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Boyd scores 22 in Charleston's 79-64 win against Northern KentuckyNew Evidence Changes How We Understand Inflation and Monetary Policy
None(The Center Square) – The Biden administration on Monday instituted a new round of restrictions targeting the export of advanced semiconductor chips and manufacturing equipment to China. This move by the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security builds on previous measures aimed at curbing China's ability to develop cutting-edge technologies, particularly artificial intelligence and military applications. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
NEW YORK (AP) — Technology stocks pulled Wall Street to another record amid a mixed Monday of trading. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% from its all-time high set on Friday to post a record for the 54th time this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 128 points, or 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get the latest need-to-know information delivered to your inbox as it happens. Our flagship newsletter. Get our front page stories each morning as well as the latest updates each afternoon during the week + more in-depth weekend editions on Saturdays & Sundays.Simple Hacks to Make the Holidays Merrier (and Cheaper)
(The Center Square) – The Biden administration on Monday instituted a new round of restrictions targeting the export of advanced semiconductor chips and manufacturing equipment to China. This move by the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security builds on previous measures aimed at curbing China's ability to develop cutting-edge technologies, particularly artificial intelligence and military applications. The new export controls place 140 manufacturers and investment companies on the Entity List, a U.S. compilation of "foreign individuals, companies, and organizations deemed a national security concern." "The United States has taken significant steps to protect our technology from being used by our adversaries in ways that threaten our national security," National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement . The new controls will also block the sale of high-bandwidth memory, which is necessary for artificial intelligence. Semiconductors can be a strategic asset for AI systems, supercomputing, and other technologies for both civilian and military use. Sullivan continued, "As technology evolves, and our adversaries seek new ways to evade restrictions, we will continue to work with our allies and partners to proactively and aggressively safeguard our world-leading technologies and know-how so they aren't used to undermine our national security." According to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report, semiconductors, also known as computer chips, are typically smaller than a postage stamp and are composed of billions of components that can store, move and process data. Advanced semiconductors can be used for artificial intelligence, including in medical diagnosis and for military purposes, such as modeling nuclear explosions. The U.S. has been tightening down on the export controls on semiconductors to China since concerns over U.S. capacity to produce advanced semiconductors domestically when shortages began during the pandemic. This concern resulted in Congress enacting the CHIPS Act of 2022. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian responded. "This type of behavior seriously violates the laws of market economy and the principle of fair competition, disrupts international economic and trade order, destabilizes global industrial and supply chains, and will eventually harm the interests of all countries," Jian said. Beijing intends to take firm, resolute measures to defend the interests of Chinese companies, he added. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration Thea D. Rozman Kendler said, "The PRC's Military-Civil Fusion strategy presents a significant risk that advanced node semiconductors will be used in military applications that threaten the security of the United States, as well as the security of our allies and partners."LONDON: News broke this week that the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) wants to force Alphabet’s Google to sell Chrome , its dominant web browser. That has led to much head scratching in the tech industry. Sure, Chrome is an important moat for Google’s business, but is it really the source of the company’s power? And if a company buys Chrome for an estimated US$20 billion, wouldn’t that mean someone else controls two-thirds of the browser market? Read the tea leaves carefully and there’s more happening here. The DOJ, for one, seems to be moving quickly to get ahead of any efforts by the incoming Trump administration (of which more, later) to shut down its most ambitious work in decades. There’s something larger looming on the horizon. Google is too large for the DOJ to break it up all at once, and the agency has two separate cases against the company, each pushing for spinoffs of different parts of the business. The department’s efforts on Chrome relate to a case it filed in 2020, focusing on Google’s search monopoly. But the DOJ also filed another case in 2023 that’s arguably more important, targeting its ad tech business. As a reminder: Google dominates digital advertising by controlling both the marketplace for online ads, and the essential tools that advertisers and websites need to participate. The business generates roughly US$200 billion in annual revenue. That’s great for shareholders, but a raw deal for advertisers and website owners. Trade stocks and you’ll pay pennies on the dollar in transaction fees. But an advertiser is more likely to pay 30 cents on every dollar they spend on ad-buying tools, according to the DOJ’s suit, making the ad market work most profitably for Google above all. Google’s lawyers have argued that it competes fiercely against others including social media and video streaming sites for ad dollars. STRUCTURAL REMEDIES ARE NEEDED The “structural remedies” that the DOJ calls for in both cases - potentially the first breakup of a conglomerate since AT&T in the early 1980s - are very much needed. Tech giants have long seen the multi-billion-dollar fines they get from regulators as a cost of doing business. When the Federal Trade Commission fined Meta US$5 billion in 2019, its stock went up. And companies have been known to skirt regulatory efforts to force better behaviour. Breakups at least address the root of tech firms’ power, which is scale. “Divestiture is a more effective remedy,” says Anne Witt, professor of law at EDHEC Business School's Augmented Law Institute. “The downside is it’s more invasive.” That’s why pushing to first divest Chrome makes sense as a prelude to breaking up the ad tech business, even though that’s where Google’s real market power lies. Trying to disentangle Google’s ad tech business, a byzantine network of interplaying units, will require careful strategic planning by regulators, so the DOJ needs to build up institutional knowledge and legal precedent to make the bigger move. Breakups of past monopolies also started with smaller actions. Before the DOJ split AT&T into seven regional holding companies known as “Baby Bells”, for instance, it filed several smaller cases through the 1970s, building up to the main 1974 case that led to the forced sales. BREAKUP IS POSSIBLE UNDER TRUMP Much of this depends on whether the DOJ’s efforts survive under a President Donald Trump. When Bloomberg News Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait recently asked whether Google should be broken up, the then-candidate responded: “Look, Google has got a lot of power. They’ve been bad to me...” “You would break them up? “I’d do something,” Trump replied. “They’ve become such a power. How they became a power is really the discussion. At the same time, it’s a very dangerous thing because we want to have great companies. We don’t want China to have these companies. Right now, China is afraid of Google.” Trump may be unsure where he stands, but a breakup is by no means off the table. Not only was the DOJ’s search case filed at the tail end of Trump’s last term, but incoming vice president JD Vance has publicly said Google should be split up. Elon Musk, now a key player in Trump’s administration, has also long worried about the company’s consolidation of control in artificial intelligence. He also has a vested interest in the matter, as the founder of a new AI company and chief executive officer and “technoking” of Tesla, for which the technology is integral. There’s a good chance, in other words, that the DOJ’s efforts could prevail - albeit slowly. The court is holding hearings on the proposed breakup in April 2025, with US Judge Amit Mehta expected to rule by August. Google will almost certainly appeal, and the process could take years. Still, if history is any guide, kicking things off with a divorce from Chrome isn’t just strategic. It’s the opening move in what could eventually become the biggest antitrust showdown since AT&T.
Biden's broken promise on pardoning his son Hunter is raising new questions about his legacy
LOWELL — In a joint statement released after a conference call Monday morning, Rockland Trust disclosed that it had acquired Enterprise Bank to “unite two strong local banks deeply committed to meeting the needs of our communities.” It is anticipated that the merger will occur in the second half of 2025. The name of the combined bank will be Rockland Trust and the new entity will carry Rockland’s existing slogan of “Where each relationship matters.” “Rockland Trust is one of the best community commercial banks in New England, if not the best. They are a perfect fit with our culture, philanthropy, and community service philosophy,” Enterprise Bank Chairman and founder George L. Duncan said in a statement. “Our geography is complementary to theirs in the sense that we do not have any overlapping branches and there are therefore no plans to close any of our existing branches. “Rockland Trust intends to maintain our major presence in downtown Lowell under their banner,” Duncan continued. “As a result of this merger, we will be able to enhance our lending and investment products and services to better serve our combined client bases.” Continuing community-based banking relationships is one of the goals of the merger, said Independent Bank Corp./Rockland Trust President and CEO Jeffrey Tengel. “Like Enterprise Bank, Rockland Trust shares the belief that banking isn’t just about transactions,” Tengel said in a statement. “It’s about making a meaningful, positive difference in the lives of local families and businesses. It’s about relationships.” Massachusetts-based Rockland Trust is a community-oriented commercial bank that was founded by a group of local business owners in 1907, providing banking services and advice to individuals and businesses. In its 117 years of operation, it has grown to 123 branches — with a 124th branch set to open in January — and over 30 offices throughout the commonwealth, as well as one commercial banking and investment center in Rhode Island. The merger brings more banking locations to Enterprise’s 27 full-service locations, as well as expanded banking technology such as contactless ATMs; mobile wallets including Apple, Google and Samsung Pay; investment management and trust services and products; business and consumer credit cards; specialized commercial banking; treasury management products; a larger commercial lending capacity of up to $180 million; merchant and foreign exchange services. Currently, the closest Rockland branches to Lowell are in Burlington and Woburn, but once the merger is complete, customers will have the convenience of 151 branches and over 265 ATMs. “Plus, you will have access to thousands of SUM ATMs surcharge-free,” a statement posted on the Rockland Trust website said. Enterprise Bank was founded by Duncan in 1989, opening its current Downtown Lowell branch in the old City Hall building on the corner of Merrimack and Shattuck streets. The bank has reported 140 consecutive profitable quarters and is principally engaged in the business of attracting deposits from the general public and investing in commercial loans and investment securities. Its primary markets are northern Middlesex, Essex and Worcester counties in Massachusetts and the southern Hillsboro and Rockingham counties in New Hampshire. It also offers a range of commercial, residential and consumer loan products, deposit products and cash management services, electronic and digital banking options, as well as wealth management and trust services. As of Sept. 30, Enterprise Bank had $4.7 billion in total assets, $3.8 billion in net loans, $4.2 billion in deposits and $1.5 billion in wealth assets under management and administration. “From the very start, Enterprise Bank has been dedicated to helping our communities succeed,” Enterprise Bank CEO Steven Larochelle said in a statement. “We are excited to join an organization that lives these same values. Our customers will benefit from the additional products, services and technology Rockland Trust offers while continuing to experience the personal relationships they deserve.” In addition to keeping existing Enterprise Bank branches open and maintaining a significant presence in Lowell, Rockland Trust anticipates retaining all branch staff. “Retention of other personnel will be a top priority,” the website statement said. “Rockland Trust understands how important personal relationships are to customers.” The definitive merger agreement, in which Enterprise Bank parent company Enterprise Bancorp Inc. will merge into Rockland Trust parent company Independent Bank Corp. and Enterprise Bank will merge into Rockland Trust, is for a total consideration of cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $562 million in aggregate, or $45.06 per share based on the Independent closing price of $71.77 on Dec. 6. Following the merger, Rockland Trust will have approximately $25 billion in assets and $8.7 billion in wealth assets under administration. The boards of directors of each company have unanimously approved the transaction. Enterprise’s directors and executive officers who currently own, in the aggregate, about 20.4% of Enterprise’s outstanding shares, have signed voting agreements pursuant to which they have agreed to vote their shares in favor of the merger. The merger is subject to approval by banking regulators and the Enterprise Bancorp Inc. shareholders. After the deal closes, Duncan will become an adviser to the Independent board and Larochelle will serve as a consultant for Rockland Trust for one year. Independent will also appoint two Enterprise directors to its board following the merger.Are you better off: question at heart of next election
Topline Most major banks call for a third consecutive year of strong returns for the S&P 500, the benchmark stock index tracking 500 of the largest public American companies, offering a welcome bullish signal for investors already enjoying a historic bull market. Key Facts Crucial Quote This is the “highest concentration market in 100 years,” Kostin said in a conference call with reporters. “But you look out longer term...the history of a high concentration market is it doesn't persist. It eventually fades. You get a broadening of the market.” Contra No surprise considering the often unpredictable nature of financial markets, price targets even from the most trusted names on Wall Street can prove imperfect. Last November, Goldman and Morgan Stanley projected the S&P to end 2024 at 4,700 and 4,500, respectively, both more than 25% below Monday’s price. Big Number 10,000. That’s where the bullish Yardeni predicts the S&P could climb to 10,000 by the end of 2029, forecasting a strong 16% annualized return. Key Background Up 27% year-to-date, the S&P is on track to top 2023’s 23% gain, excluding dividends. This would be the first time the index rose at least 20% in consecutive years since 1995 to 1998 during the internet boom. The S&P’s 58% gain dating back to the end of 2022 has it on pace for its best two-year gain since the late 1990s. Driving much of the S&P’s recent success, which came in the face of a historically challenging high-rate environment, were big technology stocks, with the likes of Amazon, Meta, Nvidia and Tesla all gaining more than 150% since the end of 2022. Further Reading
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Thomas Brown insists he's focused on the job at hand and not the one he might have down the line. His immediate task as the interim coach of the Chicago Bears is helping the team finish strong over the final five games, starting this weekend at San Francisco. The rest of his life can wait. “I think about just the moment. ... I obviously understand the role that I'm in, understand what might come with it," he said Wednesday. "But I also understand that we make most situations bigger than what it has to be because of the outside noise, what everybody else puts a value on it.” The Bears are in a moment unlike any other in the history of the founding NFL franchise. They fired a head coach for the first time during a season when they let Matt Eberflus go on Friday with a 4-8 record and the team in a six-game losing streak marked by head-scratching decisions. They promoted Brown, who in a span of three weeks went from passing game coordinator to offensive coordinator and now the person in charge. The tipping point was a 23-20 loss at Detroit on Thanksgiving, when the Bears let the clock run down rather than call a timeout following a sack. It led to Caleb Williams throwing an incomplete pass from the Lions 41 as time expired when Chicago should have been able to run more than one play. Star cornerback Jaylon Johnson interrupted Eberflus' postgame speech and made his feelings clear. Other players had gone public in recent weeks with their frustrations over the coaching decisions, and they didn't exactly hide their emotions following the Detroit game. On Wednesday, defensive end DeMarcus Walker said he sensed a change was coming after the loss to the Lions. “You guys just look at the whole turnaround, how everything had been going, we just knew some changes were going to be made,” he said. The 38-year-old Brown now has a huge opportunity. He spent last season as Carolina's offensive coordinator and the previous three on Sean McVay's staff with the Los Angeles Rams — the final two as assistant head coach. Prior to that, he spent nine years as a college assistant, including stops at Wisconsin, Georgia, Miami and South Carolina. It's his job to help right a team that came into the season thinking a playoff spot was in reach. Williams' development obviously will be front and center. To that end, the No. 1 overall draft pick has looked more comfortable in the three games since Brown took over for the fired Shane Waldron as offensive coordinator, completing 75 of 117 passes for 827 yards with five touchdowns, no interceptions and a rating of 99.2. Though Brown will continue to call plays, the Bears have another new offensive coordinator in wide receivers coach Chris Beatty. “I think it is a stepping stone actually with my development because I think down the line I’ll have different OCs or different head coaches or whatever the case may be,” Williams said. “And so being able to handle it my first year, handle a new playbook, handle all these different changes, handle all of this I think it definitely will help the development instead of hurting it or anything like that.” Beyond the development of the prized quarterback, Brown also will be judged during his audition for the regular job on his preparation, decisions during games and command of the locker room. He said he reached out to each player individually on Friday and Saturday and tried to set a tone when the team met on Monday. “I want them to be excellent,” Brown said. “I can nitpick at every single play and tell a guy how he wasn’t perfect. And, so, perfection’s not the goal. It’s to excel at your craft.” The Bears had a lengthy injury report on Wednesday. WRs Keenan Allen (ankle) and DJ Moore (quad), RBs D'Andre Swift (quad) and Roschon Johnson (concussion), DB Elijah Hicks (ankle) and OL Ryan Bates (concussion) all missed practice. S Kevin Byard (shoulder) and OLs Darnnell Wright (knee) and Coleman Shelton (knee) were limited. Get local news delivered to your inbox!The normally reliable centre-back passed the ball into his own net in the 26th minute after failing to spot goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel’s positioning. But a brilliant turn and finish on the hour mark from Daizen Maeda changed the game and ultimately earned the Scottish champions a 1-1 home draw. On the opener, Rodgers said: “Mistakes happen and it was just unfortunate. He’s played that pass a million times and it’s gone back and then we’ve been able to play forward. It was just one of those unfortunate moments in the game that happens. “But he’s a really, really tough character. He’s a great guy, he picked himself up. He was really strong and aggressive again in the game and got on with it and had a real bravery in the second half, because he was the one carrying the ball forward for us to start the attack.” Despite the gift, Brugge were worthy of their lead and Rodgers admitted his side were too passive in their pressing in the opening half. Some tactical tweaks – and the introduction of Paulo Bernardo – helped Celtic dominate after Maeda’s equaliser, although Brugge had a goal disallowed for a marginal offside. “I can only credit the players for the second half, because we had to fight,” Rodgers said. “And we’re still one of those teams that’s really pushing to try and make a mark at this level. So to make the comeback, score the goal, play with that courage, I was so pleased. “You want to win but I’ve been here enough times to have lost a game like that, but we didn’t. We showed a real strong mentality and we kept pushing right to the very end and the players did well. “I thought they showed great courage in the second half because we weren’t at our level in the first half. Sometimes a game like that can get away from you, but it didn’t. “We stayed with it, showed that determination, showed that mentality, never to quit, to keep going. And then we were much, much better, much freer in the second half. “So we’re on eight points, nine to play for. We’re still very much on course to get to where we want to get to and still three games to go.” Rodgers added: “It’s 20 games now and we’ve won 16 and drawn three and lost one, so it shows you the mentality is there, and especially at this level, you need to have that.”
What we know about Luigi Mangione, person of interest in UnitedHealthcare CEO's murderConnor McDavid and Sidney Crosby will lead Team Canada into the NHL's inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off. The Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins captains were two of the 23 players named to the Canadian roster on Dec. 4 ahead of the round-robin tournament in Montreal and Boston this February. Team Canada's full 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off roster is below. FORWARDS DEFENSEMEN GOALTENDERS The Vegas Golden Knights are the most heavily represented NHL team on the Canadian roster with Stone, Pietrangelo, Theodore and Hill all heading to the tournament. The Tampa Bay Lightning are sending Cirelli, Hagel and Point, while Bennett and Reinhart will represent the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. Team Canada's stacked forward group is led by two of the best playmakers in the NHL in McDavid and Crosby. Point and Stone could be tabbed to center Team Canada's bottom six, although Stone's role will come down to his availability. It could be an encouraging sign for the Knights that Stone, who has been sidelined since Nov. 6 with a lower-body injury, was named to the roster. Crosby skated during the 2024 All-Star Game alongside fellow Nova Scotia native MacKinnon. Both he and McDavid, who grew up near Bennett, could get the chance to skate on a line with old friends in February. Makar and Toews, who form the top pairing in Colorado and helped lead the Avs to the Stanley Cup in 2022, could be matched up once again for Team Canada. The biggest question regarding Team Canada's starting lineup could come down to the net as Binnington, Hill and Montembeault potentially each have a shot at starting in February. Binnington may have the edge in terms of experience, but Hill matches him with one Stanley Cup win, and Montembeault is putting up a strong season so far despite a struggling Canadiens defense. Reinhart, who leads the NHL with four short-handed goals headed into Wednesday, and Konecny, who paced all skaters with six last season, are likely to be dangerous additions to Canada's penalty kill. Lightning penalty killers Hagel and Cirelli are also likely to see ice time when a Canadian player is in the box. Notable players absent from the Team Canada roster are Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard, Nashville Predators winger Steven Stamkos and Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele. Bedard remains a likely pick to represent Canada during the 2026 Olympics. The last best-on-best hockey tournament took place during the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in 2016. Crosby, Marchand and Pietrangelo were featured on Team Canada's roster during the event, and Crosby was named MVP after leading Canada to victory. McDavid and MacKinnon also played in the tournament as members of the under-23 Team North America. Team Canada will be coached in the tournament by Jon Cooper, who led the Tampa Bay Lightning to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021. He will also coach the Canadian team during the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics. The puck drops on the 4 Nations Face-Off on Wednesday, Feb. 12, as Canada takes on Sweden in Montreal. A rivalry matchup against Team USA is set for Saturday, Feb. 15, before Team Canada travels to Boston to take on Finland on Monday, Feb. 17. The championship game is set for Thursday, Feb. 20, at TD Garden.
Tripping the line: How do we balance PH energy challenges?
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