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Anna's Daybreak News

_{Just facts, you think for yourself}

Tuesday, 5:19 AM

October 21, 2025

Good morning news friend! Discover today’s defining stories and the future they set in motion. 📰🌟

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Appeals Court Allows Trump to Deploy National Guard to Portland

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals allowed President Trump to deploy 200 Oregon National Guard troops to Portland for 60 days, overturning a lower court’s restraining order.

Two Trump-appointed judges ruled the deployment lawful, citing violent protests at a Portland ICE facility, while a Clinton-appointed judge dissented, warning of state militia control erosion and First Amendment risks. Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield opposes the deployment, calling it illegal. Other injunctions still block Guard troops from outside Oregon.

This move is part of Trump's broader strategy to send National Guard troops to several Democratic-led cities facing protests. Separately, demolition began on the White House East Wing for a Trump-requested ballroom.

Sources: Bloomberg, AP News, ABC, BBC.

Amazon Outage Shakes Internet

AWS suffered a 15-hour outage from a malfunction in a directory linked to DynamoDB at its largest US East Coast data center. The failure disrupted over 1,000 apps and websites, affecting millions globally.

Impacted sectors included finance (Venmo, Robinhood, Lloyds Bank), social media (Snapchat, Facebook, Reddit), gaming (Fortnite, Roblox), airlines (Delta, United), and government services (UK’s HMRC). Downdetector logged 6.5 million reports at peak. The incident exposed risks of heavy reliance on dominant cloud providers controlling 70% of the market, echoing previous major outages in 2021.

AWS restored service by evening, but residual effects persisted. Industry experts advocate for diversified, resilient cloud infrastructures to prevent systemic failures.

Sources: Bloomberg, AP News, Time, BBC.

Trump and Albanese Seal Rare Earths Deal

The US and Australia signed an $8.5 billion rare earths agreement to reduce dependence on China, which controls 70% of mining and 90% of processing globally.

Both countries will invest at least $1 billion each in the next six months, with the US Export-Import Bank committing $2.2 billion, potentially unlocking $5 billion total. The deal includes faster permitting, pricing oversight, and national security measures. Australian rare earth stocks rose sharply; US-listed Alcoa gained nearly 10% for its gallium refinery project.

The US Pentagon will invest in this refinery after China blocked gallium exports. The pact is non-binding and may take years to affect the supply chain. Defense cooperation on nuclear submarines also advances.

Sources: BBC, CNBC, Dw, Time, Reuters.

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

• The Widowhood Penalty

• The Asset Protection Blueprint

• The Retirement Tax Bomb

• Inflammation Crisis

• The Gut Brain Axis

• AI Proof Professionals

U.S. and Argentina Seal Currency Swap

The US Treasury and Argentina’s central bank agreed on a $20 billion currency swap to stabilize the peso, which has fallen 30% in 2025.

This is part of a $40 billion financial package under the Trump administration to support President Javier Milei’s government ahead of the October 26 midterms. Major US banks, including JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs, are negotiating a separate $20 billion loan, pending collateral details.

Argentina owes nearly $60 billion to the IMF, having defaulted nine times since 2000. The swap requires no collateral but risks US losses if the peso weakens further. The IMF expressed concern about coordination with the US-led rescue plan.

Sources: WallStreetJournal, Bloomberg, Reuters.

Drug Combos Advance Prostate Cancer Treatment

The AMPLITUDE Phase III trial (696 men) found that adding niraparib to abiraterone acetate and prednisone (AAP) delayed progression in advanced prostate cancer, especially in patients with BRCA mutations, though it increased anemia, hypertension, and treatment-related deaths.

Meanwhile, the Phase I/II PETRANHA trial tested saruparib plus androgen receptor pathway inhibitors in 77 metastatic prostate cancer patients, showing high response rates—100% in metastatic castration-sensitive and 73.3% in ARPI-naïve metastatic castration-resistant cases—with manageable side effects.

These PARP inhibitor combinations improve outcomes by targeting DNA repair mutations and may soon become standard. Ongoing trials aim to confirm long-term survival benefits and expand patient eligibility.

Sources: SciTechDaily, Urologytimes.

Lead in Protein Powders

Consumer Reports tested 23 protein powders and shakes, finding about 70% exceed its 0.5 microgram per serving lead safety limit. Four products surpassed the FDA’s 2.2 microgram daily lead limit for children, and two neared 90% of the FDA limit for pregnant women.

Plant-based powders contained nine times more lead than dairy-based and twice as much as beef-based powders; Naked Nutrition’s Vegan Mass Gainer and Huel’s Black Edition had lead levels over 1,200% of Consumer Reports’ limit. Cadmium and arsenic also appeared in some samples above safety levels.

Experts link contamination to natural soil and water pollution. Consumers are advised to limit use and prefer animal-based or organic options.

Sources: Sciencealert, DiscoverMag, Kotatv, Gq.

“A man ought to be three things: decent, able to see things as they are without a lot of fanciful illusions, and clever enough to navigate a room full of liars without becoming one himself.”

Baked with love,

Anna Eisenberg ❤️