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[Report] The Life and Death of Hollywood

Film and television writers face an existential threat

by Daniel Bessner,

Current Issue May 2024

[Letter from the Campaign Trail] The Race for Second Place

The Republican primaries as farce

by Kyle Paoletta,

[Letter from Big Sky] Slippery Slope

How private equity shapes a ski town

by Nick Bowlin,

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of Republicans who say that it would be a good idea to let Trump be a dictator for the first day of a second term : 3/4

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of Americans who say they would not vote for a presidential candidate who has been charged with a felony : 2/3

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage change since 2020 in the portion of Americans who say they would vote for a Muslim presidential candidate : +8

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage change in the portion who say they would vote for a Jewish presidential candidate : –5

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Americans who say that the United States should spend more money on assistance for poor people : 72

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage who say so when this assistance is called “welfare” : 29

[Harper’s Index]

Factor by which low-income Americans are more likely than others to identify as vegetarian : 2

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage decrease in the number of Americans who identify as vegetarian since 2018 : 20

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Americans who believe they will be harmed personally by climate change : 45

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of the global population that lives in places where air quality does not meet World Health Organization standards : 9/10

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Americans who said in January 2020 that they were very satisfied with their lives : 65

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of millennial Americans who believe they have “money dysmorphia,” or unfounded feelings of financial insecurity : 41

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of U.S. teens who have investment accounts : 23

[Harper’s Index]

Minimum number of layoffs in the U.S. media sector since January 2023 : 26,102

[Harper’s Index]

Number of the 100 largest American law firms that say they use generative AI in their work : 41

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of U.S. human-resources officers who expect AI to replace jobs at their company within the next three years : 7/10

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which employees who work in person are more likely to be promoted than those who work exclusively remotely : 45

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which workers who primarily sit at work are at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than those who do not : 34

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which lesbian and gay American adults are more likely to smoke than their straight counterparts : 27

[Harper’s Index]

By which bisexual American adults are more likely to smoke : 66

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Americans who say that lesbian and gay “relations” are morally acceptable : 64

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage change since 2022 in the portion of Americans who say so : –10

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage change since 2022 in those who say that married men and women having affairs is morally acceptable : +33

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of LGBT Americans raised Christian who have left the faith : 2/3

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of transgender Americans who have been homeless at some point : 3/10

[Harper’s Index]

Who are currently unemployed : 1/5

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of transgender Americans who have had gender-affirming surgery who report an increase in life satisfaction : 97

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Americans who say they typically know the cost of a health-care service or product before receiving it : 17

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which syphilis cases have increased in the United States since 2018 : 80

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which the rate of premature births has increased in the United States since 2014 : 12

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage increase since October 2023 in miscarriages reported in Gaza : 300

[Harper’s Index]

Estimated percentage of children in Gaza under the age of five who have an infectious disease : 93

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage decrease in the United Nations’ requested annual budget for humanitarian aid in the past year : 11

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of U.S. veterans who say they feel awkward or uncomfortable when they are thanked for their service : 1/2

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of U.S. veterans under 30 who say so : 7/10

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Before they wake, a painting by Danielle Mckinney, whose work is on view through April 27 at Marianne Boesky Gallery, in New York City.

“Rodney & RJ, McCalla, Alabama,” a photograph by Ivan McClellan, from the book Eight Seconds: Black Rodeo Culture, which was published this month by Damiani Books.

Speiredonia Wing, a mixed-media artwork (porcelain, glaze, adhesives, canvas, steel, hardware, dye, pigment, thread) by Rebecca Manson, whose work is on view through April 27 at Josh Lilley Gallery, in London.

Courtesy of the artist and Josh Lilley Gallery, London.

Crosswind, a painting by William Schaeuble, whose work is on view through March 31 as part of the exhibition Centering, at Old Friends Gallery, in Chicago.

Courtesy of the artist and Old Friends Gallery, Chicago

“Children with orangutans,” a photograph by Jo-Anne McArthur from the book Why We Photograph Animals, which was published last month by Thames & Hudson.

In the News

Portion of Republicans who say that it would be a good idea to let Trump be a dictator for the first day of a second term : 3/4

Portion of Americans who say they would not vote for a presidential candidate who has been charged with a felony : 2/3

Percentage change since 2020 in the portion of Americans who say they would vote for a Muslim presidential candidate : +8

Percentage change in the portion who say they would vote for a Jewish presidential candidate : –5

Percentage of Americans who say that the United States should spend more money on assistance for poor people : 72

Percentage who say so when this assistance is called “welfare” : 29

Factor by which low-income Americans are more likely than others to identify as vegetarian : 2

Percentage decrease in the number of Americans who identify as vegetarian since 2018 : 20

Percentage of Americans who believe they will be harmed personally by climate change : 45

Portion of the global population that lives in places where air quality does not meet World Health Organization standards : 9/10

Percentage of Americans who said in January 2020 that they were very satisfied with their lives : 65

Who say so now : 47

Percentage change in the total net worth of white Americans since 2019 : +26

In the total net worth of black Americans : –4

In the total net worth of American adults under 40 : +76

Percentage of millennial Americans who believe they have “money dysmorphia,” or unfounded feelings of financial insecurity : 41

Percentage of U.S. teens who have investment accounts : 23

Minimum number of layoffs in the U.S. media sector since January 2023 : 26,102

Number of the 100 largest American law firms that say they use generative AI in their work : 41

Portion of U.S. human-resources officers who expect AI to replace jobs at their company within the next three years : 7/10

Percentage by which employees who work in person are more likely to be promoted than those who work exclusively remotely : 45

Percentage by which workers who primarily sit at work are at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than those who do not : 34

Percentage by which lesbian and gay American adults are more likely to smoke than their straight counterparts : 27

By which bisexual American adults are more likely to smoke : 66

Percentage of Americans who say that lesbian and gay “relations” are morally acceptable : 64

Percentage change since 2022 in the portion of Americans who say so : –10

Percentage change since 2022 in those who say that married men and women having affairs is morally acceptable : +33

Portion of LGBT Americans raised Christian who have left the faith : 2/3

Portion of transgender Americans who have been homeless at some point : 3/10

Who are currently unemployed : 1/5

Percentage of transgender Americans who have had gender-affirming surgery who report an increase in life satisfaction : 97

Percentage of Americans who say they typically know the cost of a health-care service or product before receiving it : 17

Percentage by which syphilis cases have increased in the United States since 2018 : 80

Percentage by which the rate of premature births has increased in the United States since 2014 : 12

Percentage increase since October 2023 in miscarriages reported in Gaza : 300

Estimated percentage of children in Gaza under the age of five who have an infectious disease : 93

Percentage decrease in the United Nations’ requested annual budget for humanitarian aid in the past year : 11

Portion of U.S. veterans who say they feel awkward or uncomfortable when they are thanked for their service : 1/2

Portion of U.S. veterans under 30 who say so : 7/10

April 16, 2024

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A metal scar on the surface of the white dwarf WD 0816-310 indicated that it has cannibalized other bodies in its orbit.

An orca acting alone killed a great white shark and ate its liver.

Genomic analysis indicated that psychedelic mushrooms emerged around the time of the Mesozoic–Cenozoic mass extinction.

The playing speed of a metal guitarist directly correlates with his intrasexual competitiveness but not his mating success.

Depression in humans is correlated with higher body temperature, and cold-water swimming mitigates menopause symptoms.

Researchers warned that, as temperatures rise, humans should prepare for more diarrhea.

Off the Five Finger Islands, a team of cetologists aboard the Glacier Seal conducted an extended conversation with a female humpback named Twain.

Astrophysicists argued that the development of advanced alien technology requires an atmosphere composed of at least 18 percent oxygen.

Onshore wind turbines severely deter German bats from foraging.

An AI that was fed the employment and health data of six million Danes turned out to be more accurate than existing sociological methods at predicting if a given person was about to die.

A mother is 4.6 percent more likely to give birth in the same month she was born, and adjacent siblings are 12.1 percent more likely to be born in the same month as one another.

Electric eel discharge transforms the DNA of zebrafish larvae.

True crabs independently evolved to live out of the ocean up to seventeen times.

The average American girl born in 2019 will take prescription drugs for more than half her life.

Scientists were not certain whether the globally synchronized waves observed in the brains of wakeful rats on ketamine or LSD were a cause or a symptom of hallucinations.

Geoscientists were confident that, given access to the oldest barnacles on the flaperon of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, they could help pinpoint its crash site.

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