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The Federal Reserve cut interest rates yesterday for the first time this year and signaled that more could be coming in the next few months as they hope to stir the economy. The bank has faced numerous challenges over the past few years, but one of the largest has been the persistent issue of rising inflation. Inflation, the constant devaluation of money, has been chipping away at Americans' spending power for years after a surge in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. This forced the Fed to dramatically raise interest rates throughout 2022 and 2023, slowing down the US economy. Now, the Fed is beginning to bring rates back down as part of an effort to stimulate the economy, but they are taking great care to avoid another increase in inflation. The bank is aiming to reduce rates to the perfect point between job market growth and inflation, but they are executing their plan extremely slowly to avoid a sudden shift. Yesterday, the Fed lowered rates by a quarter-point, bringing interest rates down from 4.25% to 4%. It marked the first time that they had adjusted rates since December 2024, but they have begun with another small shift– one member, chosen by Trump, disagreed with the decision and believed they should have cut rates by a half-point. However, the Fed confirmed that they have not cut rates to prevent a recession– usually, when the central bank implements dramatic reductions in rates, they are part of an effort to stimulate the job market, preventing an imminent recession. Jerome Powell, the Fed chair, asserted yesterday that the rate cut was simply to add fuel to the economy rather than prevent an incoming recession. He also stated that the move had a dual purpose: bring down inflation, which had risen during the summer, and stimulate the labor market, which he believed was the more important issue at hand. There are still two meetings left this year, one in October and one in December, and interest rate projections revealed that the Fed plans to cut rates by at least a half-percentage point before the end of the year. This would bring rates down to somewhere around a healthy 3.5%– higher than the 3% rate during the pandemic but much lower than the 7.79% rate at the peak of the 2022-2023 inflation crisis. Powell, though, maintained that the economy is still very uncertain, and there is no definite path that the Fed will take. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): There is a statue of Nikola Tesla in Silicon Valley that radiates free Wi-Fi. It was done as an homage to his vision for wireless communication. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. ( Seneca the Younger) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Jovial (adj, JOH-vee-ul) - Jovial describes people as well as moods, attitudes, etc., that are cheerful and jolly.  In a Sentence: The audience was in a jovial mood as the headlining comedian walked onto the stage. Image credit to USA Today

The United States and China are working to finalize a major deal that would give 80% of the app's ownership to various American companies, allowing it to stay active in the US. Last year, the Biden administration passed a law requiring ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, to sell the company, and refusing to do so would result in a ban. The American government feared that the Chinese government could have been using ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, to manipulate the American population, spy on them, or steal sensitive data. In January, once that deadline expired, TikTok was officially banned by the United States after the Supreme Court denied their appeal against the law. Millions of online businesses use TikTok for advertising and over 170 million Americans are monthly users of the app, making the ban a significant shift for many citizens. However, once current President Donald Trump came into office, he extended the deadline, allowing TikTok to stay active in the US. Over the last few months, Trump has continued extending the deadline, hoping for a plan to materialize, but the US-China trade war earlier this year hindered those efforts. Nevertheless, after weeks of negotiations in Madrid, both countries have confirmed that they reached a framework deal that allows the app to stay active in the US. The deal grants around 80% of TikTok's ownership to various American corporations, including software and cloud computing giant Oracle, global private equity firm Silver Lake, and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, along with several existing foreign shareholders. These corporations will maintain a stake in a new, US-based parent company which will take over as TikTok's largest shareholder. Trump previously stated that he would attempt to split the ownership equally between US and Chinese companies, but the Biden administration's bill prevents China from owning more than 20% of TikTok. Due to this, ByteDance will only retain ownership of 19.9% of the app, falling just below that 20% threshold. The deal is a huge success for social media users and for the American government– less than one year ago, ByteDance stated that they would never sell their app, and the Chinese government was also strongly against the idea. Additionally, Trump's extensive tariffs damaged the two countries' relationship even further, but talks continued after the trade war came to an end. Now, it appears that TikTok will live on under a new ownership, and ByteDance will still retain a minority stake in the company. However, while they have reached an agreement, the deal has not been completely finalized and could still change before it becomes official. The deadline for the TikTok ban has been extended until December 16, meaning that the deal will likely be approved prior to the expiration date. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site) : The Japanese garment, "kimono" literally means a “thing to wear.” Ki is “wear,” and mono is “thing.” Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently. ( Warren Buffett) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Debunk (verb, dee-BUNK) - To debunk something (such as a belief or theory) is to show that it is not true. In a Sentence: The influencer remained enormously popular despite having the bulk of their health claims thoroughly debunked . Image credit to Investopedia

US President Donald Trump is promoting the idea of semi-annual earnings reports, scrapping quarterly reports: here's what that means and why it's significant. An earnings report is an announcement where a company releases all of their latest developments, along with various financial statements for the quarter and projections for the future. Earnings reports are crucial in the stock market, where investors look to a company's most recent earnings to determine its ability to offer a good return to a shareholder. These announcements, which occur quarterly, also create an environment with high transparency and short-term expectations, which can be viewed in positive or negative ways. Now, Trump is calling for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to shift these quarterly reports to twice a year, similar to Australia, New Zealand, and most markets across Europe. Many large companies have backed Trump's idea of semi-annual reporting, primarily because it simply creates less work for managers and executives. Before a company's earnings report, high-level employees are forced to compile a massive list of data, taking up time and energy that Trump claims could be used doing other, more productive tasks. Additionally, quarterly reports often motivate companies to focus on short-term goals rather than long-term ones, and expectations from shareholders looking for a spectacular earnings report builds pressure on the company to prioritize small improvements within three months over large changes over several years. On top of that, most companies seem to beat expectations almost every quarter, which is virtually impossible for the entire market to do every quarter– many corporations purposely set low targets to beat, allowing them to maintain a better reputation. Some people believe that companies are gaming the entire system, permitting spectacular earnings reports that hide the true financial position of the company. However, Wall Street investors and other experts have raised concerns over the idea. Quarterly reporting also allows for high transparency, as companies are required to release the information every three months and are not able to hide anything. Many investors believe that a shift to semi-annual reporting could lead to an uptick in illegal activity, such as accounting fraud or insider trading, which would go unnoticed for longer periods of time. Experts have also expressed concern over an increase in volatility, as investors would lack the amount of information that they have now– investors would know less about each stock, leading to larger, more dramatic changes in the market because of that uncertainty. Nevertheless, the change – if approved – is not expected to occur quickly. Although Trump did push the idea during his first term, the SEC largely ignored it. This year, while they have confirmed that they will "prioritize" his plan, it will likely require extensive discussions and debate before such a massive change is even considered. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site) : Only primates, humans, and opossums have opposable thumbs. Out of these, the opossum is the only one with no thumbnail. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Physical stamina is the root of mental toughness. ( Major Dick Winters) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Askance (adv, uh-SKANSS) - Askance means "in a way that shows a lack of trust or approval" or "with a side-glance."   In a Sentence: I couldn't help but look askance at the dealer's assurances that the car had never been in an accident. Image credit to Corporate Finance Institute

Poland and Romania were both forced to scramble fighter jets over the past few days after Russian drones entered their airspace. Last Wednesday, Poland reported that between 19 and 23 Russian drones entered their airspace without ammunition. While Poland attempted to eliminate the drones, they were only able to shoot down three of them. Then, Romania confirmed yesterday that a Russian drone had entered their airspace as well. Romania was not able to shoot it down, as it was detected in an extremely remote area and disappeared from radar soon after. The airspace breaches came just as Russia launched another massive attack on Ukraine, hitting various cities with missiles and drones. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that the incident was completely intentional and was an effort by Russia to expand the war into two other countries. He also asserted that Russia knows exactly where each and every one of their drones is located, using the breach to ask Western countries for stronger sanctions against Russia. Poland, on the other hand, alleged that the incursion was a "test," with Russian forces attempting to get an idea of how Poland would react to a surprise attack. While Poland declared that the operation was a success, they were only able to shoot down three out of 19 drones, suggesting that they may have lacked adequate preparation for such an incident. Belarus, one of Russia's major allies, alleged that the drones had entered Poland by accident due to jammed navigation systems. Meanwhile, Russia argued earlier today that the drone that entered Romania belonged to Ukraine and was simply an excuse for Zelensky to request tighter sanctions. Nevertheless, NATO has responded. The Czech Republic announced yesterday that they have sent three Mi-171S helicopters to Poland to assist them in defending against any future attacks, and Poland has shut down one of their primary border crossings with Belarus. US President Donald Trump has also given up on his efforts to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Instead, Trump has agreed to implement sanctions on Russia, but on the condition that all NATO countries stop purchasing Russian oil. He has also requested NATO member nations to impose significant tariffs on China as a penalty for buying Russian oil, forcing them to wean off their dependence on Russia as well. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site) : Queen Elizabeth II had a personal net worth of 425 million dollars. That includes the $65 million Sandringham House and $140 million Balmoral Castle. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Be steady and well-ordered in your life so that you can be fierce and original in your work. (Gustave Flaubert) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Perpetuity (noun, per-puh-TOO-uh-tee) - Perpetuity refers to a state of continuing forever or for a very long time. In a Sentence: The property will be passed on from generation to generation in perpetuity .   Image credit to ABC News

Warning: This article contains sensitive information that may be inappropriate for young readers. Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old Utah native, has been confirmed to be the culprit of the tragic Charlie Kirk shooting several days ago. Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative politician who helped fuel President Donald Trump's campaign, was shot on Wednesday at a rally on the Utah Valley University campus near Salt Lake City. Surveillance footage showed the gunman firing from the roof of a nearby building, hitting Kirk in the neck, before the shooter fled the scene and disappeared into a forest. After the manhunt begun, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released several videos revealing certain characteristics belonging to the shooter. They also collected prints from his hands and feet, hoping to analyze them in a lab. However, it proved unnecessary, as the father of the culprit recognized the video showing his own son. He went on to ask his son if he had committed such a crime, and his son confessed to killing Kirk at the rally on Wednesday. While the suspect, who has now been identified as Tyler Robinson, was reluctant to admit his crime to authorities, a family friend told the Washington County Sheriff's Office about his identity as the shooter. This information was then conveyed to local police forces, who arrested Robinson. Police also double-checked with the official surveillance footage, which confirmed that Robinson possessed similar clothing and the same car as the gunman. Furthermore, several posts he made on Discord solidified their evidence, as Robinson explicitly mentioned attempting to pick up and hide a rifle in his messages. Robinson is now in custody without bail and awaits trial, where the prosecution will be looking to impose the death penalty. However, his motive is still unclear, as his close friends and family have stated that he did not lean towards either party and was a non-voter. He has also refused to speak to authorities and answer any questions, but several anti-conservative, mocking engravings were found on the bullet casings within his rifle, revealing that he may have been politically against far-right ideologies like those of Charlie Kirk. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site) : Daniel Craig, the actor of James Bond, was an anonymous Storm Trooper in Star Wars: The Force Awakens . Originally, he denied his cameo and claimed he wouldn’t bother being an extra in a movie. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The best things in life are the people we love, the places we have been and the memories we have made along the way. (Irish Proverb) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Consummate (adj, KAHN-suh-mut) - Someone or something described as consummate is very skilled or accomplished. Consummate can also mean “of the highest degree” and “complete in every detail.” The adjective is always used before the noun it describes. In a Sentence: Ever the consummate professional, the planner ensured that no one attending the event was aware of all the elements that had not gone as planned. Image credit to Press Trust of India

Nepal now has their first-ever female prime minister after days of extremely violent unrest from the young generation across the country, sending major buildings up in flames. The unrest began on Monday after the country's government banned all forms of social media, including the likes of YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Whatsapp, after they did not meet a deadline to register with Nepal's Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. To back up their decision, the government also confirmed the ban as an attempt to combat fake news and hate speech online. However, the plan dramatically backfired, outraging thousands of students and younger adults across the country who believed that it limited their free speech. Meanwhile, several stories had also been trending on social media regarding the topic of corruption among various politicians within the Nepali government. This led many to believe that the misinformation prevention campaign was simply a cover for the real purpose of the initiative: to stop Nepali citizens from learning about the corruption interwoven into their government. Massive anti-corruption protests ensued, with thousands of students taking to the streets and storming Parliament. After an emergency meeting on the same day, the government quickly revoked the ban, but protests continued. The ban was simply the catalyst that set off a ticking time bomb, and citizens across Nepal utilized this opportunity to express their displeasure with the suspected corruption in their government. The protests quickly shifted from focusing on the social media ban to encompassing the topic of corruption as a whole, and the situation rapidly escalated into an extremely violent conflict. Protestors threw stones at now-former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli's house and later set it on fire, leading to his resignation. Various other governmental offices and the homes of many politicians were also attacked and burned, leading to chaos across the country. The Nepali Parliament building was also set ablaze, along with the headquarters for the incumbent Nepali Congress Party. With no particular goal in mind, the protestors continued to burn government-related buildings as part of their wider demonstration against corruption, and they were angered further after facing violence from authorities. At least 19 protestors were killed on Monday alone after police fired rounds of live ammunition as a way to defend against the mobs– by September 12, the death toll had risen to 51. Now, as the protests have cooled off slightly, former Chief Justice Sushila Karki has taken the position of interim prime minister until the country's elections, which will likely be organized within the next 6-8 months. During that time period, Karki will work to use her popularity among the young population of Nepal to gain support and quell any remaining unrest– as a former Chief Justice, she takes an extremely hardline stance against corruption, which is exactly the kind of leader that Nepal needs right now. She is also the country's first-ever female prime minister, marking a significant step forward in the Nepali government's approach towards gender equality– another important concept that remains crucial to younger generations' thought processes. However, it will be difficult. Parliament and most other government buildings have been largely destroyed, leaving the Nepali government without a designated center to convene, and she will still need to determine her cabinet and advisors before truly assuming office and ensuring a safe transfer of power to the winning candidates of next year's elections. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site) : Times Square was originally called Longacre Square until it was renamed in 1904 after The New York Times moved its headquarters to the then-newly built Times Building. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. (Benjamin Franklin) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Flummox (verb, FLUM-uks) - To flummox someone is to confuse or perplex them. In a Sentence: The actor was easily flummoxed by last-minute changes to the script. Image credit to Press Trust of India

Warning: This article contains sensitive information that may be inappropriate for young readers. Charlie Kirk, a far-right political activist, was shot at a rally at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, and officials are still conducting a massive manhunt to search for the suspect. Charlie Kirk was a prominent conservative political activist who supported various far-right and even extremist ideas, but had great success in his field. In 2012, at the age of just 19, Kirk founded Turning Point USA, a major organization that supports conservative politics on high school and college campuses, cementing his arrival into US politics, and he quickly became a close ally of current US President Donald Trump. However, the 31-year-old was shot at a rally in Orem, Utah on Wednesday as part of a targeted assassination. Kirk had been giving a speech at an open amphitheater in the center of the campus as part of his "American Comeback" tour, which was planned to go on to visit 14 other universities as part of his program. At least 3,000 people were attending the rally, which was free to enter. Using surveillance footage from various cameras across the area, authorities found that the gunman arrived on campus approximately 30 minutes before the shooting, heading up the stairs to the roof of a nearby building. This roof had a direct shot at Kirk, and extremely graphic videos posted on social media showed the gunman firing a supersonic bullet towards his neck at around 12:20 pm, instantly killing him. Ironically, the political activist was killed just seconds after he was asked a question about mass shootings in the United States. Nevertheless, the tragic incident sparked fear and concern among the people attending the rally, but several managed to spot the gunman sprinting across the roof of a nearby building. Additional surveillance footage released by the FBI showed the gunman jumping off the edge of the building and sprinting into a small forest, and a manhunt for the culprit has already begun. While a suspect was taken in for questioning on the day of the shooting, he was later released. However, authorities managed to recover the high-powered bolt-action rifle used in the shooting, which had various political messages written on it. Officials are currently analyzing the prints on the gun to try to discover the gunman's identity. The FBI has offered up to $100,000 for anyone with information on the shooter, who they suspect is around college age. They have also released several other photos of who they believe to be the gunman in an attempt to get someone to turn him in. Meanwhile, comments mourning Charlie Kirk have been rapidly pouring in from politicians and citizens – both left-wing and right-wing – for days. Yesterday, his body was carried in a casket by Vice President JD Vance, his wife, Usha Vance, and his family members to Phoenix, Arizona aboard Air Force Two. While Kirk was born in Illinois, his lifelong project, Turning Point USA, is headquartered in Phoenix. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site) : Owners of personalized license plates in Uganda are facing a tax increase of over 300%, which will raise the tax from $1,498 to $5,992. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage . Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they’re never weakness. (Brene Brown) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Zoomorphic (adj, zoh-uh-MOR-fik) - Zoomorphic describes things that have the form of an animal. In a Sentence: The local bakery is famous for its wide variety of zoomorphic treats, from “hedgehog” dinner rolls to delicate, swan-shaped pastries. Image credit to Wikipedia

Oracle, a software and cloud solutions company, made a massive announcement yesterday projecting a dramatic increase in their expected revenue for 2030, sending the entire stock market into a frenzy. Oracle has been on the rise in recent years as a major cloud solutions company, but their success dates back to long before that. In the 1980s, Oracle began marketing its database software, allowing businesses to save time and money using Oracle's entire portfolio of business solutions. Now, Oracle focuses on cloud computing, which involves providing computing services like data storage and software over the internet instead of maintaining a massive server, giving it the name, "the cloud." Cloud computing has risen in recent years to become one of the most important markets in the global economy, as artificial intelligence and other more sophisticated technological programs rely on cloud solutions due to their immense data consumption. The market is also extremely profitable, but requires massive initial investments. Major tech companies like Microsoft and Google have invested hundreds of billions of dollars into building massive data centers to allow for their cloud computing solutions to run, which are primarily fueled by the latest-generation chips from Nvidia, another trillion-dollar company. Despite this high barrier to entry, cloud computing provides great financial benefits to the companies who run the programs, as they earn money from both their computing centers and the AI systems that run on them. However, Oracle's recent announcement was seen as revolutionary for the industry. While their earnings report came in at slightly under expectations, the company confirmed that they signed four multibillion dollar contracts with three different customers during the quarter, including OpenAI, Meta, and Elon Musk's xAI. Additionally, Oracle stated that they expect cloud infrastructure revenue to reach $144 billion in the 2030 fiscal year, a massive increase from a mere $10.3 billion in 2025. This sent the stock market into a frenzy, with investors scrambling to purchase the stock as the prospect of future gains popped. The company's stock (ORCL) spiked almost 36% by the end of the day and continued gaining after hours, while Oracle's total market capitalization jumped from around $650 billion to $922 billion. Various semiconductor and chip stocks, like Nvidia (NVDA), Broadcom (AVGO), and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) also saw a jump in their stock price due to the rising prospect of additional investments into cloud computing in the next five years. Meanwhile, Oracle's co-founder, Larry Ellison, saw his net worth skyrocket, as he owns around 40% of Oracle. According to Bloomberg, the billionaire saw an increase of $101 billion to his net worth in just 30 minutes as the company's stock soared, allowing him to eclipse Elon Musk as the richest person in the world. However, by the end of the day, the stock settled to some degree, bringing his total gains down to $90 billion. Now, Musk has retained the spot, but only slightly– his net worth is around $384.2 billion, while that of Ellison is approximately $383.2 billion. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site) : The United States is around the same size as Europe, but they see over 900 more tornadoes per year. However, due to the United Kingdom's small size, they experience more tornadoes per square mile than any other country. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): There is a huge difference between being tolerant and tolerating intolerance. (Ayaan Hirsi Ali) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Griot (noun, GREE-oh) - The term griot refers to any of a class of musician-entertainers of western Africa whose performances include tribal histories and genealogies. The term is also used broadly to refer to a storyteller. In a Sentence: Tracing her family lineage back to West African griots inspired the singer to focus on storytelling through her music. Image credit to Shutterstock

Israel struck Qatar yesterday, working to target several Hamas higher-ups in the region and sparking global outrage from nations across the world. The strike hit a residential area in the Qatari capital of Doha, doing significant damage to multiple structures and sending thick smoke high into the sky. It involved 15 Israeli fighter jets and 10 bombs– locals reported hearing a total of around eight explosions during the attack. Hamas reported that the strike killed five of its members but confirmed that members of their negotiating team in Doha are still alive and well. According to Trump and Qatar, he received intel that Israel was about to strike just as the attacks began, meaning that his warning to Qatar was 10 minutes too late to allow them to block the strike. Before these incidents, the US believed that Israel was with them, but the Middle Eastern country has continued to ramp up operations and conduct surprise strikes, pushing their allies further away from them. Earlier in the war, Israel was given the go-ahead by the US to strike countries like Lebanon, Syria, and Iran, but Qatar seems to be a step forward that has gone too far. The US also maintains a strong alliance with Qatar on the global stage, unlike their relationship with many other Middle Eastern countries. Qatar, a historically neutral nation, often hosts negotiations and peace talks within Doha due to their central location and relatively peaceful neighbors as well– in fact, Israel-Hamas negotiations have been taking place there for months. Israel also asserted after the attack that they have given up on peace talks to end the war with Hamas, and will now focus all of their effort on fighting the war rather than trying to stop it. Trump quickly stated that he was "not thrilled" about the incident and is "very unhappy about every aspect of it," as the attack expands the Israel-Hamas War into yet another country– Qatar has reserved the right to respond, and retaliation from Doha could escalate the conflict into a multi-war conflict once again. Additionally, the attack has led to global condemnation, with the entire world denouncing the strike. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called the strike a "flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar," while Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries labeled the strike as "brutal Israeli aggression." Furthermore, countries across Europe, including France and the United Kingdom, also condemned the attack, and the Pope weighed in on the situation as well. However, Israel defended their actions, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claiming that it was necessary to eliminate several Hamas leaders that had helped organize the initial October 7 attacks in 2023. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site) : Nobody knows how the Academy Awards came to be referred to as the Oscars. The earliest mention was in 1932 and was made official in 1939. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Loneliness is inner emptiness. Solitude is inner fulfillment . (Richard J. Foster) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Insinuate (verb, in-SIN-yuh-wayt) - To insinuate something (especially something bad or insulting) is to say it in a subtle or indirect way. Insinuate can also mean "to gradually make (oneself) a part of a group, a person's life, etc., often by behaving in a dishonest way." In a Sentence: When the teacher questioned the students about their identical test answers, they knew she was insinuating that they had cheated. Image credit to Global News

The French National Assembly voted to oust the current Prime Minister after a no confidence vote yesterday, forcing the country deeper into their already-concerning political trouble. The no confidence vote, taken yesterday, saw 364 Members of Parliament (MPs) vote against Prime Minister François Bayrou, while a mere 194 MPs voted in his favor. The vote to oust Bayrou came as the Prime Minister announced a massive bill to halt all government spending and cut two public holidays, which was unpopular but saved the French government over €44 billion ($51 billion). He called the vote to enforce support for the bill, but the vote went against him, meaning that he will be forced to resign from his position. Now, French President Emmanuel Macron will be forced to choose his third Prime Minister in one year, displaying the country's serious political instability crisis. But how did they get here? Last year, their economy began showing signs of a downturn, with the country's debt and budget deficit increasing at dangerous levels. Macron scrambled to fix the issues while preventing a recession, but those efforts proved unsatisfactory. Then, Macron took the entire country by surprise after calling for snap parliamentary elections to reinforce the support for his party. However, his plan backfired, allowing other parties to gain significant support during the same time period, but a new prime minister came into office: Michel Barnier. Nevertheless, with their newfound power, Macron's opposition parties came together to oust Barnier in December , making his three-month term the shortest in French history. This forced Macron to choose Bayrou as his next prime minister– a man with great experience in political positions, and he held similar views to Macron. He has taken a more aggressive approach to bringing down their national debt, which has soared to unprecedented levels: France's current budget deficit stands at around €169 billion ($199 billion), which is around 5.8% of their total GDP. By comparison, the limit imposed by the eurozone – the region of Europe that utilizes the euro as their currency – is 3%. Furthermore, the national debt now stands at €3.35 trillion, which is around 116% of their GDP, making them one of the most indebted nations in the eurozone. This is primarily due to their staggering spending over the last five years, the majority of which was due to dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and protecting the country from an energy crisis after the Russia-Ukraine War. As investing in France becomes riskier and riskier, interest rates are rising as well, forcing the nation to pay even more– in 2020, France spent €26 billion on interest. This year, that number is projected to be as high as €66 billion, displaying a drastic uptick in interest payments. Meanwhile, Macron also cut taxes during the same time period, focusing on the reduction of taxes for the rich to allow for more foreign investments into the country's economy. While this has allowed for more investment, it has also led to a loss of over €50 billion ($59 billion) in tax revenue. Despite these factors, the French National Assembly decided yesterday that Bayrou and his new government have not done enough to help France escape their financial troubles, ousting him in yet another no confidence vote. Now, Macron will need to choose another prime minister, but there are only so many options for him to choose from, and the country's crisis is only getting worse. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site) : Chicken Run is the highest-grossing stop-motion animated film, even beating The Nightmare Before Christmas after grossing $227 million at the box office. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The struggles we endure today will be the ‘good old days’ we laugh about tomorrow. (Aaron Lauritsen) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Sanguine (adj, SANG-gwin) - Sanguine is a formal word that today almost always describes someone who is confident and hopeful, or something that shows confidence and hopefulness. Sanguine can also describe something that is bloodred in color, something involving or relating to bloodshed, or a person’s reddish complexion. In a Sentence: The young group of entrepreneurs is sanguine about the future of their business. Image credit to Wikimedia Commons