The 10 most important things in the world right now
Hello! Here's everything you need to know on Friday, Janury 4.
1. Apple's shock quarterly warning didn't just reveal an unexpected weakness.It also strengthened one of US President Donald Trump's main reasons for going to war on trade with China.
2.In a show of willingness, newly empowered Democrats in the US House of Representatives passed two funding bills to reopen the government.Newly elected House speaker Nancy Pelosi described Trump's demand for money to bolster barriers on the US-Mexico border as "a wall between reality and his constituents."
3.National-security experts say a US veteran held in Russia doesn't fit the profile of a spy. But he certainly fits the bill for someone who could be leveraged for a prisoner swap.
4. Now another retired US military leader has taken umbrage with Trump's idea of what it means to serve. In a take-no-prisoners opinion column, retired four-star US Navy Adm. James Stavridis said Trump thinks his generals are "Rambos."
5. The US has issued warnings for Americans about new and old dangers for travelers visiting and trying to exit China.Read this before you think about going.
6. The industry legend behind Southwest Airlines has flown for the final time. Herb Kelleher, the larger-than-life cofounder of the low-cost airline, died on Thursday, aged 87.
7. Saudi Arabia says it will seek the death penalty for five suspects allegedly involved in Jamal Khashoggi's killing. Prosecutors said 11 suspects attended their first court hearing, asking for time to prepare their defense.
8.China and Japan have surprised everybody with some sparky economic data to close out 2018. Manufacturing data for both Asian powerhouses beat forecasts for December.
9. Democrats have taken the reins in the US House of Representatives. And it's the most diverse Congress in US history.
10. Big Chinese tobacco is planning to take itself public in Hong Kong. The international division of China's cigarette monopoly hopes to raise $100 million and breathe new life into ailing global smoking markets.
And finally ...
Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York to GOP lawmakers who she claims booed her: "Don't hate me cause you ain't me."