Bitcoin Exchange Reserves Plummet as Demand from ETFs Surges

U.S. inflation rose sharply in January 2025, reaching an annual increase of 3%, according to the Labor Department. This marks a notable escalation from the previous month's 2.9% rise and a significant jump from a low of 2.4% recorded in September 2024. The report highlighted substantial price hikes in groceries, gasoline, and used cars, with a particularly striking 15.2% increase in egg prices attributed to the ongoing avian flu epidemic. Former President Donald Trump's ongoing promise to reduce living costs appears increasingly jeopardized. During his campaign, he asserted that he would make America affordable again by controlling inflation, stating, “We have to get them down," referring to rising prices. However, after the recent inflation data was released, Trump shifted blame to the policies of current President Joe Biden, claiming “BIDEN INFLATION UP!” on his social media account. The resurgence in inflation complicates the prospects for an interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve, further entrenching economic challenges for consumers.

Intel launched its Arrow Lake H systems on February 11, 2025, showcasing notable performance improvements. Early benchmarks indicate that the Arrow Lake H processors deliver up to a 20% increase in multithread performance compared to the previous Meteor Lake generation, as reported in tests on devices like the Asus Zenbook Duo 2025 and MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285H processor achieved a 22% increase in multicore scores in Geekbench 6 over its predecessor. The MSI Prestige 16 outperformed the Apple M4 processor in multicore performance by 15%, although Apple retained the lead in single-core tasks. Furthermore, testing with software like Handbrake showed that the Prestige 16 completed video compression tasks notably quicker than the equivalent Apple model. Intel's integrated Arc 140T chip also demonstrated strong gaming performance, positioning it competitively against rival processors from Apple and AMD. Overall, these advancements suggest positive prospects for Intel's performance in the computing market moving forward, as manufacturers work on optimizing designs for their processors.

An unusual trend of dead Great White Sharks washing ashore along North America's coastlines has left scientists puzzled. According to a report from the New York Times, five of these sharks have been discovered on the eastern coast of Canada since 2023, with an additional four found on U.S. beaches, totaling nine confirmed cases. Historically, the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperator had not recorded a single Great White corpse along its shores in over three decades. Experts are investigating the cause of these fatalities, noting that the sharks exhibit no signs of injury or trauma, ruling out attacks by orcas or boats. Most sharks were found with full stomachs, dismissing the theory of starvation as a factor. Megan Jones, a veterinary pathologist, indicated that three of the affected sharks may share a common infectious brain disease, potentially meningoencephalitis, which inflates brain tissues and could explain their deaths. Alisa Newton, chief veterinarian for OCEARCH, expressed concern over the significant implications this trend may have on marine ecosystems, particularly as ocean conditions continue to change.