The bottom line

Since 1990, the global mortality rate for children under 5 has fallen from 93 per thousand kids—almost 1 in 10—to just 39. Despite a rising world population, annual child deaths in low-income countries have dropped from 9.2 million to 4.8 million. The decrease has been driven by $10 billion in donations to global health funds from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Investors are pulling their money out of actively managed funds. Funds that pick and choose stocks and bonds saw total outflows of $143 billion in December, a monthly record. Money in passively managed funds tied to an index increased by $60 billion.

The fast-food feast Donald Trump served the Clemson football team in the White House cost the leader of the free world an estimated $2,911.44. That figure is based on photos of the spread, with an estimated count of 319 sandwiches,

177 of them burgers. The calculations assumed that the Wendy’s burgers were doubles and the pizzas were Domino’s Favorite Feast.

The Jamaican Stock Exchange was the world’s bestperforming stock market in 2018, rising 29 percent in U.S. dollar terms. In five years, Jamaican stocks have surged nearly 300 percent. However, the total value of the 37 stocks in the main index is

$11 billion, less than twice the value of Harley-Davidson.

Apple, issuing a mea culpa for iPhone battery problems, replaced 11 million batteries in 2018 under its $29 battery replacement program. That’s up from just 1 million to 2 million replacements in earlier years.