Senate Directs Trump to End Hostilities With Iran
The United States Senate passed a binding resolution directing President Trump to cease hostilities with Iran immediately. Lawmakers from both parties joined forces to demand an end to escalating military tensions in the volatile Middle East region. This legislative move signals growing exhaustion with prolonged conflict among elected officials in Washington DC.
Tehran continues to deny any formal agreement regarding nuclear inspections despite conflicting reports from Western intelligence agencies. International observers remain skeptical about the sincerity of recent diplomatic overtures from the Islamic Republic leadership. Trust between the two nations has eroded significantly over the past month of violent skirmishes.
Global energy markets reacted swiftly to the news of potential peace talks emerging from Capitol Hill yesterday. Investors are weighing the possibility of reduced oil supply disruptions against the reality of entrenched political positions worldwide. A lasting resolution requires substantial concessions from both Washington and Tehran to succeed ultimately.
Ebola Cases Hit 1,000 in Eastern DR Congo
Ebola cases have surpassed the 1,000 mark in eastern DR Congo, triggering a severe humanitarian emergency locally. Almost three million children and adolescents now face rising risks as the virus spreads through vulnerable communities rapidly. UNICEF warns that the outbreak threatens to overwhelm local health infrastructure completely within weeks.
Over 130 children have been left orphaned in the Ituri province alone during this devastating outbreak. Driving urgent need for protection and care, agencies are scrambling to establish safe housing for minors. Family separation rates are climbing as parents succumb to the highly infectious disease rapidly.
Long-term recovery efforts will require sustained international aid to rebuild shattered community support networks effectively. Health workers struggle to contain transmission while providing essential services to affected populations daily. Without immediate intervention, the social fabric of the region faces irreversible damage from the crisis.
Brent Crude Falls Below $76 Amid Conflict De-escalation
Brent crude fell below $76 per barrel, notching its lowest level since the day before the U.S.-Iran war began. U.S. President Donald Trump intensified pressure on oil companies to lower gasoline prices following the recent decline in crude markets. Markets responded positively to the potential easing of geopolitical tensions in the strategic Strait.
The Department of Justice is reviewing potential antitrust violations among major energy producers regarding inflated pump prices. Consumers are expecting relief at the pump as wholesale costs decrease across the national supply chain rapidly. Political pressure mounts on industry leaders to pass savings directly to American households quickly.
Stabilizing oil prices could provide a significant boost to the broader global economic recovery efforts currently underway. Analysts suggest that sustained lower rates depend on a definitive end to regional military conflicts abroad. Energy independence remains a primary goal for the administration amidst these fluctuating market conditions daily.
UK Voters Reflect on Ten Years Since Brexit Vote
Tuesday marks the tenth anniversary of the most divisive day in Britain's recent political history. Voters were promised a Britain free of European laws, decreased immigration, and a major boost to business. The vote to leave the European Union reshaped the geopolitical landscape of the entire continent.
A decade after Brexit, UK voters reflect on the decision to break from the European Union with mixed emotions. Many citizens feel the economic benefits failed to materialize despite strong assurances from campaign leaders. Immigration controls tightened, yet labor shortages plagued key industries throughout the subsequent years.
Current leadership faces the challenge of redefining trade relationships without reintroducing previous regulatory burdens. Public sentiment remains fractured along generational and geographic lines across the United Kingdom. The long-term consequences of separation continue to influence domestic policy decisions significantly.
Mamdani-Backed Candidates Sweep NYC House Primaries
Mamdani-backed candidates swept House primaries in New York City during a decisive night for local politics. Three left-wing hopefuls backed by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani won their races decisively. Two of these victors managed to unseat incumbents who had served for multiple terms previously.
The results signal a potent shift in power within the Democratic Party establishment in the region. Campaign strategies focused heavily on housing affordability and public transit improvements resonated with urban voters. Organizers credit grassroots mobilization efforts for driving higher-than-expected turnout among young constituents.
National implications are already being discussed as similar movements gain traction in other major metropolitan areas. Progressive activists view this outcome as a blueprint for future elections across the country. Opposition parties are recalibrating their messaging to address the rising popularity of these policy platforms.
Congress Passes Bipartisan Housing Bill to Boost Supply
Congress passed a big housing bill with bipartisan support after months of intense negotiation sessions. The legislation mainly aims to relax local regulations and encourage building in high-density urban zones. Lawmakers celebrated the rare agreement as a critical step toward solving the national affordability crisis.
Developers anticipate a surge in construction projects once the new incentives take effect next year. Supply shortages have driven costs to record highs for renters and prospective buyers alike. Federal funding will subsidize infrastructure improvements necessary to support increased residential capacity in targeted regions.
Implementation challenges remain as local zoning boards retain significant authority over land use decisions. Critics argue that federal incentives may not be enough to overcome entrenched community opposition to development. Success depends on cooperation between state officials and municipal planners to streamline approval processes effectively.
| Ticker | Name | Price | Day | Week | Month | Year | 3Yr | 5Yr | 10Yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ^GSPTSE | S&P/TSX Composite | 34736.10 CAD | ▼0.55% | ▼1.11% | ▲0.24% | ▲30.54% | ▲76.27% | ▲72.44% | ▲143.93% |
| BNS | Scotiabank | 121.48 CAD | ▼0.96% | ▼0.30% | ▲9.44% | ▲71.54% | ▲124.14% | ▲99.01% | ▲207.46% |
| RY | Royal Bank | 288.03 CAD | ▼0.13% | ▲1.69% | ▲9.80% | ▲69.89% | ▲157.58% | ▲171.98% | ▲430.65% |
| CM | CIBC | 162.17 CAD | ▼0.60% | ▲1.85% | ▲1.44% | ▲75.65% | ▲230.17% | ▲183.48% | ▲413.28% |
| NA | National Bank | 224.09 CAD | ▼0.10% | ▲2.96% | ▲5.50% | ▲68.94% | ▲155.51% | ▲190.92% | ▲627.37% |
| TD | TD Bank | 169.29 CAD | ▼0.32% | ▲1.10% | ▲8.91% | ▲79.50% | ▲143.29% | ▲140.06% | ▲347.96% |
| BMO | BMO | 245.53 CAD | ▼0.26% | ▲2.42% | ▲9.79% | ▲76.02% | ▲138.96% | ▲137.81% | ▲347.37% |
| XEQT | World | 44.88 CAD | ▼0.13% | ▼0.42% | ▲1.15% | ▲28.87% | ▲82.31% | ▲88.03% | –0.00% |
| SPY | S&P 500 ETF | 733.24 USD | ▼0.05% | ▼2.03% | ▼1.41% | ▲23.53% | ▲74.09% | ▲86.53% | ▲316.50% |
| QQQ | Nasdaq 100 | 710.62 USD | ▼0.42% | ▼2.53% | ▼0.86% | ▲34.31% | ▲97.06% | ▲112.28% | ▲608.84% |
| AAPL | Apple | 293.08 USD | ▼0.41% | ▼2.06% | ▼5.10% | ▲46.03% | ▲60.63% | ▲128.14% | ▲1225.32% |
| MSFT | Microsoft | 365.46 USD | ▼2.27% | ▼7.20% | ▼12.69% | ▼24.20% | ▲10.67% | ▲45.96% | ▲731.87% |
| NVDA | NVIDIA | 199.00 USD | ▼0.52% | ▼4.05% | ▼7.48% | ▲38.22% | ▲355.14% | ▲970.30% | ▲17039.86% |
| GLD | Gold ETF | 365.92 USD | ▼3.02% | ▼7.97% | ▼11.58% | ▲17.63% | ▲103.57% | ▲120.63% | ▲195.86% |
| CL=F | WTI Crude Oil | 69.46 USD | ▼1.25% | ▼9.55% | ▼26.02% | ▲6.99% | ▲0.43% | ▼4.93% | ▲50.31% |
| BTC-USD | Bitcoin | 61634.49 USD | ▲1.05% | ▼4.06% | ▼3.40% | ▼43.03% | ▼8.68% | ▲209.57% | ▲485.98% |
8 AM: 17°C, overcast clouds, wind 2 km/h 11 AM: 18°C, light rain, wind 2 km/h 2 PM: 18°C, moderate rain, wind 3 km/h 5 PM: 19°C, light rain, wind 4 km/h 8 PM: 19°C, light rain, wind 3 km/h 11 PM: 16°C, light rain, wind 3 km/h 2 AM: 17°C, broken clouds, wind 0 km/h 5 AM: 15°C, overcast clouds, wind 1 km/h
No playoff games yesterday.
Playoff data unavailable
Scroll through your phone this morning. You likely questioned a headline or doubted a weather forecast. This everyday caution keeps us from sharing fake news or leaving the house without an umbrella. Philosophical skepticism takes that instinct and pushes it to the breaking point. Instead of questioning specific claims, it challenges the very possibility of certainty itself. Such inquiry forces us to examine the foundation of every opinion we hold.
Ordinary doubt admits ignorance about complex things, like the number of stars in the galaxy. This deeper strain targets propositions we assume are obvious, such as the sun rising tomorrow. The core argument rests on the structure of knowledge. To truly know something, you need more than a lucky guess. You require belief, truth, and justification. Skeptics argue that our justification is always flawed because our senses can deceive us. A stick looks bent in water, yet feels straight to the touch. If vision fails here, could it fail about everything? No amount of evidence seems to fully bridge the gap between appearance and reality.
Ancient Pyrrhonists embraced this uncertainty. They advocated for epoché, or the suspension of judgment. By refusing to commit to any truth claim, they sought mental tranquility. If you never assert anything, you never suffer the anxiety of being wrong. Their approach treated doubt as a lifestyle rather than a puzzle to solve. Centuries later, René Descartes weaponized doubt for a different purpose. He stripped away every belief susceptible to deception, imagining an evil demon manipulating his senses. His goal was not to remain in doubt, but to find one indubitable foundation upon which to rebuild knowledge. Descartes found certainty in his own existence, but the external world remained problematic.
Modern debates often focus on whether knowledge requires absolute certainty or just practical reliability. Contextualists suggest that standards for knowledge shift depending on the situation. Claiming to know where your car is parked requires less proof than claiming to know the universe isn't a simulation. Yet the skeptic persists, asking if any standard is high enough to rule out radical error. In an age of deepfakes and virtual reality, the ancient worry feels newly urgent. Humans increasingly inhabit digital spaces where appearances diverge sharply from underlying code. Algorithms curate reality, making the skeptic's demand for proof harder than ever to satisfy.
Survival requires action, and action requires belief. People cross streets assuming cars will stop and eat food assuming it isn't poison. Radical doubt paralyzes, while uncritical trust invites disaster. The tension remains unresolved. How do we navigate a world where absolute certainty is unreachable, yet hesitation could be fatal? We act as if we know, even if the philosopher in the back of our mind whispers that we might be dreaming. Perhaps wisdom lies not in solving the puzzle, but in managing the uncertainty.
Want to go deeper? Read the full Stanford Encyclopedia entry on Skepticism →
| Habit | Target | Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Pushup routine | 7 | ☐ | ☑ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | 1/7 |
| 2. Workout | 2 | ☑ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | 1/2 |
| 3. Cardio 30 mins | 2 | ☑ | ☑ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | 2/2 |
| 4. Meditate | 7 | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | 0/7 |
| 5. No sugars | 5 | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | 0/5 |