Morning Briefing — July 1, 2026

World News

Supreme Court upholds birthright citizenship in defeat for Trump — The US Supreme Court rejected the Trump administration's attempt to end birthright citizenship, preserving automatic citizenship for most children born on US soil. The ruling is a significant blow to the administration's immigration agenda. Fox News

Pakistan intercepts four drones fired from Afghanistan — Pakistan's military says it shot down four drones launched from across the Afghan border, adding tension to an already fraught relationship. The interception comes amid ongoing security incidents in the border region. Al Jazeera

Fuel shortages spark fights at Russian gas stations as Putin admits problem — President Putin has acknowledged that Ukrainian long-range strikes on Russian oil refineries are causing fuel shortages across the country. Videos have circulated showing fights and long queues at petrol stations in multiple Russian cities. Fox News

Iran denies Trump's claims of high-level talks in Doha — Qatari officials say no high-level meetings are scheduled between the US and Iran after Washington announced it had dispatched envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff to Doha. The dispute follows a fresh round of tit-for-tat attacks in the region. Democracy Now

Venezuela earthquake death toll climbs past 500 with thousands missing — Rescue efforts continue in Venezuela following twin earthquakes that have killed over 500 people, with thousands more still unaccounted for. More than 130 recently deported Venezuelans are among those feared dead in La Guaira. Democracy Now

Supreme Court strikes down limits on political party spending — The US Supreme Court has struck down a post-Watergate law that capped the amount individuals could donate to political parties. The ruling reshapes the campaign finance landscape ahead of upcoming elections. NPR

Iran fights to keep grip on Hormuz as US, Gulf allies carve new shipping route — Iran is alleged to have attacked commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation against a new southern corridor developed by the US and Oman. Analysts say the standoff is reshaping global energy trade routes. Fox News

Colorado primaries test Democratic establishment — Veteran Democrats in Colorado are facing insurgent challengers in Senate, gubernatorial and House primaries, one week after Mamdani-backed candidates swept New York City races. The votes are the latest front in the establishment-versus-insurgent battle roiling the party. NBC News

Business

Canada's economy grows 0.5% in April, reversing months of slow growth — <cite index="23-17,23-18">Canada's economy showed signs of rebounding by growing 0.5 per cent in April, reversing months of slow and negative economic growth, with mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction leading the way</cite>. The figure comes just before the CUSMA review deadline and eases fears of a technical recession. CBC

US, Canada and Mexico meet July 1 for trilateral trade review — <cite index="25-3">The U.S., Canada and Mexico are due to meet on July 1 to review a trilateral trade agreement after a period of heightened tensions between Washington and Ottawa</cite>. Nearly a third of US agricultural exports hinge on the outcome of the CUSMA review. BNN Bloomberg

Nike results beat estimates as retailer expects $986M tariff refund — Nike posted fiscal Q4 earnings of $0.72 per share on $10.97 billion in revenue, beating profit expectations but slightly missing on the top line. The company said it expects a $986 million tariff refund even as China sales dropped 12%. CNBC

Record chip rally adds $2 trillion to Micron, Intel and AMD in Q2 — Semiconductor stocks powered a historic quarter, adding a combined $2 trillion in market value to Micron, Intel and AMD as AI-driven memory and chip demand surged. Micron's CEO said customers driving hard bargains on price contributed to a memory shortage. CNBC

Michael Burry shorts Caterpillar after AI-fueled rally nearly doubles the stock — 'Big Short' investor Michael Burry disclosed a bet against Caterpillar for the first time after the industrial giant nearly doubled during the AI-driven rally of 2026. The move flags concern that infrastructure names have been swept up in overheated AI sentiment. CNBC

Yen slides to weakest against dollar since 1986 — <cite index="35-6">The yen's slide to its weakest against the dollar since 1986 has left traders looking for Japan's next line in the sand for the currency</cite>. Japanese officials have already spent billions attempting to prop up the currency without success. Bloomberg

EU cuts tariff-free steel quotas 33% for close trade partners — The European Union has sharply reduced its tariff-free steel import quotas for close trading partners as it works to protect the bloc's ailing heavy industry. The EU and China will also create a joint platform to monitor trade flows and identify sudden surges. Bloomberg

Trump's financial disclosure reveals more than $580M in crypto income — President Trump's latest financial disclosure shows he earned more than $580 million from cryptocurrency-related ventures. The figures underscore how deeply the family has become entangled with the digital asset industry. CNBC

Technology

Berkshire Hathaway takes $10B stake in Alphabet during AI dislocation — <cite index="59-8">Berkshire Hathaway's $10 billion private placement in Alphabet is one of the largest single technology investments the conglomerate has ever made, adding to the position it has been building since Q3 2025</cite>. <cite index="59-9">The investment is structured as $5 billion in Class A stock at $351.81 per share and $5 billion in Class C stock at $348.20 per share</cite>. Build Fast with AI

China open-sources trillion-parameter AI model trained on domestic chips — <cite index="60-7">China open-sourced what it calls the world's first trillion-parameter AI model trained entirely on domestic chips</cite>. The release marks a significant step in Beijing's push to build a sovereign AI stack despite US export restrictions. Tech Startups

Supreme Court rules cellphone location data protected by Fourth Amendment — The US Supreme Court sharply limited law enforcement's ability to sweep up cellphone location data, ruling that such data is protected by the Fourth Amendment. The decision is a significant win for digital privacy advocates. Democracy Now

AI blamed for 88,000 US job cuts in 2026, more than all prior years combined — <cite index="59-14,59-15">A recent analysis found that AI was behind 88,000 US job cuts in 2026, more than all prior years combined, and the IMF's chief warned of an AI shock to entry-level jobs specifically</cite>. Entry-level knowledge workers in support, content and administrative roles are most exposed. Build Fast with AI

China factory activity expands in June on AI-related demand — <cite index="60-8,60-9">China's factory activity returned to expansion in June, helped by demand for chips, computers, and other AI-related products, with manufacturing PMI rising to 50.3 from 50 in May, beating expectations as export orders and front-loading ahead of U.S. tariffs offset weakness elsewhere</cite>. Reuters (via Tech Startups)

Scientists develop neuromorphic 'artificial skin' for robots — <cite index="60-18,60-19">Scientists have created advanced 'neuromorphic' artificial skin that mimics human nerve responses, enabling robots to sense touch and pain and react in real time with high efficiency, representing a significant step toward more intuitive and safe human-robot interaction</cite>. Tech Startups

GitHub Copilot users hit with sudden usage-based bills 10x-50x previous rates — <cite index="59-25,59-26">Developers who used Copilot's agent mode for extended refactoring, codebase-wide changes, or repeated PR reviews are reporting bills 10x to 50x their previous rates, and annual plan users are also being moved to usage-based monthly billing when their subscriptions expire</cite>. The shift reflects a broader industry pullback from unlimited AI token spending. Build Fast with AI

Ancient Greek Stoic treatise burned by Vesuvius deciphered using AI — Researchers have used X-ray imaging and AI to virtually unroll and read an entire ancient Greek philosophical treatise carbonised by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The breakthrough could dramatically expand our knowledge of lesser-known Stoic thinkers. Open Culture

Renewable Energy

Clean power was world's largest source of new energy in 2025, six charts show — <cite index="38-1">Clean power added more to global energy supplies than any other source in 2025</cite>, according to new Carbon Brief analysis. The milestone reflects the accelerating structural shift toward wind, solar and other zero-carbon technologies. Carbon Brief

Clean energy pushes fossil-fuel power into reverse for 'first time ever' — <cite index="39-15,39-16,39-17">Renewable energy has overtaken coal to become the world's largest source of electricity in 2025, according to thinktank Ember, with the share of coal power lower than that of renewables for the first time since 1919, and fossil-fuel generation falling 0.2% while wind and solar alone met 99% of the growth in electricity demand last year</cite>. Carbon Brief

Climate change caused one-fifth of Pine Island glacier retreat — A new guest analysis on Carbon Brief attributes about 20% of the retreat of Antarctica's Pine Island Glacier to human-caused climate change. The finding is significant because Pine Island is one of the largest contributors to global sea-level rise. Carbon Brief

UK electric vehicle sales overtake petrol cars for first time — New Carbon Brief analysis shows UK sales of electric vehicles have overtaken petrol cars for the first time. The crossover marks a major milestone in Britain's transition to zero-emission road transport. Carbon Brief

China's 15th five-year plan targets wind and solar as 'mainstay' of power mix — <cite index="44-9,44-10">China's National Development and Reform Commission published a plan stating that wind and solar will become the 'mainstay' of China's power mix, with generation targets for 'non-fossil energy' to account for 50% of power generation and for 'new energy' to constitute 30% of power generation by 2030 – up from approximately 22% today</cite>. Carbon Brief

Solar overtakes gas power in Asia for first time — New Carbon Brief analysis finds solar has overtaken gas to become Asia's third-largest source of electricity. The shift is being driven by rapid deployment of PV in China, India and parts of Southeast Asia. Carbon Brief

US utility-scale solar overtakes wind as largest source of clean power capacity — <cite index="92-2,92-3,92-4">A new report from the American Clean Power Association shows that U.S. developers brought a total of 6.4 gigawatts of new utility-scale solar, wind, and energy storage capacity online in Q1 2026 — bringing total domestic clean power capacity to over 370 GW, with additions including 3.625 GW of utility-scale solar, 2.382 GW of energy storage and 415 MW of wind, meaning utility-scale solar has now exceeded wind as the largest source of clean power generation capacity in the country</cite>. PV Magazine USA

Livestock heat deaths in transit doubled during UK's record-hot 2025 summer — New reporting shows the number of livestock dying in transit in the UK doubled during the record-hot summer of 2025. Campaigners are calling for tighter rules on transporting animals during extreme heatwaves. Carbon Brief

Soil Science

Cover crops show clearest soil health gains across US long-term trials — <cite index="77-3,77-4">After pulling data from 21 long-term field trials scattered across the United States, a multi-state research team has found cover crop use comes on top, with the study, published in Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, co-led by researchers at the University of Kentucky</cite>. <cite index="77-7">Cover crops were the practice most consistently linked to improvements — specifically, higher levels of mineralizable carbon and water-extractable organic carbon</cite>. Phys.org / Kentucky New Era

Farmers for Soil Health reopens enrollment with higher payments — <cite index="75-5">Farmers for Soil Health, the farmer-led initiative launched in 2022 to double cover crop acres on U.S. farmland by 2030, has reopened enrollment for 2026 with increased per-acre payments and a simplified one-year contract designed to remove barriers for growers</cite>. <cite index="75-10">Payment rates have increased to $35 per acre, per year, up to 2,000 acres</cite>. CropLife

Cover crops and mulches consistently boost soil organic matter, review finds — <cite index="74-6,74-7">A new review in Frontiers finds that long-term application of cover crops and mulches consistently contributes to an increase in soil organic matter content, with research results indicating improvements in aggregate stability, reductions in soil compaction, and increased water infiltration</cite>. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems

FAO says smart farming in Vietnam helps overcome climate unpredictability — <cite index="52-1,52-2">Smart farming in Viet Nam helps overcome climate and market unpredictability, and when soil health declines, productivity, food security and economic opportunities are all affected</cite>. FAO is testing farmer field school approaches to sustainable mechanisation in Bangladesh. FAO

FAO calls for urgent removal of restrictions on agricultural inputs — <cite index="51-1">FAO calls for the urgent removal of restrictions on agricultural inputs and support to sustain early recovery gains</cite>. The agency also released a review of its 2025 investment work and priorities for the year ahead. FAO

House Agriculture Committee unveils H-2A farm worker overhaul — <cite index="54-9">House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn 'GT' Thompson has unveiled legislation to significantly expand and modernize the H-2A agricultural guest worker program with the backing of more than 400 farm organizations</cite>. Supporters call it the most significant opportunity for ag labor reform in years. Agri-Pulse

FAO releases 2026-2028 emergency response plan for Ukraine agriculture — <cite index="53-5">The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has published its Emergency and Early Recovery Response Plan for Ukraine for 2026–2028, outlining priority actions to protect agricultural livelihoods, restore productive capacity and support Ukraine's agrifood sector</cite>. FAO also confirmed the distribution of 615 modular grain storage units to frontline farmers in 2025. FAO

West Bank agricultural families urgently need emergency assistance, FAO survey finds — <cite index="53-6">More than 72,000 farming and herding families in the West Bank – nearly two-thirds of all agricultural families – urgently require emergency agricultural assistance, according to a new survey published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations</cite>. FAO

Cover photo by COPPERTIST WU on Unsplash.