Today’s Big Story

Government Shutdown Grows Closer

Trump weighed in against the deal after Elon Musk trashed it

Well, that didn’t last long. A bipartisan spending deal to avert a shutdown was praised on Tuesday, but was on life support come Wednesday after President-elect Donald Trump condemned it—leaving lawmakers without a strategy to fund the government past a Friday night deadline.

Trump issued a scathing statement ordering Republicans not to support the sprawling bill, piling on to a barrage of criticism from Elon Musk, who spent Wednesday trashing the measure on social media and threatening any Republican who supported it with political ruin. And in a remarkable turn, the revolt appeared to succeed at least for a day, throwing budget negotiations into chaos and increasing the odds of a government shutdown this weekend.

But, according to NBC News, some of Musk’s posts were inaccurate. He said a proposed congressional pay raise would be 40%, while the maximum potential pay increase in 2025 has already been set at 3.8%, according to the Congressional Research Service. He also said the bill was “funding bioweapon labs,” citing a screenshot from the text of the bill related to “biocontainment laboratories” to better prepare the U.S. to combat infectious diseases.

Trump also tried to shift blame for any potential shutdown onto the Democrats, despite the fact that his intervention could very well cause it. “If Democrats threaten to shut down the government unless we give them everything they want, then CALL THEIR BLUFF.” The statement by Trump and Vice President-elect Vance included a twist: they also want Congress to raise the debt ceiling, an entirely separate process from funding the government.

Democrats aren’t staying quiet, with many referring to the tech billionaire as “President Musk” Wednesday while trolling “Vice President Trump”, which was trending on Musk’s own X platform. New York Rep. Daniel Goldman told MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell: “It’s not Donald Trump asking for this … the fact that he’s been completely AWOL during these negotiations to the point where only after Elon Musk publicly tweets about his displeasure, about this budget deal,” he continued, “all of a sudden Donald Trump, chief of staff to Elon Musk, comes trotting in and blows up the deal.” The White House Office of Management and Budget is now sending additional guidance to federal agencies on shutdown preparations in the coming days, an administration official told CNN.

Should We Be Worried About Bird Flu?

CDC confirms 1st case of the severe virus in U.S.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed the first case of severe bird flu in the United States. The federal health agency said Wednesday that the patient has been hospitalized in Louisiana. State health officials said the patient is over the age of 65 with underlying medical conditions. Genomic data showed the Louisiana patient was infected with a version of the virus recently found to be spreading in wild birds and poultry in the U.S., as well as found in some human cases in Canada and Washington state.

Meanwhile, in an acknowledgment of the increasing seriousness of the bird flu’s spread, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California declared on Wednesday that the outbreak of infections among the state’s dairy cattle constituted an emergency. California currently accounts for about half of known human infections in the U.S. The New York Times confirms, however, that the virus, H5N1, cannot yet spread easily among people, and it still poses little danger to the average American. And pasteurized dairy products are still safe to consume.

Unfortunately, our pets can get it, though. Several cats in California have contracted the virus and some have even died. But no person-to-person transmission of bird flu has been documented so far. Most cases in people have been mild, and they have been found among farmworkers exposed to the virus through interactions with infected poultry or cattle. Common symptoms in earlier cases have included pinkeye, coughs and sneezing.

The Capital of Hair Transplants

Men are heading to Turkey in droves for new ‘dos

By now, you’ve likely heard about guys heading to Istanbul for hair transplants: The city has became the new Hair Club for Men. Thanks to technology, affordability, and nimble marketing, Turkey has become shorthand for hair restoration. Whenever a male celebrity pops up on the red carpet looking rejuvenated and dashing, an increasingly common response is “he went to Turkey”.

Of course, celebs are likely utilizing the services of pricey Beverly Hills surgeons. But for most guys, flying to Turkey for the procedure is actually more cost-effective than getting it done at home in the States. According to Vox, there isn’t just one reason Turkey has become an epicenter for hair transplants. Rather, it’s the perfect storm of several different factors: a good local health care system, skilled doctors, competition among providers, and an easy-to-access location that’s also desirable to visit.

Apparently, the first follicular unit extraction (FUE) hair transplants began in Turkey around 2002, though the method was first developed in Japan. Last year, more than 1.5 million tourists visited Turkey for medical procedures, spending roughly $3 billion. In the U.S., a hair transplant costs an average of $7,500, according to the Foundation for Hair Restoration, a Miami-based hair transplant center. In Turkey, a typical hair transplant costs between $1,800 and $4,500, reports CBS News. Of course, it’s not just hair: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that cosmetic tourism is “increasingly popular,” and that the most popular procedures include “abdominoplasty, breast augmentation, eyelid surgery, liposuction, and rhinoplasty.”

Seatbelt Reminders Will Be Chiming More

The U.S. will require rear seat belt alarms in 2027

Bad news for my mother, who always politely asks if she needs to put on her seatbelt when she’s riding in the back of a car I’m driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will require new vehicles to sound a warning alarm if back-seat passengers don’t use their seatbelts—a rule that will take effect in two years, the agency said this week.

It's exactly 50 years since Congress attempted to mandate ignition interlocks tied to seatbelt use, in an effort to reduce deaths on the road. Seatbelt usage is now at an all-time high (with 91.6% of drivers and front passengers buckling up), but unbelted passengers still make up almost half of all road fatalities. According to Car and Driver, enhanced front belt warnings are a requirement in new cars by 2026, and rear belt warnings by 2027.

That means that the noisy, persistent ding reminding everyone to buckle up will continue until everyone is actually clicked in. The alarm noise for drivers was first required in the United States in 1972, when car safety features, such as airbags, were the subject of heated debate. At the time, auto industry leaders said that regulators were moving too fast. Much of the public was also resistant to those changes, with only an estimated 20% of drivers using seatbelts at the time, according to the Department of Transportation.

The Best Way to Kill Time

Whether you're hosting or attending, games are the key to a good time

There are plenty of reasons why the holidays are a great time. But they're not without their low moments and awkward conversations. Depending on how you celebrate—with family or friends—the days during holiday breaks can be refreshing and fun-filled or feel like some of the longest days of the year. And there's only so many nostalgic movies a person can watch, right? And don't even try to start talking about current events.

That's why we need games. Whether you're hosting or simply a guest, they instantly shift the atmosphere of any gathering and get people involved in what's going on in front of them. They not only help pass the time, but they shoot down any awkward and unpleasant conversations and move the topic to the game at hand. Engaging your loved ones in some friendly competition will get the whole group's adrenaline pumping, bring in the laughter and keep any tension or holiday blues at bay. Plus, without sounding too much like a cheesy TV special, they help make treasured memories with the old people and young kids we don't see enough of throughout the rest of the year.

Follow your instincts.