Politics

DOJ opens path for felons to apply to restore federal gun rights

AG Todd Blanche finalized a DOJ rule opening a pathway for certain nonviolent felons to apply to restore their federal gun rights, with an estimated 330,000 applications expected in year one.

AI

West Virginia bets on data centers to kill its income tax

West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey unveiled a 20-year plan to route 50% of hyperscale data center revenue into reducing and eventually eliminating the state income tax.

Markets

FDA Recalls Grand Central Bakery Bread at Whole Foods, Fred Meyer Over Metal

The FDA has recalled Grand Central Bakery Potato Sourdough bread sold at Whole Foods, Fred Meyer, QFC, PCC and other Seattle-area grocers after a pallet nail was found in a loaf.

Markets

The era of cheap used cars is rapidly disappearing, per YF

Three-year-old used cars averaged $31,548 in Q1 2026 and sub-$20K inventory has collapsed to 11% of the market. Here is what it means for CVNA, KMX, and AN.

AI

Anthropic Eyes Public S-1 Filing as Soon as End of August 2026

Anthropic is preparing to publicly file its IPO prospectus as soon as end of August 2026, following its June 1 confidential S-1 and a $965B Series H valuation.

Geopolitics

Iran Has Lost Significant Control of the Strait of Hormuz: CNN

CNN reports Iran has lost significant control of the Strait of Hormuz, with Kpler data showing more than 80% of recent transits taking the Omani route or going dark.

Markets

FDA Upgrades Publix Blueberry Recall to Highest Risk Level Over E. Coli

The FDA upgraded the Publix GreenWise frozen blueberry and mixed berry recall to Class I, its highest risk level, citing potential E. coli O145 contamination across eight states.

Macro

Bessent: US Can Grow Its Way Out of $40 Trillion Debt Pile

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the US can grow its way out of its $40 trillion debt pile, while VP Vance teases a ‘discreet’ plan that includes a sovereign wealth fund.

Geopolitics

USS Abraham Lincoln heads home after 9-month Middle East run

The USS Abraham Lincoln is heading back to San Diego after a nine-month Middle East deployment tied to the Iran war. The USS George Washington has taken over, with defense contractors in focus.

Tech

Zuckerberg Buys 19th-Century Irish Castle Estimated Up to $35M

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has quietly bought Strancally Castle, a 19th-century Gothic estate in County Waterford, Ireland, reportedly valued between $23M and $35M in an off-market deal.

Macro

Bessent: US Doesn't Need as Many Jobs After Deportations, Border Closure

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC the US doesn't need to produce as many jobs after deportations and the border closure, brushing off a 23,000 job loss in July as noisy data.

Tech

‘De-Flock America’: Halloween Push to Vandalize Flock Cameras Goes Viral

A viral ‘De-Flock America’ campaign is urging people to disable or destroy Flock Safety license-plate cameras on Halloween night, adding to mounting backlash against the $7.5B surveillance startup.

Politics

Ex-Fauci Adviser Morens Pleads Guilty to Concealing COVID Records

Former Fauci adviser Dr. David Morens pleaded guilty to conspiring to conceal COVID-19 research records. He faces up to five years in prison, with sentencing set for Nov. 12.

Macro

3 in 5 Young Adults Say Their Lives Lack Meaning and Purpose: BBC

A BBC report citing Harvard research found nearly 3 in 5 young adults say their lives lack meaning and purpose, with anxiety and depression rates double those of teens.

Tech

Employers use personal data to set the lowest salary you'll accept: MW

MarketWatch details the rise of surveillance wages, where employers use personal and financial data to set the lowest salary a worker will accept. Intuit, Salesforce, Colgate-Palmolive, Amwell and Healthcare Services Group were named in a related report.

AI

Goldman Sachs: AI Is Cutting 16,000 U.S. Jobs Per Month

Goldman Sachs economists estimate AI is erasing a net 16,000 U.S. jobs per month, with substitution wiping out 25,000 and augmentation adding back 9,000. Gen Z and entry-level workers are absorbing most of the impact.

Markets

Private Equity Sitting on 33,575 Unsold Businesses: NYT

Private equity is stuck with 33,575 unsold portfolio companies, per NYT and PitchBook, the biggest backlog on record. Exits are jammed and holding periods are stretching.

Markets

Michael Burry: Palantir Worth Under $1 Long-Term, Adds Puts

Michael Burry re-established his Palantir short with March 2027 puts and says the stock’s intrinsic value is under $1, citing stock-based comp and off-balance-sheet commitments.

Macro

Treasury Doubles Long-End Buybacks as 30Y Yield Hits 19-Year High

Treasury is at least doubling long-end buyback operations to $4B per op from September 9 through November 4, after the 30-year yield hit a 19-year high of 5.34%.

Politics

Michigan to Drop First-Semester Freshman Grades Starting Fall 2027

The University of Michigan will replace first-semester freshman letter grades with pass/no credit starting fall 2027, citing a student mental health crisis. The pilot covers all incoming LSA students.

Crypto

Trump Floats Sizable US Bitcoin Purchase, BTC Reclaims $70K

Trump says the US is considering a sizable Bitcoin purchase. BTC reclaimed $70K, over $1B in shorts got liquidated, and spot ETFs saw nearly $500M in two-day inflows.

AI

Stripe Tells Investors ‘The Singularity’ Has Begun

Stripe told investors ‘the singularity’ began on January 1, disclosed 41% H1 revenue growth, and confirmed the OpenRouter acquisition at a reported $7.5B to $8B+ price tag.

Macro

Functionally Illiterate US Workers Earn About the Same as Average Brits

An FT analysis of OECD data shows functionally illiterate US workers now earn roughly the same hourly wage as the average British worker, highlighting a widening transatlantic pay gap.

Macro

BofA Survey: Fund Managers Brace for Stagflation Over Next 12 Months

Bank of America's latest Global Fund Manager Survey shows 58% of investors see stagflation as the dominant macro scenario over the next 12 months, with hawkish Fed expectations rising and defensive positioning taking over.

Markets

Trump Moves to Open 45M Acres of National Forest to Logging, Roads

The Trump administration proposed rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule, opening nearly 45 million acres of national forest to roads, logging, and extractive activity across 37 states. Timber names in focus.