Global Scans · USA · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Donald Trump's surprise win in the Presidential election mean the world and America can expect prolonged uncertainty as new domestic policies are put in place, different international relationships formed and attitudes change towards current friends and rivals.

• [New] By 2030, the U.S. may need roughly 240 TWh more electricity for its data centers than it does now (and China may need about 175 TWh more). Yahoo Finance Singapore
• [New] U.S. consumer price inflation would stay above the Federal Reserve's 2% target until the end of 2027 in part because of heavy corporate investment in AI. Yahoo Finance
• [New] AI could ultimately displace around 6-7% of the U.S. workforce. Nucamp Bootcamp
• [New] Up to 30% of current hours worked in the U.S. economy could be automated by 2030, and in a recent survey, 32% of organizations said they expect AI-related workforce reductions within a year. Nucamp Bootcamp
• [New] The US will run Venezuela and take its oil. The Anti-Empire Project
• [New] Improving the interchangeability of biosimilars could enhance biosimilar uptake in the US, although additional steps are needed to unlock further savings for patients and the health care system. AJMC
• [New] For biosimilars, regulators in the US and internationally have not found evidence that switching between versions poses risks in terms of safety or effectiveness. AJMC
• [New] 2026 will see record-breaking spending on US political advertising, in a contentious Midterm election uncomplicated by frivolous regulations on dark money. Media War & Peace
• [New] By summer, streaming will push over 50% of all television viewing for the first time, FAST will have put Netflix in its rearview, and YouTube will surpass all of US Broadcast, combined. Media War & Peace
• [New] By mid-year 2026, the majority of SVOD subscribers in the US will be on ad tiers. Media War & Peace
• [New] The monetary policy decisions of the U.S. Federal Reserve, which is widely expected to implement two interest rate cuts in 2026, will continue to significantly influence capital flows and investor sentiment across Asia. Whalesbook
• [New] Regulated AI means systems are built and operated under formal legal regimes (such as the US / EU / China rules) that mandate risk classification, transparency, human oversight, and strict data handling. EZO.io
• [New] An additional 97.6 million adults aged 18 years and older (38.0% of the U.S. population) were living with prediabetes, and over 100 million adults 20 years and older (41.9% of U.S. adults) were living with obesity, placing them at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Beef prices are projected to continue increasing in 2026 as U.S. beef production continues to decline, with no obvious signs of a rebuilding cattle herd. Agriculture of America
• [New] Bitcoin might be well-positioned to replace the U.S. dollar as the most popular global reserve currency. Scholarship Commons
• [New] AI governance requirements will become explicit with the EU AI Act's full implementation and state-level U.S. laws taking effect. Secure Privacy
• [New] Agentic commerce transactions are expected to take place through AI platforms commonly used by consumers, such as ChatGPT and Google's Gemini, as well as through merchant, bank and app-specific agents. / USA CNBC
• [New] Fraud losses due to AI will be as high as $40 billion in the United States alone. Mondaq
• [New] In the US alone, automated agentic shopping tools may influence $1 trillion in online spending by 2030, with worldwide estimates running into several trillion dollars. Financial IT
• [New] Zoetis has invested $1.7 billion in its U.S. manufacturing sites and plans to invest an additional $1.3 billion through 2031 across its nine sites in seven states. Precedence Research
• [New] The U.S. government has already implemented an AI risk and management framework to navigate AI deployment risks, further promoting the responsible use of AI. Precedence Research

Last updated: 07 January 2026