Layoffs, War, Buffett Selling... Totally Fine Right?

The Labor Department dropped a little Friday surprise: 92,000 jobs gone.

Apparently the labor market is “unexpectedly” struggling… which will be news to anyone who hasn’t opened LinkedIn lately. The “Open To Work” badge is starting to look like the platform’s most popular feature.

Meanwhile in peak 2026 America, McDonald’s confirmed horse and carts can now use the drive-thru after a Wyoming rancher was turned away.

Welcome to this week in America.

Politics & Policy:

Texas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett had a meltdown this week, accusing Republicans of cheating after Democrats lost a Texas race. Apparently the rule is simple: when Democrats lose it’s fraud, when Republicans question results it’s a conspiracy theory. Double standard number 4,981.

Meanwhile, Congressman Dan Crenshaw just got a reminder that primaries still matter. The Texas Republican was ousted by state legislator Steve Toth after years of clashes with MAGA Republicans. Senator Ted Cruz, who backed Toth last week, quietly gets the last laugh.

And on Capitol Hill, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz had a rough hearing. Pressed by Congresswoman Nancy Mace over autism spending jumping from under $1M in 2017 to $343M in 2024, Walz struggled to explain the numbers. Mace opened with a question that keeps stumping Washington: “What is a woman?”

Not exactly the performance you want when defending hundreds of millions in taxpayer spending.

Markets & Money:

China quietly lowered its growth target to 4.5%–5%, the weakest expansion goal since 1991. Officials blame “challenges at home and abroad,” which is diplomatic language for slowing demand, a shaky property market, and declining exports. When China slows, global markets usually feel it.

Meanwhile in California, Alameda County is auctioning off 250+ properties starting at just $455. Sounds like a steal until you realize many of them sit in some of Oakland’s roughest neighborhoods. Bargain real estate… if you’re comfortable with the surroundings.

In Omaha, Berkshire Hathaway resumed stock buybacks, and new CEO Greg Abel personally bought $15 million worth of shares — roughly his after-tax annual salary. When executives write checks that big, they usually think the stock is cheap.

And war with Iran is already hitting the global travel economy. More than 20,000 flights have been grounded, stranding over a million travelers worldwide. With travel representing an $11.7 trillion industry, disruptions like this can ripple far beyond airports.

Business & Culture:

President Trump hosted the biggest names in tech at the White House this week as Google, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, OpenAI, Oracle, and xAI backed a new “Ratepayer Protection Pledge.” The agreement commits AI companies to covering the massive electricity costs needed for new data centers instead of passing the bill to taxpayers. If AI is going to devour power, Americans aren’t paying for it.

Meanwhile, the restaurant industry keeps tightening its belt. Papa John’s plans to close 200 locations this year and another 100 by 2027, while cutting about 7% of its corporate staff as sales slow and costs climb.

Over at McDonald’s, CEO Chris Kempczinski posted a promo video trying the new Big Arch Burger — and the internet immediately noticed him taking what looked like the tiniest bite imaginable before appearing to grimace. Not exactly the ringing endorsement marketing teams dream about. Now the whole thing has spiraled into a social media burger war, with other fast-food CEOs posting their own taste-test videos and trying to out-bite each other on camera. Apparently in 2026, corporate competition isn’t just about sales anymore… it’s about who can take the biggest bite.

Retail giant Target is also having a rough run. The company just posted another disappointing holiday season, marking 11 straight quarters of weak or negative sales as shoppers increasingly choose Walmart and Amazon instead.

And even on Wall Street, strong profits don’t protect jobs. Morgan Stanley is cutting about 2,500 employees, roughly 3% of its workforce, despite reporting record revenue in 2025. Another reminder that in corporate America, a “banner year” doesn’t always mean job security.

Winners:

Government DOGE:
Federal government employment has reportedly shrunk about 12% since late 2024, mostly in what officials call “administrative staff.” For many taxpayers, fewer bureaucrats on the payroll sounds like a welcome development.

United Airlines:
United now requires passengers to wear headphones for music or videos during flights. Anyone blasting audio through their phone speakers could face penalties — even a ban. Frequent flyers everywhere just breathed a sigh of relief.

Losers:

Trump’s Approval Rating:
President Trump’s approval numbers took a hit this week as the Iran conflict ignited fierce political debate just months before the midterms. With Democrats eager to capitalize and voters watching closely, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Miami Developer:
A judge ordered Two Roads Development to rebuild Miami’s Biscayne 21 condo tower after ruling the firm illegally changed bylaws to push a redevelopment. The problem? They had already started demolishing it. The mistake could cost around $65 million.

America Decides:

Last week we asked whether the American government’s first priority should be protecting American citizens. A stunning 98% of you said yes. Not exactly a controversial take for most normal people, which raises the obvious question… who exactly are the 2% — and are they all currently holding office in Washington?

This Week

The U.S. strike on Iran has ignited one of the biggest global debates in years. Was it a necessary move to stop a dangerous regime — or the opening shot of another Middle East conflict Americans are tired of paying for?

Either way, the world changed.

So we want to know where you stand.

The “Make Common Sense Great Again” Hat is flying off the shelves — Turns out a lot of Americans think common sense has gone missing lately.

👉 Grab yours here before they’re gone

For years the left claimed to stand for freedom, women’s rights, and fighting dictators.

Now many of the same voices are defending one of the most oppressive regimes on Earth.

Watch this.

A federal judge just ruled that Allstate must face a lawsuit accusing the company of secretly tracking drivers through their cellphones. The lawsuit claims Allstate collected detailed data including location, speed, braking, acceleration, and even phone usage — all without drivers’ consent.

According to the complaint, the data may have been used to raise premiums, deny coverage, and sell information to other insurers. Drivers say they had no idea their phone could effectively double as an insurance surveillance device.

Translation: Your insurance company might not just insure your driving… it might be watching it too.

A record number of Americans are dipping into their 401(k) retirement savings just to stay afloat. According to Vanguard, 6% of plan participants made hardship withdrawals in 2025, up from 4.8% the year before and nearly three times the pre-pandemic average of 2%.

Financial firms say these withdrawals usually happen when people face emergency expenses or unexpected bills. But the trend also paints a bigger picture: many Americans are now treating retirement savings as their last financial safety net.

Translation: When people start spending tomorrow’s retirement money to survive today, something in the economy isn’t working.

Legendary investor Warren Buffett is stepping down, but his final moves at Berkshire Hathaway may be sending a pretty loud signal. Over the past several quarters, Buffett and his team have sold far more stocks than they’ve bought, leaving Berkshire sitting on a massive $373 billion cash pile after 13 straight quarters of net selling.

Analysts say that kind of cash build usually means one thing: the “Oracle of Omaha” isn’t seeing many bargains in today’s market.

Translation: When the greatest investor of all time starts selling stocks and hoarding cash, it might be worth paying attention.

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Chevron is sounding the alarm over California Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposed “cap-and-invest” regulations, warning the policy could cripple the state’s remaining refineries. The company says the rules could wipe out more than 500,000 jobs, push fuel prices up by more than $1 per gallon, and drive the industry out of California entirely.

Chevron’s president says the regulations would make it nearly impossible for refineries to survive — threatening jobs, fuel supply, and even national energy security.

Translation: As if gas wasn’t already expensive enough in California, Sacramento may have found a way to make it worse.

A new grocery price report found that Walmart still beats most stores on price, with only six chains consistently coming in cheaper — including Costco, BJ’s, Aldi, Lidl, WinCo, and Texas favorite H-E-B.

The surprise? Trader Joe’s, often marketed as a budget-friendly option, actually ranked among the more expensive places to shop.

And in news that shocked absolutely no one, Whole Foods — aka “Whole Paycheck” — ranked by far the most expensive grocery store.

Translation: If your grocery bill feels painful… you might just be shopping at the wrong store.

“Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary had a blunt message for Gen Z job seekers this week after hearing about a growing trend: candidates bringing their parents into job interviews, sometimes even joining them on Zoom calls.

O’Leary says independence matters in hiring, and when a parent shows up, it immediately raises questions about whether the candidate can stand on their own.

His response? “Do you want me to hire your mother or you?”

Translation: If your mom is helping you with the interview, you probably aren’t getting the job.

The U.S.–Iran conflict may be happening thousands of miles away, but Americans are already feeling it at home. Gas prices jumped 27 cents in a single week to $3.25 a gallon, oil pushed above $80, mortgage rates climbed back over 6.1%, and stocks took a hit as markets reacted to the uncertainty.

Economists say war tends to drive energy prices higher and shake financial markets, which eventually filters down to everyday consumers.

Translation: Wars may be fought overseas… but the bill always shows up at the gas pump.

A new Realtor analysis ranked the 10 most expensive ZIP codes in America, and surprise — California dominates the list. The entry price to even make the top 10 now starts at around $5.5 million, with places like Newport Coast, Fisher Island, and Beverly Hills topping the charts.

Luxury homes in these neighborhoods routinely list for $10 million or more, with massive square footage and ocean or mountain views to match.

Translation: In some ZIP codes, the “starter home” now costs about the same as a private jet.

A new report from the Environmental Working Group analyzed nearly 50 fruits and vegetables and found that several popular “healthy” foods carry high levels of pesticide residue. The group’s 2025 “Dirty Dozen” list puts spinach at the top, with many samples containing chemicals like permethrin and even traces of DDT.

Other foods high on the list include strawberries, kale, grapes, and peaches, with studies showing people who eat them regularly often have higher pesticide levels in their system.

Translation: Eating healthy is great… but it might also be worth washing your produce a little more carefully.

NASA just pushed back its Artemis moon landing timeline yet again, announcing that the long-promised return to the lunar surface will no longer happen in 2027 as previously planned.

The agency says the new strategy will involve more flights and “incremental progress.” Space fans, however, are starting to lose patience after years of delays.

Translation: At this rate, we might see another moon landing right after flying cars arrive.

You do not have to blindly follow party lines on this one.

War is serious. People should feel conflicted about it. It is completely normal to hate the idea of more violence, more instability, and more American involvement overseas. It is also completely normal to look at the Iranian people, the oppression they’ve lived under, the treatment of women, the brutality of that regime, and say enough is enough. Both of those reactions can exist at the same time. That does not make you confused. It makes you human.

What feels especially strange right now is how many people seem to think they are required to download whatever opinion their political tribe handed them that morning. Since when did so many Americans stop thinking for themselves? You do not have to clap because your side told you to clap. You also do not have to condemn something just because the “other team” supported it. We have become way too conditioned to treat every major world event like it is just another team sport.

It is also fair to ask hard questions. If this was really about confronting an evil regime, why does it always seem to become America carrying the weight while the rest of the world watches from a safe distance? Why could there not be a broader global coalition, a real moral front, where the civilized world stands together against violent dictatorships instead of turning everything into another America-versus-everyone spectacle? Those are not unreasonable questions. They are the kinds of questions serious people should be asking.

And yes, it is fair to notice the hypocrisy too. For years we were told that liberation matters, women’s rights matter, oppressive regimes must be challenged, and “no kings” was the rallying cry. But when the regime in question is actually brutal, anti-woman, and openly authoritarian, suddenly some of the loudest people go quiet, or worse, start sounding suspiciously sympathetic to the dictators. That is worth noticing. That is worth calling out.

At the same time, it is also perfectly reasonable to say America has enough fires to put out at home. Families are stretched. Prices are high. The job market feels shaky. Retirement accounts are being raided just to pay bills. A lot of Americans are looking around and saying maybe we should fix this house before trying to police the neighborhood. That is not ignorance. That is a valid position too.

The point is simple: you do not have to pick a lazy, prepackaged opinion just because it matches the color of your jersey. This is one of those moments that demands actual thought. It is okay to wrestle with it. It is okay to be torn. It is okay to support the Iranian people and still fear another endless war. It is okay to hate dictators and still question whether America should be the one leading every fight.

Be a citizen, not a sheep. Think critically. Ask uncomfortable questions. And do not let party loyalty do your thinking for you.

What’s your take?

Send us your opinions. Your views. Your pushback. Your agreement.

Hit reply and tell us what we got right — and what we didn’t.

This isn’t cable news. It’s a conversation.