Anna's Daybreak News

_{Just facts, you think for yourself}

Thursday, 5:11 AM

June 19, 2025

Good morning news friend! Explore the events unfolding now that are shaping the world to come. 📰🌟

Click here to read the poll results and comments from our previous edition. Over 5,959 people gave their opinion about targeting Iran’s supreme leader, the new stablecoin bill and more!

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Iran Hits Israeli Hospital

Israel struck Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor, while Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel. One missile hit Soroka Medical Center, wounding 40. Iranian attacks killed at least 24 Israelis and wounded hundreds.

Israeli strikes targeted multiple Iranian nuclear and military sites, killing at least 639, including 263 civilians.

Iran’s heavy water stockpile, key for plutonium production, remains unverified by inspectors. Japan, China, and Indonesia are evacuating citizens from the region. President Trump expressed indecision about joining strikes, while Iran’s Supreme Leader warned against US intervention.

Sources: AP News, AP News, Reuters, Bloomberg, Bloomberg.

Fed Holds Rates Steady

The Federal Reserve held interest rates at 4.25%-4.50% and expects two rate cuts by the end of 2025. Economic growth is projected to slow to 1.4%, with unemployment rising to 4.5% by year-end.

Inflation is forecast at 3% for 2025, above the 2% target, driven partly by tariffs whose impact on prices remains unclear. Policymakers are divided on rate cuts this year, with decisions hinging on upcoming data.

The Fed emphasized its independence amid political pressure and highlighted risks from trade policy uncertainty and global conflicts. The next rate adjustment could occur at the September meeting, pending clearer inflation signals.

Sources: Reuters, AP News, Bloomberg, WallStreetJournal.

Luxury Credit Cards Heat Up

JPMorgan Chase raised its Sapphire Reserve annual fee 45% to $795, offering over $2,700 in benefits, including enhanced travel and dining credits plus elite airline and hotel status for top spenders.

American Express is revamping its Platinum cards with expanded airport lounge access, dining options at 27,000+ restaurants, and late hotel checkouts. Amex’s Business Platinum card adds flexible spending and virtual cards.

Chase introduced a Sapphire Reserve Business card, intensifying business premium card competition. Amex may increase its Platinum fee beyond $895.

Despite rising fees, affluent consumers—accounting for half of U.S. spending—remain key users, even as broader credit card delinquency rates climb.

Sources: Bloomberg, Blackpromoterscollective, Investing, Today.

SpaceX’s Ship 36 Explodes

SpaceX’s Starship Ship 36 exploded during propellant loading before a planned static fire test at Starbase, Texas. The rocket, fueled with liquid methane and oxygen, was preparing for the 10th flight test scheduled for June 29.

All personnel were safe; local fire crews responded, and the site remains under restricted access. This is the fourth major Starship explosion this year, following failures in flights 7, 8, and 9. Ship 36 features the “V2” design, which improves propellant capacity and reduces dry mass.

SpaceX aims to develop a “V3” version for weekly launches and continues testing toward reliability and NASA’s Artemis lunar mission goals.

Sources: TheVerge, Valleycentral, Spaceflightnow.

Twice-Yearly HIV Prevention Shot

The FDA approved Yeztugo, a twice-yearly injectable HIV-prevention drug from Gilead using lenacapavir, which blocks HIV infection and showed 99.9% prevention in trials. It requires two injections per year, improving adherence compared to daily pills.

Yeztugo’s U.S. price is $28,218 annually, with sales expected to reach $1.6 billion by 2028. Competitors include GSK’s every-other-month Apretude and Gilead’s daily pill Descovy.

Funding cuts have reduced federal HIV prevention budgets by 35%, threatening outreach and access. About 200,000 Americans use PrEP versus 1.5 million eligible.

Sources: NBCnews, Time, AP News, WallStreetJournal.

The Jumping Gene That Fuels Disease

LINE-1 is a retrotransposon composing 20% of the human genome, capable of independently copying and inserting itself via RNA intermediates.

During mitosis, LINE-1 RNA binds hundreds of ORF1p proteins forming condensates that latch onto DNA when the nuclear envelope breaks down. These condensates target adenine-thymine rich regions, allowing LINE-1 to evade cellular defenses and insert DNA copies.

This activity drives genome evolution but can disrupt genes, causing neurological diseases, cancer, and aging. Understanding LINE-1's nuclear entry mechanism may enable therapies to block its replication and mitigate related diseases.

Sources: SciTechDaily.

“Any predictable strategy, whether of impulse or of caution, is a fatal vulnerability, for the bird that flies straight is already dead.”

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Baked with love,

Anna Eisenberg ❤️