Once again, it’s Jobs Report Friday. Here’s some things to keep in mind as you review the numbers – WSJ and Bloomberg and NYTimes

US trade talks with China made their way to the White House yesterday, which expressed optimism about a potential deal to resolve rising trade tensions between the two countries – NYTimes and Bloomberg

If soybeans are any indication, the two sides may be on their way towards real progress – WSJ

We’ve been keeping a close eye on the political machinations behind the UK’s train-wreck of a departure from the European Union, but it’s high time to check in with British businesses, many of whom are scrambling to prepare for the as-yet-unknown consequences of a no-deal Brexit – NYTimes

Its auto industry, for one, is already facing significant economic repercussions from Brexit – NYTimes

Law360 suggests that the latest US criminal charges against Huawei over the purported theft of trade secrets from T-Mobile and alleged violation of Iran sanctions “could lead to severe penalties for the smartphone maker, including the end of its U.S. operations” – Law360

Amazon’s growing cloud computing and advertising businesses helped the company post its third quarter in a row of record profits – WSJ and Bloomberg

A bit of Apple v. Facebook drama and some clues about the potential landscape for privacy battles of the future [think app stores as much as state houses] – NYTimes

Streetwise says we can thank the Fed (and its newfound “patience” on rates) for a “retro January surge” in the markets – WSJ

The European Commission announced yesterday that it was investigating 8 as-yet-unnamed banks for “operating as a cartel in the buying and selling of European government bonds from 2007 to 2012”—a scheme apparently largely carried out through online chat rooms – NYTimes and Bloomberg and Law360

More trouble for the CAT data warehouse project (meant to house a record of all US stock-market activity per SEC order), with the exchanges reportedly firing the contractor, Thesys, hired to construct the database – WSJ

No surprise to those who struggle to wake before the sun or fade well before the parties kick into high gear—the night owl vs. early bird debate is hardwired into us all, and scientists are using the human genome to sort it all out – NYTimes

Have a great weekend.