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Today marks the 20th annual Cyber Monday—an online retail event that was the largest online shopping day in US history last year, responsible for an estimated $13.2B in online retail sales.
The shopping holiday dates back to 2005, when the National Retail Federation coined the Monday after Black Friday as "Cyber Monday" to promote traffic to e-commerce platforms like Amazon and eBay. Since then, the holiday has eclipsed Black Friday as in-person traffic has slowed, retail outlets have expanded their online presence, and the two retail events have blended together. Companies today typically launch their sales for several weeks, advertising Cyber Monday as a last chance to save. Last year, the most shopping activity took place between 8 pm and 10 pm on Cyber Monday, during which consumers spent roughly $15.8M per minute.
Today's spending is projected to reach $14.2B, surpassing last year's record as the largest shopping day in history. Learn more here (w/video). |
Lithuania’s Vilnius airport closed yesterday for at least the 10th time since October amid concerns of balloon activity. The closure comes amid a wave of airspace disruptions—primarily drones—in Europe in recent months, including in Copenhagen, Munich, and Brussels.
The government has blamed Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko—an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin—for the balloon incursions, calling them a hybrid attack involving smuggling cigarettes into the country. Lithuania says it recorded over 500 balloons entering its airspace from Belarus this year, and nearly 1,000 last year. It has previously closed its border to Belarus over the issue. The disruption comes as the UK, France, and Germany recently provided military support for Belgium's anti-drone operations after the country's main airport was forced to temporarily close due to drone spotting.
Separately, US negotiators met with Ukrainian counterparts yesterday in Florida to discuss a revised peace plan to end the country’s war with Russia. |
NASA’s Perseverance rover has captured what is believed to be the first evidence of lightning on Mars, according to data published last week. The red planet joins Earth, Saturn, and Jupiter as planets in the solar system where the phenomenon has been observed.
Unlike lightning on Earth, where massive charge differences within storm clouds cause large-scale electrical discharge (see overview), the Martian version is a low-energy type generated by microscopic dust particles. Mars’ fine-grained and loose soil (known as regolith) is continuously whipped up by winds, leading to intense dust devils and planet-spanning dust storms. As the tiny particles rub against each other, electrical charges build up until “mini-lightning” strikes occur. Scientists say the phenomenon can destroy organic molecules and may explain why methane disappears so quickly in the Martian atmosphere.
The dust itself is considered a significant risk (w/video) to human exploration of the planet. |
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Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
> Ole Miss Rebels coach Lane Kiffin leaves the team to accept position coaching LSU Tigers (More) | See rivalry week results (More) |
> Oscar- and Tony-winning playwright and screenwriter Tom Stoppard dies at age 88; Stoppard wrote "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead," "Leopoldstadt," and "Shakespeare in Love," among other works (More) |
> Miss Universe Africa cuts ties with the organization amid ongoing allegations of vote rigging, with co-owners investigated for alleged drug ties (More) |
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> Overheated data center forces the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the world's largest derivatives exchange operator, to suspend global trading Friday for roughly 10 hours (More) |
> Internal FDA memo claims at least 10 children died from complications due to the COVID-19 vaccine between 2021 and 2024; experts accuse agency of not providing details, misusing data from the unverified VAERS reporting platform (More) |
> Genetic analysis suggests domesticated cats originated in North Africa and spread to Europe and East Asia roughly 2,000 years ago, more recently than previously believed (More) |
🏞️ What we learned researching the Environmental Protection Agency: Tuesday marks the 55th anniversary of the federal agency, and our weekly Science & Technology newsletter takes a deep dive into its origin and impact. Join 130,000+ science enthusiasts here! |
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> Markets rise Friday (S&P 500 +0.5%, Dow +0.6%, Nasdaq +0.7%) during shortened holiday trading week; analysts peg possibility of coming Federal Reserve interest rate cut at 80%-85% (More) |
> US online sales hit an estimated $11.8B on Black Friday, up more than 9% from last year; order volume down 1%, with higher average sales prices (More) | The best resources we found researching Black Friday (1440 Topics) |
> Switzerland rejects 50% inheritance tax for gifts and assets exceeding about $62M; wealthy entrepreneurs threatened to leave country (More) |
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> US halts all asylum decisions, pauses visas for Afghan citizens after Afghan who was granted asylum shoots two National Guard members in Washington, DC, one fatally (More) | See previous write-up (More) |
> Hondurans vote in presidential election as US President Donald Trump threatens to cut aid to the country if right-wing candidate Nasry Asfura loses (More) | The US gave Honduras $194B in aid in 2023, the last fully reported year (More) |
> Twelve young Muslim girls freed after abduction in Nigeria's northeastern Borno state, near hideout used by Islamist militant group Boko Haram (More) |
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In partnership with SmartAsset |
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Is $2.5 Million Enough to Retire at Age 65? |
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It may sound like a lot of money, but there are many variables to consider.
Using the common "4% rule" (assuming a 30-year horizon, 60/40 portfolio, 2% inflation, and no advisory fees), $2.5M might support about $100K in first-year withdrawals, adjusted annually for inflation—but results can vary widely. That’s why we feel it can be important to speak with a financial advisor to help make sure your retirement plan will be able to support your lifestyle.
With thousands of advisors in the US, it can seem daunting to choose one. SmartAsset's no-cost tool can help you find and compare vetted financial advisors serving your area, each legally bound to work in your best interest. It's never too late to plan to work toward a comfortable retirement. Take the matching quiz. |
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1440 Topics gives you the overview, then points you to the best resources: |
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> History: We added a fascinating video from the Smithsonian Channel on the Berlin Airlift during the Cold War. |
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Clickbait: Pocket-sized vinyl records.
Historybook: First moving assembly line introduced by Ford Motor Company (1913); Rosa Parks arrested in Alabama for refusing to give up her bus seat (1955); Author and activist James Baldwin dies (1987); World AIDS Day commemorated for first time (1988).
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1440 Trivia: Which look-alike contest inspired Bill Nye to pursue a career in entertainment? Check back tomorrow for the answer (or dig for it here).
... and vote on tomorrow's Trivia topic: Space or Jupiter.
PS: Last week's answer was ... Jesse Hawley was the bankrupt flour merchant who helped inspire the Erie Canal.
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"Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." |
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