SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Sunday is expected to be the busiest travel day out of the Thanksgiving holiday travel period.

At the San Diego International Airport, multiple flights have been delayed. The travel rush comes with recommendations of arriving early- which only some listen to.

Ellie Hanrahan, who was traveling back to Texas, says she usually arrives 45 minutes to an hour before her flight.

“I know, I live life on the edge,” said Hanrahan.

Tessa Reavis is another traveler flying home from San Diego for Thanksgiving.

“We weren’t sure what to expect because other people expected it to be the busiest travel day, but it’s been okay thus far,” Reavis said.

Usually, the long lines make travelers antsy when getting to their destination, but not everyone.

“You know, they say today is the busiest day; everyone [is] heading back home,” I said.

76,000 people were expected to travel daily through the San Diego International Airport alone.

Nationally, the FAA has said there were 232,000 flights from Sunday to Thanksgiving.

The FAA said they expect record-breaking flight volumes to continue through Monday as people return home.

More than 1,000 Catholics from around San Diego joined together in the North Park neighborhood on Sunday for the annual Our Lady of Guadalupe procession, an event meant to foster unity and hope among the community.

The procession — which honored Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico and the Americas — featured more than 70 Aztec dancers, over 20 floats, and members from 25 local parishes and Catholic groups. The event is part of the feast day celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe, celebrated each year on Dec. 12.

There are 1.4 million Catholics living in San Diego and Imperial counties, the majority of which — around 60% — have Latino roots.

This year, members from other cultural groups, including the region’s Catholic Filipino community, also participated in the procession.

“Most Hispanics in this area are from Mexico originally, but we have many different countries represented here,” said Cardinal Robert McElroy, who leads the Catholic Diocese of San Diego. “It’s a sign that — not only the Hispanic community here — but the community as a whole is a tapestry of diverse cultures.”

The procession traveled from the Morley Field Sports Complex and through North Park before ending at the St. Augustine High School, where McElroy celebrated Mass with more than 2,000 in attendance.

The religious event has been celebrated in San Diego for more than 50 years. It honors the “Patroness of the Americas” who is believed to have appeared to a Mexican peasant named Juan Diego in the 16th century during the Spanish colonization of Mexico and its Indigenous people.

“She served as a model of hope and identity for the oppressed and the native population at the time,” said Auxiliary Bishop Felipe Pulido, one of the procession organizers.

Today, members of the Latino community are seeking some of that same hope, he said.

In the weeks following the re-election of President-elect Donald Trump, local parishioners have expressed fears over what a second Trump term may bring to their community.

Trump has promised mass deportations, pledged to roll back birthright citizenship and said he would use the U.S. military for immigration enforcement at the southern border.

While the event is a celebration of the patron saint and her blessings, McElroy said concerns about the future have given way to a “somberness” at this year’s event.

“It’s a great day of joy… and also asking God to accompany us through those challenges we face,” he said.

Some parishioners say Our Lady of Guadalupe has helped them through other recent personal struggles, such as grief and worries over their family’s health.

“Everybody has needs; everybody has loss,” said Yolanda Vargas, a member of the Our Lady of Guadalupe church in Chula Vista and whose mother passed away earlier this year.

Vargas was one of several women from her church — each wearing colorful and beaded traditional clothing and head dresses — who participated in the Danza Guadalupana, a dance to honor the patron saint, during the procession.

Her aunt participated in the dance for 53 years, she said, which inspired her to join this year.

The procession also attracted other community members who were enjoying the day at Morley Field.

Barrio Logan resident Victoria Valenzuela was biking with her daughter, Xitlaly Uribe, around the field when they came across the procession. Valenzuela immigrated to the U.S. from Sinaloa, Mexico, in 1994 and said the procession reminded her of her home years ago.

Even though they aren’t Catholic, both the mother and daughter said they were happy to see people out together.

It’s really nice; we see community,” Uribe said.

Originally Published: December 1, 2024 at 3:53 PM PST

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin approved budget plans, raising 2025 military spending to record levels as Moscow seeks to prevail in the war in Ukraine.

Around 32.5% of the budget posted on a government website Sunday has been allocated for national defense, amounting to 13.5 trillion rubles (over $145 billion), up from a reported 28.3% this year.

Lawmakers in both houses of the Russian parliament, the State Duma and Federation Council, had already approved the plans in the past 10 days.

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine since February 2022 is Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II and has drained the resources of both sides. Kyiv has been getting billions of dollars in help from its Western allies, but Russia’s forces are bigger and better equipped, and in recent months the Russian army has gradually been pushing Ukrainian troops backward in eastern areas.

New European Council President Antonio Costa and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas arrived in Kyiv on Sunday, marking their first day in office with a strong message of support for Ukraine. Their visit comes as doubts are deepening over what Kyiv can expect from a new U.S. administration led by Donald Trump.

“From day one of the war, the EU has stood by the side of Ukraine,” Costa posted on X, together with a photo of himself, Kallas and EU enlargement chief Marta Kos. “From day one of our mandate, we are reaffirming our unwavering support to the Ukrainian people.”

On the ground in Ukraine, three people died in the southern city of Kherson when a Russian drone struck a minibus on Sunday morning, regional Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin said. Seven others were wounded in the attack.

Meanwhile, the number of wounded in Saturday’s missile strike in Dnipro in central Ukraine rose to 24, with seven in serious condition, Dnipropetrovsk Gov. Serhiy Lysak said. Four people were killed in the attack.

Moscow sent 78 drones into Ukraine overnight into Sunday, Ukrainian officials said. According to Ukraine’s air force, 32 drones were destroyed and a further 45 drones were lost, likely having been electronically jammed.

In Russia, a child was killed in a Ukrainian drone attack in the Bryansk region bordering Ukraine, according to regional Gov. Alexander Bogomaz.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said that 29 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight into Sunday in four regions of western Russia: 20 over the Bryansk region, seven over the Kaluga region, and one each over the Smolensk and Kursk regions.

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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine