it's thursday, november 28th, 2019. this is the "cbs morning news." try to fly. all eyes will be on the macy's thanksgiving day parade balloons today. will they be grounded for the first time in nearly 50 years? snow, rain, and wind. this holiday may be better spent safe at home. the nationwide holiday forecast. the loudest boom i've ever heard in my life. >> i was very scared. and forced out. tens of thousands of texans will be spending thanksgiving as evacuees after massive evacuees after massive explosions at a plant. captioning funded by cbs good morning from the studio

57 newsroom at cbs headquarters here in new york. good to be with you. i'm anne-marie green. the macy's thanksgiving day parade will get under way here in new york city this morning. preparations were in full swing yesterday. crews worked to get those famous balloons inflated, but it's unclear if they will actually fly today. gusty winds could ground them for the first time in decades. officials will decide this morning. marc liverman is along the parade route right now. what's it like out there now in terms of the wind, marc? >> reporter: hey, good morning, anne-marie. it's a little bit windy out here right now. of course, if sustained winds hit 23 miles per hour or wind gusts hit 34 miles per hour, these balloons can't fly. right now forecasters are predicting possible wind gusts of 50 miles per hour. of cou 16 giant balloons are ready to fly at macy's thanksgiving day parade today.

>> it's just magical for them to see them go from the ground all the way up into the air. >> reporter: five new balloons are making their debut including a new spongebob, green eggs and ham, and astronaut snoopy. >> seeing snoopy float by -- >> reporter: astronaut kay hire hopes snoopy will inspire the next generation of space travelers. >> perhaps one of the young people that are here in the audience can be that one to find the solution, the innovative, crazy solutions that we need to further human space exploration. >> reporter: and what else are kids excited about? >> the chase one. >> diary of a wimpy kid. >> i want to see ronald mcdonald. >> the aflac duck. >> reporter: fans of the balloons have to keep their fingers crossed. strong winds are expected in new york, and that could force the balloons lower or even to be removed. that hasn't happened since 1971. >> whoa! whoa!

>> reporter: in 2017 a gust of winds sent a small candy cane balloon into the trees. other incidents in the past have caused injuries. >> keep the city of new york in your thoughts and prayers so the wind will stay calm and we'll be able to let these balloons fly. we're hopeful. >> reporter: whether or not the balloons are part of the parade, people here are staying in the holiday spirit. >> happy thanksgiving! >> reporter: so the tradition of the balloons, that's 100 years in the making. and even if they don't fly, of course everybody's going to be in the thanksgiving and celebratory spirit either way, anne-marie? >> yeah. it will be an amazing parade no matter what. but fingers crossed. >> reporter: no matter what happens. >> of course. marc liverman, you are along the parade route, getting an early spot staked out. thanks a lot, marc. >> reporter: thank you. stormy weather is hammering the western half of the united states this thanksgiving day, though, and that system is headed east. powerful winds in california

sheared off the roof of this hardware store near the oregon border. pieces of mangled metal went flying. luckily no one was hurt. wintry weather is also causing headaches in the midwest. there were lots of car crashes and spinouts on the roads in minnesota. meanwhile, rain in southern california delayed thanksgiving travelers. aaa estimates 55 million people are traveling this year. that's 1.6 million more than last year. meteorologist evelyn taft of our los angeles station kcbs has your holiday forecast. good morning. we're still tracking an expansive storm system across the entire west. we're talking rain, snow, and wind. this snow and wind will travel across the rest of the country as we move into the next couple of days, and we're also tracking potential wintry weather in the east. in fact, there's a good chance for a nor'easter sunday into monday. until then we've got winter weather warnings, watches, and advisories posted across the west, the rockies, the plains,

and the upper midwest. eventually we could see more alerts go up for the northeast as the wintry weather moves in by the end of the holiday weekend. as we get a look at your thanksgiving day highs, we're keeping temperatures mostly in the 50s as we head to the east coast. the southeast a little warmer. 60s and 70s. could expect some thunderstorms through parts of texas along the west coast. temperatures in the 40s and 50s. cooler, though, for the pacific northwest. a similar looking forecast if you plan on doing any black friday shopping. otherwise, as you're traveling home on sunday, things looking a little bit like this. new w york, remember we are expecting wintry weather, could see flurries and rain. by sunday morning, temperatures in the 40s, lows in the 30s. as we make a stop in baltimore. heading home, 48 degrees. chicago, 41. denver, dry but cold at 39. and san francisco at 57 degrees. i'm evelyn taft, cbs news.

well, a massive fire at a chemical plant in southeast texas continues to burn out of control this morning. yesterday a second blast rocked the town of port neches about 80 miles east of houston. the blast came more than 12 hours after an initial explosion shook the area, forcing mandatory evacuations. about 60,000 people were ordered to leave their homes the day before thanksgiving. >> had dressing made in the freezer, ready to cook. i had a turkey in the oven. >> it will be ready when we get back. >> fire officials say they have no estimate on how long it will take to get the fire under control. three employees at the plant suffered minor injuries from the initial blast. it's unclear just what caused the two explosions. to the latest now on the impeachment inquiry into president trump. "the new york times" reports rudy giuliani, mr. trump's personal lawyer, not only tried to dig up damaging information

in ukraine about joe biden, but he also reportedly pursued hundreds of thousands of dollars in business opportunities from ukrainian government officials. the report comes as president trump stayed on the offensive in his fight against impeachment investigators. weijia jiang reports from florida where she's traveling with the president. >> reporter: cbs news has learned president trump is likely to reject a democratic offer to allow him or his lawyers to appear at impeachment hearings next week. this even as he continues to call the inquiry unfair, attacking democrats at a rally in florida. >> not giving us due process. not giving us lawyers. >> reporter: and there are new questions about what mr. trump knew and when he knew it. at the rally, the president gave his version of the call with eu ambassador gordon sondland who had testified the administration wanted the ukrainians to investigate the bidens in exchange for military aid and a white house visit.

>> last week, sondland testified that i told him, quote, what do you want from ukraine? i said, i want nothing. this is a quote. "i want no quid pro quo." >> reporter: the president was reportedly briefed about the whistle-blower's complaint alleging the quid pro quo in late august. he spoke to sondland several days after that on september 9th and released the nearly $400 million of u.s. military aid to ukraine on the 11th. democrats say that proves the president only said and did the right things because he got caught. >> it tells me that a lot of scrambling went on after the fact to try to cover their tracks. including the ultimate resumption of aid itself because he realized he had been fingered by somebody in the know. >> reporter: a source close to president trump says this new

timeline actually helps his case because they argue it shows the release of the aid was not in direct response to the president finding out about the whistle-blower's complaint. weijia jiang, cbs news, west palm beach. the navy has canceled a review for three s.e.a.l.s involved in the edward gallagher case. the service members were at risk of losing their status as s.e.a.l.s in connection to a war crimes case involving gallagher. gallagher was convicted of posing with the corpse of a captive in iraq in 2017. the navy demoted gall better, but earlier there month, president trump ordered his rank to be restored. the acting navy secretary said the e case was becoming a distraction for the commando force. and this morning, north korea fired two projectiles into the sea according to south korea's military. there are no details about what kind of projectiles were launched and where they landed. it comes three days after the north said its troops conducted artillery drills near its disputed sea border with south korea.

this morning, china warned the u.s. of counter measures after president trump signed two bills supporting anti-government protesters in hong kong. beijing today summoned the u.s. ambassador to protest. last week congress approved the bills following months of demonstrations in the semi-autonomous city. one bill mandates sanction on chinese and hong kong officials who carry out human rights abuses. the other prohibits the export of certain nonlethal emissions to hong kong. -- nonlethanonlethal munitions kong. president trump said he signed the bills out of respect for president xi, china, and the people of hong kong. china accused the u.s. of interfering in its internal affairs. coming up on the "morning news," a marine accused of murder has been captured. a special holiday. former president jimmy carter is released from the hospital. this is the "cbs morning news." e hospital. this is the "cbs morning news." (music) if you have moderate to severe psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis, little things can be a big deal. that's why there's otezla.

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♪ chinese astronomers have discovered a massive black hole that is so big they say it should not even exist. it was discovered on the other side of our milky way galaxy. they say the black hole has a mass of about 70 times that of the sun. now previously scientists believed that black holes could only be about 20 times the max of the sun. former president jimmy carter is back home, and a marine deserter has been captured. those are some of the headlines on the "morning newsstand." the "roanoke times" reports the 18-day search for a marine wanted for murder ended in the same house where he's accused of committing the crime. 22-year-old michael brown was arrested yesterday inside the house in franklin county, virginia. authorities say that he was taken into custody without incident. he's accused of shooting and killing his mother's boyfriend earlier this month. police were searching for brown in three states. "the boston globe" says massachusetts governor charlie

baker signed into law the nation's first statewide ban on all flavored tobacco and nicotine vaping products including menthol cigarettes. it's the country's toughest restrictions. baker also said he's ending the state's temporary ban on all e-cigarette sales early. products including marijuana, vaping items could return to store shelves next month under strict new rules. the cdc says more than 2,200 people have contracted vaping-related illnesses in the country, and at least 47 people have died. medical experts say the fda could fast track e-cigarettes research to find out more about the effects of vaping. >> the industry in terms of e-cigarettes, they're ahead of what's happening with the science. so we need to be able to make the science catch up. >> president trump has promised to approve a national ban on most flavored e-cigarettes, but then backed off that citing possible job losses. "the atlanta journal constitution" reports former president jimmy carter was leased from an atlanta hospital

in time for thanksgiving. the 95-year-old mr. carter left emory university hospital 15 days after undergoing surgery. the procedure relieved pressure on his brain caused by bleeding from recent falls. a spokeswoman for the carter center said the carters look forward to enjoying thanksgiving at home in plains, georgia, where he will continue to recover. still ahead, are you planning a winter vacation? how about a luxurious all-inclusive resort? but be prepared to spend big time. prepared to spend big time. this is the week at kohl's!...g the more you shop, the more kohl's cash you'll get! plus - take an extra 15% off! monday through friday - only at kohl's. unitedhealthcare medicare advantage plans have a lot to take advantage of like medicare's largest health care network. hey, that's my dermatologist! $0 copays on all primary care doctor visits plus rewards for preventive care.

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an keithia. blab blab here's a look at the forecast in some cities around the country. ♪ ♪ forget black friday, just swipe. thousands of people are using social media to shop for the holidays. many are going to instagram to find deals on everything from clothing to furniture. companies have been launching new products only on instagram for users to buy right there on the app. all-inclusive resorts are opening in more destinations around the world, and many are even offering high-end amenities to attract wealthier guests. wendy gillette reports on some of the most intriguing resorts. >> reporter: kudadoo private

island in the maldives is taking all-inclusive to the next level. >> we wanted to try something new which was the anything, any time, anywhere concept. >> starting at $3,800 a night, you get unlimited spa treatments including a himalayan salt room. guests can have breakfast on a deserted island, go diving with turtles, and hunt for stingrays from a private boat. we got special rates to see the enormous over-water villas. there's also a cheese room and plenty of wine to pair it with. >> we have over 100 wines including six reputable champagnes. >> reporter: closer to home, over-water villas are now available at sandals' all inclusive resorts in jamaica and st. lucia. even budget friendly resorts like bahai principe are upping the ante with activities including elaborate stage shows. also in cancun, leblanc touts

unlimited golf and seven-taste men use with caviar at its french restaurant. seven courses are on every menu at the family-owned spice island resort. half of the rooms lead to the beach, and the resort has hosted royalty including prince harry who had a favorite dessert. >> we served him avocado ice cream, one of our signature dishes handed down through generations, and he loved it. >> reporter: although hire and the all inclusives are becoming more common, the model is not new. curtain bluff has been operating as a luxury inclusive resort for 32 years. it offers unlimited scuba, tennis, and two beaches with sun rooms in the bluffs. jeffrey and lana koontz from san francisco were here for their honeymoon and have returned since. fans of the all-inclusive model. >> i guess what i enjoy about it is that i don't have to worry about anything. it's all paid. >> reporter: they're free only to worry about each other. wendy gillette, cbs news, antigua.

still to come, emotional reunions. thousands of sailors and marines return home aboard the "uss boxer" just in time for thanksgiving. ving. what does help for heart failure look like? it looks like this. ♪ the beat goes on ♪ entresto is a heart failure pill that helps improve your hearts ability to pump blood to the body. don't take entresto if pregnant; it can cause harm or death to an unborn baby. ♪la-di-la-di-dah don't take entresto with an ace inhibitor or aliskiren, or if you've had angioedema with an ace or arb. the most serious side effects are angioedema, low blood pressure, kidney problems, or high blood potassium. ask your doctor about entresto. ♪the beat goes on yeah! ♪ who will you make happy today? le vie est belle. the iconic fragrance. lancôme. the must have gift of the season. at macy's. itintroducing the new braava jet m6 robot mop. of the season.

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here's a look at the forecast in some cities around the country. ♪ ♪ after seven long months of being away overseas, 4,500 sailors and marines have returned home just in time for thanksgiving. the men and women of the "uss boxer" were welcomed back by their loved ones yesterday in san diego. they were on deployment in the middle east conducting exercises with partner nations. some fathers met their newborn babies for the very first time. how cute is that?

coming up on "cbs this morning," shoppers, get ready. we're going to show some of the best deals for black friday. i'm anne-marie green. this is the "cbs morning news." skin sin #17... too many after-parties. new neutrogena® bright boost with dullness-fighting neoglucosamine. boosts cell turnover by 10 times for instantly brighter skin. bright boost neutrogena®. for your worst sore throat pain, try vicks vapocool drops. it's not candy, it's powerful relief. ahhh vaporize sore that pain with vicks vapocool drops and try new vapocool spray. even in the dead of winter, the hunt continues. wolves have an innate desire for meat.

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help us at taps.org/family. our top stories this morning -- the macy's thanksgiving day parade kicks off in new york city today. the famous floats and marching bands will be on full display. but as for those balloons, gusty winds could ground them for the first time in nearly 50 years. officials will determine whether they can fly this morning. and stormy weather is impacting much of the western half of the nation this thanksgiving. a foot of snow fell in parts of the midwest. meanwhile, heavy rain and winds slammed the west coast. forecasters say the storm system will keep moving east, and that could make getting home from holiday festivities tough by sunday. while thanksgiving is a time to be thankful, it's also a time to be careful. safety experts are reminding everyone about potential holiday

dangers. kenneth craig explains. this was my kitchen. >> reporter: last year, yvonne wallace was overcome with emotion after seeing her kitchen. she was cooking for her kids during the holidays when a fire started on the stove. it burned through the kitchen and destroyed the family's christmas tree. >> look at our christmas tree. >> reporter: this consumer product safety commission demonstration shows how fast a fire can start on the stove. it's also popular to deep fry a turkey for the holiday, but this is what can happen. about 1,800 cooking fires occur on thanksgiving, four times more than any other day of the year. >> oil is very, very sporadic. you drop something wet or overflow the oil, it boils out, and then that oil becomes a fuel, and it spreads. plus, that hot oil, even before it's ready to burn, it can be more than hot enough to burn your skin and cause you some major injuries. >> reporter: it's important to only use dry, unfrozen turkeys,

don't overfill the oil, turn off the flame when you lower the turkey, and keep the fryer away from the house. holiday decorations can also be a hazard. the government says candles and christmas tree fires led to at least ten deaths from 2014 to 2016. experts say it's important to keep candles awayfrom flammable items and trees need to be watered often. look at what happens when a fire is started on both a watered and dry tree. in just ten seconds, the room on the right is engulfed in flames. christmas trees should also be kept away from space heaters, and it's important to check lights for frayed wires and loose sockets. that can help prevent a tragedy from occurring this holiday season. kenneth craig, cbs news, new york. coming up on "cbs this morning," shoppers, get ready. we'll show you some of the best deals for black friday and offer advice on spotting fake reviews on line. plus, a preview of all the big thanksgiving day football games.

we'll be talking with cbs sports nfl analyst bill cowher. and a buzzer beater in a shocking college basketball upset this week wasn't just a win for the team. how one player's lay-up is helping his whole family. that's the "cbs morning news" for this thursday. thanks for watching. i'm anne-marie green. have a happy thanksgiving.