| Plus: The Fed of it all | |
| |
| Welcome to the weekend! Saudi stocks had their best month in four years in January, in part because of a planned change to investing rules that starts on Feb. 1. What's changing? Find out with this week's Pointed quiz. Speaking of great months, tune in to the final January episode of the The Mishal Husain Show for a conversation with filmmaker Laura Poitras. Then catch up on what you might have missed from our chats with historian Rutger Bregman, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Trump trade advisor Peter Navarro and tech pundit Kara Swisher. Train your brain with today's Alphadots word puzzle, and don't miss tomorrow's Forecast on the redemption of Mary Meeker. For unlimited access to Bloomberg.com, please subscribe. | |
| |
| If the US has one enduring advantage, it's the ability to draw talent and grow its population. For years, the country largely sidestepped demographic anxiety: As recently as 2023, the Census Bureau projected the first population decline wouldn't come until 2081. That assumption is eroding fast. As Trump's immigration crackdown drives net migration down, new research suggests the US could see its first-ever population decline as soon as this year. Trump argues fewer immigrants mean lower costs and more opportunity for native-born workers, Shawn Donann writes, but many economists are unconvinced. | |
| |
| The effects of population decline on the US economy are likely to be corrosive rather than immediate — a pattern America has seen before. Cover-ups like the Army's handling of the My Lai massacre in 1969 or the government surveillance exposed by Edward Snowden in 2013 can leave lasting damage on a democracy if accountability never follows, says filmmaker Laura Poitras, whose latest film, Cover-Up, profiles investigative journalist Seymour Hersh. Mishal Husain spoke to Poitras about mass surveillance, her experience on a terrorist watch list, and the ICE shootings in Minneapolis. | |
| |
| Pressure has a way of testing governments' resolve. Three years ago, China appeared to be emerging as a new power broker in the Middle East, epitomized by its role in restoring diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Since then, a cascade of regional crises has exposed the limits of Beijing's ambitions. As war, unrest and maritime insecurity reshaped the region, China largely stayed on the sidelines, reluctant to spend political capital or assume security responsibilities. The result: China's Middle East moment has lost momentum, Peter Martin and Sam Dagher write, even as the US has reasserted itself in the region. | |
| |
| Reassessments often take time to play out. During the pandemic, reassurance around pregnancy focused on a simple fact: Babies rarely tested positive for Covid at birth. But new research suggests that measure missed something important. More sensitive testing and longer follow-up point to in-utero exposure that may subtly affect placental function and early brain development. Most exposed children will be fine, and the risks appear small. Still, with millions of pandemic-era babies now reaching early childhood, scientists say Covid's quietest consequences may only now be coming into view. | |
| |
| New Year Sale: Save 60% on your first year
Enjoy unlimited access to Bloomberg.com and the Bloomberg app, plus market tools, expert analysis, live updates and more. Offer ends soon. | | | | | | |
| |
| Australia
When 21-year-old Luke McSorley lights a cigarette, he says it makes him feel like Don Draper. In Australia — which plasters cigarette packs with graphic warnings and prices them like luxury goods — that shouldn't be the case. But vaping and a booming black market for cheap, illicit tobacco are attracting younger smokers, and experts warn Australia's anti-cig success story is starting to fray. One argues: "We got complacent as a nation."  Illustration: Livia Giorgina Carpineto for Bloomberg LinkedIn
A stray em dash, an emoji, a grand metaphor — on LinkedIn, these have become clues in a growing hunt for AI-written posts. As generative tools flood the platform, users are turning grammar quirks into supposed tells, calling out content they think was written by machines. The evidence is shaky and the accusations sometimes wrong, but the impulse reveals a professional network grappling with anxiety over authenticity.  Illustration: Ariel Davis for Bloomberg | |
| |
| Legal online betting is ruining sports. Frictionless apps have woven odds and wagers into broadcasts, flooded athletes with harassment and helped turn fandom into a losing proposition — all while scandals and conflicts of interest pile up. Middle powers won't save liberalism. Many of the states shaping global growth favor state capitalism and elite-led governance over liberal norms, and have little reason to rally to the institutions Mark Carney wants them to defend. The Fed is political but not partisan. Jerome Powell's September 2024 rate cut was read as electioneering by Trump's supporters, yet on close inspection reflected market pressure and economic data rather than a bid to help Democrats. | |
Alcohol Problem | | "We didn't see this violent crisis coming. We haven't yet hit bottom." | | Thibaut Delrieu Managing director of Hine Cognac | | The vineyards of Cognac are usually dormant in January. This year, producers are tearing out vines. After years of booming demand, France's signature brandy is facing a sharp slowdown, swollen inventories and rising trade barriers. With shipments at their lowest since 2009, makers are slashing production and even weighing whether to destroy aging stock. | | |
| |
| Congestion pricing: Yes, and not just in Manhattan. Most time savings have gone to drivers outside the toll zone, as traffic thinned in the boroughs and suburbs. A $64 steak au poivre at Raoul's: Always. In a city where choosing wrong is pricey, this dish is a sure thing — which is why it's on our "Five Top Tables" list. The Sonos Amp Multi: Probably not? Sonos hasn't announced a price for its first consumer product in a year, but the digital amplifier is aimed at advanced users. A $28 martini: Honestly, yes. As drink menus get longer and pricier, the martini has become the safest order in the room: fast, adaptable and usually well made.  Photographer: Hawksmoor | |
| |
| What everyone's looking forward to: On Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 10 a.m. EST, Bloomberg journalists will be answering questions about prediction markets' breakout moment — from Super Bowl betting to regulatory scrutiny. Join the Live Q&A here and send your questions in advance to liveqa@bloomberg.net. | |
| |
| |
| Enjoying Bloomberg Weekend? Check out these newsletters: - Businessweek Daily for fresh perspectives on business, economics, politics and tech.
- Business of Food for a weekly newsletter on how the world feeds itself in a changing economy and climate, from farming to supply chains to consumer trends.
- CityLab Daily for today's top stories, ideas and solutions, from cities around the world.
- Pursuits for a guide to the best in travel, eating, drinking, fashion, driving and living well.
- Screentime for a front-row seat to the collision of Hollywood and Silicon Valley.
Explore all newsletters at Bloomberg.com. | |
| |
Like getting this newsletter? Subscribe to Bloomberg.com for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. Before it's here, it's on the Bloomberg Terminal. Find out more about how the Terminal delivers information and analysis that financial professionals can't find anywhere else. Learn more. Want to sponsor this newsletter? Get in touch here. | | | You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Bloomberg Weekend newsletter. If a friend forwarded you this message, sign up here to get it in your inbox. | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment