Stocks drifted higher on Wall Street in midday trading Thursday, as gains in tech companies and retailers helped boost the market. The S&P 500 rose less than 0.1%. The benchmark index is coming off a three-day winning streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 19 points, or 0.1%, as of 12:32 p.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq composite was up less than 0.1%. Trading volume was lighter than usual as U.S. markets reopened after the Christmas holiday. Chip company Broadcom rose 2.9%, Intel was up 0.7% and Apple gained 0.4%. While tech stocks overall were in the green, some heavyweights were a drag on the market. Semiconductor giant Nvidia, whose enormous valuation gives it an outsize influence on indexes, slipped 0.2%. Meta Platforms fell 0.9%, Amazon was down 0.5%, and Netflix gave up 1.4%. Health care stocks also helped lift the market. CVS Health rose 1.9% and Walgreens Boots Alliance rose 3.3% for the biggest gain among S&P 500 stocks. Several retailers also gained ground. Target rose 2.9%, Best Buy was up 2.1% and Dollar Tree gained 2.2%. U.S.-listed shares in Honda and Nissan rose 4.1% and 15.8%, respectively. The Japanese automakers announced earlier this week that the two companies are in talks to combine. Traders got a labor market update. U.S. applications for unemployment benefits held steady last week , though continuing claims rose to the highest level in three years, the Labor Department reported. Treasury yields rose in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.61% from 4.59% late Tuesday. Major European markets were closed, as well as Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia. Trading was expected to be subdued this week with a thin slate of economic data on the calendar. Still, U.S. markets have historically gotten a boost at year’s end despite lower trading volumes. The last five trading days of each year, plus the first two in the new year, have brought an average gain of 1.3% since 1950. So far this month, the U.S. stock market has lost some of its gains since President-elect Donald Trump’s win on Election Day, which raised hopes for faster economic growth and more lax regulations that would boost corporate profits. Worries have risen that Trump’s preference for tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation , a bigger U.S. government debt and difficulties for global trade. Even so, the U.S. market remains on pace to deliver strong returns for 2024. The benchmark S&P 500 is up roughly 26% so far this year and remains near its most recent all-time high it set earlier this month — its latest of 57 record highs this year. Wall Street has several economic reports to look forward to next week, including updates on pending home sales and home prices, a report on U.S. construction spending and snapshots of manufacturing activity. AP Business Writers Elaine Kurtenbach and Matt Ott contributed.Why eggs have gotten so expensive
Photo taken on May 19, 2021 shows the Luban workshop plaque at Machakos University in Machakos, Kenya, May 19, 2021. — Xinhua photo NAIROBI (Dec 18): Dickson Esamai is busy working on his agricultural innovation with his teammates at the Luban Workshop at Machakos University, about 65 km southeast of Nairobi, the Kenyan capital. The fifth-year student, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering, is developing a device that seeks to help farmers improve their output. “We are building a tool that guides farmers to determine the right crop to cultivate on their land based on the nutrients present,” Esamai said in an interview with Xinhua. The hand-held device has sensors that measure soil moisture to help farmers get the right amount of water for their crops, thereby conserving water. To expand its use among smallholder farmers who don’t have smartphones, the device can also send text messages to feature phones with information critical to farming. The device was designed and programmed from scratch thanks to the advanced tools available at the Luban Workshop, Esamai said. In addition, the innovation benefits greatly from the huge data storage capabilities of the Huawei cloud that the Luban Workshop utilizes. Esamai and his seven team members are among the 600 students who have benefited from advanced Chinese technology since the Luban Workshop was established in 2019 at Machakos University. China has set up 17 Luban Workshops in 15 African countries as part of its international vocational education cooperation drive within the frameworks of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. This photo taken on Feb. 15, 2024 shows a view of the Luban Workshop in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Technical and Vocational Training Institute in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. — Xinhua photo Kenya now has two Luban Workshops. The other one is hosted by Meru University of Science and Technology, about 280 km northwest of Nairobi. On Dec. 5, Machakos University and China’s Tianjin City Vocational College signed a three-year agreement to enhance the role of the Luban Workshop, which was named after an ancient Chinese craftsman. Under the pact, the two parties will expand enrollment at the Luban Workshop to boost digital skills in Kenya. Erick Omuya, a lecturer of computer science at Machakos University, said the presence of Luban Workshops is a game changer in Kenya’s tertiary institutions teaching engineering courses, because of their emphasis on hands-on skills for both trainers and tutors. Omuya noted that the Luban Workshops have modern equipment that has facilitated students’ access to practical training on emerging technologies such as cloud computing and AI. Mark Omaiko, a fourth-year student in a bachelor’s degree program in cloud computing and information security, is another beneficiary of the Luban Workshop. He is working on a cloud-integrated safari system that leverages AI to help tourists choose which wildlife sites in Kenya to visit, from their mobile devices. Omaiko, 21, said that advanced equipment at Luban Workshop helped him develop a mobile interface that even wildlife enthusiasts not tech-savvy could easily navigate to decide on sites to visit. Lyu Jingquan, the main initiator of the Luban Workshop brand, said the workshop is ideal for African countries because it ensures that students have practical skills for the job market. At a conference on Luban Workshops at Machakos University, Lyu said the workshops will deploy a teaching model that uses actual engineering projects to impart skills to students so that they can solve real problems in society. Joyce Ngure, assistant director of research in Kenya’s Ministry of Education, said the establishment of the Luban Workshops is a pillar of Kenya-China cooperation in talent training, poverty alleviation and job creation. A student shows a train driving simulator at the Djibouti Luban Workshop at Djibouti Industrial and Commercial School in Djibouti City, capital of Djibouti, on Sept. 19, 2022. — Xinhua photo Michael Mugambi, a computer science student at Machakos University, credits the Luban Workshop for igniting his interest in developing a hotspot billing system that seeks to expand access to high-speed internet for low-income households. The 22-year-old Mugambi partnered with three of his colleagues to develop an electronic device that can purchase internet access in bulk and then share Wi-Fi in public spaces, using a pay-as-you-use revenue model at affordable rates. Ian Omwenga Ombaki, another student at Luban Workshop, said the workshop provides a platform for him to develop an innovative system automating hydroponics, a technique of growing plants using a water-based nutrient solution rather than soil. He hopes to use his product to encourage urban residents to engage in farming to fulfill food needs at the household level, said the 21-year-old Ombaki. — XinhuaSuspect in Gilgo Beach serial killings is charged in the death of a seventh woman
Breaking Down Enphase Energy: 38 Analysts Share Their ViewsThe increase is an addition to the $64 million awarded to X-Bow in 2023 to expand production capacity of the solid rocket motor industrial base. LULING, Texas , Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- X-Bow Systems Inc. (X-Bow), a leading non-traditional producer of advanced solid rocket motors (SRMs) and defense technologies, today announced the expansion of its contract to provide large solid rocket motors (SRM) to the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army. This increase reinforces X-Bow as a new supplier of SRMs and strengthens the Defense Department supply chain in a critical period for the United States . Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin to miss 4-6 weeks with fractured fibula, chase for Wayne Gretzky's goal record put on holdCops are still “vetting” the hundreds of tips they received in the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson — as it remains unclear whether suspected killer Luigi Mangione’s family recognized him while he was on the run. NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry was pressed on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Wednesday about whether Mangione’s relatives — part of a prominent Baltimore, Md., clan — had contacted authorities to identify him. “We’re still vetting each one of those tips. But thank God for the customer that was in the McDonalds,” Daughtry said, referring to the tipster who called the cops after Mangione was spotted chomping on hashbrowns at a fast food joint in Altoona, Pennsylvania Monday. NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell added: “Post-arrest investigation here, I think all these things will be asked and answered in time.” “When the picture went out, the thought process from everyone was, like, if someone knows this person, you say, ‘Hey, that’s John.’ That’ll all come out,” he added. Cops last week released photos of the suspect with his mask down as he chatted up a receptionist at an Upper West Side hostel where he stayed before the slaying. Authorities had offered a $60,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the suspected assassin, who cops say checked into the hostel using a fake ID before staking out the Midtown hotel outside of which Thompson was shot dead Dec. 4. A police official said Wednesday that NYPD Crime Stoppers received over 400 tips during the investigation — 30 or so of which were helpful. Law-enforcement sources said there was no indication that the Mangione family had tried to obstruct the investigation in any way. “Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest,” Mangione’s family said in a statement posted on social media by Nino Mangione, a Republican Maryland state legislator. “We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.” Mangione’s family seems to have known something was amiss in the weeks before the shooting. His mom reported him missing to San Francisco police on November 18, though the circumstances of the report, or whether the family made contact after it was filed, remain unclear. Mangione, 26, hails from a huge clan descended from patriarch Nick Mangione Sr., the son of a poor Italian immigrant who built a multi-million-dollar business empire that includes nursing homes, country clubs, resorts, and a radio station. The family wealth landed Mangione in an expensive private high school, from which he attended the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League institution. When police found Mangione at the McDonalds, he had been carrying four fake IDs, a 3D-printed gun with a homemade silencer, and a hand-written manifesto, authorities said. Mangione’s fingerprints also match those found on a snack bar and water bottle near the crime scene, sources said. He is being held in a Pennsylvania prison as he fights extradition to New York, where he faces charges including murder in the second degree.
World News | Democratic Senators Urge Biden to Act on Temporary Protections for MigrantsStock market today: Stocks drift higher as US markets reopen after a holiday pause
Organic farming need of hour: Buxar DMNone
Dr. Kingsley R. Chin: Federal Judge Dismisses Money Laundering Charges in His Former Role as CEO of SpineFrontier Inc.'Invincible' predicts more Rangers pain as Celtic side show familiar hallmarks
As Elon Musk takes charge of the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), created to advise the White House on optimizing federal spending, the F-35 stealth jet program has become a key target of his criticism. Over the weekend, the Tesla CEO and a surrogate for Donald Trump criticized the fighter jet program on his social media platform, X, calling it outdated and inefficient compared to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). "Meanwhile, some idiots are still building manned fighter jets like the F-35," Musk posted, alongside a video showcasing synchronized Chinese drones in action. Meanwhile, some idiots are still building manned fighter jets like the F-35 🗑️ 🫠 pic.twitter.com/4JX27qcxz1 Musk's critique aligns with his and DOGE co-leader Vivek Ramaswamy 's push for sweeping federal spending reforms. Their ambitious goal of cutting at least $2 trillion from the federal budget has put the Pentagon under particular scrutiny. The F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, developed by Lockheed Martin, is the Department of Defense's most expensive and ambitious weapons program. While hailed as critical to U.S. national security, the program has faced relentless criticism for soaring costs and delays. The U.S. Government Accountability Office estimates the program's lifetime cost at over $2 trillion, making it the costliest military project in history. On Monday, Musk doubled down on his criticism, arguing that the jet's design was fundamentally flawed from the outset due to an attempt to meet too many conflicting requirements. "The F-35 design was broken at the requirements level because it was required to be too many things to too many people. This made it an expensive & complex jack of all trades, master of none. Success was never in the set of possible outcomes," Musk said. "Manned fighter jets are outdated in the age of drones and only put pilots' lives at risk," he said, garnering support from Trump ally Matt Gaetz , who wrote: "The F-35 is a failed platform. It's time to shift entirely to drones." UAVs have played a crucial role in modern conflicts, particularly in Ukraine, where drones have been instrumental in countering Russian forces. Musk, a longtime advocate for replacing traditional fighter jets with drones, argues that UAVs—whether remotely piloted or autonomous—offer greater precision and eliminate the risks faced by human pilots. He has often pointed to the role. Despite Musk's assertions, the F-35 program has its defenders. Proponents highlight the jet's performance in real-world combat, citing its use by Israel's F-35I Adir variant to strike Iranian military installations and neutralize advanced Russian-made air defenses. Supporters also note that China, a country Musk has praised for its drone capabilities, has spent years attempting to replicate the F-35's cutting-edge technology. A spokesperson for the Pentagon's F-35 joint program office defended the aircraft's value. "We have combat-capable aircraft in operation today, and they perform exceptionally well against the threats for which they were designed. Pilots continually emphasize that this is the fighter they want to take to war if called upon," the Pentagon said. Lockheed Martin echoed these sentiments, calling the F-35 "the most advanced, survivable, and connected fighter aircraft in the world" and a cornerstone of joint all-domain operations. Still, the program's flaws are well-documented. A recently declassified Pentagon report revealed ongoing issues with the F-35's reliability, maintainability, and availability. Lockheed Martin responded by emphasizing that the aircraft "consistently meets or exceeds the reliability performance requirements we are contracted to deliver." Aviation enthusiasts weighed in on Musk's remarks, with some defending the symbolic and morale-boosting role of manned fighter jets. "No kid dreams of piloting a drone," one user commented, "but plenty dream of flying a fighter jet with an American flag on its tail."None
