Good morning, curious minds!

We're back with another day of stories that'll spark conversation. Let's dive deep into Signal leaks, hunt for silenced legitimate voices, and join the Real Bag Debate. Here we go!

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🚨 Be the First to Know:

• After a serious breathing crisis, Pope Francis' doctors considered stopping treatment to 'let him go'

• 4 US soldiers went missing during a training exercise in Lithuania, and the vehicle was found.

• Trump announced 25% tariffs on imported cars and parts during a trade war escalation.

Signal Saga

While intelligence chiefs continued testifying on Capitol Hill, the Atlantic published the entire Signal group conversation among Trump's national security leaders. In the full thread, we see frank talk about missiles, target timing, and real-time "messaging strategies" to sell the operation.

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Critics say this stokes even fiercer debate over whether top officials recklessly turned a group text into a national security issue. With all the receipts now out, any plausible deniability is unraveling fast. It's all about how deep these revelations cut, and will anyone be held accountable for leaking war plans?

Bonus: Flight data shows a member of the group chat was in Russia.

Study or Surrender?

Tufts PhD student Rumeysa Ozturk was abruptly detained on a quiet Somerville street, handcuffed by officers hiding their faces and badges—in a grim scene caught by security cameras. This echoes Mahmoud Khalil's recent arrest and raises concerns over the Trump administration's crackdown on foreign students, now targeting a Turkish researcher.

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Officials at Tufts say they were blindsided, while local leaders say the footage is "intimidating." Öztürk’s case highlights a deeper concern amid heightened scrutiny of international scholars and harsh visa revocations: Are legitimate voices being silenced under the guise of national security? There's a ripple effect beyond one campus.

Unpacking the Myths

Even if single-use plastic is banned, replacements—like paper sacks or synthetic "reusable" totes—can still cost a lot. To match the climate impact of a single plastic bag, paper takes more energy to make and needs to be reused multiple times.

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"Reusable" bags at the grocery might be plastic-laced "fabric," creating waste when stocked and barely used. They'll leave a big carbon footprint if we don't bring cotton totes along frequently and reliably. Ultimately, the best bag is the one you will use repeatedly, so habits matter more than labels.

💬 Beyond the Core

Drip: 'Leaked' audio of JD Vance bashing Musk goes viral—but it's fake.

Well-traveled: There's no joke: United flight turns around after pilot forgets passport.

Suit Up! Everyone wants to go to law school these days, but why?

Hard Way: Over 12 days after swallowing $770K in Tiffany earrings, a thief 'expelled' them.

📸 Lens to Life

Take a look at these eight photography winners with disabilities.

🧮 Core Count: 15%

The percentage of immigrants and children of immigrants in the current Congress.

🗓️ Flashback:

1513 - Spaniard Juan Ponce de León and his expedition first sight Florida.

1625 - Charles I, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland, ascended the English throne.

1794 - President George Washington signed the Naval Act of 1794, which authorized six frigates and a permanent US Navy.

1914 - Dr. Albert Hustin performed the first successful non-direct blood transfusion in Brussels.

1958 - Nikita Khrushchev became the Soviet Premier and First Secretary of the Communist Party.

1977 - In aviation's worst disaster, 583 people died when two Boeing 747s collided at Tenerife airport in Spain.

Before you go...

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I'm glad we could get together here. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!

​Fatih Taskiran​
​Founder & Chief Daydreamer at The Core​

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