An Ignoble Experiment: The 7: Thanksgiving forecast; why exercising to lose weight may not work; NFL schedule; and more

Good morning. It's Thursday, Nov. 28 — happy Thanksgiving! If you're bracing for a family argument later, we gathered some handy facts to help you out. Now let's get to the news.

Donald Trump's administration picks were targeted with bomb threats, the FBI said.

What to know: Six of Trump's selections said they received threats to their homes yesterday. Some involved "swatting," a dangerous intimidation tactic that's hard to stop.
In other news: Trump spoke with Mexico's president after a tense exchange this week. And Elon Musk wants to "delete" a federal watchdog as part of his drastic "DOGE" plans.
One more thing: MSNBC is facing a viewer backlash after Trump's election win.

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Lebanese people are returning home after a cease-fire with Israel.

The scene: Restaurants and shops reopened in Beirut's southern suburbs, battered by months of Israeli strikes, after a U.S.-backed cease-fire deal took effect yesterday.
In Gaza: An end to the fighting appears distant as large gaps remain in negotiations. After the Lebanon deal, Israel could now focus even more firepower on the devastated enclave.

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Three Americans were released in a prisoner swap with China.

Who? U.S. citizens Mark Swidan, Kai Li and John Leung. The U.S. has long said they were wrongfully detained. It's not clear who was exchanged for their release.
Zooming out: The rare trade follows months of diplomatic pressure on China. The three men were on their way back to the U.S. yesterday, the White House said.

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Most of the U.S. should have good travel weather today.

What to know: Tens of millions will travel over the Thanksgiving holiday. The forecast (find it here) shows pretty tranquil conditions, with some exceptions for snow and rain.
Something special: A solar storm may make the northern lights visible in the uppermost parts of the country. But it probably won't be as dazzling as last month's show.

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NFL fans will get three servings of football for Thanksgiving.

It's Bears-Lions, Giants-Cowboys and Dolphins-Packers on the NFL's Thanksgiving schedule. (David Reginek/USA TODAY Sports)

Up first: Detroit, the NFC front-runner, hosts the Chicago Bears. At 10-1, the Lions are the favorite to win the Super Bowl and also today's game. Watch on CBS at 12:30 p.m. Eastern.
Later: The Dallas Cowboys — fresh off a memorable win — host the New York Giants (4:30 p.m. on Fox.) And the Miami Dolphins visit the Green Bay Packers (8:20 p.m. on NBC.)

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Exercising to lose weight rarely works, science shows.

Why? Very active people burn about the same number of calories as sedentary people. Your body appears to adapt based on your lifestyle — one researcher explained it here .
Another interesting find: Acts of altruism, such as donating money or volunteering, are good for you. So this heroic postal worker should feel great this Thanksgiving.

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Scientists created a mouse using a single-celled organism.

The mouse on the left was created with stem cells from a choanoflagellate Sox gene. The one on the right is normal. (Gao Ya and Alvin Kin Shing Lee/Center for Comparative Medicine Research)

How? They made mouse stem cells from the genes of a single-celled life form for the first time. Scientists inserted them into a mouse embryo to create a living, breathing critter.
But why? To figure out how different life forms emerged from our common, unicellular ancestor. This new research could help us learn how to fight disease or even aging.

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