breaking overnight, the man who may have been behind a string of murders in tampa is behind bars this morning after police make a break in their weeks-long investigation. nuclear standoff. kim jong un claims to have launched his most powerful weapon yet. now a warning of a new missile capable of reaching the entire u.s. mainland. tax fight. dozens are arrested on capitol hill as gop lawmakers advance their trillion-dollar tax plan. details on the bill and how it could impact your home. plus the president clashes with his democratic rivals. lebron james adds something new to his already legendary resume. and we'll tell you how one family got to live out the lego sleepover of their dreams. "early today" starts right now. good morning. i'm phillip mena. >> i'm frances rivera.

breaking overnight, after 51 days police have finally made an arrest in the four recent shooting deaths in tampa, florida. police arrested 24-year-old suspect howell donaldson iii last night after receiving a tip. he is set to be charged with four counts of first-degree murder for a series of killings that shook up residents of one tampa neighborhood for weeks. nbc's dan sheneman reports. >> reporter: tampa police say they have caught a serial killer. >> and we will be charging four counts of first-degree murder for howell emmanuel donaldson iii, 24 years old. >> reporter: it all started police say with a tip about a gun at a tampa mcdonald's. >> we received some information about mr. donaldson having a firearm at the mcdonald's. one of his co-workers approached a police officer. that is what led us to that. >> reporter: gale rogers say she worked with the man taken into

custody. >> when he was working with us, he's a strange dude. he's a different employee. >> reporter: four people have been shot and killed in tampa's seminole heights neighborhood, all within a month. in each case it was after dark and the victims were alone. while police hunted for the killer, residents waited and worried. >> people aren't supposed to live like this, in this much fear and worry and it's just not right. >> reporter: now the fear and worry may be over. dan sheneman, nbc news. north korea has launched yet another ballistic missile test. the first in more than two months. and some observers say it was the most powerful one yet. with the potential to reach the entirety of the united states. south korea responded by conducting military drills of their own. with world leaders now calling for an emergency meeting of the u.n. security council. nbc's richard engle has more. >> reporter: north korea fired one of its biggest and most controversial missiles, an intercontinental ballistic missile, which in theory can

reach the continental u.s. it went almost straight up, peaking, the south korean military said, at an altitude of nearly 3,000 miles. traveling a distance of just 600 miles until it crashed off the japanese coast, causing no damage. president trump often criticized for his provocative and at times threatening rhetoric kept his cards close. >> it is a situation that we will handle. >> reporter: defense secretary mattis added a little more detail. >> it went higher, frankly, than any previous shot they've taken. >> reporter: why now? political payback perhaps. president trump threatened the north korean regime while in south korea earlier this month. the president followed up with a tweet saying he'd never call kim jong un short or fat. kim jong un was in no position to respond. the u.s. had three aircraft carrier strike groups nearby. now all but one of the carriers has left and we may be entering a new cycle of escalation. in hawaii officials let reporters listen to the state's

new attack warning siren. [ siren ] starting in december, it will be tested every month. >> a possibility of attack today is very remote, but we do believe it's important that we be proactive. >> that was richard engle reporting. to washington now, where developments on capitol hill could soon impact your wallet. the senate budget committee voted along party lines to send the gop tax bill to the floor. protesters urged them to kill a bill analysts say overwhelmingly benefits the wealthy and corporations. in all, 36 protesters were arrested. the president had republicans looking for their first he big legislative win of the year are still tweaking the bill to try to get enough votes to pass it before christmas. the two republicans who expressed reservations voted in favor of the bill, and here was one senator describing the high stakes for the plan's passage. >> if the republicans can't pass this tax bill, then we'll pay

dearly for this. we have the presidency, we have the house, we have the senate. and i think it's high time we got together. >> it all came after the president ventured over to capitol hill to meet with lawmakers expressing optimism for his plan. >> we had a good day today. we had a phenomenal meeting with the republican senators. we had -- it was very special, that meeting. in many respects i wish you could have been inside that room. it was very, very special. the camaraderie. it was somewhat of a lovefest. they want to see it happen. they want to see it happen not only for the republican party. i think much more importantly they want to see it happen for the country. >> but this morning it's the political gamble he's taking with democrats that's causing some to worry about a possible government shutdown. for more we go to nbc's tracy potts in d.c. good morning. >> reporter: hey, frances, good morning. you remember a few months ago it was the president meeting behind the scenes with democrats and republicans were upset about that. well, now they've turned the tables. take a look at the tweet that

started it all. president trump saying that he was supposed to meet with chuck and nancy, talking about the top democrats here, about keeping the government open, immigration, but as the president put it, "i don't see a deal." so then this happened. the empty chairs next to president trump which democrats called a stunt and republicans said was unnecessary and unproductive to getting a budget deal. listen. >> so they decided not to show up. they've been all talk and they've been no action. and now it's even worse. now it's not even talk. >> i think it's very regrettable that our democratic colleagues in leadership chose to not participate because we have to negotiate these bills to get this work done. >> i've been in this position under a couple of previous presidents. i can't recall ever turning down an opportunity to go down to the white house. >> reporter: two empty chairs. democrats boycotting that meeting with president trump at the white house. they actually ended up moving it

to a different room because of the optics. and then this, the response from nancy pelosi, top democrat on the house side, saying that the verbal abuse from president trump will no longer be tolerated. the empty chair photo op shows he's more interested in stunts than addressing the needs of the american people. bottom line, they've got to get a budget done by the end of next week or possible shutdown. >> all right, tracie, thank you. pope francis continues his visit to myanmar while holding his first public mass in the mainly buddhist message. the pope preached a message of forgiveness and compassion to over 150,000 people, saying "the way of revenge is not the way of jesus." his sermon comes in the wake of the country's military crackdown on rohingya muslims, causing many of them to flee to neighbor's bangladesh. of myanmar's 52 million people, just over 1% identify as roman catholic. the suspect in last moss deadly truck rampage in lower manhattan has pleaded not guilty to charges murder and terrorism.

22 federal counts in all. 29-year-old sayfullo saipov is accused of driving a rented truck onto a bike path killing eight people. the uzbek immigrant remains held without bail. the end of an era for one new york giant opens the door of history for another. long-time starting quarterback eli manning has been benched after a disastrous season that has seen the giants go just 2-9 so far. eli said while he obviously didn't like the decision he gives his best to teammate geno smith, who will get the start at quarterback on sunday against the oakland raiders. smith will also become the franchise's first ever african-american starting quarterback. turning to basketball now, it was a first for lebron james as well but probably not the one that he wanted. james was looking for the foul on this drive to the basket, and then he started complaining to the referee after he didn't get that foul called. the ref hit james with a technical foul. and not only you that see him jawing with him a little bit

more, and there he goes. he got tossed out of the game. that was the first time lebron james has been kicked out of a game in his 15-year career. according to espn the only players who have gone longer without an ejection are tony parker and pau gasol, both of the san antonio spurs. >> yeah, a couple of hits there for these players. let's turn to meteorologist bill karins who's here with your hump day forecast. kind of mild in areas. >> some have been very dry, others pretty wet. here's the trend we're just about over with in november. rainfall in seattle above average. also montana. a little schmo mixed in with that too. san francisco above average. extremely dry and very warm too in areas like dallas. new orleans barely any rain at all dla all, atlanta's only had an inch. typically 3 1/2 inches for the month of november. a little bit of rain new england but only about half of the normal total. so again, today it's going to be a dry day. it's a cool morning. beautiful afternoon. ahead of that cold t 50s througe

ohio valley. once you get down to the southeast beautiful weather. incredibly warm and 70. couple showers and storms in hawaii too. that's probably often when the lower 48 is gorgeous hawaii has problems. >> it's our turn. about time. bill, thank you. fast-forwarding into wednesday, a funeral will be held for baltimore police detective shawn suter who was fatally shot earlier this month while investigating a 2016 triple murder. a suspect has yet to be identified despite a $250,000 reward. president trump heads to the st. louis area to rally support for the republicans' massive tax cut plan which the senate plans to vote on this week. treasury secretary steve mnuchin and several members of congress will join him. tonight do not miss the lighting of the world famous rockefeller center christmas tree. the star-studded event begins at 8:00, 7:00 central right here on nbc. used to have cancer.

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nasa is giving us a sneak peek of the new rover being designed for their mission to mars in 2020. the new vehicle looks similar to the 2012 curiosity rover but nasa says this model will have redesigned wheels and more autonomy. the rover will search mars for signs of ancient microbial life and collect rock and soil samples. it's set to launch in the fall of 2020 and scheduled to land on mars in early 2021. leading the news, first daughter and white house senior adviser ivanka trump is on a trip to india without a diplomatic delegation to back her up. all of it happening at a time of growing turmoil back at home in the state department. nbc news chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell has those details. >> reporter: ivanka trump in india in what the indian press is calling a royal visit. >> our administration is striving to promote greater opportunity for women around the world. >> reporter: but without a high-level state department support team, a deliberate snub from secretary of state rex tillerson say diplomatic sources.

tillerson himself under fire. accused of launching a war against diplomacy partly by a hiring freeze. >> there is no hollowing out. these numbers that people are throwing around are just false. they're wrong. >> reporter: rebutted by a 40-year veteran diplomat who quit this year, telling us -- >> it's hard to refute the stories of a hollowing out of the state department when the state department is being hollowed out by lack of appointment of senior people. >> reporter: the complaint from career diplomats quitting in droves, vacancies in hot spots around the world. no ambassador in south korea, saudi arabia, or egypt. no permanent assistant secretary for all of africa, asia, the middle east, or other key regions. a 33% budget cut so drastic even the republican congress balked. >> i think you're going to find democrats and republicans united on this issue. there's no reason for a hiring freeze in the state department. they imposed it themselves. >> reporter: we asked the state department. >> isn't it mostly because this administration has been so slow to nominate and because of the

job freeze? >> i think it's an unfair characterization to say that the administration has been slow to nominate. it's not going fast enough, andrea. i will be the first to admit that. but the secretary certainly says that as well. >> reporter: tillerson says he can cut the state department budget because he expects to get some conflicts resolved. surprising some experts, given the wars in afghanistan, yemen and syria and the north korean missile launch. frances? >> all right, andrea, thank you. just ahead, how the republican tax plan could be a tough break for a lot of homeowners and home buyers. you're watching "early today." 'e life of every child... with your help. st. jude children's research hospital is leading how the world treats and defeats childhood cancer. we won't stop until no child dies of cancer. and families never receive a bill from st. jude... because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. give thanks for the healthy kids in your life and give to those who are not. visit stjude.org or shop where you see the st. jude logo.

it's the one time of year weekend at kohl's friends & family take an extra 25% off! give joy with outerwear for her boots for him and stockings for the family! plus get kohl's cash! and remember - friends & family take an extra 25% off. give joy, get joy at kohl's. she pretty much lives in her favorite princess dress. but once a week i let her play sheriff so i can wash it. i use tide to get out those week old stains and downy to get it fresh and soft. you are free to go. tide and downy together. thanks for the ride-along, captain! i've never been in one of these before, even though geico has been- ohhh. ooh ohh here we go, here we go. you got cut off there, what were you saying? oooo. oh no no. maybe that geico has been proudly serving the military for over 75 years? is that what you wanted to say? mhmmm. i have to say, you seemed a lot chattier on tv. geico. proudly serving the military for over 75 years. you ok back there, buddy?

it's an important time for our country. we've come a long way on the finance committee to get the bill this far. and i believe that -- i believe we're going to be successful. i just wish we had more bipartisan support. >> the senate leader on the powerful finance committee lamenting the lack of democratic support for the gop tax bill. >> and one of the key issues behind that lack of support could be you and your home, specifically how the tax plan would negatively impact home owners and home buyers across the country. nbc's tom costello takes a deeper look. >> reporter: ridgewood, new jersey lies just 20 miles from manhattan, and boy, do they pay for it. jennifer and rafael brido bought their four-bedroom home 26 years ago for $245,000. now it's worth $750,000. their property taxes nearly $18,000 a year.

but under the republican plan the bridos worry their home value will sink just as their total tax bill skyrockets. >> in order to make the home affordable for us we count on that deduction. >> reporter: a lot of americans count on deducting their mortgage interest and their property taxes from their federal taxes. but now congress is talking about capping or eliminating those deductions. the size of that deduction depends on where you live. in the middle of the country homeowners typically have $6,500 or less in combined deductions. but on the coasts, where homes are more expensive, the deductions average $10,000 to $12,000 a year. in some metro areas, $20,000, even $30,000. many americans could find it costs more to keep their homes and makes it harder to sell. >> well, if you cannot write off interest and the tax benefits, that means fewer people will want to buy a home. therefore, home values decline and home ownership right will also decline. >> the nation's realtors warn

home values could drop by 10% on average, 15% in pricey areas. republicans insist new higher standard deductions will make up the difference. >> very much aimed at the middle class and renew the promise of the american dream. >> reporter: yet another provision would require homeowners to stay in their homes longer to avoid paying capital gains taxes when they sell. but for the bridos and millions of other families -- >> we're looking at a tax increase. this is not a tax deduction in any way, shape or form for us. >> reporter: fear the new tax plan could put a part of the american dream out of reach. tom costello, nbc news, washington. just ahead, which national pizza chain now has its own baby registry? yep. plus it was the sleepover of a lifetime for a family in denmark. you're watching "early today." r thanks for giving victor the energy to be the rowdiest fan. and joseph,the ability to see monsters. when you choose walgreens,you choose to make a difference..

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pain from chest congestion can make this... when you have a cold, ...feel like this. all-in-one cold symptom relief from tylenol®, the #1 doctor recommended pain relief brand. tylenol®. welcome back. exactly nine months after debuting a wedding registry, domino's pizza is launching now an online baby registry. the site offers products ranging from four bucks to $50 for both the baby and the parents-to-be. there are also food packages for every event from pregnancy cravings to baby showers, delivery day and also sleepless nights. once your bundle of joy arrives, and i tell you what when it comes to having a baby, whether or not you're pregnant or the baby's there, i think the pizza fixes everything, at least for the time being. >> yeah, that makes much more sense. the baby registry makes much more sense than the wedding registry. that seems a little nicer you

would think. but they should go all the way with this. college student registry. they could use some of this. just have family members and friends just drop some money into the account. >> smart. through go. some ideas there. how about this one british family we want to till about. they got to spend the night at the newly opened lego house. it was in denmark. they won a lego building design competition for the right to do this. the wolcott family's winning space station noodle shop design was selected from more than 24,000 entries, and they got a tour of the massive 134,000-square-foot lego house which includes four play areas, three restaurants in there and much more. they spent the day playing games before snuggling up in their beds for the night. you see the little lego alarm clock there. how about that? >> it's more than a house. 130,000 square feet. >> compound. >> it is. a total compound. still ahead, a holy mystery. what modern science is revealing about where the tomb of jesus christ was. ays it does but they're not all the same. who knew? i had no idea.

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we're back with a mystery that has long intrigued religious scholars. for centuries many christians have believed that a sacred site in jerusalem contained the tomb of jesus christ. >> well, now modern-day science is weighing in with a new archaeological test. nbc's keir simmons has more on a groundbreaking discovery. >> reporter: a church where millions have worshiped for thousands of years is again making history. franciscan monk father eugenio going into what many have long believed to be the tomb of jesus christ and the sight of the holiest of miracles. >> jesus has died and resurrected. >> reporter: this is the place? this is the place where jesus was resurrected? >> yes. >> reporter: his faith firmer than ever after new scientific

evidence proves that jerusalem's church of the holy sepulcher, pillaged, ravaged by earthquakes and damaged by fires does date back to roman times. the news revealed exclusively in december's "national geographic." >> now we know this is the exact site that was identified 1700 years ago that to this day remans a focal point of christian pilgrimage. >> a year agoat tomb was opened for the first time in centuries. ancient mortar removed. its crystals analyzed and dated to 300 a.d., when romans would have first discovered jesus's tomb and enshrined it. for almost 2,000 years this has been a place where christian faith and history meet. now science is here. confirming what so many believe. it's not evidence of jesus's body but it suggests they're looking in the right place. science and the scriptures. often at odds, in agreement with many questions still to answer. keir simmons, nbc news,

jerusalem. >> it's incredible. >> yeah. fascinating. how they come about it and just the science that fills in those blanks. >> yeah, like keir said, the convergence of religious and scientific and faith. yeah, it's amazing. let's turn now to nbc meteorologist bill karins with a look at our rockefeller tree lighting how it's going to be. >> the last two years we had rain. it was kind of chilly and cool. we're starting off with sunshine as the crowds will be building in new york and for that matter anywhere on the east coast. for the actual tree lighting ceremony itself this is about as beautiful as it will be for the performers, for the crowds. 6:00 p.m. clear skies and 50. for the big show at 8:00 p.m. light winds, 46 degrees, and you know, the weather's going to cooperate as well as it ever has. >> couldn't ask for anything more than that. >> no complaining. maybe the only thing to complain about is how crowded -- >> the crowds will be bigger than ever. >> thanks, bill, and thank you

for watching "early today." i'm phillip mena. >> i'm frances rivera. your news continues right here on nbc and our nbc stations. on this wednesday november 29th.

we start with breaking news that affects our )n-b-c ) news family. . welcome to "today in the bay" on this wednesday morning. we start with breaking news. the "today" show has terminated matt lauer's employment. good morning. thank you for joining us, i'm laura garcia. >> i'm marcus washington. that announcement came a half hour ago on the "today" show, which is on air in the east coast. we want to share that with you now. >> good morning. welcome to "today." hoda is here with me this morning because this is a sad morning here at "today" and nbc news. moments ago, nbc chairman sent the following note. on monday night, we received a detailed complaint from a