China’s Population Growth Crisis Deepens as Birthrate Hits 1949-Era Low

China’s Population Decline Deepens Despite Aggressive Birth Push China’s population has shrunk for the fourth consecutive year, as the country’s birthrate fell to its lowest level since 1949. Despite increasingly forceful efforts by the government to encourage childbirth, the demographic crisis continues to worsen. In 2025, China recorded more deaths than births once again, leaving the nation smaller, older and facing mounting long-term economic challenges. Record-Low Births and Rising Deaths…

Planet Fitness Steps Into the Weight Room Era Colleen Keating, the chief executive of Planet Fitness, has a simple wish for the flood of new lifters inspired by social media: that they find their strength in what the company calls a “judgment-free zone.” Across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, fitness creators push weight training and high-protein diets as the new standard of wellness. Those messages are reshaping how Americans think about…

FAA to Probe Airlines Over Flight Cuts During Shutdown The Federal Aviation Administration has notified U.S. airlines that it is launching an investigation into whether they followed government orders to reduce flights during the nation’s longest government shutdown. Those directives, issued by the Trump administration, came in November after the shutdown had dragged on for a month and staffing shortages among air traffic controllers were beginning to strain airport operations….

The Million-Dollar Gatekeepers Behind Early Decision Two enrollment chiefs helped transform Tulane University and the University of Chicago from stereotype-plagued campuses into early-decision power players. In the process, they turned their posts into some of the best-compensated jobs in higher education. Early decision — the system where applicants agree to enroll if admitted — has become one of the most powerful levers in selective college admissions. At places like Chicago,…

Hedge Fund Billionaire Thinks He’s Finally Fixed the Panthers Admitting Mistakes, Not Market Losses David Tepper, the billionaire founder of the $20 billion hedge fund Appaloosa Management, believes he may have finally found a way to turn around his underperforming N.F.L. franchise. Known more for swagger than modesty, Tepper is now openly acknowledging that he has made mistakes — and insists he is in the process of correcting them. He’s…

Nvidia’s AI Chip Empire Keeps Breaking Records The company powering much of the artificial intelligence revolution is still minting money. Nvidia, whose chips are at the heart of today’s A.I. systems, said its latest quarterly revenue climbed to $57 billion, underscoring just how intense global demand has become. Profits Surge as AI Demand Explodes Just three weeks after Nvidia briefly became the first publicly traded company to top $5 trillion…