Unusual Whales

Trump backed CR fails the House

The House of Representatives has rejected President-elect Donald Trump’s last-minute proposal to fund federal operations and suspend the debt ceiling, just one day before a potential government shutdown. Nearly three dozen Republicans joined Democrats in voting against Trump’s unexpected demands and the rushed measure assembled by

Senator Bernie Sanders has said: "The US Congress this week came to an agreement to fund our government, and Elon Musk, who became $200 BILLION richer since Trump was elected, objected"

President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance have called on Republicans in both the House and Senate to force a government shutdown rather than approve a stopgap funding bill that would keep agencies running at current levels through March 2025. In a statement posted on X (formerly

Big Lots will begin “going out of business” sales at all of its 963 locations

A plan to sell Big Lots to another management firm will not proceed as originally planned. Instead, the company will begin going-out-of-business sales at all its remaining locations while it continues to search for a new buyer. Big Lots had been hoping to finalize a sale by

Mexico has said it is ready to receive Mexicans if Trump deports them

Mexico is ready to receive its citizens living in the United States if President-elect Donald Trump enacts his deportation promises but maintains that it will not act as a "safe third country" for migrants from other nations. President Claudia Sheinbaum's administration "is prepared to

Bird flu virus is one mutation away from binding more efficiently to human cells

Scientists have identified that H5N1, the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus currently spreading among U.S. dairy cows, requires only a single mutation to latch onto human cells in the upper airway. The study, published today in Science, reveals a simple genetic pathway for the virus to potentially enhance its

Senator Rand Paul is floating Elon Musk to be Speaker of the House after the powerful, billionaire tech businessman helped torpedo a bipartisan agreement on a short-term spending bill

Senator Rand Paul is proposing a bold outsider for the position of Speaker of the House: Elon Musk. “The Speaker of the House need not be a member of Congress,” Paul (R-Ky.) posted on Musk’s platform, X. “Nothing would disrupt the swamp more than electing Elon Musk… think

President-elect Donald Trump says US Congress should eliminate the debt ceiling

President-elect Donald Trump unexpectedly rejected a bipartisan plan on Wednesday aimed at averting a government shutdown, instructing House Speaker Mike Johnson and fellow Republicans to renegotiate the deal just days before federal funding is set to expire. Trump's last-minute demands have thrown Congress into disarray, complicating

Georgia appeals court disqualifies Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from prosecuting Trump

The Georgia Court of Appeals ruled on Thursday to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from prosecuting the case against President-elect Donald Trump and his alleged co-conspirators over attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. This decision in the state criminal case against Trump, which was already

An employee has been arrested for stabbing company president of Anderson Express Inc in West Michigan

Police are investigating the stabbing of Erik Denslow, president of Anderson Express Inc., during a staff meeting on Tuesday in the company’s Muskegon, Michigan, office, according to a statement from the Fruitport Township Police Department. While authorities initially withheld the victim's name, local news outlets News 8

Nissan Motor will be rolling back its diversity initiatives

Nissan Motor is scaling back its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives after discussions with conservative activist Robby Starbuck, known for leading boycotts against companies like Walmart and Tractor Supply that prompted them to reduce their DEI efforts. According to Starbuck, Nissan’s Americas unit will cease funding Pride events

AT&T, T, is asking all of its staff to work in the office five days a week

AT&T is ramping up its return-to-office policies, announcing that all employees will be required to work on-site five days a week starting in January. This marks a shift from the current policy, which mandates three in-office days per week. The decision, affecting employees across

The White House hid Biden’s decline, per WSJ, by giving controlled access, scripting most moments and placing senior advisers in roles that Biden would have otherwise occupied

President Joe Biden has chosen to remain out of the public eye during what could become one of the final domestic crises of his presidency, as the White House and congressional Democrats frame the impending government shutdown as a Republican problem to solve. The crisis escalated Wednesday after President-elect

If Congress fails to act and approve the spending bill by Saturday, the US government will run out of funds to maintain operations

Republicans in Congress met on Thursday to strategize after President-elect Donald Trump rejected a bipartisan agreement to prevent a partial government shutdown and insisted on abolishing the federal debt ceiling. Without a deal passing both the Republican-led House of Representatives and the Democrat-controlled Senate, the U.S.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a State of Emergency in response to bird flu

California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Wednesday to "streamline and expedite the state's response" to the bird flu outbreak. The declaration follows the detection of additional cases in dairy cows at farms in Southern California. According to the Governor's Office,

Republicans are reportedly having a hard time getting votes for the 1,500 page spending bill because of Elon Musk's crusade against it

* President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday urged U.S. lawmakers to reject a stopgap funding bill designed to keep the government running past Friday, increasing the risk of a partial government shutdown. Trump, along with Vice President-elect JD Vance, called for an alternative spending bill that excluded what they

Jerome Powell has said: We have avoided a recession

The Federal Reserve, as widely expected, reduced its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points (bps) on Wednesday, setting the target range at 4.25% to 4.5%. This marks the third consecutive rate cut, following a 50-bps reduction in September and a 25-bps cut in November, bringing

Deutsche Bank, Germany’s largest lender, is reportedly developing its own layer-2 blockchain on Ethereum

Deutsche Bank, Germany’s largest bank, is reportedly developing its own layer-2 (L2) blockchain on Ethereum, utilizing ZKsync technology to address the compliance challenges of using public blockchains in regulated finance. This L2 solution, part of Project Dama 2, aims to enhance transaction efficiency and ensure regulatory safeguards while

The new spending bill gives Congress their first pay raise since 2009

House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) agreement with Democrats to prevent a government shutdown until March includes provisions that would give members of Congress their first pay raise since 2009 and allow them to opt out of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Why it matters: These measures—particularly

The Federal Reserve has cut interest rates by 25BPS

The Federal Reserve, as widely expected, reduced its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points (bps) on Wednesday, setting the target range at 4.25% to 4.5%. This marks the third consecutive rate cut, following a 50-bps reduction in September and a 25-bps cut in November, bringing

Only 21% of Baby Boomers with at least $1 million said they “want the next generation to enjoy my money while I’m alive"

Baby Boomers are notably the least inclined among generations to pass on their wealth during their lifetimes, according to a new survey by Charles Schwab. The survey found that only 21% of Boomers with at least $1 million in investable assets expressed a desire to share their wealth with the

There are around 11 million Americans 65 or older who are working today, accounting for 7% of all wages and salaries paid by US employers

Baby boomers are extending their careers, creating a ripple effect on the job market for younger workers. While some, like LVMH’s Bernard Arnault, are holding onto their positions for as long as possible, others are “unretiring” after brief stints in retirement, realizing it’s not for them. A new

Chain restaurant bankruptcies are reportedly at their highest level since the pandemic

Chain restaurant bankruptcies are reportedly at their highest level since the pandemic, with several well-known brands struggling to stay afloat. One of the latest casualties is TGI Friday’s, a casual dining chain, which joins over a dozen high-profile restaurants that filed for bankruptcy protection between January and

Elon Musk has come out against the bill to avert a looming government shutdown

Tech billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk has voiced his opposition to a stopgap funding deal, calling for the government to reduce spending. After the release of the bipartisan legislation Tuesday night, Musk took to his platform, X, to criticize the measure, describing the 1,547-page bill as a

Trump has said: Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State

U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has taken another swipe at Canada, suggesting it could become the 51st state of the United States. In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that many Canadians support the idea, citing potential savings on taxes and military protection. He added that he thinks

U.S. home sales are on track for the worst year since 1995

The average rate for a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. declined for the third consecutive week, providing some relief for potential homebuyers during what is typically a quieter period for the housing market. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the rate dipped to 6.6%, down from