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Oil and semi-stocks are up, as is the price of equities.
The global stock index rose on Monday, as chipmaker stocks recovered from their recent sharp declines. Oil prices also increased slightly with investors cautious about the Gulf developments. Yemen's Iran aligned Houthis have declared a blockade of Saudi Arabia. Iran's Foreign Ministry stated that mediators have presented "proposals", signaling diplomatic contacts are still active. However, it did not provide any details. U.S. crude climbed 0.15%, to $82.61, and Brent rose 0.6% to $88.63 a barrel. Since the start of the U.S. - Iran conflict on February 28, higher oil prices have been a concern for both consumers and businesses. After last week's pullback in chip stocks, the equities have largely stabilized. Peter Cardillo is the chief market economist of Spartan Capital Securities, New York. He said that he was seeing some semiconductor stocks recover. The semiconductor index was up 1.5% on Saturday after it ended Friday more than 20 percent below its record-breaking high from late June. This confirms that the market is in a downturn. Oil prices are also a factor. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 158.80?points, or 0.30%?to 51,987.62. The S&P 500 rose 18?40 points or 0.25% to 7,476.09, and the Nasdaq Composite grew 141.45?points, or 0.55%?to 25,661.70. The U.S. earnings season is picking up speed, as several major companies including Intel and IBM are due to release results. Earnings will either confirm or contradict this year's gains. This has been driven by an increase in AI capital expenditure, which is seen as a boon for semiconductor stocks and companies. This season will give us some insights into the AI trade, which includes chipmakers. It will also shed more light on the secondary effects of war. U.S. Treasury Yields rose as traders considered the impact of escalating prices for oil, driven by the war with Iran. Futures markets have priced in at least one Federal Reserve interest rate hike before year's end. On Monday, the benchmark 10-year Treasury was at 4.56% - up 2 basis points. The yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. notes increased 6.28 basis points from 4.541% to 4.604% late on Friday. Dollar rose as investors watched developments in the Iran War, and the pound dropped from its earlier highs as the markets prepared for the new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Sterling fell 0.26%, to $1.3418. The dollar index (which measures the greenback versus a basket including the yen, the euro and other currencies) rose by 0.15%, to?100.98. Meanwhile, the euro fell by 0.25%, to $1.141. U.S. Natural?gas Futures fell about 1% due to rising production, a drop in exports of liquefied gas, and forecasts that demand will be lower this week than expected. (Reporting from Caroline Valetkevitch and Alun John, in New York; additional reporting from Wayne Cole, in Sydney; editing by Sharon Singleton and Jan Harvey)
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Smoke lingers on parts of the US as wildfires in Ontario expand
Wildfires in Ontario have grown from 650,000 to 735,000 acres (1.8 million hectares) since the weekend. Premier Doug Ford announced this on Monday. The air quality in Ontario has improved, but remains unhealthy in some parts of the U.S. Midwest. Ford stated at a Toronto press conference that the province was battling 190 active fires. Around 1,800 residents were evacuated from sparsely-populated communities in northwest?Ontario. Ford stated, "We won't spare a dime in fighting these fires or keeping the people safe." Wildfires in Canada, which mostly occur in areas that are difficult to access, have led to tensions between Canada, the U.S. and some politicians who have criticized Canada for its response. The smoke from wildfires in Ontario, Minnesota and northern Canada caused the worst air pollution ever to reach Toronto last week. It then spread to New York City and Washington. The air quality has improved since then in Southern Ontario, the U.S. Northeast, and the Mid-Atlantic. However, it remains poor in some U.S. states in the Midwest. As of 11:15 a.m. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s AirNow website rated air quality in a region that includes parts of Wisconsin and Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Missouri and Illinois as “unhealthy” or “unhealthy for groups sensitive to the air”. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said that Mark Carney, Canadian prime minister at the time of his visit to Washington on Sunday told him that Canada needed to do more in order for it control wildfires in Ontario. Trump claimed that he discussed the matter with?Carney at the FIFA World Cup Final, which both of them attended Sunday. This was two days after Trump threatened to levy extra tariffs on Canadian products to punish 'Canada for the wildfire smoke. Carney hasn't directly replied to Trump. However, he did say that?all countries include the United States. Climate change must be addressed more. Ford called it "inacceptable" that Trump chose to criticize Canada’s response to wildfires and threaten tariffs instead of sending help. He said that Ontario would send hydro workers to the U.S. to assist with Hurricane Helene in 2024 and water bombers in California to combat wildfires in California in 2025, as proof of Canadian support during natural disasters. Ford said, "Instead of criticizing and threatening Canada, your closest allies, perhaps one day you will need our help." Canada is home to some of world's biggest forests. Major forest fires are now a common occurrence. Experts say that rising temperatures are causing drier wood and an increased risk of fire. (Reporting and editing by Mark Porter in Toronto, with Ryan Patrick Jones reporting from Toronto)
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Investors' gold prices remain stable as they weigh US-Iran developments and Fed signals
Investors assessed 'developments in the escalating U.S. - Iran?conflict which?lifted?energy prices and clouded U.S. rate outlooks. As of 11:47 am EDT (1547 GMT), spot gold was down by 0.1% to $4,014.39 an ounce. U.S. Gold Futures for August Delivery were unchanged at $4,019.00. The yields on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury notes increased by 0.5%. The U.S. Dollar was up by 0.3% making gold more expensive for overseas buyers. Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed they had attacked U.S. military equipment across the Middle East?after another night's bombardment by the U.S. of Iranian cities?while Yemen's Iran aligned Houthis announced a naval blocade against Saudi Arabia? Brent crude oil prices have stabilized after reaching a high of more than a month, fueling inflation fears and increasing bets on higher interest rates for longer. Gold is often seen as a hedge against inflation, but high interest rates tend to reduce the appeal of the non-yielding investment. David Meger is the director of metals at High Ridge Futures. He said that "higher energy prices are still in focus" as the escalation of tensions in the Middle East adds to the concern that the Fed's less than expected data on inflation last week may not be sufficient to prevent them from raising rates this year. Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack has added her voice in a growing chorus that believes interest rates need to be raised to combat persistent inflation. This will set up a heated debate at the Fed’s next meeting, and possibly dissents during Kevin Warsh's 2nd meeting as chairman of the central bank. According to CME FedWatch, traders now expect an interest rate increase in the U.S. by December. This is up from?73% last Friday. "We anticipate that the Fed will not raise rates until later in this year. We expect them to use balance sheet adjustments. Meger stated that we believe the realization of this will add some'support' to the gold price and put pressure on the dollar in the next month or two. Other metals such as palladium, platinum, and silver also saw gains. Palladium gained 1.6%, while spot silver rose 2%. (Reporting and editing by Noel John in Bengaluru, Vedika Thorat)
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Zinc prices expected to decline in 2026 due to weak demand and supply concerns
Analysts predict that zinc prices will fall from their recent highs in the remainder of the year, as a lacklustre supply offsets the disruptions to demand. Due to the 'tight ores supply' and smelter losses, the metal used to galvanise steel will be up by more than 13% in 2026 on London Metal Exchange. Zinc, which outperformed copper, nickel, lead, and aluminium last month, reached its highest level in nearly four years, at $3,658 a metric ton. Tighter-than-expected supply has prompted analysts to revise up their 2026 price forecasts, but while they see zinc remaining elevated in the second half of ?the year, they don't expect it to hold on to current levels above $3,500. Tom Price, Panmure Liberum analyst, said that China's production of steel in 2026 will be lower than its five- to six-year rolling average. Price said that if steel production falls, it will be a primary driver of demand for zinc. He believes the metal could drop to $3,100 per ton by the end of the fourth quarter. BMI, an arm of Fitch Solutions, predicts that zinc prices will drop further, to $3,000, by the end of this year, due to the long-term positioning caused by an explosion and fire at Kazzinc’s smelter in May, as well as a fire at Nexa Resources’ Cajamarquilla facility. BMI stated in a report that "prices will likely ease from their current levels, as the headline-driven premium associated with recent supply disruptions diminishes and?the market moves to a narrow surplus." This year, the market is estimated at 14 million tons. Jonathan Leng is Wood Mackenzie’s research director of zinc markets. He expects the price to drop to $3,350 at end-2026 with a global demand growth rate of only 0.9%. He still predicts an 80,000 ton deficit, and warns LME Zinc stocks Just over 100,000 tons is?only a thin cushion. Leng stated that "if there is any further disruption in smelting, we could see a spike higher." Leng stated that the recent opening of the arbitrage windows to ship zinc from Shanghai Futures Exchange warehouses to LME could lower LME prices. ShFE zinc stocks Shanghai zinc has increased by less than 3% in the past year, despite being at a record high.
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Investors' gold prices remain stable as they weigh US-Iran developments and Fed signals
?Gold held firm on 'Monday as investors assessed the escalating 'U.S.-Iran Conflict, which boosted energy prices and clouded prospects for U.S. Interest Rates. As of 9:25 am EDT (1325 GMT), spot gold was down by 0.1%, at $4,011.96 an ounce. U.S. Gold Futures for August Delivery fell 0.1% to $4015.80. The yields on the benchmark U.S. Treasury 10-year note increased by 0.5%. The U.S. Dollar was up by 0.1%, making bullion prices more expensive for foreign buyers. Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed they had attacked U.S. military equipment across the Middle East, after another night of U.S. bombing of Iranian cities. Yemen's Iran aligned Houthis also declared a?naval blockade against Saudi Arabia. Brent crude oil prices have stabilized after reaching a high of more than a month, fueling inflation fears and?betting on higher interest rates for longer. Gold is often seen as a hedge against inflation, but high interest rates can reduce its appeal. David Meger is the director of metals at High Ridge Futures. He said that "higher energy prices are still in focus" as the escalation of tensions in the Middle East adds to the concern that the Fed's less than expected data on inflation last week may not be sufficient to prevent them from raising rates this year. Cleveland - Fed President Beth Hammack has added her voice in a growing chorus that believes interest rates need to be raised to combat persistent inflation. This will set up a heated debate at the Fed meeting next week and could lead to dissensions during Kevin Warsh’s second meeting as chairman of the central bank. According to CME FedWatch, traders now expect an interest rate increase in the U.S. by December. This is up from?73% a week ago. "We expect the Fed to use balance sheet adjustments, and not raise rates until later in this year. Meger stated that we believe the'realization' of this will actually add some support to the gold price and pressure on the dollar in the next month or two. Other than that, silver spot gained 1.7%, to $56.87 an ounce. Platinum was down by 0.3%, at $1,586.21 and palladium climbed 1.3%, to $1,264.34. (Reporting from Noel John in Bengaluru and Vedika Thorat; editing by Leroy Leo).
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India's infrastructure production rises by 5% in June, according to a new series
India's infrastructure production grew by?5% in June, the fastest pace in five months. The data was released as part of a new series that uses?2022-23 for the base year. The government released a new series on Monday, replacing the 2011-12 base years and expanding the core sector basket from eight industries to nine, including iron ore. According to the latest data from the government, infrastructure output grew by a revised 3.2% compared to a year earlier in May. The revised series shows that it grew faster than 5.2% last in January. KEY NUMBERS * The Cement production rose by 9.8% in June, compared to an 8.4% rise in May. * The?production of steel?increased by 4.6%?last month compared to an increase of 5.1% in May, which was revised. * Electricity production increased 9.8% in June compared to an increase of 11.2% in May, which was revised. * The coal production increased by 1.4% in the month of June compared with a 9.5% fall that was revised for the previous month. *?Iron Ore Production rose 43.9% from a revised 19% increase in May. * Crude oil production fell by 4.2% in June. This is the same as in May, when it was revised down. * Fertiliser output fell 3.3% in June after a revised 1% decline in May. *?Natural Gas Production shrank 7.4% in July, compared to an earlier revised decline of 5%. * The output of refinery products fell by 4.7% in June, compared to a fall of 8.2% a month earlier. * The growth in infrastructure output for April-June was 3.6%, compared to a revised 1.0% during the same period last year. (Reporting and editing by Eileen Soreng, Sarita Chaganti-Singh, and Shivangi-Acharya)
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What is China's next surprise on the oil market? Lower fuel imports and higher fuel exports: Russell
China's reaction to the conflict in Iran is not surprising, but the magnitude of the cuts. China's track record is one of consistently reducing?crude imports to lower prices and increasing arrivals when the price drops. The collapse of imports in June to their lowest level in almost 10 years was 'dramatic', particularly given that, even though crude prices?surge? in the weeks following the U.S. & Israel attack on Iran in February -28, they didn't reach the levels reached in 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine. China's crude imports in June were 7,12 million barrels a day (bpd), down 41.3% on the same month of last year and the lowest since October 2016. A drop of this magnitude would normally have led to a huge drawdown on China's inventory, but that didn't occur. Refiners in China reduced processing rates in June to 12,47 million bpd, a 17.7% drop from the same period in 2025. This is the lowest level since March 2020 during the COVID-19 Pandemic. China does not reveal the volume of crude oil flowing in or out of strategic and commercial stocks, but an estimate can be made if you subtract the amount of oil that has been processed from total crude from both imports and domestic production. This means that refiners have a total of 11,53 million bpd. The 12.27 million bpd they processed meant that approximately 940,000 bpd were drawn from inventory, a significant increase from the 500,000 bpd of May. China, despite drawing from its stockpiles over the past two month, still added to its reserves in the first half, with a surplus of crude oil around 530,000 barrels per day. China's ability to reduce refinery runs in June was partly due to Beijing placing unofficial export restrictions on refined products. This was seen as a "measure" to ensure a sufficient supply of fuels for the domestic market, during the conflict with Iran. According to commodity analysts Kpler's data, China exported 393,000 barrels per day of light and medium distillates in June. This is slightly less than the 400,000 barrels per day in May, but higher than the 54-month-low of 338,000 barrels per day in April. It is clear that China played a major role in adjusting the demand for crude oil throughout the current Iran Crisis, which saw the loss of approximately 10 million bpd of supply of crude oil and refined products due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. China's exports have been reduced since April. What will China do to respond to the current crisis? Prices are key China could be planning another surprise for the markets if the answer is seen through the prisms of prices. China's crude imports are expected to recover in August and September, as refiners have likely purchased cargoes that were able to leave the Strait of Hormuz after the ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. The market expected a return of normal Middle East supply and, therefore, a glut. Benchmark Brent futures fell to $70.14 per barrel on July 2. They had been as high at $126.41 at end of April. Brent oil prices rose to $90.80 per barrel on Monday morning in the early Asian trading session, despite the return of hostilities. China's refiners will likely reduce imports as crude prices rebound. This means lower arrivals in October, given the time lag between cargoes being arranged and delivered. What happens to China's refined products exports? Beijing is confident that it will be able to survive on its huge stockpiles. Its crude oil reserves are estimated at 1.2 billion barrels. China could also be tempted by the opportunity to take advantage of high margins in Asia. Gasoil (the building block of diesel) ended July 17 at $143.03 per barrel, a $54.93 premium to the Brent closing prices and almost three times that $18.94 markup on February 27th, the day before Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran. Kpler has tracked shipments of 787,000 BPD of light and medium distillates in July. You like this column? Check out Open Interest, your new essential source of global financial commentary. ROI provides data-driven, thought-provoking analysis on everything from soybeans to swap rates. The markets are changing faster than ever. ROI can help you keep up. Follow ROI on LinkedIn, X. These are the views of a columnist who writes for.
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India's coal power plants say they have enough stocks despite increasing demand
India's coal-fired plants have enough?coal to operate for two weeks at higher rates. This eases concerns about fuel shortages due to a?rising demand for electricity and a?lower-than-average rainfall during the monsoon season. The power ministry said in a response to the parliament that coal stocks at power stations stood at 42,8 million tonnes on July 12. This is enough for 14 full days of operation with an 85% load factor. It added that utilities are also able to obtain enough coal to meet their daily needs. The peak demand for power in India increased last week by nearly 270.1 gigawatts, mainly due to the?cooling of demand. El Nino has contributed to a?weaker rain. The government is expecting India's peak power demand to reach 280 GW due to the lack of strong monsoon rainfall this year. * Coal is still the mainstay of India's power system, despite its aggressive expansion in renewable energy. According to the Ministry, coal and lignite fired plants generated approximately?75%?of power during non-solar peak demand hours. According to the power ministry, the government has increased coordination between?the coal and power ministries in order to monitor supplies and prioritise coal transportation to power plants. The government reported that India added 9.47 GW in coal-fired generation capacity between 2025 and 26 and 2.26 GW from April to July. This helped support the record-breaking electricity demand. (Reporting and editing by Susan Fenton; Sethuraman N.R.)
The top cases in the US Supreme Court docket
The U.S. Supreme Court has been deciding on a number of important cases in its current term. These include voting rights, presidential power, tariffs and birthright citizenship. Other issues are race, transgender sportspeople, campaign finance laws, LGBT "conversion therapies" and federal agency authority. The term began in October, and will run through June. Separately, the court has also acted in emergency cases involving challenges against President Donald Trump's policy.
VOTING RIGHTS ACT On April 29, the court gutted a crucial provision of?the Voting Act, making minorities less likely to challenge electoral maps under this landmark civil rights act as racially biased. The court blocked a map that would have given Louisiana a U.S. Congress district with primarily Black constituents. The court's ruling undermined Section 2 in the Voting Rights Act. Congress passed it to prevent electoral maps from diluting the power of "minority" voters. After the Supreme Court gutted another part of the Voting Right Act in 2013, Section 2 gained more importance as a barrier against racial bias in voting. Black voters are more likely to vote for Democratic candidates.
Birthright Citizenship The court expressed skepticism about the legality of Trump’s directive on April 1, to restrict the birthright citizenship of Americans. Justices asked the lawyer for the Trump administration questions regarding the legal validity and practical implications of Trump's order. A lower court blocked Trump's executive order that instructed U.S. agencies to not recognize citizenship for children born in the U.S. when neither parent was an American citizen, or a?legal resident (also called "green card") holder. The court found that Trump's policy was in violation of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and federal laws codifying birthright citizenship. The Supreme Court will likely rule by the end June.
TRUMP'S TARIFS The judges on February 20, 2018 struck down Trump's "sweeping tariffs" that he pursued in accordance with a law intended for national emergencies. This ruling has major implications for global economics. The ruling, which was 6-3 in favor of the lower court decision that Trump had exceeded his legal authority by using this 1977 law, upheld that decision. The court ruled that Trump's claim to have the authority to impose tariffs was not supported by the law in question, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Congress has the power to impose taxes and tariffs, not the President, according to the U.S. Constitution. Tariffs are at the heart of a global trade conflict that Trump started after he entered his second term in office. This war has alienated trading partner, affected financial markets, and created global economic uncertainty.
TRUMP'S FIRE OF FED OFFICIAL The Justices expressed skepticism about Trump's attempt to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, a move that could threaten the independence of the central bank. The justices said they would not grant Trump's request for a judge to overturn a decision that prevented him from firing Cook immediately while her legal case is being resolved. Congress created the Fed by passing a law, the Federal Reserve Act, that contained provisions designed to protect the central bank against political interference. The law stipulated that governors could only be removed "for cause" and did not specify the procedure for removal. Trump claimed that Cook's firing was due to unproven allegations of mortgage fraud, which she has denied. Cook, who is still in her position for now, said that the allegations were a pretext used to fire Cook over differences of monetary policy, as Trump pressures the Fed to reduce interest rates. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June.
PROTECTED STATUS OF IMMIGRANTS On April 29, the justices heard arguments examining Trump's administration's actions to strip humanitarian benefits from hundreds of thousands Haitian and Syrian migrants, as part of his signature crackdown on immigration. The Trump administration appealed two federal judge's rulings that halted its efforts to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which the U.S. Government had previously granted to over?350,000 Haitians and 6,100 Syrians. Some conservative justices seemed to agree with the administration that courts could not second-guess the decision of the government to end TPS. Some justices questioned also the claim made by the challengers, that the administration had not followed mandatory protocols when making decisions in accordance with the law governing TPS. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June.
FEDERAL COMMISSION FIREING The conservative justices of the court have signaled that they will uphold Trump's legality in firing a Federal Trade Commission Member and also give a historical boost to president power, while also putting at risk a 90-year old legal precedent. On December 8, the court heard arguments in the Justice Department appeal of the lower?court decision that the Republican President exceeded his authority by dismissing Democratic FTC member Rebecca Slaughter before her term expired in March. The conservative justices seemed sympathetic to the Trump Administration's argument that tenure protections granted by Congress to independent agency heads unlawfully infringed on presidential powers under the U.S. Constitution. Trump was allowed to remove Slaughter until the case concluded. The court is expected to make a decision by the end June.
TRANSGENDER SPORTS PARTIcipation The conservative justices seemed ready to uphold the state laws that ban transgender athletes to female sports teams, amid an escalating nationwide effort to restrict transgender rights. On January 13, the court heard arguments from Idaho and West Virginia in appeals of lower court decisions siding with transgender students. The bans were challenged by the students as being in violation of the U.S. Constitution, and a federal antidiscrimination act. 25 other states also have laws similar to Idaho's. The conservative justices expressed concerns over imposing a uniform law on the whole country, amid a sharp disagreement and uncertainty about whether medications such as puberty-blocking hormones or gender affirming hormones remove male physiological advantages in sport. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June.
LGBT 'CONVERSION THERAPEUTY'
On March 31, the court rejected a Democratic-backed Colorado Law that prohibited psychotherapists from utilizing "conversion talk therapy" intended to change a LGBT minor's gender identity or sexual orientation. The 8-1 decision sided with the Christian licensed counselor and deemed that the law was an intrusion into free speech rights. The court rejected Colorado’s argument that the law only protected speech, but regulated professional conduct. The court reversed a lower-court's?decision which had upheld a law brought by Kaley Chiles who argued it violated U.S. Constitution protections against government abridgment.
HAWAII GUNS LAW The conservatives expressed skepticism about a Hawaii gun law which restricts the carry of handguns in public places, such as businesses. They appeared ready to expand the right to own a firearm again. On January 20, the court heard arguments in an appeal filed by opponents of the law, backed by Trump's administration. The challengers were appealing a ruling by a judge that Hawaii's Democratic backed measure likely conforms to the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment right to bear arms. Hawaii's law demands that a property owner "expressly authorize" the bringing of a handgun on private property. Similar laws exist in four other U.S. states. A decision is expected to be made by the end June.
Drug Users and Guns On March 2, the justices heard arguments in the Trump Administration's bid to defend a federal statute that prohibits users of illegal drugs in Texas from owning firearms. Hunter Biden, son of former president Joe Biden, was charged under this law in 2023. The Justice Department appealed a ruling by a lower court that the gun restrictions were in violation of the Second Amendment rights to "keep and carry arms" guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution. Gun Control Act 1968 included a prohibition against gun ownership by illegal drug users. The decision is expected to be made by the end June.
CAMPAIGN-FINANCE On December 9, the court heard arguments in a Republican led bid to overturn federal spending limits by political parties coordinated with candidates. The case involved Vice President JDVance. The conservative justices seemed to be sympathetic towards the challenge. However, the three liberal members of the court appeared inclined to maintain the spending limits. The debate centers around whether federal limits on campaign spending coordinated with candidates' input violate First Amendment protections against government abridgment. Vance and Republican challengers have appealed the ruling of a lower court that restricted how much money political parties could spend on campaigns, with input from candidates who they support. This type of spending is called coordinated party expenses. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June.
MAIL-IN BALLOTS
Conservative justices expressed skepticism in a March 23 case against a Mississippi law that allowed a five-day period of grace for mail-in votes received after Election Day. This could lead to tighter voting laws across the country. The Trump administration supported the challenge against Mississippi's law that allows mail-in votes sent by certain voters be counted as long as they are postmarked before Election Day and received within five business days of a federal election. In Mississippi, absentee voting is only available to certain categories of voters. These include the elderly, disabled and those who live away from home. A lower court ruled that the law was unconstitutional. The court is expected to rule by the end June.
U.S. ASYLUM - PROCESSING: The court seemed likely to rule in favor?of the Trump administration's defense of its authority to reject asylum seekers when officials deem U.S. - Mexico border crossings to be too overloaded to handle more claims. On March 24, the court heard arguments in a dispute over a policy known as "metering", which Biden's administration dropped in 2021. The Republican president may want to reinstate it. It allowed U.S. Immigration officials to stop asylum seekers and refuse to process their applications indefinitely. The decision is expected to be made by the end June.
WEEDKILLER CAUSES CANCER The court seemed divided on Bayer AG’s efforts to stop thousands of lawsuits alleging that the German company failed to warn users of the dangers of the active ingredient of its Roundup weedkiller. On April 27, the court heard arguments in Bayer’s appeal of a Missouri state court jury verdict awarding $1.25million to a man called John Durnell, who claimed he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma following years of exposure. The lower court rejected Bayer's argument that U.S. pesticide law bars lawsuits based on claims made under state laws. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June.
Human Rights Abuses Around the World The court heard arguments in April 28 on a case that has broad implications for American human rights litigation. Members of the Falun-Gong spiritual movement have accused Cisco Systems, of facilitating religious persecusion in China. Cisco appealed the 2023 ruling of a lower court that gave new life to the 2011 lawsuit brought under the?Alien Tort Statute of 1789. The case accused Cisco of developing technology which allowed China's Government to monitor and persecute Falun Gong Members. Cisco asked the court to limit the scope and application of the Alien Tort Statute which allows non-U.S. Citizens to sue in American courts over violations of international law. The court is expected to make a ruling by the end June.
SEC'S DISGORGEMENT POWER The Justices appeared to be inclined to support the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in a case that tested the limits of one of its key powers. A financial remedy known as disgorgement, it seeks the recovery of profits from illegal activities. On April 20, the majority of justices seemed to be receptive of the Trump administration's defense of the SEC’s disgorgement powers. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June.
FCC fines wireless carriers
In response to a challenge to the Federal Communications Commission’s regulatory powers by major wireless carriers, the justices seemed inclined to maintain the Federal Communications Commission’s system of levying fines. During the April 21st arguments, the majority of justices appeared to be skeptical about the claim made by a Verizon Communications and AT&T lawyer that the in-house procedures of the Federal Communications Commission deprived them of their constitutional right to a trial by jury. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June.
'GEOFENCE" WARRANTS On April 27, the court heard arguments in a Virginia case over whether law enforcement using a "geofence warrant" to identify suspects based on data from mobile phones near crime scenes is a violation of the Fourth Amendment's bar against unreasonable searches. Geofence warrants approved by the court compel companies, such as Alphabet’s Google in this instance, to search mobile device location data of customers who were close to the crime scene at the time the crime was committed. In this case, a defendant pleaded conditionally guilty to robbing an institution of higher learning while reserving the right to argue against evidence obtained from what he believes was an illegal search. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June.
CRISIS PREGNANCY COUNTER The court sided on April 29, with the operator in New Jersey of Christian faith based anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers that are trying to impede an investigation by the state into whether these facilities engage in misleading practices. First?Choice women's resource centers brought a lawsuit against a subpoena issued by the state attorney general in 2023 seeking information about the organization's doctors and donors. The lawsuit had been dismissed by a lower court. First?Choice is a group of facilities that aims to discourage women from getting abortions.
RASTAFARIAN INMAT The conservative justices seemed inclined to reject the Rastafarian inmate's attempt to sue Louisiana state prison officials after they shaved his head in violation of religious beliefs. The case was brought before the court on November 10 under a federal statute protecting people incarcerated from religious discrimination. Plaintiff Damon Landor's religion requires that he let his hair grow. He appealed the decision of a lower court to dismiss his lawsuit, because they found that the statute in question did not allow for him to sue officials individually for monetary damages. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June.
DEATH ROW INMATE The court heard arguments in December in an attempt by Alabama officials in order to pursue the execution for an inmate who was convicted of a murder in 1997 after a lower judge found him intellectually disabled, and therefore ineligible to receive the death penalty. The Republican-led state has appealed a lower court ruling that Joseph Clifton Smith was intellectually disabled based upon his intelligence quotient (IQ), test scores, and expert testimony. In a 2002 Supreme Court decision, the court ruled that executing a person intellectually challenged violated the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June.
COX COPYRIGHT DISSENSION
On March 25, the court ruled that Cox Communications could not be held responsible for the piracy of songs by its subscribers, owned by Sony Music Group, Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group, and other labels. This ended their multi-billion dollar music copyright suit. The ruling of 9-0 overturned the decision by a lower court to order a trial to determine the amount the internet service provider was liable for the record labels under a form liability known as contributory copyright violation. Cox said that a retrial would have resulted in a verdict of up to $1.5 billion against the Atlanta ISP.
(source: Reuters)