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ph365 Stock market today: Wall Street gets back to climbing, sending Nasdaq to a recordImagine being told you can’t play your favorite game just because of what you’re wearing. Sounds weird, right? That’s exactly what happened to Magnus Carlsen, one of the world’s best chess players, at a big tournament in New York. Here’s the story: Magnus showed up wearing jeans, which weren’t allowed. The chess organization, FIDE, has a rule that players must wear “dress pants.” When they told him to change, Magnus decided to quit the tournament instead! He’s a five-time champion, so you’d think they’d let it slide. But FIDE stuck to the rules, even making another top player, Ian Nepomniachtchi, change his shoes earlier in the competition. Now, Magnus might not be too upset about this. People say he has other plans and didn’t really mind leaving the tournament. But still, breaking a rule and acting like it’s okay just because you’re famous isn’t exactly fair. Rules are rules, and FIDE has the right to enforce them for everyone equally. That said, let’s talk about dress codes. Are they really necessary? Think about it: does wearing jeans instead of dress pants make chess any less serious? Probably not. Other sports have faced similar issues. In 2005, the NBA tried forcing basketball players to wear suits for team events. They thought it would make the players look more professional, but fans didn’t like it. Fun fact: sneakers, like Nike’s Air Jordans, are a huge part of basketball culture, making billions of dollars every year! Even outside sports, dress codes can be silly. One big Indian company once forced all its male employees to wear ties, but they eventually dropped the rule because too many people were quitting! Wearing something uncomfortable just for appearances doesn’t make much sense, does it? In the end, while Magnus should have followed the rules, maybe it’s time for FIDE and other organizations to rethink these dress codes. After all, what you wear doesn’t change how talented or serious you are about what you do. Comfort and fairness should matter more than outdated ideas about “looking professional.”RETIRE WITHOUT WORRIES | How InLife’s Retire Assure can help you enjoy the life you deserve

Montana women's basketball suffers blowout loss at undefeated Minnesota

While the holiday season is, yes, traditionally the time to shop until you drop, it also presents an excellent opportunity to make a bigger impact, and fight back against the ongoing disenfranchisement of marginalized communities in the United States. This winter, as the Biden administration cedes ground to another Trump one, why not consider donating to charities and nonprofits that are working to safeguard LGBTQ+ rights, abortion access, climate justice, protections for immigrants and incarcerated people, and a host of other vital issues? Of course, there are plenty of ways to take a stand in your community if you don’t have the money to spare. But if you’re looking to purchase gifts this season that are sure to go a long way, look no further: Below, find a roundup five organizations whose tireless work ensures that some of America’s most disenfranchised groups—from people in need of reproductive care in states with abortion bans to the communities of color who are hardest-hit by climate change —have access to sorely needed social safety nets as we lead into 2025. This network of almost 100 independent abortion funds works to remove financial and logistical barriers to abortion access—an issue that’s become increasingly urgent since the Supreme Court’s 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade . NNAF supports member abortion funds by providing grants, leadership development, infrastructure support, and technical assistance. This trans-led organization connects trans people to the community, support, and resources they need to survive and thrive, cultivating trans community at a time of unprecedented transphobic legislation and rhetoric . This Black-led and Black-centered collective of abolitionist organizers, lawyers, and activists is building a community-based movement with the goal of abolishing pretrial detention systems and dismantling the prison industrial complex. This nonprofit dedicated to ensuring human rights protections and access to justice for all immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers provides direct legal services to and advocates for those populations through policy reform, impact litigation, and public education. This organization works across the United States to advance equitable climate resilience and sustainability outcomes and the natural systems on which they depend.

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NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks tiptoed to more records amid a mixed Tuesday of trading, tacking a touch more onto what’s already been a stellar year so far. The S&P 500 edged up by 2 points, or less than 0.1%, to set an all-time high for the 55th time this year. It’s climbed in 10 of the last 11 days and is on track for one of its best years since the turn of the millennium. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 76 points, or 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite added 0.4% to its own record set a day earlier. AT&T rose 4.6% after it boosted its profit forecast for the year. It also announced a $10 billion plan to send cash to its investors by buying back its own stock, while saying it expects to authorize another $10 billion of repurchases in 2027. On the losing end of Wall Street was U.S. Steel, which fell 8%. President-elect Donald Trump reiterated on social media that he would not let Japan’s Nippon Steel take over the iconic Pennsylvania steelmaker. Nippon Steel announced plans last December to buy the Pittsburgh-based steel producer for $14.1 billion in cash, raising concerns about what the transaction could mean for unionized workers, supply chains and U.S. national security. Earlier this year, President Joe Biden also came out against the acquisition. Tesla sank 1.6% after a judge in Delaware reaffirmed a previous ruling that the electric car maker must revoke Elon Musk’s multibillion-dollar pay package. The judge denied a request by attorneys for Musk and Tesla’s corporate directors to vacate her ruling earlier this year requiring the company to rescind the unprecedented pay package. All told, the S&P 500 rose 2.73 points to 6,049.88. The Dow fell 76.47 to 44,705.53, and the Nasdaq composite gained 76.96 to 19,480.91. In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady after a report showed U.S. employers were advertising slightly more job openings at the end of October than a month earlier. Continued strength there would raise optimism that the economy could remain out of a recession that many investors had earlier worried was inevitable. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.23% from 4.20% from late Monday. Yields have seesawed since Election Day amid worries that Trump’s preferences for lower tax rates and bigger tariffs could spur higher inflation along with economic growth. But traders are still confident the Federal Reserve will cut its main interest rate again at its next meeting in two weeks. They’re betting on a nearly three-in-four chance of that, according to data from CME Group. Lower rates can give the economy more juice, but they can also give inflation more fuel. The key report this week that could guide the Fed’s next move will arrive on Friday. It’s the monthly jobs report , which will show how many workers U.S. employers hired and fired during November. It could be difficult to parse given how much storms and strikes distorted figures in October. Based on trading in the options market, Friday’s jobs report appears to be the biggest potential market mover until the Fed announces its next decision on interest rates Dec. 18, according to strategists at Barclays Capital. In financial markets abroad, the value of South Korea’s currency fell 1.1% against the U.S. dollar following a frenetic night where President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law and then later said he’d lift it after lawmakers voted to reject military rule. Stocks of Korean companies that trade in the United States also fell, including a 1.6% drop for SK Telecom. Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 1.9% to help lead global markets. Some analysts think Japanese stocks could end up benefiting from Trump’s threats to raise tariffs , including for goods coming from China . Trade relations between the U.S. and China took another step backward after China said it is banning exports to the U.S. of gallium, germanium, antimony and other key high-tech materials with potential military applications. The counterpunch came swiftly after the U.S. Commerce Department expanded the list of Chinese technology companies subject to export controls to include many that make equipment used to make computer chips, chipmaking tools and software. The 140 companies newly included in the so-called “entity list” are nearly all based in China. In China, stock indexes rose 1% in Hong Kong and 0.4% in Shanghai amid unconfirmed reports that Chinese leaders would meet next week to discuss planning for the coming year. Investors are hoping it may bring fresh stimulus to help spur growth in the world’s second-largest economy. In France, the CAC 40 rose 0.3% amid continued worries about politics in Paris , where the government is battling over the budget. AP Business Writers Yuri Kageyama and Matt Ott contributed.Arizona AG sues Saudi firm over 'excessive' groundwater pumping, saying it's a public nuisance

A TRADING standards chief has revealed a rise in the use of loan sharks is partly down to borrowers finding illegal lenders “less intimidating” than High Street banks. Up to 300,000 people in Scotland are at risk of falling victim to street moneylenders, who are adapting their tactics to prey on those hit by the cost-of-living crisis, new figures from consumer watchdogs reveal. 4 Loan sharks pretend to be your friend but want you in debt forever. 4 Some find getting easy money from loan sharks less intimidating than high street banks. 4 Fiona Richardson, Chief Officer of Trading Standards Scotland, insists victims of loan sharks are not alone. Research by the Scottish Illegal Money Lending Unit - SIMLU - found that around seven per cent of the adult population has come across a loan shark either in their community or online. But Fiona Richardson, Chief Officer of Trading Standards Scotland, said: “One of the reasons we’ve found that people go to illegal lenders is often it’s less intimidating. “I know that sounds strange, but when you go to a bank and fill in forms and have your credit rating checked. “These are all totally appropriate measures because lenders need to make sure that you can afford to borrow the money and that you can afford to pay it back. READ MORE MONEY NEED FOR SPEED Scots island with just 170 residents to get Europe's fastest internet FIR GOODNESS SAKE Aldi launches 'cheapest' real Christmas trees from £13.99 at Scots stores “But an illegal lender won’t do that. They’ll just give you cash straight away and very often if you need something immediately, a short term shock buy, people find it’s much easier to get it from an illegal lender.” In one disturbing case the SIMLU was contacted by a single mother from Glasgow who borrowed £250 from a loan shark to pay for a new bed for her toddler son, with her being charged £25 in interest every fortnight. But when she missed a payment to top up her prepayment meter during a cold snap, the loanshark ordered her to pay double the next week. When she failed to attend their next meeting to pay him, he came to her door and threatened to assault her and harm her son. Most read in Money IN LINE Shoppers queue for MAC opening as store reveals amazing deal for Black Friday MUCH TO SEA Cosy cottage with own beach in idyllic Scots seaside village hits the market BRIBE BLAST 'Bribed with cheap electricity' - Fury over plans for huge wind farm SHUTTERS DOWN Family-run store in major Scots city to close in weeks after 40 years Fiona said: “We’ve been working in this area for 20 years and lending tends to be based within a community. “So there are always levels of intimidation and harassment especially on pay back days.” Inside the violent world of loan sharks The SIMLU - who are part of Trading Standards Scotland - also warn that illegal lenders are increasingly using social media platforms such as Facebook , Instagram and Snapchat , to advertise their high-interest loans and target potential victims. In some cases, loan sharks have even been found to be targeting the social media pages of local food banks to take advantage of people while they are at their most desperate. But Fiona believes another reason for the rise of loan shark use is because in 2021 Provident Financial ended it’s decades old doorstep lending business that provided high-cost loans to people with poor credit scores. She said: “There has been a contraction in the high cost credit market over the past few years. “With the likes of Provident ending that line of business, you don’t have doorstep lending that you used to. “A lot of people would have relied on that to get credit when they needed it. “But we would instead advise that credit unions are a good way to save and to borrow money.” However Fiona insists that action can be taken against loan sharks. In the case of the single mum who was threatened with her son, officers were able to help her access a local food bank, receive debt and welfare advice, find support groups, and arrange a volunteering opportunity. Fiona said: “It’s not an easy area, because people are very reluctant to talk about illegal lenders for obvious reasons. FIVE TIPS IF YOU HAVE USED A LOAN SHARK 1 - If you are feeling trapped and threatened you need to know you have not committed a crime - the loan shark has. The first thing to do is contact the Scottish Illegal Money Lending Unit. This is a confidential service. 2 - SIMLU specialist officers will investigate allegations of illegal money lending and related activity and will submit reports to the Procurator Fiscal as appropriate. 3 - A Support Officer can provide advice to victims and can arrange direct referrals to partner services including StepChange Debt Charity , Citizens Advice Scotland , Money Advice Service and Money Advice Scotland . 4 - The agencies can also arrange a benefits check and perhaps short-term assistance for emergency purchases . 5 - Budgeting advice and a referral to a food bank can also help prevent people from using a loan shark. But no matter how out of control things may feel, the SIMLU insists you are not alone and there is help available. “So we don’t have a great number of cases going through the courts because it means people need to stand up and say that they’ve borrowed money from an illegal lender. “But we would say that even if you have borrowed you should remember that you’re not the one that’s committed the crime - they have. They can’t enforce the debt legally.” Now with Christmas fast approaching, Fiona is urging those thinking of using an illegal borrower to seek preventative help instead. She explains: “Christmas just adds to the pressure of trying to balance a budget because everyone still wants to buy the right foods and presents for their family . “But by seeking help there is budgeting advice and various other means that may be open to people that can make sure you steer clear of these lenders.” She adds: “Loan sharks may seem like the easy option as they initially act like a friend, but they have no real interest in you paying off the loan. Read more on the Scottish Sun REY-LY EXCITING US pop superstar announces first Scots show in almost 10 years BALLSED UP Lorraine apologises on air for using phrase she 'didn't know' was a swear word “They’re just looking for a regular income which means you will always be in debt to them.” *For those in financial difficulty visit stopillegallending.co.uk or call the free and confidential helpline on 0800 074 0878. 4 A staggering 300,000 Scots at risk of falling victim to loan sharks.Jimmy Carter, 39th US president, Nobel winner, dies at 100