News From the Control Tower - 2/4/2021

News from the Control Tower: Our weekly curated list of news stories affecting you and your finances.

This week’s reads include:

1. Life after Jeff: Can Amazon’s next boss fill Jeff Bezos’s supersized boots?

Andy Jassy will take over a firm on a roll. That does not make dilemmas in his in-tray any easier to deal with

2. Ford forced to cut profitable F-150 pickup truck production due to semiconductor chip shortage

Semiconductors are extremely important components of new vehicles, for areas ranging from infotainment systems to more traditional parts such as power steering.

3. Google’s next big Chrome update will rewrite the rules of the web

Google’s impending takedown of third-party cookies in Chrome is a big win for privacy. And Google

4. Businesses Launch Legal Fight to Prevent USPS Price Hikes

Court petition comes as on-time delivery for first-class mail dropped to below 64% in December

5. The bond market gets optimistic

The markets are more optimistic about growth and inflation than they have been in over four years.  10-year notes now yield a full percentage point more than their one-year equivalents.

Bonus: Listen to a random forest.