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Stock market today: Wall Street inches higher, US Steel gets $14 billion buyout offer from Nippon

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:46:54 GMT

Wall Street pointed modestly higher early Monday and appear headed for a positive open to the final full trading week of the year.Futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average each edged 0.1% higher before the bell.U.S. Steel shares jumped about 28% after Japan’s Nippon Steel said it would acquire the storied steelmaker in an all-cash deal valued at about $14.1 billion, or $14.9 billion with debt. That’s nearly double what was offered just four months ago by rival Cleveland Cliffs. On Friday, the S&P 500 finished down less than 0.1%, within 1.6% of its all-time high set early last year, closing out a seventh straight winning week for its longest such streak in six years.The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which tracks a smaller slice of the U.S. stock market, rose 0.2% and set a record for a third straight day. The Nasdaq composite climbed 0.4%.“As the S&P approaches record levels, market participants appear undaunted,” Stephen Innes of API...

Draw lists for the knockout round playoffs in the Europa League and Conference League

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:46:54 GMT

NYON, Switzerland (AP) — Draw made Monday for the knockout round playoffs in the Europa League and Conference League (matches to be played from Feb. 15):___Europa League:Feyenoord (Netherlands) vs. Roma (Italy)AC Milan (Italy) vs. Rennes (France)Lens (France) vs. Freiburg (Germany)Young Boys (Switzerland) vs. Sporting (Portugal)Benfica (Portugal) vs. Toulouse (France)Braga (Portugal) vs. Qarabag (Azerbaijan)Galatasaray (Turkey) vs. Sparta Prague (Czech Republic)Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) vs. Marseille (France)___Conference League:Sturm Graz (Austria) vs. Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia)Servette (Switzerland) vs. Ludogorets (Bulgaria)Union Saint-Gilloise (Belgium) vs. Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany)Real Betis (Spain) vs. Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia)Olympiacos (Greece) vs. Ferencvaros (Hungary)Ajax (Netherlands) vs. Bodø/Glimt (Norway)Molde (Norway) vs. Legia Warsaw (Poland)Maccabi Haifa (Israel) vs. Gent (Belgium)___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerSource

A massive fuel depot explosion rocks Guinea’s capital, causing casualties and damage

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:46:54 GMT

CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) — An explosion and inferno at Guinea’s main fuel depot in the capital of Conakry left several people dead or injured, authorities and local media reported Monday, as emergency services battled to put out the fire.The fire broke out at the Guinean Petroleum Company depot shortly after a massive explosion past midnight Sunday, Guinea’s presidency said in a statement. The area in the heart of the Kaloum administrative district is home to most government offices.It was not immediately clear what caused the fire at the depot that supplies most of the fuel in Guinea, raising fears of a major supply disruption.Officials have not confirmed any casualty figures though local media reported dozens of people were hurt, most of them hospitalized with serious injuries. At least four dead were confirmed at the Ignace Deen hospital, Conakry-based Le Courrier de Conakry news platform reported.Communications Minister Aminata Kaba said that damage was significant. The fire r...

Wind advisory issued for DC region; commuters face slippery roads, closures

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:46:54 GMT

Listen to WTOP for weather updates on the 8s.Heavy rains roared into the D.C. region Sunday night and continued into Monday morning, leaving behind slippery roads and flooding concerns as commuters hit the roads to start their work week. Here’s what you need to know:A wind advisory has been issued from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and includes the entirety of the District, Maryland, and northern Virginia. A flood warning for large portions of the D.C. region expired at 7 a.m.Rain pushing along the East Coast is expected to continue impacting the D.C. metro area throughout the early Monday morning hours, with an inch to 1.5 inches of rain already on the ground, according to WTOP meteorologist Chad Merrill. 11:19 PM Radar Update: A band of moderate rainfall will continue to move northward across the area. This is all in response to a potent coastal low near eastern NC. 3-hour rainfall totals have been around 0.50-1.25″. A Flood Watch continues until 6 AM Mon. #MDwx #VAwx #DCwx #WVwx p...

Injury to winger Karim Adeyemi adds to Borussia Dortmund’s troubles

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:46:54 GMT

DORTMUND, Germany (AP) — Borussia Dortmund’s list of problems grew longer Monday as the German club confirmed winger Karim Adeyemi could be out for several weeks with an injury he sustained against Paris Saint-Germain last week.Dortmund said the injury was a “partial tear” of syndesmosis tissue, a type of joint between bones. Adeyemi took a heavy blow to the ankle against PSG last week but played on and scored in a 1-1 draw before eventually going off hurt as Dortmund topped its Champions League group.Dortmund said Adeyemi will “not be available in the coming weeks.” While much of his time out injured is likely to be covered by Germany’s winter break, Adeyemi has already missed Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Augsburg and stands to miss Tuesday’s game against Mainz as Dortmund seeks to end a five-game winless run in all competitions.Dortmund’s success in Europe has been accompanied by difficulties in domestic competitions. Edin Terzic’s team is fifth in ...

Cat lost in a snowstorm returns home after a month

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:46:54 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — A cat was lost for almost a month in the foothills. His family lost hope, but then strangers found him eight miles away from home.The orange cat, Cheeseball, was outside during a snowstorm in late November. The family noticed he was missing the next day when his food bowl was still full. Local family warns others after dog was dragged off porch by pack of coyotes Three weeks passed, and the family continued to search for Cheeseball and posted flyers around the neighborhood, on Nextdoor, with the vet and on other local Facebook groups.The cat, belonging to a 9-year-old named Bailey, was considered gone. The family thought they lost him forever and even adopted a new kitten.Twenty-three days later, strangers called the family claiming to have found Cheeseball eight miles away from home and across Highway 285.Cat found after weeks lost in snowstorm(Photo courtesy: Lauren Zuyddyk)Cat found after weeks lost in snowstorm(Photo courtesy: Lauren Zuyddyk)Cat found after wee...

Southwest Airlines reaches $140 million settlement over holiday flight-canceling meltdown last year

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:46:54 GMT

DALLAS (AP) — Southwest Airlines will pay a $35 million fine as part of a $140 million settlement to resolve a federal investigation into a debacle in December 2022 when the airline canceled thousands of flights and stranded more than 2 million travelers over the holidays.Most of the settlement will go toward compensating future passengers, which the U.S. Department of Transportation considers an incentive for Southwest to avoid repeating last winter's mess.The government said the assessment was the largest it has ever imposed on an airline for violating consumer protection laws.Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the settlement demonstrates his agency's resolve to make airlines take care of their passengers.“This penalty should put all airlines on notice to take every step possible to ensure that a meltdown like this never happens again,” he said.Southwest said it was “grateful to have reached a consumer-friendly settlement" that gives the airline credit for compensation i...

Pope OKs blessings for same-sex couples — if the rituals don't resemble marriage

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:46:54 GMT

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has formally approved allowing priests to bless same-sex couples, with a new document explaining a radical change in Vatican policy by insisting that people seeking God’s love and mercy shouldn’t be subject to “an exhaustive moral analysis” to receive it.The document from the Vatican’s doctrine office, released Monday, elaborates on a letter Francis sent to two conservative cardinals that was published in October. In that preliminary response, Francis suggested such blessings could be offered under some circumstances if they didn’t confuse the ritual with the sacrament of marriage. How much does a wedding cost in Colorado? The new document repeats that rationale and elaborates on it, reaffirming that marriage is a lifelong sacrament between a man and a woman. And it stresses that blessings should not be conferred at the same time as a civil union, using set rituals or even with the clothing and gestures that belong in a wedding.But it s...

First baby African elephant born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 7 years, park says

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:46:54 GMT

(CNN) — Saturday marked a momentous occasion at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida, where officials announced an African elephant calf was born at the park for the first time in seven years.The baby girl named Corra weighed 218 pounds at birth and is bonding backstage with her mother, Nadirah, said Scott Terrell, the director of animal and science Operations for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Worldwide, in a blog post.Disney said the birth of Corra, who is Nadirah’s first calf, is “extra special” since Nadirah was also born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 2005, making her the first second-generation calf at the park.Nadirah became pregnant in early 2022 through natural breeding and received care from Disney’s animal care team for her entire 22-month pregnancy, park officials said.Births of African elephants at Disney are planned through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan, a program to help “ensure the responsible breeding of endangered animals in mana...

Florida researchers explore robot’s human capabilities at IHMC

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 06:46:54 GMT

PENSACOLA, Fla. (WSVN) — The Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHCM) Robotics Lab developed a robot to delve into the understanding of human abilities.Meet “Nadia,” a humanoid robot equipped with a high power-to-weight ratio and a wide range of motion. Nadia employs innovative mechanisms and composite materials.While Nadia’s capabilities extend beyond boxing, researchers believe that engaging in this physical activity against human opponents serves as a starting point for studying human capabilities. “Right now, though, our projects with Nadia aren’t really focused on boxing,” said Dr. Robert Griffin. “What we’re really looking towards is making robots who can start doing some of the dangerous tasks that we currently rely on people to do: things like bomb disposal, nuclear cleanup, disaster response”The ultimate goal is to create an alternative workforce for hazardous jobs, allowing robots like Nadia to step in and...