The Full Belmonte, 1/8/2023
The Full Belmonte, 1/8/2023
Biden to get a firsthand look at US-Mexico border situation
By COLLEEN LONG
“WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is heading to the U.S.-Mexico border on Sunday, his first trip there as president after two years of hounding by Republicans who have hammered him as soft on border security while the number of migrants crossing spirals.
Biden is due to spend a few hours in El Paso, Texas, currently the biggest corridor for illegal crossings, due in large part to Nicaraguans fleeing repression, crime and poverty in their country. They are among migrants from four countries who are now subject to quick expulsion under new rules enacted by the Biden administration in the past week.
The president is expected to meet with border officials to discuss migration as well as the increased trafficking of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, which are driving skyrocketing numbers of overdoses in the U.S.
Biden will visit the El Paso County Migrant Services Center and meet with nonprofits and religious groups that support migrants arriving to the U.S. It is not clear whether Biden will talk to any migrants….” Read more at AP News
“Iran executed two men on Saturday -- one a karate champion, the other a volunteer children’s coach -- in connection with the nationwide protests that have swept the country since the death of 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini in morality police custody on September 16.” [CNN]
Coming trend: Working longer
Subway riders in downtown Tokyo. Photo: David Mareuil/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
“Older adults are working well into their 70s and beyond in East Asia as countries navigate declining populations and aging workforces, The New York Times reports from Tokyo.
What's happening: Companies need workers, and fewer new people are entering the labor market. And older adults need money, as the growing population of retirees has strained pension rolls.
The big picture: The demographic trends and consequences of societal aging playing out in the East are coming to the West.
The U.S. is projected to have more adults over the age of 65 than kids under 18 by 2035, per Census data. That's a historical first.” [Axios]
Public schools' enrollment crisis
Data: National Center for Education Statistics; Note: Includes pre-primary, elementary, and secondary education. Data for Louisiana and Virginia is unavailable.; Map: Tory Lysik/Axios Visuals
“The pandemic has supercharged a trend that has plagued districts across the U.S. for years — students are fleeing public schools.
Why it matters: Public schools lose funding as they lose students, and some schools have been forced to shutter altogether.
That disadvantages the many millions of students — typically lower-income students in cities — who can't turn to private schools or homeschooling.
By the numbers: Public schools lost more than a million students from fall 2019 to fall 2020, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Enrollment fell from 50.8 million to 49.4 million.
What's happening: Over the last decade, a number of states, including Michigan and New Hampshire, saw enrollment fall primarily due to declining birthrates. Others, like Texas, saw numbers rise due to immigration.
Then the pandemic hit, and public schools were subjected to state and local guidelines. Many of them flip-flopped on virtual versus in-person learning.
Widespread teacher and staff shortages exacerbated the problem. Students rapidly fell behind. That pushed frustrated parents to pull their kids out.
As a result, private schools and charter schools gained students. The number of homeschooled students doubled to about 5 million.
Zoom in: Districts from coast to coast are responding to the exodus by shuttering entire schools, The Wall Street Journal reports:
‘The school board in Jefferson County, Colo., outside Denver, voted in November to close 16 schools. St. Paul, Minn., last summer closed five schools. The Oakland, Calif., school board last February voted to close seven schools after years of declining enrollment and financial strife.’
Major metropolitan areas have been hit the hardest. A Wall Street Journal analysis found ‘enrollment fell in roughly 85 of the nation’s largest 100 public-school districts.’
Enrollment in New York City's public schools, the country's largest school district, dropped by 8.3% from 2020 to 2022, according to a fiscal watchdog funded by the city.
Charter school enrollment in NYC increased roughly 7.8% over the same period.
It may take years for some students to recover from pandemic-era learning loss, according to a report from NWEA, a nonprofit group that administers standardized tests.
What to watch: The federal government projects public school enrollment will fall even further — to 47.3 million — by 2030. Even the districts that have seen rising numbers in recent years are expected to shed students.” [Axios]
Bills back on the field
A candlelight vigil for Hamlin. Photo: Jeff Dean/Getty Images
“The Buffalo Bills host the New England Patriots today at 1 p.m. ET, six days after Damar Hamlin's terrifying on-field collapse shook the NFL — and America — to its core, writes Axios Sports editor Kendall Baker.
Why it matters: This will be one of the most emotional games in NFL history. And with Hamlin showing significant improvement, it will be a ‘celebration of life,’ says Bills general manager Brandon Beane.
The latest: The Bills announced Friday that Hamlin had been taken off a breathing tube and was talking with his family and doctors.
Hamlin also FaceTimed his teammates, telling them: ‘Love you guys.’
The big picture: More than 240,000 people have donated over $8 million to Hamlin's fundraiser for a Pittsburgh-area toy drive — as a way to show him love and support.
Sunday — the NFL's regular-season finale — will provide another opportunity to do that.
State of play: The game itself carries major AFC playoff implications. It will impact Buffalo's seeding, and the Patriots clinch a wild-card spot with a win.
The Bills will wear special ‘3’ jersey patches for Hamlin, and other NFL teams will honor him at stadiums across the country.
‘There's going to be tears out there,’ Beane said. ‘That will be more of the challenge than the X's and O's.’” [Axios]
Charted: Egg-flation
Data: FRED, BLS; Note: Data is not seasonally adjusted; Chart: Axios Visuals
“No food item has been impacted by inflation as much as eggs.
Staggering stat: The price of eggs was up over 49% in November compared to a year earlier, per the Consumer Price Index.
What to watch: Those prices may finally be coming down as we move past high holiday demand, Axios' Kelly Tyko reports.
Case in point: Egg prices were on average $4.63 for a dozen Midwest large eggs Friday down from $5.46 in the days before and after Christmas, according to Urner Barry's Egg Index.” [Axios]
1 food thing: Tiny pasta, big fans
Image: @ronzonipasta on Twitter
“Ronzoni announced plans to discontinue its pastina — a tiny variety of pasta — because it cannot find a supplier.
Fans freaked out, flooding the web with tweets, TikToks and petitions to save pastina.
One tweet said: ‘My life will never be the same.’
Rival pasta-maker Barilla is picking up customers in Ronzoni's replies, but Ronzoni hasn't given up its manufacturer search, per The Wall Street Journal.” [Axios]