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Ted Cruz has sparked online debate by labeling Luigi Mangione, the suspected killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson , as a "leftist," a claim that has been contradicted by Mangione's social media posts praising conservatives and decrying the "woke mind virus." Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate, was arrested as a person of interest in last week's brazen killing of Thompson. After his arrest, a wave of online support painted him as a sort of hero, while critics speculated about his political alignment. Senator Cruz reignited the controversy by tweeting that Mangione's actions are evidence that "leftist is a mental disease." Leftism is a mental disease. The suspected murderer, an Ivy League graduate, "subscribed to anti-capitalist and climate-change causes, according to law-enforcement." And the murderer has been widely celebrated by leftists online. Tragic & sick. https://t.co/3VlmRqnbB3 Cruz cited law enforcement reports suggesting Mangione supported anti-capitalist and climate-change causes. However, journalists and social media users quickly pushed back, highlighting Mangione's documented admiration for right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson. Person of Interest in the UHC CEO killing Luigi Mangione is being painted as left-wing by the New York Post but his X account shows someone whose thinking is shaped by the Online Right pic.twitter.com/qxBznzWOCo Mangione's tweets include detailed defenses of Carlson's critique of modern architecture. These posts challenge the simplistic narrative of Mangione as aligned with traditional leftist ideologies. Critics of Cruz have accused him of weaponizing the incident for political points, while others argue that Mangione's beliefs represent a hybrid of ideologies.
Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's pick for intel chief, faces questions on Capitol Hill amid Syria fallout
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Joe DeVito was on a long drive from a gig in Nashville to New York on Thursday with the news of a health insurance CEO being gunned down heavy on his mind. He saw that people were using the death as an opportunity to express anger at the health insurance industry and share their own stories of being denied coverage for care. Along the way, in Virginia, he pulled over at a rest stop to record a song about it. "I wanted to throw my two cents in and try and try and convey that rage, and why people are so mad," he tells The Independent. "As a songwriter, my job is to capture these emotions and sort of wrap them in melodies and rhymes in a way that makes them more digestible and helps people understand them," he adds. The song is a condemnation of the health insurance industry which the victim, Brian Thompson, had shaped and worked in for decades. It's part murder ballad and part protest song, both of which have roots in the folk tradition. The chorus echoes the words the killer had reportedly carved onto the bullet casings found at the scene: "Deny, defend, depose." DeVito, 26, closed his phone after uploading the video of him singing in his car to TikTok, and carried on driving. A little while later he got a call from his sister, who told him it was blowing up on social media. The song had racked up hundreds of thousands of... Richard HallCowboys set to host Bengals under open roof after falling debris thwarted that plan against Texans
By ALICIA RANCILIO, Associated Press Stepping onto the set of “Squid Game” season two, Lee Jung-jae felt like he had never left. “Including promotion, I’d been living with Gi-hun for about two years,” said Lee in a recent interview. “I really felt like I was him,” he said in a recent interview. “Squid Game” follows an underground competition in Korea that recruits people in debt to participate in childlike games for money. Once the games begin, the contestants realize there are deadly consequences. The show was a global hit when it was released in 2021, becoming Netflix’s most-watched series. It also won numerous accolades including Primetime Emmy Awards for acting for Lee Jung-jae and directing for Hwang Dong-hyuk. Lee’s career catapulted, taking him to the Cannes Film Festival and giving him his first English-language role in the “Star Wars” series “The Acolyte” for Disney+. Lee says when Netflix ordered a second season of “Squid Game,” he questioned the timeline because it took Hwang years to work on the first one. “I wondered, ‘How many years will it take him to write season two,’” said Lee. Hwang, in turn, surprised everyone — including himself — by taking just six months to write season two and a third and final season. “I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to write something that fast again,” he said. Lee Byung-hun, from left, Yang Dong-geun, Hwang Dong-hyuk, Jo Yu-ri, Im Si-wan, Kang Ae-sim, Lee Seo-hwan and Lee Jung-jae pose for a portrait to promote the second season of “Squid Game” on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP) Kang Ae-sim poses for a portrait to promote the second season of “Squid Game” on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP) Lee Byung-hun poses for a portrait to promote the second season of “Squid Game” on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP) Yang Dong-geun poses for a portrait to promote the second season of “Squid Game” on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP) Jo Yu-ri poses for a portrait to promote the second season of “Squid Game” on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP) Im Si-wan poses for a portrait to promote the second season of “Squid Game” on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP) Hwang Dong-hyuk poses for a portrait to promote the second season of “Squid Game” on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP) Lee Jung-jae poses for a portrait to promote the second season of “Squid Game” on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP) Lee Seo-hwan poses for a portrait to promote the second season of “Squid Game” on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP) Lee Byung-hun, from left, Yang Dong-geun, Hwang Dong-hyuk, Jo Yu-ri, Im Si-wan, Kang Ae-sim, Lee Seo-hwan and Lee Jung-jae pose for a portrait to promote the second season of “Squid Game” on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP) Creating new characters and their individual stories came easily. The biggest, challenge, Hwang said, was deciding what should happen with Gi-hun. Lee says when he read the scripts he thought Hwang “really is a genius.” It’s rare for even successful TV shows in Korea to have more than one season so it was a big swing, even for the new cast. “There’s a Korean phrase, ‘there’s not a sequel that does better than its prequel,’ said actor Yang Dong-geong, whose character debuts in season two. “I’ve been careful because we aren’t really sure what the reaction will be.” The outlook is positive. Season two has already been nominated in the best drama series category at the upcoming Golden Globe Awards. The opportunity to work on a project with worldwide appeal is a dream come true for a performer. Lee Byung-hun, who reprises his villain role from season one, has appeared in big budget English-language films like “G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra” with Channing Tatum and Dennis Quaid and “Red 2” with Bruce Willis. It’s “Squid Game” that he credits for taking his career to another level. “I’ve been an actor for over three decades and ... maybe most people outside of Korea have never seen anything that I’ve been in. If anyone through ‘Squid Game’ wishes to see more of me or becomes more curious about my previous works, as an actor, nothing would be more rewarding or bring me greater joy.” The audition process moved slowly. Jo Yu-ri recalls waiting two months between the first and second-round. When she finally got the part Jo says, “I actually remember crying.” The actors were asked to not speak publicly about their casting to wait for Netflix to make an announcement. “There were a couple of close friends that popped champagne for me when they found out,” said Yang. Netflix’s “Squid Game” universe is also growing. A second season of a reality competition show based on the series has been ordered and an English version is in development. Season three of the original has also completed filming and is in post-production. Season two is not without controversy. The new episodes feature a transgender character played by Park Sung-hoon. Hwang says he understands why hiring a trans actor would have been ideal, but that the casting is a reflection of how the LGBTQ community and gender identity is viewed in Korea. “To be honest with you, in Korea, when it comes to the LGBTQ and gender minority community and culture compared to the Western worlds, it’s not as widely socially accepted yet. Unfortunately, a lot of the groups are marginalized and neglected from society, which is heartbreaking,” said Hwang. “We don’t have a very large pool of actors that allow for authentic casting when it comes to transgender characters. We did our research. We tried to find someone who we thought could be the best fit. However, we weren’t able to.” Hwang also went on to say that Park’s talent and approach to the character ended up making him “the perfect fit.” Leslie Ambriz in Los Angeles contributed to this report.Second-warmest November on record means that 2024 is likely to be Earth's hottest year
Residents stage protest after three dead in police confrontationNone
This is CNBC's live blog covering European markets. European markets are heading for a mixed open Wednesday as investors continued to assess the potential impact of President-elect Donald Trump 's plans to hike tariffs. 24/7 San Diego news stream: Watch NBC 7 free wherever you are The U.K.'s FTSE 100 index is expected to open 5 points higher at 8,267, Germany's DAX down 21 points at 19,285, France's CAC down 39 points at 7,160 and Italy's FTSE MIB down 173 points at 33,150, according to data from IG. Trump said Monday that one of his first acts in office would be to impose an additional 10% tariff on all Chinese goods entering the U.S., and threatened a 25% tariff on products from Mexico and Canada, ending a regional free trade agreement. Economists have warned of the potential inflationary impact of Trump's fiscal plan, which could see the U.S. Federal Reserve cutting interest rates at a slower pace. Overnight, Asia-Pacific markets were mixed Wednesday , following gains on Wall Street that saw the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average reach new intraday and closing records. U.S. stock futures were little changed on Wednesday morning as traders await the release of the Fed's favorite inflation gauge: the personal consumption expenditures price index. Money Report OpenAI gets new $1.5 billion investment from SoftBank, allowing employees to sell shares in a tender offer Samsung Electronics appoints co-CEO in leadership shuffle focused on chip divisions; shares drop Earnings are set to come from Easyjet and data releases include German and French consumer confidence. CNBC Pro: 'Cargojet is expensive': Short seller bets against Canada's largest cargo airline A London-based hedge fund is betting against Cargojet , Canada's largest cargo airline, citing concerns about the company's aging fleet, accounting practices, and leadership style. The company did not respond to requests for comment from CNBC Pro. Edgar Allen, founder and chief investment officer of High Ground Investment Management, revealed his firm's bearish stance on Cargojet during the Sohn investment conference earlier this month. CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here. — Ganesh Rao CNBC Pro: U.S., China and more: Value investor reveals what to buy as Trump tariffs loom News that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's plans to hike tariffs on imports from China, Canada and Mexico sent ripples across global markets Tuesday. Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer at the U.S.-headquartered Bleakley Financial Group, revealed his take on the tariffs, as well as sectors — and stocks — he is watching globally. CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here. — Amala Balakrishner European markets: Here are the opening calls European markets are expected to open in mixed territory Wednesday. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 index is expected to open 5 points higher at 8,267, Germany's DAX down 21 points at 19,285, France's CAC down 39 points at 7,160 and Italy's FTSE MIB down 173 points at 33,150, according to data from IG. Earnings are set to come from Easyjet and data releases include German and French consumer confidence figures. — Holly Ellyatt Also on CNBC Stock futures are little changed as Wall Street awaits Fed’s preferred inflation reading Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: Dell Technologies, Workday and more The Fed's favorite inflation gauge is out Wednesday. It could show some bad news
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are climbing Thursday after market superstar Nvidia and another round of companies said they’re making even fatter profits than expected. The S&P 500 was pulling 0.7% higher, as of 2:45 p.m. Eastern time, after flipping between modest gains and losses several times in the morning. Banks, smaller companies and other areas of the stock market that tend do best when the economy is strong helped lead the way, while bitcoin briefly broke above $99,000. Crude oil, meanwhile, continued to rise. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 532 points, or 1.2%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.2%. Nvidia's rise of 1.4% was the strongest force pushing the S&P 500 upward after yet again beating analysts’ estimates for profit and revenue. It also gave a forecast for revenue in the current quarter that topped most analysts’ expectations thanks to voracious demand for its chips used in artificial-intelligence technology. Its stock initially sank in afterhours trading Wednesday following the release of the results. Some investors said the market might have been looking for Nvidia's revenue forecast to surpass expectations by even more. But its stock recovered in premarket trading Thursday, and Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said it was another “flawless” profit report provided by Nvidia and CEO Jensen Huang, whom Ives calls “the Godfather of AI.” How Nvidia’s stock performs has tremendous impact because it’s quickly grown into Wall Street’s most valuable company at roughly $3.6 trillion. Its meandering up and down through the day dragged the S&P 500 and other indexes back and forth. The frenzy around AI is sweeping up other stocks, and Snowflake jumped 32.3% after reporting stronger results for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The company, whose platform helps customers get a better view of all their silos of data and use AI, also reported stronger revenue growth than expected. BJ’S Wholesale Club rose 9.1% after likewise delivering a bigger profit than expected. That may help calm worries about how resilient U.S. shoppers can remain, given high prices across the economy and still-high interest rates. A day earlier, Target tumbled after reporting sluggish sales in the latest quarter and giving a dour forecast for the holiday shopping season. It followed Walmart , which gave a much more encouraging outlook. Nearly 90% of the stocks in the S&P 500 were also rising, and the gains were even bigger among smaller companies. The Russell 2000 index of smaller stocks jumped a market-leading 1.9%. Google’s parent company, Alphabet, helped keep indexes in check. It fell 5.5% after U.S. regulators asked a judge to break up the tech giant by forcing it to sell its industry-leading Chrome web browser. In a 23-page document filed late Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice called for sweeping punishments that would include restrictions preventing Android from favoring its own search engine. Regulators stopped short of demanding Google sell Android but left the door open to it if the company’s oversight committee continues to see evidence of misconduct. Drops for other Big Tech stocks also weighed on the market, including a 2.4% slide for Amazon. In stock markets abroad, shares of India’s Adani Enterprises plunged 22.6% Thursday after the U.S. charged founder Gautam Adani, 62, in a federal indictment with securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud. The businessman and one of the world’s richest people is accused of duping investors by concealing that his company’s huge solar energy project on the subcontinent was being facilitated by an alleged bribery scheme. Indexes elsewhere in Asia and Europe were mixed. In the crypto market, bitcoin eclipsed $99,000 for the first time before easing back to roughly $98,250, according to CoinDesk. It’s more than doubled so far this year, and its climb has accelerated since Election Day. President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to make the country “the crypto capital of the planet” and create a “strategic reserve” of bitcoin. Bitcoin also got a boost after Gary Gensler, the chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission who has pushed for more protection for crypto investors, said he would step down in January . Bitcoin and related investments, of course, have a notorious history of big price swings in both directions. MicroStrategy, a company that's been raising cash expressly to buy bitcoin, saw an early gain of 14.6% for its stock on Thursday quickly disappear. It was most recently down 10.7%. In the oil market, a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude rose 2% to bring its gain for the week to 4.8%. Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 1.8%. Oil has been rising amid escalations in the Russia-Ukraine war. In the bond market, Treasury yields edged higher following some mixed reports on the U.S. economy. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.43% from 4.41% late Wednesday. One report said fewer U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week in the latest signal that the job market remains solid. Another report, though, said manufacturing in the mid-Atlantic region unexpectedly shrank. Sales of previously occupied homes, meanwhile, strengthened last month by more than expected. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Yuri Kageyama contributed.FBI arrests man charged with planning an attack on the New York Stock Exchange
Moscow’s welcome to ex-Syrian despot is part of an old story of political elites looking after each other Assad has found asylum in Russia, escaping the bloody fates of Saddam and Gaddafi. Expect details of his last-minute flight f rom Damascus to land on OTT soon. Meanwhile, his survival shows the timeless compact of the ruling class to watch each other’s backs is alive. Down ages, asylum has been a privilege of the elite. Mughal king Humayun sought refuge in Persia, and was well treated. French and Russian royal exiles were accommodated by other European powers. India granted the Dalai Lama asylum in 1959, and a safe house to Sheikh Hasina in Aug this year. Even Gaddafi, once hailed in Africa as ‘king of kings’, was offered asylum by tiny Guinea-Bissau before his convoy took a wrong turn and fate bayoneted him in the posterior. For all their crimes against humanity, fallen dictators aren’t pursued with the same zeal as Nazi war criminals. In fact, some of them have gone on to lead lives of luxury. Idi Amin was variously held responsible for 80,000 to half-a-million killings in Uganda, but when his regime collapsed he found refuge in Saudi Arabia, a villa in Jeddah and a choice of cars. Haiti’s Jean-Claude Duvalier made Paris his home after embezzling some $100mn. Mengistu Haile Mariam, architect of Ethiopia’s ‘red terror’, was made welcome in Zimbabwe despite accusations of genocide. Not just dictators, Russian oligarchs qualify for the West’s hospitality with their wealth, and the odd political fugitive, like a Julian Assange or an Edward Snowden, makes the cut on my-enemy’s-enemy-is-my-friend basis. The bottom line for asylum is political utility, something three-year-old Alan Kurdi didn’t have. It’s been nine years since the toddler’s body washed up on Turkey’s shore. He was a victim of Assad’s war, trying to reach the safety of Europe in a hopeless boat.GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — A police officer responding to a report of a man with a gun inside a North Carolina supermarket was fatally shot Monday and authorities said a suspect was later taken into custody, authorities say. Police announced the death of Michael Horan, a Greensboro police officer, at an afternoon news conference, saying Horan was responding to a call about an armed person when he was shot before midday at a Food Lion store in Greensboro in the central part of the state. Ramona Miller told WGHP-TV she was shopping with her 6-year-old granddaughter when she heard shots fired. “We were on our way out and I was purchasing a lottery ticket and I was just sitting there and heard a ‘pop-pop’ and then ‘pop-pop-pop.’ I think I heard five shots,” Miller said. “At first I didn’t know it was a shooting ... but an employee yelled out ‘shooting! shooting!’ ” Miller said she and her granddaughter then left the store and police had already arrived. Authorities said Monday afternoon that the circumstances of the shooting remain under investigation and they did not immediately release further specifics of the shooting. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is expected to continue the investigatoin. Horan was hired in 2017 and became a sworn Greensboro Police Department officer in early 2018, Assistant Police Chief Milford J. Harris said. Horan served in the department’s patrol bureau. “He was an excellent officer. He had an outstanding reputation inside the department and in the community,” Harris said. Elsewhere, Gov. Roy Cooper said he had been monitoring the developments. Cooper said on the social media platform X that his officer had sent a “significant” number of state law enforcement officers to help aid in the emergency response in Greensboro. A heavy police presence was spotted outside the grocery store in Greensboro afterward. The store will remain closed while police continue their investigation, a Food Lion spokesperson said in a statement. The company plans to provide resources to its affected workers. It added that it was directing all questions to local law enforcement and cooperating with authorities. The shooting was another reminder that state lawmakers should strengthen resources and improve safety for law enforcement officers, said Democratic state Sen. Michael Garrett, who represents part of Guilford County where Greensboro is located. “During what should be a time of joy and celebration, another brave officer has been shot in the line of duty. Another family’s holiday season forever changed,” Garrett said in a Facebook statement.
Quebec premier says Trudeau must get serious about border problems to avoid Trump's tariffs
The U.S. State Department says it has “taken steps to secure the U.S. embassy” in Syria following the collapse of the Assad government. This comes after the toppling of more than 50 years of a dictatorship there, showing an uncertain way forward for any new government. "The fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice," President Joe Biden said Sunday , but warned that the significant change will also mark a period of uncertainty for Syria and the region. "As we all turn to the question of what comes next, the United States will work with our partners and the stakeholders in Syria to help them seize an opportunity to manage the risks," President Biden said. The Biden administration plans to lend its support to establishing a transitional government in Syria. The White House is in close communication with stakeholders in the region, including Jordan's King Abdullah. More conversations with leaders are expected in the days ahead. RELATED STORY | Military command of Syria's opposition says Damascus is 'free' of Bashar Assad's rule Other countries and groups have a shared interest in continued stability in Syria, but officials also acknowledged the power vacuum carries risks. White House officials told Scripps News the administration is focused on preventing the ISIS terror group from taking advantage of the situation. "One of the things that we're going to work hard to avoid is ISIS being able to exploit this situation and somehow try to revitalize," White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said in an interview. "That is a message that we are sending to all the opposition groups through various means that this is not the opportunity — should not be the time — for a closer relationship, or any relationship, quite frankly, with Isis." "What we are backing is the Syrian people. And we want to make sure that again, through our interlocutors and through the United Nations, we're doing what we can to see legitimate governance there." The conflict in Syria has spanned multiple administrations and is often considered a proxy for the goals of other international actors, including Russia. Officials pointed in part to President Biden's support of Israel and Ukraine as factors that weakened Iran and Russia's ability to support Assad — and one senior administrator official explained that Assad's departure "changed the equation" in the Middle East. But Republican President-elect Donald Trump has indicated the U.S. relationship with Syria may change when he takes office. "Syria is a mess, but is not our friend," Trump wrote on social media over the weekend. "The United States should have nothing to do with it. This is not our fight." Kirby told Scripps News that for the remaining time the Biden Administration has to set U.S. foreign policy, it would continue its mission to suppress ISIS and support legitimate government in Syria.
'Unbelievable' Odegaard transforms Arsenal and gets Saka smiling again
Major U.S. stock indices closed mostly higher on Monday, primarily driven by a surge in technology stocks. The tech-centric Nasdaq Composite gained 0.9%, while the S&P 500 rose by 0.4%. The Dow Jones remained near its starting point after recovering earlier losses. Investors are closely monitoring the Federal Reserve’s hints at keeping interest rates elevated longer than anticipated, creating a cautious market atmosphere. Technology stocks stole the spotlight as semiconductor giants such as Nvidia and Broadcom saw their stock prices climb over 3% and 5%, respectively. The momentum was bolstered by significant rallies from Meta Platforms and Tesla, contributing to the positive market sentiment despite a turbulent prior week. The Federal Reserve’s recent indications of a slower pace in rate cuts in the upcoming year have injected uncertainty into the markets. This shift in monetary policy contributed to one of the most challenging trading days earlier in the week. However, the Friday release of the Personal Consumption Expenditures index pointed to moderating inflation, sparking some optimism. In the economic landscape, December saw a notable slump in U.S. Consumer Confidence, with a sharp monthly drop not witnessed since November 2020. This reflects growing concerns among Americans regarding the economic forecast, just before the year’s end. With a lighter economic schedule this week, Wall Street now has the opportunity to digest recent events and reassess before entering 2025. In anticipation of the holiday season, markets will observe an early close on Tuesday. Tech Stocks Surge Amid Federal Reserve’s Monetary Caution In recent market developments, U.S. stock indices showed promising gains, majorly influenced by a robust performance in the technology sector. The Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 experienced notable increases of 0.9% and 0.4%, respectively, as investor optimism was fueled by strong showings from leading tech companies. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones held steady after recovering from earlier setbacks. Semiconductor Giants Lead Market Rally Tech companies, especially in the semiconductor industry, were pivotal in driving market growth. Notable among them were Nvidia and Broadcom, which saw their stocks rise by over 3% and 5%, respectively. These gains were further supported by substantial rallies from major players like Meta Platforms and Tesla, marking a decisive shift after a previously volatile week. Federal Reserve’s Influence on Market Sentiment The Federal Reserve’s recent communication regarding a slower pace of rate cuts has introduced a layer of uncertainty in the market. While this news contributed to challenging trading conditions earlier, a modicum of optimism was restored following the release of the Personal Consumption Expenditures index, which suggested inflation might be moderating. Economic Indicators and Consumer Confidence December witnessed a significant decline in U.S. Consumer Confidence, marking one of the sharpest monthly decreases since November 2020. This decline underscores growing public apprehension about the economic outlook as the year draws to a close. Market Outlook: Reflection and Reappraisal With a significantly lighter economic calendar this week, Wall Street gets a breather to analyze recent market dynamics. This pause provides an opportunity to reassess strategies before entering the new year. For more information on the U.S. stock market and economic trends, visit The Wall Street Journal or Bloomberg .