Wall Street dips as investors digest data after strong rally

( ), ( ) and ( ) have secured their spots on , while ( ) looks on longingly on the watchlist. But retail giant ( ) is already a full-fledged member on this list of top growth stocks. And Costco is in buy range while holding support above its . Costco Stock Shops For Support Following a on Dec. 18, the Nasdaq has managed to cling to support at its . Costco also pulled back last week, coming off an all-time high. The retail behemoth also fell below its 21-day line but remains in buy range from a 923.83 entry it initially cleared on Nov 8. The 50-day line presents the next test for Costco. Down again Monday at midday, the stock stands just above that benchmark. Costco stock is not alone in trying to navigate this uncertain market heading into the end of the year. Support And Resistance For Costco, Nvidia And More As Costco remains in buy range from its buy point, and also flash signs of both support and resistance. Meta trades above its 50-day line, but remains below its 21-day benchmark. The Instagram and Facebook parent also stands 1% below the 602.95 buy point it first cleared earlier this month. It has not triggered any . Nvidia has encountered increased volatility since June, when it began forming a late-stage base. The artificial intelligence giant cleared a 140.76 entry in October but has shown seesaw action since then. Nvidia remains below its 50-day line since breaching it sharply on Dec. 10. Plus, note how the 21-day line has undercut the longer-term 50-day benchmark, an indication of technical weakness. On the other hand, and Alphabet-owned trade above those key moving averages. With its relative strength line rising sharply in recent months, Tesla looks to shake off the Dec. 18 sell-off and recharge its run. Since breaking past its 182.4 entry in a third-stage cup with handle, Google has held tough. Up again Monday, the search, cloud and AI powerhouse has become slightly extended. Costco And Its 'Secret' To Growth While not a high-flying growth stock in the vein of Nvidia, Meta, Alphabet and others, Costco has proved to be a steady yet great winner in past bull markets. The stock's tremendous run since the market bottom in 2009 provides all the evidence. Recurring revenue from membership fees drives solid and steady growth for Costco. The company marks up prices at one rate across the board, while all of the company's profits come from annual member fees, according to " ." Costco's earnings have more than tripled from $5.33 a share in fiscal 2016 (ended in August) to $16.11 in fiscal 2024. shows six quarter of rising fund ownership for Costco. .

Former Google boss warns of AI danger & says ‘humans will not be able to police it’ as computers ‘think for themselves’

By Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times (TNS) Every day millions of people share more intimate information with their accessories than they do with their spouse. Wearable technology — smartwatches, smart rings, fitness trackers and the like — monitors body-centric data such as your heart rate, steps taken and calories burned, and may record where you go along the way. Like Santa Claus, it knows when you are sleeping (and how well), it knows when you’re awake, it knows when you’ve been idle or exercising, and it keeps track of all of it. People are also sharing sensitive health information on health and wellness apps , including online mental health and counseling programs. Some women use period tracker apps to map out their monthly cycle. These devices and services have excited consumers hoping for better insight into their health and lifestyle choices. But the lack of oversight into how body-centric data are used and shared with third parties has prompted concerns from privacy experts, who warn that the data could be sold or lost through data breaches, then used to raise insurance premiums, discriminate surreptitiously against applicants for jobs or housing, and even perform surveillance. The use of wearable technology and medical apps surged in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, but research released by Mozilla on Wednesday indicates that current laws offer little protection for consumers who are often unaware just how much of their health data are being collected and shared by companies. “I’ve been studying the intersections of emerging technologies, data-driven technologies, AI and human rights and social justice for the past 15 years, and since the pandemic I’ve noticed the industry has become hyper-focused on our bodies,” said Mozilla Foundation technology fellow Júlia Keserű, who conducted the research. “That permeates into all kinds of areas of our lives and all kinds of domains within the tech industry.” The report “From Skin to Screen: Bodily Integrity in the Digital Age” recommends that existing data protection laws be clarified to encompass all forms of bodily data. It also calls for expanding national health privacy laws to cover health-related information collected from health apps and fitness trackers and making it easier for users to opt out of body-centric data collections. Researchers have been raising alarms about health data privacy for years. Data collected by companies are often sold to data brokers or groups that buy, sell and trade data from the internet to create detailed consumer profiles. Body-centric data can include information such as the fingerprints used to unlock phones, face scans from facial recognition technology, and data from fitness and fertility trackers, mental health apps and digital medical records. One of the key reasons health information has value to companies — even when the person’s name is not associated with it — is that advertisers can use the data to send targeted ads to groups of people based on certain details they share. The information contained in these consumer profiles is becoming so detailed, however, that when paired with other data sets that include location information, it could be possible to target specific individuals, Keserű said. Location data can “expose sophisticated insights about people’s health status, through their visits to places like hospitals or abortions clinics,” Mozilla’s report said, adding that “companies like Google have been reported to keep such data even after promising to delete it.” A 2023 report by Duke University revealed that data brokers were selling sensitive data on individuals’ mental health conditions on the open market. While many brokers deleted personal identifiers, some provided names and addresses of individuals seeking mental health assistance, according to the report. In two public surveys conducted as part of the research, Keserű said, participants were outraged and felt exploited in scenarios where their health data were sold for a profit without their knowledge. “We need a new approach to our digital interactions that recognizes the fundamental rights of individuals to safeguard their bodily data, an issue that speaks directly to human autonomy and dignity,” Keserű said. “As technology continues to advance, it is critical that our laws and practices evolve to meet the unique challenges of this era.” Consumers often take part in these technologies without fully understanding the implications. Last month, Elon Musk suggested on X that users submit X-rays, PET scans, MRIs and other medical images to Grok, the platform’s artificial intelligence chatbot, to seek diagnoses. The issue alarmed privacy experts, but many X users heeded Musk’s call and submitted health information to the chatbot. While X’s privacy policy says that the company will not sell user data to third parties, it does share some information with certain business partners. Gaps in existing laws have allowed the widespread sharing of biometric and other body-related data. Health information provided to hospitals, doctor’s offices and medical insurance companies is protected from disclosure under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act , known as HIPAA, which established federal standards protecting such information from release without the patient’s consent. But health data collected by many wearable devices and health and wellness apps don’t fall under HIPAA’s umbrella, said Suzanne Bernstein, counsel at Electronic Privacy Information Center. “In the U.S. because we don’t have a comprehensive federal privacy law ... it falls to the state level,” she said. But not every state has weighed in on the issue. Washington, Nevada and Connecticut all recently passed laws to provide safeguards for consumer health data. Washington, D.C., in July introduced legislation that aimed to require tech companies to adhere to strengthened privacy provisions regarding the collection, sharing, use or sale of consumer health data. In California, the California Privacy Rights Act regulates how businesses can use certain types of sensitive information, including biometric information, and requires them to offer consumers the ability to opt out of disclosure of sensitive personal information. “This information being sold or shared with data brokers and other entities hypercharge the online profiling that we’re so used to at this point, and the more sensitive the data, the more sophisticated the profiling can be,” Bernstein said. “A lot of the sharing or selling with third parties is outside the scope of what a consumer would reasonably expect.” Health information has become a prime target for hackers seeking to extort healthcare agencies and individuals after accessing sensitive patient data. Health-related cybersecurity breaches and ransom attacks increased more than 4,000% between 2009 and 2023, targeting the booming market of body-centric data, which is expected to exceed $500 billion by 2030, according to the report. “Nonconsensual data sharing is a big issue,” Keserű said. “Even if it’s biometric data or health data, a lot of the companies are just sharing that data without you knowing, and that is causing a lot of anxiety and questions.” ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Fulks scores 23 as Milwaukee beats Akron 100-81

Does Mark Gastineau belong in the Pro Football Hall of Fame? It’s a question being posed anew this week as the 1981 are proving more newsworthy than the 2024 New York Jets. A clip of profiling the Jets’ famed “New York Sack Exchange,” which debuts Friday night, showed Gastineau, the most prolific pass rusher in franchise history, at a card show in Chicago last year. The reason? Gastineau remains upset that Favre essentially gave himself up on what was largely a meaningless play at the end of a 2001 game against the New York Giants – but one that resulted in future Hall of Famer Michael Strahan breaking Gastineau’s 17-year-old (at the time) single-season NFL sack record. “I know that Mark was upset with Brett Favre,” Gastineau’s longtime Jets linemate, Marty Lyons, told USA TODAY Sports this week. “I was there, and I told him, ‘Mark, you’ve got to let it go.’ And he wasn’t gonna let it go. ... It’s just a number, and it’s already been . “But for Mark to carry that burden so many years after the fact, it’s sad. It really is. ... (I)t’s been eating at Mark all these years – he wasn’t able to let go and to move on. Did it mean that much to him? Apparently, it did.” A three-time All-Pro, Gastineau led the NFL in sacks both in 1983 (with 19) and 1984, when racked up 22 to set the record. Strahan finished with 221⁄2 after his dubious takedown of Favre, a figure Watt matched in 2021. “You really hurt me. You hurt me, Brett,” Gastineau could be heard saying in the video clip of the brief encounter, Favre appearing slightly stunned before being escorted away. 22 years after losing the NFL single-season sack record, Mark Gastineau confronted Brett Favre for ‘taking a dive’ on the record-breaking play. Catch the latest , 'The New York Sack Exchange,' on ESPN and ESPN+ starting Dec. 13. — ESPN (@espn) Favre explained his side of the story in a lengthy social media post Tuesday but also seemed to endorse Gastineau as HOF-worthy. “I have a great deal of respect for Mark. I hope one day he joins me in the Hall of Fame,” Favre wrote on X. “He earned it. Look at his numbers.” I have a great deal of respect for Mark. I hope one day he joins me in the Hall of Fame. He earned it. Look at his numbers. He eclipsed 20 sacks twice and had 19 in another year! (7) — Brett Favre (@BrettFavre) While Watt seems a shoo-in to eventually join Favre and Strahan in Canton one day, Gastineau – a five-time Pro Bowler with 1071⁄2 career sacks (74 occurring after they became an official statistic in 1982) – has no bronze bust. Should he? “Listen, it’s a valid question. I’ve always believed that if you’re that good, you don’t have to be out there promoting yourself, you know?” said Lyons, Gastineau’s teammate from 1979 to ’88. “Does Mark deserve to be in the Hall of Fame? You know, the numbers will say yes – but to be honest with you, I don’t know. “Did he play for the (sacks)? Or did he play for the game, did he play for his teammates?” It’s just one issue at the center of Gastineau’s candidacy. At 6-5 and a sculpted 265 pounds – and Gastineau was an admitted user of steroids, as were many NFL players of his era – he was ultra athletic and the kind of explosive talent who helped shape what the modern edge rusher has become. But he was also often accused of ignoring his gap responsibilities or failing to focus on defending the run as he pursued quarterbacks. That distinguished Gastineau from another “Sack Exchange” member, Joe Klecko. A Pro Bowler at defensive end, defensive tackle and nose tackle, Klecko had 31 sacks (unofficially) spread between the 1980 and ’81 seasons but also spent much of his career leveraging his signature strength and doing the dirty work inside. Klecko was enshrined into the Hall last year after a 35-year wait. Whether Gastineau joins him seems likely to remain an open question. “I think Mark was an outstanding defensive end, he could get to the quarterback,” said Lyons. “Was he one-dimensional? Maybe. Did he think that every play was a pass? Maybe – but he could get to the quarterback.” Lyons, a close friend of Klecko’s for decades, has admittedly had a complicated relationship with Gastineau, frequently offering him support – including when Gastineau was diagnosed with colon cancer – but just as often clashing with a man who’s had his share of challenges on and off the field. “I don’t live in the past,” said Lyons. “I told Mark, ‘There’s an old saying: Your future happiness may very well depend on your ability to leave the past behind.' “I’ve always wished Mark the best.” ***

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. (AP) — Josh Dilling's 22 points helped Northern Kentucky defeat Norfolk State 71-62 on Sunday. Dilling also had five rebounds for the Norse (5-6, 1-0 Horizon League). Sam Vinson added 21 points while going 4 of 5 and 13 of 15 from the free-throw line while they also had five assists and three steals. LJ Wells finished 5 of 7 from the field to finish with 10 points. Brian Moore Jr. led the Spartans (6-6) in scoring, finishing with 12 points and two steals. Terrance Jones added 12 points for Norfolk State. Kuluel Mading also had 12 points. Northern Kentucky plays Wednesday against Detroit Mercy at home, and Norfolk State takes on Alabama State on Thursday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Political slugfest has erupted in Telangana hours after a Hyderabad court granted bail to six people, who were arrested for allegedly vandalising the residence of Telugu actor Allu Arjun. The actor was summoned by police for questioning on Tuesday. On Sunday, a group of unknown people, supposedly belonging to Osmania University Joint Action Committee (OUJAC), attacked the Jubilee Hills residence of Allu Arjun demanding huge monetary compensation to the family of a woman who died in the Sandhya Theatre stampede incident during the screening of his latest film Pushpa2: The Rule. While the police did not disclose their political affiliation, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) spokesperson Manne Krishank alleged that one of the accused, Reddy Srinivas, was a close aide of chief minister Revanth Reddy. Sharing the purported photographs of Srinivas with the chief minister on X, Krishank pointed out that Srinivas was the Congress candidate for the zilla parishad territorial constituency (ZPTC) from Kodangal in the 2019 local body elections. “OUJAC started the great Telangana Agitation in 2009. Using it for Violence and blackmail is disgusting”, Krishnak posted on X, adding, “Reddy Srinivas who attacked Allu Arjun residence is not a student leader of Osmania University but a close aide of CM Revanth & Kodangal Congress Candidate of 2019 ZPTC Poll.” The Congress, however, did not respond to the allegation, but the chief minister strongly condemned the attack by some miscreants on the house of Allu Arjun on Sunday. “I have instructed the director general of police and Hyderabad police commissioner to act tough against those who were disturbing the law and order. There is no question of tolerating such incidents,” he said. State cinematography minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy took to X condemning the vandalism at Allu Arjun’s residence. “There is no place for violence and physical attacks in democracy. Nobody should take law into their hands,” he said. After the arrest of Allu Arjun by the Chikkadpally police on December 13, BRS working president KT Rama Rao said the arrest of the National Award-winning star was the pinnacle of insecurity of the rulers. “I totally sympathise with the victims of the stampede but who failed really? Treating @alluarjun Garu as a common criminal is uncalled for especially for something he isn’t directly responsible,” KTR said in a post on X. At a party meeting, KTR also alleged that Revanth Reddy got Allu Arjun arrested just because the latter had forgotten the chief minister’s name for a second at the success meet of Pushpa2: The Rule. BJP leader and Union minister of state for home Bandi Sanjay said the actor deserved a better treatment. He said: “The national award-winning actor was “lifted straight from his bedroom” without even being given time to change. It is a “disgraceful act of mismanagement and disrespect. A star of his stature, who brought global recognition to Indian cinema, deserved better treatment.” BJP national leader Amit Malviya called the action against Allu Arjun a “state-sponsored terrorism and said “the actor was targeted for refusing to campaign for the Congress.” Political analyst Rama Krishna Sangem, however, differed with this view. He said it was the chief minister who had given permission for the benefit show, additional screenings and increased ticket price for Pushpa2: The Rule. “But Revanth Reddy should have dealt with the avoidable tragedy as per law, leaving it entirely to cops and courts, rather than making public statements against film stars and filmmakers inside and outside the assembly. His open aggression in the present issue led to the political slugfest,” Sangem said. Tollywood tries for reconciliation The prominent figures from the Telugu film industry have announced their plan to meet the chief minister shortly and resolve the issue in an amicable manner. “We shall meet the chief minister after the return of prominent producer and Telangana film development corporation chairman Dil Raju returns from his US trip,” producer Naga Vamsi told reporters on Monday. A comedian of Tollywood said, on condition of anonymity, that Revanth Reddy must be under the impression that the Telugu film industry had maintained good relations with the previous BRS government and many celebrities were close friends of KTR. “I am not sure, but that could be one of the reasons for Revanth Reddy’s antipathy towards Tollywood,” he said. What has disturbed the Tollywood more than the Allu Arjun episode was Revanth Reddy’s announcement that there would be no permission for benefit shows, additional screenings or hike in ticket price. With major hero films lined up for release during Sankranti, the government’s stance has become a critical issue, as Telangana, including Hyderabad, is a key market for Telugu cinema. “We shall discuss the issue of ticket prices, premiere shows and additional shows with the chief minister,” Naga Vamsi said. Among the big-ticket films which are slated for release on Sankranti festival, considered to be very auspicious for film makers, are: Chiranjeevi’s son Ram Charan’s Game Changer, Nandamuri Balakrishna-starrer Daku Maharaj and Venkatesh-starrer Sankranthi ki Vastunnam. “Most of these high-budget films try to make quick money within the first three or four days by screening benefit shows, additional shows and increased ticket prices. Since Telangana is a big market for Tollywood, the film makers do not get into confrontation with the government,” said Venkat Reddy, who runs a popular film website. Mythri Movie Makers, which produced Pushpa2: The Rule, announced ex gratia of ₹ 50 lakh to the family of M Revathi, who died due to asphyxiation in the Sandhya Theatre stampede incident. Promoter of the firm Naveen Yerneni went to the hospital where her son is undergoing treatment on Monday and handed over the cheque to Revathi’s husband, Bhaskar.Tetairoa McMillan, one of the best wide receivers in Arizona history, will skip his final year of eligibility and enter the 2025 NFL Draft, he announced on social media on Thursday. Projected as a top-10 draft pick, the 6-foot-5, 212-pound McMillan finished his illustrious career at Arizona with 3,423 receiving yards, breaking the mark set by Bobby Wade (3,351). In three seasons, the Hawaii native also posted the fourth-most catches (213) and third-most touchdowns (26) in school history. "Wildcat Nation, this journey has been everything I dreamed of and more," McMillan wrote on Instagram. "From the moment I committed to the University of Arizona, to every second spent wearing that Arizona jersey ... it's been an absolute honor. "The University of Arizona has provided me with the platform to grow and chase my dreams. ... Thank you from the bottom of my heart. To the best fans in the country, I appreciate you for all of the love and support you have given me these last 3 years. I will always be a Wildcat." In 2024, McMillan totaled 84 grabs (ninth in Division I) for 1,319 yards (third in Division I) and eight touchdowns for the 4-8 Wildcats. He also ranked third in Division I with 109.9 receiving yards per game. McMillan is a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the most outstanding receiver in college football. --Field Level Media