Colorful, interlocking plastic bricks are the only thing keeping the toy sector afloat as its yearly sales are on the verge of declining for the second year in a row. Lego is expanding quickly at a time when toy companies are finding it difficult to match the enormous increases of pandemic-era sales. In the first half of the year, the Danish company's revenue increased by 13%, and it is still gaining market share. According to Eric Handler, managing director at Roth MKM, Lego has been the primary driver of the industry's growth this year when it comes to toy sales. Lego has restructured its operations and broadened its clientele since nearly going bankrupt in the early 2000s, which has helped it increase sales despite inflationary market conditions. Over the last six years, Lego has shown ...

American morningmay arrive sooner than anticipated in the near future. The unexpected promise made by President-elect Donald Trump to abolish daylight saving time would have a significant impact on American life throughout the spring and summer, when people enjoy the sun late into the night. Because daylight saving time tends to shift the sun later in the day, spring and summer days are incredibly long and dazzling. By bringing more sunlight to earlier hours, standard time ensures that kids aren't walking to school in the dark during cold weather. The medical profession, which has been advocating for years to establish standard time full time, was taken aback by Trump's proposal to end daylight saving time, a practice long thought to be backed by American economic interests. Daylight savin...

The Summary Whooping cough cases in the U.S. have reached the highest annual total in a decade. As of Dec. 14, 32,000 cases had been recorded, compared with more than 5,100 cases at the same time last year. Experts attribute the trend to a combination of factors, including a decrease in the vaccination rate. With as many instances reported in the previous 12 weeks as in the entire year, the number of whooping cough cases in the United States has increased to its highest yearly total in ten years. Approximately 14,500 cases had been reported nationwide since the year's start as of mid-September. As of December 14, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that number had increased to over 32,000. Compared to the same period in 2023, when over 5,100 instances ...

Your holiday shopping should be about over by now, but for those who still have gifts to buy, stores are offering last-minute discounts on a variety of items, along with same-day and next-day shipping choices to ensure prompt delivery. Additionally, there are a lot of amazing discounts available through the end of the year for you or a loved one if you have more flexible deadlines. These sales and more are included below, along with bestsellers, NBC Select staff picks, and previously suggested companies. Keep in mind that some items can have a limited-time sale, and you should be aware of the holiday shipping dates. GO Ahead and SkipBest deals from NBC Select's top brands | Best deals on clothing and accessories | Best deals on kitchenware and home furnishings | Best deals on beauty and we...

The Summary The bird flu outbreak took several concerning turns this year, with the number of human cases up to at least 65. Experts outlined several indicators that the virus spread is going in the wrong direction. Among them are recent detections of the virus in wastewater and signs of dangerous mutations. Perhaps the long-simmering danger of avian flu is about to explode. A number of alarming advancements in the virus's transmission have occurred this year. At least 65 individuals have tested positive with the virus since April, marking the first instances of the virus in the United States other than a single incident in 2022. This year, the virus has affected dairy cow herds in 16 states. On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention verified that a cr...

Blake Lively's civil rights complaint against her It Ends With Us co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, sparked a frenzy of online discussion over the weekend. Baldoni was accused of sexual harassment during filming and of retaliating against Lively when she voiced concerns about his behavior on set in the complaint, which was submitted to the California Civil Rights Department. While they were marketing the movie this summer, she claimed that Baldoni engaged a crisis publicity business to launch a social manipulation effort to disparage her. Baldoni's lawyer characterized the accusations as utterly untrue, ludicrous, and purposefully offensive, and charged Lively with attempting to protect her reputation. A lawsuit frequently starts with such a file with the state. It Ends With Us, the mu...

WASHINGTON — Despite his objections to language that excludes coverage of transgender medical treatments for children in military families, President Joe Biden signed a defense bill into law on Monday that authorizes significant pay increases for junior enlisted service members, aims to counter China's growing power, and increases overall military spending to $895 billion. Biden stated that the provision is vehemently opposed by his administration because it interferes with parents' involvement in deciding how best to care for their children and targets a group based on gender identity. Additionally, he argued, it makes it more difficult for the all-volunteer military to find and keep talent. The president stated in a statement that no military member should have to choose between their c...

President of Washington,Only three individuals remain on execution row in federal prisons after Joe Biden revealed on Monday that he is commuting the death sentences of 37 convicts. According to the White House, the commuted sentences would be reclassified as life terms with no chance of release. "These commutations are consistent with the moratorium my Administration has imposed on federal executions, in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder," Biden stated in a press release. "Don't be misled: I abhor these killers, I hurt for all the families who have endured unspeakable and irreversible loss, and I grieve for the victims of their heinous crimes. However, Biden said in his statement, "I am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the ...

According to the House Ethics Committee's final report on its investigation of former Representative Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., he engaged in a number of behaviors that violated House Rules and several that would have been considered state-level crimes. Following a protracted investigation, the committee released its 42-page report Monday morning. According to the report, the Committee found strong evidence that Representative Gaetz had broken House Rules and other conduct standards that forbid prostitution, statutory rape, illegal drug use, unlawful gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress. Gaetz has denied any impropriety on numerous occasions, and he denied paying for sex in a series of posts on X on Monday. According to the committee's report, he disregarded its probe ...

Luigi Mangione entered a not guilty plea on Monday to state charges in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. His defense team objected to the police putting him on well-planned, wholly political pity walks. At his arraignment before Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro, Mangione donned light-colored slacks and a white shirt underneath a maroon sweater. The Supreme Court is New York's highest trial court. Last Thursday, Manhattan prosecutors unveiled an 11-count indictment accusing Mangione of a number of offenses related to the murder on December 4. First-degree murder, terrorist acts, unlawful gun possession, and forgery by using a phony identification document in the days prior to the murder are among the charges. During the brief hearing, when he spoke with defense...