Financial Markets and Economy
S&P 500 hits record on rebound in U.S. job growth, energy shares (Reuters)
Major U.S. stock indexes gained on Friday, with the S&P 500 ending at a record high close, as energy stocks bounced back along with oil prices and U.S. job growth rebounded.
Oil Prices Bounce Back From Five-Month Lows (The Wall Street Journal)
Crude futures bounced back from five-month lows Friday, following a week of steep losses globally as investors continue to worry about brimming crude inventories.
OPEC Runs Out of Options as Bid to Boost Oil Price Fizzles (Bloomberg)
OPEC’s plan to boost oil prices by cutting production has fizzled, yet it has little choice but to stick with it.
Stocks are stuck in a 'Seinfeld market' (Business Insider)
The stock market had a lot in common with acclaimed sitcom "Seinfeld" last week. Except instead of laughing, investors simply yawned.
One of Venezuela’s Biggest Investors Would Welcome Regime Change (Bloomberg)
One of the biggest holders of Venezuelan debt says the country — and its investors — would be better off with a new government.
Iran Will Go Along With Whatever OPEC Decides on Oil Cuts (Bloomberg)
Iran will go along with whatever decision OPEC makes at its meeting later this month on whether to extend oil production cuts beyond June, Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said.
BOJ's Kuroda Jokes That His Former Job at ADB Was More Exciting (Bloomberg)
Haruhiko Kuroda joked on Saturday that his previous role running the Asian Development Bank was more exciting than the assignment he’s taken on as governor of the Bank of Japan.
Yellen's solution for the US economy: More working women (CNN)
If women worked at the same rate as men, the US economy would be 5% bigger, according to Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, who cited a 2012 study.
Signs abound that the U.S. stock market is headed higher (Market Watch)
The stock market had a certain amount of negative events hurled at it, from Syria and the back-and-forth brinkmanship between North Korea and the Trump administration, to the innumerable mishaps from the White House.
Stocks just did this for the first time since the Beatles landed in U.S. (Market Watch)
The stock market just did something it hasn’t done in 53 years. As of Friday, the S&P 500 moved less than 20 points in either direction eight days in a row, the longest streak since the Beatles first visited North America.
Goldman says oil prices on the brink of ‘capitulation’ (Market Watch)
After crude-oil prices took a beating over the past week, falling to their lowest level since before OPEC-led a deal to curb output in November, analysts at Goldman Sachs say crude may reaching a “capitulation” point.
Bank Of Japan "Bought The Dip" Over Half The Time In The Last 4 Years (Zero Hedge)
A year ago, we noted that The Bank of Japan (BoJ) was a Top 10 holder in 90% of Japanese stocks. In December, we showed that BoJ was the biggest buyer of Japanese stocks in 2016. And now, as The FT reports, the real "whale" of the Japanese markets is stepping up its buying (up over 70% YoY) entering the market on down days more than half the time in the last four years.
Companies
Uber faces criminal probe over software used to evade authorities (Reuters)
The U.S. Department of Justice has begun a criminal investigation into Uber Technologies Inc's use of a software tool that helped its drivers evade local transportation regulators, two sources familiar with the situation said.
Turkish court rejects Wikipedia's appeal over website's blocking: Anadolu (Reuters)
A Turkish court on Friday rejected an appeal by the online encyclopedia Wikipedia against a government decision to block access to its website, the state-run Anadolu news agency said, a case that has heightened concerns about censorship in Turkey.
Airbnb And Hotels Need Each Other, They Just Don't Know It Yet (Forbes)
Over the last few weeks, the underground war between home-sharing startup Airbnb and the hotel industry has bubbled to the surface.
With maiden jet flight, China enters dog-fight with Boeing, Airbus (Reuters)
China's home-grown C919 passenger jet completed its long-delayed maiden flight on Friday, a major first step for Beijing as it looks to raise its profile in the global aviation market and boost high-tech manufacturing at home.
Technology
Google Drive now hosts more than 2 trillion files (Business Insider)
Google likes to talk about its stable of billion-user products — apps and services that have more than 1 billion people around the world using them.
How To Use Apple Clips: The Perfect Video App For Your Social Feeds (Digital Trends)
The Apple Clips app specializes in making video clips, ones specifically designed to be shared on social media. You are probably already familiar with Stories on Facebook and Instagram, but Apple Clips separates these into a standalone app that is more powerful and easier to use.
Breakthrough Photography Filters Are Built To Last With Tempered Glass (Digital Trends)
Tempered glass has been used for everything from smartphone screen protectors to car windshields, but now, the durable big bother of plain old glass is coming to photography filters, too.
WebVR gaming is virtual reality’s sweet spot (Venture Beat)
One of the first major categories that will firmly root the VR industry into the mainstream will be gaming. It makes sense that, at least initially, massive traction will begin where the priority is on fun and social content.
Android Pay could use your face to authenticate loyalty programs (Engadget)
It's not that hard to add points to your loyalty cards on Android Pay, but it looks like Google is mulling on an experimental feature to automate the process. 9to5google has torn the latest version of the app apart and found lines of code that hint at a feature called "Visual ID," which authenticates your loyalty points by using facial recognition.
What Is Microsoft's Grand Plan for Phones? (Gizmodo)
It has been nearly two years since Microsoft introduced a new Windows phone. Sure, HP is still making Windows phones and marketing them to businesses, but Microsoft has been basically silent on the subject of its flagging mobile platform since 2015.
Politics
Softening his approach, Trump helps seal a healthcare deal (Reuters)
U.S. President Donald Trump, on his third try at overhauling Obamacare, sent no tweets attacking fellow Republicans, set no deadlines and issued no public ultimatums. Lawmakers who met with him said he spoke with them, not at them.
14 Players to Watch in Senate’s Health-Care Overhaul (The Wall Street Journal)
The Senate becomes the arena for debating changes to the nation’s health-insurance system, now that the House has passed its overhaul of the Affordable Care Act. Here are some of the senators who will affect the course of the overhaul legislation, with the roles they play in the chamber.
Senate Moves Obamacare Repeal to Slow Lane After House Vote (Bloomberg)
Passage of the House’s health-care bill gives the Obamacare repeal effort new life after months of wrangling, but key Republican senators are already pushing it aside to write their own bill with no clear timetable to act.
Macron stretches lead in last throes of French presidential campaign (Reuters)
Centrist French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron extended his lead in the polls over his far-right rival Marine Le Pen on Friday, the final day of campaigning in a tumultuous election race that has turned the country's politics upside down.
Merkel's Party Rebound Faces First Test in German State Vote (Bloomberg)
In the shadow of France’s presidential vote, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is facing a test of her party’s renewed strength in a state election this weekend as she builds up her campaign for a fourth term in September.
French election commission looks into claims by Le Pen campaign of ballot tampering (Business Insider)
The Le Pen campaign told the commission on Friday night that electoral administrators in several regions, including in Ardeche, Savoie, and the Loire, had found Le Pen ballots that had been "systematically torn up," the AP writes.
Saudi Arabia says Trump visit to enhance cooperation in fighting extremism (Reuters)
Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said on Thursday that an upcoming visit to the kingdom by U.S. President Donald Trump would enhance cooperation between the United States and Muslim countries in the fight against extremism.
Money is pouring in on Macron to win the French election (Business Insider)
Centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen are set to square off in the second round of the French Presidential election this Sunday.
Health and Biotech
Drugmaker Wins FDA Approval for First New ALS Drug in Decades (Bloomberg)
Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp. won U.S. approval for its medication to treat Lou Gehrig’s disease, the first new drug for the condition in more than two decades and just the second approved option for patients with the rare and deadly muscle-weakening ailment.
FDA Approves First ALS Drug in Over Two Decades (The Wall Street Journal)
The Food and Drug Administration approved the first drug in more than two decades for the treatment of ALS, the paralyzing and fatal malady often called Lou Gehrig’s disease.
A New Street Drug Can Kill You by Touching Your Skin: What You Need to Know (Anti Media)
The opioid epidemic is a real tragedy. It has been devastating states like West Virginia, Vermont, and Maine — among others — and it’s been the number one factor in a major incarceration shift that is still seldom discussed by the media.
Life on the Home Planet
U.S. Jet Fighters Flex Muscle Amid Russia Tensions (The Wall Street Journal)
The Pentagon has deployed its newest combat plane, the stealthy F-35A fighter, to Europe for a first overseas training mission in a show of allied strength intended in part to deter Russian aggression.
Influence of English is fading, says EU chief Juncker (Reuters)
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker took a swipe at Britain on Friday, saying he would not give a speech in English because the language was becoming less significant following Brexit.
Fourteen Horse Owners Who Won Big and Often at the Kentucky Derby (Bloomberg)
The owner whose horse wins the 143rd running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday should cherish the victory?it could be their only win. Only 14 horse owners have had two or more Derby victories since the race began in 1875.
Iraqi forces gain foothold in northwest Mosul after surprise new push (Reuters)
Iraqi forces pushed further into Mosul from the north on the second day of a new push to speed up the nearly seven-month attempt to dislodge Islamic State, commanders said on Friday.
Pakistani, Afghan troops exchange fire on border, several killed (Reuters)
Pakistani and Afghan troops exchanged fire for several hours on Friday along their disputed border, officials on both sides said, as tension between the neighbors flared into deadly violence.
