tonight, the getaway, tens of millions take to the road and the air -- the most in years. inside the new command center as the tsa tries to avoid a repeat of scenes like this. the wrong route? late details federal officials now say the driver in the school bus crash that killed five children should not haveen on that road. building a team -- president-elect trump names two women to top jobs, plus an exclusive inside the massish secret service plan to protect the new first family. high alert -- lester's look inside the nypd's bomb squad on guard after a

millions will watch. how do these giants of thanksgiving rise to the occasion? "nightly news" begins right now. >> announcer: from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >> good evening i'm kate snow in for lester on this thanksgiving eve. and the rush is on. from coast to coast, with nearly 49 million of us expected to travel and see family and friends over this holiy would be the largest number of thanksgiving travelers since the great recession. nine years ago. throughout the day we've seen relatively calm scenes at many major airports, but that may be because so many americans chose to drive. the roads are jammed tonight. and that's where we begin, with our tom costello. >> if you're watching tv right now, look what you're missing. >> outer loop of the beltway, still a big mess. >> the thanksgiving crush. it started on the west

nearly 49 million of us traveling this holiday. with gas now averaging just 2.13 a gallon, the vast majority are driving in tallahassee, this video blogger picked up his son from college. >> the gas prices down here. you get rolling. >> and driving up i-95, headed for boston. >> traffic has been light so we're lucky so far. hopefully we'll do as well in new york. >> meanwhile, a potential air. with as many as 2.6 million people expected to pass through airport security today and sunday. when the harmon family arrived at reagan airport this morning, they found this. >> have you ever seen a line this long at this airport? >> no. have not. >> never. never been this long. >> fortunately, it cleared fast. the tsa has been under pressure to avoid a repeat of the long lines that stretched for hours last spring. since then, adding more dog teams and

screeners. >> 23,200 passengers went through a tsa pre-check. >> airport command center, the real-time tsa checkpoint at the 30 busiest airports. one hot spot today, a power outage in louisville that slowed things down for an hour. the tsa chief -- >> sunday is predicted to be the largest day of the weekend. that's when everybody comes home. give yourself time. >> as always, the biggest variable -- while in l.a., comfort dogs to ease the stress. nationwide, the average tsa wait time was under 30 minutes. so far today. back out here on the roads, aaa says right about now is the worst time to be hitting the roads. as for the return, the peak travel volume will be saturday at 4:00 so if you can, return home either early on saturday or early on sunday. is when you should start driving. kate? >> great advice, tom costello, thanks. with millions of

look at the holiday storms, how is it looking? >> not too bad, kate. heavier rain moving into the pacific northwest. wet weather with snow into the upper great lakes and for tomorrow, not too shabby. heavy rain continues in the pacific northwest. light snow and wet weather in the northeast and new england. let's look at saturday, as far as travel is concerned. looking at the airports, a little problem at laguardia, but the rest of the eastern half of the country looking good. out west, the only problem, san francisco, delays due to showers and wind. of a storm system developing along the northeast coast. as far as the roads are concerned, i-95, a bit of a problem. i-80, san francisco to reno, and then on sunday, we expect to see more of the same, the northeast looking kind of rough. out west, we've got snow, and problems in l.a., again due to some more heavy rain. kate? >> al, thanks so much. late details tonight involving the deadly school bus crash in tennessee. federal investigators now say the driver was

and should not have been on the road where the bus crashed killing five children. nbc's kerry sanders is in chattanooga. >> late today the national transportation safety board revealed that the school bus that crashed in tennessee kill five students had diverted from its route and was not on a reasonable doubt approved to drive children home. >> one of the things we're exploring is, is a, has he done it before? and b, if so, why? >> police announced that the driver, 24-year-old johnthany drugs or alcohol in his system. the bus was not equipped with a black box recorder. but officials were able to recover other important data from the record. >> what this bus had was three video cameras, we're bringing in an electronics expert late they are week. >> according to relatives of some of the victims, walker was a known problem. jasmine mateen, whose 6-year-old daughter died, said she complained in person and writing. >> it was about him slamming on brakes on

heads. >> 9-year-old cordayja jones died in the accident. her aunt said the fourth grade her also complained about the bus driver. >> she had said one time before to my mom, granny, that man drives like a fool. >> walker's public defender did not respond to requests for comment. and today, school officials and the tennessee governor repeatedly ignored questions about the allegations. >> why would you not want to answer if you had been notified about this driver's record by a parent? >> the governor has to leave. leave. but the school representatives can answer. >> 11-year-old cordarius lost his younger sister in the accident. >> the last time i see her was when we go to bed and i said good night, i love you. >> he now treasure as photo she gave him. scrolled on the bottom -- love. kerry sanders, nbc news, chattanooga, tennessee. president-elect donald trump made more appointments to his cabinet today this time he turned to two prominent republican

vocal critic of trump in the past. we get details from nbc's kristen welker. >> raise our families, care for our loved ones. >> president-elect donald trump with a thanksgiving message for the nation. >> it's my prayer that on this thanksgiving, we begin to heal our divisions and move forward as one country. >> it comes as he's trying to diversify his cabinet today. tapping two women, including 44-year-old south carolina governor nikki haley to serve as the ambassador to the u.n. emigrated from india is a rising star in the republican party she was sharply critical of trump during the primary. >> i will not stop until we fight a man that chooses not to disavow the kkk. >> but taking a more measured tone after meeting with the president-elect last week. >> i did vote for him. and i was absolutely thrilled to see him win. >> haley earned national praise for leading the call to take down the confederate flag in south carolina, in the

am.e. church massacre. >> governor haley made eight international trips, but lacks foreign policy experience. >> she's going to have to navigate this role. because of course, it involves a realm of knowledge that she doesn't have. sort of directly in her portfolio. >> if confirmed, haley's appointment could strengthen trump's hand. the move elevating south lieutenant-governor henry mcmaster, an early trump ally, to governor, giving trump a political edge in a key southern state, a transition official disputing that was a part of the decision. mr. trump's second female pick? betsy devos for education secretary. a billionaire republican donor and school choice activist. who opposes common core, and wants to expand school voucher programs. the move was praised by school choice advocates like jeb bush and decried by

mr. trump will spend the thanksgiving holiday here in palm beach with family. and isn't expected to make any more major announcements until friday at the earliest. kate? >> kristen welker down in florida. thank you. new york city officials are taking extra steps to secure tomorrow's macy's thanksgiving day parade. after an al qaeda publication suggested the parade would be quote an excellent target. officials stress there is no known threat to the parade. but extra barriers will be in place and dogs capable of explosives will be out of the air will be working the crowds. it was just two months ago of course the city was rocked by a bomb that exploded in manhattan's chelsea neighborhood. another was removed and disarmed by the nypd's elite bomb squad. tonight, in an nbc news exclusive, lester spends time with members of that team, who risk their lives to get that bomb off the street before it could kill. >> it was a miracle no

the heart of manhattan. and where there's one, experience tells police there's often a second. in this case, it was discovered four blocks away. >> unequivocally, we could say anybody in proximity would receive a very serious, if not life-threatening injury. >> the device in chelsea's neighborhood turned out to be linked to a broader plot that began in nearby new jersey, where the suspect was later appnd wounded during a shoot-out with police. now for the first time, members of the nypd bomb squad who removed and disarmed the chelsea bomb are telling their story. detectives jason halleck and timothy brady were the primary technicians that night. in a perfect world it never goes off and you've got evidence, right? is that the main goal? >> that's our ultimate goal. it doesn't always work the way we planned. we have to change up our plan. >> you're working against the clock in case like that? >> well, you could be. you don't know if it's

time is. so you want to get everybody out as quick as possible. secure them. but it is new york city, so it's very difficult to clear an entire area. that's why we removed it from the scene and brought it to a safer scene for our own facility. >> to do that, they used a robot and a special containment vehicle to cart the still live device to a remote police facility. and that's where halleck had to get up close. >> what is that like face with what you are strongly believe is an explosive device? >> one of complete remission, i just don't think about it, i'm so focused on what it is and completing it and finishing it. >> to give an idea what it was like, the team invite immediate to put on the bulky 90-pound protective suit. >>ky walk in it. with some effort. but i can't imagine doing anything that

>> you're obviously seeing in the suit, you don't have a lot of dexterity. but the other thing, the pretty hot day ands sweat was pouring into my eyes. >> the nypd has seen an uptick in reports from suspicious new yorkers reawakened to a unsettling fact. >> we're right in the crosshairs of the terrorist. >> bombs are their weapons of choice. home-made, lethal and indiscriminate. to disarm o save countless lives. >> not only taking care of it without it detonating on you. which is a big plus. to collect the evidence and the perpetrator actually caught, is a great feeling of satisfaction. >> the suspect in the new york and new jersey attacks has been indicted on federal terrorism charges. and a frightening moment at new york's grand central station this morning. an e-cigarette exploded in a man's pocket. he was working behind the counter as you can see at a wine store

says it looked like fireworks, there were projectiles and he could smell fumes. amazingly, a transit spokesman said the victim's injuries appeared to be minor leg and hand burns. still ahead tonight -- taking back thanksgiving. with more stores staying closed this year, we'll tell you what to buy and when to find the best deals. also, just what was that fireball also, just what was that fireball you totaled your brand new car. nobody's hurt, but there will still be pain. it comes when your insurance company says they'll only pay what are you supposed to do? drive three-quarters of a car? now if you had liberty mutual new car replacement?, you'd get your whole car back. i guess they don't want you driving around on three wheels. smart. with liberty mutual new car replacement?, we'll replace the full value of your car. liberty stands with you?. liberty mutual insurance. hey, need fast try cool mint zantac. it releases a cooling sensation

nexium can take 24 hours. try cool mint zantac. no pill relieves heartburn faster. they say you shouldn't spoil your kids, but your grand kids? how about front row seats to the best show in town. and that is why you invest. the best returns aren't just measured in dollars. i'm terrible at golf. he is. but i'd like to keep being terrible at golf for as long as i can. new patented ensure enlive has hmb ild muscle. for the strength and energy to do what you love. new ensure enlive. always be you. for lower back the search for relief often leads here. introducing drug-free aleve direct therapy. a high intensity tens device that uses technology once only in doctors' offices. for deep penetrating relief at the source. new aleve direct therapy. viagra single packs, so guys with ed can...

. do not take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain or adempas? for pulmonary hypertension. your blood pressure could drop to an unsafe level. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. stop taking viagra and call your doctor right away if you experience a sudden decrease or loss in vision or hearing. ask your doctor about viagra single packs. this holiday

against the recent trend of stores opening on thanksgiving day. this year some companies are choosing to stay closed, giving workers the day off. while other stores will open to give shoppers a jump-start on black friday. jo lynn kent reports on what stores to hit and when. >> for the last three years, maria has pulled double duty on thanksgiving. preparing an enormous feast for 30 family members. before rushing off to open the mall doors to shoppers on thanksgiving night. >> having do leave my own thanksgiving dinner when i'm the host, it's sad. >> so this is where you would come on thanksgiving? >> it is. >> this year is different. maria has the day off because morristown mall outside philadelphia has chose ton close on thanksgiving day. it's one of dozens of major companies now bucking the trend of opening on thanksgiving, as retailers worry opening early may steal some of black friday's thunder. without increasing overall sales.

closed sign. but other stores like macy's best buy, walmart, target and kohl's doubling down. throwing open their doors on thanksgiving. k-mart kicks off at 6:00 a.m. jcpenney opens at 3:00 p.m., will give away $500 coupons at the door. toys 'r' us will open at 5:00 and stay open 30 hours straight. but retailers say thanksgiving is not the only day to land great discounts, black friday has the best deals on tvs, drones and home cybermonday is also great for electronics, beauty products and kitchenware. and the deepest discount on toys come the second week of december. and hold off on buying any winter clothes until the week before christmas. bekovic is grateful she won't being be working the crowds this year. >> i'm happy to be spending it with my family. >> giving thanks for the things money can't buy, jolynn kent, nbc news, morristown, new jersey.

exclusive details on the new plan to protect the president-elect. with advil, you'll ask what twisted ankle? what muscle strain? advil makes pain a distant memory nothing works faster stronger or longer what pain? advil. your path to retirement may not always be clear. but at t. rowe price, we can help guide your retirement savings. so wherever your retirement journey takes you,

call us or your advisor t. rowe price. invest with confidence. wh only new alka-seltzer plus free of artificial dyesf. and preservatives liquid gels delivers the powerful cold symptom relief you need without the unnecessary additives you don't. store manager: clean up, aisle 4. alka-seltzer plus liquid gels. ?? if you have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, isn't it time to let the real you shine through? introducing otezla (apremilast). otezla is not an injection or a cream. it's a pill that treats plaque psoriasis differently. with otezla, 75% clearer skin is achievable after just 4 months, with reduced redness, thickness, and scaliness of plaques.

has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. don't take otezla if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. otezla may increase the risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts, or if these feelings develop. some people taking otezla reported weight loss. your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. side effects may include diarrhea, nausea, upper respiratory tract infection, and headache. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, and if you're pregnant or planning to be. la today. otezla.

new challenges ahead for the secret service. the agency tasked with keeping the first family safe. donald trump's large family including children and grandchildren making the mission more challenging. and more expensive. we get exclusive details now from cynthia mcfadden. >> as the soon-to-be firsam for thanksgiving, it's clear they'll need a bigger turkey than usual axt cording to internal homeland security documents reviewed by nbc news, at least 150 secret service personnel are joining them. here the 45-vehicle convoy arriving lat last night at mar-a-lago. >> we're sort of in uncharted waters. >> we haven't had adult protectee children of a president-elect in a

tougher. it's a big family. 18 in all. melania trump and barron, then four adult children, their three spouses, and eight grandchildren. >> you see everyone around the president becomes a target? >> absolutely. wherever the president goes, he's drawing the attention of every bad guy in the world. >> mr. trump has long been a fan of the secret service. >> these are incredible people, incredible individuals and they are tough. >> but still, living with agents 24/7 takes >> just think about you, at your home. tonight. four strangers just show up. and they're standing in your kitchen. >> once mr. trump becomes president there will be about 920 secret service personnel assigned to him and his family per day. about 80 more than the obamas. none of this comes cheap. according to classified documents reviewed by nbc news, the daily cost is

million. including reimbursing the trump organization for secret service seats on his plane. this weekend in mar-a-lago, a source involved in the protection operation says it's a $7 million thanksgiving. cynthia mcfadden, nbc news, new york. president obama today fulfilled a long-standing tongue-in-cheek white pardoning the turkeys, tater and tot, the pun-maker in chief said sasha around malia are fed up with the corny-copia of dad jokes. and a spectacular moment in the skies over florida monday night. burst of light soaring overhead, illuminating the entire sky. it might have look liked an alien invasion, but it turned out to be a meteor called a fireball. when we come back, there really is a

the macy's thanksgiving day parade. thanksgiving day parade. girl: (sobbing) i'm fine! alexa, play the song that goes, "oh, take these broken wings." electronic voice: playing "broken wings" from amazon music. (singing along) ? take ? ? these broken wings... ? you're ridiculous. (sniffling) sarah! come on! alexa, turn on the sprinklers. electronic voice: okay. i am totally blind. i lost my sight in afghanistan. if you're totally blind, you may also be struggling with non-24. calling 844-844-2424. or visit my24info.com. when heartburn hits, fight back fast with tums smoothies. it starts dissolving the instant it touches your tongue. and neutralizes stomach acid at the source.

wi 80% of recurrent ischemic strokes could be prevented. and i'm doing all i can to help prevent another one. a bayer aspirin regimen is one of those steps in helping prevent another stroke. be sure to talk to your doctor

next. a post office worker attacked by two men.. the bold move he made that landed one of his attackers in handcuffs.. plus. can the packers turn it around or are injuries too much to overcome? live at 6 is next. right now, final preparations are under way for the 90th annual macy's

tomorrow morning an estimated 50 million people will watch 6th as kristen?j"q fo re as il ke , upr westeday, watching giant storybook chacters me to life. jm? it's a journey that starts here at macy's new jewarehouse. >> take a look at t size of just >> that's charlie brown. getting some last-minute patching to his enormous hand-painted shirt. >> it's never-ending. it's continuous upkeep. >> a year-round led by macy's john piper. >> it feels a little like we're in santa's workshop here. >> for 90 years, the macy's thanksgiving day parade has been the stuff of holiday dreams. it started as the christmas parade. with animals from the central park zoo. a few years later,

flight. and for a while, were released at the end of the parade. felix the cat was one of the original characters. back this year, as an almost exact replica. >> every one of them has a magic about them. >> the red power ranger's arm is the size of a school bus. but they start out much smaller. scale models help engineers figure out how to make them fly. >> that's our job. take what looks like it's impossible and make it come true. >> here's a sec-- ha et e to new york ci that means this three-story float needsbe hr sed so it can lioltunnel. a matched only ze e s ern pade >> it makes it all worthwhile. a reminder, you n watch the parade here on nbc tomorrow

that will do it for us on this wednesday gh i'm kate snow in for ster. i' see y back here tomorrow. for all of us at nbc news, have a great night. ts isoday's tmj4 "livt 6". >> charles: package thi pick e wrong attacking him on the east side. reports of package thefts often speak during the holidays. this one is different. >> shannon: a mail carrier took action to make sure his delivery didn't end up in the wrong hands. >> reporter: i did talk to him, he couldn't talk to us on camera but tells me he was just doing his job trying to deliver packages to the house behind me here.

piin up the mail,king sure he gl where it's supposed to go. describes what happened when hes thursday. its malked u saying boxes we his. he saide dn't have id but his fend wouldring it. his friendaid the boxes were his. t neither man could show their id. wh t heed to eve look, t la run an i warrant i heard my dogark, there w a tas of yelling. >> reporter: he said stop this is a fe federal offense. that's the house where he was trying to deliver the package when the men tried to steal it, they ended out here fighting over the packages, ting them down to yard over there. >> i noticed the mai men and