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| A senior cheer squad performing in Chiba, Japan, in March. Nearly three in 10 people in Japan are now 65 or older. PHOTO: KIM KYUNG-HOON/REUTERS |
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Japan, the world’s most aged country, is shifting its thinking about the low birthrate. |
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Instead of trying to dramatically spur more births, both the government and outside specialists are looking for ways to manage population decline. |
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“There’s a saying I really like: ‘They thought they buried us, but they didn’t know that we were seeds’…We grow in places you don’t expect.” | —Ming Poon, a Singapore-born artist now living in Berlin, who plans to organize a 24-hour online commemoration of China’s 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. For the first time, Hong Kong banned public memorials related to the episode of state violence against pro-democracy activists. |
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Peter Navarro, Former Trump Official, Indicted on Contempt Charges (Read) Wall Street Gets Forced Into the Abortion Debate (Read) Doctors Worry Too Many Americans Missed Vital Cancer Screenings in the Pandemic (Read) Stores Are Stocked Like We’re All Still Working From Home (Read) Aspen’s Market Is so Crazy That Buyers Shop for Homes That Aren’t for Sale (Read) |
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| A popular guest is often one who can drolly weave a fascinating bit of trivia into the conversation. Within limits, of course. PHOTO: SIDNEY BENSIMON FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL |
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Heading to a party or dinner this weekend? |
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Dale Hrabi, editor of WSJ's Off Duty section, is meeting some friends for brunch and plans to subtly weave a few bits from this party-ready factoid list into the conversation to keep them entertained. Did you know, for instance, that Cary Grant basically invented the idea of hotels putting chocolates on guests' pillows? |
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Joshua Jamerson is a national politics reporter based in Washington, D.C., who is covering the midterm elections. As seven states gear up to hold primaries on June 7, we spoke to him about why voters shouldn't wait until the fall to start paying attention to these political campaigns. Email him at joshua.jamerson+1@wsj.com. |
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Why should we care about the primaries happening now, and what can they tell us about what to expect this November? |
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General elections determine which party is in power, but primaries can tell us interesting things, too. For example, in Georgia's Republican primary on May 24 we learned that the power of former President Donald Trump's endorsement dimmed a bit, as his candidates for governor and secretary of state lost their elections. |
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What are you hearing when you talk to voters? |
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Voters have many concerns and they often hold complex political views. But some themes have emerged. Many are very concerned about rising prices—for groceries, for gas, for cars. Many loyal GOP voters are concerned about immigration and the southern border. Many progressive voters are still waiting for President Biden to cancel some student loan debt, a campaign pledge of his. |
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What is the next big contest you’re keeping an eye on? |
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Republican voters still overwhelmingly hold favorable views of the former president, so I will be watching his sway over primaries such as the one facing Rep. Liz Cheney (R., Wy.), a fierce critic of the former president, in August. |
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What do you think the midterms might tell us about the future of the parties? |
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With inflation so high and a potential recession looming, I think the midterms will tell us a lot about how voters view the Biden economy and domestic agenda. However, I think bigger questions—such as whether Democrats believe they have drifted too far to the left or if Republicans believe Trump should take a back seat in the party—will linger into 2024. |
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Judy Garland’s Dorothy dress from “The Wizard of Oz” isn’t in Kansas. It’s in federal court, where a drama worthy of L. Frank Baum is set to play out next week. |
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Today's newsletter was curated by Zlati Meyer in collaboration with audience interaction producer Gretchen Tarrant and publishing editor Rich Bellis in New York. Sign up for WSJ newsletters on markets, tech, careers and more. |
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