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Third in line for the presidency, longest-serving Republican in Senate history, an icon for conservatives, and the Washington embodiment of his home state. Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah is all these things and, with his party in control of Congress and the White House, at the peak of his power. But one week after a local newspaper called on him to retire, and despite the president's urging him not to, Hatch announced he intends to do just that. 

The Criminal Underworld Dumps Bitcoin for Monero. Bitcoin is losing its luster with some of its earliest and eager fans: crooks. They're moving on to monero. Such privacy coins have climbed faster over the past two months as law enforcement adopts software tools to monitor people using bitcoin. The European Union's law-enforcement agency, Europol, raised alarms three months ago, writing in a report that “other cryptocurrencies such as monero, ethereum and Zcash are gaining popularity within the digital underground.”

Romney gets his renaissance. With historic tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy under his belt, conservative stalwart Orrin Hatch is hanging up his gloves. Or should we say mitts? The decision by the 83-year-old Republican may open the way to a Senate bid by Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and two-time GOP presidential contender. Romney, 70, lives in Utah and has been making the rounds at political events. He is viewed as a Republican elder statesman who could challenge President Donald Trump, whom he has called a “fraud.”

Whole Foods, apparently, was just the beginning for Jeff Bezos. The Amazon.com CEO's envelopment of the retail landscape may soon subsume Target Corp., Loup Venture co-founder Gene Munster wrote in a report highlighting eight predictions for the technology industry in 2018. He cited a shared demographic and a “manageable but comprehensive store count.” Market-share numbers suggest a deal would be approved by regulators, he added.

And you thought 2017 was interesting. This year could see a geopolitical crisis on the scale of the financial crash a decade ago, the folks at Eurasia Group warned in their annual outlook. Describing global political challenges as “daunting,” the New York-based political risk consultancy said that if they had to pick one year for a big unexpected crisis, this would be it. China battling the U.S. for global dominance, North Korean missiles, tensions in the Middle East, Russia, hacking, and midterm elections. What could go wrong?

Oh, and don't forget a possible government shutdown. Unresolved issues from 2017 are poised to surface soon, giving Trump the opportunity to confront Washington's establishment in a way he's repeatedly promised. The president wants a Mexican border wall, Democrats want protection for young undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children, and Republicans, with only the tax bill to point to as a major accomplishment, need to deliver on promises to rein in the federal government to avoid a possible electoral wipeout come November.

Weight Watchers jumps after DJ Khaled joins Oprah as endorser. It's a new year, so there's a new celebrity endorser. The company has enlisted DJ Khaled as a “social-media ambassador,” and Wall Street seems to approve. The music producer, who has almost 4 million followers on Twitter, said he was “down 20 pounds and ready for more” using the hashtag “WWFreestyle.” So you wanted an excuse not to go to the gym tonight? You're welcome.

Earth Lights Up the Skies With New Year's Fireworks. Since it's possible you kept a low profile yesterday, and maybe even still have a hangover, here are some lovely pictures to brighten your day. Every year the competition to blow things up in awe-inspiring fashion manifests itself over cities across the globe. This is what you missed while you were getting another glass of Champagne.

To contact the author of this story: David Rovella in New York at drovella@bloomberg.net.

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