In a move that will ease looming holiday travel pressures, the Federal Aviation Administration announced Sunday that it is lifting its emergency order reducing flights at 40 major US airports, paving the way for a return to normal operations beginning Monday.

The restrictions had mandated a reduction of up to 6% in flight volume at those airports. The reduction was set to increase up to 10%. The restrictions were first imposed on Nov. 7 in response to a staffing shortage among air traffic controllers during the record-breaking 43-day federal government shutdown, which ended on Nov. 12. 

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the order was rescinded after a safety review team found a «steady decline of staffing-trigger events» across the National Airspace System, meaning controllers have returned to more normal staffing levels. 

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The decision matters for several reasons:

• Passenger impact: With the busy Thanksgiving travel time looming, resuming full flight schedules reduces the risk of further cancellations or delays that capacity constraints at major hubs could have caused.
• Safety assurance: The initial restrictions highlighted the severe strain on the air traffic system. Lifting them signals that key staffing metrics are back in an acceptable range.
• Industry recovery: Airlines and airports can now begin restoring full flight schedules, and repositioning aircraft and crews with fewer operational constraints, which will help to stabilize airline operations and the broader travel economy.

For travelers, the key takeaway is simple. Flights now move toward full strength, including at previously restricted hubs, such as those in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Atlanta. 

If you’re traveling this holiday season, explore CNET’s expert travel tips, including the best way to pack a carry-on and the best time to book flights for the cheapest tickets. 

Penny for your thoughts? Better raise the price. The US Mint brought more than two centuries of penny production to a close last week, and the final coins off the presses could become a hot item among collectors. Some reports suggest those final five pennies, struck during a ceremony in Philadelphia, could be worth as much as $5 million each. Others say the numbers may be far more modest.

Read also: Trump Puts the Penny on Notice: The Fuss Over Our 1-Cent Coin

The circulating penny was first issued in 1793, though it began to resemble our modern pennies in 1809. That’s the centennial of President Abraham Lincoln’s birth, and the year the US first put his now-familiar image on the penny.

The penny’s last pressing took place on Nov. 12 at the Philadelphia Mint, but not without a special goodbye. The final five ceremonial pennies include a tiny omega symbol, a mark that distinguishes them from the day’s larger batch of standard coins. 

The last five pennies will not enter circulation, according to the Treasury Department. Instead, the government plans to auction them off. Details about the auction aren’t yet available.

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That small omega detail is what has many collectors watching closely. Omega was chosen because it’s the 24th and final letter of the Greek alphabet, symbolizing the end of the long line of pennies. The omega symbol is visible underneath the word Liberty on the left side of the Lincoln image.

One well-known appraiser, John Feigenbaum, told USA Today that he believes the very last pennies might reach $2 million to $5 million each as the bidding wars start. 

«Collectors would go nuts for a modern rarity of business-strike Lincoln cents,» said Feigenbaum, the publisher of rare coin price guide Greysheet. 

Speculation about value varies dramatically, though. Other numismatists — experts on coins and currency — are far more cautious. Some speculate that the last few of the batch will likely sell for tens of thousands of dollars, but not millions.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is really tough — at least, the purple category is. Again, you have to look for words inside of other words, and find four related ones. If you need help sorting the answers into groups, you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Ha ha!

Green group hint: Think spaghetti sauce.

Blue group hint: The envelope, please.

Purple group hint: Look for words that refer to a venue.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Funny person.

Green group: Kinds of tomatoes.

Blue group: Best actress Oscar winners.

Purple group: Ending in synonyms for «location.»

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is funny person. The four answers are clown, joker, laugh and riot.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is kinds of tomatoes. The four answers are cherry, grape, plum and Roma.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is best actress Oscar winners. The four answers are (Halle) Berry, (Mikey) Madison, (Emma) Stone and (Hilary) Swank.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ending in synonyms for «location.» The four answers are commonplace, needlepoint, parasite and sunspot.