United States

• Asia-Pacific markets slide after subdued Wall Street session - Asia-Pacific markets slid on Friday following a subdued Wall Street session.
• A Volunteer’s Dire Warnings About the National Guard D.C. Shooting Suspect - More than a year before the Trump administration granted asylum to the Afghan immigrant, the volunteer’s emails raised concerns that he was unraveling.
• Poll Suggests Voters May Blame Republicans More if Affordable Care Act Subsidies Go Away - About half of people covered under the Affordable Care Act say that if their health costs spike, it will have a “major impact” on how they vote in the 2026 midterm elections, a survey found.
• Layoff announcements this year top 1.1 million, the most since 2020 when pandemic hit, Challenger says - The firm said layoff plans totaled 76,835 in November, a step down from October but still enough to bring the 2025 total up to 1.17 million.
• Inside Europe’s biggest rare earths factory on Russia's doorstep - Developed by Canada's Neo Performance Materials, Europe's largest rare earths facility sits in Estonia's border city of Narva.
• Former F.D.A. Commissioners Sound Alarm on Plan to Change Vaccine Policy - Twelve former commissioners, in a New England Journal of Medicine article, said they were “deeply concerned” by a leaked memo from the agency’s vaccine regulator.
• Trump's South Korea tariff cuts are major boost for Hyundai and GM - The Trump administration said the tariff rate for vehicles from South Korea will drop to 15% as part of a trade deal.
• How families could get stuck with higher electric bills if the AI data center boom goes bust - Investors and energy analysts question whether the AI race has turned into a bubble, one that would be costly to unravel as major infrastructure gets built.
• November private payrolls unexpectedly fell by 32,000, led by steep small business job cuts, ADP reports - The payrolls decline marked a sharp step down from October, which saw an upwardly revised gain of 47,000 positions.
• Russia 'ready' for war with Europe, Putin says, as Ukraine peace talks fail to deliver breakthrough - Russian President Vladimir Putin doubled down on threats toward Europe ahead of peace talks with the U.S., saying Moscow was "ready" for war.