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How major US stock indexes fared Thursday, 12/26/20247.0 earthquake off Northern California prompts brief tsunami warning

AP News Summary at 3:38 p.m. ESTHaiti's health minister loses job after deadly gang attack on hospital in capitalMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The plan for the Minnesota Vikings was to bring in Sam Darnold as the bridge between Kirk Cousins and J.J. McCarthy, confident his strong arm and starting experience would sufficiently run a high-caliber offense until the rookie was deemed ready to play. Darnold's performance to date has been much closer to superstar than mere stopgap. “He’s a baller," Vikings safety Harrison Smith said. "He can make stuff happen when he needs to. I know with the outside narrative on him and his path and everything, you might not think that, but ever since he got here, it felt like that was going to happen.” Having led the Vikings (10-2) to their fifth consecutive victory with the go-ahead touchdown pass against Arizona last week, one game after a stellar overtime drive to beat Chicago , Darnold has become one of the darlings of this NFL this season with his success in coach Kevin O'Connell's system after the third overall pick in the 2018 draft started his career in rather bleak fashion. His first year in Minnesota sure has been smoother than what Cousins has gone through in his debut with the Atlanta Falcons . Last week in a loss at home to the Los Angeles Chargers, Cousins matched his career high with four interceptions. “I don’t think anybody can put any more pressure on Kirk than he has for himself. He’s carried us through this season when we were figuring out a lot of things on defense,” Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett said. “He’s just having a hard time right now. There’s nothing to say he can’t catch fire and light it up like he’s been doing.” The Falcons (6-6) take their three-game losing streak on the road to face the Vikings, with division races for both teams in full swing. The quarterback contrasts have made this matchup all the more intriguing, with Cousins coming back to the place where he spent the previous six seasons. Cousins has a $25 million salary cap hit this season, the 11th-highest among quarterbacks in the league. Even if the Falcons were to move on in 2026 and swallow the dead money for two more years with eighth overall pick Michael Penix Jr. waiting in the wings, Cousins will carry a $40 million charge in 2025. Darnold’s cap charge is $5 million this season, just 31st on the list. Though he will become a free agent in March, the Vikings structured his contract with void years to spread his cap hit into next season for another $5 million. McCarthy, the 10th overall pick, won't be ready until next year after having surgery to repair the meniscus he tore in his right knee in his first preseason game. Though Darnold has had a couple of clunkers this year, the Vikings still won those games and he's bounced back strong without letting interceptions linger into future decisions. "He’s kind of found a little balance, at least the last few weeks, of ‘When is it too risky?’ and ‘When can I take my shot at something?’” offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said. The Falcons have seen as much on tape. “I think he’s playing free,” Pro Bowl safety Jessie Bates said. “It’s not a lot of complicated throws or anything that he’s doing. I just think that he’s finally able to feel comfortable in himself.” Falcons coach Raheem Morris decided to address the significance of Cousins’ homecoming with the team, bracing for the type of crowd reaction that will only intensify the noise at U.S. Bank Stadium that's already daunting for opponents. Minnesota's defense has thrived this season at home, using the fans to enhance the effectiveness of a disguise-based, aggressive scheme that leads the league with 18 interceptions and has also been adept at rushing the passer and stuffing the run. “The environment they create up in Minnesota is absolutely outstanding,” Morris said. Cousins isn't the only key figure from the Falcons who's well-known to Vikings coaches. Morris was the defensive coordinator in 2021 with the Los Angeles Rams when O'Connell was the offensive coordinator and Phillips was the tight ends coach on that Super Bowl champion team. Vikings running back Aaron Jones has fumbled three times in the last two games, losing two of them, but he hasn't lost the confidence of coaches or teammates as evidenced by the pass called for his go-ahead touchdown catch against the Cardinals. Family is a strong support system for him, too, but sometimes that means tough love. His mother, Vurgess Jones, let him have it after the game when they talked about the turnovers. “I was like, ‘I’ve got to learn from it,'” Jones said. “She was like, ‘You didn’t learn last week?'” He has matched his career high in 2024 with five fumbles and three lost, a fact not lost on a Falcons defense that's aggressive with dislodging techniques despite only four recovered fumbles in 12 games. “You can see it all over the tape: Those guys are coaching it," Phillips said. Vikings outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard, who was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month after racking up eight tackles for loss in November, carried his pass-rushing mojo into December with a couple of clutch plays in the final minute to preserve the victory over Arizona. Greenard has 10 of the team's 39 sacks. “How many times this year has he affected the quarterback, drawn a penalty, sacked the quarterback, strip-sacked like last week in these critical moments where you need your best players to go make those plays?” O'Connell said. “He’s done it time and time again.” Falcons running back Bijan Robinson set a career high last week with 26 carries. He had 102 yards rushing and was again a significant part of the passing attack with six catches against the Chargers. “I just do whatever I can to help us as a team,” said Robinson, who’s fifth in the NFL with 1,277 combined yards from scrimmage. “I just trust whatever they have in the plan.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Falcons visit Vikings as a struggling Cousins returns to old home to find a thriving Darnold

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Business Manager - Operations & Business PlanningAn ugly scene in the aftermath of Saturday's rivalry game between Michigan and Ohio State resulted in players from both sides being pepper sprayed by police. After the Wolverines' 13-10 upset of the Buckeyes, UM players attempted to plant their flag at midfield of The Horseshoe — leading to a brawl between the two schools. Officers at the stadium quickly got involved to try to break up the skirmish and some appeared to take things too far: Video surfaces appearing to show police pepper spray players after Ohio State/Michigan game. Liquid appears to spray around the 36-second mark. Ohio State player is then immediately in pain. pic.twitter.com/kpu1OuKSOJ Fans couldn't believe the viral video. "OSU has gotta be the worst in the world," a user said. "Y'all get worked and don't show up then your PD pepper spray the victors as they celebrate. Shameless but not surprising." "That's crazy man... big payout coming," another replied. "We are out here pepper spraying 20 year olds in Columbus? Over a flag plant? They do realized Texas planted one in Ann Arbor earlier this year right?" a fan asked. "Sad [expletive] losers #GoBlue." "ENTIRE STATE OF OHIO IS GARBAGE FOR THIS....WTF Man. Loser [expletive] cops. ZERO NEED FOR THIS." "Ohio State also needs to be disciplined for this," another person commented. "Unacceptable." "Why is this necessary?" "Well at least it was Ohio State too. Thought it was only Michigan players. Would have looked even worse," another person commented. Jason Mowry/Getty Images Michigan running back Kalel Mullings appeared to sum it up best in his postgame interview with FOX's Jenny Taft: "You hate to see stuff like that after the game. That's just bad for the sport, bad for college football... They gotta learn how to lose man. We had 60 minutes — we had four quarters to do all that fighting. And now people want to talk and fight. That's wrong." Related: Michigan Players Were Pepper Sprayed During Ohio State BrawlWall Street's main indexes have closed largely unchanged, amid light trading the day after the Christmas break, as rising US Treasury yields weighed on some of the dominant technology megacaps. or signup to continue reading On a day of few catalysts, investors responded to yields on US government bonds inching higher, including the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note hitting its highest since early May at 4.64 per cent earlier in the session. A strong auction of seven-year notes early on Thursday afternoon though helped yields come off slightly, with the 10-year note at 4.58 per cent in late-afternoon trade. Higher yields are traditionally seen as negative for growth stocks, as it raises the cost of their borrowing to fund expansion. With markets increasingly dominated by the megacap technology stocks known as the Magnificent Seven, crimping their performance - especially in lieu of other market catalysts - will put downward pressure on benchmark indexes. According to preliminary data, the S&P 500 lost 2.66 points, or 0.04 per cent, to end at 6,037.09 points, while the Nasdaq Composite lost 10.74 points, or 0.05 per cent, to 20,020.38. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 28.52 points, or 0.06 per cent, to 43,325.55. Among those megacap stocks, Tesla. Amazon.com and Meta Platforms slipped. Apple increased, continuing to edge closer to becoming the first company in the world to hit a market value of $US4 ($A6.4) trillion. The megacap tech stocks came off somewhat in the summer, as investors sought to rotate some capital into other sectors offering more value. Since the US elections in November though, they have resumed their drive upwards and have outperformed the equal-weighted version of the S&P 500, said Adam Turnquist, chief technical strategist for LPL Financial. "As a technician, what you want to see is breakouts in absolute terms and relative terms and the Mag 7 is checking the boxes there, so very constructive leadership going into the year-end," he said. The three main indexes have hit multiple record highs this year on hopes of a lower interest rate environment and the prospects of artificial intelligence boosting corporate profits. However, US stocks have hit a speed bump in the final month of the year following an election-led rally in November as investors assess the Federal Reserve's projection of fewer interest rate cuts in 2025. Looking ahead, LPL Financial's Turnquist said the last few weeks have seen significant reliance on the Magnificent Seven stocks driving markets higher, and we may be starting to see the cracks in this momentum. Therefore, to see further benchmark index increases, we will need to see input from other sectors of the economy. Markets in Europe, London and parts of Asia were closed on Thursday. One data release on Thursday showed the number of Americans filing new applications for jobless benefits dipped to the lowest in a month last week, consistent with a cooling but still healthy US labour market. Markets are in a seasonally strong period - called the "Santa Claus rally" - a pattern attributed to low liquidity, tax-loss harvesting and investing of year-end bonuses. The S&P 500 has gained an average of 1.3 per cent in the last five trading days of December and the first two days of January since 1969, according to the Stock Trader's Almanac. Cryptocurrency-related stocks were down after bitcoin declined. MicroStrategy, MARA Holdings and Coinbase Global all fell. Among the 11 S&P sectors which traded lower were consumer discretionary and the energy index, which tracked marginal weakness in US crude prices. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. 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The holiday season is often filled with joy, connection, and celebration, but it can also be a time when tensions rise and conflicts emerge, especially during conversations with loved ones. Whether it's differing opinions, long-standing disagreements, or stress from holiday preparations, the atmosphere can sometimes shift from festive to tense. However, with a little mindfulness and preparation, it's possible to navigate these conversations with care, ensuring that the time spent together remains warm and meaningful. Here's how to avoid conflict and foster positive communication during the holidays. Expectations tend to be higher during the holidays than other times of the year. People often have more to check off of their to-do list when they may already feel stretched thin to begin with. It is also a time where larger groups of people come together who aren’t always on the same page about things whether it’s food preferences, alcohol consumption, parenting, politics, or religion. With the potential for this whirlwind of conflicting principles in one room, there is a higher potential to feel some tension. “Taking time to identify your own boundaries, meaning what you are and aren’t willing to discuss, can help to set the foundation for how you engage during holiday engagements,” says Lisa Eggebeen, Vice President of Specialty Clinics at Centerstone. This doesn’t mean that other people in the room won’t bring up potentially controversial topics, but leaning away from rather than into those conversations can save you a great deal emotional energy. Setting boundaries for yourself and the things you can control through the holiday season is important as we can only control so much. “Identifying our own positive coping skills prior to any stressful situation is key to mental wellness all the time, but especially during the holidays,” adds Eggebeen. Whether you need to take a breather and walk around the block or find your favorite person in the room to talk privately, do whatever you need to bring your stress level down. Non-verbal ques and how you are communicating can be incredibly helpful in leading the conversation in a more positive way. Things like keeping your voice in your regular tone, maintaining eye contact, and refraining from showing big emotions is a good place to start. You can often tell when a conversation is no longer productive when people are only listening to respond, are unwilling to hear the other person out, or are just talking in circles. In these cases, it may be best to agree to disagree and move on. Let it be known that all parties are entitled to their beliefs and feelings, even if they differ. The holidays can be a joyful yet stressful time. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed and in need of additional support for your mental well-being consider contacting Centerstone at 877-HOPE123 (1-877-467-3123) to learn more.

Police release new photos as they search for the gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO

BLOOMINGTON — Illinois Wesleyan University is partnering with For A Better Tomorrow to host the second STEAM Olympics Competition. The competition will be available to local students in first grade through high school for the multi-day event from Feb. 22-23 and March 1-2. The event will take place at the Center for Natural Sciences, 201 E. Beecher St. in Bloomington, and will feature more than 10 activities in technology, engineering, arts and mathematics to offer hands-on learning with 3D printing, art workshops, essay writing, science and math tests, as well as a science fair. Registered participants and their families will also have access to optional laboratory tours on Illinois Wesleyan and Illinois State university campuses to witness real-world applications of STEAM fields. “New workshops have been added — including the design-a-thon, speech and debate, and the STEAM Quest — each designed to challenge participants and celebrate their talents,” said Dakesa Piña, vice president of inclusion excellence at IWU. Piña is leading the event in partnership with For a Better Tomorrow, which is a Bloomington-based organization that strives to promote social justice through philanthropy and nurturing future generations of servant leaders within the community. "We had 235 registrations and 128 students who participated in the inaugural STEAM Olympics. This is a testament to the need for such an event in our community and the quality of volunteers who brought their enthusiasm to the planning," said Sambisvarao Gurijala, 2025 STEAM Olympics co-chair. The STEAM Olympics will conclude with an award ceremony and keynote address, with medals presented to the top scorers in each grade. The school with the most medals will win a championship trophy and cash prize. Proceeds will benefit both IWU and FBT to support various initiatives, including grants for local and global projects for FBT and needs-based scholarships for IWU students who are actively involved with social justice and community engagement. Registration is available at forbettertomorrow.org/steam . Early registrations are available at a discounted price until Dec. 31. Participation will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis. Event fees will be waived for individuals with financial barriers. For more information about the STEAM Olympics or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities, contact Sam Gurijala at sambasiva306@gmail.com or 309-838-5254. The festival raises money For a Better Tomorrow, which helps children and the needy local and abroad Contact Kaitlyn Klepec at (309) 820-3345. Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Courts and Public Safety Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.