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  • Sophie Kinsella, the author of the ‘Confessions of a Shopaholic’ novels, has died at 55

    Sophie Kinsella, the author of the ‘Confessions of a Shopaholic’ novels, has died at 55

    LONDON — Sophie Kinsella, the author of Confessions of a Shopaholic and a series of millions-selling sequels died Monday, her family said. She was 55 and had been diagnosed with brain cancer.

    The family said in a statement on Ms. Kinsella’s Instagram account: “We are heartbroken to announce the passing this morning of our beloved Sophie (aka Maddy, aka Mummy). She died peacefully, with her final days filled with her true loves: family and music and warmth and Christmas and joy.

    “We can’t imagine what life will be like without her radiance and love of life.”

    Ms. Kinsella, who also published under her real name, Madeleine Wickham, announced in April 2024 that she had been diagnosed in late 2022 with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.

    “I did not share this before because I wanted to make sure that my children were able to hear and process the news in privacy and adapt to our ’new normal,’” she said at the time.

    Starting in 2000 with The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic,(titled Confessions of a Shopaholic in the United States), about a financial journalist who writes about money matters but fails miserably at managing her own, Ms. Kinsella published 10 “Shopaholic” novels, along with other fiction. Her books have sold more than 45 million copies worldwide and have been translated into dozens of languages.

    The first two “Shopaholic” books were adapted into the 2009 film Confessions of a Shopaholic, starring Isla Fisher.

    From journalism to fiction

    Ms. Kinsella did not grow up intending to be a writer. One of three girls born to teachers in London, she played piano and violin as a child and also composed music.

    She told author-publisher Zibby Owens on her podcast, Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books, that the idea of writing never crossed her mind. “It wasn’t my childhood ambition. I wasn’t the child walking around saying, ‘I’m going to write a novel one day.’”

    Ms. Kinsella enrolled at Oxford University to study music but switched to the politics, philosophy and economics program after one year.

    While at college, she met musician Henry Wickham and fell in love. The couple had four sons and a daughter.

    After graduating, Ms. Kinsella began working as a financial journalist and spent her commute reading. The idea to write fiction herself began to take shape on the train, and she worked on her first novel during her lunch hours.

    She published her first novel, The Tennis Party, in 1995, as Madeleine Wickham. Soon after, she left her journalism job to focus on writing. Six other books, including The Gatecrasher and Sleeping Arrangements, followed.

    ‘Shopaholic’ success

    An otherwise normal shopping excursion sparked the idea for writing her first “Shopaholic” novel

    “I remember looking around me and thinking… “We all shop… We talk about it. We do it. We rejoice in it. We make bad decisions. Why hasn’t anybody written about this?” Ms. Kinsella said in 2019 on The Sunday Salon with Alice-Azania Jarvis podcast.

    Ms. Kinsella created a story about Becky Bloomwood, a 20-something financial journalist in debt from a shopping habit she can’t (or won’t) kick. The novel contained hilarious back-and-forth correspondence with bill collectors and banks, where she would make excuses for late payments. Ms. Kinsella said those letters were one of the most fun bits to write.

    There was also a love story with a handsome businessman whom Becky met while on assignment. She went on to marry and have a mini-shopaholic daughter in future books.

    The humorous tone of Confessions of a Shopaholic was a change from her earlier books, so she decided to submit it to her publishers under a pen name. Her middle name was Sophie and Ms. Kinsella was her mother’s maiden name.

    The publishers said yes, and “Shopaholic” was published in 2000 under her pseudonym. The novel, blending humor with a cautionary tale about getting in over your head with debt, was an immediate success.

    Ms. Kinsella said Becky was a modern everywoman whose behavior was “what you wouldn’t do yourself, but maybe you would if you were in absolute extreme circumstances. And that’s what she finds herself in all the time.”

    Bloomwood’s further adventures followed in books including Shopaholic Takes Manhattan, Shopaholic Ties the Knot, and Shopaholic & Sister.

    Along with Bridget Jones author Helen Fielding and others, Ms. Kinsella’s work was often branded “chick lit” by the media. She told the AP in 2004 she didn’t mind the label, interpreting it as signaling a book that is “fun, entertaining and might just have a happy ending.”

    “Just because you are interested in frivolous things doesn’t mean that you can’t be bright and have great ideas and the rest of it,” she said.

    The first two “Shopaholic” books were adapted into the 2009 film “Confessions of a Shopaholic,” starring Isla Fisher and Hugh Dancy.

    Her novel Can You Keep a Secret? was adapted into a 2019 film starring Alexandra Daddario and Tyler Hoechlin. Her last novel was The Burnout, released in 2023.

    Illness and hope

    In November 2022, after experiencing symptoms including memory loss, headaches and balance troubles, Ms. Kinsella was diagnosed with glioblastoma, for which there is no cure. She kept the news private until April 2024. In an interview with TV personality Robin Roberts aired a few months later, Ms. Kinsella said she was focused on living in the moment.

    “I’ve already lasted more than the average. That’s how we get through. We hope,” she said.

    After her diagnosis, she wrote a novella, What Does It Feel Like, about a woman with five children who has brain cancer.

    “I thought people might be curious to know what it’s like to go through this,” Ms. Kinsella told Roberts. “I hope it’s full of optimism and love most of all.”

    Araminta Whitley and Marina de Pass, Ms. Kinsella’s agents at The Soho Agency, said the writer “had a rare gift for creating emotionally resonant protagonists and stories that spoke to, and entertained, readers wherever they were in the world and whatever challenges they faced.”

    Bill Scott-Kerr, her publisher at Transworld, said Ms. Kinsella leaves behind “a unique voice, an unquenchable spirit, a goodness of intent and a body of work that will continue to inspire us to reach higher and be better, just like so many of her characters.”

  • Paramount goes hostile in bid for Warner Bros., challenging a $72 billion bid by Netflix

    Paramount goes hostile in bid for Warner Bros., challenging a $72 billion bid by Netflix

    NEW YORK — Paramount has gone hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, challenging Netflix which reached a $72 billion takeover deal with the company just days ago.

    Paramount said Monday that it is going straight to Warner Bros. shareholders with a $30 per share cash bid for the entirety of the company including its Global Networks business, asking them to reject the deal with Netflix.

    Netflix to buy Warner Bros Discovery’s studios, streaming unit

    That is the same bid that Warner Brothers rejected in favor of the offer from Netflix in a merger that would alter the U.S. entertainment landscape.

    Paramount criticized the Netflix offer, saying it “exposes WBD shareholders to a protracted multi-jurisdictional regulatory clearance process with an uncertain outcome along with a complex and volatile mix of equity and cash.”

    Paramount said it had submitted six proposals to Warner Bros. Discovery over a 12 week period.

    “We believe our offer will create a stronger Hollywood. It is in the best interests of the creative community, consumers and the movie theater industry,” Paramount Chairman and CEO David Ellison said in a statement. ”We believe they will benefit from the enhanced competition, higher content spend and theatrical release output, and a greater number of movies in theaters as a result of our proposed transaction,”

    On Friday Netflix struck a deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, the Hollywood giant behind “Harry Potter” and HBO Max. The cash and stock deal is valued at $27.75 per Warner share, giving it a total enterprise value of $82.7 billion, including debt. The transaction is expected to close in the next 12 to 18 months, after Warner completes its previously announced separation of its cable operations. Not included in the deal are networks such as CNN and Discovery.

    But President Donald Trump said Sunday that the deal struck by Netflix to buy Warner Bros. Discovery “could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share.

    The Republican president said he will be involved in the decision about whether the federal government should approve the $72 billion deal.

    Paramount’s tender offer is set to expire on Jan. 8, 2026, unless it’s extended.

    Shares of Warner Bros. and Paramount jumped between 5% and 6% at the opening bell Monday. Shares of Netflix edged lower.

  • Frank Gehry, the most celebrated architect of his time, has died at 96

    Frank Gehry, the most celebrated architect of his time, has died at 96

    LOS ANGELES — Frank Gehry, who designed some of the most imaginative buildings ever constructed and achieved a level of worldwide acclaim seldom afforded any architect, has died. He was 96.

    Mr. Gehry died Friday in his home in Santa Monica after a brief respiratory illness, said Meaghan Lloyd, chief of staff at Gehry Partners LLP.

    Mr. Gehry’s fascination with modern pop art led to the creation of distinctive, striking buildings. Among his many masterpieces are the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain; the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles; and Berlin’s DZ Bank Building.

    He also oversaw a $233 million renovation of the Philadelphia Museum of Art that stuck with tradition. “Instead of wreaking havoc, the 92-year-old architectural radical has played against type and given museum officials precisely what they wanted: clarity, light, and space,” Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron wrote when the new galleries and public spaces opened in 2021.

    Frank Gehry, architect of the audacious Guggenheim Bilbao, takes a more understated approach at Philly’s temple of art.

    He also designed an expansion of Facebook’s Northern California headquarters at the insistence of the company’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg.

    Mr. Gehry was awarded every major prize architecture has to offer, including the field’s top honor, the Pritzker Prize, for what has been described as “refreshingly original and totally American” work.

    Other honors include the Royal Institute of British Architects gold medal, the Americans for the Arts lifetime achievement award, and his native country’s highest honor, the Companion of the Order of Canada.

    To improve the flow and sight lines into the Philadelphia Museum of Art, architect Frank Gehry took down the wall where Chagall’s theater backdrop hung and streamlined the space.

    The start of his career in architecture

    After earning a degree in architecture from the University of Southern California in 1954 and serving in the Army, Mr. Gehry studied urban planning at Harvard University.

    But his career got off to a slow start. He struggled for years to make ends meet, designing public housing projects, shopping centers, and even driving a delivery truck for a time.

    Eventually, he got the chance to design a modern shopping mall overlooking the Santa Monica Pier. He was determined to play it safe and came up with drawings for an enclosed shopping mall that looked similar to others in the United States in the 1980s.

    To celebrate its completion, the mall’s developer dropped by Mr. Gehry’s house and was stunned by what he saw: The architect had transformed a modest 1920s-era bungalow into an inventive abode by remodeling it with chain-link fencing, exposed wood, and corrugated metal.

    Asked why he hadn’t proposed something similar for the mall, Mr. Gehry replied, “Because I have to make a living.”

    If he really wanted to make a statement as an architect, he was told, he should drop that attitude and follow his creative vision.

    Mr. Gehry would do just that for the rest of his life, working into his 90s to create buildings that doubled as stunning works of art.

    As his acclaim grew, Gehry Partners LLP, the architectural firm he founded in 1962, grew with it, expanding to include more than 130 employees at one point. But as big as it got, Mr. Gehry insisted on personally overseeing every project it took on.

    The headquarters of the InterActiveCorp, known as the IAC Building, took the shape of a shimmering beehive when it was completed in New York City’s Chelsea district in 2007. The 76-story New York By Gehry building, once one of the world’s tallest residential structures, was a stunning addition to the lower Manhattan skyline when it opened in 2011.

    That same year, Mr. Gehry joined the faculty of his alma mater, the University of Southern California, as a professor of architecture. He also taught at Yale and Columbia University.

    The Walt Disney Concert Hall is the fourth hall of the Los Angeles Music Center and was designed by Frank Gehry. Here, it’s photographed from the Los Angeles City Hall Observation Deck on Feb. 14, 2018, in Los Angeles.

    Imaginative designs drew criticism along with praise

    Not everyone was a fan of Mr. Gehry’s work. Some naysayers dismissed it as not much more than gigantic, lopsided reincarnations of the little scrap-wood cities he said he spent hours building when he was growing up in the mining town of Timmins, Ontario.

    Princeton art critic Hal Foster dismissed many of his later efforts as “oppressive,” arguing they were designed primarily to be tourist attractions. Some denounced the Disney Hall as looking like a collection of cardboard boxes that had been left out in the rain.

    Still other critics included Dwight D. Eisenhower’s family, who objected to Mr. Gehry’s bold proposal for a memorial to honor the nation’s 34th president. Although the family said it wanted a simple memorial and not the one Mr. Gehry had proposed, with its multiple statues and billowing metal tapestries depicting Eisenhower’s life, the architect declined to change his design significantly.

    If the words of his critics annoyed Mr. Gehry, he rarely let on. Indeed, he even sometimes played along. He appeared as himself in a 2005 episode of The Simpsons cartoon show, in which he agreed to design a concert hall that was later converted into a prison.

    He came up with the idea for the design, which looked a lot like the Disney Hall, after crumpling Marge Simpson’s letter to him and throwing it on the ground. After taking a look at it, he declared, “Frank Gehry, you’ve done it again!”

    “Some people think I actually do that,” he would later tell the AP.

    Gehry’s lasting legacy around the world

    Ephraim Owen Goldberg was born in Toronto on Feb. 28, 1929, and moved to Los Angeles with his family in 1947, eventually becoming a U.S. citizen. As an adult, he changed his name at the suggestion of his first wife, who told him antisemitism might be holding back his career.

    Although he had enjoyed drawing and building model cities as a child, Mr. Gehry said it wasn’t until he was 20 that he pondered the possibility of pursuing a career in architecture, after a college ceramics teacher recognized his talent.

    “It was like the first thing in my life that I’d done well in,” he said.

    Mr. Gehry steadfastly denied being an artist though.

    “Yes, architects in the past have been both sculptors and architects,” he declared in a 2006 interview with the Associated Press. “But I still think I’m doing buildings, and it’s different from what they do.”

    His words reflected both a lifelong shyness and an insecurity that stayed with Mr. Gehry long after he’d been declared the greatest architect of his time.

    “I’m totally flabbergasted that I got to where I’ve gotten,” he told the AP in 2001. “Now it seems inevitable, but at the time it seemed very problematic.”

    The Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum in Abu Dhabi, first proposed in 2006, is expected to finally be completed in 2026 after a series of construction delays and sporadic work. The 30,000-square-foot structure will be the world’s largest Guggenheim, leaving a lasting legacy in the capital city of the United Arab Emirates.

    His survivors include his wife, Berta; daughter, Brina; sons Alejandro and Samuel; and the buildings he created.

    Another daughter, Leslie Gehry Brenner, died of cancer in 2008.

  • Zohran Mamdani and the Louvre make the list of most mispronounced words of 2025

    Zohran Mamdani and the Louvre make the list of most mispronounced words of 2025

    DALLAS — From the election of Zohran Mamdani to the intrigue surrounding the jewel heist at the Louvre, keeping up with this year’s news also left some Americans struggling with pronunciations. That’s put both the name of New York City’s incoming mayor and the famed Paris museum on a list of the most mispronounced words in 2025.

    The language-learning company Babbel and closed-captioning company The Captioning Group on Thursday released a list of the words that news anchors, politicians, and other public figures in the U.S. struggled with the most this year, giving an overview of the people and topics that had Americans talking.

    As Mamdani made his political rise, the democratic socialist’s name often was mangled. When he takes office in January, the 34-year-old will become the city’s first Muslim mayor, first born in Africa, and first of South Asian heritage. Babbel said his name — which should be pronounced zoh-RAHN mam-DAH-nee — was most commonly mispronounced when people swapped the “M” and “N” in his last name.

    Mamdani has said he doesn’t mind if someone tries to pronounce his name correctly and misses but that some mispronounce it intentionally. During one mayoral race debate, he chided former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s pronunciation of his name, telling his opponent: “The name is Mamdani. M-A-M-D-A-N-I.”

    The theft of France’s crown jewels from the Louvre in October had many people mispronouncing the name of the world’s most-visited museum. Babbel says the correct pronunciation is LOOV-ruh, with a very soft pronunciation on the “ruh,” which can be a challenge for English speakers.

    “A lot of these words come from different languages and so we have to adapt to a sound that we’ve never made before,” said Esteban Touma, a linguistic and cultural expert at Babbel.

    Other words and names on the list include:

    • Acetaminophen, the active ingredient in the Tylenol, is pronounced uh-SEE-tuh-MIH-nuh-fen. President Donald Trump gave comedians plenty of material when he stumbled over the word as he implored pregnant women to avoid taking the painkiller despite inconclusive evidence about whether too much could be linked to autism.
    • Alex Murdaugh, the prominent South Carolina attorney who was sentenced to life in prison for the 2021 fatal shootings of his wife and son, is pronounced AL-ick MUR-dock. This year the case was dramatized in a series on Hulu.
    • Mounjaro, pronounced mown-JAHR-OH, is part of a wave of diabetes and obesity medications that soared in popularity because of the weight people have lost while taking the injections.

    Several words on the U.S. list, including Louvre and Mounjaro, also made the list for the U.K., which was compiled by Babbel and the British Institute of Verbatim Reporters, an organization for subtitling professionals. Storm Éowyn, which battered Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland in January, put that name on the U.K. list. Babbel says the correct pronunciation is ay-OH-win, said with a three-beat pattern.

    Throughout the year, captioners note words that come up over and over as difficult to pronounce, spell or are newly emerging. Linguists at Babbel also track new pronunciation challenges they see.

    In a pronunciation surprise of the year, actor Denzel Washington told late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel that he was named after his father and their first names are actually pronounced DEN-zul. But, he said, that became confusing so his mother decided to pronounce her son’s name Den-ZELLE.

  • Could RoboCop be to Detroit what Rocky is to Philly?

    Could RoboCop be to Detroit what Rocky is to Philly?

    DETROIT — RoboCop has finally found a permanent home in Detroit.

    A statue looming 11 feet tall and weighing 3,500 pounds has been drawing fans since it began standing guard over the Motor City on Wednesday afternoon, after about 15 years in the making. Even in a snowstorm in the dark, people were driving by to see it, said Jim Toscano, co-owner of the FREE AGE film production company where the bronze-cast statue now stands bolted near the sidewalk.

    RoboCop hit theaters in 1987, portraying a near-future Detroit as crime-ridden and poorly protected by a beleaguered and outgunned police force, until actor Peter Weller appeared as a nearly invincible cyborg, created by a nefarious corporation bent on privatizing policing.

    There was a time when Detroit pushed back on anything pointing to its past reputation as an unsafe city, and the movie, which developed a cult following, spawning two sequels and a reboot, didn’t help its image.

    But things have changed. Violent crime has been trending down for years. Homicide numbers have dropped below mid-1960s levels. And city officials offered no objections to the statue’s installation, Toscano said.

    “I think there will be a lot more acceptance,” Toscano said. “Detroit has come a long way. You put in a little nostalgia and that helps.”

    The statue campaign appears to have started around 2010 when Detroit Mayor Dave Bing was tagged in a tweet that noted Philadelphia’s statue of boxer Rocky Balboa and said RoboCop would be a “GREAT ambassador for Detroit.”

    Bing tweeted back, saying there were no such plans. But some Detroiters ran with the idea, crowdfunding it through a 2012 Kickstarter campaign that raised more than $67,000 from more than 2,700 backers worldwide, and Detroit sculptor Giorgio Gikas finished the statue in 2017.

    Then, it got stuck, stored away from public view.

    The Michigan Science Center in Detroit ultimately nixed plans to host the sculpture in 2021, citing pressures from the coronavirus pandemic and the need to focus museum resources. Officials in Stevens Point, Wis., raised their hands, hoping to honor Weller, a native son of that city, by erecting it outside the police station or in a park.

    The search for a suitable home for RoboCop remained in limbo until about three years ago when Toscano’s company bought a building in Eastern Market, an open-air produce market, shopping and entertainment district just northeast of downtown. Toscano says he thought they were “kidding” when he was contacted by the creator of the statue idea and Eastern Market officials. But he and his business partner gladly came on board: “It’s too unusual, too unique, too cool not to do,” Toscano said.

    Toscano, 48, says he’s only viewed the first RoboCop movie.

    “It wasn’t a big film in our house,” he admitted. But if there is one iconic line uttered by RoboCop that fits this moment, Toscano said it would be “Thank you for your cooperation.”

    On Thursday, James Campbell approached the statue and told three picture-takers: “I own this. Do you guys know that?”

    Campbell said he donated $100 to the original Kickstarter campaign over a decade ago, which makes him a “.038% owner of this statue.”

    “I’m here to see this big, beautiful, bronze piece of art,” he said. “What a piece of cinematic history to represent the city of Detroit.”

    Asked why RoboCop is an appropriate symbol for the city, Campbell said: “He’s a cyborg crime fighter! In the movie, in the futuristic Detroit, he’s there to save the city. He’s a symbol of hope.”

  • Doctor who sold ketamine to ‘Friends’ star Matthew Perry gets 2 1/2 years in prison

    Doctor who sold ketamine to ‘Friends’ star Matthew Perry gets 2 1/2 years in prison

    LOS ANGELES — A doctor who pleaded guilty to selling ketamine to Matthew Perry in the weeks before the Friends star’s overdose death was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison on Wednesday.

    Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett handed down the sentence plus two years of probation to 44-year-old Dr. Salvador Plasencia in a federal courtroom in Los Angeles.

    The judge emphasized that Plasencia didn’t provide the ketamine that killed Perry, but told him, “You and others helped Mr. Perry on the road to such an ending by continuing to feed his ketamine addiction.”

    “You exploited Mr. Perry’s addiction for your own profit,” she said.

    Plasencia was led from the courtroom in handcuffs as his mother cried loudly in the audience. He might have arranged a date to surrender, but his lawyers said he was prepared to do it today.

    Perry’s mother and two half sisters gave tearful victim impact statements before the sentencing.

    “The world mourns my brother,” Madeleine Morrison said. “He was everyone’s favorite friend.”

    “My brother’s death turned my world upside down,” Morrison said, crying. “It punched a crater in my life. His absence is everywhere.”

    Plasencia was the first to be sentenced of the five defendants who have pleaded guilty in connection with Perry’s death at age 54 in 2023.

    The doctor admitted to taking advantage of Perry, knowing he was a struggling addict. Plasencia texted another doctor that Perry was a “moron” who could be exploited for money, according to court filings.

    Prosecutors had asked for three years in prison, while the defense sought just a day in prison plus probation.

    Perry’s mother talked about the things he overcame in life and the strength he showed.

    “I used to think he couldn’t die,” Suzanne Perry said as her husband, Dateline journalist Keith Morrison, stood at the podium with her.

    “You called him a ‘moron,’” she said. “There is nothing moronic about that man. He was even a successful drug addict.”

    She spoke eloquently and apologized for rambling before getting tearful at the end, saying, “this was a bad thing you did!” as she cried.

    Plasencia also spoke before the sentencing, breaking into tears as he imagined the day he would have to tell his now 2-year-old son “about the time I didn’t protect another mother’s son. It hurts me so much. I can’t believe I’m here.”

    He apologized directly to Perry’s family. “I should have protected him,” he said.

    Perry had been taking the surgical anesthetic ketamine legally as a treatment for depression. But when his regular doctor wouldn’t provide it in the amounts he wanted, he turned to Plasencia, who admitted to illegally selling to Perry and knowing he was a struggling addict.

    Plasencia’s lawyers tried to give a sympathetic portrait of him as a man who rose out of poverty to become a doctor beloved by his patients, some of whom provided testimonials about him for the court.

    The attorneys called his selling to Perry “reckless” and “the biggest mistake of his life.”

    Plasencia pleaded guilty in July to four counts of distribution of ketamine. Prosecutors agreed to drop five different counts. The agreement came with no sentencing guarantees, and legally Garnett can give him up to 40 years.

    The other four defendants who reached deals to plead guilty will be sentenced at their own hearings in the coming months.

    Perry died at age 54 in 2023 after struggling with addiction for years, dating back to his time on Friends, when he became one of the biggest stars of his generation as Chandler Bing. He starred alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 on NBC’s megahit.

  • Why Cyber Monday could break spending records despite economic uncertainty

    Why Cyber Monday could break spending records despite economic uncertainty

    NEW YORK — After four days of deal-fueled spending sprees that kicked off on Thanksgiving, shoppers shifted their focus on Cyber Monday, which is again expected to be the biggest sales day of the year for online retailers.

    Walmart was promoting up to 50% off on fashion on its website among some of the deals, while online juggernaut Amazon was hoping to ply customers with discounts of up to 55%.

    It’s no secret that buying things online is now a staple of many people’s everyday routines. And year after year, those purchases mount during the gift-giving holiday rush. Experts expect consumers to drive record Cyber Monday spending this year, despite wider economic uncertainty.

    Adobe Analytics estimated that U.S. shoppers will spend $14.2 billion online Monday, or 6.3% more than in 2024. Spending was expected to peak between the hours of 8 and 10 p.m. local time, when Adobe expected $16 million to pass through online shopping carts every minute nationwide.

    U.S. consumers already spent $11.8 billion online for Black Friday, $6.4 billion on Thanksgiving Day, and another $11.8 billion over the weekend — exceeding Adobe’s forecasts. Purchases made across Cyber Week — the five major shopping days between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday — provides a strong indication of how much shoppers are willing to spend for the holidays.

    “Cyber Week is off to a strong start,” Vivek Pandya, lead analyst at Adobe Digital Insights, said. “Discounts are set to remain elevated through Cyber Monday, which we expect will remain the biggest online shopping day of the season and year.”

    Pandya said he will be analyzing Adobe data capturing Cyber Monday sales to see if some of the spending momentum dissipated after a strong weekend.

    Deals on electronics and apparel were expected to peak Monday at 30% and 26% off average listed prices, per Adobe’s latest estimates. But other categories will still continue to see deep discounts — including toys, which Adobe expects to reach 27% off listed prices.

    Meanwhile, software company Salesforce — which tracks digital spending from a range of retailers, including grocers — estimated Cyber Monday’s online sales will total $13.4 billion in the U.S. and $53.7 billion globally.

    While the amount of money going into online shopping carts was expected to reach new heights Monday, rising retail prices also may contribute to any record sales figures that materialize. Consumers may be buying fewer total items. Experts say tighter budgets are causing many to shop with more precision than in years past — such as focusing on a few “big ticket” purchases, for example, and spreading out what they buy over days of promotions in hopes of getting the most bang for their buck.

    Businesses and households have watched anxiously for financial impacts from U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on foreign imports. Workers in both the public and private sectors are also struggling with anxieties over job security amid both corporate layoffs and the aftereffects of the 43-day government shutdown.

    For the November-December holiday season overall, the National Retail Federation estimates that U.S. shoppers will spend more than $1 trillion for the first time this year. But the rate of growth is slowing — with an anticipated increase of 3.7% to 4.2% year over year, compared with 4.3% during last year’s holiday season.

    An Amazon Prime delivery person lifts packages while making a stop on Nov. 28, 2023, in Denver.

    At the same time, credit card debt and delinquencies on other short-term loans have been rising. More and more shoppers are turning to “buy now, pay later” plans, which allow them to delay payments on holiday decor, gifts, and other items.

    Buy now, pay later loans are expected to drive $20.2 billion in online spending this holiday season, according to Adobe, up 11% from last year. The firm predicted that buy now, pay later loans would pass a new $1 billion milestone on Cyber Monday, the vast majority involving purchases made on mobile devices.

    Overall, mobile devices have become the dominant shopping platform consumers are turning to for the holidays. Adobe expects smartphones, wearable tech, and other handheld electronics to account for 58% of online spending this season.

    Five years ago, a majority of online purchases were made on desktops.

    Shopping services powered by artificial intelligence are also expected to play a role in what consumers choose to buy. For Black Friday, Salesforce estimated that AI assistants and digital agents contributed to $14.2 billion of the total $79 billion it said was spent online worldwide.

    Across the holiday season, “hot sellers” will include gaming consoles such as the Nintendo Switch 2 and toys-turned-fashion statements like Labubu Dolls, Adobe said. The analytics company anticipates the newest editions of popular consumer electronics — including the iPhone 17, Google Pixel 10, and Samsung Galaxy S25 — will also see high demand.

    To many, Cyber Monday is billed as the “last call” to take advantage of the deepest discounts in the days following Thanksgiving. But its reach has grown over the years.

    Cyber Monday is two decades old now, dating back to when the National Retail Federation first coined the term in 2005. Today, sales continue to bubble up throughout the week — riding on the hype that the industry has built to fuel consumer spending.

  • New York backs 3 new casinos, including at Mets stadium and a golf course Trump once ran

    New York backs 3 new casinos, including at Mets stadium and a golf course Trump once ran

    NEW YORK — New York City is poised to get its first Vegas-style casinos, including one next to the home stadium of baseball’s New York Mets and another that could see a windfall for President Donald Trump.

    They were among three casino proposals approved for lucrative gambling licenses on Monday by a key state panel. No casinos will end up coming to Manhattan, however, as several other competing proposals were already scrapped, including one in the heart of Times Square.

    The state Gaming Commission is expected to formally issue the licenses before the end of the year, as the gambling revenues are already factored into the state budget. Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul said the casinos promise to unlock billions of dollars in funding for the state’s transit system and create jobs; however, opponents have repeatedly warned that easy access to casinos will lead to increased gambling addiction.

    Bally’s plan to spend $4 billion building a casino at the Ferry Point golf course in the Bronx could mean millions of dollars for Trump. When the company purchased the city-owned golf course’s operating rights from the Trump Organization in 2023, it promised to pony up another $115 million if it won a casino license. Spokespersons for the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

    In nearby Queens, billionaire New York Mets owner Steve Cohen has proposed building an $8.1 billion Hard Rock casino on a parking lot of Citi Field. The complex would include a performance venue, a hotel, and retail and shopping space.

    Resorts World, meanwhile, has proposed investing more than $5 billion to expand an existing slots parlor into a full casino at the Aqueduct Race Track, which is also in Queens near John F. Kennedy International Airport. It too would add hotel, dining, and entertainment options.

    Vicki Been, chairperson of New York Gaming Facility Location Board, said the panel believed New York City was “plenty strong” enough to sustain the three planned casinos, despite their close proximity. The region’s dense and relatively affluent population, combined with high tourism, makes it one of the country’s most robust gaming markets, the board said, adding that nearby residents are expected to form the core of repeat visitors, bolstered by travelers from the U.S. and abroad.

    Using conservative assumptions, the board’s consultants estimated the casinos would bring $7 billion in gambling revenues for the state from 2027 to 2036, plus $1.5 billion in licensing fees and nearly $6 billion in related local taxes. The plans include public safety investments and upgrades to public transit and roadways.

    However, the board cautioned that the casinos have “ambitious” timelines for opening. The expansion at Aqueduct Race Track aims to open some facilities by March, while the Citi Field and golf course sites plan for a 2030 opening.

    Anti-casino protesters, meanwhile, chanted “Shame on you! Shame on you!” as they were escorted out of the meeting in midtown Manhattan.

    Jack Hu, one of the group’s organizers, said casino operators view older adults and workers as merely “cash cows to milk for money.” He said the proposals will have a disproportionately negative impact in the city’s Asian American communities, which are largely concentrated in Queens.

    “They bus our seniors to casinos, and they give them meal and gambling vouchers in the hopes that they’ll stay long enough to lose their entire Social Security check,” Hu said after the meeting.

    The commission is authorized to license up to three casinos in the New York City area after voters approved a referendum back in 2013 opening the door to casino gambling statewide.

    Since then, four full casinos with table games have opened in New York, but all of them are located upstate, miles away from Manhattan. The state also has nine gambling halls offering slot machines and other electronic gambling machines, but no live table games.

    The closely watched competition for a New York City license began with a crowded field, with some eight proposals in the running as recently as September.

    But four of the high-profile plans failed to get the stamp of approval from local advisory boards, automatically knocking them out of contention.

    Among the most notable was a Jay-Z-backed plan to build a Caesars Palace in Times Square, as well as two other resorts proposed in central Manhattan.

    Then in October, MGM abruptly pulled out of the license sweepstakes, saying the “competitive and economic assumptions underpinning” their plans had changed. The Las Vegas casino giant had planned a major expansion of the Empire City Casino, a slots parlor located at the Yonkers Raceway north of Manhattan.

  • Christmas tree retailers find lots to like at a Pennsylvania wholesale auction

    Christmas tree retailers find lots to like at a Pennsylvania wholesale auction

    MIFFLINBURG, Pa. — Christmas went on the auction block last week in Pennsylvania farm country, and there was no shortage of bidders.

    About 50,000 Christmas trees and enough wreaths, crafts, and other seasonal items to fill an airplane hangar were bought and sold by lots and on consignment at the annual two-day event put on at Buffalo Valley Produce Auction in Mifflinburg.

    Buyers from across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic were there to supply garden stores, corner lots, and other retail outlets for the coming rush of customers eager to bring home a tree — most commonly a Fraser fir — or to deck the halls with miles of greenery.

    Bundled-up buyers were out in chilly temperatures to hear auctioneers hawk boxes of ornaments, bunches of winterberry, cotton branches, icicle lights, grave blankets, red bows, and tree stands. It was nearly everything you would need for Christmas except the food and the presents.

    A worker transports holiday decorations at Buffalo Valley Produce Auction in Mifflinburg, Pa.

    Americans’ Christmas tree buying habits have been evolving for many years. These days homes are less likely than in years past to have a tree at all, and those that do have trees are more likely to opt for an artificial tree over the natural type, said Marsha Gray with the Howell, Michigan-based Real Christmas Tree Board, a national trade group of Christmas tree farmers.

    Cory Stephens was back for a second year at the auction after his customers raved about the holiday decor he purchased there last year for A.A. Co. Farm, Lawn & Garden, his store a three-hour drive away in Pasadena, Md. He spent nearly $5,000.

    “It’s incredible, it’s changed our whole world,” Stephens said. “If you know what you’re looking for, it’s very hard to beat the quality.”

    Ryan Marshall spent about $8,000 on various decorations for resale at Ward’s Berry Farm in Sharon, Mass. Among his purchases were three skids of wreaths at $29 per wreath — and he expected to double his money.

    “The quality’s good, and it’s a place that you can pick it out yourself,” he said.

    Gray said her group’s research shows the main reason people pick a real tree over an artificial tree “is the scent. They want the fresh scent of a real Christmas tree in their home.” Having children in the house also tends to correlate with picking a farm-grown tree, she said.

    An August survey by the Real Christmas Tree Board found that 84% of growers did not expect wholesale prices to increase this season.

    Buffalo Valley auction manager Neil Courtney said farm-grown tree prices seem to have stabilized, and he sees hope that the trend toward artificial trees can be reversed.

    “Long story short — we’ll be back on top of the game shortly,” Courtney said. “The live tree puts the real Christmas in your house.”

    A survey by a trade group, the National Christmas Tree Association, found that more than 21 million farm-grown Christmas trees were sold in 2023, with median price of $75. About a quarter of them were purchased at a “choose-and-cut” farm, one in five from a chain store, and most of the rest from nurseries, retail lots, nonprofit sales, and online.

  • Netflix gets Phillies’ Field of Dreams game as part of new MLB media deal

    Netflix gets Phillies’ Field of Dreams game as part of new MLB media deal

    ESPN and Major League Baseball appeared headed for an ugly separation after the network opted out of its rights deal in February.

    Nine months later, it appears to be the best thing to happen to both parties.

    ESPN has a reworked deal that includes out-of-market streaming rights while NBC and Netflix will televise games as part of a new three-year media rights agreement announced Wednesday by MLB.

    Three Nick Castellanos trades that show how little the Phillies should expect in return

    Commissioner Rob Manfred also was able to maximize rights for the Home Run Derby and wild-card series.

    NBC/Peacock will become the new home of Sunday Night Baseball and the wild-card round while Netflix will have the Home Run Derby and two additional games.

    Netflix will have MLB at Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa, on Aug. 13 when the Phillies face the Minnesota Twins. It will be the first time the game has been played in Dyersville since 2022.

    Netflix also has the first game of the season on March 25 when the New York Yankees visit the San Francisco Giants. It also has the Home Run Derby and will stream an MLB special event game each year.

    The three deals will average nearly $800 million per year. ESPN will still pay $550 million while the NBC deal is worth $200 million and Netflix $50 million.

    How ESPN benefits

    ESPN, which has carried baseball since 1990, loses postseason games and the Home Run Derby but gains something more valuable for its bottom line by becoming the rights holder for MLB.TV, which will be available on the ESPN app.

    ESPN also gets the in-market streaming rights for the six teams whose games are produced by MLB — San Diego, Colorado, Arizona, Cleveland, Minnesota, and Seattle.

    Even though ESPN no longer has Sunday Night Baseball, it will have 30 games, primarily on weeknights and in the summer months.

    Baseball is the second league that has its out-of-market digital package available in the U.S. on ESPN’s platform. The NHL moved its package to ESPN in 2021.

    Welcome back, NBC

    NBC, which celebrates its 100th anniversary next year, has a long history with baseball, albeit not much recently. The network carried games from 1939 through 1989. It was part of the short-lived Baseball Network with ABC in 1994 and ’95 and then aired playoff games from 1996 through 2000.

    Its first game will be on March 26 when the defending two-time champion Los Angeles Dodgers host the Arizona Diamondbacks.

    The 25 Sunday night games will air mostly on NBC with the rest on the new NBC Sports Network. All will stream on Peacock.

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    The first Sunday Night Baseball game on NBC will be April 12 with the next one in May after the NBA playoffs.

    The addition of baseball games gives NBC a year-around night of sports on Sundays. It has had NFL games on Sunday night since 2006 and will debut an NBA Sunday night slate in February.

    NBC will also have a prime-time game on Labor Day night.

    The Sunday early-afternoon games also return to Peacock, which had them in 2022 and ’23. The early-afternoon games will lead into a studio whip-around show before the Sunday night game.

    NBC/Peacock will also do the Major League Futures game during All-Star week and coverage of the first round of the MLB amateur draft.

    Don’t forget the others

    The negotiations around the other deals were complicated due to the fact that MLB was also trying not to slight two of its other rights holders. MLB receives an average of $729 million from Fox and $470 million from Turner Sports per year under deals that expire after the 2028 season.

    Fox’s Saturday nights have been mainly sports the past couple of years with a mix of baseball, college football, college basketball, and motorsports.

    Apple TV has had Friday Night Baseball since 2022.

    The deals also set up Manfred for future negotiations. He would like to see MLB take a more national approach to its rights instead of a large percentage of its games being on regional sports networks.