The neck brace is extra – The S&P 500 Index not only hit a new record, but also did so in record time. The wild 89 trading days in between highs marked the fastest-ever recovery back to a record closing after a 15% decline. The market's astonishing rebound was aided by robust first-quarter profit growth and a better-than-expected jobs report in May. (Source: The Wall Street Journal)

The dollar frown – The US dollar is off to its worst start to a year in over half a century, falling more than 10% in the first half of 2025—the steepest drop since 1973, when the US ended the gold standard. A mix of trade-policy proposals, inflation concerns, and rising government debt has weighed on the greenback, amid gradually eroding confidence in America’s central role in the global financial system. (Source: The New York Times)

Reform, what? – Just a year into his role, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer sharply scaled back planned welfare cuts after lawmakers in his own governing Labour Party rebelled against him. The original reform proposals would have saved £4.8 billion a year, but the new concessions mean changes will only save about £2 billion. (Source: Reuters)

The uprising will be well-stocked – With more than one million robots already in use, Amazon's warehouse facilities will soon employ as many robots as humans. Some 75% of Amazon's global deliveries are assisted in some way by robotics, which the company says is helping improve productivity and countering high staff turnover at fulfillment centers. (Source: The Wall Street Journal)

Wonder how this'll translate to fireworks sales – Just 58% of US adults say they are extremely or very proud to be American—the lowest level recorded in Gallup’s 25-year trend. At the start of the 21st century, pride in being American was nearly universal, but that sense of unity has steadily eroded amid political and generational shifts. (Source: Gallup)

Their girl math doesn't include diapers – Though the overall birthrate is declining in the US (from 2.1 births per woman in 1990 to 1.62 in 2023), for the first time ever, more babies are being born to mothers over 40 than to teenagers. The share of births to women over 30 has been steadily growing, while the number of births to women under 30 is drastically declining. (Source: CDC)

Great skin and nest eggs – Generation Z (born between 1996 and 2012) may be young, but about 20% are saving for retirement, and those who are contributing to 401(k) plans are doing so at higher rates than millennials did when they first entered the work force. Financial experts credit Gen Z's saving habits to a mix of policy changes (e.g., default retirement-plan enrollments and contributions) and technological advancements (e.g., budgeting apps, finance podcasts, and webinars). (Source: The New York Times)

Well that's counterintuitive – Researchers in France found that liquids in glass bottles actually contain more microplastics than liquids stored in plastic bottles. Glass bottles averaged 100 particles per liter, which was 5–50x more than plastic bottles or metal cans. (Source: Interesting Engineering)

By all means, I hope more free time thrills her – Legendary fashion editor Anna Wintour is stepping down as editor-in-chief of American Vogue, which the 75-year-old has led for nearly four decades. She will, however, retain her titles as Vogue's global editorial director and chief content officer for Condé Nast. In the latter role, she oversees every brand from Wired to Vanity Fair to Glamour. (Source: USA Today)

Making room for the next Caitlin Clark – The WNBA announced a major expansion for a record 18 total franchises by 2030: Cleveland will begin play in 2028, Detroit joins in 2029, and Philadelphia will tip off in 2030. Each team paid a $250 million expansion fee—five times the cost of the league’s last expansion—and plans to invest further in facilities and infrastructure, underscoring the league’s accelerating growth and investor confidence. (Source: ESPN)