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On today's podcast:
(1) US strikes on targets in Iraq and fresh attacks by Houthi militants on shipping in the Red Sea provided the latest warning signs that the war in Gaza risks expanding into a wider conflict destabilizing the Middle East.
(2) Wall Street kicked off the final week of 2023 with gains in stocks, extending a rally that put the market on the brink of a record.
(3) Elon Musk once scoffed at the notion that BYD could compete with Tesla. Now, the automaker run by billionaire Wang Chuanfu is poised to be the new No. 1 in electric vehicles.
(4) Apple, seeking to defend a business that generates roughly $17 billion a year, is appealing a US sales ban of its smartwatches after the White House refused to overturn the measure.