Pax Americana, Doomed?
In 2025, a Fox News Op says Pax Americana -- a period of relative peace in the world under U.S. influence -- is alive and well: The U.S. still leads with 26% of global GDP and excels in innovation, especially AI and space
On the other hand, NDTV says Pax Americana is over. Biden killed it! His reactive foreign policies and key missteps abroad weakened America's global influence
The Atlantic offered a different take: Sure, Pax Americana is over. But Trump's policies risk damaging democracy in the U.S. -- and around the world. He could make a bad trend worse
On a different note, a WSJ Op argues the concept of Pax Americana is flawed: America's strength isn't in its politics. The country's values and social structure are what makes the U.S. a “beacon of hope”
Alcohol & Cancer Risk
The Conversation says the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued a new advisory on alcohol and cancer -- highlighting the risks of booze. It argued that alcohol consumption increases cancer risk, even at levels as low as one drink per day
Read the advisory for yourself here
CNN says the findings are serious: It identifies alcohol as the third-leading preventable cancer cause in the U.S., following tobacco and obesity
Wait a minute, says a WSJ Op: Murthy's report is light on the evidence against moderate drinking. The real cancer risks come with alcohol *abuse*, not an occasional drink. The report's conclusions are misleading!
Still, MSNBC notes the report comes with suggestions for cancer warning labels on alcohol to educate consumers about its cancer risk -- a move that several medical experts already back
December Jobs Report
The U.S. labor market showed unexpected strength in December, with employers adding 256,000 jobs, surpassing forecasts of 155,000 PBS.org says the numbers show that despite high interest rates, the U.S. job market is still strong
Read the full December jobs report for yourself here
Yahoo Finance says the numbers raised eyebrows: December's job boom marked the highest gains since March 2023, along with steady wage growth
According to NBC News, the unemployment rate also surprised by dropping to 4.1% -- with healthcare, government, and retail leading job growth
Still, Reuters says the hot labor market signals support for the Fed's decision to hold interest rates steady. Some analysts think the strong jobs numbers could mean the Fed is done loosening for the time being
TikTok's Supreme Drama
The Supreme Court is set to hear a case regarding a U.S. law that mandates TikTok to either separate from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or face a ban in the United States. FoxNews says the possible ban stems from ByteDance’s Chinese ownership and worries over data security and manipulation
AP News presents the U.S. government's argument for the ban: Officials argue that TikTok could share sensitive data with Chinese authorities, showing serious privacy concerns with the app
But ABC presents the other side of the argument: TikTok defends itself, claiming national security worries are based on hypotheticals. They also argue a ban would violate First Amendment rights
Either way, The Verge says the Supreme Court's decision will have huge implications: The decision is set to impact the future of TikTok's presence in the U.S. -- and could have implications for U.S.-China tech relations
Palisades Blaze Alert!
The Palisades Fire is creeping towards Brentwood. nytimes.com says over 21,600 acres have been consumed, spurring evacuations in Brentwood and other neighborhoods as flames draw near
Latimes.com notes the fire's alarming visibility across the San Fernando Valley as evacuations tighten, with many million-dollar homes facing potential danger
Oaklandexplore.com remarks on the threatening proximity to iconic spots like the Getty Museum, nestled in the freshly issued evacuation zone as containment efforts intensify
Nbcnews.com reports the fire's stubborn expansion with containment lingering at a mere 8%, showing the fight against spreading flames remains uphill
Meanwhile, foxnews.com highlights the critical situation, as highways feel the impact and tens of thousands evacuate in coordination with local firefighting crews
TikTok's Impending Showdown
Wired.com says a US TikTok ban seems closer. The “Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Apps Act” could make TikTok's life harder by blocking updates, not your existing app
CNN adds that the Supreme Court's decision may force ByteDance to sell TikTok by Jan 2025—or else face the ban. Existing US users can keep their app, though it could get clunky
Cue CBS: President-elect Trump might delay the law’s enforcement. This way, the app might not completely fade out, even if the sale doesn’t come through
AOL info clarifies: Selling TikTok's U.S. assets might be a simple way out of this tricky situation. Even as Trump might push the pause button, legal experts remain unsure about post-January 2025 steps
Finally, Democraticunderground.com says some folks are sick of TikTok debates—they think banning due to ‘app content’ woes is clueless and out of touch