June 19, 2025
No Change in Interest Rates from Fed
We haven’t been through a situation like this, and I think we have to be humble about our ability to forecast it.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, announcing the overnight lending rate will remain unchanged — meaning borrowing costs will remain at current levels. The Fed continues to watch for signs of inflation and acknowledged uncertainty about the economic outlook, due to tariffs and foreign affairs, despite recent positive data.
Learn More:
- READ the statement from the Federal Reserve HERE
- The Fed Waits Out the Tariff Economy (Wall Street Journal)
Iran Missile Hits Israeli Hospital as Conflict between Iran and Israel Continues
The prime minister and I instructed the IDF [Israeli military] to increase the intensity of the attacks against strategic targets in Iran and against government targets in Tehran in order to remove the threats against the State of Israel and undermine the regime of the ayatollahs.
Israel’s Minister of Defense, Israel Katz, in response to Iran’s missile attack on Thursday that hit the main hospital in southern Israel. According to the hospital’s director, the attack wounded about 40 people. Iran says it was aiming for a military target near the hospital, and the attack came as Israel targeted nuclear sites, including a heavy water reactor. Meanwhile, the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, issued a warning on X for U.S. citizens in Israel: “Urgent notice! American citizens wanting to leave Israel- US Embassy in Israel is working on evacuation flights & cruise ship departures.”
Learn More:
Heat Dome Causing Dangerous Weekend Temperatures in Midwest and East Coast
A lot of those folks have been saying, where’s summer? Well, buckle up, because it’s coming.
AccuWeather meteorologist Tom Kines as a heat dome emerges, bringing extreme temperatures across the Midwest and East Coast over the weekend. Humid conditions will add to the heat, making some places feel 20 degrees hotter than the actual temperature. States like Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Wisconsin risk dangerous temperatures, causing experts to encourage people to stay cool and hydrated as much as possible.
Learn More:
- Heat dome will blanket much of the US, with worrisome temperatures in Midwest (The Associated Press)
- National Weather Service warning
SpaceX Starship Explodes during Overnight Test Flight
On Wednesday, June 18 at approximately 11 p.m. CT, the Starship preparing for the tenth flight test experienced a major anomaly while on a test stand at Starbase.
SpaceX in a post on X announcing the Starship vehicle exploded, sending a fireball above the South Texas sky, while preparing for an upcoming flight test. The world’s most powerful space vehicle is creating an ongoing string of difficulties for SpaceX as Starship has broken apart during the past three test flights. Big picture? The company continues testing the new technology as Starship will be used to land astronauts on the moon and eventually Mars.
Learn More:
MIT Study: ChatGPT Weakens Critical Thinking Skills
ChatGPT users had the lowest brain engagement and ‘consistently underperformed at neural, linguistic, and behavioral levels.’
A new study from MIT researchers suggesting those who consistently use ChatGPT lessen their critical thinking skills, citing young people with developing brains at highest risk. The study had people write essays (with AI and without) while recording brain activity, with those using ChatGPT showing “lazier” writing skills over time compared to those who wrote without AI assistance. *The study has not been peer reviewed yet.*
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by Emily Hooker, based in Texas
