it was whiteout weekend for the northeast with some areas now digging out of a foot and a half of snow. meteorologist michelle grossman is tracking a new weather system making its way across the country. hundreds of planes grounded across the country as investigators search for answers. how the side of a plane bust

open at 16,000 feet. the major clue investigators found overnight in a portland backyard. a multimillion-dollar scam that had airbnb users in bidding wars for a place to sleep. now two men accused of a nationwide scheme tricking renters in several cities. hear from the victims who first called fraud. a golden night in los angeles as award season officially kicks off. the big winners of the night, and did your favorite stars walk home empty handed? we've got your golden globes recap. and no awards for this dog with shockingly expensive tastes. his $4,000 street that left his parents with a stomach-churning tab. it's monday, january 8th. "early today" starts right now. so good to be with you on a monday morning. i'm frances rivera. much of the northeast is digging out this morning after a winter wallop. some towns in massachusetts saw over a foot of snow.

7,000 people are still without power there this morning. snowy roads there led to dangerous driving conditions, causing multitractor-trailers to jackknife. the same storm dumping at least 15 inches in parts of pennsylvania and upstate new york. but the snow drought continues for cities, including the big apple and philadelphia. another winter storm system from the rockies is now marching east and could bring up to a foot of snow across the central u.s. let's check in now with nbc meteorologist michelle grossman who is tracking all this and a whole lot. you've been busy, michelle. good morning. >> really busy. hi there, frances. great to see you this. is a big storm. we're watching another storm at the end of the week. and we're looking at the chance for really heavy snow for some severe weather. that includes nighttime tornadoes tonight. all with the chance of damaging winds, really flooding rains as well. this is a big one as we go throughout the next few days, and another one on our doorstep on wednesday. this is what satellite radar looks like. blue on the map, snow falling.

that is green, and severe weather by later on tonight. so lots of alerts across the country. millions under alert. 72 million under wind alerts. 25 million under winter alerts and 20 million under flood eighth alerts. we're looking at the chance of very heavy rain, especially in the northeast. we're looking at blizzard-like conditions across the plains, severe weather along the gulf. again, we could see some nighttime tornadoes that double as dangerous in terms of tornadoes. tomorrow we're look at the heaviest snow. heavy rain develop manage the northeast. and then we have a wall of water on wednesday in the northeast. that's going to cause the chance for some flooding. we'll talk more about this storm. also look at the rest of the week ahead in just a bit. >> lots to still cover. okay, thank you, michelle. there is growing fallout after our nation's defense secretary suffered a health scare. new questions today about why the president didn't know secretary austin was in the icu. some lawmakers are now calling for consequences over how the situation was handled. here is nbc's ellie rafa. >> reporter: growing fallout

over defense secretary lloyd austin's secret opt stay and treatment in the icu. >> it's worth than just he didn't notify the white house. >> reporter: criticism pouring in over the lack of transparency. >> i do wish that it had been disclosed. >> the secretary and the administration frankly need to step forward and give the american people the facts. >> reporter: andrea mitchell pressing the secretary of state. >> were you aware of this? >> with regard to my office, i wasn't aware of this medical issue. >> reporter: we're learning more about who knew what and when, raising even more questions after the pentagon announced the 70-year-old austin was hospitalized the evening of january 1st for complications following a recent elective medical procedure. in a statement, the pentagon said austin transferred responsibilities to deputy defense secretary hicks on january 2nd.

but hick was was not notified until the 4th, a full three days after austin was admitted. according to a u.s. official, that's the same day the pentagon also informed white house national security adviser jake sullivan, who then told president biden. the defense department then waited more more day to inform the american people and lawmakers on capitol hill, some of whom are calling for austin to face consequences. still unclear, six days after he entered the hospital what that undisclosed elective procedure was. the complications that resulted from it, and when austin will be released from the hospital. >> our thanks to alley for that report. the israeli war on gaza churns on with no signs of letting up as the chief of staff of israel defense forces says fight willing continue in the gaza strip throughout the entire year of 2024. the israelis are also warning hezbollah in lebanon to back off or face a major israeli response. reporting from tel aviv, our

matt bradley has this breakdown ahead of secretary of state blinken's arrival in the country. >> reporter: this is u.s. secretary of state antony blinken's fourth trip to the region, and boy does he have his work cut out for him. not only is he going to be consulting in israel with israeli leaders talking about the day after the gaza strip if and when israel does complete its goals of totally dismantling the hamas terror group, who is going to be governing that enclave. he is also going to be talking about bringing relief into the gaza strip for the many civilians there and trying to get hostages, including some americans out of the gaza strip. now these are challenges enough. but the main task, and the one that is really going to test the secretary of state is trying to tamp down tensions on a region wide level. we've seen this region riven by war as long as i've been alive. the fact is this entire region is now closer to a middle eastern war, an entire region-wide war than we've ever

seen in my lifetime. and that is something that antony blinken has been saying expressly, and something that we've seen from the europeans and other observers of the region. they're terrified that iran could decide to push hezbollah, the houthis in yemen, their militant groups in iraq or in syria fully into this war. not just against israel, but also against the united states. and that could bring the entire region to its knees. no one wants to see that. and antony blinken is going to struggle to try to, again, tamp down the tensions here because while he can speak to a lot of different people here, especially the israelis, which is crucial, he cannot speak directly to hamas, hezbollah, or tehran tself. that means he is handicapped when it comes to trying to control what could be a very, very volatile situation. >> all right. matt, thank you so much. congress is one step closer to averting a government shutdown. congressional leaders actually went and announced a $1.5 trillion spending deal.

the plan includes nearly $900 billion for defense programs and over $700 billion for nondefense programs. it also includes cuts to the irs and covid era spending. the threat of a shutdown isn't over. lawmakers return to work at the capitol today. and the leaders of both parties will have 12 days to convince their members to finalize this plan. aviation agencies around the world are grounding boeing 737s after a nightmare on board an alaska airlines flight on friday. a piece of the max 9 jet fell off mid flight, flying at 16,000 feet on its way from portland to ontario, california. >> there was a big boom, or a mini explosion in the rear of the plane. moisture and fluid, almost like a cloud rushing from the front of the plane to the back of plane. blew my hat back. >> thankfully, no one was seriously injured. the faa chief says nearly 200 other similar planes in the u.s.

will remain grounded as they search for answers. overnight investigators found a major clue to what went wrong, the door plug that blew off was discovered in a portland teacher's backyard. the ntsb will begin analyzing it today. it was a big night at the 81st golden globe awards where the best in tv and film are celebrated in one stage. comedian jo koy took on hosting duties this year. but the night belonged to "oppenheimer." >> killian, my partner in crime 20 years. the only time i've ever been on this stage before was accept one of these on behalf of our dear friend heath ledger. >> with five impressive awards including best director for christopher nolan and the coveted best motion picture, cillian murphy and emma stone. the globes crowned "barbie"

cinematic and box office achievement plus bust original song by billie eilish. "succession" dominated with four wins. "the bear" trailed behind with three honors. "beef" made history by becoming the first show created by and starring asian americans to win in its category, taking three wins. and lily gladstone made waves as the first indigenous winner of best performance by a indigenous actor. let's check back with nbc meteorologist michelle grossman with a look at what's ahead this week. good morning. >> good morning. it's going to be a tough week for many of us. two major storms impacting us. really heavy rain throughout the plains. severe weather throughout the gulf coast. could see some nighttime tornadoes as well. chilly temperatures throughout the southwest. then as we near wednesday, we're looking at some snow falling in portions of the midwest. another storm through the intermountain west.

really blustery conditions there as well. a blood risk throughout portions of the northeast. as that's starting tuesday night into wednesday, sunny and seasonal in the south central states. friday we're looking at a wintry mix once again throughout the plains. really dangerous temperatures throughout the northere south c states. also looking at a chance of strong storms in houston, san antonio, new orleans, and also dallas. frances? >> okay, thank you. "early today" is back in a minute with the airbnb bait and switch scam that netted millions. plus, the bills and the falcons duke it out for e c st tlehaf the highlights and what it means for the play-offs next weekend.

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a nationwide airbnb scam cost users across the country millions of dollars. two men are accused of double booking rental properties and only letting the guests who pay the most stay. guad venegas spoke to one victim who brought this scheme to light. >> reporter: authorities are calling it a double booking bait and switch scam that cashed in $8.5 million, according to a new indictment unsealed on wednesday. two men, trey goyl of miami, and shannik are facing charges for listings on airbnb and vrbo. >> they controlled about 100 properties throughout the country. >> reporter: they were located in los angeles, denver, chicago, savannah, south bend, cleveland, nashville, austin, and milwaukee, among other places. >> they used these properties to double book to drive up the prices for property. when it came time for the

consumers to use it would cancel on the people who weren't the highest bidders. >> the scheme had several moving parts. using numerous fake host names like alex and brittany or chris and becky. goyo, and their associates would post multiple listings of the same property on websites like airbnb and vrbo at different prices on the same dates. once booked, they selected the guests who booked at the highest rate. others would get an urgentcall minutes before their check-in, explaining a plumbing mishap. guests were then offered a different property, misleading them to think it was similar or an even upgrade. >> i happened to rent an airbnb in chicago with friends and was told at the last minute i couldn't check in because of a plumbing issue. >> reporter: ali conti fell prey to the scheme while on vacation with friends. the host told her she would need to stay at a location different than the one she booked, sharing photos of what looked like a clean eight-bedroom house.

instead, she arrived to find a grimy run-down home. >> i found out i was unable to get refund. i grudgingly stayed at this disgusting location for a few days. >> reporter: a seasoned journalist, she started digging. others who booked with the same host sending photos. much of what she uncovered became the basis for the doj's investigation. >> a steady stream of emails from people begging for help. >> reporter: promises of guest went unfulfilled. and if guests canceled, they allegedly lied to the platforms saying guests had stayed in the property. many of the victims they harmed identified as black. >> just as concerning is that they would base their decisions on who to rent to based on discrimination and prejudice. >> reporter: in a attorney representing mr. goel says his client denies allegations and looks forward to defending against them in court.

after four years, finally progress. how does it feel to know there is an indictment? >> i feel really grateful that the victims i spoke to trust me with their stories and that the doj took this seriously and have actually done something about it. >> thanks to guad venegas for that report. still to come, one final prime-time thriller to crown the kings of the east. the bills ride into miami with theipl-o hesn e neright after this. that i was gt three months later. for $17 a month, my plan includes counseling- and it completely changed my life. i'm not on my parents health insurance anymore, so i found a plan for just $34 a month. signing up was so easy, it only took me 30 minutes to find a plan for $13 a month. all plans cover doctor visits, prescriptions, emergency care, and more. healthcare.gov is here for you. enroll by january 16th. for your most brilliant smile, crest has you covered. ♪♪ (laughing)

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miami will punt. back-to-back possessions. jake bailey with a big punt. all the way back to the 5. has some space. looks out. harvey gets a block down field. harvey is going to go. he is in midfield. nobody is going to catch him. >> after a mistake-filled first half versus the dolphins on this sunday's season finale, the buffalo bills came alive after that 96-yard punt return from donte hardy.

buffalo took the lead after josh allen found dawson knox in the end zone, but still had to fend off one last drive from tua and the dolphins. the finishing blow picking up tua with under two minutes to go as the bills clinch their fourth straight afc east title and the 2 seed in the play-offs while the once dominant miami secures the sixth seed. and those play-off matchups are all set after a final nfl sunday filled with upsets and thrillers. the buccaneers took their third straight nfc south crown after shutting out the league-worst panthers. in green bay, jordan love was awarded his first playoff birth as a starter after carrying on the packers tradition of sweeping the bears. meanwhile, the cowboys took full advantage of the late season stumbles as philly fell to the giants at met life. dallas clobbered the commanders en route to their first nfc east title since 2021. and despite control of their division for most of the year,

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levels linked to the pouchs. the united launch appliances vulcan rocket just completed its first successful launch from cape canaveral, florida. the american-made robert is taking a robotic spacecraft called peregrine to the moon to perform experiments for nasa. we'll be right back. can an oven roasted turkey breast pack so much succulent flavor, that the mere glimpse of it induces turkey sandwich daydreams? if it's hillshire farm, oh, hill yeah.™ sometimes your work shirt needs to be for more than just work. like when it needs to be a big soft shoulder to cry on. which is why downy does more to make clothes softer, fresher, and better. downy. breathe life into your laundry. wowwww... this new charmin ultra soft smooth tear is soooo soft and soo smooth, i'm starting to get tearied away!

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>> good boy! >> reporter: this pennsylvania couple says their dog cecil never gets into trouble. >> he is normally pretty much like this. like really intensely stare at people. >> reporter: but that all changed when carrie and clayton law found that their 7-year-old pup had hopped on to the counter and ate a very expensive snack, $4,000 in cash. >> cecil is just standing there on top of this pile of mutilated money, torn, bite marks, envelopes completely missing. and i was kind of in shock. >> reporter: the laws had taken the money out of the bank that day for a home improvement project, setting it on the counter and walking away momentarily. that's when cecil got his paws on the paper and devoured the bills. >> it's so out of character for him. so i was trying to process is this even real? what's happening. and then i just yelled, cecil ate the money, he ate the $4,000. >> reporter: luckily, cecil was

okay. but this the days following his pricey meal, the laws were faced with a messy recovery mission. determined to save the money by any means necessary. >> i'm just like following him, you know. each time he goes out and see if he goes. and he went, and lo and behold, there was definitely visible money in there. so i was hey, i'm going to pick it up, grab it, and we'll sift through it. >> reporter: detailing their journey in this now viral video, the laws were able to piece together the shredded cash, salvaging $3500. >> that's 50 bucks. >> i called our bank, explained the situation. i said you're going to think i'm crazy, but this is what happened. and they said actually this happens from time to time. animals will eat money. and so they said if we brought in the bills, if they had the majority of both serial numbers, we would be able to have those

replaced. >> reporter: cecil's parents happy to get some of that money back in the bank and relieved the mischief pup has a bill of health after a very costly treat. >> good boy! >> reporter: rehema ellis, nbc news. >> and they did a great job cleaning it too. now to the bike lanes that were filled to the brim on one florida highway this weekend. dozens of military veterans took part in the cycling event hosted by the wounded warrior. they biked across the bridge connecting the sunshine state to the florida keys. thank you so much for watching "early today

growing outrage after news that the secretary of defense was admitted to an icu for days and didn't tell the public or the president. our team in d.c. with lloyd austin's statement as leaders on the hill work to stop the government shutdown. hundreds of planes grounded across the country a