🏓 Is pickleball dangerous?

Happy Wednesday! It’s September 6 — people are talking about a recent poll on Biden’s age and electability, the dangers of playing pickleball, and more.

As always, we’ve summarized and organized the different shades of perspective, so you can see the big picture quickly.

👨🏼‍🦳 In the news: Is Biden too old?

A WSJ poll in late August found that 73% of voters think Biden is too old to elect in 2024 — he’d be 82 at the start of a second term. How serious is this issue?

👨🏼‍🦳 The WSJ says age is a likely factor for why only 42% approved of Biden’s presidency, in the same poll. People tend to think Trump is more mentally fit.

👨🏼‍🦳 WaPo: Biden's age is a big issue with voters. It's because generational tensions are rising, and Democrats skews younger than Republicans.

👨🏼‍🦳 But the Guardian thinks the concern about Biden's age is overblown. He’s tired — and that’s perfectly normal given the stress of being president. Plus, Trump is only 3 years younger!

👨🏼‍🦳 Statistician Nate Silver: Like it or not, Biden's age looms large in the 2024 election. A “freeze-up” moment in the style of Mitch McConnell could hand Trump the presidency.

🏓 Cultural trend: Is pickleball dangerous?

Pickleball seems to be causing a lot of injuries. How dangerous is it, and should old people really be playing?

🏓 Bloomberg: UBS Group analysts estimated that pickleball injuries could end up costing Americans $377m in 2023 — the sport is driving up healthcare costs.

🏓 NBC Sports agrees: Pickleball is causing a rising number of injuries. It's probably because it's being picked up by older people.

🏓 But a sports medicine specialist still recommends the sport for seniors and non-athletes. Just make sure you warm up properly before you play.

🏓 WaPo: don't let the risk of injury stop you from playing pickleball! The pros of staying active and playing a sport outweigh the cons of potential injury.

Quick hits

🏛️ Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was sentenced to 22 years for his role in the January 6th Capitol riots. (AP News)

🌡️ The World Meteorological Organization reported that the summer of 2023 was the hottest summer on record for the northern hemisphere. (AP News)

✈️ US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian officials. (CNN)

🏀 Breanna Stewart broke the WNBA’s single-season scoring record while notching her 4th 40-point game of 2023. (CBS Sports)

That’s it for today. Reply at [email protected] to let me know what you think of our newsletter, or to suggest a topic for next time.

Here at Shades we’re trying something new – quick summaries from different points of view. We think it’s a better way to stay informed and see the big picture. Please reach out if you’re curious to learn more!

- Jeff (co-founder of Shades)