President Joe Biden announced he was not seeking reelection with a letter posted on X on July 21.
In his written statement, Biden highlighted the achievements during his four years as president and said serving in the role was the “greatest honor” of his life. He reiterated that statement when he spoke from the Oval Office a few days later.
“It’s been the honor of my life to serve as your president. But in defense of democracy, which is at stake—and is more important than any title. I draw strength and I find joy in working for the American people,” Biden said. “The great thing about America is, here, kings and dictators do not rule. The people do. History is in your hands, the idea of America lies in your hands.”
In his speech, Biden also put his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris. Within a few days, Harris had secured enough votes to become the next Democratic nominee for the upcoming election. She will be running against former President Donald Trump, who previously served from January 2017 through January 2021. As of press time, Sen. Mark Kelly from Arizona was being looked at for her vice presidential running mate. Trump accepted the GOP presidential nomination in Milwaukee at the Republican National Convention two days before Biden announced he would not be seeking a second term.
Biden is actually the 13th president, of 46, to have served fewer than two terms as president but not end up as his party’s nominee in the following presidential election. Of those 13, five won election to the White House and eight became president following the death of the person who served before them. Half of those vice presidents-turned-presidents went on to win a term but decided not to seek another four years after being elected.
The next presidential election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Whoever is elected will be sworn in on Jan. 20, 2025, and will likely spend the next four years addressing education, environmental and many other issues. How do you think the upcoming election might affect you and your family?
Bear Essential News Turns 45 Next Month!
The summer of 1979 was a time of great INNOVATION. The iconic McDonald’s Happy Meal rolled out across America, families flocked to see “The Muppet Movie,” and Sony changed how we listened to music as it introduced the portable Walkman. Later that summer, a campy new newspaper called Bear Essential News for Kids arrived at schools throughout Tucson!
Although prices were beginning to rise rapidly, things were still shockingly low compared to today’s costs.
The introductory price of a Happy Meal was $1.10, which would get you a hamburger, fries, kids drink, McDonaldland cookies and a toy. Today, a Happy Meal starts at $7.23.
A candy bar back then was just a quarter. These days it will set you back about $1.79. And if you wanted milk to go with your chocolate, a gallon of fortified whole milk was just over $1. Today, it’s $4.
The average movie ticket cost $2.47 in 1979. Released on June 22, “The Muppet Movie” was a hit, earning almost $66 million to set a new record as the highest earning puppet film!
The first Walkmans only played cassette tapes and delivered good stereophonic sound through lightweight headphones. For $150, you could enjoy your tunes just about anywhere.
Bear Essential got its start because kids didn’t have a newspaper that delivered news at their level. The monthly paper included news blurbs, local happenings, and fun artwork and puzzles. Like most newspapers back then, Bear Essential News was just printed in black and white. And instead of Boomer Bear, the original mascot for the newspaper was simply called, “The Bear.”
The first issue arrived at schools in September 1979. A year later, the newspaper launched its Cub Reporter Program so that kids could develop as young writers and have a voice in the media! Today its Young Reporters also get to broadcast their stories on TV with KVOA-4, an NBC affiliate. Stay tuned for Bear’s 45-year contests and giveaways!