Society
One year after the Los Angeles wildfires, residents still face many challenges.
A year after the Los Angeles wildfires, the air quality remains a concern for residents, adding to the ongoing challenges of rebuilding their lives.
At the start of 2026, Hollywood box office news was good.
2025 was tough, with the North American box office only reaching $8.9 billion. Even though it was up 2% from the year before, it was still 20% lower than pre-pandemic levels. Fewer people went to the movies too, dropping from 800 million to 780 million. The slight increase in box office was only because ticket prices went up. However, since the start of 2026, Avatar: Fire and Ash has been number one at the box office for three weeks straight, giving Hollywood a ray of hope. Everyone is hoping this year will be the best box office year in a decade, as many popular movie sequels are set to release, which could boost the market.
An analysis of consumer behavior and economic impact during the U.S. holiday shopping season.
In the 2025 holiday shopping season, sales in the US rose by 3.9%. People were more keen on affordable and discounted items. This led to a noticeable increase in customers at budget-friendly stores like second-hand shops. Luxury goods, on the other hand, didn't sell as well.Even though lower and middle-income groups spent less and felt less optimistic, the overall shopping season helped push the third-quarter economic growth to an annualized 4.3%. This contributed positively to the stability of the US economy.
Will nearly 20 states in the US raise the minimum wage in 2026?
Starting in 2026, roughly 20 U.S. states will raise their minimum wage, a move that will benefit millions of workers. This comes as the federal minimum wage, unchanged since 2009 at $7.25 an hour, has lost over 30% of its buying power due to inflation.
Hong Kong’s Deadly Fire Kills 94: Multiple Failures Cited
At 2:51 p.m. on November 26, 2025, a Level 5 fire erupted at Hung Fuk Court, a residential complex in Tai Po, New Territories. Built in 1983, the estate comprises 8 high-rises (31 floors each) and was undergoing external wall renovations when the blaze broke out. As of November 28, Hong Kong’s Fire Services Department confirmed 94 deaths—including one firefighter—and 78 injuries, with 7 buildings damaged. It marks the deadliest residential fire in Hong Kong in nearly 60 years.
Hong Kong's Tai Po Hung Fuk Court Five-Alarm Fire Kills 94, Search and Rescue Nearly Complete
On the afternoon of November 26, 2025, a five-alarm fire broke out at Hung Fuk Court, a public housing estate in Tai Po District, New Territories, Hong Kong. The blaze rapidly spread across seven residential buildings via illegally used flammable exterior materials, resulting in heavy casualties and marking one of Hong Kong's deadliest fire safety disasters in recent years.
Trump Admin Proposes Offshore Drilling in Decades-Banned CA, FL Waters
The Trump administration has unveiled a five-year offshore drilling plan to open federally controlled waters off the entire California coast and eastern Gulf of Mexico near Florida—areas closed to new drilling for decades—to oil extraction. The move has sparked bipartisan opposition and environmental concerns in both states.
Trump Administration Rolls Back Biden-Era Endangered Species Protections, Reviving First-Term Rules Amid Backlash
By late November 2025, the Trump administration rolled back Biden-era safeguards for endangered species and their habitats, reviving its first-term rules: prioritizing economic factors in conservation decisions and axing the “blanket protection” policy (which extended endangered-species safeguards to “threatened” species). The move has split environmental groups and industry stakeholders.
US Thanksgiving Travel Surge Hits Record High: 81.8 Million Travelers Embark on Cross-City Journeys
Thanksgiving, celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November each year, is America’s most cherished holiday for family reunions. As the 2025 Thanksgiving (November 27) approaches, the U.S. is witnessing its busiest travel season in history. New forecasts from Airlines for America (A4A) and the American Automobile Association (AAA) show that between November 21 and December 1, 81.8 million people will travel across the country, putting immense pressure on both air and road transportation systems. Compounded by extreme weather, the travel experience is fraught with heightened challenges.