Alaska charters military flights

Alaska Airlines will operate chartered military flights in the U.S. to aid the military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, the company announced Friday.

“Alaska Airlines is honored to support the critical humanitarian airlift mission and the U.S. military as it coordinates the evacuation of individuals and families from Afghanistan,” the company said in a news release.

In the past, Alaska supported the Berlin Airlift in 1948 and Operation Magic Carpet and the airlift of thousands of Yemenite Jews to Israel in 1949.

In addition to the charter flights in the U.S., Alaska said it stands ready to “provide additional support to the Department of Defense in their mission.”

Stock indexes reach new highs

NEW YORK – Wall Street rallied to records on Friday after the head of the Federal Reserve said it’s still far from pulling interest rates off the record low that’s helped markets soar, even if it does begin dialing back its support for the economy later this year.

The S&P 500 rose 39.37, or 0.9%, to 4,509.37 to top its prior all-time high set on Wednesday, part of a widespread rally that swept up everything from bonds to gold.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 242.68 points, or 0.7%, to 34,455.80, and the Nasdaq composite gained 183.69, or 1.2%, to 15,129.50.

Stocks have set record after record this year.

From staff and wire reports