Anna's Daybreak News

_{Just facts, you think for yourself}

Monday, 5:21 AM

February 17, 2025

Good morning news friend! Stay curious, stay informed—discover the events shaping our world. 📰🌟

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Ukraine Rejects US Mineral Deal

President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected a US proposal to take control of 50% of Ukraine's mineral resources. The proposal included graphite, lithium, and uranium.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent presented the draft to Zelensky, but Zelensky refused to sign. His concern was the lack of security guarantees linked to the mineral access. He stated that any deal must protect Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia.

US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz argued that Americans deserved compensation for the billions already spent on support.

Separately, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and envoy Steve Witkoff will represent the US in peace negotiations with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia.

Sources: FinancialTimes, NYTimes, Fortune, APNews, Bloomberg, TMT

Medicaid Under the Microscope

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has expanded Medicaid coverage to nearly all adults with incomes up to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level, which equals $21,597 for an individual in 2025.

41 states and Washington D.C. have adopted Medicaid expansion, while 10 states have not. Analysts warn that proposed cuts to the ACA's Medicaid expansion match rate could lead to 20 million losing coverage.

Two scenarios were analyzed: one assumes states maintain expansion by increasing state funding, leading to a $626 billion reduction in federal spending. The second scenario, where states drop expansion, predicts a $1.9 trillion total spending decline.

House Republicans are seeking at least $880 billion in savings from Medicaid to fund tax cuts. The House Budget Committee's plan aims for $1.5 trillion in overall spending cuts through 2034.

Sources: KFF, AHA, Bloomberg, WallStreetJournal, NewRepublic, NPR

January Retail Sales Caution

US retail sales fell 0.9% in January, the largest drop in nearly two years. This decline follows a revised 0.7% increase in December. Economists had predicted a decrease of 0.1%.

Sales at auto dealerships dropped 2.8%, and furniture store receipts fell 1.7%. Sporting goods and book stores experienced a decline of 4.6%. Online sales ticked down 1.9%. Conversely, food services and drinking places had a 0.9% increase.

Despite this dip, retail sales rose 4.2% year over year in January. Severe winter weather and wildfires in California likely contributed to reduced shopping activity.

Sources: Reuters, ForexLive, APNews, CNBC, FN, Bloomberg

Amazon Workers Reject Union Bid in North Carolina

Amazon workers at a facility in Garner, North Carolina, voted against unionization. Out of 4,300 eligible voters, 2,447 opposed the union while 829 supported it.

The vote took place over six days, with the union advocating for a starting wage of $30 an hour, compared to the current range of $18 to $24. They also sought improved benefits, including longer lunch breaks and increased vacation time.

Amazon spokesperson Eileen Hards expressed satisfaction with the outcome, emphasizing a desire for direct relationships with employees.

The outcome reflects the broader trend of declining union membership, which fell to 9.9% in 2024, with North Carolina having the lowest state union membership at just 2.4%.

Sources: ABC, NYTimes, CBS, Reuters, NewsBytes

How Cancer Hijacks the Nervous System and T-Cells

Researchers discovered that certain brain cancers, like glioblastoma, hijack neuron activity to promote tumor growth. A study found that stimulating neurons accelerated tumor growth in mouse models.

Cancer cells also steal healthy mitochondria from immune cells, specifically tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). These altered TILs, containing defective mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), lose their ability to fight tumors.

This mitochondrial transfer diminishes TIL energy, leading to immune exhaustion. Blocking mitochondrial transfer improved TIL function in experimental treatments.

Early-phase trials are investigating repurposed medications to disrupt cancer's communication with both the nervous system and immune cells.

Sources: ScientificAmerican, SingularityHub, MedicalXpress, IndiaToday.

Hidden Modes in Human Hearing

Researchers uncovered a hidden set of mechanical modes in the human cochlea that refine sound processing. This study showed how the ear detects faint sounds while remaining stable and preventing overload from loud noises.

The cochlea converts sound into electrical signals, allowing humans to hear a frequency range that spans over three orders of magnitude and a power variation exceeding one trillion times.

The researchers discovered that parts of the basilar membrane can work collectively, enhancing low-frequency sound detection. These new low-frequency modes provide insights into sound amplification and noise management.

Scientists also found that auricular muscles, thought to be vestigial, activate during challenging listening tasks. This suggests an evolutionary link that may help humans localize sounds better.

Sources: ScienceAlert, SciTechDaily, FrontiersIn, Phys

“Success is not being on top of a hierarchy, it is standing outside all hierarchies.”

Baked with love,

Anna Eisenberg ❤️