New investments by overseas businesses into the U.S., which for decades held the No. 1 spot, fell 49% in 2020, according to U.N. figures.
Options activity in January is building on 2020’s record volumes in the latest sign of optimism.250
In a call with Brian Deese, head of the White House’s National Economic Council, both Republicans and some Democrats signal concerns over the size and cost of President Biden’s $1.9 trillion bill.
The emergence of new strains of the virus that causes Covid-19 signals a future in which health authorities are locked in a cat-and-mouse battle with a shape-shifting pathogen.
Some 2.7 million homeowners are still pausing their monthly mortgage bills, and more might need help in the coming months.125
President Biden is expected to detail his initiative Monday. It will be closely watched by other countries hopeful for a better trade relationship.117
A strategy shift focused on China and Russia—and stumbles in developing newer bombers—persuaded the Air Force to load new electronics into a plane designed in the 1940s and make it last until 2050.230
The Kremlin must decide how to respond to weekend protests supporting jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Morgantown, home to West Virginia University, is growing more polarized as it becomes more prosperous and white collar in the nation’s second-reddest state.179
A quicker-than-expected recovery in U.S. manufacturing is resulting in supply disruptions and higher costs for materials.50
Tom Brady is headed to his 10th Super Bowl, and his first with Tampa Bay, after the Buccaneers topped the Packers 31-26 in the NFC Championship.2
Tech
Beijing recently unveiled guidelines for competition, adding to efforts in Brussels and Washington to curb the power of digital firms.38
Facebook and Amazon boosted their federal lobbying expenditures last year as Big Tech braced for new scrutiny.20
The three tech giants will be among the companies providing quarterly updates, shedding more light on how businesses performed at the end of 2020.
Review | Nicole Nguyen
Even the best noise-canceling headphones can’t offer total silence. But they can reduce the impact of whatever pandemonium is happening around you. A number of new offerings recently hit the market.58
Markets
WSJ News Exclusive
NCR is finalizing a takeover that would value Cardtronics at $39 a share, or around $1.7 billion, outbidding a pair of investment firms that had earlier agreed to buy the ATM operator.
Among them: You really do have to plan for emergencies, and your personal-finance decisions don’t exist in a vacuum.52
Ripple, the San Francisco company headed by Brad Garlinghouse, says its signature product, known as XRP, is a currency that shouldn’t be subject to securities laws.
World
Palesa Motau, left, along with her aunt Teboho Tsotetsi, at the gravesite of her father, Lucky Patrick Mncube.
A fast-spreading Covid-19 variant has pushed deaths and infections to records, overwhelming funeral homes.
U.S.
The Biden administration could act as soon as Monday to reverse former President Donald Trump’s directive
WSJ News Exclusive
In his last weeks in office, the former president considered moving to replace the acting attorney general with another official ready to pursue unsubstantiated claims of election fraud, people familiar with the matter said.505
Life & Arts
Many baby boomers struggle with the decision to step down. When they leave, the transition is often “painful and messy,” says one career coach.
The best candidates are failing the Hall’s character test, signaling a new era in how voters treat the most nebulous—and controversial—barrier to entry for baseball’s highest honor.53
WSJ Fitness Challenge
The Wall Street Journal Fitness Challenge, a six-week program of exercises, is made for all ability levels.32
When the price of oil plummeted, Lizzy Chesnut Bentley knew it was time to go all-in on another Texas tradition.21
Video
Twitter, Facebook and the Rules of What Can Be Said on Social Media
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The Coronavirus Is Mutating. Here’s What We Know.
6:21
Watch: Amanda Gorman Reads ‘The Hill We Climb’ at Biden Inauguration
5:50
