- Economists Forecasting Jobless Rate of 4%, the First Time Since 2000 (WSJ)
- Trump Launches Global Race for Exclusion From Steel Tariffs (BBG)
- China, Europe Slam as U.S. Metalworkers Cheer (WSJ)
- Trump’s Historic Bet on Kim Summit Shatters Decades of Orthodoxy (BBG)
- Over hotpot and soju, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un joked about himself (Reuters)
- Trump Faces Prospect of Embarrassing GOP Loss in Pennsylvania (BBG)
- Blown Earnings Calls Started the Bull Market. One Day They’ll End It (BBG)
- Japan fears being sidelined (Reuters)
- NJ Transit Trains Delayed After Rush-Hour Disruption (BBG)
- Boeing has ‘cash horsepower’ for targeted acquisitions (Reuters)
- Bitcoin’s Bad Week Is Getting Worse as Selloff Deepens to 20% (BBG)
- Wynn Resorts Settlement Removes a Barrier to Steve Wynn Stake Sale (WSJ)
- UBS Boosts Compensation for CEO and Staff After Profit Rises (BBG)
- The Capital of America’s Gun Industry Hates Guns (BBG)
- Tesla chief Musk says China trade rules uneven, asks Trump for help (Reuters)
- At-Home Cancer-Risk Test Opens New—and Fraught—Field (WSJ)
- Broadcom says will not sell national security assets to foreign firms (Reuters)
- How Much Does Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Make for One Movie? (WSJ)
- Police Have a New Tool in Their Arsenal: Therapists (WSJ)
- Humanity’s Food Security Is More at Risk Than You Realize (BBG)
Overnight Media Digest
WSJ
– Uber Technologies Inc has reached an agreement to sell most of its Southeast Asia operations to local rival Grab Inc, ending a costly fight for market share in the fast-growing region. on.wsj.com/2IaeMzr
– Tesla Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk took to Twitter on Thursday to lobby the president on China’s trade stance on auto makers, saying the Middle Kingdom’s current rules “make things very difficult.” on.wsj.com/2IcXqCb
– Walt Disney Co’s shareholders on Thursday voted down a non-binding endorsement of the compensation given to Chairman and Chief Executive Robert Iger following an increase in December. on.wsj.com/2IeyRVx
– Troubled toy chain Toys “R” Us Inc is preparing to liquidate all its U.S. stores and abandon efforts to restructure through the bankruptcy process after a weak holiday season torpedoed plans to reorganize. on.wsj.com/2Ibe8BI
– Cigna Corp’s $54 billion deal for Express Scripts Holding Co is the latest sign that healthcare’s biggest players believe they can no longer go it alone, and they must branch into other businesses to forge integrated products aimed at curbing costs. on.wsj.com/2IdzwGP (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)
NYT
– Walt Disney Co has turned to one of its favorite filmmakers, Jon Favreau, to produce and write a live-action “Star Wars” television series for its upcoming streaming service. nyti.ms/2HgQaE8
– The Trump administration rejected Idaho’s plan to allow the sale of stripped-down, low-cost health insurance that violates the Affordable Care Act. nyti.ms/2p3LJES
– Former U.S. President Barack Obama is in advanced negotiations with Netflix to produce a series of high-profile shows that will provide him a global platform after his departure from the White House. nyti.ms/2FzM7Wd
– Adult film actress Stormy Daniels filed a lawsuit this week seeking to break a 2016 agreement to keep silent in return for a $130,000 payout, opening what could be a precarious new legal front for a White House already beset by the investigation by the special counsel Robert Mueller III. nyti.ms/2FF3rcj
– U.S. President Donald Trump defied opposition from his own party and protests from overseas as he signed orders on Thursday imposing stiff and sweeping new tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. nyti.ms/2FBbcQG
Canada
THE GLOBE AND MAIL
** U.S. President Donald Trump has exempted Canada and Mexico from his steel and aluminum tariffs pending the renegotiation of NAFTA, simultaneously offering his continental trading partners a welcome reprieve and tightening the vise on them at the bargaining table. tgam.ca/2HkZQgy
** Canada’s economy is “progressing well” in the face of protectionist threats and the impact of higher interest rates on heavily indebted consumers and homeowners, according to deputy Governor of Bank of Canada Timothy Lane. tgam.ca/2Hkph26
NATIONAL POST
** Alberta signaled on Thursday it’s prepared to escalate its fight with British Columbia over the Trans Mountain pipeline by cutting off oil exports if obstruction of the C$7.4 billion ($5.75 billion) expansion continues. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said in a speech that province intends to do whatever it takes to end British Columbia’s pipeline blockade. bit.ly/2p0OaZa
** Housing starts rose to 229,737 in February, a 7 percent increase compared to the previous month, according to seasonally adjusted annual rates from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Construction of condominiums and other dwellings containing multiple units jumped by 14 percent nationwide, compared to a 7 percent decline in single-detached houses. bit.ly/2HgKo5l
Britain
The Times
– The Financial Conduct Authority delayed shutting down a broker at the centre of allegations of money laundering and share ramping despite fears the firm was close to collapse in order to allow the FBI to complete an undercover investigation. bit.ly/2HgrJXq
– Aviva Plc was accused on Thursday of considering “very aggressive action” against thousands of retail investors after it said it may buy back their lucrative bonds without paying a premium. bit.ly/2p0Oebd
The Guardian
– Channel 4 has reached a deal with the government to move hundreds of staff out of London and create a new “national HQ” in another city – but it will not be forced to sell its 100 million pounds ($138.00 million) base in London. bit.ly/2HhZ5F8
– Wagamama, TGI Fridays, Marriott Hotels and Karen Millen are among the companies named and shamed by the government for failing to pay the legal minimum wage. bit.ly/2p0MYVx
The Telegraph
– The European Central Bank has dropped its long-standing pledge to boost stimulus if conditions deteriorate, signalling the triumph of German-led hawks and marking a major turning point in the eurozone’s monetary regime. bit.ly/2HkSHx3
– UK would face a better prospect of avoiding U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminium after leaving the European Union, U.S. President Donald Trump indicated Thursday night. bit.ly/2HinM4f
Sky News
– London is “in contention” for the listing of oil giant Aramco, and is an attractive destination, the Saudi Arabian energy minister has told Sky News. bit.ly/2HiS72B
– KFC has returned to its old delivery contractor to supply chicken to restaurants after hundreds of outlets were forced to close last month. bit.ly/2oWR3dk
The Independent
– The European Union has rejected the Chancellor Philip Hammond’s bid to include an unprecedented section on financial services in the post-Brexit trade deal, warning that “life will be different” for banks once Britain leaves. ind.pn/2p4Pydl
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