| | WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Senate could pave the way for Congress to override President Donald Trump's veto of a defense spending bill with a procedural vote on Wednesday, further raising tensions between the outgoing Republican president and party leaders. | | | U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Wednesday that the Senate would not move quickly to consider a bill from the House of Representatives that would raise direct coronavirus relief payments to Americans from $600 to $2,000. | | | NEW YORK (Reuters) -U.S. stocks closed higher on Wednesday, with the Dow Industrials nudging up to a record, as investors looked towards an improving economic outlook in 2021 on the back of COVID-19 vaccine rollouts and hopes for even more fiscal support. | | | NEW YORK (Reuters) -Wall Street ended the session in positive territory and the dollar dipped to its lowest in more than two years on Wednesday, the penultimate trading day in a remarkable year of pandemic, recession and recovery. | | | Mixed messages from banks and the U.S. Treasury Department have caused confusion and frustration for millions of struggling Americans waiting for the government to deposit stimulus payments into their bank accounts. | | | Solar stocks dazzled in 2020 and looked set to wrap up a year ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic with triple-digit gains amid a shift in focus to 'clean energy' as the outbreak decimated the global oil industry. | | | LONDON (Reuters) -Oil prices settled higher on Wednesday, supported by a draw in U.S. crude inventories and Britain's approval of a second coronavirus vaccine but pressured by swelling year-over-year supply. | | | Amazon.com Inc said on Wednesday it would acquire podcast startup Wondery, aiming to beef up non-musical content on its Amazon Music app. | | | (Reuters) -Department store chain J.C. Penney Co Inc said on Wednesday new owners Simon Property Group and Brookfield Asset Management Inc have begun a search for a new chief executive officer to replace Jill Soltau. | | | U.S. gasoline prices hit a nine-month peak as drivers took to the roads on holiday travel, crude oil prices kept climbing and refiners further cut fuel production due to weak margins. | | | | |