Trump's fundraising success from tech billionaires, his call to avoid a government shutdown, and the **unveiling of a $12 billion critical minerals stockpile headline ongoing policy debates concerning tariffs, the Minnesota economy's suffering due to ICE crackdowns, and the delay of the jobs report amid a partial shutdown, highlighting the broader economic impact of Trump's trade policies and the US political landscape**.

• Tech billionaires fuel Trump’s $429mn haul ahead of midterm elections — Financial Times -
• Trump urges US lawmakers to work together to avoid government shutdown — Financial Times -
• Trump Unveils $12 Billion Critical Minerals Stockpile — The New York Times Business -

• Opinion | Crony Socialism and Rare Earths — Wall Street Journal -
• Trump Announces Initial Trade Deal With India, Cutting Tariffs to 18% — The New York Times Business -
• FirstFT: Trump to lower India tariffs after Modi ‘agrees’ to stop buying Russian oil — Financial Times -
• The Key to Managing Tariffs: Be Big and Have the President’s Ear — The New York Times Business -
• Reeves takes aim at Trump as she calls for UK and EU to speak with one voice on trade — Financial Times -
• Trump Would Have Slim Chance in Court Against Trevor Noah, Experts Say — The New York Times Business -
• Minnesota Economy Suffers as I.C.E. Cracks Down — The New York Times Business -
• Jobs Report Delayed Because of Partial Shutdown — The New York Times Business -
• Trump to slash India tariffs after Modi ‘agrees’ to stop buying Russian oil — Financial Times -
• American brands have lost their cool — Financial Times -
• Submit your questions: Are US markets and the economy as strong as Trump claims? — Financial Times -
• China is the main beneficiary of Trump’s Arctic antics — Financial Times -
• The Effects of Tariffs, One Year Into Trump’s Trade Experiment — The New York Times Business -
• US to launch $12bn critical minerals stockpile to counter China’s dominance — Financial Times -
• Snow Drought, Political Shifts and Strikes Batter Ski Industry in Western U.S. — The New York Times Business -
• Squeezed Between Trump and China, India Looks for Faraway Friendships — The New York Times Business -
• Can the Midwest stop Maga? — Financial Times -
• ICE agents hate being filmed — Financial Times -
• What one US city tells us about Trump's America — Financial Times -
• Wanted: CEOs with backbone — Financial Times -
• Donald Trump to shut Kennedy Center for 2 years of renovations — Financial Times -

Elon Musk's bold merger of SpaceX and xAI dominates tech news, alongside Palantir's record revenue growth driven by government and business contracts, rising profits for Teradyne and NXP Semiconductors fueled by AI demand, and Blue Origin's pivot from space tourism to lunar focus, while China outlines its vision for AI dominance.

• Palantir shares jump as US government and business contracts power growth — Financial Times -
• Palantir Achieves Another Revenue Record With $1.41 Billion Quarter — Wall Street Journal -
• Elon Musk Merges SpaceX With His A.I. Start-Up xAI — The New York Times Business -

• SpaceX buys xAI to unite crucial parts of Musk’s empire — Financial Times -
• Elon Musk Says SpaceX Has Acquired xAI — Wall Street Journal -
• Teradyne Profit Rises as Sales Surge on AI-Related Demand — Wall Street Journal -
• Elon Musk Merges SpaceX With His A.I. Start-Up xAI — The New York Times Business -
• Tech, Media & Telecom Roundup: Market Talk — Wall Street Journal -
• NXP Semiconductors Logs Higher Sales Amid Improving Demand — Wall Street Journal -
• Oracle raises $25bn in bond offering despite concerns over rising debt — Financial Times -
• Jeff Bezos’s Rocket Company Blue Origin Pauses Space Tourism to Focus on the Moon — The New York Times Business -
• Indonesia Lifts Ban on Grok After New Assurances From X Corp — The New York Times Business -
• Reform UK admits Kent council’s Musk-inspired cost-cutting drive found little waste — Financial Times -
• Move Fast, but Obey the Rules: China’s Vision for Dominating A.I. — The New York Times Business -

Fresh Epstein file releases continue to implicate prominent business figures such as Brad Karp, who expresses regret over past interactions, and reveal allegations against former UK minister Mandelson, prompting police reviews and further scrutiny into the financial details and wider connections of the scandal.

• Brad Karp Says He Regrets Interactions with Epstein — The New York Times Business -
• Police to review allegations against Mandelson in Epstein scandal — Financial Times -
• The Famous Names in the Latest Release of Epstein Files — Wall Street Journal -

• Mandelson leaked sensitive UK government tax plans to Epstein — Financial Times -
• Epstein asked for Snow White costume weeks before Jes Staley email — Financial Times -
• The Major Business Names in the Epstein Files — The New York Times Business -
• FirstFT: Gold and silver prices extend slump — Financial Times -
• What do the Epstein files reveal about Mandelson’s finances? — Financial Times -

US-Iran talks aimed at easing tensions and a Russian captain's manslaughter conviction following a North Sea collision underscore geopolitical instabilities, while Trump's tariff reductions for India in exchange for halting Russian oil purchases, the EU's struggle to diversify critical minerals supply, and Draghi's call for a European federation reflect evolving international trade and power dynamics.

• US-Iran talks expected in coming days, diplomats say — Financial Times -
• This is what a proper Brexit looks like — Financial Times -
• Russian captain guilty of manslaughter after North Sea collision — Financial Times -

• Oil tumbles as US-Iran tensions ease — Financial Times -
• Xi’s ominous purge of his top general — Financial Times -
• EU struggling to diversify critical minerals supply, warns report — Financial Times -
• Russia shifts focus to Ukraine’s transport routes — Financial Times -
• Draghi calls for EU ‘federation’ to avoid being ‘picked off’ by US and China — Financial Times -
• EU’s geopolitical gesture is too cheap to be credible — Financial Times -
• Rightwing populist wins Costa Rica presidential vote — Financial Times -
• Germany arrests five accused of smuggling western tech to Russia — Financial Times -
• India weighs lifting foreign ownership cap in state-owned banks — Financial Times -
• EU eyes fee for UK arms producers to benefit from €90bn Ukraine loan — Financial Times -
• Argentines snap up Lego and Apple computers as Milei opens economy — Financial Times -
• The dilemmas for the UK created by a rupturing world — Financial Times -
• A world without nuclear arms control begins this week — Financial Times -

Major oil-and-gas mergers between Devon Energy and Coterra signal industry consolidation, Disney's financial results show falling shares despite streaming growth, and Saks ends its luxury partnership with Amazon, while Brookfield acquires Peakstone Realty Trust, and Ikea adjusts its China strategy by closing large stores.

• Disney Shares Fall Despite Streaming Growth, as CEO Decision Nears — Wall Street Journal -
• Devon Energy to Buy Coterra for $21.5 Billion to Create Shale Giant — Wall Street Journal -
• Saks Is Shutting Down Its Luxury Partnership With Amazon — Wall Street Journal -

• The New Key to Restaurant Success? A Simple but Clever Model. — The New York Times Business -
• Energy & Utilities Roundup: Market Talk — Wall Street Journal -
• Auto & Transport Roundup: Market Talk — Wall Street Journal -
• Safety Toes and Work Pants: Clothing for Trades Is Having a Moment — Wall Street Journal -
• Castel Group’s chief in limbo amid bitter feud with controlling family — Financial Times -
• Disney’s Profit Wilts, Despite Streaming and Parks Growth — The New York Times Business -
• Brookfield to Buy Peakstone Realty Trust in $1.2 Billion Deal — Wall Street Journal -
• Stephen Ross and Ken Griffin Think Florida Is the Future for Business — The New York Times Business -
• Devon and Coterra agree merger to create $58bn US shale group — Financial Times -
• Why Chinese electronics makers are betting on a TV revival — Financial Times -
• Stephen King’s ‘The Body’ Gets New Release—With Familiar Voice — Wall Street Journal -
• Eldorado Gold to Buy Foran Mining for About C$3.8 Billion — Wall Street Journal -
• Disney warns of hit to US theme parks as foreign tourist numbers fall — Financial Times -
• Verizon taps candidates to replace executive once seen as next chief — Financial Times -
• Why Prices at Five Below Are Nudging Above $5 — Wall Street Journal -
• Maritime Regulator’s New Head Targets Global Risks to Shipping — Wall Street Journal -
• Toyota has ‘no intention’ of raising $34bn take-private offer after Elliott challenge — Financial Times -
• Ikea assembles China strategy with closure of seven big stores — Financial Times -
• Julius Baer Posts Expected Drop in Profit — Wall Street Journal -
• French New Car Sales Slide as Economic Clouds Keep Consumers Gloomy — Wall Street Journal -
• Turnaround investor Flacks targets British Steel takeover — Financial Times -
• Private equity group’s £1bn sale of UK accounting firm collapses — Financial Times -
• BlueScope Steel Open to Better Offers After Spurning $8.8 Billion Takeover Bid — Wall Street Journal -
• How HSBC fashioned a $600bn debt machine — Financial Times -

France's adoption of a national budget after a no-confidence vote brings political stability, the Bank of England's upcoming meeting and the Bank of Japan's potential rate hike are closely watched, while the UK housing market sees a modest rebound and local councils consider Musk-inspired cost-cutting initiatives.

• The Latest Way to Create an Isolated Retreat: Buy a Whole Village — The New York Times Business -
• France adopts budget after premier survives no-confidence vote — Financial Times -
• France Adopts a Budget After Months of Turmoil — The New York Times Business -

• Monetary Policy Radar preview: BoE’s February meeting — Financial Times -
• One Hyde Park residents win legal battle over £35mn in building defects — Financial Times -
• The bigger problem with Labour’s botched business rates U-turn — Financial Times -
• Hawkish summary of opinions suggests near-term BoJ rate rise — Financial Times -
• UK house prices record modest rebound after December dip — Financial Times -
• BoE expected to hold rates amid conflicting signals on UK economy — Financial Times -
• UK Treasury offers up to £100,000 exit packages to cut hundreds of jobs — Financial Times -

Concerns arise over stock market concentration risk potentially making "safe" funds more vulnerable, the stablecoin debate between Wall Street and crypto companies heats up, and Polymarket's prediction markets gain traction, while discussions about Fed leadership and the impact of 'deep-fried' stocks reveal broader market anxieties.

• Your ‘Safe’ Stock Funds May Be Riskier Than You Think — The New York Times Business -
• An oral history of the Fed’s Covid-19 crisis — Financial Times -
• The ‘deep-fried’ stocks that spurred a market meltdown — Financial Times -

• Markets are set to test Warsh — Financial Times -
• The stablecoin war: Wall Street vs crypto over the future of money — Financial Times -
• The Wild Markets Behind Polymarket’s ‘Truth Machine’ — Wall Street Journal -