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Friday, December 13, 2024
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Good Morning! On this day in 1636, Massachusetts organized the first militia regiments in North America to defend the colony, a date now recognized as the founding of the National Guard of the United States.
NASA recently discovered a new forming galaxy that’s twinkling with festive colors. It’s like the great Christmas tree in the heavens! Okay, it isn’t shaped like a tree—not even close. We still think it looks neat.
GoldCo is our sponsor today, offering a free beginner’s guide to building gold and silver.
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 Biden Sets Single-Day Clemency Record
President Biden set a single-day clemency record Thursday, commuting the sentences of 1,500 Americans in home confinement and pardoning 39 people, the White House said.
The commutations were given to people serving their sentences under home confinement due to complications from the COVID-19 pandemic. Biden said that those pardoned had demonstrated successful rehabilitation.
Biden also confirmed he would take additional steps in the coming weeks and continues to review clemency petitions. You can see a full list of commutations and pardons here.
The previous single-day clemency record was held by former President Barack Obama, who approved 330 requests shortly before leaving office in 2017.
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Winter Storm Blankets New York
The third major lake-effect snowstorm in three weeks hit Great Lakes communities from Michigan to New York on Thursday, creating near-whiteout conditions and hazardous travel.
As much as a foot of snow fell in two hours during the morning hours in parts of New York, resulting in several school districts being closed, drivers being stranded after sliding off the roadways, and travel bans.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency in several counties, anticipating feet of additional snowfall through the rest of the week.
Parts of Erie County in Western New York recorded up to 31.5 inches of snow, the highest snowfall in the state.
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Americans Struggle to Pay Electric Bills
A new study by LendingTree found that more than a third of Americans have reduced their spending or skipped household necessities at least once in the past year to pay for utility bills.
LendingTree cited the U.S. Census Bureau, reporting that electricity bills have increased by 2.6%, leaving 23.4% unable to pay part or all of their energy bills and 22.8% keeping their homes at an unhealthy or unsafe temperature.
Eight of the top eleven states with the highest percentage of residents struggling to pay energy bills are in the South, with Mississippi, Alabama, and Oklahoma leading in the number of people cutting essential expenses.
Connecticut, Arizona, and Texas had the highest average monthly electricity bills in the nation. See where your state ranks here.
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➤ The Justice Department’s Inspector General report, released Thursday, confirmed 26 FBI informants were present outside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, but only three were assigned to be there. It claimed that no assigned informants were directed to encourage bystanders to break the law. (More)
➤ The House approved a bill Thursday, 236-173, to create 66 federal court seats over the next decade, sending it to President Biden despite a veto threat. The Senate unanimously passed it in August. (More)
➤ President-elect Donald Trump rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday, where he was greeted with chants of “U-S-A” and vowed to make the country more business-friendly. (More)
➤ Ontario Premier Doug Ford threatened Wednesday to cut off energy supplies to the U.S. if President-elect Donald Trump enacts proposed tariffs on Canadian goods, saying it was his job “to protect Ontario.” (More)
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➤ Colorado two-way standout Travis Hunter was named the Associated Press College Football Player of the Year on Thursday, earning 26 of 43 votes. Boise State tailback Ashton Jeanty finished second with 16 votes. (More)
➤ The Broncos and left tackle Garett Bolles have agreed on a four-year extension, keeping their longest-tenured player in Denver, the team announced Thursday. (More)
➤ College football analyst and former Florida and Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen has been named UNLV’s next head coach, the school announced Thursday. (More)
➤ Yesterday’s results: NFL | NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW
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Today’s holiday section is brought to you by:
 A reporter toured a UPS training facility to learn how over 2 billion holiday packages will be shipped, advising shoppers to buy and ship early for timely delivery. (More)
Good Housekeeping’s list of the 51 best Christmas gifts for husbands includes everything from gadgets to power tools, with the mini-6-inch cordless chainsaw being a Flyover office favorite. (See List)
Jack Black, Dwayne Johnson, and Chris Evans are among the big stars featured on CNET’s list of the best new Christmas movies streaming this month. (See List)
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 Daily Market Report 12/12/2024
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NASDAQ
National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations |
19,902.84 |
-0.66%
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SPX
S&P 500 |
6,051.25 |
-0.54%
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DJI
Dow Jones Industrial Average |
43,914.12 |
-0.53%
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BTC
Bitcoin |
$99,802.32 |
-1.35%
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GOLD
Per Ounce |
$2,705.20 |
-1.05%
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CIEN
Ciena Corporation |
$84.52 |
+15.45%
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Gold and Bitcoin are traded 24 hours a day.
➤ Big Stock Move: Shares of software company Ciena rose more than 15% Thursday, driven by a strong first-quarter orders outlook and opportunities for accelerated revenue growth. (More)
➤ Shares of Warner Bros. Discovery rose 15% Thursday after the company announced a restructuring plan to segment its business into linear and streaming units, simplifying future consolidation. (More)
➤ Amazon has partnered with Hyundai to sell cars online in 48 cities, allowing shoppers to research vehicles, trade-in values, and financing through Amazon Auto. (More)
➤ The global coffee market hit a 47-year record this week, with arabica coffee selling for $3.44 per pound due to Brazil’s drought and smaller harvests. (More)
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This is a paid advertisement for Frontieras Regulation CF Offering. Please read the offering circular at https://invest.frontieras.com/.
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➤ NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope captured the first images of a forming galaxy, showing ten-star clusters in various colors, which scientists compared to shining “Christmas lights.” (See Lights)
➤ A meteor lit up the sky over Southern Illinois early Tuesday, accompanied by a loud boom as it streaked like a fireball and was captured on security cameras. (See Video)
➤ CUE, an AI-enhanced robot created by Toyota, broke the Guinness World Record for the farthest shot by a humanoid robot, sinking an 80.5-foot shot on its second attempt. (See Shot)
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➤ Protect Your Joints: 5 Breakfast Foods You Need to Avoid. Your morning routine might be secretly working against your joints. While you think you’re making healthy breakfast choices, scientists have discovered that 5 common morning foods could be contributing to your stiff, achy joints. Even more surprising? Researchers have identified a specific protein that could help protect your joints from these everyday foods. What you learn about your breakfast habits could change everything about how your joints feel by dinner. (Learn more)
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➤ Superstar Elton John, named Time’s Icon of the Year, called marijuana legalization a major mistake, citing his past substance abuse and belief that it impairs judgment and leads to harder drugs. (More)
➤ Zelda Williams, daughter of the late comedy legend Robin Williams, shared that her father consistently hired homeless people for his projects, encouraging others to adopt similar compassion. (More)
➤ Actor Jim Carrey has emerged from a self-imposed retirement to reprise his role as the evil Dr. Robotnik in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, saying he “needs the money.” (More)
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➤ Police located Hannah Kobayashi, a Hawaii woman missing since last month in Los Angeles, safe in Mexico Wednesday. (More)
➤ An Ohio lawmaker introduced the O.H.I.O. Sportsmanship Act Tuesday, proposing to make “flag planting” in Ohio Stadium a felony following the Ohio State-Michigan postgame debacle. (More)
➤ Eighteen year-old chess prodigy Gukesh Dommaraju became the youngest world champion Thursday, surpassing Garry Kasparov’s record with a dramatic win over China’s Ding Liren in Singapore. (More)
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 Daily Quote
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“The lack of information is absolutely unacceptable.”
— Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal on the lack of information on the drones spotted flying over New Jersey.
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Today’s Trivia
