Today's Headlines

Bloomberg:        

• China's Ire Finally Flares as U.S. Opens Huawei CFO Case.     

• China's Copper Imports Slump as Economy Slows and Trade Stalls.

• ECB Heads for Crunch Time After Weeks of Holding Its Nerve.   

• Germany Willing to Merge Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, Focus Says.

• Trump Taps Army General Milley to Lead Joint Chiefs of Staff.

• Madoff’s Victims Are Close to Getting Their $19 Billion Back.

• Contrarians Made the Right Market Calls in 2018. Here's What They're Saying Now.  

• Crypto Market Crash Leaving Bankrupt Startups in its Wake. 

• Recession Risk ‘Overpriced’ With Latest Sell-Off, JPMorgan Says.  

• China, Cars and Congress: Three Risks to the 2019 Trade Outlook.

Wall Street Journal:

• Trump: Chief of Staff John Kelly to Leave Toward Year-End.

• U.S. Hiring Slows, With Wage Gains, Jobless Rate Steady.

• Vote Fraud Shouldn’t Be Easy.

• American Entrepreneurs Who Flocked to China Are Heading Home, Disillusioned.

• Police Clash With Antigovernment Protesters as Unrest Sweeps France.

• Huawei Offensive Is Acceleration of Yearslong Endeavor.

• CIA Taps First Woman to Lead Clandestine Operations.

• Larry Kudlow Predicts Fed Could Rethink Rate Increases.

Barron's:

• Had bullish commentary on (AAPL), (SLV), (LEN) and (CAT).

MarketWatch.com:

• These stocks suffered the biggest losses of the week.

• The stock market is overreacting because fears about the economy are overblown.

• Here are the S&P 500’s best and worst stock performers of 2018.

• Barron’s: How subscriptions are remaking corporate America.

Fox News:

• Beheadings by chainsaw, torturing children, body parts in streets all marks of El Chapo cartel's cruelty.

• VON SPAKOVSKY: 19 months on, and still no Trump-Russia smoking gun.

CNBC:   

• Germany avoids political winds of change after 'mini' Merkel win.

• China's November export, import growth shrinks, showing weak demand. 

• French police clash with 'yellow vest' protesters on Champs Elysees.

• Stocks are getting slammed — three experts weigh in on the selling.

• Fed's Bullard becomes first on central bank to suggest delaying December rate hike.

• Facebook increases stock buyback program by $9 billion.

• Huawei CFO could face sentence of up to 30 years per charge if extradited to US.

• Why are markets so volatile? JP Morgan's quant guru thinks 'fake news' is to blame.

Zero Hedge:  

• Beijing Threatens "Severe" Retaliation Against Canada If Huawei CFO Is Not Released.

• "I Know Where All The Bodies Are Buried": Clinton Foundation CFO Spills Beans To Investigators.  

• Over 1,300 Arrested As Violent Protests Grip France; Prime Minister Says "No Tax Worth Endangering National Unity".

• Chinese Imports From The US Plummet 25% As Trade War Takes Toll.

• May Unleashes 'Project Fear 3.0' As Brexit Vote Looms: Stockpile Food, Drugs, Prepare For The Worst.

• Italy Adopts Hardline Immigration Law.

• How To Be Invisible On The Internet.

• Who's Watching Whom? NYPD Will Monitor Americans With Fleet Of Chinese-Made Drones.

• Cohen To Get "Substantial Prison Time" For "Serious" Crimes Despite Cooperation With Mueller.

• Trump Proclaims "No Collusion!" As Supporters Highlight Inconsistencies In Cohen Testimony.

• Mueller Says Manafort Told "Multiple Lies" About Contacts With Trump Officials, Russian Intel Operative.

• US Consumer Credit Hits All Time High As Credit Card Usage Soars.

• North Carolina Prepares For "Historic Storm;" Fears Of "Impossible Travel Conditions",

• DOJ Readies More Cyber-Spying Charges Against Government-Linked Chinese Hackers.

• Trump Slams Obama's "Totally Biased, Corrupt" DoJ After "Leakin'" Comey Testimony.

• Weekend Reading: Which Yield Curve Really Matters?

• Goldilocks Is Dead: Stocks Slammed Despite Trade-Truce, OPEC Deal, & Jobs Gains.

Business Insider:

• Uber has confidentially filed to go public.