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Americans ramped up spending during the holidays despite some financial anxiety and higher costs

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:30:42 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Holiday sales rose this year and spending remained resilient during the shopping season even with Americans wrestling with higher prices in some areas and other financial worries, according to the latest measure.Holiday sales from the beginning of November through Christmas Eve climbed 3.1%, a slower pace than the 7.6% increase from a year earlier, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse, which tracks all kinds of payments including cash and debit cards. This year’s sales are more in line with what is typical during the holiday season, however, after a surge in spending last year during the same period. Still, sales growth was a bit lower than the 3.7% increase Mastercard SpendingPulse had projected in September. The data released Tuesday excludes the automotive industry and is not adjusted for inflation.Clothing sales rose 2.4%, though jewelry sales fell 2% and electronics dipped roughly 0.4%. Online sales jumped 6.3 % from a year ago and in-person spending rose...

More Canadians hope to take advantage of Boxing Day sales compared to last year, survey finds

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:30:42 GMT

If you thought the malls were busy during Boxing Day in 2022, you may be in for a rude awakening this year.A survey from the Retail Council of Canada reveals that 32 per cent of Canadians want to take advantage of Tuesday’s deals, which is nearly double last year’s number of 18 per cent.Some of the hot items sought after include appliances, furniture, and clothing. Related: Canadians feeling the pinch while shopping for holiday dinner Heavy traffic expected around airport, nearby outlet mall Tuesday The survey found that holiday shopping in general is expected to be higher than ever, with Canadians saying they plan to spend $898 on average per person, a number the council calls “unprecedented.”“Even with prevailing financial concerns on Canadians’ minds, the desire to connect with loved ones and shop and share gifts and experiences remains undeterred,” said Diane Brisebois, president and CEO of the organization.“Retailers a...

Maine storm has delayed a key vote on California-style limits for gas vehicles

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:30:42 GMT

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The rollout of potential regulations to drastically cut gas-powered vehicle sales in Maine was pushed back by a year because environmental regulators had to delay a key vote after a storm caused widespread power outages.The Board of Environmental Protection postponed its Dec. 21 vote and won’t reconvene before year’s end. The delay means the proposed rules must be amended to go into effect for vehicles in the 2028 model year instead of the 2027 model year, and also reopened for public comment, said Jeff Crawford, director of the Bureau of Air Quality for the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. The original proposal would eventually require 82% of new vehicles sold to be considered zero emissions by the 2032 model year. A dozen states have already signed onto California’s standards for boosting electric vehicle sales and reducing traditional vehicle sales to meet climate goals.Critics of the environmental regulations were happy to get a second chance t...

56 French stars defend actor Gerard Depardieu despite sexual misconduct allegations

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:30:42 GMT

PARIS (AP) — More than 50 French performers, writers and producers published an essay Tuesday defending film star and national icon Gerard Depardieu amid growing scrutiny of his behavior toward women during his five-decade career. Advocates for sexual abuse victims expressed dismay at the outpouring of support.Depardieu was handed preliminary rape and sexual assault charges in 2020 following allegations from actor Charlotte Arnould, and has been accused by more than a dozen other women of harassing, groping or sexually assaulting them. Depardieu denies wrongdoing, and called the essay ‘’beautiful.’’Published Tuesday in the conservative-leaning Le Figaro, it was signed by figures including former first lady and singer Carla Bruni, Depardieu’s former partner Carole Bousquet, and actors Pierre Richard, Charlotte Rampling and Victoria Abril. Two dozen of the 56 signatories were women. Many are from Depardieu’s generation; he is 74.A recent documentary outlined accusations of sexual misc...

Kuwaiti and Saudi hunters killed by a leftover Islamic State group explosive in Iraq, officials say

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:30:42 GMT

BAGHDAD (AP) — The bodies of a Kuwaiti citizen and a Saudi with Kuwaiti residency who had disappeared in Iraq were found Tuesday, Kuwait’s minister of foreign affairs said in a statement.Iraqi security officials said the men, who had reportedly come to Iraq on a hunting trip, were killed by an explosive left behind by the Islamic State group.Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Salem Abdullah al-Sabah said the two men had “recently disappeared” in Iraq’s Anbar province. He said that his ministry had “followed up around the clock with Iraqi authorities, who made great efforts to find them as quickly as possible.”The statement didn’t elaborate on the circumstances of the men’s disappearance or death, but said that Kuwaiti and Iraqi authorities were coordinating in the investigation.Iraq’s security media office said in a statement that Saudi citizen Anwar al-Dhafiri and Kuwaiti citizen Faisal al-Mutairi, who had entered Iraq on tourist visas and didn’t have hunting permits, were in a r...

Man suffers life-threatening injuries from assault in Roncesvalles

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:30:42 GMT

Toronto police are investigating after a man was struck by an object while riding his bike in Roncesvalles on Tuesday morning.At approximately 9:05 a.m. police responded to reports of the assault, and a male in his 60’s has been transported to hospital via emergency run with life-threatening injuries from being struck.Police confirm this was a random attack.The suspect is described as a man, in his 40’s, approximately 5’9″ with a medium build, brown hair, a black jacket, black pants, and on a bike.Road closures are in effect at Boustead Avenue westbournd from Roncesvalles Avenue, and eastbound from Indian Road to Alhambra Avenue is closed at Boustead Ave. Police advise to avoid the area.

Child-free finances: How your financial needs, concerns differ if you don’t have kids

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:30:42 GMT

As the child-free lifestyle surges in popularity among younger generations, many might imagine it means having a lot more money to spend, but that’s not always the case.In fact, it’s not a prioritized clientele in the financial planning world, some experts say – and it’s one with its own unique needs.According to Statistics Canada, gen Z and millennial generations are continuing the downward trend of the number of children per woman in Canada. Roughly a third of people aged 15 to 49 do not intend to have kids at all.When it comes to financial planning, this is actually “an underserved group,” says Barbara Knoblach.A financial planner based in Edmonton and working with Money Coaches Canada, Knoblach says many advisory firms like to sign on multiple members of the same family, across generations — which is the main reason this clientele is not prioritized.“Traditional financial planning is centered on the concept of building generational wealth,” she says. “However, this is of l...

Bovine AI: Alberta cattle rancher says technology helps save time and money

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:30:42 GMT

EDMONTON — Ashley Perepelkin says she was born and raised a city girl, never thinking she’d sell fresh beef from cattle she raised on her own Alberta farm with the help of artificial intelligence.“I met a boy, and this boy happened to be a farmer,” she says.Perepelkin, who spent most of her life in Red Deer, Alta., says she and her now-husband Andrew met in 2010, got married and began farming grain together.When she decided to get cattle, it was a steep learning curve. “A lot of things were learned, unfortunately, through trial and error,” she says.Perepelkin says she enrolled in a continuing education course through Olds College of Agriculture and Technology in Olds, Alta. That’s when she saw a video about what AI could do for farmers, and became excited. “Employees are expensive, especially … when you don’t exactly know what you’re looking for at the beginning,” she says. “It’s hard to train somebody.”Th...

Girl, 5, killed in fire on South Side: Chicago fire officials

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:30:42 GMT

CHICAGO — A 5-year-old girl was killed in an apartment fire on the South Side Tuesday morning, according to the Chicago Fire Department.The fire happened around 7:15 a.m. at a multi-unit apartment building in the 500 block of West Marquette Road in the city's Englewood neighborhood.According to police, the girl was found unresponsive inside the building and was pronounced dead on the scene.Approximately four to five people are displaced due to the fire. Emergency crews remain on the scene.The cause of the fire remains under investigation.This is a developing story. Check back for details.

Man critical after Southwest Side robbery, shooting

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:30:42 GMT

CHICAGO — A man is in critical condition following an armed robbery and shooting Tuesday morning on the Southwest Side.Police believe two men were in the 2200 block of South Hamlin just before 7:10 a.m. when four armed males exited a white SUV.The group demanded property and one of the men complied, CPD said. After one of the men was robbed, shots were fired at them.A 37-year-old man was shot multiple times. He was transported in critical condition.No one is in custody.