Well over 100 million Americans are expected to tune into Super Bowl LIII on Sunday night, but amid the fun is a dark side that often accompanies major live sporting events: a local surge in sex trafficking. For U.S. Bank, having 2018’s Super Bowl LII at the U.S. Bank Stadium represented an opportunity to put its financial intelligence and anti-money laundering capabilities to work in helping law enforcement tackle the sex trafficking surge. (ABA Banking Journal)

It may sound funny for someone with a bank that’s been in operation for more than 100 years to be singing the praises of bank startups—stranger still for any banker to call for more competition. But new banks and the entrepreneurial spirit they bring to the industry are a sign that the future of banking is bright, so we should all want to see more of them. (ABA Banking Journal)

Core banking is taking to the cloud. Finxact, developed by fintech industry veteran Frank Sanchez, has announced $30 million in equity financing from some stellar sources, including ABA, Accenture Ventures, SunTrust Bank, and Finxact’s existing investors, including Live Oak Ventures, First Data, Woodforest National Bank, and T.N. Incorporation Ltd (TNI) of Thailand. (Forbes)

The economy added 304,000 jobs in January, the 100th consecutive month of payroll gains. Unemployment ticked up to 4 percent, possibly a shutdown-related anomaly. (New York Times)

The House Financial Services Committee hasannounced subcommittee chairmen and ranking members for the 116th Congress. (ABA Banking Journal)

In an interview with Stuart Varney on Fox Business this week, ABA President and CEO Rob Nichols said he’s optimistic about finding opportunities for bipartisan cooperation among members of the Democrat-controlled House Financial Services Committee. (ABA Banking Journal)

Housing finance reform will be among the priority issues the Senate Banking Committee will focus on during the 116th Congress, Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) announced. He noted that the committee will assess several reform proposals “to determine how we can fix the flawed system, establish appropriate levels of taxpayer protection, preserve the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, increase competition among mortgage guarantors and promote access to affordable housing.” (ABA Banking Journal)

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) outlined the approach to data privacy and data security legislation he will continue to pursue during the 116th Congress. Of paramount importance will be ensuring “proper safeguards are in place and consumers are informed” of how their data is being used. (ABA Banking Journal)

House Financial Services Committee Ranking Member Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) has written to Chairman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) urging her to hold hearings on a number of critical financial services issues, including several ABA priorities. (ABA Banking Journal)