The Dow Jones Industrial Average reached an unprecedented milestone on Friday, crossing the 50,000 mark for the first time in history, while the 2026 Winter Olympics officially kicked off in Milan, Italy, with Vice President JD Vance in attendance. The opening ceremony, held at Milan's San Siro Stadium, marked the beginning of the games, which will see over 2,900 athletes from 92 national Olympic committees compete.
The Dow's surge, which saw it soar 1,090 points, or 2.2%, reversed a selloff earlier in the week, according to ABC News. The S&P 500 climbed 1.7%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq increased 1.8%. President Donald Trump celebrated the achievement on social media, calling it "the first time in History."
The Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics will feature athletes from around the globe, with the United States having the largest delegation of over 230 athletes, followed by Canada with 210 and host nation Italy with 196, as reported by CBS News. The opening ceremony included the Parade of Nations and the lighting of the Olympic flame. Additional events were scheduled around Milan, with athlete parades in Predazzo, Livigno, and Cortina d'Ampezzo. Vice President Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance were seated near Italian President Sergio Mattarella and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry at the ceremony, Fox News reported.
In other news, authorities continued to investigate the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie. According to ABC News, the 84-year-old was allegedly abducted from her Tucson, Arizona, home. A timeline released by authorities revealed that Guthrie had taken an Uber to her daughter's home for dinner on Saturday, January 31, and was later dropped off at her own home.
Meanwhile, the legal landscape surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives has shifted, according to the NY Times. Andrea Lucas, chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, noted that DEI, once a goal for many companies, has become a target in the current political climate. "That was a very bad gamble that many companies took," Lucas said.
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