20 predictions for 2020: Here’s what people said would happen by this year…. From USA Today

Everyone knows what a trumpet looks like: shiny brass. But the Instrument of Hope is mostly black.

Except for the lead pipe — the straight part that extends from the mouthpiece.

It’s made of bullets.

“Bullets that were shot and fired out of a gun, cut up and pieced together,” says Josh Landress, who made it.

Used Clothing Offers Fresh Hope For 2 Struggling Department Stores

In their latest gasp for fresh ideas, Macy’s and J.C. Penney made the same choice: A tie-up with ThredUp, the largest online store for second-hand clothes –- one of retail’s fastest-growing segments. Full story at All Things Considered on NPR

A different kind of road sign with a different kind of message will be greeting students and parents on their way to school for the new year in Richland County, South Carolina. (From CBN News)

The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday told consumers affected by the Equifax data breach that they are unlikely to get the full $125 cash payment that many sought.

Drug industry lashes Trump for Canada importation plan – The Trump administration jumped into a fight with drugmakers Wednesday by promising to allow importation of cheaper drugs from Canada and other countries, advancing an idea the pharmaceutical industry and many members of the president’s party have long opposed. (From Politico.com)

Fed Cuts Interest Rates For 1st Time Since 2008… The Federal Reserve is cutting interest rates for the first time in over a decade — a preemptive move aimed at extending the already record-long economic expansion. (From All Things Considered @ NPR)