Many families settled for smaller gatherings and remote blessings during the height of the pandemic, but this Thanksgiving looks like the return of the big bash.

More folks are getting together this year, with the American Automobile Association predicting holiday travel will be nearly back to pre-pandemic levels.

If that’s the case at your house, it may have been a while since you faced a frozen turkey or remembered which cousins shouldn’t sit together.

To help you brush up on the holiday basics, here are some tips to keep everyone safe, healthy and sane:

FIRST, THE TURKEY

The big bird is the center of most Thanksgiving meals, but it’s important to handle raw poultry properly to avoid spreading bacteria that can send your guests home with an unwanted side of food poisoning. Thaw safely. A frozen turkey needs about 24 hours to thaw for every 4 to 5 pounds of weight, according to the Agriculture Department. In a pinch, it can be thawed in a cold water bath or even a microwave, but it must be cooked immediately if you use those methods. And don’t wash the turkey. It’s a bad idea to rinse it in the sink, a practice that can spread potentially dangerous germs such as salmonella to nearby areas, said Jennifer Quinlan, a Drexel University nutrition sciences professor who has studied consumers’ turkey-handling habits. Instead, pat the turkey dry with paper towels and plop it in the roasting pan.

COOK THOROUGHLY, REFRIGERATE PROMPTLY

The best way to make sure your turkey is fully cooked, to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, is to use a meat thermometer, said Lisa Shelley, who researches food safety at North Carolina State University. Don’t rely on golden-brown skin or the color of the turkey juices. Once the turkey is served, be sure to refrigerate it and all the other leftovers — mashed potatoes, gravy, yams — within two hours. “Really, set a timer when you put everything out,” Quinlan suggested. “You’ll be surprised at how fast two hours goes.”

And don’t skimp on the cleanup. Wash your hands before preparing food and after touching raw poultry. But make sure to consider the counters, the cutting boards and any tools that may be contaminated, too, Shelley said. Clean with soap and water, then sanitize with chlorine bleach. “It’s a two-step process,” she said.

DANGER ZONES

Certain holidays are known for specific injuries and Thanksgiving’s no exception, said Dr. Christopher Kang, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Carve carefully. Slicing a turkey is a lot harder than it looks, as Turkey Day injuries attest. “Always, with any cutting and carving, we see a lot of hand injuries and finger injuries,” said Kang, an ER doctor in Tacoma, Washington. Make sure the carving knife is sharp and never slice toward yourself, always away. Don’t put your hand under the blade to catch a slice of meat.”

Beware of turkey fryer fires. Deep-fried turkey may sound delectable, but it’s a dangerous dish for home cooks to prepare. The fryers can tip over and spill — and the combination of a frozen or not-quite-thawed turkey and hot oil can create an explosion. Even when that doesn’t happen, Kang said he’s seen plenty of painful scalding injuries caused by hot oil.

AVOID THE “TRIPLE-DEMIC”

Thanksgiving gatherings also kick off a spike in other ER visits as generations gather and swap germs. This year, the danger posed by COVID-19 and other viruses, including an early flu season and RSV, respiratory syncytial virus, is a continuing worry, Kang said. Babies and young children are particularly vulnerable to some infections; older people are more susceptible to others. “What age group is not at risk?” Kang said. To reduce the chances of infection and serious illness, make sure everyone eligible is up-to-date on vaccinations. Ask folks who have any symptoms of illness — even “allergies” or “just a cold” — to stay home. Consider asking guests to take a rapid COVID-19 test before they show up. Make sure your home is well-ventilated: Open windows, keep a portable air purifier running. To protect the most vulnerable guests, consider wearing masks indoors.

BE MINDFUL OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

Hosting — or joining — a Thanksgiving holiday event after nearly three years of a tumultuous pandemic may be a challenge. It’s important to have realistic expectations — and to plan ahead to avoid familiar family pitfalls, according to the American Psychological Association. Take time for yourself. Despite the pressure of the holidays, don’t forgo your healthy routine. If you usually exercise, make time for a long walk, APA experts say: “Reflect on aspects of your life that give you joy.” Set boundaries in advance. If you’re worried about conflicts or heated discussions at your holiday table, the APA suggests making sure everyone knows Thanksgiving is a time to focus on “gratitude, appreciation and all you have, including each other.”

(NewsNation) — Traveling may be a holiday pain for many Americans, but for Monte Wiederhold, navigating the highways is his life.

The semitrailer driver has been dealing with traffic jams, detours and delays since 1978, when he started driving big rigs. Wiederhold, president of B.L. Reever Transport, provided useful tips for anybody hitting the road this Thanksgiving.

Watch his interview on “Rush Hour” above.

How is it that Democrats were able to buck historical trends and avoid the kind of midterms massacre traditionally suffered by the party in power? And why did so many election forecasts miss the mark? Ryan Grim talks with Tom Bonier of Democratic data firm TargetSmart about what the media got wrong in 2022.

Transcript coming soon.

The post The Data Guy Who Got the Midterms Right appeared first on The Intercept.

North Korea on Thursday denounced Seoul’s push to impose additional sanctions on Pyongyang after its missile launches, calling South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and his administration “idiots” parroting the United States, state media KCNA reported.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, made the remarks in a statement carried by KCNA, warning sanctions and pressure would add to the North’s “hostility and anger.”

South Korea’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday it was reviewing independent sanctions on Pyongyang. It said sanctions on the cyber sector were among those considered in case the North pushes ahead with a nuclear test.

North Korea has conducted an unprecedented number of ballistic missile launches this year. For months Washington has said North Korea could conduct a nuclear bomb test, the first since 2017, at any time.

“If they think that they can escape from the present dangerous situation through ‘sanctions,’ they must be really idiots as they do not know how to live in peace and comfort,” Kim Yo Jong said in the statement, calling Yoon and his government a “running wild dog” with a bone given by the United States.

South Korea’s unification ministry, handling inter-Korean affairs, issued a statement over the “deplorable” comments targeting the South Korean leader.

“We express a strong regret over (the North’s) attitude attempting to shift the blame on us … when the current tension on the Korean Peninsula was caused by North Korea’s repeated missile provocations,” the ministry said in the statement.

The United States has urged the United Nations Security Council to hold North Korea accountable for its missile tests in one voice, as the 15-member body has been split on how to deal with Pyongyang in recent years.

Although both China and Russia backed tighter sanctions after Pyongyang’s last nuclear test in 2017, in May they vetoed a U.S.-led push for more U.N. penalties over its renewed missile launches.

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Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele promised on Wednesday to tighten security around major cities, the latest escalation of an eight-month-old war against gang violence which human rights groups say is marred by unjustified detentions.

Since March, Bukele has ordered the arrest of more than 50,000 suspected gang members, whom he calls terrorists, while denying basic process rights to those caught up in the dragnet.

The crackdown is one of his signature policies and is aimed at reducing the Central American country’s homicide rate to less than two per day.

Speaking at a graduation ceremony for military officers, Bukele said he would add more than 200 police officers to the 20,000 soldiers already patrolling cities with the remit to take on gang members.

The aim was to “surround large cities and extract the terrorists who are hiding within the communities, without giving them the slightest possibility of escape”, he said.

The latest escalation follows congressional backing for a so-called state of exception, first approved in March, which imposes strict limits on freedom of association, the right to a legal defense, and restrictions on telecommunications.

According to government data, the crackdown has dramatically reduced killings attributed to gangs, with more than 200 days free of gang-linked deaths so far this year.

Bukele launched his controversial crackdown shortly after 76 Salvadorans died in a single weekend last March.

Human rights have blasted the policy, saying many people arrested have no prior criminal history.

“I don’t have to tell you things are bad.”

“Everybody knows things are bad.”

“It’s like everything everywhere is going crazy.”

“So we don’t go out anymore.”

“We sit in the house.”

“Please, leave us alone in our living rooms.”

“I’m mad as hell. And I’m not going to take it anymore!”

Ah — the past. These quotes above are from “Network,” a 1976 film about — well — a network in the business of television.

It’s a great film which many of you have seen. But I write about it because — look at the words above. They really are timeless, are they not? They could have been said yesterday.

I am not asking that you yell out your window. In fact, I advise against it. I do ask you to be on your guard against — networks. ALL OF THEM.

They are starting already. They do not leave us alone for a minute.

Behold the madness:

“The Democrats have a rough road in 2024.”

“Your map doesn’t look good to keep the senate in 2024.”

“The Democrats have a rocky road ahead.”

“Can Biden really win again?”

“things worked out well for the democrats — this time.”

I have written countless Palmer Report articles about the media. I consider this the most important. Why? Because “I’m mad as hell. And I’m not going to take it anymore.” And you shouldn’t either. I’d like to save readers from months and months of potential gloom and doom, sadness, and irritability.

So in the spirit of doing the right thing, which most networks need help understanding, I ask you to change the channel.Turn it off. Do the old switcheroo and change from CNN or MSNBC or CBS or whatever idiotic network is trying to sell you the latest bill of goods.

I know some of you stopped watching months or years ago. I speak of those who DO still watch. We NEED to stop the media in its tracks. And the networks are gearing up for another two years of madness. But we can stop them if they have no audience.

See, just like Trump — the problem isn’t just the networks. It’s the customers. The fewer consumers they have, the less likely they’ll put this stuff out. So next time you get mad as hell — just change the station.

The post Hell in a handbasket appeared first on Palmer Report.

A Walmart supervisor armed with a handgun and several magazines of ammunition opened fire on fellow employees in a Virginia store, killing six people before turning the gun on himself in a break room, witnesses and police said on Wednesday.

The country’s latest mass shooting on Tuesday night shook the town of Chesapeake, about 200 miles (320 km) south of Washington, and comes on the heels of last weekend’s massacre in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where a gunman killed five at an LBGTQ nightclub.

The Virginia gunman, identified as Andre Bing, 31, of Chesapeake, said nothing as he began firing on workers gathered before their overnight shift, according to two employees who were in the break room, where the rampage ended and Bing shot himself.

“I just watched 3 of my coworkers/friends be killed in front of me,” Donya Prioleau wrote in a Facebook post. “Andre killed them in cold blood … I cannot unsee what happened in that break room.”

Police said at least three people were wounded in the attack, which took place while about 50 people were in the store, a cavernous Walmart Supercenter just off Battlefield Boulevard in Chesapeake, a city of about 250,000 people.

The dead included a 16-year-old boy who police did not identify and 70-year-old Randy Blevins, who was planning to retire within the year, a cousin wrote on Facebook.

The others were Kellie Pyle, 52, Lorenzo Gamble, 43, and Randy Blevins, 70, all from Chesapeake, and Tyneka Johnson, 22, of neighboring Portsmouth.

Authorities say they were investigating what may have motivated Bing, an hourly employee who supervised an overnight shift and had worked for the company since 2010. The city said its SWAT team had executed a search warrant at his house.

“I looked up and my manager just opened the door and he just opened fire,” another Walmart employee, Briana Tyler, told ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

Several co-workers of Bing told CNN he had exhibited strange and sometimes threatening behavior in the past. He also made paranoid comments, expressing concerns the government was monitoring him, according to CNN’s interviews.

Jessie Wilczewski told WAVY-TV she hid under a table and the shooter pointed the gun at her and told her to go home.

“It didn’t even look real until you could feel the pow-pow-pow. You can feel it,” the store employee said. “I couldn’t hear it at first because I guess it was so loud. I could feel it.”

The latest massacre prompted a renewed round of condemnations by public officials and activist calls for tighter gun control.

President Joe Biden called the shooting “yet another horrific and senseless act of violence,” noting a shooting this month that killed three University of Virginia students.

“There are now even more tables across the country that will have empty seats this Thanksgiving,” Biden said in a statement.

The United States averages two mass shootings per day, when defined as an incident killing or injuring four or more people, according to GunViolenceArchive.org.

Jessica Burgess, a surgeon who treated victims at a Norfolk hospital, said she had contacted a colleague in Colorado Springs just two days earlier to offer support.

“So it’s very disheartening that I’m now in the same position with my colleagues from across the country checking in on me and my team,” Burgess said. “Sometimes there is only so much we can do when the injuries have already been done.”

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, who was already facing stepped-up calls for policies to address gun violence after the University of Virginia killings, ordered flags at local, state and federal buildings to be flown at half-staff.

Walmart, which has thousands of stores across the country, has been hit by gun violence before.

In August 2019, 23 people were killed at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, near the U.S.-Mexico border in an act described as domestic terrorism by law enforcement. It was also the deadliest attack on the Hispanic community in the United States in modern times.

Walmart enacted new restrictions on gun and ammunition sales following that 2019 shooting, as it had after other shootings at its stores.

“The devastating news of last night’s shooting at our Chesapeake, VA store at the hands of one of our associates has hit our Walmart family hard,” Walmart Chief Executive Doug McMillon wrote in a LinkedIn post.

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When President Biden pardoned two large turkeys on the South Lawn of the White House on Monday, it was a reminder that we never thought of the presidential power to pardon in as ominous a light as we did under the former guy – who regularly dangled presidential pardons to bail out his most despicable supporters.

As the president pardoned Chocolate and Chip – he poked fun at the rabid opposition of the GOP and the handful of Republican contenders who still have yet to formally concede their races, promising the ballots had been counted and there was no “fowl play.”

He went on to say that the only “red wave” hyped up by Republicans and the media was going to happen in the dining room if his dog, Commander, knocked over the cranberry sauce. It was a folksy speech where he carried out one of the White House’s more unusual traditions.

It’s also a reminder that things could have been very different leading up to where we are now, had we not turned out in large numbers to vote for the party that still believes in democracy – particularly as we watch the former guy threaten us with a third presidential bid and the GOP squabble over leadership while trying to make excuses for why they didn’t do better. As we approach Thanksgiving 2022 with a record number of governorships and statehouses under Democratic control and a Democratically controlled Senate, we have a great deal to be thankful for.

The post Beg your pardon appeared first on Palmer Report.