and there s certain places that americans are still continuing to spend. one, restaurants up 7.2%. people still liking going out to eat, spending money there. auto sales up 6.4%. that s because there may be a lag in inventory and folks may be just getting the opportunity to spend and buy their car, but of course this is despite rising interest rates which affects car sales. also people shopping at department stores, up 17.5%. there s a couple of reasons why. good weather. believe it or not, good weather makes people want to go out and spend at restaurants, go shopping. also a strong labor market. people have jobs and wages are up. so they are comfortable at least spending what they feel like they can right now post holiday discounts. as i mentioned in december, retail sales dropped. people were maybe holding back on spending. now when you have all of these retailers offering deals, people
many days until christmas and i found this i look at once year. right now it is 16 days, 15 hours and 59 minutes and 14 seconds until christmas. 16 days, 15 hours, go shopping. rudolph became a series of the song santos coming to town grea to me if you take santos got a dirty job, that is a christmas story ready to be written, don you think? you could picture santa working in another job in then realizes that may be kids needs presidents. elf is a dirty job? it could be, in next thing you know, your ns lay, and he s got more along with john rich. which they give to charity. sent it does not have a dirty job. he only works one day of the year.
disappointing that the rmt think that the way to conduct these negotiations is to hold the country to ransom. but negotiations is to hold the country to ransom. ., negotiations is to hold the country to ransom- to ransom. but labour has more s math to ransom. but labour has more sympathy for to ransom. but labour has more sympathy for the to ransom. but labour has more sympathy for the strikers - to ransom. but labour has more l sympathy for the strikers and says the government should be trying harder to resolve the dispute. i harder to resolve the dispute. i think that there is a deal to be done think that there is a deal to be done. every single day that those workers done. every single day that those workers have been on strike, they have workers have been on strike, they have lost workers have been on strike, they have lost pay. so they don t want to do this, they want to find a resolution. do this, they want to find a resolution. ., ., , , , ,, , resolution. for ma
donna, what do you hope for this time of year? what is your message? bring tons of smiles to as many seniors as we possibly can. that is what happens. you see pictures of seniors, even if a blanket or puzzle book, they are happy to be remembered. they were. even just a card. they are amazing. feels like the outside world. like a stranger sent this to me. donna took tragedy and made goodness out of that. that is the giving spirit of christmas. i love you so much for doing this. i mean, mickey and dee would so be proud of you. this is the tech year. you can still donate? we have amazon wish-list own any social media outlets. we ll post it today. go to the wish lift, send a gift right there, if you don t go shopping. go shopping. send it to me. the address on our website or any social media. the website is operation gifts for seniors.org.