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Nintendo, the Japanese company behind Super Mario and Pokemon video games, reported Thursday that its fiscal first half profit more than tripled as passed time while stuck at home during the pandemic playing games.Kyoto-based Nintendo Co.¡¯s profit for the six months through September soared to 213 billion yen ( billion), up from 62 billion yen a year ago. Six-month sales soared to 769 billion yen (.4 billion) from 444 billion yen.Nintendo said more than 5 million units of ¡°Super Mario 3D All-Stars¡± game software for the Nintendo Switch were sold during the period, and nearly 3 million units of ¡°Paper Mario: The Origami King¡± were sold.Earlier releases also continued to sell briskly, including ¡°Animal Crossing: New Horizons,¡± which has now sold a cumulative 26 million units globally, according to Nintendo.Nintendo¡¯s online downloads and mobile sales also did well, it said.Nintendo said it expects the positive results to continue. The latest in its other hit game lineup, such as ¡°Pikmin 3 Deluxe,¡± will go on sale this year, it said.Nintendo raised its full year profit forecast through March to 300 billion yen (.9 billion), up from an earlier projection of a 200 billion yen (.9 billion) profit. The latest forecast, if realized, would mark a 16% improvement from 259 billion yen in profit recorded in the previous fiscal year.Although rising COVID-19 cases have hurt large chunks of the global economy, including Japan¡¯s, some sectors, such as online retailing and at-home entertainment, are booming.___Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama 1595

Next March, the monthly subscription price of Disney+ will increase by in the United States.During its annual Investors Day, Disney announced that beginning March 26, 2021, the monthly subscription price would cost .99. Its yearly subscription would increase by to .99.The Disney Bundle that includes Disney+, Hulu with ads, and ESPN+ would increase by to .99 per month, the company announced.The company also announced that in Europe, Disney+ would go from €6.99 to €8.99 per month, alongside the Star rollout, which debuts Feb. 23.The news comes after Netflix announced in October that they would raise the price on its standard and premium plans for its US subscribers. 698

NEW YORK (AP) ¡ª The U.S. Justice Department is asking to take over President Donald Trump¡¯s defense in a defamation lawsuit from a writer who accused him of rape. Federal lawyers also asked a court Tuesday to allow a move that could put the American people on the hook for any money E. Jean Carroll might be awarded. The Justice Department lawyers argue that Trump was ¡°acting within the scope of his office¡± when he denied Carroll¡¯s allegations last year that he raped her in a New York luxury department store in the mid-1990s.She says his comments besmirched her character and harmed her career.The filing complicates, at least for the moment, Carroll¡¯s efforts to get a DNA sample from the president as potential evidence and to have him answer questions under oath.It comes amid concerns that Attorney General William Barr has gone out of his way to intervene in other legal cases involving Trump or his allies. Barr tried to decrease the amount of prison time his office sought for Trump ally Roger Stone following a criminal trial where he was found guilty. (Stone¡¯s sentence was later commuted by Trump.) Barr¡¯s Justice Department has acted to dismiss its own case against former national security adviser Michael Flynn.Carroll¡¯s lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, called the department¡¯s argument ¡°shocking.¡± 1314

Nine months into the COVID-19 pandemic and many people are inching by by making minimum payments on credit cards.But with Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation set to expire next month, staying in good standing with your credit card companies may be getting harder.Many credit card companies are willing to set up a payment plan and waive fees or lower interests on your payments for a certain period of time, but there¡¯s always fine print. There are other options without impacting your credit score.Getting by by making minimum payments on her credit cards, Jana Krause is feeling financially strapped."I'm finding myself in a position that I was able to make my credit card payments on time. Now I'm concerned that that¡¯s not going to be a happening thing coming up in the next months," Krause said.With the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation set to expire next month, Krause reached out to her credit card companies hoping she can lower her minimum payments without having to go into a hardship program that would freeze her account and potentially impact her credit score."I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place," Krause said. "I've never experienced something like this in my life. I've never been out of a job."At 74, Krause is considered high risk for COVID-19, and going back to teaching wellness classes is not an option for her.Sara Rathner, a credit card expert at the finance company Nerd Wallet, said Krause is not alone."You can look into other options to free up cash in your budget to fulfill other obligations," Rathner said. "Turn to your utility companies, your landlord, your mortgage company, see what sorts of help they can provide. Maybe by freeing up cash in that way you¡¯ll still be able to meet the minimum payments on your credit card."And if that¡¯s not possible, research personal loans or debt consolidation programs. But beware of scams."You can start with non-profit credit counseling that can help you come up with a debt repayment plan and debt consolidation, or even just get help reworking your budget to see if you can free up money to pay your bills," Rathner said.Krause said she¡¯s already cost-conscious doing groceries."I'm not going to one of my favorite stores and getting my favorite treats, nothing. I mean, all that¡¯s been cut out," Krause said.Hardship payments programs may not be for everyone, but Rathner said weigh your priorities before you knock it."In an emergency, your credit score doesn¡¯t need to be your first priority," Rathner said. "You can get yourself into a more stable situation and then focus on rebuilding your credit from there. Right now if what you need to do is keep a roof over your head, keep the lights on, and keep food on the table, that¡¯s your number one priority."This story was first reported by Michelle Quesada at WPTV in West Palm Beach, Florida. 2856

NEW YORK (AP) ¡ª The Rolling Stones are postponing their latest tour so Mick Jagger can receive medical treatment.The band announced Saturday that Jagger was told by doctors "he cannot go on tour at this time." The band added that Jagger "is expected to make a complete recovery so that he can get back on stage as soon as possible."No more details about 75-year-old Jagger's condition were provided.The Stones' No Filter Tour was expected to start April 20 in Miami. Other stops included Jacksonville, Florida; Houston; the New Orleans Jazz Festival; Pasadena and Santa Clara in California; Seattle; Denver; Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia; Foxborough, Massachusetts; East Rutherford, New Jersey; Chicago; and Ontario, Canada."I really hate letting you down like this," Jagger tweeted Saturday. "I'm devastated for having to postpone the tour but I will be working very hard to be back on stage as soon as I can."Tour promoters AEG Presents and Concerts West advise ticketholders to hold on to their existing tickets because will be valid for the rescheduled dates. 1072

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