US retailers prepare to ring in the Year of the Pig

Retailers across the US are raising their game to celebrate the Year of the Pig.

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Here's why you should have faith in Robert Mueller and the Russia investigation

Is the Mueller probe fair? Is it being conducted ethically? Who should we believe when the president tells us we can’t trust law enforcement?

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Venezuela targets Guaido with probe, travel ban, asset freeze

The court also said prosecutors could investigate Guaido, in apparent retaliation for sweeping U.S. sanctions on oil firm PDVSA, announced on Monday. The sanctions mean the state-run company may not be able to fulfill contracts with North American buyers, the government of President Nicolas Maduro said. Aimed at driving Maduro from power, the sanctions were the strongest measures yet against the 56-year-old former union leader, who has overseen economic collapse and an exodus of millions of Venezuelans in recent years.

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China slowdown weighs on revenue growth at internet giant Alibaba

Internet giant Alibaba saw its revenue growth slow in the final three months of last year, in quarterly results likely to stir up concerns over the weaker China market, recently signalled to by US tech giants.  Alibaba saw net income jump 33pc to 30.96bn yuan (£3.5bn) in the three months to the end of December, and revenue rose 41pc to 117.28bn yuan. However, shares dipped in New York trading, down 1.3pc, as investors took the results as a sign growth was waning, given Alibaba's revenue had grown more than 50pc for the 10 consecutive quarters prior to the most recent results.  The 41pc growth announced on Wednesday was the weakest Alibaba had recorded in three years.  The results follow a warning from Alibaba president Michael Evans earlier this month that China had "slowed down". Speaking at an event in New York, Mr Evans had said it was a market that "required patience", adding that there were some "troubling headwinds".  Last week, China posted figures revealing its economic growth in 2018 had been the weakest in 28 years amid tensions with the US and poor consumer confidence. The country's GDP growth for the year was 6.6pc, down from 2017's 6.8pc. Some economists are predicting growth could slip below 6pc going forward. Technology intelligence - newsletter promo - EOA Masaaki Kanno, chief economist at Sony Financial Holdings, said: “We still think the Chinese economy could bottom out in the middle of the year. “There was no surprise from the GDP data but the basic message is that the Chinese economy is still slowing down." However, David Dai, of Bernstein, said the environment should improve for Alibaba in the second half of 2019 "as the Chinese government introduces measures to stimulate the economy and US China trade war stabilises". Alibaba is the first of China's big tech companies to report its results for the final three months of 2018, but follows a series of warnings over the state of the China market by US giants Apple, Intel and Nvidia.  Apple last night said sales of its iPhones slipped by 15pc in the final three months of 2018, largely due to weaker demand in China.  Speaking about Alibaba's results on Wednesday, however, boss Daniel Zhang was upbeat, saying: "Our resilient operating and financial performance is a direct reflection of our persistent focus on better serving our growing base of nearly 700 million consumers across retail, digital entertainment and local consumer services."

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Polar vortex causes another lousy travel day for fliers, over 3,500 flights canceled

Brrr! The polar vortex caused hordes of flights to be canceled across the country on Wednesday.

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Canada’s Decision on Huawei and 5G ‘Some Ways Off,’ Goodale Says

“I’m not going to speculate about time but it’s certainly beyond weeks,” Goodale told reporters Tuesday after a cabinet meeting. Goodale said Canada will take the view of allies such as the U.S. into account when studying potential risks to national security, and will make its own decision in the end. China’s ambassador to Canada and Huawei officials have denied the company’s gear is used for spying.

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Trump slams U.S. intelligence chiefs as 'passive and naive' on Iran

Leaders of the U.S. intelligence community told a Senate committee on Tuesday that the nuclear threat from North Korea persisted and Iran was not taking steps toward making a nuclear bomb, conclusions that contrasted starkly with Trump's assessments of those countries. "The Intelligence people seem to be extremely passive and naive when it comes to the dangers of Iran.

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PG&E files for bankruptcy after California wildfires

The company, the largest utility in America's most populous state, has been under intensifying scrutiny in the wake of the so-called 2018 Camp Fire in Northern California that left 86 people dead, destroyed some 18,000 buildings and came on the heels of deadly wildfires in the state in 2017. PG&E, whose shares have fallen 72 percent over the last year, could face huge liabilities if investigations reveal its equipment was directly responsible for the fire.

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Top airline is selling flights for $44

Winter weather and the general lull of the post-holiday season can leave just

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Life in #Chiberia: It's so cold in the Midwest, beer is exploding and we're setting fire to train tracks to keep them running

A polar vortex has sent temperatures plunging well below zero in the Midwest, and residents are going to social media to share just how cold it is.

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Pregnant Lyft driver in third trimester stabbed to death by passenger, police say

A Lyft rider in suburban Phoenix stabbed his pregnant driver, killing the woman and her unborn child before stealing her vehicle and driving nearly 150 miles before being arrested near the California line, authorities said Monday.

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Learning With: ‘A Merciless Cold Lingers in the Midwest’

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Senate judiciary chair requests FBI briefing on arrest of Trump ally

The Republican chairman of the U.S. Senate judiciary panel on Wednesday requested a briefing from the FBI on the arrest of Roger Stone, a longtime associate of President Donald Trump, in an inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. Senator Lindsey Graham said he was concerned about the number of agents involved, tactics employed and the timing of Stone's arrest on Friday in Florida. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating U.S. allegations that Russia meddled in the election and whether members of the campaign of then-Republican candidate Trump coordinated with Moscow officials.

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Good-bye polar vortex, hello spring? Weekend will be 75 degrees warmer

The bitter cold that froze parts of the central and eastern U.S. this week will be a distant memory by the weekend.

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PG&E files for bankruptcy amid California wildfire lawsuits, citing billions in claims

The utility filed bankruptcy documents despite investigators determining last week that its equipment was not to blame for a 2017 fire that killed 22.

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'El Chapo' defense rests after calling one witness

After that, U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan, who is presiding over the trial in Brooklyn federal court, will instruct the jury so it can begin deliberating Guzman's fate. The brief defense case was in sharp contrast to the 10-week presentation put on by prosecutors, who called over 50 witnesses to testify. Guzman said on Monday that he would not testify in his own defense.

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Phone Giant Plays a Cunning Game Over Huawei Ban

(Bloomberg Opinion) -- If Deutsche Telekom AG is to be believed, a ban on equipment from Huawei Technologies Co. would slow down its rollout of 5G  networks by two years. Even though such an embargo would be a huge burden for the German phone giant, there are factors that might lessen the pain. A delay to its 5G plans might even be welcome.

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Russia claims no knowledge of plane sent to Venezuela 'to extract 20 tonnes of gold' from national bank

Russian authorities have moved to quash suspicions that 20 tonnes of gold are about to be moved from the Venezuela’s national bank to Moscow. Allegations that a Russian jet which landed in Caracas was due to load an $840 million portion of the country's gold reserves surfaced early on Wednesday. Venezuela’s opposition-controlled parliament, sidelined by the Maduro regime, said in a tweet that they received information from the Bank of Venezuela that a plane from Moscow arrived to Caracas to “extract at least 20 tons of gold” - 20 per cent of the bank’s holdings. “We are demanding the Bank [to reveal] details of what is happening. That gold does not belong to Calixto Ortega, [head of the Bank]. It belongs to the Venezuelan people,” the tweet read.  Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman, said on Wednesday that he is not aware of any plans to bring gold to Moscow.  Hyperinflation in Venezuela “Russia is prepared to help resolve the political situation [in Venezuela] in any way possible, without interfering into the country’s internal affairs,” Mr Peskov was quoted as saying by the RBC news outlet.  On Monday, Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported that an empty passenger plane departed from Moscow to Caracas.  The Boeing 777, with space for some 400 passengers and belonging to Russia's Nordwind Airlines, was parked by a private corner of the airport after flying direct from Moscow, according to flight tracking data and Reuters photos. It was the first time it had made the route, the data showed. Novaya Gazeta said that the plane carried two crew teams and suggested there was no obvious reason for it to fly there: Russian tourists are officially recommended not to visit Venezuela, sales of package tours to the country have stopped long ago, and Russia’s Foreign Ministry hasn’t announced plans to evacuate Russian citizens from the country.  Venezuelan social media was alive with theories, including that the place had brought mercenaries, or was there to escort Maduro into exile. Venezuela's Finance Minister Simon Zerpa claimed there were no Russian planes in the Caracas airport, despite the pictures. Responding to questions about the gold, Peskov urged journalists "to be careful with different hoaxes."  Maduro claims he is facing a Washington-backed coup attempt led by opposition leader Juan Guaido, who last week proclaimed himself president and was recognized by the United States as the legitimate head-of-state. Russia has accused US President Donald Trump's administration of trying to usurp power in Venezuela and warned against any military intervention. The Kremlin on Tuesday condemned new U.S. sanctions against Venezuela's vital oil sector as illegal interference in the OPEC member's affairs. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that Russian government “will do anything” to support Maduro.  Guaido is currently petitioning the Bank of England to prevent Mr Maduro getting his hands on $1.3 billion (£1 billion) in gold held in London vaults. Venezuela, which is struggling to provide basic services, has some $8 billion in foreign reserves around the world. On Monday the US placed sanctions on Venezuela’s state oil company – a move designed to cripple Maduro’s regime financially, and sway the military to defect.

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Trump orders ‘several thousand’ more troops to US-Mexico border, costing taxpayers over $600m

Donald Trump’s White House administration has ordered “several thousand” more troops to the US-Mexico border, Pentagon officials said Tuesday. Acting Defense Department Secretary Patrick Shanahan said the latest dispatch of troops to the southern border would occur “soon” following a new request from the Department of Homeland Security. Meanwhile, reports indicate the president’s demands for an increased US military presence along the border are expected to cost American taxpayers over $600m (£458m).

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Mnuchin says Huawei case 'separate' from U.S.-China trade talks

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said on Tuesday he expected to see significant progress in trade talks with Chinese officials this week and that U.S. charges against telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd were a separate issue. "Those are separate issues, and that's a separate dialogue," Mnuchin said in an interview with Fox Business Network. "So those are not part of trade discussions.

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Venezuela crisis: Opposition leader Juan Guaido hit with travel ban and asset freeze by supreme court

Venezuela’s self-declared interim president, Juan Guaido, has been hit with a travel ban after the country’s chief prosecutor announced he would launch a criminal investigation into the congressional leader. The supreme court – stacked with members loyal to president Nicolas Maduro – blocked Mr Guaido from leaving the counrty and froze his bank accounts, but did not strip him of his legislative immunity. It came as Mr Guaido called on Venezuelans to stage a two-hour walkout from their homes and workplaces in protest at Mr Maduro’s stewardship of the country.

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U.S. intel chief Dan Coats: North Korea 'unlikely to completely give up' its nukes

"Our assessment is bolstered by our observations of some activity that is inconsistent with full denuclearization," Coats added.

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Boeing bullish on 2019 despite US-China tensions

Boeing reported a strong fourth quarter on Wednesday and offered a bullish 2019 outlook as executives expressed measured confidence in the prospects for a US-China trade agreement. Shares rallied on the report and 2019 forecast, which anticipates much higher than expected 2019 profits as the company ramps up commercial aircraft deliveries. "Across the enterprise, our team delivered strong core operating performance and customer focus, driving record revenues, earnings and cash flow and further extending our global aerospace industry leadership in 2018," said Boeing Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg.

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Goldman Sachs ups 'no-deal' likelihood after UK parliament amendment vote

Goldman Sachs nudged up its estimated probability of a "no-deal" Brexit on Wednesday after British lawmakers instructed Prime Minister Theresa May to reopen a Brexit treaty with the European Union to replace a controversial Irish border arrangement. Britain's parliament rejected a proposal to give parliament a path to prevent a potentially chaotic "no-deal" exit, but accepted two amendments - one seeking to replace the Irish backstop with alternative arrangements, and another rejecting the notion of a "no-deal" Brexit. Goldman Sachs analysts upped their "no-deal" Brexit probability to 15 percent from 10 percent, and cut their probability of Brexit not happening at all to 35 percent from 40 percent.

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US Midwest braces for dangerous arctic chill

Millions of Americans braced Tuesday for a dangerous polar vortex which began to settle over a broad swath of the United States, threatening to set new records for cold as schools and businesses closed and authorities warned of frostbite. Temperatures in almost a dozen states stretching over 1,200 miles from the Dakotas to Ohio were forecast to be the coldest in a generation, if not on record. The National Weather Service (NWS) forecast temperatures between -10 to -40 degrees Fahrenheit (-23 to -40 Celsius) by Wednesday, with wind chill making it seem as cold as -65 degrees Fahrenheit in one area of Minnesota.

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Trump slams U.S. intelligence chiefs as 'passive and naive' on Iran

Leaders of the U.S. intelligence community told a Senate committee on Tuesday that the nuclear threat from North Korea persisted and Iran was not taking steps toward making a nuclear bomb, conclusions that contrasted starkly with Trump's assessments of those countries. "The Intelligence people seem to be extremely passive and naive when it comes to the dangers of Iran.

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Kids (not just infants!) can now fly for free on Frontier Airlines, but there's a catch

Frontier Airlines is letting kids fly for free as part of their Discount Den program, which costs about $60 a year. Here's what you need to know.

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Canada’s Decision on Huawei and 5G ‘Some Ways Off,’ Goodale Says

“I’m not going to speculate about time but it’s certainly beyond weeks,” Goodale told reporters Tuesday after a cabinet meeting. Goodale said Canada will take the view of allies such as the U.S. into account when studying potential risks to national security, and will make its own decision in the end. China’s ambassador to Canada and Huawei officials have denied the company’s gear is used for spying.

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Dangerous arctic chill sweeps over US Midwest

Tens of millions of people in the United States are bracing for a potentially life-threatening deep arctic chill forecast to hit swaths of the country on Wednesday. The US Postal Service -- known for its commitment to bringing the mail whatever the weather -- has even reportedly suspended deliveries in Iowa due to the severe cold. Temperatures in almost a dozen states stretching more than 1,200 miles (1,930 kilometers) from the Dakotas to Ohio were forecast to be the coldest in a generation, if not on record.

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'Naive': President Trump disputes his own intelligence chiefs on Iran, North Korea

President Trump takes to Twitter to defend his foreign policy on Iran, North Korea, and other issues.

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'Serious consequences,' U.S. warns, after Venezuela moves on Guaido

The sweeping U.S. sanctions on oil firm PDVSA, announced on Monday, means the state-run company may not be able to fulfill contracts with North American buyers, the government of President Nicolas Maduro said. Aimed at driving Maduro from power, the sanctions were the strongest measures yet against the 56-year-old former union leader, who has overseen economic collapse and an exodus of millions of Venezuelans in recent years. The measures triggered higher global oil prices, angry responses from China and Russia and the first serious moves against Guaido since he challenged Maduro's claim on the presidency last week.

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'El Chapo' must not 'escape' again, U.S. prosecutor tells jury

Accused Mexican drug boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's repeated escapes from the law prove that he "knows he's guilty," a U.S. prosecutor told jurors in closing arguments at his trial on Wednesday, urging them not to let him escape again. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Goldbarg's description of Guzman's history of dramatic prison escapes capped off a day-long summation in federal court in Brooklyn in which she also attacked the defense argument that Guzman was a scapegoat.

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No mail will be delivered to parts of seven states as polar vortex chills postal delivery

So much for "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night." The U.S. mail won't be delivered tomorrow in four states due to the crippling cold of the polar vortex.

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Alibaba profit up 37% but revenue growth eases

Chinese e-commerce leader Alibaba said Wednesday that net profit increased 37 percent in the latest quarter as growth in cloud computing and other business lines helped offset a slowing expansion in core online retail. The company's net profit grew to 33.0 billion yuan ($4.9 billion) in the October-December third quarter, compared to 24.1 billion yuan over the same period in 2017. Alibaba dominates China's emerging consumer culture and its corporate results were widely anticipated for any signs of whether a worsening Chinese economic slowdown and the US-China trade tussle was curbing the country's appetite for shopping.

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The impact of the frigid cold, snowstorm, by the numbers

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A look at how this week's snowstorm and bitter cold have affected the United States, by the numbers:

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Post-shutdown, some Republicans see door ‘slightly ajar’ to challenging Trump

It’s still a long shot, but a few Republicans are beginning to muse about a possible primary challenge to President Trump.

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FOX BIZ NEWS: Tesla confirms big bond payment doable amid mixed earnings

Tesla confirms big bond payment doable amid mixed earnings



The automaker said Model 3 production should reach 7,000 vehicles per week by the end of the year.

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FOX BIZ NEWS: Venezuela, 'Maduro Mafia's' top oil customers

Venezuela, 'Maduro Mafia's' top oil customers



Trump advisers cautioned financiers against dealing in Venezuelan commodities.

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FOX BIZ NEWS: Dow surges on Fed rate decision, strong earnings

Dow surges on Fed rate decision, strong earnings



The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed to its highest level this year after the Fed announcement.

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FOX BIZ NEWS: McDonald's 4Q earnings beat expectations, but US same-store sales disappoint

McDonald's 4Q earnings beat expectations, but US same-store sales disappoint



Net sales also dropped 3 percent to $5.163 billion, but still beat Wall Street's estimates of $5.162 billion.

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FOX BIZ NEWS: AT&T misses 4Q phone subscriber estimates

AT&T misses 4Q phone subscriber estimates



AT&T gained a net 134,000 phone subscribers who pay a monthly bill.

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FOX BIZ NEWS: Anthem's Medicare boom overshadows loss in ObamaCare markets

Anthem's Medicare boom overshadows loss in ObamaCare markets



Profits at the Indianapolis-based insurer fell 66 percent to $424 million.

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FOX BIZ NEWS: EBay to pay first-ever dividend

EBay to pay first-ever dividend



The company is also boosting its share buybacks.

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Rescue Pets

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FOX BIZ NEWS: Facebook posts record profits despite privacy concerns

Facebook posts record profits despite privacy concerns



Fox News Headlines 24/7 Brett Larson discuss Facebook’s fourth-quarter earnings and the privacy concerns surrounding the social media giant.

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FOX BIZ NEWS: Facebook shares rise after beating Q4 expectations

Facebook shares rise after beating Q4 expectations



FBN’s Connell McShane on Facebook’s fourth-quarter earnings.

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FOX BIZ NEWS: Corporate earnings are slowing down: Charlie Gasparino

Corporate earnings are slowing down: Charlie Gasparino



FBN’s Charlie Gasparino discusses how investors are reacting to the Fed’s decision to leave rates unchanged and Tesla’s upcoming earnings call.

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FOX BIZ NEWS: Tesla beats on revenue, stock rises

Tesla beats on revenue, stock rises



FBN’s Susan Li reports on Tesla’s fourth-quarter earnings.

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FOX BIZ NEWS: Artificial intelligence’s impact on the global economy

Artificial intelligence’s impact on the global economy



Mercer President Julio Portalatin and Philip Morris International CEO André Calantzopoulos discuss the changing global economy and the impact artificial intelligence is having on the workforce.

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FOX BIZ NEWS: Artificial intelligence will be part of the college curriculum: MIT President Rafael Reif

Artificial intelligence will be part of the college curriculum: MIT President Rafael Reif



MIT President Rafael Reif talks to Gerry Baker of “Wall Street at Large” about how major universities are preparing students for how advances in artificial intelligence will impact the workforce of the future.

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