| U.S. stock futures dropped in early trading, after Wall Street closed lower Tuesday, reversing gains earlier in the session. Three more Dow stocksrelease earnings this morning: Boeing (BA), Coca-Cola (KO), and McDonald's(MCD). (CNBC) |
| Yahoo (YHOO) late Tuesday reported earnings and revenue that were below expectations. Separately, Yahoo said it's hired advisors to consider options for its $9 billion stake in Yahoo Japan . (CNBC & Reuters) |
| Google (GOOG) is set to launch a new wireless service as soon as today that allows customers to pay only for the data they use. Sprint (S) and T-Mobile(TMUS) have agreed to carry the traffic on their networks. (WSJ) |
| Japan's Nikkei stock index closed above the psychologically-important 20,000 level today for the first time since April 2000. Financials were among the investor favorites. (CNBC) |
| The high-frequency futures trader accused of contributing to the U.S. stock market "flash crash" in May 2010 is due to attend an extradition hearing at a London court this morning. (CNBC) |
| The European Union today accused Russian energy giant Gazprom of raising barriers to competition in the gas markets of central and Eastern Europe, in a move that risks deepening a rift with Moscow. (WSJ-subscription) |
| The Justice Department is set to meet with Comcast (CMCSA) today about the media giant's proposed acquisition of Time Warner Cable (TWC). Comcast owns CNBC and NBCUniversal. (NY Times) |
| Meanwhile, NBCUniversal and Fox have joined Disney's ESPN in protesting against Verizon 's (VZ) move to allow customers to pay less for a smaller, customized package of TV channels. (LA Times) |
| A Senate panel is poised today to advance one of President Barack Obama's top trade initiatives despite strong opposition from labor unions and other left-leaning groups. (AP) |
 The House Ways and Means Committee is holding a hearing this afternoon on trade, but the panel's Republican chairman, Rep. Paul Ryan from Wisconsin, joins CNBC's "Squawk Box" first at 8:30 a.m. ET. |
