Expect to begin hearing a lotabout private equity firm Pine Island Capital Partners, as its partners include Tony Blinken (Biden's secretary of state nominee, now on leave from Pine Island) and Michèle Flournoy (Biden's possible defense secretary nominee).
What to know: Pine Island was formed in 2018 by former CIT Group and Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain, former Goldman Sachs buyout big Phil Cooper, and ex-Coca-Cola executive Clyde Tuggle. It focuses on mid-market companies in a variety of sectors, including aerospace and defense.
General Motors will no longer take an equity stake in Nikola Corp. or build its pickup truck, under a revised deal that still envisions GM as a key tech supplier for Nikola's planned line of electric and fuel cell heavy trucks.
Driving the news: The revised agreement Monday is smaller in scope than a draft partnership rolled out in September that had included a $2 billion stake in the startup and an agreement to build its Badger pickup.
The TSA screened 1,176,091 people at checkpoints in the U.S. on Sunday, the highest number since mid-March, according to a spokesperson.
Why it matters: The CDC advised Americans on Nov. 19 not to travel for Thanksgiving, warning that doing so may increase their chances of contracting and spreading COVID-19. More than 93,000 people are currently hospitalized with the coronavirus, with many hospital systems on the brink of disaster.
The dollar index, which tracks the greenback's value against a basket of currencies, touched its lowest level in over two years.
What's going on: Investor sentiment soared this month — following Biden’s win and prospects of congressional gridlock, possible stimulus, and headway on coronavirus vaccines.
Wall Street is working out how bad the economy will have to get for Congress to feel motivated to move on economic support.
Why it matters: A pre-Thanksgiving data dump showed more evidence of a floundering economic recovery. But the slow drip of crumbling economic data may not be enough to push Washington past a gridlock to halt the economic backslide.
Cyber Monday has never been more meaningless, given the kickoff of the holiday season this year has been more virtual than ever thanks to the pandemic.
Why it matters: Consumers spent roughly $9 billion online on Black Friday, a 22% jump from last year's previously record high, according to Adobe Analytics.
Joe Biden plans to announce Cecilia Rouse and Brian Deese as part of his economic team and Neera Tanden to head the Office of Management and Budget, sources tell Axios.
Why it matters: These are experienced hands. Unveiling a diverse group of advisers also may draw attention away from a selection of Deese to run the National Economic Council. Some progressives have criticized his work at BlackRock, the world's largest asset management firm.
Landlords are sidestepping the CDC's order to halt evictions by ousting tenants for minor violations instead of rent nonpayment, housing advocates tell AP.
The big picture: Protections from the CDC's order — which applies to people who are unable to pay rent or are likely to become homeless if evicted — expire on Dec. 31, with no sign from Congress that an extension is coming.
Restaurants in several states — including Kentucky, Illinois and California — are staying open and defying restrictions, as states try to manage skyrocketing coronavirus cases and hospitalizations with more safety measures.
The big picture: Restaurant industry trade groups have been desperately lobbying for federal aid from a coronavirus stimulus package that has yet to see any traction in Congress.
The real Christmas tree industry,which has been battling increased interest in artificial trees, says Americans are flocking to fresh-cut evergreens this season, seeking a bright spot amid the virus, AP's Gillian Flaccus reports.
Driving the news: At some choose-and-cut tree farms, customers sneaked in well before Thanksgiving to tag the perfect tree to cut down once the business opened.
