NSA/Terrorism
Welcome to The Intercept – The Intercept
The NSA’s Secret Role in the U.S. Assassination Program – The Intercept
How Obama Officials Cried ‘Terrorism’ to Cover Up a Paperwork Error | Threat Level | Wired.com
Errata Security: FirstLook.org fails at security so far
Obama Officials Weigh Drone Attack on US Suspect – ABC News
The terrifying surveillance case of Brandon Mayfield | Al Jazeera America
Bitcoin
Can bitcoin succeed in China? – CNN.com
“The wild price volatility was a red flag to independent economist Andy Xie. He told me on CNN’s World Business Today, “It’s not a currency. People who accept it are usually selling it for real money like for U.S. dollars or the Japanese yen. It’s like you accept Chateau Lafite. There’s a price for Chateau Lafite everyday but that doesn’t make it a currency.””
U.S. post office considers becoming Bitcoin dealer | Toronto Star
Bitcoin plunges on Japan exchange halt – FT.com
North America
Big incentives likely as inventories of new vehicles pile up | Dallas Morning News
Comparing U.S. and Euro Area Unemployment Rates – Liberty Street Economics
U.S. jobless rate forces Yellen’s hand on Fed guidance | Reuters
U.S. consumer credit posts biggest jump in 10 months | Reuters
US to pursue Steve Cohen after Martoma found guilty – Telegraph
Tim Armstrong blames ‘distressed babies’ for AOL benefit cuts. He’s talking about my daughter.
California drought hits farmers hardest – The Washington Post
If You Thought You Couldn’t Go To Jail For Debt Anymore, You’re Wrong – Business Insider
Fight Over Minimum Wage Illustrates Web of Industry Ties – NYTimes.com
Consumer debt swells to $1.4 trillion, but Canadians able to pay it: Equifax | Toronto Star
“Overall consumer debt, including mortgages, also continues to rise — up 9.1 per cent to $1.422 trillion from $1.303 trillion a year earlier.”
Natural gas drillers wary as some see year-long supply squeeze | Financial Post
‘U.S. crude wall looming larger than ever’: IEA | Financial Post
Keystone XL pipeline approval ‘inevitable,’ says Harper | Financial Post
Fed’s Rosengren Urges Patience in Pulling Back on Easy Money – Real Time Economics – WSJ
Fed’s Forward Guidance Is Working – Real Time Economics – WSJ
Federal Reserve Bank San Francisco | When Will the Fed End Its Zero Rate Policy?
Europe
Greece wants a return to bond markets – FT.com
“The average maturity on Greece’s outstanding debt is 17 years – exceptionally high by international standards – and just €29bn is held by the private sector.”
London Luxury-Home Sales Soar in 2013 as British Buying Rises – Bloomberg
Danske Bank Accused of ‘Serious’ Price Manipulation – WSJ.com
Geert Wilders outlines case for a Dutch ‘Nexit’ from the EU – FT.com
French Economy Continues to Sputter – WSJ.com
German Court Calls ECB Bond Buying into Question – SPIEGEL ONLINE
“Germany’s Constitutional Court ruling last Friday marks a significant escalation in efforts to rein in the European Central Bank. The ruling’s message? Either the European Court of Justice has to stop bond purchases or German justices will.”
ECB paralysed by German court decision as deflation threatens – Telegraph
Courts, voters and the threat of another euro crisis – FT.com
“The program’s design, however, conceded that the market’s assessments of creditworthiness reflected a real default risk. As a lender of last resort to sovereigns, a central bank must stand ready to purchase sovereign debt unconditionally, in order to neutralize the effects of temporary market disruptions. But OMT is intended to operate more like the International Monetary Fund’s lending – that is, to rescue a particular government conditional on its pursuit of fiscal belt-tightening. If the ECB were truly convinced that risk premiums were unreasonably high, and that distressed countries’ debt was sustainable, conditionality would have been unnecessary.”
Schaeuble: German court decision no threat to eurozone – Telegraph
Berlusconi said to be planning to stand in European elections – FT.com
The Swiss vote for immigration curbs: how much immigration is possible without a backlash?
Eurozone banks face £42bn ‘capital black hole’ – Telegraph
Emerging Markets
Could China’s Yuan Be Overvalued? Lombard Street Analyst Says Yes. – Real Time Economics – WSJ
In Asia, Concerns About Inflation Re-Emerge – Real Time Economics – WSJ
EM currency contagion hits Kazakhstan, tenge tumbles | beyondbrics
Technology, Media and Telecom
Five reasons why 2014 is the year your mobile becomes your debit card – Telegraph
4 reasons the tablet market is far from dead
Nokia Prepares to Release Android Phone Ahead of Sale to Microsoft – WSJ.com
No Olympics for you: Comcast locks value customers out of Sochi streams
Facebook Is Watching How You Watch TV
Elsewhere
Winning the lottery makes you more right-wing, study finds – Telegraph
BBC News – Shivering could count as exercise, study finds
Markets
Ideology Is Killing Your Investment Returns – Bloomberg
Trends in metal prices for Olympic medals : The Editor’s Desk : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Tokyo Stocks: Foreigners Pull Back Hard on Reins – Japan Real Time – WSJ