By the numbers: The number of babies born in the U.S. last year fell to a 32-year low, deepening a fertility slump that is reshaping America’s future workforce, The Wall Street Journal reports. About 3.79 million babies were born in the U.S. in 2018, a 2% decline form 2017, according to provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics. The drop has been particularly dramatic among teens ages 15-19, where the birth rate fell 7% last year to 17.4 births per thousand women, down 72% from a peak of 61.8 in 1991. Read the full story.
Treatment options: Louisiana’s medical marijuana patients would be able to inhale cannabis, like an asthma treatment, if state senators agree to a proposal that won overwhelming support from House lawmakers. Rep. Ted James, a Baton Rouge Democrat, says his bill shouldn’t be seen as an expansion of the medical marijuana program, because it only changes the delivery method. The House voted 73-3 for the proposal Tuesday, sending it to the Senate for debate. Read the full story.
Fewer shopping sprees: U.S. retail sales declined 0.2% last month as Americans cut back their spending on clothes, appliances, and home and garden supplies, the Commerce Department said this morning, after a big 1.7% jump in March. Car sales dropped 1.1% last month and sales at electronics and appliance stores dropped 1.3% Read the full story.
