By volume, December wasn’t an incredible month for US jobs. But the report did help cap a year that saw average hourly earnings rise 2.9%—the best since 2009 and a “turning point for the overall economy,” according to one veteran economist – NYTimes and Marketplace
Those stressing about the state of the corporate bond market (particularly its troubling lack of liquidity) include the Federal Reserve, which issued a paper just before the holidays that could support the anticipated de-regulatory approach coming down the pike – WSJ
Tax, privacy, antitrust concerns—all have been at the center of regulatory concerns for tech giants Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft. But (especially in Europe), the biggest future regulatory headaches for the Big Five are likely to stem from how they’re handling data. Big data – NYTimes
China’s new approach to growth includes a phrase not normally associated with the growing world power: RELAXED – Bloomberg
Speaking of relaxed, the NYDFS is moving to ease up on its first-of-its-kind cybersecurity rules for banks and insurers after a flood of public comments criticizing the regs as “too stringent” – Law360
The FBI has reportedly arrested a top Volkswagen official over his “central role” in the emissions scandal that has plagued the German automaker since 2014 – NYTimes
We know and love the aurora borealis, which dances across the night sky thanks to solar wind. But what of the colorful columns of light that seem to beam up to the sky? Those, my friends, are Light Pillars—a pretty incredible feature of cold winter nights. More info here – NYTimes