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CARL AZUZ, CNN ANCHOR: It`s Tuesday. It`s our last show before Thanksgiving.
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Millions of Americans are expected to travel for the holiday. One thing they might want to pack: patience.
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A stretch of winter weather is making its way across the country and threatening to cause havoc for travel plans.
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Heavy snow, strong winds, freezing rain - hundreds of flights have been affected, most of the winter weather should be gone by Thursday,
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but the days leading up to Thanksgiving could be a scramble for travelers and airlines.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two things that should never go together: peak holiday travel and treacherous winter weather.
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A traveler`s nightmare: cancellations, delays and frustration all around.
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In Dallas where ice coated airplanes, airlines were forced to precancel hundreds of flights to avoid the inevitable.
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Airlines and airports are experienced with wild weather and they are ready for this round.
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ALEXANDRA MARREN, UNITED AIRLINES OPERATIONS V.P.: You can call this the nerve center of the airline.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: United watches the weather and directs every flight around the world from their headquarters in Chicago. The decision to cancel flights happens here.
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VOICE OF JIM DEYOUNG, UNITED AIRLINES MANAGING DIRECTOR NETWORK OPERATIONS: These individuals are actually measuring the impact of weather.
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Of the air traffic control system and coordinating not only internally with United Airlines, but with the FAA.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They are talking to this FAA command center near Washington.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let`s go to Jacksonville and get their concerns first (ph) (inaudible)
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Conference calls keep airlines and FAA controllers up to date with changing conditions, and a warning for travelers: think before you book.
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GEORGE HOBICA, AIRFAREWATCHDOG.COM: Probably, the worst mistake is to take a connecting flight or if you do connect to connect through a known bad weather airport like Chicago or Denver or Detroit or Minneapolis. Airports that are prone to snow storms.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But a storm as big as this one will be hard to avoid.
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AZUZ: Well, yesterday we reported on an international agreement involving Iran`s controversial nuclear program.
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We told you some government`s responses to this deal. Today, we`ve got more reaction.
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SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, ( R) SOUTH CAROLINA : The sanctions actually worked, but this interim deal gives the Iranians $7 billion in cash, and it leaves in place one of the most sophisticated enrichment programs around.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I become very happy because as a first thing, that`s a thing about it, is about medicines.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The medicines.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Effects of on the price of medicine, because it`s very high and I see it`s better now.
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SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D) NEW YORK: I`m disappointed by the terms of the agreement between Iran and the P5+1 nations. Because it does not seem proportional.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody is happy about it, because we hope for a change and the (inaudible) situation that we are (inaudible).
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AZUZ: We all struggle with stress or adversity at time. Some people have strategies for dealing with it.
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They might pray, they might meditate. Maybe listen to music or find comfort with friends.
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Imagine if you are the leader of the free world. That`s a job filled with stress.
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One person on President Obama`s staff had an idea to help.
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JAKE TAPPER, ANCHOR "THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER": In the midst of a bruising 2008 presidential campaign, a young staffer was quietly praying for his candidate and decided to let him know.
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JOSHUA DUBOIS, AUTHOR, "THE PRESIDENT`S DEVOTIONAL": I was thinking, you know, I wonder who is looking after his soul, his spirit, and so
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shot him an email, wasn`t sure what kind of response I was going to get - I was going to get (inaudible) what would happen if I sent this note, and in a few minutes he wrote back and said, this is exactly what I was looking for.
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TAPPER: That message was a short meditation on the 23 psalm, you know, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want."
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And that started a daily tradition for Joshua Dubois and Barack Obama.
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About 2,000 devotions later, the emails are part of how the president quietly practices his Christian faith.
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DuBois joined the administration as the director of faith and neighborhood partnerships, helping to shape policy and acting as a bridge between faith leaders and President Obama.
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President Obama is not somebody who wears his spirituality on his sleeve.
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(on camera): How important is religion and spirituality and Jesus Christ ...
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DUBOIS: Yeah. TAPPER: to President Obama.
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DUBOIS: You know, it`s very important. And I, for one, would rather have a leader who leaves out a sermon than preaches one.
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TAPPER: He has been criticized for not picking a church.
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DUBOIS: Yeah. TAPPER: In Washington, D.C.
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DUBOIS: We recognized very early on that when you bring the whole package of the presidency,
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all the Secret Service and all the lines and barricades and so forth to a local congregation,
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there is a lot of burden there, and so instead of picking one congregation, he decided to visit several.
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TAPPER (voice over): With politics, policy and war, the business of being the president can be altogether unholy.
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(on camera): How do you as somebody who is so attuned to the president`s spiritual needs reconcile the job,
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which is borne out of tough unheavenly decisions and his relationship with God.
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DUBOIS: As long as, you know, you are - you feel that within your own soul that the moves that you are making, are right with God and right with yourself, and that`s the best we can ask for.
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And so, my job was to help - push him towards that relationship with God where they could have their own conversation about what was right and then he makes the best decisions that he can.
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TAPPER (voice over): His job approval rating at their lowest point in some polls. The president`s in a tough time now.
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During past periods of doubt and difficulty, DuBois has sent to the president a go to devotional about bouncing back.
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He quotes second Corinthians. And he combined that with the story about legendary boxer Joe Lewis refusing to take a quick rest on the mat after being knocked down because he didn`t want his opponent to get any rest either.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is this legit?
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Hanukkah is the Jewish Festival of Lights.
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It`s true. The holiday is also known as the Feast of Dedication and the Feast of Maccabees.
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AZUZ: Hanukkah commemorates the victory of the Maccabees. A group of Jewish people. It also celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
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The holiday lasts eight nights, the start of Hanukkah isn`t always on the same day.
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This year, it starts at sunset on Wednesday, which means the eight day holiday coincided with a major U.S. holiday.
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Fortunately for turkey, Thanksgiving isn`t America`s favorite holiday.
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That`s Christmas with Thanksgiving in second. Unfortunately for turkeys, they are on the menu for both.
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So it`s not a time of year when turkeys have holiday cheer.
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They may be especially concerned in one of the four U.S. towns named after them.
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Turkey, Texas. Turkey, North Carolina, Turkey Creek, Louisiana or Turkey Creek, Arizona.
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Northern turkeys may also be on the wing in Pennsylvania if they leave near the townships of Upper Turkeyfoot or Lower Turkeyfoot.
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One thing that`s afoot nationwide, Americans are talking turkey for Thanksgiving dinner.
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The National Turkey Federation, which no turkeys are actually members says that 88 percent of Americans gobble up turkey on Thanksgiving.
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A 2012 Gallup survey found only five percent of Americans consider themselves vegetarians, in case you are wondering.
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What this means, 46 million turkeys will be at the Thanksgiving table, but they won`t be enjoying the meal.
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They probably had a better time running wild at the first Thanksgiving celebration.
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There is no proof that turkey was on the table in 1621.
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What was? Venison is one possibility, my dear.
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Of course, almost 400 years later, a deer for dinner could leave some passionate poultry partakers plaintiff.
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But it could save time for cooks: it takes about five hour to oven bake a large stuffed turkey.
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Without that, people could carve out plenty more time for cranberry sauce or sweet potatoes.
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Two Thanksgiving traditions that might not ruffle turkey`s feathers.
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Midwest takes center stage for our last "Roll Call" of November.
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In Brookville, Ohio, we`ve got the blue devils from Brookville High School.
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Going west, in a little north to Westby, Wisconsin. And that`s where we check in with the Northman.
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And in Greensberg (ph) Indiana, the South Decatur Cougars grab a spot on the roll.
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That gobbles up almost all our time in this pre- Thanksgiving show.
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I`m personally thankful for having the best audience at CNN.
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We`re going to leave you with some "I-Report" sharing what you are thankful for.
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Have a very happy Thanksgiving. We`ll see you Monday.
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END