Judge says Trump administration’s blacklist of Anthropic was illegal
The Trump administration violated Anthropic’s First Amendment rights when it blacklisted the AI company earlier this year, a federal judge ruled late Thursday.
MarketWatch
Daily Brief
EN → 한국어
Friday, August 28, 2026
Today's Brief
Today’s Key Insight
Global markets demonstrated resilience in the prior session on August 27, with major US and Korean equity indices posting gains despite ongoing monetary tightening. In South Korea, the Bank of Korea’s decision to raise its base rate to 3.00% is rapidly shifting liquidity into short-term deposits, reflecting a defensive posture among investors. Meanwhile, legal pushbacks against the US administration’s tech blacklists and voting rules appear to be providing a temporary reprieve for risk sentiment.
Market Overview
Korea. In the prior session on August 27, the KOSPI rose 1.53% and the KOSDAQ gained 1.30%, aided by positive biotech developments such as LigaChem and ABL Bio’s successful Phase 1b clinical results. However, domestic liquidity is turning highly defensive; following the Bank of Korea’s rate hike to 3.00% on August 27, short-term deposits under six months surged past 230 trillion won as savers position for higher rates.
US. US equities advanced in the prior session on August 27, with the Nasdaq climbing 1.57% and the Dow rising 0.20%, while the VIX fell 4.60% to 14.51, indicating easing volatility. This positive sentiment was supported by legal developments, including a federal judge blocking the administration’s blacklist of AI firm Anthropic, though concerns linger over proposed H-1B visa fee hikes and trade tensions with Canada.
Cross-Market Signals
- Monetary Tightening and Liquidity Shifting: The Bank of Korea’s rate hike to 3.00% has driven a massive 20 trillion won monthly surge in short-term deposits, showing that rising yields are prompting investors to favor cash flexibility over long-term assets.
- Geopolitical Reprieve and Energy Markets: While WTI crude rose 1.58% in the prior session, a diplomatic deal brokered by Oman, Pakistan, and Qatar has temporarily paused the Iran conflict in the Strait of Hormuz, potentially capping immediate geopolitical risk premiums.
- Legal Pushback on Protectionist Policies: Federal court rulings blocking the Anthropic blacklist and USPS mail-in ballot restrictions suggest that judicial checks are tempering some of the administration’s more disruptive policy initiatives, offering relief to the tech sector.
Markets as of 2026-08-27 close 🟢 Mildly Bullish
VIX -4.6% ↓
S&P Sectors
Tech +3.2%
Finance -0.7%
Health -1.1%
Energy -0.2%
Industrial -0.8%
Staples -1.4%
Utilities -0.8%
Real Estate -0.9%
Materials -0.8%
Comms -1.1%
Discretionary -1.1%
World
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Hormuz deal presses pause on Iran conflict, but fears of ‘forever war’ remain
A diplomatic push by Oman, Pakistan and Qatar is widely expected to yield another pause in the Iran conflict, but there remains little prospect of a stop to what analysts fear has already become a “forever war”. On Monday, Iran and Oman agreed in principle to a temporary maritime route for ships travelling through the Strait of Hormuz. This could lead to the easing of the tit-for-tat blockades imposed by Iran and the US if President Donald Trump’s administration accepts it. Regional mediators...
SCMP
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Why Trump wants H-1B skilled worker visas to cost employers more than $100,000
US President Donald Trump is once again trying to impose a $100,000 fee on employers seeking to hire skilled temporary foreign workers through the H-1B visa programme. But while tech titans like Elon Musk have long championed the programme to draw top global talent to Silicon Valley, critics on both left and right say the scheme aims to replace skilled US-born workers with cheaper – and more easily controlled – foreign guest workers.
France 24
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Wiped out: US faces surging toilet paper prices amid trade war with Canada
Paper products among hardest-hit sectors after trade negotiations broke down, with 25-50% tariffs estimatedAre you a Canadian boycotting US products? We’d like to hear from youUsing the bathroom or having a cry is about to become more expensive for North Americans as theUSandCanadaenter a full-fledged trade war that threatens to flush away decades of peaceful trading between the two nations.After trade negotiationsbroke downbetween the two countrieslast weekend, Mark Carney, the Canadian prime minister,vowedto match US tariffs “dollar for dollar” andunveiledalistof nearly 900 American goods that will face 25% to 50% tariffs starting on 8 September.Continue reading...
The Guardian
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US judge blocks rule implementing Trump plan to curb mail-in ballots
A US federal judge on Thursday blocked the US Postal Service from implementing core parts of a new rule it adopted at President Donald Trump’s direction that would tighten mail-in voting requirements ahead of the November congressional elections. US District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston issued a temporary restraining order at the behest of Democratic-led states and voting rights groups after the US Supreme Court on Monday issued a ruling that led to the lifting of earlier injunctions blocking...
SCMP
Korea
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“When interest rates rise, short-term is the answer”... Deposits under 6 months increase, highest in 3 years and 7...
This 'rush to short-term deposits' is linked to the Bank of Korea's consecutive benchmark interest rate hikes. The BOK raised the benchmark interest rate by 0.25 percentage points from 2.50% to 2.75% per annum last month, and further raised it to 3.00% on the 27th. In the market, inflation...
매일경제
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Lee's approval rating at 'lowest' of 42%... 'Real estate' is the top reason for negative evaluation for 4 consecutive weeks [Gallup]
The most common reason for the negative evaluation of job performance was 'real estate policy' at 27%. This was followed by 'reduction of prosecution authority', 'economy and public livelihood', and 'morality issues/avoiding one's own trial' at 7% each, and 'doing poorly overall', 'national defense and security', and 'dictatorship/dogmatism'...
한국경제
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LigaChem and ABL Bio: “Anticancer efficacy confirmed in Phase 1b of ADC candidate substance exported to China”
LigaChem Biosciences and ABL Bio announced on the 28th that they have confirmed anticancer efficacy in the Phase 1b clinical trial of an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) candidate substance jointly developed and technology-exported to Chinese partner CStone Pharmaceuticals. In its semi-annual business report, CStone disclosed the results of the Phase 1b clinical trial of the combination therapy for the jointly developed ADC candidate 'CS5001' targeting 31 patients with first-line diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL)...
조선일보
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“Interest rates will rise further, let's roll it short”... Deposits under 6 months reach maximum in 3 and a half years
As the Bank of Korea continues to raise its benchmark interest rate, demand for funds is flocking to short-term deposits. The balance of short-term time deposits with a maturity of less than 6 months in the banking sector increased by more than 20 trillion won in a month, surpassing 230 trillion won. As the benchmark interest rate...
뉴시스
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SK Hynix CEO says Indiana will be key memory production base by 2030, first U.S. facility now underway
At the groundbreaking ceremony for SK Hynix's first U.S. facility, CEO Kwak Noh-Jung says Indiana will be a key memory production base by 2030.
CNBC