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By ROB GILLIES TORONTO (AP) — Canada is already examining possible retaliatory tariffs on certain items from the United States should President-elect Donald Trump follow through on his threat to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian products, a senior official said Wednesday. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico if the countries don’t stop what he called the flow of drugs and migrants across southern and northern borders. He said he would impose a 25% tax on all products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico as one of his first executive orders. A Canadian government official said Canada is preparing for every eventuality and has started thinking about what items to target with tariffs in retaliation. The official stressed no decision has been made. The person spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly. When Trump imposed higher tariffs during his first term in office, other countries responded with retaliatory tariffs of their own. Canada, for instance, announced billions of new duties in 2018 against the U.S. in a tit-for-tat response to new taxes on Canadian steel and aluminum. Many of the U.S. products were chosen for their political rather than economic impact. For example, Canada imports $3 million worth of yogurt from the U.S. annually and most comes from one plant in Wisconsin, home state of then-House Speaker Paul Ryan. That product was hit with a 10% duty. Another product on the list was whiskey, which comes from Tennessee and Kentucky, the latter of which is the home state of then-Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell. Trump made the threat Monday while railing against an influx of illegal migrants, even though the numbers at Canadian border pale in comparison to the southern border. The U.S. Border Patrol made 56,530 arrests at the Mexican border in October alone — and 23,721 arrests at the Canadian one between October 2023 and September 2024. Canadian officials say lumping Canada in with Mexico is unfair but say they are happy to work with the Trump administration to lower the numbers from Canada. The Canadians are also worried about a influx north of migrants if Trump follows through with his plan for mass deportations. Trump also railed about fentanyl from Mexico and Canada, even though seizures from the Canadian border pale in comparison to the Mexican border. U.S. customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border. Related Articles National Politics | Trump selects longtime adviser Keith Kellogg as special envoy for Ukraine and Russia National Politics | Trump’s tariffs in his first term did little to alter the economy, but this time could be different National Politics | Trump transition says Cabinet picks, appointees were targeted by bomb threats, swatting attacks National Politics | Southwest states certify election results after the process led to controversy in previous years National Politics | Political stress: Can you stay engaged without sacrificing your mental health? Canadian officials argue their country is not the problem and that tariffs will have severe implications for both countries. Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US$2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports are from Canada. Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and investing in for national security. “Canada is essential to the United States’ domestic energy supply,” Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said. Trump has pledged to cut American energy bills in half within 18 months, something that could be made harder if a 25% premium is added to Canadian oil imports. In 2023, Canadian oil accounted for almost two-thirds of total U.S. oil imports and about one-fifth of the U.S. oil supply. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is holding a emergency virtual meeting on Wednesday with the leaders of Canada’s provinces, who want Trudeau to negotiate a bilateral trade deal with the United States that excludes Mexico. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday that her administration is already working up a list of possible retaliatory tariffs “if the situation comes to that.”

Saudi Arabia’s Geopolitical MovesNucor Co. (NYSE:NUE) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Biden's broken promise on pardoning his son Hunter is raising new questions about his legacy WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s decision to go back on his word and pardon his son Hunter wasn't all that surprising to those who are familiar with the president's devotion to his family. But by choosing to put his family first, the 82-year-old president has raised new questions about his legacy. Biden has held himself up as placing his respect for the American judicial system and rule of law over his own personal concerns. It was part of an effort to draw a deliberate contrast with Republican Donald Trump. Now, both his broken promise and his act of clemency are a political lightning rod. Some Democrats are frustrated over Joe Biden reversing course and pardoning his son Hunter ATLANTA (AP) — Already reeling from their November defeat at the polls, Democrats now are grappling with President Joe Biden's pardoning of his son for a federal felony conviction — after the party spent years slamming Donald Trump as a threat to democracy who operates above the law. The White House on Monday struggled to defend the pardon claiming the prosecution was politically motivated — a page out of Trump's playbook. That explanation did not satisfy some Democrats who are angry that Biden’s reversal could make it harder to take on Trump. Hezbollah fires into Israel-held area after multiple Israeli strikes in Lebanon since truce began JERUSALEM (AP) — Hezbollah fired into a disputed border zone held by Israel after multiple Israeli strikes inside Lebanon since a ceasefire took hold last week. The militant group said the volley, its first during the truce, was a warning shot in response to what it called repeated Israeli violations. Israeli leaders threatened to retaliate, further straining the fragile U.S.- and French-brokered ceasefire. Israeli strikes in recent days, including a string of hits on Monday, have killed at least four people in Lebanon. U.S. officials said the ceasefire was largely holding. Great Lakes region gets yet more snow after a weekend of snarled Thanksgiving travel Some storm-weary residents of the Great Lakes region saw additional snow and faced the prospect of even more accumulations this week. Lake-effect snow continued to fall on parts of western New York that were already blanketed with a foot or more over the past four days. Lake-effect snow warnings were in effect through Tuesday night in parts of Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania. Snow showers fell in western Michigan overnight, and heavier, persistent snow of up to a foot was expected to follow Monday. Turkey calls for reconciliation between Syria government and opposition to end conflict ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey's foreign minister says the recent rapid advance by opposition fighters in Syria shows that Syrian President Bashar Assad must reconcile with his own people and hold dialogue with the opposition. Speaking Monday at a joint news conference in Ankara with his Iranian counterpart, Hakan Fidan said Turkey and Iran, which support opposing sides in Syria’s civil war, have agreed to resume diplomatic efforts along with Russia to restore calm days after insurgents launched a lightning offensive and captured almost all of the country’s largest city, Aleppo. The swift advance by fighters that Turkey supports was a huge embarrassment for Assad. Stock market today: Rising tech stocks pull Wall Street to another record NEW YORK (AP) — Technology stocks pulled Wall Street to another record amid mixed trading. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% Monday after closing November at an all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. Super Micro Computer, a stock that’s been on an AI-driven roller coaster, soared after saying an investigation found no evidence of misconduct by its management or the company’s board. Retailers were mixed coming off Black Friday and heading into what’s expected to be the best Cyber Monday on record. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. A top Fed official leans toward December rate cut but says it depends on economic data WASHINGTON (AP) — A top Federal Reserve official says he is leaning toward supporting an interest rate cut when the Fed meets in two weeks but that evidence of persistent inflation before then could cause him to change that view. Speaking at George Washington University, Christopher Waller, a key member of the Fed’s Board of Governors, said he was confident that inflation is headed lower and that the central bank will likely keep reducing its key rate, which affects many consumer and business loans. But he noted that there’s a risk that inflation “may be getting stuck above” the Fed’s 2% target, which would support an argument for keeping the Fed’s rate unchanged this month. More than 3 million travelers screened at US airports in a single day. That's a record Travelers heading home after the Thanksgiving holiday are setting a record. The Transportation Security Administration says that it screened nearly 3.1 million travelers on Sunday, breaking the previous record by about 74,000. That mark was set on July 7, also a Sunday after a holiday, July Fourth. Hundreds of thousands of travelers were delayed or had their flights canceled. FlightAware says more 6,800 flights were delayed on Sunday, with the highest numbers at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. Panic among spectators at soccer game kills at least 56 in the West African nation of Guinea CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) — Officials and witnesses say chaos erupted at a soccer game in Guinea after fans protested a referee’s call and thousands of panicked spectators tried to flee the stadium, leaving at least 56 people dead in the West African nation. Local news website Media Guinea reported that security forces used tear gas. A journalist covering the game for a local sports website tells The Associated Press many of the dead were crushed as they tried to escape through the stadium gates. The world’s latest sports crowd disaster unfurled Sunday in the second-largest city in the military-run nation. Information there is sparse and government-controlled at the best of times. It was not immediately clear how much the death toll could grow.The states that saw the most active attacks against election certification two years ago certified the results of this year’s races without controversy this week, prompting the Arizona secretary of state to proclaim that “election denialism” is a thing of the past. Others said they weren’t so sure. Certification proceeded normally this year in part because Donald Trump won the presidential race, quieting his supporters after he had spent the campaign making unsubstantiated claims that he could lose only through widespread cheating . The statewide certification votes Tuesday in Nevada and New Mexico follow a vote Monday to certify the results in Arizona. In all three states, the certification process was tumultuous during the 2022 midterms when Democrats won most statewide offices. Those controversies followed attempts by Trump and his allies to halt or challenge certification in Michigan, Georgia and other battleground states in 2020, disrupting what until then had been a routine administrative process. This year, some who have been the most vocal in questioning the integrity of elections have instead been celebrating Trump’s victory. “The results are being accepted in the manner that they are, in part, because those who have been eroding trust or casting doubt on the integrity of U.S. elections have a result they feel good about,” said David Levine, a former local election official in Idaho who now advises on election administration issues. “Hopefully we can get back to a place where Americans can feel confident in the results even if it’s one they disagree with.” On Tuesday, Nevada and New Mexico certified their statewide results with little discussion. During Monday’s certification in Arizona, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes reflected on the lack of controversy this year. “I think the age of election denialism, for all intents and purposes, is dead,” he said. Sitting next to Fontes, state Attorney General Kris Mayes, a fellow Democrat, said she was more skeptical. Her Republican opponent in 2022 spent two years challenging his loss . “Do I think election denialism is dead? No, I don’t,” she said. “We’ll see over the next couple of election cycles what happens, but I don’t think we’re there yet.” Public confidence in elections has dropped since Trump challenged his loss in 2020 and made false claims of widespread fraud, particularly among Republicans . Some Republicans began targeting the certification process, when local and state boards certify the results after local election officials provide them with the final tally of votes. A firestorm erupted in Georgia over the summer when the state election board, with a new pro-Trump majority, attempted to politicize the certification process with changes later blocked by the courts. While certification battles did not surface after the Nov. 5 election , a vocal segment within the Republican Party remains deeply skeptical of election processes, particularly of the availability of mail ballots and the use of ballot scanners to tally votes. During a forum Monday on the social platform X led by the group Cause of America, the group's director expressed doubt about voting equipment. Shawn Smith, who also is a retired Air Force colonel, argued the certification process suppresses legitimate concerns and goes against “the sovereignty of the people.” Although not as widespread as four years ago, this sentiment did surface sporadically at the local level this month. In Washoe County, Nevada, which includes Reno and voted narrowly for Vice President Kamala Harris, the vote to certify the results was 3-1 with one abstention. Commissioner Jeanne Herman has consistently voted against certification and did not make a public comment about her vote this year. Commissioner Mike Clark, a staunch Trump supporter who had also previously voted against certification, said he would abstain and left before the vote. “I am not an election denier and clearly the person I wanted to win, won this state,” Clark said before leaving the meeting. “However, that does not mean that all the protocols were followed and that we can truly certify the election.” Such skepticism, whether in Nevada or elsewhere, leaves the door open to certification disputes during future elections. The questioning of election results isn't limited to Republicans. Even though Harris quickly conceded after losing all seven presidential battleground states , online posts among her supporters continue to raise concerns about her loss. One Reddit community that has amassed 23,000 members features a steady drumbeat of Democrats scrutinizing a result they can’t believe is real. Some posting in the group have issued calls to contact Harris and her running mate to ask them to demand a recount or otherwise object to the outcome. Among the battlegrounds, Michigan was among those where Trump and his allies pressed to halt certification of the 2020 election for Democrat Joe Biden amid false claims of fraud and manipulation. Two Republican members of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers who initially opposed certification eventually relented. The state board of canvassers eventually voted to certify, even after one Republican member abstained. This year, the state board voted unanimously on Nov. 22 in favor of certifying and praised the state’s election workers. In Georgia, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger certified his state’s results on Nov. 22. Four years ago, the Republican state official was facing immense pressure from Trump and his allies to investigate their unsubstantiated claims of fraud. Also certifying results Tuesday, and doing so unanimously, was the state Board of Elections in North Carolina. It was the only presidential battleground state won by Trump in 2020 — and the only one where he and his allies didn't make claims of fraud. Cassidy reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writers Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Ken Ritter in Las Vegas, Scott Sonner in Reno, Nevada, and Ali Swenson in New York contributed to this report.

US stock indices pushed to fresh records Tuesday, shrugging off tariff threats from President-elect Donald Trump while European equities retreated. Trump, who doesn't take office until January 20, made his threat in social media posts Monday night, announcing huge import tariffs against neighbors Canada and Mexico and also rival China if they do not stop illegal immigration and drug smuggling. Both the Dow and S&P 500 notched all-time highs, with investors regarding the incoming president's words as a bargaining chip. "In theory, higher tariffs should not be good news for stocks. But, you know, I think the market's chosen to think of (it) as a negotiating tactic," said Steve Sosnick of Interactive Brokers. "You have bullish sentiment," said LBBW's Karl Haeling. "People are tending to look at things as positively as possible." But General Motors, which imports autos from Mexico to the United States, slumped 9.0 percent, while rival Ford dropped 2.6 percent. Overseas bourses were also buffeted by the news. European stocks followed losses in Asia, despite Trump excluding Europe as an immediate target for tariffs. "These are his first direct comments on tariffs and tariff levels since becoming president-elect, and they have roiled markets," said Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB trading group, ahead of the Wall Street open. "It is early days, and there are plenty of opportunities for Trump to direct his attention to Europe down the line," Brooks added. The US dollar rallied against its Canadian equivalent, China's yuan and Mexico's peso, which hit its lowest level since August 2022. In other economic news, the Conference Board's consumer confidence index rose to 111.7 this month, up from 109.6 in October, boosted by greater optimism surrounding the labor market. "November's increase was mainly driven by more positive consumer assessments of the present situation, particularly regarding the labor market," said Dana Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board. Pantheon Macroeconomics chief US economist Samuel Tombs added in a note that the increase in consumer confidence overall "likely was driven by euphoria among Republicans." "The index also jumped in late 2016, when Mr. Trump was elected for the first time," he said. Federal Reserve meeting minutes showed policy makers expect inflation to keep cooling, signaling a gradual approach to interest rate cuts if price increases ease further and the job market remains strong. New York - Dow: UP 0.3 percent at 44,860.31 (close) New York - S&P 500: UP 0.6 percent at 6,021.63 (close) New York - Nasdaq: UP 0.6 percent at 19,174.30 (close) London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.4 percent at 8,258.61 (close) Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.9 percent at 7,194.51 (close) Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN 0.6 percent at 19,295.98 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.9 percent at 38,442.00 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: FLAT at 19,159.20 (close) Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.1 percent at 3,259.76 (close) Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0482 from $1.0495 on Monday Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2567 from $1.2568 Dollar/yen: DOWN at 153.06 yen from 154.23 yen Euro/pound: DOWN at 83.41 pence from 83.51 pence Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.3 percent at $72.81 per barrel West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.3 percent at $68.77 per barrel bur-jmb/stVan Nistelrooy returned to Old Trafford as Erik ten Hag’s assistant in the summer and had a four-game interim spell in charge following his compatriot’s sacking in October. He left the club in the wake of Ruben Amorim’s appointment but was only out of work for two weeks after being appointed Leicester’s new manager on a deal until 2027. The 48-year-old had a glittering playing career with United and was disappointed his return had to end so soon. “The moment I took over the interim job what I said was I’m here to help United and to stay to help United, and I meant it,” he said. “So I was disappointed, yeah, very much so, and it hurt I had to leave. “The only job I would take as an assistant was at United because of the bond that I have with the people in the club and the fans. “But in the end I got my head around it because I also understand the new manager. I’m in football long enough, and I’ve managed myself, that you can think of a situation, me being there, I understand. “I spoke to Ruben about it, fair enough to him, the conversation was grateful, man to man, person to person, manager to manager, and that helped a lot to move on and straightaway get into talks with new possibilities which of course lifted my spirits.” The Dutchman takes on a difficult job at the King Power Stadium as he is tasked with keeping Leicester in the Premier League. He inherits an influential dressing room, which has seen a number of managers come and go over the last few years. Ruud's here for his first press conference as our Manager 😃 pic.twitter.com/A4Juixvorb — Leicester City (@LCFC) December 2, 2024 Van Nistelrooy revealed he has done his due diligence and also let the players know as well. “It’s the only way you can work. It’s mutual respect. I also mentioned to the players yesterday that I looked at the squad and started to make phone calls about players, because in football everyone knows everyone,” he said. “With two or three phone calls you hear stories about 20 players and for me it was important that you hear there are good characters there. That’s important, that there are good people there. “I look at the players how they play. I obviously don’t know them but I got general information and the individuals that they are a good bunch of people. That was important for me to get in.”Talphera CEO Vincent J. Angotti buys $3,649 in company stock

Voice cloning is an emerging technology powered by artificial intelligence and it's raising alarms about its potential misuse. Earlier this year, New Hampshire voters experienced this firsthand when a deepfake mimicking President Joe Biden’s voice urged them to skip the polls ahead of the primary. The deepfake likely needed only several seconds of the president's voice to create the clone. According to multiple AI voice cloning models, about 10 seconds of an actual voice is all that is needed to recreate it. And that can easily come from a phone call or a video from social media. "A person's voice is really probably not that information-dense. It's not as unique as you may think," James Betker, a technical staff member at OpenAI, told Scripps News. Betker developed TortoiseTTS, an open-source voice cloning model. "It's actually very easy to model, very easy to learn, the distribution of all human voices from a fairly small amount of data," Betker added. How AI voice cloning works AI models have been trained on vast amounts of data, learning to recognize human speech. Programs analyze the data and train repeatedly, learning characteristics such as rhythm, stress, pitch and tone. "It can look at 10 seconds of someone speaking and it has stored enough information about how humans speak with that kind of prosody and pitch. Enough information about how people speak with their processing pitch and its weights that it can just continue on," Betker said. Imagine a trained AI model as a teacher, and the person cloning the voice to be a student. When a student asks to create a cloned voice, it starts off as white noise. The teacher scores how close the student is to sounding correct. The student tries again and again based on these scores until the student produces something close to what the teacher wants. While this explanation is extremely simplified, the concept of generating a cloned voice is based on bit-by-bit, based on probability distributions. "I think, at its core, it's pretty simple," Betker said. "I think the analogy of just continuing with what you're given will take you pretty far here." There are currently some AI models that claim to only need two seconds of samples. While the results are not convincing yet, Betker says future models will need even fewer voice samples to create a convincing clone.Article content It’s mailbag time again! The Toronto Raptors take a winless road record into Wednesday’s game at New Orleans and are close to the NBA’s cellar — yet, most fans are pretty pleased with where things stand. Why? It’s all about the stacked draft class. Losses suck, but if you’re a fan of “ethical tanking,” few teams of recent vintage have done it better than the Raptors so far. Thanks as always for the questions. You can send them my way on Twitter or Bluesky. Johary on Bluesky asks: “I suppose Gradey (Dick) is the 5th starter once the team is at full health. But who’s going to the bench– if any at all — should the Raps get one of those much coveted top prospects in the 2025 draft?” RW : It’s way too early to think hard about this one, but we’ll give it a shot. There’s no scenario where Scottie Barnes doesn’t start and Jakob Poeltl is probably a lock too if he isn’t traded since even the best centre prospect isn’t ready to step right into the NBA next season. Immanuel Quickley has the second-biggest contract in Raptors history and is a talented player and I still think he starts even if Toronto lands one of the top guard prospects. That leaves RJ Barrett and Dick. Barrett’s been solid as a Raptor, especially at home, where he’s played at an all-star level, and Dick has taken major steps forward as sophomore, but the draft is loaded with high-upside wings. If a great shooter is picked maybe it will make sense for Dick to come off the bench. But if it’s Cooper Flagg, who excels right now in other areas, maybe they’ll need Dick’s shooting and Barrett would become one of the NBA’s best sixth men? Again, it’s early. Menashe on Twitter asks: “What is your assessment of (Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic) so far? Positives? Areas to improve?” RW : Darko’s done a great job of keeping things positive both last year and early this season even with the losses piling up. Last year it was blowout after blowout, lately it’s been close defeats that could demoralize some groups, but he hasn’t let that happen. Players are getting better under the watch of Rajakovic and his staff, which was the main reason why he was hired in the first place. I think he’s had some struggles late in games with lineups, timeouts and things like that and the defence has been way too porous and foul-prone (but still better than last year), but overall has done a good job. He certainly knows the game, has great rapport with his players and works hard. Mark Russell on Bluesky asks: “I’m curious about why we’re touting the defensive abilities of certain Raptors when our team is so incredibly bad at defense. I haven’t noticed many teams have an “off night” against us.” RW : That’s fair. Before Tuesday’s games, Toronto ranked 24th in defensive efficiency and defensive rebounding percentage. But when you factor in the team leads the NBA in man games lost to injury, how exactly are they supposed to gain any defensive cohesion? Plus, I assume you’re referring to Davion Mitchell and maybe Ochai Agbaji here and NBA.com’s stats show Mitchell has done a superb job on many stars. He held De’Aaron Fox to 3-for-9 shooting when they were matched up, Anthony Edwards to 3-for-7, Jaylen Brown to 1-for-5, LaMelo Ball to 1-for-7, for example. He forced Cade Cunningham and DeMar DeRozan to each have three turnovers in eight, and three minutes matched against Mitchell, for example. He’s a really good defender. It’s the other end that’s holding him back. Agbaji didn’t do a good enough job forcing Jaden Ivey into a tougher shot on Monday at the buzzer and has tailed off a bit for sure. But, he’s often had the toughest matchup and done OK against ultra elite player like LeBron James, Jayson Tatum and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Team defence is just that – team. One or two guys can’t do it on their own. Fromthecheapseats on Bluesky asks: “Jamison Battle has taken 2 Technical free throws for the Raptors, how many free throws did he make in whatever training camp competition they most of had for him to earn that right as an undrafted rookie?” RW : Ha, I’ll have to look into this. But Battle is one heck of a shooter. I’d imagine he knocks down a ton in practice and he hit 9-of-15 three-pointers in Summer League, 8-of-14 in the pre-season and 43% in his final season in the NCAA (he also shot 88-for-95, 92.6% from the line that year). Right now he’s one of the best options. Dick and Quickley would probably be my picks over Battle, but he’s a good choice too. But you’re right. There can’t be many examples of undrafted rookies getting the job before. Fred VanVleet would be a good guess as the last Raptor in that situation to do it. Jurassic Snarked on Twitter asks: “What are the best & worst case scenarios for how the rest of this season goes for the Raptors?” RW : Worst case is they land somewhere in the middle — either in the play-in or just out of it and miss out on drafting in the top 5. Or a top player suffers a bad injury that will impact them long-term. Best case to me is things continue like this (OK, with a few more wins so they get off this 13 win or so pace to more like 25 victories or so) tough losses but they keep playing hard and improving as players. Get an asset or two for Bruce Brown/Chris Boucher and hope for lottery luck. Others might see best case as similar to the year they traded Rudy Gay and inexplicably won 48 games and the division out of nowhere. That’s not happening though.

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A multi-billion lawsuit investors brought against Facebook for the Cambridge Analytica data breach can proceed, as the Supreme Court just shot down Facebook’s appeal in a one-sentence ruling. Even if you remember the whole Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal from the first Trump Administration, where data from those dumb “personality quizzes” that many people were stupid enough to take was harvested to get Republicans elected, it is easy to forget that the scheme was originally intended to bolster Ted Cruz’s unsuccessful 2016 campaign for president. But when Trump got that year’s GOP nomination, the unscrupulously harvested data went to helping his campaign, though Facebook faced the music years later when their stock fell by $40 billion in one day in March 2018. (It has since recovered handsomely .) Investors sued over having not been notified of the impending risk, and that case has bounced between appeals courts since. Since Facebook/Meta has mind-boggling amounts of money to throw at problems like this, the social media company appealed all the way to the US Supreme Court. But CBS News reported that on Friday morning, the Supreme Court denied Facebook’s appeal . The denial came in a one-sentence opinion with no elaboration, merely stating, “The writ of certiorari is dismissed as improvidently granted.” At issue here is whether Facebook appropriately notified investors that there was an enormously costly security breach scandal in the pipeline. At the time, the company wrote in a ​​10-K filing that "security breaches and improper access to or disclosure of our data or user data, or other hacking and phishing attacks on our systems, could harm our reputation and adversely affect our business." The filing did not mention that the breach had actually happened, and that a financial reckoning was coming. The Supreme Court’s ruling is not necessarily a win for the investors, it just allows the investors’ case against Meta to go forward. For what it’s worth, the Biden administration had publicly sided with shareholders in the case, saying in a statement that "it is plainly misleading to characterize an adverse event that has already materialized as a merely hypothetical future risk." Related: Facebook Is Reportedly Receiving Mounds of Sensitive Health Data Via Third-Party Apps Without Your Knowledge [SFist] Image: This is a shot of the outside of the Supreme Court of the United States building (SCOTUS). (Getty Images)

O pinions are divided on the use of the term “woke”. Many who are critical of the excesses of identity politics are reluctant to use a term which they think derives from the far right. It does not. “Stay woke” was a phrase first used by Black social justice activists in America. I tend to use it for one simple reason: many woke folk celebrate the term and apply it to themselves. Politicians like the former Glasgow councillor Mhairi Hunter, Nicola Sturgeon’s close friend, who used to put “woke blob” on her Twitter/X bio. Or the “proud-to-be-woke” Labour MP, Dawn Butler, who famously remarked that babies are not born with a sex. Identity politics is the core philosophy of woke and what differentiates it from the old socialist left. However, transgenderism is its calling card. The belief that “trans women are women” (TWAW) has been an article of faith for those on the woke left over the last decade. If you did not believe it, like JK Rowling, you were, according to Sturgeon,“transphobic ... deeply misogynist, often homophobic, and possibly racist”. The former first minister made this declaration while defending her government’s policy of trans self-ID, which led to a rapist being placed in a women’s jail.

Art Cashin , the legendary director of floor operations at UBS and a revered figure at the New York Stock Exchange , has died at 83. Known for his unmatched market insights and storytelling prowess, Cashin was a cornerstone of Wall Street for over six decades, CNBC reports. Cashin’s career began in 1959 at Thomson McKinnon , and by 23, he had already become a member of the NYSE. His rise was fueled by a combination of sharp intelligence, quick wit and an unshakable dedication to the trading floor, where he became a steadfast presence through decades of market evolution. In 1980, he joined PaineWebber , which was later acquired by UBS. Throughout his career, Cashin earned universal respect across Wall Street's diverse landscape. He was an enduring presence on CNBC for over 25 years, delivering sharp analysis and reflections on market behavior, according to CNBC. His daily commentary, "Cashin's Comments," tied historical events to market dynamics, making complex trends relatable to investors of all levels. Also Read: Stellantis Market Value Halves In 2024: Why CEO Tavares’ Exit Could Take Things From Bad To Worse A key moment in Cashin's career came in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, when he played a leadership role in the NYSE Fallen Heroes Fund, which supported the families of first responders. Reflecting on that time, Cashin described walking through streets choked with ash and debris as a moment that underscored the resilience and camaraderie of New Yorkers. Cashin's influence was not just about trading but also about understanding human behavior in markets. His insights on overreaction and panic remain valuable lessons for traders, emphasizing the importance of measured responses to volatility. Despite the rise of electronic trading, which transformed the NYSE, Cashin cherished the floor's human element and the values of integrity and trust it represented. Read Next: S&P 500 At 6,666 In 2025? Bank Of America Predicts ‘Another Good Year For Equities’ Image created using artificial intelligence via Dall-E. This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Prospera Financial Services Inc lessened its position in SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF ( NYSEARCA:SPYG – Free Report ) by 98.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,780 shares of the company’s stock after selling 340,963 shares during the quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc’s holdings in SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF were worth $562,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Sei Investments Co. increased its holdings in SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF by 20.1% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 6,013 shares of the company’s stock worth $440,000 after purchasing an additional 1,006 shares during the period. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF by 34.0% in the 1st quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 10,387 shares of the company’s stock valued at $760,000 after purchasing an additional 2,634 shares during the period. Waverly Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF by 100.5% in the 1st quarter. Waverly Advisors LLC now owns 337,707 shares of the company’s stock valued at $24,703,000 after purchasing an additional 169,288 shares during the period. Dynasty Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF in the 1st quarter valued at about $262,606,000. Finally, B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF by 138.1% in the 1st quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 134,658 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,850,000 after purchasing an additional 78,111 shares during the period. SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF Stock Performance SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF stock opened at $86.30 on Friday. SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF has a twelve month low of $62.33 and a twelve month high of $87.94. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $84.04 and a two-hundred day moving average of $80.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $29.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.22 and a beta of 1.14. SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF Company Profile SPDR S&P 500 Growth ETF (the Fund), formerly SPDR Dow Jones Large Cap Growth ETF, focuses to provide investment results, which correspond to the total return performance of an index tracks the performance of exchange traded the equity securities. The SPDR S&P 500 Growth ETF matches the returns and characteristics of the S&P 500 Growth Index (the Index). See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SPYG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF ( NYSEARCA:SPYG – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Ruud van Nistelrooy admits he was “hurt” at having to leave Manchester United last month. Van Nistelrooy returned to Old Trafford as Erik ten Hag’s assistant in the summer and had a four-game interim spell in charge following his compatriot’s sacking in October. He left the club in the wake of Ruben Amorim’s appointment but was only out of work for two weeks after being appointed Leicester’s new manager on a deal until 2027. The 48-year-old had a glittering playing career with United and was disappointed his return had to end so soon. “The moment I took over the interim job what I said was I’m here to help United and to stay to help United, and I meant it,” he said. “So I was disappointed, yeah, very much so, and it hurt I had to leave. “The only job I would take as an assistant was at United because of the bond that I have with the people in the club and the fans. “But in the end I got my head around it because I also understand the new manager. I’m in football long enough, and I’ve managed myself, that you can think of a situation, me being there, I understand. “I spoke to Ruben about it, fair enough to him, the conversation was grateful, man to man, person to person, manager to manager, and that helped a lot to move on and straightaway get into talks with new possibilities which of course lifted my spirits.” The Dutchman takes on a difficult job at the King Power Stadium as he is tasked with keeping Leicester in the Premier League. He inherits an influential dressing room, which has seen a number of managers come and go over the last few years. Ruud's here for his first press conference as our Manager 😃 pic.twitter.com/A4Juixvorb — Leicester City (@LCFC) December 2, 2024 Van Nistelrooy revealed he has done his due diligence and also let the players know as well. “It’s the only way you can work. It’s mutual respect. I also mentioned to the players yesterday that I looked at the squad and started to make phone calls about players, because in football everyone knows everyone,” he said. “With two or three phone calls you hear stories about 20 players and for me it was important that you hear there are good characters there. That’s important, that there are good people there. “I look at the players how they play. I obviously don’t know them but I got general information and the individuals that they are a good bunch of people. That was important for me to get in.”

LONDON, United Kingdom, December 11 – Fifa’s confirmation of Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the men’s 2034 World Cup – despite the country facing years of scrutiny over its human rights and environmental record – will be one of the most controversial steps that football’s governing body has ever taken. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp Yet while many critics will be dismayed at the prospect, few should be surprised given the influence that the kingdom’s unprecedented investment in sport has secured. So is the tournament being used to help transform Saudi Arabia’s reputation, or can it be a catalyst for social reform? And what does this tell us about Fifa and football more widely? Here, BBC Sport looks at the key questions. Why is this a coronation, not a contest? Official confirmation of a Saudi World Cup will come at a ‘virtual’ meeting of Fifa’s Congress on Wednesday afternoon. But this has seemed like a formality for more than a year. In October 2023, it emerged the Saudi bid would be unopposed after Australia – the only other potential candidate – decided not to enter the running, hinting that it was futile to do so after being given less than a month by Fifa to mount a challenge. Fifa has defended a fast-tracked process that many argue was lacking in transparency and accountability. But critics believe it effectively paved the way for the Saudis, by decreeing that the 2030 World Cup would be staged across three continents (Spain, Portugal and Morocco are co-hosts, with the first three matches in South America). That meant that under its rotation policy, only bids from Asia and Oceania were considered for 2034. It is worth noting that Saudi Arabia and Fifa, under president Gianni Infantino, have developed a close relationship. The country hosted Fifa’s 2023 Club World Cup, and the governing body has a lucrative sponsorship deal with Saudi state-owned oil giant Aramco. There has also been widespread speculation that Saudi’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) could make a major investment in streaming giant DAZN which has agreed to broadcast the inaugural edition of Infantino’s pet project – an expanded Club World Cup next summer. The sense of inevitability surrounding Saudi’s bid was only reinforced last month with the late-night publication of Fifa’s evaluation report, authored by Infantino’s deputy, Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom. It awarded the bid an average score of 4.2 out of 5 , the highest ever. No media conference was held in order to explain such a glowing assessment, nor the fact that the bid was deemed ‘medium risk’ for human rights and ‘low-risk’ for environmental protection, sparking outrage from campaigners. Furthermore, with ratification expected to be confirmed by acclamation at the Congress, rather than a traditional vote, the only way any dissenting national associations can express their opposition is to abstain from the round of applause. While the precise protocol remains unclear, there are suggestions that associations are to be asked to simultaneously show their support for both the unopposed Spain, Portugal and Morocco 2030 bid and the Saudi 2034 bid (rather than having two separate acclamations). Fifa meanwhile can argue that anointing hosts via uncontested bids is preferable to the past, when long races between various countries could be vulnerable to vote-swapping and attempted corruption, and that as a global body they have a duty to take their flagship event to new territories. What have other countries said? Norway’s football federation has said it will abstain from the acclamation, arguing the bidding process “undermines Fifa’s own reforms for good governance” and “challenges trust in Fifa”. It added that Fifa’s guidelines for due diligence had not been followed, “increasing the risk of human rights violations”. Most federations outside of western Europe will endorse the Saudi bid. Germany’s DFB said it “took the criticism of the applicant country seriously...[but] our goal is to work together with Fifa to improve the situation in the coming years”. The FA is yet to declare what position it will take , although BBC Sport has been told some senior officials, while aware of human rights concerns, are wary of accusations of hypocrisy if it fails to support Saudi Arabia but then wants England to participate. Most scrutiny has come from outside the sport. In March, the Guardian said it had found evidence of high numbers of unexplained deaths of Bangladeshi migrant workers in Saudi Arabia. The country defended its regulations and standards, but Fifa came under pressure to secure binding commitments for reforms, external before awarding the World Cup. In October, an independent report conducted by the Saudi arm of a major law firm – which was submitted to Fifa as part of its bid inspection – was condemned by human rights groups for ignoring the alleged abuse of migrant workers. Last month Amnesty urged Fifa to halt the bidding process, external “to avoid worsening an already dire situation”, warning that “fans will face discrimination, residents will be forcibly evicted, migrant workers will face exploitation, and many will die” if a Saudi tournament went ahead. There has been some opposition to Saudi’s growing influence within football. In October for instance, more than 100 professional women’s footballers signed an open letter urging Fifa to drop Aramco as a sponsor, calling it a “punch in the stomach”. But others fear that many players are reluctant to speak out in case it jeopardises a lucrative move to the Saudi Pro League, and also that it is difficult for footballers to take a stand when governments are prepared to do business with Saudi Arabia. This week for instance, the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, visited the kingdom in a bid to strengthen economic ties. What will a Saudi World Cup look like? “Extraordinary”, according to the Saudi Football Federation. Its bid proposes 15 stadiums, (including three that are under construction, and eight where work is yet to start), across five host cities, including one (the futuristic development of Neom) that is yet to be built. Fifa’s evaluation report hails “a range of impressive stadiums which, when built or refurbished, could offer state-of-the-art infrastructure”. It is also almost certain to be held in winter. But there could be one major difference with neighbouring Qatar’s tournament, which took place in November-December, 2022. Noting that summer temperatures “can exceed 40C”, Fifa has said there is an “elevated risk in terms of event timing” for Saudi 2034, and referenced having to navigate “climatic conditions” and “religious events”, leading to speculation the event may be held from the start of January to avoid a clash with Ramadan. Premier League and other top European leagues would oppose a winter World Cup according to the PA news agency. What does this say about Saudi sporting influence? For many, ratification of a Saudi World Cup would be the ultimate expression of the power the country now wields across sports, and the opportunity, disruption and controversy that have accompanied it. The kingdom has invested billions of pounds staging events since 2021, when the country’s de-facto ruler the Crown Prince made it a key part of his ‘Vision 2030’ strategy to modernise and diversify the economy. The kingdom has since hosted Formula 1, football’s Spanish and Italian cup finals, the Club World Cup, and top-level boxing, golf, horse-racing and tennis. The country’s Public Investment Fund has also launched the breakaway LIV golf series, taken control of four Saudi Pro League clubs and purchased Newcastle United. Meanwhile a recent report by Danish organisation Play the Game has revealed that Saudi Arabia has signed more than 900 sponsorship deals, external and made dozens of formalised agreements with football federations as it extends its influence across the sports landscape. But staging a World Cup will take Saudi’s sporting revolution to an entirely different level, and perhaps even pave the way for an Olympic bid in the future. Is this just sportswashing? Many critics see this as the biggest act of sportswashing in Fifa’s history with the World Cup being used to help improve the image of a country that has faced years of criticism over subjects such as: While campaigners acknowledge that there have been important reforms in recent years, for example over women’s rights, they also point out there has been continued repression. Saudi Arabia executed the third highest number of prisoners in the world in 2023, and three hundred people have already been put to death this year, a record tally based on official figures. This year Manahel al-Otaibi was sentenced to 11 years in prison after she used social media to call for an end to rules stating that women needed the permission of a male relative to marry or travel. Campaign group Reprieve said: “This is one of the world’s most brutal authoritarian regimes spending vast sums of money to create a false image, to distract from worsening repression and state violence. “Some of those executed or currently facing a death sentence are protesters or have done nothing more serious than be caught with small amounts of cannabis. “Fans planning to travel to Saudi Arabia in 2034 should be aware that this is a country where exercising freedoms we take for granted in democratic societies can get you killed.” The Saudi authorities insist their bid is designed to diversify the economy and boost tourism, act as a catalyst for modernisation and reform, and inspire a youthful population to be more active. Last year, the country’s sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, defended the country’s right to host the tournament, told me claims of sportswashing were “shallow.” He added: “We’ve hosted more than 85 global events and we’ve delivered on the highest level. We want to attract the world through sports... any country has room for improvement, no-one’s perfect. We acknowledge that and these events help us reform to a better future for everyone.” Women in Saudi Arabia were only allowed to enter sports stadia to watch matches in 2018, but since then a professional women’s football league and national women’s team has been created, with more than 70,000 girls now playing regularly. However, last year, Jake Daniels, the UK’s only openly gay active male professional footballer, told the BBC he “wouldn’t feel safe” at a Saudi World Cup. When I asked what he would say to female and gay fans worrying whether they would be safe to attend, Prince Abdulaziz said that “everyone is welcome” . Could Saudi 2034 lead to change? Many believe that while Qatar delivered a secure and memorable World Cup enjoyed by many fans, the years of controversy that overshadowed the tournament over human rights, discriminatory laws, and the major disruption to the football calendar caused by a first winter World Cup could now be repeated. Back in 2010, Qatar’s shock victory in the vote to decide the 2022 hosts took Fifa’s then-leadership by surprise. In contrast, Infantino appears to have been supportive of the idea of a Saudi World Cup. And with Fifa having brought in a human rights policy in 2017, there could be even more scrutiny on its decision – and any evidence that it leads to workers being adversely impacted. As with Qatar, the Saudi World Cup infrastructure will be largely built by migrant workers from South Asia, with more than 13 million foreigners living in the country, and the scale of construction required has inevitably led to concerns. Fifa’s own report has concluded that “a number of severe human rights impacts did ultimately occur in Qatar from 2010 through 2022 for a number of workers connected to the World Cup. This included: deaths, injuries and illnesses; wages not being paid for months on end; and significant debt... a credible argument can be made that Fifa contributed to some of the impacts”. The media scrutiny that accompanied the build-up to Qatar’s World Cup may have led to labour reforms that were brought in, although campaigners have raised concerns over implementation , and are furious that Fifa has not acted on the key recommendation of its own report and paid financial compensation to workers who were harmed. Last year, Prince Abdulaziz assured me there would be no repeat of Qatar’s issues with workers’ rights, saying: “We have 10 years to work on that, we already started in a lot of the venues, so we have a long time to do it in the right process.” However, in its Saudi evaluation report, external , Fifa references “areas where further legal reforms are needed and... effective enforcement, without which the risk of indecent working conditions could be elevated”. Fifa hails the Saudi government’s “commitment to respecting, protecting and fulfilling internationally recognised human rights in connection with the competition including in the areas of safety and security, labour rights, rights of children, gender equality and non-discrimination, as well as freedom of expression (including press freedom)”. But with regard to diversity and anti-discrimination, its report also “notes gaps and reservations in the implementation of relevant international standards”. Despite that, Fifa claimed “a good potential that the tournament could serve as a catalyst for some of the ongoing and future reforms and contribute to positive human rights outcomes”. Amnesty said the assessment was: “An astonishing whitewash of the country’s atrocious human rights record. Fundamental human rights reforms are urgently required in Saudi Arabia, or the 2034 World Cup will be inevitably tarnished by exploitation, discrimination and repression.” Campaign group Fair Square said Fifa had “plumbed new depths”. What about the environment? Campaigners have long accused the world’s biggest oil exporter of adding to climate change through its fossil-fuel industry, and of blocking climate action. But now they have also expressed major concerns about the impact of staging a 48-team tournament, pointing to the energy required for cooling systems, the desalination of water and carbon-intensive infrastructure projects. The Saudi government says it is diversifying away from fossil fuels and trying to reduce omissions, and has rejected criticism it is using sport to distract from its record on sustainability. Fifa’s World Cup evaluation report said “Whilst the extent of construction would have a material environmental impact, the bid provides a good foundation for delivering mitigation measures to address some of the environment-related challenges.” Fifa’s credibility in this area was badly undermined last year when a Swiss regulator ruled it had made false statements about the reduced environmental impact of Qatar 2022 having claimed it would be the first “fully carbon-neutral World Cup”. Furthermore, while Qatar constructed seven new stadiums, Saudi Arabia is building 11 and refurbishing a further four. A total of 64 matches were played in Qatar but Saudi 2034 would feature 104, so the environmental impact could be greater. What does this tell us about sport? A Saudi World Cup underlines the extraordinary shift in sporting power towards the Middle East. Up until relatively recently, the idea of tiny Qatar and neighbouring Saudi Arabia hosting World Cups within the space of just 12 years would have been inconceivable to many. But given these countries’ wealth, and sports bodies’ desire for financial growth and new markets, that will now happen. Saudi Arabia can point out that it will be far from the only controversial host of a sporting mega-event in recent years. In the past two decades, Russia has hosted both the World Cup and Olympics. China has hosted both the summer and Winter Olympics. Same-sex relationships are also illegal in 2030 World Cup co-hosts Morocco, as they are in Qatar. And environmental campaigners have expressed dismay at the staging of the 2030 World Cup across three continents. Amnesty has also recently expressed concern about human rights in 2026 World Cup hosts the United States., external Others however, fear that the applause Saudi’s bid receives on Wednesday will represent a devastating defeat for sport’s commitment to human rights and sustainability, and a low-point for those in charge of world football. The Saudi authorities and Fifa now have the next decade to try to convince the doubters the country can be a suitable host, and that the sport’s flagship event is not tainted.AG Formella joins 51 others warning phone companies to stop robocalls to residents