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Republican and Democratic lawmakers at an impasse on reopening the federal government provided few public signs Sunday of meaningful negotiations taking place to end what is about to be a six-day shutdown with President Donald Trump saying that layoffs are occurring.Asked on Sunday night when federal workers would be fired as he has threatened to do, Trump told reporters: “It’s taking place right now and it’s all because of the Democrats.”“The Democrats are causing the loss of a lot of jobs,” Trump added, declining to answer a question about which agencies are subject to the cuts.The possibility of layoffs would escalate an already tense situation in which Washington lawmakers have struggled to find common ground and build mutual trust. Leaders in both parties are betting that public sentiment has swung their way, putting pressure on the other side to cave.Democrats are insisting on renewing subsidies to cover health insurance costs for millions of households, while Trump wants to preserve existing spending levels as he believes that Democrats will have to cave because of the jobs and federal projects being put at risk.The squabble comes at a moment of troubling economic uncertainty. While the U.S. economy has continued to grow this year, hiring has slowed and inflation remains elevated as Trump’s import taxes have created a series of disruptions for businesses and hurt confidence in his leadership. At the same time, there is a recognition that the nearly $2 trillion annual budget deficit is financially unsustainable.House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, among those appearing on the Sunday news shows, said there have been no talks with Republican leaders since their White House meeting last Monday.“And, unfortunately, since that point in time, Republicans, including Donald Trump, have gone radio silent,” Jeffries said. “And what we’ve seen is negotiation through deepfake videos, the House canceling votes, and of course President Trump spending yesterday on the golf course. That’s not responsible behavior.”The Trump administration sees the shutdown as an opening to wield greater power over the budget, with multiple officials saying they will save money as workers are furloughed by imposing permanent job cuts on thousands of government workers, a tactic that has never been used before.Even though it would be Trump’s choice to cut jobs, he believes he can put the blame on the Democrats because of the shutdown.“It’s up to them,” Trump told reporters on Sunday morning before boarding the presidential helicopter to celebrate the Navy’s 250th anniversary in Norfolk, Virginia.While Trump rose to fame on the TV show “The Apprentice” with its catchphrase of “You’re fired,” Republicans on Sunday claimed that the administration would take no pleasure in letting go of federal workers, even though the administration had also put funding on hold for infrastructure and energy projects in Democratic areas without clear signs of remorse.“We haven’t seen the details yet about what’s happening” with layoffs, House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday morning on NBC. “But it is a regrettable situation that the president does not want.”Kevin Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council, also said the administration would prefer to avoid the layoffs.“We want the Democrats to come forward and to make a deal that’s a clean, continuing resolution that gives us seven more weeks to talk about these things,” Hassett said on CNN. “But the bottom line is that with Republicans in control, the Republicans have a lot more power over the outcome than the Democrats.”Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California defended his party’s stance on the shutdown, saying on NBC that the possible increase in health care costs for “millions of Americans” would make insurance unaffordable in what he called a “crisis.”But Schiff also noted that the Trump administration has stopped congressionally approved spending from being used. That essentially undermines the value of Democrats trying to seek compromises on the budget since the administration could block the spending of money from any deal. The Trump administration sent Congress roughly $4.9 billion in “pocket rescissions” on foreign aid, a process that meant the spending was withheld without time for Congress to weigh in before the previous fiscal year ended last month.“We need both to address the health care crisis and we need some written assurance in the law I won’t take a promise that they’re not going to renege on any deal we make,” Schiff said.The television appearances indicated that Democrats and Republicans are busy talking, deploying internet memes against each other that have raised concerns about whether it’s possible to negotiate in good faith.Vice President JD Vance said a video putting Jeffries in a sombrero and thick mustache was simply a joke, even though it came across as mocking people of Mexican descent as Republicans insist that the Democratic demands would lead to health care spending on immigrants in the country illegally, a claim that Democrats dispute.Immigrants in the U.S. illegally are not eligible for any federal health care programs, including insurance provided through the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid. Still, hospitals do receive Medicaid reimbursements for emergency care that they are obligated to provide to people who meet other Medicaid eligibility requirements but do not have an eligible immigration status.The challenge, however, is that the two parties do not appear to be having productive conversations with each other in private, even as Republicans insist they are in conversation with their Democratic colleagues.On Friday, a Senate vote to advance a Republican bill that would reopen the government failed to notch the necessary 60 votes to end a filibuster. Johnson said the House would close for legislative business next week, a strategy that could obligate the Senate to work with the government funding bill that was passed by House Republicans.“Johnson’s not serious about this,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on CBS. “He sent all his congressmen home last week and home this week. How are you going to negotiate?”Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Sunday that the shutdown on discretionary spending, the furloughing of federal workers and requirements that other federal employees work without pay will go on so long as Democrats vote no.“They’ll get another chance on Monday to vote again,” Thune said on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.”“And I’m hoping that some of them have a change of heart,” he said. Jeffries, Johnson and Schiff appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Hassett was on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Schumer was on CBS’s “Face the Nation” and Thune was on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” Josh Boak, Associated Press
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E-Commerce
October ushers in changing foliage, cooler temperatures, and the spooky season made eerier with less daylight. Costumes are donned and even the night sky wants to help set the mood. Much to the dismay of werewolves, Octobers Harvest supermoon will peak tonight (Monday, October 6) at 11:47 p.m. ET, according to the Farmers Almanac. Lets break down the science behind this nighttime spectacle and take a look at future events. Why is Octobers full moon called the Harvest Moon? The full moon closest to the autumnal equinox gets the moniker Harvest Moon. Septembers offering took place on September 7 and the equinox took place on September 22 in the Northern Hemisphere. This means that October gets the crown in 2025, although that is not always the case. Before modern conveniences, the Harvest Moon helped farmers out by rising around the same time each evening and giving extra illumination. This light allows those working the land to get crops collected before the frigid winter months arrive. What is a supermoon? The moon orbits the Earth in an elliptical pattern. This means there are points on its path when the moon is closer to the Earth than at others. When the satellite is at its closest points to the Earth, it is called perigee. When a full moon happens during this period, it gets upgraded to super. (We cant confirm yet if it gets a cape and a sidekick.) According to NASA, supermoons can appear in the sky to be 30% brighter and up to 14% larger than your average full moon. This happens three or four times a year. What about the Draconid meteor shower? The extra light is both a blessing and a curse. The supermoon is not the only celestial phenomenon taking place on October 6 as the Draconid meteor shower is expected to begin and peak on October 8. The supermoons illumination might just upstage the meteors from the 21P Giacobini-Zinner comet by washing them out. Supermoons appear full to the naked eye for a couple of days, and the Draconid meteor shower will last until October 10, so theres a small window of hope. If that doesnt pan out, you can always look forward to the Orionid meteor shower peak, which takes place on October 21. But wait, theres more . . . Octobers Harvest Moon is a trendsetter. This bright spot is the first of three back-to-back supermoons that will close out the year. Novembers moon just might outdo the Harvest Moon, but lets not get ahead of ourselves just yet.
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E-Commerce
Uniqlo, the Japanese retailer known for its monochromatic casual wear and accessories, is gearing up to significantly expand its U.S. physical footprint next year. The brand will open 11 new stores across seven cities in spring and summer 2026, Uniqlo told Fast Company. The expanded fleet will include four new stores in New York City: three in Manhattan and an additional location in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. The new locations come two decades after Uniqlo opened its first U.S. store in Manhattans Soho neighborhood in 2006. For fans of Uniqlos ultra-stretch jackets, Pufftech vests, and functional backpacks, it gets even better: The company is also planning new flagship locations in Chicago and San Francisco, along with additional stores in Seattle, Boston, Washington, D.C., and the Annapolis Mall in Maryland. Uniqlo currently operates 78 stores in the United States. The new stores will add to that tally, putting its U.S. footprint closer in size to that of Inditex-owned Zara, the Spanish fast-fashion chain, which has roughly 97 stores in the United States. Both are still relatively small in comparison to rival H&M Group, which reported 754 stores across North and South America as of August 31. Uniqlos leadership says the brand is not looking to open stores merely for the sake of planting flags in new territories. Our strategy is about thoughtful growthopening the right stores in the right placeswhile ensuring every location reflects our customers voices and delivers a meaningful, high-quality experience, Fuminori Adachi, CEO of the brands U.S. division, said in a statement. Retail is facing headwinds in 2025 The expansion comes as many U.S. apparel chains have been struggling with declining foot traffic and sluggish sales. Price-conscious shoppers, stung by sticker shock and an uncertain economy, are buying less or staying away altogether. Many consumers, especially younger ones, have turned to ultra-cheap e-commerce platforms such as Shein and Temu for their fashion fixes. Some well-known apparel chains have culled their store counts or worse in recent years. U.S. retailer Gap Inc. announced in 2020 that it would close 350 of its Gap and Banana Republic stores. More dramatically, fast-fashion retailer Forever 21 wound down its U.S. operations after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March. Apparel sellers are hardly the only chains impacted by a landscape reshaped by online shopping. Retailers from Starbucks to Petco have closed stores this year as they reassess their brick-and-mortar needs and redesign their storefronts for an era when in-store customers can no longer be taken for granted. All of this makes Uniqlos announcement a welcome bright spot. Fast Retailing, the brands Tokyo-based parent company, saw its revenue grow 10.6% in the nine months to May compared to the same period last year, according to financial results announced in July. The retail giant, which operates more than 3,600 stores worldwideincluding some 2,500 Uniqlo storesgenerated sales of 3.1 trillion yen ($21.42 billion) for its fiscal year ending August 31, 2024. Where are the new Uniqlo stores opening? The full list of new locations being announced by Uniqlo are below. New York Brooklyn: Williamsburg Manhattan: Union Square Manhattan: Bryant Park, Fifth Avenue Manhattan: World Trade Center Illinois Chicago: 600 N. Michigan Avenue Chicago: Oakbrook Mall California San Francisco: 830 Market Street Massachusetts Boston: Downtown Crossing, 395-403 Washington Street Maryland Annapolis Mall Washington State Seattle area: Issaquah Commons Washington, D.C. Georgetown Park: 3262 M Street NW In addition to the above stores, the Austin American-Statesman last week reported that Uniqlo is planning to open a location in the Texas capital, citing a regulatory filing. A representative for Uniqlo declined to confirm the Austin location.
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E-Commerce
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