Thought of the Day
The only thing that overcomes hard luck is hard work.
March 19th 2025
Unredacted JFK assassination files released, sending history buffs hunting for new clues
By JAMIE STENGLE Associated Press
DALLAS (AP) — Unredacted documents related to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy were released Tuesday following an order by President Donald Trump shortly after he took office.
More than 1,100 files consisting of over 31,000 pages were posted on the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration’s website in the evening. The vast majority of the National Archives’ collection of over 6 million pages of records, photographs, motion pictures, sound recordings and artifacts related to the assassination have previously been released.
Larry J. Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics and author of “The Kennedy Half-Century,” said he had a team that started going through the documents but it may be some time before their full significance becomes clear.
“We have a lot of work to do for a long time to come, and people just have to accept that,” he said.
Trump announced the release Monday while visiting the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, saying his administration would be releasing about 80,000 pages.
“We have a tremendous amount of paper. You’ve got a lot of reading,” Trump said.
Researchers had estimated that the number of files still released either in whole or in part was around 3,000 to 3,500. And last month the FBI said it had discovered about 2,400 new records related to the assassination.
Jefferson Morley, vice president of the Mary Ferrell Foundation, a repository for files related to the assassination, said in a statement posted on the social platform X that the release is “an encouraging start.” Complete versions of about a third of the redacted documents held by the National Archives have now been made public, he said, an estimate of over 1,100 of about 3,500 documents.
“Rampant overclassification of trivial information has been eliminated and there appear to be no redactions, though we have not viewed every document,” Morely said.
The National Archives said on its website that in accordance with the president’s directive, the release would encompass “all records previously withheld for classification.” But Morley said what was released Tuesday did not include two-thirds of the promised files or any of the recently discovered FBI files.
Interest in details related to Kennedy’s assassination has been intense over the decades, with countless conspiracy theories spawned.
He was killed Nov. 22, 1963, on a visit to Dallas, when his motorcade was finishing its parade route downtown and shots rang out from the Texas School Book Depository building. Police arrested 24-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald, who had positioned himself from a sniper’s perch on the sixth floor. Two days later nightclub owner Jack Ruby fatally shot Oswald during a jail transfer.
A year after the assassination, the Warren Commission, which President Lyndon B. Johnson established to investigate, concluded that Oswald acted alone and that there was no evidence of a conspiracy. But that didn’t quell a web of alternative theories over the decades.
Oswald was a former Marine who defected to the Soviet Union before returning home to Texas.
Files in the new release included a memo from the CIA’s St. Petersburg station from November 1991 saying that earlier that month, a CIA official befriended a U.S. professor there who told the official about a friend who worked for the KGB. The memo said the KGB official had reviewed “five thick volumes” of files on Oswald and was “confident that Oswald was at no time an agent controlled by the KGB.”
The memo added that as Oswald was described in the files, the KGB official doubted “that anyone could control Oswald, but noted that the KGB watched him closely and constantly while he was in the USSR.” It also noted that the file reflected that Oswald was a poor shot when he tried target firing in the Soviet Union.
In the early 1990s, the federal government mandated that all assassination-related documents be housed in a single collection in the National Archives and Records Administration. The collection was required to be opened by 2017, barring any exemptions designated by the president.
Around 500 documents, including tax returns, were not subject to the 2017 disclosure requirement.
Trump, who took office for his first term in 2017, had said that he would allow the release of all of the remaining records but ended up holding some back because of what he called the potential harm to national security. And while files continued to be released during President Joe Biden’s administration, some remained unseen.
Sabato said that his team has a “long, long list” of sensitive documents it is looking for that previously had large redactions.
“There must be something really, really sensitive for them to redact a paragraph or a page or multiple pages in a document like that,” he said. “Some of it’s about Cuba, some of it’s about what the CIA did or didn’t do relevant to Lee Harvey Oswald.”
Some of the previously released documents have offered details on the way intelligence services operated at the time, including CIA cables and memos discussing visits by Oswald to the Soviet and Cuban embassies during a trip to Mexico City just weeks before the assassination.
___
Associated Press writer John Hanna contributed from Topeka, Kansas.
Social Security Administration to require in-person identity checks for new and existing recipients
By FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — In an effort to limit fraudulent claims, the Social Security Administration will impose tighter identity-proofing measures — which will require millions of recipients and applicants to visit agency field offices rather than interact with the agency over the phone.
Beginning March 31st, people will no longer be able to verify their identity to the SSA over the phone and those who cannot properly verify their identity over the agency’s “my Social Security” online service, will be required to visit an agency field office in person to complete the verification process, agency leadership told reporters Tuesday.
The change will apply to new Social Security applicants and existing recipients who want to change their direct deposit information.
Retiree advocates warn that the change will negatively impact older Americans in rural areas, including those with disabilities, mobility limitations, those who live far from SSA offices and have limited internet access.
The plan also comes as the agency plans to shutter dozens of Social Security offices throughout the country and has already laid out plans to lay off thousands of workers.
In addition to the identity verification change, the agency announced that it plans to expedite processing of recipients’ direct deposit change requests – both in person and online – to one business day. Previously, online direct deposit changes were held for 30 days.
“The Social Security Administration is losing over $100 million a year in direct deposit fraud,” Leland Dudek, the agency’s acting commissioner, said on a Tuesday evening call with reporters — his first call with the media. “Social Security can better protect Americans while expediting service.”
He said a problem with eliminating fraudulent claims is that “the information that we use through knowledge-based authentication is already in the public domain.”
“This is a common sense measure,” Dudek added.
More than 72.5 million people, including retirees and children, receive retirement and disability benefits through the Social Security Administration.
Connecticut Rep. John Larson, the top Democrat on the House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee, said in a statement that “by requiring seniors and disabled Americans to enroll online or in person at the same field offices they are trying to close, rather than over the phone, Trump and Musk are trying to create chaos and inefficiencies at SSA so they can privatize the system.”
The DOGE website says that leases for 47 Social Security field offices across the country, including in Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Kentucky and North Carolina, have been or will be ended. However, Dudek downplayed the impact of its offices shuttering, saying many were small remote hearing sites that served few members of the public.
Many Americans have been concerned that SSA office closures and massive layoffs of federal workers — part of an effort by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to shrink the size of the federal government — will make getting benefits even more difficult.
Musk has pushed debunked theories about Social Security and described the federal benefit programs as rife with fraud, and called it a “Ponzi scheme” suggesting the program will be a primary target in his crusade to reduce government spending.
Voters have flooded town halls across the country to question Republican lawmakers about the Trump administration’s cuts, including its plans for the old-age benefits program.
In addition a group of labor unions last week sued and asked a federal court for an emergency order to stop DOGE from accessing the sensitive Social Security data of millions of Americans.
What to know about the bird flu outbreak in wild birds and what it means for backyard bird feeders
By CHRISTINA LARSON AP Science Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — Bird flu has devastated poultry and dairy farms, and sent the price of eggs soaring in the United States since it was first detected in North America in late 2021.
But what has been the toll on wild birds? More than 170 species of North American wild birds – including ducks, geese, gulls, owls, eagles and others – have been infected with bird flu.
Take precautions around sick or dead wild birds, experts recommend. But you can keep your bird feeder up. Despite the spread in birds and other wild animals, scientists say the threat to the general population is currently low.
Which wild birds can get bird flu?
More than 12,000 individual birds have tested positive since the virus began spreading, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department.
The count is a “gross underestimate” because most dead birds are never taken to a lab for testing, said Bryan Richards at the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center in in Madison, Wisconsin.
Dabbling ducks, such as mallards and blue-winged teal, can carry the virus with few symptoms because “these viruses co-evolved in waterfowl,” said Richards. But ducks can also shed the virus in their feces or saliva, sometimes infecting other birds or mammals like foxes.
Birds without natural immunity that migrate or roost together in large flocks, such as geese, are most likely to die in large numbers. A recent bird flu outbreak among migratory eared grebes in Utah killed between 15,000 and 25,000 birds near Great Salt Lake, state wildlife officials said in early February.
Seabirds, which tend to roost in large numbers, are also highly impacted.
Songbirds such as Northern cardinals, blue jays or chickadees — the kind of birds that might visit bird feeders — can also become infected and die, but their populations appear to fare better since they don’t gather closely in large groups where the virus could spread, said Michael J. Parr, president of the American Bird Conservancy.
What are bird flu symptoms in wild birds?
Symptoms vary, but may include lack of coordination, inability to fly and respiratory distress.
“If people see a wild bird acting weird, the best thing they can do is call their local wildlife rehabilitator” and avoid handling it directly, said Dr. Dana Franzen-Klein, a veterinarian and medical director at the University of Minnesota’s Raptor Center.
If you must handle an infected bird, it’s best to wear gloves and a mask as a precaution.
Is it safe to have a backyard bird feeder?
Experts say bird feeders are generally safe and aren’t a notable source of spreading bird flu.
But if you also keep backyard chickens, Parr of the American Bird Conservancy recommends taking the bird feeder down to prevent possible transmission to poultry. Birdfeeders and nesting boxes should also be cleaned regularly.
The risk of spread to people from bird feeders “is very, very low,” he said.
How is the bird flu outbreak affecting endangered bird species?
In the case of critically endangered California condors, scientists organized a vaccination program after some birds became infected. But that’s not a realistic option for most wild bird species.
Instead, experts recommend giving wild birds the best chance by taking other steps to protect habitats and reduce various risks that species face, such as exposure to pesticides or lead ammo.
Bald eagles, which are federally protected but no longer endangered, are scavengers that will eat dead animals. “That first year, we lost a lot of eagles” likely from bald eagles eating infected ducks or bringing them to their nests, said Richards.
Scientists also documented an unusually high number of eagle chicks that didn’t survive into adulthood during the first breeding season after the virus appeared in North America, likely because the chicks got the virus or sick parents weren’t able to adequately feed and care for them.
But over time, the number of confirmed infections in eagles nationwide has declined from 427 in 2022 to 48 last year.
That may mean that eagles that survived the first year now have some acquired immunity, said Franzen-Klein. This past migration season, researchers counted a record number of bald eagles migrating through northern Minnesota.
“There are good signs of hope” that eagles in the region are rebounding, she said.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
North Carolina’s largest public university NC State names new chancellor
By MAKIYA SEMINERA Associated Press
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The University of North Carolina Board of Governors has chosen the next person to lead the state’s largest public university by enrollment after its longtime chancellor is set to retire soon.
Kevin Howell was named the next chancellor of North Carolina State University — and the first Black person to lead the institution in its 138-year history — at the public university governing board’s Tuesday meeting. He will succeed Randy Woodson, who has served in the role since 2010 and is one of the university system’s longest-serving chancellors.
Howell is the chief external affairs officer for the UNC School of Medicine and UNC Health, according to the school’s website. He also previously served in various leadership roles at NC State, including as vice chancellor for external affairs, partnerships and economic development. As an NC State undergraduate student, Howell was student body president.
“I know from experience that effective diplomacy in contentious times requires patience, humility and a genuine respect for the voices and opinions of others,” UNC System President Peter Hans said during the meeting. “These are all qualities that Kevin Howell possesses in abundance.”
Howell will begin in his new role May 5, according to an NC State news release. His salary as chancellor will be $600,000.
Woodson announced his retirement during the university’s trustees meeting last July as his contract was slated to end this summer. Woodson, 67, told reporters then that it was “just a good time” to step away from the chancellorship.
Under Woodson’s leadership, the university increased its graduation and retention rates, as well as research funding. Enrollment also expanded, growing to more than 38,000 students as of Fall 2024.
“I feel good about leaving the institution better than I found it, but I also feel good that the next leader has plenty to do at NC State,” Woodson said after announcing his retirement in July.
There will be a lot on Howell’s plate when he assumes his position this summer, including navigating a nationally turbulent time for higher education as institutions prepare for potential massive losses of funding from the National Institutes of Health. NC State is an R1 research institution — the highest tier for research universities under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education — and received more than $48 million from the NIH last fiscal year.
NC State also paused most of its hiring activities — including for faculty — in February, partially due to uncertainty on federal funding, according to a memo from executive vice chancellor Warwick Arden. The memo did not specify when the hiring freeze would end.
March Madness tips off with First Four in Dayton
By JEFF WALLNER Associated Press
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — North Carolina was a controversial selection for the NCAA Tournament, but the Tar Heels can silence some skeptics with a win over San Diego State on Tuesday night at the First Four.
The winner will face No. 6 seed Mississippi on Friday in Milwaukee.
The Tar Heels (22-13) seemed a long shot to make the tournament with a 1-12 record in Quadrant 1 games, but were chosen Sunday thanks to a strong nonconference schedule and other metrics.
“I didn’t listen to bracketology,” North Carolina coach Hubert Davis said Monday. “I didn’t listen after our name was selected on CBS. I didn’t listen to the telecasts. I haven’t listened to anybody’s comments in regards to selections, seedings. I know that we’re really excited to be a part of this, and we’re looking forward to tomorrow night.”
UNC’s inclusion fueled some conspiracy theories, with athletic director Bubba Cunningham being chair of the selection committee.
Rules state that Cunningham could not participate in the debate about his team, so the vice chair, Sun Belt Conference commissioner Keith Gill, presided over discussions about the Tar Heels.
The knock against North Carolina was a lack of Quad 1 wins. But the Tar Heels played the nation’s fifth-toughest nonconference schedule, which included games against No. 1 NCAA Tournament seeds Auburn and Florida, No. 2 seeds Alabama and Michigan State, and a trip to Kansas, which earned a No. 7 seed.
And the Tar Heels had higher rankings in the NET (36th), KenPom (33rd) and BPI (25th) than West Virginia, Indiana, Ohio State and Boise State, the first four teams left out of the field.
Additionally, they finished slightly ahead of the Mountaineers for best among that group in Wins Above Bubble (WAB), a metric added this year looking at how many more or fewer wins a team has against its schedule compared to what a bubble team would expect.
Regardless, San Diego State (21-9) isn’t going to make things easy for the Tar Heels.
The Aztecs lead the nation in field goal percentage defense (.378) and rank 13th in defensive efficiency.
“I think our identity is in our defense and our effort,” forward Jared Coleman-Jones said. “I think that if we play really good defense and we play with effort and we play with swagger, I think everything else is going to handle itself.”
RJ Davis carries the load for the Tar Heels, averaging 17 points and 3.7 assists per game.
The No. 11 seed is the lowest ever for North Carolina, which is making its 54th NCAA Tournament appearance, second-most to Kentucky’s 62.
Despite the questions about their resume, the Tar Heels practiced on Sunday and prepared to play.
“I think we’ve all kind of felt the hate, the disagreement, all that,” guard Seth Trimble said. “We’re just running with it. We definitely feel like we’ve got something to prove.”
Familiar foes
When No. 11 seeds Texas and Xavier play on Wednesday night in Dayton, it will mark the fourth time since 1990 the teams have met in the NCAA Tournament.
The Longhorns (19-15) beat the Musketeers 83-71 in the 2023 Sweet 16. In 2004, Xavier beat Texas 79-71 to reach the Elite Eight before losing to top-seeded Duke 66-63.
Zach Freemantle returned from injury and averaged 19.8 points during a seven-game winning streak to close the regular season, helping the Musketeers (21-11) return to the tournament after missing out last year.
The First Four extends the standout freshman season for Longhorns guard Tre Johnson, who led the SEC in scoring with 19.8 points per game.
The Longhorns and Musketeers were firmly on the bubble entering Selection Sunday. The winner will face No. 6 seed Illinois on Friday night in Milwaukee.
“It’s so difficult to make the tournament,” Xavier coach Sean Miller said. “There’s so much invested. We played our best basketball as we entered March.”
Unlikely dancers
Saint Francis (PA) made an unlikely return to the University of Dayton Arena after becoming the 19th team to reach the NCAA Tournament with a losing record.
The Red Flashes (16-17) lost their season opener 87-57 to the Dayton Flyers on Nov. 4, and few would have predicted they’d return to the same building in March.
“We’re obviously very excited we’ve already played here before,” Saint Francis guard Riley Parker said. “The first game we played here didn’t turn out our way, so we’re just trying to come back here and make it right.”
Saint Francis is making its second NCAA Tournament appearance, first since 1991.
The Red Flashes face Alabama State (19-15) in a matchup of No. 16 seeds on Tuesday night. The Hornets’ last tournament appearance was in 2011. The winner will face No. 1 overall seed Auburn on Thursday in Lexington, Kentucky.
Teams with losing records entering the NCAA Tournament have gone 0-18.
Deep threat
No. 16 seeds American (22-12) and Mount St. Mary’s (22-12) meet in Dayton on Wednesday night, with the winner earning a date with No. 1 seed Duke in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Friday.
The player to watch for American is 6-foot-9 Matt Rogers, who leads the team with 59 3-pointers. His 1.7 made 3s per game ranked 12th in the Patriot League.
Dola Adebayo leads Mount St. Mary’s with 13.2 points per game. The Mountaineers averaged more than 70 points per game and shot 34% from 3-point range this season.
The two Washington D.C. area programs have a long history. This will be the 71st meeting between the schools. American leads the series 37-33, including four straight wins entering Wednesday.
Vegan Sloppy Joe
Vegan Sloppy Joe
Vegan Sloppy Joe Recipe from Minimalist Baker
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 8 hours
Serving size: 6 servings
Ingredients
For the Lentils
- 2 cups water (or you can use half water, half vegetable broth)
- 1 cup green or red lentils, well rinsed (red lentils for quicker/more tender result or green lentils for more bite/texture)
For the Sloppy Joes
- 2 Tbsp olive, grape seed, or avocado oil
- 1/2 medium white or yellow onion, minced (plus more for serving)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 cloves yield about 1 Tbsp)
- 1/2 medium red or green bell pepper, diced
- Sea salt and black pepper (to taste)
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1-2 Tbsp coconut sugar (plus more to taste / or sub brown sugar)
- 1-2 Tbsp vegan-friendly Worcestershire sauce
- 1-2 tsp chili powder (plus more to taste)
- 1 tsp ground cumin (plus more to taste)
- 1 pinch smoked or regular paprika (optional)
Directions
- If using green lentils: To a small saucepan, add liquid (I used 1 cup water, 1 cup vegetable broth for added flavor // amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) and rinsed green lentils and heat over medium-high heat. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook covered for about 18-22 minutes, or until tender. The water should have a constant simmer (not boil). Drain off any excess liquid and set aside.
- If using red lentils: To a small saucepan, add liquid (water and/or vegetable broth) and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add rinsed red lentils and bring back to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 7-10 minutes, or until just tender. You want them to be cooked through but not mushy. Drain well and set aside.
- In the meantime, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Season with a pinch each salt and pepper and stir to combine.
- Sautè for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the peppers and onions are tender and slightly browned.
- Next add tomato sauce, coconut sugar, vegan worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cumin, and paprika (optional). Stir to combine.
- Once the lentils are cooked, add them to the skillet as well, and stir to combine.
- Continue cooking the mixture over medium-low heat until completely warmed through and thick, stirring occasionally – about 5-10 minutes.
- Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more chili powder and/or cumin for smokiness, salt for saltiness, coconut sugar for sweetness, or worcestershire for depth of flavor.
- Serve the mixture on toasted buns with sliced onion. Best when fresh, though leftover sloppy joe mixture will keep in the refrigerator up to 4-5 days, or in the freezer for 1 month. Reheat in the microwave, or on the stovetop, adding water or vegetable broth if the mixture has dried out.
March 18th 2025
Thought of the Day
Attitude is a little thing that make a big difference.
Americans increased spending tepidly last month as anxiety over the economy takes hold
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER and ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP Business Writers
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. shoppers stepped up their spending just a bit in February after a sharp pullback the previous month, signaling that Americans are shopping more cautiously as concerns about the direction of the economy mount.
Retail sales rose just 0.2% in February, a small rebound after a sharp drop of 1.2% in January, the Commerce Department said Monday. Sales rose at grocery stores, home and garden stores, and online retailers. Sales fell at auto dealers, restaurants, and electronics stores.
The small increase suggests Americans may be growing more wary about spending as the stock market has plunged and President Donald Trump’s tariff threats and government spending cuts have led to widespread uncertainty among consumers and businesses.
Some economists were relieved the numbers weren’t worse. Still, many expect consumer spending will grow just 1% to 1.5% at an annual rate in the first three months of this year, far below the 4.2% gain in the final quarter last year.
“Consumer spending is on track to slow sharply this quarter, but not by as much as we previously feared,” Stephen Brown, an economist at Capital Economics, a consulting firm, said in an email.
On Friday, a measure of consumer sentiment fell sharply for the third straight month and is now down more than 20% since December. Respondents to the University of Michigan’s survey cited policy uncertainty as a leading reason for the gloomier outlook. While the respondents were divided sharply by party — sentiment about the current economy fell among Republican by much less than for Democrats — Republicans’ confidence in the economy’s future dropped 10%.
Consumers from all income levels are feeling more strained.
Hunter Simmons of Austin, Texas, who is a lawyer and journalist, said that the uncertainty around the economy because of the stock market turmoil and tariffs has made him more cautious about spending. He said he used to buy the more expensive farm fresh eggs, but now he’s going for the cheapest eggs he can find. He’s also been buying fewer fresh vegetables and fruits and has turned to frozen versions. And lately Simmons started to pay for gas in cash and is joining fuel rewards programs.
“I am not a big spender in general, but I have been cutting back in small ways,” he said.
A slew of earnings reports over the past few weeks from major retailers including Walmart, Macy’s and Dollar General have cited a slowdown in spending.
Walmart, the nation’s largest retailer and a bellwether for the retail sector, released a weak outlook last month citing uncertainty around tariffs.
February sales also fell last month at gas stations, clothing stores, and sporting goods stores. The figures aren’t adjusted for prices, and the cost of gas also declined in February, which likely accounts for most of the drop. Excluding gas and autos, retail sales rose 0.5%, a healthier figure but still modest after a plunge of 0.8% in January.
Also Monday, the National Association of Homebuilders said its index measuring builder sentiment fell three points to 39, the lowest level in seven months, as economic uncertainty dimmed builders’ outlook and fewer potential buyers visited homes.
“Economic uncertainty, the threat of tariffs and elevated construction costs pushed builder sentiment down in March,” the group said. The homebuilders estimate tariffs will add $9,200 to the cost of a new home.
Macy’s says its customers, even at its upscale chains Bluemercury and Bloomingdale’s, are feeling angst and its financial outlook this month reflects that.
“I think the affluent customer that’s shopping Macy’s is just as uncertain and as confused and concerned by what’s transpiring,” Macy’s CEO Tony Spring said at the time.
Hiring has mostly held up and there are no signs that companies are laying off workers. As long as Americans have jobs, spending could remain resilient. But that is not assured.
Dollar General CEO Todd Vasos said Thursday that the overall economic picture for his customers is not ideal and the company said it would close around 100 stores.
“Our customers continue to report that their financial situation has worsened over the last year as they have been negatively impacted by ongoing inflation ” Vasos said during an earnings call. “Many of our customers report that they only have enough money for basic essentials, with some noting that they have had to sacrifice even on the necessities.”
Spending patterns at Costco have changed to accommodate a soured view of the economy, including a shift toward ground beef and poultry instead of more expensive cuts of meat, said to Gary Millership, the company’s chief financial officer.
American Eagle Outfitters CEO Jay Schottenstein said angst is particularly high among younger customers.
“Not just tariffs, not just inflation,” said Schottenstein. “We see the government cutting people off. They don’t know how that’s going to affect them. And when people don’t know what they don’t know – they get very conservative.”
The retail sales report mostly just covers goods purchases — as well as restaurant sales — but there are signs Americans are cutting back spending on services as well.
Airline executives at JP Morgan’s airline industry conference last week said bookings have fallen.
“There was something going on with economic sentiment, something going on with consumer confidence,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian at the industry conference.
___
D’Innocenzio reported from New York.
St. Patrick’s Day brings boisterous parades and celebrations to New York and other cities
NEW YORK (AP) — St. Patrick’s Day, the annual celebration of all things Irish, is being marked in cities across the country on Monday with boisterous parades and celebrations.
New York City hosts one of the largest and oldest parades in the United States.
The rolling celebration, now in its 264th year, is taking place along Manhattan’s famed Fifth Avenue. Some 150,000 take part in the march, according to organizers.
Major celebrations are also planned on Monday in Savannah, Georgia, and other American communities, though some of the cities most transformed by Irish immigration held festivities over the weekend.
Chicago ‘s St. Patrick’s Day celebration, which is punctuated by turning its namesake river bright green with dye, happened Saturday. Boston and Philadelphia marked the occasion Sunday.
Across the pond, the Irish capital of Dublin culminates its three-day festival with a parade Monday. Cities such as Liverpool, England, another city transformed by Irish immigration, also host celebrations on the St. Patrick’s feast day.
The parades are meant to commemorate Ireland’s patron saint but have become a celebration of Irish heritage globally.
Festivities on March 17 were popularized by Irish immigrant communities, who in the 19th century faced discrimination and opposition in the U.S.
The New York parade dates to 1762 — 14 years before the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
It stepped off at 11 a.m. as marchers headed north along Fifth Avenue from East 44th Street to East 79th Street in Manhattan.
A bevy of local politicians, from the mayor to the governor, are expected to walk the route along with school marching bands and traditional Irish pipe and drum ensembles and delegations from the New York Police Department and other organizations.
The grand marshal of this year’s parade in New York City is Michael Benn, the longtime chairman of the Queens County St. Patrick’s Parade held in Rockaway Beach.