👨‍🚀 Axios PM: Space home, Alabama

📓 Welcome back on this day of new beginnings! Today's newsletter, edited by Dave Lawler, is 675 words, a 2.5-min. read. Thanks to Sheryl Miller for copy editing.

Almost 70% of U.S. adults think the American dream — or the idea that hard work pays off — doesn't hold true in 2025, Axios' Josephine Walker writes from a new Wall Street Journal/NORC poll.

• That's the highest percentage in almost 15 years of surveys.

🧮 By the numbers: Only 25% of Americans believe they have a good chance of improving their standard of living, a record low in surveys dating back to 1987.

• 56% said they had little or no confidence they could buy a home if they wanted to.

🔎 Zoom in: The economic pessimism spanned demographics — men and women, older and younger adults, and those with a household income more and less than $100,000.

• Republicans were less pessimistic than Democrats, a reflection of the long-standing trend of voters feeling more confident when their party controls the White House.
• About 55% of Republican respondents and 90% of Democrats had a negative outlook on prospects for themselves and their children.

The bottom line: For the vast majority of Americans, the belief that their kids will be better off than they are no longer holds.

• Explore the data ... Gift link to WSJ story.

President Trump announced in the Oval Office that Space Force — created during his first term as the first new branch of the armed services in 73 years — will move from Colorado Springs to Huntsville, Alabama, Axios Huntsville's Derek Lacey writes.

🚀 Why it matters: Huntsville's Redstone Arsenal is already home to a significant military presence — and it's expected to play a central role in Trump's desire for a Golden Dome missile defense program.

• Get Axios Huntsville.

🎤 Asked by Fox News' Peter Doocy about social media speculation about his health over the holiday weekend, Trump said: "I didn't do any [press conferences] for two days, and they said 'there must be something wrong with him.' Biden wouldn't do 'em for months. You wouldn't see him, and nobody ever said there was ever anything wrong with him."

• "I was very active over the weekend," Trump added. "I knew they were saying, like: 'Is he OK? How's he feeling? What's wrong?'"

General Mills supports communities beyond food, through giving, employee volunteerism, and programs.

Key numbers: Over 70% of employees volunteer their time and its Box Tops for Education program has helped schools earn nearly $1 billion to date.

See the impact.

1. 🇰🇵 Kim Jong-un arrived in Beijing for meetings with Chinese officials and a big military parade, which Vladimir Putin will also attend. Get the latest.
2. 🕶️ Condé Nast named Chloe Malle as head of editorial content of Vogue U.S. (formerly editor of Vogue.com), the most significant step so far in Anna Wintour's succession plan, Axios' Sara Fischer reports.
3. 🍽️ Kraft Heinz announced plans to split into a pair of independently, publicly traded companies, with official names coming later. One company will include condiments and boxed foods, like Heinz ketchup. The other will hold grocery staples, like Oscar Mayer. More from Dan Primack.

Once upon a time, kids headed for college got some extra-long sheets, a few crates and a hug goodbye from their parents. Now, they're getting thousands of dollars in dorm furnishings and interior design help, Axios' Emily Peck writes.

• Why it matters: Parents and "dorm-fluencers" are throwing themselves into glamorizing these temporary living spaces.

📸 Expectations for an Instagram-ready dorm room are sky-high, putting those who can't afford such luxuries in a tight spot.

• Critics say that all the design help from parents robs young adults of the opportunity to stake out their independence.

💰By the numbers: The National Retail Federation estimated college students will spend $12.8 billion on dorm or apartment furnishings this year — more than on food ($9.4 billion).

Some parents get super into it.

• "I'll be the first to admit — and I'm sure my husband would agree — that I probably spent too much," 46-year-old Ashley Jernigan told People magazine, laying out her months-long journey to designing her daughter's room at the University of Georgia.

A dorm gift registry was part of the process.

• Share this story.

From a Minneapolis flour mill in 1866 to today, General Mills has paired great food with doing what's right.

The impact: In 2024, the company's U.S. operations supported 134,000+ jobs and added $19.3 billion+ to the country's economy.

Learn more.

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