Latest News
-
The Supreme Court's top cases
In the current term of the U.S. Supreme Court, there are cases that involve guns, gender affirming medical care for minors who identify as transgender, online pornography and religious rights, TikTok and preventive healthcare. There are also cases involving funding Planned Parenthood, job discrimination and federal regulatory powers over nuclear waste storage, vape products and voting rights. Take a look at the recent and upcoming cases that the justices will be deciding. 'GHOST GUN' On March 26, the court upheld a federal rule targeting "ghost guns", which are largely untraceable, imposed by former Democratic President Joe Biden in an effort to crackdown on firearms that have been used in crimes across the country. The ruling by 7-2 overturned the lower court decision that the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives exceeded its authority when it issued the 2022 rule targeting the parts and kits of ghost guns. The court found the regulation to be in line with the 1968 federal Gun Control Act. TRANSGENDER RIGHTS During arguments on 4 December, the court's conservative judges indicated that they were willing to uphold Tennessee's Republican-backed ban on gender affirming medical care for minors who are transgender. This case could have a significant impact on other state laws that target transgender individuals. Biden's Administration appealed the decision of a lower court upholding Tennessee’s ban on medical treatment, including hormones and surgery for minors suffering from gender dysphoria. This refers to the distress caused by the incongruity of a person’s gender identity with the sex assigned at birth. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June. MEXICO GUN LAWSUIT On March 4, the justices showed sympathy for a request by two American firearms companies to dismiss the Mexican government’s lawsuit accusing the companies of assisting illegal gun trafficking to the drug cartels, and fueling violence in Mexico's southern neighbor. The justices heard arguments from Smith & Wesson, a firearms manufacturer and distributor of Interstate Arms in their appeal against a lower-court ruling allowing the lawsuit on the basis that Mexico had plausibly alleged the companies aided and facilitated illegal gun sales and harmed its government. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June. U.S. TIKTOK BAN On January 17, the justices upheld a federal law that would ban TikTok from the United States if the Chinese parent company ByteDance failed to sell the short video app within a time limit set by Congress. The Justices ruled, 9-0, that the law passed by Congress and signed by Biden last year did not violate First Amendment protections against government abridgment. The justices upheld a lower court decision that had affirmed the measure. Biden's replacement, Republican President Donald Trump chose not to enforce it and instead gave both parties time to work out a compromise. Online Pornography The Justices heard arguments about whether the First Amendment protects against government interference in speech when a Texas law requires that pornographic sites verify users' ages to limit access by minors. The justices voiced concerns over the availability and accessibility of online pornography, but also expressed concern about burdens placed on adults who wish to view constitutionally-protected material. A trade group representing the adult entertainment industry has appealed the decision of a lower court that upheld the Republican-led State's age verification mandate. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June. WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION On February 26, the court heard arguments in a case where a woman claimed that she was denied a job promotion and demoted because of her heterosexuality by an Ohio government agency. The justices seemed to favor making it easier for those from "majority backgrounds" to bring workplace discrimination cases, such as straight or white people. Marlean Amees, the plaintiff, said that she worked with a homosexual supervisor when, in 2019, she was demoted and passed over for promotion to a woman gay. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June. RELIGIOUS SCHOOL The court will hear a case that tests the separation between church and state. Two Catholic dioceses are attempting to establish the first taxpayer-funded charter school in Oklahoma. St. Isidore Catholic Virtual School was shut down by a lower court, which ruled that the funding arrangement for the school violated First Amendment restrictions on government endorsements of religion. Arguments will be held on April 30. RELIGIOUS TASKS EXEMPTIONS A Wisconsin Catholic diocese's arm has filed a request for an exemption from Wisconsin's unemployment insurance taxes. The case could have implications for the constitutional rights of religious people. The Catholic Charities Bureau of the Catholic Diocese of Superior appealed the lower court's rejection of its exemption request. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the bureau, it could force Wisconsin and other states that have similar tax programs in place to expand their exemptions to conform to the First Amendment protections of the U.S. Constitution. The arguments are scheduled for 31 March. LGBT SCHOOL BIBLES The court accepted a request from religious parents who wanted to prevent their children from attending classes in a Maryland district public school when LGBT stories are read. This is yet another case that involves the intersection of religion and LGBT rights. Parents of children attending Montgomery County Public Schools filed an appeal after lower courts refused a plaintiff's request for a preliminary order ordering the district not to read these books. Arguments will be held on April 22. OBAMACARE - PREVENTIVE CARE MANDATES The court will determine the legality of an important component of the Affordable Health Care Act, which gives a taskforce established under the Obamacare healthcare law the power to demand that insurers provide preventive medical services without cost to the patient. The court heard an appeal from the Biden administration against a lower-court ruling which sided with a Christian group of businesses that objected to the fact that their employee health plans covered HIV-preventing medications and had argued the task force structure violated U.S. Constitution. Arguments will be held on April 21. PLANNED PARENTHOOD FINANCE The court will examine South Carolina's attempt to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood. This case could support conservative states in the U.S. who want to deny Planned Parenthood government money for reproductive healthcare. A lower court barred the Republican state from cutting off funding to Planned Parenthood South Atlantic under the Medicaid insurance program. Arguments will be held on April 2. NUCLEAR WASTE STORAGE On March 5, the justices heard arguments over whether the Nuclear Regulatory Commission had the authority to issue licenses for certain nuclear waste facilities, amid objections raised by the state Texas and oil industry interests. The U.S. Government and a company awarded a license to operate an operation in western Texas by the NRC appealed the ruling of a lower court declaring that the storage arrangement was illegal. The NRC regulates nuclear energy in the United States. The NRC is expected to make a decision by the end June. FLAVORED vapor products The Court on April 2, largely backed up the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in its refusal to allow two ecigarette companies to sell flavored vapes that regulators deem a risk to health for youths. The court threw out the lower court decision that found the FDA violated a federal law known as the Administrative Procedure Act by rejecting the applications of the companies Triton Distribution & Vapetasia to sell these nicotine-containing items. EPA AUTHORITY On March 4, the court handed a major blow to the Environmental Protection Agency with a ruling of 5-4. The case involved a wastewater treatment plant owned by San Francisco. This could make it more difficult for regulators and water quality inspectors to monitor pollution. The court ruled that EPA had exceeded its authority in a law against pollution by including vague restrictions on a permit for the facility which discharges into the Pacific Ocean. In recent years, the court has limited the EPA’s power as part of a number of rulings that have curbed the federal regulatory agencies’ powers. TAILPIPE Emissions A major case that tests the power of the Democratic-ruled state to combat greenhouse gases is a challenge by fuel producers against California's standards on vehicle emissions and electric vehicles under a federal law on air pollution. Valero Energy, along with fuel industry groups, appealed the lower court's decision to reject their challenge against a Biden administration decision to let California set its own regulation. Arguments will be held on April 23. The Supreme Court is hearing a dispute regarding the legality and operation of the TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERIES FUND, a fund that Congress authorized to be operated by the Federal Communications Commission in order to increase access to telecommunications. The conservative Consumers' Research group and others accused Congress of illegally delegating authority to an independent federal organization. The FCC, along with a coalition including interest groups and telecoms companies, appealed an earlier court decision which found that Congress had violated the Constitution when it gave the FCC the authority to manage the fund. Arguments will be held on March 26. LOUISIANA ELECTORAL MAP On March 24, the justices heard arguments in a bid to preserve an election map that increased the number of Black-majority districts in the state. This was in response to a legal challenge brought by a group voters who identified themselves as "non African American." Three federal judges determined that the map of Louisiana's six U.S. House of Representatives district - which now has two Black-majority areas, instead of one - violated the Constitutional promise of equal treatment. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June. Death Penalty Case On February 25, the court threw away Richard Glossip’s conviction in Oklahoma for a murder-for hire plot that took place in 1997 and gave him a fresh trial. In a 5-3 decision, the justices concluded that prosecutors had violated their constitutional obligation to correct false testimony from their star witness. The justices reversed the lower court decision which had upheld Glossip’s conviction. They also allowed his planned death to proceed despite Glossip’s claim that prosecutors had wrongly withheld information that could have helped his defense. (Compiled by Andrew Chung and John Kruzel; edited by Will Dunham.)
-
The largest EV charging network in Europe is launched by a group of charging companies.
Four of Europe's largest electric vehicle charging companies announced on Wednesday that they are teaming up to build the largest public charging networks on the continent. Spark, a new alliance between Atlante in Italy, Ionity in Germany, Fastned from the Netherlands, and Electra of France, will be formed to share their networks. There will be 11,000 charging points, and 1,700 charging stations in 25 European countries. According to the alliance, that is more than its main rival Tesla. Quentin Wilson, founder of EV lobby FairCharge and a British journalist who writes about automobiles, said that the U.S. firm still has the advantage due to its "simple interface without nonsense". Customers in Europe can now access ultra-fast charging of up to 400 kW through the Spark Alliance app. The European Auto Lobby ACEA is pushing for a quicker roll-out of charging infrastructure in order to reassure consumers who are worried about driving distances and increase demand for EVs. The announcement comes as demand for EVs is declining and the EU's emission regulations are being relaxed. According to the European Commission 3.5 million charging stations will be needed by 2030, almost three times more than the last annual installation rate. Aurelien de Meaux is the CEO of Electra and believes that quantity is not as important as quality. The members of the alliance said that matching Tesla was not their top priority, but the new network could boost competition. Tesla is interested in the fact that another large network is focused on providing quality infrastructure to EV drivers. Langezaal stated that the two networks are complementary. According to de Meaux, Tesla could be considered as a partner in the alliance. He said, "They might qualify because they provide a fast and reliable charge experience. But I think that is a question better left for tomorrow." (Additional reporting from Gilles Guillaume Editing done by Mark Potter).
-
Trump administration increases beer can imports to 25% US Aluminum tariffs
On Wednesday, the Trump administration announced that it would impose a 25% duty on all beer imports. The beverage and empty aluminum aluminum cans will be added to a list containing derivative products which are subject to aluminum tariffs. In a Federal Register announcement, the Commerce Department stated that duties on beer will be collected at 12:01 am EDT Friday, April 4, starting with empty aluminum cans. The notice reversing Trump's previous aluminum tariff changes only lists the tariff code for malted beer. The notice does not mention a subordinate tariff code for beer imported in glass bottles. The Commerce Department didn't immediately answer any questions about the notice. The announcement comes just hours before Trump announces sweeping tariffs against U.S. trading partner countries, which will escalate a global war of trade and cause price increases. According to U.S. Census Bureau figures, the move would have a significant impact on beer imports which are expected to exceed $7.5 billion by 2024. Mexico dominated U.S. imports of beer last year with $6.3 billion, followed by the Netherlands, $683 million, Ireland, $192 million, and Canada, $73 million. (Reporting and editing by Anna Driver, Susand Heavey, David Lawder)
-
Canada gas prices fall after removal of carbon tax
The government removed the consumer carbon tax that was in place since 2019 on Tuesday, resulting in a sharp drop of gasoline prices across Canada. Mark Carney, Canada's new Prime Minister, signed an order removing the Justin Trudeau era consumer carbon taxes on his first official day in office. He declared that the decision will help Canadians who are struggling to make ends meet. The Conservatives had been campaigning against the tax for years. GasBuddy, a fuel market tracker, reported that fuel prices in eight provinces fell by more than six cents a litre after taxation was officially ended on Tuesday. The data shows that the national average price for gasoline in Canada dropped from 155 cents to 143.6 cents on Wednesday. New Brunswick experienced the biggest decline of 15 cents a litre. British Columbia and Ontario also saw significant drops. GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan wrote in an email to GasBuddy on Tuesday that "the drops continue widening." According to Susan Bell, a Rystad Energy executive, the carbon price for gasoline between April 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025 was 17.6 cents per kilogram. Prices should therefore fall by this amount. The Canadian Fuels Association has said that it anticipates a reduction of 20 cents per gallon in gasoline prices. This will translate to yearly savings for consumers of over C$500. GasBuddy's data shows that gasoline prices in Quebec rose by 1.9 cents a litre on February 2, making it the only province in Canada with a carbon tax. Bell stated that lower fuel prices may encourage some Canadians not to fly to the United States, but to drive to their domestic destinations instead. She added that the trade war between Canada and the U.S. may increase Canada's unemployment, which will impact on fuel consumption. On Wednesday, Donald Trump is expected to announce reciprocal tariffs with Canada and other trading partners. The Canadian Fuels Association noted that it was difficult to predict the impact of the repeal on fuel demand. A spokesperson for the group stated that "there are too many other factors affecting demand, especially around the direction of the global economy in the context of the U.S. Tariffs of April 2," a spokesperson said. Reporting by Shariq KHan in New York Editing Bill Berkrot
-
Tata Power, India plans first coal expansion in six months
Tata Power plans to increase the capacity of a plant located in northern India by increasing its coal power in six years, according a tender document. The clean energy sector in India is suffering from project delays and a weaker demand. Why it's important Tata Power has increased its coal power generation capacity for the first time since it acquired Prayagraj Power Generation Co Ltd in 2019. This was done through a joint-venture. The proposal comes as the Indian government targets at least 500 gigawatts of non-fossil energy capacity by 2030. CONTEXT India's renewable sector faces a number of obstacles, including a lack of demand for bids, problems with land acquisition for projects, delays in power agreements, and cancellations of projects. PPGCL, a 1,980 Megawatts (MW), coal-powered power plant located in Uttar Pradesh's northern state is owned by Tata Power associate Renascent Power. According to a tender document published by the company, PPGCL is now requesting an environmental impact assessment for the expansion of the power plant's capacity by 1,600MW. By the Numbers The cumulative capacity of India's clean power sales agreements that have not been signed has exceeded 40 GW. In 2024, the country added more than 28 GW in solar and wind power. Despite a large pipeline of renewable energy projects, fossil fuels still accounted for over two-thirds (or 63%) of the increase in total electricity generation. India plans to increase its coal-fired power by 80 GW between 2031-32, bringing the total to 220 GW. This will help meet the growing demand for domestic electricity. Tata Power has an 8.9 GW coal portfolio in six Indian States and plans to increase its clean energy capacity from 6.7 GW today, at a cost of $9 billion. Sethuraman N.R. in Bengaluru, Shounak D. Dasgupta edited the article.
-
EIA: US has produced most uranium in 2018
Energy Information Administration of the United States reported on Wednesday that the U.S. produced a greater amount of uranium concentrat, which is used as fuel for nuclear reactors, during the final three months in 2024 than in any other quarter over the past six years. The EIA reported that the increase in output was due to higher uranium prices and the restart of production at White Mesa Mill, the only uranium-producing mill in the United States. Why it's important Data centers, onshored production and electrification in buildings and transportation have all contributed to the rise of electricity demand in the United States. This has renewed interest for the long-struggling country's nuclear energy industry. Two nuclear reactors are being restarted, one of which is at the old Three Mile Island plant. The federal government, in an effort to jump-start the domestic nuclear supply chain, awarded contracts to six companies for the production of uranium. By the Numbers The EIA reported that the production of concentrate in the fourth quarter last year totaled 375.401 pounds, which is higher than any of the previous three years. The EIA said that the supply was tripled from the third quarter 2024. This was due to two processing plants in Texas and Wyoming. (Reporting and editing by Laila KEARNEY; Paul Simao).
-
Danish PM visits Greenland on a three-day trip amid Trump pressure
Denmark's Prime Minister landed in Greenland for talks on Wednesday with the incoming government of the semi-autonomous Danish territory. This was in response to President Donald Trump's expressed interest in controlling this vast Arctic island. Mette Frederiksen starts her three-day journey less than a month after the visit by U.S. vice president JD Vance to the territory was met with a cold reception from authorities in Denmark. She said that her goal was to strengthen Copenhagen’s ties with Greenland and stressed the importance of respecting cooperation in the face of what she called "great pressure" on Greenland. Frederiksen is expected to address the media on Wednesday. Greenland’s new Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen welcomed Frederiksen’s visit, saying that Denmark remained "Greenland’s closest partner". The new coalition led by Nielsen is expected to officially take office on the 7th of April. The relationship between Greenland, Denmark and the United Kingdom has been strained since recent revelations of colonial mistreatment of Greenlanders. Denmark has been prompted to work faster to improve relations with Greenland due to Trump's desire to control the island. This is part of an international competition to gain influence in the Arctic. Nielsen said late on Monday night that Greenland will strengthen its ties to Denmark until they can fulfill their ultimate desire of becoming a sovereign country. 'RESPECTFUL' Greenland wants to have a "respectful relationship" with the United States. "Talking of annexation, and about acquiring Greenland without respecting sovereignty is not being respectful. Let's begin by showing respect to each other, and then build a strong partnership in all areas," he said. Ulrik Pram Gd, a professor at the Danish Institute for International Studies, explained that Frederiksen’s visit was primarily to signal support during a period of intense scrutiny. He said that Denmark should signal to Greenland its position as Greenland's most important friend and ally, and also to the U.S. During his visit to a U.S. military base in northern Greenland last Friday, Vance accused Denmark of not doing a good job of keeping the island safe and suggested the United States would better protect the strategically-located territory. Vance's description about Denmark was deemed "unfair" by Frederiksen who said that it is the responsibility of Greenland's people to determine their own future. Greenland is a country of 57,000 people. A majority support independence, but some are against it. They fear that their island will suffer and become vulnerable to U.S. interest. Reporting by Tom Little, Louise Breusch Rasmussen, and Stine Jacobsen, in Copenhagen; additional reporting by Terje Solsvik, in Oslo; editing by William Maclean, and Gareth Jones.
-
Gold rises amid tariff news, but stocks make little progress
U.S. stocks were little changed on Wednesday, while European shares fell. Gold was sought after as investors awaited the details of U.S. president Donald Trump's plans for tariffs and feared an intensifying trade war. Investors focused on Wednesday on the reciprocal levies that the White House will announce following the close of the U.S. Stock Market, on what Trump called America's 'Liberation Day. Trump is expected add new tariffs to the already existing levies on autos, aluminium and steel, as well as increased duties on all Chinese goods. This has rattled markets, with fears growing that a full-blown global trade war may trigger a sharp economic slowdown. The head of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde, said that on Wednesday, the tariffs would be detrimental to the entire world. This will depend on the extent, duration and success of the negotiations. Stock futures were barely affected by the recent survey on U.S. private-sector employment, which showed that 155,000 more workers than expected had been added to payrolls. The Labour Department reported on Tuesday that U.S. jobs were down in February. We're all eagerly awaiting the final tariff policy. Don Calcagni is the chief investment officer of Mercer Advisors, based in Denver. Tariffs are already priced in. How final will this tariff policy be when President Trump speaks today at 4PM? It will fuel volatility if it sounds as if there is room for the policy to be changed again. "The market is currently looking for certainty, and it's up to President Trump if he can deliver." The Dow ended a little lower, while Wall Street's benchmark S&P 500 index and Nasdaq both finished Tuesday's choppy trading session with gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 68.25, or 0.16 percent, at 11:01 am on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the S&P500 rose by 6.05, or 0.11 percent, to 5,639.12, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 6.81, or 0.04 percent, to 17,457.40. The MSCI index of global stocks rose by 0.21 points or 0.02% to 832.32. The pan-European STOXX 600 fell by 0.67%. On Wednesday, the U.S. Dollar fell against major currencies such as the yen, euro and sterling as traders awaited details on tariffs, which could disrupt global trade and cause financial market turmoil. The dollar index fell by 0.38%, to 103.80, measuring the greenback in relation to a basket including the yen, the euro and other currencies. The euro rose 0.55% to $1.0852, while the sterling grew 0.34% to $1.2962. The dollar gained 0.08% against the Japanese yen to 149.72. The yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. notes increased 0.7 basis points, to 4.165% from 4.156%, late on Tuesday. The 30-year bond rate fell 0.1 basis point to 4.5136%, from 4.515% on Tuesday. The yield on the 2-year bond, which is usually in line with expectations of interest rates for the Federal Reserve (Fed), rose by 2.6 basis points, to 3.889% from 3.863% at late Tuesday. Gold, which is a popular safe-haven during times of economic and political turmoil, has climbed to a new intraday record. Gold prices have risen by 19% this year. This is on top of a 27% increase in 2024, which was the best performance ever since 2010. Gold spot rose by 0.49% on Wednesday to $3,125.85 per ounce. U.S. Gold Futures increased 0.59% to an ounce of $3,137.30. Oil prices on energy markets were mixed, after U.S. statistics showed that crude oil inventories in the United States had been unexpectedly large. U.S. crude oil rose by 0.14%, to $71.30 per barrel. Brent dropped to $74.45 a barrel on Monday, a 0.05% decline. (Ankur Banerjee contributed additional reporting from Singapore; editing by Shri Navaratnam and Tomasz Janowski)
US construction spending exceeds expectations in February
The U.S. Construction spending in February increased more than anticipated as mortgage rates declined, boosting single-family homebuilding. However, rising economic uncertainty due to tariffs on imported goods could slow the momentum.
Census Bureau of the Commerce Department reported on Tuesday that construction expenditures increased by 0.7% following a 0.5% decline in January, which had been downwardly revised. The economists polled had predicted that construction spending would rebound by 0.3% following a 0.2% decrease in January.
In February, construction spending increased 2.9% on an annual basis. The spending on private construction projects increased by 0.9%. Residential construction investment grew by 1.3%. Outlays for new single-family homes also increased 1.0%.
Mortgage rates are down from their lofty highs at the beginning of the year. Tariffs on imported products remain a barrier for builders.
The President Donald Trump ordered a new investigation into trade that could add more duties to imported lumber. This would be in addition to the existing taxes on Canadian softwood timber, which is used for construction, furniture, and paper production.
Trump has increased tariffs on Chinese products to 20%, and imposed duties on steel and aluminium. According to the National Association of Homebuilders "builders estimate that a typical cost impact from recent tariff action is $9,200 per house."
In February, the expenditures on multi-family housing units remained unchanged. Investments in non-residential private structures such as offices and factories increased by 0.4%.
The increase in public construction spending was 0.2%. Spending by state and local governments increased by 0.4% while federal government expenditures declined 1.6%. Lucia Mutikani, Andrea Ricci and Andrea Ricci (Reporting)
(source: Reuters)