U.S. Life Expectancy Reaches Record High, Tesla Profits Slump, and Trump Launches Baby Bond Initiative
The United States saw a record high in life expectancy in 2024, reaching an average of 79 years, according to a report released Thursday by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). This increase of more than half a year from 2023 was attributed to the nation's continued recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and a decline in deaths from drug overdoses, according to NPR News.
In other news, Tesla's profits slumped 46% year over year, the company revealed in its earnings update Wednesday evening, according to NPR Business. This decline occurred as the company lost its position as the top electric vehicle seller. While the drop was significant, it was reportedly better than most analysts had expected. Despite increased revenue from other sectors, such as energy storage, Tesla's car sales continued to slump through much of the year.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump rallied business leaders to supplement the $1,000 that his Administration is giving every American child born between the years 2025 and 2028 in new Trump Accounts later this year, according to Time. At an event in Washington, D.C., Trump joined celebrities, CEOs, and members of the Administration to promote the accounts, which he described as a modernized form of baby bond that can be invested more widely. "Even people that truly hate me are making this investment," said the President. Under the initiative, part of the "Big Beautiful Bill," each newborn American will receive what the President called a "beautiful nest egg" of $1,000 as seed funding for an account invested in the SP 500. No money can be withdrawn from the account until the child reaches adulthood.
In other international news, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday her government has at least temporarily stopped oil shipments to Cuba, according to NPR Politics. Sheinbaum struck an ambiguous tone, saying the pause was part of general fluctuations in oil supplies and that it was a "sovereign decision" not made under pressure from the United States.
Researchers are also focusing on lung health, according to Nature News, with some proposing investigations into the exposome – the environmental factors that a person is exposed to throughout their life – to precisely analyze the effects of allergens, smoke, and other pollutants on the respiratory system.
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