đ¤ Making them pay
Your smartphone could probably replace your wallet, but would you ever let it happen?
Tuesday | November 14th, 2023 | |
Happy Tuesday, chirpers! The writers' strike ended weeks ago and now actors are back to work, but that doesnât mean Hollywood can expect to simply get back to the status quo and start raking in the dough. At least that seems to be the lesson of a pretty dreadful opening weekend for The Marvels, which is the 33rd (yikes!) installment of the superhero film franchise. It brought in just $47 million from U.S. theaters, which is the lowest of any Marvel movie. -Chris Agee Markets
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$0.10 (5.59%) đŚ Markets: It was a mixed, but generally uneventful day on Wall Street to start the week. Modest gains by the Dow Jones gave that index its highest close in nearly two months, but the other two major indexes finished the day slightly down. So why were things so quiet yesterday? Itâs probably because investors are collectively holding their breath until the latest inflation data drops today. World
The BreakdownA quick look around the world.Giphyđ Protect and serve: U.S. Secret Service agents assigned to protect President Joe Bidenâs granddaughter, Naomi, responded to a tense situation in D.C. over the weekend. According to reports, three individuals attempted to break into a parked SUV that belonged to the agency. No one was inside the vehicle at the time of the attempted break-in and agents opened fire shortly after the suspects broke one of its windows. Authorities donât think anyone was injured. đ˘ď¸ Crude moves: You might have noticed some much-needed relief upon filling up your gas tank lately, and that is due in large part to the recent decline in the cost of a barrel of crude oil. While there are several likely factors behind the 10% drop over the past two months, an uptick in Russian exports is one of the key contributors to the trend. With both supply and interest rates up, industry insiders say relatively low prices ($85 a barrel or so) are likely to stick around for a while. đŞ Sound mind, sound body: Itâs no secret that taking care of oneâs mental and physical health is important, but new evidence suggests that the two are even more closely related than previously thought. A recent study found that individuals who are living with serious forms of mental illness are nearly twice as likely as the general population to also have physical ailments including high blood pressure, cancer, kidney problems, epilepsy, and gastrointestinal disorders. đĄ Radio signal: President Biden has recently unveiled his administrationâs multi-agency plan to increase the radio spectrum range in order to provide more reliable and faster tech service within the communications sector, the space exploration industry, and more. A White House spokesperson noted that âthe spectrum is crowdedâ and âdemand is growing fast,â touting this program as âa way to break through the limitations of today.â Share this issue:technology
Smartphones Replace A Lot ⌠But Americans Arenât Getting Rid Of Their Wallets Just YetIt's becoming a lot more common in some other countries, though.If youâre old enough to remember a time before smartphones (or youâve just heard your share of âback in my dayâ stories from your parents), youâre probably keenly aware of the ways that these gadgets have cleaned up a lot of clutter. Theyâve consolidated cameras, address books, flashlights, music players, gaming systems, GPS, alarm clocks, and so much more into just one handheld device. Oh, and we suppose you could also make phone calls with them. But a substantial number of people â particularly in the U.S. â havenât yet made the switch from plastic cards and paper money even though digital wallets are ready and willing to replace them all. Letâs look at the numbers Pollsters recently asked respondents whether they have used their phoneâs digital wallet over the past month and more than one-third of Americans said they hadnât. The numbers become even more telling in response to a question regarding frequent use. A paltry 13% of U.S. respondents reported having used their digital wallets during the previous 24-hour period, suggesting that even though a majority of Americans use theirs, they donât do so frequently. Then thereâs the elephant in the room. PayPal is far and away the most popular choice, reaching nearly 70% of those who use any sort of digital wallet. That makes it more than twice as popular as a number of its closest rivals. Among Venmo, CashApp, Zelle, Google Pay and Apple Pay, none of them cracked the 40% mark. Wallets around the world While many Americans are reluctant to ditch their physical wallets, those living in some other countries are far more receptive to the idea. China and India are the clear leaders, according to the poll: 95% and 93% of adults, respectively, said theyâd used a digital wallet within the previous month. Share this story:meme
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Want To Expand Your World? Try Being Generous With Those Party Invitations!From old friends to complete strangers, some folks are letting everyone attend.GiphyWhether youâre an introvert or an extrovert, you might be selective about who's on the guest list of any shindig you happen to be hosting. This could be due to the cost of inviting a bunch of people or you might have concerns about whether guests will mesh with one another. But thereâs an emerging trend that might help offset all the loneliness and isolation that has become so common in our modern society. Identifying the upside Although it might seem strange to extend an open invitation â perhaps even including total strangers â to a gettogether, thatâs exactly what some folks are doing these days. And after they get through the initial awkwardness that comes with violating preconceived norms, the benefits soon start to become apparent. Formal studies and anecdotal evidence reveal a few common advantages to opening up a party to pretty much anyone who wants to attend.
As psychology professor Lara Aknin explained: âPeople are much more reluctant to reach out to old friends than they should be. Itâs surprisingly hard to get people to move the needle on this.â Some things to consider Before you start sending out your RSVPs, be sure you have the right space and activities planned for a large group. An intimate game night, for example, probably isnât the right venue. Itâs also good to invite folks from various demographics so specific individuals donât feel conspicuous. And donât forget to communicate expectations, such as COVID precautions. But with a little planning, you can pull off an event that everyone enjoys. Share this story:Game
Solve today's crossword and win a prize!Highest score wins an Amazon gift card!*Prizes are sent out via email the next day by 11am EST. education
Homeschooling Is On The Rise â And Here Are Some Key Reasons WhyIt spiked during COVID, but the trend doesn't seem to be reversing.ShutterstockAlthough public, private, and charter school enrollments still make up the vast majority of educational options for American parents, thereâs another alternative â homeschooling â thatâs slowly gaining a foothold. But why are so many parents suddenly interested in teaching their own children? The evidence points to a few factors.
There are other reasons that parents opt for homeschooling, and the proof that itâs a growing trend can be found in the numbers. While it became more popular in the immediate aftermath of COVID-19, the pandemic-era increase remained obvious throughout the most recent school year. Homeschooling is the fastest-growing educational alternative in the U.S. and estimates indicate as many as 2.7 million American kids are currently being taught at home. A common thread runs through all of the parents who endorse this method, according to homeschooling advocate Jen Garrison Stuber. âBeing able to tailor the education to the individual child is one of the things that is extremely personally persuasive for people to come to homeschooling and then decide to stay,â she said. Share this story: |
Written by Chris Agee 90 N Church St, The Strathvale House Copyright Š 2022 Early Chirp. All rights reserved. |