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Veterans hit highways: The Trump administration has launched the “Freedom Haulers” campaign to help U.S. veterans enter the trucking industry faster by expanding CDL testing waivers for qualified military drivers and promoting veteran-focused licensing programs. Trump also announced that seven more states, including Louisiana, have joined a program allowing approved military drivers to exchange their credentials for civilian CDLs.The initiative allows eligible veterans with recent heavy military vehicle experience and clean records to skip the CDL road test. The Center Square has the full story.
Wage watch: U.S. labor costs rose at a steady pace in the second quarter, with the employment cost index increasing 3.4% year over year and 0.9% quarterly, suggesting limited new inflation pressure from the job market. Wage growth remained moderate, while inflation-adjusted compensation declined and employer health benefit costs continued to rise faster than salaries. The report indicates the labor market is largely balanced, with the Federal Reserve watching upcoming jobs data for further signs on hiring and inflation trends. Bloomberg has the full story.
Oversight questions: States and prediction market platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket are clashing over whether event-based contracts should be treated as financial products or regulated gambling. State officials argue the platforms bypass gambling laws and raise concerns about consumer protection and addiction, while companies contend they are federally regulated commodity exchanges that need national rules instead of state-by-state oversight. The dispute has led to lawsuits, regulatory battles and growing scrutiny over issues including sports betting, insider trading risks, tribal gaming rights and the future of prediction markets. Stateline has the full story.
