Victorville First Assembly of God members spent Thanksgiving Eve serving nearly 1,300 people on Wednesday.

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm Nicole Fallert. Hope you're not hurting from Blackout Wednesday.

Welcome to the Daily Briefing, Thanksgiving edition. First, a few headlines:

  • President Donald Trump is sending 500 additional National Guard troops to D.C. after a shooting.
  • A special election in Tennessee is heating up.
  • Dozens are dead and hundreds missing after a fire tore through Hong Kong buildings.

It's Turkey Day!

Today is a time to for gratitude, family, friends ... and FOOD! Thursday is Thanksgiving and many braved busy roads and crowded airports to celebrate. Thanksgiving is a national holiday (although it wasn't always), so make sure you know what's open and closed. Whether you're sharing happy reunions or avoiding relatives, enjoy recipes, go on a "fart walk," and shop the best pre-Black Friday deals. Bellies full? Watch these dogs or an iconic Thanksgiving episode. Or play in the snow!

Are you ready for the parade?

It's not Thanksgiving morning without the voices of Al, Savannah and Hoda on the TV! The 99th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will return to the streets of Manhattan and television screens of millions Thursday starting at 8:30 a.m. ET, ushering in the 2025 holiday season. Seven new floats are slated to appear in the parade this year, along with five new balloon characters.

The cost of Thanksgiving 2025

Even with full funding for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) restored, many Americans are spending this Thanksgiving still waiting for federal support to feed their families. States like Louisiana, Missouri, Alabama and South Carolina issue benefits as late in the month as the 22nd or 23rd, giving officials and recipients little time to restore normal operations before the holiday.

A very American story

To honor the nation’s 250th anniversary, USA TODAY and USA TODAY Network reporters are retracing some of the country’s most iconic journeys, taking you from the past into the present to explore, celebrate, and remember who we are as a nation. Celebrate America this Thanksgiving with the latest installment in our USA 250 series, which looks at the great musical history of the Mississippi Delta.

Dinner table talkers:

  • The "Stranger Things" Season 5 premiere was a crawl to the finish.
  • Christmas trees are in trouble.
  • What do Fruity Pebbles have to do with "Secret Lives of Mormon Wives"?!
  • Make plans to see "Dancing With The Stars" live.

A storied holiday football game

Thanksgiving NFL games are a staple of the holiday season, and for the 60th year in a row, the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys will each play on Thursday. Here's today's NFL schedule. Not into football? Come into the living room just for Post Malone and Lil Jon.

Photo of the day: Helping hands

Members of a Victorville, California, church channeled the spirit of Thanksgiving Wednesday night to share food and fun with thousands of community members.

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

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Daily Briefing: Happy Thanksgiving!

Reporting by Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect