The banking caucus Economic stability and improved bank safety haven’t stopped supporters of the Choice Act from moving forward with tearing down Dodd-Frank. The bill was introduced in September by Rep. Jeb Hensarling, a Texas Republican who is a deregulation crusader and friend of Vice President Mike Pence; Pence represented Indiana in the House from 2001 to 2013 and was a critic of Dodd-Frank when the law […]
TOKYO Asian shares inched up to four-month highs while the dollar was finding its feet on Thursday after the U.S. Federal Reserve stuck to its mildly upbeat economic view but gave no hint of accelerating rate hikes. While strong economic data from the United States and elsewhere have underpinned risk assets, uncertainty and concerns over U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies have markets on edge. “With many of […]
The death of Chief Petty Officer William Owens came after a chain of mishaps and misjudgments that plunged the elite commandos into a ferocious 50-minute firefight that also left three troops wounded and a $75 million aircraft deliberately destroyed. There are allegations — which the Pentagon acknowledged on Wednesday night are most likely correct — that the mission also killed several civilians, including some children. The dead […]
February 2, 2017 by: Hudson Lockett in Hong Kong Thursday 02.00 GMT Overview Stock markets were mixed in Asia after the US Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged but hinted at further rises this year. The Australian dollar gained against its US counterpart on data showing a record trade surplus, while oil pared back some of Wednesday’s gains. Hot topic The Australian dollar gained 0.6 per cent […]
A law clerk from Toronto and a paralegal in Montreal commanded a prolific corporate empire of nearly 200 companies over the past 25 years — while knowing nothing about the businesses or the multimillion-dollar deals bearing their names, they say. Karen McIntyre of Toronto and Annette Laroche of the Montreal area both say they filed company tax returns without any idea if the numbers were accurate, signed […]
By Shihar Aneez | HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka China signed a deal with Sri Lanka late last year to further develop the strategic port of Hambantota and build a huge industrial zone nearby, a key part of Beijing’s ambitions to create a modern-day “Silk Road” across Asia. The agreement was welcome relief for the island nation of 20 million people. As they try to reduce […]
Researchers have set a new record in the transfer of information via superdense coding, a process by which the properties of particles like photons, protons and electrons are used to store as much information as possible. (via WSJ)
By Radu-Sorin Marinas and Luiza Ilie | BUCHAREST BUCHAREST More than 250,000 Romanians demonstrated on Wednesday against a government decree decriminalising some graft offences, seen as the biggest retreat on reforms since the country joined the European Union in 2007. Romania’s top judicial watchdog, the Superior Magistrates’ Council (CSM), earlier in the day filed a constitutional court challenge to the decree unveiled by the new Social Democrat […]
Brady started getting questions about Trump last fall when a red “Make America Great Again” cap was spotted in his Gillette Stadium locker, reportedly put there by Kraft. Brady at first gave sheepish, gee-whiz responses suggesting that it would be cool to have a golf pal as president. (“There’d be a putting green on the White House lawn,” he predicted.) But the questions took on an edgier […]
Apple CEO Tim Cook says that he remains “bullish,” but the numbers suggest that this is little more than putting a brave face on things. Must read: Five things you shouldn’t buy from Apple The problem facing the iPad is that it’s past its peak. In fact, “peak iPad” was three years ago, when in 1Q 14 Apple sold 26 million iPads. It’s been downhill from there, […]
India’s Finance Minister Arun Jaitley managed a fine balancing act in his budget announcement Wednesday, increasing spending to stimulate growth while at the same time ensuring the government’s financial health isn’t weakened. Investors reacted positively to his announcements, as the benchmark stock index climbed as much as 1.8% after he presented the budget to Parliament. Measures to boost a variety of sectors and strengthen the government’s efforts […]
Whenever pressure mounts on the American press to be more responsible, my reflex is to consult an ancient guide for wisdom. Published in 1947, “A Free and Responsible Press” is the work of a World War II-era commission, sponsored by Time magazine founder Henry Luce and led by Robert M. Hutchins, perhaps the leading intellectual of his day. Its formal name is “Report of the Commission on […]
By Bernie Woodall | DETROIT DETROIT Automakers on Wednesday are likely to report a 3 percent decline in U.S. auto sales for January after a surprisingly strong December stole some thunder from the start of the new year, industry analysts and economists said. Still, with December’s good showing pulling sales from January, normally the weakest month of the year in terms of sales volume, some analysts cautioned […]
After yesterday US officials reported that Iran conducted a nuclear ballistic missile test on Sunday, which some claimed would be another violation of the UN resolution and Obama’s nuclear deal, on Wednesday Iran’s defense minister admitted that the Islamic Republic had indeed tested a new missile, but added the test did not breach Tehran’s nuclear accord with world powers or a U.N. Security Council resolution endorsing the […]
Millions of Indians are preparing to vote in the biggest test of public opinion since prime minister Narendra Modi announced the demonetisation of 500 and 1,000-rupee notes three months ago – a move which has plunged the country into an unprecedented cash crisis and sent the economy into a tailspin. Over the next four weeks, starting today, a series of regional elections will be held across India […]
The oil industry is zeroing in on a prospective tax shift in Washington that has the potential to upend energy flows around the world. The “border adjustment tax” (BAT) put forth by Republican lawmakers and embraced sporadically by President Donald Trump would radically change the way companies are levied, taxing imports and exempting exports in the world’s biggest economy. While the Trump administration’s stance on BAT has […]
Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley outlined the country’s budget for the coming fiscal year in a presentation to Parliament on Wednesday. His speech— which The Wall Street Journal live blogged — went for more than two-hours and 30 pages. The full budget document is much longer but there are easier-to-absorb shortcuts to the budget basics on his website: indiabudget.gov.in The website has the full speech with annexes as well as a 15-page “Key Features […]
Uber’s self-driving car ambition just got another boost after it signed on the German automaker Daimler in an initiative to develop automated vehicles for its ride-hailing network. Looking at the announcement, however, one is left wondering if the partnership could really lead Uber to build a driverless car on its own. Uber’s Role Uber CEO Travis Kalanick stated that, here, Uber is not going to be involved […]
Submitted by John Whitehead via The Rutherford Institute, “We are fast approaching the stage of the ultimate inversion: the stage where the government is free to do anything it pleases, while the citizens may act only by permission; which is the stage of the darkest periods of human history, the stage of rule by brute force.” -Ayn Rand The torch has been passed to a new president. All of […]
Newsflash for American high school students — choose friends wisely, or they may end up costing you your education. In fact, new mathematical modeling from Arizona State University, Northeastern Illinois University, and the University of Texas at Arlington documents the exact statistical tipping point when positive parental influence — found to be the leading indicator of academic performance and whether or not a student will eventually graduate […]
President Donald Trump named his pick for the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday night, tapping Judge Neil M. Gorsuch of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Gorsuch would fill the vacancy created by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. Like Trump, he’s an Ivy Leaguer: He attended Columbia University, Harvard Law School — and also the University of […]
WASHINGTON: Iran’s ballistic missile launch on Sunday was Tehran’s “first litmus test” for the Donald Trump administration as much as it was a regional show of force, according to experts.With the launch coming just nine days into the Trump presidency, Iran-watchers expect the new administration to respond through the different levers at its disposal.A more aggressive retaliation could, however, backfire, and lead to an unintended escalation in […]
On Saturday, as ripples of President Trump’s refugee ban began making news, Los Angeles Times Business Editor Kimi Yoshino suggested a different way to cover the story. Yoshino, who is married to an Iraqi refugee and whose family was detained at internment camps in World War II, saw people sharing their own stories on social media. Her idea: Let’s do something that captures that emotion. On Saturday, […]
By Lawrence Hurley and Steve Holland | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Tuesday nominated Neil Gorsuch for a lifetime job on the U.S. Supreme Court, picking the 49-year-old federal appeals court judge to restore the court’s conservative majority and help shape rulings on divisive issues such as abortion, gun control, the death penalty and religious rights. The Colorado native faces a potentially contentious confirmation battle in […]
