U.S. Dollar Slips Near Two-Month Low as Markets Await Key Jobs Data and Central Bank Decisions 
Bank of Korea Downplays Liquidity’s Role in Weak Won and Housing Price Surge 
Chinese Robotaxi Stocks Rally as Tesla Boosts Autonomous Driving Optimism 
New Zealand Budget Outlook Shows Prolonged Deficits Despite Economic Recovery Hopes 
Gold and Silver Prices Dip as Markets Await Key U.S. Economic Data 
Australian Consumer Sentiment Slumps in Early December as Inflation Fears Resurface 
Trump Orders Blockade of Sanctioned Oil Tankers, Raising Venezuela Tensions and Oil Prices 
Oil Prices Climb on Venezuela Blockade, Russia Sanctions Fears, and Supply Risks 
Japan PMI Data Signals Manufacturing Stabilization as Services Continue to Drive Growth 
Bank of Japan Poised for Historic Rate Hike as Inflation Pressures Persist 
Asian Stocks Slide as AI Spending Fears and Global Central Bank Decisions Weigh on Markets 
Singapore Growth Outlook Brightens for 2025 as Economists Flag AI and Geopolitical Risks 
Silver Prices Hit Record High as Safe-Haven Demand Surges Amid U.S. Economic Uncertainty 
U.S. Dollar Steadies Near October Lows as Rate Cut Expectations Keep Markets on Edge 
Gold and Silver Surge as Safe Haven Demand Rises on U.S. Economic Uncertainty 
U.S. Stock Futures Edge Higher as Micron Earnings Boost AI Sentiment Ahead of CPI Data 
RBA Unlikely to Cut Interest Rates in 2026 as Inflation Pressures Persist, Says Westpac 
Abortion Rights Shape State Supreme Court Elections
In the 2024 election cycle, abortion rights were a major factor in state Supreme Court races, with mixed outcomes across the nation. Republican candidates secured a majority in Ohio's top court and are leading in North Carolina, where a Democratic justice faces an uphill re-election battle.
However, Democratic-backed candidates found success in Kentucky and Michigan. In Kentucky, Pamela Goodwine, supported by Democratic Governor Andy Beshear and Planned Parenthood, made history as the first Black woman elected to the state Supreme Court. Similarly, in Michigan, Democrats increased their majority after incumbent Justice Kyra Harris Bolden and Kimberly Ann Thomas defeated Republican challengers.
Arizona Retains Conservative Justices
In Arizona, voters opted to retain two justices who had upheld an 1864 abortion ban, defying the expectations of abortion rights groups. The state's Supreme Court decisions remain conservative, as these justices' retention was confirmed in the state's election projections.
Mixed Results Reflect National Divide
The outcomes reflect the ongoing influence of abortion access in judicial elections, especially following the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The ruling sent the battle over reproductive rights to state courts, where elections for state Supreme Court seats are crucial for determining the interpretation of state constitutions.
In states like Missouri, voters enshrined abortion rights in their constitutions, but measures failed in others like Florida and South Dakota. In North Carolina, a recount looms in a tight race between Republican Jefferson Griffin and Democratic Justice Allison Riggs, both campaigning heavily on reproductive rights.
