In BriefPosted:1:17 AM PST January 2, 2025Chinese government hackers reportedly targeted US Treasurys sanctions office during December cyberattackChinese government hackers targeted the U.S. Treasurys highly sensitive sanctions office during a December cyberattack, according to reports. According to The Washington Post, the state-sponsored hackers targeted the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), a government department that imposes economic and trade sanctions against countries and individuals, to potentially access information on Chinese organizations that the U.S. government may be considering designating for financial sanctions.The China-backed hacking group, which compromised the U.S. Treasury in December to access employee workstations and unclassified documents, also breached the Treasury Departments Office of Financial Research and the Office of the Treasury Secretary, according to the report.The cyberattack, described as a major cybersecurity incident by the Treasury, was discovered on December 8 when BeyondTrust, a third-party software provider of identity management tools, alerted the agency to a cybersecurity incident.The U.S. Treasury did not immediately respond to TechCrunchs questions.Topics

Wegovy (semaglutide) is a self-injectable prescription weight loss medicine that has helped people ... [+] with obesity. It is to be used in conjunction with an appropriate dietary regimen and increased physical activity. (Photo by: Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesFor those who are overweight or obese, medications known as glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists, or GLP-1s, have become very popular as weight loss treatments. Taken in accordance with instructions on the label and an appropriate diet and exercise regimen, GLP-1s are effective at lowering a persons weight. Given the various co-morbidities associated with obesity, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease, intuitively, it would seem that GLP-1 use for weight loss would reduce overall medical costs despite the increase in drug spending. But thus far, the data dont show this.The pharmacy benefit manager Prime Therapeutics released a study in October stating that findings indicate in the real world that individuals taking GLP-1 therapies without diabetes [over a two year period] will see no medical cost offset. Analysis of health insurance claims showed that the treatments did not lower other medical costs. Overall, average healthcare costs increased 46% over two years for patients trying GLP-1 drugs for obesity, from $12,695 to $18,507.The Congressional Budget Office states that there does not appear to be any direct empirical evidence pointing to a medical cost offset. This also includes accounting for the positive impact of GLP-1s on heart disease. Data from a large, randomized clinical trial named SELECT indicate cardiovascular protective benefits from taking the GLP-1 weight loss therapeutic Wegovy (semaglutide) for a sub-population with preexisting cardiovascular disease. The Food and Drug Administration added a cardiovascular indication to Wegovy in March 2024.In the trial, Wegovy decreased relative risk by 20% of a composite primary endpoint measure which included death from cardiovascular causes, non-fatal myocardial infarction and non-fatal stroke. But the data didnt show Wegovy lowered the risk of cardiovascular death by a statistically significant margin. Further, the absolute risk reduction is small, which translates into a comparatively high number needed to treat of 67. This means that 67 people with (severe) cardiovascular risk need to be on Wegovy consistently to avoid one cardiovascular event, for example, a heart attack.A peer-reviewed study published this past autumn estimated that about 4.7 million U.S. adults would meet SELECT trial eligibility criteria. Applying a lifetime horizon model, which simulates all relevant costs and health outcomes over patients lifetimes, researchers projected that semaglutide-based products would avert 538,000 major cardiovascular events at an incremental cost of $613 billion. They then calculated an incremental cost effectiveness ratio for semaglutide (costing $700 per month per person) of $443,000 per quality-adjusted life year gained. Generally in the U.S., healthcare technologies and services are considered cost-effective if theyre below $150,000 per QALY. And so, semaglutide does not meet this criterion at its current price.MORE FOR YOUUp to 20% of (specialty) drugs can be cost-saving, that is, for each dollar spent payers can actually save money over a given period of time in terms of lower downstream costs. But the majority of prescription drugs are not cost-saving. In other words, they do not offset medical costs. Most of the time, more money is spent to get additional benefits relative to standards of care. This is what is called value for money. But it is not necessarily the same thing as cost-saving. And in the case of the latest wave of weight loss drugs, right now at their current prices they are not even cost-effective, let alone cost-saving.Perhaps the time frame being considered is the issue. Maybe in the long run, say, after ten years, GLP-1s for weight loss are cost-effective or even cost-saving. Other than modeled projections, since there hasnt been a decade long study examining GLP-1s for obesity, we just dont know yet.But suppose they do prove to be cost-effective or cost-saving in long-term studies. Insurers in the U.S. would still face the problem of churn, or enrollee turn-over, as they migrate from one health plan to another. GLP-1s cost payers money upfront, but with member churn its unlikely a typical insurer will have the same enrollee ten years from now to realize potential cost-effectiveness or savings. A publication notes that one in five members disenrolled from a commercial insurer each year. Furthermore, churn in insurance programs such as Medicaid is much worse.This helps explain why payer coverage restrictions for GLP-1s used for obesity continue to be a hurdle for patients who seek access. According to Beckers Hospital Review, some insurers and self-funded employers across America are dropping coverage altogether or imposing strict limits in 2025, reflecting the financial and operational challenges posed by the high-cost medications.If Medicare were to cover weight loss drugsit currently doesnt, with the exception of Wegovy for a cardiovascular indicationthe program wouldnt be immune to cost issues. Therefore, while the Biden administrations proposed reinterpretation of Medicare Part D coverage of weight loss medications would allow for access to such therapies to approximately 3.4 million Medicare beneficiaries who have obesity, for budgetary reasons its unclear if the incoming Trump administration will go along with it.Further compounding the cost burden issues for insurers is the fact that patients are often non-persistent. In the Prime Therapeutic study cited above, only one in four patients were still on Wegovy or Ozempic two years later. And in a Blue Cross Blue Shield Association white paper posted last summer, the number was even lower, 15%.This doesnt mean GLP-1s arent valuable products. They certainly deliver value to some: The minority of patients who are persistent long enough to achieve clinically meaningful weight loss. But the hype that surrounds them belies the facts that must be included in any thorough analysis.

Apple Watch Series 10.Getty ImagesJan.2 update including details of prices for more models including Apple Watch SE and Watch bands on sale at Nomad. New year, they say, new you. If youve been swayed by the new ad promoting the Apple Watch as a great device to boost your motivation and help keep your new years resolutions, then new sales at Amazon and Best Buy are timely. And if youre looking for something even more affordable, there are also discounts on the entry-level Apple Watch, the SE. And if youre after some really cool Watch bands, Nomad has a sale: more on that below.The prices on Series 10 are cut to the lowest prices yet, matching Black Friday deals. All the prices below relate to the models with GPS, but not cellular connectivity.This means that the $399 entry price for the 42mm sized model and the $429 equivalent for the larger, 46mm version are both cut by $70 each. At Amazon, thats 18% off the smaller model, bringing it down to $329 and 16% off the larger one, meaning its on sale for $359. Its not across all colors or straps, please note.In 42mm size, it applies for the jet black aluminum model with black Sport Band, jet black with ink Sport Loop, rose gold with plum Sport Loop, rose gold with light blush Sport Band and silver with blue Sport Loop. However, if youd rather have the silver case with denim Sport Band, thats $383.28.For the larger, 46mm case, the aluminum options are as follows: silver with denim Sport Band, rose gold with light blush Sport Band, rose gold with plum Sport Loop, jet black with black Sport Band and jet black with ink Sport Loop $359, while the silver case with blue Sport Loop is the outlier at $419.99.MORE FOR YOUApple Watch Series 10 in rose gold finish. AppleSimilar prices can be found at Best Buy right now.Best Buy has the $329 price for three 42mm options here: rose gold aluminum with light blush Sport Band, silver aluminum with denim Sport Band and jet black aluminum with black Sport Band. In 46mm size, you can pay $359 for the same three aluminum Watches.You can find the 42mm aluminum in silver with blue cloud Sport Loop, jet black with ink Sport Loop and rose gold with plum Sport Loop for $329 here. For the 46mm aluminum Watches, there are the same colors and bands here, for $359.Apple Watch SEAnd then theres the bargain-basement Apple Watch, the SE. It usually costs $249 for the smaller case measuring 40mm and $279 for the larger 44mm case. Right now at Amazon, the smaller model costs just $199, thats $50 off, and the larger is from $219, a slightly bigger discount of $60.The $199 price point applies for the 40mm version in midnight with ink Sport Loop, midnight with midnight Sport Band and starlight with M/L starlight Sport Band, while the starlight case with lakegreen Sport Loop is $10 cheaper still at $189, as is the starlight with S/M starlight Sport Band. Some other models have different prices.In the 44mm case size, midngith with midnight Sport Band is $219, midnight with ink Sport Loop, silver with blue cloud Sport Loop, silver with denim Sport Band and starlight with lakegreen Sport Loop are $229. Other prices apply to other colors.Nomad Apple Watch BandsIf youre looking for a Watch Band to go with your new timepiece, Nomads excellent Holiday Hangover Sale is still onthough its likely to finish any time now, so be quick.Nomad, the excellent manufacturer of accessories, bands, cases and more, has knocked 20% off selected items. These include the Sport Band, usually $60, reduced to $48 in the sale. The band feels great, is waterproof and fits every size of Watch. There are plenty of colors to choose from, including black, naval blue, ultra orange, ash green, lunar gray and stone.If you fancy something dressier, the Steel Band comes in silver and graphite and regularly costs $200, which means it drops by $40 to $160 in the sale.Theres also the Rugged Band which looks especially good with the Apple Watch Ultra or Ultra 2, coming as it does with metal connectors (Nomad calls these bits the hardware) in both black and silver. That said, its also available in sizes to fit the other Apple Watch models. Normally $60, the discount knocks $12 off to bring the price to $48. Its tough and solid, though soft to the touch and breathable thanks to the ribbed design. Like the Sport Band its waterproof.To obtain the discount on any of these bands, apply the code HOLIDAY20 at the checkout.The deals highlighted in this post were independently selected by the Contributor and do not contain affiliate links.

In brief: Being faced with a CAPTCHA is about as welcome as opening a Christmas present and finding it's a Humane Ai Pin. But a new variant offers a little more fun than clicking on boxes of specific items, though it's about 10 times more difficult: kill three demons on a secret level of Doom. Completely Automated Public Turing tests to tell Computers and Humans Apart have been frustrating internet users for years. Preventing the likes of account-creating bots, spam, data-scaping, etc., is important, but it's hard to remember that fact when squinting at a squiggled word on the screen, or faced with the dilemma of whether that tiny bit of bicycle handle peeking into a square means you should select it.There are fewer anger-inducing CAPTCHAs these days, such as dragging items to locations and listening to audio clips we also saw a Doom minigame in 2021. Now, there's a new CAPTCHA version of the iconic FPS, which you can try out here. The idea is to kill at least three demons. Good luck with that it took me a lot of attempts before I managed it.As reported by TechCrunch, the latest Doom CAPTCHA is the work of Guillermo Rauch, CEO of Vercel, a frontend-as-a-service product. He used his company's AI site builder to create the program.While it's a fun twist on classic CAPTCHAs, it shouldn't come as a surprise to learn that people have been complaining about the Doom variant's difficulty.The reason why it's so hard is explained by commenter smitelli on Hacker News: this is actually the secret E1M9: Military Base level that players would normally encounter after E1M3. By this point in the game, you would have a shotgun, chaingun, rocket launcher, and probably some armor. So, starting with just a pistol and no protection means this is going to be a challenge, especially as the difficulty level is set to Nightmare. // Related StoriesThere are also questions over just how well this program will work as a CAPTCHA, given that AI bots can be trained to play games like Doom. Still, it's better than clicking on traffic lights.

The two Chinese technology companies had each obtained licenses under requirements for internet- messaging and social-media companies unveiled last year.

CommentFrom Doctor Who and Severance to Apple Cider Vinegar, there are plenty of great sci-fi and science-inflected TV shows coming up this year, says Bethan Ackerley 1 January 2025 Ncuti Gatwa returns formore adventures asthe Fifteenth DoctorJames Pardon/Bad Wolf/BBC StudiosIf you live in a part of the world where January is a hardscrabble month of inclement weather, you might well be tempted to lock yourself away for the rest of the year, fearing the sun will never return. Should you succumb to this awful temptation, there would, at least, be a wealth of brilliant television to fill your days, as some hotly anticipated science fiction and science-focused TV series are arriving in 2025.We dont have to wait too long for sci-fi gold: three years after it first aired on Apple

Artists rendering of the Stratos facility that is due to open in Texas1PointFiveThe worlds largest facility for removing carbon dioxide from the air is set to open in Texas in 2025, increasing the sectors worldwide capacity by a factor of 13.Currently the largest direct air capture (DAC) plant in the world is in Iceland the Mammoth site, built and operated by Swiss firm Climeworks. It opened in May 2024 and can extract up to 36,000 tonnes of CO2 each year from Earths atmosphere.

MIT Technology Reviews Whats Next series looks across industries, trends, and technologies to give you a first look at the future. You can read the rest of them here. It looks as though 2025 will be a solid year for electric vehiclesat least outside the United States, where sales will depend on the incoming administration's policy choices. Globally, these cleaner cars and trucks will continue to eat into the market share of gas-guzzlers as costs decline, consumer options expand, and charging stations proliferate. Despite all the hubbub about an EV slowdown last year, worldwide sales of battery EVs and plug-in hybrids likely hit a record high of nearly 17 million vehicles in 2024 and are expected to rise about 20% this year, according to the market research firm BloombergNEF. In addition, numerous automakers are preparing to deliver a variety of cheaper models to auto showrooms around the world. In turn, both the oil demand and the greenhouse-gas emissions stemming from vehicles on the roads are likely to peak over the next few years. To be sure, the growth rate of EV sales has cooled, as consumers in many regions continue to wait for more affordable options and more convenient charging solutions. It also hasnt helped that a handful of nations, like China, Germany, and New Zealand, have eased back the subsidies that were accelerating the rollout of low-emissions vehicles. And it certainly wont do the sector any favors if President-elect Donald Trump follows through on his campaign pledges to eliminate government support for EVs and erect trade barriers that would raise the cost of producing or purchasing them. Industry experts and climate scientists argue that the opposite should be happening right now. A critical piece of any realistic strategy to keep climate change in check is to fully supplant internal-combustion vehicles by around 2050. Without stricter mandates or more generous support for EVs, the world will not be on track to meet that goal, BloombergNEF finds and others confirm. We have to push the car companiesand we also have to help them with incentives, R&D, and infrastructure, says Gil Tal, director of the EV Research Center at the University of California, Davis. But ultimately, the fate of EV sales will depend on the particular dynamics within specific regions. Heres a closer look at whats likely to steer the sector in the worlds three largest markets: the US, the EU, and China. United States The US EV market will be a mess of contradictions. On the one hand, companies are spending tens of billions of dollars to build or expand battery, EV, and charger manufacturing plants across America. Within the next few years, Honda intends to begin running assembly lines retooled to produce EVs in Ohio, Toyota plans to begin producing electric SUVs at its flagship plant in Kentucky, and GM expectsto begin cranking out its revived Bolts in Kansas, among dozens of other facilities in planning or under construction. All that promises to drive down the cost of cleaner vehicles, boost consumer options, create tens of thousands of jobs, and help US auto manufacturers catch up with overseas rivals that are speeding ahead in EV design, production, and innovation. But its not clear that will necessarily translate into lower consumer prices, and thus greater demand, because Trump has pledged to unravel the key policies currently propelling the sector. His plans are reported to include rolling back the consumer tax credits of up to $7,500 included in President Joe Bidens signature climate bill, the Inflation Reduction Act. He has also threatened to impose stiff tariffs on goods imported from Mexico, China, Canada, and other nations where many vehicles or parts are manufactured. Tal says those policy shifts could more than wipe out any cost reductions brought about as companies scale up production of EV components and vehicles domestically. Tighter trade restrictions could also make it that much harder for foreign companies producing cheaper models to break into the US market. That matters because the single biggest holdup for American consumers is the lofty expense of EVs. The most affordable models still start at around $30,000 in the US, and many electric cars, trucks, and SUVs top $40,000. Theres nothing available in the more affordable options, says Bhuvan Atluri, associate director of research at the MIT Mobility Initiative. And models that were promised are nowhere to be seen. (MIT owns MIT Technology Review.) Indeed, Elon Musk still has yet to deliver on his 18-year-old master plan to produce a mass-market-priced Tesla EV, most recently calling a $25,000 model pointless. As noted, there is a revamped Chevy Bolt on the way for US consumers, as well as a $25,000 Jeep. But the actual price tags wont be clear until these vehicles hit dealerships and the Trump administration translates its campaign rhetoric into policies. European Union The EV story across the Europe Union is likely to be considerably more upbeat in the year to come. Thats because carbon dioxide emissions standards for passenger vehicles are set to tighten, requiring automakers in member countries to reduce climate pollution acrosstheir fleet by 15% from 2021 levels. Under the EUs climate plan, these targets become stricter every five years, with the goal of eliminating emissions from cars and trucks by 2035. Automakers intend to introduce a number of affordable EV models in the coming months, timed deliberately to help the companies meet the new mandates, says Felipe Rodrguez, Europe deputy managing director at the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). Those lower-priced models include Volkwagens ID.2all hatchback ($26,000) and the Fiat Panda EV ($28,500), among others. On average, manufacturers will need to boost the share of battery-electric vehicles from 16% of total sales in 2023 to around 28% in order to meet the goal, according to the ICCT. Some European car companies are raising their prices for combustion vehicles and cutting the price tag on existing EVs to help hit the targets. And predictably, some are also arguing for the European Commission to loosen the rules. Sales trends in any given country will still depend on local conditions and policy decisions. One big question is whether a new set of tax incentives or additional policy changes will help Germany, Europes largest auto market, revive the growth of its EV sector. Sales tanked there last year, after the nation cut off subsidies at the end of 2023. EVs now make up about 25% of new sales across the EU. The ICCT estimates that theyll surpass combustion vehicles EU-wide around 2030, when the emissions rules are set to significantly tighten again. China After decades of strategic investments and targeted policies, China is now the dominant manufacturer of EVs as well as the worlds largest market. Thats not likely to change for the foreseeable future, no matter what trade barriers the US or other countries impose. In October, the European Commission enacted sharply higher tariffs on China-built EVs, arguing that the country has provided unfair market advantages to its domestic companies. That followed the Biden administrations decision last May to impose a 100% tariff on Chinese vehicles, citing unfair trade practices and intellectual-property theft. Chinese officials, for their part, argue that their domestic companies have earned market advantages by producing affordable, high-quality electric vehicles. More than 60% of Chinese EVs are already cheaper than their combustion-engine counterparts, the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates.The realityand what makes this a difficult challengeis that there is some truth in both perspectives, writes Scott Kennedy, trustee chair in Chinese business and economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. These trade barriers have created significant risks for Chinas EV makers, particularly coupled with the countrys sluggish economy, its glut of automotive production capacity, and the fact that most companies in the sector arent profitable. China also cut back subsidies for EVs at the end of 2022, replacing them with a policy that requires manufacturers to achieve fuel economy targets. But the country has been intentionally diversifying its export markets for years and is well positioned to continue increasing its sales of electric cars and buses in countries across Southeast Asia, Latin America and Europe, says Hui He, China regional director at the ICCT. There are also some indications that China and the EU could soon reach a compromise in their trade dispute. Domestically, China is now looking to rural markets to boost growth for the industry. Officials have created purchase subsidies for residents in the countryside and called for the construction of more charging facilities. By most estimates, China will continue to see solid growth in EV sales, putting nearly 50 million battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles on the countrys roads by the end of this year.

"Wolf Man" (January 17)Julia Garner in "Wolf Man." Universal Director Leigh Whannell follows up his acclaimed remake of "The Invisible Man" in 2020 with another remake of a horror classic.With "Wolf Man," he again teams with Blumhouse to modernize this thriller. Here, Christopher Abbott plays a father attacked by a werewolf who transforms into something horrifying, especially when there's a full moon. "Flight Risk" (January 24)Mark Wahlberg in "Flight Risk." Lionsgate In this thriller set inside a small plane, Michelle Dockery plays an FBI agent who transports Topher Grace, who's playing a mafia informant.Mark Wahlberg portrays the plane's pilot, who turns out to be a hitman hired to take out Grace's character.Mel Gibson directs this movie, which will surely be one of the wackiest thrill rides of the year. "Captain America: Brave New World" (February 14)Harrison Ford and Anthony Mackie in "Captain America: Brave New World." Eli Ad/Marvel Studios Anthony Mackie returns as Sam Wilson, the latest Captain America.Wilson must uncover the mastermind behind an incident that follows the election of President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford)."Paddington in Peru" (February 14)Paddington heads back to the homeland in "Paddington in Peru." Sony In the latest installment of the popular franchise, the beloved Paddington Bear (voiced by Ben Whishaw) returns to his native Peru with the Brown family in tow to check in on his Aunt Lucy. "Sinners" (March 7)Michael B. Jordan in "Sinners." Warner Bros. Writer-director Ryan Coogler took a break from the "Black Panther" franchise to make this horror movie.It stars Michael B. Jordan as twin brothers who, after a tough stretch, return to their hometown for a restart only to encounter a great evil.Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O'Connell, and Delroy Lindo also star. "Snow White" (March 21)Rachel Ziegler stars in "Snow White." Disney This is the latest live-action remake of a beloved Disney animated movie.Rachel Ziegler plays Snow White, while Gal Gadot is cast as the evil Queen. "A Minecraft Movie" (April 4)Jason Momoa in "A Minecraft Movie." Warner Bros. Jack Black, Jason Momoa, and Danielle Brooks star in this big-screen take on the popular video game Minecraft.Expect a lot of zany comedy, as "Napoleon Dynamite" director Jared Hess is at the helm. "Mickey 17" (April 18)Robert Pattinson in "Mickey 17." Warner Bros. Six years after his acclaimed movie "Parasite" became the first non-English-language movie to win the best picture Academy Award, director Bong Joon-ho finally gives us his next movie and he's going in a different direction.In this sci-fi black comedy, Robert Pattinson plays an "expendable," a disposable employee who sets out on extremely dangerous tasks that always result in his death. Afterward, his body always regenerates, leading to an unusual situation when one of his iterations survives. "Thunderbolts*" (May 2)(L-R) Sebastian Stan, Hannah John-Kamen, Florence Pugh, Wyatt Russell, and David Harbour in "Thunderbolts*." Marvel Studios Kicking off the 2025 summer movie season is this Marvel movie that focuses on the anti-heroes of the MCU. It includes Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), and Red Guardian (David Harbour). "Lilo & Stitch" (May 23)Dean Fleischer Camp's "Lilo & Stitch." Disney We will get two live-action Disney remakes in 2025.Here, Dean Fleischer Camp, the director of "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On," will update the beloved 2002 animated movie.Chris Sanders, who directed that movie, will voice Stitch as he's done since 1985 when the character was originated . Zach Galifianakis, Bill Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Courtney B. Vance, and Hannah Waddingham also star. "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning" (May 23)Tom Cruise in "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning." Paramount Pictures Marking the eighth installment in the "M:I" franchise and the direct sequel to 2023's "Dead Reckoning" (that's the one where Tom Cruise drove his motorcycle off a cliff), get ready for a thrilling end to this latest chapter that's certain to be full of dazzling stunts. "Ballerina" (June 6)Ana de Armas in "Ballerina." Lionsgate Ana de Armas stars as Eve Macarro, a ballerina turned assassin.The movie is set between chapters 3 and 4 in the "John Wick" franchise. "Elio" (June 13)Pixar's "Elio." Pixar In the latest movie from Pixar, we follow Elio, a young boy who accidentally becomes Earth's ambassador when aliens from the Communiverse make contact.Now, Elio must form bonds with lifeforms across the galaxy to fix a major intergalactic crisis. "28 Years Later" (June 20)The zombies return in "28 Years Later." Sony In the latest movie in the zombie franchise, original director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland return.Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ralph Fiennes, Jack O'Connell, and Cillian Murphy returns are starring this time. "F1" (June 27)Brad Pitt and Damson Idris during the filming of "F1." Dan Mullan/Getty Images In this sports drama from "Top Gun: Maverick" director Joseph Kosinski, Brad Pitt plays a popular Formula 1 driver from the 1990s who was forced to retire after a horrific crash.Now, an old friend (Javier Bardem) convinces him to come out of retirement and join his team to mentor a rookie (Damson Idris)."M3GAN 2.0" (June 27)M3GAN is back. Universal Pictures When the summer hits, Blumhouse is blessing us with the sequel to its hit 2022 horror movie. Allison Williams returns to battle M3GAN, presumably AI, after her doll form was destroyed at the end of the first movie. "Jurassic World Rebirth" (July 2)Scarlett Johansson in "Jurassic World Rebirth." Universal Hollywood and moviegoers seemingly can't get enough of the "Jurassic" franchise.Three years after closing out the "Jurassic World" trilogy, we now fast-forward five years later after the events of "Dominion" to follow a covert operations expert, played by Scarlett Johansson. She leads a team to secure genetic material from three massive dinosaurs that will bring life-saving benefits to mankind.Gareth Edwards ("Rogue One," "The Creator") is directing the movie, which also stars Mahershala Ali. "Superman" (July 11)David Corenswet is the new Superman. Warner Bros. We all have July 11 circled to catch a glimpse of James Gunn's anticipated take on the Man of Steel.It will star David Corenswet as Superman/Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. Untitled "I Know What You Did Last Summer" sequel (July 18)Madelyn Cline. Jeff Hahne/Getty Images for Netflix Despite not having an official title yet, we have a good idea there will be a lot of slashing in the fourth movie in this horror franchise, created in the late 1990s.Madelyn Cline ("Outer Banks," "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery") stars along with Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt, who both appeared in the first two movies. "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" (July 25)"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" cast (L-R) Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Pedro Pascal, and Vanessa Kirby. Gilbert Flores / Variety via Getty Images The latest reboot of the beloved superhero team is set in a 1960s retro-futuristic Earth where they take on Galactus and Silver Surfer.Pedro Pascal plays Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby is Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn plays Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach is Ben Grimm/The Thing. "The Bad Guys 2" (August 1)Sam Rockwell voices Mr. Wolf. Universal Pictures The characters from the popular children's book series return for a sequel.Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramon, Richard Ayoade, Zazie Beetz, Alex Borstein, and Lilly Singh all reprise their roles."Freakier Friday" (August 8)(L-R) Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan in "Freakier Friday." Disney Twenty one years after the beloved body swap tale, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, the two return for another freaky tale. "Nobody 2" (August 15)Bob Odenkirk in "Nobody." Universal Bob Odenkirk returns as the unlikely badass.Connie Nielsen, RZA, and Christopher Lloyd return for the sequel, complete with new characters played by Sharon Stone and Colin Hanks. "The Bride!" (September 26)Maggie Gyllenhaal. Marc Piasecki/Getty Images for Netflix Maggie Gyllenhaal writes, directs, and produces this remake of the 1935 classic "Bride of Frankenstein."Jessie Buckley ("The Lost Daughter") will play Frankenstein's bride with Christian Bale portraying Frankenstein's monster.The movie is a family affair as Gyllenhaal's husband, Peter Sarsgaard, and her brother, Jake, will star. Penlope Cruz, Annette Bening, and Julianne Hough also star. "Michael" (October 3)Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in "Michael." Lionsgate Director Antoine Fuqua takes on the complex life and legacy of Michael Jackson.Jaafar Jackson, the nephew of Michael, is playing the late King of Pop. Colman Domingo and Nia Long also star as Michael's parents."The Black Phone 2" (October 17)Ethan Hawke in "The Black Phone." Universal Ethan Hawke returns as The Grabber in the sequel to Scott Derrickson's spooky 2021 horror from Blumhouse. "The Running Man" (November 7)Will Glen Powell get Brisket a cameo? Presley Ann/Getty Images This marks the second adaptation of the Stephen King novel; the first famously starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1987.In this version, directed by Edgar Wright, Glen Powell stars as Ben Richards, the latest contestant in the deadly game show where you literally have to run from hunters to win your freedom.Josh Brolin, Lee Pace, Michael Cera, and William H. Macy also star. "Wicked: Part Two" (November 21)Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in "Wicked." Universal Pictures We return to the Land of Oz for the thrilling conclusion of the box-office hit musical.Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande return to once more play the leads. "Zootopia 2" (November 26)Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde are ready for another case. Walt Disney Animation Studios After the original was released in 2016 and grossed over $1 billion at the worldwide box office, you knew it was only a matter of time before Disney hit us with a sequel. Eight years later, it's finally here.Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) return to use their detective skills to crack the latest big case in Zootopia."Five Nights at Freddy's 2" (December 5)Foxy, Chica, Freddy Fazbear, and Bonnie in "Five Nights at Freddy's." Patti Perret/Universal Pictures Following the surprising 2023 box-office success of the big-screen adaptation of the popular video game series, Blumhouse gives us a sequel. "Avatar: Fire and Ash" (December 19)Jake Sully in "Avatar: The Way of Water." Disney We once again return to Na'vi and catch up with Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his family following the events of 2022's "Avatar: The Way of Water." "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery" (TBD)Daniel Craig on the set of "Wake Up Dead Man." Netflix We cannot wait for Daniel Craig to play detective Benoit Blanc again for Rian Johnson's latest chapter in his whodunit franchise.Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Josh O'Connor, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Thomas Haden Church, Cailee Spaeny, and Andrew Scott star this time.Though Netflix has not shared a release date yet, if the previous films are any hint, it will likely come out around Thanksgiving 2025.

It's generally a rare thing for the person you're interviewing to burst out laughing. But that's what happened to me, recently, on a call with Ernie Tedeschi, the director of economics at the Yale Budget Lab who in March wrapped up a three-year stint on the White House Council of Economic Advisers. The question that evidently tickled Tedeschi: Was the "vibecession" fake? The vibes around the economy as in, the way consumers and businesses say they feel about it have been changing lately, and not because the economy itself is markedly different from how it was in the recent past. Inflation is down from its peak, but it's up a bit from where it was earlier this year. The labor market is still strong, and consumer spending is still solid.Despite the relatively steady environment, people are feeling a whole lot more enthusiastic. In November, small-business sentiment reached its highest level since June 2021, surveys for the National Federation of Independent Business' optimism index found. The number of business owners who said they expected the economy to improve and thought it's a good time to expand increased significantly. Corporate executives' expectations soared for the fourth quarter, the Business Roundtable's economic-outlook survey found. CEO forecasts for hiring, capital investment, and sales improved.Consumer sentiment has been on the upward slope for multiple months, surveys from the University of Michigan found, and it is continuing that trend heading into the end of the year. Underneath the top-line number, however, there's been a significant partisan shift. Republicans' expectations around the economy improved in December, while Democrats' got worse. It's part of a trend in economic sentiment: People feel a lot better about the economy and their prospects when the political party they support is in charge. So I wanted to know, was Americans' deep sense of economic pessimism over the past year and the recent turnaround just a politically driven mirage?After the embarrassing-for-me chuckle, Tedeschi responded. "The short answer is no. The vibecession was not fake. The long answer is no, but ," he said. Perceptions of the economy have to do with more than the economy itself. That doesn't mean that people were lying or that their answers didn't have some real economic motivation, but there's clearly more to it than the material conditions in front of them it's also about their ideological leanings and how that shapes what they believe is ahead."Perceptions of the economy are definitely deeply partisan," Tedeschi said.When people say the economy feels bad, they can mean a variety of things prices are too high, the news they read is negative, the president is old. Feelings are not facts, including when it comes to GDP. Politics colors a lot of the way businesses and consumers say they see the world around them, including when it comes to money.It's easy to say the shift in sentiment is partisan flag-waving now that Donald Trump is headed to the White House, Republicans are going to say everything's great, and to the Democrats, it's all terrible. But that's not really what's happening, said Joanne Hsu, the director of consumer surveys at the University of Michigan. When people say their expectations are better or worse, it's not simply the outcome of the election they're responding to but the policies they believe are on the horizon."With the election of Trump, people have an idea of how economic policy might change over the next year and over the next four years. So people are expecting tariffs. They're expecting action on immigration," Hsu said. "The thing is that people across the population really disagree on whether or not these policy changes are a good thing or a bad thing for the economy."Democrats are worried that Trump's threatened tariffs and promise to undertake mass-deportation efforts will make things pricier. Republicans, on the other hand, think that these policies will be good for the economy and that Trump will help bring down inflation. Independents, Hsu said, are in the middle.The thing is that people across the population really disagree on whether or not these policy changes are a good thing or a bad thing for the economy.To a large extent, it makes sense that small businesses and corporate executives feel sunnier about the future. The deregulation and tax cuts that are likely to result from a Trump presidency are music to the business community's ears."They're optimistic that policies that they like are going to get enacted over the next four years," Tedeschi said.Businesses don't love the idea of tariffs, but many are hopeful that there are ways they can get around them or that the president-elect isn't so serious about them. Or they just plan to pass along any price increases to consumers anyway. (There may be some amount of denial going on among corporate executives and Wall Street investors, all of whom seem to be ignoring some of the potential downsides of Trump's policy promises and the instability he could represent.)Overall, the response is fairly logical if you think what's to come is good for you, you feel good about it. If you think it's not, the opposite.Over the past couple of years, there have been a lot of efforts to explain the vibecession, the phenomenon where the economy, on paper, looks pretty good but consumers say it's terrible (even though in many cases, they say that they, personally, are doing just fine). No one has come up with a definite answer on what's going on, though high prices even as inflation has cooled are likely a big part of the equation. But the fact of the matter is that people are channeling a lot of things when they evaluate the economy, which is a nebulous concept to many people in the first place.In a particularly polarized political environment like the one we're in right now, a person's red or blue stripes are inevitably going to influence their evaluations. As much as it may be policy-related, it is also partisan, and it's partisanship that's getting worse.Hector Sandoval, the director of the Economic Analysis Program at the University of Florida, released a study in early 2024 looking at the impact of national elections on consumer sentiment and spending intentions. The research found a "significant boost to consumer morale" when a person's affiliated party won a presidential election. It also found that over the decades, the swings had become more pronounced.People are spending as if they are much happier than they are."It actually became more extreme," Sandoval said. In 1992, when Bill Clinton was elected, there was some partisan change, but it's something one might "not really even bother" to note, he said. It happened in 2000 when George W. Bush was elected, but also to a relatively benign degree. "But then, I will say, 2008, 2016, 2020, especially 2016, those are where you are surprised how the gap is just becoming more and more," Sandoval said.Michigan has been consistently asking its survey respondents about their political leanings monthly only since 2017, but Hsu said polarization had become increasingly evident in its data over the past 40 years. The gap was especially pronounced under the first Trump administration, she said.Whether you think the economy is good, bad, or wherever in between, we can all probably agree the way that we measure people's feelings about the economy is a bit broken. It's no longer really possible to say, "XYZ economic data says this, so consumers will feel ABC." It's not clear whether this is a temporary pandemic-driven blip or a permanent shift in how people relate to the economic forces around them. What makes this even more complicated is what consumers say they feel isn't even reflected in what they do. Throughout these past years of turmoil, consumers have said everything is terrible and spent a bunch of money anyway. Many people's bank accounts, especially those in the middle- and upper-income brackets, are fine."People are spending as if they are much happier than they are," Tedeschi said. He added that this disconnect between the vibes and the data meant that when the vibes get better, it might not mean much, tangibly. "Even if consumer sentiment recovers, even if the vibecession goes away, it may mean that there's not much of an upside for the real economy," he said.Economic sentiment is, of course, an economic indicator, but it's also a political indicator. In some respects, it might be a better guide as a poll of political job performance than for how people are actually doing financially. While the vibecession was not fake or some giant mirage, there's more going on beneath the surface. If you're a Republican, you're feeling real good about February. If you're a Democrat, enjoy the last of those good vibes now.Emily Stewart is a senior correspondent at Business Insider, writing about business and the economy.