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From outsider to the Oval Office, bitcoin surges as a new administration embraces crypto

NEW YORK (AP) — Born from the ashes of the 2008 global financial crisis, bitcoin arrived after trust had withered in the financial system and in Washington’s ability to protect those who must participate in it. Now, it’s Washington’s very embrace of bitcoin that’s helping to send its price to records and lining the pockets of its believers. Bitcoin briefly surged above $103,000 after President-elect Donald Trump said he intends to nominate Paul Atkins, a former regulator who’s seen as friendly to crypto, as the next chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission. He would ...

Police hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO’s masked killer after street attack

NEW YORK (AP) — A gunman killed UnitedHealthcare’s CEO on Wednesday in a “brazen, targeted attack” outside a Manhattan hotel where the health insurer was holding its investor conference, police said, setting off a massive search for the fleeing assailant hours before the annual Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting nearby. Brian Thompson, 50, was shot around 6:45 a.m. as he walked alone to the New York Hilton Midtown from a nearby hotel, police said. The shooter appeared to be “lying in wait for several minutes” before approaching Thompson from behind and opening fire, ...

Job openings rose, though slowed, in mixed picture for labor market

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of job postings in the United States rebounded in October from a 3 1/2 year low in September, a sign that businesses are still seeking workers even though hiring has cooled. Openings rose 5% to 7.7 million from 7.4 million in September, the Labor Department ...

Stock market today: Wall Street inches higher to set more records

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks tiptoed to more records amid a mixed Tuesday of trading, tacking a touch more onto what’s already been a stellar year so far. The S&P 500 edged up by 2 points, or less than 0.1%, to set an all-time high for the 55th time this year. It’s climbed in 10 of the last 11 days and is on track for one of its best years since the turn of the millennium. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 76 points, or 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite added 0.4% to its own record set a day earlier. AT&T rose 4.6% after it boosted its profit forecast for the year. It ...