- Fight Club For Women
- Posts
- I'm a Barbie Girl ,In The Barbie World
I'm a Barbie Girl ,In The Barbie World
Life in plastic , it's Fantastic !!
Rosanne Santos
July 31, 2023
Top Story
Thanks, Barbie
Anomalies are helping stimulate the economy.
First, it was Taylor Swift.
Then, it was McDonald’s and Grimace shakes.
Now, it's Barbie and Oppenheimer.
Last week, Bank of America said that increase spending on entertainment is giving a boost to the economy, “likely partially driven by the release of the much-anticipated movies, Barbie and Oppenheimer,” it said.
In its debut weekend alone, Barbie raked in $162 million at the domestic box office.
Crunching the numbers:
Bank of America cardholders spent +13.2% more on entertainment compared to a year ago, the biggest gain out of any category tracked.
It's a huge acceleration from the week of July 15th, when entertainment spending was up 4.9%.
Thanks, Barbie.
I am confident in my abilities, and I trust myself to make the best decisions for my life.
Loan-ly, We Are So Loan-ly
The Story
The Biden admin is testing out a new student loans plan.
I'm listening.
Yesterday, the Biden admin launched its beta website for SAVE, its new income-driven student loan repayment program. The Education Dept says that with the new plan, more than 1 million borrowers could be eligible for $0 payments. The plan, funded through the Biden admin’s approval of $116.6 billion in student debt relief, comes after the Supreme Court struck down Biden’s earlier student loan debt-relief program in June. Unlike that version's more than $400 billion price tag, this one will cost the gov anywhere from $138 billion to $230 billion over the next 10 years.
How does it work?
Starting this week, borrowers can use the website to calculate payments based on their income and family size. Single filers who make less than $32,805 and families of four making less than $67,500 could qualify for $0 payments. Those making more than $15 an hour could save $1,000 per year. The process should take 10 minutes. It could be a welcome break for thousands of borrowers who are bracing for federal student loan payments to kick off in October.
After a three-year pause, tens of millions of borrowers will go back to writing checks. This plan could save Americans hundreds or thousands of dollars per year. Meanwhile, critics say the plan is a backdoor attempt to make higher education free.
Related Stories
A little birdie once told me……
Wake up to good news.
Monday • July 31, 2023
Nature’s positive effect on the human mind is well documented, and recent research shows that a little goes a long way, especially in places of work. The researchers “set out to test the effects (if any) of what we call micro-nature — small, affordable, seemingly innocuous ways of incorporating nature into the workplace — on how employees feel at work, and how they perform,” per an article from the Harvard Business Review. They found that even the smallest doses of nature — a potted plant placed on a desk — improved performance and enhanced creativity.
NASA Is Launching a Streaming Service — And It’s Free
The words “another streaming service” will likely elicit groans and eye rolls, but this one is different — mainly because it’s completely free (with no ads) and requires no subscription.
NASA announced last week that it will be launching its own streamer, NASA+, sometime this summer. The family-friendly service will feature the agency’s live coverage of events like spaceship launches, as well as original series showing an inside look at its many ongoing missions.
“We’re putting space on demand and at your fingertips with NASA’s new streaming platform,” Marc Etkind, an associate administrator for NASA’s Office of Communications, said in a press release. “Transforming our digital presence will help us better tell the stories of how NASA explores the unknown in air and space, inspires through discovery, and innovates for the benefit of humanity.”
The organization didn’t announce an official release date yet, but NASA+ will soon be available on the NASA app as well as on smart TVs and wherever else you prefer to stream. Click below to watch the moving trailer and get a sneak peek at what the service will offer.
Build your financial fun-damentals 1 day at a time
Money matters made easy
Are you (and your wallet) ready to embark on a journey of financial discovery? Buckle up, because we worked to develop this 30-day calendar to help you take your money game to the next level. It’s all here, from budgeting basics to investment insights and management tips during uncertain times. Treat this cal as your very own passport to a world of financial empowerment. Let’s do this.
DAY 1
It’s the first of the month!
It’s time to kick off the new (financial) you and show those dollars you mean business. First days can be hard, so let’s use today to lay some groundwork. Begin every month with these 2 financial fundamentals:
🔍 Track your Benjamins. Put on your detective hat and sleuth out where your money is going. Check your bank statement and sort out all those anxiety-inducing expenses draining your account, from cell phone payments to brunch bills. Gaining visibility into your cash flow will help you make more savvy money moves.
📊 Craft a budget. Take a close look at your income, expenses, and goals and start putting money where it needs to go. Easier said than done, we know. But start allocating funds for necessities, savings, and fixed expenses like bills and housing costs. Go ahead and set aside a (modest) secret stash for your favorite guilty pleasure.
In The Know
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> "Barbie" hauls in $93M in its second weekend at US box office, one of the best second weekends ever; the film's total international box office is now at $744M (More)
> Kanye West's X (Twitter) account reinstated after eight months following ban for posting antisemitic content (More)
Science & Technology
> Jupiter 3, a large-scale satellite meant to provide broadband service for rural areas, launched successfully via a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket over the weekend (More)
> Scientists revive 46,000-year-old roundworms recovered from permafrost in Siberia; the low temperatures put the creatures in a near-suspended metabolic state (More) | What is cryptobiosis? (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close higher Friday (S&P 500 +1.0%, Dow +0.5%, Nasdaq +1.9%); S&P 500 on three-week winning streak (More)
> Federal judge rejects second attempt by Johnson & Johnson to resolve talc lawsuits via bankruptcy filing (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> Federal judge in Florida dismisses $475M defamation lawsuit brought by former President Donald Trump against CNN in October; Trump alleged network associated him with Nazism (More) | President Joe Biden publicly acknowledges 4-year-old seventh grandchild for first time; comes one month after son Hunter settled paternity case (More)
> US aid worker and her child kidnapped in Haiti while on ministry duty near Port-au-Prince; State Department urges nonemergency personnel to leave country (More)
Today’s issue is sponsored by Think Energy
What did you think of the first FCFW newsletter? |