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NYE Bomb Plot, Meta's Ad Scam Problem and Predicting Diseases from DNA Mutations
Anna Eisenberg
December 15, 2025
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Anna's Daybreak News
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December 16, 2025
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FBI Thwarts New Year’s Eve Bomb Plot
Federal agents arrested four suspects linked to the Turtle Island Liberation Front for plotting multiple bombings on New Year’s Eve in Southern California. Targets included two U.S. companies and ICE agents.
The plot involved placing bombs at five locations in Los Angeles and Orange County, set to detonate at midnight. Evidence included bomb-making materials found at a desert campsite.
The suspects—Audrey Illeene Carroll, Zachary Aaron Page, Dante Gaffield, and Tina Lai—planned and tested explosives in the Mojave Desert on December 12.
Carroll shared a document called “Operation Midnight Sun” outlining the plot. Authorities intervened before bomb assembly was complete. The investigation remains ongoing.
Sources: Bloomberg, Reuters, ABC, Straitstimes
Do you think anti-government extremism poses a greater threat than foreign-terrorism-inspired plots within the U.S.?Click to see live results and comment! |
Meta’s $3 Billion China Scam
Meta’s China ad revenue surged to $18.4 billion in 2024, doubled from 2022, with over $3 billion (19%) from fraudulent ads involving scams, illegal gambling, and pornography.
A 2024 anti-fraud crackdown cut scam ads to 9%, but CEO Mark Zuckerberg halted enforcement midyear, disbanding the fraud team and resuming verification of problematic Chinese resellers. By mid-2025, scam ads rose to 16% of Chinese ad revenue.
Meta relies on 11 major Chinese resellers, allowing fraud layers and masking tools to flourish, with weak government intervention. Compared to TikTok and Google, Meta tolerates higher fraud, prioritizing revenue over enforcement.
Scam ads cause global harm, including a $214 million U.S. stock fraud seizure linked to Meta ads.
Sources: Reuters, Cryptopolitan, Boingboing.
Is it acceptable for a company to maintain partnerships that produce a high volume of violating ads if it brings substantial revenue?Click to see live results and comment! |
Most people think the opioid crisis is just a health issue.
It’s not. It’s an economic disaster.
In 2023 alone, this epidemic cost the U.S. economy $2.7 trillion.
But for the suppliers, business is booming.
Mexican cartels are buying chemicals from China and running industrial labs. The economics are terrifying.
A single kilogram of fentanyl costs about $80,000 to produce wholesale.
On the street? It generates up to $1.6 million.
That’s a 1,900% return.
We tracked how this evolved from a prescription pill marketing scheme in the 90s to a global synthetic trafficking network today.
We also looked at where the $54 billion in settlement funds is actually going.
This report covers the history, the money, and the future of the crisis.
PayPal Bank?
PayPal applied to become a Utah-chartered industrial loan company (ILC), aiming to launch PayPal Bank. This move would let PayPal accept deposits, offer FDIC-insured savings accounts, and lend directly to small businesses, reducing dependence on third-party banks.
The ILC charter avoids full bank holding company regulations, granting access to the Federal Reserve’s payment system and discount window. PayPal plans to join U.S. card networks directly and improve payment processing.
Mara McNeill, with 25 years in financial leadership, will lead the bank. PayPal has lent over $30 billion since 2013 and serves 35 million active merchant accounts, signaling a strategic push into integrated banking and embedded finance.
Sources: Bloomberg, PYMNTS, PRNW, AmericanBanker.
Is it appropriate for fintech firms to utilize industrial loan company (ILC) charters to bypass some traditional bank regulations?Click to see live results and comment! |
Everyone is celebrating the "stability" of the new tax bill.
The headlines say the top rate stayed at 37%.
They are missing the fine print.
We analyzed the text of the OBBBA, and we found an "invisible revolution" hidden in the phase-outs.
There is now a "kill zone" for professionals earning between $500,000 and $600,000.
In this specific window, your effective marginal tax rate doesn't stop at 37%.
Thanks to the new SALT cap trap, it can spike to over 60%.
And that’s not even the scariest part.
If you have an old estate plan (like a SLAT or GRAT), the new permanent $15 million exemption might actually cost your heirs millions by wiping out their step-up in basis.
The game has changed from "tax avoidance" to "AGI management."
We broke down the seven invisible changes that will wreck your wealth if you aren't prepared.
Disney Goes AI
Disney is investing $1 billion in OpenAI, acquiring shares and licensing over 200 characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars for use on OpenAI’s Sora app and ChatGPT platforms.
Sora users can generate AI videos featuring these characters, excluding actors’ voices and likenesses. Disney plans to use OpenAI’s API to improve internal workflows and add AI-generated content features on Disney+.
The deal follows previous Sora controversy over unauthorized character use. Disney has taken legal action against other AI firms for copyright violations.
This partnership reflects Disney’s strategic adoption of AI to enhance storytelling and entertainment experiences while addressing copyright challenges.
Sources: Bloomberg, Mashable, Movieguide.
Do you think AI-generated Disney character content will enhance or diminish the magic of the original stories?Click to see live results and comment! |
Tool to Predict Diseases from DNA Mutations
Researchers developed V2P, an AI tool that links genetic variants to diseases, improving diagnosis speed and accuracy.
Trained on extensive datasets of harmful and benign mutations, V2P often ranks the true disease-causing variant within the top 10 candidates. Unlike current tests, it predicts disease categories like nervous system disorders and cancers.
Future updates aim to specify individual diseases and incorporate more data to aid drug discovery. V2P also identifies genes and pathways for targeted therapies in rare and complex conditions, advancing precision medicine.
Supported by NIH and other grants, the tool enhances genetic diagnostics and offers new opportunities for tailored treatments based on DNA profiles.
Sources: SciTechDaily, Newswise.
Do you believe AI-based genetic diagnosis could lead to over-reliance on technology at the expense of clinical experience?Click to see live results and comment! |
Anti-Microplastic Device
Researchers developed a filter inspired by fish gills that removes over 99% of microplastics from washing machine wastewater, which typically releases up to 500 grams of microplastics yearly per household.
The self-cleaning, funnel-shaped mesh blocks fibers without clogging and requires no moving parts, making it low-cost. Filtered microplastics can be compressed into pellets and disposed of with regular trash.
The invention is patent-pending in Germany and the EU, with hopes for adoption by washing machine manufacturers. Funded by the German government and European Research Council, the filter targets a key pollution source linked to microplastics found in human tissues, aiming to reduce health risks associated with plastic fiber exposure.
Sources: Uni-Bonn, SciTechDaily.
How urgent do you consider the problem of microplastics released from everyday household laundry?Click to see live results and comment! |
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