US Evacuations from Israel, Fed Rate Stance, Microsoft Job Cuts, and Supreme Court Ruling

Federal Reserve's Interest Rate Decision

• 🏦 Fed officials have decided to leave interest rates unchanged, continuing to project two rate cuts in 2025.
• 📉 The outlook for economic growth was lowered to 1.4%, while the forecast for inflation was boosted.
• ⚠️ Seven officials now anticipate no interest rate cuts this year, creating uncertainty on Wall Street.
• 📊 Traders are pricing in a 74% probability of a Fed rate cut by September.

Geopolitical Tensions and US Evacuations

• ✈️ The U.S. is actively working on evacuations for U.S. citizens from Israel, with flights and cruise ship departures being arranged.
• 🇮🇱 The U.S. embassy is evacuating mission personnel amidst ongoing fighting between Israel and Iran.
• 🚨 Iran's supreme leader is threatening severe repercussions if the U.S. joins Israel in an attack on Iran.
• 🗣️ President Trump stated that Iran has significant issues and wants to negotiate, questioning why they didn't negotiate earlier.

Economic and Corporate News

• 💼 Microsoft is planning to cut thousands of jobs, primarily in sales, as part of a workforce reduction strategy amid heavy AI spending.
• ⚖️ The Supreme Court upheld a Tennessee law banning gender-affirming health care for minors.
• 🔬 Professor James Sample explained that the Tennessee legislature's view was that the science is unclear and potential side effects are irreversible and harmful.
• 💉 Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is considering asking a vaccine advisory panel to examine shots containing aluminum adjuvants, potentially impacting numerous vaccines.