1) There are reports that Biden’s $1.9 trillion dollar coronavirus relief bill is in trouble, and the Democrats might not be able to pass the next round of stimulus until March. This new round of coronavirus relief is already facing political and logistical hurdles in Congress. Beyond Republican opposition, key senate democrats also need to be convinced of Biden’s relief bill. With tight margins between the two parties in Congress, straight party line votes are in doubt to pass legislation, and also the relief bill may not get a vote until mid-March, when the $300 weekly unemployment assistance program expires.
2) After spending almost two decades underground, trillions of Brood 10 cicadas are due to appear in states between Georgia and New York this spring, after their 17 year long stint of underground activity, which started in 2004. The insects have been living beneath the soil, where they tunnel and live off tree root sap. From around mid-May to late June, the insects will emerge in Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee in the south east and south, and Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio in the Midwest. The northeastern and eastern states of New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia will also see the insects, as well as Delaware and Washington, D.C., in the mid-Atlantic region. Trillions of the insects are expected to appear in the U.S. this year, with densities of 1.5 million ‘bugs’ per acre in some cases.
3) Having declared her intentions to dominate artificial intelligence by 2030, some experts consider China is winning the artificial intelligence race. China is poised to take the lead in artificial intelligence applications applying to manufacturing, health care and transportation, thereby leapfrogging the West in key new technologies. In particular, China’s artificial intelligence security cameras using facial recognition technology are considered far above anything other western countries are producing. Furthermore, China is well on its way to building a 10 million 5G mobile base stations by 2024, which will wire virtually the whole country for game-changing technologies. Three dimensional facial imaging allows these systems to monitor the mobility of people and contact with others. This makes for a powerful tool allowing the government to control their people.
4) Stock market closings for – 27 JAN 21:
Dow 30,303.17 down by 633.87
Nasdaq 13,270.60 down by 355.47
S&P 500 3,750.77 down by 98.85
10 Year Yield: down at 1.01%
Oil: down at $52.63