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Tag: Lifestyle

  • Major Hurricane Roslyn heads for hit on Mexico’s coast

    Major Hurricane Roslyn heads for hit on Mexico’s coast

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    MEXICO CITY — Hurricane Roslyn grew to Category 4 force on Saturday as it headed for a collision with Mexico’s Pacific coast, likely north of the resort of Puerto Vallarta.

    The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Roslyn’s maximum sustained winds stood at 130 mph (215 kph) early Saturday evening.

    The storm was centered about 90 miles (145 kilometers) southwest of Cabo Corrientes — the point of land jutting into the Pacific south of Puerto Vallarta — and moving north at 10 mph (17 kph).

    The forecast called for Roslyn to begin shifting to a northeast movement, putting it on path that could take it close to Cabo Corrientes and the Puerto Vallarta region late Saturday before making landfall in Nayarit state early Sunday.

    Hurricane Orlene made landfall Oct. 3 a little farther north in roughly the same region, about 45 miles (75 kilometers) southeast of the resort of Mazatlan.

    Hurricane-force winds extended out 30 miles (45 kilometers) from Roslyn’s core, while tropical storm-force winds extended out to 80 miles (130 kilometers), the U.S. hurricane center said.

    Mexico issued a hurricane warning covering a stretch of coast from Playa Perula south of Cabo Corrientes north to El Roblito and for the Islas Marias.

    Seemingly oblivious to the danger just hours away, tourists ate at beachside eateries around Puerto Vallarta and smaller resorts farther north on the Nayarit coast, where Roslyn was expected to hit.

    “We’re fine. Everything is calm, it’s all normal,” said Jaime Cantón, a receptionist at the Casa Maria hotel in Puerto Vallarta. He said that if winds picked up, the hotel would gather up outside furniture “so nothing will go flying.”

    While skies began to cloud up, waves remained normal, and few people appeared to be rushing to take precautions; swimmers were still in the sea at Puerto Vallarta

    “The place is full of tourists,” said Patricia Morales, a receptionist at the Punta Guayabitas hotel in the laid-back beach town of the same name, farther up the coast.

    Asked what precautions were being taken, Morales said, “They (authorities) haven’t told us anything.”

    The Nayarit state government said the hurricane was expected to make landfall Sunday around the fishing village of San Blas, about 90 miles (150 kilometers) north of Puerto Vallarta.

    The head of the state civil defense office, Pedro Núñez, said, “Right now we are carrying out patrols through the towns, to alert people so that they can keep their possession safe and keep themselves safe in safer areas.”

    In the neighboring state of Jalisco, Gov. Enrique Alfaro wrote that 270 people had been evacuated in a town near the hurricane’s expected path and that five emergency shelters had been set up in Puerto Vallarta.

    Alfaro said on Twitter that any school activities in the region would be cancelled Saturday and he urged people to avoid touristic activities at beaches and in mountainous areas over the weekend.

    The National Water Commission said rains from Roslyn could cause mudslides and flooding. and the U.S. hurricane center warned of dangerous storm surge along the coast, as well as 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 centimeters) of rain.

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  • Save $40 on This Innovative Snoring Solution

    Save $40 on This Innovative Snoring Solution

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    Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

    This isn’t exactly a secret but sleep deprivation leads to declining cognitive performance. Basically, if you can’t sleep well every night, you can’t be at your best during the day. For entrepreneurs, that’s a big problem. While there are plenty of solutions to sleep deprivation, they depend on what’s causing your inability to sleep.


    Snore Circle

    Whether it’s yours or a partner’s, it’s time to nip snoring in the bud for good with the Snore Circle YA4200 Electronic Muscle Stimulator Plus.

    When snorers sleep, their throat, tongue, and jaw relax, which narrows the throat’s airway, causing the rasping sound of snoring. Snore Circle has been scientifically designed to resolve that issue by stimulating the muscles under the chin using EMS+TENS technology. Snore Circle has a high-precision sensor and patented intelligent algorithm to detect snoring, then emit a small electrical current to stimulate the nerves under the chin. This leads your body to naturally open the airway, providing nearly instant relief, the company says. You can customize Snore Circle with 30 intensity levels to find the perfect level for your particular snoring problem.

    Snore Circle has a conductive stripe with high viscosity that sticks on tight and stays there throughout the night. With the Snore Circle app, you can record your sleeping activities, monitoring how much you snore and how intense the snoring is so you can design a treatment just for you.

    Setting it up each night is easy. Just align the groove of the gel patch with your throat and apply it under your chin with both hands. Turn it on, connect to the app via Bluetooth, and go to sleep. That’s it!

    It’s time to stop the snoring. Right now, you can get the Snore Circle Electronic Muscle Stimulator Plus for 32 percent off $119 at just $79.99, the best price you’ll find on the web.

    Prices subject to change.

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    Entrepreneur Store

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  • Balenciaga fashion house cuts ties with Ye, report says

    Balenciaga fashion house cuts ties with Ye, report says

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    PARIS — The Balenciaga fashion house has cut ties with Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, according to a news report.

    The move came after several offensive comments from Ye, including antisemitic posts that earned him suspensions from Twitter and Instagram.

    “Balenciaga has no longer any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist,” parent company Kering told Women’s Wear Daily in response to a query Friday without elaborating.

    The company did not respond to multiple emails and calls from The Associated Press requesting comment. A representative for Ye also did not respond to a request for comment.

    Ye had collaborated in several areas with Balenciaga and its artistic director, Demna Gvasalia. The label has also had an active relationship with Kim Kardashian, Ye’s ex-wife, who has appeared in their advertising campaigns and credits her former husband with introducing her to the brand.

    Ye was recently blocked from posting on Twitter and Instagram over antisemitic posts that the social networks said violated their policies. He has also suggested slavery was a choice and called the COVID-19 vaccine the “mark of the beast.”

    After getting locked out of the social media platforms, he’s offered to buy right-wing-friendly social network Parler.

    During Paris Fashion Week, the rapper walked as a model in Balenciaga’s ready-to-wear show — what designer Gvasalia at the time called an “iconic moment.” He was then seen at Givenchy’s collection wearing a Balenciaga-branded black tooth brace.

    Ye was also criticized that week for wearing a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt to his Yeezy collection show in Paris and the shirt made an appearance on the runway itself. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups, White Lives Matter is a neo-Nazi group.

    In recent weeks, Ye has ended Yeezy’s association with Gap and has told Bloomberg that he plans to cut ties with his corporate suppliers. Adidas has placed its sneaker deal with Ye under review, and JPMorganChase and Ye have ended their business relationship — although the banking breakup was in the works even before Ye’s antisemitic comments.

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  • 3 Weird Ways to Boost Your Focus

    3 Weird Ways to Boost Your Focus

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Feeling tired and unfocused? Try these three weird (but effective!) ways to boost your energy and focus.

    Find Out Why You Can’t Focus – Try The FREE Quiz Now! (only available for a limited time) And be sure to grab a copy of Ben’s award-winning book, Unstoppable, which has been read by more than 70,000 people worldwide.

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    Ben Angel

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  • Doorbell video shows malnourished Texas twins seeking help

    Doorbell video shows malnourished Texas twins seeking help

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    CYPRESS, Texas — A teenager who told Texas police that he and his twin sister were handcuffed and endured horrific abuse escaped their family’s home after he found a handcuff key and hid it in his mouth, authorities said in court records.

    The twins, barefoot and holding handcuffs, were seen on doorbell video as they sought help in a Cypress neighborhood, just outside Houston. The video, obtained by Houston TV station KHOU, showed the teens walking door-to-door about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday as they sought help.

    The boy was shirtless and the girl was wearing only a plastic grocery bag around her neck as a shirt, according to an affidavit.

    Their mother, Zaikiya Duncan, 40, was arrested hours later in Louisiana after police issued a missing children alert for five other children. All seven children, including the twins, are now in Child Protective Service custody, authorities said.

    The 15-year-old twins were severely malnourished and told police that abuse had been occurring for months, the affidavit said. They told police that Duncan handcuffed them, forced them to drink bleach and other household cleaners and also sprayed oven cleaner in their mouths “if they talked too much,” the affidavit said.

    The twins also told authorities that they were forced to eat and drink feces and urine, according to the affidavit.

    Duncan is jailed in Baton Rouge and awaits extradition on charges of aggravated assault. Her live-in boyfriend, 27-year-old Jova Terrell, also faces an assault charge. It wasn’t known whether either had an attorney and they are expected to be extradited to Texas within 30 days, Houston TV station KPRC reported.

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  • Cops: Buried car found on Silicon Valley home’s property

    Cops: Buried car found on Silicon Valley home’s property

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    ATHERTON, Calif. — Police are digging into why someone buried a car in the yard of a multi-million dollar Northern California home in the 1990s and left unused bags of concrete inside.

    The car was discovered Thursday morning by landscapers in the affluent town of Atherton in Silicon Valley, police said in a news release.

    Cadaver dogs alerted to possible human remains, but none had been found more than 12 hours after the car was recovered, according to Atherton Police Cmdr. Daniel Larsen.

    Police believe the car was buried 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 meters) deep in the 1990s — before the current owners bought the home — but Larsen would not say what led detectives to that conclusion.

    The unused bags of concrete were placed throughout the vehicle, though it was blanketed by dirt over the roof, he said.

    The sprawling home and property is valued at $15 million, The San Francisco Chronicle reported. Larsen said the current homeowners were not under investigation.

    Atherton is one of the wealthiest towns in the U.S., with about 7,000 residents within its nearly 5 square miles (13 square kilometers).

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  • American Airlines posts $483 million profit for late summer

    American Airlines posts $483 million profit for late summer

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    DALLAS — The three biggest U.S. airlines enjoyed a boffo summer, reaping a combined profit of more than $2 billion as Americans jammed on to planes despite fares that were sharply higher than a year ago.

    What pandemic?

    American Airlines said Thursday that it earned $483 million on record-breaking revenue that more than offset higher fuel costs in the third quarter. American predicted that profit will continue to exceed Wall Street expectations during the holiday-packed remainder of 2022.

    The results from American, however, weren’t quite as grand as figures from its more prosperous rivals. United Airlines reported a $942 million profit on Tuesday, and Delta Air Lines posted third-quarter earnings of $695 million last week.

    Clearly, many people are eager to travel after most were grounded during the early part of the pandemic. Executives at all three big U.S. airlines said they see no indication that consumer concerns about inflation and the economy are hurting ticket sales.

    “American’s third-quarter results, including our record revenue performance, are significant considering the macroeconomic uncertainty facing so many people,” CEO Robert Isom said on a call with analysts and reporters. “Demand remains strong.”

    American, which is based in Fort Worth, Texas, predicted that fourth-quarter profit will be between 50 cents and 70 cents per share, which would beat Wall Street’s forecast of 19 cents per share.

    U.S. air travel has roared back from pandemic lows in early 2020. Last Sunday, the Transportation Security Administration screened nearly 2.5 million travelers on a single day, the busiest day at the nation’s airports since February 2020.

    Travel is booming despite a 43% leap in airfares in the past year, according to government figures.

    One reason fares are high is that the number of flights has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, leaving consumers vying for fewer seats. American, for example, did nearly 10% less flying in the third quarter than in the same period of 2019.

    American said it plans to run at 95% to 100% of 2019 levels next year. That is in line with Delta, which expects to restore its full schedule by next summer. United recently announced it will expand European flying next summer.

    Isom said American could add more flights next year but will take a cautious approach. American, Delta and others canceled flights earlier this year when they didn’t have enough staff, particularly pilots.

    “We are going to make sure that we don’t outpace what we have, either in terms of aircraft deliveries if that’s the constraint, or if it’s pilots at a regional level or our ability to train pilots” at American, he said.

    For the third quarter, American said its adjusted profit, which excludes certain items, was 69 cents per share, compared with a forecast of 54 cents per share by analysts surveyed by FactSet.

    Revenue rose to $13.46 billion, slightly higher than the $13.36 billion predicted by analysts. American, which has a major hub operation in Miami and operates many flights to the Caribbean, said it lost about $40 million in revenue because of hurricanes Fiona and Ian in September.

    Also Thursday, the parent of Alaska Airlines reported a $40 million third-quarter profit on record revenue of $2.8 billion. The Seattle-based airline said, however, that non-fuel costs in the fourth quarter will be higher than expected because of three new contracts with union labor groups including pilots.

    Shares of American Airlines Group Inc. closed down 4% and Alaska Air Group Inc. dropped 5%, while shares of Delta, United and Southwest dipped by smaller percentages.

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  • 4 Ways to Use the Past to Capture Success

    4 Ways to Use the Past to Capture Success

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    I always tell my students that “your history is not your destiny.” While that’s true, I’ve come to realize that your history can be valuable. You can gain so much from the past if you use it properly so that it trains your brain for success.

    Rewire your brain with the past

    I’m guessing you’ve heard of neuroplasticity, the brain’s capacity to change and be trained. They call it “synaptic pruning, ” meaning that seldom-used neuropathways lose their power and frequently-used neuropathways get stronger.

    To be successful, you want to strengthen neuropathways that lead to success.

    This is where the past comes in and why often you’re told to “forget the past.” Our natural tendency is to remember the negatives of the past, what we didn’t accomplish or what didn’t work out for us. Doing this strengthens pathways that make us doubt ourselves or feel afraid. But we can use the past differently to support more positive neuropathways.

    Related: 8 Steps to Move Away From the Past You Need to Leave Behind

    Use the past to grade your progress

    “The way to measure your progress is backward against where you started, not against your ideal.” — Dan Sullivan.

    In The Gap And The Gain, authors Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy write that when you’re going after a goal, the gap is everything between where you are now and where you want to be.

    The gain is how far you’ve come, from where you started to where you are now. Most of us focus on the gap; how far we still need to go. We hardly ever acknowledge the gains we’ve made, the distance we’ve come, or how much we’ve accomplished.

    But by dismissing the gain, you’re wasting a great opportunity. “Success breeds success,” and success builds confidence, right? When you notice and applaud all the challenges you’ve successfully overcome, you strengthen the “overcomer” neuropathway.

    When you consistently acknowledge all those good ideas you implemented, or times you stepped out of your comfort zone, your brain starts seeing accomplishment as the norm for you. If you dismiss your progress and focus on what you haven’t yet accomplished, you’re strengthening that stressful “not there yet” feeling, which does not add to your confidence.

    Try it for yourself. If you’re having a tough day, look back at where you started on this journey to build your business. Think about how far you’ve come, the obstacles you handled, and the big and small wins. Give yourself a big high five for all the gains. How do you feel?

    Related: How Studying History Brings Success

    Use the past for learning

    “An experience only becomes valuable and useful once you’ve transformed it into a gain.” Benjamin P. Hardy

    A friend of mine has a client who is a highly successful business owner. Whenever this man makes a big mistake, he says, “well, that lesson was cheaper than my college education — and probably more valuable!” He’s decided that every experience, especially the rough ones, gives him something he needs to learn. So, he’s very conscientious in figuring out what that lesson is.

    It’s not always easy to figure out the lesson right after a significant setback. But if you don’t find that gold nugget, your brain might jump to false conclusions, like thinking you are not good enough for success. Instead, turn it into a gain by finding the lesson.

    You can also do this with experiences in the past because the person you are today has a different perspective than the person back then. Try taking an incident in your past that still feels like a thorn in your side. What lesson could you gain from it? Did that experience make you stronger, wiser and more compassionate? Now, whenever you think of it, be sure also to remember what you gained from it.

    Use the past to be more effective

    “Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.” — Zig Ziglar

    Dr. James Gross, a Stanford psychology professor, ran a study to see how our emotions or state of mind affect what we do. His team studied 60,000 people for an average of 27 days. They found that when people were in a bad mood, they avoided challenges and even slacked off. They tackled the challenging but necessary work when they were in a good mood. In other words, to get good work done, it helps to be in a good mood. And you can use the past to get there, even if today is getting you down.

    Start by remembering when you felt proud, happy or especially confident. Maybe it was when you aced your third-grade spelling test or got your first job. Maybe it was going to your high school prom or stumbling across a fantastic waterfall on a hike.

    The key is to really get into that experience and feel what you felt back then. Give that memory a keyword like “waterfall.” Then find another great memory and re-experience that one. Pull out these great memories and re-experience them whenever you need a boost. After a while, you’ll find that even just saying the keyword can bring in that great feeling.

    So, rather than just “moving on” from your past, use it as a tool to build your business. Focus on the gains from your journey and celebrate them. Find the gems of learning from past experiences, especially the “bad,” and learn from them. Use your wonderful memories to enhance your mood so you can tackle those challenges. It’s true. Your history is not your destiny. But when you use your past properly to condition your brain for success, it can be a valuable ally.

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    Krista Mashore

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  • Ancient DNA gives rare snapshot of Neanderthal family ties

    Ancient DNA gives rare snapshot of Neanderthal family ties

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    NEW YORK — A new study suggests Neanderthals formed small, tightknit communities where females may have traveled to move in with their mates.

    The research used genetic sleuthing to offer a rare snapshot of Neanderthal family dynamics — including a father and his teenage daughter who lived together in Siberia more than 50,000 years ago.

    Researchers were able to pull DNA out of tiny bone fragments found in two Russian caves. In their study, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, they used the genetic data to map out relationships between 13 different Neanderthals and get clues to how they lived.

    “When I work on a bone or two, it’s very easy to forget that these are actually people with their own lives and stories,” said study author Bence Viola, an anthropologist at the University of Toronto. “Figuring out how they’re related to each other really makes them much more human.”

    Our ancient cousins, the Neanderthals, lived across Europe and Asia for hundreds of thousands of years. They died out around 40,000 years ago, shortly after our species, the Homo sapiens, arrived in Europe from Africa.

    Scientists have only recently been able to dig around in these early humans’ DNA. New Nobel laureate Svante Paabo — who is an author on this latest study — published the first draft of a Neanderthal genome a little over a decade ago.

    Since then, scientists have sequenced 18 Neanderthal genomes, said lead author Laurits Skov, a geneticist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. But it’s rare to find bones from multiple Neanderthals from the same time and place, he said — which is why these cave discoveries were so special.

    “If there was ever a chance to find a Neanderthal community, this would be it,” Skov said.

    The caves, located in remote foothills above a river valley, have been a rich source of materials from stone tools to fossil fragments, Viola said. With their prime view of migrating herds in the valley below, researchers think the caves might have served as a short-term hunting stop for Neanderthals.

    Archaeologists excavating the caves have found remains from at least a dozen different Neanderthals, Viola said. These remains usually come in small bits and pieces — “a finger bone here, a tooth there” — but they’re enough for scientists to extract valuable DNA details.

    The researchers were able to identify a couple of relatives among the group. Along with the father and daughter, there was a pair of other relatives — maybe a boy and his aunt, or a couple of cousins.

    Overall, the analysis found that everyone in the group had a lot of DNA in common. That suggests that at least in this area, Neanderthals lived in very small communities of 10 to 20 individuals, the authors concluded.

    But not everyone in these groups stayed put, according to the study.

    Researchers looked at other genetic clues from mitochondrial DNA, which is passed down on the mother’s side, and the Y chromosome, which is passed down on the father’s side.

    The female side showed more genetic differences than the male side — which means females may have moved around more, Skov said. It’s possible that when a female Neanderthal found a mate, she would leave home to live with his family.

    University of Wisconsin anthropologist John Hawks, who was not involved in the study, said the research was an exciting application of ancient DNA evidence, even as many questions remain about Neanderthal social structures and lifestyles.

    Figuring out how early humans lived is like “putting together a puzzle where we have many, many missing pieces,” Hawks said. But this study means “somebody’s dumped a bunch more pieces on the table.”

    ———

    The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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  • Iran’s Elnaz Rekabi, who competed without hijab, in Tehran

    Iran’s Elnaz Rekabi, who competed without hijab, in Tehran

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    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iranian competitive climber Elnaz Rekabi received a hero’s welcome on her return to Tehran early Wednesday, after competing in South Korea without wearing a mandatory headscarf required of female athletes from the Islamic Republic.

    Rekabi’s decision not to wear the hijab while competing Sunday came as protests sparked by the Sept. 16 death in custody of a 22-year-old woman have entered a fifth week. Mahsa Amini was detained by the country’s morality police over her clothing — and her death has seen women removing their mandatory hijabs in public.

    The demonstrations, drawing school-age children, oil workers and others to the street in over 100 cities, represent the most-serious challenge to Iran’s theocracy since the mass protests surrounding its disputed 2009 presidential election.

    Supporters and Farsi-language media outside of Iran have worried about Rekabi’s safety after she choose to compete without the hijab.

    Rekabi on Wednesday repeated an explanation posted earlier to an Instagram account in her name that described her not wearing a hijab as “unintentional.” The Iranian government routinely pressures activists at home and abroad, often airing what rights group describe as coerced confessions on state television — the same cameras she addressed on her arrival back home.

    Video shared online showed large crowds gathered early Wednesday at Imam Khomeini International Airport outside of Tehran, the sanctioned nation’s main gateway out of the country. The videos, corresponding to known features of the airport, showed crowds chanting the 33-year-old Rekabi’s name and calling her a hero.

    She walked into one of the airport’s terminals, filmed by state media and wearing a black baseball cap and a black hoodie covering her hair. She received flowers from an onlooker, and then repeated what had been posted on Instagram that not wearing the hijab was “unintentional” and her travel had been as previously planned.

    Rekabi described being in a women’s only waiting area prior to her climb.

    “Because I was busy putting on my shoes and my gear, it caused me to forget to put on my hijab and then I went to compete,” she said.

    She added: “I came back to Iran with peace of mind although I had a lot of tension and stress. But so far, thank God, nothing has happened.”

    Outside, she apparently entered a van and slowly was driven through the gathered crowd, who cheered her. It wasn’t clear where she went after that.

    Rekabi left Seoul on a Tuesday morning flight. The BBC’s Persian service, which has extensive contacts within Iran despite being banned from operating there, quoted an unnamed “informed source” who described Iranian officials as seizing both Rekabi’s mobile phone and passport.

    BBC Persian also said she initially had been scheduled to return on Wednesday, but her flight apparently had been moved up unexpectedly.

    IranWire, another website focusing on the country founded by Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari who once was detained by Iran, alleged that Rekabi would be immediately transferred to Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison after arriving in the country. Evin Prison was the site of a massive fire this past weekend that killed at least eight prisoners.

    In a tweet, the Iranian Embassy in Seoul denied “all the fake, false news and disinformation” regarding Rekabi’s departure. But instead of posting a photo of her from the Seoul competition, it posted an image of her wearing a headscarf at a previous competition in Moscow, where she took a bronze medal.

    Rekabi didn’t put on a hijab during Sunday’s final at the International Federation of Sport Climbing’s Asia Championship.

    Rekabi wore a hijab during her initial appearances at the one-week climbing event. She wore just a black headband when competing Sunday, her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail; she had a white jersey with Iran’s flag as a logo on it.

    Footage of the competition showed Rekabi relaxed as she approached the climbing and after she competed.

    Iranian women competing abroad under the Iranian flag always wear the hijab.

    “Our understanding is that she is returning to Iran, and we will continue to monitor the situation as it develops on her arrival,” the International Federation of Sport Climbing, which oversaw the event, said in a statement. “It is important to stress that athletes’ safety is paramount for us and we support any efforts to keep a valued member of our community safe in this situation.”

    The federation said it had been in touch with both Rekabi and Iranian officials, but declined to elaborate on the substance of those calls when reached by The Associated Press. The federation also declined to discuss the Instagram post attributed to Rekabi and the claims in it.

    South Korea’s Foreign Ministry acknowledged the departures of the Iranian athlete and her team from the country without elaborating. On Wednesday, a small group of protesters demonstrated in front of Iran’s Embassy in Seoul, with some women cutting off locks of their hair like others have in demonstrations worldwide since Amini’s death.

    So far, human rights groups estimate that over 200 people have been killed in the protests and the violent security force crackdown that followed. Iran has not offered a death toll in weeks. Demonstrations have been seen in over 100 cities, according to the group Human Rights Activists in Iran. Thousands are believed to have been arrested.

    Gathering information about the demonstrations remains difficult, however. Internet access has been disrupted for weeks by the Iranian government. Meanwhile, authorities have detained at least 40 journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

    Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have repeatedly alleged the country’s foreign enemies are behind the ongoing demonstrations, rather than Iranians angered by Amini’s death and the country’s other woes.

    Iranians have seen their life savings evaporate; the country’s currency, the rial, plummeted and Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers has been reduced to tatters.

    ———

    Associated Press writer Ahn Young-joon in Seoul, South Korea, contributed to this report.

    ———

    Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.

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  • 7 Secrets Home Buyers Must Know

    7 Secrets Home Buyers Must Know

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    The millennium brought about so many first-time home buyers across the globe deciding to go big. Many young generations no longer depend on the old folks for shelter. They have now moved into making huge investments at once. Unlike the older generations’ approach of starting small and growing gradually, the modern first-time home buyer has more risk appetite and is making big decisions.

    Nonetheless, it is crucial to analyze the market trend, highlight the home buyers’ tastes and preferences, have a contingency budget, review the property location, conduct due diligence on the realtors and have an informed review.

    Related: 4 Lessons I’ve Learned in 10 Years of Building a Luxury Real Estate Brokerage

    1. Analyze the market trend

    It’s not all that glitters is gold. We all like taking photos that highlight more of our solid features and less of our weaknesses. The photogenic approach taken on a property often does not highlight everything. It’s paramount for the buyer to visit the property and do their reality check. Sometimes real estate agents modify photos to show bigger spaces, great interior designs, and features, which may not be the case in real-life situations. Before making that significant decision, it’s essential to visit the site before reaffirming your decision.

    Besides, the pricing often is used to entice the buyer into purchasing the property. Although it’s believed that the higher the price, the more sophisticated the property is. Nonetheless, that may not be the case. Therefore it is essential to compare the market trend, pricing and photos and do a reality check before moving.

    Related: How NFTs Could Change Real Estate

    2. Highlight your taste and preference

    Purchasing your luxurious home requires a considerable investment. The chunk of money to be invested should correspond to satisfying your desires on what and how you want your home to look. It is important to emphasize to your realtor what features are most important.

    3. Create a contingency budget

    As much as your most preferred luxurious home may look, it may not have all the features you may require. As a result, it is crucial to set aside some contingency funds to cater to what is missing. Contingency funds are also significant to cater to additional costs, which the realtor often does not highlight at the purchasing time.

    4. Review the property location

    Purchasing a house is a big decision and should therefore require enough due diligence before purchase. As a result, it’s essential to get to know your neighborhood, how secure it is and if it’s a beach house, the distance from the beach, and the strategic location to all the essential facilities such as the market, school, hospital and recreation places. Infrastructure, accessibility and drainage are also some of the vital features to take into consideration.

    5. Know your realtor’s experience

    Purchasing your luxury home through a highly experienced realtor will guarantee efficiency in your home ownership journey. The National Association of Realtors offers certification to ensure home buyers deal with highly experienced real estate agents. The realtor should be attentive to fine details about the exact specification of the features that the home ought to have.

    An experienced realtor would be mindful of the standard prices for the apartment, which would help them negotiate for you a fair price. You want to purchase a home that meets the government‘s housing construction standards. Buying an apartment that does not meet the housing construction code puts you at risk of demolition. An inexperienced realtor would not be able to draft binding contracts with the building’s seller risking you losing your house.

    Related: How to Up-Level Yourself as a Realtor

    6. Do a thorough investigation of the home

    Require analysis to establish that the home does not have faults that could further cost you. Electricity connection checks are paramount because having flaws could cause a fire outbreak that could destroy your apartment, leading to financial loss. You also need an engineer’s recommendation to understand whether the building’s foundation was rightly constructed. Cracks in the foundation or the walls could cause the building to collapse, leading to losses. Before purchasing your luxury dream home, it would be necessary to ascertain whether the construction adhered to due diligence.

    You should also assess the security of the area where you intend to purchase your dream home. The government’s insecurity data would help ascertain whether the place where your luxury home is located is safe. The government’s crime rate statistics would help you identify areas prone to burglaries and assault. Purchasing a home in an area with a high prevalence of crimes would cause you to live in constant fear, denying you peace of mind.

    7. Your realtor’s review matters

    Many realtors are driven by their gain more than by giving their clients what they want. Therefore, the home buyer must do a background check on their realtor and their reviews.

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    Chris D. Bentley

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  • McDonald’s ‘adult Happy Meal’ toys are selling for up to $300,000 on eBay

    McDonald’s ‘adult Happy Meal’ toys are selling for up to $300,000 on eBay

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    When it comes to nostalgia, McDonald’s customers sure are lovin’ it. 

    The burger chain brought back its Halloween pails on Tuesday, which haven’t been offered in the U.S. since 2016. The plastic trick-or-treat buckets decorated to look like a ghost, a goblin or a jack-o’-lantern (aka McBoo, McGoblin and McPunk’n, respectively) quickly began trending among real-time Google searches on Tuesday. 

    But the appetite for these Halloween buckets is nothing compared to the recent McDonald’s
    MCD,
    +1.10%
    collaboration with streetwear company Cactus Plant Flea Market, which dished out a $12-$13 box (better known as the “adult Happy Meal”) that featured a food combo and a collectible figurine targeted toward the grownups who grew up on Happy Meals.

    They sold out quickly, and now some enterprising fast food lovers are hawking the adult Happy Meal toys over online resale sites for thousands of dollars.

    So what’s the appeal? Nostalgia, nostalgia, nostalgia. “Everyone remembers their first Happy Meal as a kid … and the can’t-sit-still feeling as you dug in to see what was inside,” McDonald’s wrote in a press release. “And now, we’re reimagining that experience in a whole new way — this time, for adults.”

    The limited-edition Cactus Plant Flea Market Box at McDonald’s rolled out on Oct. 3, feeding the inner child of the average customer by offering a choice of a Big Mac or 10-piece chicken nuggets main dish, french fries and a soft drink, as well as one of four “toys” featuring redesigned McDonald’s mascots like the Grimace, the Hamburgler and Birdie, as well as a new “Cactus Buddy!” figure (yes, the exclamation point is part of his name.)

    The Cactus Plant Flea Market boxes sold out in many places on the same day that they came out. Some McDonald’s employees took to Reddit and TikTok to share how much they were not lovin’ it — which was reminiscent of the hatred many Starbucks
    SBUX,
    +0.07%
    employees felt toward the viral unicorn frappuccino in 2017. 

    And now, both the toys and the boxes have become near impossible to come by — unless you’re willing to cough up a lot of cash. A medium Cactus Plant Flea Market Box costs about $12, with large box closer to $13 — and one New Jersey mom noted that in her area, a Big Mac combo with fries and a drink runs under $10, so she spent $3 basically get the collectible toy.

    But one eBay listing offering three of the collectible Cactus Plant Flea Market, still unwrapped and in their original packaging, is asking for a whopping $300,000.

    The sold-out Cactus Plant Flea Market Boxes, aka McDonald’s “adult Happy Meals,” are popping up on resale sites for thousands of dollars.


    Screenshot

    Another listing on the fashion marketplace Grailed, which is marked as an “authenticated” post, features the “Cactus Buddy!” figure for the asking price of $39,999 (10% off of the original $44,444 price tag.) 

    The sold-out Cactus Plant Flea Market Boxes, aka McDonald’s “adult Happy Meals,” are popping up on resale sites for thousands of dollars.


    Screenshot

    But there are dozens of other listings for the individual toys and boxes on resale sites such as eBay and Facebook Marketplace in the much more palatable $10-$30 range, or bundles with all four collectible figurines running between $60-$70. 

    McDonald’s was not immediately available for comment, but a rep told Axios that, “The hype for the Cactus Plant Flea Market Box was so real that some of our restaurants have sold out of the limited-edition experience.” They added that, “We’re thrilled by the excitement we’re seeing.”

    The official McDonald’s Twitter account has also been fielding queries from disappointed potential customers who haven’t been able to get their hands on any of the adult Happy Meals, apologizing that this was only a limited time offer. 

    Time will tell if more “adult Happy Meals” will be offered in the future. There’s clearly a customer base hungry for more. 

    This isn’t McDonald’s first viral sensation, of course. The fast food giant has also scored success with celebrity collaborations featuring K-Pop sensation BTS, or singing diva Mariah Carey — which also reportedly sold out.

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  • Remote employees are working less, sleeping and playing more, Fed study finds

    Remote employees are working less, sleeping and playing more, Fed study finds

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    The COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed a major shift in the way Americans live and work, and a new analysis from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York shows that workers in the U.S. are taking advantage of a widespread shift toward remote work to spend more time sleeping and engaging in leisure activities.

    “One of the most enduring shifts [resulting from the pandemic] has occurred in the workplace, with millions of employees making the switch to work from home,” wrote David Dam, a former New York Fed research analyst, in a Tuesday blog post.

    “Even as the pandemic has waned, more than 15 percent of full-time employees remain fully remote and an additional 30 percent work in hybrid arrangements,” he wrote. “These changes have substantially reduced time spent commuting to work; in the aggregate, Americans now spend 60 million fewer hours traveling to work each day.”

    Dam and his colleagues drew on the American Time Use Survey to better understand how remote workers are using the time saved on commutes. They found “a substantial fall in time spent working,” with the “decrease in hours worked away from home only partially offset by an increase in working at home,” according to the post.


    Federal Reserve Bank of New York

    Changes in behavior differ among age groups, with younger Americans using the saved commuting time to engage in leisure activities like eating out, exercising or attending social events. Americans over the age of 30 spent more time on childcare, home maintenance and meal preparation.

    The flexibility of remote working arrangements, and the apparent fact that remote workers are able to spend less time overall working, will likely mean that workers will bargain hard to maintain the ability to work from home, Dam said.

    “The findings lend credence to the various reports on employees’ preferences for flexible work arrangements, given that cutting the commute enables people to spend their time on other activities, such as childcare or leisure,” he wrote. “This added benefit of working from home — for those who want it — will be an important consideration for the future of flexible work arrangements.”

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  • House panel: Trump’s bills to Secret Service ‘exorbitant’

    House panel: Trump’s bills to Secret Service ‘exorbitant’

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    NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump’s private company arranged for the Secret Service to pay for rooms at his properties in excess of government-approved rates at least 40 times, including two charges for more than $1,100 per room, per night, according to documents released Monday by a congressional committee.

    The Secret Service was charged room rates of more than $800 per night at least 11 times when agents stayed at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, the Trump hotel in Washington, D.C., and other properties, the Democratic-led House Oversight Committee said. It noted that Trump made over 500 trips to his properties while president.

    The “exorbitant” rates point to a possible “taxpayer-funded windfall for former President Trump’s struggling businesses,” Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney of New York wrote in a letter Monday to the Secret Service requesting more information.

    The Secret Service said it had received the letter and was reviewing it.

    The Trump Organization denied that the Secret Service charges were a problem and said it provided rooms and other services at cost, at big discounts or for free.

    “The Trump Family is likely the first family in American history to have not profited off of the United States government,” said Eric Trump in a statement. He added, “President Trump funded the vast majority of his campaign with hundreds of millions of dollars of his own money and turned away billions of dollars in real estate deals worldwide.”

    In total, the Trump Organization charged the agency responsible for protecting the president and his family at least $1.4 million, according to Secret Service records released by the committee. The committee said the total bill was likely higher because the panel only got records through September 2021 and payments for trips abroad were not included.

    The former president has been repeatedly criticized by Democrats and government watchdogs for what they say were brazen attempts make money from taxpayer funds during his presidency.

    In addition to money from the Secret Service when he and his family visited his clubs and hotels, Trump played host to foreign officials at his properties, also requiring lodging for accompanying agents. The president tried to arrange for his Trump National Doral Golf Club in Florida to be chosen as the venue for a Group of Seven meeting of global leaders, only to pull back after an outcry of about self dealing.

    Among the documents released Monday was a bill tied to 2017 trip by Trump’s oldest son, Don Jr., to the Trump International Hotel down the street from the White House. That resulted in a Secret Service room charge of $1,185 per night, more than five times the government-approved per diem rate, the committee said, though the agency is allowed to make exceptions.

    ___

    This story has been corrected by removing reference to the charges occurring only during Trump’s presidency; charges also include several months after he left office.

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  • Home builders sentiment index falls for record tenth month in a row in October. Home builders say the ‘situation is unhealthy and unsustainable.’

    Home builders sentiment index falls for record tenth month in a row in October. Home builders say the ‘situation is unhealthy and unsustainable.’

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    The numbers:  The National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) monthly confidence fell 8 points to 38 in October, the trade group said on Tuesday.

    It’s the tenth month in a row that the index has fallen.

    Outside of the pandemic, the October reading of 38 is the lowest level since August 2012.

    A year ago, the index stood at 80.

    The index’s ten-month drop is a new record. The index last fell for 8 months straight in 2006 and 2007.

    Key details: All three gauges that underpin the overall builder-confidence index fell.

    • The gauge that marks current sales conditions fell by 9 points. 

    • The component that assesses sales expectations for the next six months fell by 11 points.

    • And the gauge that measures traffic of prospective buyers fell by 6 points.

    All four NAHB regions posted a drop in builder confidence, led by the south and the west. 

    It’s also likely that this year will be the first time since 2011 that single-family starts see a decline, the NAHB added.

    Big picture: Builders continue to struggle to find buyers with the current rate environment.

    Now they’re saying they’re worried about that depressed demand impacting supply moving forward.

    Specifically, they’re concerned about housing affordability worsening, with potentially fewer new homes being built in the future.

    Mortgage rates have doubled from last year, now exceeding 7%, which has considerably cooled buyer demand. 

    Home price growth is moderating, but prices have not come down substantially — yet. 

    The median sales price for a new home was $436,800 in August, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

    What the NAHB said: Builders are expecting single-family starts to fall for the first time in 11 years — and expect additional declines through 2023, said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz, due to the Federal Reserve’s projected rate hikes to control inflation.

    “While some analysts have suggested that the housing market is now more ‘balanced,’ the truth is that the homeownership rate will decline in the quarters ahead as higher interest rates, and ongoing elevated construction costs continue to price out a large number of prospective buyers,” he added.

    “This situation is unhealthy and unsustainable,” Jerry Konter, a home builder and developer from Savannah, Ga. and the NAHB’s chairman, said in a statement.
    “Policymakers must address this worsening housing affordability crisis,” he added.

    What are they saying? “The housing sector – sentiment, building activity and sales – is collapsing under the weight of a rapid increase in interest rates and elevated prices, which are crimping affordability and demand,” Rubeela Farooqi, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics, wrote in a note.

    So expect building activity to be depressed, she added.

    Market reaction: The yield on the 10-year Treasury note
    TMUBMUSD10Y,
    3.989%
    fell to 3.98% on Tuesday morning.

    While the SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF
    XHB,
    +2.15%
    traded slightly higher during the morning session, and the big home-builder stocks, from D.R. Horton Inc.
    DHI,
    +2.90%
    to Toll Brothers
    TOL,
    +1.87%
    to Lennar
    LEN,
    +2.97%    ,
    edged higher.

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  • Go Beyond Number Crunching and Use Intuition Instead

    Go Beyond Number Crunching and Use Intuition Instead

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    We all have intuition, but few know how to use it effectively. Intuition is your ability to understand something without thinking about it logically. It’s a knowing that comes from the heart rather than the head.

    Unfortunately, many ignore their intuition in favor of more rational thinking. You may not even be aware that you have this inner guidance system. But when you learn to trust your intuition, you can tap into a powerful source of wisdom and insight.

    Intuition can be a valuable tool in your decision-making process. By learning to trust and follow it, you can access a deeper level of wisdom and insight. It’s essential to listen to your intuition, but not necessarily all of the time. Intuition should be used as a supplement to logic and reason, not as a replacement. There will be times when intuition conflicts with rational thought; in these cases, it’s essential to use your discernment to determine which is more accurate.

    Related: Is There Room for Intuition in Business?

    How can intuition help you with decision-making?

    When you trust your intuition, you’re more likely to take risks and follow your dreams. Intuition can help you:

    • See beyond the facts and figures to make choices based on our deepest values and desires.
    • Make better decisions by providing information that logic and reasoning may not be able to access.
    • Trust your gut feelings even when it goes against what you think you should do.
    • Connect with your higher self and receive guidance from the beyond
    • Tap into your creative side and develop new ideas.
    • Sense things that have not yet materialized. Things might make sense today, but intuition gives you the window to see if an opportunity is right for you in the long run.

    Related: The Scientific Reason You Should Trust Your Gut

    How to sharpen your intuition

    Although we all have access to intuition, not all of us can access it readily. Therefore, you must regularly sharpen your intuition to know how to access it when you need it. Here are some of the things you can start practicing to sharpen your intuition:

    • Spend time in nature: Connecting with nature can help you to clear your mind and connect with your intuition.
    • Spend time in silence and allow yourself to be.
    • Listen to your body: Our bodies can be powerful guides. If you feel called to do something but are unsure why… trust your gut and go for it.
    • Follow your heart: When you’re in touch with your heart, you’re more likely to have intuition. So follow your heart and let it lead you to your truth.
    • Pay attention to your dreams: Dreams can be a powerful source of intuition. So keep a dream journal and pay attention to any messages that come through.
    • Trust your intuition: This is the most crucial step. Once you’ve connected with your intuition, it’s important to trust what it’s telling you. Go with your gut, and don’t second-guess yourself.
    • Tapping into intuition requires stilling the mind — spending time in nature, meditating, praying, or journaling can create space for intuition to flow.

    When you’re tuned to your intuition, you may notice synchronicities and “gut feelings.” Many people express their encounter with intuition as “I just got lucky” or “I was at the right place at the right time.” These are all signs that your intuition is trying to communicate with you.

    How to use intuition in decision-making

    When making a decision, using intuition as a guide can be helpful. Here are some tips for using intuition in decision-making:

    1. Get clear on what you want. The first step is to get clear on what you want. What is your goal? What are your values? When you know what you want, it’s easier to trust your intuition.
    2. Listen to your heart. Follow your heart, and intuition will lead you to your truth.
    3. Go with your gut. Our gut feelings are often based on intuition. So if you have a strong sense about something, it’s worth listening to.
    4. Take Risks. Intuition lives in the unknown, not the known. This is why it can be a potent tool in addition to your logic and analytical brain. Intuition nudges you towards growth so you can reach your highest potential. And that means you will have to do things you are not usually accustomed to.
    5. Follow your dreams. Dreams can be a powerful source of intuition. If you’re struggling to make a decision, pay attention to your dreams and see if they offer any guidance.
    6. Be open to guidance. Intuition often comes in the form of guidance from others. So if you’re seeking advice, be open to what people tell you.
    7. Trust yourself. The most crucial step is to trust yourself. You are intimately connected to your intuition. Your intuition is not outside of you. It is a part of you. It would help if you learned to trust yourself, which means you can’t engage in negative self-talk, constantly criticize yourself, or have self-doubt. You must learn to love yourself to start accessing this powerful tool in decision-making that can make or break your life or business.

    Intuition is a powerful tool that can help us to make better decisions. By getting clear on what we want and listening to our intuition, we can tap into a deeper level of wisdom and guidance. Follow these tips to start using intuition in your decision-making process.

    Related: 7 Tips for Making Quality Business Decisions

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    Gurpreet Kaur

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  • New Zealand arts funder rejects Shakespeare as ‘imperialism’

    New Zealand arts funder rejects Shakespeare as ‘imperialism’

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    WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Is Shakespeare still relevant to today’s students?

    New Zealand’s arts council appears to have its doubts after ending funding for a popular school Shakespeare program, arguing it relied too heavily on busy schools, failed to show relevance to “the contemporary art context” and relied on a genre “located within a canon of imperialism.”

    But many have taken issue with the decision by Creative New Zealand, including Jacinda Ardern, the nation’s prime minister — and former student thespian.

    “I was a participant in Shakespeare in Schools. I thought it was a great program,” Ardern said.

    She said students interested in drama and debate have limited opportunities to interact with peers from other schools.

    “I was one of those kids. And so I would like to continue to see other kids have those opportunities,” she said.

    Ardern added that the funding decision wasn’t up to her, or even to the government. Creative New Zealand is funded by taxpayers but is run independently.

    The school programs, workshops and festivals have been run for about 30 years by the Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand. Students can act, direct make costumes or create a soundtrack. Often the plays are set in contemporary times or have different takes on the originals written by William Shakespeare more than 400 years ago.

    The center has been receiving about 30,000 New Zealand dollars ($17,000) each year from the arts council, about 10% of its overall budget.

    Dawn Sanders, the center’s chief executive, said the initial rejection last month, which remained in place after a crisis meeting Friday, blindsided her.

    “I was gobsmacked and disgusted,” she said.

    She said more than 120,000 students had been involved in the festivals and programs over the years, and many became professionals in theater or film.

    Others, she said, had used their acting skills in their jobs, for instance lawyers who were better able to argue their cases or doctors who developed a more engaging bedside manner.

    Creative New Zealand did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

    In its 11-page rejection note, however, one arts council assessor said the center had “proved the ongoing value” of its regional and national Shakespeare competition model, with some 4,600 young people participating in 24 regional festivals annually.

    “The application does make me reflect on the ongoing relevance of Shakespeare, and question whether a singular focus on an Elizabethan playwright is most relevant for a decolonizing Aotearoa in the 2020s and beyond,” the assessor added, using the Indigenous name for New Zealand.

    A panel concluded that the Shakespeare center “seems quite paternalistic” and that its funding proposal “did not demonstrate the relevance to the contemporary art context.”

    Sanders said she would try to find alternative funding and vowed the show would go on. Since the dispute became public, she said, people had already donated thousands of dollars through online crowdsourcing.

    Former Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters wrote on Facebook that the decision amounted to political and social engineering by “overpaid sickly liberal bureaucratic wokester morons.”

    Ardern, meanwhile, said it would be wrong to extrapolate a wider comment on society from a single funding decision. And she demurred on saying what Shakespeare role she had played as a student, saying such a disclosure could become a distraction.

    “So I might just leave out the details for now,” she said.

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  • Small businesses brace for cautious holiday shoppers

    Small businesses brace for cautious holiday shoppers

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    NEW YORK (AP) — Small businesses are stocking the shelves early this holiday season and waiting to see how many gifts inflation-weary shoppers feel like giving.

    Holiday shopping was relatively strong during the past two years as shoppers flocked online to spend, aided by pandemic stimulus dollars. Sales in November and December have been averaging roughly 20% of annual retail sales, according to National Retail Federation, making the holiday season critical for many retailers.

    This year, small businesses are bracing for a more muted season, as some Americans spend more cautiously. AlixPartners, the global consulting firm, forecasts that holiday sales will rise between 4% to 7%, far below last year’s growth of 16%. With inflation running above 8%, retailers would see a decrease in real sales.

    To prepare, owners say they’re ordering inventory earlier to avoid the supply-chain snags that frustrated them the past two holiday seasons and to draw in early birds. They’re stepping up discounts as much as they can in the face of their own higher costs. And owners also hope more people will shop in stores and holiday markets after doing more of their shopping online during the pandemic.

    Max Rhodes, CEO of Faire, an online marketplace used by small businesses to sell their wares wholesale as well as buy goods for retail shops, said he’s seeing earlier ordering from merchants who for two years had trouble getting enough holiday inventory stocked in time for Christmas. Stores faced shortages of everything from holiday décor to gift items as COVID-19 lockdowns forced factories to shut, costs rose and fewer shipping containers and truckers were available — all causing delivery snarls.

    A study for the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals by global consulting firm Kearney found U.S. business logistics costs surged 22.4% in 2021 to $1.85 trillion.

    “There’s a bit of a hangover from that, a bit of fear,” Rhodes said. While it’s too early for sales data, the term “Christmas” was the most searched for term on the site in mid-September. That’s two weeks earlier than last year, and eight weeks earlier than 2020, Rhodes said.

    “The one thing we’re certain of is it’s not going to be predictable … We really don’t know what to expect and our retailers feel the same way,” Rhodes said .

    Mat Pond operates The Epicurean Trader in San Francisco, including four brick-and-mortar stores, an online shop and a corporate gift basket business. In past years, he started building inventory in November, but this year he’s already stocking up on items such as gourmet food, chocolate, wine and giftware. He’s seeing corporations order holiday gift baskets earlier as well.

    “Everyone’s planning ahead,” Pond said. “I think everybody’s learning from the past two years.”

    While the pandemic’s economic impact has subsided somewhat, consumers are now being tag-teamed by high inflation and rising interest rates. Overall, spending has held up, although some Americans have been forced to pull back on discretionary items. Any decline can be meaningful because consumer spending makes up 70% of economic activity.

    Hannah Nash, the owner of the online jeweler Lucy Nash, expects sales of her earrings, bracelets and other jewelry to slow after two years of strong growth. The main culprit: inflation.

    “There is less money going around to the average person and we expect their living expenses to impact how much they can spend on holiday shopping,” Nash said.

    Nash also expects more people to shop in stores during these holidays. She started her business, based in Indianapolis, during the pandemic, when online shopping boomed. The percentage of total retail sales done online jumped from 11.5% in 2019 to 17.7% in 2020, then rose again to 18.8% last year, according the Mastercard SpendingPulse, which tracks all kinds of payments, including those by cash and debit card.

    Nash is stepping up discounts and offering bundles to attract shoppers: Her plans include a 15% discount for new customers this year, up from 10%, starting in November. And she’ll offer bundles of products that are about 20% cheaper than buying items separately.

    Major retailers such as Amazon and Walmart are also offering holiday deals to cash-strapped Americans earlier this year. Amazon held a two-day discount event on Oct. 11-12 where the average order was $46.68, $13 less than what shoppers spent during the company’s Prime Day sales event in July, according to the data group Numerator.

    Some business owners are hoping to take advantage of any shift to shopping in holiday markets and in stores.

    Kimberly Behzadi operates Read It & Eat Box in Buffalo, N.Y., which sells themed boxes with food and a book in each box. She started the business in 2020, during the pandemic. She has an online shop but is hoping the return of holiday markets to full capacity will boost sales. She depends a lot on the holidays — 40% of her annual revenue comes between October and December.

    She’s planning on being at six markets this year, with two more applications pending.

    “Last year, holiday markets were still limited by the necessary safety protocols for Covid-19 ,” she said. “This year, gratefully, we are able to attend and sell at more holiday markets locally, so my expectation is to double my holiday revenue this year.”

    Behzadi also plans on being more promotional.

    “With inflation rates high this year I expect consumers to be looking for deals, so I have adapted my holiday strategy to include more bundles and deals,” she said. She’s offering a $60 box that’s bundled with a blind-date book worth $25 for Black Friday, for example.

    Mariana Leung-Weinstein sells alcohol infused jam and marshmallows and other farm-inspired gifts at about 25 stores via her Wicked Finch Farm brand in Pawling, N.Y. that she started in 2019. She’s focusing on stocking up in stores in case online sales slow.

    “I expect people will enjoy seeing and touching things in person this time around, which puts more of my focus in getting my products in physical stores in time for the holidays,” she said.

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  • Wynton Marsalis joins forces with Michigan Marching Band

    Wynton Marsalis joins forces with Michigan Marching Band

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    ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Wynton Marsalis has done just about everything in the world of music.

    One thing he hasn’t, however, is team up his Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with a college marching band — until now.

    “I’ve never seen a jazz band like ours play with a marching band, where the actual music we’re playing is integrated into the music the band is playing,” Marsalis said during one of his many stops this week in Ann Arbor, where the Grammy and Pulitzer winner is taking part in a weeklong residency at the University of Michigan.

    On Thursday, the 60-year-old Marsalis and members of the JLCO strode onto the Michigan Marching Band’s practice field to rehearse for Saturday’s show. They’ll play during the Michigan football team’s game against Penn State at the 107,000-seat Michigan Stadium.

    The legendary trumpeter opened the rehearsal with a solo that was met with raucous applause from those who packed the field. Afterward, Marsalis was surrounded by band members and others who waited patiently to pose for a picture with him.

    The University Musical Society, a nonprofit affiliated with the University of Michigan and one of the oldest performing arts presenters in the country, brought Marsalis and his orchestra to southeast Michigan for the residency. It includes a pair of concerts at the school’s Hill Auditorium as well as masterclasses and workshops, plus a performance for K-12 students and a visit to a federal prison.

    And, of course, the halftime show at the Big House.

    “Hopefully, you are going to win the game. We know the music is going to be good,” Marsalis jabbed at Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel during a lecture and discussion earlier in the week at the Michigan Theater.

    “That’s the plan,” Manuel said.

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  • Bird flu case prompts Omaha zoo to close several exhibits

    Bird flu case prompts Omaha zoo to close several exhibits

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    OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium has closed several exhibits and taken other precautions after one of its pelicans died from the bird flu.

    The zoo said one of its pink-backed pelicans that died on Thursday tested positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza. A second pelican became ill Friday and was euthanized.

    As a precaution, the zoo has closed its Lied Jungle, Desert Dome and Simmons Aviary exhibits to the public for at least 10 days.

    The Omaha zoo was one of many across the country that closed down its aviaries and moved birds inside whenever possible to help protect them from avian influenza that is primarily spread by the droppings of wild birds.

    The zoo reopened its aviary in June after bird flu cases waned, but some cases continued to be reported across the country throughout the summer, and the outbreak has started to make a resurgence this fall.

    More than 47 million chickens and turkeys have been slaughtered in 42 states to limit the spread of bird flu during this year’s outbreak. Officials order entire flocks to be killed when the virus is found on farms. More than 6 million chickens and turkeys were slaughtered last month to limit the spread of the disease.

    The Omaha zoo also took precautions to protect its birds by limiting staff access to them and requiring workers to clean their shoes before entering areas where the birds are kept.

    The zoo said its pelicans live outside, so they do come into contact with wild birds. But the pelicans don’t come into contact with other zoo birds and no other birds in the zoo’s collection have shown symptoms of bird flu.

    “It is very important that Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium immediately tighten our protocols to protect our birds and guard against any potential spread of avian influenza,” Sarah Woodhouse, the zoo’s director of animal health, said in a statement. “This is important both to prevent infection of other zoo birds, and to prevent the virus from being dispersed off zoo grounds.”

    Unlike on farms, zoos are generally allowed to isolate and treat an infected bird as long as they take precautions to protect the other birds in their collections.

    Health officials emphasize that bird flu doesn’t jeopardize food safety because infected birds aren’t allowed into the food supply and properly cooking meat and eggs to 165 degrees Fahrenheit will kill any viruses.

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