Years of inaction on ‘crisis’ at Secret Service set stage for Trump shooting in Butler

Read CNN's Fast Facts about the Princess of Wales, the former Kate Middleton.

A Japan Airlines plane burst into flames on landing at Tokyo's Haneda airport after it collided with an aircraft involved in earthquake relief efforts. This comes after a 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck the west coast of Japan a day earlier.

Actor Tom Holland recently had to break up a fight in a Los Angeles-area Whole Foods. The "Spider-Man" star recalled the moment one of the men recognized him as the crime-fighting hero.

This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here.American personal-finance gurus love to rail against the habit of spending money on coffee: The finance personality Suze Orman once compared buying coffee outside the house to “peeing $1 million down the drain.” But this criticism hasn’t curbed Americans’ love of ordering coffee. Neither has a yearslong stretch of brutal inflation. Through it all, Americans have kept purchasing their lattes and Americanos and drips, their cold foams and pumps of flavor and alternative milks.Most American adults drink coffee regularly. The beverage is inescapable in America in part because it has enabled the long work hours that contribute to America’s culture of productivity. As Michael Pollan wrote in The Atlantic in 2020, “Coffee has helped create exactly the kind of world that coffee needs to thrive.” But this alone doesn’t explain its pull: Many people view the act of buying a cup of coffee as a small pleasure, one that fits easily into a busy routine. As the price of everything—including lattes—has gone up in recent years, Americans have stood by this particular habit.Inflation-squeezed consumers are shying away from eating at restaurants, but many have kept indulging in to-go coffee. Starbucks is stumbling—last year, its sales and store traffic dipped, its workers went on strike, and it brought in yet another new CEO—but cafés are flourishing overall. The retail-research firm Circana found that spending at coffee shops in 2024 was up 55 percent compared with 2017 (restaurant spending overall was up about 20 percent in that period). Businesses serving coffee and tea are one of the fastest-growing slices of the restaurant industry.Because coffee has a price cap that’s fairly low, it is generally the “last to go” when people are cutting back on meals out, Alex Susskind, a professor of food and beverage management at Cornell, told me. A restaurant dinner could cost hundreds of dollars. But even the most elaborate coffee concoction in most cities couldn’t be more than $8. (I am ignoring stunt orders, such as this one that apparently involved 101 shots of espresso.) Spending more than a few dollars on a coffee drink might seem absurd, especially to those who grew up in an era of much lower pricing. But many people continue to view coffee as a relatively affordable luxury, making it unique in the realm of dining out, Susskind noted: Just like fast-food chains, which did well in the second half of last year, coffee survives through customers’ strong perception that the price won’t go above a certain threshold.But even the last to go may have a shaky future. In December, coffee hit its highest price in nearly 50 years. Major droughts in coffee-growing areas such as Brazil meant that the cost of Arabica beans (a common variety served in the United States) went up about 70 percent in 2024. The price has eased slightly in recent weeks, from $3.35 a pound to $3.20 a pound, but it was closer to $1.80 this time last year. Store brands such as Nescafé and Folgers have raised their prices, pointing to bean costs. In 2025, coffee shops will need to decide how much of the expense to pass on to coffee drinkers. With all of the resources and labor that go into it, a cup of coffee arguably should cost more than what we pay for it now. If coffee prices keep rising, coffee enthusiasts may be forced to consider how much their daily ritual is truly worth.Related: How America lost its taste for the middle The rise of coffee shaming (from 2019) Here are four new stories from The Atlantic: Bad news for Trump’s legislative agenda The rise of John Ratcliffe Why liberals struggle to cope with epochal change Five books that offer readers intellectual exercise Today’s News Representative Mike Johnson narrowly won reelection as the speaker of the House. South Korean investigators failed to detain President Yoon Suk Yeol after an hours-long standoff with roughly 200 soldiers and members of the presidential security detail. A small plane crashed into a warehouse in California yesterday, killing two people and injuring 19. Dispatches The Books Briefing: During a week of tragedy and chaos, Emma Sarappo has been thinking about the figurative language of death and decay that we use to describe the close of the year. Explore all of our newsletters here.Evening Read Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Getty. Thermometers Are Hot GarbageBy Daniel Engber Germs are in the air again: Indicators show that the winter wave of flu and COVID is finally under way. Are you on the verge of getting sick? Am I? My 5-year-old does feel a little warm to me; his sister seems okay. Maybe I should take their temperature? Maybe I should not. Here’s my resolution for the year ahead: I will not take their temperature. No parent should be taking temperatures. Because doing so is next to useless. Read the full article.More From The Atlantic What Taylor Swift understands about love David Brooks: Vivek Ramaswamy is uninvited from my sleepover. The president Trump is pushing aside Culture Break Todd Webb Archive Take a look. These photos show the painter Georgia O’Keeffe’s life in New Mexico.Pay attention. Parents, put down your phone cameras, Russell Shaw writes. In trying to capture so much of our kids’ lives, we risk missing out.Play our daily crossword.P.S.I enjoyed reading this set of food and drink predictions from Kim Severson, who suggests that we are in for a year of breaking with convention. One trend she’s eyeing? Savory coffee experiences. “Chefs are infusing coffee with sunchoke purée and avocado, and flavoring drinks with ginger, lemongrass and rosemary smoke,” Severson writes. “And yes, coffee is starting to get the omakase treatment.” Happy new year!— LoraStephanie Bai contributed to this newsletter.When you buy a book using a link in this newsletter, we receive a commission. Thank you for supporting The Atlantic.

Veteran Reps. Pete Aguilar (D-Redlands) and Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) hold the positions of Democratic Caucus chair and vice chair, respectively.

Vice President-elect JD Vance undergoes 'minor' surgery Friday afternoon.

Walker Buehler is already making pitches on the Boston Red Sox's behalf, including to a star free agent infielder

"No uglies, no uneducated," one romantic hopeful announced to her followers.

Legal experts are weighing in on how a new motion filed by prosecutors could impact Karen Read's retrial.

Jets reporter Brian Costello breaks down the latest surround the Jets interviewing top Head Coach candidate Mike Vrabel and the chances of Vrabel taking the job. Watch Gang’s All Here: https://youtu.be/wOPYztWY8DU

The resignation of former Representative Matt Gaetz drew applause in Congress on Friday.

Senator John Thune said Friday that the filibuster has "perhaps the greatest impact in preserving the Founders' vision of the Senate."

If Trump seeks an emergency stay blocking the sentencing, we expect he will succeed.

The Biden Administration blocked the purchase of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon. Here's what could happen next.

The police shared notes recovered from one of the phones of Master Sgt. Matthew Alan Livelsberger, who fatally shot himself inside the vehicle in Las Vegas.

“There comes a time you need to stand up and call bulls**t!”

Trump picked former State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus to serve as deputy Mideast envoy Friday afternoon.

Democratic lawmakers reacted to Rep. Mike Johnson being re-elected as speaker of the House of Representatives for the 119th Congress on Friday.

Gov. Kathy Hochul pledged Friday to stop the runaway train of subway violence by making it easier to involuntarily commit and treat dangerous mentally ill New Yorkers — but critics quickly blasted her largely detail-free plan as too little, too late. In a vaguely worded statement, Hochul said she’ll introduce legislation in New York’s upcoming...

The 82nd Golden Globes will air live Sunday on CBS from the Beverly Hilton, with two streaming options for Paramount+ subscribers. Here's how to watch.

Several models of Ford heavy duty trucks, along with Ford and Lincoln SUVs recalled.

Symptoms of the virus are similar to that of other respiratory illnesses that are currently circulating throughout the U.S.

The North Carolina representative's team said she "seems to be okay" after falling on a marble staircase at the Capitol.

A college linebacker declared for the job market and not the NFL Draft in a funny post.

Mollie Walker, Larry Brooks and Brian Boyle discuss the Rangers putting Igor Shesterkin on IR and how Jonathan Quick has stepped up in the former Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender’s absence.

Though a U.S. citizen killed revelers on Bourbon Street, experts say the incoming president sees advantages in blaming immigrants and Islam for New Year's Day attack.

Aardman co-directors Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham deliver another unabashedly British Wallace & Gromit stop-motion adventure: 'Vengeance Most Fowl.'

EXCLUSIVE: President-elect Donald Trump slammed Judge Juan Merchan for denying his request to dismiss the charges against him in New York v. Trump, telling Fox News Digital Democrats “just want to see if they can get a pound of flesh because every case has failed."

Republican Pat Herrity and Democrat Victor Salgado are seeking their parties’ nomination for lieutenant governor.

The New York judge who rejected President-elect Donald Trump's argument that his criminal "hush money" case should be thrown out over the Supreme Court's immunity ruling has denied his motion to dismiss the case. Judge Juan Merchan has ordered Trump to appear for sentencing on Jan. 10, just over a week before his presidential inauguration. CBS News' Scott MacFarlane, Ed O'Keefe, Graham Kates and Katrina Kaufman report. Then, CBS News legal contributor Jessica Levinson joins with analysis.

The stranger approached the woman around 2:15 a.m. at the intersection of Herkimer Street and Saratoga Avenue in Ocean Hill and punched her multiple times in the face, cops said. 

The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals blasted the FCC's attempts to regulate broadband internet, but state laws in California and New York remain intact.

President Joe Biden's decision to block Nippon Steel's takeover of U.S. Steel cheered environmental advocates who said Nippon's deal was bad for the climate.

The iconic ruby slippers sold for a total of $32.5 million at auction last month. The slippers were stolen in 2005 from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids.

David Beckham took his teenage daughter Harper for a night out in Miami.

The Los Angeles Angels saw a coveted free agent sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the second consecutive offseason, this time despite placing the high bid.

The league cracked down on the New Jersey defenseman for embellishing twice this season.

Investigators released excerpts from a letter Livelsberger wrote before he exploded a Cybertruck outside a Trump hotel.

The disgraced rapper and producer seemingly had the same New Year's Eve meal as the rest of his fellow inmates at the end of the year.

The "Chelsea Lately" alum called the actress' decision to call her out "an act of love."

Giving Congress an unlimited credit card will only accelerate the ruinous fiscal path we’re on — but if Trump is serious about shrinking government, he can use the debt ceiling as a negotiating tool.

J.Lo was seen dancing with friends at a bar in Aspen, Colorado, and was soon joined by fellow celebrity Kevin Costner.

It's the great bate debate.

With so much of the end-of-year multiplex fare rated PG, a bunch of grown-up theatrical releases have been sent down to streaming.

Beijing announced export controls on 28 defense-focused U.S. companies ahead of President-elect Donald Trump taking office.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was re-elected to another term in the House after two Republican dissenters flipped last minute in a floor vote on Friday -- with President-elect Donald Trump personally intervening to shut down the opposition.

Prior to the Wednesday terror attack in New Orleans, Democrats and the media obsessed over "far-right" terrorism while downplaying Islamic extremism.

Nicole Kidman has been a staple on the Golden Globes red carpet since the early ‘90s. Although she admits she’s had some hits and misses when it came to style, she is always a star Page Six loves to watch. Kidman is nominated once again at the 2025 Golden Globes for her role in “Babygirl.”