What does it cost the IRS to collect taxes? Source: USAFacts usafacts.org/articles/wha... USAFacts is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan civic initiative making government data easy for all.

How common is mental illness? Source: USAFacts usafacts.org/answers/how-... USAFacts is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan civic initiative making government data easy for all.

Confidence in the US job market is below our peer countries. Source: Gallup www.gallup.com/workplace/34...

Half of US Employees Now Use AI at Work. Source: Gallup www.gallup.com/workplace/70...

Today’s calm moment: A wool appliqué quilt from the Northern Shenandoah Quilt Show.

Diamond prices are at a record low…. But with a middleman and a retailer between the wholesale market and you doesn’t mean you’ll be getting a good deal any time soon on that ring you plan to buy for your honey. Source: Apollo Capital Mgmt www.apollo.com/wealth/the-d...

A British historian spent three decades interviewing former Nazis and has identified 12 warning signs of fascism. All 12 are present in America right now. mitchthelawyer.substack.com/p/a-historia...

Today’s calm moment: Art by Rob Dreyer “Crossing the Divide”

Disillusioned College Grads Are Turning to the Labor Movement: At workplaces from Starbucks to Apple, highly educated downwardly mobile young people are organizing for better conditions. newrepublic.com/article/2087...

Battery costs have declined 99% since 1991. Source: Our World in Data ourworldindata.org/battery-pric...

Almost half of working-age Americans don’t have any retirement savings. Source: Apollo Capital Management www.apollo.com/wealth/the-d...

If you want to feel closer to your friends, you don’t need to overhaul your social life. Instead, experts suggest a small, manageable shift: Ask one deeper-than-usual question the next time you talk. Source: Time magazine time.com/article/2026...

Ground beef prices are still rising. Source: Apollo Capital Management www.apollo.com/wealth/the-d...

Income taxes are highest in these states. Source: USAFacts usafacts.org/articles/whi... USAFacts is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan civic initiative making government data easy for all.

“Americans' ‘magic number’ to retire comfortably in 2026 climbed to $1.46 million – $200K more than last year and in line with 2024 estimates.” Source: Northwest Mutual news.northwesternmutual.com/planning-and...

Americans want to get involved but face real barriers. 1/3 of Americans believe ordinary citizens have a moderate amount of power to create change. Civic education is linked to greater citizen involvement. Source: Gallup’s Democracy for All project www.gallup.com/analytics/69...

Today’s calm moment: a calm scene at Saint Ignace, Michigan

Today’s calm moment: a desolate place to camp. Capitan, New Mexico.

Birthright citizenship around the world. Source: Pew Research www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...

Waymo autonomous taxis are providing a lot of rides. Source: Sherwood sherwood.news/tech/waymos-...

Today’s calm moment: Walking the dog in Tacoma, Washington

Employee Detachment: Gallup asked thousands of employees “What's missing from your current work experience that would make you feel more connected to your employer?” Answers fell into four themes. Source: Gallup www.gallup.com/workplace/22...

Today’s calm moment: Horseshoe Lake, Denali National Park, Alaska

there is no sign that AI is increasing unemployment among younger workers, and there is also no sign that young people or recent college graduates are having a harder time finding jobs at the moment than other demographics. Source: Apollo Capital Mgmt www.apolloacademy.com/busting-the-...

Battery costs have declined by 99% in the last three decades, making electrified transport a reality. Source: Our World in Data ourworldindata.org/battery-pric...

Today’s calm moment: You can almost hear the loons call at Young’s Point Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada.

Today’s calm moment: “Wailing” by Spencer Frazer. at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

The rich get richer at an increasing rate. I thought the growth in all categories would have been linear, not geometric. Source: Wall Street Journal www.wsj.com/economy/weal...

Estimates of the number of people killed worldwide by animals and other people. A total of ~1.5M human deaths annually. Half a million killed by other people, 1M killed by animals, mainly mosquitoes and snakes. Source: Our World in Data ourworldindata.org/deadliest-an...

Today’s calm moment: “Wind in the Fir Tree“ by Dorset Norwich-Young. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

Where do 20% of your tax dollars go? Source: Apollo Capital Management www.apolloacademy.com/debt-service...

Meta was hit with $375M verdict in a New Mexico child safety case. “Meta executives knew their products harmed children, disregarded warnings from their own employees, and lied to the public about what they knew,” Source: Politico www.politico.com/news/2026/03...

More workers are struggling than thriving. Source: Gallup www.gallup.com/workplace/70...

Today’s calm moment: Winchester, Va.

How big is the US military? Source: USAFacts usafacts.org/reports/stat... USAFacts is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan civic initiative making government data easy for all.

Today’s calm moment: An area called ”the needles” on the coast of the Kenai Peninsula on Resurrection Bay, just south of Seward, Alaska. This area does not have many clear days and we hit one of them when we booked our whale watching cruise. Sorry this video is only 20 seconds!

Today’s calm moment: You can almost see the motion in a still photo. Myrtle Beach, SC

“The Anglosphere is increasingly miserable.” English-speaking countries are down in the rankings. Article: www.economist.com/graphic-deta... Source report: Gallup www.gallup.com/analytics/34...

SecDef Hegseth issued a call for a specific kind of wartime prayer: pray for victory in battle & the safety of troops “in the name of Jesus Christ.” As we & Israel drop bombs on a Muslim nation, he issued an explicitly Christian call. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/20/u...

What do Americans consider immoral? From abortion & homosexuality to the death penalty & gambling, here’s how Americans view what’s morally wrong. Fun fact: 75% express no moral objection to spanking children. Source: Pew Research www.pewresearch.org/religion/202...

Americans increasingly see legal sports betting as a bad thing for society and sports. Source: Pew Research www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...

Did you know there’s a World Happiness Report? You can download it at Gallup: www.gallup.com/analytics/34...

Anti-Semitism Is Becoming Mainstream: The Michigan attack shows that anti-Jewish terror is spreading. Source: The Atlantic www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

Today’s calm moment: Art by Oleg Zhivetin

Today’s calm moment: Another cold but calm mid-March morning at Myrtle Beach, SC waiting for the sun to rise.

China’s Edge in the Oil Shock: China’s decades-long push to reduce its dependence on foreign oil with huge investments in clean energy sources like electric vehicles is now paying off. Source: NY Times www.nytimes.com/2026/03/14/b...

Allies are giving the U.S. one-star and two-star ratings on its efforts to protect democracy and dependability in a crisis. “…a stark disconnect between how Americans see their country and how several top allies do.” Source: Politico www.politico.com/news/2026/03...

Republicans’ and Democrats’ views of the US’ global position have long tracked with which party holds the presidency. This year’s gap, however, is the largest Gallup has measured in its trend since 2000. Source: Gallup news.gallup.com/poll/702767/...

Daylight rapidly increases in March, unlike any other month. Here’s the reason sunlight is increasing (it's not daylight saving time). Source: USAToday www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

A majority of Americans continue to say abortion should be legal in all or most cases. The share saying it is ‘difficult’ to get an abortion in their area ticks up. Source: Pew Research www.pewresearch.org/politics/202...