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1. UK court allows asylum seekers to stay at Epping hotel
In a court decision that could set precedent for future cases, an appeals court in the United Kingdom overturned an injunction that ordered asylum seekers to leave Bell Hotel in Epping, the BBC reports. The decision gives the government some breathing room as it reforms its asylum accommodations program.
"The court says the Epping residents fear of crime was properly taken into account. It is outweighed by the undesirability of incentivizing protests and the desirability of maintaining the status quo, before the case is fully heard in October," the BBC reports.
2. Core PCE index grew 2.9% in July
The core personal consumption expenditure price index, which excludes volatile food and energy costs, grew 2.9% year over year in July, the New York Times reports on the latest report from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Consumer prices increased by 0.2% during the month from June and were up 2.6%.
Despite higher prices, consumer spending increased by 0.5% in July.
That inflation stayed within expectations will give Federal Reserve officials enough justification to lower interest rates at their next meeting in September, the newspaper reports. Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller urged his colleagues in a speech yesterday to "get on with" cuts and called for a 25 basis point decrease.
3. Calendar shifts will pose challenge for US hoteliers
The calendars and holiday shifts in August and September pose some challenges for U.S. hoteliers, but October is looking up, according to the hosts of "Tell Me More: A Hospitality Data Podcast" in their latest episode.
Compared to the 2024 calendar, this August "loses a Thursday and gains a Sunday," said Isaac Collazo, senior director of analytics for STR. "We have five Sundays in August. That's not a good thing."
Though Yom Kippur falls in early October, because it occurs when Rosh Hashanah did in 2024, there's less a year-over-year impact for the month.
"October should be good, but August and September? Not so good," Collazo said.
4. California prison may become luxury resort again
The California Correctional Facility in Norco may return to its roots as a luxury hotel, Cal Matters reports. The prison facility is set to close next year, and Norco city leaders want to transform it into an upscale resort.
The Norconian Resort opened Feb. 2, 1929, built by city founder Rex Clark. It offered boating, an airfield, horseback riding, mineral baths, tennis, golf and swimming. The resort closed during the Great Depression but later reopened as a Naval hospital the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The property took on many uses in the following decades before housing inmates as a medium-security prison in the 1980s.
“People don’t even know how magnificent this is,” Norco Councilmember Kevin Bash said. “It literally could be the Mission Inn on a hill, looking over a lake, on hundreds of acres.”
5. Trump eyes further tariffs
Citing national security, President Donald Trump's administration is considering imposing new tariffs on things like semiconductors, heavy trucks, pharmaceuticals and ingredients, processed critical minerals as well as commercial aircrafts and parts, the Wall Street Journal reports. This is after the administration expanded its tariffs on steel and aluminum this month.
The administration has been in negotiations with foreign governments over new trade deals, focusing on reciprocal tariffs, according to the article. It's trying to keep these sector-specific tariffs separate from the negotiations, arguing they are based on security imperatives.