5 things you need to know Friday
1. Black Friday begins – for those who didn't go out last night
For all the Black Friday purists, it's game time. Sure, the amateurs started yesterday, but you all know the satisfaction of waking up extra before sunrise and getting those early bird deals. A number of retailers agreed and kept themselves from opening. The National Retail Federation expects 25.6 million shoppers to take advantage of the Thanksgiving openings. Gear up, shoppers. Holiday shopping season starts today.
2. For some, "Green Friday" puts other deals up in smoke
Pardon the pun, but Colorado's marijuana stores are offering some smoking deals for Thanksgiving and Black Friday, which they've dubbed "Green Friday." One Denver store was offering a limited number of ounces of marijuana for $50 each, significantly below the $250 per ounce price buyers would normally pay. Many stores were offering similar deals, including steep discounts on pre-rolled joints. At least you'll have an excuse for eating those leftovers!
3. Pope Francis travels to Turkey (no, not the food) and its leader's controversial new digs
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's new $610 million digs easily dwarf those of any other leader. When Pope Francis – who shunned the Vatican palace occupied by his predecessors in favor of a nondescript apartment – visits Turkey on Friday, he'll be the first foreign dignitary to visit the controversial palace.
4. Fans across the country get a glimpse into the next 'Star Wars'
Geeks, nerds, dweebs ... this is the moment we've been waiting for. The much-anticipated trailer for director J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: The Force Awakens will make its debut at 30 cinemas in North America beginning Friday. The 88-second teaser will hopefully keep fans at bay until the much-talked-about next film in the franchise opens Dec. 18, 2015.
5. Another day (and weekend) of games for football fans
Thanksgiving Day and the weekend that follows might as well be a holiday for football lovers, as Friday ushers in a weekend of college match-ups. Arkansas takes on Missouri, and it's all about state-on-states as Arizona and Arizona State face off. Plop yourself on the couch for these games and relax that gravy away.
And the essentials:
Weather: A storm system that will bring rain across the West Coast, while the central parts of the U.S. and the Southern Plains stay dry.
Stocks: Oil prices fell sharply Friday after OPEC said the day prior it wouldn't cut production levels to stem collapsing oil prices.
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