“Starting April 1, Texas will become the first state to implement sweeping new restrictions on the types of food and beverages available for purchase through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), state officials announced Wednesday. Under the new rules, the 3.3 million Texans who rely on SNAP benefits will no longer be able to use their Lone Star Cards to buy candy, gum, or sweetened drinks. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) issued the reminder as part of a final push to educate retailers and recipients before the deadline. The policy change follows a waiver approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in August 2025, a move championed by Gov. Greg Abbott and the Trump Administration to shift the program’s focus toward long-term health outcomes.” (03/04/26)
“The European Parliament’s trade lawmakers decided on Wednesday to keep the EU-U.S. trade deal frozen amidst volatile transatlantic relations. A majority of political groups voted not to move ahead with legislation to implement the EU’s side of the bargain struck at President Donald Trump’s Turnberry golf resort in Scotland last summer. … The latest postponement follows Trump’s threat on Tuesday to impose a trade embargo on Spain for refusing to allow U.S. warplanes stationed there to launch air strikes on Iran.” (03/04/26)
“Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara on Wednesday called on the High Court of Justice to order that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fire National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir from his position, unless the premier explains why he hasn’t done so. In a new legal filing, Baharav-Miara accused Ben Gvir of violating court rulings and showing ‘contempt for the rule of law’ while ‘systematically undermining the independence of the police.’ … In February, the High Court ordered Netanyahu to explain why he hasn’t fired Ben Gvir amid an ongoing court case over the far-right politician’s practices and policies in office.” (03/04/26)
“Lawmakers in at least eight states this year are aiming to reel in wage garnishment for unpaid medical bills. The legislation introduced in Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, and Washington builds on efforts made in other states in past years. This latest push for patient protections comes as the Trump administration has backed away from federal debt protections, health care has become more costly, and more people are expected to go without medical coverage or choose cheaper but riskier high-deductible insurance plans that could lead them into debt. … Wage garnishment is one tool creditors can use in most states to recoup money from people with unpaid bills. In many states, they can garnish someone’s bank account or put a lien on their home, too.” (03/04/26)
“A Brazilian Supreme Court Justice ordered the arrest of Daniel Vorcaro, the former head of a bank worth up to $16 billion in assets, in a new phase of a sprawling investigation into a fraud involving billions of reais. In the 48-page long decision authorizing Vorcaro’s pretrial detention signed Tuesday and accessed by The Associated Press on Wednesday, Justice André Mendonça said the probe had already revealed signs of crimes by Banco Master against the finance and justice systems as well as participation in organized crime and money laundering. Separately, Brazil’s federal police said Wednesday in a statement that they had launched raids ‘investigating the possible crimes of threats, corruption, money laundering and invasion of computer systems carried out by a criminal organization.'” (03/04/26)
“Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez again criticized the U.S. and Israel’s military actions in Iran, standing firm on Wednesday against trade threats from Washington and warning that the war in the Middle East risked ‘playing Russian roulette’ with millions of lives. ‘We are not going to be complicit in something that is bad for the world and is also contrary to our values and interests, just out of fear of reprisals from someone,’ Sánchez said in a televised address. President Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened to end U.S. trade with Spain because of Spain’s refusal to allow the U.S. to use joint military bases in the country in its attacks on Iran.” (03/04/26)
“Mortgage rates hovered around a four-year low last week, prompting more borrowers to refinance and more potential homebuyers to get off the fence. Total mortgage application volume rose 11% from the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index. Last week, the average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances, $832,750 or less, was unchanged from the previous week at 6.09%, with points decreasing to 0.52 from 0.53, including the origination fee, for loans with a 20% down payment. That rate is the lowest since 2022. Last year that rate was 64 basis points higher.” (03/04/26)
“Eleven-term Veteran Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, and newly minted Rep. Christian Menefee [D-TX] will face off again after neither Democrat captured over 50% of the vote on Tuesday evening in their bids to represent Texas'[s] 18th Congressional District. Under Texas law, if no candidate has captured a majority of the vote, the race will head to a runoff election. On Wednesday, the Associated Press reported that Menefee received 46% of votes and Green 44.2%. Green has served in Congress since 2005, representing the Lone Star State’s 9th Congressional District. This year, because of redistricting changes advanced by Republicans, Green announced he would pursue reelection in the state’s 18th Congressional District, putting him on a collision course with Menefee. Menefee won election to the House of Representatives in a January special election to fill the seat of Rep. Sylvester Turner, who died in office last March.” (03/04/26)
“A Japanese high court on Wednesday upheld a dissolution order for the Unification Church as requested by the central government on the grounds that it unlawfully solicited financially ruinous donations from its members. While the group can still appeal to the Supreme Court, the order by the Tokyo High Court will take immediate effect, with the controversial organization losing its status as a religious corporation with its associated tax advantages and liquidation procedures to begin. … The government argued that the organization’s tactics, which included approaching individuals without disclosing its identity and soliciting large donations, constituted violations of civil law. … The group argued that only criminal violations, not those under the Civil Code, meet the requirements for dissolution.” (03/04/26)
“Officials from the San Francisco Unified School District have launched an investigation into a teacher at Lowell High School over allegations of ‘inappropriate questions’ on exams that reportedly included fat-shaming and sexist content. ‘SFUSD is aware of the allegations regarding inappropriate questions on a teacher’s exam and other related concerns,’ Laura Dudnick, the director of communications at SFUSD, said in an emailed statement to SFGATE. ‘We take these concerns seriously and are actively investigating.’ Lowell is known for its rigorous academics and has consistently ranked ‘one of the highest performing public high schools’ in the state. According to a report by the San Francisco Chronicle, Tom Chan, a Lowell math teacher, included quiz questions that asked students to figure out how much it would cost to pay for dinner for girls who weigh 120 versus 220 pounds. Another question, which was allegedly titled ‘Mr. Chan vs. The Fat Kid (part 2)’, appeared to be fat-shaming.” (03/03/26)
