Media

6 Most Important Things in Business Today

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: February 16, 2018 5:16 am

Last Updated: March 13, 2020 3:44 pm

Bitcoin has moved back above $10,000. According to The Wall Street Journal:

Bitcoin prices climbed back above $10,000 for the first time in two weeks after a sharp rally Thursday.

Bitcoin traded as high as $10,218, according to CoinDesk, about 9% higher on the day. The volatile digital currency now stands about 72% above its recent Feb. 6 low, but about 50% below its all-time high from December.

The number of U.S. road deaths increased last year. According to The Wall Street Journal:

U.S. motor-vehicle deaths remained near decade-high levels in 2017, an indication U.S. roadways aren’t getting any safer, even as auto makers equip cars with more safety gear and many other developed countries make notable strides in reducing highway fatalities.

The National Safety Council said Thursday traffic-related fatalities hit 40,100 last year, the second year in a row the 40,000 mark was surpassed.

One of the world’s most famous auto executives got a contract extension. According to Bloomberg:

Renault SA’s Carlos Ghosn pledged to cement the French automaker’s partnership with Nissan Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. after agreeing to stay on as chairman and chief executive officer for the next four years.

By June, the companies will have a plan “make the alliance irreversible,” Ghosn said Friday after Renault reported record annual revenue and profit. A new plan to boost efficiency at the partnership will be unveiled in the coming weeks, Ghosn told analysts at the company’s headquarters near Paris.

The head of Raytheon Co. (NYSE: RTN) said cyberattacks are the greatest threat to global security. According to CNBC:

Cyber threats represent the greatest danger to the international community today, Raytheon International CEO John Harris told CNBC Friday.

“(Cyber) is, I would, say one of largest and most important threats to our nation and to our allies,” Harris said ahead of the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

China has increased its holding of U.S. government debt. According to CNNMoney:

China’s holdings of U.S. government debt swelled to $1.18 trillion by the end of 2017, up $127 billion from a year earlier, according to Treasury Department data published Thursday. That’s an annual increase of 13%, the biggest since 2010.

The movie industry thinks “Black Panther” will be a blockbuster. According to The New York Post:

China’s holdings of U.S. government debt swelled to $1.18 trillion by the end of 2017, up $127 billion from a year earlier, according to Treasury Department data published Thursday. That’s an annual increase of 13%, the biggest since 2010.

Newsday, one of America’s largest newspapers, will lay off over 200 people. According to The New York Post:

Newsday owner Patrick Dolan is taking a sledge hammer to the blue-collar workforce that has been printing and delivering the Long Island newspaper for most of its 78-year history.

Dolan is outsourcing printing and distribution to the New York Times.

About 225 unionized pressmen, truck drivers, electricians, mailers and other tradespeople will be out of work as a result of the outsourcing. That’s about 16 percent of the 1,431-person workforce.