The Highway to Helvetica

Font Faceplant, Monogamous Mammals

Apparently, the Trump administration doesn’t know that sans serif typefaces are more straight. During the Biden years, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken ordered the department to start using the sans serif font Calibri “to improve accessibility for readers with disabilities, such as low vision and dyslexia, and people who use assistive technologies, such as screen readers.” After this transition, Marco Rubio’s State Department memos and directives were being subjected to what can only be referred to as a woke font. We get it, Marco. Calibri is not your type. But fear not, State Department employees, Calibri has been officially deported from your printer port. In modern parlance, the Calibri font has been officially undocumented. The return of the Times New Roman Empire is upon us. “While mostly framed as a matter of clarity and formality in presentation, Mr. Rubio’s directive to all diplomatic posts around the world blamed ‘radical’ diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility programs for what he said was a misguided and ineffective switch from the serif typeface Times New Roman to sans serif Calibri in official department paperwork.” (It goes without saying that all files must only be printed in black and white: Documents of color are not welcome.) NYT (Gift Article): At State Dept., a Typeface Falls Victim in the War Against Woke. “Serif typefaces are ‘generally perceived to connote tradition, formality and ceremony,’ Mr. Rubio’s order said, adding that they were used by the White House, Supreme Court and other state and federal government entities.” If this administration really wants a font that represents the current American government, I suggest they consider Comic Sans.

2

Post Mortem

“The Trump administration plans to require all foreign tourists to provide their social media histories from the last five years to enter the country, according to a notice published Tuesday in the Federal Register. The data would be ‘mandatory’ for new entrants to the U.S., regardless of whether they are entering from countries that require visas, according to the notice from Customs and Border Protection.” (Too bad we didn’t have that requirement for running for president...)

+ As we make America less welcome, other countries are taking advantage. NYT (Gift Article): ‘Come North!’ Canada Makes Play for H-1B Visa Holders With New Talent Drive.

3

A Taxing Policy

In general, it’s a bad time to be an immigrant and a pretty decent time to be a tax dodger. “President Donald Trump’s administration has carried out a sweeping overhaul of U.S. law enforcement this year, forcing out scores of attorneys and focusing large sections of the Justice Department on tracking ​down immigrants. Its retreat from tax enforcement illustrates the toll that shift has taken on other crime-fighting efforts.” Exclusive-Tax prosecutions plunge as Trump shifts crime-fighting efforts.

+ WaPo (Gift Article): DHS inks contract to create its own fleet of 737 jets for deportations. “The agency will spend nearly $140 million to buy the planes, funding that comes from a massive budget increase for immigration enforcement approved by Congress.”

+ Of course, the shift of resources to deportation efforts will have an impact on many other crime and terrorism fighting efforts. The question is, to what end? “Trump’s push for the largest mass deportation in history has had an outsized impact on the child care field, which is heavily reliant on immigrants and already strained by a worker shortage. Immigrant child care workers and preschool teachers, the majority of whom are working and living in the U.S. legally, say they are wracked by anxiety over possible encounters with ICE officials. Some have left the field, and others have been forced out by changes to immigration policy.” Trump’s crackdown on immigration is taking a toll on child care workers. (Feel safer?)

4

Be My Baa Baa Baby

Tired of being cheated on? Want a partner you can actually trust to be monogamous? Stop swiping left and right and consider this one piece of advice: Date a California deermouse. WSJ (Gift Article): A Scientist Produced a Monogamy Ranking of Dozens of Mammals, Including Us. If you’re still at the point when multiple partners sounds like twice the fun, you can’t beat the bleat of a Soay sheep.

+ Seemingly related: These Utah Beavers Are Moving. They’ll Get New Jobs and More Space.

5

Extra, Extra

Miami Hurricane: “Democrat Eileen Higgins won the Miami mayor’s race on Tuesday, defeating a Republican endorsed by President Donald Trump to end her party’s nearly three-decade losing streak and give Democrats a boost in one of the last electoral battles ahead of the 2026 midterms.” Democrat wins Miami mayor’s race for the first time in nearly 30 years. (Who knows if the momentum will last, but at this point, a Democrat could win an election to be club president at Mar-a-Lago.)

+ Split Decision: “A Federal Reserve split over where its priorities should lie lowered its key interest rate Wednesday, but signaled a tougher road ahead for further reductions.” Divided Fed approves third rate cut this year, sees slower pace ahead.

+ Dropping Pinocchios in the Poconos: Trump is back on the rally tour, offering gems like these: “I said, why is it we only take people from shithole countries? Why can’t we have some people from Norway, Sweden, Denmark… But we always take people from Somalia— places that are filthy, dirty, disgusting.” ... “Ilhan Omar, whatever the hell her name is. With her little turban. I love her. She comes in, does nothing but bitch ... we ought to get her the hell out ... she’s here illegally.” (After that one, the crowd started chanting “send her back.”) Trump strays from script at Poconos rally, calling affordability a ‘hoax’ and Pa. a ‘dumping ground’ for immigrants.

+ Foreseeable Future: Everything is television, AI is eating the economy, Gen Z is bummed, America is on drugs. Derek Thomas sums up the year ahead with The 26 Most Important Ideas For 2026.

+ A’ja: “Wilson, a seven-time All-Star, has positioned herself as an ideal leader in this pivotal moment in women’s sports history. She is an effervescent WNBA ambassador, who in recent weeks has been everywhere, finally getting her due.” A’ja Wilson Is TIME’s 2025 Athlete of the Year.

+ Bounty Hunters: Think your budget is stretched thin these days? The United Nations just got rid of paper towels at global HQ in NYC.

+ Photo Finish: Often, the story of our time is best told in photos. From The Atlantic (Gift Article): Top 25 News Photos of 2025. The photos of our time can be pretty bleak. So you may want to follow them with Instagram’s Favorite New Yorker Cartoons in 2025.

6

Bottom of the News

“When a small town in Oregon couldn’t afford to properly clear the snow from its streets, residents took the only natural step: They stripped.” WSJ (Gift Article): One Town’s Plan to Address a Financial Crisis: Nude Calendars. “Alan Munhall, the September model who was photographed by his wife in their garden with a basket strapped to his waist, wasn’t sure if they’d raise much money but figured it wouldn’t hurt to try. ‘I’ve gotten a few comments like ‘Oh, it’s a good thing that harvesting bag was as big as it was.”

+ In-N-Out “has removed the number 67 from its order system, as it found teens would go crazy when the number was called, launching celebrations of the nonsense term that have turned into viral videos.” (You may be thinking, “Well, at least we’re that much closer to 69.” But sadly, they got rid of that number, too.)