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National Headline News For Friday December 27th 2024
These are the most recent developments in national politics as of Friday, December 27, 2024.
The Number of Store Closures in the Retail Sector Peaks in 2024
The United States suffered a major blow, which shifted the focus to closing retail stores throughout the year. This is because of the weakest recession in history, as many eye chains announced the closure of many retail locations.
- Family Dollar leads the way with 677 store closures.
- Followed by CVS Health with 586.
- Big Lots with 580.
- Walgreens with 259.
Big Lots intends to close 963 stores after Nexus Capital Management LP ended the deal. Building upon its strategy of shutting down 900 stores by the end of 2024, CVS is left unfazed. Building on its strategic focus on closing locations, Walgreens intends to close around 1200 stores by 2027. Buy Baby is no longer in business because it has decided to adopt a digital-first approach along with the plethora of store closures. Family Dollar has also made a statement indicating considerable financial difficulties after its acquisition by Dollar Tree in 2015.
Stock Market Update
The U.S. stock future is heading downward, as the Dow, Nasdaq, and S&P 500 are down by 0.3% each. Things don’t look great for Apple either, as its stocks are stable on the threshold of reaching 4 trillion. The losses are expected to surge, as Wedbush analysts set the target at 325, expecting the decrease in value to fall right on that number. Apple’s share price, meanwhile, edged up.
Record Christmas viewership numbers came in for Netflix as their NFL games peaked with 27 million plus viewers on Christmas day. Shares of KULR Technology Group amassed an increase exceeding 12% alongside its announcement of the investment in Bitcoin for around 21 million U.S. dollars.
Financial institutions worldwide are closely following the multi-billion dollar merger of Amedisys Incorporated and UnitedHealth Group Incorporated as there is a green light from the regulatory authorities to proceed with the merger. It is expected that bitcoin will, ‘if not break this year’s all-time high of $96,600, at least get very close to it,’ while oil and gold futures have experienced a slight bump. Michael L. Smith of the UnitedHealth Group was wary after the deal’s announcement as it could very well trigger Israeli-Palestinian tensions.
Richard Parsons, chairman of Citigroup from 2009 to 2012, held several noteworthy titles, including being the first black person to serve at Parsons Corporation and the senior vice president at Time Warner. Parsons married Gina Sussman in 1982 and had three children with her. He died in 2022 and was an outspoken advocate for diversity at Goldman. During his career, Parsons served numerous boardroom positions, including AOL-connected Americans.
Chris Moore, a former Arizona Cardinals mindset specialist, recently signed a contract with the Washington Commanders, with it being his practice squad in August. He was well known among football coaches for his extraordinary performance, having played 17 games for the Tennessee Titans in 2023, catching 22 passes and covering 424 yards with a touchdown and at least two rushing touchdowns in the game. The move came after releasing Greg Joseph to create space for Moore, as the team was already experiencing injuries on several key players, including Andrew Wylie and Dyami Brown,
The football player Jonathan Allen is all set to face off against the Falcons.
Microsoft
An Investigation Based on Antitrust. The investigation of Microsoft was evidence that Microsoft is not misusing its considerable power obtained in the market to enforce a bundle of its services in an unfair manner, which type of competition is considered anti-competitive. This has already happened—this is an investigation of antitrust against Microsoft.
U.S. Government Shutdown Shocka Averted
On December 21, 2024, the U.S. was threatened by a government shutdown if Congress did not approve a spending bill. A shutdown was narrowly avoided when President Biden signed a spending extension bill approved by Congress.
The New Mexico Civil Nuclear Weapons Race
Nuclear-weapons-involving activities in New Mexico are rising, particularly in the Los Alamos National Laboratory and its extended facilities. Such activities affect local communities, local economies, and even the environment.
The New Role of Influencers in the Political Space
Political discussions in 2024 are partly driven by the active engagement of influencers, thus effectively extending the scope of punditry and journalism. Turning to the creator economy has seen politicians engage more influencers.
Conclusion of the Presidential Election Results
The 2024 election cycle ended with Donald Trump winning and becoming president again. Great efforts were put into the campaigns, and a huge turnout of voters was reported during the election.
Celebrity Social Media Announcers for the 2024 Baby Reveals
In 2024, several celebrities announced their pregnancies and told the public about it.
Celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence, Cooke Maroney, Ashanti, Nelly, and Patrick Mahomes are adamant about expanding their family shortly.
These news articles give a good summary of the facts. These are the most significant events in the country as of December 27, 2024.
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This is the summary of the national headline news on December 27, 2024:
Economic Perspective and Employment Situation
The Outlook for Employment:
- The forecasting models for the employment services sector in the US indicate that job declines of 300,000 in December can be reported.
- These suggest declines in some key sectors, such as manufacturing, wholesale, and retail, which makes the slow transition of the economy a bit tricky.
Likelihood of Inflation
There has been a deflationary trend, with the latest CPI data revealing an approximately 3.6% easing from the high inflation that occurred in recent years. Such a shift will lead to considerations regarding the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy in the coming months.
Real Estate Market Status
Worst Case Scenario Visualization:
- On a national scale, average payment rates and flat numbers on owned homes are expected to increase by roughly 3-5% in 2025.
- Other Midwest markets are expected to fare much better as demand and economic conditions strongly promote the real estate systems.
A Growing Concern:
- The number of foreclosure requests made to courts has increased by 15% from the previous year.
- This raises some eyebrows since more and more homeowners are struggling to make ends meet, making stability in housing hard to maintain.
Key Political Developments
Congress Budget Negotiations:
- The US Congress is bracing for negotiations related to the federal budget.
- If not resolved, it could lead to a government shutdown.
- Spending on such budgetary issues as social services and defense remains contentious.
- Over the past few weeks, we have all been witnessing the development of the 2024 presidential race.
- With primaries nearing, candidates are intensifying their campaigns.
Each recent poll indicates a growing competitive landscape with multiple candidates emerging as frontrunners against each of the two major party candidates.
Recent Changes in Healthcare
Newly Identified COVID Variants:
- The new COVID variants aid COVID-19 vaccination efforts by encouraging booster shots during these biker rally seasons.
- With an increasing number of cases within regions, health officials are working on devising new thankful measures.
Wellness Aid:
- Federal programs to tackle the mental body impact of the ongoing pandemic within the United States have also been introduced as aid.
Environmental Threats
Severe Weather:
- Due to extreme weather, heavy flooding and snowfall are occurring in regions across America, and citizens are preparing for possible disruption.
- Hence, emergency services are on standby.
Climate Change:
- The Biden administration is soon rolling out new climate change initiatives to rely on renewable energy sources and reduce emissions.
Cyber Security Issues
New Cyber Security Threats:
- US federal agencies are urging businesses to amplify their security policies due to the ever-increasing threat of cyber attacks.
- At the turn of the new year, the United States must tackle alleviating various socio-economic and political challenges.
What remains to be seen is whether the challenge of pandemic recovery will top the list.