Could the $1.3T of College Debt Spark the Next Financial Crisis?

As President Trump addresses Congress over tax reform and defense spending in a joint session Tuesday night, one agenda that might not be covered could very well spark the next financial crisis: student loan debt default. According to the New York Federal Reserve, U.S. student loan debt has soared to $1.3 trillion becoming the second highest consumer debt category, more than both credit cards and auto loans.

Fresno-based Catholic TV station KNXT is for sale

The next casualty in the social media explosion could be KNXT , the local television station owned and operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno . The diocese is taking a serious look at whether it is cost-efficient to continue to provide the $1.2 million operating budget to the TV station or go to different forms of delivering video.

America’s Favorite Cell Phone Perk Is Coming Back, FCC Head Says, Because Of Obama Regs Roll-Back

Ajit Pai, the Republican chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, said that the recent uptick in “unlimited” data offerings from telecommunications companies is due to his reversal of burdensome federal oversight imposed by the Obama administration. Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, and AT&T – the four largest wireless providers in the U.S. – all launched new unlimited data plans in recent weeks in an apparent attempt to capitalize on the change.

Are you saving enough for retirement?

Interpretation of the news based on evidence, including data, as well as anticipating how events might unfold based on past events But equally troubling is the fact that many people don’t have a target amount in mind. They are blindly throwing money into a retirement account.

Time Inc. Said to Ask Suitors to Submit Offers by Next Week

Time’s board of directors wants details on how possible buyers value the company so it can determine whether to pursue a sale of the entire business or individual magazine titles, the people said, asking not to be identified as the details aren’t public. The company may also choose not to proceed with a sale at all, the people said.

Canada Banks Push Back Against Taking on More Mortgage Risk

Canada’s financial industry is urging the federal government to consider alternatives to proposals that could require them to take on a greater share of mortgage defaults through a deductible — calling it one of the biggest shakeups to hit housing finance in 50 years. “This submission has questioned whether a deductible is the most effective way to rebalance risks within the housing finance system,” the Canadian Bankers Association said in a report on Tuesday.

Salesforce Revenue Forecast Falls Short as Cloud Rivals Gain

Salesforce.com Inc. gave a first-quarter revenue forecast that fell short of analysts’ projections, hampered by rising competition from rival business-software makers with their own cloud products. Revenue in the period ending in April will be $2.34 billion to $2.35 billion, the San Francisco-based company said Tuesday in a statement.

Trump Presses Priorities on a Congress Seeking Clarity, Details

President Donald Trump will press Congress to carry out his priorities for replacing Obamacare, jump-starting the economy and bolstering the nation’s defenses in an address eagerly awaited by lawmakers, investors and the public who want greater clarity on his policy agenda. Trump on Tuesday afternoon was putting the finishing touches on his first address to a joint session of Congress, and his spokesman was dispatched to the Capitol to deliver briefings on the major points the president intends to make in the speech, scheduled to begin at 9:10 p.m. Washington time.

Senate Dems hit FCC chairman on consumer data risks

Democratic Senators slammed Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai for his recent move to abandon new FCC rules on how internet service providers can use customer data Ed Markey Senate Dems hit FCC chairman on consumer data risks Dems rip Trump administration for revoking Obama’s transgender directive A guide to the committees: Senate MORE Xbox launches subscription service Senate Dems hit FCC chairman on consumer data risks Last chance to improve Afghanistan’s fledgling Air Force? MORE Xbox launches subscription service Senate Dems hit FCC chairman on consumer data risks The Hill’s 12:30 Report MORE Xbox launches subscription service Senate Dems hit FCC chairman on consumer data risks Education’s DeVos, unions need to find way to bridge divide and work together MORE cited security concerns while criticizing Pai’s decision not to enact the broadband privacy provisions … (more)

Netflix employees were personally affected by U.S. President Donald…

Netflix employees were personally affected by U.S. President Donald Trump’s attempt to ban people entering from seven Muslim countries, the company’s CEO said Tuesday. Reed Hastings has been a critic of the temporary travel ban, which Trump hopes to revive in a revised form this week, and told The Associated Press on Tuesday that some of his co-workers had gotten caught up in it.

Trump wants to cut $54 billion in spending from domestic…

Trump wants to cut $54 billion in spending from domestic agencies – that’s enough to wipe several of them out On Monday, administration officials told various news outlets that President Trump’s forthcoming budget proposal will include a $54 billion increase in defense spending. To pay for it, the Trump administration plans to cut the budgets of domestic agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency, the State Department, and various foreign aid programs.

Trump wants to cut $54 billion in spending from domestic…

Trump wants to cut $54 billion in spending from domestic agencies – that’s enough to wipe several of them out On Monday, administration officials told various news outlets that President Trump’s forthcoming budget proposal will include a $54 billion increase in defense spending. To pay for it, the Trump administration plans to cut the budgets of domestic agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency, the State Department, and various foreign aid programs.

New FCC chair vows ‘light-touch’ approach to regulation

The new Republican head of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission promised “light-touch” regulation of areas such as the internet, a dramatic shift away from the Obama administration’s approach to telecommunications oversight. Ajit Pai, whom President Donald Trump named in January to chair the FCC, said at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona that the agency made a “mistake” in 2015 when it adopted landmark “net neutrality rules” reclassifying internet service like a public utility.

6 ways Chairman Pai can stop FCC overreach

Upon being named the new chairman of the Federal Communications Commission on Jan. 21, Ajit Pai swiftly made clear his intent to reverse the agency’s recent pattern of regulatory overreach. To his credit, Pai already has moved quickly to shift the FCC’s primary focus from imposing new restrictions on broadband services to encouraging more broadband availability for all Americans by employing less heavyhanded interventionist means.

REFILE-UPDATE 1-Telecoms companies call on Brussels to reconsider merger policy

BARCELONA, Spain, Feb 28 The European Commission should help telecoms companies whose revenues it has eroded through consumer-friendly regulation by allowing more mergers to help them to build scale and boost investment, the CEOs of Vodafone and Orange said on Tuesday. European regulators are still underestimating how the present framework hinders the capacity of telecoms operators to sustain investment, unlike the regulatory landscape enjoyed by their U.S. peers, the carriers argue.

REFILE-UPDATE 1-Telecoms companies call on Brussels to reconsider merger policy

BARCELONA, Spain, Feb 28 The European Commission should help telecoms companies whose revenues it has eroded through consumer-friendly regulation by allowing more mergers to help them to build scale and boost investment, the CEOs of Vodafone and Orange said on Tuesday. European regulators are still underestimating how the present framework hinders the capacity of telecoms operators to sustain investment, unlike the regulatory landscape enjoyed by their U.S. peers, the carriers argue.

FCC Chair: Net Neutrality a Mistake

Calling the Open Internet Order adopted by the Federal Communications Commission two years ago a “mistake,” new FCC chairman Ajit Pai today told attendees at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona that the agency intends to return to a “light-touch approach” to regulations. MWC 2017, running this week from Feb. 27-March 2, is the mobile industry’s largest annual conference and expo.

A great majority of our nation’s small business owners are old, white men

Two weeks ago the Kauffman Foundation, a well-regarded non-profit group that specializes in entrepreneurism, released its annual State of Entrepreneurship report – and at least in one respect, the news is encouraging. The report found that, despite still being below the peak that preceded the Great Recession, private enterprise is rebounding and entrepreneurs are driving a resurgence of business activity in America.

FCC Extends Form 477 Deadline Due to Technical Issues

On February 24, 2017, the Federal Communications Commission issued a Public Notice extending indefinitely the deadline to submit the FCC Form 477 report due to “technical difficulties in the filing interface.” The Commission will announce the new filing deadline via a separate public notice once these issues are resolved.

Top U.S., Chinese Diplomats Meet to Discuss Relationship

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi discussed improving and maintaining a “mutually beneficial economic relationship” between the United States and China, the State Department said on Tuesday. Tillerson and Yang, China’s top diplomat, also affirmed the importance of “regular high-level engagement” between the two countries during their meeting in Washington, and discussed North Korea’s nuclear program, the State Department said in a statement.

What Do You Buy When Trump Wins? A Bentley

Buyers are feeling more confident about shelling out six figures for a set of wheels as market investors have been on a tear in recent months, pushing the Dow Jones Industrial Average solidly past 20000, on bets that the Trump administration will enact business-friendly policies. Sales of vehicles made by Volkswagen AG’s Bentley, Ferrari SpA , Fiat Automobiles NV’s Maserati, Porsche AG and BMW AG’s Rolls-Royce jumped an estimated 18% since the Nov. 8 U.S. presidential election through January, compared with the same period in 2016, according to Autodata Corp. That far outpaces the gains these upscale brands had been notching through the prior 10 months.

What Do You Buy When Trump Wins? A Bentley

Buyers are feeling more confident about shelling out six figures for a set of wheels as market investors have been on a tear in recent months, pushing the Dow Jones Industrial Average solidly past 20000, on bets that the Trump administration will enact business-friendly policies. Sales of vehicles made by Volkswagen AG’s Bentley, Ferrari SpA , Fiat Automobiles NV’s Maserati, Porsche AG and BMW AG’s Rolls-Royce jumped an estimated 18% since the Nov. 8 U.S. presidential election through January, compared with the same period in 2016, according to Autodata Corp. That far outpaces the gains these upscale brands had been notching through the prior 10 months.

What’s the buzz? Pot-growing lights vex ham radio operators

Retired Coast Guard officer Roger Johnson sometimes notices a harsh buzz when he turns on his amateur radio, and he blames high-powered lighting used to grow pot. Amateur radio operators say the legalization of marijuana is creating a chronic nuisance thanks to interference caused by electrical ballasts that regulate indoor lamps used to grow pot.

China’s CLSA Brokerage Shuts Down U.S. Equity-Research Operation

CLSA Americas LLC, the U.S. brokerage owned by China’s Citic Group Corp., shut down its equity-research operations Monday. “It is with a heavy heart that I tell you that as of today my client CLSA Americas is no longer open for business,” Melissa Sheer, a spokeswoman for the firm at Kent Place Communications, wrote in an e-mail, referencing the U.S. arm of Hong-Kong based CLSA Ltd. “As such, Equity Research is completely shut down in the U.S.” CLSA asked its 1,500 workers globally in September to take as many as 10 days of unpaid leave through March as it sought ways to cut costs.

Stock plunges, trading halted in owner of Kay and Jared jewelry chains after Post report

The parent company of Sterling Jewelers, which owns Jared the Galleria of Jewelry and Kay Jewelers, halted trading in its stock Tuesday after shares plunged to a four-year low. The Washington Post reported on Monday evening that about 250 former employees allege in sworn statements that the company’s chief executive and other leaders fostered a culture of rampant sexual harassment and discrimination.

FCC announces cooperation agreement with Indian counterpart

The Federal Communications Commission announced on Tuesday a partnership with its Indian counterpart, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India . During the Mobile World Congress summit in Barcelona, Spain, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai signed a non-binding agreement with TRAI Chairman R.S. Sharma to cooperate with the Indian agency and share best practices.

Verizon Doesn’t Need to Own “Traditional Linear TV Content,” Says CFO

“It’s important to us that we have mobile digital rights to some of the content that we think will be important in a mobile bundle,” Matt Ellis tells an investor conference. While telecom giant AT&T has agreed to acquire Time Warner for $85.4 billion, rival Verizon continues to feel it doesn’t need to buy a big entertainment company, Verizon CFO Matt Ellis told an investor conference Tuesday.

How AI Is Changing The Way Companies Are Organized

Artificial Intelligence may still be in its infancy, but it’s already forcing leadership teams around the world to reconsider some of their core structures. Advances in technology are causing firms to restructure their organizational makeup, transform their HR departments, develop new training models, and reevaluate their hiring practices.

How to Play a Gamestop Breakout Rally

Shares of the video game and accessories retailer GameStop are forming a basing pattern just below their 200 day moving average. Bullish technical divergences suggest a breakout is imminent and the large outstanding short interest could spark a covering rally that has the potential to realize an 18% gain.

Is Illumina On The Verge of a Breakout?

Illumina has been tracing out a narrow consolidation pattern for the last seven weeks. Yesterday’s impressive 4.25% gain, which was the second-best performance in the Nasdaq 100, may soon spark an end to this bullish pennant formation with a fresh rally leg.