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→ NewsAlbertsons narrows full-year forecast as Medicare pricing changes take effect
Albertsons narrowed its fiscal-year adjusted earnings guidance and said Medicare drug price negotiation will reduce reported pharmacy sales, cutting fourth-quarter identical sales by an estimated 65 to 70 basis points.
EU faces final vote on long-stalled Mercosur trade deal
EU country representatives are expected to vote on a long-delayed trade agreement with Mercosur, potentially clearing the way for a signing in Paraguay next week. France has announced it will vote against the treaty.
China consumer inflation rose to its highest rate since February 2023.
Consumer prices in China rose 0.8% year-on-year in December, the fastest since February 2023, while factory-gate prices fell 1.9% and core inflation was up 1.2%.
Stephen A. Smith says Minnesota ICE shooting 'completely justified' from a lawful perspective
ESPN host Stephen A. Smith said the ICE agent's shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis was 'completely justified' from a legal perspective, and officials reported Good attempted to drive at agents.
Bond traders face a volatile day as US jobs report and Supreme Court tariff ruling loom
Traders are watching for December payrolls due at 8:30 a.m. Washington time and a possible mid-morning Supreme Court opinion on President Trump’s tariffs, both events that could move the Treasury market.
Local charities receive grants from Dayton Foundation
The Dayton Foundation approved more than $127,000 in quarterly grants for nearly two dozen local nonprofits to support needs such as food, shelter, healthcare and education; the next application deadline is Feb. 12.
Southeast Asia's online scam industry remains hard to shut down.
Cambodia's arrest and extradition of a tycoon accused of running a large transnational online scam network was a rare enforcement action; many scam compounds across Southeast Asia continue operating and hundreds of thousands of people are reported to be trapped in forced labor.
UN forecasts global economic growth of 2.7% in 2026
The United Nations projects global growth of 2.7% in 2026, down slightly from its 2025 estimate, citing higher U.S. tariffs, economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions as key factors.
Shadow fleet smuggles sanctioned oil across the high seas.
U.S. forces recently boarded and seized a Russia‑flagged tanker tied to covert shipping activity, and ship‑tracking services report a large 'shadow fleet' of aging tankers moving sanctioned oil by ship‑to‑ship transfers and frequent identity changes.
Chinese AI startups debut in Hong Kong as OpenAI challengers.
Two major Chinese generative AI companies, Zhipu and MiniMax, began back-to-back listings in Hong Kong this week, reflecting a policy-driven push to build domestic AI and semiconductor supply chains and notable investor interest.
Travis Kelce's foundation announces $800,000 commitment to communities.
Eighty-Seven & Running has committed $800,000 to community programs over the next three years, and foundation leaders say earlier tax filings miscategorized expenses and did not fully reflect program spending.
JF-17 Thunder may be offered to Saudi Arabia, report says
Reuters reports talks between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan about a possible transfer of JF-17 fighters, with financing said to involve converting Saudi loans to Pakistan and about $2 billion in additional Saudi spending.
Disney World: Least crowded and cheapest days to visit.
The article reports that Disney World tends to be least crowded outside school breaks and major holidays—highlighting mid-January to early February and post–Labor Day September as quieter windows—and that September generally has the lowest starting ticket prices with specific low-price dates listed for August and September 2026.
Cambodia Pushes Back on Thai 'Scam' Strikes and Seeks to Lower Tensions
Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol asked to "lower the temperature" in the dispute with Thailand and pushed back against Bangkok's framing of recent cross-border fighting as strikes against scam centers; the two countries have a fragile ceasefire after clashes that displaced many, and Cambodia is pursuing trade and tariff talks with the United States.
World Liberty files for a U.S. national banking charter
World Liberty Trust has filed a de novo application with the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to seek a national trust bank charter, which would let it issue and safeguard the USD1 stablecoin. USD1’s reserves are currently custodied with BitGo and the token has a reported market value of $3.4 billion.
Iran's president says security forces should not target peaceful protesters
Iran's president ordered security forces not to target peaceful protesters, as demonstrations that began after a sharp fall in the rial and rising prices have spread across the country.
Retiring Early With $1.5 Million May Not Be Enough
Experts say $1.5 million is often a checkpoint rather than a finish line; at a conservative 3% withdrawal that sum would generate roughly $45,000 a year, and average Social Security benefits add about $24,000 annually.
Venezuela's oil history shapes Trump's recent push.
The article traces a century of U.S. engagement with Venezuela's oil from a 1922 gusher to recent moves by the Trump administration to assert control over Venezuelan oil after Nicolás Maduro's ouster, and cites OPEC figures putting current production at about 900,000 barrels a day.
Stablecoin transactions reached a record $33 trillion in 2025 led by USDC.
Artemis Analytics reports total stablecoin transaction volumes rose 72% to $33 trillion in 2025, with USDC accounting for $18.3 trillion and fourth-quarter flows hitting a record $11 trillion.
More than 1,000 companies are suing over Trump's tariffs
The Supreme Court may soon rule on the legality of most of President Trump's tariffs, and more than 1,000 corporate entities have filed suits seeking refunds; if the court strikes down the administration's use of a 1977 emergency powers law, questions about refunds will likely be handled by lower courts.
ChatGPT is changing how people seek medical and legal information.
Surveys and interviews show growing use of ChatGPT and other generative AI for health and legal questions, and professionals report more clients arriving with AI-generated information; industry and legal experts say AI is a useful resource but not a substitute for licensed judgment.
Warner Bros. Discovery rejects Paramount's amended hostile bid
Warner Bros. Discovery recommended shareholders reject Paramount’s amended $77.9 billion all-cash bid and said its existing deal with Netflix is stronger.
UK keeps Venezuelan gold frozen at Bank of England after Maduro arrest
The U.K. will keep more than $1 billion of Venezuelan central bank gold frozen at the Bank of England, and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the stance reflects Britain's non-recognition of the current Venezuelan administration.
Noem says Minnesota officials have no jurisdiction in ICE shooting investigation
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said Minnesota law enforcement do not have jurisdiction over the probe of an ICE agent's shooting that resulted in the death of Renee Nicole Good, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said it was barred while the FBI will lead the investigation.
Labor Department reports lowest seasonally adjusted unemployment since April 2024
The Labor Department reported 208,000 seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims for the week ending Jan. 3, the lowest level since April 2024, and a four-week average of 211,750, the lowest since April 27, 2024.
Trump may decide on Fed chair before or after Davos, Bessent says
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said President Trump may decide this month on a successor to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, possibly right before or right after the Davos forum, and that four candidates remain under consideration including Kevin Hassett, Kevin Warsh, Christopher Waller and Rick Rieder.
Fact-Checking Trump's Venezuela operation claims
The article finds that President Trump's repeated assertions linking Venezuela to most U.S. overdose deaths, directing criminal migration, and stealing U.S. oil are not supported by the public evidence presented; Justice Department filings and government reports offer more limited or different accounts.
Nvidia's Jensen Huang says $7.75 billion proposed billionaire tax is 'perfectly fine'
Jensen Huang said he is "perfectly fine" with a proposed one-time 5% wealth tax that could cost him about $7.75 billion; the initiative needs more than 870,000 signatures to reach California's November 2026 ballot.
Huge anti-government protests are reported in Tehran and other Iranian cities.
Videos verified by BBC Persian show large crowds in Tehran and Mashhad, and rights groups report dozens of deaths and thousands of arrests during a 12-day wave of protests.
Income investors may combine dividends and buybacks to boost 2026 performance
Morningstar strategist Dan Lefkovitz says income-focused investors might consider combining dividend-paying stocks with firms that repurchase shares; S&P 500 buybacks topped $1 trillion over the 12 months through September 2025, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices.
