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Business
Big Lots To Close Hundreds More Stores, Including Several In Massachusetts Big Lots To Close Hundreds More Stores, Including Several In Massachusetts
Big Lots To Close Hundreds More Stores, Including Several In Massachusetts It's more bad news for discount retailer Big Lots. The nationwide chain announced in June that it would close 40 stores following dismal sales and rising costs, but in a new filing last week, the company said it may need to shutter nearly 300 locations — several of them in the Northeast.  Big Lots announced in a US Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Friday, Aug. 2, that under an updated term sheet, the company would need to close 20 percent of its 1,392 stores — about 290 in all.  Here are some of the local closures. Connecticut — Eight stores Manchester — 1…

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by Josh Lanier
News
You Can Audition For 'American Idol' Virtually — As Long As You Were Born Between These Dates You Can Audition For 'American Idol' Virtually — As Long As You Were Born Between These Dates
You Can Audition For 'American Idol' Virtually — As Long As You Were Born Between These Dates Are you the next "American Idol?" The popular ABC singing competition is holding virtual auditions for the upcoming season this month and next. As long as you are of a certain age (scroll down for audition dates). According to the "American Idol" casting application website, contestants must be born between June 2, 1995 and Feb. 15, 2010.  Additionally, contestants must be legal U.S. residents authorized to participate in the entire competition. Auditions for residents in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania via Zoom will be Wednesday, Aug. 21.  Virginia re…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
$1B Scheme: Pair Of CEOs, Including Manhasset Man, Defrauded 10K Investors, Jury Finds $1B Scheme: Pair Of CEOs, Including Manhasset Man, Defrauded 10K Investors, Jury Finds
$1B Scheme: Pair Of CEOs, Including Manhasset Man, Defrauded 10K Investors, Jury Finds A New York resident was one of two CEOs convicted in federal court of a $1 billion fraud scheme involving thousands of investors. Long Island resident David Gentile, age 57, of Manhasset, and Jeffry Schneider, age 55, of Austin, Texas, were found guilty in federal court on all counts of an indictment charging them with conspiracy to commit securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and securities fraud. Gentile, the owner and CEO of GPB Capital Holdings, was also convicted on two counts of wire fraud. The verdict came after an eight-week trial. When sentenced on Thursd…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
Stop & Shop Issues New Guidance To Customers After Massive Boar's Head Deli Meat Recall Expands Stop & Shop Issues New Guidance To Customers After Massive Boar's Head Deli Meat Recall Expands
Stop & Shop Issues New Guidance To Customers After Massive Boar's Head Deli Meat Recall Expands Stop & Shop has issued new guidance to customers after a massive recall of Boar's Head deli meats has expanded by seven million pounds due to the threat of Listeria contamination. The US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said the recall expansion includes 71 products produced between Friday, May 10, and Monday, July 29, 2024, under the Boar’s Head and Old Country brand names. The products, all made at Boar's Head's facility in Jarratt, Virginia, have “sell by” dates ranging from 29 July 2024 to 17 Oct. 24. The products shipped to retailers bear the …

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
New Fugitive Update: Hudson Valley Teen Murder Suspect Was Found Hiding In Airbnb New Fugitive Update: Hudson Valley Teen Murder Suspect Was Found Hiding In Airbnb
New Fugitive Update: Hudson Valley Teen Murder Suspect Was Found Hiding In Airbnb An 18-year-old who had been the target of a multi-state manhunt for the murder of a Hudson Valley man was found hiding in an out-of-state Airbnb.  Earlier Report: Teenage Suspect In Haverstraw Murder Of 29-Year-Old Nabbed In South Carolina Rockland County resident Yandie Martinez of Haverstraw was nabbed around 1:20 p.m. Saturday, July 27, in Piedmont, South Carolina, for the Monday, July 1, murder of Christian Alvarado in Haverstraw. According to Haverstraw Police Chief John Gould, Martinez allegedly shot and killed Alvardo inside a vehicle in the area of W…

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Cameo Agrees To Pay NY $25K For 'Misleading' Promotional Videos Cameo Agrees To Pay NY $25K For 'Misleading' Promotional Videos
Cameo Agrees To Pay NY $25K For 'Misleading' Promotional Videos Cameo will pay dozens of states, including New York, for failing to ensure customers knew that promotional videos on its site were actually paid endorsements. Baron App Inc., owner of the popular celebrity-shoutout-ordering website, agreed to pay $100,000 in penalties to 30 states as part of a settlement agreement reached Wednesday, July 24. New York will receive $25,000 of that, state Attorney General Letitia James said. Cameo found itself in hot water after launching its “Business Cameo” service in 2020, allowing companies to hire celebrities to record videos endorsing their services. A…

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by Michael Mashburn
Lifestyle
Spaced Out: Summer Skies Over NY Teaming With UFOs, Eagle-Eyed Tipsters Claim Spaced Out: Summer Skies Over NY Teaming With UFOs, Eagle-Eyed Tipsters Claim
Spaced Out: Summer Skies Over NY Teaming With UFOs, Eagle-Eyed Tipsters Claim Overactive imaginations or something more out of this world? The skies above New York have been rather crowded this summer, at least according to these eagle-eyed residents. At least 18 unidentified flying objects (UFOs) across the state have been reported to the National UFO Reporting Center since the beginning of May 2024, its online database shows.  The sightings – spanning from Long Island to the Great Lakes – run the gamut from “odd triangular” and “cigar shaped” objects to orbs and fireballs and even one purported alien abduction. In Rensselaer County, the most recent UFO repor…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Brand Of Jalapenos, Green Peppers, Green Beans Recalled Due To Listeria Concerns Brand Of Jalapenos, Green Peppers, Green Beans Recalled Due To Listeria Concerns
Brand Of Jalapenos, Green Peppers, Green Beans Recalled Due To Listeria Concerns A recall has been issued for a brand of peppers and green beans due to potential Listeria contamination. ALDI Inc. announced it is recalling Freshire Farms jalapenos, green peppers, and green beans in connection to an earlier recall by Wiers Farm and R.S. Hanline Co. The full product details, with product name, package description, and UPC code, are: Jalapeno 8 oz. bag 4099100087680 Green Pepper 16 oz. (3 pack) bag 4099100087598 Green Beans 16 oz. bag 4099100087826 The affected product was sold at select ALDI stores in New York,  Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia. Re…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
Stop & Shop Temporarily Closes Delis After Boar's Head Recall Of Meats Stop & Shop Temporarily Closes Delis After Boar's Head Recall Of Meats
Stop & Shop Temporarily Closes Delis After Boar's Head Recall Of Meats Stop & Shop is temporarily closing delis after a Boar’s Head deli meat recall in order to conduct a thorough cleaning of its deli areas and equipment.  Click here for a new, updated story: Boar's Head Expands Deli Meat Recall To Include 7,000,000 Extra Pounds The supermarket chain said on Friday, July 26 that it has "removed all impacted products from sale both in stores and online." The recall was issued due to possible Listeria contamination of Boar's head meat products. Stop & Shop said that, "In an abundance of caution, because this product is sliced in stores," it has …

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by Joe Lombardi
Politics
Details Emerge On Ex-Cuomo, Hochul Aide Whose $3.5M Manhasset Home Was Searched By FBI Details Emerge On Ex-Cuomo, Hochul Aide Whose $3.5M Manhasset Home Was Searched By FBI
Details Emerge On Ex-Cuomo, Hochul Aide Whose $3.5M Manhasset Home Was Searched By FBI A former top aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo whose Long Island home was searched by the FBI earlier this week was fired by the state last year after "evidence of misconduct, according to new reports. According to a report by Politico, Linda Sun was terminated by the Department of Labor in 2023 for “misconduct.”  “Immediately upon discovering the evidence of misconduct, the administration referred the matter to law enforcement authorities,” a source told Politico. The 40-year-old Sun's $3.5 million Manhasset home was searched by FBI agents Tuesday morni…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
Vegetables, Bagged Salads Sold In 18 States Recalled Due To Listeria Concerns Vegetables, Bagged Salads Sold In 18 States Recalled Due To Listeria Concerns
Vegetables, Bagged Salads Sold In 18 States Recalled Due To Listeria Concerns A recall for a brand of vegetables and bagged salads has been expanded to 18 states due to possible Listeria contamination. Ohio-based Wiers Farm began its investigation in response to the Michigan Department of Agriculture's original findings, which led to the expansion.  Products in the expanded recall were packed between Friday, July through Friday, July 12. Vegetables that are part of the recall include cucumbers, green bell and jalapeno peppers, green beans, and cilantro. They were sold in a variety of different stores, including Walmart. For a full list of products, click…

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by Joe Lombardi
Politics
FBI Conducts Pre-Dawn Search Of Ex-Cuomo, Hochul Aide's $3.5M NY Home: Report FBI Conducts Pre-Dawn Search Of Ex-Cuomo, Hochul Aide's $3.5M NY Home: Report
FBI Conducts Pre-Dawn Search Of Ex-Cuomo, Hochul Aide's $3.5M NY Home: Report FBI agents searched the $3.5 million home of a former deputy chief of staff to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who also held a high position under ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a new report says. Click here for a new, updated story: Details Emerge On Ex-Cuomo, Hochul Aide Whose $3.5M Manhasset Home Was Searched By FBI The red-bricked home of Linda Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, is located on Long Island's North Shore, in a gated community in the hamlet of Manhasset.  According to The New York Times, the search was conducted Tuesday morning, July 23. It is unclear what potential crime…

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by Joe Lombardi