Iowa is on the naughty list this year for some grinchy behavior.
Instead of taking the Who-pudding and Who-hash, state officials have swept up more than $100 million from citizens over the past 20 years through a controversial law enforcement scheme called civil asset forfeiture. That earns Iowa a D- in a new analysis by a criminal justice reform organization.
Civil asset forfeiture allows the government to confiscate money or property that is suspected of being involved in criminal activity, but it doesn’t require any criminal charges. Subjects are forced to prove their innocence to get their stuff back, turning the presumption of innocence upside down.
Business blooms as pent-up demand boosts sales at Craftex
By Danny KingContributor
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Designers Tina Rubio, Michael Segura and Marcela Alas at Craftex, a decoration supply store in Houston on Monday, Dec. 14, 2020.Annie Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / ContributorShow MoreShow Less
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Tina Rubio straightens a wreath she made for a client at Craftex, a decoration supply store on Monday, Dec. 14, 2020. Rubio has been designing at Craftex for sixteen years.Annie Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / ContributorShow MoreShow Less
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A nativity scene at Craftex, a decoration supply store on Monday, Dec. 14, 2020.Annie Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / ContributorShow MoreShow Less
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Designers Michael Segura, Rocky Crabtree, Cher Pesses, Tina Rubio and Marcela Alas at Craftex, a decoration supply store in Houston on Monday, Dec. 14, 2020. The five comprise the dream designer team at Craftex.Annie Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / ContributorShow MoreShow Less
Tri-State customers make last-minute holiday purchases before Christmas
Final holiday shopping rush is in full swing
Tri-State customers make last-minute holiday purchases before Christmas By Jessica Costello | December 19, 2020 at 8:16 PM CST - Updated December 19 at 11:18 PM
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - Holiday shopping is in full swing.
Parking lots at places like Eastland Mall and Target are filled to the back.
With less than a week until Christmas and pandemic uncertainties still lingering, shoppers still visited their favorite stores to get some last-minute grabs this weekend.
As this year’s holiday season approached, consumers said they planned to spend less overall and pull back on purchases for themselves, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation.
DAYTONA BEACH His arms laden with three big Victoria’s Secret bags, Antonio Taddeo was among the early-birds on Saturday at Volusia Mall, where shoppers were hitting the stores on the final big weekend before Christmas Day.
Like many of them, Taddeo, 44, was balancing the necessity of adhering to health guidelines related to the coronavirus pandemic with the desire to keep his holiday shopping traditions.
“I don’t want to go near anything,” Taddeo said of his concern about the virus. “I do most of my shopping online, but it’s Christmastime and there’s something about going out and getting stuff.”
By Alexa Rodriguez
Dec 18, 2020
Procrastinators still abound this holiday season, a new survey finds, despite retailers ranging from Target to Best Buy trying to encourage consumers to shop earlier than ever to avoid crowded stores and backlogged warehouses in the final days leading up to Christmas.
More than 150 million Americans are planning to shop on the final Saturday before Christmas, up slightly from 147.8 million in 2019, according to a survey released Thursday by the National Retail Federation. NRF surveyed 8,092 consumers from Nov. 25 through Dec. 4, in a partnership with Prosper Insights & Analytics.
The number of expected shoppers on the day, which is known as “Super Saturday,” includes those planning to shop in stores and buy online, NRF said. The trade group said this marks the second-highest figure reported since NRF began tracking the Super Saturday statistic in 2016. Last year, Super Saturday fell just four days before Christmas, but this year it’s nea