BETWEEN THE HEDGES: Today's Headlines

Bloomberg:

Bitcoin Hits 2018 Low as Concerns Mount on Regulation, Viability. (video) After reaching a record high of $19,511 on Dec. 18, Bitcoin has lost more half its value as the digital token has been weighed down by expectations of more government oversight globally, fears of price manipulation, the susceptibility of exchanges to hacking and lingering concern that it’s all just an asset bubble.

Guess(GES) Plunges After Kate Upton Accuses Co-Founder of Sexual Harassment.

Wall Street Journal:

Wages on the Rise at Small Firms. NFIB jobs report shows highest percentage of companies planning pay hikes in more than 28 years.

The New Robot Revolution in Manufacturing | Moving Upstream. A deep dive into the world of industrial robots, looking at how they’re changing manufacturing and affecting low-skilled workers.

Google(GOOG) Weighs Unusual Bid With Giant Oil Firm Aramco to Rev Up the Saudi Tech Sector. Saudi firm has sought to wean itself off oil; a deal with the California tech behemoth would help.

Charity Funds Take Off as Tax Law Reshapes Giving. Households open donor-advised investment vehicles to benefit from deductions.

iPhone Price Increases Could Charge Up Apple’s(AAPL) Revenue. Overall revenue expected to rise even as unit sales of iPhones stagnate.

Indonesia’s Hard-Line Muslims Push Ban on Unmarried and Gay Sex. Proposed changes to criminal code would expand definition of adultery to include sex between unmarried people.

MarketWatch.com:

Here’s what options traders expect from Apple(AAPL), Amazon(AMZN) and Alphabet (GOOG) earnings.

Fox News:

Trump blasts ‘stone cold’ Dems for not applauding job growth, calling bonuses 'crumbs'. (video)

CNBC:

Economy to grow at blockbuster 5.4% rate in first quarter, Atlanta Fed tracker shows. The economy is on track to put up blockbuster growth numbers in the first quarter, according to the latest forecast from the Atlanta Fed. GDP is expected to surge 5.4 percent to start 2018, the central bank branch estimated in its latest rolling look at how the economy is progressing. If the forecast holds, it would be the best quarter since the Great Recession ended in 2009. The previous highest was third quarter of 2014, which hit 5.2 percent. That forecast comes amid some sharply improving data released Thursday. Real consumer spending jumped from 3.1 percent to 4 percent amid a sharp savings drawdown, and private fixed-investment growth surged from 5.2 percent to 9.2 percent. That comes as jobless claims hover around generational lows and the unemployment rate is at 4.1 percent.