Donald Trump’s constant discussion of tariffs has generated a trove of commentary on their (generally bad) economic and geopolitical implications, including here at Capitolism. Far less discussed, however, is whether a future President Trump—or any other White House occupant with a similar affinity for 19th-century U.S. trade policy—actually could implement a global tariff wall without any input or approval from Congress or any significant pushback from federal courts....

Tobacco product use among middle and high school students has dropped to a 25-year low, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on Thursday. The CDC and FDA recorded data on youth tobacco product use through the National Youth Tobacco Survey, which found that 2.25 million middle and high school students reported they had used any tobacco product in the last 30 days, down from 2.8 million in 2023.

Why It’s Critical to Engage Students on Political and Social Issues Educators are experiencing the direct impact of polarization in their classrooms, including receiving memos prohibiting the discussion of political topics with both students and staff. Additionally, a study from RAND this year found that two-thirds of teachers across the nation are choosing to limit political and social issues in class, and that “regardless of the presence or type of restriction, teachers said that they...

Small talk makes many people uncomfortable. In fact, a 2023 poll found that 71% of Americans would rather sit in silence than chat about the weather, sports, or if the bus is on time with someone they don’t know very well.A big reason people don’t like small talk is that they think it’s meaningless and boring. However, Julia Korn, a leadership and development writer at Forbes, says it’s important because it enables us to find common ground and shared interests, build muscles to overcome social discomfort, and lay the groundwork for transitioning into more serious, deeper topics.Studies show that people feel a greater sense of belonging and happiness if they exchange a few pleasant words with the barista when buying a coffee.A funny video on TikTok with over 1.2 million views shows how small talk can be a challenge for some people—even those who are happy to talk with a stranger. Lizzy, known as @lizelleperaza on the platform, filmed herself interacting with someone walking their dog in a park. @lizelleperaza Proof my small talk game is as unpredictable as the weather. At keast the dog didn’t judge me… I think #awkward #adhd #autistic #weathertalk #awkwardbuttrue #lgbtq #cringe #morningreflections "It's warm out here today!" someone could be heard saying off-camera, and Lizzy enthusiastically responded with a lot of information for a brief encounter. "Yes, I was wearing a sweatshirt yesterday when I went out, and today I had to take it off right away when I got outside," she said. After realizing she could have just said, “Sure is!” she turned back and gave an embarrassing look at the camera.“Proof my small talk game is as unpredictable as the weather. At least the dog didn’t judge me… I think,” Lizzy captioned the video.The great thing about the moment of embarrassment was that so many people who watched it could relate. “Several years ago, someone said ‘You have pretty teeth” and I said “Thanks, I floss every day,” and I think about that moment often,” Cattie wrote. “When you're halfway through the reply and you already know you messed up, but you can't stop mid-sentence, cause that would be more weird,” Brianne added.Shanny knew precisely what was happening in Lizzy’s head: “She caught you off guard with a question you hadn't previously mentally scripted and then you panicked,” she wrote.Keeks had a good point. Sometimes, a short answer to a small talk question isn’t enough and makes everyone uncomfortable. “I'm the opposite. I say the ‘sure is’ and rethink that interaction all day, feeling like I missed out on human connection,” they wrote.How to stop oversharingIf you watched Lizzy’s TikTok video and could relate to it because you have an oversharing problem, Krista Brown has a great tip she shared at The Science of People that could help you reveal the right amount of information next time you make small talk. She says to slow down before you speak.“Take a breath before answering a question or jumping into a story,” Brown writes. “Think to yourself, ‘Is what I’m about to share relevant, interesting, or helpful to the person I’m speaking with.’”Ultimately, Lizzy’s interaction with the dog walker may have been awkward for her, but that one-on-one interaction wound up helping a lot of people. It was a great example of the awkwardness we all feel when forced to respond to someone out of nowhere. Lizzy may have wanted to disappear after her response, but the moment made many people feel seen.

When you think about philosophers pondering the purpose of life, WWE wrestlers may not be the first people who come to mind. But professional wrestling star John Cena has been known to challenge perceptions, and in a surprise appearance on Kai Cenat's livestream, he's done it once again. Kai Cenat is one of the most popular Twitch and YouTube streamers, with millions of viewers. In a clip from Cenat's stream that has gone viral, Cena explains how his view of his purpose in life has evolved and how he reflects on how he's living his life each day. "I used to think I was put on Earth to be a wrestler. That was it. I was put on Earth to be a WW superstar," he said. "And then I started doing a little bit of acting and I'm like oh no, it's easy, I'm a storyteller. No, I'm a human being, breathing air like everybody else. And I'm significantly insignificant. I'm a grain of sand on a beach on a pale blue dot out in the middle of nowhere.""I just want to be useful," he continued. "Life, to me, is a gift."He explained that he understands he's been given "lottery ticket after lottery ticket after lottery ticket" in his life. "I am lucky," he said. "I understand my luck and I try to live each day grateful for my luck. So when the sun goes down, I look at what I did for the day, even if it's relax—did I earn the sunset? Some days I don't, and I motivate myself to try to do it again, but most days I do. And that's my sense of purpose." Watch: — (@) People loved Cena's thoughtful self-awareness and praised him for being a good example, especially for young men who might look online for examples of healthy masculinity.Here are some things people said they learned from this clip:"John Cena is actually smarter and cooler than I thought which in turn tells me that forming my opinions based on the few snippets i have seen online makes me judgemental and quite ignorant. I hope I remember this lesson and not rush to judge people I know almost nothing about.""To be useful, To be grateful, To be productive, to be mentally wired to try again no matter what and lastly to have great self awareness.""Reflect on your day, and what are you going to do better tomorrow." — (@) "That the meaning of life is to be in the service of others. That everything from greed, pride, envy, etc is just type of self service, moving us away from the meaning, happiness, and purpose we can derive by living our lives for others.""Humility, Accountability, and Gratitude.""Do your best every single day so you can feel happy about yourself at the end of the day it's also okay to fall, just get up and try again.""'Did I earn the sunset'? is an incredible line. That's gonna stick with me."Cena talked with Cenat for about an hour in a wide-ranging conversation that ended with another motivational drop. “Wow, this has been fun and here we are sharing a moment together—hopefully a moment of motivation, purpose, growth," said Cena as the stream wrapped up. "I guess if I would have to bestow some advice, take it if you want it. If not? It’s just advice. I would say, ‘Never give up.’ And that widens out to whatever lens you wanna put it in. I think as long as we’re breathing, we have a chance. We’re all eventually gonna get to the finish line."So, I don’t know. If you just attack every day with persistence and effort and follow your excitement and enthusiasm and never give up, especially through those hard times—'cause I’m not gonna act like it’s all roses and candy canes, there’ll be a bunch of hard times—just do your best, try to do the best you can, and never give up.” — (@) Cena shares positive motivational messages on X in addition to interviews and has made a name for himself in the public eye as a genuine good guy. In an online environment where "influencers" are not always the greatest role models, it's refreshing to see a demonstrably "manly" man so unabashedly demonstrate self-reflection and humility. — (@)

How do hospitals transport newborns in an emergency evacuation?It’s just one of those things you never think about, unless of course you’re a nurse.That’s why people are usually shocked to find out how it’s actually done. Like this mom, for instance, whose TikTok handle is @momma1323. In a clip posted to her account, she admitted to being “freaked out” as she showed an oversized vest (aka an evacuation apron) with pockets large enough to fit…let’s say, a baby…inside. “We’re just shoving the babies in feet first?” @momma1323 asks. Yep, that’s correct. Expect probably the shoving part. As this woman’s video shows, there are actually a variety of vest types. One (the first vest showed) keeps the baby’s head upright. Another places the baby completely inside the pocket sideways, almost kangaroo style. Either way, nurses are able to move about with their hands free while getting these newborns to safety. There’s also the evacuation stroller, which can hold up to four-to-six babies, depending on the model. Perhaps more sturdy, but then you lose the hands-free benefit. @momma1323 Idk what i was expecting. But that first one wasnt it!! ??#emergency #evacuate #evacuation #hospitallife #hospitaltiktoks #relateable #invested #fypシ #greenscreen ♬ original sound - • C A N D A C E • “I don’t know why I never even thought about or considered what it would be like for them to evacuate a hospital…it’s never even crossed my mind,” @momma1323 said.She’s not the only one with this kind of reaction. In fact, some folks have a…let’s say, stronger reaction when they find out… @tate_ording YOU NOT PUTTING MY BABY IN THAT #deardiary #fyp #evacuation ##vest##baby ♬ original sound - TatumOrding And when you see little bloopers like this one below, it’s understandable that people would be a tad nervous. @teamtinyhumans Because Jessie’s clip deserves it’s own post. ???♀️ #NICU #nursesoftiktok #nursetok #nicunurse #nightshift #candysalad ♬ original sound - TeamTinyHumans Gosh, it’s the thud of the baby doll against the wall that really makes this peak dark humor.But all jokes aside, emergencies are never ideal situations. These tools can help staff move multiple babies at once if absolutely necessary, and they are trained in how to use them safely. It might seem a little odd, but heaven forbid something happens, these funny looking vest for the the very thing that saves a baby’s life.And now, let’s just all file this under “things I never knew I never knew.”

One big reason social inequality exists is that the wealthy and the economically disadvantaged have difficulty understanding each other’s perspectives. The rich see life as a series of choices, but people who don’t have many resources have far fewer options from which to choose."People in positions of high power actually have more choices than those in positions of low power," Yidan Yin, PhD. told Salon. "That's almost a definition of having power. Unfortunately, our research suggests that powerholders overgeneralize their greater sense of choice to others. They see everyone as having lots of choice, regardless of these people's actual situation."This perspective leads wealthy people to believe that people are poor because of faulty life choices when, in reality, it’s most likely because their options are few.Social scientists believe that economically disadvantaged people have “different, unequal opportunities that cultivate distinct ways of knowing and being” which allows them to understand the lives of the wealthy better than the affluent do theirs. To educate people who are well off about what life is like for someone poor, a Redditor named PrestonRoad90 asked people who grew up poor to share something that affluent people don’t understand about being economically disadvantaged. Many shared that even though they were able to escape poverty, their experiences growing up still gave them a sense of anxiety surrounding money, which is hard to escape.The posters also shared the guilt, pain and frustrations that come with growing up in an economically disadvantaged home that people who grew up wealthy may not consider. Children hold an "I'm hungry" sign.via CanvaHere are 11 of the most powerful things that people who grew up wealthy don’t understand. 1. Constant financial fear"The constant fear of running out of money that creates this weird obsession over and guilt about spending money, even when you've got decent finances. I grew up poor and my partner grew up upper-middle class. We have managed to carved out a pretty comfortable life but I still have panic attacks about money and being able to afford essentials (food, rent, etc.). They are flabbergasted every time it happens. Like supportive but completely confused as to why I get so upset. My response is always 'money can run out.'"2. Poverty is exhausting"You just get so tired. It feels like there's no resting because there's always the pervasive feeling that you should be doing/making/fixing something. Poverty means constant planning - for the next meal, for the next bill, for the next crisis."3. Relationships are important"How much relationships matter. You're alot safer in a dangerous neighborhood if you know and have good allies/friends in the neighborhood. It's a lot easier to share a bedroom with four or so other people if you like those people. You can't afford that new car part, but if you know that dude in the neighborhood who fixes cars, he might hook you up for a little cash. Etc."4. Sleep for dinner"When you are starving and there's nothing to eat so the only option left is to try and sleep because you hope that when you wake up you won't feel so hungry."5. Constantly thinking about money"One thing people who weren’t poor don’t really get is how you always had to think about money on every little thing. Like, even simple stuff like snacks or going to the movies wasn’t just a fun idea. It was, 'Can we afford it?"'or 'Do we have enough to cover everything else?'""Just how much headspace money takes up. You ALWAYS think about money. You think about when more money is coming in. Change is not superfluous, it is vital. Money is like a drug, you love and hate it at the same time."6. Poverty is expensive"Being poor is very expensive. For example, if you're unable to afford to pay a speeding ticket, it will accrue late fees, making it even harder to pay off. If you need money right now to buy food and pay rent, Payday Loan shops can help you, but with exorbitant interest rates so you'll end up paying back way more than you borrowed. If you have a toothache but can't afford to see the dentist, it can grow into something worse and more costly to fix." A payday loan center.via Taber Andrew Bain/Flickr 7. Generational poverty is hard to escape"As someone experiencing situational poverty, even if you’re financially independent from your family, having help with things like co-signing apartments is definitely something that can be hard to come by in generational poverty."8. No privacy"This is maybe more applicable to poor people in urban centres but you don't get any privacy and everything's always loud. Your apartment's probably too small for the amount of people living there and you don't have a private outdoor space. You can probably also hear your neighbours and they can hear you. You do your laundry in the laundromat. You either walk or take public transit as transportation and you're definitely going to be that kid who loses their shit on the subway at some point."9. Lack of choice"People think poor people just make poor choices because they want to. No. Most of the time poor people can choose from a few very shi**y choices."10. Food guilt"I have food insecurity, but the guilt is just as much. Every bit of food I eat, when money starts to get low, or even when I am visiting people who have money, I feel like I am stealing from the rest of the household. 'I'm hungry, but if I eat these two pieces of toast, that's two pieces less for partner/parent/sibling/friend who might need it more.' As the oldest child, foregoing things so others could have them is a part of my DNA."11. Don't ask for anything"When you're a kid and it clicks that you should never ask for things or show that you want something since all it does is make your folks upset because they can't get it for you. Never finishing school projects because you know they can't afford the supplies so you just take the F. Being the ONLY kid from your class who didn't go on the field trip so you work in the school office all day. Or if there are more of you, they'll let you just sit in the cafeteria or library all day. And then to cap it off, your senior year when your parents ask about class rings or yearbooks, you tell them you never got the form or just forgot about it."