What's Happening

Politics

Congress Lost Another Woman It Can't Spare

What's going on: Last week, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) announced her resignation from Congress. She blamed a wave of death threats, chaos inside the Republican party, and fresh hostility from President Donald Trump. Her exit underscores how tough life in Congress can be for women — and, some analysts say, why their presence still matters… yes, even when they loudly reject feminism. Slate points out that Greene was one of three MAGA women (and one man) who broke ranks to force the release of the Epstein files. And history shows that women can move bipartisan bills across the finish line when men stall out (see: the Senate Women’s Caucus and the 2013 shutdown).

What it means: Women’s numbers in Congress have already been dwindling, even as they gain ground in statehouses. Despite having power, status, and name recognition, there are structural forces that push women out. While MTG has her share of critics, some of them still hate to see her go. Gender doesn’t track neatly with ideology, but even anti-abortion, anti-feminism lawmakers have led on issues like protecting against sexual violence, increasing access to fertility treatments, parental leave, and affordability. Now, Congress will lose another woman’s voice in a chamber already packed with older white men.

Related: Women Get Real in Their OOO Messages, and It’s Honestly Depressing (Marie Claire)

Money

Honey, When Can We Retire?

What's going on: As if affording life with one full-time job (or even two) isn’t already a stretch, many people now wonder whether they’ll ever retire. We aren’t holding our breath. Planning for those golden years gets even trickier for married couples — especially if they don’t clock out at the same time. A 2024 study found that only 11% of couples retire together, while 62% wait at least a year before joining their partner at home. A financial planner told The New York Times that most spouses try to retire within two to five years of each other. That timeline largely depends on how much couples have saved up, and health issues or even a layoff can shift it fast.

What it means: When one spouse retires early and the other stays on the hamster wheel, tension tends to creep in — and we aren’t talking about the AC setting. Financial experts say too many couples enter retirement with “undiscussed assumptions” about their lifestyle expectations. Their advice? Have a chat about what life after work looks like, including travel opportunities and hobbies, and set aside time every month to talk about money. That includes crunching the numbers to estimate annual expenses, including health care premiums, costs for your pet or home, and long-term care. Online tools like these can help. And for the romantics: Married couples usually live longer into retirement than their single friends.

Related: How Retirement Could Change in 2026 (CBS)

Consumer

ChatGPT Wants To Be Your Personal Shopper 

What's going on: OpenAI rolled out a holiday upgrade that basically lets you type, “I need a gift under $75 for my friend who’s a candle person again (but absolutely hates florals),” and then instantly serves up links and photos. The company says the new feature digs through product pages, reviews, specs, availability, and prices from trusted retail sites. You can even fire off follow-up questions. OpenAI says it doesn’t share chats with retailers (insert healthy dose of skepticism here). But the model can still miss details like price or what’s actually in stock — which feels like the one job it should nail. 

What it means: Many shoppers already ask ChatGPT for quick comparisons, but OpenAI says this update takes it into far more personal territory — the kind built around real people (“What should I get for my curmudgeon dad who doesn’t like receiving gifts but secretly loves a sentimental moment?”). For now, you still click out to retailers, but soon you’ll be able to buy directly through ChatGPT with its new Instant Checkout feature. Target, Walmart, and Etsy are already signed on. It all scratches that Jetsons-era itch for a robot assistant who tackles your to-do list, even as the speed of AI gives plenty of people reasons to pause. Though if it could wrap gifts too, our December would basically be solved.

Related: TikTok Shop Is Having a Full-Blown QVC Moment (NYT Gift Link)