Good morning. Your brain plateaus at a surprising age, turkeys cost 25% more, and Congress questions car safety — here's what the data actually reveals today.

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The traditional Thanksgiving meal will cost American families approximately $107 in 2025, a 9% increase from last year's $98.37, according to Department of Agriculture and Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Turkey prices drive the increase after bird flu hit U.S. poultry in September. Wholesale costs jumped 70% to $19 for a 12-pound bird, while supermarkets charge around $25, roughly 25% more than 2024.

Vegetable side dishes rose over 10% year-over-year, with mashed potatoes seeing steep increases from butter and garlic costs. Food inflation averaged more than 3% over the past twelve months across grocery categories. Nine meal deals here.

Senate Republicans will question vehicle safety mandates at a January 14 hearing, targeting requirements like automatic emergency braking and rear-seat reminders. Committee Chair Ted Cruz cited affordability as new vehicles average $50,000, up from $38,000 pre-pandemic (WSJ).

The hearing examines whether safety technology unnecessarily increases costs. Automakers argue some mandates, including automatic braking required by 2029, may be impractical. Safety advocates counter that regulations help prevent deaths among approximately 40,000 annual road fatalities.

The hearing precedes reauthorization of a $300 billion highway bill funding the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Republicans plan arguing major safety advances occurred between 1960s-1980s with diminishing benefits since. Motor vehicle fatality trends.

Ukraine agreed to core terms of a Trump administration peace proposal, U.S. officials confirmed Tuesday. Defense Secretary Rustem Umerov said delegations reached understanding on terms discussed in Geneva, though details remain unresolved.

U.S., Ukrainian, and European delegations met in Geneva over the weekend discussing a 28-point plan proposed last week. The proposal faced criticism as too favorable to Russia, though officials say it continues evolving. Points unrelated to Ukraine were removed from recent drafts.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky plans to visit the United States in November to finalize the agreement. U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll met with Russian officials this week in the United Arab Emirates as negotiations continue. Key issues remain unresolved.

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New Cambridge research reveals your brain only increases efficiency until age 32—then it plateaus, not declines.

The Five Brain Epochs:

"Most mental health disorders are diagnosed during this second era," says lead researcher Alexa Mousley about the 9-32 phase.

The implication: Your cognitive architecture remains remarkably stable through your 30s, 40s, 50s, and early 60s—peak performance isn't fleeting.

Read article.

Morning alcohol delays misery, not cures it, and sleeping off hangovers is impossible because alcohol disrupts your sleep cycle even after eight hours. Pain relievers before bed damage your liver and stomach lining. Water between drinks helps, but chugging water before bed won't save you. Greasy food just wrecks your stomach further. The only real cure: time and drinking less. In defense of drinking more often.

Read article.

▲ Thanksgiving travel disrupted by blizzard conditions, flooding rain and fog affecting millions across Great Lakes and Northeast.

▲ Robinhood CEO makes exotic investments mainstream as options and crypto generate 78% of transaction revenue.

▲ Campbell's defends real chicken ingredients after executive allegedly called soups "highly processed" food for "poor people."

▲ Speaker Johnson warns White House most House Republicans oppose extending expiring ACA subsidies affecting 20 million people.

▲ Deutsche Bank raises 2026 gold forecast to $4,450 per ounce from $4,000 citing central bank demand.

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