Minutes

• Senator Mitch McConnell has been hospitalized for over three weeks, sparking widespread public interest and speculation regarding his current health status. • Attention has intensified following reports of recent 20-minute conversations between McConnell and his congressional colleagues. • Experts, including Indiana University professor Brad Fulton, note that while public curiosity about elected officials is normal, leaders still deserve a degree of medical privacy.

• The Federal Reserve released the official minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting conducted on June 16–17, 2026. • These documents provide a detailed record of the discussions and deliberations held by the central bank's policymakers regarding the U.S. monetary system. • The release is critical for investors and economists as it offers insight into the Fed's current stance on inflation, interest rates, and economic stability.

• Federal Reserve meeting minutes from June reveal that policymakers observed mounting concerns regarding inflation. • Officials discussed a proposal to end "forward guidance" and shorten the official statement to provide less specific commentary on future rate decisions. • A majority of participants supported removing language that indicated the Fed's next policy move would likely be a rate cut.

• The Federal Reserve's rate-setting committee decided to keep its key interest rate unchanged during its most recent meeting. • Minutes released Wednesday reveal a split among officials regarding whether inflation will remain elevated or cool down following the conclusion of the Iran war. • Officials, including Warsh, are monitoring inflation expectations, with many prioritizing stable financial market measures over consumer survey data.

• Nasdaq and S&P 500 futures rose on Wednesday, showing resilience despite geopolitical tensions following U.S. military strikes against Iran. • The U.S. military action was a response to Iran attacking three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. • Market attention is now shifting to the release of the Federal Reserve's June meeting minutes, which are expected to reveal policymakers' views on maintaining steady interest rates.

• Stock futures remained relatively flat as investors balanced geopolitical instability in the Middle East with anticipation of the upcoming Federal Reserve meeting minutes. • Market caution increased following the U.S. launch of a "series of powerful strikes" against Iran on Tuesday evening, which subsequently impacted oil prices. • Analysis from Parker suggests that technology will be the primary driver of growth, accounting for nearly 60% of S&P 500 earnings expansion over the next two years.

• Investors are shifting focus to a lighter US economic calendar following the recent payrolls report, though global events remain active. • Key market catalysts for the week include the release of the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) data and the publication of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting minutes. • Market participants are closely monitoring scheduled speeches from Federal Reserve officials to gauge future interest rate trajectories and monetary policy shifts.

• The Indian Rupee (INR) opened marginally lower against the US Dollar (USD) at the start of the trading week. • This currency fluctuation occurs as markets prepare for the release of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting minutes. • The movement is significant as investors gauge potential shifts in US monetary policy, which typically influences emerging market currencies like the rupee.

• Investors are awaiting the release of the US Federal Reserve's latest meeting minutes, marking the first such report under new chairman Kevin Warsh. • The minutes are expected to provide critical insights into the central bank's internal deliberations and its current stance on monetary policy. • Market participants are specifically searching for clues regarding the timing and likelihood of upcoming interest rate increases.

• Investors are focusing on the week of July 5th to July 13th, with a primary emphasis on China's June CPI and PPI data scheduled for release on July 9. • Market analysts are monitoring for a "K-shaped divergence" in prices and potential weaknesses in June's macro indicators, specifically regarding credit expansion and capital utilization. • Other critical global events include the release of the Federal Reserve meeting minutes and the U.S. stock market debut of SK Hynix.

Study suggests even light activity such as ironing could reduce health risks linked to prolonged sedentary behaviourSitting for longer than half an hour at a time each day raises the risk of dying from cancer, a study suggests.Researchers who tracked more than 90,000 people over a decade found that sitting or lying down while awake for more than 30 minutes in one period each day was associated with an increased risk of cancer death. The risk increases for every additional hour of continuous inactivity, the findings suggest. Continue reading...

Transcript of body-worn camera footage reveals moment officers realised handcuffed Nowak was seriously injuredPolice officers who arrested Henry Nowak took about eight minutes to discover his stab wound, newly released evidence shows.Vickrum Digwa, 23, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years for Nowak’s murder after falsely claiming the 18-year-old had racially abused him in Southampton. Nowak was stabbed multiple times while walking back to his student accommodation alone after a night out. Continue reading...

• South Korea's benchmark KOSPI index experienced a sharp sell-off, plunging more than 10 per cent. • The crash was triggered by investors rushing to book profits in AI-linked stocks, leading to a 20-minute trading halt to stabilize the market. • This event highlights the volatility of the AI sector and the potential for rapid corrections following periods of intense growth.

• South Korea’s KOSPI index plummeted 8% on Tuesday, triggering a circuit breaker that halted trading for 20 minutes. • Major technology stocks led the decline, with SK Hynix falling over 10% and Samsung Electronics dropping 7.5% intraday. • The crash was driven by a selloff in US megacap technology shares that spilled over into Asian AI-related stocks, coinciding with a 1.9% drop in Nasdaq 100 futures.

Fired journalist accuses CBS News chief of interfering with report because it echoed what Trump said of the shootingFired CBS 60 Minutes anchor Scott Pelley has accused editorial management at his old network of interfering with a broadcast segment looking at an immigration officer’s killing of Minneapolis protester Renee Good in January.The veteran broadcaster, who was recently dismissed from the show, said CBS News’s editor-in-chief Bari Weiss had sent an email to his supervisor requesting changes be made soon before the airing of the segment in question. Continue reading...

Stahl and Whitaker had been wild cards after new CBS News management fired multiple people in recent weeksSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailLesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker and Jon Wertheim announced on Friday their decision to remain at CBS’s 60 Minutes after the tumultuous firings of several of the show’s senior correspondents and top producers.The three correspondents issued a joint statement, saying: “We have had a hard time deciding whether to stay … We don’t want to see 60 Minutes die. We have been grieving because this whole mess has wounded and damaged the broadcast.” Continue reading...

Veteran journalist says executives pushed unverified claims and gave politicians a say in interviewsThe longtime 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley, who was fired by CBS News on Tuesday after clashing with the network’s new management, issued a public statement accusing the network’s new executives of silencing employees and claiming they instructed him “to inject falsehoods and bias” into his reporting.“‘60’ has been the number-one program in America for decades because our beloved audience finds integrity, quality, and humanity in our stories,” Pelley wrote in the lengthy statement he shared on social media on Wednesday morning. Continue reading...

Move comes after meeting in which Pelley said network chief Bari Weiss was ‘murdering’ news showScott Pelley, one of the most well-known and respected journalists in broadcast journalism, has been fired by CBS News after clashing with network brass over last week’s severe round of cuts at 60 Minutes, the show he has worked on since 2004, the Guardian confirmed.While changes were long expected at 60 Minutes, CBS News management shocked staffers last week by firing the network’s executive producer, executive editor and two correspondents, Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi, without giving a specific reason for their terminations. Continue reading...

Dozens of former news staffers press David Ellison to commit to fair coverage in wake of major firings on the showSeveral dozen veterans of CBS News – including many former 60 Minutes employees – signed a letter to the Paramount Skydance CEO, David Ellison, on Monday, pressing him to commit to the show’s editorial independence four days after network management fired several top staffers and correspondents.On Thursday, the CBS News editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, and president, Tom Cibrowski, ousted the show’s executive producer, executive editor and two prominent correspondents, Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega. Both Alfonsi and Vega released blistering statements alleging that the show’s editorial independence had been compromised for political purposes. Continue reading...

Pelley reportedly rebuked ousting of show’s executive producer, executive editor and two top correspondentsScott Pelley, a veteran 60 Minutes correspondent, called out CBS News management in a heated meeting on Monday morning, attacking the network’s decision on Thursday to fire the show’s executive producer, executive editor, and two fellow correspondents, Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, as part of a broader overhaul of the show, sources tell the Guardian.During a meeting of the show’s staff and Nick Bilton, its newly appointed executive producer, along with the CBS News managing editor Charles Forelle, Pelley took direct aim at Bari Weiss, the network’s controversial editor-in-chief. Continue reading...

Sharyn Alfonsi confirms contract expiration after decrying network over ‘the spread of corporate meddling’ last monthThe Veteran 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi has accused CBS News of penalizing her for “refusing to sanitize factually accurate reporting” and sending a “chilling message” to the newsroom by declining to renew her contract for the show.Alfonsi was at the center of a national firestorm after the CBS News editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, shelved a segment she had reported on a notorious prison in El Salvador. She confirmed to the Guardian that she had not been offered a contract to return for the show’s 59th season, which begins in the fall. Continue reading...

• Stock markets edged higher in early trading as investors anticipate key financial reports and macroeconomic data. • Nvidia is scheduled to report earnings, with market participants specifically focusing on the company's gross margins. • The release of Federal Reserve minutes is expected to provide critical clues regarding potential interest rate hikes amid rising inflation and yields.

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on 60 Minutes that Israel seeks to phase out its reliance on U.S. military assistance. • Netanyahu declared, 'It's time that we weaned ourselves from the remaining military support.' • The announcement reflects Israel's push for greater military self-sufficiency amid shifting U.S.-Israel dynamics.

• The Federal Reserve released minutes from its April 16 policy meeting, revealing internal division over the appropriate timeline for interest rate cuts, with several governors questioning whether inflation has declined sufficiently to warrant near-term reductions. • Hawks on the committee expressed concern that premature rate cuts could reignite price pressures, while doves argued that pausing at 5.5% risks unnecessarily constraining growth and employment, setting the stage for a contentious May 2 vote. • Market reactions to the minutes were mixed, with bond futures pricing in only a 28% probability of a rate cut by July 2026, down from 35% before the release, while equity index futures declined 0.6% on expectation of extended higher rates.

US president says in interview his curiosity probably slowed Secret Service efforts to rush him out of eventDonald Trump spoke with CBS correspondent Norah O’Donnell in an interview that aired Sunday night on 60 Minutes describing his ordeal at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner when shots rang out.A gunman opened fire at the Washington Hilton hotel Saturday night, though he did not breach the basement-level ballroom where Trump was sitting at the time. The president described the events in an even tone, saying that he did not feel particularly alarmed as they unfolded. Continue reading...

Budget airline says change will take effect from November and will give passengers more time to clear securityRyanair will close airport check-in desks 20 minutes earlier to avoid passengers missing flights, it has announced, amid concern over border queues in Europe.The budget airline, which carries 200 million passengers annually, will require all passengers dropping bags or checking in at the airport to do so one hour before take-off rather than the current 40-minute deadline. Continue reading...

• The Federal Open Market Committee met on March 17–18, 2026, noting uncertainty in the economic outlook with options markets pricing a 30% probability of rate hikes early next year. • Broad equity indexes declined sharply while S&P 500 one-month volatility rose, driven by investor concerns over Middle East developments weakening confidence. • Financing conditions stayed restrictive for households, small businesses, and commercial real estate due to high costs and tight underwriting, though corporate debt spreads remained narrow.

Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement announce four shows at Wellington venue Meow Nui from next week – their first gigs since 2018New Zealand’s self-described “fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo-a cappella-rap-funk-comedy-folk duo” Flight of the Conchords sold out their first shows in eight years in minutes this week, sparking a frenzy among fans.Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement formed the musical comedy act in 1998, soaring to worldwide fame off the back of their HBO comedy series of the same name with tunes including Business Time and Hiphopopotamus vs Rhymenoceros. Continue reading...