Author: Amanda Kusumowidagdo

The Census Bureau predicts that population growth will slow down in this decade, adding just about 366 million inhabitants in the country by the year 2100.  Almost half of the 30,000 U.S. cities are projected to experience population loss by that year. Population distribution is also likely to change, with more people going to suburban and rural areas and leaving urban centers. Let’s look at this trend. Urban Areas Shrinking Source: Justin Merced/Unsplash Some urban areas will experience shrinking as much as 25%. Regions that are predicted to experience the harshest declines in urban centers are the Midwest and Northeast…

Millennials are changing the economy by avoiding buying certain products. Traditional systems and non-eco-friendly products are being left behind in favor of the more sustainable, greener options. Let’s find out what items millennials are setting aside because they are too “woke” to use them. Some of these items might surprise you. Single-Use Plastics Source: Ron Lach/Pexels Millennials are a typically environmentally-conscious lot. They choose not to use plastic products, especially single-use ones, if there are better alternatives.  This also translates to them no longer using easily disposable items. Disposable razors, utensils, coffee cups, straws and non-refillable pens are among the…

When you read about Project 2025, it’s easy to dismiss it as a conspiracy theory. But according to Georgetown University historian Thomas Zimmer, the threat of Project 2025 is very real.  “Project 2025” is essentially a threat to the official U.S. government and democracy in general. It’s an authoritarian takeover plan by the right-wing of the American government. And it’s quite terrifying to contemplate. Right-Wing Campaigns and Projects Source: Loveon999/X According to Professor Zimmer, the Right have been preparing several separate plans, and different factions are competing against one another to execute them. Among these planning efforts, one called “Project…

McDonald’s may be on its way to losing even more customers. This time, the fast food giant risks alienating customers by saying goodbye to free drinks refills in their restaurants. The company’s strategies to focus on affordability seem to be a lot more “miss” than “hit.” Can McDonald’s afford to lose more customers after it already lost some from hiking up burger prices?  No More Beverage Stations Source: Freepik It’s coming true: McDonald’s is no longer making self-serve beverage stations available in its restaurants nationwide. Some locations may even charge you for refills. This plan was announced last year. The…

California is home to nearly 40 million people, more than half of whom are estimated to be homeowners. If you’re a California homeowner (or looking to be one), finding affordable home insurance is going to be a challenge. Environmental concerns, such as climate change and extreme weather, have always been a concern for insurers. But increased wildfire severity and rising home construction costs have finally driven some insurers to tip over. Seven of California’s largest property insurers have decided to limit new homeowners policies in the state. Who Are Limiting Their Policies? Source: Rick Obst/Wikimedia Commons There are many property…

For four days straight, Midwest and the Great Plains residents braced themselves for dangerous tornado weather.  A tragedy struck, where 26 twisters tore through three states and killed multiple people in Iowa. And this severe weather is not over yet as we head toward the end of May. Greenfield, IA, Destroyed Source: ChenueHer/X Severe weather was forecasted to move southward and eastward, stretching from New York state to Texas. Unfortunately, its first victim already revealed itself: the town of Greenfield, Iowa, was ripped to shreds by tornadoes and half the town was destroyed. Sgt. Alex Dinkla of the Iowa State…

Almost 100 Red Lobster stores have been shut down, and the company has finally filed for bankruptcy. Bad business decisions have done the casual dining chain in.  Among those bad decisions was the spectacular failure of the Endless Shrimp promotion. Instead of saving the chain, it ended up accumulating an $11 million operating loss in Q4 2023. Endless Bad Business Source: Red Lobster Japan/Wikimedia Commons To be fair, the bankruptcy was not solely caused by the Endless Shrimp promotion. The chain had also gone through multiple owners that didn’t do much to stabilize it. Rising labor costs and real estate…

Crime in California has reached an alarming level. In one Californian city, the situation has become so bad that officials are seemingly “giving up” on its residents. The city of Oakland has been struggling with both petty and heavy crimes. The latest criminal trend, however, is resulting in the baffling decision to eliminate some traffic lights. Stop Signs Replacing Traffic Lights Source: Aaron J Hill/Pexels A street intersection in Oakland now has brand new stop signs instead of traffic lights. Thieves ripped out copper wires, the way they did in Las Vegas, making street lights go awry.   It happened so…

The Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants might be toxic enough to deter anyone from taking its title, even if it’s a legitimate “handover” of titles.  After the Miss Teen USA winner stepped down, the runner-up refused the crown. Stephanie Skinner, formerly Miss Teen New York, wrote in her Instagram, “I believe this is the right decision to make.” Rejecting the Runner-Up Duty Source: thestephanieskinner/Instagram/Miss Teen USA/The New York Post In many beauty pageants, the runner-up’s duty is to step up when the titleholder is unavailable or resigns. Miss Teen USA, UmaSofia Srivastava, has stepped down, and her crown…

The former head of product launches at Tesla, Rich Otto, said he’d resigned last week. His departure is the latest in a series of resignations by senior-level Tesla executives in recent weeks. The executive said the company’s morale is poor due to the massive layoffs. It has thrown Tesla “out of balance.” Customers are right to question what Elon Musk is going to do now. Goodbye Message Source: pressfoto/Freepik According to Otto’s LinkedIn profile, he’s worked for Tesla for over six years. Following his resignation, he posted a message on the website about how he would miss many things about…