Today’s Big Story

Trump Addresses the Nation

In a rushed and combative speech, a defensive president casts blame for economic fears

President Donald Trump gave a rare prime-time televised speech from the White House on Wednesday. But this wasn’t a “God bless us, everyone” type of holiday address. As The Atlantic put it, “the president of the United States just barged into America’s living rooms like an angry, confused grandfather to tell us all that we are ungrateful whelps.”

When a president asks for network time, it’s usually to announce something important. But Trump, instead, bashed his predecessor and praised his own policy achievements in his first year back in office, delivering an 18-minute speech that seemed designed to reverse lagging public opinion numbers and convince Americans that he is addressing their rising economic concerns.

The president has been on the defensive recently over the issue of affordability, which congressional Democrats hope to use to sweep back into power during the 2026 midterm elections, capitalizing on voters’ concerns with the high cost of living in America. Wielding charts and figures, some of them misleading, Trump’s glowing account of progress under his watch Wednesday was out of tune with the experience of price-squeezed Americans and the story told by some of his government’s own statistics.

The Associated Press reports that his claim that prices are falling rapidly is not seen in the inflation numbers, which are about where they were when he took office, after having fallen significantly before the end of Joe Biden’s presidency. Nor is it true that the Biden era gave the country its worst inflation ever.

He promised more relief if people just keep waiting—this time, until next year—to see the change in their paychecks. He floated a cash giveaway. The new thing here was his rushed and angry tone, which suggested the pressure he is under. Trump’s ratings reached their lowest levels of his second term late last month. Although his numbers have rebounded slightly, he remains underwater with the public, particularly on domestic economic issues such as the cost of living. A Washington Post average of national polls so far in December found that 39% of Americans approve of the job Trump is doing, compared with 57% who disapprove. On the economy in particular, the average is slightly worse for Trump, with just 36% approving and 58% disapproving. Trump’s advisers have apparently attempted to coach him on discussing the economy in terms that resonate with middle- and working-class Americans facing financial hardship, but the president has had difficulty conceding that some of his voters are still struggling.

A Centrist Republican Revolt for Healthcare

Moderate House Republicans join Democrats to force vote on ACA subsidies, but …

Rebelling against their leaders, four House Republicans on Wednesday signed onto a “discharge petition”, giving Democrats the 218 signatures needed to force a vote on a three-year extension of the Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire for millions of people on Dec. 31. However, the Washington Post says the subsidies are virtually certain to expire because the Senate has already rejected the plan and the House will not vote on the proposal until next year. The expiration is expected to push up costs for most of the 24 million Americans who buy health insurance on the ACA marketplace.

Earlier Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson denied he has “lost control of the House.” But the issue has caught Republican leaders in a rare predicament: The vast majority of GOP lawmakers want the enhanced ACA tax credits to expire on schedule, but a small group favors an extension to prevent sharp premium hikes as healthcare costs remain an important factors for nearly all American voters.

The revolt among the centrist lawmakers comes on the same day Johnson called a vote on a GOP bill to implement a series of policies popular on the right, called the “Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act”. The bill, which passed 216-211, would codify Association Health Plans, authorize cost-sharing reduction payments and seek transparency for pharmacy benefit managers. NBC News reports that Johnson had negotiated with the Republicans who favor an ACA extension on an amendment, but that was jettisoned after talks collapsed over the weekend, he told reporters Tuesday, while projecting that his bill would still pass the House.

Netflix Buys a Seat at the Podcast Table

After announcing a pact with Spotify, they unveiled another two big deals this week

Netflix has had a busy few weeks as it moves to fend off David Ellison and Paramount to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, one of Hollywood’s most storied studios, but amid all that corporate drama, it’s worth keeping an eye on the company’s other, less historic targets. Its budding video-podcast strategy. Two months after announcing a pact to bring select Spotify shows onto the platform, Netflix unveiled two additional deals this week: one with Dave Portnoy’s Barstool Sports and another with iHeartMedia.

The Barstool agreement, announced Wednesday, will bring three shows to Netflix: the flagship Pardon My Take, the NHL-focused Spittin’ Chiclets, and The Ryen Russillo Show, which recently departed Bill Simmons’s The Ringer and relaunched via a new joint venture with Portnoy.

And just before that, iHeartMedia announced that it has signed an exclusive video podcast partnership with Netflix, bringing more than 15 of iHeart’s most popular shows to the streaming service in the U.S. starting in early 2026, with additional countries expected later. It’s an important announcement because video podcasting has been one of the internet’s growing habits: YouTube has become the default “podcast platform” for the majority of Americans, even when they think of podcasts as audio, per Edison Research.

Giving Cash for the Holidays: For or Against?

The least thoughtful gift … you should probably give

It’s an internal debate that comes around each holiday season. When you don’t know what to give … should you just give cash? Despite the fact that giving money as a present is not only typical but preferred in other countries like Korea and Japan, in the U.S., the exchange is sometimes seen as tacky. It feels like cash is too quick and easy. Of course, it is practical since almost everyone could use a little more of it. Then again, who wants to put a dollar amount on a priceless relationship?

Apparently everyone, nearly. More than six in 10 Americans say cash or gift cards are “very” acceptable as holiday presents, but they’re much less likely to say that about a gift that was purchased secondhand or re-gifted, according to a new poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. It’s certainly a safer gift for younger adults. The poll found about two-thirds of Americans under 45 say cash is a “very” acceptable holiday gift, compared with 55% of adults age 45 or older.

The chasm between what people really want (money) and what givers feel comfortable gifting (pretty much anything else) has led gift-givers to waste millions of dollars on unwanted or lackluster presents. But you shouldn’t feel weird bestowing cash to your nearest and dearest, experts say. When shopping, givers often choose an item that says more about themselves than it does the recipient, Ernest Baskin, an associate professor at Saint Joseph’s University told Vox. Givers are preoccupied with the “wow” factor, research shows, a present that says, “Look how well I know you to have selected this thoughtful, meaningful item.” But really, no one will be disappointed pocketing some cash this time of year.

A Last Minute Gift That Still Looks Sharp

When the clock is ticking and you still want a gift that feels considered, Rosetta Stone is an easy win. Their Holiday Sale offers lifetime access to all 25 languages for $149, regularly $399, and delivery is instant. One click and you have a gift that reads thoughtful, refined, and effortlessly cool.

Rosetta Stone’s immersive method has been trusted for decades, helping learners build real confidence and cultural fluency. TruAccent fine tunes pronunciation, and the lessons slip naturally into any routine. It is a gift that elevates someone’s life in a way that lasts far beyond the holidays.

Clear your slate.