Tuesday, June 30, 2026
EU Commission Opens Probe into Align Technology for Possible Dominance in Dental
The European Commission has opened an antitrust investigation against the producer of Invisalign dental aligners over allegations that the company has exploited its position as a market leader.
The probe is to focus on whether US medical device company Align Technology has obliged dental professionals to buy a certain scanner to be able to order Invisalign braces for their patients, the commission said on Tuesday.
https://finance.yahoo.com/healthcare/articles/eu-opens-antitrust-probe-against-144551008.html
Alberta to Unveil This Week Plan for New Crude Pipeline
The oil-rich Canadian province of Alberta intends to unveil this week its proposal for a new pipeline designed to carry about 1 million barrels of crude oil a day to the Pacific Coast.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith had previously said the province would submit to federal officials by Wednesday, or July 1, its plan for a new energy corridor, and she tries to capitalize on Prime Minister Mark Carney's eagerness to both position Canada as an energy superpower and sell more goods to non-U.S. markets.
A spokesman for Smith said the province would share its new details on Thursday. The spokesman provided no further details, such as whether Smith was able to find private-sector investors to back the project.
At a press event Tuesday in northern Quebec, Carney said there was still no private-sector backer for the new energy corridor. Meanwhile, in a video posted on YouTube, Carney said projects like a new Alberta pipeline would help diversify buyers of Canadian energy beyond the U.S. "We now need to build energy infrastructure to give us new [trade] options," the Canadian leader added.
The chief executive of Cenvous Energy, John McKenzie, told an energy conference in Calgary, Alberta this month that the planned pipeline cannot be financed by the private sector due to Canada's regulatory system. Carney has signaled his willingness to throw the federal government's support toward a pipeline so long as some conditions are met--among them, the construction of multibillion-dollar carbon-capture and storage facility.
Oil companies have warned that the carbon-capture project, known as Pathways, can't be built without sizable government financing.
Smith's push for a pipeline comes as the province readies a referendum on Alberta's future in Canada, partly fueled by discontent among citizens about federal environmental policy thwarting oil-sector development. A vote scheduled in October will ask the province's citizens whether they want to hold a formal referendum to pursue independence from Canada. Polling suggests the majority of Albertans want to stay in Canada.
US telecoms watchdog to vote on barring sales of devices with parts from blacklisted firms
The Federal Communications Commission, the U.S. telecoms watchdog, said on Tuesday it plans to vote next month on a measure that would bar sales of devices in the United States that contain components from blacklisted companies.
The FCC maintains a list of firms -- including Chinese telecoms giant Huawei -- whose equipment is barred for sale in the United States over national security concerns. But no regulations currently prohibit American sales of electronics such as smartphones that contain chips designed by Huawei's chip unit Hi-Silicon, for example.
The measure, if approved, will close a "loophole" and aims to "protect Americans from electronic devices that have been determined to pose unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States," the FCC said in the press release announcing the move.
https://www.aol.com/articles/us-telecoms-watchdog-vote-barring-190838000.html
Vance: Trump ready to drop bombs if it serves objective
United States Vice President JD Vance said on Tuesday that US President Donald Trump is willing to "drop bombs, but only if it serves an objective."
Speaking on The Michael Knowles Show, the vice president also commented on Iran's latest remarks, stressing that he finds it "fascinating and frustrating" that Tehran publicly denies the ongoing peace talks, while technical negotiations between the US and Iran on the agreement continue. "It's a Persian negotiating tactic and a Persian rhetorical device that I don't understand," he noted.
Vance further said that the situation in Lebanon has changed after Lebanese officials engaged in direct talks with Israel and after the US-Iran deal "fundamentally" affirmed Lebanon's territorial integrity. However, he said that "the question is whether that change is durable." His comments follow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claims that Israel's wars are "never over."
https://breakingthenews.net/Article/Vance:-Trump-ready-to-drop-bombs-if-it-serves-objective/66605939
'Ghalibaf: Iran, US, Lebanon to form trilateral committee'
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Tuesday that a joint committee involving Iran, the United States and Lebanon will be established to help uphold Lebanon's national sovereignty, with Iran's ambassador serving as Tehran's representative.
Speaking in an interview, Ghalibaf said the committee followed efforts to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon and claimed attacks on the country had declined since talks in Switzerland.
In addition, he also said US sanctions on Iranian oil had been lifted, claiming Iran is now selling its crude at prices 20% higher than before.
https://breakingthenews.net/Article/Ghalibaf:-Iran-US-Lebanon-to-form-trilateral-committee/66605930
Here We Go Again: Taiwan Raids Super Micro In AI Chip Probe
Taiwan has intensified its efforts to stop advanced AI hardware from reaching China, carrying out raids at the local offices of Super Micro Computer and several businesses connected to an investigation into the movement of servers equipped with NVIDIA chips, according to Bloomberg.
Investigators searched multiple business locations and the homes of six individuals as part of the inquiry. While prosecutors did not publicly identify those involved, a source familiar with the matter said Super Micro's Taiwan office was among the locations searched. The company said it is fully cooperating with investigators and emphasized that it works to safeguard its technology and ensure its products are sold in compliance with applicable laws. Shares fell about 8% following the announcement.
Bloomberg writes that the probe also reached Chief Telecom and Albatron Technology. Both companies acknowledged the searches, saying day-to-day operations were unaffected, although Albatron's shares dropped sharply.
The case marks another step in Taiwan's broader campaign to prevent restricted AI technology from being diverted to China. Earlier this year, authorities arrested three suspects accused of using fraudulent export paperwork involving Super Micro servers loaded with Nvidia AI processors. Officials believe at least one shipment ultimately made its way to China through Japan, while dozens of additional servers were intercepted before they could leave Taiwan.
Taiwan currently lacks a law that specifically criminalizes exporting AI chips to China, limiting prosecutors to pursuing related offenses such as document fraud. Lawmakers are now considering tougher export rules that would make such shipments illegal and give authorities stronger enforcement powers as Taiwan moves to more closely mirror U.S. restrictions on advanced semiconductor technology.
The latest developments also add to the uncertainty surrounding Super Micro.
Ever since Hindenburg Research published its report less than two years ago, "Super Micro: Fresh Evidence Of Accounting Manipulation, Sibling Self-Dealing And Sanctions Evasion At This AI High Flyer," the company has struggled to shake a steady stream of damaging headlines.
The short seller accused Super Micro of accounting irregularities, undisclosed related-party transactions involving family members, export control concerns, and other governance failures, allegations the company has disputed.
Since then, Super Micro has faced delayed financial filings, scrutiny from regulators and most recently one of its co-founders charged in a scheme to divert roughly $2.5 billion in advanced Nvidia chips to China, according to an indictment unsealed earlier this year.
The Fix for ACA Losses Is Allowing Alternatives
After turning 26 in December, I was expected to get a health insurance plan for the first time, and I did not like my options. Whether through my previous employer or the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace, the plans available required paying thousands in annual premiums and deductibles to receive meaningful benefits. For a healthy young adult, it was difficult to justify.
Millions are currently facing the same issue. ACA Marketplace premiums skyrocketed for many enrollees this year after temporary enhanced federal subsidies expired. The number of people signing up during the open enrollment period fell by 1.2 million, and more cancelled in the first few months after seeing their monthly payments. It is projected that potentially 5.8 million people will lose their coverage in 2026.
Many families are choosing to drop their coverage and risk having no coverage at all like the Tobiassen's in North Carolina. But this is actually a false choice. Multiple affordable alternatives can provide access to routine care and financial protection against unexpected medical expenses.
Personally, I chose a direct primary care (DPC) clinic—a membership model where patients pay a flat monthly fee instead of billing insurance—for my everyday needs. I paired it with a health share plan—a nonprofit community where members voluntarily share one another’s medical expenses—for unexpected, high-cost events.
This costs me 60% less than health insurance, and I believe it gives me better access to care. My DPC membership includes unlimited appointments with no co-pays for nearly all routine and even urgent care services, and direct communication with my doctor. The health share plan protects me in case of emergencies or hospital stays, with no network restrictions.
Though I am technically uninsured, I was able to secure access to routine care and financial support for major medical expenses through a combination of alternative models.
These alternatives are not niche experiments. Millions of Americans have adopted models such as Health Care Sharing Ministries, Direct Primary Care, and Farm Bureau Health Plans because they offer different approaches to accessing and paying for care. Between 2014 and 2021, the number of people using a Health Care Sharing Ministry grew from about 160,000 to 1.5 million.
The percentage of family physicians who were part of or transitioning to a DPC practice jumped from 3% in 2022 to 11% in 2023. Farm Bureau Health Plans (FBHP) —medically underwritten health coverage products offered through state Farm Bureaus rather than insurance companies— are another option. In Tennessee, which has the longest operating FBHPs, there are over 200,000 members.
Unfortunately, many Americans cannot choose these options. Several states either restrict them, regulate them inconsistently, or don’t authorize them at all. DPC, for example, is a completely insurance free service model that keeps a smaller panel of patients. Without an explicit exemption, a DPC practice could be accused of violating insurance antidiscrimination rules for turning away new patients once their panel is full.
Health Care Sharing Ministries (HCSMs) face a similar problem. Because HCSMs are voluntary sharing communities rather than insurers, applying insurance regulations to them makes their model unworkable. Without an exemption, states can force them to follow insurance rules they are not designed for, like keeping huge cash reserves or covering mandated benefits, which would make their structure inoperable.
DPC is exempt in 34 states, and HCSMs are exempt in 31 states. In the remaining states, lawmakers should look to model policy developed by members of the American Legislative Exchange Council as a helpful resource for exempting HCSMs, and similar action should be taken for DPC.
FBHPs have a greater uphill battle. Currently, only 14 states allow them to operate health plans for their members. These plans can be 30-50% more affordable than Marketplace insurance and are especially valuable in rural areas with limited options.
These models aren’t meant to be a perfect fit or replace traditional insurance for everyone, but they should be available for anyone who would benefit from them. As millions of people are priced out of health insurance, states should not stand in the way of alternative options. By modernizing state laws on alternative health care models, lawmakers can give families real choices instead of impossible tradeoffs.
Miranda Spindt is the Director of the Health and Human Services Task Force at the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and a Health Policy Fellow for Independent Women.
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