| By Derek Caney
A U.S. bank regulator is ready to fail Wells Fargo on a national scorecard for community lending, a move that could limit near-term expansion for the bank. Wells Fargo is due to be deemed a bank that "needs to improve" under the Community Reinvestment Act, a law meant to promote lending to poor neighborhoods. Not only is the bank not sharing its toys, but it also has had issues playing well with others.
Digits of the day: 60 percent Almost 60 percent of transgender Americans have avoided using public restrooms for fear of confrontation, saying they have been harassed and assaulted, according to a survey by the National Center for Transgender Equality. The survey, the largest ever of transgender people in the United States, contrasts with the message of conservative politicians and religious leaders that claim transgender people are the antagonists preying on others. Quote of the day "The findings reveal disturbing patterns of mistreatment and discrimination and startling disparities between transgender people in the survey and the U.S. population when it comes to the most basic elements of life, such as finding a job, having a place to live, accessing medical care, and enjoying the support of family and community." – 2015 Transgender Survey, National Center for Transgender Equality.
This will make the first days of the Trump Administration interesting. Vietnam started dredging on a disputed reef in the South China Sea, a move that could draw the ire of China, which claims sovereignty over the territory, and could ratchet up tensions in the region.
Dancing on the ceiling 
A visitor and an employee dressed as Snegurochka (Snow Maiden), the granddaughter of Ded Moroz (Russian equivalent of Santa Claus), pose for a picture inside an upside down house in the suburbs of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, Dec. 7, 2016. REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin
Around the country - Here's a rundown of President-elect Donald Trump's latest appointments:
- Head of the Environmental Protection Agency: Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, a climate-change skeptic who sued the organization he's been nominated to lead.
- Head of the Department of Homeland Security: Retired Marine Corps General John Kelly, the third retired general to be named to a senior post in the Trump administration. He told Congress last year that the lack of security on the Mexican border posed a threat to the United States.
- Head of the Small Business Administration: Linda McMahon, former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment and wife of wrestling star Vince McMahon. Trump, of course, is no stranger to WWE.
- Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders were two of just five senators that opposed Senate legislation that will reshape the way the Food and Drug Administration approves new medicines. It will also provide funding for cancer and Alzheimer's research, help fight the opioid epidemic, expand access to mental health treatment and advance research into precision medicine. Warren and Sanders called it a handout to the pharmaceutical industry. The House passed the bill last week and will next go to the White House.
- A federal judge in Michigan effectively halted a recount of the state's presidential vote sought by Jill Stein. The judge sided with a state appeals court that found the Green Party candidate had no grounds to mount the challenge. Stein is appealing to Michigan's Supreme Court. In addition to Michigan, Stein is trying to have the votes recounted in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Around Wall Street - After two years of hunkering down, struggling U.S. oilfield service providers are preparing for an expected oil-price recovery in an unexpected way: filing for bankruptcy. They've been waiting out a slump in oil prices by idling machinery, laying off workers and extending deadlines for repaying debts. Now they are turning to Chapter 11 creditor protection to shed debt and raise cash so they can spend and invest again.
- China's imports grew at the fastest pace in more than two years in November, fueled by its strong thirst for commodities from coal to iron ore. Exports also rose unexpectedly, reflecting a pick-up in both domestic and global demand. The upbeat data adds to signs of a modest industrial recovery in the world's largest economies, even as China braces for a potential trade war once Donald Trump takes office.
- OPEC's deal to cut oil production may prove effective in running down global inventories, but analysts hold little hope for much of a rise in prices, according to a Reuters poll. If all OPEC members honor the deal reached in Vienna on Nov. 30 to cut output, any ensuing price gain and drop in inventories could be quickly reversed by rising non-OPEC production.
Around the world - South Korea's parliament introduced a bill to impeach President Park Geun-hye, setting the stage for a historic vote to oust the embattled leader engulfed in a corruption scandal. Parliament is expected to vote tomorrow in favor of impeachment, although the Constitutional Court must decide whether to uphold the motion, a process that could take up to 180 days.
- The European Union will soon let Ukrainians and Georgians visit the bloc without requiring a visa, ending an internal EU dispute that held up those travel measures. Some EU leaders thought the bloc was reneging on pledges to ex-Soviet states that are trying to move out from Moscow's shadow. Others got cold feet about opening doors to 45 million Ukrainians after the public backlash that followed last year's refugee crisis in Europe.
- Three-quarters of Japanese companies expect no expansion in world trade, highlighting anxiety that Trump's protectionist rhetoric during his campaign may turn into growth-sapping policies.
Today's reason to live The Roots with Busta Rhymes and Joell Ortiz - The Hamilton Mixtape: My Shot |
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