- Cohn’s Exit Leaves Hard-Liners Ascendant in White House (BBG)
- Trade skeptics gain upper hand in White House as Cohn quits (Reuters)
- Trump Alienates Allies Needed for a Trade Fight With China (WSJ)
- Wall Street Frets About Losing White House Friends as Cohn Exits (BBG)
- How the House Could Change Hands (WSJ)
- South Korea’s Moon says sanctions on North to stay, too early to be optimistic (Reuters)
- Kushner to visit Mexico after Trump tirades, testy phone call (Reuters)
- Republicans in tight races embrace gun control (Reuters)
- Banks Look to Break Government’s Hold on Student-Loan Market (WSJ)
- Berlusconi pledges to back League’s Salvini as Italy’s next PM (Euronews)
- Something’s Brewing: Coca-Cola Plans Its First Alcoholic Drink (WSJ)
- Goldman puts London staff on notice for German move by June (Reuters)
- Wells Fargo Is the Go-To Bank for Gunmakers and the NRA (BBG)
- Broadcom Pledges $1.5 Billion U.S. Investment to Ease Regulatory Scrutiny (WSJ)
- America Is Giving Away the $30 Billion Medical Marijuana Industry (BBG)
- How to Gain Power at Work When You Have None (WSJ)
- Exxon sees earnings doubling by 2025 at current oil prices (Reuters)
- Where Will Apple Put Its Fourth U.S. Campus? (BBG)
- Sri Lanka blocks social media as Buddhist mobs attack mosques (Reuters)
Overnight Media Digest
WSJ
– Gary Cohn will resign from the White House after 14 months of serving as U.S. President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser, days after Trump surprised his senior staff by announcing steel and aluminum tariffs that Cohn had opposed. on.wsj.com/2HdNgzE
– Smith & Wesson’s parent company American Outdoor Brands Corp said it was wary of adding “smart-gun” technology to its weapons, as investors push the industry to address safety issues in the wake of recent mass shootings. on.wsj.com/2HcEt11
– Pharmacy chain CVS Health Corp sold $40 billion of bonds Tuesday to help pay for its acquisition of health insurer Aetna Inc months before it needs the money, seeking to get ahead of an expected rise in interest rates and a flood of borrowing across the economy. on.wsj.com/2HabJGo
– Two Republican chairmen in the House are asking the Justice Department to consider the appointment of a second special counsel to investigate matters related to how and why material gathered from a former British spy was used to spy on an associate of U.S. President Donald Trump. on.wsj.com/2H9fuLW
– A buyers’ group organized by investor Ron Burkle and publicly led by businesswoman Maria Contreras-Sweet said it called off a deal for Weinstein Co’s assets less than a week after saying it would buy them by assuming $225 million of debt. on.wsj.com/2HbTnog
FT
– Public Health England said the calorie content of processed foods must be cut by 20 per cent by 2024, extending its official campaign against childhood obesity beyond sugar.
– UK’s Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson threatened to ramp up punishment against Moscow if Russia is found to be involved in the incident involving former double agent Sergei Skripal. Russian embassy in London said they regretted that instead of a proper official clarification, Johnson chose to threaten Russia with retribution.
– Paul Flowers, former chairman of Co-operative Bank, has been banned from working in UK financial services over his possession of illegal drugs and for using a work phone for accessing premium-rate sex chatlines on a company mobile.
– Andy Haldane, Bank of England’s chief economist, said that the bank will create regional councils, made up of members of the public, to improve its understanding of the economy.
NYT
– The planned sale of the Weinstein Company collapsed yet again on Tuesday, when the investor group that had agreed to purchase the embattled studio said that it had called off the deal after receiving “disappointing information.” nyti.ms/2HbPgZm
– The vast majority of Americans expect artificial intelligence to lead to job losses in the coming decade, but few see it coming for their own position. And despite the expected decline in employment, the public widely embraces artificial intelligence in attitude and in practice, according to a survey that was conducted last fall and from which new findings were released on Tuesday. nyti.ms/2HabLhu
– Gary Cohn, U.S. President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser, said on Tuesday that he would resign, becoming the latest in a series of high-profile departures from the Trump administration. nyti.ms/2HcHnCS
– As the Republican Party struggles to find its footing with the next generation of voters, several conservative college groups have banded together to champion something anathema to the party: a carbon tax. nyti.ms/2Fvvta5
Britain
The Times
– Melrose Industries Plc is facing fierce pressure to reveal legally binding commitments to protect jobs and invest in research and development if it succeeds in its hostile takeover of GKN Plc, the aerospace and automotive group. bit.ly/2FsU7rY
– BSG Resources Ltd, a mining company controlled by Beny Steinmetz, the Israeli diamond tycoon, was placed in administration on Tuesday amid an escalating legal dispute over allegations that it engaged in bribery linked with a mining project in west Africa. bit.ly/2FuE5h5
The Guardian
– Retailer Debenhams Plc is in talks to rent floor space to flexible-office provider WeWork, as it looks to scale back its high street presence. bit.ly/2Fr7MQr
– Chancellor Philip Hammond will insist on Wednesday that Britain can overcome EU opposition and include financial services in a post-Brexit free trade deal. bit.ly/2FySyZL
The Telegraph
– Procter & Gamble Co is stepping up efforts to “take back control” from advertising agencies by investing more in internal analytics programmes – a move which will spell further trouble for ad giants WPP Plc and Publicis Groupe SA . bit.ly/2Ftd4KZ
– Eurozone members have hit back at French plans for greater economic union in a strongly worded joint statement from finance ministers. bit.ly/2FtgJsf
Sky News
– Officials from the Financial Conduct Authority met key figures from the Investment Association last month to discuss ways of assuaging their concerns about a potential London flotation of Saudi Aramco. bit.ly/2FuPBJr
– J Sainsbury Plc is facing opposition to a pay shake-up it says will give its 130,000 store staff a “leading rate” in the sector. bit.ly/2FsbbhT
The Independent
– UK businesses are drastically underestimating the amount of plastic packaging waste they produce while paying “barely anything” to deal with the problem, new research claims. ind.pn/2FtpToS
via Zero Hedge http://ift.tt/2D7uh7A Tyler Durden