you to start watching me monday night. you can catch me at 11:30 p.m. eastern, 8:30 for you west coasters. it's a new show we're calling "in case you missed it." we'll take a look at the day's best moments on and off your tv screen. watch me from 2:00 to 4:00 eastern, then in prime time. for now, thanks for being with me. happy thanksgiving. jim sciutto takes it from here. a very happy thanksgiving here in the newsroom. what better way to show your loved ones you're thankful on this holiday than abandoning them to go elbow a stranger over a blu-ray player or big hugs elmo? black friday madness spills over into the holiday. plus, for so many families in the midwest, they are spending this thanksgiving with no place at all to call home. how they're finding something to be thankful for after tornadoes took everything. and how would the native americans who were at the first thanksgiving feel about the name

of washington's professional football team? today's nfl games are becoming a battleground for those who want it gone. hello. i'm jim sciutto. thank you for spending part of your holiday with us. happy gray thursday or black friday eve or as it's still known for now, thanksgiving. have you had enough turkey? many stores are doing everything they can to pull you away from the table instead of waiting to open their doors on black friday. this year, we are seeing two things that americans love pitted against each other, stuffing our faces until we can't move and 32 inch flat screen tvs for under 100 bucks. kyung lah is standing by at a kmart in california. you have to tell me how crazy is it there now? >> reporter: take a look, jim. we're looking at legitimate lines here. it had calmed down earlier in

the day but you can see the lines are spreading out. the store is actually quite busy, at least here where they are checking out, and a lot of people are buying the things that these retailers want to sell beyond just the tvs but all the little knickknack items as well for under the tree, extending officially the black friday frenzy. the shoving. the screaming. the swearing. >> i will stab one of you [ bleep ]! >> reporter: let the fists fly. retailers call it the super bowl of shopping, or black friday. scenes like these flood the internet and give the bargain battle a black eye. this ugly clash at a los angeles walmart two years ago was captured by one customer. >> all the people went in there and they just started destroying the boxes. >> reporter: all this for markdown xbox games. >> people were fighting, trying to get those deals, and that's

when some lady brought out pepper spray and started going at it. >> my eyes are burning! my eyes! >> reporter: was that moment a turning point for walmart? >> certainly. i think we can do a better job at managing crowds and helping customers get into the store, find the item they're looking for and get out. so i think we learned a lot. >> reporter: walmart says this time, it's a calmer black friday. orderly lines to the store. shoppers get wrist bands and rain check tickets to ship items that run out. but what won't change are the surprise deals through the store. >> people will go crazy. >> reporter: predictably wild that this dad brought his kids to walmart to witness the mayhem firsthand. >> there's something about black friday. your integrity -- >> reporter: these chicago area cousins don't care about the mayhem. in fact, they thrive on it every year, using shopping apps and meticulous planning to save on toys for their young kids. >> eight hours of shopping?

>> yeah. it was all night. yeah. eight hours or so. >> reporter: seriously, all night. >> it was worth it. >> reporter: she spent $960, half of her budget, saving $1,000 on gifts. enough to make her want to dance. >> yeah, the jig had to happen. i would do it again if i got a deal like that. >> reporter: not a laughing matter to victoria, who has seen enough video of the fighting -- >> any time you want [ bleep ]. >> reporter: and doesn't want any of it, even if it's literally a pillow fight. >> i think they're crazy. to them it's a sport. lacrosse is a sport. black friday is not a sport. >> reporter: she shops all online. sure, she gives up on some of the deals, but savors her serenity. >> the savings aren't worth the bail money. >> reporter: after capturing the walmart wildness, juan castro avoids the retailer on black friday. but still can't resist a short outing.

>> maybe some football gear would do me good. >> reporter: that may be good advice, because for shoppers like these, it's game on. so why bother with the sanctity of thanksgiving, why open at 6:00 a.m. like kmart did today? well, the retailers are looking at a shortened holiday season and want to take advantage of every day possible. >> i got to ask you, i know if i left the thanksgiving table to go do some shopping today, i would get grief from my wife and my parents. you talk to anybody who felt guilty about being there looking for bargains? >> reporter: no. that's the amazing thing. i couldn't find anybody. everyone was pretty excited about being here, especially if it didn't interfere with their dinner plans. >> only in america. thanks very much to kyung lah at burbank, california, the kmart there. if you weren't compelled by that to stay safe and warm at home with cnn on your television, of course, and you absolutely must

put on your hats, gloves and riot gear to find a sale, we can't let you go out there blindly. it's far, far too dangerous for that. we're lucky to have katie hill join us, consumer reporter for "market watch." consider her your bodyguard for these big shopping days. i got to ask, you're the expert. would you be nuts enough to go out on a day like today to do your shopping? >> oh, absolutely. if i didn't think my mom would kill me, i would definitely be out shopping. there are some amazing deals right now. >> what are the best deals? sounds like electronics, there are some good bets? >> yeah. you're absolutely right. in general, for black friday and thanksgiving, it's electronics, the gadgets are the best deals. for instance, walmart has the ipad mini for $199. that's a pretty incredible deal. best buy has the samsung galaxy s-4 for nothing. literally with a two-year contract you can get that for nothing. my favorite one is walmart is offering the iphone 5c for $45

but then is giving a $75 gift card on top of that. so they are literally giving you $30 to buy that. that is my favorite deal by far. >> are they telling you that you've got to come in today to get those deals? is that how they get you in the doors? >> absolutely. some of these deals start on thanksgiving so you are seeing 6:00 p.m. deals if you want a lot of these items. they are saying you have to come in on thanksgiving. some of them start on black friday but it really depends on the retailer. look at the circulars and know when does the deal start because they will run out of quantity. if you don't pop in then, you might not get that deal. >> how big a deal is this for stores and their bottom lines? it's relatively new. i know some stores did this last year but are they expecting to make a lot of money? i know it's a shortened shopping period between now and christmas this year. >> that is certainly their hope but there's not strong data to support it and it could be a wash. stores not opening on thanksgiving, they feel like they might as well open and they are feeling pressure from all these other stores that are opening. yeah, you're going to see this

more and more, because yeah, not to be open especially when a lot of other people are taking flack for opening on thanksgiving. >> we have to see how the sales are to see if this is going to become the norm. do you think that next year we will see more options for folks out there, so basically no one will have thanksgiving dinner next year? >> absolutely it would not shock me if a retailer opened at midnight on thanksgiving in the next year or two because you're already seeing the slippery slope is happening. you can expect in the next few years at least someone will open probably at midnight on thanksgiving. >> thanks very much, katie hill. i know you're not shopping because your mom, like mine, probably told you that's not going to happen. thanks for coming out today. of course, not everyone is excited about the melee at the malls. nearly half of americans disapprove of the stores being open on thanksgiving, according to a new poll from the university of connecticut. earlier i spoke to the owner of a sears franchise in new hampshire who says she's keeping her store closed today despite the demands of the corporation and she could now face some very real consequences.

>> we already spoke about taking away bonuses for the rest of the year and to me, i'm going to make a stand for what i believe is right, because i believe that the people of the united states are standing here with me. we have received a great amount of support from the area community and actually, all across america, i had calls yesterday from illinois, ohio, from all over. so it's been very wonderful to see the public, you know, standing here with us on this issue. >> times are tough, business is slow, the economy growing not as quickly as we would like. are you losing money by making this decision? >> of course we are but you know what, when are we going to say it's not about the money? when are we going to stand up for what's right? >> that poll also showed that 97% of americans said they would not go out shopping today. only 7% said they would be taking advantage of those sales.

if you want to support holly in her efforts, find her online petition at change.org. cnn has reached out to sears for a statement. we haven't heard back yet but they did tell our affiliate whdh that we have encouraged all of our dealers and franchisees to be open on thanksgiving evening because we believe that is what many consumers want. well, it just wouldn't feel like thanksgiving without the macy's day parade and it wouldn't feel like the macy's day parade without the famous balloons, but do you realize how close spiderman, spongebob and other favorites came to spending this year's parade tied to the ground? strong winds in new york almost forced organizers to do without them this year but in the end, police decided that it was calm enough to let the 16 foot giant balloons fly and the traditions continued with santa claus himself closing the parade. remember it well. saw that every year when i was a kid. do you have a unique thanksgiving tradition or dish you just can't find anywhere else? tweet me a photo.

use the hash tag only at my house. we will reveal the best answers later this hour. coming up, president obama takes a little time to thank the troops. ahead, we hear from some of the men and women overseas who aren't with their families today. plus, a new beginning after unspeakable sadness. the connecticut doctor whose wife and daughters were murdered in a home invasion. he has something to be thankful for this thanksgiving after his new wife gives birth to a son. ♪ (train horn) vo: wherever our trains go, the economy comes to life. norfolk southern.

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thankful just to be alive today. i'm talking about the survivors of a set of deadly tornadoes that tore through the region a little over a week ago. check out this new video of one twister devouring a middle school in indiana. motion sensitive cameras activated just before this monster hit, sending school supplies and debris flying. thankfully it was on a sunday and no students were inside. ted rowlands is live on the ground in illinois. ted, looking at that rubble behind you, it's amazing, certainly no day off for the people dealing with this disaster. how are they keeping up with their spirits today? >> reporter: well, it's amazing, people are very upbeat because when you look at this rubble and realize only one person perished, 500 homes completely destroyed, people are thankful that they kept their lives. yes, they lost their possessions but they are pretty much thankful. we just came from a church where a number of survivors are gathering today. there are several events going

on around washington. and the theme was we've lost everything, yes, but we have a lot to be thankful for. take a listen. >> all of my apartment complex was pretty much all leveled so for me, it was definitely affecting me and i had to figure out what was next for me and where i would go. it took me a few days before i could get back into town because they had it all blocked off. when i came in, it just blew me away how much devastation there was from all the houses that were destroyed. i think about, you know, my situation, i got a lot of my stuff so i was very fortunate. those types of things, i'm just happy to be, you know, safe and everything. that's what matters, really. >> reporter: that's what matters. that's what most people are saying here today. you think about this neighborhood in years past, it would be filled with homes full of people, people hosting thanksgiving. today they had to go elsewhere

but they're thankful they're alive. the other astounding thing we have seen here is volunteers, not just the monetary donations that the community is getting but the volunteers coming from the region. there was an army of folks here earlier today working to help with the cleanup effort. people from iowa, from chicago, giving up their thanksgiving weekend to help out the people here in washington. >> were there other volunteers that welcomed people into their homes to celebrate the holiday today? >> reporter: yeah, and to provide homes, temporary homes. bottom line is these people need time to figure out what their next move is. are they going to rebuild, are they going to leave washington, and we talked to one of the local leaders here and he said what was really amazing is you've got about 1200 displaced people, literally five or six of them needed our assistance at finding somewhere to go. volunteers, neighbors, friends, family, they're taking people in while they get their lives in order. >> that's great. the true spirit of the thanksgiving holiday. thanks very much to ted rowlands in washington, illinois.

there is someone else with something to be very thankful for this holiday. the connecticut doctor, william pettit whose first wife and two daughters were brutally murdered in a case that gained nationwide attention. this is the first picture released of his baby boy, william iii, born over the weekend. pettit calls his son a beautiful christmas gift and will tell him about his sisters who he knows are smiling down on him. still ahead, we check in on soaring tensions with china after a direct challenge by u.s. warplanes. and the president pardoned a turkey named popcorn. will he be feasting on another bird this thanksgiving? stand by to find out what's on the menu at the white house. [ male announcer ] this store knows how to handle a saturday crowd. ♪ [ male announcer ] the parking lot helps by letting us know who's coming. the carts keep everyone on the right track.

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welcome back to "newsroom." i'm jim sciutto. nine pies, you heard me right, i'm not exaggerating, there are nine pies on the white house menu this thanksgiving but looming over the president's sprawling feast is a self-imposed deadline to have the affordable care act website, healthcare.gov, 80% functional by the end of the day saturday. let's go to jill dougherty live at the white house. so jill, with just days to go to this deadline, the administration delaying a key portion of the site for small businesses. republican leadership calling that another broken promise. what's going on? is this another major stumble for obama care? >> reporter: i wouldn't say it's major, but what they're trying to do is get this up and running at the, let's say the degree to which they originally wanted

which is 50,000 customers coming online at the same time. they think they can manage that, but what happens, they say, if there's a big surge, as there was back on october 1st, could it crash, could they be overwhelmed. they don't think it will crash but people could be put in kind of a virtual waiting line. then also, on these small businesses, they will not be able to access it for a year. they can go directly to companies and get insurance, but they won't be able to do it through the website. so as you can imagine, there's a lot of criticism coming from the republicans. in fact, house majority leader eric cantor said that the timing is suspicious on this, that it is as he put it, a delay for small business. that news is being buried by having the news around the holiday. so again, you know, time is running out here but they do hope and predict that they will at least be able to do 50,000 people and then improve it as it

goes on. jim? >> they want it just right. a surge in traffic but not too much. i know the president has no scheduled events today. he's going to be spending thanksgiving with his family but did take time to wish a happy thanksgiving to service members? >> reporter: he did, to every branch of the service, army, navy, marines, air force, coast guard, and he called two people from each branch of the service. he thanked them for their service, wished them a happy thanksgiving and to their families. >> okay. so we've got to look at this thanksgiving menu. i haven't seen anything quite like it. a sweet tooth in the white house. >> reporter: yes. in fact, well, if you look at the traditional fixings, they do have turkey and ham, but when you get to that dessert list, it is pretty impressive. nine pies. let's look at them because they're interesting. huckleberry, pecan, chocolate cream, sweet potato, peach, apple, pumpkin, banana cream and coconut cream.

now, why nine? not too sure. maybe it's to get in every historic or traditional pie in the country, but it sounds pretty good. >> you told me your favorite before. it was banana cream? >> actually, you know, i said coconut cream but i only said that in the sense that it's probably more calories and more cholesterol than any of the rest of them. >> i'm going with chocolate cream pie. thanks very much to jill dougherty at the white house. now, in asia, high tensions, high in the skies between china and japan, and the united states isn't just watching from the sidelines. beijing upset the region by declaring a new air defense zone over a large part of the east china sea, but that didn't stop two unarmed u.s. b-52 bombers from flying right through that area, in what the u.s. state department says was a planned military exercise. i had the chance to talk to the former u.s. ambassador to china and former presidential candidate jon huntsman about why

the friction set such a dangerous possibility of confrontation. >> you have several countries in the region, all of whom who are surveillance missions on the high seas or in the air, and the possibility of a miscalculation is very real. the problem is, you escalate the tension and there's no real plan to de-escalate. >> a real chance for a problem there. for more, i want to bring in cnn's pentagon correspondent, barbara starr. i know the new u.s. ambassador to japan, caroline kennedy, just her first days in the post there, already scolding china in effect for this. what's the latest in the standoff? >> reporter: well, caroline kennedy again telling china this is very dangerous, escalating tensions in the region. after the u.s. flew those two b-52s through this restriction zone, japan and south korea did the same thing. china issued a statement saying it was on high alert and was sending its own planes to track everybody through this zone. but you know, early next week, vice president joe biden is expected to show up in beijing,

long-planned trip, but he's going to sit down and talk to the chinese and basically say what is up, what are your intentions, what are you planning to do here. nobody is looking for a confrontation. biden's message to the chinese will be enough is enough, let's make sure nothing sort of gets out of control with all of this. and as you pointed out, even as we speak, there is a major u.s./japanese military exercise going on off the coast of okinawa. u.s. warplane ships, japanese military forces all practicing how to respond in a crisis, hoping that this isn't the crisis they're going to have to respond to. >> there are a lot of assets around there. i know the chinese sent their lone aircraft carrier there. what are your sources in the pentagon saying about the danger of just a misunderstanding, one ship getting too close to another ship or one plane getting too close to another plane? >> reporter: that is exactly the concern, miscalculation. nobody really thinks at this point the chinese are looking

for conflict, but you've got an awful lot out there very close together. miscalculation, accident, some crisis could erupt from all of that. >> let's hope that doesn't happen. thanks very much to barbara starr at the pentagon. now, as you and your family are giving thanks today, take a moment to thank u.s. troops. thousands of them are spending this holiday far, far away from the home front. many will still get a thanksgiving meal, thanks to the efforts of dla troop support who delivered more, listen to this, than 70,000 pounds of turkey, 55,000 pounds of beef, 29,000 pounds of sweet potatoes and 20,000 pies. to the fighting men and women overseas, well deserved. you thought grandma laid out a big spread. coming up, football and thanksgiving. native americans sent an angry message to one nfl team with a lot of name calling. and when holidays collide. i'll show you some of the creative ways people are celebrating the rare overlap of thanksgiving and hanukkah. [ female announcer ] thanks for financing my first car.

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before any planned medical or dental procedures. before starting xarelto®, tell your doctor about any conditions such as kidney, liver, or bleeding problems. xarelto® is not for patients with artificial heart valves. jim changed his routine. ask your doctor about xarelto®. once a day xarelto® means no regular blood monitoring -- no known dietary restrictions. for more information and savings options, call 1-888-xarelto or visit goxarelto.com. very happy thanksgiving. i'm jim sciutto. put down the gravy boat for a second and refocus on what really matters today, america's favorite pasttime. no, despite what the house would have you believe, it's not about eating nine different kinds of pie. the annual thanksgiving day football slate kicked off with a matchup for the nfc north division lead between the detroit lions and the team from title town, the green bay packers. the lions looking for their first win on thanksgiving in ten

years, thankfully for them, the packers were without once again quarterback aaron rodgers. might as well have been making pumpkin pie without the pumpkin. green bay managed only 41 total yards in the first two quarters, staking the lions to a 17-10 halftime lead. could have been a lot worse because detroit proved equally adept at shooting itself in the foot, turning the ball over three times. but the rest of the time it was the calvin hill show. the lions' wideout finished the day with six catches for 101 yards, doing things like that, scoring a touchdown. explains why they call him megatron and the dunk over the crossbar. detroit cruises to a 40-10 win. don't worry, even though the westminster dog show oifis over there's more than enough football to guarantee you only have to say three words to your lov loved ones the rest of the day. the cowboys just got under way. the steelers and ravens play the nightcap in baltimore. in other football news, the washington redskins have made more headlines off the field than on this year and that's because of their name.

thanksgiving day is no different. radio ads are being aired in detroit and baltimore whacking the d.c. team for refusing to drop what it calls its racist mascot. >> the supporters of change have sent a powerful message to the nfl. they have said that no group deserves to be treated as targets of a racial slur. they have said native americans deserve to be treated as what we are, americans. >> ray halbritter, who voiced that ad, met with nfl executives back in october. while he said he appreciated the opportunity, the civil rights advocate said he left disappointed. roger goodell and washington team owner daniel snyder did not attend that meeting. now, like the redskins, life off the field is complicated for florida state's football team. its star quarterback, jameis winston, is being investigated as part of an ongoing sexual assault case which could sideline the likely heisman candidate as his team marches toward the national championship game. but perhaps surprisingly, when

it comes to the team's name, things are simple. unlike their nfl counterparts in washington, the school and the indian tribe from which it gets its name, seminoles, rally around the seminole identity. the tune is unmistakable, as is the tomahawk chop from the sellout crowd, many wearing war paint and native american head dresses. a student portraying the seminole chief osceola rides out and thrusts a flaming spear into the ground. for decades, this has been tradition at florida state university's seminole home football games. the stereotyping of native americans with mascots and nicknames like indians and braves is in the spotlight again. this time, over the washington redskins. it may shock you, but here, the people portrayed don't just tolerate the university's use of their tribe's name, seminoles. they support it and defend it.

>> anybody come here into florida trying to tell us to change the name, they better go some place else, because we're not changing the name. >> reporter: it almost happened once, in 2005 the ncaa tried banning the use of the mascot in post-season play until seminole tribe of florida leaders stepped in, signing a proclamation reiterating their support. the ncaa backed off. even on the seminole reservation in hollywood, florida, you see support for the university. so why does it work here? why is it okay? >> we have total focus on mutual respect and honor. >> reporter: university's president says the tie between the tribe and the university goes well beyond the football field. tribal members are included in graduation ceremonies, homecoming. the school offers a class in seminole history and there are scholarships for seminole students.

>> this design right here, called man on a horse. >> reporter: the jacket kyle wears symbolizes the link between the seminoles and florida state. he is seminole and went to fsu on scholarship. it works, he says, for a simple reason. >> to be honest with you, i think it was just acceptance on both sides. >> reporter: but acceptance has not been universal. support from the seminole tribe in oklahoma is at best lukewarm, telling us they are neutral on the matter. might the ongoing washington controversy blow back on fsu? >> i'm not going to be surprised if in any year, we have someone who says is this appropriate. >> reporter: to anyone who stirs it up, says the chairman -- >> stay out of our territory. >> reporter: john zarrella, cnn, tallahassee, florida. >> florida state finishes up its conference schedule this saturday, taking on their arch rival, florida in gainesville. coming up, she's a personal shopper to the stars and she's

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welcome back. it happens every year. as soon as the meal has settled the stress kicks in. just 26 days left to get your holiday shopping done. but instead of facing the throngs at the mall yourself, why not get a little help this year from an 86-year-old personal shopper to the stars? our richard quest has the story. >> reporter: in the battle that is shopping after thanksgiving, we all need as much help as we can get. what to buy, who to buy for and how much to pay, oh, and where to buy it. i needed some real professional

help. it came in the form of the 86-year-old personal shopper from bergdorf goodman's in new york. she knows a thing or two about how to buy. >> come hither into lalaland. >> reporter: wow. this is quite -- becky and i have something in common. not just any christmas crackers. christmas crackers from fortinham's. we both love holiday shopping. >> as a little girl i loved snow globes. the old fashioned snow gloves. i think this is the beautiful part of it. >> reporter: what are the basic principles of buying gifts? >> i think we sometimes become so imbued with what we like. i noticed when you were picking up things, sometimes we don't think about whom we are buying

for. >> this is spicy stuff. >> yeah, but you kind of smell three at one time. nobody's nose can take in three at one time. one lifts them out. >> i think i've just been told off. >> reporter: over the years, she has built up her own personal shopping empire. it's not difficult to see why. you found an honesty about price, about packaging, and you're not afraid to tell me when you don't think something's right. >> i'm glad you found it out so early. >> reporter: if she's honest in the gift shop, wait until you see her in women's wear. >> this is nice, isn't it? this is nice. >> feel it. you wouldn't wear it. >> you're right, i wouldn't wear it but that's not the point. you won't tell me who shops with you, will you? >> absolutely not. i can't. they know who they are. >> reporter: they certainly do. betty has worked with the likes of cher, meryl streep and sarah

jessica parker. it's quite a feat for a woman who only started this job in her late 40s. 37 years ago you came into this building. why? >> i was brought here by someone. >> reporter: at the time, betty's marriage had ended and her children were grown up. what did you want to do? >> i wanted someone to rescue me. and they did. they're too short and too skimpy, i pass. >> reporter: she has never used a computer or cell phone. she doesn't even ring up her own sales. when it comes to fashion, betty is never left behind. >> i can foresee what's going to happen. i can tell you now what we're going to go into in a year from now. they're going to drop the skirts and we're going to go into a simpler, more contemporary look. >> reporter: so it's with some trepidation i let her loose on my own ensemble. tie. >> yeah. blue. >> i know. what do you think?

>> okay. i would put something else with a print on it myself. >> reporter: whether it's that little black number for the office party or an unusual gift for the boss -- >> letters. >> no! >> bills. >> toast. >> reporter: -- you can be sure of one thing. >> i have one. bills. >> reporter: betty knows best. >> bills. >> reporter: i thought of it as a toast rack. bergdorf is one of those stores that will be closed on thanksgiving, allowing the staff the day off with their families. but you can be assured they are open on black friday. jim? >> coming up, turkey shaped menorrahs? thanksgivukkah doesn't last forever. one wealthy springsteen fan will be able to give thanks to the boss by buying a little

piece of rock history.

i started part-time, now i'm a manager.n. my employer matches my charitable giving. really. i get bonuses even working part-time. where i work, over 400 people are promoted every day. healthcare starting under $40 a month. i got education benefits. i work at walmart. i'm a pharmacist. sales associate. i manage produce. i work in logistics. there's more to walmart than you think. vo: opportunity. that's the real walmart. medicare open enrollment. of year again. time to compare plans and costs.

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metamucil. 3 amazing benefits in 1 super fiber. so this is something that hasn't happened in about a century. hanukkah on the same day as thanksgiving. thanksgiving on hanukkah. two great holidays that go great together for the first time since 1888 or 1918, depending on whether you're counting from sundown or not. i would like to say something you may have to wait a very, very long time to hear again. happy thanksgivukkah. >> we're going to make hundreds if not thousands -- >> the rabbi is getting ready for the big day. his congregation is celebrating in style, deep frying turkeys and mashing together a holy jewish holiday with a wholly american one. >> hanukkah's come out quote unquote, early this year. really, hanukkah comes out on the same day in the hebrew calendar every year.

but the secular calendar, it's not. >> that fluke won't happen again for another 70,000 years, experts say. >> we call it thanksgivukkah but it's really a beautiful fusion of the two days, a day of thanks and a day of praise to god. >> his day of congregation is having a feast to mark the special occasion. >> this is the only time i think that we will be able to celebrate thanksgivukkah in our life so we will make it a good one. >> this has been surprisingly great. >> reporter: jeannie is the owner of modern tribe. they sell jewish themed gifts on line. >> thanksgivukkah gifts were so big we had to move from my basement into a commercial space. we did it in a weekend. >> they opened up this brick and mortar store in atlanta for the holidays. >> we have never been able to have a physical store. we have only been online. now we can interact with

customers and get to see their excitement about thanksgivukkah and hanukkah and our line of thanksgivukkah products. >> part of the prophets from her thanksgivukkah line are going to a jewish charity that works to end hunger. the must-have item here, the menurkey. >> everyone wanted to know what i thought it should look like. so i went to an art store near our house and got some brown clay. >> it was dreamed up by asher, a fourth grader from new york city on a road trip with his mom and dad. >> asher says wow, we should make menorrahs in the shape of turkeys. anthony was driving, i looked over at anthony, i was like that's brilliant. >> with dad's help, asher used software and a 3d printer to turn his idea into a real product. >> then we have the plaster ones which are made in a factory. >> so far, they have sold almost 7,000.

>> it's been pretty intense. >> incredible popup business that will end on a certain day. >> right. >> potentially. >> asher and his family plan to give a portion of the proceeds to charity as well. here's a look at some of the other top stories we're monitoring. pope francis will be heading to israel in the new year. an official israeli source says the visit is scheduled for the end of may. the vatican would not confirm the exact dates of the trip. the pope made other news this week calling for more radical changes in the catholic church in his first written document titled "the joy of the gospel." new nasa images of a closely watched comet as experts now fear may have just been destroyed by the sun. the comet was making its closest approach to the sun, skimming just 730,000 miles above its surface when it disappeared from the view of space telescopes. observers say it appears the comet broke up into chunks and evaporated. they were hoping it would

survive its thankisgiving close encounter and emerge with an extraordinary sky show in december. ♪ ♪ tramps like us baby we were born to run ♪ >> it's considered one of the greatest songs of all time. now a piece of bruce springsteen "born to run" could be yours. next week, the original handwritten lyrics from the boss' signature hit will be auctioned off. it's expected to rake in between $70,000 and $100,000. he wrote the song almost 40 years ago, long before becoming a rock icon that he is today. many of the songs' original lyrics didn't make the cut but the manu script is said to contain nearly perfect chorus. you can find refuge in the relatively serenity of a movie theater with a slew of new releases. >> that is really -- that's

unfortunate. >> "frozen" is being called disney's best non-pixar film in years. if you want to leave the kids at home, spike lee's latest "old boys" a remake of a 2003 south korean movie of the same name. the revenge thriller stars josh brolin and samuel l. jackson. in a limited release, nelson mandela gets the treatment with a biopic of the south african icon. coming up, the star-studded awards show to celebrate the everyday heroes among us. we look at the nominees for cnn hero of the year next. i started part-time, now i'm a manager.n. my employer matches my charitable giving. really. i get bonuses even working part-time. where i work, over 400 people are promoted every day. healthcare starting under $40 a month. i got education benefits.

i work at walmart. i'm a pharmacist. sales associate. i manage produce. i work in logistics. there's more to walmart than you think. vo: opportunity. that's the real walmart.

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it's a time honored tradition at cnn, honoring heroes chosen by you who helped change the world one day at a

time. >> it's that time of year again when giving back to others is in the air. hosted by cnn's anderson cooper, this year's annual heroes event is packed with emotion and unforgettable moments. a night when hollywood's brightest stars come together. >> it shines a light on people that don't do it for the light. >> these are the people to get excited about. it kind of makes your jaw drop. >> reporter: to shine a spotlight on ten remarkable people who are changing the world. >> this is like the academy awards for good people. >> reporter: like a great grandmother who used her life savings to turn a bus into a classroom. >> get on the bus, everybody! cnn hero, estella. >> reporter: and a woman who started a drill team to keep kids off the streets. >> the pride of camden, new jersey! >> reporter: turning the tables

on a traditional awards show. >> i'm not the only hero in this room, and none of us as heroes stand alone. >> reporter: cnn heroes puts these every day people center stage. it's a star-studded event with a few surprises. and the heroic ending that you don't want to miss. >> the 2013 cnn hero of the year -- >> reporter: a night to gather together to celebrate the human spirit. >> cnn heroes an all-star tribute airs sunday at 8:00 eastern. earlier we asked you to tweet us some of your unique thanksgiving traditions. you came back with a lot. here are a few of our favorites. theresa tweeted the turkey is in oven for the smell, caterer delivering one, will eat later. learned my lesson. hash tag, can't cook. jordan sent a whole turkey wrapped in bacon. i'm coming over to your house

right now to share that with you. we received several turkey displays with vegetables. here's a pretty one. and a unique tradition, mismatched holiday socks and a faithful friend napping at his feet. and chris tweeted my favorite, after round one of food, passing out on naptime tradition of grandpa to our sons. that's all for "cnn newsroom." up next, a special "the '60s." in the average man's life there are two or three emotional experiences burned into his heart and his brain. and no matter what happens to me i will remember november the 22nd as long as i live. >> tre