Comment on The ‘OK’ gesture now lives in the ‘purgatory of meaning’

The festive-goods supplier has struggled with changing consumer habits as Americans cut spending amid high inflation. The party is over for Party City, which is closing all its stores and going out of business after 40 years of supplying balloons, cups, candles, and tableware for everything from birthday and anniversary parties to Halloween and Super Bowl celebrations.

The EU already buys the lion’s share of U. S. oil and gas exports. President-elect Donald Trump said on Friday that the European Union may face tariffs if the bloc does not cut its growing deficit with the United States by making large oil and gas trades with the world’s largest economy.

According to new research from Columbia University, gender inequality may be even more harmful to women’s mental health than previously thought. We already know sexism is bad for women’s paychecks, as women are paid 84% of what men are paid, on average. We also know it’s historically been bad for women’s mental health.

About $21 billion of the disaster aid in the earlier version of the spending bill was assistance for farmers. American farmers, small business owners and wildfire survivors are among those who will suffer if Congress cannot agree on a new spending bill after President-elect Donald Trump abruptly rejected a bipartisan plan that included more than $100 billion in disaster aid.

A faulty tire pressure warning light is the latest in a series of recalls for the Elon Musk–led automaker. Tesla is issuing a major recall on nearly 700,000 vehicles, including its 2024 Cybertruck.

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO NEW YORK — Discount chain Big Lots is conducting going–out-of-business sales at its remaining locations, including four stores in Colorado, after a sale of the company didn’t materialize. The Columbus, Ohio-based retailer, which sells furniture, home decor and other items, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in early September and said private equity firm Nexus Capital Management LP had agreed to acquire “substantially all of the company’s assets.” But on Thursday the chain said it didn’t anticipate completing the purchase agreement.