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Worried Chinese shoppers scrimp, dimming the appeal of a Singles’ Day shopping extravaganza

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:12 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — Shoppers in China have been tightening their purse strings, raising questions over how faltering consumer confidence may affect Saturday’s annual Singles’ Day online retail extravaganza.Singles Day, also known as “Double 11,” was popularized by e-commerce giant Alibaba. In the days leading up to the event, sellers on Alibaba and elsewhere often slash prices and offer enticing deals. Given prevailing jitters about jobs and a weak property market, it’s unclear how this year’s festival will fare. A Bain & Company survey of 3,000 Chinese shoppers found more than three-quarters of those who responded plan to spend less this year, or keep spending level, given uncertainties over how the economy is faring. That includes people like Shi Gengchen, whose billiard hall business in Beijing’s trendy Chaoyang district has slowed.“The current economic situation is lousy and it has affected my business, there are fewer customers than before,” said Shi, adding ...

4 men wounded in shootout over allegedly stolen car on Interstate 59 in Alabama

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:12 GMT

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — A confrontation over an allegedly stolen car in Birmingham, Alabama, ended Friday in a shootout on a busy interstate that wounded four people, including two who had life-threatening injuries, police said.The shooting took place shortly after 4:30 p.m. on southbound Interstate 59 near the 20th Street Ensley exit, police said.“We believe that a group of individuals saw their stolen vehicle, or alleged stolen vehicle, and they began following that vehicle,” Officer Truman Fitzgerald said at a news conference.“This party sees their possible stolen vehicle and they took it upon themselves to confront this group. A shootout ensued between both groups,” Fitzgerald said.Two men who were inside the allegedly stolen car were taken to the hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries while two other men had non-life-threatening injuries and went to the hospital on their own, Fitzgerald said. Nobody else was injured, he said.All four men are considered suspects in ...

What 'The Saint of Second Chances' means to the Veeck family

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:12 GMT

CHICAGO — It's a documentary featuring one of the most famous families in baseball with plenty of history in Chicago - but it's hardly just about the game. That's because "The Saint of Second Chances" on Netflix deals with the son of a famous figure in the history of the game getting another shot in the game, giving that to others, while also connecting with his family through the love of baseball.Mike Veeck's journey in building the St. Paul Saints independent league team into a must-see squad is chronicled in this documentary directed by Morgan Neville and Jeff Malmberg. Set up like innings of a baseball game, viewers get the chance to see how the son of Bill Veeck, the Baseball Hall of Famer who was twice an owner of the White Sox, found his own way to be a master baseball showman.At the same time, it showed how he along with his wife Libby, son Night Train, and daughter Rebecca navigated this time. Mike would even get his show to return to baseball, but he would instead swi...

Search underway for man missing from assisted living facility in Chicago

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:12 GMT

CHICAGO — A search is underway for a man who went missing from an assisted living facility in Chicago on Wednesday, police say.According to Chicago police, 64-year-old Ishak Boulos was last seen in the 6300 block of North Bell Avenue in the city's West Ridge neighborhood.  2 dead, 1 injured after shots fired into car on South Side Police say Boulos, who has grey hair and brown eyes, stands 5-foot-6 and weighs around 180 pounds. Boulos was last seen wearing a grey puffy winter coat, a black winter hat with Coca-Cola print on it, and a pair of white gym shoes, police say. Chicago man charged in connection with fatal shooting in Douglas According to police, Boulos does not have a cellphone and has little money to get around. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of 64-year-old Ishak Boulos is asked to call the CPD Area Four SVU at 312-746-82514. Tips for police can also be filed at CPDtip.com. Tips can be left anonymously.

Veteran loses nearly everything, saves wife from burning New York home

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:12 GMT

FORT HUNTER, N.Y. (WTEN) - A veteran saved his wife's life as fire ripped through their upstate New York home, but lost nearly everything else in the recent blaze, including the beloved family pet.David Stafford had just taken the dog out and returned to the house when he noticed an orange glow outside his kitchen window. He and his son went out to investigate and found the house on fire, with his wife and dog, Greta, still inside. “So, my son and I, when we went out, he was behind me [and] we got the ladders up, I got my wife out from the back garage porch,” recalled Stafford. “I tried to run around to the front of the house, but I already locked the doors for the night, and I couldn't get in to save the dog." Daughter Amber Berroa said her mom, who was sleeping before the fire broke out, called her from inside the burning home. “So, I answered it," Berroa recalled. "And she couldn't even get her breath to tell me ... all she kept saying was 'Amber there's a fire and I couldn't get...

Pet food recall grows: Babies sickened by salmonella in tainted kibble, officials say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:12 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Health officials announced Thursday that multiple people, mostly babies, have been sickened after coming in contact with dog food involved in a growing recall over potential salmonella contamination.The same day, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that the voluntary recall by Texas-based Mid America Pet Food now includes six types of cat food along with over 25 dry dog food products.So far there have been at least seven documented illnesses and one hospitalization tied to the dog food, spanning seven states: California, Oklahoma, Hawaii, Florida, Alabama, Kentucky and Minnesota. Because many salmonella cases go unreported, the true number of cases may be higher, the CDC says. IRS announces 2024 income tax brackets – see where you fall "People in this outbreak got sick from touching recalled dog food, touching things like dog bowls that contained the dog food, or touching the poop or saliva of dogs that were fed the dog food," the Centers for Disease Contr...

Two injured after vehicle crashes into a Goodwill in southeast Austin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:12 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Two people were injured after a vehicle crashed into a Goodwill in southeast Austin on Friday, Austin-Travis County EMS told KXAN.At approximately 3:30 p.m., medics responded to a report of the crash at the Goodwill located on the 6500 block of Burleson Road.Two people were taken to the hospital, one with serious injuries and the other with non-life-threatening injuries, medics said.No other information was available Friday.

Jared Spurgeon returns, but Wild can’t shift narrative in 3-2 loss at Buffalo

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:12 GMT

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Wild got captain Jared Spurgeon back on Friday, but no one player is going to change the narrative for Minnesota, which finally got a decent start only to watch another mistake turn into the go-ahead goal.J.J. Peterka scored twice, and his steal at the blue line led to Jeff Skinner’s go-ahead goal on a breakaway early in the third period as the Buffalo Sabres held off the Wild, 3-2, at KeyCenter Arena.Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek scored power-play goals, but the Wild ended their three-game trip through New York with consecutive losses. They lost to the Rangers on Thursday when a Brock Faber pinch turned into a three-on-one go-ahead goal in a 4-1 loss at Madison Square Garden.This time, Jonas Brodin dropped a pass back to Kaprizov at the Sabres’ blue line late in the second period with the game tied 1-1. Kaprizov reared back to send the puck deep, but Peterka poked it away before it got to him.That sent Peterka and Jeff Skinner the other way, and Ski...

Men’s hockey: Jimmy Clark’s two-goal night sparks Gophers’ come-from-behind win at Michigan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:12 GMT

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Playing prep hockey for Edina, Jimmy Clark said he learned to love being on the team that everyone in the audience hated. Perhaps that experience served the Minnesota Gophers rookie well in his first trip to Yost Ice Arena — known as one of the most hostile places for visiting teams in all of college hockey.Clark scored late in the second period and again in the third as the Gophers rallied from a two-goal deficit and beat Michigan 4-3 on Friday in one of their biggest road tests of the season.The Gophers (5-3-1 overall, 1-2-0-0 Big Ten) got their first conference win thanks in large part to a 37-save performance from goalie Justen Close. Bryce Brodzinski got Minnesota on the board after it trailed less than two minutes into the game, and Brody Lamb netted the game-winner with 3:28 to play. Gophers coach Bob Motzko admitted that Close may have stolen the game for Minnesota, which was dominated by the Wolverines for long stretches of the game.“Every once in a while...

Man admits to break-ins at two Jefferson County gun shops

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:54:12 GMT

ST. LOUIS - A St. Louis County man admitted to breaking into two Jefferson County gun shops and stealing weapons several years ago. Carnell Robinson, 21, pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to one felony charge of theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee. Man killed in south St. Louis County road-rage shooting Investigators say Robinson and other burglars broke into Mike’s Pawn and Jewelry in Imperial on July 12, 2020, taking off with four AR-style rifles, a shotgun, ammunition and jewelry. The next day, the broke into Top Gun Shooting Sports near Arnold and stole two rifles and numerous boxes of ammunition. Authorities arrested Robinson after his fingerprint was later found on a gun case at Mike's. Robinson is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 14, 2024. He could face up to 10 years in prison or $250,000 in fines.