Businesses and consumers in China found the 11.11 or the annual Singles’ Day shopping festival less attractive this year amid a sluggish economy, forcing e-commerce firms to look abroad for growth. Online service provider and e-commerce platform Alibaba started the now-famous event on Nov. 11, 2009, offering attractive discounts to entice shoppers to spend more. The extravaganza, also known as “Double 11,” has since expanded to other platforms in China — like JD.com and Pinduoduo — and abroad. It has long been regarded as a barometer of consumer sentiment. While Singles’ Day was previously a one-day event, shopping platforms in China now kickstart the festival weeks ahead to drum up sales volume. Even some brick-and-mortar stores join the festival by launching sales campaigns and hanging promotional banners and posters in the hopes of luring shoppers. But amid China’s lagging domestic economy, dragged down by a real estate crisis and deflationary pressures , consumers no longer go all out during the shopping extravaganza. Meanwhile, e-commerce platforms grappling with a slowing domestic market have turned to overseas markets to seek new growth, offering promotions like global free shipping and allowing merchants to sell worldwide with ease. Alibaba, for example, said in a blog post on its Alizila site that some 70,000 merchants saw sales double with global free shipping. In markets like Singapore and Hong Kong, new customers also doubled, the e-commerce company said. Since the festival began in late October, “I have only spent a few hundred yuan on daily necessities,” said Wang Haihua, who owns a fitness center in the capital, Beijing. Wang said that the prices offered on e-commerce platforms during Singles’ Day are not necessarily cheaper than usual. “They’re all tricks and we’ve seen through it over the years,” she said. Zhang Jiewei, a 34-year-old who runs a barber shop in the city of Xi’an, echoed Wang’s sentiments, saying that he no longer trusts Singles’ Day promotions as some merchants tend to raise the usual prices before offering a discount, giving consumers the illusion they are getting a deal. “I used to buy a lot two or three years ago and I even purchased a mobile phone (during Singles’ Day),” he said. However, following the coronavirus pandemic, he stopped “because of lower income.” “I am not going to buy anything this year,” Zhang said. Some experts say that Beijing’s recent stimulus measures have had little impact on boosting consumer confidence. Most Filipino TikTok users start Christmas shopping early, hunt for bargains, study says Online shopping scams: How to avoid them “People are not interested in spending and are cutting back on big-ticket items,” said Shaun Rein, founder and managing director of China Market Research Group in Shanghai. “Since October 2022, the weak economy means that everything has been on discount year-round, 11.11 is not going to bring in more discounts than the month before.” Rein said he expects low growth for the Singles’ Day shopping festival as consumers tighten their spending in anticipation of difficult economic times ahead. Categories such as sportswear and fitness, however, have been doing well as customers “trade down a Gucci bag for Lululemon sportswear,” he said. Jacob Cooke, CEO of e-commerce consultancy WPIC Marketing + Technologies, said that despite the luxury downturn, the shopping festival still showed strong sales for goods in premium price brands across categories like mother-baby, personal care and toys, as well as outdoor and sport. “There’s a clear shift in consumer priorities towards experiences, hobbies, and health,” Cooke said. “With record-level platform subsidies and generous membership programs like Alibaba’s 88VIP, consumers actually showed a preference for premium branded goods during this year’s festival.” Platforms like JD.com and Alibaba previously used to publish the total value of the festival’s transactions, but have stopped since 2022. While yearly growth used to be in the double digits, estimates of recent figures have dwindled to low single-digit growth. Syntun, a data provider, estimated that last year’s gross merchandising volume sales across major e-commerce platforms grew just 2% to 1.14 trillion yuan ($156.40 billion), a far cry from double-digit growth before COVID-19. Alibaba also owns popular e-commerce platforms Taobao and Tmall, Even some merchants who typically participated in the festival say the high cost of advertising no longer pays off as sales dwindle. Zhao Gao, who owns a garment factory in eastern Zhejiang province, said that after paying to advertise on e-commerce platforms, he would only break even after sales. “The platforms have so many rules for promotions and customers have become more skeptical,” he said. “As a merchant, I no longer participate in the Singles’ Day promotions.” Another merchant, Du Baonian who runs a food company processing mutton in Inner Mongolia, said consumers spend less and his overall sales were down by 15% compared to the past year. He still takes part in the Singles’ Day promotions but said the higher expenses do not typically generate returns because of slow sales. “We are seeing shrinking revenue, but advertisement on the platform can help us maintain our leading sales position,” he said, adding that he was considering advertising on more e-commerce platforms to target more consumers.Advantage Gold Reviews, Complaints and Fees Analysis 2025 Released on IRAEmpireLiverpool more 'up for it' than beaten Madrid, concedes BellinghamMajor poll puts Ireland’s lead parties near neck-and-neck
Warning: This article contains disturbing details of alleged animal abuse. People on social media are calling for a boycott of Butterball brand turkeys ahead of Thanksgiving after People for Ethical Treatment of Animals resurfaced an old video, causing confusion and disturbance. The video, posted to PETA’s Instagram account last week, highlighted disturbing allegations from an investigation at a Butterball plant that reportedly took place nearly 20 years ago. According to PETA’s website, the 2006 “undercover investigation” that allegedly took place at a Butterball slaughterhouse in Ozark, Arkansas, found workers physically and sexually abusing live turkeys. However, Butterball said these allegations took place before the company became privatized and certified by American Humane. The resurfaced video zeroes in on the alleged sexual abuse of the live turkeys. The caption on the video states, “Do you know what happened to your Butterball turkey before they were killed?” However, PETA did not specify that the content was from 18 years ago. Still, a majority of the comments encourage people to boycott Butterball ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. Videos of other people on social media discussing PETA’s post have sparked confusion that there is a recall associated with it, but there are currently no active recalls for Butterball turkeys. Scripps News reached out to Butterball and its spokesperson provided the following statement: "We are aware of a video from nearly 20 years ago, which is being re-shared across social media. This video is not current and was taken prior to Butterball becoming a private company and prior to our engagement and certification through American Humane. Animal care and well-being is central to who we are as a company, and we are committed to the ethical and responsible care of our flocks. Eleven years ago, Butterball was the first, and remains the only, turkey company to be American Humane certified. That means we have yearly audits conducted by a third party to ensure compliance with our 200+ science-based standards of best practice for care of turkeys, well exceeding industry best practices. We are proud of this designation that no other turkey company can claim and have a zero-tolerance policy for animal mistreatment."
South Korea’s finance minister said on Monday some slowdown in economic growth would be unavoidable as the government prepares to revise forecasts for this year and next year due to the country’s ongoing political turmoil. “There are concerns that the sentiment may be weakening due to the recent political situation,” Choi Sang-mok told reporters. “Due to many downside risks it is inevitable that next year’s growth forecast will be lowered, and it is highly likely that it will fall slightly below the potential growth rate,” Choi said, without elaborating on the country’s potential growth rate. The South Korean won USDKRW last week hit its weakest level in 15 years amid domestic political uncertainty stoked by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived martial law order on Dec. 3 and his subsequent impeachment. Asked if the government would need to swiftly draw up a supplementary budget early next year, Choi declined to directly answer but said “fiscal policies do need to play an active role.” Choi also said the government will work with the Bank of Korea to sternly respond to any sharp volatilities in the foreign exchange market. Source: ReutersButterball defends its practices after disturbing old video of turkeys goes viral
CLASS ACTION NOTICE: Berger Montague Advises Evolv Technologies (NASDAQ: EVLV) Investors to ...Caiwei Chen is a reporter who covers tech, the internet, and society. Her work has been seen in publications including Wired, Rolling Stone, Protocol, Rest of World, and more. She is more online than she would like to admit.Wall Street eyes 2025 with confidence as JPMorgan declares the U.S. will remain the global growth leader. While Europe wrestles with structural woes, the emerging markets face headwinds from high interest rates and a strong dollar. Meanwhile, the U.S. is powering ahead, fueled by an AI-driven spending spree and robust capital market activity. Artificial intelligence is sparking a capital expenditure boom that dwarfs anything seen in decades. The Magnificent 7 — Amazon.com Inc AMZN , Microsoft Corp MSFT , Meta Platforms Inc META , NVIDIA Corp NVDA , Alphabet Inc GOOGL GOOG , Tesla Inc TSLA and Apple Inc AAPL — plan to invest over $500 billion into capex and R&D next year, roughly 25% of their combined sales. JPMorgan estimates the broader AI ecosystem could surpass $1 trillion in spending by the end of the year. This includes costs for infrastructure, engineering talent and data center upkeep. While this AI frenzy promises to drive earnings growth, JPMorgan analysts warn of potential pitfalls. Capital misallocation and lofty growth expectations could draw investor skepticism by late 2025. Still, the long-term AI opportunity is undeniable, and JPMorgan sees key players poised to capitalize. Read Also: 2025 US Economy Outlook ‘Cloudier Than Normal,’ JPMorgan Says: Boom, Bust Scenarios JPMorgan projects a bounce-back year for earnings growth in 2025. S&P 500 companies are projected to achieve an 11.4% earnings increase with all 11 sectors turning positive after 2024’s uneven performance. Meanwhile, small-cap Russell 2000 firms should see rebounding with double-digit earnings growth after enduring two years of declines. Even the Magnificent 7 are expected to sustain a 15% growth rate. JPMorgan analysts note a surprising upside could emerge if borrowing costs or the U.S. dollar ease. This should boost S&P 500 earnings by 1% for every 2% drop in the dollar. Here are a few of the top picks per theme, from JPMorgan’s 2025 outlook, which the firm has an Overweight (OW) rating on: AI Winners: Amazon, Microsoft, Nvidia, Alphabet, Meta, Qualcomm Inc QCOM , Salesforce Inc CRM . Deregulation Darlings: Apple, ExxonMobil Corp XOM , Baker Hughes Co BKR , Bank of America Corp BAC . America First Beneficiaries: Boeing Co BA , Lockheed Martin Corp LMT , General Motors Co GM , Ford Motor Co F , Caterpillar Inc CAT , and more. With an AI boom, a broad earnings recovery, and pro-American policies potentially reshaping the landscape, JPMorgan's 2025 vision sets a bold tone for the year ahead. Read Next: JPMorgan’s Volatility Play: Long VIX Calls, Short SPY Puts Photo: Sutthiphong Chandaeng via Shutterstock © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.‘Stand and Bang’ – Latest Celtic Warrior Happy to be a Collins and Not a Mayweather
Money, Gun Violence, Hate Crimes: Poll Reveals Top Worries at the End of 2024
US homelessness up 18% as affordable housing remains out of reach for many people Federal officials say the United States saw an 18.1% increase in homelessness, a dramatic rise driven mostly by a lack of affordable housing as well as devastating natural disasters and a surge of migrants in several parts of the country. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said that federally required tallies taken across the country in January found that more than 770,000 people were counted as homeless. That increase comes on top of a 12% increase in 2023, which HUD blamed on soaring rents and the end of pandemic assistance. Among the most concerning trends was a nearly 40% rise in family homelessness. An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump's political coalition WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in the president-elect’s political movement into public display. The argument previews fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare tensions between the newest flank of Trump’s movement — that is, wealthy members of the tech world who want more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump’s Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. A 9th telecoms firm has been hit by a massive Chinese espionage campaign, the White House says WASHINGTON (AP) — A top White House official says a ninth U.S. telecoms firm has been confirmed to have been hacked as part of a sprawling Chinese espionage campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. Administration officials said this month that at least eight telecommunications companies, as well as dozens of nations, had been affected by the Chinese hacking blitz known as Salt Typhoon. But Anne Neuberger, a deputy national security adviser, said Friday that a ninth victim had been identified after the administration released guidance to companies about how to hunt for Chinese culprits in their networks. Israeli troops burn northern Gaza hospital after forcibly removing staff and patients, officials say DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Gaza's Health Ministry says Israeli troops have stormed one of the last hospitals operating in the territory's north on Friday and forced many of the staff and patients outside. Then they had to remove their clothes in winter weather. It was the latest assault on Kamal Adwan Hospital. Parts of it were set on fire. Staff say it has been hit multiple times in the past three months by Israeli troops waging an offensive against Hamas fighters in surrounding neighborhoods. Israel's military says Hamas uses the hospital as a base. It did not provide evidence, and hospital officials have denied it. Azerbaijani and U.S. officials suggest plane that crashed may have been hit by weapons fire U.S. and Azerbaijani officials have said weapons fire may have brought down an Azerbaijani airliner that crashed on Wednesday, killing 38 people. The statements from Rashad Nabiyev and White House national security spokesman John Kirby on Friday raised pressure on Russia. Officials in Moscow have said a drone attack was underway in the region that the Azerbaijan Airlines flight was destined for but have not addressed statements from aviation experts who blamed the crash on Russian air defenses responding to a Ukrainian attack. The plane was flying from Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku to Chechnya on Wednesday when it crashed, killing 38 people and leaving all 29 survivors injured. Court rules Georgia lawmakers can subpoena Fani Willis for information related to her Trump case ATLANTA (AP) — A judge has ruled that the Georgia state Senate can subpoena Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. It's part of a inquiry into whether Willis has engaged in misconduct during her prosecution of President-elect Donald Trump. But Fulton County Superior Court Judge Shukura Ingram is giving Willis the chance to contest whether lawmakers’ demands are overly broad before Willis responds. A Republican-led committee was formed earlier this year and sent subpoenas to Willis in August seeking to compel her to testify during its September meeting and to produce scores of documents. Willis argued that the committee didn’t have the power to subpoena her. In states that ban abortion, social safety net programs often fail families MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee has a nearly total abortion ban and a porous safety net for mothers and young children. GOP state leaders in Tennessee and other states that banned abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 argue that they are bolstering services for families. Recent research and an analysis by The Associated Press has found that from the time a Tennessee woman gets pregnant, she faces greater obstacles to a healthy pregnancy, a healthy child and a financially stable family life than the average American mom. Maryland sues maker of Gore-Tex over pollution from toxic 'forever chemicals' Maryland is suing the company that produces the waterproof material Gore-Tex. State officials say the company's leaders kept using so-called “forever chemicals” long after learning about serious health risks. The federal complaint alleges Delaware-based W.L. Gore & Associates polluted the air and water around 13 facilities in northeastern Maryland with chemicals that have been linked to certain cancers, reproductive issues and high cholesterol. They’re nearly indestructible and can build up in various environments, including the human body. The company stopped using the harmful chemicals in 2014 and says it’s working with state regulators on testing and cleanup efforts. Man indicted in burning death of woman inside a New York City subway train, prosecutors say NEW YORK (AP) — The man accused of burning a woman to death inside a New York City subway train has been indicted on state charges. A prosecutor announced Sebastian Zapeta’s indictment at a court hearing Friday. The development comes days after Zapeta’s arrest and subsequent police questioning in which they say he identified himself in photos and surveillance video showing the fire being lit. The indictment will be under seal until Jan. 7. He remains jailed. Federal immigration officials say the 33-year-old Zapeta is from Guatemala and entered the U.S. illegally. Authorities are continuing to work to identify the victim. Alex Ovechkin is on track to break Wayne Gretzky's NHL career goals record Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals is chasing the NHL career goals record of 894 held by Wayne Gretzky. Ovechkin entered the season 42 goals short of breaking a record that long seemed unapproachable. He is set to play again Saturday at the Toronto Maple Leafs after missing more than a month with a broken left fibula. Ovechkin was on pace to get to 895 sometime in February before getting injured. At 868, he his 27 goals away from passing Gretzky.According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) , this year's Thanksgiving holiday travel period is projected to be the busiest ever recorded for scheduled commercial flights. From Tuesday, November 26, through Monday, December 2, TSA estimates it will screen approximately 18.3 million travelers as they pass through security. This is also a 6% year-over-year increase from a similar period around Thanksgiving in 2023. Specifically, TSA expects the busiest travel day for commercial fliers to take place on Sunday, December 1st, when it predicts to screen more than three million individual passengers. Not only will there be a significant increase in commercial travelers, but the private aviation industry will most likely see a jump as well. A record Thanksgiving travel period followed by Christmas and New Year's. A recent increase in private jet travel The private aviation industry has seen significant growth over recent years. Specifically, the industry saw a large jump in private jet operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many business executives and wealthy travelers wanted to continue to travel without worrying about social distancing. As the COVID-19 pandemic ended, many of these wealthy travelers went back to the commercial airlines. However, numerous travelers who began flying privately in recent years have continued to fly privately. Overall, private jet flight operations have increased steadily and have remained above operations recorded in 2019, which was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Flying privately gives travelers the ultimate flexibility. These travelers have the ability to take off whenever they choose, instead of relying on strictly scheduled commercial flights. Travelers can also fly direct routes from their home airport to their required destination, as long as the business jet they are utilizing has the range to reach the destination. Additionally, private jet fliers have a larger number of airports to depart from and land at. Because private jets are typically smaller than commercial airliners, private jets have the ability to land on shorter runways at smaller airports. This greatly increases the number of destinations that private jet travelers can reach. How will the private aviation industry be affected during the holidays? As TSA expects to see a significant increase in travelers, it makes sense that the private aviation industry also expects to see a surge in requested flights. Simple Flying spoke with Cory Bengtzen, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SkyShare, one of the leading private aviation providers based in Salt Lake City, Utah, about this increase. Bengtzen stated, "Aside from the holiday season as a whole, Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel periods throughout the year. So there is an added element of convenience and peace of mind for families when they have the opportunity to fly privately. With airport congestion and the possibility of flights getting delayed or canceled altogether, private flights afford travelers the opportunity to make the most of their long weekend." The SkyShare Founder also mentioned that the private jet provider sees the biggest surge in flights in the two or three days just before Thanksgiving. This aligns with the TSA's projection of the busiest days during the November holidays. Joel Thomas, the President of Stratos Jets, also spoke with Simple Flying about the expected surge of private jet flights. Thomas stated, "The days and weeks leading up to Thanksgiving mark one of the busiest periods for private aviation." Thomas also mentioned that Stratos Jets is expecting an initial surge to occur on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, as travelers head home for the holiday. Stratos Jets is also expecting a surge on both Friday and Sunday after Thanksgiving, aligning with TSA's travel projections for the holiday.
NASHVILLE — Married couples across the U.S. have had access to no-fault divorce for more than 50 years, an option many call crucial to supporting domestic abuse victims and key to preventing already crowded family courts from drowning in complicated divorce proceedings. But some advocates for women worried as old comments from vice presidential candidate JD Vance opposing no-fault divorce circulated during the campaign. And after President-elect Donald Trump and Vance won the election, warnings began popping up on social media urging women who might be considering divorce to “pull the trigger” while they still could. Some attorneys posted saying they were seeing a spike in calls from women seeking divorce consultations. Trump — who is twice-divorced — hasn’t championed overhauling the country’s divorce laws, but in 2021 Vance lamented that divorce is too easily accessible, as have conservative podcasters and others. “We’ve run this experiment in real time and what we have is a lot of very, very real family dysfunction that’s making our kids unhappy,” Vance said during a speech at a Christian high school in Santa Monica, where he criticized people being able to “shift spouses like they change their underwear.” Despite concerns, even those who want to make divorces harder to get say they don’t expect big, swift changes. There is not a national coordinated effort underway. And states determine their own divorce laws, so national leaders can’t change policy. “Even in some of the so-called red states, it hasn’t gotten anywhere,” said Beverly Willett, co-chair of the Coalition for Divorce Reform, whose group has unsuccessfully attempted to convince states to repeal their no-fault divorce laws. Mark A. Smith, a political science professor at the University of Washington, said that though many Americans have become accustomed to no-fault divorce being an option, Vance’s previous comments on making it more difficult to separate from a spouse could help jump-start that effort. “Even though he’s not directly proposing a policy, it’s a topic that hasn’t gotten a ton of discussion in the last 15 years,” Smith said. “And so to have a national profile politician talk that way is noteworthy.” Meanwhile, Republican Party platforms in Texas and Nebraska were amended in 2022 to call for the removal of no-fault divorce. Louisiana’s Republican Party considered something similar earlier this year but ultimately declined to do so. A handful of proposals have been introduced in conservative-led state legislatures over the years, but all immediately stalled after they were filed. In January, Oklahoma Republican state Sen. Dusty Deevers introduced legislation that would have barred married couples from filing for divorce on the grounds of incompatibility. Deevers backed the bill after writing that no-fault divorce was an “abolition of marital obligation.” In South Carolina, two Republican lawmakers in 2023 filed a bill that would have required both spouses to file for a no-fault divorce application rather than just one. And in South Dakota, a Republican lawmaker has since 2020 attempted to remove irreconcilable difference as grounds for divorce. None of the sponsors of these bills responded to interview requests from the Associated Press. All are members of their state’s conservative Freedom Caucus. Some Democratic lawmakers say they remain worried about the future of no-fault divorce. They point to the U.S. Supreme Court overturning the constitutional right to abortion in 2022 as an example of a long-accepted option that was revoked through a decades-long effort. “When you choose to be silent, you allow for this to creep in,” said Democratic South Dakota state Rep. Linda Duba. “These are the bills that gain a foothold because you choose to be silent.” Before California became the first state to adopt a no-fault divorce option in 1969, married couples had to prove that their spouse had violated one of the approved “faults” outlined in their state’s divorce law or risk a judge denying their divorce, said Joanna Grossman, a law professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Qualified reasons varied from state to state, but largely included infidelity, incarceration or abandonment. The system was a particular burden on domestic violence victims, often women, who could be stuck in dangerous marriages while they tried to prove their partner’s abuse in court through expensive and lengthy legal proceedings. “If there was any evidence that the couple both wanted to get divorced, that was supposed to be denied because divorce was not something you got because you wanted it, it was something you got because you’ve been wronged in a way that the state thought was significant,” Grossman said. To date, every state in the U.S. has adopted a no-fault divorce option. However, 33 states still have a list of approved “faults” to file as grounds for divorce — ranging from adultery to felony conviction. In 17 states, married people only have the option of choosing no-fault divorce to end their marriages. In the 1990s, concern pushed by President George H.W. Bush’s administration over the country’s divorce rate sparked a brief movement for states to adopt “covenant marriages.” The option didn’t replace a state’s no-fault divorce law, but provided an option for couples that carried counseling requirements and strict exceptions for divorce. Louisiana was the first state to embrace covenant marriage options, but the effort largely stopped after Arizona and Arkansas followed suit. Christian F. Nunes, president of the National Organization for Women, said she is “extremely worried” about the possibility of no-fault divorce being removed with the incoming Trump administration, Republican-controlled Congress and wide range of conservative state leaders. “With so many states focusing on a misogynistic legislative agenda, this will turn back the clocks on women’s rights even more,” Nunes said in a statement. “This is why removing ‘no fault’ divorce is another way for the government to control women, their bodies, and their lives. Eliminating no-fault divorce is also a backdoor way of eliminating gay marriage, since this implies that a marriage is only between a man and a woman.” With Trump’s reelection, Willett, whose group opposes no-fault divorce, said she’s cautiously optimistic that the political tide could change. “Was what he said an indication of things to come? I don’t know,” Willett said. “It’s a good thing, but it’s certainly not anything that has been really discussed other than a few high-profile conservatives who talk about it.” Kruesi writes for the Associated Press.
It didn't take Syracuse first-year coach Fran Brown long to figure out the key matchup for Saturday afternoon's Atlantic Coast Conference game visiting Miami. "Syracuse has a really good quarterback," Brown said of Kyle McCord, "and Miami has a really good quarterback (Cam Ward)." With a win on Saturday, the No. 6 Hurricanes (10-1, 6-1 ACC) can clinch a berth in the league championship game against SMU. Miami is a 10 1/2-point favorite for Saturday's game. Syracuse (8-3, 4-3) has reached eight wins for just the fourth time since 2002, going 8-5 in 2010 and 2012 and 10-3 in 2018. However, the Orange haven't defeated a Top-10 team since knocking off Clemson in 2017. Miami leads the nation in scoring (44.7), and the Hurricanes will count on perfect passing conditions in Syracuse's dome. That could be huge for Ward, who leads the nation with 34 touchdown passes, ranking second in passing yards (3,774) and fourth in passing efficiency. Ward's top target is wide receiver Xavier Restrepo, who needs just 21 yards to reach 1,000 for the second straight season. Restrepo also ranks tied for seventh in the nation with 10 TD receptions. Ward has some other top targets, including 6-foot-4, 245-pound tight end Elijah Arroyo, who is a walking mismatch because of his size and speed. He leads Miami with 18.5 yards per reception. Hurricanes wide receivers Isaiah Horton and Jacolby George have combined for 12 TD passes, and Sam Brown has added two more. Each of them has more than 500 receiving yards this season. Miami's running game features battering ram Damien Martinez (739 yards, 5.5 average, eight TDs); versatile Mark Fletcher Jr. (499 yards, 5.7 average, six TDs); and game-breaking freshman Jordan Lyle (361 yards, 8.6 average, four TDs). Defensively, Miami's big-play man is safety Mishael Powell, who ranks second in the ACC with five interceptions. "He's all about winning," Miami coach Mario Cristobal said of Powell. "He's a smart, self-starting team player." On special teams, Miami kicker Andres Borregales ranks second in the ACC with 97 points. He is 52-for-52 on extra points and 15-for-16 on field goals. Meanwhile, McCord ranks No. 1 in the nation in passing yards (3,946) and tied for seventh in TD passes (26). McCord, a transfer from Ohio State, has also set Syracuse's single-season record for passing yards. In last week's 31-24 win over Connecticut, McCord passed for a career-high 470 yards. However, McCord is just 46th in the nation in passing efficiency, due in part to his high total of interceptions (12). Syracuse also has three of the top six pass-catchers in the ACC in terms of yards: tight end Oronde Gadsden II (810) and wide receivers Jackson Meeks (801) and Trebor Pena (743). Gadsden, who is from the greater Miami area, has had three straight 100-yard games. He is the son of former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Oronde Gadsden. Syracuse's run game is led by LeQuint Allen, who has rushed for 819 yards, a 4.3 average and 12 TDs. The issue for Syracuse could be its defense, which ranks 13th in the ACC in points allowed (27.8). Miami's defense is fourth (22.3). Even so, Syracuse coach Brown said he's excited about this matchup. "I heard Miami is going to come deep," Brown said of Miami fans. "It's going to be intense in the stands. It's going to be intense on the field. I think this is a game everyone wants to see." --Field Level MediaPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts may sit out a potential NFC East clincher against Dallas because of the lingering effects of a concussion . The Eagles could also just rest Hurts to play it safe -- even if he’s medically cleared ahead of Sunday’s game -- and protect their franchise QB from additional injury over the final two games. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni kept quiet this week on which QB will start Sunday, in large part, of course, because of the head injury suffered by Hurts in last week’s loss to Washington that forced him into the concussion protocol . The issue was complicated by backup Kenny Pickett’s rib injury suffered in relief of Hurts in his first real game competition in nearly a year. Tanner McKee, the third-string QB, could move into a backup role — or maybe even get the start against the Cowboys. Philadelphia's starting quarterback situation has surged past Saquon Barkley's chase at Eric Dickerson's season rushing record as the most intriguing talking point in the final two games. The Eagles (12-3) appear certain to win the division title — they're two games ahead of Washington (10-5) — and a No. 2 seed in the conference no matter the quarterback headed into the playoffs. Even with an unsettled QB spot, the Eagles are are still 71⁄2-point home favorites to beat division rival Dallas, per BetMGM Sportsbook. Sirianni appreciated that quarterback depth has been a strength for the Eagles. “We feel good about that room,” he said. So why risk Hurts against the Cowboys? There's little reason to make Hurts play only a week after absorbing a pair of blows to the head and the extra week off — maybe two if the finale against the Giants is truly meaningless — could add to his recovery time ahead of a home playoff game. The Eagles were burned in a similar situation last season when Hurts and star wide receiver A.J. Brown were both injured in the final game against the Giants with little at stake. With both players hampered by unnecessary injuries, the Eagles were dumped the next week by Tampa Bay in the NFC wild-card playoff game. The Eagles have options if Hurts is inactive. Pickett was 14 of 24 for 143 yards in relief, throwing a touchdown pass to Brown and an interception. Pickett, a first-round pick out of Pitt in 2022, went 14-10 as a starter for the Steelers before he was traded to the Eagles in the offseason. McKee was the Eagles’ 2023 sixth-round pick out of Stanford. The 6-foot-6, 231-pound quarterback has yet to take a snap in a regular-season game. He's mostly used in practice on the scout team or in developmental periods — at best, he'll stay late after practice to get some reps in with the top receivers. “Every week, every opportunity, it's knowing it could be my shot, my chance,” McKee said. He could finally get that shot against Dallas. With the Cowboys out of playoff contention, the questions persist for coach Mike McCarthy about bypassing Cooper Rush for a look at Trey Lance before both QBs hit free agency. McCarthy’s answer hasn’t wavered: Rush gives Dallas the best chance to win. Rush is 4-3 since Dak Prescott’s season-ending hamstring tear after going 5-1 over two previous stints as an injury replacement. That’s 9-4 total. Half the losses came in both of Rush’s starts against Eagles – the last of five games filling in during the 2022 season and the first game this season. “The mindset is to win,” McCarthy said. “We’re going to Philadelphia to win the game.” Barkley leads the NFL with 1,838 yards rushing for the season through 15 games. He still needs two big outings in the final games of the season against Dallas and the New York Giants to top Dickerson and his 2,105 yards for the Los Angeles Rams in 1984. Barkley is 268 yards away from passing Dickerson for the season mark and 162 shy from becoming the ninth player in NFL history with 2,000 yards rushing in a season. He ran for only 66 yards in the first game this season against Dallas. Dallas ranks 28th in the NFL in rushing defense, surrendering 135.9 yards per contest. Philadelphia, behind Barkley’s stellar play, tops the league at 187.9 yards per game on the ground. The Eagles have already have set a team record for yards rushing in a season with 2,818, and they are within four rushing touchdowns of tying the club’s single-season mark of 32, set in 2022. Barkley needs four more rushing touchdowns to tie LeSean McCoy’s Eagles record, set in 2011 and just 33 yards from scrimmage to break McCoy’s mark of 2,146 set in 2013. Star Dallas edge rusher Micah Parsons needs half a sack to reach double digits in each of his first four seasons despite missing four games with a high ankle sprain, the first injury absence of his career. The 2021 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year would be the fifth player to reach 10 sacks in each of his first four seasons. The other four — Claude Humphrey, Reggie White, Derrick Thomas and Dwight Freeney - are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. AP Pro Football Writer Schuyler Dixon contributed from Arlington, Texas. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflEagles QB Jalen Hurts is in the NFL’s concussion protocol. His status for Sunday is uncertain
* Dollar gains, with Treasury yields * Global stock index up, Wall St indexes close higher * Consumer confidence comes in light, capital goods rise By Sinéad Carew and Amanda Cooper NEW YORK/LONDON, - A global equity index rose on Monday with help from Wall Street, and U.S. Treasury yields climbed to an almost seven-month high while data showed a deterioration in U.S. consumer confidence and investors prepared for fewer Federal Reserve rate cuts in 2025. In U.S. equities, Nasdaq and the S&P 500 were boosted mostly by rallies in megacap technology stocks such as Nvidia Corp and Broadcom Inc. Earlier, the Conference Board said its U.S. consumer confidence index weakened in December to 104.7 versus economist expectations for an increase to 113.3 and November's upwardly revised 112.8 on concerns about future business conditions. While new orders for key U.S.-manufactured capital goods rose in November amid strong demand for machinery, orders of durable goods, ranging from toasters to aircraft, dropped 1.1% after increasing 0.8% in October, with declines mostly reflecting weakness in commercial aircraft orders. Citing weak consumer confidence as a key negative for equities on Monday, Robert Phipps, a director at Per Stirling Capital Management, highlighted the 10-year Treasury yield's jump to its highest level since late May. "It's important for equity investors that the 4.6% level holds for 10-year Treasury yields and if we break above it there's a risk the market will go ahead and test 5%," he said, pointing to a slowing in Fed rate cuts as the reason. "The market is adjusting to a less dovish Fed policy," said Phipps, noting U.S. indexes looked weaker under the hood besides the rallies in heavyweight stocks. "It is a deceptively strong market," he said. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 66.69 points, or 0.16%, to 42,906.95, the S&P 500 rose 43.22 points, or 0.73%, to 5,974.07 and the Nasdaq Composite rose 192.29 points, or 0.98%, to 19,764.89. MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe rose 5.51 points, or 0.65%, to 849.74 while earlier, Europe's STOXX 600 index finished up 0.14%. Ahead of Tuesday's shorter trading day and Wednesday's market close for Christmas, Tim Ghriskey, senior portfolio strategist at Ingalls & Snyder said investors still had last Wednesday's steep sell-off on their minds after the Fed clearly signalled for fewer rate cuts next year. "There's concern about the economy. There's concern about the Fed making a wrong move and there's the great unknown of what Trump is actually going to do," said Ghriskey, referring to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration. In U.S. Treasuries, 10-year yields hit their highest level since late May as the Treasury Department this week sells short- and intermediate-dated debt. The yield on benchmark U.S. 10-year notes rose 6.7 basis points to 4.591%, from 4.524% late on Friday, while the 30-year bond yield rose 6.3 basis points to 4.7791%. A $69 billion two-year notes sale was met with healthy demand on Monday for the first auction of $183 billion in coupon-bearing supply this week. The 2-year note yield, which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations for the Fed, rose 3 basis points to 4.342%, from 4.312% late on Friday. In currencies, the dollar rebounded while the euro fell as recent global central bank meetings set expectations for diverging rate cut paths in the year ahead. The dollar index, measuring the greenback against a basket of major currencies, rose 0.27% to 108.08. The euro was down 0.22% at $1.0406 and against the Japanese yen, the dollar strengthened 0.45% to 157.12. Elsewhere, Sterling weakened 0.31% to $1.253 and Mexico's peso < MXN=> weakened 0.6% versus the dollar. Oil prices settled down slightly in thin trade before the holiday with concerns about a supply surplus next year and a strengthened dollar. U.S. crude settled down 0.32%, or 22 cents at $69.24 a barrel and Brent fell to $72.63 per barrel, down 0.43%, or 31 cents on the day. Gold prices edged lower in subdued holiday-season trading, weighed by a robust dollar and high U.S. Treasury yields. Spot gold fell 0.39% to $2,610.66 an ounce. U.S. gold futures fell 0.67% to $2,611.10 an ounce. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
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