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☆ Healthcare, college education, and childcare started getting worse decades ago. Now we're all finally feeling it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Americans are accruing billions in debt to pay for things like education and healthcare. But that would require shifting the idea of childcare, education, and healthcare and thinking of them as public goods — not businesses. That ultimately meant millions in funding for public childcare. "If the US health system was a country, it would be about the fourth-largest country in the world," Cooper said. There's much less government involvement in the US healthcare system than in other countries, Cooper said.

☆ Why sympathy for the Palestinians among Americans is shifting and at an all-time high
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Sympathy toward the Palestinians among US adults is at a new high of 31%, according to Gallup data. Social media is changing the way Americans perceive the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The police used tear gas and fired stun grenades as young Palestinians threw firecrackers back, according to multiple reports. But while the cycles of violence in the long-running conflict between Israelis and Palestinians remain unchanged, the way Americans perceive the conflict is altering. Gallup Poll conducted between conducting the poll between Feb 1-23, 2023.

☆ In Nicole Chung’s memoir, "A Living Remedy," she blames U.S. health care for her parents' early death
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In author Nicole Chung's new memoir, "A Living Remedy," she tells the story of watching both her parents die in the span of two years. Chung blames the country's broken health-care system, at least in part, for the fact that her father died at 67, and her mother at 68. I spoke with Chung about her grief and the state of American health care. He knew he was getting sicker, but my parents just didn't have a way to pay for the extensive care he needed. NC: After my father died, I spent months trying to figure out why I was so enraged.

Just 14% say they have a great deal or "quite a lot" of confidence in the criminal justice system, half the level of a decade ago. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's case is the first of several involving Trump as the country braces for a 2024 presidential election in which Trump is the leading Republican candidate. Trump himself has over the years complained that law enforcement was targeting him for political purposes, and his rhetoric has heightened since the New York case surfaced. On Wednesday, Trump called on his fellow Republicans in Congress to slash funding for the U.S. Justice Department and the FBI. "It's obvious the criminal legal system can punch down - it's proven that, and oppressively so," Ali said.

☆ Starbucks' Howard Schultz was the gold standard for good bosses everywhere. Then Gen Z worked for him.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks at the time, then appeared with Clinton on a panel to discuss corporate responsibility. Schultz discussed his 1987 decision to offer Starbucks employees stock options and what he said was better healthcare than rivals, among other benefits. Starbucks workers participate in November's Red Cup Rebellion, a nationwide strike. Starbucks's health insurance option for part-time workers originates in a 1986 contract for unionized Seattle Starbucks workers that Schultz fought against at the time. Markey said that by unionizing, Starbucks workers are "just looking to be someone who can protect themselves in the way your father could not."

The decision propelled Israel into a national crisis with massive protests that forced Netanyahu to delay the move on Monday. "We haven't taken a hands-off approach," said a senior administration official. Dennis Ross, a veteran U.S. peace negotiator between Israelis and Arabs, said the Biden administration had expressed its misgivings about Israel’s judicial proposals but had done so privately where possible. Halie Soifer, chief executive officer of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, said the way the Biden administration has handled this crisis thus far is in keeping with Biden's commitment to the U.S.-Israel partnership. But, keeping a distance from Netanyahu, Biden has yet to invite him to visit the White House since the Israeli began his sixth term as prime minister in December.

☆ See inside a few of the coolest offices in North America, where frozen yogurt is served out of Airstreams and conference rooms have holograms. Should your office be on the list? Let us know.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Office use on average is around 50% of prepandemic levels in major cities like New York. Employers are responding with amped up perks and spaces that allow for hybrid work. From an Airstream trailer serving frozen yogurt to fort-like meeting rooms, see a few office perks. Take a peek at a few of the offices that are pulling ahead of the pack. If your office opened after 2020 and you think it should be on this list, email reporter Jordan Pandy at jpandy@insider.com.

Just 9% of Americans view Russia favorably in recent Gallup polling, the lowest mark since the pollster began asking the question in 1989, with 90% viewing Russia unfavorably. Six percent of both Republicans and Democrats view Russia favorably, along with just 11% of independents. But Gallup reports a political divide on two questions: One on Ukraine's favorability and another on views on Russia's military power. While Ukraine's favorability rating didn't substantively change over the last year among Republicans and independents (56% and 67% respectively view Ukraine favorably), there's been a 16-point shift among Democrats. In 2022, 66% of Democrats viewed Ukraine favorably, while 82% say they view Ukraine favorably now.

☆ You’re Already Moving Toward Your Next Career
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Joanne Lipman | Photography David La Spina Esto For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

More than two-thirds of Americans aren’t feeling engaged with their work, according to a recent Gallup poll, and job unhappiness is at a record high. But how do you figure out what’s next? In the popular imagination, reinvention requires some kind of abrupt transformation or sudden epiphany, a metamorphosis from ugly duckling to swan. Vera Wang from figure skater to bridal designer. It seems unattainable to the rest of us—a big disincentive to even try.

☆ The tech layoffs have created the perfect moment for tech workers to get organized and unionize, but getting there isn't easy
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Paayal Zaveri | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The widespread tech layoffs shattered long-held illusions about the tech industry and its culture. That's pushing interest in organizing and unionization efforts across the tech industry, labor experts said. There are hurdles ahead, as tech workers fear for their jobs, but the perspective has forever changed. These episodes show a certain appetite for collective action in the tech industry, the experts said, laying a foundation for things to come. Tech workers have taken inspiration from the service workers at their respective companies, many of whom have unionized in recent years, Code-CWA's Kinema said.

☆ A year later, the Fed still has a long way to go in the fight against inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

The rate hikes appeared to have quelled some of the inflation surge that inspired the policy tightening. Indeed, Fed officials for months stuck to the narrative that inflation was "transitory" and would abate on its own. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell recently insisted that he and his colleagues are taking "forceful steps" now to bring down inflation. The index most recently showed an annual inflation rate of 6.4%, down from a peak around 9% in the summer of 2022. Citigroup economist Andrew Hollenhorst thinks the Fed could tame key inflation metrics to around 4% by the end of this year.

☆ Apple, Nvidia in the news: Here's our take on these outsized tech holdings
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Apple (APPL) and Nvidia (NVDA) made headlines Monday, with bullish implications for both Club holdings. For example, Apple's market share of the 18-to-29-year-old cohort in South Korea has increased to 52% from 44% over the past two years, the Journal report noted, citing a Gallup poll. More broadly, the Journal explained, Apple continues to take market share away from South Korea's Samsung, the world's largest smartphone maker overall. That's a key reason we've expressed frustration with Qualcomm's slow progress on diversifying its revenue stream away from its heavy reliance on the smartphone market. Nvidia (NVDA) The news: Analysts at Bernstein took a crack at sizing up the market opportunity that generative AI represents, particularly as it relates to Nvidia.

[1/5] Eldery people who use the free subway service to deliver parcels gather in Seoul, South Korea, February 8, 2023. "But honestly, I wouldn't be doing it if subway rides weren't free because there wouldn't be much left over for me." Free rides have been a perk enjoyed nationally by those 65 and older for four decades and are credited with keeping senior citizens active. In the greater Seoul area, where almost 3.7 million people are 65 or older, more than 233 million free rides were taken last year. Sixty percent of Koreans support raising the minimum age for senior citizen benefits including free subway rides to 70, according to a Gallup poll released last week.

☆ Americans are quitting plant-based meat due to high prices, worse taste, and questionable health benefits
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In 2020, retail sales of plant-based meat grew 45%, surpassing the $1 billion mark for the first time. Questionable taste and health benefits are scaring off consumersFirst, it's unclear whether the plant-based meat industry has a growing customer base. On the all-important issue of taste, many Americans say plant-based meat disappoints, and some experts think the industry's efforts to compare plant-based meat to the real thing is a losing battle. Additionally, while plant-based meat has environmental benefits, growing research suggests it may not be much — if at all — healthier than traditional meat, something consumers are beginning to suspect. It's also possible that cultivated meat — meat grown from animal cells in a lab — will prove to be the answer, though this innovation could face some obstacles as well.

☆ 53% of student loan borrowers say their financial stability relies on debt forgiveness
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Kamaron Mcnair | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments at the end of this month ahead of its final decision on President Joe Biden's plan to forgive up to $20,000 in student debt for federal loan borrowers. In fact, 53% of federal student loan borrowers say their financial stability relies on their loans being forgiven, according to a recent Credit Karma survey of 1,009 adults in the U.S. The summer will be here before you know it and with it, the return of student loan payments on or around June 30. Over half (56%) of survey respondents say their financial stability relies on not being required to make payments. With or without student debt, the last year has been financially difficult for many Americans as record-high inflation sent prices up on nearly everything from rent to eggs.

☆ Trump's most loyal supporters in Congress are calling for an immediate halt to US support for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Eleven House Republicans have backed a measure calling for an immediate halt of US aid to Ukraine. A recent poll found nearly two-thirds of American support continued aid to Ukraine. A non-binding resolution introduced Thursday would, if passed, express the sense of Congress that the US "must end its military and financial aid to Ukraine." A recent Gallup poll found that nearly two-thirds of Americans believe the US should continue to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia, even if that means prolonging the conflict. "We will not fight the third World War in Ukraine," he said.

☆ Half of Americans say their financial position has worsened in the last year — the most since the Great Recession, Gallup poll finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

50% of Americans surveyed in a new Gallup poll said their financial situations are worsening. Lower-income Americans were the most likely to say their finances have deteriorated. Low-income Americans were the most likely to say their situation has deteriorated, according to Gallup, with 61% of respondents responding negatively. Upper-class Americans were more likely to say their situations remained the same or improved, per the poll. In 2020, 74% of respondents said they expected their financial situations would improve.

☆ Biden says the economy is doing better than last year—but 50% of Americans say they're actually worse off
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Kamaron Mcnair | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Half of Americans say their finances are worse off now than a year ago, according to a recent Gallup poll . Just 35% say their finances are in better shape now. Among middle-earners — those earning between $40,000 and $100,000 — 49% say their finances are worse now than a year ago. But 61% of those who earn $40,000 or less annually say their finances are worse now than a year ago. "When we have people worried about the national economy, they tend not to think things are bad until they actually are really bad," Jones tells CNBC Make It.

☆ Employees are checked out at work more than ever — and it doesn't matter it they're remote, hybrid, or onsite, Gallup study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Bethany Biron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The drop spans demographics and work styles, including remote, hybrid, and onsite. Americans are reporting higher than ever levels of dissatisfaction and malaise at work, a new Gallup poll found. At the same time, 18% of American workers said they actively disengaged at work, an increase of 2% from 2021. "The real fix is this simple: better leaders in the workplace," Clifton wrote. Great managers help colleagues learn and grow, recognize their colleagues for doing great work, and make them truly feel cared about.

☆ Bill Gates is ‘very optimistic’ about the future: ‘Better to be born 20 years from now...than any time in the past’
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Tom Huddleston Jr. | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Bill Gates spends a lot of his time sounding the alarm over existential global threats, like climate change and future pandemics. Yet the billionaire Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist says he's still "very optimistic" about humanity's future on Earth. Even with challenges facing current and future generations, Gates says anyone born in the next few decades will be better off than people born at any previous point in history. Gates asked, noting that the average lifespan for human beings has vastly improved over the past three centuries. "So, the scope of human innovation over time ... is a phenomenal story."

☆ Record high share in U.S. report delaying medical treatments due to costs — here's how you can save on health care
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Iona Studio | Istock | Getty ImagesMore people in the U.S. are deciding to hold off on medical care for financial reasons. That percentage is the highest since the polling organization began taking the measurement in 2001, at which point 19% of people answered they'd postponed health care because of money. Sometimes, doctors leave a network, McClanahan said, so you want to check this again if you haven't seen a provider in some time. Your deductible is the amount you have to pay for your health care before your coverage kicks in. If you reach your deductible, you might want to squeeze in other care or treatments within the same year to cut costs, McClanahan said.

☆ Union membership dropped yet again in 2022 to the lowest rate on record, showing that workers still face an uphill battle in organizing
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The union membership rate fell in 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Union membership has been mostly declining for decades, even though union workers tend to make more money. At the same time, the union membership rate, which tracks the percentage of workers in a union, fell to 10.1% — the lowest rate on record, per BLS. The union membership rate of 10.1% in 2022 was just half the 20.1% in 1983, the first year BLS compiled comparable data. Even so, the union membership rate for retail workers is just 4.3%, down from 4.4% in 2021.

☆ 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.

☆ This is the No. 1 country where residents say they are 'always' at peace—and it isn't the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Aditi Shrikant | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

The most common New Year's resolutions are consistently losing weight or saving money, but goals about fostering internal satisfaction and finding inner peace have gained popularity in recent years. In 2023, 17% of people resolved to "being happy," according to a YouGov poll of 1,000 adults. Some 12% are resolving to improve their mental health and 11% want to focus on "spiritual matters." These goals might seem lofty or even fraught, but in some countries finding peace is not actually uncommon, according to a recent Gallup poll. Here are the top 10 nations where residents report "always" being at peace.

☆ How Anti-Abortion Activists Bought Access to the Supreme Court
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Katherine Long | Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

In exchange for as little as a few thousand dollars in contributions to the nonprofit, these people received easy access to events where Supreme Court justices would be. Supreme Court Historical society trustee Jay Sekulow, center, represented President Trump during the latter's impeachment trial in 2020. Anti-abortion advocates cheer in front of the Supreme Court after the decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores was announced in 2014. Alito did not respond to a request for comment on his involvement in the Supreme Court Historical Society. Supreme Court justices, though, aren't even required to stay within those weak guardrails because no code of ethics governs justices' behavior.

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