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Daily Briefing: Cold turkey?

Nicole Fallert   Paste BN

Unsettling weather could complicate what is set to be one of the busiest travel days of the year. American consumers are anxious about higher prices on goods following President-elect Donald Trump's vow to lay tariffs on top U.S. trade partners. Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah reached a cease-fire deal.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Is it possible to cook a $20 Thanksgiving dinner?!

Going cold for Turkey Day

A cross-country storm is forecast to deliver wet and wintry weather from California to Maine throughout the week, potentially disrupting travel for the millions who plan on traveling on the days surrounding Thanksgiving. And it's about to get cold − very cold. Shockingly cold air funneled directly from the Arctic will be making an unwelcome appearance across nearly the entire eastern half of the country this weekend and into early next week, and the cold may stick around for a while.

Get prepped for your Thanksgiving travel with Paste BN:

Trump's tariffs could raise the prices of these goods

People are worried it won't be China, Mexico, Canada or other countries directly footing the bill of aggressive tariffs Donald Trump wants to impose on imported goods.

What happened: The president-elect on Monday vowed to sign an executive order when he takes office in January implementing a 25% tariff − essentially a tax or fee − on all imported goods from Mexico and Canada, and a 10% tariff against China.

  • Americans could expect to start paying more. Importers pay the extra costs to buy those international goods, then typically pass the burden on to consumers in the form of raised prices.
  • Your new roof. Your new phone. That new book. The U.S. also imports billions worth of wood and paper from its northern neighbor, which if slapped with a 25% tariff could have wide-ranging effects on products such as printed books and industries like housing construction. Electronics are among the bulk of goods sent from China to the U.S. each year. Other popular Chinese-made imports include textiles, furniture and toys.
  • How do tariffs work? The idea behind tariffs is to drive up the price of imported goods, encouraging U.S. companies and consumers to opt for American-made products.

More news to know now

What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.

Israel approves cease-fire with Hezbollah

Guns on the Israel-Lebanon border went silent on Wednesday following a cease-fire deal between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah. Fighting is set to stop for 60 days, allowing time for Israel to gradually withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon while Hezbollah moves its forces farther from Israel's border. The agreement is not expected to have any material impact on the war in Gaza that started 14 months ago. Read more

The key to weight loss: Expanded drug access?

On Tuesday, the Biden administration announced plans to provide coverage for costly anti-obesity medications, including Wegovy and Zepbound, for Americans enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid. The proposed rule would make an estimated 4 million Medicaid recipients and 3.4 million Americans on Medicare eligible for the drug, which can retail for over $1000 per month without coverage. However, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been picked to lead the Department of Health and Human Services by President-elect Donald Trump, hasn’t been so keen on weight loss drugs. Instead, he wants Americans to focus on their diets.

Today's talkers

Last week's crazy shows up in college football rankings

The fallout from the upsets and significant victories was revealed in the College Football Playoff committee rankings. There was no mystery at the top of the rankings with Oregon, Ohio State, Texas and Penn State continuing to occupy the first four positions for the third consecutive week. But the big questions started with determining the team that would occupy the No. 5 spot held by Indiana before the Hoosiers fell apart against Ohio State on Saturday. That position went to Notre Dame. Read our analysis of the rankings.

Photo of the day: Joey gets the mirrorball

Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson's fierce footwork paid off on "Dancing with the Stars." The 29-year-old "Bachelor" alum and 30-year-old choreographer took home the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy during the ABC reality competition's Season 33 finale Tuesday night.

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at Paste BN, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com.

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