Multiple states across the Northern U.S. could see the Northern Lights late Thursday and into Friday thanks to an upgraded geomagnetic storm prediction, NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center said.
According to NOAA, the predictions were upgraded due to multiple CMEs — coronal mass ejections — hurling towards Earth.
According to the agency, a CME is a “large expulsion of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun’s corona,” which can result in the “sudden release of electromagnetic energy in the form of a solar flare.”
As part of the upgraded predictions, multiple states have a shot at seeing the Aurora borealis.
Nearly all of the Canada and the Northern United States is included in NOAA’s most recent “Aurora Viewline,” with the highest chances of viewing in the northern parts of North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.
Although Illinois doesn’t quite appear in the agency’s Aurora viewline map, its possible that some in the northern part of the state could see the spectacle.
“Aurora can often be observed somewhere on Earth from just after sunset or just before sunrise,” NOAA said, adding that it is not visible during daylight hours. ” The aurora does not need to be directly overhead but can be observed from as much as a 1000 km away when the aurora is bright and if conditions are right.”
An 80-foot tree towered over the driveway that Erik Pauze had just pulled into.
It was shortly after dinner time on a summer evening when homeowner Matt McGinley saw what he initially assumed was a real estate agent walking up to their upstate New York house.
“My name is Erik,” Pauze told McGinley. “I’m from Rockefeller Center. I’m here to look at your tree.”
McGinley went inside to tell his wife that their tree had a visitor.
Pauze told them he is the head gardener at Rockefeller Center, responsible for selecting the site’s annual Christmas tree. He had been driving through the Vestal, New York, neighborhood to scout another tree when he spotted the McGinley’s Norway spruce.
Would they consider donating it as the 2023 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree?
“I went inside and Googled him,” Jackie said. “And it was him, the image was the same person in my driveway. So, that kind of is how it began, just having somebody pull into your driveway in June.”
Nearly six months later, the tree stands in Rockefeller Center, one of New York City’s most iconic of Christmas symbols.
“It’s great to be part of the tradition,” he said. “A lot of great people work here to make this happen, and it means a lot because it makes a lot of people happy and creates a lot of great memories.”
Some requirements must be met when selecting the annual Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. Credit: Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Putting down roots
Pauze’s earliest memory of gardening was when he was in fourth grade, when he put down roots on a journey that would lead him to Rockefeller Center.
“It started at my aunt’s house, planting twigs and trying to find out why they never grew after that,” Pauze said.
His later plantings had better success.
Pauze went on to study landscape management at Farmingdale State College. In 1988, his class was visited by former Rockefeller Center gardens division manager David Murbach, who was seeking summer helpers. Pauze landed the position and it ultimately led to the only job and company he’s ever known.
“I’ve done nothing else,” Pauze said. “This was my first job right out of college.”
He grew into the position, becoming head gardener in 1995. Pauze and his staff tend to all landscaping in Rockefeller Center, including the famed Channel Gardens, various rooftop gardens, trees lining the street and other amenity spaces and terrace plantings that beautify the area.
One of the other responsibilities that came with his new title and workload was selecting the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree each year.
Becoming the tree hunter
Pauze selects a scouted or nominated tree that meets all of the Rockefeller Center standards. The tree typically must be at least 75 feet tall, 45 feet wide and have the shape of a traditional Christmas tree.
“You’re looking for the perfect tree, the one that you would want in your living room or your family room,” Pauze said. “It’s perfect all the way around.”
And it can be safely cut down and removed from the property, an intricate process that Pauze oversees.
After selecting the Rockefeller Center tree, Pauze visits the house regularly to water and feed it with 800 to 1,000 gallons of compost tea and water. When preparing for the cut, workers tie the branches together before a crane lowers the tree onto a flatbed truck that transports it to Manhattan.
“I would say that the majority of the trees are easy access,” Pauze said. “But the ones that are more difficult, you tend to think it out a little bit more and go deeper into the playbook and go and get it.”
Like lifting a 12-ton tree situated in the backyard up and over a house, or laying a crane access road to get to a tree that’s set deep in the property, or pulling up to a house and asking if you can have their tree.
“Sometimes it takes a little convincing,” Pauze said. “Sometimes they just want to be talked through it. After that there’s usually a little family discussion and then I’m up there watering it and feeding it.”
And no tree is too far.
“If you’ve got a tree in Hawaii that we can go check out, then let’s go get it,” Pauze said. “If we got a good tree and the family is willing to donate it, it’s a great story.”
Getting to Rockefeller Center
Only in New York might you drive alongside an 80-foot Christmas tree.
Pauze is along for the ride each year as the truck transports the tree from its original location to Rockefeller Center. The trip takes about 12 times longer when hauling a 12-ton tree, with this year’s three-hour drive during a traditional commute becoming a day-and-a-half journey, crossing paths with excited motorists along the way.
The 2023 Christmas tree arrives in Rockefeller Center after the long journey from Vestal, New York. Credit: Diane Bondareff/AP Images for Tishman Speyer
“The same car that passed you is now on the off ramp or on the side of the road and they’ve got their phones out,” Pauze said. “Lately you’ll see a bunch of people on an overpass taking pictures as we drive by. You give them a little toot of the horn and everybody gets all excited.”
When the tree reaches Rockefeller Plaza, the process is reversed. A crane lifts it off the truck and Pauze and workers guide the trunk into the tree stand. The tree is then secured with cables, surrounded by scaffolding so it can be wrapped in 50,000 multi-colored LED lights, and topped with a 900-pound Swarovski star.
It’s then ready to be viewed by an estimated 750,000 people per day after the lighting ceremony…which must be Pauze’s favorite workday of the year, right?
“I guess it depends on when you ask me,” he said. “The day I find the tree and I know that this is the one I want to bring to Rockefeller Center, this is the one that’s going to make millions of people happy, sure, that’s an outstanding feeling. If you ask me the morning of the tree-lighting, I’m going to say tree-lighting day.”
Does he have a favorite Rockefeller Center tree that he has selected?
“Nice question,” he said. “My answer is going to be, ‘Every year the tree gets better.’”
Was he bothered in 2020 when some were underwhelmed by their first glimpse of the tree that they said was deemed a metaphor for a year that was devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic?
“Wait until we plug it in,” Pauze said he told the critics. “You’ll see exactly how it looks.”
‘He is the magic of all of this’
When Pauze pulled out of the McGinley’s driveway, he left not only with a tree, but with new friendships.
“Going around to the different areas, you get to shake hands with a lot of people and build relationships with a lot of people,” Pauze said.
It’s almost as if Pauze becomes a branch on the family tree.
“He, to me, is the magic of all of this,” Jackie McGinley said. “He is just an incredible human being who is so uniquely suited to his job…He is so kind and considerate and skilled at what he does. I just felt like I had this new long-lost family member who just happened to also be interested in my tree.”
That tree, nurtured for months by Pauze as it towered over a driveway, will now light up for the world to see in Rockefeller Center.
“There’s a lot of early days and long nights,” Pauze said. “But those two or three seconds right after you light the tree and the crowd yells and everybody has their phones out taking pictures…Man, right there, it makes it all worth it.”
We’re talking about the annual, sometimes DIY celebrations that surround the iconic ‘Home Alone’ movie house in the northern suburb of Winnetka, Illinois.
The home, in the 600 block of Lincoln Avenue, isn’t for sale. It’s not available to rent either — although, in 2021, it was offered for one-night bookings through Airbnb.
But that doesn’t stop residents from driving by the house to snap a picture, or visiting other famous “Home Alone” filming locations across Hubbard Woods.
“We live in the area and it’s always fun to drive or walk by and reminisce,” one of more than 30 reviews of the house on TripAdvisor read. “Just be courteous as it is someone’s residence and the neighborhood wants to have some semblance of normalcy.”
There are Home Alone events and experiences, too.
Dec. 8, 9 and 10, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra will perform the recognizable score to the movie live. In Evanston, the Graduate Hotel offers a “King McCallister Experience,” where guests can book a “Home Alone Suite” with extras from the movie.
Other Chicago and suburban hotels have offered “Home Alone” packages in the past, including the Deer Path Inn in Lake Forest, which featured robes to take home, an in-room screening of the movie, pizza and childhood snacks.
If you do plan to visit or drive by the house, remember that you cannot go on the property. Meanwhile, here’s what the home looked like on the inside in 2021.
Watch out, Mariah Carey. You have some new competition on the Christmas song charts from a pair of up-and-comers.
TODAY’s Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager have recorded and are releasing their first holiday song called “A Carefree Christmas with Hoda and Jenna.”
Hoda and Jenna are getting everyone in the holiday spirit with their song “A Carefree Christmas.” (Photo courtesy: TODAY)
They released the album cover tied to the festive jingle on TODAY on Nov. 27. Their vocal coach, Cheryl Porter, also makes an appearance on the song.
“The star of the show is not pictured here,” Hoda shared as she held up the cover art on the air.
“Cheryl is the star of the show,” Jenna added.
“Cheryl is a person who can teach anyone to sing,” Hoda said. “She has her own technique. She’s amazing. She is like joy personified. She ran us through the paces, had us try to learn.”
The full song will be released on TODAY on Nov. 29 and will be available on streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify. Make sure to tune in for the reveal!
This article first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
There’s no blank space left to decorate at the “Taylor Swift Christmas light house” in Naperville.
The enchanted home with halls decked out in epic Swiftie fashion is going viral for its ode to the beloved singer this holiday season.
From friendship bracelets wrapped around a tree to Eras posters, a statue of Travis Kelce holding up a light-up sign that reads “Taylor’s version,” an image of the 1989 cover, T-shirts that read “a lot going on right now” and more — the home bring Swiftie mania to a new, very bright level.
@ashley.hare@ashley.hare
There’s even a sign next to the Kelce cut-out that reads “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs,” replicating the lyric adjustment Swift made during a performance in Rio where Kelce was in attendance.
Video of the display posted by a neighbor racked up nearly 2 million views on TikTok. Now, the home even has its own TikTok account and fans are voicing their excitement.
“I would drive by at least once a day just for the dopamine boost,” one user wrote.
“I would travel for hours to see this,” another said.
The owner of the home, Amy Scott, told the blog Scary Mommy, which is run by the neighbor who took the viral TikTok, that she designed the light display for her daughters.
“My daughters just love everything Taylor stands for,” she said.
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The city typically sees its first snowfall of 1 inch or more on Dec. 7, according to data from 1991 through 2020. This year, the area saw just under 2 inches of snow on Nov. 26, the NBC 5 Storm Team reported.
But despite the early snowfall, the actual start of winter is still off in the distance.
According to NASA, the winter solstice this year will take place in the morning hours of Dec. 21 in the United States. That will also be the shortest day of the year in the city of Chicago, with roughly nine hours, seven minutes and 44 seconds of daylight.
The earliest sunset of the year will actually take place in early December, with the sun dipping below the horizon at 4:19 p.m. on multiple days, according to official sources.
The latest sunrise of the season will take place while days are technically getting longer, with the sun coming above the horizon at 7:18 a.m. on several days in early January.
While it will take quite a while for noticeable changes to the length of days, the good news is that by the end of January, Illinois will be seeing nearly 10 hours of daylight again, with sunset occurring after 5 p.m.
Rolling Stones fans looking for some satisfaction will be on high alert this week.
Just after the band announced plans for a 2024 tour, including a stop at Chicago’s Soldier Field, presale tickets are set to go on sale.
Fans looking to score tickets can gain access to a special ticket release, which begins Nov. 29.
Those who provide their information here before 11 a.m. CT on Nov. 28 will receive an exclusive “pre-sale code” and a ticket link by noon on the same day. Pre-sale ticket sales begin at 12 p.m. CT and continue through 10 p.m. CT on Nov. 30.
For those who miss out, popular Chicago pizza chain Lou Malnati’s has also announced a contest for free tickets to the performance.
The Rolling Stones’ 2024 tour comes on the heels of the band’s newest album, the first in 18 years to contain a dozen original songs and the first album the band recorded without drummer Charlie Watts, who died in 2021.
According to the 16-city tour announcement, fans can can expect “to experience Mick, Keith and Ronnie play their most popular hits ranging from ‘Start Me Up,’ ‘Gimme Shelter,’ ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash,’ ‘Satisfaction’ and more, as well as fan favourite deep cuts and music from their new album HACKNEY DIAMONDS.”
The tour will travel to 16 cities across the U.S. and Canada between April and July, kicking off in Houston, Texas, and ending in Santa Clara, California.
The Walt Disney Co.’s “Wish” had been expected to rule the Thanksgiving weekend box office, but moviegoers instead feasted on leftovers, as “The Hunger Games: Songbirds and Snakes” led ticket sales for the second weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Neither of the weekend’s top new releases — “Wish” and Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon” — could keep up with Lionsgate’s “Hunger Games” prequel. After debuting the previous weekend with $44.6 million, the return to Panem proved the top draw for holiday moviegoers, grossing $28.8 million over the weekend and $42 million over the five-day holiday frame.
In two weeks of release, “Songbirds and Snakes” has grossed nearly $100 million domestically and $200 million globally.
The closer contest was for second place, where “Napoleon” narrowly outmaneuvered “Wish.” Scott’s epic outperformed expectations to take $32.5 million over the five-day weekend and an estimated $20.4 million Friday through Sunday. The film, starring Joaquin Phoenix as the French emperor and Vanessa Kirby as his wife Joséphine de Beauharnais, was also the top movie globally with $78.8 million.
Reviews were mixed (61% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and ticket buyers were non-plussed (a “B-” CinemaScore), but “Napoleon” fared far better in theaters than its subject did at Waterloo.
“Napoleon,” like Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” is a big-budget statement by Apple Studios of the streamer’s swelling Hollywood ambitions. With an estimated budget of $200 million, “Napoleon” may still have a long road to reach profitability for Apple (which partnered with Sony to distribute “Napoleon” theatrically), but it’s an undeniably strong beginning for an adult-skewing 168-minute historical drama.
“Wish,” however, had been supposed to have a more starry-eyed start. Disney Animation releases like “Frozen II” ($123.7 million over five days in 2019), “Ralph Breaks the Internet” ($84.6 million in 2018) and “Coco” ($71 million in 2017), have often owned Thanksgiving moviegoing.
But “Wish” wobbled, coming in with $31.7 million over five days and $19.5 million Friday through Sunday.
“Wish,” at least, is faring better than Disney’s Thanksgiving release last year: 2022’s “Strange World” bombed with a five-day $18.9 million opening. But hopes had been higher for “Wish,” co-written and co-directed by the “Frozen” team of Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee and featuring the voices of Ariana DeBose and Chris Pine. “Wish,” a fairy tale centered around a wished-upon star, is also a celebration of Disney, itself, timed to the studio’s 100th anniversary and rife with callbacks to Disney favorites.
But instead of righting an up-and-down year for Disney, “Wish” is, for now, adding to some of the studio’s recent headaches, including the underperforming “The Marvels.” The Marvel sequel has limped to $76.9 million domestically and $110.2 million overseas in three weeks.
Still, the storybook isn’t written yet on “Wish.” It could follow the lead of Pixar’s “Elemental,” which launched with a lukewarm $29.6 million in June but found its legs, ultimately grossing nearly $500 million worldwide.
“Wish” also faced direct competition for families in “Trolls Band Together.” The DreamWorks and Universal Pictures release opened a week prior, and took in $17.5 million in its second frame ($25.3 million over five days).
Also entering wide-release over the holiday weekend was Emerald Fennell’s “Saltburn,” the writer-director’s follow-up to 2020’s “Promising Young Woman.” After debuting in seven packed theaters last weekend, “Saltburn” grossed about $3 million over five days for Amazon and MGM. Barry Keoghan stars as an Oxford student befriended by a rich classmate (Jacob Elordi) and invited to his family’s country manor.
A new NBC Chicago special illustrates the challenges posed to the state of Illinois by global climate change.
The “Global Climate, Local Impact” special, hosted by Kate Chappell, highlights recent stories related to climate change, and how they’re affecting the state of Illinois and its residents.
Whether it’s increased risk of severe weather and tornadoes, or droughts that could hamper the region’s agricultural industry, climate change poses real concerns to residents of the state, and the special delves into the topic in a deep way.
For the first time in nearly a month, accumulating snow has been falling across the Chicago area, and many locations are reporting an inch or more of accumulation so far.
According to the NBC 5 Storm Team, the snow is expected to last into the early afternoon, with localized accumulations of 1-to-3 inches expected before the bands push out of the area.
Thus far, most of the accumulating snow has been observed in the western and southwest suburbs of the city, with two inches of snow reported in both Ottawa and Somonauk as of Sunday morning.
Heavier accumulations are being observed in the western portion of the state, with three or more inches of snow falling near Normal and in other locations.
Here are the latest totals that have been reported so far.
Chauvin was hospitalized Friday following an assault at the medium-security Federal Correctional Institution at Tucson. A law enforcement source with knowledge of the incident said Chauvin was seriously injured in the assault.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons said the incident took place at about 12:30 p.m. and “responding employees initiated life-saving measures for one incarcerated individual.”
The press secretary for the Office of Minnesota Attorney General said Saturday, “I can confirm that, as of last night, Chauvin was expected to survive.” Further details were not released.
Shoppers will be out and about the next few days to make the most of the holiday deals, but buyers should be aware of return policies if a purchase doesn’t go as planned.
A survey from nationalblackfriday.com showed that shoppers plan to spend over $900 this holiday season. Forty-three percent said they’ll likely cut back on their holiday shopping budgets because of inflation.
“Consumers definitely have inflation on their brain,” said shopping expert Kristin McGrath. “They’ve been getting hit by it for the better part of two years now, and that really does factor into their holiday and Black Friday shopping strategies”
When it comes to shopping strategies, don’t forget to check the return policies.
“Online shopping is a big part of this and a lot of people love free shipping, but they’re kind of abusing it,” said Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst at Bankrate. “You know, some people are using their home as the dressing room, basically, and they’re ordering like three or four of the same item, maybe different colors or different sizes.”
Returns are now a significant and growing challenge for the entire retail sector, leading to changes.
“I’m seeing more retailers charging fees for returns, whether it’s like a restocking fee or a shipping fee or something like that,” Rossman said. “So I think it’s important to be mindful of this, especially if you’re going to return something or you think you might.”
Also, when planning your holiday budget, don’t forget about the smaller expenses that can add up, such as things like greeting cards, postage, and holiday parties – all this seasonal spending can impact what you can afford.
Three people were wounded in a shooting at a bar in Dixmoor early Saturday morning, according to authorities.
Police said that officers in the area heard gunshots from Maddie’s bar, located at 14301 South Wood Street, at approximately 3:17 a.m. and arrived at the establishment shortly afterwards.
Upon arrival, officials said officers observed several people fleeing the bar before entering the building.
After entering, officers found three individuals who had sustained gunshot wounds.
A woman who was struck in the right shoulder was taken by family to UChicago Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey
A man who was struck in the neck was transported to UChicago Ingalls Memorial Hospital
A man who was struck in the chest was transported to Christ Advocate Hospital in Oak Lawn
All three individuals wounded in the shooting are currently in stable condition, officials said.
While police believe they have identified the suspect, an investigation into the shooting is ongoing.
