As a turbulent December ends, along with a year of unprecedented events that impacted markets in unexpected ways, there’s one thing denizens of Wall Street can agree on: these aren't normal times. —David E. Rovella

Here are today's top stories

The EPA is giving Americans the gift of mercury. Run by a former coal lobbyist, the agency has set the stage for future deregulation that could free coal plants to spew more of the deadly toxin.

Of all the holiday gatherings Jerome Powell gets invited to, a sit-down with President Donald Trump, who a few days ago was thinking about firing the Fed Chairman, might be one of the last he’d want to attend. 

Subprime lending is back under a new name, and America's veterans are the target, Bloomberg Businessweek reports.

Don't cry about your poor 401(k). It turns out China has the honor of the world's worst stock market, thanks to $2.4 trillion in losses.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, assailed for privacy breaches and his platform's manipulation by Russia to taint U.S. elections, said he's "proud" of progress the embattled company has made. However, he said election interference via Facebook "can never fully be solved."

First he owned the shutdown; then he blamed the Democrats. Then government workers wanted a border wall, only to later be dismissed as opponents. Now, Trump has taken a new tack in his campaign: if he doesn't get what he wants, he'll shut the border.

Mario Draghi once likened the euro to a bumblebee—a “mystery of nature” that shouldn’t fly but somehow does. Now, two decades after its birth, the euro has taken flight and, by some measures, has even soared.

What you'll need to know tomorrow

• This may be the secret behind this week's stock rebound.
• Shares closed only slightly lower Friday, but volatility still reigns.
• Pimco has a new favorite bond, and it's issued by Argentina.
• What a year without health insurance in America looks like.
• More fallout from Trump's troop visit: Now Iraq wants America out. 
• Airbus is desperately trying to reach this goal before 2019.
• There's a new Porsche with a weird name, but this one's electric.

What you'll want to read tonight

We Drank These in 2018. Now You Should, Too

Notable bottles include a cousin to mezcal, reverse-engineered Japanese gin and a surprisingly good vodka made from milk. Yes, milk.

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