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The UK is prepared for “all eventualities” if Donald Trump slaps import tariffs on goods from Britain, Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said. The US president-elect has already announced plans to hit China, Canada and Mexico with tariffs as part of his efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and drugs. But he has indicated he is prepared to use tariffs far more widely as part of his plan to protect American industry. Mr Trump has suggested he wants to increase tariffs on goods imported from around the world by 10% or 20%, rising to 60% on items from China. The UK could retaliate in the form of tariffs targeted at symbolically important US products such as whiskey, blue jeans and motorbikes – hitting brands like Jack Daniel’s, Levi’s and Harley-Davidson – as Britain and the European Union did during trade wars in Mr Trump’s first term in the White House. Mr Reynolds would not be drawn on what actions he would take but insisted the UK was prepared. He told the Commons Business and Trade Committee: “This is the big question facing global trading relationships.” The UK should be an advocate for “open, transparent, free trading relationships around the world”, he said. “Yes, it’s true to say, if any country imposed tariffs on UK companies exporting, it would hurt our companies. “But let’s also remember that it also hurts the consumers in whatever country are being asked to pay those tariffs. And there’s an inflationary pressure, there’s an impact on the cost of living.” The Cabinet minister acknowledged that a 20% tariffs on goods exported to the US would result in a “not insignificant” impact on UK economic growth. Asked if the Government had options ready to respond to tariffs from Mr Trump, the minister said: “I wouldn’t want to speculate, but the committee should assume that all eventualities have been prepared for.” The options in any dispute would be to do nothing, retaliate or negotiate. Asked if retaliatory tariffs on goods such as Harley-Davidson bikes were already prepared, the Trade Secretary said: “You would expect this department to prepare for every eventuality. But I think we should just be a little bit sensitive at this stage about speculating about how we would respond to something which hasn’t happened.” Mr Reynolds said the trade deficits with the US in relation to other European countries did not apply to the UK so Mr Trump might not feel the need to act in the same way as he would with other nations. He said: “There are a whole range of areas where we, as a country, I think could and should – if we could do it – welcome closer trading relationships with the US. “The US is a fundamental ally of ours. We have an incredibly strong trading relationship as it stands, and when I look to areas like services, technology, critical minerals, if there was the opportunity to work more closely together, I don’t think anyone should turn around immediately and say ‘not interested in that’.” He acknowledged there were “challenges” in seeking a closer trading relationship, or even a free-trade deal, which would have knock-on impacts with other important markets for the UK in the EU and China. “I don’t see the need at this stage to rule anything out or in, but to be realistic about where our national interest lies and being frank with the committee about the fact that any negotiation in any major principal market that we might do has to be considered not in isolation, but its relationship to other key markets, and what the consequences of that negotiation would mean for business and trade in those areas.” But he insisted he did not see the coming years as a “binary choice” between trading more closely with the US or EU.A British woman has become the fifth foreigner to die after a suspected methanol poisoning in Laos, as Australian Holly Bowles fights for life in a Bangkok hospital. Simone White, 28, a lawyer from southeast London, has been identified by British media as among the tourists who died after consuming drinks suspected to have been laced with methanol. “We are supporting the family of a British woman who has died in Laos, and we are in contact with the local authorities,” Britain’s foreign ministry said in a statement. An Australian, two Danes and an American have also died in the apparent mass poisoning in Vang Vieng, a popular tourist town in the landlocked Southeast Asian nation. Melbourne teenager Bianca Jones, 19, was confirmed to have died by her family on Thursday, sparking a wave of emotional tributes from loved ones and political leaders. Her friend Holly Bowles, also 19, continues to fight for her life in a different Bangkok hospital. The pair, from Beaumaris in Melbourne’s southeast, had been holidaying in Laos when they became ill along with a dozen other tourists in Vang Vieng last week. They had planned to stay at the Nana Backpacker Hostel in Vang Vieng and drank at the venue before reportedly going to Jaidee Bar on November 11. Ms Jones and Ms Bowles did not leave their dorm room for 24 hours and reported feeling unwell on November 13, before being taken to separate hospitals in Bangkok. Shaun Bowles told reporters outside Bangkok Hospital on Wednesday that his daughter remained in critical condition and on life support. “We just like to thank everyone from back home for all of the support and love that we’re receiving,” he said. “But we’d also like the people to appreciate right now, we just need privacy so we can spend as much time as we can with Holly.” Consular assistance is being provided to the families of the two Australians girls. Hostel manager Duong Duc Toan said the Australian women had joined more than 100 other guests for free shots of Lao vodka offered by the hostel as a gesture of hospitality. Thai authorities confirmed Ms Jones had died by “brain swelling due to high levels of methanol found in her system”. The Australian government has updated its travel advice for Laos, telling residents to be alert to the potential risk of spirit-based drinks including cocktails. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said drink-spiking and methanol poisoning were “far too common in many parts of the world”. “At this time I would say to parents, to young people, please have a conversation about risks, please inform yourselves, please let’s work together to ensure this tragedy does not happen again,” she said. Ms White’s friend Bethany Clarke also urged tourists in the region to avoid local spirits. “Just avoid them as so not worth it,” she wrote in a Laos backpacking Facebook group. “Six of us who drank from the same place are in hospital currently with methanol poisoning.” One New Zealand citizen has also fallen ill in Laos and could be a victim of methanol poisoning, New Zealand’s Foreign Ministry said. “Travellers are advised to be cautious about consuming alcoholic beverages, particularly cocktails and drinks made with spirits that may have been adulterated with harmful substances,” it said. With Reuters and APWant a Copilot+ laptop? Get the Asus Vivobook S 14 while it’s $300 off

Next-levelWall Street stocks were little changed on Thursday while Asian equities rose in thin Boxing Day trade, extending their "Santa Claus Rally" with several bourses still shut for the holiday. Japan's Nikkei index closed up 1.1 percent, boosted by comments from the Bank of Japan governor and share price gains for top-selling automaker Toyota. China's plans for massive bond issuances in 2025 also bolstered investor sentiment. "Even though many in the region are still shaking off a bit of a holiday hangover, with several markets closed for Boxing Day, Asian stocks opened higher, riding a favorable wave from China's financial bond juggernaut," said Stephen Innes from SPI Asset Management. In New York, major indices veered in and out of positive territory in a sleepy post-Christmas session. The broad-based S&P 500 finished down less than 0.1 percent. Large technology companies that have led the market in much of 2024 mostly took a breather. These included Netflix, Tesla and Amazon, all of which declined. "What's interesting today is that we're seeing small stocks bounce back a little bit," said Steve Sosnick of Interactive Brokers, noting that the Russell 2000 index put on 0.9 percent. Holiday consumer data showed a 3.8-percent increase in US retail spending from November 1 to December 24, according to a Mastercard SpendingPulse review of a key period for retailers. London Stockton, an analyst at Ned Davis Research, noted that the "Santa Claus rally could still be alive, with strong seasonality into the end of the year." Stock markets have traditionally fared well in the last five trading days of the year and the first two in the new year, a trend known as the "Santa Claus rally." Among a number of possible reasons advanced by experts include the festive holiday mood and purchasing ahead of the end of the tax year. Innes said remarks from Bank of Japan governor Kazuo Ueda in which he refrained from signaling a potential interest rate hike next month also "influenced bullish regional sentiments." Japanese market heavyweight Toyota ended nearly six percent higher after reports in the Nikkei business daily said it aimed to double its return on equity -- a key measure of a company's financial performance. New York - Dow: UP 0.1 percent at 43,325.80 (close) New York - S&P 500: DOWN less than 0.1 percent at 6,037.59 (close) New York - Nasdaq: DOWN 0.1 percent at 20,020.36 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.1 percent at 39,568.06 points (close) Hang Seng: UP 1.1 percent at 20,098.29 points (Tuesday close) Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.1 percent at 3,398.08 points (close) Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0424 from $1.0414 on Tuesday Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2526 from $1.2538 Dollar/yen: UP at 158.00 yen from 157.06 yen Euro/pound: UP at 83.19 pence from 83.05 pence West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.7 percent at $69.62 per barrel Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.4 percent at $73.26 per barrel bur-jmb/aha

Thousands rally after Georgian PM vows 'no negotiations' with pro-EU oppositionThe into the infamous —America’s only unsolved plane hijacking—officially ended in 2016. But federal law enforcement may be regaining interest in the case after examining a parachute rig long hidden inside a family’s storage. On November 24, 1971, a man registered as Dan Cooper boarded Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 traveling from Portland, Oregon, to Seattle, Washington. Once in midair Cooper passed a note to a stewardess informing her that his battered briefcase supposedly contained a bomb, and that he would detonate it unless he received $200,000 in cash and four parachutes. Flight 305’s pilots landed their plane in Seattle, at which point authorities delivered Cooper’s demands before the aircraft again took off for Portland. It was during this flight that the hijacker strapped on one of the parachutes, clutched his ransom money, and leapt into the night sky. What followed was one of the most high-profile US criminal investigations of all time—a case that spanned over 45 years, resulted in more than 800 suspect leads, and ended in no official charges or clear culprits. “Although the FBI appreciated the immense number of tips provided by members of the public, none to date have resulted in a definitive identification of the hijacker,” the on July 12, 2016. “... In order to solve a case, the FBI must prove culpability beyond a reasonable doubt, and, unfortunately, none of the well-meaning tips or applications of new investigative technology have yielded the necessary proof.” Authorities did take care to note, however, that “should specific physical evidence emerge—related specifically to the parachutes or the money taken by the hijacker—individuals with those materials are asked to contact their local FBI field office.” Seven years later, a retired pilot, recreational skydiver, and YouTuber took the FBI up on its offer. As highlighted earlier this week in a two-part report from Wyoming’s , D.B. Cooper sleuth believes he may finally possess evidence that can conclusively pin the hijacker’s identity to a man named Richard McCoy II. McCoy is a familiar name to Cooper case followers as one of the , although many critics have as the culprit. But although never proven to be the mystery hijacker, McCoy’s own story is wild enough—he conducted a nearly identical just five months after the D.B. Cooper incident. Unlike Cooper, however, McCoy didn’t fade into myth. Instead, within 72 hours thanks to fingerprints left in the plane, and McCoy was subsequently sentenced to 45 years in prison, although he always maintained his innocence. McCoy then managed to break out of his maximum security facility in Pennsylvania in 1974. Three months later, McCoy was cornered by police in Virginia City, Virginia, and killed in a shootout. Gryder attempted to contact McCoy’s now-adult children, Chanté and Richard “Rick” III, multiple times over the years, but they refused to comment in order to protect their mother, Karen, from implication in the D.B. Cooper case. After Karen McCoy’s death in 2020, however, they felt it was time to discuss the alleged family secret. Following extensive communications, Gryder eventually traveled to North Carolina to meet the surviving McCoys and assess their evidence. According to Gryder’s own, , the items believed to prove both their father and mother’s roles in the robbery include a skydiving log that coincided with both the D.B. Cooper and Utah hijackings. They also revealed a heavily modified military surplus bailout parachute rig that they allege their father used to jump out of Flight 305 in 1971. “That rig is literally one in a billion,” Gryder told . The potential smoking guns allegedly didn’t just catch the interest of Gryder, either. On November 18th, a explained the new finds prompted the FBI to contact Gryder, as well as arrange for a visit to the McCoy family’s property in North Carolina. Additional video footage reportedly depicts at least seven vehicles and over a dozen FBI agents assessing “every nook and cranny” for around four hours, according to McCoy III speaking with the Wyoming paper. If true, it marks the first documented D.B. Cooper case follow-up its official close in 2016. But now, the D.B. Cooper case—and its potential McCoy family links—remain in limbo. Rick McCoy III stated he has provided DNA samples to the FBI, and is willing to exhume his father’s body for further analysis. The FBI did not respond to ’s request for comment, and redirected to its last case update in 2016. If it does become clear that Richard McCoy II was D.B. Cooper, however, it would put to rest one of US law enforcement’s longest and most unique cases.Matt Gaetz withdraws as attorney general nominee

UConn head coach Dan Hurley insists he's not overvaluing Wednesday night's game between his 25th-ranked Huskies and No. 15 Baylor in Storrs, Conn. Sure, it comes on the heels of the two-time reigning national champion Huskies (5-3) responding to losing all three games during the Maui Invitational with a blowout victory over Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday. UConn, which had won 17 consecutive games entering the Maui tournament, fell 23 spots from No. 2 to nearly out of the Associated Press Top 25 poll released Monday. "I think it's such a long season and we're eight games in," Hurley said when asked about facing the Bears. "Our performance in Maui shocked the college basketball world and the sports world, and obviously a lot went on there." "I don't think it's a must-win game in Game Nine of the season, but it's an opportunity to play in Gampel (Pavilion), where we play great and are very comfortable, and we know we're gonna have a great crowd." "We also know we're playing a top-level team, so it's a big game for us and it's a big game for them." Wednesday's game signifies the start of a tough stretch in UConn's schedule. The Huskies will visit Texas on Sunday and challenge No. 7 Gonzaga in New York on Dec. 14 before beginning Big East play on Dec. 18 against Xavier, which fell from No. 22 to out of the poll on Monday. But let's go back to Saturday's 99-45 dismantling of the Hawks. Jaylin Stewart started in place of the injured Alex Karaban (head) and joined Liam McNeeley by scoring 16 points to put UConn back in the win column. Solo Ball contributed 12 points, Aidan Mahaney had 11 and Tarris Reed Jr. (10 points, 12 rebounds) and Jayden Ross (10 points, 10 rebounds) each recorded a double-double. "This experience they're getting, (Stewart), Jayden Ross, Solo Ball, these guys are going to keep getting better and better," Hurley said. "Jaylin Stewart has flashed. That Memphis game (in which he scored 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting), he flashed a lot in that one. "... These sophomores are just going to keep getting better and better. That's why I do think we do need the grace and support of our people here at UConn. Because they're going to be such different players in January and February." Coming off a split in the Bahamas, Baylor (5-2) bounced back from a 77-62 setback to then-No. 11 Tennessee on Nov. 22 with a decisive 91-60 victory over New Orleans last Wednesday. "I know we're all a little tired," Bears coach Scott Drew said. "Whenever you come back from the Bahamas and a trip like that, the first game, you can be playing in mud. And I think the guys did a pretty good job, for the most part." Jayden Nunn drained six of his seven 3-pointers in the first half and finished with a season-high 23 points to power Baylor past the Privateers. Robert Wright III scored 18 points, Jeremy Roach had 17 and Miami transfer Norchad Omier recorded his third consecutive double-double after finishing with 12 points and a season-high 13 rebounds. --Field Level Media

Move over Jose Mourinho, you're no longer the special one. Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos can now legitimately lay claim to that title. What Broos has done for this Bafana team since he walked out at OR Tambo International arrivals three years ago, is nothing short of phenomenal. When Bafana failed to qualify for Africa Cup of Nations 2021, the national team had reached yet another low. With then-coach Molefi Ntseki exiting stage left, Broos was swiftly appointed. Since the Belgian international hung up his playing boots in 1986, he moved to coaching two years later in his homeland. Since then, Broos has coached in over 900 games to make him one of the most experienced managers in global football. New generation rising up He's blooded a new generation of youngsters in Bafana, and already the country is reaping the rewards. Chief among those rewards was Bafana's bronze medal at Afcon in Cameroon earlier this year in February. Led by goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, Bafana came agonisingly close to reaching the final as they lost to Nigeria on penalties in the semis. They did,... Michael ShermanHe is not yet in power but President-elect Donald Trump rattled much of the world with an off-hours warning of stiff tariffs on close allies and China -- a loud hint that Trump-style government by social media post is coming back. With word of these levies against goods imported from Mexico, Canada and China, Trump sent auto industry stocks plummeting, raised fears for global supply chains and unnerved the world's major economies. For Washington-watchers with memories of the Republican's first term, the impromptu policy volley on Monday evening foreshadowed a second term of startling announcements of all manner, fired off at all hours of the day from his smartphone. "Donald Trump is never going to change much of anything," said Larry Sabato, a leading US political scientist and director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics. "You can expect in the second term pretty much what he showed us about himself and his methods in the first term. Social media announcements of policy, hirings and firings will continue." The first of Trump's tariff announcements -- a 25 percent levy on everything coming in from Mexico and Canada -- came amid an angry rebuke of lax border security at 6:45 pm on Truth Social, Trump's own platform. The United States is bound by agreements on the movement of goods and services brokered by Trump in a free trade treaty with both nations during his first term. But Trump warned that the new levy would "remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country" -- sowing panic from Ottawa to Mexico City. Seconds later, another message from the incoming commander-in-chief turned the focus on Chinese imports, which he said would be hit with "an additional 10% Tariff, above any additional Tariffs." The consequences were immediate. Almost every major US automaker operates plants in Mexico, and shares in General Motors and Stellantis -- which produce pickup trucks in America's southern neighbor -- plummeted. Canada, China and Mexico protested, while Germany called on its European partners to prepare for Trump to impose hefty tariffs on their exports and stick together to combat such measures. The tumult recalls Trump's first term, when journalists, business leaders and politicians at home and abroad would scan their phones for the latest pronouncements, often long after they had left the office or over breakfast. During his first four years in the Oval Office, the tweet -- in those days his newsy posts were almost exclusively limited to Twitter, now known as X -- became the quasi-official gazette for administration policy. The public learned of the president-elect's 2020 Covid-19 diagnosis via an early-hours post, and when Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander Qasem Soleimani was assassinated on Trump's order, the Republican confirmed the kill by tweeting a US flag. The public and media learned of numerous other decisions big and small by the same source, from the introduction of customs duties to the dismissal of cabinet secretaries. It is not a communication method that has been favored by any previous US administration and runs counter to the policies and practices of most governments around the world. Throughout his third White House campaign, and with every twist and turn in his various entanglements with the justice system, Trump has poured his heart out on Truth Social, an app he turned to during his 20-month ban from Twitter. In recent days, the mercurial Republican has even named his attorney general secretaries of justice and health via announcements on the network. "He sees social media as a tool to shape and direct the national conversation and will do so again," said political scientist Julian Zelizer, a Princeton University professor. cjc/ft/dw/bjtDespite a recent market correction, RVNL and Tata Power stocks, previously strong performers, have shown declines. An expert analysis suggests potential upside for RVNL, with a buy recommendation above Rs 463 targeting Rs 550, but advises a stop-loss at Rs 408. For Tata Power, a buy range of Rs 397-410 is suggested, targeting Rs 490-500, with a stop-loss at Rs 370. New Delhi: Many Railway and power sector stocks have given strong returns to their investors in the last one year. However, the shares recorded a certain amount of decline during the recent ‘market correction’. Two stocks – Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) and Tata Power have given bumper returns to the shareholders. However, these two counters also witnessed a drop. RVNL share price target RVNL shares have recorded a continuous decline in the recent months. The railway stock is tagged as a multibagger and is very popular amongst the investors. Recently, the scrip had increased to the level of Rs 480, but from there it is continuously falling. In the last one year, this stock has given returns of more than 130 per cent. On December 27, 2024 RVNL share price closed at Rs 425.25. Commenting on the RVNL share price, Sharad Mishra, CIO of sharadmishra.com, said that a good breakout was seen in RVNL shares. Its financial results were also good. However, despite this the stock did not move. He said that this happened due to market weakness. The strike base of the stock is around Rs 408. Those who have RVNL shares should maintain a Stop Loss at Rs 408. If it goes below this, you can sell the position. He said that a big move in the stock can come if it reaches Rs 463. If the stock sustains its movement at this levels, it can go up to Rs 550. He advised the investors to buy the stock when there is a big upside move in the stocks. Tata Power share price target Giving his opinion on Tata Power stock, the market expert said that a broad top pattern is being formed inside Tata Power and interested investors can purchase the stock in the range of Rs 397-Rs 410. Stop loss can positioned at Rs 370, he added. Mishra advised the Tata Power shareholders to sell their positions if it closes below Rs 370. This zone has been tested many times. “If you see, this zone test has been done several times after around April 2024. Next its elid web takes it towards Rs 457 to Rs 460. If you hold some position, you can see targets of Rs 490 to 500,” the expert added. ( Disclaimer: This article is only meant to provide information. News9 does not recommend buying or selling shares or subscriptions of any IPO and Mutual Funds .) Click for more latest Markets news . Also get top headlines and latest news from India and around the world at News9. Biplob Ghosal is Online News Editor (Business) at TV9’s digital arm - News9live.com. Leading the english business editorial team, he writes on various issues related to stock markets, economy and companies. Having over a decade of experience in financial and political journalism, Biplob has been previously associated with Timesnownews.com, Zeenews. He is an alumnus of Makhanlal Chaturvedi Rashtriya Patrakarita Vishwavidyalaya. Follow him at @Biplob_ghosal.NEW YORK (AP) — Technology stocks pulled Wall Street to another record amid a mixed Monday of trading. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% from its all-time high set on Friday to post a record for the 54th time this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 128 points, or 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. Super Micro Computer, a stock that’s been on an AI-driven roller coaster, soared 28.7% to lead the market. Following allegations of misconduct and the resignation of its public auditor , the maker of servers used in artificial-intelligence technology said an investigation found no evidence of misconduct by its management or by the company’s board. It also said that it doesn’t expect to restate its past financials and that it will find a new chief financial officer, appoint a general counsel and make other moves to strengthen its governance. Big Tech stocks also helped prop up the market. Gains of 1.8% for Microsoft and 3.2% for Meta Platforms were the two strongest forces pushing upward on the S&P 500. Intel was another propellant during the morning, but it lost an early gain to fall 0.5% after the chip company said CEO Pat Gelsinger has retired and stepped down from the board. Intel is looking for Gelsinger’s replacement, and its chair said it’s “committed to restoring investor confidence.” Intel recently lost its spot in the Dow Jones Industrial Average to Nvidia, which has skyrocketed in Wall Street’s frenzy around AI. Stellantis, meanwhile, skidded following the announcement of its CEO’s departure . Carlos Tavares steps down after nearly four years in the top spot of the automaker, which owns car brands like Jeep, Citroën and Ram, amid an ongoing struggle with slumping sales and an inventory backlog at dealerships. The world’s fourth-largest automaker’s stock fell 6.3% in Milan. The majority of stocks in the S&P 500 likewise fell, including California utility PG&E. It dropped 5% after saying it would sell $2.4 billion of stock and preferred shares to raise cash. Retailers were mixed amid what’s expected to be the best Cyber Monday on record and coming off Black Friday . Target, which recently gave a forecast for the holiday season that left investors discouraged , fell 1.2%. Walmart , which gave a more optimistic forecast, rose 0.2%. Amazon, which looks to benefit from online sales from Cyber Monday, climbed 1.4%. All told, the S&P 500 added 14.77 points to 6,047.15. The Dow fell 128.65 to 44,782.00, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 185.78 to 19,403.95. The stock market largely took Donald Trump’s latest threat on tariffs in stride. The president-elect on Saturday threatened 100% tariffs against a group of developing economies if they act to undermine the U.S. dollar. Trump said he wants the group, headlined by Brazil, Russia, India and China, to promise it won’t create a new currency or otherwise try to undercut the U.S. dollar. The dollar has long been the currency of choice for global trade. Speculation has also been around a long time that other currencies could knock it off its mantle, but no contender has come close. The U.S. dollar’s value rose Monday against several other currencies, but one of its strongest moves likely had less to do with the tariff threats. The euro fell amid a political battle in Paris over the French government’s budget . The euro sank 0.7% against the U.S. dollar and broke below $1.05. In the bond market, Treasury yields gave up early gains to hold relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed above 4.23% during the morning before falling back to 4.19%. That was just above its level of 4.18% late Friday. A report in the morning showed the U.S. manufacturing sector contracted again last month, but not by as much as economists expected. This upcoming week will bring several big updates on the job market, including the October job openings report, weekly unemployment benefits data and the all-important November jobs report. They could steer the next moves for Federal Reserve, which recently began pulling interest rates lower to give support to the economy. Economists expect Friday’s headliner report to show U.S. employers accelerated their hiring in November, coming off October’s lackluster growth that was hampered by damaging hurricanes and strikes. “We now find ourselves in the middle of this Goldilocks zone, where economic health supports earnings growth while remaining weak enough to justify potential Fed rate cuts,” according to Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide. In financial markets abroad, Chinese stocks led gains worldwide as monthly surveys showed improving conditions for manufacturing, partly driven by a surge in orders ahead of Trump’s inauguration next month. Both official and private sector surveys of factory managers showed strong new orders and export orders, possibly partly linked to efforts by importers in the U.S. to beat potential tariff hikes by Trump once he takes office. Indexes rose 0.7% in Hong Kong and 1.1% in Shanghai. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

Closing First Nations infrastructure gap could generate $635B: report

He is not yet in power but President-elect Donald Trump rattled much of the world with an off-hours warning of stiff tariffs on close allies and China -- a loud hint that Trump-style government by social media post is coming back. With word of these levies against goods imported from Mexico, Canada and China, Trump sent auto industry stocks plummeting, raised fears for global supply chains and unnerved the world's major economies. For Washington-watchers with memories of the Republican's first term, the impromptu policy volley on Monday evening foreshadowed a second term of startling announcements of all manner, fired off at all hours of the day from his smartphone. "Donald Trump is never going to change much of anything," said Larry Sabato, a leading US political scientist and director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics. "You can expect in the second term pretty much what he showed us about himself and his methods in the first term. Social media announcements of policy, hirings and firings will continue." The first of Trump's tariff announcements -- a 25 percent levy on everything coming in from Mexico and Canada -- came amid an angry rebuke of lax border security at 6:45 pm on Truth Social, Trump's own platform. The United States is bound by agreements on the movement of goods and services brokered by Trump in a free trade treaty with both nations during his first term. But Trump warned that the new levy would "remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country" -- sowing panic from Ottawa to Mexico City. Seconds later, another message from the incoming commander-in-chief turned the focus on Chinese imports, which he said would be hit with "an additional 10% Tariff, above any additional Tariffs." The consequences were immediate. Almost every major US automaker operates plants in Mexico, and shares in General Motors and Stellantis -- which produce pickup trucks in America's southern neighbor -- plummeted. More from this section Canada, China and Mexico protested, while Germany called on its European partners to prepare for Trump to impose hefty tariffs on their exports and stick together to combat such measures. The tumult recalls Trump's first term, when journalists, business leaders and politicians at home and abroad would scan their phones for the latest pronouncements, often long after they had left the office or over breakfast. During his first four years in the Oval Office, the tweet -- in those days his newsy posts were almost exclusively limited to Twitter, now known as X -- became the quasi-official gazette for administration policy. The public learned of the president-elect's 2020 Covid-19 diagnosis via an early-hours post, and when Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander Qasem Soleimani was assassinated on Trump's order, the Republican confirmed the kill by tweeting a US flag. The public and media learned of numerous other decisions big and small by the same source, from the introduction of customs duties to the dismissal of cabinet secretaries. It is not a communication method that has been favored by any previous US administration and runs counter to the policies and practices of most governments around the world. Throughout his third White House campaign, and with every twist and turn in his various entanglements with the justice system, Trump has poured his heart out on Truth Social, an app he turned to during his 20-month ban from Twitter. In recent days, the mercurial Republican has even named his attorney general secretaries of justice and health via announcements on the network. "He sees social media as a tool to shape and direct the national conversation and will do so again," said political scientist Julian Zelizer, a Princeton University professor. cjc/ft/dw/bjt

According to the agenda report, milestone 3 studied revisions to the rail and trail alignment and alignment options that are in development, project funding opportunities, ridership modeling approaches, stations, bridge structures and noise impacts.

By Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald (TNS) MIAMI — As her students finished their online exam, Arlet Lara got up to make a cafe con leche . Her 16-year-old son found her on the kitchen floor. First, he called Dad in a panic. Then 911. “I had a stroke and my life made a 180-degree turn,” Lara told the Miami Herald, recalling the medical scare she experienced in May 2020 in the early months of the COVID pandemic. “The stroke affected my left side of the body,” the North Miami woman and former high school math teacher said. Lara, an avid runner and gym goer, couldn’t even walk. “It was hard,” the 50-year-old mom said. After years of rehabilitation therapy and a foot surgery, Lara can walk again. But she still struggles with moving. This summer, she became the first patient in South Florida to get an implant of a new and only FDA-approved nerve stimulation device designed to help ischemic stroke survivors regain movement in their arms and hands. This first procedure was at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. Lara’s rehab was at at the Christine E. Lynn Rehabilitation Center for The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, part of a partnership between Jackson Health System and UHealth. Every year, thousands in the United States have a stroke , with one occurring every 40 seconds, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The majority of strokes are ischemic, often caused by blood clots that obstruct blood flow to the brain. For survivors, most of whom are left with some level of disability, the Vivistim Paired VNS System, the device implanted in Lara’s chest, could be a game changer in recovery, said Dr. Robert Starke, a UHealth neurosurgeon and interventional neuroradiologist. He also serves as co-director of endovascular neurosurgery at Jackson Memorial Hospital, part of Miami-Dade’s public hospital system. The Vivistim Paired VNS System is a small pacemaker-like device implanted in the upper chest and neck area. Patients can go home the same day. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the stroke rehabilitation system in 2021 to be used alongside post-ischemic stroke rehabilitation therapy to treat moderate to severe mobility issues in hands and arms. Lara’s occupational therapist can activate the device during rehabilitation sessions to electrically stimulate the vagus nerve, which runs from the brain down to the abdomen and regulates various parts of the body’s nervous system. The electrical stimulation rewires the brain to improve a stroke survivor’s ability to move their arms and hands. Lara also has a magnet she can use to activate the device when she wants to practice at home. Her therapy consists of repetitive tasks, including coloring, pinching cubes and grabbing and releasing cylindrical shapes. After several weeks of rehabilitation therapy with the device, Lara has seen improvement. “Little by little, I’m noticing that my hand is getting stronger. I am already able to brush my teeth with the left hand,” she told the Miami Herald in September. Since then, Lara has finished the initial six-week Vivitism therapy program, and is continuing to use the device in her rehabilitation therapy. She continues to improve and can now eat better with her left hand and can brush her hair with less difficulty, according to her occupational therapist, Neil Batungbakal. Lara learned about the device through an online group for stroke survivors and contacted the company to inquire. She then connected them with her Jackson medical team. Now a year later, the device is available to Jackson patients. So far, four patients have received the implant at Jackson. Starke sees the device as an opportunity to help bring survivors one step closer to regaining full mobility. Strokes are a leading cause of disability worldwide. While most stroke survivors can usually recover some function through treatment and rehabilitation, they tend to hit a “major plateau” after the first six months of recovery, he said. Vivistim, when paired with rehabilitation therapy, could change that. Jackson Health said results of a clinical trial published in the peer-reviewed medical journal The Lancet in 2021 showed that the device, “when paired with high-repetition, task-specific occupational or physical therapy, helps generate two to three times more hand and arm function for stroke survivors than rehabilitation therapy alone.” The device has even shown to benefit patients 20 years from their original stroke, according to Starke. “So now a lot of these patients that had strokes 10-15 years ago that thought that they would never be able to use their arm in any sort of real functional way are now able to have a real meaningful function, which is pretty tremendous,” Starke said. Vivistim’s vagus-nerve stimulation technology was developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas’ Texas Biomedical Device Center and is being sold commercially by Austin-based MicroTransponder, a company started by university graduates. Similar devices are used to treat epilepsy and depression . For Lara, the device is a new tool to help her recovery journey. “Everything becomes a challenge so we are working with small things every day because I want to get back as many functions as possible,” Lara said. Patients interested in Vivistim should speak with their doctor to check their eligibility. The FDA said patients should make sure to discuss any prior medical history, including concurrent forms of brain stimulation, current diathermy treatment, previous brain surgery, depression, respiratory diseases and disorders such as asthma, and cardiac abnormalities. “Adverse events included but were not limited to dysphonia (difficulty speaking), bruising, falling, general hoarseness, general pain, hoarseness after surgery, low mood, muscle pain, fracture, headache, rash, dizziness, throat irritation, urinary tract infection and fatigue,” the FDA said. MicroTransponder says the device is “covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance with prior authorization on a case-by-case basis.” To learn more about the device, visit vivistim.com. ©2024 Miami Herald. Visit at miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The New England Patriots have missed some key players on defense for a chunk of the season, but they're getting closer to having one of them back. On Monday, the NFL reinstated safety Jabrill Peppers from the league's commissioner's exempt list. Peppers was arrested and charged with "assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, strangulation, and possession of a Class B substance believed to be cocaine" on October 7 following an alleged altercation in Braintree, Massachusetts. The 29-year-old, who received an extension during training camp , has a jury trial set for Jan. 22 following a pretrial hearing in Quincy, Massachusetts this past Friday. At this point, Peppers is allowed to return to practice and attend games with his removal from the commissioner's exempt list from a league perspective, but the investigation is still ongoing. “In accordance with the Personal Conduct Policy, the league initiated a preliminary investigation into an incident from early October. That review will remain ongoing and is not affected by this change in Peppers’ roster status.” New England released their own comment after the news. "The league has removed Jabrill Peppers from the commissioner’s exempt list. After missing the past seven games, he will now return to the active roster. We understand that the league’s investigation into the matter will continue, as will the legal process. We will await the outcome of both before making any further comment." It's unclear, at this point, if and when he'll return to the team. MORE PATRIOTS NEWS Winners and losers from Patriots’ Week 12 matchup vs. Dolphins Takeaways from New England’s loss to Miami Where Patriots sit in 2025 NFL draft order after Week 12 Patriots should consider coaching/front office changes

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