Sunday October 26th

Are other countries this wild, or is America just built different?

Politics & Policy

A North Carolina accountant decided math wasn’t exciting enough, so he allegedly opened fire on a Trump supporter’s house because of — wait for it — a flag. Benjamin Michael Campbell (38) now faces a long list of charges after being caught on camera pulling a pistol from his sunroof like it was a Fast & Furious audition.
Good news: the justice system still works when it wants to.

Meanwhile, President Trump keeps doing what actual presidents do — signing real deals that make America stronger. This week’s $8.5 billion critical-minerals partnership with Australia puts the squeeze on China’s rare-earth monopoly. Translation: America’s finally mining its own business again.

And Democrats are having a meltdown over White House renovations. Apparently, updating the People’s House is offensive — unless it’s their own taxpayer-funded kitchen remodel in D.C. hypocrisy chic.

Markets & Money

A new report says Americans are underprepared for longer retirements. Probably because half their paycheck disappears before it hits the bank. The 65-plus crowd is expected to grow from 58 million to 82 million by 2050, which means Social Security will soon be the nation’s hottest pyramid scheme.

On the bright side, mortgage rates dropped to their lowest level in over a year, and buyers are finally getting some leverage again. Inflation cooled slightly in September, staying around 3%. So… congratulations, America — we’re now celebrating “not as bad” as progress.

Business & Culture

Merck broke ground on a $70 billion U.S. expansion with a massive Virginia facility creating thousands of jobs. That’s what investing in America looks like — no virtue-signaling required.

Over at Target, 1,000 jobs are gone, hundreds more roles scrapped, and a new CEO taking over in February. Maybe focusing less on rainbow end-caps and more on customers will help.

And Meta cut another 600 jobs while betting big on AI. Because when in doubt, just replace people with robots and call it innovation.

Winners:

Losers:

America Decides:

A new study says Americans are massively underprepared for retirement — as life expectancy climbs and the cost of everything keeps skyrocketing.

Translation: you’ll live longer, just not better, unless something changes.

So we’re asking:

Goldman Sachs says the jobs market looks the worst it has in half a century — and no, we’re not technically in a recession (yet). Chief economist Jan Hatzius warned that those rosy GDP estimates — 3.8% in Q2 and 3.3% in Q3 — are likely too optimistic, especially with missing government data and a cooling labor market. Behind the headlines, job indicators are slipping, hiring is slowing, and even Goldman admits much of this year’s “growth” came from temporary stockpiling and tariff distortions. Translation: the economy’s caffeine high is wearing off, and younger workers are walking into an AI-driven job market that’s starting to look more like a game of musical chairs.

Here’s a retirement tip no one seems to take — literally. Nearly 90% of working Americans plan to claim Social Security before age 70, even though waiting could mean tens of thousands more in lifetime income. According to Schroders, only one in ten workers intends to delay benefits long enough to collect the maximum payout — an 8% boost for every year after 67. Translation: millions of Americans are sprinting to grab smaller checks while leaving free money on the table. In a country where inflation eats savings for breakfast, patience might just be the best investment you’ll ever make.

President Trump pulled the plug on trade talks with Canada after the Ontario government rolled out a “creative” ad featuring Ronald Reagan supposedly slamming tariffs — except the audio was edited. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation called it “selective” and “egregious,” which is diplomatic code for “fake.” Trump wasn’t having it, ending discussions immediately and reminding everyone that America doesn’t negotiate with bad faith or bad editing.

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Turns out “ending homelessness” in California has been a gold mine — just not for the homeless. The DOJ charged two Los Angeles developers with allegedly siphoning off $50 million from taxpayer-funded programs meant to build housing that never existed. One suspect reportedly spent $2 million on luxury shopping sprees, proving once again that in California, even corruption comes with a designer label. The FBI called it “not a victimless crime,” as billions vanish while tent cities keep expanding. Maybe the real crisis isn’t homelessness — it’s accountability.

Financial host Caleb Hammer ended an interview early after a Phoenix couple — both illegal immigrants owing $420,000 — told him they “deserve” a new Toyota Tacoma and a house with a pool. The pair, featured on Hammer’s Financial Audit YouTube show, claimed they were “Dreamers” brought to the U.S. as children but seemed more focused on upgrades than budgets. Hammer, visibly stunned, cut the conversation short — proving there’s only so much financial denial one man can handle.

Apple is officially bringing its AI muscle home. The company confirmed it’s now building and shipping American-made artificial intelligence servers from its Houston facility — and doing it ahead of schedule. The move marks a major shift for the tech giant, which previously built its Apple Intelligence servers overseas. It also answers President Trump’s push for U.S.-based manufacturing, as Apple doubles down on domestic production of the hardware powering its AI future. Turns out “Made in America” isn’t just a slogan — it’s good business.

History might not repeat, but it sure loves a sequel. Subprime lender PrimaLend Capital Partners has filed for bankruptcy, becoming the latest domino to fall in a credit market that’s starting to look uncomfortably familiar. The Texas-based firm financed auto dealerships serving borrowers with poor or no credit — and after months of missed interest payments and tense talks with creditors, the company finally hit the brakes. With defaults ticking up and consumer debt hitting record highs, Wall Street’s wondering if we’re watching the early chapters of Subprime: The Remix — and this time, the repo man might show up before the Fed does.

Sen. Marco Rubio and the Trump administration are cutting what the last administration couldn’t stop spending. New data shows the State Department has slashed nearly $100 million in travel costs compared to last year — a sharp drop from $306 million under Biden to $212 million under Trump. The savings came largely from reduced conference attendance and site visits, proving you can actually govern without a per diem. While the previous administration treated taxpayer-funded travel like a frequent flyer program, this one’s showing that fiscal discipline isn’t just possible — it’s patriotic.

A Chicago elementary school principal is facing backlash after defending a teacher caught on video mocking the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. The teacher, identified as Lucy Martinez, was filmed at a “No Kings” rally making a gun gesture to her neck — the same area where Kirk was fatally shot during a campus debate in Utah last month. Instead of condemning the act, Principal Dawn Iles-Gomez described Martinez as a “victim” in a letter to parents, citing “threats” made against her. The incident, which outraged conservatives nationwide, has reignited debate over double standards in schools — where some speech is punished instantly, while others get a pass under the label of “safety.”

Former Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao is once again betting big on Bitcoin, predicting it will one day surpass gold’s total value. Posting on X, CZ wrote, “Bitcoin will flip gold… Might take some time, but it will happen. Save the tweet.” For context, gold’s market value recently hit $30 trillion after a record-breaking rally, while Bitcoin sits around $2.2 trillion — meaning the digital coin would need quite the growth spurt to catch up. Still, in a world where central banks print money like it’s confetti, CZ’s confidence in digital scarcity might not be as far-fetched as it sounds.

A waitress in the U.S. decided that a missing tip was basically a felony—chasing down a customer, blocking his car, and even calling the cops because he didn’t leave a gratuity. The viral video reignited debate over whether tipping in America has completely jumped the rails. What used to be a simple “thanks for good service” has turned into a moral test, a guilt trip, and now, apparently, a police matter. Between automatic 25% add-ons, touchscreens begging for tips on bottled water, and servers acting like IRS agents, tipflation has officially hit its breaking point—because if skipping the tip gets you chased through the parking lot, maybe the problem isn’t the customer.

Donald Trump’s recent pardon of Binance co-founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao has reignited a classic American debate: should any president — Trump, Biden, or otherwise — have the power to erase crimes with the stroke of a pen?

CZ’s case was a big one. He pled guilty to federal money-laundering charges, paid a record-breaking fine, and still walked away with a full pardon — courtesy of Trump, who said the crypto crackdown was “political persecution dressed up as regulation.” Meanwhile, the White House denies rumors that Diddy — yes, that Diddy — might be next in line for clemency. Apparently, America’s forgiveness is now a bipartisan export.

But the question stands: when does justice become favoritism?

The argument for presidential pardons is simple — the Founders wrote it in for a reason. It’s a safety valve. A check on judicial excess. A way to right wrongs when the system goes too far. After all, both sides have used it: Trump pardoned General Michael Flynn, Obama commuted 1,700 sentences (many for non-violent drug offenses), and Biden wiped the records of thousands more.

The argument against? It’s the ultimate insider privilege. When billionaires, celebrities, and political allies get a “get out of jail free” card while small business owners rot in red tape, the message is clear — justice isn’t blind, it just has better connections.

So here’s the real question:
Is the presidential pardon a mark of compassion — or corruption?
Should one person have the power to overrule the courts, or is that exactly the kind of authority America was built to limit?

We’ll let you decide.

What do you think?
We want to hear from you — drop your comments, takes, and hard-hitting feedback below. We’ll read every one of them (yes, even the bold ones) and feature the best responses in next week’s issue. Keep it sharp, keep it honest… and maybe keep it printable.