Axios

Walmart is acquiring Bare Necessities, a 20-year-old online intimates retailer, for an undisclosed sum.

Why it matters: Bare Necessities is Walmart's latest in a string of acquisitions of unique online apparel brands. Last year, it acquired vintage-inspired retailer ModCloth, and since followed by online menswear company Bonobos, and plus-size brand ELOQUII, among others.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC Friday that, while the U.S. is concerned about the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia has "been a very good partner," and that he still plans on attending the Saudi Future Investment Initiative conference.

Why it matters: As Axios' Jonathan Swan points out, the administration has so far said very little about this incident, but the international pressure has reached a fever pitch. Meanwhile, several high profile U.S. companies and businesses have decided to pull out of the conference or suspend business ties with the Saudis until more answers on Khashoggi's whereabouts are provided.

There's an "extensive list" of geopolitical risks that could hurt U.S. economic growth, J.P. Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon said to analysts and reporters Friday morning.

The big picture: Dimon's warning about what could stunt the strength of the economy comes after the stock market's rough few days that rattled investors.

Stocks rose sharply Friday morning, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average opening up with a 400 point gain. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq were also higher.

Between the lines: Even with these gains, stocks still have a ways to go to recover from the 1,300 point loss in the last two days.

On Monday afternoon, I received an unsolicited note on the encrypted messaging service, WhatsApp, from the Saudi ambassador to the United States, Prince Khalid bin Salman. He is the younger brother of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS), and we occasionally communicate on WhatsApp — his messaging channel of choice.

In the message, posted below in full, the ambassador denied allegations that the Saudi government was involved in the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who unnamed Turkish officials allege was murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul: "I assure you that the reports that suggest that Jamal Khashoggi went missing in the Consulate in Istanbul or that the Kingdom’s authorities have detained him or killed him are absolutely false, and baseless," he said. 

• I responded with two messages: “Thank you” and “Do you have footage of him leaving the consulate?” I’m still waiting for a reply.

Stocks continued their sell-off on Thursday, with the Dow closing down 546 points. The S&P fell more than 2%, and the Nasdaq dropped over 1%, at one point even entering official "correction" territory.

The bottom line: Volatility was the story. Stocks turned positive early but then the Dow fell as much as 650 points before recovering some ground.

A slow drip of leaked intelligence from U.S. and Turkish officials has fueled a growing consensus that Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent Saudi journalist, was murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Sen. Bob Corker, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, told CNN today: “My instincts say there's no question the Saudi government did this."

Why it matters: If the reports are correct, Khashoggi's murder could spark a full-blown diplomatic crisis that pits the U.S. against an ally the Trump administration has made "the fulcrum of [its] Middle East policy," per the NY Times. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), who has carried out a massive global PR push and built a close relationship with Jared Kushner, is likely to face unprecedented backlash from the international community if he’s unable to provide answers.

Stocks rose slightly on Thursday morning following the stock market's worst day since February that saw the Dow drop 832 points.

Context: Early pre-market trading pointed to continued steep declines, but the markets recovered significantly after lower-than-expected inflation data.

The race to own the future of TV is intensifying, with mobile and streaming video companies looking to build or expand video services that will launch by next year. 

Why it matters: There’s billions of dollars at stake for whichever company can win the attention of younger generations, who are abandoning traditional TV in droves. The scramble is so urgent that five of the new initiatives in this space were announced within hours of each other Wednesday.