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Manchester United teammates Rasmus Hojlund and Amad Diallo exchanged words after the final whistle of a 2-1 victory on Thursday. And manager Ruben Amorin has no problem with it. âFor me, itâs a very, very good sign,â Amorin said after his team beat Viktoria Plzen to stay unbeaten in the Europa League. Hojlund scored two goals and hoped for a centering pass from Diallo to go for a hat trick in the final minutes. The Denmark striker didn't get the pass, though. Viktoria had been pushing forward looking for an equalizer, which created space for United counters. On another break shortly afterward, Hojlund opted to keep the ball. The pair then had a heated post-game exchange. âWe need to feel something,â Amorin said. âIf we need to fight each other, it's like a family. When you don't care, you don't do nothing. When you care â you fight with your brother, with your mother, your father.â AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerThe China Fund, Inc. Announces Date of Annual Meeting of Stockholders
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Daily year-round service will seamlessly connect our guests between the nation's capital and one of our key West Coast hubs SEATTLE , Dec. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Airlines is proud to announce new nonstop service between San Diego International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), becoming the only airline to offer this direct route and enhance connectivity to the nation's capital. Tickets will soon be available for purchase on www.alaskaair.com . On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Transportation approved our application as part of the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2024 to operate roundtrip service between San Diego and DCA. For nearly 40 years, we've proudly served San Diego with the exceptional and caring service that we're known for. We've connected our guests to DCA since 2001 and today offer nonstop service from Seattle , Portland , San Francisco and Los Angeles . "We are pleased the DOT sees the value of Alaska providing direct service between San Diego and DCA, and we thank the many leaders, local businesses and organizations who supported our bid," said CEO Ben Minicucci. "This new route reflects our commitment to San Diego , home of the nation's largest military community, and offers our guests a seamless travel option to our nation's capital." "Today is a great day for the San Diego Region with the announcement of a new, nonstop flight to Washington, D.C.'s Reagan National Airport. This flight will further connect our growing defense, research and innovation economies to our leaders in the Capitol," said San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria . "Securing this flight was a team effort by our partners from Alaska Airlines, the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, and our congressional delegation. I especially want to thank U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker for selecting San Diego as one of the five new DCA flight slot recipients." As the carrier with the most nonstop destinations from San Diego , Alaska will offer 40 nonstop destinations and more than 70 peak-day departures when our new service to DCA begins. Together with our Global Partners, we offer one-stop service from San Diego International Airport (SAN) to more than 330 destinations.* Currently, SAN has the greatest number of passengers of any U.S. airport without service to DCA. Whether you're flying nonstop or catching a connecting a flight at SAN, www.alaskaair.com has options for what works best for you: you can book flights on 22 partner airlines or redeem Mileage Plan miles, all on our site. "We are very pleased Alaska Airlines has received approval to begin nonstop service between San Diego International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport," said Kimberly J. Becker , president and CEO, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority. " San Diego has been the largest origin-destination market without service to Reagan National Airport and it has significant defense, biotech, and communications technology sectors that require efficient access to the core of the national capital region. This new nonstop route will greatly enhance the connectivity between these two strategic regions for business and our leisure passengers." Alaska's elevated travel experience offers a blend of comfort and caring service for a seamless journey, including no change fees, the most legroom in First Class* and Premium Class, satellite Wi-Fi and the most generous Mileage Plan with the fastest path to elite status. Savor the best of West Coast-inspired food and beverages, including complimentary snacks and chef-curated meals. With access to Alaska Lounge locations for members and First Class guests on flights more than 2,000 miles, you can unwind in ultimate comfort before take-off. Building off our newest Lounge in San Francisco , we're set to nearly double our footprint in 3 years. We recently announced a plan to continue expanding our Lounge program, including in San Diego and Honolulu , followed by a new world-class Lounge in Seattle to support international service. We'll begin with an expanded Anchorage Lounge early next year and open our new Portland Lounge in 2026. In September, we began adding more Premium Class seating across our mainline fleet, including our 900ERs, 800s and MAX9s. We plan to increase our 737-800 First Class seats from 12 to 16 to make it easy for our guests to upgrade and meet the demand for premium seating. In First Class, our new premium seating will provide a calf rest, new seatback device holder, 6-way headrest with neck support and USB-C charging capabilities. In our 737-800 Main Cabin and Premium Class, guests will continue to experience comfort and convenience at every seat with improved features, including new device holders with built in cup holders, USB-C charging and a 6-way headrest with dedicated neck support. *Peak-day AS+HA departures and YE1H25 destinations as of 12/16/24. Global Partner connecting destinations available round-trip on 12/19/24 (representative day) as of 12/16/24. **Out of any U.S. legacy airline excluding lie-flat seats About Alaska Air Group Alaska Air Group, Inc. is based in Seattle and comprised of subsidiaries Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Holdings, Inc., Horizon Air and McGee Air Services. With our recent acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, we now serve more than 140 destinations throughout North America , Central America, Asia and across the Pacific. We are committed to safety, remarkable customer care, operational excellence, financial performance and sustainability. Alaska Airlines is a member of the one world Alliance. With one world and our additional global partners, our guests have more choices than ever to purchase, earn or redeem on alaskaair.com across 30 airlines and more than 1,000 worldwide destinations. Book travel throughout the Pacific on Hawaiian Airlines at hawaiianairlines.com . Learn more about Alaska Airlines at news.alaskaair.com and Hawaiian Airlines at newsroom.hawaiianairlines.com/blog . Alaska Air Group is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as "ALK." View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alaska-airlines-selected-to-connect-san-diego-and-ronald-reagan-washington-national-airport-with-nonstop-service-302334277.html SOURCE ALASKA AIRLINES
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The former Tory chancellor, now chairman of the British Museum, suggested Sir Keir Starmer had contributed to a warmer spirit of the negotiations over the famous ancient artworks. Greece has long called for the return of the Marbles, also known as the Parthenon sculptures, and maintains they were illegally removed from Athensâ acropolis during a period of foreign occupation. The British Museum â where they are currently on display â is forbidden by law from giving away any of its artefacts, and the Government has no plans to change the law to permit a permanent move. But under Mr Osborneâs leadership, the museum is negotiating the possibility of a long-term loan of the sculptures, in exchange for rolling exhibitions of famous artworks. No 10 has indicated the Prime Minister is unlikely to stand in the way of such a deal. Speaking on Political Currency, the podcast he hosts alongside former Labour politician Ed Balls, Mr Osborne said the museum was âlooking to see if we can come to some arrangement where at some point some of the sculptures are in Athens, where, of course, they were originally sitedâ. He added: âAnd in return, Greece lends us some of its treasures, and we made a lot of progress on that, but weâre still some distance from any kind of agreement.â The Greek government has suggested negotiations with the museum have taken a warmer tone since Labour came to power in the summer. Mr Osborne appeared to concur with this view and praised Sir Keirâs hands-off approach, adding: âIt is not the same as Rishi Sunak, who refused to see the Greek prime minister, if you remember, he sort of stood him up. âSo it seems to me a more sensible and diplomatic way to proceed.â Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Greek premier, discussed the Elgin Marbles with Sir Keir when they met on Tuesday morning at Downing Street, he said after returning to Athens. Mr Mitsotakis has signalled his government is awaiting developments on the negotiations. A diplomatic spat between the Greek leader and Mr Sunak emerged last year when the then-prime minister refused to meet his counterpart. Mr Mitsotakis had compared splitting the Elgin Marbles from those still in Athens to cutting the Mona Lisa in half. The marble statues came from friezes on the 2,500-year-old Parthenon temple and have been displayed at the British Museum for more than 200 years. They were removed by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century when he was British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. Some of the remaining temple statues are on display in the purpose-built Acropolis Museum in Athens, and Greece has called for the collections to be reunited.
Singapore, Dec. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Webuy Global Ltd. (Nasdaq: WBUY) (the âCompanyâ), a Southeast Asian community-oriented e-commerce retailor with a focus on grocery and travel, today announced the closing of its previously announced registered direct offering with certain institutional investors for the sale and purchase of an aggregate of 21,013,239 of the Companyâs Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.000000385 per share (the âSharesâ) (or Class A ordinary share equivalents in lieu thereof) in a registered direct offering at a purchase price of $0.1756 per share. The purchase price for the pre-funded warrants is $0.1755 to the purchase price for Shares, less the exercise price of $0.0001 per share. The gross proceeds to the Company from the registered direct offering are estimated to be approximately $3.7 million, before deducting the placement agentâs fees and other estimated offering expenses. D. Boral Capital LLC acted as the exclusive placement agent for the offering. Ortoli Rosenstadt LLP acted as counsel to the Company and Hunter Taubman Fischer & Li LLC acted as counsel to D. Boral Capital LLC. The proposed offering of the securities described above is being offered by the Company pursuant to a âshelfâ registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-283356) filed by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (âSECâ) and declared effective by the SEC on December 3, 2024, and the accompanying prospectus contained therein. The offering was made only by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus. The prospectus supplement describing the terms of the public offering was filed with the SEC. Copies of the prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to this offering may be obtained on the SECâs website at http://www.sec.gov or by contacting D. Boral Capital LLC Attention: Syndicate Department, 590 Madison Avenue, 39th Floor, New York, NY 10022, by email at syndicate@dboralcapital.com , or by telephone at +1 (212) 970-5150. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. About Webuy Global Ltd Webuy Global Ltd. (Nasdaq: WBUY) is a forward-thinking, technology-driven company aimed at becoming the leading e-commerce and travel platform in Southeast Asia. Leveraging advanced AI technologies, the Company enhances its 'group buy' model by providing personalized recommendations, predictive demand analytics, and seamless community interactions. In addition, Webuy integrates AI-powered travel solutions, such as its proprietary AI Travel Consultant, to deliver personalized itineraries, group travel planning, and real-time support. These innovations streamline the traditional supply chain, foster a community-driven shopping experience, and simplify travel planning for its users. Webuy is committed to improving the lives of millions of families in Southeast Asia with high-quality, affordable products, services, and travel experiences. For more information, visit http://webuy.global Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding the Companyâs current expectations. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties described more fully in the Companyâs filings with the SEC. Forward-looking statements are made as of this date, and the Company undertakes no duty to update them, except as required by law.Conteâs last public act as Spurs head coach after a 3-3 draw at St Maryâs in 2023 was to launch a furious tirade against his own âselfishâ players who he claimed âdonât want to play under pressureâ before he seemed to turn on the board as he questioned the clubâs ongoing trophy drought. Eight days later Conte had left Tottenham by mutual consent after a whirlwind 16-month period, with Postecoglou his eventual permanent successor. A post shared by Antonio Conte (@antonioconte) Postecoglou has been in charge of the Premier League club for two months longer than the Italian, but managed 12 fewer matches and is currently in the middle of an injury crisis which has resulted in a drop in form, with Spurs only able to claim one victory from their last eight fixtures. However, when Postecoglou was asked if he would jump ship in the wake of making remarks like Conte did in March, 2023, he said: âLook, I donât think itâs fair to comment. âAntonio is a world-class manager and has his own way of doing things, his own reasons for doing that. âI am here, I am in for the fight. I am in a fight, for sure. For better or worse I am not going anywhere at the moment because everything is still in my power and my responsibility. âI still have a real desire to get us through this stage so that people see what is on the other side. My resolve and determination hasnât wavered one little bit. âI love a fight, I love a scrap, I love being in the middle of a storm when everyone doubts because I know what it is on the other side if you get through it. My job is to get through it.â Postecoglou was Celtic boss when Conteâs extraordinary 10-minute press conference made waves around the world, but acknowledged being aware of his predecessorsâ comments and attempted to explain the psyche behind why a manager would make such a move. âI was on Planet Earth at that time, and yes I was well aware of it,â Postecoglou smiled. âI think you know when a manager gets to that point that thereâs obviously some underlying issues. âI think most of the time when managers do that theyâre trying to get a reaction, trying to get some sort of impact on the team. âIn difficult moments, what you want from your leaders is action rather than inaction of just letting things drift along. He did it to try and get a positive impact on the group, one way or another. Weâve all been in that situation as a manager where you feel this is time to send a message.â Postecoglou sent out his own message on Thursday after a 1-1 draw away to Rangers when he insisted Timo Wernerâs display âwasnât acceptableâ at Ibrox. Werner was replaced at half-time following an error-strewn performance, but was not alone in being below-par in Glasgow. A day later Postecoglou explained how with Spurs missing several key first-teamers, the onus is on their fit senior players to deliver a level of application and commitment â and admitted Werner will be required at St Maryâs on Sunday. âIâve got no choice. Who else am I going to play? Iâm pulling kids out of school, I literally am,â Postecoglou mentioned in reference to 16-year-old duo Malachi Hardy and Luca Williams-Barnett, who have recently made the bench. âThat was the reasoning for me pointing it out last night. We need Timo. We need all of them. âIn normal times if you have a poor game, thereâs a price to pay. It doesnât exist right now. We need everybody weâve got.â
Percentages: FG .557, FT .625. 3-Point Goals: 15-28, .536 (Joshua 3-3, Marshall 3-5, Klaczek 2-3, Reddish 2-3, Strand 2-4, Topuz 2-5, Briggs 1-3, Langford 0-1, Taylor 0-1). Team Rebounds: 0. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: 2 (Adewale, Klaczek). Turnovers: 15 (Neely 3, Adnan 2, Klaczek 2, Strand 2, Taylor 2, Giralt, Joshua, Marshall, Topuz). Steals: 12 (Joshua 5, Langford 2, Marshall 2, Strand 2, Lindsey). Technical Fouls: None. Percentages: FG .000, FT .000. 3-Point Goals: None. Team Rebounds: 0. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: None. Turnovers: None. Steals: None. Technical Fouls: None. A_20 (12,000).Ange Postecoglou fights on as Tottenham return to scene of Antonio Conte rantNEW YORK (AP) â U.S. stock indexes reached more records after tech companies talked up how much artificial intelligence is boosting their results. The S&P 500 climbed 0.6% Wednesday to add to what looks to be one of its best years of the millennium. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.7%, while the Nasdaq composite added 1.3% to its own record. Salesforce pulled the market higher after highlighting its artificial-intelligence offering for customers. Marvell Technology jumped even more after saying itâs seeing strong demand from AI. Treasury yields eased, while bitcoin climbed after President-elect Donald Trump nominated a crypto advocate to head the Securities and Exchange Commission. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. APâs earlier story follows below. NEW YORK (AP) â U.S. stock indexes are rising toward more records Wednesday after tech companies talked up how much of a boost they're getting from artificial intelligence . The S&P 500 climbed 0.5% to add to what looks to be one of its best years of the millennium. Itâs on track to set an all-time high for the 56th time this year after coming off 10 gains in the last 11 days . The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 252 points, or 0.6%, with an hour remaining in trading, while the Nasdaq composite was adding 1.2% to its own record. Salesforce helped pull the market higher after delivering stronger revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected, though its profit fell just short. CEO Mark Benioff highlighted the companyâs artificial-intelligence offering for customers, saying âthe rise of autonomous AI agents is revolutionizing global labor, reshaping how industries operate and scale.â The stock of the company, which helps businesses manage their customers, rose 9.3%. Marvell Technology jumped even more after delivering better results than expected, up 23.2%. CEO Matt Murphy said the semiconductor supplier is seeing strong demand from AI and gave a forecast for profit in the upcoming quarter that topped analystsâ expectations. They helped offset a 9.8% drop for Foot Locker, which reported profit and revenue that fell short of analystsâ expectations. CEO Mary Dillon said the company is taking a more cautious view, and it cut its forecasts for sales and profit this year. Dillon pointed to how keen customers are for discounts and how soft demand has been outside of Thanksgiving week and other key selling periods. Retailers overall have offered mixed signals about how resilient U.S. shoppers can remain. Their spending has been one of the main reasons the U.S. economy has avoided a recession that earlier seemed inevitable because of high interest rates brought by the Federal Reserve to crush inflation. But shoppers are now contending with still-high prices and a slowing job market . This weekâs highlight for Wall Street will be Fridayâs jobs report from the U.S. government, which will show how many people employers hired and fired last month. A narrower report released on Wednesday morning may have offered a preview of it. The report from ADP suggested employers in the private sector increased their payrolls by less last month than economists expected. Hiring in manufacturing was the weakest since the spring, according to Nela Richardson, chief economist at ADP. The report strengthened tradersâ expectations that the Fed will cut its main interest rate again when it meets in two weeks. The Fed began easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high in September, hoping to offer more support for the job market. The central bank had appeared set to continue cutting rates into next year, but the election of Donald Trump has scrambled Wall Streetâs expectations somewhat. Trumpâs preference for higher tariffs and other policies could lead to higher economic growth and inflation , which could alter the Fedâs plans . Fed Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday that the central bank can afford to cut its benchmark rate cautiously because inflation has slowed significantly from its peak two years ago and the economy remains sturdy. A separate report on Wednesday said health care, finance and other businesses in the U.S. services sector are continuing to grow, but not by as much as before and not by as much as economists expected. One respondent from the construction industry told the survey from the Institute for Supply Management that the Fedâs rate cuts have not pulled down mortgage rates as much as hoped yet. Plus âthe unknown effect of tariffs clouds the future.â In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.18% from 4.23% late Tuesday. On Wall Street, Campbellâs fell 6% for one of the S&P 500âs sharper losses despite increasing its dividend and reporting a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Its revenue fell short of Wall Streetâs expectations, and the National Football Leagueâs Washington Commanders hired Campbellâs CEO Mark Clouse as its team president. Campbellâs said Mick Beekhuizen, its president of meals and beverages, will become its 15th CEO following Clouseâs departure. Gains for airline stocks helped offset that drop after JetBlue Airways said it saw stronger bookings for travel in November and December following the presidential election. It said itâs also benefiting from lower fuel prices, as well as lower costs due to improved on-time performance. JetBlue jumped 8.3%, while Southwest Airlines climbed 2.8%. In stock markets abroad, South Koreaâs Kospi sank 1.4% following a night full of drama in Seoul. President Yoon Suk Yeol was facing possible impeachment after he suddenly declared martial law on Tuesday night, prompting troops to surround the parliament. Yoon accused pro-North Korean forces of plotting to overthrow one of the worldâs most vibrant democracies. The martial law declaration was revoked about six hours later. Samsung Electronics fell 0.9% in Seoul. The countryâs financial regulator said it was prepared to deploy 10 trillion won ($7.07 billion) into a stock market stabilization fund at any time, the Yonhap news agency reported. In the crypto market , bitcoin climbed back above $97,000 after Trump said he would nominate Paul Atkins , a cryptocurrency advocate, to chair the Securities and Exchange Commission. ___ AP Writers Matt Ott and Zimo Zhong contributed. Stan Choe, The Associated Press
Supreme Court will take up a challenge related to California's tough vehicle emissions standards WASHINGTON (AP) â The Supreme Court says it will take up a business-backed appeal that could make it easier to challenge federal regulations, acting in a dispute related to Californiaâs nation-leading standards for vehicle emissions. The justices agreed Friday to hear an appeal filed by fuel producers who object to a waiver granted to California in 2022 by the Environmental Protection Agency during Joe Bidenâs presidency. The waiver allows California to set more stringent emissions limits than the national standard. The case wonât be argued until the spring, when the Trump administration is certain to take a more industry-friendly approach to the issue. Musk says US is demanding he pay penalty over disclosures of his Twitter stock purchases DETROIT (AP) â Elon Musk says the Securities and Exchange Commission wants him to pay a penalty or face charges involving what he disclosed â or failed to disclose â about his purchases of Twitter stock before he bought the social media platform in 2022. In a letter, Muskâs lawyer Alex Spiro tells the outgoing SEC chairman, Gary Gensler, that the commissionâs demand for a monetary payment is a âmisguided schemeâ that wonât intimidate Musk. The letter also alleges that the commission reopened an investigation this week into Neuralink, Muskâs computer-to-human brain interface company. The SEC has not released the letter. Nor would it comment on it or confirm whether it has issued such a demand to Musk. Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people WASHINGTON (AP) â The Senate is pushing toward a vote on legislation that would provide full Social Security benefits to millions of people. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer began the process on Thursday for a final vote on the bill, known as the Social Security Fairness Act. It would eliminate policies that currently limit Social Security payouts for roughly 2.8 million people. The legislation has passed the House. The bill would add more strain on the Social Security Trust funds, which are already estimated to be unable to pay out full benefits beginning in 2035. The measure would add an estimated $195 billion to federal deficits over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Trump offers support for dockworkers union by saying ports shouldn't install more automated systems WASHINGTON (AP) â President-elect Donald Trump is offering his support for the dockworkers union before their contract expires next month at Eastern and Gulf Coast ports. He posted on social media Thursday that he met with union leaders and that any further âautomationâ of the ports would harm workers. He wrote that the âamount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American Workers.â The International Longshoremenâs Association has until Jan. 15 to negotiate a new contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies. The Maritime Alliance says the technology will improve worker safety and strengthen our supply chains, among other things. IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power WASHINGTON (AP) â IRS leadership on Thursday announced that the agency has recovered $4.7 billion in back taxes and proceeds from a variety of crimes. The announcement comes under the backdrop of a promised reckoning from Republicans who will hold a majority over both chambers of the next Congress and have long called for rescinding the tens of billions of dollars in funding provided to the agency by Democrats. IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said improvements made to the agency will help the incoming administration and new Republican majority congress achieve its goals of administering an extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. OpenAI's legal battle with Elon Musk reveals internal turmoil over avoiding AI 'dictatorship' A 7-year-old rivalry between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and best avoid an artificial intelligence âdictatorshipâ is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT makerâs ongoing conversion into a for-profit company. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year. Musk has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAIâs plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. OpenAI is filing its response Friday. OpenAI's Altman will donate $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund LOS ANGELES (AP) â OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is planning to make a $1 million personal donation to President-Elect Donald Trumpâs inauguration fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships the incoming administration. A spokesperson for OpenAI confirmed the move on Friday. The announcement comes one day after Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said it donated $1 million to the same fund. Amazon also said it plans to donate $1 million. China signals it's prepared to double down on support for the economy as Trump tariffs loom BANGKOK (AP) â Chinese leaders met this week to plot economic policy for the coming year and sketched out plans to raise government spending and relax Beijing's monetary policy. Analysts said the broad-brush plans from the annual Central Economic Work Conference were more of a recap of current policy than ambitious new initiatives at a time when the outlook is clouded by the President-elect Donald Trump's threats to sharply raise tariffs once he takes office. The ruling Communist Party did commit to raising China's deficit and to doing more to encourage consumer spending by bringing wage increases in line with the pace of economic growth. Here's a look at China's main priorities and their potential implications. Stock market today: Wall Street ends mixed after a bumpy week Stock indexes closed mixed on Wall Street at the end of a rare bumpy week. The S&P 500 ended little changed Friday. The benchmark index reached its latest in a string of records a week ago. It lost ground for the week following three weeks of gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2%. The Nasdaq composite edged up 0.1%. Broadcom surged after the semiconductor company beat Wall Streetâs profit targets and gave a glowing forecast, highlighting its artificial intelligence products. RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, surged after raising its revenue forecast. Treasury yields rose in the bond market. Next Week: Retail sales, Fed policy update, existing home sales The Commerce Department releases its monthly snapshot of U.S. retail sales Tuesday. Federal Reserve officials wrap up a two-day meeting and issue an interest rate policy update Wednesday. The National Association of Realtors issues its latest update on U.S. home sales Thursday.School district defends decision to punish parents for wearing pink 'XX' wristbands
Man United coach Amorim says argument between Hojlund and Diallo a 'very good sign'Bright pink color, a new typeface, and a missing cat in its emblem â Jaguarâs rebrand campaign has been the talk of the town since its launch. It certainly divides opinions for a car maker with a rich history of nearly 100 years. How do you decide if a marketing campaign is an absolute hit? Of course, if it gets the world talking about you, it must be a hit, right? But what if the world is collectively mocking you? But hey, bad PR is still PR, eh? So itâs safe to say that the metrics which decide if a marketing campaign is a hit or a miss are, after all, subjective. During Miami Art Week earlier this month, Jaguar debuted its daring rebrand alongside the . The focal point of the event was its new "Copy Nothing" revamp, which brought bold fashion and vibrant aesthetics to usher in a new age before going all-electric. Jaguar intends to completely transition away from internal combustion engines, and adopt a new design and technology philosophy in order to become an all-electric premium brand by 2025. The brand's identity is being completely redefined as part of this makeover, which goes beyond simple electrification. I have to say, Jaguar's redesign has done more for the company than any other in recent memory. After all, it got people talking about Jaguar, at the very least. Jaguarâs managing director Rawdon Glover said, "If we play the same way that everybody else does, weâll just get drowned out. So we shouldnât turn up like an auto brand." While it did get the world talking about Jaguar, the move was widely criticized, with some claiming it was damaging the brand's legacy and others complaining that Jaguar had not actually displayed a car â which was the whole crux of this campaign. You have to understand that car badges are more than merely ornamental accessories. They impact people's decisions to buy the vehicles. According to recent data, daily sales of Jaguar have reportedly decreased by 9% since the British brand's controversial rebranding earlier this month. shows that in the seven days after Jaguar's "Copy Nothing" rebranding on November 19, the average number of used Jaguars sold per day was just 133. By contrast, used Jaguar sales averaged 146 at the beginning of November, representing an 8.9% discrepancy. Leaving the sales and the car in question aside, letâs put our focus on the rebrand itself. Now itâs not every day you see a historical brand commit to a full-scale rebrand. From the logo to colors, and even the company vision â Jaguarâs rebranding is more than just a madmanâs marketing campaign. Jaguar was criticized by certain X users for being "woke" and deviating from its typical demographic. Lulu Cheng Meservey, co-founder of Rostra PR group, called the rebrand "disastrous," saying "It's possible a marketing exec read too many think pieces about how millennials shop based on values and forgot that people want cars that are really well built." For me, personally, the core message has been lost as a result of the campaignâs direction, which has alienated its older core audience. And why the company wishes to undermine its core clientele is beyond me. Alright, if you feel you are losing out on a certain group, strive to win them over, but not at the expense of others. From a business perspective, it's ludicrous to be so polarizing and ignore your main client base. The whole rebrand campaign appears to be a well-made fashion concept with juvenile taglines that have no real substance for a car manufacturer. Iâm not half as offended by the quirky colors as I am with Jaguar for not presenting itself as a carmaker first and as a luxury brand second. But itâs important to understand why Jag opted for a rebrand. The company has been experiencing a steep decline in sales â less than 67,000 Jaguar vehicles were sold globally last year, which is almost half of the total sales during the fiscal year that coincided with the onset of COVID. Per , there are currently only 122 Jaguar dealerships in the United States, a sharp decrease from a peak of about 200. So, itâs easy to see how perfectly Jaguar's rebranding initiative aligns with the company's major product transition. Thus, it should come as no surprise that Jaguar declared it was "not afraid to polarize." It's not like the company didn't know it would lose a major chunk of itds existing customer base. "We anticipate that 10 to 15 percent of our current Jaguar customers will follow us," Glover stated in an interview earlier this year. So, I come back to where I started â it's tough to say if Jag's rebrand campaign was a hit or a miss. You can't deny that the campaign can be seen as a huge success if all that the company wanted to do was to get people talking about it â without even releasing any cars yet. Controversy is a weird thing. It certainly gets you headlines. If youâre Jaguar and thatâs all that you wanted, bravo. Source:Fianna Fail and Fine Gael eye independent TDs as option to secure Dail majority