Vladimir Putin’s “chef,” an associate who was indicted as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections, is now meddling in Africa, with an army of mercenaries and spin doctors at his disposal. —David E. Rovella Here are today's top storiesMarkets continued their march southward as investor disdain for once-loved tech giants spills a lot of red stuff on Wall Street. As Bitcoin dives, the U.S. is probing whether last year’s rally was fueled by manipulation via a controversial digital token. Another call for cash. Goldman Sachs joins the chorus in recommending investors move into what is once again "a competitive asset class.” Carlos Ghosn's legal troubles may cause political headaches for French President Emmanuel Macron, who just two weeks ago was touting the carmaking alliance of Renault and Nissan. An obscure legal document turned New York courts into a debt-collection machine that crushes small business, Bloomberg Businessweek reports. President Donald Trump won't punish Saudi Arabia for the murder of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi, a U.S. resident, despite media reports that the CIA found Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered it. Trump said strategic issues outweigh the assassination of the Saudi journalist. Bobby Ghosh writes in Bloomberg Opinion how the CIA may be trying to avoid any connection to "a shabby cover-up." What's Joe Weisenthal thinking about? The Bloomberg news director is wondering, given how bad technology stocks are doing of late, just how terrible things are inside those embattled companies. What you'll need to know tomorrowAmerica's richest cities are ground zero for the homelessness crisis.It's a buyers market out there when it comes to new U.S. homes. Thanks to Brexit, the same is true for the other side of the pond. The credit market is headed for its worst bloodbath since 2008.Look inside Elon Musk's other massive factory.The volatile energy market just killed a hedge fund.Didn't buy your turkey yet? Here's your guide to last-minute success. Sponsored Content by The Points Guy For a limited time, this business card is offering an elevated sign-up bonus of up to 200,000 miles — not too shabby for a card with a $95 annual fee that’s waived the first year. And with this card, you’ll earn 2x points on every purchase. What are you waiting for? Learn more here. What you'll want to read tonightIn Norway, fighter jets and helicopters roared overhead this month as combat vehicles trundled by picture-perfect fjords. Thousands of troops from Europe and the U.S. trudged through snow or squeezed into armored carriers bristling with weapons, a grim rehearsal for a future war one expert says would be equal parts sci-fi and trench warfare—assuming nuclear weapons weren’t used. This was NATO in full-force, pivoting back from years of peacekeeping to its original mission: giving Russia pause. Have you started strategizing for 2019? We have. Don’t miss the annual Bloomberg Businessweek special report, The Year Ahead, on the major trends, disruptions, breakthrough products, innovations and movements to watch in the coming year. Get Bloomberg All Access in time to receive this issue in print and much more. Diversity is a business issue. Sign up now for our weekly Business of Equality newsletter to get the latest on how companies and institutions are confronting issues of gender, race and class. Download the Bloomberg app: It's available for iOS and Android. | 