The daily business briefing: September 30, 2016
Deutsche Bank troubles rattle stocks, Obama requires contractors to provide sick leave, and more
1. Stocks dragged down by Deutsche Bank concerns
Global markets dropped early Friday, the last trading day of the third quarter, as stocks added to Thursday losses sparked by concerns over the stability of Deutsche Bank, Germany's largest lender. Deutsche Bank shares plunged — they dropped by nearly 9 percent early Friday to their lowest price in decades before regaining some ground — after reports that major lenders were pulling out funds. The Stoxx Europe 600 fell by 1.3 percent early Friday. In the U.S., the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by nearly 200 points (1.1 percent) on Thursday, with futures pointing to a further 0.3 percent drop at Friday's open.
The Wall Street Journal Nasdaq
2. Obama administration requires contractors to provide sick leave
The Obama administration issued a rule on Thursday requiring federal government contractors to give workers paid sick leave. Under the rule, the Labor Department estimates that more than 1.1 million people will be able to get sick leave — up to seven days per year. "This is really part of a broader conversation across America about what a 21st-century social compact should look like," Labor Secretary Thomas Perez said. "Back in the day, when Beaver Cleaver got sick and June Cleaver was home, who takes off to stay with the Beav was a non-issue. In today's world of dual-career couples in the work force, our public policy has not caught up."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
3. Wells Fargo CEO hammered on Capitol Hill... again
Lawmakers harshly criticized Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf over the bank's sales scandal for the second time in two weeks on Thursday. Rep. Maxine Waters, the ranking Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, told Stumpf that Wells Fargo's sales abuses amounted to "some of the most egregious fraud we have seen since the foreclosure crisis." Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) accused Stumpf of presiding over "a criminal enterprise." At a Senate hearing last week, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) called on Stumpf to resign over the scandal, in which Wells Fargo employees opened as many as two million bank and credit card accounts without customers' authorization. Stumpf blamed the workers, not the corporate culture.
4. Oil prices drop slightly as doubts surface on OPEC output cut deal
Crude-oil futures edged down by 0.7 percent early Friday due to growing skepticism over the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries' production cut deal. OPEC members unexpectedly made a preliminary deal to reduce output to between 32.5 million barrels and 33 million barrels a day, down from 33.2 million barrels a day in August. The news sent oil prices rising by more than 7 percent over the next two trading sessions, but doubts about whether the deal would ever be finalized prompted some investors to cash in on the gains.
5. Forbes cuts its estimate of Trump's fortune
Forbes magazine said Thursday that a drop in the value of some New York City real estate had reduced Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's net worth by $800 million, to $3.7 billion. During the presidential campaign, Trump has estimated his net worth to be as much as $10 billion. The magazine examined 28 Trump properties, and found that 18 had lost some value, including Trump Tower in Manhattan and the Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.
-
'Republicans want to silence Israel's opponents'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Poland, Germany nab alleged anti-Ukraine spies
Speed Read A man was arrested over a supposed Russian plot to kill Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - April 19, 2024
Cartoons Friday's cartoons - priority delivery, USPS on fire, and more
By The Week US Published
-
The daily business briefing: January 24, 2024
Business Briefing The S&P 500 sets a third straight record, Netflix adds more subscribers than expected, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
The daily business briefing: January 23, 2024
Business Briefing The Dow and S&P 500 set fresh records, Bitcoin falls as ETF enthusiasm fades, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
The daily business briefing: January 22, 2024
Business Briefing FAA recommends inspections of a second Boeing 737 model, Macy's rejects Arkhouse bid, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Geopolitics and the economy in 2024
Talking Point The West is banking on a year of falling inflation. Don't rule out a shock
By The Week UK Published
-
The daily business briefing: January 19, 2024
Business Briefing Macy's to cut 2,350 jobs, Congress averts a government shutdown, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
The daily business briefing: January 18, 2024
Business Briefing Shell suspends shipments in the Red Sea, December retail sales beat expectations, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
The daily business briefing: January 17, 2024
Business Briefing Judge blocks JetBlue-Spirit merger plan, Goldman Sachs beats expectations with wealth-management boost, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
The daily business briefing: January 16, 2024
Business Briefing Boeing steps up inspections on 737 Max 9 jets, Zelenskyy fights for world leaders' attention at Davos, and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published