Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are doing more than leaving the Christmas lights up ’til January. Indeed, the couple is celebrating the season by sending very extravagant presents to Travis’ fellow Kansas City Chiefs player Chris Jones and his girlfriend Sheawna Weathersby. In a photo Sheawna shared to her Instagram Story Dec. 25, she showed off presents from the couple: an orange Louis 200 box and several other wrapped gifts-including one large bag with a tag adorned with Taylor’s signature cursive scratch, “Merry Christmas She She and Chris! Travis and Taylor.” Another gift was addressed solely to “She She” in Taylor’s handwriting, adding, “Merry Christmas, Love Tay Tay.” Naturally, Sheawna was floored by the gifts. “So blessed and grateful this holiday season,” she added in text alongside the live photo. “Thank yoouuu Tay Tay!” Taylor has proven to be an extra set of hands for Santa Claus this year-also gifting items like a matching Miu Miu set and Dyson Airwrap to fans she visited at Children’s Mercy Hospital earlier this month. And while the “Fortnight” singer has always had a penchant for gift-giving, Sheawna has also proven to be one of her truest WAG confidants this NFL season. After all, the Mississippi native-who shares sons Deuce, 6 and Carson, 2, with Chris-has shown a glimpse into her friendship with Taylor on social media. In a photo Sheawna shared back in September, she proved she and the Miss Americana star were attached at the hip while rooting for their boyfriends’ team from a suite in Arrowhead Stadium. The Eras Tour performer squeezed into a selfie with the business owner, closing her eyes and nuzzling her face toward her pal as Sheawna gave the camera a peace sign. As for whether Taylor was expecting her stocking to be stuffed to the brim by all of her loved ones this year? Like anyone, she would never turn one down-but she isn’t expecting anything with a hefty price tag, either. “You gotta dig down and come up with something special,” Travis’ dad Ed Kelce explained of finding the perfect gift for Taylor on the Baskin and Phelps podcast earlier this month. “The amount of money is meaningless. You’re not gonna impress Taylor Swift with a gift that costs $100,000.” He emphasised, “Get something that tweaks the strings of her heart that you spend 10 bucks on and then she’ll just be all gooey.” For Taylor, the holidays are certainly a time of giving.Intech Investment Management LLC Makes New Investment in Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:WOOF)
A MUCH-LOVED football store is the latest to shut its doors to customers after almost two decades. Everything Buckeyes, located in the Eastwood Mall in Niles, Ohio , is set to close for good in March. Until then, customers can enjoy discounts of 30 per cent, with deals across most of the retailer’s products. Owner Jeff Lyda said the company had decided to shift gears and focus on their other store, Party On!, according to local news station WKBN First News in Youngstown. While the retailer is remaining open for another few months, it has requested all gift cards are redeemed by the beginning of February. A sign posted on the store’s wall thanks customers, reported WKBN. The speciality sports shop was founded in November 2006 and has been open for 18 years. Read more on closures It stocks licensed Ohio State and Cleveland Browns merchandise for adults and children, including hoodies, T-shirts, jackets and pants. According to the website: An Ohio State fan can outfit him or herself with sophisticated dress casual shirts and sweaters or show their true school spirit from head to toe with a scarlet and grey wig, face paint, and Buckeye beads. “Beyond apparel, EverythingBuckeyes.com sells furniture and accessories that can transform any room in your home into a scarlet and grey heaven.” In response to a post about the closure on the Everything Buckeye’s Facebook page, the retailer said it was time for a new chapter. Most read in Money “Back in 2019 we expanded our main store called Party On! at the Eastwood Mall complex. “Our website and balloon decor has grown a lot over the last few years and we have decided to focus more on those projects. “We will be expanding our offering of Ohio State merchandise at Party On! in the coming months.” STORE CLOSURES Everything Buckeyes is the latest retailer to announce its closure in the past few weeks. The retail landscape in the US is set for big changes following news that Big Lots is permanently closing all of its remaining 963 stores , after filing for bankruptcy last September. Another major player, Walgreens , revealed it is shutting three of its California locations before the end of January. The term has now become common usage to reference the downfall of physical stores as online giants grow. The term "retail apocalypse" was used by Dennis Dick, a trader at Las Vegas -based Bright Trading LLC in May 2022. At the time, Walmart's quarterly profit fell 25 percent, missing Wall Street expectations, and Dick told Reuters : "This is a little bit of a retail apocalypse." Dick added: "It was Walmart, and everybody thought it was a one-off." "Now that Target missed earnings [by] a lot more than Walmart even did, they're scared that the consumer is not as strong as everybody thinks," said Dick. The stores are three out of at least 1,200 that are due to be axed , as confirmed by Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Tim Wentworth last October. Other popular chains that resorted to mass closures, as reported in the US Sun , include CVS , Family Dollar and BuyBuy Baby. By November 2024, there were 7,100 projected store closures, which marked a 69% increase compared to the same time frame in 2023, according to Newsweek . This is the largest surge in closures since the Covid pandemic . Read More on The US Sun Meanwhile shoppers in Somerset, Kentucky, were dismayed to learn their local Subway had shut down. And the news that Aldi is possibly taking over a Winn-Dixie location in Luling, Louisiana sparked indignation on Facebook.How close are we to true driverless vehicles being made available to consumers? The big buzz subject in the automotive world from a decade ago may have slowed; yet there continue to be significant developments in this area. With current developments, automation can vary from level 0 to level 5 within the automotive industry, from sole reliance on driver control, all the way to completely driverless vehicles. There is also considerable investment. The latest report “ Roboshuttles and Autonomous Buses 2024-2044 ” predicts that the global sales revenue of roboshuttles and autonomous buses is to exceed US$67 billion by 2044. The report predicts that roboshuttles and autonomous buses will likely strive for level 5 operation as a long-term goal, although at present they are currently aiming for level 4, where driverless operation can take place within specific areas. Unlike most buses, roboshuttles are designed to be small, with not-too-large capacities, making them suitable to deploy in higher numbers within small areas. Operating under level 4 driving conditions, these vehicles are driverless and efficient, accommodating up to 22 passengers. Despite being smaller than a minibus, the extra room allowed by having no driver means their 4–6-meter length can hold a greater capacity. Commercialization, however, is proving tricky for roboshuttles, with many being deployed on trial but struggling to go any further towards mainstream acceptance. Consequently, IDTechEx reports a decline in the number of players from over 25 to just 12 since 2020, with most companies still in the early stages of development in 2023. Autonomous buses – mini, midi, and city Mini, midi, and city buses are among the various types of autonomous buses. These are higher capacity of buses compared to roboshuttles, at around 100 passengers per city bus. The large number of investments required for autonomous buses to become mainstream is indicated by the limited number of players within the market. The regulatory challenges faced by companies, alongside the increased challenges and slow progress of level 4 systems in larger buses, are also factors slowing down commercialization. There are some successes, such as the autonomous night bus project in South Korea, where a shortage of taxis might otherwise cause transportation concerns, again highlighting a real-world application for these buses. Going forwards, the development of autonomous buses and roboshuttles is likely to continue somewhat slowly due to a lack of funding and regulatory challenges. Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for science news.Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, business, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.
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NEW YORK — Major stock indexes on Wall Street drifted to a mixed finish Friday, capping a rare bumpy week for the market. The Standard & Poor’s 500 ended essentially flat, down less than 0.1%, after wavering between tiny gains and losses most of the day. The benchmark index posted a loss for the week, its first after three straight weekly gains. The Dow Jones industrial average slipped 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.1%, ending just below the record high it set on Wednesday. There were more than twice as many decliners as gainers on the New York Stock Exchange. Gains in technology stocks helped temper losses in communication services, financials and other sectors of the market. Broadcom surged 24.4% for the biggest gain in the S&P 500 after the semiconductor company beat Wall Street’s profit targets and gave a glowing forecast, highlighting its artificial intelligence products. The company also raised its dividend. The company’s big gain helped cushion the market’s broader fall. Pricey stock values for technology companies like Broadcom give the sector more weight in pushing the market higher or lower. Artificial intelligence technology has been a focal point for the tech sector and the overall stock market over the last year. Tech companies, and Wall Street, expect demand for AI to continue driving growth for semiconductor and other tech companies. Some tech stocks were a drag on the market. Nvidia fell 2.2%, Meta Platforms dropped 1.7% and Google parent Alphabet slid 1.1%. Among the market’s other decliners were Airbnb, which fell 4.7% for the biggest loss in the S&P 500, and Charles Schwab, which closed 4% lower. Furniture and housewares company RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, surged 17% after raising its forecast for revenue growth for the year. All told, the S&P 500 lost 0.16 points to close at 6,051.09. The Dow dropped 86.06 points to 43,828.06. The Nasdaq rose 23.88 points to 19,926.72. Wall Street’s rally stalled this week amid mixed economic reports and ahead of the Federal Reserve’s last meeting of the year. The central bank will meet next week and is widely expected to cut interest rates for a third time since September. Expectations of rate cuts have driven the S&P 500 to 57 all-time highs so far this year. The Fed has been lowering its benchmark interest rate after an aggressive rate hiking stint that was meant to tame inflation. It raised rates from near zero in early 2022 to a two-decade high by the middle of 2023. Under pressure from higher interest rates, inflation eased nearly to the central bank’s 2% target. The economy, including consumer spending and employment, held strong despite the squeeze from inflation and high borrowing costs. A slowing job market, though, has helped push a long-awaited reversal of the Fed’s policy. Inflation rates have been warming up slightly over the last few months. A report on consumer prices this week showed an increase to 2.7% in November from 2.6% in October. The Fed’s preferred measure of inflation, the personal consumption expenditures index, will be released next week. Wall Street expects it to show a 2.5% rise in November, up from 2.3% in October. The economy, though, remains solid heading into 2025 as consumers continue spending and employment remains healthy, said Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY. “Still, the outlook is clouded by unusually high uncertainty surrounding regulatory, immigration, trade and tax policy,” he said. Treasury yields edged higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.40% from 4.34% late Thursday. European markets slipped. Britain’s FTSE 100 fell 0.1%. Britain’s economy unexpectedly shrank by 0.1% month to month in October, after a 0.1% decline in September, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Asian markets closed mostly lower. Troise and Veiga write for the Associated Press.
De La Rosa scores 27 points as Columbia tops Fairfield 85-72WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Sunday that the sudden collapse of the Syrian government under Bashar Assad is a “fundamental act of justice” after decades of repression, but it was “a moment of risk and uncertainty” for the Mideast. Speaking at the White House, Biden said the U.S. was not sure of Assad's whereabouts, but was monitoring reports he was seeking refuge in Moscow. Biden credited action by the U.S. and its allies for weakening Syria's backers — Russia, Iran and Hezbollah. He said “for the first time” that they could no longer defend Assad's grip on power. “Our approach has shifted the balance of power in the Middle East," Biden said. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. WASHINGTON (AP) — The sudden collapse of the Syrian government under Bashar Assad is forcing the Biden administration and the incoming Trump team to confront intensifying questions about the possibility of greater conflicts across the Middle East. President-elect Donald Trump said Sunday that Assad had fled his country, which his family had ruled for decades , because close ally Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, “was not interested in protecting him any longer.” Those comments on Trump's social media platform came a day after he used another post to decry the possibility of the U.S. intervening militarily in Syria to aid the rebels, declaring, “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT." The Biden administration had no intention of intervening, according to President Joe Biden's national security adviser. Biden was meeting with his national security team at the White House on Sunday. He was expected to make public comments later in the day. The U.S has about 900 troops in Syria, including forces working with Kurdish allies in the opposition-held northeast to prevent any resurgence of the Islamic State group. Assad's fall adds to an already tense situation throughout much of region on many fronts, including Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza and its fragile cease-fire with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Trump, who takes office Jan. 20, 2025, made a connection between the upheaval in Syria and Russia's war in Ukraine , noting that Assad's allies in Moscow, as well as in Iran, the main sponsor of Hamas and Hezbollah, “are in a weakened state right now.” The Syrian opposition that brought down Assad is led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham . The Biden administration has designated the group as a terrorist organization and says it has links to al-Qaida, although Hayat Tahrir al-Sham says it has since broken ties with al-Qaida. Vice President-elect JD Vance , a veteran of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, wrote on own social media Sunday to express skepticism about the insurgents. “Many of ‘the rebels’ are a literal offshoot of ISIS. One can hope they’ve moderated. Time will tell,” he said, using another acronym for the group. Trump has suggested that Assad's ouster can advance the prospects for an end to fighting in Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia in February 2022. Trump wrote that Putin's government “lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine” and the Republican called for an immediate cease-fire, a day after meeting in Paris with the French and Ukrainian leaders . Daniel B. Shapiro, a deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East, said the American military presence will continue in eastern Syria but was “solely to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS and has nothing to do with other aspects of this conflict.” “We call on all parties in Syria to protect civilians, particularly those from Syria’s minority communities to respect international military norms and to work to achieve a resolution to include the political settlement,” Shapiro said. “Multiple actors in this conflict have a terrible track record to include Assad’s horrific crimes, Russia’s indiscriminate aerial bomb bombardment, Iranian-back militia involvement and the atrocities of ISIS," he added. Shapiro, however, was careful not to directly say Assad had been deposed by the insurgents. “If confirmed, no one should shed any tears over the Assad regime,” he said. As they pushed toward the Syrian capital of Damascus, the opposition freed political detainees from government prisons. The family of missing U.S. journalist Austin Tice renewed calls to find him. “To everyone in Syria that hears this, please remind people that we’re waiting for Austin,” Tice’s mother, Debra, said in comments that hostage advocacy groups spread on social media. "We know that when he comes out, he’s going to be fairly dazed & he’s going to need lots of care & direction. Direct him to his family please!” Tice disappeared in 2012 outside Damascus, amid intensification of what became a civil war stretching more than a decade. ___ Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Manama, Bahrain, contributed to this report. Will Weissert, The Associated Press