Walmart is prepared to remove its pharmacies from the drug benefit network owned by CVS Health, as the two retail giants spar over drug pricing terms.
Why it matters: If a new agreement isn't reached by May, millions of people who fill their prescriptions at Walmart may have to find new pharmacies, and some of them inevitably will find their way to CVS' own drugstores.
Separate hackers on a Russian-language hacker forum have offered to sell access to the content management systems of bundles of news sites since October, notes Israeli threat intelligence firm Sixgill, which would give buyers the ability to edit or upload their own news stories. One offered access to 1,425 U.S. sites.
Why it matters: "We get a sense of urgency from looking at this stuff," said Alex Karlinsky, a intelligence expert at Sixgill. "It may seem like a small thing, but in this era of political bots and trying to influence opinion, this is another way to do that."
The News Project, a full-service publishing platform specifically built for digital news publishers, has received a six-figure investment from WordPress.com VIP, the content management tech company owned by web development giant Automattic.
Why it matters: The News Project is a content management system business aimed at creating an accessible publishing platform for news companies. Publishing technology can be expensive and complicated for media upstarts or niche, local or small news companies. The investment will give The News Product customers access to the VIP services of Wordpress.
Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich is joining CNN as a contributor, serving as an analyst across the network, CNN Worldwide President Jeff Zucker told his team Tuesday morning.
The big picture: The 66-year-oldKasich, a former U.S. House member, has been one of cable news' most in-demand Republican voices as the party's only likely primary challenger to President Trump. John Weaver, a longtime Kasich adviser, told Axios: "The governor has strong insights to help guide conversations in our country in a positive direction and this new partnership with CNN gives him a great platform to do so."
Economists have been wearing out their keyboards over the past couple of months writing down expectations for U.S. and global economic growth.
Reality check: Alger chief investment officer Daniel Chung and director of strategy Brad Neuman point out that slower growth does not necessarily mean weak equity returns.
Major tech companies and moguls are pouring lots of money into initiatives to support quality journalism, after months of bad headlines about fake news and the longer-term struggles of business models for journalism, especially at the local level.
Why it matters: The efforts are meant to show tech's support for quality journalism, even though its products and business models often feel at odds with fostering a quality news ecosystem.
Tyson Foods is feeling the pain from the trade war and a volatile agricultural market that’s seen meat prices crater.
Why it matters: Tyson, the largest meat processor in the world — home to brands like Hillshire Farms, Jimmy Dean and Ball Park — has been particularly squeezed by the uncertainty of tariffs, plus the meat industry's growing reliance on exports from Mexico and China, two countries Trump has targeted since declaring his candidacy.
Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who has hinted he could mount a primary challenge to President Trump in 2020, is eyeing a jump to a cable news network like CNN or MSNBC in the coming days, CNBC reports.
Why it matters: Kasich stepped down as governor on Monday, and he's wasting no time kicking off his next act. Also on Monday, signed with United Talent Agency, which said in a release that it plans to help him "navigate the next phase of his career in civic engagement, by continuing to inspire audiences to lead purpose-driven lives of service," the AP reports.
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo Monday that although the Department of Agriculture is working to get staffers back to work on a temporary basis to help farmers amidst the shutdown, he thinks "the shutdown needs to end" to curtail their hardship.
Driving the news: The Farm Service Agency has run out of funding, which has forced Perdue to work with the Office of Management and Budget to try getting farmers loans. Subsidies set aside for farmers hit by President Trump's tariffs have been suspended during the shutdown.
Dan and Axios' Erica Pandey discuss the future of physical retail, and how trends are pointing toward a new geographic divide between the haves and have-nots.
A hedge fund-owned newspaper holding group is making a play to buy Gannett, one of the largest local news companies in America and home to titles like USA Today, The Arizona Republic and The Indianapolis Star.
Why it matters: Digital First Media doesn't have a stellar reputation for maintaining the cultures and values of struggling local news companies it buys up. Instead, it's known for cutting staff and outsourcing local news-gathering to digital operations in major cities.
Last year's tax reform spurred stronger-than-expected car sales by giving consumers more disposable income, but the payback will come this spring when many Americans could discover they're not getting the tax refund they had expected.
Why it matters: Car sales are a key driver of the U.S. economy, and the industry sees a big uptick every spring as consumers turn their tax refund into a deposit on a new or used car. Without that seasonal bounce, 2019 auto sales may be lower, making a recession more likely.
