Financial Markets and Economy
Dollar Falls With Stocks Amid Dovish Fed Minutes: Markets Wrap (Bloomberg)
The dollar fell while Treasuries advanced after minutes from the Federal Reserve’s latest meeting showed officials confident they can raise rates gradually amid little threat that near-term inflation will accelerate.
U.S. Solar Surged 95% to Become Largest Source of New Energy (Bloomberg)
Solar developers installed a record 14.6 gigawatts in the U.S. last year, almost double the total from 2015 and enough to make photovoltaic panels the largest source of new electric capacity for the first time.
Fed Minutes Could Offer Hints on Timing of Rate Rises, Balance Sheet Moves (The Wall Street Journal)
The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged at its Jan. 31-Feb. 1 meeting, issuing a statement that skirted any signals about the timing of future rate increases, the central bank’s plans for its portfolio of assets or its take on the Trump administration’s fiscal policies.
Why Trump's Immigration Crackdown Could Sink U.S. Home Prices (Bloomberg)
In San Francisco, an Indian software engineer on a work permit canceled plans to bid on a $900,000 home. In Washington, a Brazilian nonprofit executive passed on a fixer-upper near her office.
Hedge funds may see a new dawn, analysts say—but sailing won’t be smooth (Market Watch)
Following a rough 2016, a year marked by high-profile fund closures, redemptions, and underperformance, analysts are increasingly optimistic that the new year, along with the new presidential administration, will mean a turnaround for the beleaguered industry.
Auto Makers Ask EPA’s Pruitt to Reverse Fuel-Economy, Emissions Decision (The Wall Street Journal)
Auto makers asked the Environmental Protection Agency to undo the Obama administration’s decision to lock in future stringent fuel-economy and emissions standards, as the companies seek to take advantage of President Donald Trump’s pledge to roll back regulations.
Hong Kong Halts Stock's 543% Debut in Volatile Equity Market (Bloomberg)
Hong Kong traders are used to seeing strange things on the city’s small-cap exchange, home to some of the world’s biggest price swings. But the initial public offering of GME Group Holdings Ltd. on Wednesday had even hardened market watchers scratching their heads.
The 3 major risks keeping oil executives up at night (Market Watch)
That is one of the key takeaways from the International Petroleum Week in London, where more than 1,500 senior energy executives met to discuss the trends and outlook for the industry.
Wall Street Getting Anxious on Bank Rally as Downgrades Pile Up (Bloomberg)
Among stocks from JPMorgan Chase & Co. to Citigroup Inc., downgrades have outnumbered upgrades by a margin of almost 2-to-1 since the election, according to analyst recommendations compiled by Bloomberg data.
Planting Decision No Brainer as U.S. Farms Swap Corn for Soy (Bloomberg)
Planting decisions for U.S. corn and soybean farmers are a bit of a no-brainer this year. After confronting the prospects of losses on both crops in 2016, soybeans are now more profitable, which means the world’s largest grower may harvest a record crop for a second straight year.
A hot new hedge fund is gearing up for one of this year's biggest launches (Business Insider)
A former Citadel money manager is gearing up for one of this year's biggest hedge fund launches.
Brandon Haley's Holocene Advisors is planning to launch with about $1 billion on April 3, according to people familiar with the situation.
Companies
McDonald's to Cut Prices on Drinks as Industry Slumps (Bloomberg)
McDonald’s Corp., reeling from an industrywide restaurant slump and slowing growth from its all-day breakfast push, is looking to beverages to help perk up the business.
PSA says will honor existing Opel job guarantees (Reuters)
PSA Group (PEUP.PA) has pledged to respect existing Opel and Vauxhall job guarantees if it buys the European arm of General Motors (GM.N), though some analysts say thousands of jobs are eventually likely to go for the deal to work.
Uber CEO Apologizes for Company Culture After Harassment Claims (Bloomberg)
At a meeting open to all Uber Technologies Inc. employees on Tuesday, Travis Kalanick apologized for cultural failings at his company after a former employee alleged she was harassed and discriminated against while working there.
ABB Uncovers $100 Million Korean Fraud as Suspect Vanishes (Bloomberg)
ABB Ltd. uncovered embezzlement at its South Korean subsidiary after the local treasurer suspected of stealing from the company went missing, leaving a $100 million shortfall in last year’s results.
Technology
Apple is ‘looking into’ video of burning iPhone 7 (Mashable)
Brianna Olivas says her rose gold iPhone 7 Plus exploded and began smoking Wednesday morning when her boyfriend grabbed his phone and began recording. The video, which Olivas shared on Twitter later that day, shows smoke pouring out of one side of the phone and the iPhone's case melting away.
Facebook Is Bringing Ad Breaks To More Live And On-Demand Videos (Digital Trends)
Get ready to see ad breaks in more Facebook videos on your News Feed. The company announced on Thursday it is testing its recently launched mid-roll ads feature in on-demand video on its platform. It is also using ad breaks as an incentive to get more Live Video publishers streaming on its platform.
Will drones pull rain from desert clouds? (Popular Science)
Dr. Adam Watts of the Desert Research Institute is standing by the side of the road near Donner Pass, shouting over the wind into his phone to talk about a recent test flight.
Google’s iOS Keyboard gets the one feature it really lacked: voice typing (Tech Crunch)
I really like Gboard. It’s been my primary iOS keyboard since Google launched it back in May of 2016, and it’s pretty much the only third party iOS keyboard that I’ve stuck with for more than a week.
Politics
Trump's new security advisor differs from him on Russia, other key issues (Reuters)
U.S. President Donald Trump has shown little patience for dissent, but that trait is likely to be tested by his new national security adviser, Army Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster.
Mexico Signals Resistance to Harder U.S. Line on Immigration (The Wall Street Journal)
As U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly arrived in Mexico on Wednesday, Mexico’s foreign minister identified the Trump administration’s new immigration guidelines as the main topic of high-level discussions set to begin this evening in Mexico City.
North Korean Embassy Official Sought in Kim Jong Nam Killing (The Wall Street Journal)
Malaysian police identified a North Korean embassy official and a state-owned airline employee among seven suspects still at large in the killing of dictator Kim Jong Un’s half brother here, adding to authorities’ suspicions that Pyongyang was behind the assassination.
Canada PM: will not halt illegal border crossing despite opposition (Reuters)
Canada will continue to accept asylum seekers crossing illegally from the United States but will ensure security measures are taken to keep Canadians safe, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday.
Britain's top court backs government on immigration income test (Reuters)
Britain's top court backed a government attempt to limit immigration by ruling on Wednesday that an income test for those who want to bring their non-European spouses to the UK is acceptable and does not infringe human rights.
The True Story Of The Comey Letter Debacle (Vanity Fair Hive)
When F.B.I. director James Comey reopened the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s e-mails in the final days of the campaign, many saw it as a political move that cost Clinton the presidency. But some insiders suspect Comey had a more personal concern: his own legacy.
Iran ready to give U.S. 'slap in the face': commander (Reuters)
The United States should expect a "strong slap in the face" if it underestimates Iran's defensive capabilities, a commander of the elite Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday, as Tehran concluded war games.
A Russian newspaper editor explains how Putin made Trump his puppet (Vox)
Mikhail Fishman is the editor-in-chief of the Moscow Times, an English-language weekly newspaper published in Moscow. Fishman, a Russian citizen and himself outspoken critic of Putin, has covered Russian politics for more than 15 years.
Conservative provocateur James O'Keefe says he plans to leak 'hundreds of hours of tape' in CNN exposé (Business Insider)
Conservative provocateur James O'Keefe said Tuesday that he plans to release "hundreds of hours of tape" he said would expose CNN.
Spokesman for Turkey's Erdogan calls on Israel to halt 'illegal settlements' (Reuters)
Ibrahim Kalin, the spokesman for President Tayyip Erdogan, made the comment at a news conference in Ankara. Erdogan has previously condemned Israel's decision to ramp up settlements in the West Bank as an "absolute provocation".
Differences between the Obama and Trump administrations' policies on undocumented workers (Policy.Mic)
President Donald Trump has used harsh, often racist language to describe undocumented immigrants. In a now-infamous speech on June 6, 2015, Trump said, "When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best… They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime.
Health and Biotech
Gut Bacteria Could Be Affecting the Body's Response to a New Type of Cancer Treatment (Business Insider)
Cancer immunotherapy – treatments that harness the body's immune system to fight cancer – has been gaining traction in recent years as a new approach to treating the disease.
Life on the Home Planet
Pope Francis: "Texting during meals is the start of war" (Mic)
The man widely known as the "Cool Pope" has made his opinion clear on whether cell phones belong at the dinner table.
Locals Are Freaking Out Over the Weird-as-Hell Carcasses Washing Up in the Philippines (Science Alert)
Strange things are happening on the shores of the Philippines right now, with two massive carcasses washing up in separate locations, sparking questions over what's been dredging them out of the sea.
Arrests Made As Protesters Cleared From Dakota Pipeline Camp (Reuters)
Dozens of armed law enforcement officials swept through a protest camp near the site of the Dakota Access pipeline Thursday, clearing the camp that for months served as a base of opposition to the multi-billion dollar project.
U.S. appeals court upholds Maryland's ban on assault rifles (Reuters)
A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld Maryland's ban on assault rifles, ruling gun owners are not protected under the U.S. Constitution to possess "weapons of war," court documents showed.
