Today’s Big Story

Sex Recession Continues

The share of Americans having regular sex keeps dropping

It’s a common belief, that everyone’s having more sex than you. But how much is “normal”? We don't prescribe to the strange edict that any couple should be having it regularly, three times a week—who came up with that arbitrary number? After all, it's a delicate balance, right? You should be smashing as much as you like to feel hot and satisfied, but you don't have to hit some quota to prove anything to anyone. But I’d never object to having more sex.

And it sounds like we could all use it, since America is currently in the grips of a sex recession. According to the latest data, U.S. adults are having a record low amount of orgasms. Researchers found that in 1990, 55% of adults ages 18–64 reported having sex weekly. But around the turn of the millennium, that number began to dip: by 2010, less than half reported having sex weekly, and by 2024, of the more than 1,000 men and women queried on this topic, that number had fallen to just 37%.

If this sounds vaguely familiar, it’s because this so-called sex recession has been documented previously. In 2016, Jean Twenge found that the decline is largely a cohort effect—younger generations are having less sex than their predecessors did. The causes? A decline in steady partnering, especially in marriage, and a decline in sexual frequency within couples. And Twenge’s findings largely hold true today. Between 2014 and 2024, the share of young adults, ages 18–29, who reported living with a partner, both married and unmarried, fell 10 percentage points, from 42% to 32%, according to the GSS. Because partnered adults have the most consistent sex, and more young men and women are flying solo, the share of young adults who are having regular sex keeps falling.

Why does it matter? Well, it could certainly account for grumpier, less satisfied people and maybe we could trace all this online vitriol to it. But that’s another study. More pressing? America's fertility rate is projected to average 1.6 births per woman of child bearing age over the next three decades, according to the Congressional Budget Office's most recent forecast released this year. This number is well below the replacement level of 2.1 births per woman required to maintain a stable population without immigration.

Nicholas H. Wolfinger of the University of Utah told Newsweek, “no one knows for sure why fewer people are having sex” (and more broadly, it's always impossible to definitively explain a secular trend). He added, “testosterone levels have been declining for years. People may be too busy looking at their phones. No one really knows for sure … These data do suggest that some older people got out of the habit of dating and sex during COVID, and never picked up where they left off; they just got used to being single and celibate.”

Nationwide Protests Denounce Billionaires

Organizers aimed to remind the country of Labor Day’s origins and emphasize workers’ rights

Over 1,000 Labor Day “Workers Over Billionaires” protests were held across the U.S. on Monday, taking aim at President Donald Trump and other wealthy Americans, and his administration's policies. Several leading Democrats joined the rallies, driven by the largest federation of labor unions in the U.S.—including Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who led the crowd in chants of “No troops in Chicago!” in protest at Trump's threats to deploy the National Guard to the city.

The demonstrations, led by the AFL-CIO (the nation’s largest federation of unions), along with dozens of other organizations, mobilized rallies, picnics, marches and other events. Advocates hope to amass momentum and support among workers against the Trump administration and the wealthier segment of Americans who, they say, are taking power away from the working class. Advocates are railing against the “billionaire takeover” in government, criticizing corporate influence along with what many activists label as authoritarian policies, including the targeting of immigrant workers and the deployment of military forces.

Organizers believe this year’s Labor Day will go down as one of the largest mobilizations on the federal holiday in decades, and hope the rallies across the country remind people of the origins of the holiday, which was first held in New York City in 1882 as a celebration of workers. Asked for comment on the protests, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said that Republicans were “once again the proud party of the American worker,” adding that “no one has done more for working men and women than President Trump.”

Axis of Upheaval

Leaders of Russia, North Korea and Iran gather in Beijing, Sidelining Trump

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is heading to Beijing by train today to attend a military parade with his Chinese, Iranian and Russian counterparts. China’s President Xi Jinping has played host—welcoming leaders from across Asia and the Middle East for a carefully orchestrated summit designed to showcase his vision of a new world order.

Described by western analysts as “the axis of upheaval”, the military, economic and political collaboration between these anti-west governments have only deepened in recent years, particularly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. Now, the leaders will witness China’s unveiling of a range of combat-ready weaponry. The tightly choreographed military parade through Beijing’s Tiananmen Square is set to showcase the country’s cutting-edge hypersonic weapons, nuclear-capable missiles and undersea drones, alongside thousands of goose-stepping soldiers.

Xi’s message with his multi-day exercise of soft and hard power, is clear: China is a force that wants to reset global rules—and it’s not afraid to challenge those of the West. According to CNN, under President DonaldTrump, the U.S. is shaking up its alliances and “causing economic pain for countries around the world, including among friends and allies, with his global trade war. Xi sees an opportune moment” to make what might be his most dramatic showing yet of his challenge to a world based on Western rules and sensibilities.

Higher Prices Are Coming

Household staples will be costing more as the costs of Trump’s tariffs are passed on to consumers

This is unwelcome, but not unexpected news for inflation-weary consumers: American companies admit that prices are going up. Big brands including Hormel Foods, J.M. Smucker and Ace Hardware said this week that they would raise prices for reasons ranging from higher meat costs to tariffs. Large retailers like Walmart, Target and Best Buy said some tariff-related price increases are already in place.

And the Wall Street Journal reports that more are on the way. “The escalating prices offer a glimpse of how President Trump’s trade policy is starting to trickle down to American shoppers. For consumers fatigued by recent bouts of heavy inflation, the announcements portend another round of sticker shock when buying groceries and household goods.” Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said on a recent earnings call that price increases “have led middle- and lower-income shoppers to pull back on some purchases.”

Of course, when steep tariffs are tacked on to imported goods, someone’s got to foot the bill. Companies tried to ride it out but now prices will continue creeping upwards. And that “sneakflation” is expected to grow only heavier in the months—and, potentially, years—to come as more tariffs take effect, and others settle more deeply into supply chains. What’s more, recent stepped-up duties that apply to all online orders entering the U.S. (goods under $800 used to be except) will lead to higher costs and longer delivery times given that customs agents must now inspect and process the shipments, experts tell CBS News.

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