Stock indexes drifted to a mixed finish on Wall Street as some heavyweight technology and communications sector stocks offset gains elsewhere in the market. The S&P 500 slipped less than 0.1% Thursday, its first loss after three straight gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.1%. Gains by retailers and health care stocks helped temper the losses. Trading volume was lighter than usual as U.S. markets reopened following the Christmas holiday. The Labor Department reported that U.S. applications for unemployment benefits held steady last week, though continuing claims rose to the highest level in three years. Treasury yields fell in the bond market. On Thursday: The S&P 500 fell 2.45 points, or 0.04%, to 6,037.59. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 28.77 points, or 0.1%, to 43,325.80. The Nasdaq composite fell 10.77 points, or 1%, to 19,764.89. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies rose 20.34 points, or 0.9%, to 2,280.19. For the week: The S&P 500 is up 106.74 points, or 1.80%. The Dow is up 485.54 points, or 1.1%. The Nasdaq is up 447.76 points, or 2.3%. The Russell 2000 is up 37.82 points, or 1.7%. For the year: The S&P 500 is up 1,267.76 points, or 26.6%. The Dow is up 5,636.26, or 15%. The Nasdaq is up 5,009.01 points, or 33.4%. The Russell 2000 is up 253.12 points, or 12.5%.
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ITHACA, N.Y. (AP) — Jack Daugherty helped lead Illinois State over Cornell with 16 points off of the bench in an 80-77 victory on Sunday. Daugherty went 5 of 8 from the field (4 for 7 from 3-point range) for the Redbirds (8-4). Chase Walker scored 14 points while shooting 4 of 7 from the field and 6 for 8 from the line and added seven rebounds. Logan Wolf shot 4 for 5, including 3 for 3 from beyond the arc to finish with 13 points. Nazir Williams led the Big Red (7-4) in scoring, finishing with 19 points and seven rebounds. Cornell also got 19 points, six rebounds and four assists from AK Okereke. Guy Ragland Jr. had 12 points. Daugherty scored 12 points in the first half and Illinois State went into the break trailing 45-43. Illinois State used a 12-2 second-half run to erase a four-point deficit and take the lead at 70-64 with 5:48 left in the half before finishing off the victory. Wolf scored 13 second-half points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
The Indianapolis Colts could show up to the stadium on Sunday with nothing to play for. Or the scenario may call for a victory so they can remain alive in the AFC playoffs. Either way, the Colts' postseason fate hangs on other teams as they enter Sunday's game against the lowly New York Giants at East Rutherford, N.J. Indianapolis (7-8) is mathematically alive in the playoff hunt but trails the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos by two games with two contests left. The Chargers and Broncos both have games on Saturday. If both nine-win clubs win, the Colts will be eliminated and miss the playoffs for the fourth straight season. Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson is well aware of the team's predicament and scenarios entering the game against the Giants (2-13), who have lost a franchise-record 10 straight games. "We still have an opportunity, with some help from other people," Richardson said. "But we just taking it one game at a time because it doesn't do us any good if everybody else does what they have to do to help us out and then we don't go out there and take advantage of it." Richardson (back/foot) sat out practice Thursday and the Colts remain confident his ailments will improve. If not, veteran Joe Flacco could be in line to start against New York. Flacco was just 1-3 as a starter when Richardson was sidelined or benched earlier this season. But Flacco (nine touchdowns, five interceptions) has a superior touchdown-to-interception ratio than Richardson (eight TDs, 12 interceptions) and has completed 66.5 percent of his passes compared to Richardson's 47.7 percent. No matter who starts, the game plan will revolve around star running back Jonathan Taylor, who rushed for 218 yards and three scores on 29 carries during last weekend's 38-30 home win over the Tennessee Titans. It was Taylor's second-most rushing yards in a game behind the club-record 253 he put up against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the 2020 season. The Giants are starting Drew Lock at quarterback for the fourth time in the past five games. Lock underwent an MRI exam on his passing shoulder Monday but no damage was found. He hurt it during Sunday's 34-7 road loss against the Atlanta Falcons. Lock is 0-3 as a starter this season and has completed just 52.7 percent of his passes. He has one touchdown and four interceptions in 129 attempts. "As a quarterback, the ball is in your hands every play and one or two bad plays can change a game," Lock said of his miscues. "You try to look at them individually, try to learn from each play individually and go onto the next week. Learn from what you did and just have a heavy emphasis on taking care of the ball." Giants coach Brian Daboll opted for Lock over Tommy DeVito, who is 0-2 as a starter this season. Daboll said he made the decision to continue the continuity from last week. Meanwhile, star rookie wideout Malik Nabers (toe) missed practice Thursday and called himself a game-day decision. Nabers has 97 receptions for 969 yards and four touchdown catches as one of the bright spots of the horrendous season. "It's tough on everybody. It's not just tough on me. It's tough on everybody," Nabers said of the team's troubles. "I'm continuing to keep my mental (attitude) strong, continue to move forward, continue to try to better the team, better myself. Lead by example. I feel like that's really all we can do in this state of mind that we're going through." In addition to Nabers, running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (ankle), center John Michael Schmitz (ankle), linebacker Micah McFadden (neck), cornerbacks Greg Stroman (shoulder/shin) and Dee Williams (toe) and safety Raheem Layne (knee) sat out practice Thursday. Richardson was one of three Colts to miss practice. The others were tight end Mo Alie-Cox (toe) and linebacker E.J. Speed (knee). In the most recent meeting, the Giants routed the Colts 38-10 late in the 2022 season. This article first appeared on Field Level Media and was syndicated with permission.Strategic plan to position Yucatan as a key tourist destination in the European market440% to shareholders in dividend-adjusted gains since November 2004. Trading close to all-time highs, Imperial Oil has created wealth for long-term investors. Let’s see if the can continue to deliver outsized returns in 2025. Imperial Oil is engaged in exploring, producing, and selling crude oil and natural gas. It operates through two primary business segments: Imperial Oil saw solid operational performance in the third quarter (Q3) of 2024 despite lower commodity prices. In the September quarter, It reported earnings of $1.24 billion, down $364 million from the year-ago period. Its Upstream business saw record production and a reduction in unit costs, which offset the reduction in price realizations due to the softening of WTI (West Texas Intermediate) prices. Imperial’s downstream business also contributed to earnings growth despite the softening of refinery crack spreads. The TSX giant’s manufacturing assets continue to realize the structural benefits of advantaged feedstocks and import parity pricing in the Canadian market. It reported an operating cash flow of $1.48 billion in Q3 and spent $486 million in capital expenditures, which means the company’s free cash flow was roughly $1 billion. Comparatively, Imperial Oil’s quarterly dividend expense is around $315 million, which indicates a payout ratio of less than 32%. Imperial Oil generates enough cash to target accretive acquisitions, strengthen the balance sheet, and raise dividends further. In the last 17 years, Imperial Oil has increased its dividends by 11.8% annually, which is exceptional for a cyclical energy stock. Imperial Oil ended Q3 with a long-term debt of $3.44 billion, down from $4.44 billion in 2019. In the last five years, Imperial Oil has used its free cash flow to lower balance sheet debt amid a rising interest rate environment. Imperial Oil reported a record free cash flow of $8.95 billion in 2022 when oil prices touched multi-year highs. In the last 12 months, its free cash flow stood at $3.6 billion, up from $1.95 billion in 2023. With more than $1.5 billion in cash and steady free cash flow growth, Imperial Oil is investing in organic growth, which should drive future earnings higher. Analysts tracking the expect its free cash flow to surge to $5 billion in 2025. So, if Imperial Oil is priced at 13 times trailing FCF, it will be valued at $65 billion in early 2026, indicating an upside potential of 20% from current levels. However, given consensus price target estimates, Bay Street remains cautious on IMO stock and expects it to move lower by 2% over the next 12 months.House passes $895 billion defense policy bill with pay raise for troops, sending measure to Senate
Trump’s FCC pick comes in swinging at Big TechAP News Summary at 5:05 p.m. EST
Canine-friendly bar Bark Social in Manayunk closed abruptly Thursday after the business declared bankruptcy, leaving dogs with one fewer social spot in Philly. The company explained in an Instagram post that its demise is the result of financing it had expected not materializing . The Manayunk bar, opened in April 2023 along the Schuylkill River next to Regal UA movie theater in the shopping center at 3720 Main St. It was one of five Bark Social locations. Others were in Baltimore and suburban Maryland and Washington, D.C. A sixth location had been planned to open in Los Angeles in 2025. "We know this is abrupt, but as a small start-up, Bark Social relies on investors to fuel its growth," the Instagram post states. The company also said it wanted to "do right by its team members." Fast Company reported Friday that Bark Social's employees were not offered severances . The company also will not be offering refunds to dog owners who had bought memberships to the bar, and Bark Social's director of marketing, Chris Rubacha, suggested members contact their banks to "inquire about chargebacks." Basic memberships for dog owners ranged from $50 per month and to $365 a year, and a premium membership, with additional perks, cost as much as $1,000 per year. The online calendar for the Manayunk Bark Social showed a comedy show, White Claw tasting and pet portraits had been scheduled to take place Friday. The location had indoor and outdoor spaces for guests and their pets. Bark Social also offered daycare services for dogs.
Expert-level meetings for the seventh session of the Egyptian-Uzbek Joint Committee for Economic, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation began on Sunday in Tashkent, the Uzbek capital. The meetings are in preparation for a ministerial committee meeting later this week. Rania Al-Mashat, the Egyptian Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, and Laziz Kudratov, the Uzbek Minister of Investment, Industry, and Trade, will co-chair the upcoming ministerial meeting. The joint committee, which is meeting for the first time since 2009, aims to strengthen relations between Egypt and Uzbekistan. This session demonstrates Egypt’s commitment to fostering relationships with allied nations across various sectors. The meeting reflects the keen interest of both countries’ leaderships to bolster bilateral ties, particularly following Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s visit to Uzbekistan in September 2018. This highlights Egypt’s increasing focus on Central Asia, with Uzbekistan as a central partner. The expert meetings will cover areas of mutual interest, with Egypt aiming to enhance bilateral relations across the board. A key objective is to promote and develop economic ties in all sectors, remove barriers to growth, and increase inter-investment. Al-Mashat stated that the joint committee intends to strengthen economic relations, to meet the aspirations of both countries and to foster cultural and scientific ties. She emphasized Egypt’s use of joint committees with other nations to establish clear frameworks for bilateral cooperation and achieve mutual interests at all levels. The Egyptian delegation to the expert meetings includes representatives from the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade, the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones. Representatives from major Egyptian pharmaceutical companies, such as “ACDIMA,” are also participating. The Uzbek delegation includes representatives from the Ministries of Investment, Industry, Trade, Culture, Transport, Energy, Higher Education, Tourism, and the Pharmaceutical Industries. The agenda for the seventh session includes the Egyptian-Uzbek Business Forum, which will see the participation of businesspeople from both countries. The forum aims to discuss ways to increase economic cooperation, with a focus on the role of the private sector. It will also address opportunities for investment in sectors in both countries, including pharmaceuticals, construction, food industries, tourism, technology, and logistics services. The Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation is leading the expert meetings. The ministry oversees 54 joint committees between Egypt and other countries, including 30 with European nations. These committees are vital to the Egyptian government’s programme to enhance economic relations with its partners. These committees serve as important mechanisms to strengthen Egypt’s economic ties at both the bilateral and multilateral levels.
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Tweet Facebook Mail Northern Australia is facing another day of severe storms, while parts of the country's south grapple with extreme heat. Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Angus Hines said humid conditions throughout Australia's north generated severe thunderstorms in eastern Queensland and northern Western Australia. Queensland received the heaviest rain, with 162mm falling nearly Mackay, 100mm of that in two hours. READ MORE: Meta working to fix outage impacting Facebook and Instagram globally Australia is facing storms in the north and a heatwave in the south. (Windy) Cairns Airport was drenched by 109mm of rain in an hour, and 144mm overall. Hines said with no major changes to weather patterns in the north, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland were facing another hot, humid, rainy day in the north. The Queensland coast between Townsville and Mackay will again be the epicentre, with falls of more than 200mm a "plausible outcome", Hines said. READ MORE: Victorian ATARs have been released, how do I access them? Temperatures in the 40s are expected in multiple states. (Getty) Western Australia is a state caught in extremes, with "the most significant heatwave of summer" so far gripping the south-west. Perth reached a top of 40.4 degrees yesterday, the warmest day since February. Gingin recorded the state's top temperature of 43.1 degrees. Heat will continue in the south-east today, but the peak will move inland over the wheat belt, with Perth set to be about five degrees cooler, Hines said. READ MORE: 'There's a croc here, mate': Couple stumbles upon crocodile in their laundry Nine people rescued after flash flooding and storms across state View Gallery It's the national south-east's turn next, with South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, and New South Wales to face fierce heat over the weekend. Melbourne is forecast to reach 40 degrees on Monday, with patches of mid-40 temperatures around the state. Parts of western New South Wales could even reach the upper 40s on Monday, Hines said. He said the heat would come with strong northerly winds, meaning fire bans could be put in place in parts. The temperature is set to drop with a cool change on the second half of Monday, plummeting up to 15 degrees in half an hour in some places. People are urged to stay up to date with warnings and forecasts at the BoM website . DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP : Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play .
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The skeletal remains recovered last month in upstate New York were identified as Amanda King, a woman who vanished in Glenville in November 2013, according to police. King, who would've turned 38 earlier this week, lived in Bethlehem. Authorities notified the deceased's family Wednesday. Law enforcement officials found King's buried skeleton Oct. 20 in Burden Pond Reserve in Troy. DNA testing debunked authorities' initial theory that the remains belonged to Jaliek Rainwalker, who vanished in Washington County in 2007 at 12-years-old. The State Police forensic lab extracted DNA from the femur and roots of the teeth that were collected along with the skeleton. Missing US nurse found dead in case called Budapest her 'happy place' amid suspect's chilling confession Man missing for 27 years found alive in pit under neighbor's sheep pen after being kidnapped as teen The manner of which she died is unclear at this time, someone with knowledge of the investigation told the Times Union . It is likely that cops will have to rely on a tip to progress through the investigation as possible exposure to the elements has eroded the skeleton. On Oct. 16, 2013, King reportedly left a treatment center in Glenville, Conifer Park, with another individual and was never seen again. The specifics of her disappearance are murky as authorities don't know who gave King a ride from the center and what their dynamic was. Troy, Albany and State Police “are now actively investigating the circumstances surrounding Amanda’s disappearance, death and her remains being located in the area where they were discovered," Assistant Police Chief Steven Barker said. The investigation will essentially "start from scratch,” in terms determining how the deceased ended up buried in Troy by the pond, according to the law enforcement source. King was 27 years old at the time of her last sighting, which was when she arrived to Conifer Park to undergo court-mandated treatment for her heroin use. The victim's father, Arthur, previously told the Times Union that his daughter began abusing the substance while she attended Bethlehem Central High School. Click here to follow the Mirror US on Google News to stay up to date with all the latest news, sports and entertainment stories Arthur was immediately called after King signed out of treatment earlier, against staff recommendations and disappeared with the unnamed individual. The woman left without a trace as she had no cellphone, vehicle or credit card for authorities to ping. Surveillance video from that day was taped over by the time police requested in an attempt to identify the driver. A year later, King's family were worried their loved one's case wasn't getting enough attention. That point was noted again on a Facebook page in her memory. DAILY NEWSLETTER: Sign up here to get the latest news and updates from the Mirror US straight to your inbox with our FREE newsletter. “You get a lot more attention and I guess concern when it’s a child, but when it’s a full-grown adult, let’s face it, it boils down to an adult making their own decisions,” Arthur King told the Times Union in 2014. “But I really think that Amanda, even though she was an adult, everything was out of her control. She was just going down a path she just couldn’t get off of.”