5 Things to Know This Morning

— -- Your look at the five biggest and most buzz-worthy stories of the morning.

1. Hundreds of Thousands Without Power Due to East Coast Storm

More than 350,000 electric customers from Maine to Virginia were without power this morning, after a storm dumped a sloppy mix of rain and snow along the East Coast.

New Hampshire residents experienced the heaviest level of outages, with more than 180,000 electric customers there reported without power this morning. More than 78,000 customers in Maine lost power, along with 55,000 customers in New York.

The storm system grounded hundreds of flights and turned highways hazardous along the congested Washington-to-Boston corridor Wednesday, fouling up transportation on one of the busiest travel days of the year. Further travel issues are expected today.

2. Michael Brown's Parents 'Taken Aback' by Darren Wilson's 'Clean Conscience'

The family of slain Ferguson teenager Michael Brown is hurt and "taken aback" by Officer Darren Wilson's statement that he has a "clean conscience" and couldn't have done it any differently.

Brown's parents appeared in New York with the Rev. Al Sharpton and the families of other African Americans who were killed by police. Sharpton said it would be the first Thanksgiving for these families "with an empty seat at the table."

They spoke a day after Wilson emerged publicly for the first time since the Aug. 9 shooting and told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos his version of what happened when he shot and killed Brown following a confrontation.

3. Australian Cricket Player Phillip Hughes Dies After Being Struck During Match

Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes died in a Sydney hospital on Thursday from a "catastrophic" injury to his head, two days after being struck by a delivery during a domestic first-class match. He was 25.

An emotional Australia captain Michael Clarke, trying to compose himself several times, read a brief statement on behalf of Hughes' parents, brother and sister at a packed news conference at St. Vincent's Hospital that was broadcast live around Australia.

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"We're devastated by the loss of our much-loved son and brother Phillip. Cricket was Phillip's life, and we as a family shared that love of the game with him," Clarke read, before thanking the medical staff and holding back tears as left the room.

4. Ferguson Fallout: Scores Arrested in Calif. Unrest

Dozens of protesters in Los Angeles and Oakland were arrested late Wednesday during a third night of demonstrations linked to the shooting protest in Ferguson, Missouri.

Police said at least 130 demonstrators who refused to disperse during a Los Angeles protest were arrested, while 33 people were detained in Oakland following a march that deteriorated into unrest and vandalism.

In Los Angeles, about 200 or 300 largely peaceful demonstrators crisscrossed downtown streets for several hours in the afternoon and evening over a decision not to bring criminal charges against a Ferguson policeman for killing a black man.

But later some of the protesters were stopped by a phalanx of riot-clad police near the Central Library.

5. How Many Calories You'll Eat This Thanksgiving

There's nothing like a day of solid eating to get you in the Thanksgiving spirit, but as family members catch up, they often don't realize just how many calories they're devouring over the course of the day.

Experts say people often eat more than a full day's worth of calories in one gravy-laden feast, in part because overeating is as much a part of the holiday as the turkey.

"I think people would be frowned upon if they were, quote, 'dieting' on Thanksgiving," said registered dietitian Jamie Pope, who teaches nutrition at the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing in Nashville, Tennessee. "It’s kind of a socially acceptable day to indulge."