering from a yearslong drought, but bad for garden center business. Even though his sales have plateaued since the pandemic, he feels the 34-year-old garden center is in a good spot.

Persons: Danny Summers, Summers, That’s, ”, Lydia Patubo, Patubo, San Francisco, ” Patubo, Chris Cordrey, “, ” Cordray, hasn’t, Kat McGraw, ” McGraw Organizations: Survey, The Garden Center Group, Garden, ”, East Coast Garden, National, Administration, Co, Atlanta, “ Locations: U.S, San Francisco, San, California, Millsboro , Delaware, Chattanooga , Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee

Despite the violence and political turmoil in Haiti, New York Times Opinion columnist Lydia Polgreen argues that this might be the tipping point that finally brings peace to that island nation. U.S. interference in Haiti has long been criticized, and in this audio essay, she says we finally have a chance to repair the damage we’ve done and help set the country back on a course toward dignity and democracy: “Just because there is this long history of failure doesn’t mean that success is not possible.”(A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication in the audio player above.)

Persons: Lydia Polgreen Organizations: Haiti , New York Locations: Haiti , New, U.S, Haiti

Listen to and follow ‘Matter of Opinion’Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon MusicMany voters from both parties are less than enthusiastic about their likely options this November. This week the Opinion writer and editor Katherine Miller joins Michelle Cottle, Lydia Polgreen and Carlos Lozada to talk about uncommitted voters, double haters and how they could affect the election, whether they turn out or not. Plus, Lydia makes a plea against the tyranny of clean lines and interior design monoculture. (A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication in the audio player above.)

Persons: Katherine Miller, Michelle Cottle, Lydia Polgreen, Carlos Lozada, Lydia Organizations: Spotify, Music

☆ Opinion | A Chance for Hope in Haiti’s Latest Crisis
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Lydia Polgreen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Dead bodies are rotting on the streets of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. Clean drinking water is scarce, and a cholera outbreak threatens. Armed groups have seized control of ports and major roads in the capital and freed inmates from jails. Under intense pressure from the United States and other regional powers to speed the transition to a new government, Henry agreed to resign late Monday. Will a transitional government manage to lead that fragile nation back to stability and democracy?

Persons: Ariel Henry, Henry, Will Locations: Haiti’s, Port, United States, Haiti

☆ U.S. Employers Add 275,000 Jobs in Another Strong Month
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Lydia Depillis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

If the economy is slowing down, nobody told the labor market. Employers added 275,000 jobs in February, the Labor Department reported Friday, in another month that exceeded expectations even as the unemployment rate rose. It was the third straight month of gains above 200,000, and the 38th consecutive month of growth — fresh evidence that four years after going into pandemic shutdowns, America’s jobs engine still has plenty of steam. Previously reported figures for December and January were revised downward by a total of 167,000, reflecting the higher degree of statistical volatility in the winter months. That does not disrupt a picture of consistent, robust increases.

Persons: We’ve, we’re, ”, Rubeela Farooqi Organizations: Employers, Labor Department

☆ Key takeaways from the latest jobs report
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“The economy remains strong, held up by a robust labor market,” wrote Christopher Rupkey, chief economist with FwdBonds, in a note Friday. Still, Friday’s jobs report also showed that the whopping gains initially recorded for January and December were revised down by a combined 167,000 jobs. January’s job gains now sit at an estimated 229,000 (down from the blowout 353,000); and December’s job growth at 290,000 (down from 333,000). In February, that included construction (up 23,000 jobs); transportation and warehousing (up 19,700 jobs); and retail (up 18,700 jobs). Friday’s jobs report showed that wage growth is indeed slowing.

Persons: ”, Christopher Rupkey, FwdBonds, “, ” Robert Frick, —, ” Diane Swonk, Swonk, February’s, ” Frick, Julissa Carielo, ” Swonk, Gus Faucher, Lydia Boussour, EY, Boussour, Janet Yellen, CNN’s Kate Bolduan, they’re, ” Yellen, Price, CNN’s Bryan Mena Organizations: New, New York CNN, of Labor Statistics, Navy Federal Credit Union, CNN, KPMG US, Health, Baby Boomers, Transportation Security Administration, DreamOn, Inc, Boomers, Fed, Labor, Federal, PNC Financial Services, “ Fed Locations: New York, San Antonio , Texas, Texas

9 to 0 — I’m going to say that again — 9 to 0, ruled that states can’t keep Donald Trump off their ballots. It’s how — Trump has said to his loyalists, I am your retribution, so maybe we should just look at this as a blueprint for retribution. He’s going to end up — when he gives his big convention speech, he’s going to end up making promises on economic policy, domestic policy, and so on. ross douthatSo here’s why I’m sort of — Carlos, especially to your point — like, trying to focus us on the sharpest possible conflicts. But if most of the country’s political and emotional energy is instead focused on Trump himself, rather than real, actual debates, then I think Trump is winning, period, and the country is losing.

Persons: carlos lozada, polgreen Wow, ross douthat, lydia polgreen, Kiefer Sutherland, carlos lozada Totally, michelle cottle Perfect, lydia polgreen You’re, Kiefer, I’m Ross Douthat, michelle cottle I’m Michelle Cottle, carlos lozada I’m Carlos Lozada, Lydia Polgreen, michelle cottle Chin, Biden, lydia polgreen It’s, —, can’t, Donald Trump, Grover Cleveland, michelle cottle, Jesus, Donald Trump’s, Carlos Lozada, it’s, Carlos, ross, carlos lozada You, “, Trump, Nikki Haley, carlos lozada Yes, He’s, United States — carlos lozada, carlos lozada Harold Meyerson, ”, Harold — carlos lozada —, michelle cottle —, — Trump, Trumpism, lydia polgreen Trump, carlos lozada —, part’s, michelle cottle You’re, Lydia, let’s, Michelle, — ross douthat Michelle, michelle cottle Oh, Hillary Clinton, — ross, lydia polgreen Get, michelle cottle Mexico’s, Mike Shear, Julie Davis’s, ” ross douthat, carlos lozada Michelle, michelle cottle I’m, George Floyd, I’m — ross, polgreen, I’m, — michelle cottle, he’s, lydia polgreen I’m, Dobbs, ross douthat Carlos, we’ve, unquote, carlos lozada Well, carlos lozada He’s, — carlos lozada Boo, Matt Iglesias, That’ll, that’ll, Peter Navarro, doesn’t, there’ll, lydia polgreen There’ll, carlos lozada Ross, there’s, ” michelle cottle, lydia polgreen Couldn’t, John Roberts, Peter Baker, Susan Glasser’s, Maggie Haberman’s, — michelle cottle Beat, ross douthat —, It’s, Asli Aydintasbas, she’s, Ross, Viktor Orbán, Joe Biden, ideologues, ross douthat Lydia, — carlos lozada, ross douthat Go, nope — ross, Miley Cyrus, it’s Truman, I’ve, lydia polgreen There’s, Bilbo, Martin Freeman, michelle cottle Big, michelle cottle Carlos, We’ve, carlos lozada You’re, We’ll, lydia polgreen Bye Organizations: New York, Republican, New York Times, Siena College, Trump, Heritage Foundation, Leadership, GOP, Republicans, HHS, Department of Health, Human Services, Department of Life, CDC, Department of Justice, Justice Department, National Guard, of Homeland Security, Democrats, Politico, America, United States Constitution, Swans, East, Brooklyn, Northwest Missouri State University, carlos lozada Business Locations: New, America, Douthat, ”, Washington, United States, lydia polgreen Get Mexico, Francisco, China, Turkish, Turkey, Manhattan, Brooklyn

☆ What to expect in Friday’s jobs report
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

New York CNN —Don’t be surprised if Friday’s jobs report shows that February’s employment gains were far below those reported for January. In fact, it would continue a history-making stretch of labor market expansion. Friday’s jobs report could very well provide a more reliable read on what’s actually happening in the labor market than the jobs reports of recent months’ past, Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter, told CNN. “And so, February might give us a better understanding of the underlying rate of job growth,” she said. What the other labor market data is showingOther economic data released this week reinforces the idea that the US labor market is cooling but remains on solid footing.

Persons: New York CNN — Don’t, Julia Pollak, autoworkers, what’s, hasn’t, Nixon, ” Ron Hetrick, Gus Faucher, stayers ”, Faucher, ”, ” Nela Richardson, outplacement, ” Andrew Challenger, Lydia Boussour, EY, “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, of Labor Statistics, PNC Financial Services, BLS, Labor, Boomers, ADP, Challenger, ”, Labor Department Locations: New York, US

☆ ‘Glitter & Doom’ Review: As a Vibe, It’s Fun. As a Film? Closer to Fine.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Wesley Morris | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

There’s nostalgic art. Then there’s art that seems like somebody thawed it after 30 frozen years. They’re by the Indigo Girls. Many of them are songs the Indigo Girls made a certain kind of popular during the years of that very bonanza. Both “Barbie” and the final sequence of a particularly exhilarating episode of “Transparent” use the same Indigo Girls hit (“Closer to Fine”) in a way that proves the power of this music to gather together, win over, wear down, wind up.

Persons: “, Patience ”, “ Claire, Tom Waits’s, Emily Saliers, Amy Ray’s, Barbie ”, Lydia Polgreen Organizations: Indigo Locations: Philadelphia

☆ Amazon, CVS, and Walgreens went all in on primary care. Their bets are bleeding money.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

In the past several years, Amazon, CVS Health, and Walgreens each spent billions to own primary-care companies. CVS bought Oak Street Health. Here's how the bets that Amazon, CVS, and Walgreens made are playing out. CVS is building more Oak Street clinics despite lossesAn Oak Street Health location in Elgin, Illinois during its grand opening. CVS is hoping to help Oak Street clinics get profitable quicker by driving more patients their way.

Persons: Andy Jassy, Thos Robinson, It's, JP Morgan, Berkshire Hathaway, Business Insider's Eugene Kim, Kim, they've, it's, VillageMD hasn't, Jefferies, Brian Tanquilut, Tanquilut, Lydia Ramsey, Mike Pykosz, Pykosz, Aetna, Michael Cherny Organizations: CVS Health, Walgreens, Amazon, CVS, Oak Street Health, Business, Aetna, Medical, Washington Post, Summit Health, Oak, Health Locations: Oak, VillageMD, Haven, Florida, Elgin , Illinois

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell stuck to his script that it is not yet time to begin cutting interest rates on Wednesday in the first of two appearances this week on Capitol Hill. The Fed has taken interest levels to their highest in decades in a battle to bring inflation down to the central bank’s 2% annual target. “The labor market remains relatively tight, but supply and demand conditions have continued to come into better balance,” Powell said. Job vacancies have declined, and nominal wage growth has been easing.”Powell and other Fed officials have repeatedly said they will judge whether to begin lowering interest rates on the state of incoming economic data. In his testimony, Powell did acknowledge that interest rates are “likely” at their peak for this economic cycle.

Persons: Jerome Powell, ” Powell, Powell, ”, Lydia Boussour, EY Organizations: Capitol, Financial Services, Labor Department, ADP, Federal Reserve Bank, Atlanta’s

Among registered voters nationwide, 26 percent believe the economy is good or excellent, according to polling in late February by The New York Times and Siena College. The movement occurred disproportionately among older Democrats, a constituency already likely to vote for Mr. Biden. And the share of voters saying they approve of the job Mr. Biden is doing in office has actually fallen, to 36 percent in the latest poll, from 39 percent in July. Inflation has pervaded economic sentiment since mid-2022, confronting voters daily with the price of everything from eggs to car insurance. Nearly two-thirds of registered voters in the Times/Siena poll rated the price of food and consumer goods as poor.

Persons: Biden doesn’t, Mr, Biden Organizations: The New York Times, Siena College, Times Locations: Siena

Listen to and follow ‘Matter of Opinion’Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon MusicWhen the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, the Republican Party declared victory. But the Alabama Supreme Court’s decision last month that frozen embryos are considered “extrauterine children,” which prompted hospitals to suspend I.V.F. Given Americans’ overwhelming support for in vitro fertilization, conservative politicians have tried to distance themselves from the ruling. Plus, listeners weigh in on how much the economy is going to affect their vote. (A full transcript of this audio essay will be available within 24 hours of publication in the audio player above.)

Persons: Roe, Wade Organizations: Spotify, Republican Party Locations: Alabama

☆ Economic Dividend of Immigration Faces Legal and Logistical Hurdles
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Lydia Depillis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The U.S. economic recovery from the pandemic has been stronger and more durable than many experts had expected, and a rebound in immigration is a big reason. A resumption in visa processing in 2021 and 2022 jump-started employment, allowing foreign-born workers to fill some holes in the labor force that persisted across industries and locations after the pandemic shutdowns. Immigrants also address a longer-term need: replenishing the work force, a key to meeting labor demands as birthrates decline and older people retire. International instability, economic crises, war and natural disasters have brought a new surge of arrivals who could help close the still-elevated gap between labor demand and job candidates. But that potential economic dividend must contend with the incendiary politics, logistical hurdles and administrative backlogs that the surge has created.

Organizations: Office

☆ Opinion | Restoring the Past Won’t Liberate Palestine
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Lydia Polgreen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Amid the graphic images, fierce polemics and endless media criticism that have dominated my social media feeds since the war in Gaza began late last year, I noticed a seemingly bizarre subplot emerge: skin cancer in Israel. “You are not Indigenous if your body cannot tolerate the area’s climate,” one such post read, highlighting outdated news coverage claiming that Israelis had unusually high rates of skin cancer. In the context of the ongoing slaughter in Gaza — more than 28,000 people dead, mostly women and children — such posturing may seem trivial. But even, or maybe especially, at this moment, when things are so grim, the way we talk about liberation matters. In this analysis, there are two kinds of people: those who are native to a land and those who settle it, displacing the original inhabitants.

Persons: “, slinging, Frantz Fanon, Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah, Jawaharlal Nehru, Fanon — Organizations: Palestine Locations: Gaza, Israel, Jordan, Palestine

☆ Nature Has Value. Could We Literally Invest in It?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Lydia Depillis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Picture this: You own a few hundred acres near a growing town that your family has been farming for generations. Turning a profit has gotten harder, and none of your children want to take it over. You don’t want to sell the land; you love the open space, the flora and fauna it hosts. But offers from developers who would turn it into subdivisions or strip malls seem increasingly tempting. But the idea has gained traction among environmentalists, money managers and philanthropists who believe that nature won’t be adequately protected unless it is assigned a value in the market — whether or not that asset generates dividends through a monetizable use.

☆ Usher Gets Married After the Super Bowl
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Sadiba Hasan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After delivering a dynamic halftime performance at the Super Bowl, the R&B star married his partner, Jennifer Jean Goicoechea, in Las Vegas on Sunday. “We can confirm that Usher and Jennifer Goicoechea took the next step in their relationship and did get married on Sunday night in Las Vegas surrounded by close friends and family,” said Lydia Kanuga, a representative for Usher. “They both look forward to continuing to raise their children together surrounded by love and thank everyone for the well wishes.”According to a court document, Ms. Goicoechea and Usher Raymond IV married at Vegas Weddings, a chapel in downtown Las Vegas. “We were beyond thrilled to host in this epic day for Usher and his new wife,” Melody Willis-Williams, president of Vegas Weddings, said in a statement. The couple obtained their marriage license from the Clark County Marriage License Bureau on Thursday.

Persons: It’s, Usher, Jennifer Jean Goicoechea, “, Jennifer Goicoechea, ”, Lydia Kanuga, Goicoechea, Usher Raymond IV, Ronald Joseph Pokrywka, who’s, Ron DeCar, Elvis, DeCar, Jonnetta Patton, Usher’s, Melody Willis, Williams Organizations: Super, Vegas Locations: Las Vegas, Clark

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