What I Am Reading

Jan 11 (Monday) YRI Video Podcast. In our latest Sunday afternoon video podcast (passcode: pBb0REZ&), Dr. Ed discusses the main points of Monday’s Morning Briefing. From tech to bitcoin, long-time bull Ed Yardeni worries about meltdown | C Daily Markets Overview Markets Stock futures fall slightly after Wall Street closed at record highs to end last week | C The Markets’ Strange Disregard for the Chaos in Washington | N Why the Strait of Hormuz Is a Global Oil Flashpoint: QuickTake | B Global The Covid Crisis Will End. The Recovery May Take a Lot Longer. | BR US This Could Be the Best Year on Record for Job Growth | W Low on Workers, Manufacturers Recruit Their Executives for the Factory Floor | W Covid-19 Small-Business Loan Program PPP to Reopen Jan. 11 | W Europe It’s Time to Buy Post-Brexit British Stocks | BR US politics New Opportunities and Risks Arise for Investors as Democrats Take Power | BR Pence will attend President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration | C Capitol riot: JPMorgan and Citigroup join US corporations pausing political donations | C Trump’s demoralized staff count down the final days | R Apple, Amazon Move to Marginalize Parler | W Geopolitics & trade Global trade – How to deal with China | Leaders | E Industries & companies Airlines: Boeing’s Legal, Business Challenges Persist After Settlement | W Autos: Ford, Other Auto Makers Cut Output, Idle Workers on Chip Shortage | W Consumer discretionary: Amazon, Walmart Tell Consumers to Skip Returns of Unwanted Items | W Financials: Reflation nation? This time, post-crisis tailwinds favor banks, and the economy | MW Financials: HSBC to face shareholder heat on fossil fuels in AGM vote | R Pharma: Drugstore disruption: CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid have a new playbook | C Tech: CES 2021: The World’s Largest Tech Show Trades Las Vegas for Cyberspace | W Virus Vaccinating the world – The great task | Briefing | E U.S. Covid-19 Vaccination Plan Limits Speed of Rollout, Supply-Chain Experts Say | W Israel’s massive vaccine drive isn’t keeping up with new cases — especially among younger victims | C

Jan 09 (Saturday) YRI Daily Markets Overview Markets Stock market today: Stocks close at record highs, post weekly gain to start 2021 | C U.S. Stocks Close at Record Levels | W Why U.S. assets are still a ‘safe haven’ for investors even after riot rocked Capitol | MW US Covid-19 Surge Ends Seven Months of U.S. Jobs Growth | W The December Numbers Were Awful, but the Economy Has a Clear Path to Health | N ‘This is not our fault’: Pandemic job losses fall hardest on hospitality workers | R Rental Home Construction Climbs as Purchase Prices Surge | W US politics Biden to unveil trillions in pandemic economic relief spending next week | R Biden invites Pence to inauguration, says it’s good Trump won’t attend | C House Democrats to Introduce Article of Impeachment Against Trump | W Capitol riot: Trump will not face charges for inciting mob, DOJ says | C Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski calls for Trump to resign | C Twitter permanently suspends Trump’s account | MW Google removes Parler app from Google Play Store | C Laptop stolen from Pelosi’s office during storming of U.S. Capitol, says aide | R China Jack Ma was almost bigger than China. That’s what got him into trouble – CNN Industries & companies Financials: Deutsche Bank to Pay $130 Million to Settle Federal Criminal and Civil Investigations | W Virus Pfizer vaccine appears to neutralize a key mutation of Covid variants found in UK, South Africa | C Nations Push to Get Covid-19 Vaccine Out Faster in Race Against Virus | W Covid vaccine: FDA chief encourages states to open shots to more people | C Covid vaccine: Biden plans to release more doses, breaking with Trump policy | C Biden Plans to Release Nearly All Available Covid-19 Vaccine Doses | W How Long Do Covid Symptoms Last? Study Says Six Months | B Corporate finance Roblox expects direct listing on NYSE in February | C

Jan 08 (Friday) YRI Daily Markets Overview Markets Stock market looks past DC turmoil and keeps going higher. Here’s why | C Stocks Rise to Records as Tech Shares Recover | W Central banks Fed sees rising bond yields, inflation expectations as a possible win | R Bullard: Loose Fed, post-pandemic boom could set stage for higher inflation | R Fed Returns Money to Treasury for Terminated Emergency Programs | B US U.S. trade deficit rises to more than 14-year high | R December jobs report could be weaker than forecast, due to Covid impact | C US politics Trump team ‘folds’ on Georgia election challenge: state official | R Four dead after pro-Trump rioters storm Capitol | C Prosecutor doesn’t rule out charging Trump for inciting Capitol riot | C Trump riot fallout: Elaine Chao quits Cabinet Pelosi and Schumer call for Trump’s removal from office for ‘insurrection’ | C 25th Amendment: What it is and how it works | C Facebook blocks Trump from posting at least for the remainder of his term | C Geopolitics & trade U.S. Suspends Plan to Impose Tariffs on French Luxury Goods | W Industries & companies Airlines: Boeing will pay $2.5 billion to resolve U.S. criminal probe into 737 MAX crashes | R Autos: Tesla stock tops $800 on ‘blue’ hopes, Wall Street upgrade | MW Financials: Federal Investigators Probing AmEx Card Sales Practices | W Retail: Bed Bath & Beyond Posts Quarterly Sales Decline Despite Digital Pickup | W Virus Covid-19 Vaccines Remain Elusive for Many Doctors, Health Care Workers | W South Africa Skips National Regulatory Approval to Secure Covid-19 Vaccines | W Cybersecurity Federal Judiciary’s Systems Likely Breached in SolarWinds Hack | W

Jan 07 (Thursday) YRI Daily Markets Overview Markets Stock market today: Stocks trade off highs, but Dow still up 400 points amid escalating protests at Capitol | C Dow, S&P 500 hit fresh all-time peaks, but pro-Trump protests curb gains | R Central banks Markets will get plenty of notice before Fed cuts back on bond purchases, minutes show | C Fed says changes to bond-buying hinge on ‘qualitative’ call on economy | R Fed Officials Fretted Over Virus Surge at December Meeting | N US U.S. private payrolls post first decline in eight months as COVID-19 cases skyrocket | R US politics I Democrats win control of U.S. Senate as Ossoff defeats Perdue | WP U.S. Capitol Secured Hours After Pro-Trump Rioters Invade Congress | C Pence Defies Trump, Saying He Has No Power to Reverse Defeat | B Georgia on cusp of delivering Senate to Democrats as Warnock wins, Ossoff leads | R U.S. Sen. Schumer says Democratic Senate to make $2,000 stimulus payment top priority | R US politics II Democratic wins in Georgia could give Biden’s tax plan a better chance | C Tax Code Changes: Wealth Taxes Considered From California to Germany | B A Democrat-Run Congress Would Bolster Odds of State, City Aid | B Georgia election result puts $15 federal minimum wage closer | C Biden to name Merrick Garland as attorney general | C Geopolitics & trade NYSE Reverses Course Again With Plan to Delist Chinese Telecoms | B Industries & companies Health Care: U.S. healthcare stocks firm as investors downplay risks after Democratic gains | R Industrials: Steelmakers, Caterpillar Jump on Infrastructure Stimulus Hopes | B Retail: Macy’s (M) store closures 2021: Here’s the full list | C Retail: Bed Bath & Beyond store closures 2021: Here’s a map of where they are | C Cybersecurity U.S. Justice Department says its emails were breached by SolarWinds hackers | R Virus U.S. Is Blind to Contagious New Virus Variant, Scientists Warn | N Covid vaccine: HHS secretary recommends states open shots to older Americans, vulnerable groups | C Covid-19 Live Updates: E.U. Approves the Moderna Vaccine | N CDC: Severe allergic reactions to Covid vaccine run 10 times flu shot, still rare | C Remote school Fight Over Closing Schools Reignites as N.Y.C. Positive Rate Tops 9% | N

Jan 06 (Wednesday) YRI Daily Markets Overview Markets Stock market today: Dow closes more than 150 points higher as oil surges, Georgia runoffs loom | C Premarket: The 2 big reasons stocks are struggling as 2021 kicks off | NN Oil jumps 5%, breaks above $50 for first time since February as Saudis announce cuts | C Saudi Arabia, Flexing Oil-Market Muscle, Pledges to Cut Production Sharply to Lift Prices | W Central banks Fed’s Evans calls for possible revamp of U.S. financial regulation | R Global IMF’s top economist expects a global recovery in second half of 2021 | C Covid-19 Aftermath Could Spell a ‘Lost Decade’ for Global Economy, World Bank Says | W World Economy Faces Debt Doom Loop, More Inequity Post Pandemic | B US politics Congress is set to confirm Joe Biden’s win over Trump. Here’s what to know | C Conservative Koch network encourages Congress to certify election for Biden | C Georgians Vote in Runoffs That Will Determine Senate Control | W China Chinese Regulators Try to Get Jack Ma’s Ant Group to Share Consumer Data | W Industries & companies Autos: Fiat Chrysler’s U.S. auto sales tumbled 17.4% in Covid-ravaged 2020 | C Consumer discretionary: Amazon buys Boeing jets from Delta, WestJet as aircraft prices drop | C Communication services: Google workers’ union make Monday’s announcement significant | C Retail: Macy’s store closures: 45 locations to close as part of 3-year plan | C Virus Covid Spike in U.S. South Dwarfs All Earlier Regional Hot Spots | B Israel to enter third lockdown despite successful Covid vaccine launch | C Cybersecurity U.S. intelligence agencies say Russia likely behind hacking of government agencies | R Corporate finance U.S. bankruptcy filings hit 35-year low thanks to government pandemic aid | R Mall of America is no longer delinquent on $1.4 billion mortgage | C Lender Affirm Seeks to Raise Almost $935 Million in IPO | B Remote work & school What is the Future of Offices When Workers Have a Choice? | N Snowflake CEO Frank Slootman on Covid and remote work adoption | C As Covid-19 Surges, Colleges Make Last-Minute Changes to Spring Calendars | W

Jan 05 (Tuesday) YRI Daily Markets Overview Markets Stock market today: Stocks begin 2021 with a sell-off, Dow drops more than 300 points | C Central banks Fed’s Evans sees long period of accommodative monetary policy | R Fed Had a Loan Plan for Midsize Firms Hurt by Covid. It Found Few Takers. | W US U.S. final manufacturing PMI ends 2020 at six-year high: IHS Markit | R Factories bounce back from COVID-19 hit, tighter controls cloud outlook | R U.S. construction spending races to record high in November | R $300 unemployment boost issued in California, New York, other states | C Google employees form labor union in United States | R US politics Trump Criticizes Some Republicans as ‘Surrender Caucus’ | W In Trump’s Final Days, Lines Are Drawn for a Republican Civil War | W Top Georgia election official says White House pushed him to take Trump call | R Even With $900 Billion Stimulus, Biden Faces Fragile Economy | N China Why China’s economy won’t surpass the US’s by 2028 | P In a Topsy-Turvy Pandemic World, China Offers Its Version of Freedom | N Jack Ma’s disappearing act fuels speculation about billionaire’s whereabouts | R China ADRs Fall as U.S. Ramps Up Pressure on Delistings | B Geopolitics & trade Breakthrough reached in Gulf dispute with Qatar -senior Trump official | R Industries & companies Autos: Fiat Chrysler, PSA Aim to Complete Trans-Atlantic Merger in Mid-January | W Health Care: Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, JPMorgan End Health-Care Venture Haven | W Media: Discovery Plus launches in U.S. on Monday | C Media: ViacomCBS Strikes Distribution Deal With Hulu | W Media: Roku Nears Deal to Buy Rights to Quibi’s Content | W Retail: How Walmart plans to take over health care | C Virus I New Covid strain: Boris Johnson imposes national lockdown on England | C New York Gov. Cuomo confirms state’s first case of new Covid strain initially found in UK | C New variant of SARS-CoV-2 in UK | Lancet ‘It’s a Desperate Time’: Crush of Covid-19 Patients Strains U.S. Hospitals | W Virus II Cuomo Seeks to Speed N.Y. Vaccine Doses as 54% Remain Unused | B Covid vaccine: NY Gov. Cuomo to propose law making it a crime to skip line | C Covid-19 Vaccines Are in High Demand, but Thousands More Workers Are Needed to Make Them | W Remote work & school Top analysts are backing stocks like DraftKings and Peloton | C Teachers on TV? Schools Try Creative Strategy to Narrow Digital Divide | N Corporate finance MGM Makes $11 Billion Offer for Ladbrokes Owner Entain | W Fiat Chrysler, PSA Aim to Complete Trans-Atlantic Merger in Mid-January | W Merger of U.S. Insurer Genworth and China Oceanwide Fizzles | W

Jan 04 (Monday) YRI Video Podcast: In our latest video podcast, Dr. Ed discusses the main points of today’s Morning Briefing. Daily Markets Overview Wall Street A Midcap Fund That Finds the Market’s Sweet Spot | BR Here’s How to Prepare Your Portfolio for the New Year, According to Charles Schwab’s Liz Ann Sonders | BR Global Public investment – How to get infrastructure right | Leaders | E US How the American Mortgage Machine Works | W Europe Europe’s Covid-19 Bond Issuance Addressed Fiscal Shortcomings | W With little ado, a divided United Kingdom casts off into the Brexit unknown | R China China is Making it Harder to Solve the Mystery of How Covid Began | B China’s State Capitalism Collides With Its Technological Ambitions | W The great mall of China – Why retailers everywhere should look to China | Leaders | E Japan Update required – Japan’s new prime minister drags government into the digital era | Asia | E US politics Electoral College Results to Be Contested by Group of GOP Senators | W 11 Republican senators push to delay certification of election results | C Trump to attend D.C. protests against Congress certifying Biden victory | C In recorded call, Trump pressures Georgia election official to change results | R Georgia early vote turnout surpasses 3 million as U.S. Senate control hangs in the balance | C Trump creates a nightmare for Republicans in last-minute fight over $2,000 stimulus checks | FO As Some Deficit Hawks Turn Dove, the New Politics of Debt Are on Display | N Geopolitics & trade China senior diplomat says U.S. relations at ‘new crossroads’ | R China says it will respond to delisting of telecom giants | C Iran plans 20% uranium enrichment ‘as soon as possible’ | C Industries & companies Autos: Elon Musk Steers Tesla to Record Deliveries | W Autos: Tesla TSLA Q4 2020 vehicle production and deliveries report | C Autos: Turo CEO Says Car-Renting App Plans to Go Public in 2021 | W Media: MGM Seeks to Buy Ladbrokes Owner Entain | W Pharma: Covid-19 Vaccine Made by AstraZeneca, Oxford Is Authorized by India | W Pharma: India’s drugs experts approve AstraZeneca, local COVID vaccines | R Retail: Nordstrom Looks Like a Department Store Survivor. Its Stock Still Has Room to Run. | BR Virus The tunnel gets darker – What the new variants of covid-19 mean for human health | Leaders | E More cases of new Covid variant found in the U.S., threatening to worsen nation’s outbreak | C New York State Tops 1 Million Covid Cases in Holiday-Season Surge | B U.S. could ramp up slow Covid vaccinations by giving two half doses of Moderna shot | C What To Know About Allergic Reactions to the Vaccine: QuickTake | B ‘That’s real:’ Fauci rejects Trump claim that U.S. coronavirus deaths overcounted | R Offbeat Is a Home Office Actually More Productive? Some Workers Think So. | W Bitcoin touches record above $29,000, extending 2020 rally | R

Jan 02 (Saturday) YRI Morning Briefing PDF Daily Markets Markets Wall Street closes out wild pandemic year with Dow, S&P at records | R Five Investment Trends That Skyrocketed in 2020 | W US U.S. Unemployment Claims Fell Modestly Last Week | W Congress gave unemployed workers an early present — but Santa forgot states and cities | TheHill Europe Brexit trade deal begins as UK severs ties with EU | C US politics Republican-led Senate overrides Trump defense veto | C Yellen Earned Millions in Speaking Fees After Leaving Fed, Disclosures Show | W Industries & companies Airlines: Airlines Buckle Their Seat Belts for a Bumpy 2021 | W Airlines: Covid: U.S. airline 2020 losses expected to top $35 billion in dismal year | C Energy: A Monster Wind Turbine Is Upending an Industry | N Pharma: Drugmakers Raise Prices 3.3% in the New Year | W Virus Covid-19 Was Consuming India, Until Nearly Everyone Started Wearing Masks | W Covid-19 Vaccine’s Slow Rollout Could Portend More Problems | W Fauci reportedly says U.S. will not extend interval between vaccine doses | MW U.K. health service pushes back interval for delivering second Pfizer coronavirus vaccine to a duration company says is untested | MW UK reactivates emergency COVID-19 hospitals, closes London primary schools | R Millions in US Missing Work Home Sick or Caring for Someone During Covid Surge | B Cybersecurity SolarWinds hackers accessed Microsoft source code, the company says | C

Dec 31 (Thursday) YRI Morning Briefing PDF Daily Markets Markets Stock market today: Stocks slip after hitting fresh record highs, Dow down nearly 100 points | C Wall St slips from record levels, additional stimulus uncertain | R Treasury Market’s Inflation Gauge Nears 2%, Highest Since 2018 | B Central banks Fed extends Main Street loan program as last-minute applications surge | R How the 2020 QE Boom Might Trip Up Central Bankers | W In pandemic, Fed showed its muscle in markets still matters | R US U.S. home prices rise at fastest pace in more than 6 years | C Unemployed Americans likely won’t see a gap in unemployment benefits | C Pandemic Reshapes U.S. Employment, Speeding Changes Across Industries | W Covid Vaccine Gives Small Businesses Enough Hope to Go Bankrupt | B Small mom-and-pop businesses that took PPP loans may face a tax bomb | C US politics Covid stimulus update: McConnell blocks Schumer bid to pass $2,000 checks | C If stimulus checks are raised to $2,000, here’s how that may work | C GOP pollster Luntz: Trump $2,000 stimulus check demand is nightmare for Republicans | C In calculating future stimulus checks, Congress should look to 2020 tax returns | TheHill Europe EU governments approve Brexit trade deal – German EU presidency | R China China Eyes Shrinking Jack Ma’s Business Empire | W 4 crucial trends involving China that investors risk getting wrong | MW Industries & companies Airlines: Boeing 737 Max passenger flights resume in U.S. after nearly two-year ban | C Airlines: American Airlines sees capacity cuts through February as Covid cases rise | C Communication services: Inside the Google-Facebook Ad Deal at the Heart of a Price-Fixing Lawsuit | W Health Care: Wealthy hospitals rake in U.S. disaster aid for COVID-19 costs | R Health Care: Health-Costs Transparency Rule for Hospitals Upheld on Appeal | W Retail: What 2020 Was Like for People in the Retail Industry | N Virus I Covid Death Toll to Reach 400,000 Before Trump Departs, CDC Says | B Covid: U.S. to fall short of goal to vaccinate 20 million by year’s end | C Treasury Warns Banks of Covid-19 Vaccine Fraud | W Virus II The Science Behind How the Coronavirus Affects the Brain | W WHO says coronavirus pandemic is ‘not the big one’ the world needs to brace for | MW German Town Finds a Blueprint for Lowering Covid-19 Deaths | W Offbeat Tech Choices Dictate Teen Friendships During Pandemic | WYRI Morning Briefing PDF Daily Markets Markets U.S. futures little changed ahead of final day of 2020 | C Stock market today: Dow rises for the fourth time in five days, ekes out record closing high | C Central banks Fed’s Rate-Setting Panel Gets New Members Amid Uncertain Outlook | W How the Fed Will Respond to the Coming Inflation Scare | Yahoo Yes, It Is Possible to Have Too Much Stimulus | W US Coronavirus stimulus update: McConnell likely dooms $2,000 checks | C Most Americans Are Expected to Save, Not Spend, Their $600 Check | N New Small-Business Stimulus Plan Fails to Address Fraud Risks | W Stimulus bill makes food stamps more generous. What you need to know | C Uber, Gig Companies Seek Labor Deals to Avoid Workers Becoming Employees | W Europe Banks Pile Into Government Debt, Setting Up ‘Doom Loop’ Sequel in Europe | W China Xi’s China Crafts Campaign to Boost Youth Patriotism | W Geopolitics & trade China and E.U. Leaders Strike Investment Deal, but Political Hurdles Await | N U.S. slaps tariffs on French and German wines, aircraft parts amid EU dispute | R Virus I Covid vaccine: Oxford researcher says future strains can be protected against | C California has identified first case of new Covid strain found in UK, Newsom says | C New Covid strain: Colorado health officials say are investigating a second suspected case | C CDC says new Covid strain in U.S. could stress ‘heavily burdened’ hospitals | C Coronavirus Variant in South Africa Sparks Fear of Faster Spread, Possible Reinfection | W Virus II AstraZeneca and Oxford’s Bumpy Partnership Hangs Over Covid Vaccine’s Future | W Covid-19 Vaccine Made by AstraZeneca, Oxford Is Authorized by U.K. | W Operation Warp Speed at a crawl: Adequately vaccinating Americans will take 10 years at current pace | C Corporate finance Record IPO Surge Set to Roll On In 2021 | W Technology & cybersecurity These Boston Dynamics robots can boogie down better than most humans | NN Neurescue device under FDA review hopes to improve cardiac arrest survival | C Cyber attack on U.S. government may have started earlier than initially thought – U.S. senator | R Offbeat Actress Dawn Wells, castaway Mary Ann on TV’s ‘Gilligan’s Island,’ dies from COVID-19 | R

Dec 30 (Wednesday) YRI Morning Briefing PDF Daily Markets Markets Stock market today: Stocks slip after hitting fresh record highs, Dow down nearly 100 points | C Wall St slips from record levels, additional stimulus uncertain | R Treasury Market’s Inflation Gauge Nears 2%, Highest Since 2018 | B Central banks Fed extends Main Street loan program as last-minute applications surge | R How the 2020 QE Boom Might Trip Up Central Bankers | W In pandemic, Fed showed its muscle in markets still matters | R US U.S. home prices rise at fastest pace in more than 6 years | C Unemployed Americans likely won’t see a gap in unemployment benefits | C Pandemic Reshapes U.S. Employment, Speeding Changes Across Industries | W Covid Vaccine Gives Small Businesses Enough Hope to Go Bankrupt | B Small mom-and-pop businesses that took PPP loans may face a tax bomb | C US politics Covid stimulus update: McConnell blocks Schumer bid to pass $2,000 checks | C If stimulus checks are raised to $2,000, here’s how that may work | C GOP pollster Luntz: Trump $2,000 stimulus check demand is nightmare for Republicans | C In calculating future stimulus checks, Congress should look to 2020 tax returns | TheHill Europe EU governments approve Brexit trade deal – German EU presidency | R China China Eyes Shrinking Jack Ma’s Business Empire | W 4 crucial trends involving China that investors risk getting wrong | MW Industries & companies Airlines: Boeing 737 Max passenger flights resume in U.S. after nearly two-year ban | C Airlines: American Airlines sees capacity cuts through February as Covid cases rise | C Communication services: Inside the Google-Facebook Ad Deal at the Heart of a Price-Fixing Lawsuit | W Health Care: Wealthy hospitals rake in U.S. disaster aid for COVID-19 costs | R Health Care: Health-Costs Transparency Rule for Hospitals Upheld on Appeal | W Retail: What 2020 Was Like for People in the Retail Industry | N Virus I Covid Death Toll to Reach 400,000 Before Trump Departs, CDC Says | B Covid: U.S. to fall short of goal to vaccinate 20 million by year’s end | C Treasury Warns Banks of Covid-19 Vaccine Fraud | W Virus II The Science Behind How the Coronavirus Affects the Brain | W WHO says coronavirus pandemic is ‘not the big one’ the world needs to brace for | MW German Town Finds a Blueprint for Lowering Covid-19 Deaths | W Offbeat Tech Choices Dictate Teen Friendships During Pandemic | W