but we need an atm from our bank unless you want to spend a small fortune in fees. uh, no, thank you. banking with us means more fee-free atms than the two largest us banks combined. well, that would be convenient but there is no b-m-o here. ah, you can just call us bee-mo, and there is now. you know what else is convenient? mobile banking that makes it easy to track your goals and manage your money get out of town. but we... just got here. when a bank helps you get and stay ahead. that's the bmo effect. ♪ bmo ♪ ♪ a subdued christmas in the city of bethlehem. the holy site canceling

celebrations as part of a clear message of support for those fighting for their lives in gaza. the latest in the negotiations for peace. news breaking overnight of a shooting at a colorado mall, at least one person dead, two others in serious condition. the latest in what officials are calling a targeted attack. one of the busiest airports in the nation halted by heavy fog at the peak of holiday travel. the christmas travel chaos made worse by storms in the midwest, michelle grossman joins us with a look at whether you're getting a white "acchristmas or a wet o. the big apple trying to introduce the 4th as jd day. holiday cheer gets a new sound. the tuba tradition that celebrated 50 years at the base of the rockefeller tree. it's december 25th, merry

christmas. "early today" starts right now. >> good morning, i'm brie jackson, let's begin with the extreme weather making it hard for the travelers. a dense fog stopped at chicago's midway airport. flights were canceled or delayed with a ripple effect of delays nationwide. another storm system has created dangerous conditions for drivers across the rockies and northern plains. heavy snow and high winds caused this semi truck to slide off the road in nebraska. this system has been pushing its way to the east overnight. now an update from nbc meteorologist michelle grossman to find out who is getting a white christmas today. good morning. >> some are getting a white christmas, 22 inches of snow in some spots.

blizzard conditions central and northern plains. white and blue on the map. there's a chance for white christmas there. soggy christmas from the midwest to the southeast, especially the southeast could see flash flooding. in the middle, pink and purple in the upper midwest, that's icy conditions making for difficult travel. for the winter alerts, advisories, storm watches and warnings, and blizzard conditions. winds will gust up to 55 miles per hour, tough in portions of south dakota into nebraska. that's today and tomorrow as well. snowfall, nearly 2 feet in some spots, pink and purple. lot of rain, too, the southeast, brighter colors, reds, oranges and yellows we expect rain that could lead to flash flooding. we'll have more in a minute. news from colorado springs.

police say one person is dead and two others are in serious condition after shots rang out at a shopping mall christmas eve. officers believe the shooting was targeted, two groups of people fighting each other. this was not considered an active shooter situation. the investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is encouraged to contact the colorado springs police. intense fighting continues between israeli troops and hamas. the health ministry says at least 70 people have been killed in what was described as attacks on a refugee camp in gaza. the idf says it's reviewing reports of an incident there and taking steps to minimize harm to civilians. this comes as the palestinian death toll rises above 20,000 according to local health authorities. nbc's jay gray reports. >> reporter: fighting continues in gaza, focused near gaza city

trying to root out, the idf, working to eliminate the tunnels. they continue strikes to the north, something that will continue until hamas is gone and the hostages are returned. but talks on that front seem to have stalled at this point. in bethlehem, the city most years is a festival. thousands of tourists, ornaments, lights, music, a massive christmas tree. this year there's no celebration there. nativity scene at one church near manger square framed by rubble. it's clear those who live in the holy city, their hearts and minds are with their friends and loved ones 50 miles away in gaza. i'm jay gray in tel aviv, nbc news. pope francis delivering a message of peace at the vatican, parade for those suffering from

misery, slavery and especially war at his christmas eve mass. he specifically mentioned those impacted by the israel-hamas war and the war in ukraine. he will deliver his christmas day message in a few hours. spirit airlines is apologizing after mistakenly putting an unaccompanied child on the wrong flight. the minor was supposed to fly from philadelphia to fort myers, florida, thursday. but according to the airline, the child was incorrectly boarded on a flight to orlando. spirit is conducting its own internal investigation, saying in a statement that the child was always under the supervision of an airline team member and immediate steps were taken to communicate with the family and reconnect them. the weather might be the least of your travel concerns after hearing that, but the skies could throw turbulence in your plans. meteorologist michelle grossman

is back. >> looking at troubles in the middle of the country. big system bringing snow to the northern central plains, rain in the south and northeast, and wintry mix in the pacific northwest. that's later today. another storm system moves onshore. it's looking cooler than normal but dry. tuesday, blizzard conditions in the central plains, rain in the furthet that moves a little bit there. cool conditions in some portions of the south central states but sunshine in dallas, lubbock and amarillo. that's the christmas day forecast. >> thank you, michelle. a sheriff's office in florida got a little help from

the grinch. anyone driving a little too fast through a school zone in ckey largo had to answer to this one. not over five, they got a speeding ticket or onion from the grinch. back in 60 seconds why the newest apple watches are officially off your shelves. and year's worth of smiles, official feel-good stories of 2023. jerry! come see who it is! what are you doing here you said you weren't coming home! i wanted to surprise you! mom, are you coming? i'll be right in! ( ♪♪ ) this is not just 1-hour delivery. this is help with the holidays, right in your neighborhood. walgreens. ( ♪♪ )

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patents of a medical device maker. other retailers will sell the watches while supplies last. as we round out the last month of the year, there's been plenty to celebrate in 2023, gestures of support, community celebrations, victories big and small. we share a look back at the host heartwarming stories 2023 had to offer. >> there were so many special moments that united us during tough times. ♪ in north carolina, cheers for beloved elementary school assistant principal battling breast cancer. what's the message you wanted to convey? >> we're all behind her 100%. [ cheers and applause ] >> there were so many gestures

of support during illnesses. >> all right. >> for friends, mothers, and brothers. >> treat it well. handle it with care. it is special. >> we were there when she met jason summers, the man who received the heart donated from leah's late son. wondered what it was like to put your head to his chest and listen. >> overall it was just an amazing happy moment for everybody. >> congratulations, you got a good heart. >> thank you so much. ♪ >> oh, my god, i got in!

>> we saw hard work pay off. going to college. passing important exams. student athletes winning, too. celebrating after finding out they earned full scholarships. >> we're going to pay for the rest of his school. you have no more bills. [ cheers and applause ] >> we also honored our nation's heroes. once again in the arms of loved ones after months overseas. >> what's up, guys. how are you? i missed you. >> at this country music concert, army first sergeant

jeff gordon stunned his wife, shannon. was it almost like time is going 100 miles an hour and frozen at the same time? >> yes, yep. i was like are you here right now and this is happening? we'll be able to hold on to that moment the rest of our lives. >> yes. >> we also saw how much educators make a difference. amy mcginley won the philadelphia phillies all-star teachers award. >> it's the culmination of 35 years of blood, sweat and tears. >> in michigan -- >> you're amazing, i love you. >> tears flowed when the middle school teachers read notes of gratitude to their students. >> you light up our classroom with your kindness and you're

going to make the world a better place. >> what is it about amaya you wanted to recognize? >> her leadership. she's shown me she's there for me. >> often it was our nation's young people who showed us the way. in south carolina, high school basketball manager waters, who has down syndrome, made this epic shot. >> if we can open our hearts and minds to people who may not look like us or may not act like us or may not learn like us, we may actually learn something from them. >> the 1-0. >> when this college softball player collapsed with injury rounding the bases, the other

team lifted her up, carrying her all the way to home plate. >> at that point competition, win, lose, did not matter to us. >> we saw someone in need and stepped in. we knew it was the right thing to do. >> and talk about the power of perseverance. that's hannah huntsly using every last bit of strength, determined to finish this race after an accident left her paralyzed. [ cheers and applause ] >> the moment of crossing the finish line, i had to earn it. >> you did it! >> i'll be living that moment for the rest of my life. >> moments of personal triumph. and connection. >> lifting us up. all year long.

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i cannot believe you let this happen. >> yeah, well, i hate this job. >> a true king builds bridges, right? >> a true king builds bridges. >> "aquaman and the lost kingdom" not making a huge splash at the holiday box office.

jason momoa's sequel had the fourth lowest opening of the d.c. extended universe. but it was still enough to take first place. "wonka" was second, shy of $18 million, and "migration" $12.3 million for its opening weekend. santa is bringing a full slate of nfl fun for christmas day. blockbuster triple header with the raiders and chiefs, vegas fighting for a playoff spot, and eagles look to snap a three-game skid against the giants. the top contenders cap off tonight, ravens and 49ers facing off in what could be a super bowl preview. all that action coming after a wild christmas eve across the league. >> johnson grabs it, he's free, touchdown! >> fakes the run. >> down 23-7, russell wilson and the broncos clawed their way

back to tie up with the patriots, but new england sealed the win with a 56-yard field goal in the final seconds of the game. let's hear it for your nfc north champions. veteran quarterback jared goff was born in 1994. he led the lions to clinch their division for the first time since 1993. it was a heroic 30-24 win against the vikings. coming up, the holiday blueprint. e may be out of brooklyn, but thbig apple is ready to celebrate jay-z.

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the parkinson's foundation. better lives. together. we're back with what you need to know "early today." tesla is recalling more than 120,000 of its cars over doors that could become unlocked during a crash, causing them to fly open. tesla is offering a free software update and will notify

owners begin november 17th, affected vehicles 2021 to 2023 models s and x. new york city council is considering making it jay-z day to celebrate his birthday. and a sneak peek for the paris olympics. the menu includes meat-free burgers, quinoa, salads and fal afl. we'll beright back. come see who it is! what are you doing here you said you weren't coming home! i wanted to surprise you! mom, are you coming? i'll be right in! ( ♪♪ ) this is not just 1-hour delivery. this is help with the holidays, right in your neighborhood. walgreens. ( ♪♪ )

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rockefeller center. a tradition unlike any other brought crowds together over the weekend. kate snow. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: at new york's rockefeller center, this is what holiday cheer looks and sounds like. ♪ hundreds of tuba and euphonium players from across the country. >> i game from grand rapids, michigan. >> we came from south dakota. >> ohio. >> reporter: even the north pole. >> it's a thrill, heard about it, said i got to do that. ♪ >> reporter: they lined up in the rain to perform in the tuba christmas 50th anniversary show. >> this is like a bucket list item, dream for me. >> i've been coming since high school. >> reporter: the celebration

marking half a century in the spot where it all began in 1974. how many more years of tuba christmas do we have? >> what does infinity look like? >> reporter: gary helps coordinate the tradition, he's been involved since the mid-'80s. what do people love about the tuba. >> there's a camaraderie, tuba players just get along. >> reporter: that's led to tuba gatherings across the u.s. and over's. >> they're playing the low notes in the band and often supporting everything else. what's great about this event, they are the ones that shine. >> we all have music inside us, and the ability to be able to express that is incredibly emotional and powerful experience. >> reporter: but for the players here, there's simply nothing

more magical than christmas carols at rockefeller center. >> when you play the tuba, you realize it's like a big, warm hug. ♪ >> thanks to kate for sharing that story. mr. and mrs. claus were hard at work over the weekend, a volunteer fire department helped them deliver christmas cheer in wisconsin, bringing gifts to families in need in the area. >> i hope that it helps them out, makes them have a wonderful christmas. >> volunteer help with salvation army to wrap and deliver gifts to six

travelers. the ground stop that snarled