Good Morning!

It's Tuesday, December 23, and in today’s edition of Rise & Recap, we look at:

• FDA Approves A Weight Loss Pill.

• A salad spinner in your bathroom?

• Hottest wearables are the ones for your brain.

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Top headlines

SPILL THE NEWS

US News

FDA Approves First Weight Loss Pill Version of Wegovy

The US Food and Drug Administration approved a daily pill version of Novo Nordisk’s weight loss drug Wegovy on Monday. The pill is the first oral GLP-1 drug approved specifically for weight loss. Novo Nordisk said trial participants lost an average of 16.6% of body weight over 64 weeks, compared with about 3% on placebo. 

About one-third lost at least 20%. CEO Mike Doustdar said the pill offers a convenient alternative to injections. The drug is expected to launch in the US in early January 2026.

Amazon Prime members: See what you could get, no strings attached

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If you shop at Amazon or Whole Foods, this card could help you earn meaningful cash back on every purchase you make. But this offer won’t last forever — and if you’re an Amazon Prime member, this card is as close to a no-brainer as it gets.

Amazon Prime members: See what you could get, no strings attached

Learn How To Apply

Business

Uber Cleared Drivers With Violent Felonies, Rape Accusations

A New York Times investigation found that Uber’s background check system allows drivers with certain violent felony convictions to be approved. Uber bars drivers convicted of murder, sexual assault, kidnapping and terrorism, but in 22 states approves other crimes, including assault, stalking and child abuse, if convictions are over seven years old. In 35 states, checks are limited to where applicants lived in the past seven years, potentially missing crimes elsewhere. Internal documents show executives chose not to expand disqualifying offenses. Brooke Anderson, then Uber’s head of safety communications, wrote in 2018, “We are def not doing everything we can.”

Work

Are Sundays Becoming The New Mondays?

White-collar workers are increasingly working on Sundays to gain flexibility during the traditional workweek, according to reporting by Business Insider. Freelance writer Sam Hindman said working Sundays allows her to take longer breaks on weekdays. Data from workforce analytics firm ActivTrak found that 5% of US white-collar workers logged weekend hours in 2024, up 9% from 2023, averaging about 5.5 hours. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 29% of employed people worked weekends. Workers cited fewer distractions, remote work, and family scheduling needs.

In the know

DON’T MISS

🔮 This is what each zodiac sign should be doing for the rest of 2025.

🛒 Instacart might be doing away with the controversial pricing strategy. 

🥗 Keeping a salad spinner in the bathroom? Well, that’s a first. 

💡 Enough with the new year resolutions, try this trick instead to give you the inspiration you need!

🧠 The hottest wearable at the moment — has a brain connection.

💼 Workplace — as you know it — is evolving, and it’s set to change even more.

🌬️ Trump is taking a shot at international wind farms, fracturing the industry slyly.

📺 CBS pulls 60 Minutes Trump-critical deportation story. Could there be a political interference?

🍺 This beer isn’t just illegal in 15 states, it can also eat through a cup.

☢️ Pentagon says new Trump-class battleship to be nuclear-armed under new plan.

Health & Wellness

FOR YOUR WELLBEING

💔 Sudden, overwhelming waves of mourning may feel like a setback. Experts call them "grief attacks, a common — often necessary — sign of healing after a deep loss.  

🩸 A routine blood check might replace the dreaded bone scan. A new study links this specific enzyme spike to an increased risk of osteoporosis. 

⌚ The obsession with achieving perfect sleep data is causing another disorder entirely! Plus, data wearables aren't medical-grade diagnostics…so, take that “sleep score” with a grain of salt. 

🤒 It’s not just a scratchy throat — this year’s flu is different. Good news: you’re not all powerless against it!

Fashion & Beauty

BEYOND THE MIRROR

🧥 Seems like the teddy coat obsession is being archived for this timeless outerwear. Emily Ratajkowski has been wearing one out, and naturally, it’s the trend of the season! 

💉 Botox, GLP-1, vitamins — if it isn’t in a personalized “peptide stack,” you aren't doing it right. It’s the $1,000-a-month secret to looking like an Oscar winner and working…like a bot.

👗 Nothing screams “trendy, but not too trendy” better than these outfit pairings. You’ll always be ahead of the curve without looking like you’re trying too hard. 

💇‍♀️ Noticeable thinning at the temples can be jarring, but you aren't alone. Here is the expert-approved guideto why it happens and how to — possibly — reverse it.

Hollywood

THE FAME FRAME

📱 North West is on Instagram now — her first solo post broke the internet with a million likes. 

🎬 The teaser for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is out! 

😂 Jason Kelce can’t promise if he’ll keep his shirt on for Taylor Swift’s wedding. 

✂️ Zendaya’s pixie is officially back! Is this her most iconic short hair era? We’re betting on a "yes."

🕊️ Grammy-winning musician Barry Manilowshares his cancer diagnosis on Instagram.

Interactive

WEIGH IN

Forecasters say much of the United States will see unseasonably warm weather this week, with temperatures reaching up to 35 degrees above normal in some regions. More than 30 locations are expected to break Christmas Day high temperature records, with record warm lows possible at about 50 sites. Meteorologist Joe Wegman said the scale of the warmth is unusual, stretching from California to the Mississippi River, driven by a high-pressure system pulling warm air north.

“I didn’t rise from the ashes. I crawled out, burned, and breathing.” 

— Lyz Lenz