Hey, it’s Wednesday! And there was a test of the fire alarm system at work and it was … something . Here’s what you need to know today. (PS: You can have this delivered to your inbox by subscribing here.)
1. Rough day for Thanksgiving travel
Something called a “bomb cyclone” is causing a lot of headaches for folks who are traveling today. I honestly want in on the action for naming weather events.
The National Weather Service is watching two large storms that are hitting the Midwest and the West. One storm has swept over the Great Lakes region and is moving toward New England.
The bomb cyclone, meanwhile, is walloping southwestern Oregon and Northern California. A bomb cyclone is a “rapidly intensifying winter storm caused by a precipitous drop in atmospheric pressure,” reports NPR.
Meanwhile, in the Chicago region, strong wind gusts have caused forecasters to warn against driving. Gusts reached 61 mph at O’Hare earlier this morning, but forecasters expect the weather to begin clearing up this afternoon. [Chicago Tribune]
2. Giuliani’s side job in Ukraine?
President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, Rudolph Giuliani, was in talks to get paid at least $200,000 by Ukraine’s top prosecutor at the same time they were working together to find dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter, reports The Washington Post.
The news comes as authorities in Manhattan are scrutinizing Giuliani’s dealings in Ukraine. [Washington Post]
Meanwhile, two White House officials working in the budget office resigned partly over their concerns about Trump’s decision to freeze military aid to Ukraine, according to new testimony. [New York Times]
The New York Times reports that Trump knew about the anonymous whistleblower complaint before he unfroze the aid to Ukraine. [New York Times]
And Trump has until Sunday night to decide whether he’ll participate in next week’s impeachment inquiry hearing. [New York Times]
3. Trump says he’ll designate Mexican drug cartels as terrorists
The president’s comments come after a deadly attack on a family of Mormons left three women and six children dead. The attack took place earlier this month in a rural part of Mexico where drug cartels are fighting for more influence.
Trump this week told former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly that he plans to label the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, which would carry heavy consequences to institutions, like banks, and governments that deal with the groups.
Mexico’s foreign minister said his country would not allow any “violation of national sovereignty.” [BBC]
4. Indiana’s ghost ship is on the move
The giant, rusty cargo ship that’s been sitting for decades in the Port of Chicago will finally be moved. The ship, which you can see from the Bishop Ford Freeway, originally set sail in the 1940s and hauled raw materials for steelmaking.
A port official said the owner of the ghost ship plans to move it by the end of the month and scrap it. [The Times of Northwest Indiana]
WBEZ’s Curious City took a dive into the ship’s history a few years back and found that it would cost $30 million to rehabilitate the ship. [WBEZ]
5. Here’s your annual reminder that turkeys are dinosaurs
Yes, birds like turkeys are dinosaurs that survived a mass extinction that wiped out the T. rex and other big boi dinos some 65 million years ago.
The connection between birds and dinosaurs was first discovered in 1861, when scientists uncovered a fossilized dinosaur with feathers in Germany. Since then, the evidence kept piling on, like the amount of body weight I’ll be putting on this week.
Bon appetit … dinosaurs. [Washington Post]
Here’s what else is happening
The Chicago Park District is proposing a modest property tax hike. [Chicago Tribune]
Ex-Chicago cop Jason Van Dyke is being transferred to another prison. [WTTW]
Afraid about politics popping up at the Thanksgiving table? Here are some helpful tips if it happens. [USA Today]
Here’s a look at how a leaked script for the next Star Wars movie wound up on eBay. [Verge]
Oh, and one more thing …
If you’re doing a lot of traveling this Thanksgiving, might I suggest some podcasts to help pass the time?
WBEZ’s last episode of Making Beyoncé is out today. It’s a three-part series that chronicles the rise of Beyoncé Knowles from local talent shows to mega-stardom. It’s from some of the same folks behind Making Obama and Making Oprah, which are also definitely worth listening to if you haven’t already.
There’s also Motive, a true-crime podcast from WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times. Motive unpacks the fascinating story of a man who used millions of dollars from a wrongful conviction case to essentially buy his own Chicago street gang. You can find all 10 episodes here.
And if you’re watching His Dark Materials on HBO, catch the latest recap with Nerdette podcast and Peter Sagal here.
Tell me something good …
Thanksgiving is just days away, and I’d like to know what’s your favorite thing to eat on the big day.
J writes:
“Favorite Thanksgiving Dish: Mom’s stuffing — which one year, inside her ancient yet sturdy Pyrex utility bowl, exploded inside the oven. There must have been a stress crack in the bowl, but in any case, precaution against tiny glaze shards in the stuffing had the whole bit thrown out. We mourned for several days.”
And Katie writes:
“It wouldn’t be a proper Thanksgiving meal without the canned cranberry jelly! I look forward to it every year, makes me feel nostalgic. :)”
What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving dishes? Feel free to email at therundown@wbez.org or tweet to @whuntah.
Have a nice night! I’ll see you tomorrow. And if you like what you just read, you can subscribe to the newsletter here and have it delivered to your inbox.