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HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
U.S. hiring bounced back in November, with the economy adding 227,000 jobs. The news means the Federal Reserve is expected to carry out its third consecutive interest rate cut later this month.
Taylor Swift’s private plane traveled a lot this year. One estimate says her jet logged 225 flight hours in 2024 so far.
Tech companies spend millions protecting their CEOs. Google, Amazon, Apple, Tesla, and other firms pay a lot for private security.
NASA has delayed its first manned moon mission in 50 years. The Orion spacecraft that will be used in the crewed Artemis mission is having heat shield issues.
Elon Musk spent at least a quarter-billion dollars to elect Republicans this November. He’s been rewarded with significant influence over Trump, sparking fears of retaliation for rivals.
Elon Musk’s friend will help run Trump’s crypto policy
A friend of Elon Musk’s is going to be Donald Trump’s pick to head up The White House’s AI and cryptocurrency policy. David Sacks has been named as Trump’s “czar” in those two arenas.
Sacks and Musk’s relationship goes back to their time together at the payments company Paypal. Trump said that Sacks will “safeguard Free Speech online and steer us away from Big Tech bias and censorship.”
Who is David Sacks and what does Trump want him to do? Quartz’s William Gavin looks into his background.
Have a ball at the ball drop
Times Square in New York City is a famous place to watch the ball drop on New Year’s Eve. But there are other — warmer — places you can go to watch the event instead.
A number of hotels in the vicinity of Times Square host events that offer a view of the ball drop without having to wait outside in the cold. The Knickerbocker and the Hyatt Central Times Square are among them.
What other hotels offer a view of the New Year’s Eve ball drop? Quartz’s Madeline Fitzgerald lays out your options.
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SURPRISING DISCOVERIES
Israel thinks Elon Musk can convince Hamas to release the hostages in Gaza. The country believes he can succeed where the governments of the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar have not. (paywall)
Some people get paid a lot of money to scratch others’ backs. In some cases their rates hit $100 an hour. (paywall)
Amazon allegedly stopped offering Prime delivery to Black neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. The city made the allegation in a lawsuit against the retail giant.
Someone is flying a bunch of drones over Donald Trump’s golf course in New Jersey. The FBI can’t get to the bottom of who or why.
You can DoorDash a wedding dress now. The delivery company is teaming up with David’s Bridal.
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