1
Hochul Goes Big Brother on NY Gun Owners
On the evening of July 1, New Yor Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed legislation that requires gun carry permit applicants to hand over their social media history for the past three years, including any inactive accounts, as well as providing the state with contactable “good moral character” references. In the wake of the Supreme Court ruling that New York must issue carry permits to eligible applicants, Hochul appears to have decided that eligibility will be determined based on a person’s view and opinions. The new law is certain to quickly face legal challenges.
2
Trump Bests Biden in Hypothetical 2024 Matchup Poll
Former President Donald Trump leads President Joe Biden in a hypothetical 2024 election rematch, according to a new poll. A recent national Emerson College survey found that the real estate billionaire mogul enjoys an early lead of 44% to Biden’s 39%. Twelve percent say they would vote for somebody else. Trump’s support has remained relatively unchanged since the poll was last taken in May.
Will He Run Anyway?: The former president has yet to confirm if he will run again in 2024. Reports have suggested that Trump may wait until after the mid-term elections in November to make a formal announcement regarding his presidential ambitions in a couple of years. When it comes to the incumbent occupant in the White House, a recent Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll found that 71% of Americans do not want Biden to run for re-election in 2024.
3
US Economy Contracted 2.1% in the Second Quarter: Atlanta Fed Bank
The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s GDPNow model suggests that the US economy contracted 2.1% in the second quarter, citing the latest declines in the Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) and construction spending, in addition to the slide in personal consumption expenditures growth and real gross private domestic investment growth. This is down from the previous estimate of -1%. Two consecutive quarters of negative growth is a recession.
Markets Indifferent: The US financial markets dismissed the latest GDPNow estimate, with the leading benchmark indexes recording notable gains to kick off the second half of 2022. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 321 points to 31,097. The S&P 500 rose 1.06% to 3,825, while the Nasdaq Composite Indx climbed 0.9% to 11,127.
4
Google To Delete Location History for Visits to Abortion Clinics
Google announced in a blog post on July 1 that it will quickly delete location history for users looking for abortion clinics and other medical sites, including fertility centers, counseling offices, and domestic violence shelters. The decision comes soon after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, making abortion highly restricted in many states across the country.
Notable Quote: “Today, we’re announcing that if our systems identify that someone has visited one of these places, we will delete these entries from Location History soon after they visit,” wrote Jen Fitzpatrick, Google’s senior vice president of core systems and experiences. “Given that these issues apply to healthcare providers, telecommunications companies, banks, tech platforms, and many more, we know privacy protections cannot be solely up to individual companies or states acting individually.”
5
OPEC Output Falls Short of June Target Amid Outages
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, OPEC+, failed to deliver on a production increase in June as part of the cartel’s previous plan, according to a Reuters survey. The group pumped 28.52 million barrels per day (bpd) last month, down 100,000 bpd in May. OPEC had initially sought to expand output by approximately 275,000 bpd. The failure had been to involuntary declines in Libya and Nigeria, which had offset the gains made by Saudi Arabia and other large producers.
Prices Still High: August West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures surged $2.70, or 2.55%, to $108.46 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange to settle the July 1 trading session. US crude prices posted a 1.29% weekly gain, adding to their year-to-date rally of nearly 44%. Market analysts warn that prices could inch higher on tight global supply conditions.
6
Freedom Convoy Protesters Return to Ottawa for Canada Day
Many protesters from the Freedom Convoy and Rolling Thunder demonstrations that took Canada by storm this past winter returned to Ottawa during Canada Day celebrations. People were protesting against any remaining COVID-19 public health measures, joined by Conservative Pary of Canada leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre. Police officers permitted legal protests but promised to shut down illegal activities. Some of the coordinated events included a march to Parliament Hill, a “freedom music concert,” and a dance party. The Great White North turned 155.
Reclaiming the Maple Leaf: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau used his annual Canada Day address to reclaim the Maple Leaf flag after many claimed it was co-opted by freedom protesters. “It’s also a promise — a promise of opportunity, a promise of safety for those fleeing violence and war, and a promise of a better life,” he said. “No matter what our faith is, where we were born, what color our skin is, what language we speak or whom we love, we are all equal members of this great country.”
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