?? 2024 Word of the Year
Good morning, this is Shades of the Day — bringing you different shades of opinion in news & culture so that you can see the big picture quickly. We believe that seeing multiple POVs is the best way to stay informed.
It’s Tuesday, November 26 — here’s what you’ll find in today’s edition:
LA’s revamp of homeless services
Amid rising concerns, The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is considering a proposal to overhaul the county's homeless services system by creating a new department. The new department could manage millions in contracts, enhancing oversight and efficiency of homeless services in L.A. County.
LA Times added that an audit of the current system uncovered flaws: LAHSA's ineffective contract management spurred calls for reform.
Capitol Basement says the radical reshaping is necessary: The idea's already gathered political support from Supervisors Horvath and Barger. People aren't happy with L.A.'s existing homeless services.
Still, GazetteXtra had hope: The shake-up aims to improve oversight, ensuring that the city's extensive funds to address homelessness are spent and properly managed.
2024 Word of the Year
Dictionary.com chose “demure” as its 2024 Word of the Year. Its usage surged 1200%, driven by viral trends on TikTok, and it's become a time capsule of our changing social norms.
CNN notes that it originated with TikToker Jools Lebron, who popularized the phrase “very demure, very mindful” -- demure means to be shy and cautious, and was historically used to describe a shy woman.
PRNewswire says it's more about elegance nowadays, and can apply to anyone -- it's about not being racy or rambunctious.
The Guardian notes that other dictionaries have different words of the year -- Macquarie Dictionary chose “enshittification” for theirs, which reflects cultural dissatisfaction with declining digital services.
4 quick hits
1) The controversial streamer Dr Disrespect made the leap to Rumble after being banned from Twitch for misconduct.
2) The oldest evidence for water on Mars, a tiny grain of zircon dating back 4.45 billion years, tells us it was as scalding as hot springs on Earth.
3) Israel is ramping up its Beirut airstrikes against Hezbollah prior to a potential ceasefire agreement.
4) Machine Gun Kelly, whose real name is Colson Baker, addressed the news of his partner Megan Fox's pregnancy after she announced it on Instagram.