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Markets remain jittery as AI leadership and macro policy collide: S&P 500 and Nasdaq held modest gains while the Dow lagged on defensive flows. Volatility rose amid Nvidia-led concentration, energy moves after OPEC+ signals, and crypto showed mixed inflows into spot ETFs. Key catalysts: Fed-rate signals, earnings, and geopolitical risks.
Courts and Treasury officials signal a possible restart of SNAP payments as legal rulings force the administration’s hand. The looming deadlines and official comments set up a high-stakes race to get food aid flowing within days.
137,000 bpd — OPEC+ agreed this modest December oil output increase.
Community-level demand surges as federal food assistance stalls, producing long lines and ad-hoc distribution efforts. Local charities and food banks are scaling up large ‘supersites’ to plug gaps left by the shutdown.
OPEC+ approved a small December output increase while signaling restraint afterward amid fears of a supply glut. The move keeps oil markets jittery as producers balance demand worries with geopolitical risks.
Sequoia launches $950m early-stage AI fund — backing the next era
Sequoia unveiled two early-stage funds totaling $950m to back startups in AI and frontier tech globally, signaling continued VC appetite for high-growth AI bets.
More on benzinga.com
The White House says China will ease export controls on key chips as part of a new trade accord and will roll back rare-earth restrictions. The steps aim to unclog supply chains and reduce trade tensions ahead of further negotiations.
Hamas said it will hand over three bodies to Israel under a ceasefire arrangement, but Israel says returned remains do not match hostage lists. The exchange deepens mistrust and strains the fragile ceasefire process.
U.S. probe finds rising Tesla owner complaints over inoperative doors
Consumer complaints about Tesla vehicles’ inoperative doors have surged, prompting a U.S. probe that could lead to recalls, fines or reputational damage for the EV maker.
More on bloomberg.com
Israel has struck Hezbollah targets and said fighters were killed, escalating tensions along the Lebanese border. Jerusalem warned of deeper strikes as Washington publicly rebuked Beirut over hostilities.
Ukrainian drones have struck a major Russian Black Sea oil terminal, triggering fires and disrupting exports. Meanwhile Russia has intensified attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure as winter approaches.
White House says China will ease chip export bans and lift rare-earth curbs under a new trade deal; federal courts ordered emergency SNAP payments; OPEC+ signaled a pause on further output hikes after a small December increase.
Western military aid trickles into Ukraine as Germany delivers Patriot batteries to bolster air defenses. Russian strikes continue to degrade civilian infrastructure, leaving regions like Donetsk without power.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman pushed back on revenue questions, saying the company earns well above reported figures and predicting rapid growth ahead. Altman’s remarks underline mounting investor and regulator attention as OpenAI scales.
Without more Fed cuts, parts of the economy could fall into a recession.
— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent
Senior Microsoft leaders argued over AI consciousness and the limits of machine cognition, stirring debate about AI ethics and product strategy. Separately, Microsoft faces integration challenges as it trails OpenAI on new AI features.
Nvidia’s meteoric rise has pushed its market value to historic highs, prompting debates about concentration risk across US markets. Analysts and investors are weighing whether the company’s valuation can be justified by the AI boom.
AI deployment is accelerating job disruption across white-collar sectors, spurring fresh warnings about mass layoffs. Nobel laureates and pioneers in the field say job replacement is part of the profit calculus for big tech.
Berkshire Hathaway reported stronger-than-expected results while stockpiling cash ahead of a leadership transition. The results underline investor focus on cash, buybacks and succession planning at blue-chip conglomerates.
Bitcoin pierced the $100,000 mark amid volatile flows into crypto products, even as ETF activity remains uneven. Spot crypto ETFs for altcoins like Solana are drawing early inflows and testing investor appetite beyond Bitcoin.
An AWS outage highlighted the fragility of AI-reliant infrastructure and sparked fresh debate over centralized cloud risk. Meanwhile ETFs and funds are positioning to profit from a booming AI data-center buildout.
The U.S. carried out a maritime strike in the Caribbean against suspected drug trafficking, raising legal questions about use of force. The DOJ has weighed in on the administration’s authority to continue such strikes at sea.
The Supreme Court is about to hear a landmark case testing the president’s tariff powers, with billions at stake in tariff revenue and trade policy. The ruling could reshape the administration’s ability to impose global tariffs.
A major hack of public-defender systems revealed systemic cybersecurity gaps in legal services, risking case data and client safety. At the same time, AI tools are being abused to generate realistic death threats, raising new moderation challenges.
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