Surely, more such situations will arise under the Trump administration, and I'm curious to see if any of Musk's supporters will quit.
Drop shipper
The act of drop-shipping—third-party sellers fulfilling retail orders—exploded in popularity in the late 2010s, becoming a quintessential part of online hustle culture. With the launch of TikTok ShopDrop-shipping has entered a renaissance with more and more people using the app to do so Quick cash can scale.
Imposing tough tariffs on Chinese imports was one of Trump's biggest economic promises this election cycle. If TikTok isn't banned next month, China's tariffs could destroy the app's shipping profits, since much of its product manufacturing is done overseas. What happens to drop shippers? Where will they go next?
New Jersey drone hunter
Without much guidance or information from the government, conspiracy theory around mysterious drone reportedly flying over the east coast has gotten out of control. Just this week, Real Housewives star Bethenny Frankel posted one series of videos on Instagram claims a confidential Pentagon source told her the drones were searching for nuclear material.
Now, I don't claim to know the truth about drones, but I can see how it affects people online. Over the past few weeks, I've been following one of the largest Facebook pages dedicated to solving mysteries, and what started as a place for people to share their strange sightings has spiraled into hysteria. Members are accusing mods working for the Fed of hiding “the truth” (whatever that is) and encouraging others to invest in iodine pills, gas masks, and of course toilet paper.
It's too early to tell, but I bet these groups are introducing already emotional and agitated people to theories they otherwise wouldn't believe. Is this what the alien and UAP communities have been waiting for? Maybe! In any case, don't expect people of faith to believe anything the government says unless someone puts an alien body in front of photographers.
Chat room
For last week's podcast, we made some predictions about what the new year will hold. What do you think will happen next year as it relates to technology and its influence on politics? Send in your thoughts mail@wired.com.
Wired reading
Want more? Sign up now for unlimited access to WIRED.
What else are we reading?
🔗 FTC Issues Rules Requiring Hotels, Ticket Sellers to Disclose 'Junk Fees': There is at least one political victory we can all celebrate this holiday season. This week, the Federal Trade Commission introduced new rules that prohibit hotels and ticketing services from hiding surcharges or “junk fees.” (Washington Post)
🔗 'It will be brutal': Inside Trump's planned war with leakers and the press: The Trump administration is reportedly making new plans to go after the media, including multiple lawsuits and threats of subpoenas. (Rolling Stone)
🔗 Elon Musk and SpaceX face federal reviews after violating security reporting rules: The US government is looking into whether Elon Musk and SpaceX repeatedly ignored information disclosure protocols intended to protect national secrets, such as withholding information related to meetings with country leaders. outside. (New York Times)
Download
When the news was released last week, WIRED's final episode Political laboratory The podcast is not yet available. If you didn't catch my conversation with Tim Marchman and David Gilbert, I recommend you listen to it This.
Coming out of the election, I'm rethinking how the newsletter best serves all of you. If you have any ideas or requests, let me know. Otherwise, I'll spend the holiday completely logged out, so you won't see me in your inbox again until January 9th.
I hope you find time to rest, read, and spend time with loved ones. I will see you in the new year. 💞
That's all for today—thanks again for checking in. You can contact me via email, Instagram, Xand Signals at makenakelly.32.