Latest news with #SeanCollins
Vox
28-05-2025
- Health
- Vox
Gen Z misery, explained in one chart
The kids, it's been suggested, are not okay. For decades, established research showed that happiness and well-being levels tend to peak during youth in your late teens and 20s, drop during midlife, and rise again in old age. But this U-shaped happiness curve is now morphing, according to the results from a recent global study: Many of the world's young people are not flourishing. 'Young people — and this is a universal finding — in general, are not doing well,' says Byron Johnson, the director of the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University and a co-author of the study. 'That U is becoming a J. It's flattening. That's cause for concern, not just here in the United States, but it's cause for concern all over the world.' The results come from the Global Flourishing Study, a multiyear project from researchers at Harvard and Baylor that uses survey data from Gallup to measure levels of well-being worldwide. Data was collected between 2022 and 2024 from over 200,000 adults in 23 countries and territories. To measure flourishing, researchers surveyed participants in core areas such as happiness and life satisfaction, mental and physical health, meaning and purpose, character and virtue, and close social relationships. Taken together, these dimensions represent the Flourishing Index Score, or how much a person is said to be flourishing. (Financial and material stability also play a role in flourishing, but were excluded when examining the relationship between flourishing and age.) In the US and many other geographically and culturally diverse countries, young people between the ages of 18 and 29 do not appear to be flourishing. In Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States, flourishing increases with age. The gulf between young and old is most pronounced in the US, researchers found. Today, Explained Understand the world with a daily explainer plus the most compelling stories of the day, compiled by news editor Sean Collins. Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The findings are not universal. Hong Kong and Japan show the traditional U-shaped course of flourishing, while in India, Israel, Kenya, Poland, and Tanzania, flourishing decreases throughout the lifespan. In the United States, the results of the study echo other research that shows young people are struggling. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 40 percent of high school students reported feeling consistently hopeless or sad in 2023, compared to 30 percent in 2013. Nearly half of Gen Z report often or always feeling anxious, per a 2023 Gallup and Walton Family Foundation survey. The American Psychological Association's 2023 Stress in America survey found young people experience more stress than older cohorts. Today's young people are lonelier than previous generations, another study found. As additional waves of data are analyzed, researchers can identify what causes young people to struggle, Johnson says. Early observations have shown that religious service attendance contributes to flourishing. 'It could be that regular religious service attendance gives people purpose, maybe it gives them meaning in their life, and these are major factors in flourishing,' Johnson says. 'But maybe it also gives them support networks.' Young people's lack of engagement in group activities more broadly could be impacting their well-being, Johnson says. Despite ranking highly in financial security, countries like the US and Germany fall behind in areas like close relationships, meaning, and purpose. Meanwhile, societal emphasis on individualism may make young people less inclined to engage with and support their neighbors and peers. 'Once you really, seriously think of others,' Johnson says, 'instead of just focusing on yourself, it is, in fact, a game changer for so many people.' Social media is commonly cited as a culprit of young people's suffering, and Johnson believes it plays a role, due to the negative impacts of comparison online and forgoing in-person socializing for digital connection. But isn't the sole contributor, he says. It could also be that young people's flourishing levels improve with age, time, and change in circumstances. Researchers will continue to survey the same sample of participants over the next few years to find out, Johnson says.
CBC
19-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Alberta Utilities Commission greenlights application for waste-to-energy facility
The Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) has approved Varme Energy's application to build a waste-to-energy facility, that would use carbon capture and storage technology to convert solid waste from Edmonton into energy. The AUC, the province's independent utilities regulator, approved the application on May 2. Varme Energy CEO Sean Collins told CBC News that there has been significant progress over the past six month to get the project to fruition. "We've been spending pretty significant time on all of the key permits and approvals through the project, and [have] been making really strong progress on that front," Collins said. "One of the reasons we're so focused on Edmonton is because we have the No. 1 and No. 2 biggest CO2 pipelines in the world originating out of Edmonton." Varme Energy, a subsidiary of Norwegian-based Varme Energy AS, applied to the commission for approval to construct and operate a 19.6-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant, called the Heartland Waste-to-Energy Facility. The AUC issued the notice of application on March 7. The $300 million project will be located northeast of Edmonton in Strathcona County, seven kilometres northeast of the city of Fort Saskatchewan and five kilometres southwest of the town of Bruderheim. Starting in 2028, Varme Energy is contracted to receive 150,000 tonnes of the City of Edmonton's residential waste every year to generate electricity. "This agreement aligns with the city's objective of reducing landfill reliance by diverting waste toward other beneficial uses," Chris Fowler, the city's acting branch manager of waste services, said in a statement to CBC. The city reached an agreement with Varme Energy after a competitive bidding process, he added. Collins, of Varme Energy, said the project will see municipal garbage trucks bring solid waste to the new facility, instead of the landfill. "We'll combust the waste to extract the energy out and integrate carbon capture, to capture the emissions from the facility, so that you get a landfill-free and carbon-free solution," Collins said. Varme Energy drew inspiration from policies and technological advancements in European countries, Collins said, noting that the continent has about 500 or more operating waste-energy facilities. "The feature and innovation for us is building carbon capture from Day 1," Collins said. Amit Kumar, a University of Alberta environmental engineering researcher, told CBC News that the project holds promise, and could serve as an example for communities across Canada how to rely less on landfills. "You can avoid the landfill fee, but also now you can capture carbon and put it underground, so you have revenue generated to carbon credits," Kumar said. "Municipal solid waste is a challenge for all the communities, all the provinces — you name it. Everywhere we generate waste. So this could be one of the test cases in how successfully this is run, and it could help in implementing it across Canada." Construction on the facility is expected to begin in early 2027, then become fully operational in 2028.
Daily Mail
05-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Australian dies in freak accident in Phuket after a night out with his wife
An Australian man has died in a horrific accident at his hotel in Thailand while on holiday with his wife. Sean Collins, 59, was returning from a night out with his wife, Carla Baird, 58, when it was believed he lost his footing on the stairs inside his Phuket hotel just after 1am on Thursday. Ms Baird told police Mr Collins had walked ahead of her up the stairs, reaching the third floor, while 'staggering'. She said he slipped before plummeting past her to the first floor. First responders arrived to find Mr Collins lying facedown on the tiled floor at the base of the stairwell, surrounded by a pool of blood. Medics administered CPR and rushed him to Patong Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival. Mr Collins and his wife went sightseeing earlier in the day before ending the evening drinking in the Patong district of the island. They were due to check out of the hotel and return to Australia the following day. Patong Police Lieutenant Wisanu Chumee said officers collected CCTV footage from the hotel and were investigating the incident. He said the hotel's receptionist had heard a noise shortly after the couple arrived home. 'The receptionist saw them walk past,' he said. 'Five minutes later, staff heard a sound like someone falling from a height so they went to investigate. '(They) found the man lying on the floor and bleeding with his wife nearby.' One image from the scene, too graphic to publish, showed Mr Collins in a black singlet and shorts on his stomach on the ground floor. A thick puddle of blood had massed around his head at the bottom of the stairwell.
Vox
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Vox
The rising tension between India and Pakistan, briefly explained
is a senior correspondent at Vox covering foreign policy and world news with a focus on the future of international conflict. He is the author of the 2018 book, Invisible Countries: Journeys to the Edge of Nationhood , an exploration of border conflicts, unrecognized countries, and changes to the world map. India and Pakistan seem headed for a military conflict in the wake of India's worst terrorist attack in years. The question is what form that clash will take and just how far the confrontation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors could escalate. The latest crisis in the long-running tensions between the two nations began on April 22, when gunmen killed 26 people in Pahalgam, a popular tourist resort in the Indian-administered region of Kashmir. Pakistan and India each control parts of the region of Kashmir and each claim the entirety of it, a dispute that dates back to the partition of British India in 1947. The two countries have fought several wars and a number of smaller skirmishes over the territory. The attackers appear to have targeted Hindu men, reportedly asking some of the victims their names or testing if they could recite Quranic verses before killing them. A militant group called the Resistance Front has claimed responsibility for the attack. Indian authorities say the group is an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba, the group which carried out 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, and which has widely reported links to Pakistan's security services. Pakistan claims Lashkar-e-Taiba has been essentially dismantled. Today, Explained Understand the world with a daily explainer plus the most compelling stories of the day, compiled by news editor Sean Collins. Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Amid public outrage over the attacks, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to 'raze whatever is left of the terror haven,' an implicit threat against Pakistan, which India has long accused of backing terrorist attacks on Indian soil. The Pakistani government has denied any links to the attacks, and the Indian government has yet to publicly present evidence of Pakistani complicity. Late Tuesday, Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar posted on X that 'Pakistan has credible intelligence that India intends carrying out military action against Pakistan in the next 24-36 hours,' a claim that followed a statement from Pakistan's defense minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, that an Indian attack was 'imminent.' India and Pakistan's fight over Kashmir, briefly explained There has been a long-running anti-India insurgency in the parts of Kashmir that India controls, which, despite denials from Islamabad, has been widely reported to be backed by Pakistan. In 2019, after 40 Indian police were killed in a suicide bombing in Kashmir, India carried out airstrikes against militant targets on Pakistani territory. Pakistan responded with strikes of its own on Indian Kashmir, which led to an air battle and downing of an Indian fighter jet. A short time after that, India revoked Kashmir's semiautonomous status, putting it under direct control of the federal government, and pushing through a series of controversial legal changes that have stoked resentment among Kashmiri Muslims but which Modi's government credits with tamping down insurgent violence. Indian authorities have also been heavily promoting Kashmiri sites like Pahalgam, a scenic mountain area known as the 'Switzerland of India,' as tourist destinations, arguing that thanks to their reforms, the region is safe for all. Sumit Ganguly, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and expert on South Asian politics told me, that as such, India's leaders may feel their response 'will have to be something rather dramatic and visible.' How far could conflict between India and Pakistan go? One possibility is that India could send troops into the Pakistan-administered areas of Kashmir, a dramatic response but one perhaps less likely to trigger all out war than an incursion into what India considers Pakistan-proper. Strikes on alleged terrorist training camps would be one option; attacks on the Pakistani military itself would be a much more dramatic step. And as always, there's no guarantee that a limited war would stay limited. As has been the case since the 1970s, when the two countries first developed nuclear weapons, the threat of nuclear war looms over the crisis. The two countries have around 170 nuclear warheads each and even a 'limited' nuclear exchange between them could kill tens of millions of people. India has a 'no-first use' policy on nuclear weapons (though some officials' recent statements have cast doubt on that commitment) but Pakistan does not. Asif, the Pakistani defense minister, said this week that Pakistan would only consider using nuclear weapons if 'there is a direct threat to our existence.' In past blowups over Kashmir, US diplomacy has played a key role in talking the two sides back from the brink. The State Department said Tuesday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had plans to speak with Pakistani and Indian leaders. But there's not much indication President Donald Trump is deeply involved. He initially issued a strong statement backing India following the Pahalgam attack, then when asked about the crisis on Air Force One on Friday, said, somewhat nonsensically, that 'There have been tensions on that border for 1,500 years. It's been the same, but I am sure they'll figure it out one way or the other.' (India and Pakistan have only existed as separate countries for 77 years.) This time around, the comment suggested, the two countries may have to find their own way back from the brink.
Vox
28-04-2025
- Business
- Vox
How to talk to your boomer parents about retirement
is the host of Explain It to Me, your hotline for all your unanswered questions. She joined Vox in 2022 as a senior producer and then as host of The Weeds, Vox's policy podcast. Money is always stressful, but between on-again, off-again, on-again tariffs, inflation, and a general sense of uncertainty, all things finance have been especially anxiety-inducing lately. Much of the advice given is geared toward people who have time to make up losses in the stock market. But what if you're retired or close to retirement age? That's the matter at hand on this week's episode of Explain It to Me, Vox's call-in podcast where we answer the questions that matter to you most. Washington Post personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary knows that worry firsthand. She's on the edge baby boomer and Gen X and is looking ahead to when she's no longer working. 'Like many people, I'm stressed to the max,' she says. 'So I am punching a lot of pillows and crying and screaming and doing a little cussing, but trying to not let the fear dictate moves. And that's the key.' Today, Explained Understand the world with a daily explainer plus the most compelling stories of the day, compiled by news editor Sean Collins. Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. What other advice does she have for people looking to retire soon? And how should those of us who have more time talk with our older loved ones about their retirement plans? Below is an excerpt of our conversation, edited for length and clarity. You can listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts. If you'd like to submit a question, send an email to askvox@ or call 1-800-618-8545. What should people who are approaching retirement age be doing right now in this economic moment? You want to do a retirement budget. Figure out what it would take if you retired to live in retirement. And if you have a shortfall, then there are some things that you need to do. Try to boost your savings. Try to look at your housing situation. Can I cut housing? Can I have a roommate? Do I need to move someplace that is more affordable? So you have to do some forward thinking before you retire to make sure that your finances are as secure as possible. Related The best financial advice right now is the most counterintuitive I have to admit something: I was particularly interested in this episode because my parents are boomers. What advice do you have for listeners that are like me? It's understandable that you're concerned about your parents because if they're not prepared, then that burden may fall on you. I say burden, not in a sense of you don't want to do it, but certainly when you are in your 30s, 40s, and early 50s, you're trying to get ready for your own retirement. But I think this is a good opportunity to have open conversations. This is a window to say, 'Hey, How are you positioned? Are you worried? Is there anything I should be concerned about? Is there something I can do differently to help you?' And maybe that'll open up a conversation where they say, 'No, we're fine. We're really worried, but we got things in control. Here's what's happening.' It's a very difficult conversation to have, especially if you've grown up in a household where money wasn't talked about a lot. For a younger adult to try to come to their parents and say, 'Hey, you got any money? What's going on?' — that's a hard conversation. But the roles aren't reversed. You are not their parents. You are now an adult friend who happens to be their child. How do you recommend that listeners start that conversation with the retirement-age folks in their lives? Start with yourself and your own feelings. Say, 'I'd love to talk to you about this because I'm a little worried. I'm saving for retirement and this is what's concerning me.' And then you say, 'How about you?' What you don't want to do is say something like, 'Do you have any money? What's going on?' You don't want to come at them in a more adversarial way. You should see each other as companions and accountability partners. What should people prioritize when they look at their finances right now? In this moment, cash is king. If you got a tax refund, I would be saving that. If you were already just getting by — maybe you weren't living paycheck to paycheck but there wasn't much left over — I would be stockpiling cash in a high-yield savings account in case you lose your job, in case the economy really does go into a recession, if it gets worse than it is now. The prudent thing right now is to not get into any kind of debt or use a lot of cash that you might need if you lose your job. If I was a federal employee, a federal contractor, anybody whose income is derived from the federal government in a significant way, I would be canceling vacations. I would not be doing major home improvement projects. I don't want to make people panic — although it's perfectly fine if you're scared because that's just human nature. But I will say the prudent thing right now is to not get into any kind of debt or use a lot of cash that you might need if you lose your job. What are the different ways people can help their parents financially without getting behind on their own goals? Do your own budget, and make sure that you have a cash cushion for yourself. Make sure that you are saving in a way that will hopefully help you have a secure retirement. Get rid of all your debts: If you got credit card debt, student loan, car note — everything except for your mortgage. Then, if all of that is taken care of, if you want to create an account where you put some money in every month to say, 'This is the money that I'm gonna designate to help my parents or maybe another relative.' My husband and I do that. We have a family and friends fund so that if somebody loses their job or has some difficulty, this is where we pull the money to help them out. What advice do you have for people who are at retirement age but haven't been able to save as much? How do they prepare for this moment? The first thing I would say is don't beat yourself up. You are where you are. Accept that, but do something about it. If you are getting close to retirement, then you've got to make some hard decisions. Look at your housing situation. You might have to say, 'You know what? Those young adults that were asking me about my money? Maybe I have to move in with them or they move in with me.' And so you look at the big parts of your budget and how you might change that. Financial advice can admittedly be a little frustrating because we hear the same thing over and over again. 'Sit tight, stay the course, don't make any rash decisions.' What do you say to people who feel antsy right now? Who want a different answer than what they usually hear? Listen, good advice is good advice, no matter what. Good advice is timeless. And people want a microwave answer to a problem that needs to be baked in the oven. You can't microwave your way away from this situation. You just can't. There is no secret recipe or secret anything. We know by history. The market eventually returns historically. Could it change in the future? Sure it can. But we have decades and decades of data that show that when we go into an economic downturn, we come out because it's in everybody's interest to make sure that happens. And so while you may be tired of us saying, 'Hold tight,' you might be tired of us saying, 'Don't make rash decisions,' that is the best advice. We know that when you make decisions in haste, when you make decisions based on your emotions, you make bad decisions.
