Google releases its year in search: a look at the most-searched words, names and phrases of the year. Top results include Hurricane Irma, Matt Lauer, and Megan Markle.
Two of the biggest social media platforms are rolling out major changes. Twitter is officially launching a 'threads' feature which allows users to more easily send off tweetstorms. Instagram now allows users to follow hashtags, instead of just accounts.
And McDonald's is permanently adding the McVegan to its menu in Sweden and Finland. The soy-based burger exceeded expectations in a trial run. It's the latest sign that fast food is embracing veganism. Pizza Hut recently launched vegan pizza in the UK.
Investors weren't jolted by the downgrade because they already know the fractured state of U.S. politics, the size of the country's public debt, and the challenges it faces to pay for Social Security, Medicare and other expenses.
The national average for gas prices stood at about $3.78 a gallon on Tuesday — about 25 cents higher than that seen one month ago, according to motor club AAA. While today's prices at the pump remain far lower than they were last year, when energy costs soared worldwide in the months following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, experts say such a jump is unusual.
