U.S., Western Allies ‘Concerned’ Over Hong Kong Arrests

The U.S. Secretary of State and foreign ministers of the U.K., Canada and Australia expressed their “serious concern” about the arrest of 55 politicians and activists in Hong Kong, the governments said in a joint statement.

Hong Kong’s National Security Law, under which the arrests were made, is a breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration and undermines the “one country, two systems” framework, according to the statement.

The legislation“has curtailed the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong. It is clear that the National Security Law is being used to eliminate dissent and opposing political views,” the governments said.

“We call on the Hong Kong and Chinese central authorities to respect the legally guaranteed rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong without fear of arrest and detention,” the officials said in the statement.

“It is crucial that the postponed Legislative Council elections in September proceed in a fair way that includes candidates representing a range of political opinions,” they said.

Read More: Hong Kong Releases Detained Democrats, But Holds Onto Passports

European Economics Preview: Germany Retail Sales, Unemployment Data Due

Retail sales and unemployment figures from Germany are due on Tuesday, headlining a light day for the European economic news.

At 2.00 am ET, Destatis is slated to issue Germany’s retail sales and unemployment data. Sales are forecast to fall 2 percent on month in November, reversing a 2.6 percent rise in October.

Half an hour later, consumer price figures are due from Switzerland. Economists forecast consumer prices to fall 0.7 percent annually in December, the same rate of decrease as seen in November.

At 3.00 am ET, Spain’s unemployment data for December is due.

At 3.55 am ET, the Federal Labor Agency publishes Germany’s unemployment data for December. The jobless rate is seen at 6.1 percent, unchanged from November.

At 4.00 am ET, the European Central Bank is set to release money supply data. Economists expect the M3 money supply to climb 10.6 percent annually, following a 10.5 percent rise in October.

Dave Chappelle Tests Positive for COVID-19; Shows Canceled

Austin, Texas (AP) — Dave Chappelle tested positive for the coronavirus just before his comedy show scheduled for Thursday, forcing his upcoming appearances to be canceled, a spokeswoman said.

Chappelle was expected to perform Thursday through Sunday at Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater in Austin, Texas. Those shows have been canceled and Chappelle is quarantining, his representative Carla Sims said in a statement. The comedian is asymptomatic.

Chappelle had been performing socially-distanced shows in Ohio since June, and moved his shows to Austin during the winter, Sims said. Rapid testing for the audience and daily tests for Chappelle and his team were implemented.

Comedian Joe Rogan was scheduled to perform at the shows Friday and Saturday. He apologized on Instagram to followers for the canceled shows, saying they’d be rescheduled. A post earlier this week showed Rogan at Stubb’s with Chappelle and other stars including Donnell Rawlings, Ron White and Elon Musk.

Refunds will be available for ticketholders at their point of purchase.

Yellen Confirmation for Treasury Could Come as Soon as Thursday

Janet Yellen’s nomination for Treasury secretary could be approved by the Senate as soon as Thursday, senators indicated during her confirmation hearing.

Ron Wyden, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, said he hoped the full chamber could vote on Thursday, given that Democrats and Republicans agreed to have written follow-up questions ready for Yellen by the close of business on Wednesday.

Republican Senator Michael Crapo responded that he would discuss the timing with outgoing committee chair Chuck Grassley. “We will work with members on our side to work expeditiously,” Crapo said.

By comparison, outgoing Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was confirmed by the Senate and sworn in on Feb. 13, 2017. His confirmation was delayed by a complicated ethics waiver that required him to divest stakes in 43 investments to avoid a conflict of interest. He is one of the richest Treasury secretaries in recent history.

Two New York City Bars Up For Sale In Cryptocurrency

Two bars in the New York City have been put up for sale with the consideration quoted in Bitcoins and Ethereum, according to a New York Post report. This could be the only bars up for grab against cryptocurrency payment.

Patrick Hughes has put up his two adjacent bars, Hellcat Annie’s and Scruffy Duffy’s, for sale citing the pandemic as the primary reason.

Hughes has put a price tag of 25 Bitcoins or 800 Ethereum tokens for the side-by-side Hell’s Kitchen watering holes. This is equal to $835,000 in cryptocurrency, according to CoinDesk.

He has put up a board with the consideration mentioned on it to lure potential buyers. It says, “Must Buy Both.” He is said to have received a few casual inquiries for the bars.

According to the report, both bars were closed during the lockdown. Hellcat Annie’s was reopened in November with an open-air cabin on Tenth Avenue and had claimed that bar sales were back to pre-pandemic levels.

Meanwhile, he could not open Scruffy Duffy’s pending the restart of indoor dining. This bar was originally located on Eighth Avenue since 1990, and was shifted to the current location near to Hellcat Annie’s in 2019.

Hughes had reportedly employed 50 people at his two bars, but the current number is 5-6.

56-year-old Hughes, a Queens native, is a crypto enthusiast and views cryptocurrencies as global, decentralized and a hot currency.