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Anna's Daybreak News

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Wednesday, 5:23 AM

May 28, 2025

Good morning news friend! Experience the stories defining today and setting the course for what’s to come. 📰🌟

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Trump Administration Halts Student Visa Appointments

The Trump administration has suspended new student visa appointments for foreign students, impacting those seeking education in the U.S. Only scheduled interviews will proceed, while embassies cannot set new appointments.

This aligns with enhanced social media vetting aimed at tightening immigration policies. Critics argue it threatens free speech and could harm universities that depend on international students, who constitute 5.9% of U.S. higher education.

The administration's scrutiny particularly targets students linked to pro-Palestinian protests. Recent changes include revoking Harvard's ability to enroll many international students, affecting around 6,800 individuals.

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

SpaceX's Starship Again

SpaceX's ninth Starship test flight on May 27, 2025, encountered serious issues, losing contact with the booster, which failed to splash down.

The Starship spun uncontrollably 30 minutes into the flight, and a deployment mechanism malfunctioned, preventing the planned launch of eight mock satellites. A fuel leak contributed to the flight's loss of control.

Despite setbacks, Elon Musk stated there was useful data to analyze and plans for a faster launch cadence of one every three to four weeks. NASA's moon landing plans in 2027 depend on Starship's success, emphasizing the urgency for SpaceX to resolve these engineering challenges.

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

North Korea's Ingenious Infiltration of U.S. Companies

Christina Chapman, 50, operated a "laptop farm" facilitating North Koreans' illegal employment with U.S. companies, allegedly aiding in over $17.1 million in paychecks from 300 firms.

Thousands of North Korean workers are estimated to infiltrate the U.S. job market, generating significant revenue for the regime. Using stolen identities, they remotely log into jobs, often earning six-figure salaries.

North Korean hackers have stolen $6 billion in cryptocurrency, shifting tactics to remote work schemes amid sanctions. Chapman faces charges, including wire fraud, with potential sentencing of over nine years.

Companies are urged to enhance vetting and security against this sophisticated infiltration network.

Sources: WallStreetJournal, Livemint, Staffingindustry, Techtarget, Cyberscoop

April Orders Drop

In April 2025, U.S. business spending on equipment fell, with core capital goods orders dropping 1.3%, the largest decline since October 2024. Durable goods orders fell by 6.3%, amounting to a $19.9 billion decrease.

Non-defense capital goods orders saw a 19.1% decline, and Boeing reported only eight aircraft orders, down from 192 in March. Despite a rise in consumer confidence, concerns about tariffs remain high, particularly with a proposed 50% tariff on EU products.

The Federal Reserve adjusted its Q2 GDP growth estimate to 2.2%. Rising mortgage rates and inventory are impacting the housing market, with weak growth prospects ahead.

Sources: Reuters, Capitalbrief, Investing, Indexbox.

CRISPR Spider Spins Fluorescent Silk

Researchers in Germany have created genetically modified house spiders that produce fluorescent red silk using CRISPR-Cas9 technology.

By editing the sine oculis gene, they generated spiderlings that are eyeless, then injected a gene for red fluorescent protein, resulting in spiderlings that spin red fluorescent dragline silk.

This development could lead to advancements in medicine, textiles, and technology, including biodegradable sutures. Despite challenges in spider gene editing, the choice of Parasteatoda tepidariorum proved effective.

Sources: Sciencealert, Progress.Org, Thinkstewartville.

Gastric Bypass in a Pill?

Syntis Bio has reported positive early results for SYNT-101, a once-daily oral obesity treatment that mimics gastric bypass surgery. In a pilot study with nine participants, there were no serious adverse events.

SYNT-101 demonstrated reduced nutrient absorption, with glucose tolerance tests showing a 35% decrease in absorption at 30 minutes post-treatment. Additionally, animal studies indicated a weekly weight loss of 1% over six weeks while preserving lean muscle mass.

Syntis Bio plans to submit an Investigational New Drug application to the FDA by late 2025 and intends to conduct larger trials to further assess the drug's safety and efficacy.

Sources: News-Medical, SciTechDaily, DiscoverMag

“Flattery makes the most effective chains. Hitler told the Germans that they were a master race—and came very close to making them slaves.”

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:

• Ethanol: Hype, Hope or the future of Fuel?

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• Consumer Spending Trends

Baked with love,

Anna Eisenberg ❤️