“The Trump administration’s religious and moral carve-outs to an ObamaCare requirement that all employer health plans cover contraception at no cost were blocked on Wednesday by a federal judge. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone in Philadelphia issued a summary judgment that the rules were arbitrary, capricious and an overreach of the authority of the agencies that wrote them in 2017. Under the rules, essentially any for-profit or nonprofit employer or insurer was allowed to exempt themselves from following the birth control mandate on moral and religious grounds. The rules also let publicly traded companies obtain a religious exemption, but not a moral one.” (08/14/25)
“Russia has announced restrictions on voice calls made on the WhatsApp and Telegram messaging apps, the latest moves by Moscow to tighten its control over the internet. The curb on calls is set to impact WhatsApp’s estimated 96 million monthly users in Russia and Telegram’s more than 89 million users, according to Russian media monitoring service Mediascope. In a statement on Wednesday, Russia’s media and internet regulator, Roskomnadzor, justified the measure as necessary for fighting crime. … Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moscow has been expanding control over the Russian part of the internet. Security services have frequently claimed that Ukraine was using Telegram to recruit people or commit acts of sabotage in Russia. The Russian government adopted a law last month punishing online users for searching content deemed illicit by authorities.” (08/14/25)
“A failed GOP candidate in New Mexico has been sentenced to 80 years behind bars for orchestrating a shooting spree targeting his perceived political adversaries following his defeat in the 2022 midterm elections, which he believed was rigged against him. Solomon Pena, 42, was sentenced Wednesday, to 960 months in prison, a fine of $250,000 and three years of supervised release, the Justice Department said in a statement. … Federal prosecutors said the shootings were the product of a conspiracy involving four men Pena paid to shoot up their houses. The prosecutors also said that while in jail, he tried to solicit inmates to murder witnesses to prevent their testimony during his trial.” (08/14/25)
“The number of Americans filing new applications for jobless benefits fell last week amid low layoffs, but a reluctance by businesses to boost hiring because of softening domestic demand could drive the unemployment rate to 4.3% in August. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 3,000 to a seasonally adjusted 224,000 for the week ended August 9, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 228,000 claims for the latest week. The labor market has split into low firings and tepid hiring as businesses navigate President Donald Trump’s protectionist trade policy, which has raised the nation’s average import duty to its highest in a century.” (08/14/25)
“The Brazilian government on Wednesday unveiled a plan to support local exporters affected by a 50% tariff imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on several products from the South American nation. Dubbed ‘overeign Brazil,’ the plan provides for a credit lifeline of 30 billion reais ($5.5 billion), among other measures. Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva described the plan, which includes a bill to be sent to Congress, as a first step to help local exporters.” (08/13/25)
“While last month’s consumer price index showed that food prices were effectively flat month over month, tariff-sensitive items like coffee beans, specialty teas and spices are showing signs of inflation, worrying small businesses selling those products. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, coffee prices surged 14.5% in July year over year. The average retail price for a pound of ground coffee hit $8.41.” (08/13/25)
“During the first six months of his second term, President Donald Trump’s administration has withdrawn or suspended enforcement actions against 165 companies in sectors across the U.S. economy, with Big Tech benefiting most from federal agencies’ lax approach to corporate crime. A report released Wednesday by the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen found that the Trump administration has halted or ended a third of misconduct investigations and enforcement actions targeting technology firms—including behemoths such as Meta, Tesla, and Google. Both Meta and Google donated to Trump’s inaugural fund, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk spent big in support of the president’s 2024 White House bid. Public Citizen found that the tech corporations that have benefited from Trump administration decisions to drop enforcement efforts have spent a combined $1.2 billion trying to influence the president.” (08/14/25)
“Peruvian President Dina Boluarte on Wednesday signed into law a controversial bill granting amnesty to military personnel, police and members of civilian self-defense units over a bloody 1980-2000 campaign against Maoist Shining Path guerrillas. … The law benefits uniformed personnel on trial but not yet convicted of crimes committed during fighting between state forces and the insurgent Shining Path and Tupac Amaru rebel groups, in which 70,000 people were killed, according to official data. About 20,000 people remain listed as ‘disappeared.’ It also provides for the release of anyone convicted who is now over the age of 70.” (08/13/25)
“Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Wednesday made it illegal to sell 7-hydroxymitragynine, known as 7-OH, a compound found in some kratom products, by classifying it as a Schedule I controlled substance in the state. The announcement makes Florida the first state to ban this concentrated kratom byproduct, which acts like an opioid and has been dubbed ‘legal morphine’ by researchers.” (08/13/25)
“Bitcoin rose over 1% Thursday to just above $121,655 after hitting a record $123,500 Wednesday, driven by institutional demand and bets on looser monetary policy. The cryptocurrency has gained 31% year-to-date and is up 60% from April’s market lows. … Meanwhile ethereum (ETH-USD) prices rose to near record levels on Wednesday as Wall Street grows increasingly bullish on the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap. Ethereum’s native token, ether jumped as much as 6% to hover above $4,700 per token, just shy of its 2021 record highs.” (08/14/25)
