Opening Bell: Greece, Iceland, Vending-Machines-In-Peril
Greece Bailout Referendum: They Voted ‘No’. Now What? (Bloomberg)
Emergency negotiations start again this week. Euro-area leaders are set to meet Tuesday evening in Brussels, and things will get started Monday beginning with conference calls among the European players. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker was set to hold a conference call Monday morning with European Central Bank head Mario Draghi and Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who heads the Eurogroup of euro-area finance chiefs. Djisselbloem noted the “very regrettable” Greek result in a statement released on Sunday night.
Greek Finance Minister Resigns (WSJ)
Mr. Varoufakis said in a statement on his blog that other eurozone governments as well as Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras viewed his resignation as conducive to finding a way forward, in the wake of Greeks’ resounding rejection of lenders’ terms in a referendum on Sunday. “I was made aware of a certain preference by some Eurogroup participants…for my…’absence’ from its meetings; an idea that the prime minister judged to be potentially helpful to him in reaching an agreement,” Mr. Varoufakis said.
Who’s the Best CEO in Banking? (Bloomberg)
Apparently John Stumpf, of the Wells Fargo Stumpfs.
Vending machine revenues crater under strict nutrition rules (NYP)
Once a profitable and steady business, the machines — in millions of offices, schools and hospitals across the country — are now seeing a lot less action thanks to recent government regulations barring many snack foods...Under those guidelines, trail mix, granola bars, air-popped popcorn, water and natural juice are good, while chocolate, candy, soda, salty chips, Gatorade, iced tea and other items are verboten.
Tensions Rise In Bolivia As Indigenous Witches Prepare For The Pope's Visit (Reuters)
At a "Witches Market" in the Bolivian city of El Alto, dried llama fetuses said to bring good fortune hang outside tin shack stalls while healers read the future in coca leaves and call on ancient spirits to cure ills. When Pope Francis visits Bolivia next week, he will discover a nation that cherishes animal sacrifices and pagan worship and where relations between indigenous communities and the Roman Catholic Church have been strained. The country's first indigenous president, Evo Morales, has frequently clashed with the church. "I hope he comes with good intentions and not with the same thinking as in times past," said Luisa Quispe, 60, a self-described witch in El Alto, a satellite city perched above the capital La Paz.
How Iceland Emerged From Its Deep Freeze (Dealbook)
As a tiny island with a population of 320,000, it was able to muster political will more easily than most countries. (Meeting the prime minister is no big deal to locals.) Greece has a population of 11 million, a gross domestic product that is $242 billion, or 16 times Iceland’s, and a history of political antagonism and government corruption. The two countries blew themselves up, though in different ways. Greece, as a nation, spent too much; in Iceland, the private banks went on a bender that ended badly...Iceland is [now] buzzing: Unemployment is 4 percent, the International Monetary Fund is predicting 4.1 percent G.D.P. growth for 2015, and tourism is booming.
Regulators Probe Marketing of Hot Private Tech Shares (WSJ)
Securities regulators have launched a broad investigation into whether hedge funds and other investors are improperly selling hot private technology stocks amid a boom in the trading of such shares, people close to the probe say...The investigation, by the Securities and Exchange Commission, is focused on a burst of new activity recently by people selling pre-IPO shares as valuations of private tech companies have exploded and companies have opted to remain private for longer.
U.S. Sided With Tax-Avoiding Companies Over Contracting Ban (Bloomberg)
The Obama administration quietly handed a victory to U.S. companies that avoid taxes by claiming a foreign address, suggesting that virtually all of them are still eligible for government contracts.
American Apparel warns may need more capital for restructuring (Reuters)
The company, which is being sued by founder and former CEO Dov Charney, said its plan aims to cut costs by about $30 million over the next 18 months by cutting jobs and closing stores.
New Hot Dog Eating Champion Crowned (HP)
Matt "Megatoad" Stonie won the 2015 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest by beating out eight-time defending champion Joey "Jaws" Chestnut in the annual event on Saturday. Stonie ate 62 franks and buns in 10 minutes, two more than Chestnut consumed in the Coney Island tradition, the New York Daily News reported. Afterward, Chestnut complained that some of the hot dogs were served cold, according to SB Nation.