Anna's Daybreak News

_{Just facts, you think for yourself}

Tuesday, 5:17 AM

March 25, 2025

Good morning news friend! Discover what’s happening now—and what it means for what’s next.📰🌟

Would you like to see the poll results and comments from our previous edition? Click here to explore how others voted on key issues like who is responsible for the deaths of civilians in Gaza, the dirty 15 tariffs, Canadian elections and more!

National Security Breach

Trump administration officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, mistakenly shared sensitive military plans on a Signal group chat that included a journalist from The Atlantic.

The messages revealed details of strikes against Yemen’s Houthi militants and complaints about European allies.

The National Security Council confirmed the chat's authenticity and is investigating how the journalist was included.

Legal experts warned of severe consequences under the Espionage Act.

Sources: Bloomberg, APNews, WallStreetJournal, Reuters, FinancialTimes.

Trump Pummels Venezuelan Oil

President Trump announced a 25% tariff on countries importing oil from Venezuela. This tariff takes effect on April 2 and targets all goods that those countries send to the US.

The move comes after allegations of Venezuela sending gang members to the US. Venezuelan President Maduro condemned the tariffs as a violation of trade rules.

China imports 68% of Venezuelan oil. In January 2025, the US imported 8.6 million barrels from Venezuela, out of a total of 202 million barrels.

The US Treasury also extended Chevron's license to operate in Venezuela until May 27, allowing continued oil exports.

Sources: TRT, FinancialTimes, Reuters, APNews, NYTimes.

Boeing Seeks to Backtrack on Guilty Plea

Boeing is attempting to withdraw its guilty plea related to the 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019, which killed 346 people.

Initially, Boeing agreed to plead guilty, paying a $487.2 million fine and committing $455 million for safety improvements. U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor rejected the deal over concerns about a diversity clause.

Now, Boeing seeks more lenient treatment, including avoiding an independent monitor. Victims' families condemn previous agreements as insufficient.

Scrutiny of Boeing's safety practices continues following a January 2024 flight malfunction, with negotiations set to end by April 11.

Sources: WallStreetJournal, Reuters, TST, ABC, FP.

US Business Activity Surges

In March 2025, US business activity rose, with the S&P Global Composite PMI increasing to 53.5, indicating expansion. However, manufacturing PMI fell to 49.8, signaling contraction.

Concerns over tariffs and government spending cuts lowered business confidence to its second-lowest level since 2022.

Input prices soared to 60.9, the highest since April 2023, leading manufacturers to raise consumer prices.

US companies borrowed 7.4% less for equipment investments in February, totaling $9.7 billion. Despite steady credit approvals, the ELFA confidence index dropped to 58.1, indicating growing pessimism.

Sources: Reuters, Reuters[2], Finimize, Finimize[2], IndexBox, Investing.

Don’t Mix Sunscreen with Insect Repellent

A study revealed that mixing sunscreen with insect repellent reduces UV protection. Researchers used skin biopsies and artificial intelligence.

They discovered that, when applied together, these products fail to offer adequate protection against harmful UV rays.

Scientists tested skin samples under both natural and artificial UV light. The findings showed a clear decrease in UV defense when the two products were used together.

Sources: CNRS, SciTechDaily.

How Type 2 Diabetes Affects Brain Function

Research suggests Type 2 diabetes (T2D) may impair brain reward processing, similar to early Alzheimer’s disease.

A study on male rats with T2D showed weakened signals in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), crucial for cognition and emotions.

Diabetic rats spent less time in rewarding locations and showed reduced communication between the ACC and hippocampus, affecting memory.

Researchers suggest that this disruption could link diabetes to mood disorders and propose targeting the hippocampus-ACC pathway as a potential treatment for these conditions.

Sources: MedicalXpress, SciTechDaily.

“The trick in life is to respect experience just as much before acquiring it as after.”

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:

• Gene Editing

• Quantum Computing

• Cryptocurrencies

Baked with love,

Anna Eisenberg ❤️