MARKET RECAP → The S&P 500 (VOO) closed at a fresh high Monday as markets shrugged off the risk of the Federal Reserve’s independence from political influence.

⚖️ POWELL INVESTIGATION SPLITS GOP → A criminal investigation into Fed Chair Powell has drawn rare Republican opposition in Congress, with several GOP lawmakers warning that it undermines Federal Reserve independence and threatening to block future nominees until the matter is settled.

🍎 APPLE EYES GEMINI ASSIST → Apple (AAPL) considers bringing Google’s (GOOG) Gemini into Siri to speed up AI gains, signaling a pragmatic shift as the assistant wars intensify.

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For the week beginning January 12, 2026

⚖️ Criminal probe into Powell ignites rare backlash: The Justice Department’s investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell — centered on his congressional testimony and the renovation of the Fed’s headquarters — has triggered significant pushback from lawmakers. Even some Republicans are warning that the probe threatens the independence of the central bank, a principle long upheld to keep monetary policy insulated from political pressure.

🏛️ GOP leaders push back and threaten resistance: Key Republican figures, including Sen. Thom Tillis and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, criticized the investigation and pledged to oppose future Federal Reserve nominations until the legal matter is resolved, arguing that it could undermine both the Fed’s and the Justice Department’s credibility. Other Republican lawmakers have echoed concerns that the inquiry represents coercion rather than legitimate oversight.

📊 Political stakes and market unease: Powell’s public statements — framing the probe as pressure over interest-rate decisions — have amplified tensions between the Federal Reserve and the Trump administration. Critics across the aisle, including Democrats like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, have also condemned the investigation as an encroachment on the Fed’s independence. The dispute adds political uncertainty to economic policy at a time when markets are sensitive to central bank credibility.

🤖 Apple weighs Google’s Gemini for Siri: Apple (AAPL) is reportedly exploring a deeper integration of Google’s (GOOG) Gemini AI into Siri, signaling openness to outside models to accelerate its AI roadmap. The move underscores urgency: Apple wants best-in-class generative capabilities now, not after years of in-house catch-up.

🔁 Pragmatism over purity: Tapping Gemini doesn’t mean Apple is abandoning its own AI ambitions; it’s a hedge. By blending third-party models with Apple’s on-device strengths and privacy controls, Cupertino can ship smarter features faster while continuing to build its proprietary stack behind the scenes.

⚔️ Big implications for the AI arms race: A Gemini-powered Siri would mark a rare détente between rivals and reshape competitive dynamics across assistants. For investors, it highlights a broader trend: platform owners will mix-and-match AI models to win users, making distribution and integration as important as raw model quality.

Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Citigroup, Abercrombie, Vistra, Duolingo and more (CNBC)

‘Sell America’ trade: Dollar drops, gold surges as Trump’s Fed pressure campaign raises fears about U.S. system (CNBC)

The Apple-Google AI deal is a massive win for investors in both tech giants (CNBC)

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