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jobs

US Added Only 29,000 Jobs In September While Unemployment Rate Increases 

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Only 29,000 jobs were added by US employers in the month of September, marking a sharp decline from the previous month’s gains with unemployment also increasing. 

America’s unemployment rate specifically increased to 4.2%, according to the most recent data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This decline shows just a fraction of what economists were expecting with just under 70,000 new jobs, according to reports.

Initial reports from July and August were also revised down to 60,000. The labor market contracted by 10,000 jobs in July after revisions while August saw 133,000 jobs added. 

While job growth may have “slumped” over the summer, the labor market unexpectedly contracted in July, and figures made in June and May were revised down from their initial reports with 162,000 jobs being added in August, marking the highest amount since March.

The unemployment rate has also remained at its lowest levels since 2025 when it hit 4.5% in November. US jobless claims also remained lower for the fourth week in a row, according to the labor department. 

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Job openings and the number of new hires have remained relatively stagnant since August, data from the labor department shows, citing the “slow-hire, slow-fire” job market continuing. 

The labor market has also remained pretty strong this year, despite concerns over the US-Israel war on Iran increasing inflation and energy prices. In fact, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates last month for the first time in three years, citing higher prices. 

Federal chair Kevin Warsh emphasized the “strength of the US labor market, which is basically running consistent with full employment, but inflation is too high and has been for too long.”

Investors are “hopeful” that the Fed won’t increase rates again later this month after a commerce department report revealed a “softer-than-expected” reading on inflation. 

Higher prices are continuing to be the biggest issue economically for citizens of America. Mortgage rates specifically are rising rapidly and have hit their highest level in three years this week from 7% to 7.28%, the largest weekly jump since 2022. 

The 10-year treasury yield, which underpins mortgages and other loans, also reached a 24-year high as the recent global bond sell-off continued. 

Higher oil prices have also cost Americans an estimated $936 per household.

homes

Homeownership May Have Helped Drive the Baby Boom, Study Finds

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A little-known consequence of one of the biggest housing programs in American history may offer a clue about why birthrates rose so dramatically after World War II and why they have become so difficult to lift today.

Economists Melissa S. Kearney of the University of Notre Dame and Lisa J. Dettling of the Federal Reserve Board examined the expansion of government-backed mortgages during the postwar years and found that gaining access to homeownership appeared to influence whether, and when, Americans had children.

Their research suggests that the effect was substantial. For every 1,000 additional mortgages issued through government programs, roughly 300 more babies were born the following year, Dr. Kearney told The New York Times.

“This mortgage program was not meant as a pronatalist policy, but it seems to have had that effect.”

The finding, published in its final version by the National Bureau of Economic Research in September, comes as policymakers worldwide struggle to understand historically low fertility rates. Governments have experimented with tax credits, paid maternity leave, subsidized childcare and other incentives intended to make parenthood more financially manageable. So far, none has produced a major or sustained turnaround.

Dr. Kearney and Dr. Dettling approached the question by looking back at one of the most dramatic fertility increases in modern American history.

The baby boom began in 1946 after World War II ended. Over the following decade, births climbed sharply. By 1957, the total fertility rate had reached about 3.7 children per woman, roughly 30 percent higher than at the beginning of the boom and a modern American high.

Scholars have spent decades trying to explain what drove that surge. Some theories focus on the economic optimism Americans felt after years of depression and war. Others have pointed to falling maternal health risks, shifting marriage patterns or broader improvements in living standards.

Notably, at the same time, another sweeping change was underway; Americans were becoming homeowners in far greater numbers.

The G.I. Bill and related federal programs gave millions of returning veterans access to mortgages with unusually favorable terms, including low or nonexistent down payments. The programs helped reshape American housing and played a major role in the growth of the postwar middle class.

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Young adults were among the biggest beneficiaries. Among Americans of childbearing age, the homeownership rate rose from about 20 percent in 1940 to 50 percent by 1960.

Dr. Kearney and Dr. Dettling set out to determine whether the parallel rise in homeownership and fertility reflected more than coincidence. Answering that question required detailed information about where and when government-backed mortgages had actually been issued, rather than simply comparing national housing and birth trends.

The researchers eventually discovered that the Federal Reserve had preserved thousands of pages of historical mortgage records.

Undergraduate research assistants spent two years digitizing the material. The researchers then matched those records with state-level demographic data to examine whether increases in federally backed lending were followed by changes in births.

“We kept cutting the data and looking at it,” Dr. Kearney said. “It kept lining up.”

The analysis found that places receiving more government-backed mortgages subsequently recorded additional births, suggesting that expanded access to homeownership contributed to the baby boom.

It was not, however, a complete explanation for the era’s fertility surge. Black women also experienced increases in childbearing during the baby-boom years, despite Black families being unfairly excluded from many of the housing benefits made available to white veterans and their families.

The findings may also help explain broader demographic changes at the time. Women married younger, began having children earlier and ultimately tended to have larger families than women in preceding generations.

According to Dr. Kearney, the apparent effect was not simply about making housing cheaper. Instead, the researchers argue that ownership itself may have mattered.

Having a deed in one’s name can provide both financial security and a sense of permanence, potentially making people more confident about starting or expanding a family. Younger adults today also frequently cite financial and housing stability as milestones they hope to reach before having children.

That interpretation complicates a longstanding argument about America’s declining birthrate.

Economists have often been skeptical that financial strain alone can explain the roughly two-decade decline in fertility. Household incomes have generally risen over that period, while lower-income women have historically tended to have more children than higher-income women.

The study suggests the economic connection may instead be tied to whether people feel settled enough to make long-term decisions about family life.

The median age of first-time home buyers reached 40 in 2025, a record high. Mortgage rates also jumped to 7 percent last week, their highest level since January 2025, creating another hurdle for prospective buyers already contending with elevated home prices.

Affordability has consequently become an increasingly prominent political issue during the midterm election cycle, with housing costs occupying a central place in broader debates over the cost of living.

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Still, researchers caution against assuming that a housing policy associated with higher fertility several generations ago would produce an identical result under present-day conditions.

Phillip Levine, an economics professor at Wellesley College who has previously written papers with Dr. Kearney but was not involved in the new research, said the study’s methodology appeared convincing.

“The empirical work seems pretty strong, and they find a pretty good-sized effect,” he said.

But he noted that the social and economic conditions surrounding housing and family formation have changed substantially since the mid-20th century.

“Does that mean that we would get the same result today? We don’t know.”

Dr. Kearney similarly acknowledged that the modern housing market presents challenges that did not exist in the same form during the postwar period.

Making mortgages easier for young families to obtain could encourage some people to have children sooner or ultimately have more children. But the housing market itself is far different from the one that accompanied the baby boom.

The United States of the 1940s and 1950s was rapidly adding homes, particularly as suburbs expanded and large amounts of land around metropolitan areas were developed. Housing supply today is considerably more constrained in many parts of the country.

Expanding access to mortgage credit without also increasing the number of available homes could therefore worsen affordability by pushing prices even higher.

That tension, Dr. Kearney said, is one of the central problems policymakers would have to address if they tried to draw lessons from the postwar experience.

The research does not suggest that government-backed mortgages created the baby boom on their own. But it adds another dimension to the debate over why Americans are delaying or forgoing parenthood, suggesting that the stability associated with homeownership may have historically played a larger role in family formation than economists previously recognized.

tariffs

Canada Imposes New Tariffs on U.S. Imports Amid Deepening Trade War

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The trade fight between the United States and Canada entered a new phase Tuesday, when Canadian retaliatory tariffs took effect on roughly $20 billion worth of American imports.

The measures arrived after weeks of increasingly hostile rhetoric between President Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, whose government has vowed to answer U.S. tariffs “dollar for dollar.” Carney has described Canada as “at war” as he seeks to cast himself as a defender of the country against Trump’s trade policies.

The broader trade fight began after Trump returned to office last year and threatened tariffs on Canada and Mexico, accusing both countries of failing to do enough to prevent drugs and migrants from crossing into the United States. Some Canadian provinces later responded by pulling American liquor from store shelves.

The two governments later eased some of their toughest measures, but other disputes continued to strain the relationship. Trump declined to extend the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement beyond 2036, and officials from the two countries have also clashed over NATO and Trump’s repeated remarks about Canada becoming the 51st state.

Relations deteriorated sharply this summer, after Trump accused Canada of discriminating against American industries and threatened 50 percent tariffs on certain Canadian products unless the countries reached an agreement within 30 days.

Negotiations continued through much of August, and Trump at times suggested a deal was close. Instead, the talks broke down before the deadline, with officials from each country accusing the other of introducing unreasonable demands at the last minute.

Carney later said Washington had “asked too much and offered too little.” He also accused the administration of seeking influence over Canada’s trade agreements with other countries, which he portrayed as a threat to Canadian sovereignty. He said the U.S. “signature was written in pencil” on previous agreements.

Washington subsequently placed tariffs on hundreds of Canadian products, including cheese, wine, clothing and hockey sticks. Canadian officials responded by promising their own duties after Labor Day.

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Those tariffs are now in effect. The Canadian duties range from 15 percent to 50 percent, with the rate on each product designed to match the corresponding U.S. tariff. Products facing the highest rate include certain American dairy products, perfume, video game consoles, golf equipment, fishing rods, steel, aluminum and some clothing. Cheese, carpeting and some household appliances face 25 percent duties, while some industrial equipment is taxed at 15 percent. The measures extend the pattern of retaliation that has come to define the dispute.

Canada initially planned to include some U.S. seafood among the products facing tariffs but later removed those goods following pushback from the lobster industry.

For the moment, the direct economic damage may be relatively contained. The affected products represent only a fraction of the enormous volume of goods traded between the neighboring countries each year.

Economists have warned, however, that the Canadian tariffs could hit manufacturers in states such as Michigan and Indiana, as well as dairy producers in Wisconsin and Vermont, especially hard.

But the greater risk is that each round of retaliation produces another, expanding the number of products subject to tariffs and increasing costs for companies and consumers on both sides of the border.

“This tit-for-tat retaliation is bad for Canadian businesses and consumers, and bad for American businesses and consumers,” said Brad Wood, the senior director for trade and innovation at the National Foreign Trade Council, whose board includes companies such as Caterpillar, Exxon Mobil, Ford Motor and Walmart.

“Every escalation is one more layer of barriers that ultimately Canada and the United States need to resolve.”

The uncertainty now, he said, is whether Trump will act on his latest threats.

Those threats have continued to multiply. U.S. officials have derided Canada’s economy and military, while Trump has announced 50 percent tariffs on Canadian automotive and steel imports beginning in January and suggested Friday that he could attempt to stop trade between the two countries altogether.

He has also escalated his attacks beyond tariffs. Trump signed an executive order seeking to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America and, on Sunday, criticized Canada’s currency.

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“Canada’s (currency) Dollar imbalance with the U.S. is unacceptable,” he wrote on social media. “It has been that way for years — but no longer!”

Hours before the Canadian tariffs went into effect, Trump turned his attention to Bombardier, the Canadian aircraft manufacturer, declaring on social media that there would be “NO MORE SELLING BOMBARDIER IN THE UNITED STATES!”

Trump also accused Canada of blocking “our GREAT American Banks, and Companies,” and urged Americans to avoid Canadian products.

“BUY AMERICAN. FLY ON AMERICAN AIRLINERS. ENJOY AMERICAN LIQUOR AND BEVERAGES. SAIL ON LAKE AMERICA,” Trump wrote.

Bombardier responded by emphasizing the company’s extensive ties to the American aerospace industry. It produces important aircraft components, including wings, in California and Texas and relies on a broad U.S. supply chain.

“Bombardier is a strong contributor to the sector, creating tens of thousands of jobs across the United States.”

The confrontation with Canada is only one front in Trump’s broader effort to reshape U.S. trade through tariffs, which have remained a centerpiece of his economic agenda despite court setbacks, disputes with foreign governments and growing concerns about their domestic effects.

His administration is preparing another slate of tariffs aimed at dozens of countries it has accused of unfair trade practices. Officials are expected to argue that some countries produce excessive quantities of certain goods—a phenomenon the administration calls “excess capacity”—contributing to persistent U.S. trade deficits.

The new duties, which could be announced as soon as this week, are intended to replace some tariffs the Supreme Court struck down in February.

Trump has gone further still, threatening to stop trade with countries that sell more goods and services to the United States than they buy from it. The United States runs trade deficits with dozens of countries, including major partners in Europe and Asia, meaning such a policy could have sweeping economic consequences if carried out.

The administration’s continuing reliance on tariffs also comes as policymakers remain concerned about inflation. Because tariffs are taxes imposed on imported products, businesses and consumers can pass their costs along through higher prices.

For Canada and the United States, meanwhile, there is little indication that the cycle of retaliation is nearing an end. Canada’s new tariffs have now answered the U.S. measures imposed in August, while Trump continues to threaten still more penalties — leaving two longtime allies increasingly entrenched in a trade confrontation that only months ago both governments were trying to negotiate away.

food bank

US Food Insecurity Is Causing Citizens To Go More Hungry Than They Did During The Pandemic 

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A survey released this week by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York revealed that more people in the United States are going hungry now than during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The survey showed that there are higher levels of food insecurity this year than there was during the summer of 2020, when the coronavirus outbreak led to “double-digit unemployment,” according to reports from NPR. 

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The New York Fed periodically asks Americans about whether they have to skip meals, rely on food donations, or receive federal assistance in order to buy groceries. The most recent survey was taken in February, and showed how hunger is a more intense problem now than any other time within the past six years. 

Amy Breitmann runs the Golden Harvest Food Bank in Augusta, Georgia. She recently told NPR how she’s witnessed first-hand the increasing number of families and children that are in need of food this year. 

“We have some distributions where people are sitting in a 2-to-3-mile line the night before the [food] distribution starts. They’re sleeping in their cars.”

The February survey from the New York Fed found that nationwide, 10% of families reported missing meals or having a lack of food in their household. About 16% of respondents relied on food donations. Families that are earning less than $50,000 annually are experiencing food insecurity twice as high as the last report. Nearly 20% of families have been forced to skip meals or went completely without food. 

CEO of the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama, Nicole Williams, also told the publication that they have to move their services to a larger building in order to accommodate the increased demand for food. The food bank serves 12 counties throughout the state. 

“Food insecurity could be your next-door neighbor. When gas costs a little bit more or food costs a little bit more, or they have a repair on their car or a medical bill, that takes away what they might be using to spend on food.”

Experts have been stating that what’s occurring is a part of a “K-shaped economy,” which represents a growing divide between individuals who have proper access to their basic needs and those who don’t. 

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The New York Fed recently wrote that “while many households are doing fine and economic activity overall has been expanding at a solid pace, large segments of the population are facing high levels of economic insecurity and financial strain, and consumer sentiment on the whole has dropped to low levels.”

In 2020, just 4% of households reported missing meals, which also included less than 7% of families that earn less than $50,000 annually. 

During the pandemic, families experienced some relief from their food insecurity thanks to government relief payments and supplemental unemployment benefits. Those same benefits, however, were pandemic-specific and are no longer available. Additionally, within the past six years food prices have increased rapidly. 

The most recent survey from the New York Fed was also conducted before the US war with Iran, which has caused gas prices to increase and the economy to strain further. 

Breitmann posed the question: “If you’re adding on another $100 to your budget a month just to put gas in your car to get to work or drop your kids at school and whatever they need their car for, where is that $100 coming from?”

“Most typically, they’re having to pull it from the grocery budget,” Breitmann said.

The survey also found that there is a growing number of Americans that are relying on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. This is surprising due to the fact that eligibility for the program has become even more strict as of late. 

About 18% of families this year had received SNAP benefits, compared to 10.6% in 2020. Lower-income families had over 38% receiving SNAP benefits, compared to around 22% in 2020. 

Gas Prices Top $4 as Middle East Conflict Disrupts Oil Supply

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Gas prices across the United States have surged past a key threshold, placing renewed financial strain on consumers and adding pressure to the broader economy. On Tuesday, the national average for regular gasoline climbed above $4 per gallon for the first time since August 2022, capping weeks of steady increases tied to escalating tensions in the Middle East.

The rise has been swift. Since late February, average prices have jumped by roughly 35%, according to AAA data, following disruptions to oil supply linked to the ongoing conflict involving U.S. and Israeli forces and Iran. Although the United States does not rely heavily on Middle Eastern oil, the global nature of energy markets has pushed domestic prices higher.

Industry analysts say the psychological impact of the $4 mark could alter consumer behavior. “We have this obsession with gas prices because they dictate a lot of ‘Can we drive? Can we do things we enjoy?’ And now some of that is at risk,” said Patrick De Haan, an analyst at GasBuddy.

“As we get to a month of increases and prices are much higher, the amount of pressure on Americans’ budgets and their spending is going to ramp up.”

The effects are uneven nationwide. In California, drivers are paying an average of $5.89 per gallon, while Oklahoma residents pay far less at about $3.27 per gallon. Differences in taxes, refining expenses, and distribution systems continue to shape regional price disparities.

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At the same time, diesel prices have also spiked, reaching $5.42 per gallon—up sharply from $3.76 before the conflict. Because diesel fuels are used for shipping and freight, the increase is expected to ripple through the economy, raising costs for goods ranging from groceries to furniture.

“It’s going to mean more expensive bills for truckers, tractors and trains that move the U.S. economy with diesel fuel. It’s going to mean consumers are likely greeted by rising grocery prices — and broadly speaking, a rise in U.S. inflation.”

Economists are increasingly concerned that sustained increases in fuel prices could accelerate inflation while slowing economic growth. Polling reflects that anxiety; more than half of Americans surveyed by Reuters/Ipsos reported that higher gas prices have already affected their household finances, with one in five saying the impact has been severe.

For President Trump, the situation presents both economic and political challenges. After previously highlighting falling fuel costs earlier in his term, the current surge serves as a visible reminder of the war’s consequences. “It is the biggest headache for whoever happens to be in power when something like this happens,” said Kate Gordon, a former senior adviser at the Department of Energy and now chief executive of California Forward.

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While she noted that presidents typically have limited influence over gas prices, Gordon emphasized that this situation is unusual.

“Usually, a hurricane hits the gulf and gas prices go up, and then whoever’s in power gets blamed for it,” she said. In this case, she added, Trump is “going to get blamed anyway because he’s in power, but also he made the decision to go to war in Iran.”

The administration has attempted to respond with several measures to stabilize prices. These include plans to release 172 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, to ease restrictions on maritime shipping, and to temporarily suspend certain sanctions on oil shipments already in transit. Officials have also relaxed some summertime fuel-blend requirements to reduce pump prices.

Even so, structural factors are pushing prices upward. Seasonal demand is increasing as Americans prepare for spring and summer travel, while the switch to more expensive summer-blend gasoline further adds to costs. Meanwhile, domestic crude futures—though down from their peak during the crisis—remain more than 50% higher than they were at the end of February.

Abroad, countries more dependent on Middle Eastern oil supplies are already taking steps to curb consumption, including encouraging drivers to limit travel.

Experts say meaningful relief is unlikely until global supply routes stabilize. In particular, attention remains focused on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping corridor for oil exports. “Opening the strait is the answer until it’s not,” Gordon said. “It’s the answer until someone attacks it again.”

For now, consumers are left adjusting to higher costs that are difficult to avoid. “There are some things you can change on the margins, but it’s not easy to change where you live, where you work, where you go to school,” Gordon said. “You can be more efficient, but it’s kind of a baked-in cost.”

Mr. Beast The Banker? YouTube Celebrity Acquires Financial Service Platform For Young People 

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Beast Industries, founded by the most followed YouTuber in the world Mr. Beast, has recently acquired Step, a financial services app for teenagers and young adults that has over seven million users.

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stocks

Global Stocks Slide as Fears Grow of Prolonged Iran Conflict

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Mounting concerns that fighting in the Middle East could drag on sent global markets sharply lower Tuesday, as investors reassessed the economic fallout of an expanding conflict.

US equities swung wildly before closing down for a second straight session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished 355 points lower, a drop of 0.73%, after plunging more than 1,200 points earlier in the day. The S&P 500 slipped 0.78%, and the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.82%, each trimming losses that had topped 2% at their worst.

Market volatility intensified. The VIX, widely viewed as Wall Street’s fear indicator, climbed 9% to its highest level in three months.

The selloff was not confined to the United States. European and Asian markets also declined for a second day. The pan-European Stoxx 600 lost 3.08%. Japan’s Nikkei 225 dropped 3.06%. South Korea’s Kospi sank 7.24%, its steepest one-day decline since April. South Korean markets had been closed on Monday for a public holiday.

Investor anxiety deepened as military operations entered a fourth consecutive day. Israel announced it was carrying out “simultaneous strikes in Tehran and Beirut,” aimed at Iranian military targets and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah.

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Sources told CNN that US embassies in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait were struck amid Iranian bombardment. In response to escalating security risks, non-emergency US government personnel in Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates have been ordered to leave.

President Donald Trump signaled uncertainty about the duration of the campaign. In a letter to Sen. Chuck Grassley on Monday, he wrote, “It is not possible at this time to know the full scope and duration of military operations that may be necessary.”

“These strikes were undertaken to protect United States forces in the region, protect the United States homeland, advance vital United States national interests, including ensuring the free flow of maritime commerce through the Strait of Hormuz, and in collective self-defense of our regional allies, including Israel.”

Taking questions Tuesday at the White House, Trump defended the decision to strike Iran, describing it as “something that had to be done.” He asserted that “just about everything’s been knocked out” in reference to Iran’s military infrastructure and voiced surprise that Iran chose to retaliate against neighboring countries.

Energy markets reflected fears of supply disruptions. Iran said Monday it would target any vessel attempting to move through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint that carries roughly 20% of global oil consumption. With hostilities ongoing, shipping companies and insurers have grown wary of sending vessels through the narrow waterway.

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Crude prices extended their rally. US oil rose 5.9% Tuesday to $75.40 per barrel, building on a 6.3% gain the previous day. Brent crude climbed 5.8% to $82.14 per barrel, reaching its highest level since July 2024. Gasoline prices increased 11 cents to $3.11 a gallon.

“That the current war may be ‘inflationary’ is what’s panicking traders today,” Thierry Wizman, global FX and rates strategist at Macquarie Group, wrote in a note.

He added that earlier assumptions of a limited conflict are now in doubt.

“The view of a short war been upended today because of suggestions from the US administration that the war may be prosecuted for longer than a few weeks.”

Natural gas markets surged as well. European natural gas futures jumped 20% after soaring 38% Monday. In the US, natural gas futures advanced 6%, following a 3.5% rise a day earlier. Diesel prices outpaced those moves domestically, with futures climbing 12% Tuesday after nearly a 12% gain on Monday.

Currency and bond markets signaled shifting expectations around inflation and interest rates. The US dollar index gained 0.8% and is up 1.6% for the week, as traders weighed whether higher energy prices could delay Federal Reserve rate cuts. The 10-year Treasury yield rose as investors sold bonds and assessed the inflationary impact of higher oil prices.

Gold, often considered a refuge during turmoil, fell 4.25%, reversing Monday’s 1.2% climb to a one-month high, underscoring the sharp and uneven swings gripping financial markets.

law

New State Laws Take Effect In The US As We Ring In The New Year 

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This year, many states have enacted new laws beginning on January 1st, bringing in the new year with a focus on wages, social media, privacy, gender-affirming care, AI regulation, and more. 2026 has already become a year of change, and the laws shifting in the US have proven just that. 

In California, for example, rideshare drivers now have the right and ability to unionize. The state has over 800,000 drivers, and starting on January 1st, they can take advantage of a deal brokered between Governor Gavin Newsom, organized labor, and major rideshare companies such as Uber, according to NPR. 

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The companies specifically supported the decision to collective bargaining rights for their drivers in exchange for lawmakers agreeing to cut the companies’ insurance costs for underinsured drivers, according to Laura Fitzgerald of CapRadio. 

Fitzgerald also pointed out that California became the second state to extend these rights to rideshare drivers following Massachusetts, who voted for the same thing in 2024. 

Colorado will give new parents of babies in the NICU more paid leave in 2026 and beyond. Colorado already had paid family leave that gave workers up to 12 weeks off from work to care for their new baby, and for serious family health or personal issues. 

Now, families who have babies that require time in neonatal intensive care can apply for an additional 12 weeks of paid leave to acknowledge the extra strain families go under when their babies are in the NICU. 

Democratic State Senator Jeff Bridges was one of the main sponsors of this new bill who cited his own personal experiences when hailing support for the additional paid leave. He had his own newborn be placed in intensive care which he described as “terrifying and consuming.”

In Virginia, a new law regarding social media is already being combated over claims that it violates the first amendment. According to Brad Kutner of WVTF, the new law is designed to limit social media use by those under the age of 16 to one hour a day unless a parent agrees to give their kids a longer period. 

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NetChoice is the group representing social media services that are challenging the law and stating that it violates the First Amendment. 

Attorneys for NetChoice call the law the “latest attempt in a long line of government efforts to restrict new forms of constitutionally protected expression based on concerns about their potential effects on minors.”

More widely, eighteen states have restricted SNAP money for the purchase of candy, sodas, energy drinks, or other items as well. 

These states include South Carolina, Florida, Texas, Hawaii, and Virginia. All of the states received waivers from the US Department of Agriculture in 2025 allowing them to restrict Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program dollars for items that the states deem to be non-nutritious. 

South Carolina specifically will be banning the purchase of candy, energy drinks, soft drinks, and other sweetened beverages using SNAP dollars citing adult and childhood obesity statistics. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster stated in December that the waiver will ideally give the population healthier options and lives. 

With AI growing and developing at a rapid pace in recent years, many states and federal bodies are trying to figure out ways to regulate the technology. In Illinois, employers are now prohibited from using AI when it comes to making employment decisions. More specifically, making new hires, promotions, discipline, and using the technology to look into demographic information like a person’s race or ZIP code. 

This new prohibition is an amendment to the state’s Human Rights Act. 

“This (AI) is an unchecked technology. We just have to get in front of it and do the best we can,” Democratic State Senator Javier Cervantes, who sponsored the measure, stated.

jobs

US Lost 105,000 Jobs In October But Added 64,000 In November, Data Shows 

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According to official data, the US labor market grew by more than expected last month, showing recovery is occurring after the damage caused by the federal government shutdown. In October, it was estimated that around 105,000 jobs were lost while 64,000 were added in November.

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Many economists were not convinced that job growth would be as high as it was in November, with many forecasting only 40,000 to be added. 

Last month, however, the unemployment rate continued to grow, hitting a four-year high and hitting 4.6%. The latest data and job numbers are normally released monthly but were delayed due to the government shutdown. Federal government jobs declined by 162,000 in October and 6,000 in November. 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that full October jobs data would not be released and November’s jobs data was delayed due to the 43-day federal government shutdown. These delays have caused a lot of questions regarding the reports accuracy. 

For example, Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell warned last week that the data from BLS should be “treated with a skeptical eye” while the “hangover left from the shutdown works through the system,” the Guardian reported. 

ADP reported that the US private sector employers got rid of around 32,000 jobs in November after they added 47,000 jobs in October, showing signs of the job market weakening. 

​​The September jobs report, released late in November due to the federal government shutdown, showed that the US added 119,000 jobs, higher than economist predictions. The increase in the unemployment rate from 4.3% to 4.4% in September is the highest level since 2021. 

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Powell himself warned that job figures are likely to be worse than the numbers reported and that Trump’s immigration policies have hurt the US labor supply, keeping the unemployment rate “relatively flat.”

He made these assumptions after the Fed announced it was cutting interest rates by a quarter point, moving towards “risk management” over concerns of a weakening labor market. 

“Labor supply has also come down quite sharply. So, you know, if you had a world where there is just no growth in workers and you really don’t need a lot of jobs to have full employment, some people argue that is what we are looking at.”

“So, there is an over-count in the payroll job numbers, we think, continuing, and it will be corrected. I don’t have an exact month in my head right now. Again, I think forecasters generally understand that. We think it is about 60,000 a month, so 40,000 jobs could be negative 20, but that could be wrong by 10 or 20 in either direction,” said Powell. 

Powell also warned that the accuracy of the jobs report data needs to be questioned due to the government shutdown. 

“We are going to get data, but we are going to have to look at it carefully and with a somewhat skeptical eye by the January meeting,” he said.

The BLS also has been under fire from the Trump administration. Back in August, Trump got rid of BLS commissioner Erika McEntarfer just hours after the July jobs report was published. Trump claimed that the report was “rigged” to make him look bad, which there was no actual evidence to back up.

ai

AI’s Impact Could Deepen Gaps Between The Rich And Poor Worldwide, UN Report Stated

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In our modern digital age, artificial intelligence (AI) has become more and more common. Now, according to a new report from the United Nations Development Program, this advanced technology might further drive the constantly widening gap between the world’s richest and poorest populations. 

The report noted that most of the financial gains brought in through the use of AI will be received by wealthy nations unless steps are taken to utilize the technology to close those major gaps in access to basic needs, AP reports.

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Released this week, the report compared the situation to the “Great Divergence” of the industrial revolution, in which many Western countries famously saw expedited modernization with others falling behind. The impact of those delays and advancements in certain nations is still being felt today. 

“We tend to overemphasize the role of technology,” said Michael Muthukrishna, the report’s main author from the London School of Economics.

“We need to ensure it’s not technology first, but it’s people first.”

Communities around the world are still struggling with access to certain skills, electric power, and internet connectivity. This is especially prevalent in nations where citizens have been displaced by war, civil conflict, and climate disasters.

“As a general-purpose technology, AI can lift productivity, spark new industries, and help latecomers catch up,” the report states.

“AI systems that analyze poverty, health, and disaster risks enable faster, fairer, and more transparent decisions, turning data into continuous learning and public value.”

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In wealthier countries such as the US, there is an increased risk for data centers to “devour” too large a share of electricity and water. Power generators are experiencing higher demand, leading to further emissions of carbon from burning fossil fuels to be spread in the environment and our atmosphere. 

AI’s increased presence within the past few years have raised ethical, privacy, and cyber security concerns. 

The report stated, according to AP:

“Asian nations including China, Japan, South Korea and Singapore are well placed to take advantage of AI tools, while places like Afghanistan, the Maldives and Myanmar lack skills, reliable power and other resources needed to tap into the computing potential of AI.”

“If such gaps are not closed, many millions may be excluded from the kinds of devices, digital payment systems, digital IDs and education and skills that are required to participate fully in the global economy, falling further behind,” said Philip Schellekens, the UNDP’s chief economist for the Asia Pacific.

“We believe we need more balance, less hysteria and hype,” he said.

“AI is becoming essential for modern life, like electricity, roads, and now the internet, so governments need to invest more in digital infrastructure, education and training, fair competition and social protections,” the report says.

“The goal is to democratize access to AI so that every country and community can benefit while protecting those most at risk from disruption.”