News

The latest labor-market data paint a troubling picture: well over one million Americans with bachelor’s degrees remain jobless, a count that is growing and stands near all‑time highs. BLS surveys show that as of late 2024 roughly 1.5 million workers aged 25+ with a BA or higher were unemployed – and by mid‑2025 that number approached nearly 1.9 million. This surge far exceeds the historical norm. For example, on the eve of the pandemic (2019) the number of unemployed college-educated workers was closer to 1.2 million.… Read more

African nations have quietly begun restructuring their China debts in yuan, aiming to cut costs and dampen currency risk. In October 2025, Kenya’s finance minister announced that three railway loans – originally borrowed in U.S. dollars – had been converted into Chinese yuan, immediately trimming the country’s interest burden by about $215 million per year. Shortly afterward, Ethiopia’s central bank revealed it was in talks with China to swap a portion of its roughly $5.38 billion owed into yuan.… Read more

Across America, ordinary patients are finding themselves crushed by bewildering medical bills. Investigations have unearthed stories of seemingly routine care resulting in absurd charges: one woman was billed nearly $18,000 for a simple urine test; a mother received a $550,124 bill for her infant’s intensive care stay despite having insurance. Patients are left stunned and angry – as one recipient put it, “I was totally confused. I didn’t know how I was going to pay this”.… Read more

A staggering US consumption of antidepressant pills hints at a deeper malaise. On a per-capita basis, Americans are by far the most enthusiastic consumers of prescribed antidepressants. OECD health data and multiple studies show the U.S. far outpaces other developed nations in antidepressant use – roughly 100–130 daily doses per 1,000 people, or about 10–13% of the population on these drugs. By contrast, Western peers report far lower figures (e.g. Germany around 56 per 1,000, the UK roughly 70–100 per 1,000) and China’s usage remains minimal (on the order of 3–10 per 1,000).… Read more