Good morning. It's Wednesday, Dec. 24, and we're covering Christmas by the numbers, surprising economic data, and much more. First time reading? Join over 4.5 million insatiably curious readers. Sign up here.
Editor's note: The 1440 Daily Digest team will be off for the next two days, enjoying time with friends and family—wishing you a wonderful holiday break. We'll see you Saturday! |
|
|
|
|
About 88% of Americans will celebrate Christmas tomorrow, driving holiday sales expected to top $1T for the first time. Parents are spending an average of $521 per child—up 13% from 2024.
More than 122 million travelers are hitting the roads and skies between Dec. 20 and Jan. 1, a 2.2% increase over last year’s record of 119.7 million. Fourteen states have a high chance of a white Christmas, defined as at least 1 inch of snow by 7 am. Many households display trees averaging 7 feet tall, and Americans consume about 240 million cups of creamy, nutmeg-spiced eggnog each year. Nearly one-third of all charitable giving happens in December, with 10% occurring in the final three days.
And then there’s Santa. To reach an estimated 238 million homes worldwide in 34 hours, he must visit 7 million per hour—116,667 per minute or 1,944 per second. Track him here and explore the Christmas science that might make it possible. |
Economy Tops Expectations |
The US economy grew at the fastest annual pace in two years in the third quarter of the year, according to delayed government data released yesterday.
The nation's gross domestic product—or the value of all the goods and services it produced—rose at a stronger-than-expected annual rate of 4.3% in the July-to-September period. The figure is above economists' forecasts of 3% and the 3.8% growth in the prior quarter.
Consumer spending, which accounts for roughly 70% of overall economic activity, rose at a 3.5% annualized rate, up from 2.5% in the April-to-June period, helping to fuel the stronger output. US exports expanded 8.8%, while imports, which subtract from the GDP, fell 4.7%. Government spending increased 2.2%, and investment in intellectual property, including artificial intelligence, grew 5.4%. See all data here.
The total US GDP is roughly $31T. See historical data here. |
The Justice Department released a second batch of documents—nearly 30,000 pages—yesterday related to its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Explore the documents here.
The release contains some details previously covered in news reports, including references to President Donald Trump on flight logs for Epstein’s private jet. One 2020 email from a federal attorney stated Trump was a passenger on at least eight flights, more than had been previously reported. His name on the flight record does not indicate wrongdoing.
In a separate email by “A,” the writer claimed to be staying at a British royal residence and asked convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell if she had found him “new inappropriate friends.” Further exchanges suggest the writer may be Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who lost his royal titles after being accused of rape by one of Epstein’s victims.
The DOJ said it is reviewing nearly 1 million documents for release. The department said it will redact victim information and denied censoring Trump-related items. |
|
|
|
In partnership with Fatty15 |
|
What Dolphins Taught Us About Aging |
|
Who knew dolphins were gatekeeping the secret to healthier aging? Nobody—until veterinarians discovered a breakthrough. After helping older Navy dolphins, they learned that higher levels of C15:0, an essential fatty acid, led to healthier aging for dolphins… and humans.
With fatty15, you can reap those anti-aging benefits in a science-backed, vegan-friendly, just-C15:0, once-a-day supplement that slows and reverses aging at a cellular level to support metabolic, cognitive, immune, liver, and red blood cell health.
It’s no surprise that fatty15 is backed by 6,000+ 5-star reviews, 60+ patents, 100+ peer-reviewed studies, and 20+ awards, including Inc. 5000’s #1 Fastest Growing Supplement Company in America! Save 15% on your first order with code 1440. |
|
Please support our sponsors! |
|
|
|
|
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
> NFL Pro Bowl Games' roster announced; Pro Bowl will take place Feb. 3 (More) | Kansas City Chiefs announce plan to move from Missouri to Kansas to build $3B domed stadium, expected to be ready for start of 2031 season (More) |
> Comedian Russell Brand charged in the UK with additional offenses of rape and sexual assault relating to two further women on top of charges filed in April (More) |
> "Call of Duty" cocreator Vince Zampella dies at age 55 in Los Angeles car crash (More) | Tennis star Venus Williams marries Italian model Andrea Preti (More) |
|
|
|
|
|
> Activist hacker group scrapes 86 million music files from Spotify, representing 99% of all listens on the streaming audio platform, and releases them publicly (More) |
> Engineers create custom structures that transform from flat to three-dimensional with the pull of a string; applications include rapid deployment of temporary structures during disaster response (More) |
> Neuroscientists develop method to record the release of glutamate in the brain, allowing a fuller picture of how brain cells communicate with each other (More) |
|
|
|
|
|
> US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +0.5%, Dow +0.2%, Nasdaq +0.6%), with S&P 500 notching another record close (More) |
> Novo Nordisk shares close up 7% after US regulators approve first GLP-1 weight-loss pill—a tablet form of Wegovy; Novo Nordisk plans to start selling the pill in the US next month (More) |
> Visa and Mastercard report 4.2% growth in US holiday retail sales between Nov. 1 and Dec. 21, less than the 4.8% growth during the same period last year (More) |
|
|
|
In partnership with West Capital Lending |
|
Want To Unlock Your Home Equity? |
|
|
|
|
> Supreme Court blocks National Guard deployment in Chicago, rejecting the administration's claim that conditions meet standards to federalize the Guard; ruling could signal similar blocks in Los Angeles, DC, and Portland (More) |
> Record-breaking heat—with temperatures 35 degrees above normal—is expected across large swaths of the US this week (More) |
> Ukrainian troops withdraw from eastern town of Siversk, a stronghold in eastern Donetsk, and territory Russia wanted Ukraine to cede as part of a peace deal (More) |
|
|
|
In partnership with Fatty15 |
|
Please support our sponsors! |
|
|
|
|
Dear Readers—
During this holiday season, the 1440 team wants to take a moment to say thank you for joining us on the journey to fact-forward, curiosity-provoking news. From 78 friends and family in 2017 to an audience of 4.5 million readers, your feedback and input have been invaluable.
If 1440 helps you feel more informed each morning, we’d be grateful if you shared it with someone in your life, a friend, family member, colleague, or neighbor. Your recommendation is one of the most important ways our community grows, and it’s a big part of what makes 1440 possible.
Click here to share 1440—and thanks as always for being a reader! |
|
|
|
|
|
Historybook: Treaty of Ghent signed, ending the War of 1812 (1814); "Silent Night" performed for first time (1818); NORAD's Santa Tracker begins (1955); Film producer and director Lee Daniels born (1959); "Twilight" author Stephenie Meyer born (1973); Soviet Union invades Afghanistan (1979). |
|
|
|
"Your failures are your accomplishments because it makes you prepared for whatever it is that you are going to do next." |
|
|
Behind the Name. In 1440, the printing press sparked a knowledge revolution. We carry that spirit forward, cutting through the noise and algorithm-driven feeds, to bring fact-driven knowledge to everyone.
Want to connect with 4.5 million insatiably curious minds? Become a 1440 partner here. |
|
1440 Media 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza, Suite 1212 Chicago, IL 60654
Copyright © 2025, 1440 Media, All rights reserved. Privacy Policy. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
