Trump allies Sunday pushed back on a Washington Post report that alleges Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered additional strikes on survivors of attacks on suspected drug trafficking boats from Venezuela.
Why it matters: Legal experts have warned that the attacks could be illegal as the Trump administration ramps up its military presence around Venezuela, placing pressure on President Nicolás Maduro.
As the U.S. grows more diverse, a quiet civil war is unfolding within American Christianity over who deserves empathy.
Why it matters: Conservatives ranging from evangelical pastors to Elon Musk have started framing empathy not as a virtue but as a vulnerability on immigration, racial justice and LGBTQ+ rights.
The country's penny supply is collapsing far faster than expected — forcing retailers into rounding workarounds, cash-register math headaches and what some describe as a "legal minefield."
Why it matters: The end of penny production was supposed to simplify cash payments. Instead, it's colliding with the holiday rush and legions of math-averse Americans.
Another year into society's great ChatGPT experiment, AI is proving adept at amplifying workers' productivity, or taking over work altogether.
Why it matters: OpenAI first released ChatGPT on Nov. 30, 2022. Three years later, every worker's future hinges on avoiding automating themselves out of a job.
Black Friday retail sales growth picked up this year, Mastercard said Saturday, as shoppers shook off economic uncertainty and weak sentiment.
Why it matters: The consumer remains the engine of the U.S. economy, and a strong start to the holiday season will be reassuring to those who questioned whether tariffs and a soft labor market might crimp demand.
AI is upending everything, including retirement planning.
The big picture: Our comfortable golden years have always rested on assumptions of a steady full-time career, employer-sponsored savings and a predictable job exit. Now those assumptions are fraying.
Young Americans are increasingly planning for retirement by investing in the stock market while putting off homeownership.
Why it matters: For decades, owning a home has helped Americans build their nest eggs. A generation putting all its eggs into stocks without having weathered a prolonged market slump may be in for a surprise.
Pensions were left for dead, but their obituary might've been written too early.
Why it matters: Defined-benefit pensions have plummeted in recent decades as employers shifted more investment risk to their workers, in the form of 401(k)-style defined-contribution plans.
Microluxuries like $10 hand sanitizers and $20 lip balms are the latest flex for school kids.
The big picture: Thesepocket-size purchases are being "traded, shown off, and incorporated into personal brand-building," Casey Lewis wrote last month in After School, her newsletter about youth trends.
New pricing deals and aggressive marketing are transforming expensive GLP-1 weight-loss drugs into mainstream treatments and creating the next mega-market for the pharmaceutical industry.
Why it matters: Americans have shown they're willing to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket for the treatments — making them more popular than ever even as insurers try to pump the brakes by restricting coverage.
MAGA hopes the holiday season — and renewed attention on its favorite bogeymen — can produce a ceasefire in the pro-Trump movement's burgeoning civil war.
Why it matters: MAGA entered the year at the apex of its power, but has become mired in its most bitter infighting since its founding by President Trump in 2015.
