Welcome to the Bulletin,
If you like this newsletter, please share it. If you've been forwarded this email, you can sign up here. If you have any story tips, feedback or ideas for what we should do next, please email Emeri B. Montgomery. We appreciate your feedback and you starting your day with us.
TL/DR: "Even if you're not in the path of totality, if you're 70 percent, 50 percent obscured, we never want to stare directly at the sun," Kelly Godsey, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service (NWS) in Tallahassee, Florida, said.
Eclipse day is here. However, viewing for millions may be limited, as clouds and storms may hinder viewing along the path of totality. Texas has the biggest impact, according to Kelly Godsey, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service (NWS) in Tallahassee, Florida. Here's the latest forecast.
Why it matters: Today's eclipse will be the last total solar eclipse visible in the U.S. until 2044. While looking at the forecast for this afternoon, Godsey said that Little Rock, Arkansas, and portions of Ohio and parts of New England, should be "some pretty good spots" for eclipse spectators. However, Austin, Texas, is likely to have the "least optimal viewing experience" due to mostly cloudy skies and rain chances, he said. Those planning to view the eclipse are advised to wear the proper glasses to avoid eye injury. Please tag us at @Newsweek to submit your pictures from the eclipse, and for full coverage of the solar eclipse, please sign up for our Discoveries newsletter, which launches today.
Read more in-depth coverage:
Greg Abbott Issues Solar Eclipse Warning For Texas
Solar Eclipse Phone Warnings Issued
Solar Eclipse 2024: Full List of Grocery Stores Closed
Is There Mail Today? Solar Eclipse Hours USPS, FedEx, UPS
What happens now? Mexico’s Pacific coast is the first point of totality on the path, expected at 11:07 a.m. PT (2:07 p.m. ET). The pathway will continue around 1:40 PM CDT/ 2:40 ET across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Then, it will cross over Canada in southern Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia, ending on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland at 5:16 p.m. (3:46 p.m. ET).
TL/DR: As the six-month anniversary of the Gaza war approaches, polling for Newsweek shows the president is facing backlash.
After showing solidarity with Israel after the October 7 Hamas attacks, surveys conducted exclusively for Newsweek since then have shown that U.S. voters' disapproval of President Joe Biden's actions in the crisis has sharpened intensely.
Why it matters: 11 days after Biden's full-throated pledge of support, U.S. voters' polling for the president's handling of the situation was +2 percentage points. After going up 6% in December, a survey last month saw Biden's approval rating on Israel slump to –9 points. This poses a concern for Democrats about November's presidential election, especially after over 100,000 voters at the Michigan primary pledged "uncommitted" to protest Biden's Israel policies.
Read more in-depth coverage:
Biden Delivers His Harshest Warning Yet to Israel's Netanyahu
Joe Biden Braces for Gaza Backlash in Wisconsin
Trump Would 'Level' Gaza Without a Thought, Ex-Aide Warns
What happens now? Even if Biden's patience with Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly running out, it doesn't appear to be playing well with American voters. "It would be very difficult for him to explain that to the base and energize the base to come out in November," Osamah F. Khalil, a U.S. foreign relations and Middle East expert, told Newsweek. Thomas Gift, founding director of the Centre on U.S. Politics at University College London, said that while Israel poses challenges for Biden, it’s “not an especially salient issue" for voters, with issues like immigration, inflation, and the economy in general at the forefront of voters’ minds.
TL/DR: The former president is to issue a stance on abortion rights, having been beaten by Joe Biden in several polls.
Donald Trump has appeared to strike a more moderate chord on abortion rights ahead of the presidential election. The presumptive Republican nominee has previously made several statements about reproductive rights but has not confirmed whether he believes in a nationwide abortion ban.
Why it matters: Many Republicans wish to curtail abortions, with a more restrictive ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy set to go into effect in Florida next month. However, polls consistently show that most Americans believe abortion should be legal through the initial stages of pregnancy. Meanwhile, polls ahead of the 2024 presidential election are tight, meaning Trump may wish to adopt a conciliatory position to gain more votes.
Read more in-depth coverage:
Joe Biden Crushes Donald Trump in New Swing State Poll
Donald Trump Suffers Major Drop in Gen Z Support
Joe Biden Scores Big Win Over Donald Trump Among Suburban Voters
What happens now? Scott Lucas, a professor in international politics at University College Dublin, told Newsweek that the abortion debate could decide the 2024 election. Trump announced on Truth Social that he would be putting out his statement on Abortion and Abortion Rights this morning.
TL/DR: Sea level rises could cause coastal areas along Texas's stretch of the Gulf of Mexico to be consumed by water, modeling suggests.
Modeling suggests that coastal areas along Texas's stretch of the Gulf of Mexico could be vulnerable to water consumption as sea levels rise due to climate change.
Why it matters: By the year 2100, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates there will be between 43 and 84 centimeters (1.4-2.8 feet) of sea level rise, but that an increase of 2 meters (6.6 feet) "cannot be ruled out." According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration projections, a sea level rise of around 3 feet would still see receding coastlines near Houston, Galveston, and Port Isabel. Nueces Bay, near Corpus Christi, would stretch further inland, while the sea would reclaim several lakes near Vanderbilt, Jackson County, enlarging Lavaca Bay. A similar encroachment would show signs of occurring to nearby Green Lake and Oyster Lake.
Read more in-depth coverage:
California Map Shows Where State Will Become Underwater From Sea Level Rise
Study Warns of Largest US Cities To Face 'Significant Flooding'
Florida Map Shows Where State Will Become Underwater From Sea Level Rise
What happens now? If all the world's ice sheets melt, sea levels will rise by 216 feet. Due to the terrain, the Atlantic Coast is predicted to fare far worse than the Pacific, though all coastal areas would recede.
TL/DR: "The jobs of today are not like the jobs of the 1980s. They have shifted to become more 'age-friendly,'" Richard Fry, senior researcher for social & demographic trends at Pew Research Center, told Newsweek.
As the U.S. population ages—due to lower birth rates and the most significant generations (Baby Boomers and Millennials) getting older—the number of older people still active in the workforce is growing. While this graying workforce is helping to drive the economy, experts told Newsweek that it is not all good news.
Why it matters:Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the median age of the U.S. labor workforce went from 40 in 2002 to 42.1 in 2012 and 41.8 in 2022. A recent Pew Research Center report found that 2023 roughly one in five Americans aged 65 and older were employed—nearly twice as many as those working some 35 years ago. At the same time, older workers have increased their earning power, from $13 per hour in 1987 to $22 in 2022. More older people working could address aging issues and ageism in the job market, but many over 65 work out of necessity, not choice.
Read more in-depth coverage:
Gen Z Is Toxic for Companies, Employers Believe
Baby Boomers Concerned About Ageism in Workplace
Gen Z is Done With Working From Home
What happens now? By 2032, the bureau expects the median age to reach 42.7—42.8 for men and 42.5 for women.
I Didn't Realize I Was a Workaholic—Until My Mask Slipped
I cannot name the exact instant it began. I have always been a high achiever academically, athletically, and socially—a three-sport varsity captain, graduating summa cum laude from a Little Ivy, passing the state bar exam at 25.
High performance was my source of comfort and safety growing up with an impaired mother and a twice-divorced father.
In 2008, I emerged from a traumatic relationship of domestic violence. When it ended, I was in survival mode. It took years for me to process my emotions, let alone have the self-awareness to identify that I was depressed.
The Full STORY
podcastPolitics, law, and culture collide as Newsweek Senior Editor-at-Large Josh Hammer charts a path forward for American conservatism and exposes the woke Left.
listen
newsletterFor the Culture newsletter is your weekly resource in TV, music, movies and celebrity life to keep you in the know.
sign up
See why nearly half million subscribers begin their day with our newsletter.
Sign Up
