DAILY NEWS Stream – February 4, 2025

Czech government abandons plans to restrict labeling of vegan foods, will continue allowing terms like “burgers” and “sausage” for plant-based products as consumers and producers’ opinions prevail over meat and dairy industry pressure (Vegconomist)

PETA [People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals] calls for a total ban on live animal mascots at US college sports games, citing the stress and terror it causes to animals surrounded by screaming fans, bright lights, and loud noises (Species Unite)

US to ban seafood imports tied to deadly bycatch of whales, dolphins, and other marine animals, starting January 1, 2026, after successful lawsuit by conservation groups (Species Unite)

President Trump’s administration urged to end wasteful taxpayer-funded animal testing after US$23 billion was spent last year even though 95% of experiments fail to benefit humans (Species Unite)

The Philippines arrests five more Chinese citizens suspected of spying, with two caught tracking a Philippine navy ship and other important vessels in the South China Sea using drones and cameras (Tuổi Trẻ)

President Trump launches massive 10-to-1 deregulation initiative mandating that for every new regulation, agencies must identify at least 10 existing regulations to repeal, aiming to streamline the federal government while building on the success of a similar initiative in His first term (WhiteHouse.gov)

President Trump expands educational opportunities for American families by directing the Department of Education to prioritize school choice programs and educational alternatives, including private and faith-based options, to ensure every child can access high-quality education (WhiteHouse.gov)

President Trump takes forceful and unprecedented steps to combat anti-Semitism, ordering immediate action to stop pro-Hamas vandalism and investigate and punish anti-Jewish racism in leftist, anti-American colleges and universities, warning all resident foreigners who joined the pro-Hamas protests that “we will find you, and we will deport you” and vowing to cancel the student visas of all Hamas sympathizers on college campuses (WhiteHouse.gov)

President Trump signs into law the “Laken Riley Act” requiring illegal immigrants who commit theft or violent crimes in the US to be detained, marking major win for the President’s immigration agenda (WhiteHouse.gov)

President Trump establishes Task Force 250 to plan, organize, and execute a “grand celebration” for America’s 250th birthday [July 4, 2026], led by the President and Vice President (WhiteHouse.gov)

President Trump orders elimination of radical ideologies from K-12 schools – including critical race theory and transgenderism – enforcing parental rights and restricting federal funding for discriminatory or ideological programs, and reinstates the 1776 Commission from the President’s first term to promote patriotic education that celebrates America and its founding history and principles (WhiteHouse.gov)

Analysis: US tech billionaire and Efficiency Commissioner Elon Musk deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for defending free speech worldwide through his X social media platform, even putting himself at risk resisting Biden’s pressure to censor information online (Liz Peek via The Hill)

US Senator Josh Hawley [Republican-Missouri] exposes Democrats who oppose President Trump’s nominees Kash Patel, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Tulsi Gabbard (vegan) – all truth-tellers who will get their agencies back to serving the American people and reveal Democratic lawmakers’ corruption in the process. Mr. Hawley hopes all three will be confirmed (Fox News)

US: Dozens of former intelligence officials urge senators to confirm Tulsi Gabbard (vegan) as President Trump’s Director of National Intelligence, saying that she will help stop the political weaponization of spy agencies – which have been turned against the American people and government – that she has a record of standing for “truth, integrity, and following the facts,” and that her decades of experience on combat duty and as a Congresswoman “more than qualifies her for this important position” (Fox News)

“She’s a brilliant woman”: Expert Dr. Batya Ungar-Sargon weighs in on Tulsi Gabbard (vegan)’s Intelligence Director nomination, hoping she gets the job, as she promises to keep the US out of endless regime-change wars and will advance President Trump’s “America First” foreign policy (Sky News Australia)

US: Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson [Republican-Louisiana] says Congress will investigate Biden’s “shocking” family pardons - in which he exempted them from any future prosecution, implying they’re guilty of crimes - as well as Democrats’ involvement in the January 6, 2021 Capitol Hill protest (Sean Hannity)

Thailand’s Prime Minister Shinawatra will visit China from February 5-8, 2025, to work with President Xi and other leaders on combating online fraud and human trafficking, aiming to boost Chinese tourism (Đại biểu Nhân dân)

Romania faces surge in respiratory infections, with 6.5% increase in flu-related deaths in one week prompting epidemiological alert (Xinhua)

Vietnamese doctor warns getting a massage after drinking alcohol increases risk of stroke due to increased blood pressure, and recommends avoiding unlicensed massage therapists and seeing a doctor instead if you have back, neck, or shoulder pain to determine if it’s a serious disease and/or be referred to an appropriate certified professional (VnExpress)

Plant-based vaccines – developed in plants instead of mammalian cell cultures - could expand access across Africa, enabling local production twice as fast as common traditional methods, new study finds (Imperial College London)

Britain restricts the supply of new-generation weight loss drug Mounjaro to 220,000 people for three years to assess side effects before wider use (VTV.vn)

Heavy snowfall in South Korea as temperatures plunge to minus 3.7ºC (Korea JoongAng Daily)

Brazil: Hidden forest corridors along rivers connect the Amazon and Atlantic forests, helping tree species spread despite hundreds of miles of dry areas between them, new research shows, highlighting the importance of protecting these riverside forests (EcoWatch)

Detroit [US] nonprofit Empowerment Plan [a Shining World Compassion Award recipient] provides water-resistant coats that transform into sleeping bags to homeless people, made by homeless workers given full-time employment and support to achieve financial independence (Good Good Good)

Ten percent of people in Great Britain are eating less meat, with 3% of the population identifying as vegan or plant-based, study finds (Species Unite)

Prioritizing quote of the day: “Give me beauty in the inward soul, and may the outward and the inward man be at one.” – The Venerated Enlightened Master Socrates (vegetarian)