The Big Story

SpaceX launches satellites, carries astronauts into space, and operates Starlink, one of the world’s largest satellite internet networks.

After more than two decades as a private company, SpaceX has gone public. The company says the IPO will help fund future growth, including expanding Starlink and investing in technology and computing systems needed to support the growing demand for artificial intelligence.

The Two Spins

From the Left

• SpaceX’s growth has been supported by billions of dollars in government contracts and partnerships.
• As private companies play a larger role in space and communications, oversight and competition remain important.

From the Right

• SpaceX has dramatically lowered launch costs and accelerated innovation in the space industry.
• The company is an example of how private investment moves faster than government-led programs.

What This Means for Us

Companies like SpaceX are becoming part of our everyday lives. One of the company’s early breakthroughs came from a $1.6 billion NASA contract awarded in 2008.

Today, SpaceX helps connect rural communities to the internet, supports government communications, and carries out missions funded by taxpayers.

Its growth shows how technologies that begin as government projects may eventually become services used by millions of people.

How They Make Money

SpaceX

• Starlink, the company’s satellite internet network, generates a large share of revenue by providing internet service around the world.
• SpaceX also earns money launching satellites, cargo, astronauts, and government missions for organizations such as NASA and the U.S. military.

Takeaway

SpaceX is no longer just a rocket company. It is becoming a space, internet, and communications business.

The Number That Stuck With Me

$75 billion

That’s roughly how much SpaceX raised, making it the largest IPO ever.

The Big Story

Democrats and Republicans disagree on one big question: how much of a role should government play in helping solve our country’s problems?

The political debates and headlines we see in taxes, healthcare, education, business, and tech come back to that question.

The Two Spins

From the Left

• Government should create opportunities through healthcare, education, and other public services.
• Public investment and support helps more people get access to those opportunities.

From the Right

• People should have more control over the decisions that affect their lives.
• Individuals, businesses, and local communities can solve public problems without federal involvement.
  

What This Means for Us

Democrats ask, “How can government help?”

Republicans ask, “How can people solve this themselves?”

Democrats believe more government involvement solves problems. Republicans believe people, businesses, and local communities know best.

The real debate is where the balance should be.

How They Make Money

Fairshake

• Fairshake is a Super PAC, or political action committee, that raises money from cryptocurrency companies and investors who want to influence elections and public policy.
• It uses the donations to fund political ads and support candidates whose policies might affect the future of the crypto industry.

Takeaway

Politics is really a conversation about who should have more control over resources: the government, businesses, individuals, or some combination of all three.

The Number That Stuck With Me

535

More than 340 million Americans are affected by decisions made by just 535 members of Congress.

The Big Story

The job market looks healthy on paper, with unemployment near 4%. But hiring remains below pre-pandemic levels.

Researchers who tracked 1.3 million professionals found that more than half experienced a career stall lasting at least five years, while one in four went a decade or longer without a meaningful raise or promotion.

The Two Spins

From the Left

• Low unemployment does not tell the full story if workers are not seeing raises, promotions, or career growth.
• Create more pathways to higher-paying jobs through training, education, and workforce investment.

From the Right

• Low unemployment shows the labor market remains relatively strong, but businesses are being cautious about expanding.
• Create stronger business growth and lower barriers to expansion to encourage hiring and promotion.

What This Means for Us

For many of us, the challenge is no longer finding a job. It’s finding the next step.

Promotions are taking longer, raises are smaller, and switching companies is not creating the same opportunities it did just a few years ago. So we are waiting longer to buy a home, build savings, pay down debt, or reach other financial goals.

How They Make Money

LinkedIn

• LinkedIn has more than 1 billion members, making it one of the world’s largest databases of professional careers, skills, and job histories.
• Microsoft spent $26.2 billion to buy LinkedIn in 2016 because companies will pay billions to find, recruit, and track top talent.

Takeaway

Hiring activity reveals how confident employers feel about the future long before unemployment numbers change.

The Number That Stuck With Me

25%

About one in four mid-career professionals will go five years without a meaningful raise or promotion.

According to the website, Trump Accounts jumpstart the American Dream.

The accounts are designed to build long-term financial security for millions of kids through tax-advantaged investment accounts for U.S. citizens under the age of 18.

The Trump Account program is for eligible children born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028. The accounts will receive $1,000 for those who qualify.

Who Qualifies?

The qualifier isn’t family income, how much parents earn, or whether the family pays a certain amount in taxes.

The requirements are simple:

• Born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028
• Be a U.S. citizen
• Have a valid Social Security number

Why It Matters

If the government contributed $1,000 at birth and a family added just $60 a year ($5 a month), the account could grow to roughly $5,400 by age 18 assuming a 7% annual return.

The idea behind the program is simple: start investing earlier and give compound growth more time to work.

Whether that amount ultimately makes a meaningful difference is something people will debate.

Where to Learn More

The program is still new, and many of the details are continuing to roll out. Families looking for information can find updates, eligibility requirements, and official guidance at TrumpAccounts.gov.

The Big Story

Mortgage rates climbed back above 7% this week after new economic reports showed inflation is still staying higher than expected.

During parts of 2021, many homebuyers locked in rates below 3%. Today, these higher interest rates are making monthly mortgage payments expensive.

The Two Spins

From the Left

• More first-time buyers and middle-income families should have access to affordable mortgages and lower borrowing costs.
• Government-backed loan programs help make homeownership more reachable.

From the Right

• Lending should remain strict so buyers are less likely to take on loans they may struggle to repay later.
• Interest rates need to stay higher longer to help slow inflation and prevent another rapid jump in home prices.

What This Means for Us

Higher mortgage rates do not just affect homebuyers. They also impact homeowners with adjustable-rate mortgages and home equity loans tied to changing rates.

Adjustable-rate loans have become more common in the past year and recently made up roughly 10% of new mortgage applications, meaning those homeowners will see payments rise this year.

How They Make Money

Fannie Mae

• Originally created during the Great Depression in 1938, Fannie Mae now operates as a shareholder-owned company connected to Wall Street and global markets.
• Fannie Mae is a privately owned company that helps keep mortgage money flowing by buying home loans from banks and selling them to investors.

Takeaway

A private company created during the Great Depression still shapes a huge part of today’s U.S. housing market.

The Number That Stuck With Me

$4.3 trillion

Fannie Mae backed around $4.3 trillion in U.S. mortgages last year.

The Big Story

The Department of Justice (DOJ) says the proposed Anti-Weaponization Fund is not new territory.

Officials pointed to the Keepseagle case, a $760 million settlement created after Native American farmers said they faced years of unfair treatment in federal farm loan programs.

Now the debate is shifting to what happens when the settlement funds still have millions left over after claims are paid.

The Two Spins

Weaponization Fund

• This new fund is meant to help people or organizations the DOJ says were financially harmed by unfair government actions, regardless of political affiliation.
• Any unused money left in the fund returns to the federal government.

Keepseagle Case

• This fund was created to compensate Native American farmers and ranchers who were denied fair access to federal farm loans.
• More than $300 million remained unused and was later redirected to Native American nonprofit organizations.

What This Means for Us

Headlines like this shape how we view fairness, accountability, and how much trust we place in our government.

When large funds are created to fix claims of unfair treatment, we all start paying attention to who qualifies, who decides, and whether the process feels fair, even if we are not directly involved ourselves.

How They Make Money

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

• The nonprofit has been involved in major constitutional rights cases connected to school segregation, free speech, and government treatment of citizens, including Brown v. Board of Education and Korematsu v. United States.
• It helps fund lawsuits involving civil rights and government accountability through donations, memberships, grants, and legal advocacy programs.

Takeaway

Big settlements do more than compensate people, they shape future rules, oversight, and our protections.

The Number That Stuck With Me

3,600

More than 3,600 Native American farmers and ranchers reportedly received payments through the Keepseagle settlement.

The Big Story

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a new Anti-Weaponization Fund on Monday.

The fund was created over concerns that federal investigations or government power may have been used unfairly for political reasons.

It’s also adding to a larger debate about whether federal agencies and investigations are applied fairly across political lines.

The Two Spins

From the Left

• Creating the fund could increase public distrust in federal institutions.
• Focus should be on protecting independent investigations and improving transparency inside federal agencies.

From the Right

• Recognizes concerns that federal power has been applied unevenly in recent years.
• Oversight is needed when investigations affect businesses, finances, or reputations.

What This Means for Us

Most of us will never deal directly with the Justice Department. But trust in our country’s systems affects us more than we realize.

When we stop believing rules are applied fairly, it changes how we view courts, elections, banks, police, businesses, and even the news. And once trust starts breaking down, we all become less confident in the systems we live, work, and play freely in.

How They Make Money

American Bar Association

• The nonprofit helps shape legal ethics standards used by lawyers, courts, and businesses, and has weighed in on issues like civil rights, free speech, and voting laws.
• They represents more than 400,000 members and bring in millions through memberships, legal training, certifications, publishing, and attorney conferences.

Takeaway

Entire industries exist to ensure laws, standards, and public systems stay trusted and consistent.

The Number That Stuck With Me

$1.7 billion

The new DOJ Anti-Weaponization Fund is expected to receive about $1.776 billion in federal settlement funding.

The Big Story

America’s birth rate keeps falling.

The U.S. recorded about 4.3 million births in 2007. In 2024, that number was closer to 3.6 million, according to CDC data.

Researchers say rising costs, such as housing and student debt, are a major reason. Infant childcare now exceeds $15,000 a year in many states and sometimes costs more than in-state college tuition.

The Two Spins

From the Left

• The decline in having kids is because childcare, healthcare, housing, and education costs feel too expensive.
• Proposes to make parental leave easier to access, lower daycare costs, and help families afford healthcare.

From the Right

• The decline is more connected to delayed marriage, changing family priorities, and economic uncertainty.
• Proposes bigger tax breaks for families, lower overall taxes, and making it easier for people to afford raising kids.
  

What This Means for Us

Birth rates affect almost everything around us.

Fewer children today eventually means smaller school enrollments, fewer workers paying into Social Security, labor shortages, and more pressure supporting older generations later.

How They Make Money

KinderCare Learning Companies

• Operates more than 1,500 childcare centers across the U.S., turning daycare and early education into a multibillion-dollar business tied directly to working families.
• Full-time infant care can cost families more than $20,000 a year depending on the city, making childcare one of the biggest expenses tied to raising kids.

Takeaway

For many families, childcare now feels like a second rent payment.

The Number That Stuck With Me

27

The average first-time mom in America was about 21 years old in the 1970s. Today, it’s closer to 27.

The Big Story

President Trump arrived in China yesterday as the U.S. and China continue navigating a trade relationship that affects the world.

The trade fight began in 2018 when the U.S. placed tariffs on Chinese goods, pointing to examples like China charging 25% tariffs on many American cars while the U.S. charged 2.5%.

The Two Spins

From the Left

• Views China as a major economic partner and competitor, so cooperation is necessary.
• A more stable relationship protects American industries and avoids economic and supply disruptions.

From the Right

• Views China as America’s biggest economic competitor and that the U.S. became too dependent on Chinese manufacturing.
• Reducing reliance on China increases U.S. manufacturing and pushes for more balanced trade terms.

What This Means for Us

A lot of the stuff we buy every day still passes through China at some point.

So when trade tensions happen, companies raise prices, move factories, or delay shipments, which affects everything from phones to appliances to car parts.

How They Make Money

Apple

• Apple sells more than 220 million iPhones a year, and a large share of the phones are still assembled in China.
• In 2025, Apple announced a $500 billion U.S. investment tied to factories, chips, and manufacturing.

Takeaway

Global politics directly affect how everyday products are built and priced.

The Number That Stuck With Me

$190 billion

U.S. factory construction nearly doubled, rising from about $90 billion in 2022 to nearly $190 billion in 2023.

There are now more homes in America with pets than homes with kids under 18.

That means that 7 out of 10 households have a pet, and that number continues to rise.

Beyond dogs and cats, millions of people own reptiles, rabbits, birds, guinea pigs, turtles, snakes, ferrets, and even hedgehogs. We are spending more than ever on pet food, daycare, grooming, vets, toys, treats, and even pet insurance.

Young adults are waiting to have kids and spend their money on pets, trips, experiences, and lifestyles that give them freedom and flexibility instead.

Why Pets Matter So Much

Research keeps showing that animals genuinely make us feel better.

Dogs get us walking outside. Cats help us slow down and relax. Even simple things like watching fish swim in a tank have been linked to lower stress levels.

And the relationship Americans have with pets is changing fast.

People are throwing birthday parties for dogs, buying holiday outfits for cats, scheduling pet daycare, and planning trips around boarding availability.

Pets are no longer just animals living in the house. They are part of the family.

The Numbers That Stuck With Me

• Americans spent $152 billion on pets in 2024, that’s more than the GDP of some entire countries.
• Pet insurance has become one of the fastest-growing parts of the industry, with more than 6 million insured pets in North America.
• Americans buy around 10 billion pounds of pet food every year.
• About 1 in 5 Americans say they have skipped travel or changed plans because of pet care responsibilities.
• More than 11 million U.S. households own freshwater fish, making fish one of the country’s most common pets.
• Roughly 6 million U.S. households own birds, while millions more own reptiles, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, and other small animals.