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☆ Harris set to name running mate as global turmoil rocks an already surreal campaign
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-06 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

In the final hours of her search after a compressed vetting period, Harris narrowed in on two candidates — Pennsylvania Gov. Tim Walz, 60, sources told CNN, although Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly remained in the running as of Monday afternoon. But perception is often as important as reality in a presidential race. A critical choiceThe choice of a running mate is the first, most critical decision a party nominee makes. Still, Harris’ strong start appears to have restored the election to a neck-and-neck race, according to recent surveys.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Donald Trump flailing, Harris, Joe Biden’s, Josh Shapiro, Tim Walz, Arizona Sen, Mark Kelly, Shapiro, Walz, Trump, Biden, Harris ’, White, Barack Obama, Republican John McCain, Ismail Haniyeh, Israel’s, Benjamin Netanyahu, Jake Auchincloss, “, CNN’s Kasie Hunt, Harris Trump, Kamala, ”, it’s, Ohio Sen, JD Vance, Sarah Palin, —, don’t Organizations: CNN, Republican, Minnesota Gov, Democratic, Trump, Dow Jones, US, Federal Reserve, Biden, United States ., Israeli, Massachusetts Democrat, Ohio, Democratic National Convention, White Locations: Philadelphia, Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, Israel, United States, Iraq, Iran, Tehran, Gaza, Massachusetts, Chicago, Atlanta, Pennsylvania

☆ Israelis fear for hostages as Netanyahu celebrates ‘crushing blows’ against enemies
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-03 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | Mike Schwartz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Tel Aviv, Israel CNN —As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu celebrates what he sees as major victories against Hamas and Hezbollah this week, the mood in Tel Aviv is far from celebratory. On Wednesday, Netanyahu said that his country “struck crushing blows” to the “the three H’s” – Hamas, the Houthis and Hezbollah, all Iranian-backed, all fierce Israeli foes. Hamas also blamed Israel for the assassination of their political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed on Wednesday in Tehran. Netanyahu’s tone stands at odds with the mood on the ground in Tel Aviv, including among families of the hostages still in Gaza. Polls have repeatedly shown that most Israelis prioritize the release of hostages over continued war.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, ”, Mohammed Deif, Fu’ad Shukr, Israel, Ismail Haniyeh, –, Shiri, Yarden, Ariel, Kfir, Bibas, Zailer, CNN’s Clarissa Ward, ” Zailer, “, Kibbutz Nir, ” ‘, “ We’re, Itay, Let’s, ” Oved, Alona Lelchuk, ” Netanyahu Organizations: Israel CNN —, Hamas, Israel Defense Forces, CNN, Minister’s Office, Israel Democracy Institute, IDI, “ Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, Yemen, Tehran . Israel, Gaza, Rafah, ”, United States, Tel

☆ Airlines and Passengers Still Struggling, a Day After Global Outage
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-20 | by ( Christine Chung | Derek M. Norman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A day after a tech outage disrupted industries worldwide, airlines are digging themselves out from the fallout of thousands of delayed and canceled flights that have left travelers stranded and searching to find a way home over the weekend. On Saturday morning, delays and cancellations had ebbed, and both domestic and international airlines said they expected to return to near normal operations. But higher than usual cancellation rates are still likely throughout the day, as airlines continue to maneuver planes and their flight crews back into position. Yesterday’s software outages immobilized airlines, affecting numerous functions, including calculating aircraft weight, checking in and communicating with travelers. The waits stacked up for passengers, and some were left with no option other than to sleep at airports.

Persons: Grace Aldrin Organizations: La Guardia Locations: New York, Chicago

☆ When my son's dad moved out, we thought our relationship was over — but we're still family
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-13 | by ( Sara Graybeal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

When my son's father moved out of the house we shared with our 3-year-old, he took his shoe collection, some pictures, and old Father's Day cards. I was a single mom, but my best friend just happened to be my son's father. Sara Graybeal is still close with her son's father. To be allowed to pick our son up from school, my son's father had to self-identify as a "relative or family friend." AdvertisementWe just weren't exclusive life partners in the way we'd tried to be before.

Persons: fryer, Sara Graybeal, —, we'd, haven't Organizations: Service, Business

☆ Meet Lady Sarah Rose Hanbury, a British noblewoman whose family has been linked to royals for generations
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Talia Lakritz | Maria Noyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Reports that Prince William had an affair with Rose Hanbury have been quietly deleted from some news websites. Rumors circulating about Rose Hanbury and Prince William first emerged in 2019. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images, Chris Jackson/Getty ImagesRumors about a relationship between Hanbury and William have been swirling since at least 2019. The talk about Hanbury and William ebbed and flowed in the years that followed, sometimes given a wider audience on social media as well as US and UK media publications. The outlets, Kensington Palace, and representatives for Hanbury didn't respond to July 10 requests for comment from BI.

Persons: Prince William, Rose Hanbury, Max Mumby, Chris Jackson, Hanbury, William, William ebbed, Vulture, Hanbury didn't Organizations: Daily, European, Human Rights, Daily Mail Locations: Kensington

☆ Reports that Prince William had an affair with Rose Hanbury have been quietly deleted from some news websites
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Maria Noyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewReports speculating that Prince William had an affair with British noblewoman Sarah Rose Hanbury have been quietly deleted by UK media outlets, a Vulture investigation suggests. AdvertisementPrince William and Kate Middleton used to be neighbors with Rose when they lived in Norfolk. Hanbury, through her lawyers, said in a March email to Business Insider that the affair rumors were "completely false." That newspaper removed a reference to a joke talk-show host Stephen Colbert made on air about the affair rumors in March. Rose Hanbury has close ties to the royal familyAs BI previously reported, Hanbury has been linked to William, Kate, and the royal family for years.

Persons: —, Prince William, Sarah Rose Hanbury, Ellie Hall, William, Kate Middleton, Rose, Stephen Pond, Vulture, Hanbury, Princess, Wales, Marchioness, Cholmondeley, Stephen Colbert, Rose Hanbury, Kate, Queen Elizabeth II's bridesmaids, David Cholmondeley, Marquess of Cholmondeley, Middleton, Colbert Organizations: Service, Business, The Daily Mail, Daily Express, Machine, Guardian, Houghton Hall, Daily Beast, European, Human, Human Rights Commission Locations: Hanbury, Norfolk, Kensington, Windsor

☆ A summer wave of Covid-19 has arrived in the US
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Covid-19 levels have been rising in the United States for weeks as new variants drive what’s become an annual summer surge. That’s enough time to offer protection during the winter respiratory virus season but probably after this summer’s wave has ebbed. On Thursday, the CDC recommended that everyone ages 6 months and older receive an updated Covid-19 vaccine for the 2024-25 season. Unlike flu and RSV, Covid-19 is constantly circulating; it doesn’t offer a reprieve. The changes are meant to “simplify RSV vaccine decision-making for clinicians and the public,” the agency said.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Robert Hopkins, ” Hopkins, Marlene Wolfe, “, Dr, Jerry Weir, Marcus Plescia, Plescia, Sanjay Gupta, ” CNN’s Jen Christensen Organizations: CNN, US Centers for Disease Control, CDC, National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, Stanford University, Emory University, Emory, WastewaterSCAN, FDA, Viral Products, Vaccines Research, FDA’s, Biologics, Association of State, Territorial Health, CNN Health Locations: United States, —, Covid

☆ Trump Media stock surges 10% after debate
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-28 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Former President Donald Trump’s social media company is getting a boost after President Joe Biden’s shaky debate performance. Shares of Truth Social owner Trump Media & Technology Group (DJT) rose 4% in early trading Friday as investors bet the debate has boosted Trump’s chances of retaking the White House. Trump is the chairman of Trump Media, and he is the leading shareholder. Trump Media doesn’t really trade on the fundamentals of the underlying company, the stock has ebbed and flowed with the news about Donald Trump, including his criminal conviction and Thursday night’s debate performance. Trump Media is valued at more than $6 billion even though the company makes very little revenue and Truth Social is tiny.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Joe Biden’s, Trump, ”, Donald Trump, “ DJT, ” Matthew Tuttle, Tuttle, Biden, aren’t Organizations: CNN, Social, Trump Media & Technology, Trump Media, Trump, Tuttle Capital Management

The plea deal allows Assange to avoid prison in the US and return to his native Australia. “That never came up in our conversations,” said David Stilwell, the State Department assistant secretary for the Pacific region during the Trump administration. Sessions’ focus on national security-related leaks was “probably one of the reasons why the [Assange] case had more traction,” Hickey told CNN. Hickey said he was not involved in the Assange case when he was a senior official at DOJ’s National Security Division from 2016 to 2023. Stilwell, the former State Department official under the Trump administration, pushed back on the Assange plea deal.

Persons: Julian Assange, Assange, Biden, Trump, ”, David Stilwell, Anthony Albanese, Joe Biden, General Merrick Garland, Chelsea Manning, Manning, Barack Obama, Obama, Trump’s, Jeff Sessions, Adam Hickey, ” Hickey, Hickey, “ Assange, who’s, Mayer Brown, Garland, Andrew McCabe, “, it’s, ” McCabe, Stilwell, ” Stilwell, Bradley Moss, would’ve, ” Moss, ” CNN’s Zachary Cohen, Marshall Cohen, Kevin Liptak Organizations: CNN, United, Wikileaks, State Department, Australian, Justice Department, FBI, Northern, London’s, US Justice Department, White, Pentagon, Army, Assange ., Department, Obama, Biden, DOJ’s National Security Division, Protect Journalists, Amnesty International, American Civil Liberties Union, Computer, Ecuadorian Locations: United States, Washington, London, Stockholm, Quito, Ecuador, Australia, Pacific, Virginia, London’s, Northern Mariana Islands, Iraq, Guantanamo, Washington ,

Provoked Violence, Unchecked for Hours The New York Times used videos filmed by journalists, witnesses and protesters to analyze hours of clashes — and a delayed police response — at a pro-Palestinian encampment on Tuesday. On Tuesday night, violence erupted at an encampment that pro-Palestinian protesters had set up on April 25. The videos showed counterprotesters attacking students in the pro-Palestinian encampment for several hours, including beating them with sticks, using chemical sprays and launching fireworks as weapons. The melee began when a group of counterprotesters started tearing away metal barriers that had been in place to cordon off pro-Palestinian protesters. 12:26 a.m.Sean Beckner-Carmitchel via ReutersAt times, counterprotesters swarmed individuals — sometimes a group descended on a single person.

Persons: KAPLAN, COUNTERPROTESTERS, ROYCE HALL POWELL LIBRARY KAPLAN, counterprotesters, Mel Buer, Harbu, ”, Sean Beckner, Sergio Olmos, Calmatters, “, Counterprotesters, Mary Osako, ’, U.C, Michael Drake, L.A.P.D, Mark Abramson, Gene Block, Gavin Newsom, enforcement’s, Hussam Ayloush, U.C.L.A Organizations: The New York Times, . University of California, Los Angeles University of California, Los Angeles ROYCE HALL, POWELL LIBRARY KAPLAN, ROYCE HALL POWELL, HAINES, ROYCE HALL, POWELL, COUNTERPROTESTERS KAPLAN, HAINES HALL POWELL LIBRARY, ROYCE HALL POWELL LIBRARY, UCLA, Powell Library, Royce Hall, Palestinian, Arrows, Police, New York, University of California, Times, Security, Real News, Israel Defense Forces ’, The Times, Reuters, Associated Press, Los Angeles Police Department, Patrol, Riot, California, Daily Bruin, California Gov, Los Angeles Jewish, Los, Los Angeles Area, Islamic, Jewish Federation Los Locations: U.C.L.A, Los, Los Angeles, Israel, Gaza, Carmitchel, StringersHub, California, Palestine

☆ Alphabet’s Revenue Jumps 15% to $80.5 Billion
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Nico Grant | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Thursday, Alphabet, Google’s parent company, reported strong revenue growth in its latest quarter from its search engine and video platform, YouTube, as its market-leading position in online advertising continued to reap rewards despite recent fluctuations in the industry. Alphabet reported $80.5 billion in quarterly sales, up 15 percent from a year earlier, and above analysts’ estimate of $78.8 billion. Analysts had expected $18.9 billion. The company’s board also approved a $70 billion share repurchase program. Google’s search engine has proved most resilient to the fluctuations that have happened since, emphasizing its role as a gateway to the internet for billions of people.

Organizations: Google, Meta, Facebook

☆ Gold retreats as Middle East tensions ebb
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Gold and silver bars of various sizes lie in a safe on a table at the precious metals dealer Pro Aurum in Munich. Gold prices dipped on Monday, as easing fears of a wider Middle East conflict lowered bullion's safe-haven appeal, while market participants awaited a key U.S. inflation reading due later this week for interest rate cues. Spot gold fell 0.9% to $2,369.97 per ounce, as of 0451 GMT. Asian stocks recovered some losses and bond yields rose as fears of a wider Middle East conflict ebbed, with investors gravitating back towards riskier assets. Among other precious metals, spot silver fell 2.3% to $27.99 per ounce, spot platinum rose 0.3% to $934.03, and palladium fell 0.3% to $1,023.17.

Persons: Kelvin Wong, Wong, Austan Goolsbee Organizations: Aurum, Asia Pacific, Treasury, Chicago Federal Locations: Munich, U.S, Tehran, Iran, OANDA, Israel, Hamas

☆ Two strangers swooped in to save a couple’s wedding day
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Ezequiel Marcellini BodasOh, and there were tears. Then, the officiant asked for their wedding rings to seal the deal. Once they realized what was wrong, the Argentinian couple offered their own wedding rings without a second thought. Photographer Ezequiel Marcellini captured images of the unexpected wedding encounter. The two couples exchanged “thank yous” and “congratulations,” and posed for a few pictures that will undoubtedly have a special place in the Jackson’s wedding album.

Persons: Shannon Jackson, ” Calivé Jackson, “, vivre, —, “ Shannon, ” Jackson, Shannon, Calivé Jackson, Ezequiel Marcellini Bodas, Ezequiel Marcellini, “ We’ve, yous ”, ” Organizations: CNN, Jacksons Locations: Playa Del Carmen, Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico

Where to watch The Simpsons in the USThe Simpsons airs Sunday nights at 8 p.m. Sling TV Subscription For just the essentials without any extra fluff, Sling TV is the streaming service you're looking for. Hulu + Live TV Hulu + Live TV includes over 90 channels, along with Hulu's on-demand library and access to Disney Plus and ESPN Plus. Where to watch The Simpsons in the UK & 60+ other countries34 seasons of The Simpsons are available to stream on Disney+ in the UK and over 60 other countries. How to watch The Simpsons from anywhereIf you're hoping to tune into the current season of The Simpsons but you're currently traveling outside of the US, then you can check out a VPN (virtual private network).

Persons: we've, Homer Simpson, Fox, Hulu's, Stark, ExpressVPN Organizations: Business, Fox, Hulu, Disney, ESPN, Disney Plus Locations: New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, Austin

☆ 'The Idea of You' soundtrack producer says he wasn't thinking about One Direction while writing music for August Moon
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Callie Ahlgrim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

This was just 'great pop songs,' or what we thought were great pop songs." Advertisement"You'll see throughout the movie that he's writing 'Dance Before We Walk' and toying with the idea," Kotecha explains. I'm actually not just a manufactured boy band guy, I'm actually a musician and I want to be taken seriously.'" "For the boy band songs," Kotecha explained, "you don't sacrifice the melody for the lyric." "Nostalgia may be kicking in, but I also feel like it's time for another boy band," Kotecha said.

Persons: Hayes Campbell, Kotecha, —, Nicholas Galitzine, Anne Hathaway, Solène, Campbell, Savan, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, Michael Showalter, Cathy Schulman, Robinne Lee, I've, Hayes, Carl Falk, Moon, Simon Cowell, Alisha Wetherill, I'm, Harry Styles, Jackson, what's, sister's, NSYNC Organizations: BI, Service, SXSW, Vogue, Amazon Prime Locations: Coachella, Pixar's

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — “Are you feeling good today, Chiefs Kingdom?” Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas shouted to a sea of football fans fresh from their town’s third Super Bowl victory in five years. At its highest moment of community pride, Kansas City experienced one of 21st-century American culture’s most traumatic events — a public mass shooting. “How," she asked, “can something go from this happy to this?”Everyone seemed to know someone who was there; that's the kind of town Kansas City is. “This is not Kansas City,” said Graves, who had stationed around 600 of her officers along the route in addition to 200 more from other agencies.

Persons: Quinton Lucas, Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, breathlessly, Chiefs ’, Clark Hunt, “, Mike Parson, you’re, hadn't, Patrick Mahomes, Kelce, Garth Brooks, ” Kelce, ”, Gene Hamilton, couldn't, Hana Lee, ” Sarah Fox, texted, Stacey Graves, Graves, “ I’m, Lisa Lopez, Galvan, Michelle Hubbard, Andy Reid, Hubbard, Ashley Coderre, Coderre, Allie Tipton, Louis, Tipton Organizations: KANSAS CITY, Chiefs, Kansas City, Police, San Francisco 49ers, Schools, Low, Shawnee Mission, Super Locations: KANSAS, Mo, Kansas, Kansas City, Melbourne, Australia, ”, Missouri, Kansas City , Missouri, Wichita , Kansas, Prairie Village, “, Shawnee, Overland Park , Kansas, St, Tipton

He served as mayor of Solo city, where he was born to a working-class family in illegally built shacks along a river, then became governor of the capital, Jakarta, before clinching his first presidential term. Widodo was the first Indonesian president to emerge outside the political and military elite. But critics say he thrived on political compromises, became beholden to political party supporters and accommodated ex-generals who served under the late authoritarian leader Suharto. Under Widodo, Indonesia saw a period of remarkable growth averaging 5% annually, except in 2020, when the economy contracted due to the coronavirus pandemic. His economic roadmap, called “Golden Indonesia 2045,” projects Indonesia becoming one of the world’s top five economies with GDP of up to $9 trillion, exactly a century after it won independence from Dutch colonizers.

Persons: Widodo —, Barack Obama —, Widodo, Suharto, Prabowo Subianto, ” Widodo, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Widodo’s, —, Metallica, Subianto, we’ve, ”, Dwi Mustikarini, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden, Xi Jingping, Jim Gomez Organizations: White, Bloomberg Television, Associated Press Locations: JAKARTA, Indonesia, Borneo, Southeast Asia, Solo, Jakarta, Surakarta, Central Java, Widodo's, New York, Widodo, Kyiv, Moscow, China

The business group’s consumer confidence index rose to 114.8 from a revised 108 in December. The present situation Index – a measure of current business and labor market conditions – surged to 161.3 from 147.2 last month. And it comes as the Federal Reserve is meeting in Washington to set interest rate policy, with economists forecasting the central bank will hold interest rates steady. But, he adds, “The Fed’s not going to change” at its first meeting of 2024 that began on Tuesday and do anything other than hold interest rates steady for the fourth meeting in a row. The index often leads other consumer sentiment surveys by two to three months, says Legal Shield CEO Warren Schlichting.

Persons: ”, Dana Peterson, Stephen Rich, Melissa Brown, Jerome Powell, Gene Goldman, Warren Schlichting, Schlichting, it’s Organizations: Conference, Mutual of America Capital Management, Federal Reserve, Investment Management, “, Labor Department, ADP Locations: U.S, Washington

☆ Boeing’s Problems Started Long Before the Alaska Airlines Mishap - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Bill Saporito | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

That company’s already turbulent reputation suffered another jolt this month when a door plug — a fake door that replaces a real one in some airline configurations — on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 blew out at about 16,000 feet. Investigations have commenced into the 737 Max 9, a fairly new jet freighted with Boeing’s penchant for producing flawed aircraft. With flights already full, the system can ill afford the grounding of 171 737 Max 9s. Aerospace was the West Coast’s original geek technology: Hughes Aircraft, Douglas Aircraft, Northrup, North American, Lockheed and others in California, and in Seattle, Boeing. Hughes, Douglas and North American would disappear in acquisitions and mergers.

Persons: Max, Hughes Organizations: Xerox, . Steel, Boeing, Alaska Airlines Boeing, Max, Investigations, Aerospace, Hughes Aircraft, Douglas Aircraft, Lockheed, North Locations: North American, California, Seattle, Vietnam, Douglas

☆ North Korea claims to test underwater nuclear-capable drone after US, South Korea and Japan show off naval might
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Brad Lendon | Gawon Bae | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korea on Friday claimed it had successfully tested an underwater nuclear weapons system earlier this week in response to naval drills by the United States, South Korea and Japan. North Korean state media on Friday did not show evidence for the success of the latest test, but warned the US, South Korea and Japan of the “catastrophic consequences” of their actions. Warships from South Korea, the US and Japan perform a trilateral exercise in the waters south of Jeju between January 15 and 17, 2024. South Korea's Defence MinistryAnalysts say it all points to an even more intractable North Korea. “If North Korea’s artillery fire near the inter-Korean maritime border was just part of routine training, it would be less concerning.

Persons: ”, Carl Vinson, KCNA, Kim Jong Un, Kim, Kim Jong, Kim ramped, Staff Kim Myung, Leif, Eric Easley, Easley Organizations: South Korea CNN, Korea Central News Agency, JS Hyūga, Korea’s, Chiefs, Staff, Warships, Korea's Defence, US Navy, Fleet, People’s Assembly, CNN Relations, South Korean Joint Chiefs, Korea's Defence Ministry Analysts, Ehwa University Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, United States, Japan, Korean, Pyongyang, Jeju, U.S, Republic of Korea, Korea, KCNA, North, “ Pyongyang

Americans continued to spend heavily as 2023 came to an end, driving retail sales higher by 0.6% in December, fueled by online purchases and spending at bars and restaurants, the Census Bureau reported on Wednesday. Excluding auto sales and gasoline that tend to be volatile month to month, sales rose by 0.6% as well compared to forecasts of a 0.2% increase. “Strong increase of 0.6% with the control group that feeds into the estimate of GDP up a robust 0.8%. Outstanding credit card spending debt surpassed $1 trillion in the third quarter, although debt-to-income levels were below 10% and modest compared to the early 2000s. Behind the shift is a belief that declining inflation and a cut in interest rates will help the economy grow modestly as the year unfolds.

Persons: Joseph Brusuelas, Carl Marks, ”, Howard Meitiner Organizations: Census, RSM, Carl, Carl Marks Advisors, “ Retailers, Mortgage Bankers Association Locations: U.S

☆ Dollar wobbles; yuan on guard ahead of China data dump
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The dollar ebbed on Monday on renewed expectations of a rate cut by the Federal Reserve in March, while the Chinese yuan struggled near a one-month low ahead of a slew of economic data this week. The offshore yuan languished near a one-month low of 7.1925 per dollar hit on Friday, and was last at 7.1861 per dollar. "I think more PBOC (People's Bank of China) easing is coming this year," said Carol Kong, a currency strategist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia. "I don't think (Monday's move) will materially weigh on the (yuan) because a rate cut is more or less priced in. The Australian dollar , often used as a liquid proxy for the yuan, edged 0.07% higher to $0.6690.

Persons: China's, Sterling, Chris Weston, Carol Kong, Party's Lai Ching, te, Goldman Sachs Organizations: Federal Reserve, Traders, U.S, Treasury, CPI, PPI, Bank of, People's Bank of China, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Australian, New Zealand, Democratic, Taiwan Locations: Asia, U.S, Bank of Japan, China, Taiwan

☆ S&P 500 rises to 20-month high with a soft landing in sight. Can investors finally relax?
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-09 | by ( Michael Santoli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

The S & P 500 , which had consolidated with a low-volatility sideways slide for three weeks, nudged to a new 20-month high just above 4600, almost precisely a 20% year-to-date gain. Just because the S & P 500 is at 4600 and Federal-funds futures markets project high odds of several rate cuts next year, it doesn't mean the former is reliant on the latter. Yet — just relax — in seven of the past 12 years, the S & P 500 went on to surpass this year-ahead analyst composite target. It's pretty popular to cast doubt on the achievability of the consensus 11.8% forecast S & P 500 earnings growth for 2024. A broadening beyond 2023's growth leadership is necessary for further S & P 500 gains.

Persons: YTD, Jerome Powell, Powell, John Butters, Scott Chronert Organizations: Federal, Fed, Bank of America, Wall, Merck, Pfizer, Citi, Treasury

☆ Consumers Likely Pulled Back Spending in October
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Gwynn Guilford | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Dwindling pandemic savings and student loan payments resuming are some of the factors eroding Americans’ ability to keep spending. Photo: Rachel Wisniewski for The Wall Street JournalAmericans slowed their spending in October and inflation ebbed as the economy downshifted from a fast-paced third quarter, forecasters say. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal estimate consumer spending rose 0.2% in October, down from a 0.7% rise in September and the slowest increase since May. Core prices rose 0.2% in October from the prior month, down from the 0.3% monthly gain in September, they said. Core prices rose at a 2.8% annualized rate in April through September, down from a 4.5% annualized rate in the prior six-month period.

Persons: Rachel Wisniewski Organizations: Wall Street Journal, Wall, Federal

☆ Stock Market Today: Dow Slips to Start the Week; Shopify Stock Gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

The S&P 500 is up more than 8% this month and the three major U.S. stock indexes are on track for their strongest monthly performances in more than a year . The market is getting back into gear after the Thanksgiving holiday and a shortened Black Friday session . The S&P 500, Dow industrials and tech-focused Nasdaq Composite were all making small moves. Amazon rose more than 1%, with the stock on pace for its highest close of the year. The benchmark 10-year yield dipped slightly after ending last week at 4.483%.

Persons: Dow, Brent Organizations: Investors, Treasury

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