As suspected drone sightings over the eastern U.S. including New Jersey continue to captivate many, the federal government’s authority to track and disable unmanned aircraft deemed threatening is set to expire after Friday and a temporary spending bill before Congress that would extend that power is now in question.
Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday temporarily banned drone flights in 22 areas of New Jersey where critical infrastructure is located. FAA officials said the flight restrictions were requested by federal security agencies and are effective through Jan. 17.
Federal and local authorities have been investigating sightings of suspected drones, but officials say there has been nothing so far to suggest that any drones have posed a national security or public safety threat. In fact, authorities say, many of the drone sightings have actually been legal drones, manned aircraft, helicopters and even stars.
Tucked into the bipartisan plan to prevent a government shutdown is a provision that would extend the authority of the departments of Homeland Security and Justice to track and disable unmanned aircraft deemed a credible threat from Dec. 20 until March 14.
That authority is vital, homeland security officials and experts say, to detect and disable any threatening drones flying near military bases, the president’s location, U.S. borders, prisons and mass gatherings such as New Year’s Eve celebrations and the Super Bowl — and they were hopeful a reauthorization of those powers will be approved before Friday’s expiration.
But the temporary spending bill including the reauthorization fell into question Wednesday when President-elect Donald Trump abruptly rejected it and told Republicans to essentially renegotiate only days before the deadline when federal funding runs out. Congress continued working Thursday to pass a bill to avert a shutdown.
It wasn’t immediately clear what a lapse in that authority would mean, including to drone detection systems the federal government has deployed to states, including New Jersey where numerous sightings have been reported, at the request of local officials. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy’s office referred questions about the detection systems to Homeland Security officials.
The Department of Homeland Security on Thursday declined to comment on the expiration of the drone authorities. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, along with other Biden administration officials and both Republicans and Democrats in Congress, has repeatedly called for the reauthorization and expansion of the authority for “counter-unmanned aerial systems” operations, or C-UAS.
“Ensuring that existing authorities do not lapse is vital to our mission, including protecting the president and vice president, patrolling certain designated areas along the Southwest Border, securing certain federal facilities and assets, and safeguarding the public,” Mayorkas told the House Homeland Security Committee in November 2023. “Any lapse in DHS’s current C-UAS authority would entail serious risks for our homeland security, as DHS would have to cease or curtail existing C-UAS operations.”
Bills in the House and Senate that would extend and expand the federal government’s drone powers remain pending. The bills also would allow state and local officials for the first time to track and disable threatening drones under a pilot program overseen by federal authorities.
On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, was blocked from quickly advancing the Senate bill when Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, objected to its passage. Paul said it wasn’t clear there is a threat from drones that warrants urgent action.
Red weather warnings have been issued by Met Office across Wales due to storm
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All football matches scheduled to take place in Wales on Saturday 7 have been postponed due to Storm Darragh, which is expected to bring destructive winds and heavy rain, the Football Association of Wales has announced.
In a statement, the body confirmed that it had taken the extraordinary measure after advice from the Met Office, which has issued rare red weather warnings in the country.
Storm Darragh is sweeping in across the Atlantic, bringing with it 90mph winds and torrential downpours set to spark flooding and travel chaos in parts of Britain.
‘The Met Office has issued red, amber, and yellow weather warnings for the vast majority of Wales due to Storm Darragh, which is expected to bring damaging winds and heavy rain, causing significant disruption and danger to life,’ the statement from the FAW began.
‘It is not safe to drive in such weather, including travelling to and from football matches. Being outside in high winds increases the risk of injury and The Met Office advises people to stay indoors if possible.
‘Clubs have been advised to check for and secure any loose items around their grounds if it can be done safely. This includes bins, furniture, goalposts, and fences etc.
All football matches in Wales on Saturday have been postponed due to Storm Darragh, which is expected to bring destructive winds and heavy rain
The Met Office has issued an 18-hour amber wind warning along the UK’s west coast from South Ayrshire down to Cornwall (pictured) , as well as in Northern Ireland, will run on Saturday from 3am to 9pm.
‘Potential postponements of fixtures on Friday 6 December and Sunday 8 December will be considered on a case-by-case basis, in line with each individual league’s policy.’
Meteorologists said a period of ‘extremely strong winds’ will develop during the early hours of Saturday morning as the low pressure system moves across the Irish Sea.
The ‘significant disruption’ warning from 3am until 11am covers most of the coast of Wales including Cardiff and Swansea, as well as parts of Bristol and North Somerset.
That could mean that various Football League and non-league fixtures could also be affected, though at this point there has been announcement from the FA.
Championship side Bristol City welcome QPR to Ashton Gate in the early fixture on Saturday, while in the National League Yeovil Town are set to entertain Braintree Town at 3pm.
Forecasters told residents to ‘stay indoors if you can’ and ‘avoid travelling by road during potentially dangerous conditions – it is not safe to drive in these conditions’.
Homeowners were urged to secure loose items outside their properties such as Christmas decorations, bins, garden furniture, trampolines, tents, sheds and fences.
The red alert, issued just after 10am on Friday, also urged people to ‘consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items’.
Red warnings are a rare event, with the last one issued by the Met Office just under a year ago on January 21, 2024 for 99mph Storm Isha – and Friday is only the 19th time in records dating back to 2011 that a red warning has been imposed.
The Met Office has also issued a 39-hour yellow wind warning for the whole of England, Wales and Northern Ireland and much of Scotland, from 3pm today until 6am on Sunday.
And an 18-hour amber wind warning along the UK’s west coast from South Ayrshire down to Cornwall, as well as in Northern Ireland, will run on Saturday from 3am to 9pm.
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Football matches in Wales POSTPONED on Saturday after Met Office issue rare ‘danger to life’ red warnings with Storm Darragh set to hit the country as well as parts of Bristol and Somerset
The brand is the brainchild of the founders of the Death & Co. cocktail brand as well as Ryan Diggins, the founder of Denver’s boutique Ramble Hotel. The partners first collaborated when Death & Co. opened its second location in the hotel’s lobby. The bar and lobby were interchangeable, and so their unique cocktail-anchored hotel experience was born.
Now the partners are taking that concept nationwide and building a brand around it. Created on the basis of thoughtful, personalized and local hospitality offerings, Midnight Auteur steps on the scene as travelers are increasingly craving unique experiences, especially in food and beverage.
Ahead of Municipal Grand’s 2025 opening, Hotel Dive sat down with Diggins, partner and CEO of Midnight Auteur, to discuss how Denver’s Ramble Hotel inspired the cocktail-focused flag and how the brand will stand apart from others in the rapidly expanding lifestyle space.
A budding brand
Midnight Auteur’s launch earlier this year coincided with Death & Co.’s first hotel location, The Ramble Hotel, celebrating its sixth year open in Denver’s hip River North arts district. The Ramble acts as a “springboard” for the new lifestyle brand and will influence its hotel projects to come, according to Diggins.
Since opening, The Ramble Hotel has become a Denver staple and filled a gap for quality lifestyle hospitality in the growing River North neighborhood, Diggins said, recalling a time when the now-bustling corner where The Ramble sits was a vacant lot.
In the mid-2010s, Diggins was sending everyone who came to visit Denver to River North, where music, food, art and nightlife were beginning to converge in the formerly industrial neighborhood. There was only one problem: The area was in desperate need of a hotel, a unique boutique hotel to be exact, Diggins thought.
But it couldn’t be just any boutique hotel. Diggins imagined one with style, that was community-forward and -driven, and would cause some buzz. The hotel Denver needed, he thought, was one that “could hit the zeitgeist of the times” but also hold up over the years — the likes of The Bowery Hotel in Manhattan’s Lower East Side or Sunset Tower in Los Angeles’ West Hollywood neighborhood, he said.
His idea became a reality in 2018, when on that once-vacant parcel in River North, he opened The Ramble Hotel. And what would make the property particularly unique was Death & Co.’s second bar location, the focal point of its lobby.
Founded in 2006, Death & Co. has a flagship establishment in New York City’s East Village. The cocktail-centered brand also has bar locations in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.
Following its success as a staple of The Ramble Hotel, Death & Co. teamed with Diggins to expand the cocktail-centered hotel concept nationwide, officially launching the partnership earlier this year.
The founders share an intention to operate hotels that “immerse guests fully and seamlessly between social spaces and retreat,” according to a brand statement obtained by Hotel Dive. And with that mission in mind, they set out to bring their cocktail-anchored experience — one in which the hotel lobby is interchangeable with the bar — to Savannah and beyond.
Midnight Auteur transcends a trends-oriented culture, though, Diggins noted. “In an industry that is so focused on trends, we’re really committed to the classics — great cocktails, a strong barista program, a perfect night’s sleep, warm hospitality and quality craftsmanship and materiality,” he said.
Authenticity matters
The secret to a great lifestyle concept, Diggins noted, is the authenticity behind it.
“Authentic local experience, if that’s dreamed up in a boardroom, it’s not going to have the soul we’re trying to [create],” he said, telling Hotel Dive that being hyper-focused on the trends surrounding experiential travel has led many hotels to create filler or checklist amenities. Diggins said it’s imperative not to “create amenities for amenities’ sake.”
“In an industry that is so focused on trends, we’re really committed to the classics — great cocktails, a strong barista program, a perfect night’s sleep, warm hospitality and quality craftsmanship and materiality.”
Ryan Diggins
Midnight Auteur Partner and CEO
“We are incredibly thoughtful in anything that is served or placed in the building. If we can’t justify its specific purpose, then it has no place in our hotel,” Diggins said. “This allows us to be trend-agnostic, and hopefully create hotels of permanence.”
During a panel discussion at The Lodging Conference in October, Rika Lisslö, vice president of development at Hyatt Hotels, shared a similar sentiment, saying lifestyle hotels must be authentic to their location and passion-driven.
To create that authentic local experience for guests, a hotel needs to “meet the locals where they’re at,” said Diggins, nodding to the Ramble Hotel’s lobby bar, which acts as a destination in and of itself for hotel guests as well as locals.
Midnight Auteur hotels, Diggins said, will first offer “a bar that is as good or better” than any cocktail bar in their destinations. They will focus on the more traditional hotel components second.
According to Diggins, the more an owner can fill their lobby with locals, the more enriching an experience the hotel guest will have. He said having a lobby bar attuned to what the local community wants and “filled with energy and people” is the value proposition of Midnight Auteur.
“If you stay with us, you might pay a little bit more than you would at other hotels in the market, but you’re paying for that curation, that experience,” Diggins said.
“Too many hotels get hung up on solving all of the hotel guest problems in their building,” Diggins said. “The hardest part is to create that place that locals want to be. If we can hit that first part, we know we’re gonna fall in line everywhere else: beautiful design, great rooms and hopefully great hospitality.”
Diggins’ Death & Co. partners are on the same page. “A remarkable hotel isn’t just a place to rest, it’s a gathering place in service to building a meaningful community,” said Alex Day in a statement.
In August, hospitality industry leader Sid Narang told Hotel Dive that more travelers, many of whom belong to younger generations, are “looking for authentic experiences” and value design, uniqueness and the restaurants and bars at hotels. This changing traveler demand is driving a rapid expansion of the lifestyle hotel sector.
Savannah incoming
So, how will Midnight Auteur stand out in the crowded lifestyle segment? According to Diggins, it’s about being “antiformulaic.”
“There are no brand standards, which gives us a lot of flexibility to design and create based on what we think the hotel needs,” Diggins said, adding, “The only formula is making sure we have really great cocktails, really great coffee, really warm hospitality.”
Each hotel under Midnight Auteur will be unique. In other words, the upcoming Municipal Grand will look nothing like The Ramble, Diggins noted.
The Savannah hotel’s design will be inspired by the city’s lush gardens and the building’s existing mid-century qualities, with local architect Lynch Associate Architects and its longstanding interior design partner AAmp Studio heading the project.
The revamped hotel will be located at the corner of Abercorn and Broughton Streets in the former First Federal Savings and Loan Association building, which most recently served as the Broughton Municipal Building. The property will offer 44 guest rooms and several food and beverage concepts, with — you guessed it — a namesake lobby bar “as the heartbeat of the property,” the brand leaders shared.
Additionally, the hotel will have a rooftop lounge and pool and a subterranean bar, the brand announced earlier this year. And the property’s cocktail focus will carry through to the guest rooms, which will include a minibar stocked with a bespoke selection of spirits, premium coffee and teas and unique glassware and bar tools.
Currently, the Midnight Auteur team is hard at work preparing for the opening of Municipal Grand, which Diggins calls the “sophomore album.” But beyond Savannah, Midnight Auteur is actively growing, with one other project in the works — though Diggins declined to share where exactly that will be.
Finding future destinations for hotels within the brand will be very “opportunity-specific,” Diggins said. “Anything we do, it has to be a legacy property. It has to be woven into the fabric of that city, that community, for the long haul.”
A new UTHealth Houston study focused on finding the best surgical technique for reconstruction of the acromioclavicular joint (ACJ), where the collarbone meets the shoulder blade, has the potential to enhance recovery and long-term shoulder health for young athletes.
Funded by a $3.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, researchers from the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, in collaboration with the Steadman Philippon Research Institute in Vail, Colorado, are working to establish a standardized approach for ACJ reconstruction. The joint is particularly vulnerable in young athletes engaged in contact sports such as football and hockey.
Currently, there is no standardized approach to treating ACJ injuries, which makes it challenging to determine the best method to repair an ACJ injury and position patients for successful, long-term outcomes. If left untreated, these injuries can lead to chronic pain, decreased mobility, and other complications, underscoring the need for an established treatment protocol.”
Payam Zandiyeh, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and lead investigator on the project
The study, titled “Multicenter, Longitudinal Study of Acromioclavicular Joint Reconstruction Techniques for Restoring Shoulder Complex Biomechanics and Soft Tissue Health,” is the first of its kind to compare multiple surgical methods for ACJ reconstruction. Specifically, the study will evaluate three ACJ reconstruction techniques:
• Coracoclavicular (CC) ligament reconstruction alone, which stabilizes the joint vertically but does not address horizontal instability, potentially leaving the joint biomechanically vulnerable.
• Combined ACJ and CC reconstruction with bone tunnels, which enhances both vertical and horizontal stability by reconstructing the AC and CC ligaments using grafts or sutures passed through drilled bone tunnels in the clavicle and coracoid. While anatomically accurate, this method carries risks of fractures due to stress on the bone tunnels, requiring careful surgical technique and postoperative care.
• Combined ACJ and CC reconstruction without bone tunnels, which is a newer, tunnel-free technique designed to reduce fracture risks while maintaining joint stability. However, its long-term effectiveness in preserving joint function is not yet fully understood.
The study aims to identify the most effective technique for restoring stability, minimizing complications, and improving long-term outcomes, particularly for young athletes prone to ACJ injuries.
The study is built on the collaborative expertise of a multidisciplinary team. James Gregory, MD, associate professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and a leading orthopedic surgeon on the project, played a pivotal role in shaping the study’s surgical protocols and ensuring their practical application for patient care.
“Dr. Gregory’s extensive surgical expertise is at the heart of this research,” Zandiyeh said. “His insight into the complexities of ACJ injuries and reconstruction techniques ensures that our work is both clinically relevant and impactful for the patients we aim to serve.”
The study also includes Manickam Nicks Kumaravel, MD, professor and Memorial Hermann Chair in the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging at McGovern Medical School, who will provide imaging diagnostics expertise for the study. Michael Jacobs, PhD, professor and Chair in Biomedical Engineering in the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging, contributed to the study’s state-of-the-art magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequence design and analysis. Dejian Lai, PhD, professor of biostatistics and data science at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, contributed to the study’s advanced biostatistical and data science analyses.
The study uses state-of-the-art imaging technologies, including dynamic stereo X-ray, which provides real-time 3D imaging of joint movement, and MRI, offering detailed analysis of soft tissue health and shoulder function. Recovery progress will be monitored at six- and 12-months post-surgery.
In addition to imaging, researchers will incorporate patient-reported outcomes and surveys to evaluate the impact of surgical techniques on mobility, stability, and overall recovery from the patients’ perspective.
“This multifaceted approach allows us to gain a comprehensive understanding of how different procedures influence recovery,” Zandiyeh said. “By combining advanced imaging with patient feedback, we can identify the techniques that offer the best outcomes for long-term shoulder health.”
The study’s findings are expected to guide the development of evidence-based treatment protocols, helping physicians select the most effective surgical methods tailored to each patient’s needs.
“This research has the potential to establish a gold-star standard of treatment for ACJ injuries,” Zandiyeh said. “By providing physicians with evidence-based surgical options, we hope to help young athletes return to sports with a positive prognosis for long-term shoulder health.”
The grant was awarded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, part of the NIH (R01AR083471).
The brand is the brainchild of the founders of the Death & Co. cocktail brand as well as Ryan Diggins, the founder of Denver’s boutique Ramble Hotel. The partners first collaborated when Death & Co. opened its second location in the hotel’s lobby. The bar and lobby were interchangeable, and so their unique cocktail-anchored hotel experience was born.
Now the partners are taking that concept nationwide and building a brand around it. Created on the basis of thoughtful, personalized and local hospitality offerings, Midnight Auteur steps on the scene as travelers are increasingly craving unique experiences, especially in food and beverage.
Ahead of Municipal Grand’s 2025 opening, Hotel Dive sat down with Diggins, partner and CEO of Midnight Auteur, to discuss how Denver’s Ramble Hotel inspired the cocktail-focused flag and how the brand will stand apart from others in the rapidly expanding lifestyle space.
A budding brand
Midnight Auteur’s launch earlier this year coincided with Death & Co.’s first hotel location, The Ramble Hotel, celebrating its sixth year open in Denver’s hip River North arts district. The Ramble acts as a “springboard” for the new lifestyle brand and will influence its hotel projects to come, according to Diggins.
Since opening, The Ramble Hotel has become a Denver staple and filled a gap for quality lifestyle hospitality in the growing River North neighborhood, Diggins said, recalling a time when the now-bustling corner where The Ramble sits was a vacant lot.
In the mid-2010s, Diggins was sending everyone who came to visit Denver to River North, where music, food, art and nightlife were beginning to converge in the formerly industrial neighborhood. There was only one problem: The area was in desperate need of a hotel, a unique boutique hotel to be exact, Diggins thought.
But it couldn’t be just any boutique hotel. Diggins imagined one with style, that was community-forward and -driven, and would cause some buzz. The hotel Denver needed, he thought, was one that “could hit the zeitgeist of the times” but also hold up over the years — the likes of The Bowery Hotel in Manhattan’s Lower East Side or Sunset Tower in Los Angeles’ West Hollywood neighborhood, he said.
His idea became a reality in 2018, when on that once-vacant parcel in River North, he opened The Ramble Hotel. And what would make the property particularly unique was Death & Co.’s second bar location, the focal point of its lobby.
Founded in 2006, Death & Co. has a flagship establishment in New York City’s East Village. The cocktail-centered brand also has bar locations in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.
Following its success as a staple of The Ramble Hotel, Death & Co. teamed with Diggins to expand the cocktail-centered hotel concept nationwide, officially launching the partnership earlier this year.
The founders share an intention to operate hotels that “immerse guests fully and seamlessly between social spaces and retreat,” according to a brand statement obtained by Hotel Dive. And with that mission in mind, they set out to bring their cocktail-anchored experience — one in which the hotel lobby is interchangeable with the bar — to Savannah and beyond.
Midnight Auteur transcends a trends-oriented culture, though, Diggins noted. “In an industry that is so focused on trends, we’re really committed to the classics — great cocktails, a strong barista program, a perfect night’s sleep, warm hospitality and quality craftsmanship and materiality,” he said.
Authenticity matters
The secret to a great lifestyle concept, Diggins noted, is the authenticity behind it.
“Authentic local experience, if that’s dreamed up in a boardroom, it’s not going to have the soul we’re trying to [create],” he said, telling Hotel Dive that being hyper-focused on the trends surrounding experiential travel has led many hotels to create filler or checklist amenities. Diggins said it’s imperative not to “create amenities for amenities’ sake.”
“In an industry that is so focused on trends, we’re really committed to the classics — great cocktails, a strong barista program, a perfect night’s sleep, warm hospitality and quality craftsmanship and materiality.”
Ryan Diggins
Midnight Auteur Partner and CEO
“We are incredibly thoughtful in anything that is served or placed in the building. If we can’t justify its specific purpose, then it has no place in our hotel,” Diggins said. “This allows us to be trend-agnostic, and hopefully create hotels of permanence.”
During a panel discussion at The Lodging Conference in October, Rika Lisslö, vice president of development at Hyatt Hotels, shared a similar sentiment, saying lifestyle hotels must be authentic to their location and passion-driven.
To create that authentic local experience for guests, a hotel needs to “meet the locals where they’re at,” said Diggins, nodding to the Ramble Hotel’s lobby bar, which acts as a destination in and of itself for hotel guests as well as locals.
Midnight Auteur hotels, Diggins said, will first offer “a bar that is as good or better” than any cocktail bar in their destinations. They will focus on the more traditional hotel components second.
According to Diggins, the more an owner can fill their lobby with locals, the more enriching an experience the hotel guest will have. He said having a lobby bar attuned to what the local community wants and “filled with energy and people” is the value proposition of Midnight Auteur.
“If you stay with us, you might pay a little bit more than you would at other hotels in the market, but you’re paying for that curation, that experience,” Diggins said.
“Too many hotels get hung up on solving all of the hotel guest problems in their building,” Diggins said. “The hardest part is to create that place that locals want to be. If we can hit that first part, we know we’re gonna fall in line everywhere else: beautiful design, great rooms and hopefully great hospitality.”
Diggins’ Death & Co. partners are on the same page. “A remarkable hotel isn’t just a place to rest, it’s a gathering place in service to building a meaningful community,” said Alex Day in a statement.
In August, hospitality industry leader Sid Narang told Hotel Dive that more travelers, many of whom belong to younger generations, are “looking for authentic experiences” and value design, uniqueness and the restaurants and bars at hotels. This changing traveler demand is driving a rapid expansion of the lifestyle hotel sector.
Savannah incoming
So, how will Midnight Auteur stand out in the crowded lifestyle segment? According to Diggins, it’s about being “antiformulaic.”
“There are no brand standards, which gives us a lot of flexibility to design and create based on what we think the hotel needs,” Diggins said, adding, “The only formula is making sure we have really great cocktails, really great coffee, really warm hospitality.”
Each hotel under Midnight Auteur will be unique. In other words, the upcoming Municipal Grand will look nothing like The Ramble, Diggins noted.
The Savannah hotel’s design will be inspired by the city’s lush gardens and the building’s existing mid-century qualities, with local architect Lynch Associate Architects and its longstanding interior design partner AAmp Studio heading the project.
The revamped hotel will be located at the corner of Abercorn and Broughton Streets in the former First Federal Savings and Loan Association building, which most recently served as the Broughton Municipal Building. The property will offer 44 guest rooms and several food and beverage concepts, with — you guessed it — a namesake lobby bar “as the heartbeat of the property,” the brand leaders shared.
Additionally, the hotel will have a rooftop lounge and pool and a subterranean bar, the brand announced earlier this year. And the property’s cocktail focus will carry through to the guest rooms, which will include a minibar stocked with a bespoke selection of spirits, premium coffee and teas and unique glassware and bar tools.
Currently, the Midnight Auteur team is hard at work preparing for the opening of Municipal Grand, which Diggins calls the “sophomore album.” But beyond Savannah, Midnight Auteur is actively growing, with one other project in the works — though Diggins declined to share where exactly that will be.
Finding future destinations for hotels within the brand will be very “opportunity-specific,” Diggins said. “Anything we do, it has to be a legacy property. It has to be woven into the fabric of that city, that community, for the long haul.”
Consumers in the United States are scouring the internet for online deals as they look to take advantage of the post-Thanksgiving shopping marathon with Cyber Monday.
Even though e-commerce is now part and parcel of many people’s regular routines and the holiday shopping season, Cyber Monday — a term coined in 2005 by the National Retail Federation — has become the biggest online shopping day of the year, thanks to the deals and the hype the industry has created to fuel it.
Adobe Analytics, which tracks online shopping, expects consumers to spend a record $13.2 billion on Monday, 6.1% more than last year. That would make it the season’s — and the year’s — biggest — shopping day for e-commerce.
For several major retailers, a Cyber Monday sale is a days-long event that began over the Thanksgiving weekend. Amazon kicked off its sales event right after midnight Pacific time on Saturday. Target’s two days of discount offers on its website and app began overnight Sunday. Walmart rolled out its Cyber Monday offers for Walmart+ members on Sunday afternoon and opened it up to all customers three hours later, at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
Consumer spending for 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.
Many U.S. consumers continue to experience sticker shock following the period of post-pandemic inflation that left prices for many goods and services higher than they were three years ago. But retail sales nonetheless have remained strong, and the economy has kept growing at a healthy pace.
At the same time, credit card debt and delinquencies have been rising. More shoppers than ever are also on track to use “buy now, pay later” plans this holiday season, which allows them to delay payments on holiday decor, gifts and other items.
Many economist have also warned that President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to impose tariffs next year on foreign goods coming into the United States would lead to higher prices on everything from food to clothing to automobiles.
The National Retail Federation expects holiday shoppers to spend more this year both in stores and online than last year. But the pace of spending growth will slow slightly, the trade group said, growing 2.5% to 3.5% — compared to 3.9% in 2023.
A clear sense of consumer spending patterns during the holiday season won’t emerge until the government releases sales data for the period, though preliminary data from other sources shows some encouraging signs for retailers.
U.S. shoppers spent $10.8 billion online on Black Friday, a 10.2% increase over last year, according to Adobe Analytics. That’s also more than double what consumers spent in 2017, when Black Friday pulled in roughly $5 billion in online sales. Consumers also spent a record $6.1 billion online on Thanksgiving Day, Adobe said.
Software company Salesforce, which also tracks online shopping, estimated that Black Friday online sales totaled $17.5 billion in the U.S. and $74.4 billion globally.
E-commerce platform Shopify said its merchants raked in a record $5 billion in sales worldwide on Black Friday. At its peak, sales reached $4.6 million per minute — with top categories by volume including clothing, cosmetics and fitness products, according to the Canadian company.
Toys, electronics, home goods, self-care and beauty categories were among the key drivers of holiday spending on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, according to Adobe. “Hot products” included Lego sets, espresso machines, fitness trackers, makeup and skin care.
Other data showed physical stores saw fewer customers on Black Friday, underscoring how the huge crowds that were once synonymous with the day after Thanksgiving are now more than happy to shop from the comfort of their homes.
RetailNext, which measures real-time foot traffic in stores, reported that its early data showed store traffic on Friday was down 3.2% in the U.S. compared to last year, with the biggest dip happening in the Midwest.
Sensormatic Solutions, which also tracks store traffic, said its preliminary analysis showed retail store traffic on Black Friday was down 8.2% compared to 2023.
Grant Gustafson, head of retail consulting and analytics at Sensormatic Solutions, noted that in-store traffic was getting spread across multiple days since many retailers offered generous discounts before and after Black Friday,
“Some of the extended Black Friday promotions really ended up leading to a little bit of a softer day-of traffic than expected,” Gustafson said.
While physical items like toys and electronics are always popular around the holidays, experts note that consumers have turned to more “experience-driven spending” in recent years, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic waned.
Jie Zhang, a marketing professor at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, told The Associated Press ahead of the post-Thanksgiving shopping weekend that he expected shoppers to “indulge themselves a bit more” when it comes to self-gifting.
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AP Business Writer Wyatte Grantham-Philips contributed to this report from New York.
A wealthy American lawyer whose lifestyle features private jets, beachside properties and snazzy yachts is among the predatory legal eagles trying to cash in on Britain’s growing car finance scandal.
Harris Pogust, 61, a veteran of the US legal scene, has boasted online of his sprawling mansion which includes a pool, gym and wine cellar.
His firm, London-based Pogust Goodhead (PG) provides him and his British partner Thomas Goodhead the means to live in luxury thanks to the cut the firm takes from compensation rulings on big cases which can run into hundreds of millions of pounds.
The firm told The Mail on Sunday that 60,467 of its clients from previous cases had been brought on board for a car loan case.
When it wins class actions, it pockets up to 50 per cent of the victims’ money for itself. But consumer experts say motorists can make their own claim and keep 100 per cent of any payout.
New Jersey-born Pogust, frequently flaunts his wealth on Instagram, including a post last month showcasing his six-bedroom, eight-bathroom home. His wife’s social media features pictures of Pogust and their dog on a private jet and snaps on board yachts.
Fishing for business: Harris Pogust shows off his catch online
Goodhead is a barrister educated at both Oxford and Cambridge who co-founded the firm with Pogust in 2018.
It is locked in a high-profile battle in London’s High Court with Anglo-Australian mining giant BHP over the Samarco dam disaster in Brazil, which killed 19 people and contaminated waterways and land spanning several villages in 2015. The class action is estimated to be worth £36 billion. PG will reportedly receive up to 30 per cent for individuals and firms.
But Brazil’s former ambassador to the UK, Rubens Barbosa, accused the firm of encouraging hundreds of thousands of claimants to reject a £24 billion settlement scheme in favour of continuing action in the High Court, which they have no guarantee of winning.
A PG spokesman said: ‘Pogust Goodhead is representing 620,000 victims whose lives have been devastated – we make no excuses for using the means at our disposal to try to level a massively uneven playing field against some of the largest, most powerful and well-resourced companies in the world.’
The firm itself is looking to save on costs as it spends millions on its legal crusades including plans to cut about 20 per cent of its staff with up to 50 job losses at its London office, according to reports.
The Court of Appeal ruled last month that commissions paid to car dealers may be unlawful if they were not flagged to customers. Firms implicated include Close Brothers, one of the UK’s oldest merchant banks, as well as Lloyds and Santander.
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Uncovered: Luxury lifestyle of US lawyer set to cash in on car loan scandal
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The No. 6 Michigan Wolverines (9-2-1) are set for a top-10 clash against their third-straight ranked opponent in No. 7 Western Michigan (8-1-1). The Broncos are winners of five of their last six and will be looking to cement themselves as legitimate national championship contenders in a critical non-conference home-and-home series.
Led by a quartet of talented scorers, Pat Ferschweiler’s team is once again anchored by one of the country’s top offenses. Fifth-year forward Tim Washe (5G, 7A) is the headliner. Washe provides a big veteran presence and uplifts every player on the ice. Leading the team with a ridiculous +11, Washe will be a defensive focal point for the Wolverines every time he’s on the ice.
Joining Washe up front is a duo of talented sophomores who each carry a specific offensive responsibility for the Broncos. Leading goal scorer Owen Michaels (6G, 2A) and leading set-up man Grant Slukynsky (2G, 8A) perfectly complement each other’s games and mesh seamlessly with Washe.
On the blue line, Western Michigan has taken a step in large part due to true freshman Iiro Hakkarainen (2 G, 3A). The young Finn has helped take the team’s defense — currently ranked fourth in the country in scoring defense — to another level. While his scoring numbers won’t wow anyone, Hakkarainen leads the team in blocked shots (10) and is second in +/- with a +10.
In net, Western Michigan deploys the same senior/freshman goalie rotation as the Wolverines — only better. Freshman Hampton Slukynsky leads the nation in save percentage (.949), and senior Cameron Rowe (.938) is also in the top-10. The only team to beat the Broncos this season is fourth-ranked Boston College. Michigan will have its hands full this weekend, but the Wolverines are also one of the hottest and most surprising teams in college hockey.
Coming off a prolific 16-goal scoring barrage against Penn State, Michigan took its offense to a new heights in Happy Valley. The Wolverines are led by true freshman Michael Hage (8G, 8A) who is coming off a seven-point weekend and the Big Ten’s First Star of the Week recognition. Not to be outdone, T.J. Hughes (5G, 7A) finally overcame his slow start to the season and added five goals (six points) against Penn State to earn the conference’s second Star of the Week.
Defensively, the Wolverines took a step back against the Nittany Lions, allowing 11 goals in two games. Michigan had only allowed eight goals in its previous four games, so the blue line will have to get back on track to slow down the prolific Broncos. Despite the regression, Ethan Edwards and Dakoda Rheaume-mullen continue to block shots at an absurd rate, as both players have absorbed 18 so far this season.
In net, the rotation took a beating on the road last week. Logan Stein (.914) lost two-tenths of his season save percentage and allowed two more goals in his Friday night start than his last four starts combined. Freshman Cameron Korpi also struggled, allowing six goals in his start and dipping his save percentage (.890) south of .900.
Given their track record, last weekend appears to be an aberration for the Wolverines’ defense. The most important thing is they found a new way to win when they needed it. However, getting back to a championship standard on both ends of the ice against a legitimate Frozen Four contender and well-rounded team leaves little time for growing pains.
Key to the Game
Reignite the penalty kill and keep the power play hot. Michigan’s penalty-kill started the season on fire, but has waned in recent weeks. Although it is still operating at a decent level — .795 is nothing to scoff at — if the Wolverines want to make a run in the Big Ten and NCAA Tournament, all special teams must be operating at a high level. Despite the dip in efficiency, Michigan is still third in the country in short-handed goals with three.
On the bright side, Michigan’s power play has finally caught up with Brandon Naurato’s reputation. The Wolverines have quietly rocketed up the rankings and now rank fifth nationally with a .289 power-play conversion. If the Wolverines can stay hot on the PP and string together a .900 PK weekend, Michigan could extend its winning streak to eight.
From the 1980s all the way through the early 2000s it was a local tradition for York-Adams League senior football standouts to participate in the annual Senior Bowl after the season concluded. It provided the best area talent to get one last taste of the game at the high school level right around Thanksgiving.
Various iterations of the gridiron contest included intraleague battles before turning into the War of the Roses matches that pitted the YAIAA against the Lancaster-Lebanon League. After the final Roses game in 2005, though, the tradition appeared to be dead.
While whispers of bringing it back were heard here and there, the idea was just that — an idea. Until recently.
After years of coaches talking about it, the York-Adams Football Coaches Association has turned the chatter into reality, as the next chapter of the Senior Bowl is set for kickoff this Sunday, Dec. 1, at 1 p.m. at York Suburban High School.
No one is happier about this revival than Kennard-Dale head coach Chris Grube.
“This is my ninth year as head coach, And we’ve been trying to bring it back,” said Grube, who is the president of the YAFCA. “Years ago I reached out and I actually tried to have a YAIAA game against North Harford down in Maryland, but we couldn’t make that work. So we were slowly trying to get it back, but then COVID hit and that all stopped. Everyone was obviously focused on their kids and their programs and just trying to play games, and we also weren’t sure about what kind of financial capabilities our sponsors would have.”
Fortunately for the YAFCA, a number of sponsors were able to provide the much-needed financial and logistical support to make this year’s event finally happen. Officials, police and EMTs also had to volunteer their services.
“Our big sponsors are Riddell, WellSpan and State Farm agent Vincent Cerceo,” Grube said. “They’ve all stepped up in a big way. 2 the Tee outfitters and several others have been great as well. Vince is one of our big gameday sponsors, which is big boost. All of our sponsors have been fantastic. Just to run this game costs about $2,000 and that includes the liability insurance and things like that.”
North vs. South: While a rivalry game against a nearby league could still happen down the road, the format for Sunday’s contest will be a North versus South clash of Y-A schools. The North team will include coaches from York Suburban and Bermudian Springs and players from Biglerville, Central York, Dover, Eastern York, New Oxford, Northeastern, Spring Grove and Suburban. The South squad is set to be coached by the staffs of Dallastown and Susquehannock with players from those schools, Hanover, Kennard-Dale, Red Lion, South Western, West York, York Catholic and York High.
Due to PIAA rules, players from Delone Catholic and Bermudian Springs — both of whom played last weekend in the PIAA quarterfinals — are prohibited from participating. Despite that, the seniors for both programs will nonetheless be recognized at the game.
“From a safety standpoint, we would have had to have a certain number of practices in for their kids to be eligible,” Grube said of the Bermudian and Delone seniors. “And besides that, we didn’t want to just throw kids out there that might not know where they’re going and then someone gets hurt.”
The return of the Senior Bowl will be a particular benefit for the growing list of seniors that enroll early in collegiate programs. A player like Dallastown’s Michael Scott — who will enroll early at James Madison after previously committing to Arizona State — wouldn’t have been eligible to play in either the East-West game or the Big 33 Classic, as those contests take place in April.
“I’m from Schuylkill County and they always played their game on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving or sometimes even on Thanksgiving. And that’s one of my big things,” Grube said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that Scott wouldn’t get the opportunity to play in the East-West or Big 33. It was the same way a few years ago with Jahiem White and Beau (Pribula). Those guys didn’t get an opportunity because they were enrolled in January. So this is a chance to give these guys one more game to just ball out, and I think it’s an awesome opportunity for them.”
Full circle: The game holds a special place in Susquehannock coach Joe Sorice’s heart. Sorice was a senior at Delone Catholic during the 2004 season and would have played in the War of the Roses had things played out a little differently.
“I made it as an alternate,” said Sorice, who is one of the coaches for the South team. “This was the year that Littlestown made it to the (PIAA Class 2A) semis and if Littlestown would have won, I would have got in. But Littlestown ended up losing, so their senior running back got in over me.”
Sorice’s story is one that Grube and the fellow Y-A coaches didn’t want to see happen again. In an interleague format, roster sizes would have been more limited, leaving the possibility for a handful or more deserving seniors to be left out.
“The coaches all agreed that it just made more sense to stay in-house,” Sorice said. “That way, more of our kids could get some exposure, especially the ones that are trying to play at the next level.”
One of the players Sorice was most excited to see participating Sunday — his senior quarterback, Josh Pecunes — unfortunately will not be on the field. Pecunes, who suffered a torn labrum during his junior season, incurred another shoulder injury midway through this year. Despite toughing it out in different roles at running back and wideout, the Warriors’ all-star standout will not be able to play.
“Josh told me last week that he has to get surgery again,” Sorice said. “He banged up his non-throwing shoulder in the game against Dover and we really limited him in practice. Towards the end of the season, he just told me that he couldn’t throw the ball. We did our best to use him as a decoy, but Josh is still one of the best athletes on the field, so we had to get him the ball. Props to that kid … he toughed it out the best that he could.”
Pecunes was hoping to secure an offer at the next level before his latest injury.
“I know that he wanted to play in college,” Sorice said. “He was hoping to get some offers but now all of that is back up in the air. I know that Millersville was high up on his board and I think they were high on him as well. So we’ll see.”
YAFCA SENIOR BOWL ROSTERS
Sunday, Dec. 1, 1 p.m. at York Suburban High School
NORTH TEAM (coaches from York Suburban, Bermudian Springs)
QB: Bo Forney, Biglerville; Houston Morder, Northeastern
WR: Ryley Dufault, Northeastern; Quez Robinson, Eastern York; Nasir Ruppert, Central York; Ryan Vargas, New Oxford; Tavian McAuliffe, Biglerville
OL: Gavin Corwell, Eastern York; Matthew McKinley, Central York; Brody Wright, Central York; Trent Hammel, Central York; Hunter Matthews, Dover
DL: Brody Conrad, Biglerville; Reese Husson, Dover; Bryce Yohe, Spring Grove; Steven Bonilla, Eastern York
LB: Tyler Frey, Central York; Carter Smith, Spring Grove; Carter Houck, New Oxford; Noah Fulton, Biglerville; Brayden Harris, Spring Grove; Micah Bowers, Central York; Hunter Childs, York Tech
CB: Everett Heim, York Suburban; Draven Becknauld, Eastern York
S: Alex Ballan, York Suburban
P: Holden Gobrecht, Spring Grove
SOUTH TEAM (coaches from Dallastown, Susquehannock)
QB: Bryce Graham, South Western; Mason Hollingshead, Red Lion
RB: Austin Rollman, South Western; Isaac Roberts, West York
WR: Joe Fuller, Susquehannock; David Warde, York High; Trey Wisniewski, York Catholic; Jalen Cook, Dallastown
TE: Jack Mahoney, Dallastown
OL: Aidyn Garner, Dallastown; Allan Jones, Susquehannock; Joseph Stout, Kennard-Dale; Joey Bryant, Red Lion; Eliott Piatt, South Western; Mason Currey, South Western
DL: Ky Calixte, York High; Dawson Zohrbaugh, Susquehannock; Colby Laughman, Dallastown; Isaac Wagner, South Western; Ethan Rissler, South Western; Trent Wagner, Hanover
LB: Chris Sterling, York Catholic; Jayden Welch, West York; Jack Lawrence, York Catholic; Andre Wiest, Dallastown; Jack McShane, Kennard-Dale
CB: Zyaire selby, Red Lion; Yrayra Kasili, Hanover; Wykeen Martin, West York
S: David Smith, Kennard-Dale; Wa’Nieq Scott, York High
Cole Palmer traded the football pitch for the red carpet on Tuesday night, stepping out with his influencer girlfriend Connie Grace for the first time at the GQ Men of the Year Awards in London.
The Chelsea midfielder, dressed sharply in a black suit and bowtie, attended the glamorous event at The Roof Gardens, with Connie, also from Manchester, who complemented Cole’s look in a sleek black dress that highlighted her toned midriff.
Making their relationship public with the debut appearance, the couple, who partied with the likes of Usain Bolt, have reportedly been together for around three months.
Connie is a nail technician but regularly travels, posting updates on her Instagram profile, which boasts over 17,000 followers despite having just 72 pictures.
Cole regularly likes her uploads, including sultry bikini snaps from her idyllic holidays to Ibiza and Bali. Her most recent glamorous photo was taken at Stamford Bridge – with the caption: ‘Fur season’.
The couple are said to have flown to Ibiza via private jet in August, where they enjoyed a ‘quick trip’ together, dining out on the harbour where they shared a romantic candlelit meal.
Connie was also seen posing alongside the Chelsea star after he picked up the PFA Young Player of the Year award in September. However, the GQ Men of the Year Awards in London was their first official outing.
The Chelsea footballer shared a tender embrace with Manchester-born Connie during the club’s clash against Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge in the autumn, hugging the beauty from the sidelines in front of thousands of fans.
Cole Palmer made his first public appearance with his girlfriend Connie Grace (right) at the GQ Men of the Year Awards
Cole was named PFA Young Player of the Year following his breakthrough season at Chelsea. The England midfielder scored 22 goals and made 11 assists during what was a disappointing campaign for his club, who finished sixth in the Premier League.
But the footballer’s performances on the pitch proved to be the big positive for his side.
The couple’s sweet moment while he proudly showed off his PFA Young Player of the Year award came after the pair were spotted on holiday together in Ibiza at the start of August following reports of their ‘growing friendship.’
Cole’s summer break gave him the chance to spend quality time with Connie, 22, after he scored in the Euros final against Spain, which England went on to lose 2-1.
A source previously told MailOnline: ‘Cole and Connie have grown increasingly close over the summer.
‘They were able to spend quality time together during Cole’s time off and their friendship has blossomed.
‘Cole even invited Connie to his game on Sunday, cementing their closeness and the trust between them.
‘They maybe young but their relationship is serious now and Cole wants Connie to be part of his world, on and off the pitch.’
Connie (pictured in London) is a nail technician but regularly travels, posting updates on her Instagram profile, which boasts over 17,000 followers despite having just 72 pictures
Cole regularly likes her uploads, including sultry bikini snaps from her idyllic holidays to Ibiza and Bali (pictured)
A source previously told MailOnline: ‘Cole and Connie (pictured) have grown increasingly close over the summer’
Meanwhile, Cole was interviewed on the red carpet on Tuesday night for a range of hilarious social media videos which were released on GQ’s TikTok page.
When asked whether he would rather score an own goal or be subbed off in the first half, the footballer said: ‘Own goal. When you get subbed in the first half, it’s bad. It just damages your reputation. It’s never happened to me touch wood.’
The interviewer went on to ask whether he would rather score a goal from the half way line or net a bicycle kick – to which Palmer responded: ‘That’s tough, I don’t know. I feel like a bicycle kick is harder. I can’t really do a bicycle. I can practice though.’
Earlier this month, England stars Cole and Kobbie Mainoo posed as cover stars for GQ’s magazine’s Men of the Year edition.
The publication said the edition aims to celebrate men who are ‘breaking the rules, changing the game, and taking their slice of the culture to another level’.
Palmer and Mainoo feature after the pair enjoyed stunning seasons at club level and played a role in England reaching the Euro 2024 final.
The pair were jointly interviewed by the magazine for the December issue, with the headline ‘Kobbie Mainoo & Cole Palmer Are Just Getting Started’.
The magazine highlighted Mainoo and Palmer as being two players who ‘grabbed the nation’s attention’ on England’s route to the Euro 2024 final.
On Tuesday night, the Chelsea midfielder, dressed sharply in a black suit and bowtie, attended the glamorous event at The Roof Gardens, with Connie, also from Manchester, who complemented Cole’s look in a sleek black dress that highlighted her toned midriff
Connie’s most recent picture was captioned: ‘Fur season’ and featured two photos of Grace posing at Stamford Bridge (pictured above)
It comes after the couple were spotted on holiday together in Ibiza at the start of August following reports of their ‘growing friendship’
Cole flew Connie to Ibiza via private jet in August, where they enjoyed a ‘quick trip’ together, dining out on the harbour where they shared a romantic candlelit meal
Mainoo and Palmer told GQ that the pair had become close friends during the tournament in Germany, despite starring for rival Premier League clubs.
Palmer made a stunning impact during his debut season at Chelsea after his summer move from Man City.
Despite his limited game time at Euro 2024, Palmer was last month named as England men’s player of the year.
Palmer has continued his stunning form this season for Chelsea by scoring seven goals in 13 matches, while Mainoo’s progress has been set back by injury.
The duo are expected to be a key part of new England manager Thomas Tuchel’s plans when he officially takes charge from January.
