Randal S. Olson shows that U.S. World War II veterans are rapidly disappearing from living memory, documenting stark numbers from official sources: 16.4 million Americans served in WWII, more than 405,000 died during the war, and the Department of Veterans Affairs’ VetPop2023 model counts about 95,000 living veterans in fiscal 2023 but only roughly 31,000 by fiscal 2026. The decline is accelerating because the youngest veterans are now in their late 90s and most are past 100, implying current losses of more than 14,000 veterans per year (about 40 per day). Projections place fewer than 10,000 survivors by 2029, under 1,000 by 2034, and essentially zero by the early 2040s.
The write-up highlights D-Day as a poignant example: about 160,000 Allied troops landed on June 6, 1944, including roughly 73,000 Americans, and the 80th-anniversary commemorations in 2024 were treated as the last major events with living veterans present. The piece frames the demographic trajectory as decisive: when the last veteran dies, WWII will pass out of living memory just as earlier wars have, and it notes that the chart illustrating these trends was produced end-to-end by an AI agent using VA VetPop2023 data and museum statistics.
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Details have emerged from a meeting where Bari Weiss's chosen editor allegedly threatened CBS staff. The incident has raised questions about the conduct and management style within Weiss's team. (mediaite.com)
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased at an annualized rate of 7.2% in September, reflecting inflation. The year-over-year increase was 3.7%. (bls.gov)
The 'death watch' for Chinese leader Xi Jinping has begun, drawing global attention as it could impact markets and geopolitical stability. Xi's health and age raise concerns about China's future leadership and its worldwide influence. (semafor.com)
Access to the webpage titled 'The road we were told not to take' is blocked due to a server error, possibly from high traffic or configuration problems. The article's content is currently unavailable. (aspendailynews.com)
Concerns about industry layoffs and a shrinking job market are leading software engineers to consider re-training. The discussion questions when a significant number of engineers will need to switch careers amid these changes. (news.ycombinator.com)
NetBSD is being considered as a potential operating system that remains free and open-source without incorporating artificial intelligence features. The project emphasizes traditional development methods over modern techniques like version control systems such as CVS. (theregister.com)
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