#jilionline
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Fox attorneys seek to dismiss shareholder lawsuit over reporting of vote rigging allegations in 2020
Canada’s market offers a wealth of opportunities with its strong financial backbone, resource-driven energy sector, and burgeoning technology landscape. Each sector has its unique charm, and diving into them reveals promising investments that cater to different styles of investors. Let’s take a closer look at some standouts that have been grabbing attention recently. Royal Bank The financial sector remains a cornerstone of Canada’s economy, with its banks standing tall on the global stage. Among them, ( ) continues to solidify its position as a leader. Recently, RBC reported an impressive 17.7% jump in adjusted net income for the quarter, reaching a remarkable $4.44 billion. This was fuelled in part by its acquisition of HSBC’s Canadian operations, a strategic move that has brought in nearly 780,000 new clients and significantly bolstered its retail and commercial banking services. Add to this a strong performance in wealth management, where rising fees and improved market conditions have helped drive growth, and RBC stands out as a compelling choice for those seeking steady, long-term returns. Even as it prudently sets aside funds for potential loan defaults, its strong fundamentals and strategic vision point to a bright future. Enbridge Turning to the energy sector, ( ) remains a powerhouse, particularly in a country rich in natural resources. The Canadian stock’s recent guidance for 2025 has caught the attention of many, projecting adjusted core earnings of up to $20 billion. Such confidence is backed by its strategic expansion efforts, including the acquisition of three utilities from Dominion Energy for $14 billion. This deal solidified Enbridge’s position in the gas distribution business, complementing its extensive operations. Plans to invest nearly $7 billion in 2025 underline its growth ambitions, while a 3% dividend increase demonstrates its commitment to rewarding shareholders. With energy demand remaining robust and Enbridge’s ability to innovate and adapt, it’s clear this Canadian stock is poised to deliver both value and growth. Shopify In the technology space, ( ) continues to shine as one of Canada’s most exciting growth stories. As the largest tech company in the country by market capitalization, Shopify has transformed the e-commerce landscape, enabling businesses of all sizes to thrive online. Its platform is now utilized by more than 26,000 customers in over 160 countries, showcasing its global appeal and scalability. Shopify’s journey has been nothing short of remarkable, with exponential growth during the pandemic cementing its status as a leader in tech innovation. While recent earnings specifics may be missing, the Canadian stock’s forward momentum is unmistakable. Shopify’s ability to continually evolve its platform and meet the needs of a dynamic market makes it a standout, especially for investors seeking high-growth potential. Foolish takeaway Investing in Canada isn’t just about finding companies that perform well in the short term. It’s about tapping into a diversified economy that balances with innovation. RBC, Enbridge, and Shopify all highlight how different sectors can cater to various investor needs, whether it’s steady income, capital appreciation, or explosive growth. As the world looks for economic stability, Canada stands out as a safe haven for investment. There’s something here for everyone. Whether you’re drawn to the security of banking, the tangible assets of energy, or the dynamism of technology. RBC, Enbridge, and Shopify exemplify the best that Canada has to offer—each carving out its place in a market full of potential. As always, a thoughtful approach to research and alignment with personal financial goals will help ensure that investments pay off, not just in dollars but in peace of mind.
AP News Summary at 6:54 p.m. ESTHome Franchise Concepts' Leading Window Covering Brand Promotes and Expands Roles for Veteran Team Members to Drive Collaboration, Growth and Innovation IRVINE, Calif. , Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Budget Blinds, a leader in window coverings, today announced significant changes to its executive leadership team, positioning the company for continued success and industry disruption. Effective immediately, the brand has promoted Tracy Christman to Chief Operating Officer; and expanded roles for Amy Campbell to Vice President of Marketing, Product Design & Strategy; and Nicholas (Nick) Petropoulos as Director of Information Technologies. As part of Home Franchise Concepts' family of brands, these executive changes reflect the leading franchise platform's commitment to setting industry standards and laying the groundwork for building exponential future growth opportunities. Home Franchise Concepts, a subsidiary of JM Family Enterprises, places an emphasis on strategic leadership development to continue positioning its brands as industry front-runners. Budget Blinds' restructuring aligns with its strategic vision to become the most revered brand in the window coverings industry, while pursuing its primary objectives of operational excellence and innovative customer experience. "We're on the verge of transformational changes that will redefine Budget Blinds' presence in the industry," said Heather Nykolaychuk , President of Budget Blinds. "Earlier this year, we introduced a new business model for our franchisees to enhance brand reinvestment and elevated our strategic planning process to incorporate input from key stakeholders, including our franchisees, fostering greater buy-in and alignment to our long-range plan. As such, with their combined experience and expertise, we are confident that as Tracy, Amy and Nick take on their new or expanding roles, they will ignite our bold new direction, benefiting our associates, franchisees, vendor partners and customers." Additional details on Budget Blinds' leaders and their expanded roles are outlined below: These organizational changes, coupled with the brand's proactive engagement of key stakeholders, position Budget Blinds for improved performance and sustainable growth. The brand is confident that this new structure will foster collaboration and drive innovation, ensuring Budget Blinds remains the leader in window coverings while Home Franchise Concepts continues to reinvest in the brand for future growth. Budget Blinds looks forward to providing enhanced franchisee support, more efficient operations and the development of products and services that truly resonate with our consumers. "We strive to be regarded with deep respect and admiration by all who work and partner with us, through championing high-standards of child-safety, product quality and exceptional experiences rooted in trust and brand reputation," continued Nykolaychuk. "We're excited for the bright future we have ahead, and look forward to the lasting impact Tracy, Amy and Nick will bestow on the Budget Blinds legacy." With Budget Blinds contributing to the success of Home Franchise Concepts, the parent company plans to execute even more innovative strategies and remain ambitious in implementing new tactics to generate additional awareness and support for its family of brands. With new shifts in leadership, Home Franchise Concepts is focused on ongoing operational and technology improvements and is dedicated to enhancing the support for its family of brands. To learn more about Home Franchise Concepts and franchise development opportunities, visit homefranchiseconcepts.com . For more information specific to Budget Blinds, please visit budgetblinds.com . About Budget Blinds Budget Blinds ® is the largest window covering franchise in North America, offering custom blinds, shutters, shades, drapery, and more for residential and commercial consumers in more than 10,000 communities in the U.S. and Canada. Budget Blinds' over 900 business owners, and 1,500 locations, have dressed more than 25 million windows since the brand's founding in 1992. Budget Blinds is part of the Home Franchise Concepts family of home improvement goods and services brands. About Home Franchise Concepts Home Franchise Concepts® , is one of the world's largest franchising systems in the home improvement goods and services space, among the world's largest franchise businesses and a recognized leader in franchisee-franchisor relationships. Home Franchise Concepts' brands including AdvantaClean® , Aussie Pet Mobile®, Bath Tune-Up® , Budget Blinds® , Concrete Craft® , Kitchen Tune-Up®, Lightspeed RestorationTM , PremierGarage® , The Tailored Closet®, and Two Maids® are supported by more than 2,600 franchise territories in the U.S., and Canada . For information on franchise opportunities, please visit http://homefranchiseconcepts.com/ . About JM Family Enterprises JM Family Enterprises, Inc. was founded by automotive legend, Jim Moran in 1968. It is a privately held company with more than $20 billion in revenue and more than 5,000 associates. Rooted in automotive and united in its strong culture and core values, JM Family is in the business of helping other businesses succeed. As a long-term partner, it is invested in its companies, associates and its communities. Driven by exceptional performance, current subsidiaries are in the automotive, financial services, franchising and specialty distribution industries. Its family of companies includes: Southeast Toyota Distributors , JM&A Group , World Omni Financial Corp. (dba Southeast Toyota Finance ), JM Lexus , Home Franchise Concepts ®, Futura Title & Escrow and Rollease Acmeda . Interact with JM Family on Facebook , Instagram and LinkedIn . Contact: Margo Williams mwilliams@fish-consulting.com View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/budget-blinds-announces-strategic-changes-to-executive-leadership-team-302324283.html SOURCE Home Franchise Concepts
NASSAU, Bahamas — Justin Thomas was long off the tee and made a few long putts on the back nine to overtake Scottie Scheffler with a 6-under 66 and build a one-shot lead Saturday over golf's best player going into the final round of the Hero World Challenge. Thomas is trying out a 46-inch driver — a little more than an inch longer than normal — that he previously used for practice at home to gain speed and length. He blasted a 361-yard drive to 8 feet on the par-4 seventh hole and led the field in driving distance. But it was a few long putts that put him ahead of Scheffler, who had a 69. Thomas was on the verge of falling two shots behind when he made an 18-foot par putt on the par-3 12th hole. On the reachable par-4 14th, he was in a nasty spot in a sandy area and could only splash it out to nearly 50 feet. He made that one for a most unlikely birdie, while behind him Scheffler muffed a chip on the 13th hole and made his lone bogey of a windy day. Scheffler never caught up to him, missing birdie chances on the reachable 14th and the par-5 15th. Thomas hit his approach to 3 feet for birdie on the 16th after a 343-yard drive. Scheffler made an 18-foot birdie putt on the 16th to close within one. Scheffler missed birdie chances on the last two holes from the 10-foot and 15-foot range, while Thomas missed an 8-foot birdie attempt at the last. “I had a stretch at 13, 14, 15 where I felt like I lost a shot or two there, but outside of that I did a lot of really good things today,” Scheffler said. Thomas hasn't won since the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills, and a victory at Albany Golf Club wouldn't count as an official win. But the two-time major champion has made steady progress toward getting his game back in order. “I'm driving it great. I've had a lot of confidence with it,” Thomas said of his longer driver. “I feel like I've been able to put myself in some pretty good spots going into the green. I’m still not taking advantage of some of them as much as I would like, but that’s golf and we're always going to say that.” Thomas was at 17-under 199 and will be in the final group Sunday with Scheffler, who is trying to end his spectacular season with a ninth title. Tom Kim put himself in the mix, which he might not have imagined Thursday when he was 3 over through six holes of the holiday tournament. Kim got back in the game with a 65 on Friday, and then followed with 12 birdies for a 62. He had a shot at the course record — Rickie Fowler shot 61 in the final round when he won at Albany in 2017 — until Kim found a bunker and took two shots to reach the green in making a double bogey on the par-3 17th. Even so, he was only two shots behind. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley (68) was four back. “Feel like I’ve been seeing signs of improvement, which is what you want and that’s all I can do,” Thomas said. “I can’t control everybody else or what’s going on, I’ve just got to keep playing as good as I possibly can and hope that it’s enough come Sunday.”None
NEW YORK, Dec. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gainey McKenna & Egleston announces that a securities class action lawsuit has been filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on behalf of all persons or entities who purchased or otherwise acquired Customers Bancorp, Inc. ("Customers Bancorp" or the "Company") CUBI securities between March 1, 2024 and August 8, 2024, inclusive (the "Class Period"). The lawsuit seeks to recover damages for the Company's investors under the federal securities laws. The Complaint alleges that Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Customers Bancorp had inadequate anti-money laundering practices; and (2) as a result, Customers Bancorp was not in compliance with its legal obligations, which subjected Customers Bancorp to heightened regulatory risk. The Complaint further alleges that on April 12, 2024, Customers Bancorp announced that CFO, defendant Carla A. Leibold, had been fired for "cause" for violating Customers Bancorp policy. On this news, the price of Customers Bancorp stock fell nearly 5%. Customers Bancorp subsequently disclosed that Ms. Leibold's termination was a "separation by mutual agreement." Then, on August 8, 2024, during market hours, the Federal Reserve issued a press release entitled "Federal Reserve Board issues enforcement action with Customers Bancorp, Inc. and Customers Bank," which attached a written agreement between Customers Bancorp and the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia stating that the Federal Reserve "identified significant deficiencies related to the Bank's risk management practices and compliance with the applicable laws, rules, and regulations relating to anti-money laundering (‘AML'), including the Bank Secrecy Act." On this news, the price of Customers Bancorp stock fell more than 15%. Finally, the Complaint alleges that on August 8, 2024, after market hours, Customers Bancorp disclosed a consent order by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Banking and Securities, Bureau of Bank Supervision, relating "principally to aspects of compliance risk management, including risk management practices governing digital asset-related services; oversight by the Board of Directors of Customers Bancorp and the Bank; compliance with anti-money laundering regulations under the Bank Secrecy Act; and compliance with the regulations of the Office of Foreign Assets Control," and further stating that "these deficiencies give the Bureau reason to believe that the Bank had engaged in unsafe or unsound banking practices relating to BSA/AML Requirements." On this news, the price of Customers Bancorp stock fell further. Investors who purchased or otherwise acquired shares of Customers Bancorp should contact the Firm prior to the January 31, 2025 lead plaintiff motion deadline. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. If you wish to discuss your rights or interests regarding this class action, please contact Thomas J. McKenna, Esq. or Gregory M. Egleston, Esq. of Gainey McKenna & Egleston at (212) 983-1300, or via e-mail at tjmckenna@gme-law.com or gegleston@gme-law.com . Please visit our website at http://www.gme-law.com for more information about the firm. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.By SHAWN CHEN NEW YORK (AP) — It’s time for the holidays, which means robust family conversations and seemingly never-ending courses of food. But for the more tech-savvy among us, the journey home could also mean we’ll be called on to provide a backlog of tech support to parents, grandparents and other family members. And with generative AI being used to supercharge some major cyber scams this year, it’s also a good time to teach and not just fix. Here are some tips on how to manage your tech encounters this holiday season : Set devices up for automatic updates Whether it’s Windows , macOS , iOS or Android , simply keeping your operating system and apps up-to-date will help protect your family’s computers and devices against a surprising number of security threats, such as malware, viruses and exploits. Most operating systems, especially those for mobile devices and their app stores, typically have auto-updates turned on by default. Be sure to double-check the device to make sure it has enough storage space to carry out the update. (More on this below.) Keeping apps updated may also reduce the number of “Why isn’t this app working?” type of questions from your relatives. Freeing up storage space Chances are someone in your family is going to have a completely full mobile device. So full, in fact, that they can no longer update their phone or tablet without having to purge something first. There are many approaches to freeing up space. Here are a few you can easily take without having to triage data or apps. — Use the cloud to back up media: iPhone users can free up space occupied by songs and pictures by storing them on iCloud . Android users can use the Google Photos app to back up and store their photos on their user space. — Clear browsing data: Each major browser has an option to clear its data cache — cookies, search and download histories, autofill forms, site settings, sign-in data and so on. Over time, these bits take up a significant amount of storage space on mobile devices and home computers. So cleaning caches out periodically helps free up space and, in some cases, improves system performance. What’s my password? According to some admittedly unscientific studies, the average person has hundreds of passwords. That’s a lot to remember. So as you help your relatives reset some of theirs, you may be tempted to recycle some to keep things simple for them. But that’s one of the bad password habits that cybersecurity experts warn against. Instead, try introducing your forgetful family member to a password manager . They’re useful tools for simplifying and keeping track of logins. And if you want to impress a more tech-savvy cousin or auntie, you could suggest switching to a more secure digital authentication method: passkeys . Educate your loved ones about the latest scams As scammers find new ways to steal money and personal information, you and your family should be more vigilant about who to trust. Artificial intelligence and other technologies are giving bad actors craftier tools to work with online. Related Articles National News | The next census will gather more racial, ethnic information National News | As data centers proliferate, conflict with local communities follows National News | NASA’s stuck astronauts hit 6 months in space. Just 2 more to go National News | GivingTuesday estimates $3.6B was donated this year, an increase from 2023 National News | Digging resumes in the search for a woman in a Pennsylvania sinkhole A quick way to remember what to do when you think you’re getting scammed is to think about the three S’s, said Alissa Abdullah, also known as Dr. Jay, Mastercard’s deputy chief security officer “Stay suspicious, stop for a second (and think about it) and stay protected,” she said. Simply being aware of typical scams can help, experts say. Robocalls frequently target vulnerable individuals like seniors, people with disabilities, and people with debt. So-called romance scams target lonely and isolated individuals. Quiz scams target those who spend a lot of time on social media. Check our AP guide on the latest scams and what to do when you’re victimized. How fast is their WiFi? Home internet speeds are getting faster, so you want to make sure your family members are getting a high-speed connection if they’ve paid for one. Run a broadband speed test on your home network if they’re still rocking an aging modem and router.France’s winning streak continues — but New York City is creepin’. Paris, France, is on a roll, keeping the No. 1 spot as the best city in the world, according to Euromonitor International’s Top 100 City Destinations ranking. And it’s perhaps no surprise that NYC landed in the top spot for American cities in the world but No. 6 overall. The city that never sleeps moved up a few slots compared to 2022 when it landed at No. 10. The London-based market research company cited Paris for its “unmatched global dominance in 2024,” most notably due to tourism from “a wide array of sporting events it hosted throughout the year, including the Summer Olympic Games.” Following Paris’ high rating comes Madrid (2), Tokyo (3), Rome (4) and Milan (5). But the opposite end kicks off with Cairo in 100th place, followed by Chinese city Zhuhai in 99th and Jerusalem in 98th. Only eight other US cities made the list besides NYC, including Los Angeles (18), Las Vegas (23), Orlando (33), Miami (33) and San Francisco (36). Euromonitor International determines a city’s ranking by analyzing economic and business performance, tourism performance, tourism infrastructure, tourism policy and attractiveness, health and safety, and sustainability. The 2024 report also revealed that global international arrivals had increased by 19%, “which was driven by strong tourism demand.” Out of all the continents, Europe is the most popular region for travelers, reaching a whopping 793 million international visitors within the year. However, the city most visited by international arrivals is Bangkok with 32 million. “The city surpassed pre-pandemic level of international tourism flows in 2023 and continued dynamic growth of over 30% in 2024,” Euromonitor International said. Other destinations that experienced high international arrivals include Istanbul (2) with a 14% increase, London (3) with a 7% uptick, Hong Kong (4) with a 19% jump and Mecca (5) with a 20% bump. “Despite positive recovery projections, challenges like labor shortages, geopolitical tensions and a sluggish economy will persist, limiting city growth,” said Nadejda Popova, global head of loyalty at Euromonitor International. She explained how less traveled destinations expect a rise in popularity because travelers seek locations with hidden gems that are not oversaturated with tourism. “Consumers will prioritize culturally enriching, personalized experiences, making them the new travel currency,” Popova added. THE WORLD’S TOP 100 CITIES 2024 1. Paris 2. Madrid 3. Tokyo 4. Rome 5. Milan 6. New York 7. Amsterdam 8. Sydney 9. Singapore 10. Barcelona 11. Taipei 12. Seoul 13. London 14. Dubai 15. Berlin 16. Osaka 17. Bangkok 18. Los Angeles 19. Istanbul 20. Melbourne 21. Hong Kong 22. Munich 23. Las Vegas 24. Florence 25. Prague 26. Dublin 27. Kyoto 28. Vienna 29. Lisbon 30. Venice 31. Kuala Lumpur 32. Athens 33. Orlando 34. Toronto 35. Miami 36. San Francisco 37. Shanghai 38. Frankfurt am Main 39. Copenhagen 40. Zurich 41. Washington 42. Pattaya-Chonburi 43. Vancouver 44. Stockholm 45. Mexico City 46. Oslo 47. São Paulo 48. Phuket 49. Helsinki 50. Brussels 51. Budapest 52. Guangzhou 53. Nice 54. Palma de Mallorca 55. Honolulu 56. Beijing 57. Warsaw 58. Seville 59. Valencia 60. Shenzhen 61. Doha 62. Abu Dhabi 63. Antalya 64. Fukuoka 65. Sapporo 66. Busan 67. Macau 68. Edinburgh 69. Montreal 70. Cancún 71. Bologna 72. Rhodes 73. Verona 74. Delhi 75. Porto 76. Ho Chi Minh City 77. Buenos Aires 78. Marne-La-Vallée 79. Rio de Janeiro 80. Kraków 81. Heraklion 82. Johor Bahru 83. Hanoi 84. Tel Aviv 85. Sharjah 86. Thessaloniki 87. Lima 88. Medina 89. Tbilisi 90. Riyadh 91. Tallinn 92. Marrakech 93. Mecca 94. Denpasar 95. Punta Cana 96. Santiago 97. Vilnius 98. Jerusalem 99. Zhuhai 100. Cairo Originally published as World’s best cities list for 2024 shows Sydney at number eight spot, as Melbourne sits at 20Stocks closed higher on Wall Street, giving the market its fifth gain in a row and notching another record high for the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The S&P 500 rose 0.3% Friday. The Dow added 1%, and the Nasdaq composite tacked on 0.2%. Retailers had some of the biggest gains. Gap soared after reporting quarterly results that easily beat analysts’ estimates. EchoStar fell after DirecTV called off its purchase of that company’s Dish Network unit. European markets closed mostly higher and Asian markets ended mixed. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. Crude oil prices gained ground. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. Stocks rose on Wall Street in afternoon trading Friday, keeping the market on track for its fifth straight gain. The S&P 500 was up 0.2% and was solidly on track for a weekly gain that will erase most of last week's loss. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 333 points, or 0.8%, and the Nasdaq composite was essentially flat with a gain of less than 0.1% as of 3:07 p.m. Eastern. Markets have been volatile over the last few weeks, losing ground in the runup to elections in November, then surging following Donald Trump's victory, before falling again. The S&P 500 has been steadily rising throughout this week to within close range of its record. “Overall, market behavior has normalized following an intense few weeks,” said Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide, in a statement. Several retailers jumped after giving Wall Street encouraging financial updates. Gap soared 10.8% after handily beating analysts' third-quarter earnings and revenue expectations, while raising its own revenue forecast for the year. Discount retailer Ross Stores rose 1.5% after raising its earnings forecast for the year. EchoStar fell 2.4% after DirecTV called off its purchase of that company's Dish Network unit. Smaller company stocks had some of the biggest gains. The Russell 2000 index rose 1.8%. A majority of stocks in the S&P 500 were gaining ground, but those gains were kept in check by slumps for several big technology companies. Nvidia fell 3.3%. Its pricey valuation makes it among the heaviest influences on whether the broader market gains or loses ground. The company has grown into a nearly $3.6 trillion behemoth because of demand for its chips used in artificial-intelligence technology. Intuit, which makes TurboTax and other accounting software, fell 5.6%. It gave investors a quarterly earnings forecast that fell short of analysts’ expectations. Facebook owner Meta Platforms fell 0.8% following a decision by the Supreme Court to allow a multibillion-dollar class action investors’ lawsuit to proceed against the company. It stems from the privacy scandal involving the Cambridge Analytica political consulting firm. European markets closed mostly higher and Asian markets ended mixed. Crude oil prices rose. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.41% from 4.42% late Thursday. In the crypto market, Bitcoin hovered around $99,000, according to CoinDesk. It has more than doubled this year and first surpassed the $99,000 level on Thursday. Retailers remained a big focus for investors this week amid close scrutiny on consumer spending habits headed into the holiday shopping season. Walmart, the nation's largest retailer, reported a quarter of strong sales and gave investors an encouraging financial forecast. Target, though, reported weaker earnings than analysts' expected and its forecast disappointed Wall Street. Consumer spending has fueled economic growth, despite a persistent squeeze from inflation and high borrowing costs. Inflation has been easing and the Federal Reserve has started trimming its benchmark interest rates. That is likely to help relieve pressure on consumers, but any major shift in spending could prompt the Fed to reassess its path ahead on interest rates. Also, any big reversals on the rate of inflation could curtail spending. Consumer sentiment remains strong, according to the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index. It revised its latest figure for November to 71.8 from an initial reading of 73 earlier this month, though economists expected a slight increase. It's still up from 70.5 in October. The survey also showed that consumers' inflation expectations for the year ahead fell slightly to 2.6%, which is the lowest reading since December of 2020. Wall Street will get another update on how consumers feel when the business group The Conference Board releases its monthly consumer confidence survey on Tuesday. A key inflation update will come on Wednesday when the U.S. releases its October personal consumption expenditures index. The PCE is the Fed's preferred measure of inflation and this will be the last PCE reading prior to the central bank's meeting in December. Damian J. Troise And Alex Veiga, The Associated Press
Costco has announced it will stop selling books at most of its locations across the U.S. starting next year. The company said books will only return during holiday seasons, and intermittently outside of that. Costco said the change is being made because stocking books on tables is labor-intensive and must be done by hand. It also comes as more consumers buy their books from Amazon instead of brick-and-mortar stores. According to a survey by Statista Consumer Insights published earlier this year, 71% of people said they purchased a book from the online retailer rather than Barnes and Noble, Target or Costco.
We’re all trying to save money this Christmas and cutting back on rising energy costs is one of the biggest ways to take back financial control. While we don’t want to deprive ourselves of Christmas cheer, the addition of festive lighting throughout our home is inevitably going to have an impact on our electricity bills. As it happens, you can dramatically reduce the added energy cost of Christmas, by simply opting for more efficient tree lighting. Read more: Parents issued warning over gifting e-scooters, scramblers and quad bikes to kids this Christmas Read more: Urgent recall issued on popular baby product due to choking hazard It turns out, using modern LED lights is the way to go, and will save you a fortune in comparison to older filament fairy lights. In addition, it’s crucial this year that households pay attention to how many hours per day they have their tree switched on. Using more energy efficient lights means you could only end up spending €1.10 for the entire festive season according to Paula Boston, visual merchandiser at retailer Festive Lights. “With rising electricity prices, it’s only natural to wonder if fairy lights, as pretty as they are, are going to cost you a small fortune. The answer, thankfully, is a resounding no,” she said. "Modern Christmas lights use LEDs rather than filament bulbs which are less energy efficient. “Plus, as they are designed to be decorative rather than offer practical lighting, they do tend to use relatively little electricity." That research was backed up by Martin Desmon of Wizer Energy who said people should be paying particular attention to the Christmas decorations being used by older generations, as they could be paying far more than necessary. "Rising energy costs are probably the biggest concern for people at the moment, myself included," said Martin. "Thankfully technology has come on leaps and bounds, LED bulbs are far more durable and energy efficient than the old incandescent bulbs, meaning there's no fear of racking up a sky-high bill come January"
Wind energy company seeks deal with Village of Valemount
