no end in sight for the government shutdown with president trump renewing his calls for wall funding. his message as tragedy strikes for a second time this month at the border. a heart stopping warning from a new jersey surgery center. why thousands of paties may be at risk for hiv and hepatitis. sabotage or space debris? scientists race to solve the case of a mysterious hole aboard the international space station. l.a. lakers now without lebron james. you can see still a lot of pain. >> you heard that right. lakers superstar lebron james out after an injury against the warriors. we will have an update on his

condition. and apparently not even santa can deliver a mega millions winner. "early today" starts right now. good morning. i'm marlie hall. >> and i'm phillip mena. as the government shutdown stretches into its fifth day, president trump isn't backing down from his demands for a border wall. on christmas, he vowed to keep 800,000 federal workers furloughed until he gets funding from congress. meanwhile, u.s. customs and border protection is ordering an extra medical check on every child in custody after the death of an 8-year-old guatemalan boy detained along the u.s.-mexico border. he is the second child to pass away in government custody this month. while nbc news hasn't independently verified the victim's name, in a statement, texas congressman joaquin castro identified the boy as philippe alonzo gomez. nbc's garrett haake has more on this story as well as the government shutdown. >> i want to wish everybody a really merry christmas. >> reporter: president trump started christmas morning making calls to american service members deployed around the orld.

guam? >> reporter: but when the holiday cheer was over, he made it clear what's still at the top money for his border wall. >> i can't tell you when the government's going to be open. i can tell you it's not going to be open until we have a wall, a fence, whatever they'd like to call it. >> reporter: mr. trump says he gave out a contract on christmas eve for 115 miles of wall construction in texas with building set to start next week. he said he planned a visit in january. >> the new section is very, very exciting, what's going on there. so while we're fighting over funding, we're also building. >> reporter: but the white house provided no further information on where that wall might be built, how much it would cost, or who would build it. congress hasn't appropriated any money for new wall construction. >> but we want the wall money to be increased because i want to finish it. >> reporter: and customs and border protection announcing the death of an 8-year-old guatemalan boy in their custody in new mexico. he became sick on christmas eve, cbp said, and was taken to aal .

the 8-year-old passed away just after midnight. cbp says it is reviewing what happened. he was the second migrant child this month. and the white house still hasn't commented on that boy's death. his passing a reminder that this debate about immigration in washington isn't just debate. there are actual lives at stake. >> and the grief is very real for those families. garrett, thanks. in indonesia, fears of yet another tsunami sent hundreds of residents running for their lives. the death toll from saturday's powerful wave now standing at more than 420 with nearly 1,500 people ju in the disaster zone again this morning. >> reporter: c. fears another tsunami was about to hit. just 18 miles from saturday's deadly wave, hundreds ran to higher ground after a rumor started that more water was on the way. even though it was a false

alarm, it rattled a region already in shock days after the wall of water slammed ashore. rescuers haven't given up the search for survivors. this man said he almost didn't make clinging to a coconut tree so he wouldn't get swept away. a couple of days ago, this was a lively beachfront resort area. you can see how the tsunami came crashing through here, leaving nothing but rubble in its wake. these musicians were performing nearby when the wave hit. they returned looking for their guitar. so many here are desperately trying to salvage anything they can. while thousands here are displaced, all are keeping a close eye on the volcano that caused the landslide, sending deadly waves into this community. as the volcano continues to erupt just off the coastline, people are being told they need

to stay fromjust then case. >> thervolcano, this one in italy, grounded flights and forced an airport to close. mt. etna erupted again this week, spewing lava and sending a cloud of ash into the skies above sicily. more than 130 earthquakes rattled that region on monday. now to a medical warning. a new jersey surgical center says more than 3,000 patients may have been exposed to hiv and hepatitis. as nbc's matt bradley tells us, there's an urgent call for patients to see whether they've been affected. >> reporter: thousands of people got a disturbing greeting this holiday season. health plus surgery center sent warnings that patients may be at risk for diseases like hiv and hepatitis b and c. the center said lapses in infection control and sterilization in cleaning instruments and the injection of medications could pose an infection risk. the patients treated there between january and september. the new jersey department of health added in a statement that

while the risk of infection is low, out of an abundance of caution, health plus department recommend patients get blood tests. those will be free, and so far no reports of any accidental infections. emergency physician dr. robert gladder is not affiliated with the center. he's at new york's lenox hill hospital and says most patients don't need to worry. >> i think the risk is very small. that said, i still think there is a possible risk, and i think that anyone who was treated at this surgical center should be tested. >> reporter: meanwhile, health plus surgery center says it has taken crucial steps to ensure patient safety, including thorough cleaning and improving infection control. but it's recommending patients get tested as soon as possible. an unsettling request even if the risks are low. matt bradley, nbc news. in california, governor jerry brown ordered a crucial dna test that offers a death row inmate one final chance at freedom. kevin cooper was convicted decades ago in the murder of four people in the los angeles

suburbs. nbc's gadi schwartz has the story. >> reporter: from san quentin state prison, death row inmate kevin cooper has been claiming innocence for decades. speaking out in a phone interview earlier this year. >> they planted evidence. they destroyed evidence. they lied about evidence. >> reporter: cooper is on death row for murdering four people in 1983. >> all were found hacked and stabbed to death in this house amid the horse country of the sch chino hills. >> on christmas eve, a last minute order from governor jerry brown allowing for new dna testing on key pieces of evidence including a hatchet and a t-shirt hayes lawyers say was tampered with. >> i know i never had that shirt. >> reporter: the prosecutors say the evidence was solid. cooper, an escaped convict, had a history of violence, and the case has been re-examined again numerou appeals. >> there is no doubt in my mind that this is the person that committed those crimes. >> reporter: but the case continues to draw the scrutiny of former judges, politicians,

and celebrities. pointing to the initial description from the sole survivor of three white men as the attackers. and possible evidence pointing to other suspects like bloody cover alls that were thrown away. >> with current technology, we think we'll be able to show he's innocent. >> reporter: currently awagadi news, los angeles. well, if you like to play the odds, there is still a chance to win hundreds of millions of dollars. there were no big winners in last night's christmas drawing for the mega millions. this brings the estimated jackpot for friday up to a whopping $348 million. meanwhile, tonight's powerball jackpot has risen to $2let'check out on our weather today. >> it's going well. unfortunately for parts of texas, the odds are high you'll be facing severe weather. we have 19 million people at risk, more towards the austin,

san antonio area. this storm system won't just impact texas. for those of us that are going to be traveling these days after christmas, this is a massive storm system that will not only bring downpours but also the threat for snow. and some of that snow will be heavy. even blizzard conditions are expected with a foot or more of snow and very strong winds. this will be very blustery and dangerous for today and into torrow. thatmo'ssouthward, mild temperatures above normal. stormy conditions will prevail in texas. after a couple of quiet days, christmas eve and christmas day, it looks troublesome for travelers today and into tomorrow. >> bonnie, thanks so much. well, in sydney, australia, and their iconic tt was the place to be for christmas day as thousands took

advantage of perfect summer weather to celebrate. all decked out in red and tinsel, tourists flocked to the shoreline for the festivities. christmas is typically one of the busiest days of the year on australia's beaches. i've never spent christmas on the beach. definitely on my to do list. >> especially in australia too. save up for that. just ahead, the highlights from the nba christmas extravaganza and an out of this world mystery. scientists trying to figure out what happened to the international space station. rebekkah: opioids has taken everything and everyone i've ever loved away from me. everything. i blew my ankle out and i got prescribed pain pills by my doctor. if making my detox public is gonna help somebody i'm all for it. i just wish i would've had a warning. my dbut now, i take used tometamucil every day.sh

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setting over the horizon. really cool pic. >> looks like fun and games. but there's also a high stakes mystery going on, playing out on that same spacecraft. russian cosmonauts are investigating what caused a hole on the side of the space station. kerry sanders has more on the possible criminal investigation being launched in outer space. >> reporter: it sounds like a plot line from a movie. a soyuz capsule losing cabin pressure. at first scientists suspect a meteor strike opened a hole discovered under external insulation. >> and a good unobstructed view now of that black spot. that's the hole on the external hull. >> reporter: but now a sinister plot twist. cosmonauts discover the hole, about half the seize size of the head of a match stick was drilled from inside the capsule. questions investigators want answers, was it drilled while in orbit, or did someone access the

capsule on the ground? russian media reported investigators probed the possibility u.s. astronauts deliberately drilled the hole in august to get a sick colleague sent back home. russian and nasa officials have since denied that report. scientists hope a more innocent simple explanation can solve a mystery discovered 220 miles over earth. kerry sanders, nbc news. >> i hope it's not sabotage. that would be horrible. we need to send george clooney or matt damon up to ahead, a christmas surprise from a police officer. and the new hotline lending a helping hand to our veterans. t. nerepair's®e derm-proven retinol works so fast, it takes only one week to reveal younger looking skin. making wrinkles look so last week. rapid wrinkle repair®

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packs more omega-3 power into one small softgel. megared. an officer in colorado surprised a family with christmas presents after theirs were stolen. earlier this month, some thieves broke into the perkins family home, leaving nothing behind but a tree and wrapping paper. >> i was surprised. i mean we were sitting down to eat dinner, and he just knocked on the door. >> just seeing the little girls in the house kind of pulled on my heartstrings a little bit. >> the officer was just happy to bring them some cheer on this holiday season. how about that? >> an officer with a big heart. now the latest on a hotline for troubled veterans promised on the campaign trail by president trump. that's now up and running. nbc's catie beck tells us how it's already making a difference in the lives of u.s. service men

and women l help. y i'm going to send that message now. >> reporter: an urgent call from a working. help now on the way. whether it's a health care question, access to v.a. benefits, transportation, or housing problems, life issues where veterans have found red tape and roadblocks are now finding a more direct line to someone who cares. >> sometimes veterans take a long time to be able to recognize that they're in crisis, and we want to be available when they contact us. >> reporter: 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, tucked in the hills of shepherd's town, west virginia, the hotline a promise of then-candidate donald trump. one year aft affairs hotline a growing operation wit separated from their family,

homeless. so then when they call, they're just looking for someone to listen. >> reporter: almost all agents are veterans or from a veteran family. veterans groups say the results have been mixed. and effectiveness becomes enhanced by each complicated call that gets handled. >> reporter: the team has answered close to 130,000 calls. many from vets lost in a complex system. >> from one veteran to another, i want to thank you for your service and sacrifice. >> reporter: with problems no longer on hold. catie beck, nbc news, shepherds town, west virginia. >> a step in the right direction. still plenty to be done to provide the support they deserve. your christmas day nba highlights are just ahead. they say that the league doesn't even really get going until communities shat went up in a neighborhood in illinois when

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it traps and removes the waste that weighs me down, so i feel lighter. try metamucil, and begin to feel what lighter feels like. the nba's christmas day extravaganza came with a big scare for the league's biggest star. lebron james exited the lakers-warriors game. he had a groin injury reportedl something pop before limping to the locker room for evaluation. he suffered a strained left groin andil problems without him. plenty of firepower. they flow o burning the midnight oil. utah leapt out to the early lead and never looked back.

th utah pulls away with the win, 117-96. down in houston, james harden continued to make his case for yet another mvp season. the beard put up 41 points on the thunder, scoring over 30 in his seventh straight game. the rockets edge oklahoma city 113-109. and in boston, it was an overtime thriller. the celtics and the 76ers put on a show. the fireworks coming in the final minutes. sixers go up by four points on a jumper from jimmy butler. but it was kyrie irving pair of, they getting the job done on both ends of the floor. gee iannis antetokounmpo led th bucks to a 109-95 win. >> it's a mouthful. >> he's going to be a star in this league for a decade, and we'll all know how to say his name. bonnie, how is the weather? >> it's going pretty well so far, but we are looking at some travel troubles on this day after christmas.

a winter storm is brewing, and it may even bring blizzard conditions to parts of the northern plains. just the opposite, though. some severe weather and warm temperatures as we look towards areas to the south. >> bonnie, thank you. just ahead, celebrities are reacting to that bizarre video that was put out yesterday by kevin spacey. he was in character, and it was odd. "the most perfect boy in the world". she's right. i love your confidence. when d st. jude children's research hospital. no family pays st. jude for anything... because all a their child live. elng now i'm perfectly cancer free. visit stjude.org or shop wherever you see the st. jude logo. hurry in for up to seventy five percent off storewide and fifty percent off all jeans, this wednesday only, at old navy.

ybut life...can throw them off bbalance.of bacteria, (vo) re-align yourself with align probiotic. and try align gummies with prebiotics and probiotics to help support digestive health. in today's top stories, celebrities are not holding back their reactions after actor kevin spacey released this bizarre video in what appears to be his house of cards character. it was posted on twitter after prosecutors announced that he's facing a felony charge for allegedly sexually assaulting a teen back in 2016. patricia arquette tweeted, i'm sure none of the men who were

kids at the time of their sexual assaults appreciate kevin spacey's weird video. no. just no. in response to her tweet, actor anthony rapp tweeted, #truth. rapp has also accused spacey of making alleged sexual advances in 1986 when the actor was just 14 years old. and rob lowe wrote, i'm pretty sure there'skevin spacey drinks. >> can't wait till we get a response from him. there's got to be another explanation. remember that controversial phone call we talked about yesterday? president trump had it with that 7-year-old. well, now we know who she is. >> you just have a good time. >> yes, sir. >> are you st. louisill a belie santa? >> yes, sir. >> because at 7, it's marginal, right? >> yes, sir. >> the exchange made a lot of people cringe. that is 7-year-old collman lloyd from lexington, south carolina. in an interview, she admitted to never hearing the world marginal

before. aside from the call, collman still believes in santa. don't stop believing, collman. plenty of time in this world to be skeptical. >> so glad her belief is intact. well, in illinois this week, a show of support and solidarity for mysteriously disappeared from their backyard. nbc's ron mott has more on how a communitydhem to send a message of inclusion. >> reporter: casey handel and zadette rosado are getting married last week so when someone stole their pride flag from their backyard and replaced it with an american flag, they felt violated and under attack for their love. >> the nerve of someone to trespass on someone's property and take something and then replace it with something that's making a statement. >> reporter: casey shared news of the caper with neighbors online. >> something very disturbing and scary happened last night. >> reporter: and the neighborhood's true colors came shining through. one by one, neighbors started

flying pride flags too. a message of solidarity with casey and zadette, but also a message to the thief. >> families come in all shapes and right to judge. rees the flag because they liked it so much. >> it was tough to watch them originally thought someone stole then process the fact that maybe difficult conversation to have with them. >> reporter: on christmas, howe neighborhood support, te pde ev.

ad lib live picture golden gate bridge. good morning and thank you and good wednesday morning. no one on the road on the going going. i'm sure that will change today. >> maybe that means more people are watching this morning. thank you for being with us. >> thank you for joining us. >> maybe you're packing up the car, headed somewhere fun. i'm kris sanchez in for laura garcia. >> and i'm marcus washington. we go to meteorologist kari hall, it should be another nice one today? >> it will be a nice day. i don't know if you'd consider work fun because a lot of people will be headed back to work.

live look inside san francisco as it starts out quiet and also cooler especially in the north bay with our temperatures in the mid topp