‘A new kind of hate’; Walmart shooter may have singled out victims; and more updates

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The co-owner of Colorado Springs’ Club Q said that anti-LGBTQ hate has evolved from prejudice to incitement. In one of his first interviews since Saturday night’s mass shooting, Nic Grzecka told the Associated Press that politicians calling transgender people “groomers” breeds violence.

Witness: Walmart shooter seemed to target certain people

CHESAPEAKE, Va. — A witness says that the Walmart supervisor who shot and killed six coworkers in Virginia seemed to target people and shot some victims after they were already hit and appeared to be dead. Jessica Wilczewski said that workers were gathered in a Walmart break room to begin their overnight shift late Tuesday when team leader Andre Bing entered and began shooting with a handgun.

While another witness has described Bing as shooting wildly, Wilczewski said that she observed him target certain people. She said he looked at people’s faces and picked out who he was going to shoot.

Musk granting ‘amnesty’ to suspended Twitter accounts

SAN FRANCISCO — New Twitter owner Elon Musk says he is granting “amnesty” for suspended accounts, which online safety experts predict will spur a rise in harassment, hate speech and misinformation. The billionaire’s announcement Thursday came after he asked in a poll posted to his timeline to vote on reinstatements for accounts that have not “broken the law or engaged in egregious spam.”

After a similar highly unscientific poll last weekend, Musk reinstated the account of former President Donald Trump, which Twitter had banned for encouraging the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. Trump has said he won’t return to Twitter but has not deleted his account.

Shoppers hunt for deals but inflation makes bargains elusive

Consumers holding out for big deals — and some much-needed relief from soaring costs on just about everything — may be disappointed as they head into the busiest shopping season of the year. While retailers are advertising sales of 50%, 60% and 70% off everything from TVs to gadgets, many items will still cost more than they did last year because of inflation and finding a true bargain may prove to be a challenge.

From September through October, shoppers paid roughly 18% more for electronics and appliances than they did a year ago, according to analytics company DataWeave. For toys, they paid nearly 3% more.

Elsewhere: President Joe Biden delivered pumpkin pies to Massachusetts firefighters for Thanksgiving. The president, first lady Jill Biden and their nearly 3-year-old grandson Beau visited with emergency personnel at fire department headquarters on Nantucket island. Biden has a more than 40-year tradition of spending Thanksgiving on the Massachusetts island. … Iran arrested a prominent former member of its national soccer team over his criticism of the government. The arrest comes as authorities grapple with nationwide protests that have cast a shadow over the team’s participation in the World Cup, where it will face Wales on Friday.

High-flying balloon characters star in Thanksgiving parade

NEW YORK — Throngs of spectators have lined the streets of New York as colorful, high-flying balloons help usher in the holiday season at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The annual tradition packed streets as a procession of giant inflatables and floats streamed for more than 40 blocks from Central Park to Herald Square.

This year’s parade featured 16 giant balloons, 28 floats, 40 novelty and heritage inflatables, 12 marching bands, 10 performance groups, 700 clowns and one Santa Claus.