casi rules

casi rules Bucharest: A senior official at Romania’s telecoms regulator called on Wednesday for TikTok to be suspended pending an investigation into the platform’s potential role in Sunday’s shock far-right victory in the first round of a presidential election. Having polled in single digits before Sunday’s vote, independent far-right politician Calin Georgescu, 62, surged to a victory that raised questions over how such a surprise had been possible in the European Union and NATO member state. Shock win: Romanian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu. Credit: Getty Images He will face centrist contender Elena Lasconi in a run-off on December 8. Georgescu gained many votes from young voters and Romanians living abroad, and his campaign relied heavily on the video-sharing platform. “I call for the TikTok platform to be suspended in Romania as of November 28 until state institutions finalise an investigation concerning the manipulation of the electoral process,” telecoms regulator deputy chief Pavel Popescu was quoted saying by the news website profit.ro. “I will start the official process to that end tomorrow.” A man with the Romanian and EU flags takes part in a protest against Calin Georgescu in Bucharest. Credit: AP The government’s press office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Romania’s National Audiovisual Council (NAC) had already called on the European Commission on Tuesday to investigate TikTok’s role in the vote, due to “suspicions of manipulation of public opinion”. NAC vice president Valentin-Alexandru Jucan said the council believed the platform’s algorithms had amplified material favourable to a single candidate and that it had lacked transparency about who was sponsoring election content. A TikTok spokesperson dismissed such concerns. “These ... reports about the Romanian elections are inaccurate and misleading, as most candidates have established a TikTok presence and the winners campaigned on other digital platforms beyond ours,” the spokesperson said. TikTok did not immediately respond to a further request for comment about Popescu’s comments. The European Commission confirmed by email that it had received a request to launch a probe. “If the Commission suspects a breach on the basis of the evidence at our disposal, it can open proceedings to look into TikTok’s compliance ... We are closely monitoring developments.” In a further sign of the level of concern in the nation of 19 million people, the president’s office said Romania’s top security body would meet on Thursday to discuss possible risks to the country and its electoral process stemming from social media. Meanwhile, two candidates eliminated in the first round have challenged the election round at Romania’s top court asking it to recall the result on the grounds Georgescu did not declare any campaign funding sources. Georgescu’s team has yet to comment on the challenge. Georgescu has said his campaign budget was zero and backed entirely by volunteers. Analysts and politicians have said his surprise win relative to his pre-election polling data indicated foreign interference in the election. Before the vote, Romania’s intelligence agency told lawmakers it had not detected signs that national security was breached. Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Bucharest on Tuesday evening, chanting: “No Putin, no fear, Europe is our mother,” and “Young people ask you not to vote for a dictator.” Protests were also held in other major cities. Georgescu has previously praised 1930s Romanian fascist politicians as national heroes and martyrs, has been critical of NATO and Romania’s pro-Ukraine position, and has said the country should engage, not challenge Russia. But in a stream on Facebook on Tuesday evening, he said: “I do not want to leave NATO, I do not want to leave the European Union. What I want, however, is to take a stance, not to kneel over there, not to take everything. Like I said, we should do everything in our national interest.” Reuters Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for the weekly What in the World newsletter here .Stock indexes closed mixed on Wall Street at the end of a rare bumpy week. The S&P 500 ended little changed Friday. The benchmark index reached its latest in a string of records a week ago. It lost ground for the week following three weeks of gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2%. The Nasdaq composite edged up 0.1%. Broadcom surged after the semiconductor company beat Wall Street’s profit targets and gave a glowing forecast, highlighting its artificial intelligence products. RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, surged after raising its revenue forecast. Treasury yields rose in the bond market. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. Stocks slipped in afternoon trading Friday as Wall Street closes out a rare bumpy week. The S&P 500 was up by less than 0.1% and is on track for a loss for the week after three straight weekly gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 58 points, or 0.1% to 43,856 as of 3 p.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq rose 0.1% and is hovering around its record. Broadcom surged 24.9% for the biggest gain in the S&P 500 after the semiconductor company beat Wall Street’s profit targets and gave a glowing forecast, highlighting its artificial intelligence products. The company also raised its dividend. The company's big gain helped cushion the market's broader fall. Pricey stock values for technology companies like Broadcom give the sector more weight in pushing the market higher or lower. Artificial intelligence technology has been a focal point for the technology sector and the overall stock market over the last year. Tech companies, and Wall Street, expect demand for AI to continue driving growth for semiconductor and other technology companies. Even so, some big tech stocks were in the red Friday. Nvidia slid 2.6%, Meta Platforms dropped 1.7% and Netflix was down 0.7%. Furniture and housewares company RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, surged 14.2% after raising its forecast for revenue growth for the year. Wall Street's rally stalled this week amid mixed economic reports and ahead of the Federal Reserve's last meeting of the year. The central bank will meet next week and is widely expected to cut interest rates for a third time since September. Expectations of a series of rate cuts has driven the S&P 500 to 57 all-time highs so far this year . The Fed has been lowering its benchmark interest rate following an aggressive rate hiking policy that was meant to tame inflation. It raised rates from near-zero in early 2022 to a two-decade high by the middle of 2023. Inflation eased under pressure from higher interest rates, nearly to the central bank's 2% target. The economy, including consumer spending and employment, held strong despite the squeeze from inflation and high borrowing costs. A slowing job market, though, has helped push a long-awaited reversal of the Fed's policy. Inflation rates have been warming up slightly over the last few months. A report on consumer prices this week showed an increase to 2.7% in November from 2.6% in October. The Fed's preferred measure of inflation, the personal consumption expenditures index, will be released next week. Wall Street expects it to show a 2.5% rise in November, up from 2.3% in October. The economy, though, remains solid heading into 2025 as consumers continue spending and employment remains healthy, said Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY. “Still, the outlook is clouded by unusually high uncertainty surrounding regulatory, immigration, trade and tax policy,” he said. Treasury yields edged higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.40% from 4.34% late Thursday. European markets slipped. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.1%. Britain’s economy unexpectedly shrank by 0.1% month-on-month in October, following a 0.1% decline in September, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Asian markets closed mostly lower.

Trump’s tariffs in his first term did little to alter the economy, but this time could be differentDow Jones futures will open Sunday evening, along with S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures. The final Federal Reserve meeting of 2024 is on tap this week. The stock market rally had a mixed week. The Nasdaq edged higher as ( ) and ( ) surged on news while ( ) hit a record high. But otherwise the market fell back somewhat as Treasury yields roared back. ( ) was a notable laggard among AI chip stocks and megacaps, as investors turn their attention to custom, in-house AI chips from Broadcom, ( ) and others. ( ) and some superhot stocks fell back, though PLTR stock slashed losses to just 0.35% by Friday's close. Palantir and ( ), two of the hottest stocks in 2024, are . The Nasdaq late Friday could announce Friday night that ( ) and ( ) will exit. Moderna stock has plunged in 2024, while Supermicro has dived from its March peak amid major accounting woes. SMCI stock fell solidly late Friday — ahead of the Nasdaq 100 rebalancing — on a Bloomberg report that it's hired Evercore to help raise capital. Nvidia stock is on , but the position has been reduced and is hedged. Google and Axon also are on IBD Leaderboard, with Tesla stock on the watchlist. Google stock is on . Palantir stock and Axon Enterprise are on the . Fed Meeting The final Fed meeting of 2024 is on Dec. 17-18, with markets seeing another quarter-point rate cut as a virtual lock Wednesday afternoon. That would be 100 basis points in Fed rate cuts over three meetings. But with economic growth solid and inflation sticky, investors are betting that policymakers will stand pat through next spring. The latest economic projections and "dot plot" rate forecasts will be key, along with Fed chief Jerome Powell's comments. Dow Jones Futures Today Dow Jones futures open at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, along with S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures. Remember that overnight action in and elsewhere doesn't necessarily translate into actual trading in the next regular session. Stock Market Rally The stock market rally generally retreated this past week, with weakness apparent aside from some megacap stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.8% in last week's , now down seven straight sessions. The small-cap Russell 2000 sank 2.6% Both undercut their 21-day line and neared their 10-week averages. The S&P 500 index declined 0.6% but is trading tightly near record highs. The Nasdaq composite edged up 0.3%, but below the 20,000 level after hitting a record high Friday morning. ( ) jumped 8.65%, ( ) 12.1% and Broadcom stock 25.2%, all hitting record highs and propping up the Nasdaq. The Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF ( ), not so swayed by those megacaps, gave up 1.6% for the week, testing its 50-day line. The First Trust Nasdaq 100 Equal Weighted Index ETF ( ) also slumped 1.6%, testing its 21-day line. That's vs. a 0.8% gain for the QQQs. All in all, market breadth has deteriorated considerably in December. The 10-year Treasury yield surged 25 basis points to 4.4%, the biggest weekly gain since October 2023. The 10-year yield is moving rapidly back toward a six-month peak of just over 4.5%. Rising Treasury yields are among the reasons for the broader stock market's struggles this past week. U.S. crude oil futures jumped 6.1% to $71.29 a barrel last week. ETFs Among growth ETFs, the Innovator IBD 50 ETF ( ) slumped 4.5% last week, but steadied after Tuesday. The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF ( ) fell 3.9% as ( ) and ( ) plunged on results. The VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF ( ) edged up 0.35%. Nvidia is the No. 1 stock in SMH, but Broadcom and Marvell also are notable holdings. ARK Innovation ETF ( ) retreated 2.5% last week and ARK Genomics ETF ( ) sold off 6.5%. SPDR S&P Metals & Mining ETF ( ) skidded 5.2% last week. SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF ( ) shed 3.95%. The Energy Select SPDR ETF ( ) gave up 2% and the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund ( ) lost 2.3%. The Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund ( ) dropped 2.2%. The Financial Select SPDR ETF ( ) finished off 1.7%. Nvidia Stock An AI Laggard? Nvidia stock fell 5.75% to 134.25 last week. On Friday, shares once again hit resistance at the and other key levels, reversing for the lowest close since Oct 31. NVDA stock is now 3.8% below the 10-week line, but hasn't undercut its Nov. 27 low of 131.80. Falling below that also would also mean triggering the for those who bought at the 140.76 . Nvidia's decline is striking given the strength in Broadcom and Marvell stock, as well as ( ), ( ) and ( ). While demand for Nvidia chips remains high and will remain so for some time, Broadcom and Marvell are surging in part because key Nvidia customers are looking to build up in-house AI chips from Broadcom, Marvell and others. Of course, this past week might be the shakeout that Nvidia needed before making a move. It's still just a good day or two from looking strong. In another week, NVDA stock could have a new next to the top of the prior consolidation. But you can't invest on maybes. Right now Nvidia stock is lagging. It could be set for a much longer break, and perhaps a significant pullback. What To Do Now The market rally had a mixed week, with the Nasdaq edging higher and a number of leaders showing strength. The S&P 500 is right at highs. The weak market breadth, including weakness in small caps and RSP equal-weight ETF, is a concern. Not many stocks are flashing buy signals, while many are extended. A market pause or modest pullback could help leaders forge handles, round out bases or decline in a dignified fashion to key moving averages. So keep working on watchlists while remaining heavily exposed. The Federal Reserve meeting is the main focus for the final five-day market week of 2024. ( ) is a notable earnings report, but Micron stock has been a laggard for months. Read every day to stay in sync with the market direction and leading stocks and sectors.

WARRINGTON, Pa., Nov. 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Windtree Therapeutics, Inc. (“Windtree” or “the Company”) (NasdaqCM: WINT), a biotechnology company focused on advancing early and late-stage innovative therapies for critical conditions, today reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024 and provided key business updates. “The third quarter of 2024 was marked with significant progress. We were very pleased with the SEISMiC B study results in early cardiogenic shock showing significant improvement in many measures of cardiac function and blood pressure along with a favorable safety profile in patients with heart failure and cardiogenic shock. There have been four positive Phase 2 studies with over 300 patients treated with istaroxime resulting in a consistent, unique and attractive drug profile across a wide range of severities,” said Craig Fraser, Chairman and CEO. “With trial execution and active operations comes the need for capital and we successfully completed transactions providing resources for our near-term needs as well as secured an equity line of credit to potentially support future requirements,” Mr. Fraser added. “Looking forward, we plan to accelerate enrollments in the istaroxime SCAI Stage C cardiogenic shock study with a planned interim data read out in early Q2 2025 as well as providing guidance on our strategy and planned activities with our oncology preclinical aPKCi inhibitor assets. Given what we believe to be strong data and market need, the Company is turning attention to business development activities to secure additional licenses and partnerships for our multi-asset cardiovascular platform with the objective to secure non-dilutive capital and partner resources to advance the assets to potential commercialization.” Key Business Updates Announced positive Phase 2b topline clinical results with istaroxime significantly improving cardiac function and blood pressure in heart failure patients with early cardiogenic shock. The study met its primary endpoint in significantly improving systolic blood pressure over six hours (SBP AUC) for the combined Part A and Part B SEISMiC istaroxime group compared to placebo as well as for SEISMiC Part B alone. The improvements in SBP AUC at 24 hours were also significantly increased by istaroxime and the improvements were sustained through 96 hours of measurement. Cardiac output (the amount of blood pumped by the heart over a minute) and filling pressures in the heart significantly improved as did measured kidney function. Heart failure severity as assessed by the NYHA classification decreased significantly up to 72 hours compared to placebo. A favorable safety and tolerability profile, including risk for cardiac arrythmias, was also observed. The clinical study data was presented in a late-breaker session at the Heart Failure Society of America conference and the Company reviewed the clinical results along with the program strategy and plans at a virtual Investor Meeting which has been posted to the Company website. Completed two private placements in July 2024 for aggregate proceeds of approximately $13.9 million, which consisted of approximately $4.4 million of new funding (with $2.3 million of net proceeds) and a $9.5 million payment through the full cancellation and extinguishment of certain holders outstanding senior notes, including secured notes, and shares of the Company’s Series B Convertible Preferred Stock. Entered into a Common Stock Purchase Agreement with an equity line investor, whereby the Company has the right, but not the obligation, to sell such investor, and, subject to limited exceptions, the investor is obligated to purchase for up to $35 million of newly issued shares of the Company’s common stock. Announced initiation of the SEISMiC C study of istaroxime in SCAI Stage C cardiogenic shock to complete Phase 2b and advance the transition to Phase 3. This is a global trial including sites in the U.S., Europe and Latin America. It is a placebo-controlled, double-blinded study with istaroxime being added to current standard of care with inotropes and/or vasopressors. The effect of istaroxime in addition to these therapies will be assessed for 6 hours and based on the patient’s condition, the ability to remove standard of care therapies while on istaroxime will also be assessed. The primary endpoint of the study is assessment of systolic blood pressure (SBP) profile over the first 6 hours of treatment. Expanded patent estate with new patents with istaroxime in cardiogenic shock and acute heart failure. Cardiogenic shock national phase filings were completed for patent applications around the world, including in the United States, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and China. A patent was issued for istaroxime for Japan entitled, “Istaroxime-containing intravenous formulation for the treatment of heart failure and it has been accorded Patent No. 7560134. A patent was issued for istaroxime for Hong Kong, and it is entitled, “Istaroxime-containing intravenous formulation for the treatment of heart failure (AHF).” The claims are directed formulations comprising istaroxime, pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, and methods of use, alone, or in combination with other agents useful for the treatment and management of acute heart failure. Select Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results For the third quarter ended September 30, 2024, the Company reported an operating loss of $4.7 million, which was comparable to an operating loss of $4.7 million in the third quarter of 2023. Included in our operating loss for the third quarter of 2024 is $2.2 million related to the change in fair value of our common stock warrant liability and $0.7 million in expenses related to the two private placements completed in July 2024 which were allocated to the warrants issued in those transactions and expensed immediately. Research and development expenses were $2.0 million for the third quarter of 2024, compared to $2.1 million for the third quarter of 2023. Research and development expenses for both periods primarily relate to the SEISMiC Extension trial of istaroxime for the treatment of early cardiogenic shock which completed enrollment during the third quarter of 2024. General and administrative expenses for the third quarter of 2024 were $2.8 million, compared to $2.6 million for the third quarter of 2023. For the third quarter of 2024, general and administrative expenses include $0.7 million in expenses related to the two private placements completed in July 2024 which were allocated to the warrants issued in those transactions and expensed immediately. The Company reported a net loss attributable to common stockholders of $3.8 million ($4.23 per basic share) on 0.9 million weighted-average common shares outstanding for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, compared to a net loss of $4.4 million ($15.47 per basic share) on 0.3 million weighted average common shares outstanding for the comparable period in 2023. As of September 30, 2024, the Company reported cash and cash equivalents of $2.3 million and current liabilities of $14.4 million, which includes an $8.6 million warrant liability. Included in prepaid expenses and other assets as of September 30, 2024 is $0.7 million in receivables related to ELOC Purchase Agreement gross proceeds for sales made during the quarter for which we had not yet received the cash payment. The related net proceeds after the redemption of the Series C Preferred Stock was $0.5 million. In addition, subsequent to September 30, 2024 and through November 22, 2024, we sold an additional 4.3 million shares of Common Stock under the ELOC Purchase Agreement for net proceeds of $2.4 million following mandatory redemption payments on our Series C Preferred Stock. Following these financings, we believe that we have sufficient resources available to fund our business operations through January 2025. Readers are referred to, and encouraged to read in its entirety, the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 26, 2024, and includes detailed discussions about the Company’s business plans and operations, financial condition, and results of operations. Nasdaq Update On November 21, 2024, the Company received a letter from the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Staff (“Staff”) of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC stating that it was not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) as a result of it not having timely filed its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (“Form 10-Q”) for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Based on the November 26, 2024 filing of the Company’s Form 10-Q and a subsequent letter received from Nasdaq on November 27, 2024 stating the Staff has determined that the Company complies with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1), this matter is now closed. About Windtree Therapeutics, Inc. Windtree Therapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on advancing early and late-stage innovative therapies for critical conditions and diseases. Windtree’s portfolio of product candidates includes istaroxime, a Phase 2 candidate with SERCA2a activating properties for acute heart failure and associated cardiogenic shock, preclinical SERCA2a activators for heart failure and preclinical precision aPKCi inhibitors that are being developed for potential in rare and broad oncology applications. Windtree also has a licensing business model with partnership out-licenses currently in place. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company may, in some cases, use terms such as "predicts," "believes," "potential," "proposed," "continue," "estimates," "anticipates," "expects," "plans," "intends," "may," "could," "might," "will," "should" or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on information available to the Company as of the date of this press release and are subject to numerous important factors, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from the Company’s current expectations. Examples of such risks and uncertainties include, among other things: the Company’s ability to secure significant additional capital as and when needed; the Company’s ability to achieve the intended benefits of the aPKCi asset acquisition with Varian Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.; the Company's risks and uncertainties associated with the success and advancement of the clinical development programs for istaroxime and the Company’s other product candidates, including preclinical oncology candidates; the Company’s ability to access the debt or equity markets; the Company’s ability to manage costs and execute on its operational and budget plans; the results, cost and timing of the Company’s clinical development programs, including any delays to such clinical trials relating to enrollment or site initiation; risks related to technology transfers to contract manufacturers and manufacturing development activities; delays encountered by the Company, contract manufacturers or suppliers in manufacturing drug products, drug substances, and other materials on a timely basis and in sufficient amounts; risks relating to rigorous regulatory requirements, including that: (i) the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or other regulatory authorities may not agree with the Company on matters raised during regulatory reviews, may require significant additional activities, or may not accept or may withhold or delay consideration of applications, or may not approve or may limit approval of the Company’s product candidates, and (ii) changes in the national or international political and regulatory environment may make it more difficult to gain regulatory approvals and risks related to the Company’s efforts to maintain and protect the patents and licenses related to its product candidates; risks that the Company may never realize the value of its intangible assets and have to incur future impairment charges; risks related to the size and growth potential of the markets for the Company’s product candidates, and the Company’s ability to service those markets; the Company’s ability to develop sales and marketing capabilities, whether alone or with potential future collaborators; the rate and degree of market acceptance of the Company’s product candidates, if approved; the Company’s ability to maintain compliance with the continued listing requirements of Nasdaq; the economic and social consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impacts of political unrest, including as a result of geopolitical tension, including the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of China (Taiwan), and the evolving events in the Middle East, and any sanctions, export controls or other restrictive actions that may be imposed by the United States and/or other countries which could have an adverse impact on the Company’s operations, including through disruption in supply chain or access to potential international clinical trial sites, and through disruption, instability and volatility in the global markets, which could have an adverse impact on the Company’s ability to access the capital markets. These and other risks are described in the Company’s periodic reports, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov. Any forward-looking statements that the Company makes in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this press release. Contact Information: Eric Curtis ecurtis@windtreetx.comMajor stock indexes on Wall Street drifted to a mixed finish Friday, capping a rare bumpy week for the market. The S&P 500 ended essentially flat, down less than 0.1%, after wavering between tiny gains and losses most of the day. The benchmark index posted a loss for the week, its first after three straight weekly gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.1%, ending just below the record high it set on Wednesday. There were more than twice as many decliners than gainers on the New York Stock Exchange. Gains in technology stocks helped temper losses in communication services, financials and other sectors of the market. Broadcom surged 24.4% for the biggest gain in the S&P 500 after the semiconductor company beat Wall Street’s profit targets and gave a glowing forecast, highlighting its artificial intelligence products. The company also raised its dividend. The company's big gain helped cushion the market's broader fall. Pricey stock values for technology companies like Broadcom give the sector more weight in pushing the market higher or lower. Artificial intelligence technology has been a focal point for the technology sector and the overall stock market over the last year. Tech companies, and Wall Street, expect demand for AI to continue driving growth for semiconductor and other technology companies. Some tech stocks were a drag on the market. Nvidia fell 2.2%, Meta Platforms dropped 1.7% and Google parent Alphabet slid 1.1%. Among the market's other decliners were Airbnb, which fell 4.7% for the biggest loss in the S&P 500, and Charles Schwab, which closed 4% lower. Furniture and housewares company RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, surged 17% after raising its forecast for revenue growth for the year. All told, the S&P 500 lost 0.16 points to close at 6,051.09. The Dow dropped 86.06 points to 43,828.06. The Nasdaq rose 23.88 points to 19,926.72. Wall Street's rally stalled this week amid mixed economic reports and ahead of the Federal Reserve's last meeting of the year. The central bank will meet next week and is widely expected to cut interest rates for a third time since September. Expectations of a series of rate cuts has driven the S&P 500 to 57 all-time highs so far this year . The Fed has been lowering its benchmark interest rate following an aggressive rate hiking policy that was meant to tame inflation. It raised rates from near-zero in early 2022 to a two-decade high by the middle of 2023. Inflation eased under pressure from higher interest rates, nearly to the central bank's 2% target. The economy, including consumer spending and employment, held strong despite the squeeze from inflation and high borrowing costs. A slowing job market, though, has helped push a long-awaited reversal of the Fed's policy. Inflation rates have been warming up slightly over the last few months. A report on consumer prices this week showed an increase to 2.7% in November from 2.6% in October. The Fed's preferred measure of inflation, the personal consumption expenditures index, will be released next week. Wall Street expects it to show a 2.5% rise in November, up from 2.3% in October. The economy, though, remains solid heading into 2025 as consumers continue spending and employment remains healthy, said Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY. “Still, the outlook is clouded by unusually high uncertainty surrounding regulatory, immigration, trade and tax policy,” he said. Treasury yields edged higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.40% from 4.34% late Thursday. European markets slipped. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.1%. Britain’s economy unexpectedly shrank by 0.1% month-on-month in October, following a 0.1% decline in September, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Asian markets closed mostly lower.

A retired 75-year-old ship captain from Mumbai has been conned out of Rs 11.16 crore in a cyber scam that promised high returns from stock market investments, police revealed on Wednesday. Authorities have apprehended Kaif Ibrahim Mansuri, a repeat offender, who was found with 33 debit cards and 12 chequebooks, all linked to various banks, as part of the investigation. The victim, drawn by the promise of significant profits, initially experienced gains in his portfolio but was asked for a 20% service tax upon attempting to withdraw his funds, a demand that revealed the scam. An investigation unveiled that multiple bank accounts were used to extract funds, with a woman withdrawing Rs 6 lakh allegedly on Mansuri's orders. Police continue to probe further. (With inputs from agencies.)Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah agree to a ceasefire to end nearly 14 months of fighting

The Variety Faith and Spirituality in Entertainment Honors presented by the Coalition for Faith and Media will be celebrated Dec. 4. The honorees are individuals who are supporting the frequently underrepresented theme of faith in entertainment storytelling. This class of 2024 Visionary Awards presented by CFAM represents diverse portrayals of faith and spirituality that are broadly compelling and nuanced. “Bob Marley: One Love” Bob Marley’s fans have long been brought together by joyous songs, but his revolutionary ideas are sometimes overlooked because the music is so uplifting. His son Ziggy Marley says, “In order to better understand Bob’s message you have to look past the legend and see the human being, his struggles, emotionally, spiritually and physically.” The film “Bob Marley: One Love” does just that. It reminds us ofMarley’s courage in pursuit of his mission (dare we call it a vocation?), showing him performing days after an assassination attempt, his painful self-exile to London and the creation of the album “Exodus,” a work of masterpiece. CFAM recognizes this film for shining a light on how Bob Marley’s spiritual beliefs gave him strength, informed his world view and propelled his work for social good through love. Viola Davis and Julius Tennon Founders, JuVee Prods. Davis and Tennon’s relationship began when he invited her to church. They married in 2003 and, in 2011, founded JuVee Prods. “Spirituality and faith are values we hold,” they say. “It is important to us that we always look inward to the humanity of the characters and present who they are within the narrative.” The company’s mission is to upend the idea of “impossible,” empowering a new, inclusive generation of artists, giving established artists a safe place to explore new paths and “subverting classic storytelling with fresh takes.” Among JuVee projects are “Emanuel,” about the mass shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., and the upcoming biopic “Barbara Jordan.” Erica Lipez Executive producer, “We Were the Lucky Ones” Images of “the old country” tend to lean toward the poor, small-town Jews like those in “Fiddler on the Roof,” but European Jewish life before the Holocaust also included sophisticated, urban families. Drawing on Georgia Hunter’s best-selling account of her own family’s struggles during World War II, Lipez and her writing team re-created a vanished world and community in Hulu’s “We Were the Lucky Ones.” The 12 members of the Kurc family, says Lipez, “all have a different relationship to their culture, faith and spirituality.” Over nine years, they’re scattered by war, but at the end, “they miraculously reunite around the Passover table... forever altered, but bound together by love, humanity and the shared rituals of their religion and history.” Arian Moayed Actor, writer, director, philanthropist A nominee for numerous awards, including Tonys (“Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo,” “A Doll’s House”) and Emmys (“Succession”), Moayed stays busy giving back to his adopted home of New York. Born in Iran and raised in the Midwest, he has taught in New York City schools for more than 20 years and is co-founder of Waterwell, a community-organizing and education company in Gotham. He’s been a consistent voice calling for accurate Muslim inclusion and is outspoken about the importance of spirituality in his work. “Spirituality guides all of us toward the collective rather than the individualistic, pushing community over everything else,” he says. “It pushes us to ask big, universal questions that resonate with people of all faiths, people of all backgrounds.” Jessica Matten Actor, writer Matten (“Dark Winds,” “Rez Ball”) has ancestors from two ethnic groups Hollywood has often denigrated: Canada’s First Nations on one side and Chinese on the other. Over her career as an actor and writer, Matten has raised her voice on behalf of Indigenous peoples, taken direct action on their behalf and consistently taken roles that portray them positively. She is a co-founder of Counting Coup Indigenous Film Academy, which trains filmmakers in the Siksika Nation. “It’s beyond a deeply moving spiritual practice in itself to help another soul,” she says. “I am grateful that my portrayals have given me the space to re-enact aspects of what I actually have been doing for the last 20 years of my life ... to help progress the healing of our people for a better future.” Sheryl Lee Ralph Actor, producer, director A beloved figure for both her work and her activism, Ralph has been Emmy nominated three times (winning once) for her role on “Abbott Elementary” as a devoutly Christian kindergarten teacher. “I cherish the opportunity to bring depth, dignity and authenticity to the portrayal of ‘Abbott Elementary’s’ Barbara Howard, a woman of faith, reminding viewers of the strength, resilience, and hope that such a character embodies in everyday life,” Ralph says. She also has manifested love through decades of AIDS activism, from founding the DIVA in 1990, to supporting Project Angel Food, to producing the recent Daytime Emmy-nominated short “Unexpected” about two HIV positive women who become activists. Jay Shetty Author, entrepreneur, podcaster Shetty’s path was always spiritual. As a boy, he spent summers with Hindu monks, and after business school, he spent three years as a monk himself. But his true calling was to merge the teachings he’d absorbed with digital communications. He started with YouTube videos, and in 2019, launched his podcast, “On Purpose With Jay Shetty,” which now boasts more than 35 million monthly downloads. His entrepreneurial projects include House of 1212, a purpose-driven talent and brand agency, and Juni sparkling tea drinks. “It fills me with so much hope that audiences are choosing to watch and listen to deep, meaningful and thoughtful discussions and that we have made mental health a mainstream cultural conversation,” he says.

ATLANTA (AP) — Deliberations are underway in Atlanta after a year of testimony in the gang and racketeering trial that originally included the rapper Young Thug. Jurors are considering whether to convict Shannon Stillwell and Deamonte Kendrick, who raps as Yak Gotti, on gang, murder, drug and gun charges. The original indictment charged 28 people with conspiring to violate Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. Opening statements in the trial for six of those defendants happened a year ago . Four of them, including Young Thug, pleaded guilty last month. The rapper was freed on probation. Stillwell and Kendrick rejected plea deals after more than a week of negotiations, and their lawyers chose not to present evidence or witnesses. Both seemed to be in good spirits Tuesday morning after closings wrapped the previous night. Kendrick was chatting and laughing with Stillwell and his lawyers before the jury arrived for instructions. The jury started deliberating Tuesday afternoon and was dismissed at 5 p.m. Jurors are expected to resume deliberations Wednesday morning. If they don’t reach a verdict by 3 p.m. Wednesday, the judge will send them home for the Thanksgiving weekend and they will return Monday morning. Kendrick and Stillwell were charged in the 2015 killing of Donovan Thomas Jr., also known as “Big Nut,” in an Atlanta barbershop. Prosecutors painted Stillwell and Kendrick as members of a violent street gang called Young Slime Life, or YSL, co-founded in 2012 by Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams. During closings on Monday, they pointed to tattoos, song lyrics and social media posts they said proved members, including Stillwell, admitted to killing people in rival gangs. Prosecutors say Thomas was in a rival gang. Stillwell was also charged in the 2022 killing of Shymel Drinks, which prosecutors said was in retaliation for the killing of two YSL associates days earlier. Defense attorneys Doug Weinstein and Max Schardt said the state presented unreliable witnesses, weak evidence and cherry-picked lyrics and social media posts to push a false narrative about Stillwell, Kendrick and the members of YSL. Schardt, Stillwell's attorney, reminded the jury that alleged YSL affiliates said during the trial that they had lied to police. Law enforcement played a “sick game” by promising they would escape long prison sentences if they said what police wanted them to say, Schardt said. He theorized that one of those witnesses could have killed Thomas. The truth is that their clients were just trying to escape poverty through music, Schardt said. “As a whole, we know the struggles that these communities have had,” Schardt said. “A sad, tacit acceptance that it’s either rap, prison or death.” Young Thug’s record label is also known as YSL, an acronym of Young Stoner Life. Kendrick was featured on two popular songs from the label’s compilation album Slime Language 2, “Take It to Trial" and “Slatty," which prosecutors presented as evidence in the trial. Weinstein, Kendrick’s defense attorney, said during closings it was wrong for prosecutors to target the defendants for their music and lyrics. Prosecutor Simone Hylton disagreed, and said surveillance footage and phone evidence supported her case. “They have the audacity to think they can just brag about killing somebody and nobody’s gonna hold them accountable,” Hylton said. The trial had more than its fair share of delays. Jury selection took nearly 10 months , and Stillwell was stabbed last year at the Fulton County jail, which paused trial proceedings. Judge Paige Reese Whitaker took over after Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville was removed from the case in July because he had a meeting with prosecutors and a state witness without defense attorneys present. Whitaker often lost patience with prosecutors over moves such as not sharing evidence with defense attorneys, once accusing them of “poor lawyering.” But the trial sped up under her watch. In October, four defendants, including Young Thug , pleaded guilty, with the rapper entering a non-negotiated or “blind” plea, meaning he didn't have a deal worked out with prosecutors. Nine people charged in the indictment, including rapper Gunna , accepted plea deals before the trial began. Charges against 12 others are pending. Prosecutors dropped charges against one defendant after he was convicted of murder in an unrelated case. ___ Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Kramon on X: @charlottekramon Charlotte Kramon, The Associated PressNASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Javon Small scored five of his 31 points in overtime and Tucker DeVries added key free throws late in regulation and finished with 16 points as West Virginia beat No. 3 Gonzaga 86-78 in the Battle 4 Atlantis on Wednesday. Small's layup with under 2 minutes left in OT gave West Virginia a 79-75 lead. After a Gonzaga miss, Sencire Harris hit two free throws to make it a six-point lead. With 27.1 seconds left, Harris made a steal and scored on a dunk for an eight-point lead, putting the game out of reach. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has pledged a personal donation of $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural fund. This is just after Meta and Amazon also made similar commitments, marking a new dynamic in the relationship between the tech industry and the incoming administration. A spokesperson for OpenAI confirmed the donation on Friday, 13 December. Altman said he is backing the vision of President Trump stating, “President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead.” Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, had previously issued a statement pledging a $1 million donation itself. Amazon confirmed its pledge and announced plans to provide an in-kind contribution as well by live-streaming Trump’s inauguration on Prime Video, an offering estimated at another $1 million. Musk And Altman: An Escalating Feud While Altman is optimistic on Trump, he also told of his lawsuit against another rival, Elon Musk, the world’s richest individual. Trump tapped Musk for co-leading a newly constituted Department of Government Efficiency along with entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. An advisory body meant to ensure that wasteful spending decreases and regulations are eased up in order to streamline governmental operations. Despite the professional differences, downplaying Musk’s growing influence in the administration, he said, ‘I am not that worried about Elon’s role. There’s enough room for multiple voices in shaping America’s future.'” Intersection Of Tech And Politics The tech industry’s support for Trump’s inaugural fund speaks to a larger effort to align with the new administration’s priorities. Altman’s donation, along with those from Meta and Amazon, reflects the sector’s recognition of artificial intelligence and technology as central to future economic growth and global competitiveness. With these high-profile contributions, the inauguration is shaping to be a landmark moment in tech’s influence in politics. Altman’s statement indicates his desire to partner with Trump’s administration for the U.S. to continue leading in AI innovations. ALSO READ | Deportation Looms For 18,000 Indians As Trump Tightens Border LawsMajor stock indexes on Wall Street drifted to a mixed finish Friday, capping a rare bumpy week for the market. The S&P 500 ended essentially flat, down less than 0.1%, after wavering between tiny gains and losses most of the day. The benchmark index posted a loss for the week, its first after three straight weekly gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.1%, ending just below the record high it set on Wednesday. There were more than twice as many decliners than gainers on the New York Stock Exchange. Gains in technology stocks helped temper losses in communication services, financials and other sectors of the market. Broadcom surged 24.4% for the biggest gain in the S&P 500 after the semiconductor company beat Wall Street’s profit targets and gave a glowing forecast, highlighting its artificial intelligence products. The company also raised its dividend. The company's big gain helped cushion the market's broader fall. Pricey stock values for technology companies like Broadcom give the sector more weight in pushing the market higher or lower. Artificial intelligence technology has been a focal point for the technology sector and the overall stock market over the last year. Tech companies, and Wall Street, expect demand for AI to continue driving growth for semiconductor and other technology companies. Some tech stocks were a drag on the market. Nvidia fell 2.2%, Meta Platforms dropped 1.7% and Google parent Alphabet slid 1.1%. Among the market's other decliners were Airbnb, which fell 4.7% for the biggest loss in the S&P 500, and Charles Schwab, which closed 4% lower. Furniture and housewares company RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, surged 17% after raising its forecast for revenue growth for the year. All told, the S&P 500 lost 0.16 points to close at 6,051.09. The Dow dropped 86.06 points to 43,828.06. The Nasdaq rose 23.88 points to 19,926.72. Wall Street's rally stalled this week amid mixed economic reports and ahead of the Federal Reserve's last meeting of the year. The central bank will meet next week and is widely expected to cut interest rates for a third time since September. Expectations of a series of rate cuts has driven the S&P 500 to 57 all-time highs so far this year . The Fed has been lowering its benchmark interest rate following an aggressive rate hiking policy that was meant to tame inflation. It raised rates from near-zero in early 2022 to a two-decade high by the middle of 2023. Inflation eased under pressure from higher interest rates, nearly to the central bank's 2% target. The economy, including consumer spending and employment, held strong despite the squeeze from inflation and high borrowing costs. A slowing job market, though, has helped push a long-awaited reversal of the Fed's policy. Inflation rates have been warming up slightly over the last few months. A report on consumer prices this week showed an increase to 2.7% in November from 2.6% in October. The Fed's preferred measure of inflation, the personal consumption expenditures index, will be released next week. Wall Street expects it to show a 2.5% rise in November, up from 2.3% in October. The economy, though, remains solid heading into 2025 as consumers continue spending and employment remains healthy, said Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY. “Still, the outlook is clouded by unusually high uncertainty surrounding regulatory, immigration, trade and tax policy,” he said. Treasury yields edged higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.40% from 4.34% late Thursday. European markets slipped. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.1%. Britain’s economy unexpectedly shrank by 0.1% month-on-month in October, following a 0.1% decline in September, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Asian markets closed mostly lower.