#News of the world [Advanced] - By Cate - 18/11/2024

A quick glance at what's happening on Mother Earth 🌍

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Hello, Cate here and welcome back to NEWS OF THE WORLD!

In World News…

Donald Trump’s recent election victory centred on economic concerns, which voters ranked as their top issue. Although key indicators suggest a robust economy — including steady job growth, a strong GDP, and rising consumer spending — many Americans perceive it negatively. This discrepancy stems from persistent affordability challenges, particularly in housing and everyday costs.

High home prices, coupled with elevated mortgage rates, have made buying a home difficult. Renting isn't much easier, with nearly half of renters spending over 30% of their income on housing. This housing crisis has widened the wealth gap, affecting even high earners. Inflation, though now stable, has left prices about 20% higher than when Joe Biden took office, straining household budgets despite lower gas prices.

Political affiliation also shapes economic sentiment, with Republicans generally viewing the economy more favourably under Trump, while Democrats’ perspectives tend to shift depending on who controls the White House. Despite mixed feelings, Trump is inheriting a solid economy: unemployment remains low at 4.1%, GDP growth is robust, and disposable income is steadily rising. Nevertheless, public perception, shaped by daily financial pressures, remains sceptical despite positive economic data.

Business News

Elon Musk, recently appointed by incoming President Donald Trump to co-lead a new Department of Government Efficiency, proposed cutting $2 trillion from U.S. federal spending. This represents a 30% reduction from the $6.75 trillion spent by the government in the most recent fiscal year. Achieving these cuts would likely focus on eliminating waste, dismantling bureaucracy, and restructuring agencies, areas Musk has experience in from reducing staff at Twitter (now X).

However, cutting $2 trillion faces significant challenges. A substantial portion of federal spending is "mandatory," such as Social Security and Medicare, which are legally protected and cannot be easily reduced. These programs, along with interest on national debt, consume around 61% of the budget. Only "discretionary" spending, comprising 25% of the total, could be targeted more easily, yet it would still require drastic measures, potentially shutting down entire agencies.

Experts are sceptical about achieving such reductions without undermining key government services or sparking public backlash. Additionally, Trump’s platform includes commitments to increase certain expenditures, like Social Security benefits and defence spending. The U.S. deficit and debt remain high, with projections indicating further increases if significant spending cuts are not implemented alongside Trump’s planned tax reductions.

 Entertainment

British author Samantha Harvey has won the 2024 Booker Prize with her novel Orbital, the first space-themed book to receive the award. Orbital follows six astronauts on the International Space Station over a single day, during which they witness 16 sunrises and sunsets from orbit. The novel explores Earth's fragility and the human experience from a unique perspective. It became the best-selling book on the UK shortlist, outselling the last three Booker winners combined.

Harvey is the first woman to win the Booker since 2019, when it was jointly awarded to Bernardine Evaristo and Margaret Atwood. Despite self-doubt while writing about space, Harvey described Orbital as "a space pastoral," blending nature with the “beauty of space”. The book, her fifth novel, is 136 pages long, making it the second-shortest Booker winner in history.

Harvey wrote much of Orbital during the COVID-19 lockdowns, drawing parallels between the isolation of space and quarantine life. The 2024 shortlist featured a record five female authors, underscoring the diversity of this year's competition.

Sport

Formula 1 will introduce a "driver cooling kit" next season to help drivers cope with extreme heat. This decision follows complaints during the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, where drivers faced severe conditions with high temperatures and humidity. Many, including Alpine's Esteban Ocon, who vomited in his helmet, required medical care for dehydration or heat exhaustion. The new system will use several measures to cool the cockpit, such as blowing cool air onto drivers and increasing cooling apertures around the cockpit area. These adjustments were approved by the F1 Commission—comprising the FIA, F1, and the teams—after positive test results. The goal is to prevent heat-related medical issues during hot races. 

Additionally, discussions about a sprint race for rookie drivers were revisited, with no plans to implement it before 2026. Further talks are planned for next year and this would give young drivers the chance to demonstrate their skills to race in F1.

Self-development

A theme that keeps coming up during my training sessions is problems due to lack of boundaries. When we hear the word ‘boundaries’ we often associate it with barriers and negativity but it’s key to good relationships and wellbeing.

Balancing workload and personal responsibilities is a common challenge, particularly for women who often juggle professional obligations with household and caregiving duties. This dual burden contributes to higher rates of burnout among women, with workplace stress reaching unprecedented levels — in fact 42% of the workforce reports experiencing burnout. This makes it crucial to set boundaries at work, ensuring you don’t sacrifice well-being for job security.

To effectively establish boundaries, the first step is shifting your mindset. Boundaries aren’t selfish; they are essential for maintaining health, safety, and respect. They prevent burnout and resentment by allowing you to express your needs without guilt. This shift in thinking is the foundation for setting clear limits at work and you should never feel bad about what’s important to you.

Next, it’s important to define your priorities. This involves reassessing your values and what’s most important in your life, which may change over time. Life events such as raising children, caring for parents, dealing with health issues, or a career change may necessitate a re-evaluation of priorities.

Once priorities are clear, you can determine your limits. Boundaries can be categorized as “hard” (non-negotiable) or “soft” (flexible). Recognising these distinctions helps in setting realistic limits that respect both your professional and personal life.

 Effective boundaries require clear communication – how can people understand your boundaries if you don’t tell them? Communicate your limits to managers and colleagues confidently and regularly. Clarifying not only what your boundaries are but also why they are necessary helps foster understanding, although in some circumstances you may choose not to share your reasons, and you don’t necessarily need to. Also establish what exceptions might look like, such as defining what constitutes an emergency during time off. If boundaries are crossed, address the issue promptly to reinforce your expectations.

Finally, practice saying no. Many people struggle with this, but it’s a crucial skill. Begin in low-stakes scenarios to build confidence, also using tactful phrases to decline requests without using the word “no” directly, for example expressing gratitude for an opportunity while highlighting conflicting commitments.

In conclusion, setting boundaries is key to sustaining well-being and career longevity. By asserting boundaries, you maintain control over your time and energy, fostering a healthier work-life balance and teaching others how to respect your limits.

Well, that’s all from NEWS OF THE WORLD for now. I hope you respect your boundaries today, and I’ll talk to you soon! Take care!