Over the River and Through the Recession

Happy Tuesday! If you’re part of the 60 percent of Americans who do not want to discuss politics at Thanksgiving this year, try steering the conversation towards a more popular topic. May we (and official NBC News polling) suggest Taylor Swift or Beyoncé?

Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories

• While on a previously unannounced visit to Kyiv on Monday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced $100 million in additional military aid to Ukraine through the Presidential Drawdown Authority. The U.S. will transfer from its own stockpile Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, one additional High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and corresponding ammunition, supplemental 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, as well as other materiel. Austin also pledged continued American support during his visit. “The message that I bring you today, Mr. President, is that the United States of America is with you,” he told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “We will remain with you for the long haul.”
• The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal from former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who in April 2021 was found guilty of murder in the 2020 death of George Floyd. Chauvin appealed on the grounds his jurors had a vested interest in voting against acquittal, for fear of inciting protests and violence; the Court, as is standard practice, denied this appeal without giving a reason. 
• Virginia Del. Briana Sewell, a Democrat, announced Monday she will run for Congress to replace Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who announced this earlier month she will run for governor instead of reelection. Sewell joined Yevgeny “Eugene” Vindman—a retired Army colonel who, along with his twin brother, raised the alarm about former President Donald Trump’s conduct regarding Ukraine—in the Democratic primary for the seat.

Talking Turkey on the Economy

One thing to be thankful for this Thanksgiving is falling prices: Foodstuff prices, in particular—including for festive staples like turkeys, eggs, whipped cream, and cranberries—are down. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 38th annual survey, the average cost of a 2024 Thanksgiving dinner for 10 is $61.17, down 4.5 percent from last year’s record high. It’s also cheaper to travel to see family this week as gas prices are near their lowest point since January, and airfares are back below pre-pandemic levels.

But despite lower prices and economic forecasts predicting resilient growth into 2024, most Americans’ views of the economy remain dour. Some have even claimed the economy is in a “silent depression” or, as the kids are saying, a “vibecession.” What explains the disconnect?

At the beginning of the year, many economists and financial analysts rushed to …

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Worth Your Time

• What is Generation Z doing all day? In a guest post on social psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s substack, After Babel, self-identified “Zoomer” Rikki Schlott told the story. “People often ask me to explain their kids to them,” she wrote. “They are baffled by the children that they raised and yet somehow do not know. It sounds impossible and yet makes sense—considering that the hours their kids spent under the same roof were also spent in a maze of digital crevices. These are strangers in their own home. Parents ask me: Why are my kids so anxious and depressed? Where do they go all day on their devices? How can I get them back? If you’re a parent wondering the same, I hope I can be an intermediary for you. Gen Z has inherited a post-hope world, stripped of what matters. Instead, we have been offered a smorgasbord of easy and unsatisfying substitutes. All the things that have traditionally made life worth living—love, community, country, faith, work, and family—have been ‘debunked.’ Sentiments I hear often from peers: Love—‘Monogamy is so outdated.’ Community—‘I have enough friends online.’ Country—‘I’m embarrassed to be an American.’ Work—‘I’m quiet-quitting.’ Family—‘I’m not bringing kids into this melting world.’ Faith—‘My parents are such naive Bible thumpers. By the way, what’s your star sign?’ Of course there are well-adjusted teens in spite of the forces working against them, but the overall figures are bleak. In fact, nearly half of teens agree with statements like ‘my life is not useful,’ ‘I do not enjoy life,’ and ‘I can’t do anything right.’ Back in 2010, fewer than 30 percent of teens agreed with those statements. Something is clearly wrong. Gen Z is quietly begging for help.” 

Presented Without Comment

NBC News: X Sues Media Matters Over Report About Ads Appearing Next to Nazi Posts

Also Presented Without Comment

Billboard: Joe Biden Confuses Taylor Swift With Britney Spears During Turkey Pardoning Speech

Toeing the Company Line

• It’s Tuesday, which means Dispatch Live (🔒) returns tonight at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT! The team will discuss the news of the week and, of course, take plenty of viewer questions! Keep an eye out for an email later today with information on how to tune in.
• In the newsletters: Kevin argued (🔒) the operative Israeli virtue in this moment should not be restraint so much as diligence, the Dispatch Politics crew previewed next year’s race for control of the Senate, and Nick broke down (🔒) the radicalization of Sen. Mike Lee.
• On the podcasts: Sarah and David discuss a First Amendment case involving risqué drag shows at a burger joint, hunter harassment laws, and challenges to Donald Trump’s ballot access. 
• On the site today: Daniel Cox highlights a new study on Gen Z’s formative experiences, Stirewalt debates whether Biden will still be suffering politically for his pro-Israel stance as we get closer to the election, and Aaron MacLean and Gabriel Scheinmann argue the U.S. can aid both Israel and Ukraine at the same time—at least in the short term.