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1. Winter storm blankets US
Regions across the United States — particularly the Upper Midwest and northern Plains — are bracing for high winds, drops in temperature and a mix of snow, ice and rain, according to the Associated Press.
“Part of the storm system is getting heavy snow, other parts of the storm along the cold front are getting higher winds and much colder temperatures as the front passes,” said Bob Oravec, a lead forecaster at the National Weather Service office in College Park, Maryland. “They’re all related to each other — different parts of the country will be receiving different effects from this storm.”
NBC News reported that 64 million people were under winter weather alerts as of Sunday evening. More than 6,000 flights were delayed and more than 500 were canceled into or out of the U.S. midway through Sunday.
2. What to expect from US economy next year
The U.S. economy was up and down in 2025, but Reuters reports it should be stronger in 2026, in part due to tax cuts, less uncertainty from tariffs, artificial intelligence and interest-rate reductions from the Federal Reserve.
Bigger tax refunds and smaller tax withholdings on paychecks could lead to an increase in consumer spending, the news outlet reports.
"The boost from fiscal stimulus alone could add one-half percent or more to first quarter GDP growth," wrote KPMG chief economist Diane Swonk.
3. Biggest obstacles to hotel transactions in 2025
Macroeconomic uncertainty and rising geopolitical tensions caused the U.S. hotel transaction market to be subdued once again in 2025, CoStar News Hotels' Bryan Wroten reports.
There were high expectations coming into the year, but the introduction of widespread tariffs threw a wrench into those plans.
“When we were at conferences in the early part of the year, there was a lot of boundless optimism, I would say. And so, that resulted in a significant uptick in listings, and then we ran into the buzzsaw that was Liberation Day, which put, unfortunately, a temporary pause on the market,” said Kevin Davis, Americas CEO at JLL Hotels & Hospitality.
4. Investors prepare for new-look Federal Reserve
Investors are bracing for more division in the Federal Reserve, a potentially weaker chair and threats of more changes in the coming year, the Wall Street Journal reports.
U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated that he is closing in on a pick for the next chair of the Federal Reserve and has said that he expects the new leader will be on board with his agenda, the newspaper reports.
5. Hawaii wins tax battle on cruise visitors
Hawaii will still be able to impose a green fee tax on cruise passengers after a judge denied a request that sought to stop the enforcement of the tax, Travel Pulse reports. In May, the state became the first to adopt this tax on hotel room stays and short-term visits, including cruise visitors.
“Cruise tourism generates nearly $1 billion in total economic impact for Hawaii and supports thousands of local jobs, and we remain focused on ensuring that success continues on a lawful, sustainable foundation,” Cruise Lines International Association spokesperson Jim McCarthy said in a statement.