policy

NANTUCKET, Mass. (AP) – Joe Biden is ending his final Thanksgiving holiday as president on Nantucket, a family tradition that appears to be a part of a broader farewell to his time within the White House this 12 months.

The Democrat's 4 years as president are being accomplished by Republican Donald Trump, whose Cabinet nominations, tariff threats and glitzy evenings at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida club, have captured public attention because the November election. Biden dropped out of the presidential race in July and was replaced by Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump.

During his five days on the island of Massachusetts, with its picturesque clapboard houses and shell beaches, Biden, 82, still grappled with questions on his legacy. He planned to return to Washington later Saturday and leave for Angola the following day for his only visit to Africa as president.

As Biden and his family strolled Friday along the picturesque paved sidewalks and cobblestone streets which have made Nantucket an affluent and desirable summer vacation spot, passersby shouted “We love you, Joe.” The Biden contingent included the president's daughter, Ashley, and his son Hunter, and Hunter's four-year-old son Beau.

Last 12 months, Biden called Trump's falsehoods concerning the administration's hurricane relief “un-American” and repeatedly warned that the brand new president could undermine U.S. democracy and foreign alliances.

But when reporters asked on Thanksgiving Day what he was grateful for, Biden said: “I'm grateful for a peaceful transition of the presidency.”

Biden also said he was grateful for his family, the brand new ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon and the potential for further progress within the Middle East. The president, who has largely dodged reporters' questions of late, addressed plenty of topics related to Trump and his policies.

He suggested that “razor-thin” margins of power for Republicans in the following Congress would mean Trump would have to simply accept “a real compromise” as he advances his agenda.

“I think there might be a little bit of internal reckoning,” Biden said.

Biden also said he hoped Trump would “reconsider” his tariff threats against Mexico and Canada, America's top trading partners.

“We are surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean and two allies: Mexico and Canada,” Biden said. “And the last thing we need to do is destroy those relationships. I think we have them in a good place.”

Days earlier, Trump had vowed on his social media page Truth Social to impose 25% tariffs on each countries until they stop illegal immigration and block the flow of medicine across their border with the United States. The threat prompted Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to have a phone call with Trump and prompted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to fly to Florida to fulfill with him on Friday.

After that phone call, Trump claimed in a post that he was “effectively closing our southern border,” an announcement Sheinbaum disputed, although she was confident the tariffs could be averted. Mexico has already taken steps to handle the problems raised by Trump – a degree also raised by Biden.

Trump has also threatened a further 10% tariff against China unless the country stops exporting materials used to make the drug fentanyl.

Biden told reporters that Chinese President Xi Jinping understood the importance of avoiding missteps in relations with the United States.

“The one thing I’m confident about with Xi is that he doesn’t want to make a mistake,” Biden said. “And I'm not saying he's our best buddy, but he – he gets the point.”

On Thanksgiving Day, Biden went to a fireplace station along with his wife Jill and grandson Beau to deliver pumpkin pie. The first lady told firefighters and law enforcement officials that the family has been traveling to Nantucket for Thanksgiving since 1975, a visit the family now calls “Nana-Tucket” in reference to her central role in establishing the tradition.

The firefighters gave the Bidens a pair of baseball caps.

The president put his on and asked his grandson, “What do you think?”

“It looks good,” said the grandson, who demurred when the president asked him if he desired to be a firefighter.

On Friday, the Biden family had lunch on the Brotherhood of Thieves restaurant and stopped at Nantucket Bookworks, an art gallery and a number of other other stores. Their afternoon ended with the celebratory Christmas tree lighting and carols as the group snapped photos and videos of a grinning Biden.

This 12 months's holiday could have a special emotional resonance because it offers a respite from some family turmoil.

In December, Hunter Biden is scheduled to be sentenced on three felonies for purchasing a gun in 2018 when, prosecutors say, he lied on a federal form and said he had not used drugs illegally or was hooked on them. He also faces sentencing in California in December on federal tax charges to which he pleaded guilty in September.

The president had previously said he would neither pardon his son nor commute his possible sentence.

policy

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — At least five Democratic congressmen from Connecticut were victims of bomb threats to their homes on Thursday, the lawmakers or their offices said.

Senator Chris Murphy and Representatives Jim Himes, Joe Courtney, John Larson and Jahana Hayes all reported being the topic of such threats. Responding officers said they found no evidence of explosives on the deputies' property.

There was no immediate information on whether Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the state's fifth Democratic House member and Connecticut's other Democratic senator, had received threats.

The bomb threats against Democrats got here a day after quite a few President-elect Donald Trump's most distinguished Cabinet members reported receiving such threats, in addition to “swatting attacks” during which the perpetrators initiated an emergency law enforcement response against a victim Pretense of false facts.

Murphy's office said his Hartford home was the goal of a bomb threat “that appeared to be part of a coordinated effort involving multiple members of Congress and public figures.” Hartford police and the U.S. Capitol Police noted. that there is no such thing as a danger.

Hayes said Wolcott police told her Thursday morning that she had “received a threatening email stating that a pipe bomb had been dropped in the mailbox of my home.” State Police, U.S. Capitol Police and the House Sergeant-at-Arms were notified, Wolcott and State Police responded, “and no bombs or explosives were discovered.”

Courtney's Vernon home received a bomb threat while his wife and youngsters were there, his office said.

Himes said he learned of the threat to his home during a Thanksgiving celebration together with his family. The US Capitol Police and the Greenwich and Stamford police departments responded.

Hines expressed his family's “greatest thanks to our local law enforcement officers for their immediate action to ensure our safety.” Echoing other threatened lawmakers, he added: “There is no place for political violence in this country, and I hope we all get through the holidays with peace and civility.”

Larson also said Thursday that East Hartford police responded to a bomb threat against his home.

The FBI declined to supply details concerning the latest episodes but said it was conducting the investigation in collaboration with other agencies.

We are working with our state and native partners on these matters. No further details of the investigation are being provided presently.”

The threats come on the heels of an election season marked by violence. In July, a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing him within the ear and killing considered one of his supporters. The Secret Service later foiled one other assassination attempt at Trump's golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, when an agent spotted the barrel of a gun sticking through a fence while Trump was golfing.

Among those receiving threats Wednesday were New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's pick to be the following ambassador to the United Nations; Matt Gaetz, Trump's first nominee for attorney general; Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who Trump picked to steer the Labor Department, and former New York congressman Lee Zeldin, who was picked to steer the Environmental Protection Agency.

Want to make Thanksgiving dinner after which take it with you in your flight to your grandmother's house?

“Before you agree to bring a family favorite meal to put on the Thanksgiving table, it is important to think about how you will transport it when you fly to spend the holiday with family or friends,” said the TSA. “Most food items can be transported through a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint, but there are some items that must be transported in checked baggage.”

A basic rule is: If it’s a solid object, it could possibly go through a checkpoint. But when you can spill, spread, spray, pump, or pour it — and it's larger than 3.4 ounces — then it should slot in a checked bag. Ice packs could be used to preserve items, but they have to be frozen.

Any food will likely need additional testing, so an easily accessible carrier ought to be used.

Here is a listing of Thanksgiving foods that could be transported through a TSA checkpoint:

• Baked goods. Homemade or store-bought cakes, cookies, brownies and other sweet treats.
• Meat. Turkey, chicken, ham, steak. Frozen, cooked or uncooked.
• Filling. Cooked, uncooked, in a box or in a bag.
• Casseroles. Traditional green beans and onion straws or something more exotic.
• Macaroni and cheese. Cooked in a pan or traveling with the ingredients to cook it at your destination.
• Fresh vegetables. Potatoes, yams, broccoli, green beans, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, turnips, radishes, carrots, pumpkin, vegetables.
• Fresh fruit. Apples, pears, pineapples, lemons, limes, cranberries, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, kiwi.
• Sweets.
• Spices.

Thanksgiving Foods to Pack Carefully in Your Checked Luggage:

• Cranberry sauce. Homemade or canned are spreadable, so check them out.
• Sauce. Homemade or in a jar/can.
• Wine, champagne, sparkling cider.
• Canned fruit or vegetables. There is liquid within the can, so check it.
• Jams, jams and jellies. They are spreadable so it's best to examine them.
• maple syrup.

For more information, download the free myTSA app, which incorporates the “What can I bring?” Feature that lets you enter the item to search out out if it could possibly fly. Or ask on Twitter or Facebook Messenger at @AskTSA. Travelers can submit an issue by texting “Travel” to AskTSA (275-872).

Originally published: November 26, 2024 at 10:25 am PST

Airports and roads are expected to be crowded this Thanksgiving season as hundreds of thousands of individuals travel out and in of the Bay Area.

As regional airline hubs prepare for an influx of Thanksgiving passengers, the number of individuals flying to and from local airports still hasn't reached pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of individuals will likely be traveling by automotive, congesting highways and increasing the chance of traffic accidents.

The American Automobile Association predicted that 71.7 million people nationwide will travel by automotive on Thanksgiving, a rise of 1.3 million from last yr. This forecast surpasses the figure of 70.6 million who drove home throughout the same period in 2019.

AAA predicted the worst days and times for driving before Thanksgiving can be Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, but highways and interstates are expected to be clear on Thanksgiving Day itself. AAA also said drivers returning Sunday should plan to go away early within the morning and that drivers should expect a combination of travelers and work commuters on the road Monday.

In the Bay Area, Interstate 80 eastbound from San Francisco to Sacramento was expected to be at its most congested around 7:30 p.m. on November 26, with an estimated travel time of three hours and two minutes.

Bay Area drivers may additionally face rain on the way in which home. California Highway Patrol Sergeant Andrew Barclay told the Bay Area News Group that each one CHP offices will monitor current weather conditions and adjust coverage as vital. He said the variety of patrols tends to be higher during stormy weather, not only due to accidents but in addition due to localized flooding, debris and other people needing assistance on highways.

“We know that almost all wet weather accidents are caused by drivers driving too fast for the prevailing conditions, resulting in skidding and being unable to stop in time to avoid an accident,” Barclay said.

Barclay really helpful that drivers avoid accidents by driving slower, increasing their following distance and allowing longer travel times during storms. He also encouraged people to winterize their vehicles by ensuring they’ve good windshield wipers and enough tire tread and that each one exterior lights on the automotive are working.

In addition to the tens of hundreds of thousands of drivers on the road, AAA predicted 5.84 million people within the U.S. will travel home by plane for the vacations.

Oakland International Airport reported an expected 340,000 passengers between November 22 and December 1. San Francisco International Airport expected 6.3 million passengers between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. Although San Jose International Airport didn’t release projected passenger numbers, a spokesperson said it expects “a busy 2024 holiday season.”

Oakland International Airport spokeswoman Kaley Skantz said the variety of passengers this Thanksgiving season was down barely in comparison with last yr, which is “somewhat consistent with what we saw last year.” She attributed the decline to airlines planning fewer flights, which she said was to be expected based on the numbers in recent months.

“The airlines are the ones that schedule flights, so this is an expression that the schedule is a little lower,” Skantz said.

Skantz said Oakland International Airport doesn’t expect any significant inconvenience or delays for the vacations but is addressing ongoing renovations of some restrooms and ticket counters in Terminal 1.

“Due to the phased approach we are taking to this construction, we do not anticipate this will have a significant impact on passengers,” Skantz said in an email.

San Francisco International Airport spokesman Doug Yakel said the variety of passengers traveling over the following few months for the vacations is up an estimated 15% in comparison with last yr.

“We expect this season to be at 97% of pre-pandemic (2019) holiday traffic,” Yakel said in an email to the Bay Area News Group.

He said the busiest day was expected to be November 24, when a complete of about 164,000 passengers would go through the airport.

To accommodate the increased variety of passengers, Yakel said the airport held vacation planning meetings with airlines, the Transportation Security Administration and other organizations to make sure they’ve adequate staffing to administer the activity.

Around 1 million passengers traveled out and in of San Jose International Airport in November 2022. The following yr, these numbers fell to around 966,000, a 6.3% decline in passengers. In 2019, almost 1.3 million passengers used the airport in November. A spokesman for San Jose International Airport said the airport's passenger numbers are lower than in pre-pandemic years and attributed that to lower airline capability.

“SJC's November/December passenger traffic fluctuates due to a variety of factors, including the timing of the Thanksgiving holiday (it is as late as possible this year), making it difficult to directly compare year-to-year data,” said a San Jose airport representative in an email.

The airports really helpful travelers arrive early before their departure time – three hours for international flights and two hours for domestic flights – and check in with their airline before arriving. Airport officials also encouraged the general public to order and pay for parking online, with Oakland International Airport and San Jose International Airport offering discounts for parking reservations.

Originally published: November 26, 2024 at 6:12 am PST

Disneyland will close five attractions for seasonal renovations throughout the busy winter holiday season, just as Thanksgiving and Christmas crowds flock to Anaheim's theme parks.

“Fantasmic,” “Big Thunder Mountain,” “Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure,” “Columbia Sailing Ship” and “Dumbo the Flying Elephant” will temporarily close in November as part of normal renovation plans at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.

This 92-year-old Disneyland firefighter has no plans to retire

The five recent attraction closures include Splash Mountain, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, It's a Small World and Pixie Hollow, which were already closed for renovations.

Frontierland's Big Thunder Mountain mining roller coaster, which offers the wildest ride within the wilderness, will close Nov. 18 for a seasonal renovation that may last at the least through early December.

“Fantasmic” at Disneyland’s Rivers of America will likely be dark on weekdays in November and December, except for Thanksgiving week, because the nighttime spectacle moves to a post-summer schedule.

Dark dates for “Fantasmic” include: June 4-7. November, Eleventh-14th November, 18th-Twenty first November, 2nd – fifth December, ninth – twelfth December and Sixteenth-Nineteenth December.

Fantasmic's dining package calendar only extends through December twenty third – and doesn't show the Christmas week show schedule.

Due to the seasonal shift within the “Fantasmic” schedule, the sailing ship Columbia may even be out of service on chosen dates.

The Columbia — which serves as a pirate ship in “Fantasmic” — will likely be closed Nov. 4-7, based on the Disneyland website.

The Dumbo the Flying Elephant spinning children's ride at Fantasyland will likely be closed for a single day on November Nineteenth.

Fantasyland's Pixie Hollow meet-and-greet area, where visitors shrink to the dimensions of a fairy to go to Tinker Bell, will return November 17 after an in depth seasonal renovation.

It's a Small World will remain closed until November 14th because the Fantasyland cruise undergoes annual remodeling for the winter holiday season and seasonal maintenance.

Disneyland's recent Tiana's Bayou Adventure is delightful, exciting, and still plenty wet

The Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln show led to April and is not going to return until early 2025 as a part of Disneyland's seventieth anniversary celebration.

“Walt Disney – A Magical Life” will run standalone when the brand new animatronic show first launches in 2025, then alternate with “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” at Disneyland’s Main Street Opera House.

Tiana's Bayou Adventure will premiere November fifteenth in the brand new Bayou Country-themed land following a year-long remodel of the Splash Mountain log ride.

Disneyland is currently hosting previews for Annual Passholders and Cast Members of Tiana's Bayou Adventure through November twelfth.

The Hyperion Theater at DCA's Hollywood Land, the Fantasyland Theater at Disneyland and the Magic Eye Theater at Tomorrowland remain dark with no upcoming show within the works.

Disneyland will use the Fantasyland Theater for character meet-and-greets, cookie decorating, crafts and storytelling throughout the Christmas holiday season starting November fifteenth.

Originally published: November 5, 2024 at 10:25 am PST