Wednesday's News Links

[CNBC] Stocks rise ahead of Fed minutes as Nvidia shares gain: Live updates

[CNBC] Oil jumps more than 2% after Vance says Iran ignored key U.S. demand, military strikes on the table

[Yahoo/Bloomberg] Gold and Silver Regain Ground Ahead of Fed Minutes Release

[Axios] Trump moves closer to a major war with Iran

[CNBC] Mortgage rates sink to the lowest level in a month, sparking more refinance demand

[Reuters] Fed minutes could highlight shift in balance of risks as policymakers put rates on hold

[Axios] Investors are falling out of love with AI

[Yahoo/Bloomberg] Bitcoin Won Over Wall Street and Now It’s Paying the Price

[Yahoo/Bloomberg] Japan, US Reach $36 Billion of Gas, Mineral Deals in Trump Pact

[CNBC] Japan exports growth surges to over 3-year high, up nearly 17% in January, as shipments to China soar

[AP] Envoys signal no breakthrough on bridging Russia and Ukraine’s political and military differences

[Bloomberg] How a Social Media Addiction Trial Threatens Big Tech

[Bloomberg] Private Credit Should Worry About a Singularity in Software Debt

[Bloomberg] US Housing Starts Rise to Five-Month High in Broad Increase

[Bloomberg] US Core Capital Goods Orders Exceeded Forecast in December

[Bloomberg] Unprecedented ‘Jobless Boom’ Tests Limits of US Economic Expansion

[Bloomberg] Banks Pounce on M&A Revival With $100 Billion of Buyout Debt

[Bloomberg] Hassett Attacks NY Fed for Study on Tariffs Hurting US Companies

[Bloomberg] US Insurers’ Dollar Hedging in 2026 Tops ‘Liberation Day’ Fever

[NYT] How the World’s Most Boring Market Became a ‘Battlefield’

[FT] US and Japan unveil first mega-projects under $550bn trade deal

[FT] Brevan Howard’s crypto fund slumped 30% in 2025 amid bitcoin rout