|
Global Momentum: AI Investment to Keep Rising and Boost World Economy, OECD Says (Bloomberg)
The surge in artificial intelligence investment that has buoyed world growth is set to continue and deliver longer-term gains, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Secretary General Mathias Cormann said.
The Paris-based organization, which earlier this month raised its forecasts for several major economies including the US, said then that tech spending is already providing support in the face of trade uncertainty.
Tonight in the Oval Office: Trump Says He’ll Deliver Prime-Time Address Wednesday Night (Bloomberg)
President Trump said he would deliver a prime-time address to the nation on Wednesday night at 9 PM EST, an opportunity to tout his agenda to voters with polls showing the public souring on his approach to the economy.
Job Market Weakens Under Trump: US Unemployment Rate Hits Four-Year High (Bloomberg)
US job growth remained sluggish in November and the unemployment rate rose to a four-year high, pointing to a continued cooling in the labor market after a weak October.
Nonfarm payrolls increased by 64,000 in November after declining 105,000 in October, adding to the choppiness seen in the labor market in recent months.
The US unemployment rate rose to 4.6% in November, the highest level in more than four years, in a further sign of weakness in the labor market, according to the Financial Times.
Escalation: Trump Orders Blockade of Sanctioned Oil Tankers in Venezuela (Bloomberg)
President Trump ordered a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers going into and leaving Venezuela, ratcheting up pressure on Caracas as the US builds up its military presence in the region.
In Cambridge: MIT Professor Fatally Shot at Home as Police Hunt for Suspect (Bloomberg)
A professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was fatally shot in his Boston-area home, according to authorities, who said they’re searching for a suspect.
The 47-year-old academic, Nuno Loureiro, was taken to a nearby hospital and died early Tuesday. The office of the district attorney said the case is being investigated as a homicide and has not released information on a motive or any suspects.
Rhode Island Manhunt: Search
for the Brown University Shooter Continues as Questions Swirl About Campus Security (Associated Press)
The FBI offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person responsible.
With the killer still on the run, FBI Director Kash Patel appeared this week on Katie Miller’s MAGA-friendly podcast, giving a loved-up interview alongside his country singer girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, as reported by Politico Playbook.
Australia
Latest: Sydney Gunmen Were Motivated by ISIS, Prime Minister Says (New York Times)
Trailing Indicator: LSEG Lags Own Index With Investors Impatient for AI Breakthrough (Bloomberg)
During 2025, the London Stock Exchange Group's (LSEG) stock has dropped by almost a quarter as investors worry the rise of artificial intelligence will cannibalize its business.
LSEG continues to make more partnerships of its own, teaming up with Anthropic PBC in October to enable LSEG data on Anthropic’s AI tool Claude. A deal with OpenAI in December opened up its financial news and data to ChatGPT. These add to a suite of AI collaborations with firms including Snowflake and Databricks.
“Following an about-turn by investors, LSEG is widely perceived to be an AI loser,” Citigroup analyst Andrew Lowe wrote in a note in September, a bear case that centers on “lost market share and pricing power in its workflows and data businesses.”
Budget Cuts: Cash-Strapped UN Axes Restroom Paper Towels at Global HQ in NYC (Bloomberg)
The United Nations will no longer be providing paper towels
in the restrooms at its headquarters — an estimated $100,000 a year in cost savings — in the latest statement on the funding woes at the world’s peacekeeping body.
Trump's Royal Visit Fails To Deliver: US Suspends Technology Deal with the UK, Citing Negotiation Frustration (Financial Times)
The US has suspended implementation of a technology deal it struck with the UK during Trump’s state visit to Britain, amid growing frustrations in Washington over the progress of trade talks with London.
The US-UK “technology prosperity deal”, which was announced in September, aims to spur cooperation between the two countries in areas including artificial intelligence, quantum computing and nuclear energy.
Finland Warns: Russia Will Shift Forces to NATO Border if Ukraine Deal Struck (Financial Times)
Russia would redeploy its forces towards NATO’s eastern flank if there is a peace deal in Ukraine, Finland’s prime minister Petteri Orpo has warned, urging Europe to give more money to defense in frontline states.
Several NATO countries have warned that Russia would be ready for a major confrontation with the western military alliance within three to five years of the cessation of hostilities in Ukraine.
Finland is one of the few countries in Europe not to have let its guard down against Russia, keeping up a formidable program of preparedness including bomb shelters and vast supplies of critical materials as well as training of young people and elites.
Hollywood Latest: Nick Reiner Faces First-Degree Murder Charges in Los Angeles (Bloomberg)
Nick Reiner faces first-degree murder charges in the weekend stabbing deaths of his parents, actor-director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner.
Bid Decision Incoming: Warner Bros. Plans to Reject Paramount Offer on Funding, Terms (Bloomberg)
Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. is planning to reject Paramount Skydance Corp.’s hostile takeover bid due to concerns about financing and other terms, people familiar with the matter said.
Merriam-Webster: The 2025 Word of the Year is... Slop (Merriam-Webster)
Merriam-Webster’s human editors have chosen slop as the 2025 Word of the Year. They define slop as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” All that stuff dumped on our screens, captured in just four letters: the English language came through again.
Coming to a Bigger Screen:
Instagram Debuts Dedicated Television App for Amazon Fire TV (Bloomberg)
Meta Platforms Inc.’s Instagram unveiled its first dedicated TV app, which lets users watch the short-form video feature Reels on a larger screen.
The app will initially launch on Amazon.com Inc.’s Fire TV platform, the company said Tuesday, describing the offering as a test. Eventually, Instagram aims to expand onto other TV platforms to reach as many consumers as possible.
|
