The US wants to screen foreign tourists’ social media for entry. A...
The US wants to screen foreign tourists’ social media for entry. A new proposal from the Trump administration would require travelers from 42 countries, including the UK, France, Australia, and Japan—who typically don’t need visas to enter the country—to provide five years’ worth of social media history in order to visit the US. The proposal from the US Customs and Border Protection is not yet final, and the agency will be accepting public comments on it for 60 days. But if it does take effect, it would be in keeping with new, more stringent requirements the administration has imposed for student visas and some work visa applications.
The House passed a $900 billion defense bill that would withhold some travel funds for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth unless the Pentagon gives lawmakers unedited videos of strikes on alleged drug boats. It must still pass the Senate before being sent to the president for a signature.
Oracle’s stock plunged in after-hours trading yesterday after the software company fell short of earnings expectations.
A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction requiring the Trump administration to end its deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles and return control of the troops to the state, finding that allowing them to be indefinitely federalized would “wholly upend the federalism that is at the heart of our system of government.”
Stock Market Closing Report - Wednesday, December 10, 2025
U.S. stocks rallied on Wednesday following the Federal Reserve's third...
U.S. stocks rallied on Wednesday following the Federal Reserve's third consecutive interest rate cut, with the Dow surging back above 48,000 and small-cap stocks hitting a record high.
Dow Jones Industrial Average: jumped 497.46 points (+1.1%) to close at 48,057.75
S&P 500: advanced 0.7% to end at 6,886.68, briefly trading above its previous record closing high of 6,890.89
Nasdaq Composite: increased 0.3% to close at 23,654.16
Russell 2000: hit a fresh all-time high, rising about 1.5%
Federal Reserve Decision: The Fed approved another quarter-percentage-point cut, bringing the federal funds rate to a range of 3.5%-3.75%, marking its third consecutive rate cut. However, the decision came with unusual internal division - three dissenting votes pulled in opposite directions, with some wanting a larger cut and others favoring no cut at all.
The Fed's updated projections suggest a more cautious path forward, with the "dot plot" indicating only one additional quarter-point cut expected in 2026, signaling a slower pace of easing ahead.
Peer-to-peer M&A seen gaining traction in US shale patch
The push for greater scale and efficiency is setting the stage for another...
The push for greater scale and efficiency is setting the stage for another round of consolidation among small and midsize US shale producers as competition intensifies and high-quality assets become scarce, according to Rystad Energy. Potential movers include Permian Resources, HighPeak, Matador and Chord, while Coterra Energy, Devon Energy and Ovintiv could also pursue deals to optimize portfolios. "Most assets on the market range between $500 million and $1 billion and lack both quality inventory and significant production value, making investments unlikely to increase scale for buyers looking to grow inorganically," said Rystad's Vice President of Oil and Gas M&A Atul Raina.
AI could unlock an additional 1 trillion barrels of previously unrecoverable...
AI could unlock an additional 1 trillion barrels of previously unrecoverable oil by improving efficiency and sharpening reservoir analysis, according to Wood Mackenzize. "The sky is the limit in terms of the production. The days of predicting peak oil are long gone," said American Petroleum Institute President and CEO Mike Sommers. However, analysts note AI may not meaningfully alter demand patterns or downstream emissions, even as it reshapes expectations for future supply.