The Wall Street Journal reports that Walmart Inc. could potentially be buying Humana Inc., though nothing is finalized and it isn't clear what terms they're discussing.
Why it matters: Per the Journal, if the deal went through it could "transform Walmart overnight into one of the nation's largest health insurers." Humana is valued at $37 billion currently, while Walmart sits at $260 billion.
Wayfair, TripAdvisor, Nutrish, Expedia and most recently Nestle are pulling their ads from Fox host Laura Ingraham's show, reports CNBC, after she mocked Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg on Twitter.
"The environment in Washington has turned so toxic, chaotic, disrespectful and subversive that it became impossible for me to accomplish the important work that our veterans need and deserve... I am proud of my record and know that I acted with the utmost integrity. Unfortunately, none of that mattered. As I prepare to leave government, I am struck by a recurring thought: It should not be this hard to serve your country."
— Former VA Secretary David Shulkin in an NYT op-ed
President Trump telephoned supporter Roseanne Barr yesterday to congratulate her on the return of her sitcom "Roseanne" on ABC and — what really impressed him — the huge ratings.
What caught Trump's eye: The series' return on Tuesday drew 18.4 million viewers, more than doubling ABC's internal estimates. It was the highest rating among adults age 18-49 for any comedy since CBS’ "The Big Bang Theory" season opener in 2014.
Trade and China experts fear that President Trump, seeking a marquee, high-dollar deal with Beijing to reduce a $375 billion trade imbalance, may achieve a political win but leave the U.S. at a critical, long-term economic disadvantage.
What they're saying: China's stated objective is to dominate the primary industries of future wealth and the jobs that come with them, including artificial intelligence, robotics, self-driving and electric cars, and advanced microchips. It is smoothing its path there using tech obtained through means including coercion of western companies, according to long-standing industry complaints.
Apart perhaps from cashier and truck driver, radiologist is said to be the most imperiled job on the planet in the new age of automation. But artificial intelligence researchers say the challenge they're addressing at the moment is to make it easier for radiologists to work faster and with less fear of a bad call.
ABC's "Roseanne" revival scored big in its Tuesday night return to television. The Nielsen overnight ratings show the program led not only in total viewers (18.1 million) but also in the key demographic of adults 18-49 ("Roseanne" secured a 5.1 rating).
The big picture: The numbers make "Roseanne" both "the highest-rated regularly-scheduled scripted show of the last few seasons as well as "the highest-rated sitcom broadcast in over three years," according to the Hollywood Reporter. The closest competition came from NBC's "The Voice," which received a 1.6 rating in the key demographic and 8.8 million total viewers.
"Craigslist for cannabis ... Online ads from unlicensed pot shops roil California market," AP's Michael Blood reports from L.A.
Why it matters: "The dispute over the online ads goes to basic economics for an emerging market sprung from what was mostly an illegal one: Lawful operators will struggle if they're competing with a robust black market that can undersell them."
