Thursday's News Links

[Reuters] Futures retreat as trade tensions add to pandemic woes

[Reuters] Shares lose footing, oil marches on

[Reuters] Oil at highest since March on lower U.S. inventories, recovering demand

[CNBC] Weekly jobless claims rose 2.438 million, vs 2.4 million estimate

[CNBC] Home sales dropped nearly 18% in April, while decline in inventory pushed prices to a record high

[Yahoo/Bloomberg] Trump Points Finger at China’s Xi, Escalating Fight Over Virus

[CNBC] White House report criticizes China’s economic policies, human rights violations

[CNBC] U.S.-China tensions will likely get worse ahead of November election, experts say

[Yahoo/Bloomberg] China’s Got a New Plan to Overtake the U.S. in Tech

[CNN] Trump administration approves arms sale to Taiwan amid China tensions

[Reuters] China says U.S.'s Pompeo 'blackmailing' Hong Kong government

[Reuters] COVID-era junk bond deals begin to go sour

[AP] China focused on jobs as national legislature meets

[Reuters] Japan exports fall most since 2009 as pandemic wipes out global demand

[Yahoo/Bloomberg] Fiscal Nightmare Ties Up Kuwait’s Stimulus With 40% Deficit

[Bloomberg] Home Mortgage Delinquencies Soar by Most on Record in April

[Bloomberg] Black Swan Author Spars With Quant Legend Over Tail Risk Hedges

[FT] What Xi knew: pressure builds on China’s leader | Free to read

[FT] Argentina on brink of default as it wrangles with bondholders 

[FT] Brazil emerges as a top global coronavirus hotspot

Wednesday Evening Links

[CNBC] U.S. stock futures flat as Wall Street takes a breather from week’s rally

[CNBC] Highly indebted ‘zombie’ companies control more than 2 million U.S. jobs

[Reuters] Fed debates longer-term crisis-fighting plan, minutes show

[Yahoo/Bloomberg] Fed Worries Turned to Financial Stability in April Meeting

[CNBC] U.S. housing finance regulator unveils new capital framework for Fannie, Freddie

[Reuters] Brazil coronavirus outbreak worsens, cases could soon be second highest in world

[Reuters] Global coronavirus cases surpass 5 million, infections rising in South America

[Reuters] Top HIV scientist says he wouldn't count on a vaccine for coronavirus soon

[Reuters] Ford shuts two U.S. assembly plants due to COVID-19 infections

[WSJ] Fannie, Freddie Should Hold $240 Billion in Capital After Return to Private Hands, FHFA Says

[FT] US Senate passes bill that puts some Chinese listings at risk

[FT] US sets $200bn fundraising goal for Fannie and Freddie

Wednesday Afternoon Links

[Reuters] S&P 500 hits two-month high on growing recovery hopes

[Reuters] Treasuries - Yields fall after first 20-year bond auction in decades

[Reuters] Oil rises on lower U.S. stocks, firmer demand

[CNBC] Fed minutes show fears of ‘extraordinary amount of uncertainty and considerable risks’ because of coronavirus

[Reuters] Fed policymakers pledged to act as appropriate, minutes show

[CNBC] Coronavirus live updates: NYC sees ‘striking’ decline in vaccinations; workers at reopened Ford plant test positive

[Reuters] Pompeo calls China virus response 'paltry' compared to damage done

[Yahoo/Bloomberg] BlackRock’s Biggest Credit ETF Swells to Record Amid Fed Pledge

[Yahoo/Bloomberg] First 20-Year Treasury Sale in a Generation Is Well-Received

[Yahoo/Bloomberg] Illinois Moves Toward First Test of Fed’s Muni-Lending Lifeline

[WSJ] The Day Coronavirus Nearly Broke the Financial Markets

[WSJ] Millions of Americans Skip Credit-Card and Car Payments

[FT] BoE says negative interest rates are ‘under review’ for first time