What we’re reading (1/13)
“Here’s The Inflation Breakdown For December 2025 — In One Chart” (CNBC). “Progress in the fight to throttle back inflation appeared to stall in December amid price pressures from groceries, dining out, utility gas, clothing and other categories of consumer spending.”
“Fed’s Barkin Calls December Inflation Data Encouraging” (Reuters). “Richmond Federal Reserve President Tom Barkin on Tuesday called December's inflation data "encouraging," though he noted inflation often spikes at the start of the year and said he hopes it will come in at modest levels for the next couple of months.”
“The Copper Boom Is Just Getting Started” (Semafor). “The meteoric rise in the price of copper will likely continue thanks to a growing supply deficit that could reach 10 million metric tons — 25% of projected demand — by 2040, according to a new forecast from S&P Global.”
“Top Risks For 2026” (Eurasia Group). “It's a time of great geopolitical uncertainty. Not because there's imminent conflict between the two biggest powers, the United States and China—that isn't even a top risk, it's a red herring this year. There's not (yet, at least) a second Cold War, with a rising China remaking the global system to its own liking, the Americans and allies resisting. Nor do tensions between the United States and Russia threaten to spiral out of control despite a war raging in Europe, the result of Vladimir Putin's longstanding grievances against the US-led order.”
“More Americans Are Surviving Cancer — Even The Deadliest Ones” (The Washington Post). “More Americans diagnosed with cancer are now surviving the disease — marking a positive trend that experts say reflects the effectiveness of early prevention and detection strategies, and advancements in treatment and care. New findings from the American Cancer Society’s annual report released Tuesday show for the first time that the five-year survival rate for all cancers has reached 70 percent, with the most notable survival gains occurring among people diagnosed with more fatal cancers such as myeloma (a blood cancer), liver cancer and lung cancer.”
