| This is Bloomberg Opinion Today, the courageous future of Bloomberg Opinion's opinions. Sign up here. How is it still Halloween? And how is it still election season? At some point, we gotta stop doing this: One of my favorite TikTok comedians, Lukas Battle, has a theory that America is "being held captive in the most anxious time period that has ever happened in the history of the world. Not only do we have to decide the future of democracy. … You also have to pick out a costume you have to wear in front of all your friends. AGAIN! This is the fourth of fifth [costume] for some people. Yes, the election of course is stressful, of course. But I still need pants for my Girl Scout Cookie outfit." I don't recall previous Halloweens being so stressful. Last year, I had a blast making costume memes. This year, there are only so many "I hate gay Halloween" tweets I can like before my fear and loathing for the season returns. Things are spooky enough without having to play dress-up: "As of Oct. 15, Bloomberg had counted 165 election lawsuits filed since 2023, and more are being added every day," writes Noah Feldman. The cases involve all manner of election protocol — absentee voting, voter roll maintenance, registration, eligibility, vote certification and election records — and he says "keeping track of them is so hard that one watchdog site keeps a top 10 list. … Every once in a while, the Supreme Court weighs in, as it recently did in separate cases involving Virginia and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. A Pennsylvania case before the high court is still pending, involving a fight over mail-in ballots." It sounds scary, but Noah believes "most of these lawsuits are noise, not signal." Even so, they are often fodder for misinformation about who can vote and where. Internet humorists poke fun at this, but Elon Musk's lie machine preys on voters' fears about election integrity. Musk, of course, took that page straight out of Trump's playbook: Francis Wilkinson says the former president "has been exploiting fear — scary Black man, no birth certificate — since long before he ran for office. His message is an endless cycle of Who's More Frightening? Haitians starting a new life in Ohio? Or the trans kid at the local high school trying to make it through another day? Are Black women counting votes more terrifying than library books recounting history?" Francis goes on to say: "Tuesday's election is a referendum on national cowardice. Weak men have forced the issue, and a strong woman has answered the challenge. Either the US will take a bold step into a multiracial, pluralistic, democratic, courageous future, or it will retreat into cowardly authoritarian chaos." My boss knows which future he wants. In his free-to-read endorsement, Mike Bloomberg — founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP — says he voted for Kamala Harris "without hesitation." Whether the issue is abortion, gun safety, the economy, climate change, immigration or public health, Mike says the contrast between Harris and Trump "could not be clearer." "The preposterous lie" that Trump tells about America — "that our country will end unless we elect him — reveals his ignorance," Mike writes. Meanwhile, Harris "is determined to lead our nation forward." Bonus Pre-Election Reading: - When 23 Nobel Prize-winning economists side with Harris, pay attention. — Kathryn Anne Edwards
- US election chaos might end up endangering the whole world. — Andreas Kluth
- A Trump win could actually be terrible for Israel. — Noah Feldman
If you, like me, watched the New York Yankees get absolutely obliterated in the fifth inning last night, perhaps you have an emotional hangover. The following text exchange with my co-worker Ale Lampietti, who told me earlier in the day that Aaron Judge just needed to score some runs, sums up the whiplash: JK, 8:19 p.m. YOU'RE AN AARON JUDGE WHISPERER AL, 8:21 p.m. YANKEES WIN IN 7 GAMES U HEARD IT HERE FIRST JK, 9:38 p.m. Judge really fumbled the ball AL, 9:38 p.m. Probably bc he almost knocked himself out jumping into the wall earlier JK, 9:38 p.m. He fell down like a tree trunk AL, 9:40 p.m. Ohtani with bases loaded is BAD
Reader, it was bad. But at least it's over. When the World Series began, some said it was the perfect matchup for people who don't actually watch baseball and just like hats with cool logos. Preliminary figures support that theory: Adam Minter says the first game between the coastal foes notched more than 15.2 million viewers in the US and 14.4 million in Japan. "Yet Major League Baseball shouldn't expect the ratings blowouts to last perpetually," Adam argues. "Streaming and social media have captured young sports fans, who are leaving behind the traditional television broadcasters crucial to baseball's decades of success." He thinks the MLB should follow in Major League Soccer's footsteps to help Gen Z and millennial fans "forge a personal connection to teams and athletes" online. One way to do that? The "Messi Cam." Last week, the MLS fixed a single camera on Lionel Messi for the entirety of his playoff debut and streamed it on TikTok for all to enjoy. At its peak, Adam says it racked up around 150,000 viewers. Very creative! Although I don't think I'd want to see a close-up of Judge dropping a routine fly ball on TikTok. That's tough enough to see zoomed-out. If you — or your Gen Z child — prefers to order the Triple Shot Black Sesame Sugar Maple Butter Cloud Foam Frappe (I made up that name, but who knows it could be on the menu tomorrow?) at Starbucks with soy milk, oat milk, almond milk or coconut milk, you're in luck! A week from today, the coffee chain will longer charge customers extra for non-dairy milks. It's just one of many changes that the new CEO is bringing in, but not all of them are so sweet: Beth Kowitt says "Brian Niccol sent a stern warning to employees this week: Get back to the office three days a week or risk termination." But there's a hole in the mandate's premise: Beth says Niccol's contract allows him stay put at his beachside residence in California, which is 1,000 miles away from Starbucks HQ in Seattle. While Niccol claims he'll spend most of his working hours visiting stores or at the company's Seattle office, Beth says "he'll be able to do it with the help of the company's private jet and a monstrous pay package that allows him to throw money at whatever other inconveniences arise." Ah, yes, the totally relatable private jet commute! I'm sure that's resonating really well with employees. Let's hope the milk money doesn't run out. Although the universe of overpriced espresso beverages is vast, Americans have "surprisingly little choice" when it comes to paying for them, Bloomberg's editorial board writes. Most purchases are made with cards controlled by just two companies: Visa and Mastercard. In an effort to limit their control over the payments landscape, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau developed an "open banking" rule that will take effect in 2026. "For consumers, this should simplify the process of switching banks or cards, applying for loans, or signing up for financial apps. For retailers, it should be easier to accept payments directly from a customer's bank account, bypassing the card networks altogether."  Although Vice President Kamala Harris' plan for at-home elder care was initially met with skepticism, Lisa Jarvis says it's worth a shot: Too often, members of the "Sandwich Generation" get "caught in the vice of caring for an aging parent while raising children and trying to hold down a full-time job." The economic consequences of such juggling can be severe: "Estimates suggest taking care of aging family members costs caregivers some $150 billion annually in lost wages," she writes. "That's money they're not putting back into the economy — and not paying taxes on, either." Australia's corporate world is still run by a network of old boys. The sexism has got to go. — Andreea Papuc India's south needs more people. Trying to encourage more births isn't the only solution. — Mihir Sharma The US is experiencing a dream combination of strong growth and low inflation. — Jonathan Levin With her first budget, Rachel Reeves provides valuable direction after a period of drift. — Martin Ivens Now that solar geoengineering is here, the planet needs guardrails and guidelines. — Lara Williams Apple's AI and Vision Pro headsets don't live up to Tim Cook's usual standards. — Dave Lee OpenAI is bringing search features to ChatGPT. Mexico doesn't want to mistake residents for criminals. Mount Fuji has been snowless for longest time on record. Charli XCX is doing an SNL doubleheader on Nov. 16. Throw away that $7 black plastic spatula you use for everything. A famous squirrel got seized by authorities. (h/t Andrea Felsted) Authorities also captured the cheese thief. (h/t Liam Denning) First-generation Latinx bakers are behind the conchas boom. Feral cats have invaded Trump's childhood home. Notes: Please send new spatulas and feedback to Jessica Karl at jkarl9@bloomberg.net. Sign up here and follow us on Threads, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. | 
No comments:
Post a Comment