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Wednesday, 5:11 AM

February 5, 2025

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

Maximum Pressure on Iran

President Donald Trump reimposed his "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran. The objective is to drive Iran's oil exports to zero and prevent the country from developing nuclear weapons.

Trump signed a presidential memorandum restoring stringent policies from his first term. In 2023, Iran's oil exports generated $53 billion, slightly down from $54 billion in 2022.

The US Treasury will enforce sanctions and implement a campaign targeting these exports. Iran is enriching uranium to 60% purity, close to the 90% needed for weapons-grade material, according to UN nuclear watchdog reports.

Trump also announced that the US would take control of Gaza, dismantle any remaining weapons, remove all destroyed buildings, and oversee economic development in the region.

Sources: Reuters, Sky, JPost, USAToday, APNews

Sweden's Deadliest Mass Shooting

A shooting at an adult education center in Örebro, Sweden, left 10 people dead, including the gunman. This was the deadliest mass shooting in Swedish history, according to Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

The attack occurred at Campus Risbergska, which serves 2,000 students over 20 years old. The motive for the shooting remains unknown, and police are investigating the scene.

The perpetrator was not previously known to law enforcement and acted alone, according to authorities.

Sweden has the highest gun violence rate per capita in the EU. However, school shootings are rare, with only ten fatalities recorded between 2010 and 2022.

Sources: APNews, NYTimes, TheLocal, Reuters, BBC

Google’s Q4

In Q4, Google earned $26.5 billion, or $2.15 per share, a 28% increase year-over-year. However, revenue reached $96.5 billion, a 12% increase that missed analyst projections.

Digital ad revenue rose 11% to $72.5 billion, driven by heightened US election spending. Cloud revenue grew only 30% to $11.96 billion, underperforming forecasts.

Google plans $75 billion for capital expenditures in 2025, surpassing the anticipated $58 billion. Google’s stock dropped 8% after the earnings report.

Regulatory issues also loom, including a judge's ruling deeming Google a monopoly, leading to potential forced asset sales. Google aims to reach 500 million users on its Gemini chatbot by year-end.

Sources: APNews, Reuters, Bloomberg, WallStreetJournal, Forbes, Investors

Job Openings Take a Hit

In December, US job openings fell by 556,000 to 7.6 million. This is the largest drop in 14 months. The job openings-to-unemployed ratio decreased to 1.1 from 1.15 in November. Also, 5.462 million people were hired, an increase of 89,000.

Layoffs decreased by 29,000 to 1.771 million, with a layoff rate of 1.1%. The increase in hiring came from smaller businesses with 10 to 49 employees. Vacancies fell in professional and business services by 225,000 and in healthcare by 180,000.

US factory orders fell 0.9% in December, totaling $578.5 billion, following a 0.8% drop in November. Civilian aircraft orders dropped 45.7%, contributing to a 7.4% decline in transportation equipment orders. Excluding transportation, orders rose 0.3%.

In the manufacturing sector, which represents 10.3% of the economy, signs of recovery emerged as the Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing PMI indicated growth for the first time in two years.

Sources: Reuters, FxStreet, Investing, Census.gov, ForexFactory

Birth of Lunar Canyons

Researchers revealed how a colossal asteroid impacted the Moon, creating two massive canyons, Vallis Schrödinger and Vallis Planck, approximately 3.8 billion years ago.

The asteroid measured 15 miles wide and struck at 1 mile per second. In just ten minutes, these canyons formed, surpassing the size of Arizona's Grand Canyon.

Vallis Schrödinger stretches 270 kilometers long, 20 kilometers wide, and 2.7 kilometers deep, while Vallis Planck measures 280 kilometers long, 27 kilometers wide, and 3.5 kilometers deep.

The energy from this impact was more than 130 times greater than that of the current global nuclear arsenal. Most ejected debris flew away from the lunar south pole, preserving ancient rocks on the near side for future exploration.

Sources: APNews, Nature, Naseba, Space, ScienceAlert, NPR, BigThink

Microplastics and Human Brains

A study analyzed 52 postmortem brain samples from individuals who died between 2016 and 2024. The results showed a rise in microplastic concentrations, with samples from 2024 containing 50% more microplastics than those from 2016.

The study found that brain tissue contained 7 to 30 times more microplastics than kidney and liver samples. Brains of individuals diagnosed with dementia exhibited even higher plastic levels.

The primary type of plastic detected was polyethylene, often used in packaging. The researchers noted that age, sex, and ethnicity did not influence plastic concentrations, implying a systemic accumulation linked to rising environmental microplastic levels.

Between 1950 and 2019, approximately 9 billion metric tons of plastic were produced. The implications for human health remain unclear.

Sources: Nature, ScienceAlert, NationalGeographic, BusinessInsider, SmithsonianMag, TheScientist

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Anna Eisenberg ❤️