National

More than 3,000 flights into or out of the U.S. have been delayed as of Sunday afternoon, on what is expected to be one of the busiest travel days of the Thanksgiving holiday. 

Driving the news: Rain, wind and thunderstorms are contributing to cross-country flight delays and cancellations.

Just over 75 flights within, into or out of the U.S. have been canceled on Sunday, per FlightAware.

A storm is expected to move through the mid-Mississippi Valley into the Northeast on Sunday, bringing with it the threat of widespread rain and winds, per the National Weather Service. 

Another storm system moving into the Pacific Northwest is expected to bring heavy snow to the Cascades and northern Rockies, and winds into Wyoming and Montana into Monday, the NWS tweeted. 

Zoom out: An estimated 54.6 million people were expected to travel at least 50 miles from home this Thanksgiving, which is about 98% of pre-pandemic levels, AAA predicted before the holiday. 

Go deeper... Americans are flocking to restaurants this Thanksgiving

More than 3,000 flights delayed amid Thanksgiving travel rush

An estimated 54.6 million people were expected to travel at least 50 miles from home this Thanksgiving.

Travelers wait in lines at the departures level inside Miami International Airport on Nov. 23, 2022.

Travelers wait inside Miami International Airport on Nov. 23. Photo: D.A. Varela/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Travel

Transportation

After a record economic expansion, the coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a recession as unemployment soared to staggering heights. The country now faces urgent questions about how much stimulus is needed for reeling consumers and businesses, and what a recovery might look like.

Economy & Business

A screenshot of the image circulated by US Soccer. 

A screenshot of the graphic posted by U.S. Soccer, that has since been changed back to show the official Iranian flag. 

The U.S. Soccer Federation in a post on social media over the weekend temporarily displayed the Iranian flag without the emblem of the Islamic Republic, AP reports.

Driving the news: USSF said that the edited photo of the flag was intended to show "support for the women in Iran fighting for basic human rights," per AP.

"We wanted to show our support for the women in Iran with our graphic for 24 hours," the federation said, per AP. 

The state-affiliated Tasnim News Agency wrote that the move by USSF "disrespected the national flag of Islamic Republic of Iran." 

The big picture: The flag was posted on the U.S. men's soccer team's Twitter account in a post showing the team's matches in the group stage of the World Cup.

The flag showing only showing its green, white and red colors was also shown in posts on the team's Facebook and Instagram showing the points in Group B, per AP.

The social media posts, which have since been deleted or restored with the official Iranian flag, come days before the U.S. is set to play Iran in the final game of the World Cup's group play. 

State of play: Protests in Iran began in September in response to the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini while in custody.

The Iranian government has cracked down on the protests and more than 300 people have been killed in the demonstrations, including dozens of children, according to the U.N.

Go deeper... Iran protests continue despite warning from Revolutionary Guard

Editor's note: The photo with this story has been changed. 

U.S. Soccer briefly alters Iranian flag in show of support for protesters

"We wanted to show our support for the women in Iran with our graphic for 24 hours."

world cup

Opening ceremony during the FIFA World Cup match between Wales and Iran.

Iran

Shifts in technology and media are changing the way we play, watch and understand sports. Business models are adapting and social change is forcing those in charge of teams and leagues to reconsider decades-old practices.

Sports

China is becoming the most formidable rival America has faced, and the risk of confrontation with Russia, North Korea or Iran still looms. Authoritarians are rising, the chaotic Afghanistan exit revealed the limits of U.S. power, and the pandemic, climate change and other critical challenges continue to pose grave threats.

World

A shooting near an open-air mall on Saturday evening in Atlanta has left one person dead and five others injured, including one critically, according to the Atlanta Police Department.

The latest: The individual who was killed was 12 years old, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said Sunday.

"The individuals that were involved ... knew each other, they were not strangers," Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum also said Sunday, adding that "they had had a conflict earlier in the month."

Driving the news: The shooting occurred after a group was escorted off of Atlantic Station property, police Lt. Germaine Dearlove said Saturday night. The group then moved to the 17th Street bridge in Atlanta, where a "dispute occurred that escalated to gunfire."

One male was deceased on the scene as of Saturday night and five other victims were transported to area hospitals, he said.

The group was removed from Atlantic Station property for "unruly behavior" and curfew violations, Dearlove said. 

Homicide investigators were on the scene on Saturday evening to investigate the scene and "establish leads on the case and also suspect information," Dearlove said.

The victims are believed to be between the ages of 15 and 21, Dearlove said.

The big picture: A 3pm curfew was implemented for Atlantic Station in January, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which requires youth under 18 to be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

No individuals under 21 are permitted on the property after 9pm, per Atlantic Station. 

Saturday's shooting comes after a spate of shootings at Atlantic Station over the last several months, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details. 

Atlanta

Atlanta Alerts

Atlanta Members

A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Atlanta. Written by Emma Hurt, Kristal Dixon and Thomas Wheatley.

Axios Atlanta Thought Bubble

Axios Atlanta

One dead, 5 injured in shooting near Atlanta mall

One teen was deceased on the scene as of Saturday night and several other victims were transported to area hospitals.

Atlantic Station neighborhood in Atlanta in 2015. 

Mass shootings

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

State Of The Union With Jake Tapper And Dana Bash-12 06 01 Pm - 12 07 08 Pm-2022-11-27

It is time for the Senate to "have a conversation" about possibly withholding funding from law enforcement in states that don't enforce state and federal gun laws, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday.

Driving the news: The U.S. has seen a spate of high-profile mass shootings this year, including recently at a Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia, and an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

After the suspected shooter in Colorado Springs had a previous run-in with law enforcement, no records indicated either police or relatives tried to trigger Colorado's red flag law, which would have allowed for his weapons and ammunition to be seized, AP reported.

State of play: "What we learned in Colorado is that the county in which the shooting happened is a so-called 2nd Amendment sanctuary state," Murphy said.

"The majority of counties in this country have declared they're not going to enforce state and federal gun laws. They have decided that they are going to essentially refuse to implement laws that are on the books," he added.

"That is a growing problem in this country and I think we're going to have to have a conversation about that in the United States Senate," Murphy said.

What they're saying: "Do we want to continue to supply funding to law enforcement in counties that refuse to implement state and federal gun laws?" Murphy said, noting that "red flag laws are wildly popular."

"I'll talk to my colleagues about what our approach should be to this problem. But 60% of counties in this country are refusing to implement the nation's gun laws. We've got to do something about that." 

Congress should weigh funding cut for police not enforcing gun laws: Murphy

"60% of counties in this country are refusing to implement the nation's gun laws."

Gun laws

Kim Jong-un's daughter made another public appearance with the North Korean leader during an event over the weekend, per photos released by state media on Sunday.

The big picture: It's the second time this month that the father-daughter pair have appeared publicly together, increasing speculation over which of Kim's family members may succeed him.

Kim earlier this month revealed his daughter publicly during the launch of a new intercontinental ballistic missile, in what was the first confirmed public sighting of the North Korean leader's daughter. 

Driving the news: The photos released on Sunday are at an unnamed location with North Korean soldiers, showing the pair posing with what state media said is the Hwasong-17 ICBM. 

Kim's daughter is shown walking next to her father and holding her father's hand in the photos. 

State of play: Kim this weekend said that North Korea's "ultimate goal is to possess the world's most powerful strategic force, the absolute force unprecedented in the century," Reuters reports.

Those remarks come after the launch of a Hwasong-17 missile earlier this month, which is a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile, per Reuters. 

Go deeper... North Korea fires ballistic missile after warning to U.S.

Kim Jong-Un's daughter makes second public appearance

Kim earlier this month revealed his daughter publicly during the launch of a new intercontinental ballistic missile.

Pedestrians walk under a large video screen showing images of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un during a news update in Tokyo on October 4, 2022

Pedestrians in Tokyo walk by a video screen featuring North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un on Oct. 4. Photo: Richard A. Brooks/AFP via Getty Images

Kim Jong-un

North Korea

State Of The Union With Jake Tapper And Dana Bash-9 30 32 Am - 9 31 59 Am-2022-11-27

Rep. Adam Schiff  (D-Calif.) said Sunday that the Jan. 6 panel is "close to putting down the pen and going to print" on the committee's final report.

The big picture: Schiff's remarks come after the Washington Post reported that Jan. 6 committee staffers have become angry over Vice Chair Liz Cheney's focus on former President Trump in the final report. 

"We are discussing as a committee, among the members, what belongs in the body of the report ... what is beyond our scope of the investigation and we'll reach those decisions in a collaborative manner," he said.

"We're going to get to a consensus on the report, we're very close to that now," Schiff said Sunday. 

What he's saying: Schiff also said that the panel plans to make public all of the evidence relating to the Jan. 6 investigation, including "the voluminous transcripts, the documents and emails," he said. 

"The country's going to have the evidence, they're going to have our report." 

The report will be scrubbed of any "personally identifying information," he added. 

Schiff lauded Cheney's role on the committee, calling her "indispensable." 

"I have tremendous respect for her and for [Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.)], they have shown a lot of courage and backbone, that's something in very short supply in the GOP these days," he added. 

What to watch: Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) said last week that the panel plans to release "all the evidence" it's collected "within a month."

The final report could be around 1,000 pages long, Axios' Mike Allen reported earlier this week. 

Go deeper... The Jan. 6 committee has a clean-up crew

Schiff: Jan. 6 panel is "very close" to consensus on final report

"We're going to get to a consensus on the report, we're very close to that now."

Adam Schiff

Public outrage over new COVID-19 lockdown restrictions has fueled rare protests within China, with residents demanding the government to lift restrictions ahead of schedule and some calling for President Xi Jinping's resignation.

Driving the news: Record-breaking case numbers have caused a "COVID storm" to overtake China, impacting the country's economic prospects and fueling public unrest.

The big picture: The protests are the latest sign of building frustration with the government's intense approach to controlling COVID. China is the only major country that still is fighting the pandemic through lockdowns and mass testing, per AP.

The new round of lockdowns has fueled protests across the western Xinjiang region and the country's capital of Beijing, Reuters reports.

Crowds marched on the streets, chanting "End the lockdown!"

Residents in Beijing confronted officials about lifting lockdowns, with some being successful in getting their restrictions lifted early, per Reuters.

Zoom in: Videos across social media show people in Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang region, chanting against the COVID restrictions after an apartment fire killed 10 people, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Some protesters believe the victims of the deadly fire could not leave their homes due to the lockdown, but officials deny that restrictions stopped anyone from exiting the building, BBC News reports.

"The Urumqi fire got everyone in the country upset," Sean Li, a resident in Beijing, told Reuters.

In Shanghai, China's financial capital and largest city, hundreds of people gathered Saturday night to mourn those killed in an apartment fire in Urumqi, CNN reported. 

Some of the protesters held blank sheets of paper — a protest of censorship — and chanted, "need human rights, need freedom." Other protesters called for Xi and the Communist Party to "step down" while still others shouted, "don't want dictatorship, want democracy!"

The protest dispersed after police arrested several protesters. On Sunday afternoon, hundreds of Shanghai residents gathered again amidst heavy police presence, with some shouting, "release the people!" CNN reported.

Flashback: Urumqi has faced COVID restrictions since early August, according to WSJ. The city shut down transportation, which left some tourists stuck there. 

Officials have promised the lockdown will lift soon, but said they are waiting from Beijing for more orders on how to implement COVID protocols in the future, per WSJ.

Context: China's "Zero COVID" policy uses lockdowns and city restrictions in an attempt to hold off the spread of the coronavirus. 

At the beginning of the pandemic, many residents said the government had protected the people through the policy. But now, it's led to this civil unrest.

The Chinese government faces a choice of whether to continue the lockdowns and face civil unrest or learn to live with the virus.

Our thought bubble via Axios' Bethany Allen: Protests in Xinjiang, where security forces and surveillance cameras blanket the region and many ethnic minorities have been swept up into internment camps, are even rarer than in the rest of China — suggesting the level of desperation that might drive residents to protest despite the risk of being detained.

WHO chief: China's zero-COVID strategy not "sustainable"

China's "zero COVID" challenge is getting tougher

China's COVID frustration boils over, protestors call for Xi to resign

Protesters called for Xi to "step down" while still others shouted, "don't want dictatorship, want democracy!"

A near-deserted pedestrian mall in Beijing, China, on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022.

A near-deserted pedestrian mall in Beijing. Photo: Bloomberg via Getty Images

COVID-19

China

The Treasury Department on Saturday said it would allow Chevron to resume pumping oil from Venezuela oil fields. 

Why it matters: The license, granted by the Treasury Department, would allow the California-based oil company to pump Venezuelan oil for the first time in years in joint ventures with Venezuela's national oil company Petróleos de Venezuela (PdVSA.)

It also signals an opening for other oil companies to resume their business in the South American country, two years after the Trump administration cracked down on companies’ activities there in an effort to put pressure and oust the Maduro government, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and the Unitary Platform, an opposition coalition, reached an agreement to implement a humanitarian program and continue negotiations to hold free and fair elections within the country. 

Details: The license prohibits PdVSA from receiving profits from Chevron’s oil sales and the U.S. and it does not authorize other activity with PdVSA, the U.S. Treasury said in a statement.

Other Venezuela-related sanctions and restrictions imposed by the United States remain in place.

What they're saying: "The announcements by the Unitary Platform and the Maduro regime are important steps in the right direction to restore democracy in the country," the Treasury Department said.

"The United States welcomes and supports the reopening of negotiations between the Unitary Platform and the Maduro regime, as part of our longstanding policy to support the peaceful restoration of democracy, free and fair elections, and respect for the rights and freedoms of Venezuelans."

“This action is not being taken in response to energy prices, this is a limited license. As we have said in the past, this is about the regime taking the steps needed to support the restoration of democracy in Venezuela," a Biden administration official said in a separate statement to Axios. 

Our thought bubble via Axios' Andrew Freedman: This move, while tied to political developments in Venezuela, could keep gas prices lower by adding more oil to the global market.

Flashback: U.S. officials had previously offered to ease some sanctions on Venezuela to encourage peaceful negotiations between the opposition and the Maduro regime.

Biden officials in March made a rare trip to Venezuela to meet with the Maduro regime to discuss the release of U.S. detainees and urge them to continue negotiations, which have been suspended for months.

Go deeper: U.S. to ease some economic sanctions on Venezuela

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include a second statement from the Biden administration.

U.S. gives Chevron go ahead to pump oil in Venezuela again

The license signals an opening for other oil companies to resume their business in Venezuela.

Sign at entrance to global headquarters of petroleum company Chevron in San Ramon, California, October 22, 2019. Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

Big Oil

Ominous forecasts about the impact of climate change serve as the backdrop for the world — led by U.S. lawmakers and companies — to debate big action on the problem, which could upend energy systems and our way of life.

Energy & Environment

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a new interview with Politico that he does not plan to run for president in 2024, even if President Biden chooses not to.

Why it matters: Some Democrats and independent voters have shown interest in a candidate other than Biden running for president in 2024.

Driving the news: Newsom told Politico that he doesn't plan to challenge for the White House in 2024, saying “the answer is no."

“I’ve told everyone in the White House, from the chief of staff to the first lady," he told Politico.

Newsom said he hopes that Biden will announce his 2024 run early next year so that people can stop asking the California governor if he plans to run.

“He not only beat Trump once, I think he can beat him again,” Newsom told Politico. “I hope he runs, I’ll enthusiastically support him.” 

The intrigue: Newsom has had clashes with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in recent months. DeSantis is seen as a potential 2024 Trump spoiler for Republicans.

The other side: Biden's approval rating sits at about 39% right now, according to a recent Emerson College poll. And for that reason, there is an appetite from Democrats for a different candidate in the next presidential election.

A Quinnipiac University poll found that about 68% of Americans don't want Biden as the nominee in 2024.

Similarly, a New York Times/Siena College poll found the majority of Democratic voters would like another candidate for the election.

Yes, but: According to the Emerson College poll, Biden would be victorious over DeSantis and Trump in theoretical 2024 matchups.

The poll found Biden was favored by Democrats as the nominee of choice too, over Vice President Kamala Harris and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, per CNBC.

Worth noting: Biden has suggested he intends to run in 2024 but has held off on an official announcement.

He told MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart that he hasn't made a formal announcement yet since “a whole series of regulations kick in" once he does and he has to "treat myself as a candidate from that moment on."

President Biden reups his intentions for the 2024 race

Scoop: Stephen Schwarzman comes out against Trump in major defection

Musk “fine” with Trump not using Twitter, would back DeSantis in 2024

Newsom not planning 2024 presidential run, regardless of Biden's decision

Democrats and independent voters have shown interest in a candidate other than Biden.

California Governor Gavin Newsom (L) greets US President Joe Biden upon arrival at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom greets President Biden in San Diego. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Gavin Newsom

Joe Biden

The FIFA World Cup in Qatar has not been short of protests — and there's still three weeks left.

The big picture: Players and nations have used the world stage to speak out against their own countries and the host nation of Qatar, which has been criticized for human rights abuses.

Details: FIFA said ahead of the tournament that every team should “focus on the football" instead of world affairs, per BBC News.

"We know football does not live in a vacuum and we are equally aware that there are many challenges and difficulties of a political nature all around the world,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a letter, per BBC. 

“But please do not allow football to be dragged into every ideological or political battle that exists.”

But that hasn't been the case. Protests with potentially dangerous consequences have been happening throughout the tournament with real-world implications for countries inside and outside of the tournament. Here's a roundup of what we've seen so far.

Seven European World Cup teams planned to wear rainbow OneLove armbands as a sign of inclusion and anti-discrimination, Axios reports. 

But the teams —England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Wales — abandoned the idea after FIFA threatened to impose sporting sanctions on those who partook in the protest.

The decision to wear armbands was done in support of LGBTQ+ communities.

“It’s quite scary for LGBTQ+ communities around the world to see our lives be so controversial," Liz Ward, director of programs at LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall, told CNN Sport. "It’s become this quite painful, drawn-out debate that is questioning on a global scale the validity of LGBTQ+ lives."

Germany's national team decided to protest FIFA's rainbow armband rule before its World Cup match against Japan last Wednesday, with team members covering their mouths during a photo, Axios reports.

"It wasn’t about making a political statement — human rights are nonnegotiable," the German team said in a statement posted on Twitter.

"That should be taken for granted, but it still isn’t the case. That’s why this message is so important to us. Denying us the armband is the same as denying us a voice."

Iran stays silent during the national anthem

Iran's players stayed silent during the national anthem ahead of their match with England Monday, Axios' Dave Lawler writes.

What we know: The silence happened after the team captain, Ehsan Hajsafi, spoke in favor of the protests in Iran, which began after Mahsa Amini, 22, died in custody after being arrested for an "improper hijab."

"They should know that we sympathize with them," Hajsafi said ahead of the England match. He added, "I hope the situation changes as the people wish and that everyone will be happy."

The team also wore black jackets over their kits before the match, in what was another sign of dissent against their home nation, according to Fox Sports.

The danger: Iranian authorities have arrested celebrities who have supported the protests.

Wales displayed rainbow flags at its training camp in Qatar, which was a sign of solidarity with the LGBTQ community, according to BBC News. Homosexuality is illegal within Qatar.

Wales staff and supporters had their rainbow bucket hats confiscated at the World Cup as well, which has led to FIFA and Qatar having urgent talks about what is allowed and what isn't, per The Guardian.

Blinken criticizes FIFA's threats over rainbow armbands at World Cup

Germany protests FIFA's rainbow armband rule before World Cup match

The World Cup could become a hot bed for espionage

All the protests (so far) at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar

Players and nations have used the world stage to speak out against the host nation of Qatar.

The players of Iran line up for the national anthem prior to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group B match between Wales.

Sunday's top stories