Lake County Ohio Weal

  STATISTA: US POPULATION GROWTH BIRTHS VS IMMIGRATION by Katharina Buchholz,  Jul 10, 2026 The U.S. population grew by around 1.8 million people last year and immigrants made up more than 70 percent of that increase. Immigration is responsible for a rising share of U.S. population growth, while fewer births taking place in the country have diminished the role of natural population increase, as shown in figures by the U.S. Census Bureau. Apart from this general trend, fluctuations tied to immigration policy are clearly visible in the data (as is the release of a new Census in 2021). During the first Trump administration, fewer immigrants settled permanently in the country in 2017-2019, causing the share of immigration in population growth to shrink. The same happened in 2025 when immigrant settlements fell once again from their post-Covid peak (after the pandemic itself had been another factor that disrupted immigration flows). In 2011, only around 35 percent of U.S. populati...

  STATISTA: How Global Population Growth is Slowing by Katharina Buchholz,   Jul 10, 2026 According to UN calculations, the world's population will cross the 10-billion mark in 2061. By the end of the century, however, this number will have started to decline slightly, having reached a high around 10.3 billion in 2084. Leading up to this reversal, the growth of the global populace has actually been slowing down for decades, as seen in numbers by the UN Population Division. The organization celebrates World Population Day on Saturday. While the above figures are according to the UN's medium scenario of moderate fertility, a case where global birth rates sink even more drastically would result in a reversal of population growth already around the early 2060s, at a high of just under 10 billion people on Earth. This would result in a world population around 9 billion again by the end of the century. Some academics believe that a global population decline at an even faster rate is...

 7. In order to answer these questions and discern how to navigate responsibly the era of AI, I would like to bring to mind two scenes from the Bible: the construction of the Tower of Babel (cf. Gen 11:1-9) and the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem (cf. Neh 2–6)  It was a project conceived without reference to God, supported by a uniformity that eliminated diversity and that chose homogenization over communion. When a city is built on pride and the claim to self-sufficiency, communication breaks down, languages are confused and people no longer understand each other. The result is not unity, but dispersion Before taking action, he fasted, prayed and interceded for the people. He then asked the king for permission to return to Jerusalem and, upon arriving, examined the destroyed areas in silence. He did not impose solutions from above. He convened the families, assigned each of them a section of the wall to rebuild, listened to their concerns, coordinated their efforts and a...

we must ask God for the wisdom to interpret the great trends of our time, particularly technological advances. In recent years , it has become increasingly evident how rapidly and profoundly digitalization, artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics are transforming our world. Technology should not be considered, in itself, as a force antagonistic to humanity. On the contrary, it has formed part of our history since the beginning as “a profoundly human reality, linked to the autonomy and freedom of man.” [5] Over the centuries, technological development has significantly improved the living conditions of humanity . At the same time, each phase of progress has also revealed the ambiguity of tools that can cause harm when not oriented toward the good.   Today, however, we find ourselves facing a new situation . The power and prevalence of emerging technologies are interwoven into the fabric of daily life, shaping decision-making processes and deeply affecting the collective imagi...

 Each generation inherits the task of shaping its own era, of guiding history to become a place where the dignity of every person is safeguarded, justice is promoted and fraternity is made possible. Yet every era also runs the risk of creating an inhumane and more unjust world For this reason, we can diligently contribute to every initiative that builds a more just world, and we can call others to collaborate in promoting the integral development of every human being. We wish to engage in dialogue with all men and women of our time, with whom we share in the events, questions and aspirations of humanity. [2] Together with them, we seek to identify new paths for the common good and for promoting a dignified life for all.  Today, the Social Doctrine of the Church is a legacy of wisdom, where we find principles for thought, criteria for discernment and judgment, and concrete guidelines for action. Founded on Sacred Scripture and Tradition, and in engagement with the sciences, it ...

  FULL SPEECH: Pope Leo XIV Warns AI “Needs To Be Disarmed”  In Explosive Vatican Speech |  Text of Pope Leo's Speech at Presentation Like the earlier “Leo”, I feel entrusted to look upon another huge transformation with eyes of faith, with lucidity of reason, with openness to mystery, and with cries of the poor and the earth resounding in my heart. IMAGE OF DISARMAMENT From this listening matured a disturbing conviction expressed in Magnifica Humanitas: artificial intelligence needs to be disarmed. The word is strong, I know, but deliberately chosen because this moment needs words capable of attracting attention, awakening consciences and indicating paths forward for humanity. The Church has long been working for nuclear disarmament, aware that every great technical power can affect people’s lives and so must be accompanied by adequate moral discernment and public control. Nuclear disarmament remains a service to peace and the dignity of the human family. CONSTRUCTION SI...

Statista: Older Workers Face Uneven Employment Aging Workforce Older Workers Face Uneven Employment Outcomes by  Tristan Gaudiaut,   May 15, 2026 As populations age rapidly in many regions around the world, the growing share of older workers and pensioners is raising new challenges for labor markets and public finances. UN projections show that old-age dependency ratios are set to rise sharply in countries such as South Korea, China, Italy and Germany by 2050, increasing pressure on working-age populations. Against this backdrop, the most recent data (2024) from the OECD Dashboard on Older Workers highlights that uneven employment outcomes persist for people in the final decade of their working lives (aged 55 to 64). Employment rates among this age group range from just 39 percent in South Africa to 79 percent in Japan, while in major European countries, rates vary from around 60 percent in Italy and France to 75 percent in Germany, with the United Kingdom at 66 percent. In No...

  Statista: Old-Age Dependency in Selected Countries The Growing Burden of Old-Age Dependency Anna Fleck   May 15, 2026 Many countries around the world are facing a rapidly rising old-age dependency ratio, according to projections published in the UN’s World Population Prospects 2024. This indicator measures the number of people aged 65 and older relative to the working-age population (between 15 and 64 years old). South Korea is expected to experience a particularly steep increase, with the number of people aged 65 and over per 100 working-age adults projected to jump from 31.2 in 2026 to 75.6 by 2050. Italy is also forecast to see a dramatic rise, climbing from 40.7 to 70.4. These figures underscore the accelerating pace of global population ageing, which will result in a growing economic burden on shrinking workforces. Established industrial economies such as the United States are projected to age more gradually, with the old-age dependency ratio rising from 29.3 to 37.9 ov...

   Loaves and Fishes: The Inspiring Story of the Catholic Worker Movement by Dorothy Day (Author),  Robert Coles (Introduction) Paperback – June 3, 2003; originally published: New York: Harper & Row, 1963. Ch.1 Everyone's Paper    OVERVIEW "Man proposes, and woman disposes." It took Dorothy from December to May to bring out the paper. While the people and ideas were there, the money was slow in coming. Fifty-seven dollars for two thousand copies at Paulist Press.  Dorothy drafted news articles about exploitation of Negros and sharecroppers in the South, child labor, evictions and strikes locally. Peter was disturbed as the paper took shape. It's everyone's paper," Peter said. Dorthy was pleased it was what she thought they had both wanted. "And everyone's paper is no one's paper." he said and without another word left. Later she learned that he had gone back upstate in New York. Day began selling the paper at the May Day rally in New Yor...

  Loaves and Fishes: The Inspiring Story of the Catholic Worker Movement by Dorothy Day (Author),  Robert Coles (Introduction) Paperback – June 3, 2003; originally published: New York: Harper & Row, 1963. Ch.1 A Knock at the Door    OVERVIEW Day was living in a four -room deep apartment when she started the Catholic Worker with Peter Maurin, Besides her daughter Ramar, the family included her brother John and his wife Teresa.   Day earned her living by freelance articles on about the social order for Commonweal and America. She had just returned from Washington covering a hunger march and a farmer's conference.  The knock at the door was from Peter. Commonweal editor had recommended that he contact Dorothy. Day delightfully describes the chaos of the household. Peter loved to talk about ideas with everyone he met even though he came to see Dorothy about three ideas he had for here. First, he thought she join with him in beginning a Newspaper to help peo...

  Loaves and Fishes: The Inspiring Story of the Catholic Worker Movement by Dorothy Day (Author),  Robert Coles (Introduction) Paperback – June 3, 2003; originally published: New York: Harper & Row, 1963. The Long Loneliness The Autobiography of the Legendary Catholic Social Activist  – A Greenwich Village Journalist's Conversion and Commitment to Peace and Justice Peter Maurin: Apostle to the World by Dorothy Day (Author), Francis J Sicius (Author) Dorothy Day: Selected Writings by Robert Ellsberg (Editor) Paperback – April 21, 2005 Easy Essays by Peter Maurin (Author), Fritz Eichenberg (Illustrator) The Forgotten Radical -Peter Maurin Easy Essays from the Catholic Worker  (Catholic Practice in North America) The definitive edition of Catholic Worker cofounder Peter Maurin's Easy Essays, including 74 previously unpublished works The Catholic Worker Movement: Intellectual and Spiritual Origens by Mark Zwick (Author), Louise Zwick (Author)

Planning for Life After Retirement: Beyond Money & Consumption Most of us are familiar with advertisements of the financial planners aimed at potential retirees. That last paycheck has to last a lifetime! The question becomes how much money do we need for the rest of our lives? What if we live to be ninety? or (God forbid!) a hundred?   The answer to those questions depends upon our habits of consumption.  Do we want to maintain our present lifestyle Do we want to move elsewhere? Or journey around the world? Consumption opportunities are endless, and so could be the amount of money needed to fulfill them. A gold mine for the investment industry!  This post aims to shift planning for life away from money and financial capital to broader notions of our investments in human, social, and cultural capital. Our most fulfilling leisure (non-work) time may be what we do to continue our accumulation of human, social, and cultural capital, not only for ourselves but others...

  Statista Streaming Takes Over the TV Screen by  Felix Richter, Feb 19, 2026 Over the past few years, streaming services have taken over a growing chunk of TV consumption in the United States. According to Nielsen’s The Gauge, a monthly report that measures what Americans watch on their actual TV screens, streaming’s rise has mostly come at the expense of broadcast and cable TV, which saw their share of TV screentime decline significantly. Back in December 2021, broadcast and cable accounted for 26 and 37 percent of TV viewing, respectively, while streaming accounted for 28 percent. By December 2025, the balance of power had shifted, and streaming reached its highest-ever share of television time at 48 percent, while broadcast and cable had dropped to 21 and 20 percent, respectively. The figures suggest that cable TV in particular is being replaced by streaming services, as many households that operate on a tight budget cut the cord and opt for more affordable and flexible st...

One of the foundations of Western European culture is leisure.  The Greek word for leisure  schole, is the origin of Latin scola, German Schule, English school. The name for the institutions of education and learning means "leisure". The original meaning of the concept of "leisure" has practically been forgotten in today's leisure-less culture of "total work." We must confront the contradiction that rises from our overemphasis on the world of work. "One does not only work in order to live, but one lives for the sake of one's work," quoted by Max Weber. Aristotle: the sober, industrious realist, says  "We are not at-leisure in order to be at leisure." For the Greeks, "not-leisure" was the word for the world of everyday work; and not only to indicate its "hustle and bustle," but the work itself. The Greek language had only this negative term for it as did Latin neg-otium "not-leisure." Aristotle's...

  Statista: Biggest AI Concerns in the US by  Tristan Gaudiaut,   Nov 28, 2025 From chatbots to deepfakes, artificial intelligence is reshaping daily life - but not without raising major concerns among the population. According to a survey conducted by Statista Consumer Insights in the U.S. this year, people's manipulation and misinformation, as well as job replacement, are the top concerns regarding AI. All three issues were mentioned by more than 40 percent of American respondents, with manipulation (46 percent) and misinformation (45 percent) coming first. Among other major worries, the environmental impact of AI (power consumption) is cited by 27 percent of adults surveyed. Furthermore, while 41 percent believed "millions of jobs could be replaced", 23 percent viewed their job as threatened. You will find more infographics at Statista