James Carville calls Biden the ‘most tragic figure in American politics in my lifetime’Computer modeling shows close encounters between distant DNA regions cause bursts of gene activity
Graphjet technology director sells shares worth $281,460IWV Burros compete at Valley Youth Football League Cheerleading Competition
Mixed outlook for local bourse
Biden will decide on US Steel acquisition after influential panel fails to reach consensus WASHINGTON (AP) — A powerful government panel has failed to reach consensus on the possible national security risks of a nearly $15 billion proposed deal for Nippon Steel of Japan to purchase U.S. Steel. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States on Monday sent its long-awaited report to President Joe Biden, a longtime opponent of the deal. Some federal agencies represented on the panel were skeptical that allowing a Japanese company to buy an American-owned steelmaker would create national security risks. That's according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter. Both Biden and President-elect Donald Trump opposed the merger and vowed to block it. Nippon Steel says it is confident the deal will go ahead. Nissan and Honda to attempt a merger that would create the world's No. 3 automaker TOKYO (AP) — Japanese automakers Nissan and Honda have announced plans to work toward a merger that would catapult them to a top position in an industry in the midst of tectonic shifts as it transitions away from its reliance on fossil fuels. The two companies said they signed an agreement on integrating their businesses on Monday. Smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors agreed to join the talks. News of a possible merger surfaced earlier this month. Japanese automakers face a strong challenge from their Chinese rivals and Tesla as they make inroads into markets at home and abroad. What a merger between Nissan and Honda means for the automakers and the industry BANGKOK (AP) — Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan will attempt to merge and create the world’s third-largest automaker by sales as the industry undergoes dramatic changes in its transition away from fossil fuels. The two companies said they had signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday and that smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors also had agreed to join the talks on integrating their businesses. Honda will initially lead the new management, retaining the principles and brands of each company. Following is a quick look at what a combined Honda and Nissan would mean for the companies, and for the auto industry. Survey: Small businesses are feeling more optimistic about the economy after the election A survey shows small business owners are feeling more optimistic about the economy following the election. The National Federation of Independent Businesses’ Small Business Optimism Index rose by eight points in November to 101.7, its highest reading since June 2021. The Uncertainty Index declined 12 points in November to 98, following October’s pre-election record high of 110. NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg said small business owners became more certain about future business conditions following the presidential election, breaking a nearly three-year streak of record high uncertainty. The survey also showed that more owners are also hoping 2025 will be a good time to grow. Heavy travel day starts with brief grounding of all American Airlines flights WASHINGTON (AP) — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide due to a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne Tuesday about one hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop, which prevented planes from taking off. American said in an email that the problem was caused by an issue with a vendor technology that maintains its flight operating system. Aviation analytics company Cirium said flights were delayed across American’s major hubs, with only 37% leaving on time. Nineteen flights were cancelled. Nordstrom to be acquired by Nordstrom family and a Mexican retail group in $6.25 billion deal Century-old department store Nordstrom has agreed to be acquired and taken private by Nordstrom family members and a Mexican retail group in a $6.25 billion deal. Nordstrom shareholders will receive $24.25 in cash for each share of Nordstrom common stock, representing a 42% premium on the company’s stock as of March 18. Nordstrom’s board of directors unanimously approved the the proposed transaction, while Erik and Pete Nordstrom — part of the Nordstrom family taking over the company — recused themselves from voting. Following the close of the transaction, the Nordstrom Family will have a majority ownership stake in the company. Stock market today: Wall Street rallies ahead of Christmas Stocks closed higher on Wall Street ahead of the Christmas holiday, led by gains in Big Tech stocks. The S&P 500 added 1.1% Tuesday. Trading closed early ahead of the holiday. Tech companies including Apple, Amazon and chip company Broadcom helped pull the market higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.9%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.3%. American Airlines shook off an early loss and ended mostly higher after the airline briefly grounded flights nationwide due to a technical issue. Treasury yields held steady in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury was little changed at 4.59% An analyst looks ahead to how the US economy might fare under Trump WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump won a return to the White House in part by promising big changes in economic policy — more tax cuts, huge tariffs on imports, mass deportations of immigrants working in the United States illegally. In some ways, his victory marked a repudiation of President Joe Biden’s economic stewardship and a protest against inflation. It came despite low unemployment and steady growth under the Biden administration. What lies ahead for the economy under Trump? Paul Ashworth of Capital Economics spoke recently to The Associated Press. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. American consumers feeling less confident in December, Conference Board says American consumers are feeling less confident in December, a business research group says. The Conference Board said Monday that its consumer confidence index fell back in December to 104.7 from 112.8 in November. Consumers had been feeling increasingly confident in recent months. The consumer confidence index measures both Americans’ assessment of current economic conditions and their outlook for the next six months. The measure of Americans’ short-term expectations for income, business and the job market tumbled more than a dozen points to 81.1. The Conference Board says a reading under 80 can signal a potential recession in the near future. Stock market today: Wall Street rises at the start of a holiday-shortened week Stocks closed higher on Wall Street at the start of a holiday-shortened week. The S&P 500 rose 0.7% Monday. Several big technology companies helped support the gains, including chip companies Nvidia and Broadcom. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 1%. Honda's U.S.-listed shares rose sharply after the company said it was in talks about a combination with Nissan in a deal that could also include Mitsubishi Motors. Eli Lilly rose after announcing that regulators approved Zepbound as the first prescription medicine for adults with sleep apnea. Treasury yields rose in the bond market.Arteta wanted his team to prove their European credentials following some underwhelming displays away from home, and the Gunners manager got exactly what he asked for. Goals from Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Magalhaes, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard got their continental campaign back on track in style following the 1-0 defeat at Inter Milan last time out. A memorable victory also ended Sporting’s unbeaten start to the season, a streak of 17 wins and one draw, the vast majority of which prompted Manchester United to prise away head coach Ruben Amorim. The Gunners had failed to win or score in their two away games in the competition so far this season, but they made a blistering start in the Portuguese capital and took the lead after only seven minutes. Declan Rice fed overlapping full-back Jurrien Timber, who curled a low cross in behind the home defence for Martinelli to finish at the far post. Arsenal doubled their lead in the 20th minute thanks to a glorious ball over the top from Thomas Partey. Saka escaped the clutches of his marker Maximiliano Araujo to beat the offside trap and poke the ball past advancing goalkeeper Franco Israel for Havertz to tap home. It was a scintillating first-half display which completely overshadowed the presence of Viktor Gyokeres in Sporting’s attack. The prolific Sweden striker, formerly of Coventry, has been turning the heads of Europe’s top clubs with his 24 goals in 17 games this season – including a hat-trick against Manchester City earlier this month. But the only time he got a sniff of a run at goal after an optimistic long ball, he was marshalled out of harm’s way by Gabriel. David Raya was forced into one save, tipping a fierce Geovany Quenda drive over the crossbar. But Arsenal added a third on the stroke of half-time, Gabriel charging in to head Rice’s corner into the back of the net. To rub salt in the wound, the Brazilian defender mimicked Gyokeres’ hands-over-his-face goal celebration. That may have wound Sporting up as they came out after the interval meaning business, and they pulled one back after Raya tipped Hidemasa Morita’s shot behind, with Goncalo Inacio netting at the near post from the corner. Former Tottenham winger Marcus Edwards fired over, as did Gyokeres, with Arsenal temporarily on the back foot. But when Martin Odegaard’s darting run into the area was halted by Ousmane Diomande’s foul, Saka tucked away the penalty. Substitute Trossard added the fifth with eight minutes remaining, heading in the rebound after Mikel Merino’s shot was saved, and Gyokeres’ miserable night was summed up when his late shot crashed back off the post.
Tech founders and Silicon Valley VCs who supported — and threw their money behind — Donald Trump are being handsomely rewarded by the President-elect. Shortly after winning the 2024 election, Trump appointed one of his biggest supporters, Elon Musk , to head up a new agency called the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Now, Trump is rewarding another wealthy tech founder for their loyalty: investor and podcaster David Sacks. "I am pleased to announce that David O. Sacks will be the 'White House A.I. & Crypto Czar,'" Trump announced in a post on his social media platform Truth Social. "In this important role, David will guide policy for the Administration in Artificial Intelligence and Cryptocurrency, two areas critical to the future of American competitiveness." According to Trump, Sacks' role will be to "safeguard Free Speech online" and "work on a legal framework" for the cryptocurrency industry. Trump also shared that Sacks would lead the Presidential Council of Advisors for Science and Technology. Sacks will be involved in crucial policy aspects of both a burgeoning technology in AI and a crypto industry ripe with fraud but expecting favorable treatment after throwing its support behind Trump. "Congrats to czar @DavidSacks!" OpenAI's Sam Altman posted on X shortly after the announcement from Trump. Who is David Sacks? Regular users of Musk's X , formerly Twitter, may have seen Sacks pop-up on the platform from time to time. Sacks' opinions obsessing over Russia's war with Ukraine have previously gone viral. He has often been critiqued for his seemingly pro-Russia and anti-Ukraine positions as well as fearmongering over a potential World War III. However, Sacks and Musk actually have history with each other — and a similar background. Like Musk, Sacks emigrated to the U.S. from South Africa. And in 1999, Sacks worked with Peter Thiel at PayPal, joining Musk as a member in the "PayPal Mafia," a group of early PayPal employees and founders who went on to find greater success founding their own tech startups. In 2008, Sacks co-founded Yammer, a social media platform for enterprises. Microsoft acquired Yammer in 2012 for $1.2 billion. Microsoft would go on to integrate Yammer within its Microsoft 365 products. Since then, Sacks has invested in a number of tech startups and companies. He founded a VC firm called Craft Ventures in 2017. In 2020, Sacks started the All-In podcast alongside Jason Calacanis, Chamath Palihapitiya, and David Friedberg. The podcast, where the four entrepreneurs discuss business and current events, has gained popularity in tech circles. Over time, the show has shown increasing support for right-wing politics, including hosting Trump for an interview in June and featuring Sacks broadcasting live from the Republican National Convention during the summer. Sacks, specifically, has been increasingly making a name for himself in right-wing circles, opposing prominent progressive politicians and public servants over recent years. And while Sacks previously said that Trump's role in the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol disqualified the former president from serving again, the VC quickly changed his tune and hosted a high-ticket fundraiser for Trump's campaign earlier this year. For Sacks, it appears like the pro-Trump move has paid off — barring any future falling outs with the 47th President.
A GIRL was found brutally strangled to death in woodland just two hours after she disappeared - more than 30 years ago. Stacey Queripel, seven, was reported missing by her mum from her home in the Ladybank area of Bracknell at 7pm on January 24, 1993. A police dog handler found her body at 9pm the same day in the woods near South Hill Park in the Berkshire town. Her cause of death was strangulation, a post-mortem examination concluded. An inquest later recorded Stacey's brutal death as unlawful killing . No-one has ever been charged over Stacey's murder despite fresh police appeals. Read More UK News Last year Thames Valley Police's Peter Beirne said: "I believe there are people who have information or suspicions about Stacey’s murder. "But for whatever reason they have yet to inform the police. The time has come to provide that information." Beirne added: "If you have any suspicions whatsoever, we want to hear from you. "My team will never stop investigating cold case murders and sexual offences. Most read in The Sun "We have secured convictions for 19 stranger rapes and six murders with ever advancing forensic technology. "We will lock up more offenders, and bring justice to other victims and their families. "We are determined to discover the truth about what happened to Stacey. "So I reiterate again that if anyone has any information or even a suspicion as to what happened, please contact us or Crimestoppers. "Get that burden off your shoulders and let us investigate any information that you have." If you can help detectives, call 101 or visit a police station quoting reference 650 (23/1). Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Thames Valley Police has been contacted for an update on the investigation.Heavy travel day starts with brief grounding of all American Airlines flights
Illinois rolls out first phase of plan to modernize professional licensing (copy)AP Business SummaryBrief at 5:27 p.m. ESTHYDRAA to Use NRSC Images to Protect Lakes
MUMBAI: India's insurance penetration, which is measured as a ratio of annual premium to GDP, dipped in FY24 for the second year in a row after touching a peak of 4.2% in the wake of Covid. According to regulator Irdai's annual report released on Monday, India's insurance penetration was 3.7% in FY24 compared to 4% in 2022-23. The insurance penetration for the life insurance industry marginally declined from 3% in the previous year to 2.8% in 2023-24. The penetration for the non-life insurance industry remained unchanged at 1% during 2023-24, as in 2022-23. While the share of insurance to GDP declined, there was a modest increase in per capita premium (insurance density) from $92 in FY22 to $95 in FY23. India's experience goes against the global trend, where insurance penetration in both life and non-life segments has risen, with the global average at 7% in 2023 versus 6.8% in 2022. During 2023-24, the life insurance industry recorded a premium income of Rs 8.3 lakh crore, registering a 6.1% growth which was slower than the increase in GDP. Private sector life insurers clocked a growth of 15.1% in premium, while the public sector life insurer recorded a growth of 0.2%. The life insurance industry paid total benefits of Rs 5.8 lakh crore in 2023-24, constituting 70.2% of the net premium. Benefits paid on account of surrenders/withdrawals increased by 15.3% to Rs 2.3 lakh crore in 2023-24, of which the public sector life insurer accounted for 58.4%. During 2023-24, the non-life insurance industry underwrote a total direct premium of Rs 2.9 lakh crore in India, registering a growth of 12.8% over the previous year. A significant portion of the increase was because of individuals paying a higher premium for health insurance coupled with growth in motor insurance. During 2023-24, general and health insurers settled 2.7 crore health insurance claims and paid Rs 83,493 crore towards claim settlements. In FY24, general insurers, including specialised ones, paid total claims (excluding health insurance) amounting to Rs 1,01,050 crore. Of this, private general insurers paid 55% (Rs 55,524 crore), PSU general insurers paid 32% (Rs 32,131 crore), and specialised ones paid Rs 13,396 crore (13%). As of March 31, 2024, investments made by the insurance industry stood at Rs 67.6 lakh crore, compared to Rs 60 lakh crore as of March 31, 2023, registering an increase of 12.6%. The share of life insurers stood at 91.1%, while general insurers (including specialised and standalone health insurers) constituted 7%, and reinsurers, including branches of foreign reinsurers, made up 1.9%. The share of PSUs stood at 69.5%, and the private sector constituted 30.5% during the same period. Ready to Master Stock Valuation? ET’s Workshop is just around the corner!