Financial Markets and Economy
As part of the inauguration of President Donald Trump, the new White House rolled out a number of policy promises on its new website.
Dollar Extends Loss as Trump Begins Dismantling Trade Agreements (Bloomberg)
The dollar remained on a defensive footing in U.S. trading after President Trump signed an executive order to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and said he will renegotiate Nafta and introduce a tough border tax, with losses pared only slightly after a Fed official said he favored faster rate hikes than some of his colleagues to avoid the risk that the Fed gets behind the curve.
Trump claims the Keystone XL pipeline will create 7 times more construction jobs than it actually will (Business Insider)
As Donald Trump signed an executive order to advance construction on the Keystone XL Pipeline on January 24, he said the measure would create a "lot of jobs, 28,000 jobs, great construction jobs.”
The close: TSX falls on U.S. protectionism risk, lower oil prices (Reuters)
Canada’s main stock index fell on Monday, pressured by lower oil prices and risk of a more protectionist United States under its new president, Donald Trump.
Northern Dynasty Says It Has Trump Backing, Seeking New Partner (Bloomberg)
Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. expects to resolve a dispute with the U.S. environmental regulator by April to enable it to move ahead with permitting one of the world’s largest undeveloped copper and gold deposits.
GEORGE SOROS: 'These times are not business as usual. Wishing you the best in a troubled world' (Business Insider)
Well before Donald Trump was elected president of the United States, I sent a holiday greeting to my friends that read: “These times are not business as usual. Wishing you the best in a troubled world.” Now I feel the need to share this message with the rest of the world.
Gundlach sees Trump views weakening dollar, boosting TIPS demand (Reuters)
Jeffrey Gundlach, who oversees more than $101 billion of assets as chief executive of DoubleLine Capital, has predicted a weaker dollar and more demand for inflation-protected securities now that U.S. President Donald Trump has "doubled down" on his stance regarding trade and securing jobs in America.
Heed the Fed's Balance Sheet Banter (Bloomberg)
The changing of the political guard in Washington shouldn't overshadow some radical developments happening across town at the Federal Reserve, where it's as if the doves have donned hawks’ feathers and flown the coop.
The FTC is suing 2 drug companies for obstructing generic competition (Business Insider)
The Federal Trade Commission has re-filed complaints against two drug companies for obstructing generic drug competition, with one company agreeing to settle with the agency.
Rates on US Treasury bills drop at weekly auction (Associated Press)
Interest rates on short-term Treasury bills fell in Monday's auction, with rates on three-month bills dropping to their lowest level since early December.
Inside Wall Street’s Secret War on American Investors (Money)
If your doctor prescribed only brand-name medications because he received a kickback from the pharmaceutical company, he’d probably end up in jail. But when financial advisors put your money in investments that pay juicy commissions? The picture hasn't been quite so clear cut—and an effort to change the rules is now hanging by a thread.
History Tells Us That Silver Will Lead (Andrew Hecht, Seeking Alpha)
Silver has always been and will always be one of my favorite commodities to trade. Few commodities can compare when it comes to the potential for reward as gold's little brother.
Trump Warns "We Are Going To Be Imposing A Very Major Border Tax", Will "Cut Regulations By 75%" (Zero Hedge)
One look at the Dollar Index in the last week and it's clear just how 'variable' President Trump's position has been on trade and so-called 'border adjustments'.
Companies
Verizon Stock Downgraded: What You Need to Know (Fool.com)
The first full week of the Donald Trump presidency is dawning bleak for Verizon Communications(NYSE: VZ) shareholders — but don't blame the presidentOpens a New Window. Blame Wells Fargo instead, for downgrading Verizon stock.
Citi mortgage units fined $28.8 million (CNN)
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ordered CitiFinancial Servicing and CitiMortgage to pay $28.8 million for giving "the runaround" to cash-strapped homeowners who were facing foreclosure.
Yahoo's 4Q Shows Modest Strides Amis Security Breach Fallout (Associated Press)
Yahoo's financial performance improved slightly during the fourth quarter while the company dealt with the fallout from massive security breaches that have jeopardized the $4.8 billion sale of its internet operations to Verizon Communications.
Technology
China cracks down on VPNs, making it harder to circumvent Great Firewall (The Guardian)
China has begun a crackdown on the use of virtual private networks, or VPNs, making it harder for internet users to circumvent the Great Firewall.
Right to Repair bills introduced in five states (Engadget)
Anyone with a cracked iPhone screen knows what a pain it is to go through Apple to get it repaired. You have to make a Genius Bar appointment, which may or may not still require you to wait around for a service technician.
Humanoid beer-and-pizza-fetching robot is charmingly retro (Engadget)
Delivery robots are starting to hit the streets, but few do it with as much joie de vivre as a new device called the Fundroid.
The discovery that all life is underpinned by a genetic code has changed our understanding of everything in biology. And, yet, given that DNA is thousands of times smaller than a human hair, most of the applications that involve its use have remained restricted to sophisticated labs.
Politics
Republicans propose giving U.S. states option to keep Obamacare (Reuters)
Two Republican senators said on Monday that U.S. states should be allowed to stay in the Obamacare medical insurance program if they like, with one also saying she was confused by President Donald Trump's broad but unspecific executive order targeting the program.
Trump's Press Secretary Tries For A Reset, But Goes On To Lament Negative Narrative (NPR)
Like Rodney Dangerfield, the Trump administration apparently feels it gets no respect.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer on Monday launched into a lengthy defense of statements made by him and President Trump, and of criticisms of the president.
Cramer: Standing by his message, Trump 'slamming the door' on offshoring (CNBC)
President Donald Trump is "slamming the door" on American corporations wishing to do business abroad, CNBC's Jim Cramer said on Monday.
US Health Officials Cancel Climate Conference; Don't Say Why (Associated Press)
The government's top public health agency has canceled a conference next month on climate change and health but isn't saying why publicly.
Trump Administration Restricts News from Federal Scientists at USDA, EPA (Scientific American)
Pres. Donald Trump’s administration moved quickly this week to shore up its control over communications with the public and the press, as officials at the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture e-mailed staff to inform them that they may no longer discuss agency research or departmental restrictions with anyone outside of the agency—including news media.
Trump has gagged the US Agriculture Department’s research arm from publicly sharing its work (Quartz)
An order of silence has been handed down to the US Department of Agriculture’s research arm, prohibiting the taxpayer-funded agency from releasing its work to the public, according to a report by BuzzFeed.
As Donald Trump was sworn into office as the new president of the US on Jan. 20, a group of around 60 programmers and scientists were gathered in the Department of Information Studies building at the University of California-Los Angeles, harvesting government data.
The so-called Trump rally hasn't been an actual rally since mid-December (CNBC)
Here are some things to keep in mind when referring to the "Trump Rally"…
The S&P 500 is up nearly 6% since Trump was elected, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the Trump Rally is still on.
Crews Restore Power To Most Of Hawaii's Lanai Island (Associated Press)
Crews restored power to most of the residents of Hawaii's Lanai Island early Tuesday, but people living in one small town remain without electricity, Maui Electric Co. said.
Trump bans EPA employees from giving social media updates (The HIll)
President Trump has banned employees of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from giving social media updates and speaking with reporters, according to The Associated Press.
Life on the Home Planet
15 things that may be hard to do, but could change your life forever (Business Insider)
What makes someone uncomfortable depends on the person, but what's universally true is the value of recognizing boundaries and continually pushing them.
11 Simple Ways to Improve Your Memory (Mental Floss)
Whether you want to be a Jeopardy! champion or just need to remember where you parked your car, here are 11 things you can do right now to turn your mind from a sieve into a steel trap.
11 Coffee Stats that Will Blow You Away (Fool.com)
For centuries, millions of people around the world have enjoyed the energizing effects of coffee. Incredibly, even after hundreds of years of growth, worldwide coffee consumption remains on the rise.
Scientists have found the cause of New York's recent drug-fuelled 'zombie' outbreak (Science Alert)
Researchers have identified the cause of a drug-induced 'zombie' outbreak in New York last July, pinning the blame on the chemical AMB-FUBINACA – a custom-made designer drug that's known to be a public health concern.
