Anna's Daybreak News

_{Just facts, you think for yourself}

Wednesday, 5:31 AM

April 2, 2025

Good morning news friend! Step into the heartbeat of today’s world with stories that matter.📰🌟

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 Marine Le Pen’s verdict, reciprocal tariffs, federal AI funding and more!

Wisconsin Supreme Court Election

Susan Crawford, backed by Democrats, won the Wisconsin Supreme Court election. She defeated conservative candidate Brad Schimel, who was endorsed by Elon Musk and President Trump.

Crawford’s victory maintains a 4-3 liberal majority on the court for at least three more years.

Crawford led Schimel by more than 8 points, winning by approximately 191,000 votes. Voter turnout surpassed 52%, breaking the previous record of nearly 40%.

The election saw unprecedented spending, exceeding $90 million, making it the most expensive judicial race in US history.

Sources: APNews, Reuters, Bloomberg, NYTimes, NNN.

Walmart's Price Push Amid Tariff Tensions

Walmart is pressuring Chinese suppliers to reduce prices. The retail giant seeks price cuts of up to 10% for each round of tariffs imposed by President Trump.

This push continues despite Beijing's recent meetings with Walmart executives to discuss these demands.

The retailer's strategy aims to shift the burden of the tariffs onto its suppliers. Walmart’s imports include clothing, electronics, and toys.

The company attempts to diversify its supply chain to lessen reliance on Chinese goods.

Sources: Bloomberg, Investing, Reuters.

The TikTok Deadline

On April 5, TikTok faces a critical deadline. President Trump will discuss potential investors in the app to avoid a US ban due to national security concerns.

The meeting will include Vice President JD Vance, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, national security adviser Mike Waltz, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

Oracle, Blackstone, and a consortium including Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian have emerged as bidders to buy TikTok.

Ohanian’s group has offered $20 billion, while another consortium led by Jesse Tinsley has proposed over $30 billion.

Sources: Reuters, APNews, FinancialTimes, PYMNTS, NewsWeek.

US Manufacturing Contracts

US manufacturing contracted in March with the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) falling to 49.0, down from 50.3 in February.

A PMI below 50 signals a decline in the manufacturing sector, which represents 10.2% of the economy.

Job openings dropped by 194,000 to 7.568 million in February. The employment index also fell to 44.7 from 47.6.

The prices paid index rose to 69.4, the highest since June 2022.

Sources: Reuters, ING, CFODive, FxStreet, BBI.

The Cholesterol-Dementia Connection

Individuals with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels below 1.8 mmol/L (70 mg/dL) have a 26% lower risk of all-cause dementia and a 28% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease-related dementia compared to those with levels above 3.4 mmol/L (130 mg/dL).

Statin use enhanced these protective effects. Among those with LDL-C below 1.8 mmol/L, statin users experienced a 13% reduction in dementia risk and a 12% reduction in Alzheimer's risk.

This observational study included 192,213 individuals with low LDL-C and created 108,980 matched pairs to evaluate outcomes.

Sources: SciTechDaily, TGC, ARU, MedicalXPress.

Antidepressants and Sudden Cardiac Death

Research revealed a link between long-term antidepressant use and a higher risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in Denmark.

Individuals exposed to antidepressants for 1 to 5 years exhibited a 56% increased risk of SCD. This risk surged to 2.2 times for those on antidepressants for six or more years.

Individuals aged 30-39 with 1 to 5 years of exposure were nearly three times more likely to suffer SCD.

Those aged 50-59 showed a doubled risk with 1 to 5 years of use and a fourfold increase with six or more years.

Sources: SciTechDaily, TCTMD, TheWeek, Newsx.

“Some reticent people use silence to conceal their intelligence; but most do so to hide the lack of it.”

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:

• The Great Retirement Crisis

• Gene Editing

• Quantum Computing

Baked with love,

Anna Eisenberg ❤️