Written by Econintersect
Early Bird Headlines 24 January 2019
Econintersect: Here are some of the headlines we found to help you start your day. For more headlines see our afternoon feature for GEI members, What We Read Today, published Monday, Wednesday and Friday, which has many more headlines and a number of article discussions to keep you abreast of what we have found interesting.
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​Global
- Asian markets mostly higher despite global uncertainty (CNBC) Most Asian markets closed higher on Thursday amid uncertainties surrounding the global economic outlook as well as the ongoing U.S.-China trade fight. The U.S. dollar index was lower at 96.164 but up from an earlier session low of 96.044. Brent crude futures were down $0.37 at $60.76 a barrel by 1010 GMT after having touched a session high of $61.38. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures were down $0.21 at $52.41 a barrel. Spot gold was mostly steady at $1,281.54 per ounce, as of 0717 GMT, while U.S. gold futures were down 0.2% at $1,281 per ounce.
- Global Markets Down (The Daily Shot) This chart shows the percentage of worldwide stock indices that are in a bear market.
U.S.
- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says Democrats will block President Donald Trump from giving his State of the Union in the House chamber until the government is open.
- Earlier, Trump told Pelosi he would give his address as planned next week.
- The president then says he would comply with Pelosi’s request: “This is her prerogative – I will do the Address when the Shutdown is over.”
- The White House and Congress are struggling to break an impasse over the president’s demand for $5.7 billion to build his proposed border wall.
- MULTIPLE White House aides are ‘handling Rudy’s f*** ups’ as Trump tires of ‘cleanup on aisle Giuliani’ – but doesn’t plan to fire him even though allies fear he goes on TV after drinking (Daily Mail) Hat tip to Sig Silber. With a headline like thgis one, who needs an article?
- Sentiment Plunges (The Daily Shot) Are sentiment indicators (driven in part by the government shutdown) signaling a sharp deceleration in consumer spending?
- A married gay man is running for president. That’s a big deal. (CNN) South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg entered the 2020 race for president on Wednesday, announcing his intentions with a video featuring scenes of him and his husband, Chasten, cooking and playing with their dog, Buddy. Should Buttigieg win his long-shot bid for the Democratic nomination, he will become the first nominee of a major political party who publicly identifies as gay. If he goes on to defeat President Donald Trump, it’d be a historic win.
- The $5.7 Billion Hole in Shutdown Coverage (Fair) The press typically spends no time or energy interrogating that $5.7 billion figure. Where does that number come from? Why now? What does it pay for? In story after story on the shutdown, the press has skipped right by these critical questions, but in doing so it makes a series of unfounded assumptions that assign more legitimacy to the president’s request than the facts show he and it deserves. Itr appears that there is no plan for using the money and the amount is entirely arbitrary.
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- AP-NORC poll: 6 in 10 Americans blame Trump for shutdown (Associated Press) A strong majority of Americans blame President Donald Trump for the record-long government shutdown and reject his primary rationale for a border wall, according to a new poll that shows the turmoil in Washington is dragging his approval rating to its lowest level in more than a year. Overall, 34% of Americans approve of Trump’s job performance in a survey conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That’s down from 42% a month earlier and nears the lowest mark of his two-year presidency. The president’s approval among Republicans remains close to 80%, but his standing with independents is among its lowest points of his time in office. See also next article.
- President Trump Job Approval (Real Clear Politics) The president’s approval rating continues to hold above 40% but disapproval has risen to levels not seen in nearly a year.
EU
- Economic Weakness in the Eurozone (The Daily Shot) China’s slowdown has been one of the key drivers of economic weakness in the Eurozone.
UK
- UK lawmakers appeal to Labour’s Corbyn to back second Brexit vote (Reuters) A group of British lawmakers appealed to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on Thursday to back a second referendum on Brexit, saying they did not have enough support in parliament to persuade the government to stage such a vote.
- Brexit: What does no deal mean? (BBC News) With no certainty over an agreement for the UK’s departure from the EU, what happens in the event of no deal?
Italy
- Europe court orders Italy to pay damages to Amanda Knox (Associated Press) Europe’s human rights court has ordered Italy to pay Amanda Knox around 18,000 euros ($20,000) in financial damages for police failure to provide legal assistance and a translator during questioning following the Nov. 1, 2007 killing of her British roommate. The European Human Rights Court in Strasbourg, France, on Thursday ruled that Italy must pay Knox 10,400 euros damages plus 8,000 euros for costs and expenses. Knox said in her complaint that the failure to provide her with a lawyer or interpreter during a long night of questioning on Nov. 6 violated her rights.
Poland
- Poland’s prime minister wants to see more workers return from UK (BBC News) Poland’s prime minister says he wants to see more workers return from the UK to help its domestic economy grow.But he said people who want to stay in the UK should be allowed to, “and be treated exactly as they are now“. He said Prime Minister Theresa May had given him that commitment.
Turkey
- Turkey says has capacity to create ‘safe zone’ in Syria alone (Reuters) Turkey has the capacity to create a “safe zone” in Syria on its own but will not exclude the United States, Russia or others if they want to cooperate, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday.
India
- Kalamsat-V2: India to put lightest satellite into orbit (BBC News) India is due to launch the world’s lightest satellite ever to be put into orbit. Weighing only 1.26kg (2.6lb), the Kalamsat-V2 has been made by students belonging to a space education firm. It will help ham radio operators and “inspire schoolchildren to become the scientists and engineers of the future“, India’s space agency says. The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) will launch the satellite from its Sriharikota space centre.
North Korea
- Kim Jong Un orders preparations for new Trump summit: North Korea (Fox News) Following the White House’s announcement about a second summit between President Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un next month, the rogue regime’s leader has reportedly requested preparations for the meeting. The order from Kim came upon his receipt of a letter from the president. That letter came via a North Korean official who met with Trump and other U.S. officials in the nation’s capital earlier this month, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Thursday, according to The Associated Press. The KCNA said, according to Yonhap News:
“Upon receiving the good personal letter sent by President Trump, the Supreme Leader expressed great satisfaction. He spoke highly of President Trump for expressing his unusual determination and will for the settlement of the issue with a great interest in the second DPRK-U.S. summit.”
China
- China exports are expected to slow in the months ahead. (The Daily Shot) Export orders have fallen to a 3-year low.
Venezuela
- Venezuela’s Maduro breaks relations with US, gives American diplomats 72 hours to leave country (CNBC)
- Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro says he is breaking diplomatic relations with the United States.
- Earlier, the Trump administration said it recognizes opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country’s interim president.
- Maduro says U.S. diplomatic personnel have 72 hours to leave the country. The U.S. State Department said it would not comply with that order.
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