A lot of the furor over Elon Musk’s recent “going private” tweets has centered on whether he actually had the financial backing needed to pull it off.  The Times sets aside that initial inquiry to explore the why and how, exactly of such a move – NYTimes

More on the demise of Toys R Us, including details of the “small group of hedge fund” creditors who exercised their “fulcrum or crucial position in restructuring negotiations” to push the company into liquidation rather than reorganization – WSJ

The UK government is rolling out its first “contingency plans” for leaving the EU in a “No-Deal ‘Brexit’” scenario—an effort that attempts to walk a fine line between preparing the public for “possible disruptions” and “spreading alarm that could undermine support for the entire undertaking” – NYTimes

The DOJ and SEC have opened a probe into Microsoft’s software sales in Hungary over concerns about “potential bribery and corruption.” Regulators conducted similar investigations in 2013 on the heels of Microsoft’s push to “expand in emerging markets” – WSJ and Law360

The 8th Circuit has ruled that Fannie & Freddie shareholders can’t block the FHFA’s agreement to pay the Treasury “a quarterly ‘net worth sweep’ of the mortgage duo’s profits.” The decision continues a trend of courts finding that the FHFA’s move is in its authority – Law360

New-home sales surprisingly dipped this week to their lowest in 9 months suggesting a cooling in the housing market – Bloomberg and MarketWatch

With markets hitting historic bull territory, here’s a helpful consideration of the “stealth drivers” of that run—from regulation (yes, seriously) to the Fed to a pretty competition-free era – NYTimes

Following a summer SCOTUS decision that declared the appointment process for in-house SEC judges constitutionally flawed, the agency has unveiled plans to “rehear dozens of cases that were pending” at the time of the decision – WSJ and NYTimes

Meanwhile, controversial CFPB pick Kathy Kraninger’s nomination has made it out of committee on a party-line vote – WSJ

For the record, not great when you need an app to sort out how much your hyperinflation-tainted currency is worth – Bloomberg

Property management powerhouse CBRE has reached an agreement with a class of real estate investors for $100 million to resolve allegations that it aided in a multimillion-dollar embezzlement scheme – Law360

Scientists working in Siberian caves have discovered the bones of what they’re calling “hybrid humans,” the 90,000-year-old evidence of the offspring of Neanderthals and “another branch of ancient humanity known as the Denisovans” that further establishes the ancient world as “home to a marvelous range of human diversity” – NYTimes

Have a great weekend.