Thanksgiving (United States)

Project 50, a political group founded by Illinois abortion-rights veterans including former state Sen. Heather Steans and ex-HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, is working to replicate Illinois' decades-old shift toward abortion access by targeting state legislative races in conservative states with bans or heavy restrictions. After early setbacks in Arizona, the group refocused on culturally conservative states in 2023, winning three races in its first three years and four more in 2025, including in Virginia. It has raised over $3.7 million from donors such as Michael Bloomberg and Gov. JB Pritzker. Organizers say the strategy targets voters uneasy with total abortion bans, not broad support for unrestricted access. Abortion-rights opponents call its electoral impact limited so far.

Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana told an Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition banquet crowd in Des Moines that the roughly seven-month conflict with Iran is "the genesis" of current inflation, arguing that elevated oil prices have "affected the price of everything." He predicted the war would be "concluded within the next six months," which he said should bring oil prices and inflation down with it. Iowa gas prices have risen sharply over the past year, with diesel hitting a record high in the state.

Kennedy's remarks came as he campaigned for Iowa Republicans ahead of competitive 2026 midterm races, including Rep. Ashley Hinson's bid for the state's open Senate seat. His comments also highlight a growing split within the GOP: some House Republicans, including two Iowa members facing tough reelection races, recently broke with President Trump to support curbing his war powers over the Iran operation. The remarks underscore how the conflict's economic fallout is becoming a flashpoint in midterm campaigns, with both parties seizing on cost-of-living concerns tied to energy prices.

President Trump's move to boost foreign beef imports, including a temporary suspension of tariffs on 300,000 metric tons of imported lean beef trimmings through around Thanksgiving, aimed at lowering consumer prices, is drawing sharp criticism from Florida's cattle industry and Republican officials ahead of the 2026 midterms. Rep. Kat Cammack, the only Florida Republican on the House Agriculture Committee, warned the policy risks disengaging ranchers and farmers even if it doesn't push them to vote Democrat.

Prices at Florida's Okeechobee Livestock Market have reportedly dropped roughly $500 per head, about a 30 percent decline, hitting during September, the peak season for bringing calves to market. Industry leaders, including the Florida Cattlemen's Association and the Florida Association of Livestock Markets, say the timing has disrupted long-term planning. Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson also raised concerns about food safety, citing reduced FDA inspections of foreign facilities. The episode highlights tension between affordability goals and protecting domestic agriculture, with potential political fallout for Republicans in cattle-producing states.

San Diego's congressional delegation—Reps. Mike Levin, Scott Peters, Sara Jacobs and Juan Vargas—sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao demanding answers over reported poor conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. The carrier and its roughly 5,000 sailors have been deployed since Thanksgiving supporting operations related to the war in Iran, exceeding 240 consecutive days at sea without a port stop and well past an initial May return date. Reports describe moldy showers, broken toilets, lack of hot water, food and supply shortages, and sailors attempting to jump overboard amid fatigue concerns.

Arizona Democratic Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego have also demanded Pentagon accountability, with Kelly citing sailors' mental health struggles. Hegseth has publicly denied the reports, accusing media of misrepresenting the strike group's mission. Lawmakers posed detailed questions about supply delays, safety reporting channels, meal access, and disease prevention. President Trump said the Lincoln will soon be relieved by the USS George Washington, though officials say that ship's arrival could still take several weeks, and he maintains the deployment has not been excessively long.
Lawmakers from San Diego and Arizona press the Pentagon over hardship conditions during the USS Abraham Lincoln's extended deployment.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, speaking Wednesday in Orlando, weighed in on Florida's primary results and a scandal involving one of his own appointees. He dismissed Angie Nixon's chances against Sen. Ashley Moody in November, calling the progressive state lawmaker's Senate bid unlikely to succeed statewide, and touted Florida's growing GOP voter registration advantage. He also backed Ryan Elijah, who defeated embattled Rep. Cory Mills in the GOP primary, saying Mills' nomination would have put the seat at risk in the general election.

DeSantis called the arrest of Michael Caruso, whom he appointed Palm Beach County clerk of courts, a "gut punch." Caruso, 67, a former state representative once praised by DeSantis, faces five felony charges including kidnapping, molestation, luring and enticing a child, lewd and lascivious exhibition, and child abuse. Authorities say the victim, Caruso's grandson under age 12, described abuse on three occasions, including during a Thanksgiving 2024 incident and aboard a cruise ship in August 2025. Caruso denied the allegations when confronted and is being held without bond in Orange County. DeSantis suspended Caruso and installed an interim clerk; Attorney General James Uthmeier said Caruso would "face the full force of the law," and reports indicate a daughter had previously made similar allegations.