Us economy

Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer; Photo: Getty Images Adolescents in the U.S. are unhappier than they used to be. Between 2009 and today, rates of sadness and suicidal ideation among our nation’s youth have steadily climbed. Self-reported measures of mental illness can be distorted by shifting social norms. If suffering from depression becomes less stigmatized, more teens may report feeling depressed even if the actual incidence of the malady remains constant. But the suicide rate among Americans 10 to 24 years old jumped by nearly 60 percent between 2007 and 2018, which suggests surveys are capturing a genuine increase in teen mental distress rather than a mere jump in distressed teens’ propensity to identify themselves as such. Recent survey results paint a disconcerting picture of teen life in the U.S. — especially for girls. In its latest Youth Risk Behavior Survey , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that nearly 60 percent of adolescent girls … [Read more...] about 4 Explanations for the Teen Mental-Health Crisis

Hong Kong (CNN) Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has sold its remaining stake in Paytm, India's top digital payment app, as it gradually divests from its Indian investments amid friction between Beijing and New Delhi. Alibaba.com Singapore E-commerce Private Ltd sold 21.43 million shares of One 97 Communications, the parent company of Paytm, at 642.74 rupees apiece, according to Friday data from India's National Stock Exchange (NSE). The deal is worth about 13.77 billion rupees ($167 million), according to CNN calculations. In January, Alibaba sold about 3% of Paytm for $125 million, cutting its holdings from 6.26%, based on NSE data. With Friday's deal, it has sold its entire direct stake in Paytm. Shares in One 97 Communications plunged nearly 8% on Friday. It bounced back slightly on Monday morning. Alibaba and Paytm didn't immediately respond to CNN's request for comment. Read More 'India's Alipay' Founded in 2010, Paytm is … [Read more...] about Alibaba sells remaining stake in top Indian online payment provider Paytm

0 Community Corner The Golden State may not receive another gas tax hike this summer under Gov. Newsom's budget proposal. What to know. Paige Austin and Kat Schuster , Patch Staff Posted Reply LOS ANGELES, CA — Residents in Sherman Oaks facing inflation and an unrelenting pandemic may find a little bit of relief at the gas pump this summer. Under Gov. Gavin Newsom's budget proposal, the state's summer gas tax hike may not take effect. Newsom unveiled his budget plan on Monday and introduced his "$523 million dollar gas tax holiday." “We’re going to backfill it in terms of the tax itself to transportation projects so that there’s no direct impact to investments,” Newsom told reporters. The inflation adjustment on gasoline prices was set to befall Californians in July. Last year, the gas tax in California increased by 51.1 cents on July 1. An analysis by Stillwater Associates last year found that Golden … [Read more...] about Sherman Oaks ‘Gas Tax Holiday’ Proposed Amid Surging Fuel Prices

Intel, the Silicon Valley chip-making giant, paved the way last year when it picked the eastern German city of Magdeburg as the site for its first semiconductor factory in Europe, pledging to invest 17 billion euros (about $18.3 billion) — provided that Berlin throw in nearly €7 billion in subsidies. Wolfspeed, a North Carolina-based maker of silicon carbide chips used in electric cars, decided last month that southwestern Germany would be the perfect place for it to invest €2.5 billion to build its first European factory. Again, the agreement was contingent on hundreds of millions more from the government. Infineon, Germany’s largest chip maker, is looking to add two plants at its manufacturing site in Dresden, spending €5 billion, but it wants the government to cover about a fifth of that. Each of the projects promises to help ease the shortages of microchips that German industries have faced since the pandemic and create thousands of jobs, fueling an ecosystem that could … [Read more...] about Germany Wants More Chip Makers, but They Won’t Come Cheap

flashflash Video Canada has pledged a significant increase in spending to improve water quality in the Great Lakes following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden, whose administration also has boosted funding for the shared waters. Following their discussion Friday in Ottawa, Trudeau said his government would spend $420 million — about $306 million in U.S. dollars — over the next decade on the lakes, still suffering from 20th century industrial pollution and newer challenges such as climate change, PFAS chemicals and microplastics. The announcement came weeks after U.S. Congress members prodded Biden to seek more support for the lakes from Canada, which critics have accused of doing too little. "The Great Lakes are a source of drinking water for 40 million people, and this shared resource needs to be protected," Trudeau said. "This is why Canada will make a major new investment ... to continue safeguarding the Great … [Read more...] about Canada pledges to increase Great Lakes funding following Justin Trudeau’s meeting with Biden

2 Politics & Government If passed, consumers would have a clear picture of which companies are sustainably run and which are polluters. CalMatters , News Partner Posted Replies By Brianna McGuire/Charles Kieser, Guest Commentary, CalMatters CALIFORNIA — In January, state Sen. Scott Wiener introduced the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act, a first-in-the-nation measure that would require all companies doing business in California with over $1 billion in revenue to report all of their carbon emissions to the public. Transparency matters. This disclosure would make it harder for polluting companies to pretend that they have been benevolent actors, and easier for the public to hold them accountable for their failures. Senate Bill 253 is a major step to combating corporate greenwashing, which is a major obstacle to tackling the climate crisis. Most greenhouse gas emissions are released by corporations – in … [Read more...] about CA Bill Targets Corporate Polluters