Bank of America Raising Its Minimum Wage to 24 Per Hour

FirstFT: ‘Breakthrough’ raises hopes for Gaza ceasefire deal

Also in today’s newsletter, special counsel Jack Smith issues report on election interference, and Amazon plans AI ‘brain’ for Alexa

Financial Times - 20h

This 36-year-old sci-fi 'nerd' quit his banking job to start a deep space startup that has raised $24 million

"It was in banking that I finally realized why the internet sucked," says Rohit Jha, co-founder and CEO of Transcelestial.

CNBC - 2d

America must act to secure its ‘legacy chips’ from China and other competitors

As demand for connected devices and digital technologies continues to increase, so does the need for trusted and secure chips. Legacy chips are one important piece of that puzzle.

The Hill - 2d

"48 Hours" show schedule

True crime. Real justice. To miss it would be a crime.

CBS News - 2d

Trump’s return raises prospect of global tax war

Plans to levy higher rates on US multinationals could spur president-elect to respond with tariffs

Financial Times - 3d

Reeves 'to wage war on waste' and 'Nine-jobs Nigel'

"Growing disquiet" in the Labour Party and Nigel Farage's "side-hustles" lead Sunday's newspapers.

BBC News - 3d

Biden Raises Bounty For Nicolás Maduro to $25 Million

The United States will also extend temporary protections for roughly 600,000 Venezuelan migrants in the United States.

The New York Times - 4d

Ros Atkins: What 24 hours on Elon Musk's timeline tells us

The BBC's Analysis editor, Ros Atkins, investigates Elon Musk's recent posts on X about grooming gangs - and looks at how one day unfolded on his timeline.

BBC News - 4d

TikTok, Facing a US Ban, Is Also Waging Legal Battles Around the World

TikTok is challenging a possible ban or forced sale to new owners in the United States, but has for several years been waging other fights in at least 20 countries.

The New York Times - 4d

Sainsbury's raises pay but is cautious on hiring

The supermarket chain will lift wages to £12.60 but expects costs to increase after Budget measures.

BBC News - 4d

‘Every day is 24 hours of panic to just get out the door’: Jesse Eisenberg on self-indulgence, candid aunts and his Oscar-tipped Holocaust comedy

The writer-director of A Real Pain and co-stars Kieran Culkin, Jennifer Grey and Will Sharpe talk about being overcome by generational trauma while making Oscar season’s funniest film. Jesse ...

The Guardian - 5d

Ford reveals a special edition of its $325,000 Mustang GTD called 'Spirit of America'

The GTD models are part of Ford's plans to expand the Mustang nameplate into the higher echelons of the sports car and racing worlds.

CNBC - 5d

Trudeau warns that Trump's tariffs will raise prices for Americans

Politico - 5d

Park City Strike Ends With Increase in Wages for Ski Patrollers

The nearly two-week strike hobbled the largest U.S. ski resort during a busy holiday period and sparked online fury about deepening economic inequality in rural mountain areas.

The New York Times - 5d

UBS’s stock hit its highest level in 16 years. The good news is the bank is about to get fined hundreds of millions of dollars.

UBS stock reached a new 16-year high after the Wall Street Journal said the bank is about to get fined hundreds of millions of dollars.

MarketWatch - 5d

Open auditions to be America’s 51st state

The U.S. already has 50 states — and all of them are less of a mess than Canada or Britain.

The Hill - 5d

U.S. companies will need to increase their hedges against a stronger dollar in 2025, says Bank of America

A surging buck can crimp multinational’s profits

MarketWatch - 5d

Infinite Reality raises $3B to increase its immersive tech portfolio

Infinite Reality has raised $3 billion from a private investor, which it plans to put towards expanding its network and product offerings.

VentureBeat - 6d

No talk of Beal waiving no-trade clause, per agent

Suns guard Bradley Beal has not discussed waiving his no-trade clause, with his agent telling ESPN that "Bradley's total focus is on helping the Suns turn things around."

ESPN - 6d

Bank of England to relax rules for banks and insurers

PRA’s Sam Woods says burden can be eased without ‘race to the bottom’ on financial regulation

Financial Times - 6d

'To break America, rugby must learn to love its stars'

Rugby needs to rethink its culture if it is to capture a slice of the lucrative American sports market, according to an agent with a foothold in both.

BBC News - 6d

Late Night Jokes Its Way From Canada to the ‘Gulf of America’

“We have been so concerned about all the scary things that Trump’s going to do, we forgot he’s also going to do some really stupid things,” Desi Lydic said on “The Daily Show.”

The New York Times - Jan. 8

Trump’s America First becomes America expands

President-elect Trump’s imperialist tendencies ahead of his second term are begging a question that dominated his first term: Should he be taken seriously, or literally? Trump during a Tuesday ...

The Hill - Jan. 7

Anthropic in talks to raise funding at $60 billion valuation

AI startup Anthropic is in late-stage talks to raise as much as $2 billion at a $60 billion valuation, according to a person familiar with the deal.

CNBC - Jan. 7

Bank of America’s stock could go up 20% in 2025, says this analyst

UBS’s Erika Najarian upgrades Bank of America to buy from neutral

MarketWatch - Jan. 7

Musk’s war on America’s allies

The question of whether he is speaking for Trump is urgent for Europe

Financial Times - Jan. 7

Next blames clothes price rises on wage increases set out in Budget

The retailer expects employee costs to increase by £73m due in part to rising National Insurance

BBC News - Jan. 7

Another year of big wage hikes likely at big Japan firms, business lobby chair says

Yahoo News - Jan. 7

TGL’s success will ride on its players, not its technology

Technology will draw curious eyeballs, but there has to be a human component to keep viewers coming back.

Yahoo Sports - Jan. 7

ZKcandy raises $4M for its gaming-focused Layer 2 chain

ZKcandy has closed a $4 million private round of funding to put towards building an ecosystem around its gaming-focused Layer 2 chain.

VentureBeat - Jan. 7

Firms to raise prices due to tax and wage increases

Consumers could face higher costs in the coming months amid falling confidence among UK businesses.

BBC News - Jan. 6

24, and Trying to Outrun Schizophrenia

Early intervention tries to rein in psychotic disorders before they can ruin young lives. For Kevin Lopez, everything is on the line.

The New York Times - Jan. 5

I’ve been waging war on my phone addiction | Rhik Samadder

My progress has been painfully slow, but at last I think I’m winning. A few years ago I found myself in the toilet without my phone and experienced a surge of actual panic. How was I supposed to ...

The Guardian - Jan. 5

Is America Just Going to Abandon Its Towns Falling Into the Ocean?

Communities must be able to move to solid ground while remaining whole.

The New York Times - Jan. 4

Jimmy Butler suspension: NBPA will file grievance to recoup more than $2M in wages over next seven games

Things are getting extremely contentious in Miami

CBS Sports - Jan. 4

The House begins voting in hours. Here’s what to know.

The Louisiana Republican was unanimously nominated as his party’s candidate for speaker. But resistance among right-wing lawmakers and his slim majority have thrust his fate into doubt.

The New York Times - Jan. 3