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UP FRONTThursday 26 November 2015

Obama grants reprieve to turkeys “Honest” and “Abe”

National Turkey Federation Chairman Jihad Douglas watches at right as President Barack ond bird who was on the turkey, though stories of
grounds but off camera. spared turkeys date back
Obama pardons National Thanksgiving Turkey Abe, during a ceremony in the Rose Garden of Both turkeys will get a re- to Abraham Lincoln’s presi-
prieve from the oven and dency. The National Turkey
the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2015. This is the 68th anniversary of the will spend their remaining Federation is the turkey
days living it up on a near- supplier for the event. The
National Thanksgiving Turkey presentation. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) by Virginia farm. Both birds trade group and others
hail from California, are 18 have been providing tur-
KEVIN FREKING continuing a White House National Thanksgiving Tur- weeks old and weigh in at keys for the First Family go-
Associated Press tradition that provides a key, during a ceremony about 42 pounds each. The ing back to President Harry
WASHINGTON (AP) “ Presi- refreshing sense of amuse- Wednesday in the Rose names of the turkeys were Truman, though not all of
dent Barack Obama ment and bipartisan cheer Garden. He gobbled right chosen from submissions the birds provided during
spared two turkeys named no matter how troubled on cue as Obama finished entered by school children the years shared a similar
for one of the nation’s the times. Obama par- his absolution. Don’t fret for in California. Honest has a reprieve from the White
most admired presidents, doned “Abe,” the 2015 “Honest,” though, the sec- red face and neck, while House dinner table.
Abe’s crown features more Obama was accompa-
extensive blue splotches. nied at the event by his
Obama referred to Abe as daughters, Malia and
TOTUS, or Turkey of the Unit- Sasha. They didn’t look
ed States. “America is af- thrilled at last year’s turkey
ter all a country of second pardoning, and Obama
chances and this turkey has thanked them for once
earned a second chance against standing with him.
to live out the rest of his life “They do this solely be-
comfortably on 1,000 acres cause it makes me feel
of open land complete good, not because they
with a barn called the ‘the actually think that this is
White House on Turkey something I should be do-
Hill,’ which actually sounds ing,” Obama said.
pretty good,” Obama said. After the ceremony, the
George H.W. Bush was the Obama family is volunteer-
first president to formally ing at a community service
pardon a Thanksgiving project in Washington.q

Cheap gas fueling expanded US Thanksgiving travel day

J. PRITCHARD from Dallas. The family was Security personnel watch as travelers walk past at LaGuardia Airport in New York, Wednesday,
Associated Press planning on driving to the Nov. 25, 2015. An expanded version of America’s annual Thanksgiving travel saga was
LOS ANGELES (AP) — An mountain resort of Red Riv- under way Wednesday with gas prices low and terrorism fears high. An estimated 46.9 million
expanded version of the er, New Mexico to revive a Americans are expected to take a car, plane, bus or train at least 50 miles from home over the
annual Thanksgiving travel family Thanksgiving tradi- long holiday weekend, according to the motoring organization AAA. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
saga in the U.S. has begun tion.
with gas prices low and “My parents warned us has the world’s best avia- flying from Arizona to West win,” she said.
fears of an attack by ex- about the travel warning tion security and assured Virginia to see family gave Airfares have increased just
tremists high. so we decide to get start- the public that TSA is “tak- her pause, but in the end 69 cents on average since
An estimated 46.9 million ed early,” Fanni Farago. ing every measure to pro- she decided she had to last year, according to the
Americans are expected “And since it’s so cheap tect the millions of air trav- go. Airlines Reporting Corp.,
to take a car, plane, bus or to drive, we are going to elers in the coming weeks.” “I’m not going to let the which processes ticket
train at least 50 miles from rent a car to go up to Red At the Phoenix airport, Teri terror alerts and things stop transactions for airlines and
home over the long holi- River.” Robert said the notion of me, because then they travel agencies.q
day weekend, according Anyone trekking to a ma-
to the motoring organiza- jor airport should factor
tion AAA. That would be in 50 extra minutes on the
an increase of more than road, according to the
300,000 people over last traffic data company INRIX
year, and the most travel- — and that’s just getting
ers since 2007. to the airport, never mind
Among the reasons given getting through security.
for the increase: an im- Though there have been
proving economy and the no changes to the na-
cheapest gasoline for this tion’s terror alert status,
time of year since 2008. the recent attacks in Paris,
On Tuesday, some travel- West Africa and elsewhere
ers were gearing up for an prompted the U.S. State
early exit. Department to warn Amer-
Fanni Farago, 26, of Tem- ican travelers about the
pe, Arizona, sat in the Al- risks overseas.
buquerque, New Mexico, On Tuesday, the head of
airport with her sister Flora the Transportation Security
Farago, 30, while waiting Administration, Peter Nef-
for their parents to arrive fenger, said that the U.S.