Stock market today: Stocks edge lower after a holiday pause for US markets

Stocks edged lower on Wall Street Thursday morning after U.S. markets reopened for trading after the Christmas holiday. The S&P 500 slipped 0.1%. The benchmark index is coming off a three-day winning streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 23 points, or 0.1%, as of...

Israel announces new strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital and ports

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Houthi rebels in Yemen said Israeli airstrikes on Thursday targeted the rebel-held capital of Sanaa and the port city of Hodeida, following several days of Houthi launches setting off sirens in Israel. The Israeli military said it attacked...

Turkey's central bank lowers key interest rate to 47.5%

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s central bank lowered its key interest rate by 2.5 percentage points to 47.5% on Thursday, carrying out its first rate cut in nearly two years as it tries to control soaring inflation. Citing slowing inflation, the bank’s Monetary Policy Committee...

Christmas shooting at Phoenix airport leaves 3 people wounded, 1 stabbed

PHOENIX (AP) — Authorities are investigating a Christmas shooting at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix that left three people injured by gunfire and another person stabbed. Police said the incident was related to a family dispute. Phoenix police said the evening shooting happened at...

How the stock market defied expectations again this year, by the numbers

NEW YORK (AP) — What a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors. U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. The year featured many familiar winners, such as Big...

Holiday shoppers increased spending by 3.8% despite higher prices

Sales rose this year during the holiday shopping season even as Americans wrestled with elevated prices for many groceries and other necessities, according to new data. Holiday sales from the beginning of November through Christmas Eve climbed 3.8%, outpacing the 3.1% increase from a...

Israel's military carries out strikes on infrastructure used by Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital and some ports

Five facts about electric vehicles in 2024

DETROIT (AP) — Electric vehicles had another whirlwind year around the globe, driven by buyers in China, and growth in parts of Europe and the United States, despite headwinds. In a milestone for China, the world's biggest auto market, EVs hit 50% of new car sales in July. That...

Finland stops Russia-linked vessel over damaged undersea power cable in Baltic Sea

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Finnish authorities have detained a Russia-linked ship as they investigate whether it damaged a Baltic Sea power cable and several data cables, according to police and news media reports, in the latest incident involving disruption of key infrastructure. ...

US applications for unemployment benefits hold steady, but continuing claims rise to 3-year high

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits held steady last week, though continuing claims rose to the highest level in three years. Jobless claim applications ticked down by 1,000 to 219,000 for the week of Dec. 21, the Labor Department reported...