The former Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh (1932-2024) , was a teenager when the country was born. Not only did he live, and experience first hand, nearly every historic turn — from the partition of the country to a pandemic that threatened human existence — in the fate of the world’s largest democracy, often, he was the one on the wheel. By the time he passed away, India itself had grown akin to an angry and aspiring adolescent, which is contemptuous of the previous generations’ failings, irreverent towards experience, and oblivious to its own frailty. However, the man soldiered on against a vicious public attack, spoke his mind on important national issues, in his own time and on his own terms. There is a lot that he said in his more than half a century long career as a public servant and a thought leader, but it is no surprise that his most famous quote will be, “history will be kinder to me than the media.” For an average Indian, any one of the following positions would be a dream come true. Singh, despite his humble beginnings, held many such dream chairs and left his mark in each of those offices. Year(s) Position 1957-1959 Senior Lecturer, Economics, Punjab University 1959-1963 Reader in Economics, Punjab University 1963-1965 Professor of Economics, Punjab University 1966-1969 He worked at the UNCTAD Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland 1971-1972 Economic Advisor, Commerce Ministry 1972-1976 Chief Economic Advisor, Finance Ministry 1976-1980 Secretary, Finance Ministry 1980-1982 Member, Planning Commission 1982-1985 Governor, Reserve Bank of India 1985-1987 Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission 1987-1990 Secretary General, South Commission in Geneva, Switzerland 1990-1991 Advisor (Economic Affairs) to Prime Minister March-June1991 Chairman, University Grants Commission 1991-1996 Finance Minister 1998-2004 Leader of Opposition, Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Indian Parliament) 2004-2014 Prime Minister of India That, after over six decades in public view, and holding so many positions in the government, Manmohan Singh managed to maintain an image that was more of an academic than a politician, or a power broker, says a lot about his ability to keep the spotlight on the issue at hand and not on himself. Singh had no delusions of grandeur about his achievements either. Even as he got the accolades for sealing the India-US nuclear deal, he was ready to share credit with his rival where it was due. ‘I have only completed what you began,’ Singh told his predecessor at the Prime Minister’s Office, Atal Behari Vajpayee, as documented by Sanjaya Baru’s book ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’. He wasn’t a complete pushover either, as many in India would like to believe, for much of his career. Despite carrying no political weight, Singh could threaten a resignation — and he did one too many times — and prevail over seasoned politicians across party lines and the many cabals within his party: the Indian National Congress. The many times Singh threatened to, or actually did, resign 1985: Singh resigned as RBI Governor after a disagreement with the then Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. Singh had proposed a scheme to allow NRI investments in India which the Late Mukherjee opposed. Pranab Mukherjee, in his own book, denied any role in Singh’s ouster from RBI. Aug 1991: When the government was accused of favouring a bank with dubious credentials, Singh was the Finance Minister March 1992: Singh was attacked by Congress colleague Arjun Singh, who was actually targeting the then Prime Minister Narasimha Rao. Both Rao and Singh stayed on. December 1993: After a parliamentary committee criticised the Finance Ministry’s handling of the Harshad Mehta scam. 2008: He resigned after members of the Congress party tried to stall the India-US nuclear deal. He prevailed and the historic deal for civil nuclear projects went through. Montek Singh Ahluwalia reportedly persuaded the Prime Minister to withdraw his resignation. Source: The Accidental Prime Minister, Author: Sanjaya Baru ‘No power on Earth can stop an idea whose time has come’ — Manmohan Singh said during his first budget speech in the Parliament as Finance Minister in 1991. Manmohan Singh is credited with the sweeping reforms of 1991 when India opened its doors to global capital. But he was pushing the envelope long before that. “...he had articulated decades ago in his doctoral thesis, on the importance of foreign trade and greater openness to the world economy in India’s own development. No Indian policymaker had till then held South Korea up as a role model,” Baru wrote in his book. He watched everything — from the Emergency in 1970s to the anti-Sikh riots, the assassinations of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, stock market scams from the 1990s to now, the chaotic era of political coalitions to the emergence of India as a nuclear power in the new century, as well as an array of scams from oil for food in Iraq to cash-for-votes in India, from the 2G spectrum scam to Commonwealth Games and coal allocation scam — and he was in the thick of things. Very few have survived long enough to see all history unfold from such close quarters and even fewer would emerge such few bruises, after a long public life. His untainted image spiralled down only in the final decade and a half of his life when he became the punching bag for the opposition parties and the media as scandals tumbled out of the closet in a government that he led. Yet, the worst allegation against him is that he turned a blind eye when wrongs were committed around him. One could argue that he had never taken political responsibility before 2009. The success of single-handedly pushing through the India-US nuclear deal, possibly, gave him the credence and the confidence that would shape his career thereon. He has never gone on record explaining the choices he made, whether it was to silently remain the Prime Minister while Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her trustees called the shots, or surrender his persona to enable a transition for Rahul Gandhi to emerge as a national leader. Baru called it a ‘fatal error of judgement’ much like Bheeshma — from the Indian mythology, Mahabharata — a patriarch, who could choose his time of death, lived through generations ‘defending a disreputable lot’ , and suffered with them, with a false sense of righteousness. ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’, a book written by former journalist and Singh’s media advisor Sanjaya Baru, gave us a candid glimpse into the heart and mind of the statesman. “None of my predecessors in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has ever written a full account of his time there,” Baru wrote in the introduction. It could have been written by Singh himself.The Premier League have championed the Rainbow Laces campaign over the past two matchdays, with the captains of every team in the top flight encouraged to wear a rainbow armband. Every captain in the division, barring Sam Morsy of Ipswich who is a practising Muslim, opted to wear the themed armband and support the cause. However, in both games , first against Newcastle on Saturday, Guehi has added his own message to the armband. Guehi, raised a Christian by his church minister father, added 'I love Jesus' to the armband against Newcastle before adapting the message to 'Jesus loves you' against Ipswich on Tuesday. The FA strictly prohibits political and religious slogans on sports equipment and reminded Guehi of the rules ahead of Tuesday night's game at Portman Road. Yet, the Eagles defender ignored the FA's explicit warning and could now face punishment from the association. Speaking on Guehi’s decision to adorn the religious message on the armband, Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner said: “We respect every single player, especially Marc as our captain. I think everyone who knows him knows that he’s a fantastic player, a great guy - very humble. “We shouldn’t make it bigger than he is. He is very respectful of everyone at the club. All of us in football are against discrimination and abuse. It’s a great campaign [Rainbow Laces]. “We spoke about it. I speak to Marc quite often, he’s my captain. He’s no child. He’s an adult who has his opinion. “We accept and respect every opinion. The quote of this campaign is to be tolerant, Marc is very tolerant - everything is fine.”
2024 Was A Productive Year For My Decarbonization Efforts
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US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated WASHINGTON (AP) — Wholesale costs in the United States picked up sharply last month, signaling that price pressures are still evident in the economy even though inflation has tumbled from the peak levels it hit more than two years ago. The producer price index — which tracks inflation before it reaches consumers — rose 0.4% last month from October, up from 0.3% the month before. Measured from 12 months earlier, wholesale prices climbed 3% in November, the sharpest year-over-year rise since February 2023. Higher food prices helped fuel the November wholesale inflation reading, which was higher than economists had expected. Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is pushing toward a vote on legislation that would provide full Social Security benefits to millions of people. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer began the process on Thursday for a final vote on the bill, known as the Social Security Fairness Act. It would eliminate policies that currently limit Social Security payouts for roughly 2.8 million people. The legislation has passed the House. The bill would add more strain on the Social Security Trust funds, which are already estimated to be unable to pay out full benefits beginning in 2035. The measure would add an estimated $195 billion to federal deficits over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power WASHINGTON (AP) — IRS leadership on Thursday announced that the agency has recovered $4.7 billion in back taxes and proceeds from a variety of crimes. The announcement comes under the backdrop of a promised reckoning from Republicans who will hold a majority over both chambers of the next Congress and have long called for rescinding the tens of billions of dollars in funding provided to the agency by Democrats. IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said improvements made to the agency will help the incoming administration and new Republican majority congress achieve its goals of administering an extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. From a 10-year-old to a Muppet to a president-elect, NYSE bell-ringers range from famous to obscure The first guest invited to ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange in 1956 wasn’t a company executive, a politician or a well-known celebrity. It was a 10-year-old boy, Leonard Ross, who received the honor by winning a television quiz show.Since then, business titans, political giants and global film stars have all been among those ringing the opening bell at the NYSE. Ronald Reagan rang the bell as president in 1985. Billionaire businessman and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Hollywood star Robert Downey Jr. - have also rung the bell. The list includes famous Muppets: Miss Piggy was once a bell ringer. Trump is named Time's Person of the Year and rings the New York Stock Exchange's opening bell NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange after being recognized by Time magazine as its person of the year. The honors Thursday for the businessman-turned-politician are a measure of Trump’s remarkable comeback from an ostracized former president who refused to accept his election loss four years ago to a president-elect who won the White House decisively in November. At the stock exchange, Trump was accompanied by his wife, Melania Trump, daughters Ivanka and Tiffany and Vice President-elect JD Vance. Trump grinned as people chanted “USA” before he opened the trading day and raised his fist. Ontario to restrict electricity exports to US and bar American-made alcohol if Trump tariffs applied TORONTO (AP) — A senior official in Canada’s most populous province says that Ontario could bar American-made alcohol and restrict electricity to three U.S. states if President-elect Donald Trump imposes sweeping tariffs on all Canadian products. The states are Michigan, New York and Minnesota. An official in Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government said Thursday that it's contemplating restricting Ontario's liquor control board from buying American-made alcohol. Ontario is also considering restricting exports of Canadian critical minerals required for electric vehicle batteries. ECB cuts rates a quarter point amid concerns of tepid growth, impact of Trump trade policies FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Central Bank is cutting interest rates by a quarter percentage point amid signs of weakening growth and concern about the impact of political chaos in France and the possibility of new U.S. import tariffs. The bank’s rate-setting committee made the decision Thursday at its skyscraper headquarters in Frankfurt to lower the benchmark rate from 3.25% to 3%. Lower rates should support growth amid signs that the post-pandemic recovery is slowing in the 20 countries that use the euro currency and concerns that U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump might impose new tariffs, or import taxes, on goods imported to the US after he is inaugurated Jan. 20. YouTube TV is hiking its monthly price, again. Here's what to know NEW YORK (AP) — Are you a YouTube TV subscriber? Your monthly bills are about to get more expensive again. YouTube has announced that it’s upping the price of its streaming service’s base plan by $10 — citing rising content costs and other investments. The new $82.99 per month price tag will go into effect starting Jan. 13 for existing subscribers, and immediately for new customers who sign up going forward. YouTube TV has rolled out a series of price hikes over the years. When launched back in 2017, the going price of its streaming package was $35 a month. By 2019, that fee rose to $50 — and has climbed higher and higher since. Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor The head of the Federal Aviation Administration says he will step down next month to let President-elect Donald Trump name his choice to lead the agency. Mike Whitaker announced his pending resignation in a message to FAA employees on Thursday. Since taking the helm at the FAA in October 2023, Whitaker has dealt with challenges that include a surge in close calls between planes, a shortage of air traffic controllers and antiquated equipment. He has led a tougher enforcement policy against Boeing since a panel blew off a jetliner in January. The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees NEW YORK (AP) — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Thursday it's capping overdraft fees at $5 with a rule set to take effect in October 2025, if it isn't overturned by Congress or altered under a Trump administration. President Joe Biden had called the fees, which can be as high as $35, “exploitative,” while the banking industry has lobbied extensively to keep the existing fee structures in place.Blues head to Woking tonight sitting 16th in the standings. But Coker is certain the Shrimpers still have what it takes to secure a top seven finish. “I think we can get play-offs,” said Coker. “I think it’s still quite tight and hopefully we can put a good run together with positive performances and results. “You take it game by game and look to build. “We’ve had some changes and it’s about getting used to how everyone plays but we’re getting there and want to try and get a run together.” Blues, who sit seven points below the play-offs, drew 2-2 with title chasing Forest Green Rovers on Saturday. And Coker took plenty of positives from how the Shrimpers twice fought back to secure a share of the spoils. “We can definitely take some positives from the game on Saturday,” said Coker. “We showed really good fighting spirit and going toe to toe with the team top of the league is something we can take moving forward.” Coker made sure of a point for Blues with his third goal in four games. And the 21-year-old is keen to keep on hitting the back of the net. “The gaffer and the management team always speak about eights getting in the box and getting around the area to get shots on goal,” said Coker. “Hopefully they keep falling for me and I can keep putting them in. “I don’t really put pressure on myself with any targets or anything like that but I’d obviously like to get more and beat my tally of six from last season. “Working day in day out on that and the positions we get into helps with that but I always scored a few goals in the youth team so hopefully I can keep on doing it.” In fact, so strong is Coker’s finishing that he often featured as a striker in his youth. “I started off as a striker but I wasn’t the quickest so I went to midfield,” said Coker. “In fairness my strikes haven’t been too clean recently but they’re going in so that’s all that matters so hopefully I can keep it going.” Coker now has four goals in 12 appearances this season and will look to work his way onto the score-sheet against Woking this evening. However, the midfielder is expecting a difficult 90 minutes. “It’s another tough game and it’s always tough there,” said Coker. “We’ve got to stand up to it, play our game and play the way we did on Saturday. “If we do that hopefully we’ll get the three points.”
Growth will be back on track by March: Piyush Goyal
By JUAN A. LOZANO, Associated Press HOUSTON (AP) — An elaborate parody appears to be behind an effort to resurrect Enron, the Houston-based energy company that exemplified the worst in American corporate fraud and greed after it went bankrupt in 2001. If its return is comedic, some former employees who lost everything in Enron’s collapse aren’t laughing. “It’s a pretty sick joke and it disparages the people that did work there. And why would you want to even bring it back up again?” said former Enron employee Diana Peters, who represented workers in the company’s bankruptcy proceedings. Here’s what to know about the history of Enron and the purported effort to bring it back. Once the nation’s seventh-largest company, Enron filed for bankruptcy protection on Dec. 2, 2001, after years of accounting tricks could no longer hide billions of dollars in debt or make failing ventures appear profitable. The energy company’s collapse put more than 5,000 people out of work, wiped out more than $2 billion in employee pensions and rendered $60 billion in Enron stock worthless. Its aftershocks were felt throughout the energy sector. Twenty-four Enron executives , including former CEO Jeffrey Skilling , were eventually convicted for their roles in the fraud. Enron founder Ken Lay’s convictions were vacated after he died of heart disease following his 2006 trial. On Monday — the 23rd anniversary of the bankruptcy filing — a company representing itself as Enron announced in a news release that it was relaunching as a “company dedicated to solving the global energy crisis.” It also posted a video on social media, advertised on at least one Houston billboard and a took out a full-page ad in the Houston Chronicle In the minute-long video that was full of generic corporate jargon, the company talks about “growth” and “rebirth.” It ends with the words, “We’re back. Can we talk?” Enron’s new website features a company store, where various items featuring the brand’s tilted “E” logo are for sale, including a $118 hoodie. In an email, company spokesperson Will Chabot said the new Enron was not doing any interviews yet, but that “We’ll have more to share soon.” Signs point to the comeback being a joke. In the “terms of use and conditions of sale” on the company’s website, it says “the information on the website about Enron is First Amendment protected parody, represents performance art, and is for entertainment purposes only.” Documents filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office show that College Company, an Arkansas-based LLC, owns the Enron trademark. The co-founder of College Company is Connor Gaydos, who helped create a joke conspiracy theory that claims all birds are actually surveillance drones for the government. Peters said that since learning about the “relaunch” of Enron, she has spoken with several other former employees and they are also upset by it. She said the apparent stunt was “in poor taste.” “If it’s a joke, it’s rude, extremely rude. And I hope that they realize it and apologize to all of the Enron employees,” Peters said. Peters, who is 74 years old, said she is still working in information technology because “I lost everything in Enron, and so my Social Security doesn’t always take care of things I need done.” “Enron’s downfall taught us critical lessons about corporate ethics, accountability, and the consequences of unchecked ambition. Enron’s legacy was the employees in the trenches. Leave Enron buried,” she said. Follow Juan A. Lozano on X at https://x.com/juanlozano70
Citing Hunter Biden pardon, Trump asks judge to dismiss his criminal hush money caseTHE I’m A Celebrity campmates desperately want the public to stop voting for Dean McCullough to do trials. They want to show their steel ahead of the vote-offs to boost their chances of staying in the jungle. Radio DJ Dean , 32, took on his sixth consecutive Bushtucker Trial last night, winning ten out of 12 stars in the Jack and the Scream Stalk challenge . But sources told The Sun there is unrest among some celebs eager to make an impression. An insider said: “Initially, the celebs had been worried about Dean doing trials because they feared going hungry due to his poor performances. “He’s started to up his game. “But now some of his fellow campmates really want to throw themselves into a challenge. “The trials are often the best way to gain support from those at home because it shows people what they’re made of. “That’s even more important for the lesser-known celebrities who can’t just rely on their reputation to see them through.” Sun columnist Jane Moore, 62, has started to look frustrated when finding out she has not been selected to do a trial. Show hosts Ant and Dec have also shown they are tiring of Dean repeatedly getting picked. Speaking on ITV2 spin-off show Unpacked , Ant, 49, said: “Right, let’s all have a serious talk. “I’m gonna look directly in the camera here. “I think it’s good to see other faces there. “It’s not about Dean. “It’s about us seeing different people down there, and we want to see different people being featured. i'm A Celebrity is back for its 24th series, with a batch of famous faces living in the Aussie jungle. The Sun's Jake Penkethman takes a look at the stars on the show this year.. Coleen Rooney - Arguably the most famous name in the camp, the leading WAG, known for her marriage to Wayne Rooney , has made a grand return to TV as she looks to put the Wagatha Christie scandal behind her. The Sun revealed the mum-of-four had bagged an eye-watering deal worth over £1.5million to be on the show this year making her the highest-paid contestant ever. Tulisa - The popstar and former X Factor judge has made her triumphant TV comeback by signing up to this year's I'm A Celeb after shunning TV shows for many years. Known for being a member of the trio, N-Dubz, Tulisa became a household name back in 2011 when she signed on to replace Cheryl on ITV show The X Factor in a multi-million pound deal. Alan Halsall - The actor, known for playing the long-running role of Tyrone Dobbs on ITV soap opera Coronation Street, was originally signed up to head Down Under last year but an operation threw his scheduled appearance off-course. Now he has become the latest Corrie star to win over both the viewers and his fellow celebrities. Melvin Odoom - The Radio DJ has become a regular face on TV screens after rising to fame with presenting roles on Kiss FM, BBC Radio 1 and 4Music. Melvin has already been for a spin on the Strictly dancefloor and co-hosted The Xtra Factor with Rochelle Humes in 2015 but now he is facing up to his biggest challenge yet - the Aussie jungle . GK Barry - The UK's biggest social media personality, GK, whose real name is Grace Keeling, has transformed her TikTok stardom into a lucrative career. Aside from her popular social media channels, she hosts the weekly podcast, Saving Grace, and regularly appears on ITV talk show, Loose Women. She has even gone on to endorse popular brands such as PrettyLittleThing, KFC and Ann Summers. Dean McCullough - A rising star amongst this year's bunch of celebs , Dean first achieved notability through his radio appearances on Gaydio and BBC Radio 1. He was chosen to join the BBC station permanently in 2021 and has featured prominently ever since. He has enjoyed a crossover to ITV over the past year thanks to his guest slots on Big Brother spin-off show, Late & Live. Oti Mabuse - The pro dancer has signed up to her latest TV show after making her way through the biggest programmes on the box. She originally found fame on Strictly Come Dancing but has since branched out into the world of TV judging with appearances on former BBC show The Greatest Dancer as well as her current role on ITV's Dancing On Ice . Danny Jones - The McFly star was drafted into the programme last minute as a replacement for Tommy Fury. Danny is the second member of McFly to enter the jungle , after Dougie Poynter won the show in 2011. He is also considered a rising star on ITV as he's now one of the mentors on their Saturday night talent show, The Voice , along with bandmate Tom Fletcher. Jane Moore - The Loose Women star and The Sun columnist is braving the creepy crawlies this year. The star is ready for a new challenge - having recently split from her husband . It will be Jane's first foray into reality TV with the telly favourite having always said no to reality shows in the past. Barry McGuigan - Former pro boxer Barry is the latest fighting champ to head Down Under following in the footsteps of Tony Bellew and Amir Khan. It comes after a tough few years for Irish star Barry, who lost his daughter Danika to bowel cancer . He told The Late Late Show in 2021: "She was such an intrinsic part of the family that every day we ache." Maura Higgins - The Irish TV beauty first found fame on Love Island where she found a brief connection with dancer Curtis Pritchard . Since then, she has competed on Dancing On Ice as well as hosting the Irish version of the beauty contest, Glow Up. Since last year, she has been working on building up her career in the US by being the social media correspondent and host of Aftersun to accompany Love Island USA. She even guest hosted an episode of the spin-off, Love Island Games, in place of Maya Jama last year. Rev. Richard Coles - Former BBC radio host the Rev Richard Coles is a late arrival on I’m A Celebrity , and he's ready to spill the beans on his former employer. The former Communards and Strictly star , said the BBC did not know its a**e from its elbow last year. An insider said: "Rev Coles will have a variety of tales to tell from his wild days as a pop star in the Eighties, through to performing on Strictly and his later life as a man of the cloth." “I’d like to see Barry do a trial, I’d like to see Melvin down there, Oti. “But we find this every year when someone gets voted multiple times. “You just get to a point where you go, ‘Who’s still voting for Dean?’. “I don’t get it.” Dec, 49, added: “My thing is, I think we all know how he’s gonna react and how he’s gonna do. “I would like to see some other people down there.”NEW YORK (AP) — What a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors. U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. The year featured many familiar winners, such as Big Tech, which got even bigger as their stock prices kept growing . But it wasn't just Apple, Nvidia and the like. Bitcoin , gold and other investments also drove higher. Here's a look at some of the numbers that defined the year. All are as of Dec. 20. Remember when President Bill Clinton got impeached or when baseball's Mark McGwire hit his 70th home run against the Montreal Expos? That was the last time the U.S. stock market closed out a second straight year with a leap of at least 20%, something the S&P 500 is on track to do again this year. The index has climbed 24.3% so far this year, not including dividends, following last year's spurt of 24.2%. The number of all-time highs the S&P 500 has set so far this year. The first came early, on Jan. 19, when the index capped a two-year comeback from the swoon caused by high inflation and worries that high interest rates instituted by the Federal Reserve to combat it would create a recession. But the index was methodical through the rest of the year, setting a record in every month outside of April and August, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices. The latest came on Dec. 6. The number of times the Federal Reserve has cut its main interest rate this year from a two-decade high, offering some relief to the economy. Expectations for those cuts, along with hopes for more in 2025, were a big reason the U.S. stock market has been so successful this year. The 1 percentage point of cuts, though, is still short of the 1.5 percentage points that many traders were forecasting for 2024 at the start of the year. The Fed disappointed investors in December when it said it may cut rates just two more times in 2025, fewer than it had earlier expected. That’s how many points the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by the day after Election Day, as investors made bets on what Donald Trump’s return to the White House will mean for the economy and the world . The more widely followed S&P 500 soared 2.5% for its best day in nearly two years. Aside from bitcoin, stocks of banks and smaller winners were also perceived to be big winners. The bump has since diminished amid worries that Trump’s policies could also send inflation higher. The level that bitcoin topped to set a record above $108,000 this past month. It's been climbing as interest rates come down, and it got a particularly big boost following Trump's election. He's turned around and become a fan of crypto, and he's named a former regulator who’s seen as friendly to digital currencies as the next chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, replacing someone who critics said was overly aggressive in his oversight. Bitcoin was below $17,000 just two years ago following the collapse of crypto exchange FTX. Story continues below video Gold's rise for the year, as it also hit records and had as strong a run as U.S. stocks. Wars around the world have helped drive demand for investments seen as safe, such as gold. It's also benefited from the Fed's cut to interest rates. When bonds are paying less in interest, they pull away fewer potential buyers from gold, which pays investors nothing. It's a favorite number of Elon Musk, and it's also a threshold that Tesla's stock price passed in December as it set a record. The number has a long history among marijuana devotees, and Musk famously said in 2018 that he had secured funding to take Tesla private at $420 per share . Tesla soared this year, up from less than $250 at the start, in part because of expectations that Musk's close relationship with Trump could benefit the company. That's how much revenue Nvidia made in the nine months through Oct. 27, showing how the artificial-intelligence frenzy is creating mountains of cash. Nvidia's chips are driving much of the move into AI, and its revenue through the last nine months catapulted from less than $39 billion the year before. Such growth has boosted Nvidia's worth to more than $3 trillion in total. GameStop’s gain on May 13 after Keith Gill, better known as “Roaring Kitty,” appeared online for the first time in three years to support the video game retailer’s stock, which he helped rocket to unimaginable heights during the “ meme stock craze ” in 2021. Several other meme stocks also jumped following his post in May on the social platform X, including AMC Entertainment. Gill later disclosed a sizeable stake in the online pet products retailer Chewy, but he sold all of his holdings by late October . That's how much the U.S. economy grew, at annualized seasonally adjusted rates, in each of the three first quarters of this year. Such growth blew past what many pessimists were expecting when inflation was topping 9% in the summer of 2022. The fear was that the medicine prescribed by the Fed to beat high inflation — high interest rates — would create a recession. Households at the lower end of the income spectrum in particular are feeling pain now, as they contend with still-high prices. But the overall economy has remained remarkably resilient. This is the vacancy rate for U.S. office buildings — an all-time high — through the first three quarters of 2024, according to data from Moody's. The fact the rate held steady for most of the year was something of a win for office building owners, given that it had marched up steadily from 16.8% in the fourth quarter of 2019. Demand for office space weakened as the pandemic led to the popularization of remote work. That's the total number of previously occupied homes sold nationally through the first 11 months of 2024. Sales would have to surge 20% year-over-year in December for 2024's home sales to match the 4.09 million existing homes sold in 2023, a nearly 30-year low. The U.S. housing market has been in a sales slump dating back to 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. A shortage of homes for sale and elevated mortgage rates have discouraged many would-be homebuyers.
With backwards compatibility and new games like Metroid Prime 4 and Pokemon Legends Z-A on the horizon, the Nintendo Switch 2 already feels like it will be a success when it eventually makes its debut. However, it is starting to feel like Nintendo's inactivity on the Switch 2 front could lead to a few problems, especially if the company continues to dilly-dally and further delay the release date. Indeed, just days after Microsoft confirmed that a handheld Xbox is in the early stages of development, a new report suggests Sony is working on handheld device capable of natively running PS5 games. Sony's PlayStation Portal lets users access their PS5 library remotely via internet streaming, but doesn't let users download games directly to the device. It's a pretty decent console if you have a fast internet speeds, but you will experience connection issues and lag when WiFi cuts out or multiple devices are in use throughout the household. According to Bloomberg, Sony's new device is in the early stages of development, and will actually let you download and play your PS5 games directly from the device. This makes it much closer to something like the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck in terms of functionality, just with a lot more power. Similar to the PlayStation Portal, the new Sony handheld would presumably come with all of the functionality that makes the PS5 such a popular console. It comes with a gorgeous 8-inch LCD screen, which can handle gameplay at 60 frames-per-second in 1080p. However, what makes the PlayStation Portal superior to similar remote play devices are the controls. the PlayStation Portal is essentially a DualSense controller with a screen in the middle. As such, it has all of the same functionality, including advanced haptic feedback, touchpad support (via the actual display), and adaptive triggers.Marco Baroni asked Lazio to be ‘aggressive’ against Ajax in Amsterdam and they are growing in ‘ambition’ in the Europa League. ‘We need to launch young players and let them learn on the field.’ It was a from the Biancocelesti, who retain top spot in the Europa League table. Loum Tchaouna, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and a late Pedro scorcher cancelled out the temporary Bertrand Traore equaliser, taking them “We are working hard and can dream, with heads down and humility, but also ambition,” “The team needs to grow with this level of performance, as I told them we had to be aggressive and stop Ajax from keeping the ball. The lads are hearing that message more and more, understanding the importance of the high press. “I saw unity, spirit, but also concentration. I am happy, I had the feeling this team needed to be launched and when I did it, they followed me, understanding both what we need to do and where we must still improve.” This was no mean feat, as Lazio became only the seventh Italian side to win in Amsterdam and Ajax’s previous three European home fixtures had seen them score 12 goals, conceding zero. The Aquile would’ve had a 100 per cent record in the Europa League, if not for the controversial penalty snub against Ludogorets, where the referee ignored advice from his own VAR. “I am not surprised by this. These lads have quality, we need to break down this resistance in Italian football of not risking young players. We have to play them and they learn by making mistakes too. There’s no better way to learn than by playing matches at this level. “The more important games we play, it means we are raising the bar,” added Baroni. Tchaouna scored and assisted today, but is he improving in terms of helping out defensively? “He has improved a lot, we already saw it in the Coppa Italia against Napoli. He lost the full-back a couple of times today, he still is a bit too instinctive and needs to understand when he shouldn’t risk losing possession in dangerous situations, but he’s learning. “I want my wingers to cut inside and he has a good shot, so he’s got an eye for goal.” Gustav Isaksen struggled badly in his first season at Lazio, while Dele-Bashiru seems to have flourished now that he is dropped into the two-man midfield by Baroni. “Dele-Bashiru comes from a different football where he doesn’t need as much focus. His physicality is devastating and he has good technique, but where he needs to improve and he is doing that is matching the speed of his brain to his legs. When he does that, he becomes really a remarkable midfielder. “As for Isaksen, he had a lot of competition for places at Lazio in his first season and wasn’t getting much regular playing time. When I said you need to just let these young players go, I also mean Isaksen. I want my forwards to make decisions in the final third and to be given the confidence to take those risks,” concluded Baroni.
Chargers’ RB room gets thin: Gus Edwards out, J.K. Dobbins questionablePolice recovered a watch stolen from Travis Kelce’s home during a robbery, sources said. Law enforcement officials had not previously made mention of the stolen watch, and had only released information suggesting $20,000 cash had been stolen from the NFL star when his home was burglarized in October, according to TMZ . Sources familiar with the case said authorities investigating a string of burglaries at the residences of professional athletes have retrieved the famous athlete’s watch in Rhode Island, according to ABC News . KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – NOVEMBER 04: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs reacts during an NFL Football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on November 04, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images) The home of the Kansas City Chiefs tight end was targeted while he played for the team, sources said. The home of Patrick Mahomes was robbed the day prior, according to police documents. Other athletes have also been victimized by what police now believe to be a sophisticated crime unit. The NFL issued a stark warning to its athletes, advising that they stay off social media and avoid declaring their play and travel schedules on public social media platforms. They believe the alleged robbers are targeting their homes while they are at games, according to ABC News. KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – NOVEMBER 10: Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs walks off the field following the Chiefs 16-14 win over the Denver Broncos at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on November 10, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images) The suspects are carrying out extensive surveillance and are sometimes posing as delivery men to stay under the radar, an NFL memo said, according to ABC News. The alleged robbers may also be acting as maintenance workers or joggers, as a way of learning more about the residences and neighbor hoods they are targeting, the memo added. A security source that is close to the situation told the outlet that the suspects seem to know precisely what they are looking for, and where to locate the items within the home. They are making their way inside the luxury properties and departing within 15 minutes with valuables in-hand, the source claimed. (RELATED: South American Crime Ring Suspected In Robberies Of NFL Stars: REPORT) Police have not confirmed the identity of anyone involved in this case, and have not released suspect information at this time.‘It’ll Be Brutal’: Inside Trump’s Planned War on Leakers and the Press