Newsletter Dec 29, 2023

Quick Six

Pro-Palestinian protesters march on NYC, hold mock funeral
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters took to the streets of New York on Thursday, staging a mock funeral in a demonstration against Israel's continued heavy bombardment of the besieged Gaza strip. Holding banners demanding an immediate ceasefire, the activists gathered in Manhattan's Bryant Park while some briefly stood in the middle of the busy Sixth Avenue in the heart of New York's Midtown district. Several women shrouded in black held baby dolls swaddled in white cloths to represent the toll the fighting has taken on children in the embattled Gaza territory.
SEE THE REACTION OF NEW YORKERS TO THE PROTEST

US stocks, bonds head into 2024 with plenty of momentum
U.S. stocks and bonds are heading into the new year with plenty of tailwinds that could broaden the rally, although risks remain. The year 2023 started on the negative side for stocks, thanks to several headwinds like rising interest rates, the raging Ukraine war, and growing tensions between the U.S and China. But things quickly turned around in hopes of a Fed interest rate pivot, with all major equity averages posting solid gains by the year's end.
SEE THE ECONOMIC NUMBERS HEADING INTO NEW YEAR

Magnificent Seven rally could continue for years to come
The seven magnificent tech companies' shares -- Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, Alphabet, Nvidia and Tesla -- had another banner year on Wall Street, delivering returns that beat the major market averages by a significant margin. Though past performance isn't a guarantee for future performance, there is reason to believe that the Magnificent Seven will continue to outperform the market.
WHY THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN RALLY HAS SOLID FUTURE

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Markets

DJIA	37,710.10	0.14%
S&P 500	4,783.35	0.04%
Nasdaq Composite	15,095.14	-0.03%
Japan: Nikkei 225	33,539.62	-0.42%
UK: FTSE 100	7,722.74	-0.03%
Crude Oil Futures	72.04	-2.79%
Gold Futures	2,075.70	-0.83%
Yen	141.31	-0.07%
Euro	1.11	0.03%
* As of market close

Shamans make predictions for the new year

Tough times ahead for Argentina's new President Javier Milei, more war in Gaza, and an Uruguay-Argentina 2024 Copa America final: Peru's shamans made their annual predictions for the year ahead. Gathered on a sacred hill in Lima, 14 shamans from around the Andean country scattered coca leaves and flower petals over posters of world leaders including Milei, Russia's Vladimir Putin, and US President Joe Biden in order to divine what the next 12 months hold.

SEE SOME OF THE MORE POPULAR PREDICTIONS FOR 2024

Spain's aggressive plan nixes nukes by 2035

Spain will shutter all of its remaining nuclear power plants by 2035, the government confirmed on Wednesday, as part of its aggressive energy plan for the future. The Council of Ministers of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez approved a measure establishing national nuclear waste management policy, paving the way for the decommissioning and dismantling processes to officially begin in 2027. The seven currently operational reactors will be decommissioned in successive order.

SPAIN'S AGGRESSIVE ENERGY PLAN IS A MODEL FOR EUROPE

Swiss put foie gras, fur imports on ballot

The Swiss will decide whether to ban foie gras and fur imports after campaigners on Thursday handed in enough signatures to trigger a public vote on the twin issues. The popular initiative on foie gras collected 106,448 signatures, while the one on fur attracted 116,140 -- both above the 100,000 threshold required to trigger a national vote. Foie gras, which involved force-feeding ducks and geese, is popular around the holiday season, giving extra resonance to the campaign.

HOW SWISS ARE EXPECTED TO VOTE ON FOOD AND FUR BANS

Extra point

Although most popular with the French, what people invented foie gras?

Thursday's answer: Introduced in 1944 by the US Forest Service, Smokey the Bear is the longest-running public service ad campaign.

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