This has been a schizophrenic Christmas shopping season. The fall brought disappointing forecasts from outfits like the National Retail Federation, which predicted that sales would rise—but at the slowest rate since 2002. And it made sense. There was ample evidence, from declining auto sales to slowing traffic at Starbucks, that American consumers—beset by a poor housing market, rising inflation and stagnant wages—had finally hit a wall. Of course, economic actions have a way of defying forecasts....

Joe Montana knows football, but can he handle calling the plays at a monthly football magazine? Montana will launch Joe Montana’s In the Redzone this week, and the fabled quarterback–who’s listed as editor in chief and founding publisher–is apparently serious about following in Oprah’s and Martha’s celebrity-journalist footsteps. “It’s my baby,” says Montana. “When it comes to the final say, it’s mine.” Redzone is something of a hybrid: part sports, part men’s lifestyle....

Party long after the sun goes down with this rechargeable lantern that lasts eight hours ($59; williams-sonoma.com). Start your day by waking up in this crisp, stylish bedding (queen flat sheet: $113; pillowcases: $88; katespade.com). Even the rowdiest houseguests can’t break these bright melamine pitchers, available nationwide at Target ($6.99). 4 & 5. Marimekko’s Raita striped hand towels distract visitors from sandy bathroom floors ($9.95; crateandbarrel .com). Or give them as a gift with these summer-scented shower gels ($5....

The Englishman and the American shot a 4-under-par 66 at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and have a one-shot lead over a five-player group, which includes Lee Westwood and Zach Johnson. Notoriously one of the most difficult on the PGA Tour calendar, the Champions Course lived up to its reputation and the average score after the first round was 2-over-par. On a day where wind caused havoc for a number of players as gusts often topped the 20 miles per hour, Lewis and English rode out the conditions better than anyone else....

Jennings took to his personal account and questioned how J.R. Smith's brother, Chris, had an NBA contract. It's a question many have asked since it was revealed Chris Smith received $2 million to play in the D-League. Truth is, many believe the Knicks gave Chris Smith this contract as a way of appeasing J.R. Smith, so it only makes since that he would take offense to Jennings' tweet, which was later deleted....

WATCH: Comical shoe-lace tangle fail Daryl Horgan, Andy Boyle, Conor Hourihane and John Egan all made their bows at international level, and are looking to kick on and be part of what they hope will be a bright future for the Boys in Green. For 24-year-old Horgan, the nervousness that comes with representing your country for the first time came second to the glory. “You’re always going to be nervous,” Horgan told Goal....

The procedure to repair a tear in the lateral meniscus will take place Wednesday in New York. The Hornets said a timetable for Walker’s recovery will be determined after the surgery. MORE: Bryant will have surgery to repair rotator cuff | Predicting East All-Star reserves Yahoo! Sports reported earlier Monday that Walker was contemplating the surgery. Charlotte coach Steve Clifford told reporters, including The Charlotte Observer’s Rick Bonnell, that Walker traveled to New York on Monday to consult with a knee specialist....

Terms of the deals were not released Friday. Vonleh, the ninth overall pick in this year’s draft, played one season at Indiana before turning pro. The 6-foot-10 Vonleh was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year after averaging 11.3 points, nine rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 26.5 minutes per game for the Hoosiers. Hornets coach Steve Clifford recently said he considers Vonleh “a couple of years away” from being a real contributor....

“I have always believed that Russian journalism, first and foremost, is the journalism of action. The journalism of taking the step that you simply must take,” Politkovskaya said in a brief message before leaving California. Politkovskaya, winner of a Courage in Journalism award from the International Women’s Media Foundation, spent about two hours inside the theater today as police and anxious relatives of as many as 700 remaining hostages kept up their vigil in the cold rain outside....

No. 2 Arizona (32-3) easily disposed of 15th-seeded Texas Southern, opening its NCAA Tournament with a 93-72 win. MORE: TNT counts Hollis-Jefferson’s shimmies | Notre Dame player’s wild assist Five players scored in double-figures for the Wildcats, who shot 60 percent from the field and led by as many as 27 in the second half. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson scored 23 points and pulled down 10 rebounds while freshman Stanley Johnson added 22 points, going 4-for-5 from 3-point range....

After months of delay, Democrats are aiming to reach an agreement with moderates and progressives in their fractured caucus on the now-$1.75 trillion spending bill this weekend, with a final version written by Sunday, said the Democrats, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Negotiations between the White House, House and Senate have continued into the weekend. But with several self-imposed deadlines missed over the past few months, it’s unclear whether Democrats will be able to meet the ambitious Tuesday benchmark....

Amid renewed negotiations between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the House postponed plans Wednesday evening to vote on a trimmed-down $2.2 trillion stimulus package until Thursday to “give further room for talks,” a Democratic aide told Newsweek. Democrats have dubbed the new proposal the Heroes Act 2.0, which they unveiled this week after the last few months failed to produce a bipartisan agreement for another pandemic relief measure....

Speaking to Fox News, the California Republican pinned delays in the passage of COVID-19 bailout bills on the Democratic congressional leaders, questioning how many people had become unemployed because of the hold backs. The House Republican leader hit out at Pelosi and Schumer on the same day the GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he would not back the $3 trillion stimulus plan proposed by House Democrats for fear of adding to the national debt....

Nadler’s announcement comes as a response to Trump’s commutation of the sentence of former adviser Roger Stone. Stone had been sentenced to 40 months in a federal prison in connection with his alleged involvement with Russia meddling in the 2016 presidential election. In July, Trump commuted Stone’s sentence making him a free man. President Trump faced criticism after commuting Stone’s sentence, with some lawmakers alleging that Trump should not be able to interfere in cases in which he is implicated....

McCarthy had originally signaled that he would boycott the probe in an effort to suggest partisanship, but he is now expected to add Republicans to the panel and join the commission rather than play defense. While his roster has yet to be announced, McCarthy will select five of his Republican colleagues to fill the spots on the committee—and he’ll have to choose wisely now that Rep. Liz Cheney, a critic of the minority leader and former President Donald Trump, will be sitting on the Democratic side of the investigation after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi selected the Wyoming Republican as one of her eight selections....

As the national market braces for a correction that could affect every state, according to analysts, home prices aren’t falling as quickly as mortgage rates are rising, or by as much as many aspiring homebuyers might wish. The housing market remains 12.2 percent overvalued on a national level, Fitch Ratings said, and 23.3 percent overvalued, according to Moody’s Analytics as of September 30. “In the last 18 months we have had some rapid home price growth, so home prices in certain markets have grown so fast that we see that as being unsustainable,” Kevin Kendra, managing director of Fitch Ratings, told Newsweek....

“As the Big 12 evaluates its options for expansion, Texas Tech welcomes the consideration of the University of Houston,” incoming president Lawrence Schovanec said in a statement released Friday. “We have always valued our partnerships with UH.” MORE: Big 12 expansion made easy Schovanec’s statement is the latest show of support from inside the state for Houston’s candidacy. Thursday, University of Texas president Greg Fenves and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott chimed in on the subject....

During a City Council meeting Wednesday morning, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said 97 percent of the city’s ICU beds were filled. A report from the Texas Medical Center (TMC) said 27 percent of those beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients. According to data published earlier this week by the TMC, a network of health care and research institutions based in Houston, 90 percent of the city’s ICU beds were filled as of Monday....

Adams and Bowser are both starters at their respective positions, so their absence was noticeable. Houston coach Tom Herman addressed the situation after the team’s win, and revealed the two players got into an altercation, resulting in an injury for Bowser. MORE: Week 5 scoreboard “Regarding Tyus Bowser and Matthew Adams, yesterday during our weekly tradition of Family Fridays where we go out to the field and play some silly games to loosen up, the two got over competitive....