Good Morning! Today’s edition is 1,066 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Multiple CT scans could cause cancer

• California earthquake

• AI for dolphin interpretation

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Big Story

Small Business vs. Trump

Five small businesses have filed a lawsuit against President Trump seeking to block his recently imposed "Liberation Day" tariffs.

• The suit, filed in the US Court of International Trade, argues that Trump illegally bypassed Congress by declaring trade deficits an "emergency" to justify tariffs. The tariffs currently add at least 10% to imports from most countries and higher rates for many others.

• The lawsuit specifically challenges Trump's use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), arguing that "Congress has not delegated any such power" to impose worldwide tariffs unilaterally. The Liberty Justice Center, representing the businesses, points out that tariffs were even imposed on countries with which the US has no trade deficit.

• The plaintiffs include diverse small businesses from across the country: VOS Selections (NY wine importer), FishUSA (PA fishing gear retailer), Genova Pipe (UT plastic pipe manufacturer), MicroKits (VA electronics company), and Terry Precision Cycling (VT women's cycling apparel).

• Terry Cycling reports already paying $25,000 in unplanned tariffs this year and projects costs will reach $250,000 by the end of 2025 and an "unsurvivable" $1.2 million in 2026.

Big Story

All Woman Space Flight

Lauren Sanchez, Jeff Bezos' fiancée, blasted off to space Monday with five other women including Katy Perry and Gayle King on Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket.

• The 10-minute automated flight reached 66 miles above Earth, giving the crew several minutes of weightlessness. The launch is the first spaceflight in US history with women filling every seat.

• The celebrity-packed event drew numerous VIPs to Blue Origin's West Texas launch site, including Oprah Winfrey, Kardashian family members, and former NASA astronaut Mae Jemison. Bezos, who founded Blue Origin in 2000, greeted the crew upon landing.

• The flight continues the expanding trend of space tourism, where wealthy and well-connected people can experience trips previously reserved for professional astronauts. Blue Origin declined to disclose costs for the flight, which was the company's 11th human space voyage.

Big Story

CT Scans and Cancer

Scientists estimate that CT scans could increase future cancer diagnoses.

• CT scan usage in the US has surged by over 30% since 2007, with researchers now estimating that radiation from these scans performed in 2023 alone could potentially cause 103,000 future cancer cases—equivalent to about 5% of all new US cancer diagnoses.

• While individual risk remains minimal and patients shouldn't fear medically necessary scans, population-level exposure raises concerns. The theoretical risks are based on data from atomic bomb survivors and nuclear accidents, where people exposed to radiation comparable to multiple CT scans showed slightly increased cancer rates.

• Children and adolescents appear more vulnerable to radiation effects, with infants showing a higher lifetime risk for thyroid cancers, especially girls. However, the team said proving these links would require "decades-long follow-up studies of very large populations."

• Still, medical experts stress the importance of balancing caution about these theoretical risks against CT scanning's life-saving benefits.

Quick Stories

US News

• President Trump's advisers and El Salvador's President Bukele refuse to return wrongly deported Maryland man Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Trump officials said the US has no authority over the Salvadoran citizen. (More)

• A 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck near Julian, California on Monday morning. The tremor shook San Diego County, and triggered seven aftershocks, but won't cause a tsunami, according to USGS and warning officials. (More)

• Wisconsin's capital city clerk quit amid investigations after failing to count 192 absentee ballots. She delayed reporting the error until December 18, well after the November election and completion of canvassing. (More)

World

• Belgian authorities arrested fugitive Indian jeweler Mehul Choksi based on India's extradition request. He fled in 2018 after allegedly committing a $1.8 billion fraud against Punjab National Bank alongside his nephew Nirav Modi. (More)

• President Daniel Noboa won Ecuador's presidential run-off, securing a full four-year term after serving since November. His opponent Luisa González claims fraud without evidence and rejects the results. (More)

• Hungary's parliament passed a constitutional amendment allowing the government to ban LGBTQ public events. The Orbán-led ruling coalition pushed it through with 140 votes, while critics condemn it as an authoritarian move. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed higher on Monday (S&P +0.79%, Nasdaq +0.64%, Dow +0.78%). Tech stocks drove market gains on news of Trump’s exemption of certain electronics from “reciprocal” taxes. (More)

• Nvidia announced plans to produce AI supercomputers entirely in the US for the first time. It aims to manufacture up to $500 billion worth of AI infrastructure domestically through partnerships over the next four years. (More)

• Pfizer halted development of its daily weight loss pill danuglipron after a trial patient suffered a liver injury. The patient's liver enzymes recovered quickly after stopping the medication. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• The Dallas Wings selected UConn star Paige Bueckers first overall in the 2025 WNBA draft. After leading the Huskies to their first NCAA title in nine years, she becomes the sixth player to win a championship and go first in the same year. (More)

• HBO confirmed Nick Frost will play Hagrid, Janet McTeer takes on McGonagall, and Paapa Essiedu portrays Snape in the new Harry Potter TV series. Paul Whitehouse joins the cast as Argus Filch. (More)

• The Phoenix Suns fired head coach Mike Budenholzer Monday after missing the playoffs despite having the NBA's largest payroll. The team finished 36-46 and will hire their fourth coach in three years. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• Chipolo launched new POP trackers that work with both Apple and Google (Android) finding networks. The device’s alert is also much louder than AirTag. (More)

• GSK's pill gepotidacin effectively treated gonorrhea in a late-stage trial. It would become the first new antibiotic class for this STI in over 20 years if approved. (More)

• Scientists discovered the first club-tailed ankylosaurid footprints in Canada's Peace Region. The 100-million-year-old tracks fill a significant gap in North America's mid-Cretaceous fossil record. (More)

Extra Credit

🥘 The top 10 international cities for food and drink.

🐬 Google’s new AI model can talk to dolphins.

👻 Raising a ghost town from the dead.

🤱 Australian woman gives birth to a stranger’s baby after IVF mix-up.