Houthi militants struck a US-owned cargo ship with an antiballistic missile off the coast of Yemen yesterday. The US said that it caused neither major damage nor injuries, and the ship, the M/V Gibraltar Eagle, kept on going. The attack came after the US and UK targeted the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen in response to their attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea. The continued escalation has raised fears of a broader regional war, as the Houthis claim their actions are in support of Hamas in its war with Israel, and their attacks on ships have already begun to impact global supply chains.
Nearly 80% of the US is seeing bitter cold this week, with typically mild cities like Memphis, Dallas, and Nashville likely facing 72 hours of below-freezing temperatures. Other things to watch out for: canceled flights (there have been more than 2,100 nixed so far), dangerous road travel, and windchill as low as –30 degrees Fahrenheit in the Northern Rockies, Kansas, and Iowa
Kroger said its purchase of rival supermarket chain Albertsons will take longer to close than expected as regulators pry into the deal.
Boeing will add additional quality checks for its 737 Max aircraft and will step up inspections of parts made by the vendor whose door plug recently caused the Alaska Airlines incident (because nobody likes holes in their planes).
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was released from the hospital after being treated for complications from a prostate cancer surgery he didn’t tell the president about for three days.
iPhone 15s are on sale in China for ~$70 off as Apple tries to spur sales in the world’s biggest cell phone market.
Because of the Martin Luther King Junior federal holiday, no oil trading...
Because of the Martin Luther King Junior federal holiday, no oil trading closing prices were reported in the U.S. However, prices weakened slightly on Monday because of the impact of the Middle East conflict.
Global benchmark Brent crudewas traded and settled down 14 cents or about 0.2% at $78.15 a barrel on ICE Futures Europe. While there was no settlement to report for West Texas Intermediate crudein the U.S. due to the holiday, the U.S. benchmark was still down 18 cents or about 0.3% at $72.50.
🇹🇼Tensions expected to rise following Taiwan’s election.
On Saturday, Taiwan ...
On Saturday, Taiwan elected Lai Ching-te as its president—the third consecutive victory for the Democratic Progressive Party and a decision that will rankle officials in Beijing, who have called Lai a “troublemaker.” In response to Lai’s election, China, which claims the self-governing island as its own territory, is likely to ramp up the military pressure and enact trade restrictions against Taiwan to get it to back off notions of independence, analysts told Axios. Taiwan ally President Biden appeared to attempt to placate China by telling reporters Saturday that the US does not support Taiwan’s independence. Though it’s a remote possibility (for now), a full-scale invasion of Taiwan by China would have a $10 trillion impact on global GDP, Bloomberg estimated.
PJs and geopolitical anxiety reign in Davos. Top...
PJs and geopolitical anxiety reign in Davos.Top leaders in business and government will descend on the Swiss resort town of Davos today for the beginning of the annual World Economic Forum summit. This year’s theme is “Rebuilding Trust,” which sounds like a slogan Tom Wambsgans would have pitched for ATN, but is, in reality, intended to promote “transparency, consistency, and accountability” against the backdrop of a world in turmoil. Among other attendees in the top 0.0001%, OpenAI’s Sam Altman is scheduled to appear on a panel on Thursday about implementing AI technology equitably around the world.
Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachswill report earnings on Tuesday. Last week, other big banks kicked off earnings season with encouraging results.
The Australian Open, the first tennis Grand Slam event of the year, is underway. Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka will defend their 2023 titles.
100 days after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack, Israelis rallied for the release of the hostages taken by Hamas, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed, “We will not stop until we achieve victory.” Netanyahu faces mounting international criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and pressure within Israel to prioritize bringing home the hostages.
A volcano erupted in Iceland on Sunday morning, creating a crack in the Earth more than 3,200 feet long that spewed hot lava and burned homes. The nearby town of Grindavik was evacuated due to seismic activity for the second time in two months.
The Mean Girls musical topped the box office with a TikTok-assisted $28 million weekend haul.
The Detroit Lionswon their first playoff game in 32 years, defeating the LA Rams 24–23 in front of a jubilant crowd.