'There's not going to be any pumpkin pie'
| 'There's not going to be any pumpkin pie'  If Republicans are to be believed, the phrase "Happy Holidays" isn't going to mean much this year in the United States.
President Joe Biden's critics are relishing the chance to blame him for higher-than normal prices of pretty much everything on the plate for Thanksgiving dinner next Thursday. "This year, there won't be blueberry pie, and there's not going to be any pumpkin pie," said Republican Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas. "This is going to be the most expensive Thanksgiving for American families in history," warned Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota.
The senators might be exaggerating a bit, but they are not completely wrong. Thanksgiving staples including turkeys are more expensive and scarce this year. The birds are around a quarter pricier than last year and many stores haven't yet started introducing the steep discounts that kick in as the big day nears. Pie crusts cost about a fifth more than last year -- a fact on which Marshall appears to be anchoring his alarming warning about desserts. The American Farm Bureau says the traditional dinner as a whole will be 14% more expensive than in 2020.
Shortages and price rises have been exacerbated by the global supply chain crunch, which hit the US hard. But it's not just food that is more expensive -- buying the gasoline to get to grandma's house will also be painful. The average price of a gallon at the pump is $3.41. That might sound like a steal for readers in Europe, but it's far higher than Americans are using to paying -- and it's contributing to Biden's decreasing approval rating.
But claims by the GOP that the President's expensive spending policies are to blame for rising inflation are exaggerated. Many countries around the world are also suffering from inflation spikes and didn't get multi-trillion dollar new government programs. Experts believe that rising prices are mostly to do with supply issues and higher demand coming out of the pandemic -- though the White House's previous claims that they would prove "transitory" were wide of the mark, too. There's no real quick fix to ease the pressure either.
Presidents generally get too much credit when the economy is good and carry an outsize share of the blame when things go south. But that's no consolation for Biden, who is being branded as the Grinch who stole Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas. The world and America Belarus is clearing migrant camps at the border with Poland.
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$450,000 The Biden administration's plans to financially compensate families whose children were forcibly taken at the US-Mexico border is drawing criticism from both Republicans and the families themselves. While Republicans question the compensation -- reportedly as high as $450,000 each -- Biden's clumsy attempts to downplay the initiative have caused confusion and frustration among the families and their lawyers. More than 3,000 children were separated from their parents at the border under former President Donald Trump; the US government still has not found the parents of 270 children, according to a November court filing. Yes We Cran One week before Americans sit down for Thanksgiving dinner, Biden on Friday will finally participate in one of the most august White House traditions: The annual presidential turkey pardon.
CNN's Betsy Klein writes: Justice, and perhaps a side of cranberry sauce, will be served in the Rose Garden as Biden meets two pardon contenders -- turkeys Peanut Butter and Jelly -- and spreads Thanksgiving cheer, making much ado about stuffing.
It comes on the heels of a busy week signing the bipartisan infrastructure bill into law and then promoting it across the country. The rest of the week, they say, is gravy.
The Indiana-raised birds flocked to Washington, DC, this week, attending a press conference where they ruffled some feathers Thursday with the National Turkey Federation ahead of their White House appearance. "Raising the presidential turkey flock has really been a lot of fun this year. As we all know, with another year of uncertainties with the pandemic, this project has really been something to look forward to," grower Andrea Welp said as her turkeys strutted in front of the podium.
Expect a cornucopia of jokes in the Rose Garden, but the pardon comes amid inflation at the Thanksgiving table. Pardon nominees in years past have had more seasonal names, including Corn and Cob, Peas and Carrots, and Tater and Tot -- perhaps this year's choice of Peanut Butter and Jelly reflect that any food can be a Thanksgiving food when there's a supply chain bottleneck.  Peanut Butter and Jelly at Washington's luxurious Willard Hotel on Thursday. (Twitter/Willard Hotel) Thanks for sticking with us through the week. On Friday, Biden will meet Peanut Butter and Jelly in the White House Rose Garden. Canada's health authority could approve Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for kids as young as 5.
Saturday is Revolution Day in Mexico. Protests are expected in Vienna over new lockdown rules for the unvaccinated.
On Sunday, Venezuela will hold elections for state and municipal government posts, and Chileans hit the polls in the first round of voting for president. Los Angeles hosts the 2021 American Music Awards. View in browser | All CNN Newsletters
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