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By MARY CLARE JALONICK and MATT BROWN WASHINGTON (AP) — Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Defense Department, said he had a “wonderful conversation” with Maine Sen. Susan Collins on Wednesday as he pushed to win enough votes for confirmation. He said he will not back down after allegations of excessive drinking and sexual misconduct. Related Articles National Politics | Donald Trump will ring the New York Stock Exchange bell. It’ll be a first for him National Politics | The Trump and Biden teams insist they’re working hand in glove on foreign crises National Politics | ‘You don’t know what’s next.’ International students scramble ahead of Trump inauguration National Politics | Trump is threatening to raise tariffs again. Here’s how China plans to fight back National Politics | Trump won’t be able to save the struggling US beef industry Collins said after the hourlong meeting that she questioned Hegseth about the allegations amid reports of drinking and the revelation that he made a settlement payment after being accused of a sexual assault that he denies. She said she had a “good, substantive” discussion with Hegseth and “covered a wide range of topics,” including sexual assault in the military, Ukraine and NATO. But she said she would wait until a hearing, and notably a background check, to make a decision. “I asked virtually every question under the sun,” Collins told reporters as she left her office after the meeting. “I pressed him both on his position on military issues as well as the allegations against him, so I don’t think there was anything that we did not cover.” The meeting with Collins was closely watched as she is seen as more likely than most of her Republican Senate colleagues to vote against some of Trump’s Cabinet picks. She and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a fellow moderate Republican, did not shy from opposing Trump in his first term when they wanted to do so and sometimes supported President Joe Biden’s nominees for the judicial and executive branches. And Hegseth, an infantry combat veteran and former “Fox & Friends” weekend host, is working to gain as many votes as he can as some senators have expressed concerns about his personal history and lack of management experience. “I’m certainly not going to assume anything about where the senator stands,” Hegseth said as he left Collins’ office. “This is a process that we respect and appreciate. And we hope, in time, overall, when we get through that committee and to the floor that we can earn her support.” Hegseth met with Murkowski on Tuesday. He has also been meeting repeatedly with Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, a military veteran who has said she is a survivor of sexual assault and has spent time in the Senate working on improving how attacks are reported and prosecuted within the ranks. On Monday, Ernst said after a meeting with him that he had committed to selecting a senior official to prioritize those goals. Republicans will have a 53-49 majority next year, meaning Trump cannot lose more than three votes on any of his nominees. It is so far unclear whether Hegseth will have enough support, but Trump has stepped up his pressure on senators in the last week. “Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!” Trump posted on his social media platform last week.Alabama, Ole Miss drop out of AP Top 10

US clears export of advanced AI chips to UAE under Microsoft deal, Axios says

BY SAMANTHA CHRISTMANN Dec. 11, 2024 The Chick-fil-A location on Walden Avenue in Cheektowaga won't get a sister location in Clarence after the company decided not to demolish a former Applebee's and build on the lot. Chick-fil-A drops plans for Clarence Chick-fil-A has scrapped plans it floated two years ago for a restaurant in the Eastgate Plaza in Clarence after the town voiced traffic and congestion concerns for the project. The Georgia-based chicken sandwich chain with a rabid following will no longer open a location at 5017 Transit Road. It had planned to demolish a former Applebee's restaurant there and build a 5,000-square-foot Chick-fil-A restaurant with a drive-thru. It would have been the Northtowns' first Chick-fil-A restaurant. It's the second time Chick-fil-A has pulled out of a project after facing pushback from an Erie County municipality. Plans for a store in Delaware Consumer Square in North Buffalo also were scrapped after neighbors complained and the company faced issues with an easement on the property. The company is still moving ahead with plans for a store at 6610 Niagara Falls Blvd., Niagara Falls. It has locations in Hamburg, Cheektowaga and Depew. Welcome to Buffalo Next. This newsletter from The Buffalo News will bring you the latest coverage on the changing Buffalo Niagara economy – from real estate to health care to startups. Read more at BuffaloNext.com . Tops finishes $3 million renovation of Depew store Tops Markets has invested nearly $3 million in the renovation of its store at 5175 Broadway in Depew. The store is one of five formerly franchised locations it acquired from Phil Perna-led group Supermarket Management in April . The 77,000-square-foot store is the 45th renovation Tops has completed in the last five years. The nearly 30-year-old store is managed by Chris Hoffman. “This considerable investment will offer customers a renewed shopping experience starting with associates that the community knows and trusts, expanded amenities and a wide variety of high-quality local, national and own brands all at a great value," said Ron Ferri, president, Tops Markets. The renovation brought a new storefront, new paint and LED lighting inside and out, new awnings and landscaping, energy-efficient equipment, new shopping carts and cart corrals, expanded self-checkouts, renovated restrooms and updated decor. The fresh offerings in the perimeter of the store also have been expanded, including more antibiotic-free meat, sustainable seafood, plant-based options, organic groceries, fresh produce, bakery assortment and gluten-free items. The store also has a new full-service Starbucks Cafe and a new private waiting area in its pharmacy. “At Tops, we constantly evaluate the best ways to serve our customers and reinvest into our communities. These latest enhancements will help make life a little easier for shoppers by focusing on a strong combination of convenience, selection, quality and low prices every day,” said Mark Dudziak, a Tops district manager. Go! Toys and Games here to stay If you have been to a mall during the holiday shopping season, you've seen Go! They're a retail chain of pop-up toy stores and calendar kiosks that temporarily open in shopping malls to capitalize on holiday traffic. Very rarely, a Go! Toys and Games store will set up shop with hopes of staying permanently. That's what the location at the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls USA has done. Go! Toys and Games has opened at that mall in the former Against All Odds store, across from Loft and Calvin Klein and next to Kay Jewelers. The mall also has a temporary Go! Calendars and Games kiosk that will be at the mall until January, along with other Go! calendar kiosks at Walden Galleria and McKinley Mall. Chuck E. Cheese opens in North Buffalo Chuck E. Cheese has opened a new location at 2638 Delaware Ave. In addition to its traditional arcade, the $1.55 million buildout includes one of the franchise's first Ninja Run obstacle courses and Trampoline Zones in New York. Along with its live show featuring animatronic performers, the new location has an interactive dance floor. Chuck E. Cheese has another location at 4408 Milestrip Road in Hamburg. Kulture Khazana enters 11 Macy's stores Kulture Khazana, an Amherst business that makes cultural toys and puzzles celebrating South Asian heritage , is now selling its products in 11 Macy's stores. "These products are more than just toys - they’re a way to celebrate diversity and connect with cultural stories through play," said Akruti Babaria, the company's founder. Babaria created Kulture Khazana as a way to connect her son, Ayaan, with his Indian heritage. Babaria came to Amherst from Gujarat, West India, with her college professor father and school principal mother when she was 16 years old. Products are available at select Macy's stores in Oregon, California, New Jersey, New Hampshire and in the New York City area. Kulture Khazana's products have been featured on "Good Morning America," and are also sold at Nordstrom and Target.com . More pot dispensaries open in WNY Several new state-licensed recreational cannabis dispensaries have opened in Erie and Niagara counties. The new shops include: That brings the total number of licensed recreational cannabis dispensaries in the Western New York region to 25. The state, which has been criticized for its slow rollout of the retail market, has been opening dispensaries locally at a rate of about eight per year. There are 263 adult-use dispensaries throughout the state. THE LATEST Residents are asking the Bills to use CBA funds to help revitalize the neighborhood where it once played . The Hamburg IDA went on record against a proposed moratorium on new apartments. Wells Enterprises is getting cheap hydropower from the New York Power Authority for its expansion in Dunkirk. Micron has finalized the financing of its massive $6 billion chip plant in Syracuse – and that's good news for the Buffalo Niagara region's hope to build its tech sector . An Orchard Park medical device maker is cutting 80 jobs – a quarter of its local staff. As the state ramps up its glacially slow pace of granting legal cannabis licenses, one industry group now worries the process will go too fast – and create too much competition. A Buffalo law firm is forming a strategic partnership with a local political lobbying firm. A panel monitoring the Buffalo Bills Community Benefits Agreement wants more details on who's getting construction contracts – and the Bills are balking at providing it. With demise of Braymiller , will downtown Buffalo ever get another grocery store? The snowstorms of the past week have been exactly what local ski areas have been hoping for . Buffalo officials are seeking a $2 million Restore NY grant to repair the downtown hostel buildings . A Buffalo housing court judge is losing patience with the owner of the Buffalo Grand Hotel and Wonder Bread building. Sumitomo Rubber USA reached an agreement with its unionized former workers on a severance package. A Clarence plaza is getting a major makeover that will add apartments and townhouses, along with more commercial space. Ingram Micro is cutting 850 jobs across its operations , but isn't specifying the impact on its Western New York workforce. Federal regulators have lifted the consent order that Lake Shore Savings Bank operated under for nearly two years. ICYMI Five reads from Buffalo Next: 1. Buffalo Niagara Partnership sees new home as a 'hub' . Business group preparing to move to Cobblestone District. 2. Report notes pay gap between men and women has significant economic effects in NY. Women's Foundation of WNY says gap impacts women into retirement. 3. Sumitomo, union reach separation agreement. The deal covers about 1,200 Steelworkers who lost their jobs when the plant closed. 4. Lake Shore Bank freed from order that found 'unsafe and unsound business practices'. Federal regulators announced the consent order nearly two years ago. 5. Ingram Micro not specifying Western New York cuts. The technology company has 1,250 employees in Amherst. The Buffalo Next team gives you the big picture on the region’s economic revitalization. Email tips to buffalonext@buffnews.com or reach Buffalo Next Editor David Robinson at 716-849-4435. Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up to get the latest in your inbox five days a week . Email tips to buffalonext@buffnews.com . Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!HT Interview | Punjabis non-radical, handful playing Pak game, says DGP Gaurav Yadav

EXPLAINER: Investigation, Impunity, and Suspension: Clash of Crime, Corruption, and Political Favor Among Nepal's RepresentativesFingers crossed for an incredible start to the year PS Plus in 2024 had a pretty good year. It didn’t quite hit the highs of 2023, but there were some solid games, especially towards the end of the year. But now we are in 2025, and we have a new selection of games to enjoy. January will kick things off. READ MORE: All 2025 game release dates for PS5, PS4, Xbox, PC, and Nintendo Switch Below, you can find out when the games for the month will be announced and what is leaving in January 2025. You can also find some predictions for the month, which we hope are correct. PS Plus January 2025 games The PS Plus January 2025 games will be announced on January 1, 2025, for the Essential tier, and the games will be available on January 7, 2025. The Extra and Premium games will be announced on January 15, 2025, and available on January 21, 2025. Here are our predictions for the month’s games in the Essential tier. Credit: Red Barrels The Outlast Trials – PS5, PS4 Red Barrels invites you to experience mind-numbing terror, this time with friends. Whether you go through the trials alone or in teams, if you survive long enough and complete the therapy, Murkoff will happily let you leave... but will you be the same? Set in the era of the Cold War, human guinea pigs are involuntarily recruited by the good folks at the Murkoff Corporation to test advanced methods of brainwashing and mind control. In a world of distrust, fear, and violence, your morals will be challenged, your endurance tested, and your sanity crushed. All in the name of progress, science, and profit. Credit: Don’t Nod Jusant – PS5, PS4 Enjoy meditative vibes in Jusant, an action-puzzle climbing game. Scale an immeasurably tall tower and ascend to new heights alongside your watery companion. Master your climbing tools, find your way up through diverse biomes, and piece together the tower’s past. Credit: Epic Games Horizon Chase 2 – PS5, PS4 Horizon Chase 2 is the evolution of the award-winning racing franchise. Born under the arcade sign, this game fulfils your senses through immersive and high-speed gameplay. This is the golden era of arcade racing brought to life over a modern and completely evolved experience. The games leaving the service in January 2025 are: It Takes Two – available until January 6, 2025 (Essential) Aliens: Dark Descent – available until January 6, 2025 (Essential) TemTem – available until January 6, 2025 (Essential) For even more on the current PS Plus lineup, check out what was recently added to the service with our guide on the December 2024 PS Plus games . Related Topics PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5

Aybar 2-5 8-11 12, Salatchoum 0-4 2-2 2, Brewer 8-11 1-4 18, Gittens 3-7 0-0 7, Jones 1-4 5-6 7, Williamson 2-7 0-0 5, Gray 1-6 0-0 2, Wilcox 0-2 0-0 0, K.Williams 2-3 0-0 6, Okeke 0-0 0-2 0, Grant 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-49 16-25 59. Guillouette 1-3 0-0 2, Barno 4-8 2-4 11, Johnson 3-9 0-0 9, McLean 7-12 2-2 18, Muniz 2-7 5-5 9, Duax 3-6 2-4 8, Stewart 1-6 0-0 3, Reddick 0-0 0-0 0, D.Williams 0-2 0-0 0, Washington 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 21-55 11-15 60. Halftime_FIU 30-29. 3-Point Goals_FIU 5-18 (K.Williams 2-3, Brewer 1-3, Williamson 1-3, Gittens 1-4, Aybar 0-2, Gray 0-3), Florida Gulf Coast 7-27 (Johnson 3-9, McLean 2-5, Barno 1-1, Stewart 1-6, Muniz 0-2, Washington 0-2, D.Williams 0-2). Fouled Out_McLean. Rebounds_FIU 33 (Brewer, Gittens 8), Florida Gulf Coast 29 (Muniz, Duax 8). Assists_FIU 8 (Aybar, Gittens 2), Florida Gulf Coast 13 (Barno, Muniz 5). Total Fouls_FIU 15, Florida Gulf Coast 21. A_1,601 (4,633).None

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New Delhi: Fintech firm and owner of Paytm brand One97 Communications' Singapore-based arm has approved the sale of its Stock Acquisition Rights in Japan's PayPay to Softbank Vision Fund 2 for Rs 2,364 crore, the company said in a regulatory filing on Saturday. Paytm and Paytm Singapore had signed an agreement with the Japanese digital wallet firm, Softbank Corp, Softbank Group Corp and Yahoo Japan Corporation to provide technology services to PayPay. In lieu of the services, Paytm Singapore had acquired Stock Acquisition Rights, convertible into 1,59,012 shares or a 7.2 per cent stake in PayPay on a fully diluted basis. "One97 Communications Singapore Private Limited has informed the company on December 06, 2024, at 12:49 pm (IST), that its Board of Directors at its meeting held on December 06, 2024, has approved the sale of all its Stock Acquisition Rights in PayPay Corporation, Japan, to SoftBank Vision Fund 2 entity for net proceeds of JPY 41.9 billion (equivalent to Rs 2,364 crore)," the company said in the filing. This transaction puts the valuation of PayPay at around USD 3.8 billion or about Rs 32,000 crore. Paytm said that the transaction is expected to be completed in December 2024. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Companies, Business Economy and around the world.It's holiday season, but that doesn't have to mean waiting in long lines for big sales to buy the hottest toy or newest game system. Whether you're a parent, relative, teacher, librarian or just a friend to a young person, consider a book that you can enjoy together. PRESCHOOL 'I Like Your Chutzpah And Other Yiddish Words You'll Like' Written and illustrated by Suzy Ultman “I Like Your Chutzpah and Other Yiddish Words You’ll Like," written and illustrated by Suzy Ultman Penguin Young Readers; Rise x Penguin Workshop Sweet, funny and infinitely readable, this board book contains 12 Yiddish words and their meanings, each accompanied by a simple, colorful illustration that will inspire fun reading voices. Recommended ages: 1 to 3. $9.99, RISE x Penguin Workshop ___ 'The 13 Days of Swiftness: A Christmas Celebration' People are also reading... Written by Tiffany Garland, illustrated by Brooke O'Neill "The 13 Days of Swiftness: A Christmas Celebration," written by Tiffany Garland, illustrated by Brooke O’Neill Little, Brown Books for Young Readers For the littlest Swifties, a play on the classic Christmas song — except instead of 12 days there are 13. Each page has bright illustrations and lots of Easter eggs for the fandom. Recommended ages: 3 and up. $10.99, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers EARLY ELMENTARY 'Into the Uncut Grass' Written by Trevor Noah, illustrated by Sabina Hahn "Into the Uncut Grass" by Trevor Noah and illustrated by Sabina Hahn One World / Penguin Random House Trevor Noah tells a story of a boy and his teddy bear who venture into the uncut grass, picking up bits of wisdom along the way. Long and quotable, with humor and gentle watercolor illustrations. Per the intro, "it's a picture book, but it's not a children's book. Rather, it is a book for kids to share with parents and for parents to share with kids." All ages. $26, One World ___ 'Proper Badger Would Never' Written by Lauren Glattly, illustrated by Rob Sayegh "Proper Badger Would Never" by Lauren Glattly and illustrated by Rob Sayegh Penguin Young Readers; Flamingo Books Badger was determined to be a perfectly proper guest at his first party, but his instincts may have gotten the better of him. Shred the gift wrapping paper? Never. Dig into the cake before it's served? Of course not. A colorful, texture-rich picture book that leans into joyful chaos. Recommended ages: 4 to 8. $18.99, Flamingo Books ___ 'Attack of the Scones' Written by Josh Funk, illustrated by Brendan Kearney "Attack of the Scones: Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast" by Josh Funk and illustrated by Brendan Kearney Union Square In the sixth installment of the series, Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast take on an alien invasion with the help of their fridge friends. Told in rhyming couplets with whimsical, expressive full-page illustrations. Recommended ages: 5 to 8. $8.99 paperback, $18.99 hardcover; Union Square Kids __ 'Bog Myrtle' Written and illustrated by Sid Sharp "Bog Myrtle" by Sid Sharp Annick Press One sister loves the forest and its splendors; the other is more interested in money. Sharp uses literary devices from irony to alliteration to puns, taking on topics like worker rights and environmental sustainability. "This graphic novel is perfect for the quirky, goofy child in your life who loves deadpan humor and 'The Skull' by Jon Klassen," says Sarah Bradley, lead bookseller at Powell's Books. Recommended ages: 6 to 11. $22.99, Annick Press ___ 'My UnderSlumberBumbleBeast' Written by Zoje Stage and illustrated by J.E. Larson "My UnderSlumberBumbleBeast" by Zoje Stage and pictures by J. E. Larson Bad Hand Books Stage's book reimagines the monster under the bed as something far cuter and weirder. One day while cleaning her room, Pru finds a shy little creature called an UnderSlumberBumbleBeast. Includes crosshatch drawings and a glossary of the trickier vocabulary. Recommended ages: 7 to 10. $15.99, Bad Hand Books LATE ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE 'Otto Normal's Monsterton: The Disappearance of White Pine Beach' Written by Danielle McKechnie, illustrated by Simon Estrada Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts "Otto Normal's Monsterton: The Disappearance of White Pine Beach" Andrews McMeel Publishing Otto moves with his mom from his normal California town to Monsterton, where they're the only humans among zombies, ghosts and sirens. Otto soon finds himself on a quick-paced adventure. With chunks of text broken up by beautiful digital color illustrations, blurring the line between chapter book and graphic novel, this glossy volume feels special to hold. Recommended ages: 8 to 12. $22.99, Simon & Schuster ___ 'The Wild Robot' Written and illustrated by Peter Brown "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Roz the robot is the sole survivor of a shipment gone overboard and has to adapt to the wild. She becomes the de facto mother of Brightbill the gosling, and the forest animals that shunned her otherness begin to form a community around her. Short chapters are punctuated by black-and-white illustrations. The trilogy saw a theatrical adaptation this year, and a special edition of the first volume features full-color inserts from the movie. Recommended ages: 8 to 12. $8.99 single paperback, $54 box set, Hatchette Book Group ___ 'The Young Green Witch's Guide to Plant Magic' Written by Robin Rose Bennett, illustrated by Rachel Grant "The Young Green Witch’s Guide to Plant Magic: Rituals and Recipes from Nature" by Robin Rose Bennett and illustrated by Rachel Grant Hachette Book Group This herbalist's chapter book with watercolor illustrations imparts how to use different plants, along with lessons of appreciation and self-acceptance and breathing meditations. There are also recipes for handy concoctions kids can make with minimal adult supervision, such as oatmeal scrub, lavender honey and dandelion pesto. Recommended ages: 8 to 12. $16.99, Running Press Kids ___ 'The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science' Written by Kate McKinnon, illustrated by Alfredo Cáceres "The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science" by Kate McKinnon Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Kate McKinnon of "Saturday Night Live" and "Barbie" fame tells the story of three adopted sisters who, having zero interest in perfecting the 85 ways to properly sit on a velvet fainting couch, find themselves expelled from etiquette school. Their new, extremely uncouth school puts them at the heart of a mystery in which the town is at stake. With fun fonts and the occasional illustration, the novel is a wildly imaginative celebration of strangeness with humor a la Lemony Snicket. Recommended ages: 8 to 12. $17.99, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers ___ 'Plain Jane and the Mermaid' Written and illustrated by Vera Brosgol "Plain Jane and the Mermaid" by Vera Brosgol First Second The recently orphaned Jane has a week to get married and get her dowry before she'll be kicked to the streets. Handsome Peter might have accepted Jane's proposal if he hadn't been kidnapped by a mermaid. This full-color graphic novel challenges gender roles and beauty standards through an underwater adventure full of snark and hilarious characters, rivaling Jeff Smith's "Bone." Recommended ages: 10 to 14. $14.99, First Second YOUNG ADULT 'A Good Girl's Guide to Murder' A trilogy by Holly Jackson "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" by Holly Jackson Delacorte Press Pip investigates a murder that she thinks another student was wrongly accused of. It's an ambitious project for a high school capstone, but Pip's an ambitious student. A TV adaptation of this true-crime-style story was produced by the BBC and released on Netflix over the summer. . Recommended ages: 14 and up. $14.99 single paperback, $47.97 box set, Ember ___ 'The Calculation of You and Me' By Serena Kaylor “The Calculation of You and Me" by Serena Kaylor St. Martin's Publishing Group Marlowe has great grades and a loving family, two best friends who understand her and all her autistic quirks, and a romantic boyfriend — until he breaks up with her, sending her perfectly categorized world into a tailspin. This sweet, funny, page-turning novel celebrates romance as an act and a genre. Recommended ages: 13 and up. $14 paperback, $24 hardcover, Wednesday Books ___ 'Lunar New Year Love Story' Written by Gene Luen Yang, illustrated by LeUyen Pham "Lunar New Year Love Story" by Gene Luen Yang and Leuyen Pham First Second Valentina has one year to prove she doesn't share her family's fate of all romances ending in misery. If she doesn't find lasting love by then, she will give her heart to Saint Valentine and be forever protected from heartbreak. The graphic novel celebrates Asian culture alongside the ups and downs of love. Recommended ages: 14 and up. $17.99 paperback, $25.99 hardcover, First Second Small, luxury foods are great as stocking stuffers or other gifts. Ideas for under $50 Game-changing holiday gifts for building fires, printing photos, watching birds and more More consumers hope to cut out self-gifting this year. They may be making a mistake. More consumers hope to cut out self-gifting this year. They may be making a mistake. Americans are heading into the first holiday season in years where buying less may be the first thing on their minds. And this year, gift lists may exclude one important person: you. Stacker dug into Deloitte's 2024 holiday retail survey to explore the psychology behind Americans' reluctance to self-gift this year. In the modern era, holiday gifting includes a practice that may seem rooted in consumerism—giving ourselves gifts. However, "self-gifting," psychologists say, carries its own importance. It's one consumers intend to cut back on or eliminate entirely this holiday shopping season, according to Deloitte's 2024 holiday retail survey of over 4,000 U.S. consumers. We've all done it. With hard-to-resist Black Friday deals and hypertargeted advertising, it can be difficult to resist shopping for yourself when doing so for others. Meanwhile, the cost of goods and services has risen faster than usual every year since 2021, when post-COVID-19 pandemic inflation took root in the U.S. economy and altered how we consume. Even so, Americans expect to spend more on gifts this holiday than in the previous five years. Deloitte found that the average person anticipates spending $1,778 this year, a 19% increase from 2019, when the average expected spend was $1,496. Baked into that figure are consumers' expectations of higher prices this season, according to Deloitte. In response, some Americans are signaling they may do less for themselves. About 1 in 3 consumers intend to self-gift this year, down from almost half of all consumers last year, Deloitte found. At least 2 in 5 (43%) won't spend on themselves at all, up from 25% last year. Today, the appeal of giving gifts around winter holidays is nearly universal. The holidays have long been an occasion to show our love for others in the exchange of gifts. Though giving gifts may have emerged from the biblical story of the three wise men, Christmas celebrations were among the first to lean into a commercialized version of the winter holidays. Other religious traditions like the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah have evolved to include gifting as a part of its observance over the winter holiday. Even workplace culture has adopted gifting as a way to foster connections and lift moods with traditions like Secret Santa. This holiday season, though, our modern treat-yourself-culture could be on pause for many Americans. You may also like: How to increase your credit limit and keep a good credit score Ground Picture // Shutterstock More Americans prepared to remove themselves from holiday gift lists Dr. Steve Westberg, a professor of marketing and consumer psychology at the University of Southern California, suggests that the uptick in surveyed adults who say they hope to scale back self-gifting this year may be due to consumer pessimism and financial concern. Faced with more limited options during the pandemic years, Americans bestowed themselves with material goods—some out of practical necessity, others not. Over the 2020 and 2021 holiday seasons, Americans hunkered down at home to avoid catching or spreading the latest COVID-19 variant. They bought lots of furniture, electronics, and other items in lieu of spending on travel, outings, and live events. In 2022 and 2023, consumers embarked on so-called " revenge travel " to catch up on international and domestic trips. They attended the live music and sporting events they had missed out on. Today, there are signs that all of that spending is beginning to cause stress for the typical American consumer as prices remain painfully high . Americans' total amount of credit card debt is at an all-time high, and default rates for vehicle loans and credit cards are rising. In almost every major poll leading up to the 2024 presidential election, the economy and inflation were consistently the top issues driving voters to the polls. However, as consumers pull back, there's evidence that self-gifting can positively impact personal well-being . Jacqueline Rifkin, an assistant marketing and management communications professor at Cornell University, describes the practice as a way to self-regulate emotions. Self-gifting can express positive emotions in a way we may recognize as a celebration. "You just got a promotion, or you won some big award, you're feeling good, and you want to extend or amplify those good feelings. You can use self-gifting to achieve that," Rifkin told Stacker. Self-gifting can also be a way to deal with negative emotions. Rifkin published research in the Journal of Consumer Research on self-gifting, which revealed that people were least likely to gift things to themselves when under stress or feeling constrained—even though self-gifting can help us regulate during stressful moments. "If you're going through a rough time ... you can use self-gifting to pick yourself back up. One of the colloquial ways we think about this is 'retail therapy,'" Rifkin said. Can self-gifting and retail therapy veer into wasteful self-indulgence? Potentially, according to Westberg, who says the reasons we self-gift are similar to those that drive compulsive shopping habits. The act generates a positive emotional response. There's an important distinction, however, that experts draw between the two. Westberg and Rifkin agree that self-gifting stands out from other forms of shopping in that it incorporates intentionality. "You could define self-gifting as being a little more thoughtful in your choice," Westberg explained. Consumer advocates suggest that shoppers looking to cut back on spending create guardrails to help them shop more intentionally. Removing credit card information from our web browser's autofill function or delaying the impulse to "buy now" and creating a wish list instead can elongate the purchase process. Putting space between the initial urge to buy and the purchase can be revealing, too: It clarifies what's really meaningful and worthy enough to justify buying. For others, like Westberg, shopping satisfaction is derived from researching items to self-gift in the future. Westberg's initial inclination when it comes to self-gifting, like many of us, is to reward himself with some kind of "big ticket" item. "On the other hand, I don't know that I'll ever actually do that because once I have it, the anticipation aspect is going to go away," Westberg said. "So while I do think about self-gifting myself a car ... I get a lot of enjoyment [from] doing the research. ... [It's] the thoughtfulness that I can put into it rather than having the physical thing." According to Rifkin, our reluctance to give ourselves gifts isn't always born of financial constraints but also a belief that giving ourselves something won't actually make us feel better, even though it can. She advises consumers to remember that gifts can take on different forms this holiday season, and many of them don't cost a thing. "It's this intentional behavior that we engage in. It's something you do, you do it on purpose, and you do it for yourself," Rifkin said. "Could it be going for a walk around the block? Absolutely. Could it be dusting off a book that you hadn't read in a while and spending an hour reading it? Yes." Story editing by Alizah Salario. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Kristen Wegrzyn. Dom DiFurio The business news you need

MUMBAI: At least 13 persons reported losing their gold chains, cash, and other valuables amounting to ₹ 12.4 lakh during the grand oath-taking ceremony of Devendra Fadnavis who was sworn in as the chief minister of Maharashtra at Azad Maidan on Thursday. The event was attended by over 50,000 people, including several celebrities and high-ranking dignitaries. The police revealed that numerous attendees approached them with complaints of theft, with 13 FIRs registered so far under section 303(2) (theft) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. Many victims reported losing gold chains, purses, and substantial sums of money in the chaos. “More complaints are coming in and we are actively investigating and have begun reviewing CCTV footage to identify the perpetrators,” said an officer from Azad Maidan police station. Also Read | Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde on board, but Mahayuti must mind the gap Among the victims was 64-year-old Kandivali resident Shivaji Gawali, who attended the event with friends. “As I was leaving through gate no. 2 around 6:30 pm, the area was extremely crowded. When I stepped outside, I noticed my 30-gram gold chain was missing. After searching and inquiring for a while, I realised someone had stolen it,” he said. Similar incidents were reported by others, including Jaydevi Upadhyay, 50, from Andheri, who lost her 20-gram gold chain. Santosh Lachke, 61, from Fort, whose 17-gram gold chain was snatched. Vilas Chavan, 72, from Charkop, who reported his 20-gram chain stolen. Mohan Kamat, 70, from Dadar, who lost a 35-gram gold chain. Cash thefts were also reported. Anant Koli, 47, from Vile Parle lost ₹ 20,000 in cash, while Nitin Kale, 26, from Solapur had ₹ 57,000 stolen from his bag during the rush. Also Read | Maharashtra assembly special session begins today; MLAs take oath The ceremony was graced by prominent personalities, including actors Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, and Ranveer Singh, as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries. However, the massive gathering became an easy target for thieves, who exploited the crowded conditions to carry out the thefts. The police noted a worrying trend of thieves targeting crowded public events like music concerts, festivals, and political rallies. “Even some policemen deployed for bandobast duty reported losing their bags, which they had kept in a corner at Azad Maidan,” the officer added. Efforts are underway to identify the suspects and recover the stolen items. The police urged the public to exercise caution and secure their belongings in crowded areas.Josh Allen receives a $50,000 MVP necklace from the Buffalo Bills' offense line, but fans aren't impressed with the lavish gift

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. stock rises Tuesday, still underperforms marketProfessional Development Market in the US to Grow by USD 4.82 Billion (2023-2028), Driven by AI-Powered Market Evolution and Key Segment Insights - Technavio

NoneHeavy travel day starts with brief grounding of all American Airlines flights WASHINGTON (AP) — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide Tuesday because of a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly o Matt Ott And Haleluya Hadero, The Associated Press Dec 24, 2024 2:19 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Travelers queue up to pass through the south security checkpoint in the main terminal of Denver International Airport Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) WASHINGTON (AP) — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide Tuesday because of a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne about an hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop for the airline. The order, which prevented planes from taking off, was issued at the airline's request after it experienced trouble with its flight operating system, or FOS. The airline blamed technology from one of its vendors. As a result, flights were delayed across American’s major hubs, with only 37% of the airline's 3,901 domestic and international flights leaving on time, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company. Nineteen flights were canceled. Dennis Tajer, a spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association, a union representing American Airlines pilots, said the airline told pilots at 7 a.m. Eastern that there was an outage affecting the FOS system. It handles different types of airline operations, including dispatch, flight planning, passenger boarding, as well as an airplane's weight and balance data, he said. Some components of FOS have gone down in the past, but a systemwide outage is rare, Tajer said. Hours after the ground stop was lifted, Tajer said the union had not heard about any “chaos out there beyond just the normal heavy travel day.” He said officials were watching for any cascading effects, such as staffing problems. On social media, however, customers expressed frustration with delays that caused them or their family members to miss connecting flights. One person asked if American planned to hold flights for passengers to make connections, while others complained about the lack of assistance they said they received from the airline or gate agents. Bobby Tighe, a real estate agent from Florida, said he will miss a family Christmas Eve party in New York because his American flight was repeatedly delayed. The delays made him miss a connecting flight, leaving him the choice of going to his destination — Westchester, New York — on Christmas Day or taking another flight to Newark, New Jersey, that was scheduled to land Tuesday evening. He chose the latter. “I’m just going to take an Uber or Lyft to the airport I was originally supposed to go to, pick up my rental car and kind of restart everything tomorrow,” Tighe said. He said his girlfriend was “going through the same exact situation” on her way from Dallas to New York. Cirium noted that the vast majority of flights were departing within two hours of their scheduled departure time. A similar percentage — 36% — were arriving at their destinations as scheduled. Dallas-Fort Worth, New York’s Kennedy Airport and Charlotte, North Carolina, saw the greatest number of delays, Cirium said. Washington, Chicago and Miami experienced considerably fewer delays. Meanwhile, the flight-tracking site FlightAware reported that 4,058 flights entering or leaving the U.S., or serving domestic destinations, were delayed, with 76 flights canceled. The site did not post any American Airlines flights on Tuesday morning, but it showed in the afternoon that 961 American flights were delayed. Amid the travel problems, significant rain and snow were expected in the Pacific Northwest at least into Christmas Day. Showers and thunderstorms were developing in the South. Freezing rain was reported in the Mid-Atlantic region near Baltimore and Washington, and snow fell in New York. Because the holiday travel period lasts weeks, airports and airlines typically have smaller peak days than they do during the rush around Thanksgiving, but the grind of one hectic day followed by another takes a toll on flight crews. And any hiccups — a winter storm or a computer outage — can snowball into massive disruptions. That is how Southwest Airlines stranded 2 million travelers in December 2022, and Delta Air Lines suffered a smaller but significant meltdown after a worldwide technology outage in July caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations even more disruptive than during slower periods. That is especially true for smaller budget airlines that have fewer flights and fewer options for rebooking passengers. Only the largest airlines, including American, Delta and United, have “interline agreements” that let them put stranded customers on another carrier’s flights. This will be the first holiday season since a Transportation Department rule took effect that requires airlines to give customers automatic cash refunds for canceled or significantly delayed flights. Most air travelers were already eligible for refunds, but they often had to request them. Passengers still can ask to get rebooked, which is often a better option than a refund during peak travel periods. That’s because finding a last-minute flight on another airline tends to be expensive. An American spokesperson said Tuesday was not a peak travel day for the airline — with about 2,000 fewer flights than the busiest days — so the airline had somewhat of a buffer to manage the delays. The groundings happened as millions of travelers were expected to fly over the next 10 days. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 40 million passengers through Jan. 2. Airlines expect to have their busiest days on Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations more disruptive than during slower periods. Even with just a brief outage, the cancellations have a cascading effect that can take days to clear up. About 90% of Americans traveling far from home over the holidays will be in cars, according to AAA. “Airline travel is just really high right now, but most people do drive to their destinations, and that is true for every holiday,” AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said. Gasoline prices are similar to last year. The nationwide average Thursday was $3.04 a gallon, down from $3.13 a year ago, according to AAA. Charging an electric vehicle averages just under 35 cents per per kilowatt hour, but varies by state. Transportation-data firm INRIX says travel times on the nation’s highways could be up to 30% longer than normal over the holidays, with Sunday expected to see the heaviest traffic. Boston, New York City, Seattle and Washington are the metropolitan areas primed for the greatest delays, according to the company. ___ Associated Press writers David Koenig, Mae Anderson and Mike Pesoli contributed to this report. Matt Ott And Haleluya Hadero, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message More Automotive AP News in Brief at 11:04 p.m. EST Dec 23, 2024 8:05 PM Nissan and Honda to attempt a merger that would create the world's No. 3 automaker Dec 23, 2024 8:28 AM What a merger between Nissan and Honda means for the automakers and the industry Dec 23, 2024 3:55 AM Featured FlyerNone

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Many of Manmohan's initiatives marketed branded as his successor's contributions Jairam RameshSuction Hair Dryer Switches Market Outlook and Future Projections for 2030Maverick McNealy finally found that loving feeling Sunday. McNealy knocked in a 5-foot putt on hole 18 of the Seaside Course at Sea Island Golf Club to earn his first win on the PGA Tour at the 15th annual RSM Classic. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.