News You Can Use From Phil’s Stock World

Financial Markets and Economy

How North Korea gets its oil from China: lifeline in question at U.N. meeting (Reuters)

As the United Nations Security Council decides whether to tighten the sanctions screws on North Korea, the country's increasingly isolated government could lose a lifeline provided by state-owned China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC).

Anything-But-Soft Earnings Data Starting to Smack of Rally Years (Bloomberg)

Among the spate of bullish trends visible after three weeks of earnings reports: analysts, who almost always cut full-year estimates in April, are now raising them, pushing forecasts for S&P 500 operating income above 11 percent.

Icahn's oil refiner reports plunge in biofuels bill in first quarter (Reuters)

Biofuels compliance expenses for CVR Energy's refining unit fell to the lowest level in almost five years during the first quarter, the company said on Thursday, as the U.S. government weighs an overhaul of its renewable fuels policy.

Equities slip after weak U.S. GDP; euro strengthens (Reuters)

World stock markets dipped on Friday, as U.S. equities retreated after a soft reading on first-quarter economic growth, while the euro strengthened as euro zone inflation rose to hit the European Central Bank's target.

New Yorkers Flock to Booming Sun Belt as Trek South Resumes (Bloomberg)

Susan Gifford moved last August from Rome, New York, to Garden City, South Carolina, where she lives in a home two miles from the beach. “The weather was the motivating factor, getting away from winter,” the 67-year-old retired teacher said.

How Trump’s stock market ranks on his 100th day in office (Market Watch)

President Donald Trump has reached a major milestone in his presidency: His 100th day in office.

And although Trump’s presidential victories since after he took the oath of office on Jan. 20 have been thin on the ground as he confronts major headwinds in implementing many of the pro-growth initiatives that helped him to win the Nov. 8 election against Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, the market has been resilient.

A key indicator of a healthy housing market is flashing red in London (Business Insider)

Transaction volumes in London — the number of houses being bought and sold — are at an all-time low, according to analysis of Land Registry data in three London boroughs.

Companies

Greenpeace gatecrashes Credit Suisse shareholder meeting (Reuters)

Activists from environment group Greenpeace gatecrashed Credit Suisse's annual shareholder meeting on Friday to protest against the Swiss bank's dealings with companies behind the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL).

Tesla Is Halting Door-to-Door Sales for SolarCity Amid Slowdown (Bloomberg)

Tesla Inc. is doing away with SolarCity Corp.’s door-to-door sales business as it works to integrate the rooftop solar company it bought for $2 billion last year.

J&J to Pay $20 Million in Vaginal-Mesh Case as Other Trials Loom (Bloomberg)

Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay $20 million to a New Jersey woman who blames the company’s vaginal-mesh inserts for leaving her in constant pain as the company prepares for a new wave of trials over the medical devices.

GoPro stock plummets 8% to seventh-lowest close (Market Watch)

GoPro Inc. may have closed its entertainment division, botched two product launches and fired a bunch of people in the past 12 months, but some analysts are encouraging investors to hang on.

Technology

The Samsung Galaxy S8 Has A Random Reboot Problem And Nobody Knows Why (Digital Trends)

With the launch of any new tech product — especially one as unique and innovative as Samsung’s Galaxy S8 — there are bound to be some hiccups. Since the phone’s launch last week, we have heard about some of them, relating to red-tinted displays and wireless charging. Now, it seems a growing number of users are running into a more serious issue: Random reboots.

Google is working with NASCAR to test new high-speed wireless technology (Business Insider)

Google's wireless broadband team has a new target market: NASCAR racecars.

The company is seeking permission from the FCC for an experimental radio license to test "the transmission of broadband data from racecars to transportable/fixed base stations located at racetrack facilities."

Alexa can now whisper sweet nothings and cuss, kinda (Mashable Asia)

Alexa is always there for those of us with Amazon's AI-enabled speakers, but when she speaks, sometimes it's hard to tell that she really cares. 

Military social network wants you to hire a vet for your next tech opening (Tech Crunch)

Veteran-focused social platform Sandboxx wants to pair its community members with experts who can ease their transition back into the workforce — and hopefully even land them a job.

Whoops. Millions of Android phones are wide open to hackers (Mashable Asia)

A group of researchers has determined that hundreds of apps in the store have a gaping security hole that potentially allows hackers to implant malware and steal data from millions of Android smartphones. 

There's a slackbot for people who like to shit where they eat (Engadget)

Online dating and work chat apps have been separate entities for entirely logical, productive and HR-compliant reasons. But a dating app-maker has decided that the line dividing office life and love life should be blurred with the help of a chatbot for the reigning king of productivity services, Slack.

Politics

EU President Donald Tusk: UK needs to sort out 'people, money and Ireland' before Brexit trade talks (AFP)

EU President Donald Tusk said Britain must first settle the key divorce issues of "people, money and Ireland" before any talks on a post-Brexit trade deal.

Donald Trump’s first 100 days have been a moneymaking success story (Vox)

Donald Trump attracted a reputation over the years as a ruthless and unscrupulous businessman. He said on the campaign trail that having been “greedy all my life,” he now wanted to be greedy on behalf of the American people — but nobody seriously believed him. 

Congress to Vote Friday on Bill to Keep Government Open for a Week (The Wall Street Journal)

Lawmakers prepared to vote Friday on a weeklong spending bill needed to avoid a shutdown of the U.S. government on Saturday, but Democratic resistance added uncertainty and volatility to the day.

Exclusive: 'If there's a shutdown, there's a shutdown,' Trump says (Reuters)

President Donald Trump downplayed the severity of a potential government shutdown on Thursday, just two days shy of a deadline for Congress to reach a spending deal to avert temporary layoffs of federal workers.

Trump’s Tax Plan Hits Its First Land Mine: Blue-State Republicans (Bloomberg)

President Donald Trump’s pledge to repeal Obamacare ran into a Republican buzz saw. Now, his ambitious proposal to cut taxes is again encountering GOP opposition — from lawmakers in Democratic-leaning states.

Tillerson Seeks to Boost Pressure on North Korea at UN Meeting (Bloomberg)

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will use his first visit to the UN Security Council to try to show North Korea that the world is united against its ambition of developing nuclear weapons and the missiles capable of delivering them.

Trump spurns Taiwan president's suggestion of another phone call (Reuters)

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday spurned the Taiwanese president’s suggestion that the two leaders hold another phone call, saying he did not want to create problems for Chinese President Xi Jinping when Beijing appears to be helping efforts to rein in North Korea.

Why Donald Trump Decided to Back Off Nafta Threat (The Wall Street Journal)

President Donald Trump was prepared to end the North American Free Trade Agreement deal, which had governed trade relations for the past 23 years, with a dramatic announcement Saturday at a Pennsylvania political rally marking his 100th day in office.

French Presidential candidate Macron is banishing pro-Kremlin media from the campaign trail (AFP)

French presidential frontrunner Emmanuel Macron's campaign has banished Russia Today and Sputnik, denying them accreditation after the candidate's team said the pro-Kremlin outlets publish misleading information.

Trump complains Saudis not paying fair share for U.S. defense (Reuters)

President Donald Trump complained on Thursday that U.S. ally Saudi Arabia was not treating the United States fairly and Washington was losing a “tremendous amount of money” defending the kingdom.

Critics Question Top US Prosecutor's Style After Blunt Words (Associated Press)

Critics of Attorney General Jeff Sessions say his blunt style could strain relationships with law enforcement officials.

Health and Biotech

Are there any hay fever treatments that really work? (The Guardian)

Every week a Guardian Money reader submits a question, and it’s up to you to help him or her out – a selection of the best answers will appear in next Saturday’s paper.

US Yellow Fever Vaccine Supply Will Be Gone by This Summer, but the CDC Has a Plan (The Washington Post)

US health officials on Friday warned of a new complication in the fight to contain mosquito-borne viruses spreading around the world: The country's supply of yellow fever vaccine is dwindling and will likely be completely gone by this summer – with no way to make more because of a manufacturing problem.

This Cheap, Old Drug Can Save Thousands of New Mothers From Bleeding to Death (Science Alert)

A large international trial has showed that a cheap, readily available drug could save the lives of thousands of women each year who suffer from excessive bleeding after giving birth.

Aspirin May Prevent Cancer from Spreading, New Research Shows (Scientific American)

If ever there was a wonder drug, aspirin might be it. Originally derived from the leaves of the willow tree, this mainstay of the family medicine cabinet has been used successfully for generations to treat conditions ranging from arthritis to fever, as well as to prevent strokes, heart attacks and even some types of cancer, among other ills.

Life on the Home Planet

The Scientists Fighting to Save Us From a World Without Coffee (Bloomberg)

While Washington debates whether climate change is a hoax or an imminent threat, the world coffee industry is not waiting for the American government to take action to protect its business.

Flood of Cuban migrants to United States shrinks to a trickle (Reuters)

The flood of Cubans to the United States via perilous journeys by sea or land has turned into a mere trickle since the end of the U.S. preferential asylum policy for them, data obtained by Reuters shows.

Why More Couples Are Signing Postnuptial Agreements (Bloomberg)

He cheats. She wants a divorce. He pleads for forgiveness. She’ll stay, for a price: If they ever do divorce, she wants the house, the car, and a hefty slice of their other assets.

Fyre Festival expectations vs. reality — here's what attendees thought they were getting when they bought $12,000 tickets (Business Insider)

Fyre Festival attendees were expecting the VIP experience when they set off to Great Exuma in the Bahamas. But the reality was very different: delayed flights, half-built huts to sleep in, and cold cheese sandwiches to eat.