President Biden in a Thanksgiving message on Thursday said Americans should "come together" and "focus on dealing with our problems and being together and stop the rancor."
What they're saying: "We can have different political views, but we have one view," Biden said in a phone interview with NBC News' Al Roker before the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade began. "The one view is that we're the finest, greatest nation in the world. We should focus on that."
The big picture: An NYPD spokesperson said several people had been taken into custody after the demonstration on Sixth Avenue in Manhattan saw protesters dressed in white jumpsuits display a banner and chant "liberation for Palestine and planet" as they poured red liquid onto themselves.
A former U.S. government official was arrested after being captured on video spewing Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian language at a street food vendor in Manhattan on multiple occasions.
Driving the news: The charges against Stuart Seldowitz include "hate crime/stalking," second-degree aggravated harassment and additional stalking charges, an NYPD spokesperson confirmed to Axios on Thursday.
Why it matters: The early-morning diatribe is hardly a traditional Thanksgiving message, but it is classic Trump — and it comes as court officials argue that a gag order restricting just these sorts of posts relating to the $250 million New York civil fraud trial should be reinstated.
Investigators of Wednesday's deadly car explosion at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing between the U.S. and Canada have not uncovered links to terrorism, the FBI and New York's governor say.
The big picture: The incident on the U.S. side of the bridge killed two people and injured a booth agent, and prompted the closure of multiple border crossings, the suspension of border train services and heightened security at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport on the eve of Thanksgiving — one of the busiest travel days of the year.
President Biden's persistent pressure on Middle East leaders was a key factor in sealing the deal between Israel and Hamas for the release of 50 hostages who were captured during Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel, U.S., Israeli and Qatari officials say.
Why it matters: Interviews with the officials reveal how Biden's team shaped the agreement during six weeks of often-tense negotiations, how he was driven by "gut-wrenching" meetings with hostages' family members, and his aggressive push to seal the deal.
Most Americans are hoping politics won't be served with Thanksgiving dinner.
Driving the news: More than 60% of people said they want to avoid discussing politics while visiting friends and family this Thanksgiving, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll released this week.
Dutch populist leader Geert Wilders, whose far-right party ran on an anti-Islam, anti-immigrant platform that also called for the Netherlands to leave the EU, won the most seats in the country's parliamentary elections.
Why it matters: The surprise win by Wilders' Freedom Party (PVV) will be another boost for U.S. conservatives who saw Sunday's Argentina presidential election win of self-described "anarcho-capitalist" Javier Milei as evidence that Trumpian populism is alive and well, per Axios' Zachary Basu.
The head of Never Back Down resigned after days of tensions within the pro-DeSantis super PAC, which culminated in an explosive NBC report detailing a heated confrontation between two of the Florida governor's closest allies.
Why it matters: Chris Jankowski's departure, first reported by the New York Times, is the latest example of staffing distractions derailing the little momentum that DeSantis has accumulated over the course of the GOP primary.
