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- Shoppers spent record $10.8B online just this weekend
Shoppers spent record $10.8B online just this weekend
Notre Dame’s rebirth. Medicare to cover Ozempic?
Today’s topics
Black Friday shoppers spent $10.8B online
Meta builds 40,000-km subsea cable network
Americans say financial success starts at $270K
Samsung names first woman CEO outside founding family
and more…
Two of the three blue-chip indexes ended Black Friday with record-breaking closes, wrapping up a stellar November. The Dow climbed 192 points, or 0.4%, to reach 44,915, while the S&P 500 gained 0.6%, closing at 6,032. Both indexes saw their best month of 2024 and hit all-time intraday and closing highs during the shortened trading session. It was a strong finish to an already remarkable month for the markets.
Black Friday shoppers drop $10.8B online—here’s what they bought. Black Friday online sales smashed records at $10.8 billion, doubling 2017’s numbers. Thanksgiving wasn’t far behind, with $6.1 billion spent online, as shoppers went all-in on discounts. Toys led the charge, with sales up 622%, including Harry Potter LEGO, Disney Princess dolls, and Cookeez Makery ovens. Electronics followed, with PS5s and Nintendo Switch OLEDs selling out fast. Other top picks included makeup, smartwatches, espresso machines, and enough Bluetooth speakers to power every holiday playlist.
Coffee is the new gold: prices hit 47-year high. Coffee prices just reached their highest level in 47 years, fueled by supply concerns from Brazil, the world’s top grower. Next year’s crop is struggling to recover from this year’s drought, tightening the market. Brazilian farmers are holding back deliveries, betting on even higher prices, leaving traders scrambling and taking financial hits. Looks like your morning cup just got a lot more valuable.
Brazil wants to stash $18 billion in Bitcoin. Brazilian lawmaker Eros Biondini has proposed a new plan to allocate 5% of the country’s international reserves—$18.6 billion—into Bitcoin. The initiative, called the Bitcoin Sovereign Strategic Reserve (RESBit), aims to diversify Brazil’s Treasury assets, protect against geopolitical risks, and back the country’s central bank digital currency (CBDC), the Drex. According to Biondini, this move would “modernize” Brazil’s financial management and position the country as a leader in the global digital economy.
Americans say financial success starts at $270K. According to a new study, Americans see $270,000 in annual income and $5.3 million in net worth as markers of financial success. While nearly 60% still value happiness as a key measure, money clearly defines “making it.” Generations don’t agree on the number: Boomers settle for just under $100K, Gen X and millennials aim for $180K–$212K, and Gen Z dreams big with $587K. The idea of “success” seems to grow with each generation—and so do the price tags.
Amtrak breaks records in 2024. Amtrak just dropped its fiscal 2024 stats, and guess what? The trains are back—bigger than ever. Ridership hit a record 32.8 million, up 15% from last year and even inching past 2019 by 1%. Revenue hit $3.62 billion, beating 2019’s $3.32 billion. The Northeast Regional line carried over 14 million passengers along the Northeast Corridor, making it Amtrak’s busiest and most profitable route.
New AI Tool Detects Cancerous Brain Tumors in Just 10 Seconds
A new AI tool, FastGlioma, can identify leftover cancerous brain tumor tissue during surgery in just 10 seconds, according to a study published in Nature. Developed by researchers at the University of Michigan and UCSF, the technology vastly outperforms conventional methods.
Meta plans the ‘mother of all’ subsea cables. Meta is reportedly building a massive $10 billion, 40,000-kilometer fiber-optic subsea cable network for its exclusive use. The ambitious project aims to bypass geopolitically sensitive areas like the Red Sea and South China Sea, where cables have been sabotaged. Unlike its co-ownership of 16 existing networks, this cable would give Meta full control, ensuring priority for its own services.
Hala fruit: the sweet planet you can eat. The hala fruit looks like an alien planet mid-explosion, but its taste is anything but otherworldly. With a delicate, sweet flavor, it’s enjoyed fresh, boiled, as a paste, or squeezed into juice.
Notre Dame’s glorious rebirth. Five years after the 2019 fire, Notre Dame Cathedral has revealed its beautifully restored interior. Rebuilt ceilings and pristine stonework bring the iconic landmark back to life.
Video games can grow or shrink your brain. How you play video games could change your brain. A study in Nature found that first-person shooters like Call of Dutyand Medal of Honor can shrink or grow your gray matter, depending on how you navigate. Players using “non-spatial memory” (memorizing turns like “left, right, left”) lost gray matter. But those using spatial memory (plotting paths via landmarks) saw an increase. The study, conducted over four years at the University of Montreal, scanned players’ brains after 90 hours of gameplay. Interestingly, 3D platformers like Super Mario 64 boosted gray matter across the board—no navigation style required. So, your gaming habits could be building or breaking your brain—choose wisely.
‘Moana 2’ smashes records. Disney’s Moana 2 just proved it’s the demigod of sequels, raking in $221 million over Thanksgiving weekend—the biggest five-day opening ever.
TikTok of the day: watch here
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