The daily business briefing: June 8, 2016
Oil prices hit another 2016 high, leading House Republican unveils plan to replace Dodd-Frank, and more
- 1. Oil prices rise to a 2016 high as U.S. stockpiles shrink
- 2. Republican unveils proposal to replace Dodd-Frank financial reforms
- 3. Oklahoma police find no evidence oilman Aubrey McClendon's death was suicide
- 4. Amazon announces $3 billion additional investment in India
- 5. Hacker briefly takes over NFL Twitter account
1. Oil prices rise to a 2016 high as U.S. stockpiles shrink
Oil prices jumped by more than 1 percent to hit 2016 highs above $50 a barrel on Tuesday on anticipated reductions in domestic stockpiles, and pushed a bit higher still early Wednesday. Concerns over possible supply cuts due to attacks on Nigeria's production facilities also helped push up prices. U.S. crude stocks probably dropped by 2.7 million barrels last week, the third straight weekly drop. The news helped the S&P 500 Index rise Tuesday to its highest level since last July, with U.S. stock futures inching up again early Wednesday.
2. Republican unveils proposal to replace Dodd-Frank financial reforms
House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) on Tuesday unveiled a Republican proposal to replace President Obama's Wall Street reform law, Dodd-Frank. "Simply put, Dodd-Frank has failed," he said. "It's time for a new legislative paradigm in banking and capital markets." Democrats called the GOP plan a giveaway to big banks. "We cannot allow Republicans to take us back to the depths of the financial crisis by weakening regulatory oversight and giving banks the tools to game the system once again," said Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.).
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. Oklahoma police find no evidence oilman Aubrey McClendon's death was suicide
Oklahoma City police said Tuesday they had completed an investigation into the death of pioneering oilman Aubrey McClendon without finding any evidence he intended to commit suicide. McClendon died when he slammed his Chevy Tahoe into a bridge abutment on March 2. He was indicted a day earlier on charges of rigging bids for oil lands, which he denied. Police Captain Paco Balderrama said investigators had no reason to "believe this was anything other than a car accident," although "we will never know what his state of mind was."
4. Amazon announces $3 billion additional investment in India
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced Tuesday that the e-commerce giant plans to invest an additional $3 billion in India. Bezos announced the move in a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and business leaders in Washington. He said Amazon sees "huge potential" in the economy of the world's second most populous country after China, where Amazon has struggled to gain market share. The infusion will bring Amazon's total investment in India to $5 billion.
MarketWatch International Business Times
5. Hacker briefly takes over NFL Twitter account
The NFL said Tuesday that somebody had hacked its Twitter account and falsely posted that commissioner Roger Goodell had died. The tweet said, "We regret to inform our fans that our commissioner, Roger Goodell, has passed away. He was 57. #RIP." It was deleted after just minutes. "We have engaged law enforcement to look into the matter," said Brian McCarthy, NFL vice president of communications. "We are reviewing and strengthening our cyber-security measures."
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.
-
Luigi Mangione charged with murder, terrorism
Speed Read Magnione is accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Will Starmer's Brexit reset work?
Today's Big Question PM will have to tread a fine line to keep Leavers on side as leaks suggest EU's 'tough red lines' in trade talks next year
By The Week UK Published
-
How domestic abusers are exploiting technology
The Explainer Apps intended for child safety are being used to secretly spy on partners
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Why Assad fell so fast
The Explainer The newly liberated Syria is in an incredibly precarious position, but it's too soon to succumb to defeatist gloom
By The Week UK Published
-
Romania's election rerun
The Explainer Shock result of presidential election has been annulled following allegations of Russian interference
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Russia's shadow war in Europe
Talking Point Steering clear of open conflict, Moscow is slowly ratcheting up the pressure on Nato rivals to see what it can get away with.
By The Week UK Published
-
Cutting cables: the war being waged under the sea
In the Spotlight Two undersea cables were cut in the Baltic sea, sparking concern for the global network
By The Week UK Published
-
The nuclear threat: is Vladimir Putin bluffing?
Talking Point Kremlin's newest ballistic missile has some worried for Nato nations
By The Week UK Published
-
Russia vows retaliation for Ukrainian missile strikes
Speed Read Ukraine's forces have been using U.S.-supplied, long-range ATCMS missiles to hit Russia
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Has the Taliban banned women from speaking?
Today's Big Question 'Rambling' message about 'bizarre' restriction joins series of recent decrees that amount to silencing of Afghanistan's women
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Cuba's energy crisis
The Explainer Already beset by a host of issues, the island nation is struggling with nationwide blackouts
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published