this morning on "world news now," america on alert. >> security beefed up across the country as the holiday weekend begins, despite not specific threats. tensions remain high as the global fight against terror continues. speaking out, the american band caught at the center of the paris attacks. detailing their horrifying ordeal. how they were trapped with nowhere to go, waiting for the killers to reload before making their escape. rough roads ahead for millions across the country. icy highways and flooding alerts across many states and the high winds in california blowing away, wow, this market before shoppers could grab food for the big feast. and "the mix," what happens when thanksgiving dinner doesn't go as planned? from burnt birds to messed up kitchens? a little laughter wil help ease the pain on this thanksgiving thursday, november 26th.

>> announcer: former abc news, this is "world news now." >> never cooked a thanksgiving meal. >> ever? >> good morning on this happy thanksgiving. >> so mama has always cooked you dinner mama has always cooked. >> you're a lucky boy. >> some guy that i call down the street for reservations. >> dinner out, huh? >> absolutely. it looks like the p pilgrims thw up on the deck. >> great job with the decorations today. >> they did, but man, we went big. >> we went very big. i didn't tell them i actually put up my christmas tree today. >> you did today? >> i did. >> we're moving ahead one holiday at a time. >> we'll focus on thanksgiving today. lots of folks are working on the bird about now. we're glad you're tuning in. tips coming up soon. >> absolutely. it's not too late to get some tips. there are the celebrations that will be taking place today. the president trying to make everyone is safe. let's get started with that. he was looking to ease the anxiety as millions of americans do gather for thanksgiving.

less than two weeks after the attacks on paris. >> the president insisted there are not specific that's that's aware of to the u.s. they're doing everything possible to keep the country safe. with more, here's abc's david curly. >> reporter: with tens of millions of americans on the move tonight, the president tried to offer some reassurance. >> we know of no specific and credible intelligence indicating a plot on the homeland. >> reporter: but there are more police in airports, train stations and what are called soft targets, shopping malls and other public places. homeland authorities call it a reinforcement of existing security. >> i want the american people to know is that we are taking every possible step to keep our homeland safe. >> reporter: not all travelers were reassured. >> him saying that doesn't -- doesn't really make me feel more at ease. >> reporter: a worldwide travel you alert remains in effect for those heading overseas, as millions take to the air. heightened concerns about security. are you worried? no. it's not something i like to

think about, but i trust that they're doing a good job. >> reporter: across the country, security lines long, with tsa expected to handle a 40% increase in fliers. >> if you're scared by it and let it run your life, then you'll all be in a house somewhere just hiding. >> reporter: in new york, balloons being filled for the thanksgiving parade, with police planning additional presence. after briefing the president, the secretary of homeland security sent his own message to americans to travel. with raincoat and briefcase in hand, he boarded an amtrak train for his trip home for the holiday. the president did say if a specific, credible threat is discovered, it will be shared with the american public. with that, the president wished the country a happy thanksgiving. >> tomorrow marks two weeks since the attacks in paris. we're now hearing more details about the assault on the ba da clan theater. the eagles of death metal was on

stage as bullets started flying. advice founder shane smith sat down with the band for an exclusive interview. shawn london was the sounds engineer that night. >> he reloaded again and that's when we all ran. i picked a girl up and basically had to push her forward to get her to go because she was in such shock. the front doors are glass. and there was a glass door. so i went to push it and i mean, i'd say a foot away from me hitting the door it shattered. that means a bullet hit. we just got through it and we ran out. we had to jog over bodies dead out front. >> band members are grateful for all the support they've gotten from fans. lawmakers in france voted overwhelmingly to extends air strikes against syria into the new year. the campaign intensified since authorities cited spec threats against french they're thes. german chancellor angela merkel is promising to stand by france saying it will do everything

possible to prevent attacks like those that devastated paris nearly two weeks ago. iran is now getting involved in the aftermath of that downtowned russian jet. the iranian president blames turkey for heightening tensions in the region saying the plane was flying in syrian air space at the time. turkey says it fired on the jet only after warning the pilots they were flying in turkish air space. one of the pilots denies there was any warning. another night of protests in chicago over the death of a black teenager shot by a police officer 16 times. newly obtained dashcam video shows 17-year-old laquan mcdonald running from officers. police are facing questions because no voices can be heard. they're blaming it on technical difficultieses. we're learning about a spring of complaints lodged against the officer who pulled the traeger. here's abc's alex perez. >> reporter: those new details on chicago police officer jason van dyke's past. according to civilian watchdog group invisible institute, at

least 20 citizen complaints filed against van dyke since he joined the force in 2001, including allegations of using excessive force and racial slurs. but so far, van dyke has not been disciplined. and, we are also learning more about what officials claimed happened the night of the shooting back in october of last year, when they were responding to a call of a man with a knife breaking into cars. >> he wasn't dropping the knife and he was coming at the officer. >> reporter: but investigators now say that dash cam video shows laquan mcdonald never threatened van dyke, and in fact, was walking away when van dyke shot him 16 times in 15 seconds. the video sending shockwaves across chicago. protesters taking to the streets. state's attorney anita alvarez facing criticism for investigating the case nearly a year before charging van dyke with first degree murder, and responding to allegations officers deleted surveillance video from a nearby burger king the night of the incident.

>> it doesn't appear that they've been tampered with and did not reveal, you know, any of that kind of evidence, however, the investigation will always continue. >> reporter: a district manager for the chain telling abc news the investigators did tamper with the video files. van dyke's defense argues he feared for his life when he opened fire. >> this is not a murder case, despite what you heard in the courtroom. >> reporter: legal experts say a first degree murder charge for a police officer is rare. why is it so unusual? >> because it's a hard case to prove, and particularly against a cop. to be convicted of first degree murder, it has to be shown that you intended to do serious bodily harm or death and that you had no justification for it. >> reporter: and yet another round of protests here in chicago. this group, making their way through downtown. all of these protests, so far, peaceful. alex perez, abc news, chicago. >> those protests continued late into the evening. nearly 47 million americans are expected to travel this holiday weekend. rain, ice and snow may cause delays in the central portion of

the country. the weather is already a problem in the higher elevations of northern california. chains are required on vehicles traveling through the sierras, but drivers further east should also watch for icy and slippery roads. half an hour south of there in sacramento, 11 people were injured when a sudden strong gust of wind blew through a flea market. six or seven tents were tossed in the air. luckily many of the hundreds of shoppers had already left for the day. all the injuries we're told were minor. now to a white house tradition you might say is for the birds. each year the president pardons a turkey or two. not members of the opposition party. >> that wouldn't happen in washington. this year's turkeys came from california are named honest and abe. president obama says america is the land of second chances but he admits it was a close call. >> i confess that honest looks like good eating but this is a democracy. abe is now a free bird.

he has told us the turk of the united states, totus. >> look at the girls. i love this. they're actually laughing at the jokes. trying to indulge daddy. >> these are some of the jokes that he tortured them with. they actually laughed through it. he said you know, capital believe that was his seventh one. time flies even if turkeys don't. >> oh, boy. >> yeah. dad jokes. >> oh, dad jokes. but the girls were so great. i can't say enough. it's hard. you got to do a lot of these obligation whz he you're at the white house. putting up with dad's jokes on an national level, got to give them credit on that one. >> coming up, we've got some shopping deals to start the season without all the stress. >> an outrageous scene at the airport. baggage handlers seen as tossing around a bag as part of a game. and thanksgiving dessert, as well. coming up. >> i'm jacqueline. if you're looking to put a little more zip into your

thanksgiving, we have some seasonal sensations that will make you forget all about pumpkin pie. that's straight ahead right here on "world news now." friends coming over? yeah, so? it stinks in here. you've got to wash this whole room are you kidding? wash it? let's wash it with febreze. for all the things you can't wash, use... ...febreze fabric refresher whoa hey mrs. webber inhales hey, it smells nice in here and try pluggable febreze... ...to continuously eliminate odors for... ...up to 45 days of freshness pluggable febreze and fabric refresher... ...[inhale + exhale mnemonic]... ...two more ways to breathe happy enough pressure in here for ya? ugh. my sinuses are killing me. yeah...just wait 'til we hit ten thousand feet. i'm gonna take mucinex sinus-max. too late, we're about to take off. these dissolve fast. they're new liquid gels.

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okay. so no airline passenger wants to see this. uniformed baggage handlers caught on camera playing toss the suitcase.

>> oh, man. >> a attention at san jose california's airport tweeted this video to southwest airlines. but it says check the uniforms. they don't belong to southwest. alaska be airlines has stepped up to say these are our people. >> whoa. >> than the bag was a dummy filled with magazines. sure it was. >> makes you feel better? >> no. i don't know that it was filled with magazines. >> that's why you've got to drive places these days. >> yes. >> for many today is the day for family gatherings. for others it's the parades or football games. >> many others are making battle plans for black friday or as it's becoming black thursday. abc's rebecca jarvis has some tips on getting the best deals. >> reporter: so, how do you know when a deal is really a deal? prices online are changing constantly. take this hello barbie doll. originally listed on target.com for $74, then $69, then $59 in just a few days. we went to work on yolanda machado's family wish list.

it's all about finding the best websites. you can comparison shop with shop genius or invisible hand. they run in the background while you're shopping online, and if what you're about to buy is cheaper at another retailer, they alert you before you purchase. this laptop we found first for $330. but invisible hand found it for $279. the savings don't have to stop once you've made your purchase. websites like slice and paribus work to get you money back on stuff you've already bought. >> with paribus, just buy what you want, we'll take care of everything else. >> reporter: so, if the price drops, you get me the refund? >> that's right. simple. >> reporter: you give paribus your e-mail, they scan your receipts, and if they find a better price, they file a price match claim and automatically refund your account. paribus takes 25% of whatever savings they find you. the national retail federation estimates is we will spend $105 billion online on holiday sales

this year. rebecca jarvis, abc news, chicago. love our rebecca jarvis. she has the best tips on business and shopping. >> we do need to take note. those were some good deals out there. >> uh-huh. christmas isn't that far away. >> it's noted. coming up in our next half hour, an old friend sets the scene for us while they were blowing up the big parade balloons here in new york city. the stars of the show are ready to fly in just a matter of hours. >> first, what better way to finish off your thanksgiving feast than with some delicious des sers. recipes that include rum, yes, real rum. some ideas from an expert coming up. you're watching "world news now." >> announcer: "

let's hope you have plenty of utensils on your table today for the thanksgiving feast especially when it comes to dessert. >> look at some of these

delicious possibilities. >> oh. >> awesome someness. awhile back i spoke to an expert how to finish off your meal. pumpkin pie is the classic feast topper. but what if you're looking for something with a bit of a modern twist but still want to be seasonal? joining us is the author of this book, joslyn delk adams the author of "grandbaby cakes." what's with the name of the book. >> it's inspired by my grandparents. they used to call meet grandbaby. still do. also i had a nickname as an adult called baby cakes because i used to make the best cakes in the neighborhood. i merged the two together. >> now as an adult you're making cakes and then some. >> yes. >> what do we have. >> clacks with a modern twist perfect for your thanksgiving table. starting here, i have a classic yellow cake. who doesn't love this? this is like the quintessential dessert that you remember growing up. right? but this is the one that's done perfectly. it comes -- i'm telling you, it

is beyond amazing. you will love this. everyone will enjoy it because it's a clack, right? >> is there like a certain kick to that. >> the thing that makes it amazing is the butter honestly. it's tons of butter, tons of eggs and sugar, is the stuff we love and deserve. >> so butter and sugar. that's all we need. >> that's what we need for thanksgiving. and then here, here is a modern twist. so on my thanksgiving table we always have candied sweet tomatoes, candiedium. this is a cake twist on that. it's got a buttered rum and candied sweet potato rum cake. >> you had me at rum. >> we're talking real rum. we only do real here. it's got a streusel that goes through it and it's spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg and a fantastic crumble top. so you can have this for breakfast tore do it a little later. >> good deal. >> so then here, this is another twist. so everyone thinks about like. >> it's literally a twist. >> isn't that cool?

really pretty pan. you think about the traditional german chocolate cake. this one is a pound cake. the inside of the cake tastes like a brownie. it's so dense and delicious. it's so moist. so deep. and you're like, and kind of heavy. >> it's really, really heavy. >> it's got the classic frosting and you can just sprinkle a little bit more of the coconut on top just to make it really pretty. >> and add a little bit of rum on top. >> that, too. you must love rum. do you love rum? >> i like it all. >> and then lastly here, i've got some coffee toef pumpkin cupcakes. everyone's talking about pumpkin pie. no, you need these cupcakes. they're really, really sensational. they've got a cream cheese topping. i love to adjust a little bit of nutmeg on the top, just spring offal that on. it looks really beautiful and elegant. and you're like okay, you want to taste it. >> that's really, really nice. >> isn't that delicious? you can add this little toef sauce and kind of drizzle that

over the top. >> you don't feel bad? >> not at all. >> not at all. >> not at all. i'm like wherever you're going with this, not at all. i never feel bad. >> about the calories? >> it's thanksgiving. this is the time to undulg, right? >> it is the time to indulge. it's not like the traditional apple pie or the pumpkin pie. >> i think you can always have those, too. it's always fun to mix things up and surprise people during the holidays, too. >> these are perfectly -- in the book you have about 50 different recipes. >> yes. so i love to tell people if you're a beginner baker, you can start with this and you know, really go to down. you don't have to be intimidated by baking. you can start new memories with your family especially during this holiday season. >> i don't know if i can pull it off. i've always said the only thing i could make are reservations. >> no, i'm telling you, start with my easy recipes. you'll be baking in no time. >> he i love that. >> i started baking and i had to call the fire department.

thanks, joslyn delk adams. >> look forward to your cooking. > no, you don't.

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to unleash max strength medicine. let's end this. okay, we're going to start "the mix" this time on thanksgiving with, this unofficial i guess you would say facebook research. they asked people from different states what they're thankful for. they found out and kind of split it up to see what different states what, people in different states are saying they're thankful for. for your state, your home state, florida. >> yeah, i'm thankful for oranges because it's sunshine orange day. but they wrote down living near the beach. >> that's what the majority of people in florida are saying they're thankful for this thanksgiving. >> in texas, they say it's the rain. >> okay. in tennessee, in alabama and georgia, there's a current theme going on there. god in tennessee, god's love, alabama god's forgiveness, georgia, god's word. >> you know what they're thankful for in alaska?

>> children's laughter. i like that one. >> why? >> because it can make you happy. kids laughing. oh, my gosh. doesn't it give you a warm feeling inside? that's the rum. >> they do that. thankful for kid's last ter. i would think alaskans have more to be thankful for than that. but who knows? thanksgiving dinner thanksgiving disasters. you don't cook. you've never cooked thanksgiving dinner. here are some thanksgiving dinner fails. this is thanksgiving turkey, tad overcooked. >> is this al actual photo from your thankful last year. >> no, it was not. this is a sad attempt to infuse octopus and crab legs into a turkey into good idea right there. >> i appreciate the effort. >> someone will butter fingers or mittens and dropped a turkey. this turkey had so much potential. >> can you imagine after so many hours. >> a little too much whiskey for that turkey. >> someone couldn't make a pumpkin can be dessert with the directions on the box. >> doesn't everybody cook with

alcohol? >> i don't know. >> while they're drinking. > this one someone drops a pie. that's an embarrassing cooking moment. >> that was not grandbaby. you're absolutely right, jack. this grandbaby would not be happy with that one. >> this is not part of the grandbaby cakes, but this is the dessert apparently of the moment. the new dessert. take a look at it. can you figure out what it is? >> is that primp kin pie spice. >> it is. >> chocolate. >> it is all of those. it is called a pie caken. it's beak a combination of cake and pie. so you can have your cake and eat your pie, too. >> now, why did we not bring this into the studio. >> oh, man. >> you can do that with cherry and peach cobbler. >> so that looks like throwup. >> that does not. that looks like dinner to me. >> does that look great? it's a combination of everything. you don't have to decide anymore. >> somebody call delivery.com and get one of these on set

this morning on "world news now," thanksgiving storms. terrible conditions for millions of americans making the holiday drive a nightmare. snow and ice hitting the west as massive amounts of rain are dumping on the south. the complete forecast straight ahead. on alert. police and government officials doing their best to ease tensions. no credible threats made clear, but americans being urged to remain aware on this holiday weekend. and new this half hour, the mother of a baby left in a nativity scene not charged. >> new surveillance footage helping to identify the mom who left the newborn unattended with the umbilical cord still attached. >> and behind the scenes of the macy's thanksgiving day parade. original "world news now" anchor lisa mccree checks out the balloons and all at workers getting pumped up for the big day and getting some help from young fans.