Economic fear is creating record levels of polarization around the globe, particularly in developed nations with slow-growth economies, like Spain and Japan, according to Edelman's latest annual Trust Barometer survey.
Why it matters: Polarization leads to instability, creating uncertainty for business. That puts more pressure on companies and corporate leaders to establish the trust among consumers that governments have failed to win.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg and other protesters were physically removed by police in western Germany while protesting a coal mine expansion Sunday, per Politico.
The big picture: Officers carried a smiling and laughing Thunberg away from the site near the mine in the village of Lützerath that's been the scene of clashes between police and climate change protesters after they said she didn't comply with a request to leave, German outlet Bild reports.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Sunday it is investigating a near-miss between a passenger airplane operated by Delta and another operated by American Airlines at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York on Friday.
Why it matters: The FAA said, based on preliminary information, that a Boeing 737 operated by Delta had to halt its takeoff roll after air traffic controllers noticed that a Boeing 777 operated by American Airlines had crossed the runway being used by the Delta plane from an adjacent taxiway.
Despite scary headlines about layoffs, most employers are still hungry for workers — underpinning a still-hot labor market.
For evidence, look at the unemployment rate (above), which at 3.5% is near a historic low.
Technically, if you include extra decimal places, the jobless rate hit 3.46% in December (hat tip: University of Michigan economist Justin Wolfers). That's a fresh half-century low.
