Bloomberg Evening Briefing

Stocks keep pushing higher, adding to a rally that’s already topped $3 trillion from this month’s lows. All major groups in the S&P 500 advanced, with the gauge up for an eighth straight day—the longest winning streak in 2024 so far. While technology stocks led gains on Monday, an equal-weighted version of the US equity benchmark—one that gives Target as much clout as Microsoft—hit an all-time high amid hopes the rally will broaden beyond the megacap space. The Russell 2000 of smaller firms added 1.2%. Everyone of course is looking to next month’s expected rate cut by the US central bank, and the boost it will provide Wall Street. 

Here are today’s top stories

The bad news is that the share of Americans who say they’re likely to be unemployed in the next four months has reached a ten-year high, according to a Federal Reserve Bank of New York survey of consumer expectations. The good news is that there’s a rising number of consumers who expect to receive a job offer soon. Overall, the survey shows increased churn in the labor market, as well as workers who are increasingly dissatisfied with their wages and benefits.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted a proposal to halt the 10-month war in Gaza, in which Israeli forces have killed tens of thousands of Palestinians while leveling much of the territory. Blinken, on his ninth trip to the region since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people, called the proposed accord “a bridging agreement.” The next step is for “Hamas to say yes,” he said, as the Biden administration looks to bring an end to a conflict that has displaced most of Gaza’s population.

The remains of the Jabalia camp for Palestinian refugees in northern Gaza last month following an Israeli bombardment. Photographer: Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP/Getty Images

The arrival of thousands of people in Chicago for the Democratic National Convention this week marks the culmination of years of groundwork by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker to elevate the city—and himself—to the national spotlight. Pritzker’s bid team traveled to Washington four times over a year for meetings, where the governor personally lobbied President Biden. And when organizers toured the city, he feted them with a party at his mansion, a dinner from Michelin-starred chefs and access to a private sound check by the rock band Metallica.

A mutated form of mpox has been circulating in the Democratic Republic of Congo for months. Now the response to what’s become a global health emergency faces a key obstacle: The country still doesn’t have a single vaccine. The absence of shots and challenges in understanding the spread of the disease in the central African country underscore how hold-ups on the ground, a lack of international coordination and funding problems have hampered a swift response.

A health worker assesses a patient with a suspected case of mpox at a treatment center in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo, on Aug. 17. Photographer: Arlette Bashizi/Bloomberg

Billionaire Carl Icahn and his investment firm have agreed to pay $2 million to settle a US Securities and Exchange Commission probe that found the famed investor didn’t properly disclose how much he was borrowing against his stake in the company. Icahn was fined $500,000 and Icahn Enterprises LP will pay $1.5 million. The investigation started after a report by short-seller Hindenburg Research tanked shares in Icahn’s investment firm.

For the first time ever, a bar of gold is worth $1 million. The milestone was reached Friday when the precious metal’s spot price surpassed $2,500 per troy ounce, an all-time high. With gold bars typically weighing about 400 ounces—well, you can do the math.

It’s been almost two years since Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva returned to power in Brazil, defeating his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro. For investors it hasn’t been a picnic. The currency is down, government bond yields are up and the stock market has had half the gains posted across the rest of emerging markets. All this stands in stark contrast to Lula’s first presidential stint two decades ago. Back then, he became the unlikeliest of Wall Street darlings—a radical union leader who shocked pundits by quickly embracing fiscal austerity—and oversaw a furious rally in the country’s markets. 

What you’ll need to know tomorrow

Where the Sports Betting Money Actually Goes

Legalized sports gambling lets state governments tax what used to be an illicit and off-the-books activity. But where does the money go, exactly? In some instances, not far: Arkansas allocates 17.5% of its taxed revenue to horse breeding awards and racing purses. And of the $2.7 billion US states collected in the previous four quarters, less than 2% went directly to those arguably most in need: problem gamblers and the programs built to support them. Here’s who’s getting the money

Photo illustration: 731; Photos: Getty Images (2)

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