The latest on the economic woes on Venezuela, including the status of the country’s bonds and the foreign investors that they’ve attracted (and who are now selling) – NYTimes and WSJ

A recent slump in the junk-bond market prompted some Wall Street watchers to warn about a broader bear turn in the markets.  The Journal, however, thinks it was more a product of the particular industry—telecom—where the bond selloff was focused and not indicative of a wider trend – WSJ and Bloomberg

The Times considers why companies love going officially bust in the federal bankruptcy court in Richmond, Virginia. A combination of speed, the expertise of the bench, and corporate-friendly precedent are all part of the equation – NYTimes

Yet another financial regulatory heavyweight on his way out the door is warning about loosening post-crisis regulations – WSJ and Law360

Airbus is reportedly on the verge of a $40 billion deal with airline investor Indigo Partners that would “provide upgraded single-aisle jetliners to boost the fleets of ultra-low-cost carriers from Denver to Budapest” – Bloomberg

HSBC has agreed to pay French authorities $352 million to resolve claims that it helped clients evade taxes in France and put to bed a 3-year-old inquiry – WSJ and Law360

US household debt is up another $116 billion, with a major uptick in seriously delinquent credit-card debt leading the list of worries – MarketWatch

SoftBank’s dual-price strategy in amassing its 14% stake in Uber (paying one price for new stock and another for existing stock) raises a legitimate question about the actual worth of the ride-hailing company – WSJ

We’re about a week away… Seems like a good time to brush up on those roasting skills – NYTimes