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Trump calls for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and says a US withdrawal from NATO is possible

( MENAFN - IANS) Kuwait City, Dec 22 (IANS) In a special gesture, Kuwait's Prime Minister sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah came to see off PM Modi at the airport Sunday evening as he wrapped up his historic two-day visit to the West Asian country and left for India. "Thank you Kuwait! This visit was historic and will greatly enhance our bilateral relations. I thank the government and people of Kuwait for their warmth. I also thank the PM of Kuwait for the special gesture of coming to the airport for the see-off," PM Modi posted on X just before his departure. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi held back-to-back meetings with the country's Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah besides holding bilateral discussions with the country's PM Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. "Held fruitful discussions with HH Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, the Prime Minister of Kuwait. Our talks covered the full range of India-Kuwait relations, including trade, commerce, people-to-people ties and more. Key MoUs and Agreements were also exchanged, which will add strength to bilateral relations," said PM Modi. According to the Prime Minister's Office, the two leaders discussed a roadmap to strengthen the strategic partnership in areas including political, trade, investment, energy, defence, security, health, education, technology, cultural, and people-to-people ties. "They emphasised on deepening economic cooperation between the two countries. The Prime Minister invited a delegation comprising the Kuwaiti Investment Authority and other stakeholders to visit India to look at new opportunities in the fields of energy, defence, medical devices, pharma, food parks, among others. The leaders also discussed cooperation in traditional medicine and agricultural research," read a statement issued by the PMO after the meeting. "They welcomed the recent signing of the Joint Commission for Cooperation (JCC) under which new Joint Working Groups in the areas of trade, investment, education, technology, agriculture, security and culture have been set up in addition to the existing JWGs on Health, Manpower and Hydrocarbons," it added. Both leaders also witnessed the signing and exchange of bilateral agreements and MoUs after the talks. It included an MoU on defence cooperation, cultural exchange programme, an executive programme on cooperation in the field of sports and the framework agreement on Kuwait joining the International Solar Alliance. In what was the first meeting between the two leaders, Prime Minister Modi met and the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah held discussions at the Bayan Palace and re-affirmed their full commitment to further expand and deepen bilateral cooperation while agreeing to elevate the bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership. The leaders recalled the strong historical and friendly ties between the two countries with PM Modi thanking the Amir for ensuring the well-being of over one million strong Indian community in Kuwait. The Amir also expressed appreciation for the contribution of the large and vibrant Indian community in Kuwait's development. "Excellent meeting with His Highness the Emir of the State of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. We discussed cooperation in key sectors such as pharmaceuticals, IT, fintech, infrastructure and security. In line with the close relations between our two countries, we have elevated our partnership to a strategic level and I am optimistic that our friendship will flourish further in the future," the Prime Minister said. The PM appreciated the new initiatives being undertaken by Kuwait to fulfill its Vision 2035 and congratulated the Amir for successfully holding the GCC Summit earlier this month. Reciprocating Prime Minister's sentiments, the Amir expressed appreciation for India's role as a valued partner in Kuwait and the Gulf region and looked forward to greater role and contribution of India towards realisation of Kuwait Vision 2035. The Amir of Kuwait also conferred upon Prime Minister Modi 'The Order of Mubarak Al-Kabeer', the highest national award of Kuwait. PM Modi dedicated the award to the long-standing friendship between India and Kuwait, to the Indian community in Kuwait and to the 1.4 billion people of India. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the conferment of the award - instituted in 1974 and conferred only on select global leaders - on the historic visit of a Prime Minister of India to Kuwait after 43 years added a "special meaning" to the occasion. PM Modi also met with Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, the Crown Prince of the State of Kuwait. Both leaders had also met on the margins of the UNGA session in September, earlier this year. "Prime Minister conveyed that India attaches utmost importance to its bilateral relations with Kuwait. The leaders acknowledged that bilateral relations were progressing well and welcomed their elevation to a Strategic Partnership. They emphasised on close coordination between both sides in the UN and other multilateral fora. The Prime Minister expressed confidence that India-GCC relations will be further strengthened under the Presidency of Kuwait," said PM Modi. MENAFN22122024000231011071ID1109021429 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.

After a fuselage panel blew off a 737 in January, Boeing found itself in a familiar place — on Capitol Hill, under Congress’s microscope. In 2008, Congress had found that nearly 60,000 Southwest flights in 2006 and 2007 were allowed even though the airline knew the Boeing planes were out of compliance with Federal Aviation Administration safety standards. After Southwest came clean to the FAA, the agency allowed over 1,000 more flights on the out-of-compliance aircraft. The scrutiny Boeing was facing from Congress intensified considerably after fatal crashes of Boeing 737 Max airplanes in 2018 and 2019, and was reinvigorated again earlier this year when a hole opened in the side of a 737 as it climbed out of Portland, Ore. A common theme ran through Congress’ findings in those instances: The FAA was often deferential to the manufacturer whose work it was meant to police. Then a subplot emerged. Congressional hearings revealed Boeing had been hiring ex-government workers, people with personal connections to and intimate knowledge of Beltway politics, to pressure the agency whose primary purpose is to assure safe air travel. Critics of the practice view the Boeing hearings of 2008 and 2020 as clear evidence that a “revolving door” — when ex-government officials move to jobs in industries they had policed, sometimes returning to government after their stints in the private sector — was undermining oversight. They claim the specter of more lucrative employment in industry sometimes drives regulators to conduct weak oversight in hopes that they can cash in on their government experience. Once through the revolving door, ex-government workers may use their connections with their former colleagues to apply pressure on regulators. Key decision-makers who passed through the revolving door connecting Boeing and the FAA compromised regulatory oversight, according to the chairman of a committee who led those hearings in Congress. Congress responded by adopting new laws in 2008 and 2020 that prohibit FAA employees from moving directly to the industry they regulate. Now, former FAA employees must wait two years before they can represent companies such as Boeing in interactions with the government. Boeing and the FAA say the laws have been implemented and are being followed. But critics, including lawmakers who drafted the legislation, say those measures didn’t go far enough. In 2022 alone, the 20 highest-paid defense contractors hired 672 former government officials, military officers, members of Congress and senior legislative staff, according to a report commissioned by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts. Boeing hired the most by far, 85. Boeing also hired more former government officials to executive positions than any other Pentagon contractor, the report showed. At the FAA, it’s common for senior political appointees to come from industry, and return to it after their tours in government. But the FAA today says the revolving door isn’t the problem that that critics make it out to be. Political appointees at the agency pass through the revolving door to industry more frequently than civil service employees there, FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said. The average tenure for a political appointee at the agency is just 2 years and 2 months, while the average tenure of FAA civil servants is over 12 years. He noted that the FAA strives to abide by the restrictions on post-government employment that require cooling-off periods before representing their new employer in regulatory actions involving their former workplace. “We do not agree that there is a revolving door between the FAA and industry,” Gregor said, noting that FAA follows the laws governing its employees who accept jobs in the aerospace industry. “The FAA’s response would be laughable if it weren’t so discordant with the facts,” said Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, director of government affairs at the Project On Government Oversight, or POGO, a nonprofit government ethics watchdog. “For the FAA to claim that it is not a revolving door to industry is to tell us not to believe our lying eyes; truly Orwellian stuff.” ‘A cozy relationship’ The revelation 17 years ago was astonishing: 46 Boeing aircraft owned by Southwest Airlines had carried passengers on nearly 60,000 flights in 2006 and 2007 while all of the planes’ fuselages fell short of federal standards. Southwest had told the FAA its planes were out of compliance, but the responsible FAA supervisor waited eight days to ground the planes, allowing almost 1,500 more flights on compromised aircraft. Whistleblowers would later pin the delay on a close relationship between the FAA supervisor and Southwest’s regulatory compliance manager, a former FAA employee. It ultimately took three parallel investigations and several years to lift the veil on how airlines and aerospace giants like Boeing rely on ex-government officials on their payrolls, and C-suite meetings with regulators, to sway the government. “We want to know that the people who are making the decisions that are going to have potentially fatal consequences are there representing the views and the best interests of the public of the United States, not looking over their shoulder or looking ahead to their next gig, which would obviously be more lucrative,” former Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore, said in a phone interview. DeFazio led congressional hearings into the crashes of 2018 and 2019 and authored legislation promoting stronger oversight of the aerospace industry. “The American public can’t afford a cozy relationship between the FAA and those it regulates,” said Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. After the scandal-driven reforms of 2008, the cooling-off period became law. But then, Congress kept its hands off the FAA’s revolving door until two Boeing 737 Max jets crashed in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people, largely because of a catastrophic engineering lapse. Boeing’s sway over FAA officials again took center stage in Congress. The chief safety officer at FAA headquarters at the time, Ali Bahrami, became the face of the revolving door at the House committee hearings led by DeFazio. Before joining the executive ranks at FAA, Bahrami was an FAA safety lead at its Seattle office, where inspectors complained that he was too deferential to Boeing. Bahrami next worked for the Aerospace Industries Association, the lobbying juggernaut that represents Boeing and other aerospace companies. In that job, Bahrami pushed for further delegation of FAA oversight to the manufacturers who paid his salary. That didn’t stop the federal government from welcoming Bahrami back. He occupied a post one rung below the FAA administrator in 2017. At the hearings, it was revealed that Bahrami overlooked an FAA analysis of the first Max crash, in 2018, that warned more accidents were likely if a vital flight-control system wasn’t fixed. Bahrami did not direct the FAA to ground planes with the known defect, and some families who lost loved ones six months later in the second crash blamed him directly. Following the hearings in 2020, Congress acknowledged the revolving door phenomenon had undermined safety, passing far-reaching legislation that tried to address the revolving door and much more. Among its provisions was a Bahrami-inspired two-year cooling-off period for some former FAA personnel before they can represent a private employer on government actions, and a one-year wait for new FAA employees before they can deal with their former employers. The law also prohibited some meetings between high-ranking FAA officials and Boeing executives. The cooling-off periods built into the 2020 law are similar to restrictions passed by Congress in 2008, but longer — two years instead of one. Close observers say both measures amounted to little more than another ineffective employment restriction. Even DeFazio, who authored the 2020 expansion of revolving-door restrictions, questions whether Congress has done enough. A question of political will Boeing is uniquely positioned to pressure government agencies responsible for overseeing the company’s contracts and regulatory compliance. The military aircraft and weapons it produces make it a Pentagon mainstay. Meanwhile, its commercial aircraft division, regulated by the FAA, is a crucial fulcrum for American air-travel and cargo industries. The personnel who roam between jobs in government and corporate America are the tendons that allow Boeing to flex its muscles. Boeing has hired away Pentagon officials who worked directly on the company’s defense contracts, Congressional staff who were then deployed to steer lawmakers on everything from subsidies to safety expectations, and FAA officials who’ve traded government work for bigger paychecks with private-sector aerospace firms. At least seven of the past 10 FAA administrators moved on to jobs with the industry they regulated. None moved directly to Boeing after heading the agency, but one revolved to lead the Aerospace Industries Association, which lobbies on behalf of Boeing and other aerospace firms and employed Bahrami before Congress confirmed him as FAA’s top safety official. Current FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker is a former United Airlines and Delta Air Lines executive. His predecessor, Michael Huerta, joined the Delta board after leaving FAA. Before that, Randy Babbitt left the top FAA job to become an executive at Southwest Airlines. These travelers through the revolving door alone undermine the FAA’s claim that it’s not a revolving door to industry, according to Hedtler-Gaudette of the Project On Government Oversight. “If that FAA administrator goes to a company it has regulatory authority over, you have to question every decision that administrator made,” Hedtler-Gaudette argued. That isn’t to say that there aren’t benefits to the revolving-door system, or that all who pass through the revolving door are corporate mercenaries. In fact, some who’ve challenged safety practices on Boeing’s factory floor moved on to the FAA, where they championed safety even when it meant taking on their new bosses. “Boeing employees come from a wide variety of backgrounds with a range of relevant expertise, and the company works to ensure that it abides by all laws and regulations when hiring talented professionals to join our team,” Boeing spokesperson Deborah VanNierop said in a written response to questions from The Seattle Times. An open door for employment between government and industry benefits the FAA, according to spokesman Gregor. “Highly qualified candidates are more likely to take government positions knowing they have future, and potentially more lucrative, career options in the industry in which they are qualified to work,” he said. Boeing plucks workers from the Department of Justice, which has threatened prosecution of the company, and may do so again. It also hires from the White House, the State Department, the Navy and the Air Force. Their jobs at Boeing include lobbying, managing government contracts and interacting with regulators, according to the report commissioned by Warren. Efforts to further curb the revolving door between government and industry inevitably face headwinds from the clout-laden companies that benefit from the practice, according to Hedtler-Gaudette. “It requires more political will,” he said. “The only people opposed to these rules are the people who benefit from these rules not existing.” Congress’ first bid to prohibit awarding contracts to companies that hire retired Pentagon officials came in 1959. President Dwight Eisenhower encouraged the legislation to stem the growing clout of the burgeoning “military-industrial complex.” It failed by one vote. Congress hasn’t taken any new action targeting the revolving door to the aerospace industry since the hearings of 2020 and the legislation that resulted. In its highly critical audit of the FAA’s oversight of Boeing released Oct. 11, the Department of Transportation Inspector General called the FAA’s oversight model “a failing system” that the agency could improve, and along the way, restore public trust in the safety of Boeing aircraft.

Iowa turns to former walk-on QB to start against Maryland

A rally that drove stocks to a series of all-time highs showed signs of exhaustion, with investors awaiting this week’s key jobs report and Jerome Powell’s remarks for clues on whether Federal Reserve officials will cut interest rates in December. Wall Street traders also refrained from making riskier bets amid intense volatility in South Korean assets as President Yoon Suk Yeol said he will lift a martial law decree, just hours after his dramatic move imposing it. US equities struggled to make headway, following an over $11 trillion surge in the S&P 500 this year that drove the gauge near overbought levels. With a negligible gain on Tuesday, the index notched its 55th record in 2024. Positioning in S&P 500 futures is “completely one-sided,” according to Citigroup Inc.’s Chris Montagu. “Things are getting extremely crowded on one side of the boat — the bullish side,” said Matt Maley at Miller Tabak Co. “Valuation levels are a lousy timing tool. However, sentiment and positioning are better tools. So it’s not out of the question that today’s extreme readings on these issues could create a surprising pick up in volatility before year-end.” Just a few days ahead of the US payrolls report, data showed job openings picked up while layoffs eased, suggesting demand for workers is stabilizing. Fed Bank of San Francisco President Mary Daly said a rate cut this month isn’t certain, but remains on the table. “The question for investors isn’t ‘will the Fed cut again.’ but rather ‘will the next cut be in December or January’,” said Lauren Goodwin at New York Life Investments. “Our base case is that the Fed cuts 25 basis points in December, but we have much higher confidence that another cut is coming in December or January as the data evolves.” The S&P 500 was little changed. The Nasdaq 100 added 0.3%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 0.2%. Treasury 10-year yields advanced four basis points to 4.23%. Oil rose as the US imposed more sanctions targeting Iranian crude and OPEC made progress on a deal to keep output off the market. Bank of America Corp. clients continued to pile into US equities last week as post-election enthusiasm persisted, with purchases made by hedge funds and retail investors. Net inflows by the bank’s clients totaled $800 million in a holiday-shortened week ended Nov. 29, quantitative strategists led by Jill Carey Hall said Tuesday. The foundation for US stocks is still firm, but it’s starting to show minor signs of cracking as 2025 approaches, according to Gina Martin Adams and Michael Casper at Bloomberg Intelligence. Their latest market-health checklist summarizes the state of 17 timely indicators in three categories — technicals, earnings trends and bonds/macroeconomic signals — and shows two red flags at this time — in revision momentum and economic regime. There are eight mixed signals and seven all-clear ones. “Technical cues are less than perfect given shifting leadership to smaller-cap stocks, but the price trend is still very strong,” they said. “Earnings cues have weakened a touch as comparisons get more challenging and margin forecasts wobble. Macroeconomic indicators remain decidedly muddled, as all cues in our economic regime model show sputtering momentum.” History suggests a Fed easing cycle could offer resolute support for stocks, and clearly more if it’s accompanied by steady economic conditions, according to Nathaniel T. Welnhofer at BI. Since 1971, the S&P 500 posted an annualized return of 14.9%, and since the late 1970s, the Russell 2000 gained 17.2% in periods when the central bank cut rates, he said. The results were much stronger during rate-cutting cycles in non-recessionary periods: Large caps averaged a 25.2% annualized return vs. 11% in recessionary periods, while small caps averaged 19.6% and 16.5%, respectively. “If the Fed stops easing early, the pace of gains for stocks will likely depend more on the state of the economy,” Welnhofer added. The S&P 500 has posted a 0% return on average in the three months just after the end of easing cycles, but is down 9.9% when the economy was in recession, compared with 3.3% when it wasn’t. “The US economy continues to hum along, the Fed is on its path to lower interest rates, and earnings growth remains strong,” said Bret Kenwell at eToro. Kenwell notes that’s a scenario that could continue favoring the small-cap space — with the Russell 2000 being the top-performing major index since the US presidential election. The gauge gained more than 10% in November alone — the second time it has done so this year after accomplishing the feat in July. Going back to 1979, when the Russell 2000 posted a monthly gain of that magnitude, it was higher 90% of the time six months later with an average gain of 11.4%. “While the statistics are favorable for small caps moving forward, so are the fundamentals,” he said. “Even the recent spike in 10-year Treasury yields has done little to deter small-cap investors.” “US stocks are likely to continue grinding higher into next year. In our view, the exuberance synonymous with frothy financial markets is far from widespread,” said Solita Marcelli at UBS Global Wealth Management. “While we expect bouts of volatility and corrections in the year ahead, we continue to believe that the S&P 500’s next leg up to our December 2025 target of 6,600 will be fueled by solid economic growth, the Fed’s easing, and AI advancement.” Within the US equity market, she favors technology, utilities and financials. A New York University professor known for his expertise on valuations says the “Magnificent Seven” megacaps are a buy during corrections as most of them will keep generating money. “As a value investor, I have never seen cash machines as lucrative as these companies are,” Aswath Damodaran, a finance professor at NYU’s Stern School of Business, said in a Bloomberg Television interview. “And I don’t see the cash machine slowing down.” There will be corrections and “I’d suggest that when that happens you find a way to add at least one, maybe two or three of these companies, because these are so much part of what drives the economy and the market,” he added. Corporate Highlights: Key events this week: Some of the main moves in markets: Stocks Currencies Cryptocurrencies Bonds Commodities This story was produced with the assistance of Bloomberg Automation. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

Stock market today: Wall Street inches higher to set more records

NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers formally asked a judge Monday to throw out his hush money criminal conviction , arguing that continuing the case would present unconstitutional “disruptions to the institution of the Presidency.“ In a filing made public Tuesday, Trump’s lawyers told Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan that anything short of immediate dismissal would undermine the transition of power, as well as the “overwhelming national mandate" granted to Trump by voters last month. They also cited President Joe Biden’s recent pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, who had been convicted of tax and gun charges . “President Biden asserted that his son was ‘selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,’ and ‘treated differently,’" Trump’s legal team wrote. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, they claimed, had engaged in the type of political theater "that President Biden condemned.” Prosecutors will have until Dec. 9 to respond. They have said they will fight any efforts to dismiss the case but have indicated a willingness to delay the sentencing until after Trump’s second term ends in 2029. In their filing Monday, Trump's attorneys dismissed the idea of holding off sentencing until Trump is out of office as a “ridiculous suggestion.” Following Trump’s election victory last month, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed his sentencing, previously scheduled for late November, to allow the defense and prosecution to weigh in on the future of the case. He also delayed a decision on Trump’s prior bid to dismiss the case on immunity grounds. Trump has been fighting for months to reverse his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier. He says they did not and denies any wrongdoing. The defense filing was signed by Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, who represented Trump during the trial and have since been selected by the president-elect to fill senior roles at the Justice Department. Taking a swipe at Bragg and New York City, as Trump often did throughout the trial, the filing argues that dismissal would also benefit the public by giving him and “the numerous prosecutors assigned to this case a renewed opportunity to put an end to deteriorating conditions in the City and to protect its residents from violent crime.” Clearing Trump, the lawyers added, would also allow him to “to devote all of his energy to protecting the Nation.” Merchan hasn’t yet set a timetable for a decision. He could decide to uphold the verdict and proceed to sentencing, delay the case until Trump leaves office, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump’s parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court or choose some other option. An outright dismissal of the New York case would further lift a legal cloud that at one point carried the prospect of derailing Trump’s political future. Last week, special counsel Jack Smith told courts that he was withdrawing both federal cases against Trump — one charging him with hoarding classified documents at his Florida estate, the other with scheming to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost — citing longstanding Justice Department policy that shields a president from indictment while in office. The hush money case was the only one of Trump’s four criminal indictments to go to trial, resulting in a historic verdict that made him the first former president to be convicted of a crime. Prosecutors had cast the payout as part of a Trump-driven effort to keep voters from hearing salacious stories about him. Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen paid Daniels. Trump later reimbursed him, and Trump’s company logged the reimbursements as legal expenses — concealing what they really were, prosecutors alleged. Trump has said the payments to Cohen were properly categorized as legal expenses for legal work. A month after the verdict, the Supreme Court ruled that ex-presidents can’t be prosecuted for official acts — things they did in the course of running the country — and that prosecutors can’t cite those actions to bolster a case centered on purely personal, unofficial conduct. Trump’s lawyers cited the ruling to argue that the hush money jury got some improper evidence, such as Trump’s presidential financial disclosure form, testimony from some White House aides and social media posts made during his first term. Prosecutors disagreed and said the evidence in question was only “a sliver” of their case. If the verdict stands and the case proceeds to sentencing, Trump’s punishments would range from a fine to probation to up to four years in prison — but it’s unlikely he’d spend any time behind bars for a first-time conviction involving charges in the lowest tier of felonies. Because it is a state case, Trump would not be able to pardon himself once he returns to office.Canada Post removes deadline for letters to Santa’s H0H0H0 postal code

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CHENNAI: The state health department will conduct 500 medical camps on Sunday in seven districts, namely Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, and Cuddalore, which are under red alert due to Cyclone Fengal. These medical camps will be conducted from 9 am to 4 pm. A total of 200 medical camps will be conducted in Chennai, and 50 medical camps each will be conducted in the remaining six districts, the health minister said. The collector of each district has been instructed to conduct the medical camps in residential areas. The camps will undertake screening for flu, fever, and cold, diabetes and blood pressure checkups and provide medications for the same. Essential medicines, ORS solution, and wound healing medications will be stocked in sufficient quantities for people to benefit from the same. Health minister Ma Subramaniam, has urged the public to make use of these medical camps. On October 14, monsoon special medical camps were inaugurated. So far, 49,326 camps have been conducted across Tamil Nadu, benefitting a total number of 26,80,086 beneficiaries. Of this, 14,665 cases of fever and 91,556 cases of cough and cold have been identified.Antimicrobial Resistance Market Outlook, Trend Analysis, Insights, Overview and Forecast To 2024-2031 |

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3 Artificial Intelligence Stocks That Lagged in 2024 but Are Set to Soar in 2025NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks tiptoed to more records amid a mixed Tuesday of trading, tacking a touch more onto what’s already been a stellar year so far. The S&P 500 edged up by 2 points, or less than 0.1%, to set an all-time high for the 55th time this year. It’s climbed in 10 of the last 11 days and is on track for one of its best years since the turn of the millennium. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 76 points, or 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite added 0.4% to its own record set a day earlier. AT&T rose 4.6% after it boosted its profit forecast for the year. It also announced a $10 billion plan to send cash to its investors by buying back its own stock, while saying it expects to authorize another $10 billion of repurchases in 2027. On the losing end of Wall Street was U.S. Steel, which fell 8%. President-elect Donald Trump reiterated on social media that he would not let Japan’s Nippon Steel take over the iconic Pennsylvania steelmaker. Nippon Steel announced plans last December to buy the Pittsburgh-based steel producer for $14.1 billion in cash, raising concerns about what the transaction could mean for unionized workers, supply chains and U.S. national security. Earlier this year, President Joe Biden also came out against the acquisition. Tesla sank 1.6% after a judge in Delaware reaffirmed a previous ruling that the electric car maker must revoke Elon Musk’s multibillion-dollar pay package. The judge denied a request by attorneys for Musk and Tesla’s corporate directors to vacate her ruling earlier this year requiring the company to rescind the unprecedented pay package. All told, the S&P 500 rose 2.73 points to 6,049.88. The Dow fell 76.47 to 44,705.53, and the Nasdaq composite gained 76.96 to 19,480.91. In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady after a report showed U.S. employers were advertising slightly more job openings at the end of October than a month earlier. Continued strength there would raise optimism that the economy could remain out of a recession that many investors had earlier worried was inevitable. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.23% from 4.20% from late Monday. Yields have seesawed since Election Day amid worries that Trump’s preferences for lower tax rates and bigger tariffs could spur higher inflation along with economic growth. But traders are still confident the Federal Reserve will cut its main interest rate again at its next meeting in two weeks. They’re betting on a nearly three-in-four chance of that, according to data from CME Group. Lower rates can give the economy more juice, but they can also give inflation more fuel. The key report this week that could guide the Fed’s next move will arrive on Friday. It’s the monthly jobs report , which will show how many workers U.S. employers hired and fired during November. It could be difficult to parse given how much storms and strikes distorted figures in October. Based on trading in the options market, Friday’s jobs report appears to be the biggest potential market mover until the Fed announces its next decision on interest rates Dec. 18, according to strategists at Barclays Capital. In financial markets abroad, the value of South Korea’s currency fell 1.1% against the U.S. dollar following a frenetic night where President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law and then later said he’d lift it after lawmakers voted to reject military rule. Stocks of Korean companies that trade in the United States also fell, including a 1.6% drop for SK Telecom. Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 1.9% to help lead global markets. Some analysts think Japanese stocks could end up benefiting from Trump’s threats to raise tariffs , including for goods coming from China . Trade relations between the U.S. and China took another step backward after China said it is banning exports to the U.S. of gallium, germanium, antimony and other key high-tech materials with potential military applications. The counterpunch came swiftly after the U.S. Commerce Department expanded the list of Chinese technology companies subject to export controls to include many that make equipment used to make computer chips, chipmaking tools and software. The 140 companies newly included in the so-called “entity list” are nearly all based in China. In China, stock indexes rose 1% in Hong Kong and 0.4% in Shanghai amid unconfirmed reports that Chinese leaders would meet next week to discuss planning for the coming year. Investors are hoping it may bring fresh stimulus to help spur growth in the world’s second-largest economy. In France, the CAC 40 rose 0.3% amid continued worries about politics in Paris , where the government is battling over the budget. AP Business Writers Yuri Kageyama and Matt Ott contributed. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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The heating, ventilation and air conditioning industry is facing a significant change, with new regulations set by the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA's Technology Transition Rule , which aims to reduce the environmental and health impacts of refrigerants used in air conditioning and heating systems, is set to change the landscape of the industry. This rule primarily targets refrigerants with a high global warming potential, and it's stirring up a mix of emotions for both HVAC professionals and homeowners. Owner of The Original Kingwood Air Conditioning and Heating Stephanie Marquard explained that the EPA's goal of this rule is to protect the environment and public health by phasing out refrigerants that contribute to climate change. Switch to new refrigerants One of the most widely used refrigerants in homes is R-410A. Due to its high GWP, it is now being phased out. Instead, manufacturers will transition to using refrigerants in the A2L classification, specifically R-32 and R-454B, which have a lower GWP, making them a more environmentally friendly choice. “R-32 is a pure refrigerant, meaning it’s a single-component substance, while R-454B is a blend that includes R-32 as one of its components," Marquard said. "Both refrigerants are more environmentally friendly than R-410A due to their significantly lower GWP, but they also come with their own set of challenges.” Cons of the new refrigerants As the HVAC industry transitions to new refrigerants like R-32 and R-454B, there are clear advantages, but also a few challenges for homeowners to consider. One of the biggest concerns for homeowners is the increased cost associated with the new refrigerants. Systems that use R-32 and R-454B typically cost between 20% to 30% more than traditional systems using R-410A. “R-32 and R-454B are also mildly flammable, which means they require additional safety measures, such as sensors to detect leaks. These precautions add another layer of complexity and cost to the installation process,” Marquard said. “Homeowners should be prepared for a larger upfront investment, but it's important to keep in mind that R-32 and R-454B are more efficient, which can lower electrical costs.” Pros of the new refrigerants One benefit of R-32 and R-454B refrigerants is that they are more energy efficient than R-410A. R-32 requires 20% less refrigerant to achieve the same cooling performance because it is more efficient at transferring heat, allowing for the same cooling output with less refrigerant. R-454B also offers energy savings, providing about 5% better efficiency compared to R-410A. Its composition allows it to operate more efficiently, meaning it can absorb and release heat more effectively, using less energy to achieve the same cooling performance. What this means for homeowners For homeowners, the immediate concern is cost and the need for equipment upgrades. The new refrigerants come with higher production costs, which will be passed on to the consumer. Despite these added expenses, Marquard stressed that homeowners don't need to rush into switching their equipment if their current system is functioning well. "You can still purchase R-410A systems until 2026, and existing units will continue to be serviced for many years," Marquard said. "Though manufacturers will stop producing new R-410A systems, homeowners with existing units will still have access to replacement parts and refrigerant for maintenance. So, while the industry shifts to newer refrigerants, there’s no need to worry about your current system—it will be supported for years to come." However, homeowners who are concerned about the future scarcity and cost of R-410A equipment may want to start considering a switch sooner rather than later. The phase out of R-410A will also lead to an increase in prices as manufacturers reduce production to comply with the new regulations. Learn more To learn more about how the EPA Technology Transition Rule could impact your home, or to schedule an appointment and explore the services offered by The Original Kingwood Air Conditioning and Heating, call 281-358-0955 or visit https://kingwoodac.com/. The above story was produced by Multi Platform Journalist Chloe Chapel with Community Impact's Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of their "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.President-elect Donald Trump vowed to make immediate and sweeping changes after he takes office on Jan. 20, such as pardons for those convicted in the attack on the U.S. Capitol, and said he wants to find a legislative solution to keep Dreamers in the country legally. In an interview with Kristen Welker , moderator of NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” Trump also said he’ll work to extend the tax cuts passed in his first term. He said he will not seek to impose restrictions on abortion pills. He plans to deport millions of undocumented immigrants and try to end birthright citizenship. And he said the pardons for Jan. 6 rioters will happen on day one, arguing many have endured overly harsh treatment in prison. “These people are living in hell,” he said. Trump’s first postelection network television interview took place Friday at Trump Tower in Manhattan, where he spoke for more than an hour about policy plans Americans can expect in his next term. Trump said he would fulfill a campaign promise to levy tariffs on imports from America’s biggest trading partners. In a noteworthy moment, he conceded uncertainty when Welker asked if he could “guarantee American families won’t pay more” as a result of his plan. “I can’t guarantee anything,” Trump said. “I can’t guarantee tomorrow.” Trump also said he will not raise the age for government programs like Social Security and Medicare and will not make cuts to them as part of spending reduction efforts led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. Asked if “raising ages or any of that stuff” was “off the table,” Trump agreed, saying, “I won’t do it.” Trump spoke in a calm, measured tone and at times sparred with Welker when she fact-checked him. He seemed heartened by the scope of his victory on Nov. 5. After winning the popular vote and capturing all seven of the key battleground states, he said with pride, “I’m getting called by everybody.” He’s heard from Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon and owner of The Washington Post: “We’re having dinner,” he said. “People like me now, you know?” he said, adding: “It’s different than the first — you know, when I won the first time, I wasn’t nearly as popular as this. And one thing that’s very important, in terms of the election, I love that I won the popular vote, and by a lot.” Trump did segue into familiar grievances. He would not concede that he lost the 2020 election. Asked how, in his view, Democrats stole that election but not this one even though they control the White House, Trump said, “Because I think it was too big to rig.” He blamed President Joe Biden for the nation’s political divide and heaped insults on perceived foes. Adam Schiff, the incoming Democratic senator from California, is “a real lowlife,” he said. But he delivered something of a mixed message when it comes to political retribution. Trump made clear he believes he’s been wronged, but he also sounded a conciliatory note, saying he will not appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Biden. “I’m not looking to go back into the past,” he said. “Retribution will be through success.” A fear among Trump’s political opponents is that he’ll use the government’s fearsome investigative machinery to exact vengeance. He has chosen two allies for top law enforcement positions: Pam Bondi for attorney general and Kash Patel for FBI director. If confirmed, Trump suggested, they’d have autonomy in how they go about enforcing the law. Yet he also singled out people he believes crossed the line in investigating his actions, calling special counsel Jack Smith “very corrupt.” Members of the House committee that examined the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol were “political thugs and, you know, creeps,” committing offenses in going about their work, he said. “For what they did, honestly, they should go to jail,” Trump said. Asked if he would direct the Justice Department and FBI to punish them, Trump said, “No, not at all. I think that they’ll have to look at that, but I’m not going to — I’m going to focus on drill, baby, drill” — a reference to tapping more oil supplies. If Biden wants to do it, he could pardon the committee members, Trump said, “and maybe he should.” The interview covered a range of topics — during which he continued to keep some space between himself and the conservative “Project 2025” that was intended to be a blueprint for his administration to implement new policies. But while he once disavowed the policy guidebook, he embraced it more closely and agreed some of the drafters are now part of his incoming administration. “Many of those things I happen to agree with,” Trump said. He said he would consider raising the federal minimum wage, which has been $7.25 an hour since 2009, but would like to consult with the nation’s governors. “I will agree, it’s a very low number,” he said. He said he’ll release his full medical records. Trump will be 82 by the time his term ends in 2029 — the same age Biden is now. He said he doesn’t plan to divest from Truth Social, the billion-dollar platform he launched after leaving office. “I don’t know what’s to divest,” he said. “All I do is I put out messages.” And he said he will not try to replace Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, whom he has criticized in the past. He said his children won’t join him as White House aides, a departure from his last term, when daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner both served as senior advisers with West Wing offices. “I’ll miss them,” he said. He didn’t address a question about what role his wife, Melania Trump, will play in the new term, though he described the future first lady as both “very elegant” and “very popular.” Immigration was the centerpiece of Trump’s campaign, and he didn’t flinch in saying he will carry out mass deportation of those who are living in the country illegally. First will be convicted criminals, he said. Pressed on whether the targets would go beyond that group, Trump added: “Well, I think you have to do it, and it’s a hard — it’s a very tough thing to do. It’s — but you have to have, you know, you have rules, regulations, laws. They came in illegally.” It’s also possible that American citizens will be caught up in the sweep and deported with family members who are here illegally, or could choose to go. Asked about families with mixed immigration status, where some are in the U.S. legally and some illegally, Trump said, “I don’t want to be breaking up families, so the only way you don’t break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back.” The expense and logistical complexities of deporting millions of people haven’t deterred him, he said. “You have no choice,” he said. “First of all, they’re costing us a fortune. But we’re starting with the criminals, and we’ve got to do it. And then we’re starting with the others, and we’re going to see how it goes.” An exception might be the “Dreamers” — people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children and have lived here for years. He voiced openness toward a legislative solution that would allow them to remain in the country. “I will work with the Democrats on a plan,” he said, praising “Dreamers” who’ve gotten good jobs, started businesses and become successful residents. “We’re going to have to do something with them,” he said. He also said he intends to eliminate birthright citizenship, the protection enshrined in the 14th Amendment that guarantees citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil regardless of their parents. Asked about the likelihood that doing so unilaterally would face legal opposition, Trump said he would consider amending the Constitution. “We’ll maybe have to go back to the people,” Trump said. “But we have to end it.” During Trump’s one debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, he was criticized for saying he had “concepts of a plan” to replace the Affordable Care Act, the health care law signed by President Barack Obama. It’s not clear Trump’s ideas have evolved further. “Obamacare stinks,” he said. “If we come up with a better answer, I would present that answer to Democrats and to everybody else and I’d do something about it.” When will he have a developed plan? “Well, I don’t know that you’ll see it at all,” Trump said, adding that health care experts are studying possible alternatives. Later Friday after the interview, Trump flew to Paris for a ceremony marking the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral, which had been devastated by a fire. After arriving, he met privately with French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who posted on social media that the trio talked about reaching “a just peace” in his country’s war with Russia. Zelenskyy joined for roughly the last 10 minutes of the meeting, a Trump transition official said. In the interview with “Meet the Press,” Trump said he is actively trying to end the war, “if I can,” adding that Ukraine can “possibly” expect it won’t get as much military aid from the U.S. when he’s back in office. He would not commit to keeping the U.S. in NATO, the European military alliance that has been a bulwark against Russia since World War II. “If they pay their bills, absolutely,” he would preserve America’s role in the alliance, he said. On another foreign policy front, Trump expressed doubt that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will be able to remain in power. “It’s amazing, because he stayed for years under you would think much more adverse conditions, and all of the sudden, just rebels are going and they’re taking over large pieces of territory,” Trump said. “People have bet against him for a long time, and so far that hasn’t worked. But this seems to be different.” One phrase that leapt out of Trump’s first inaugural address in 2017: “American carnage.” It evoked a nation ravaged by crime and saddled with rusting factories. This time, Trump said the takeaway from his inaugural speech will be different. “We’re going to have a message,” he said. “It will make you happy: unity. It’s going to be a message of unity.” “And no American carnage?” Welker asked. “No American carnage, no,” the 45th and soon-to-be 47th president said. Asked for his message to the Americans who didn’t vote for him, Trump compared them to his most strident supporters — a shift from his campaign rhetoric. “I’m going to treat you,” he said, “every bit as well as I have treated the greatest MAGA supporters.” This article first appeared on NBCNews.com . Read more from NBC News here: