5 things you need to know Friday
Black Friday kicks off holiday shopping season — or does it?
Many consider Black Friday the start of the holiday shopping rush, but nowadays people are shopping online earlier and some hit stores on Thanksgiving Day. Still, there are steals for the brave souls who hit the stores Friday. Here are the top 10 deals of 2015. Many of the most popular items are tech gifts, from Apple Watches to TVs and hoverboards. If you're navigating the throngs of mall-goers, here's everything you need to know to be a successful shopper.
Black Friday faces backlash: #OptOutside
State parks across the country are offering free or reduced admission Friday as a counter to the consumption-focused Black Friday shopping madness. The free or reduced-price admission ties in with outdoor retailer REI's decision to close its 143 stores and give 12,000 employees a paid day off to spend with their family. Banding under the #FreshAirFriday banner, parks in Colorado, Arizona, Oregon, California, Delaware, Kansas, Massachusetts and Minnesota are participating; check with your state parks department for specific details. “It’s really, really exciting to see,” said Ben Steele, REI’s chief creative officer. "In many ways, it’s a way to extend all of the goodness of Thursday into Friday.”
Protesters plan more demonstrations in Chicago
Organizers from Stop Mass Incarceration Network Chicago called for more protests on Friday in Chicago's Loop and in the busy retail strip along north Michigan Avenue. The latest protests follow days of rallies over police officer Jason Van Dyke's fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald. Van Dyke, who shot 16 times, was named in at least 20 citizen complaints between 2008 and 2013, including allegations of misconduct in the use of force.
Montana has the worst drivers in America (according to this study)
Ah Montana. Big skies, high speed limits, severe winter weather, and the worst drivers in the USA for the second year in a row, according to a study out Friday. CarInsuranceComparison.com ranked the states using scores from fatal-crash statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Big Sky Country ranks tops for speeding, sixth for careless driving and eighth for failure to obey traffic laws. But New Mexico, which hadn’t ranked among the top 10 last year, jumped into a tie for second place with South Carolina. See which other states made the list.
Pope Francis releases Christian album
Add "contemporary pop star" to Pope Francis' resume. Wake Up!, the new album out Friday credited to the pontiff, features Christian hymns reworked by contemporary composers interspersed with extracts from Pope Francis’ speeches. The musical styles range from rock to Latin music, and the lyrics and spoken words are in English, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese. From a pope who has stressed humility and accessibility, and reminded us of the importance of a common touch, Wake Up! is certainly a canny effort, and a mostly endearing one, writes Paste BN's Elysa Gardner.
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And the essentials:
Weather: The central U.S. is expected to get major storms, while the East and West coasts will experience dry weather.
Stocks: China’s main stock market index fell more than 5% Friday after two securities firms said they are under investigation for possible misconduct. U.S. stock futures were higher.
TV tonight: Wondering what to watch tonight? TV critic Robert Bianco looks at Andrea Bocelli on PBS and Salute to Downton Abbey.
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