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Monday, 5:23 AM

March 17, 2025

Good morning news friend! Catch the pulse of change with the stories shaping today’s world. 📰🌟

Click here to discover how other readers weighed in on critical topics like Trump’s response to Putin, inflation, Meta’s community notes, and hair loss medications!

Senate Advances GOP Spending Bill

The Senate passed a Republican-led spending bill to fund the government through September. The vote was 54-46, with two Democrats supporting it and one Republican, Rand Paul, opposing it.

Earlier, a procedural vote advanced the bill 62-38, requiring support from Democrats due to the Senate's 60-vote threshold.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer led nine Democratic senators in breaking party lines to avoid a government shutdown. He argued that a shutdown would empower Trump and DOGE.

The bill increases military spending by $6 billion while cutting non-military spending by $13 billion. It also prevents $1 billion in federal funds for Washington, D.C.

Sources: WallStreetJournal, USAToday, CBS, APNews, BBC .

US Strikes Houthi Rebels in Yemen

President Trump authorized airstrikes targeting Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen. The US military aims to halt Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. The USS Harry S. Truman strike group participated in the mission.

Reports indicate at least 31 fatalities and 101 injuries. Trump pledged to use “overwhelming lethal force” until the rebels cease their actions against vessels in the region.

Iran, a key supporter of the Houthis, was warned to cease its backing, or face accountability.

The Houthi movement, which has controlled much of Yemen for over a decade, had previously targeted over 100 merchant ships since late 2023.

Sources: APNews, Reuters, Bloomberg, France24, DW.

Cybersecurity Alert: Medusa Ransomware

The FBI and CISA warn users about the Medusa ransomware campaign. This ransomware uses phishing scams to infiltrate systems and demands ransoms ranging from thousands to millions of dollars.

More than 1.8 billion Gmail accounts are at risk. Medusa employs social engineering and exploits software vulnerabilities to gain access.

Once in, it encrypts files using AES-256 encryption and threatens to publicly leak sensitive data.

The FBI recommends implementing two-factor authentication for webmail and VPNs. Organizations should also keep systems updated, use long passwords, and have multiple data backups stored securely.

Sources: Forbes, ABC, TechRadar, HackRead, SAN.

Devastation Across the Midwest and South

Extreme weather wreaked havoc across multiple US states, leaving at least 40 people dead. The storms spawned tornadoes, dust storms, and wildfires.

Missouri experienced the worst impact, recording 12 fatalities. In Mississippi, six people lost their lives, while Alabama reported three deaths.

The storm system triggered over 557 storms and 66 tornadoes. Wildfires in Oklahoma damaged 400 homes and claimed four lives. In Kansas, a dust storm caused a 70 car pile-up, resulting in at least eight deaths.

Power outages affected more than 380,000 families nationwide, with 320,000 impacted in Texas alone.

Sources: APNews, BBC, NBC, USAToday, CBS.

“Feeling” Virtual Worlds

Engineers have developed a wearable device designed to stimulate the skin. This thin, flexible device can deliver vibrations, pressure, and twisting sensations, enhancing virtual reality (VR) and gaming experiences.

It could also assist visually impaired individuals by allowing them to "feel" their surroundings.

The device features 19 miniaturized magnetic actuators encapsulated in silicone mesh. It uses stored skin energy to power its functions, allowing longer battery life on a single charge.

In tests, users blindfolded navigated obstacles by interpreting haptic feedback, demonstrating its potential for sensory substitution.

Sources: SciTechDaily, Nature, SE.

How Poor Rest Impacts Brain Health

Research revealed that disrupted sleep hampers the glymphatic system—the brain's waste disposal network—leading to harmful protein accumulation.

The glymphatic system operates primarily during deep sleep, facilitating the removal of toxins. Inadequate sleep diminishes this cleaning process.

This dysfunction increases the risk of memory decline and neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Additionally, sleeping pills like zolpidem reduced the brain's natural cleaning mechanisms by 50%. The study examined 72 participants using functional MRI scans.

Sources: NSN, SciTechDaily, EPE, Gene.

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