Stocks wavered on Wall Street in afternoon trading Thursday, as gains in tech companies and retailers helped temper losses elsewhere in the market. The S&P 500 was down less than 0.1% after drifting between small gains and losses. The benchmark index is coming off a three-day winning streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 6 points, or less than 0.1%, as of 1:52 p.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq composite was down less than 0.1%. Trading volume was lighter than usual as U.S. markets reopened after the Christmas holiday. Chip company Broadcom rose 2.9%, Micron Technology was up 1% and Adobe gained 0.8%. While tech stocks overall were in the green, some heavyweights were a drag on the market. Semiconductor giant Nvidia, whose enormous valuation gives it an outsize influence on indexes, slipped 0.1%. Meta Platforms fell 0.7%, Amazon was down 0.6%, and Netflix gave up 1.1%. Tesla was among the biggest decliners in the S&P 500, down 1.9%. Health care stocks helped lift the market. CVS Health rose 1.7% and Walgreens Boots Alliance rose 3% for the biggest gain among S&P 500 stocks. Several retailers also gained ground. Target rose 2.8%, Best Buy was up 2.2% and Dollar Tree gained 2.7%. Retailers are hoping for a solid sales this holiday season, and the day after Christmas traditionally ranks among the top 10 biggest shopping days of the year, as consumers go online or rush to stores to cash in gift cards and raid bargain bins. U.S.-listed shares in Honda and Nissan rose 4% and 16%, respectively. The Japanese automakers announced earlier this week that the two companies are in talks to combine. Traders got a labor market update. U.S. applications for unemployment benefits held steady last week , though continuing claims rose to the highest level in three years, the Labor Department reported. Treasury yields turned mostly lower in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.57% from 4.59% late Tuesday. Major European markets were closed, as well as Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia. Trading was expected to be subdued this week with a thin slate of economic data on the calendar. Still, U.S. markets have historically gotten a boost at year’s end despite lower trading volumes. The last five trading days of each year, plus the first two in the new year, have brought an average gain of 1.3% since 1950. So far this month, the U.S. stock market has lost some of its gains since President-elect Donald Trump’s win on Election Day, which raised hopes for faster economic growth and more lax regulations that would boost corporate profits. Worries have risen that Trump’s preference for tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation , a bigger U.S. government debt and difficulties for global trade. Even so, the U.S. market remains on pace to deliver strong returns for 2024. The benchmark S&P 500 is up roughly 26% so far this year and remains near its most recent all-time high it set earlier this month — its latest of 57 record highs this year. Wall Street has several economic reports to look forward to next week, including updates on pending home sales and home prices, a report on U.S. construction spending and snapshots of manufacturing activity. AP Business Writers Elaine Kurtenbach and Matt Ott contributed.A former wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills is accused of intentionally infecting a woman, and others, with an incurable STD, according to a new lawsuit. In the lawsuit, the woman says Eric Moulds kept quiet about having herpes during their monthslong romantic relationship in 2023. After they exchanged messages over Instagram in January 2023, Moulds offered her “an all-expenses paid trip” and flew her out to see him in Charlotte, North Carolina, according to a complaint filed Dec. 10 in New York State Superior Court. They began a sexual relationship during this trip, the complaint says. Moulds, as a Buffalo Bills player from 1996 to 2005, played in the NFL’s Pro Bowl three times and has a football training facility in Charlotte, according to the Buffalo News, which first reported on the lawsuit. According to the complaint, the woman continued to visit Moulds, who paid for her flights, until November 2023, which was the last time they were intimate and had unprotected sex. Moulds never told her that he had herpes, the complaint says. Instead, his pregnant fiancée did when she contacted the woman in December 2023 and suggested that she get tested for STDs “because she, along with other women whom (Moulds) had relationships with, had been transmitted diseases by him,” according to the complaint. The woman, who didn’t know Moulds had been in a relationship with his fiancée for eight years, tested positive for herpes simplex virus type 2 that month, the complaint says. The woman, of Erie County, New York, is suing Moulds, who lives in Rock Hill, South Carolina, on claims of negligence and for purposefully giving her an STD. Moulds hasn’t been officially served with the lawsuit as of Dec. 12, but is aware of it, according to his attorney Frank LoTempio III. “We are in the process of preparing a response and possibly a motion to dismiss,” LoTempio told McClatchy News via email on Dec. 12. “We will be fully defending this action against him.” Tried ‘to buy her silence’ According to the lawsuit, Moulds first reached out to the woman over Instagram in 2018 and they would occasionally message each other before reconnecting over the social media platform in January 2023. After her herpes diagnosis, the complaint says the woman learned Moulds “also engaged with multiple women besides (her) via social media.” He’s accused of targeting “single mothers who were Buffalo Bills fans living in Western New York.” According to the complaint, Moulds used his “celebrity status” as an NFL star to meet women online and initiate sexual conversations before later offering “all-expenses-paid invitations to see him in person to convert the online relationship into (an) intimate sexual relationship.” The woman isn’t the first to similarly sue Moulds, the complaint says. Moulds is accused of giving other women herpes and paying them to drop lawsuits they filed against him, according to the complaint, which says he had them sign non-disclosure agreements. The woman suing him now says she hadn’t been intimate with anyone else throughout her relationship with Moulds. “In the wake of another potential lawsuit, (Moulds) offered money in an attempt to buy her silence,” the complaint says. The woman seeks an unspecified amount in damages with her lawsuit. The herpes simplex virus 2 can lead to recurring “painful blisters or ulcers” in the genital area, according to the World Health Organization. Though incurable, the disease’s symptoms can be treated. Most people who have herpes don’t experience symptoms or only have mild symptoms, the WHO says online. “(Moulds’) conduct was outrageous and extreme as it put his own sexual desires over (the woman’s) permanent health,” the complaint says.
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FIFA and Mythical Games are combining forces to bring this arcade-style game to fans by the summer of 2025. Available for iOS and Android devices, FIFA Rivals promises a unique blend of soccer management and real-time gameplay. Building on the model established by NFL Rivals, the new game will also incorporate NFTs, allowing players to collect and trade digital player cards. These cards will feature soccer stars from various eras, enhancing the collectible aspect of the game. The NFTs will be minted on the Mythos blockchain, which utilizes Polkadot technology for enhanced security and efficiency. Mythical Games aims to replicate the engagement seen with NFL Rivals, which has amassed over 6 million downloads since its release. Further enriching the gaming experience, FIFA Rivals will also include esports competitions, targeting the most skilled players. This feature points to Mythical Games’ strategic direction towards integrating competitive gaming within its offerings. This partnership marks FIFA’s continued foray into the Web3 space. Prior initiatives include collaborations with blockchain startups for the FIFA World Cup Qatar and the development of the FIFA Collect NFT platform, which operates on both Algorand and the Ethereum scaling network Polygon. With these efforts, FIFA steadily enhances its digital presence, catering to a global audience increasingly engaged in digital and blockchain technologies.LightPath Technologies Introduces New Optical Gas Imaging Camera for Ammonia and SF6 Detection
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Arizona (7-8) at Los Angeles Rams (9-6) Saturday, 8:15 p.m. EST, NFL Network BetMGM NFL odds : Rams by 6 1/2. Against the spread: Cardinals 9-6; Rams 8-7. Series record: Rams lead 50-41-2. Last meeting: Cardinals beat Rams 41-10 in Glendale, Ariz. on Sept. 15. Last week: Cardinals lost to Carolina 36-30, OT; Rams beat New York Jets 19-9. Cardinals offense: overall (11), rush (5), pass (20), scoring (14). Cardinals defense: overall (20), rush (22), pass (13), scoring (T-13). Rams offense: overall (15), rush (20), pass (13), scoring (17). Rams defense: overall (24), rush (25), pass (19), scoring (21). Turnover differential: Cardinals minus-4; Rams plus-5. Cardinals player to watch WR Marvin Harrison Jr. has had a relatively productive rookie season with 51 catches for 726 yards and seven touchdowns. But it’s also true that he hasn’t always looked like the true franchise changing force the Cardinals expected when they took him with the No. 4 overall pick. Arizona might be out of the playoff race, but Harrison’s development continues to be a major focus for the team down the stretch. Rams player to watch RB Kyren Williams is coming off his best game of the season after rushing for 122 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries to help Los Angeles grind out a win at the Meadowlands. He hardly factored into the first meeting against Arizona, a game the Rams trailed 14-0 halfway into the first quarter and 24-3 at halftime, getting 12 carries and running for 25 yards and a touchdown behind a battered offensive line. Key matchup Cardinals QB Kyler Murray vs. Rams defensive line. Los Angeles had no answers for Murray in September as he threw for 266 yards and three touchdowns without an interception and added 59 yards rushing. But their defensive front is much more cohesive than it was in the second week of the season, with rookies Jared Verse and Braden Fiske proving to be menaces in the backfield. If Murray feels that pressure and can’t keep his eyes downfield, the Rams will be in much better shape to limit Arizona’s passing game. Key injuries The Cardinals have been beat up over the past two games. Both of the starting tackles — Paris Johnson Jr. (knee) and Jonah Williams (knee) — are out for the season after they were put on injured reserve this week. Others such as RB James Conner (knee), LB Baron Browning (neck), LB Mack Wilson Sr. (concussion) and DL Darius Robinson (calf) have been limited during practice. ... The Rams are in good shape, a far cry from where they were to start the season. RT Rob Havenstein was the only name on their injury report through Wednesday, when he was limited because of a shoulder injury. Series notes Arizona has not swept the season series since 2014 when the Rams were playing in St. Louis. ... The Rams and Cardinals have split the past four meetings. Arizona had dropped 11 of the previous 12 in the series. ... Los Angeles is 3-2 against Arizona since moving into SoFi Stadium in 2020, kickstarting its run to the Super Bowl after the 2021 season with a 34-11 win in an NFC wild-card game. Stats and stuff The Cardinals have lost four of their past five games and were eliminated from the playoff race after last week’s 36-30 loss to the Carolina Panthers. The Cardinals have made the playoffs just once over the past nine seasons. That was in 2021 ... Harrison had four catches for 130 yards and two TDs vs. the Rams in Week 2. All of that production came in the span of seven plays in the first quarter. ... The Cardinals are No. 5 in the NFL with 145.8 yards rushing per game. They also rank No. 2 with 5.28 yards per carry. ... Chad Ryland has made 25 field goals since his debut in Week 5, which ranks fourth in the NFL over that span. ... Safety Budda Baker has a career-high 148 tackles this season, which broke his previous high of 147 set in 2019. ... James Conner has 1,500 yards from scrimmage this season, including 1,090 rushing and 410 receiving. ... Trey McBride has caught 91 passes this season, which is a franchise record at tight end for the Cardinals. ... The Rams can clinch a playoff spot with a win and either a Seahawks loss or tie or a series of results elsewhere to secure the strength of victory tiebreaker. ... Rams QB Matthew Stafford threw for 110 yards against the Jets. Los Angeles has won all four games this season where Stafford has finished with fewer than 200 yards through the air. ... WR Puka Nacua had a record-setting rookie season, but Arizona was the one team that kept him in check. Nacua made four catches in each of the two meetings in 2023, finishing with 26 and 27 yards. ... The Rams didn’t have LT Alaric Jackson (suspension), LG Steve Avila (knee) or Nacua (knee) in the Week 2 game against the Cardinals. ... Los Angeles has run for at least 132 yards in four straight games, with Williams accounting for at least 87 yards in each outing that span. Fantasy tip Cooper Kupp likely sank many a fantasy title push with his limited production over the past month, and the Rams WR should remain on benches this week for any owners still in the mix. Kupp has topped 44 yards receiving once in his past five games against Arizona. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL The Associated PressLOS ANGELES (AP) — Receiver Demarcus Robinson will not be suspended by the Los Angeles Rams this week after his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence. Robinson will be available to play when the Rams (5-6) visit the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Rams coach Sean McVay said Wednesday. “I think he does understand the severity of this, and how lucky we were that nobody was injured,” McVay said. “I do believe that he's remorseful. We are going to let the legal process take place. The league has a process as well.” Robinson was arrested early Monday morning after California Highway Patrol officers observed a white Dodge sedan driving over 100 mph on the 101 freeway in the western San Fernando Valley, a few miles from the Rams’ training complex in Woodland Hills. The driver, who identified himself as Robinson, had “objective signs and symptoms of alcohol impairment,” the CHP said in a statement released to The Associated Press. Robinson spoke to the team and expressed remorse about his arrest, McVay and quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “I think it was a bad decision he made,” McVay said. “I don't think that makes him a bad person, and I do believe this is something that, with the words that he said, our guys will learn from it, and hopefully nobody is ever going to repeat something like this. Let it be a learning opportunity, and a fortunate outcome that nobody was injured.” Robinson has 26 receptions for 384 yards and a team-leading six touchdown catches while starting all 11 games in his second season with the Rams . He caught a TD pass in the Rams' 37-20 loss to Philadelphia several hours before his arrest. The nine-year NFL veteran has served as a capable No. 3 option for Stafford behind star receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. Robinson spent his first six NFL seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, winning a Super Bowl ring in February 2020, and spent one year with Baltimore before joining the Rams last year. “Let this be a lesson to all of us,” Stafford said. “We're lucky with the result that came of it, to be honest with you, that nobody was hurt or injured. I know that D-Rob is a great person. I love being around him. Love him as a teammate. ... I'm just trying to support him, help him out any way I can.” ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL Greg Beacham, The Associated Press
Cloudpoint Technology Berhad (KLSE:CLOUDPT) Has Announced A Dividend Of MYR0.01ABC’s late-night host Jimmy Kimmel is still clinging to the prospect of one day seeing President-elect Donald Trump behind bars, even as the left’s lawfare cases against him continue to crumble post-election victory. Jimmy Kimmel devoted his opening monologue on Wednesday’s show to complaining about Trump’s cabinet picks, especially Matt Gaetz for U.S. Attorney General, whom Democrats and the media have targeted for a #MeToo cancel campaign straight from their playbook on Brett Kavanaugh. Kimmel recapped in great detail the left’s claims — which Gaetz has denied — and then tried to tie it all together by somehow connecting it to Trump. “The President... is a criminal,” he said, prompting lusty applause from the studio audience. “Thirty-four times over, he’s a convicted criminal. Truth be told, he’s not even looking for a cabinet. He’s looking for cellmates.” In the months leading up to the election, Kimmel used his ABC platform to repeatedly fantasize about Trump being sent to jail. His wishful thinking was part of the corporate media’s larger effort to damage Trump’s campaign and demoralize his supporters. But their efforts failed to stop Trump from winning on November 5. Since then, the left’s lawfare cases against Trump continue to crumble. Just three days after Trump’s resounding victory, special counsel Jack Smith requested Judge Tanya Chutkan to cancel all deadlines and ongoing proceedings in the Biden-Harris Department of Justice (DOJ)’s election interference case. Smith is also set to step down as special counsel and will leave the Department of Justice before Trump is sworn in as the 47th president in January, effectively bringing to an end Smith’s legal persecution of Trump. A federal judge had already thrown out Smith’s documents case against Trump in July, ruling that Smith’s appointment was unconstitutional. As Breitbart News reported this week, attorneys for President-elect Trump are requesting permission to file a motion to dismiss the business records case in Manhattan, contending that the U.S. Constitution mandates its “[i]mmediate dismissal.” The case was brought against Trump by Soros-backed Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg (D). Follow David Ng on Twitter @HeyItsDavidNg . Have a tip? Contact me at dng@breitbart.com
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