Domestic revenue of $8.41 billion increased 6.3% versus last year driven by comparable sales growth of 7.1%, partially offset by the loss of revenue from 17 large-format and 193 Best Buy Mobile store closures over the past year. International revenue of $697 million increased 13.1% versus last year. This increase was primarily driven by comparable sales growth of 6.4%, due to growth in both Canada and Mexico, and approximately 500 basis points of positive foreign currency impact. Domestic gross profit rate was 23.3% versus 23.6% last year. International gross profit rate was 23.4% versus 24.5% last year. Click Read More below for additional information.

Taking a slightly deeper dive into PRH US, Bertelsmann reported that its largest publishing division had lower revenues and “growth-related expenses.” PRH’s bestselling fiction title in the first half of the year was Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry (Berkley), which has sold more than one million copies since its publication in April. The declines in the first half were also mitigated by continued strong sales of The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins (Hay House). Atomic Habits by James Clear (Avery) also sold well. Another top title in the first half of the year was the Pulitzer Prize–winning novel James by Percival Everett (Doubleday). January also saw the publication of Pope Francis’s autobiography Hope, released worldwide by PRH in English, Spanish, and German. Other bright spots at PRH US came from the audio publishing business and Penguin Random House Publishing Services. In other parts of the business, Bertelsmann said Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial reported strong revenue and earnings growth in the first half of the year compared to the same period last year. In the U.K., Bertelsmann reported that PRH gained market share “despite a challenging market environment.”

The budget battle is a long way from over, but so far Congress appears not to share President Trump’s desire to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services, or the National Endowments for the Humanities, or the Arts. On Wednesday, the full House Appropriations Committee voted to approve FY2018 funding for libraries. By a 28-22 margin, the committee approved the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) funding bill, which proposes roughly $231 million for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)—including $183.6 million for Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) programs, and $27 million for the Department of Education’s Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program—essentially at 2017 funding levels. A post on the ALA Washington Office’s District Dispatch e-newsletter, said the “successful and extremely important" full Appropriations Committee vote represents another "major milestone" in the ALA’s Fight for Libraries! Campaign—but acknowledged there are hurdles still to come. Click Read More below for more of the story.