🗞️Executive order to reschedule marijuana signed

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December 18th, 2025

What happened today 🇺🇸,

• President Trump has signed an executive order directing federal agencies to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III controlled substance with legitimate medical uses

• President Trump announced the "Patriot Games" as part of "Freedom 250" celebrations for America's 250th anniversary… it will be a four-day athletic event in fall 2026 featuring one top high school male and female athlete from each state and U.S. territory

• The Department of Health and Human Services announced regulatory actions to effectively ban gender-affirming/gender transition care for minors nationwide by cutting federal funding from providers offering puberty blockers, hormones, or surgeries…these rules target Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs, pressuring hospitals to comply or lose billions in reimbursements

• The Kennedy Center board of trustees voted unanimously to rename the venue the "Trump-Kennedy Center”, this decision faces legal challenges, as federal law designates it the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and renaming requires congressional approval

• Last night President Trump addressed the nation, he did not mention Venezuela so the note from the newsletter yesterday was incorrect…Trump talked about affordability, defended his economic policies, and announced a “warrior dividend” of $1,776 to every U.S. military member…watch it here

• TikTok has signed a binding deal to sell its U.S. unit to an American-led investor group including Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX, forming a new joint venture where they hold 50% ownership (15% each), ByteDance retains 19.9%, and existing investors take 30.1%…the transaction is expected to close January 22nd, 2026

• BP appointed the current CEO of Woodside Energy, Meg O’Neill, as its next chief executive starting April 1st, 2026

• Coinbase has launched stock trading for U.S. users, enabling commission-free buying and selling of major stocks and ETFs 24/5 directly in its app alongside crypto assets…the expansion includes prediction markets powered by Kalshi, with plans for tokenized stocks, perpetual futures, and an AI advisor to position Coinbase as an "everything exchange"

• Trump Media & Technology Group announced a $6 billion merger with the fusion energy firm TAE Technologies, creating a combined entity valued at over $6 billion where each company's shareholders own roughly 50%…read more here

• Chipotle announced its first High Protein Menu that will be rolling out December 23rd with items like a 4-ounce grab-and-go protein cup (32g protein from chicken or steak for $3.82), double protein bowls, and high-protein salads in an attempt to tap into protein trends

• November CPI inflation came in at 2.7% year over year, below expectations of 3.1%….Core CPI inflation came in at 2.6% year over year, below expectations of 3.0%

• DOW up .14% / S&P up .79%

• The U.S. approved an $11 billion arms sale to Taiwan, including HIMARS rocket systems, ATACMS missiles, howitzers, drones, and anti-tank weapons to bolster its defenses

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Plus: A look at the leading causes of death in the U.S.

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