The S&P 500 is still looking for its all-time high after gaining 0.14% on Wednesday. This index is now 0.5% away from its closing record of 4,796.56. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit its own record close of 37,656.52 after rising 0.3% during the session. The Nasdaq Composite gained 0.16% to end the day at 15,099.18. Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA, said the market is looking to set a new all-time high for the S&P 500 before the end of the year, “but at the same time, once the market hits a new all-time high, it is likely vulnerable to a post-peak pause.” .” Follow live market updates.
The New York Times building in New York on October 26, 2022.
Beata Zawrzel | Photo only | Getty Images
The New York Times is suing Microsoft and ChatGPT developer OpenAI, saying the publisher's intellectual property was improperly used to train large language models. The Times is seeking to hold Microsoft and OpenAI accountable for what it claims are “billions of dollars in statutory and actual damages” for “unlawfully copying and using the Times’ uniquely valuable works.” This is the latest in a series of complaints against the use of publicly available information to train AI tools, as this segment has boomed in recent months.
Advertisements for Apple smartwatches are displayed as customers look at smartwatch accessories at the Apple Store in New York, United States, on December 26, 2023.
Eduardo Munoz | Portal
A US appeals court prevailed on Apple on Wednesday and temporarily suspended an import ban on the tech giant's popular smartwatches. The decision means Apple can sell the devices despite a patent dispute with medical device company Masimo, which claims the watches violate its proprietary technology for measuring blood oxygen levels. The decision suspends the ban until January 10th. Apple said in a statement that the affected Watch models would be available both in stores and online starting Thursday.
Israeli soldiers operate in the Gaza Strip amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in this handout image released Dec. 28, 2023. Israel Defense Forces/Handout via Portal THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY
Israel Defense Forces | Via Portal
As conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza draw global attention, experts warn that security threats elsewhere may be slipping under the radar. The International Rescue Committee has published an emergency watchlist for 2024, naming 20 countries it believes are at greatest risk of deteriorating security. These countries – many of them on the African continent – are home to around 10% of the world's population, but around 70% of the displaced. They also account for approximately 86% of global humanitarian needs. “The headlines today are rightly dominated by the crisis in Gaza. There are good reasons for this – it is currently the most dangerous place in the world for civilians,” said David Miliband, CEO of the IRC. “But the watchlist is an important reminder that other parts of the world are also burning. … We need to be able to manage more than one crisis at a time.”
People gather outside the U.S. Supreme Court on February 28, 2023 in support of the Biden administration's student debt relief plan.
Drew Angerer | Getty Images News | Getty Images
According to the Department of Education, millions of student loan borrowers are failing to make their monthly loan payments. After years of a pandemic-related pause and a failed attempt by President Joe Biden to provide near-blanket forgiveness, federal student loan payments resumed in October. About 40% of people missed that first payment, the Education Department said. “Faced with the impossible decision of feeding their children, keeping a roof over their heads, or throwing an average of $400 per month into the Department of Education incinerator, borrowers are rightly choosing to keep themselves and their families financially afloat hold,” said Astra Taylor. Co-founder of the Debt Collective, a union for debtors.
—CNBC's Samantha Subin, Alex Harring, Ryan Browne, Kif Leswing, Sam Meredith and Annie Nova contributed to this report.
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