By The Way: Headlines You May Have Missed

Rising inflation is driving a significant shift in American holiday spending, with two-thirds of consumers planning to reduce the number of gifts purchased or hosted events while niche trends like the sold-out Hallmark Christmas Cruise continue to attract high-spending fans. Concurrently, higher education institutions are grappling with "melt," a trend where depositing students fail to enroll due to financial constraints or aid negotiation tactics, prompting colleges to implement early engagement strategies. The College Board is also responding to emerging academic integrity threats in the transition to computer-based SATs, specifically targeting a fraudulent AI service that projects answers onto student screens.