IN THE NEWS TODAY
The Trump administration will immediately stop making billions of dollars of payments to insurers who sell Obamacare health plans, a bombshell move that's expected to spike premium prices and potentially lead many insurers to exit the marketplace. (CNBC)
*Older, sicker Americans to foot the bill for Trump's orders (CNBC)
The president is expected to say in a speech today that he will not certify Iran's compliance with a 2015 nuclear accord negotiated by world powers including Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama. Trump has said he considers the agreement a flawed deal. (Reuters)
The GOP is reportedly considering indirect paths to meeting Trump's goal of slashing the corporate tax rate to 20 percent. Tax writers in the House may opt to phase in the 20 percent corporate rate over three to five years by lowering it in stages from the current 35 percent. (Reuters)
Trump will reportedly extend the deadline to end protections for undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children, also known as "dreamers," if Congress fails to act by then, a Republican senator who spoke with the president says. (Washington Post)
White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said in a press briefing that his job is the hardest he's ever had but he has no plans to resign, yet. Vanity Fair reported Monday that tensions had risen between Trump and Kelly. Some speculated how long Kelly would last, the report said. (CNBC)
A $36.5 billion package of U.S. disaster assistance sailed through the House on Thursday, despite President Trump expressing impatience with having to devote federal resources for hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico's recovery. (Reuters)
Teams with cadaver dogs began a grim search late Thursday for more dead in parts of California wine country devastated by wildfires, resorting in some cases to serial numbers stamped on medical implants to identify remains that turned up in the charred ruins. (AP)
A sheriff in Louisiana is taking a stand on the issue of whether NFL players should stand for the national anthem. Bossier Parish Sheriff Julian Whittington has told a local Ford dealership his department will stop buying Ford police vehicles as long as the automaker advertises with the NFL. (CNBC)
A Los Angeles Chargers lineman said he would post a letter online this morning urging the league's 1,700 players to take a unified stand against pressure from N.F.L. team owners to curb demonstrations during the national anthem before games. (NY Times)
Uber lodged an appeal with a British court today after the ride-hailing app lost its operating license in London, the U.K. judicial office confirmed. The appeal hearing is likely to be on December 11, according to a spokesperson for the office. (CNBC)
*More people using Uber in NYC than yellow cabs (NY Times)
Amazon Studios chief Roy Price was put on an immediate leave of absence Thursday, the company said, following allegations that he harassed a producer and ignored an actress' claim of a sexual assault by producer Harvey Weinstein. (Reuters)
Equifax (EFX) said its systems were not compromised Thursday, but that one of its third party vendors had been running malicious code on one of its web pages. Equifax said it took that page offline and that its systems were not compromised. (CNBC)
Samsung said today that its vice chairman and CEO, Oh-Hyun Kwon, has decided to step down from management. That followed guidance from the tech giant that it was expecting record operating profits of about 14.5 trillion Korean won ($12.8 billion) for the quarter. (CNBC)
STOCKS TO WATCH
Tesla (TSLA) has recalled 11,000 Model X SUVs to fix a rear seat issue. Tesla said it had not received any reports of injuries or accidents related to the issue.
HP Incorporated (HPQ), the maker of printers and PCs, expects 2018 profits to hit Wall Street's more optimistic expectations.
Baxter International (BAX) said it will see a fourth quarter revenue hit from the impact of Hurricane Maria on its Puerto Rico manufacturing operations. However, the drug maker said the negative hit from Maria is being eased by other positive factors.
Spark Therapeutics (ONCE) received a positive recommendation from an FDA panel on its gene therapy treatment for a rare form of vision loss. A final decision is expected by January, with the treatment costing up to $1 million per patient.
Monsanto's (MON) deal to be acquired by Germany's Bayer took another step forward when BASF agreed to buy parts of Bayer's seed and herbicide businesses in a $7 billion deal. The sale is part of asset disposals that regulators want in order to approve the $66 billion transaction.
Boeing (BA) jets contain products from Japan's Kobe Steel that include those falsely certified by the steel maker, according to a Reuters report quoting a source with knowledge of the matter. The report said Boeing does not yet consider the issue a safety problem.
Walt Disney (DIS) will cut 200 jobs at ABC and some of its cable networks, according to Reuters quoting a source, but the cuts won't include job cuts at sports cable network ESPN.
WATERCOOLER
The iconic billionaire founder and CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, reveals he owns two cars that run on gasoline. Musk has a Ford Model T, which a friend gave him, and a Jaguar Series 1 1967 E-type Roadster. Apparently referring to the Jaguar Roadster, Musk calls the car his "first love." (Fortune)