The cat distribution system is functioning in Lawrenceville, Georgia this week. The Gwinnett Stripers were blessed with a little baby orange furball yesterday.
Check out that third from the last panel. My word, I don't need anything else to take care and shelter at the moment, but I'm finding a blanket for this handsome fellow if he shows up at my door. They have requested names for the little one. The finalists are:
ChiPurr Jones
Parker
Cracker Jack

#chipurr #parker

The ***** e Zero Sugar 400 doesn't have the Super Bowl-sized reputation of its slightly older and bigger brother, the Daytona 500.
But boy, it sure has plenty of history.
From 1959 when Daytona Beach's own Fireball Roberts claimed the first Firecracker 250 all the way to 2025 when Ryan Blaney put on a clinic in the final two laps, a who's who of NASCAR legends has won the World Center of Racing's summertime bash.
Buy our Dale Earnhardt book here
Richard Petty, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch. All of them have sped into Victory Lane — some of them multiple times.

#zero #bowl

With both clubs finishing the previous season in mid-table and level on the same number of points, Derby County and Sunderland's 1951/1952 opener seemed like it could be an intriguing affair between two evenly matched sides.
It was the second season running that the Lads were facing the Rams in their first fixture and they went into the game hoping to repeat their 1-0 Roker Park victory of a year before.
In the meantime, the teams had also played out a cracker in December 1950 that ended with the hosts winning 6-5, giving Bill Murray's men a painful memory to avenge, whilst there was a friendly rivalry between ex-teammates to be considered as well, with former Sunderland man Ken Oliver coming up against his old pals including Tommy McLain, who he had first encountered when they served in the RAF together in Sri Lanka during World War II.
Oliver proved to be one of Derby's stronger performers in the end, although McLain came away the happiest, scoring what was to be his only goal in Sunderland colours — and a beauty at that.
Whereas it was a rare strike for the half-back, it was one of several in the match itself as another end-to-end affair ensued, and it brought the visitors level following a lightning start from County that had initially caught their opponents cold.

#county

Get ready to trade your peanuts and Cracker Jack for some high-flying spikes and digs. For the first time in its 112-year history, the iconic Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field is swapping the baseball diamond for the volleyball court, and the Cats will be a part of it.
On Sunday, September 6, the Chicago Cubs' historic ballpark will host the grand finale of the inaugural Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge.
Here is everything you need to know about this monumental weekend for college sports:
This isn't just an exhibition-style fun game. This is a clash of ****** ans featuring programs that have claimed two of the last five national championships. The doubleheader brings together the nation's premier conferences to showcase the explosive growth of women's collegiate volleyball.
Nebraska vs. Missouri

#volleyball #friendly #field #sunday

Arsoonnoi Sitjasing delivered a composed and punishing performance against fellow Thai firecracker Nongkhailek Dr.Knotmuaythai in the flyweight Muay Thai co-main event of ONE Friday Fights 164 inside Bangkok's legendary Lumpinee Stadium on July 31.
Both men went to work right off the bat, testing each other's defense with a variety of strikes from the outside and the inside. Arsoonnoi hammered away with punches in bunches, while his Petchingchai foe responded with similar firepower.
The intensity rose dramatically in the second frame. After touching gloves, Nongkhailek caught a kick and attempted to respond with a punch, but the exchange left his chin exposed. Arsoonnoi immediately capitalized with a massive overhand right that dropped his opponent for an eight-count.
When the action resumed, Arsoonnoi attacked the body with repeated kicks and continued dictating the pace behind his punches. The Sitjasing and ARMY 3 representative stayed firmly in control as the round came to an end.
Nongkhailek, however, refused to wilt, increasing his pressure in the third stanza. Just as he appeared to find his rhythm, the 27-year-old promotional newcomer absorbed another sharp counter right hand from Arsoonnoi that sent him crashing to the canvas once more.

#right

Cracker Barrel will soon have a new leader.
The company announced on July 27 CEO Julie Masino will step down as CEO and member of the board effective Aug. 10. Masino will be replaced by David Deno, most recently the CEO of Bloomin' Brands, the owner of casual restaurant chains such as Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill and Bonefish Grill.
Masino will remain with Cracker Barrel as an adviser until Oct. 9, the company said.
"Following a robust and thoughtful search process, we are pleased to welcome David as Cracker Barrel's next CEO," said Carl Berquist, independent chairman of the Cracker Barrel board, in a news release. "He brings decades of experience across the restaurant and retail industries, with a strong track record of leading businesses through growth and a demonstrated commitment to operational excellence, guest experience, and team member engagement."
Deno said in the news release he is "honored to lead the Cracker Barrel team" and looks forward to "unlocking the full potential of this remarkable brand." Deno began his tenure as CEO of Bloomin' Brands in 2019, having previously served as the company's executive vice president and chief financial officer from 2012 to 2019.

#barrel #masino

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Cracker Barrel is changing CEOs as it works to regain traffic and trust from guests.
The company announced Monday that David Deno will become CEO and join the board of directors effective August 10. He replaces Julie Masino, who has led Cracker Barrel since November 2023 and will step down from the top role and board on the same date. Masino will stay with the company in an advisory role through October 9 to ******* ist with the transition.
Deno brings decades of restaurant experience to the position, including five years as CEO of Bloomin' Brands, parent company of Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill, and Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. He joined Bloomin' Brands in 2012 as CFO before taking over as CEO in 2019. He previously held senior positions at Best Buy, Yum! Brands, Pizza Hut, and Burger King.
During Deno's tenure, Bloomin' credited him with strengthening profitability and its balance sheet, including navigating the company through the COVID pandemic and optimizing its international portfolio. He retired from the CEO position in 2024.

#barrel #deno #steakhouse

July 27 (Reuters) - Cracker Barrel on Monday said Julie Masino would step down as its CEO, nearly a year ‌after the company faced criticism from conservatives, including U.S. ‌President Donald Trump, for a short-lived decision to change its decades-old logo.
Here are the details:
• Masino will step down as CEO on August 10 after about three years in the role and will remain with the company in an advisory capacity until October 9.
• Cracker Barrel named ‌restaurant industry veteran David ⁠Deno as its new top boss.
• In August 2025, the company faced backlash on social media for ⁠its decision to modernize its logo and stores and replace its decades-old "Old-Timer" signage which featured the image of an overalls-clad man known as "Uncle Herschel" leaning against a barrel.

#cracker

Cracker Barrel's CEO is stepping down nearly a year after an attempted rebrand of the chain led to a fierce customer backlash. The company announced that CEO Julie Masino will step down next month but remain with the company until October 9 in an advisory capacity. NBC News' Allie Canal reports.

#masino

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Nearly 12 months after backlash to a new logo tanked its sales, Cracker Barrel is on a roll.
In an update Monday, the family-dining chain said same-store restaurant sales were down 2.5% year over year through the first 11 weeks of the current quarter, while same-store retail sales were up 0.5%.
That continues the chain's momentum from the previous quarter, when same-store restaurant and retail sales were down 2.6% and 1.8%, respectively.
The company said it now expects to either meet or exceed the high end of its revenue and earnings guidance for the fiscal year, which runs through this month. That indicates it will generate at least $3.3 billion in revenue and $125 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) for the fiscal year.

#year

Cracker Barrel has sold its Maple Street Biscuit Company brand and 35 restaurants to Biscuit Belly, LLC and will close 16 locations of the fast casual breakfast chain.
The move comes less than a year after Cracker Barrel closed 14 Maple Street locations in September 2025 because they "simply didn't meet our financial expectations," the company told USA TODAY in a statement at the time, while thanking customers for their patronage.
Cracker Barrel acquired Maple Street Biscuit Company in 2019 for $36 million. The breakfast chain was founded in Jacksonville, Florida, in 2012, and serves a variety of biscuits and other breakfast foods. At the time of the acquisition, Maple Street had 28 company-owned locations and five franchised locations across seven states.
In a separate move, Cracker Barrel also completed a sale-leaseback deal involving 26 company-owned locations. That means Cracker Barrel sold the locations to an investor and immediately leased them back. Cracker Barrel said these transactions will generate approximately $77 million in net proceeds.
More news: Ikea to open 7 new stores through 2027. See where

#company #street

DYBERRY TWP. — More than 200 runners and walkers turned out to celebrate a milestone moment for one of the area's most popular summertime athletic events.
On July 11, local officials welcomed competitors from as far away as Florida for the 40th annual Dr. Perkins Memorial 5K. The 2026 event took place at the Wayne County Fairgrounds in Dyberry Township.
"This was definitely an amazing day," said race organizer and longtime Honesdale High School cross country coach Lindsey Pender. "We're so grateful for all the wonderful support we get from the community. It just keeps getting better every year."
More: Tim Nowakowski and Katie Kilker earn individual ***** les at the 39th annual Perkins Run
Also by Kevin Edwards: The 2026 Firecracker 5K attracted record numbers in Pleasant Mount

Jul. 14—MOSES LAKE — The Washington Rage 16U (5-5-1) took a step forward over the weekend after making a run to the semifinals of their weekend tournament.
"The improvement from last weekend to this past weekend was very noticeable," Head Coach Bob Richardson said. "With their first tournament of the year, you got to figure out what you need to work on, and most of this team hadn't played together in a tournament yet. Our offense was phenomenal, with the exception of the semifinal game. The girls hit the ball really well, and (there were) contributions up and down the lineup."
Their tournament run began Saturday, where they went 3-0 against the competition. As the day went on, the bats came alive, Richardson said. They first defeated the Liberty Lake Lightning 16U 8-2 before taking another win against the Washington Firecrackers 16U 19-3 in two innings. They finished Saturday with a 15-5 win over the Elevate Northwest Biell 16U squad, advancing them further in the tournament. After a 7-3 win over the Elevate NW Teal 16U, the Rage concluded the tournament with a 10-0 loss by the NCW SunDevils 16U team.
Despite falling short in the semifinals, Richardson was happy with the team's improvement.
"I think as they gelled, they knew in the lineup where we were going to struggle a little bit and where we were going to be successful," he said. "The great thing is, everybody hit this weekend. It's not like last weekend where we had three girls who didn't get a hit. As a coach, it's fun because I'm very aggressive and I like to get the game moving. So, if I've got speed on the base paths, I'm going to take advantage of that and put pressure on the defense, and we were able to do that."

Dangote's 700,000 b/d Lekki refinery has been running at full capacity over the past two months, pushing product exports to Europe to record levels and overtaking traditional suppliers from the Gulf and the US. Its rise has already reshaped the West African fuel trade: imports of clean products from outside the region fell by almost 25% year-on-year in the second quarter. Yet Dangote is treating this only as a starting point. The group plans to add another crude distillation unit (CDU), lift total capacity to 1.45 million b/d and build a wider network of product-storage and distribution infrastructure across Africa. The ambition is vast, but so are the challenges.
The refinery's latest maintenance and upgrade programme lifted capacity from 650,000 b/d to 700,000 b/d by de-bottlenecking the existing crude distillation unit. That increase took roughly 2.5 years to deliver, with regular crude purchases beginning in March 2024. The next phase is larger. Dangote is targeting mechanical completion of a new 750,000 b/d CDU and additional secondary units by December 2028, potentially including another vacuum distillation unit as well as expanded polypropylene, base-oil and linear alkyl benzene capacity. If completed, the project would make Lekki the world's largest refinery at 1.45 million b/d, narrowly ahead of Reliance Industries' 1.4 million b/d Jamnagar complex in India. However, the construction of Dangote's first CDU took eight years, roughly in line with the pace of other recent refinery projects. India's newly commissioned Barmer refinery in Rajasthan, for example, also took around eight years to build, despite being far smaller at 180,000 b/d. That makes Dangote's target of completing a second CDU by 2028 look highly unrealistic.
Yet the timeline may be less important than the signal. While state-owned NNPC is still trying to rehabilitate its three refineries, with a combined capacity of 445,000 b/d, by attracting outside investors, Dangote's promise to build the world's largest refinery sends a clear message to both NNPC and potential investors: the competition is likely to become too difficult to withstand, regardless of when the second CDU is ultimately completed.
Related: IMF Downgrades Global Economic Growth Forecast To 3% Amid Iran War
The refinery has largely relied on Nigerian crude, but domestic supply has not been sufficient to cover its full needs. Crude receipts peaked near 650,000 b/d in May before easing to 575,000 b/d in June. Nigeria's very own Bonny Light has remained central, while WTI Midland from the US Gulf Coast provided an average of 120,000 b/d in 2025 and as much as 300,000 b/d in some months. The very light slate supported high jet and diesel yields but left too little residue to fully feed the refinery's residual fluid catalytic cracker, constraining gasoline output. Dangote has therefore widened its slate to include somewhat heavier Nigerian grades such as Escravos, Forcados and Bonga, alongside occasional cargoes

Spain are set to take on Portugal in the FIFA 2026 World Cup Round of 16 in what promises to be an absolute cracker of a game, at least on paper.
The game throws up a number of player battles, like Lamine Yamal vs Nuno Mendes and Pedri vs Vitinha, which are small subplots in the larger scheme of things.
If Spain are to have a good game against their neighbouring nation, they will need the Barcelona midfield star at his very best.
In an interview with AS, Pedri highlighted Hansi Flick’s influence at Barcelona, while also praising Vitinha and Lionel Messi.
The Barcelona midfielder explained how Flick has helped him feel more involved in the game.

The inaugural edition of the Nations Championship launches in style with a clash between New Zealand and France in Christchurch.
This serves as the first All Blacks fixture at Te Kaha, the One New Zealand Stadium that has replaced the Lancaster Park venue damaged by the 2011 earthquakes in the city.
The new ground may well have a cracker to kick things off as the hosts start life under Dave Rennie, who replaced Scott Robertson as head coach at the start of the year.
While not at full strength, the France squad available to Fabien Galthie has been boosted by Bordeaux-Begles' failure to make the Top 14 playoffs and the Six Nations winners have plenty of threat within their side.
Here's everything you need to know.

Football. Soccer. The beautiful game. Whatever you call it, it's inescapable. The 2026 FIFA World Cup kickoff is still days away, but you can't scroll online without being served tunnel fits, Mbappé memes, stadium tours and … is that Channing Tatum in a blond ponytail?
Log off all you want, but there's no hiding from the soccer hysteria IRL either. McDonald's has World Cup-themed Happy Meals. The grocery store is selling Christian Pulisic-collab Ritz crackers and cleat-shaped mac and cheese. Everyone's wearing a jersey and arguing about GOATs, flops and Lamine Yamal's hamstring.
The only thing left to do is join 'em. Here's your guide to the pre-tournament discourse — from the players and fans swarming North America to the storylines tugging at our heartstrings to the pop culture tie-ins worth getting caught up on. At the risk of getting an Elmo-style trolling: We just hope everyone has fun.
While there's a lot of early hype, the kickoff takes place on June 11 and — strap in — because the final isn't until July 19. So pace yourselves accordingly.
There are three host countries this year: U.S., Canada and Mexico. Within that, the action will be spread across 16 cities, including the New York metro area, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas and Kansas City.

A short squeeze is one of Wall Street's most painful traps. It happens when investors pile in, betting a stock will fall, only to watch it move sharply in the opposite direction. As losses mount, short sellers are often forced to buy back shares to close their positions. That buying can push the stock even higher, creating a powerful cycle that fuels even bigger gains.
That setup may now be taking shape in Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (CBRL). The restaurant and retail chain has suddenly found itself back in investors' good graces after delivering a better-than-expected fiscal third-quarter report. The earnings surprise sparked a rally in CRBL stock, but the story did not end there.
A $1.24 Trillion Reason to Buy Dell Stock Now
Markets move fast. Keep up by reading our FREE midday Barchart Brief newsletter for exclusive charts, **** ysis, and headlines.
Adding more fuel to the move, several Wall Street firms began warming up to the company, raising their price targets following the results, signaling growing confidence in Cracker Barrel's turnaround efforts.

Dell Technologies (DELL) is sitting pretty as the artificial intelligence (AI) race keeps pushing demand into overdrive. The Goldman Sachs Group (GS) now sees the AI server market reaching a staggering $1.24 trillion by 2030, a sharp jump from its earlier $961 billion forecast.
The firm lifted its AI server unit volume outlook by 3% and boosted average selling price (ASP) expectations by 15%, signaling that demand for AI infrastructure still has plenty of runway ahead.
A Major Short Squeeze Could Be Brewing in Cracker Barrel Stock
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Goldman Sachs also sweetened its outlook for traditional servers. The firm increased its forecasts for 2026 through 2030 by roughly 31% on average and now expects that market to hit $164 billion by 2030 instead of the previously projected $105 billion. A 19% rise in expected unit shipments paired with a 10% increase in ASP helped fuel that brighter outlook.

Cracker Barrel stock is up about 12% ahead of Wednesday's open. (Eric Glenn/Shutterstock)
Shares of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (CBRL) soared 30% on Wednesday morning, amid ******* yst price target hikes. An upgrade to overweight from UBS pointed out that the shares were heavily shorted.
Shares of Cracker Barrel had already advanced about 8% on Monday and Tuesday. The stock is now up about 40% this week, according to MarketSurge.
About 27% of the float is currently held short, according to MarketSurge. Generally speaking, a short interest of about 10% is typically viewed as elevated. Anything above 20% is considered extremely high. When traders short a stock they are betting the price will fall. However, if it starts to rise short sellers are forced to buy more of the stock to cover their impending losses. Those forced purchases place added upward pressure on the price.
Shorts against Cracker Barrel have increased by 3.6%, meaning it would now require about 5.8 days of the stock's average trading volume for short sellers to buy back all their shares. The meme stock crowd had not yet picked up on the action, with Cracker Barrel not registering among the top 50 stocks trending early Wednesday on the Ape Wisdom stock list.

Vito & Nick's Pizzeria

I visited the South Side with family and wanted to try out Vito and Nick's for years. I finally got the opportunity to go a few weeks ago. I absolutely love their tavern style pizza! The cracker... More

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Phone: (773) 327-5600