Beyond Jeffrey Epstein: 4 stories that actually matter more for America’s future

Over the previous couple of weeks, one story has overshadowed each different, irrespective of how essential they is likely to be: Jeffrey Epstein.Except you’ve been taking your summer time trip on Mars, you most likely know the contours of the story. (And for those who don’t, my Vox colleague Andrew Prokop wrote a helpful abstract this week.) However what issues right here isn’t a lot the small print as it’s the sheer, unrelenting consideration it has commanded.Between July 6, earlier than the story actually started to explode, and July 13, on-line searches on the subject elevated by 1,900 p.c, in keeping with a Newsweek evaluation. A CNN analyst famous that over roughly the identical time scale, Epstein was Googled 2.5 occasions greater than Grok — this throughout the AI mannequin’s, uh, newsworthy launch — and 1.4 occasions greater than tariffs.The furor over the case has led to Congress basically shutting down early for the summer time, a Republican effort to evade Democrats’ sudden and politically handy calls for for transparency. It’s not an excessive amount of to say that the enterprise of America has all however halted due to a years-old felony case.I’m not saying the Epstein case is completely with out significance. The crime was horrific, the investigation particulars murky, and the political ramifications if the case shakes the president’s connection to his political base are clearly significant. (And if you wish to examine any of that, properly, excellent news — you haven’t any scarcity of sources.) However there’s just about no approach we’ll look again in 20 years and assume that the relitigation of the Epstein case was clearly an important factor occurring on the planet in July 2025.Consideration is a finite useful resource, and you’re the place your consideration is. A narrative like Epstein is analogous to a senseless, out-of-control hearth consuming all of the oxygen in a burning home. So I assumed I’d put collectively an inventory of 4 tales occurring proper now that matter much more for the nation and the world than the contents of the Epstein Information. And truthful warning — they’re not all excellent news tales, however they completely are price your consideration.1) America’s harmful debt spiralThrough the primary 9 months of the 2025 fiscal yr, which matches as much as this June, the US spent $749 billion on curiosity on the nationwide debt, greater than it spent on something aside from Social Safety. Not the debt itself — simply the curiosity. And our debt downside is accelerating: In line with the Congressional Funds Workplace (CBO), President Donald Trump’s just lately handed finances invoice will add $3.4 trillion to the nationwide steadiness sheet over the following decade.You would possibly say: So what? Funds scolds have been warning concerning the debt since no less than the Nineteen Eighties, and essentially the most dire predictions have but to return true. However because the economist Herbert Simon as soon as warned, referring particularly to unsustainable financial insurance policies: “If one thing can not go on endlessly, it’s going to cease.” Whereas “there’s no magic quantity at which the debt load turns into a full-on disaster,” as my colleague Dylan Matthews wrote final yr, nearly every thing that’s occurring now — together with persistently excessive rates of interest, which make debt that rather more painful, as anybody with a current mortgage is aware of — signifies that disaster level is on its approach.And what’s going to occur then? The CBO warns that except finances patterns shift dramatically, the nation will face an unpalatable mixture of large tax hikes, extreme cuts to important providers, even default. And our debt downside intersects catastrophically with a few of America’s different generational challenges, just like the fertility and ageing disaster (see No. 3) and the nation’s capability to defend itself (No. 4).2) A world starvation crisisI’ve written earlier than concerning the long-term enhancements in baby mortality and excessive poverty. These traits are actual, and so they signify a few of the greatest causes to really feel optimistic concerning the world.However constructive long-term traits can masks intervals of setback. In terms of childhood starvation, the world is in peril of falling again. A brand new UNICEF report exhibits that after greater than twenty years of constant progress, baby stunting — early-life malnutrition that may result in much less development and lifelong well being issues — seems to be rising once more. And whereas the humanitarian disaster that’s Gaza no less than has the world’s consideration, if not sufficient of its assist, starvation is spreading in different international locations that stay below the radar.In Africa’s largest nation of Nigeria, almost 31 million folks face acute meals insecurity — virtually equal to the inhabitants of Texas. Ethiopia, Pakistan, and Yemen have all seen alarming reversals in childhood dietary well being. Add in surges in meals costs pushed by excessive climate, and the devastating results of cuts in US meals support, and you’ve got a recipe for an issue that’s getting worse on the very second when the willingness to assist is eroding.3) An actual inhabitants bombWhen it involves long-term, world-changing traits, local weather change will get a lot of the consideration (if not essentially the motion). However there’s one other problem unfolding in almost each nation on the planet that might be simply as transformative — and for which we could also be even much less ready.That’s the inhabitants slowdown. In 2024, the US fertility charge hit an all-time low of lower than 1.6 births per girl, far under the two.1 required to take care of the present inhabitants stage. Whereas different international locations like Japan or Italy will get there sooner, the US is totally on a path to an ageing, shrinking future. As early as 2033, annual deaths are predicted to outpace annual births, whereas by 2050, one in each 5 People might be over the age of 65.Given {that a} technology in the past, we have been worrying about international overpopulation, many individuals appear to assume a smaller inhabitants would largely be a very good factor. Actually that’s what my emails recommend each time I write concerning the concern. Effectively, let me inform you this: It is not going to. (Even for local weather change, apparently.)An ageing and ultimately shrinking inhabitants will put extra stress on every thing from well being care to pension programs to financial productiveness, in ways in which — absent some sort of technological miracle — will make us poorer, and can change life in methods we are able to solely start to think about. And nobody actually has any thought the way to repair it, or if it’s even fixable in any respect.4) A generational safety challengeThe Chilly Struggle ended almost 35 years in the past. For all of that point, the US has loved a traditionally unprecedented place of worldwide navy supremacy. People have lived with the background assumption that the US would by no means actually face a warfare with a real geopolitical rival — and definitely wouldn’t lose one. Of all our nationwide privileges, that is likely to be essentially the most foundational one. However that basis is in peril of crumbling.Geopolitical tensions — particularly with China — are escalating, but America’s navy readiness is quietly degrading. The US Navy’s present annual finances is over a quarter-trillion {dollars}, however the service nonetheless maintains about the identical variety of ships as in 2003. Whereas the US builds about 5 business ships a yr, China builds greater than 1,000, and its naval fleet is already bigger.On the identical time, America’s munitions reserves are dangerously low. In supporting Israel throughout its current battle with Iran, almost 14 p.c of the US’s very important THAAD missile interceptor stock was expended — simply replenishing these shops might take as much as eight years. In the meantime, Pentagon authorities briefly paused shipments of Patriot missiles and different vital air-defense programs to Ukraine amid international stockpile pressures. US air defenses now reportedly have solely 1 / 4 of the interceptors wanted for all of the Pentagon’s navy plans. Ought to a significant battle pop up in, oh I don’t know, Taiwan, important munitions may very well be depleted far quicker than manufacturing may exchange them. That’s the way you lose wars.None of those tales are scandals, and none of them generate nice social media content material. They’re laborious, long-term, wonky, even boring. However they’re essential. And so they deserve our consideration.A model of this story initially appeared within the Good Information e-newsletter. 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