Morning Brew Daily — Episode Summary

Episode: The Busiest Holiday Travel Weekend in 15 Years & 80 Million Pounds of Cranberries
Date: November 27, 2025
Hosts: Neal Freyman & Toby Howell

Overview

In this special Thanksgiving edition, Neal and Toby take listeners on a lively, insight-packed journey through all the major facets of the holiday: the surge in holiday travel, the enduring success of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the fascinating economics behind cranberries, trends in post-feast traditions (including “fart walks” and “cousin walks”), and the evolving role of NFL kickers. Seasoned with stats, business context, and signature banter, the episode doubles as the ultimate guide for small talk around the Thanksgiving table.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Thanksgiving Air Travel & the "Civility Initiative"

Timestamp: 02:18 – 07:05

• The Department of Transportation, led by Secretary Sean Duffy, launched an airline "civility initiative" aiming to restore courtesy and class to air travel—advocating for better clothing and manners.
• Air travel frustrations are understandable given reduced amenities, tighter space, and frequent delays.
• Unruly passenger incidents have dropped from their pandemic peak:
  • Almost 14,000 reported unruly passengers since 2021, with a record 5,900 during mask mandates.
  • In 2023, only ~2,000 incidents were reported, suggesting improvements post-pandemic.
• Air travel is now a mass transit system, no longer a luxury—hence resistance to calls for more formal attire.
• Globally, incidents of unruly passengers are up, not just in the U.S.:
  • Netherlands: 1,440 in 2024 (up from 730 in 2019)
  • UK: Doubled incidents over five years

Notable Quote:

"You wouldn't wear a suit on the subway. You wouldn't dress up to take the bus. Why should you dress up to take an airplane?" — Toby (05:36)

• Thanksgiving 2025 expected to be the busiest air travel period in 15 years.

2. The Enduring Power of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Timestamp: 07:06 – 10:46

• Parade viewership is at all-time highs, bucking trends seen in other live broadcasts:
  • 31.3 million watched in 2024 (up 10% from previous year)
  • Second only to the NFL/presidential debates for TV ratings
• Why the surge?
  • The event is a captive audience phenomenon—families at home, TV as background during meal prep
  • Structured in tight, 5–10 minute segments; social-media-friendly, unpredictable, and nostalgic
  • Incorporates local participation (marching bands) and Broadway numbers—broad appeal
• Ad revenue is huge: $865,000 per 30-second spot, just behind the Oscars among non-sports live events.
• New floats for 2025 include Buzz Lightyear, Shrek’s Onion Carriage, and the cast of "K Pop Demon Hunters".

Notable Quote:

"It's just a great broadcast. They know exactly what they're doing and it's just surged in the last few years." — Neal (09:05)

3. Cranberries: The Business Behind Thanksgiving’s Most Underrated Side

Timestamp: 10:46 – 15:12

• Americans consume about 80 million pounds of cranberries during Thanksgiving week.
• Ocean Spray is a cooperative of 700 farmers, responsible for 65% of world cranberry production—unique because all profits go to the farmers, not outside shareholders.
• Ocean Spray’s innovations: expanded beyond just Thanksgiving with juice, Craisins, and flavored blends.
• Only 5% of harvested cranberries are sold as whole berries; the rest are juiced or used in blends.
• Tourist bog tours have become an unexpected revenue stream:
  • In Massachusetts, some growers earn five times as much from tourism as from actual crop sales.
  • Industry has shifted: Wisconsin has overtaken Massachusetts as the leading US cranberry producer; Massachusetts now relies on tourism.

Notable Exchange:

"Did you know that only 5% of cranberries are sold as whole berries?" — Toby (12:38)
"Don't say 'diluted.'" — Neal (12:54)
"It's infused... made better by cranberries." — Toby (12:56)

4. Thanksgiving Meal Aftermath: Fart Walks & Cousin Walks

Timestamp: 16:44 – 20:33

• "Fart walks" (post-dinner walks to relieve bloating and promote digestion) have gone viral on TikTok—endorsed by science for intestinal motility and moderating blood sugar spikes.
• "Cousin walks," code for stepping out for a marijuana session post-meal, have become mainstream as cannabis legalization grows.
  • Cannabis sales spike on "Green Wednesday" (the day before Thanksgiving)—the 2nd biggest cannabis sales day after 4/20.
  • Brands are jumping on the trend, with variable success ("When brands jump on a trend, it immediately becomes uncool." — Toby (20:33)).
  • “In five years... young people are not going to be calling [them] cousin walks anymore.” — Toby (20:33)

5. NFL Thanksgiving Football — The Rise of the Super-Kicker

Timestamp: 20:34 – 25:33

• NFL kickers are breaking records:
  • Cam Little (Jaguars) hit a 68-yard field goal in 2025
  • Brandon Aubrey (Cowboys) set a record for most 60+ yard field goals (5 in three years)
• More long-range attempts and a significant success jump:
  • Rate of 55+ yard attempts up 135% in four years
  • 72% success from 50+ yards, double the rate of 30 years ago
• Why? Rule changes let kickers "doctor" balls all week, as quarterbacks do, instead of just before games: "A combination of water, towels, brushes and sponge lets kickers mold their balls into specialized missiles..." — Toby (21:37)
• Thanksgiving Day features high-profile games, with Cowboys vs. Chiefs poised to break TV viewing records.

Memorable Analogy:

"They say compare this to when you get a new baseball mitt. It's very stiff. You have to spend weeks breaking it in..." — Neal (22:16)

6. Thanksgiving Table: Hot Takes & Traditions

Timestamp: 25:42 – 29:15

• Hosts react to "Thanksgiving hot takes" from the New York Times:
  1. Best time to learn a card game?
     Both agree—yes! Captive audience, a rare chance for everyone to play together.
  2. Music during the meal?
     Both say no for large gatherings; conversation should be central.
  3. Pie is better the next day?
     Toby: "I just reject the premise of this. Pies are a D tier dessert." Neal: Neutral.
  • Personal traditions: Toby’s family serves "jello salad" with layers of Jello, marshmallows, and raspberries.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the DOT's travel civility campaign:
  “You’re not my mom, Sean Duffy, you don’t get to tell me how I should act at the airport.” — Toby (02:45)
• The Macy's Parade’s appeal:
  “There’s very little politics going on… They’ve really just perfected this formula and they don’t really change it that much each year.” — Neal (09:28)
• Cranberry trivia:
  "Cranberries have these four little air pockets in them, so they float." — Toby (12:58)
• On ‘fart walks’:
  "It’s maybe the one TikTok trend that’s backed up by science." — Toby (16:44)
  "When you get moving, so does the stuff in your belly." — Neal (18:25)
• Brand awkwardness:
  "How about a little squeeze, squeeze, pass action… Why are you so bad at social media?" — Neal recounts Jif’s Instagram flop (20:10)
• Toby on pie:
  "Pies are a D tier dessert in general. Give me a cobbler." — Toby (28:38)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:18 — Airline travel civility initiative & holiday travel stats
• 07:06 — The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade’s billion-dollar audience
• 10:46 — Ocean Spray & the business of cranberries
• 16:44 — The rise (and science) of the “fart walk”
• 18:25 — The "cousin walk" (cannabis + Thanksgiving culture)
• 20:34 — NFL kickers’ record-breaking era
• 25:42 — Thanksgiving "hot takes"
• 30:00 — Expressions of gratitude & closing thoughts

Tone and Style

As always, Neal and Toby’s tone is witty, conversational, and occasionally self-deprecating, packed with real-time banter, sharp statistics, and plenty of actionable “small talk fodder” to carry into any Thanksgiving meal. The hosts balance irreverence and insight, covering both the fun facts (like cranberry bog tourism or parade floats) and serious shifts in American consumer and business culture.

For Listeners Who Missed It

This episode is a dynamic, trivia-loaded primer on Thanksgiving’s traditions, logistics, economics, and quirks—providing listeners with not just a news roundup, but a toolkit for conversation and understanding how American holidays intersect with broader cultural and economic trends. The perfect audio companion for your own neighborhood walk, before (or after) the big meal.