Toyota’s Surprise CEO Change Signals Strategic Shift Amid Global Auto Turmoil 
Japanese Pharmaceutical Stocks Slide as TrumpRx.gov Launch Sparks Market Concerns 
Trump Backs Nexstar–Tegna Merger Amid Shifting U.S. Media Landscape 
SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates 
Dow Hits 50,000 as U.S. Stocks Stage Strong Rebound Amid AI Volatility 
South Africa Eyes ECB Repo Lines as Inflation Eases and Rate Cuts Loom 
India–U.S. Interim Trade Pact Cuts Auto Tariffs but Leaves Tesla Out 
Gold and Silver Prices Rebound After Volatile Week Triggered by Fed Nomination 
Oil Prices Slide on US-Iran Talks, Dollar Strength and Profit-Taking Pressure 
Amazon Stock Rebounds After Earnings as $200B Capex Plan Sparks AI Spending Debate 
Hims & Hers Halts Compounded Semaglutide Pill After FDA Warning 
Singapore Budget 2026 Set for Fiscal Prudence as Growth Remains Resilient 
Trump’s Inflation Claims Clash With Voters’ Cost-of-Living Reality 
Bank of Japan Signals Readiness for Near-Term Rate Hike as Inflation Nears Target 
Nvidia, ByteDance, and the U.S.-China AI Chip Standoff Over H200 Exports 
American Airlines CEO to Meet Pilots Union Amid Storm Response and Financial Concerns 
Vietnam’s Trade Surplus With US Jumps as Exports Surge and China Imports Hit Record 
Juul lost its case against the state of North Carolina concerning the vaping lawsuit that the state filed. Now the electronic cigarette maker is settling the case by paying $40 million.
The court settlement
As per Fox Business, with the outcome, Altria's value stake in Juul fell to $1.5 billion. The settlement was revealed by Attorney General Josh Stein via a social media post.
“Teens and parents across NC won a big victory today!” Stein tweeted. “My office - the first in the nation to sue Juul - became the first to successfully hold this company accountable.”
He added in a separate post that as a result of the court order, they will not require Juul to change the way it operates. They will ask it to implement strong age verification, prohibit marketing to kids, and no granting of special favors to buyers. Furthermore, he said that the $40 million settlement payout will be used to help kids quit nicotine and prevent others from starting the habit of vaping or smoking.
Juul agreed that it should bring in changes in its operations, and it is ready to take action. It also said that it also supports the campaign of the Atty. Stein and North Carolina. It will exert more effort to reset the company and help fight underage usage and reduce harm for adult smokers.
As proof it is ready to change, Juul said that it is looking forward to working with Attorney General Stein as well as the other manufacturers.
Why Juul was brought to court
Health officials and regulators expressed concerns over smoking in kids and blamed Juul for the surge in popularity of e-cigarettes among teens. North Carolina started its probe in 2018 and filed a lawsuit against Juul in 2019.
It was found that high school kids were encouraged to smoke due to ads, and now the percentage of smokers among young kids has grown. In the end, Juul lost and had to pay millions.
Finally, CNBC reported that under the terms of the agreement, Juul should stop advertising to minors. The sale of its e-cigarettes must be heavily regulated, and age restrictions should be firmly imposed. Nine more states are said to be carrying out their own investigations on Juul as well, so the company is facing more issues despite this settlement.
