Asian Stocks Sink as Apple Price Hikes Spark AI Valuation Fears, South Korea and Japan Lead Selloff 
China Factory PMI Seen Returning to Growth in June as AI Export Demand Supports Economy 
China Expands Export Controls, Adds 20 Japanese Companies to Restricted List 
Oil Prices Rebound as Strait of Hormuz Tensions Return After Ship Attack Near Oman 
US Dollar Slips After PCE Inflation Data as Fed Rate Hike Expectations Stay Elevated 
Wall Street Ends Lower as AI Stocks Drag Markets, Fed Rate Outlook Shifts 
Wall Street Ends Mixed as Micron Surges, Apple Drops After Price Hikes 
SpaceX Eyes Starlink Mobile Phone Service to Challenge Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile 
US Dollar Slips After PCE Inflation Data Eases Fed Rate Hike Expectations 
Gold Price Falls as Fed Rate Hike Fears and U.S.-Iran Tensions Weigh on Bullion 
Economic pessimism has set in – but there are reasons for Australians to be hopeful 
Japan Targets 1%+ Real Economic Growth With ¥370 Trillion Investment Plan 
South Korea’s KOSPI Plunges as Apple Price Hikes and OpenAI IPO Delay Shake AI Chip Stocks 
Bank Regulation Rollbacks in the U.S. and UK Could Increase Financial Risks, Study Warns 
Trump Threatens 100% Tariffs on Countries Imposing Digital Services Taxes on U.S. Tech Firms 
Asian Currencies Stay Range-Bound as Investors Eye China Data, RBNZ Outlook and U.S.-Iran Ceasefire 
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.
