Biden will decide on US Steel acquisition after influential panel fails to reach consensus WASHINGTON (AP) — A powerful government panel has failed to reach consensus on the possible national security risks of a nearly $15 billion proposed deal for Nippon Steel of Japan to purchase U.S. Steel. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States on Monday sent its long-awaited report to President Joe Biden, a longtime opponent of the deal. Some federal agencies represented on the panel were skeptical that allowing a Japanese company to buy an American-owned steelmaker would create national security risks. That's according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter. Both Biden and President-elect Donald Trump opposed the merger and vowed to block it. Nippon Steel says it is confident the deal will go ahead. Nissan and Honda to attempt a merger that would create the world's No. 3 automaker TOKYO (AP) — Japanese automakers Nissan and Honda have announced plans to work toward a merger that would catapult them to a top position in an industry in the midst of tectonic shifts as it transitions away from its reliance on fossil fuels. The two companies said they signed an agreement on integrating their businesses on Monday. Smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors agreed to join the talks. News of a possible merger surfaced earlier this month. Japanese automakers face a strong challenge from their Chinese rivals and Tesla as they make inroads into markets at home and abroad. What a merger between Nissan and Honda means for the automakers and the industry BANGKOK (AP) — Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan will attempt to merge and create the world’s third-largest automaker by sales as the industry undergoes dramatic changes in its transition away from fossil fuels. The two companies said they had signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday and that smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors also had agreed to join the talks on integrating their businesses. Honda will initially lead the new management, retaining the principles and brands of each company. Following is a quick look at what a combined Honda and Nissan would mean for the companies, and for the auto industry. Survey: Small businesses are feeling more optimistic about the economy after the election A survey shows small business owners are feeling more optimistic about the economy following the election. The National Federation of Independent Businesses’ Small Business Optimism Index rose by eight points in November to 101.7, its highest reading since June 2021. The Uncertainty Index declined 12 points in November to 98, following October’s pre-election record high of 110. NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg said small business owners became more certain about future business conditions following the presidential election, breaking a nearly three-year streak of record high uncertainty. The survey also showed that more owners are also hoping 2025 will be a good time to grow. Heavy travel day starts with brief grounding of all American Airlines flights WASHINGTON (AP) — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide due to a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne Tuesday about an hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop, which prevented planes from taking off. American said in an email that the problem was caused by vendor technology in its flight operating system. Aviation analytics company Cirium said flights were delayed across American’s major hubs, with only 37% leaving on time. Nineteen flights were cancelled. Nordstrom to be acquired by Nordstrom family and a Mexican retail group in $6.25 billion deal Century-old department store Nordstrom has agreed to be acquired and taken private by Nordstrom family members and a Mexican retail group in a $6.25 billion deal. Nordstrom shareholders will receive $24.25 in cash for each share of Nordstrom common stock, representing a 42% premium on the company’s stock as of March 18. Nordstrom’s board of directors unanimously approved the the proposed transaction, while Erik and Pete Nordstrom — part of the Nordstrom family taking over the company — recused themselves from voting. Following the close of the transaction, the Nordstrom Family will have a majority ownership stake in the company. Stock market today: Wall Street rallies ahead of Christmas Stocks closed higher on Wall Street ahead of the Christmas holiday, led by gains in Big Tech stocks. The S&P 500 added 1.1% Tuesday. Trading closed early ahead of the holiday. Tech companies including Apple, Amazon and chip company Broadcom helped pull the market higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.9%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.3%. American Airlines shook off an early loss and ended mostly higher after the airline briefly grounded flights nationwide due to a technical issue. Treasury yields held steady in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury was little changed at 4.59% An analyst looks ahead to how the US economy might fare under Trump WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump won a return to the White House in part by promising big changes in economic policy — more tax cuts, huge tariffs on imports, mass deportations of immigrants working in the United States illegally. In some ways, his victory marked a repudiation of President Joe Biden’s economic stewardship and a protest against inflation. It came despite low unemployment and steady growth under the Biden administration. What lies ahead for the economy under Trump? Paul Ashworth of Capital Economics spoke recently to The Associated Press. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. American consumers feeling less confident in December, Conference Board says American consumers are feeling less confident in December, a business research group says. The Conference Board said Monday that its consumer confidence index fell back in December to 104.7 from 112.8 in November. Consumers had been feeling increasingly confident in recent months. The consumer confidence index measures both Americans’ assessment of current economic conditions and their outlook for the next six months. The measure of Americans’ short-term expectations for income, business and the job market tumbled more than a dozen points to 81.1. The Conference Board says a reading under 80 can signal a potential recession in the near future. Stock market today: Wall Street rises at the start of a holiday-shortened week Stocks closed higher on Wall Street at the start of a holiday-shortened week. The S&P 500 rose 0.7% Monday. Several big technology companies helped support the gains, including chip companies Nvidia and Broadcom. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 1%. Honda's U.S.-listed shares rose sharply after the company said it was in talks about a combination with Nissan in a deal that could also include Mitsubishi Motors. Eli Lilly rose after announcing that regulators approved Zepbound as the first prescription medicine for adults with sleep apnea. Treasury yields rose in the bond market.NHL Insider Sends Harsh Warning To Matt RempeHIGH POINT, N.C. (AP) — D'Maurian Williams scored 18 points as High Point beat Pfeiffer 81-50 on Saturday. Williams went 8 of 13 from the field (2 for 3 from 3-point range) for the Panthers (8-1). Kezza Giffa scored 14 points, going 3 of 8 from the floor, including 1 for 3 from 3-point range, and 7 for 8 from the line. Kimani Hamilton shot 4 for 8, including 1 for 3 from beyond the arc to finish with 11 points. The Falcons were led by Doug Smith and Justin Gaten with nine points apiece. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
Youth advocate and educator Daniel Principe on healthy masculinityIn a shock offensive, insurgents breach Syria's largest city for the first time since 2016It’s a daunting reality for Democrats: Republican Donald Trump's support has grown broadly since he last sought the presidency. In his defeat of Democrat Kamala Harris , Trump won a bigger percentage of the vote in each one of the 50 states, and Washington, D.C., than he did four years ago. He won more actual votes than in 2020 in 40 states, according to an Associated Press analysis. Certainly, Harris’ more than 7 million vote decline from President Joe Biden’s 2020 total was a factor in her loss, especially in swing-state metropolitan areas that have been the party’s winning electoral strongholds. But, despite national turnout that was lower than in the high-enthusiasm 2020 election, Trump received 2.5 million more votes than he did four years ago. He swept the seven most competitive states to win a convincing Electoral College victory, becoming the first Republican nominee in 20 years to win a majority of the popular vote. Trump cut into places where Harris needed to overperform to win a close election. Now Democrats are weighing how to regain traction ahead of the midterm elections in two years, when control of Congress will again be up for grabs and dozens of governors elected. There were some notable pieces to how Trump's victory came together: Though Trump improved across the map, his gains were particularly noteworthy in urban counties home to the cities of Detroit, Milwaukee and Philadelphia, electoral engines that stalled for Harris in industrial swing states Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Harris fell more than 50,000 votes — and 5 percentage points — short of Biden's total in Wayne County, Michigan, which makes up the lion's share of the Detroit metro area. She was almost 36,000 votes off Biden's mark in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, and about 1,000 short in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. It wasn't only Harris' shortfall that helped Trump carry the states, a trio that Democrats had collectively carried in six of the seven previous elections before Nov. 5. Trump added to his 2020 totals in all three metro counties, netting more than 24,000 votes in Wayne County, more than 11,000 in Philadelphia County and almost 4,000 in Milwaukee County. It’s not yet possible to determine whether Harris fell short of Biden’s performance because Biden voters stayed home or switched their vote to Trump — or how some combination of the two produced the rightward drift evident in each of these states. Harris advertised heavily and campaigned regularly in each, and made Milwaukee County her first stop as a candidate with a rally in July. These swings alone were not the difference in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, but her weaker performance than Biden across the three metros helped Trump, who held on to big 2020 margins in the three states' broad rural areas and improved or held steady in populous suburbs. Trump's team and outside groups supporting him knew from their data that he was making inroads with Black voters, particularly Black men younger than 50, more concentrated in these urban areas that have been key to Democratic victories. When James Blair, Trump's political director, saw results coming in from Philadelphia on election night, he knew Trump had cut into the more predominantly Black precincts, a gain that would echo in Wayne and Milwaukee counties. “The data made clear there was an opportunity there,” Blair said. AP VoteCast, a nationwide survey of more than 120,000 voters, found Trump won a larger share of Black and Latino voters than he did in 2020, and most notably among men under age 45. Democrats won Senate races in Michigan and Wisconsin but lost in Pennsylvania. In 2026, they will be defending governorships in all three states and a Senate seat in Michigan. Despite the burst of enthusiasm Harris' candidacy created among the Democratic base when she entered the race in July, she ended up receiving fewer votes than Biden in three of the seven states where she campaigned almost exclusively. In Arizona, she received about 90,000 fewer votes than Biden. She received about 67,000 fewer in Michigan and 39,000 fewer in Pennsylvania. In four others — Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina and Wisconsin — Harris won more votes than Biden did. But Trump's support grew by more — in some states, significantly more. That dynamic is glaring in Georgia, where Harris received almost 73,000 more votes than Biden did when he very narrowly carried the state. But Trump added more than 200,000 to his 2020 total, en route to winning Georgia by roughly 2 percentage points. In Wisconsin, Trump's team reacted to slippage it saw in GOP-leaning counties in suburban Milwaukee by targeting once-Democratic-leaning, working-class areas, where Trump made notable gains. In the three largest suburban Milwaukee counties — Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha — which have formed the backbone of GOP victories for decades, Harris performed better than Biden did in 2020. She also gained more votes than Trump gained over 2020, though he still won the counties. That made Trump's focus on Rock County, a blue-collar area in south central Wisconsin, critical. Trump received 3,084 more votes in Rock County, home of the former automotive manufacturing city of Janesville, than he did in 2020, while Harris underperformed Biden's 2020 total by seven votes. That helped Trump offset Harris' improvement in Milwaukee's suburbs. The focus speaks to the strength Trump has had and continued to grow with middle-income, non-college educated voters, the Trump campaign's senior data analyst Tim Saler said. “If you're going to have to lean into working-class voters, they are particularly strong in Wisconsin,” Saler said. “We saw huge shifts from 2020 to 2024 in our favor.” Of the seven most competitive states, Arizona saw the smallest increase in the number of votes cast in the presidential contest — slightly more than 4,000 votes, in a state with more than 3.3 million ballots cast. That was despite nearly 30 campaign visits to Arizona by Trump, Harris and their running mates and more than $432 million spent on advertising by the campaigns and allied outside groups, according to the ad-monitoring firm AdImpact. Arizona, alone of the seven swing states, saw Harris fall short of Biden across small, midsize and large counties. In the other six states, she was able to hold on in at least one of these categories. Even more telling, it is also the only swing state where Trump improved his margin in every single county. While turnout in Maricopa County, Arizona's most populous as the home to Phoenix, dipped slightly from 2020 — by 14,199 votes, a tiny change in a county where more than 2 million people voted — Trump gained almost 56,000 more votes than four years ago. Meanwhile, Harris fell more than 60,000 votes short of Biden's total, contributing to a shift significant enough to swing the county and state to Trump, who lost Arizona by fewer than 11,000 votes in 2020. The biggest leaps to the right weren't taking place exclusively among Republican-leaning counties, but also among the most Democratic-leaning counties in the states. Michigan's Wayne County swung 9 points toward Trump, tying the more Republican-leaning Antrim County for the largest movement in the state. AP VoteCast found that voters were most likely to say the economy was the most important issue facing the country in 2024, followed by immigration. Trump supporters were more motivated by economic issues and immigration than Harris', the survey showed. “It’s still all about the economy," said North Carolina Democratic strategist Morgan Jackson, a senior adviser to Democrat Josh Stein, who won North Carolina’s governorship on Nov. 5 as Trump also carried the state. “Democrats have to embrace an economic message that actually works for real people and talk about it in the kind of terms that people get, rather than giving them a dissertation of economic policy,” he said. Governor’s elections in 2026 give Democrats a chance to test their understanding and messaging on the issue, said Democratic pollster Margie Omero, whose firm has advised Wisconsin’s Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in the past and winning Arizona Senate candidate Ruben Gallego this year. “So there’s an opportunity to really make sure people, who governors have a connection to, are feeling some specificity and clarity with the Democratic economic message,” Omero said.John Force Racing Congratulates Brittany Force As She Ties The Knot After NHRA Season
Aleppo bombed by Russian and Syrian airstrikes as rebels capture half of city
Perhaps no play personifies what Danville’s defense is more than a glance back at a third-and-long on the second series of Saturday’s game against Bermudian Springs. Senior defensive end Chase Miller just missed a halfback on a toss to the right, forcing him deeper into the backfield and closer to the sideline. By the time the halfback landed on the ground for an 8-yard loss, five defenders were on top of him and three others were within a handful of yards. You can learn a lot about a defense by the number of players around the ball, something in which the Ironmen specialize. Danville enters Friday’s PIAA Class 3A state semifinals, against unbeaten Northwestern Lehigh with the same undersized defense that has gotten the Ironmen to 13-0, one that makes its dent with speed and pursuit. “Defensively, we’ve got a lot of guys who can run, at every level of the defense,” said Danville coach Carl Majer, a standout linebacker during his playing days at Berwick under George Curry. “Lot of guys flying around making plays. That defense is something.” The Ironmen reached the state semifinals by allowing just 115 yards to District 3 champion Bermudian Springs. Through 13 weeks Danville has allowed 133 points and less than 10 points on eight occasions. Danville is plus-10 in turnover margin and has also been great on quick-change situations. Last week against Bermudian Springs, Danville turned the ball over three times and didn’t give up a point after any of them. When the Eagles recovered a surprise onside kick to start the second half, they lost 16 yards on the next three plays and came away empty. “The defense can bend a little bit, but it doesn’t break,” Majer said. Danville does it while being undersized. Its biggest starter is senior defensive end Caleb Fowler, listed at 6-foot-3, 225. Freshman defensive tackle Sam Hummer comes in at 220, while the two other linemen — seniors Miller and Lincoln Diehl — come in at 215. Miller leads the team with 5.5 sacks. The Ironmen have 15 sacks as a team, but offset that with 36 hurries and 76 tackles for loss. The Ironmen do feature two Division I caliber linebackers. Senior Cameron Kiersch, who recently committed to St. Francis (Pa.), leads the team with 154 tackles — he has 463 career stops, second in program history — while junior Landon Kehoe has 132 tackles. Kiersch has 18 tackles for loss this year and Kehoe — a junior who already has a DI offer from Temple — has 17. In the preseason, Majer called his two middle linebackers his “Christmas presents.” “They are big (both are listed at 218 pounds) and can run,” said Majer. “They’ve played a lot of football for us and have seen a lot of stuff.” Danville will be looking to fill some gaps outside with senior Wyatt Shultz getting injured late in the first half against Bermudian Springs and classmate Eli Welliver still out after he was ejected from the district final. The secondary has had its share of moving parts as well. Record-setting quarterback Madden Patrick has spent the second half of the season starting at corner, a move necessitated by injuries to Cole Duffy — who is back — and Carter Raup. Duffy and Raup each have four interceptions to lead the team, and Patrick has three picks. Senior Bo Sheptock is already a two-time all-state pick at safety and has 92 tackles out of the defensive backfield. Raup has intercepted a pass in each of Danville’s three playoff games, including the game-clincher against Lewisburg in the district title game. “The defense is playing well right now and has been all season,” Majer said. “Our offense gets a lot of attention, but that defense is pretty darn good.”
Daiwa Securities Group Inc. raised its position in Smith Douglas Homes Corp. ( NYSE:SDHC – Free Report ) by 31.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 29,487 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 7,015 shares during the period. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. owned approximately 0.06% of Smith Douglas Homes worth $1,114,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. nVerses Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Smith Douglas Homes in the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. RiverPark Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Smith Douglas Homes in the second quarter valued at approximately $120,000. Atria Investments Inc acquired a new stake in Smith Douglas Homes in the third quarter valued at approximately $204,000. Portside Wealth Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Smith Douglas Homes in the third quarter worth $283,000. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Smith Douglas Homes in the third quarter worth $349,000. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, Director Jeffrey T. Jackson acquired 8,605 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 19th. The stock was bought at an average price of $29.77 per share, with a total value of $256,170.85. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 15,748 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $468,817.96. This represents a 120.47 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website . Smith Douglas Homes Price Performance Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of research analysts have issued reports on SDHC shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut shares of Smith Douglas Homes from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $41.00 to $36.00 in a report on Monday, November 25th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Smith Douglas Homes from $35.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, October 7th. Wedbush reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $20.00 price target on shares of Smith Douglas Homes in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and issued a $26.00 price target on shares of Smith Douglas Homes in a report on Thursday, August 15th. Finally, Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Smith Douglas Homes from $36.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, September 19th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Smith Douglas Homes presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $32.40. Get Our Latest Stock Report on SDHC Smith Douglas Homes Profile ( Free Report ) Smith Douglas Homes Corp., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, construction, and sale of single-family homes in the southeastern United States. It also provides closing, escrow, and title insurance services. The company sells its products to entry-level and empty-nest homebuyers. Smith Douglas Homes Corp. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SDHC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Smith Douglas Homes Corp. ( NYSE:SDHC – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Smith Douglas Homes Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Smith Douglas Homes and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .