Gold prices surged to record highs as investors sought safe havens amidst a weakening U.S. dollar, according to multiple news sources. The dollar's decline against other major currencies fueled the gold rush, even as President Trump welcomed the weaker dollar as a boost to exports, Fortune reported. Meanwhile, a study revealed that nearly half of the CDC's public health databases were frozen without explanation by October 2025, raising concerns about data transparency, Ars Technica noted.
The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that vaccination data was disproportionately affected by the database freeze. Researchers expressed particular concern given Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s anti-vaccine stance, Ars Technica reported. The majority of outdated databases contained vaccination information, including data on influenza, COVID-19, and RSV, alongside other infectious disease data.
In other news, Wikipedia celebrated its 25th anniversary, emphasizing its commitment to transparency and expertise in an era of misinformation, Nature News reported. The online encyclopedia highlighted its participatory nature and dedication to providing free access to information.
Internationally, the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics were drawing closer, with spectators like Rogers Li from Rockville, Md., making travel plans. Li anticipated spending at least $3,000 for five nights in Milan, covering transportation, accommodation, food, and event tickets, Time reported. "I was surprised that it was a bit more affordable than I expected," Li, a 29-year-old working in clinical research, told Time, adding, "I would say it's moderately expensive, but not as much as I anticipated when I first decided to plan an Olympics trip."
Other global events included Indivisible's planned protest against Trump's policies in Minneapolis, ByteDance's efforts to restructure TikTok's U.S. operations for data privacy, and Amazon's accidental announcement of layoffs, Nature News reported. Variety noted the U.K. premiere of "Jajas African Hair Braiding" and reported on the federal sex trafficking trial of the Alexander brothers, where the first witness testified about being drugged and raped after a party at Zac Efron's apartment.
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