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“This is a phenomenal moment for North Carolina and for North Carolinians,” state Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kody Kinsley said in an interview. “All that adds up to just the peace of mind, knowing that when they need health care, it’s not going to drive them into debt.”Democratic Gov. They warmed to the idea in 2022, when the federal government offered a $1.8 billion bonus over two years if North Carolina signed on. It stipulates that North Carolina hospitals cover the state’s 10% share of expenses through increased assessments that began in November, DHHS said. Much of western North Carolina exists in the Medicaid coverage gap, “and its citizens are absolutely left behind,” McBane said.

Persons: Carrie McBane, McBane, Kody Kinsley, it’s, Roy Cooper, weren’t, Cooper, DHHS, ” McBane, Kinsley, “, ” Organizations: North Carolina, Medicaid, of Columbia, Republican, National Center for Health Statistics, of Health, Human Services, ” Democratic Gov, General Assembly Locations: RALEIGH, N.C, North Carolina, Sylva, Raleigh, South, Midwest, ”, Carolina

☆ Crypto ally Rep. Patrick McHenry fights for industry-backed regulation bill
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Emily Wilkins | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON — One of crypto's most powerful allies in Congress is fighting this week to make sure that an industry-backed regulation bill gets tacked on to the must-pass defense funding legislation. If he is successful, Rep. Patrick McHenry's (R-N.C.) hardball tactics could hand the cryptocurrency industry a big win. The bill is intended to clarify how crypto is regulated by federal agencies. But McHenry's bill has never been put to a vote in the full House, let alone in the Senate. Instead, McHenry, who chairs the Financial Services Committee, is pushing to attach his bill to the massive annual Pentagon funding measure the National Defense Authorization Act.

Persons: Patrick McHenry, Patrick McHenry's, McHenry Organizations: Chamber, WASHINGTON —, Financial Services, Defense, Congressional Locations: Washington ,

This year, 59% retailers offer so-called "returnless" or "keep it" policies for unwanted products whose returns costs exceed their value, according to returns services firm goTRG, which surveyed 500 executives at 21 major retailers, including Walmart (WMT.N) and Amazon.com (AMZN.O). That information is "not something that retailers want out there" due to worries the policies could be abused by shoppers, he said. The firm helps retailers manage returns, which typically rise after pre-Christmas sales like Black Friday and Cyber Monday and continue beyond Christmas. The typical return costs retailers about $30. "You just can't afford to ignore it," she said of returns costs.

Persons: Shannon Stapleton, Sender Shamiss, Shamiss, Amena Ali, Ali, Gabrielle Richards, Pamela Peters, Peters, Lisa Baertlein, Arriana McLymore, Siddharth Cavale, Nick Zieminski Organizations: REUTERS, ANGELES, Black, Walmart, Super Bowl, Reuters, eBay, Appriss Retail, National Retail Federation, Amazon.com, Thomson Locations: Macy’s, Roosevelt, Garden City , New York, U.S, Los Angeles, New York

☆ Tech companies to sign agreement with UK government to tackle online fraud
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Eleven of the world's biggest tech companies, including Amazon.com (AMZN.O), Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Google and Microsoft (MSFT.O), will sign an agreement with the British government on Thursday to step up their efforts to tackle online fraud, the interior ministry said. Under the "Online Fraud Charter," due to be signed at a meeting chaired by Interior Minister James Cleverly in London, the companies pledge to take further action to block and remove fraudulent content from their sites, the government said. "Fraud is now the most common crime in the UK, with online scammers targeting the most vulnerable in society," British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement. "By joining forces with these tech giants we will continue to crack down on fraudsters, making sure they have nowhere to hide online." The British government says fraud accounts for around 40% of all crime in England and Wales, with data from industry body UK Finance showing almost 80% of all authorised push payment fraud originates online.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, James, ByteDance's, Rishi Sunak, Kylie MacLellan, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Google, Microsoft, Interior, eBay, Facebook, YouTube, Finance, Thomson Locations: London, England, Wales

Shein has not determined the size of its offering or the valuation at IPO, the sources said. Shein, Goldman and JPMorgan declined to comment, while Morgan Stanley did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The most valuable China-founded enterprise to go public in the United States so far is ride-hailing giant Didi Global's (92Sy.MU) debut in 2021 at $68 billion valuation. In 2021, the comparable number was $300 billion when the IPO market was close to its peak. Fast fashion retailers have been gaining popularity in the United States, with Shein taking away market share from the likes of Gap (GPS.N) as shoppers look for fresher styles.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Shein, Goldman, Didi Global's, Jason Benowitz, David, Dee, Delgado, CSRC, Simon Property, Sumeet Singh, It's, Pritam Biswas, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Kane Wu, Anirban Sen, Rishabh, Scott Murdoch, Miyoung Kim, Stephen Coates Organizations: Amazon, JPMorgan, Bloomberg, Arm Holdings, Roosevelt, REUTERS, China Securities Regulatory Commission, U.S, Reuters, Securities and Exchange Commission, SPARC Group, Forever, Brands, Simon, Aequitas Research, China's Shanghai Securities, Street, Thomson Locations: United States, China, U.S, Singapore, New York City, Shein, Bengaluru, Hong Kong, New York, Sydney

☆ How China's Shein became a fast-fashion giant
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A Shein logo is pictured at the company's office in the central business district of Singapore, October 18, 2022. REUTERS/Chen Lin/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 28 (Reuters) - China-founded fashion company Shein has confidentially filed to go public in the United States, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday. Shein says the approach has helped it consistently achieve average unsold inventory rates in the low single digits. At that valuation, Shein would still trail Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing's (9983.T) $80 billion valuation and Zara owner Inditex's (ITX.MC) $126 billion. Shein moved its headquarters to Singapore from Nanjing, capital of China's eastern Jiangsu province, around late 2021, a shift that analysts said helps the firm circumvent China's tough new rules on overseas listings.

Persons: Chen Lin, Shein, Chris Xu, PDD, Inditex's, Miyoung Kim, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, WHO, Shein, Walmart, Thomson Locations: Singapore, China, United States, Europe, Asia, U.S, Swedish, Zara, Nanjing, China's, Jiangsu

☆ Cessna-maker Textron to cut 725 jobs as part of restructuring plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Cessna employee Dwight Bennett works inside of a jet during a tour of the Cessna business jet assembly line at their manufacturing plant in Wichita, Kansas August 14, 2012. REUTERS/Jeff Tuttle/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 28 (Reuters) - Business jet maker Textron (TXT.N) said on Tuesday it would cut 725 jobs as part of its restructuring plan in an attempt to reduce operating expenses, sending its shares up more than 2% after the bell. The restructuring, which is likely to be completed in the first half of 2024, is expected to save nearly $75 million annually, Textron said. Textron's plan would result in a pre-tax special charge of $115 million to $135 million in the fourth quarter. The parent of Cessna business jets said charges related to restructuring and impairment would not impact its full-year financial outlook.

Persons: Dwight Bennett, Jeff Tuttle, Goldman Sachs, Abhinav Parmar, Arun Koyyur Organizations: Cessna, REUTERS, Textron, Bell, Textron Systems, Major U.S, Amazon.com, Wall, Thomson Locations: Wichita , Kansas, Major, Bengaluru

Spending online on Cyber Monday is set to reach as much as $12.4 billion, according to Adobe Digital Insights, which tracks data through Adobe's Experience Cloud service for e-commerce platforms. Last-minute shoppers on Monday could spend $4 billion between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. EST alone, it said. Other firms use different measurements to gauge purchases on Cyber Monday, the biggest online shopping day of the year in the United States. Salesforce, which tracks data flowing through its Commerce Cloud e-commerce service, said online sales on Cyber Monday were up by 4% by 4 p.m. EST, hitting $7 billion by late afternoon. Walmart, eager to capture market share, slashed prices on Sunday night, joining the trend of retailers' early discounts on major shopping days.

Persons: Salesforce, Eduardo Munoz, Brian Yacktman, Charles Sizemore, Sizemore, Siddharth Cavale, Deborah Sophia, Aishwarya Venogupal, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, David Gregorio, Nick Zieminski, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Adobe Digital, Adobe, Commerce, Shoppers, Workers, REUTERS, YCG Investments, Nike, Black, Sizemore Capital Management, Walmart, Amazon, Graphics, Insider Intelligence, Thomson Locations: United States, Robbinsville Township, New Jersey, U.S, New York, Bengaluru

☆ Wall St pauses amid Cyber Monday madness; data, Fed speakers on tap
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 27, 2023. The tech-heavy Nasdaq was slightly higher, the Dow was edging red and the S&P 500 was essentially unchanged, but leaning lower. The S&P 500 Retail index (.SPXRT) was up 0.9%. Later in the week, market participants look to the Commerce Department's second take on third-quarter GDP expected on Wednesday, to be followed on Friday with its broad-ranging Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) report. The S&P 500 posted 34 new 52-week highs and no new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 78 new highs and 64 new lows.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Elliott, Dow, Greg Bassuk, Bassuk, Shopify, Stephen Culp, Shristi Achar, Shinjini Ganguli, Matthew Lewis Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Dow, Nasdaq, Adobe Analytics, AXS Investments, Federal Reserve, Financial, Commerce, Dow Jones, Walmart, Elliott Investment Management, GE HealthCare, NYSE, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, New York, Bengaluru

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 27, 2023. The rebound in equities in November has brought the S&P 500 (.SPX) close to its highest intra-day level this year. "We are headed for a mixed session today...maybe something like profit taking at the beginning and then just a leveling off."U.S. The S&P 500 retail sector (.SPXRT), housing Amazon, rose 0.5%. The S&P index recorded 7 new 52-week highs and no new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 34 new highs and 18 new lows.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Elliott, Peter Cardillo, Jerome Powell, advancers, Shristi Achar, Saumyadeb Chakrabarty Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Dow, Nasdaq, Federal Reserve, Spartan Capital Securities, Walmart, Reuters, Fed, Dow Jones, Crown, Elliott Investment Management, GE HealthCare, UBS, NYSE, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Wall St futures edge lower as investor await data, policy cues
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., October 27, 2023. Wall Street ended the Thanksgiving week on a positive note, with the major indexes notching up their fourth consecutive week of gains on growing optimism that the Federal Reserve was likely done hiking interest rates. ET, Dow e-minis were down 48 points, or 0.14%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 7 points, or 0.15%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 23.75 points, or 0.15%. The personal consumption expenditure index data for October - the Fed's preferred inflation gauge - is slated to be released on Thursday. Reporting by Shristi Achar A and Shashwat Chauhan in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb ChakrabartyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Axel Rudolph, Shristi Achar, Shashwat Chauhan, Saumyadeb Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Dow, Nasdaq, Federal Reserve, Dow e, IG Group, Walmart, Crown, Elliott Investment Management, Reuters, GE HealthCare, UBS, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The University of North Carolina graduate student charged with fatally shooting his faculty adviser has been found unfit for trial after two mental evaluations, a judge ruled Monday. Tailei Qi, 34, is accused of killing associate professor Zijie Yan in a science building at the state’s flagship public university on Aug. 28. He is being held without bond on charges of first-degree murder and misdemeanor possession of a firearm on educational property. Orange County Superior Court Judge Alyson Grine said Monday that two separate mental evaluations found Qi likely suffers from untreated schizophrenia. An autopsy released earlier this month showed that Yan had been shot multiple times in his office in Caudill Labs.

Persons: Tailei Qi, Zijie Yan, Alyson Grine, Qi, “ Qi, Grine, Brian James, Yan, Qi —, ___ Hannah Schoenbaum Organizations: University of North, Central Regional Hospital, Hill, UNC Police, Caudill Labs . Police, Prosecutors, Department, Applied Physical Sciences, Yan Research Group, UNC, Associated Press, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: RALEIGH, N.C, University of North Carolina, Orange County, Butner, Caudill, United States

Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley have been hired as lead underwriters on the offering, and Shein could go public sometime in 2024, the sources said. Shein has been planning to go public for the last few years, but halted plans almost twice since then. The fast-fashion giant's decision now comes at a time when the broader market for new issues remains laggard. Fast fashion retailers have been gaining popularity in the United States, with Shein taking away market share from the likes Gap (GPS.N) as shoppers look for fresher styles and trendier clothing. Shein's confidential IPO was first reported by the Wall Street Journal earlier on Monday.

Persons: David, Dee, Delgado, Shein, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Didi Global's, Simon Property, Pritam Biswas, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Anirban Sen, Rishabh Jaiswal, Arun Koyyur, Sherry Jacob, Phillips Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, JPMorgan, chipmaker Arm Holdings, New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, SPARC Group, Forever, Brands, Simon, Wall Street, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, China, United States, Singapore, Bengaluru, New York

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Duke made a rapid climb under Mike Elko. Now they're searching for a new football coach after an unusually short tenure. Texas A&M officially named Elko its next football coach on Monday, ending Elko's two-year stint that saw the Blue Devils win 16 games and twice reach bowl games. That marked only the second time in nearly a century that a Duke coach was on the job for three or fewer seasons. Elko won nine games and a bowl in his debut season, then guided Duke to a seven-win regular season with a weekend win against Pittsburgh.

Persons: — Duke, Mike Elko, Duke, Nina King, “, ” King, Elko, David Cutcliffe’s, Steve Spurrier, King, Trooper Taylor, GameDay ”, ___ Organizations: Texas, Blue Devils, NCAA, Atlantic Coast Conference, Elko, Spurrier, Devils, Southern Conference, ACC, Pittsburgh, Clemson, ESPN's “, GameDay, Notre Dame, AP Locations: DURHAM, N.C, Elko, Durham, Florida

☆ Amazon’s shipping splurge delivers payoff
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A worker sorts products during Cyber Monday operations at the Amazon's fulfillment center in Robbinsville, New Jersey, U.S., November 27, 2023. In 2016, before its in-house logistics initiative took off, global shipping costs tallied about $16 billion, with customers covering about half. Last year, the total expense was about five times higher. Moreover, higher turnover means higher profit, especially from ancillary services such as advertising. And that’s before the generally lucrative holiday season, which should bring Amazon shareholders some more upbeat shipping news.

Persons: Robert Cyran, Julius Baer’s, Warren Buffett, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam Organizations: Reuters, UPS, FedEx, Wall Street Journal, Services, Shipping, Amazon, X, Thomson Locations: Robbinsville , New Jersey, U.S, America, China

The Carolina Panthers fired their coach on Monday following the team’s NFL-worst 1-10 start in his first year at the helm. Instead, the Panthers are assured of a sixth straight losing season since Tepper bought the team in 2018 for $2.275 billion. Political Cartoons View All 1265 ImagesSpecial teams coordinator Chris Tabor will take over as interim head coach. Tabor will become the fifth head coach or interim head coach since Tepper bought the team. Tabor has never served as an NFL head coach.

Persons: CHARLOTTE, Frank Reich, David Tepper, Tepper, Reich, Bryce Young, Moore, Chris Tabor, Thomas Brown, Jim Caldwell, Tabor, Matt Rhule, Steve Wilks, haven’t, Pete McCulley, Nathaniel Hackett, Urban Meyer, Freddie Kitchens, Ron Rivera, Perry Fewell, Rhule, Wilks, Young, ___ Organizations: The Carolina Panthers, NFL, Panthers, Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts, Carolina, San, Major League Soccer, Baylor, Chicago Bears, Young Locations: N.C, Carolina, San Francisco, Denver, Jacksonville, Cleveland, Arizona, Charlotte

☆ NHL roundup: Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy wins season debut
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +12 min

Jake DeBrusk and Danton Heinen scored for Boston, which had gained points in seven straight games since a 5-4 loss in Detroit on Nov. 4. Kiefer Sherwood had a goal and two assists for the Predators, who won their fourth straight game. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored one goal and added two assists, while Evander Kane and Evan Bouchard also scored for the Oilers. Johnathan Kovacevic also scored and Cayden Primeau made 31 saves for Montreal, which won its second straight road game. Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and an assist and Joel Eriksson Ek also scored for Minnesota, which lost its sixth straight game.

Persons: Andrei Vasilevskiy, James Guillory, Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, Brandon Hagel, Luke Glendening, Hagel, Stefan Noesen, Michael Bunting, Antti Raanta, Vasilevskiy hadn't, Conn Smythe, Kevin Korchinski, Connor Bedard's, Ilya Samsonov, Korchinski, Jason Dickinson, Arvid Soderblom, Nicholas Robertson, Calle Jarnkrok, Ryan Reaves, Max Domi, Alex DeBrincat, Compher, Robby Fabbri, Dylan Larkin, David Perron, Shayne Gostisbehere, Ville Husso, Jake DeBrusk, Danton Heinen, David Pastrnak, Jeremy Swayman, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Zibanejad, Kreider, Igor Shesterkin, Sean Couturier, Luke Evangelista, Filip Forsberg, Louis, Kiefer Sherwood, Ryan O'Reilly, Yakov Trenin, Spencer Stastney, Alexandre Carrier, Kevin Lankinen, Pavel Buchnevich, Robert Thomas, Jake Neighbours, Kevin Fiala, Cam Talbot, Anze Kopitar, Arthur Kaliyev, Quinton Byfield, Adrian Kempe, Trevor Moore, Drew Doughty, Kopitar, Marcel Dionne, Radko Gudas, Alex Killorn, John Gibson, Elvis Merzlikins, Merzlikins, Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Eric Robinson, Boone Jenner, Alexander Holtz, Akira Schmid, Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, Stuart Skinner, Ryan Nugent, Hopkins, Evander Kane, Evan Bouchard, Zach Hyman, Charlie Lindgren, Cole Caufield, Jesse Ylonen, Johnathan Kovacevic, Cayden Primeau, William Eklund, Tomas Hertl, Mike Hoffman, Mackenzie Blackwood, Eklund, Nick Suzuki, Hoffman, Ylonen, Blackwood, Connor Hellebuyck, Nino Niederreiter, Nikolaj Ehlers, Adam Lowry, Hellebuyck, Sergei Bobrovsky, Aleksander Barkov, Blake Coleman, Elias Lindholm, Yegor Sharagovich, A.J, Greer, Adam Ruzicka, Calgary's Mikael Backlund, Nazem Kadri, Andrew Mangiapane, Jacob Markstrom, Wyatt Johnston, Jason Robertson, Joe Pavelski, Jamie Benn, Evgenii, Jake Oettinger, Kurtis MacDermid's, Ross Colton, Valeri Nichushkin, Alexandar Georgiev, Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek, Filip Gustavsson, Alex Tuch, Jeff Skinner, Tuch, Kyle Okposo, Victor Olofsson, Ukko, Pekka Luukkonen, Sidney Crosby, Lars Eller, Alex Nedeljkovic, Mathew Barzal, Anders Lee, Kyle Palmieri, Oliver Wahlstrom, Simon Holmstrom, Alexander Romanov, Brock Nelson, Semyon Varlamov, Drake Batherson, Tim Stutzle, Mathieu Joseph, Anton Forsberg, Sam Lafferty, Thatcher Demko, Teddy Blueger, Dakota Joshua, Nils Hoglander, Ilya Mikheyev, Nils Aman, Conor Garland, Tye Kartye, Joey Daccord Organizations: Tampa Bay, Carolina Hurricanes, PNC Arena, Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa, Hurricanes, NHL, Blackhawks, Maple Leafs, Chicago, Toronto, Red Wings, Bruins, Detroit, Boston, Rangers, Flyers, Philadelphia, Metropolitan Division, Blues, Nashville, St, Predators, Ducks, Los, Anaheim, The Buffalo Sabres, Kings, Blue Jackets, Devils, Oilers, Capitals, Edmonton, Washington, Canadiens, Montreal, San, Jets, Panthers, Winnipeg, The Jets, Vezina, Florida, Flames, Calgary, Dallas, Stars, Avalanche, Colorado, Minnesota, Penguins, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Sabres, Islanders, Senators, Ottawa, Canucks, Vancouver, Seattle, Thomson Locations: Raleigh , North Carolina, USA, Raleigh, N.C, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Detroit, New York, Los Angeles, Columbus, Newark , N.J, Jose, San Jose, Winnipeg, Sunrise, Fla, Florida, Saint Paul, Dakota

[1/6] People load up their newly purchased items from Best Buy on Black Friday in Wheaton-Glenmont, Maryland, U.S., November 24, 2023. A record 130.7 million people are expected to shop in stores and online in the U.S. on Black Friday this year, the National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates. But at 6 a.m. on Friday at a Walmart in New Milford, Connecticut, the parking lot was only half full. "It's a lot quieter this year, a lot quieter," said shopper Theresa Forsberg, who visits the same five stores with her family at dawn every Black Friday. And the rise of online shopping has reduced the importance of Black Friday as a single-day event.

Persons: Leah Millis, Cowen, David Klink, Theresa Forsberg, Michael Brown, Kearney, Jeff Gennette, Jimmy Lee, there's, Bergdorf Goodman, Nordstrom, Oscar de, Carlos Araejo, Ruiz, It’s, ”, Paul Aheren, Puma, Siddharth Cavale, Helen Reid, Arriana McLymore, Katherine Masters, Andrew Hay, Bianca Flowers, Danielle Broadway, James Davey, Deborah Sophia, Miral Fahmy, Nick Zieminski, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Shoppers, Huntington Private Bank, Walmart, Target, National Retail Federation, Garden, Insider Intelligence, Macy's, Adobe Analytics, Wealth Consulting, Amazon, Adobe, Nordstrom, “, Saks, Puma, Israel Football Association, IFA, Thomson Locations: Wheaton, Glenmont , Maryland, U.S, RALEIGH, N.C, New Milford , Connecticut, Paramus , New Jersey, Indianapolis, Israel, Palestine, United States, Dallas, Raleigh, Crabtree, Boston

Brokerage TD Cowen lowered its U.S. holiday spending estimate to 2% to 3% growth, from 4% to 5%, as it forecast flat Black Friday traffic. With many consumers squeezed by persistent inflation and high interest rates, U.S. holiday spending is expected to rise at the slowest pace in five years. A record 130.7 million people are expected to shop in stores and online in the U.S. on Black Friday this year, the National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates. In France, Italy, and Spain, most shoppers planned to buy clothing on Black Friday, with electronic goods coming second, according to a PwC survey. Thanksgiving Day discounts online peaked at about 28% for toys, while electronics had discounts as steep as 27%, Adobe said.

Persons: Shannon Stapleton, Cowen, Theresa Forsberg, “ It’s, ”, Jill Lizzo, she’s, “, I’m, Lizzo, PwC, hasn’t, Naomi Ojomo, Jeff Gennette, Barbie, John Roberts, Apple AirPods, Bergdorf Goodman, Nordstrom, Oscar de, Katherine Masters, Arriana McLymore, Helen Reid, Mimosa Spencer, Corina Pons, James Davey, Siddharth Cavale, Arriana, Deboarh Sophia, David Gaffen, Miral Fahmy, Nick Zieminski, Frances Kerry Organizations: Black, REUTERS, Shoppers, National Retail Federation, Insider Intelligence, Barclays, Macy's, Adobe Analytics, Adobe, Walmart, Argos, PlayStation, Apple, Thomson Locations: Westbury , New York, U.S, RALEIGH, N.C, New Milford , Connecticut, . U.S, Harlem, Manhattan, France, Italy, Spain, Zara, Canary Wharf, London, British, Paris, Madrid, New York, Raleigh , North Carolina, Bengaluru

Brokerage TD Cowen lowered its U.S. holiday spending estimate to 2% to 3% growth, from 4% to 5%, as it forecast flat Black Friday traffic. With many consumers squeezed by persistent inflation and high interest rates, U.S. holiday spending is expected to rise at the slowest pace in five years. But at 6 a.m. on Friday at a Walmart in New Milford, Connecticut, the parking lot was only half full. "It's a lot quieter this year, a lot quieter," said shopper Theresa Forsberg, who visits the same five stores with her family at dawn every Black Friday. The rise of online shopping has reduced the importance of Black Friday as a single-day event.

Persons: Cowen, David Klink, ”, Barbara Kahn, Theresa Forsberg, Michael Brown, Kearney, Jimmy Lee, Leah Millis, there's, Jeff Gennette, Bergdorf Goodman, Nordstrom, Oscar de, Carlos Araejo, Ruiz, It’s, Paul Aheren, Puma, Siddharth Cavale, Helen Reid, Arriana McLymore, Katherine Masters, Andrew Hay, Bianca Flowers, Danielle Broadway, James Davey, Deborah Sophia, Miral Fahmy, Nick Zieminski, Frances Kerry, Leslie Adler Organizations: Shoppers, Huntington Private Bank, Walmart, Target, Ross Stores, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, “, National Retail Federation, Garden, Insider Intelligence, Adobe Analytics, Adobe, Wealth Consulting, Amazon, REUTERS, Nordstrom, Saks, Protesters, Puma, Israel Football Association, Thomson Locations: RALEIGH, N.C, U.S, New Milford , Connecticut, Paramus , New Jersey, Wheaton, Glenmont , Maryland, Indianapolis, Israel, Palestine, United States, Dallas, Raleigh, Crabtree, Boston

It ships the goods to FedEx returns centers, where they are sorted by merchant. Consolidating returns can lower transportation costs as much as 20%, said Amena Ali, CEO of returns services provider Optoro. Meanwhile, rival UPS is buying Happy Returns to beef up its e-commerce returns business that has grown 25% since 2020. Roughly 5,200 UPS Store locations will join Happy Returns' established drop-off points, making the service available at more than 12,000 U.S. locations, UPS said. FedEx accepts no label, no box returns at 10,000 U.S. locations including FedEx Office, FedEx Express Ship Centers, and Walgreens (WBA.O).

Persons: Bing Guan, Ryan Kelly, FedEx's, Kelly, Amena Ali, Lisa Baertlein, Will Dunham Organizations: FedEx, Los Angeles International Airport, REUTERS, United Parcel Service, Walmart, Reuters, Optoro, UPS, FedEx Office, FedEx Express Ship Centers, Walgreens, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Los Angeles

☆ Tyrese Proctor, Kyle Filipowski help No. 9 Duke ease past La Salle
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Field Level Media | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Anwar Gill tallied 17 points and Jhamir Brickus added 13 points to lead La Salle (4-1), but the Explorers couldn't extend their best start in nine years. La Salle coach Fran Dunphy was bidding for a milestone victory. Filipowski, who sat out for some first-half stretches, scored the first eight Duke points of the second half. The Blue Devils outscored La Salle 30-17 in the first 10 minutes of the second half. Proctor had 10 points in the first 13 minutes and the Blue Devils went up 29-19 after his pair of 3-pointers.

Persons: Rokas, Kyle Filipowski, Rob Kinnan, Tyrese, Sean Stewart, Mark Mitchell, Anwar Gill, Jhamir Brickus, Fran Dunphy, He's, Proctor, Filipowski, Duke, Jared McCain, TJ Power, La Salle's Khalil Brantley Organizations: La Salle Explorers, Duke Blue Devils, Cameron Indoor, Duke, La Salle, Blue Devils, Devils, Southern Indiana, Thomson Locations: Durham , North Carolina, USA, Durham, N.C, Saturday's

☆ Oilers look to halt road woes during visit to Hurricanes
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Field Level Media | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

November 21 - Just when it seemed as if the Edmonton Oilers finally had found a rhythm, they might be amid another slide. However, the Oilers again are headed in the wrong direction after allowing 11 goals in consecutive road defeats to the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers. On Monday, the Oilers squandered leads of 2-0 and 3-2 en route to a 5-3 loss to the Panthers. Jarvis has seven goals this season after totaling 31 over his first two seasons. Meanwhile, teammate Leon Draisaitl has seven goals and 10 assists in 14 contests against the Hurricanes.

Persons: Evan Bouchard, we've, Connor McDavid, bode, They'll, Seth Jarvis, Sebastian Aho, Brent Burns, Jarvis, Rod Brind'Amour, Antti Raanta, Frederik Andersen, Pyotr Kochetkov, Edmonton's Calvin Pickard, Stuart Skinner, McDavid, He's, Leon Draisaitl Organizations: Edmonton Oilers, Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Panthers, Hurricanes, Pittsburgh, Carolina, Thomson Locations: Raleigh, N.C, Raanta, Arizona, Carolina

PINNACLE, N.C. (AP) — Heavy rain and lower temperatures helped slow down some wildfires in North Carolina on Tuesday, including blazes that had prompted evacuations of homes and campgrounds, forestry officials said. “Unless we get some more continuous rain, we will probably be back to being active again in a few days,” he said. On Saturday, a fire broke out in North Carolina's Sauratown Mountains and grew to more than 750 acres (303 hectares) by Tuesday, according to Jimmy Holt, a ranger with the North Carolina Forest Service. “For right now, things will slow down,” said Adrianne Rubiaco, a U.S. Forest Service fire spokesperson in North Carolina. Fire officials in Townsend, Tennessee, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Knoxville, announced an emergency evacuation as crews battled a blaze.

Persons: Shardul Raval, ”, Jimmy Holt, Holt, Adrianne Rubiaco Organizations: U.S, North Carolina Forest Service, Forest, U.S . Forest Service, Tennessee -, Fire Locations: North Carolina, U.S . Forest, North Carolina's, North, Pisgah, Tennessee, U.S, Tennessee - North Carolina, Townsend , Tennessee, Knoxville

☆ 'Dupes' clothing, perfume craze lures holiday shoppers as major brands fret
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Katherine Masters | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Hashtag searches for dupes of major brands - including Skims underwear and Deckers' (DECK.N) Ugg boots - have been viewed millions of times on TikTok. Graphic shows pictures of four original products and their original prices under named brands compared with the prices of their 'dupe' counterparts. Newer technologies like the Google Lens app allow people to take photos of items they like and find similar products for sale. In other cases, dupe sellers opt to replicate the look of higher-priced originals with cheaper materials to maximize profit. However, experts say dupe sellers have grown increasingly skilled at avoiding brand logos and other design features that could infringe existing patents or copyrights.

Persons: Lauren Maginness, Shannon Stapleton, Maginness, Estee, Tom Ford, Dupes, “, ”, Penny Pincher, Leslie Ghize, Doneger Tobe, Calvin McDonald, Ian Taplin, Juozas Kaziukenas, Kaziukenas, Maria Boschetti, Mike Scheschuk, Birkenstock, Katherine Masters, Dorothy Kam, Vanessa O'Connell, Rod Nickel, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Abercrombie, Fitch, Scout, Walmart, Department, Nordstrom, Circana Inc, COMMERCE, Wake Forest University, eBay, Google, HK, Amazon, New, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Hong Kong, TikTok, Los Angeles, Zara, Italy, New York

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