Today’s Big Story

Drinking Continues to Dip

Only 54% of U.S. adults say they drink alcohol, a record low

Americans are drying out. I feel like it wasn’t that long ago that we were talking about the rise in non-alcoholic beverages and Americans drinking less alcohol. But a new Gallup poll found that the percentage of Americans who say they consume alcohol is at its lowest point in nearly a century.

The poll, conducted from July 7 to July 21, showed that 54% of American adults say they drink. It’s the lowest number Gallup has reported since it began polling American drinking levels in 1939, and a 13-percentage-point drop from three years ago.

Researchers found that 53% of Americans say drinking in moderation—defined as “one or two drinks a day”—is bad for health, the first time Gallup found a majority who feel that way. As recently as 2018, just 28% of respondents said moderate drinking was bad for health. In 2005, more respondents said moderate drinking was good for health than bad.

Sarah Dermody, a psychology professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, told NPR the change could be driven by the public becoming more knowledgeable about the health risks of consuming alcohol. Public health experts and officials have mounted several public campaigns in recent years on the idea that no amount of alcohol is safe. While previous research found that some alcohol, like red wine, could be good for you, the consensus among scientists has evolved, according to Dermody, as scientists realized that research showed a pattern of correlation, not causation. For example, people who don't drink could have negative health outcomes because of a preexisting condition, while those who do drink may not have other health problems, she said.

CBS News reports that the federal government is updating new dietary guidelines, including those around alcohol. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, government data showed U.S. alcohol consumption was trending up. But other government surveys have shown a decline in certain types of drinking, particularly among teenagers and young adults. For me, I enjoy the ritual of drinking far more than the actual alcohol. So give me some delicious N/A mixers and a nice glass and I’m set.

Democrats Will Return to Texas

Ending a nearly 2-week walkout over Republicans’ redraw of Congressional map

Dozens of Democratic lawmakers were preparing on Thursday to return to Texas early next week, after fleeing the state to temporarily block Republican leaders from adopting a redrawn congressional map. The extreme gerrymander could flip five U.S. House seats in the Republicans’ favor, helping the party maintain control of Congress through the end of President Trump’s second term. The Democrats announced they will return provided that Texas Republicans end a special session and California releases its own redrawn map proposal, both of which were expected to happen today.

Former President Barack Obama waded into the debate, praising the Texas House Democrats’ efforts on Thursday, warning of a “systematic assault on democracy.” The Zoom call marked his most extensive remarks to date on the redistricting campaigns now unfolding across the country.

But according to the Washington Post, threatened consequences have become a reality: Texas Republicans voted last week to issue civil arrest warrants for the Democrats who left, and Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton have sought to expel 13 of the absent Democrats. Republicans argue the Democrats are shirking their responsibilities and accuse them of political grandstanding.

Air Conditioning Spreads Across the World

And the increasing need for chill is getting political

Facts are facts: Air conditioning is a significant contributor to global electricity demand, and it’s only going to suck up more power as temperatures rise around the world. But beyond just feeling good, even MIT scientists will admit that AC can be a life-saving technology—one that may become even more necessary in the future. But in the wake of Europe’s recent deadly heat wave, it’s been oddly villainized.

With temps surpassing 104 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of Spain and France, AC seems like a no-brainer? Use it if ya got it, right? But in France, feelings about air conditioning have suddenly become a political litmus test. Marine Le Pen, the far-right leader, declared last month that she would deploy a “major air-conditioning equipment plan” around the country if her party came to power. Marine Tondelier, the head of the Green party, scoffed at the proposal. Instead, she suggested, France should focus on “greening” cities and making buildings more energy efficient.

An opinion essay in the conservative Le Figaro defended air-conditioning. The left wing Libération called the technology “an environmental aberration.” “Is air-conditioning a far-right thing?” one talk show asked. And it’s not just Europe, Noema points out that in the Middle East, “rulers have used modern air conditioning to control landscapes and lives, forgoing traditional methods of keeping cool.” Increasingly, too, the technology that has long facilitated life indoors in the sweltering Gulf states is being deployed to cool the outside air. Abu Dhabi unveiled the first of a promised series of air-conditioned outdoor promenades encircling shopping malls this year. And Saudi Arabia is building air-conditioned stadiums as it prepares to host the 2034 men’s World Cup.

A Weekend Pairing

‘Wednesday’ + a Black Manhattan

Hang in there.