"CBS Weekend News" Full Broadcast | November 29, 2025

Mhm. Tonight, travel trouble this holiday weekend. A massive snowstorm blasts the Midwest. The Thanksgiving rush home a mess for millions on the

roads and in the skies. I'm Dave Malcoff at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, where problems are piling up here along with what could be 10 inches

of snow from Montana to Michigan. I'm meteorologist Andrew Kozak tracking the path of the storm and the deep freeze following close behind. Plus critical fix

airlines rushed to update software on air bus jets. Also tonight, new warning with U. S. Firepower offshore. President trump declares Venezuela's airspace closed. Deadly assault, Russia bombards Ukraine overnight as the US pushes for peace. Papal outreach, Pope Leo in Istanbul bridging the divide between faiths and nations.

I'm Chris Lipsey in Istanbul, traveling with Pope Leo on his first trip as Pope.

All that plus holiday shopping in a year when tariffs are raising prices.

I'm Ali Bauman in New York. Tis the season for deals. But are Americans in this economy spending big or feeling the pinch? The latest numbers straight ahead.

This is the CBS weekend news from New York with Jerrica Duncan. Good evening everyone and thank you for joining us on this Saturday. Tonight, 42 million people across this country are under winter storm alerts. That's making post Thanksgiving travel pretty stressful. Up to one foot of snow is expected in parts of the Midwest, and officials have warned people to stay off the roads. Flight delays. Cancellations are also adding up. Plus, there's another problem. If you're flying, some jets require a critical software update before midnight Sunday. CBS is Dave Malcolm

at Chicago's O'Hare Airport leads us off tonight. Dave.

Good evening. Jericho is really coming down now. At one point this evening, more than 40% of the worldwide cancellations were coming from the two airports in the Chicago area. That's why here at O'Hare, the frustration is

real.

Tonight, a powerful winter storm is blasting the Midwest with snow and cold air. It comes as millions of Americans are making their journey back home from their Thanksgiving travels. Here in Chicago, more than 1000 flights

have been canceled at O'Hare International. Michelle Hedrick is trying to get to Tampa, FL, but she's had two flights canceled so far. One of them was the Airbus, uh, for spirit that the Airbus that was called Clyde, you know, canceled that. So they say that it was because of the software

issue. The FAA is mandating an emergency software update to correct a flight control issue for thousands of planes in the Airbus 320 family. The planes must be updated by Sunday morning or they will be grounded. The storm is impacting drivers as well. In Iowa, this interstate is covered in snow and ice. Many cars and trucks are sliding

into ditches back at the airport. Tomorrow is expected to be the busiest day. 3,000,000 passengers are expected many cars and trucks are sliding into ditches. Back at the airport tomorrow is expected to be the busiest day. 3,000,000 passengers are expected to fly nationwide. It's like I could spend the night

here if I wanted to, or I could rent a car.

Think about that if she drove right now from Chicago to Tampa, it would take her 18 hours. We're talking about more than 5000 It would take her 18 hours. We're talking about more than 5000 delays and 1500 cancellations across the country.

That's a lot of people trying to get home. You gotta do what you gotta do. Dave Malcoff. Thank you for new details on the cross country storm and what it means for your return home. Let's check in with CBS News meteorologist Andrew Kozak.

Yeah, good evening, Jerica. Tonight, 50 million americans are still underneath winter weather alerts, advisories, warnings all across the Great Lakes, the northern plains areas like Des Moines. Yeah, we could still up and down 35 be looking at accumulating snow areas like Ellsworth, just north of Des Moines on 35 over 12 inches of snow. Let's talk about where this is going. Pulls across the Great Lakes

and into New England tonight. By Sunday it's still a chilly rain across the I-95 corridor, but it is plain old rain for the major cities. A bit of a break into early Monday that our next system starts to ramp up and this time. It's areas across the Appalachians that could be looking at accumulating

snow and even starting to see some wet flakes mixing in for the major cities across the Northeast. So additional snowfall the next three days will include not just the Great Lakes but also New England.

As we track that seconds area of snow, and now we're also tracking an Arctic blast. We're talking about temperatures that will feel well below zero for the Northern Plains, the Great Lakes,

and even into New England for the middle of the upcoming week.

Jerica alright Andrew, thank you to Washington DC. Now we're National Guard troops deployed to the city by President Trump now have visible support. They've been joined on patrol by DC

police and other local law enforcement. The move comes after Wednesday's horrific attack that killed one National Guard member and critically wounded another. The suspect, a 29-year-old Afghan national,

faces murder charges. Tonight, President Trump's pressure campaign on Venezuela is intensifying. CBS's Weijia Jiang in West Palm Beach, Florida is traveling with the president and has those new details.

Weijia.

Ejereka, for weeks, President Trump has huddled with top aides to pore over options for military operations in Venezuela. It's unclear if it's related, but this morning, the president issued a new warning impacting the skies above it. Amid the increase in operations at a naval base in Puerto Rico, President Trump posted, Please consider the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela to be closed in its entirety. While the U. S. Can't

unilaterally close another country's airspace, the Federal Aviation Administration has been warning airlines for weeks to avoid the area due to increased military activity. On Thursday, Trump said the attacks on Venezuela would not be limited to boats.

We'll be starting to stop them by land also. The land is easier, but that's going to start very soon.

For three months, the U.S. military has carried out deadly strikes in the Caribbean Sea, targeting alleged drug trafficking vessels and killing more than 80 people. Democrats have called the attacks illegal and unauthorized. This week, the administration designated Venezuela leader Nicolas Maduro the head of a terrorist organization.

Trump said he is open to talking with Maduro.

If we can save lives, if we can do things the easy way, that's fine.

And if we have to do things the easy way, that's fine. And if we have to do it the hard way, that's fine too.

All this as Trump says he will pardon former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who is currently serving a 45-year federal prison sentence. He was convicted of helping drug trafficking cartels import cocaine into the U.S. The Honduran presidential election is set for tomorrow, and President Trump has endorsed

the candidate in the National Party. That's the same party that Juan Orlando Hernandez represented. Jerrica.

Weijia Jiang, traveling with the president. Thank you. Negotiators for Ukraine are headed to Florida for further peace talks with the Trump administration officials. The visit comes amid a new deadly Russian air assault across Ukraine. CBS's Elizabeth Palmer at our London bureau has the very latest.

Serious negotiations about to get underway may well lead to a ceasefire, but until there is peace, there is peace there is still lethal war. Ukraine released video today of its attack on tankers it says were shipping sanctioned Russian oil. While overnight Russian missiles and hundreds of drones attacked the Ukrainian

capital Kiev. Residents ran for cover. Many took shelter in the subway until the Sun rose on the destruction. Apartment buildings in Kiev and the surrounding areas were hit. Irina Borochevska lives in one of them. This is pure terrorism, she said. What else would you call it? Not only lack of sleep. They've had to cope with shattered homes, power cuts, cold, water shortages

and a steady stream of the dead. They're buried in cemeteries like this one in Lviv, which is almost full. Now grieving families are struggling to accept that a ceasefire will mean handing over a large chunk of Ukraine to Russia. Ola Kachmarik who lost her son is resigned. I understand that my son died fighting for that land she says and now they just want to give it away.

It looks like a peace deal may actually be in sight. But for Ukrainians who didn't start this fight, it will be a bitter end. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has sent his national security adviser and a whole team of powerful officials to Washington for talks. Meanwhile, Jericho, President Trump's official envoy, Steve Whitkoff, will be heading to Moscow to engage with the Russians.

Elizabeth Palmer in London, thank you. Tonight, Pope Leo is in Turkey. He celebrated mass with Istanbul's Catholic community. They make up 33,000 people in the country of more than 85 million, most of whom are Muslim. CBS's Chris lives say is there and reports the pope also pushed for peace and unity

beyond Christianity.

Well, I'm standing in the Blue Mosque, one of the most iconic sites in all of Istanbul and indeed the entire Muslim world. But today it was the scene of a visit by none other than Pope Leo, the leader of 1.5 billion Catholics worldwide, as he continues to preach this message of unity and peace. Here he borrowed from the book of Isaiah and talked about turning swords into plowshares.

And it's a message of peace and unity, not just across faiths, but within his own. Yesterday, he marked the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, where core tenets of Christianity were established that are still celebrated today.

And he did it with members of different Christian denominations. And now tomorrow, that trip continues in Lebanon. He's heading to the capital, Beirut, a city and a country that has seen little of the peace that Pope Leo has been preaching.

Just last weekend, Israel killed a top commander of Hezbollah. The very city where Pope Leo is about to visit, Jericho, just underscores the security concerns that are also a big part of this trip.

Chris Livesay for us, following the Pope. Thank you. On the CBS Money Watch, Americans spent records amounts online Friday, $12 billion according to Adobe Analytics. CBS's Ali Bauman in New York reports

how rising prices are impacting shoppers.

Good evening, Jerrica. for the first time ever Americans are projected to spend over a trillion dollars this holiday season despite concerns of tariffs and inflation shoppers are hunting for deals and opening their wallets. Shoppers are turning out across America, including at new York's Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park. Looking for bargains for the holidays.

If I looked for a deal anywhere I could

find it, but it wasn't easy. The National Retail Federation projects a record 186 million Americans will shop in person and online through Cyber Monday. That's 3,000,000 more from last year. That despite the lowest consumer

sentiment in three years, which measures how people feel online through Cyber Monday. That's three million more from last year. That, despite the lowest consumer sentiment in three years, which measures how people feel about their own finances and the economy.

It's a little expensive, but making it work. Getting less than usual.

A CBS News poll shows a majority of Americans feel prices have gone up in recent weeks. Still many view holiday spending as essential. Kathleen Cullen is with the National Retail Federation.

They'll do what they can within reason to make the holiday special and meaningful. A survey of small

business owners found 44% say they've had to increase their prices due to tariffs. According to Adobe Analytics, this Thanksgiving weekend, consumers spent big on items like

electronics, video game consoles, consumers spent big on items like electronics, video game consoles, and home appliances back at Bryant Park. Shoppers are keeping their spirits bright and their wallets tight. Every time I see this kid smile and happy,

it's you know this is worth it.

And the National Retail Federation says holiday shoppers haven't even bought half of what they intend to. So Jerrica, whatever people spend this weekend could double by the 25th.

All right, Ali Bauman for us tonight in New York. Thank you. Acclaimed playwright Tom Stoppard has died at the age of 88. Stoppard won the Oscar for his 1998 screenplay Shakespeare in Love. He also won five Tonys for his work on Broadway. Stopper died at his home in England.

His agent says he'll be remembered for his brilliance, humanity, and wit. Straight ahead on the CBS Weekend News, how sweet it isn't, we'll look at Britain's new tax targeting obesity. This week, Britain opened a new front in the battle of the bulge, extending attacks on

some coffee drinks and milkshakes to help fight obesity. Here's CBS's Holly Williams. In British supermarkets these days,

there's a war being waged against sugar.

In the UK, it's the main reason why children would be admitted to hospital.

Dr. Kaltha Hasham is a nutritionist who lobbied the UK government to levy a tax on sugary drinks. Are sugary drinks the worst culprit, worse than cakes and

cookies for instance? So if you want to look at making a big impact on the population, well where is it coming from? It was quite clear the biggest

contributor is soft drinks so let's start with soft drinks. The British tax went into effect in 2018. Up to 30 cents per litre depending on the drinks sugar content. But instead of passing that cost on to the consumer, many manufacturers instead lowered their product's sugar content, to avoid the tax altogether. The British version of some drinks is now very different to the product with the same

label in the US.

What does it have instead of sugar? It's got sweetener. It's got aspartame. So it's replaced sugar with an artificial sweetener. Among 10 and 11-year-old girls alone, according to one study,

the tax prevents 5,000 cases of obesity a year.

Avocado is your favourite?

Jules Dunlop is an American mum who lives in the British countryside. She and her family love food, often posting about it on social media. Today I'm gonna be trying these British desserts. And they told us they're definitely not health nuts. If we're comparing junk food to junk food, automatically in the UK you're going to get

a healthier version of what's available to you in the United States. Do those drinks that are available both in the US and the UK, do they taste different?

I would never know the difference.

She told us eating less sugar has given her more energy and clearer skin. A lot of Americans say that when they move to the UK or to Europe, they lose weight without trying.

Yeah, I think that's true too. Just being able to have that baseline of less sugar here has made such a difference.

And I just think an overall healthier lifestyle here. Some American cities have also introduced a sugar tax, but without a national policy, it's unlikely that manufacturers in the US will change the formulas of their drinks.

All right, Holly Williams, thank you. Still ahead on the CBS Weekend News, hikers in Nevada trapped on a snowy cliff will show you how they were rescued. Now to more of our top stories in tonight's CBS Weekend News Roundup. A new pushback against immigration raids.

Several protesters in New York City were arrested today after scuffling with police. They had blocked an entrance to a parking garage where federal agents had appeared to be gathering near Manhattan's Chinatown. In Nevada, a Thanksgiving Day hike

turned into a rescue mission. A helicopter was dispatched to help two hikers stranded after their climbing ropes got stuck, preventing them from moving. It happened in the Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas. Both were hoisted

to safety. To San Jose, California now, where a popular coffee shop has been closed because of a Thanksgiving Night crash. Security camera video shows a speeding car coming from the right side of the screen there, plowing into the shop on the left. The 90-year-old man behind the wheel survived and was hospitalized. He is now in serious but stable condition. Next on the CBS Weekend News, how some college football fans are flying high no matter who

wins. But first, a look back at this day in history. Today in Washington, D.C., thousands of couples were joined in holy matrimony, Reverend Moon style. Finally, it's been a big day for college football. Here on CBS, the number six ranked Oregon Ducks took on the Washington Huskies. Earlier number one Ohio State beat arch rival Michigan. Well tonight CBS's Skylar Henry shows us some unexpected game day pressure and a place you might not expect

from takeoffs to kickoffs tower operations game day for operations

supervisor rest. Pardon starts here on the runway at the Athens Ben Epps

Airport. We try to plan for 10 15 20 aircraft in

advance. Coordination between the airport's small staff has never been more critical. When college teams come to town, the FAA says the number of flights at this 425 acre airfield more than doubles what was once strictly amateur is now largely a high roller market. Does that feel like you're playing a game of Tetris a little bit where you're like moving

some things? Yeah, most definitely.

Most definitely. Mike Matthews is the airport's director. He says it can get so busy there's been five ground stops in the last six years because there were simply no more room.

We have a lot of area on this airport that you wouldn't think we could put an airplane,

but we do. And it's not just in Athens. Airports nationwide are seeing the surge. Airlines, too. Carriers are adding extra seats. Even new flights timed around big college football games.

Things have gotten so popular, it's a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday that we deal with. So everything has changed.

With the costs sky high and out of reach for many fans. Skyler Henry, CBS News, Athens, Georgia.

Must be nice. Well, that is the CBS Weekend News for this Saturday. I'm Jerrika Duncan in New York. Have a great night and we hope to see you Have a great night and we hope to see you back here tomorrow.