Avoiding Military Escalation. John Kirby stated that the U.S. does not want to see an escalation of any kind and believes additional military operations are not the solution to the ongoing crisis.
CENTCOM's Recent Visit. CENTCOM confirmed that Kurilla was in Israel earlier this month to meet with top Israeli defense officials to discuss common threats.
New Form of Terror. The Israeli government introduced the world to a new form of terror attacks after it exploded pagers across Lebanon in violation of international humanitarian law, according to Craig Mokhiber, a former UN lawyer.
Mokhiber's Remarks. Mokhiber called the attack a grave breach of international law and a gross violation of Human Rights law.
Indiscriminate Attack. The use of an explosive device whose exact location could not be reliably known would be unlawfully indiscriminate.
Read More.
Casualties Report. Al Mayadeen reported that Hezbollah's attack on Israel's Glilot Base resulted in 'significant casualties within the Israeli intelligence unit, with fatalities reaching 22 and 74 members reported injured.'
Ritter's Analysis. Scott Ritter said the 'pager' attack on Hezbollah fighters was likely an attempt at revenge after an earlier attack on the headquarters of the Israeli military’s intelligence agency Unit 8200.
Israeli Attack Toll. At least nine people were killed and 2,750 injured, 200 critically, in the Israeli attack, according to the Associated Press.
Hezbollah Blames Israel.
Putin's Bluff. Kim Darroch said the West should consider Putin's threat of a major escalation before allowing Ukraine to use long-range missiles to strike deep inside Russia.
Link to More Details. For further reading, visit the article by Finkelstein calling out the New York Times.
Alpha Kappa Alpha History. Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) was the first Negro Greek letter sorority, founded in 1908 at Howard University.
Pearl Traditions. In 2021, Town & Country magazine wrote about Kamala Harris wearing pearls to honor her sorority sisters when she was sworn into office.
Axis of Threat. Lammy has pointed out a new axis of Russia, Iran, and North Korea in the context of escalating tensions.
World War III Rhetoric. Israel Katz, the Israeli energy minister, said Israel's fight in Gaza is part of a 'World War III against radical Islam,' according to RT.
US Arms Debate. Confirmation from Washington that Iran is now arming Russia with sophisticated short-range ballistic missiles will likely increase pressure on the Biden administration to ease restrictions on how Ukraine can use weapons to strike at targets inside Russia.
Concerns on Human Rights. Human Rights Watch posted online: 'President al-Sisi's government has not eased its nationwide repression that caused one of Egypt's worst human rights crises in many decades.'
US Aid to Egypt. The U.S. just bribed Egypt with $1.3 billion in military aid to get Cairo to 'continue to participate in U.S. policy towards Palestine, which equates to facilitating the ongoing genocide in Gaza,' Dr. Annelle Sheline posted.
Cottage Cheese Comeback. About a decade ago, cottage cheese was a dead market. Now it’s valued at $1.52B.
Annexation Proposals. David Friedman explained that Israel needs financial assistance 'to assert and maintain its sovereignty over Judea and Samaria,' the biblical name for the illegally Israeli-occupied Palestinian West Bank.
JASSMs Potential. Three sources told the outlet that sending JASSMs to Ukraine 'could significantly alter the strategic landscape of the conflict by putting more of Russia in range of powerful, precision-guided munitions.'
Biblical Annexation Argument. David Friedman argues in his new book that Washington should support Israel's annexation 'based first and foremost on biblical prophecies and values.'
Medvedev on Trump. Dmitry Medvedev downplayed the chances of improved relations between the U.S. and Moscow if Donald Trump was elected and said despite the billionaire's bluster, he is nothing more than an 'establishment insider.'
Medvedev's Telegram Comments. Medvedev took to Telegram to say Trump made the comments out of 'spite for the current administration.'
U.S. Long-Range Missiles. Zelensky has been appealing to the U.S. to provide long-range missiles to strike targets deep inside Russia.
Moore's Accusation. Michael Moore, the movie director, wrote in his newsletter today that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal, and the U.S. taxpayer is 'funding and arming the slaughter of children in Gaza.'
Source Link.
Media Relations. Axios noted that Netanyahu has already begun trying to shore up his personal relationship with Trump, underscoring strategic language usage.
Map Presentation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented a map of Israel without the West Bank, drawing criticism from a top human rights expert.
Plan to Trump. He told The Forward that he will share his annexation plan with Trump 'at the appropriate time,' according to The Middle East Eye.
Encouragement for Türkiye. Blinken posted that he spoke with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, and "encouraged Türkiye’s advocacy for a cease-fire and the release of all hostages held by Hamas immediately."
Internet Reaction. Fox News reported that "pandemonium broke out" across the internet while the post was up.
Harris's Interview Critique. Norman Solomon wrote that Harris hurt her chances by dodging the genocide question during the CNN interview.
Overexposure to Real Estate. The Trends Journal noted that the bank is overexposed to commercial real estate loans.
Recovery Timeline. The bank said it will start to see a recovery 'in 2025 as central banks cut interest rates and unemployment stabilizes which would ease some pressure for consumers and businesses falling behind on their loan repayments.'
UN Warning on Polio. Israel only agreed to the deal after a UN official noted that polio knows no borders and would put Israeli children at risk.
Averting Attention. The task on the northern front is still ahead of us, the safe return of the residents.
Binance's Response. The company rejected the allegation in a message to Anadolu News and said, 'As a global crypto exchange, we comply with internationally accepted anti-money laundering legislation, just like any other financial institution.'
Funds Seized Allegation. Binance, the popular crypto exchange, was accused of seizing 'all funds from all Palestinians' after a request from Israel’s IDF over alleged links to 'illicit funds.'
Office Building Bust Forecast. We had forecast that as a result of the new work-at-home trend there would be an Office Building Bust.
Western Support. Kyiv has been trying to get Western countries to agree on allowing it to use long-range missiles that have been provided to strike deep inside Russia.
Monitor Credit Reports. People should go to annualcreditreport.com and order for free their credit report, then review it carefully.
Iran's Foreign Minister Statement. Iran['s] reaction to Israeli terrorist attack in Tehran is definitive, and will be measured & well calculated.
WWIII Not Official. The Trends Journal has long noted that WWIII has begun, but it will not be made official until there is a massive red flag attack and/or a military confrontation.
Omar's Question. Rep. Ilhan Omar asked a legitimate question: How many times can Israel humiliate the U.S.?
Critique of Administration. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Mich., laid into the Biden administration on Wednesday.
Iran's Response Timing. The timing of Iran's response will be meticulously orchestrated to ensure that it occurs at a moment of maximum surprise.
Gold Price Surge. As Trends Journal subscribers well know, we were the only media publication in the world that had forecast on 2 January 2024 that this year would be a Golden Year for Gold.
Read More Link.
Criticism from Relatives. Mati Dancyg, the son of one of the hostages, claimed that Netanyahu's government chose to 'abandon the hostages in order to survive.'
Mossad's Statement. The mother of an Israeli hostage in Gaza was informed by the head of Mossad in May that a ceasefire deal with Hamas is impossible because of politics in Israel.
Blinken's Proposal. Hamas rejected Blinken's claim that Netanyahu agreed to a deal, stating that it was 'not what was presented to us nor what we agreed on.'
US Accusations. U.S. President Joe Biden accused Hamas of 'backing away' from a deal that he stated was agreed upon by Netanyahu.
Political Motives. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war effort in Gaza is seen by many as nothing more than a political effort to stay in power due to his corrupt practices.
Proposal Details. The proposal now includes no permanent ceasefire, no full withdrawal of Israeli troops, and fails to ensure accountability for the perpetrators.
Genocide Allegations. Craig Mokhiber indicated that the proposal being pushed by Israel and the U.S. is not a ceasefire but rather 'further cover for a genocide.'
Proposal Ambiguities. Hamas said the new proposal 'raises many ambiguities.'
Trump's Close Lead. The current RealClearPolitics average in Pennsylvania gives Trump a +0.1 advantage.
Toby's Political Leaning. Toby is also for Harris, suggesting he and Pam could canvass together.
Ritter's Warning. Scott Ritter, the former UN weapons inspector, said in an interview published Thursday that Ukraine's decision to carry out an incursion into Kursk is a desperate move that will only result in Russia taking over more territory in the country.
Territorial Loss Forecast. Ukraine is going to lose another 30 percent or more of its territory when this is done because Russia has basic...
Nord Stream Pipeline Attack. The Wall Street Journal published on Thursday what it called the definitive account of who was behind the Nord Stream pipelines attack.
Potential WWIII Risk. The U.S. is supporting two countries — Ukraine and Israel — that are doing all they can to expand their wars so Washington officially joins the fight, which could lead to WWIII.
Russia and China Involvement. Russia and China may decide to support Iran in the Middle East.
Legal Troubles. Netanyahu has been charged with fraud, bribery, and breach of trust in three cases filed in 2019, known as Case 1000, 2000 and 4000.
Digital Currency Shift. Are both selectees pushing this THIRD ELEMENT as to assist the Federal Reserve to implement what is certainly coming? A Central Bank Digital Currency…
Decline of Middle Class. The middle class is in decline.
Subscription Opportunity. Readers are encouraged to subscribe to the Trends Journal to never miss an issue.
Unsponsored Project Initiative. Bandit started the Unsponsored Project to provide unsponsored apparel for new Olympic athletes.
TikTok Surge. The Paris Olympics has racked up over 1.3 million posts on TikTok, a 1,828% increase from the Tokyo Olympics.
Luxury Brand Sponsorship. LVMH is the first luxury brand to be an Olympic sponsor, seamlessly integrating their portfolio of products throughout the Olympics.
Support for Competing Mothers. Allyson Felix partnered with Pampers to create an Olympic nursery for new moms who are competing in the Olympics.
Permanent Ceasefire. Netanyahu has said he will not agree to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza until Hamas is eliminated, which even his military said is an impossibility.
Ceasefire Conditions. Israel submitted 'a list of new stipulations in late July to American, Egyptian and Qatari mediators that added less flexible conditions to a set of principles it had made in late May.'
False Narrative. The Trends Journal noted for months that Israel has refused any ceasefire deal with Hamas that calls for a permanent end to the fighting - while the Western media and politicians acted like it was Hamas that was the obdurate party.
Negotiation Stalemate. Hamas said it will not take part in ceasefire negotiations later this week until mediators 'present a plan to implement what was agreed upon by the movement on July 2, 2024.'
New Border Control. One of the new conditions submitted late last month was the stipulation that Israel controls Gaza's southern border – which was a new position.
Escalating Conflict. Alastair Crooke, the former British diplomat, told Andrew Napolitano that Netanyahu's ultimate goal is an all-out war with Iran and he will do all he can to provoke Tehran.
Hostages First. Benny Gantz, the National Unity chair who resigned from Netanyahu’s government, said in an interview in June that the return of the hostages should be the priority.
Netanyahu's War Goals. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ultimate goal is an all-out war with Iran and he will do all he can to provoke Tehran so it responds and the war escalates.
Consumer Campaign. Consumer Reports has led a petition now with more than 34,000 signatures asking federal regulators to 'get cancer-causing chemicals out of cars.'
Resources for Parents. Here's the 2022 report where parents can learn which car seats have flame retardants and PFAS: https://www.ecocenter.org/our-work/healthy-stuff-lab/reports/toxic-inequities-2022-car-seat-report.
Fallacy of Hamas Destruction. 'This business of destroying Hamas, making Hamas disappear—it's simply throwing sand in the eyes of the public. Hamas is an idea, Hamas is a party.'
Civil War Warning. Benny Gantz warned that if Israelis 'do not come to our senses, there will be a civil war here... It is forbidden to hide the truth.'
Gallant's Dissent. Gallant reportedly made the comments during a classified meeting with the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
School Used for Military. Israel accused Hamas of using the school for military operations.
Targeted Schools. Josep Borrell... said he was 'horrified' after learning about Israel's latest bombing. He posted on X that Israel targeted at least 10 schools in the last few weeks.
Children Victims. Many of those wounded in the strike were children, who arrived at the hospital with severe burns covering much of their bodies.
Protesters Denounced. The most exuberant ovation occurred when Netanyahu denounced the 50,000 or so demonstrators who surrounded the Capitol building to express their disgust at the Jewish mass murderer’s presence.
Provocation for Intervention. 'It is something that is contrived to get the United States to intervene directly and militarily on their behalf.'
Banking Crisis Forecast. The banking crisis to come as a result of the Office Building Bust is real and at some point it can no longer be covered up.
Gold Price Prediction. When the Banks Go Bust the equity market and the global economy will crash and gold prices will sharply spike to the $3000 per ounce level.
Biden's Realization. Biden has come to the realization that Netanyahu has been lying to him and is trying to prolong the war in Gaza instead of securing a hostage deal.
Biden's Support Diminished. Biden has provided Israel with billions in weapons, military protection, and diplomatic cover, only to be abandoned by Israeli extremists in favor of Trump.
Ceasefire Negotiation Critique. Sources stated that Netanyahu's current positions on the ceasefire negotiations will not lead to real progress.
Military Presence. The U.S. is sending military assets to the Middle East to make sure genocide can continue.
Houthi Support. Ali al-Qahoum, a top Houthi official, also said Iran will not be alone in its retaliatory response.
Video Evidence. A video emerged on social media claiming to show an American-made F-16 fighter flying over Ukraine's southern city of Odessa.
Biden Campaign End. U.S. President Joe Biden announced he will end his campaign for president.
Presidential Honor. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection calm I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down...
Media Alarm on Biden. The New York Times's editorial board called for the president to step aside in 2024.
Declining Campaign Perceptions. Maureen Dowd wrote that 'the race for the Oval today is between two delusional, selfish, stubborn old guys.'
Geneva Convention Violations. Roth mentioned that the occupation brings into force the fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 on military occupation, which Israel has ratified, rendering it illegal for an occupying power to transfer its population to occupied territory.
UN Accountability Demand. Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, stated that "Violent settlers must be held accountable. As Israel has proven unwilling or unable to bring them to justice, other countries must do so."
Attacks on Volunteers. A group of Israeli settlers attacked a group of foreign volunteers in the West Bank who had been helping Palestinian farmers, with some volunteers needing hospital treatment.
Trump-Netanyahu Relationship. Netanyahu has already begun trying to sure up his personal relationship with Trump.
Negotiation Strategy. Netanyahu said Wednesday that the key to the negotiations is to keep the foot on Hamas's neck, so 'as long as we keep pressuring them, Hamas will give up more and more.'
Civilian Casualties. Israel killed at least 70 in Khan Younis on Monday alone as the massacre in Gaza continues.
Economic Concerns. Nearly four in 10 (39 percent) of U.S. adults say they worry most or all of the time that their family's income won't be enough to meet expenses.
Latest Support. Itamar Ben Gvir officially endorsed Donald Trump for U.S. president because Trump will back Israel for war with Iran.
Hostage Situation. Benny Gantz emphasized that he wants the hostages to return home and expressed a willingness to continue fighting in Gaza later.
NORAD Interception. NORAD intercepted four bombers near Alaska, identified as two Russian TU-95 and two PRC H-6 military aircraft.
Ongoing Hostages. The BBC noted that the announcement means 111 of the 251 people taken hostage are still being held in Gaza, including 39 who the military says are presumed dead.
Polio Information Link.
Middle East Coverage. A new issue will be out on Tuesday with in-depth coverage of the expanding war in the Middle East.
Katz's Image Post. Israel Katz posted an image on X showing Erdogan and Sadam Hussein, stating, 'Erdogan is following Sadam Hussein's path and threatens to attack Israel.'
War with Iran. Ritter emphasized that Netanyahu cannot have a war with Iran because he will lose, describing it as 'not serious' and a 'fantasy on his part.'
Extremist Base. Ritter stated that Netanyahu was merely playing for his extremist base at home.
Support for Israel. Ritter acknowledged that some members of Congress are 'unabashed supporters' of Israel, but asserted that nobody is going to war with Hezbollah or Iran.
Netanyahu's Bluster. Scott Ritter stated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu knows that Israel could not win a war with Hezbollah and is not serious about it.
Extremist Views. Bezalel Smotrich, the extremist Israeli finance minister, described the soldiers accused of badly wounding the Palestinian detainee's rectum area 'heroic warriors,' according to Middle East Eye.
Protest Incident. Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu and MK Otzma Yehudit joined the protesters, who clashed with police outside the facility, Haaretz reported.
Gold Performance. Gold is up big.
Harris Prediction. Harris will win on abortion.
New Iranian Leadership. Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran's new president, is seen as a centrist and a reform candidate who intends to initiate reforms in economic and cultural domains.
High Stakes of Conflict. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah mentioned that Israel is considering a 'real, studied' response to previous attacks.
US Military Support. The US has provided Israel with over 14,000 highly destructive MK-84 2,000-pound bombs since October 7.
Encourage Sharing. In the meantime, tell your friends!
Call to Action. Sign up now so you don’t miss the first issue.
Street Votes Concept. 'Street votes', which allow residents to vote on local rule changes, are intended to narrow veto rights to smaller groups.
GDPR and Rights. The GDPR gives Europeans a strong inalienable right to choose how 'their data' is used.
Ghost Towns Not Caused by Planning. Research by Trinity College Dublin's Ronan Lyons concludes that 'credit, and credit alone, was to blame for the severity of Ireland's housing market bubble'.
UK Housing White Paper. This week the British government released a white paper on housing and the land-use planning system that could actually be pretty good, if it makes it into law.
Currency and Debt. It’s a myth that countries that have their own currencies can’t default on their debt.
UK GDP Measurement. The UK's GDP figures overstate the size of the contraction a bit compared with other European countries, because of how we measure output in education and health.
Covid-19 Vaccine Timeline. Saloni Dattani on when the first Covid-19 vaccines will likely arrive: by the end of March next year.
Manufacturing Profits. Rising profits in US manufacturing are associated with rising productivity rather than rising prices.
Economic Impact of Migration. Puerto Ricans fleeing Hurricane Maria to Orlando led to a small increase in native employment and had no effect on native wages.
Apple vs Epic Lawsuit. The Epic Games lawsuit against Apple is probably doomed, as my colleague Dirk Auer lays out here.
Efforts to Eradicate Smallpox. What appeals to me about Zhdanov and this effort is that it didn't take a new technological discovery, it was a question of ambition and will.
New Magazine Launch. This week I helped launch a new online magazine called Works In Progress.
Public Health Missteps. The government allowed mass travel for summer holidays, and it seems very likely that travellers returning from Spain brought more Covid home with them.
Covid Immunity Claims. Ivor Cummins recorded a widely shared video in September that argued that we had reached herd immunity already.
Misguided Predictions. Toby Young wrote: 'I’m going to go out on a limb and predict there will be no "second spike" - not now, and not in the autumn either. The virus has melted into thin air.'
Inflation Impact. Consumer price inflation in the UK has averaged 1.9% since 2010, meaning that £1,000 kept in cash from 2010 would have lost about £180 in purchasing power by now.
Debunking Covid Myths. I've also written about the eight biggest Covid myths, based on that site, for the New Statesman.
Anti-Virus Initiative. I've put together a site that tries to respond to some misinformation and dodgy claims made about Covid.
South Korea's Education Spending. South Korea, which has the highest share of private spending on education in the world, is an example of where this arms race can lead to.
Arms Race in Education. One negative externality may be the 'arms race' that occurs as more and more people get university degrees.
Loan Subsidy Implications. Under a less generous repayment scheme that was in place until recently, out of every £1 borrowed by students the long-run cost to the government was 43.3p.
Alternative Solutions. Creating an optional, opt-in digital ID system that actually works could make this possible.
Government Consideration. Following the murder of Sir David Amess MP, the British government is considering banning anonymity online.
Listening Access. You should be able to listen to 'The End of Invention' worldwide, but if you have any trouble accessing it, let me know.
Documentary Overview. Last night I presented a documentary on BBC Radio 4 that asked whether innovation has been slowing down since the late 20th Century.
Institutional Influence. Institutionally, the Doomster view seems very powerful at the Treasury, and the absence of a more optimistically Boosterish department may be behind some calls to break it up.
Brexit Consequences. Doomsters think that Brexit was a bad decision that is already visibly making us poorer, with very limited benefits.
Housing Costs. Housing supply is both clearly severely constrained – the cost of purchasing a house in many parts of the country is 5-10 times the cost of building it – and clearly the root cause of high housing costs.
Tea from Char Teas. A biggish order (£40 or so) tends to do me for about a year, and I think the quality is better than what I’d get at a supermarket.
Uniqlo Airism Underwear. I suggest getting one size larger than you normally would.
Vanguard for Investing. I can get both low fees and a broad-based investment by investing in Vanguard's VWRL All-World ETF inside a stocks and shares ISA.
Octopus Energy. Octopus is still by far the best energy company, though – it has innovative tariffs for people with smart meters.
Nuclear Costs Analysis. Jack Devanney argues that nuclear is much more expensive than it needs to be because we re-invest all cost reductions in reducing background radiation more and more.
Nuclear Investment. Japan has just announced a plan to jointly spend $1.1 trillion, along with private sector investors, on a new nuclear fleet over the next ten years.
Low Investment Rates. The UK has a very low investment rate, spending less of its GDP on R&D than the OECD average.
Capping ISAs. The Resolution Foundation wants to cap the size of ISAs at £100,000, above which any extra money would be taxed as normal.
Democracy Solutions. I am fond of the idea of street votes, and think we could use this principle of 'Coasean democracy' in other areas to bypass opposition and get stuff built.
Bureaucratic Science. I think one problem is that we’ve made science more bureaucratic and deferential to authority.
Energy Price Disparity. The median industrial price of energy even before the Ukraine war was 7 cents per kWh in the US and 19 cents per kWh in the UK.
Cost of Housing. A median square foot of housing in the US is about half the price of the median square foot of housing in the UK.
Inflation Projections. UK real disposable incomes are not forecast to return to 2021 levels until 2027.
Productivity Comparison. By productivity, or how much we produce per hour worked, the US was 38% more productive than the UK (UK $54.3/hour, USA $73.7/hour) in 2019.
GDP Per Capita. By GDP per capita, adjusted for purchasing power, the US ($76,399) is 39% richer than the UK ($54,603).
Great Stagnation. The 'Great Stagnation,' as Tyler Cowen dubbed it in his 2011 book, has been the focus of much interest and concern.
Against Capping ISAs. Capping ISAs, as was proposed last year, would be a mistake.
Future Financial Security. My ISA is a big part of my financial planning for my future.
Local Objections' Impact. The final decision on the £1.35 billion Aquind Interconnector in Portsmouth was made by the Business Secretary, but he ruled against it because local objections were so strong.
Ministerial-Level Decisions. Labour has pledged to make decisions on important infrastructure projects, like data centres and prisons, at the ministerial level, instead of letting the local council decide.
Aquind Project. The Aquind Interconnector in Portsmouth was blocked by the last government because of local objections.
Consumer Openness. Data shows that 77% of consumers are open to trying AI-generated recipes.
Photo Generation Success. LunchBox's AI-powered food photo generator produced 175 million photos within four weeks of launching.
Generative AI Market Growth. The 'Generative AI' industry was valued at $8.2B in 2021 and is expected to grow to $126.5B by 2031.
Fashion Rental Popularity. Nuuly has seen success with an 86% increase in sales and a 68% increase in subscribers in the clothing rental market.
Frozen Foods Popularity. Statista reported that in 2022, 89% of millennials cooked meals at home, and 73% for Gen Z respondents, indicating a shift toward cooking at home rather than eating out.
Renovation Market Growth. According to Yahoo Finance, the housing market has slowed down due to high mortgage rates and home prices, leading millennials to renovate their homes—a market expected to reach $667B in 2025.
Subscription Economy Growth. The subscription economy has grown by 435% over the last decade, and it's not done growing.
Sober Curious Movement. Mintel reports that a 'sober curious movement' exists, and 40% of survey respondents follow a sober curious lifestyle for physical health or mental health reasons.
Interest in Restaurants. Yelp reported that food and arts & entertainment had the highest consumer interest growth rate between this year and last.
Fitness Reservations Rising. ClassPass has seen 329% growth in fitness reservations since 2020 and 10% higher booking rates since pre-pandemic times.
Experiential Spending. Eventbrite shares that more than 75% of millennials spend money on a desirable experience rather than products.
Growing Interest on TikTok. There has been a 389% increase in TikTok video views around male skincare search terms.
User-Generated Content. User-generated content is 10 times more influential in the purchase decision than influencer or branded content.
Celebrity Influence. Beauty spending among UK men grew 77% due to active efforts by celebrities and brands to promote men's cosmetics and skincare.
Men's Grooming Market. The men's grooming market is expected to be worth $115B by 2028.
Female Spending. Average spending in the US across multiple beauty categories is about 50% higher for women than men.
TikTok's Brand Advantage. TikTok's search ads toggle feature allows brands to utilize existing in-feed content for ads, leading to a 441% increase in conversion rates for brands like Clinique UK.
Gen Z Search Preference. A 2024 Adobe survey found that 10% of Gen Z relies more on TikTok than Google for search queries.
Return Rate Challenges. Only 75% of returned items are resold, exacerbated by consumers purchasing multiple sizes and colors.
Return Process Solution. Sway is focused on creating a 'gentler and faster' returns experience, securing $19.5M in Series A funding and expanding to 20 cities.
Rove's Mission. Rove is a credit card to democratize travel reward points for young adults.
Rewarding Rent Payments. Bilt Rewards offers rewards for renters to build up their credit scores and redeem points through rent, travel, and other purchases.
Fenty Beauty Positioning. This acquisition positions Rihanna's $2B celebrity brand, Fenty Beauty, in a positive light, as it's clear that the Ambani family is expanding into beauty.
CPG Podcasts Growth. The largest companies in the CPG sector using podcasts for advertising include BetterHelp, Amazon, and Shopify.
Influencer Trust. 76% of Gen Z podcast listeners say they trust the podcast hosts they listen to.
Growth in Podcast Ads. A 2022 report found that US podcast revenues are growing 26% year-over-year to $1.8B.
Innovative Flavor Range. Crumbl has 200+ rotating flavors that take inspiration from other desserts and familiar foods.
Crumbl's Success. Crumbl Cookie has exceeded over $1B in sales with 980 locations nationwide.
Natural Sweeteners Demand. A 2023 Food and Healthy survey found that 72% of consumers are looking to limit or avoid sugar.
Mushroom Growth. Lion Mane mushrooms experienced a near 600% growth in order share from 2022 to 2023.
Consumer Trends Focus. I plan to schedule more consumer founder interviews to build out the interview section of my newsletter.
Entrepreneurial Journey. Ariana Davarpanah quit her job at Robinhood in November 2023 to focus on Iscicle full-time.
Iscicle's Mission. Iscicle is an online social platform for international students to seek community and share resources.
Successful Campaign. Poppi's campaign with Alix Earle resulted in a 200% increase in sales.
Solitary Marathoners. Only 0.05% of the US population have actually run a marathon, leading to a discrepancy between perception and reality.
Marathon Trend. There is a perceived popularity of marathons among 20-year-olds, but the largest demographic is actually the 30-39 year old range.
Sponsorship Growth. Golf and tennis are the first two women’s sports to receive more than 1,000 sponsorships.
Viewership Boom. The Iowa vs. LSU game was watched by more than 12 million viewers on ESPN, becoming the most-watched college basketball game ever.
AI in Property Management. AI helps facilitate fast responses and lower the workload necessary for property managers.
Consumer Preference Shift. 60% of consumers prefer generative AI content over traditional creator content.
Gen Z Loyalty Programs. Bullish's latest Cultural Tension report stated that 60% of Gen Z travelers aren't part of any travel loyalty program.
Solo Travel Trend. Pinterest's Predict 2024 Report found that the keyword 'solo traveling' grew 145% in the past two years.
Market Size. The sexual wellness market is set to hit $80B in revenue over the next five years.
Catalyst Angels Program. Catalyst Angels is a six-week program dedicated to Black, Latinx, and/or female Minnesota-based investors learn more about angel investing.
Music in Bluey. The New York Freaking Times did a whole article about the music from Bluey and yes, it is all intentional.
Episode Recommendation. Do yourself a favor, especially if you are a mom, and give Baby Race a watch.
Gas Prices Rising. AAA's National Average Price of a Gallon of Gas: $3.80 (up seven cents from last week).
2024 Polling. The Hill/Emerson polling shows Trump would win Pennsylvania by +1 versus Biden in a 2024 rematch.
Negative Direction. Some seven in ten Americans say that things in our country are headed off on the wrong track.
Codebook on Substack. Codebook is officially moving over to Substack.
Party Leadership Approval. In October 2021, on the cusp of what some thought might be a 'red wave', Nancy Pelosi still garnered 73% job approval from Democrats.
Volunteer Aspirations. When Mom was going through treatment, one of the places where she found kindness was the organization Angel Wigs of Hope.
Mother's Death. My beloved mother Linda, having been diagnosed with cancer last year, passed away at home at the age of 64.
Media Coverage of Trump. By February of 2016...Donald Trump had received $2 billion in free media.
Haley's Presidential Bid. Nikki Haley will very likely jump into the race for President.
Pandemic Amnesty Thought. Emily Oster wrote that we should declare a 'pandemic amnesty', forgiving one another for choices made in the early days of the pandemic that have turned out to be misguided.
Mask Efficacy. There’s still a lot we don’t know about the effect of masks on curbing transmission.
Learning from Experiences. We’ve learned that moving students to remote learning for extended periods results in catastrophic learning loss in children.
COVID-19 Statistics. There have been over a hundred million cases of COVID-19 reported in the United States, and over a million deaths attributed to the disease by WHO.
Rudy Gobert's Case. The day Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus, the NBA cancelled the season and the WHO declared a global pandemic.
Alternative Debate Options. James Fishback has launched a competing debate league of his own, indicating a shift in the landscape of high school debate.
Critical View on Labels. Even Millennials themselves didn’t warm to the term 'Millennial'.
Generational Analysis Shift. Pew Research Center has decided to largely dispense with generational analysis moving forward.
Primary Participation. In 2016, for instance, Pew Research Center estimated that around 15% of eligible voters participated in the Republican primary.
2024 Election Dynamics. The 2024 election will be about chaos vs. stability - and how based on the data I’ve seen, Trump will likely try to position himself on the side of stability this time around.
New Billy Joel Single. Billy Joel is going to release his first new song in nearly two decades.
Polling Analysis Engagement. I’ll be writing up a weekly polling analysis digest over at the Opinion Daily newsletter on Tuesdays.
Impact of Cat Videos. Watching silly cat videos is good for you.