🔧 China Slaps 75% Tariff on US Engineering Plastic - Trade Tensions Rise 📈💥

BUSINESS

China puts a heavy 75% tax on US imports of vital engineering plastic

In a move that signals continued friction despite a recent trade truce, China has announced a steep 75% anti-dumping tax on imports of polyformaldehyde copolymers from the United States. This versatile engineering plastic, often used as a lightweight substitute for metals in cars, electronics, and construction materials, is also facing new tariffs ranging from 32.6% to 35.5% from exporters in the EU, Japan, and Taiwan. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce cited evidence that these imports were damaging its domestic industry, despite a 90-day agreement between Beijing and Washington to ease broader tariffs.

The five-year levy raises concerns of renewed trade escalation and may complicate China’s already sensitive economic ties with Europe, which has voiced frustrations over industrial overcapacity. While both China and the US had agreed to maintain open communication channels, this latest move highlights the ongoing strain and the challenges in achieving long-term trade stability. Read More

SCIENCE

Is Gravity a Glitch? Physicist Says the Universe Might Be a Simulation 🌌🕹️

Is gravity just a force or a clue that we’re living in a cosmic simulation? In a bold new paper, physicist Melvin Vopson proposes that gravity may not be fundamental at all, but rather a byproduct of a deeper informational law he calls the "second law of infodynamics." Drawing from information theory, Vopson suggests that gravity emerges from the universe’s tendency to minimize information disorder, just like a computer compressing files to run more efficiently. The result? A universe that operates suspiciously like a high-efficiency simulation.

At the heart of this theory is the idea that space itself is made up of discrete units of information, much like pixels on a screen. When particles cluster under what we perceive as gravity, the system simplifies, and the information becomes easier to process, mirroring how digital systems work. Intriguingly, Vopson calculates that this “informational force” matches Newton’s gravitational law. While the simulation hypothesis remains speculative, research like this adds serious physics to what once seemed like science fiction. Read More

TECH

Musk’s X Profiting From Terror-Linked Accounts, Report Finds

A damning new report by the Tech Transparency Project (TTP) reveals that over 200 users on Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) including accounts linked to terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda, Hamas, and Hezbollah are paying subscribers, gaining blue checkmarks and premium features. These perks, TTP warns, are helping terrorist-affiliated users spread propaganda, raise funds, and amplify their messaging with little apparent resistance from the platform’s content moderation systems.

Despite X’s terms prohibiting subscriptions from users tied to U.S.-sanctioned organizations, enforcement appears lax. Some previously banned accounts have even regained premium access. The findings raise serious concerns about X’s vetting process and whether the platform is enabling dangerous groups to operate more effectively. As TTP director Katie Paul put it, "There is clear evidence of these groups profiting and fundraising through X," a troubling revelation for a platform owned by one of the world's most high-profile tech figures. Read More

🖥️ Despite the march of progress, outdated Windows systems are still quietly running critical infrastructure around the world, from hospital elevators and ATMs to entire train networks. A BBC report reveals that systems powered by decades-old software like Windows XP, Windows 3.11, and even MS-DOS remain in use due to high upgrade costs, hardware compatibility, and deep integration with legacy systems. In extreme cases, like the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, doctors still navigate DOS-based software with text commands, and a full system overhaul isn't expected until 2031. These digital relics underscore how modern life still leans heavily on yesterday’s code. Read

✈️ A pilot on TikTok has cleared the air on why switching your phone to airplane mode during flights actually matters, and it’s not just an airline ritual. While your phone won’t bring down the plane, the pilot explained that radio signals from active devices can interfere with cockpit headsets, creating an annoying buzzing noise that makes it harder to hear important instructions. In one instance, he compared the sound to having a mosquito in your ear mid-flight. It's not catastrophic, but when clear communication is critical, that interference becomes a real nuisance. So yes—airplane mode isn’t just a suggestion, it’s a courtesy to the folks flying the plane. Read

GOOD TO KNOW

On This Day: The Ringling brothers opened a small circus in Baraboo, Wisconsin, on this day in 1884, and by the early 20th century had transformed it into the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the leading American circus.

Fun Riddle: What are the five Great Lakes?

QUOTE

LEISURE READS

Mark Zuckerberg 'has proof aliens exist’ – but is hiding it for a huge reason: Read

Venus Aerospace debuts potentially revolutionary rocket engine with landmark 1st flight (video): Read

ANSWER TO RIDDLE

Question: What are the five Great Lakes?

Answer: Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario