In the world of sports, the Atlanta Falcons have decided to retain Kirk Cousins as their starting quarterback, despite his recent struggles. Cousins, 36, has thrown six interceptions and no touchdowns during a three-game losing streak, most recently against the Los Angeles Chargers with a poor passer rating. Bears' general manager Ryan Poles has been given another chance to hire a new head coach after Matt Eberflus was ousted. Poles will lead the search for a suitable candidate following the Bears' consecutive losses. Meanwhile, the New Orleans Saints fear Taysom Hill's season may be over due to a knee injury. Elsewhere, women's basketball teams TCU and Duke have made impressive strides, entering the top 10 of the Associated Press poll. On the field, several athletes face pivotal moments, including injury recoveries and decisions regarding their professional futures. (With inputs from agencies.)Pardon as act of parenting, not politics, the better pitch | READER COMMENTARY
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 Tech, which got even bigger as their stock prices kept growing . But it wasn't just Apple, Nvidia and the like. Bitcoin , gold and other investments also drove higher. Here's a look at some of the numbers that defined the year. All are as of Dec. 20. Remember when President Bill Clinton got impeached or when baseball's Mark McGwire hit his 70th home run against the Montreal Expos? That was the last time the U.S. stock market closed out a second straight year with a leap of at least 20%, something the S&P 500 is on track to do again this year. The index has climbed 24.3% so far this year, not including dividends, following last year's spurt of 24.2%. The number of all-time highs the S&P 500 has set so far this year. The first came early, on Jan. 19, when the index capped a two-year comeback from the swoon caused by high inflation and worries that high interest rates instituted by the Federal Reserve to combat it would create a recession. But the index was methodical through the rest of the year, setting a record in every month outside of April and August, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices. The latest came on Dec. 6. The number of times the Federal Reserve has cut its main interest rate this year from a two-decade high, offering some relief to the economy. Expectations for those cuts, along with hopes for more in 2025, were a big reason the U.S. stock market has been so successful this year. The 1 percentage point of cuts, though, is still short of the 1.5 percentage points that many traders were forecasting for 2024 at the start of the year. The Fed disappointed investors in December when it said it may cut rates just two more times in 2025, fewer than it had earlier expected. That’s how many points the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by the day after Election Day, as investors made bets on what Donald Trump’s return to the White House will mean for the economy and the world . The more widely followed S&P 500 soared 2.5% for its best day in nearly two years. Aside from bitcoin, stocks of banks and smaller winners were also perceived to be big winners. The bump has since diminished amid worries that Trump’s policies could also send inflation higher. The level that bitcoin topped to set a record above $108,000 this past month. It's been climbing as interest rates come down, and it got a particularly big boost following Trump's election. He's turned around and become a fan of crypto, and he's named a former regulator who’s seen as friendly to digital currencies as the next chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, replacing someone who critics said was overly aggressive in his oversight. Bitcoin was below $17,000 just two years ago following the collapse of crypto exchange FTX. Gold's rise for the year, as it also hit records and had as strong a run as U.S. stocks. Wars around the world have helped drive demand for investments seen as safe, such as gold. It's also benefited from the Fed's cut to interest rates. When bonds are paying less in interest, they pull away fewer potential buyers from gold, which pays investors nothing. It's a favorite number of Elon Musk, and it's also a threshold that Tesla's stock price passed in December as it set a record. The number has a long history among marijuana devotees, and Musk famously said in 2018 that he had secured funding to take Tesla private at $420 per share . Tesla soared this year, up from less than $250 at the start, in part because of expectations that Musk's close relationship with Trump could benefit the company. That's how much revenue Nvidia made in the nine months through Oct. 27, showing how the artificial-intelligence frenzy is creating mountains of cash. Nvidia's chips are driving much of the move into AI, and its revenue through the last nine months catapulted from less than $39 billion the year before. Such growth has boosted Nvidia's worth to more than $3 trillion in total. GameStop’s gain on May 13 after Keith Gill, better known as “Roaring Kitty,” appeared online for the first time in three years to support the video game retailer’s stock, which he helped rocket to unimaginable heights during the “ meme stock craze ” in 2021. Several other meme stocks also jumped following his post in May on the social platform X, including AMC Entertainment. Gill later disclosed a sizeable stake in the online pet products retailer Chewy, but he sold all of his holdings by late October . That's how much the U.S. economy grew, at annualized seasonally adjusted rates, in each of the three first quarters of this year. Such growth blew past what many pessimists were expecting when inflation was topping 9% in the summer of 2022. The fear was that the medicine prescribed by the Fed to beat high inflation — high interest rates — would create a recession. Households at the lower end of the income spectrum in particular are feeling pain now, as they contend with still-high prices. But the overall economy has remained remarkably resilient. This is the vacancy rate for U.S. office buildings — an all-time high — through the first three quarters of 2024, according to data from Moody's. The fact the rate held steady for most of the year was something of a win for office building owners, given that it had marched up steadily from 16.8% in the fourth quarter of 2019. Demand for office space weakened as the pandemic led to the popularization of remote work. That's the total number of previously occupied homes sold nationally through the first 11 months of 2024. Sales would have to surge 20% year-over-year in December for 2024's home sales to match the 4.09 million existing homes sold in 2023, a nearly 30-year low. The U.S. housing market has been in a sales slump dating back to 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. A shortage of homes for sale and elevated mortgage rates have discouraged many would-be homebuyers.
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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Gautam Adani and several others condoled the demise of former prime minister Manmohan Singh. Adani Group Chairman, Gautam Adani, on Thursday expressed his deepest condolences at the demise of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, saying that he was a rare leader who spoke softly but achieved monumental strides through his actions. Dr. Singh, renowned economist and architect of India’s economic reforms, passed away at age 92. He was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here following a deterioration in his health. “Deeply saddened by the passing of Dr Manmohan Singh. History will forever honour his pivotal role in the transformative 1991 reforms that reshaped India and opened its doors to the world,” Gautam Adani posted on X. Deeply saddened by the passing of Dr Manmohan Singh. History will forever honour his pivotal role in the transformative 1991 reforms that reshaped India and opened its doors to the world. A rare leader who spoke softly but achieved monumental strides through his actions, Dr... pic.twitter.com/seW5Fk5hKY Gautam Adani further stated that Dr Singh was “a rare leader who spoke softly but achieved monumental strides through his actions”. “Dr Singh’s life remains a masterclass in leadership, humility and service to the nation and will inspire generations to come,” added the Adani Group Chairman. India mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished leaders, Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji. Rising from humble origins, he rose to become a respected economist. He served in various government positions as well, including as Finance Minister, leaving a strong imprint on our economic... pic.twitter.com/clW00Yv6oP PM Modi condoles demise of Dr. Manmohan Singh Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the death of former PM Manmohan Singh, who passed away here in the AIIMS at the age of 92. Taking to X, PM Modi wrote: “India mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished leaders, Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji. Rising from humble origins, he rose to become a respected economist. He served in various government positions as well, including as Finance Minister, leaving a strong imprint on our economic policy over the years. His interventions in Parliament were also insightful. As our Prime Minister, he made extensive efforts to improve people’s lives.” Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday condoled the death of former prime minister Manmohan Singh and said he played an important role in the country’s governance. Singh, the architect of India’s economic reforms, died here on Thursday night at the age of 92. The home minister said the news of Singh’s demise is extremely sad. पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री डॉ. मनमोहन सिंह जी के निधन की सूचना अत्यंत दुःखद है। भारतीय रिजर्व बैंक में गवर्नर से लेकर देश के वित्त मंत्री और प्रधानमंत्री के रूप में डॉ. मनमोहन सिंह जी ने देश की शासन व्यवस्था में महत्त्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभाई। दुःख की इस घड़ी में उनके परिजनों व समर्थकों के... “From being the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India to the Finance Minister of the country and as the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh played an important role in the governance of the country,” he wrote on X in Hindi. “I express my condolences to his family and supporters in this hour of grief. May Waheguru grant peace to his soul and give strength to his family to bear this loss,” he said. Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and several other leaders of the state condoled the demise of former prime minister Manmohan Singh. Singh, the architect of India’s economic reforms, died in Delhi on Thursday night. He was 92. Singh’s death was announced by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, where he was admitted in the Emergency ward around 8.30 PM in a critical condition. Patel said Singh’s demise was a major loss to the political realm. “Dr Manmohan Singh’s demise is a profound loss to Indian politics. I pray for peace to his soul and extend my heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved family,” the governor said in a statement. Adityanath said, “The demise of former prime minister and eminent economist Dr Manmohan Singh is deeply saddening and an irreparable loss to Indian politics.” “As finance minister and prime minister, he played a significant role in the governance of the nation. My humble tributes to him! I pray to Lord Shri Ram to grant peace to the departed soul and give strength to the bereaved family and his supporters to bear this immense loss. Om Shanti,” he said in a statement. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav also expressed grief over Singh’s passing. “A man of truth and a gentle personality, Dr Manmohan Singh’s death is an irreparable international loss. Heartfelt tributes to the great economist and former prime minister,” he said in a post on X. “His visionary initiatives, including economic reforms, the nuclear agreement and MGNREGA, brought India to new heights of prosperity. The nation will forever be indebted to his contributions. Heartfelt tributes,” Rai added. सत्य और सौम्य व्यक्तित्व के धनी महान अर्थशास्त्री भूतपूर्व प्रधानमंत्री मनमोहन सिंह जी का निधन एक अंतरराष्ट्रीय अपूरणीय क्षति है। भावभीनी श्रद्धांजलि! pic.twitter.com/QcHngymjqx Deeply saddened to learn about the passing of Dr Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of India. Our nation has lost one of its greatest economists, a visionary reformist, and a global statesman,” said NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar, who was agriculture minister in Singh’s cabinet. “His departure is an unbearable loss. He was a godly soul who embodied humility, forbearance, tolerance, and compassion. As the architect of India’s economic reforms, his legacy will forever inspire generations to come. May his soul rest in eternal peace,” Pawar added. “Undoubtedly, history shall judge you kindly, Dr. Manmohan Singh ji!” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said in post on X, soon after Singh died at AIIMS. Undoubtedly, history shall judge you kindly, Dr. Manmohan Singh ji! With the passing of the Former Prime Minister, India has lost a visionary statesman, a leader of unimpeachable integrity, and an economist of unparalleled stature. His policy of Economic Liberalisation and... pic.twitter.com/BvMZh3MFXS “With the passing of the Former Prime Minister, India has lost a visionary statesman, a leader of unimpeachable integrity, and an economist of unparalleled stature. His policy of Economic Liberalisation and Rights-based welfare paradigm profoundly transformed the lives of crores of Indians, virtually creating a Middle Class in India and lifting crores out of poverty,” the Congress president, who is also the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, said. Mourning “the loss of a lifelong senior colleague”, Kharge described Singh as a gentle intellectual and a humble soul who embodied the aspirations of India, having risen through the ranks with unwavering dedication. “I am proud to have been a part of his Cabinet as Labour Minister, Railway Minister and Social Welfare Minister. A man of action rather than words, his immense contribution to nation-building will forever be etched in the annals of Indian history,” he said. Kharge said in this moment of sorrow, he extends his deepest and heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and countless admirers. May they get the strength to overcome this huge loss, he said. “His enduring legacy of ushering in India’s growth, welfare and policies of inclusivity will forever be cherished. May his soul rest in eternal peace,” the Congress chief said. AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal condoled demise of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, saying it is an irreparable loss of the nation. भारत के पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री डॉ. मनमोहन सिंह जी का निधन देश के लिए एक अपूरणीय क्षति है। उनकी विद्वता और सादगी के गुणों को शब्दों में पिरोना असंभव है। ईश्वर पुण्यात्मा को अपने श्री चरणों में स्थान दें। उनके परिवार और शुभचिंतकों के प्रति मेरी संवेदनाएं। ॐ शांति In a post on X, the former Delhi chief minister said the intellect and simplicity of the former prime minister is hard to be described in words. Kejriwal expressed his sympathies to the family and well-wishers of Singh and prayed for the departed soul. Delhi Chief Minister Atishi said India has lost a leader whose dignity will always be remembered. With the passing of former Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, the country has not just lost a world renowned economist, but a leader whose erudition and dignity will always be remembered. Deepest condolences to his family and loved one’s. May God give them strength at this... pic.twitter.com/GbS4U0tcNE “With the passing of former Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, the country has not just lost a world renowned economist, but a leader whose erudition and dignity will always be remembered. Deepest condolences to his family and loved one’s. May God give them strength at this difficult time,” she posted in X Singh, revered as one of India’s finest economists and a beacon of decency in politics, leaves behind a legacy of transformative policies that shaped modern India. “He was treated for age-related medical conditions and had sudden loss of consciousness at home on December 26,” AIIMS, Delhi, said in a bulletin. (With inputs from IANS and PTI)How the stock market defied expectations again this year, by the numbers
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