Comment on Congress Takes on the Credit-Rating Agencies

Here’s a look back on some of the most impactful events of 2024.

Remember the days when you didn’t know what raw milk was (and didn’t need to)? Well, those are over: raw—or unpasteurized—milk has been in the news for months. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, is an ardent supporter of raw milk; at the same time, as H5N1 circulates, some raw milk is being recalled following the detection of bird flu virus in samples.

The weight-loss drug Zepbound (tirzepatide) now has another major benefit: on Dec. 20, it became the first drug approved by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat obstructive sleep apnea. In the trial that Lilly, the drug’s manufacturer, submitted in April to the FDA, scientists reported that the drug helped people who were overweight or obese with sleep apnea reduce a standard measure of restricted breathing by 63%, leading to 30 fewer interrupted sleep events a night on average compared to those given a placebo.

Thanks to the inherently theatrical nature of a legal trial, cinema has had a tight-knit relationship with the courtroom since its early days, utilizing (and sometimes, delightfully exaggerating) judicial fundamentals like a curious suspect, a sardonic attorney, and shouty assertions of “I object!” for stories that thrill, move, and inspire us. We were reminded of the many slick pleasures of this subgenre recently through Clint Eastwood’s elegant and widely acclaimed legal thriller Juror #2, with a stylish premise reminiscent of a Sidney Lumet and Otto Preminger picture.

Colorado’s housing market remained stagnant through November. Although active inventory and overall supply increased during the summer and fall, rising interest rates and prices kept many prospective buyers off the market, according to the November Market Trends Housing Report from the Colorado Association of Realtors. Kelly Moye of Compass said the result is “lackluster sales, flat prices, and sluggish buyer demand.

The U. S. Congress may be playing the Grinch this Christmas. If lawmakers don’t make a last-minute deal, the U. S. government could shut down at 12:01 am on Saturday. That’s left Americans wanting to know how a government shutdown could impact their lives—and their holiday season. A government shutdown kicks in when Congress can’t pass new funding for federal agencies.