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Stocks flat as traders digest Fed comments, oil falls
The gauge of world stock markets fell to begin the first quarter on Wednesday, as the U.S. Central Bank?head stated that inflation expectations had fallen, but that policy would not be relaxed. Meanwhile oil prices dropped as optimism about U.S. Iran talks eased concerns over supply. Even if the yen recovered later in the day, traders are still watching for any possible Japanese intervention on the currency markets. Kevin Warsh, Federal Reserve Chair, said that inflation expectations and risks have decreased in recent weeks. He said that he would stick to the U.S. Central Bank's 2% target for inflation and "disappoint anyone" who expected a looser monetary policy. His comments weighed heavily on the dollar. This is because rising expectations for Fed rate hikes in this year have boosted the dollar. Inflation is well above the central banks's 2% target. Many analysts still believe that inflation will improve in the coming months. "We see no signs that the imbalance between inflation and activity is increasing rapidly," said Steve Englander, Standard Chartered Bank New York's head of global G10 research and North America Macro Strategy. Englander said that you can wait to see how the longer-term trends in technology play out. What we see is that the unit labor costs have been very low, and that's ultimately what the Fed controls. The dollar index (which measures the greenback versus a basket of major currencies) rose by 0.17%, to 101.41. Meanwhile, the euro fell by 0.39%, to $1.1376. The dollar and yen were last day flat. The Fed is not expected to make any changes at its meeting in late August, but a rate hike in September has been priced in. The trades are also looking forward to Thursday's economic reports, which will show that U.S. employers created 110,000 new jobs in June and the unemployment rate remained at 4.3%. According to the ADP National Employment Report released on Wednesday, private employment increased by 98,000 positions in June. This was below the 118,000 predicted by economists. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 13.96 points or 0.03% to 52,305.24. The S&P 500 declined 16.13 points or 0.22% to 7,483.23 while the Nasdaq Composite lost 173.69 points or 0.66% to 26,040.0. MSCI's global index of stocks fell 2.51 points or 0.22% to 1,117.95. The pan-European STOXX 600 fell by 0.38% while Europe's FTSEurofirst 300 fell by 11.45 points or 0.45%. Emerging Market stocks dropped 0.96 points, or 0.06% to 1,721.93. Japan's ?Nikkei gained 0.6% after surging 37% last quarter. South Korea's index dropped about 2% after a rally of 68% last quarter, driven by chip demand fueled by AI. Oil prices dropped on the energy markets as optimism about U.S. - Iran talks eased supply concerns. Phil Flynn is a senior analyst at Price Futures Group. He said that there's a growing optimism as more oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz. The market is saying that, once we get through this, we will be able to produce more oil than ever before. Brent crude dropped 2.44% to $71.17 a barrel, down from $68.09 per barrel. Despite sharp price declines last quarter, both remain ?up almost 20% year-to-date. A poll shows that analysts have cut their oil price forecasts 2026 for the first since the Iran War began. The reopening of Strait of Hormuz has eased fears over supply disruptions.
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US Nuclear Power Regulator proposes to change rule protecting people against radiation
The U.S. Nuclear Power Regulator on Wednesday proposed "changes" to a rule that protects people from radiation. This is the latest proposal by the Trump administration to change or soften the rules in order to speed up development and reduce costs for new nuclear reactors. In 2025, President Donald Trump issued executive orders to accelerate the permitting of nuclear reactors and overhaul the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He also directed the Energy and Defense departments work together in order to build nuclear power plants on federal lands. Trump wants to quadruple the U.S. nuclear capacity by 2050 in order to meet rising power demand due to data centres, electric vehicles, and crypto-currencies. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's proposal removes a radiation dose limit standard, ALARA (As Low as?Reasonably Achievable), with objective limits. Ho Nieh said to reporters that the NRC's rulemaking process would increase the clarity of our regulations. "It does not lower the bar for our safety standards." Industry has long claimed that ALARA was tied to the Linear No-Threshold model, which holds that "any dose of radiation" (no matter how small) can cause cancer. They also claim that ALARA compliance is expensive, time-consuming and filled with uncertainties. The proposed changes include adopting a graded radiation dose management approach based on operational and risk circumstances. The new regulation also gives nuclear power plant operators more flexibility in using "modern methods of evaluating radiation doses for workers and the general public." Nieh stated that he did not expect current nuclear reactors to undergo major changes if the new rule is finalized. He said that it could speed up the development of new nuclear reactors. Nieh, a reporter, said that "now they have a clear picture of how the requirements for radiation protection will look. This will help them design and build their reactor in terms of shielding and materials." Edwin Lyman is a physicist at the Union of Concerned Scientists and an advocate for nuclear safety. He said that the NRC reaffirmed scientific consensus?that there's no "safe" level of radiation and the cancer risk is proportional with the dose. The new rule would allow workers at nuclear facilities and the public to be exposed higher levels of radiation that can cause cancer, just to save money for the nuclear industry. Lyman stated that "this will only increase the burden of disease at a time where cancer rates among young people are already on the rise." The NRC made a proposal last month to change a rule that would have "dramatically weakened measures" protecting nuclear power plants from terrorist attacks. A new rule, proposed Wednesday, would streamline the construction of reactors and make major changes to the licensing process. The NRC will accept public comments for 45 days prior to the finalization of the radiation rule.
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Ukraine calls for the publication of Irish investigation on alumina exports as soon as possible
On a Wednesday visit to Dublin, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy demanded that Ireland complete an investigation to determine if Irish alumina exported to Russia is being used to make weapons-grade aluminium. Ireland has been under increasing pressure in recent weeks because of its Aughinish Alumina Plant, Europe's biggest refinery for alumina (a feedstock used to produce aluminium). It continues to send the material to Russia where it can be used to produce aluminium for military equipment and weapons. Dublin has ordered an investigation into alumina exports and defended an EU decision not to include the plant in Russian sanctions packages. The facility, located in southwest Ireland, is an important part of EU supply chains. "We are grateful that Ireland is conducting an investigation into the matter." Zelenskiy said that he hoped for a positive outcome for the country and that he hoped we wouldn't need to wait for months before we got it. "Every tonne raw material that ends in Russia is used to our detriment," he said. In its 21st set of sanctions, the EU didn't include any alumina exports from Ireland to Russia or mention Rusal's Irish plant. Kaja Kallas, the EU's chief of foreign policy, said that future sanctions could include a limit on Irish alumina exports to Russia. Martin, who invited Zelenskiy, to Dublin, for the start of Ireland's six month term as rotating president of the EU, said that the investigation was close to completion and Dublin will discuss it with European Commission once finalised. Martin stated that "we do not want to be in a situation?where materials from an Irish plant go to support the Russian War Machine."
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Stocks flat as traders digest Fed comments, oil falls
The gauge of world stock markets remained unchanged to begin the third quarter on Wednesday, as the U.S. Central Bank head stated that inflation expectations had?fallen?"but policy will not be loose. Meanwhile, crude oil prices fell due to optimism about U.S. - Iran talks. The traders also kept an eye out for any possible Japanese intervention on the currency markets after the yen hit new lows of 40 years against the dollar. Kevin Warsh, Federal Reserve Chair, said that inflation expectations and risks have decreased in recent weeks. Kevin Warsh said that he would stick to the U.S. Central Bank's 2% target for inflation and "disappoint anyone" who expects loose monetary policies. His comments have weighed heavily on the dollar. This is because rising expectations for Fed rate increases this year are a major factor in the rise of the dollar. Inflation has risen well above the central bank's annual 2% target. Many analysts still believe that the inflation situation will improve in coming months. Steve Englander, Standard Chartered Bank New York's head of global G10 research and North America Macro strategy, said that there was no evidence that the imbalance between inflation and activity is increasing. Englander said that you can wait to see how the longer-term trends in technology play out. The Fed is in control of the unit labor costs. The yen's last day performance against the dollar was flat. Interest rate futures indicate that the Fed will not make any changes at its meeting later this month. However, a hike is expected in September. The trades are also looking at Thursday's economic report, which is expected to show that U.S. employers created 110,000 new jobs in June. According to the median estimate by economists polled, the unemployment rate will remain unchanged at 4.3%. ADP's National Employment Report showed on Wednesday that private employment increased by 98,000 last month. This was below the forecasts of economists who expected 118,000 new jobs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 50.38 points or 0.10% to 52,368.89. The S&P 500 gained 3.37 points or 0.04% to 7,502.61, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 69.65 or 0.27% to 26,143.71. MSCI's index of global stocks fell 0.68 points or 0.06% to 1,119.78. The pan-European STOXX 600 fell by 0.38% while Europe's FTSEurofirst 300 fell by?11.45 or 0.45%. Emerging market stocks rose 0.70 points or 0.04% to 1,723.59. Japan's Nikkei index gained 0.6%, after it surged 37% in the last quarter. Strong tech demand lifted sentiment among major manufacturers to an 8-year high. South Korea's main stock index dropped about 2% after a rally of 68% last quarter, driven by AI-driven chip demand. Oil prices dropped on energy markets as optimism about U.S. Iran talks eased supply concerns. Price Futures Group senior analyst Phil Flynn said that there is more optimism now that more oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz. The market signals that we will probably be producing more oil in the world than ever before once we have overcome this issue. U.S. crude dropped 1.83%, to $68.23 per barrel. Brent was down 2.21% to $71.34 a barrel. Both crude oil and Brent are up nearly 20% on the year despite sharp price drops last quarter. Spot gold increased 1.4% on Tuesday after its biggest quarterly decline since 2013.
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Valar Nuclear partners with Nvidia to create a data center that conserves water
Valar Atomics, a nuclear energy startup, announced?on Wednesday that it was partnering with Nvidia to develop a small Utah data center. The companies claim this will demonstrate how computing facilities required for AI can save water. Valar, a Californian company, announced its partnership with Utah's microreactor plant. The company also conducted a demonstration using Nvidia Blackwell, the latest AI chip architecture designed for data centres. The companies claimed that it was the first time a small reactor has powered a data centre. Valar is among a group of 10 startups participating in the Department of Energy's reactor pilot program. The goal was to demonstrate that three small reactors could reach criticality by July 4, when a nuclear reaction would be able to "sustain" itself. Nvidia announced that its latest data centre design, DSX, would be using closed-loop fluid cooling. It claims this method can reduce water consumption for facility-cooling from 2.6 million gallons of water per megawatt annually to 'near zero. DATA CENTER OPPOSITION GREENERS Concerns?over the U.S. Data Centers' need for water and power have led to a growing backlash. A recent /Ipsos survey showed that only 1 in 3 Americans approved of the rapid pace of construction of data centers, a topic on voters' minds ahead of the midterm elections scheduled for November 3. In order to avoid permitting, stakeholder engagement with the public and grid interconnection, companies have sought to generate their own electricity through private or "behind the meter" plants. The projects are mostly natural gas-based, but some companies have their eyes on small nuclear reactors that could be used to power AI infrastructure. WHITE HOUSES?PUSHES RACTORS The administration of President Donald Trump sees the small nuclear reactor as one way to increase?power production. Trump issued executive orders in?May aimed at quadrupling the nuclear deployment. John Josephakis is a global vice president at Nvidia. He said, "Through the work done with Valar Atomics Nvidia explores how advanced nuclear systems that are waterless and behind-the-meter could support future AI factories designed for scale and reliability required by accelerated computing." Founder Isaiah Taylor of Valar said that the company is trying to show that nuclear projects can be completed quickly, despite long regulatory obstacles. Valar claims its high-temperature reactor is cooled by helium rather than water. Valar has joined a lawsuit against the Nuclear Regulatory Commission brought by Texas and Utah last year, arguing it lacks licensing authority for some microreactors or small modular reactors. Valar wants to hand this oversight over to the individual states.
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Huge crowds celebrating Mexico's World Cup victory resulted in four deaths
Mexico City's central avenue was thronged with hundreds of thousands fans celebrating the victory of Mexico over Ecuador in their first World Cup knockout game in 40 years. Mexico City's Department of Health said that in the early morning hours of Wednesday, emergency teams treated three unconscious individuals at various locations along the Paseo de la Reforma boulevard where giant screens were set up to show the match. The health authority reported that a woman aged 19 and a man aged 44 both died from suffocation despite advanced resuscitation. A 48-year-old woman died of asphyxiation in the hospital. Later, authorities reported that a man aged in his 30s died after being taken to hospital with severe seizures and bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract. He died from a cardiac event. The crowds grew with every Mexican win as the team advanced through the tournament, which the soccer-mad nation is hosting jointly with the U.S.A. and Canada for the first time in 1986. In recent weeks, Mexico City banned alcohol sales on match days for Mexico and increased the number of screens as well as the distance between them in an effort to improve safety. More than 2 km of Paseo de la Reforma was closed for traffic on Tuesday and covered with giant screens that showed the match. Around a million people gathered, according to the city government. LOCAL REPORTS: CROWD PANIC CAUSED CRUSH The local newspaper El Universal reported the fatal crowd crush was triggered by pyrotechnics that caused panic. People started to run, and some fell and were trampled. Patricia Garcia, 54, a housewife from Mexico, said in the early morning hours of Wednesday that she was 'delighted by the Mexican victory, but that the situation had gotten out of control. "I'm not a fan of excessive celebrations. You can't let others be affected by it. She said, "Freedom has limits and these limits are where someone else's freedom starts." Videos posted on social media revealed chaotic scenes. One video clip, which appears to have been recorded near the Angel monument on Paseo de la Reforma, showed people stuck and unable move as the momentum of the dense crowd pushed them and swayed them. Some clips show groups of fans kicking and punching each other at the same location, and then slipping on the ground, covered in foam, cans and bottles. The Attorney General's Office will investigate what went wrong, and the authorities will evaluate whether any changes are needed ahead of Mexico's match against England in the last-16 on Sunday. She said this during her morning press conference.
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Oil slips as Warsh predicts lower inflation expectations
The index of'stock markets around world' edged up a little bit on Wednesday, as the U.S. head of the central bank said that?inflation -expectations had fallen. Crude oil prices also fell as optimism about U.S. - Iran talks reduced supply concerns. The traders also kept an eye out for any possible Japanese intervention on the currency markets after the yen hit new lows of 40 years against the dollar. Kevin Warsh, Federal Reserve Chair, said that inflation expectations and risks have decreased in recent weeks. Kevin Warsh said that his fellow U.S. Policymakers would decide if they will raise interest rates at their next meeting. He kept his promise to not give forward guidance. His comments have weighed heavily on the dollar. This is because rising expectations for Fed rate increases this year are a factor, since inflation has risen well above the central banks' 2% target. Many analysts still believe that the inflation situation will improve in coming months. Steve Englander, Standard Chartered Bank's New York branch head of global G10 research and North America Macro Strategy, said that there is no evidence that the imbalance between inflation and activity has grown rapidly. Englander said that "you can afford to wait until these longer-term technology trends are played out." What we see is that unit labor costs are incredibly soft, and the Fed ultimately controls this. The dollar index (which measures the greenback in relation to a basket of currencies, including the yen, the euro and others) rose by 0.13%, while the euro fell 0.35%, at $1.1381. The dollar's last decline against the Japanese yen was 0.07%, to 162.43. Futures indicate that the Fed will not make any changes at its meeting in late August, but a rate hike is expected in September. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 239.04 points or 0.46% to 52,558.24. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 gained 15.04 points or 0.20% to 7,514.40, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 34.22 points or 0.13% to 26,179.50. The MSCI gauge of global stocks rose 0.61 points or 0.05% to 1,121.07 and the pan-European STOXX 600 fell?0.31%. Europe's FTSEurofirst 300 broad index dropped 10.51 points or 0.41%. Emerging market stocks increased 0.82 points, or 0.05% to 1,723.71. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei gained 0.6%, after surging by 37% in the last quarter. Strong tech demand lifted sentiment among major manufacturers to an 8-year high. South Korea's index dropped about 2% after a rally of 68% last quarter, driven by AI-driven chip demand. Oil prices dropped on the energy markets as optimism about U.S. Iran talks eased supply worries. Ole Hansen, analyst at Saxo Bank, said: "The current negotiations in Qatar are perceived to be positive and this has allowed the prices to drift even further." "We could even see lower prices." U.S. crude dropped 1.74%, to $68.29 per barrel. Brent was down to $71.35 a barrel, a drop of 2.19% from the previous day. Both are up almost 20% on a year-to date basis despite sharp price drops last quarter. After posting its biggest quarterly drop in 2013 on Tuesday, spot gold rose nearly 2%.
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US bakes in unprecedented heatwave leading up to July 4 holiday
Brad Brooks P.J. Huffstutter, Maria Tsvetkova HILL CITY/CHICAGO/NEW-YORK/JULY 1 - On Wednesday, record-breaking temperatures moved eastward from the Midwest, placing tens of millions under heat warnings that are expected to last through the holiday weekend on July 4, when Americans celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States. Extreme heat is expected to raise "real-feeling" temperatures from 100 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8-46.1 degrees Celsius) in much of the region. This will increase the risk of heat related illness among vulnerable populations and threaten to overwhelm power grids that are already stressed by data centers and electric cars. Sabrina Hooper, a mail carrier in Hill City, Kansas (a high plains town located 270 miles east from Denver), was battling the heat just one week into her new job. Hooper, 34 said that the heat was debilitating to her job, which involves walking up to ten miles each day in order to deliver parcels. She says she finds relief in lawn sprinklers. "It's really nice." You can remove your hat, get it soaked, and then put it back on. Hill City, the nation's hot spot, was at 108 degrees for five days straight in 2012. Another record-breaking heatwave hit the region and pushed the heat index to 108. Heat index is a measure of how you feel when you add humidity to the temperature. Michelle Klein, 57 years old, a high-school science teacher in Chicago, began preparing over the weekend for the heat. She filled up her car, did her weekly shopping early, and stocked her refrigerator with cold drinks. She also gave her plants an extra soak. Klein, who went for her evening walk on Tuesday despite a heat index of 103 degrees, said that the basil needed more water. Amy Kaspar, a property investor in the suburbs of the city, received an urgent call from a tenant who's air conditioner only blew out warm air. Kaspar found that the air conditioner was in perfect working order, but it could not cool the unit due to the heat and humidity. Kaspar, a 50-year-old man, said, "With the wind it feels like you're standing right behind a bus exhaust in Chicago." Scientists said that the scorching temperatures in the U.S. were similar to those of western Europe which was recently engulfed by its own record-breaking Heatwave. This event would have been "virtually unachievable" without climate change caused by humans. Through years of research, scientists have proven that greenhouse gas emission makes heatwaves more intense and likely around the globe. New York City only experienced extreme heat on Wednesday morning. By then, the city had already opened hundreds of cooling centres and sent out more than a dozen 'cool vans' equipped with water electrolytes sunscreen and meals to help New Yorkers who were in need of relief. On Wednesday, the air conditioning was turned up to the max at a Harlem senior center. A sign in thirteen languages advertised the facility as a "cooling?center" open to the public. Richard Allman, the director of the senior center, announced that it would be open past its normal hours during the July 4 weekend. He said, "We make sure that this is a place where people can feel comfortable on a hot day." Before the heatwave hit, city officials asked sign operators in Times Square to lower the brightness of their signs to save energy. They also requested that businesses keep thermostats at a maximum of 78 degrees. Con Edison, the city's energy supplier, asked customers to reduce their energy consumption between 2 pm and 10 pm. The city also increased the hours of public pools, opened additional cooling centres in libraries and municipal building, and expanded its street outreach efforts. Reporting by Brad Brooks from Hill City, Kansas and P.J. Huffstutter, Maria Tsvetkova, Joseph Ax and Julia Harte in New York.
The top cases in the US Supreme Court docket
During its current term, the U.S. Supreme Court will decide a number of important cases involving voting rights, presidential power, tariffs and birthright citizenship. Other issues include race, transgender sportspeople, campaign finance laws, LGBT "conversion therapies" and federal agency authority. The term began in October, and will run through the end of June. Separately, the court has also acted in emergency cases in several cases that challenge President Donald Trump's policy.
VOTING RIGHTS ACT On April 29, the court gutted a crucial provision of the Voting Right Act, making minorities less likely to challenge a map as racially biased under the landmark civil right law. The court blocked an electoral map which would have given Louisiana a 2nd U.S. Congress district with a majority of Black people. The decision severely undermined Section 2 the Voting Rights Act which Congress passed to prohibit electoral maps that could dilute the power of minority voters. The ruling allowed Republican-led Southern States to demolish Democratic-held districts with majority-Black or majority-Latino voters ahead of November's midterm elections. After the Supreme Court gutted another part of the Voting Right Act in 2013, Section 2 gained more importance as a "bulwark" against racial bias in voting. Black and Latinos tend 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 in the United States. The justices asked the administration's attorney about the legal validity and practical implications of Trump's order. The lower court blocked Trump’s executive order that instructed U.S. agencies to not recognize citizenship for children born in?U.S. If neither parent is a legal permanent resident or American citizen, this is also known as a "green-card" holder. The court found that Trump's policies violated the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and federal laws codifying birthright citizenship. The Supreme Court will likely rule by June's end.
TRUMP'S TARIFFS On February 20, the justices struck down Trump's sweeping trade tariffs, which he imposed under a law intended for national emergencies. This ruling has major implications?for global economic growth. The 6-3 decision upheld the lower court's ruling that Trump had exceeded his authority in using this 1977 law. 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 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" if the president so deemed. However, the law did not define this term or establish procedures 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.
IMMIGRANTS WITH PROTECTED STATUS The Justices heard arguments April 29 on the Trump administration's move to strip humanitarian benefits from hundreds of thousands Haitian and Syrian migrants, as part of Trump's signature immigration crackdown. 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 challengers' claim that the administration didn't follow mandatory protocols when making decisions in accordance with the law governing TPS. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June.
Federal Trade Commission Firing The conservative justices of the court have indicated that they will uphold Trump's legality in firing a Federal Trade Commission Member and give an historic 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's ruling that the Republican President exceeded his authority by dismissing Democratic FTC member Rebecca Slaughter before the term she was due to finish. 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 sports players from participating in female teams, amid an escalating nationwide effort to restrict rights for transgender individuals. On January 13, the court heard arguments from Idaho and West Virginia in appeals of lower court decisions siding with transgender student who challenged the bans 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" The court rejected on March 31, 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 who argued that the ban was an infringement on his right to free speech. The Colorado court rejected the argument that their law only protected speech, but regulated professional conduct. The court reversed a lower-court decision which had upheld a law brought by Kaley Chiles who argued it violated First Amendment protections from government abridgment.
HAWAII GUNS LAW The conservative Justices 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 probably complies with U.S. Constitution Second Amendment rights to bear and keep arms. Hawaii's law demands that a property owner "expressly authorize" the handgun to be brought onto public property. Four other states in the United States have laws similar to Hawaii's. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June.
Drug Users and Guns On March 2, the justices heard arguments in a case in which a dual American/Pakistani national in Texas was defending a federal gun law that prohibits users of illegal drugs to own guns. 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 possession by illegal drug users was prohibited under the landmark Gun Control Act 1968. 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 strike down "federal limits" on spending by parties and candidates coordinated with each other in a case that 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 ruled on restrictions on how much money can be spent on campaigns by parties with input from the candidates 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 On March 23, conservative justices expressed skepticism about a Mississippi law that was challenged by Republicans. The law allows for a five-day period of grace to allow mail-in votes received after Election Day be counted. This case could lead to stricter 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 for the Trump administration's defense of its authority to reject asylum seekers if 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. Bayer's claim that U.S. pesticide law prohibits lawsuits based on state laws was rejected by the lower court. The court is expected to rule by the end of 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, in a long running lawsuit, 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 that accused the company of developing technology which allowed China's Government to monitor and persecute Falun-Gong members. Cisco asked the court to limit the scope the Alien Tort Statute which allows non-U.S. Citizens to sue in American courts over violations of international laws. The court is expected to make a ruling by the end June.
SEC "DISGORGEMENT" POWER On June 4, the court rejected a challenge against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s broad authority to recover illicit profits through a financial remedy known as disgorgement. This strengthened one of the key powers of the Wall Street watchdog. The court upheld the decision of a lower-court that had supported a broad use of disgorgement powers by the SEC. In this case, the Trump administration defended the SEC. The SEC was defended by the Trump administration in this case.
FCC FINES FOR WIRELESS CARRIERIES The Supreme Court ruled on June 4, defending the Federal Communications Commission system of levying fines and ruling against AT&T's and Verizon's challenge against the agency. Trump's administration defended FCC's system of assessing financial penalties known as forfeiture order. The carriers argued that FCC's internal proceedings deprived them their right to a trial by jury under the U.S. Constitution.
'GEOFENCE" WARRANTS On April 27, the court heard arguments in a Virginia case about whether or not law enforcement's use a "geofence warrant" to identify suspects using data from?cellphones near crime scene violates Fourth Amendment's bar on unreasonable searches. Geofence warrants approved by the court compel companies, such as Alphabet’s Google, to search for mobile devices near crime scenes around the time of the crime. 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 "crisis pregnancies centers" that are anti-abortion and trying to obstruct a state probe into whether these facilities engage in misleading practices. First Choice Women's Resource Centers brought a federal suit against a subpoena issued by the state attorney general in 2023 seeking information about the organization's doctors and donors. A lower court had dismissed the lawsuit. First Choice's facilities are designed to discourage women from getting abortions.
RASTAFARIAN INMATE 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. On November 10, the case was brought before the court under a federal statute protecting incarcerated persons 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 him to sue officials individually for monetary damage. The ruling is expected to be made by the end June.
DEATH ROW INMATE A man convicted in Alabama of a murder committed in 1997 was spared the execution on May 21, after the court upheld a ruling that the inmate has intellectual disabilities and is therefore ineligible to receive the death sentence. Alabama officials appealed a lower court's method of determining Joseph Clifton Smith’s intellectual capacity. The justices rejected the appeal. This method involved weighing the multiple intelligence quotient (IQ) test scores along with expert testimony. In a 2002 Supreme Court decision, the court ruled that executing a person with intellectual disabilities violated the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment.
JURY COMPOSITION On May 28, the justices sided with an inmate on death row who claimed that prosecutors had discriminated against him by excluding Black potential jurors in a trial where he was found guilty in 2006 of his involvement in the murder?of a supermarket owner. The justices found that the state courts of Mississippi had not evaluated Terry Pitchford’s claim that four Black prospective jurors were unlawfully dismissed, in violation a 1986 Supreme Court precedent called Batson v. Kentucky which prohibits exclusion based on race.
SENTENCE REDUCTIONS The court ruled that on May 28, judges could not order early release of prisoners based on the fact that they would receive shorter sentences following the 2018 criminal justice reform law. The court upheld lower-court decisions against two Pennsylvania men who were convicted of armed burglaries and sought compassionate release on the basis of the First Step Act that Congress passed many years after their sentences.
SECURITIES LITIGATION The court sided on June 11, with a group investment funds affiliated to BlackRock and other asset management firms in their attempt to defend against certain lawsuits filed by private plaintiffs, under a federal securities law. The court reversed an earlier ruling allowing hedge fund Saba Capital Master Fund, to sue the Investment Company Act of 1980 to invalidate fund bylaws that restricted the voting rights of activist shareholders. The Trump administration backed BlackRock and FS Credit Opportunities, as well as other funds in the case including Adams Diversified Equity Funds, Adams Natural Resources Funds and Royce Global Trust.
COX COPYRIGHT DISSENSION The court ruled that Cox Communications could not be held responsible for the piracy of songs by subscribers to its internet service. These labels included Sony Music, Warner Music Group Universal Music Group, and others. 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.
PHARMACEUTICAL SKINNY LABELS The court ruled that the generic version of Amarin Pharma Vascepa, a cardiovascular medication made by Hikma, did not violate Amarin Pharma patents. This decision could make generic drugmakers more resistant to patent suits involving "skinny label" claims. The justices reversed a decision by a lower court in favor of Amarin. Generic drugmakers argued that Amarin's victory in the case could have deterred them from producing and selling their cheaper drugs, and raised U.S. drug costs.
(source: Reuters)