To the Editor: Re “Untreated Hearing Loss Is Linked to Costly Ills,” by Jane E. Brody (Personal Health, Jan. 1) Most things are too loud: Fire trucks at 2 a.m. run sirens you can hear from miles away (and there is little or no traffic at that hour). Movie theaters … awful! Not only are […]

(Reuters) – U.S. private equity giant KKR & Co Inc (KKR.N) said on Thursday it will acquire a 50 percent stake in Seattle-based aircraft leasing company Altavair AirFinance and make a $1 billion capital commitment to create a portfolio of leased commercial aircraft with partner. KKR’s initial investment will go toward the acquisition of six […]

(Reuters) – U.S. private equity giant KKR & Co Inc (KKR.N) said it will make a $1 billion capital commitment to create a portfolio of leased commercial aircraft, in partnership with Seattle-based aircraft leasing company Altavair AirFinance. KKR will also acquire a 50 percent stake in Altavair AirFinance as part of the long-term partnership. KKR […]

Listen and subscribe to our podcast from your mobile device: Apple Podcasts | RadioPublic | Stitcher | Spotify | Google Play On a special New Year’s episode of “The Argument,” the columnists tackle some of the toughest questions that confronted them in 2018: yours. Michelle Goldberg sympathizes with a listener who worries about the negative […]

BERLIN (Reuters) – Talks between ailing German public sector bank NordLB [NDLG.UL] and fellow public-sector lender Helaba [HLHTG.UL] about a possible merger have ended, Germany daily Boersen-Zeitung reported on Thursday, citing no sources. The paper said Helaba’s management board informed its Board of Trustees and Board of Directors in a letter dated Dec. 21 that […]

The late Charlie Haughey did not miss a beat when he was asked how he felt about Ireland getting more than £5 back for every £1 contributed to the EU coffers. “Well, it’s not half enough,” he quipped, as he launched his own lavish Irish six-month EU presidency term in January 1990. Ireland has taken […]

(Reuters) – Shares of Arconic Inc (ARNC.N) closed up 9.7 percent after Bloomberg reported that Apollo Global Management LLC (APO.N) is in talks to buy the U.S. aluminum products maker for about $22 a share, citing people familiar with the matter. The deal could be reached by mid-January, and the two companies are negotiating one […]

To the Editor: Re “Louis C.K. Ridicules Survivors of Parkland” (news article, Jan. 1): In the Trump era of American politics, Louis C.K.’s use of survivors of Parkland’s tragic shootings as a gag line is not unpredictable. Applause at Trump rallies often comes after personal attacks and disparaging remarks directed at a group or individual, […]

(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the sign-up.) Good morning. We look at President Xi Jinping’s quest to absorb Taiwan, the U.S. Congress’s first day back and a 300-mile human chain in India. Here’s the latest: President Xi Jinping urges unification with Taiwan The Chinese leader called Taiwan’s autonomy “a wound to the […]

For a sense of the true cost of his government shutdown, now deep into its second week, President Trump should spend less time rage-tweeting about Democrats’ refusal to throw money away on his wasteful border wall and more time perusing the #shutdownstories making the rounds. With even a quick peek beyond his bubble, the president […]