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While some creators have been pumping out videos about the midterm elections, searching “midterms” on TikTok shows many young creators are more interested in discussing their midterm exams. “Not a lot of people know about it,” Meadow Treadwell, 20, said about her college-age peers and the midterm elections. “With midterms, I don’t know if it’s because I’m not on that side of TikTok, but I haven’t seen any.”The “midterms” hashtag is full of content about academic midterms. Content with the hashtag “midterm exam” has 16 million views and content with the hashtag “midterm elections 2022” has 12 million views. Polling data suggests young voters are less enthusiastic in 2022 than they were in 2018, when 36% of young voters turned out.

☆ Asian Americans have some of the highest levels of support for abortion rights — and it's driving them to vote
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Sakshi Venkatraman | Sakshi Venkatraman Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

With studies finding that Asian American and Pacific Islanders show some of the highest levels of support for abortion rights, community leaders are expecting this issue to drive Asian Americans to the polls — many for the first time ever. “AAPIs view abortion not as the singular act of abortion, but as health care,” said Varun Nikore, executive director of the nonprofit AAPI Victory Alliance. While some researchers point to flaws in the polling (most notably that Pew only surveyed English speakers), they say there’s no doubt that Asians show the highest level of support when it comes to abortion rights. “That tells me that abortion rights and reproductive rights are likely what’s driving that prioritization,” said Karthick Ramakrishnan, founder and director of demographic data and policy research at AAPI Data. A younger crop of Asian voters newly engaged by the Dobbs ruling are initiating these conversations with their elders, too.

☆ Get them on social media and keep it authentic, Gen-Z consultants advise candidates
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Irie Sentner | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

“The Gen Z electorate can make or break the election in some of our key races,” said Ashley Aylward, 26, a research manager at HIT Strategies, a Washington-based public opinion research firm focusing on youth and minority voters. The firm was started in 2019 “because we were seeing so many political operatives kind of just dismissing the emerging electorate — young people, people of color,” she said. As more of Gen Z reaches voting age, experts have advised candidates to change their strategies to appeal to new voters. Experts said social media — and TikTok specifically — are key in strategizing for the Gen Z vote in the 2022 election. Experts emphasized that Gen Z cares about authenticity and casualness; candidates can “miss the mark” when they “don’t use the language that young people do," Aylward said.

☆ Crime Doesn’t Pay for Democrats
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Lee Zeldin was always a longshot for Governor in Democratic New York. But one issue has given him a real chance: crime. A poll this week from the Pew Research Center underscores why it has become such an albatross for Democratic candidates this year. The poll reports a healthy majority of registered voters (61%) saying violent crime is very important to their vote, about the same as energy policy (also 61%) but above abortion (56%), immigration (54%) and “issues around race and ethnicity” (34%). As you’d expect, Republican voters (73%) think crime is more of an issue than Democrats (49%) do.

☆ Over half of Americans believe that both Democrats and Republicans do such a poor job that a third major party is needed
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Nathaniel Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A study by the Pew Research center found that 61% of U.S. adults today find the Republican Party unfavorable, while 57% shared the same sentiment toward the Democratic Party. About a quarter of Americans say they have an unfavorable view of both major parties, a considerable jump from just 6% in 1994. Some experts suggest that the two-party system could be blamed for the political polarization we find in America. "It's a two-party system and you have to pick one side or the other," said Lee Drutman, a senior fellow at New America. More than half — 56% of Americans — believe the current parties do such a poor job that a third major party is needed, according to a survey by Gallup.

The local unemployment rate is already nearly a percentage point above the U.S. average of 3.5%. "It's very premature in my view to think about or be talking about pausing our rate hikes. The target federal funds rate is now in a range of between 3.75% and 4%, the highest since early 2008. In the 1970s and 1980s, Fed Chair Paul Volcker's attack on inflation sparked a recession that pushed the unemployment rate above 10%, then a post-World War II high. "I do worry about how rates affect the economy," Bostic said at the forum.

In 2020 and 2021, mortgage interest rates fell to record lows. This year, with rent prices skyrocketing and mortgage interest rates hovering around 7%, people wonder if I regret my decision. Here are the five reasons I'm glad I didn't buy a home during the pandemic when interest rates were low. Mortgage interest rates will drop againOne argument friends tried to use, when convincing me to buy a house, was that mortgage interest rates were so low and they might never be this low again. However, mortgage interest rates are always fluctuating.

☆ Elon Musk idea to charge for Twitter verification draws critics
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Eli M. Rosenberg | Eli Rosenberg Is An Investigative Tech Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Critics of Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover say any plan to charge users for identity verification could make information on the site less trustworthy and more vulnerable to manipulation — devaluing the company. The idea of a monthly fee for the blue verification checkmark by users' names was reported Sunday by Casey Newton’s tech-focused newsletter Platformer. Musk hasn't confirmed a charge will be added but on Sunday tweeted, “The whole verification process is being revamped right now,” on his own verified account. Jeff Jarvis, a prolific Twitter user and journalism professor who studies how information travels in the digital age, worries such a plan could backfire. “Twitter has had many, many people working on issues like user interface design and innovation, testing it with user groups, and people who specialize in working with VITs — very important Twitter users,” she said.

It’s become routine since Russia invaded Ukraine: President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speak by phone whenever the U.S. announces a new package of military assistance for Kyiv. Biden had barely finished telling Zelenskyy he’d just greenlighted another $1 billion in U.S. military assistance for Ukraine when Zelenskyy started listing all the additional help he needed and wasn’t getting. Biden lost his temper, the people familiar with the call said. Biden now faces resistance from some Republicans and Democrats that wasn’t present when Congress approved previous Ukraine funds. “I had an important conversation with U.S. President Biden today,” he said in videotaped remarks.

It's become routine since Russia invaded Ukraine: President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speak by phone whenever the U.S. announces a new package of military assistance for Kyiv. Biden had barely finished telling Zelenskyy he'd just greenlighted another $1 billion in U.S. military assistance for Ukraine when Zelenskyy started listing all the additional help he needed and wasn't getting. Biden lost his temper, the people familiar with the call said. Administration officials said Biden and Zelenskyy's relationship has only improved since the June phone call, after which Zelenskyy made a statement praising the U.S. for its generous assistance. "I had an important conversation with U.S. President Biden today," he said in videotaped remarks.

☆ Why paganism and witchcraft are making a comeback
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Antonio Pagliarulo | Antonio Pagliarulo Is The Author Of The Forthcoming | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Witchcraft, which includes Wicca, paganism, folk magic and other New Age traditions, is one of the fastest-growing spiritual paths in America. Witchcraft, which includes Wicca, paganism, folk magic and other New Age traditions, is one of the fastest-growing spiritual paths in America. Berger is one of the foremost academic experts on contemporary witchcraft and paganism in America and draws knowledge about its appeal from surveys she’s co-conducted on the pagan community. This blending of faiths has been a seamless process for me and other folk magic practitioners despite what traditional religious authorities might say. Blending of faiths has been a seamless process for me and other folk magic practitioners despite what traditional religious authorities might say.

☆ Twitter is now owned by Elon Musk — here's a brief history from the app's founding in 2006 to the present
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In this photo illustration, former U.S. President Donald Trump's archived Twitter account is shown on a phone screen with the Twitter logo in the background. And they happen to be the hands of Elon Musk, the richest person in the world and one of the app's most high-profile provocateurs. 2006In March, Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone, and Evan Williams created Twitter, which was originally a side project stemming from the podcasting tool Odeo. 2011Twitter became an essential social media tool used during the Arab Spring, the wave of antigovernmental protests throughout Egypt, Libya and Tunisia. The combined wealth of Williams, Dorsey, and Costolo hit roughly $4 billion.

☆ New frontline of U.S. abortion battles emerges in New Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Brad Brooks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

A woman and child attend an anti-abortion rally outside of the Hobbs City Commission Chamber in Hobbs, New Mexico, U.S., October 17, 2022. The New Mexican abortion provider within closest reach for most Texas women is currently in Albuquerque - about a four-hour drive from Clovis and five hours from Hobbs. Voters in Lubbock, Texas, which is near the New Mexico border, outlawed abortion in 2021. In New Mexico, Dickson worked with conservative lawyer Jonathan Mitchell, who was the architect of Texas’ 2021 “heartbeat” abortion law. Read more:U.S. abortion clinic moves up the street to escape one state’s banEXPLAINER-How abortion became a divisive issue in U.S. politicsHow Texas’ abortion ban hurts Big Oil’s effort to transform its workforceWIDER IMAGE-With U.S. abortion access in jeopardy, this doctor travels to fill a void

☆ Some Democrats dip a toe in TikTok as most Republicans stay away
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( David Ingram | David Ingram Covers Tech For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

NBC News found that nine Democratic candidates in this year’s 35 Senate races are posting to TikTok, while three Republican Senate candidates are using it. In the most competitive Senate races, four of the Democrats are using TikTok: Sen. Raphael Warnock in Georgia, former state Chief Justice Cheri Beasley in North Carolina, Lt. Gov. The only Republican in a competitive Senate race using TikTok is Oz, who began posting there in 2019 before he left his television show for politics. “TikTok does have such widespread use,” Madison Horn, the Democratic nominee for one of two Senate races in Oklahoma, said in a phone interview. Bob Ellsworth, a Republican advertising consultant, said TikTok has certainly changed how Republicans campaign even if they’re not on the app itself.

☆ Diwali is having a mainstream moment in the US
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Harmeet Kaur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

South Asian Americans who celebrate Diwali can now pick up fireworks from Costco, greeting cards from Hallmark and party decorations from Target. Malai, a Brooklyn-based ice cream business inspired by South Asian flavors and ingredients, started selling its Diwali Celebration Box in 2019. “Sometimes I wonder if that just comes hand in hand with visibility.”Bavishi is encouraged by the recent abundance of Diwali products, both from small businesses and mainstream retailers. Does it matter whether the person or company behind a Diwali product is South Asian or not? I don’t know yet what the answer is,” Satpathy-Singh says, referring to mainstream retailers selling Diwali products.

☆ DeSantis' popularity among Latinos is boosting his chances of being the first Republican in 20 years to win Miami-Dade
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Carmen.Jpg | Carmen Sesin | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Ron DeSantis’ popularity among Latinos, saying they are boosting his chances of becoming the first Republican governor in 20 years to win traditionally blue Miami-Dade County and therefore propelling his chances of a successful presidential run in 2024. The last time a Republican governor won Miami-Dade County was Jeb Bush in 2002. “DeSantis overperforms here in a way that you don’t tend to see Republican candidates perform elsewhere with Hispanics,” he said. Faced with this, Florida Democrats have expressed frustration and anger over their limited resources and money from national donor groups. Hillary Clinton won Miami-Dade County by almost 30 points in 2016, but Biden won the county by only 7 points.

In the next Congress, white men will also lead the House GOP campaign arm, the National Congressional Campaign Committee (NRCC), and occupy other lower-tier leadership spots. The highest leadership post that Republican women or minorities have reached is chair of the GOP Conference — the No. She's expected to remain the highest-ranking GOP woman in the whole of the next Congress as well, given that white men make up all but one member of the Senate GOP leadership team. Eighty GOP women are running for House seats in these midterms. For his part, Donalds, whom Trump once called a “rising star,” has not made diversity a central part of his campaign for conference chair.

☆ The Trump and COVID eras tanked immigration to the US. Reversing that could help ease a recession risk, sky-high inflation, and a labor crisis.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Ben Winck | Jason Lalljee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

More than a third of Americans want less immigration, but more could actually help cool inflation. Letting more people move to and work in the US could close that gap and ease inflation without a severe recession. While many Americans view immigration as a threat to the country's financial well-being, data continually suggests that the opposite is true. There remain some 10.1 million job openings but only about 5.8 million workers available to fill them. Increased immigration, then, provides a rare chance to rebalance the labor market and drag inflation lower without driving millions of Americans out of work.

☆ Trump attacks American Jews, says they must 'get their act together' on Israel 'before it's too late'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( Summer Concepcion | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Former President Donald Trump attacked Jews in the U.S. on his Truth Social platform Sunday, writing that they need to “get their act together” and “appreciate” Israel “before it is too late.”“No President has done more for Israel than I have. Trump has issued similar remarks in the past about U.S. Jews, a majority of whom typically vote Democratic. In an interview last year, Trump said' “The Jewish people in the United States either don’t like Israel or don’t care about Israel," adding: “There’s people in this country that are Jewish no longer love Israel. “I’ll tell you, the evangelical Christians love Israel more than the Jews in this country,” said Trump, who won strong support from white evangelical voters in 2016 and 2020, according to the Pew Research Center. Trump drew criticism as president for referring to Israel as “your country” in addressing American Jews at a Hanukkah event at the White House in 2018.

☆ Ahead of the midterms, Black women voters most concerned about costs of living, poll shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( Donna M. Owens | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Change Research conducted the online survey of 715 adult Black women voters who were recruited via web and text message. The majority of Black women who responded felt they are “under-represented,” or that “more representation” is needed. Black women represent 53% of Black eligible voters, slightly higher than all eligible voters (51%) in the country. Many gave mixed answers, expressing both excitement and optimism about the advances Black women have made and their power, as well as frustration about the state of the country and how Black women are treated. There are currently no Black women in the Senate after former California Sen. Kamala Harris won the vice presidency.

My family budget has a line item for my income: my paid work as a writer, and my unpaid work as a mom. This budgeting strategy gives my unpaid labor value — it recognizes that I work 12-14 hours a day. This unpaid labor balances out in the expense column, so there's no positive cash flow from it, but it appears on the budget anyway. If stay-at-home parents spoke up more about our monetary value, we might be more accurately seen as aggressively employed. Maybe the judgments would subside if we spoke up more about the monetary value of unpaid childcare, starting at home with our personal budgets.

☆ The female venture capitalist creating billions in a new world of work beyond the office
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Rebecca Fannin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Worklife Ventures holds weekly meetings for its portfolio company founders to seek advice from successful Silicon Valley operators. You have to have an eye out for people and for new tools," Kimmel said. Worklife Ventures is betting on good returns from its 50 investments in startups, and with nine of them as unicorns, the stakes are high. With venture funds typically having a 10-year life cycle before investment returns are tallied, Worklife Ventures still has a ways to go. Join us October 25 - 26, 2022 for the CNBC Work Summit — Dislocation, Negotiation, and Determination: The World of Work Right Now.

☆ In the college sports pay era, female athletes are emerging as big winners
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Kaitlin Balasaygun | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

At a time of increased scrutiny about the pay gap between male and female athletes, the Nike deals show that female collegiate and amateur athletes are emerging as winners in the early days of the NIL era. "I think most people knew that women athletes in particular were going to see great opportunities," Rishe said. "That's why it's exciting to see, but not surprising to see a lot of female college athletes solidify various and sometimes lucrative NIL deals." Women's social media presence influences dealsClark ranks as the tenth most profitable college women's basketball player and Jones comes in twelfth, according to On3's "College Women's Basketball NIL Rankings." Female athletes already are doing their part in spreading the message about the future of women in sports and as public figures.

☆ Cryptocurrency voters could impact midterm races in key battleground states: poll
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Hanna Kang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Nearly half of likely voters in key battleground states own cryptocurrency or are considering investing in it, according to a new poll. The poll, commissioned by a crypto-focused PAC, surveyed voters in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. A third of voters who own crypto are people of color, compared to one in four of the overall electorate. Nearly half of likely voters surveyed in September in the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin own cryptocurrency or are considering investing in it. Thirty-three percent of Democrats said they have a favorable view of crypto, compared to 30% of Republicans who said the same.

Republicans have gained ground with Latino voters since the 2018 “blue wave” midterm cycle, even though Hispanic voters still favor Democrats, a Latino tracking poll shows. “Five weeks into our tracking poll, it’s becoming clear that Republicans have gained significant ground with Latino voters since the last midterm cycle,” Arturo Vargas, NALEO’s executive director said in a statement. Latino eligible voters' numbers have jumped by 4.7 million since 2018 and are 62 percent of the total growth in U.S. eligible voters since the last midterms, Pew reported. Asians were the fastest growing group of eligible voters over the past two decades, but their growth leveled off some in 2018, Pew reported. However, Joe Biden won the majority of Latino voters in the 2020 presidential election.

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