Anna's Daybreak News

_{Just facts, you think for yourself}

Monday, 5:23 AM

February 24, 2025

Good morning news friend! Witness the moments that shape today and define tomorrow. 📰🌟

Would you like to see the poll results and comments from our previous edition? We had so many rich comments that we had to break them down in two parts. (1) Click here to see what other readers had to say about: the US military taking action against Mexican drug cartels, their experience with the job market and JPMorgan’s $150 million scam. (2) Click here to read people’s opinions about: the source of climate change and whether they’d use brain probiotics!

Germany's Election Results

In the German elections, the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) led by Friedrich Merz won 28.5% of the vote, while Alternative for Germany (AfD) surged to 20.5%. This was AfD's strongest electoral performance since World War II.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his Social Democratic Party (SPD) garnered 16%, their lowest postwar result. Voter turnout reached 83.5%, the highest since reunification in 1990.

Despite the CDU's victory, Merz faces challenges in forming a stable coalition, as he ruled out alliances with the AfD, which other parties have labeled extremist.

Merz has committed to a stricter immigration policy and aims to revitalize the economy, which is currently stagnant.

Sources: APNews, Reuters, Bloomberg, WallStreetJournal, NYTimes, Forbes.

Record-Breaking Crypto Heist

Bybit, a major crypto exchange, fell victim to a massive hack resulting in losses exceeding $1.4 billion. This was the largest theft in the history of crypto.

The hackers targeted Bybit's Ethereum cold wallet, successfully transferring 401,000 ETH coins to unknown addresses.

Bybit's CEO, Ben Zhou, assured users that the platform remains solvent, stating that all client assets are 1-to-1 backed. Bybit holds around $20 billion in assets.

Ethereum's value dropped 4%, leaving it valued at $2,641.41 per coin.

Sources: BBC, TheRecord, Wired, FinancialTimes, TheBlock, Fortune.

Federal Workforce in Turmoil

Elon Musk mandated employees to summarize their weekly accomplishments. Musk’s directive, backed by President Trump, ordered all federal employees to respond by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, with failure to comply seen as resignation.

However, the FBI, State Department, NASA, and Department of Defense have instructed their employees to ignore the request.

The Department of Defense emphasized that it alone oversees personnel reviews, while Kash Patel, the new FBI director, reaffirmed a pause on responses.

Multiple labor unions, particularly the American Federation of Government Employees, condemned Musk's mandate as unlawful and vowed to challenge any wrongful dismissals.

Sources: Bloomberg, APNews, Bloomberg[2], AXIOS, NYTimes.

Berkshire Hathaway's Q4

Berkshire Hathaway reported that operating earnings surged 71% to $14.53 billion, compared to $8.48 billion in 2023. For 2024, operating earnings reached $47.44 billion, up 27% from $37.35 billion.

Insurance underwriting rose more than 300% to $3.41 billion. Berkshire's insurance operations generated $9 billion in underwriting earnings, a 66% increase from 2023's $5.4 billion.

Berkshire's cash position hit $334.2 billion, up from $325.2 billion in the previous quarter. The conglomerate trimmed its holdings in Apple and offloaded a portion of its Bank of America shares.

Buffett mentioned that 53% of Berkshire's 189 businesses had declining earnings. Berkshire anticipates approximately $1.3 billion in pre-tax losses due to the LA fires.

Sources: Investopedia, CNN, Reuters, Reinsurance, Investors, CNBC.

The Future of Gene Editing

Scientists can now create new life forms through advanced gene editing technologies. Since the 1970s, innovations like CRISPR have enabled precise modifications of DNA.

Companies like Neoclease are using AI to enhance gene editing accuracy. Their process has already generated about 7,000 potential gene editors, reducing off-target effects by up to sixfold.

The ‘Wise Learning’ approach by 123Genetix improves gene editing specificity, enabling better treatments for rare diseases. Their AI model has analyzed around 65 million gene relationships.

The ZFDesign gene editor provides single-target resolution, achieving 80% success in modifying target genes.

Sources: FreeThink, GeneNews.

New Record in Nuclear Fusion Plasma

The CEA's WEST tokamak maintained a nuclear fusion plasma for 1,337 seconds, breaking the previous record by 25%. This surpassed China's EAST record of 1,066 seconds. The plasma reached a temperature of 50 million degrees Celsius.

This is crucial for future machines like ITER, which will require maintaining plasmas for longer periods. CEA researchers aim to extend plasma durations to several hours and increase temperatures closer to those expected in fusion reactions.

To achieve this record, the WEST tokamak used 2 MW of heating power. The facility is located in Cadarache, France.

Experts note that the technology must overcome various barriers before achieving net energy production.

Sources: CEA, IAN, ASN, NucNet, ScienceAlert, NewAtlas.

“Hatred is love with a typo somewhere in the computer code, correctable but very hard to find.”

Did you know we also write in-depth deep dive? They are long, packed with insights, and have received rave reviews. If you’re up for a detailed, action-packed read, check them out:

• Iran’s Nuclear Program 

• AI and the Age of Intelligence

Baked with love,

Anna Eisenberg ❤️