A tale of two worlds

Oil Rises As Three More Warships, Thousands Of Marines Dispatched To Mideast; Trump Blasts 'Paper Tiger' NATO Summary Oil rises on news of a second massive Marine deployment toward Gulf in a week, as Trump calls NATO a 'paper tiger'. IRGC contradicts Bibi: says missile production is ongoing, is of "no concern" - even as IRGC spokesman Ali Mohammad Naeini is reported killed. Energy war ongoing: Major sites damaged across the region - Haifa refinery hit, Qatar LNG output cut 17%, Kuwait facilities ablaze. Kharg Island escalation looms: Trump admin weighing seizure of Kharg Island...

Music streaming giant Spotify will lay off about 6% of its workforce, Daniel Ek, the billionaire CEO of the Stockholm-based company announced Monday, becoming the latest company to dramatically reduce headcount as fears of a looming recession continue into the new year.