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What is U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson waiting for? Months ago, the Louisiana Republican was handed broadly popular legislation to protect children from the harms of social media. But, last month, he vowed not to allow a vote in his chamber until Donald Trump is sworn in as president and a new Congress convenes. Stalling the protections is wrong and will unnecessarily prolong a dangerous digital environment for America’s youth. In July, 91 senators supported the legislation, which would establish limits on Big Tech’s collection of young peoples’ data and the use of that data to keep them glued to scrolling on their screens. In an age when the mental health of teens, tweens and children is suffering, the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act cannot wait. “The urgency to protect our kids online doesn’t change depending on who is in the White House,” U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, chair of the Senate commerce committee that heard the legislation, said Monday in a statement. “The Senate acted by a vote of 91 to 3 and parents have been waiting long enough. The House should act accordingly.” With social media has come a dark peril for teens. A 2019 study of nearly 11,000 14-year-olds found higher levels of online harassment, poor sleep habits and body image and low self-esteem in those with more prevalent social media use. Some parents who testified before Cantwell’s committee endured the greatest nightmare of all: losing a child to suicide after exposure to harmful content or harassment online. The groundbreaking legislation is actually two bipartisan bills in one. The first, forged by Sens. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Bill Cassidy, R-La., bans social media and online companies from taking personal data of users under 17 without their consent. Youth using sites must also have an accessible “eraser button” to remove personal data. The second, sponsored by Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., equips kids and parents with new online safety tools and requires kids to be set up with the strongest privacy settings the platform offers. The bill would also establish a legally defined “duty of care,” obligating tech companies to “prevent and mitigate” a broad number of harms: eating disorders, substance abuse, suicide, bullying and more. As if the Senate’s staunch support was not enough, Blumenthal and Blackburn recently released new bill language to make clear it doesn’t police content and allay fears it could be used to suppress free speech online – the key reason the three senators voted against the bill in July. The senators got help from X and its CEO, Linda Yaccarino, which has supported the legislation this year. At this point, Speaker Johnson’s inaction is negligence. It’s a disservice to young and old Americans alike that he’s unwilling to bring well-conceived and thoughtful digital safety reforms to the House floor. The legislation is ready; more young people and their families will suffer the longer it takes to sign into law. Written by the Seattle Times editorial board. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
NoneOpenAI’s ChatGPT platform and Sora video generator have gone offline and are currently not responding to user queries. Social media accounts began posting about the outage around 1:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, which coincided with a surge of reports to Down Detector . The company confirmed the outage in a blog post at 2 p.m. ET stating, “we are currently experiencing an issue with high error rates on ChatGPT, the API, and Sora. We are currently investigating and will post an update as soon as we are able.” OpenAI provided that update just 18 minutes later, explaining that, “this issue is caused by an upstream provider and we are currently monitoring.” Just after 3 p.m. ET, the company added, “we are continuing to work on a fix for this issue,” though there is currently no timeline for when service might be restored. OpenAI has suffered similar outages in the past few months. ChatGPT was knocked offline in a widespread outage in June that also impacted Google Gemini, Anthropic’s Claude, and Perplexity. Earlier in December, the Sora video generation model ran into “technical difficulties” just days after its release to Plus and Pro subscribers . In both cases, the company was able to resolve those respective issues within a few hours. This outage comes on the heels of the company’s “12 Days of OpenAI ” event that saw the release of numerous new products, including the full version of its o1 reasoning model (plus a teaser for its successor, called o3 ), as well as the Sora text-to-video model, and new capabilities for its Canvas and Advanced Voice Mode features.Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on Trump Media & Technology DJT . And retail traders should know. We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga. Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with DJT, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen. So how do we know what these investors just did? Today, Benzinga 's options scanner spotted 24 uncommon options trades for Trump Media & Technology. This isn't normal. The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 58% bullish and 16%, bearish. Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 8 are puts, for a total amount of $357,300, and 16 are calls, for a total amount of $573,060. Projected Price Targets Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $20.0 to $67.0 for Trump Media & Technology over the last 3 months. Insights into Volume & Open Interest Looking at the volume and open interest is an insightful way to conduct due diligence on a stock. This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Trump Media & Technology's options for a given strike price. Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of Trump Media & Technology's whale activity within a strike price range from $20.0 to $67.0 in the last 30 days. Trump Media & Technology Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days Significant Options Trades Detected: Symbol PUT/CALL Trade Type Sentiment Exp. Date Ask Bid Price Strike Price Total Trade Price Open Interest Volume DJT PUT SWEEP BULLISH 01/24/25 $1.83 $1.55 $1.55 $31.00 $77.5K 46 500 DJT PUT TRADE BULLISH 12/19/25 $16.45 $15.35 $15.5 $40.00 $71.3K 29 48 DJT CALL TRADE BULLISH 01/15/27 $21.7 $19.55 $21.7 $20.00 $52.0K 327 0 DJT CALL TRADE BULLISH 02/21/25 $5.15 $5.15 $5.15 $40.00 $51.5K 3.3K 129 DJT PUT SWEEP BULLISH 01/10/25 $2.54 $2.36 $2.36 $37.00 $47.2K 76 627 About Trump Media & Technology Trump Media & Technology Group Corp is a media and technology company rooted in social media, digital streaming, information technology infrastructure, and more. Its initial product launch will focus on its social media platform, Truth Social, which encourages an open, free, and honest global conversation without discriminating against political ideology. In light of the recent options history for Trump Media & Technology, it's now appropriate to focus on the company itself. We aim to explore its current performance. Where Is Trump Media & Technology Standing Right Now? With a trading volume of 6,474,777, the price of DJT is up by 3.73%, reaching $37.13. Current RSI values indicate that the stock is may be approaching overbought. Next earnings report is scheduled for 39 days from now. Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move Benzinga Edge's Unusual Options board spots potential market movers before they happen. See what positions big money is taking on your favorite stocks. Click here for access . Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for Trump Media & Technology with Benzinga Pro for real-time alerts. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
SPRINGFIELD — Visitors coming to the Illinois Statehouse to see their lawmakers in action, or just to tour the historic building, may see longer lines to get through security screening during the upcoming legislative sessions. Responding to a significant increase in potential threats to lawmakers and the public in recent years, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias’s office recently implemented new emergency rules requiring nearly anyone to pass through security screening upon entering the Statehouse or any building in the Illinois Capitol Complex. “Unfortunately, the world is not getting safer,” Amy Williams, senior legal adviser in the secretary of state’s office, told a legislative oversight committee Tuesday. One of the more serious threats, Williams said, occurred in March when security officials were notified of an active shooter threat, prompting a lockdown of the complex. The lockdown was lifted after investigators determined there was no credible threat, according to reports at the time. In April, police locked down the Capitol for about an hour as the building was cleared following a bomb threat. Illinois State Police arrested a suspect accused of making the threat the following month. So far in 2024, Williams told the committee, the Secretary of State Police Department has responded to 17 threats to the Capitol, nearly twice as many as any other year since 2018. There have also been threats directed at individual lawmakers. In September, a man was arrested for threatening to assassinate Rep. Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore. And on Monday, Dec. 9, Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, reported an employee in her district office became ill after opening office mail, according to a social media post. The employee was transported to a local hospital, prompting police to evacuate the building and cordon off a portion of the street while emergency crews responded. In October, Williams said, the secretary of state’s office was advised by a security consultant to increase the number of people required to go through security screening to include everyone other than lawmakers, state government employees and other elected officials. That meant many people who had previously been given unrestricted access to the building — including lobbyists, vendors and members of the news media — now have to go through security screening as well. “Primarily that decision came about because members of the General Assembly, elected officials, are sensibly background checked by their constituents who choose them to go to the Capitol to do the people's work on their behalf,” she said. “And state government employees are background checked by their respective agencies. Lobbyists, vendors and members of the press are not subject to any background check.” To avoid congestion, Williams said the office has set up a “TSA Express-style” screening point at the east entrance of the building for those individuals who previously had unfettered access. The security changes near the tail end of a three-year, $224 million renovation project that will make permanent changes to the way the public enters and exits the Capitol. That project involves restoration and remodeling of the entire north wing of the Capitol. When it’s completed, sometime in 2025, all public access will be through a new entryway on the north side of the building where people will pass through security screening before entering the building itself. Until then, visitors will continue entering through either the east or west doors of the building where metal detectors and baggage x-ray machines are located just inside the building. Lawmakers are tentatively scheduled to return to the Statehouse Jan. 2 for the start of a brief lame duck session. The regular 2025 session begins Wednesday, Jan. 8. The Illinois Flag Commission selected its Top 10 finalists for the state flag redesign contest with public voting slated to begin in January. Members of the commission could select up to 10 of their favorite designs – from the nearly 5,000 submissions – prior to their December 9 meeting where they narrowed their choices to 10 overall. “Having received nearly 5,000 entries, I appreciate the creativity and passion reflected in all the submissions,” said Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, whose office convened the Flag Commission meetings. Starting in January, the public will have the opportunity to vote online at www.ilsos.gov/stateflag for one of the new designs, or one of three former flag designs, including the current state flag, the 1918 Centennial Flag and the 1968 Sesquicentennial Flag. After the public voting period, the commission will report its findings and recommendations to the Illinois General Assembly by April 1, 2025, whose members will vote on whether to adopt a new flag, return to a previous iteration of the flag or retain the current flag. Senate Bill 1818, sponsored by State Senator Doris Turner (48th District—Springfield) and State Representative Kam Buckner (26th District—Chicago), was signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker in 2023, creating the commission to gauge public desire for a new flag. The flag designs eligible for public voting in January can be viewed at www.ilsos.gov/stateflag . Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.Topline Luigi Mangione—the 26-year-old suspect in last week’s fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson—will plead not guilty to the charges he faces in Pennsylvania, his defense attorney Tom Dickey told reporters Tuesday, adding he expects Mangione to do the same in response to murder and other charges out of New York. Key Facts Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here . What We Know About Brian Thompson’s Murder Thompson, 50, was the CEO of the health insurance division of the $550 billion UnitedHealth Group and was in New York City on Wednesday for UnitedHealth Group’s investor meeting. He was shot from behind just before 7 a.m. on Dec. 4 outside of the New York Hilton Midtown—where the meeting was being held—and was hit in the back and right calf, after which the suspect fled the area on foot and on an electric bike. A Minnesota resident, Thompson had served as chief executive since April 2021 and had been with UnitedHealth Group since 2004. A video of the shooting showed the suspect walk out behind Thompson—who did not have a security detail—before firing multiple times. Prior to Mangione’s arrest, police said they believed the shooting was “a brazen targeted attack” and searched New York City before saying they believed the suspect had left the city on a bus. Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News “there had been some threats,” but didn’t provide details on what the threats were. Thompson had two sons, one who just graduated from high school and one still in high school. Police had been searching for the gunman by utilizing diving teams in Central Park, flying helicopters, searching through security cameras in the area, maintaining drones and using dogs. They released several photos of the suspected shooter since Wednesday. How Was Luigi Mangione Caught? New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Mangione was recognized in a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and was reported to local police, who then found he had “multiple fraudulent IDs,” a U.S. passport, a firearm and suppressor similar to what was used in the murder and a “handwritten document that speaks to both his motivation and mindset.” Officers reportedly asked Mangione if he was in New York recently, which resulted in him becoming quiet and shaking, according to a description of his arrest. Though his face was largely covered in most pictures law enforcement released, officials credited the images that were circulating of Mangion for him eventually being spotted and taken into custody. Pennsylvania State Police released a new photo Tuesday morning of Mangione eating what appears to be a McDonald’s hash brown with his mask down and wearing a beanie and dark coat. They are asking for help and information about Mangione’s “travel and recent whereabouts in Pennsylvania.” A man named Larry who said he was a regular at the McDonald’s told Fox News his friend recognized Mangione and said he “looks like the shooter from New York,” but Larry thought he was kidding—“but then as it turned out, it was him.” What Has Luigi Mangione Been Charged With? He faces second-degree murder , gun and forgery charges in New York state. In New York, first-degree murder charges are reserved for killings with aggravated circumstances, such as those involving police officers, torture or if someone is hired to kill. Mangione was also initially charged in Pennsylvania with forgery, carrying firearms without a license, tampering with records or identification, possessing instruments of a crime and providing false identification to law enforcement. He was ordered in his arraignment Monday night to be held without bail, and has been placed in a single cell at the “maximum custody level,” Maria Bivens, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, told CNN . The New York Times reported Tuesday afternoon that Mangione will be moved from a prison in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, to Blair County Prison, where he will wait for his New York arrest warrant to be executed. When Will Luigi Mangione Appear In Court Next? Mangione appeared in court in Pennsylvania shortly after 1:30 p.m. EST on Tuesday for an extradition hearing and said he would be fighting extradition. He was arraigned on the Pennsylvania charges Monday night, and a preliminary hearing in that state is scheduled for Dec. 23. The court docket says he requested a public defender, and the Associated Press reported Thomas Dickey, a local defense lawyer, represented Mangione at his extradition hearing. What’s Known About Luigi Mangione's Alleged Ghost Gun? A description of Mangione’s arrest notes officers found a 3D-printed pistol and 3D-printed silencer in his backpack. The pistol was loaded with a Glock magazine containing six nine-millimeter full metal jacket rounds. A loose nine-millimeter hollow point round was also found in the backpack. Authorities have said the gun and silencer are consistent with the firearm used in the shooting of Thompson. Have Police Named A Motive? Police have not named a formal motive in the killing of Thompson. Officers found three 9mm rounds at the scene and bullet casings had the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” on them, which echo a phrase commonly used to criticize tactics insurance companies use to reject claims. At Monday’s press conference, Kenny said the three-page handwritten manifesto found on Mangione when he was arrested is in the possession of the Altoona Police Department, but that “it does seem that he has some ill will toward corporate America.” Kenny also said there were no other “specific threats” to people in the document. Citing an unnamed law enforcement official, the Associated Press reported that in the document mentioned Mangione admitted to working alone, stating: “To the Feds, I’ll keep this short, because I do respect what you do for our country. To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn’t working with anyone.” The note added, “I do apologize for any strife or traumas but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming.” Was Luigi Mangione Reported Missing? Mangione’s mother, Kathleen Mangione, reported him missing to the San Francisco police last month. According to the San Francisco Standard, the missing person report was filed on Nov. 18 although it is unclear if Mangione was supposed to be present in the city when his mother filed the report. Although he was born and raised in Maryland, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said he has “ties to San Francisco” and most recently resided in Honolulu. What Do We Know About Luigi Mangione’s Life At Penn? Mangione graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020 with bachelor's and master's degrees in computer and information science, according to social media accounts appearing to belong to him and the university’s alumni database. The Daily Pennsylvanian—Penn’s student newspaper— reported that Mangione founded the school’s Game Research and Development Environment club and that he was inducted into the Eta Kappa Nu honor society for excellence in electrical and computer engineering before graduating in 2020. A post on an Instagram account seeming to belong to him as well shows him affiliated with the fraternity Phi Kappa Psi. What Do We Know About Luigi Mangione’s Time At The Gilman School? Mangione attended the prestigious, all-boys K-12 Gilman School in Baltimore, Maryland, and graduated in 2016 as the valedictorian. The New York Times reported his valedictorian speech described his class as “coming up with new ideas and challenging the world around it.” Mangione reportedly wrestled and played soccer while he was a student there and was captain of the school’s robotics team. A number of Mangione’s former classmates from the Gilman School told CBS News he was a “nice” kid, and one former classmate told The New York Times Mangione was “a big believer in the power of technology to change the world.” The Gilman School lists its tuition for 2024-25 high school students as $37,690 and describes its mission as working to “unlock the greatness within each boy by educating the entire boy — mind, body, and spirit.” What Do We Know About Luigi Mangione’s Time In Hawaii? In Honolulu, where police said Mangione’s last known address was, he was a member of a co-working space called Hub Coworking Hawaii, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported . Mangione would reportedly come and work at the location with his roommates from a nearby co-living space called Surfbreak. On its website, Surfbreak describes itself as a “co-living and co-working community for digital nomads and remote workers.” Surfbreak founder and CEO R.J. Martin expressed shock about Mangione’s arrest and told the Honolulu Civil Beat , “I loved this guy...In some ways I feel like my members are my kids.” According to the report, other residents of the co-living space described Mangione as a “natural leader” and said he helped found a book club in the community. Martin and another resident told the outlet that they had suggested the book club should read “Industrial Society and Its Future”—a book written by Unabomber Ted Kaczynski —as “a joke.” What Did Mangione Say About The Unabomber’s Book? A Goodreads account seeming to belong to Mangione gave the book a four-star review in January. The review written by the account—which was made private on Monday—said “It's easy to quickly and thoughtless write this off as the manifesto of a lunatic, in order to avoid facing some of the uncomfortable problems it identifies. But it's simply impossible to ignore how prescient many of his predictions about modern society turned out.” The review also quoted another person’s take about how “violence is necessary to survive.” The New York Times reported Tuesday that Mangione told a writer in England, Gurwinder Bhogal, he disapproved of the Unabomber’s actions, but Bhogal said Mangione “was fascinated by [the Unabomber’s] ideology, and shared his concerns about rampant consumerism gradually eroding our agency and alienating us from ourselves.” Are Mangione’s Social Media Accounts Still Up? Shortly after his arrest, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X and Goodreads accounts that may have belonged to him were discovered. He also appeared to be active on Reddit, writing about back pain issues, Forbes reported . Nearly all social media accounts with reported ties to Mangione had been switched to private or taken down by platforms—with one notable exception. Mangione’s account on X, formerly known as Twitter, was briefly taken down Monday evening, but X owner Elon Musk said it was done “without his knowledge” and he was looking into it. Shortly after, the account was reinstated. Mangione’s X account—which has a cover photo featuring an apparent spinal injury—had more than 300,000 followers as of Tuesday morning. Did Luigi Mangione Have A Youtube Account? A YouTube account with Mangione’s name posted a video Monday that said “If you see this, I’m already under arrest” and had a countdown that ended by hinting at more information or videos to be released Wednesday. YouTube confirmed to Forbes the page was not associated with Mangione, though, saying “the channel’s metadata was updated following widespread reporting of Luigi Mangione’s arrest, including updates made to the channel name and handle.” YouTube added it terminated three other accounts that were linked to Mangione, but said they hadn’t been active in more than seven months. What Do We Know About Mangione’s Health Issues? Mangione’s friends in Hawaii told various news outlets that he was suffering from a serious back problem that caused him significant pain. Mangione left Hawaii to get back surgery last year and then returned to Honolulu to rent an apartment. Surfbreak’s Martin told The New York Times that Mangione said his spine was misaligned and “said his lower vertebrae were almost like a half-inch off, and I think it pinched a nerve.” Martin added that Mangione had confided to him about not being able to date people because of his back problem as “being physically intimate with his back condition wasn’t possible.” Martin told the Times he texted Mangione after his surgery asking how it had gone and got the response “long story” without further details. Although the two had promised to catch up over the phone later, Mangione eventually went “ radio silent. ” An account on Reddit that is believed to have belonged to Mangione was active in the subreddit “r/spondylolisthesis,” where people discussed the condition in which vertebrae in the spine slip out of place. “When my spondy went bad on me last year (23M) it was completely devastating as a young athletic person,” the alleged Mangione account wrote, Forbes reported. What Is Known About The Mangione Family? The Baltimore Banner reported Mangione comes “from a prominent Baltimore family.” According to the Banner, his grandfather was a self-made real estate developer who owned country clubs, nursing homes and a radio station, and that his grandmother was “a supporter of the Greater Baltimore Medical Center” and the Baltimore Opera Company. The Mangione family has owned Hayfields Country Club in Hunt Valley, Maryland—northwest of the city of Baltimore—since 1986, according to the Banner. Who Is Nino Mangione? Luigi Mangione is related to Nino Mangione , a Republican representative in the Maryland House of Delegates, The Baltimore Sun reported Monday. The Sun reported the two are cousins who are friends on social media. Forbes has reached out to Mangione for comment. A statement issued on his social media accounts on behalf of the Mangione family said they could not comment on the news reports. “We only know what we have read in the media. Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.” Further Reading
Stock market today: Wall Street drifts to a mixed close in thin trading following a holiday pauseKYIV – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that “several” wounded North Korean soldiers died after being captured by Ukrainian forces, as he accused Russia of throwing them into battle with “minimal protection.” Ukraine and its western allies say North Korea has sent thousands of soldiers to support Russia’s army, in what is seen as a major escalation in the nearly three-year war following Moscow’s 2022 invasion. “Today there were reports about several soldiers from North Korea. Our soldiers managed to take them prisoner. But they were very seriously wounded and could not be resuscitated,” Zelensky said in an evening address posted on social media. South Korea’s spy agency said earlier on Friday that a North Korean soldier who was captured while fighting in Russia’s war against Ukraine had died of his wounds. Zelensky did not specify how many North Koreans had died after being captured by Ukrainian troops. Zelensky had earlier said that nearly 3,000 North Korean soldiers had been “killed or wounded” so far as they joined Russia’s forces in combat in its western Kursk border region, where Ukraine mounted a shock incursion in August. South Korea’s intelligence service had previously put the number of killed or wounded North Koreans at 1,000, saying the high casualty rate could be down to an unfamiliar battlefield environment and their lack of capability to counter drone attacks. The White House on Friday confirmed the South Korean estimates, saying that Pyongyang’s troops were being sent to their deaths in futile attacks by generals who see them as “expendable”. “We also have reports of North Korean soldiers taking their own lives rather than surrendering to Ukrainian forces, likely out of fear of reprisal against their families in North Korea in the event that they’re captured,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. North Korea and Russia have strengthened their military ties since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. A landmark defence pact between Pyongyang and Moscow signed in June came into force this month, with Russian President Vladimir Putin hailing it as a “breakthrough document”. North Korean state media said Friday that Putin sent a New Year’s message to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying: “The bilateral ties between our two countries have been elevated after our talks in June in Pyongyang.” NATO chief Mark Rutte had also said that Moscow was providing support to Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear programmes in exchange for the troops.
Boxing Day shopper footfall was down 7.9% across UK retail destinations by 5pm, in comparison to last year, MRI Software found. The slump in the number of people heading to the shops during Boxing Day sales signals a return to declining pre-pandemic levels, an analyst has said. Boxing Day shopper footfall was down 7.9% from last year across all UK retail destinations up until 5pm, MRI Software’s OnLocation Footfall Index found. However, this year’s data had been compared with an unusual spike in footfall as 2023 was the first “proper Christmas” period without Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, an analyst at the retail technology company said. It found £4.6 billion will be spent overall on the festive sales. Before the pandemic the number of Boxing Day shoppers on the streets had been declining year on year. The last uplift recorded by MRI was in 2015. Jenni Matthews, marketing and insights director at MRI Software, told the PA news agency: “We’ve got to bear in mind that (last year) was our first proper Christmas without any (Covid-19) restrictions or limitations. “Figures have come out that things have stabilised, we’re almost back to what we saw pre-pandemic.” There were year-on-year declines in footfall anywhere between 5% and 12% before Covid-19 restrictions, she said. MRI found 12% fewer people were out shopping on Boxing Day in 2019 than in 2018, and there were 3% fewer in 2018 than in 2017, Ms Matthews added. She said: “It’s the shift to online shopping, it’s the convenience, you’ve got the family days that take place on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.” People are also increasingly stocking-up before Christmas, Ms Matthews said, and MRI found an 18% increase in footfall at all UK retail destinations on Christmas Eve this year compared with 2023. Ms Matthews said: “We see the shops are full of people all the way up to Christmas Eve, so they’ve probably got a couple of good days of food, goodies, everything that they need, and they don’t really need to go out again until later on in that week. “We did see that big boost on Christmas Eve. It looks like shoppers may have concentrated much of their spending in that pre-Christmas rush.” Many online sales kicked off between December 23 and the night of Christmas Day and “a lot of people would have grabbed those bargains from the comfort of their own home”, she said. She added: “I feel like it’s becoming more and more common that people are grabbing the bargains pre-Christmas.” Footfall is expected to rise on December 27 as people emerge from family visits and shops re-open, including Next, Marks and Spencer and John Lewis that all shut for Boxing Day. It will also be payday for some as it is the last Friday of the month. A study by Barclays Consumer Spend had forecast that shoppers would spend £236 each on average in the Boxing Day sales this year, but that the majority of purchases would be made online. Nearly half of respondents said the cost-of-living crisis will affect their post-Christmas shopping but the forecast average spend is still £50 more per person than it was before the pandemic, with some of that figure because of inflation, Barclays said. Amid the financial pressures, many people are planning to buy practical, perishable and essential items such as food and kitchenware. A total of 65% of shoppers are expecting to spend the majority of their sales budget online. Last year, Barclays found 63.9% of Boxing Day retail purchases were made online. However, a quarter of respondents aim to spend mostly in store – an 11% rise compared with last year. Karen Johnson, head of retail at Barclays, said: “Despite the ongoing cost-of-living pressures, it is encouraging to hear that consumers will be actively participating in the post-Christmas sales. “This year, we’re likely to see a shift towards practicality and sustainability, with more shoppers looking to bag bargains on kitchen appliances and second-hand goods.” Consumers choose in-store shopping largely because they enjoy the social aspect and touching items before they buy, Barclays said, adding that high streets and shopping centres are the most popular destinations.Jenelle Evans Criticizes MTV for Keeping Amber Portwood on ‘Teen Mom: The Next Chapter’: ‘She Doesn’t Have Custody of Any of Her Kids’The Melbourne synagogue fire is being treated as a terror attack. Here's why that matters
Giants release quarterback Daniel Jones just days after benching him EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The Daniel Jones era in New York is over. The Giants quarterback was granted his release by the team just days after the franchise said it was benching him in favor of third-stringer Tommy DeVito. New York president John Mara said Jones approached the team about releasing him and the club obliged. Mara added he was “disappointed” at the quick dissolution of a once-promising relationship between Jones and the team. Giants coach Brian Daboll benched Jones in favor of DeVito following a loss to the Panthers in Germany that dropped New York's record to 2-8. Conor McGregor must pay $250K to woman who says he raped her, civil jury rules LONDON (AP) — A civil jury in Ireland has awarded more than $250,000 to a woman who says she was raped by mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor in a Dublin hotel penthouse after a night of heavy partying. The jury on Friday awarded Nikita Hand in her lawsuit that claimed McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in 2018. The lawsuit says the assault left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced her to do anything and that Hand fabricated her allegations after the two had consensual sex. McGregor says he will appeal the verdict. Week 16 game between Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers flexed to Thursday night spot The Los Angeles Chargers have played their way into another prime time appearance. Justin Herbert and company have had their Dec. 22 game against the Denver Broncos flexed to Thursday night, Dec. 19. Friday’s announcement makes this the first time a game has been flexed to the Thursday night spot. The league amended its policy last season where Thursday night games in Weeks 13 through 17 could be flexed with at least 28 days notice prior to the game. The matchup of AFC West division rivals bumps the game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals to Sunday afternoon. NBA memo to players urges increased vigilance regarding home security following break-ins MIAMI (AP) — The NBA is urging its players to take additional precautions to secure their homes following reports of recent high-profile burglaries of dwellings owned by Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Kansas City Chiefs teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. In a memo sent to team officials, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, the NBA revealed that the FBI has connected some burglaries to “transnational South American Theft Groups” that are “reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices.” Brock Purdy will miss Sunday's game for the 49ers with a shoulder injury SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will miss Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers with a sore throwing shoulder. Purdy injured his right shoulder in last Sunday’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Purdy underwent an MRI that showed no structural damage but the shoulder didn’t improve during the week and Purdy was ruled out for the game. Coach Kyle Shanahan said star defensive end Nick Bosa also will miss the game with injuries to his left hip and oblique. Left tackle Trent Williams is questionable with an ankle injury and will be a game-time decision. Red Bull brings wrong rear wing to Las Vegas in mistake that could stall Verstappen's title chances LAS VEGAS (AP) — Max Verstappen is suddenly in jeopardy of being denied a fourth consecutive Formula 1 title Saturday night. Red Bull apparently brought the wrong rear wing to Las Vegas and GPS data showed its two cars to be significantly slower on the straights than both McLaren and Mercedes, which led both practice sessions. Red Bull says it doesn’t have a replacement rear wing in Las Vegas to fix the issue and little chance of getting two flown in from England ahead of the race. Lawyer says ex-Temple basketball standout Hysier Miller met with NCAA for hours amid gambling probe PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A lawyer for former Temple basketball standout Hysier Miller says the 22-year-old sat for a long interview with the NCAA amid an investigation into unusual gambling activity. But neither the lawyer nor federal law enforcement officials on Friday would confirm reports that a federal probe is now under way. Lawyer Jason Bologna says Miller cooperated because he hopes to play again. Miller was released last month after transferring to Virginia Tech. Temple President John Fry says the Philadelphia school has not been asked for any information from federal law enforcement officials. Caitlin Clark to join Cincinnati bid for 16th National Women's Soccer League team WNBA star Caitlin Clark has joined Cincinnati’s bid for an expansion National Women’s Soccer League team. Major League Soccer franchise FC Cincinnati is heading the group vying to bring a women’s pro team to the city. The club issued a statement confirming Clark had joined the bid group. NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman has said the league plans to announce the league’s 16th team by the end of the year. The league's 15th team will begin play in 2026 in Boston. Alyssa Nakken, first full-time female coach in MLB history, leaving Giants to join Guardians CLEVELAND (AP) — Alyssa Nakken, the first woman to coach in an MLB game, is leaving the San Francisco Giants to join the Cleveland Guardians. Nakken made history in 2022 when she took over as first-base coach following an ejection. A former college softball star at Sacramento State, Nakken joined the Giants in 2014 and was promoted to a spot on manager Gabe Kapler’s staff in 2020, becoming the majors’ first full-time female coach. Nakken has been hired as an assistant director within player development for the Guardians, who won the AL Central last season under first-year manager Stephen Vogt. Nakken, 34, will work with former Giants coaches Craig Albernaz and Kai Correa. Aaron Judge won't be bothered if Juan Soto gets bigger contract from Yankees than his $360M deal NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge won’t be bothered if Juan Soto gets a bigger deal from the New York Yankees than the captain’s $360 million, nine-year contract. Speaking a day after he was a unanimous winner of his second MVP, Judge says “It ain’t my money” and adds "that’s never been something on my mind about who gets paid the most.” Judge led the major leagues with 58 homers, 144 RBIs and 133 walks while hitting .322. Soto batted .288 with 41 homers, 109 RBIs and 129 walks in his first season with the Yankees, then became a free agent at age 26.
Stocks Gain for the Week, Nvidia Fails to Impress, and Gold Shines
We have been at the edge of a precipice since December 1990 and more so since April 1991. The foreign exchange crisis constitutes a serious threat to the sustainability of growth processes and orderly implementation of our development programmes. Due to the combination of unfavourable internal and external factors, the inflationary pressures on the price level have increased very substantially since mid-1990. The people of India have to face double digit inflation which hurts most the poorer sections of our society. In sum, the crisis in the economy is both acute and deep. We have not experienced anything similar in the history of independent India... ET Year-end Special Reads Corporate Kalesh: Top family disputes of India Inc in 2024 The world of business lost these eminent people in 2024 Fast, faster, fastest: How 2024 put more speed into your shopping Also Read: Manmohan Singh: The reformist who mastered the art of wielding delegated authority Also Read: Manmohan Singh passes away at 92; PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and others mourn former PM's demise There is no time to lose. Neither the government nor the economy can live beyond its means year after year. The room for maneuver, to live on borrowed money or time, does not exist any more. Any further postponement of macroeconomic adjustment, long overdue, would mean that the balance of payments situation, now exceedingly difficult, would become unmanageable and inflation, already high, would exceed limits of tolerance. Also Read: Remembering Dr. Manmohan Singh: A legacy of economic reforms and leadership Artificial Intelligence(AI) Java Programming with ChatGPT: Learn using Generative AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Basics of Generative AI: Unveiling Tomorrows Innovations By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Generative AI for Dynamic Java Web Applications with ChatGPT By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Mastering C++ Fundamentals with Generative AI: A Hands-On By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Master in Python Language Quickly Using the ChatGPT Open AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Performance Marketing for eCommerce Brands By - Zafer Mukeri, Founder- Inara Marketers View Program Office Productivity Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance A2Z Of Money By - elearnmarkets, Financial Education by StockEdge View Program Marketing Modern Marketing Masterclass by Seth Godin By - Seth Godin, Former dot com Business Executive and Best Selling Author View Program Astrology Vastu Shastra Course By - Sachenkumar Rai, Vastu Shashtri View Program Strategy Succession Planning Masterclass By - Nigel Penny, Global Strategy Advisor: NSP Strategy Facilitation Ltd. View Program Data Science SQL for Data Science along with Data Analytics and Data Visualization By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI and Analytics based Business Strategy By - Tanusree De, Managing Director- Accenture Technology Lead, Trustworthy AI Center of Excellence: ATCI View Program Web Development A Comprehensive ASP.NET Core MVC 6 Project Guide for 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Pam Moore By - Pam Moore, Digital Transformation and Social Media Expert View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI-Powered Python Mastery with Tabnine: Boost Your Coding Skills By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Office Productivity Mastering Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and 365 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Digital marketing - Wordpress Website Development By - Shraddha Somani, Digital Marketing Trainer, Consultant, Strategiest and Subject Matter expert View Program Office Productivity Mastering Google Sheets: Unleash the Power of Excel and Advance Analysis By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Mastering Full Stack Development: From Frontend to Backend Excellence By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance Financial Literacy i.e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By - CA Rahul Gupta, CA with 10+ years of experience and Accounting Educator View Program Data Science SQL Server Bootcamp 2024: Transform from Beginner to Pro By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program For improving the management of the economy, the starting point, and indeed the centre-piece of our strategy, should be a credible fiscal adjustment and macroeconomic stabilisation during the current financial year, to be followed by continued fiscal consolidation thereafter. This process would, inevitably, need at least three years, if not longer, to complete. But there can be no adjustment without pain. The people must be prepared to make necessary sacrifices to preserve our economic independence and restore the health of our economy. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )Price-conscious holiday shoppers opened their wallets for last-minute online discounts on clothing and stocking stuffers, potentially benefiting retailers that also offered such convenient options as free delivery and curbside pickup. The popularity of online shopping has surged due to its convenience, similar or lower prices than in-store, the availability of services like “buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS)” and fast, free deliveries, said Michael Schulman, a retail expert at Running Point Capital Advisors. “The shortened holidays season this year compared to last year, with a tighter scrunch between Thanksgiving and Christmas, also left less time for in-store retail shopping and probably incentivized more phone and computer browsing and purchases,” he said. While there were deals aplenty, retailers appeared to have been disciplined with promotions. Target and Dollar Tree’s shares were up nearly 3% in noon trading, while Walmart was flat. According to a Mastercard SpendingPulse report, online spending during the holiday shopping period from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24 grew by 6.7% over last year, compared to a 2.9% increase for in-store sales. This contributed to a total spending increase of 3.8% over 2023, surpassing the previously forecast rise of 3.2% and topping the 3.1% increase during the same period last year. Steve Sadove, senior adviser to Mastercard and former Saks CEO and chairman, told Reuters that spending rose even when higher prices due to inflation were factored in. He noted that the last five days of the holiday season accounted for 10% of all holiday spending, showing “a lot of strength in the end.” With just 27 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas — five fewer than last year - retail executives were less exuberant going into the holiday season. They described their consumers as “selective,” “cautious” and “conservative,” and making “needs-based” purchases. As a result, many retailers doubled down on cutting prices and offering promotions, Bernstein analysts said earlier this month. Walmart said it would continue to bring down prices through rollbacks, while rival Target said it would increase its promotional intensity as shoppers were not as engaged without promotions. Dollar General said it expects profits to be pressured from increased promotions in the fourth quarter, while Kroger and Five Below also said they had to reduce prices to be competitive. Walmart and Target spent more on ads to reach shoppers on short-video app TikTok and streaming platforms like Peacock and Hulu during the season, highlighting their membership programs that offer quick delivery and BOPIS. Some of these efforts appear to have worked. Salesforce estimated that the number of BOPIS orders could double during the weekend before Christmas, making up nearly 40% of all online orders for retailers. And deliveries are also strong, with FedEx estimating stronger-than-expected holiday delivery volume last week. Huntsville, Alabama-resident Aireale Hobbs, 40, started Christmas shopping for pajama sets, Stanley drink tumblers, and toys for her family online on Black Friday. She said she chose to do a bulk of her shopping online because of convenience, more options and better deals. “I got some things from Target that were discounted when using the app,” said Hobbs, who works at as a front desk clerk at a doctor’s office. Laptops and TVs with new technology, lower prices and growing acceptance of lab-grown diamonds, and athleisure apparel also encouraged shoppers to spend this holiday season, even though promotions were at the same levels as last year, Sadove said. “Promotions were controlled. Nothing was extra deep and there were no panicked promotions. What we saw was some real consumer strength,” Sadove said, adding that low unemployment and higher wages were buffering personal finances. Sales in the apparel, jewelry and electronics categories were up 3.6%, 4% and 3.7%, respectively over last year, according to Mastercard. Online sales of apparel, in particular, grew 6.7%, compared to 0.2% in stores.
The NYT Connections game has quickly become a favorite for puzzle enthusiasts, offering a unique challenge that requires players to group 16 words into four distinct categories based on a shared theme. ET Year-end Special Reads What kept India's stock market investors on toes in 2024? India's car race: How far EVs went in 2024 Investing in 2025: Six wealth management trends to watch out for While the premise sounds straightforward, the execution can be far from simple, as the categories are often highly specific and unexpected. Unlike algorithmic games like Wordle, Connections pushes players to think creatively, drawing on linguistic nuances, cultural references, and word associations. If today’s puzzle has left you scratching your head, we’ve got the hints and answers to help you master game #567, as mentioned in a report by How To Geek. Hints for Today’s Connections Puzzle (#567) Here are a few clues to guide you through today’s puzzle: Artificial Intelligence(AI) Java Programming with ChatGPT: Learn using Generative AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Basics of Generative AI: Unveiling Tomorrows Innovations By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Generative AI for Dynamic Java Web Applications with ChatGPT By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Mastering C++ Fundamentals with Generative AI: A Hands-On By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Master in Python Language Quickly Using the ChatGPT Open AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Performance Marketing for eCommerce Brands By - Zafer Mukeri, Founder- Inara Marketers View Program Office Productivity Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance A2Z Of Money By - elearnmarkets, Financial Education by StockEdge View Program Marketing Modern Marketing Masterclass by Seth Godin By - Seth Godin, Former dot com Business Executive and Best Selling Author View Program Astrology Vastu Shastra Course By - Sachenkumar Rai, Vastu Shashtri View Program Strategy Succession Planning Masterclass By - Nigel Penny, Global Strategy Advisor: NSP Strategy Facilitation Ltd. View Program Data Science SQL for Data Science along with Data Analytics and Data Visualization By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI and Analytics based Business Strategy By - Tanusree De, Managing Director- Accenture Technology Lead, Trustworthy AI Center of Excellence: ATCI View Program Web Development A Comprehensive ASP.NET Core MVC 6 Project Guide for 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Pam Moore By - Pam Moore, Digital Transformation and Social Media Expert View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI-Powered Python Mastery with Tabnine: Boost Your Coding Skills By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Office Productivity Mastering Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and 365 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Digital marketing - Wordpress Website Development By - Shraddha Somani, Digital Marketing Trainer, Consultant, Strategiest and Subject Matter expert View Program Office Productivity Mastering Google Sheets: Unleash the Power of Excel and Advance Analysis By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Mastering Full Stack Development: From Frontend to Backend Excellence By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance Financial Literacy i.e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By - CA Rahul Gupta, CA with 10+ years of experience and Accounting Educator View Program Data Science SQL Server Bootcamp 2024: Transform from Beginner to Pro By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Yellow Group: Think of what you’d find in shades of red, like a vibrant stop sign. Green Group: Consider what details are crucial for scheduling or planning an appointment. Blue Group: Imagine varying degrees of hair or its descriptors. Purple Group: Think of words that sound like they could be types of plants or trees. These hints should help you focus your efforts and identify potential groupings. Answers to Today’s NYT Connections (#567) If you’re still struggling, here are the answers for today’s Connections game, as per the How To Geek report Yellow (Shades of Red): Brick, Cherry, Maroon, Ruby Green (Appointment Specifications): Date, Duration, Location, Time Blue (Different Amounts of Hair): Head, Lock, Strand, Wisp Purple (Tree Homophones): Beach, Fur, Pair, You Strategies for Solving NYT Connections Puzzles To excel at Connections, consider these tried-and-tested strategies: Identify Parts of Speech: Separate words into verbs, nouns, adjectives, or other grammatical categories. This can help you spot patterns that might not be immediately obvious. Look for Synonyms or Themes: Group words that are synonyms or related to a single concept, but be cautious of deliberate red herrings that the game often includes to mislead players. Say the Words Aloud: Speaking the words can sometimes reveal homophones or other connections that aren’t immediately visible. For instance, tree-related homophones like "Beach" and "Fur" are easier to identify when spoken. Shuffle the Words: Rearranging the board can help you see new patterns or combinations. Why NYT Connections Stands Out The NYT Connections game is unique in its unpredictability, making it a refreshing alternative to other word puzzles. Categories can range from the obvious to the obscure, covering topics as diverse as fairy tales, economics, and even word endings. This variability ensures that no two games feel alike, keeping players engaged and challenged. FAQs Which is the hardest color in Connections? When players correctly identify a group, its category is revealed alongside a color-coded difficulty rating: yellow for the easiest, green for moderate, blue for challenging, and purple for the most difficult. Every Connections puzzle includes one category from each difficulty level. Is there a strategy for NYT Connections? The initial guess is often the most challenging and can lead to errors if you rush. Take your time to carefully review all the options before making a selection. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
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