Wal-Mart Death a Fitting Symbol of the Times

Experts mixed on whether death can be prosecuted

(NEWSER) - Trampling a Long Island Wal-Mart worker in a frenzied rush for flat-screen TVs may be a prosecutable crime, reports Newsday, but experts are split. “In order to prosecute a homicide, you have to establish that someone caused a death," said a lawyer. "If I stepped on his arm, or chest, or leg, even if you have that on video, how are you going to establish that I caused his death?" More»

Plus, more pepper spray

(NEWSER) - The Black Friday craziness continues: Mashable points to a truly terrifying video of Walmart shoppers completely losing it over a display of $2 waffle makers. Mediaite , meanwhile, spotted the second video in the gallery below, in which police officers reportedly deployed pepper spray on over-enthusiastic Walmart shoppers in North Carolina. Gawker also has a good collection of insane videos, two of which are highlighted here. Click for more scenes from the day , or read about another, even more disturbing, pepper spray incident . More»

Black Friday madness in Madison!

(NEWSER) - Not a recommended Black Friday shopping strategy: cutting to the front of the line of patiently waiting shoppers ... then threatening to shoot them after they complain. A 21-year-old Wisconsin woman was arrested last night after making just such threats. The incident happened outside a Toys 'R' Us store in Madison that opened at 10pm last night. Police reported that several hundred shoppers were in line around that time when the woman tried to jump to the front. More»

People in Austin, Texas, most likely

(NEWSER) - It's Black Friday, so Americans are out spending money in droves—but who's spending the most? In the Daily Beast , Anneli Rufus gets us a little closer to an answer, by way of 15 spending stats:

• If you're an online shopper ... you spend 24.6% more than a brick-and-mortar shopper.
• If you're an LGBT adult ... you spend 26% more on holiday gifts than heterosexuals.
• If you're a heterosexual adult ... you are 85% more likely to shop for bargains during the holiday season than LGBT adults.

If you're serious about it, start doing your research this very second

(NEWSER) - For some, Black Friday will actually begin tonight. "I leave the house at 9:30pm on Thanksgiving," one serious shopper tells the New York Daily News . "Everything used to open at 6am, but every year it gets even earlier." With 138 million Americans expected to be out shopping for deals, how can you snag what you want? Some tips:

• "You gotta pack light, get your coffee and go," says the aforementioned shopper, who recommends—along with many of her seasoned peers—shopping alone, and organizing flyers and credit cards beforehand.