Mastercard SpendingPulse tracked various kinds of payments, including cash and debit cards, from November 1 to December 24. On Sunday, it reported that holiday sales had risen 8.5 percent from last year, just a little under their project increase of 8.8 percent. Clothing sales rose 47 percent, while jewelry saw a 32 percent increase. While online shopping experienced an 11 percent increase from 2020, department store shopping increased 21 percent....

Holm 15A is a bright cluster galaxy with an unusually depleted core—its central region appears to be far fainter than any other early-type galaxy that has been modeled in detail, researchers led by Kianusch Mehrgan, from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Germany, explained in a paper posted to the preprint server arxiv.org. In the study, which has not yet been peer reviewed but has been submitted to The Astrophysical Journal, the team used the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT)’s to make new observations of Holm 15A’s depleted core....

Newsweek first talked about how this home price correction could impact the market back in July, when analysts predicted home prices could drop by as much as 3 percent in 2023. Three months later, experts are looking into a more drastic drop than previously forecasted. “Demand has plummeted and single-family existing home sales are down about 25 percent since the start of the year,” Thomas LaSalvia, senior economist at Moody’s Analytics, told Newsweek....

Why It Doesn’t Work There is no cure for the common cold. It is a viral illness caused by hundreds of different viruses. There is no vaccine to prevent a cold or medication to cure one, and honey and cinnamon do not have any properties that would allow them to kill viruses. Colds typically last between seven and 10 days and go away on their own. Some home remedies and over-the-counter medications may help relieve symptoms while you wait....

So here’s the full list of who’s in: HOME RUN DERBY: Odds | TV | All-time winners American League: Jose Bautista, Blue Jays (captain); Adam Jones, Orioles; Brian Dozier, Twins; Yoenis Cespedes, A’s; Josh Donalson, A’s. National League: Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies (captain); Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins; Yasiel Puig, Dodgers; Todd Frazier, Reds; Justin Morneau, Rockies. The annual Home Run Derby is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on July 14 at Target Field in Minneapolis....

All the round-by-round results, with longest home runs for every player in every round, are below. MORE: 13 best career All-Star performances | 13 worst career All-Star offensive performances Round One No. 1 seed Albert Pujols (Angels) vs. No. 8 seed Kris Bryant (Cubs) Bryant: Nine home runs (eight in regulation, one in bonus time). Longest: 462 feetPujols: 10 home runs (all in regulation, final one with 0:00 to pass Bryant)....

The incident followed an altercation at the fast-food joint in Houston, Texas involving the pair, police confirmed. But officers stressed it remains unclear whether the two events were connected, and said so far it “does not appear to be an intentional act” as they investigate what happened in the early hours of Wednesday. Officers said the 26-year-old man was there with his girlfriend picking up change at the window of the restaurant, at 8181 W....

Hitting in his home Great American Ball Park, Reds third baseman Todd Frazier bashed 15 home runs in the final round to beat Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson by one. MORE: Best Home Run Derby photos 2015 | Every homer at the Derby is an inside-the-park shot | Todd Frazier owned 1998 Little League World Series It appeared as though Pederson did enough to win, hitting 14 home runs, including runs of six and seven in a row, but Frazier, with his brother pitching, found his stride in the final and ultimately hit the walkoff on the first pitch in extra time....

The chief executive of the semi-autonomous territory, Carrie Lam, made the comparison in her first public appearance since President Donald Trump said his government would end special exemptions for the city in reaction to Beijing’s plan to impose national security laws. Demonstrations turned violent last year in Hong Kong against legislation that was eventually shelved, which proposed allowing criminal suspects to be extradited to China. Fearing further unrest, Beijing has proposed a security law banning “treason, sedition, secession and subversion....

Amnesty International spoke with 21 people arrested during the demonstrations. They recounted arbitrary arrests, beatings and cruel and unusual punishment that the organization said amounts to torture. The human rights group said its report uncovered an “alarming pattern of the Hong Kong Police Force deploying reckless and indiscriminate tactics.” Amnesty called for an independent investigation into such behavior, a demand shared by the Hong Kong protesters that has gone unheeded by the territory’s pro-Beijing government and Chief Executive Carrie Lam....

Citizen News announced on Sunday that it will cease operations on January 4. The website, which was founded in 2017 and focused on political news and analysis, clarified that it was not ordered to shut down by the Chinese government’s crackdown on dissent. Rather, it said the state of journalism in Hong Kong was not sustainable. “We all love this place, deeply. Regrettably, what was ahead of us is not just pouring rains or blowing winds, but hurricanes and tsunamis,” the outlet said in a statement....

Hormone tests also can play a role in diagnosing medical conditions such as thyroid disease or diabetes. In some instances, they can show how well a medication is working. This article looks at the tests done for each sex hormone, when tests are needed, what’s considered normal and abnormal, and what the results could mean. What’s Being Tested? Hormone blood tests can look at several key female hormones: Estrogen Progesterone Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) Testosterone/DHEA Thyroid hormones...

OK, then. MORE: CFP National Championship photos | Jimmy Kimmel’s ‘Mean Tweets’ CFB edition | OSU-Oregon championship mural The fans showed up to the game in Arlington, Texas, and were spotted holding up the banner that read “Winner plays TCU.” Of course, that’s not how this works. That’s not how any of this works. TCU missed out on the playoff after it finished the season strong and was snubbed along with Baylor....

Hornish, who has 131 career Cup starts, made the transition from IndyCar to NASCAR several years ago, running a full Cup schedule from 2008-2010 at Penske Racing and then primarily a Nationwide schedule for the organization the next three years. He has spent 2014 running a handful of Nationwide races for Joe Gibbs Racing, including a win at Iowa earlier this year, in events that Kyle Busch does not run....

Secretariat still holds the Kentucky Derby record at 1:59.40, set in 1973. He ran the 1 1/4-mile race nearly a minute faster than Kingman did in 1891 (2:52.25). At the 2016 Kentucky Derby, Nyquist finished with a time of 2:01.31, the fastest “Run for the Roses” since Funny Cide (2:01.19) in 2003. MORE: Biggest longshots to win Kentucky Derby Justify is the latest Triple Crown winner, sweeping the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in 2018....

Ambience: With only 14 tables spread over two floors of an old villa on Mellieha’s main street, diners can’t help but feel cozy. The décor is authentic Maltese, with stone floors and hand-brushed walls, enhanced by romantic lighting and soft music. The young Maltese waiters are dishy and knowledgeable and attentive without being overbearing. Food: Forget the menu; the best dishes are the seasonal specials. Summer favorites include the Maltese lampuki fish, stuffed with pine nuts and Parmesan, and the red snapper fillet, doused in a garlic-and-parsley sauce....

Gerardo Martino, then, has a great responsibility on his hands going into his first game of the campaign on Sunday, and he has placed his trust in players from his own backyard in order to bring success to the Georgia club. Atlanta’s South American legion are an unknown quantity stateside, but each of Martino’s signings comes with a fine reputation in their home nations to justify the gamble on the franchise’s part....