Year-end news stories focusing on nervous stock market

NEWS AND OPINION:

The news media are brimming with those proverbial year-end stories that recap the highs, lows, challenges, victories and defeats across a wide spectrum of subjects.

At the moment, the favorite theme of the coverage appears to be the state of the stock market — and things appear a little jittery. Here are a few headlines to consider from the last 48 hours:

“The bond market just sounded its most severe alarm in 50 years: It could signal a big move in the stock market in 2024” (The Motley Fool); “The best performing U.S. stock of 2023 was left for dead after the pandemic” (Forbes); “Downturn or not? At year’s end, Wall St. is split on what’s ahead” (The New York Times); “Stocks drift higher as S&P inches toward record” (Yahoo Finance); “These are the 10 days that moved the stock market the most in 2023” (Market Watch); “Stock market today: Wall Street drifts mostly higher as a strong year for markets winds down” (THE Associated Press); “India joins the ranks of stock market superpowers” (CNN); “These are the biggest Nasdaq winners of 2023” (CNBC); “Why it’s okay to be optimistic about the economy next year” (Vox); and “World stocks at highest in over a year on rate cut bets” (Reuters).

FOR THE LEXICON

“Trump tough.”

The phrase comes to us from Fox Business anchorman Lawrence Kudlow, who originated the two-word description on a recent telecast — then praised former President Donald Trump for taking a firm public stand on issues of crucial interest to voters.

“Mr. Trump has tremendous energy and has proven to be a strong leader. Let me underscore that last point,” Mr. Kudlow told his audience on Wednesday.

“Whether it’s the economy, the border, trade. or foreign policy, the nation yearns for a strong leader following President Biden’s incredibly weak postures on everything. This is going to be a big general election theme. I call it ‘Trump tough,’” he said.

SEEKING A REVIVAL

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis offered some insight into his attitude as a Republican presidential hopeful in an appearance on Newsmax. The news organization produced a show titled “The DeSantis Christmas,” which the channel described as the “all-American conservative Christmas.” The production debuted Saturday and is still featured at Newsmax’s website.

The candidate had brought to Iowa his wife, Casey, and three children — ages 7, 5 and 3 — and they have been on the campaign trail together in recent days.

Mr. DeSantis himself appears to have benefited from his time in the Hawkeye State.

“There’s a lot of pessimism out there. But having gone through, being in Iowa, being in some of these states, talking to people. You know, there is a basic decency in this country. There’s patriotism, people are God-fearing. That’s the backbone of America,” Mr. DeSantis told the channel.

“The ingredients for a great comeback are there, and so I’m optimistic about the future. I know there’s a lot of work that needs to be done — but we absolutely can reverse this decline and usher in a revival of the American spirit,” he said.

WHERE’S CHRIS CHRISTIE?

The aforementioned Ron DeSantis is not the only governor on the presidential campaign trail. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will journey to New Hampshire in the next 48 hours for a town meeting and a breakfast event.

On Thursday, the candidate appears at a “Tell It Like It Is Town Hall” in the town of Epping at the Holy Grail Restaurant and Pub. Then it’s on to Hampton, where he will breakfast with the Hampton GOP on Friday at Linda’s Breakfast & Lunch place.

NIKKI HALEY PERSISTS

The Nikki Haley for President campaign has released a new ad in Iowa titled “Strong and Proud,” set to air across the state on broadcast, cable, and digital platforms.

“The ad highlights Haley’s strong position against Joe Biden in the general election. Poll after poll show Haley beating Biden by larger margins than either Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis. A recent Wall Street Journal poll has Haley demolishing Biden by an unprecedented 17 percentage points, while Trump barely squeaks by, and DeSantis doesn’t beat him at all,” Mrs. Haley’s campaign said in a written statement shared with Inside the Beltway.

“Voters are rallying to Nikki because they know she is a winner,” Haley spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas said.

FOXIFIED

In the week of Dec. 18-24, Fox News had an average prime-time audience of 1.5 million viewers, compared with MSNBC with 1 million and CNN with 454,000. This marks the sixth consecutive week Fox News has bested its cable news rivals, also delivering 75 of the top 100 cable news telecasts for the week.

“The Five” was the most-watched program in cable news with 2.8 million average daily viewers, followed by “Jesse Watters Prime Time” with 2.3 million viewers, “Special Report With Bret Baier” with an audience of 2 million and “The Ingraham Angle” with 1.9 million.

On Saturday, “Cavuto Live” was the top show of the day with an audience of 1.1 million viewers. On Sunday, Maria Bartiromo’s “Sunday Morning Futures” was the most-watched program of the weekend with 1.2 million viewers.

POLL DU JOUR

• 47% of U.S. adults are “very dissatisfied” with the way things are going in the nation today; 72% of Republicans, 49% of independents and 16% of Democrats agree.

• 49% of Whites, 39% of Hispanics and 21% of Blacks also agree.

• 23% are “somewhat dissatisfied” with the way things are going; 20% of Republicans, 26% of independents and 24% of Democrats agree.

• 23% of Whites, 26% of Hispanics and 24% of Blacks also agree.

• 24% are “somewhat satisfied” with the way things are going in the nation; 6% of Republicans, 20% of independents and 47% of Democrats agree.

• 23% of Whites, 26% of Hispanics and 39% of Blacks also agree.

• 6% are “very satisfied” with the way things are going; 3% of Republicans, 4% of independents and 12% of Democrats agree.

• 5% of Whites, 6% of Hispanics and 15% of Blacks also agree.

SOURCE: A Quinnipiac University poll of 1,844 U.S. adults conducted Dec. 14-18.

• Follow Jennifer Harper on X @HarperBulletin, on Facebook @HarperUniverse.