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Nigeria's biggest refinery imports UAE crude for first time, traders say
Nigeria's 650,000-barrel-per-day Dangote refinery has imported ?2 million barrels of crude ?from ADNOC of the United Arab Emirates, ?traders told , ?marking its first ?such purchases ?of crude from the Middle Eastern producer. As demand in Asia has weakened and global crude markets have weakened dramatically, the purchases are being made at a time when the Middle East crude market is able to supply more Middle Eastern crude due to the 'U.S. Iran ceasefire' earlier this month. Three sources have confirmed that Dangote imported a cargo of Umm Lulu oil and another?of Das or Murban in June. The Dangote refinery refused to comment while ADNOC didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment. The refinery receives five to seven crude carloads a week from NNPC (Nigeria’s state-owned oil company), benefitting from lower shipping rates. However, it has stated that they require 'about 13 to fifteen cargoes a week. According to Kpler data, the Dangote refinery, which has become a major supplier of middle distillates into Europe because of fuel shortages caused by disruptions in shipping through the Strait, also imported up to 65,000 barrels per day (bpd)?of Libyan oil in 'May. Isaac Anyaogu and Seher Dareen in Lagos, Robert Harvey in London. (Editing by Alex Lawler, Mark Potter and Mark Potter).
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Heatwave tests Ukraine soldiers' Soviet-era tanks
The searing heat of a record-breaking European heatwave, which spilled over into Ukraine, slammed down on soldiers trapped inside a massive steel tank from the Soviet era. The scorching temperatures across Europe have caused power outages, infrastructure damage and overwhelmed healthcare systems. The heat of the battle in Ukraine has created its own challenges. The vehicle becomes very hot when it has completed its mission. The temperature inside can get really hot, said the chief sergeant for the 65th Separate Mechanized Brigade's tank battalion using "Sympatiaha" as his call sign on Sunday. This tank does not have air conditioning, unlike the Western-supplied?Abrams?, Challenger? and Leopard? tanks. Under the summer sun, Soviet-era T-72 battle tanks that weigh between 41-45 tons can become heat traps. Sympatiaha and her fellow soldiers sat on top of their tank in a leafy area, trying to cool off by splashing water onto their faces from a bottle. The temperatures in the area hovered around 30 degrees Celsius over the weekend. They are expected to reach 36 C by Tuesday. The crew remained committed despite the scorching heat to stopping Russian troops from moving forward. "Despite the harsh conditions of the weather - scorching temperatures now, freezing temperature and mud in winter – we are still holding on," he said. "We continue to fight against the Russian forces. We're trying to stop them from advancing, and?push? them out?of?here." Ukrainians in other parts of the country were preparing for a return to hourly power outages as temperatures rose, driving up electricity usage - largely because air conditioners are more popular. (Writing and editing by Ros Russell; Anna Pruchnicka)
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The Fed's hawkish stance on gold could lead to the worst quarter-end loss for gold in 13 years
Gold eased on Monday and was on course for its biggest?quarterly? decline in 13 years as inflation fears stemming out of the Middle East conflict fueled expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve would raise interest rates. Gold spot dropped by 0.2%, to $4.008.94 an ounce at 8:59 am. ET (1258 GMT), after reaching its lowest level in November. Prices have fallen 11.3% so far in June. U.S. gold futures fell -0.4% per ounce to $4,022.70. The precious metal is headed for its first quarter decline since 2024, and its steepest quarterly drop since the June quarter of 2013 when inflation fears were stoked by the Gulf conflict. Gold is often seen as a "hedge" against inflation. However, rising rates can weigh heavily on this non-yielding material. Edward Meir of?Marex said that the markets were a bit uneasy over the stability of the?MOU and gold was under pressure because they didn't see much light at the end of the tunnel. A Qatari official has said that top U.S. diplomats in Doha won't hold a meeting at a high level with Iran. This casts doubt on progress made to end the Iran War. The U.S. readings on inflation remain stubbornly high, and far above the Fed's target of 2%. The markets expect the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates high for a long time and even consider rate increases, Meir stated. According to the CME FedWatch Tool, traders?price in about a 66% chance of a rate hike in September. Investors will now be watching the ADP Employment Data due on Wednesday, and the U.S. nonfarm payrolls due on Thursday to gauge the Fed's policy stance. A recent OMFIF study revealed that central banks were more likely to reduce their U.S. Dollar exposure in the coming decade, due to increased geopolitical worries, and increase their gold holdings. Silver spot fell 0.8%, to $58.2585 an ounce. This is the biggest quarterly decline since the first quarter 2020. Palladium increased 0.2%, to $1,215.94, while platinum fell 0.7%, to $1564.34. Both metals are on course to record monthly and quarterly losses.
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Treasury's Bessent says that "we are watching" as it urges gas retailers in the US to lower prices on their 250th anniversary.
?U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday urged gasoline retailers to lower their prices in honor of the?U.S. The United States celebrates its 250th birthday. President Donald?Trump reiterates his message that "we are watching." Bessent, in an interview with Fox News, said: "I'd encourage all gasoline retailers. Some of them are owned and operated by Big Oil. Others are independent. And some are international convenience stores." "I'd encourage them to act responsibly, particularly?during the 250th anniversary because we are watching." Bessent reiterated his boss's warning to gas stations Monday that they must lower their prices immediately, or else face "big issues." "If Retailers do not?do that, then big problems are ahead!" Trump said in a post on social media that he would "start focusing around the $2.50 per gallon number". The United States will celebrate its founding on Saturday as part of the holiday celebrating the 4th of July. After the U.S., Israel, and other countries launched strikes against Iran in late-February and Iran responded by attacking Israel and Gulf states that have U.S. bases, oil prices spiked. Bessent stated that the Trump administration is expecting gas prices to follow the global price drop. Bessent told "Fox & Friends" that the administration would hold the other side accountable. As the president and his Republican colleagues fight to maintain a narrow majority in Congress, consumers have expressed concern over high gasoline prices.
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Treasury's Bessent says that "we are watching" as it urges gas retailers in the US to lower prices on their 250th anniversary.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday urged gasoline'retailers' to lower prices in celebration of the U.S.'s 250th birthday, reinforcing 'Trump's message with a warning 'we're monitoring' Bessent, in an interview with Fox News, said: "I'd encourage all gasoline retailers. Some of them are owned and operated by Big Oil. Others are independent. And some are international convenience stores." "I'd encourage them to act responsibly, especially during the 250th anniversary of the?Oil Industry, because we are watching." Bessent repeated his boss's warning to gas stations Monday that they must lower their prices immediately, or else face "big issues." "If Retailers don't do ?this, big problems lie ahead! Trump wrote on social media that "start focusing around the $2.50 per gallon number." The United States will celebrate its founding on Saturday as part of the holiday celebrating the 4th of July. The U.S., Israel and Gulf?states that have U.S. bases attacked Israel and the oil prices spiked after late February when Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran. Bessent stated that the Trump administration expected gas prices to follow suit after a 'first agreement' was signed this month. Bessent told "Fox & Friends" that the administration would hold the other side accountable. As the president and his Republican colleagues fight to maintain a narrow majority in Congress, consumers have expressed concern over high gasoline prices.
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GRAPHIC-Volkswagen crisis in five charts
Oliver Blume, the head of Volkswagen, is planning a historic overhaul to adapt to structural changes in the global automotive market. Rising Chinese competitors, tariffs, and weak demand for cars in Europe are all affecting its business model. The crisis has increased scrutiny on Europe's largest automaker. It has been struggling for years with a complex structural design, a weak share performance, and some stakeholders' resistance to painful costs cuts. PARALYSED CONGLOMERATED Volkswagen's "governance" and "structure and ownership" are unique to the auto industry. They combine powerful unions and the billionaire Porsche-Piech family, who control the majority of the voting rights, but not the majority of the equity. The 89-year old group employing more than 657, 000 people still looks like a traditional conglomerate. Some investors believe that this set-up weighs down its valuation. Big Trouble in China Volkswagen's problems are most visible in China, which is the largest auto market in the world and has been a major source of profit for the company for many years. But those days are over. The profits in China have fallen by more than 80% during the last decade. This has led to a greater focus on Europe where the demand is expected remain below the pre-COVID level, and the United States where tariffs cost the company billions. The competition has also intensified. Volkswagen, China's largest automaker for many years, has fallen to third position as domestic competitors with more advanced technology have gained market shares. Porsche, the car that?Volkswagen listed four years ago in a landmark IPO, was among the most?hard-hit. Its margins dropped from 18% to 1.1% in the year following the IPO. Profits Under Pressure Volkswagen's profit margins have more than halved from 2021 to 2025. This is due to fiercer competition, rising labour and energy prices, a weak European market, and growing trade barriers. The company is still the second largest automaker in the world by number of cars sold, after Japan's Toyota. ROCK BOTTOM Volkswagen shares, which have fallen to their lowest levels since July 2010, are also being battered by the upheaval in the auto industry. Stocks are now trading below the levels reached a decade earlier during the Dieselgate Scandal, which is widely considered to be the biggest corporate crisis of the group's history.
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McGeever: Why Trump's tariffs have a lot of bark but little bite
Donald Trump's favourite word is "tariff", and his continued use of the term last year caused fear in the markets, as the U.S. administration unilaterally implemented the most protectionist trade policies since 1930s. The bark was worse than the bite. Just over a month has passed since Trump declared "Liberation Day" and the average U.S. Tariff rate is lower in April 2025 than many had feared. The daily effective pre-substitution rate, at just over 10%, is four times higher than it was at the end of 2024. Tariffs are barely a?record in today's financial markets. This is partly because investors are more concerned about real wars than trade wars. The economic impact of Trump’s tariffs is also not as bad as many people feared. This could be because the trade war coincided a technological boom. Perhaps that is too simplistic. It may be years before the full impact of the redrawing of geopolitical and trade alliances in the world is known. Unexpected negative shocks could be on the way. The fact that STATISTICALLY INSIGNIFICANT tariffs have had a muted impact on the economy over the last year is partly explained by a simple fact: Actual levies were lower than statutory rate. This is the main argument of a Brookings Institution article by Pablo D. Fajgelbaum of University of California, and Amit Khandelwal of Yale University. By December of last year, the authors found that 57% or so of U.S. imported goods were still duty-free. This includes the majority of goods imported from Canada and Mexico, under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The Trump administration will formally?declare Wednesday that it won't extend the 32-year old North American Free Trade Zone. But that only starts a new review process. Tariffs at the border are often lower than headline rates due to legal loopholes or special agreements. The retaliation to Trump's tariffs was mostly modest or short lived, with China being the only major trading partners who offered a firm and sustained response. Hyperscalers invested hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure and chips to boost global trade. According to the Brookings article, the net effect of tariffs has been only between 0.1% and 0.1% of GDP until December. The Brookings paper says that these?findings are in line with the analysis done by The Budget Lab, a Yale-based research group. It estimates that tariffs will cause the U.S. to be 0.1% less prosperous in the long term, which is the equivalent of $30 billion in 2025 dollars. Other words, statistically significant, but not at all in the near future. Markets vs Real Economy Try telling that to U.S. customers, who are forced to pay 90% of Trump's Tariffs. In an April Federal Reserve report, the paper found that tariffs are solely responsible for the excess inflation of core goods from January 2025. The same paper, however, also indicated that the tariff pass-through is now essentially complete. It was, in other words, a price increase that happened only once, as the Trump Administration had claimed. If true, this would be good news for Americans whose personal savings rate, which has fallen to the lowest level in four years due to higher prices, is now below 3%. There is also another side to the story. Tariffs are taxes that fall on the person who pays them. Usually, this is the consumer. They are a direct source of revenue for the government, reaching $264 billion in 2017. This is more than three times the revenue in 2024 and represents 0.83% GDP, which is the highest since over a century. Theoretically, the revenue generated by tax cuts and higher spending should be able to offset some of the impact on consumers. SLOW BURN? But investors shouldn't become complacent. Although trade uncertainty has decreased, it is still very high. According to the Tax Foundation, the U.S. tariff policies have changed more than fifty times since the start of Trump's second tenure. There's no reason to think that this is the end, considering the Trump administration's willingness to use tariffs to threaten foreign policy negotiations. Investors have mostly ignored these concerns. Rebecca Harding, trade economist and writer whose latest book "The World at Economic War" was published in late 2012, says that markets have become detached from the reality of the economy. The cost of doing business internationally will continue to rise as a result of increased trade uncertainty. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) will struggle to keep up with the demands. It's clear that the predictions of tariff doom by many economists have been wrong, but it could be just a question of timing. Brexit is a cautionary tale. The UK economy didn't immediately crash after Britain voted in 2016 to leave the European Union. There is no doubt that 10 years later, the economic damage has been severe. It is still unclear whether the slow-burning economic impact of tariffs on the U.S. will be similar. However, it's worth asking. You like this column? Open Interest (ROI) is your new essential source of global financial commentary. Follow ROI on LinkedIn and X. Listen to the Morning Bid podcast daily on Apple, Spotify or the app. Subscribe to the Morning Bid podcast and hear journalists discussing the latest news in finance and markets seven days a weeks.
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EU announces new steel import quotas in order to protect the industry from overcapacity
The European Commission announced quotas for the new system to limit duty-free imports of steel into the EU. This move was aimed at protecting the steel industry in the bloc and increasing its capacity utilization. The new rules reduce the annual EU tariff-free import quotas by 47%, to 18,3 million metric tonnes, and introduce a 50% duty for steel products that are imported outside of the quota. The Commission stated that the rules will come into force on Wednesday and aim to increase the steel capacity utilization within the EU to 80%. Eurofer, the European steel association, says that the new rules will only increase capacity utilization from 67% to 73%-75%. Eurofer's Director General, Axel Eggert said that the EU steelmakers will likely recover 15 million metric tonnes of production. This is about half of what they have lost in recent years. The import quotas are divided into two parts: one half is reserved for partners in free-trade agreements (FTAs) and the other half is available to all trading parties, including those who have an FTA. The Commission said that many of these partners would receive country-specific quotes proportionate to the volume they have historically produced. It said that "most of the EU FTA partners' market access will be reduced by a significant amount compared to the average 47% reduction foreseen in the Steel Regulation." The Commission stated that a "significant number" (?) of partners has provisionally agreed with these allocations. The Commission stated that the rules are needed to "protect the European Steel Industry from Overcapacity and Dumping Practices elsewhere in the World". It said that "persistent global steel overcapacity?remains as a serious problem on a global scale and continues to distort the international markets." The measure "restores fair competition on a market that has been affected by distortions due to overcapacity", it said. Eggert, Eurofer, said that to have a more significant impact on the steel industry, it may be necessary to extend the measure to downstream industries, such as those who laminate steel or stamp out sheets for cars. Bart Meijer and Phil Blenkinsop; Inti Landauro, Hugo Lhomedet, and Susan Fenton, edited by Sudip K. Gupta.
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)