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Two U.S. judges in separate federal courts scrapped their rulings last week after lawyers alerted them to filings that contained inaccurate case details or seemingly ‘hallucinated’ quotes that misquoted cited cases — the latest in a string of errors that suggest the growing use of artificial intelligence in legal research and submissions.

In New Jersey, U.S. District Judge Julien Neals withdrew his denial of a motion to dismiss a securities fraud case after lawyers revealed the decision relied on filings with ‘pervasive and material inaccuracies.’

The filing pointed to ‘numerous instances’ of made-up quotes submitted by attorneys, as well as three separate instances when the outcome of lawsuits appeared to have been mistaken, prompting Neals to withdraw his decision.

In Mississippi, U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate replaced his original July 20 temporary restraining order that paused enforcement of a state law blocking diversity, equity and inclusion programs in public schools after lawyers notified the judge of serious errors submitted by the attorney. 

They informed the court that the decision ‘relie[d] upon the purported declaration testimony of four individuals whose declarations do not appear in the record for this case.’ 

Wingate subsequently issued a new ruling, though lawyers for the state have asked his original order to be placed back on the docket. 

‘All parties are entitled to a complete and accurate record of all papers filed and orders entered in this action, for the benefit of the Fifth Circuit’s appellate review,’ the state attorney general said in a filing. 

A person familiar with Wingate’s temporary order in Mississippi confirmed to Fox News Digital that the erroneous filing submitted to the court had used AI, adding that they had ‘never seen anything like this’ in court before.

Neither the judges’ office nor the lawyers in question immediately responded to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment on the retracted New Jersey order, first reported by Reuters. It was not immediately clear if AI was the reason for that erroneous court submission in that case.

However, the errors in both cases — which were quickly flagged by attorneys, and prompted the judges to take action to revise or redact their orders — come as the use of generative AI continues to skyrocket in almost every profession, especially among younger workers. 

In at least one of the cases, the errors bear similarities to AI-style inaccuracies, which include the use of ‘ghost’ or ‘hallucinated’ quotes being used in filings, citing incorrect or even nonexistent cases.

For bar-admitted attorneys, these erroneous court submissions are not taken lightly. Lawyers are responsible for the veracity of all information included in court filings, including if it includes AI-generated materials, according to guidance from the American Bar Association.

In May, a federal judge in California slapped law firms with $31,000 in sanctions for using AI in court filings, saying at the time that ‘no reasonably competent attorney should out-source research and writing to this technology — particularly without any attempt to verify the accuracy of that material.’

Last week, a federal judge in Alabama sanctioned three attorneys for submitting erroneous court filings that were later revealed to have been generated by ChatGPT.

Among other things, the filings in question included the use of the AI-generated quote ‘hallucinations,’ U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco said in her order, which also referred the lawyers in question to the state bar for further disciplinary proceedings.

‘Fabricating legal authority is serious misconduct that demands a serious sanction,’ she said in the filing.

New data from the Pew Research Center underscores the rise of AI tools among younger users. 

According to a June survey, roughly 34% of U.S. adults say they have used ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence chatbot — roughly double the percentage of users who said the same at the same point two years ago, in 2023. 

The share of employed adults who use ChatGPT for work has spiked by a whopping 20 percentage points since June 2023; and among adults under 30, adoption is even more widespread, with a 58% majority saying they have used the chatbot.


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A longtime ally of former President Joe Biden is appearing before House investigators on Thursday, the eighth ex-White House aide to be summoned for Oversight Committee Chair James Comer’s probe.

Michael Donilon served as senior advisor to the president for the entirety of Biden’s four-year term.

He’s now expected to sit down with House Oversight Committee staff for a closed-door transcribed interview that could last several hours.

Comer, R-Ky., is investigating whether Biden’s top White House aides concealed signs of mental decline in the then-president, and if that meant executive actions were signed via autopen without his knowledge.

Donilon will likely be of key interest to investigators, considering his decades-long working relationship with the former president.

He first began working for Biden in 1981 as a strategist, pollster, and media advisor, according to a biography by the Harvard University Institute of Politics, where he was a Spring 2025 fellow.

Biden was serving as a senator from Delaware at the time.

He also served as chief strategist on Biden’s 2020 and 2024 campaigns before Biden dropped his re-election bid in July 2024.

The loyal former aide accused the Democratic Party of melting down earlier this year after top left-wing leaders forced Biden out of the 2024 presidential race over his disastrous debate against current President Donald Trump.

‘Lots of people have terrible debates. Usually the party doesn’t lose its mind, but that’s what happened here. It melted down,’ he said at a Harvard event in February.

It comes after another close former aide, ex-counselor to the president Steve Ricchetti, appeared before investigators for his own transcribed interview on Wednesday.

Like Ricchetti, Donilon is appearing on voluntary terms – the fifth ex-Biden aide to do so.

Three of the previous six Biden administration officials who appeared before the House Oversight Committee did so under subpoena. Ex-White House physician Kevin O’Connor, as well as former advisors Annie Tomasini and Anthony Bernal, all pleaded the Fifth Amendment during their compulsory sit-downs.

But the four voluntary transcribed interviews that have occurred so far have lasted more than five hours, as staff for both Democrats and Republicans take turns in rounds of questioning.

‘You were reportedly responsible for erecting a wall between the former president and senators ‘to shield Biden from bad information.’ Recently, during an event at Harvard University, you displayed your willingness to speak about the former president’s cognition but you reportedly ‘denounced claims that the president’s acuity and judgment declined,” Comer wrote in a June letter to Donilon asking him to appear.

‘The scope of your responsibilities—both official and otherwise—and personal interactions within the Oval Office cannot go without investigation. If White House staff carried out a strategy lasting months or even years to hide the chief executive’s condition—or to perform his duties—Congress may need to consider a legislative response.’


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President Donald Trump hammered back at former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s warnings about war with the United States, telling the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council to ‘watch his words.’ 

‘I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care,’ Trump wrote on TRUTH Social at midnight Thursday. ‘We have done very little business with India, their Tariffs are too high, among the highest in the World. Likewise, Russia and the USA do almost no business together. Let’s keep it that way, and tell Medvedev, the failed former President of Russia, who thinks he’s still President, to watch his words. He’s entering very dangerous territory!’

In response to Trump’s post, Medvedev referenced Russia’s ‘Dead Hand’ – the Cold War-era automated nuclear retaliation system developed by the Soviet Union. 

‘If a few words from a former Russian president provoke such a nervous reaction from the supposedly mighty President of the United States, then clearly Russia is in the right – and will continue on its chosen path,’ Medvedev wrote on Telegram. 

‘And as for all that talk about the ‘dead economies’ of India and Russia, or about ‘venturing into dangerous territory’ – well, maybe he should rewatch some of his favorite zombie movies,’ he added. ‘And also remember just how dangerous the supposedly mythical ‘Dead Hand’ system can be.’ 

In theory, the ‘Dead Hand,’ described by the West during the 1980s as a Russian doomsday device, is meant to guarantee a massive retaliatory nuclear strike even if Moscow’s leadership is destroyed or incapacitated. 

While in Scotland on Monday, Trump warned during public remarks that Russian President Vladimir Putin had 10 or 12 days to reach a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine, shortening a previous 50-day deadline he issued earlier this month. If Russia does not, Trump promised more ‘sanctions, tariffs, and maybe secondary tariffs’ against Moscow and the purchasers of Russian goods and energy. He lamented that repeated talks with Putin have resulted in little progress toward peace. 

‘Trump’s playing the ultimatum game with Russia: 50 days or 10,’ Medvedev complained in a post to X earlier this week. ‘He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn’t Israel or even Iran. 2. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country. Don’t go down the Sleepy Joe road!’ 

Trump on Wednesday announced a 25% tariff on imports from India – one of the biggest consumers of Russian oil, next to China – starting on Aug. 1. The president described India as a ‘friend,’ but slammed the South Asian country’s ‘strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary’ trade barriers. Trump vowed other unspecified ‘penalties’ against India for buying most of its military equipment from Russia and Russian energy ‘at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE.’ 

During an unrelated press conference, Trump noted that India and Russia are founding members of BRICSoriginally formed as a counterweight to Western institutions. 

BRICS is ‘basically a group of countries that are anti-the United States and India is a member of that, if you can believe it. It’s an attack on the dollar. And we’re not going to let anybody attack the dollar,’ Trump said. ‘We have a tremendous deficit.’

In recent days, Medvedev has also shredded the framework of the trade deal Trump reached with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during his recent trip to Scotland. 

Trump has repeatedly communicated that trade deals with other countries would be contingent on foreign policy alignment with the United States. 

For example, after Canada announced it was backing Palestinian statehood amid Israel’s war against Hamas terrorists in Gaza, Trump wrote Thursday, ‘That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them.’ 

Trump, meanwhile, on Thursday celebrated this reciprocal tariffs plan after telling reporters on Wednesday that they brought ‘billions’ of dollars into the U.S. economy. 

‘Tariffs are making America GREAT & RICH Again,’ Trump wrote on social media. ‘They were successfully used against the USA for decades and, coupled with really dumb, pathetic, and crooked politicians, we’re having a devastating impact on the future, and even the survival, of our country. Now the tide has completely turned, and America has successfully countered this onslaught of Tariffs used against it.’

‘ONE YEAR AGO, AMERICA WAS A DEAD COUNTRY, NOW IT IS THE ‘HOTTEST’ COUNTRY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!’ Trump added. 


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If you haven’t heard the name Sydney Sweeney before, odds are you definitely know her name now if you consume any news at all. American Eagle featured the actress in their new ad campaign that kicked off last week, and liberal women lost their ever loving minds. 

What triggered their spiral this time? Sydney has ‘good genes’ and she’s wearing ‘jeans.’

Outrageous, I know.

This good genes/jeans word play game, well it’s a whole lot of Nazi propaganda with some racism thrown in and linked to eugenics. 

If you’re not a White liberal woman, I’ll try to simplify. In liberal math, good genes + jeans = Nazi. 

I know, that wasn’t on our flashcards growing up. 

The next time you compliment a friend on her looks, resist the urge to mention good genes. Sally down the street will think you’re calling her a Nazi, when really you just want to know what face cream she’s using.

If the good genes/jeans word play were a clue on ‘Jeopardy!’ liberals would answer: ‘I’ll take Sydney Sweeney is a Nazi for $1,000, with a side of eugenics and white supremacy.’ 

Let’s ask the politically incorrect elephant in the room question — If you’re putting a large chunk of money behind an ad to sell jeans targeted at Gen Z, are you going to put someone with good genes or bad genes in front of the camera?

To quote ‘The Godfather’ — ‘It’s not personal, it’s strictly business.’ 

It also doesn’t surprise me that the perpetually outraged liberal and mostly women who have piled on over this campaign seem to ignore one more fact. According to Fox News, ‘100 percent of net proceeds from Sweeney’s ‘Sydney Jean’ – which is embroidered with a butterfly to represent domestic violence awareness – will be donated to Crisis Text Line, a nonprofit that provides free and confidential text-based mental health support and crisis intervention.’ That sure doesn’t sound like Nazis and eugenics to me.

This week, ‘Good Morning America’ (GMA) didn’t miss the chance to showcase just how unserious they are by jumping on the jean — or gene — meltdown.

Maybe GMA gambled on their viewers not having that first cup of coffee yet, so they wouldn’t notice their fuzzy Nazi math. Is it any wonder that Americans’ trust in the media is at its lowest in more than five decades, according to a Gallup poll?

American Eagle’s Sydney Sweeney ad triggers cancel culture mob

Going back to the vault, circa 1980, Brooke Shields did a Calvin Klein jeans ad with the same American Eagle/Sydney Sweeney ad vibe. ‘Genes’ and ‘jeans’ were used interchangeably, as well as phrases like ‘natural selection’ and ‘survival of the fittest.’

GMA was around back then, but I don’t recall co-host Joan Lunden doing a Nazi propaganda segment calling out Brooke Shields or Calvin Klein. Then again, that was when history was still being taught in school. 

Ironically, the eugenics trigger is the greatest self-own for White liberal elites, whose holy grail is abortion on demand — anytime, any place, any reason. Legalized abortion has long been one of the most effective ways to reduce populations who are deemed less than.

The White liberal class is largely all in. 

ABC features professor linking Sydney Sweeney ad to ‘eugenics movement

In 2018, then-Pope Francis said, ‘I have heard that it’s fashionable, or at least usual, that when in the first months of pregnancy they do studies to see if the child is healthy or has something, the first offer is: let’s send it away, I say this with pain. In the last century, the whole world was scandalized about what the Nazis did to purify the race. Today we do the same, but now with white gloves.’

If you’re a woman who’s ever been pregnant, or if you’re the dad supporting the woman, you know doctors highly encourage having screenings for chromosomal disorders such as Down Syndrome and Trisomy 18. They don’t do this because they can cure these chromosomal disorders in utero. They push these tests so you can eliminate the ‘less than perfect problem.’ 

If only these same liberal women were as upset about the fate of unborn babies as they are about jeans. 

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, the fact that American Eagle has ‘American’ in its name makes it obvious they’re Nazis. Thankfully, self-appointed experts have the freedom to warn us all from a non-American platform like X.

Julie Banderas slams critics for bashing American Eagle ad with Sydney Sweeney

This week is one of those times I’m grateful to be spending the end of the summer in the South, where sanity tends to rule the day. If I were home — where I’m outnumbered by the White liberal outrage class by about 50-1 — I’m quite confident that between their pique rage hours of Starbucks and Chardonnay, I’d be on the receiving end of the Sydney Sweeney faux fury. 

These people need a time-out — away from all cameras and keyboards … preferably with a history book.

Never underestimate the left’s ability to overplay their hand. They are screamers, but when they scream, conservatives are the ones who quietly act. Think Bud Light.

Personal finance guru Dave Ramsey likes to say the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior, so it’s no surprise that American Eagle’s stock is up more than 15% since the campaign’s rollout last week. 

I’ll be among those contributing to the rise of American Eagle’s stock when I take my girls back to school shopping. Spending my money somewhere that has the left spiraling over an imaginary offense — sign me up. 

Sydney Sweeney may have good genes, but the screamers may be the ad American Eagle never knew it needed. 

It’s back to school season, and the silent actors are shopping loudly.


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Political Philosophy: The Basics, by Bas van der Vossen, published in October 2024 by Routledge, is an accessible introduction to the core questions of political philosophy and how to reason about them. This brief book is divided into six chapters (seven, if you include the introduction), covering how political philosophy is practiced, key topics in political philosophy such as political obligation, freedom and equality, the social contract, and justice, and concludes with an argument against political activism for those studying political philosophy. The book is written for the beginning philosopher, political science student, or the interested political amateur or early graduate student. Its brevity (around 120 pages) well suits it to the task, as it can be finished within two to three hours of reading.

The reader will be rewarded with a clear, engaging, and well-structured introduction to political philosophy. The clarity of the book is brought about by the centering of key arguments and their premises in each chapter. Socrates, for example, argues that since he was raised by the city and stayed within the city, he is obliged to follow the city’s laws, including accepting the death sentence imposed on him. This argument is followed by amended premises that allow for the possibility of disobeying an unjust law.

Van der Vossen opens the door for us to work through the tensions of these arguments by examining their explanatory power, plausibility, and fit to the evidence surrounding the political phenomena under investigation. As we go through this process, we will try to discern what is true and develop theories built upon true premises, valid structures, and sound arguments. He calls this process reflective equilibrium and accepts that any given theory, even after undergoing this process, will be somewhat dissatisfying but better than it was before the process began. Is this another way of packaging Plato’s dialectical reasoning with a splash of Aristotelian logic for flavor? 

Of course, van der Vossen is not committed to the classical rationalism of Plato and Aristotle. He is much more at home in the world of modern liberalism. When mentioning theorists, he is most comfortable with Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau, Hume, Mill, Wollstonecraft, Nozick, and Rawls.

Van der Vossen fails to mention Rousseau’s antipathy to private property, and he questions whether improvements to the wealthiest, which do not harm the poorest, would truly be rejected behind Rawls’s veil of ignorance. His analyses seem sympathetic to Rousseau’s general will and Rawls’ use of the veil of ignorance. Still, he seems to conclude that something very close to classical liberalism emerges if these concepts are correctly applied.

A firm grasp of the mechanisms and logic of the classical and modern liberal project is not a paltry prize. Francis Fukuyama argued three decades ago that liberalism was the final ideology to emerge in history, and this book appears to take Fukuyama at his word. Yet, our world continues to be filled with illiberal realities. Tribalism has been resilient in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, and nationalisms of all varieties are asserting themselves globally. Similarly, religious faith plays a prominent role in ordering the world community. The persistence of communalism, exclusionary biases, and metaphysical and ontological claims receive insufficient attention in a book dealing with the basics of political philosophy.

These topics certainly make things messier. The biblical Israelites were given property occupied by other people. Their god instructed them to remove them, and after defeating them, “devote them to complete destruction.” That seems clearly unjust.

But how many foundings occur in similarly messy circumstances, and with similarly lofty claims? God is also the source of commands to be just and humble. Is not the variety of human claims about the correct order of the world the impetus to philosophize?

The final chapter of this work addresses whether a political philosopher should be an activist. Van der Vossen, to his credit, argues that the philosopher should be more like a scientist and avoid polluting experiments with personal biases. If one is to understand political reality, one should have sufficient reflective distance to not be blind to the nature of that reality because of one’s biases. This reflective distance is challenging to achieve, but van der Vossen believes that the political philosopher should be committed to cultivating that openness to reality.

Did van der Vossen succeed on his terms? The liberal tradition he represents in this book may be the best political order. In that case, political philosophy may be about reasoning in a liberal democracy. Whether it is the case or not, the basics of political philosophy should encompass more than just moral or immoral actions from a liberal perspective, but rather a deeper examination of the reality of politics. This would mean including thinkers such as the Prophets, Thucydides, Augustine, Aquinas, Machiavelli, Spinoza, Tocqueville, Marx, Darwin, Nietzsche, Heidegger, and others.

Similarly, one could find fault in this effort for not reaching beyond the horizons of the Western tradition or wrestling with the critical theory so often dismissive of our liberal heritage. Nevertheless, the book is an excellent introduction to the dominant mode of reasoning that students and laypeople would likely encounter in policy circles in the United States and the European Union.

A member of former President Joe Biden’s inner circle sat with House Oversight Committee investigators for a marathon closed-door interview that lasted more than eight hours on Wednesday.

Steve Ricchetti, who served as counselor to the president for all four years of Biden’s term, was described as ‘combative and defensive’ during his voluntary meeting, a source familiar with the sitdown told Fox News Digital.

The source described Ricchetti as defiant in the face of doubts about Biden’s mental acuity, though he ‘admitted that they all knew President Biden’s age was an issue and were dealing with it as a political matter,’ they said.

‘Mr. Ricchetti stated that he believed President Biden had the ability to be president and that he was performing the capacity of president every day. He believes that Joe Biden is capable to being president today, and that he could have won in 2024,’ the source told Fox News Digital.

Ricchetti, a longtime Democratic operative and lobbyist, first began working for Biden in March 2012 when he was appointed counselor to the vice president under former President Barack Obama. He was elevated to be Biden’s chief of staff in December 2013.

He touted his closeness to Biden over the last 13 years, the source said, and described having personal relationships with former first lady Jill Biden and Hunter Biden as well.

Ricchetti’s own children were also close to the White House during Biden’s tenure – at least three of them had jobs in the Democratic administration at some point.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is investigating whether Biden’s top White House aides concealed signs of mental decline in the president, and if that meant executive actions were signed via autopen without his knowledge.

Ricchetti is the seventh ex-Biden aide to come in, but just the fourth to appear on voluntary terms. Former White House doctor Kevin O’Connor and former White House aides Annie Tomasini and Anthony Bernal all pleaded the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering questions.

Ricchetti told investigators that he was not involved in O’Connor’s physical evaluation letters for Biden, ‘but he did have conversations with senior staff on how to communicate and present President Biden’s physical evaluation letters,’ the source told Fox News Digital.

He also defended Biden’s frequent gaffes, describing them as ‘common mistakes’ that anyone could make, the source said.

‘He said the frequency of these mistakes have not increased since Joe Biden was vice president,’ the source said.

Former Biden WH aide arrives for Biden probe interview.

The majority of questioning during the eight-hour session came from Republicans – the source said Democrats frequently attempted to change the topic to discuss President Donald Trump.

Ricchetti said nothing to reporters when leaving the meeting on Wednesday evening.

No lawmakers were present for the sitdown, as is usually the case with such transcribed interviews.

Fox News Digital reached out to Ricchetti’s attorney for comment but did not hear back by press time.


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President Donald Trump and several key health advisors in his Cabinet held a formal event Wednesday at the White House unveiling new efforts to improve healthcare technology and partnerships with private-sector technology companies. 

The ‘Make Health Tech Great Again’ event laid out a new voluntary commitment from several major tech and tech-healthcare firms aimed at developing a better process for digital health record sharing, which Trump admin officials said would ultimately improve health outcomes for Americans. In addition to the commitment, the new health tech efforts will also include the development of personalized tools meant to help patients obtain greater control of their health information to make more informed decisions.

‘For decades, America’s healthcare networks have been overdue for a high-tech upgrade, and that’s what we’re doing. The existing systems are often slow, costly, and incompatible with one another,’ Trump said from the White House during the Wednesday afternoon event. ‘But with today’s announcement, we take a major step to bring health care into the digital age, something that, is absolutely vital. We’ve got to do it. Moving from clipboards and fax machines into a new era of convenience, profitability and speed and, frankly, better health for people.’

The event announcing the Trump administration’s plan to advance a ‘next-generation digital health ecosystem,’ was attended by representatives of companies, including Apple, Google, Samsung, Amazon, OpenAI, Anthropic, Epic, Oracle, Athena Health, and Noom, who will be participating in the voluntary pledge aimed at improving health record sharing. As part of the pledge, the companies will ‘voluntarily’ share information with each other, according to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., also present at the Wednesday event. 

‘For decades, bureaucrats and entrenched interests buried health data and blocked patients from taking control of their health,’ Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said in a statement Wednesday ahead of the event. ‘That ends today. We’re tearing down digital walls, returning power to patients, and rebuilding a health system that serves the people. This is how we begin to Make America Healthy Again.’

The Trump administration is partnering with more than 60 companies to bolster how health information is shared electronically, including through the use of apps, and beef up the interoperability of health information networks, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). 

The apps aim to address issues including diabetes and obesity management, and provide beneficiaries with AI assistants to walk through symptoms, provide care options, and assist with scheduling appointments. Other functions that the technology aims to solve are providing digital check-ins to streamline services and cut down on paper intake forms. 

‘It gives [patients] a sense of responsibility and allows them to measure the interventions if they change their diet, if they change their exercise, it can show you how many steps you took today, it can tell you if your glucose is spiking, and all of that information will now be available to American citizens,’ Kennedy said Wednesday. 

The White House event is a follow-up to the request for information notice that the CMS posted in May requesting information from stakeholders on ways to beef up health technology interoperability. 

Other technological advances on the health front include plans for CMS to launch an app library on Medicare.gov to best direct beneficiaries to the right digital health tools, according to CMS. 

‘The average Americans are tired. They’re tired of waiting for a doctor’s appointment. They’re tired of waiting for the surprise of what your hospital bill is going to offer. That’s being addressed,’ CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz added Wednesday. 

‘They’re tired of waiting for access to their medical records. You own your medical records, they’re yours. Why you can’t have access to them is a stunning reality in modern-day America,’ Oz continued. ‘They’re also tired of waiting for Washington to take action. And this president early on emphatically stated that wasn’t going to happen anymore. And today we made that vision into a reality.’


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Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., plans to force a vote on banning arms sales to Israel, a move that will prove to be a test for Senate Democrats whose position on the Jewish state has shifted in recent weeks.

Sanders, an independent who routinely caucuses with Senate Democrats, announced he would force a vote on a pair of resolutions to block the $675 million sale of thousands of bombs and guidance kits for the bombs and to halt the sale of ‘tens of thousands’ of automatic rifles to Israel.

‘U.S. taxpayers have spent tens of billions of dollars in support of the racist, extremist Netanyahu government,’ Sanders said in a statement. ‘Enough is enough.’

It’s not the first time Sanders has pushed to block arms sales or military aid to the Jewish state. Since December 2023, just months after the conflict between Israel and Hamas began, the lawmaker has either introduced or forced votes on resolutions five times, each intended to block military aid and billions of dollars in munitions and arms.

His latest attempt comes after photos revealed starving children in Gaza, which he squarely blamed on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

‘The time is long overdue for Congress to use the leverage we have — tens of billions in arms and military aid — to demand that Israel end these atrocities,’ he said.

The vote, expected late Thursday, comes as Senate Democrats have undergone a tonal shift on Israel since the events of Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas executed a brutal attack on Israeli soil.

Sanders’ last attempt earlier this year that sought to block over $8 billion in arms sales, saw 15 Senate Democrats vote for it, while all Senate Republicans voted against it. Though the resolutions are likely to fail as his previous attempts have, more Democrats are expected to vote alongside him. 

Earlier this week, 40 Senate Democrats wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and called on the administration to push for ‘a large-scale expansion of humanitarian assistance and services throughout the Gaza Strip.’

Senate Republicans have largely blamed the reported conditions in Gaza on Hamas, with some calling for more food aid making its way into the Gaza Strip. President Donald Trump vowed that more food centers, administered by Israel, would be coming.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he shared Trump’s view and that there was a desire to ‘meet that need and alleviate that pain.’

‘But you got to understand, too, that when you got a terrorist group like Hamas operating in that region, they intercept and divert a lot of that food aid that’s going in there,’ he said. ‘That’s the challenge that the Israelis have. That’s the challenge that we have and other nations around the world.’ 


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The US Federal Reserve held its fifth meeting of 2025 from Tuesday (July 29) to Wednesday (July 30) against a backdrop of trade tensions, spurred on by the Trump administration’s tariffs.

The central bank met analysts’ expectations by holding its benchmark rate in the 4.25 to 4.5 percent range.

Chair Jerome Powell stated that although there were differences of opinion among the Federal Open Markets Committee members, they were clear on why they made their decisions, noting that inflation was tracking higher, but the job market remained stable.

“The labor market looks solid, inflation is above target, and even if you look through the tariff effects, we think it’s still a bit above target, and that’s why our stance is where it is,” Powell said.

The Fed chair also noted a slowing in gross domestic product, which he pointed out was up 2.5 percent in 2024, but initial data from 2025 points to a slowing in growth to 1.1 percent.

The vote to hold the rate was 9-2, with Governors Michelle Bowman and Christopher Waller being the dissenters who advocated for cuts. It marks the first time since December 1993 that two board members have broken with consensus.

Both Bowman and Waller were appointed by Donald Trump during his first term in office, with Waller being one of the front-runners to replace Powell when his term as board chairman ends in May 2026.

Trump has been critical of Powell in recent months, with the latest statements coming just minutes before the Fed meeting. The president has said Powell has not moved quickly enough to make rate cuts, despite data suggesting inflation has been starting to increase.

North of the Border, the Bank of Canada (BoC) also held its June meeting on Wednesday.

It also met expectations by holding its benchmark rate at 2.75 percent, with Bank Governor Tiff Macklem citing resilience in the economy despite trade disputes brought on by the Trump administration in the United States.

The BoC last changed its rate with a 0.25 percent cut in March to the current 2.75 percent from 3 percent.

Gold was down in the day’s trading, losing 1.6 percent to US$3,272.75 per ounce. Silver declined more sharply, losing 3.37 percent to US$36.93 per ounce at 3:30 p.m. EST.

The S&P 500 (INDEXSP:INX) was down, recording a 0.4 percent decline to reach 6,344.17. The Nasdaq-100 (INDEXNASDAQ:NDX) slipped 0.17 percent to come in at 23,265 , and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:DJI) lost 0.74 percent, coming to 44,297.

Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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The psychedelic drugs market is emerging as a strategic investment opportunity in healthcare, with forecasts generally placing its value around US$6.4 billion in 2025.

This burgeoning sector is set for robust, double-digit compound annual growth, significantly driven by North America, which is anticipated to account for approximately 45–50 percent of this market.

The first half of 2025 was characterized by clinical advancements and softening policy stances, furthering momentum and contributing to growing market interest.

Clinical progress and policy shifts drive market interest

Interest in the space continued in H1 as drug candidates advanced into pivotal trials, particularly in the treatment of depression, anxiety and PTSD. Cybin (NYSEAMERICAN:CYBN) reported meaningful progress, citing investor and regulatory confidence in the therapeutic potential of psilocybin, LSD analogs and DMT derivatives.

Cybin’s 2025 financial results, released on June 30, highlighted significant progress in its lead programs, as well as its strong financial position, with C$135 million in cash reported.

CEO Doug Drysdale emphasized the company’s progress in building a strong foundation for anticipated clinical and regulatory milestones.

Key highlights include strengthened intellectual property with new patents for CYB003 and CYB004, strategic partnerships with Osmind and Thermo Fisher Scientific, and promising Phase 2 efficacy data for CYB003 in MDD, showing 100 percent responder rates and 71 percent remission with two 16 mg doses. The Phase 2 study for CYB004 in GAD is underway and expected to be completed around mid-2025.

Likewise, COMPASS Pathways (NASDAQ:CMPS) announced that its COMP360 psilocybin treatment successfully met its primary goal in a Phase 3 trial for treatment-resistant depression on June 23.

A single 25mg dose of COMP360 significantly reduced depression symptoms compared to a placebo at six weeks, showing a clinically meaningful difference and strong statistical significance. This marks the first Phase 3 efficacy data reported for a classic psychedelic, and Compass Pathways said it plans to discuss these positive results with the FDA.

Policy signals were equally consequential. Notably, the Texas House and Senate passed SB 2308 in May, which will provide up to US$100 million in state funds for ibogaine trials.

The results of the trials will be presented to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for potential approval of ibogaine for opioid use disorder, co-occurring substance use disorder and other neurological or mental health conditions. Governor Abbott signed the bill into law on June 11, representing a notable and progressive shift in the Republicans’ approach to drug policy.

However, the sector continues to face real challenges, such as costly clinical access and inconsistent regulatory frameworks that have resulted in a patchwork of state-level regulations. Despite these challenges, there are ongoing efforts towards federal reform and standardized guidelines.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently told members of Congress that new therapeutics using psychedelic substances could revolutionize treatment for mental health challenges.

‘This line of therapeutics has tremendous advantage if given in a clinical setting and we are working very hard to make sure that happens within 12 months,” he said during a House subcommittee meeting regarding the Trump administration’s proposed budget for the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

FDA head Marty Makary has likewise labeled the assessment of MDMA and other psychedelics as a “top priority,” announcing initiatives aimed at potentially expediting their approval.

One new program in particular aims to accelerate drug approval, potentially cutting review times from six months to one month.

This initiative might relax requirements for some drugs, possibly waiving placebo-controlled studies, which have been a hurdle for psychedelic research because patients often know if they’ve received the drug.

Looking ahead

The National Psychedelic Landscape Assessment (NPLA) identifies 11 states with a high likelihood of future movement based on legislative viability, advocacy strength, public support, legislative momentum and strategic impact: New Mexico, Nevada, Texas, Illinois, Missouri, California, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Indiana, New York and Arizona.

The report also points to several key trends and persistent challenges in the current psychedelic market.

Decriminalization at the state level has seen an enactment rate of just two percent, despite being a frequently introduced legislative concept, with 67 bills introduced since 2020. Movements have been hampered by public health and safety concerns, although local efforts are gaining momentum.

However, adult-use access has seen no legislative enactments through state legislatures, with existing programs in Oregon and Colorado being implemented predominantly via citizen-led ballot initiatives.

When it comes to medical access programs, New Mexico stands out as the sole state to successfully enact a licensed and regulated psilocybin therapy program through SB 219, battling hurdles such as regulatory complexity, affordability and securing sufficient provider participation.

The report also found that clinical trials have been gaining traction, particularly when state-funded and focused on vulnerable populations like veterans and first responders, with Indiana emerging as a leader in this area.

The state established a therapeutic psilocybin research fund in 2024 that compares psilocybin against existing treatments, and ensures transparent fund administration and research application processing.

A more moderate approach is seen in pilot programs, which offer a controlled environment for access and data collection. The crucial step of implementing legislation, necessary to operationalize enacted policies, shows a 50 percent success rate, according to the report’s findings.

The report also points to corporate influence and the strategic efforts by corporate entities to gain commercial advantage through state trigger laws and compound-specific legislation favoring patented compounds like COMP360.

Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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