Crystal Temptations issued a recall of its Chocolatey Eyeballs product after the FDA flagged a safety concern, reportedly tied to undisclosed allergens that could pose serious health risks. The candy was sold at major retailers including TJ Maxx and Marshalls across 13 states. The FDA has advised consumers who purchased the product to destroy it rather than consume or return it.
Canada announced on August 27 that its universities have hired 64 researchers globally, 48 of them from the United States, through a new recruitment initiative. The scientists will share roughly CA$500 million ($360 million) in funding over eight years under the Eddie Goldenberg Research Chairs and Canada Impact+ Emerging Leaders programs, launched in December as part of a broader push to draw foreign talent.
The FTC and 22 state attorneys general have filed a lawsuit accusing Amazon of concealing surcharges within its advertising auctions for more than six years, allegedly extracting over $20 billion from advertisers who didn't know they were paying inflated rates. Internal documents cited in the suit reportedly show employees flagged the pricing tactic as risky for long-term trust even as it boosted short-term revenue. Amazon has pushed back, saying the suit misrepresents its ad auction mechanics and lacks evidence that consumers paid more as a result.
The FTC and a bipartisan coalition of 22 states have sued Amazon, claiming it secretly manipulated its advertising auctions to charge advertisers more than they should have paid under the stated 'second price' bidding rules. The complaint alleges Amazon pocketed roughly $20 billion since 2019 by making Sponsored Products advertisers pay their full winning bid nearly 80% of the time instead of one cent above the next-highest bid. Amazon has called the lawsuit 'misguided' and denies misleading advertisers or consumers.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in a Nevada case that betting on sporting outcomes does not qualify as a federally regulated 'swap' under the Commodity Exchange Act, rejecting the broad interpretation that prediction-market firm Kalshi has relied on to argue states can't block its sports contracts. The decision undermines the reasoning Arizona federal judge Michael Liburdi used earlier this year to block Arizona's attorney general from prosecuting Kalshi under state gambling laws.
A federal appeals court ruled that states retain authority to regulate prediction markets under their gambling laws, rejecting arguments that federal oversight preempts state action. The decision addresses ongoing legal disputes over platforms like Kalshi that offer event-based betting contracts.
The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service recalled nearly 25,000 pounds of frozen Buffalo chicken rangoon and Benedetto's Buffalo chicken mozzarella sticks made by Boston-based Shanghai Ravioli Corporation. The products were flagged for carrying false inspection marks and were distributed to foodservice businesses in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
New business formations reached record levels in 2025, with over 548,000 launched in June alone and nearly 3.5 million in the first half of the year. Rather than concentrating in traditional hubs like Silicon Valley or New York, much of this growth is occurring in states such as Wyoming, Oregon, Mississippi and North Dakota.
SK hynix held a groundbreaking ceremony this week for its first U.S.-based HBM packaging and testing facility, located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The $4 billion site will package HBM stacks using DRAM wafers made in South Korea, with volume production of next-generation HBM memory expected in the second half of 2029, roughly a year later than originally planned.
Seven U.S. states have enacted extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws that shift the cost and responsibility for packaging waste onto manufacturers, while more than a dozen other states are weighing similar measures. The policies aim to push companies toward more sustainable packaging choices, such as refillable containers or recyclable materials, rather than conventional plastics.
Meta reached a settlement of nearly $18 billion with almost all US states over claims it designed Facebook and Instagram to foster compulsive use among children and hid mental health risks. The deal, still pending court approval, requires Meta to impose a default two-hour daily time limit for teens, a midnight-to-6am usage block, and a school-hours notification mute, while Texas separately secured $1 billion outside the main $16.7 billion pact.
OpenAI expanded its free ChatGPT for Teachers initiative to 55 more school systems across 20 states, adding over 100,000 educators and staff. The company now partners with more than 100 K-12 organizations in 30 states, offering free access and training to over 300,000 educators through June 2028. OpenAI also introduced a 16-state data privacy agreement giving districts a shared framework to assess the tool against student data protection standards.