Your morning briefing, the business news you need in just 15 minutes.

On today's podcast:
(1) United Airlines says it found loose bolts in multiple Boeing 737 Max jets and Alaska Air indicated some loose hardware was visible on its fleet during checks following the latter's midair blowout.

(2) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Houthi militants in Yemen must know they'll face "consequences" for continued attacks on ships in the Red Sea, even as a top regional leader warned against military action by a US-led coalition.

(3) Barclays says its global headcount dropped by about 6% over 2023, the most visible sign yet of the bank's cost-cutting push.

(4) The UK Treasury is facing a hit of more than £10 billion per year as higher interest rates push up the cost of financing student loans, meaning the taxpayer will now take a loss even on debt that is fully repaid, new analysis shows.

(5) The crucial Christmas shopping period was weaker than expected in the UK as consumers burdened by higher inflation carefully watched their spend.