
Engagement ring sales soar as Americans recover from the pandemic
CNN
As wedding aisles open up, more Americans are getting down on one knee and popping the question.
"We've seen a resurgence in both engagement ring and wedding band sales as couples start returning to normal life," Price Blanchard, chief customer officer and executive vice president at Shane Co., a privately held jeweler with stores in 14 cities, told CNN Business. Nuptials that were long postponed because of Covid-19 are finally taking place, with in-person ceremonies and large receptions filled with family and friends. Fine jewelers say they saw massive spikes in demand and sales in April and May, following more access to Covid-19 vaccinations throughout the United States.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth risked compromising sensitive military information that could have endangered US troops through his use of Signal to discuss attack plans, a Pentagon watchdog said in an unclassified report released Thursday. It also details how Hegseth declined to cooperate with the probe.

Two top House lawmakers emerged divided along party lines after a private briefing with the military official who oversaw September’s attack on an alleged drug vessel that included a so-called double-tap strike that killed surviving crew members, with a top Democrat calling video of the incident that was shared as part of the briefing “one of the most troubling things” he has seen as a lawmaker.











