Sunday November 30th

Welcome to this week’s edition of Red State Finance — where the headlines read like satire, the politicians act like performance artists, and somehow the U.S. economy is both collapsing and spending nearly $12 billion online in one day.

Trump says the U.S. will “permanently pause migration from all Third World countries” after yet another D.C. shooting — and judging by the week we just lived through, stronger borders aren’t “controversial,” they’re common sense.

Politics & Policy

President Donald Trump has officially declared Venezuela’s airspace “closed in its entirety,” as Washington cranks up pressure on Maduro. Things are escalating quickly — America’s foreign policy energy right now is basically “microwave on high.”

Treasury’s Scott Bessent announced he’s working to eliminate federal tax benefits for illegal immigrants — protecting them for U.S. citizens only. Radical concept: benefits for people who are legally here.

Markets & Money

Black Friday online shopping smashed another record as Americans spent $11.8 billion, a double digit jump from last year. Adobe Analytics says AI-powered shopping tools — from price-hunting chatbots to deal-finding assistants — helped consumers navigate inflation and tariff-driven price hikes.

Robinhood stock pops as it expands its prediction-markets business — because of course Wall Street wants to turn American politics into FanDuel.

Silver is absolutely bullying gold this year: up 71% in 2025 vs gold’s still-strong 54%.

Business & Culture

Best Buy’s website crashed during Black Friday — ironic for a company everyone swore was circling the drain five years ago.

FedEx is shutting down a major logistics operation in Coppell, Texas, laying off nearly 1,000 workers. Not great news heading into peak shipping season.

NBC is taking heat for being “unpatriotic” after choosing British pop star Dua Lipa — not an American athlete — to promote the upcoming Winter Olympics. The choice feels… on brand.

Thousands of Airbus planes were grounded over Thanksgiving due to a technical issue possibly linked to a terrifying mid-air plunge. Because flying during the holidays wasn’t stressful enough already.

Winners:

Cook County, Illinois: approving a permanent guaranteed basic income program — $500 a month for thousands of residents. Free money is apparently still a business model.

Dad (the American kind): A Texas father saved his daughter after a sand hole collapsed on her — a near-tragedy turned heroic rescue.

Losers:

Campbell’s executive Martin Bally: fired after allegedly calling the company’s food “s--- for poor people.” Bold strategy. Didn’t pay off.

College graduates: The unemployment gap between degree-holders and high-school grads just hit the lowest level in decades. And nearly two-thirds of voters now say a four-year degree isn’t worth the cost. The American dream is getting a rewrite — and higher ed doesn’t love the new script.

America Decides:

We’ve hit peak absurdity: you’re now expected to tip at self-checkout, drive-thru, airport kiosks, and possibly soon for looking at a cashier too long.
If you’ve ever been guilt-tripped by a touchscreen, congratulations — you’re living the modern American experience.

This week, we decide when the country finally says enough.

Small Business Saturday was yesterday, with the SBA urging Americans to funnel part of their holiday spending toward local shops — the same ones that somehow survived inflation, lockdowns, labor shortages, and everything else Washington threw at them. SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler says small businesses expect 20% of their annual sales from this weekend alone, and notes that they employ half the private workforce and generate nearly half of U.S. GDP. Since launching in 2010, the day has pumped more than $220 billion into Main Street.

Translation: America’s 36 million small businesses keep the economy alive — and after surviving years of policy chaos, the least we can do is buy a coffee, a candle, or literally anything not made by a Fortune 500 megacorp.

New scoring models like VantageScore 4.0 and FICO 10T are entering the mortgage market, allowing 33 million more Americans to finally receive a credit score. But experts warn: having a score doesn’t mean you’re getting approved for anything. Credit specialists say thin-file borrowers may see a number… but lenders won’t necessarily see a safe bet.

Translation: Washington found a way to give millions of people higher-looking scores without giving them any actual buying power — classic.

The IRS rolled out official instructions for Trump’s new “no tax on tips” and “no tax on overtime” provisions, allowing workers to deduct up to $25,000 in tips and more than $12,000 in overtime pay for the 2025 tax year. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act delivered these benefits, but there’s a snag: W-2s and 1099s aren’t updated yet, meaning workers must calculate those amounts themselves this year.

Translation: You finally get to keep more of your own money — but the IRS still makes sure it’s inconvenient.

If your pet treats your home like a stunt arena, pet insurance is a lifesaver. One surprise vet bill can cost more than your holiday shopping. Accidents, illnesses, late-night panic visits — it covers the chaos your furry sidekick inevitably creates.

If they have paws, they have expenses. Be ready.

Unlike in the past, most pet insurance claims are now super easy to process. Now, you can submit a claim right from an app and get the money deposited directly into your account within days. Many insurers even offer options for direct payment to the vet, reducing the out-of-pocket burden. Check out Money’s Best Pet Insurance list to find options with fast and painless claims processing.

See pet insurance plans.

Forget the glory days of Americans wrestling in aisles over discounted flat-screens. This year’s Black Friday shoppers were hunting for pet food, detergent, socks, and underwear — the basics. With everyday essentials climbing thanks to Trump’s tariffs and persistent inflation, 64% of Americans used Black Friday just to restock their lives, not upgrade them. Even Amazon Prime sales showed the same trend: dish soap and cleaning supplies were among the country’s hottest items.

Translation: When dish soap becomes a Black Friday “must buy,” it’s not just a shopping trend — it’s a bright, blinking warning sign for the U.S. economy.

Dan & Louis Oyster Bar — a Portland landmark since 1907 — is now barely hanging on after the city’s pandemic collapse and its genius-level decision to essentially legalize every drug imaginable. Downtown turned into an open-air drug market, protests gutted foot traffic, and homelessness exploded to more than 20,000 people — most of them unsheltered. Now, the century-old oyster bar is “living paycheck to paycheck,” with owners unsure if they can even pay their bills.

Translation: Portland tried turning its downtown into a social experiment — and shockingly, it failed. Now even 118-year-old institutions can’t survive the chaos.

An Austin woman paying over $300 a month for facials was stunned when her medspa sent her an aggressive message shaming her for not tipping — on top of her already sky-high membership. After multiple upcharges, mistakes, and attempts to cancel (which the spa blocked with a fee), she decided to finish out her contract. That’s when management texted her accusing her of a “pattern” of not tipping and insisting clients leave 15%–20% because it’s “part of their pay.”

Translation: We’ve officially reached peak tipping insanity — you now get guilt-tripped for not tipping the business that already charges you like a luxury resort. Exactly why we launched this week’s poll.

The USDA announced plans to overhaul the SNAP benefits program, calling its current structure “out of control” and pledging to redirect its massive nutrition budget toward healthier, American-grown foods. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says the shift will focus on fruits, proteins, and specialty crops — all part of the “Make America Healthy Again” initiative championed by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The USDA spends about $400 million a day across 16 nutrition programs, and the agency now wants that money to better support U.S. farmers, school lunches, and food banks.

Translation: Washington finally admitted the obvious: billions in food assistance haven’t made Americans healthier — so the USDA is hitting the reset button and putting U.S. farmers back at the center of the plate.

For the first time since mid-October, U.S. equity funds posted a weekly outflow — about $4.56 billion — as investors tapped the brakes on a market fueled by sky-high tech valuations and hopes of a Fed rate cut next month. Despite the S&P 500 climbing more than 3% this week, volatility and skepticism remain, thanks in part to a record 43-day government shutdown that rattled sentiment. Large-cap funds lost $144 million, while mid-caps and small-caps bled another $2.5 billion combined.

Translation: Investors love a rally — just not enough to ignore bloated tech prices, political chaos, and a Fed that may or may not bail everyone out next month.

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s time in Congress is ending — but not before booking one of the most explosive investment runs ever seen from a sitting politician. After announcing she’ll resign on Jan. 5, 2026 due to a fallout with President Trump over releasing the Epstein files, financial disclosures show her stock portfolio soared 476% during her tenure.
Despite media claims she entered Congress with just $700K, her 2020 disclosures show she was already worth between $18–25 million, largely from her ownership stake in Taylor Commercial and real estate. Her stock portfolio grew from roughly $630K across 50 positions to several million — sparking plenty of speculation about how members of Congress always seem to “outperform the market.”

Translation: She didn’t enter Congress rich — she entered rich and left much richer. Yet another reminder that politicians’ portfolios tend to outperform hedge funds… for reasons totally unrelated to insider access.

A new Zillow report shows homebuyers are getting some of the biggest listing discounts on record. The typical U.S. home saw $25,000 in cumulative price cuts in October — tying the largest reductions Zillow has ever tracked. While individual cuts still average about $10,000, sellers are lowering prices more frequently as listings stay on the market longer. Nearly 27% of all homes now include at least one price cut. Zillow economists say homeowners can afford to slash prices because their values surged so much in recent years that they're still walking away with profits.

Translation: After years of bidding wars, cash offers, and “sell your kidney to afford a down payment,” the housing market is finally blinking — and sellers are realizing buyers aren’t paying 2021 prices for 2025 headaches.

Florida’s economic surge shows no signs of cooling as CEOs project massive expansion fueled by record wealth migration, booming business formation, and a lifestyle investors can’t resist. In 2023 alone, Florida added 503 new business firms — the most in the nation — while net income migration soared to $36.1 billion annually. With no state income tax, pro-business policies, luxury development, and a constant flow of high-income residents relocating from blue states, CEOs say the Sunshine State is just getting started. Leaders at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show noted that visitors come for the lifestyle… and end up building companies there.

Translation: Florida isn’t just winning — it’s pulling away from the pack. While other states push people out with taxes and chaos, Florida keeps cashing in on freedom, sunshine, and opportunity.

Here’s the truth: immigration isn’t rocket science, and America — the most powerful nation on Earth — is more than capable of building a system that actually works.
Australia didn’t invent magic. They simply created a clear, common-sense framework that puts their country first. And there is absolutely no reason the United States can’t do the same — in fact, we can do it better.

Australia’s approach rests on three simple principles that align perfectly with America’s own values:

Australia uses a points-based system built on skills, education, English proficiency, financial stability, and work history.
If you strengthen the country, you’re welcome. If not, you don’t qualify.

Translation: America already attracts the world’s best talent — we just need a system that rewards it instead of rewarding loopholes.

Australia doesn’t have endless court dates, catch-and-release policies, or people vanishing into cities.
If you arrive illegally, you’re processed offshore — immediately and consistently.

The result? Illegal crossings dropped to near zero.

Translation: America has the resources, the technology, and the manpower to enforce our laws. We just need leadership willing to use them.

Australia expects migrants to work from day one. No long-term dependency pipelines.
Commit a crime? Visa revoked. Deportation fast-tracked.

Translation: America thrives when everyone — citizens and immigrants — contributes. We can absolutely build a system that reinforces that expectation.

Australia adjusts immigration quotas based on economic needs, labor shortages, national security, and demographic planning.
They put their citizens first. They enforce their laws.
And yes — it works.

Not because we can’t.
Because we haven’t yet.

In Australia, immigration is treated as national strategy.
In America, it’s too often treated as political theater.

But here’s the part the media never admits:
America is uniquely positioned to build the strongest, smartest, most secure immigration system on the planet.

We have:

• unmatched border technology
• the world’s most desirable economy
• a military and Coast Guard capable of enforcing any standard
• overwhelming public support for legal, merit-based immigration
• a history of integrating high-skilled talent better than any nation ever created

America doesn’t need Australia’s blueprint because we lack ideas —
we need it because it proves something simple:

When a country puts its own citizens first, immigration works.

And if there’s one nation capable of doing that — at scale, with clarity, with fairness, and with strength —
it’s the United States of America.

We don’t need to become Australia.
We just need to become the version of America that stops apologizing for defending itself.