A major late‑November winter storm slammed the Midwest as millions returned from Thanksgiving, bringing heavy snow, ice and biting cold that snarled roads and air travel. The Chicago area was especially hard hit: more than a thousand flights were canceled at O’Hare, and at one point more than 40% of worldwide cancellations were tied to Chicago‑area airports. Interstate roadways in Iowa and other states became treacherous as vehicles slid into ditches and crews worked to clear icy stretches.
The travel picture was further complicated when the Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency mandate requiring a critical software update for thousands of Airbus A320‑family jets to fix a flight‑control issue. Airlines raced to install the update ahead of the deadline to avoid groundings, reporting thousands of delays and hundreds of cancellations nationally. Airports were bracing for the holiday weekend’s busiest travel day, with roughly 3 million passengers expected to fly the following day.
Meteorologists warned that parts of the Plains and Great Lakes could receive up to a foot of snow, while an Arctic blast threatened dangerously low wind chills through early next week. Forecasters said the storm would track across the Great Lakes into New England, bringing rain along the I‑95 corridor and wintry impacts in interior New England and the Appalachians as colder air followed.
In Washington, D.C., National Guard troops remained on patrol alongside local police after a deadly attack at a guard post that killed one service member and critically wounded another. Authorities arrested a 29‑year‑old Afghan national on murder charges, and officials expanded security around federal facilities in response to the incident.
Tensions around Venezuela escalated as President Trump urged aviation to “consider the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela to be closed in its entirety.” The FAA had been cautioning carriers to avoid the area amid U.S. military operations in the Caribbean targeting suspected drug‑trafficking vessels. The administration designated Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro a terrorist chief and said additional measures were under review. Separately, Trump announced he would pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who is serving a 45‑year federal sentence on drug‑trafficking convictions; Hernandez’s pardon came as Honduras held an election.
The war in Ukraine produced more violence even as diplomacy continued. Ukraine released video accusing Russia of attacking tankers carrying sanctioned Russian oil. Overnight Russian missiles and hundreds of drones struck Kyiv and surrounding areas, causing civilian casualties and damaging apartment buildings and infrastructure. The strikes coincided with Ukrainian negotiators traveling to Florida for talks with U.S. officials aimed at advancing a potential ceasefire. While the talks offered a path toward peace, many Ukrainians fear any deal could require territorial concessions to Russia and worry about the human cost of a negotiated settlement.
Pope Leo visited Turkey, celebrating Mass with Istanbul’s Catholic community and invoking the imagery of turning “swords into plowshares” while promoting unity and peace. The trip marked major Christian anniversaries and included interfaith outreach, though regional security concerns remained: recent clashes, including the killing of a Hezbollah commander and ongoing tensions in Lebanon, underscored fragile stability in parts of the Middle East.
Retailers reported a rebound in holiday shopping despite inflation and tariffs. Adobe Analytics estimated a historic $12 billion online shopping day over Thanksgiving weekend, and the National Retail Federation projected holiday spending would top $1 trillion. Shoppers still sought deals in stores and online even as small business owners reported price increases driven by tariffs; a CBS News poll found most Americans had noticed higher prices recently. Industry forecasters noted much of the season’s buying was still to come.
Airports, already strained by weather and the FAA mandate, also felt pressure from college football travel. Smaller regional airports said game‑day logistics — the surge of private and charter flights for teams and fans — had doubled flight activity in some markets, taxing ramp space and forcing complex coordination. Airport directors described “Tetris”‑like operations to fit planes into limited space, and some facilities imposed temporary ground stops when parking capacity was exhausted.
In other news, acclaimed playwright Tom Stoppard died at 88. Stoppard, an Academy Award winner for the screenplay of Shakespeare in Love and a multiple Tony Award recipient, was remembered for his wit, humanity and lasting contributions to theater and film.
The U.K. extended its sugar tax on sugary drinks in an effort to combat obesity. Since the tax’s 2018 introduction, many manufacturers have reformulated products to avoid the levy by reducing sugar or switching to artificial sweeteners; health advocates credit the policy with preventing thousands of childhood obesity cases annually. Experts said U.S. manufacturers are unlikely to follow suit broadly without a national policy, since taxes so far have been adopted only at local levels.
Rescue teams airlifted two hikers to safety in Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas after their climbing ropes became stuck on a snowy cliff on Thanksgiving Day. Both were hoisted to safety by helicopter. Local incidents included protesters in New York arrested after blocking an entrance where federal immigration agents appeared to be staging and a 90‑year‑old driver in San Jose who crashed into a popular coffee shop on Thanksgiving; the driver survived and was hospitalized in serious but stable condition.
The broadcast closed with anchor Jericka Duncan outlining continuing coverage and reminding viewers the program would return the next day.