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Stock market today: Wall Street tracks toward losses again as sellers take profits early in 2024

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:13:53 GMT

Wall Street was poised to open with losses again on Wednesday, one day after markets kicked off the new year giving back some of last year’s big gains.Futures for the S&P 500 moved 0.4% lower before the bell, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average ticked down 0.3%.Investors are watching for the release of minutes of the Federal Reserve’s last policy meeting later in the day, hoping for signs the central bank will move ahead with interest rate cuts in coming months. That optimism fueled markets late in 2023 as the Fed declined to raise rates at three meetings in a row with the economy showing continued strength as inflation retreated. Figures due out later Wednesday will show how many job openings U.S. employers were advertising at the end of November, data that the Federal Reserve follows closely. Friday will bring the U.S. government’s monthly tally of job growth across the country. In Europe at midday, Germany’s DAX tumbled 1% and in Paris, the CAC 40 slid 1.5%. Br...

Iran says at least 73 people killed, 170 wounded in blasts at ceremony honoring slain general

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:13:53 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Explosions at an event honoring a prominent Iranian general slain in a U.S. airstrike in 2020 have killed at least 73 people and wounded 170 others, state-run media in Iran reported Wednesday. One official called them a “terroristic” attack.Babak Yektaparast, a spokesman for Iran’s emergency service, gave the casualty figure to state media.The blasts struck an event marking the the fourth anniversary of the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds Force. who died in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq in January 2020. The explosions occurred near his grave site in Kerman, about 820 kilometers (510 miles) southeast of the capital, Tehran.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Explosions at an event honoring a prominent Iranian general slain in a U.S. airstrike in 2020 have killed at least 25 people and wounded 40 others, state-run media in Iran repor...

Disney reaches agreement with ValueAct, secures its support for company’s board nominees

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:13:53 GMT

Disney has reached a confidentiality agreement with activist investor ValueAct Capital Management, garnering its support for the company’s board nominees as it continues to deal with a proxy battle with Nelson Peltz.The Walt Disney Co. said Wednesday that the agreement with ValueAct will allow the company to provide information to ValueAct and consult with it on strategic matters, including through meetings with its board and management.“ValueAct Capital has a track record of collaboration and cooperation with the companies it invests in, and its Co-CEO Mason Morfit has been very constructive in the conversations we’ve had over the past year. We welcome their input as long-term shareholders,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement.Last month Nelson Peltz’s investment management firm Trian Fund Management said that it was planning to nominate the activist investor and a former chief financial officer of Disney for seats on the media and entertainment company’s board.Along with...

Iranian official says at least 73 people killed, 170 wounded in attack targeting ceremony for slain general

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:13:53 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian official says at least 73 people killed, 170 wounded in attack targeting ceremony for slain general.Source

Fairfax County set to permanently allow outdoor dining — with a few new rules

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:13:53 GMT

Outdoor dining became a thing during the COVID-19 pandemic — Fairfax County, Virginia is set to make eating and drinking outside of a restaurant, bar, brewery or vineyard a permanent possibility.A proposed zoning ordinance amendment would automatically allow food and drink businesses to set up temporary seating areas. A planning commission public hearing is set for Jan. 10, and the Board of Supervisors is expected to vote on Feb. 6.“Outdoor dining can significantly improve the pedestrian experience throughout the County,” according to a staff report. “By activating the street-level pedestrian environment, it can increase vibrancy and make commercial areas more social and active.”The plan would largely extend outdoor dining provisions that the county — and most of the region — adopted to allow food and drink businesses to consider other ways of staying in business, when indoor dining wasn’t allowed. The county’s COVID-19 emergency declaration ended...

UniFirst: Fiscal Q1 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:13:53 GMT

WILMINGTON, Mass. (AP) — WILMINGTON, Mass. (AP) — UniFirst Corp. (UNF) on Wednesday reported earnings of $42.3 million in its fiscal first quarter.On a per-share basis, the Wilmington, Massachusetts-based company said it had profit of $2.26.The uniform provider posted revenue of $593.5 million in the period._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on UNF at https://www.zacks.com/ap/UNFSource

Police: Victim shoots gunman after attack outside Denver museum

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:13:53 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — A man shot and injured a suspect in the parking lot of a Denver museum after the suspect attempted to rob him in front of his girlfriend and children, police said.On Dec. 31, Denver Police Department officers responded to a shooting in the parking lot of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science at 2:44 p.m. According to a probable cause statement obtained by FOX31, the victim told officers he arrived at the museum with his girlfriend and two kids when he noticed two Hispanic men walking towards them with handguns drawn. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox The men were described as:Hispanic malesBetween 18-24 years oldThin buildBetween 5 feet, 10 inches tall and 6 feet tallThe man told officers he was in fear for his, his girlfriend and his children's lives.According to the statement, the two suspects began to grab at the victim and told him to give them the silver chain he was wearing around his neck. One of the suspects allegedly stru...

Iran says at least 103 people killed, 141 wounded in blasts at ceremony honoring slain general

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:13:53 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Two explosions minutes apart Wednesday in Iran targeted a commemoration for a prominent general slain in a U.S. drone strike in 2020, killing at least 103 people and wounding at least 141 others as the Middle East remains on edge over Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.No group immediately claimed responsibility for what Iranian state media called a “terroristic” attack shortly after the blasts in Kerman, about 820 kilometers (510 miles) southeast of the capital, Tehran.While Israel has carried out attacks in Iran over its nuclear program, it has conducted targeted assassinations, not mass-casualty bombings. Sunni extremist groups including the Islamic State group have conducted large-scale attacks in the past that killed civilians in Shiite-majority Iran, though not in relatively peaceful Kerman.Iran also has seen mass protests in recent years, including those over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in 2022. The country also has...

Investigation into Florida GOP chairman expands amidst rape allegations

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:13:53 GMT

The ongoing investigation into former Sarasota County Commissioner and current Florida GOP Chair, Christian Ziegler, has taken a significant turn as law enforcement widens its scope following a disturbing rape allegation that surfaced in October. The case involves an encounter between Ziegler, his wife, and a woman, leading to a subsequent accusation of non-consensual sexual activity during a second planned meeting.According to the victim’s account, despite the cancellation of the second meeting, Ziegler allegedly appeared unexpectedly and committed the sexual assault. The latest development in the investigation now revolves around a video recording, as revealed in a recently executed search warrant.“I’ve seen it where they fight and in other instances where it’s a very serious allegation like a homicide or a suicide caught on tape or whatever then yeah, they will cooperate in something for that, but it’s very hard to get them to agree to release docume...

US quietly reaches agreement with Qatar to keep operating largest military base in Middle East

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 20:13:53 GMT

(CNN) — The United States has quietly reached an agreement that extends its military presence at a sprawling base in Qatar for another 10 years, three US defense officials and another official familiar with the agreement told CNN.The deal, which has not been announced publicly, highlights Washington’s reliance on the tiny Gulf country that has recently played a central role in mediating the release of Americans from captivity in Gaza and Venezuela.The Al Udeid Air Base, located in the desert southwest of Doha, is the biggest US military installation in the Middle East and can house more than 10,000 American troops.Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visited Al Udeid last month where he thanked Qatar for their increased spending on the base.But he made no mention of the renewal and the Biden administration has not publicized it – at a time when Qatar has come under growing scrutiny for hosting senior Hamas leaders. Qatari officials have countered that it was only after a US request dur...