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Support Local

Jonathan Baker
 |  Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

The holidays are just around the corner – and that means we’ve all got some shopping to do. Things have been difficult this year, no question, but we’re a resilient city and we know how to get through this – by supporting local. Whether you’re ordering online or by phone and picking up your purchase, or donning a mask and paying a visit in person, you’ll find a welcome environment in these South Plains shops. Amid uncertain times, it’s more important than ever to show our gratitude for the businesses that make our city so special. 

Men

Malouf’s

For generations, Malouf’s has been synonymous with style and grace on the South Plains. The elegant store has brought a world-class sense of panache to Lubbock. Founded nearly 75 years ago by legendary clothier John Malouf and now run by John’s son, Michael, the store has maintained

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Adventure
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  • October 31, 2020
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Holiday spending expected to decrease during the pandemic, survey shows

Holiday spending is expected to decrease this year amid limited travel and incomes during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a survey released Wednesday from the accounting and consulting firm Deloitte.

The average household projected to spend $1,387, a 7% decrease year-over-year, according to the survey, which recorded answers from a little over 4,000 people in the U.S.

“Retail has changed so dramatically,” said Peter Sachse, a longtime executive who was the former chief growth officer for Macy’s.

“The competitive landscape has exploded,” he said, adding that once-popular chain stores Kmart and Sears were no longer the retail powerhouses they once were.

Retail experts said they estimated that travel sales would come down significantly this holiday season as millions of people worried about the possibility of contracting or transmitting the coronavirus.

On average, the survey found, households could spend $260 on travel, a decrease of 34% year-over-year.

As a result, according

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Travel
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  • October 31, 2020
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Businesses fear a nightmare before Christmas as they face further losses in the second lockdown

British retailers, bars and restaurants were furious on Saturday evening at being ordered to close in the run up to the crucial Christmas trading period.

The tightening of measures will further dampen Britons’ spending confidence, many companies fear, and could put them off from going into shops even if non-essential retailers reopen before Christmas.

In April and May, when many high-street chains were forced to close, non-essential retailers lost £1.6 billion a week.

While the return of the furlough scheme will be welcome support, losses will be much greater the second time around as companies enter the crucial festive shopping period, when they make the bulk of their profits.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said retailers had spent “hundreds of millions of pounds to make [stores] secure” and keep customers safe.

She added: “Retail faces a nightmare before Christmas, denying customers access to many of their

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Hotel
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  • October 31, 2020
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Lil Nas X Shuts Down 50 Cent Over Nicki Minaj Halloween Costume Hate

Lil Nas X is causing a stir with his Halloween costume—a practically flawless homage to 2011 Nicki Minaj.

The “Old Town Road” artist cut no corners in replicating the look Minaj sported in her music video for “Super Bass.” From hair to hips to ice motorcycle, Lil Nas’s Halloween getup has got to be one of the best and most iconic we’ve seen from a celebrity so far this spooky season.

But not everyone can get behind the rapper’s look. 

Ever since Lil Nas came out as gay in 2019, he’s faced pushback from the less tolerant corners of the hip-hop community. This time around, it was 50 Cent giving the rapper a hard time.

“What the f*ck, Nikki [sic] come get him !!! Lol,” 50 wrote, resharing the pictures.

In 2019, 50 Cent took aim at former collaborator Young Buck for a relationship he allegedly had with a transgender

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Recreation
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  • October 31, 2020
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How the coronavirus pandemic changed the 2020 campaign

Yet the campaign, like American life, has forged ahead in unprecedented ways amid the threat of the coronavirus, which has dangerously surged again in recent weeks. In April, thousands of people across Wisconsin risked their health to cast primary ballots in the early weeks of the pandemic — a preview of the long lines to come even in the final days before the general election.

In early summer, President Trump, 74, resumed his massive campaign rallies against the advice of health experts and sent Republican organizers back into the field, downplaying the risks of covid-19 even after he became infected. Democrats, meanwhile, moved most of their campaigning into the virtual world — hosting organizing events and rallies on Zoom.

When Biden eventually returned to in-person campaigning, his schedule was limited, the guest list sparse. The 77-year-old candidate, who once stood close enough to touch foreheads with voters, now stood far

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Travel
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  • October 31, 2020
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5 Android apps you shouldn’t miss this week

AAW SideSqueeze screenshot
Welcome to the 352nd edition of Android Apps Weekly! Here are the big headlines from the last week:
  • Facebook is the latest company in the game streaming space. It wants to offer mobile game streaming through its official app and on the website. Some of the launch titles include Asphalt 9: Legends, WWE SuperCard, and PGA Golf Tour Shootout. The feature is currently rolling out regionally across the US and there are some restrictions as well. For instance, you need a good Internet connection in order to use it. More areas are coming soon as well as more games.
  • Netflix is potentially experimenting with an audio-only mode. XDA-Developers found evidence of such a mode in a recent APK teardown. It may seem silly since Netflix has a bunch of TV shows and movies. However, the service also has a bunch of comedy stand-ups and documentaries that might work pretty well
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Adventure
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  • October 31, 2020
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Perspective: Should we make Election Day a national holiday?

YES: A holiday? Yes. But other election reforms are needed as well

Americans should have options to vote in a secure and accessible way. One possibility many have raised is making Election Day a national federal holiday. While giving Americans a day devoted to voting is a good idea, it must also be coupled with other election reforms to make sure no one is left out of the political process.

The fact that we hold elections on Tuesdays, when many people are at work or in school, is a problem for too many voters. A 2017 Pew study found that nearly 16% of registered voters who did not vote in the 2016 election reported that they did not cast a ballot because of being too busy, a conflicting schedule, or inconvenient hours or polling places. That 16% may not seem like a lot, but it represents tens of millions of

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Travel
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  • October 31, 2020
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Sean Connery, the ‘original’ James Bond, dies at 90

LONDON

Sean Connery, the charismatic Scottish actor who rose to international superstardom as the suave secret agent James Bond and then abandoned the role to carve out an Oscar-winning career in other rugged roles, has died. He was 90.

Connery’s wife and two sons said he “died peacefully in his sleep surrounded by family” in the Bahamas, where he lived. Son Jason Connery said his father had been “unwell for some time.”

Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said they were “devastated” by the news. They said Connery’s “gritty and witty portrayal of the sexy and charismatic secret agent” was largely responsible for the success of the film series.

“He was and shall always be remembered as the original James Bond whose indelible entrance into cinema history began when he announced those unforgettable words — ‘The name’s Bond… James Bond,’” they said in a statement.

Daniel Craig, the

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Adventure
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  • October 31, 2020
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Art for Action Uses Digital Billboards to Get Out the Vote

If you’ve been around the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, the Colorado Convention Center, the Westin Hotel or the Denver Pavilions recently, you may have seen big, bright rainbow screens that say “POWER FULL BECAUSE THEY’RE DIFFERENT.” This art installation is courtesy of Orange Barrel Media, an Ohio-based company that’s been working with the Denver Theatre District, which uses downtown billboards to fund innovative arts projects, since 2009.

“Through that partnership, we have funded commissions such as the projection mapping project that illuminates the 16th Street Mall and [Konstantin Dimopoulos’s] Blue Trees art installation, which represents global deforestation and the importance of trees to people and their environment,” says Orange Barrel Media CEO Pete Scantland.

Now, teaming up with artists Jenny Holzer, Carrie Mae Weems, Jeffrey Gibson and Tomashi Jackson, the company created Art for Action to help get out the vote. This nationwide project includes 350 screens in

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Hotel
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  • October 31, 2020
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$4.2M Superfund settlement helps pay to expand Sourland Mountain preserve

A multi-million dollar settlement stemming from long-standing pollution in Central Jersey is paying for the expansion of protected open space at a nearby preserve.

Wyeth Holdings, a subsidiary of Pfizer, has agreed to pay $4.2 million to New Jersey to compensate for natural resource damages related to groundwater pollution at the American Cyanamid Superfund site, state Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Catherine McCabe announced on Friday.

“This agreement demonstrates how the state and responsible parties can work together for the public good,” McCabe said in a statement. “I applaud Wyeth for working cooperatively with DEP’s Office of Natural Resource Restoration to amicably resolve their liability and to enhance natural resources in the Raritan River watershed. Cooperation like this ensures that our time is better spent restoring and improving outdoor spaces for the enjoyment of all New Jerseyans.”

The sprawling American Cyanamid site, which spans 435 acres between Bridgewater and Bound

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Recreation
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  • October 31, 2020