Significant milestones in life and career of Jimmy Carter

Israeli attorney general orders probe into report that alleged Netanyahu's wife harassed opponents

Southern California defense contractors optimistic Trump administration could create jobs locallyStock market today: Wall Street slips to a rare back-to-back loss

NEW YORK (AP) — Technology stocks are pulling Wall Street toward another record amid mixed trading on Monday. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% in afternoon trading after closing its best month of the year at an all-time high . The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 86 points, or 0.2%, with a little more than an hour remaining in trading, while the Nasdaq composite was 0.9% higher. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

Will Democrats Finally Learn A Lesson?Hiroshi Watanabe Thesis Cardiff Oncology ( NASDAQ: CRDF ) has just announced initial data from its Phase 2 trial in metastatic colorectal cancer, confirming dose-related outperformance of standard of care. At the same time, Cardiff has announced a $2.6 pricing Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of CRDF either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.LAS VEGAS — With a restructuring at Andretti Global that pushed Michael Andretti into a smaller role, the chances of his organization landing a Formula 1 team have substantially increased. So much so that F1 and Formula One Management could have a decision to grant the General Motors-backed entry a spot as the 11th team on the grid in the coming weeks. Dan Towriss, now the majority owner of the Andretti organization, was at the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Thursday scoping his chances of entering the top motorsports series in the world. So was the FBI, allegedly, as part of a Department of Justice investigation into why F1 denied the Andretti organization expansion into the series. F1 currently has 10 teams that field 20 cars and only one — the organization owned by California businessman Gene Haas — is an American team. Las Vegas marks the third race this season in the United States, more than any other country, as F1 has exploded in American popularity over the last five years. Even so, Andretti could not get approval from F1 to enter the series. But, the situation changed in September when Andretti scaled back his role with his namesake organization. Now with Towriss in charge, talks have amplified, even though it is not clear what the name of an Andretti-less F1 team would even be. Cadillac would do the engines — but says it won't be ready until 2028 — which means a 2026 Towriss-led F1 team would be GM branded but with a partner engine supplier. Most of the existing teams have been largely opposed to an 11th team entering F1, citing a dilution in prize money and the massive expenses they've already committed to the series. But, Andretti among others believed the teams' position was personal in that they simply didn't like Andretti, who ran 13 races in the 1993 season. His father, Mario, is the 1978 F1 world champion. The Andretti application had already been approved by the FIA, which is F1's ruling body, but later denied by F1 itself. F1 promised to revisit the issue once General Motors had an engine ready to compete. The existing 10 F1 teams have no actual vote or say in if the grid is expanded, which Mercedes boss Toto Wolff reiterated Thursday when The Associated Press asked why the sudden chance of acceptance in a potential 11th team. "We have an obligation, a statutory obligation as directors, to present the standpoint that is the best for our company and for our employees, and we've done that," Wolff said. "I think if a team can add to the championship, particularly if GM decides to come in as a team owner, that is a different story. "And as long as it is creative, that means we're growing the popularity of the sport, we're growing the revenue of the sport, then no team will be ever against it. So I'm putting my hope in there." Wolff has been eager to hear from Towriss directly on what the plans for the organization are now that Andretti has a smaller role. "No one from Andretti or Andretti Global or whatever the name will be has ever spoken to me a single sentence in presentation of what the creative part is," he said. "But they don't need to because the teams don't decide. It is the commercial rights holder, with the FIA, we have no say. If I want to be invited to a party and go to the party, I'm sitting down at the table and telling who I am and why I'm really good fun and sitting here and everybody will enjoy my presence. "That hasn't happened, but you know, that's now my personal point of view, not a professional, because there's nothing we can do, nothing we can say," Wolff continued. "And I don't know the people. I've obviously spoken to Mario. I didn't speak to his son. I didn't speak to any other people that are behind that. I don't know who they are. So I know GM, GM is great." Fred Vasseur, team principal at Ferrari, said he's not opposed to another team if it adds value to F1. "The discussion is between FIA, the team, and FOM. It's not our choice," he said. "For sure, as Toto said, that if it's good for the sport, good for the show, good for the business, and adds value on the sporting side, that we are all OK." Get local news delivered to your inbox!

If it seems everyone is talking about bitcoin these days, you're onto something. The digital currency has been hitting record highs and neared $100,000 this past week, having doubled in value throughout 2024. Launched in 2009, bitcoin is the first cryptocurrency, meaning that it's a digital currency and does not rely on banks to verify transactions. Bitcoin's surge – up about 130% this year – is one of the "Trump trades," market moves that have kicked in since former President Donald Trump's victory in the Nov. 5 election. Trump has dabbled in cryptocurrency – releasing crypto-based digital trading cards – and Trump Media and Technology Group , which operates Truth Social, is reportedly close to acquiring crypto trading firm Bakkt. The Trump family launched its own crypto firm, World Liberty Financial, in September. Investors have wagered Trump's support for bitcoin and other digital assets will lead to fewer restrictions on the industry. During the presidential campaign, Trump said he would make America the “world capital for crypto and bitcoin.” Trump has tapped Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder Elon Musk to co-lead, with Vivek Ramaswamy, the new Department of Government Efficiency, or D.O.G.E. It's an acronym for cryptocurrency called Dogecoin, which Musk supported as it became a phenomenon in 2021. Been hit with the bitcoin buzz, but don't quite understand it? Here's some bitcoin basics. What is ‘Doge’?: Explaining the meme and cryptocurrency after Elon Musk's appointment to D.O.G.E. What is bitcoin? Bitcoin is a digital asset, launched in 2009 by a person or group known as Satoshi Nakamoto and designed to have a cap of 21 million bitcoin tokens. Bitcoin is created as crypto miners use their computing work to validate bitcoin transactions on its decentralized blockchain network, essentially a digital ledger meant to prevent fraud. As the crypto miners work, they earn bitcoin. So far, about 19 million tokens have been released. In April, bitcoin underwent a "halving," which kicks in about every four years to reduce the rate at which new bitcoins are created and released into circulation. As the bitcoin cap of 21 million tokens nears, demand likely increases, according to Investopedia . Currently, a bitcoin is worth about $98,000. But the ownership of fractional shares of bitcoin is common, notes NerdWallet . Cryptocurrency: Legislation likely coming under Trump administration, ex-SEC chief says What are bitcoin ETFs? It's Trump's interest in bitcoin alone that's led to bitcoin's climb. Earlier this year, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission voted to allow the sale of bitcoin-based exchange-traded funds , or ETFs, to the public. That action allowed more investors to get into bitcoin in a similar manner to how they invest in stocks, bypassing crypto exchanges. How does bitcoin work? Like the dollar, bitcoin can be used as currency , but it's virtual and isn't controlled by banks or governments. While an entire bitcoin is priced at nearly $100,000, you can own partial shares of each coin. The smallest share of each bitcoin is called a Satoshi – after the cryptocurrency's creator – equal to a hundred millionth of one bitcoin, according to NerdWallet . You can buy bitcoin on a crypto exchange such as Binance.US , online stockbrokers including Fidelity and E-Trade, and trading apps like Robinhood . If you buy bitcoin on a crypto exchange, you will create a "crypto wallet" to hold your bitcoin. If you invest in those bitcoin ETFs the SEC approved earlier this year, online brokers will hold your bitcoin in your brokerage account as any other investment. What can I buy with bitcoin? Pretty much anything. For instance, you can get a bitcoin debit card , which you load with a certain amount of your cryptocurrency holdings. That can be used as you would any debit card. Beyond that, many companies now accept cryptocurrency for purchases including AT&T, Microsoft, Rolex, Time Inc., and Tesla, notes Investopedia . You can buy "art," too. That banana duct-taped to a wall , which sold last week for $6.2 million? The buyer paid in crypto. Bitcoin: How to buy the cryptocurrency What concerns are there about bitcoin and cryptocurrencies? Back in 2018, investment guru Warren Buffett predicted that cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, will likely "come to a bad ending." His stance hasn't really changed, reported Nasdaq.com . But many point to the surge in bitcoin's valuation as a sign the cryptocurrency has arrived. Anthony Scaramucci , founder of Skybridge and a former White House director of communications, has said Bitcoin could exceed $170,000 by mid-2025, and Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood has predicted Bitcoin will hit $1.48 million by 2030, Fortune reported . However, crypto exchanges can fail. The 2022 bankruptcy of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange resulted in customers losing $8 billion; founder Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison in March. Bitcoin values dipped after that, but have since risen to new heights – because, supporters say, as more people invest in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, the currencies become more stable. Volatility can be seen as an advantage for those in search of future earnings – or as a disadvantage for those seeking somewhat stable investments. "Remember that bitcoin and crypto are highly volatile , and may be more susceptible to market manipulation than securities," notes Fidelity Investments in a primer for investors. "Crypto holders do not benefit from the same regulatory protections applicable to registered securities , and the future regulatory environment for crypto is currently uncertain." Maybe think about investing in bitcoin as you would joining the wave of online bettors. "If you decide to buy Bitcoin, it's a good rule of thumb to invest only what you can afford to lose," writes NerdWallet's Kevin Voigt , "and take measures to protect your assets." Contributing: Daniel de Visé, Jessica Guynn, Max Hauptman, Jonathan Limehouse and Bailey Schulz of USA TODAY, and Reuters. Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & mikegsnider . What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the dayTyne and Wear Metro chiefs remain hopeful of making digital tickets available on iPhones, after years of frustration. Transport bosses have been urged to finally deliver a “seamless” experience for Apple users who are currently unable to keep Metro tickets on their phone. A Pop card app allowing customers to buy and store tickets was released for Android phones in 2020, but has remained off limits for iPhones. That means that many passengers have no choice but to obtain a physical Pop card if they want to access its cheaper travel prices, worth up to £1.60 per day, or be left to pay more expensive rates when buying paper tickets from a machine. Conservative and Labour councillors in North Tyneside united on Thursday night in calling for Metro operator Nexus to resolve the problem and deliver the upgrade. A motion from Tory councillor Ian McAlpine complained that the Metro’s payment system “needs further improvement to match the modern experience in places like London and Manchester”. Keep up to date with all the latest breaking news and top stories from the North East with our free newsletter Nexus has previously explained that the technology required to store a Pop card has only been available to use via Google Pay and not in the Apple Wallet. However, it told the Local Democracy Reporting Service on Friday that Apple is now planning to roll out the tech to its UK devices and that the Metro wants to become an “early adopter” – with plans to upgrade Metro station gates in 2025. David Bartlett, head of multimodal smart ticketing at Nexus, said: “We remain committed to rolling out Metro’s mobile smart ticketing offer to Apple iPhones. We want more customers to enjoy Pop Pay As You Go on a wide variety of digital wallets, such as those on Apple devices. “Although available in other countries, products such as Oyster and Pop cannot currently be stored in the Apple Wallet. However, Apple has announced its intention to bring that functionality to the UK. We hope to be an early adopter of this technology when it becomes available. “An upgrade to our ticketing and gating systems will be required in order to achieve this. This includes new smartcard readers for our gates and validators. This stage of the project is in progress, and we expect the new readers to be installed during the first half of 2025.” Metro passengers are also not able to tap in and out at stations using contactless credit or debit cards, whether physical or digital, as users of the London Underground and Manchester’s tram system can. Coun McAlpine’s motion, passed unanimously by the council, warned that people are increasingly reliant on digital wallets and that the lack of iPhone access leaves some passengers paying “over the odds due to the necessity in many cases to purchase physical tickets at machines”. He added: “As well as having to queue every journey to use the machine, they also have to know in advance whether or not they'll be making a return journey. POP cards remove this complexity because the resident always benefit from the lowest, capped, fare.” Join our Breaking News and Top Stories WhatsApp community for all the latest news direct to your phone. To join you need to have WhatsApp on your device. All you need to do is choose which community you want to join, click on the link and press 'join community'. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the ChronicleLive team. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you’re curious, you can read our privacy notice . CLICK HERE TO JOIN