Cyber Monday

What`s the word? The major online shopping event that follows Black Friday? Cyber Monday, that`s the word. AZUZ: And we have reports on both of those shopping days. First today, Cyber Monday when discounts are offered online. Definitely, it doesn`t look as hectic as many Black Friday events, but Cyber Monday shoppers who will be dressed in everything from business suits at work to pajamas at home will be surfing for sales. A couple of interesting notes this year: Cyber Monday 2012 actually started last week.

Online discounts were offered before and on Thanksgiving and during the weekend. Also, more Americans are doing their shopping on phones and tablets this time around, and many are looking for phone and tablet discounts online as well. As far as Black Friday itself went more shoppers turned out for the event than last year, but they didn`t appear to spend as much money.

This Youtube clip shows you one of the hectic Black Friday scenes: crowds clamoring to get in the malls and big box stores like Target or Toys "R" Us. Black Friday store visits went up 3.5 percent from 2011, but spending was down by almost two percent. That could be partly because many sales started before Black Friday, so some folks might have shopped early. Retailers and analysts pay close attention to all of this stuff to get a sense of how Americans are spending in a slow economy.

 Don`t know yet how they are spending, but we do know what many Americans are eating: leftover turkey, a bird banquet is part of Thanksgiving tradition for many of us. But there is another tradition dating back to 1989 that you might not have heard about: the presidential turkey pardon. It guarantees at least one bird won`t wind up on anyone`s table. Karin Caifa tells us where these lucky turkeys go to leave.