right now on "america this morning," the holiday travel rush. what's different this year from the crowds to the worker shortages to the prices. all of it as covid infections surge in parts of the country. hospitals in some states warn they're becoming overwhelmed. inflation nation. yet another major food company expected to raise prices but this morning some encouraging news from the nation's busiest port when it comes to the supply chain crisis. breaking overnight, collision course. nasa's historic launch to send a vending machine size spacecraft crashing into an asteroid in hopes of one day saving the planet. new details on the wisconsin holiday parade rampage. the suspect in court. what we're learning about his history and this morningd this

number of children injured who are still fighting for their lives. cherishing the moment. basketball legend dick vitale's emotional return after his cancer diagnosis. his message this morning. and from the growing popularity of a vegan thanksgiving, to a cranberry sauce mystery solved, the frightening christmas tree at the mall. it's wednesday, november 24th. good wednesday morning, everyone. we begin with the great holiday escape. 53 million americans are expected to travel for thanksgiving. >> today and sunday will be the busiest days. the traffic last night already headache inducing around los angeles, but this year the real headache may be at the airport. because of pandemic related changes, that is. >> the other headache this year, inflation, gas isn't the only thing more expensive. we'll get to that in a moment, but first abc's em nguyen has

more on the thanksgiving exodus. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, andrew. the holiday travel rush is under way but the big question is, are airports and airlines ready? this morning, an early glimpse of the frustrations some americans will face when they join the thanksgiving travel rush. long lines of cars outside the airport in phoenix last night and in orlando, people waiting in security lines for more than three hours. the tsa expects the number of travelers will reach prepandemic highs this week. more than 2 million people are expected to fly today alone. airlines are preparing for most planes to be at full capacity as the federal mask mandate fuels an increase in midair altercations. >> we're seeing unruly behavior on the rise, so we want to make sure that we're working and communicating effectively but also understanding that there's mandates. >> reporter: the travel rush comes as the airline industry struggles to recover from a worker shortage. both the tsa and the airlines

say they've bulked up staffing and insist they are ready. now new concern about the holiday fueling a surge in covid cases. new infections are up 42% nationwide in the last month. new york is now averaging its highest number of new cases since february, and in colorado, hospitals in the denver area are 95% full. >> emergency rooms are routinely diverting patients because they simply don't have the capacity to take care of people who need help. >> reporter: back to the airports, here's another worry for some travelers. police in portland, oregon, are now warning about thieves stealing catalytic converters from parked cars at the airport and the thieves are said to be reselling the metal inside. andrew. >> all right, em, thank you. there is a bigger concern for americans this holiday, inflation. whether you're traveling or home, this will be a more expensive holiday, but there are some encouraging signs for the

weeks ahead. this morning, americans are navigating inflation during the holiday season like never before. shoppers picking up thanksgiving essentials are paying record high prices. >> at least $50 to $75 more. >> reporter: and higher prices are ahead. a regional supplier says general mills will be raising prices on most of its products which include cheerios, cinnamon toast crunch and dollar tree may have to be called 1.25 tree. but the sharpest pain for consumers gas prices. >> the fact that we always get through those spikes but we're going to get through this one as well and hopefully faster. but it doesn't mean we should just stand by idly and wait for prices to drop on their own. >> reporter: president biden tuesday announcing he's tapping into the nation's emergency oil stockpile to bring down prices. the white house denying it is purely a political move. with prices averaging $3.40 a gallon, $1.29 more than last

year, some experts doubt it will have real impact while others claim prices could drop up to 15 cents in coming weeks. >> it won't happen tomorrow but it'll happen over the next few weeks that people will hopefully start to see the difference. >> reporter: when it comes to overall inflation, many experts blame the government's pandemic stimulus policies that pumped more money into the economy creating huge consumer demand for products with supply unable to keep up. but there is some encouraging news. the backlog at the biggest port appears to be easing. more than 100 ships were waiting to unload at the port of los angeles two weeks ago. now it's down to 63 after port officials created relief yards making new space for containers to be unloaded. the latest on the christmas parade tragedy in wisconsin. the sixth victim to die has been

identified as jackson sparks. the 8-year-old boy was hit by the suv while marching with his baseball team. jackson's older brother was also injured. he is expected to survive. 13 kids are still in the hospital, 6 of them are in critical condition. the man accused of driving the suv sobbed in court when he learned of jackson's death. prosecutors say darrell brooks committed an intentional act to hurt as many people as possible, three of the six people killed were part of a group called the dancing grannies. >> the person in front of me got hit and went down. she went flying in the air and landed in front of me and she was bleeding really bad. i didn't think she'd make it. i knew she wouldn't and she didn't. >> brooks, meanwhile, is being held on $5 million bail. the warrant for his arrest was litted to nevada only. the jury gets back to the ahmaud arbery death trial. that was after six hours of deliberations yesterday. the lead prosecutor during

closing arguments said the three men accused of killing arbery on a georgia street last year showed no fear, only anger. abc's morgan norwood is there. >> reporter: the fate of the three white men accused of murdering ahmaud arbery, a 25-year-old unarmed black man, now in the hands of a jury. the nearly all white panel now deliberating. >> we are in recess until a question or verdict. >> reporter: the prosecution with the final word to the panel firing back at the defense's closing argument that gregory and travis mcmichael acted in self-defense and they claim an unarmed arbery tried to overpower the younger mcmichael and take his gun. >> you can't start it and claim self-defense and they started it. they made their decision to attack ahmaud arbery in their driveways because he was a black man running down the street. >> reporter: this while a third man william, neighbor "roddie" bryan recorded the incident on his cell phone. they all pleaded not guilty. >> they committed four felonies against ahmaud arbery in

violation of his personal liberty before he finally tried to run around their truck after running from them for five minutes. >> reporter: the three men are hoping jurors believe they were trying to make a citizen's arrest under a now repealed georgia citizen's arrest law. the defense calling arbery a recurring intruder. even though he was never seen stealing anything. >> you are allowed to use force that is likely to cause death or serious bodily injury if you believe it's necessary. >> reporter: outside the courtroom a growing crowd of protesters hoping for a conviction. the prosecution did agree to reduce the aggravated assault charge for william "roddie" bryan jr. down to simple assault. each of the men, though, still face those murder charges, and if convicted, they could spend the rest of their lives in prison. mona, andrew. breaking overnight nasa launched a spacecraft that's ultimately scheduled to crash into an asteroid. the overnight launch was a

success for the dark mission. the goal is to crash a vending machine size object into a far away space rock to alter its course. learning how to save earth from a future asteroid that could be on a collision course with the planet. it won't happen in deep space for nearly a year. let's turn to the weather and your thanksgiving travel forecast. the snow that fell in eastern washington state moves into the rockies and northern plains today but no significant accumulation is expected. meanwhile, showers are expected today in the southern rockies but elsewhere clear skies for the rest of the country today. no major storms to impact your holiday travel. checking today's high temperatures, 40s in the northeast after another cold morning, and readings in the 70s today from south florida to southern california. 75 as well in phoenix. coming up, dr. oz running

for the senate? but first 43 years later the man finally freed after being convicted of a crime he did not commit. what took so long to set him free? later the increasingly popular vegan thanksgiving.

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back, now, with police announcing nine arrests in connection with a smash and grab at a louis vuitton store in san francisco. other thefts made national headlines. we're learning that thieves got away with $200,000 in merchandise from a nordstrom in the san francisco suburb. police are promising a crackdown. the problem is criminals being allowed back on the streets. one month after his body was

found, an autopsy confirmed that brian laundrie died by suicide. that's according to a family lawyer. he was a person of interest in the murder of his fiancee, gabby petito. his remains were in a nature reserve. contents of his backpack and notebook have not been revealed. one of the longest wrongful convictions in history is over. kevin stickland is free after 43 years. >> reporter: it's been a long 43-year fight for kevin stickland. he can finally say he's a free man. >> in disbelief. >> reporter: the missouri judge ordered his immediate release, ending one of the longest wrongful convictions in u.s. history. strickland was convicted by an all-white jury in 1959, despite having an alibi and

the crimes. he's remained adamance about his innocence all along. >> the recanation of a witness has since died. she did a good job documenting her recanation. we believe it to be a credible recanation. >> reporter: back in may, the jackson county prosecutor, announced her office found strickland innocent. >> i'm profoundly sorry for the harm that has come to you. >> reporter: but missouri law prevented her from being able to release him or bring a case before a judge. >> let's call it what it is. this is wrong. >> reporter: strickland's first exoneration hearing happened two weeks ago. his brother tells "the kansas city star," he cannot wait to see him to say welcome home, brother. now free, he gets a chance to finally fulfill one lifelong wish.

>> you know, i've never been on a beach. and i want to go out far in the ocean where you can't see any land in any direction. not just go out there but get in that water. >> stickland will not receive any compensation from the state of missouri. state law prevents people from getting compensation. what's coming on the ocean floor that's puzzling scientists. scientists. why one family is fight [sfx: radio being tuned] welcome to allstate. ♪ [band plays] ♪ a place where everyone lives life well-protected. ♪ and even when things go a bit wrong, we've got your back. here, things work the way you wish they would. and better protection costs a whole lot less. you're in good hands with allstate. click or call for a lower auto rate today.

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tremfya® today. i didn't want to cry. i can't believe i'm sitting here. this is a big thrill to me. >> an emotional and inspiring moment. college basketball announcer dick vitale back on air last night for the first time since his lymphoma diagnosis. he thanked everyone for their support, and he had this message, never ever believe in can't. dr. oz may be thinking about trading his tv show for a senate seat. reports say he may join a crowded field of republicans looking to replace retiring pennsylvania senator pat toomey and he could have a shot now that the trump backed candidate has dropped out. we turn to an unusual adoption battle. it involves a couple trying to get their kids back from a surrogate, but there is a twist. here's abc's megan tevrizian. >> reporter: this morning a michigan family is fighting to adopt their own biological twins. >> since they got out of the nicu, we have had them with us

every second, but we are still not listed on the birth certificate as their parents. >> reporter: tammy and jordan myers telling "people" magazine about their struggle to gain custody of their babies ames and ellison born last january via a surrogate. >> we had a meeting with an adoption agency to start the process, and she looked at me point blank and said, well, you are not the mother. >> reporter: michigan's laws surrounding surrogacy require families like the myers to go through the adoption process meaning a rigorous process of background checks and a home inspection before bringing home their own children. >> they use dna in criminal cases. it's like, why wouldn't you be able to use dna in this situation? >> reporter: the couple's dream of growing a large family was put on hold in 2015 when tammy was diagnosed with cancer. at that time they had one child. >> hi. what you doing? >> reporter: tammy's cancer was highly hormone positive, so doctors say carrying a second baby would have likely brought

the cancer back. so she froze her eggs and eventually had twins through a surrogate. >> she's never contested any of this. she has stood right behind us and would want nothing more than for us to be recognized as the legal parents of both babies. >> reporter: the myers hope their struggle will help other families avoid a similar ordeal. they hope to have the adoption finalized by the twins' first birthday. later on "good morning america," the myers' advice to other parents considering surrogacy. andrew, mona. >> megan, thank you. coming up, a cranberry sauce mystery solved. also ahead, the controversy surrounding a talking christmas tree at the mall. no one can deliver your mom's homemade short ribs. for starters, your mom doesn't have a restaurant. if she did, it would be impossible to get in. she'd become famous overnight. she'd get talked into franchising everything.

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time to check "the pulse." we begin with the most vegan thanksgiving ever. >> expect to see more meat-free options on the table this year, according to a survey by whole foods. 56% of americans say it's important to offer vegan options. >> favorites include mushroom wellington and tofu pumpkin pie. >> i will stick with the turkey. a fun fact about the cranberry sauce that many will eat tomorrow. >> the labels on canned cranberry sauce is upside down. the rounded edge is flipped for cranberry sauce because it creates an air bubble. >> that allows the log to slide out in one piece. next, the surprising find at the bottom of the pacific ocean. a piece of history thousands

of years old. a three-foot-long mammoth tusk. it was 200 miles off of the california coast. >> the elephant's ancestors disappeared about 4,000 years ago. and next, a big honor for the weeknd. >> the singer hit a major milestone with this song -- ♪ ♪ i'm blinded by the light i can't sleep until i feel your touch ♪ >> his hit "blinding light" is the all-time number one song on the billboard single charts, dethroning "the twist." and a return of a controversial christmas tree. >> it's looking right back at shoppers. the talking tree with its moving eyes and mouth has just returned to a mall in canada after a 15-year break. some call it terrifying. others, a christmas nightmare. >> i call it creepy. >> looks like thomas the train

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>> building a better bay area, moving forward, finding solutions, this is abc 7 news. reggie:

thanksgiving travel rush, millions of people getting ready to fly and drive. the busiest freeways and when to avoid them. kumasi: recent retail theft forcing the chp to act. officers stepping up patrols and a task force to investigate the crimes. reggie: water murmur -- water emergency, water users in multiple counties asking being to cut back. kumasi: a frost advisory in effect in some areas. mike is here tracking everything with a look at the forecast. reggie: good morning and welcome to the day where you pretend like you are working, but you are not. you are watching abc 7 mornings live on abc 7, hulu live in wherever you stream. mike: frost is possible, but not a guarantee because of the winds. you noticed how windy it is, especially in on the hills. some of that is filtering in, that if you have protected