Good morning! The weekend edition is 729 words, a 3-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Trump calls off Canada trade talks

• Green sea turtles make a comeback

• How to fix “tech neck”

First-time reader? Sign up here!

Today’s Big Story

US Carrier Deployed to Caribbean

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier to the Caribbean to combat drug cartels. It will nearly double the US maritime force in the region, adding 4,500–5,000 more sailors and marines.

• President Trump said he won't seek congressional authorization for the military action. 'I don't think we're going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war,' he told reporters. 'I think we're just gonna kill people that are bringing drugs into our country.'

• Hegseth also announced the US struck a boat Friday in the Caribbean, killing six people aboard a vessel he said belonged to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. The US has conducted ten strikes since September, killing 43 people total. The Trump administration's claims about the strikes have not been independently confirmed.

• Experts and government reports say fentanyl is primarily smuggled through legal US-Mexico border crossings in hard-to-detect amounts, not by boat.

Saturday’s Quick Hits

• President Trump ended trade talks with Canada after Ontario ran a TV ad using edited Ronald Reagan clips to criticize tariffs. The Reagan Foundation said Ontario used and edited the speech without permission, misrepresenting Reagan's remarks. While Reagan did oppose tariffs in that 1987 address, Ontario improperly manipulated his words. Ontario's premier later pulled the ad after reaching US audiences. (More)

• Penny shortages are hitting stores nationwide after the US Mint stopped making them in August following Trump's order. Chains like Kroger and Home Depot can't make correct change, forcing some to round down prices. Retail groups want Congress to allow nickel rounding since ten states ban it. The rollout is hurting low-income shoppers who use food stamps, which prohibit rounding, and those who cash paychecks at stores. (More)

• New York Attorney General Letitia James pleaded not guilty Friday to bank fraud charges. The indictment accuses James of lying about a Virginia home being her second residence to get better loan terms, saving roughly $50 monthly. James previously sued Trump for fraud and calls these charges political revenge, noting that Trump publicly asked officials to prosecute her. Her trial starts January 26. (More)

• A 13-year-old boy needed emergency surgery after swallowing up to 100 high-powered magnets bought from Temu. The magnets formed chains in his bowels, crushing tissue and killing parts of his intestine. Doctors removed them, and he recovered after eight days in the hospital. These magnets are banned in New Zealand but remain easy to buy online, and they're far more dangerous than regular fridge magnets. (More)

• Social Security benefits will increase 2.8% in 2026, giving the average retiree $56 more each month starting in January. Over 75 million people getting retirement and disability payments will see the boost. Some lawmakers say the increase won't keep up with rising food, housing, and healthcare costs. The adjustment is tied to inflation measured through September's consumer price index. (More)

• Researchers extracted ancient DNA from the teeth of Napoleon's soldiers buried in a Lithuanian mass grave and discovered paratyphoid and relapsing fever killed many of them. These diseases join typhus and trench fever as killers during the catastrophic 1812 retreat from Russia. Hundreds of thousands of Napoleon's 600,000-strong army died from cold, starvation, and infections during the invasion that began his downfall. (More)

Weekly Dose of Positive

• Eeyore the dog survived after a Florida shelter paid for expensive surgery when a car hit him, then years later guided police to his collapsed elderly owner. (More)

• LEGO designed and donated toy MRI scanners to hospitals worldwide to help anxious kids prepare. Doctors say the playful approach cut sedation needs by nearly half. (More)

• North Carolina erased $6.5 billion in medical debt for 2.5 million residents, averaging $2,600 per person, through its first-of-its-kind state relief program launched last year. (More)

• Green sea turtles are recovering from near extinction thanks to decades of protecting eggs, releasing hatchlings, and reducing fishing net captures after hunting devastated their populations. (More)

Extra Credit

German company creates viral ad for their lift used in the Louvre heist.

…and a Picasso sells for €32M at auction.

How to fix “tech neck.”

What it means if you see a blue stop sign.