Here are my observations and opinions on selected news of the day.

ANOTHER TRUMP HIT BY MEDIA – The left-leaning Axios website published bullets from various media on the upcoming midterms, leading with – “Can Dems turn Trump venting into anti-Trump voting?”

Axios cites this comment by one of its own as one of the reasons Dems are favored to take back the House: “Jonathan Swan points out that for some of the vulnerable Republicans running in swing districts, not only does the Trump bag of tricks not work for them, they believe it actively hurts them.”

FORMER OBAMA TREASURY SECRETARY Larry Summers, commenting on the growing economy, said that three percent annual growth was “fair enough if you believe in tooth-fairies.”

LIKE NUMBERS? – During the entire period from 2001 to 2016, the annualized rate of real GDP growth in the first half of the year averaged just 1.9 percent.

IT’S SHAMEFUL – The number of companies that are increasing prices before the effects of any tariffs are taking place. It was recently reported that a leading washing machine manufacturer reported negative earnings because of the increased cost of steel and aluminum but failed to show an increase in purchased goods in their earnings statement.

THERAPISTS, LIKE ECONOMISTS, can have different opinions among themselves.

During an interview on Fox News Channel this morning, a therapist said he didn’t believe there was an official diagnosis known as “Trump Anxiety Disorder,” yet I have learned that two psychiatrists, one from Harvard and the other from Yale, co-edited a book in 2017 in which they referred to the disorder.

They distinguished it, however, from a generalized anxiety disorder because “symptoms were specific to the election of Trump and the resultant unpredictable sociopolitical climate.”

“Though not an official diagnosis,” notes Matt Kwong, writing for the Canadian Broadcasting Company, “the symptoms include feeling a loss of control or helplessness, and fretting about what’s happening in the country.”

I would like to ask them- ‘just what control and hope did you have during President Obama’s eight years in office?’

Much of the anxiety came over the loss of their presidential candidate, who was considered to be a shoo-in by nearly everyone. I recall seeing supporters crying in the Jacob Javits Center in New York, where a victory party had been planned for Hillary Clinton. An event she chose not to attend to thank her volunteers and wish Donald Trump well.

Republicans and Trump supporters are also affected because they have lost close family relationships and those with long-time friends.

The media likes to talk of the divisiveness of the President Trump presidency, but it existed during the Obama presidency, too. The former president felt the need to comment on it:

“I don’t think you or anybody who’s been watching the campaign would say that in any way we have tried to divide the country. We’ve always tried to bring the country together.” – President Obama, Real Clear Politics, 8/15/12

It’s my belief that the anxiety stems from the simple fact that President Trump is not your conventional president and many people just refuse to accept it.

Weak Democrat mottos like, “Hope,” and “Together,” were forgotten when he introduced, “Making American Great Again.” His tweeting and massive public rallies have changed the political landscape.

Perhaps most importantly, he has followed through on promises made during his campaign.

POOR BABIES – The headline, “Burned-out millennials are quitting lucrative jobs,” over a New York Post article by Doree Lewak caught my attention. What?

One woman in her 20s had it made, with a plum six-figure job working for a public relations firm, but she resented having only two weeks of vacation a year. “I wanted to travel more and I didn’t want to have to ask for time off and grovel for extra days, you know?” she said.

A young guy talked about leaving a good-paying job at a top consulting firm where he was the top salesman. Sitting at work, he says, he saw his whole life flash before his eyes … 50-hour work weeks and 10 days of vacation a year.

A young woman described having panic attacks, where she would wake up and say “this can’t be my life.”

It appears that the millennials are not satisfied with the traditional concept of employment and the contrarians are trying to reinvent it. Many are quitting without worrying about what they will do next. A Deloitte survey revealed that 43 percent of millennials expect to leave their jobs in two years.

One young woman who took a year off in Bali was concerned about how she would talk about that decision with a new employer – “you better have a solid and authentic narrative,” realizing they don’t want someone who is going to up and leave on a whim.

One of the best lines: “I may only stay with your company for three years, but I will give you my best.”

I worked for the same company through two acquisitions over the last 32 years of my career. I recall that it was common practice to bypass those with a resume that reflected “job-hopping.”

Obviously, the job market is changing and loyalty isn’t a requisite. I wish the millennials well.

        May God bless the United States of America.