Whether they're just getting into town or heading back to California, drivers who spoke to Channel 13 on Saturday afternoon say they're trying to time their trips to avoid the rush.

Las Vegas

Las Vegas is experiencing one of its busiest travel periods as New Year's Eve, known as America's Party, approaches. Travelers are timing their trips to avoid heavy traffic, with many using weather and traffic forecasts to plan their journeys between California and Nevada.

The city is expecting approximately 340,000 visitors for New Year's Eve celebrations. Local authorities have issued travel advisories, recommending that drivers avoid peak times on Interstate 15 and that air travelers arrive early at the airport to ensure smoother travel during the holiday period.

America's Party in Las Vegas on the horizon

Even though Christmas is now in our rearview mirror, we're still smack dab in the middle of one of the busiest travel periods of the year with America's Party, New Year's Eve, right here in Las Vegas, right around the corner. Whether they're just getting into town or heading back to California, drivers tell me they're trying to time their trips as best as possible. Have you ever been stuck in crazy traffic on the 15th with the high desert? Oh yeah, definitely before. I caught up with Riley Iveson on his way back to Los Angeles after his trip to Las Vegas for Christmas. I love Vegas, my best friends from here, so I come out here all the time. Riley tells me that's why he tries to plan his trips around peak travel times, and so far, so good. Wasn't traffic on the way up, probably on the way back by our hometown we're going to catch some, but right now, no, not bad. Michael Stein and his kids, Jacob and Mia, are just getting into town. How's the traffic getting in? Absolutely easy, you know, it was pretty much smooth sailing all the way up from Los Angeles. Watching the weather and the traffic forecast helped them on their drive too. I checked the weather station and we have a five or four day gap here, it should be sunny. What are you guys looking forward to most about being here? I'm just excited just for everything, the hotel is really cool. While Christmas may grab holiday travel headlines nationwide and certainly brings crowds to Las Vegas, the main event here in the valley might just be New Year's Eve. We're going to have 340,000 visitors from around the globe here in Las Vegas. The RTC put out this holiday travel forecast to help you plan your trip. As you can see, you should avoid the southbound 15 to California between noon and 2 p.m. the weekend following Christmas and avoid it between 3 and 9 p.m. the weekend following the turn of the year if you don't want to deal with heavy traffic. You should also expect big time crowds on the northbound 15 between L.A. and southern Nevada in the days leading up to New Year's Eve as revelers get ready to ring in 2026 Las Vegas style. It's the epicenter for New Year's Eve, you want to be a part of it. So over the next few days as we wrap up 2025, if you're taken to the skies, be sure to get to the airport early. And if you're hitting the road, try to leave during those non-peak travel times to try and make your trip as smooth as possible. Reporting in Las Vegas, I'm Guy Tannenbaum.

Two helicopters collided above Hammonton, New Jersey, and one person has died, officials say. CBS News' Elaine Quijano reports.

Hammonton

Helicopters collide in New Jersey

U.S. President Donald Trump is meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida on Monday (December 29) as questions linger about the future of the U.S.-backed ceasefire in Gaza.

Palm Beach

Middle East Conflict

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Taipei City

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Washington

Ukraine Invasion

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Florida

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China's military moved army, naval, air force and artillery units around Taiwan on December 29 for its "Justice Mission 2025" drills, as the island vowed to defend democracy and mobilized troops to rehearse repelling a potential Chinese attack.

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Far-right politics have pushed further into the mainstream across much of Europe. Populist parties, even in opposition, are shaping national debates on migration and the economy. The trend reflects growing voter frustration over living costs, borders and political trust.

Berlin

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Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is set to discuss a new peace plan draft with U.S. President Trump in Florida on Sunday (December 28). However, fresh Russian attacks on Kyiv have left a third of the city without power, undermining local confidence.

Kyiv

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A report has sought to catalogue some of the most significant extreme weather events of the year. UK charity Christian Aid found that heatwaves are pushing the limits of human adaptation, hurricanes and typhoons are breaking records, and droughts are devastating lives across the globe. It's all coming at a heavy financial cost.

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Russia attacked Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine with hundreds of missiles and drones on Saturday, ahead of what President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said would be a crucial meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump to work out a plan to end nearly four years of war.

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French actor Brigitte Bardot has died aged 91, her foundation said on Sunday (December 28). She shot to international fame dancing the mambo barefoot in "And God Created Woman," her tousled hair and fierce energy radiating a sexual magnetism rarely before seen in mainstream cinema.

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A ceasefire is now in place between Cambodia and Thailand after weeks of cross-border fighting. But with nearly a million civilians displaced and trust in short supply, the focus now is on whether the guns will stay silent.

Bangkok

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The storm that hit the Northeast this weekend dropped up to a foot of snow in some areas. New York City saw its highest level of snowfall in nearly four years, and the region's three major airports experienced significant delays and disruptions.

New York

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For approximately 10 hours Saturday, Russia attacked the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv with about 500 drones and 40 missiles. The attack comes one day before before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with President Trump in Mar-a-Lago. Elizabeth Palmer has the latest.

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Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met today in Halifax to discuss economic aid amid the Russia-Ukraine war. This comes ahead of Zelenskyy’s plans to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss a peace deal.

Halifax Regional Municipality

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President Trump said Thursday's strikes on Nigeria targeting ISIS were set for Wednesday but were delayed to Christmas Day for symbolic reasons. Mr. Trump claimed the Nigerian government is failing to protect Christians.

Washington D.C.

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According to the Chinese foreign ministry, the sanctions entail freezing the companies’ assets in China and banning individuals and organisations from accessing them.

Beijing

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Somalia reacted angrily Friday (December 26) after Israel formally recognised the northern region of Somaliland as an "independent and sovereign state" -- the first country to do so. U.S. President Donald Trump said he opposed U.S. recognition of Somaliland in an interview with the New York Post.

Somaliland

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Thailand and Cambodia agreed to an "immediate" ceasefire on Saturday (December 26), the two countries said in a joint statement, pledging to end border clashes that killed dozens of people.

Buri Ram

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Somaliland, a territory of more than 3 million people in the Horn of Africa, seceded from Somalia more than three decades ago, but it hadn't internationally been recognized as an independent state by any country.

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Some of the stabbed victims remain in serious condition. A 38-year-old man was arrested for alleged attempted murder at the factory, authorities said.

Mishima

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Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he was shocked by the "horrific killing spree" and pledged Israel would reinforce its security.

Jerusalem

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Pyongyang

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Abuja

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Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday (December 26) he planned to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump soon and that a lot could be decided before the New Year as Washington pushes diplomatic efforts to end the war with Russia.

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The United States carried out airstrikes against ISIS militants in northwest Nigeria at the request of Nigeria's government, U.S. President Donald Trump and the U.S. military said on Thursday, claiming the group had been targeting Christians in the region.

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Tegucigalpa

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Breakdown