Thanksgiving Travel Latest: TSA braces for ‘busiest ever’ holiday

The Thanksgiving travel rush is expected to be bigger than ever this year. AAA predicts that nearly 80 million people in the U.S. will venture at least 50 miles (80 kilometers) from home between Tuesday and next Monday.

Another round of wintry weather could complicate travel, though. California and Washington state continue to recover from damage and power outages from last week’s storms. And an ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers could cause flight delays at some airports.

Meanwhile, workers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport began what was expected to be a 24-hour strike on Monday over their demands for higher wages. Only a handful of flights were canceled, and there were fewer than 100 delays.

Here's the latest:

A storm system currently moving across the West Coast is expected to bring heavy snow on Wednesday to the Colorado Rockies, the Bitterroot Range in Idaho and Montana and the Wasatch Mountains of Utah, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Weather Prediction Center reported.

On Thanksgiving Day, forecasters are predicting rain showers across portions of the Mid-South and the Ohio River Valley, with Arctic air plunging into the upper Plains, dropping temperatures into the teens and 20s.

More bitter cold is forecast for Friday from the Plains to the Great Lakes region, with high temperatures as low as 25 degrees below average and wind chills making it feel even colder.

On Saturday, near record-warm temperatures in all of the Great Lakes are expected to lead to a round of lake-effect snow, including heavy snowfall downwind of Lakes Ontario and Erie, NOAA reported.

Forecasters expect cold conditions to persist across the Northeast and Midwest on Sunday but don’t anticipate the wintry weather to cause travel delays on interstates or airports.

Lake-effect snow is expected to continue on Sunday across a wide swathe of the U.S. from Michigan to New York.

“As the holiday season kicks off this week, people are traveling more and have higher levels of stress,” Arkansas State Police Col. Mike Hagar said in a statement. “Road rage is a lose/lose situation that could cost you your life.”

The Arkansas State Police has reported an increase in road rage and aggressive driving, with more than 700 road rage cases reported so far in 2024, including 300 cases involving weapons. In 2023, the Associated Press investigated 284 road rage incidents with weapons.

The ASP urges people who encounter an aggressive driver to avoid engaging with them, increase the distance between vehicles, try not to make eye contact and never pull off the roadway to confront them.

Want to know what kinds of foods you can carry through a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint? Here’s a list of some of the approved items:

Turkey? Yes.

Macaroni and cheese? Yes.

Gravy? Yes.

“Gravy and cranberry sauce need to be in 3.4-ounce quantities or less. And I would say, especially when it comes to gravy, I wouldn’t want that in my carry-on luggage,” TSA spokesperson Lorie Dankers said. “And I definitely wouldn’t want it in my checked baggage.”

Dankers said gravy is a prime example of a “make it at your destination” item. Stuffing is considered a solid and is OK to carry on. Pies are, too, but they require some extra scrutiny, Dankers said.

“Be prepared for that. You’ll be present for that,” she said. “But our officers are just making sure that nothing poses a security threat.”

Thanksgiving brings out infrequent travelers, and they often have questions about what they can bring on the plane. The TSA encourages them to download the agency’s smartphone app, which includes a “What can I bring” feature. TSA representatives also will be fielding questions on Facebook and X.

Officials are investigating the incidents that took place at Boston Logan International Airport on Monday. Both happened at a slow rate of speed.

In the first one, the wingtips of a Frontier Airlines plane and an American Airlines plane touched while at the gate on Monday afternoon, Samanta Decker, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Port Authority, said Tuesday. There were no injuries, but the planes were deboarded and needed to be checked for damage, she said.

American Airlines said in a statement that the contact was made as its plane, which had arrived from London, was pulling into the gate. The other plane was stationary. It said there were no injuries.

“The aircraft has been removed from service for inspection by our maintenance team,” its statement said.

On Monday night, a tug vehicle towing an empty JetBlue plane struck a Cape Air plane. The two Cape Air pilots were taken to a hospital as a precaution, Decker said. The tug has been removed from service, and the JetBlue aircraft will undergo a thorough inspection, JetBlue said in a statement.

“We cannot live on the wages that we are being paid,” ABM cabin cleaner Priscilla Hoyle said at a rally Monday. “I can honestly say it’s hard every single day with my children, working a full-time job but having to look my kids in the eyes and sit there and say, ‘I don’t know if we’re going to have a home today.’”

Timothy Lowe II, a wheelchair attendant, said he has to figure out where to spend the night because he doesn’t make enough for a deposit on a home.

“We just want to be able to have everything that’s a necessity paid for by the job that hired us to do a great job so they can make billions,” he said.

ABM said it is “committed to addressing concerns swiftly” and that there are avenues for employees to communicate issues, including a national hotline and a “general open door policy for managers at our worksite.”

Travel can be stressful in the best of times. Now add in the high-level anxiety that seems to be baked into every holiday season and it’s clear travelers could use some help calming frazzled nerves.

Here are a few ways to make your holiday journey a little less stressful:

▶ Read more tips about staying grounded during holiday travel

▶ Read more about Thanksgiving travel across the U.S.

Another round of wintry weather could complicate travel leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday, according to forecasts across the U.S., while California and Washington state continue to recover from storm damage and power outages.

In California, where two people were found dead in floodwaters on Saturday, authorities braced for more rain while grappling with flooding and small landslides from a previous storm.

Here’s a look at some of the regional forecasts:

▶ Read more about Thanksgiving week weather forecasts

A Delta Airlines flight departs Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Travelers rush to their gate at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Olivia Bowdoin)

FILE - A view of Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco, File)

A traveler walks to Terminal 3 at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Travelers wait to drop off their bags and walk through Terminal 3 at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Travelers arrive at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Olivia Bowdoin)

Travelers walk through Terminal 3 at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

The NBA Cup has its first quarterfinalist: Golden State is in the round of eight. And on Tuesday night, the tournament resumes with five more group-play games as the Dec. 17 title contest in Las Vegas draws closer.

The NBA Cup was called the In-Season Tournament last year when it debuted, after years and years of Commissioner Adam Silver wanting to add something extra to the regular season. All 30 teams take part and play four group-stage games.

From there, eight teams move to the quarterfinals, and the winners of those games head to Las Vegas for the semifinals on Dec. 14.

The Warriors are 3-0 in West Group C and have clinched that group's automatic quarterfinal berth. New Orleans — a tournament semifinalist last year — has been eliminated from contention. Everyone else, at least mathematically, still has a shot.

All games in the tournament — except for the championship game — count in the regular-season standings and statistics. The championship game is considered extra and isn't part of the 82-game season for the two teams that make the final.

TNT has a doubleheader Tuesday: Bucks-Heat and Lakers-Suns.

On the “Black Friday” shopping holiday this coming Friday, ESPN and NBA TV will show five Cup games — spanning about 13 hours of coverage in all — with games starting at noon EST and tipping off through 10 p.m.

There will be quarterfinal doubleheaders, with two games on TNT on Dec. 10; on Dec. 11, one will be on ESPN followed by another on TNT.

TNT will show the first Cup semifinal from Las Vegas on Dec. 14 at 4:30 p.m., followed by the second semifinal at 8:30 p.m. on ABC.

The championship game is an 8:30 p.m., airing Dec. 17 on ABC.

Local broadcasts will also be available when NBA rules permit, as usual.

According to BetMGM Sportsbook, New York, at +550, is the favorite to win the NBA Cup. And if the NBA Cup MVP trophy was to be handed out today, the favorite according to BetMGM: the Knicks' Jalen Brunson.

The Knicks are also favored to win East Group A (-300), Milwaukee is a slight favorite to win East Group B (+100, just ahead of +140 Detroit), Boston is a big favorite in East Group C (-165), Houston (-130) has a slight edge over Minnesota (+125) in West Group A, and the Lakers (+130) are a smidge up on Oklahoma City (+150) in West Group B.

A breakdown of the groups and the standings:

East Group A — Orlando 2-0, New York 2-0, Philadelphia 1-2, Brooklyn 1-2, Charlotte 0-2.

Schedule: New York 111, Philadelphia 99;Orlando 114, Charlotte 89;New York 124, Brooklyn 122;Orlando 98, Philadelphia 86;Brooklyn 116, Charlotte 115;Philadelphia 113, Brooklyn 98; New York at Charlotte, Tuesday; Orlando at Brooklyn, Tuesday; Philadelphia at Charlotte, Dec. 3; Orlando at New York, Dec. 3.

East Group B — Milwaukee 2-0, Detroit 2-0, Miami 1-1, Toronto 0-2, Indiana 0-2.

Schedule: Detroit 123, Miami 121;Milwaukee 99, Toronto 85;Miami 124, Indiana 111;Detroit 99, Toronto 95;Milwaukee 129, Indiana 117; Milwaukee at Miami, Tuesday; Toronto at Miami, Friday; Detroit at Indiana, Friday; Milwaukee at Detroit, Dec. 3; Indiana at Toronto, Dec. 3.

East Group C — Atlanta 2-1, Boston 2-1, Cleveland 1-1, Chicago 1-1, Washington 0-2.

Schedule: Atlanta 117, Boston 116; Cleveland 144, Chicago 126;Atlanta 129, Washington 117;Boston 120, Cleveland 117;Chicago 136, Atlanta 122;Boston 108, Washington 96; Chicago at Washington, Tuesday; Boston at Chicago, Friday; Cleveland at Atlanta, Friday; Washington at Cleveland, Dec. 3.

West Group A — Houston 2-0, Los Angeles Clippers 1-1, Portland 1-1, Minnesota 1-1, Sacramento 0-2.

Schedule: Portland 106, Minnesota 98;Minnesota 130, Sacramento 126;Houston 125, LA Clippers 104;LA Clippers 104, Sacramento 88;Houston 116, Portland 88; Houston at Minnesota, Tuesday; LA Clippers at Minnesota, Friday; Sacramento at Portland, Friday; Houston at Sacramento, Dec. 3; Portland at LA Clippers, Dec. 3.

West Group B — Los Angeles Lakers 2-0, Oklahoma City 1-1, San Antonio 1-1, Phoenix 1-1, Utah 0-2.

Schedule: Phoenix 120, Utah 112;LA Lakers 120, San Antonio 115;Oklahoma City 99, Phoenix 83;San Antonio 110, Oklahoma City 104;LA Lakers 124, Utah 118; LA Lakers at Phoenix, Tuesday; San Antonio at Utah, Tuesday; Oklahoma City at LA Lakers, Friday; Utah at Oklahoma City, Dec. 3; San Antonio at Phoenix, Dec. 3.

West Group C — Golden State 3-0, Dallas 2-1, New Orleans 1-2, Denver 1-2, Memphis 0-2.

Schedule: Golden State 120, Dallas 117;New Orleans 101, Denver 94;Golden State 123, Memphis 118;Denver 122, Memphis 110;Dallas 132, New Orleans 91;Dallas 123, Denver 120;Golden State 112, New Orleans 108; New Orleans at Memphis, Friday; Memphis at Dallas, Dec. 3; Golden State at Denver, Dec. 3.

The best single-game scoring efforts in the NBA Cup this season.

60 — De'Aaron Fox, Sacramento vs. Minnesota, Nov. 15

43 — Cam Thomas, Brooklyn at New York, Nov. 15

40 — Tyler Herro, Miami at Detroit, Nov. 12

40 — Anthony Davis, LA Lakers at San Antonio, Nov. 15

There were four triple-doubles in NBA Cup games last season (Domantas Sabonis had two, Nikola Jokic had one and Tyrese Haliburton had one). There have been seven already in Cup games this season (Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, Jalen Johnson, Josh Hart and Alperen Sengun all have one).

Chicago got its first-ever NBA Cup win on Friday night, topping Atlanta to move to 1-5 in tournament games. That leaves Washington and Memphis (both 0-6) as the only clubs yet to win a Cup game.

Golden State's three closest wins this season: 120-117 over Dallas, 112-108 over New Orleans and 123-118 over Memphis. All three were in NBA Cup games.

To the winners: pride, a trophy and money.

Players on the winning team will claim $514,971 each, while $205,988 goes to each player on the runner-up team, $102,994 to players whose teams lost in the semifinals and $51,497 to those players whose teams lost in the quarterfinals.

If teams get eliminated in group play, they'll have two more games added to their schedule. If teams get eliminated in the quarterfinals, they'll have one more game added.

All teams have only 80 games scheduled so far in the regular season but will play 82. That's why the title game doesn't count; it would be an 83rd game for those teams (the 80 games that are already scheduled, then the quarterfinal, then the semifinal will be their 82 games).

Not every game played over the next month is a tournament game. A quick way to know if it is a tournament matchup: Every team has a new, distinctive court for these games. See those courts, and you'll know it's a Cup game.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

New York Knicks' OG Anunoby, left, dunks past Philadelphia 76ers' Kyle Lowry during the second half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Toronto Raptors' Jakob Poeltl goes after a loose ball with Milwaukee Bucks' Brook Lopez and Ryan Rollins during the second half of an Emirates NBA Cup tournament basketball game Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

New York Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns, center, goes up for a shot past Philadelphia 76ers' Paul George, left, during the second half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

The Minnesota Timberwolves brings the ball up court against the Portland Trail Blazers during the first half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game in Portland, Ore., Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)

Charlotte Hornets' Brandon Miller, center, dunks between Philadelphia 76ers' Kelly Oubre Jr., left, and Jeff Dowtin Jr. during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Memphis Grizzlies center Jay Huff (30) reacts after scoring as Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) looks on during in the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)