Dark economic clouds this Black Friday?

+ what makes someone Indigenous? US Edition - Today's top story: Retailers may see more red after Black Friday as consumers say they plan to pull back on spending – acting as if the US were already in a recession [View in browser]( US Edition | 25 November 2022 [The Conversation]( If you’re a consumer, Black Friday has traditionally meant deep discounts on TVs, chaotic scenes in packed stores and, quite possibly, a post-Thanksgiving food coma. But if you’re a retailer, the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season boils down to a simple question: Will shoppers buy enough of our stuff over the coming weeks to put us “in the black”? The answer, according to Michigan State University’s Ayalla A. Ruvio and Forrest Morgeson, may be “no.” The marketing professors just completed a survey that quizzed over 500 consumers about their holiday spending plans and concerns at a time when inflation is soaring and a recession looming. Their responses [bode ill for not only retailers but the U.S. economy as well](. Also today: - [Planning a trip? How to get the most out of air miles]( - [Why now’s the time to revitalize Indigenous languages]( - [Test your knowledge in our weekly quiz]( Bryan Keogh Deputy Managing Editor and Senior Editor of Economy and Business Today's newsletter supported by [readers like you.]( Black Friday is one of the busiest shopping days of the year. AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews [Retailers may see more red after Black Friday as consumers say they plan to pull back on spending – acting as if the US were already in a recession]( Ayalla A. Ruvio, Michigan State University; Forrest Morgeson, Michigan State University A new survey suggests three ways consumers are behaving like the US economy is in crisis, which may become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Economy + Business - [When’s the best time to use frequent flyer miles to book flights? Two economists crunched the numbers on maximizing their dollar value]( H. Sami Karaca, Boston University; Jay L. Zagorsky, Boston University The value of frequent flyer miles sometimes seems to defy the laws of economics. Politics + Society - [Rampage at Virginia Walmart follows upward trend in supermarket gun attacks – here’s what we know about retail mass shooters]( Jillian Peterson, Hamline University ; James Densley, Metropolitan State University At least six people have been killed in an attack at a Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia. It happened amid a surge of mass shootings in the US. - [Wilma Mankiller, first female principal chief of Cherokee Nation, led with compassion and continues to inspire today]( Julie Reed, Penn State Wilma Mankiller’s groundbreaking tenure as chief of the Cherokee Nation introduced the US to the power of Indigenous women’s leadership. - [Census data hides racial diversity of US ‘Hispanics’ – to the country’s detriment]( Ramona L. Pérez, San Diego State University Countries across the Americas are tweaking their census to better understand their population, allowing them to create more responsive policies. The US still has a ways to go. Environment + Energy - [What makes someone Indigenous?]( Torivio Fodder, University of Arizona Geographic, cultural and political identity are all part of being Indigenous. Education - [Effort to recover Indigenous language also revitalizes culture, history and identity]( Daryl Wade {NAME}, Miami University Indigenous people’s languages were largely lost as a result of forced assimilation efforts in the U.S. Here’s why one tribal leader says the languages should be brought back. - [Indigenous languages make inroads into public schools]( Mneesha Gellman, Emerson College Indigenous language instructors struggle to keep their languages from becoming lost. The Conversation Quiz 🧠- Here’s the first question of [this week’s edition:]( What social network is rapidly gaining users leaving Twitter? - A. MySpace - B. Mastodon - C. Odeo - D. Orkut [Test your knowledge]( From our international editions - [Elon Musk’s ‘hardcore’ management style: a case study in what not to do]( - [Exquisite new fossils from South Africa offer a glimpse into a thriving ecosystem 266 million years ago]( - [The era of the megalopolis: how the world’s cities are merging]( - - About The Conversation: We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](