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New Jersey’s American Dream mall could use a Black Friday boost

“How the holiday season goes could make or break whether retailers on the brink of bankruptcy are forced to liquidate,” said Vince Tibone, a retail analyst at commercial-property data firm Green Street. “Black Friday is not going to be the giant in-person shopping event that it has been in prior years.”

It’s not just the stores that face challenges. Like many new shopping centers, American Dream was designed around experiences, including an indoor ski slope and a water park. Those perks, which are open under limited capacity and health protocol restrictions, don’t hold the same appeal in the age of Covid-19.

The stakes are high. The Ghermezian family, which owns the mall through its Triple Five Group real estate company, borrowed billions to complete the project, using prized assets in the retail portfolio as collateral. Almost $1.7 billion of construction loans were backed by equity interests in West Edmonton Mall

Travel

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November 26, 2020

WWE NXT: Leon Ruff reflects on North American championship win

Leon Ruff surprised the NXT world last week, defeating Johnny Gargano to become the new North American champion.

The 24-year-old Dartanyon Ruffin has been wrestling since 2016, but he is new to WWE. Up until the Gargano upset, one of his top WWE highlights was his performance in a squash match against Aleister Black in March. Ruff’s enthusiasm for the craft of pro wrestling was evident in that one-sided loss, and he impressed backstage executives with his ability to make the most of that moment.

Originally from Detroit, Ruff has long dreamed of a full-time career in pro wrestling. His dedication was on display over the years with constant sacrifices throughout the indie scene, particularly in EVOLVE, where he was known for making long car rides just to help at shows when he wasn’t even on the card. But Ruff will certainly be on the NXT card on Wednesday night,

Travel

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November 19, 2020

The Platinum Card from American Express review

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Please note: the offers mentioned below are subject to change at any time and may not be available.

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information.

The Platinum Card® from American Express Overview

The Platinum Card® from American Express is the king of the premium travel rewards cards when it comes to luxury perks. You’ll earn Amex’s valuable Membership Rewards, receive up to $500 in various annual credits, have access to an extensive network of airport lounges worldwide and more. Plus you have a chance to earn a solid welcome offer and higher bonus points in pandemic-friendly categories. The card comes with a high annual fee, but it’s more than worth it for those

Travel

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November 17, 2020

50 Photos of American Life in 2020

It would be disingenuous to say 2020 started out like any other year.

In January, the U.S. was mired in impeachment proceedings of a sitting president. Tensions with Iran were on the rise, nine people including basketball star Kobe Bryant were killed in a helicopter crash, a U.S. military base was attacked near Baghdad, and, on Jan. 21, the first case of a mysterious virus was reported in the United States.

50 photos of American life in 2020 — Mario Tama / Getty Images

As the months unfolded and the coronavirus spread, businesses shuttered, the economy tanked, and the death toll around the world rose. By Oct. 19, cases had reached 8.19 million in the United States with more than 220,000 deaths from the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University. Virtually all parts of everyday life have changed, from how we socialize and study to how we shop and eat. A new normal has emerged; one featuring social

Hotel

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November 15, 2020

American Airlines reviewing wheelchair policy after blogger calls out weight restrictions as too prohibitive

A blogger who traveled with American Airlines has found the airline’s wheelchair policies confusing and restrictive, but his story has inspired American to take another look at its rules.

John Morris, a triple amputee, has traveled to 46 countries in a wheelchair and started the blog Wheelchair Travel, where he shares his adventures and has created an online community for accessible travel.

Recently, Morris was traveling from his home in Gainesville, Fla., to Dallas — his first trip since the pandemic began in March — when he was rejected by American Airlines due to the weight of his wheelchair.

His power wheelchair now exceeded the weight limit for its CRJ-700 jet.

More From TravelPulse

“The airline had implemented this new policy because they were damaging a large number of power wheelchairs loading them onto regional aircraft… [and] in order to protect my wheelchair, they were no longer willing to accept

Hotel

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November 11, 2020

Thai Hotel That Put American in Jail Gets New Label on Tripadvisor

BANGKOK — The resort hotel in Thailand got its public apology. The unhappy American guest who spent two nights in jail for criticizing the hotel online got his criminal charges dropped. But it was Tripadvisor, the giant online travel review platform, that got the last word.

Wesley Barnes, the American traveler who was arrested after being charged with criminal defamation for posting critical reviews of the Sea View resort on the island of Koh Chang, quietly left Thailand this week.

With Mr. Barnes safely out of the country, Tripadvisor took punitive action on Wednesday against the resort, posting a one-of-a-kind notice on the Sea View’s page warning travelers that the hotel was behind the jailing of a guest for his harsh reviews.

“This hotel or individuals associated with this hotel filed criminal charges against a Tripadvisor user in relation to the traveler writing and posting online reviews,” the warning reads.

Hotel

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November 11, 2020

How American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts can land you elite-like benefits at top hotels

MSN has partnered with The Points Guy for our coverage of credit card products. MSN and The Points Guy may receive a commission from card issuers.

Last summer, I had an opportunity to experience something extraordinary — the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North, a few miles outside of Phoenix. There was only one catch: midday temperatures easily exceeded 110 degrees, making some quality pool time an absolute must.

Those peak-summer temperatures also made for significantly reduced demand and the far more affordable hotel rates that often follow. So, while the Four Seasons might be out of reach during peak season — fall and winter rates can easily approach $500 — I managed to score a base rate of $230 per night.

a path with buildings on the side of a building: Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North (Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

© The Points Guy
Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North (Photo by Zach Honig/The Points Guy)

Better yet, I used

Hotel

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November 7, 2020

American Murder: The Family Next Door Netflix’s most-watched documentary

Chilling true crime feature American Murder: The Family Next Door has become Netflix’s most-watched documentary film, the streaming service has revealed.

Released at the end of September, the factual piece explores the tragic story of Shanann Watts, who was killed by her husband in 2018, as were her two young daughters, Bella and Celeste.

The documentary uses a wide variety of archive footage to create a timeline of events before and after the crime, including social media posts, text messages and home videos.

Netflix has revealed that the film is projected to be viewed by 52 million subscribers in its first 28 days, which would make it the platform’s most successful feature-length documentary to date.

This would also place it significantly higher than The Social Dilemma, another Netflix original film to be made available in recent weeks, which explores the danger posed to society by the rise of social media.

Adventure

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October 21, 2020

Pandemic leaves American Samoa residents stranded, homesick

“Every time I talk about it, I just cry,” she said.

Vaʻa left the U.S. territory in the Pacific in February with her husband for medical treatment. They planned to fly home in March from San Francisco but decided to postpone after hearing a security worker at the airport had contracted the virus.

Since then, they haven’t been able to leave because American Samoa Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga closed the territory on March 13 to protect those on the islands from COVID-19 — and it hasn’t reported any cases.

In July, after the order was extended, the Vaʻas stopped bothering to make travel plans and are awaiting word from government officials about when they can come home.

“The interests of the 60,000 residents on-island and protecting their lives outweighs the interest of the 600 or more residents stranded in the United States,” said Iulogologo Joseph Pereira, chairman of the territorial

Travel

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October 14, 2020

Academia after COVID – Scientific American

“By now, I’ve lost any hope of educating my senior colleagues,” I joked after a lengthy debate about the educational implications of COVID-19 at a recent online faculty meeting. “Oh, stop it,” others protested. And in fact, the truth is that I do have hope. It rests squarely on the shoulders of the younger generation, which lacks a baggage of prejudice, scars from past battles or an entrenched agenda. Our junior colleagues are unbiased enough to carry the torch of innovation, they are energetic and fearless enough to shape reality as if it was clay, and they are innocent enough to believe that the future can be better than the past.

Hiring freezes in universities, triggered by COVID-19 budget squeezes, endanger this future. The reduction in job opportunities threatens the careers of postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty. Some faculty searches that were supposed to conclude in March 2020 were cancelled

Travel

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October 10, 2020