Anna's Daybreak News

_{Just facts, you think for yourself}

Friday, 5:19 AM

July 18, 2025

Good morning news friend! Follow the sparks of today’s events as they ignite the future. 📰🌟

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House OKs Trump’s $9 Billion Slash to Public Broadcasting and Foreign Aid

The House approved a $9 billion funding cut to public broadcasting and foreign aid, passing 216-213. This includes $1.1 billion cut from public broadcasting, affecting NPR, PBS, and 1,500 local stations.

Foreign aid faces nearly $8 billion in cuts, including $800 million for refugee aid, $496 million for disaster relief, and $4.15 billion for economic growth and democracy programs abroad. The Senate passed the bill narrowly, 51-48, restoring $400 million to the HIV/AIDS program PEPFAR.

The cuts represent 0.1% of the federal budget. Republicans cite fiscal discipline; Democrats warn of harm to rural media, public safety alerts, and U.S. global influence. Further rescission requests are expected.

Sources: AP News, Reuters, Bloomberg, WallStreetJournal.

Release of Epstein Grand Jury Transcripts

President Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek court approval to release all grand jury transcripts in the Jeffrey Epstein case. Epstein died in jail in 2019 awaiting sex trafficking trial; he was convicted in 2006 for soliciting a minor.

The Justice Department found no evidence of a murder conspiracy or a “client list.” Trump denied sending a 2003 letter to Epstein, threatening legal action against the media.

Bondi plans to ask the court to unseal transcripts despite legal challenges. Critics note key evidence, like videos and witness interviews, remains sealed.

Surveillance footage near Epstein’s cell showed nearly three minutes missing the night he died, confirmed as suicide by the FBI.

Sources: Reuters, Bloomberg, CNBC, BBC, AXIOS.

ChatGPT Agent

OpenAI launched ChatGPT Agent on July 17, 2025, combining Operator and Deep Research to enable complex task completion via websites, apps, and APIs. It can plan events, shop online, create presentations, and analyze data, switching between browser and terminal modes.

Pro users get 400 prompts monthly; Plus and Team get 40 with paid extras. Enterprise and Education access will come later. The agent scored 41.6 on Humanity’s Last Exam and 45.5% on SpreadsheetBench, outperforming rivals.

It requires explicit user approval for critical actions and features strong privacy safeguards. While tasks can take 10-15 minutes, it boosts productivity at work and home.

Sources: Reuters, Bloomberg, Openai, Wired, TheVerge.

Stephen Colbert’s 'Late Show' to End

CBS will end “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” in May 2026, canceling the franchise after 11 years.

Executives cite financial reasons unrelated to ratings or content, though Colbert's criticism of Trump and exposure of a $16 million settlement involving Paramount and Trump have fueled speculation about political influence.

The show averaged 2.4 million viewers this year and earned six Emmy nominations. Colbert thanked his 200-person staff and audience during the announcement. Democratic Senators called for transparency on the cancellation’s motives.

CBS now exits late-night TV amid declining ratings and shifting viewer habits.

Sources: AP News, Bloomberg, Cbsnews, Deadline.

Sugary Male Sexual Decline

A six-year study of 200 men found rising blood sugar (HbA1c), even below diabetes thresholds, impairs erectile function and sperm motility, while hormone levels and semen quality remain stable.

Erectile decline after age 45 occurred only with increased HbA1c. Testosterone influenced libido but not erections, with libido loss linked to higher blood sugar, not age. Men maintaining stable metabolic health showed minimal sexual decline.

These findings highlight blood sugar control as crucial for preserving male sexual and reproductive health, suggesting lifestyle changes and medical interventions targeting blood sugar could help maintain function before diabetes develops.

Sources: SciTechDaily, NSN, Sciencedaily, Urologytimes.

Gut Microbes Drive Yo-Yo Dieting and Binge Eating

Yo-yo dieting alternates gut microbiota and brain reward pathways, driving binge eating and weight gain. Experiments on mice cycling between high-fat, high-sugar and low-fat diets triggered binge behaviors within eight hours.

These mice gained more weight than those on stable diets. Gut bacteria diversity dropped during diet cycling; transferring this microbiota to healthy mice induced compulsive eating of high-fat foods.

Brain scans showed heightened activity in the striatum and brain stem, linking gut changes to reward-driven eating rather than hunger. This suggests biological challenges to maintaining weight loss involve microbiome and neural rewiring.

Results so far are limited to mice, requiring human trials for treatment development targeting the gut microbiome.

Sources: Sciencealert, Newatlas, Medicalxpress.

“Sharp sarcasm is like a good pocket-knife; a sensible man will use it to test the ripeness of a situation, but a fool is just as likely to cut his own fingers off. ”

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 American Healthcare System

• The Social Security Crisis - Anatomy of a Shortfall

• America’s Housing Paradox - An Analysis of the US Housing Market

Baked with love,

Anna Eisenberg ❤️