Today's Headlines

Bloomberg:

• Trump Says He’s ‘Very, Very Close’ to Naming Fed Chair Nominee. (video) President Donald Trump told reporters Monday he is “very, very close” to announcing his nominee for chairman of the Federal Reserve. Trump gave the timeline in answer to a reporter’s question at the start of an Oval Office meeting with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, but he didn’t elaborate.
• Pimco Sees China Refraining From Broad Deleveraging in Next Year. China’s deleveraging campaign will create pockets of pain in markets over the coming year, without curtailing borrowing to the extent that debt actually declines, according to Pimco. Pacific Investment Management Co. predicts that Chinese companies will be able to refinance most of their borrowings in the next 12 months as the authorities refrain from carrying out broad-based deleveraging. This will contribute to debt expanding faster than nominal gross domestic product, said Luke Spajic, head of portfolio management for emerging Asia at Pimco, which manages $1.7 trillion.
• Your Evening Briefing. (video)

Wall Street Journal:

• Trump Says ‘No Change’ to 401(k) Plans Under Forthcoming Tax Proposal. Congressional Republicans said to be weighing limits in pretax contributions for retirement savings.
• Japanese Official Warns North Korean Threat Critical, Imminent. Defense minister tells Asian counterparts, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis that Japan supports U.S. position that “all options are on the table”.
• Central Bankers Cling to Stimulus Amid Weak Inflation. Officials at Washington conference say low wages and consumer prices make it tough to remove measures quickly, despite global economic upturn.

Fox News:

• Report: Mueller probe expands to Democratic lobbyist Tony Podesta's dealings. (video)

CNBC:

• China central bank chief raises new worry in China: Mortgage-driven household debt.
• Amazon(AMZN) will soon let you order from restaurants using the Amazon app on your phone.
• Obamacare's 'original sin' is still the biggest problem with US health care.

Zero Hedge:

• Ray Dalio: "This Is The Most Important Economic, Political And Social Issue Of Our Time".
• Mueller Probe Targets Democrat Lobbying Firm Podesta Group.
• Bitcoin Tumbles After Saudi Prince Calls Crypto - "Enron In The Making".
• "No Leadership In NFL" - Trump Slams Continued Kneeling "Disrepect".
• Catalan Separatists Plan Human Shield, "Civil Disobedience" To Block Spanish Takeover.
• Gold Spikes On Massive Volume After Trump's Fed Chair Comments.
• Options Traders Haven't Been This Worried About The Dow In 17 Years. (graph)