Retail Apocalypse: 23 Big Retailers Closing Stores

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By Fox Business. Some of the United States’ most prominent retailers are shuttering stores in recent months amid sagging sales in the troubled sector . . .

Facing declining sales, the once-prominent fashion brand announced last March that it would close 60 of its U.S. stores with expiring leases during its 2017 fiscal year. [Abercrombie & Fitch] has closed hundreds of store locations over the last few years while placing an increased emphasis on online sales . . .

The New Jersey-based women’s footwear company filed for bankruptcy last year and announced plans to move forward with a “significant reduction” of its retail locations. While it’s unclear how many of Aerosoles’ 88 locations will be affected, the chain said it plans to keep four flagship stores in New York and New Jersey operational, NJ.com reported . . .

A fashion brand known for its edgy offerings, American Apparel shuttered all of its 110 U.S. locations last year after filing for bankruptcy. The brand has since been acquired by Canada-based Gildan Activewear, which acquired its intellectual property in an $88 million deal . . .

The Los Angeles-based brand listed liabilities of more than $500 million when it filed for bankruptcy last February. [BCBG] closed 118 store locations nationwide last year, though more than 300 remained in operation under a company-wide reorganization. (Read more from “Retail Apocalypse: 23 Big Retailers Closing Stores” HERE)

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Retail Alert: Best Buy Is Closing 250 of These Mall-Based Stores

By Clark. The new year is shaping up to be another difficult one for traditional retailers. After shutting down more than 5,000 stores in 2017, we’re already getting word of closings for 2018.

J.C. Penney is among the latest to announce plans to close stores, joining Bon-Ton, Toys R Us, Sam’s Club, Macy’s, Sears, Kmart and others . . .

Your local mall may have another vacancy soon. Best Buy has announced that it will shut down 250 mall-based mobile phone stores in the United States, Reuters reports . . .

Bad news for Sam’s Club members! The Walmart-owned warehouse club has abruptly shut down multiple locations across the country, according to local media reports . . .

In a news release, the company announced the closure of 11 Macy’s stores. It’s part of the retailer’s plan to close approximately 100 stores, which was announced back in August 2016. (Read more from “Retail Alert: Best Buy Is Closing 250 of These Mall-Based Stores” HERE)

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Teacher Suspended After Asking Students to Remember Him If He Died During School Shooting

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A popular high school social studies teacher in New Jersey was suspended after telling students to remember him if he died protecting them during a school shooting, according to a report Monday.

Timothy Locke, 59, an AP World History teacher at Cherry Hill High School East was put on administrative leave Thursday after making controversial comments about the Parkland massacre, reported philly.com.

The high school teacher caused a female student to get upset after bringing up the aftermath from the horrific shooting spree led by 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz who killed 17 students and faculty at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., Feb. 14.

“He said the chances of East being shot up were high,” said Gabriel Ritter, 17, alleging that Locke made these comments during class.

Ritter, a senior at the school, added that he went to the principal’s office with the unnamed female student to voice their apprehensions over Locke’s statements.

Locke claimed later that day he was also called to the principal’s office to have his bag searched and undergo a physical and psychiatric evaluation. He was then placed on administrative leave.

“He made some kind of remark from what I understand, tongue in cheek, that if this ever happens here, ‘I have your back. I’ll protect you.’ And something to the extent of, ‘If I do that, I want you guys to erect a memorial for me in front of the building,’ in jest,” said Eric Ascalon, whose son was a previous student of Locke.

Ascalon added that other parents are outraged the teacher was fired over the remarks, reported CBS News.

Locke also discussed his hesitations over lack of armed guards at the high school since the “campus police” are not armed. The high school teacher previously referenced a 2000 New York Times article that stressed similarities between Cherry Hill High School East and Columbine due to the suburban location, top athletes and students.

“The bottom line is that I was very concerned about the security at my school,” said Locke. “I was adamantly concerned with the welfare of my students.”

Following Locke’s suspension, students started a protest against the administration Monday morning. A video shows the Cherry Hill East administration telling students that if they keep protesting they will get suspended nor be allowed to go to prom, reported the PhillyVoice.

Two students also started a petition, garnishing more than 500+ signatures. They called the administration suspending Locke “an injustice.”

“All I have ever done for that school is for my students and for their parents,” said Locke.

Frustrated parents are planning on going to a Board of Education meeting Tuesday.

The Daily Caller News Foundation reached out to the Cherry Hill East Principal Dennis Perry but received no comment in time of publication.

A version of this article appeared on The Daily Caller News Foundation website.

Scientists Make Major Breakthrough in Fight Against Alzheimer’s Disease

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Scientists at the the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute have successfully reversed Alzheimer’s disease in mice, a major breakthrough researchers are hopeful will translate into treatment for humans in the near future.

“To our knowledge, this is the first observation of such a dramatic reversal of amyloid deposition in any study of Alzheimer’s disease mouse models,” said researcher Riqiang Yan in a news release concerning the study . . .

Researchers found that the deletion of BACE1 in adult mice reversed amyloid deposition and improved cognitive functions.

“One of the earliest events in Alzheimer’s disease is an abnormal buildup of beta-amyloid peptide, which can form large, amyloid plaques in the brain and disrupt the function of neuronal synapses. Also known as beta-secretase, BACE1 helps produce beta-amyloid peptide by cleaving amyloid precursor protein (APP),” explains the Rockefeller University Press release.

The scientists successfully “generated mice that gradually lose this enzyme as they grow older. These mice developed normally and appeared to remain perfectly healthy over time,” notes the release. (Read more from “Scientists Make Major Breakthrough in Fight Against Alzheimer’s Disease” HERE)

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CNN Analyst: Women Aren’t Able to Carry Guns

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Women can’t carry … There have been a lot of hot takes when it comes to the idea that teachers who have concealed carry weapons permits already should be allowed to carry in classrooms. But this take from CNN law enforcement analyst Tom Fuentes on why female teachers can’t carry a gun is just outrageous. Fuentes said on CNN Newsday that women who wear skirts and dresses won’t have a place to carry that gun concealed. Here, you can watch for yourself. Talk about misogyny.

I can’t figure out why … We now know that the Broward County Sheriff’s Office was called to the home of the accused Parkland school shooter multiple times. The FBI was warned about him. We know that at least one and possibly four deputies didn’t enter the school to stop the shooting, and Laura Ingraham reported last night that deputies were ordered not to enter the school unless they had body cameras. There are real, serious reasons why people are calling for Broward County Sheriff Israel to resign.

Enter the Washington Post. In this article about those calls, the authors paint a picture that the calls for Israel to resign are a partisan witch-hunt and purely political in nature. That’s the farthest thing from the truth. The calls for Israel to resign are based upon known facts and Israel’s own blame-shifting.

Fallon turns activist … Since Donald Trump was inaugurated as president, there has been one late-night television host who has tried to steer clear of politics and activism. While Steven Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel have had no trouble jumping into politics, “Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon has taken a more neutral tack. That has changed. Fallon will participate in a gun control march with Parkland students. He announced it on his show last night.

(For more from the author of “CNN Analyst: Women Aren’t Able to Carry Guns” please click HERE)

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Teen Punches Dad Unconscious When Told to Stop Texting

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A juvenile was arrested Saturday after he punched his father in the face during an argument over texting, knocking him unconscious and causing a severe head injury, according to a statement from the Yarmouth Police Department.

The juvenile, whom police did not identify, is being charged with assault and battery on person over 60 with serious injury, according to the statement. He is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in Barnstable Juvenile Court.

The confrontation took place outside Il Montebello Restaurant on Kings Circuit in Yarmouth Port, where the family was having dinner. The father had repeatedly asked the son to stop texting, which led to an argument outside, according to the statement.

Once outside, the juvenile struck his 63-year-old father with so much force that it knocked him unconscious, the statement says. The father fell and hit his head on the ground. (Read more from “Teen Punches Dad Unconscious When Told to Stop Texting” HERE)

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Churches Tell Town Council: Leave Our Beliefs Alone

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A lawsuit has been filed against the city of De Pere, Wisconsin, over a new nondiscrimination ordinance providing special protections for same-sex duos that purports to “control aspects of religious employment, facility use, and even advertising.”

It’s a rule that city officials adopted just months ago, but the lawsuit explains that they not only neglected to include exemptions for churches and other religious groups whose faith forbids same-sex relationships, they specifically refused to offer assurances religious beliefs would be protected.

The case on behalf of Hope Lutheran, Crosspoint, Destiny, St. Mark Lutheran and Christ the Rock churches, as well as a local radio station, by Pacific Justice Institute and Heidi Miller of Wauwatosa challenges the requirements the city had scheduled to implement March 1.

“The ordinance bars discrimination, broadly defining that term as well as public accommodation and employment decisions in ways that would severely curtail religious exercise,” the legal team said. “The only exception for religious entities like the churches and radio station is for hiring people of the same religion.”

The lawyers insisted that even that exception is faulty, since it would “afford no ability to make employment decisions if a pastor, other employee, or applicant acts inconsistently with church teaching but continues to claim to be of the same faith or denomination.” (Read more from “Churches Tell Town Council: Leave Our Beliefs Alone” HERE)

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Parents Go After LGBT Community After Transgender Wins 2nd Straight Girls Wrestling Title

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A Trinity High School wrestler caused a hullabaloo among their fellow students’ parents in Euless, Texas, after she began taking testosterone, prompting many parents to assert unfairness in her competing against other female athletes not taking hormones.

Trinity senior Mack Beggs is biologically female but started on hormones when she was 15 years old, according to Fox6Now.

Public criticism of Beggs began when a female wrestler’s father filed a lawsuit in 2017 in an attempt to prevent Beggs from competing against other girls, alleging her artificially elevated testosterone levels are not fair.

Beggs has been injecting herself with testosterone shots for roughly three years.

However, she maintains she’s taking a minimal amount her doctor prescribed and therefore should be allowed to compete.

“She’s not built like a girl, and she dominates everyone she wrestles. I mean, all you have to do is watch one of her matches for yourself and go see what everyone’s talking about. It’s not an even competition,” Trinity parent Omar Palomarez told Fox6Now.

Following the lawsuit, Beggs’ monthly hormone intake became public knowledge, which increased Beggs’ critic circle, according to the Star Telegram.

Beggs has made it clear she would rather compete against boys.

But the University Interscholastic League’s high school rules mandate participants compete against persons of the same-sex as is denoted on their birth certificate. “No high school boy shall wrestle against a high school girl and vice versa.

This prohibition is only applicable when the contest is held in Texas or in any other state that sponsors wrestling programs for both boys and girls,” the rules state.

A person wishing to change their gender must get a court order in order to have their birth certificate legally changed to reflect as such. Individuals may also mark “X” on their certificate to denote a neutral gender.

Beggs’s family has been extremely supportive of her transition and of her simultaneous wrestling activities.

“We’re proud of (her) because (she’s) come so far,” Mack’s grandmother, Nancy Beggs, told Fox6Now. “Everything about (her) has changed,” she added.

“You can’t change laws overnight, and we’re going to chase the laws in order for this to be effective in Texas,” Beggs’ mother, Angela McNew, said.

“If you break those barriers and let kids be who they want to be and be in the sports they want to be in, than that starts breaking the walls down.”

A version of this article appeared on The Daily Caller News Foundation website.

Mother of Woman, 20, Who Gouged out Eyes Speaks on Hazards of Illegal Drugs

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The mother of a South Carolina woman who gouged her eyes out with her hands earlier this month is speaking out on the risks of illegal drug use.

Kaylee Muthart, 20, terrified churchgoers in Anderson County, S.C., after people witnessed the woman removing her eyeballs on Feb. 6, 2018. People reported the woman was hallucinating at the time of the incident . .

Tompkins said doctors believed her daughter used methamphetamine laced with another substance which caused her to hallucinate.

Tompkins said Muthart believed “the world was upside down” and she “heard voices that told her to sacrifice her eyes in order to make it to heaven.”

She said her daughter started using methamphetamine last year when she moved out. Tompkins said she tried to get her daughter to get help just days before the incident. (Read more from “Mother of Woman, 20, Who Gouged out Eyes Speaks on Hazards of Illegal Drugs” HERE)

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‘Insensitive’ Black History Month Meal Sparks Outrage, Firing

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Two Aramark employees have been fired by the food service after preparing a meal at NYU during Black History Month that was deemed racially “insensitive.” Reports suggest that the employees are African-American, though Aramark has not confirmed details about the ethnicity of the fired employees.

According to CBS News, the two employees were fired as a result of a complaint by a sophomore, who says she confronted the head cook about the “racially insensitive” meal but was “lied to” and ultimately “ignored.” The meal, the student claimed in a Facebook post, consisted of barbecue ribs, collard greens, watermelon-flavored water, Kool-Aid, and mac and cheese.

“Sophomore Nia Harris, who is black, said the head cook dismissed her objections and told her black employees planned the menu,” reports CBS News. “She posted about the menu and her experience on Facebook, saying she ‘was lied to, placated, and ignored.'”

“This is what it’s like to be a black student at New York University,” Nia wrote in her Facebook post. “You go to a dining hall during February and you see ‘Black History Month Meal’ plastered outside the entrance. You walk inside the dining hall only to find ribs, collard greens, and mac and cheese.

“In 2018 I literally had to explain why displaying watermelon and koolaid in celebration of Black History Month was not only racially insensitive but just ignorant.” (Read more from “‘Insensitive’ Black History Month Meal Sparks Outrage, Firing” HERE)

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Trump Shares Heartwarming Photo of Billy Graham and the Caption Couldn’t Be Better

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Following the renowned evangelist’s death at the age of 99, President Donald Trump shared a heartwarming photo of the Reverend Billy Graham, and in the caption, he recalled a comforting quote from the preacher.

Trump shared a black and white photo Wednesday night that was originally posted by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The picture shows the late reverend leading several black children by the hand in what appears to be a poverty-stricken area.

“When we all reach the end of our earthly journey, we will have just begun,” read the accompanying quote from Graham, indicating that he knew when he died, he was going to a better place.

Graham, who died early Wednesday morning at his home in Montreat, North Carolina, will be buried on the grounds of the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte alongside his wife, Ruth, according to Newsmax.

Graham’s funeral is set to be held on March 2, with the invitees including Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, as well as former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter.

Trump’s Instagram post was far from the only way he honored the life of the Christian evangelist.

Hours after Graham died, the president took to Twitter to mourn the loss of the “GREAT” man. “There was nobody like him! He will be missed by Christians and all religions. A very special man,” Trump wrote.

Trump also issued a presidential proclamation ordering that flags on public grounds be flown at half-staff on the day of Graham’s funeral, and in an official statement, he recognized Graham’s role as “one of the towering figures” of the last century.

“Billy’s acceptance of Jesus Christ around his seventeenth birthday not only changed his life — it changed our country and the world,” Trump said. “He was one of the towering figures of the last 100 years — an American hero whose life and leadership truly earned him the title ‘God’s Ambassador.’”

“Billy’s unshakeable belief in the power of God’s word to transform hearts gave hope to all who listened to his simple message: ‘God loves you.’ He carried this message around the world through his crusades, bringing entire generations to faith in Jesus Christ,” the statement continued.

Many other national leaders and politicians also expressed their admiration for Graham.

Billy Graham’s son, the Reverend Franklin Graham, said that his father was a “humble” person who “never saw himself as a celebrity.”

“The Billy Graham that the world saw on TV or saw on the big screen was the same Billy Graham we saw at home. He wasn’t two people,” Franklin Graham told NBC’s “Today” on Thursday, while also noting that his father “would want to be remembered as a preacher.”

“When my mother passed away, we knew what she wanted on her tombstone, so I asked my father — so there wouldn’t be any argument among us children — I asked him, ‘Daddy, what do you want to be on your tombstone?’ And he thought about that and he said, ‘Preacher,’” Graham said.

“That’s what’s going to be on his tombstone: Preacher.” (For more from the author of “Trump Shares Heartwarming Photo of Billy Graham and the Caption Couldn’t Be Better” please click HERE)

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