president biden staring down an impeachment inquiry house republicans formalizing their investigation along party lines. the fiery response from the president and his son at the center of the accusations. turning the tide on the migrant surge. why a major change in immigration policy could be in

the works this morning as the border battle heats up the supreme court taking up its biggest abortion case since overturning roe versus wade. the looming legal battle over an abortion pill that could restrict access nationwide tdow soars to a record high raising hopes for potential home buyers move over long horns there's a new university coming to austin. elon musk's big plans for higher education in the lonestar state. "early today" starts right now good morning i'm phillip mena >> glad you're with us, i'm frances rivera president biden is now subject of a formal impeachment inquiry. in a vote along party lines, the republican-controlled house officially approved an investigation that has been under way for months now into the business dealings of the biden family drew petramoix joins us from d.c. what does this vote mean for the

investigation? >> reporter: well, good morning, frances and phillip. republicans say they hope this vote will help them get more information by giving them the authority to gather more documents and witness testimony. they are accusing the president of having profited from the business deals of his son when he was vice president, which the president denies president biden responded by calling this a baseless political stunt and saying the republicans are attacking him with lies. this vote happened hours after hunter biden defied a congressional subpoena to testify. the president's son saying he will only answer questions in a public setting, and he did address the public in a news conference >> in the depths of my addiction, i was extremely irresponsible with my finances but to suggest that is grounds for an impeachment inquiry is beyond the absurd. it's shameless there is no evidence to support the allegations that my father was financially involved in my business, because it did not

happen >> he said my father was not financially involved in the business that is a huge change. which means sort of means he's involved i think that's how anyone with common sense would read it he's been involved, just not financially. >> reporter: congressman jim jordan also told reporters that lawmakers would begin looking into possible contempt of congress charges for hunter biden. phillip and frances, back to you. >> drew, thank you a federal court has agreed to expedite an appeal by donald trump. the request was made by special counsel jack smith who does not want the former president's election interference trial to be delayed while the courts decide if frumt is protected by presidential immunity. attorneys for trump argued against the expedited schedule they compared the special counsel to the grinch, because the opening brief is now due the day after christmas. turning to the border crisis

a major change in immigration policy may be in the works, including a proposal to allow for the expulsion of more migrants it's all tied to the funding for ukraine. >> reporter: a new battle over the border is erupting on capitol hill two sources familiar with the discussions tell nbc news that democratic lawmakers and the white house are considering agreeing to a republican demand that would allow for more expulsions of migrants from the u.s., one of several changes republicans want before they'll approve more aid for ukraine >> i like the idea of having something like title 42. >> reporter: title 42, with the covid-era border restriction implemented by former president trump. one advocacy group is calling the new proposal title 42 on admini steroids deportation is on the table as well asstricter asylum laws. >> it is unconscionable.

that is not the way to fix our immigration system >> reporter: president biden says he's willing to compromise, but he as also slamming republicans. >> holding ukraine funding hostage in an attempt to force through an extreme republican partisan position on the border is not how it works. >> reporter: nbc news polling showing republicans holding a 18 point lead over democrats when it comes to handling immigration and a record 4.5 million illegal border crossings in just the last two years, a spokesman for the national border patrol union tells us the proposed changes are necessary. >> the only way to stop this flow is a mandatory detention, mandatory removal. once you get that out there and you actually follow through with it, then the flow will stop. >> reporter: still some current and former homeland security officials tell nbc news the proposed changes could overwhelm detention centers. one official saying the changes could, quote, break the border, back to you.

>> gabe, thank you the u.s. senate has passed a sweeping defense policy bill that's notable for including a more than 5% pay increase for troops the largest such increase in more than 20 years far right republicans lost out in negotiations. this final bill keeps in place the pentagon abortion travel policy and gender-affirming care for service members and their dependents despite these remaining points of contention, the bill is still expected to pass the house president biden's national security advisor, jake sullivan, is traveling to israel today with a meeting scheduled with israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu friday as the war grinds on with s on d no end in sight, president biden met with families who have members in gaza. >> reporter: this has become a gathering place. this is the plaza in front of the tel aviv art museum.

but people here call this place hostage square at the center, an empty shabbat table. nearby, a menorah for hanukkah, celebr celebrating a miracle with so many hoping for one soon like this woman showing us to a dark tent filled with pictures of those who'd been at the nova musical festival on october 7. >> this is my beautiful sister, one of them. >> reporter: romy's believed to be held captive in gaza, along with dozens of others, including multiple americans some of their families meeting with president biden at the white house. if you could be there to speak on behalf of your sister, what would you tell him >> first of all that he's my, i love my sister, this it ws whats important. to fight for them. i believe in him i believe in his power he got leverage on qatar, on

israel to change the way things are right now. and i'm seeking for his help and i know we all are. especially the families that they have citizenship in the united states but also us. >> reporter: she says other now-freed hostages told her, her sister's alive but hurt after being shot in the hand the push to get her home so urgent it's her full-time job >> i'm very afraid the ones holding her are a group of terrorists that want to use her and other women and men over there as a war weapon. and i can only hope that she's okay mentally, and i feel her here i want to feel her here. please >> our thanks to hallie for that report >> the supreme court will hear a challenge to abortion pill access next year the high court is asked to

overturn a lower court ruling that limited access to the key abortion drug. the advocates say the fda didn't do enough to evaluate the pill's health risks justices will need to evaluate whether they had standing to sue in the first place the fda says these are advocates who suffered no harm a ruling is expected by the end of june. a major agreement in the fight against climate change nearly 200 countries agreeing to transition away from fossil fuels. though descr supporters call the deal a major symbolic step. more storms are expected today at florida braces for heavy rain this weekend. angie lassman is here tracking it all for us. good morning, angie. >> we've got rain, snow, all of that is going to impact folks

across the plains today we've been dealing with snow across the rockies. that's going to slowly taper off today. but notice the rain, snow, the wintry mix still there we're also going to have to watch for the flooding potential across florida today and even into the weekend you can see those flood watches are up and down the southeastern kohl's of the state from homestead, stretching up into portion of west palm beach we've got a lot of rain on the way. this is now through sunday we could see upwards of four, five inches, even isolated spots picking up seven inches of rain with a couple different things happening. we first got the stationary front leaving it unsettled any additional rain on an already-rainy year for folks in that region could lead to the potential for flooding then we have this system that's going to gain strength and give a big push of moisture that eventually works its way t.

low 40s for r amaryl loi dp amarillo. that's a look at your forecast back to you. "early today" is back in a minute with a big decision ready for elon musk 101? why the tesla ceo is setting his sights on higher education in austin, texas. higher education austin, texas. hpaste can only do so much. there's toothpaste white, and there's crest 3d whitestrips white. so much whiter! crest. - bye, bye cough. - later chest congestion. hello 12 hours of relief. 12 hours!! not coughing? hashtag still not coughing?! mucinex dm gives you 12 hours of relief from chest congestion and any type of cough, day or night.

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an investigation by u.s. safety regulators found the drivers were not engaged while the system was in use, raising the risk of crashes. tesla is offering a free software update to impacted vehicles that will include new safety alerts. students could soon learn the ways of tesla's ceo. elon musk plans to launch his own university in austin, texas. that's according to tax filings first obtained by bloomberg news he gave a donation to his own foundation it plans to start with 50 students and scale up. stock futures are in the green this morning after a record-breaking day on wall street the dow surged above 37,000 for the first time ever. after some big news from the fed's fight to ease inflation. here to break it all down for us is karen tso morning, karen >> good morning to you both.

there's no doubt we have a pivot. many in the markets were not expecting that early christmas present. if you consider how markets have been trading, yesterday we raced higher on fed guidance to 37,000 points for a fresh record on the dow. we also broke through 52-weak peaks. the ten-year yield dipping below the 3% and 4% mark after trading right up to 5% in mid october. so huge moves. chair jerome powell says we're getting back to the point where both mandates are important. that is inflation and unemployment in recent months we've been talking more about the inflation narrative. and that's taken us to 22-year highs on the interest rate we didn't get a rate cut for december, but we have the promise of 75 point basis cuts that indicates three quarter

point rate cuts. >> thank you still to come, there's no place like home for the holidays, especially when that home is right here at 30 rock. the first look at kate mckinnon's return to snl, right after this 's return to snl, rig after this. listen, your deodorant just has to work. i use secret aluminum free. just swipe and it lasts all day. secret helps eliminate odor, instead of just masking it. and hours later, i still smell fresh. secret works! ohhh yesss. ♪♪

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billie eilish. and we started with davidson, we're ending with kate mckinnon. christmas specials are fun with snl. even more so with her. >> kate mckinnon and the crowds, no better way to lead up to the christmas holiday than have kate mckinnon back. can't wait no see all of her skits, probably one of the best ever to do it there. turning to the long-awaited return of the world's fuzziest warrior. >> you finally met your match, chameleon. >> we're not so different, you and i. >> stand back. i'm going to kick my butt. >> jack black is back, as po in-, /* it will hit theaters on march 8. and for some kids, they only know jack black really as a voiceover. he was in bowser, bowser in the

super mario brothers movie that recently came out as well. >> and all the major names who've done voices bryan cranston dustin hoffman seth rogen goes on and on the emmys have found their man. anthony anderson will host the awards, honoring the best in television this year's sayre pceremony wasd due to the strikes his work on "blackish," when he was asked he was over the moon that taylor swift was unavailable. he looks forward to honoring the television industry after its challenging year emmys have got their person. golden globes still trying to figure it out. >> hope he brings his mom. i like his mom's appearance on "to tell the truth." she's just as funny. when we come back, a popular party drug is considered a

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in d.c. sports history that immediately transport us back to the moment hope, optimism, well, today could be the start of the next chapter. transporting us to a new home for the washington capitals and wizards. >> we have a plan to unleash a brighter, more extraordinary future and, as part of this amazing project, we will build a spectacular $2 billion sports and entertainment district >> reporter: virginia's governor joins alexandria leaders in sharing the district in thepoto district >> while we'll be playing here in a state-of-the-art arena, and we are going to be very, very focussed on restaurants, students and innovators and community spacesand the neighbors.

i'm very, very, very focussed on being a good neighbor. >> reporter: a small group of future neighbors shouted interest opposition during the announcement >> our families. >> reporter: reshaping a community never comes easy or cheap. youngkin promises the unique funding structure for the $2 billion project won't cost taxpayers a dime though alexandraens would gain an academic partnership with virginia tech and the traffic and fears of major development >> i recognize this is a surprise that things cannot be out in the public as quickly as we would want to, but now, with this announcement, we have the opportunity to do the engagemen that alexandria is known for >> reporter: nearly two centuries potomac potomac yar

hosted rail. now they're building upward, as virginia welcomes the first two major professional league sports teams ever >> our thanks to drew wilder for that report. the gentrification of pro sports continuing in front of our eyes. >> here it's happening for tonit

i'm tom llamas in new york stay right there more news on the way more news on the way. house republicans escalate their impeachment inquiry into president biden. the probe moves forward despite no evidence of wrongdoing. world leaders authorize a historic deal to move away from