The Fast and the Thievish: Criminals steal gold coins from museum in only nine minutes

Jack Birle

November 27, 04:00 AM November 27, 04:01 AM

Criminals in Germany stole 483 Celtic gold coins along with a lump of gold in a heist that took only nine minutes, according to police.

The thieves stole $1.65 million worth of treasures from the Celtic and Roman Museum in Manching, Germany, on Tuesday, according to the .

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The thieves pried the door open at 1:26 a.m., smashed a cabinet display, stole the goods, and left by 1:35 a.m. without tripping any alarms, authorities said. The deputy head of Bavaria’s State Criminal Police Office said communications networks in the region were cut at about 1:17 a.m., allowing the heist to go off smoothly.

"It’s clear that you don’t simply march into a museum and take this treasure with you,” Markus Blume, minister of science and arts for Bavaria, told public broadcaster BR. “It’s highly secured and as such there’s a suspicion that we’re rather dealing with a case of organized crime."

Officials worry the coins may be melted down and sold away because of how recognizable they are.

Interpol and Europol are working on finding the criminals, with the code name "Oppidum" being used for the 20-person investigative team searching for the stolen goods.

Green Friday: Shops in Europe resisting Black Friday mega sales

Jack Birle

November 25, 06:11 PM November 25, 07:24 PM

Several shops in Europe are resisting the U.S. consumerism tradition of mega sales on Black Friday, opting for a focus on sustainability.

Xandres clothing store in Ghent, Belgium, is offering repairs to clothes instead of deep discounts, per a report from Reuters. The store is dubbing Nov. 25 "Green Friday" and is offering free clothing repair to match its message of sustainability.

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"The idea behind Black Friday is to buy as much clothing as possible at the biggest discount possible. That does not match our sustainability philosophy," Patrick Desrumaux, chief executive at Xandres, told the outlet. "You cannot buy anything at all from us today. All our shops are closed, the webshop is closed, and instead of selling, we are going to grant a longer life to clothes by repairing all the clothes that were brought in."

Home and garden store Dille & Kamille also closed its locations in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany on Nov. 25, encouraging customers to enjoy nature rather than spend the day shopping, according to the report.

Black Friday gained traction in the United States as the unofficial start of the Christmas shopping season in the 20th century, and U.S.-based companies began to expand the savings events internationally in the early 2000s.

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Analysts have predicted Black Friday sales in 2022 may not reach the same levels as in previous years due to high inflation causing margins to be tighter for several shops.

Number of travelers over Thanksgiving weekend to almost reach pre-pandemic levels

Asher Notheis

November 19, 05:30 AM November 19, 05:30 AM

Families and relatives traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday can expect many other fellow travelers visiting their relatives this year.

A total of 54.6 million people are expected to travel 50 miles or more from their homes over the Thanksgiving weekend, beginning Nov. 23 through Nov. 27. The estimated number of travelers reaches 98% of pre-COVID-19 levels around the November holiday and is also 1.5% higher than holiday travel compared to last year, according to AAA.

“Families and friends are eager to spend time together this Thanksgiving, one of the busiest for travel in the past two decades,” said AAA’s Senior Vice President of Travel Paula Twidale. “Plan ahead and pack your patience, whether you’re driving or flying.”

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The number of expected travelers will be the third highest since AAA began tracking travels in 2005, trailing only 2005 and 2019.

Around 89.1% of travelers are expected to make their journey by car, with almost 49 million people hitting the road. While road travel would be up slightly from last year by 0.4%, the number of expected road trips would still be below 2019 levels at 2.5%.

Roughly 8.3% of trips will be made via air travel, with 4.5 million people taking flights to their family's turkey feast. The expected number of air travelers this Thanksgiving will be up 8% from 2021 and will be at almost 99% of 2019's amount of air travelers.

Other means of transportation are also anticipated to experience an increase this year, with over 1.4 million travelers expected to travel by bus, train, or cruise ship, an increase of 23% from last year.

“Regardless of the mode of transportation you have chosen, expect crowds during your trip and at your destination," Twidale said. "If your schedule is flexible, consider off-peak travel times during the holiday rush.”

‘Thanksgiving Price Rewind’: Aldi grocery stores to match 2019 prices

Heather Hamilton

November 03, 01:27 PM November 03, 01:27 PM

Aldi food markets are looking to give consumers a bit of reprieve by reverting back to their 2019 prices.

In response to rising inflation and higher prices being a major concern for shoppers, Aldi announced it will discount Thanksgiving season grocery items up to 30% in order to match pre-inflation price points.

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The supermarket chain is calling it their “Thanksgiving Price Rewind.”

“Providing amazing products at the absolute lowest prices is what we’ve always done, and we know right now that’s more important than ever,” Aldi president Dave Rinaldo said in a statement. “You can rest easy knowing Aldi has your back this Thanksgiving, and beyond.”

The promotion will include holiday appetizers, desserts, sides, and beverages. Products included will be marked with a “Thanksgiving Price Rewind” logo.

The consumer price index showed food prices were up 11.2% on average in September compared to last year.