My last of 2021, New Year’s Eve reads:
• Farewell to 2021, the stupidest year in American history Instead of unity and immunity, this year has brought us stupidity and insanity on an unimaginable scale. In the categories of public health, education policy, fiscal policy and investment options, we appear to have taken leave of our collective senses. (Los Angeles Times)
• This is the worst economy we never had For months, the GOP-Fox News axis forecast the bluest of Christmases. House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy joined 159 House Republicans in a letter to President Biden saying his policies “will certainly ensure that this Christmas will not be merry” because of a “supply chain crisis” and inflation. And then — a Christmas miracle! (Washington Post)
• Underestimate the U.S. Economy at Your Own Risk People have been betting against the U.S. economy for decades. They’ve never been rewarded for it. Progress is in our DNA. Good luck betting against it. (Wealth of Common Sense)
• IPOs Had a Record 2021. Now They Are Selling Off Like Crazy. Threats of higher rates are driving down prices of high-growth stocks; two-thirds of 2021 IPOs now sit below their offer prices (Wall Street Journal)
• The Year in Graphics The year 2021 held great promise—for starters, it meant 2020 had finally ended. But dreams of a return to normalcy were quickly dashed by U.S. Capitol riots that threw into question the very survival of American democracy, supply chain issues that snarled global commerce, an uneven rollout of Covid vaccines and new waves of infections, deadly wildfires and extreme market volatility driven by Redditors pushing meme stocks. Here’s how we told some of 2021’s most important stories with charts, maps and visuals. (Bloomberg)
• The 5 most undersold political stories of 2021 It’s the most wonderful time of the year: when we recap the political stories of the preceding 12 months that didn’t get their due. We present, as we do most years. (Washington Post)
• How Ted Koppel’s trip to ‘Mayberry’ turned into one of 2021’s most striking moments of TV The veteran newsman and “CBS Sunday Morning” contributor explains how a seeming puff piece about “The Andy Griffith Show” turned into an unsettling snapshot of an angry America. (Washington Post)
• Champagne bubbles: the science As you uncork that bottle and raise your glass, take time to toast physics and chemistry along with the New Year. (Knowable)
• 18 Sports Highlights From 2021 Worth Watching Again World records, no-look shots, extraordinary goals, trick base running, come-from-behind victories … we may not know what sports will look like in 2022, but 2021 had it all. (New York Times)
• Boba Fett, Intergalactic Man of Mystery How did this fearsome “Star Wars” bounty hunter go from a peripheral player to the star of “The Book of Boba Fett”? He used the support of fans — and a little brute force. (New York Times)
Be sure to check out our Masters in Business next week with Richard Nisbett professor of social psychology and Co-director of the culture and cognition program at the University of Michigan, focusing on culture and reasoning and basic cognitive processes. Malcolm Gladwell called him “The most influential thinker in my life.” He is the author of numerous research and books, most recently, “Thinking: A memoir.”
This year has the second most new highs ever
Source: @ISABELNET_SA
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