. deadly tornadoes tear

through the tennessee valley. now the lynn of storms moves east, putting millions under flood alerts. our weather team is tracking where the severe weather could strike next. a courtroom twist in the trials of donald trump. the former president no longer taking the stand today. the move shifts the timeline for the civil fraud trial. our team in d.c. joins us live with the latest. backlash rising against the leaders of several prominent universities as the u penn president steps down. see the fiery congressional hearing that sparked outrage, and hear what students on campus have to say. coffee chats are back on between starbucks and its barista union after two years and 360 unionized stores, the chain want tots brew up contract tracks with the union. but will employees pick up the cup? and the holiday spectacular that was nearly called off. how this community came together to turn the lights back on. it's monday, december 11th. "early today" starts right now.

>> glad you're with us. good morning. i'm fr i'm frances rivera. >> and i'm jessica layton. across central tennessee, the state only now beginning to grasp the devastation left bind hi saturday night's tornadoes. the storms we know claimed at least six lives. two of the victims were a 2-year-old boy and his mother. more than 60 people were taken to the hospital. nbc's marissa parra spoke to some about what it was like to experience that terrifying night. >> i was trying to go in the closet when i got that alert. i just remember opening the closet door and turning around. the wind just took me. and i just remember waking up on this side of my house. >> i could hear a wind tunnel, something like a train. and then the big explosion happened. i couldn't believe i saw that. >> and there is another severe weather threat. we're following this morning. flood alerts stretching from the d.c. area all the way to maine.

cities are in danger of flash flooding and strong wind gusts. let's get an update on the system now. nbc meteorologist michelle grossman is tracking it all for us. michelle, good morning. >> good morning, guys. we are tracking some flooding rains this morning. it's windy. it's only going to get windier, especially in portions of new england as we go throughout the afternoon hours. this is what it looks like on radar. you can see the system is moving offshore. we're going see improving conditions as we go throughout the afternoon hours. even the later morning hours. this area of low pressure, though, is strengthening in portions of new england. so we're going see some heavy, wet snow. we have the threat for excessive flooding there. in morning you see all the dark colors, that's where we're seeing the really heavy rain falling. so a lot of places from new england into the midatlantic scene, heavy rain. on the back side some really cold air is working in. that's why we're seeing the snow and heavy wet snow throughout portions of northern maine. 43 million people affected. we're look at the green. that is a flood watch. also flood warnings. we're going to continue to watch

that and take a look at the week ahead in a few minutes. >> michelle, thank you. this morning, there is hunger, thirst, and chaos in gaza as israel's attack intensifies in the south of the strip. sources on the ground tell of skyrocketing food prices and widespread illness. on saturday the u.s. was the sole opposing vote for a ceasefire. let's go to claudio lavanga who is standing by. claudio, good morning. so explain to us why did the u.s. say no to that ceasefire? >> good morning, jessica. well, right after the votes, the u.s. deputy, there are two at the yagtss, robert wood said that the u.s. supports, of course, a durable peace between israel and the palestinians, but it did not support this resolution because they called the ceasefire unsustainable, and said it would only plant the side for a new war. now the u.s. also called the resolution rushed and unbalanced

and said it is completely divorced from reality. of course, this decision by the u.s. will come as a major disappointment, not only to the other members of the security council, all of whom as you mentioned voted in favor, also especially for the hundreds of thousands of palestinians who live in gaza who are now struggling to survive. now source on the ground, as you mentioned, and humanitarian organizations are saying that the severe shortage of food and water, and now leaving a lot of lives at risk of infection, of death, of disease and the lack of. >> jean that is consequent that is also helping disease to spread quickly. they also describe scenes of families with children just roaming around gaza with nowhere to go, looking desperately for some food, some water. they described long lines in front of the people bakery from the crack of dawn in the hope that it can grasp some of the flour whose now price has

skyrocketed so many people can't afford that. a situation where a charitable organization like oxfam called it apocalyptic. and the jordanian minister said we'll have a long-lasting ripple effect in the whole of the region. let's take a listen. >> israel has created an amount of hatred that will haunt this region, that will define generations to come, and therefore, it's hurting its own people as much as it is hurting everybody else in the region. >> well, as you can see, while there is still hope for a ceasefire in the near future. it seems like the effects of this war will be felt long after it is over. jessica, frances? >> hard to imagine how that might make it worse. >> claudio, thank you. after fumbling their answers on campus antisemitism, there is an increasing pressure on top university leaders to resign after liz magill stepped down

along with her chair, the board of trustees. the congressional hearing caused a storm last week. our dana griffith has the story. >> reporter: the pressure is growing on the presidents of the elite universities of harvard and m.i.t. to resign. this weekend, the president of the university of pennsylvania stepping down after critics blasted her testimony before congress about antisemitism on ca campus. harvard's president being criticized for this response. >> does calling for the genocide of jews qualify for harassment? >> it can be, depending on the context. >> this does not depend on the context. the answer is yes, and this is why you should retine. >> reporter: that congresswoman elise stefanik tweeted after the resignation at u penn, "one down, two to go" referencing the leaders at harvard and m.i.t. let me be clear, calls for

violence or genocide against the jewish community or any ethnic group are vile. they have no place at harvard. and those who threaten jewish students will be taken to account. >> but that doesn't stop activists. jonathan greenblatt is ceo of the anti-defamation league. is adl calling for the leaders to resign? >> adl is saying we want action. and if the president's declare clear and well developed plans, demonstrate how they are prepared to take real, immediate steps, i think that might allay many of the concerns. >> reporter: universities across the country have faced mounting criticism over their response to the war, some jewish and muslim students say too little is being done to protect them. >> it's important for people to understand that we are in it together, and everyone is hurt, and everyone feels, yeah, quite disturbed, i mean, this situation.

>> reporter: dana griffin, nbc news. ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy will visit the white house tomorrow. the white house says zelenskyy's meeting with president biden will underscore america's unshakeable commitment to ukraine. just days ago, a bill with aid for both ukraine and israel failed in the u.s. senate. republicans largely held the money up over increased funding for border security. there are new developments in one of the trials of donald trump. the former president will not take the witness stand in a new york courtroom today. mr. trump is expected to defend his business empire today, but overnight he reversed course. brie jackson is following this for us. good morning, this would have been mr. trump's chance to have the final fwhord the trial. why is he backing down? >> it would have. but donald trump's reasoning for not taking the stand today is he already said everything that he needs. to and a post overnight on his

social media platform, he explained that he has nothing more to say and he restated that he thinks this case is election interference. he was very combative and launched attacks against new york's attorney general and the judge who will decide the case. today he was expected to be the last witness for the defense. and given the opportunity, to push back against the claims that he vastly overvalued his properties on financial students. but he had no obligation to take the stand. new york attorney general letitia james responded overnight to mr. trump's decision. she said her team has already proven that trump committed years of financial fraud. she said, quote, no matter how he tries to distract from reality, the facts don't buy. the fraud trial was expected to pick back up today. but last night, the court said it will resume tomorrow instead. and the case could soon be in the judge's hands. as the prosecution does not have

a rebuttal, the defense would likely rest, clearing the way for closing argument. frances? >> bree, thank you. now to a courtroom in our nation's capital where rudy giuliani is set to appear for the first day of his defamation trial. a jury will decide how much the former new york city marios ruby freeman and shaye moss, two georgia election workers that he accused of manipulating ballots to keep former president donald trump out of office back in 2020. now according to the lawsuit that was filed by the mother and daughter, they have faced a torrent of death threatsand attacks that at times forced them to vacate their homes for their own safety. now to an incredible rescue in california. a hiker was airlifted to safety after being trapped under a boulder for more than seven hours. volunteer rescue workers used a system of ropes and pulleys to eventually lift the five-ton bolder and free the man's legs. the trapped man sustained severe

injuries and was flown to nearby fresno for treatment. now to a look at the weather across the country. it's a little dicey out there for some people this morning. nbc meteorologist michelle grossman is tracking what you can expect to kick off the new workweek. michelle, good morning. >> good morning, guys. two spots that are dicey as we head out on this monday. things will be improving, new england we're going to hold on to the snow, the rain a little longer today. but we're still seeing that rain and snow falling right now. we're going to see some really cold conditions behind this cold front. also really windy conditions. especially along the coast of maine. you can see winds gusting up to 70 miles per hour. that's going lead to power outages. above average temperatures throughout the middle of the country with a big area of high pressure. that's going bring dry weather and nicer weather and a storm in the pacific northwest that will bring snow and rain. then by wednesday, we're looking at december warmth throughout the southern plains. rain and snothroughout the with high pressure in

place, lots of sunshine. temperatures nice in the 60s. that's your monday forecast. >> okay, michelle, thank you. two southern california residents had a reason to feel lucky this past weekend after two mega million jackpot tickets were sold at the same chevron gas station along ventura boulevard. both tickets matched the winning numbers plus the mega ball, earning the winners $396 million to split. that's a nice payday. still to come here on "early today," the cowboys and the eagles in a pivotal sunday night showdown. how that could impact the play-offs. and x marks the spot for conspiracy theorist alex jones. why he is back on the site formerly known as twitter. feeling sluggish or weighed down? could be a sign that your digestive system isn't at its best. but a little metamucil everyday can help.

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leading the news, police in texas have arrested a suspect in the killing of a 16-year-old cheerleader earlier this week in the town of edna. elizabeth medina went to edna high school and wanted to become a nurse, her aunt says. she was discovered dead in the bathtub by her mothered on tuesday. the suspect, rafael romero was booked for capital murder, a crime that carries the death penalty. a person of interest is in custody this morning in the murder of a detroit synagogue leader. samantha woll's body was found outside her home. police did not identify the new person of interest, and it's unclear if that person is currently in custody, and if it's the same suspect previously arrested who was later released without charges or an explanation. investigators have emphasized here that there is no evidence suggesting that the murder was an antisemitic hate crime. in a massive about-face, elon musk has restored the x account of conspiracy theorist alex jones. over the weekend, musk posted a

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once again they'll spread and go out of the shotgun. prescott looking to throw, inside for the touchdown with gallup. >> from their very first drive on sunday night football, the dallas cowboys put their foot on the gas and didn't let up. that pass from dak prescott to michael gallup capped off a

touchdown against the league leading philadelphia eagles. the boys get a statement 33-13 win over the birds. both teams are now tied for control of the nfc east. there is no shortage of surprises this late in the nfl season. on sunday, joe flacco managed to turn the clock back to 2012. the veteran qb threw for three touchdowns and an i heat win over the jaguars. in baltimore, the rams and ravens took their offensive shootup all the way to overtime. but l.a. couldn't stop ravens punt returner wallace who called game with an epic punt return. and not even "time" magazine's person of the year could prevent what happened in arrowhead. in the final minutes versus the bill, a play from travis kelce and the chiefs was rendered moot by an offsides penalty. buffalo keeps their play-off chances alive, 20-17. and the most coveted free

agent in baseball history revealed he will be staying in los angeles, just not with the angels. on saturday, dual threat from star shohei ohtani announced he has signed an unprecedented ten-year, $700 million contract with the l.a. dodgers. the deal for the two-time mvp eclipsed all over mlb contracts as well as other recent blockbuster deals in other sports. in an instagram post, otani said his six years with the angels will be, quote, etched in his heart forever. >> his bank account too. >> oh, yeah. coming up on "early today," contract talks are brewing for starbucks workers. and after a rryi teifng health scare over the summer, bronny is back. ( ♪♪ ) this is not just a sewing kit. come on, come on, come on. oh are you in a rush? oh very much so. thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. ( ♪♪ ) this is help with the holidays...

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year. so far none have reached a contract with the company. telehealth orthodontics has shut down months after filing for bankruptcy. patients in the middle of treatment with their clear teeth aligners will no longer receive customer support. the u.s. military planned spacex heavy rocket has been pushed to this evening. and after suffering from cardiac arrest in july, bronny james, son of basketball legend lebron is back in the game, taking the court for usc, scoring four points. we'll be right back. bladder leak underwear has one job. i just want to feel protected! especially for those sudden gush moments. when your keys are in the door and your body's like, “it's happening”! if you're worried about your protection, it's not the right protection. always discreet protects like no other. with double leak guards that help prevent gushes escaping from the sides. and a rapid dry core that locks in your heaviest gush quickly for up to zero leaks. and it contours, to everybody. now this, is protection! always discreet- the protection we deserve!

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kate snow tells us how one community helped find the light during one family's dark time. >> reporter: just outside of atlanta, georgia -- ♪ let it snow, let it ♪ >> merry christmas. how are y'all doing tonight? >> reporter: the spirit of christmas is once again burning bright at the home of gwen and mike gaddy. their dazzling drive-through display. >> we're so glad you're back. >> reporter: bringing holiday joy to this community for 36 years. >> we actually start the first week in august. >> we try to add something every year. >> reporter: but this season's beloved tradition -- almost didn't happen. over the summer, the barn where they stored their massive christmas decoration collection burned down. decades of memories gone. i wonder what the feelings were as you're standing there

watching your barn burn up. >> it was hard. he looked at me and he said "i don't think we can do it". >> reporter: but with days, neighbors, friends, even total strangers started donating lumber, lights, and hundreds of boxes filled with new decorations. >> it was a continuous flow for about a week and a half of about 50 packages a day. i think amazon thought what is going on here. >> it was amazing how the people haditha had been coming to our display for the 35 years, they stepped up, and they said we want this display to continue. >> i'm sorry, i get emotional when i talk about it, because it's just so humbling. >> i can hear, gwen, i can hear the emotion in your voice. >> i feel blessed. >> i love the snowflakes. i'm so glad those were donated. >> reporter: heather, who has been visiting since a kid

started a gift registry for the gaddys. >> i knew i could help out. i'm happy to be a small part of the big story here. >> reporter: now thanks to the kindness of this community, half a million points of light and love are shining once again. >> it's just amazing. you don't realize how many wonderful people there are in this world. >> merry christmas! >> what do you think this says about the world? >> i don't know how many more years the good lord has given me to be on this earth, but i'm going to keep the christmas decorations going until i die. ♪ >> that is what the christmas spirit is all about. isn't that the perfect theme for a hallmark christmas movie? >> i think that i can see the script coming together right now. thanks for watching "early today." i'm jessic

this morning, trin