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Monday, 5:10 AM

February 10, 2025

Good morning news friend! Keep pace with the ever-changing world of global news, staying informed on the latest developments and trends. 📰🌟

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Courts versus Trump Admin

Judges across the country have temporarily blocked key policies from the Trump administration, including halting attempts to end birthright citizenship and stopping plans to freeze $3 trillion in federal spending.

Other judges have issued injunctions against policies aimed at dismantling the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and restricting access to Treasury payment systems by Elon Musk’s DOGE.

Vice President JD Vance asserted that judicial oversight should not limit executive power. He claimed, “Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.”

A total of 30 lawsuits challenging Trump's authority may soon escalate to the Supreme Court, where a 6-3 conservative majority, including three of Trump's appointees, could weigh in on these issues.

Sources: APNews, Politico, Reuters, Forbes, USAToday, NYTimes

CFPB Halts All Activities

Russell Vought, acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), halted nearly all agency operations. His directives demand a stop to supervision and examination activities of financial companies.

Vought announced the CFPB would not draw on its upcoming $711.6 million funding from the Federal Reserve, deeming it excessive for current needs.

He also directed staff to cease all investigations and enforcement actions and not issue any new regulations. His order goes beyond previous directives from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Critics of these moves express alarm over the undermining of consumer protections. Meanwhile, supporters argue that overregulation is slowing down markets and the economy.

Sources: WallStreetJournal, APNews, Reuters, NYTimes, Politico

January Jobs Report

The US added 143,000 jobs in January, falling short of the expected 170,000. The unemployment rate dropped from 4.1% to 4.0%, the lowest since May 2024.

Average hourly earnings rose by 0.5% month-on-month, reaching $35.87, a 4.1% increase year-over-year.

Revisions revealed that 100,000 additional jobs were added in November and December. However, January marked the weakest start to the year for job growth since 2016.

Job gains primarily came from healthcare (+44,000), retail (+34,000), and government (+32,000). Conversely, industries like mining and oil extraction lost about 8,000 jobs.

Sources: ING, Forbes, BusinessInsider, Reuters, NYTimes

Israel Withdraws from Gaza Corridor

The Israeli military has withdrawn from the 6-kilometer Netzarim Corridor in Gaza as part of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas.

During the ceasefire's first phase, which began on January 19, a total of 33 Israeli hostages are set to be released in exchange for 1,900 Palestinian prisoners. So far, 16 hostages have been freed alongside 566 prisoners.

Negotiations to extend the ceasefire to phase two are underway. Negotiators from Israel and Hamas are set to begin talks in Doha.

President Donald Trump described the condition of three released hostages (Eli Sharabi, Or Levy, and Ohad Ben Ami) as frail and emaciated, resembling Holocaust survivors. “US Patience with Hamas is running out,” he stated.

Sources: WallStreetJournal, Euronews, Reuters, BBC, JPost

China's DeepSeek Moment in Biotech

In 2020, only 5% of pharmaceutical deals worth over $50 million involved China. By 2024, this number soared to 30%. Chinese firms conduct clinical trials at a fraction of US costs and have streamlined regulatory approvals.

Large pharmaceutical companies, like Merck, are now licensing drugs from China rather than spending billions on US acquisitions. Merck's licensing deal for an oral GLP-1 drug from Hansoh Pharma cost $112 million upfront, with potential milestones of $1.9 billion.

Last fall, Summit Therapeutics revealed its drug surpassed Merck’s $30 billion Keytruda, in lung cancer trials. Summit had licensed this drug just two years prior from Chinese biotech Akeso, highlighting China's innovative edge.

Sources: FinancialTimes, WallStreetJournal, LiveMint, StatNews, BioPharmaDive, EndPts

Genetic Ties Behind Eight Psychiatric Disorders

Research reveals that eight psychiatric disorders share common genetic roots. These include autism, ADHD, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, Tourette syndrome, OCD, and anorexia.

Scientists identified 136 genetic "hot spots" linked to these disorders, with 109 hot spots shared across multiple conditions. A new study analyzed 17,841 genetic variants within those hot spots and discovered that 683 variants affect gene regulation.

The study categorized these variants into two groups: pleiotropic variants, which influence multiple disorders, and disorder-specific variants. Pleiotropic variants demonstrate greater activity and sensitivity to change throughout brain development.

This suggests they impact various neurodevelopmental stages, contributing to symptoms across multiple disorders. Understanding these shared genetic factors may lead to more effective treatments targeting common pathways.

Sources: MedicalXpress, ScienceAlert, LabRoots.

“The best revenge on a liar is to convince him that you believe what he said.”

Baked with love,

Anna Eisenberg ❤️