The Mix

LEAVENWORTH, Wash. (AP) — The scent of bratwurst and pretzels filled the air as horses clopped down the main street, hauling a carriage full of tourists.

Stocks closed higher on Wall Street ahead of the Christmas holiday, led by gains in Big Tech stocks. The S&P 500 added 1.1% Tuesday. Trading closed early ahead of the holiday.

VANCOUVER — Striking janitors at the Vancouver International Airport say they have suspended a planned Christmas Eve escalation after reaching a tentative deal with their employer Alpine Building Maintenance.

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — On a balmy December evening, four Indian crew members, eager to go explore this Mediterranean city where their container ship docked for a few hours, turned for help to Stella Maris.

TORONTO — Broad-based gains led Canada's main stock index higher in late-morning trading on Christmas Eve, while U.S. stock markets also rose. The S&P/TSX composite index was up 57.82 points at 24,806.80.

A recent survey shows small business owners are feeling more optimistic about the economy following the election. The National Federation of Independent Businesses’ Small Business Optimism Index rose by eight points in November to 101.

Nonfiction 1. Atomic Habits by James Clear, narrated by the author (Penguin Audio) 2. Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, narrated by the author (Little, Brown & Company) 3.

OTTAWA — Immigration measures announced as part of Canada's border response to president-elect Donald Trump's 25 per cent tariff threat are starting to be implemented, beginning with a ban on what's known as "flagpoling.

NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C. — Betty Birrell expertly guides her mountain bike over an elevated wooden ramp, catching some air, then lands smoothly on a trail she's ridden countless times before.

NEW DELHI (AP) — Shyam Benegal, a renowned Indian filmmaker known for pioneering a cinema movement that tackled social issues in the 1970s, has died after chronic kidney disease. He was 90.