Venezuela seizes GM plant; Why Exxon wants back into Russia; China turns up the heat on Apple

Profitable Moment   It's like fried chicken with mac & cheese I was planning to have a light lunch today; perhaps a small tuna salad. Then I went to the CNN cafeteria and discovered…fried chicken and mac & cheese. You can guess the rest of this story. No light lunch for Quest. Why do I tell you this? Because I can't make sense of the market. Two days of triple-digit losses, followed by a rise today of more than 200 points. It's earning season and CEOs are saying the future remains uncertain -- health care, tax reform, trade talks -- all lack direction. IMF Chief Christine Lagarde warned that protectionism eventually comes back to bite the country that promoted it. Yet the market trades up hoping economic promises will be kept by the administration. At the NYSE, where I was this morning to host Quest Express...traders told me the oldest line in the book: the market is going up, because it's not going down.  In such confusion how can any man (or woman) resist fried chicken with mac & cheese.  Bon appetit. -Richard.Quest@cnn.com  What's new... what's next   By Matt Egan, Patrick Gillespie, Julia Horowitz and Paul R. La Monica of CNNMoney 1. Venezuela seizes GM plant Venezuelan authorities seized GM's main plant in the country Wednesday, prompting the company to shut down its operations there indefinitely. GM is just the latest international corporation caught in a crisis in Venezuela, where deadly protests this week have raged across the country this week amidst political turmoil and an economic crisis.   2. Why ExxonMobil wants back into Russia No big US oil company stands to win from the lifting of sanctions on Russia more than Exxon. But Exxon isn't waiting for that to happen. The oil giant has reportedly asked the US for permission to bypass sanctions. A waiver would allow Exxon to resume a stalled joint venture in Russia's Arctic with state-owned oil giant Rosneft. The project has been called a "crowning achievement" of Rex Tillerson, former Exxon boss and current Secretary of State. 3. Chinese regulators turn up the heat on Apple China plans to summon the U.S. tech giant over concerns it needs to "tighten up checks" on apps available in the App Store, according to state news agency Xinhua. The big issue at play? Live streaming. New regulations went into effect late last year that prohibit user from live streaming content that could "endanger national security and undermine social stability." It's the latest example of Chinese authorities interfering with what content Apple offers in the country. 4. No goal! Soccer ball 'gift' costs CEO his job Klaus Kleinfeld is no longer CEO of Arconic, a spin-off of aluminum giant Alcoa, after he sent Paul Singer, the head of hedge fund Elliott Management, a snarky letter -- and soccer ball. Kleinfeld made references to reports Singer was seen singing in a fountain at the World Cup in Berlin in 2006. "Quite a few people who accompanied you...are still full of colorful memories about this obviously remarkable time," Kleinfeld wrote. Singer wasn't amused. Neither was Arconic. 5. Quick Takes: Trump wants to buy American and hire American. But what about training? American steel stocks soar after Trump launches investigation into dumping Wells Fargo refuses to dig back to 2002, despite evidence Emirates boss on United: I would have quit over passenger 'disgrace' Bill Gates tells the U.K. to keep spending its money on foreign aid Who stands to lose if the U.S. hits Iran with more sanctions 6. What's next: Listen to this iconic American company: General Electric will be in focus on Friday morning when the storied conglomerate posts results. Look to see whether GE CEO Jeff Immelt has grown frustrated with the pace of tax reform in Washington. GE could also weigh in on recent reports that it's planning to sell a business that once defined the company: its lightbulb division. Another batch of earnings: Quarterly numbers are also on tap before Friday's opening bell from GE rival Honeywell, Schlumberger and railroader Kansas City Southern. Later, Baker Hughes is scheduled to release its closely-watched weekly rig count report that could show further evidence of increased drilling activity from American oil companies. 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. You're receiving this newsletter because you opted in at cnn.com or cnnmoney.com. Our mailing address is: Cable News Network, LP, LLLP. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. One CNN Center Atlanta, GA 30303 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences