Arizona grandma and one-time stranger celebrate eighth Thanksgiving together

Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton, who met via an accidental text message, invited a second stranger to join them this year

An Arizona grandmother and the stranger to whom she accidentally texted a Thanksgiving invitation in 2016 celebrated their eighth holiday dinner together this week – and welcomed a new guest to the tradition.

Wanda Dench and Jamal Hinton, whose unexpected Thanksgiving went viral nearly a decade ago, expanded their annual get-together this year by inviting another stranger into her home.

Continue reading...

Still alive: American democracy, Biden’s bad jokes – and two turkeys

High on the Democrats’ midterm success, the octogenarian president presides over the annual pardoning of the Thanksgiving turkeys

Hail to the grandpa-in-chief!

With important legislation under his belt, Republicans in disarray and Vladimir Putin in retreat, Joe Biden is looking pleased with himself and ready for family time.

Continue reading...

‘We pray for them’: Biden pays tribute to Covid victims in Thanksgiving message

President wishes Americans a closer-to-normal holiday amid rise in coronavirus infections

President Joe Biden on Thursday wished Americans a happy and closer-to-normal Thanksgiving, the second celebrated in the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic, in remarks welcoming the resumption of holiday traditions in many homes.

In his first holiday message as president, Biden and the first lady, Jill Biden, said this year’s celebrations were especially meaningful after last year’s family separations due to the pandemic.

Continue reading...

Fauci warns time running short to prevent ‘dangerous’ Covid surge in US

Coronavirus cases rising across the country for the first time in weeks as experts fear Thanksgiving will fuel a further increase

The US government’s chief medical adviser Dr Anthony Fauci warned on Sunday that time was running short to prevent a “dangerous” new surge of Covid-19 infections from overwhelming the upcoming holiday season.

Coronavirus cases across the US are rising again for the first time in weeks, and approaching 100,000 per day. Experts fear that this week’s Thanksgiving holiday, for which tens of millions of Americans will travel for indoor celebrations with family and friends, will fuel a further surge.

Continue reading...

Experts warn of coronavirus surge after widespread Thanksgiving travel

The US continued to report more than 100,000 new coronavirus cases a day over the holiday weekend, as experts warned that widespread Thanksgiving travel could fuel a surge in coming weeks.

Related: Moderna Covid vaccine has 94% efficacy, final results confirm

Continue reading...

US Covid cases, hospitalisations and deaths rise amid Thanksgiving rush

US reported 181,490 new cases on Wednesday as millions defied official advice to travel and gather for Thanksgiving

The US reported 181,490 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, a third daily rise in a row, as hospitalisations hit a record for a 16th day in succession, at 89,959.

Related: Supreme court bars Covid attendance limits at New York houses of worship

Continue reading...

Indian country showed up to beat Trump. How can you show up for Indian country?

Instead of celebrating a false Thanksgiving narrative, listen to and share the countless Native American stories that aren’t being told

The day after the 2020 presidential election, a graphic from CNN dominated my Facebook newsfeed. Illustrating voter turnout, it included the phrase “something else” to refer to voters who are not white, Latinx, Black or Asian.

Many Native Americans, quick to unite around a reason to laugh, responded with their own graphics and memes, playfully and sarcastically congratulating themselves.

Continue reading...

Fauci urges Americans to sacrifice traditional Thanksgiving to save lives

Top public health official makes ‘final plea’ on Covid threat as expert warns of potential ‘mother of all super-spreader events’

The top US public health official urged Americans today make a “sacrifice now to save lives and illness” by resisting the urge to gather together for Thanksgiving, as the US witnessed more than 2,000 deaths from coronavirus on Tuesday – the first time that grim mark has been surpassed since the spring.

Continue reading...

‘Our democracy was tested this year’: Joe Biden’s Thanksgiving address – video

Joe Biden urged Americans to put aside their political differences as he called for unity in his Thanksgiving address to the nation.

'We need to remember, we are at war with the virus, not one another,' said the president-elect. 'Our democracy was tested this year, and what we learned was this: the people of this nation were up to the task.'

Continue reading...

Millions of Americans to travel and gather for Thanksgiving despite expert warnings

Recent surveys show a meaningful minority of Americans intend to go ahead with travel and gatherings for the holiday

Millions of Americans are traveling and gathering for the Thanksgiving holiday, in spite of dire and urgent warnings from US doctors, nurses, health authorities and hospitals not to do so.

The travel raises the possibility of a “surge superimposed on a surge,” in the words of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, and of a wave of deaths as Christmas arrives.

Continue reading...

‘Will you pardon yourself?’: Trump ignores questions after pardoning turkey – video

Appearing with first lady Melania Trump in front of the White House, the president made brief remarks thanking healthcare workers and researchers working on a Covid-19 vaccine.

According to tradition, two turkeys named Corn and Cob stayed at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel before the official ceremony. After an online poll, Corn was chosen to be pardoned.

Trump did not take questions at the event, and ignored a shouted question about whether he was considering pardoning himself.

Continue reading...

‘Not normal times’: health experts on how they are spending Thanksgiving

Top public health officials are taking their own advice about scaling down the holiday amid the Covid-19 pandemic to heart

In October, Dr Anthony Fauci, the nation’s foremost infectious disease expert, said in an interview that his children would not be coming home for Thanksgiving this year and encouraged other Americans to avoid large celebrations in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Related: Thanksgiving won't be the same this year – but there’s plenty to be thankful for | Nancy Jo Sales

Continue reading...

How to fight ‘Covid fatigue’ as America heads for a deadly winter

Polls suggest Americans are exhausted after months of restrictions, so we asked experts for advice on how to convince loved ones to stay safe ahead of the holidays

Fatigue with pandemic restrictions has hit many Americans at a time when it’s more important than ever that people take the virus seriously and stay home.

While the US contends with a huge surge in cases and record hospitalizations, federal inaction has forced local officials to adopt their own rules and messaging, creating a patchwork of confusing regulations that differ across the country, and are constantly changing. Polls suggest Americans are exhausted.

Continue reading...

Facebook and Instagram crash on Thanksgiving

Thousands of users complained about issues, citing problems with sharing posts and sending messages

For many attempting to share Thanksgiving posts on Facebook on Thursday morning, it seemed the social network was not in the holiday mood.

Thousands of users complained about issues with Facebook and its subsidiary Instagram, citing problems with sharing posts and sending messages, according to Down Detector, a website that tracks such outages.

Continue reading...

Trump delivers Thanksgiving message to U.S. service members

President Donald Trump has delivered a Thanksgiving message to American service members on duty around the world, telling them by telephone, "Your courage truly inspires us." Trump told members of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and U.S. Coast Guard that he and first lady Melania Trump wanted to express their "profound gratitude."

House Judiciary Committee subpoenas James Comey and Loretta Lynch

The House Judiciary Committee has issued subpoenas for former FBI director James Comey and former attorney general Loretta Lynch to appear for closed-door interviews in a probe of how federal law enforcement officials handled investigations of Hillary Clinton's emails and the Trump campaign's alleged Russia ties. The orders direct Comey to appear on Dec. 3, while Lynch is to appear on Dec. 4, to speak with members of the House Judiciary, and Oversight and Government Reform Committees.

Trump issues Thanksgiving threat to close US-Mexico border

President Donald Trump meets and poses for a photo with members of the U.S. Coast Guard stationed at United States Coast Guard Station Lake Worth Inlet in Riviera Beach, Fla., on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2018. The U.S. Coast Guard patrol boat passes President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., Thursday, Nov. 22, 2018.

Trump says U.S. in ‘very strong’ negotiations in Afghanistan

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday the United States was "in very strong" peace negotiations in Afghanistan but he did not known whether they would be successful. "I really think the people of Afghanistan ... are tired of fighting," Trump told reporters after delivering a Thanksgiving holiday message to U.S. troops in Afghanistan, scene of one of America's longest-ever wars.