good morning. thanks for starting your holiday weekend with us. t-minus two days until

christmas. >> the holiday travel rush is in full swing, december 23rd. this is "today." christmas crush. millions of americans hitting the roads and the skies today to celebrate the holiday with friends and family. but with near-record crowds and big storm moving across the country, it might be a challenge to stay on santa's nice list. we'll have everything you need to know. supreme sidestep. the nation's highest court deciding not to resolve a key issue that could make or break the special counsel's election interference case against the former president, at least for now. this amid new reporting that the former president tried to pressure two officials in michigan not to certify the election results there. will this help the prosecutor's case? fake ozempic danger, the fda warning a counterfeit version of the popular weight-loss drug is now being sold in this country. thousands of injections have been seized, but some may still be on the market. what you need to know.

all that, plus daring rescue. a man trapped for days inside a cliff is finally brought to safety. the harrowing attempt to get him out of harm's way. today, saturday december 23rd, 2023. >> from nbc news, this is "today" with peter alexander and laura jarrett live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. welcome to "today." thanks so much for joining us on this saturday morning. peter is enjoying the weekend off, getting a little early jump-start on the holiday. but joe is here. have no fear. and clearly, we are having a mind meld on the wardrobe. >> we didn't plan this. just of the same man. i borrowed this from laura's closet. >> you have good taste. >> good to be here with you. >> always nice to have you.

with just two days to go until christmas, you don't have much time left, let me tell you, to get those last-minute gifts. if you're stumped on what to get that special someone on your list, maybe a gift card, we'll tell you about a scam that is happening right now and how you can protect yourself from that. i know first hand. >> exactly. you'll talk about your experience. many of you are heading out today to see your loved ones. the good news, air travel looking good. and the same can be said about the weather. consider it the calm before the storm because a cross-country storm could cause travel headaches later today, tomorrow, and monday. we are looking at all things holiday travel today. let's begin with jesse kirsch at one of the nation's busiest airports, my hometown, chicago's o'hare international. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. so, you can see we've got plenty of people here this morning, but things are going smoothly. checking the board, ten minutes for both economy and precheck at

united's terminal one at o'hare. you can see it seems like it's taken some people more time to go through the check-in process than to get through the security line. but there are still plenty of busy travel days ahead. however, if you're going home for christmas specifically, thankfully we are past what the tsa predicted would be the busiest day before the christmas holiday. however, again on friday, then on new year's day, the tsa expects it's going to screen more than 2.5 million passengers at security checkpoints. if you're flying, a couple tips to keep in mind. bring your acceptable i.d. for those checkpoints. arrive early, especially if you're checking a bag, because i can tell you it looks like people are waiting to get through those lines. and if you are traveling with gifts, make sure they are unwrapped because they may need to be inspected. the you have any yes's, you can text tsa at 275-872.

here's one more pro tip, something i have witnessed first hand back in high school on a class trip, guys. if you're going through the airports and you've got a snow globe over the holidays, put that in a checked bag because the fluid rules still apply even if you are thinking of a winter wonderland. it doesn't matter if there are snowflakes throwing for it, if it's over the liquid allowance, you have to check that. >> a good tip. i would not have thought about that. >> i heard that for the first time. blew my mind. >> news you can use. if you are among the millions embarking on a long drive, you may want to grab your coffee and get moving before the traffic turns into the nightmare before christmas. nbc's marissa parra is along the florida turnpike this morning. good morning. what are you seeing? >> reporter: i'm looking at the florida turnpike and the maps around the country. the good news, joe, is the roads are looking good.

the bad news is it won't last long because, as we know, road travel is the most common form of travel throughout the holidays. of course christmas included. if you're hitting the roads, you are among nearly 104 million others. so, we've compiled a list of when aaa expects the roads to be at their worst. that is today from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and next thursday from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. travel outside of that, especially sunday/monday, will be better for obvious reasons. but if you're looking to beat the crowds, leave early. in some states like the one i'm in right now, florida, we are expecting to see record-bleaking drivers, an all-time high of 6 million florida drivers expected to hit the roads for the holiday season. so, listen, joe, load up more than just your coffee. get your neck pillow, load up your favorite podcast, and stick around. in the next hour we'll tell you what you need to know about gas prices. >> looking forward to that.

marissa, thank you. now what might be the most important part of all of this calculation, the weather. how is it looking for your travels and for christmas? let's bring in meteorologist michelle grossman. how's it going? >> it's going great, but a little bit of weather. like our list wasn't long enough today with the shopping and everything we need to get done. a large system is bringing a lot of rain, flashflooding, and some mountain snow. it's moisture working to the southwest, the same system that brought that rain to california. we're seeing lower-elevation rain. the brighter colors -- the reds, oranges, yellows -- that's the heaviest rainfall. we could see some flashflooding through the next couple days. winter weather alerts, we have advisories with the white, winter storm watches in the blue, and winter storm warnings, over 12 feet of snow in some spots. good news for the skiers but not if you're out and about on this saturday and for christmas eve and christmas day.

in the southern plains, could see 1, 2, 3, even 4 inches of rain. that moves to the east for the next 12 days. christmas eve, the gulf coast states and christmas day into the southeast. we'll talk more about that and talk about christmas day and christmas eve in a few minutes. back to you. >> thank you. former president trump is facing a lot of legal storm clouds these days. that includes a federal indictment charging him with trying to overturn the 2020 election. the special counsel in the case wanted the supreme court to jump in and resolve a question about potential immunity, but the high court on friday turned him down. nbc's aaron gilchrist is in washington with more on that and a newly discovered recording that could help the prosecution's case. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. just as local newspaper published details about a phone call it says trump made to pressure local election officials in the detroit area, the supreme court also made a decision that could slow down the case accusing him of trying to subvert the election three years ago. this morning, a setback for

government lawyers trying to fast-track the prosecution of former president donald trump for interfering in the 2020 election. the supreme court denying the request of special counsel jack smith to skip the appeals process and decide whether trump is immune from federal prosecution for crimes committed while in office. trump's lawyers argued smith failed to offer a compelling reason for the high court to step in. >> in this case, delay is a win. >> reporter: the decision coming hours after the detroit news reported then president trump pressured two michigan republican election canvassers not to certify the election results in wayne county. the detroit news citing a recording of a phone call with trump, ronna mcdaniel, and two canvassers. nbc news has not heard or verified the recording. the newspaper quotes trump as saying, "we can't let these people take our country away from us." back in november of 2020, this

is how palmer described the call. >> he thanked me for my service, asked me how i was doing. >> reporter: the campaign not disputing the recording telling nbc news trump's actions were part of his duty, quote, to take care of the laws and ensure election integrity. mcdaniel telling "the detroit news," there was ample evidence that warranted an audit. michigan's secretary of state says the recording doesn't surprise her. >> he was spry v trying to pressure these local appointed officials to subvert their legal duty under the law. >> reporter: trump is facing four criminal prosecutions heading into the 2024 election, and the michigan recording could haunt him. >> it is incredibly damning evidence. this evidence may find its way into the joerg case or one of these federal cases. >> reporter: now, the question of presidential immunity will end up before the supreme court, but it will take the traditional route going through the d.c. appeals court first, and even that's been fast-tracked. the judges hear arguments early

next month. joe? >> i have some questions. thankfully, laura jarrett is right next t when it comes to this election interference case and immunity, what happens now? >> as aaron mentioned, this is not the end of the road. this is all coming back to the supreme court. it's just going to take a lot longer, because even though the federal appeals court in d.c. will hear it, that can get appealed again. then there will be more motions and more briefing. that's why everyone is saying the trial date can't stick because of all that regular process. it just takes way too long. that's why it's a win for trump because he's trying to delay it, trying to do anything he can to slow this train down. >> so much to keep track of. grateful you are on every detail. to the war in the middle east and tragic word of the first known death of an israeli-american hostage, this as the united nations passes a resolution calling for immediate aid to be delivered there. josh lederman is in tel aviv with more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, joe. israel says this resolution is a disgrace because it does not

condemn the hamas atrocities on october 7th. but the u.s. says it is a massive step toward speeding up humanitarian aid into the gaza strip. the resolution doesn't call for an immediate cease-fire, but it does lay the groundwork for a greater u.n. role in coordinating aid, which has been an urgent need as the world food program is warning that 9 in 10 are going a full day without eating. the aid groups say distributing food and water is nearly impossible while this war is still raging. as israel's military says it is now expanding its operations in southern gaza while moving into the final stages in northern gaza. that may be a sign that u.s. pressure is working, because the biden administration has been pushing israel to wind up its large-scale attacks and transition instead to these targeted strikes that would kill far less palestinian civilians. president biden is also mourning the death of another american citizen, 73-year-old gadi,

believed to have been held hostage in gaza, but israel says he was murdered inside israel on october 7th and his body brought to gaza. his 70-year-old wife, judy, is among the more than 100 hostages still being held in the gaza strip. >> josh lederman, thank you so much. the war in the middle east is not the only issue americans are concerned about. there is also the economy here at home and the situation of course at the southern border. we want to welcome white house press secretary karine jean-pierre to studio 1 tooshgs talk about president biden's plans for all of it. nice to see you and have you here in new york. >> thank you so much. >> start in israel and picking up where josh left off. more than 100 hostages still in captivity. we've learned about the death of an israeli american, just learned about it on friday. what is the president's message to the families this holiday season worried about their loved ones who have been in captivity more than two months now?

>> appreciate the opportunity to speak to this, because we are heartbroken, just heartbroken by the news of gadi, obviously, and his death. it is just devastating to hear. as josh was reporting, you all know that judy, his wife, is still being held hostage, and the president is going to do everything he can to bring her home, to bring hostages home, american hostages home. this is a commitment that the president has had as it relates to hostages more broadly across the globe, to bring them home safely to their loved ones, to their families. it is devastating. it is devastating. this is something since day one as it relates to day one, hostages, humanitarian aid, the president has been working around the clock to get honls home to their families, their loved ones, and also get that all-important critical humanitarian aid into gaza to the innocent people of the -- the palestinian people who need those lifesaving medical treatment or whatever it is really make sure that they get that, the food.

so, we've been doing that. we want to have another humanitarian pause. it's incredibly important to have that. that's what the president has been doing around the clock, talking to folks in the region to make sure that we get that done. >> let's talk about the economy. there have been a lot of positive headlines this year, inflation is down, unemployment at a 50-year low, stock market reaching record highs. despite that, people go to the grocery store, they're not happy with what they're seeing. a recent cnbc survey found two-thirds of americans disapprove of the president's handling of the economy. what's the disconnect here? what does the president have to do differently so people approve? >> there's a lot there. great data this week showed consumer sentiment is up 14% this month, the largest jump we have seen in over a decade. what that means is that people are spending money, right, whether it is on toys and appliances that they need for themselves or for the holidays. so, that is important, critically important. i think the second piece, too,

is that, as families are traveling across the country, going home, going back to see the families for the holidays, we have seen gas prices at under 3 bucks at the pump per gallon in 27 states. this is the work that the president has done. it's incredibly important. 14 million jobs created. that matters, especially as we're going into 2024. folks are probably going to be looking for jobs. if you think about wages going up, unemployment is under 4%, all of these things matter. we'll continue to have those conversations. and the president has said he understands that people still feel like things are still unaffordable. that's why we're working really hard to lower costs. we see junk fees in credit cards, in airlines. the president is fighting to get that out of what americans see in their monthly payments. this is important, giving americans breathing room. that is what the president says all the time. we'll stay steadfast on it. >> so much we want to talk to

you about. i don't want to not cover immigration, because that's obviously a huge issue, what's going on at the southern border. obviously, all presidents grapple with what to do with immigration. everybody agrees some time of reform is needed. where does that fall on president biden's to-do list? >> wow. yes. >> he's thinking about a second term, doesn't have a congress on his side. where does it fall? >> it is a priority for americans. that's why, let's not forget on day one of this president's administration, the first legislation he put forth to congress was on immigration reform, a comprehensive immigration reform. it's about three years, and we have not seen action on that. we want to work with congress on that. as you all have reported, there is this bipartisan -- hopefully a bipartisan agreement we will get to deal with border security because it's so important when congress comes back. we hope they take action on that. the president is taking this very seriously. >> we home you come back.

>> i will. i will. >> happy holidays. >> happy holidays. >> karine jean-pierre. . we are really busy this time of year, and wvt is busy as well. the good news, we're looking quiet from the pacific northwest to the southwest. also on the east coast we're dry from new england back to the southeast. look in the middle here. we have a lot of problems. we have a large system that's bringing some rains at higher elevations and some snow. sunday, christmas eve, plenty of sunshine in the southwest. we'll dry out there. this sbhoouchs the middle of the country. rain for the upper midwest to the central plains, snow in higher elevations, rain in portions of the southern plains. we could see some heavy rain where you see the darker colors, the reds, the oranges. a flood risk around the gulf coast states as well. for christmas, we're looking at temperatures really warm in some parents of the country. the big story will be the precipitation falling on christmas day. we are looking at some snow in portions of the northern plains,

the southern plains, and also looking towards the east, some rain from the good saturday morning at 5:18. starting off chilly in the north bay. upper 30s. also fog lingering through napa. 38 degrees. we'll get 42 to start the day in concord and 47 down here in san jose. if you notice, though, to the right of your screen. the dense fog heating up through the central valley. be careful if you have plans to travel down south or up into the mountain later today. throughout the day sticking with sunshine for that's your saturday forecast. it's busy, guys. yeah. >> thank you. still to come, a harrowing rescue caught on camera. liz was there to see it. >> hi. this was really amazing to witness. coming up, i'll show you the

intense work to free a man who told authorities he'd been tr

we are back on a saturday morning with the "weekly download," the week's other big stories. >> emily, good to see you. >> clearly i got the red memo. >> yes. >> same page. >>. a court decision could have a major impact on the 2024 election. >> reporter: the colorado supreme court disqualified former president donald trump from the state's presidential primary ballot, ruling he engaged in insurrection when he tried to overturn the 2020 presidential election, also making him ineligible to hold office under the 14th amendment. mr. trump's campaign calling the

court's decision completely flawed an vowing to appeal to the u.s. supreme court. a car crashed into a parked suv that was part of president biden's motorcade in delaware. the driver was arrested and charged with the dui. the president and first lady were unharmed. pandemonium in prague after a gunman shot dead 14 people and injured at least 25 others in the deadliest attack of its kind in modern history. as the rampage progressed, some panic-stricken people jumped to safety from one of the building's ledges. the 24-year-old gunman killed himself. ten americans returned to the u.s. after being freed in a prisoner swap with venezuela. >> all you think about when you're in prison is how you didn't appreciate being free. >> reporter: in the return, the u.s. released a colombian-born

businessman with close ties to the president. i've been dealing with problems with my health for a long time. >> reporter: one year after sharing celine dion was diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, her sister says her condition is getting worse and she, quote, works hard but doesn't have control of her muscles. cruise passengers set to travel to florida and the bahamas aboard an nsc ship got a rude surprise when they were told they were going to new england and canada instead because of unsafe weather. >> nassau, bahamas, but we are now staying in boston for three days, portland, maine, and canada. >> reporter: the cruise line did give people the choice to cancel and sale at a later date. finally, a father/daughter duo is getting rave reviews after their show-stopping performance at a christmas

ballet recital. mom posted this with, you're a 6'5", 350-pound samoan and also a girl dad. >> tutu and all, sashaying across the stage. >> are you've an dad if you haven't put on a tutu? >> a good point. still, you have to go to the big and tall section of the store. >> i know. yeah. >> i love that story. >> for sure. a cool memory for that little girl. very special. still to come this morning, the major scam that could cost you a lot of money as you pick up christmas gift cards. i know first hand. >> unfortunately, it happened to laura. we'll talk to her about it. and our first look at who may wind up leading the pack when it cos to the oscars.me

good morning. thanks for joining us on this saturday december 23rd. i'm kira klapper. doctors are sounding the alarm ahead of the holiday gatherings with family and friends, because

it's the time of year when illness spreads. health experts are concerned about low vaccination numbers for the covid booster. in the south bay, for example, fewer than one in five people received the annual shot. rsv rates are staying steady and flu rates are on the rise. the combination that puts pressure on the health care system around the end of the year. >> we're starting to get stretched. seeing 90% occupancy, 95% in some areas. add more and wouldn't be long before people have to be transferred to other hospitals. >> doctors are reminding it's never too late to get a vaccine for the flu or covid. that's especially important for people 65 and older. turning to a live look right now at sfo. the tsa is anticipating today will be one of "the" busiest travel days of the year. expect check-in lines, security

checkpoints, boarding areas to be crowded. tsa recommends arrive early and traveling with gifts in tow, bring them unwrapped in case they need to be inspected. a check in with cinthia pimentel with the weather. >> good morning, everyone. notice there, at sfo, a little fog rolling around. most of it staying to the north bay. also chilly temperatures up there in those mid to upper 30s. the rest of us staying clear. it is patchy in spots, but heavier if you have plans to head up to, let's say, lake tahoe. driving through the sacramento valley. hitting you driving out there. extra space in between the cars. drive slow and you will get there, i promise. also, that fog is impacting down into the central valley. plans down 5 or 99 as you make your way down into l.a. from the atmosphere down into the surface we do have coastal flood advisory with tides running higher than normal. any of these areas, immediate shoreline here up towards the north bay, vallejo, san rafael,

with us until at least 10:00 this morning. localized flooding will add to your commute there. we are also going to see plenty of sunshine sticking with us through walnut creek and through the rest of the weekend. for today, rain, though, is in my seven-day forecast. talk about that at 7:00. kira? >> see you at 7:00. cinthia, thanks. also coming up on "today in the bay," a local athlete has his eyes on the prize. we go one on one with one of the world's best martial artists going for olympic gold in paris 2024. we'll have that, plus all your other top stories and cinthia's full forecast coming up as 00.7:

we're back on a saturday morning, december 23rd, 2023. the rockefeller center christmas

tree standing tall with just two days to go until christmas. if you're planning to do some last-minute shopping this weekend to put presents under your own, likely much smaller tree -- >> speak for yourself. it is a faux tree that lives in the basement standing tall. >> let's begin this half hour with a check of the headlines. a colorado jury on friday convicted two paramedics of cruelly negligent homicide in the 2019 death of elijah mcclain. the paramedics injected mcclain with a lethal dose of ketamine after he was confronted by police. the 23-year-old black man was walking home in aurora, colorado, when police stopped him after someone reported a suspicious man wearing a ski mask. mcclain's family says he regularly wore a ski mask due to a blood condition that made him feel cold. the fda is warning some fake versions of ozempic are being

sold through legitimate sources. the agency said friday it has seized thousands of units of counterfeit ozempic and some may still be for sale. five illnesses have been linked to the fake shots. the fda is advising pharmacies to buy ozempic only through authorized distributors. originally a diabetes drug, now widely used for weight loss. this may come as no surprise, but after a legendary comeback this year, simone biles has been named the associated press's female athlete of the year. it's the third time the gymnastics g.o.a.t. has been honored with the award. the fifth one is extra special coming after her triumphant return with a case of the twisties at the tokyo olympics then a two-year hiatus. in 2023, she became the most decorated gymnast in history, winning a record eighth all-around u.s. title and her sixth all-around world championship. a sports programming note for you, you hear that music, a big holiday double header in the

nfl today. steelers on nbc and peacock followed by the bills and chargers at 7:30 eastern. the first nfl game exclusively on peacock. >> i love that. this morning, a man who had been trapped for days deep inside a cliff in southern california is now safe after a dramatic rescue captured by our cameras. liz was there when he was rescued. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the man told authorities he had been there for three days, screaming for help. this could have gone very differently if not for a group of teenagers who happened to hear those screams. this morning, a dramatic end to a dangerous rescue. a man finally free after being trapped deep inside a cliff along the san diego coast. the harrowing around-the-clock rescue taking more than 20 hours and 150 crew members. this man has now emerged for the

first time in potentially days. crews carefully bringing them to safety. officials say the man fell 15 feet into a narrow hole just over a foot wide. he told authorities he had been screaming for days. >> there was no way moving him down there, pinned from the midsection down through their legs. >> reporter: the man, who has not been identified, discovered thursday afternoon by these teenagers who heard his cries and called authorities. they took this video as they tried to help. you could see his hand? >> yeah. we were trying to pull him up. unfortunately, we weren't able to. we realized just how stuck he was. >> reporter: the mission so challenging some crew members had to go into the tunnel upside down, held up by their feet to drill through the rocks, at times hamp earned by high tide and concerns he could drown. >> he started losing consciousness. >> reporter: this is the hole the man got trapped in, 15 feet deep. waves were at times crashing onto them right here on the cliff.

crews gave the man an i.v. and gatorade to keep him alive, working overnight through lightning and torrential rain, little by little chipping away at the rocks until they could ease him out. the man injured but alert, thanking crews as he was rushed to the hospital. neighbors watching, overwhelmed and grateful. >> it's a christmas miracle. that's all i can say. >> and seeing that hole, it is deep in the cliffs. it is a miracle that anyone was even able to hear him. now, authorities have not said who the man is or what happened that led to him getting stuck. they say he has injuries to his lower torso and legs, but overall he is in good health and expected to be okay. guys? >> absolutely incredible. what a story this time of year. >> thank goodness for those teenagers not on their phones, paying attention. >> and the rescue teams that got him out of there. liz, thanks for that story. michelle grossman has another check of the weather. >> if warm weather is on europe christmas list, many of us will get that.

it's coming true. we wanted snow. but we are looking at temperatures well above normal for this time of year, anywhere 10, 20 degrees above what is typical this time of year. the southerly flow coming in. 59 degrees in dodge city. that is 16 degrees above normal. 50 in minneapolis, 48 in chicago, 68 degrees, near 70 in little rock, jackson, 73. for christmas eve, still really warm. maybe you need another christmas dress. 59 degrees in indianapolis, 23 degrees above average. 62 in charleston, charlotte looking at 64 degrees. we'll keep that mild air good morning at 5:36. looking up in the north bay, a check of rhonier park. mostly clear. patchy fog to the east that could trickle in with direction of the wind this morning. 36 degrees. very chilly. keeping the chilly temperatures around until at least

mid-morning. get more sunshine by the lunchtime hour. we are going to stick around with sunshine and dry conditions through christmas, but there is rain after that. we'll talk about that coming up at 7:00 a.m. joe, i don't know if you're wearing this going home. >> in a couple hours. get the christmas shorts out is what you're saying. >> he looks so good. >> i'll just cut the sleeves off. good to go. >> michelle, thank you. just ahead, a cautionary tale this holiday season. what you need to look out for when it comes to buying those holiday gift cards for those you love. . dear wayfair. this year i want... to say thanks. over the centuries i've become passionate about home decor. and my favorite homes are wayfair homes. i even stop by on my day off! i know what people want, and you've got just what they need.

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weekend. >> that's right. scammers are getting more sophisticated, and you, the customer, might have no idea whether the card that you are buying has been tamp earned with or not. it happened to me. it turns out i'm not alone. nbc's senior consumer investigative correspondent vicky nguyen has the story. >> i got scammed. >> there are some scratches on the back and reglues the card. >> reporter: consumers posting warnings about compromised gift cards, a crime that cost $228 million last year. >> the bar code is not there anymore, so you cannot do anything about it. >> reporter: police from coast to coast warning about a surge in so-called gift card draining. >> we want to let everyone know about the latest scam that we have gotten word of. >> reporter: police say scammers steal these cards, then they copy the card number and the security code and reseal it. you can't even tell it's been tampered with. when you load money onto the card, the scammer pounces and drains it. it happened to laura.

this is a grimpbly moment. >> right? >> reporter: she purchased $2,000 worth of vanilla gift visa cards at this new york cvs only to find three had scuff mark where is the code should have been. these do not appear to be tamp earned with at all to the naked eye. >> not even a little bit. all the seals are fine. it says if tampering is evident, don't purchase. everything looked good. >> reporter: one card appeared to be totally normal, the bar code and security pin unchecked. but the card balance, zero. the money laura loaded onto the card disappeared 14 days later. one survey found almost 1 in 4 gift card recipients received a card that was drained. i went back to that same cvs. okay. so, here's where the gift cards are. they're kind of in the middle of the store, not really under the watchful eye of anyone at the register. so it's sort of easy to see how

they could be tampered with. from the outside, they look secure and sealed. i'd like to put $20 on each of these gift cards. we have our gift cards. eight of the nine cards appeared normal. this one has a security code. but then -- this one has the security code gouged out. take a look. that has absolutely been tampered with, and we could not see that when it was in the packaging. in statements to nbc news, the retail gift card association and vanilla gifts say in part criminals have come up with nor innovative ways to card drain, and they are working to stay ahead of it. they urge the public to report any fraud to police and call the number on the back of the card. cvs adds they're investigating our findings and say they warn customers about fraud risks and urge employees to. check gift card racks for tampered cards every day. >> i had seen your segment. i was on notice. i knew this was going to be an issue. i just didn't think it was going to ham to me. >> reporter: to avoid a scam, don't buy a physical gift card

because it's nearly impossible to know which ones have been compromised. if you do, choose one that's closer to the register or, better yet, behind the counter. recipients should check the balance and spend their gift cards quickly to reduce risk. and buy with a credit card to increase your chances of getting a refund. vicky nguyen, nbc news, new york. >> we should add that the company we spoke to, vanilla gift, at the heart of this whole story has been sued by the san francisco city attorney, david chu. the lawsuit alleges they failed to take precaution against this card-draining scam. a spokesperson for vanilla gift told us, "the allegations made have no basis in fact or evidence. we maintain an unwavering commitment to industry-leading security practice." if you suspect fraud, file a report immediately with police and your credit card company. >> you did that with your credit card company. >> i did. >> did you get your money back? >> i did not. i contacted american express.

initially, they said we'll do an investigation, reimburse you. i heard they contacted cvs, final sale, no help, sorry. >> this is eye opening for a lot of people. >> especially you look at the package, it looks fine. it's really -- you just cannot tell. >> laura, thanks for sharing your story. we appreciate it. not easy. it helps other people. up next, let's lighten the mood. in "pop start," the secret to in "pop start," the secret to you are such a good listener, thomas. it makes me feel so special. you are. you are special. if you don't mind, if you could just... this makes me feel really special too because you know, discover is giving me cash back on debit. not just credit. actually, discover gives cash back on debit... to everyone. everybody? everybody. if you could just tap... what about debbie johns? all those years that i couldn't find my bike, it was in her garage. like she gets it? if she has discover cashback debit then...yeah. introducing discover cashback debit: a checking account with cash back for everyone.

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we're back with "pop start," and emily ikeda is here with that. >> a lot to break down. first up, the oscars. the academy of motion pictures, arts, and sciences has announced a short list for the upcoming awards ceremony, short films, best original song and score, and crafts like hair and makeup, visual effects, and sound.

"barbie" leads the pack with five mentions, three in the original song category, one original score and one for sound. others include "killers of the flower moon" and "society of the snow." both have four mentions. the final list of nominations comes out in january. up next, more awards show news. immediate comedian jo koy will host the golden globes. he's broken box office records at venues around the world and has starred in specials on cam di central and been in movie. s. this is his first-ever hosting role for a major awards show. he called the globe stage extra special and looks forward to making his filipino family proud. we love that. and ina garten and her husband, jeffrey, are celebrating 55 years of marriage and posted an adorable video where they played the not the newlywed's game on instagram. >> what did you eat on the first

date? i know the answer to that. i wasn't old enough to have a drink. secret to a long marriage. it's the same answer. that's the secret to marriage. jeffrey's secret to a long marriage. the same. a good secret, huh? >> in the caption, she wrote, "when jeffrey and i were first married, i asked him, what do you want for your life? he said, i want to be a good husband." you nailed that. happy anniversary. how cute are they? >> she's your spirit animal, right? >> she is -- honestly, there is nobody else in this world i want to meet more than the ina garten. some people have brad pitt, george clooney. give me ina garten. >> she stops by here every now and then. >> i love that. emily, thank you.

still to come, our saturday morning "boost" and why thousands of teddy bears are

still to come on "today," your holiday travel forecast if you're on your way to grandma's house or anywhere. how it's looking outside your window. and jennifer garner's and jennifer garner's missioto give back to a n what happened? well, when you opened up the chewy box, you went a bit... ...bonkers. that's one word for it. i guess i blacked out. this is the best squeaky toy ever. probably shouldn't. but we did get you a few more gifts. honey. ooh, there's more. chewy's prices were so great. you don't need to explain yourself, linda. keep on saving. pet's aren't just pets. they're more. well, i hope i got a leaf blower this year. you got a turtleneck. unwrap the excitement this holiday season with great deals from chewy.

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good morning. thanks for joining us on this saturday, december 23rd. i'm kira klapper. as the people of oakland await a new police chief nearly a year since the previous chief's ouster oakland the naacp is demanding release of the names of the top candidates. last week the police commission sent a list of three candidates to mayor chantel. the list remains confidential. the mayor will make the final hiring decision. the naacp wants the mayor and police commission to have public forums to meet the candidates. the commission considered many candidates including former police chief lamar armstrong.

he was fired back in february after an independent report found he did not properly handle two cases of police misconduct. armstrong was exonerated of wrongdoing. it's unclear if he even made the list. and beating a fire department commissioner. a jury acquitted garret doty yesterday. he was accused of attacking don carmenyanni back in april. doty beat him in an act of revenge, but doty's attorney said he was acting in self-defense after carmenyanni targeted the unhoused and attacked him with pepper spray. a big turn to the forecast and cinthia pimentel. hey, cinthia. >> good morning, kira and good morning, everyone. lots of us getting ready to head out the door to our holiday destination. bundle up. give yourself enough space. talk what's going on. 30s in the north bay.

38 santa rosa. 40s along the immediate shoreline and the south bay 45 in san jose and morgan hill. why i'm talking about taking it slow this morning. looking at areas that are seeing dense fog. especially up there in napa and novato. seeing visibility reduced to about less than a mile up in napa. heaviest lingering into the sacramento valley and down into the central valley. making your way up to the mountain or down into southern california, be careful as you make your way out the door this morning. stick in the north bay and see highs for today. upper 50s and some 60s. plenty of sunshine should stick around for the holiday weekend. stay nice and dry and cool. we'll see chilly morning, but rain returns next week. hopefully you're asking santa for some new rain gear, kira. >> good idea! coming up at 7:00 on "today in the bay," a violent attack on an elderly woman in the east bay. >> all of a sudden there was somebody behind each of us. >> and now she's speaking

exclusively to nbc bay area. another crime that happened hours later that helped police make an arrest. that, plus all top stories coming up at 7:00. good morning. home for the holidays. with just two days to go until christmas, the big travel rush

now in overdrive with millions heading off this weekend to see family and friends, airports and roads packed with a big storm moving across the country. we'll break it all down for you. on a mission -- actress jennifer garner teams up with save the children to help a world community in need from food to books. how she's helping to make a big difference. >> we can't take our eyes off of so much real estate of this country and just let it -- let rural america kind of just fall. and let there be light. a neighborhood tradition that started during covid to help neighbors feel connected is still going strong three years later. why these residents say it's important to grow the tradition, today, saturday, december 23rd, 2023. >> happy holidays, "today" show. we're the silver belgorods on the plaza. >> hi. >> hi. >> chris.

>> jessie. >> good morning, everybody. we're from west palm beach, florida, visiting to see the today show. >> from jackson, ohio. >> happy holidays. >> hi. we're from hawaii. we love the "today" show. ♪♪ good morning, and welcome back to "today" on a saturday morning. hope everyone is enjoying the holiday weekend. peter alexander didn't have any room in his closet, so -- >> he said you're going to need to take a few days off. >> take a pause. joe fryer275-872 if you

have any questions. lots of traveling going on across the country today, laura. >> so hard because you don't want to check a bag but you have to if you want to carry those gifts. >> exactly. >> quandaries. jesse kirsch, thank you. to the scene on the roads, if you have a drive ahead of you, you should getg but wait 26 minutes until the show is over.

aaa says the worst time to travel is coming up in a few hours. marissa parra is at the florida turnpike. >> reporter: good morning. it will get worse. even here in the state of florida, aaa projects a record number of holiday travelers taking to the roads. we know that this is the most common form of holiday travel, and this is a top day for it. we've made a list of all the days and all of the hours that are the worst times to travel on the roads. surprise, surprise, today from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and then next thursday from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. are the worst times to travel. and travel outside of that, especially sunday and monday, will be better for obvious reasons. but let's talk about gas. the good news is the national average on gas prices is about the same as last year. if you live in the states of florida, texas, del aire aware or south carolina, that might be deceiving because in those states gas prices are creeping up recently. but the national average on gas

prices is about the same. i am so sorry to all of the viewers watching from denver, minneapolis, and washington, d.c., because these are the cities that aaa says the traffic congestion will be the worst. so, joe, aside from just bringing the coffee, the neck pillow, maybe load up on a couple extra podcasts. if you're watching in those cities, you will be in the car for a little longer than the rest of us, perhaps. stay safe on the roads out there, guys. >> literally going to be driving in minneapolis in about six hours. we'll see how that goes. >> reporter: sorry. >> we'll have your full holiday travel forecast in just a few minutes. let's put our travel worries away for a second and get a "boost" from emily ikeda. >> extra special for the holiday weekend. when the home team at a minor league hockey game in las vegas scores its first goal, this happens. >> on the attack. right wing. save made, rebound, score! [ horn ]

teddy bears! >> it's a teddy bear palooza. fans of the henderson silver knights game tossing stuffed bears onto the ice. why? the team collects the toys for charity and they are give on the local kids for christmas. this year's teddy toss brought in more than 15,000 stuffed animals. >> what a great tradition. my goodness. >> a lot of happy kids. >> awesome. and a lot softer. >> they're not throwing animals out there or anything. coming up, jennifer garner giving a california community a helping hand. .

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actress jennifer garner works with save the children, a charity organization that lends a helping hand to children and communities that need it the most. >> she focused her efforts on rural parts of the u.s. cynthia mcfadden went with jennifer to see how one central california community is doing. >> reporter: this 20,000 square miles of agricultural heaven, california's central valley. half of the nation's fruits and vegetables come from here, and 75% of the nuts. actress jennifer garner and i took a walk down the main and just about only street in downtown. >> there's one grocery store behind us, one gas station beyond that. >> teeny little library. >> but the contradiction of rural america, this is where our food comes from, but in that grocery store, there's not one fresh apple, not one piece of lettuce or spinach, not one banana. this is a food desert. >> reporter: almost all the thousand or so residents here work picking everything from

blueberries to pistachios, yet 54% of them live below the poverty line. the grim reality is the people who pick this food cannot afford to eat it. once a month, families get in line to sample the bounty growing all around them. they're given enough fresh food for about four days. just about the whole town shows up. save the children and a local food bank sponsor this distribution. for those who can't make it here, save the children delivers. >> thank you. >> reporter: jennifer garner has been a board member and an ambassador for save the children for 15 years. there is no police station or hospital. what there is is this school, the center of the community and its hope for the future. >> it's a beautiful day. >> reporter: and top of the school's agenda is battle a staggering literacy program. over 70% of the students are english as a second language. the library only has a thousand

books total. but things are getting a lot better, says the summit of schools, troy hayes. what's the evidence it's working? >> over a three-year period we've gone from 18% to 86% of our students meeting college entrance requirements. >> reporter: in three years. >> three years. >> there have been such strads made in this community. what does that say to you? >> it's just a reminder that there is hope. we should be celebrating this superintendent. we should be lifting up these teachers. but more than that, it also just asks us to pay attention. we can't take our eyes off of so much real estate of this country and just let it -- let rural america kind of just fall. >> reporter: many are paying attention. scholastic and donated books for all the kids to take home. 5,000 books to the unified schools library. >> we do believe in the strength of rural america.

and i believe that sometimes you just need a little bit of help, just a little bit. it makes all the difference. >> reporter: for "today," cynthia mcfadden, nbc news, california. wow. >> that's incredible. love to see that. >> but the idea that the people who are actually doing the work to bring us the food on the table cannot eat it is staggering. >> and in the season of giving, so good to see what your giving can do. keep that in mind. >> thanks to cynthia for that really important story. let's get one more check of the holiday travel forecast from michelle. >> hi, there, guys. we are looking at a lot of travel impacts. no problems for santa's sleigh, but we're looking at higher-elevation snow, lower-elevation rain. you can see that happening right now. the brighter colors, that's the heaviest rain falling. this moves to the east in the next several days. we were looking at the chance for flashflooding.

winter weather alerts down to the southern states. we have watches, warnings. be careful on the roadways. we could see some ice. and lots of rain in some spots leading to the potential of flashflooding. for the southwest, the gulf coast on christmas eve and into the southeast on christmas day. the darker blue is where we're expecting the chance for the highest amountses of flooding. that's dangerous as you're out and about. the red is likely the problem. salt lake city, phoenix, possible delays in denver and chicago. dallas could see some delays because we have heavy rain there and als good morning. 6:15 on this saturday. waking up to chilly 30s and 40s, an area of some fog in the north bay. around novato, san rafael up towards napa and through the sen crawl valley. towards sacramento. maybe plans up to tahoe or down to l.a.

be careful with changes in visibility heading down 5 and 99. once we mix out of the fog we're going for a dry holiday weekend ahead. but we do have rain returning in the that's your holiday forecast. overall, we're looking at travel impacts, but this is the best day they anticipate. >> don't take the children anywhere. just stay home. >> our hometown, there's a fence, we can't get out. just stay there. >> the weather is much better than last year at this time. coming up, neighbors helng neigpihb

it's common sight in places all around the country -- homes, businesses, streets all lit up for the holidays. >> as nbc's kate snow tells us,

in one maryland neighborhood, there is much more to the lights than just holiday cheer. >> reporter: in the rogers forge neighborhood just outside baltimore, the message is in the lights -- love lives here. see, these aren't the riggs' lights or the mortons' lights. they're the community's lights, connecting neighbor to neighbor. >> hey, friend. how are you? >> reporter: it started in the height of the pandemic when kim morton was feeling down. >> this began as a wonderful gesture of a friend. >> reporter: her neighbor, matt riggs, had an idea to cheer her up. >> so i strung lights up my tree, and then i wanted to see if i could get them to come across because i did want to create that connection. >> he texted me and said, hey, come out and look. i found a tin of cookies on my doorstep and lights. it was just wonderful. >> reporter: at first, it was just their two homes. >> hey, fran. >> howdy. >> hello. how are you? >> okay.

>> reporter: house by house, their neighbors joined in until nearly every single house was linked by light. >> and then the next thing you know, within, like, two or three weeks, more lights started coming up. and it was just beautiful. >> reporter: but it wasn't just their block. other streets throughout the neighborhood joined in too. >> on top. i'll be right there. >> reporter: a logistical and time-consuming effort. >> yay! >> reporter: but one that's paid off. >> it brought us all together during that time, and it continues to bring us together. >> being able to have that sense of connection is so important. >> reporter: now every year, a new holiday tradition. >> six, five, four, three, two, one! >> whooo! >> are they all lit? >> yeah. >> reporter: spreading joy to the world one house at a time. >> it's a beautiful feeling to know that we were part of this

just little thing that others wanted to get in on. >> you have to have that sense of love lives in here, in there. we're going to share it. and that's what's going to push back the darkness. >> reporter: for "today," kate snow, nbc news. >> they're connected in more ways than one. >> i wish i'd seen that piece earlier. could have been si tr(bill) when we started blue buffalo, we made a promise to our boy blue - that we would create the best pet food we possibly could, made with the finest natural ingredients and none of the things you find in many other pet foods. we call it the true blue promise and it's our commitment to feed your pet just like we would feed blue. it's what makes blue buffalo unlike other pet food companies... ...which have many different brands with different standards. we have one standard —the one inspired by our boy blue, for the wellbeing of your dog or cat. because like you, we love them like family, too.

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the citi music series on "today" is proudly presented to you by citi. >> before we go this weekend, we have a very special treat, a holiday song that's perfect to close us out on a saturday morning. it comes from christina perry, who's out request a new album called "songs for christmas." >> she stopped by studio 1a few weeks ago and recorded this song especially for us. with her version of "silent night" is christina perry. >> have a great weekend, and merry christmas to all who celebrate. ♪ silent night holy night ♪ ♪ all is calm all is bright ♪ ♪ round yon virgin mother and child ♪ ♪ holy infant

so tender and mild ♪ ♪ sleep in heavenly peace sleep in heavenly peat ♪ ♪ ♪ oooooo oooooo ♪ ♪ sleep in heavenly peace

sleep in heavenly peace ♪ good morning. thanks for joining us on this saturday, december 23rd. i'm kira klapper. doctors are sounding the alarm ahead of holiday gatherings with family and friends because this is the time of year illness spreads. health experts are concerned about low vaccination numbers for the covid booster. in the south bay, for example, fewer than one in five people have received the annual shot. rsv rates also are staying steady, and flu rates are on the rise. a combination that puts pressure on the health care system around this end of the year. >> it's possible that starting to get stretched. we are seeing 90% capacity, you know, occupancy, it's going up

to 95% in some areas. you add more to that and it won't be long before people have to be transferred to other hospitals. >> doctors recommend it's never too late to get a vaccine for the flu or covid. that's especially important for people 65 and older. turning to a live look right now at sfo. the tsa is anticipating today will be one of the busiest travel days of the year. expect check-in lines, security checkpoints and boarding areas to be crowded. the tsa recommends arriving early to your tormanal and if traveling with gifts, bring them unwrapped in case they need to be inspected. cinthia pimentel has a quick look at our microclimate forecast. this, as people head out of town. >> and driving on the roads this morning, kira, we need to watch out for changes in visibility. seeing fog continue to linger in parts of the north bay. so once you make your way north of the golden gate bridge,

possibly into napa county towards tahoe, east, mountains, down 5 or 99 into southern california, you need to just give yourself a little more space between the cars and use those low beams heading out the door. check in on pittsburg over the next couple of hours. mostly clear. temperatures low 40s. warm up and see sunshine return late other than this afternoon and temperatures in up are 50s and 60s. stick around with cool sunshine as we go through the holiday weekend. even stay dry and hoping for a 49ers win on christmas day, but it will be chilly going through the next couple of days, in the 30s and 40s. so i want you to ask santa for a couple of things. new sweaters going through the morning and rain gear. rain in the seven-day forecast. talk about it coming up at 7:00. back to you. >> i love clothes and i'll do it. thanks for the idea. and coming up on "today in the bay," a local athlete has his eyes on the prize, going for

olympic gold in paris 2024. we'll have his story, plus all the other top stories and cinthia's full forecast at 7:00. before that, . narrator: when you see this symbol, you know you're watching television that is educational and informational. the more you know on nbc. corey: thanks for tuning in to the show that highlights community, representation, and inclusion. i'm corey robinson and this is one team the power of sports