Dow, S&P Surge to Record Closes as Economy Steams Ahead

In The Washington Post, Thomas Heath writes that the "U.S. stock markets smashed records Thursday” as the economy continues to flourish. Heath notes that “it’s the S&P’s 19th record close this year and its 89th since the 2016 elections. The Dow recorded its 12th new closing high of the year and its 100th new high since the presidential election.”

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“The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, hitting near a 49-year low in a sign the job market remains strong,” Reutersreports. “Initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell by 3,000 to a seasonally adjusted level of 201,000 for the week ended Sept. 15, the Labor Department said on Thursday. That is the lowest level since November 1969.”

“The federal government has more authority to go on offense against foreign adversaries under a new cybersecurity strategy signed by President Donald Trump, officials said Thursday,” David Jackson writes in USA Today. “We are going to do a lot of things offensively. Our adversaries need to know that,” National Security Adviser John Bolton said.

“President Trump announced Thursday the names of two American soldiers from the Korean War identified from troop remains given to U.S. by North Korea earlier this year,” Diana Stancy Correll writes in the Washington Examiner. “Army Master Sgt. Charles H. McDaniel, 32, or Vernon, Indiana, and Army Pfc. William H. Jones, 19, of Nash County, North Carolina, are the first American remains from…...North Korea to be identified as a result of my Summit with Chairman Kim,” President Trump tweeted. “These HEROES are home, they may Rest In Peace, and hopefully their families can have closure.”

“President Trump has made addressing drug demand and the opioid crisis a top priority of his administration,” writes Deputy Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Jim Carroll in the Columbus Dispatch. The President is “dedicating unprecedented funding to address this crisis, including making sure states and communities have the resources they need to prevent drug use, treat addiction locally and stop the flow of drugs into their communities.”

“One year ago, a devastating Category 4 hurricane made landfall just south of the Yabucoa Harbor in Puerto Rico,” writes Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen in the Miami Herald. “FEMA and its federal partners were in Puerto Rico before Hurricane Maria made landfall, supported response efforts, and will stay there for years to come, supporting the government’s recovery efforts and helping Puerto Rican communities.”