By PAUL WISEMAN and ANNE D’INNOCENZIO, AP Business Writers

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. inflation slowed unexpectedly last month according to data that was delayed, and likely distorted, by the government shutdown.

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The Labor Department reported Thursday that its consumer price index rose 2.7% in November from a year earlier. Yet, year-over-year inflation remains well above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, and Americans are dismayed by the high cost of living.

The report was delayed eight days by the federal government’s 43-day shutdown, which also prevented the Labor Department from compiling overall numbers for consumer prices and core inflation in October. Thursday’s report gave investors, businesses and policymakers their first look at CPI since the September numbers were released on Oct. 24.

Consumer prices had risen 3% in September from a year earlier, and forecasters had expected the November CPI to match that year-over-year increase.

“It’s likely a bit distorted,’’ said Diane Swonk, chief economist at the tax and consulting firm KPMG. “The good news is that it’s cooling. We’ll take a win when we can get it.’’

Still, Swonk added: “The data is truncated, and we just don’t know how much of it to trust.’’ By disrupting the economy – especially government contracting – the shutdown may have contributed to a cooling in prices, she said.

Energy prices, driven up by sharply higher fuel oil prices, rose 4.2% in November. Excluding volatile food and energy prices, so-called core inflation rose 2.6%, compared with a 3% year-over-year gain in September and the lowest since March 2021.

U.S. inflation remains stubbornly high, partly because of President Donald Trump’s decision to impose double-digit taxes on imports from almost every country on earth along with targeted tariffs on specific products like steel, aluminum and autos.

The president’s tariffs have so far proved less inflationary than economists feared. But they do put upward pressure on prices and complicate matters at the Fed, which is trying to decide whether to keep cutting its benchmark interest rate to support a sputtering job market or whether to hold off until inflationary pressures ease. The central bank last week decided to reduce the rate for the third time this year, but Fed officials signaled that they expect just one cut in 2026.

Kay Haigh, global co-head of fixed income and liquidity solutions at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, warned that the November numbers were “noisy … The canceling of the October report makes month-on-month comparisons impossible, for example, while the truncated information-gathering process given the shutdown could have caused systematic biases in the data.

“The Fed will instead focus on the December CPI released in mid-January, just two weeks before its next meeting, as a more accurate bellwether for inflation.”

Trump delivered a politically charged speech Wednesday that aired live during prime time by network television, seeking to pin the blame for economic challenges on Democrats.

The speech was a rehash of his recent messaging that has so far been unable to calm public anxiety about the rising cost of groceries, housing, utilities and other basic goods.

As the holiday season approaches, Americans dipping into savings, scouring for bargains and feeling like the overall economy is sputtering, a new AP-NORC poll finds.

The vast majority of U.S. adults say they’ve noticed higher than usual prices for groceries, electricity and holiday gifts in recent months, according to the survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Roughly half of Americans say it’s harder than usual to afford the things they want to give as holiday gifts, and similar numbers are delaying big purchases or cutting back on nonessential purchases more than they would normally.

Trump has promised an economic boom, yet inflation has stayed elevated and the job market has weakened sharply in the wake of his import taxes.

Trump’s tariffs are taking a toll on Wolverine Worldwide, which makes footwear brands like Merrell and Saucony. Facing extra tariff costs of $10 million this year and $55 million in 2026, the Rockford, Michigan, company had to increase prices between 5% and 8% on some products in June, and will have to raise prices again next year. It’s put a freeze on hiring and capital investments.

The company is getting squeezed even as it diversifies its sourcing network away from China, which now makes less than 10% of its products. During Trump’s first term, Wolverine shifted production to Vietnam. Now it’s moving to Bangladesh, Cambodia and Indonesia.

The problem isn’t just the cost of the tariffs. It’s the uncertainty caused by the unpredictable way that Trump rolls them out. “From a business leader’s perspective, it’s one thing if there’s bad news,” said Wolverine CEO Christopher Hufnagel. “Just tell me what the bad news is, and I’ll go work to try to solve for it. It’s the uncertainty of how it actually plays out that causes so much trouble because then we’re modeling all these different scenarios and it seems like things can change in the middle of the night.”

AP Retail Writer Anne D’Innocenzio contributed to this story from New York.

Blood-soaked bandages, bodily fluids and body parts have been found mixed in with waste and recycling products at the Ramsey/Washington Recycling and Energy Center in Newport, according to the facility.

Medical facilities in the area have been improperly disposing of the infectious waste, according to facility management. Those items, as defined by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, include any sort of waste “that poses a human health and environmental risk due to its biological characteristics.” That includes bodily fluids, tissues and body parts — all of which the Recycling and Energy Center said it has received.

“This is unacceptable and poses significant health and safety hazards to waste workers, including those at the R&E Center,” according to a statement put out this week. “It also poses risks to staff at the medical facilities where this material is being improperly managed.”

Under Minnesota law, infectious waste is prohibited from being sent to municipal waste facilities, according to the Newport facility. Medical centers that accumulate infectious waste are supposed to separate the waste, store it away properly and dispose of it using authorized methods and vendors in accordance with their infectious waste management plan.

Alongside the health and safety risks, finding infectious waste in the mix slows down operations for workers — and can be very disturbing.

“Infectious waste is dangerous because it can contain pathogens, harmful chemicals, and sharps that can transmit diseases and contaminate the environment,” Recycling & Energy Center director Sam Holl said. “Proper management and disposal of this type of waste is critical for the mental and physical health and safety of our staff, their families and our environment. ”

Who’s to blame?

At least 12 major hospitals and outpatient clinics in the region have not followed the proper protocol, according to the Newport facility. Management declined to name which medical facilities have contributed as investigations are ongoing through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Department of Health.

“Most facilities we have reached out to have expressed the intent to properly dispose of infectious waste and have indicated that they are working on plans to correct procedures,” Holl said. “Facilities have also been in contact with the MPCA, MDH, and their waste haulers. However, this remains an ongoing issue.”

When the Recycling & Energy Center receives a load that looks to contain infectious waste, it notifies the medical facility, along with the Pollution Control agency, the Department of Health, the waste hauler and counties at the same time. But that routine has not been adequate.

“The usual notifications do not appear to be curbing the flow of infectious waste we are receiving,” Ramsey County Commissioner MaryJo McGuire said in the facility’s statement.

McGuire also serves as board chair for the Ramsey/Washington Recycling and Energy Center.

“The frequency of these incidents has created significant hazards, emotional strain and increased operational costs,” McGuire said. “Our shared priority must be protecting staff safety while maintaining compliance with all standards.”

‘Eager for their attention’

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According to Holl, all of the medical facilities that handle infectious waste have management plans in place. Those plans are not being followed consistently.

Holl said he is unsure why there has been an uptick in deliveries of infectious waste since November.

“Proper management and disposal of infectious waste requires sustained focus by medical facilities,”  Holl said. “We are eager for their attention to this matter, both now and in the future. … Proper disposal and compliance will require increased, ongoing monitoring and training at these facilities.”

The Recycling and Energy Center is working with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Department of Health to address the issue.

BY SAMY MAGDY AND AHMED HATEM

LUXOR, Egypt (AP) — Egypt on Sunday revealed the revamp of two colossal statues of a prominent pharaoh in the southern city of Luxor, the latest in the government’s archaeological events that aim at drawing more tourists to the country.

The giant alabaster statues, known as the Colossi of Memnon, were reassembled in a renovation project that lasted about two decades. They represent Amenhotep III, who ruled ancient Egypt about 3,400 years ago.

“Today we are celebrating, actually, the finishing and the erecting of these two colossal statues,” Mohamed Ismail, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, told The Associated Press ahead of the ceremony.

Attempts to revive a prestigious temple

Ismail said the colossi are of great significance to Luxor, a city known for its ancient temples and other antiquities. They’re also an attempt to “revive how this funerary temple of king Amenhotep III looked like a long time ago,” Ismail said.

Amenhotep III, one of the most prominent pharaohs, ruled during the 500 years of the New Kingdom, which was the most prosperous time for ancient Egypt. The pharaoh, whose mummy is showcased at a Cairo museum, ruled between 1390–1353 BC, a peaceful period known for its prosperity and great construction, including his mortuary temple, where the Colossi of Memnon are located, and another temple, Soleb, in Nubia.

The colossi were toppled by a strong earthquake in about 1200 BC that also destroyed Amenhotep III’s funerary temple, said Mohamed Ismail, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.

They were fragmented and partly quarried away, with their pedestals dispersed. Some of their blocks were reused in the Karnak temple, but archaeologists brought them back to rebuild the colossi, according to the Antiquities Ministry.

In late 1990s, an Egyptian German mission, chaired by German Egyptologist Hourig Sourouzian, began working in the temple area, including the assembly and renovation of the colossi.

“This project has in mind … to save the last remains of a once-prestigious temple,” she said.

A Pharoah facing the rising sun

The statues show Amenhotep III seated with hands resting on his thighs, with their faces looking eastward toward the Nile and the rising sun. They wear the nemes headdress surmounted by the double crowns and the pleated royal kilt, which symbolizes the pharaoh’s divine rule.

Two other small statues on the pharaoh’s feet depict his wife, Tiye.

The colossi — 14.5 meters (48 feet) and 13.6 meters (45 feet) respectively — preside over the entrance of the king’s temple on the western bank of the Nile. The 35-hectare (86-acre) complex is believed to be the largest and richest temple in Egypt and is usually compared to the temple of Karnak, also in Luxor.

The colossi were hewn in Egyptian alabaster from the quarries of Hatnub, in Middle Egypt. They were fixed on large pedestals with inscriptions showing the name of the temple, as well as the quarry.

Unlike other monumental sculptures of ancient Egypt, the colossi were partly compiled with pieces sculpted separately, which were fixed into each statue’s main monolithic alabaster core, the ministry said.

Eye on tourism

Sunday’s unveiling in Luxor came just six weeks after the inauguration of the long-delayed Grand Egyptian Museum, the centerpiece of the government’s bid to boost the country’s tourism industry and bring cash into the troubled economy. The mega project is located near the famed Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx.

The tourism sector, which depends heavily on Egypt’s rich pharaonic artifacts, has suffered during years of political turmoil and violence following the 2011 uprising. In recent years, the sector has started to recover after the coronavirus pandemic and amid Russia’s war on Ukraine — both countries are major sources of tourists visiting Egypt.

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“This site is going to be a point of interest for years to come,” said Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy, who attended the unveiling ceremony. “There are always new things happening in Luxor.”

A record number of about 15.7 million tourists visited Egypt in 2024, contributing about 8% of the country’s GDP, according to official figures.

Fathy, the minister,has said about 18 million tourists are expected to visit the country this year, with authorities hoping for 30 million visitors annually by 2032.

Magdy reported from Cairo.

If you’ve tried to buy a fresh Christmas tree since 2020, the sticker shock probably drove you to check out the plastic trees listed for half the price and promised to last for decades. They want how much for a 5-foot Douglas Fir that you will throw away in just a few weeks?

But, don’t give in just because an artificial tree promises perfect symmetry, low maintenance, no mess, and pre-strung lights.

In Colorado, we are blessed that for less than $50, you can get a soaring evergreen that will fill your home with pine the entire holiday season, no matter how you celebrate.

The Schrader family’s 2023 Christmas tree came from a Denver Mountain Park and was cut down using a free permit through the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. (Provided by Megan Schrader)

All that is required is that you are open to the reality that your tree will be a cross between the sad specimen in “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and the family crisis from a “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”

For several years now, my family either gets free permits from Denver Mountain Parks or $20 permits from the National Forest Service to cut down a fresh tree near Evergreen or Fraser.

Snowshoes are optional in these locations – although they certainly make it easier during snow years. We can search far and wide for the perfect tree or chop down the first tree we see after one of the kids issues the first complaint of the morning. We use a small hand saw that we purchased for cutting tree branches in the back yard, and the tree fits on top of our Subaru Outback with just a few ropes.

We bring a thermos of hot cocoa and a sled for celebrating after we find the “perfect” tree.

Certainly, what I’m proposing is extra work. Our group of friends and family has had twisted ankles and sledding mishaps. Sometimes it feels more chore than joy packing up everything for the day trip to the mountains. But once we leave the parking lot, I remember why we keep signing up every year. The sun will filter through the trees and make the snow sparkle. My kids will laugh and throw snow. And for minimal effort, I start Christmas with a simple family trip that reminds me to be grateful for the abundance and beauty in this world.

Freshly cut Colorado Christmas trees can also be a responsible decision in this world of over-consumption. These trees are being cut from areas that forestry experts have deemed in need of thinning for health or fire-protection reasons. We do our best to select a young tree growing in a dense clump, and I feel less guilty knowing that the tree next door will thrive without the competition for sunlight, water and nutrients.

Fake trees are the way to go: No needles, no sap, no hassle

And after the holidays, the tree makes it full circle in our home: We drop it off with the city of Denver’s tree recycling program, and in the spring, we collect a free trunk-load of mulch from the city to use in our yard.

Which is the perfect segue into the best part of getting a fresh tree while living in a small house in Denver: no storage necessary.

While I understand the lure of an artificial tree, nothing can beat the sentimental attachment I feel for the scraggly little piece of nature that we stuff into a corner of our living room. And as long as we remember to water it — frequently — the beauty will last from early December until the New Year.