Kelly Clarkson Debuts New Single 'Invincible,' Written By Sia

First she was “Stronger” and now Kelly Clarkson is “Invincible.”

The “American Idol” alum released the second single off her forthcoming album “Piece By Piece” on Monday.

The uptempo track was written by Sia and showcases Clarkson’s powerful vocals.

“I was so afraid, I felt so unsure/Now I am invincible, another perfect storm,” Clarkson proclaims on the tune.

“Piece By Piece” goes on sale March 3.

Chicago Heads To The Polls As Rahm Emanuel Seeks Second Term

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel hoped to avoid being forced into a runoff as voters headed to the polls Tuesday to decide whether to give the former White House chief of staff a second term.

Emanuel was poised to get the most votes after having raised millions of dollars, plastering the airwaves with ads and winning an endorsement from his former boss, President Barack Obama. However, his four challengers say Emanuel’s tenacious style and handling of some major city issues have left voters wanting a change.

He needs more than 50 percent to win re-election outright in the nonpartisan race. Otherwise, he’ll have to go head-to-head with the runner up, which could be embarrassing for the incumbent, who enjoys not only a huge financial advantage but the backing of business leaders and the endorsement of the city’s major newspapers.

The key will be turnout, which could rival numbers four years ago when Mayor Richard Daley retired after more than two decades and the race was wide open. Already, early voting numbers – pushed by all the candidates – have bested 2011 levels, with a more than 20 percent increase despite a blast of cold weather.

Turnout was light early Tuesday, as wind chills dipped below zero, said Chicago Board of Elections spokesman James Allen. Temperatures are forecast to rise as the day progresses.

Several voters casting ballots in Englewood on the South Side said they were supporting Emanuel because he is positive on issues such as jobs, education and safer neighborhoods.

“He’s bringing big corporations here to give the guys getting out of prison hope,” said Willie King, a 56-year-old retired janitor. “Rahm has all (those) contacts and he is getting those corporations here, so he is giving people hope they can get a good job.”

Emanuel has campaigned on the idea that his tested leadership is what the city needs.

“You gave me a chance to make the tough decisions this city needed, and we’ve improved our schools, our infrastructure, and our public safety,” he told supporters in an email Monday. “But there’s more work to be done, and I’ll need your help to make sure we can continue the progress we’ve made.”

The Democrat is facing Cook County Commissioner Jesus Garcia, Alderman Bob Fioretti, businessman Willie Wilson and perennial candidate William Walls.

They’ve put Emanuel on the defensive over his handling of a contract dispute that led to Chicago’s first teachers’ strike in 25 years, the closing of nearly 50 neighborhood schools and a spike in violent crime. They have also criticized his sometimes-combative style.

“In Chicago neighborhoods, people are largely turned off,” Garcia said. “They have found him to be distant and uncaring, not really engaging in neighborhoods.”

Several South Side voters disagreed, saying they felt Emanuel was compelled to close underperforming schools and those where enrollment had declined.

“If they ain’t performing, what are you going to do? Keep them going?” said Ernest Hudson, a 49-year-old unemployed maintenance worker. “You can take that money and spend it somewhere else where it can do some good.”

Emanuel has argued that he made decisions that helped the city and challenged the status quo. He’s countered claims by taking a neighborhood-focused approach to the campaign trail, including talking up his push to increase the city’s minimum wage, from $8.25 to $13 by 2019.

Also, Tuesday, Chicago voters will decide several hotly contested aldermanic races. Election officials hope turnout will match 2011 levels. Roughly 42 percent of eligible Chicago voters cast ballots that year, up from 33 percent in 2007.

Associated Press writer Don Babwin contributed to this report.

Follow Sophia Tareen at http://twitter.com/sophiatareen

Anti-Semitism and Islamist Fundamentalism in France

PARIS — One month after 17 people were killed in the attacks on Charlie Hebdo and a kosher supermarket, the sense that things may not go back to “business as usual” is palpable.

Perhaps these atrocities will serve as a wakeup call for France, after years of similar incidents — the murder of Ilan Halimi in 2006, the murders in Toulouse in 2013 and at the Jewish museum in Brussels committed by a French man in 2014. After all, nearly four million French people went into the streets to express their outrage, and seven million copies of Charlie Hebdo have since been sold. A number of governmental and legal initiatives are in the works, including beefed-up intelligence, steps against radical Islamist indoctrination in prisons, educational programs and more than 100 proceedings against people charged with publicly condoning acts of terrorism.

Most importantly, our leaders seem to understand the problem. French President Francois Hollande has made the fight against racism and anti-Semitism a “great national cause.” And Prime Minister Manuel Valls, in an historic speech, declared: “Today we are all Charlie, we are all policemen, we are all French Jews,” and pledged to address terrorism in a spirit of “firmness, serenity and unity.”

But others are not shouldering their responsibilities. To avoid wasting more time and more lives, we must look reality in the face.

First, there are the passive bystanders, the cowards who did not and still do not see the reality of Islamist fundamentalism and anti-Semitism, or who see it but look away, refusing to name it, leaving this monster the space to grow more and more every day. They are ordinary French people, journalists, politicians, even former ministers, political commentators and intellectuals from across the political spectrum.

Second, much worse, are the active accomplices. Some of France’s local or national politicians have allowed themselves be associated with anti-semites and terrorists. Most representatives of the new Anti-Capitalist Party as well as some officials from the Green and Communist parties participated in last summer’s pro-Palestinian demonstrations that were banned by the government because they were considered dangerous and antisemitic. They walked alongside Islamic State, Hezbollah and Hamas flags at Place de la République and elsewhere where swastikas appeared, Israeli flags were burned, and “death to the Jews” was chanted in the streets.

Third, mainstream local and national politicians for years have pandered to extremist voters in order to achieve and stay in power. They give in to the fundamentalists, populists, Salafists, anti-semites and their thuggish, gangster, drug-dealing accomplices.

As Malek Boutih, Member of Parliament and co-founder of the biggest anti-racist organization in France recently reminded us, for over 20 years these politicians preferred to buy social peace by leaving some of these neighborhoods in the hands of dubious Islamist organizations and other hate mongers.

We have to clean up in our own ranks. We cannot continue to let supermarkets of drugs prosper in our cities where gangsters and Islamo-Nazis are holding hands. This is the case in cities led by the left, the right and the center.

Elected officials also have named convicted Palestinian terrorists honorary citizens of their cities. Thirteen mayors have made Marwan Barghouti an honorary citizen, despite (or perhaps because) he was sentenced to five sentences of life imprisonment for the murder of five Israeli civilians, and for his involvement in four terrorist attacks.

Even worse, the Mayor of Bezons (a city of Val-d’Oise) made Majdi Ihrima Al-Rimawi an honorary citizen of his city. Al-Rimawi is in prison, sentenced to 80 years for involvement in the 2001 assassination of Israeli Minister of Tourism Rechavam Zeevi. When the Administrative Court of Pontoise overruled this action, the mayor named 4,500 Palestinian prisoners honorary citizens.

By glorifying terrorists, calling them “resistance fighters,” elected officials go much farther than simply expressing support for the Palestinian cause. These terrrorists’ crimes are no less horrific than those of Amedy Coulibaly, the Kouachi brothers, Mohammed Merah or Mehdi Nemmouche. Extolling them adds fuel to the fire that will encourage more indiscriminate killings of innocent civilians.

If more than a hundred cases have been filed against French citizens for condoning terrorism these past few weeks, shouldn’t the French courts look into the actions of these elected officials as well?

After the attacks at Charlie Hebdo and the kosher supermarket, the government identified education as key in the fight against antisemitism, racism and extremism. But if we want our children to make the distinction between right and wrong, if we want them to understand and protect themselves from fundamentalist ideology, we need to condemn elected officials who play with fire.

How do we prevent our youngsters from “importing the conflict,” a term that is regularly being used by our political leaders when they denounce antisemitic violence, if our mayors excuse and even glorify hatred of Israel and Jews? The moral confusion of this kind of behavior undermines the very idea on which the fight against racism, anti-Semitism and even terrorism is based on.

If we really want the genius of France to prosper, if we want to fight terrorism, anti-Semitism and racism, if we want our children to understand the values of the republic, such as tolerance and pluralism, we need to mount a firm attack on this kind of behavior, especially when it comes from our political leaders. Maybe then will be able to renew the French spirit that made our country great.

Simone Rodan-Benzaquen is Director of the American Jewish Committee’s Paris Office (www.ajc.org).

Can Wisdom Save Us? Why It Has To

There’s always a sense of crisis in the air generated by whatever bad news is making the headlines. At the moment, the greatest alarm is being stirred by terrorism and the spread of Islamic extremism. Yet at a deeper level, our anxiety centers on something much deeper, the possibility that the human experiment has reached a dead end. A set of enormous problems face us, from climate change and overpopulation to epidemic disease and global water shortages, that test the limits of human nature.

The terrible possibility of moving backward in our evolution as a species seems possible to many observers.  We occupy a unique place in Earth’s evolutionary history, being the only creatures threatened not by natural selection but by our mindset. Pessimists point to climate change as a stark example. Despite the overwhelming scientific evidence in favor of global warming, no solution is being acted upon quickly enough. The American public has become numbed by issue fatigue. Deniers have political clout, and ordinary citizens feel helpless to the point that many feel doomed. We continually prefer to either ignore the problem or push it away as the consumer lifestyle adds more and more to the underlying problem of greenhouse gas emissions.

Where can hope come from in this scenario, when the creatures gifted by evolution with rationality are acting so irrational that self-destruction looms as a real possibility?

Human history is filled with crises that reason couldn’t solve, including periods of famine and plague, not to mention the persistence of war in every era.  Millions of people have died as a result and well into the scientific age two world wars arose as if to prove that the underside of human nature will forever take its toll.  Science failed to save the tens of millions who perished needlessly in the twentieth century. In fact science multiplied these fatalities thanks to new and improved methods of mechanized death.

How can we reasonably expect that science alone will save us, when it gave us the atomic bomb? The future being planned by so-called rationalists includes robot armies, cyber warfare, genetically modified crops, and remaining on a perpetual war footing, going back to Pearl Harbor in 1941? Unlike militant atheists and other groups that believe science is always the answer, I don’t buy that reason itself is in jeopardy.

The problem lies in how we use our reason. We aren’t the victims of irrationality. Instead, we are victimized by refusing to use enough of our inner potential. Reason isn’t the savior of the future. That role belongs to wisdom. With all the threats to human survival that we now face, I resort to a hopeful phrase coined by Jonas Salk: the survival of the wisest. Although a great researcher in medicine, Salk had the vision to look beyond materialism. He saw that evolution, as it applies to modern human beings, isn’t Darwinian. We no longer live in a state of nature. Competition is more mental and technological today than physical. The survival of specific gene pools, which is the crux of animal survival and adaptation, is irrelevant for us.

For at least two thousand years, our evolution has shifted to the following:

— We assimilate new information and evolve mentally.
— We evolve physically to grow healthier and live longer, but far more important is mental evolution, using technology to overcome our physical limitations and gain more power over Nature.
— We gain a higher vision of ourselves and evolve spiritually.

The progress made through the first two factors has reached a tipping point. Our technology and our challenge to Nature may destroy us. So where is evolution going to go? In an age of information, anyone can access knowledge for incredible destruction or incredible creation. The choice isn’t left to governments, churches, or isolated geniuses. Putting technology in the hands of everyone is progress only if the third factor — our vision of ourselves — evolves at the same time.

Arch materialists miss the whole point of human evolution, which is that it long ago broke out of the prison of physicality. True, modern athletes are stronger, bigger, faster, and more accomplished than those of the past, but this doesn’t affect anyone’s survival the way becoming a bigger, stronger, faster gazelle would.

Taking all factors together, humans evolve through the metabolism of experience. That is, we absorb everything going on in our environment, and in some rather mysterious ways, the next generation knows more and can do more than we can. I am not being mystical here. When Einstein published his General Theory of Relativity, Bertrand Russell famously said that he was one of three people in the world who understood it. Now a bright high school student can grasp Einstein’s principles, if not his mathematics.

The same holds true for today’s 5-year-olds who can navigate through a computer better and faster than many adults of an older generation. We assimilate difficulties, solve them, and move on to a new future as more evolved humans. The evolution of the wisest holds that this cannot be a random process. No one is going to stop the diabolical creativity of weapons research except us. Nature is perfectly willing to let us destroy ourselves through ecological collapse. Are we to be regarded as one of Nature’s most interesting failed experiments? And one of the most short-lived, it might be added.

No one really doubts that science and technology have the capacity to find the means to reverse climate change if the entire world community focused on that single goal. Such a choice would be evolutionary, and it can only be made by rethinking who we are as a species. What will save us is self-awareness, the key to evolution of the wisest. Self-awareness and how it grows will be the subject of a follow-up post.

Deepak Chopra, MD is the author of more than 80 books with twenty-two New York Times bestsellers. He serves as the founder of The Chopra Foundation and co-founder of The Chopra Center for Wellbeing. His latest book is The Future of God 

Giving up Homophobia for Lent: Queering the Christian "Way of Sorrows"

As Lent begins, some LGBTQIA students have been holding prayer vigils throughout southern California on conservative Christian campuses where they are either still enrolled as students or are alumni. Walking through Christian education as a person queer in gender, sexual orientation identity or both can be a “way of sorrows” ALL the time, not just during Lent, the forty days when most Christians reflect on self-sacrifice, following Jesus’ example on the way to the cross. As these young LGBTQIA adults peacefully pray together by candelight, telling their stories at the intersections of “homophobia, transphobia, racism and other forms of injustice,” they seek and practice equality.

In fall 2013, when my professional relationship as a professor of some of these students ended, one high-ranking administrator told the student newspaper’s editor I was a necessary “casualty” of the campus struggle with LGBT issues during a joint interview. However, learning to be bullied without BECOMING either a bully (or a victim) is the heart and strength of the queer spirituality I have learned with students. We are NOT martyrs just because we are LGBT Christians. For a queer Christian, Lent is every day. What more should we give up in this 40-day fast, already excluded by our communities of faith from the basics of life like employment, family support, education, recognition of our marriages, even housing and restroom use on some campuses?

In this season of reflection and repentance, we can choose to stand together in a prayerful fast from the denial of our presence by other Christians. Clobbered daily in such contexts with misinterpreted Bible verses, we can turn to the teachings of battle veterans like Mel White, using what the Bible says and DOESN’T say about LGBT people as a shield against those false arguments that aim to wound us. Although immersed in “faith communities” that try to bathe us in hatred of our queer bodies, we can armor ourselves against absorbing ANY of it with resources like God Made Me Gay: We don’t mourn or repent of our queerness, we CELEBRATE God’s power and purpose in creating us queer. Instead of walking in shame, bearing our queerness as if it were a cross of suffering, we can glory with gratitude in the gifting of so many queer clergy past and present — as Kittredge Cherry’s resources help us do with humor, art, and history.

And when we pray with other Christians “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors,” we can pray our forgiveness loud and clear — not shamed into silent denial or acceptance of religious bigots and their bullying. According to the University of California at Berkeley, “research demonstrates the incredible power of loving-kindness meditation” (also called metta) as possibly “more effective than Prozac” for increasing a sense of happiness and well-being. Though most often associated with Buddhism, “loving-kindness meditation is the simple practice of directing well-wishes towards other people” and can be practiced by anyone regardless of spiritual orientation. In the Hebrew Bible, lovingkindness (hesed) is one of the most celebrated characteristics of God, one we most seek to emulate: So in this form of meditation, we can start by directing lovingkindness toward our queer own self first, then extending it outward to those we lovs (often others who are queer and unloved by “Christians” too) — praying in words and thought and visualization that we and they be “well,” “peaceful and at ease,” and “happy.” The next step is to extend lovingkindness to those with whom we are in conflict, who have bullied or caused harm to us. For me, this transforms my resentments as I practice it almost daily — picturing the very people one by one who dispossessed me and my children of our home and health care and continue to deny the full humanity of my former students and those they love most deeply.

Bullies win when we let them have free rent, taking up space in our heads and heart and drive us to the denial or even self-harm of our queer flesh. Instead of encouraging more of the same during this Lenten season, we can deny instead that hatred of our bodies that this Christian season tends to encourage. we can start each day with a simple prayer like, “God, grant me the good fortune of thinking only good thoughts, hearing and speaking only good words, and attaining a sound and strong body that I may have long life and achieve oneness with You” before beginning simple physical exercise. In doing so, we affirm our queer bodies and lives as a gift of God, refusing to absorb being vilified by those who would make us martyrs or casualties of a fear-based “faith.”

For example, to practice a simple flowing sequence like ashtanga yoga’s surya namaskar, we can humbly remember as we face downward that when our view of God is blocked (for example, by others’ hatred), it isn’t really God that has gone away; our position has just temporarily changed. Rising halfway, we can thus ask God to fill in blanks in our strength and knowledge. As we fill our lungs with air (in biblical Hebrew the word for breath is the same word for God’s Spirit),we can ask God to open our heart, untangling any emotional and spiritual knots there. We can ask God to fill us with love on every breath in, then ask God to help us let go of self-hatred, shame (internalized transphobia or homophobia) and resentment on every exhale. As we look upward, we can feel ourselves looking to God, celebrating the strength that comes from doing so. In an awkward pose or one where we struggle for balance, we can gently seek acceptance that journeying through life spiritually as an LGBT person is indeed momentarily awkward sometimes, but feeling awkward doesn’t get the final word. When we stand upright, strong and grounded, we can pray with gratitude, in the spirit of the Sanskrit word “Namaste” — the God in me (a very queer person) honors the God in you (whether you are queer or not, whether you honor me or not). In Hebrew scriptures as understood by Christians, this God in each person is the “imago dei,” the likeness or image of God in which each human being is created. Along the Lenten “way of sorrows,” whether or not we see God in the hateful behavior of Christian bigots — and whether or not they can see the God in our queer bodies, lives and community, we can pray with respect for ourselves, choosing to recognize and celebrate God in each one of us.

Happiness Is an Inside Job

We have all been brought up to believe that different external things are responsible for our happiness. I was raised to believe that happiness was related to people, events and outcomes. In other words, my happiness had to come from being in a relationship, from having good things happen, and from having control over the good things happening. My parents were not into things like houses, cars or toys, so I never learned to connect my happiness with things. But lots of people do.

For example, Allen connects his happiness to people, things and outcomes. As a result, he is constantly pulling on others for attention and approval. He is addicted to buying things and his garage is cluttered with his toys. And he can’t be happy until he “finds the perfect job” and “makes more money.” Because he connects his happiness to all these externals, he is always trying to have control over getting what he wants. Trying to have control keeps him from being in the moment, which is where real happiness exists.

Our ego wounded self is often very attached to a “project,” such as:

  • Once I have a partner, (or a different partner) then I will be happy.
  • Once I have enough money, then I will be happy.
  • Once I have the house (or car, or motorcycle, or swimming pool, etc.), then I will be happy.
  • Once I have a baby, then I will be happy.
  • Once I lose weight, then I will be happy.
  • Once I have the right job, then I will be happy.
  • Once I move out of this city, then I will be happy.
  • Once I have plastic surgery, then I will be happy.

As long as you believe that your happiness is connected to something external, you will not be happy now. And there will always be something else — a different partner, more money, a different place to live or a different job — that will keep you from being happy now.

You may discover that you are resistant to being happy now. This may be because your ego wounded self is unconsciously saying, “Having control over getting what I believe will make me happy is what’s important. I refuse to be happy until I have what I want!”

Yet I’ve worked with hundreds of people who have it all — the relationship, the baby, the things, the money, being thin — and still do not feel happy.

What Really Creates Happiness?

The feeling of happiness is the result of being present with ourselves, with Spirit, with others and with nature. Happiness is the result of being loving and compassionate with ourselves — taking loving care of our own feelings and needs in the moment. Happiness is the result of sharing love with others — with people and with animals. Happiness is the result of being in the moment and experiencing the beauty of a flower, a tree, the clouds or a sunset. Happiness is being in gratitude for what you are and the sacred privilege of evolving your soul in love, rather than focusing on what you don’t have.

As long as you believe that your happiness comes from outside you, happiness will likely elude you. Every moment that you look to people, things, events and outcomes to make you happy is a moment of life lost. Every moment spent trying to control someone or something in the hopes of getting what you believe will make you happy is a moment of happiness and joy lost. Every moment spent projecting into the future with the thoughts of, “When I have _____, then I will be happy,” is a present moment not experienced.

Happiness is not something that happens to you. It is something you choose or don’t choose each and every moment. Today, choose to be aware of what you are attaching your happiness to, and consciously limit the thoughts about what you believe you need externally to be happy. Choose to move into love and compassion for yourself and others and gratitude for what you are and discover your happiness in this present moment.

Join Dr. Margaret Paul for her 30-Day at-home Course: “Love Yourself: An Inner Bonding Experience to Heal Anxiety, Depression, Shame, Addictions and Relationships.”

Join Dr. Margaret Paul for her 30-Day at-home Relationships Course: “Loving Relationships: A 30-Day at-Home Experience with Dr. Margaret Paul – For partnered individuals & couples, & people who want to be partnered.”

Take our free Inner Bonding eCourse at http://www.innerbonding.com/welcome.

Connect with Margaret on Facebook: Inner Bonding, and Facebook: SelfQuest.

Here Is The Most Wildly Popular Type Of Store In Each State

It may not surprise you that there’s a lot of demand for surf shops in Hawaii, but did you know that South Dakota is all about its art galleries?

A recent collaboration between The Huffington Post and Yelp reveals what kinds of stores are the most insanely popular in each state, based on the review website’s listings. It’s the same idea behind our recent map showing each state’s most popular type of cuisine.

To collect info for the map, Yelp delved into its online catalogue of store listings and calculated the percentage of a given type of shopping business relative to the total number of business listings in that state. Then, it compared those percentages with each type of store’s representation nationwide and produced a list of the top 10 most disproportionally common stores in each of the 50 states.

The map below, made by HuffPost’s Alissa Scheller, shows which type of retail shop is the most likely to appear in each state.

Yelp Data Scientist Will Seltzer told HuffPost that it wasn’t hard to see why some states favored a certain type of store. The several instances of fireworks shops on the map, for example, was to be expected, given that they’re legal only in a handful of states. That there were a ton of “outdoor gear” stores in Montana, well known for its parks and outdoor activities, was also no surprise.

“Baby gear and furniture [stores] show up in the top 10 in Utah and Texas, and those are two states that have some of the highest birth rates nationally,” Seltzer pointed out as another example.

The popularity of personal shopping businesses in California and D.C. also could be correlated to the celebrities and politicians who live in those places. This same demographic could explain why custom-made clothing shops (referred to by Yelp as “bespoke clothing”) were so hot in New York and D.C.

But what’s with the 5 instances of car battery stores on the map?

“My suspicion is that in certain states you have these stores that are just dedicated to car batteries, and in others they’re part of a larger outlet or department store,” Seltzer said. He went on to point out that businesses on Yelp can be tagged with up to three different store categories, which may also explain the prevalence of car battery stores on the map.

Check out Yelp’s full overview of the top 10 most popular kinds of stores in each state:

Alabama

  1. Flea Markets — 1,034 percent higher than national average.
  2. Newspapers & Magazines — 448 percent higher than national average.
  3. Discount Store — 365 percent higher than national average.
  4. Department Stores — 346 percent higher than national average.
  5. Bookstores — 283 percent higher than national average.
  6. Gift Shops — 265 percent higher than national average.
  7. Outdoor Gear — 253 percent higher than national average.
  8. Drugstores — 253 percent higher than national average.
  9. Comic Books — 245 percent higher than national average.
  10. Knitting Supplies — 236 percent higher than national average.

Alaska

  1. Knitting Supplies — 629 percent higher than national average.
  2. Gift Shops — 438 percent higher than national average.
  3. Fabric Stores — 427 percent higher than national average.
  4. Shopping Centers — 411 percent higher than national average.
  5. Guns & Ammo — 324 percent higher than national average.
  6. Outdoor Gear — 308 percent higher than national average.
  7. Art Supplies — 305 percent higher than national average.
  8. Art Galleries — 278 percent higher than national average.
  9. Videos & Video Game Rental — 266 percent higher than national average.
  10. Sporting Goods — 186 percent higher than national average.

Arizona

  1. Hot Tub & Pool — 526 percent higher than national average.
  2. Pool & Billiards — 283 percent higher than national average.
  3. Plus Size Fashion — 271 percent higher than national average.
  4. Guns & Ammo — 259 percent higher than national average.
  5. Golf Equipment — 229 percent higher than national average.
  6. Embroidery & Crochet — 217 percent higher than national average.
  7. Auction Houses — 167 percent higher than national average.
  8. Uniforms — 162 percent higher than national average.
  9. Pawn Shops — 161 percent higher than national average.
  10. Vape Shops — 148 percent higher than national average.

Arkansas

  1. Medical Supplies — 484 percent higher than national average.
  2. Discount Store — 404 percent higher than national average.
  3. Bookstores — 354 percent higher than national average.
  4. Wholesale Stores — 341 percent higher than national average.
  5. Gift Shops — 325 percent higher than national average.
  6. Department Stores — 294 percent higher than national average.
  7. Guns & Ammo — 291 percent higher than national average.
  8. Drugstores — 239 percent higher than national average.
  9. Shopping Centers — 232 percent higher than national average.
  10. Music & DVDs — 231 percent higher than national average.

California

  1. Linens — 275 percent higher than national average.
  2. Trophy Shops — 243 percent higher than national average.
  3. Hot Tub & Pool — 199 percent higher than national average.
  4. Concept Shops — 194 percent higher than national average.
  5. Gold Buyers — 189 percent higher than national average.
  6. Perfume — 182 percent higher than national average.
  7. Medical Supplies — 166 percent higher than national average.
  8. Musical Instruments & Teachers — 148 percent higher than national average.
  9. Customized Merchandise — 145 percent higher than national average.
  10. Personal Shopping — 143 percent higher than national average.

Colorado

  1. Pool & Billiards — 619 percent higher than national average.
  2. Outdoor Gear — 464 percent higher than national average.
  3. Maternity Wear — 301 percent higher than national average.
  4. Bikes — 289 percent higher than national average.
  5. Brewing Supplies — 280 percent higher than national average.
  6. Sporting Goods — 227 percent higher than national average.
  7. Sports Wear — 198 percent higher than national average.
  8. Hats — 192 percent higher than national average.
  9. Newspapers & Magazines — 185 percent higher than national average.
  10. Knitting Supplies — 167 percent higher than national average.

Connecticut

  1. Medical Supplies — 368 percent higher than national average.
  2. Flea Markets — 282 percent higher than national average.
  3. Toy Stores — 245 percent higher than national average.
  4. Newspapers & Magazines — 238 percent higher than national average.
  5. Appliances — 236 percent higher than national average.
  6. Gift Shops — 232 percent higher than national average.
  7. Nurseries & Gardening — 219 percent higher than national average.
  8. Comic Books — 219 percent higher than national average.
  9. Florists — 205 percent higher than national average.
  10. Bridal — 203 percent higher than national average.

Delaware

  1. Outlet Stores — 414 percent higher than national average.
  2. Comic Books — 361 percent higher than national average.
  3. Mattresses — 280 percent higher than national average.
  4. Appliances — 256 percent higher than national average.
  5. Bikes — 221 percent higher than national average.
  6. Bridal — 221 percent higher than national average.
  7. Gift Shops — 213 percent higher than national average.
  8. Nurseries & Gardening — 209 percent higher than national average.
  9. Bookstores — 209 percent higher than national average.
  10. Department Stores — 182 percent higher than national average.

District of Columbia

  1. Bespoke Clothing — 1,042 percent higher than national average.
  2. Framing — 525 percent higher than national average.
  3. Newspapers & Magazines — 384 percent higher than national average.
  4. Art Galleries — 296 percent higher than national average.
  5. Men’s Clothing — 265 percent higher than national average.
  6. Vinyl Records — 244 percent higher than national average.
  7. Personal Shopping — 223 percent higher than national average.
  8. Formal Wear — 195 percent higher than national average.
  9. Accessories — 159 percent higher than national average.
  10. Women’s Clothing — 154 percent higher than national average.

Florida

  1. Swimwear — 602 percent higher than national average.
  2. Flowers — 319 percent higher than national average.
  3. Flea Markets — 299 percent higher than national average.
  4. Souvenir Shops — 272 percent higher than national average.
  5. Surf Shop — 230 percent higher than national average.
  6. Guns & Ammo — 185 percent higher than national average.
  7. Drugstores — 179 percent higher than national average.
  8. Department Stores — 171 percent higher than national average.
  9. Tobacco Shops — 167 percent higher than national average.
  10. Vape Shops — 159 percent higher than national average.

Georgia

  1. Battery Stores — 386 percent higher than national average.
  2. Swimwear — 230 percent higher than national average.
  3. Medical Supplies — 194 percent higher than national average.
  4. Discount Store — 194 percent higher than national average.
  5. Rugs — 189 percent higher than national average.
  6. Department Stores — 170 percent higher than national average.
  7. Guns & Ammo — 169 percent higher than national average.
  8. Drugstores — 156 percent higher than national average.
  9. Shopping Centers — 154 percent higher than national average.
  10. Computers — 149 percent higher than national average.

Hawaii

  1. Surf Shop — 3,120 percent higher than national average.
  2. Swimwear — 1,190 percent higher than national average.
  3. Souvenir Shops — 843 percent higher than national average.
  4. Hats — 796 percent higher than national average.
  5. Shopping Centers — 446 percent higher than national average.
  6. Outlet Stores — 242 percent higher than national average.
  7. Sports Wear — 226 percent higher than national average.
  8. Men’s Clothing — 216 percent higher than national average.
  9. Art Galleries — 212 percent higher than national average.
  10. Watches — 194 percent higher than national average.

Idaho

  1. Bikes — 440 percent higher than national average.
  2. Outdoor Gear — 419 percent higher than national average.
  3. Guns & Ammo — 377 percent higher than national average.
  4. Videos & Video Game Rental — 325 percent higher than national average.
  5. Sporting Goods — 300 percent higher than national average.
  6. Bookstores — 246 percent higher than national average.
  7. Art Supplies — 223 percent higher than national average.
  8. Hardware Stores — 203 percent higher than national average.
  9. Sports Wear — 201 percent higher than national average.
  10. Electronics — 195 percent higher than national average.

Illinois

  1. Rugs — 234 percent higher than national average.
  2. Cooking Classes — 195 percent higher than national average.
  3. Pool & Billiards — 192 percent higher than national average.
  4. Battery Stores — 154 percent higher than national average.
  5. Bespoke Clothing — 149 percent higher than national average.
  6. Mattresses — 148 percent higher than national average.
  7. Maternity Wear — 141 percent higher than national average.
  8. Cards & Stationery — 137 percent higher than national average.
  9. Eyewear & Opticians — 132 percent higher than national average.
  10. Vinyl Records — 130 percent higher than national average.

Indiana

  1. Flea Markets — 402 percent higher than national average.
  2. Costumes — 377 percent higher than national average.
  3. Comic Books — 301 percent higher than national average.
  4. Used, Vintage & Consignment — 259 percent higher than national average.
  5. Vinyl Records — 258 percent higher than national average.
  6. Music & DVDs — 236 percent higher than national average.
  7. Art Supplies — 231 percent higher than national average.
  8. Toy Stores — 220 percent higher than national average.
  9. Fabric Stores — 213 percent higher than national average.
  10. Discount Store — 207 percent higher than national average.

Iowa

  1. Music & DVDs — 420 percent higher than national average.
  2. Shopping Centers — 338 percent higher than national average.
  3. Department Stores — 327 percent higher than national average.
  4. Fabric Stores — 325 percent higher than national average.
  5. Comic Books — 314 percent higher than national average.
  6. Toy Stores — 311 percent higher than national average.
  7. Bikes — 302 percent higher than national average.
  8. Bookstores — 301 percent higher than national average.
  9. Books, Mags, Music & Video — 298 percent higher than national average.
  10. Videos & Video Game Rental — 261 percent higher than national average.

Kansas

  1. Battery Stores — 596 percent higher than national average.
  2. Medical Supplies — 294 percent higher than national average.
  3. Fabric Stores — 257 percent higher than national average.
  4. Baby Gear & Furniture — 219 percent higher than national average.
  5. Guns & Ammo — 216 percent higher than national average.
  6. Formal Wear — 215 percent higher than national average.
  7. Hobby Shops — 201 percent higher than national average.
  8. Computers — 198 percent higher than national average.
  9. Toy Stores — 190 percent higher than national average.
  10. Pawn Shops — 189 percent higher than national average.

Kentucky

  1. Swimwear — 482 percent higher than national average.
  2. Comic Books — 418 percent higher than national average.
  3. Vinyl Records — 329 percent higher than national average.
  4. Guns & Ammo — 295 percent higher than national average.
  5. Newspapers & Magazines — 287 percent higher than national average.
  6. Antiques — 278 percent higher than national average.
  7. Used, Vintage & Consignment — 276 percent higher than national average.
  8. Bookstores — 276 percent higher than national average.
  9. Gift Shops — 253 percent higher than national average.
  10. Art Supplies — 247 percent higher than national average.

Louisiana

  1. Vinyl Records — 404 percent higher than national average.
  2. Costumes — 353 percent higher than national average.
  3. Hats — 313 percent higher than national average.
  4. Gift Shops — 293 percent higher than national average.
  5. Art Galleries — 276 percent higher than national average.
  6. Wholesale Stores — 250 percent higher than national average.
  7. Accessories — 236 percent higher than national average.
  8. Swimwear — 232 percent higher than national average.
  9. Fabric Stores — 216 percent higher than national average.
  10. Antiques — 215 percent higher than national average.

Maine

  1. Vinyl Records — 465 percent higher than national average.
  2. Gift Shops — 458 percent higher than national average.
  3. Bookstores — 451 percent higher than national average.
  4. Music & DVDs — 400 percent higher than national average.
  5. Knitting Supplies — 370 percent higher than national average.
  6. Books, Mags, Music & Video — 306 percent higher than national average.
  7. Leather Goods — 298 percent higher than national average.
  8. Antiques — 287 percent higher than national average.
  9. Outlet Stores — 276 percent higher than national average.
  10. Comic Books — 228 percent higher than national average.

Maryland

  1. Battery Stores — 278 percent higher than national average.
  2. Maternity Wear — 243 percent higher than national average.
  3. Knitting Supplies — 237 percent higher than national average.
  4. Comic Books — 219 percent higher than national average.
  5. Outlet Stores — 206 percent higher than national average.
  6. Vinyl Records — 177 percent higher than national average.
  7. Formal Wear — 168 percent higher than national average.
  8. Department Stores — 161 percent higher than national average.
  9. Wigs — 157 percent higher than national average.
  10. Rugs — 152 percent higher than national average.

Massachusetts

  1. Framing — 208 percent higher than national average.
  2. Rugs — 162 percent higher than national average.
  3. Knitting Supplies — 151 percent higher than national average.
  4. Flea Markets — 151 percent higher than national average.
  5. Cards & Stationery — 143 percent higher than national average.
  6. Florists — 142 percent higher than national average.
  7. Comic Books — 134 percent higher than national average.
  8. Photography Stores & Services — 133 percent higher than national average.
  9. Flowers & Gifts — 132 percent higher than national average.
  10. Jewelry — 131 percent higher than national average.

Michigan

  1. Brewing Supplies — 291 percent higher than national average.
  2. Medical Supplies — 240 percent higher than national average.
  3. Toy Stores — 215 percent higher than national average.
  4. Newspapers & Magazines — 203 percent higher than national average.
  5. Comic Books — 194 percent higher than national average.
  6. Knitting Supplies — 194 percent higher than national average.
  7. Uniforms — 187 percent higher than national average.
  8. Bridal — 181 percent higher than national average.
  9. Outdoor Gear — 173 percent higher than national average.
  10. Maternity Wear — 172 percent higher than national average.

Minnesota

  1. Motorcycle Gear — 605 percent higher than national average.
  2. Vinyl Records — 351 percent higher than national average.
  3. Battery Stores — 327 percent higher than national average.
  4. Maternity Wear — 255 percent higher than national average.
  5. Bikes — 239 percent higher than national average.
  6. Used, Vintage & Consignment — 239 percent higher than national average.
  7. Music & DVDs — 235 percent higher than national average.
  8. Newspapers & Magazines — 227 percent higher than national average.
  9. Thrift Stores — 222 percent higher than national average.
  10. Hardware Stores — 213 percent higher than national average.

Mississippi

  1. Formal Wear — 560 percent higher than national average.
  2. Bookstores — 404 percent higher than national average.
  3. Discount Store — 380 percent higher than national average.
  4. Shopping Centers — 373 percent higher than national average.
  5. Department Stores — 340 percent higher than national average.
  6. Appliances — 288 percent higher than national average.
  7. Gift Shops — 267 percent higher than national average.
  8. Florists — 257 percent higher than national average.
  9. Antiques — 245 percent higher than national average.
  10. Mobile Phones — 216 percent higher than national average.

Missouri

  1. Medical Supplies — 282 percent higher than national average.
  2. Battery Stores — 247 percent higher than national average.
  3. Antiques — 245 percent higher than national average.
  4. Flea Markets — 243 percent higher than national average.
  5. Art Supplies — 193 percent higher than national average.
  6. Music & DVDs — 179 percent higher than national average.
  7. Department Stores — 167 percent higher than national average.
  8. Used, Vintage & Consignment — 161 percent higher than national average.
  9. Discount Store — 153 percent higher than national average.
  10. Photography Stores & Services — 147 percent higher than national average.

Montana

  1. Outdoor Gear — 729 percent higher than national average.
  2. Knitting Supplies — 615 percent higher than national average.
  3. Bikes — 523 percent higher than national average.
  4. Bookstores — 475 percent higher than national average.
  5. Sporting Goods — 377 percent higher than national average.
  6. Books, Mags, Music & Video — 278 percent higher than national average.
  7. Watches — 262 percent higher than national average.
  8. Fabric Stores — 229 percent higher than national average.
  9. Hardware Stores — 223 percent higher than national average.
  10. Sports Wear — 196 percent higher than national average.

Nebraska

  1. Bookstores — 345 percent higher than national average.
  2. Comic Books — 343 percent higher than national average.
  3. Thrift Stores — 320 percent higher than national average.
  4. Music & DVDs — 318 percent higher than national average.
  5. Books, Mags, Music & Video — 278 percent higher than national average.
  6. Toy Stores — 252 percent higher than national average.
  7. Antiques — 227 percent higher than national average.
  8. Appliances — 218 percent higher than national average.
  9. Drugstores — 211 percent higher than national average.
  10. Shopping Centers — 205 percent higher than national average.

Nevada

  1. Video Game Stores — 402 percent higher than national average.
  2. Plus Size Fashion — 355 percent higher than national average.
  3. Wigs — 347 percent higher than national average.
  4. Vape Shops — 325 percent higher than national average.
  5. Guns & Ammo — 308 percent higher than national average.
  6. Adult — 280 percent higher than national average.
  7. Outlet Stores — 264 percent higher than national average.
  8. Hats — 243 percent higher than national average.
  9. Pawn Shops — 242 percent higher than national average.
  10. Leather Goods — 240 percent higher than national average.

New Hampshire

  1. Fireworks — 2,530 percent higher than national average.
  2. Battery Stores — 355 percent higher than national average.
  3. Knitting Supplies — 255 percent higher than national average.
  4. Outlet Stores — 237 percent higher than national average.
  5. Outdoor Gear — 231 percent higher than national average.
  6. Antiques — 229 percent higher than national average.
  7. Music & DVDs — 217 percent higher than national average.
  8. Appliances — 193 percent higher than national average.
  9. Hot Tub & Pool — 171 percent higher than national average.
  10. Books, Mags, Music & Video — 166 percent higher than national average.

New Jersey

  1. Golf Equipment — 201 percent higher than national average.
  2. Bridal — 196 percent higher than national average.
  3. Comic Books — 196 percent higher than national average.
  4. Formal Wear — 184 percent higher than national average.
  5. Knitting Supplies — 175 percent higher than national average.
  6. Florists — 172 percent higher than national average.
  7. Appliances — 163 percent higher than national average.
  8. Nurseries & Gardening — 160 percent higher than national average.
  9. Children’s Clothing — 151 percent higher than national average.
  10. Maternity Wear — 145 percent higher than national average.

New Mexico

  1. Fireworks — 3,378 percent higher than national average.
  2. Art Galleries — 382 percent higher than national average.
  3. Vinyl Records — 323 percent higher than national average.
  4. Bookstores — 271 percent higher than national average.
  5. Gift Shops — 258 percent higher than national average.
  6. Leather Goods — 241 percent higher than national average.
  7. Music & DVDs — 240 percent higher than national average.
  8. Fabric Stores — 235 percent higher than national average.
  9. Discount Store — 231 percent higher than national average.
  10. Art Supplies — 228 percent higher than national average.

New York

  1. Bespoke Clothing — 457 percent higher than national average.
  2. Leather Goods — 211 percent higher than national average.
  3. Luggage — 204 percent higher than national average.
  4. Cooking Classes — 174 percent higher than national average.
  5. Men’s Clothing — 155 percent higher than national average.
  6. Photography Stores & Services — 145 percent higher than national average.
  7. Eyewear & Opticians — 143 percent higher than national average.
  8. Hats — 141 percent higher than national average.
  9. Framing — 137 percent higher than national average.
  10. Wigs — 137 percent higher than national average.

North Carolina

  1. Surf Shop — 603 percent higher than national average.
  2. Swimwear — 365 percent higher than national average.
  3. Brewing Supplies — 262 percent higher than national average.
  4. Gift Shops — 181 percent higher than national average.
  5. Outdoor Gear — 180 percent higher than national average.
  6. Knitting Supplies — 179 percent higher than national average.
  7. Medical Supplies — 178 percent higher than national average.
  8. Discount Store — 167 percent higher than national average.
  9. Vinyl Records — 165 percent higher than national average.
  10. Golf Equipment — 164 percent higher than national average.

North Dakota

  1. Bookstores — 780 percent higher than national average.
  2. Books, Mags, Music & Video — 533 percent higher than national average.
  3. Department Stores — 337 percent higher than national average.
  4. Home Decor — 300 percent higher than national average.
  5. Florists — 247 percent higher than national average.
  6. Arts & Crafts — 210 percent higher than national average.
  7. Shoe Stores — 180 percent higher than national average.
  8. Flowers & Gifts — 175 percent higher than national average.
  9. Drugstores — 173 percent higher than national average.
  10. Home & Garden — 134 percent higher than national average.

Ohio

  1. Battery Stores — 342 percent higher than national average.
  2. Music & DVDs — 296 percent higher than national average.
  3. Vinyl Records — 292 percent higher than national average.
  4. Flea Markets — 238 percent higher than national average.
  5. Comic Books — 208 percent higher than national average.
  6. Videos & Video Game Rental — 199 percent higher than national average.
  7. Plus Size Fashion — 198 percent higher than national average.
  8. Guns & Ammo — 192 percent higher than national average.
  9. Auction Houses — 186 percent higher than national average.
  10. Department Stores — 183 percent higher than national average.

Oklahoma

  1. Gift Shops — 365 percent higher than national average.
  2. Comic Books — 349 percent higher than national average.
  3. Fabric Stores — 345 percent higher than national average.
  4. Discount Store — 339 percent higher than national average.
  5. Department Stores — 286 percent higher than national average.
  6. Music & DVDs — 247 percent higher than national average.
  7. Formal Wear — 224 percent higher than national average.
  8. Medical Supplies — 212 percent higher than national average.
  9. Art Supplies — 208 percent higher than national average.
  10. Vape Shops — 205 percent higher than national average.

Oregon

  1. Brewing Supplies — 277 percent higher than national average.
  2. Motorcycle Gear — 191 percent higher than national average.
  3. Used, Vintage & Consignment — 189 percent higher than national average.
  4. Newspapers & Magazines — 182 percent higher than national average.
  5. Mattresses — 179 percent higher than national average.
  6. Bikes — 177 percent higher than national average.
  7. Antiques — 171 percent higher than national average.
  8. Bookstores — 169 percent higher than national average.
  9. Nurseries & Gardening — 161 percent higher than national average.
  10. Thrift Stores — 156 percent higher than national average.

Pennsylvania

  1. Fireworks — 607 percent higher than national average.
  2. Vinyl Records — 287 percent higher than national average.
  3. Newspapers & Magazines — 229 percent higher than national average.
  4. Brewing Supplies — 213 percent higher than national average.
  5. Auction Houses — 206 percent higher than national average.
  6. Video Game Stores — 202 percent higher than national average.
  7. Bespoke Clothing — 186 percent higher than national average.
  8. Music & DVDs — 182 percent higher than national average.
  9. Knitting Supplies — 163 percent higher than national average.
  10. Comic Books — 162 percent higher than national average.

Rhode Island

  1. Vinyl Records — 275 percent higher than national average.
  2. Used, Vintage & Consignment — 220 percent higher than national average.
  3. Thrift Stores — 217 percent higher than national average.
  4. Photography Stores & Services – 187 percent higher than national average.
  5. Florists — 185 percent higher than national average.
  6. Gift Shops — 173 percent higher than national average.
  7. Antiques — 151 percent higher than national average.
  8. Flowers & Gifts — 142 percent higher than national average.
  9. Fabric Stores — 137 percent higher than national average.
  10. Music & DVDs — 135 percent higher than national average.

South Carolina

  1. Fireworks — 3,439 percent higher than national average.
  2. Flea Markets — 437 percent higher than national average.
  3. Swimwear — 400 percent higher than national average.
  4. Discount Store — 260 percent higher than national average.
  5. Shopping Centers — 241 percent higher than national average.
  6. Department Stores — 203 percent higher than national average.
  7. Bikes — 199 percent higher than national average.
  8. Outdoor Gear — 197 percent higher than national average.
  9. Drugstores — 192 percent higher than national average.
  10. Outlet Stores — 187 percent higher than national average.

South Dakota

  1. Art Galleries — 285 percent higher than national average.
  2. Florists — 271 percent higher than national average.
  3. Books, Mags, Music & Video — 261 percent higher than national average.
  4. Department Stores — 248 percent higher than national average.
  5. Drugstores — 204 percent higher than national average.
  6. Flowers & Gifts — 178 percent higher than national average.
  7. Arts & Crafts — 165 percent higher than national average.
  8. Jewelry — 134 percent higher than national average.
  9. Home Decor — 128 percent higher than national average.
  10. Sporting Goods — 117 percent higher than national average.

Tennessee

  1. Brewing Supplies — 398 percent higher than national average.
  2. Vinyl Records — 336 percent higher than national average.
  3. Swimwear — 290 percent higher than national average.
  4. Music & DVDs — 269 percent higher than national average.
  5. Guns & Ammo — 242 percent higher than national average.
  6. Battery Stores — 240 percent higher than national average.
  7. Used, Vintage & Consignment — 232 percent higher than national average.
  8. Outlet Stores — 207 percent higher than national average.
  9. Antiques — 176 percent higher than national average.
  10. Department Stores — 176 percent higher than national average.

Texas

  1. Battery Stores — 443 percent higher than national average.
  2. Video Game Stores — 305 percent higher than national average.
  3. Vape Shops — 221 percent higher than national average.
  4. Guns & Ammo — 192 percent higher than national average.
  5. Golf Equipment — 182 percent higher than national average.
  6. Uniforms — 167 percent higher than national average.
  7. Baby Gear & Furniture — 166 percent higher than national average.
  8. Discount Store — 165 percent higher than national average.
  9. Shopping Centers — 162 percent higher than national average.
  10. Department Stores — 161 percent higher than national average.

Utah

  1. Outdoor Gear — 1,053 percent higher than national average.
  2. Bikes — 382 percent higher than national average.
  3. Swimwear — 272 percent higher than national average.
  4. Sporting Goods — 265 percent higher than national average.
  5. Baby Gear & Furniture — 257 percent higher than national average.
  6. Photography Stores & Services — 226 percent higher than national average.
  7. Knitting Supplies — 225 percent higher than national average.
  8. Fabric Stores — 208 percent higher than national average.
  9. Computers — 207 percent higher than national average.
  10. Office Equipment — 183 percent higher than national average.

Vermont

  1. Outdoor Gear — 1,053 percent higher than national average.
  2. Knitting Supplies — 395 percent higher than national average.
  3. Bookstores — 373 percent higher than national average.
  4. Outlet Stores — 367 percent higher than national average.
  5. Art Galleries — 288 percent higher than national average.
  6. Antiques — 274 percent higher than national average.
  7. Sporting Goods — 249 percent higher than national average.
  8. Sports Wear — 236 percent higher than national average.
  9. Books, Mags, Music & Video — 207 percent higher than national average.
  10. Baby Gear & Furniture — 199 percent higher than national average.

Virginia

  1. Rugs — 318 percent higher than national average.
  2. Maternity Wear — 283 percent higher than national average.
  3. Swimwear — 282 percent higher than national average.
  4. Battery Stores — 225 percent higher than national average.
  5. Wigs — 207 percent higher than national average.
  6. Mattresses — 193 percent higher than national average.
  7. Knitting Supplies — 189 percent higher than national average.
  8. Golf Equipment — 187 percent higher than national average.
  9. Framing — 182 percent higher than national average.
  10. Antiques — 157 percent higher than national average.

Washington

  1. Fitness/Exercise Equipment — 607 percent higher than national average.
  2. Brewing Supplies — 351 percent higher than national average.
  3. Plus Size Fashion — 190 percent higher than national average.
  4. Maternity Wear — 177 percent higher than national average.
  5. Adult — 167 percent higher than national average.
  6. Trophy Shops — 167 percent higher than national average.
  7. Bookstores — 166 percent higher than national average.
  8. Souvenir Shops — 150 percent higher than national average.
  9. Photography Stores & Services — 149 percent higher than national average.
  10. Motorcycle Gear — 136 percent higher than national average.

West Virginia

  1. Outdoor Gear — 485 percent higher than national average.
  2. Shopping Centers — 370 percent higher than national average.
  3. Antiques — 331 percent higher than national average.
  4. Bookstores — 319 percent higher than national average.
  5. Drugstores — 295 percent higher than national average.
  6. Art Galleries — 292 percent higher than national average.
  7. Books, Mags, Music & Video — 284 percent higher than national average.
  8. Discount Store — 254 percent higher than national average.
  9. Toy Stores — 248 percent higher than national average.
  10. Sporting Goods — 239 percent higher than national average.

Wisconsin

  1. Music & DVDs — 292 percent higher than national average.
  2. Customized Merchandise — 263 percent higher than national average.
  3. Toy Stores — 251 percent higher than national average.
  4. Bikes — 239 percent higher than national average.
  5. Sports Wear — 224 percent higher than national average.
  6. Vinyl Records — 214 percent higher than national average.
  7. Gift Shops — 212 percent higher than national average.
  8. Art Supplies — 202 percent higher than national average.
  9. Newspapers & Magazines — 201 percent higher than national average.
  10. Knitting Supplies — 201 percent higher than national average.

Wyoming

  1. Music & DVDs — 641 percent higher than national average.
  2. Bikes — 604 percent higher than national average.
  3. Outdoor Gear — 460 percent higher than national average.
  4. Sporting Goods — 426 percent higher than national average.
  5. Bookstores — 351 percent higher than national average.
  6. Toy Stores — 337 percent higher than national average.
  7. Department Stores — 296 percent higher than national average.
  8. Books, Mags, Music & Video — 265 percent higher than national average.
  9. Thrift Stores — 259 percent higher than national average.
  10. Art Galleries — 257 percent higher than national average.

After Attacks, European Rabbis Train In Self-Defense

PRAGUE (AP) — Rabbis from European countries have gathered in Prague for training in self-defense and first aid in a response to a wave of attacks against Jews and a rise of anti-Semitism on the continent.

During Tuesday’s training sessions, dozens of rabbis have learned what to do to survive stabbing and how to treat injuries. Rabbi Menachem Margolin says the idea is to demonstrate “the most basic stuff needed.”

Tuesday’s training is part of an annual gathering of rabbis organized by the Rabbinical Centre of Europe and the European Jewish Association headed by Margolin.

He says a lack of action from European governments to protect Jews in Europe has contributed to their decision to organize the training, first in Prague, and later in other European countries.

Iggy Azalea Doesn't Think The Hip-Hop Community Gives Her Enough Respect

From Twitter feuds with fellow rappers to criticism over perceived cultural appropriation, it’s no secret that Iggy Azalea has been met with resistance by some members of the hip-hop community.

But in a radio interview with “Zach Sang & The Gang,” the 24-year-old rapper told the host she knows why she faces so much disapproval. They’re just mad that she’s good:

They know, deep down. I think they know. They just don’t want to admit it. That’s what I think. I have a feeling. That’s why they’re mad. Because they do know that I actually am good, and they can’t really accept that. But we could be friends, and this could all be easy. Or we could not, and I could send Bitcoin shit chocolate boxes to your door. But I’m still going to be here.

The “Beg For It” rapper, who was nominated for four Grammys this year, told GQ in January that “awards season helps” her deal with the haters. Azalea also told Vanity Fair, in December, that she believes most of her criticism has “100,000 percent to do with the fact that I have a vagina.”

That Anti-Gay Bill In Arkansas Actually Became Law Today. Why Couldn't Activists Stop It?

Monday was the deadline for Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson to veto SB 202, the anti-anti-discrimination bill that seeks to prevent cities and counties from protecting the civil rights of gay people.

The bill passed the legislature 10 days ago. Hutchinson said he would allow it to become law. During the past week, pressure had been mounting on the governor to change his mind.