Good morning. In this edition:

• 🏥 Healthcare delay
• 🌌 First evidence of dark matter?
• 📝 Bigfoot’s official FBI file

…and much more.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~3.27-minute read (871 words).

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“Youth has no age.”

–Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)

Earlier this week, reports surfaced that President Trump and his advisers were considering a new healthcare plan that would extend Covid-era enhanced tax credits for the Affordable Care Act, which are set to expire at the end of this year.

While details of the White House’s new proposal have yet to be finalized, it would reportedly include stricter income caps for the enhanced subsidies—which would be extended for two years—as well as measures to crack down on healthcare fraud.

However…The White House ended up delaying the plan’s announcement on Monday afternoon amid GOP pushback. In a phone call yesterday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) reportedly told the White House that most Republicans in the chamber are opposed to extending the enhanced ACA subsidies, which were first introduced in 2021 due to the pandemic.

• Many GOP lawmakers reportedly object to the taxpayer-funded subsidies continuing to fund healthcare plans that cover abortions, while some want to replace the subsidy with new health savings accounts.

The arguments

Republican lawmakers argue that the enhanced gov’t subsidies for healthcare drive up insurance costs, are no longer necessary in the aftermath of the pandemic, and only temporarily cover up the inadequacies of Obamacare.

• They also cite estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office that indicate the enhanced ACA subsidies would increase the US federal deficit by ~$350 billion over the next decade.

On the flip side, Democrats in Congress say the government should help Americans afford healthcare no matter the costs. They argue that without an extension of the enhanced tax credits, healthcare costs would skyrocket for millions of Americans, forcing some to forgo coverage altogether.

• Many also point to recent public polling that shows strong support for Congress acting to extend the enhanced subsidies, even among a majority of Republicans who align with the MAGA movement (57%).

Any action would have a major impact

There are currently 24.3 million ACA Marketplace enrollees, a figure that’s more than doubled since the Covid-era enhanced subsidies were first introduced in 2021. And if the enhanced Covid-era subsidies expire, annual premiums for the ~22 million enrollees who currently receive a tax credit are projected to increase an average of ~114%, from $888 this year to $1,904 next year, according to health-research nonprofit KFF.

Looking ahead…Congress is facing a mid-December deadline for a vote to extend the ACA healthcare subsidies, which was promised to Democrats as a condition for ending the gov’t shutdown earlier this month.

📊 Flash poll: Do you think Congress should extend the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, or let them expire at the end of this year?

• Extend them
• Let them expire
• Unsure/other

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BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 📉 Consumer confidence index from the Conference Board falls to lowest reading since April, with perceptions of the labor market weakening.
• 💻 Meta reportedly in talks to use Google-made chips in its AI efforts, which would reduce the tech giant’s reliance on Nvidia’s chips.
• 🖨️ HP to reduce its workforce by up to 10% (4,000-6,000 employees) over the next three years as it ramps up AI investment.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 🍿 Zootopia 2, which debuts today, is projected to dominate the domestic holiday box office with $135 million-$150 million over the five-day weekend.
• 🦸 Pristine copy of first-ever Superman comic—1939's "Superman No. 1"—sells for $9+ million at auction; comic was recently found by three brothers cleaning out their late mother's attic.
• 🚦 Rush Hour 4 reportedly greenlit at Paramount after President Trump intervened on behalf of the movie.

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SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🌌 New study claims to provide first-ever direct evidence of dark matter, the mysterious invisible substance that exerts otherwise unexplainable gravitational forces across the universe.
• 🌎 World’s ozone hole in 2025 was the fifth-smallest since 1992, and significantly smaller than previous years, according to new NOAA/NASA report.
• 🧠 Human brains go through five distinct phases in life, with changes at ages 9, 32, 66, and 83, new research suggests.

US, WORLD & POLITICS

• 🌨️ Millions of Americans from the Upper Midwest to the Great Lakes are projected to see a snowy Thanksgiving due to major storm systems, which will also bring soggy weather further south.
• 🇺🇦 Ukraine is reportedly willing to move forward with a revised version of the US-backed framework for a peace deal with Russia; President Trump said “there are only a few remaining points of disagreement.”
• 🚨 French authorities detain the last suspected Louvre thief at large, along with three others suspected of involvement.

☝️ Gramma, a Galapagos tortoise who was the oldest living resident at the San Diego Zoo, passed away last week at an estimated 141 years old. It’s believed that Gramma, who lived through two World Wars and 20 US Presidents, first came to the zoo between 1928 and 1931.

🤔 Did you know?...The Ancient Romans used to drop a literal piece of bread—spiced or charred—into their wine for good health. This custom eventually evolved into “raising a toast” in celebration.

📰 Worth a read: The Ozempic era should change how we think about self-control

🖱️ What we’re clicking:

• How to avoid food poisoning this Thanksgiving
• The FBI released Bigfoot’s official file
• Why music makes us tap our feet

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How it works: We provide an incorrect stat. Your challenge is to guess whether the actual number is over or under the given value.

• 🥧 40 million: Total pumpkin pies Americans eat on Thanksgiving
• 🦃 18 lbs: Weight of the average Thanksgiving turkey
• 🚗 50 million: Number of Americans who travel for Thanksgiving

🏆 Bo, a former stray turned therapy dog, just earned the American Humane Society's Hero Dog of the Year Award. After a tragic local event, the mutt spent weeks comforting shaken families, quietly becoming a national favorite.

1. 🥧 Over; 50 million
2. 🦃 Under; 15 lbs
3. 🚗 Over; 82 million

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