内容摘要：Tiananmen Square is a vast space in the center of Beijing with monumental, communist-era buildings along two sides and the mausoleum of Mao Zedong, who founded the communist era in 1949, on the south end.

Tiananmen Square is a vast space in the center of Beijing with monumental, communist-era buildings along two sides and the mausoleum of Mao Zedong, who founded the communist era in 1949, on the south end.

This image released by Neon shows Annalise Basso, left, and Tom Hiddleston in a scene from “The Life of Chuck.” (Neon via AP)“You forget that ‘It’ isn’t about the clown, it’s about the kids and their friendship,” adds Flanagan. “‘The Stand’ isn’t about the virus or the demon taking over the world, it’s ordinary people who have to come together and stand against a force they cannot defeat.”

King, 77, has now written somewhere around 80 books, including the just releasedThe mystery thriller brings back King’s recent favorite protagonist, the private investigator Holly Gibney, who made her stand-alone debut in “If It Bleeds.” It’s Gibney’s insecurities, and her willingness to push against them, that has kept King returning to her.“It gave me great pleasure to see Holly grow into a more confident person,” King says. “She never outgrows all of her insecurities, though. None of us do.”

“Never Flinch” is a reminder that King has always been less of a genre-first writer than a character-first one. He tends to fall in love with a character and follow them through thick and thin.Author and screenwriter Stephen King appears at the premiere of “The Life of Chuck” during the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto on Sept. 6, 2024. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

Author and screenwriter Stephen King appears at the premiere of “The Life of Chuck” during the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto on Sept. 6, 2024. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

“I’m always happy writing. That’s why I do it so much,” King says, chuckling. “I’m a very chipper guy because I get rid of all that dark stuff in the books.”Aside from their ability to pique the interest of toy aficionados and fashionistas, Labubu latched on to the blind box phenomenon, where the purchaser doesn’t know exactly which version of the plush toy they’ll get.

And Pop Mart made sure there is a Labubu for everyone, regardless of income. Most are priced in a wide rage between $20 and $300, with certain collaborations or limited editions priced higher, according to Brough.Unlike many toys, Labubu devotees include a large number of adults. Buyers ages 18 and over drove a year-over-year increase of more than $800 million in the U.S. toy market in 2024, according to market research firm Circana. Adult shoppers, mostly female, bought the toys for themselves. In 2025’s first quarter, toy sales for those ages 18 and over rose 12% from the prior-year period. At $1.8 billion, adults also accounted for the highest spending among all age groups in the quarter.

Like many retailers, Pop Mart is actively monitoringas prices may be impacted. The situation with