Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.
The Sounds of
Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year
HEADLINES ON April 21, 2009
Full News Archive
- Headline: Nurses' Union Efforts Stumble in Congress. Impact: This setback in organizing nurses led to a nationwide nursing shortage decades later, where hospitals were staffed by robots that couldn't tell a stethoscope from a salad fork. Thanks, Congress!. Fact: Nurses have been fighting for better organization since the dawn of time—well, at least since the invention of the stethoscope. You'd think they'd have better luck!.
- Headline: Bank Profits Spark Investor Skepticism. Impact: The magical appearance of bank profits inspired a generation of aspiring magicians who realized that making money disappear was much more fun than actually earning it. Now we have people on TikTok performing financial sleight of hand.. Fact: When banks say profits appeared 'out of thin air,' they really mean they just used a really good accountant and a sprinkle of creative accounting. Ta-da!.
- Headline: Lawmaker's Controversial Lobbyist Agreement. Impact: This agreement with lobbyists inevitably led to a game of political telephone where miscommunication resulted in Congress attempting to pass a bill to fund an army of trained squirrels for espionage purposes. Spoiler: It didn't go well.. Fact: Lobbying is like that friend who always knows someone who knows someone—only in this case, it's a lawmaker who's in over their head. Welcome to politics!.
- Headline: Nonprofit Groups Seeking Exceptions to Lobby Rule. Impact: The pushback against anti-lobbying policies led to a world where everyone just pretended they weren’t lobbying while secretly passing notes in the halls of Congress. It’s like middle school, but with more money.. Fact: Critics say not all lobbying is bad, which is kind of like saying not all traffic jams are created equal. Some come with snacks, some just come with road rage..
Wall Street Time Machine
NFLX
Netflix
Netflix - If you invested $1,000 in 2009, it would be worth $220,288 today (220.3x return)