2. Thanksgiving has taken on a special meaning for many families in Kokomo, Indiana, hard-hit by tornados more than a week ago. Local churches and other organizations joined hands to provide Thanksgiving Day meal to victims of the devastation. 

 

3. More than a dozen major retailers are opening on Thanksgiving Day, giving consumers a chance to get a jump start on their holiday shopping. The openings come despite planned protests from worker’s groups opposed to employees missing Thanksgiving meals at home with their families. 

 

4. It was cold and windy in New York. But that didn’t stop the giant balloons from flying high at the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Balloon handlers kept the tight grip on in their inflated characters to fight winds that exceeded 20 miles an hour.