fights, disturbances and chaos break out in malls across america amid the post holiday retail crush. >> a winter wipeout. millions hit by ice, snow, and high winds as they try to make their way back home. >> japan's prime minister commemorates the pearl harbor attacks in hawaii. >> war of words. president obama claims he could have won against donald trump if he ran against him. >> a celebrity death hoax. >> and how one generous man is putting his miles to good use. "early today" starts right now. >> good morning, everybody. thanks for watching today. i'm betty nguyen. we want to begin with fighting and chaos in a bizarre rash of

violence in malls. separate disturbances occurred in ten different states. in connecticut, a fight between teenagers led to several fights breaking out. one officer was assaulted trying to stop the fight. in ohio and illinois, fights were had, and several of these incidents, multiple shoppers were injured as they evacuated the malls. >> millions of americans in the northeast are facing a messy commute this morning, from a massive storm that brought white out conditions and fierce winds to parts of the plains and upper midwest. also, for the first time, we're hearing one mother's incredible survival story, hiking 26 miles in the snow after her family's car got caught near the grand canyon. >> reporter: the upper midwest is digging out after a relentless christmas blizzard. >> how the heck am i getting out of here?

>> many roads in the dakotas impassable. 240 miles of i-94 shut down. foot of snow blanketed bismarck, while treacherous wind snarled air traffic. >> we pulled up to check our bag at the curb side and they told us the flight was cancelled. >> more they 300 u.s. flights canceled. 2800 delayed. >> frustrating, but what are you going to do? >> in arizona, an out of control situation near the grand canyon is now an incredible survival story. >> if i don't find shelter, i'm not going to make it another night. >> karen klein is speaking publicly for the first time after being rescued. she hiked for 30 hours over 26 frigid miles to find help when her family's car got stuck in the blinding snow. >> i pulled a muscle in my leg, and one of my shoes got packed with snow. i had a sock, and in order to move my leg, i had to fizzily pick it up. i could only move ten steps at a

time. >> near detroit, a town is under a state of emergency after this huge sinkhole expanding forcing families to evacuate. >> also this morning, president obama will stand alongside japanese prime minister shinzo abe in hawaii. the first time both world leaders will visit the sight of the deadly pearl harbor attacks together. abe has arrived in hawaii where he has already marked the solemn occasion with visits to various cemeteries and today he'll be joined by president obama to remember the more than 2400 american lives lost in the attack that thrust the u.s. into world war ii. we're joined by edward lawrence. how significant are the events today in. >> betty, very significant. this is the first formal visit by a japanese world leader to this historic site. december 7th, 1941, you remember 2400 americans were killed when the japanese attacked pearl harbor in a surprise raid. for shinzo abe, not expected to

apologize for the attack, but he is expected to express sympathy for the victims. president obama viseited hiroshima. that paved the way for this visit. president obama also did not apologize for the u.s. dropping nuclear weapons on japan during the time back then. now, president obama and both world leadererize expected to echo the same message today and that is we must never repeat a world war. reporting in washington, back to you. >> very important. thank you so much. we're now just 24 days from the inauguration, and overnight, president-elect trump while taking a holiday vacation with his family at his resort, took to twitter to defend his namesake charitable foundation he's taking steps to dissolve, tweeting, i gave millions of dollars to djt foundation, raised or received millions more, all of which is given to

charity, and media won't report. he also said the djt foundation unlike most foundations never paid fees. rent, salaries, or any expenses. he eve took a moment to take a credit for wall street gains and holiday shopping. he posted, the world was gloomy before i won, there was no hope. now the market is up nearly 10% and christmas spending is up. and now a war of words is developing between president obama and donald trump. this after president obama said if he had run for a third term, he would have beaten trump. here's obama speaking with david axelrod for the weekly podcast. >> i am confident in this vision because i'm confident that if i -- if i had run again and articulated it, i think i could have mobilized a majority of the american people to rally behind

it. >> trump responded via twitter posting, he should say that, but i say no way, citing jobs, isis, and obamacare as key reasons. it's the latest in a tough turf war between the two following the u.n. security council vote, a vote from which the u.s. abstained. it's a world body trump now refers to as a club to get together, talk, and have a good time. ben rhodes said the u.s. did not draft the resolution, benjamin netanyahu squarely blames the u.s. >> we have proof. i don't believe it, we know it, and we'll share it with the incoming administration through the appropriate channels. they can decide whether they want to share that with the american people. we're not going to share it with this administration because this administration is behind it. >> and this morning, "the new york times" reports israel is preparing to build the west bank settlements despite the u.n.'s

vote. >> want to give you an update on the downed syria-bound russian military jet. this morning, russia's defense minstraer said it found a flight recorder from the plane after it crashed into the black sea on sunday. it crashed two minutes after taking off in good weather from sochi. it could help russian officials pinpoint an exact cause, as vladimir putin's spokesman said an attack was unlikely. >> back here in the u.s., the city of chicago is finishing another year marked by endless and increasing gun violence. there was no let-up this weekend when dozens of people were shot, 11 of them fatfatally. ron mott has more. >> christmas night, unseasonably mild. >> i'm going to need another ambulance. >> with another round of unrelenting gun violence in chicago. >> felt like i was in a war zone. it wasn't a normal gun. 15, 20, 25 shots. >> outside this home, seven shot, two dead. brothers, a holiday weekend with

at least 43 people struck by bullets, 12 losing their lives. >> this is the sickening reality. it shows yet again that our penalties for carrying and using guns here in chicago are just not an effective deterrent against repeat gun offenders. >> the nation's third largest metropolitan area has been besieged this year by shell casings and death. more than 4300 shooting victims, at least 763 homicides. both stark increases from a year ago. more murders than new york and los angeles combined. >> in the next two years, mayor rahm emanuel, who has come under fire for the continued violence, has pledged to hire neely 1,000 new police officers, targeting the 1400 mostly documented gang members authorities say for responsible for most of the bloodshed. ron mott, nbc news, chicago. >> over a million dollars in fur

stolen from a new york sore, and the shocking heist is caught on camera. take a look at this. as the thieves break through the glass door in the madison avenue boutique, and then use his own body to barrel threw. from there, they get to work quickly, heading straight to the priciest goods. the heist occurred in the early morning hours of christmas eve. the thieves had their faces completely covered and are still on the loose. now police are hoping the shogging footage that caught the robbers in the act helps land them in jail. >> how george michael's spotify streams are soaring after his shocking death. >> first, bonnie schneider with the forecast, as millions of americans head back to work this morning. what's it looking like? >> this morning in seattle, we're looking at rain as well as in salem. plenty of moisture on shore, and this is going to be a snow maker for many, as we look towards the next couple days. one to two feet of snow in the cascades. that's right, stormy across much of the northwest, but really

warm across much of the country with warm air taking over. so many record highs yesterday. expect more today. that's a look a tn san diego. 67 degrees. santa barbara right at 65. so mild temperatures across the country, but watching for the cold air eventually to come in. in time for the new year. >> i want the mild temperatures to head this way. thank you, bonnie. >> just ahead, fists fly in the streets of peru. plus, another sony hack is taking aim at britney spears. we'll fill you in.

look at this. fists were flying in the streets of peru this christmas. don't worry, the brawls were all planned. it's part of an annual fighting

festival, aimed to settle old scores and start the new year fresh. members say it resolves conflict and even improves relationships. new rules this year only allow men to participate, but women and children are invited to watch from the stands. that's pretty incredible. all right, well, tribute are pouring in for pop superstar george michael, who died sunday at the age of 53. as new details are emerging about the icon's death, with michael's partner celebrity hairstylist taking to twitter posting, quote, it's a christmas i will never forget. finding your partner dead peacefully in bed first thing in the morning, i will never stop missing you. his fans are eulogizing the pop star the best way they know how. spotify has seen over a 3,000 percent increase in streams since his passing. that as flowers and condolences pile up in front of his english

home where cheerful neighbors and fans mourn his loss. >> one inmate is still at large after six escaped from a county jail. they managed to escape through a hole behind a toilet. the bolts holding the toilet in place had rusted out and there was earlier damage. after getting through the wall, they only had to kick through a tin door and climb over a barbed wire fence to make it out. >> just ahead, the season to return the holiday gifts. >> plus, how a teen's birthday party turned into a major public event. details next. more "doing chores for dad" per roll more "earning something you love" per roll bounty is more absorbent, so the roll can last 50% longer than the leading ordinary brand.

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in today's quick hits around the world in 49 days. that's the new solo sailing record broken by french sailor thomas caldwell. he completed the journey a week faster than the previous title holder and celebrated his arrival with lots of champagne and tears. >> in mexico, thousands, look at this, they showed up for a kiensen yara. it gained international attention after they posted a video invite on facebook, and forgot to make it private. it definitely was not private. >> call him a seal-ebrity. this seal led police on a wild chase for hours through suburban streets and was found leaving

his denlt on a car. the 440-pound adult male was eventually captured, given a medical check-up, and released back on the beach. >> the post-holiday shopping frenzy is in full swing, and how app stores are revealing the top christmas gifts. kate rogers has more on those stories plus what's moving markets after the three-day holiday weekend. good morning. >> good morning to you. the dow will take another stab at reaching the 20,000 mark this week, after coming within 13 points last week. market volume is expected to be thin on this final week of the year as many traders are on vacation. look for economic data this morning on home prices and consumer confidence. 'tis the season for making returns. about 10% of holiday gifts are actually returned, with the majority made at brick and mortar stores. that gives retailers a chance to sell customers more items and clear unsold inventory. >> this week after christmas could account for 14% of total holiday sales.

a lot of fitbit trackers were probably unwrapped on christmas day. the pit fitbitt app was the top app downloaded on sunday, suggesting a lot of fitness devices were given as gifts. amazon's oako was also popular. back over to you. >> thank you so much for that. >> and just ahead, sarah michelle gellar's '80s icon mix-up that has the internet in an uproar. >> plus, how one generous man is putting his racked-up air miles to good use. we're rapidly losing credibility as handymen.

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congratulations. you are being rescued. >> rogue one ruled the christmas box office. the star wars saga taking in $96 million over the four-day holiday. universal's animated comedy "sing" came in second, and in third, "passengers" starring jennifer lawrence and chris pratt. >> sarah michelle gellar, her offer of condolences for george michael turned out to be a fail. many celebrities took to social media to pay their respects to george michael. gellar got it all wrong, mixing up george michael with another british pop star, boy george. yikes. >> in a tweet that has since been deleted, she wrote do you

really want to hurt me? i guess you do, 2016. #ripboygeorge. fans quickly schooled her about the embarrassing mistake. she immediately apologized. she then tweeted another appallies insisting she knows the difference, and then she apologized again, saying, lesson learned. >> maybe less is more, with all that tweeting. >> very different, those two. george michael and boy george, except frt the fact they share the name george in their name. >> taylor swift made a surprise home visit for one of her superfans. >> this is nice. >> can you imagine? there was a knock at the door and standing there is taylor swift. she visited one of her biggest fans, 96-year-old cyrus porter. he's a world war ii vet and is reportedly the oldest swifty. he said he's attended multiple swift concerts with his 20-plus

grandchildr grandchildren. with that many, you have to, right? she performed an impromptu concert singing shake it off right there in his living room. talk about a concert in your house. >> it shows her appeal to all ages. >> that's true. >> here's britney spears in her latest music video. we're happy to report she's far from dead. why do we say that? the internet exploded when tweet went out from sony announcing her death. britney spears is dead by accident, with the #rip britney. but here a green grab of them, sony was hacked again. no comment from sony, but a rep for britney spears came she's alive and well. the ultimate came from britney when she tweeted a picture of herself. you're watching "early today." per roll

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we've seen record highs across the country from buffalo to cincinnati, tampa through new orleans. will we see more of that today? likely, yes. heat surging across the central plains all the way to the southeast with temperatures in the 50s all the way to the 80s in florida. now, looking at tomorrow, it does get a little colder. notice the pocket of colder air. in billings, your high is only 28, but you're the exception. most of the country is pretty warm. >> thank goodness that's the exception. >> there are those who say the holidays are all about sharing the love. one generous man is doing that and then some. he's giving what he can to help send others a long way back home to the warm embrace of their families. kristen has the heartwarming report. >> for gracy, family is everything. >> this is bobby.

>> but 2016 pushed hers to the edge. >> my mom had a heart attack. and now howard has recently been diagnosed with cancer. >> howard is her mom's partner and the reason gracy had to get home. but even working two jobs, she couldn't afford the trip from alabama to louisiana. until -- >> i got my ticket. >> a miracle of sorts. >> i am on my way. >> a business traveler in new york city, she had never met, with a big stash of frequent flyer miles and an even bigger heart. >> i just feel that it's really important to be able to share that and to give that back, and the miles for me is the best way i could possibly do it. >> peter came up with the idea four years ago. donate those miles he wasn't using to those who needed a little help getting home. >> to sort of show the world that maybe there is still a little good. >> and a way to teach his 3-year-old about giving.

>> are you excited? >> this year, people submitted posts via imgur, and the members voted on the winners. like a dad flying to see his son with autism. a woman battling cancer. and gracy. for her mom, it is a gift to last a lifetime. >> i was thrilled to death. i said, i will come get you. i will carry you piggy back home. come on. >> a family feeling the love this holiday. thanks to a man and his miles that brought them together. kristen dahlgren, nbc news, new york. >> what a lesson for his daughter, and the beauty of it, it's something a lot of people who have those extra miles can do. >> that's true. many of us don't realize we have them. >> and it means so much to those on the receiving end. thanks for watching "early today." we hope you have a terrific tuesday. see you right back here early tomorrow morning.

oooh. wowww. there it is. it's the red tag sales event and people are excited to bring in the new year with a new chevrolet. i'm a huge chevy fan. how would you feel about starting 2017 in a new chevy? it sounds wonderful. honestly, i would take any one. oh heck yeah! i want to get one tomorrow. fantastic! turn it on, let's go. during the red tag sales event get two deals in one. find your tag for an average total value over ninety-six hundred dollars on chevy silverado all stars. hurry, the red tag sales event ends january 3rd.

erupts at an east bay shopping mall... with at least one nearby business hit. ore bullets fly after gunfire erupts at an east bay shopping mall. one nearby business hit. a menorah stolen from the middle of a san francisco park, still no sign of it. we'll tell you the reasons plenty of light is being shown on the crime. it's cold enough this morning to trigger freeze warnings for starts of the bay, but the warmer finish should make you smile. "today in the bay" starts right now. >> good morning to you. it's 4:30. i'm kira clapper in for laura garcia-cannon. >> i'm sack brock. i will tell you as we look at the three degree cels