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The confetti has been swept up, the champagne flutes are back in the cabinet, and — ugh — everyone is circling back. You’ve probably already broken half of your resolutions, but here’s one resolution you can actually keep: booking the travel of your dreams while everyone else is still recovering from their holiday hangover.

Welcome to Planuary — that magical window when smart travelers turn their biggest vacation dreams into a locked-in reality.

The January-February travel surge

In a recent point.me survey, 61% of travelers who haven’t yet booked their 2026 trips plan to do so in January or February. From December 2024 to January 2025, Google searches for “flight deals” skyrocketed by more than 600%.

The January surge is real, and it’s transcending generations, income levels, and travel styles.

When people expect to plan their 2026 trips

point.me

Why everyone’s suddenly a January-February planner

When the survey asked why people book their major trips during Planuary, two reasons rose to the top.

32% said they desperately need something to look forward to. Let’s be honest: January can feel like the Monday of months. The decorations are down, the parties are over, and the weather is often not conducive to doing much other than curling up on a couch with a warm blanket. Booking a summer beach escape or a fall European adventure? That’s the emotional espresso shot you need to power through the rest of winter.

20% said they’re hoping to snag better prices and availability, and another 16% are looking for post-holiday deals. These are the pragmatists, the spreadsheet enthusiasts, the people who know that the early bird doesn’t just get the worm, it also gets the lie-flat business class seat to Tokyo.

Both groups are onto something big.

Why people like to plan early in the year

point.me

4 reasons Planuary is your travel superpower

1. The entire year is open for booking

Read more

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From functional foods to global flavors, the U.S. food and beverage landscape is shifting fast, driven by wellness, cultural exploration and changing consumer expectations. For entrepreneurs, these changes aren’t just trends; they’re opportunities to build businesses and fill a niche.

Across restaurants, packaged goods, catering and specialty retail, small businesses are leading the charge. NEXT compiled a list of the fastest-growing restaurants, food and beverage business types for 2026.

1. Functional foods and personalized nutrition take center stage

Functional foods continue to gain momentum as more people look for everyday meals and snacks that support their health. Gut-healthy kombucha, probiotic chips, adaptogenic drinks and nutrient-dense smoothie kits are now part of many shoppers’ routines — and small food businesses are helping drive that shift.

A subset of this trend is personalized nutrition (also called precision nutrition), which tailors a diet to an individual’s unique health needs or goals. This could be customized meal plans, tailored nutrition supplements, or products for specific conditions like diabetes or low energy.

If you run a restaurant or café, you can tap into the functional food trend with a health-focused menu. For example, create build-your-own bowls and salads let diners tailor meals to their goals, from low-glycemic to gut-friendly. You can even partner with nutritionists to develop dishes aimed at goals like energy boosts, weight management or digestive support.

Recent insights from the Specialty Food Association point to ongoing functional food opportunities in customizable snacks, AI-supported nutrition apps and foods designed around specific wellness benefits — areas where small businesses can innovate quickly.

2. Meal and snack businesses supporting GLP-1 consumers

With roughly one in eight American adults now using GLP-1 medications like Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro, the way people eat is shifting — and fast. As appetite decreases and nutrition needs change, demand is rising for foods that support weight management and blood-sugar control. For small businesses, this is one of the clearest new food opportunities.

Major brands have already moved. Nestlé launched its Vital Pursuit line of high-protein, GLP-1 friendly meals, and Conagra rolled out an “On Track” badge on Healthy Choice meals to signal high-protein options for this audience.

Restaurants feel the impact, too. Read more

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Housing affordability and availability are top of mind for buyers and homeowners all over the country. Housing prices nationwide have increased about 25% since the start of the pandemic in 2020, which is largely a result of housing demand exceeding the current supply.

According to Freddie Mac, there’s a U.S. housing shortage of 3.7 million units as of the third quarter of 2024. In other words, there are 3.7 million more individuals or families who need homes than there are homes available for them.

Housing shortage trends vary dramatically across the country based on factors like job growth, new home construction, local zoning regulations, and more. Keep reading to learn which U.S. metro areas have the worst housing shortages right now and what that means for you.

TLDR: Key findings at a glance

• A housing shortage, also known as underproduction, is when there are fewer homes than there are people who need them.
• Riverside, CA; Oxnard, CA; and Yakima, WA are the three U.S. cities with the largest housing underproduction, as of 2022.
• Major metro areas, including Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and Miami, are currently experiencing housing shortages for a variety of reasons.
• If you’re buying a home in an area with a housing shortage, it’s important to prepare for a longer timeline, stiffer competition, and higher sales prices.
• The exact cause of each metro area’s housing shortage varies — some are the result of fast job growth, while other areas have strict zoning laws that make building challenging.

What is meant by “housing shortage”

A housing shortage is a situation where there aren’t enough homes to meet the current needs of a community. In other words, there are more people seeking homes than there are homes available. Housing shortages result in limited options for renters and buyers, increased competition for the homes available, and increasing home prices.

For the purposes of this article, Wealth Enhancement will focus on shortages in entire metropolitan areas, not specific neighborhoods. In each of the metro areas discussed, it’s likely that underproduction varies from neighborhood to neighborhood.

The two core metrics used

To understand housing shortages across the country, two key metrics from the 2024 Housing Underproduction in the U.S. Report from Up for Growth were used to compare shortages: total underproduction, meaning the specific number of housing units the area lacks, and underproduction as a share of the total housing units available.

Up for Growth’s data reveals where housing shortages exist, but it’s also important to look ahead. The National Association of REALTORS’ Housing Shortage Tracker highlights areas where the number of new building permits falls far short of the number of new jobs crea

By Natasha Bertrand, Alayna Treene, Kylie Atwood, Zachary Cohen, Avery Schmitz, CNN

(CNN) — The US is making plans to try to intercept a fleeing oil tanker that Russia has claimed jurisdiction over, according to four people familiar with the matter, setting up a possible confrontation between Washington and the Kremlin over the vessel’s fate.

Originally called the Bella 1, the tanker was sanctioned by the US in 2024 for operating within a “shadow fleet” of tankers transporting illicit oil. It was initially headed for Venezuela before turning around to avoid seizure by the US Coast Guard last month. The tanker was in the North Atlantic as of two days ago, heading northeast near the coast of the United Kingdom, according to open-source vessel data from Kpler, a trade intelligence firm.

At some point while being pursued, the crew of the tanker painted a Russian flag on its hull and claimed it was sailing under Russian protection. Shortly thereafter, the vessel appeared on Russia’s official register of ships under a new name — the Marinera. Russia filed a formal diplomatic request last month demanding that the US stop pursuing the vessel. By claiming Russian status, the legalities of seizing the tanker could become more complicated.

The White House declined to comment. CBS News first reported that the US is planning to to seize the tanker.

The US is planning to try to intercept other sanctioned oil tankers that have attempted to evade capture in recent days as well, two of the sources said.

President Donald Trump last month announced a “complete blockade” on sanctioned oil tankers attempting to enter or leave Venezuela, as a way to pressure the regime of then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The US Read more

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