Anna's Daybreak News

_{Just facts, you think for yourself}

Wednesday, 5:03 AM

January 29, 2025

Good morning news friend! Step into the moments shaping today and transforming the future. 📰🌟

Trump’s Funding Freeze and Buyout Offer

The Trump administration issued a directive to pause federal grants and loans. A US District Judge, Loren AliKhan, temporarily blocked this freeze, which could affect up to $3 trillion in federal funding.

The freeze was set to start on January 28 at 5 p.m. and aimed at reviewing spending programs for alignment with Trump's policies. The Office of Management and Budget memo indicated that Social Security and Medicare would remain unaffected.

Additionally, federal workers must decide by February 6 to either return to the office full-time or resign with eight months of pay. This offer applies to all full-time federal employees, excluding military staff and specific security-focused roles.

The Office of Personnel Management expects that 5%-10% of employees will accept the buyout. This could save taxpayers up to $100 billion annually, though the method of calculating this figure remains unclear.

Sources: WallStreetJournal, APNews, Reuters, Bloomberg, BBC, NYTimes, AXIOS

Boom's XB-1 Breaks the Sound Barrier

Boom Supersonic successfully completed the first supersonic flight of its XB-1 demonstrator. This took place in the Mojave Desert, California. The aircraft achieved Mach 1.122, approximately 770 miles per hour, at an altitude of 35,290 feet.

The XB-1 has now completed 12 test flights since its first flight in March 2024. Previously, it reached Mach 0.95 during a flight on January 10, 2025. The plane is crucial for developing Boom's commercial airliner, Overture.

Overture will carry 64 to 80 passengers at speeds of Mach 1.7, nearly twice the speed of subsonic airliners. Boom has secured 130 orders from American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines.

Boom's CEO, Blake Scholl, aims to operate Overture by 2030.

Sources: FinancialTimes, CNN, TWZ, TheVerge, FoxBusiness, Sky

Starbucks Q4 Earnings

Starbucks reported a smaller-than-expected decline in same-store sales. In Q4, sales dropped 4%, an improvement from the prior 7% slump.

The company generated $9.4 billion in revenue, beating expectations of $9.31 billion. Earnings per share stood at 69 cents, surpassing the estimated 67 cents.

In China, comparable sales fell 6%, signaling fierce competition, especially from Luckin Coffee. The company also faces challenges with union negotiations, as 300 stores recently staged a strike.

Starbucks is implementing a "Back to Basics" strategy. This includes bringing back handwritten names on cups and free refills for in-store customers. Additionally, the coffee chain aims to reduce wait times to under four minutes.

Sources: FXEmpire, QZ, FinancialTimes, Reuters, Bloomberg, Fortune

Coca-Cola Recall in Europe

Coca-Cola issued a recall in Europe due to elevated chlorate levels in its soft drinks. The recall affects Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Brands involved include Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Minute Maid, Fuze Tea, Nalu, Royal Bliss, and Tropico.

The recall specifically targets batches with production codes ranging from 328 GE to 338 GE. These beverages were bottled over an eleven-day period in Ghent, Belgium. Health authorities have flagged the risk as serious but low for consumers.

Chlorate originates from chlorine disinfectants used in water treatment. High exposure can lead to kidney issues and thyroid problems, particularly in children.

Coca-Cola apologized and emphasized it has not received consumer complaints about the products shipped to Britain. The company has advised customers to return affected products for a full refund.

Sources: NYTimes, APNews, RetailDetail, BBC

Ozempic's New Uses

The FDA approved Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic (semaglutide) for use in adults with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Ozempic is the first GLP-1 receptor agonist approved for this indication.

Research shows that Ozempic reduces the risk of worsening kidney disease, kidney failure, and cardiovascular-related deaths by 24% compared to a placebo. Ozempic also decreases major cardiovascular events by 18% and all-cause mortality by 20%. The FLOW trial included 3,500 participants.

Chronic kidney disease affects approximately 37 million adults in the US, and around 40% of those with type 2 diabetes have CKD.

Novo Nordisk plans to market Ozempic alongside its other uses for diabetes management and weight loss.

Sources: WallStreetJournal, Reuters, Forbes, CNBC, NYTimes, FiercePharma, MHE

China’s "Artificial Sun"

China’s Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), known as the "artificial sun," sustained high-confinement plasma for 1,066 seconds, or nearly 18 minutes. The previous record was 403 seconds, set by the same reactor in 2023.

During this experiment, EAST reached temperatures exceeding 180 million degrees Fahrenheit (about 100 million degrees Celsius). The heating systems operate at the equivalent power of 140,000 microwave ovens.

Nuclear fusion, which mimics the energy production of the sun, is seen as a potential source of limitless clean energy. However, the process still consumes more energy than it produces.

The data from EAST will aid the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project in France, which aims to create a sustainable fusion reaction.

Sources: HindustanTimes, EurasiaBN, LiveScience, SciTechDaily, ScienceAlert, NewsWeek

“It is very easy to be stoic, in failure.”

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Baked with love,

Anna Eisenberg ❤️