The following is a rundown of the day’s news drawn from other media sources with topics curated jut for Money and Markets readers: personal security and freedom, Ukraine crisis, and business and finance.
Personal Security and Freedom
Disney Ends Funding to Boy Scouts Over Gay Policy
The Walt Disney Co. will cut funding to the Boy Scouts of America beginning in 2015 because of a policy that bans gay adult leaders in the organization. The Boy Scouts organization is “disappointed” by the decision, which will affect the organization’s ability to serve children.
Hundreds of Keystone Protesters Arrested at White House
Police arrested hundreds of young people protesting the Keystone XL project on Sunday, as demonstrators fastened themselves with plastic ties to the White House fences and called for U.S. President Barack Obama to reject the controversial oil pipeline.
Crack Found in Dam in Washington State, Authorities Lower Water Levels
A 65-foot-long (20-meter-long) crack has appeared along the base of a dam in Washington state, posing no danger to the public but prompting utility managers to lower water levels to assess needed repairs, a utility spokesman said.
Anti-Rape Rules Aim to Protect Immigrants in U.S. Detention
The American Civil Liberties Union in 2011 said “nearly 200 allegations of abuse from detainees in detention facilities across the nation have been fielded by government officials since 2007 alone. And that is likely just the very tip of the iceberg.”
God Making a Comeback in Hollywood
Now, perhaps more than ever, or at least of late, people are looking for some sort of meaning. The promise of the Obama years has clearly not panned out. Maybe there’s something more. Looks like 2014 is going to be the year of God. And maybe that’s about time.
Crisis in Ukraine Escalates
Ukraine Mobilizes Reserve Troops, Threatening War
Russia’s move to seize control of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula on Saturday led Ukraine to call up its military reserves on Sunday and warn Moscow against further incursions as Western powers scrambled to find a response to the crisis.
Russian Prime Minister Predicts ‘New Revolution, New Bloodshed’
“While Viktor Yanukovych practically has no authority, he remains the legitimate head of state, according to the constitution. If he is guilty before Ukraine, hold an impeachment procedure … and try him. Everything else is lawlessness,” Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said.
Ukraine: Putin’s Crimea Aim is to Make NATO Look Weak
If you want to invade a country, it’s important to call it a liberation. Over the coming weeks and months, that’s what we’re going to see in Ukraine. In fact it has started already. Just look at the Crimea.
Putin Cooks up Obama’s Chicken Kiev Moment
In a 90-minute phone call on Saturday, Putin hinted to Obama he was prepared to extend Russia’s Crimean occupation into eastern Ukraine. It would be naive to assume he will not. What can Obama do to prevent it?
Russia Tightens Grip on Crimea as Markets Tumble
Russia cemented its control of the flashpoint Crimean peninsula without firing a shot as markets plunged on Monday and world leaders held a series of crisis talks over the worst standoff between Moscow and the West since the Cold War.
Business and finance
Slower China Drags on Region
Manufacturing data across Asia on Monday suggested that slower growth in China is weighing on the region, and has yet to be offset by a pickup in shipments to the West.
Losses Mobilize the Bitcoin Police
The recent loss of nearly a half-billion dollars from a major bitcoin exchange is forcing U.S. regulators to confront burgeoning questions about their authority–and responsibility–to oversee the fledgling virtual currency.
German Companies Are Going Off the Grid
Every sixth company in Europe’s largest economy now generates its own electricity, roughly 50% more than one year ago, according to Germany’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry. They range from rural family-owned companies to a vast Dow Chemical Co. plant that consumes 1% of the country’s electricity.
Apple Hiring Engineers in Asia to Speed Product Launches
People familiar with the matter said the Cupertino, Calif., company is hiring engineers from rival smartphone maker HTC Corp. and other Taiwanese tech firms to build up teams in Shanghai and Taipei.
Best wishes,
The Money and Markets Team
