Good Morning!

It's Wednesday, December 17, and in today’s edition of Rise & Recap, we look at:

• Are data centers affecting your electricity bills?

• Moms are now taking over your Tinder accounts!

• One glass of wine is apparently fine.

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Top headlines

SPILL THE NEWS

Economy

The Job Market Is Fluctuating

The US economy lost 105,000 jobs in October and added 64,000 jobs in November, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday after delays caused by a government shutdown. The unemployment rate rose to 4.6% in November, the highest since September 2021. 

Federal employment fell sharply in October as workers who accepted deferred resignation offers left payrolls, contributing to a 271,000 decline in federal jobs this year. Health care and construction added jobs in November, while transportation, leisure and hospitality posted losses.

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World

Accused In Sydney’s Bondi Beach Shooting Had ISIS Connections.

Australian police said on Tuesday that the father and son accused of the Bondi Beach shooting traveled to the Philippines last month, though the purpose of their trip remains under investigation. Philippine immigration officials said the pair arrived in Manila on November 1 and traveled onward to Davao, leaving the country on November 28, just weeks before the attack. 

The father held an Indian passport, while the son held an Australian passport. Authorities have not confirmed any direct links to terrorist groups or training. Islamic State–linked networks operate in southern Mindanao but have been weakened in recent years. The attack killed 15 people and targeted the Jewish community.

Tech

Is That AI Data Center Affecting Your Electricity Bill

Three Democratic senators announced an investigation into whether technology companies’ operations are driving up US residential electricity bills. Senators Elizabeth Warren, Chris Van Hollen, and Richard Blumenthal sent letters Monday to Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, CoreWeave, Digital Realty, and Equinix, citing energy-intensive data centers used for artificial intelligence. 

The senators said utilities are spending billions to upgrade the power grid, costs often passed to consumers. They requested responses by January 12. The companies have not commented immediately, though Digital Realty said it looks forward to cooperating. Data centers consumed over 4% of US electricity in 2023, projected to reach 12% in three years.

In the know

DON’T MISS

🏛️ Did the White House Chief of Staff really say that Trump has an “alcoholic personality”? Well, she spilled many secrets here.

📱 Your mom running your Tinder account? It isn’t that outrageous, many mothers are taking of dating profiles!

📺 Instagram just launched reels for TV. Talk about television dying.

🎬 Warner Bros. rejects Paramount bid, says funding promises didn’t add up.

🤖 AI is not just making holiday plans and creating chores list, it’s wearing a lab coat now!

🧼 Yep, there’s a difference between — cleaning, sanitising, and disinfecting — and it does matter.

🛍️ The return fees around holidays are getting more and more common in stores. Let’s just hope the dress fits.

💊 A libido-boosting pill just got FDA approval for post-menopausal women.

🚁 Could electric air taxis make it better for everyone on land?

🎙️ Trump to deliver night prime-time address live from White House today.

Health & Wellness

FOR YOUR WELLBEING

⏰ Is there a link between your bedtime and heart health? Researchers have found a sweet spot, but most of us are missing it. 

🤔 Wait, is a glass of wine back on the heart-healthy list! A controversial American Heart Association review challenges recent warnings that no amount of alcohol is safe.

🍳 Are you skipping out on those eggs as breakfast? Well, nutritionists are not happy about it and here’s why you should change that!

🧠 Yes, there’s a connection between having a younger, healthier brain and being active. If you want to live longer, here’s the workout that you should be eyeing.

Decor

House To Home

🎨 Forget beige—designers are embracing bold, unexpected color pairings that can instantly bring a modern touch to your spaces. Here’s how you go big and bold! 

🏠 There’s a simple way to make rooms feel taller and more expensive, and it’s about to be everywhere in 2026. 

🥬 Chances are you're overstuffing your refrigerator’s crisper drawers and shortening your produce’s lifespan. This is the right way to use them. 

🪑 Stop buying these decor items brand new!  Their vintage versions cost less, look better, and age beautifully.

Hollywood

THE FAME FRAME

🎬 The Oscars 2026 shortlist drops across 12 categories, and here’s what all made the cut. 

📱 Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Lopez bonded over an unexpected social media habit… and it’s about memes!

🚨 Filmmaker Rob Reiner’s son, Nick Reiner, faces first-degree murder charges in parents’ death.

💪 Angelina Jolie reveals her mastectomy scars in a photo shoot, for “women I love”.

Interactive

WEIGH IN

President Donald Trump has expanded his administration’s travel ban, adding full entry restrictions on travelers from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria, and those holding Palestinian Authority documents. Partial restrictions now apply to 15 additional countries, while limits were tightened for Laos and Sierra Leone. The White House says the policy is driven by national security and vetting concerns. Immigration and refugee groups argue it will separate families, disrupt lives, and disproportionately affect vulnerable populations.

“You don’t have to play masculine to be a strong woman.” 

— Mary Elizabeth Winstead