WORLD
Donald Trump signs order to firewall Venezuela oil revenue held in US
President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring a national emergency to protect Venezuelan oil revenue held in US accounts from seizure, aiming to preserve funds for US foreign policy and economic goals.
WORLD
Elon Musk calls UK ‘fascist’ as row over X’s Grok AI images escalates
The UK watchdog responsible for flagging online child sexual-abuse material to law enforcement agencies said it had found “criminal” images on the dark web allegedly generated by Grok.
MARKETS
Walmart to join Nasdaq 100 on January 20 as AstraZeneca exits
Walmart’s addition follows its move last year to shift its stock listing from the New York Stock Exchange to Nasdaq, the largest exchange transfer on record.
BUSINESS
Wall Street’s risk-on fever shows no signs of abating in new year
While Friday’s employment report spurred another bout of buying in stocks, the data was soggy enough to keep some market observers from declaring a full-blown revival in growth.
BUSINESS
Trump calls for one-year cap on credit card rates at 10%
It’s not clear whether credit card companies will respond to his call or what actions he might take to force any change. He called for the cap to be effective on Jan. 20.
WORLD
Trump says he’ll get deal on Greenland, ‘easy way’ or ‘hard way’
“I would like to make a deal, you know, the easy way. But if we don’t do it the easy way, we’re going to do it the hard way,” Trump told reporters Friday at the White House.
WORLD
Trump pressures big oil for $100 billion Venezuela spend
Trump said he foresaw the companies making the expenditures without federal assistance, saying oil companies will be “spending at least $100 billion of their money, not the government’s money.”
WORLD
Labor’s share of US GDP drops to record low in data back to 1947
The measure known as the labor share fell to 53.8% in the period, down from 54.6% in the previous quarter and an average of 55.6% in the 2020s so far, according to the BLS report on labor productivity and costs published Thursday.
BUSINESS
Apple CEO’s compensation holds steady at about $74 million
The $74.3 million in pay included a salary of $3 million, a level unchanged from recent years, Apple said in a regulatory filing on Thursday. Cook had $74.6 million in compensation the previous year.
WORLD
Asian stocks to rise before payrolls, oil jumps
The dollar was slightly stronger Thursday, while oil moved higher as investors monitored developments in Venezuela and Iran. Silver retreated further from its record struck earlier in the week, while gold inched higher.
BUSINESS
Meta hires former DOGE, Trump election lawyer as lobbyist
Bill McGinley’s high-profile hire is the latest indication of the company’s increasingly cozy relationship with President Donald Trump and his administration.
WORLD
Microsoft founder Allen’s estate sells stake in $11 billion firm
Allen’s estate last year agreed to sell the Trail Blazers to a group led by investor Tom Dundon, adding to earlier disposals of his art collection as well as a 414-foot superyacht, Octopus.
BUSINESS
Boeing CEO sees more work on company turnaround in 2026
Boeing got an added boost when long-time customer Alaska Air Group Inc. unveiled the largest airplane order in its history on Wednesday.
WORLD
US spy chief Gabbard excluded from Maduro plan over past views
As a Democratic congresswoman in 2019, Gabbard said the US needs to “stay out” of Venezuela, and as recently as last month she railed against “warmongers” pushing the US into conflict.
WORLD
Post-Maduro 124% rally stuns Venezuela’s battered stock exchange
Apart from being shallow — with a total market capitalization of $22.5 billion at the official exchange rate and fewer than 40 listed companies — local stocks also face regulatory hurdles and currency concerns that hinder both local and foreign investment.
BUSINESS
Trump's Venezuela meeting is shaping up to be a who's who of us oil
Exxon and ConocoPhillips previously operated there but left after their assets were nationalized by Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chávez, in the mid-2000s.
CURRENCY
Dollar defies Trump turmoil, rising with focus on the fed’s path
Traders ratcheted up their bets against the US currency heading into the new year, wagering it would be dragged down again as the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates, giving global investors incentive to shift cash to places where payouts are higher.
WORLD
Trump cuts shrink federal workforce across nearly all agencies
The new system will report changes monthly. OPM is also releasing monthly statistics — like retirement eligibility, performance scores and telework — that were often inconsistently reported across agencies.
BUSINESS
China to approve Nvidia H200 buying as soon as this quarter
However, the H200 chip will be barred from the military, sensitive government agencies, critical infrastructure and state-owned enterprises due to security concerns
BUSINESS
HSBC agrees to pay €300 million to end French tax dividend probes
HSBC said in court on Thursday that the bank acknowledges the underlying facts, which involved transactions carried out by traders in Paris between 2014 and 2019
INDIA
Germany and India on verge of $8 billion submarine agreement
The agreement, negotiated ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s visit to the South Asian nation next week, would for the first time include technology transfer for submarine production,
WORLD
US unveils strategy on Venezuelan oil, spurring sudden rush for access
The return of Venezuelan barrels to US buyers could mark one of the most significant shifts in global energy markets in recent years
WORLD
No room for another superpower: Trump opens new front against China with Maduro arrest
The US military’s raid on Venezuela marked an audacious debut of what Trump has called the 'Donroe Doctrine'
BUSINESS
Ford hints at robotaxis with plans for eyes-off-road technology
Ford said Wednesday it will launch so-called Level 3 autonomy in 2028 on its Blue Cruise driver-assist feature that currently allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel, but requires them to keep their eyes on the road
