World/National Archives - Page 22 of 75

How the stock market defied expectations again this year, by the numbers

NEW YORK (AP) — What a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors. U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. The benchmark index posted its first back-to-back annual gains of more than 20% since 1998. The year featured many familiar winners, such as Big Tech, which got even bigger as their stock prices kept growing. But it wasn’t just Apple, Nvidia and the like. Bitcoin and gold surged and “Roaring Kitty” reappeared to briefly reignite the meme stock craze.… Continue Reading

Holiday shoppers increased spending by 3.8% despite higher prices

New data shows holiday sales rose this year even as Americans wrestled with still high prices in many grocery necessities and other financial worries. According to Mastercard SpendingPulse, holiday sales from the beginning of November through Christmas Eve climbed 3.8%, a faster pace than the 3.1% increase from a year earlier. The measure tracks all kinds of payments including cash and debit cards. This year, retailers were even more under the gun to get shoppers in to buy early and in bulk since there were five fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Mastercard SpendingPulse says the last five days of the season accounted for 10% of the spending. Sales of clothing, electronics and Jewelry rose.… Continue Reading

Trial of man accused in Trump assassination attempt in Florida pushed back to September

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A man accused of attempting to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump in South Florida won’t be tried until September 2025. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon said in an order released on Monday that Ryan Routh’s trial will begin Sept. 8 instead of the previously scheduled Feb. 10 start date. Routh has pleaded not guilty. Routh’s attorneys had asked the judge to delay the trial until next December, saying they needed more time to review the evidence against him and decide whether to mount an insanity defense. Routh’s charge of attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate carries a potential life sentence in the event of a conviction.… Continue Reading

Azerbaijani airliner with 67 people onboard crashes in Kazakhstan leaving 32 survivors

Officials say an Azerbaijani airliner with 67 people onboard crashed Wednesday near the Kazakhstani city of Aktau, leaving at least 32 survivors. More than 30 people may be dead. 4 bodies have been recovered. A total of 29 survivors, including two children, have been hospitalized. The plane was en route from the Azerbaijani capital of Baku to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus. Russian news agency, RIA Novosti, quoted Russia’s civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, as saying that preliminary information showed that the pilot had chosen to divert to Aktau after a bird strike on the aircraft led to “an emergency situation on board”. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has declared Dec. 26 a day of mourning in his country.… Continue Reading

Biden signs a bill officially making the bald eagle the national bird of the US

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has made it official: The bald eagle is now the national bird of the United States. Biden signed a bill into law on Tuesday to correct what had long gone unnoticed and designate the bald eagle as the national bird. The bald eagle has been a symbol of the United States for more than 240 years, appearing on the nation’s Great Seal since the design was finalized in 1782. That year, Congress also designated the bald eagle as the national emblem. But the honor of becoming the national bird had remained elusive until now.… Continue Reading

Stock market today: Wall Street rises at the start of a holiday-shortened week

Stocks closed higher on Wall Street at the start of a holiday-shortened week. The S&P 500 rose 0.7% Monday. Several big technology companies helped support the gains, including chip companies Nvidia and Broadcom. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 1%. Honda’s U.S.-listed shares rose sharply after the company said it was in talks about a combination with Nissan in a deal that could also include Mitsubishi Motors. Eli Lilly rose after announcing that regulators approved Zepbound as the first prescription medicine for adults with sleep apnea. Treasury yields rose in the bond market.… Continue Reading

Victims and families react as Biden spares the lives of 37 federal death row inmates

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (AP) — Victims’ families and others affected by crimes that resulted in federal death row convictions are sharing a range of emotions, from relief to anger, after President Joe Biden commuted dozens of the sentences. Biden announced Monday he would convert the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The inmates include people who were convicted in slayings of police, military officers and federal prisoners and guards. Others were involved in deadly robberies and drug deals. Three inmates will remain on federal death row. Opponents of the death penalty lauded Biden for a decision they’d long sought. Supporters of Donald Trump, a vocal advocate of expanding capital punishment, criticized the move as an assault to common decency.… Continue Reading

House Ethics Committee accuses Gaetz of ‘regularly’ paying for sex, including with 17-year-old girl

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Ethics Committee has accused Matt Gaetz of “regularly” paying for sex, including with a 17-year-old girl, and purchasing and using illicit drugs all while the Florida Republican was a member of Congress. The 37-page report by the bipartisan panel includes explicit details of sex-filled parties and vacations that Gaetz took part in while representing Florida’s western panhandle. The findings conclude that he violated multiple state laws related to sexual misconduct while in office. Gaetz has denied all wrongdoing and filed a lawsuit Monday trying to block the report’s release.… Continue Reading

Luigi Mangione pleads not guilty to murder and weapons charges in UnitedHealthcare CEO’s death

NEW YORK (AP) — The man accused of fatally shooting the CEO of UnitedHealthcare has pleaded not guilty to murder and terror charges in a state case that will run parallel to his federal prosecution. The Manhattan district attorney formally charged Luigi Mangione last week with multiple counts of murder, including murder as an act of terrorism. Mangione’s attorney complained during a brief hearing Monday that statements coming from New York’s mayor would make it tough for him to receive a fair trial. Mangione was shackled and seated in a Manhattan court when he leaned over to a microphone to enter his not guilty plea.… Continue Reading

Two US Navy pilots shot down over Red Sea in apparent ‘friendly fire’ incident, US military says

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military says two U.S. Navy pilots have been shot down over the Red Sea in an apparent “friendly fire” incident. Both pilots were recovered alive, with one suffering minor injuries in the incident on Sunday. The incident came as the U.S. military conducted airstrikes targeting Yemen’s Houthi rebels, though the U.S. military’s Central Command did not elaborate on what their mission was at the time. “The guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, which is part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, mistakenly fired on and hit the F/A-18, which was flying off the USS Harry S. Truman,” Central Command said in a statement.… Continue Reading