Bloomberg - Evening Briefing - What if Russia wins?

An impasse over aid from the US and Europe has Ukraine’s allies contemplating something they’ve refused to imagine since the earliest days of Russia’s invasion: that Vladimir Putin may win. With more than $110 billion in assistance mired in political disputes in Washington and Brussels, how long Kyiv will be able to hold back Russian forces and defend Ukraine’s cities, power plants and ports against missile attacks is increasingly in question. And the longer term threat posed to NATO nations by a Kremlin victory is stark.

Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv on Tuesday, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy denied that Ukraine is starting to lose the war, pointing to advances his forces have made and the support he’s received. But in the US, with Republicans blocking $61 billion of support for next year, the Pentagon is warning that money for weapons for Ukraine will run out by Dec. 30. President Joe Biden, long a stalwart in his support for an embattled country which has seen tens of thousands of its people killed by Russian soldiers, mercenaries and convicts, last week pledged to back Ukraine for “as long as we can.” It used to be “as long as it takes.” —David E. Rovella 

All the recent good economic and market news isn’t helping when it comes to Wall Street bonuses. At JPMorgan, the overall pool for its legions of traders will be close to flat compared with 2022. That’s similar to Citigroup—in the midst of a huge restructuring with an untold number of firings in the works—where the pool will likely be little changed if not slightly down.

Masimo Corp. Chief Executive Officer Joe Kiani, head of the medical device maker that’s put Apple’s smartwatch on the brink of a US ban, said he’d be open to settling with the company. But Kiani declined to say how much money he’d want. The International Trade Commission ruled earlier this year that the Apple Watch violates two Masimo patents related to blood-oxygen sensing, imposing an import ban on the Ultra 2 and Series 9 watch models that goes into effect Dec. 25. Apple meanwhile is working on a software update for the Apple Watch that it believes will resolve the ITC dispute, Bloomberg News previously reported.

Ardith Lindsey’s lawsuit accusing Citigroup of tolerating years of sexual harassment and assault against her struck a chord across Wall Street for many reasons, not least of which was her title: managing director. It’s typically the most senior rank in finance apart from those in executive management positions, one that comes with enhanced compensation and, presumably, power. Women at that level are often touted by banks as examples of how gender is no bar to advancement. But Lindsey, 40, says seniority didn’t protect her, nor did the elevation of another woman, Jane Fraser, to be Citigroup’s chief executive.

Ardith Lindsey Source: Sarah Blesener/Bloomberg

Retro Biosciences, a startup with $180 million from OpenAI’s Sam Altman, has a simple and audacious goal: Add 10 good years to your life. And until now, we haven’t had a glimpse of its best ideas. But now the most secretive longevity lab is finally opening its doors.

Israel’s war with Hamas, in which it has killed at least 19,000 Palestinians since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 Israelis, may soon become a true regional conflict, one that directly involves a key supplier of Israeli armaments and financial support. America and its allies are considering possible military strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen. Planning is underway for actions intended to cripple the group’s ability to target commercial ships—which it says it’s doing in retaliation for Israeli attacks on Gaza. The Pentagon is said to be preparing to offer Biden the possibility of what was described as a “heavy” response.

The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, right, on Oct. 11. The ship and its support group were sent to the Middle East region shortly after the Israel-Hamas war began. Photographer: Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Adkins/US Navy

Americans may dream about being able to go off the clock when they reach retirement age, but a good number simply can’t or won’t. We compiled data on the occupations with the highest share of workers older than 65, going back seven decades. The data can’t fully tell us why people in some professions keep at it longer than others. But many workers are likely struggling to put aside money for retirement.

Hackers claimed to have leaked over 1.3 million files from Sony division Insomniac Games, maker of the Marvel’s Spider-Man series. The enormous leak includes game road maps, budgets and detailed information about Insomniac’s upcoming Wolverine game, which a document says is slated for 2026. 

• Hamas's makeshift drones are outsmarting Israel’s high-tech military.
• FedEx profit falls below expectations on drop in air and truck cargo. 
• Bloomberg Opinion: Trump is about to hear a big fraud verdict.
• Nikki Haley aims for second place with far-right group’s $70 million.
• Iceland volcano explosion threatens power plant and famous spa.
• The world’s best and worst airports for 2023 might surprise you.
• It looks like everyone is moving to Canada after all.

Battle lines are hardening in Switzerland between an aging billionaire heir to Europe’s biggest family fortune and his own charitable foundation. Nicolas Puech, a reclusive fifth-generation descendant of the founder of French luxury giant Hermes International, wants to cancel his inheritance contract with his Isocrates Foundation. The organization meanwhile is publicly contesting the plan to sever ties. The move comes after Puech, 80, was reported to have begun the process of adopting his middle-aged gardener to whom he would bequeath at least some of his fortune.

Photographer: Sameer al-Doumy/AFP

Get the Bloomberg Evening Briefing: If you were forwarded this newsletter, sign up here to receive Bloomberg’s flagship briefing in your mailbox daily—along with our Weekend Reading edition on Saturdays.