The program, which allowed Amazon Prime members to share their shipping benefits with people outside their household that didn’t have a membership, will end on Oct. 1, according to the company’s website.
An Amazon spokesperson confirmed to FOX Business that it is ending the Invitee program, which launched in 2009, and focusing its advertising on its Amazon Family program, which includes allowing members to share several membership benefits with one other adult in their household, up to four teens added before April 7, 2025, and up to four profiles for children.
These benefits include fast and free delivery on Prime eligible items, access to exclusive Prime events and deals, Prime Video, Prime Reading and access to third-party benefits like Grubhub.
Amazon didn’t disclose specific figures for its Prime membership in its latest earnings call.
However, they described the last Prime Day sale, which kicked off in July, as its “biggest Prime Day shopping event yet.”
“This year’s Prime Day event was bigger than any previous four-day period that included a Prime Day event, with record sales and more items sold during the four days,” Amazon posted in a July blog following the two-day shopping bonanza.
The company also said independent sellers, most of which are small and medium-sized businesses, also achieved record sales and a record number of items sold.
Amazon Prime members won’t be able to share their shipping benefits with people outside their household starting in October. REUTERS An Amazon spokesperson said the company is focusing on promoting its Amazon Family program. REUTERS
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Amazon has charged an annual fee of $139 for its Prime membership in the US since 2022.
That is an uptick from its previous cost of about $119 a year.
However, J.P.Morgan analyst Doug Anmuth said in a research note that the bank thinks the Seattle-based e-commerce giant could raise the price of its popular Amazon Prime membership in 2026.
New York commuters aren’t imagining things: Though the MTA is trying to gloss over the facts, it was another rotten summer for the subways.
Data the agency released last week show an increase in major incidents underground, longer wait times and more delays caused by system disrepair.
The 138 incidents that delayed 50 or more trains in June and July marked worst for those months since 2018.
Responding to a Gothamist report on the new stats, NYC Transit big Bill Amarosa tried to paint the bad news as an illusion caused by the MTA changing how it tracks data in 2023, so that more delays get classified as “major incidents.”
First, note that switching up data-tracking methods is a favorite bureaucratic trick for frustrating critical use of data that must be made public.
Second, that still leaves performance worsening since 2023.
Plus, this isn’t the only data pointing to fresh woes this summer.
Specifically: The number of weekday train delays was roughly the same in 2025 as 2024 (one in five!) — but delays got more miserable, as the amount of time riders spent waiting (on a platform or in a train), compared to the scheduled wait time, hit a near five-year high.
For the real kicker, step back just a couple of weeks.
Now new MTA data suggests things went downhill right after: More delays caused by “infrastructure and equipment” problems in July than in any month since 2020.
Indeed, a power outage near the West Fourth Street station left commuters across the city stranded during rush hour twice in one week at the tail end of July.
No doubt: The crumbling system is the chief cause of straphangers’ pain.
But the MTA keeps proving it’s not a good steward of the funding it gets, burning cash on projects like a $252 million emergency intercom system that gets flooded with prank calls — money that should be going to core system repairs and upgrades.
Subway riders get the double-whammy of navigating constant construction and reroutes that are supposedly fixing a system that gets increasingly worse.
Any private-sector business would’ve cleaned up its act or been shut down a long time ago.
Yet the agency is never held accountable for its poor performance; the state just keeps finding new ways, like Hochul’s congestion-pricing scheme, to shovel more money into the bottomless pit.
New Yorkers aren’t dim: Despite all of the gaslighting, they can tell when their daily commutes get more grueling.
The MTA needs to quit with the excuses and start fixing the mismanagement that’s churning out such dismal results.
And its enablers in Albany need to start demanding better for their constituents — or be held accountable by voters.
The U.S. has revoked Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s authorization to freely ship essential gear to its main Chinese chipmaking base, potentially curtailing its production capabilities at that older-generation facility.
American officials recently informed TSMC of their decision to end the Taiwanese chipmaker’s so-called validated end user, or VEU, status for its Nanjing site. The action mirrors steps the U.S. took to revoke VEU designations for China facilities owned by Samsung Electronics Co. and SK Hynix Inc. The waivers are set to expire in about four months.
Washington’s move means that TSMC, Samsung and SK Hynix’s suppliers will have to apply for individual approvals when they want to ship semiconductor equipment and other gear covered by U.S. export controls to the affected China facilities, instead of the blanket authorization those suppliers currently have because of the plants’ VEU status.
TSMC’s shares slid as much as 1.3% in Taipei, while suppliers including Tokyo Electron Ltd. fell about 2%.
“TSMC has received notification from the U.S. government that our VEU authorization for TSMC Nanjing will be revoked effective Dec. 31, 2025,” the company said in a statement. “While we are evaluating the situation and taking appropriate measures, including communicating with the U.S. government, we remain fully committed to ensuring the uninterrupted operation of TSMC Nanjing.”
The revocation adds new hurdles to the China operations of some of the most important companies in the semiconductor sector, hailing from two chipmaking powerhouses that are also U.S. allies. While U.S. officials have said they intend to issue licenses needed to keep those facilities operational, the shift introduces some uncertainty about wait times to actually secure those permits. In a statement, Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs said that revocation of the U.S. waiver would impact the predictability of the Nanjing plant’s operations.
Officials are currently working on solutions to ease the bureaucratic burden, people familiar with the matter said, particularly given a significant volume of existing license requests. Revoking Samsung and SK Hynix’s VEU status, for example, will require U.S. officials to process an additional 1,000 permits annually, according to a federal notice.
Compared with Samsung and SK Hynix, which house a sizable share of their production in China, TSMC’s manufacturing footprint in the world’s second-largest economy is relatively small. The company’s Nanjing site began production in 2018 and contributed a small fraction of TSMC’s total revenue last year—and roughly 3% of the company’s overall production capacity, according to the Taiwanese ministry.
The U.S. move will not affect the competitiveness of Taiwan’s chip industry, the ministry said. The campus in question houses technology as advanced as the 16-nanometer process, which first became commercially available more than a decade ago.
The situation highlights the extent of Washington’s influence in, and control over, the supply chain for electronic components that power everything from microwaves to phones to data centers training artificial intelligence algorithms—even when the plants in question are operated by three non-American companies in a foreign country.
The U.S. has broadly limited China’s access to materials and equipment that could be used to make advanced chips, part of a suite of controls designed to limit the Asian nation’s AI prowess. The export curbs affect sales not just to Chinese companies, but any facilities that are physically within the country—including Samsung, SK Hynix and TSMC’s plants.
Under President Joe Biden’s administration, the trio of companies secured an indefinite waiver to continue making shipments to their China facilities, so long as they comply with security requirements and disclose certain information to the U.S. government. That VEU designation—which U.S. officials announced for Samsung and SK Hynix, and which TSMC publicized in an annual report—was a top priority for the chipmakers and foreign government officials, given that semiconductor plants require regular imports of everything from spare parts to chemicals.
Losing the waivers introduces some uncertainty for top suppliers to TSMC, Samsung and SK Hynix—including machinery companies like Applied Materials Inc., ASML Holding NV, Tokyo Electron and KLA Corp. ASML declined to comment, while Applied Materials had no immediate comment. KLA and Tokyo Electron didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Shares of Applied Materials and KLA fell in New York trading on Tuesday, as did depositary receipts for ASML, with losses outpacing declines in the broader market.
The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, which oversees semiconductor export controls, announced its VEU decision for the two South Korean companies last week, saying that the U.S. was closing “export control loopholes” that put American companies “at a competitive disadvantage.”
The agency also formally rescinded Samsung and SK Hynix’s VEU status in the federal register, a public account of U.S. regulations—and they did the same for a VEU designation given to Intel Corp., for a facility in Dalian, China, that SK Hynix has since acquired. BIS did not respond to a request for comment about TSMC’s waiver being revoked.
Because TSMC’s VEU status was never published in the federal register in the first place, there was not a public regulation for BIS to amend in the same way as for the other affected companies. All told, though, the net effect on TSMC, Samsung and SK Hynix’s waivers is the same.
AstraZeneca’s (LSE: AZN) share price has dropped 11% from its 3 September 12-month traded high of £133.38.
Fears of additional US sanctions have weighed on it, as have concerns over ongoing investigations into its China business. Each remains a risk to the firm’s future earnings.
That said, I think June’s trade deal with the US reduces the chance of more tariffs being imposed on the UK’s firms. And even if they are, I do not believe that Washington’s current trade protectionism will continue too long after President Donald Trump’s current term.
China has released no further updates on its examination of AstraZeneca’s business there, which constitutes 13% of the firm’s revenues. As it was, the pharmaceutical giant said it had only received a notice for suspected unpaid importation taxes of $1.6m (£1.2m). It has also repeatedly stated that it has made no illegal gains in the country.
Moreover, its 29 July H1 results showed that its sales in China over the period were up 4% to $3.515bn. In the same period last year, they were down 1%.
So, I wonder if now is the right time for me to buy more of the stock?
Are the shares undervalued?
My starting point in this price assessment is to compare AstraZeneca’s key valuations with those of its peers.
On the price-to-sales ratio, it is trading at 4.4 – bottom of the group of its competitors, which average 8.5.
These firms comprise Novo Nordisk at 5.1, AbbVie at 6.3, Pfizer at 10.3, and Eli Lilly at 12.4.
So it is very cheap on this basis.
The same is true of its 5.6 price-to-book ratio compared to its peer group’s average of 17.1.
And it is also the case with AstraZeneca’s price-to-earnings ratio of 30 against the 47.6 average of its competitors.
The second part of my price evaluation involves running a discounted cash flow analysis. This highlights where any firm’s share price should be trading, based on cash flow forecasts for the underlying business.
In AstraZeneca’s case, it shows the shares are 46% undervalued at their current £119.29 price.
Therefore, their fair value is £220.91.
Consequently, they look cheap to me anywhere under that level.
Does the firm’s performance support this view?
Its H1 results showed revenue increase 11% year on year to $28.045bn, driven by double-digit growth in Oncology and Biopharmaceuticals. Growth was seen across all major geographic regions, with the US leading the way on a 12% rise.
Operating profit leapt 24% to $7.182bn, while profit after tax soared 32% to $5.369bn. Earnings per share rose by the same percentage, to $3.46.
H1 also saw 12 positive key Phase III trial results, including for Baxdrostat, Gefurulimab, and Tagrisso. These are respectively aimed at treating hypertension, autoimmune disease, and lung cancer.
Cementing its links to the US, the firm also highlighted its recent plan to invest $50bn for growth there. This is part of its positioning to deliver $80 billion of revenue by 2030, against $54.073bn in 2024.
Will I buy more?
Consensus analysts’ forecasts are that AstraZeneca’s earnings will increase by 14.4% a year to end-2027.
It is ultimately this growth that powers any firm’s share price higher over time.
Given this, and their extreme undervaluation, I will buy more of the shares very shortly.
On September 2, Vogue announced that longtime insider Chloe Malle would become its new Head of Editorial Content for the U.S. edition. The decision marks a defining step in Anna Wintour’s carefully orchestrated succession plan. Wintour, now global editorial director and Condé Nast Chief Content Officer, will remain deeply involved at the top of the brand. This is not a handoff but a recalibration. The rise of Chloe Malle signals both continuity and change, and the fashion world is watching with equal measures of excitement and scrutiny.
Chloe Malle: A professional biography
After graduating from Brown University in comparative literature and writing, Chloe Malle began her career at the New York Observer, where she worked on the city desk and covered real estate, culture, and civic life. Freelance bylines soon followed in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Architectural Digest. In 2011, she joined Vogue as Social Editor and gradually climbed through the masthead as Contributing Editor, then Vogue.com Editor, and co-host of The Run Through podcast.
Under her leadership, Vogue.com doubled direct traffic. Readership for wedding coverage grew by 30 per cent. She launched digital franchises such as Dogue and the Vogue Vintage Guide, showing a flair for playfulness as well as audience growth. One of her signature moments was the exclusive coverage of Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos’ wedding, which illustrated her ability to translate access into editorial impact.
Born in New York in 1985, Chloe Malle spent part of her childhood in Los Angeles while her mother filmed Murphy Brown, before returning to New York. She attended Riverdale Country School and Brown University. She is married and has two children. Her personal lineage adds cultural irony, as her mother once played a Vogue editor in a Sex and the City cameo.
Her interests, style, convictions
Malle has openly called herself a proud nepo baby, a candid reference to her being the daughter of Candice Bergen and Louis Malle. She has acknowledged the privilege but has insisted that it sharpened her work ethic. She once admitted that fashion was not her main interest when she joined Vogue, confessing that she wanted to be a writer but was seduced by the magazine’s force. That duality shapes her editorial perspective.
Anna Wintour praised Malle’s ability to balance history with the demands of today, describing her as warm, inclusive, and wise. Malle’s work has consistently shown a reporter’s attention to story rather than spectacle. From the White House wedding of Naomi Biden to cultural profiles in podcasts, her editorial identity leans toward curiosity and narrative depth.
Why Editor and not Editor in Chief
The title is precise. Vogue U.S. no longer has an Editor in Chief. Condé Nast has replaced that title with Head of Editorial Content across its international editions. Malle now holds that role for the American market, while Anna Wintour continues as global editorial director and Condé Nast Chief Content Officer. The structure centralises authority but still allows local leaders operational freedom.
Anna Wintour has not left. She continues to direct global strategy, significant events such as the Met Gala, and the cultural footprint of Condé Nast. The choice to keep her in place reflects continuity for advertisers, designers, and celebrities who rely on Vogue’s global platform. Malle manages daily output while Wintour preserves the institution’s aura. The arrangement reflects dual leadership: tradition and transformation side by side.
Why Anna Wintour chose Chloe Malle
Anna Wintour’s public comments on the appointment were telling. She said she had one chance to get it right and praised Malle’s originality, diligence, and ability to carry Vogue’s history and its digital future simultaneously. Industry voices described the selection as pragmatic and rational. Lauren Sherman, a prominent fashion journalist, called it a practical and reasonable choice that prioritised competence over spectacle.
The choice was not about glamour but about proven results. Malle had already delivered measurable audience growth, successful digital franchises, and exclusive features that rippled across media. For Anna Wintour, who has long rewarded those who understand Vogue’s machinery from the inside, Chloe Malle was the logical candidate.
In the months before the announcement, speculation filled the press. Names such as Chioma Nnadi in London and Jo Ellison of the Financial Times circulated among serious insiders. Celebrities from Meghan Markle to Kim Kardashian appeared in tabloids as long-shot guesses. In the end, the practical favourite prevailed. Chloe Malle was chosen for a record of editorial achievement rather than for notoriety.
What to expect from Chloe Malle’s Vogue
Readers can expect greater newsroom synchronicity. Digital storytelling will become more immediate, podcasts more central, and cross-platform narratives more tightly coordinated. Print editions may appear less frequently but are expected to carry a higher collectable value.
Vogue’s print footprint has been shrinking. The September issue, once nearly one thousand pages, now sits closer to three hundred sixty-five. Critics question whether digital momentum alone can sustain the prestige that print once embodied. Another risk is proximity to Anna Wintour, which may blur perceptions of Chloe Malle’s independence.
Print will still serve as a gallery for definitive images and profiles. Digital will continue to function as the fast-moving engine. Chloe Malle’s instincts as a writer and cultural observer will shape content, maintaining a blend of curiosity and authority.
Voices and testimonials
Chloe Malle said on her appointment, “I am so thrilled and awed to be part of this. I also feel incredibly fortunate to have Anna just down the hall as my mentor.”
Anna Wintour stated, “Chloe has proven she can balance Vogue’s long, singular history with its future on the front lines of the new.”
Chloe Malle has also reflected on her background, noting, “There is no question that I have benefited from the privilege I grew up in. It made me work much harder.”
Her earlier recollection about joining Vogue was equally candid. “I was hesitant when I was interviewing because fashion is not one of my main interests in life. I wanted to be a writer, but the Vogue machine seduced me.”
Industry voices echoed these sentiments. Spanish daily El País called her the pragmatic choice, collaborative and digitally attuned. The Washington Post highlighted her broad range across books, podcasts, and online journalism. The New York Post warned of challenges in reviving print but acknowledged her focus on thematic storytelling as a promising path.
The larger signal to fashion
Chloe Malle’s appointment signals to the industry that heritage brands can adapt by subtle evolution rather than by rupture. Designers see continuity of coverage and influence. Advertisers know an editor who understands measurable growth. Readers see a magazine committed to staying relevant across platforms. This is a cautious pivot, not a revolution.
To conclude,
Chloe Malle represents agility and storytelling depth. For the industry, she embodies continuity with measurable growth. For Condé Nast, she is the proof that succession can be managed without destabilising a global brand.
The rise of Chloe Malle is not a revolution but a recalibration. She brings pace, tact, and quiet ambition to a magazine that must reconcile heritage with digital urgency. Anna Wintour remains the compass while Malle becomes the engine. The duet will define Vogue’s future. If it works, Vogue will continue to set the cultural weather. If it falters, it will expose how fragile legacy can be. Fashion thrives on reinvention, and this new chapter is exactly that. In the end, Chloe Malle is both the story and the storyteller, and Vogue is once again ready to make the cut that everyone will notice.
José Amorim This article was created exclusively for LuxuryActivist.com. All content is protected by copyright. Images are used for illustrative purposes under fair use. If you own the rights to any image and wish it to be removed, please don’t hesitate to contact us, and we will act promptly.
Flo Rida attracted a wide range of comments during the post where he attempted to describe a poignant message with the words, “GOD FAVORS YOU.” In addition to the #blessed, #favor, #love, and #Jesus hashtags and the caption, his post could clearly summarize his view of faith. The caption inscription along with this post had “GOD FAVORS YOU” and Flo Rida was very keen to describe and elucidate it meaning. The latter part showed lines like, “In your trial, in your test, in your heart,” and “Don’t worry about everything, attack your character, attack your integrity,” Flo Rida focused on battling challenges, values implementation, and the preservation of set life values in the latter part of this post’s video.
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Perspectives and comments in response to Flo Rida’s post carry an immense load of praise and appreciation of the relevance of the post to situations in followers’ life. “Needed to hear this. God is good!!!” came the praises of one user and “Wow the comfort one can draw from a post like this! Appreciate it.” came from another, highlighting the unpredictably soothing and strengthening power of celebrity posts with reference to Flo Rida’s post from a different angle. Offers the celebration of the day’s little progress, via the form of day’s few encouragements, in gestures from the celebrities, Flo Rida provided it in the form of his comments. Needed this reminder brother! Flo Rida, the persona they admire, is good! impacting.
Flo Rida’s comments also triggered flows of appreciation, pointing to his cultural significance. He is referred to as “FLÓRIDA BRAZILIAN E USA,” which celebrates his recognition and acceptance in different regions of the world. Fans also delighted in casual chatting, “Send me one case of that JETSET1 big dawg,” referencing the energy drink branded to Flo Rida, which, on the surface, jokingly implies his talk will shift focus to his drink line and add a fun element to the conversation.
In the middle of these wonderful discussions; their faith in a popular person makes them feel a connection to each other and provides a drive to each other. Here, there’s a noticeable balance of cheers and direct responses and complete appreciation. Silence is not an option — they are willing to talk about their feelings in support of other faiths and their interactions are making the internet peaceful and even more reopened toward secure spiritual offerings.
Flo Rida’s original name is Tramar Dillard, and he is known for expressing positivity in his music. His goal is to motivate and uplift others which he has inspired to do globally. It is to be noted that he started his career from scratch and has never disconnected from his roots and his old life which he had spent in the hood. He became famous and continued to keep that energy towards progressing in and enjoying his life. He was praised in every corner not just the hood, but the whole world. People and fans are claiming that he is a show of faith and through his actions it can be said he is grounded with a lot of respect, no matter how much his fame has grown. His most recent posts show that he is generously entertaining and it is evident that he is giving motivation to society as well.
In direct contrast to debates surrounding faith, it is worth noting that positive dialogue is all that follows from the mention of faith by a celebrity. If any issues are brought up at all, I feel confident it will revolve around the location of the message, not its contents—this change can be attributed to the perseverance in spreading positivity through faith from the part of Flo Rida.
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Given the intense focus on materialism and wealth within the entertainment industry, it is commendable for Flo Rida to share insights into his own faith journey. This form of expressive spirituality presents an alternative layer to the music that people are usually enjoying by Flo Rida. Moreover, this awakens the conscience of the listeners, who suddenly realize that there is a person with moral principles traveling and creating music. To a great degree, they can be said to find solace in the fact that this part of the world is rather patient and that it can be nursed back to health from.
Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi‘s latest photos with their baby girl have taken the internet by storm. The couple adopted their first child in the previous month. In her recent Instagram post, “The Stranger Things” star offered us a glimpse of her daughter. This short, but sweet glimpse was enough for the post to go viral, and across all social media platforms.
Millie Bobby Brown posts photo of husband Jake Bongiovi carrying their baby girl
On Monday, Millie Bobby Brown took to her Instagram to share photos from her latest getaway with Jake Bongiovi and her baby girl. Brown captioned the photo dump with a milk bottle, sparkles, and a baby chick emoji, reflecting her happy outing with her kid. In the fourth slide of the carousel, we see Bongiovi carrying a baby carriage on the runway. While the baby girl’s face isn’t visible, eagle-eyed viewers can spot some skin showing beneath the white baby blanket.
The carousel also includes a PDA moment of Brown and Bongiovi, with the latter planting a kiss on her cheek. Additionally, the actor takes some stunning mirror selfies with one in a leopard print bikini. Brown and Bongiovi’s daughter’s tiny cameo ended up becoming the highlight of the post. Netizens also showed love for the post, with one writing, “So happy for you guys. The fun truly begins now! You guys are gonna love it. Another user ended up calling Brown “the coolest mom.”
On August 21, the couple who tied the knot in 2024 annouced the arrival of their first child through adoption. The joint post was captioned, “This summer, we welcomed our sweet baby girl through adoption. We are beyond excited to embark on this beautiful next chapter of parenthood in both peace and privacy. And then there were 3.”
During her appearance on the Smartless podcast, Brown highlighted the challenges of being a young mother. She stated, “My mom actually had her first child at 21, and my dad was 19. And you know, it’s been my thing since before I met Jake. Since I was a baby, I told my mom, like, baby dolls. I wanted to be a mom just like the way my mom was to me.”
The stamp of boots, the rumble of the tanks and the roar of the jet engines literally reverberated through the stand where we were sitting.
“We serve the people” came the cries when called on; the passion, of course, had been practised, but it felt authentic too.
The security to get here spoke volumes about just how tightly controlled this whole event has been.
Our meet time, dictated by the Chinese government, was over seven hours before the start of the parade itself, bussed in at the dead of night, no fewer than three separate rigorous security scans.
But once onto Beijing’s historic Tiananmen Square, we were free to film in places that are normally strictly off limits.
And that is because today, nothing less than Chinaitself, in all its prowess, is on show.
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Xi: ‘We can avoid repetition of tragedy’
A projection of power
While this parade is officially to mark 80 years since the official surrender of Japan in the Second World War, it is about so much more than that.
It is about the projection of power, both internally and around the world, too.
To the domestic audience, it is about showing just how far China has come since the war.
From a country invaded and ‘humiliated’ by Japan, to a global superpower, all thanks, they say, to the Chinese Communist Party and the vision of President Xi.
It is notable that even in official communications to the foreign media, the objective of “demonstrating loyalty to the party” was listed as a more important motivation than “commemorating” victory in the war and the sacrifices of the Chinese people.
But be in no doubt, they know the world is watching too, and this was also about projecting power internationally.
Image: Pic: Reuters
Close company
That is largely about the military might, of course, the huge array of Chinese-produced, cutting-edge new weaponry was notable. So is the fact that Xi’s reorganisation and modernisation of the military has been a key theme.
But the messaging was also about the power of China’s allegiances and its political heft too.
Indeed, today was especially notable not just for what was on show, but also for who was here.
No accident at all that Xi Jinping was continually staged with Russia’s Vladimir Putin on his right and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un to his left.
Image: Pic: Reuters
There has been speculation that the recent blossoming alliance between Putin and Kim has irked China somewhat. No sign of that today, the signals were all that this is a trio in lockstep.
Indeed, Kim rarely leaves his hermit kingdom, and he has never been to a multilateral event as big as this. His presence speaks volumes about his confidence in this company.
All of this comes after four days of intense diplomacy here, where China has hosted leaders from across the world in an attempt to cast itself as a great convener of nations and a preserver of a peaceful global order.
It’s a message perhaps a little undermined when stood before such a show of military might, with one leader wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and another sanctioned by much of the world for its accumulation of nuclear weapons.
But perhaps to many, disillusioned with America, this simply doesn’t matter, and that is the gap Xi is successfully exploiting.
Not everyone will be buying in, but this was in some ways a vision for a future Xi would like to see, and it is a vision that’s centred on Chinese power.
President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the Oval Office of the White House on Tuesday.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
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WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court panel ruled Tuesday that President Donald Trump cannot use an 18th-century wartime law to speed the deportations of people his administration accuses of membership in a Venezuelan gang, blocking a signature administration push that is destined for a final showdown at the U.S. Supreme Court.
A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, one of the most conservative federal appeals courts in the country, agreed with immigrant rights lawyers and lower court judges who argued the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 was not intended to be used against gangs like Tren de Aragua, the Venezuelan group Trump targeted in his March invocation.
Lee Gelernt, who argued the case for the ACLU, said Tuesday: “The Trump administration’s use of a wartime statute during peacetime to regulate immigration was rightly shut down by the court. This is a critically important decision reining in the administration’s view that it can simply declare an emergency without any oversight by the courts.”
The administration deported people designated as Tren de Aragua members to a notorious prison in El Salvador where, it argued, U.S. courts could not order them freed.
In a deal announced in July, more than 250 of the deported migrants returned to Venezuela.
The Alien Enemies Act has only been used three times before in U.S. history, all during declared wars — in the War of 1812 and the two World Wars. The Trump administration unsuccessfully argued that courts cannot second-guess the president’s determination that Tren de Aragua was connected to Venezuela’s government and represented a danger to the United States, meriting use of the act.
In a 2-1 ruling, the judges said they granted the preliminary injunction sought by the plaintiffs because they “found no invasion or predatory incursion” in this case.
In the majority were U.S. Circuit Judges Leslie Southwick, a George W. Bush appointee, and Irma Carrillo Ramirez, a Joe Biden appointee. Andrew Oldham, a Trump appointee, dissented.
The majority opinion said Trump’s allegations about Tren de Aragua do not meet the historical levels of national conflict that Congress intended for the act.
“A country’s encouraging its residents and citizens to enter this country illegally is not the modern-day equivalent of sending an armed, organized force to occupy, to disrupt, or to otherwise harm the United States,” the judges wrote.
In a lengthy dissent, Oldham complained his two colleagues were second-guessing Trump’s conduct of foreign affairs, a realm where courts usually give the president great deference.
“The majority’s approach to this case is not only unprecedented—it is contrary to more than 200 years of precedent,” Oldham wrote.
The panel did grant the Trump administration one legal victory, finding the procedures it uses to advise detainees under the Alien Enemies Act of their legal rights is appropriate.
The ruling can be appealed to the full 5th Circuit or directly to the U.S. Supreme Court, which is likely to make the ultimate decision on the issue.
Looking for the best recovery shares to buy this month? Here are two great FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 stocks to think about next month.
A cheap gold stock
Surging precious metals prices have swept a wide selection of gold stocks higher in 2025. Hochschild Mining (LSE:HOC) for instance has risen 15% in value since 1 January.
However, the Latin American miner has endured a bumpy ride due to problems at its Mara Rosa mine in Brazil. And last week its shares plummeted after it warned “heavier-than-usual seasonal rainfall and contractor performance issues” would see it miss full-year production targets.
Group production is now tipped at between 291,000 and 319,000 gold equivalent ounces. That’s down from the previously-forecast 350,000-378,000 ounces.
Hochschild’s issues perfectly illustrate the high-risk nature of buying mining stocks. Yet at times like this, it’s also important to remember the potential upside of owning metal producers, and especially during gold bull markets. This includes producer profits that can rise far more sharply than the metal price, reflecting their largely fixed cost bases.
Indeed, even accounting for its first-half production issues, Hochschild’s pre-tax profits rose 32% over the period, outstripping the rise in the gold price.
With the FTSE 250 miner undertaking an extensive operational review to get Mara Rose firing again, now could be a good time to consider opening a position. And especially as its recent share price collapse leaves it on a rock-bottom price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of just 9.9 times.
Building back stronger
It seems that, barring a minor miracle, housebuilder Taylor Wimpey (LSE:TW.) will be relegated to the FTSE 250 when the next quarterly reshuffle comes around.
The company’s dropped 19% in value year to date, making it one of the FTSE 100’s poorest performers. Concerns over the pace of future interest rate cuts (and its impact on homebuyer affordability) is denting investor appetite. It’s also been hit by further heavy remediation costs to fix fire safety issues at existing properties.
These issues remain risks going forwards. Yet I believe, on balance, that Taylor Wimpey’s share price drop represents an attractive entry point for long-term investors to consider. Recent weakness leaves it trading on a forward P/E ratio of 11.8 times. That’s well below the average of 15-16 times since mid-2020.
While the industry recovery has been lumpy, I’m impressed by its resilience despite the tough economic landscape. Zoopla data shows that the recent slowdown in house price growth has stabilised, with average property values up 1.3% in the 12 months to July.
Demand’s being propped up by falling interest rates and an increasingly bloody rate war among mortgage providers, factors that pushed homes sales 5% higher last month.
I think Taylor Wimpey will enjoy a slow recovery that accelerates as Britain’s booming population drives new-build home demand. The Office for National Statistics forecasts England’s population to jump 7.8% in the 10 years to 2032.
Taylor Wimpey’s formidable land bank gives it excellent opportunities to capitalise on this too. With a strong balance sheet, and the government pledging to ease planning restrictions, it has chances to build its bank still further.
