More than 15 states are currently deliberating bills that seek to broaden religious exemptions for vaccinations, establish databases to track alleged vaccine injuries, and impose regulations on vaccine-related communication. Some bills aim to expand religious exemptions for vaccinations, allowing individuals to refuse vaccines on religious grounds even if their religion does not explicitly prohibit vaccination. Other bills propose the creation of vaccine injury databases, which would ostensibly track adverse reactions to vaccines.
China’s AI ‘Sputnik Moment’ Wrecks U.S. Tech Stocks
DeepSeek, an AI startup based in China, unveiled an AI chatbot some experts believe could potentially undermine the U.S. strategy of restricting AI chip sales to China. Tech stocks sold off sharply Monday in response. DeepSeek’s AI models are open-source, making them accessible to a broad range of developers and researchers. These models have exhibited advanced reasoning skills and, importantly, operate at a significantly lower cost than those of their competitors. This combination of accessibility, advanced capabilities, and cost-effectiveness has raised concerns about the potential impact on US competitiveness within the AI industry.
Getting Engaged Cheaper Than Ever as Diamond Prices Crash
The price of natural diamonds has dropped 26% over the past two years, and lab-grown diamonds have seen an even sharper decline of 74% since 2020. This price drop comes as diamond giant De Beers reported a $2 billion stockpile of diamonds at the start of 2024, which remained largely unsold throughout the year. Several factors have contributed to this decreased demand, including inflation, a slowdown in the luxury sector, fewer marriage proposals following the COVID-19 pandemic, and a growing preference for lab-grown diamonds among Generation Z consumers. Diamond prices peaked in 2022. Since then, the average price of a one-carat natural diamond has fallen by more than $1,800, and the average price of a one-carat lab-grown diamond has plummeted from $3,410 to $892.
Bird Flu Problems Grow, Fueling Egg Price Inflation
The first confirmed case of H5N9 bird flu in US poultry was recently identified on a California duck farm, as reported by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) on Monday. The more common H5N1 strain was also found on the same farm, leading to the culling of all 119,000 birds by December 2nd. Bird flu has caused significant damage globally, resulting in the deaths of millions of birds and spreading to mammals, even causing one human death in Louisiana. While H5N1 has been the most prevalent strain, H5N9 is rarer. In response to this outbreak, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other agencies are conducting investigations and increasing surveillance.
Coke Recalls Drinks In Europe Over Chlorine Risk
Coca-Cola has initiated a product recall in Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands due to the presence of elevated chlorate levels in several of its soft drink products. Chlorate, a chemical compound often used in water treatment and other industrial processes, was detected during routine quality control checks. The affected products include a range of popular Coca-Cola brands, such as Coca-Cola, Fanta, and Sprite, among others. While the recall is currently limited to the three aforementioned countries, Coca-Cola has taken proactive measures to inform authorities in neighboring regions. Regulatory bodies in France, Germany, and Great Britain have been notified of the situation, and health authorities in other countries have also been alerted as a precautionary measure.