Brief'd

Iran launched missile and drone attacks on U.S. military facilities in Kuwait and the UAE, escalating the six-month Gulf conflict. The Federal Reserve raised rates by a quarter point, ending a three-year pause and signaling more increases if inflation doesn't cooperate. The White House enforced its press ban, denying CNN, MSNBC, and Politico access to grounds.

President Trump announced he's barring CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, calling them fake news — though no formal notifications have been sent and reporters remain on site. Meanwhile, Houthi forces have captured the Hanish islands in the Red Sea, threatening Saudi oil routes and pushing global fuel prices higher. Also today: a SNAP rules block, Nvidia's CEO projecting chip sales will...

The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points, ending a three-year pause with a unanimous decision across the FOMC. The UN Secretary-General warned the Security Council that Houthi advances toward the Bab al-Mandab Strait risk a wider regional conflict, displacing over 100,000 people. Plus, a lawsuit alleges the NIH is imposing a viewpoint litmus test on scientific gran...

The Supreme Court blocked the Trump administration's last-minute effort to add screening procedures to mail-in ballots less than two weeks before the midterms, keeping the election rules as they stand. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed making Canada the EU's first associate member, offering Canada preferential market access and a role in policy-making. Amazon raised its m...

A federal court denied the Trump-Vance administration's request to pause its own immigration policy vacatur, keeping processing active for people from dozens of countries. Overseas, Saudi Arabia shut down its East-West crude pipeline after drone attacks from Iraq, removing roughly 4% of global oil supply. Plus, Paramount closed an $111 billion deal for Warner Bros. Discovery after Netflix walked a...

The Federal Reserve held rates steady again, but three regional presidents dissented, pushing for a hike as they see the current setting as no longer restrictive enough. In Mali, militants have blockaded the capital Bamako by burning fuel tankers on key import routes ahead of Eid. Plus, new U.S. ethics language clears the path for the crypto market clarity bill, and a new satellite will monitor pl...

The Supreme Court ruled that President Trump cannot remove Fed Governor Lisa Cook without sufficient due process, preserving the Board's independence on a procedural basis. NATO forces intercepted Russian submarines near the Arctic preparing to deploy a device to disable undersea communication cables. The war in Yemen has entered a far bloodier phase, with over 900 killed or injured in less than a...

The International Atomic Energy Agency reported North Korea built a new uranium enrichment facility at Yongbyon with capacity for 28 centrifuge cascades, a significant expansion of its weapons-grade material production. A federal court vacated Trump-era immigration policies that had suspended visa processing and asylum decisions based on applicants' nationalities, calling the resulting legal limbo...

After a week-long offensive, Houthi forces now control Perim, Mayyun, and the al-Omari camp at the southern mouth of the Red Sea, creating a second chokepoint alongside the contested Strait of Hormuz. Also this week: U.S. gross public debt officially surpassed 40 trillion dollars as Treasury yields hit their highest level since 2007; consumer sentiment fell to its second-lowest on record with infl...

Iran launched missile and drone attacks against U.S. bases in Kuwait and the UAE on Thursday, marking the first direct strikes on American soil in the Gulf crisis. In Washington, the House passed a stopgap funding measure to keep the government open through December, averting a shutdown ahead of the midterms. Plus, attorneys general from 42 states are investigating OpenAI's safety practices and da...

U.S. Central Command struck five Iranian oil tankers in the Gulf after the Guard Corps fired ballistic missiles at the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Theodore Roosevelt. The Supreme Court ruled that the emergency-powers statute does not give the president authority to impose sweeping tariffs, shutting down the fastest route for broad trade taxes. Plus a UN climate report warns the 1.5-degree warming...

The U.S. military struck three Iranian oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for ballistic missile attacks on Navy warships, escalating the naval confrontation and pushing oil prices toward $100 a barrel. Russia's foreign minister dismissed European diplomacy on Ukraine, insisting Moscow must be included in any security talks and rejecting Western peace proposals as a clumsy effort to...

A former Iranian president is publicly calling for a referendum on the war as the security establishment pushes toward wider escalation. The Supreme Court ruled IEEPA cannot be used to impose tariffs, striking down the broad emergency-powers regime. Also: Nepal's flood death toll nears 580, a Fed rate hike looks likely, and Moderna's personalized cancer vaccine posts its first late-stage win.

Germany's far-right AfD won 44 percent in Saxony-Anhalt, the strongest far-right state result since World War II, though mainstream parties are holding the line against a coalition. The Pentagon polygraphed about 50 Joint Staff members hunting for whoever leaked classified reports showing the Iran conflict is draining U.S. munitions stockpiles. Also: a Boeing 767 freighter kills five after a runwa...

U.S. envoys completed the first trilateral talks with Russian and Ukrainian representatives since the 2022 invasion, with formal negotiations expected by late September. Iran and the U.S. exchanged fresh strikes in the Strait of Hormuz, while global M&A hit a record $2.8 trillion in the first half of the year. Plus an AI benchmark flip between OpenAI and Anthropic, bond yields surging globally...

Trump is dispatching Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Moscow and Kyiv this weekend with a formal proposal to end the war in Ukraine, as Kyiv announces a limited ceasefire. The U.S. added jobs in August at more than double the forecast pace, complicating the Fed's case for a September rate cut. Plus a federal judge blocks Trump's mail-in ballot rule ahead of the midterms, and the BepiColombo spac...

Russia has been covertly helping Iran build supersonic cruise missiles to threaten U.S. warships, even as American strikes on Iranian targets continue. The House passed a stopgap funding bill 370-48, averting an October shutdown but setting up a December budget fight. Plus: Pennsylvania's first measles deaths in 35 years, OpenAI's highest-risk AI model yet, and the box office comeback of a film a...

Iran fired ballistic missiles at two U.S. air bases in Jordan overnight, with Trump threatening to strike Iran's main oil export hub at Kharg Island. A September Fed rate hike is now better than even odds after markets repriced on Chair Warsh's inflation warning. Also: two measles deaths in Pennsylvania including an infant, Microsoft cuts 5,000 jobs, and the passing of Dolly Parton at 80.

Trump declared a nuclear and Hormuz deal with Iran 'imminent,' but Tehran flatly rejected the characterization as U.S. strikes continue and a Pentagon memo warns of military overreach. Brent crude crossed $100 a barrel and a global bond selloff deepened, with Japan's rates at a 31-year high. Also: the House has one week to avoid a shutdown, DeepSeek eyes a $74 billion valuation, and Messi's four-g...

Russia launched its most massive attack on Kyiv of the war, an 11-hour barrage of missiles and drones that killed at least 30 people days before a NATO summit. A Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria has hit 1,000 cases with a fatality rate near one in four, spreading across 23 states with no approved vaccine. Also: a federal court ruling on AI-generated CSAM, Saudi Arabia weighing a Yemen offensive, an...

Trump announced a deal giving U.S. interests majority control over 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil reserves, with financial terms undisclosed. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh signaled a possible rate hike as soon as September, flipping market odds past 50%. Also: Nepal's flood death toll tops 600, the House passes a stopgap spending bill, and researchers restore vision in blind mice with eye drops.

Hackers stole data from nearly 9 million customers of Manchester, Stansted, and East Midlands airports — linked to Wi-Fi use, not just ticket purchases. Iran's foreign minister said even a diplomatic deal won't reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as Trump threatened to bomb mediator Oman. Also: Nvidia projects its first $100 billion quarter, the SDF dissolves into Syria's new military, and a nanoparticle...

Treasury Secretary Bessent launched 'Operation Economic Outcast,' threatening an economic D-Day for any country trading with Iran, with China the unmistakable target. CIA Director Ratcliffe made a rare in-person trip to Moscow as Ukraine diplomacy stalls, and flash flooding on the Nepal-China border has killed more than 160 with over 1,300 still missing. Plus July inflation hit a three-year high,...

The Supreme Court held that President Trump can fire leaders of independent agencies, dismantling a century of precedent and reshaping the FTC and CFPB. In Pakistan, a fire at a neonatal ward killed at least 15 newborns after igniting in an air-conditioning unit. Plus: Trump denies any talks with Iran, a rolling visa review that could revoke 200,000 visas, and Nvidia's $7 billion deal with AI star...

A federal judge struck down major portions of the National Firearms Act, eliminating registration requirements for suppressors and short-barreled weapons across more than a dozen states. Iran's president warned the US that threats and bullying would lead nowhere as he offered dialogue on Tehran's terms. The U.S. national debt surpassed $40 trillion for the first time, crossing a structural milesto...