Americans In Limbo As WH Delays Health Care Announcement

23:25Well, as we continue to move forward here on The Lead, so many people, of course, shopping online. I'm sure you have been inundated with Black Friday emails for probably the last month or so. And that is leading to more and more scams. We have a very important scam alert to share with you, one that is so urgent. A U.S. senator is actually looking to warn Americans about it now in the two days leading up to Thanksgiving. That's ahead.

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24:23In our money lead, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, they're going to be here before we finish the Thanksgiving leftovers. In fact, I'm sure you, like all of us here at the lead, are being inundated with emails about the deals that are out there. But before you click, an important and serious reminder. There are scammers out there who are looking to get you. And, in fact, the warning is so serious. A U.S. senator actually wants to talk about it. The top Democrat on the Joint Economic Committee joining me now, Senator Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire. Senator, good to have you with us. These phishing emails, they mimic major U.S.

24:54retailers. We're talking about brands like Walmart, like Target. Those phishing emails have surged by more than 2 ,000 percent. They surged that much during last year's holiday season. And I know they are getting more sophisticated. So how much more difficult is it to actually spot a scam this year? Well, it's very difficult. And, Erica, thanks for having me on and thanks for helping me spread the word about these scams. We saw a 2000 percent increase last holiday season over the previous one in these phishing emails that, as you say, look like they're coming from a legitimate retailer. There are also a there's been a doubling of fraudulent websites that also look like they belong to a legitimate retailer.

25:37So I want to make people aware that with Black Friday and Cyber Monday coming, the scammers are out in force. And there are things you can do to protect yourself because you've saved money all year so you can buy your loved one holiday gifts. And you really want to make sure that you can hold on to that money. Scams generally are costing people millions and millions of dollars. It's a trillion dollar industry now globally, and it's outpacing the illicit drug trade. Continues to grow. We know you can hold your mouse over the email address to see if it's legit. Obviously, double check those websites.

26:12From a legislative perspective, is there anything in the works or anything that the government can actually do to stop these scams, especially when I know a number of them will originate overseas? Right. So first things is people, if you get an email or a pop up website that seems too good to be true, it probably is get out of that email off that website and go back into the retailer's website the way you normally would to make sure it's a legitimate website. website. Use two-step authentication. And if you're being pressured in one of these emails or on the website to pay in non-traditional ways, like with gift cards or crypto, that's probably a good sign.

26:53Or if you're being pressured to ask fast. Now, in terms of what we can do in Congress, we are investigating scams, not only ones at holidays, but globally. We are investigating the way different platforms are used by scammers. There are overseas scam compounds that connect to the internet by Starlink, for example. So we're pushing Starlink for information. There are dating websites and apps that are used by scammers. So we're pushing them to take steps to protect their customers. And after we continue our investigation and people can go to hassan.senate.gov to not only read the alert about scams and how to avoid them, but also to take a survey if you are scammed about the type of scam you've been victimized by.

27:39But what we're looking at is whether and how to have a holistic cross-government approach and cross-private sector. The private sector, government have to work together. Ultimately, centralized reporting so that these scams can be shut down really fast is important. Yeah. Well, we'll be watching for all those developments. Before I let you go, I do want to get your take on another really important headline we're following. Earlier this week, you called the President's Healthcare proposal, which, again, hasn't been publicly unveiled yet, but you call this a starting point for serious negotiations.

28:08Are you actually negotiating with any Republicans right now? There are conversations going on between Republicans and Democrats in both the House and the Senate right now. It is really important that these tax cuts that help Americans who buy their health care on healthcare.gov get extended. In New Hampshire, a 60-year-old couple earning $85 ,000 a year is going to see a$15 ,000 increase in what they have to pay for their premiums if we don't extend these tax cuts. The American public wants us to do this. As I said, it is a good thing that the president appears to have a proposal, but we have a very short time to get this done.

28:49The window for getting this done is really the next two to three weeks, and it's going to take people coming together, extending these tax cuts. My Republican colleagues and some of my Democratic colleagues too, also want us to do things to lower the overall cost of care. And there was actually a really good bipartisan package last year that Elon Musk killed that we could continue to work on and lower costs. But the first thing we have to do is make sure that people who need to buy their insurance now during this open enrollment period can afford to do that so they don't lose their insurance, which would further...

29:24We know that that... But we know the The clock is ticking, so it is good to hear from you that there are discussions, and hopefully we'll have some updates on those, perhaps even over the holiday. Who knows? Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan, thank you for your time. Appreciate it. Still to come here, still to come, the bad jokes, the distasteful attacks served up at today's Turkey Pardoning. That's ahead.

29:54Today we continue a time-honored American tradition.

30:01Well, that's a well-trained turkey. Today at the White House, the president using his pardon powers to keep gobble and waddle off any Thanksgiving table. As customary, the event came mixed with a few political jokes. This year, President Trump taking jabs at the previous administration. He used an auto pen last year for the turkey's pardon. So I have the official duty to determine, and I have determined, that last year's turkey pardons are totally invalid. Folks watching likely expected some jokes, even a side of politics, of course, from President Trump. But perhaps not the sharp attacks leveled at Chicago's mayor and the governor of Illinois.

30:44The mayor is incompetent and the governor is a big fat slob. But I would never want to talk about his weight. I don't talk about people being fat. On a more serious note, as we gather around the dinner table, I'd like to lose a few pounds too, by the way. Let's bring in the panel. So, Brian Lanza, I guess this is just this is where we are in this moment, right? Everything has to be hyperpolitical. I think it's been that way for the last 20 years. everything's hyperpolitical. I think Trump just has a gift of picking the right issue that just irritates the left even more. And he digs in. That's just who we have as a president.

31:23So this is where we are. Let's move on from the Turkey Party, shall we? Because we actually do have a lot to get to. So when we look at this, Punchbowl News spoke with a senior House Republican who fully pinned the state of dysfunction on the House Speaker, saying this entire White House team has treated all members like garbage, all. And Mike Johnson has let it happen, saying morale has never been lower, going out to say Mike Johnson will be stripped of his gavel and they will lose the majority before this term is out. Given that assessment that we're seeing from that unnamed House Republican, Sabrina Singh, how do you think Democrats are actually playing this moment?

32:00Well, I don't think there's too much to play. I mean, I think the Republicans are sort of combusting on their own. I mean, it's Republicans in chaos right now. The fact that you have the president's, one of his staunchest allies walking away from her seat and the president basically casting Marjorie Taylor Greene out of the party. I mean, it just goes back to the fact that this president has no loyalty other than to himself. And so Republicans are really just folding in on themselves. And I think from a Democratic perspective and from the political perspective here. Let them do that. Keep focused on the message, which is, you know, we're continuing to fight for health care premiums to be extended.

32:40We certainly made some incredible points during the shutdown that costs of living, grocery prices are too high for everyday Americans. And that's something that I think Democrats have been very good at keeping focused on. And we just need to keep doing that, not just now, but all the way into the midterms for next year as well. Brian, what do you make of that assessment about Speaker Johnson? Listen, there is chaos in the House. And I think the Speaker, it falls solely on the Speaker. It doesn't fall on the White House. It falls on the Speaker to protect their members. And if he's put their members in a very difficult position, I think the membership needs to look and say, is this the Speaker that we need protecting us?

33:18And they're going to have to answer that for themselves, right? But I think at the end of the day, whatever conversation that's critical going forward, at least this administration sees it and we've seen the pivot, it's pivoting back to the economy. It's pivoting back to affordability. You've seen President Trump roll back some tariffs related to agricultural products, which are going to bring the food prices down. At least that's the hope. I mean, you're seeing an administration more focused. And for me, it's whether it's chaos Republicans this week or chaos Democrats that week or the following week.

33:47I think the media does a good job of that. I mean, it was just 10 days ago, 14 days ago, we talked about how the Democratic Party was in chaos because they capitulated to President Trump on the budget. And so, you know, I think that part's noise. But I think the adjustment to focusing on affordability is the long term goal of this administration. To focus on affordability. It's interesting you talk about noise, because I am curious to just get your take on this other bit of reporting, that there's this group of liberal senators calling themselves the Fight Club, who are quietly challenging the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer.

34:17They're worried that leadership is using a dated playbook, according to reporting in The New York Times, noting that views of the Democratic brand are at record lows, that the group is arguing the party must embrace candidates who are willing to challenge and entrench corporate interests, fiercely oppose the Trump administration, and defy their party's orthodoxy. Sabrina, what does this tell you about how deep the frustration and dysfunction has become on the left and what that could mean in terms of messaging moving forward? Well, look, I think that it's two separate items here. You know, in terms of messaging, I do think Democrats across the spectrum, whether you are someone that is not happy with leadership, you're still singing from the same songbook in terms of when it comes to affordability, grocery prices, health care.

35:03Democrats are aligned on the message. There are Democrats, of course, that are taking issue with some of the leadership, don't agree with some of their decisions. That is a conversation that will play out in the Democratic caucus. And, of course, as we get closer to the midterms. But I think generally speaking, what you are seeing here is Democrats being united in one front, not just against this administration, but against, you know, health care, health care costs rising. And of course, you know, to Brian's point on the affordability, the Democrats have been really, really focused on that. And I think this administration has let some of the news of day sort of get away from that affordability message, whether it's, you know, making comments about governor's appearances or things like that.

35:47Democrats have remained focused, and I think that's where we will continue to be during the midterms. We're going to have to leave it there. We are out of time, but good to see you both. Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you. Have a great Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving. And while we are talking Thanksgiving, I hope that you will join us here on CNN for Thanksgiving in America. We are bringing it back year two here. Big parades, big performances. I will be joining you alongside Sarah Seidner and John Berman. Our live coverage begins Thursday morning, 8 Eastern, right here on CNN. And don't worry if you're traveling.

36:19It's also available on the new CNN app. Well, of all the days to travel around Thanksgiving, today is expected to be the busiest one, at least when we're talking about air travel. A live look at Boston's, or no, sorry, this is earlier today at Boston's Logan Airport. We're going to take a closer look at some of those problem spots and also where the weather is wreaking a little havoc coming up.

36:49In the national lead, this month marks 80 years since the U.S. released the last inmates from Manzanar in California. That's one of 10 internment camps across the country. This one held some 120 ,000 Japanese Americans, treating them like a national security threat. Decades later, CNN's Stephanie Elam spoke with two women, who were then just girls, about this grim chapter in America's past. These Japanese Americans never considered themselves enemies of the state. We were not enemy aliens. We were citizens. And if we were not U.S. citizens, we were people who had green cards. We were incarcerated.

37:29We were in prison. And we were in concentration camps. Most of those camps, which were surrounded by barbed wire and armed guards and towers, were officially closed 80 years ago this month. In December 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Two months later, U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt ordered the forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans. They were taken to camps like this one. This is Manzanar out in the vast high desert of California's eastern Sierra. All told, some 120 ,000 Japanese Americans were taken to 10 camps throughout the West and Arkansas and held till nearly the end of 1945 after the end of World War II.

38:16Los Angeles native Joyce Nakamura Okazaki was just seven years old when her family was forced to board a train to Manzanar in April 1942. It was an old rickety train and the soldiers were right there. They were on the train with us, took us to Manzanar in the dark. While the barracks from 80 years ago are no longer standing, they've built these recreations to give an idea of what these Americans were dealing with. When the prisoners arrived here in Manzanar, they had to give up almost all of their property, save two suitcases, as well as their privacy, as multiple people were assigned to each barrack.

38:56On top of that, they were dealing with extreme temperatures, both hot and cold, as well as dust storms that would filter in through the rafters. There was a shortage of barracks, so we had to move in with my grandmother and two aunts. They had filled the bags with straw, so we had mattresses to sleep on. There was no running water in the unit. You had to walk to the latrine. It was just a toilet with no walls or doors around it. While Okazaki was in the camp, she and her mother and sister were photographed by Ansel Adams, something she says she was happy to do, but didn't understand why she and her family were being held.

39:39I was with my family, and that was my safety. But as an adult, she made some sense of the nonsensical. Racial discrimination, war hysteria, and then poor administration. Those three things are very important for why we were put into camp. I think we had about a week to get ready. Born and raised in Los Angeles, June Iochie Burke was 10 when her family of five was forced to leave their home on May 7, 1942. We had a three-bedroom house, everything furnished. We had to leave everything behind. We lost everything. For five months, they and others were held in horse stalls at Santa Anita Racetrack, east of Los Angeles, managing to remain patriotic, even those who weren't born in the States.

40:30I don't think we felt anything else but American under armed guards and barbed wire, but we're celebrating the Fourth of July. From there, Ayochi Burke's family was moved to a camp in Arkansas. It took four days, four nights to get there by train. The barracks were all black tar paper. The ground was all brown and the sky was all gray. So everything was black, brown and gray. Yet she says she felt safe and everyone was able to move freely about the camp, with many parents shielding their children from their harsh reality. As the prisons were released years later, they were given$25, about$450 in today's money, and a train ticket, the caveat being that they could not initially return to the West Coast.

41:15There was no formal apology or reparations until 1988. Why is it important to preserve and then share the history of these places where people were held against their will? It's important to remember your history so that it is not repeated again. Stephanie Elam, CNN, Los Angeles.

42:08economy. The data shows what many of us see when we go to the store, that the cost of goods is going up. We're going to break down what all this data means for your wallet. And one of the most influential organizations in Republican politics is starting to set the table for 2028. We'll tell you which candidate the group is preparing to support after President Trump leaves the White House. And Goblin Waddle served up pardons at the White House today, but only after another very important tradition. We're going to take you behind the scenes with the Willard Hotel to show you where these birds enjoy a little quality R &R ahead of their big day.

42:47The lead tonight, the severe weather, which is already causing major issues as millions of Americans hit the roads and take to the skies for their holiday celebrations. Atlanta's airport, the busiest in the United States, is recovering from severe thunderstorm warnings that even forced air traffic controllers today to evacuate their tower. And a potent winter storm is poised to cause even more flight delays and potentially jam up the roads from New York to Ohio, Michigan, into the Dakotas. The FAA expects this is actually going to be the biggest, busiest rather, Thanksgiving travel period that we've seen in 15 years.

43:21And today, the busiest day of them all. CNN's Derek Van Dam is tracking the latest forecast for us from the CNN Weather Center. We're going to kick things off, though, with our friend Pete Munteen, who is at Reagan National Airport just outside of Washington, D.C. How is it looking for travelers at this hour, Pete? You know, I just checked the live road traffic right now. A lot of red on the map for folks trying to get to the airport, although things pretty smooth once you get inside the airport. The Terminal 2 TSA checkpoint here, the North Terminal checkpoint, is moving pretty smooth. The wait time, about five minutes, according to Reagan National Airport.

43:592.7 million people anticipated to be screened at checkpoints like this one across the country when the day is said and done. The big day is still ahead, though. Sunday will be the biggest of the Thanksgiving rush. Everybody coming home all at once. That's when TSA anticipates screening 3 million people in total. The thing to underscore here is that the cancellations today have remained only in the dozens, but the delays really climbed into the thousands. This is the departures board here at DCA. You can see some yellow around Atlanta. The hangover from the problems there earlier today when the control tower had to close down for about 10 minutes.

44:36Could be completely evacuated, a condition called ATC zero because of heavy winds and severe storms there. Spoken to travelers here today from North Carolina, from Texas, going to Michigan. They say they're really taking all of these snags today in stride. Listen. It was a 70 passenger plane with 50 people on it. So it was like, actually, I don't know. I expected it to be packed and it was not. So that was great. Pretty easy day. Yeah, I don't know why we've been taking the car for years instead of just flying here. You've got to be flexible and roll with it. And if an opportunity presents, which was this, because it was nonstop, I took it.

45:17Be patient. That's the key. Just be patient. Go with the flow. Don't check back then. It'll save you some time. travel light if possible, but also be kind to others, let people pass if they're trying to catch a quick connection, and yeah, just keep it simple. Here's the deal. We could see some ground stops, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, as the day and the night goes on here at Reagan National Airport. It's on the list. Philadelphia, also the three New York airports, Newark Liberty, LaGuardia, and JFK. Also in Atlanta, again, not totally out of the woods yet, and still some bad weather out there.

45:53Of course, a lot of people are going to consider driving instead. And AAA says of the 80 million people it anticipates traveling 50 miles or more during this Thanksgiving rush, about 90 percent of them will drive. Right now is kind of the worst time. The confluence of folks going home from school or maybe even going home from work if they were working today. combined with holiday travel, it can really pump up the normal traffic to about four times the norm when it all meets together. So if you're going to leave tomorrow, leave early in the day, AAA says, or consider waiting till Thanksgiving Day when things are a lot more smooth.

46:33So my grandparents did for years. They would drive Thursday morning. And I like that advice. Keep it simple and be kind from that traveler you spoke with. Pete, thank you. Well, this blast of Arctic cold air that is set to sweep across the country could really have an impact on holiday travel, both in the skies and on the roads. A number of states are already under winter weather alerts as this large system moves through into the East Coast. Look at that there. CNN's Eric Van Dam is tracking it for us in the CNN Weather Center. Derek? Erica, certainly challenging holiday travel conditions across the Deep South.

47:08Remember earlier this morning we had a ground stop at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport because of strong thunderstorms that moved through. Now we've got a renewed threat of additional thunderstorms to the west of Atlanta Metropolitan, highlighting this area across central Alabama. Damaging winds, a couple of tornadoes, large hail cannot be ruled out according to the Storm Prediction Center. It's part of a larger storm system that's overspreading rain to the east coast. I'm going to stop this high-res forecast radar imagery at 7 a.m. tomorrow morning. JFK to Boston all the way to the nation's capital.

47:42It could be some rain impacting I-95 corridor and some of the airports there. And then we start to see the cold air wrapping behind it, helping kick in the lake effect snow machine. We have several states with winter weather alerts, and we won't be measuring this in inches. This will be in feet for some locations across northern Michigan, Wisconsin, and into portions of Minnesota. several inches of snow for western Michigan as well. So potentially some travel delays at the airports. O 'Hare on Wednesday, LaGuardia to Boston, all the way down to the nation's capital. But by Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, that cold front responsible for the wild weather moves off the East Coast.

48:19We can breathe a sigh of relief because things are going to clear out, with the exception of some showering thunderstorm weather across southern Florida as the tail end of that cold front moves through. But it's going to dramatically cool our temperatures, bringing us back to more seasonable daytime highs as we end off the holiday week. Erica. All right, Derek, appreciate it. Thank you. Joining me now, the international president for the Association of Flight Attendants, Sarah Nelson, and Expedia travel expert, Christy Hudson. It's good to see you both. So, Sarah, it has now been 12 days since the government officially reopened following the longest shutdown in history.

48:50Is air travel finally back to normal? Air travel is not going to be back to normal for quite some time and the weather combined with the stretched staffing both at TSA and at our air traffic control is going to make things a little bit harder. So if things are slowed down, that's for safety and people really need to remember that, give themselves plenty of time when they're coming to the airport. Looking ahead, also checking your flight ahead of time, making sure that you're packing in layers, you're bringing your empty water bottle to fill on the other side of security and making sure that you're packing your bag from an empty bag so that you don't have any prohibited items that would slow you down too.

49:29Yeah, you don't want to slow you down. And the people behind you don't want that either. Christy, for travelers who may be impacted, you know, Sarah mentioned the weather. There could be some slowdowns as well. If a flight is severely delayed or canceled, what about a refund? How should they handle that? Yeah, there are a few things you can do to be prepared. Luckily, cancellations are statistically pretty rare. Delays, not so much. So if you do find yourself this weekend on a canceled flight or you're going to miss a connection, there's a couple of things you can do. First is get where you're going.

50:04So go speak to the gate agent at the same time that you're waiting for the gate agent, pull open the airline app and start a chat with a representative or call to see who can get you sorted first. Another thing you're going to want to do is call your hotel or your car rental company and let them know if you're going to miss a pickup window or miss your check-in time so that you're not marked a no-show and forfeiting those reservations. A lot of times you are going to be eligible for some kind of compensation or accommodation if you are canceled. Delays, it depends how severe the delay is. All right, so as we look at all of that, you know, the Transportation Department launched a nationwide campaign urging travelers to improve their behavior.

50:46Here's a little bit of what Secretary Duffy had to say. I would encourage people to maybe dress a little better, which encourages us to maybe behave a little better. Let's try not to wear slippers and pajamas as we come to the airport. Don't come in your PJs. Be nicer to everybody. Sarah, do you think these suggestions, in all seriousness, could that help to improve air travel? We're looking at some live pictures here of Reagan National right now. encouragement to be kind and um nice to each other is a very good thing it's a really important thing to remember we do this magic of flight by coming together with a little bit of solidarity understanding that we're checking a little bit of our own freedoms in a small amount of space we got to put our tray table up we got to have our seatbelts on we got to um stow our bags and make sure that you're not putting coats in the overhead bins where someone's bag could go so your coat's going to get squashed just be thoughtful about the people around you it's going to go a lot further And flight attendants really would just like to encourage people to keep their shoes and socks on.

51:47It's good for your safety. It's easier for getting through the airport. And we're all going to be a lot happier on board. I will second that. I may not be a flight attendant, but as a frequent traveler, yes, please, please keep your shoes and socks on. Really quickly, Christy, before I let you go and we look at the roads, we heard the numbers there earlier. I think at this point at least 73 million people expected to travel by car overall this holiday. when it comes to severe weather. Any advice for families who can't escape traveling on these busy times? Yeah, everything is just going to take longer.

52:18So build in that time when you're leaving home. Leave in the wee hours of the morning. Reserve your parking spot ahead of time so that there's smoother travels there. Make sure you're bringing a carry-on instead of checking a bag. That helps you skip an entire queue at the airport. So all of these little things can really pile up to make sure that you're optimizing your time. You're going to get through security as fast as possible. And then just be patient. There you go. And maybe pack a snack. Never hurts. Sarah Nelson, Christy Hudson, thank you both. Happy Thanksgiving. Thanks, Erica. Thank you, Cruz, too.

52:53And thank you. Happy Thanksgiving. Well, as President Trump makes his way to Florida to celebrate Thanksgiving, will he be working on his new health care proposal that was expected to be announced yesterday? That's next. Plus, we are digging into the best ways you can save money as you put the final touches on your Thanksgiving feast. A couple of tips and tricks for you just ahead.

53:20In our politics lead moments ago, I spoke with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for his reaction to news that President Trump had postponed revealing his health care plan following some pushback from House Republicans. Here's what the Minority Leader said. It appeared as if the president and the administration was prepared to extend these tax credits for at least two years or at least provide a good faith proposal for Congress to consider until House Republicans, led by Speaker Johnson, apparently intervened because they have zero interest in keeping health care affordable. CNN's Chief White House Correspondent Caitlin Collins joining me now with more.

54:00So I should point out to Senator Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire told me a short time ago that there have been bipartisan conversations in both the Senate and the House, which begs the question, is the president planning to work on this potential plan over the holiday, Caitlin? Well, the question is also just how big and bipartisan that is. I mean, certainly there have been these conversations, but it doesn't appear clear at all that Republicans at least have garnered around or gathered around some deal where they can be united on when it comes to what to do about health care costs and these subsidies specifically.

54:29And so whether or not this is something that the president is working on while he spends the next few days at Mar-a-Lago, you can see here is Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews. And the president and the first lady are about to arrive there before they head to Florida. That's a big question. And there's not a lot of time, Erica, because we do know that the majority leader over in the Senate, John Thune, has promised to bring a vote to health on health care subsidies to the Senate floor in December. I believe around the second week was the time frame that lawmakers had said they believed is when that would happen.

54:58And I've heard from Republicans who say they expect at the same time that they bring a vote on the extension of these health care subsidies to the floor for a vote. The Republicans also want to present their own plan. But I think the huge question tonight that still is unanswered in Washington is what that plan is going to look like, because right now there's a lot of House Republicans who do not want to extend the Obamacare subsidies. And the House Speaker Mike Johnson has made pretty clear he doesn't think that there is a lot of appetite among his caucus for that. And so that's a huge question in terms of what actually this is going to look like, because there have even been House Republicans who before have railed against Obamacare, likened it to a disaster, who said they could get behind a two year extension of some of these subsidies, changing it a little bit from the threshold that has been in place for the last few years.

55:43but it's still an open question of whether or not that is something they can do. And I think the president delaying rolling out his own health care proposals this week, really, Erica, just exposes the huge divisions within the Republican Party about what exactly to do here. But they don't have a lot of time. I mean, by the time they are back in Washington after the Thanksgiving break, this is going to come to a head at that point. Yeah, that clock is ticking and it is getting louder by the day. Caitlin, appreciate it. Thank you. You can catch more of Caitlin's reporting on her show The Source with Caitlin Collins tonight and every weeknight at 9 Eastern right here on CNN.

56:18At 111 years old, the oldest survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre has died, but Viola Fletcher's fight for justice is still very much alive. That's next. Who's also here today.

56:37A truly remarkable 111 years old. Violet Fletcher was the oldest survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre. She recently died. She took her traumatic childhood, though, and she turned it into action, pursuing justice for one of the worst episodes of racial violence in American history. Siena's Omar Jimenez sat down with Fletcher multiple times throughout her final years. You know, that's just what we're here for, is for justice. She was known as Mother Fletcher. The oldest living survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre, Viola Ford Fletcher was seven years old at the time. But the memory, even over a century later, never faded.

57:17What do you remember about the time? People getting killed and houses, property, schools, churches, and stores getting destroyed with fire. It just stays with me, you know. It's just the fear that I have lived in Tulsa since, but I don't sleep all night living there. In 1921, a rumor a black man assaulted a white woman ended in a white mob destroying Tulsa's Greenwood neighborhood, a thriving black-owned business district at the time. Thousands of black residents were arrested, while others were robbed, beaten, and killed. Fletcher was born in Oklahoma, and in the decades since the massacre, she's largely stayed silent, fearful of retaliation for even speaking of the violence that changed her life forever.

58:06But those years of silence eventually powered her voice. I'm asking my country to acknowledge what happened in Tulsa in 1921. And she sat with CNN multiple times over the years. People getting shot and falling dead. She and the other living survivors at the time were pursuing a lawsuit against the city of Tulsa and other related departments, alleging they were complicit in the 1921 massacre and that its effects were still being felt today. They argued they should be compensated by the city for damages.

58:41Fletcher's brother, Hughes Van Ellis, died waiting on that justice in October 2023 at the age of 102. The Oklahoma Supreme Court dismissed their case in 2024. Now, 111-year-old Lessee Benningfield Randall is the only living survivor. When she learned the news of Fletcher's passing, she said, That breaks my heart. I will miss her dearly. God bless her. as was relayed to CNN by her granddaughter. And Fletcher's grandson, Ike Howard, told CNN in part, maybe she was given more years so she could bear witness, so she could help us all understand and heal. The last time I sat with her, her hearing wasn't always perfect.

59:20But as we wrapped up... You look great. You sound great. Well, good. Oh, you heard that. Viola Ford Fletcher, 111 years old. And those smiles come with a pain and her family says she could never truly escape. And one, they hope this country never forgets. And yes, her legacy will continue through the Viola Ford Fletcher Foundation, but it's also reflected in the title of the memoir she wrote with her grandson, Don't Let Them Bury My Story. I wanna read just a quick bit of it because I think it captures who she was, saying, it's easy to be consumed by the darkness, to feel small in the face of adversity, but you are not small.

59:55And it goes on to say, hold on to hope, stay true to yourself, and never let anyone bury your story. Erica. Omar, thank you. Such an important reminder and such a remarkable legacy. Still to come here, the new numbers that show how Americans are really feeling about the economy, despite assurances from the president that this is currently the, quote, greatest economy in history.

1:00:26In our money lead, despite President Trump's repeated assurances that we have the greatest economy ever, Americans aren't buying it. According to the Confidence Board's monthly survey, consumer confidence dropped dramatically this month. Take a look at that, hitting its lowest level since April when Trump first announced those sweeping tariffs, upturning global markets. CNN's Minister Arkevich is here to break all this down. So in terms of that confidence drop, just how much was it, Vanessa? Erica, we've been starved for new data, and we got three new pieces of data today, but two of them are backwards looking.

1:00:59Let's take a look at producer prices first. These are the price increases that businesses have been seeing. And in the month of September, you can see that prices increased for businesses 0.3 percent on an annual basis, up 0.2 percent. So we're moving farther away from that 2 % target of inflation that we normally like to see for businesses. Also, one key category that is a little bit obscure, but we're paying close attention to, is final trade, final demand trade services. What that essentially shows is that the margins or the profits that businesses take home are shrinking. They shrunk in August and they're shrinking again by 0.2 % in the month of September.

1:01:43That signals that businesses are absorbing a lot of those higher increases, higher prices, so that they don't have to pass those costs down to the consumer. Speaking of the consumer, retail sales, again, backwards looking to the month of September, increasing by 0.2%. But look at that compared to where we saw retail sales over the summer. when it was a bit more robust, so a bit of a slowdown. But also, if we just do a little bit of math, if we subtract the price increases, consumer price increases from the month of September, which were up 0.3%, but we're subtracting that from sales, you actually get a decrease in retail sales by 0.1 % in the month of September.

1:02:31We also got consumer confidence. That is for November, so much more recent. In this consumer confidence survey, there's an opportunity for people to write in how they're feeling, what they're concerned about. Tariffs and trade was a big thing for people. Also, prices and inflation just talked about that. But we are still seeing that people are planning on spending at restaurants, bars, and they're going to do takeout. And that's an indication that people are still willing to spend a little bit. That's discretionary spending. That's usually where people start to cut first. So you can see a little bit of nervousness, a little bit of shaking confidence, but people still willing to show up and spend.

1:03:13That's the resiliency that we've been seeing for months now from the U.S. consumer. Got to wait and see how that really shapes up for the holidays, Erica. All right, Vanessa, appreciate it. Thank you. Also in our money lead, how can you and your family save a little money on those last minute Thanksgiving groceries? countries. Taylor Haugen is a food and lifestyle TikToker showing how your family can have their favorite holiday foods while staying within your budget. And she joins us now. Taylor, it's great to have you here. So, you know, a lot of people at this point, they are ready to go. They've done the planning.

1:03:41They may have done the shopping. And then let's say Thursday morning rolls around and there is a mishap in the kitchen. Something goes terribly wrong. Is there any way to really avoid blowing the budget when you have to make an emergency fix? Yes. Thank you for having me here, Erica, on Thanksgiving especially, you should expect mishaps to happen. That's just how it goes. So what I do every time before I shop, I make sure to check my pantry because every time I'm comparing my grocery list to my pantry or my fridge, I find things I totally forgot about. So you might be surprised when you are really messed something up, how you can fix it.

1:04:22Like with stuffed stuffing in a box. You can just spruce this up with like sauteed celery or an onion. And with most of my recipes, I'm always using onions. So I know I have one of those laying around. It's soup season. So we are using plenty of celery there. It's going to feel disastrous and not good, but I have full confidence that you can bring it back. Take a breath. You can bring it back. There's going to be something there, which is good to know. It is, I mean, I was just, I was at a grocery store two days ago, and I feel like every time I go, there are little things that surprise me that have all of a sudden jumped in price.

1:05:00So many things are more expensive this year, and especially if you're cooking for a crowd. How have you changed your plans to try to make things a little bit more budget-friendly? I know you told me in the break that you're hosting. Yes, I am hosting. I, saving money on groceries is my jam. That is what I do and share with show people how to do. There are so many huge retailers who discounted their prices on groceries. So when you go shopping for the necessities for those meals, you will find that they reduce the prices for us. They are listening to us and a lot seem to be hearing us and want to help us.

1:05:42So even today, I went to Aldi and all of like the celery, the onions, the chicken broth, they were significantly reduced. And to make these beautiful meals, like this green bean casserole, you just need a few cans of green beans, cream of mushroom, and like a splash of milk, and it all comes together so beautifully. So there are plenty ways. And you can also shop online now. You can see who has cheaper prices, Aldi versus Walmart and all your other local stores. So you mentioned, though, you like to do a lot of that shopping, right? And put that information out there to your followers. What, I mean, what got you started on this road?

1:06:21What inspired you to start making this type of content? So I first started posting because I saw how expensive school was, and that was terrifying. It also said lots of people drop out because they can't afford financing. And I, that just absolutely terrified me. I saw people, I was like, I love to create. I'm going to start creating videos, I started showing my grocery hauls, and people were asking me how I'm able to reduce the cost so significantly. And that's because I use the same ingredients across different dinners. So that way we are eating homemade meals every night, but we still don't have to buy 10 different ingredients for each meal.

1:07:04Yeah, the planning certainly goes a long way. Taylor, it's great to have you with us, and happy Thanksgiving. Yes, thank you. Happy Thanksgiving. Thanks so much. Still ahead here, a Democratic governor in a red state has some advice for his party on how to flip rural areas blue ahead of next year's midterms. But is anyone listening? Our panel weighs in.

1:07:31In our politics lead, there are just 343 days until next year's crucial midterms. Yes, we have the countdown for you. You don't need to worry about keeping track. That, of course, will decide which party controls Congress during the final two years of President Trump's term. And while the 2028 presidential contest is still way far out on the political calendar, Vice President J.D. Vance just got a big boost from Charlie Kirk's widow, who is now, of course, the CEO of Turning Point USA, Erica Kirk. Here's what she told Megyn Kelly about supporting a possible Vance presidential campaign. Don't worry, it's already, you know, it's in the works.

1:08:05But that was the thing that my husband was very direct about. So it was interestingly enough, one of the last few conversations we had was how intentional he was about supporting J.D. for 28. Back now with the panel to chew over some 2026-28 trail mix, if you will. We're working through the food this week because it's Thanksgiving week. So the vice president said he would wait until the midterms to talk to President Trump about running. President Trump, though, of course, weighed in, it was just last month, talking about who he would like to see take over the Republican Party. Here's what he said.

1:08:41J.D. obviously the vice president is great. I think Marco is great. I think if they have a formed a group would be unstoppable. So T.W. having having turning point lining up behind the vice president great for the vice president potentially perhaps not great for any other 2028 hopefuls who are not named J.D. Vance. For sure but there is a long way to go I would just note But it's not a surprise to me that Erica Kirk echoed what Charlie had said to her in support of J.D. Vance. He's been a J.D. Vance guy for a very long time. J.D. Vance is young. He understands the MAGA movement. And he brings a new element to it, which is mostly a more intellectual flair to Trump's agenda.

1:09:30Something that Charlie Kirk, a very well-read guy himself, tried to do at rallies all over the country. J.D. is also a great debater, something Charlie relished. So it's no surprise to me that the Kirks and Turning Point are behind J.D. Vance. I think a large part of the party will be. But again, there's a long way to go. So we'll see how this all plays out. But there's no doubt if J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio teamed up, they'd be a force to be reckoned with. There is a long way to go. So before we get to 2028, of course, we have the 2026 midterms. Democrats really hoping to capitalize on the momentum that they saw, those wins they had at the ballot box earlier this month.

1:10:07Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, a Democrat in a red state, penned this advice for his party. Quote, tackling affordability is not enough. To truly lead again, he writes, Democrats must be the party of aspiration. Going on to say another is to start talking like normal human beings again. We're not going to win the messaging battle if we say that Trump's policies make people, quote, food insecure. He says people are hungry. Just say they're hungry. Sabrina, is the governor right here that it is more about just having a normal conversation? It is not just talking about affordability, but it's how you have that conversation.

1:10:43And is that enough to flip some rural areas blue, as he claims? Yeah, he's right. He's absolutely right. And I think, you know, we kind of lost that in 2024. But I think, you know, during the presidential election, but I think this year what you've seen is Democrats coalesce around very simplistic message that are resonating with Americans when we talk about health care prices rising. I mean, that is something that people are seeing when they are sitting down the kitchen table and trying to understand how to pay their bills or you're talking about grocery prices rising. And so you saw that whether it was in Virginia, New Jersey, or of course, the mayor's race in New York City, this message has been distilled down to not just affordability, but really reaching Americans, I think, all over the country and resonating with them.

1:11:29But he's absolutely right, too. You know, we have to be focused on the midterms. And, you know, we can talk about 2028. It's a little bit like putting the Christmas tree before Thanksgiving right now. But we, you know, as Democrats, we have to be laser focused on the midterms because that could potentially win us back a chamber, which gives us a lever of check and power in D.C., which we don't have right now. You talked about the focus on the midterms, but of course, when you have a governor on, you can't not ask him about whether he is considering a run for the White House. That happened earlier today on CNN.

1:12:00Here's what he had to say. I'll sit down with my family and we'll see. We need to not only win this next presidential election, but we need to heal this country, make things less partisan, and restore that American dream for each and every family. So he didn't say no, T.W., it's important to note. We do know California Governor Gavin Newsom is considering a run. Who would Republicans rather run against, Newsom or Bashir? Oh, boy. Newsom is such a lightning rod in our party, and he's so visible. And I think there's a lot of people on the left who find him a little shifty. So I would suspect Newsom.

1:12:41But at the same time, I don't think Bashir is exactly an electrifying figure. Not only that, I don't think he'll win the nomination because his party has moved so far to the left of him, especially in the wake of Mamdani. He's not going to sniff the nomination, in my estimation, this far out. So I think I would take my chances against either of them if the ticket is J.D. Vance and Michael Rubio or any other number of Republicans, whether it be Mike Pompeo, whether it be Governor DeSantis, whether it be any number of people. I like our chances versus either of those two guys. You know, there's been a lot of speculation about whether D.C.

1:13:18Mayor Merrill Bowser would seek a fourth term. she said no. Sabrina, how much do you think that the Trump administration sending the National Guard into the nation's capital may have played a role in her decision? You know, I think part of it is also being a mayor of a city like Washington, D.C. is really hard. And you're not just seeing, you know, someone like Muriel Bowser step down, but you're seeing members of Congress also make the choice to retire early, in fact, and as Marjorie Taylor Green just retired on Friday because, you know, the president and his rhetoric does incite political violence.

1:13:55And I think some people are, you know, have to take into consideration their families. And of course, Mayor Bowser has a young family. And so I'm sure that's part of the calculation. I'm sure the D.C. National Guard, I mean, you have to think politically about what that's going to do for your chances as you're on the ballot. I'm sure that was a calculation as well. But regardless, I think for D.C. and for races across the country heading into this next year, we're going to have an amazing slate of candidates that are going to go up against Republicans and potentially flip some seats as well. OK, so before I let you both go, I'm going to shift gears on you here.

1:14:29We are 48 hours out from Thanksgiving, less depending on what time you eat your Thanksgiving dinner. My dear friend Harry Enten recently floated the idea that turkey should not be on the table for Thanksgiving. He says it is time to replace it with another bird altogether. TW, I'll let you go first on this one. Should the turkey stay on the table or is it time for something new? Absolutely. Let's not forget Ben Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird. He had a good point. Turkey is not my favorite, but I do like the dark meat. Let's not do the subtraction. We can do two things at once.

1:15:04Get a ham as well. Get a ham as well. All right, Sabrina, your pitch. well look under this administration turkey prices have gone up so it might not be affordable for some people to have turkey on the table but i've never been a turkey fan unfortunately um so i'm all about having chicken on the table if that's an option um so that's just just my opinion don't don't hate me for it i have to say i would vote for the roasted chicken over the turkey any day too and it doesn't sound like any of us are all that excited about the turkey so um my mom is watching. I know she's going to be working very hard on turkey, but I also know that my mom would rather have lasagna.

1:15:41So there we go. Sabrina T.W., happy Thanksgiving, my friends. Thank you both. You too. Happy Thanksgiving. Ahead of their official pardons today, Gobble and Waddle got the five-star luxury treatment at one of D.C.'s iconic hotels, and we're going to bring you the inside scoop next.

1:16:03In our pop culture lead, justice served at the White House today when Gobble and Waddle were officially pardoned. The two turkeys meeting there with President Trump, as you see, after getting a little R &R at an iconic D.C. hotel. Joining me now is Yop Bolins. He's the manager at the Willard Hotel. It's great to have you with us. So, Gobble and Waddle, staying with you at the Willard. Did you have any interactions with them? How were they as guests? Yeah, they were pretty good guests. And thanks for having me. They arrived on Sunday just in the afternoon. Red carpet welcome. We do this every year.

1:16:37And, yeah, they checked in. They stayed within one of our newly restored rooms and had a great stay. It's a beautiful tradition that we kicked off for the holiday season. They look pretty happy there. Yeah, I think so, too. Checking out the digs, as it were. How did this become a tradition? Because it is a tradition, right, that your five-star hotel hosts these turkeys. Yeah, I think proximity, of course, helps. I think the Willard has long had been a residence of presidents. So for us to host them made total sense. I think, yeah, having done this now, I think 13 years in a row, and there might be some before that too, but being part of this tradition is a beautiful thing.

1:17:18And, yeah, and every time it's a different farm as well. So this time it's out of North Carolina. And it's great to see to have them come through. They never really cause an issue. There's never really any noise complaint or anything like that. So it's great to have them. No noise complaints. So they tip housekeeping? Because I would imagine there's maybe a little cleanup when they leave. A little bit of cleanup. But, you know, together with the NTF, the National Turkey Federation, you know, we do a good job in making it look like they were never here. Is it, are they always in the same room? And I ask that because if people wanted to stay, for example, in the turkey pardon room or suite, is that something they could do?

1:17:56You know, that's a great question. We've had those requests, but it's not always the same room. But it's something to look into. But, yeah, these two, as you can see here, it's a double queen room. And it's connecting, so its handler is staying next door just to keep an eye out for them as well. I mean, you've got to be careful. Two turkeys. Yeah. You never know what's going to happen because we've all heard the stories, have we not? You know, they're not always known as being the friendliest of birds. That's true. What was your experience? You know, these two, particularly in every year, it seems like they've been trained for this.

1:18:31So from what I heard, they actually train them with music. So as they grow up, they've been surrounded with different types of music, humans, and just, you know, actually really behaving very well. So once you see them here on the red carpet, they never really venture out. They never really attack. They make some, you know, the gobbling sound. But other than that, they're great to have. I'm going to put you on the hot seat a little bit for this one. So apologies, but you mentioned they're sort of trained with music. I mean, is there, and I actually mean this very seriously, is there a playlist that they come with?

1:19:05I mean, is this in their rider? How does that work? You know, that's great. Great. So we don't play that music, but I know that at the farms, anything from rock music to classical music I know have been played. So I'm not sure which band favors which turkey, but it depends maybe on the farm where they come from. Fair point. What is it about this tradition that you and the hotel really love? Why is it so important to be a part of this and to keep it going? No, I mean, for me, it's special. But I think also for the staff and the whole hotel, how much engagement goes into this, how many people are actually participating.

1:19:43And together with the National Turkey Federation, making this a great success. It's really something special. I know everyone who works at the hotel is really looking forward to welcome them. I mean, of course, it comes with a lot of media. It comes with a lot of attention. And also a lot of children love seeing this. So, you know, having them come to the hotels, it's really special and an honor for us as well. Yeah, absolutely. This is sort of a delicate question, but I feel like I have to ask. Getting so close to, you know, this year Goblin Waddle and other turkeys in the past. Now, we know they've been pardoned, but has it influenced in any way your personal Thanksgiving menu?

1:20:20Bottom line, do you still eat turkey? Oh, I still eat turkey. You know, maybe I shouldn't say that enthusiastically. But, you know, at the hotel, you know, be prepared every year. It was pretty enthusiastic. but you know every year we prepare for a great buffet on Thanksgiving day and it's something special I mean I know these farms put so much time and effort in it to be the best farm they can be in this time as well but I know it's a beautiful tradition it goes way back I think the first official you know Turkey pardoning was in 1947 I believe so that's President Truman So that's a long time ago.

1:20:59Yeah, it certainly is. Well, it's great to see the tradition continue. Yap, really appreciate you joining us today. Thank you. Thank you so much. And thanks for having us. Happy Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving to you as well. Well, and on that note, before the turkey, how about you kick off your Thanksgiving with me and some of my dear friends, John Berman, Sarah Seidner, and a lot of other folks as we kick off Thanksgiving in America. The big parades, the big musical acts, you will not want to miss it. Even some big shenanigans, perhaps, from your hosts and our correspondents around the country.

1:21:26Our live coverage of Thanksgiving in America begins right here at 8 Eastern. Erin Burnett Out Front starts right now.