The table at Hanoi's Metropole hotel had been set for President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un. The document, a modest deal to nudge North Korea closer to giving up nuclear arms, had been prepared for signing. Then Trump fled, saying the deal was lopsided in favor of Pyongyang. The predictable criticism intensified when Trump said he took Kim "at his word" that he wasn't aware of the imprisonment and torture of U.S. student Otto Warmbier, who later died. In the aftermath, a North Korean official said it was Kim who may have “lost the will” to reach an agreement.—Josh Petri

Here are today's top stories

Eli Lake, writing for Bloomberg Opinion, said Trump was right to walk away but wrong to hope that the U.S. can help North Korea become a thriving economy.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was notified Thursday that the attorney general plans to put him on trial for bribery and fraud.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said he will release a captured Indian Air Force pilot tomorrow as a gesture of peace.

PG&E fanned the flames that made California burn. But the utility with a criminal past is crucial to the state's plan to slow climate change. 

Justin Trudeau faces a crisis after his ex-attorney general detailed a campaign by the Canadian prime minister’s office to end a Quebec construction firm's legal troubles.

Cursing Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro in public is now all the rage in Caracas. 

What's Joe Weisenthal thinking about? The Bloomberg news director is reflecting on his recent interview with Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren. The 2020 presidential candidate said a key goal of her proposed wealth tax isn't to raise money but rather to improve democracy by reducing concentrated economic power, and thus political power.

What you'll need to know tomorrow

• The most expensive commutes in America aren't where you'd think.
• Amazon is letting Prime customers group orders to save boxes.
• America's cities are running on software from the 1980s.
• Here's the tale of the Telluride banker who robbed for good. 
• U.S. GDP growth in the fourth quarter was higher than forecast.
• To save its lobsters, Maine will go all-in on renewable energy.
• British Airways will replace its aging 747s with new 777s.

What you'll want to read in Businessweek

This Is What Peak Car Looks Like

Automobile ownership is falling out of favor as ride-hailing and other options proliferate while concerns over gridlock and pollution spark soul searching. Auto sales are declining, people are migrating to megacities, and fewer young people are bothering to obtain licenses.

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