The 2025 North American box office fell short of the $9 billion analysts projected heading into the year, thanks to underperforming sequels and superhero movies that led to an especially weak summer and fall season.
Why it matters: Domestic entertainment tends to do well amid inflation and economic uncertainty, as people pull back from pricier international travel. But while concerts and theme parks boomed in the U.S. this year, theaters struggled — signaling the box office business faces unique challenges.
Elon Musk'sGrok recently allowed users to generate explicit images of children, including an underage "Stranger Things" actress.
Why it matters: The incidents underscore how the chatbot — which is authorized for official government use — can spread harm and endanger minors, a reality that could become more frequent as AI adoption accelerates.
The U.S. is scaling back threatened tariffs on Italian pasta that could have pushed duties as high as 107%, easing pressure on grocery shoppers and stepping back from a trade dispute.
Why it matters: For U.S. consumers who feared that their favorite box of spaghetti would spike in price, the news will be a relief — and it comes as the Trump administration faces political pressure over affordability issues.
Tesla vehicle sales declined for a second consecutive year in 2025, hitting their lowest point since 2022.
The results mean that Chinese automaker BYD sold more EVs in 2025 than Tesla for the first time in a full year: 2.26 million for BYD vs. 1.64 million for Tesla.
Why it matters: Tesla vehicle sales are critical to funding CEO Elon Musk's AI ambitions, including humanoid robots and self-driving cars.
Artificial intelligence is increasingly shaping who police stop, how reports are written, where officers patrol and how evidence is analyzed.
Why it matters: The tech promises speed and efficiency. But its rapid spread is outpacing public rules, and could embed errors and bias deep within the criminal justice system.
Retail investors had the chance in 2025 to put their money directly on Donald Trump, in a way unlike any American presidency in history.
A couple of those bets didn't work out so well.
The big picture: Trump's vast, burgeoning business empire includes multiple tradable assets linked to him and his family — but two of those assets underperformed peers and broader markets in 2025.
Venezuela's leader Nicolás Maduro said U.S. and Venezuelan officials should "start talking seriously" on drug trafficking and oil, per an interview published Thursday.
The big picture: Maduro acknowledged during the interview the months-long U.S. militarized pressure campaign targeting suspected "narco-terrorists" and was asked directly about President Trump's comments that the U.S. military had "knocked out" a dock that Venezuelan drug boats allegedly used.
President Trump dismissed concerns about his health related to his age during a Wall Street Journal interview published Thursday, declaring: "My health is perfect."
Why it matters: The 79-year-old last year became the oldest president ever to be inaugurated and questions have been raised about his health similar to those faced by former President Biden, 83 — whom he mocked during the 2024 presidential campaign as feeble and confused before his predecessor dropped out of the race.
President Trump provided an explanation for bruises on his hand that last year sparked rumors about his health during an interview with the Wall Street Journal that was published Thursday.
Why it matters: The 79-year-old president, who's faced age-related health scrutiny, revealed that he has for years taken higher doses of aspirin for "cardiac prevention" and this "causes bruising."
U.S. adults surveyed in 1999 correctly predicted major shifts for the half-century ahead: the election of a Black U.S. president, civilian travel to space and a warming planet.
The big picture: The turn of the millennium marked a cultural, technological and political inflection point, with Americans anticipating some of the changes that have come to define the 21st century so far.
The AI model maker race will continue in 2026, along with more agents and a growing pressure on companies to prove AI can pay off in the real world, experts tell Axios.
Why it matters: AI may be both the current and next big thing, but success increasingly hinges less on being the "best" model and more on timing.
The Supreme Court has many pivotal cases lined up for the coming year, many revolving around President Trump's policies.
The big picture: Trump has relied heavily on the court's emergency docket during his second term, using it to block lower court rulings while cases play out.
There are 271,000 fewer federal employees than there were at the start of 2025 — about a 9% drop, per the latest tally from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Why it matters: The sharp decline is a result of President Trump's efforts — initially spearheaded by Elon Musk's DOGE — to drastically reduce the size of the federal government.
New tax brackets, higher standard deductions and expanded credits are now in effect — changes that could boost paychecks and lower income taxes for many Americans in 2026 and beyond.
Why it matters: The IRS updates reflect annual inflation adjustments and sweeping tax changes signed into law last summer in the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), making several provisions from the 2017 tax overhaul permanent.
Many of the key changes of President Trump's flagship first-year legislation go into effect in 2026, along with state-level policy expanding tech and labor protections.
Why it matters: New and amended laws intended to advance or restrict this administration's policies and platforms will affect Americans' wallets, work and entertainment in 2026.
Millions of Americans across the U.S. joined people around the world in New Year's celebrations ringing in 2026 on Thursday.
The big picture: South Pacific countries were the first to farewell 2025 and welcome New Year's Day — 18 hours ahead of the iconic Times Square ball drop in New York City.
