For many, the best place to go for Thanksgiving is the home of whichever family member volunteers to host the big meal. But if you’re more flexible on where you’ll spend the holiday, you might be interested in WalletHub’s list of the top U.S. destinations for Turkey Day, based on metrics like the average cost of Thanksgiving dinner, the typical number of delayed flights, volunteer opportunities, and weather forecasts.
Must Reads
Artificial Christmas trees can get pricey — here’s when you’re most likely to snag a more affordable option
“Home Alone” Premiered 35 Years Ago: Here’s How You Can Celebrate the Anniversary
Cinematic Collection/ 20th Century Fox/ Alamy Stock Photo
On Nov. 16, 1990, moviegoers across the U.S. first met 8-year-old Kevin McCallister (famously played by Macaulay Culkin) as he reveled in his newfound freedom after his parents accidentally left him behind before a Christmas trip to Paris — and later protected his family’s home from robbers. Viewers immediately loved Home Alone: It dominated the domestic box office for 12 consecutive weekends, racking in a lifetime total of $285 million. And in 2025, the ’90s flick is still considered a nostalgic classic. In tandem with the 35-year anniversary of the film’s release, Culkin reprised his role in an ad campaign for Home Instead, a company that provides care for aging loved ones. This time, Kevin is concerned about his mom being left home alone, and gets some sage advice from the granddaughter of his childhood neighbor, Old Man Marley. The 45-year-old actor is also embarking on the second annual tour of the film later this month, which includes a screening of the movie in select cities followed by a live interview with Culkin. While attending last year’s event, Cinemablend’s Mick Joest called it “something you don’t want to miss,” adding: “It turns out that screening this movie with a bunch of millennials and their children is absolutely incredible, and I really got a sense of how much people love this movie as much as I do.” Unable to attend the tour? You can watch Home Alone on Disney+ or Amazon Prime Video — then test your knowledge with this trivia quiz.
Together With Brad’s Deals
Save up to 50% on Your Fave Brands This Holiday Season
What if there was a free service that found the best deals on the internet so you didn’t have to? Well, actually, there is: Brad’s Deals. This team of deal-finding experts scours the internet daily to discover best-of-web prices on just about everything. They help you find the top deals online so you can stop searching and start saving. When you sign up for Brad’s Deals, you’ll gain access to a personalized deals newsletter, complete with curated holiday picks from your favorite brands at top stores. We’re talking household names like Nike, Hoka, Kate Spade, Coach, and Stanley, just to name a few.
Competitive Litter-Picking Is the Trendy Sport You Haven’t Tried (but Should)
Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images
Pickleball and padel may be among the trendiest sports to play with friends, but have you ever taken a swing at spogomi? All it requires are your hands, a bag, and a penchant for picking up litter. The purposeful sport originated in Japan in 2008, when runner Kenichi Mamitsuka had the idea to gamify his practice of scooping up trash on his morning jogs. Its name was formed by taking “spo” from sport and pairing it with “gomi,” the Japanese word for trash. And it’s played like you’d imagine: Teams of people spread out over assigned areas and compete to pick up the most trash in a certain amount of time. Last month, 34 countries participated in the second Spogomi World Cup, and according to the Spogomi Federation, more than 165,000 people have taken part in official games since the sport’s inception. That has resulted in over 425,756 pounds of litter being picked up around the world. “We met people from all walks of life who are passionate about looking after their neighborhood and the planet,” one 2025 World Cup competitor told Positive News. “What struck me most was the scale of the litter problem, and the global and local action needed to protect our planet and marine life. I’ll never walk past a [chips] packet again without scooping it into the bin.” Watch spogomi in action.
Humanity
By Refurbishing Used Bikes, This Shop Creates Opportunities for Marginalized People
Bikes Not Bombs/ Facebook
A bicycle can be more than just a vehicle for transportation — it can also be “a vehicle for social change.” That’s according to Bikes Not Bombs, a nonprofit that works to provide greater economic mobility for people in the global south as well as opportunities for marginalized communities in Boston. The org operates a Bike Shop & Training Center, in which staff and paid apprentices recondition donated bikes and parts. Through its youth apprenticeships and bike school, Bikes Not Bombs provides training in bike mechanics, financial empowerment, safe urban riding, and more. To date, it has refurbished over 80,000 bicycles and sent the majority to Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, providing a mode of transportation for those with limited access. And for the bikes that remain in the U.S., teen program participants have the opportunity to earn one to take home. This past spring, the nonprofit co-hosted a three-day Youth Bike Summit that brought young people, staff, and community figures together to celebrate youth leadership. “It’s not just a bike shop,” volunteer Tom Donovan said in a YouTube video. “It’s a bunch of people that are passionate about getting bikes and using the bike to change things.” Go inside the shop.
In Other News
For the first time, scientists observed the very early stages of a supernova: See an artist’s rendering (read more)
“It’s a big deal”: A new drug was more than 97% effective at treating malaria in clinical trials (read more)
Catholic sisters just sold land back to a Native American tribe in Wisconsin, the first transfer of its kind (read more)
A new Apple feature allows users to add their passports to iPhones and smartwatches for smoother travel (read more)
Two friends broke the record for the number of bird species spotted in Alabama in a single year (read more)
Inspiring Story
“Saving medicine to save lives”
Each year, $11 billion worth of unopened, unexpired prescription medication is thrown away — but one organization is working to redistribute it to low-income communities in the U.S. instead. Sirum, a nonprofit social enterprise, makes individuals and organizations aware of what they can donate and disperses unused medicine to those who need it most. “Getting medications to the millions of people who need it to live a healthy life, saving medicine to save lives — that is something we can do today,” co-founder Kiah Williams said in a 2020 TED video.
Photo of the Day
Jeremy Hogan/Getty Images
This week saw one of the strongest solar storms in decades, which meant that people across the U.S. were treated to a rare display of aurora borealis on Tuesday and Wednesday. The northern lights lit up the sky over Indiana (pictured here), Wisconsin, Florida, California, and more — take a peek at the stunning scenes.
