South Korea's $17.3 Billion Emergency Budget Targets Oil Price Surge 
WTO Ministerial Collapse Leaves Global Digital Trade Rules in Limbo 
U.S. Stock Futures Surge After WSJ Report on Trump's Iran War Exit Strategy 
Australia Bans Card Payment Surcharges Starting October 2025 
U.S. Dollar Posts Strong Monthly Gain Amid Middle East Conflict Despite Late Dip 
Oil Prices Hold Near Multi-Year Highs Amid Iran Conflict and Hormuz Supply Fears 
Japan's Business Confidence Rises Despite Iran War Uncertainty, BOJ Rate Hike Expected 
Dollar Surges to Nine-Month High as Middle East Tensions Drive Safe-Haven Demand 
Oil Prices Surge to Record Monthly Highs as Middle East War Rattles Global Markets 
U.S. Trade Rep Dismisses WTO's Future Role After Failed Cameroon Summit 
Aluminum Prices Surge Toward Four-Year Highs After Gulf Smelter Strikes 
Oil Prices Dip as Trump Eyes Iran De-escalation, Hormuz Closure Persists 
Japan Business Sentiment Rises as Iran War Fuels Inflation Fears, BOJ Rate Hike Looms 
Canada's Economy Grows Modestly in January 2025, Driven by Energy and Construction 
South Korea Manufacturing PMI Hits 4-Year High in March 2025 Driven by Semiconductor Demand 
U.S. Stocks Surge on Iran War De-escalation Hopes 
Bessent: Global Oil Market Well Supplied as U.S. Eyes Hormuz Navigation Control 
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.
