Today’s Big Story

Less Kids, More Opinions

The hyper-politicization of the American family

It’s a big decision, and a very personal one at that. There’s a lot to consider when you’re thinking about having children. But suddenly, family planning has become something of a political battleground.

The U.S. fertility rate has been steadily falling, mirroring trends in other developed countries, and hit a record low last year of 1.62 births per woman in 2023. Women without children, rather than those having fewer, are responsible for most of the decline in average births among 35- to 44-year-olds during their lifetimes so far, according to an analysis of the Census Bureau’s data.

Throughout history, having children was widely accepted as a central goal of adulthood. Yet when Pew Research Center surveyed 18- to 34-year-olds last year, a little over half said they would like to become parents one day. In a separate 2021 survey, Pew found around 47% of childless adults between ages 18 to 49 said they were not too likely, or not at all likely, to have children, up from 37% who said the same thing in 2018. Among their reasons: They can't afford it, they want to focus on their careers or they just don't want to.

But a growing chorus of conservative pundits, influencers and politicians are now promoting a specific, traditional image of family life—and criticizing people who don't live that way. JD Vance, the Republican vice-presidential nominee, recently came under fire for saying in 2021 that the nation was run by “childless cat ladies” who “hate normal Americans for choosing family over these ridiculous D.C. and New York status games.” Ashley St. Clair, a Fox News commentator, described childless Americans this way: “They just want to pursue pleasure and drinking all night and going to Beyoncé concerts.”

Researchers who study trends in reproductive health, however, see a more nuanced picture. The decision to forgo having children is most likely not a sign that Americans are becoming more hedonistic. For one thing, fertility rates are declining throughout the developed world. But they also point to larger societal factors—such as rising child care costs, increasingly expensive housing and slipping optimism about the future—which have made it feel more untenable to raise children in the United States.

Axios questions this recent rise in Republican pro-natalism, which often promotes a narrow view of the ideal family. “It's not just about more kids. The push for childbearing often promotes a narrow view of the ideal family.” Democrats are currently fighting against GOP attempts to rebrand their party as the “pro-family” party, pointing, for example, to Senate Republicans’ rejection of a bipartisan bill last week that would have expanded the child tax credit.

Harris Changes the Game

In just two weeks, Democrats’ poll numbers—and their chances of winning—have rebounded

Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday met with top candidates to be her running mate, ahead of a planned announcement tomorrow. The New York Times reports that Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota and Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania all spoke with Harris at her residence at the Naval Observatory in Washington.

It’s only been two weeks since Biden dropped out of the race, but the Washington Post says that Harris has helped rebound the Democratic party’s poll numbers—and their chances of holding the White House—significantly. Trump and Harris are now in a virtual tie, with Trump at 46.5% support and Harris at 46.2%, according to a Washington Post average of national polls. In July, Trump had 46.8% support while Biden had 45.2%, according to the Post’s polling average. Harris is doing better than Biden was with Black voters, which could help bring Georgia back into play for Democrats, polling suggests. And her running mate selection could reshuffle the race yet again.

On Sunday, the Harris campaign unveiled more than two dozen endorsements from Republicans, including former governors, members of Congress and Trump administration officials. The endorsements come as the Trump campaign is working to paint Harris as “dangerously liberal,” a position the former president reiterated during his rally in Atlanta on Saturday when he called Harris a “radical left freak.”

Your Olympic Recap

A photo-finish, basketball becomes the hot ticket and jumping back into the Seine

Did you watch the Olympics over the weekend? I’ve been dipping in and out, streaming live and watching recaps on Peacock. Did you see Team USA's Noah Lyles triumphantly take the gold in the men’s 100-meter final—making him the fastest man on Earth—by five thousandths of a second. The race was so close that even the commentators nearly called the wrong winner before the photo finish, which showed Lyles being the first to lean over the finish line even as others managed to step over it before him.

There were a lot of golden moments: Swimmer Katie Ledecky won the ninth gold medal of her career—the most by any American woman in Olympic history and tied for the most by any woman from any country and said she’s already eyeing the Los Angeles Games in 2028. One guy who likely won’t be there? Novak Djokovic. At 37, and already a tennis superstar, there was one elusive title that escaped him during his long and glorious career: Olympic champion. But that drought ended Sunday.

Of course, the basketball tournament is among the most well-attended events of the entire Games, both a showcase for a fiercely competitive global talent pool and a unique opportunity to watch some of the game’s greatest American players join forces for the first—and possibly last—time. The only other thing watched as closely is the River Seiene. After much testing and hand-wringing about the safety of the water, it hosted the triathlon last week and more athletes are preparing to jump in. Organizers said Sunday night that today’s triathlon mixed relay event would be held as planned and they expected the marathon swim to be raced in the river on Thursday and Friday.

The State of Fast Food Burgers

Who’s got the quality and will smash burgers stick around?

It’s one of the most enduringly beloved and omnipresent styles of fast food: Dozens of chains have made fortunes by giving people what they want—a seasoned beef patty (or two, or three), stuck between a bouncy bun and topped with cheese, served with a mound of french fries. While some might argue that “a burger is a burger”, anyone who’s waded into the ShakeShack vs In-N-Out debate knows that tastes vary wildly.

In the highly competitive burger world, chains have to do whatever it takes to make their take on the classic sandwich stand out from and rise above the others. The Takeout compared the biggest players and ranked those who use “demonstrably excellent beef, and which ones utilize the second-tier stuff or worse.” (Spoiler alert: Wendy’s? Good. Jack in the Box and Burger King? Bad.)

And if there’s a prevailing trend in the current burger landscape, it’s the ruggedly handsome “smash burger”, with its seared patty and perfectly crisped edges. The new-age technique involves taking a loosely packed hunk of meat and smashing it onto the grill with a spatula or similar tool until it forms an ultra-thin patty. Cooking it this way allows more meat to come in direct contact with the hot surface, giving the beef an unparalleled seared taste and lightly crisped texture. Many popular chains are now using this method, from the obvious SmashBurger to legacy fast-food outlets such as Steak 'n Shake. The latest to jump on the smash bandwagon? Sonic. But Eat This, Not That says while the trend has staying power, Sonic’s version might not be worth a trip to the drive-in.

Have Integrity

How to keep your promises

Broken promises have lasting consequences. If you don’t hold yourself accountable, you’ll always doubt your abilities. If you don’t stand by your word, your friends and loved ones will lose trust in you and at work, coworkers may hesitate to ask you for help, and you might be excluded from future discussions.

Start by keeping promises to yourself. Let these promises influence your larger goals and allow that broad impact to overflow into every aspect of your life that stands to improve. By keeping your word to yourself, you'll no doubt become a man of integrity that will keep his promises to others as well. But how do you strengthen that proverbial promise muscle? By following this four-part plan.

Obstacles don’t have to stop you.