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Business
Holiday Shoppers Slash Budgets, Others Spend More As Wealth Gap Grows Holiday Shoppers Slash Budgets, Others Spend More As Wealth Gap Grows
Holiday Shoppers Slash Budgets, Others Spend More As Wealth Gap Grows Holiday spending is climbing in 2025, but the divide between higher-income and lower-income shoppers is growing as many families face rising prices and tighter budgets. US retail sales rose 4.1% on Black Friday, Mastercard SpendingPulse said on Saturday, Nov. 29. According to the credit card giant, online sales jumped 10.4% from Black Friday in 2024. Mastercard said spending grew quickly in New England, boosted by sales of cold-weather clothing and winter gear. "Consumers are showing incredible savviness this season," said Michelle Meyer, chief economist at the Mastercard Economics In…

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by Chris Spiker
Lifestyle
This Trendy Treat Is Rolling Into Spotlight As Sweet Complement To Christmas Cookies This Trendy Treat Is Rolling Into Spotlight As Sweet Complement To Christmas Cookies
This Trendy Treat Is Rolling Into Spotlight As Sweet Complement To Christmas Cookies Move over gingerbread and sugar cookies — sesame balls are quietly making their way onto holiday dessert tables this year.  Traditionally found in Chinese, Vietnamese, and other Asian cuisines, these golden, chewy orbs are earning a buzzworthy reputation as a standout complement to classic Christmas sweets. Known as Jian Dui in Chinese cuisine and Bánh Cam in Vietnamese culture, sesame balls are made from glutinous rice flour, stuffed with sweet fillings like red bean or lotus paste, and fried to perfection.  The result? A crispy exterior coated in toasted sesame seeds, with a sa…

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by Joe Lombardi
Lifestyle
Big Change Set For Christmas TV Classic 'Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer' This Week Big Change Set For Christmas TV Classic 'Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer' This Week
Big Change Set For Christmas TV Classic 'Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer' This Week The iconic Christmas TV classic "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" will return to its originating network for the first time in a half-century after its debut 60 years ago. On Dec. 6, 1964, the Rankin-Bass Animated Entertainment hour-long claymation special debuted on NBC. But after a 10-year run, CBS acquired rights. Now, NBC has reacquired the rights, and will broadcast the nostalgic show exactly 60 years after its initial airing -- at 8 p.m. Eastern time this Friday, Dec. 6. The show is narrated by Burl Ives as Sam the Snowman. The storyline begins when Donner, the lead reindeer fo…

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by Joe Lombardi