The Eras Tour

Global sensation and today’s most influential pop star Taylor Swift has had a booming impact on the economy with her long-lived tour that swept the globe. Although the tour started in 2023, its influence has only grown this past year. Across two years and approximately 149 shows, CNN reports that The Eras Tour is the highest grossing tour of all time, accumulating around $2.2 billion in ticket sales. Furthermore, Taylor Swift fans, fondly known as Swifties, have spent around $6.5 billion worldwide. The total consumer spending in the locations Swift visited skyrocketed during the tour weekend; while Swift herself acquired the majority of the money spent on tour tickets and merchandise, local businesses were able to benefit as well from Swiftie tourism. The global phenomenon has provided an economic boost in numerous places, and although it is incredibly difficult to determine the overall impact on the global economy, it is evident that Taylor Swift brings Swifties who are eager to spend, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Presidential Election

This year’s presidential election has been depicted as one of the most significant of our time. The close race absolutely consumed the media and society as a whole with the possible outcomes and impact on the world. Not to mention, there has been loads of controversy on either side—with President Trump’s criminal indictments and attempted assassination, and Vice President Harris’ role as the first ever Black and South Asian woman to be vice president, and her short-lived campaign due to a late entrance to the race. ABC news reports that “The Democrats were hungry for a win and despite having an incumbent president who was otherwise performing well needed to energize the ticket dramatically….[And on] the Republican side Trump co-opted the Republican Party in a way that made his nomination inevitable.” In regards to the outcome of the election, Goldman Sachs Asset Management discusses that fiscal expansion is likely, following the Federal Reserve’s cut rates on November 7, 2024. Goldman Sachs notes, “The dollar strengthened, US stocks reacted positively, Treasury yields moved higher. In our view, this reflects some enthusiasm for pro-growth policies, but also near-term inflation and fiscal uncertainty.” It is evident that this election has been quite a whirlwind in terms of both economic and societal aftermath. Now, with the election over and President Trump officially in office, we have already begun to see some changes that can serve as a forecast for the years ahead.

AI Takeover

Artificial Intelligence has taken over society in 2024. Many people fear its powers, while others view them as a benefit to mankind; one of the most prominent worries is job obsolescence, but studies by Stanford University show that it has actually been proven to make workers more productive and can even lead to higher quality work. According to Stanford University, “These studies also demonstrated AI’s potential to bridge the skill gap between low- and high-skilled workers.” Moreover, studies from the National Science Foundation (NSF) claim that AI in education can be of help, not just cause harm. It can assist students in improving their computational thinking skills and can even create new ways to connect students to their environment, allowing them to use their problem-solving skills to construct realistic solutions to ecological problems. Many teachers, including Greeley faculty, believe that AI should be used as a tool. Although AI is feared by many, this year has been full of research and studies which prove that Artificial Intelligence can go beyond the computer, and we should use it to help in many aspects of our lives.

Paris Summer Olympics

The event that all sports fans look forward to came around once again in 2024—and this time, in Paris. These Olympic games were full of firsts, which include: four National Olympic Committees (NOC) taking home their first ever gold medals (Botswana, Dominica, Guatemala, and Saint Lucia), according to the official Paris Olympics website; 14-year-old Arisa Trew becoming Australia’s youngest gold medalist; and the first ever 50-50 split numerically for athlete gender ratio. Furthermore, a variety of celebrations took place for these games. The official website notes that across France, Club 2024 zones would unite to celebrate this special event. Moreover, US News reports that this year’s Olympic games were environmentally friendly in that Paris chose to only use existing or temporary structures for 95% of sporting venues. However, that’s not to say that these games lacked controversy. NBC New York states that many athletes were arrested, and some were even kicked out of the Olympic Village. Ultimately though, these games swept the globe and kept everyone on the edge of their seats awaiting the next event or outcome, spreading entertainment and excitement worldwide.

Although these are just a few snippets of the news of 2024, it is clear that this year was full of exciting and sometimes even stressful events that have made the year one for the history books—and who knows what we may see in 2025.