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HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s 2023-24 Legislative Session closed Dec. 1 and the next session, while officially underway, doesn’t fully begin until lawmakers are sworn into office Jan. 7. Looking back, members of the state House and Senate introduced 3,862 bills and 924 resolutions across the two-year session. There were 77 bills adopted into law in 2023 and 162 adopted in 2024. The combined total of 239 was far fewer than the previous six legislative sessions. There hasn’t been a lower total since 2009-10 when 226 bills advanced into law — the last time the Pennsylvania General Assembly had a partisan divide. Democrats controlled the House while Republicans led the Senate. Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, often cites the challenge of advancing legislation with a split government. That dynamic won’t change in 2025-26. Though there are 20 new members joining the legislature — 16 in the House, four in the Senate — the respective parties defended their majorities. Republicans have a 28-22 advantage in the Senate while Democrats maintained a 102-101 margin in the House. What follows is a look back at the outcome of legislation proposed last session by area lawmakers. Tim Bonner — 17th Legislative District Rep. Tim Bonner, a Republican, returns to the Pennsylvania House in 2025-26 for his third full term. He won a special election in 2020 to represent the former 8th Legislative District and has since won three straight elections to the House. After redistricting took hold in 2022, he’s represented the redrawn 17th District which includes parts of Mercer and Butler counties. He ran unopposed in 2024. In the now-expired 2023-24 session, Bonner was appointed to the committees on Ethics, Health, Judiciary and State Government. He also was the Republican chair of separate subcommittees on Health Facilities and Family Law. A legal battle that began in late 2022 carried almost throughout the entire two-year session, ending in September with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling that impeachment proceedings against Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, a Democrat, couldn’t continue on procedural grounds. Bonner, a longtime prosecutor in Mercer County, would have served in a prosecutorial role had the impeachment trial began. The 2023-24 session saw Bonner sponsor 33 bills or resolutions — 17 as a prime sponsor. All but one of those were introduced in the first half of the two-year session. One advanced out of the House, none became law. Members of the Pennsylvania House unanimously supported Bonner’s bill proposing that nursing facilities be required to provide notice of legal representation whenever a facility resident applies for Medicaid. Once in the Senate, however, the bill didn’t receive consideration. He did see a provision from a bill proposal rolled into the commonwealth’s updated Wiretap Act last year, which now allows for the discreet recording of robocalls and telemarketers if there is a suspicion of fraud. Bonner, a member of the conservative Pennsylvania Freedom Caucus, joined a lawsuit filed by 24 state lawmakers against President Joe Biden, Gov. Josh Shapiro and the Pennsylvania Department of State concerning Pennsylvania’s shift to an opt-out automatic voter registration process at PennDOT driver's license and photo ID centers. The former opt-in process had been in place for 30 years before the change. The lawsuit was dismissed by a federal judge for lack of legal standing. Bonner was among 12 Republicans who voted in favor of a bill that proposed a medical debt relief program within the Department of Health. He opposed both budgets last session along with a proposed ban on “ghost guns.” He voted in favor of a bill seeking to increase transparency on campaign contributions by tax-exempt organizations and he voted along with 31 other House Republicans in support of the proposed Marriage Equality Act. Parke Wentling — 7th Legislative District Rep. Parke Wentling will serve his sixth term in the Pennsylvania House during the 2025-26 Legislative Session. Wentling, a Republican, represents western Mercer County which makes up the 7th Legislative District. He was re-elected after running unopposed in the primary and general elections in 2024. During the 2023-24 session, Wentling’s committee assignments were Environmental Resources & Energy, Games & Fisheries, for which he served as Republican vice chair, Local Government, and Tourism & Economic & Recreational Development. He also served as Republican chair of the Subcommittee on Townships. Wentling sponsored 24 bills and resolutions last session, five as the primary sponsor and all introduced in 2023. One advanced to the state Senate, none made it into law. His legislation included a two-bill package with the support of House Republicans that sought to consolidate workforce development programs. Another proposed to expand eligibility for low-interest loans and lines of credit through the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority. A resolution introduced by Wentling sought to urge U.S. Congress to eliminate emissions testing regulations on vehicles which he and fellow Republican co-sponsors argue are unnecessary because of advances in automotive fuel efficiency and because testing equipment for mechanics is reportedly obsolete. He also proposed a bill to repeal Pennsylvania’s Frozen Dessert Law and its mandate for monthly testing, finding that the law’s requirements are duplicative with other federal and state regulations. His bill advanced to the Senate and the law was repealed, however, it was accomplished through a similar bill introduced by Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward. Wentling voted against each budget last session and he also opposed legislation that funded state-related universities, increasingly targeted by Republicans concerned with rising costs to families, administrative directives on diversity, equity and inclusion as well as abortion-related research. He was among a majority of House Republicans who voted to support bills seeking to enshrine certain protections from the Affordable Care Act into state law should Obamacare be overturned — allowing adult children to remain on their parents’ health policies up to age 26 and also protecting coverage for those with pre-existing conditions. He did not, however, support a third measure seeking to prohibit health insurers from imposing annual or lifetime monetary limits on core benefits of health insurance policies. The bills cleared the House but weren’t considered in the Senate. Michele Brooks — 50th Senatorial District The start of the 2025-26 Legislative Session marks the midway point of Republican Sen. Michele Brooks’ third term in office. Her district, the 50th, includes Crawford, Mercer and most of Lawrence counties. Her current four-year term expires in 2026. In 2023-24, Brooks served as majority chair of the Senate Health & Human Services Committee and vice chair of the Finance Committee. Her other committee assignments were Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Communications & Technology, Education, Rules & Executive Nominations and Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness. She sponsored 248 bills and resolutions last session including 60 bills and eight resolutions as a prime sponsor. The focus of the bills she introduced included eliminating inheritance taxes on siblings and other relatives, enacting consumer protections, the creation of a lost dog registry, extending the statute of limitations for the crime of drug delivery resulting in death, including sales taxes in advertised retail prices, addressing Lyme disease and expansive efforts to serve firefighters and EMS providers. Among the bevy of bills of which she was a prime sponsor, six became law and four others advanced to the House. The rest remained in the Senate. Motorcycles will be included in Pennsylvania’s Automobile Lemon Law after a Brooks bill became Act No. 151 of 2024, extending protections for manufacturer defects to a new class of vehicle. Senate Bill 500, a bipartisan bill known as Owen’s Law, became Act 32 of 2023. It allows for medical prescriptions through Medicaid of donor milk for children younger than 12 months. Brooks was successful in expanding Pennsylvania’s Safe Haven Law. Act 134 of 2024 adds urgent care centers to designated locations where parents may safely surrender newborns if they feel unfit to care for the child. She also secured an amendment to Pennsylvania’s Public School Code through Act 55 of 2024 which will allow professionals in skilled occupations to more easily receive state certification to teach at career and technical schools. Her bill was amended as part of budget negotiations to include numerous negotiated updates to the code beyond her original intent. Act 66 of 2023, born out of Brooks’ Senate Bill 941, eases eligibility and qualifications to become a drug treatment counselor and increases counselors’ patient caseload capacity during an opioid epidemic, defined as 1,000-plus opioid overdose deaths in three consecutive years. Pennsylvania schools must notify parents and guardians in writing whenever ticks are removed from students under Act 120 of 2024. Schools must provide information on the symptoms of Lyme disease and must preserve the tick for parents or guardians to either send into a state lab for analysis or allow the school to do so. Results are confidential.Andrew N. Ferguson is President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to head the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). If approved by the Republican-controlled Senate, his selection could indicate an inclination by the incoming Trump administration to deprioritize FTC rulemaking and enforcement activities related to data privacy and AI. This also could indicate a broader regulatory philosophy that emphasizes legislative action over administrative rulemaking. Ferguson’s stated regulatory philosophy and strategic priorities, if implemented as FTC chair, would have profound implications for industry and consumers. Critics argue that this shift would mean that critical privacy issues will be given short shrift as technologies like AI and data analytics rapidly evolve and outpace regulatory schema. Meanwhile, Trump announced that he intends to nominate Mark Meador to be an FTC commissioner. Meador is a partner at Washington, D.C.-based Kressin Meador Powers. He also was an antitrust counsel to Republican U.S. Senator Mike Lee. While specific details about Meador’s positions on privacy and AI regulation are scant, given his antitrust expertise it is plausible that he would advocate for a more balanced approach to regulation, aiming to foster innovation while ensuring consumer protection, a perspective that aligns with the broader Republican emphasis on limited government intervention and market-driven solutions. Ferguson is the former solicitor general of Virginia, a former counsel to Republican Senator and Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell, and he a clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. If confirmed, he will inherit a slew of regulatory actions against Big Tech and a half-dozen lawsuits by companies arguing that the FTC overstepped its authority. There’s also the FTC’s investigation – launched in July 2023 – of OpenAI for possible privacy issues. Ferguson has voted in favor of every privacy-related FTC enforcement action as an FTC commissioner, but he also has consistently emphasized the importance of congressional authority in crafting comprehensive data privacy laws. In a leaked memo he wrote to Trump reportedly advocating for the top FTC post, he said the FTC under his direction will “stop abusing FTC enforcement authorities as a substitute for comprehensive privacy legislation,” and that there will be “no more novel and legally dubious consumer protection cases.” One matter in particular that Ferguson will have to contend with, and which will have to be addressed, is the that the agency has taken against two Virginia-based data brokers. The complaint alleges that they unlawfully tracked and sold sensitive consumer location data. Ferguson supported two of the counts that the commission brought against the firms, but dissented from the commission’s counts that accuses them of unfairly categorizing consumers based on sensitive characteristics and of selling those categorizations to third parties. In his dissent, Ferguson argued that the FTC Act explicitly prohibits the collection and subsequent sale of precise location data without the consumer’s consent. He emphasized that data brokers are required to take reasonable measures to verify that consumers initially consented to the collection of the data being utilized and sold. Ferguson agreed that if a company aggregates and categorizes data that were collected without proper consent and then sells those categorizations, it violates Section 5 of the FTC Act. But he also argued that the violation arises from the lack of consent for the original data collection, not from the specific categories into which the data are organized. Ferguson said the FTC Act imposes consent requirements in defined circumstances, but it does not restrict how legally acquired data may be analyzed, or the conclusions that may be drawn from such analysis. That line of thinking begins to walk a very fine line. Yes, data is acquired legally. But highly granularized analysis of an individual’s aggregated data, and the sorts of personal conclusions that can be inferred from it, begins to edge very close to raising legitimate privacy concerns. It also raises the incentive for bad actors to steal the information – in bulk. Ferguson said the FTC commissioners have an erroneous view of the FTC Act as being “a comprehensive privacy law,” adding that “comprehensive privacy regulation involves difficult choices and expensive tradeoffs. Congress alone can make those choices and tradeoffs. We must not stray from the bounds of the law.” Indeed. Ferguson believes broad regulatory initiatives on privacy should emerge from Congress, not an administrative federal agency, an approach that underscores his critique of what he views as regulatory overreach by administrative bodies. The FTC’s role, Ferguson has said, should focus on enforcing existing laws rather than expanding its mandate through rulemaking. Ferguson has been highly critical of what he perceives to have been regulatory overreach under previous FTC leadership. He’s argued that the FTC should focus on its core competencies – namely, enforcing existing laws – rather than creating new rules that could extend its mandate without clear legislative backing. “Commissioner Ferguson has made no secret of his preference for Congress, rather than the FTC, to set clear privacy guardrails,” said Cobun Zweifel-Keegan, managing director at the International Association of Privacy Professionals. “This means rulemaking activities at the commission are likely to be deprioritized.” Privacy advocates fear this deprioritization could kill a proposed rule on commercial surveillance and data security that the FTC in August 2022 that it is considering. The commission at that time published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking to request public comment – for the purpose of the rulemaking – on the prevalence of commercial surveillance and data security practices that harm consumers. The FTC said at the time that the new rule will focus on data security, data minimization, and algorithmic accountability. Under Ferguson’s leadership, the FTC would likely redirect resources toward enforcement of existing laws such as the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and provisions under Section 5 of the FTC Act which targets unfair or deceptive practices. This strategy would suggest a preference for addressing specific harms through targeted actions rather than introducing broad, preemptive regulations. Indeed, rather than pursuing expansive, preemptive rulemaking initiatives, the focus is more likely to lean towards addressing specific, well-defined harms like deceptive practices by data brokers. And as for data brokers – which have come under withering in the wake of an unprecedented this summer – they could face less systemic scrutiny under a Ferguson FTC. Enforcement actions may become more sporadic and narrowly defined. Rather than proposing rules to regulate the industry, the FTC might instead rely on case-by-case enforcement, potentially creating an inconsistent and less predictable regulatory environment. Ferguson’s stance aligns with Republicans’ broader emphasis on ensuring regulatory clarity and avoiding undue burdens on businesses. This approach diverges sharply from the path that was set by Ferguson’s predecessor, Lina Khan, who championed a more proactive regulatory approach. It was under Khan’s leadership that the FTC issued the impending rulemaking on commercial surveillance and data security practices, which seeks to address systemic issues in privacy and consumer protection. Ferguson’s position, on the other hand, represents a stark departure, potentially one that could pause or roll back such initiatives. Critics have argued that this could delay progress in protecting consumer data in an era of rapid technological change. Ferguson’s departure from this activism could signal a rollback of momentum in establishing comprehensive privacy standards. Ferguson’s strategy, while appealing to those who advocate for limited government intervention, poses certain risks. The absence of federal rulemaking could perpetuate a fragmented regulatory landscape where states enact their own privacy laws. This patchwork will only further complicate compliance for businesses, especially those operating across multiple jurisdictions. And consumers could see delayed protections against data misuse and breaches. And enforcement actions alone likely would not adequately address systemic vulnerabilities in data security. For the business community, especially Big Tech, Ferguson’s position offers a reprieve from the immediate pressures of adapting to new federal regulations. Established companies, especially in the tech and data brokering industries, would undoubtedly find this environment more favorable for their operations. Smaller firms and startups though would encounter challenges navigating the inconsistencies of state laws without clear federal guidelines. Such regulatory uncertainty could stifle innovation in some sectors while empowering larger entities to consolidate their influence. Ferguson’s overall approach to privacy regulation reflects a broader effort to balance enforcement with fostering innovation. He has expressed concerns that excessive regulatory measures could stifle technological advancement and impede competition, a position that’s been by the incoming Republican dominated Congress. Republican lawmakers have favored a more market-driven and hands-off approach when it comes to regulating consumer data privacy than their Democratic counterparts. By focusing on enforcement of existing rules rather than expansive rulemaking, Ferguson would seek to maintain this balance, even if it means delaying the establishment of universal protections. Ferguson’s position on deprioritizing privacy rulemaking could also signal a shift in the FTC’s focus toward narrower enforcement and a reliance on Congress for broader legislative solutions. While this approach aligns with his regulatory philosophy, it raises concerns about the FTC’s ability to address emerging privacy challenges effectively in an increasingly complex digital environment. With the rise of AI technologies, Ferguson’s reluctance to engage in privacy-related rulemaking could hinder the FTC’s ability to establish clear guidelines on the use of consumer data in AI training and applications. Ferguson has said that he would “end the FTC’s attempt to become an AI regulator.” His unabashed approach to AI reflects a desire to foster innovation and competition while avoiding premature or overly burdensome regulations that could stifle technological advancement. Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said in a client note that: “We expect Ferguson to continue to have a keen eye on the tech world ... he will clearly roll back Khan’s head-scratching anti-tech agenda, including ending efforts to regulate AI.” Such a restrained position though raises questions about the adequacy of existing legal frameworks to address the unique challenges and risks that increasingly are posed by AI technologies. Ferguson has expressed skepticism about the FTC’s attempts to position itself as a primary regulator of AI. He critiqued initiatives under Khan that sought to expand the FTC’s role in governing AI systems, arguing that such actions could exceed the agency’s statutory authority. He’s said that he favors a measured approach that focuses on enforcing existing laws against deceptive or unfair practices in the use of AI. This approach could possibly translate into investigating AI systems that mislead consumers, perpetuate fraud, or violate privacy laws. The impact of Ferguson’s stance on AI regulation is multifaceted. On the one hand, it could create a more innovation-friendly environment by giving developers and businesses greater latitude to experiment with AI technologies without immediate regulatory constraints, but it could also accelerate technological progress, particularly in areas where regulatory uncertainty has previously slowed investment and development. Businesses operating in AI would benefit from clearer, more predictable enforcement under existing laws rather than having to navigate a potentially ambiguous or stringent new regulatory landscape. On the other hand, though, this approach could leave critical gaps in oversight. AI technologies introduce unique risks, such as algorithmic bias, lack of transparency, and the potential for misuse in areas like surveillance or misinformation. Existing laws, which were not designed with AI’s complexities in mind, could prove insufficient to address these risks comprehensively. By refraining from proactive rulemaking, the FTC could miss opportunities to establish clear guidelines for responsible AI development and deployment, which could lead to inconsistent standards across industries. Another significant implication of Ferguson’s position is the likelihood of increased reliance on state or sector-specific regulations to fill the gap left by federal inaction. For example, states like California and New York may continue to advance their own AI-specific laws, creating a fragmented regulatory landscape. 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LOS ANGELES — Jim Gaffigan is experiencing a major glow-up lately. He’s looking slim, trim and well-styled in a hip suit and glasses on a recent morning in a posh room at the Peninsula hotel. His vibe is a lot different from the hefty, pale, Midwestern everyman that a lot of people think of when they hear his name. But if you’ve tracked his recent trajectory, the recent evolution shouldn’t come as a surprise. From touring with comedy megastar Jerry Seinfeld to portraying Tim Walz for five weeks on “Saturday Night Live,” Gaffigan’s fit physique and wry, clean humor are meeting the moment by popping up in places that bring together the biggest crowds to laugh as a family about topics we can all relate to on some level at a time when we need it most. On Nov. 22, his 11th stand-up special, “The Skinny,” premiered on Hulu as part of the new brand rollout dubbed “Hulu Laughing Now,” featuring 12 new comedy specials per year on the streaming platform. We spoke to Gaffigan about the inspiration behind his new hourlong special, the pains of parenting teenagers and how growing his career while his body gets slimmer is only the beginning of his new chapter in comedy. This interview was edited for length and clarity. Question: In your new special “The Skinny,” obviously you talk about the fact that you’ve had a body transformation. What inspired you to make a change to become Slim Jim? A: I wish there was some romantic story surrounding it, but it really came down to my doctor who brought it up. [She said] “I’ve noticed you’ve gained a fair amount of weight.” In the ’90s I was working out twice a day to be thin. And then once I had kids, I was desperately trying to find time to work out. And then it just got to a point where my knees didn’t work. So [my doctor] said, “You can try these appetite suppressants.” And I’m like, “yeah, sure!” but I didn’t have an expectation it would work. Even when I was working out twice a day — I have a joke where I was like, “I need to work out a lot just to look like someone who doesn’t work out.” And so I was pleasantly surprised when it worked. Q: What are some vices, especially being on the road as a comic, that you’ve had to give up? A: I can’t tell you how much this drug curbs this insatiable eating I have, but it also curbs other things. So if I have one drink, then I’m like, I’m good, or if I have any kind of compulsive behavior, it kind of diminishes. I mean, I joke around in the special that I feel no joy, but it kind of makes you behave like an adult, which is weird. Q: Describe the process of whittling down the material for “The Skinny” and what do you hope that audiences will get to see from you in terms of what’s going on with your life and your comedy? A: Stand-up has changed so much. The notion that people are putting out multiple specials didn’t exist when I started with stand-up, but I think that people who consume a stand-up comedian’s material, there’s a familiarity, but it’s like a friendship. You can’t have the exact same conversation, even though we all have friends where it’s like we’re having the same conversation about high school, it has to be different. You both have to challenge each other. So there for me, working on the special or working on this new hour that I’m working on now, it’s self assignment. So some of it, as any creative person, it’s like, “what can I talk about that is embarrassing or is revealing?” I think that people that have tracked me along the way in my stand-up will be interested in my view on parenting. I’ve always had the view that I suck at it, but I have a greater empathy for what all parents are dealing with it. And I think also parents of this era, we’ve made mistakes. And it doesn’t help with social media and the apps and screens. And that’s something that’s revealed in doing my stand-up and in reading some of the parenting books. I don’t know if you have kids, do you have kids? Q: No, I’m still happy . A: (Laughs) There’s books that reveal the mistakes [we] have made. Parents of teenagers have this perspective. Adults have an impression of what their teenage years were like and I’m providing this point of view of what it’s like to live with these people. It’s kind of a cliché but raising teenagers is like raising a mentally ill person. It sounds harsh — we know there’s a natural separation process where teenagers challenge things but I love that I’ve gained this perspective of “was my dad a d— or maybe I was a d—?” Maybe it’s kind of basic but that’s something that’s universal. We all went through being teenagers and not necessarily the conflict but the misunderstanding between the teenager and the parent, which I find fascinating. Q: Do you think the stress of raising your own teenagers feels like payback for how you were as a teen? A: I would say I was a good teen. I was very hard working. I would say that my dad was unnecessarily annoyed by some of my behavior. And now I’m kind of like, “Oh, I get it. I totally get what his annoyance was.” And these are your children and you’d do anything for them. But there is a bafflement. I talk about it [in the special] where you have this sweet 12-year-old and then they change. And I’m obviously using hyperbole and exaggeration but there is a shift. And what’s so great about touring with the material is that it’s a conversation so the feedback from the audience can prove your premise or your theory. So even older parents, empty nesters can say, “oh yeah that’s true.” The hyperbolic, humorous statement you’re making is only funny because it’s grounded in a shared experience. Q: One of the things that is unique about your comedy is that it’s not about trying to say something necessarily outlandish. It’s about bringing people together in a way by poking fun at everyone at the same time. How did you hone your comedic voice and why do you think your brand of comedy is important these days, when so many comedians — or just comedy in general — is really dedicated to getting a reaction by saying something overtly controversial? A: A joke is a surprise and irreverence is kind of a shortcut to that surprise. And, by the way, we all love it, but I kind of nerd out [when talking about the idea that] there is an aftertaste to comedy. We all have that really kind of bitchy friend that makes us laugh, that is kind of a little mean, but then afterwards we feel a little guilty [because] I know they went too far, or, you know, I shouldn’t have laughed at what they said. I believe there is an aftertaste so you can take that short-term approach .... I think some comedians just do what they have to do. Irreverence is also something where it’s not in my wheelhouse, some comics are really good at it, and that is their thing .... I believe you can be respectful and highlight some important stories and also present the humor of it. Q: Considering how long it’s taken for you to build a career, it’s cool to see you popping up on “SNL” as Tim Walz, touring with Jerry Seinfeld, appearing in movies.... This is a pretty big comeback era for you — you are smaller but your career is getting bigger, does that feel weird? A: That’s funny — yeah, doing those shows with Jerry, I never had an expectation that that would happen. Jerry has a clear and concise view and philosophy on stand-up and comedy that when you talk to him, you feel like you’re talking to Aristotle. He’s kind of like a stoic [who reminds you to have] control of your material. You don’t get caught up in what the trend is of the moment. You work on evolving your act and your writing. The “SNL” experience was so surreal, because I never auditioned for “SNL.” I was presented an opportunity to audition to be a writer, but I was like, “I want to be an actor,” so I was resistant. But the opportunity to be in that orbit of this last vestige of American live television that still exists with its impracticalities ... there’s no replicating it. What “SNL” has done for 50 years is insane. So even when we were there [filming] and I’m sitting in a room with Dana Carvey, or you look out and you see John Lovitz or Chris Rock, it’s just bizarre. So gaining access to that is really an amazing thing.
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Victory Capital Management Inc. Acquires New Stake in BioNTech SE (NASDAQ:BNTX)No. 9 Kentucky, focused on getting better, welcomes Jackson St.NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to records Friday after data suggested the job market remains solid enough to keep the economy going, but not so strong that it raises immediate worries about inflation . The S&P 500 climbed 0.2%, just enough top the all-time high set on Wednesday, as it closed a third straight winning week in what looks to be one of its best years since the 2000 dot-com bust. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 123.19 points, or 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.8% to set its own record. The quiet trading came after the latest jobs report came in mixed enough to strengthen traders’ expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates again at its next meeting in two weeks. The report showed U.S. employers hired more workers than expected last month, but it also said the unemployment rate unexpectedly ticked up to 4.2% from 4.1%. “This print doesn’t kill the holiday spirit and the Fed remains on track to deliver a cut in December,” according to Lindsay Rosner, head of multi-sector investing within Goldman Sachs Asset Management. The Fed has been easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high since September to offer more help for the slowing job market, after bringing inflation nearly all the way down to its 2% target. Lower interest rates can ease the brakes off the economy, but they can also offer more fuel for inflation. Expectations for a series of cuts from the Fed have been a major reason the S&P 500 has set an all-time high 57 times so far this year. And the Fed is part of a global surge: 62 central banks have lowered rates in the past three months, the most since 2020, according to Michael Hartnett and other strategists at Bank of America. Still, the jobs report may have included some notes of caution for Fed officials underneath the surface. Scott Wren, senior global market strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, pointed to average wages for workers last month, which were a touch stronger than economists expected. While that’s good news for workers who would always like to make more, it could keep upward pressure on inflation. “This report tells the Fed that they still need to be careful as sticky housing/shelter/wage data shows that it won’t be easy to engineer meaningfully lower inflation from here in the nearer term,” Wren said. So, while traders are betting on an 85% probability the Fed will ease its main rate in two weeks, they’re much less certain about how many more cuts it will deliver next year, according to data from CME Group. For now, the hope is that the job market can help U.S. shoppers continue to spend and keep the U.S. economy out of a recession that had earlier seemed inevitable after the Fed began hiking interest rates swiftly to crush inflation. Several retailers offered encouragement after delivering better-than-expected results for the latest quarter. Ulta Beauty rallied 9% after topping expectations for both profit and revenue. The opening of new stores helped boost its revenue, and it raised the bottom end of its forecasted range for sales over this full year. Lululemon stretched 15.9% higher following its own profit report. It said stronger sales outside the United States helped it in particular, and its earnings topped analysts’ expectations. Retailers overall have been offering mixed signals on how resilient U.S. shoppers can remain amid the slowing job market and still-high prices. Target gave a dour forecast for the holiday shopping season, for example, while Walmart gave a much more encouraging outlook. A report on Friday suggested sentiment among U.S. consumers may be improving more than economists expected. The preliminary reading from the University of Michigan’s survey hit its highest level in seven months. The survey found a surge in buying for some products as consumers tried to get ahead of possible increases in price due to higher tariffs that President-elect Donald Trump has threatened. In tech, Hewlett Packard Enterprise jumped 10.6% for one of the S&P 500’s larger gains after reporting stronger profit and revenue than expected. Tech stocks were some of the market’s strongest this week, as Salesforce and other big companies talked up how much of a boost they’re getting from the artificial-intelligence boom. All told, the S&P 500 rose 15.16 points to 6,090.27. The Dow dipped 123.19 to 44,642.52, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 159.05 to 19,859.77. In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury yield slipped to 4.15% from 4.18% late Thursday. In stock markets abroad, France’s CAC 40 rose 1.3% after French President Emmanuel Macron announced plans to stay in office until the end of his term and to name a new prime minister within days. Earlier this week, far-right and left-wing lawmakers approved a no-confidence motion due to budget disputes, forcing Prime Minister Michel Barnier and his cabinet to resign. In Asia, stock indexes were mixed. They rallied 1.6% in Hong Kong and 1% in Shanghai ahead of an annual economic policy meeting scheduled for next week. South Korea’s Kospi dropped 0.6% as South Korea’s ruling party chief showed support for suspending the constitutional powers of President Yoon Suk Yeol after he declared martial law and then revoked that earlier this week. Yoon is facing calls to resign and may be impeached. Bitcoin was sitting near $101,500 after briefly bursting above $103,000 to a record the day before. AP Writers Matt Ott and Zimo Zhong contributed.
Despite Mary Lou McDonald’s confidence around shaping a coalition without Fine Gael and Fianna Fail – the two parties that have dominated the landscape of Irish politics for a century – the pathway to government for Sinn Fein still appears challenging. With counting following Friday’s election still in the relatively early stages – after an exit poll that showed the main three parties effectively neck-and-neck – there is some way to go before the final picture emerges and the options for government formation crystalise. Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader, Simon Harris, has dismissed talk of a Sinn Fein surge and said he was “cautiously optimistic” about where his party will stand after all the votes are counted. Meanwhile, Ireland’s deputy premier and Fianna Fail leader, Micheal Martin, insisted his party has a “very clear route back to government” as he predicted seat gains. The counting process could last days because of Ireland’s complex system of proportional representation with a single transferable vote (PR-STV), where candidates are ranked by preference. The early indications have turned the focus to the tricky arithmetic of government formation, as the country’s several smaller parties and many independents potentially jockey for a place in government. Ms McDonald told reporters at the RDS count centre in Dublin that she would be “very, very actively pursuing” the potential to form a government with other parties on the left of the political spectrum. The smaller, left-leaning parties in Ireland include the Social Democrats, the Irish Labour Party, the Green Party and People Before Profit-Solidarity. Ms McDonald said her party had delivered an “incredible performance” in the election. “I think it’s fair to say that we have now confirmed that we have broken the political mould here in this state,” she said. “Two party politics is now gone. It’s consigned to the dustbin of history and that, in itself, is very significant.” She added: “I am looking to bring about a government of change, and I’m going to go and look at all formulations. “If you want my bottom line, the idea of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael for another five years, in our strong opinion, is not a good outcome for Irish society. “Obviously, I want to talk to other parties of the left and those that we share very significant policy objectives with. So I’m going to do that first and just hear their mind, hear their thinking. But be very clear, we will be very, very actively pursuing entrance into government.” In Friday night’s exit poll, Sinn Fein was predicted to take 21.1% of first-preference votes, narrowly ahead of outgoing coalition partners Fine Gael and Fianna Fail at 21% and 19.5% respectively. Prior to the election, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael both ruled out entering government with Sinn Fein. Fine Gael leader Mr Harris rejected suggestions Sinn Fein had broken new ground. He told reporters in his count centre in Greystones, Co Wicklow: “Certainly we haven’t seen a Sinn Fein surge or anything like it. “I mean, it looks likely, on the figures that we’ve seen now, fewer people, many fewer people would have voted Sinn Fein in this election than the last one. “In fact, I think they’re down by around 5% and actually the parties, particularly the two parties, the two larger parties in government, are likely to receive significant support from the electorate. So definitely, politics in Ireland has gotten much more fragmented.” He said it was too early to tell what the next government would look like. “I think anybody who makes any suggestion about who is going to be the largest party or the construct of the next government, they’re a braver person than I am,” he said. “Our electoral system dictates that there’ll be many, many transfers that will go on for hours, if not days, before we know the final computations at all. “But what I am very confident about is that my party will have a very significant role to play in the years ahead, and I’m cautiously optimistic and excited.” Fianna Fail’s Mr Martin told reporters at a count centre in Cork he was confident that the numbers exist to form a government with parties that shared his political viewpoint. Mr Martin said it “remains to be seen” whether he would return to the role of Taoiseach – a position he held between 2020 and 2022 – but he expressed confidence his party would outperform the exit poll prediction. “It’s a bit too early yet to call the exact type of government that will be formed or the composition of the next government,” he said. “But I think there are, there will be a sufficiency of seats, it seems to me, that aligns with the core principles that I articulated at the outset of this campaign and throughout the campaign, around the pro-enterprise economy, around a positively pro-European position, a government that will strongly push for home ownership and around parties that are transparently democratic in how they conduct their affairs.” Asked if it would be in a coalition with Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Social Democrats, he said that would be “racing a bit too far ahead”. The final result may dictate that if Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are to return to government, they may need more than one junior partner, or potentially the buy-in of several independent TDs. Mr Martin said it was unclear how quickly a government can be formed, as he predicted his party would gain new seats. “It will be challenging. This is not easy,” he added. The junior partner in the outgoing government – the Green Party – looks set for a bruising set of results. Green leader Roderic O’Gorman is in a fight to hold onto his seat, as are a number of party colleagues, including Media Minister Catherine Martin. “It’s clear the Green Party has not had a good day,” he said. The early counting also suggested potential trouble for Fianna Fail in Wicklow, where the party’s only candidate in the constituency, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, is considered to have a battle ahead, with the risk of losing his seat. Meanwhile, there is significant focus on independent candidate Gerard Hutch who, on Saturday evening, was sitting in fourth place in the four-seat constituency of Dublin Central. Last spring, Mr Hutch was found not guilty by the non-jury Special Criminal Court of the murder of David Byrne, in one of the first deadly attacks of the Hutch-Kinahan gangland feud. Mr Byrne, 33, died after being shot six times at a crowded boxing weigh-in event at the Regency Hotel in February 2016. A Special Criminal Court judge described Mr Hutch, 61, as the patriarchal figurehead of the Hutch criminal organisation and said he had engaged in “serious criminal conduct”. The constituency will be closely watched as other hopefuls wait to see if transfers from eliminated candidates may eventually rule him out of contention. In the constituency of Louth, the much-criticised selection of John McGahon appeared not to have paid off for Fine Gael. The party’s campaign was beset by questioning over footage entering the public domain of the candidate engaged in a fight outside a pub in 2018. The Social Democrats have a strong chance of emerging as the largest of the smaller parties. The party’s leader, Holly Cairns, was already celebrating before a single vote was counted however, having announced the birth of her baby girl on polling day.
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NoneIslamist rebel groups, also called opposition forces, have managed to sweep victory into Aleppo city only three days after starting an unexpected operation in the country. This occurred for the first time that the Syrian opposition was able to step on the country’s second-largest city after President Bashar al-Assad’s regime supported by Iran and Russia recaptured it in December 2016. By Friday evening, the forces reached the city’s heart, as seen in videos posted by CNN that show fighters holding the flag of the Syrian opposition in one of the squares of the city, marking the first major challenge to President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, who has ruled the war-torn country since 2000. Subsequently, the rebels mainly operated by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, officially announced that they had taken control of more than 50 towns and villages in large portions of the city and entered the western districts of Aleppo and Idlib provinces in northern Syria while describing the victory as reclaiming their lost ground. The invasion prompted fierce retaliation from al-Assad’s government forces supported by Russian airstrikes. In a statement on Friday the army said the HTS launched attacks using various heavy and medium weapons, including drones provided by its foreign allies, Xinhua news agency reported. “Our armed forces have inflicted heavy losses to the attacking groups, causing hundreds of deaths and injuries among the terrorists,” the statement said, adding, “We have destroyed dozens of vehicles and armoured units and have downed 17 drones.” Britain-based Observatory stated that the fighting was intense in the beginning, and 277 people were killed. The toll included 28 civilians among which many were killed by a Russian air strike. Pertinently, Russia launched airstrikes inside Syrian territory on Friday for the first time after 2016. After a decade Aleppo has made headlines again as it has been the worst battleground throughout the Syrian civil war. Before the conflict, it was estimated that about 2.3 million people lived in this particular region. The city was split in 2012 after rebel forces seized the eastern part of it but by 2016 government forces managed to liberate the region after a devastating war characterised by indiscriminate bombings and starvation tactics. The latest aggression is potentially capable of frustrating this achieved delicate balance and the consequent possibility of resumed urban combat. The offensive is being led by HTS, which began as an al-Qaida affiliate but has now shifted toward a focus on governance and is still considered a terrorist group by the United States and the United Nations. HTS is reportedly backed by the United States and Turkey, operating under the umbrella of the Syrian National Army. However, the United States and the United Nations still consider HTS a terrorist organization, but its leader, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, distanced the group from its extremist roots. These groups have a history of internal conflicts. However, al-Assad is their common enemy whom they describe as a dictator and war criminal for his alleged role in the mass killing of civilians including children by using chemical weapons in the early hours of August 21 2013 in Ghouta. In a video statement announcing the campaign, rebel military commander Lt. Col. Hassan Abdulghany claimed the attack as defensive in an effort to safeguard civilians from airstrike attacks and regain territory. They asserted that their specific objectives are to prevent Syrian government ground as well as air assaults on populated districts and disrupting supply lines essential for Assad’s military operations. “To push back their fire from our people, this operation is not a choice. It is an obligation to defend our people and their land. It has become clear to everyone that the regime militias and their allies, including the Iranian mercenaries, have declared an open war on the Syrian people,” he said, according to the New York Times Of necessity, this operation is not a match to push back their fire from our people. People must be protected and their territory is to be safeguarded. As it was seen by everyone, the regime militias and their allies, including Iranians, launched an open war against the Syrian people,” he said, according to the New York Times . The timing of this operation is crucial as it coincides with ongoing conflicts involving Iranian rebel wings such as Hezbollah and Hamas in Lebanon and Gaza. These groups are currently engaged in their own battles against Israel which might make it difficult for them to effectively support Assad. Additionally, Turkey’s role—supporting rebel groups on the ground in northwest Syria complicates already fragile conflict. Although Syria has not actively participated in recent conflicts in the Middle East, the country’s territory has been called a battleground by global actors for decades. Israel has regularly conducted attacks in Syria, claiming its targets are Iran-backed factions including the Hezbollah from Lebanon. These kinds of attacks, however, have since then surged after the Hamas-led assault on Israel on October 7, 2023. These attacks have already weakened Asaad’s regime. President Asaad has depended on Russian and Iranian forces to contain the rebels for years yet the civil unrest in the Middle East has also compromised his support. On the other side, the emergence of renewed fighting in Syria has now added severe humanitarian risks. The International Rescue Committee reported that 6674 families have been affected and displaced in recent days by violence. Currently, northwestern Syria hosts millions of internally displaced people who are already living in vulnerable situations. Some of them might find themselves in an even worse situation if the situation deteriorates. The recent increase in violence in Aleppo brings to light that any stability in Syria is transient and this has implications for not only Syria but other countries in the Middle East and will assume a new dimension in Middle East conflicts. Soon after announcing victory in Aleppo and other major districts, rebel forces stormed into Syrian jails and released all of the prisoners in Northwestern Aleppo, most of whom were seen as women and political prisoners of the Assad Regime. Rebels have broken into and freed all of the Prisoners at the Al-Sabil Temporary Prison in Northwestern Aleppo, most of whom are Women and Political Prisoners of the Assad Regime. pic.twitter.com/b99Xbl5yxN Rebel forces pose in front of the Syrian army flag, at the Citadel within the City of Aleppo. Rebel Fighters pose in front of the Free Syrian Army Flag, at the Citadel within the City of Aleppo. pic.twitter.com/2U5snyGgc9 The rebel forces movement in Aleppo after taking over #MiddleEast – Assad forces defence lines in #Aleppo have collapsed, and rebels are advancing almost unopposed through the city centre. 60,000 #SyrianRebels from 13 different factions have participated in the takeover of #Syria 's 2nd largest city. pic.twitter.com/HTojz2LtUf Bashar al-Assad’s army arrived with reinforcements and started launching attacks at the rebel forces. The battle on Aleppo: Bashar al-Assad’s army has arrived with reinforcements, starting now launching at the rebel forces, who entered the city. There is panic among the Shiite militias. pic.twitter.com/69hLKwVfIV After Kurdish forces rejected the Syrian National Army’s demand to withdraw from the area north of Aleppo, rebel forces launched an attack. Clashes between Kurdish forces and the Syrian National Army have been reported near Tel Rifaat. #BREAKING #Syria JUST IN: After Kurdish forces rejected the Syrian National Army's demand to withdraw from the area north of Aleppo, rebel forces launched an attack. Clashes between Kurdish forces and the Syrian National Army have been reported near Tel Rifaat. pic.twitter.com/F4ZQRyvWNJ