Today's Headlines

Bloomberg:

• Brexit Breakthrough Fails as Irish Allies Flex Muscle With May. (video) London and Brussels failed to clinch a long-sought breakthrough on Brexit after a series of dramatic twists that saw a tentative deal derailed by the delicate question of the Irish border. “It was not possible to reach a complete agreement today,” European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told reporters as glum negotiators looked on. Talks will resume this week and he’s confident there will be a agreement that paves the way for trade talks to begin. As well as the Irish border, the taboo issue of what role the European Court of Justice will have in the U.K. after Brexit was also a stumbling block, according to a person familiar with the matter.

• Europe’s Young Consumers Lead a Revival of Optimism.

• OPEC Crude Output Drops to Six-Month Low. (video)

• The U.S. Economy Is Finally Living Up to Lowered Expectations.

• FedEx(FDX) and UPS(UPS) Surge as Investors Pick Winners From Tax Overhaul.

Wall Street Journal:

• GOP’s Late Changes to Tax Bill Buoy Key Industries. Amendments deliver wins for oil and gas firms, cruise-ship operators, others.

• Should 6-Year-Olds Be on Social Media? Facebook(FB) Launches Messenger Kids. Youngsters are the target, but child-development experts question whether it is appropriate.

• The CVS(CVS)-Aetna(AET) Gamble: a Health-Care Giant Not Built Around Doctors. Deal seeks to create an integrated system, but without the key cost gatekeepers.

• NYC Spending Balloons Under Bill de Blasio’s Administration. Since the mayor took office in 2014, the city has added more than 25,000 employees and city spending has increased by about 20%.

MarketWatch.com:

• Russell 2000 hits record on tax optimism.

• Analysts expect these large-cap U.S. stocks to rise at least 25% in 2018.

• It’s rare for the Dow to have ramped up like this — here’s what typically happens next.

Fox News:

• Matt Lauer did receive 'a shopping bag filled with sex toys,' claims therapist. (video)

• Ancient forbidden Christian text of Jesus' 'secret teachings' to his 'brother' found.

CNBC:

• ABC News blunder helps Trump score a point in his war on 'fake news'.

• Democrats are doomed if GOP tax cuts become law, says Republican businessman Ken Langone. (video)

• UBS sees bull case for 'tax-fueled' 25 percent surge in S&P 500 next year. (video)

• Here are the tax plan differences the House and Senate still need to figure out. (video)

• Life after Amazon(AMZN): Costco(COST), other select retail stocks just hit all-time highs.

• Retail jobs decline as Amazon's robot army grows.

• Apple(AAPL) still has one more major product to launch this year.

Zero Hedge:

• Is President Trump's Legal Team Preparing For An Imminent "Obstruction Of Justice" Charge?

• The Man Behind The Oil Price Rally.

• "No-One Knows What’s Going On Now": Britain, EU Fail To Reach Brexit Deal.

• "Wreaking Havoc" - HP(HPQ) Installs System-Slowing Spyware On Its PCs Without Consent.

• Houthi Rebels Take Over Yemen Capital After Killing Ex-President Saleh.

• US Factory Orders Slide In October. (graph)

• Trump Doubles Down In Verbal War With FBI.

• Tax Deal Sends US Futures Soaring To New All Time High; Dollar, Yields, Global Stocks Follow.

• German Government Drafts "Orwellian Nightmare" Plan To Spy On All Digital Devices.

• Europe's Migrant Crisis: Millions More Still To Come.

• 3D-Printed Suicide-Machines Will Usher In a Silent Genocide.