Today's quick hits

🎤 It’s officially the end of an Eras. Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, the record-breaking 21-month-long concert run that kicked off an antitrust investigation, prompted terror threats, generated artificial earthquakes, and boosted local economies worldwide, came to its conclusion in Vancouver last night. The final numbers: 149 shows played, 10+ million tickets sold, 1 billion friendship bracelets exchanged (probably), and a record ~$2 billion in revenue. It also boosted the popularity of artists in Swift’s sphere, including Sabrina Carpenter and Gracie Abrams (for whom participating in the tour was apparently a Risk worth taking). Abrams saw her Spotify monthly listeners spike from 10 million → 30 million in the lead-up to her 2024 run opening on the tour. As for her next era? Swift has only dropped hints.

🇸🇾 Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was ousted by rebel forces. Assad, whose family’s 50-year rule over Syria is widely described as a dictatorship, stepped down as president and fled to Moscow yesterday after Syrian rebels took control of the capital city of Damascus. It caps off 10 days of surprise military advances from Syrian rebel forces, who captured five major cities from Assad’s government over the period. In a statement, President Biden called the fall of Assad a “fundamental act of justice” but also a “moment of risk and uncertainty,” saying the US will continue to monitor the actions of rebel groups in Syria. President-elect Trump reacted to Assad’s ousting by highlighting the weakened state of Russia – an ally of Assad’s government – and calling for an “immediate ceasefire” in the Russia-Ukraine war.

🏈 The College Football Playoffs are set. Notably absent: two-loss Miami and Alabama. After holding the #11 spot heading into this past conference championship weekend, the Crimson Tide were rolled out of the twelve-team pool by the selection committee following Clemson’s last-second upset over SMU in the ACC conference championship game (which earned the Tigers an automatic bid). Playoff action kicks off December 20; see the full schedule + a first-round preview.