Newsletter Jan 2, 2025

Quick Six

FBI investigating terrorism in truck attack in New Orleans
A man "hellbent on creating carnage" drove a pickup truck at high speed into a crowd of New Year revelers in New Orleans on Wednesday, killing at least 10 people and injuring more than 35. The incident took place in the early hours in the heart of the city's French Quarter, which was packed with people celebrating the arrival of 2025. The suspect, who was killed in a shootout with police, was identified as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. Army from Texas.The FBI does not believe he was working alone. Authorities are questioning why security barriers were not in place.
GET THE LATEST UPDATES ON NEW ORLEANS TRAGEDY

21 states increase their minimum wage starting in 2025
Millions of low-wage workers across the US will get raises in 2025, as 21 states increase their minimum wage. These changes will provide better pay for those working in states with laws tied to inflation, or legislation that mandates pay increases. As these minimum wage hikes take effect, more workers will see better pay, despite the federal minimum wage still lagging behind. While 21 states are raising wages, the federal minimum wage remains unchanged at $7.25 per hour, where it has been since 2009.
SEE THE FULL LIST OF 21 STATES RAISING MINIMUM WAGE

China plans "more proactive" economic policies in 2025: Xi
President Xi Jinping said China will put in place "more proactive" macroeconomic policies next year, as the country has struggled to climb out of a slump fueled by a property market crisis, weak consumption and soaring government debt. Xi recently unveiled a string of aggressive measures aimed at bolstering growth, including cutting interest rates, cancelling restrictions on home buying and easing the debt burden on local governments.
SEE WHAT ECONOMIST ARE WARNING ABOUT XI'S PLAN

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Markets

DJIA	42,544.22	-0.07%
S&P 500	5,881.63	-0.43%
Nasdaq Composite	19,310.79	-0.90%
Japan: Nikkei 225	39,894.54	-0.96%
UK: FTSE 100	8,173.02	0.64%
Crude Oil Futures	71.93	0.29%
Gold Futures	2,638.00	-0.11%
Yen	157.45	0.04%
Euro	1.04	-0.10%
* As of market close

Will stock markets keep climbing in 2025?

Despite political upheavals, stock markets and bitcoin smashed records in 2024, fueled by investor enthusiasm for AI, falling interest rates, and hopes of tax cuts. Wall Street's three main stock indices blew past record highs to set new peaks in 2024, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average ending the year up 13% the tech-heavy S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite notched annual gains of nearly 24% and 30%, respectively. President-elect Donald Trump's election gave Wall Street a boost on hopes he will follow through on pledges of deregulation and tax cuts.

SEE WHAT ANALYSTS ARE SAYING ABOUT WALL STREET IN 2025

Covid origin questions remain 5 years later

The World Health Organization on Monday implored China to share data and access to help understand how Covid-19 began, five years on from the start of the pandemic that upended the planet. Covid-19 killed millions of people, shredded economies and crippled health systems, yet little is known about its origins. The WHO recounted how its country office in China picked up a media statement from the health authorities in Wuhan concerning cases of "viral pneumonia" in the city.

LAB LEAK THEORIES GAIN TRACTION AMID CHINA'S SILENCE

2025 marks the launch of Generation Beta

Babies born in the new year and the 14 years that follow will form the new Generation Beta, a group poised to explore digital worlds beyond our current imagination and live to witness the next century. Generation Beta will grow up in a rapidly evolving world, shaped by technology, climate change, and shifting social norms. Whether it's how they interact with AI or how they face the environmental challenges ahead, their experience will be unlike any that came before them.

GENERATION BETA SEES CHALLENGES OF A CHANGING WORLD

Extra point

Name the past five generations and the years in which they were born.

Wednesday's answer: Former President Theodore Roosevelt claimed he once had a close encounter with a Bigfoot-type creature in Montana.

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