CARL AZUZ, CNN ANCHOR: It`s Tuesday. It`s our last show before Thanksgiving. Millions of Americans are expected to travel for the holiday. One thing they might want to pack: patience. A stretch of winter weather is making its way across the country and threatening to cause havoc for travel plans. Heavy snow, strong winds, freezing rain - hundreds of flights have been affected, most of the winter weather should be gone by Thursday, but the days leading up to Thanksgiving could be a scramble for travelers and airlines.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two things that should never go together: peak holiday travel and treacherous winter weather. A traveler`s nightmare: cancellations, delays and frustration all around.
In Dallas where ice coated airplanes, airlines were forced to precancel hundreds of flights to avoid the inevitable. Airlines and airports are experienced with wild weather and they are ready for this round.
ALEXANDRA MARREN, UNITED AIRLINES OPERATIONS V.P.: You can call this the nerve center of the airline.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: United watches the weather and directs every flight around the world from their headquarters in Chicago. The decision to cancel flights happens here.
VOICE OF JIM DEYOUNG, UNITED AIRLINES MANAGING DIRECTOR NETWORK OPERATIONS: These individuals are actually measuring the impact of weather. Of the air traffic control system and coordinating not only internally with United Airlines, but with the FAA.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They are talking to this FAA command center near Washington.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let`s go to Jacksonville and get their concerns first (ph) (inaudible)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Conference calls keep airlines and FAA controllers up to date with changing conditions, and a warning for travelers: think before you book.
GEORGE HOBICA, AIRFAREWATCHDOG.COM: Probably, the worst mistake is to take a connecting flight or if you do connect to connect through a known bad weather airport like Chicago or Denver or Detroit or Minneapolis. Airports that are prone to snow storms.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But a storm as big as this one will be hard to avoid.
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AZUZ: Well, yesterday we reported on an international agreement involving Iran`s controversial nuclear program. We told you some government`s responses to this deal. Today, we`ve got more reaction.
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SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, ( R) SOUTH CAROLINA : The sanctions actually worked, but this interim deal gives the Iranians $7 billion in cash, and it leaves in place one of the most sophisticated enrichment programs around.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I become very happy because as a first thing, that`s a thing about it, is about medicines.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The medicines.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Effects of on the price of medicine, because it`s very high and I see it`s better now.
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D) NEW YORK: I`m disappointed by the terms of the agreement between Iran and the P5+1 nations. Because it does not seem proportional.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody is happy about it, because we hope for a change and the (inaudible) situation that we are (inaudible).
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AZUZ: We all struggle with stress or adversity at time. Some people have strategies for dealing with it. They might pray, they might meditate. Maybe listen to music or find comfort with friends. Imagine if you are the leader of the free world. That`s a job filled with stress. One person on President Obama`s staff had an idea to help.
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JAKE TAPPER, ANCHOR "THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER": In the midst of a bruising 2008 presidential campaign, a young staffer was quietly praying for his candidate and decided to let him know.
JOSHUA DUBOIS, AUTHOR, "THE PRESIDENT`S DEVOTIONAL": I was thinking, you know, I wonder who is looking after his soul, his spirit, and so shot him an email, wasn`t sure what kind of response I was going to get - I was going to get (inaudible) what would happen if I sent this note, and in a few minutes he wrote back and said, this is exactly what I was looking for.
TAPPER: That message was a short meditation on the 23 psalm, you know, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." And that started a daily tradition for Joshua Dubois and Barack Obama. About 2,000 devotions later, the emails are part of how the president quietly practices his Christian faith. DuBois joined the administration as the director of faith and neighborhood partnerships, helping to shape policy and acting as a bridge between faith leaders and President Obama.
President Obama is not somebody who wears his spirituality on his sleeve.
(on camera): How important is religion and spirituality and Jesus Christ ...
DUBOIS: Yeah.
TAPPER: to President Obama.
DUBOIS: You know, it`s very important. And I, for one, would rather have a leader who leaves out a sermon than preaches one.
TAPPER: He has been criticized for not picking a church.
DUBOIS: Yeah.
TAPPER: In Washington, D.C.
DUBOIS: We recognized very early on that when you bring the whole package of the presidency, all the Secret Service and all the lines and barricades and so forth to a local congregation, there is a lot of burden there, and so instead of picking one congregation, he decided to visit several.
TAPPER (voice over): With politics, policy and war, the business of being the president can be altogether unholy.
(on camera): How do you as somebody who is so attuned to the president`s spiritual needs reconcile the job, which is borne out of tough unheavenly decisions and his relationship with God.
DUBOIS: As long as, you know, you are - you feel that within your own soul that the moves that you are making, are right with God and right with yourself, and that`s the best we can ask for. And so, my job was to help - push him towards that relationship with God where they could have their own conversation about what was right and then he makes the best decisions that he can.
TAPPER (voice over): His job approval rating at their lowest point in some polls. The president`s in a tough time now. During past periods of doubt and difficulty, DuBois has sent to the president a go to devotional about bouncing back. He quotes second Corinthians. And he combined that with the story about legendary boxer Joe Lewis refusing to take a quick rest on the mat after being knocked down because he didn`t want his opponent to get any rest either.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is this legit? Hanukkah is the Jewish Festival of Lights. It`s true. The holiday is also known as the Feast of Dedication and the Feast of Maccabees.
AZUZ: Hanukkah commemorates the victory of the Maccabees. A group of Jewish people. It also celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. The holiday lasts eight nights, the start of Hanukkah isn`t always on the same day. This year, it starts at sunset on Wednesday, which means the eight day holiday coincided with a major U.S. holiday.
Fortunately for turkey, Thanksgiving isn`t America`s favorite holiday. That`s Christmas with Thanksgiving in second. Unfortunately for turkeys, they are on the menu for both. So it`s not a time of year when turkeys have holiday cheer. They may be especially concerned in one of the four U.S. towns named after them. Turkey, Texas. Turkey, North Carolina, Turkey Creek, Louisiana or Turkey Creek, Arizona. Northern turkeys may also be on the wing in Pennsylvania if they leave near the townships of Upper Turkeyfoot or Lower Turkeyfoot. One thing that`s afoot nationwide, Americans are talking turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. The National Turkey Federation, which no turkeys are actually members says that 88 percent of Americans gobble up turkey on Thanksgiving. A 2012 Gallup survey found only five percent of Americans consider themselves vegetarians, in case you are wondering. What this means, 46 million turkeys will be at the Thanksgiving table, but they won`t be enjoying the meal. They probably had a better time running wild at the first Thanksgiving celebration. There is no proof that turkey was on the table in 1621. What was? Venison is one possibility, my dear. Of course, almost 400 years later, a deer for dinner could leave some passionate poultry partakers plaintiff. But it could save time for cooks: it takes about five hour to oven bake a large stuffed turkey. Without that, people could carve out plenty more time for cranberry sauce or sweet potatoes. Two Thanksgiving traditions that might not ruffle turkey`s feathers.
Midwest takes center stage for our last "Roll Call" of November. In Brookville, Ohio, we`ve got the blue devils from Brookville High School. Going west, in a little north to Westby, Wisconsin. And that`s where we check in with the Northman. And in Greensberg (ph) Indiana, the South Decatur Cougars grab a spot on the roll.
That gobbles up almost all our time in this pre- Thanksgiving show. I`m personally thankful for having the best audience at CNN. We`re going to leave you with some "I-Report" sharing what you are thankful for. Have a very happy Thanksgiving. We`ll see you Monday.