Tuesday, 19 Mar 2024

Video game retailer GameStop closing 180 to 200 stores globally

South Korea will complain to WTO about Japan’s trade curbs

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea is filing a complaint with the World Trade Organization over Japan’s tightened export controls on key materials South Korean companies use to make computer chips and displays, accusing Tokyo of weaponizing trade to retaliate over political rows.

Senior trade official Yoo Myung-hee said Seoul will request bilateral consultation with Japan over the trade curbs Wednesday as the first step in the WTO dispute settlement process.

Japan in July imposed tighter export controls on three chemicals South Korean companies use to produce semiconductors and displays for smartphones and TVs.

Seoul says Tokyo is retaliating over South Korean court rulings that called for Japanese companies to offer reparations to aging South Korean plaintiffs over World War II forced labor.

Japan has said it has security concerns.

Sheriff’s deputies in North Carolina are unsure why a woman tied up her husband and castrated him

A North Carolina woman is in jail after “severing her husband’s penis,” according to the Carteret County Sheriff’s Office. 

Victoria Frabutt, 56, was arrested Tuesday on a charge of “malicious castration” after deputies responded to her home in Newport, North Carolina. Law enforcement officers arrived just before 4 a.m. and Frabutt’s 61-year-old husband said Frabutt “tied him up and pulled out a knife.” 

“Deputies were able to recover the body part where it was immediately put on ice and transported to medical personnel,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

Florida man: Attacks wife’s lover with scissors and flees with his penis, police say

The condition of Frabutt’s husband, who was taken to a hospital in Greenville, North Carolina, is unknown, according to the Carteret County Sheriff’s Office. Frabutt is being held in the Carteret County Detention Center on a $100,000 bond and is set to appear on court on Wednesday. 

The sheriff’s office said a motive for the castration is unclear. Frabutt is also being charged with kidnapping. 

Supercut Shows Full Scale Of Sean Hannity’s Obsession With Hillary Clinton

It’s been the best part of three years since Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential race, but Sean Hannity still can’t stop talking about Trump’s former opponent Hillary Clinton. 

From Trump’s inauguration in January 2017 to August 2019, the “Hannity” host mentioned the former secretary of state in 505 of his Fox News show’s 587 episodes ― that’s 86% of his shows ― according to a review conducted by Media Matters.

If you include mentions from guests, Clinton was name-dropped in a whopping 91% of Hannity’s shows.

In one particularly long streak this year, Hannity referenced Clinton in 60 consecutive episodes between April and July.

As Media Matters points out, Hannity called his show the “Stop-Hillary Express” during the 2016 presidential campaign — but he hasn’t been able to stop speaking about her since. 

Check out the staggering supercut of Hannity’s Clinton name-drops below: 

European Economics Preview: Eurozone Final PMI, Retail Sales Data Due

Final Purchasing Managers’ survey results and retail sales report from the euro area are due on Wednesday, headlining a busy day for the European economic news.

At 3.00 am ET, the Hungarian Central Statistical Office is scheduled to issue retail sales for July. Economists forecast sales to grow 5.5 percent on year, following a 5.2 percent rise in June.

At 3.15 am ET, IHS Markit publishes Spain’s services PMI report. Economists forecast the index to improve slightly to 53.0 in August from 52.9 in July.

Thereafter final PMI figures are due from France and Germany at 3.50 and 3.55 am ET, respectively.

At 4.00 am ET, Eurozone final PMI data is due. The PMI reading is seen at 51.8 in August, unchanged from the flash estimate.

At 4.30 am ET, IHS Markit releases UK services PMI data for August. The index is seen falling to 51.0 from 51.4 in July.

At 5.00 am ET, Eurostat releases euro area retail sales data for July. Sales are forecast to drop 0.6 percent on month, reversing a 1.1 percent rise in June.

Ronald Acuña Jr. turns home run into an out … and into a home run again

Ronald Acuña Jr.'s amazing athletic ability prevented an almost-certain home run from clearing the center field fence. His premature celebration made all that effort go to waste.

On a ball hit to deep center field by the Philadelphia Phillies' Scott Kingery, Acuña reached over the wall to make a spectacular leaping catch. But as he came down and tried to regain his balance, the ball came out of the Braves outfielder's glove. 

All the while, Kingery never stopped running. By the time the relay from Acuña to cutoff man Ozzie Albies reached home plate, Kingery had already arrived with a head-first slide. 

It may be September, but it’s STILL a Scott boy summer! #RingTheBellpic.twitter.com/vhHnscHLMH

Kingery's inside-the-park home run broke a 4-4 tie in a game the Phillies needed to win after dropping the first of a four-game series against their NL East rivals.

Philadelphia ended up winning the game 6-5 to move within 2 1/2 games of the Chicago Cubs (who are playing at San Diego) for the second NL wild-card playoff spot.

Follow Gardner on Twitter @SteveAGardner

Video game retailer GameStop closing 180 to 200 stores globally

On the same day Apple unveiled the launch date of its subscription service Arcade, brick-and-mortar video game hub GameStop announced store closures.

During Tuesday’s quarterly earnings call with analysts, GameStop chief financial officer Jim Bell said the company was “on track to close between 180 and 200 underperforming stores globally by the end of this fiscal year.”

Bell also said there have been 195 store closures since last year.

How many stores could close in the U.S. was not disclosed. GameStop did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment Tuesday.

GameStop CEO George Sherman spoke of right-sizing the company and said there were “recent efforts” across the corporate infrastructure and U.S. store leadership organization.

More store closings coming: An estimated 12,000 shops could close by the end of 2019

Fred’s store closings: All locations to shutter in Chapter 11 bankruptcy liquidation

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