Israel and Hamas agree to hostage release, “first phase” of peace plan
President Trump ...
President Trump said last night that Israel and Hamas had agreed on the initial phase of a deal to end the war in Gaza. That includes the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners from Israel, as well as the withdrawal of Israeli troops to an agreed-upon area. Israel and Hamas both subsequently said a deal was reached, with Hamas saying the agreement also called for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. The Associated Press reports that Hamas would free the 20 living hostages this weekend, and Israel would also begin its withdrawal. However, more details, including whether Hamas will agree to disarm, likely still need to be worked out for additional phases of the agreement, which could have the potential to completely end the devastating two-year war.
Former FBI Director James Comey pleads not guilty. Comey...
Former FBI Director James Comey pleads not guilty. Comey appeared in court yesterday and pleaded not guilty to charges of making a false statement to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding that stem from testimony he gave in 2020. The case was brought after President Trump publicly called for the prosecution of his perceived political enemies, including Comey, and following the replacement of a prosecutor who declined to bring it with one who had previously represented Trump personally. Comey’s attorneys said yesterday that they will seek a dismissal of the case as vindictive and selective prosecution based on Trump’s public demand for charges. The judge set a Jan. 5 trial date.
President Trump said that Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker should be jailed for not protecting ICE agents, in the latest escalation of the president’s fight with local Democratic leaders, as he deploys National Guard Troops in the city.
The Fed is divided over how many interest rate cuts there should be this year, though a slim majority favors two more, its meeting minutes from September show. The central bank is unlikely to have new data on the labor market to help guide it at its meeting this month, due to the government shutdown
The IRS furloughed nearly half its staff yesterday because of the government shutdown.
French President Emmanuel Macron said yesterday he would name a new prime minister within 48 hours, shutting down speculation that he would call new elections as France reckons with a debt crisis.
Amazon is putting prescription drugs into vending machines at its One Medical clinics, starting in LA, so patients can pick up their medicine on the way out of appointments with doctors.
Domino’s is getting a new look for the first time in a decade, which will be accompanied by a jingle sung by Shaboozey. We hope this goes better for the pizza chain than it did for Cracker Barrel.
Dow ends flat, S&P 500 and Nasdaq close at records after release of Fed minutes
U.S. stocks finished mostly higher on Wednesday, with...
U.S. stocks finished mostly higher on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite booking fresh all-time closing highs after the artificial-intelligence trade regained its footing.
The S&P 500 gained 39.13 points, or nearly 0.6% to end at 6,753.72, a new record close. It was the index's largest one-day percentage gain since Sept. 26, according to Dow Jones Market Data.
The Nasdaq Composite surged 255.02 points, or over 1.1% to finish at 23,043.38. The tech-heavy index scored its largest one-day point and percentage gain since Aug. 22.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended flat, at 46,601.78.
Investors on Wednesday piled back into megacap technology stocks with renewed enthusiasm after Nvidia Corp. Chief Executive Jensen Huang said that AI-computing demand has risen substantially in recent months. Shares of Nvidia jumped 2.2%, while Advanced Micro Devices Inc.'s stock was up 11.4% and Super Micro Computer Inc.'s stock rose 6.6%, according to FactSet data.
Meanwhile, the U.S. government shutdown entered its eighth day.
Earlier, minutes from the Federal Reserve's September policy meeting showed most officials said they would probably need to cut interest rates “over the remainder of the year” because of a worsening labor market and diminished risks of inflation.
Over 9,000 flights were delayed Monday and Tuesday at U.S. airports due to air-traffic control staffing shortages during the federal government shutdown, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed. The FAA noted a slight uptick in sick leave requests among controllers.
The system faces critical understaffing, with 10,800 controllers versus the 14,633 needed. Nashville International Airport experienced delays exceeding two hours Tuesday, while Hollywood Burbank Airport shut down air-traffic operations entirely for several hours due to insufficient staff.
Controllers are essential workers required to work without pay during shutdowns. Union officials warned the situation could discourage new recruitment for the already-pressured profession. FAA shortages worsen.