The Federal Aviation Administration is allowing airlines to resume their normal schedules at the country's busiest airports after the government shutdown came to an end last week, just ahead of holiday travel. AAA says nearly 82 million Americans are expected to travel next week for Thanksgiving and more than 6 million are expected to fly.

Washington

AAA projects that nearly 82 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles during the Thanksgiving holiday period, setting a new record. Of these, more than 6 million are expected to fly, while the majority will travel by car, with gas prices holding steady compared to last year.

Airports are returning to normal operations after recent disruptions, and airlines anticipate a significant increase in passenger volume, particularly on the Wednesday before and the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Despite some travelers delaying their bookings due to uncertainty, U.S. airlines predict they will fly a record 31 million passengers during the holiday period.

Record travel expected for Thanksgiving

The FAA says it's allowing airlines to resume their normal schedules and just in time. AAA says nearly 82 million Americans will travel next week for the Thanksgiving holiday. More than 6 million of them are expected to fly. Chris Van Cleve is at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. Chris, good morning. Well, good morning. We're only seeing a handful of cancellations this morning. Compare that to last week when we were talking about 1,000 or more. So airports are getting back to normal just in the nick of time, really. The airlines expect to start getting really busy as soon as Thursday. No crowd or concern for disruptions will be stopping Elise Summers from flying to her family this Thanksgiving. My first grandson was just born and I can't wait to see him. AAA expects 82 million to travel at least 50 miles during the holiday week. That would be a new record even as some may opt to switch their travel from flying to driving because of lingering uncertainty from the shutdown travel troubles. Thanksgiving is the Super Bowl of all of the holidays. It is the single busiest holiday when it comes to travel. And they're going to make it happen one way or the other. Aixa Diaz from AAA. I think a lot of air travelers have been taking a wait-and-see approach for Thanksgiving and writing out these recent cancellations and recent reductions in the hopes that their flight's going to be okay come Thanksgiving week. This is the final boarding call for... American analytics company Sirium says while airline bookings will be up this Thanksgiving over 2024, the pace of bookings dropped 50% during the first week of November. We were really nervous actually to make Thanksgiving plans, so we kind of waited until the last minute we just bought them. Still, the nation's airlines predict they'll fly a record 31 million. Thanksgiving in general is always a big push for us. American Airlines Chief Operating Officer David Seymour. How busy do you expect Thanksgiving to be this year? We're expecting Thanksgiving to be like any other Thanksgiving, to be very full aircraft. The vast majority will drive. AAA expects more than 73 million will hit the road, but that number could be higher if some chose not to fly. Drivers will find gas prices about the same as last year, a little over $3 a gallon. AAA expects Wednesday and the Sunday after Thanksgiving to be the busiest days on the roads at the airports. The airlines say Wednesday before Thanksgiving will be busy, but the Sunday after, even into the Monday morning after Thanksgiving, will be their peak travel time. American Airlines alone has nearly 81,000 flights scheduled for the Thanksgiving travel rush. Tony? I hope they're all on time.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to oppose any attempt to establish a Palestinian state, a day before the UN Security Council will vote on a U.S.-drafted resolution on Gaza that leaves the door open to Palestinian independence.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Middle East Conflict

Netanyahu insists there can be no Palestinian state ahead of UN vote

A Bangladesh court sentenced ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death for crimes against humanity on Monday (November 17), concluding a months-long trial that found her guilty of ordering a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising last year.

Dhaka

Bangladesh's ousted PM sentenced to death for protest crackdown

President Donald Trump now appears to support the release of all Jeffrey Epstein files as the House of Representatives readies for a vote on the matter. CBS News' Natalie Brand reports.

House vote on Epstein files expected Tuesday

In the latest round of the Trump administration's sweeping immigration raids, federal agents arrested 81 people in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday alone. In videos posted online, some who were detained said they do have legal status.

Charlotte

ICE detains dozens in Charlotte

If the bill passes, the U.S. Justice Department would be required to release all files and communications related to Epstein, as well as details about the investigation into his death in federal prison.

Trump calls on House Republicans to vote to release Epstein files

Chile heads to a December runoff after Sunday's presidential vote left no clear winner. Leftist Jeannette Jara and far-right José Antonio Kast will now face off in a race dominated by concerns over crime and migration.

Santiago

Chile leftists advance to next month's presidential runoff

Construction work of a concrete wall continued on the Israeli side of southern border with Lebanon, despite the Lebanese presidency's threat to complain to the U.N. Security Council over the wall's extension into Lebanese territory.

Israel constructs wall along Lebanon border

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro slammed planned joint military exercises by the United States and its ally Trinidad and Tobago as "irresponsible," with Washington increasing its armed presence in the Caribbean.

Caracas

Maduro denounces US military exercises

Despite U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated attempts to kill the effort to release federal files related to Jeffrey Epstein, House Republican leaders are planning to hold a vote this week on legislation to force the issue.

Claims Epstein emails mentioning Trump were 'selectively leaked'

President Trump says he has "sort of made up my mind" on whether to take military action in Venezuela. The comments come as America's largest aircraft carrier, the Ford, and other U.S. forces move within striking distance of the country. Charlie D'Agata has new details.

Trump says he's "sort of made up my mind" on Venezuela military action

President Trump says he will no longer support onetime close ally and Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene amid the ongoing fallout over the Epstein files. Willie James Inman reports.

Marjorie Taylor Greene 'threatened' by Trump supporters amid Epstein fallout

Flash flood warnings expanded on Saturday as rain hit wide swaths of California amid fears that the atmospheric river will intensify. Andres Gutierrez has the latest details.

Pacific Palisades

Rainstorm pummels California, triggering flash flood warnings

Large-scale protests at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, have drawn attention to environmental concerns and the preservation of the Amazon rainforest. Inside the summit, negotiations have been complicated by the absence of the United States.

Belém

Protesters block entrance to COP30 climate talks in Brazil

The UN climate talks in Brazil are facing increasing disruption from protesters. Thousands joined the "Great People's March" outside the conference venue to demand action on global warming instead of empty promises.

Thousands join protest at COP30 climate talks in Brazil

Air travel and other government services, including SNAP benefits, are returning to normal following the end of the longest shutdown in U.S. history.

Los Angeles International Airport

Flights begin to get back on track as shutdown ends

The U.S. military is expanding operations in the Caribbean and Puerto Rico amid its deadly boat strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats, while the Trump administration weighs military action against Venezuela.

Trump administration weighs U.S military action in Venezuela

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced "Operation Southern Spear" in the Western Hemisphere as U.S. strikes continue in the region near Colombia and Venezuela. CBS News' Eleanor Watson reports.

Hegseth announces 'Operation Southern Spear'

The U.S. has approved the sale of $330 million worth of weapons to Taiwan as tensions rise in the region with China. CBS News' Nancy Cordes reports.

Taipei City

U.S. approves massive sale of weapons to Taiwan

Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin successfully launched its New Glenn rocket on Thursday with NASA twin spacecraft destined for Mars aboard, and in a breakthrough nailed the landing of its booster.

Cape Canaveral

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket deploys Mars satellites

A three-person crew stranded at China’s space station after their spacecraft was apparently hit by space debris are to return Friday using the craft that brought their replacement crew.

Chinese astronauts return to earth after spacecraft damaged

The AI firm Anthropic says Chinese hackers used its artificial intelligence tools to spy on tech companies, financial institutions and government agencies in what it believes is the first documented case of a worldwide cyberattack with minimal human involvement.

Rise of AI

Anthropic says Chinese hackers used its AI chatbot in cyberattack

Senior U.S. military officials have presented President Donald Trump with options for potential military operations inside Venezuela, including strikes on land, sources tell CBS News. Charlie D'Agata reports.

Trump weighs military plans against Venezuela

U.S. President Donald Trump is ducking press questions about newly released emails connecting him to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal activities ahead of an expected vote on releasing all Epstein case files by the U.S. House of Representatives as early as next week.

Trump avoids media’s Epstein email questions

The U.S. government lumbered back to life on Thursday (November 13) after the longest shutdown in U.S. history snarled air traffic, cut food assistance to low-income Americans and forced more than 1 million workers to go unpaid for more than a month. But the deep political divisions that caused the 43-day shutdown in the first place remain unresolved.

U.S. government opens up again but deep political divisions remain

China's factory output and retail sales grew at their weakest pace in over a year in October, piling pressure on policymakers to revamp the $19 trillion export-driven economy as mounting supply and demand strains threaten to further curtail growth.

Beijing

China's factory output, retail sales growth worst in over a year

Germany's government plans to bring back military service, to boost troop numbers to deal with the perceived threat from Russia. But voluntary conscription could become compulsory, if not enough recruits come forward.

Berlin

Germany outlines potential shift to compulsory conscription

As F-35 stealth fighter jets fly missions from a reopened naval base in Puerto Rico and Marines practice beach landings, sources tell CBS News the Pentagon is preparing for possible military action in Venezuela. Charlie D'Agata reports.

Pentagon preparing for possible military action in Venezuela

President Trump's name appears hundreds of times in the newly-released batch of 23,000 pages of records and messages from convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, raising questions about their relationship. Mr. Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has called the scandal a "hoax" perpetrated by Democrats.

Trump named hundreds of times in newly released Epstein files

A federal judge has ruled that hundreds of people detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement during "Operation Midway Blitz" in the Chicago area must be released. CBS News immigration and politics reporter Camilo Montoya-Galvez has more.

Chicago

Judge finds ICE illegally arrested hundreds of people in Chicago

For the first time in six weeks, the U.S. government is open. President Trump signed a bill last night to fund the government through the end of January.

Breakdown