Latest news with #Axios'
Axios
2 days ago
- Business
- Axios
North Carolina is getting older
North Carolina was one of only 10 states in the country where the number of people under the age of 18 grew between 2020 and 2024, according to new Census data. At the same time, it was also one of the states with the fastest-growing population of people 65 years or older. Why it matters: America's older population is growing while its younger cohort is shrinking, a trend that presents big policy and economic challenges, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick writes. Having more older Americans means we'll need more care workers, for instance. Driving the news: The U.S. population aged 65 and up grew by 13% between 2020 and 2024, the Census Bureau says, while the number of those under 18 fell by 1.7%. The U.S. median age hit a new record high of 39.1 in 2024, up from 38.5 in 2020. In North Carolina, the median age increased from 38.9 to 39.2 between 2020 and 2024, The News & Observer noted. State of play: In North Carolina, the population aged 65 and up grew by 15.1% between 2020 and 2024, while the number of those under 18 grew by 1.7%. The state's budget office projects North Carolina's older adult population will double by 2040. Yes, but: The share of young North Carolinians is also expected to continue to rise. By 2030, North Carolina will have 607,000 pre-school age children, an increase of 3.8%, according to state data, due to a larger cohort of women in their prime childbearing years. By 2060, the state will have 746,000 pre-school age children — a 23% increase from today. Between the lines: The birth rate has fallen significantly in North Carolina over the past two decades. At the same time, the state has become an attractive place for retirees, and Brunswick, Dare and Orange counties had the largest growth in their older population, according to Carolina Demography. Stunning stat: Still, North Carolina's demographics are younger than many states. There are now 11 states with more older adults than children, up from only three in 2020. They include Maine, Vermont, Florida, Delaware, Hawai'i, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia. What they're saying: The gap between children and older adults "is narrowing as baby boomers continue to age into their retirement years," Lauren Bowers, chief of the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Branch, said in a statement accompanying the new data.
Axios
3 days ago
- Politics
- Axios
Trump threatens Democrats with prosecution over Iran leak
President Trump threatened to prosecute Democrats on Thursday after he accused them without evidence of leaking information about the U.S. strike on Iranian facilities. Why it matters: President Trump has fought to project his desired narrative that the strike on Iran "obliterated" the country's nuclear program despite a leaked early assessment that suggests the damage may have been more modest. "The Democrats are the ones who leaked the information on the PERFECT FLIGHT to the Nuclear Sites in Iran," he said on Truth Social. "They should be prosecuted!" A spokesperson for the Justice Department told Axios it doesn't comment on ongoing investigations. Democratic leaders Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries' offices didn't immediately respond to Axios' request for comment. Catch up quick: Trump initially claimed that the administration's weekend operation "totally obliterated" Iran's key uranium enrichment sites. A preliminary report from the Defense Intelligence Agency was later leaked to news outlets, suggesting the strikes may have not set back the Iranian program as significantly as originally announced. Zoom in: The leak outraged Trump and top officials, who said the report was incomplete.
Axios
4 days ago
- Business
- Axios
Louisiana day care costs top $20k for two children
The rising cost of child care is outpacing inflation, according to a new report. Why it matters: Climbing childcare costs put a huge financial strain on families, forcing some parents — typically women — to either ratchet back their working hours or leave the labor force entirely, writes Axios' Emily Peck. Zoom in: Louisiana families are paying about 35% of their median household income to keep two kids — one infant and one toddler — in day care, according to data from Child Care Aware, an advocacy group. The average annual child care cost for that hypothetical family in 2023 was $20,200, while the median household annual income in the state was $57,650, based on Census data released in 2024. The big picture: Nationally, the annual cost of day care tuition for the same two children — a toddler and an infant — was $28,168 last year, the data show.
Axios
4 days ago
- Politics
- Axios
North Carolina school cell phone ban on the cusp of becoming law
North Carolina lawmakers passed with bipartisan support Wednesday legislation that will require public school districts statewide to set policies that ban the use of cell phones during instructional time. The legislation now goes to Democratic Gov. Josh Stein. Why it matters: Should Stein sign the proposal into law, as he's expected to, North Carolina would join just over 10 states that have banned or restricted cell phone use in schools, as concerns over the effect smartphones have on academics and mental health have mounted. "Over the past 15 years, we've seen a persistent and troubling decline in student mental health, and we owe it to our children to respond with the clarity and urgency this moment demands," Democratic state Sen. Sydney Batch said in a statement earlier this month upon the release of the first report released by Stein's Student Safety and Well-Being advisory council, which recommended that cell phones be completely banned in schools. The bans have been controversial, however, as some have argued cell phones are a helpful learning tool and an important way for parents to get in touch with their children, Axios' Jennifer A. Kingson reported last year. Driving the news: With just one day left until lawmakers recess from the bulk of their legislative work this year, the state's Republican-led House and Senate struck a last-minute compromise this week on what to include in the measure. Details: The legislation would also set restrictions for social media use on school internet or devices and teach social media literacy, including about how misinformation spreads on social media, and how it affects mental health or leads to addiction. In a nod to those with concerns about phone restrictions, the bill provides exceptions for the use of phones for instruction or in case of emergency. It also does not ban TikTok in schools, as a previous version of the legislation did, though Wake County Schools already banned TikTok, per The News & Observer. Zoom in: A group of parents in Wake County schools pushed last year for a district-wide ban in the state's largest school district. But so far, Wake County lets each school set its own policy on phones.
Axios
5 days ago
- Politics
- Axios
Iran-Israel ceasefire reignites MAGA push for a Trump Nobel Peace Prize
The shaky ceasefire between Iran and Israel may become fodder for President Trump 's quest for one of his white whales: the Nobel Peace Prize. The big picture: Volatility in the Middle East and the years-long Russia-Ukraine war persist despite Trump administration pressure. And after years of public lobbying for the prize, Trump has not joined the small group of presidents who have earned one. The latest: Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) announced Tuesday he had nominated the president for the Nobel Peace Prize over the ceasefire brokered between Israel and Iran — one that now hangs in an uncertain fragility. Carter also pointed to what he described as Trump's "historic role" in "preventing the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism from obtaining the most lethal weapon on the planet." Catch up quick: Trump's Monday announcement of a ceasefire came just around two days after his administration made the historic decision to strike Iran's nuclear facilities. But within hours, Israel accused Iran of breaking the ceasefire. Under pressure from Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu significantly scaled back planned retaliation, Axios' Barak Ravid reported. A frustrated Trump on Tuesday told reporters, "We have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don't know what the f--k they are doing." Context: Trump's administration officials and allies have repeatedly called for the president to receive the prize, which they've argued is not fairly awarded. Trump's fixation has roots in the fact that former President Obama received the award just months into his presidency for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples" and his push to curb nuclear weapons. Just last week, Trump lamented, "I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do, including Russia/Ukraine, and Israel/Iran." Axios' Alex Isenstadt reports that Trump's critics say he doesn't deserve the prize because it's unclear how he'll achieve lasting peace — and how past Moscow-friendly moves would weigh on a Norwegian jury. Zoom out: Members of governments, other institutions and certain individuals — such as people who have been awarded the prize — can nominate any living person or active organization. The government of Pakistan on Friday announced its intent to recommend Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, citing his intervention amid a flare between India and Pakistan earlier this year. But two days later, it condemned the U.S. attacks on Iranian facilities, urging "recourse to dialogue, diplomacy" as the "only viable pathway to resolve the crises in the region." A Ukrainian politician, Oleksandr Merezhko, also nominated Trump for the prize last year — though he reportedly told Newsweek on Tuesday he has withdrawn the nomination after losing faith in the president's ability to secure a ceasefire in Russia's war in Ukraine. Other U.S. lawmakers have recently and in past years thrown Trump's hat in the ring for the award, including Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), who in March cited the president's efforts in the Middle East and in the Russia-Ukraine war in a letter pushing his consideration for the prize.
