1 big thing: The power of friendships between rich and poor

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1 big thing: Demystifying video games

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🏁 Axios Finish Line: Demystifying video games

1 big thing: The case for extreme discipline 

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1 big thing: Why you should do things you're bad at

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1 big thing: The power of neighbors

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Record-breaking heat waves are sweeping the U.S., Europe and Asia, making it even more important to stay hydrated, stay cool and stay calm.

Why it matters: Extreme heat affects our bodies and our brains. But there are steps we can all take to get through these scorching days safely.

1) Eat your water. You read that right. We all know to drink water, but that's not the only way to stay hydrated. You can get your daily fill from certain foods too. 

Try fruits like watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, oranges and grapes, or vegetables like cucumber and celery. If you want something salty, olives and pickles are quite hydrating as well, per the New York Times. For dessert, choose a popsicle.

And spicy foods are also good at keeping you cool by making you sweat.

2) Get loose. Wearing loose-fitting clothes that let air circulate is the best way to dress for a heat wave, per a study of Bedouin tribes that thrived in the Arabian desert.

3) Sleep well. Heat waves can sneak up on people in the middle of the night. 

Try freezing your sheets and pillows and taking a cold shower before bed. And avoid late-night snacks, which warm your body up. 

If it's too hot to sleep comfortably, considering going to a cooling shelter or staying with friends who have access to air conditioning.

4) Look out for your neighbors. Neighborhoods without strong social ties suffer the most during periods of extreme heat, sociologist Eric Klinenberg tells Axios. Friends and neighbors can keep tabs on each other, recognize signs of heat stroke and save lives.

5) Be patient. Studies show that super hot weather can warp our minds, making us more irritable, angry and stressed.

Try your best to cool off — mentally — and exercise patience with the people in your life as we navigate the heat.

What to do in extreme heat

Heat waves affect our bodies and our brains.

Illustration of the planet earth wearing a pair of sunglasses

Heat waves

Climate change

Record-breaking heat waves are <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="sweeping the U.S." data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/07/20/heat-wave-america-excessive-heat" data-vars-content-id="37ff22c4-1f23-4dea-a50d-39783ad1de12" data-vars-headline="What to do in extreme heat" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/07/20/heat-wave-america-excessive-heat" target="_self">sweeping the U.S.</a>, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Europe" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/07/20/europe-heat-wave-new-global-warming-era" data-vars-content-id="37ff22c4-1f23-4dea-a50d-39783ad1de12" data-vars-headline="What to do in extreme heat" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/07/20/europe-heat-wave-new-global-warming-era" target="_self">Europe</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Asia" data-vars-click-url="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/heat-wave-flooding-leave-over-a-dozen-dead-in-china/2022/07/13/bc71a0dc-028b-11ed-8beb-2b4e481b1500_story.html" data-vars-content-id="37ff22c4-1f23-4dea-a50d-39783ad1de12" data-vars-headline="What to do in extreme heat" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/heat-wave-flooding-leave-over-a-dozen-dead-in-china/2022/07/13/bc71a0dc-028b-11ed-8beb-2b4e481b1500_story.html" target="_blank">Asia</a>, making it even more important to stay hydrated, stay cool and stay calm.Why it matters: Extreme heat affects our bodies and our brains. But there are steps we can all take to get through these scorching days safely.

Ominous forecasts about the impact of climate change serve as the backdrop for the world — led by U.S. lawmakers and companies — to debate big action on the problem, which could upend energy systems and our way of life.

Energy & Environment

We value excellence and success and productivity in our pursuits, but there’s incredible merit in chasing hobbies you’re not very good at.

Why it matters: Doing hard things sharpens our minds and bodies — and keeps us grounded.

Americans' fixation with perfectionism is chipping away at our mental health, Vox reports. Many of us don't pick up hobbies because we're afraid of being bad at them. 

We think that once we start something, we have to achieve great things in that field, author Tim Wu writes in the New York Times.

It's not only okay, it's also good for us to do things purely for ourselves.

Case in point: At the beginning of this year, I set a goal to run at least 10 miles a week.

For anyone who runs with any regularity, it’s an unimpressive goal. For me — someone who couldn’t run a mile without stopping before the pandemic — it’s a big one.

I'm not a naturally gifted athlete; the miles I run are slow and steady, and I'm never going to be a champion runner, but sticking to my goal has vastly improved my mental and physical health.

Most importantly, I'm much braver when it comes to challenging myself and trying even more new things. And I've found that runners who are a lot fitter and faster than I'll ever be respect me a great deal for even trying.

There's a scientific case for this: As we've reported, pushing ourselves to learn new skills — whether mental or physical — has been linked to reduced risk of dementia as we age.

Struggling, or even failing, is one of the most effective ways to overcome fear and boost creativity. And doing things that we're bad at teaches us to stay humble — and laugh at ourselves.

On top of that, being okay with being bad at some things is great for peace of mind. "When you refuse to do anything you're not great at, what you're telling yourself is that you're only okay if you're perfect," therapist Aimee Daramus tells Well+Good. "That's going to lead to a lot of pain in life."

The bottom line: If you love to do something, keep at it — even if it's hard and even if you're bad at it.

Axios Finish Line: Do things you're bad at

There’s incredible merit in chasing hobbies you’re not very good at.

Exercise

We value excellence and success and productivity in our pursuits, but there’s incredible merit in chasing hobbies you’re not very good at.Why it matters: Doing hard things sharpens our minds and bodies — and keeps us grounded.

The U.S. faces a range of health care flashpoints — unaffordable drugs, opioids, vaping — as we debate whether to adopt universal care. For now, the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land, but Republicans want to issue it a final death blow.

Health

Shifts in technology and media are changing the way we play, watch and understand sports. Business models are adapting and social change is forcing those in charge of teams and leagues to reconsider decades-old practices.

Sports

A majority of Americans don't know most of their neighbors — and they barely talk to the ones they do know.

Why it matters: Strong neighborhoods boost the health, happiness, and longevity of their residents. But over the last several decades, our connections with our neighbors have been fraying.

What's happening: We're leaving our homes with our screens in our hands. The pandemic made us even less likely than we were before to stop and chat with new folks.

As a result, most of the people living around us are strangers.

57% of Americans say they know only some or none of their neighbors, according to a Pew Research Center survey. That share climbs up to 72% among 30- to 49-year-olds and 78% among 18- to 29-year-olds.

58% say they know their neighbors but don't spend time chatting or hanging out with them.

The stakes: The benefits of knowing thy neighbor abound.

Lives saved: In well-connected neighborhoods, fewer lives are lost in tragedies, including natural disasters and mass shootings.

Happier aging: Older adults who know their neighbors report a far higher sense of psychological wellbeing.

Safer streets: Tight-knit neighborhoods have lower rates of gun violence.

Boosted wellbeing: People who know their neighbors are generally cheerier, healthier, and spend more time outside.

💡 Between the lines: Even in the age of dating apps, texting, and social media, most people get to know their neighbors in person.

We're twice as likely to chat with neighbors in person than online, per Pew.

The bottom line: Step outside and start a conversation — in the garden or in the mailroom. Befriending your neighbors is good for you.

The power of knowing your neighbors

Strong neighborhoods boost the health, happiness and longevity of their inhabitants.

Mental health

A majority of Americans don&#x27;t know most of their neighbors — and they barely talk to the ones they do know.Why it matters: Strong neighborhoods boost the health, happiness, and longevity of their residents. But over the last several decades, our connections with our neighbors have been fraying.

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

Data: Chetty, Jackson, Kuchler, Stroebel, et al. Nature 2022; Chart: Axios Visuals

For a poor kid, having wealthy friends is one of the strongest determinants of economic mobility later in life.

Why it matters: That data point, from a study published in the journal Nature today, underscores the real-world power of friendship.

We know accumulating friends in different stages of our lives can decrease stress, lengthen life, improve our performance at work and even make us better parents.

We know friendships with our neighbors can be the difference between life and death in tragedies and natural disasters.

And now we know cross-class friendships are drivers of wealth and success for less fortunate kids.

The big picture: The study authors did a first-of-its-kind analysis of 72 million Facebook friendships between U.S. adults.

What they found: If poor children grew up in neighborhoods in which 70% of their friends were rich, their future incomes would be 20% higher than their counterparts who grew up without these bonds across class lines.

This was a stronger indicator of future income than factors like family structure and school quality, as well as the racial makeup and job availability in the child's community.

Reality check: It's not that simple. Friendships across class are increasingly hard to come by in our divided country.

For example, for people in the bottom 10% of the income distribution, only 2.5% of their friends are in the top 10%, Johannes Stroebel, an economist at NYU and one of the study authors, tells Axios.

There are some cities that are doing better than others. In Salt Lake City and Minneapolis, nearly half of the friends of folks in the bottom half of the income distribution are in the top half. But in Indianapolis, only about 30% of poorer people's friends are rich.

And there are certain spaces where cross-class bonds are built more frequently, Stroebel says. Churches, temples and other religious spaces are in that category.

What to watch: There are big policies — like implementing school busing, diversifying college admissions by class, and increasing the availability of affordable housing — that can boost the prevalence of cross-class friendships.

 But we can all make a greater effort to diversify our friend circles.

Reach out to people at your place of worship, your dog park or your grocery store.

Meet people through volunteer work around your community.

Take your kids to free activities at parks and local libraries that are available to families of all backgrounds and where children can make friends with kids from all walks of life.

The power of friendships between poor kids and rich kids

Having rich friends can determine economic mobility later in life.

Economic mobility

For a poor kid, having wealthy friends is one of the strongest determinants of economic mobility later in life.Why it matters: That data point, from <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="a" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04997-3#data-availability" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04997-3#data-availability" target="_blank">a</a> <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="stud" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04997-3" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04997-3" target="_blank">stud</a>y published in the journal Nature today, underscores the real-world power of friendship.

After a record economic expansion, the coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a recession as unemployment soared to staggering heights. The country now faces urgent questions about how much stimulus is needed for reeling consumers and businesses, and what a recovery might look like.

Economy & Business

The Biden administration is rolling out new policies and committing millions of dollars to help people build wealth and buy homes, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge told Axios during a live event Thursday.

Why it matters: There is a 30-percentage point gap between Black and white homeownership — that gulf is wider than it was in 1968, when the Fair Housing Act was passed.

Today, the median white family has about 8 times the wealth of the typical Black family and 5 times the wealth of the typical Latino family.

"What we are seeing is a crisis not just in home ownership, but a crisis in this country as to who can afford to live in certain neighborhoods," Fudge said. 

"[W]e're looking at how we address the systemic racism that has permeated the federal government, quite frankly, for generations and generations."

What’s happening: HUD’s “Bridging the Gap” plan includes measures to help low-income renters build credit, save money and access educational resources on wealth-building and homeownership.

Steps include allowing renters to build credit by reporting monthly payments, helping young adults save, and addressing problems in the current property appraisal system which routinely undervalues homes in predominantly Black and brown neighborhoods, said Fudge.

HUD is also committing $113 million to its Family Self-Sufficiency program, which helps HUD-assisted families move away from welfare through support such as job training, counseling, child care and financial education.

The bottom line: "We're using these kinds of opportunities to assist people who have historically been left out, who have historically been underserved," Fudge says.

Go deeper: These cities are reducing the racial homeownership gap

HUD’s new plan to bridge the homeownership gap

The Black and white homeownership gap is wider today than it was in the 1960s.

Affordable housing

The Biden administration is rolling out new policies and committing millions of dollars to help people build wealth and buy homes, Housing and Urban Development Secretary <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Marcia Fudge" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2021/06/20/hud-secretary-black-homeownership-decline" data-vars-content-id="b9e80330-5205-459d-9dc4-53d9d578ae09" data-vars-headline="HUD’s new plan to bridge the homeownership gap" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2021/06/20/hud-secretary-black-homeownership-decline" target="_self">Marcia Fudge</a> told Axios during a live event Thursday.Why it matters: There is <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="a 30-percentage point gap" data-vars-click-url="https://www.urban.org/policy-centers/housing-finance-policy-center/projects/reducing-racial-homeownership-gap" data-vars-content-id="b9e80330-5205-459d-9dc4-53d9d578ae09" data-vars-headline="HUD’s new plan to bridge the homeownership gap" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.urban.org/policy-centers/housing-finance-policy-center/projects/reducing-racial-homeownership-gap" target="_blank">a 30-percentage point gap</a> between Black and white homeownership — that gulf is wider than it was in 1968, when the Fair Housing Act was passed.

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HUD’s new plan to bridge the homeownership gap

The power of friendships between poor kids and rich kids

The power of knowing your neighbors

Axios Finish Line: Do things you're bad at

What to do in extreme heat

Newsletter editions

🏁 Axios Finish Line: Rich with friends

🏁 Axios Finish Line: Extreme discipline

🏁 Axios Finish Line: Know thy neighbor

🏁 Axios Finish Line: Demystifying video games

🏁 Axios Finish Line: Hard hobbies