Financial Markets and Economy
How Trump's Trade Agenda Will Affect the Dollar (Bloomberg)
Foreign-exchange markets are trying to determine what an era of tariffs and border taxes would mean for the value of the dollar.
Turkish Markets Stabilize as Central Bank Measures Bear Fruit (Bloomberg)
The Turkish central bank’s unorthodox efforts to support the lira are breathing life into the nation’s battered markets even as some investors remain concerned about the effectiveness of the policy maker’s approach.
Global M&A Is Having a Moment With Best Start to Year Since 2000 (Bloomberg)
With pent-up demand from 2016 and the challenges of an unpredictable U.S. administration ahead, companies seeking to get deals done kicked off this year with a bang.
Trump's clumsiness makes the Fed's job easier (Business Insider)
Refugee bans, looming trade wars, and worldwide protests. Investors can be forgiven for forgetting the Federal Reserve is meeting this week to set US interest-rate policy.
Endowment Gains Aren’t Enough for Schools Facing Rising Expenses (Bloomberg)
Yale University’s $25.4 billion endowment declined in value last year even as it posted an investment gain.
Like many colleges, Yale spent more than it earned in the year through June 30. School endowments contribute annually to student aid, faculty salaries and other costs in their operating budgets.
Greek Manufacturing Shrinks Most in 15 Months as Aid Talks Stall (Bloomberg)
Greek manufacturing shrank the most in more than a year in January, highlighting the economy’s weakness at a time the government is trying to break yet another deadlock in bailout talks.
The Bank of Japan (BoJ) left monetary policy unchanged at the conclusion of its January meeting, a decision that was almost unilaterally expected by financial markets.
European Stocks Bounce Back After 3-Day Selloff on Industrials (Bloomberg)
European stocks rallied on Wednesday as shares most sensitive to economic growth such as automakers and industrials climbed after Siemens AG earnings beat estimates and China reported stronger factory data.
Pound’s Export Boost Wanes as Factories Struggle With Costs (Bloomberg)
U.K. factories saw costs rise at a record pace at the start of 2017, pointing to increasing upward pressure on inflation that could weigh on the economy this year.
Housing association L&Q is close to a deal to buy private land business Gallagher Estates for £500 million, according to the Financial Times.
India's government thinks a Universal Basic Income could eradicate poverty (Business Insider)
India is considering a radical idea for tackling poverty: rolling out a Universal Basic Income (UBI), according to a report by the country's Ministry of Finance.
Oil Snoozes After OPEC Jolt as Market Awaits Supply Cut Proof (Bloomberg)
The oil market’s drifting in snooze mode as investors await evidence of global supply curbs aimed at easing a glut.
The $2.5-billion mistake: A gullible Trump bought into Big Pharma's inflated claim about drug R&D costs (Michael Hiltzik, LA Times)
President Trump’s meeting Tuesday with pharmaceutical executives was a theatrical display of chumminess in which all the parties seemed to share deep regret over high and soaring drug prices.
Dow Jones to Cut Jobs Amid Overseas Reorganization (The Wall Street Journal)
Faced with steep declines in advertising revenue, Dow Jones & Co. is reorganizing some of its operations across Europe and Asia to further reduce costs, moves that will result in the layoffs of dozens of news staffers at The Wall Street Journal, according to people familiar with the matter.
Dollar Dumps After Trump Accuses China, Japan Of "Planning Money Markets" (Zero Hedge)
It appears America's 'strong dollar policy' is over. President Trump just commented that "other countries take advantage of America by devaluation," and then Trump directly named China and Japan as "planning money markets," presumably implying manipulation.
6 Gold Statistics That Will Blow You Away (Fool.com)
Gold is an incredibly rare element, which is what makes it so valuable. In fact, it's rarer to find a 1-ounce gold nugget than it is to find a 5-carat diamond.
Why February May Be An Ugly Month For Markets: Here Are BofA's "Danger Signals" (Zero Hedge)
With the S&P500 ending January on the back foot, more pain may be in store for markets in February.
This is the observation of BofA's chief technician Stephen Suttmeyer, who provides several danger signals why bulls may want to be particularly cautious ahead of the coming months.
The Short Seller Who Crushed Valeant Has Picked His Next Target (Bloomberg)
A little more than a year after his improbable takedown of Wall Street darling Valeant Pharmaceuticals, the blustery short seller is at it again. And the head of Citron Research is using the same blueprint as he sets his sights on TransDigm and its founder and Chief Executive Officer Nicholas Howley.
Divergence Between Dumb And Smart Money Confidence Is Approaching Record Levels (Zero Hedge)
Not to be confused with Bloomberg's Smart Money index, one of the more popular proprietary indicators is Sentiment Trader's Smart Money/Dumb Money confidence index. For those unfamiliar, this is how ST explains this useful market timing metric.
Companies
Your Smartphone May Be Destroying Starbucks and Chipotle (Fool.com)
Consumers are not heading to their neighborhood Starbucks(NASDAQ: SBUX) orChipotle Mexican Grill(NYSE: CMG)the way they used to, and the reason for the shift could be in their pocket.
Amazon.com Plans First Air Cargo Hub (The Wall Street Journal)
Amazon.com Inc. said Tuesday it plans to build its first air cargo hub to accommodate its growing fleet of planes, signaling the company is ramping up its expansion into transporting, sorting and delivering its own packages.
U.S. stocks set for gains as Apple drives tech rally (Market Watch)
Wall Street stocks were set for a positive open on Wednesday, with a rally in Apple Inc.’s shares propelling a premarket advance for tech giants after the iPhone maker posted earnings that beat expectations.
Technology
Nintendo Plans to Drop Lots of New Games to Help Steady Out Its Earnings (Fortune)
Japan's Nintendo (NTDOY, -2.68%) on Wednesday said it plans to release two or three smartphone games every year in the hope of stabilizing earnings still highly dependent on its volatile games console business.
Programmable Cells May Be The Next Step Toward Making Us Real-Life Cyborgs (Digital Trends)
With high-tech implants, mind-controlled prostheses, and even head-up displays like Google Glass, it’s pretty clear that the cyborg dream of machine-augmented humans is no longer limited to science fiction.
When Electronic Witnesses Are Everywhere, No Secret’s Safe (Singularity Hub)
On November 22, 2015, Victor Collins was found dead in the hot tub of his co-worker, James Andrew Bates. In the investigation that followed, Bates pleaded innocent but in February was charged with first-degree murder.
Gold-plated iPhone 7s celebrate Trump’s love for Putin (Cult Of Mac)
Still looking for the perfect gift for Valentine’s Day? In the year 2017, nothing says I love you more than a set of matching custom gold iPhones with engravings of U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Politics
Bills Across The Country Could Increase Penalties For Protesters (NPR)
From the Black Lives Matter movement to environmentalists trying to stop new oil pipelines to the recent Women's March against President Trump, the past year has been filled with large, often spontaneous protests.
Trump's defense chief heads to Asia, eying China, North Korea threat (Reuters)
President Donald Trump's defense secretary is expected to underscore U.S. security commitments to key allies South Korea and Japan on his debut trip to Asia this week as concerns mount over North Korea's missile program and tensions with China.
Ex-U.N. chief Ban rules out presidential run in South Korea complaining of 'fake news' (Reuters)
Former U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon, once considered front-runner to be the next South Korean president, ruled out a run for the job on Wednesday, saying he was "disappointed at the selfish ways" of some politicians and complaining of "fake news".
Spicer slams ‘pathetic’ criticism of Holocaust statement that omitted mention of Jews (The Washington Post)
White House press secretary Sean Spicer fired back at critics who he argued are “nitpicking” President Trump's statement on the Holocaust by highlighting the White House's omission of any mention of Jews or anti-Semitism.
Prince Charles warns horrific lessons of WW2 are in danger of being forgotten (The Telegraph)
The Prince of Wales has warned that the world is in danger of "forgetting the lessons of the past" as he risked being accused of involving himself in the row over Donald Trump's immigration ban.
Outtakes From Triumph’s Trip To Trump's Inauguration (Team Coco)
Triumph finds more Trump supporters to poop on and crashes the inaugural concert in outtakes from his hard-hitting report.
Life on the Home Planet
The psychology of why 94 deaths from terrorism are scarier than 301,797 deaths from guns (Quartz)
According to the New America Foundation, jihadists killed 94 people inside the United States between 2005 and 2015. During that same time period, 301,797 people in the US were shot dead, Politifact reports.
Gold-plated iPhone 7s celebrate Trump’s love for Putin (Cult Of Mac)
Still looking for the perfect gift for Valentine’s Day? In the year 2017, nothing says I love you more than a set of matching custom gold iPhones with engravings of U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In a rare group killing, chimpanzees abused and cannibalised their former tyrant's corpse (Science Alert)
Scientists have observed the aftermath of an incredibly rare phenomenon in the animal kingdom: the group killing of a chimpanzee by other animals in the community.
How Heat from the Sun Can Keep Us All Cool (Scientific American)
At Hotel Star Sapphire in Dawei, Myanmar, guests sip from coconuts in cool, air-conditioned comfort as the steamy tropical night rolls on. Seven thousand kilometers to the west, in dry Khartoum, Sudan, patients rest in a United Nations Hospital, cocooned from the baking desert heat.
