Bitcoin Fund Officially Approved, France's Secretive Agency & Christie's Hot Mic

Your morning briefing, the business news you need in just 15 minutes. On today's podcast: (1) US regulators have for the first time approved exchange-traded funds that invest directly in Bitcoin. The approvals mark a rare capitulation by the SEC following opposition that lasted for more than a decade. (2) President Joe Biden's administration is backing legislation that would let it seize some of $300 billion in frozen Russian assets to help pay for reconstruction of Ukraine. (3) Barclays said the final three months of the year were challenging for its traders and investment bankers, joining rivals across Wall Street in lamenting a continued slump in revenue from dealmaking and markets. (4) Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said he is ending his long-shot 2024 campaign centered on denying onetime ally Donald Trump the Republican presidential nomination. Before his event, Christie was caught on a hot mic disparaging other GOP candidates who will be courting his supporters. (5) France's government says it wants foreign investment but some companies find their plans derailed by Sisse, the national agency with an outsized reach. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.