The Week Evening Review
Biden's Iran conundrum, a consumer-reliant economy, and deadly driving

 
talking point

Strong economic data is continuing to pile up, thanks largely to consumers who have spent heavily and helped defy months of warnings that the U.S. was heading for a recession. The Commerce Department reported Thursday that the economy grew by 3.1% in the past year, up from less than 1% in 2022 and far better than the 2% expansion economists had been expecting. And it revealed Friday that its measure of consumer prices, the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation indicator, rose 0.2% in December from November, putting it up just 2.6% in the past year. 

Cooling inflation provided relief to American households long gripped in a so-called "vibecession," with consumer confidence in the dumps despite promising economic data. Personal spending, America's main growth engine, rose 2.8%, with business investment and housing helping to boost growth. 

Consumers brought the economy in for a 'soft landing'
"Call it the Teflon economy," wrote Victoria Cavaliere and Ian Fisher at Bloomberg. Despite "gloomily incorrect predictions," the U.S. economy has just "added about a South Korea's worth of GDP to the world." The Fed's aggressive push to raise borrowing costs brought down inflation faster than the central bank "(and certainly Wall Street economists) anticipated."

Consumers spent heavily on all kinds of things, said Melvin Backman at Quartz. "Fun stuff like dining out (up 19.5%). Also not-so-fun stuff like health care (21.8%)." They're not putting away much for a rainy day.”

Shoppers could run out of steam in 2024
Many economists are convinced "something has to give this year," said Paul Davidson in USA Today. Big-spending households dipped deeper into a “robust but declining cache of pandemic-related savings," and we're in for a likely "pullback" as that "burst of post-pandemic consumption runs dry." 

Also, states and localities, whose payrolls and projects helped the economy defy gravity, are "blowing through federal pandemic and infrastructure money," stated The Wall Street Journal editorial board. That "increased government spending is partly compensating" for slower business investment. One reason could be "the [Biden] administration's regulatory avalanche," which is "magnifying the business uncertainty from Fed tightening and growing geopolitical risks." It's not clear how long businesses can withstand this "regulatory fusillade. President Joe Biden has a growing economy, but can he keep it?"

 
 
the explainer

Driving has become more deadly. The rate of crash deaths has gone up since 2020 and has been further aggravated by Americans' love of large vehicles and smartphones. The rise in deaths likely points to larger mental health struggles, with the car becoming an outlet to express anger and frustration. Traffic deaths in the U.S. also largely outnumber traffic deaths in other comparable countries. 

How have traffic deaths increased in the U.S.?
When automobiles were first invented, they were incredibly deadly because the world was unfamiliar with the new technology. Over time, road infrastructure as well as car technology improved and driving became safer. 

This had been the trend until the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Between 2020 and 2021, "the number of crashes in the United States soared 16%, to more than six million, or roughly 16,500 wrecks a day," and in 2021, "42,939 Americans died in car crashes, the highest toll in a decade and a half," the Times summarized. Many of those deaths resulted from intoxicated driving, speeding and not wearing a seat belt. The increase in crash deaths also coincides with Americans' preference for larger vehicles.

How have mental health and smartphones played a role?
The mental stress from the pandemic was easily channeled on the road. "All those emotions, they have to go somewhere," Ryan Martin, a psychologist at the University of Wisconsin, told the source. "There's your mood when you entered the car. There's provocation — something that happens to you, like being cut off. And relatedly, there's how you interpret the provocation based on your mood."

Another factor is people's addiction to smartphones. Americans use their phones on the road more than people in other countries, leading to further distracted driving, leading to more traffic wrecks and deaths. 

To curb car fatality rates, the Governors Highway Safety Administration recommends "designing and building safer roadways, engaging with people experiencing homelessness, focusing traffic enforcement on dangerous driving behaviors such as speeding and driving impaired or distracted, and educating novice drivers."

 
 

Poll watch

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) finished in fifth place in a straw poll of the fourth Congressional District cited by Colorado Politics, appearing to make her reelection chances slim. Boebert, known for her controversial rhetoric and staunch support of gun rights, recently relocated congressional districts to shore up her reelection bid.

 
 
Picture of the day

Camel walk

A camel walks alone in the Samawa desert, Iraq.
Hussein Faleh / Getty Images

 
 

Good day ?

… for causes Trump doesn't like. E. Jean Carroll promised to give the $83 million she was awarded in her defamation suit to "something Donald Trump hates" in a statement to "Good Morning America." "If it'll cause him pain for me to give money to certain things, that's my intent."

 
 

Bad day ?

… for iRobot. Shares for the creator of the Roomba fell almost 9% on Monday after its $1.4 billion acquisition by Amazon was thwarted by European antitrust regulators and fell even further in early Tuesday trading. The company also announced plans to lay off 31% of its staff.

 
 
Puzzles

Test your general knowledge with The Week's daily crossword, part of our puzzles section, which also includes sudoku and codewords

 
 
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION

American officials have spent the last few months warning against "wider war" in the Middle East. The deaths of three American soldiers in Jordan may prove a critical moment in that effort.

National security hawks are urging President Joe Biden to launch an attack on Iran, which backs the militias that launched the deadly drone attack in Jordan. Iran denied direct involvement. Politico reported that Biden administration officials are figuring out how to "forcefully deter other attacks while also not further inflaming a smoldering region."

Fear of igniting a broader war means that Biden's options "range from the unsatisfying to the highly risky," The New York Times reported. The U.S. and Iran have spent decades avoiding a never-ending "cycle of strikes and counterstrikes." The attack in Jordan may have triggered that cycle. 

What did the commentators say?
"The sorry truth is that these casualties are the result of the president's policy choices," The Wall Street Journal editorialized. Iranian proxies have attacked American targets 150 times since the Israel-Hamas war started, inviting only "limited airstrikes" in response. Will Biden now use "devastating force?" Maybe not. "The president has put his anxieties about upsetting Iran and risking escalation above his duty to defend U.S. soldiers abroad."

A military attack in Iran would have devastating ripple effects — prolonging the Gaza fighting, bringing Iran-backed Hezbollah into the war against Israel, and more broadly destabilizing the region, Simon Tisdall noted at The Guardian. "Direct American military retaliation against Iran itself would be a disaster."

The best way to prevent escalation would be to "broker a deal" that ends the fighting between Israel and Hamas, David Ignatius argued at The Washington Post. 

What next?
American officials are trying to signal balance. "We're not looking for another war, but we absolutely will do what we have to do to protect ourselves," said the National Security Council's John Kirby. 

On Tuesday morning, Biden told reporters he holds Iran responsible for the Jordan attack — and that he has made a decision about how to respond. "They're supplying the weapons to the people who did it," he said, but added: "I don't think we're looking for a wider war in the Middle East, that's not what I'm looking for."

 
 

Statistic of the day

100: The number of inches of snow that have fallen in Anchorage, Alaska, this winter. This marks the earliest date for the city to reach that milestone in history, and the snow doesn’t appear to be letting up. This weekend saw another 16 inches to push Anchorage past the 100-inch mark. 
The Associated Press

 
 
INSTANT OPINION

Today's best commentary

'Venezuela's Maduro tricks Biden — again'
The Wall Street Journal editorial board
Venezuela's decision to bar popular opposition leader Maria Corina Machado from running for president "was predictable," says The Wall Street Journal editorial board. The Biden administration temporarily "lifted Trump-era oil and gas sanctions" after Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro pledged in October to work with the opposition toward free elections. Machado would be "a heavy favorite" in any fair vote, given Maduro's destruction of the economy. The White House was "naive" to think Maduro would keep his word.

'The audacity of E. Jean Carroll'
Jessica Bennett in The New York Times
E. Jean Carroll once "blazed trails as a gonzo-style journalist," writes Jessica Bennet in The New York Times. Ever since she accused Donald Trump of a 1990s sexual assault, he called her a liar, and she sued for defamation, people see her, at best, as a former advice columnist. At worst, she's "the crazy Trump rape lawsuit lady." Beyond defamation, her case was about a woman, "long past middle age, who dared to claim she indeed still had value."

'The United Nations doesn't deserve a role in Gaza's future'
Sean Durns in the Washington Examiner
A dozen United Nations workers "allegedly helped carry out the Oct. 7 massacre of Jewish civilians," says Sean Durns in the Washington Examiner. If true, their United Nations Relief and Works Agency deserves no "role in Gaza after the war." The agency already had a "troubled history." Created in 1949 to resettle Palestinian Arabs, it views all Palestinians as refugees until they return to Israel, meaning it thinks the conflict can "only end with the Jewish state's destruction."

 
 
WORD OF THE DAY

Technocrats

Followers of Silicon Valley's "ascendant political ideology" who "claim to embrace Enlightenment values" but are in fact "leading an antidemocratic, illiberal movement," per The Atlantic

 
 
The Week recommends

Every time is the right time to drink Champagne. But if you must have an excuse, Valentine's Day — alone or paired up — is a fine reason. These three bars are superb locations to feel fizzy.

Balthazar in Copenhagen
Balthazar — named in honor of the gargantuan 12-liter wine bottle — is Denmark's first Champagne bar. Connected to the Hotel D'Angleterre, you will want to stay a while, settling into one of the high-backed chairs or taking a stool at the long bar. Balthazar offers Champagne from more than 42 different houses, including Gosset, founded in 1584 and the oldest house in Champagne. 

Champagne and Gyoza Bar in Tokyo
You get the best of both worlds at the Champagne and Gyoza Bar. Their mission is to "make people happy with Champagne and delicious cuisine," and they do this with their straightforward approach to both. A glass of effervescent Champagne is a delightful accompaniment to the rich, crackling-skinned gyoza, which come with several sauces for dipping. 

Pop Alleigh in Atlanta
Anything (Champagne-related) is possible at Pop Alleigh. This cute Champagne bar — the first to open in Atlanta — offers Champagne by the glass or bottle, with dozens of vintage and non-vintage selections. They also have multiple flight options, for those who cannot decide or want a taste of many wines. Go all out and try the King of Hearts, featuring Nomine-Renard "Special Club" 2013, Dom Perignon Brut 2013 and Krug Grande Cuvee 169th edition.

 
 

In the morning

Tomorrow, you can read about the decline of shark populations despite bans on finning, the anniversary of the 13th Amendment that abolished slavery, and more.

Thanks for reading,
Summer

 
 

Evening Review was written and edited by Theara Coleman, Nadia Croes, Catherine Garcia, Harold Maass, Scott Hocker, Justin Klawans, Kelsee Majette, Joel Mathis, Summer Meza, Devika Rao, Rafi Schwartz, Anahi Valenzuela and Peter Weber, with illustrations by Stephen Kelly and Julia Wytrazek.

Image credits, from top: Illustration by Stephen Kelly / Getty Images; Kena Betancur / Getty Images; simonkr / Getty Images; Mariana Mikhailova / Getty Images