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<v Speaker 1>This is WBZ, Boston's news radio, redefining local news. Thirty

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<v Speaker 1>five degrees in Boston at four o'clock. Good afternoon. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>Ben Parker. Here's what's happening. Inflated prices this year didn't

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<v Speaker 1>stop Americans from doing buying during the holiday season.

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<v Speaker 2>Sales rose this year during the holiday shopping season, even

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<v Speaker 2>as Americans wrestled with elevated prices. Holiday sales from the

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<v Speaker 2>beginning of November through Christmas Eve climb three point eight percent,

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<v Speaker 2>outpacing the three point one percent increase from a year ago.

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<v Speaker 2>That's according to MasterCards Spending Pulse, which tracks all kinds

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<v Speaker 2>of payments, including cash and debit cards. The last five

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<v Speaker 2>days of the shopping season accounted for ten percent of

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<v Speaker 2>the spending. Clothing sales rose three point six percent, with

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<v Speaker 2>most of the growth being fueled by online shopping. Spending

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<v Speaker 2>on restaurants and sales of electronics and jewelry also grew.

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<v Speaker 2>Online sales jumps six point seven percent from a year ago,

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<v Speaker 2>and in person spending was up two point nine percent.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm Shelley apler.

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<v Speaker 1>After the gifts were unwrapped and some head to the

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<v Speaker 1>stores to return and exchange CBS's a CBS News boss,

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<v Speaker 1>and Fenny commit has more.

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<v Speaker 3>Logistics company Narvar predicts a one hundred dollars item could

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<v Speaker 3>cost a retailer thirty two dollars to restock and resell.

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<v Speaker 3>Some companies are even adopting what experts call returnless.

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<v Speaker 4>Returns because the cost of processing and the cost of

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<v Speaker 4>shipping and postage is so high it's cheaper for them

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<v Speaker 4>to just say keep the item, but you can't count

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<v Speaker 4>on that.

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<v Speaker 3>To avoid return fees, experts suggest taking your items back

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<v Speaker 3>to the physical store instead of shipping them for Amazon packages.

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<v Speaker 3>Bring them to a drop off location like Coals or

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<v Speaker 3>Whole Foods, and keep all items in their original packaging,

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<v Speaker 3>and don't forget your receipt.

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<v Speaker 1>And retail experts say, if you missed that return window,

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<v Speaker 1>try bring your unwanted things back to the store anyway.

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<v Speaker 1>Investigators still trying to determine the cause of a fire

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<v Speaker 1>at a multi million dollar home in Brookline they mentioned

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<v Speaker 1>on Sergeant Road, went up in flames this morning. Firefighters

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<v Speaker 1>were able to contain the blaze by midday or so.

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<v Speaker 1>No one was injured in the fire, and the five

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<v Speaker 1>people in the home were able to get out safely.

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<v Speaker 1>The owners should be able to rebuild. Firefighters say most

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<v Speaker 1>of the damage was in the attic. US officials are

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<v Speaker 1>planning meeting with partners in the Middle East discussing the

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<v Speaker 1>potential re emergence of the ISIS terrorist group. More from

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<v Speaker 1>CBS's Cammy McCormick.

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<v Speaker 5>US diplomats traveled to Syria to meet with the new

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<v Speaker 5>authorities there, and now a delegation from Iraq has arrived,

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<v Speaker 5>including the head of intelligence. Iraq has been a central

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<v Speaker 5>partner in the fight against ISIS and is stressing to

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<v Speaker 5>the new Syrian leaders the importance of securing their shared border.

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<v Speaker 5>There are two thousand US troops in Syria that are

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<v Speaker 5>part of the anti ISIS mission.

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<v Speaker 1>The Biden administration has been expressing concerns about a security

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<v Speaker 1>vacuum in Syria following the fall of the Assad regime.

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<v Speaker 1>My Washington Avalanche Center is warning about an elevated safety

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<v Speaker 1>risk following an avalanche Hillman's Highway Christmas Eve. The center

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<v Speaker 1>says it was caused naturally from strong winds and several

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<v Speaker 1>new inches of snow, and that those conditions could cause

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<v Speaker 1>more avalanches this week, especially on slopes higher than three

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<v Speaker 1>thousand feet avalanches can come without warning, but possible signs

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<v Speaker 1>of danger include visible cracks in the snow and smooth

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<v Speaker 1>snow drifts that are feeling firm and sounding hollow. The

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<v Speaker 1>Mount Washington Observatory says as of twenty twenty one, there

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<v Speaker 1>were seventeen deaths from avalanches in the mountains. Recorded history

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<v Speaker 1>coming up on WBZ How long before you throw out

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<v Speaker 1>that tree? Chill in the air Tonight about twenty two

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<v Speaker 1>in Boston, into the teens in some of the inland

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<v Speaker 1>suburbs under clear skies Tonight mostly sunny. Tomorrow will be

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<v Speaker 1>around forty, and then tomorrow night clouds start to increase

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<v Speaker 1>thirty in Boston, twenties in the suburbs. We start to

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<v Speaker 1>bring in some precipitation. We're also going to start to

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<v Speaker 1>bring in some warmer temperatures, though on Saturday we will

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<v Speaker 1>have clouds, we'll have some rain and drizzle, and especially

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<v Speaker 1>outside of four ninety five, we may pick up a

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<v Speaker 1>little bit of freezing with some of that precipitation, as

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<v Speaker 1>the temperatures may be cold enough to make surface slick.

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<v Speaker 1>Temperatures late Saturday do get to about forty, though over

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<v Speaker 1>the Capean Island's mid forties. By Sunday we're to about

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<v Speaker 1>fifty degrees with some clouds, some rain, some drizzle, and

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<v Speaker 1>then a heavier rain. We'll get in here Sunday night,

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<v Speaker 1>and then Monday we hang on to periods of rain

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<v Speaker 1>in the morning. Clouds linger. Temperatures though, get into the

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<v Speaker 1>upper fifties. Right now, it's thirty five degrees in Boston,

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<v Speaker 1>with Christmas behind us. Plenty of people are asking themselves,

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<v Speaker 1>how long should I leave that tree Upbezi's Jeremy Russ

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<v Speaker 1>is looking for the answer.

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<v Speaker 6>For some people, it's a matter of religion. The twelve

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<v Speaker 6>Days of Christmas ends on the Peace of Epiphany January sixth,

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<v Speaker 6>so the tree stays up at least until then. For others,

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<v Speaker 6>the deadline is a little bit more up in the air.

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<v Speaker 6>There are the conservatives like five days, the relative we

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<v Speaker 6>moderate to April April as long as it's a life,

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<v Speaker 6>keep it up, and the full blown Christmas die hards

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<v Speaker 6>as long.

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<v Speaker 4>As you want. Because Christmas is the best time of

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<v Speaker 4>the year.

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<v Speaker 7>Ever, you should keep a tree up all year and

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<v Speaker 7>decorate it for each holiday.

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<v Speaker 6>And for others it's just a matter of practicality.

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<v Speaker 8>New Year's you sell people over so I want to

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<v Speaker 8>treat to look nice, and then nobody wants to clean

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<v Speaker 8>up after New.

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<v Speaker 6>Year's so, unle, that's what you're cleaning are dead pine needles.

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<v Speaker 6>Jeremy Russ WBZ, Boston's news radio.

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<v Speaker 1>Patriot Place is hosting its annual Minora Lighting celebration tonight,

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<v Speaker 1>second night of Hanukkah. The venue is partnering with a

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<v Speaker 1>Temple and Sharon to put on the event. There'll be

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<v Speaker 1>special appearances pat Patriot Patriots cheerleaders. To celebration goes until

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<v Speaker 1>six o'clock this evening. It's the first day of Kwansa.

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<v Speaker 1>Tampa Trahielo tells us the history of the holiday.

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<v Speaker 7>From December twenty sixth to January first, millions of people

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<v Speaker 7>worldwide will observe the Pan African tradition created by cal

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<v Speaker 7>State Long Beach professor doctor Marlana Kerenga in nineteen sixty six.

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<v Speaker 7>Doctor Karanka created the concept of Kwanza to honor African

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<v Speaker 7>American heritage and culture. Karenga says the holiday is to

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<v Speaker 7>help Black families relate to the past in order to

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<v Speaker 7>understand the present and deal with the future. The word

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<v Speaker 7>Kwansa is Swahili for harvest first Fruits. The holiday observes principles, practices,

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<v Speaker 7>and symbols which are geared to the social and spiritual

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<v Speaker 7>needs of African Americans. I'm Tammy Trhio.

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<v Speaker 1>It's opening day for an event that brings a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of people to downtown Salem. WBC's CALONL. Stevens with more

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<v Speaker 1>on the Frozen Fire Festival.

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<v Speaker 9>Live music is just a part of the Frozen Fire Festival.

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<v Speaker 9>Here at Charlotte Porton Park and Salem. There's also curling

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<v Speaker 9>fire pits, igloos, a lot to eat and a lot

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<v Speaker 9>to drink, and at night circu performers, some of whom

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<v Speaker 9>play with fire. Shelby Elwell with the Anthem Group who

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<v Speaker 9>put this together, says the goal is to give people

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<v Speaker 9>a reason to get out and have fun.

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<v Speaker 8>Well, the goal is really to drive foot traffic and

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<v Speaker 8>tourism post Christmas and keep the economic impact alive for

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<v Speaker 8>the small businesses and the restaurants in the community so

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<v Speaker 8>you can carry through to the new year, especially as

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<v Speaker 8>the season gets a little colder.

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<v Speaker 9>The Frozen Fire Festival has free admission and runs every

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<v Speaker 9>day from eleven am till midnight until January first. From

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<v Speaker 9>Salem Carl Stevens WDBZ, Boston's news radio.

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<v Speaker 1>You are now in the loop for news updates throughout

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<v Speaker 1>the day. Listen to WBZ News Radio on the iHeartRadio app.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm Ben Parker, WBZ, Boston's News Radio,