Week in 5: Feb 9-15, 2025
Egg prices soar, Trump freezes U.S. aid, and Eagles dominate Super Bowl. LiDAR tech sees miles away, Israel pulls back in Gaza, and Italy’s biggest mafia bust in decades takes down 160 members.
📰 Top 3 in…
🇺🇸 U.S. News
Everyone is talking about the price of eggs, and while it’s skyrocketing, it’s not necessarily an economic indicator—there are a lot of specific factors at play. U.S. egg prices hit a record $4.95 per dozen, driven by a devastating bird flu outbreak that has led to the slaughter of nearly 158 million birds. Prices are expected to rise another 20% this year, worsened by Easter demand, supply shortages, and cage-free laws in multiple states. Some stores are charging over $10 per carton and limiting purchases. With egg farms taking months to recover, relief isn’t coming anytime soon. AP
The Trump administration has frozen most U.S. foreign aid for 90 days, dismantling USAID and raising questions about future assistance. While a waiver allows some humanitarian programs to resume, overall funding is under review. WSJ
$65 billion spent in 2023, the highest in the world, but lower as a share of GDP than Japan, the U.K., and France.
USAID managed two-thirds of aid, but its dismantling leaves uncertainty over program oversight.
Top recipients: Ukraine (since 2022), Israel, Jordan, and Egypt, with aid often tied to U.S. security interests.
President Trump ordered the Treasury to stop minting new pennies, citing their production cost exceeding their value. The U.S. Mint lost $85.3 million on them in 2024. While Congress controls currency specifications, experts say the Treasury might halt minting. The move aligns with Trump’s cost-cutting push, led by Elon Musk. CBS News
🌎 World News
A bus crash in Guatemala has left at least 55 people dead after the vehicle plunged 65 feet (20 meters) from a bridge into a ravine near Guatemala City. The bus, carrying around 70 passengers, was en route from San Antonio La Paz when it crashed through a guardrail, possibly due to brake failure. Authorities are also investigating a gun found on board, considering the possibility of a criminal act. Rescuers struggled to retrieve victims as the bus lay upside down in a creek. President Bernardo Arévalo has declared three days of national mourning in response to one of the deadliest traffic accidents in the region in years. BBC
Israeli troops left the Netzarim Corridor, a road that had split Gaza in two, allowing Palestinians to return home to widespread destruction. The move is part of a ceasefire deal that includes hostage and prisoner swaps. At the same time, Trump’s idea to remove Gaza’s people is being widely rejected as illegal. BBC
Trump and Putin agree to start Ukraine peace talks, but major obstacles remain. In a call with Putin, Trump said they agreed to begin negotiations, while a separate talk with Zelensky focused on achieving peace. However, Putin shows little interest in stopping the war, and Ukraine risks losing occupied land. U.S. policy is shifting—Defense Secretary Hegseth called Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders unrealistic and ruled out NATO membership. Talks may start without Ukraine, sparking concerns over its role in the process. WSJ
🧪 Tech & Science
Scientists found that the mantis shrimp’s club can withstand its rapid, high-force strikes on prey without breaking. Its unique structure absorbs and disperses impact, acting as a natural shock absorber. This discovery could inspire stronger, impact-resistant materials for helmets, armor, and engineering applications by mimicking nature’s design. Science
Mantis Shrimp | Credit: Unsplash.com New LiDAR tech sees faces from over half a mile (1 km) away—soon up to 6 miles (10 km). LiDAR, which uses lasers to map distances, is key for self-driving cars, drones, and space exploration, but usually works at much shorter ranges. Now, scientists have added a super-sensitive photon detector, massively boosting its power. This could reshape mapping, military, and space tech, pushing LiDAR’s limits like never before. Popular Science
UNC-Chapel Hill researchers found that sea turtles use Earth's magnetic field like a GPS, memorizing locations for food. By training turtles to associate magnetic signals with feeding, scientists discovered they have two distinct navigation systems: a "map sense" for location memory and a "compass sense" for direction. Surprisingly, radio waves disrupted their compass but not their map, hinting at separate evolutionary origins. Link
📺 Sports & Culture
The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in Super Bowl 59, shutting down their bid for a third straight title. Jalen Hurts (Eagles quarterback) threw for two touchdowns, ran for another, and won Super Bowl MVP. The Eagles sacked Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs quarterback) six times, with Cooper DeJean (Eagles defensive back) scoring a pick-six. Nick Sirianni (Eagles head coach) secured the franchise’s second Super Bowl title. AP
SNL’s 50th Anniversary Special Brings Comedy Legends Together: NBC’s three-hour "SNL50" special airs Sunday at 8 PM ET, reuniting iconic cast members and hosts like Tina Fey, Eddie Murphy, Steve Martin, and Amy Poehler. Musical guests include Paul McCartney, Miley Cyrus, and Bad Bunny, though performances aren’t confirmed. The event features a red carpet, live stream, and a concert special on Peacock celebrating five decades of Saturday Night Live. AP
Taylor Swift showed up in a Harvard Business Review article—not just as a musician but as a master strategist. Her long-term success comes down to four key moves: targeting untapped markets (breaking into country as a teen), creating stickiness (fueling fan obsession with Easter eggs and personal storytelling), staying paranoid (constantly reinventing her sound), and adapting to platform shifts (embracing streaming and rerecording her old albums). Basically, she’s not just making hits—she’s running a business empire. HBR
🏎️ Fast Five
China’s marriage rate dropped by a record 20% in 2024 to 6.1 million couples, driven by economic insecurity and high childcare costs, despite government efforts to reverse the country’s ongoing population decline. NBC News
Disney is restructuring its DEI programs to focus more on business outcomes, replacing its "Diversity & Inclusion" performance metric with a broader "Talent Strategy" and rebranding initiatives like its employee resource groups, while also softening content advisories on older films, reflecting a shift away from politically charged branding under CEO Bob Iger. Axios
Federal air-safety regulators may permanently ban helicopters near jets at Reagan National Airport after the deadly Jan. 29 collision that killed 67 people. Temporary restrictions are in place, and officials blame airspace design, pilot actions, and air-traffic control. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy criticized military flights for convenience, urging officials to "get in a damn Suburban and drive." WSJ
Italy’s biggest mafia crackdown in 20 years saw 160 Cosa Nostra members arrested, hitting gang bosses who were secretly rebuilding after prison, with wiretaps exposing their recruitment efforts and Meloni calling it “a very hard blow.” Link
Hannah Robinson surprised her adopted younger brother with a Disney World trip, capturing his emotional reaction in a viral video that touched millions, celebrating their deep sibling bond. Link, Video
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