Stock indexes drifted to a mixed finish on Wall Street on Thursday as some heavyweight technology and communications sector stocks offset gains elsewhere in the market. The S&P 500 fell less than 0.1% after spending the day wavering between small gains and losses. The tiny loss ended the benchmark index’s three-day winning streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.1% and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.1%. Trading volume was lighter than usual as US markets reopened following the Christmas holiday. Semiconductor giant Nvidia, whose enormous valuation gives it an outsize influence on indexes, slipped 0.2%. Meta Platforms fell 0.7%, and Amazon and Netflix each fell 0.9%. Tesla was among the biggest decliners in the S&P 500, finishing 1.8% lower. Some tech companies fared better. Chip company Broadcom rose 2.4%, Micron Technology added 0.6% and Adobe gained 0.5%. Health care stocks were a bright spot. CVS Health rose 1.5% and Walgreens Boots Alliance added 5.3% for the biggest gain among S&P 500 stocks. Several retailers also gained ground. Target rose 3%, Ross Stores added 2.3%, Best Buy rose 2.9% and Dollar Tree gained 3.8%. Traders are watching to see whether retailers have a strong holiday season. The day after Christmas traditionally ranks among the top 10 biggest shopping days of the year, as consumers go online or rush to stores to cash in gift cards and raid bargain bins. US-listed shares in Honda and Nissan rose 4.1% and 16.4% respectively. The Japanese car makers announced earlier this week that the two companies are in talks to combine. All told, the S&P 500 fell 2.45 points to 6,037.59. The Dow added 28.77 points to 43,325.80. The Nasdaq fell 10.77 points to close at 20,020.36. Wall Street also got a labour market update. US applications for unemployment benefits held steady last week, though continuing claims rose to the highest level in three years, the Labour Department reported. Treasury yields mostly fell in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 4.58% from 4.59% late on Tuesday. Major European markets were closed, as well as Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia. Trading was expected to be subdued this week with a thin slate of economic data on the calendar.Sir Cliff Richard’s recipe for Christmas gravy has been branded “absolutely vile” after he shared it on morning television. The legendary singer, 84, has claimed that his bizarre recipe is probably the “greatest in the world”, but then again should we really trust the man that unleashed Mistletoe and Wine onto the world ... His recipe, which features all four kinds of stock cubes; beef, chicken, lamb and vegetable, as well as teriyaki and soy sauce, has gone viral after being featured on British TV show This Morning. Chopped and fried onions are added while a splash of Worcestershire sauce is then thrown in to add extra flavor, because clearly it would be bland otherwise and not at all an assault on the senses. “I don’t know it’s the best gravy, but it could be the best gravy in the world,” he said on the show. “I’m thinking of trying to get in contact with a company. You know how Paul Newman has his own thing in America? I thought we could have a Cliff Richard gravy and underneath it should say: ‘Probably the greatest gravy in the world.’” British TV chef Tom Brown was left flummoxed by the bizarre recipe, telling The Telegraph: “I am not really sure what the correlation is between teriyaki sauce and gravy. I am not taking any cooking tips off Cliff Richard anytime soon. It sounds absolutely vile. “I think pop stars should stick to singing songs and chefs should stick to cooking and not try and be rock stars.” Viewers on social media were just as baffled, with one tweeting: “This is the worst thing I have ever heard.” While another remarked: “I will most certainly not be attending his Christmas dinner.” Meanwhile, last year on the same show, Sir Cliff Richard sparked fury among viewers after his “fat shaming” remarks. ITV anchor Alison Hammond, 48, called out the Summer Holiday singer, 83, for his blunt comments made about the late king of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. Sir Cliff was discussing his “one chance” to meet The Wonder Of You hitmaker with Alison and co-host Dermot O’Leary, along with special guest presenter Sarah Ferguson. Sarah asked if Cliff had ever met Elvis, to which he replied: “No I did not. “I had one chance through a journalist when I was promoting Devil Woman in the States,” the singer continued. “He said ‘Oh I know Elvis’ because he knew I was influenced. He said ‘would you want to meet him?’ and I said: ‘Yeah.’ At the end of the interview though I said, ‘Can we put it off?’ because he had put on a load of weight. And I thought if I am going to have a photo with him and it’s going to be hanging on my refrigerator he’s got to look good. So I put it off – and then of course he died.” Alison let out a small giggle and sniped: “You should never have put it off, just because they are a little bit heavier.” Cliff tried to show his regret as he added: “If you’re a fan of anyone’s and you get the chance to meet them, meet them – even if they have put on weight.”DeSantis appointee says he won't help his elected replacement take office
Ever since the Chicago Bears loss to the Washington Commanders, the Bears have been trying something different with the secondary, but not for the reason you think. In that Week 9 game, second-year cornerback Terell Smith returned from a three week injury and was back on the field for the Bears' defense. The following week, Smith was on the starting defense on the opening drive in place of fellow sophomore cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. That was only a one week change due in part to Stevenson's performance and actions against the Commanders , but Smith's snap counts continued to steadily increase since Week 9. And it's not because the Bears are replacing Stevenson in his role. On Thursday, Bears' defensive coordinator Eric Washington set the record straight about what's really going on between the two young cornerbacks. "We'll continue to utilize both players. We feel great about what they can contribute to our defense," Washington explained . "You saw Terell in the Arizona Cardinals game come within inches of getting a pick and you saw him get a pick last week. Beginning of the season, Tyrique is running down the sideline with the ball in his hands scoring. We like what both players bring to the table." Simply put, the Bears like both Stevenson and Smith and what each player brings to the defense on Sundays. But, it's easy to see why people thought Smith was taking over Stevenson's role as the No. 2 corner behind Jaylon Johnson . From Weeks 9-11, Smith has been the Bears' highest graded cornerback per Pro Football Focus. In that span, he's allowed three receptions on four targets with 44.8 passer rating allowed. By comparison, Stevenson's allowed seven receptions on 10 targets with a 117.9 passer rating allowed while playing 16 more coverage snaps. That's where takes like this one came from over the past few weeks. Terrell Smith should start over Stevenson. Smith has a 82.1 overall grade according to PFF, along with 82.5 in coverage and 70.9 against the run and a 28.3 passer rating allowed. He’s balling when given the chance pic.twitter.com/N9fMAD51CQ But in the grand scheme of things, both players play a different style of game from the other and it's not as simple as "oh, he should start over him." It's clear the Bears like using both players in various different situations. For example, in the Bears' Week 11 game against the Green Bay Packers, Stevenson was on the field for 26 plays. The Packers ran the ball on 15 of those plays with Stevenson in the game, two of which Stevenson was in on the tackle. "Tyrique's an explosive tackler. Really good at the point of attack," Washington said of Stevenson. "If team's are scheming to force the corner into a position where he's at the point and has to make a tackle, you really like what he can do." Meanwhile, Smith was on the field for 17 plays against the Packers . On 15 of those snaps, the Packers needed 5+ to get a first down (AKA obvious mid-deep passing situations). Here's what Washington had to say about what he likes in Smith's game. "Terell, I just love his man coverage ability," Washington added. "I love his savvy, his understanding of route concepts, being able to feel pattern pressure, and ultimately executing the coverage." It's not a matter of playing one over the other or one being better than the other. The Bears simply just want to use their players to the best of their abilities and this isn't something new. Stevenson and Smith also rotated during the 2023 season and Stevenson was playing his best ball when they started implementing that into the plan. The best news is, both players want to see each other succeed and do what it takes to help win games for the team. This rotation shouldn't be overblown more than what it is and I'm glad the team's defensive coordinator finally set the record straight on that. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.
SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — A political party in North Macedonia on Saturday demanded authorities ban social networks whose content incites violence and self-destructive behavior after several young people were seriously injured in connection with the popular “Superman challenge” on TikTok. Health authorities said at least 17 students, ages 10 to 17, were brought to hospitals in the capital Skopje and other towns over the past week with broken bones, contusions and bruises. The children were injured after being thrown into the air by their friends to fly like superheroes and get applause on the internet. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
Bad Bunny announces a new album, 'Debi Tirar Mas Fotos'Former Central Michigan Chippewas quarterback Tommy Lazzaro has passed away, the school announced Thursday. He was just 27 years old. Lazzaro -- a Monument, Colorado native -- was involved in a fatal hunting accident this past Sunday in Florida, according to multiple reports. Lazzaro made 20 career appearances for the Chippewas ... and was part of the team that went 8-6 and made it to the MAC Championship Game against Miami (OH) in 2019. He led the team with two touchdowns in the contest. In his career at CMU, Lazzaro earned 758 yards and five touchdowns through the air ... adding 542 yards and 11 scores on the ground. In his senior year, his teammates selected him to receive the Kurt Dobronski Award, which honors a player who demonstrates effort, intensity and appreciation for the program. After graduating with a degree in entrepreneurship, he enlisted in the Army ... reaching sergeant rankings. His father and grandfather also served for the country. Lazzaro's former coach, Jim McElwain , shared his condolences ... saying, "When we took over the program, Tommy was truly our leader in so many ways." "CMU Football was blessed to have him and will always remember him for all he did for many of us. He will be missed by all of the Chippewas."
None
The Saints are making contingency plans to play without QB Derek Carr as they try to stay alive
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A police officer fired at and injured a man who had shot toward a police car during a foot chase Thursday afternoon in a residential and business area on the city’s west side, Indianapolis police say. Police Chief Chris Bailey of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said Thursday night during in an impromptu news conference at the crime scene that the man was expected to survive a graze wound to his neck. He was taken to a hospital for treatment. No one else was injured. The police chief did not publicly identify the man shot or the police officer. Before the police shooting, Bailey said, IMPD officers were called to a shots fired report at 3:37 p.m. Thursday in the 900 block of South Kiel Avenue. That’s in the Cloverleaf Apartments complex just northeast of the I-465 interchange for West Washington Street on the city’s west side. Bailey said the man had a disturbance with family members and fired three rounds from a gun in parking lot of Cloverleaf Apartments. The man had also pointed a gun at the family members, police were told. The man fled before police arrived, but a 911 caller gave a good description of him, and said he was still in the area and armed. So, police began seeking the man. A short time later, a witness flagged down an officer driving through the area and said the man was still in the area and armed. Later, another officer found the man in the apartment complex and gave him verbal orders, Bailey said. The man fled on foot, and the officer chased the man several blocks into an area near the apartments that has houses and businesses. The man, while still being chased on foot in the 1100 block of Waldemere Avenue, fired from a handgun and damaged a marked IMPD car with at least one uniformed officer inside, Bailey said. That’s when the officer chasing the man on foot fired his weapon and struck the man, resulting in the graze wound on the man’s neck. The computer-aided dispatch system shows Wayne Township Fire Department medics were sent to an emergency medical services incident involving an unsafe gunshot scene at 3:50 p.m. Thursday in the 1000 block of Waldemere Avenue. That’s in the Biltmore Gardens housing addition. Video on social media showed crime scene tape surrounding an area at the intersection of West Morris Street and West Washington Street, near the Dollar Tree store and the Halal Market grocery. An employee of the dollar store says she saw people running inside the business after the shots were fired, but she did not hear the shots. She says the man is known to people who frequent the area. The man remained hospitalized at 7 p.m. Thursday, and prosecutors were discussing what criminal charges if any to file against the man, Bailey said. The public was first alerted to the police shooting in an alert on the X platform , which said, “IMPD officers are on scene of an incident in the 1000 block of Waldemere Avenue. There was an officer-involved shooting. No officers were injured.” Another post on X from police at 4:17 p.m. Thursday said, “IMPD does not believe there is any outstanding public safety threat to the area at this time. We are asking drivers to avoid this area due to an active and ongoing investigation. Officers will be on scene for the next several hours.” The officer who shot the man was placed on administrative leave, a standard IMPD practice. Other officers involved in the incident also were placed on administrative leave as they had requested. IMPD has standard practices for investigating police shootings. Anyone with information was asked to call IMPD Detective Michael Duke at 317-327-3475 or reach out anonymously to Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana. Thursday’s police shooting was the 15th involving IMPD in 2024. The latest happened Dec. 4 , that was the ninth fatal police shooting of 2024. IMPD recorded 18 police shootings in 2023. IMPD released a news release about the incident on Thursday night . News 8’s Danielle Zulkosky contributed to this report.