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$1.5 trillion
“President Trump proposed on Wednesday increasing military spending next year by more than half, raising the defense budget in 2027 to $1.5 trillion as he pushes for American imperialism in Venezuela and beyond,” the New York Times reports. “The president’s request for a $600 billion increase in military spending comes as his administration flexes military strength around the world.”
33%
One in three Americans approve of the U.S. military strike on Venezuela that toppled the country’s president and 72% worry the U.S. will become too involved in the South American country, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
$400,000
“Less than five hours before nighttime explosions rocked the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, an unknown trader doubled down on bets that Nicolás Maduro would soon be out as the country’s leader,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “The wagers on Polymarket, a popular crypto-based betting platform, netted the trader more than $400,000, a 12-fold return on investment—and fueled suspicions that someone used inside knowledge of the closely held U.S. operation to make a quick profit.”
70%
A CBS News poll last month found that 70% of Americans oppose U.S. military action in Venezuela and that only 13% believe the country is a major threat to the United States. A YouGov poll found that only 20% of American adults support using military force to overthrow Nicolas Maduro. And an important point from Dan Pfeiffer: “Trump’s biggest political problem isn’t just that this war is unpopular. It’s that it’s yet another massive, time-consuming distraction from the thing he was elected to do: lower the cost of living.”
2,000+
“The number of recorded measles cases in the U.S. during 2025 has exceeded 2,000 for the first time in more than 30 years,” Axios reports. “This year’s surge in cases and prolonged outbreaks could cause the U.S. to lose its globally recognized measles ‘elimination status’ for the first time in decades by the end of January 2026.” … “The outbreaks come amid Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s efforts to downplay the risks of measles and spread misleading claims about the vaccine, while suggesting other alternatives without evidence.”
5.2 million
“The Justice Department is seeking to enlist about 400 lawyers to review roughly 5.2 million pages of Epstein files documents, an effort that is drawing in prosecutors who work on national security and criminal cases, and in U.S. attorneys’ offices in New York and Florida,” the New York Times reports. “The number represents a more precise, and potentially much larger, figure than previous estimates provided by the department.” BTW, that comes out to 13,000 pages per lawyer for review.
3.01 million
“Ratings for the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors sunk to its lowest numbers ever as President Trump hosted the once-prestigious event from the renamed Washington, D.C. performing arts center, which he altered to include his name weeks after its taping,” The Wrap reports. “The awards ceremony drew in just 3.01 million viewers as it broadcast on CBS and live streamed on Paramount+ on Tuesday, Dec. 23… As preliminary ratings suggested, the 2025 ceremony marked the lowest audience for the Kennedy Center Honors, and even sunk lower than the Covid-restricted 2021 program, which gathered 4.1 million total viewers, its lowest viewership at the time.”
24%
A new Gallup Poll finds 24% of Americans satisfied and 74% dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country.
37%
A new CBS News/YouGov poll finds more than 61% of people say President Trump is making prices and inflation sound far more rosy than they actually are, with a further 45% saying they expect his policies to leave them financially worse off in 2026. Trump’s overall approval on the economy is just 37%.
53%
A new NBC News Decision Desk survey shows that 53% of adults have changed their grocery-buying habits to stay within budget, while 55% have cut back on entertainment and “extras” so that they can afford life’s necessities.
