blinding snow, heavy rain and even fog disrupting thanksgiving travel, slowing roads and delaying hundreds of

flights. meteorologist angie lassman has the forecast if you plan to hit the roads and skies today. a thanksgiving scare for some of president-elect trump's administration picks. subject to phony bomb threats and swatting attacks. what law enforcement and the transition team are saying about it. three americans once imprisoned in china now back on u.s. soil, just in time for thanksgiving. the details behind this rare prisoner swap with china. if you find yourself with a turkey hangup as you cook this year's feast, don't ry, the butterball turkey talkline has you covered. get ready for floats and balloons and marching bands. we are previewing the macy's thanksgiving day parade on this thursday. "early today" starts right now. good morning. thanks for being up early with me and happy thanksgiving. i'm frances rivera.

we begin with that rush to beat the bad weather and make it to your holiday celebrations. wintry conditions are slowing down some of the busiest travel days of the year. yesterday there were more than 4,000 flight delays nationwide. and, at least 200 flights have been delayed so far this morning. tom costello is following the travel chaos. >> reporter: moving through the rockies and taking aim at the midwest, heavy rain and snow. >> we encountered a massive thunderstorm. so you couldn't even see five feet in front of you. >> reporter: both salt lake city and denver airports deicing departing flights. denver leading the country with nearly 600 flight delays. heavy fog in tampa, and while many airports started with long tsa lines but few disruptions on the flight aware misery map, that changed as the weather moved in. >> get here early. there are lines. please get here early. >> reporter: at newark airport, a critical hub for united, 95-minute departure delays amid

the ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers. 300-plus delays at newark. united says 28,000 of its passengers are impacted every day. while e faa is training new controllers at its academy in oklahoma city, trying to keep up with attrition and retirements. how long will it take you to get to full staffing? >> our goal is five to seven years to be fully staffed and comfortable. >> reporter: in the meantime, the rush is on. >> i want to see if i can take 740 off the gate instead. >> reporter: at the american airlines op center in chicago o'hare. >> reporter: american airlines expects nearly 31,000 passengers to pass through o'hare alone today. and this is where they monitor every single flight, trying to mitigate delays and cancellations. >> reporter: meanwhile, a yearly ritual on the nation's roads. a record 71 million americans hoping to beat the weather and slide into a thanksgiving dinner. >> trying to get out early,

because we're actually, we came from georgia, from atlanta, so we left probably about 1:00 this morning. >> and our thanks to tom for that report. let's get an update on the forecast from nbc meteorologist angie lassman. good morning. some people who didn't make it yesterday, they're going to try today. >> and they likely will run into some delays depending on where they're going once again. we've got plenty of rain and snow falling. this is where we're going to deal with the wet weather today. notice all this batch of rain and snow works through throughout the day. by the time we get into the evening hours, it's just parts of new england dialing with rain closer to the coast and more so that heavy snow for the interior areas. burlington into maine. big picture look, this is really the area that is going to be kind of a trouble spot across the region. elsewhere it looks pretty good. chicago, denver, las vegas, all dealing with dry skies and mostly sunny conditions. there's of course some chilly air in place across the northern plains. if i were to expect delays on

the roads, especially i-95, i-70, that's where you'll have to watch for a slower go. friday, the lake-effect snow starts, cleveland, detroit, chicago, otherwise it looks pretty good. we'll still see windy and lake-effect snow through the weekend. frances? >> thanks so much, angie. let's turn now to the trump transition which is dealing with dangerous threats. authorities say they have arrested a man in arizona who threatened to kill the president-elect. according to charging documents, the suspect posted multiple videos online holding a rifle and threatening donald trump and his family. this arrest comes as he transition team announced that cabinet nominees are being targeted by a wave of violent threats. matt gaetz, lee zeldin and elysse stefanik have spoken out about receiving bomb threats at their homes. three law enforcement sources tell nbc news no actual explosives have been found and

these appear to be hoaxes, but the fbi says it takes all threats seriously. three americans imprisoned in china for years are now safely back home. the state department announced wednesday china released them as part of a rare prisoner swap in the works for several months. in return, a government official says the u.s. released two chinese nationals, including a convicted spy linked to china's state security. new york senator chuck schumer, who worked closely with the lee family says the families of the freed americans have much to be thankful for this thanksgiving. now to a health alert as many of us prepare to gather for thanksgiving. the cdc is warning that certain times of respiratory illnesses are surging. here's stephanie gosk on the symptoms to watch out for. >> reporter: as the winter approaches, it's a sound everyone braces for. this year, the cdc says two serious destroy illnesses are on

the rise. whooping cough cases are up five fold compared to a year ago. walking pneumonia up 450% since the spring. >> my daughter actually got sick in september. >> reporter: dr. anita mcswain's daughter recovered from walking pneumonia, but then her mom got sick. >> i took a course of two antibiotics, actually, and steroids. and initially improved but then got worse again. >> reporter: and that was kind of, for you, the red flag that it was time to go to the hospital? >> right. exactly. >> reporter: at virginia's innova hospital there has been a noticeable increase. >> we're seeing more severe cases where folks are coming into the hospital, into the clinic with more wheezing, more shortness of breath. >> reporter: as for whooping cough, multiple states have seen spikes according to the cdc. >> i'm just wondering why we had this whooping cough. >> reporter: patients start with normal cold-like symptoms and then often develop violent coughing which can last for

weeks and lead to hospitalization. people should be vigilant when they have a persistent cough. >> this year it's something to think about. >> reporter: familiar but still important advice to stay healthy this holiday season. stephanie gosk, nbc news. we are just hours away from the 98th annual macy's thanksgiving day parade. some crowds already got a sneak preview as those famous balloons were inflated yesterday afternoon. some of the newcomers include minnie mouse and spiderman. there will be 22 floats and 15 inflatables. let's go back to angie and get a check on the forecast. what's it looking like for that parade? >> all-important forecast. good morning to you. it's not what i hoped for, but it's what we're getting. we've got that steady rain with that system moving through. the ponchos are going to be necessary. you'll deal with rain throughout

the parade. that's not going to taper off until mid to late afternoon. temperature wise, mid to upper 40s. that will be something that calls for those extra layers, of course, for people heading out to watch the parade in person. not quite the rainiest ever in history. we've got to go back to 2006 to see more than an inch and a half falling on that date, today more a half inch or a little more. and not the snowiest either. we've got to look back to 1989 wherwee p portland. mild conditions in charleston. mid-60s in atlanta. plenty of sunshine for memphis, a high of 54 degrees in little rock today. and that's a look at your

forecast, francesing , back to . at a time when we are all feeling the pinch of inflation, how does 20 bucks for thanksgiving sound? it's called the dollar tree thanksgiving dinner. it's a full meal for 20 bucks, all the staples are there from stuffing to cranberries, all just $1.25 each. the video also is a step-by-step instruction guide on how to make the mac and cheese and caramel apple cookie bars. let's talk turkey. going behind the scenes at the legendary butterball hotline. he legendary butterball hotline. can keep coming back. start to break away from uc with tremfya... with rapid relief at 4 weeks. tremfya blocks a key source of inflammation. at one year, many people experienced remission... and some saw 100% visible healing

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butterball turkey chat line to talk with experts who can answer all your birding questions. >> catherine, if this turkey tastes half as good as it looks, i think we're all in for a very big treat. >> reporter: in a country that has turned ruining holiday dinners into a bit time-honored as the turkey itself. >> oh, my god! >> it's stuck! >> reporter: there stands one ultimate, if not iconic, solution. >> the butterball hotline. >> butterball has a hotline? >> yeah. >> god, i'm sorry. i love my country. >> hi, butterball turkey talkline. how can i help you? >> reporter: welcome to the real-life war room of america's thanksgiving feast. >> looking for 170 in the breast and 180 in the thigh. >> okay, it sounds like it's the feathers in there. >> reporter: embedded in this chicago office building.

this is like non-stop. >> yes, the phones are stacked. and we have queues of people coming in one after another. >> reporter: gwen carlisle is one of more than 50 talkline experts experts manning the phones, fielding every culinary question imaginable from cooking the bird to perfecting sides. do people cry when they call? >> oh, some people. >> reporter: yeah. >> and it's awful. and i want to cry. >> reporter: what's like maybe the weirdest question you've gotten? >> i had one person call me. they were asking about the stopper in the sink, if it was oven safe. i said why are you asking? she said, well, we were thawing the turkey in the sink, we took the turkey out, put it in the pan and didn't realize it was stuck under the wi. and they cooked the turkey with the sink stopper through the whole thing. they're busy, and they're doing so many things on the holiday. common sense sometimesoes out the window and things happen and

they call us. >> reporter: all talkline experts come in with backgrounds in food and cooking. >> butterball u is when we bring all the incoming freshmen and run them through making a turkey. we want to teach them the butterball way. >> reporter: the experts are trained in every method imaginable from deep fried to even microwaved. >> there are a lot of new ways that have emerged. >> reporte you keep up on it. >> we keep up on it. >> reporter: that dedication a lifesaver for even the least skilled among holiday chefs. i've called beforere. >> have you really? we'll have to look it up. >> reporter: my friend and i were roommates in our 20s. and one of your experts talked us through pulling out the mostly-frozen neck. and, often on the phone with o your experts we screamed bloody murder and she responded with

oh, is this y'all's first turkey? >> how did it turn out? >> reporter: it went beautifully. staff estimate they've helped millions eager to feed their families. some stories stick. >> i had a gentleman call me one year, his wife had passed away. and he was the sweetest guy, and he was asking me for advice. i could cry. it's such a unique experience. to help people. >> reporter: that one stuck with you. >> yeah. it does. they do. >> reporter: and the calls keep coming. as americans countdown to their annual feast. >> we hear stories on stories of people who are having the best year or the worst year. and we're just there to help. it's really an honor. i honestly enjoy it. >> reporter: many giving things someone's there to help. >> two to two and a half hours. >> reporter: so they can leave the holiday pitfalls to hollywood. >> ah! >> reporter: maggie vespa, nbc

news, naperville, illinois. >> looks like they're offering tuturkey therapy, just priceles to get that for them. still to come here on "early today." after the parade wraps up on nbc, thanksgiving is going to the dogs. all the excitement ahead of the national dog show. what's thanksgiving without a side of football? the big games to watch while you fight off that turkey coma. le yu fight off that turkey coma. you should use it every wash, otherwise the flakes will come back. he's right, you know. is that tiny troy? the ingredients in head & shoulders keep the microbes that cause flakes at bay. microbes, really? they're always on your scalp... but good news, there's no itchiness, dryness or flakes down here. i love tiny troy. and his tiny gorgeous hair. make every wash count! and for stubborn dandruff, try head & shoulders clinical strength. hank used to suffer from what felt like a cold & flu medicine hangover ithe morning. ha ha. haha! then he switched to mucinex nightshift. mucinex is uniquely formulated to leave your system faster, so you wake up ready to go. uhh, hank!

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a liver and light springer. hello, sweetheart. oh, look at that. already trying to butter up the judges. well, i'm not a judge. i'm the co-host, but i can put a good word in for you. oh, who is this? beautiful golden. huh? absolutely. you know, every year i do a special push for the goldens, and i've come up empty handed. why can't we have a golden as best in show? >> that was the one and only

john hurley taking us backstage at the national dog show. he and his co-host, david fry are back. can you see it after the thanksgiving day parade. perfect amount of cuteness. all the fun for the parade. while you're starting to get everything done, get the table set. >> one of my favorite things about this, i have my theory that owners look like their dogs, and i love comparing. so yes, very cute. but so fun to play that game. and it's not thanksgiving without football. it all kicks off with the lions and bears at 12:30 eastern. detroit is on a record hot streak. if they win today, it would be theifirst ten-game win streak since 1934. then it's the battle of the backup quarterbacks, as the giants head to dallas at 4:30, taking on their rival cowboys who are fighting to salvage their season. and, for dessert, the dolphins head to green bay for a showdown with the packers at 8:20 eastern right here on nbc.

miami, though, heating up but green bay is coming off a huge wince against the 49ers. it would not be thanksgiving without football. one of my favorite traditions is the lions, growing up in detroit. coming up, details on the new investigation into microsoft. and how one woman in alaska is helping turkeys fly just a little bit farther to their destination, dinner tables. eir destination, dinner tables.

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skin esteem is a beautiful thing. ♪♪ hank used to suffer from what felt like a cold & flu medicine hangover in the morning. ha ha. haha! then he switched to mucinex nightshift. mucinex is uniquely formulated to leave your system faster, so you wake up ready to go. uhh, hank! try mucinex nightshift and feel the difference. here's what's making headlines on this thanksgiving morning. a source tells nbc news that the ftc has opened an anti-trust investigation into microsoft. it alleges the company is abusing its marketing power to prevent customers from moving their data from the azure cloud service to competitors. they are looking into microsoft's practices related to cyber security. microsoft declined to comment. hyundai is recalling 225,000

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the 98th edition of the macy's thanksgiving day parade hits the streets at 8:30 eastern. mark barger has a preview. >> hi, everybody, good morning. welcome to "today." >> reporter: every morning starts early for savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, but their before-dawn start on thanksgiving is different. >> everyone's jubilant. when we walk by, they're like, hey. you can feel it in the air. >> everyone says happy thanksgiving, which seems like a throw away, but it isn't. >> reporter: because the morning ushers in the holiday season. >> it's a full-on party. and it's marching through the streets of new york. >> reporter: the macy's thanksgiving day parade offers 11 marching bands, multiple musical performances, 22 floats and 17 character balloons to dazzle fans both along the route and across the country. >> we just want to be sort of good company. >> yeah. >> we don't want to be too much. we just want to hang out with you while you're making your

thanksgiving meal. we'll call out some of the floats as they go by. we hope it's easy breezy. >> yes. the parade. >> every year it gets better and better, doesn't it? >> no question about it. >> reporter: and the pair realizes they're often in the background for very busy holiday chefs. >> we should every once in a while interject. check the turkey! it's burning! start the mashed potatoes now. >> reporter: and in a parade sure to be filled with moments. >> santa claus. >> reporter: the arrival of that jolly man and his list will be the crowning one. >> hoda's on the naughty list for leaving us. >> reporter: you get to do a lot of things in your job with "today", what does this mean to you? >> don't make us cry. it's fun to celebrate thanksgiving together. i mean, this is my thanksgiving. people always like, what are you doing for thanksgiving? i'm, like, hanging out with hoda for six hours in the cold on tv.

>> this one in particular, and i've tried not to think about it being our last one together. but i do think about it, and i know every time i look at savannah during this parade, number one, we're having a ball. number two, i'm trying desperately not to laugh. >> we don't need words anymore. we just look at each other. >> sometimes i have to do it literally with my hand, do not look at me. because, if it happens, i'm in trouble. but it's a delight. and it's one of the many, many things i'm going to miss. >> reporter: making this parade one for them to savor. mark barger, nbc news. >> and the macy's thanksgiving day parade kicks off at 8:30 eastern right here on nbc. hope you have a very healthy, happy and safe thanksgiving

this morning to remember the

the