Bloomberg:
- Le Pen Says French Foreign Policy Must Be Decided in Paris. French foreign policy should be decided solely in Paris, French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said, calling for a reversal of her country’s quest over past decades for tighter ties with European Union allies. Laying out her foreign-policy vision in a speech in Paris, Le Pen spoke of a world based on nation states that pursue their own interest and preserve their own cultures without interference.
- Infrastructure Stocks Slump as Stimulus Not Seen Until 2018. Investors who bet Donald Trump would quickly make good on his pledge to fix the nation’s highways and bridges are being taken for a road-trip in financial markets. A basket of infrastructure-linked stocks is having its worst day since the end of June amid speculation a jam-packed political calendar will delay any stimulus program until 2018. Lawmakers are prioritizing other issues such as tax reform and the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act, the news website Axios reported Thursday, citing unnamed Republican Party sources.
- Bristol-Myers(BMY) Looms as Pharma's Next Megadeal as Activists Join. Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. was once one of the drug industry’s highest-flying companies. Now the pharmaceutical giant has gone from predator to prey, as its sagging stock price has invited in activist investors who are already forcing changes.
- U.S. Energy Regulator Still Advancing Obama-Era Climate Guidance. In what appeared to be a belated adoption of an Obama-era directive, the U.S. energy agency responsible for approving multibillion-dollar natural gas pipeline projects has directed companies to start disclosing potential climate change impacts. On Wednesday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commissionposted a new manual on environmental reporting, updating its guidance for the first time since 2002. The two-volume, 470-page handbook advises project developers to include in their applications potential greenhouse-gas emissions, a cause of global warming that President Barack Obama said the agency should start taking into account in reviews. A previous version of the manual doesn’t mentioned climate change.
- Social Media Are Driving Americans Insane. Almost half say they are “constant checkers.” If you pull out your phone to check Twitter while waiting for the light to change, or read e-mails while brushing your teeth, you might be what the American Psychological Association calls a “constant checker.” And chances are, it’s hurting your mental health.
CNBC:
- Dow Chemical(DOW) CEO on Trump: This is the most pro-business administration since the Founding Fathers. (video)
- Trump: Keystone, Dakota Access pipeline makers must buy US steel. "And you're going to be doing pipelines now, you know that, right?" Trump told United States Steel(X) CEO Mario Longhi during a meeting of business leaders at the White House. "We put you heavy into the pipeline business because we approved, as you know, the Keystone pipeline and Dakota, but they have to buy, meaning steel, so I'll say U.S. steel, but steel made in this country and pipelines made in this country."
- These 10 stocks trailing the market's record run may soon catch up, Jefferies says.
- Trading Mnuchin's America: These stocks may thrive under the Treasury secretary.
Zero Hedge:
- O'Keefe Drops "Bombshell" Undercover Footage From Within CNN.
- Bannon Lashes Out At The Media: "They're Not Going To Give The Country Back Without A Fight".
- UMich Students Demand 'No-Whites-Allowed' Safe-Space To Plot "Social Justice" Activism.
- David Einhorn Gets A Divorce, Shorts Sovereigns, Is Bullish On Gold.
- 45 Trillion Reasons Why Gary Cohn Has Recused Himself From All Goldman Matters.
- China Prepares For "Regime Collapse" In North Korea.
- 'Exceptional Stability' - Stock Market Volatilty Plunges To 21-Year Low. (graph)
- Market Sours On Tesla's "Phantom" Beat, Stock Slides. (graph)
- Fed's National Activity Index Drops In January. (graph)
- Trump Meets With Top CEOs To Brainstorm "Jump-Starting" US Economy, Creating Jobs.