24/7 Wall St.

Billions of dollars of bitcoin have been lost or deleted, according to the New York Post:

Of the more than 16.7 million bitcoins in circulation, nearly 4 million could be lost forever, according to new research from digital forensics firm Chainalysis. The research is based on a detailed empirical analysis of the blockchain — the “digital ledger” which records all bitcoin transactions, and which gives the currency its value.

The study, reported by Fortune, concluded that between 2.78 million and 3.79 million bitcoins — 17 to 23 percent of existing supply — are lost, amounting to more than $30 billion.

Concealed guns may soon be legal in all 50 states. According to Bloomberg:

The National Rifle Association has called the concealed carry bill, which would make it easier for gun owners to keep their firearms hidden when crossing state lines, its “highest legislative priority in Congress.” Despite concerns raised by Democrats about states’ rights and domestic violence, the Republican-controlled Congress has pushed the proposal one step closer to becoming law.

The House Judiciary Committee late Wednesday voted 19-11 for the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017, which would amend the federal criminal code to allow the concealed transport of handguns across state lines, so long as both states allow it. States will not be able to impose their individual requirements for a concealed carry license on armed travelers from other states.

As Matt Lauer leaves NBC, the Today Show’s $500 million revenue is at risk. According to The Wall Street Journal, in an article titled, “Lauer’s Exit Leaves NBC’s $500 Million Franchise in Crisis”:

Matt Lauer’s abrupt firing from NBC News after an accusation of inappropriate sexual behavior ends a storied tenure that made him the face of morning television, leaving the network with a huge hole to fill and its most important franchise in crisis

American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ: AAL) made a mistake that left it short of pilots. According to The Wall Street Journal:

American Airlines was scrambling on Wednesday to entice pilots to cover for a computer glitch that left the carrier short of aviators for 15,000 flights during the upcoming Christmas travel period.

Elon Musk wants to bring high-speed trains to Chicago. According to Reuters:

Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk said on Tuesday The Boring Company will compete to fund, build and operate a high-speed Loop connecting O‘Hare Airport to downtown Chicago.

Musk, the chief executive of electric car maker Tesla Inc and rocket company SpaceX, recently started the Boring Company to build transport tunnels for the system, which he says would be far faster than current high-speed trains and use electromagnetic propulsion.

The oil minister of Iraq expects OPEC production levels will stay as they are:

When asked whether OPEC’s second-largest producer was supportive of a mid-stream review in either the first or second quarter of 2018, Iraq’s Oil Minister Jabar al-Luaibi replied: “No, no. The existing declaration (will) finish at the end of March. So we extend this another nine months, so that means it will end by the end of 2018.”