Sunday, December 7, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1941, Japan launched a surprise strike on Pearl Harbor, killing about 2,400 Americans and pushing the U.S. into World War II. President Franklin D. Roosevelt called it "a date which will live in infamy." Hear Roosevelt's announcement here.

Model trains were once a quaint set-up around the Christmas tree, chugging around metal tracks. But their popularity gave way to remote-control toys and more, as explained in today's "Whatever Happened To.."

If you've ever wondered what happens when pure passion for craft beer meets a bold vision for redefining the brewpub experience, today's sponsor, Westbound & Down Brewing Company, is the story—and the investment opportunity—you don't want to miss.

Indiana Beats Ohio State, Duke Upsets Virginia

No. 2 Indiana beat No. 1 Ohio State 13-10, after the Buckeyes missed a 27-yard field goal with 2:48 remaining, securing the Hoosiers' first outright Big Ten title since 1945.

In the SEC, No. 3 Georgia beat No. 9 Alabama 28-7, avenging an earlier loss to the Crimson Tide and claiming its second straight conference title.

No. 4 Texas Tech scored 34 unanswered points in a 34-7 victory over No. 11 BYU, securing the Red Raiders' first Big 12 title and a likely first-round bye in the College Football Playoff.

No. 17 Virginia forced overtime in the ACC championship game with a last-minute touchdown pass, but Duke sealed the 27-20 upset with an interception during the Cavaliers' overtime possession.

The College Football Playoff selection show is set for noon ET today on ESPN.

SCOTUS to Rule on Birthright Citizenship

The Supreme Court said Friday it will decide the legality of President Trump's executive order that seeks to end birthright citizenship, which automatically grants citizenship to nearly everyone born in the U.S.

Under the administration's plan, birthright citizenship would be limited to those who have at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident. The right would not apply to babies born to temporary visitors who entered the country legally or to people who entered the country illegally.

Trump signed an executive order ending birthright citizenship on the first day of his second term, but courts so far have blocked its implementation.

List: Top Winter Spots for U.S. Travelers

A new report ranks cities in New York, Nevada, and Florida among the most popular in the U.S. for domestic winter vacationers.

Data collected from consumers rated destinations on activities, experiences, and budget, identifying New York City, Las Vegas, Orlando, and Key West as top winter spots for those leaving their passports at home.

While stateside travelers were split between cold retreats and warm escapes, international travelers favored Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Cabo San Lucas, and Bavaro for dependable sunshine and beaches.

The study also revealed that London, Bangkok, Cancun, and Paris were the preferred destinations for non U.S. residents.

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes, straight from the heart of the country. Clicking the link will take you directly to these stories:

➤ White House eyeing a broader 30-nation travel ban. (Hear More)

➤ Bethlehem's Christmas spirit makes a remarkable comeback after two difficult years. (Podcast Available)

➤ The Oval Office rolled out the red carpet as Trump hosted iconic entertainers. (Listen Now)

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Three Men Walk Into A Brewery…

And realize they could do things infinitely better.

That realization turned into Westbound & Down, a beer brand built by three best friends obsessed with beer, food, and hospitality. Their vision was about more than great beer, rethinking the American brewpub experience from the ground up.

The results speak for themselves: 25+ national awards, 2,800% distribution sales growth, and packed brewpubs every weekend. With retail partners like Whole Foods and 900+ other accounts on board, demand's quickly outpacing supply.

That's why they're working to 4x production capacity by 2028, with a new Denver metro area location coming soon. Even better? You can unlock up to a 15% bonus stock as an early-stage investor today.

But hurry. Invest before the midnight PT deadline.

➤ Penn State has named former Iowa State football head coach Matt Campbell as its next head coach, inking him to an eight-year contract. (More)

➤ The NFL returns today with an intriguing schedule of games, beginning with a matchup of two current AFC playoff teams in the Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars at 1:00. (See full schedule)

➤ NBA legend Kevin Durant scored 28 points in the Houston Rockets' 117-98 Friday win over the Phoenix Suns to become just the eighth player in NBA history to score 31,000 career points. (More)

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➤ Building wealth later in life doesn't have to be complicated. With unique discounts, programs, and perks available for Americans over 45, these 10 strategies could help stretch your money further. (LEARN MORE)

London lit its Trafalgar Square Christmas tree, a Norwegian spruce gifted annually since 1947 to honor the nations' WWII alliance and symbolizing enduring friendship between London and Oslo. (See Tree)

Vintage Christmas photos show a century of holiday décor, from handmade garlands and tinsel to electric lights and flocked trees, offering a glimpse of how families once decorated their homes. (See Photos)

Hallmark is debuting more than two dozen new Christmas movies this year, perfect for curling up on the couch with hot chocolate. (See Guide)

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Gaming deals that go way beyond the holiday sales. Loaded helps you save up to 90% on top titles, memberships, and add-ons across every major platform. Create a free account, make your first purchase, and instantly start earning CDKoins — 1 percent back to use toward your next game. Perfect for gamers who love a deal. Shop Loaded and upgrade their library for less.

Weekly Market Report Previous Week

▲	NASDAQ Natl. Assoc. of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations	23,578.13	1.75%
▲	SPX S&P 500	6,870.40	0.85%
▲	DJI Dow Jones Industrial Average	47,954.99	0.79%
▼	BTC Bitcoin	$89,387.76	-1.11%
▼	GOLD Per Ounce	$4,212.90	-0.13%

Bitcoin and gold are traded 24 hours a day.

➤ Dollar General plans to open roughly 450 new U.S. stores, along with 4,250 store remodels, benefiting from robust demand for everything from groceries to home goods. (More)

➤ SpaceX will initiate a secondary share sale that would value the company at up to $800 billion. The company may look to go public in 2026. (More)

➤ A new study shows younger generations are making riskier investments and spending more recklessly as they give up on the American dream of owning a home. (More)

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➤ Is a Roth Conversion the Smart Move for a $1.4M IRA?" Should you convert now to save on RMDs later? A fiduciary advisor can help decide if converting this year could minimize taxes on future RMDs. SmartAsset's free quiz will match you with vetted financial advisors serving your area. Find an advisor.

Today's Rotator section is brought to you by:

Ladies and gentlemen, here are our most-clicked stories of the week:

➤ A pair of snowy owls attracted crowds to a Lake Michigan beach near Chicago for a rare sighting of birds that typically winter across the northern U.S. and southern Canada. (See Owls)

➤ Psychologists say mutual influence is a relationship green flag, showing partners are willing to let each other's needs, vulnerabilities, and perspectives shape them and adjust their own behavior. (More)

➤ Divers off Bali spotted an electric-blue ribbon eel undulating through the water, offering a rare and striking sight. (See Eel)

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➤ Alzheimer's Quick Test: Do You Use This Word in Conversations? This mind-bending research shook the medical world to its core! It seems 97% of the people who get Alzheimer's and dementia...Use specific words in conversations 3 years before the disease strikes...This word, especially, is a precise indicator of early Alzheimer's...Find out all about it here:

Alzheimer's Words in Conversation

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What's Better Than Drinking Award-Winning Beer?

Buying stock in the brewery that makes it. That's the story of Colorado's most-awarded brewery, Westbound & Down.

They blend gold-medal beer with a hospitality-first, chef-driven dining approach, creating a brand customers seek out. 25+ awards at the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup don't hurt, either. Neither does their retail partnership with Whole Foods.

With 2,800% distribution sales growth since 2019 and four locations with waitlists every weekend, they've already built the demand most craft brands can only dream of.

Now, with a new Denver metro area location coming and plans to scale production 4X by 2028, they're ready to meet it.

Even better? You're invited to share in their growth and unlock up to 20% bonus stock as an early-stage investor.

But hurry. The deadline to do so is tonight at midnight PT.

This is a paid advertisement for Westbound & Down's Regulation CF Offering. Please read the offering circular at https://invest.westboundanddown.com/

➤ The U.S. Coast Guard seized more than 20,000 pounds of cocaine from a vessel in the Pacific Ocean, securing the largest at-sea interdiction in nearly 20 years under Operation Pacific Viper. (More)

➤ Authorities say last week's catastrophic floods and landslides across Asia killed more than 1,500 people, including 908 in Indonesia, 486 in Sri Lanka, 185 in Thailand, and three in Malaysia. (More)

➤ Frank Gehry, the acclaimed architect behind the Guggenheim Bilbao and Walt Disney Concert Hall, died Friday at 96 in Santa Monica after a brief respiratory illness, his firm said. (More)

➤ Scientists uncovered nearly 18,000 preserved dinosaur tracks in Bolivia's Torotoro National Park, offering new evidence of how theropods, including Tyrannosaurus rex, and other species moved along an ancient coastline. (More)

➤ The 26th annual Christmas Tree Ship arrived at Chicago's Navy Pier on Saturday, delivering 1,200 Christmas trees for local families in a ceremony attended by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. (See Ship)

➤ Forty percent of U.S. households earning at least $100,000 admitted stealing at self-checkouts, compared with 27% of middle-income shoppers and 17% of low-income shoppers, according to new research. (More)

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➤ Waking Up to Pee? Here's Why It's NOT Normal. If you're getting up at night to pee, don't brush it off. A new report breaks down the real reason nighttime trips happen — and why it's especially common after 50. Even better, it shows a simple way to support steady, 24-hour bladder control, cut down those urgent trips, and help avoid leaks and slip-ups. ⇒ See the Report Everyone's Talking About

Whatever happened to model trains?

If you grew up with a model train circling the Christmas tree or running around a platform in the basement, it might feel like they vanished almost overnight. But the story of what happened to toy trains involves a slow climb, a long peak, and then a gentle fade into niche territory.

The tale really starts in 1900, when Joshua Lionel Cowen built an electric train to sit in a store window and draw shoppers' eyes. That little display kicked off a new kind of toy: electric trains running on metal track, expandable and endlessly tweakable.

By the 1940s and 1950s, sales were surging, especially in the United States. Big department stores set up elaborate layouts at Christmastime, and ads for train sets were everywhere—in catalogs, comic books, and early television. The image of a boy kneeling beside his new Lionel layout became such a staple that it turned into a kind of cultural shorthand for mid-century childhood.

However, in the 1960s and 1970s, the story quietly shifted course. More serious modelers adopted smaller, more realistic scales, such as HO, transforming the pastime into a detailed craft. For kids, new distractions arrived: slot cars, remote-control toys, video games, and, eventually, home computers.

By the 1990s and 2000s, the hobby's core audience was growing older. Local hobby shops closed, Christmas trees went undecorated by rails, and younger generations often encountered trains only in malls or holiday movies like The Polar Express.

Yet the hobby hasn't vanished. It's simply moved offstage, living on in club layouts, online communities, and high-tech digital controls. The trains still run, but only where you have to go looking for them.

Did you own a model train set—or do you still own one? Let us know by replying to this email.