Dementia diagnoses expected to rise to 1 million per year by 2060
The risk of developing dementia may be much higher than health experts previously thought. A newly published study shows two in five people will develop dementia in their lifetime, a large difference from older studies.
Older studies estimated about 14% of men and 23% of women would develop dementia at some point in their life. However, itâs much higher, with 42% of both men and women 55 and older expected to develop the disease, according to the study published this week in the journal Nature Medicine.
The biggest finding from the study is that the number of people diagnosed with dementia every year is expected to double, jumping from 514,000 in 2020 to 1 million per year by 2060.
Researchers say a big reason is because Baby Boomers are aging and they make up the second-largest faction of the U.S. population after millennials. By 2040 all baby boomers will be at least 75 years old, which is when dementia diagnoses were found to increase substantially.
The new research found only about 17% of cases were diagnosed before age 75, with an average age at the time of diagnosis being 81. The study also found Black people and women had the highest risk of developing dementia.
World population increased 71M in 2024 to reach 8.09B for start of New Year
As the world counts down to the New Year, the global population continues to go up and is expected to surpass 8 billion people on Jan. 1, 2025, despite a slight slowdown this year, according to U.S. Census data. In 2024, the world’s population added 71 million people, marking less than a 1% increase from 2023.
Africa, with the highest birth rate of any continent, saw 14 of its countries recording the most births in 2024. On average, countries like Niger, Angola and Benin saw at least 40 births for every 1,000 people.
However, ongoing conflicts and wars have also had a significant impact on the global population, contributing to higher death rates. Ukraine, Bulgaria and Latvia are among the countries with the highest mortality numbers this year, according to the World Factbook.
Meanwhile, India and China continue to dominate as the two most populous countries, each with more than 1.4 billion people. The United States ranks third, followed by Indonesia, Pakistan and Nigeria.
Experts suggest that the 2020s could become the slowest-growing decade in U.S. history, with population growth levels not seen since the Great Depression. According to the census, in 2025, the U.S. will see roughly one birth and one death every nine seconds.
International migration will continue to drive U.S. population growth, however, with one new person arriving every 21 seconds.
Mexico’s president refutes Trump’s claim she promised to close the border
President-elect Donald Trump said Mexico has agreed to stem the tide of migrants flowing into the United States, but Mexico’s president is now saying thatâs not quite accurate. And Amazon workers are using Black Friday to make a statement about their labor situation. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, Nov. 29, 2024.
Mexico’s president refutes Trump’s claim she promised to close the border
As President-elect Donald Trump gets ready to return to office, he’s already making moves to follow through on some of his biggest campaign promises. After announcing this week his plans to impose tariffs on goods from China, Canada and Mexico, he turned his attention to another hot-button issue: immigration.
It’s a bit of a case of “he said, she said” after Trump had a call with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Wednesday, Nov. 27. President-elect Trump posted on his Truth Social platform after the call saying Sheinbaum agreed to stop migration into the U.S. through Mexico, “effectively closing our southern border.”
Sheinbaum appeared to contradict Trump in a post of her own on X, saying in part, “Mexico’s position is not to close borders…”
She did, however, lay out Mexico’s âcomprehensive strategyâ for addressing the migration issue. In a separate post on X, Sheinbaum said during the call, she told President-elect Trump, âNo caravans are arriving at the border because they are being attended to in Mexico.â
En nuestra conversaciĂłn con el presidente Trump, le expuse la estrategia integral que ha seguido MĂŠxico para atender el fenĂłmeno migratorio, respetando los derechos humanos. Gracias a ello se atiende a las personas migrantes y a las caravanas previo a que lleguen a la frontera.âŚ
The two leaders also talked about how they’re addressing the U.S. fentanyl crisis.
The call was scheduled after Trump unveiled plans to slap 25% tariffs on all imports from Mexico to the U.S. as part of the effort to stem the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S. through Mexico.
Not only would that impact the prices of avocados and agave â both very popular in the U.S. â Mexico’s economy secretary said Wednesday 88% of all North American pickup trucks come from Mexico. Sheinbaum then suggested Mexico could retaliate with tariffs of its own.
âI hope he rethinks it,â Biden said. âI think itâs a counterproductive thing to do. You know, one of the things you’ve heard me say before is that we are â we have an unusual situation in America. We’re surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, and two allies: Mexico and Canada. The last thing we need to do is begin to screw up those relationships.”
Economists forecast Trump’s planned tariffs would increase prices for American shoppers, costing the average U.S. household about $2,600 per year, according to an estimate from the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
Israel and Hezbollah both claim ceasefire violations
Barely three days into a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, both sides are claiming violations.Â
Yesterday, Hezbollah had a precision-guided missile manufacturing siteâtoday, they donât.
Hezbollahâs largest precision-guided missiles manufacturing site, 1.4km wide and 70m underground, was struck and dismantled by IAF fighter jets yesterday.
Lebanese authorities also said two people, who were trying to return to southern Lebanon, were shot and wounded by Israeli forces. Lebanon’s health ministry said they were civilians, but the IDF claimed they were suspected of violating terms of the truce.
The agreement, brokered by the United States and France, includes an initial two-month ceasefire during which Hezbollah militants will withdraw north of the Litani River and Israeli forces are to return to their side of the border.
Thousands of Amazon workers to strike from Black Friday to Cyber Monday
Amazon workers in more than 20 countries, including the U.S., are on strike on some of the busiest pre-Christmas shopping days across the world. It started on Black Friday, Nov. 29, a day for bargain hunters to score some of the biggest discounts from stores across the country as holiday shopping kicks into high gear.
Organizers told the United Nations the so-called “days of resistance” are to hold Amazon accountable for alleged labor abuses, as well as “environmental degradation and threats to democracy.” According to ABC News, the strike could delay holiday deliveries.
The organizers said this is their fifth year of labor action against Amazon during the beginning of the holiday shopping season.
In a statement, Amazon said the group that organized the strikes is being “intentionally misleading” and promoting a “false narrative.â Management said the company offers great pay and benefits.
Canada sues Google over control of online ads
Canada’s antitrust watchdog said it is suing Google over alleged anti-competitive conduct in the company’s online advertising business. They’re calling for Google to sell off two of its ad tech services and pay a penalty.
The Competition Bureau said it’s necessary because an investigation into Google found the company âunlawfullyâ tied together its ad tech tools to maintain its dominant market position. Google insists the online advertising market is a highly competitive sector and is fighting the allegations.Â
This comes just a week after the U.S. Department of Justice asked a federal judge to force Google to sell its Chrome web browser, saying it continues to crush the competition through its dominant search engine.
America facing a live Christmas tree shortage again
As millions of Americans get ready to begin their search for the perfect Christmas tree, growers are having historic challenges getting them to sale lots, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The day after Thanksgiving is usually the biggest day for live tree sales, but since Thanksgiving came so late this year, it’s a very short selling season. On top of that, a nationwide shortage is expected thanks to severe weather across the country this year, such as a northeastern drought and North Carolina floods caused by Hurricane Helene. North Carolina is the second-biggest supplier of Christmas trees in the country.Â
Shoppers bought roughly 21.6 million real Christmas trees in the U.S. last year, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. The Department of Agriculture said the number of trees harvested in the U.S. has declined 30% since 2002, while the American population has grown 16% over the same period.
Alaska native air drops Thanksgiving turkeys to families in remote areas
In the most remote parts of Alaska a Thanksgiving turkey is hard to come by. So, one woman made sure families in roadless parts of the state had their holiday feast.
Pilot Esther Keim calls it “Alaska Turkey Bomb.â She flies in a small plane to off-the-grid homes and air drops frozen turkeys for families to enjoy for Thanksgiving.
Keim said it’s a tribute to a family friend who did the same thing for her family when she was growing up.
She started the tradition in 2022 after somebody that she knew told her they did not have much of a holiday dinner â and no turkey at all. Since then, she has delivered 30 to 40 turkeys every year to families living in remote areas of Alaska.
Sea squirts are being explored as a sustainable meat alternative
Norwegian company Pronofa is exploring innovative ways to make protein production more sustainable by transforming ciona, ocean-dwelling filter feeders also known as sea squirts, into a viable meat substitute. However, raising these invertebrates for human consumption has had its problems in the past.
Sea squirts are processed by Pronofa into a product with a flavor and texture close to that of beef without the need for any additives. The invertebrates have a natural seafood taste and a texture similar to calamari.
Eating these creatures creates a much smaller carbon footprint compared to traditional livestock. Sea squirts are also nutritionally similar to conventional meats.
Sea squirts can also help clean the ocean as they feed. The creatures naturally pull out nitrogen and phosphorus from their marine environments.
Despite these advantages, there are challenges to scaling sea squirt farming. Mass die-offs have been reported at some farms due to parasites.
Experts say the problem is exacerbated by the low genetic diversity within farmed sea squirt populations. This vulnerability presents a potential barrier to long-term, large-scale production.
Despite this, Pronofa remains optimistic about the future of sea squirts in the food market. The company sees them as a promising option for sustainable protein rather than a fleeting trend.
South Korea tackles population crisis with foreign caregivers
South Korea launched a pilot program aimed at addressing its declining population and childcare shortage by hiring immigrant caregivers from the Philippines. The program assists families with children under 12 or those expecting a baby.
The program started in August 2024 and brought in 100 Filipino caregivers. The caregivers work either full-time or part-time and are paid South Korea’s minimum wage of $7 an hour.
âWe wanted to give couples more options so they wouldnât have to give up on having children due to financial pressures,â Oh said when the program was announced.
However, the program faced challenges early on. Two caregivers left their jobs after they cited poor working conditions, including long commutes and curfews. The two workers were later detained by South Korean immigration authorities after taking illegal cleaning jobs. They were deported in September 2024.
In response to the criticism, the city made adjustments to the program. Officials have eliminated the curfew, reduced commuting distances and switched to more frequent wage payments.
Critics argue that the program doesn’t solve the underlying issue of childcare being seen as a responsibility primarily for women. They said that perceived responsibility discouraged many families from having more children.
South Korea has one of the lowest fertility rates in the world, with an average of 0.72 children per woman. The population decline is already creating labor shortages in sectors like agriculture, manufacturing and domestic services.
While the government hopes this program can help ease the childcare burden, experts and advocacy groups question whether it offers a sustainable solution to the larger demographic challenges the country faces.
Harris sits down with Fox News, Trump holds town hall
Vice President Kamala Harris appeared on Fox News to talk about topics ranging from immigration and whether she would continue policies implemented by the Biden administration. And what led to the tragic fatal fall of British pop star Liam Payne in Argentina. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024.
Harris sits down with Fox News, Trump holds town hall
With less than 20 days until America heads to the polls to elect the next president, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump appeared on Fox News Wednesday, Oct. 16. While Fox News is a familiar outlet for Trump, this was Harrisâ first interview with the outlet since becoming the Democratic nominee.
In the one-on-one sit-down interview, Harris told Fox News Anchor Bret Baier her presidency would not be the same as Joe Bidenâs previous four years after being questioned about past comments she made, saying she would not have done anything differently than the president.
âSo, youâre not Joe Biden, youâre not Donald Trump, but nothing comes to mind that you would do differently?â Baier asked.
“Let me be very clear: my presidency would not be a continuation of Joe Bidenâs presidency, and like every new president that comes to office, I will bring my life experiences and professional experiences and fresh and news ideas,â Harris said. âI represent a new generation of leadership. I, for example, am someone who has not spent the majority of my career in Washington, D.C.â
At times during the interview the anchor and the vice president spoke over one another to get their point across. One of those times was when they touched on the topic of immigration and the border.
When pressed about whether she had concerns about President Bidenâs health, Harris noted Biden is not the one running for president, Trump is and mentioned former senior Trump officials who said he is not fit for office.
Former President Trumpâs town hall with Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner also aired Wednesday. It had an audience made up of all women.
During the event, Trump touched on the topics of abortion and IVF, where he said he was the “father of IVF.”
“We really are the party for I.V.F.,â Trump said. âWe want fertilization, and itâs all the way, and the Democrats tried to attack us on it, and weâre out there on I.V.F., even more than them.”
In response to Trumpâs âfather of IVFâ comment, Vice President Harris told reporters it was âquite bizarre.â
A Trump campaign spokesperson said Trump made a joke “in jest when he was enthusiastically answering a question about IVF as he strongly supports widespread access to fertility treatments for women and families.â
Judge invalidates 7 new Georgia election rules
As early voting is underway in Georgia, a judge has ruled seven new rules put in place after the 2020 election are “illegal, unconstitutional, and void.” Among those were three particularly controversial rules â one requiring ballots be hand-counted after polls close and two that had to do with the certification of election results.Â
On Wednesday, the judge ruled the state Election Board did not have the authority to make those rules and ordered them to be immediately removed. It must also inform all state and local election officials that the rules have been invalidated and not to follow them.Â
Also in Georgia Wednesday, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who charged former President Trump with interfering in the 2020 election, asked an appeals court to reinstate multiple charges against him and his co-defendants that had been tossed out by the trial court judge earlier this year.Â
Willis argued the judge made a mistake in dropping six of the charges against Trump related to Solicitation of Violation of Oath by a Public Officer. That ruling removed three of the charges Trump was facing in the case. The same judge later tossed two more counts against Trump.
US bombers strike Houthi weapons facilities in Yemen
The “precision strikes” by the B-2 stealth bombers targeted five underground storage facilities used by the Iran-backed rebel group. Defense officials said those facilities housed advanced weapons that the Islamist military organization has been using to attack military and civilian vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden for months now.
Los Angeles Archdiocese to pay $880M to clergy sex abuse victims
Attorneys for more than 1,300 people who say they suffered abuse at the hands of local catholic priests, reached the settlement after months of negotiations with the archdiocese. It puts an end to more than two decades of litigation against the most populous archdiocese in the United States.
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has reached an agreement in principle worth $880 million to compensate more than a thousand decades-old claims of childhood sexual abuse.
The archdiocese has previously paid $740 million to victims in various settlements. This settlement put the total payout at more than $1.5 billion, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Liam Payne, member of One Direction, dies at 31 after fall from hotel balcony
The music industry and fans around the world are mourning the death of Liam Payne, a member of the British boy band One Direction. He died Wednesday at 31 years old.Â
According to authorities in Argentina, Payne fell from a third-story balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires. The circumstances surrounding his death are under investigation, however, the Associated Press reported police rushed to the hotel in response to a call about an âaggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.âÂ
Since the band took an indefinite hiatus in 2016, Payne embarked on a solo career. The singer has been open about his struggles with alcoholism, announcing in July 2023 that he had been sober for six months after seeking treatment.
Pop star Charlie Puth, who collaborated with Payne in the past, remembered the One Direction singer on social media saying, âLiam was always so kind to me. I can not believe that he is goneâŚmay he rest in peace.â
Payne is survived by his 7-year-old son, his parents, and two older sisters.
Pizza Hut to open “Personal Pan Pizza Hut” pop-up location in New York City
For those craving pizza but not wanting to share it, Pizza Hut has come up with a concept just for you.Â
Itâs opened the Personal Pan Pizza Hut, a small restaurant experience only offering the pizza chainâs popular 6-inch personal pan pizza. Guests who are able to snag a reservation can customize their pizza any way they want, in their personal hut.
The Personal Pan Pizza hut will only be around in New York City for two days sometime later this month, so spots are limited. Reservations open Thursday, Oct. 17, and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Why deportations are an ‘economic disaster’ and other immigration truths
There are likely more than 11 million immigrants living in the U.S. today without authorization. On the campaign trail, former President Donald Trump has promised to enact “mass deportations” to remove unauthorized immigrants. Trump said he would use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which has not been used since internment camps during World War II.
The American Immigration Council, an advocacy group in favor of expanding immigration, estimates that a single mass deportation operation would cost at least $315 billion, a “highly conservative estimate.” A longer-term operation would cost nearly $1 trillion over a decade.
“But actually, the direct costs of implementing the deportation aren’t even the worst,” said Zeke Hernandez, Wharton School professor and author of “The Truth About Immigration: Why Successful Societies Welcome Newcomers.” “Think of it this way: All of a sudden, businesses have about 11 to 12 million fewer consumers. Is that what we want? Businesses have 11 to 12 million fewer workers to fill critical jobs in key areas; areas that are essential for our economy, like construction.”
“It really would be an economic disaster,” Hernandez said. “And not only do we have to speculate about that, we actually have many historical precedents where we have done exactly that.”
All of a sudden, businesses have about 11 to 12 million fewer consumers. Is that what we want?
Zeke Hernandez, author, “The Truth About Immigration”
The last official count of 11 million unauthorized immigrants in 2022 included 4 million Mexicans; roughly 4 million more from the Caribbean and Central and South America; 1.7 million from Asia; and 1.3 million from Europe, Canada, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania. The Census numbers have not been updated to reflect ongoing migration at the U.S.-Mexico border since 2022.
Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt says a majority of Americans “want mass deportations of illegal immigrants and trust President Trump most on this issue.”
In a recent Gallup poll that has tracked Americans’ immigration preferences since 1965, 55% of respondents said they preferred immigration levels be decreased, compared to 16% who said they should be increased and 25% who said they should stay the same. It’s the highest amount of Americans reporting a desire to decrease immigration levels since the month following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Hernandez said the shifting attitude is understandable given the negative immigration rhetoric from politicians and the media.
It’s not just that you have a few bad apples coming in, it’s that our system for bringing in apples is completely screwed up.
Zeke Hernandez, author, “The Truth About Immigration
“One of the big surprises of the last year or so is that both the Right and the Left have now taken a fairly aggressive message about the border and about how the influx of immigrants is really doing us damage,” he told Straight Arrow News.
Hernandez cited Democratic mayors who used to be pro-immigration, now taking a stance on limiting immigration. Many of those mayors are facing budget constraints from an unexpected influx of migrants. While these arrivals cause short-term pain points, Hernandez argues that long-term economic benefits are around the corner.
“Immigrants contribute five big economic benefits to every country and community they arrive to,” he said. “And those would be, one, investment, two, innovation, three, talent, four, consumption, and five, taxes. And those are the inputs to any prosperous economy.”
That’s not to say America’s immigration system isn’t in need of a major overhaul.
“It’s not just that you have a few bad apples coming in, it’s that our system for bringing in apples is completely screwed up,” Hernandez said.
In an extended interview with SAN, Hernandez draws on 20 years of research to give fact-based explanations on the impacts of legal versus unauthorized immigration, skilled versus low-skilled migrants, immigration storylines of villain versus victim and why both are wrong, and the changes he would apply to the U.S. immigration system. You can watch the entire conversation in the video above.
China upping pressure on people to have kids, it’s getting invasive
China is upping the pressure on its population, pushing families to start having children, according to several reports on Tuesday, Oct. 8. The country introduced a new policy in 2021 aimed at addressing China’s rapidly declining birth rate.
However, new revelations about the reportedly heavy-handed tactics the government is using to achieve results are emerging.
Chinese women are reporting family planning officials going door-to-door and getting very personal, with some asking about women’s menstrual cycles and their plans for children.
The effort is to embrace a “fertility culture” while abandoning a culture that once restricted childbirth.
Some fear the new approach will lead to tougher restrictions on abortion. Those concerns have grown as some cities require any woman who is 14 or more weeks pregnant to get permission from the local family planning department before having the procedure done.
The requirement dates back to the early 2000s to stop parents from aborting female fetuses, a common practice in the one-child era.
However, in at least one city with the rule, officials at two family planning offices reportedly are trying to discourage women from seeking abortions. The firms weren’t ordered to do so but mentioned the government’s three-child policy and less young people having children as an influence.
There’s also more visible artwork in the country, with subliminal messages to encourage childbirth and marriage. China’s new strategy appears to be spurred by fears of a shrinking population as it looks to surpass the United States as a world power.
Getty Images
That goal may prove difficult with China’s population expected to fall by 109 million people by 2050, according to the United Nations, which more than tripled those numbers from a 2019 forecast.
Numbers for the future look even worse for the country, with some reports saying China could lose over 60% of its population, dropping to 525 million residents, by 2100.
Republicans block Right to IVF Act, Democrats have done the same to them
Senate Republicans blocked a bill that would create a statutory right to access fertility treatments, specifically IVF. The Right to IVF Act would also allow the Department of Justice to file civil actions against any person or entity that tries to impose limits.
“Access to IVF can no longer be taken for granted,” Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said. “From the moment the MAGA Supreme Court eliminated Roe, the hard right made clear that they’d keep going.”
This was largely a show vote to make a political point ahead of the election. Democrats had previously brought the same bill up for a vote in June and Republicans blocked it then too.
“Last time, Republicans killed this bill and Trump said nothing,” Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said. “Now he says he is a leader on IVF. It lowers the cost of IVF for families with stronger insurance coverage requirements, and it helps more veterans and service members get IVF.”
Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., is an OB/GYN who has delivered more than 5,000 babies. He said he also helped hundreds of couples conceive through IVF. However, he voted against the bill because he said it doesnât have good guardrails.Â
âIt doesn’t have any type of religious protections for those people that don’t want to participate in it, and it doesn’t even define, require a diagnosis of infertility for IVF to be covered,â Sen. Roger Marshall said. âSo I think it’s bad medicine, it’s bad policy.â
Marshall said he would have voted for the bill proposed by Sens. Katie Britt, R-Ala., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas. That bill does not compel anyone to provide the services and allows states to create health and safety standards. The legislation makes a state ineligible to receive Medicaid funding if it creates an outright ban on IVF. Republicans described that proposal as the right balance between life and liberty. Democrats blocked it the same way the GOP blocked theirs.Â
Republicans want religious protections because if any of the embryos created during the IVF process are not used, they can be destroyed. That would require those who believe life begins at conception to go against their religious teachings.
Access denied: Less than 1 in 4 infertile couples in US can access IVF
On the campaign trail this week, former President Donald Trump pledged to make in-vitro fertilization free if elected in November. Trump spoke about his plan during a rally.
“Iâve been looking at it and what weâre going to do is, for people that are using IVF â which is fertilization â the government is going to pay for it or mandate your insurance company to pay for it, which is going to be great,” Trump said.
Infertility rates are rising around the world and the cost of IVF in the U.S. can be a huge barrier to treatment. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine estimates that fewer than a quarter of infertile couples have sufficient access to infertility care.
The cost of a single cycle in the U.S. can run $20,000-$25,000, and many families need multiple cycles to achieve a live birth. Studies show an IVF cycle in the U.S. is 271% more expensive than the mean cost in 25 other countries.
“We want to produce babies in this country, right?” Trump said.
The U.S. fertility rate has been at or below replacement levels for more than 50 years. The official replacement rate is 2.1 births per woman. The U.S. currently sits at less than 1.7 births per woman.
And this story is not unique. All but one developed nation struggles with low birth rates. The main concern is this will eventually put a major strain on economies as fewer working-age people will be around to contribute.
That is why this campaign season, candidates are talking more about policies like free IVF and baby bonuses, and the U.S. is far behind on this train.
And in the one developed country in the world where fertility is robust, IVF is free there too.
“It’s an unlimited number of treatments, up to the second child, so long as the mother is below age 45,” Alex Weinreb, a demographer and Research Director at the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel, said. “It’s quite generous.”
Israelâs fertility rate is the envy of developed countries at 2.9 births per woman. But because its birth rate is already so high, Weinreb said free IVF has less effect.
“If Israel’s fertility was low, then the effect would be larger, but as of now, about 5% or so of births in Israel in any given year, they stem from IVF,” Weinreb said.
So why pay for the program at all? Weinreb said it is all about what the program communicates.
“I think the more important thing in Israel, or in the Israeli context, is it sends a message that the state is supporting women and men’s desire to have children,” Weinreb said.
Trump quickly took his message of free IVF to the campaign trail but with little detail on how he would pay for universal fertility treatments or force insurance companies to cover the cost.
