samhexum

https://www.tvline.com/2183115/half-man-ending-explained-hbo-episode-6-finale-recap/

Even Family Dollar is feeling the pressure of inflation on shoppers’ budgets, with about 350 stores closing nationwide over the past 10 months. The iconic retailer has shuttered around one store per day since July 2025, according to retail tracking firm Local Falcon, as part of a downsizing effort that could see up to 1,000 locations close. Texas has seen the most closures with 35 stores, followed by Ohio with 28 and Georgia with 26. California recently lost three locations. Just six states, including Idaho, Massachusetts, Montana, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming, were unaffected in the latest wave of closures, according to Local Falcon’s analysis. Despite its name, Family Dollar no longer operates as a true dollar store. Most household essentials, food and basic goods have not been priced at $1 for years, with the majority of items now typically costing under $10 and many everyday staples ranging from $1 to $5. In 2024, Dollar Tree first announced plans to shutter around 1,000 underperforming Family Dollar sores. The company cites inflation and reduced government assistance programs, which continued to squeeze lower-income shoppers, Dollar Tree CEO Rick Dreiling said in an earnings report cited by TheStreet. In July 2025, Dollar Tree sold Family Dollar to investment firms Brigade Capital Management and Macellum Capital Management in a deal worth about $1 billion. Even as closures continue, Family Dollar announced in March 2026 that it is trying to turn the business around by opening smaller stores that cost less to run and are focused on busier, more densely populated urban areas. "Over the past year, we've taken disciplined actions to strengthen the foundation of Family Dollar, and the progress we're seeing reflects the focus and commitment of our teams across the organization," Duncan MacNaughton, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said in a statement. "We are focused on simplifying the business, improving execution in our stores, and ensuring we are positioned to serve our customers and communities for the long term." Despite downsizing, Family Dollar still operates more than 7,000 stores nationwide.

Joy Behar says she will step away from "The View" panel for several weeks, confirming an extended hiatus during a Tuesday, May 26, episode of the ABC daytime show's “Behind the Table” podcast. Behar, while speaking to "The View" executive producer Brian Teta, said she will travel to Europe to perform her stage play “My First Ex-Husband,” with scheduled stops in Paris and London. She explained that she will spend time moving from France to the United Kingdom, where the production will run at the Boulevard Theatre in London’s West End. She also described the production’s cast, noting she performs alongside Jackie Hoffman and two British actors. Behar said the trip will be full of performances as well as time for writing and cultural visits, adding that the project is a major focus of her time away from the talk show. The Walt Disney Company, the parent company of ABC, did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for additional comment regarding Behar’s upcoming absence from “The View.” Teta confirmed Behar will remain on "The View" through the end of the week before her absence begins. He also indicated that multiple guest cohosts will rotate in during her time away.

A former CIA official has been accused of stealing 303 gold bars worth more than $40 million from the spy agency and stashing them in his Virginia residence, according to a criminal complaint and current and former U.S. officials. Prosecutors say David J. Rush of Virginia, described in a criminal complaint as a former senior executive with a top-secret security clearance, also misled his superiors about his education and military service, falsely claiming college degrees he did not have and $77,000 in military leave pay he wasn’t entitled to. Rush was arrested last week and charged with theft of public funds. His attorney, Jessica N. Carmichael, declined to comment. While much about the case remains unknown, it raises questions about the efficacy of U.S. government background checks on Rush, as well as how he was allegedly able to persuade his superiors to entrust him with tens of millions of dollars in gold and large amounts of foreign currency. Rush said the funds were intended for “work-related expenses,” according to an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. https://apple.news/Azn65lX_qRhuui_J-eOClQQ

Gilded Age Park Slope Mansion With 32-Foot Width Asks $18.5 Million On a leafy stretch, the Romanesque Revival brownstone features 11 bedrooms and nearly as many fireplaces, six full baths, two half baths, and a garden. https://www.brownstoner.com/sponsored/park-slope-mansion-838-carroll-street-for-sale-elevator/

Fifth consecutive scoreless start of at least seven innings for Christopher Sanchez of the Phillies. 39 innings, 25 hits, three walks, 45 strikeouts. The last runs he gave up were in the first inning of the previous start so he is working on a streak of 44 2/3 scoreless innings. The Phillies got him from the rays in a rare bad trade by Tampa. The Phillies sent them Curtis Mead in return who didn't do anything in repeated opportunities with them, but is now performing decently as Washington's new starting third baseman

a terrific hourlong performance:

how a tall man teaches his dwarf son to deal with bullies:

https://stocks.apple.com/AQbrgtuCgRSeHl-Y0rZ3bmw A combination of factors including bad weather, tariffs and a dwindling cattle herd are already pushing up grocery prices at an above-average pace. In April, they rose by the most in nearly four years, and economists say the impact of the Iran war and a potential El Niño weather pattern will only add to pressures into 2027. The hit to US household finances from higher grocery bills is set to intensify just ahead of the November midterm elections, amplifying affordability as a defining issue. And to a greater extent than the surge in gas prices, the slower-moving food shock will be difficult to reverse quickly because the size of autumn harvests is determined by planting decisions made in the spring.

Travis Kelce has purchased a minority stake in his hometown club, the Cleveland Guardians, per a team announcement. It’s not clear how large a stake he purchased. He’s reportedly earned more than $111MM in career salary with the Chiefs, to say nothing of other revenue streams (e.g. endorsements, podcast). I’m just a kid from the Heights living the dream. I credit every good thing in my life to Cleveland and being raised here with the values and the people and the work ethic. Cleveland Heights is such a diverse and dynamic place. Every friend, neighbor, teacher and teammate — they all made me the man I am today. It just fueled such a deep appreciation for life and community and service. … There was nothing like Cleveland baseball in the ’90s. That’s just a core memory for me. Kenny Lofton, Carlos Baerga, Jim Thome, Sandy Alomar Jr., the list goes on, and I admire how they just continue to pour into this city and this game.” Kelce, 37 in October, is an 11-time Pro Bowler with three Super Bowl rings. He ranks third all-time among tight ends in both receptions and receiving yards and is fifth all-time in touchdowns at his position. His stake isn’t likely to be a significant one, though it’s always feasible that he seeks to increase his share at some point down the road. Kelce’s teammate and fellow three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes can now formally be on opposite ends of an American League Central rivalry; Mahomes bought a stake in the Royals in 2020.

It's a shame her father in law killed himself when her hubby was ten months old.

https://qns.com/2026/05/lgbtq-spots-western-queens-pride-month/ Five LGBTQ+ owned spots to visit in western Queens during Pride Month

https://www.brownstoner.com/real-estate-market/city-financed-buildings-lower-rent-mamdani/ The mayor will announce on Tuesday that New Yorkers who are considered “extremely low-income” — no more than $50,880 for a family of four — will pay a quarter of their income on rent, down from 30 percent, on city-subsidized apartments. “One of the things we’re trying to do is think about ‘affordable to whom,’” said Dina Levy, commissioner of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. The rents set at a quarter of household income will apply to HPD-financed new projects that close on their financing as of June 2026. The rental level will not apply to households that use vouchers. The change in rent requirements in affordable apartments for the lowest-income New Yorkers comes as part of the administration’s plan to address the housing crisis, one that touches on everything from preserving existing affordable apartments, creating new ones, code enforcement, and land-use changes to spur new housing. “At a moment when working people are being pushed out of the city they built, New York cannot afford half-measures or delays,” Mamdani said in a statement. “This plan meets the housing crisis with the urgency it demands.”

Brad is married to a 5 foot 6 half Chinese half white woman who is a serious mixed martial artist, having studied for 18 years. Brad says he is in a mixed marriage… My wife is half Chinese, I'm half. They met when they matched on a website for people looking for threesomes. The other woman that matched with them didn't show up for the date, but the two of them went out and hit it off. They continued to have threesomes for a fairly long time after their marriage. They have a six-year-old daughter who is also a little person. Brad is the only little person in his family; his father is 6 foot two and athletic… when my mom got pregnant he expected her to give birth to a football player; instead she shot out… A football! Brad does a podcast called heightened babble with one of his best friends, JB Ball, a 6 foot three black comedian; they have some interesting perspectives on things sometimes, having had such similar lives.

everything's working again. If you did anything, thanks. If you didn't, thanks for answering.

Anyone else a fan of Brad Williams?

You can't possibly realize how indecipherable this was to me. Last June I switched from Verizon to spectrum for my Internet and the technician updated my Roku device, but he couldn't figure out how to update my printer with the new information. I am still going to call HP any day now to ask one of their technicians to take over my computer Remotely and update the information for me because I am that much of a technological moron. And my phone isn't connected to my Norton subscription because one would have to know how to do that sort of thing in order to do that sort of thing.

While some book-to-screen adaptations play it safe, treating the original source material as an unchangeable road map, Prime Video's "Off Campus" is having a little more fun with the overall universe of characters from Elle Kennedy's series of hockey romance novels — and it's causing even the savviest of book readers to drop their jaws at least once. One of the biggest changes comes in the form of "Carter St. James V" (played by Charlie Evans of Hulu's "Paradise"), a character who has a one-night stand with Allie (Mike Abdalla) during her rocky road to romance with hockey player Dean (Stephen Kalyn). Of course, the characters' steamy hookup in Episode 7 is nothing compared to the bombshell that comes in the season finale: "Carter" is merely the name on this character's fake ID. He's really Hunter Davenport, a talented hockey player who just so happens to have a heated rivalry with — you guessed it — Dean

I've used Norton vpn for years and I cleared my cookies last night. Now I can get to the site initially but as soon as I try to sign in I get the warning page. I am using my phone to type this so I can access that way. The warning tells me it is for my IP address, so wouldn't the same thing happen no matter which browser I was using? Remember, you're talking to a technological moron.

@RadioRob my desktop tells me to "click on the link below to pass protection", but I have clicked approximately 100 times and nothing is happening. Below the link are three dots that keep flashing and beneath them the numbers count 3210 over and over and over again And there does not seem to be any way for me to actually pass this protection and continue onto the website with my desktop. Help!

MAZEL TOV!

One important character from "Off Campus" Season 1 will not re-enter the whirlwind hockey romance in Season 2, according to showrunner Louisa Levy. The Prime Video adaptation of Elle Kennedy's "Off Campus" book series will focus each season on a different romantic couple at the fictional Briar University in Boston. In Season 1, feelings develop between music students Hannah Wells (Ella Bright) and Justin Kohl (Josh Heuston), though Hannah ends up with hockey star Garrett Graham (Belmont Cameli). In a recent interview with TV Guide, Levy was asked if Justin will return, given that the love triangle appears to be over. "Not next season, but I love Josh and I would not write him off if I can find a way to bring Justin back at some point," she said. "We never got a chance to meet Stella, who is the person he ends up with in the book. So maybe we'll find a way to fold him into a future season. We don't have him [available] next season, but never say never."

Dear Abby: I am a 38-year-old woman with no kids, a loving partner and puppy. JEEZ, I HOPE THEY’RE NOT ONE AND THE SAME I run a business my dad originally built. I’m at a high point in my life despite the tragedy of losing my mom. I realize my friendships are important going forward in life. One woman I’ve known since childhood posts harsh, opinionated political things on her social media. I don’t agree with them. I don’t mind that she holds that political view as long as I don’t have to see it, but I’d prefer she left it out of our friendship. My social media contains only family photos and photos of my dog’s antics. I choose not to post things that might cause division. Would it be wrong to end this friendship, since our adult views no longer align? — Split Decision in New Jersey Dear Split Decision: When your longtime friend posts these items on social media, she’s not posting them only to you. She’s sharing them with all of her friends, many of whom may be like-minded. Rather than end the relationship, either scroll past her postings, mute them or block them entirely. (UNLESS SHE’S HOLDING A GUN TO YOUR HEAD AND FORCING YOU TO READ THEM, YOU MORONIC TWAT!) However, if she brings these views up when you’re together, ask her to keep politics out of the discussion. SHOOT HER. Dear Abby: I am hosting a dinner at a restaurant to celebrate my wife’s birthday. There will be 16 guests, all family members. Our daughter “Erin,” to whom it’s hard to say no, has just asked if our grandson can bring his girlfriend. While it appears they are in a serious relationship, no one else at the celebration has ever met the girl. DID THE MORONIC TWAT OFFER TO PAY FOR THE GIRL? A few years ago, Erin did something similar. She asked on Christmas Day if her son could bring a friend to what was a family dinner of 12 in our home. We apologized and said it wouldn’t work out. Erin then refused to come to dinner with her family of five. She was furious for weeks. I feel requests like this are inappropriate. Am I off base? — Crowded Host in Arizona Dear Host: You are not off base. Erin has a lot of gall to think she can dictate who can drag someone along to someone else’s celebration, and then throw a fit if the answer is no. Stick to your guns and don’t allow yourself to be intimidated. SHOOT HER. Dear Abby: After your children become adults, who should initiate phone calls? I usually wait for my kids to do it because they have busier lives than I do and I don’t want to bother them. But this can mean I don’t talk with my children for weeks at a time. Should I be the one calling? — Sitting by the Phone in Colorado Dear Sitting: Call your children as often as you wish. If they are busy and can’t talk long, they will probably tell you. However, if between the calls you are just sitting and waiting for the phone to ring, I urge you to start involving yourself in activities that bring you pleasure and stimulate your mind. If you do, your conversations will be livelier. WHY WOULD YOU ASK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS AFTER MY CHILDREN BECOME ADULTS? NOSY BITCH!

I just watched interior designer Kirstie Alley of Wichita, KS competing on Match Game.