Stocks closed higher on Wall Street as the market posted its fifth straight gain and the Dow Jones Industrial Average notched another record high. The S&P 500 rose 0.3%. The benchmark index’s 1.7% gain for the week erased most of its loss from last week. The Dow rose 1% as it nudged past its most recent high set last week, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.2%. Markets have been volatile over the last few weeks, losing ground in the runup to elections in November, then surging following Donald Trump's victory, before falling again. The S&P 500 has been steadily rising throughout this week to within close range of its record. It's now within about 0.5% of its all-time high set last week. “Overall, market behavior has normalized following an intense few weeks,” said Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide, in a statement. Several retailers jumped after giving Wall Street encouraging financial updates. Gap soared 12.8% after handily beating analysts' third-quarter earnings and revenue expectations, while raising its own revenue forecast for the year. Discount retailer Ross Stores rose 2.2% after raising its earnings forecast for the year. EchoStar fell 2.8% after DirecTV called off its purchase of that company's Dish Network unit. Smaller company stocks had some of the biggest gains. The Russell 2000 index rose 1.8%. A majority of stocks in the S&P 500 gained ground, but those gains were kept in check by slumps for several big technology companies. Nvidia fell 3.2%. Its pricey valuation makes it among the heaviest influences on whether the broader market gains or loses ground. The company has grown into a nearly $3.6 trillion behemoth because of demand for its chips used in artificial-intelligence technology. Intuit, which makes TurboTax and other accounting software, fell 5.7%. It gave investors a quarterly earnings forecast that fell short of analysts’ expectations. Facebook owner Meta Platforms fell 0.7% following a decision by the Supreme Court to allow a multibillion-dollar class action investors’ lawsuit to proceed against the company. It stems from the privacy scandal involving the Cambridge Analytica political consulting firm. All told, the S&P 500 rose 20.63 points to 5,969.34. The Dow climbed 426.16 points to 44,296.51, and the Nasdaq picked up 42.65 points to close at 2,406.67. European markets closed mostly higher and Asian markets ended mixed. Crude oil prices rose. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.41% from 4.42% late Thursday. In the crypto market, hovered around $99,000, according to CoinDesk. It has more than doubled this year and first surpassed the $99,000 level on Thursday. Retailers remained a big focus for investors this week amid close scrutiny on consumer spending habits headed into the holiday shopping season. Walmart, the nation's largest retailer, reported a quarter of strong sales and gave investors an encouraging financial forecast. Target, though, reported weaker earnings than analysts' expected and its forecast disappointed Wall Street. Consumer spending has fueled economic growth, despite a persistent squeeze from inflation and high borrowing costs. Inflation has been easing and the Federal Reserve has started trimming its benchmark interest rates. That is likely to help relieve pressure on consumers, but any major shift in spending could prompt the Fed to reassess its path ahead on interest rates. Also, any big reversals on the rate of inflation could curtail spending. Consumer sentiment remains strong, according to the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index. It revised its latest figure for November to 71.8 from an initial reading of 73 earlier this month, though economists expected a slight increase. It's still up from 70.5 in October. The survey also showed that consumers' inflation expectations for the year ahead fell slightly to 2.6%, which is the lowest reading since December of 2020. Wall Street will get another update on how consumers feel when the business group The Conference Board releases its monthly consumer confidence survey on Tuesday. A key inflation update will come on Wednesday when the U.S. releases its October personal consumption expenditures index. The PCE is the Fed's preferred measure of inflation and this will be the last PCE reading prior to the central bank's meeting in December.DAMASCUS, Syria — Ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad fled to Moscow and received asylum from his longtime ally, Russian media said Sunday, hours after a stunning rebel advance seized control of Damascus and ended his family’s 50 years of iron rule. Thousands of Syrians poured into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire and waved the revolutionary flag in scenes that recalled the early days of the Arab Spring uprising, before a brutal crackdown and the rise of an insurgency plunged the country into a nearly 14-year civil war. The swift events raised questions about the future of the country and the wider region. “Our approach has shifted the balance of power in the Middle East," President Joe Biden said, crediting action by the U.S. and its allies for weakening Syria’s backers — Russia, Iran and Hezbollah. He called the fall of Assad a “fundamental act of justice” but also a “moment of risk and uncertainty,” and said rebel groups are “saying the right things now” but the U.S. would assess their actions. Russia requested an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council to discuss Syria, according to Dmitry Polyansky, its deputy ambassador to the U.N., in a post on Telegram. The arrival of Assad and his family in Moscow was reported by Russian agencies Tass and RIA, citing an unidentified source at the Kremlin. A spokesman there didn't immediately respond to questions. RIA also said Syrian insurgents had guaranteed the security of Russian military bases and diplomatic posts in Syria. Earlier, Russia said Assad left Syria after negotiations with rebel groups and that he gave instructions to transfer power peacefully. The leader of Syria's biggest rebel faction, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, is poised to chart the country’s future. The former al-Qaida commander cut ties with the group years ago and says he embraces pluralism and religious tolerance. His Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the U.N. In his first public appearance since fighters entered the Damascus suburbs Saturday, al-Golani visited the Umayyad Mosque and described Assad's fall as “a victory to the Islamic nation.” Calling himself by his given name, Ahmad al-Sharaa, and not his nom de guerre, he said Assad had made Syria “a farm for Iran’s greed.” The rebels face the daunting task of healing bitter divisions in a country ravaged by war and split among armed factions. Turkey-backed opposition fighters are battling U.S.-allied Kurdish forces in the north, and the Islamic State group is still active in remote areas. Syrian state television broadcast a rebel statement saying Assad was overthrown and all prisoners had been released. They urged people to preserve the institutions of “the free Syrian state,” and announced a curfew in Damascus from 4 p.m. to 5 a.m. An online video purported to show rebels freeing dozens of women at the notorious Saydnaya prison, where rights groups say thousands were tortured and killed. At least one small child was seen among them. “This happiness will not be completed until I can see my son out of prison and know where is he,” said one relative, Bassam Masr. "I have been searching for him for two hours. He has been detained for 13 years.” Rebel commander Anas Salkhadi appeared on state TV and sought to reassure religious and ethnic minorities, saying: “Syria is for everyone, no exceptions. Syria is for Druze, Sunnis, Alawites, and all sects.” “We will not deal with people the way the Assad family did," he added. Damascus residents prayed in mosques and celebrated in squares, calling, “God is great.” People chanted anti-Assad slogans and honked car horns. Teenage boys picked up weapons apparently discarded by security forces and fired into the air. Soldiers and police fled their posts and looters broke into the Defense Ministry. Families wandered the presidential palace, walking by damaged portraits of Assad. Other parts of the capital were empty and shops were closed. “It’s like a dream. I need someone to wake me up," said opposition fighter Abu Laith, adding the rebels were welcomed in Damascus with “love.” Rebels stood guard at the Justice Ministry, where Judge Khitam Haddad said he and colleagues were protecting documents. Outside, residents sought information about relatives who disappeared under Assad. The rebels “have felt the pain of the people,” said one woman, giving only her first name, Heba. She worried about possible revenge killings by the rebels, many of whom appeared to be underage. Syria’s historically pro-government newspaper al-Watan called it “a new page for Syria. We thank God for not shedding more blood.” It added that media workers should not be blamed for publishing past government statements ordered from above. A statement from the Alawite sect that formed the core of Assad's base called on young Syrians to be “calm, rational and prudent and not to be dragged into what tears apart the unity of our country.” The rebels mainly come from the Sunni Muslim majority in Syria, which also has sizable Druze, Christian and Kurdish communities. In Qamishli in the northeast, a Kurdish man slapped a statue of the late leader Hafez Assad with his shoe. The rebel advances since Nov. 27 were the largest in recent years, and saw the cities of Aleppo, Hama and Homs fall within days as the Syrian army melted away. The road to Damascus from the Lebanese border was littered with military uniforms and charred armored vehicles. Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, which provided crucial support to Assad, abandoned him as they reeled from other conflicts. The end of Assad’s rule was a major blow to Iran and its proxies, already weakened by conflict with Israel. Iran said Syrians should decide their future “without destructive, coercive, foreign intervention.” The Iranian Embassy in Damascus was ransacked after apparently having been abandoned. Hossein Akbari, Iran’s ambassador to Syria, said it was “effectively impossible” to help the Syrian government after it admitted the insurgents' military superiority. Speaking on Iranian state media from an undisclosed location, he said Syria's government decided Saturday night to hand over power peacefully. “When the army and the people could not resist, it was a good decision to let go to prevent bloodshed and destruction,” Akbari said, adding that some of his colleagues left Syria before sunrise. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking on state TV, said there were concerns about the “possibility of civil war, disintegration of Syria, total collapse and turning Syria into a shelter for terrorists.” Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali has said the government was ready to “extend its hand” to the opposition and turn its functions over to a transitional government. A video on Syrian opposition media showed armed men escorting him from his office to a hotel. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, has called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” The Gulf nation of Qatar, a key regional mediator, hosted an emergency meeting of foreign ministers and top officials from eight countries with interests in Syria late Saturday, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Turkey. Majed al-Ansari, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, said they agreed on the need “to engage all parties on the ground," including the HTS, and that the main concern is “stability and safe transition.” Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli troops had seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights established in 1974, saying it was to protect Israeli residents after Syrian troops abandoned positions. Israel’s military later warned residents of five southern Syria communities to stay home for their safety, and didn’t respond to questions. Israel captured the Golan in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed it. The international community, except for the U.S., views it as occupied, and the Arab League on Sunday condemned what it called Israel’s efforts to take advantage of Assad’s downfall to occupy more territory. ___ Sewell reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue, Sarah El Deeb and Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut; Samar Kassaballi, Omar Sanadiki and Ghaith Alsayed in Damascus; Jon Gambrell in Manama, Bahrain; Josef Federman in Doha, Qatar; and Tia Goldenberg in Jerusalem, contributed.
Rangers' fast, hard fall continues, with no end in sight: 'We gotta show more heart'Bryan sets record for hotel revenue in November
AP Business SummaryBrief at 5:00 p.m. ESTNoneBieber re-signs with Guardians
Commentary: Disney must add a new theme park to maintain market dominanceHow you can protect your text messages following FBI warning of massive Chinese hackStock market today: Wall Street wavers at the start of a holiday-shortened week
The Social Security Administration Will Make Big Changes for Retirees Starting in January – The 4 Most Important ChangesResearchers at Western University that documented a 2022 fireball over southwestern Ontario have made history as having studied the smallest asteroid documented to date. Scientists determined the composition and size of Asteroid 2022 WJ1 as it streaked across the night sky, before it fractured while entering earth’s atmosphere and dropped meteorites in the Niagara region. Only the sixth asteroid ever discovered prior to impact, the space rock responsible for all the fuss was a mere 40-60 cm in diameter. “Our new approach, discovering an asteroid through space observation and then subsequently observing it with cameras from the ground, allowed us to confirm that our estimates match well to estimates derived using a completely different approach,” said Denis Vida, Western physics and astronomy adjunct professor. A timelapse image of the fireball event from start to finish. (Source: Western Meteor Group) The combination of camera networks, as well as telescopes allowed for a more precise understanding of the composition and size of the asteroid, which entered the atmosphere above London before streaking through the sky and splintering near St. Catharine’s. “This is only the second time that an asteroid has been meaningfully characterized with telescopes prior to it impacting the Earth,” said Teddy Kareta, postdoctoral associate, Lowell Observatory. “This first-ever comparison between telescopic and fireball camera data is extremely exciting, and means we’ll be able to characterize the next asteroid to impact the Earth in even better detail.” Although researchers have combed the projected area of impact for asteroid fragments, at this point none have been found – unfortunately, a large swath of the projected impact area means that much of the meteor would have landed in Lake Ontario. “There are people in the area who are searching and know what to look for,” said Phil McCausland, a Western Earth sciences adjunct professor and Meteor Physics Group researcher. “We may still get lucky and find a meteorite or two from this fall in the coming months and years.” London Top Stories One person dead after two-vehicle crash involving delivery truck Charges laid after transport truck crash causes Highway 401 lane closure VIDEO | London house fire spreads to neighbouring property Police investigating following fire that prompted school evacuation at Ingersoll District Collegiate Institute Canada's tax relief plan: Who gets a cheque? Volkswagen battery plant will drive economy, increase consumer confidence says economic think tank Western researchers document the sixth ever asteroid spotted prior to impact Budget Day 1: Council holds the line on 7.4% tax rate increase but funds shelter beds and more park maintenance CTVNews.ca Top Stories Nearly 46,000 electric vehicles recalled in Canada over potential power loss Nearly 46,000 electric vehicles from Kia, Hyundai and Genesis are being recalled in Canada over a potential power loss issue that can increase the risk of a crash. Canada Post quarterly loss tops $300M as strike hits second week -- and rivals step in Canada Post saw hundreds of millions of dollars drain out of its coffers last quarter, due largely to its dwindling share of the parcels market, while an ongoing strike continues to batter its bottom line. 'Immoral depravity': Two men convicted in case of frozen migrant family in Manitoba A jury has found two men guilty on human smuggling charges in a case where a family from India froze to death in Manitoba while trying to walk across the Canada-U.S. border. Canada's tax relief plan: Who gets a cheque? The Canadian government has unveiled its plans for a sweeping GST/HST pause on select items during the holiday period. The day after the announcement, questions remain on how the whole thing will work. Quebec man, 81, gets prison sentence after admitting to killing wife with Alzheimer's disease An 81-year-old Quebec man has been sentenced to prison after admitting to killing his wife with Alzheimer's disease. Pat King found guilty of mischief for role in 'Freedom Convoy' Pat King, one of the most prominent figures of the 2022 'Freedom Convoy' in Ottawa, has been found guilty on five counts including mischief and disobeying a court order. Canada issues travel warning after 6 people die from tainted alcohol in Laos The Canadian government is warning travellers following the deaths of at least six people in the mass poisoning of foreign tourists in Laos after drinking tainted alcohol. Ground beef tied to U.S. E. coli recall, illnesses wasn't sold in Canada: distributor At least 19 people in Minnesota have been sickened by E. coli poisoning tied to a national recall of more than 167,000 pounds of potentially tainted ground beef, federal health officials said. Canada's new income tax brackets in 2025: What you need to know The Canada Revenue Agency has released updated federal income tax brackets for 2025, reflecting adjustments for inflation. Here’s the breakdown. Shopping Trends The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us. Editor's Picks 24 Of The Best Host And Hostess Gifts You Can Find Online Right Now The Best Advent Calendars For Women In 2024 All The Best Beauty Stocking Stuffers That Ring In Under $25 Home Our Guide to the Best Jewellery Boxes You Can Find Online Right Now 16 Home Gadgets That'll Make Your Life Easier The 5 Best Drip Coffee Makers In Canada In 2024, Tested and Reviewed Gifts 23 Gifts, Add-Ons, And Stocking Stuffers For Anyone Who Spends A Lot Of Time In Their Car The Ultimate 2024 Holiday Gift Guide For Nature Lovers And Outdoor Adventurers 27 Of The Absolute Best Stocking Stuffers For Men Beauty 20 Anti-Aging Skincare Products That Reviewers Can’t Stop Talking About 12 Budget-Friendly Makeup Brushes And Tools Worth Adding To Your Kit If You Suffer From Dry Skin, You'll Want To Add At Least One Of These Hydrating Moisturizers To Your Cart Deals Black Friday Has Begun On Amazon Canada: Here Are The Best Deals Black Friday Is Almost Here, But These Deals On Mattresses And Bedding Are Already Live This Botanic Hearth Rosemary Hair Oil Has Thousands Of 5-Star Reviews — And It's On Sale For Amazon Canada's Early Black Friday Sale Kitchener Man charged in Kitchener crash involving Grand River Transit LRT FunGuyz says it's closing all 30 of its magic mushroom stores in Ontario The Boathouse reopens in Kitchener's Victoria Park Barrie Highway 400 closed in Muskoka Lakes after fatal propane truck rollover Drug trafficking investigation results in largest fentanyl seizure in Simcoe County: OPP Barrie magic mushroom dispensary closed after company announces its shuttering Ont. locations Windsor Car fire on the Ambassador Bridge Attempted bank robbery leads to arrest Man arrested in connection to sexual assault on public bus: WPS Northern Ontario Senior killed in dog attack in northern Ont. Woman stabbed multiple times in Sudbury altercation Police investigating death in Magnetawan, Ont. Sault Ste. Marie After a year of struggle, centre that helps Sault youth to move to a building with heat $3M donation to help repair arena in Elliot Lake Sault College accounting students get a head start on their careers Ottawa BREAKING | Seniors facing 60% hike for OC Transpo monthly transit pass in 2025 under new proposal Woman seriously injured in October house fire dies in hospital, Ottawa police say Orleans man calls for changes after service guide dog attacked by another dog Toronto Trudeau announces funding to feed 160,000 Ontario students 3 charged in connection with collision between TTC bus and stolen BMW that injured 9 Toronto man onboard Blue Origin flight to space says he 'can't wait to go again' Montreal Quebec man, 81, gets prison sentence after admitting to killing wife with Alzheimer's disease Montreal family doctor admits to fathering child with 19-year-old patient Third suspect sought in killing of Montreal cryptocurrency influencer Atlantic P.E.I. teen sentenced to 2 years in custody in death of Tyson MacDonald What to know about the weekend rain, wind, and waves in the Maritimes Missing Nova Scotia senior found safe after emergency alert issued Winnipeg Semi crash, train derailment closes Winnipeg road 'Immoral depravity': Two men convicted in case of frozen migrant family in Manitoba Manitoba RCMP officer fatally shoots armed teenager, IIU investigating Calgary Sixth person charged in Tara Miller's death 'Sounded like a bomb': Mahogany residents stunned by townhouse explosion, fire Impaired driving charges laid in fatal January crash near Drumheller, Alta. Edmonton Direct flights to Houston available in Edmonton starting next year What were those columns of light over Edmonton Thursday? Man intentionally drove his vehicle into Alberta home before firing long gun: RCMP Regina B.C. man dies in collision on Sask. highway Snowfall warning expands to Regina with up to 25 cm expected Report shows more girls getting involved in sports, local program creates landscape to continue trend Saskatoon Why isn't Saskatoon's new downtown shelter open yet? Sask. principal has sexual assault conviction overturned in light of 'butt-grabbing game' 'What about our spirituality?': Sask. man wants new Lighthouse operator to respect Indigenous culture Vancouver Trump supporters review-bomb B.C. floral shop by accident No criminality in school bus crash in B.C.'s Cariboo region, RCMP say 1 dead after crash that closed highway in Hope, B.C. Vancouver Island Campbell River high school closed due to fire Ship strikes kill thousands of whales. A study of hot spots could map out solutions Power restored, roads reopened after massive Saanich fire Stay Connected
Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, along with his family, has sought asylum in Moscow after surrendering control of Syria. The development marks the end of his family's nearly six-decade reign. Russia has been a staunch supporter of Assad throughout Syria's civil war, and Moscow now faces a strategic challenge. Russian military bases, essential to the Kremlin's geopolitical influence, are at risk as rebel forces consolidate power. Despite tension, Russia aims to ensure the safety of its strategic military bases in Syria, including the Hmeimim airbase and the Tartous naval facility, by negotiating political solutions under UN auspices. The situation, however, remains highly volatile with various military factions at play. (With inputs from agencies.)CLEVLEAND — Shane Bieber's comeback with Cleveland has double meaning. The former Cy Young winner re-signed with the Guardians on Wednesday, a reunion that seemed unlikely when he became a free agent. However, the 29-year-old Bieber decided to stay with the AL Central champions after making just two starts in 2024 before undergoing Tommy John surgery. Bieber agreed last week to a one-year, $14 million contract. The deal includes a $16 million player option for 2026. It seemed like a long shot that Bieber, who is 62-32 with a 3.22 ERA in 132 starts, would return to Cleveland. He had turned down long-term offers in the past from the club, and it was expected he would sign with another contender, likely one on the West Coast. But the California native has a special connection with the Guardians, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2016 draft. Bieber, who won the AL Cy Young in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, threw only 12 innings last season before lingering issues with his elbow forced him to have surgery. He is expected to join Cleveland's rotation at some point in 2025. A two-time All-Star, Bieber was named MVP of the midsummer event in 2019 when it was held in Cleveland. He has the highest strikeout ratio per nine innings (10.2) and third-highest winning percentage (.660) in the franchise's 124-year history. Bieber is one of just three Cleveland pitchers to start five season openers, joining Stan Coveleski (1917-21) and Corey Kluber (2015-19). While Bieber had some elbow issues in the past, he didn't show any issues before being shut down. He struck out 11 in six scoreless innings against Oakland on March 28, and followed that up with six more shutout innings at Seattle on April 2. DALLAS — Pitchers again dominated the big league phase of the Rule 5 draft at the winter meetings, comprising 11 of the 15 unprotected players who were picked Wednesday. The 121-loss Chicago White Sox had the first pick and selected 24-year-old right-hander Shane Smith from the Milwaukee Brewers organization. Smith was an undrafted free agent out of Wake Forest when he was signed by Milwaukee in July 2021. The 6-foot-4, 235-pounder has gone 13-7 with a 2.69 ERA and 203 strikeouts over 157 innings in 19 starts and 54 relief appearances over three minor league seasons. There were 14 teams who made picks in the major league portion of the Rule 5 draft of players left off 40-man rosters after several minor league seasons. Only Atlanta made two selections, after making none since 2017. Atlanta chose right-hander Anderson Pilar from the Miami Marlins with the 11th pick, and then took infielder Christian Cairo from the Cleveland Guardians with the 15th and final pick in the MLB portion. The 26-year-old Pilar was original signed by Colorado as a minor league free agent in 2015 and has pitched in 213 minor league games that included 17 starts. He is 28-20 with a 2.86 ERA. Teams pay $100,000 to take a player in the major league portion. The players must stay on the big league roster all of next season or clear waivers and be offered back to their original organization for $50,000. Six of the 10 players selected during the Rule 5 draft last December — five of them right-handed pitchers — remained last season with organization that selected them. Two of the four position players taken Wednesday by other teams came from the Detroit Tigers organization: catcher Liam Hicks and third baseman Gage Workman. Miami drafted second after Colorado passed making a selection, and took Hicks. Workman was taken by the Chicago Cubs with the 10th pick. Baltimore lost two right-handed pitchers on back-to-back picks, Juan Nunez to San Diego with the 12th pick before Connor Thomas went to Milwaukee. DALLAS — Tom Hamilton, who has called Cleveland games on the radio for 35 seasons, won the Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting on Wednesday. Hamilton, 70, joined the team's broadcast in 1990, when he was with Herb Score in the booth and part of the coverage of their World Series appearances in 1995 and 1997. Hamilton became the voice of the franchise when Score retired after that second World Series. Hamilton will be honored during the Hall of Fame’s induction weekend from July 25-28 in Cooperstown, New York. He was selected the hall's Frick Award 16-member committee as the 49th winner. There were 10 finalists on this year's ballot, whose main contributions came as local and national voices and whose careers began after, or extended into, the Wild Card era. The other nine were Skip Caray, Rene Cardenas, Gary Cohen, Jacques Doucet, Ernie Johnson Sr., Mike Krukow, Duane Kuiper, Dave Sims and John Sterling. DALLAS — The Texas Rangers acquired slugging corner infielder Jake Burger from the Miami Marlins on Wednesday in a trade for three minor league players. Burger hit .250 with 29 home runs and 76 RBIs in 137 games for the Marlins last season, with 150 strikeouts in 535 at-bats with 31 walks. He started 59 games at third base and made 50 starts at first. Five days of service time short of being eligible for salary arbitration this offseason, he will be eligible next winter and can become a free agent after the 2028 World Series. Miami got infielders Max Acosta and Echedry Vargas and left-handed pitcher Brayan Mendoza. The acquisition of Burger comes about a month after the Rangers hired former Marlins manager Skip Schumaker as a senior adviser for baseball operations. Luis Urueta, Miami's bench coach the past two seasons, also was added recently to manager Bruce Bochy's on-field coaching staff for 2025. BRIEFLY WHITE SOX: Mike Tauchman is switching sides in Chicago. The White Sox announced a $1.95 million, one-year contract for the outfielder. Tauchman, 34, grew up in Palatine, Illinois, about 35 miles northwest of Chicago, and played college ball for Bradley in Peoria, Illinois. He spent the previous two seasons with the Cubs. TRADE: All-Star left-hander Garrett Crochet was acquired by the Boston Red Sox from the Chicago White Sox for four prospects. Catcher Kyle Teel, infielder Chase Meidroth, right-hander Wikelman Gonzalez and outfielder Braden Montgomery are headed to Chicago. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!
'The View' co-host Sunny Hostin said that the wave of jokes and celebration of what appears to be the targeted assassination of a UnitedHealthcare CEO shows how many Americans feel about the healthcare system. One of the co-hosts of ABC's "The View" suggested on Friday that jokes about the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson show Americans’ frustration with the healthcare system. Following the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday, some far-left journalists and social media users were quick to offer celebratory, mocking or sneering reactions to his shocking death. Former Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz was among the most prominent voices, writing a post titled " Why ‘we’ want insurance executives dead ," doubling down on her many social media posts seeming to celebrate and justify Thompson's murder. Co-hosts of "The View" expressed their shock about the murder, but some argued these responses were not a surprise. Co-host Sunny Hostin offered her thoughts on the assassination of the United Healthcare CEO. UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO MURDER COMES AMID INSURANCE COVERAGE CONTROVERSIES "You know, I think what has shocked me the most is the anger that is being reflected against this man, who is a father and a husband, who was murdered," co-host Sunny Hostin said. "I mean, I was looking at some of the social media comments, and I try to stay away from social media, but it said some of the comments were ‘thoughts and deductibles to the family.’ One of the comments was, ‘Unfortunately, my condolences are out of network.’ And so, I think it really — isn’t that something? I think it’s reflective about how people are feeling about their healthcare." She went on to discuss how Americans are taking their anger about the healthcare system on Thompson. "If you look at this particular CEO, while he made $10 million a year, which is not actually unusual for a company this size, this particular health company, United Healthcare, is the largest company responsible for Medicare programs for people over the age of 65," Hostin added. "And our country is one of the only countries that doesn’t have universal healthcare, and we don’t take care of our elderly and people are feeling the pinch. We talk about that all the time," she said. "I think people are really angry at the healthcare system and, unfortunately, it’s translating to this father." Bullets lie on the sidewalk at the scene outside the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan where Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was fatally shot, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, in New York. (Stefan Jeremiah/AP) Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin later responded that she had seen some prominent figures on the far-left who were celebrating the killing, but refused to amplify their rhetoric. "If you want to effect change in this country, it is a democracy," she said. "Organize, activate, get out and talk to people, talk your congressman. Violence is absolutely never the answer and to single out one individual because you have an issue with a company or entire industry that’s been fraught for decades." "Don’t vote for Republicans," co-host Joy Behar advised, "Because they wanna overthrow Obamacare." Later, co-host Ana Navarro referenced an Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield policy change that would have revised its billing standards for anesthesia treatment and not pay for those services after a set time limit for a given operation, going on to cite how both the elderly and children are impacted by difficulties within the healthcare system. "So I think there’s a lot of frustration in this country, and, you know, we have to have a national conversation," she said. FORMER WAPO REPORTER SAYS ‘WE WANT THESE EXECUTIVES DEAD’ AFTER THE MURDER OF INSURANCE CEO Hours after news broke of Thompson's murder, Lorenz wrote on the social media site Bluesky, "And people wonder why we want these executives dead," alongside an article about the Blue Cross Blue Shield anesthesia policy. Lorenz went on to share images of Blue Cross Blue Shield CEO Kim Keck and reposted others' calls for health insurance executives to be targeted. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP After the backlash, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield backtracked on imposing the anesthesia policy. Alexander Hall is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to Alexander.hall@fox.com.
US troops in Syria to prevent Islamic State resurgenceWith New York kicking off awards season with the Gotham Awards and the NYFCC releasing their winners, it’s now time for the West coast to jump into the fray with the Los Angeles Film Critics Association announcing their winners for 2024 on Sunday, December 8. LAFCA already unveiled that John Carpenter will be receiving the Career Achievement Award during its ceremony on Saturday, January 11, 2025 at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, but their picks for the best in film often serve as a strong prediction for Oscar nominees and winners. In 2023, the LAFCA correctly predicted Emma Stone’s win for Best Actress in “Poor Things” over Lily Gladstone in “Killers of the Flower Moon,” though Stone was tied in the category with “The Zone of Interest” star Sandra Hüller. “The Zone of Interest” also took home the prize for Best Film and Best Director for Jonathan Glazer, but the film only went on to win Best International Feature and Best Sound at the 96th Academy Awards. However, since 2000, its awards have correctly prognosticated Best Picture nominees, including wins for Kathryn Bigelow’s wartime bomb disposal drama “The Hurt Locker” (2009), Tom McCarthy’s look inside the unraveling of a Catholic Church scandal in “Spotlight” (2015), Barry Jenkins’ romantic triptych “Moonlight” (2016), Bong Joon-ho’s capitalistic satire/thriller “Parasite” (2019) and the Daniels’ multiverse drama “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (2022). Its selections for Best Director are also strong forecasts of the Academy’s taste, as only one of its winners since 2009 — Debra Granik for the Ben Foster-starring “Leave No Trace” (2018) — has not subsequently received an Oscar nomination in that category. In that time, the Best Director Oscar has been claimed by six of LACFA’s Best Director winners, including Bigelow, Alfonso Cuarón for his technologically-groundbreaking “Gravity,” Guillermo del Toro for his dark romance “The Shape of Water,” Director Bong for “Parasite,” Chloé Zhao for her spiritual road film “Nomadland,” and Jane Campion for her pyschosexual Western “The Power of the Dog.” 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of LAFCA’s inception and the third year for gender-neutral acting categories by the critics’ group. Keep reading below to find out all of this year’s winners. Best Picture: Runner-up: Director: Runner-up: Leading Performances: Runners-up: Supporting Performances: Runners-up: Screenplay: Runner up: Cinematography: Jomo Fray, “Nickel Boys” Runner-up: Lol Crawley, “The Brutalist” Editing: Runner-up: Production Design: Runner-up: Music/Score: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, “Challengers” Runner-up: Eiko Ishibashi, “Evil Does Not Exist” Foreign Language: Runner-up: Documentary/Non-Fiction Film: Runner-up: New Generation Award : Douglas Edwards Experimental Film Prize : Career Achievement Award : John Carpenter