Opening Bell: 1.22.16

Soros Says Trump Is ‘Doing the Work of ISIS’ by Creating Fear (Bloomberg)
“Donald Trump is doing the work of ISIS,” Soros said Thursday in an interview with Bloomberg’s Francine Lacqua at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Trump and others like him want “people to turn against Muslims, treat them with suspicion, and convince the Muslim community that there is no alternative -- except terrorism. It turns the young Muslim community into a breeding ground for terrorists.”

Cuomo nominates ex-aide to keep big banks in line (NYP)
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has nominated Maria T. Vullo, a former aide and a lawyer at white shoe law firm Paul Weiss, to be superintendent of the state’s Department of Financial Services after a seven-month search. Her appointment, which needs to be confirmed by the state Senate, would fill a regulatory vacancy created when Ben Lawsky stepped down in June. Lawsky was also a former Cuomo aide when he was picked to become the state’s top financial regulator at the newly created DFS in 2011.

Rise in U.S. jobless claims spurs labor market worries (Reuters)
"The picture does not look great. Unemployment claims need to come back down in a hurry to make us sure that the jobs market has not lost its edge," said Chris Rupkey, chief economist at MUFG Union Bank.

Bring the Party Home—to Your Own Private Nightclub (WSJ)
Ms. Farrow and her husband Ian Hogarth, director and architect at Hogarth Architects respectively, built what they call “the disco” in the basement of the 2,800-square-foot house they built in Kensington/Chelsea four years ago. Ms. Farrow is unsure how much of the $1.73 million the family invested in the home went into the disco. The 150-square-foot space satisfied the dreams of several family members, said Ms. Farrow, 46. She, who loves to dance, got a $8,600 video dance floor that displays “ridiculous hallucinogenic images.” The couple’s 20-year-old son Gil, a budding music industry manager, got the D.J. booth he craved.

Having casual sex in NYC just got easier (NYP)
Remember the much-hyped but truly disappointing winter storm Juno that shut down the city for two days last January? Popular dating app Hinge had a 47 percent spike in activity across the East Coast during the two days of snowfall. The average user logged on five times each day — two times more than usual — as the storm pounded cities like Boston and merely dusted NYC...And this weekend is already shaping up to be another perfect swiping storm. Emily, 25, who does marketing for a media company and asked that her last name be withheld for professional reasons, says she’s already seen pickup lines from guys looking for someone to “cuddle with.” “Everyone’s going to flock to the dating apps this weekend,” she says. “I’ll definitely look and see who’s on there.” If she found a good match, she’d venture out — if they’ll rendezvous near her East Village apartment. “If they’re willing to be in the neighborhood or somewhere close to my apartment, definitely,” she says. “It’s all about convenience.”

Kevin Spacey an Unusual Davos Suspect (Dealbook)
Officially, Mr. Spacey is here for a session on Friday to discuss playing the Machiavellian Mr. Underwood and the drama unfolding in the race for the United States presidency. But the actor has instead become quite the man about town. There he was at an intimate reception hosted on Wednesday by the Alibaba Group, the Chinese e-commerce titan, breaking bread with Leonardo DiCaprio and Bono. Soon after, he popped up at the famed piano bar at the Hotel Europe, the longtime redoubt of the Davos night life crowd. Invited as a guest of a party thrown by the investment firm Skybridge Capital, Mr. Spacey commanded the crowd’s attention around 11 p.m.

How a Further Fall in China's Yuan Could Shake the World (Bloomberg)
In itself, a significant move in the yuan against the dollar, if not accompanied by a growth shock in China or higher financial stress globally, would have only a minor impact on world growth and inflation. But if other exchange rates respond to yuan weakness, as they did recently, the effect suddenly becomes more substantial and differentiated.

Reports of bitcoin's death have been greatly exaggerated (CNBC)
Daily transactions, number of users, merchant acceptances and venture capital investments have also all hit record highs since the block size debate began, according to Silbert. And while financial professionals outside of the bitcoin community have noticed recent news reports about its supposed failure, he said, those potential investors "are becoming a bit numb to both positive and negative headlines" — a potential sign of maturity in the space.

Miami woman throws fit when Uber driver refuses to give her a lift (NYDN)
A Miami woman threw a temper tantrum on an Uber driver on who refused to give her a ride after she allegedly attempted to take the fare from someone else, according to a video of the incident that has gone viral. The driver and the apparently drunk woman argued about whether the driver would cancel the trip for the people who hailed him through the Uber app and give the woman a lift instead, according to the person who initially called the cab and who uploaded the video of the attack. “You don’t know who the f--k you’re messing with right now,” the unidentified woman yells into the driver’s face during an argument outside the Mary Brickell Village shopping center in Miami, Fla., on a recent Sunday, according to the witness...When the driver refused, the woman kicked, screamed and starting throwing the cab driver’s possessions out the car window onto the street...The whole incident ends when the girl gives up and walks away. “I guess that’s it! Good night," she says to onlookers before she walks off.