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☆ How Gen Zers are turning to dating apps like Bumble for platonic friendships
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Liam Mays | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Over the years, online dating has become almost completely normalized. A recent study showed that 39% of straight couples met online in the U.S. and more than half of LGBTQ couples have used dating apps, according to the Pew Research Center. Apps like Bumble BFF and Meetup have become popular ways to build platonic relationships. Berger said that by the end of 2021, 15% of Bumble users had also used BFF, which is short for best friends forever. Schenk said that Morgan Stanley's 2023 revenue estimate for Bumble is just over $1 billion — with only about $1 million coming from Bumble BFF and friend-finding service Bizz.

☆ Sanders’ Latinx ban delves into a generational, cultural Latino debate
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

— One of Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ first acts as Arkansas governor was to ban most state agencies from using the gender-neutral term Latinx, tapping into a debate that’s divided Hispanics along generational lines. Sanders’ order adds to the debate over a word that’s found little widespread support among Latinos and even prompted backlash from some Democrats. The Log Cabin Republicans, which represents LGBT members of the party, praised Sanders’ order. I’ve never met someone who says ‘thy.’”Hernandez called Sanders’ order “an attempt to erase” the LGBTQ Latino community. Castillo Reyes uses both Latinx and “Latine,” another gender-neutral term that’s been used by some in the Latino community to describe their ethnic identity.

☆ Nanny sharing, co-parenting, and the YMCA are helping parents meet their childcare needs as costs rise and shortages persist
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

They're turning to a variety of options to get by, including nanny sharing and co-parenting. Unable to find or afford childcare, many parents are exploring all their options on the table. While she told Insider this is meeting most of their childcare needs for now, it's costing them $1,000 to $1,500 per month. Some families have tried "nanny sharing" — when two or more families hire one nanny to watch their children at one of their homes and split the expense. "It seems that it eases the cost a bit," said Wilson-Demarco, who says she knows some families that have nanny shared.

☆ 'Quiet quitting is the natural sequel to the Great Resignation' as workers still rethink their jobs 3 years into the pandemic
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

"I think that in some ways quiet quitting is the natural sequel to the Great Resignation," professor Adam Grant said. But so has been the Great Resignation, which has seen a massive number of workers actually leaving their jobs. James Detert, a professor of business administration at the University of Virginia, detailed in a post on The Conversation how the Great Resignation, quiet quitting, and unionization efforts at big companies are actually similar. As noted during the panel and seen in previous coverage from Insider, "quiet quitting" isn't actually a new thing. The Great Resignation, and thus its "sequel" of quiet quitting, may continue in 2023 and be sticking around.

☆ People with insomnia and sleep paralysis are more likely to believe in aliens, the afterlife, and 'things that go bump in the night,' researchers find
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A study in the Journal of Sleep Research found poor sleep correlates with paranormal beliefs. People with insomnia and sleep paralysis more often believe in ghosts, aliens, and an afterlife. The study's authors told Insider the results could improve health care, but there's more to learn. Those who see them may have one thing in common, according to a new study published in the Journal of Sleep Research: sleep disturbances. Sleep paralysis was also highly associated with the belief that near-death experiences are evidence of life after death.

☆ Prince Harry’s Pagan Progress
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Dominic Green | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Prince Harry ’s memoir, “Spare,” is among other things a spiritual autobiography—a New Age story of suffering and rebirth. Harry has said he’s “not religious,” but he is spiritual. Christianity leaves him cold, but he pursues enlightenment with a zeal that would have warmed the heart of a Puritan divine. He travels this path alone, guided by drugs, spirit animals sent by his late mother, Diana, and daily yoga and meditation. Yet the percentage of millennials claiming “absolute certainty” in God’s existence (53%) wasn’t far off the figures for baby boomers (59%) and Generation X (55%) when they were young.

☆ Amid inflation, more middle-class Americans struggle to make ends meet
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

watch nowThe middle class is shrinkingEconomists' definitions of middle class vary. To bridge the gap, Americans are dipping into their savings accounts and running up credit card balances. With economists now forecasting a possible recession, 62% of middle-income households said they need to get financially prepared, Primerica also found. Experts often recommend starting with high-interest credit card debt. Credit card rates, in particular, are now more than 19%, on average — an all-time record.

Some Chinese youth who spoke to Reuters reflected the sense of frustration. But China's Gen Z has its own characteristics that present a dilemma for Xi, some analysts said. A survey of 4,000 Chinese by consultancy Oliver Wyman found Gen Z to be the most negative about China's economic outlook of all the age groups. FIXING THE YOUTHIn a New Year speech, Xi acknowledged the need to improve the prospects of China's youth, without mentioning the protests against his zero-COVID approach. Making housing more affordable could mean allowing a sector responsible for a quarter of China's economic activity in recent years to collapse.

"I asked them not to get distracted because there are other things happening in the state," Solorzano told NBC News. Sarah Huckabee Sanders surprised Solorzano as well as other Latinos in the state. "In regards to the [word] Latinx, I know that [it] is important for some people, but it’s not necessarily the general sentiment of the immigrant or Latino population. "It's been a challenge in this state to find any type of support for us — for trans Latinx migrants," Yambú said with a frustrated tone. For us, the word Latino, Hispanic, Latinx — we can use those interchangeable[ly].

Bella Ramsey, the star of the highly anticipated HBO television series “The Last of Us,” recently shared that her gender has always been very fluid. However, she added, “Being gendered isn’t something that I particularly like, but in terms of pronouns, I really couldn’t care less.”Bella Ramsey in season eight of "Game of Thrones." Helen Sloan / HBORamsey, 19, joins a growing number of young adults who identify as neither exclusively male nor female. The British actor also joins a growing number of celebrities who identify as nonbinary or gender fluid. The dystopian series centers on Joel (Pedro Pascal), a smuggler, who is tasked with escorting lesbian teen Ellie (Ramsey) across a post-pandemic United States.

☆ One U-Haul manager believes lots of people will still move to Florida in 2023—but not to the popular cities of Miami and Tampa Bay
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Florida was the second-most-popular destination for U-Haul movers in 2022. Florida was the second-most-popular destination for U-Haul movers last year, second only to Texas, per a new report by the national truck-rental company. In a twist, these movers were less likely to embrace the popular cities of the pandemic era, like Miami and Tampa. People in the past year were choosing smaller, less expensive Florida areas — such as Clermont, Ocala, and The Villages, both moveBuddha and U-Haul found. It's a trend mirrored nationally, as movers sought exurban areas — suburbs with a rural feel in close proximity to cities.

☆ Alabama's attorney general threatened to prosecute people seeking abortion pills. A day later, he walked it back.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Yelena Dzhanova | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said he'd prosecute people who take abortion pills. A day later, Marshall walked back his remarks and said only abortion providers would be prosecuted. Prosecuting people for taking abortion pills would not have been legal in the state of Alabama, civil-rights experts told Insider. The FDA authorized brick-and-mortar pharmacies across the country to pursue certification to carry abortion pills, a move that could expand abortion access nationwide. Kay Ivey in 2019, specifically says abortion providers can be held criminally liable, but people who get abortions cannot be.

☆ Here’s the inflation breakdown for December 2022 — in one chart
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

A decline in the annual inflation rate doesn't mean consumers saw deflation, which is when overall prices decrease. Categories with the largest changes in Decemberwatch nowWhile on the decline, the annual inflation rate remains at its highest since the early 1980s. Car and truck rental prices fell by 4.9%, while beef and veal prices fell by 3.1%, women's dresses by 2.3% and admission to sporting events by 1.5%. A decline in the inflation rate for electronics may seem counterintuitive when iPhones and other gadgets didn't necessarily come with steep discounts in 2022. Hourly wages have fallen by 1.7% in the past year, after accounting for inflation, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Within hours of being sworn in as the new governor of Arkansas, Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed an executive order Tuesday banning the term "Latinx" from official use in the state government. It was one of seven orders signed by Sanders, a Republican, right after taking the oath. Bonilla said that what's even more unexpected is that Sanders signed such an executive order on her first day in office. Sanders cited a 2020 Pew Research report that found that only 3% of the Hispanic population nationwide uses the term. When citing the Pew report in the executive order, Sanders did not say the study also found that 76% of Hispanics had not even heard of the term "Latinx" before, Bonilla pointed out.

☆ Why experts worry TikTok could add to mental health crisis among US teens
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

TikTok is far from the only social platform to be scrutinized by lawmakers and mental health experts for its impact on teens. That’s problematic because the more time a teen spends on social media, the more likely he or she is to be depressed. Psychologists say as smartphones and social media grew around 2012, so did the rate of depression among teens. But teens say it’s not the most egregious videos that keep them engaged. The majority of teens say social media can be a space for connection and creativity, according to Pew Research.

Brazilian American Vanessa Viana holds a picture of her son when he was a baby outside the house where Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro is staying in Florida. Bolsonaro's son, Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro, denied on Tuesday that the former president was responsible for the riots. Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro on his hospital bed in Kissimmee, Fla., on Monday. Arthur Ticianeli, a waiter at Eskina restaurant in Kissimmee, is a supporter of former president Bolsonaro. Resort security officers speak to journalists gathered outside the home where Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro has been staying on Tuesday.

☆ 23 U.S. cities where you can earn $150,000 and still be considered middle class
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Kamaron Mcnair | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

For most Americans, a $150,000 annual salary is a lot of money: 80% of U.S. households earn less, according to 2021 Census Bureau data. A family making that much would be considered above middle class nationally, according to the Pew Research Center's definition of the term: a household earning between two-thirds and double their area's median household income. Across the entire country, that range is between $47,189 and $141,568, based on Census Bureau income data. But $150,000 is still a middle-class income by Pew's definition in nearly half of the country's 50 most-populated metropolitan areas, where incomes tend to be high. Here are 23 metro areas where $150,000 annual income is considered middle class:

Today, there are 54 Hispanic American banks and credit unions that are FDIC or NCUA insured around the US. We selected Hispanic American-owned credit unions from the National Credit Union Administration's list of minority depository institutions which was also updated in September 2022. In our list of Hispanic American-owned banks and credit unions, many of the institutions listed offer customer support in Spanish and English. You can open up savings accounts, checking accounts, CDs, and money market accounts in most of the institutions listed. To help you learn more about a specific Hispanic American-owned bank or credit union, we've included links to reviews of individual institutions.

☆ Rep. Jimmy Gomez takes his baby to the Capitol during House speaker votes: ‘We have to normalize Dads'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Danielle Campoamor | Danielle Campoamor Has Been Published In Teen Vogue | Harper'S Bazaar | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., knew things could go awry during the House speaker vote on Tuesday. It was new for Gomez’s family members, who had plans to watch Gomez be sworn in for a fourth term and then tour the nation’s capital. “But that took another 30 minutes.”Gomez had planned on being on the House floor at 11:30 in the morning. “In the end, we have to normalize dads taking their kids with them, be it stay-at-home dads or working dads,” Gomez says. I mean, babywearing is cool now!”On Wednesday, Gomez and his family, along with Hodge, returned to the House floor as Republican members tried again to elect a speaker.

Against a backdrop of slowing economic activity and demand, these "base effects" strongly suggest broader inflation has peaked and could fall rapidly in the coming months. Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY-Parthenon, reckons that these disinflationary dynamics will intensify, so much so that headline U.S. consumer price inflation may fall below 2% by the end of this year. Brent oil is below $80 a barrel, and on Wednesday its year-on-year price differential turned negative for the first time in two years. This trend is likely to continue due to base effects - Brent hit a 14-year peak around $130/bbl last March and was above $100/bbl as recently as July. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the non-seasonally adjusted average monthly rate of consumer price inflation in the first half of last year was 1%.

☆ The pay gap will get worse for Gen Z women because they're 'so anxious,' an NYU professor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Gen Z is facing a "national crisis," according to social psychologist and NYU professor Jonathan Haidt. Haidt told the Wall Street Journal that Gen Z women are going to be less successful than Gen Z men. That's partly because many Gen Z women are facing mental health challenges like anxiety. As Gen Z enters the workforce, the problem could get even worse. "Gen Z women, because they're so anxious, are going to be less successful than Gen Z men," he said.

☆ Five states will have politically-split Senate delegations in the new Congress, reflecting the nation's continued partisan polarization
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The new Congress, which begins this week, will have five politically-split Senate delegations. But in the new Congress, which begins this week, only five states will have split Senate delegations: Maine, Montana, Ohio, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. AP Photo/Matthew BrownMontanaDemocratic Sen. Jon Tester and Republican Sen. Steve DainesTester was first elected to the Senate in 2006 and secured reelection in both 2012 and 2018. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty ImagesWest VirginiaDemocratic Sen. Joe Manchin and Republican Sen. Shelley Moore CapitoManchin is perhaps the nation's most recognizable moderate Democrat, having single-handedly scuttled Biden's Build Back Better agenda in December 2021. WisconsinRepublican Sen. Ron Johnson and Democratic Sen. Tammy BaldwinThe Badger State is often home to some of the closest races in the entire country.

☆ Here's how much money it takes to be considered middle class in 20 major U.S. cities
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Kamaron Mcnair | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The latest data from 2021 shows the share of the population in the middle class continues to hover around 50%, around where it has been since 2011. Prior to that year, the share of middle class Americans had been consistently shrinking since a peak of 61% in 1971. That means American households earning as little as $47,189 and up to $141,568 are technically in the middle class. But other factors like family size and location can change what middle class looks like for you. Here are the income thresholds for the middle class in the 20 most populous U.S. metros:

☆ 5 ways to make affordable housing for all in 2023 — from construction laws to mortgage financing
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Houston has been able to keep its housing affordable in large part because of just this, he said. Jeff Tucker, the chief economist at Zillow, also told Insider that the biggest hurdle to affordable housing was "zoning reform." California has already done this when its citizens voted to pass Proposition 46, which provides funding specifically for affordable housing. It allocated just shy of $1 billion to the multifamily sector, according to CCIM, and is expected to see $13 billion in private funds be pushed into affordable housing. In July, Ginnie Mae, a federally-backed mortgage provider, specifically focused on affordable housing, requested that a manufactured home mortgage program be extended.

☆ When Does Life Begin?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Elizabeth Dias | Bethany Mollenkof | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +19 min

“It is not black and white.”America’s fight over abortion has long circled a question, one that is broad and without consensus:When does life begin? The question of when life begins has been so politicized it can be hard to thoughtfully engage. Ancient Egypt gave the power to create new human life almost entirely to men. The scientific revolution, from Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution to reproductive science, disrupted centuries of thought on human life. “When does the responsibility for a life begin and end?”

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