View time: 1 min 58
Level : Advanced
Author: natixis-ezine
High Wedding Costs Are Changing Millennials’ and Gen Z’s Minds About Marriage
Read time : 3 mins
Level : Advanced
By Jessica Bishop | Wealth of Geeks undefined
Wedding bells may be ringing less frequently as 73% of young adults find it too expensive to get married in the current economy. A new study highlights shifting attitudes towards marriage from Millennials and Gen Z, with 2 in 5 viewing it as an outdated tradition. These changing perspectives and rising wedding costs have prompted many to rethink their approach to marriage.
Survey Shows a Shift in Marital Mindset
Recent statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau in 2022 revealed that more than 1 in 3 (34%) individuals aged 15 years or older had never been married, marking a significant increase from approximately 1 in 4 (23%) in 1950.
This shift prompted the Thriving Center of Psychology to investigate why fewer individuals are walking down the aisle. They surveyed Millennials and Gen Zers who are currently in a relationship but unmarried. The findings shed light on their perspectives and insight into the factors influencing their choices. Continue reading
Europe’s economy grows a bit after months of stagnation. But rate hikes are weighing on businesses
Read time : 5 mins
Level : Intermediate
By DAVID McHUGH AP Business Writer
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Europe’s economy has grown modestly after months of stagnation, but higher interest rates designed to fight inflation are casting a shadow as they make it more expensive for households and businesses to borrow, invest and spend.
The 20 countries that use the euro currency and their 346 million people saw 0.3% growth in the April-to-June period, compared with the first three months of the year, the EU statistics agency Eurostat reported Monday.
That’s an improvement over zero growth in the first quarter and a slight decline in fourth quarter of last year — but not by much. Plus, one-time factors and an outsized bump from Ireland made things look better than they really were.
The eurozone got a boost by 0.5% growth in France and 0.4% in Spain, where lower inflation has helped lift consumer spending power.
Yet the French figure was increased by the delivery of one very large manufactured item — a cruise ship. That statistical quirk flattered French growth but does little to disguise weak demand for goods in the eurozone’s second-largest economy. Continue reading
Flying taxi takes to the skies in Spain
View time : 1 min 37
Level : Intermediate
West Virginia town loses county’s only local newspaper
View time: 2 min 24
Level : Advanced
Solar panels on water canals seem like a no-brainer. So why aren’t they widespread?
Read time : 3 mins
Level : Advanced
By BRITTANY PETERSON and SIBI ARASU Associated Press
Back in 2015, California’s dry earth was crunching under a fourth year of drought. Then-Governor Jerry Brown ordered an unprecedented 25% reduction in home water use. Farmers, who use the most water, volunteered too to avoid deeper, mandatory cuts.
Brown also set a goal for the state to get half its energy from renewable sources, with climate change bearing down.
Yet when Jordan Harris and Robin Raj went knocking on doors with an idea that addresses both water loss and climate pollution — installing solar panels over irrigation canals — they couldn’t get anyone to commit.
Fast forward eight years. With devastating heat, record-breaking wildfire, looming crisis on the Colorado River, a growing commitment to fighting climate change, and a little bit of movement-building, their company Solar AquaGrid and partners are preparing to break ground on the first solar-covered canal project in the United States.
“All of these coming together at this moment,” Harris said. “Is there a more pressing issue that we could apply our time to?”
The idea is simple: install solar panels over canals in sunny, water-scarce regions where they reduce evaporation and make electricity. Continue reading
With ‘Barbie,’ Greta Gerwig breaks a box office record for female directors
Read time : 4 mins
Level : Intermediate
By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer
“Barbie” didn’t just break the opening weekend record for 2023; It also shattered the first weekend record for a film directed by a woman.
With $162 million in ticket sales from North American theaters, according to studio totals Monday, “Barbie” catapulted past both “Captain Marvel,” which was co-directed by Anna Boden and opened to $153.4 million in 2019, and “Wonder Woman,” Patty Jenkins ‘ 2017 film that debuted to $103.3 million. Boasting a reported price tag of $145 million, “Barbie” also cost less to produce than “Captain Marvel” ($152 million) and “Wonder Woman” ($200 million).
Globally, it far surpassed “Wonder Woman’s” debut with over $337 million versus $228.3 million, though “Captain Marvel’s” global launch was higher at $455 million. Continue reading
Fire deaths prompt federal review of e-bike rules
View time : 3 min 19
Level : Intermediate
Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft and other tech firms agree to AI safeguards set by the White House
Read time : 3 mins
Level : Advanced
By MATT O’BRIEN and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Friday that new commitments by Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft and other companies that are leading the development of artificial intelligence technology to meet a set of AI safeguards brokered by his White House are an important step toward managing the “enormous” promise and risks posed by the technology.
Biden announced that his administration has secured voluntary commitments from seven U.S. companies meant to ensure that their AI products are safe before they release them. Some of the commitments call for third-party oversight of the workings of the next generation of AI systems, though they don’t detail who will audit the technology or hold the companies accountable.
“We must be clear eyed and vigilant about the threats emerging technologies can pose,” Biden said, adding that the companies have a “fundamental obligation” to ensure their products are safe. Continue reading
Scholarships aid displaced Afghan students
View time: 2 min 24
Level : Advanced