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Periodically rumors about the demise of the U.S. dollar crop up, often making their way through the cesspool of social media. Atlas recently came across one such claim and thought you might have as well. After looking into it, the death of the U.S. dollar has once again been greatly exaggerated.

A map’s accuracy is directly linked to its scale. The more detail one wants in their map, the larger it will need to be. At some point, a tradeoff must be made between a map’s portability and its accuracy. Said differently, the map is not the terrain.

The last piece of confetti hit the floor at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California (home of the San Francisco 49ers) settling one of the least talked about market indicators: the Super Bowl Indicator. As Atlas wiped away the nacho cheese that spilled onto the counter, euphoria was present. The NFC’s Seattle Seahawks won the Lombardi.

America’s economy is not skating on thin ice, but it does feel a bit like the ice could be more solid. It’s frozen enough to etch its direction of travel across the surface, but there are hints of fragility beneath which should not be ignored, especially if one is inclined to do a quad axel.

Atlas has been noticing recently what is called the K-shape of the American economy. In short, a portion of the economy, and a relatively small segment at that, has fared relatively well while a larger ratio of the population seems to be having a different experience.

Tariffs are difficult for those paying them.

The calendar has flipped, the fireworks have faded, and most resolutions have already been broken.  A new year can bring a sense of renewal, or at least the illusion of a fresh start.  But in the world of federal policy, the first few days of a new year can give way to what was.

Happy New Year! Today is the first business day of 2026, so let’s spend some time talking about businesses. Last year was a strong one for some of the most noteworthy companies. Rising revenues coupled with improved productivity helped usher in large gains in profitability.

Here we are the day after Christmas, and many countries are now celebrating Boxing Day.  In nations like the UK, Canada, Hong Kong, and Nigeria, this day was born in the tradition of charity.  Wealthy employers would often give servants the day off to enjoy and provide them with boxes containing everything from food and gifts to bonuses.  You may have noticed America is not conta