Holiday Gifting's Dirty Secret

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Hello, unstoppable explorers of The Core,

Here's one more packed edition before we slip into the holiday mood. Wishing everyone a happy Christmas, Hanukkah, or simply a delightful break filled with good company and good cheer. I can't wait to see you after the festivities!

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Unpacking the day’s core stories for you:

Do you remember having a $25 plastic rectangle burning a hole in your wallet? You're not alone. Americans collectively sit on $27 billion in unspent gift cards from stores they never shop at. Talk about a crazy holiday twist.

Considering we spend $171B on these little plastic vouchers every year—roughly 55% of the average person's holiday gift budget—that's a staggering amount. The biggest retailers aren't complaining: Starbucks reported nearly $212 million in "breakage income" last year, which is basically free money.

Unused gift cards don't just mean missed frappuccinos; they reveal a surprising gifting quirk. These cards can't expire for at least five years, but many never get used after 180 days. Your gift cards should be used ASAP or converted to cash. Otherwise, you might subsidize some company's bottom line without tasting the free latte.

Gossip(ed) Girl

Have you seen the star-studded film It Ends With Us? The real drama unfolded off-camera. Blake Lively reported ongoing harassment from director Justin Baldoni (yes, the self-described "feminist ally") and a producer who often entered her trailer while she was undressed. They allegedly launched a discreet PR campaign to harm her reputation when she confronted them. One crisis consultant bragged, "We can bury anyone." Yikes.

Meanwhile, online buzz suddenly flipped against Lively. Her haircare line sales tanked, tabloids painted her as tricky, and the film's co-conspirators emerged almost squeaky clean. She's now going legal, revealing text messages, digital breadcrumbs, and a "sinister" plan. Lesson learned? Hollywood's plot twists happen after the cameras stop rolling.

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Holiday Heatwave

While the rest of us huddle by the fireplace, NASA's Parker Solar Probe will be racing past the Sun at a jaw-dropping 430,000 mph—close enough (3.8 million miles, to be exact) for a very sweaty Christmas Eve. Seven times closer than any spacecraft before, this marks humanity's closest brush with a star.

If you think that's no big deal, consider Parker's heat shield must endure 1,800°F. Talk about bringing new meaning to "White (Hot) Christmas.” If all goes well, Parker will beam back data on solar winds and the corona—after it stops toasting marshmallows, of course.

Bonus: Watch the Parker Solar Probe's encounter with the Sun live broadcast.

Panama 2.0

Trump's at it again, plotting to take back the Panama Canal, buy Greenland from Denmark (yet again), and treat Canada as America's 51st state. This is the usual Trumpian swagger, provocation, and let' s-make-a-deal bravado. Panama's president declared the canal "not for sale," Canada is calmly reminding the world it won't be joining "Statehood: The Sequel."

Yet, for Trump, a loud ask is often just the opening bid. He's rattling allies on everything from shipping fees to Arctic strategy with threat-laced "jokes" about tariffs. Whether it's real empire building or a "Trump throws spaghetti at the wall" approach to negotiations, one thing's clear: it will be brutal this time. Fasten your seatbelt—he's just warming up.

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🗓️ Flashback:

1814 - The Treaty of Ghent was signed, ending the War of 1812 between the United States, the United Kingdom, and their allies.

1936 - The first radioactive isotope medicine is administered in Berkeley, California.

1943 - General Eisenhower was appointed Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

I'm glad we could get together here. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!

Fatih Taskiran