RADIO
New owner of WBZ-AM reaches tentative deal with union
The new owner of radio news broadcaster WBZ-AM has reached a tentative deal with the union representing employees at the station, an agreement that would settle a mounting dispute over whether workers — including on-air talent — would keep their jobs though the transition. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists said in a statement that it is looking forward “to a good partnership for this New England institution’’ after negotiations that followed WBZ-AM’s takeover by Texas-based iHeartMedia. “SAG-AFTRA members and iHeart management representatives worked hard for this resolution,’’ the statement said. Union members must still vote to ratify the deal, and could do so as soon as Monday. A representative for iHeartMedia added that the company is “looking forward to adding this iconic Boston station, and the talented, dedicated and respected WBZ team’’ to its company. IHeartmedia is taking over the station as part of a broad reorganization of the Boston radio market engineered last week to clear the way for a merger between Entercom and CBS Radio, which previously owned WBZ-AM. — ANDY ROSEN
COFFEE
Starbucks offering early holiday gift
Starbucks is kicking off its holiday season by offering two drinks for the price of one. Through Monday, customers who buy one holiday beverage get a second one free. The offer is valid only from 2-5 p.m. Two new holiday drinks have been added to the Starbucks menu this year, including a toasted white chocolate mocha and a chestnut praline chai tea latte. The Seattle-based beverage giant says the buy one, get one free offer is part of its ‘‘Give Good’’ campaign and encourages customers to share their extra drink with someone. It has used the event to launch its holiday offerings for several years. — ASSOCIATED PRESS
TOYS
Clue, Wiffle Ball, and paper airplane make it to the toy hall of fame
The board game Clue, the Wiffle Ball, and the paper airplane are the Class of 2017 for the National Toy Hall of Fame. The whodunit game Clue, where players also must name the crime scene and murder weapon, continues to sell millions of copies each year since being patented by a British couple during World War II. To make the cut, toys must have inspired creative play across generations. Historic and modern versions of the winners are displayed in the hall, which is located inside The Strong museum in Rochester, N.Y. This year’s other finalists were: the game Risk, Magic 8 Ball, Matchbox cars, My Little Pony, PEZ candy dispenser, play food, sand, Transformers, and the card game Uno. — ASSOCIATED PRESS
RETAIL
Man gets $7.5m after tripping while buying watermelon at Walmart
An Alabama man who said he tripped and broke his hip while buying a watermelon at a Walmart store has won a $7.5 million verdict in his lawsuit against the retailer. Court records show that Henry Walker on Wednesday was awarded the damages after a jury trial in Phenix City, Ala. Walker had sued Arkansas-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in 2015, saying his foot became trapped in a pallet beneath the watermelons as he reached for one. In a Wednesday court filing, the company said the display wasn’t dangerous, and that any negligence was Walker’s fault. No one responded immediately to phone and e-mail messages left at Walmart’s headquarters Thursday. Charles Gower, one of Walker’s attorneys, tells The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer that Walmart should have covered the pallet so it couldn’t entangle a shopper’s foot. — ASSOCIATED PRESS
SOCIAL MEDIA
Twitter ends its verification process
Twitter Inc. is halting its system for verifying users’ identity, saying that the process has become “broken’’ and in need of repair. A few years back, Twitter began placing a blue check-mark next to accounts whose users’ identities had been verified — a way to help distinguish legitimate accounts from bogus ones. The social-media company drew criticism for the process this week after it conferred a blue check mark on the account of Jason Kessler, who is credited with orchestrating the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., in August. — BLOOMBERG NEWS
RETAIL
Macy’s continues to struggle, will close more stores
Another quarter, another drop in sales for Macy’s. The department store chain said Thursday that sales had slipped in the year’s third quarter, the 11th consecutive quarterly sales decrease for a company struggling to find its footing in a rapidly shifting retail landscape. Despite the falloff, Macy’s said it had managed to increase profit for the quarter by controlling inventory and selling off more stores. The company said Thursday that it would close three more stores, in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Laguna Hills, Calif., early next year. — NEW YORK TIMES
RETAIL
Amazon items to be sold at Whole Foods stores
You may see more of Amazon inside Whole Foods soon: The online retailer, which has been already been selling its voice-activated Echos at Whole Foods, will start to sell Kindles, Fire tablets, and other Amazon devices at its grocery stores. The move gives Amazon, which bought Whole Foods this summer, another place where shoppers can touch or try out its gadgets during the holiday shopping season. Amazon has been expanding its brick-and-mortar presence: It recently opened shops inside some Kohl’s department stores and it has opened a dozen brick-and-mortar bookstores. The Seattle-based company says that Whole Foods stores in Chicago; Denver; Rochester Hills, Mich.; Davie, Fla.; and Pasadena, Calif., will open Amazon pop-up stores next week. About 100 other stores will also have the devices available for sale. — ASSOCIATED PRESS
INTERNATIONAL
Vatican shops to no longer sell cigarettes
Pope Francis is saying ‘‘Just Say No’’ to cigarettes. The Vatican announced Thursday that it would no longer sell cigarettes to employees in its duty-free shop and supermarket — giving up an estimated $11 million a year in profit. Francis made the decision because ‘‘the Holy See cannot contribute to an activity that clearly damages the health of people,’’ the Vatican said. A statement cited the World Health Organization, which says smoking causes more than 7 million deaths annually around the globe. — ASSOCIATED PRESS
HEALTH CARE
More than 600,000 sign up for Obamacare, despite Trump efforts to sabotage it
More than 600,000 people signed up for coverage under the Affordable Care Act in the first week of open enrollment, the government said Thursday. That pace tracks with previous years despite persistent political turmoil over the health law. Figures released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services showed that 601,462 people signed up Nov. 1-4 in the 39 states served by the federal HealthCare.gov website. Of those, about 77 percent were returning customers renewing their coverage, and about 23 percent were new consumers, a split that also mirrors previous years. President Trump has repeatedly tweeted that ‘‘Obamacare’’ is collapsing or imploding, and abruptly stopped payments that reimburse insurers for providing lower copays and deductibles, contributing to a spike in premiums for next year. His administration cut the sign-up season in half, slashed the advertising budget, and dialed back on counselors that help consumers enroll. — ASSOCIATED PRESS
ECONOMY
Claims for jobless aid up slightly
The number of Americans filing applications for unemployment benefits edged up slightly to a still-low 239,000 last week. Meanwhile, the four-week average fell to a fresh 44-year low, evidence that the job market remains healthy. Applications for jobless aid rose by a seasonally adjusted 10,000 last week after having fallen by 5,000 the previous week, the Labor Department said Thursday. — ASSOCIATED PRESS
