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☆ Biden, Kishida to discuss Japan ‘stepping up’ security
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The Oval Office meeting and signing ceremony at NASA’s Washington headquarters will cap a weeklong tour for Kishida that took him to five European and North American capitals for talks on his effort to beef up Japan’s security. Japan’s defense spending has historically remained below 1% of GDP. “Japan is stepping up and doing so in lockstep with the United States,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said. Kishida also discussed with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron his hopes to improve security cooperation between Japan and their respective nations. “Those days are gone.”Biden administration officials have praised Japan for stepping up in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

☆ 2023 Genesis GV70 2.5T: Fully Loaded, Affordably Priced
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Dan Neil | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

MORE IS LESS Starting at $43,150, the 2023 Genesis GV70 2.5T is equipped with a 300-hp engine, all-wheel drive and a long list of no-cost premium features, including heated front seats, navigation system and power hands-free liftgate. The GV70 2.5T Advanced, seen here, had an as-tested price of $52,925. This thundering herd of tiny hooves accounted for about a half-million sales in 2022, depending on what you count as a compact (vs. midsize), premium (vs. luxury) and crossover (vs. SUV). Alas, the grim truth about 4-H is that, no matter how primped and polished the contestants, when they enter the show ring, they become livestock—commoditized, consumable. Discerning judges look past the braided tails and cow mascara.

☆ New rule on pistol attachments to boost gun safety, U.S. Justice Department says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. Justice Department announced on Friday a new rule targeting pistol attachments known as "stabilizing braces," implementing a key move in the Biden administration's efforts to beef up gun control regulations. A stabilizing brace is an attachment to a pistol that functionally turns it into a short-barreled rifle, similar to a sawed-off shotgun. The new rule clarifies that pistols modified by a stabilizing brace are subject to those additional requirements, department officials said. The new rule gives owners, manufacturers and distributors 120 days to report their stabilizing braces to the ATF tax-free. They may also remove the stabilizing brace or turn in any pistol modified by a stabilizing brace to the ATF.

☆ Biden and Kishida discuss Japan ‘stepping up’ security
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Inside the Oval Office, the U.S. president praised Japan for its "historic" increase in defense spending and pledged close cooperation on economic and security matters. Japan's defense spending has historically remained below 1% of GDP. "Japan is stepping up and doing so in lockstep with the United States," White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said. Kishida also discussed with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron his hopes to improve security cooperation between Japan and their respective nations. Kishida met with Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday before his meeting with Biden to discuss U.S.-Japan space cooperation and other issues.

☆ Soaring US egg prices put pressure on consumers, businesses
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Chickens may not be able to fly very far, but the price of eggs is soaring. A lingering bird flu outbreak, combined with soaring feed, fuel and labor costs, has led to U.S. egg prices more than doubling over the past year, and hatched a lot of sticker shock on grocery aisles. But egg prices are up significantly more than other foods — even more than chicken or turkey — because egg farmers were hit harder by the bird flu. But she said bird flu remains a wildcard that could still drive prices higher if there are more sizeable outbreaks at egg farms. Any decrease in egg prices would be welcome at Patti Stobaugh’s two restaurants and two bakeries in Conway and Russelville, Arkansas, because all of her ingredients and supplies are more expensive these days.

☆ Here’s the inflation breakdown for December 2022 — in one chart
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

A decline in the annual inflation rate doesn't mean consumers saw deflation, which is when overall prices decrease. Categories with the largest changes in Decemberwatch nowWhile on the decline, the annual inflation rate remains at its highest since the early 1980s. Car and truck rental prices fell by 4.9%, while beef and veal prices fell by 3.1%, women's dresses by 2.3% and admission to sporting events by 1.5%. A decline in the inflation rate for electronics may seem counterintuitive when iPhones and other gadgets didn't necessarily come with steep discounts in 2022. Hourly wages have fallen by 1.7% in the past year, after accounting for inflation, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

☆ Food prices still stubbornly high but seeing some easing
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

In December, “food at home” prices increased 0.2% from the month before, according to data released Thursday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. On an annual basis, however, grocery prices remain stubbornly high (and nearly double the rate of overall inflation) at 11.8% year over year. “Fertilizer costs have improved, but they still remain very high. Labor costs still remain a problem — and the list goes on.”In addition to those broader pressures, other factors, including weather and disease, are heavily affecting certain products’ prices. “It makes it extremely challenging for a mom-and-pop [business].”He added: “We’re just trying to stay alive and hope that things will come down.”The expectations are for food price increases to continue to moderate, Bailey said.

REUTERS/Eva Plevier/File PhotoWINNIPEG, Manitoba, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Netherlands-based Rabobank NA (RABOVR.UL) is aiming to grab 10-15% of the Canadian farm lending market within 15 years, as it aims to shake up a sector dominated by government and domestic banks, its new Canadian agricultural head told Reuters on Wednesday. It took Rabobank a decade before deciding to expand into Canadian farm lending, taking a methodical approach, Lieverse said. Rabobank expects Canadian farm lending to be profitable from the start and plans to announce hiring plans shortly, she said. Rabobank did not release its estimate of the value of the Canadian farm lending market, but government agency Statistics Canada pegged 2021 farm debt at a record-high C$129 billion ($96.1 billion), with chartered banks accounting for 37%. Farm Credit Canada, owned by the Canadian government, is the biggest agricultural lender, controlling a market share of about one-third, Lieverse said.

Known for its Birds Eye, Chef Boyardee and Slim Jim brands, Conagra is increasing some of its prices in its current fiscal 2023 third quarter. "We don't currently have any plans to take additional pricing beyond that," Connolly said, noting the plans could change if inflation persists. The price of groceries eaten at home rose an estimated 11%-12% in 2022, versus a 7%-8% increase in restaurant menu prices, according to estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "If you're going to spend your day at home instead of in the office, odds are the breakfast and the lunch that you're going to have is going to be a product like a Healthy Choice Power Bowl," Connolly said. "We've now moved it to just about everything we sell in our frozen meals business," he said.

☆ In-N-Out is making a rare expansion into Tennessee, but it will be years before any restaurants open — here's why
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In-N-Out, which turns 75 this year, is expanding to its eighth state – Tennessee. Here's why it takes so long for In-N-Out to open restaurants in new states. It took about three years for In-N-Out to open the first Colorado restaurant after announcing expansion there in 2017. Why does it take so long to open In-N-Out in a new region? The same will be true for Tennessee, as In-N-Out doesn't build restaurants further than 500 miles from its distribution centers.

☆ Philippines: Onions so expensive they're being smuggled into the country
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The price surge comes after a spate of super typhoons hit the Philippines last year, damaging tens of billions of pesos worth of crops. Ombudsman Samuel Martires was quoted this week by CNN affiliate CNN Philippines as saying he was looking into the possibility of price manipulation. Smuggling onionsOnions have become such a hot commodity that they’re being smuggled into the country. Two days earlier, $364,000 worth of red onions from China found hidden in pastry boxes were also seized by Customs. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he hoped to find a way to sell the smuggled onions to “reduce the supply problems” the country was facing.

☆ In a tough year for hedge funds, the top firms still crushed it
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But first, we've got hedge fund returns. It's returns season for hedge funds, and boy is this year a doozy. Insider's Alex Morrell has a breakdown of how some of the flagship strategies at top hedge funds like AQR, Citadel, D.E. Alex's story gets into the nitty gritty — and more importantly, the specific numbers — but the big takeaway is this: While 2022 was a pretty awful year for the hedge fund industry, some of the industry's top funds absolutely crushed it. And while it might seem impossible to figure out a way to make money in that type of environment, that's exactly when I'd expect a hedge fund to step up.

☆ The first economic plan the new GOP House proposed would raise the deficit by $100 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Their first target: $80 billion in IRS funding from the Democrats' Inflation Reduction Act. The IRS funding was meant to relieve an overburdened agency and beef up enforcement on some of the wealthiest Americans. Of the $80 billion, $45.6 billion is directed towards tax enforcement, specifically targeting areas that have been challenging for the IRS, like global high-net-worth filers. The Congressional Budget Office previously found that the enforcement funding would bring in $204 billion over the next 10 years. "With inflation high, interest rates rising, and debt approaching record levels, rescinding IRS enforcement funds would be a big mistake."

Led by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, Mexican officials set out the U.S.-Mexico bilateral agenda after Biden's arrival in Mexico City on Sunday evening for a North American leaders' summit. "Integration needs to be strengthened," Lopez Obrador told a news conference, saying he expected to reach "good agreements" with Biden. Lopez Obrador is hosting Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau between Monday and Wednesday for the first summit between the three since late 2021. DOMESTIC POLITICSLopez Obrador has also alarmed the United States with a plan to prohibit imports of genetically-modified corn. "To create a North American corridor to outcompete China, the United States, Canada and Mexico need to be on the same economic page," he added.

[1/18] U.S. President Joe Biden speaks with border patrol officers as he walks along the border fence during his visit to the U.S.-Mexico border to assess border enforcement operations, in El Paso, Texas, U.S., January 8, 2023. Biden on Thursday said his administration would tighten immigration enforcement by blocking Cuban, Haitian and Nicaraguan migrants at the border, expanding the nationalities of those who can be expelled back to Mexico. But that has not impressed Republicans like Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who accused him of failing to enforce immigration laws. Biden told reporters he had not yet read the letter. On the ground in El Paso, migrants greeted the new policy with trepidation.

☆ McDonald's Japan hikes prices for 3rd time in 10 months on surging costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Rocky Swift | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

McDonald's Holding Company Japan Ltd (2702.T) said it would raise prices on about 80% of its menu from Jan. 16, citing currency fluctuations as well as surging costs for materials, labour, transportation, and energy. The hikes follow previous increases in March and September last year, as Japan grapples with inflation and a slide in the yen that has made imported ingredients more expensive. The price for a single cheeseburger will go up to 200 yen ($1.49) this month from 140 yen a year ago. The cost of the signature Big Mac hamburger will go up to 450 yen from 410 yen previously. Japanese consumers will see price increases on more than 4,000 food items from next month, researcher Teikoku Databank said on Thursday, following an even bigger wave of hikes last October.

☆ A Harvard brain expert eats these 10 grocery foods to stay 'sharp and focused'—at any age
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Dr. Uma Naidoo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

People who do are more tempted to buy unhealthy comfort snacks and packaged goods, rather than whole, nutritious and satisfying options. For plant-based sources of protein, organic tofu, tempeh, beans and lentils can be enhanced with spices for flavor. Nuts and seedsNuts and seeds have healthy omega fats and oils that will help sharpen your brain. Plant-based foods like chia seeds, Brussels sprouts, walnuts and flaxseeds are also rich in omega-3s. Remember that certain conditions, like ADHD, can be aggravated by dairy, so be aware of how it affects you.

☆ How 'Real Housewife' Jen Shah's fabulous life came crashing down
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Stephanie Clifford | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +43 min

The woman wrote to the judge overseeing Shah's case that she'd had to remortgage her house, almost divorced, and "thought about ending my own life." The couple decided that he should get his degree while Jen Shah dropped out of college to work. (Shah told a judge at her 2022 plea hearing that she had been treated for "alcohol and depression" two years prior. Koa Johnson, Jen Shah's former fashion designerWhen Sharrieff Shah did participate in filming, he quickly became a fan favorite, calm and sensible. Once the show aired and Jen Shah developed a fan base, her behavior became more dramatic, Johnson said.

☆ Mixed emotions as McDonald's leaves Kazakhstan
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Workers remove the logo signage from a restaurant of McDonald's in Almaty, Kazakhstan, January 6, 2023. Food Solutions KZ, the Kazakh licensee of McDonald's Corp, will no longer operate under the U.S. corporation's brand due to supply issues. "I doubt any other company will be able to compete with McDonald's in Kazakhstan at the moment as no other fast food chain can replicate the menu that McDonald's had for the same price." Many Kazakhs, proud of their meat-focused cuisine, expressed incredulity that McDonald's Kazakh licensee, Food Solutions KZ, could not source its beef patties locally and imported them from Russia until the war forced it to stop and ultimately shut down. Food Solutions did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.

☆ Explainer: How strained China-Australia relations hit trade in coal, barley, beef and wine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Jan 6 (Reuters) - China is resuming coal trade with Australia after a three-year halt following strained relations between the two countries over wider issues. Aside from coal, exports of barley, beef, cotton, wine, lobsters and grapes were all hit with restrictions of varying degrees during 2020. China issued verbal instructions to buyers to avoid Australian goods such as coal and cotton, and imposed anti-dumping tariffs on barley and wine. The barley trade with the world's biggest beer maker had previously amounted to between A$1.5 billion ($1.01 billion) and A$2 billion a year. Winemakers in South Africa have seen demand boom, while barley exports from France, Canada, Argentina and Ukraine to China also surged.

☆ Australia to Deploy U.S. Himars Rocket System Being Used in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Mike Cherney | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or Himars, involves trucks that can carry satellite-guided rockets and strike targets up to about 185 miles away with high precision. SYDNEY—Australia said it will acquire a highly mobile, U.S.-built rocket system that can strike targets from far behind the front lines, the latest step by the U.S. ally to beef up its military amid increased competition with China in the region. The system, the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or Himars, has gained prominence after being used effectively by Ukrainian forces against Russia. The system involves trucks that can carry satellite-guided rockets and strike targets up to about 185 miles away with high precision.

☆ Exclusive: Paraguay election race puts Taiwan ties on a knife-edge
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Daniela Desantis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Paraguay is one of only 14 nations globally that retains diplomatic ties with Taiwan and the only South American country to do so. "Paraguay must have relations with China," Alegre said in a recent interview after being named presidential candidate. "We hold this critical position towards relations with Taiwan because we don't think we get enough back from this relationship." Santiago Pena, the Colorado Party candidate, said Paraguay's over six decades of ties with Taiwan would remain intact if he won the April 30 vote. "What we produce is enough for a neighborhood in a city in China, but what interests (Beijing) is us breaking ties with Taiwan.

In a joint statement after a call between President Joe Biden and Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the United States said it would provide Ukraine with Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles while Germany would provide Marder Infantry Fighting Vehicles. The U.S. weapons package, to be announced on Friday, is expected to include about 50 Bradley Fighting Vehicles as part of security assistance totalling about $2.8 billion, U.S. officials told Reuters. Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelenskiy expressed his appreciation for Germany's contribution, saying on Twitter that "Germany is making an important contribution to intercepting all Russian missiles!" The decision was announced after Scholz's government faced a chorus of calls from within his three-way coalition to beef up military support for Ukraine after France announced it was sending light AMX-10 RC armoured combat vehicles. That includes weapons that "Ukraine needs to free occupied areas and the people who are suffering under Russian terror", she said.

☆ How Gen Z Is Rewriting the Job Rulebook on 'Résumé Gaps', Career Breaks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Eve Upton-Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Most people are familiar with the scourge of the résumé gap. Young entrants to the workforce are leading a new conversation about the workplace, and the long-scorned résumé gap is no exception. Instead of viewing it as a negative, many Gen Zers are arguing that career breaks are positive and forcing employers to reconsider their preconceived notions about the résumé gap. The pesky résumé gapWhile job candidates have papered over résumé gaps for years, taking a break during the long march of a career is not uncommon. For those looking at working well into their 70s, a career gap, or two, simply makes sense.

☆ U.S. cuts off Burkina Faso from Africa duty-free trade program
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 1 (Reuters) - The United States has dropped Burkina Faso from the AGOA trade preference program for failing to meet the requirements of the AGOA statute, the U.S. Trade Representative's (USTR) office said in a statement on Sunday. The Biden administration is "deeply concerned by the unconstitutional change" in government in Burkina Faso, according to the statement. Burkina Faso will be given "clear benchmarks" for a pathway toward reinstatement to the trade program, USTR's office said, adding that the Biden administration would work with the Burkinabe government. Frustrations over growing insecurity spurred two coups in Burkina Faso in 2022. Nearly two million people have been displaced and reside in makeshift camps, many run by the United Nations, that dot the arid countryside.

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