President Trump hosted New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani at the White House, setting aside months of public attacks to adopt a cooperative tone. Trump, who had previously labeled Mamdani a “communist” and threatened to withhold federal funds, praised parts of the mayor-elect’s agenda and said he wanted to help rather than hurt the city. Mamdani, a democratic socialist, returned praise and emphasized cost-of-living priorities—reducing crime, building housing and lowering rents—that won voter support. Their détente could alter congressional reactions that followed Mamdani’s upset victory.
Thanksgiving travel surged as millions headed out for the holiday. Airlines and airports braced for record passenger levels through the weekend; carriers warned congestion may peak on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, when TSA expects its heaviest screening volumes. Severe storms already disrupted travel in parts of the country, causing delays and cancellations around Dallas. Other hubs, including Miami and Philadelphia, reported long TSA lines but moving traffic.
A major weather system is also moving across the country. Forecasters warned of storms before Thanksgiving, followed by a surge of Arctic air that could drive temperatures 15–20 degrees below normal from the Midwest to the East Coast the weekend after the holiday. Meteorologists said disruptions in the polar jet stream may allow polar air to plunge south, producing the season’s first significant cold blast.
Investigators in Florida are probing the death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner, found in her stateroom aboard the Carnival Horizon. Law enforcement sources told CBS News the teen may have been strangled during an altercation and that alcohol could have been a factor. Court filings identify a 16-year-old stepbrother who reportedly shared the cabin as a suspect. The FBI is reviewing keycard swipes, ship surveillance footage and Kepner’s phone. The medical examiner has not released a cause of death while the criminal investigation continues. A celebration of life was held in her hometown as the probe goes on.
Other national and international headlines:
– The Federal Aviation Administration issued a notice for flights over Venezuela after increased military activity following U.S. operations in the Caribbean that included B-52s and fighter jets.
– A Florida sheriff’s deputy, 25-year veteran Terry Sweeting-Mashkow, was killed during an eviction attempt; three others were wounded.
– The White House pressed Ukraine to consider a U.S.-backed peace proposal with Russia that would require Ukraine to cede territory, shrink its military and forgo NATO membership. Officials pushed for a decision by Thanksgiving as fighting continues; Ukrainian leaders, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, are debating the plan and seeking allied input to make any path to peace feasible.
In Ohio, a jury found former officer Connor Grubb not guilty of felonious assault in the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Tau’Kiya Young, who was suspected of shoplifting and was pregnant. Body-camera footage showed Young slowing her vehicle as officers tried to detain her; Grubb fired a single close-range shot that killed her and her unborn child. The verdict left Young’s family distraught and highlights the legal challenges in prosecuting police shootings.
In Atlanta, two cousins, ages 11 and 13, were rescued after being trapped for hours in an elevator in a high-rise. Specialized rescue teams built a rope system to reach the boys from above and harnessed them out of a blind shaft several floors from the nearest access point. Firefighters described the operation as a careful, technical rescue; both children were reunited with first responders.
A Steve Hartman feature profiled Wade Milyard, a retired K-9 officer in Frederick, Maryland, who launched Fresh Step Laundry: a converted bus serving as a mobile laundromat that provides free wash-and-fold services to people experiencing homelessness. Motivated by a call to a domestic dispute and a reminder that someone had been washing clothes in a creek, Milyard uses donations and his own time to run dozens of loads weekly, helping clients regain dignity through clean clothing.
CBS also previewed a 60 Minutes segment documenting empty school rooms kept as memorials to children lost in school shootings. The long-term reporting offers poignant portraits that connect grieving families with physical reminders of their children and underscores the lasting trauma of mass shootings.
That is tonight’s CBS Evening News recap.