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Party City Going Out Of Business, Closing All 800 Stores
The party is over for a popular chain store that's been in business for decades.
Party City is “winding down” operations immediately at its approximately 800 locations, CEO Barry Litwin told corporate employees in a video call on Friday, Dec. 20, CNN reports.
Workers were told they will not receive severance pay, and that their benefits would end as the company goes out of business, CNN says.
The company, headquartered in in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, is running low on cash and unable to pay rent in some locations, according to an earlier Bloomberg report.
Party City was foun…
Virginia Man Turns $2 Bet Into $500K Jackpot; Local Store Snags $10K Bonus
When Henrico resident Lorenzo Robinson snagged a $500,000 jackpot in the Virginia Lottery's Bank a Million game, he wasn’t the only one cashing in.
Robinson hit all six winning numbers—4, 5, 7, 10, 15, and 29— and courtesy of his clever use of the "Play Your Way" feature, which split his $2 wager into two sets of numbers, he walked away with a cool half-million dollar jackpot win.
Robinson’s ticket didn’t even need the Bonus Ball number—32—to seal the deal.
The luck didn’t stop there.
The store where Robinson bought the ticket, Varina Market at on Darbytown Road, earned a $10,000 b…
Teamsters Union Launches Strike Against Amazon
As the holiday season peaks, the Teamsters Union has initiated a significant strike against Amazon, targeting facilities in four states. This action is described as the largest labor movement in the company’s history.
On Thursday morning, December 19, union members began protests at a fulfillment center in Queens, New York, with additional strikes occurring in Atlanta, Southern California, and Skokie, Illinois.
The union aims to highlight unacceptable working conditions and Amazon’s refusal to engage in collective bargaining.
Their demands include better wages, hours, and benefits fo…
Youngkin Proposes Cutting State Income Tax On Tips To Help Virginia Service Workers
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is pushing to cut state income tax on tips for workers, a proposal he says will put millions of dollars back into the pockets of hardworking employees.
Youngkin’s budget plan, announced Tuesday, Dec. 17, could mean an extra $70 million annually for service industry workers across the Commonwealth, including food servers, hair stylists, and hotel staff, he said.
“We have delivered over $5 billion in tax relief to date, and we remain committed to lowering the cost of living for hardworking Virginians. It’s their money, not the government’s,” Youngkin said.
The ta…
Shake Shack Offers Free Burgers With Purchase During Holiday Promotion
Shake Shack is launching a limited-time promotion offering free burgers with a qualifying purchase during the holiday season.
The “Holiday Burger Blitz” will run from Monday, Dec. 16, to Tuesday, Dec. 24, providing customers with a free burger each day when they spend a minimum of $10 and use the code BURGERBLITZ at checkout.
The promotion features a different burger each day, including popular items like the ShackBurger, SmokeShack, and Avocado Bacon Burger. The schedule for the free offerings is as follows:
Monday, Dec. 16: ShackBurger
Tuesday, Dec. 17: SmokeShack
Wednesday, Dec. …
Here's How Much, When Minimum Wage Will Increase In Virginia
Virginia workers, can start getting ready for a small, but not insignificant pay bump in the new year.
The state’s hourly minimum wage will increase to $12.41 starting Monday, Jan. 1, 2025, giving workers an extra 41 cents per hour.
"The new rate was calculated under the Virginia Minimum Wage Act, which mandates an annual adjustment based on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U).
"This measure, published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, tracks changes in the cost of goods and services, and for 2023, the CPI-U rose by 3.4 percent," Virginia Department of L…
Shoplifting Costs Retailers Billions: These Are Most Frequently Stolen Items
Shoplifting in the US is a costly epidemic, with retailers losing over $120 billion last year.
The trend focuses on easily concealed, high-demand products at major retailers like Walmart and Target, posing a nationwide challenge for store owners and law enforcement.
Electronics, health and beauty products, and food items are among the most commonly stolen goods, Capital One Shopping reports.
Small gadgets such as headphones and phone chargers, alongside over-the-counter medications and cosmetics, are frequent targets.
Alcohol, baby formula, and packaged meats are also popular …
Just Released New iOS Update Brings AI, Custom Emoji Access To iPhones, iPads
Apple has unveiled new updates that bring advanced AI and emoji tools to its iPhone and iPad devices.
Released on Wednesday, Dec. 11, iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 expand Apple Intelligence with features like ChatGPT integration, custom emoji creation, and visual design tools.
Key Updates
ChatGPT Integration: Siri and Writing Tools now support ChatGPT for generating content, solving problems, and enhancing productivity. Privacy settings ensure user control over data.
Image Playground: This tool allows users to design custom visuals by inputting text descriptions, wit…
Meta Outages: Thousands Experiencing Issues With Facebook, Instagram, Other Platforms
Tens of thousands of Meta users are experiencing outages across its platforms.
Just before 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, there were numerous reports of outages on Downdetector.com, including 69,000 on Instagram, over 1,000 on Facebook, and 10,000 on WhatsApp.
Meta issued a statement on the outages on X at around 1:45 p.m.
"We’re aware that a technical issue is impacting some users’ ability to access our apps," the statement said. "We’re working to get things back to normal as quickly as possible and apologize for any inconvenience."
We’re aware that a technical issue is impacting some use…
Wawa Outranks Sheetz On Forbes' Top Private Companies List
Pennsylvania's favorite convenience store rivalry has tipped in Wawa's favor, according to Forbes' latest rankings of the top private companies.
Wawa snagged a higher spot than Sheetz on Forbes' 2024 list of America’s largest private companies, underscoring its dominance in the convenience store industry. The list, released earlier this week, evaluates companies based on revenue, employee numbers, and other metrics.
Wawa operates over 1,000 stores and employs about 47,000 people across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Florida. Known for its iconi…
Some Stupid Good BBQ Coming to Busy Virginia Shopping Plaza
The latest pop-up concept from Great American Restaurants is about to make Fairfax County even tastier.
Stupid Good BBQ is set to open its doors this Thursday, Dec. 5, at the Concord Centre shopping center on Backlick Road in Springfield.
So good, it's actually stupid! T-2️⃣ days until opening! Posted by Stupid Good BBQ on Tuesday, December 3, 2024
The menu promises a mouthwatering lineup of smoked meats, including brisket, smoked turkey, pulled pork or chicken, spare ribs, and sausage.
Fans of BBQ can also look forward to hearty salads, sandwiches, and chili options t…
Check Your Tickets: $1.6M Virginia Lottery 'Cash 5' Jackpot Set To Expire
Someone in Virginia is about to lose out on a life-changing $1,615,053 lottery prize unless they act fast. officials are cautioning.
The winning ticket for the June 11, Cash 5 with EZ Match drawing matched all five numbers—01-12-19-22-31—but no one has claimed the jackpot as of Wednesday, Dec. 4.
Under Virginia law, lottery prizes expire after 180 days, officials said.
Since the deadline falls on a Sunday, players have until 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 9, to redeem the ticket. After that, the ticket becomes worthless.
The ticket was purchased at the Wawa at 7847 Compass Point Lane in Mec…
Moderation Mess: Meta Admits Harmless Content Often Gets Taken Down
Meta is admitting that harmless content gets taken down amid criticism for its handling of moderation.
“Too often, harmless content gets taken down, or restricted, and too many people get penalized unfairly,” the company's president of global affairs, Nick Glegg, told reporters on Monday, Dec. 2, according to a report in The Verge.
Meta's platforms include Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp.
Despite advancements in AI moderation, Clegg acknowledged there is still “work to do” in ensuring fair and accurate enforcement, the report said.
Meta has promised to refine its…
Hearst Lays Off Around 200 Employees From Magazine Division
Hearst Magazines has just fired around 200 employees, most of whom were assigned to the company's midtown Manhattan headquarters, according to multiple reports.
Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Men's Health, Popular Mechanics, Town & Country, and Harper's Bazaar are among the titles the division of Hearts Communications publishes.
Affected employees were notified in a private meeting days before Thanksgiving, according to New York Magazine.
Some of the Hearst publications :were already run by a skeleton crew" after years of downsizing, the report in New York said.
Amazon Workers Go On Strike, Protest In 20 Nations, Including US
Amid the busiest shopping weekend of the holiday season, workers for Amazon, the world's largest online retailer, have gone on strike.
Protesting under the banner of “Make Amazon Pay.” employees have walked off the job across six continents in 20 countries, including the United States.
The strike is scheduled to last from Black Friday on Nov. 29 through Cyber Monday, Dec. 2, the UNI Global Union announced, saying protests will be held in majors cities in the US, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, India, Brazil and elsewhere.
The strike could cause customers' holiday deliveries …
