UK snap elections; India's fugitive beer baron arrested in London; French candidate wants 100% tax on rich

Profitable Moment   What's behind the UK snap elections What purpose does the forthcoming UK election serve? The ruling Conservative Party has a hefty lead in the polls (some say by as much as 20 points), so a snap election should mean they win more seats and increase the current slender majority of 17. Politically, this is known as cutting and running – calling an election at the most propitious time. Exactly the sort of behavior the introduction of a 5-year fixed term parliament was supposed to avoid.  This election will be about Brexit, but will actually have hardly any chance of overturning the referendum vote. A victory for Theresa May, with an increased majority, will certainly boost her credentials to negotiate the hard Brexit that is currently seeming more likely. The opposition parties, especially the Liberal Democrats will have a tricky task of putting forward Brexit policies, and also trying to appeal to a large number of people who want the question to be put to them again. And, oh yes…our camper van Freddie Brexit will ride again!  Get out the traveling rugs and thermos flasks…on the road again. -Richard.Quest@cnn.com  What's new... what's next   By Matt Egan, Patrick Gillespie and Julia Horowitz of CNNMoney 1. Why Big Oil wants Trump to stay in Paris deal President Trump could deal the Paris climate pact a massive blow this week by withdrawing America from the landmark agreement. But some powerful forces -- with real skin in the game -- are urging Trump not to do that. Exxon, Chevron, Shell and BP are all in favor of the U.S. staying in the Paris agreement. One reason: the deal favors natural gas over coal, which emits way more carbon. And all of these companies rely heavily on natural gas to make money.  2. H-1B visa apps decline for first time in 5 years The applications are in, and the verdict is clear: Fewer people want to come to America to work. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced Monday that the number of H-1B applications fell below 200,000 this year for the first time since 2014. There were still far more applications than there are spots -- just 85,000 H-1B visas are granted annually, and 199,000 came in. But it's still a notable drop from 2016, when the agency fielded 236,000. 3. Venezuela protests swell amid economic crisis A mega march against President Nicolas Maduro is planned for Wednesday, and the IMF didn't sugarcoat its economic outlook for Venezuela on Tuesday. It forecasts unemployment shooting up to 25% this year in Venezuela, while inflation skyrockets 720%. And the economy is just the start of it. Political infighting and a humanitarian crisis centered around food shortages have pushed the country closer to a boiling point.  4. Will France go for a 100% tax on the rich? Jean-Luc Melenchon, the surging dark horse candidate in France's presidential election, is going after the rich. Melenchon, who has been endorsed by the French Communist Party, wants to introduce a 100% tax on income above 400,000 euros ($425,000). Such a tax would effectively cap earnings at that level. France already has some of the world's highest income tax rates. Previous attempts to put them higher have failed...until now? 5. Quick Takes: India's fugitive beer baron Vijay Mallya is arrested in London  It's Australia first: Government overhauls its work visa program  IMF warns world leaders against erecting trade barriers  Free and fair: Pence wants U.S. trade with South Korea to change Trump's travel policies are discouraging tourists  Google Earth has a mobile friendly tracker  Steve Ballmer launches U.S. government spending tracker  6. What's next: 'Banking' on earnings: Another flurry of financial companies are hitting the earnings stage on Wednesday morning, led by Morgan Stanley. Look to see if the Wall Street bank reveals more of the trading weakness that Goldman Sachs displayed today. BlackRock, TD Ameritrade and regional powerhouse US Bancorp are also set to post results before the opening bell. AmEx offers glimpse into spending: Later on Wednesday, American Express is expected to release earnings. The card giant could provide clues into whether the rise in consumer confidence after the election has translated to more aggressive spending by American shoppers. Other after-the-bell results on tap include ones from eBay, Qualcomm and railroad giant CSX. Make this newsletter better. Please send us your feedback to CNNMoneyfeedback@turner.com Share Tweet Forward Sign up for CNN Money's morning markets newsletter: Before the Bell Sign up for CNN Money's closing markets newsletter: Markets Now Copyright © 2017 Cable News Network, LP, LLLP. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved., All rights reserved. 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