james rosen monitoring these developments for us. james? >> reporter: good morning and good holiday wishes to you both. the arab league just minutes ago announced it is giving syria a one-day ultimatum to allow observers into the country or face sanctions, a move that follows the league's unprecedented suspension of syria. the european union, however, stopped short today of endorsing france's calls for the creation of humanitarian corridors in syria. those calls from paris for these humanitarian zones marked the first time that a major power has urged international intervention in the syrian crisis. the obama administration, meantime, appears to be taking unilateral steps including the deployment of the uss george h.w. bush to waters just off syria's coastline. such movement of the norfolk-based carrier is likely to fuel suspicions voiced recently by russia and china that the u.s. is aiming to launch a military campaign to depose assad, the very reasons moscow and beijing cited for their vetoing of a u.n. security resolution condemning the crackdown. the state department has confirmed that the u.s. ambassador to syria, robert ford, won't be returning to damascus this month as planned. a spokeswoman for secretary of state hillary clinton explained why to reporters earlier this week. >> on that, i think our issue here is to insure that when he goes back not only is he safe, not only is syria willing to live up to its obligations, but also that he can be effective in getting out and meeting with people. so that's a conversation that we are having interimly, and it's also -- internally and also with other countries who have had ambassadors currently on hiatus from damascus. >> reporter: in the eight months since this uprising began in syria, part of the wave of revolutions known as the arab spring, u.n. officials estimate the assad regime has killed upwards of 3500 people. no holiday from misery in syria. jon and jamie. jon: james rosen in washington, thank you. >> reporter: thank you. jon: and that brutal crackdown in syria against anti-government protesters there shows no signs of slowing down. it started about eight months ago in march. human rights groups say more than 3500 people have died since then, thousands more detained by syrian security agents. on november 12th the arab league suspended syria for failing to implement a plan to end the bloodshed there. ♪ jamie: and inside america's election headquarters, former house speaker newt gingrich in the conservative crosshairs and it's all over illegal immigration. it's at a time when gingrich is leading many of the latest polls, but this week he called for humane treatment of illegals, specifically those who have been here for years raising their families and developing deep community ties. and now some of his fellow republican candidates are taking aim at his support for what they are terming amnesty. michele bachmann on "america's newsroom" yesterday. >> well, it's not just me saying it, there's an immigration organization that has given speaker gingrich a d-of grade on immigration because the speaker has said in previous statements that he would make legal 11 million illegal alien workers in the united states today. to make them legal, is in effect, a form of amnesty, and he's also said that he embraces the dream act. jamie: will the former speaker pay a price for taking that position? karl rove is here, former senior adviser, deputy chief of staff to george w. bush, a fox news contributor. karl, happy thanksgiving. thanks for joining us. >> you bet. same to you, jamie. jamie: tell me about this issue of illegal immigration because newt gingrich has taken this position years ago in a sense. it's really nothing new about how he feels, but he feels that the conservative party is one that should represent families and family values. so does that have traction with voters? will he pay a price? >> well, let's divide this into policy and politics, and let me correct you on one point. this is a change for the speaker. four years ago during the the battle over the comprehensive immigration reform bill he was in favor of rounding them up and moving them out of the country but since then has come to a different position. and the policy is how -- the question is, how do you practically deal with the presence of 12 million people in the country illegally, and how do you resolve their status? if you just want to arrest them and move them out of the country, this could cost as much as $150 billion. you have to arrest them, incarcerate them, they have to be given an immigration hearing with an attorney, a judge, a u.s. immigration attorney and then moved out of the country. plus, you know, just simply finding people, as the speaker talked about the other night, who have been part of a community and ripping them out of that community, their children born in this country are u.s. citizens, so parents would be severed from their children and so forth. so the speaker's trying to find a practical way of dealing with it, and, you know, this is akin to what we had to ask in the bush administration during the discussion, came to a slightly different answer, but nonetheless, it's a practical problem, and you've got to give it a great deal of thought and figure out how to resolve it. now, thas different than politics. and i know how problematic any position that you take in favor of resolving the status short of moving them out of the country can be. this was the bush administration's approach was criticized mightily by a lot of conservatives in 2007, including the then-speaker gingrich. but how he's going to play this out, we'll see. remember, we're in a slightly different contest here. we have, you know, ten candidates. so you can take what is a minority position and still come out in this multi-candidate field as a winner if, particularly if you do so with conviction and thoughtfulness as the speaker did the other night. jamie: well, let me read part of what has just crossed from newt gingrich, a statement clarifying the stance on immigration that he took, illegal immigration. he says that he is for deporting all recent unattached illegals, but he's for a local citizen panel to consider certification to those who have been here 25 years. i mean, he's talking about long-term connection to a community and that they have family and community ties, they've been law-abiding and tax paying. two other folks that have been really outspoken about this since this happened last week, karl, have been steven king, the congressman from iowa, republican who said this: i think if speaker gingrich had that to do over again, he might couch his language a little differently at a minimum. i wouldn't agree with him on that policy. i think that when you give people even a promise that they can stay in the country after they're here illegally, you become more of a manager net -- magnet, and it is a form of amnesty. michael reagan said, of course, a conservative radio show host now, i want to get your thoughts. let's listen. >> he was supporting probably the newt gingrich position, my father never would have broken up a family to make, in fact, a point on immigration, so he would have applauded newt gingrich on that. jamie: so if you want to be the nominee for the republican party, what's the right position on this? >> well, the right position is what you believe in, and then go convince people of it. look, those two positions captured it, captured the controversy pretty well. and, look, there are a lot of practical issues that the speaker's going to have to resolve here. and i don't suggest these are easy questions to resolve. his new statement says 25 years. well, what happens if somebody's been here for 15 years? and has a family here? do you send the parents home and keep the kids here? there are no easy answers to these kind of issues, but i think, look, the speaker knows what he's getting into. the other night it was a strong statement when he said, look, i know i'm going to get criticized for this, but i've come to believe this. in 1986 as a member of congress he granted for a plan which ended up granting amnesty to three million people. in 2006 and '7 he opposed the bush immigration reform adopting a position similar to steve king's, the very powerful congressman in iowa, the first state that votes on january 3rd. jamie: that's true. >> and now he's come to a different opinion and, look, he's been -- there's a woman who's associated with the heritage institute. she's a businesswoman from colorado, and shs, basically, her approach which is to say let's find a way for the people who have been in the united states to remain here without granting them citizenship. but there are no easy questions on this. what if somebody's been here ten years and somebody's been here 11 years? how do you resolve that? jamie: it's a tough call. >> yes, it is. jamie: and he has been honest about how he feels about it, and actually, he mentions the foundation. they could get what the foundation developed as a red card and be legal but with no right to vote but at least residency. karl, thank you so much for giving us some clarity. >> happy thanksgiving, jamie. and to jon too. jamie: thank you. jon: thanks, karl. egypt says it plans to release three american college students arrested in cairo during violent protests. they are studying at the american university in cairo and were accused of throwing homemade bombs during all of the chaos. steve centanni has the latest for us from washington. so their families, what are we hearing from them, steve? >> reporter: well, of course, they're overjoyed. i talked with joy sweeney, the mother of 19-year-old derek sweeney, and she said, of course, this is her best thanksgiving ever. the three students were detained on charges that they had thrown homemade bomb into a crowd gathered in tahrir square. the boys were given physical exams, then taken to a police station to get their exit visas. joy sweeney was ecstatic when i talked to her just a few minutes ago. listen. >> i am absolutely ecstatic, we are so grateful he is going to be released. we still haven't gotten confirmation from him that he is out of there and everything's done, but we have official confirmation from the consulate general, roberto powers, that he is released. [laughter] so i just can't tell you how jubilant we are. >> reporter: sweeney said she expects to see her son home soon, probably tomorrow. jon? jon: what about the other families? any word from them? >> reporter: yeah. i also talked with the father of 21-year-old luke gates, bill was very emotional as he described his family's reaction. >> we're just ecstatic, we're just so happy, so happy. and so happy for the other boys as well and their families. >> reporter: couldn't be a nicer thanksgiving. >> absolutely not. >> reporter: and you have to lot to be thankful for. >> yes. very much so. >> reporter: no official word from the state department yet, but all indications are the boys will be home soon, as early as tomorrow. jon? jon: they look awfully scared in that video. i'm sure they're feeling very thankful right now. steve centanni, thanks. jamie: brand new reports out of iran, news that iran has arrested 12 cia agents. jon: also the vice president and his wife have very special plans on this thanksgiving holiday. dr. jill biden shares them with jenna lee in an an exclusive interview. jamie: plus black friday, can you believe big-name stores are opening their doors today, a full day early? it's getting mixed reaction. we are life with the story. -- live with the story. >> sergeant first class taylor serving in northern afghanistan. i want to wish everyone back in alabama a happy thanksgiving. i love you all, and i miss you. thank you. ♪ we know why we're here. to build a new generation of airplanes to connect the world. ♪ airplanes that fly cleaner and farther on less fuel. and make nonstop travel possible to more places. ♪ [ female announcer ] around the globe, the people of boeing are working together -- to bring us together. that's why we're here. ♪ jon: and a new photo just in to the newsroom on in this thanksgiving day. this morning president obama called ten members of our armed services deployed overseas; two from the army, the air force, the coast guard, the marine corp.s and the navy. the president thanked them for their service and sacrifice, wished them and their families a very happy thanksgiving. ♪ jamie: okay, whoever thought that one up, bravo. that's so cute. it looks like thursday, though, is the new black friday. retailers getting a jump-start on the holiday shopping season, and maybe you are too. some big-name stores actually opening their doors tonight if you can get yourself out of the chair after the big meal. they want eager shoppers to start spending earlier and more often. some folks not at all happy about the new timetable. really? there aren't bargains? laura ingle joining us live. tell us about the retailers. >> reporter: hey, jamie. a growing list of chains respect waiting around to open up the doors. toys r us getting the earliest start, opening at 9 tonight. walmart follows at 10. other tores like kohl's, may is i's and target opening up at midnight. stuffing more hours into the holiday season is due to customer demand, but as you mentioned, not everyone is thrilled about this black thursday trend which includes some employees who count on having all day and night on thanksgiving to spend with family. others point out you have to spend money to make money, but question if it adds up. >> to they make that much off those all-night hours? do they make that much to offset the cost to heat the building, cool the building depending on where they are in the climate, to have the security they need? it's a good question. >> reporter: according to the national retail federation's preliminary black friday shopping survey, up to 152 million people plan to shop black friday weekend which is up from 10% last year. jamie? jamie: but i understand there's at least one very unhappy target employee. i hate to out target because they have such great deals, but that employee doesn't want them to open early? >> reporter: definitely has been doing his best. this guy's online petition gathered a lot of signatures, but his effort didn't persuade target to change its plan to open doors at midnight. over 190,000 people, though, signed this petition, but a spokesperson says their customers have told them they want to shop following their thanksgiving day celebrations and that hourly employees like the guy who started the petition will be given holiday pay for thanksgiving day duty. black friday is still a big day for many, for all the traditional reasons, and for some new ones as well. the national retail federation also reports that many retailers are preparing cyber monday specials on black friday for customers itching to start early. cyber monday, as we know, created by stores to encourage shopping online the monday after black friday, so we could be talking about cyber sunday at some point. jamie: we report, our folks can decide, but i have four words for that guy: time and a half. >> reporter: there you go. perfect. jamie: have a good holiday. jon? jon: state media reports claiming that iran has arrested a dozen cia agents there. up next, we'll talk with a former cia operative. what he has to say about those iranian claims. plus, a pilot walks away from this horrific helicopter crash. what saved his life? >> because it happened so quick, it was like a dream really, you know? it was just like, bang, and the next thing i had a couple of guys undoing my belt. [ male announcer ] all over the world, there's a battery that's relied on to help bring children holiday joy, and while it doesn't travel by sleigh or reindeer, it does get around... in fact, every year duracell sends loads of batteries to the mattel children's hospital, u.c.l.a. of course, children here and everywhere don't really think about which battery makes their toy run... but, still... you'd never want to disappoint. duracell. trusted everywhere. jamie: gotta check out this pilot. it was such a frightening helicopter crash, and it was all caught on camera. he says he will get back in the air. check out this video from new zealand. he was helping ip stall a big christmas tree on the water front in auckland, and the chopper blades get caught in these cables. look what happens. it snaps off the rear of the machine throwing the wreckage right to the ground. it is amazing, but pilot greg walked away with only some cuts and bruises. >> because it happened so quick, it was like a dream really, you know? it was just like, bang, and the next thing i had a couple of guys undoing my belt. i don't know whether that was my head that actually hit that or whether it was the seat. jamie: he completely credit it is seat belt for saving his life. jon: there's some new information out on 12 cia agents reportedly arrested by the iranian government. the country's official news agency quotes an iranian lawmaker who claims those agents were working with israel and targeting the country's military and nuclear programs. he didn't say exactly when or where they were taken into custody. our cia is not commenting, and iran has made claims like this in the past that have proven to be false. let's talk about what might be going on with mike baker, a former cia covert operations officer, now president of diligence llc. when i said cia agents, am i even using the right terminology? >> no, that's a great way to start because a lot of times you'll get a start like this where an agency asset gets picked up, and people immediately think it's one of our guys, one of our american, you know, staff officers. and that's not the case. our service just like every other intel service out there spends a great deal of time trying to identify, develop and recruit human assets. jon: the locals. >> the locals. and that's what the iranian parliamentarian is talking about here. they're claiming they wrapped up several assets, up to a dozen or so, that were working on behalf of us and they claim mossad and interestingly enough, some other regional services. so it was a real collaborative effort according to the iranians. jon: because a lot of people don't realize how much the saudis and iranians hate each other. >> there's absolutely no love lost, and also other players out in that region. so the idea that the u.s., the cia would work with our liaison partners, it's not a heavy lift because we've got a common enemy when we're talking about iran and enormous stakes because of their race to get nuclear weapons. jon: obviously, the cia isn't going to confirm or deny this. you don't want to make a bigger deal out of it than it is, but the iranians are looking for ways to take international pressure, divert attention from what their nuclear program is doing right now. >> absolutely. and divert attention from internal political difficulties. president ahmadinejad is having some real problems interimly dealing with e cleric authorities that are there. so part of this could well be that they're just looking to do a diversionary tactic here. but, you know, importantly, it points to -- and i don't mean this in a cavalier way because lives are always at stake when you're talking about this sort of work. but the spy game has been going for as long as we've been walking the earth, basically. cavemen were trying to steal secrets for fire from other cavemen. but you always are aware when you're involved in this sort of business that the other side, the hostile side is actively engaged, spending a great deal of time and effort and resource trying to identify traitors within their ranks. jon: also interesting that this iaea report comes out and says the iranians are actively pursuing nuclear weaponry. they are denying it saying, oh, the west, the rest of the world has to prove it because we don't have to prove it because it's not happening. but, again, they seem a little on edge over these new accusations. >> well, they should be. i think they're getting somewhat concerned. we've been -- we, being the international community -- we've been pretty feckless over the past years about this, and the iranians have used that to their advantage. every time we start to claim that their making progress in the race towards the weapons, they come out, and they claim that's not the case, or they try to work with iaea in some ridiculous manner, and they get further and further towards their goal. i don't think anybody sane can argue the fact that they are working their way towards nuclear weapons. now, the problem is what are our options at this point, and not to jump down that rabbit hole, but people talk about the military option. i think we need to start having an honest discourse. i seriously doubt we're going down the military road. so what else do we have? sanctions. they vice president worked because we're hardly ever able to get the chinese and russians onboard, and unless you do that, it's not going to work. the israelis have talked about maybe taking military action unilaterally. all that does is possibly degrade their capabilities for a short term. jon: yeah. and you think oil prices are high now, wait until you see what happens after an attack on iran. >> absolutely. jon: mike baker, that's a topic for another time. thanks very much. >> happy thanksgiving. jamie: it is one of the busiest traveling days of the year, but before you head out for dinner, you want to know about the wicked weather that's slowing down some parts of our nation. we're going to show you what to expect. plus, an exclusive interview with dr. jill biden who's going to take us behind the scenes of a private holiday dinner for our nation's wounded warriors. that's coming up next. >> when i see the wounded warriors, i mean, they are so strong and so resilient. when i go in to visit them at the hospitals and, um, they all have such pitive attitudes, and they just make americans proud. sometimes life can be well, a little uncomfortable. but when it's hard or hurts to go to the bathroom, there's dulcolax stool softener. dulcolax stool softener doesn't make you go, it just makes it easier to go. dulcolax stool softener. make yourself comfortable. is all the wrapping a gift needs. wait a minute...i... [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] the lexus december to remember sales event is here, but only for a limited time. see your lexus dealer. jon: there's new video out of yemen just in to our newsroom. some amateur footage. it appears to show government forces firing on protesters today. it's coming just a day after yemen's president handed power over to his deputy, a move that is backed by the united states. at least five people in yemen reportedly killed today in all of these riots. we're going to have more on the situation in yemen and what it means for the united states and that part of the world. ♪ jamie: i'm still laughing at that, it's so cute. jon: you love that turkey. jamie: can't wait. we're taking a look at the thanksgiving forecast because there's a storm system that's bringing rain and snow, but that's part of the holiday feel, i'm sure. maria molina standing by in the fox weather center. do we really need to watch out? >> reporter: well, basically, if you live in the northwest part of the country, you're looking at unsettled weather. it's also windy and cold, so, please, be careful if you're doing traveling today. otherwise, the rest of the country looking good. a lot of sunshine expected, we're expecting quiet weather. that storm system yesterday already gone leaving behind about 6-12 inches of snow across parts of new england, but some of that will melt throughout the weekend. cool morning throughout the south, but those temperatures rebounding, a lot of sunshine. dry weather, so expect temperatures to climb to normal levels, otherwise across parts of the midwest temps well above average, we're looking at highs that we could be looking at 20 degrees above what's normal for this time of the year, so very warm out there. enjoy it and get out there because there is a storm further off to the west that will be impacting parts of the midwest as we head into later this weekend. for today we're expecting some rain across coastal areas, also across parts of california. there's a look of that area of rain across parts of central california, northern california and headed northbound that new storm system will be bringing in quite a bit of snow, jamie, we're talking about over a foot of snow possible. jamie: i guess we're getting into the winter season. thank you, maria, have a good holiday. jon: well, to celebrate this thanksgiving the vice president and dr. jill biden hosted a private dinner at their home for a small group of wounded warriors from walter reed. dr. biden talked about the importance of the dinner and shared some family traditions in an exclusive interview with our jenna lee. jenna: dr. biden n reflecting on this interview, i started to think about a thanksgiving a few years ago when my boyfriend, now husband, was deployed. and that was the first time that i had a loved one leave and go to war, and that really changed everything for me. it changed the way that i thought about so much. and i'm just curious for you how watching your son deploy changed the way that you look at -- >> well, um, it was difficult. as you know, as you have felt. and our son, beau, was deployed to iraq a few years ago, and it was right before thanksgiving. so, um, you're right, i know what it's like to look around your holiday table and see, you know, that your son is missing. so you do look at things differently, i think, and so we went through christmas and easter and several holidays, and i don't think you ever get used to it. and that's one of the reasons that i love this dinner so much that we do here at the residence because, um, we invite wounded warriors from walter reed who cannot get home for their holiday. so it's a nice way for us to give back, to say thanks to our troops. jenna: how has it been, blending that experience as a mom with your public persona as second lady? >> well, i think it's just, um, a natural extension really. because we've gone through this, so i feel like when i meet military families and especially military moms, i feel like, you know, we're all just one big family, and i feel very close to the military families. jenna: you've done this dipper for a few years now -- dinner for a few years now. >> yes. jenna: i'm curious if you've noticed a change in some of the soldiers, maybe the way they think about the war, some of the injuries they've sustained, has anything stood out to you as you've watched this war progress? >> um, i think maybe the injuries have gotten a little worse just because i think that, um, the people in afghanistan, um, have gotten a little bit more sophisticated about, you know, fighting us. but when i see the wounded warriors, i mean, they are so strong and so resilient. when i go in to visit them at the hospitals and, um, they all have such positive attitudes, and they just make americans proud, really, that they're not feeling sorry for themselves. they're getting out there, and they're doing marathons, and they're bike riding, and they're rowing crew, so, you know, they're just, they're adjusting to life with a really positive attitude. jenna: so tell us a little bit about the dinner tonight. >> well, we have 37 people here tonight, and it's wounded warriors and their families, maybe a mom, maybe a fiancee or a spouse, and so we've cooked the traditional turkey with all the stuffing and the fillings and, um, the sides. and so it's just a lot of fun getting to know one another and, you know, just about them. it's all about them and what they've been through and what their lives are like. jenna: do you have a special dish that you make for thanksgiving? >> do i -- gosh. um, well, maybe that green bean casserole. [laughter] i think every mom in america makes that. so, yeah, that's on the menu. jenna: what's a typical thanksgiving like for the bidens? >> well, we all get together. we're like every other crazy american family, and, you know, there's lots of noise and a lot going on, and this year we have a new family member who's, you know, my daughter got engaged -- jenna: ooh. >> now we have a new family member who has to put up with the craziness. jenna: has he passed the test? >> absolutely. jenna: now, is the vice president responsible for any of that noise that happens at thanksgiving? >> well, not really. it's mostly the kids. jenna: this is a little different dinner tonight because you have a lot of responsibilities, but cooking isn't one of them at least for tonight. you know, as we're approaching this thanksgiving, on this thanksgiving, many americans feel disappointed or maybe discouraged about what's happening in washington, and you have such an interesting interspective on all of that -- perspective on all of that. and i'm curious what your message would be to american families who are feeling disenchanted or disillusioned with what they're see anything d.c. right now. >> well, i think, you know, michelle and i have this joining forces initiative, and we try to create awareness of our military families and everything that they've done for this country. so i think my message to families, to american families is, um, when they sit down to say their family blessing, that maybe if they could just say a little blessing for our troops, i think that would -- you know, we ask every american to commit to an act of kindness. and even if you want to reach out to somebody in your neighborhood and take a pie or invite a family over who maybe has someone deployed, and they're eating dinner by, you know, alone. but at the very least, at least include them in your prayers. ♪ jon: as you look at those images of our troops in places like afghanistan sitting down for their thanksgiving meals, yeah, they definitely deserve our thanks and our prayers as well. jamie: every day. and we're going to visit them, actually, we're going to go to iraq and afghanistan and see what's going on there. about the string bean cat role, i was telling you the secret? a little garlic. i don't want to give all the secrets, but you love that with the fried onions on top? jon: it's not thanksgiving without it. jamie: i saw your face. jenna, thank you so much. that was a wonderful story. and you can always invite a serviceman or woman to join you at your table, too, it's a great idea. meanwhile, there's an overwhelming number of americans that are not thankful today for the job that congress is doing or maybe not doing so much in washington. what is the failure of the supercommittee to cut the debt mean for you, the taxpayer? we're going to have a live report on that, and, also, you're safe if you come to my house -- maybe. we have some tips for your safe thanksgiving dinner. what about eating those leftovers? how long can you go? three days later? we'll find out. jon: a week at least. jamie: maybe not, jon. ♪ muck >> hi, my name is yolanda mccullough, i'm stationed in afghanistan, i would like to say happy thanksgiving to my mom, my dad, my two brothers, my nephew jaden. love you, happy thanksgiving. bye! it's all the same. nothing changes. then try this. freestyle lite® blood glucose test strip. sure, but it's not gonna-- [beep] wow. yep, that's the patented freestyle zipwik™ design. did it just-- [both] target the blood? 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>> yes. we're using our robot to cut the turkey, and i'm sure it's very precise. jamie: can you keep us safe, doc? >> first of all, happy thanksgiving to all of you. yes, it's a fun time. this is the holidays when all the families get together, and we should rejoice. we had a long year, so this is a time that we're going to, basically, get together and eat healthy. look, you've got to eat right and just watch what you're eating. and we talked about adding vegetables and healthy food. but preparing turkey is important. you want to make sure if you buy the fresh turkey, buy 24 hours before. if you're buying it frozen, make sure that all that melting juice doesn't get contaminated with the other food and wash your hands frequently. and what's more important is to make sure that you cook this all the way to 165 degrees. that's really important because -- jamie: you need the the mommer the. not the orphan. >> no, the thermometer has to read 165 because that's what kills the bacteria. and in the refrigerator has to be 40 degrees. jon, you talked about the leftovers -- jon: love my leftovers. >> i would just keep them for about two to three days. any more than that you want to put in the freezer, and you want to use it again, you want to keep it in the fridge for 24 hours to slowly bring the temperature back, not to leave it out there for more than room temperature for two hours. but it's a fun time, enjoy, eat healthy. jamie: we're lucky you're working today so if we overdo it today, we're going to call you. if you get sick, what do you do? >> how do you know you're getting sick? when you eat turkey, that can really slow you down, it makes you mellow, you add alcohol to it. but most of the stuff you're talking about is overeating too fast. so you want to slow down because the stomach can communicate with the brain that you don't need to eat all of that. if you have any gi symptoms -- nausea, vomiting or any other symptoms -- make sure you drink a lot of fluid because dehydration is really the main point, and if in 24 hours you're not feeling well, go to the emergency room and see your doctor. that's the key. jamie: right. >> antibiotic doesn't help you with this. jamie: do you think we'll eat turkey for two weeks? jon: i think pumpkin pie is the best antidote to overeating. jamie: that's a good one, jon. i heard you like chicken best. >> there you go. thank you. [laughter] jon: sounds good to me. there are some new clues to tell you about in the search for a missing mom in orlando. talking about michelle parker, seen here. she disappeared right after an appearance on the "people's court" with her former boyfriend. we're live with an update. also a thanksgiving tragedy to tell you about. a deadly plane crash in arizona. it was actually caught on tape. what crews are searching for now. >> i looked up, and i saw this fireball, and it rose up. and then all of a sudden, boom. and that's when it spread whatever fuel and everything all over the place. ( phone ringing ) okay... uhh. the bad news, it's probably totaled. the good news is, you don't have to pay your deducble. with vanishing deductible from nationwide insurance, you got $100 off for every year of safe driving, so now your deductible is zero. the other good news ? i held on to your coffee. wow. ♪ nationwide is on your side ( laughing ) it's actually a pretty good day whenou consider. that's great. jon: an update, now, on a terrible tragedy in arizona. a small plane slams into a mountain just east of phoenix at about 230 miles an hour. six people, including three children, onboard. the los angeles times reporting the pilot was the chirp's father, they were going to spend thanksgiving with him. their mother, also a pilot, has been told there is little hope for finding survivors given the force, the impact of the crash. so far crews say they have only recovered one body. >> the way the fireball was and the way the impact, the way that debris was sustain and the fire was burning, it didn't look like anybody could survive that. jon: crews finding two debris fields suggesting that the plane broke apart on impact. jamie: awful. in -- well, while we're here enjoying our families, they're away from their families and they're fighting for us overseas. today in afghanistan troops did get a chance to celebrate the thanksgiving holiday, and conor powell is streaming live from the kunar province in afghanistan. connor? >> reporter: good morning and happy thanksgiving, jamie. just, we are here in a bunker, a plywood and sandbag bunker here at combat outpost nevada. this is one of the most remote and sort of rustic places on the front lines here in kunar province, and just to give you a sense of what this place is actually like, there is no running water, there's very little electricity, and a donkey each day brings up hot food for the troops here to eat. now today, of course, because it was thanksgiving, the military actually flew in some turkey, stuffing, potatoeses and things like that, so the troops here, there's about 10 or the -- 12 of them to actually have a chance to get a thanksgiving dinner. and i'm fortunate to be joined by christopher delano who is one of the troops stationed here day in and day out. what is it like to be here at thanksgiving? >> well, it's definitely different from home. normally, when you're at home, you can, you know, sit back, relax, put your feet up. here you've always got to be on your a game and watch out for anything that's coming at us. >> reporter: when he's talking about watching out for things coming out, i just want to clarify, we are in an area where we have seen combat activity all day. after thanksgiving meal, we went and there was the taliban and coalition forces firing at each other for most of the afternoon. now, this is a difficult place to be. are there any good things about being here? >> yeah. there's a lot of good things about being here. you know, you've got your family that we consider each other, all our brothers and everything, and, you know, you're with them. obviously, not with your actual family, but spend time with them and, you know, cracking jokes at each other and stuff like that. it's a good time. >> reporter: and speaking of your family, your real family back in the united states, how hard is it to be away from them this time of year? >> it's definitely pretty hard because this is my first time away from them, so it's a different experience. >> reporter: and just to say hello to them, go ahead and tell them how much you miss them. >> i just want to say hi, mom, connor, ashley and rob and, of course, erica. i love you guys and happy thanksgiving. >> reporter: guys, we came down here because we wanted to see firsthand what it was like to be a soldier on the front lines in afghanistan. it's really impressive, the things these guys are going through day in and day out, the it it is a tough way to live and even tougher on the thanksgiving holiday. jamie: you got the assignment i would have dreamed of for today, so give our regards. thank you so much. jon: hats off to the troops. not too many americans giving thanks for congress today. the failure to agree on a deficit plan could mean higher taxes for all of us. and here's one way to let your elected officials know what you think of their work; a slap in the head! we're not really recommending it though. we'll tell you about this when a new hour of "happening now" starts in just a couple of minutes. looking good! you lost some weight. you noticed! these clothes are too big, so i'm donating them. how'd you do it? eating right, whole grain. [ female announcer ] people who choose more whole grain tend to weigh less than those who don't. multigrain cheerios... five whole grains, 110 calories. the pioneers. the aviators. building superhighways in an unknown sky. their safety systems built of brain and heart, transforming strange names from tall tales into pictures on postcards home. and the ones who followed them, who skimmed the edge of space, the edge of heaven, the edge of dreams. and we follow them up there to live by an unbreakable promise, stitched into every uniform of every captain who takes their command: to fly. to serve. jamie: happy thanksgiving, everyone. hello i'm jamie colby in for jenna lee today. jon: i'm jon scott. we welcome you to a brand-new hour of "happening now" on this thanksgiving day. while there are many reasons to give thanks, well the super committee and its performance is not one of them, having failed to come up with a plan to cut our nation's deficit. now most americans are facing higher taxes. jamie: oh, yeah, no wonder 80% of voters disapprove of the job that congress is doing. there is only 12% that do approve. peter taking a look at this live in washington. good to see you. what is next on capitol hill. >> reporter: jaime, unless congress votes to renew them by the end of the year the payroll tax cut will expire and so will unemployment insurance. the payroll tax bill is a big one. if that runs out it could cost the average american family about a thousand bucks. >> end of next month, end of the year this tax cut ends. if we allow that to happen, if congress refuses to act, then middle class families are going to get hit with a tax increase at the worst possible time. >> reporter: the price tag for the unemployment insurance and payroll tax cut extensions would be about $200 billion, that is a fraction of the $1.2 trillion the super committee squabbled over. some them tkrat democrats in congress don't think it will be that hard to get these big bills through. >> this is a way to begin fresh. we let everybody down with the super committee. let's give something to everybody that we know everybody wants. there can't possibly be continue verse see on thi controversy. >> reporter: harry reid is going to bring these bills up in a stand alone bill after congress comes back to town. jamie: house leadership will have something to say about it too, peter, what do we know? >> reporter: speaker boehner has said he's trying to touch base with president obama about the tax cuts for months. he said we told the president in september that we stand ready to have an honest and fruitful discussion with him regarding the extensions, and that invitation stands. even though it is tanks giving today here in d.c. we've already got our eye on new year's eve. jamie: are you going to the white house by any chance for thanksgiving dinner? we saw the menu, it's looking pretty fine. >> reporter: i saw the menu, my stomach is grumbling a little bit. jamie: you keep doing the good job that you do, maybe next year you'll be invited. >> reporter: okay. jamie: we are not invited either. can you imagine banana cream pie along with pumpkin, apple and sweet potato. jon: and green bean casserole as we were talking about earlier. jamie: but of course. jon: that along with turkey, ham, corn bread stuffing, oyster stuffing. jamie: you forgot the macaroni and cheese. they will be taking naps at the white house after this. jon: six different kinds of pie. banana cream, apple, huckleber huckleberry, et cetera. jamie: we want you to get to wherever you're going safely. there is rough weather expected in some parts of our country. people going to visit families in record numbers. maria molina tracking all that in the fox weather center. how is it looking now. >> reporter: we have unsettled weather that mother nature is serving us across the northwest and california. we did have a storm system that rolled through the northeast yesterday, that is long gone and behind it a lot of sunshine along the northeast, southeast and parts of the midwest where we're looking at very warm temperatures for today up to 20 degrees above average in spots. here is a closer look at two storm systems out west. one of them bringing light rain across northern california. heavier patches of rain across oregon and washington, a lot of snow across a lot of the elevations of the cascades. we could see a foot of snow as the storm system moves inland throughout the day today i warm across the center of the nation. 58 in minneapolis. 57 in kansas city, 55 over in rapid city. a little bit cooler as we head into the northwest with that storm system that will be pulling in that cooler air as well. across the southeast 67 will be your high in atlanta and 64 in memphis. while the weather is quite today across the eastern half of the country we will be looking at changes, some travel troubles as we head into saturday and sunday. so for everyone headed back after the thanksgiving celebration we are going to be looking at some problems with delays possible on saturday afternoon across the gulf coast up into portions of the great lakes, the heaviest of the rain will be across parts of the mississippi valley, and the east coast will stay clear, but then by sunday that storm system will continue tracking eastward and we'll be looking at potential delays across the southeast and the ohio valley by sunday evening, with the heaviest precipitation in the tennessee valley and across parts of the southeast. enjoy the quiet weather across the eastern half of the country today. jamie: that is today i getting home call your air lynn for sure. thanks so much, maria. jon: airlines might be the only thing that have a higher approval rating than congress right now, because congress did not get the job done. that super committee went down in flames with no deal to try to strike a trillion or more dollars out of our national deficit. so what happens now? susan frichio is chef correspondent for the washington examiner. it's awful nice of you to join us on thanksgiving. the super committee had hoped to get some kind of a deal done that would among other things extend unemployment benefits for the people -- and there are millions of them -- who have been out of work for months in this country. what is going to happen now to those unemployment benefits? >> now, the democrats in congress will try to get this passed separately, or in a package that also would extend some payroll tax cuts that were approved last year, and that folks want to extend. so there will be an effort to try to pass this. here is where it gets tricky. it costs more than $40 billion to do this. republicans are on this quest to reduce the deficit. they are saying if we're going to spend extra money, even on unemployment insurance it needs to be paid for. well, how do you pay for it? democrats would say, let's increase taxes. republicans don't want to do that. they'll say let's make cuts. again, we are at the same political dived that blocks dyedivide that blocks things in congress. the democrats have introduced a bill in the house, and the house leadership says they are not willing to take it out unless there is a nontax way to pay for it. in the senate you'll see harry reid a democrat introduce the bill that would extend the unemployment benefits that are set to expire at the end of the year and he may propose something that would pay for some of these things with a tax increase on folks making more than a million dollars a year, thus forcing the republicans to, you know, sort of pick whether or not they want to either cut payroll unemployment insurance or raise taxes on millionaires and poll numbers show a lot of people support that. it's real tricky. we are not sure what is going to happen. if it doesn't happen, you're right millions of people will start losing insurance benefits starting in january. jon: everybody has sympathy for the long-term unemployed, a lot of the problems that are facing them in their job hunt not of their making, obviously. at the same time, can you just continue to pay and pay and pay for people, not to be productive, if you don't find a which to come up with the money in washington? >> reporter: that is another interesting issue. some republicans have been saying, enough is enough with unemployment extense. we've already done it several times. it's adding to the debt and the deficit, and, you know, i know rand paul of kentucky, a freshman senator has said, we are borrowing from china to pay for american workers to stay home and not work. and that is what people are contesting. every time there has been a fight over unemployment extension more and more republicans have got even on board with this idea of let's not do it unless at the very least it's paid for and it's paid for without tax cuts. that is the hang you have and that's what we'll see in december when both sides fight over it once again. jon: the line we always hear from the president is millionaires and billionaires should pay their fair share. is there enough money available? i mean if you increase taxes on people who make more than a million a year is there going to be enough money coming into the treasury to be able to pay for that kind of a program? >> reporter: well, it depends how they package it. it won't be enough if they package it with the extension of payroll tax cuts that already exist, and if they expire would add a thousand dollar tax bill to the average worker. so -- or the average family that works. so i think that part of the issue is how they package it. republicans would argue that there would need to also be extensive entitlement reform and cuts, other things to reduce the deficit and pay for some of these other measures. i think that's what you're going to see. there is going to be a fight over it. we are not going to do it unless it's paid for. and democrats and republicans are going to completely disagree over how it should be paid for. jon: you are going to be busy in the weeks and months ahead, the chief congressional correspondent for the washington examiner. susan, happy thanksgiving. >> reporter: you too. jamie: new information on a developing story we've been following. police in florida believe it's a ring and necklace that can lead them to a missing mom from orlando. her name is michelle parker. she disappeared after taping an episode of people's court. her family is hoping that someone will recognize the jewelry that parker was wearing that day. our affiliate has the latest. >> reporter: as the search for michelle parker continues woman of all ages come together to help find her. this group of gals met today while updating fliers. >> flyintrying to bring michelle home to her babies. just being a mom i would want to be home with my babies. i hope she can soon come home to herses. >> reporter: her mom keeps the search active with new clues. >> it's something that she had on that day when we were shopping. that is one of her favorite pieces of jewel raoerbgs it's a cross. >> reporter: with this cross comes hope that she is found. >> i tell people from my church, anybody we can tell to come out and help. we need volunteers. >> reporter: some say she was carjacked in her hummer. >> why would they have stripped the car down and left it in the parking lot. it's obviously not a robbery. we haven't seen any action on any of her bank accounts. >> reporter: for the volunteers it hits home. >> it's so important for women to know self-defense and know how to protect yourself. >> you don't think it can happen to you. but it can happen to anybody. it's one of those things that you just never know. >> reporter: yvonne holds onto hope that michelle will come back home somehow. >> i love you so much, and she knows that i do. and we are going to find you, just hang in there. we are going to get you. we are not ever going to quit, ever. jamie: we're really hoping for good news on that story. our thanks to our fox affiliate wofl. we will bring you any new developments on this mysterious case. call authorities if you have information. jon: the turmoil continues to egypt. take a live look at tahrir square. so much bloodshed there over the people's dissatisfaction with their government. the military government that has taken control since the depar the departure of hosni mubarak. we are going to update you with the latest that is going on with the plans to replace egypt's government, coming up. a scare in the air, and everybody on board heard it. what prompted this emergency landing? jamie: plus don't get caught off guard. in a worst case scenario are you prepared if something like this happens? yeah, you could get stuck out on the road. do you have an emergency kit in your car? do you know what you need to have in it? we're going to tell you before nasty weather sets in. jon: lieutenant robert welch, an army hero who is gone but not forgotten. what his widow is doing to keep his memory alive and trying to help other bereaved families at the same time. truth is, most s don't treat a cough. really? 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[ male announcer ] head & shoulders: seven benefits, every bottle. urney across america, ] head & shoulders: i've learned that when you ask someone in texas if they want "big" savings on car insurance, it's a bit like asking if they want a big hat... ...'scuse me... ...or a big steak... ...or big hair... i think we have our answer. geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. be worth updating? what are the to-do's we'll check off and the prices we'll brag about? there are plenty of reasons to resist the snooze button this friday morning. and whether we're online or in the aisles at 5:00 a.m. those reasons can be standing in our kitchens and laundry rooms for years to come. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. update your laundry status, too. black friday, this washer or dryer is just 549 bucks each. jon: right now tensions are rising on the korean peninsula as the north threatens to turn south korea's presidential palace into a sea of fire. the saber rattling comes one day after south korea held military drills near an eyes land attacked by the north last year. in ohio where seven men are in custody for hate crimes, frightened members of the amish community are speaking out about the recent hair-cutting attacks. one sheriff says they've made hundreds of calls to authorities in three states and are arming themselves with shotguns and pepper spray. a plane makes an emergency landing in denver just after taking off, the pilot returning to the airport after hearing a loud pop and the smell of smoke filled the cabin. it turns out there was a problem with the air-conditioning, and passengers were never in any danger. jamie: maybe there is something good about staying home. but if you've thought about getting to your thanksgiving destination was tough, going home could be work. sorry to bring you the bad news, but major traffic jams dominate parts of the country right now. we've got a forecast for your return trip. robert sinclair jr. is the new york spokesperson for aaa and he traction these things all year. first of all, if people are out there and they encounter some of these bad weather cons, aaa is going to be busy. they might not get a quick response. maybe they could do some things themselves. is there a kit that is appropriate to carry in your car and should we check like we check the batteries in our smoke detectors. >> the basic items that we get calls for are flat tires and dead batteries. the tool kit should have things like a flashlight, basic tool kit. screwdrivers, pliers, basic wrenches, jumper cables, things like that. flares, a cellphone and a blanket. the charged cellphone is probably the most important thing these days. that way you can call for help and we can come and get you. jamie: the blanket sounds really important. >> if you get caught out there for a longtime. some people may be in a willed derness area. bottled water is good, and non-perishable food stuff as well. be prepared for extreme circumstances if you happen to run into them. jamie: what about this weekend a lot of people traveling, millions of people will be out on the road this year. >> 42.5 million people traveling, that is about 4 herz higher than last year. interestingly it's the busiest holiday so far. it's the only holiday i should say when there was an increase in the number of travelers this year. labor day, memorial day, 4th of july were all flat or lower compared to last year. it's probably all based on the economy. people don't have the money that they once did. when people travel they spend money and it's a good thing for the economy, but we're on the right track but we are nowhere near 2005 when we had nearly 59 million people traveling. we are on the right track, things are getting better but we have a ways to go. jamie: you and me made the decision to stay close. >> yeah. jamie: which is probably smart. we are not going to deal with any traffic jams. if folks want to get back, what is the best day to do that? is sunday the kiss of death. >> sunday, between 6:00pm and midnight is going to be busiest. maybe sunday you can leave at noon. for go the afternoon activities, and leave a little earlier. some people might decide to leave tomorrow, friday, that way you'll have the whole weekend for yourself and you can go shopping. jamie: i asked you if we could call in sick on monday and come back monday morning and you said don't do that. >> no. jamie: thank you, robert so much. i hope you have a safe and fun holiday. folks be careful out there on the road. >> don't drink and drive. jamie: definitely not. jon: there are more violent protests in egypt and a behind the scenes effort to free three young american people arrested in cairo. she lost her husband in afghanistan, but now a brave widow is finding the strength to go the extra mile for fellow military families. we'll head to iraq for a live report on how u.s. troops there are celebrating this holiday. >> this is captain jane mayo serving in northern afghanistan. i want to wish my family in pensacola, florida, a happy thanksgiving. i love and miss you. ♪ ♪ ♪ when your chain of supply ♪ goes fr here to shanghai, that's logistics. ♪ ♪ chips from here, boards from there ♪ ♪ track it all through the air, that's logistics. ♪ ♪ clearing customs like that ♪ hurry up no time flat that's logistics. ♪ ♪ all new technology ups brings to me, ♪ ♪ that's logistics. ♪ you can put a force field on him and be invisible! [ child 2 ] i call first player. no. i already called it. [ dad ] nobody's playing anything until after we get our homework done. thank you. hello? test drive's not over yet. [ male announcer ] it's practically yours. [ louder ] hello? but we still need your signature. right now during sign then drive it's never been easier to get the all-new passat, the 2012 motor trend car of the year, for practically just your signature. that's the power of german engineering. visit vwdealer.com. jon: so much to be thankful for in this country, including people like this. a military wife who lost her husband in afghanistan, now giving back after losing so much. mike tobin has her story. >> reporter: as soldiers return to for the knox from afghanistan they reunite with loved ones. some see a loved one for the very first time. >> wonderful, a blessing. >> reporter: and soldiers with the third brigade combat team also see a familiar face who welcomes returning soldiers and cries for those who will not. her name is becky welch. she married her sweetheart from junior high. he became lieutenant robert welch and third with the third brigade in afghanistan. >> if you asked me if anything would happen to rob i would have said no. i mean he had a desk job. >> reporter: on april 11th of this year a rocket hit welch's base, lieutenant welch was killed by shrapnel. becky now all alone with her children elected to stay at for the knox. >> i know that rob is not coming home, but this still is our home, and it still feels u know, that he's here, in all of my pictures. i just wanted to keep the kids schedules, keep them in school and kind of make a slow transition down to our new life. >> reporter: becky became active on the base. she works with the care teams that helps bereaved families. survivors outreach and family readiness groups. she has developed a relationship with the families of the soldiers who served with rob. >> she is a living witness that life goes on, that, yes, she's hurt, she is wounded, but she is being useful, and she is giving back to the community. >> her strength has taught all of us how to endure, and like helped us in so many ways, because you see her, and you think, you know, if that happened to me i could do it. >> reporter: and becky is aware that she is a living reminder to other army wives that there worst fears can be realized. >> they are trying to help me, the whole time they are having the worry in the back of their mind, wow, if it happened to him it could happen to my soldier too. >> reporter: becky made a promise that she will only transtoeugs her new life after the last member of third brigade comes home. until that time she is trying to heal herself by helping others. at for the knox, kentucky. mike tobin, fox news. jon: god best her. jamie: did you see that, deployed to heaven, they are angels for us. all right. well moving on now, breaking news out of two arab spring hot spots that we're keeping an eye on, the latest on three american college students who were arrested in egypt. one of the young men's mother speaks out. we have a live report on that, plus let the turkey digest, because there are some real good deals out there. the black friday tips you need. guess what, you may get to open your wallet today. the stores are opening early and they are waiting for you. you'll have to get off the couch. maybe not, there is always cyber monday, right, jon? jon: love cyber monday. jamie: uh-huh. ok, people. show me the best way to design a vacation on a budget with expedia. make it work. booking a flight by itself is an uh-oh. see if we can "stitch" together a better deal. that's a hint, antoine. ooh! see what anandra did? booking your flight and hotel at the same time gets you prices hotels and airlines won't let expedia show separately. book it. major wow factor! where you book matters. expedia. with less chronic low back pain. imagine living your life with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is a non-narcotic treatment that's fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing of the skin or eyes. talk with your doctor about your medicines, including those for migraine, or if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles, to address a possible life-threatening condition. tell your doctor about alcohol use, liver disease, and before you reduce or stop taking cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. side effects include nausea, dry mouth, and constipation. 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[ male announcer ] small business solutions. diabetes testing? it's all the same. nothing changes. then try this. freestyle lite® blood glucose test strip. sure, but it's not gonna-- [beep] wow. yep, that's the patented freestyle zipwik™ design. did it just-- [both] target the blood? yeah, drew it right in. the test starts fast. you need just a third the blood of one touch.® that is different. so freestyle lite test strips make testing... easy? easy. great. call or click-- we'll send you strips and a meter, free. free is good. freestyle lite test strips. call or click today. jon: nearly 1500 students now safe after a threat forces the lockdown of a connecticut high school. police say several students brought the threat to the school's attention after discovering a strange posting on a social networking site. those students very shaken up. >> it was pretty scary, not knowing what is happening. >> they said lockdown, and the teacher said it's a lockdown, now what to do. we all just got under our desks. jon: police and dogs were brought in to check the cool building but nothing out of the ordinary was found. jamie: that was good news. there is a lot of action today in a couple of mideast hot spots n. egypt we've been showing you the demonstrators, and police are calling a truce after five days of violence. military rulers are saying it's time to focus on the upcoming elections. take a look at this. this is tahrir square where plenty of protestors have been showing up. meanwhile, ye yemen's president who has signed a deal to hand over power to his vice president is condemning violence in the capitol ordering an investigation. rinaninan looking at all of this. live in jerusalem. >> reporter: the situation in yemen is interesting. three times they tried to get the president to sign this deal, it didn't work, and finally on the fourth try was the winner. the protests still continue. they are very angry in yemen about this deal because it leads saleh free of any sort of prosecution. not only that he still kind of hangs onto his title for three months until elections take place. they are also upset that he might somehow reinvent himself and find himself still serving politically in yemen because he has a lot of relatives who still serve in the military, and in business, and in the economy, and somehow he'll find a way to get back in, so all of this is really upsetting those protestors, jaime. jamie: reena, do we know anything knew about the american students that were held in egypt? >> reporter: well, we're hearing a little more from their parents who say that their release is expected really any minute now. the egyptians sort of run a little bit slower, so what they may say from the parents side might not exactly follow through in the exact hour in egypt. but the good news is they are expected to be released, one of the parents calling it the best thanksgiving gift she's ever received. coming up in the 2:00 hour on fox we'll hear from the number of derek sweeney of georgetown. her son is one of those still in egypt detained, jaime. jamie: reena ninan thank you, joining us from jerusalem. take care. jon: from the foundation of democracy and the author of al-qaida's armies joins us. this thing in egypt is not necessarily going the way the united states might have wanted, huh? >> it's definitely not in the sense that we look at the egyptian army as a guarantor of stability in the region and certainly we want the egyptian army to maintain our peace agreement with the israelis. at the same time you have to understand the frustration of the people in egypt. they've been living basically under military rule since 1952, and they thought that they had broken the grip on power earlier this year with the fall of hosni mubarak who was part and parcel of that military regime. what they found in recent months is that the infrastructure has not eroded and they basically live under a police state. i think the military response we've scenery sent lee only underscores that. jon: the military is the one organization in egypt that really has the capacity to govern. at least for now, right? >> that's right. we don't really know who the alternatives are. again, this sort of puts everybody between a rock and a hard place. you've got on the one hand, you know, an osified regime that has entrenched itself in egyptian society and that is the thing that has turned out hundreds of thousands of people into the streets in protest. at the same time we don't know who else could step in to govern efficiently. again, we have to understand that these people, what they want is more representative government that is not controlled by the military, and so we are at an impasse now in this revolution. we are at the second-phase of the egyptian revolution. my sense is that we're going to see more rounds of this as the frustration continues, and i have to also add that it's been compounded by the muslim brotherhood. the fact that they appear poised for a victory and they are partnering with the military makes it all that much more unpalatable to the protestors who are coming out in the streets. that is another reason why they are upset right now. jon: not far i way in yemen president saleh has said he will step down. he's apparently signed the agreement, you know, in front of other arab leaders. does it look like this time it's really going to happen, and what should the united states be thinking about that? >> well, you know, i couldn't tell you whether saleh is serious this time. this has been going on now for ten months in yemen. we thought that maybe after he was injured in a assassination attempt back in june an had burns over a good part of his body, we thought he was problem below going to step down then. he's, of course back, and now he signed this new agreement. the one thing that looks like, you know, that this could actually be the real resignation, is that he intends to come to the united states for some medical treatment. it appears that we've sort of paved the way for this and he may be able to spend some time here before trying to figure out what he does in retirement, so to speak. but the yemeni people are not willing to give him a free pass. they want him to stand trial and account for 33 years of abuses in that country. but our challenge looking forward with yemen is that again, just like in egypt, we just don't know who could govern efficiently once saleh steps down. yemen is a much messier place, by the way than egypt. it's a very tribal country where islamism and jihad is eupl runs rampant. we don't know who would step in to stitch the tribes together in yemen right now. jon: all kinds of questions in that part of the world. jonathan, thanks. >> thank you. jamie: we're always remembering those who can't spend thanksgiving with their families at home, their loved ones. among them are the thousands of u.s. troops serving in iraq. dominique d-natali streaming live from baghdad. hi, dominic. >> reporter: jaime you know on the most person of all holidays it really hammers home how much sacrifice u.s. troops are actually making, being so very far away from their loved ones back home enjoying turkey on thanksgiving day. two servicemen and women with me this evening in baghdad. we've got to thank you for your sacrifice to your country. we appreciate it. what's it like being so far away from home. >> i'm stacey saffrin, i'm in the u.s. air force. >> reporter: what is it like being far away from home on a wonderful holiday like this. >> i'm thinking about my friends and family back home. i know they are thinking about us over here and sending all that support. we have a great team over here, great comraderie. it was nice to spend the day with all of our colleagues. >> reporter: we are in the dining hall earlier on and they were serving turkey. does it make you feel anything like home, something like that. >> you always feel at home when you're with good friends and good colleagues. the drawdown is going on right now. a lot of conflicting emotions with the soldiers in iraq. a few of us are staying after the drawdown, it's nice to get together for the holiday of thanksgiving. >> reporter: do you think it's significant because the drawdown will be complete in a few weeks from now. >> i think so. i think there is a great expectation in america for the troops to be home and people to celebrate that. i think people are ready to move on and enter a new relationship with the government of iraq, a long-term strategic operation that does not involve u.s. operations on the ground here. >> reporter: you're going to stay on, you're part of what is calling the enduring force, is that correct. >> i'm part of the security operation of iraq which is a small body of uniformed and contractor personnel who are here to help the iraqi military build its capacity. >> reporter: it's not entire retrue that u.s. soldiers are leaving iraq, can you put it into context. >> a lot of the fighting forces are leaving iraq. the few that remain will help iraqis purchase equipment and conduct training. >> reporter: lieutenant tom hanson. >> that is correct. >> reporter: you guys could be here for six months, possibly 12 months. another full year potentially here in iraq. >> that's correct. >> reporter: hope it goes well. good luck with the mission. are the iraqis ready to do the job on their own? >> i think they've demonstrated tremendous potential. since 2009 they've been responsible for security in the cities. i think they are more than ready. >> reporter: it's all with the help of the u.s. armed forces. thank you so much for your service. hopefully next year you won't have to spend thanksgiving in a place like this. hopefully you'll be back home with your families. take care for now. there are less than 20,000 u.s. soldiers left iffy rack, they are leaving at a rapid pace. we believe by the middle of december all of them should be gone. about a thousand a day at the moment, some leaving by air, some leaving by land, but the military says they are on time -- sorry, they are on target to get all troops out. the deadline is actually december 31st but it could happen a couple of weeks well before then, home in time for christmas. that's what everybody is focusing on here. back to you jaime. jamie: sounds good to us, dominic. thank you so much. it's one of the busiest travel weekends of the whole year. if you're traveling you know that. we want you to know what the weather will be. will it cooperate? we have our full report. a government official gets a smack down. we are going to tell you about the guy guy who took matters into his own hands, literally. that is coming up. we have the black friday low down, what you need to know to score the very best deals. we are kicking off the holiday shopping center. we're going to make sure you do it right. >> first sergeant pa rattle tow i'm station ned afghanistan. i want to wish a happy thanksgiving to my daughter darlene, i love you and miss you a lot. [ male announcer ] tom's discovering that living healthy can be fun. see? he's taking his vitamins. new one a day vitacraves plus omega-3 dha is a complete multivitamin for adults. plus an excellent source of omega-3 dha in a great tasting gummy. one a day, gummies for grown-ups. sure. cake or pie? pie. apple or cherry? cherry. oil or cream? oil or cream? cream. reddi-wip us real dairy crm. nothing's more real than reddi-wip. jamie: fox news alert right now dominique d-natali was just with troops in iraq and telling us that the iraqis are according to our troops on the ground red deal. well they have to be, because there is still a lot of activity going on, including this report of triple bombings in basra right now. at least 11 people according to the associated press killed, 70-some odd folks or more injured in triple bombings in an open air market that just took place. as developments happen and facts come into our newsroom we'll bring you an update on this story just breaking in basra. jon: new video right now of a man in india giving a government minister a five-fingered review of his work. the guy slaps the country's agriculture minister claiming he was trying to draw attention to the corruption in the government. security guards grabbed the attacker just as he pulled a knife from his waistband. the minister was rushed to safety. the man was led away by security. jamie: there are better ways to work things out with government officials, like call them. rain and snow is expected for some parts of the country today as a lot of folks are trying to visit their families. maria molina wants you to get there safe and on time. live in the fox weather center. hi maria and happy holiday to you. >> reporter: happy holiday to you as well, jaime. we want everyone to get there safely. if you live in the northwest you'll have to take extra steps to be safe. you'll get snow out there, rain, windy conditions and also expecting chilly temperatures. you'll also have to bundle up. if you live in the northeast it is much improved today, we have sunshine after the storm system that rolled through parts of the northeast yesterday bringing in up to 6 to 12 inches of snow across portions of new england. quite a bit of snow out there. that should be melting throughout the afternoon as temperatures will be climbing into the 40s across portions of new england. in the south temperatures warming up nicely, 71 will be your high in new orleans. mild across portions of the midwest. we will be looking at temperatures up to 20 degrees above what is normal for this time of year. that's definitely good news for thanksgiving day out there. as we head westbound that is where the unsettled weather is located. we have a large trough setting up across the region and that is bringing in disturbances, bringing in disturbed weather. we've had rain across northern california and sen central california. the next disturbance is a little bit stronger, has more snow witness. the cascades can pick up quite a bit of snow, over a foot of snow possible. please drive carefully. where is that storm headed? it's headed eastbound over the next several days. by black friday a little bit of shower activity is possible across texas. it will be increasing in intensity and also pulling in more moisture out of the gulf so that saturday we'll be looking at potential travel problems from the great lakes all the way down into the south with this next storm system. so as people head home after thanksgiving that is when we're expecting to be looking at widespread delays across portions of the gulf coast through the great lakes on saturday continuing to head eastbound as we head into sunday. you're looking at rain across portions of the southeast into the ohio valley with the heaviest on sunday expected across the tennessee valley and also in the southeast. jaime. jamie: that is the busiest day we learned. everyone be careful. thanks maria. jon. jon: looks like winter is coming. it could be a hot topic of discussion this thanksgiving, who is the best guitarist of all times. the ranks just out. it might be turkey day, but this turkey won't be on the thanksgiving dinner table. his story coming up. and black friday frenzy, some folks camping out for days in front of their favorite stores. we'll tell you how to get the best deals out there. and maybe you don't need a tent. turn right up ahead. you never upda me. so, now i just have to wing it. i meant turn left up ahead. recalculating. turn right now! [ horn honks, tires scech ] [ laughs ] [ crash! ] and your fifteen-minute insurance might not p for all this. so get allstate. you could save money and be better protected from mayhem like me. recalculating. [ dennis ] dollar for dollar nobody protects you from mayhem like allstate. jon: one turkey you won't see on the table today is the star resident of a town in north carolina. tomasina the turkey showed up in davis last spring. she now makes her residence at the general store there. the owner says she makes her way around town, visits neighbors and walks into other nearby stores. >> thomasina? can you come here? come here baby girl. >> she has made it through the hurricanes, dog attacks, car being hit. i used to love to eat turkey sandwiches and do turkey, this year we're having oysters and stake. more steak. jon: at first folks thought she was a boy and named the bird tom. they tweaked it after discovering he was a she, that's why she is named thomasina. jamie: she will never be as famous as the honey badger. a lot of you know what i'm talking about. a crazy time of the year, there are calls to boycott some of the biggest names in retail tomorrow, this campaign behind it is called occupy black friday. those behind it want shoppers to boycott the big-name stores and even some mid-sized ones. their calls could fall on deaf ears because many folks already camped out outside their favorite stores. they want to be first in line, jon and i are not sure why. as the frenzy kicks in how do you know which purchases are worth your time, money and certainly camping out. andrea waroc is a consumer safety specialist. she promises to be my buddy to make sure i don't over buy, remember? and some great tips, why would people camp out and tkraoe a does it really pay? >> there are definitely some tremendous black friday deals to be had, and the door busters that we see advertised. best buy has a 42-inch hd tv for $199. that is an unbeatable price. they are limited in quantities. the people who are camped out are likely to get that product. but you don't have to wait in long lines to get the deals. they are available online which is so nice. jamie: that's what we did, both jon and i were shopping online. let's put up some of the tips that you have, and the question is, one of the tips you have is to wait it out, and the question is, if you wait -- say you do your research, which you just buy what you need, and w if you wait it out do the prices get better as time goes on? >> there are definitely great deals to be had on black friday and cyber monday, some brands that don't typically discount, apple and dyson will only on black friday and cyber monday. other deals may get better as the season goes on. if you want to save up and keep your eye on different products definitely wait. there is a free shipping day on december 16th, which gives you a last chance to shop online and get free shipping from over 2,000 merchants that guarantee delivery by christmas eve. there is still time to shop. popular items that sell out quickly it may be better to shop over this weekend to really get the best deals, and shop tomorrow. jamie: talk about technology and the roll that it can play. this year i think there is more available than ever before to make sure you're getting the best price. >> it really will help you find some great deals. first of all, shop online, and start today. lots of those black friday deals are already online and available. i was looking before this interview and some items are even sold out already online. sign up for retailers e-newsletters. they will email you and update you on the sales available tomorrow and on monday. and you'll also get exclusive coupon codes that you can use in store or online on top of those black friday deals to get better discounts. follow brands from social media sites like facebook and twitter to get instant updates on your computer or cellphone which you can purchase right there from your hand-held device. you also want to use your smart phone when shopping in store. coupon chirpa has a mobile coupon app that will provide coupons in the store that you can use on top of the deals. jamie: we love the coupon. thank you so much. happy hunting everybody. >> thank you so much. jamie: see you soon. [music playing] ♪ jon: could be the topic of debate around the dinner table this thanksgiving, who is the greatest guitarist of all time? rolling stone magazine came out with a list putting the late jimi hendrix whom you just heard up there at the top. eric clapton considered one of the most influential guitarists of all time. the only three time inch duct tee to the hall of fame ranked second followed by jimmy page, keith richards and jeff beck rounding out the top five. jamie: you can't argue with any of those. jon: i guess not. i know my dad is probably saying, i haven't heard of any of them. jamie: a good list. we have. syria is facing a new ultimatum, jon and faith of new sanctions. michelle bachmann gets an apology. it was for an off-key joke. who is singing a new song now? i couldn't concei this as a heart attack. the doctor leaned over and said to me, >> i couldn' an aspirin regimen. go see your doctor now. you noticed! these clothes are too big, so i'm donating them. how'd you do it? eating right, whole grain. 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[ sponge ] so it's not a chore. jon: it is thanksgiving day and the folks here at fox news channel have put out a spread. i mean this isn't wall street. jamie: check it out. jon: look at this. we've got ham, turkey. jamie: eggplant parmesan, i'm not sure how that works. jon: mac and cheese. jamie: all the way down to desserts. this is our real job. we will be serving the crew. jon: there are thousand -fs people who work here who you never get to see on camera. they keep this running for those of you that you do see. they are here working.