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Black Friday is almost here. What to know about the holiday sales event’s history and evolution

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:25 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — If you didn’t already guess it from a barrage of sales ads in your inbox, the holiday shopping season is upon us. And Black Friday is right around the corner.While Black Friday may no longer look like the crowd-filled, in-person mayhem that it was just decades ago — in large part due to the rising dependence on online shopping that was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic — the holiday sales event is still slated to attract millions of consumers.The National Retail Federation projects that an estimated 182 million are planning to shop in-stores and online through the five-day Thanksgiving weekend. Black Friday is set to lead the charge, making up for 130.7 million of the potential shoppers.At the same time, economists note that fear of inflation, while down from a year ago, is still a concern looming in consumers’ minds — and could lead to somewhat modest spending this season. The extension of Black Friday sales and growing strength of other shopping even...

IAEA head says the barring of several nuclear inspectors by Iran is a ‘serious blow’ to monitoring

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:25 GMT

VIENNA (AP) — The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Wednesday that Iran’s decision in September to bar several experienced U.N. inspectors from monitoring the country’s nuclear program constituted “a very serious blow” to the agency’s ability to do its job “to the best possible level.”IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi said that while the U.N. nuclear watchdog continued to perform its monitoring work, Iran had targeted inspectors “who have a lot of experience, particularly in enrichment and other capacities.”“It takes a long time to prepare inspectors who have the necessary amount of experience, skills and ability to perform their work,” Grossi told reporters on the first day of a regular meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors in Vienna.While refusing to get into specific numbers or names, Grossi said that the ban concerned one-third of the core group of the agency’s most experienced inspectors designated for Iran.“This is completely uncalled for, th...

India in G20 summit welcomes Israel-Hamas cease-fire, urges action on climate, other issues

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:25 GMT

NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday welcomed a cease-fire in Gaza that’s expected to enable the release of dozens of hostages taken by Hamas, and urged leaders of the top rich and developing nations to work together to ensure the Israel-Hamas war doesn’t expand.Hosting a virtual meeting of Group of 20 leaders, Modi said the hostages should be released and humanitarian assistance expedited. India has the G20 presidency for 2023.“Terrorism is not acceptable and civilians’ death is condemnable,” he said.Israel and Hamas agreed to a four-day cease-fire in the war in Gaza — a breakthrough that will facilitate the release of dozens of hostages held by militants as well as Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, and bring a large influx of aid to the besieged territory, officials said Wednesday. The truce raised hopes of eventually winding down the war, which was triggered by Hamas’ Oct. 7 rampage into southern Israel.There was no official Indian...

Russia’s parliament approves budget with a record amount devoted to defense spending

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:25 GMT

Russia’s parliament approved a federal budget Wednesday that increases spending by around 25% in 2024-2026 and devotes a record amount to defense.The budget was passed unanimously by the Federation Council — the upper chamber of the Russian parliament — and will be sent to President Vladimir Putin to sign it into law.The budget for 2024-2026 was developed specifically to fund the Russian military and to mitigate the impact of “17,500 sanctions” on Russia, State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin said after the lower chamber approved it on Nov. 17. Under the budget, the country’s largest, defense expenditure is expected to overtake social spending next year for the first time in modern Russian history. It comes as the Kremlin is eager to shore up support for President Vladimir Putin before a March presidential election. Record low unemployment, higher wages and targeted social spending should help the Kremlin ride out the domestic impact of pivoting the economy to a war footing b...

Biden declares emergency over lead in water in US Virgin Islands

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:25 GMT

President Joe Biden declared an emergency over lead-in-water contamination in the U.S. Virgin Islands earlier this week after tests on St. Croix revealed levels more than 100 times the limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency – among the worst results a U.S. community has seen in decades.“On a personal level, it’s been frightening and frustrating,” said resident Frandelle Gerard, executive director of Crucian Heritage and Nature Tourism, Inc.Officials told residents to stop using their taps and began distributing bottled water. Lead can have devastating effects on childhood development, behavior and IQ scores.But experts consulted by The Associated Press said the frightening results may be false because they came from testing that does not meet EPA standards.“The data should be thrown into the garbage,” said Marc Edwards, a Virginia Tech lead and water expert who helped identify the lead problems in Flint, Michigan.If the information given to St. Croix residents turns out t...

Cineplex selling Player One Amusement Group business for $155 million

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:25 GMT

TORONTO — Cineplex Inc. has signed a deal to sell its Player One Amusement Group business to OpenGate Capital for $155 million in cash.Player One Amusement Group sells, distributes, operates and services arcade games and other equipment. Cineplex chief executive Ellis Jacob says the company built the business being sold through several acquisitions and organic growth, to become a North American leader.The company says the sale unlocks value for Cineplex and its stakeholders and provides immediate liquidity for debt repayment.Under the deal, Player One Amusement Group has signed a long-term agreement to continue to supply and service games in Cineplex’s theatres and location-based entertainment venues.The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2024 and is subject to regulatory approvals and other closing conditions. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 22, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:CGX)The Canadian Press

Home sales fall to 13-year low in October

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:25 GMT

(The Hill) – The sale of previously owned homes fell to an annualized rate of 3.79 million in October, marking a 13-year low, according to data released by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) on Tuesday.Existing home sales, which fell 4.1% from September and 14.6% from last year, reached its lowest point since August 2010, the data showed.“Prospective home buyers experienced another difficult month due to the persistent lack of housing inventory and the highest mortgage rates in a generation,” Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist, said in a press release. “Fortunately, mortgage rates have fallen for the third straight week, stirring up buying interest,” Yun added. “Though limited now, expect housing inventory to improve after this winter and heading into the spring. More inventory will result in more home sales.” Student debt? Buy a house in these states and get relief Housing inventory was up 1.8% from September, but down 5.7% from last October, while the average for a...

Oregon mom convicted after preventing daughter from receiving cancer surgery, giving her CBD oil instead

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:25 GMT

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — An Oregon mother has been found guilty on three charges for using alternative medicine like CBD oil to treat her daughter’s liver cancer, and for keeping the teenager away from scheduled surgery.Wilsonville resident Christina Dixon, 39, was first indicted in 2019 after she and daughter Kylee Dixon — who was 13 at the time — failed to show up for a medical procedure scheduled for June 6.Officials declared Kylee Dixon a ward of the state, and ordered Christina Dixon to bring the teen to the Oregon Department of Human Services.A 2019 photo shows Christine Gale and her daughter Kylee Dixon. (Clackamas County Sheriff's Office)During the early phases of authorities’ search for the mother and daughter, investigators believed they were somewhere along the Oregon Coast. But on June 13, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office announced that Christina Dixon and Kylee Dixon were found in the Longhorn Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas. The teen was taken into protective custody...

64-year-old man shot to death in Pilsen

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:25 GMT

CHICAGO — A 64-year-old man was shot to death early Wednesday morning in Pilsen. At around 3:55 a.m., the man was sitting in his vehicle in the 1800 block of South Canalport when an unknown male approached.The gunman shot the 64-year-old man approximately 14 times. The man was pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital.No one is in custody. Anyone with information can leave an anonymous tip at cpdtip.com.

Woman finds, adopts terrified girl hiding in nursing facility. Then came a second surprise

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:25 GMT

EDMOND, Okla. (KFOR) - An administrator at a skilled nursing facility in the Oklahoma City area was shocked to find a terrified and hungry 9-year-old girl hiding behind a recliner in a resident's room. Savanah Patt knew what she had to do next.Renlee Patt. (Photo: Savanah Patt)"She looked at me and she wouldn't talk at all. And the resident, I was like, 'Um, who is this?' And she said, 'Oh, that's my granddaughter,'" Patt said. "She smelled terrible, she was very dirty, she didn't have shoes."Nine-year-old Renlee had been hiding in her grandma's room for a week after a neighbor dropped her off at the facility after finding the tiny girl living alone with her older brother for weeks.Their home was a hoarded trailer in southeast Oklahoma City that they shared with "a ton of cats and dogs," little Renlee said. She also remembers holes in the floor, filth and feces. Community leaders helping families in need have dream thanksgiving For Renlee, food was scarce -- and so were her parent...