Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving timeMembership warehouse chain is axing most of its book sections, ending year-round sales of books at most of its over 600 U.S. locations starting in January. The first rumblings of the move came last summer when the retailer told publishers that books would be stocked during only the holiday season from September to December starting in 2025, unnamed publishing executives told The New York Times. Stores in some markets, like Alaska and Hawaii, had already stopped book sales. Around 100 stores will keep books out for sale all year, and publishers can put up promotional pallets of books for sale in the other stores, unnamed sources told industry publication Publishers Weekly last week. The book sections were too labor-intensive to maintain all year at all of its stores, told publishing executives. As opposed to many of the other items sold individually or in bulk at , books must be placed on tables and removed by hand, with unsold books cycled out and new releases dropping every Tuesday. sources told Publishers Weekly that book sections would need to become easier to maintain for the company to keep them around. The unnamed sources also told Publishers Weekly that leaders want to see how well the “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” book, which went on sale Friday exclusively at Target, sells. Copyright © 2024 The Washington Times, LLC. . Click to Read More and View Comments Click to HideDonald Trump wants to end daylight saving time
Democrats turn on each other in battle for soul of the partyShares of The Boeing Company ( NYSE:BA – Get Free Report ) have received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-five ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, nine have assigned a hold recommendation, thirteen have assigned a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $190.37. Several equities analysts recently commented on BA shares. TD Cowen reduced their price target on Boeing from $200.00 to $190.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 14th. Sanford C. Bernstein cut shares of Boeing from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $195.00 to $169.00 in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. DZ Bank downgraded shares of Boeing from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $152.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on shares of Boeing from $232.00 to $202.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, September 24th. Finally, Benchmark restated a “buy” rating and set a $250.00 target price on shares of Boeing in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Boeing Institutional Inflows and Outflows Boeing Stock Up 4.1 % Boeing stock opened at $149.29 on Tuesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $151.70 and a 200-day moving average of $168.36. Boeing has a 52-week low of $137.03 and a 52-week high of $267.54. The firm has a market capitalization of $92.29 billion, a P/E ratio of -11.57 and a beta of 1.57. Boeing ( NYSE:BA – Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The aircraft producer reported ($10.44) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($10.34) by ($0.10). The company had revenue of $17.84 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.81 billion. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted ($3.26) EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Boeing will post -16.2 EPS for the current fiscal year. Boeing Company Profile ( Get Free Report The Boeing Company, together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, manufactures, sells, services, and supports commercial jetliners, military aircraft, satellites, missile defense, human space flight and launch systems, and services worldwide. The company operates through Commercial Airplanes; Defense, Space & Security; and Global Services segments. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Boeing Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Boeing and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Unwrap the latest AI features with Amazon Fire Tablets
The Ellen Degeneres Show stars Sophia Grace Brownlee and Rosie McClelland recreated their iconic “Super Bass” duet. “Throw back 💕 @therealsophiagrace,” McClelland, 18, wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, October 20, alongside a video of her and Brownlee, 21, lip-syncing to their viral version of the Nicki Minaj song. The clip featured the cousins at Brownlee’s recent baby shower. The pair danced in front of a balloon display as they re-enacted their performance that first aired 13 years ago. Brownlee and McClelland rose to fame in 2011 for their “Super Bass” cover on DeGeneres’ eponymous talk show. McClelland rocked a black crop top and gray skirt paired with combat boots while Brownlee rocked a baby pink off-the-shoulder gown that showed off her baby bump. Brownlee replied to the video writing, “Love you🩷🩷🩷.” In addition to attending the baby shower, McClelland also played a vital role in setting up the event. In Brownlee’s recap of the shower uploaded via YouTube on Saturday, November 16, she shared that McClelland was her hero as she brought the ring light for the photo station. “Rosie saved the day,” Brownlee said in the clip. “She brought the same [ring] light as last time for River’s baby shower because I didn’t have one.” Brownlee also revealed that she is expecting a girl. In August, Brownlee shared in a YouTube video that she is pregnant with her second child. (Brownlee welcomed son River , 20 months, in March 2023 and she has not revealed the identity of the father of her children.) “As you guys can see by the title of this video, I am expecting baby No. 2,” she announced in the clip. The social media personality confessed that she wanted to wait to publicly share the news “around the 20-week mark” of her pregnancy because she’s “a very paranoid and anxious person.” “I’ve had both of my scans and everything’s been fine so far, which is really good,” she added. And yeah, it’s so exciting.” Brownlee gushed that she was really excited that River was going to have a younger sibling so soon. You have successfully subscribed. By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from Us Weekly Check our latest news in Google News Check our latest news in Apple News “Because they’re quite close in age, they can grow up together, and I just think that’s really sweet,” she shared. “I always wanted a sibling that was really close in age, and I didn’t have that, so I want to do that for River.” Since Brownlee became a mom for the first time, McClelland has been by her pal’s side. After learning about her first pregnancy, she posted a sweet congratulatory message for her longtime friend. “Together forever, words can’t explain this feeling!” McClelland captioned a photo of her hugging Brownlee. “So excited for this next chapter, here for you will buy milk, babysit, but I don’t think I can change a nappy just yet 😂 love you so much.”For the second straight Major League Baseball offseason, a norm-shattering contract has been the talk of the winter, with Juan Soto agreeing with the New York Mets on a $765 million, 15-year deal that's the richest in baseball history. It comes almost exactly one year after the Los Angeles Dodgers forked out a princely sum of $700 million on a 10-year, heavily deferred deal for two-way Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani. They are believed to be the two richest contracts in pro sports history. The way it's going, a contract approaching $1 billion doesn't seem out of the question. But several factors are working against it — at least in the near future. There's reason to believe the megadeals for Ohtani and Soto are unicorns in the baseball world. Both players are uniquely talented, surely, but both also had unusual circumstances propelling their value into the stratosphere. Ohtani is the greatest two-way player in baseball history, capable of improving any team on both sides of the ball. He's also the rare baseball player who has true international appeal. His every move ( like his unexpected marriage announcement ) is followed closely in his native Japan, adding another 125 million potential fans who buy merchandise, watch him play and help fill the Dodgers' coffers. Then there's Soto — a four-time All-Star and on-base machine who won a World Series with the Washington Nationals in 2019. The X-factor for him is he became a free agent at the prime age of 26, which is extremely hard to do under current MLB rules. New York Yankees' Juan Soto, right, with the help of his agent Scott Boras, left, agreed to a $765 million, 15-year deal with the New York Mets on Sunday. Players have to be in the big leagues for six years before testing free agency. The precocious Soto debuted at 19 with the Nats, making him part of a rare group of players who reached the highest level of professional baseball as a teenager. That accelerated his free agency timeline. It's rare for players to debut that young, and rarer still for them to develop into stars and test the open market the first chance they get. Two recent examples are Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, who both reached free agency in 2019. Machado signed a free-agent record $300 million contract with San Diego, and Harper overtook him days later with a $330 million contract to join the Phillies. Most players debut in the big leagues from ages 22 to 26, which means free agency comes in their late 20s or early 30s. A typical example is Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who is one of this generation's great players but didn't hit the market until he was 30. Judge played three seasons of college baseball for Fresno State before getting drafted by the Yankees in 2013 at age 21 — already two years older than Soto was when he made his MLB debut. It took a few years for the budding superstar to reach the majors, and he was 25 when he had his breakout season in 2018, smashing 52 homers to earn AL Rookie of the Year honors. By the time he reached free agency after the 2022 season, he had already passed age 30. It's a major factor that led to him signing a $360 million, nine-year deal with the Yankees, which seems downright reasonable these days after the Ohtani and Soto deals. Two major trends are colliding that will make it harder for guys like Soto to hit free agency in their mid 20s. First, MLB teams have been more likely in recent years to take college players early in the draft, betting on more experienced talents. Just 10 high school players were drafted among the top 30 picks in the 2024 draft. Second, teams are more eager to lock up young, premium talent on long-term deals very early in their careers, well before they hit free agency. Sometimes before they even reach the majors. Juan Soto's deal comes almost exactly one year after the Los Angeles Dodgers forked out a princely sum of $700 million on a 10-year, heavily deferred deal for two-way Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani. Since Soto, just two players have debuted in MLB before their 20th birthday — Elvis Luciano and Junior Caminero. Luciano hasn't been back to the majors since his 2019 cup of coffee. Caminero is now 21 and has only played in 50 big league games. Among those that debuted at 20: Fernando Tatis Jr. signed a $340 million, 14-year deal with San Diego in 2021, years before reaching the open market. Milwaukee's Jackson Chourio got an $82 million, eight-year deal before even reaching the big leagues. Young stars Corbin Carroll ($111 million, eight years with Arizona), Bobby Witt Jr. ($288 million, 11 years with Kansas City) and Julio Rodriguez ($209.3 million, 12 years with Seattle) also got massive guarantees early in their 20s to forgo an early free agency. The exception and wild card: Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be a 26-year-old free agent next offseason. Guerrero hasn't been as consistent in his young career as Soto, but a standout 2025 season could position him to threaten Soto's deal. More likely is that the player to pass Soto isn't in the majors yet — and might not even be in pro baseball. When 25-year-old Alex Rodriguez signed his record $252 million, 10-year deal with Texas in 2001, it took over a decade for another player to match that total, when Albert Pujols got $240 million over 10 years from the Angels in 2012. For many players, passing up life-changing money in their early or mid 20s is too enticing, even if it means that they might not maximize their value on the free agent market later in their careers. Soto was determined to test the market. He famously turned down a $440 million, 15-year offer to stay with the Washington Nationals in 2022, betting that he could make even more as a free agent. Not many players would turn down that kind of cash. Then again, that's what makes Soto so unique. And it's also why his $765 million deal could be the industry standard for some time. Stiliana Nikolova, of Bulgaria performs in the rhythmic gymnastics individuals all-round qualification round, at La Chapelle Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Cincinnati Reds' Jonathan India reacts as he collides with San Diego Padres catcher Luis Campusano during the second inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 21, 2024, in Cincinnati. India was safe and Campusano was charged with an error. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Kimberley Woods of Britain competes in the women's kayak cross time trial at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Vaires-sur-Marne, France. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Mike Tyson, left, fights Jake Paul during their heavyweight boxing match, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus plays a forehand return to Coco Gauff of the U.S. during their semifinal match at the Australian Open tennis championships at Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte) Noah Lyles, of the United States, jumps as he limbers-up ahead of the men's 100-meters final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Nanterre, France. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) A member of the Seattle Mariners tosses a ball against a wall during drills at spring training baseball workouts, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, in Peoria, Ariz. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Rebecca Sramkova of Slovakia waits to receive serve during her first round match against Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Monday, July 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Czech Republic's Jiri Beran, left, competes with France's Yannik Borel in the men's team epee bronze final match during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) France's Adrien Truffert jumps over Argentina's goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli during a quarterfinal soccer match between France and Argentina, at Bordeaux Stadium, during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Bordeaux, France. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) Fans interfere with a foul ball caught by Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts during the first inning in Game 4 of the baseball World Series against the New York Yankees, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) Italy's Sara Curtis splashes her face with water before a women's 50-meter freestyle semifinal at the Summer Olympics in Nanterre, France, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) Ivory Coast 's Seko Fofana, top, duels for the ball with Nigeria's Victor Osimhen during the African Cup of Nations final soccer match between Nigeria and Ivory Coast, at the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpe in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba) Costa Rica midfielder Jefferson Brenes, from left, Alvaro Zamora (21), Francisco Calvo (15) and Joseph Mora (8) are pelted with drinks and trash after celebrating a Brenes goal in the second half of a CONCACAF Nations League Play-In soccer match against Honduras, Saturday, March 23, 2024, in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Gabrielle Thomas, of the United States, celebrates winning the gold medal in the women's 200 meters final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) Tyrrell Hatton, of England, reacts on the 11th hole during a practice round in preparation for the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club Wednesday, April 10, 2024, in Augusta, GA. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) Quincy Hall, of the United States, celebrates after winning the men's 400-meter final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Tim Tszyu, of Australia, hits Sebastian Fundora in a super welterweight title bout Saturday, March 30, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers takes the field prior to an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) Workers peep through curtains to watch a match between France's Gael Monfils and Russia's Daniil Medvedev during the China Open tennis tournament held at the National Tennis Center in Beijing, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Amy Yang, of South Korea, is doused after winning the Women's PGA Championship golf tournament at Sahalee Country Club, Sunday, June 23, 2024, in Sammamish, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Workers remove snow from Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday Jan. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/ Jeffrey T. Barnes) United States' Mikaela Shiffrin speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom, in Gurgl, Austria, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti) Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, left, scores his side's second goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Almeria at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue ) Czech Republic's Michal Kempny, right, punches United States' Brady Tkachuk during the quarterfinal match between Czech Republic and United States at the Ice Hockey World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, May 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) Turkey's Taha Akgul, left, competes with Georgia's Geno Petriashvili in a men's freestyle 125 kg category gold medal wrestling match during the European Wrestling Championships, in Bucharest, Romania, Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith cries after winning the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. The Chiefs won 25-22. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Carles Coll Marti of Spain competes in the men's 200-meter breaststroke heat at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) shoots between New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III and guard CJ McCollum in the second half of an NBA basketball play-in tournament game Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in New Orleans. The Lakers won 110-106. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) A man in a monk's robe waves the French flag as the peloton passes during the sixth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 163.5 kilometers (101.6 miles) with start in Macon and finish in Dijon, France, Thursday, July 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole) Belgium's Jeremy Doku, left, challenges for the ball with Romania's Andrei Ratiu during a Group E match between Belgium and Romania at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Cologne, Germany, Saturday, June 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) A spectator walks through a water mist sprayer on her way to Eiffel Tower Stadium to watch a beach volleyball at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Gabriel Medina, of Brazil, kicks off of a wave as he warms up prior to the quarterfinals round of the 2024 Summer Olympics surfing competition, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Teahupo'o, Tahiti. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) Rebeca Andrade, of Brazil, is reflected on a surface as she performs on the balance beam during the women's artistic gymnastics all-around finals in Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Wyndham Clark waits to hit on the 17th hole during the first round at the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club Thursday, April 11, 2024, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Kolkata Knight Riders' wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz dives to make an unsuccessful attempt to run out Sunrisers Hyderabad's Abhishek Sharma during the Indian Premier League cricket final match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai, India, Sunday, May 26, 2024.(AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.) Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car during the qualifying session of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, in Singapore, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian) Serbia's Novak Djokovic embraces his daughter Tara after defeating Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in the men's singles tennis final at the Roland Garros stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Spain's Dani Olmo clears the ball from the goal line during the final match between Spain and England at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, July 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) A fleet of boats compete in the mixed multihull sailing race during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole) A horse watches from its stable ahead of the 156th running of the Belmont Stakes horse race at Saratoga Race Course, Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) Silver medalist Simone Biles, of the United States, left, and bronze medalist Jordan Chiles, of the United States, right, bow to gold medalist Rebeca Andrade, of Brazil, during the medal ceremony for the women's artistic gymnastics individual floor finals at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Denver celebrates after winning the championship game against Boston College in the Frozen Four NCAA college hockey tournament Saturday, April 13, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. Denver won 2-0 to win the national championship. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Washington safety Kamren Fabiculanan (13) and cornerback Elijah Jackson (25) break up a pass to Eastern Michigan wide receiver Terry Lockett Jr. (3) in the end zone during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Seattle. Washington won 30-9. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Milwaukee Bucks' AJ Johnson, right, goes up for a shot against Philadelphia 76ers' Jared McCain, center, and Adem Bona during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Elise Mertens, of Belgium, serves against Naomi Osaka, of Japan, at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Monday, March 11, 2024, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Italy's Giovanni Tocci competes in the men's 3m springboard diving preliminary at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani breaks his bat during the first inning of the team's baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Wearing a device that measures his energy consumption, the Israel Amputee Football Team player, Ben Maman, left, fights for the ball with a young soccer player from a local team during a practice session in Ramat Gan, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) A soccer fan dressed as Spiderman watches Brazil play Uruguay in a Copa America quarterfinal match on a screen set up for fans on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, July 7, 2024. Brazil lost in a penalty shootout and Uruguay qualified for the semifinals. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) Men dressed in traditional clothes try to pull the opponent over the table at the German Championships in Fingerhakeln or finger wrestling, in Bernbeuren, Germany, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, kicks the ball after double faulting against Jessica Pegula, of the United States, during the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson) Water is sprayed on the pitch as the ball boys and girls walk along the center line before the start of the men's Group A field hockey match between South Africa and Germany at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Colombes, France. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi) Cleveland Browns defensive end Isaiah McGuire (57) reaches for Minnesota Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens (12) during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) Morocco's Widad Bertal celebrates after defeating Thailand's Jutamas Jitpong in their women's 54kg preliminary boxing match at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/John Locher) Brazil's Priscila eyes the ball during a women's semifinal soccer match between Brazil and Spain at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, at Marseille Stadium in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Simone Biles of the United States competes on the balance beam during a women's artistic gymnastics qualification round at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) New Orleans Saints linebacker Willie Gay Jr. signs autographs for a young fan before the start of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga) Real Madrid's players celebrate with the trophy after winning the Champions League final soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid at Wembley stadium in London, Saturday, June 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Mozambique's Deizy Nhaquile battles rough seas during a women's dinghy race, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) People watch the cauldron rise at sunset by the Olympic rings during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) kisses Taylor Swift after the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. The Chiefs won 25-22. (AP Photo/John Locher) A light show is projected from the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) Kateryna Tabashnyk, a high jumper, sits for a portrait Sunday, June 9, 2024, at the athletics arena of the "Polytechnic" sports complex, which was destroyed by a Russian rocket attack, in Kharkiv, Ukraine. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Sent weekly directly to your inbox!Fundraising is already underway for Niagara’s annual Stockings of Love campaign — shopping, stuffing and delivering thousands of filled stockings to seniors living on their own or in long-term care homes. But as the campaign grows bigger, extending into communities outside St. Catharines for the first time, it’s asking Niagara residents for help to achieve its goal of more than 3,000 stockings. “We’re bigger because we’re reaching more people, meaning we need more financial donations and stuffed stockings, we just need more,” said founder Janice Ford-Spencer. “I need donations earlier than later — now — so I can sleep at night.” Ford-Spencer launched the campaign in 2018 with the hopes of putting smiles on faces of seniors in her Port Dalhousie community. She knew support around the holidays was geared towards families and children but saw a void in what was being provided to local seniors. Now, seven years later, there are more seniors living in homes or living on their own who are hungry and society “tends to want to forget them.” “They’re not the ones at the pulse of the conversation when people are sitting around the table talking about the state of affairs that our societies are in. They’re not the main topic,” said Ford-Spencer. “Bottom line, it’s a question of respect and teaching the right lessons to our young.” Each year the fundraiser has doubled its number of stockings and donations, providing more than 2,000 stockings to seniors in 2023. This year, the hope is to surpass 3,000. Stockings are filled with gifts geared to any gender and can include slippers, body lotion, crossword puzzles, playing cards, cosmetic case, scarves, tissue, hand sanitizer, writing pads, herbal teas, snacks and more. A large portion of stockings go to seniors living in long-term care homes, but the campaign also works with local community organizations and churches to identify seniors on their own in need of a gift and some cheering up. “Who’s at home alone, who’s that widow struggling who’s lost their spouse that year and doesn’t have children. These people are also hungry (and) can be alone and not have anyone see them on Christmas, so I find them,” she said. “It’s about honouring them and their lives while they’re still here.” This season Ford-Spencer is hoping to extend the project’s reach beyond St. Catharines. She has a small group set up in Niagara Falls and Grimsby volunteering to help seniors in their area, taking “baby steps,” with the goal to add more communities in the years ahead. “It was rather St. Catharines-based. There would be the odd, outside-the-boundaries, deliveries to recipients ... that’s happening, that’s very exciting,” she said. “The more seniors in the Niagara region we can reach, just the better it is and the happier everyone is.” As a volunteer-driven organization — Ford-Spencer calls volunteers her “elves” who return to fill stockings every year — the campaign is a win-win for every person involved. “The person who wants to make up the stocking loves to do that, remind them of their childhood and who doesn’t love that memory of getting one from Santa, and the recipients and the volunteers ... love coming to the workshop, the headquarters, and stuffing stockings,” she said. “I think that’s one of the reasons why it’s so successful and at the end of the day, it’s helping the people who are usually the forgotten ones.” In addition to collecting $25 pre-stuffed stockings, Ford-Spencer said they are also raising funds to purchase stockings and stuffers for people who cannot get to the drop-off locations. The campaign runs through December 20. For more stocking stuffer ideas or to see a full list of drop-off locations visit the Stockings of Love Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/stockingsoflove.seniorsaloneatchristmas/ Donations are welcome by e-transfer: stockingsoflove1@gmail.com