• Powell Could Stay on Fed Board for 2 More Years
  
  At 72, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has grandkids to play with, a golf game to get back to and a tune or two to master on the guitar. He also faces a choice: Whether to devote the next years to his family and passions or to battling from inside the Fed...
• US, Taiwan Reach Deal to Cut Tariffs, Boost Chip Investment
  
  The United States said Thursday that it has signed a deal with Taiwan to reduce tariffs on goods from the democratic island, while increasing Taiwanese semiconductor and tech companies' investments in America.
• JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon Wants 5 More Years in the Job
  
  JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon wants to stay at his job "at least" five more years, he told an event hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Thursday.
• Wall Street Closes Higher as Banks, Chips Rally
  
  U.S. stocks rose on Thursday after two days of declines as Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs shares shot up following upbeat quarterly results, while Taiwan-based chipmaker TSMC's blockbuster results boosted shares of U.S. chipmakers.
• Wright: US Gets 30% Higher Price for Venezuelan Oil
  
  Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Thursday the U.S. is getting a 30% higher price for Venezuelan crude oil than Venezuela got before U.S. special forces captured deposed President Nicolas Maduro earlier this month.
• Lutnick: Taiwan Chip Deal Worth $500 Billion
  
  Under the terms of a new U.S. trade deal with Taiwan, companies from Taiwan will invest $250 billion and the island's government will invest another $250 billion to expand semiconductor manufacturing in the United States, Howard Lutnick said.
• Peter Thiel Donates $3M to Fight California Wealth Tax
  
  Peter Thiel, PayPal co-founder and Palantir chairman, has emerged as the first major donor in what is expected to be a high-dollar campaign to block a proposed California wealth tax, The New York Times reports.
• To Survive, Saks Must Court the Less Well-Heeled
  
  Saks Global, the iconic and now-bankrupt luxury retailer, may have to broaden its consumer base if it wants to survive in the increasingly fickle luxury retail world.
• Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley See Double-Digit Profit Increases
  
  A surging stock market and a flurry of deal making padded the profits of Wall Street's two big investment banks, which both saw a double-digit jump in profits in the fourth quarter.
• Ford, BYD in Talks for Hybrid Vehicle Battery Deal
  
  Ford is in discussions with BYD to purchase batteries for its hybrid models, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, at a time when the Detroit automaker deals with waning demand for electric vehicles.
• Californians Get New Data-Deletion Privacy Tool
  
  New year, new privacy rules. At least for Californians. Since Jan. 1, residents of the Golden State can use a new tool to request removal of their personal information held by more than 500 data brokers.
• Report: Verizon Outage Wasn't Caused by Cyberattack
  
  The hourslong Verizon outage that affected thousands of customers does not appear to be the result of a cyberattack but instead an internal network issue tied to servers in New Jersey.
• US Import Prices Increase 0.4% From September to November
  
  U.S. import prices increased 0.4% over the two months from September to November, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said Thursday.
• Melania Trump to Speak at Zoom's AI Event
  
  First lady Melania Trump will deliver opening remarks Friday at "Zoom Ahead: AI for Tomorrow's Leaders," a national student learning experience aimed at helping K-12 students understand how artificial intelligence can be used responsibly, creatively, and confidently.
• Wikipedia Inks AI Deals With Microsoft, Meta & Perplexity
  
  Wikipedia unveiled new business deals with a slew of artificial intelligence companies Thursday as it marked its 25th anniversary.
• Beyond Meat Rolls Out New Protein Drink
  
  Beyond Meat is moving beyond plant-based chicken and burgers and into the beverage market.
• Homes Could Become Affordable in 20 Major Metros
  
  Homes are on track to become affordable in 20 of the nation's 50 largest metropolitan areas by the end of 2026 - the most since 2022 - driven by slower price growth, falling mortgage rates and rising incomes, according to a new forecast from Zillow.
• TSMC to Expand Investment as Profit Jumps 35%
  
  Taiwan-based TSMC, the world's largest computer chipmaker, plans to increase its capital spending by as much as nearly 40% this year after it reported a 35% jump in its net profit for the latest quarter thanks to the boom in artificial intelligence, the company said...
• Unemployment Claims Fall as Layoffs Remain Low
  
  Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week as U.S. layoffs remain low despite growing concern about a weakening job market.
• Wall Street Futures Rise as TSMC Sparks Chip Rally
  
  U.S. stock index futures ticked higher Thursday after TSMC delivered a knockout quarter, sparking a fresh rally in chipmakers, while Wall Street braces for earnings from the financial heavyweights.
• Trump: I Have No Plan to Fire Powell
  
  U.S. President Donald Trump said he has no plans to fire Jerome Powell despite a Justice Department criminal investigation into the Federal Reserve chair, but it was "too early" to say what he would ultimately do.
• Bipartisan Bill Would Create $2.5B Critical Minerals Stockpile
  
  A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers Thursday introduced a bill to create a $2.5 billion stockpile of critical minerals, a move aimed at stabilizing market prices and encouraging domestic mining and refining.
• Airlines Continue to Avoid Iran Iraq Despite Airspace Reopening
  
  European airlines like Wizz Air, Lufthansa, and British Airways dodged Iraqi and Iranian airspace on Thursday, according to flight tracking websites, opting instead for routes over Afghanistan and central Asia...
• Trump: Minneapolis Food Stamp Fraud 'Giant Dem Scam'
  
  President Donald Trump accused retailers in Minneapolis that accept food stamps of widespread fraud in a Wednesday night post on Truth Social, arguing that taxpayer-funded programs are being abused with political and media protection.
• Musk's Grok Blocks Image Undressing After Global Backlash
  
  Elon Musk's platform X on Wednesday announced measures to prevent its AI chatbot Grok from undressing images of real people, following global backlash over its generation of sexualized photos of women and children.

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