MONDAY, JAN. 20, 2020  |  IN THIS ISSUE 
With a new Phase One trade deal with China in hand and congressional approval of the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the Trump administration is promising big things for the economic year ahead - but U.S. farmers and manufacturers remain skeptical, the Quad-City Times reports. Many analysts note that tariffs will remain in place on many Chinese goods, including parts, components and supplies used by U.S. manufacturers, while Chinese Vice Premier Liu He suggested that China's promised $32 billion in ag purchases would be driven by "market demand," meaning the country may not live up to its commitments, the Des Moines Register notes. That particular quote sent the price of soybeans - the top U.S. farm product shipped to China before the trade war began - to a one-month low on Friday, Reuters reports.
 
Boeing hit another roadblock in getting its 737 Max back in the air Friday, when it acknowledged a new software issue discovered during a recent technical review at a Collins Aerospace facility in Cedar Rapids. The issue reportedly relates to a monitoring function that verifies key systems on the 737 are operating correctly, and marks the second time regulators have asked Boeing for additional work to be completed on the software, ABC News reports.
 
The needed revisions may now push the plane's approval by U.S. regulators to April, according to Reuters. The company still needs to finish the software package, conduct demonstration flights and bring in airline pilots for testing before the plane can be approved, the AP reports. Boeing has already taken a $5.6 billion charge because of the grounded planes, and disclosed billions more in higher production costs.
 
Revenues from Iowa's 19 casinos dropped in the fiscal year that ended June 30, the Des Moines Business Record reports, but the arrival of sports betting is likely to turn that number around next year. A new report shows the state took in $324.2 million in gaming revenues in fiscal 2019, $1.6 million less than the previous year, mainly from a drop in wagering fees.
 
That said, sports wagering licensing fees offered a new opportunity for state revenue, with casinos paying $700,000 alone last year. Iowa sports bettors are also expected to juice next year's numbers. While action at the state's sportsbooks slowed in November and December, bettors still laid down nearly $60 million in person and online last month, according to iGaming Business, resulting in revenues of $2.9 million for casinos.

Big Tech found went back under the microscope Friday, as a handful of smaller rivals testified before the House antitrust committee about the ways Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google have stacked the deck in their favor. The New York Times reports that executives from Sonos, PopSockets, Basecamp and Tile b ecame some of the first companies to publicly speak out against Big Tech's dominance in search, advertising and mobile, joining dozens of companies that have spoken to the antitrust committee confidentially.

Sonos said that Google copied its patented technology, while PopSockets reported being "bullied" into sales agreements with Amazon, Reuters reports. "It's like playing a soccer game," said Kirsten Daru, the vice president and general counsel of Tile. "You might be the best team in the league, but you're playing against a team that owns the field, the ball, the stadium and the entire league, and they can change the rules of the game in their own favor and anytime."
Story6Amazon looks to cut the plastic from your payments
 
Could your next credit card be your hand? The Wall Street Journal reports that Amazon is now partnering with Visa to test new payment terminals that allow users to link their debit cards to their palms, eliminating the need to pull out a wallet or a phone. The idea is to place the terminals in coffee shops, fast-food restaurants and other high-traffic locations where speed is of the essence and customers make many repeat trips - although the Seattle retail giant still has a lot of work to do regarding concerns over fraud and the amount of personal information the company will receive, CNBC notes. Geekwire reports that the new system could process a transaction in as fast as 300 milliseconds, versus 3-4 seconds for a traditional card transaction. Amazon reps declined to comment.
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CommuteYour Morning Commute
Roads are generally seasonal in the Corridor this morning, but give yourself plenty of time as there will still be slick patches. See the DOT's interactive road conditions map here. 
 
Links as of 7 a.m.