Wednesday's News Links

[CNBC] Stocks are little changed after S&P 500 posts record close: Live updates

[Yahoo/Bloomberg] Gold Climbs Above $4,500 in Historic Rally for Precious Metals

[Reuters] Dollar set for worst year since 2017, yen still in focus

[AP] US applications fall again last week, remain at historically healthy level

[Yahoo/Bloomberg] US Holds Off on New Chinese Chip Tariffs Amid Trump-Xi Truce

[Reuters] As crypto and private credit hit the mainstream, investor risk seen multiplying 

[Yahoo/Bloomberg] Supreme Court Rejects Trump Use of National Guard in Chicago

[Yahoo/Bloomberg] Why 2026 Is Poised to Be Another Rocky Year for Global Trade

[Axios] Trump admin bars 5 Europeans it says led drive to "censor" U.S. views online

[Reuters] EU, France, Germany slam US visa bans as 'censorship' row deepens

[AP] EU warns of possible action after the US bars 5 Europeans accused of censorship

[Bloomberg] Tricolor CEO Collected $30 Million in Year Before Alleged Fraud

[Bloomberg] Japan and US Agree to Expedite $550 Billion Investment Projects

[Bloomberg] Japan Budgeting for Bond Payments at 3% as Debt Servicing Soars

[Bloomberg] China’s Military Buildup Makes US Vulnerable, Pentagon Report Says

[NYT] Chasing an Economic Boom, White House Dismisses Risks of A.I.

[NYT] Investors Warn of ‘Rot in Private Equity’ as Funds Strike Circular Deals

[NYT] The Photos That Defined Business and the Economy in 2025

[NYT] Student Loan Borrowers in Default Could See Wages Garnished in Early 2026

[WSJ] Whoever Trump Picks, the Next Fed Chair Won’t Be Independent

[WSJ] AI Construction Costs Can Be an Accounting ‘Black Box’

[WSJ] The U.S. Economy Keeps Powering Ahead, Defying Dire Predictions

[WSJ] More Private-Equity Firms Plan to Sell Stakes to Raise Cash

[WSJ] Inside the New Fast Track to a Presidential Pardon

[WSJ] Zelensky Proposes Demilitarized Zone in Eastern Ukraine as Way to Peace

[FT] US accuses China of unfair chip trade practices