Unusual Whales

1 in 7 Americans report using Buy Now, Pay Later service like Klarna, Affirm, and Afterpay to get groceries

More Americans are using buy-now, pay-later (BNPL) services for essentials like groceries, underscoring rising economic anxiety. A LendingTree survey found 25% of shoppers have used BNPL for groceries — up from 14% a year ago — and 41% have made at least one late payment in the past year, often repaid within

15.6% of Americans say they don't have enough food to eat

The United States is known for its economic strength — yet a growing number of Americans are struggling to put enough food on the table. A new Morning Consult survey, reported by Axios, found that in May, 15.6% of U.S. adults said they sometimes or often did not have

Trump says he's placing Washington, DC, police department under federal control and deploying the National Guard

President Donald Trump is pledging new measures to address homelessness and crime in Washington, D.C., including deploying the National Guard — a plan that has prompted legal concerns from the city’s mayor over who will be policing the streets of the nation’s capital. Speaking at a Monday news

Trump tells the homeless to leave Washington, D.C., ‘immediately'

On Sunday, Donald Trump took to social media to demand that Washington DC’s homeless population leave the capital or face eviction, again vowing to deploy federal officers to jail criminals — despite the fact that violent crime was at a three-decade low when he began his second term in January.

Trump is considering downgrading Marijuana’s drug classification

During a recent dinner at his private Bedminster, New Jersey, club, as President Donald Trump reminisced about his actions against the nation’s top economic statistician and mused on New York City politics, the discussion shifted to a politically charged topic still unresolved: easing federal marijuana restrictions. “We need to

Kamala Harris says she’s not running for office again because the system is ‘broken'

Kamala Harris says she has no intention, at least for now, of returning to what she calls a “broken” system of U.S. politics. In her first interview since losing the 2024 presidential election to Donald Trump, the former vice president spoke with Stephen Colbert on The Late Show Thursday

Trump has secretly signed a directive to the Pentagon to begin using military force against certain Latin American drug cartels

U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly signed a classified order directing the Pentagon to carry out military operations against certain Latin American drug cartels, The New York Times reported, citing individuals familiar with the matter. The directive authorizes potential direct military action — both at sea and on foreign soil

The Trump administration is preparing to sell stock in mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in an offering it believes could raise around $30 billion and kick off later this year

President Donald Trump and his economic team are preparing for what could be a record-setting stock sale of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-controlled mortgage giants that underpin stability and affordability in the U.S. housing market. The Wall Street Journal first reported the plans, which have yet to

United States and Russia are reportedly planning a deal with Ukraine that would confirm Russian territorial gains

The U.S. and Russia are reportedly seeking a deal to end the war in Ukraine that would cement Moscow’s control over territory captured during its invasion, Bloomberg News reported Friday. According to unnamed sources cited by Bloomberg, officials from both countries are working on territorial terms ahead of

Bed Bath & Beyond relaunches with first store in Nashville, plans dozens more

Bed Bath & Beyond is making a comeback under a refreshed name: Bed Bath & Beyond Home. Parent company Brand House Collective, Inc. announced its first location will open in Nashville on Aug. 8, marking the brand’s return more than two years after filing for bankruptcy in April 2023,

Illinois has banned AI therapy, making it the first state to regulate the use of AI in mental health services

Illinois has become the first state to ban AI from providing mental health therapy, prohibiting its use for diagnoses, counseling, or treatment decisions while allowing it for administrative tasks. Violators face fines of up to $10,000. The move follows lawsuits alleging harmful interactions between AI therapy chatbots and minors,

Brazil: We want china to buy $1 billion in chicken feet

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva spoke by phone, their offices confirmed, covering a wide range of issues including U.S. tariffs on goods from both nations. During Thursday’s call, Lula confirmed he will make a state visit to India in early

Trump has fired IRS commissioner, and Bessent to serve as acting IRS commissioner temporarily

President Donald Trump is removing Billy Long from his post as Internal Revenue Service commissioner just two months after his confirmation, four sources familiar with the matter told CNN. According to two White House officials, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been tapped to serve as acting IRS chief while the

First-time buyers need an estimated $126,700 a year to afford a median home, up more than 50% from 2021

In the first half of 2025, investors were behind roughly 30% of all single-family home purchases — including both new builds and resales — marking the highest share since property analytics firm Cotality began tracking the market 14 years ago. With traditional homebuyers squeezed out by high prices and persistently elevated interest

The Social Security trust fund is expected to run out of cash in eight years

A new projection by the Social Security Administration’s chief actuary warns that the program’s trust funds will begin to run short by 2034, resulting in only about 81% of promised benefits being paid unless corrective measures are taken. This comes in the wake of the “One Big Beautiful

Netanyahu says Israel intends to take control of all of Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that the Israeli military plans to take control of the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, calling the move essential for the country’s security. In an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu stated the objective is to eliminate Hamas, ensure Israel’s safety, and ultimately transition

Trump to sign executive order that will allow alternative assets like cryptocurrencies, private equity in 401(k)s

President Trump is expected to sign an executive order Thursday that would allow private equity and other alternative assets into 401(k) retirement accounts. This move marks a significant shift in capital markets and could lead to private equity becoming even more widespread. Currently, federal rules prevent most defined-contribution retirement

The FBI is now assisting Texas authorities with finding Democrats who fled the state to stall a redistricting effort

Senator John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, announced Thursday that FBI Director Kash Patel has agreed to his request for federal assistance in locating Texas House Democrats who fled the state in protest of GOP-led redistricting efforts. Cornyn sent the request in a letter on Tuesday, urging federal involvement in

OpenAI has released Chat GPT-5

OpenAI unveiled GPT-5 on Thursday, calling it its most advanced large language model to date. The company is rolling out GPT-5 to all users, including those on its free tier. OpenAI described the model as smarter, faster, and significantly more helpful — particularly in areas like writing, coding, and health care.

Trump says there will be a 100% tariff on all semiconductors entering the US

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he will implement a 100% tariff on imported computer chips and semiconductors — a move likely to raise prices on electronics, cars, appliances, and other digital-era essentials. “We’ll be putting a tariff on of approximately 100 per cent on chips and semiconductors,

McDonald’s, MCD, is launching an adult Happy Meal

McDonald’s is bringing back its classic McDonaldland characters — Grimace, Birdie, and the Hamburglar — in a new nostalgia-driven meal launching August 12. The move follows the return of the Snack Wrap and aims to reignite consumer excitement ahead of the company’s Q2 earnings report. The limited-time McDonaldland Meal includes

Investors accounted for about 30% of single-family home purchases

In the first half of 2025, investors were behind roughly 30% of all single-family home purchases — including both new builds and resales — marking the highest share since property analytics firm Cotality began tracking the market 14 years ago. With traditional homebuyers squeezed out by high prices and persistently elevated interest

Las Vegas’s tipped workers say their income has fallen by more than half as tourism plunges

Tourism in Las Vegas has taken a noticeable hit in the first half of 2025. According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), overall visitation to the city is down more than 6%, with April alone seeing just over 3.3 million visitors — a 5.1% decrease compared

36% of Americans would choose to get financial advice from social media over traditional financial advisers

Many Gen Zers are redefining wealth and work, aspiring not just to retire early but to gain the freedom to leave jobs they dislike. According to The Great Wealth Reset, a 2025 survey by The Harris Poll for dub, Gen Z sees 32 as the ideal age for financial independence,

Trump’s “baby accounts” could grow to $1.9 million by age 28

The so-called “Trump accounts” were established earlier this month when President Donald Trump signed what he called a “big, beautiful bill” into law. According to Fox Business, a one-time federal contribution of $1,000 per child could potentially grow to as much as $1.9 million by the time the