er. travelers, beware. our bill karins says today is an eight out of ten weather day, which will stymie thanksgiving travel for millions. >> breaking overnight, a federal judge rules president trump's one-time white house counsel don mcgahn must obey a subpoena and testify before congress. the judge adding, presidents are not kings. >> high winds are wreaking havoc in california as wildfires are spreading fast and threatening homes and firefighters' strike work to get the upper hand >> the brazen heist caught on camera thieves breaking into a famous museum and making off with priceless jewels the hunt for the suspect is on >> a surprise visit from conan

the combat canine at the white house with its commander in chief. >> and the tonight show getting a head start on thanksgiving pardons. >> this is fun tomorrow trump is pardoning a turkey in the white house rose garden a turkey is getting a pardon, which is why rudy giuliani was just spotted dressed like this >> "early today" starts right now. >> good morning. i'm phillip mena >> and i'm frances rivera. we start off today with several blasts of wintry weather just on the way for thanksgiving travelers. snow has already started falling in many states three major weather systems have led to weather alerts for 22 million americans. and it is all happening during a week when a record 55 million people are expected to head out of town. we are joined now by nbc's gabe gutierrez. gabe, good morning >> reporter: frances, good morning. we are starting to see heavy snow from the series of storms we are expecting many travel

delays over the coming days as this winte tens of millions of americans are bracing for a series of storms just in time for thanksgiving snow already pounding several states the roads already dangerous. and in new york, some deflating news the iconic balloons from the macy's thanksgiving day parade may not fly for the first time since 1971 if sustained winds are over 23 miles an hour and gusts top 34 miles an hour. >> we have a lot of things in place to prepare ourselves for any kind of weather conditions but, you know, we really won't know until we get to that day. >> reporter: some airports are rolling out new technology this is miami's new automated baggage screening area and the tsa says new orleans' new screening area lets officers houren twice as many b outside the airport rideshare is employing traffic engineers to prepare them for the holiday rush >> thanksgiving is going to be

really busy. i don't want to sugar coat that. i think people are going to need to anticipate long lines >> reporter: now, back here in new york, preparations for the big parade are already underway. officials here say they will make a game-time decision on thursday morning whether those balloons will fly. frances? >> we are keeping our fingers crossed. gabe, thanks now turn to nbc meteorologist bill karins tracking it all for us i'm still holding on tight we'd love to see them. >> of course the biggest issue we're going to have with the balloons is going to be probably late morning. so hopefully the winds will be low enough in the morning they can actually get up there and maybe lower them we'll figure it out in the next 48 hours as far as the middle of the country this is storm 1. we have the snow coming down on i-25 from denver and colorado springs. from denver and minneapolis will be the area of concern right over the top oi-80 there, especially through nebraska if the rain goes, we'll have travel issues on 55.

if you're heading north to chicago, nothing huge. thankfully in the northeast when the storm comes through, there is not a lot of rain left with it there will be some especially northern portions of new england. the gusty winds will cause some issues wednesday's travel at the airport, still gusty winds maybe major impact o'hare, detroit, new york any time it's windy with volume there, there are issues. >> if worse comes to worse, we'll have snoop i >> that's a good idea. >> throwing out ideas, bill. thank you. breaking overnight, a man triggers a partial hospital evacuation in connecticut. officials say the bizarre incident started when the guy pulled a contaminated towel from his back pack and threw it on the desk in the waiting room in a fit of rage. a hazmat team was called to the yale-new haven hospital. 35 people were evacuate and had several others were isolated it wasn't immediately clear what the towel was contaminated with. but the guy left the scene and police are now investigating >> in los angeles, a carjacking suspect wreaked havo ae machetea

drive through and tried to escape police.hs morgan chesky o how they took him down >> reporter: it's the the video capturing the end of an alleged carjacker's run from justice wielding a machete and an officer opens fire police say the crime sfree started on sunset boulevard where he pulled out the blade to rob an auto parts store. from there the suspect headed straight for a fast food drive through using that same weapon to steal a car in an attempt to outrun police. >> the officers gave chase and used less lethal options and eventually ended in an officer-involved shooting. >> reporter: that's when a witness captured this scene. the officer yelling at the man still wielding a machete >> hey, don't do it! don't do it! >> reporter: before being forced to open fire the suspect ruck and killed by police gunfire the officer who opened fire is injured, but expected to make a

full recovery. morgan chesky, nbc news. >> new overnight, at least six people have been killed and over 100 injured after an earthquake hit albania. the quake was a mag tut 6.4 and struck near the coastal city of duress officials say one man jumped to his death to escape the shaking. while another died when a building collapsed emergency crews are now frantically searching for survivors. schools have been closed until further notice >> a new ruling tied to the mueller investigation could come with major implications for the impeachment inquiry into president trump. a federal district judge in d.c. ruled that former white house counsel don mcgahn must comply with the house subpoena. if upheld, the decision would make it much tougher for the administration to keep officials from testifying. in a stinging rebuke to the white house, the judge ruled that claims of absolute immunity are baseless stated simply, the primary take away from the past 250 years of

recorded american history is that presidents are not king nbc's tracie potts joins us with the latest from d.c. tracie, what could this latest ruling mean for the inquire? >> reporter: frances, it could mean john bolton could be forced to testify he and other current and former white house employees have avoided subpoenas by congress in the impeachment inquiry at the direction of the white house but based on this ruling, the intelligence committee has already said they may have more people to testify. and now it looks like that may become a reality because the white house may not be able to block it >> this ruling is rock solid as a legal basis. it seems very unlikely the supreme court would have any rational reason for hearing this sort of a case on appeal >> reporter: now, keep in mind this ruling applies to don mcgahn who lawmakers wanted to talk to.

the judiciary committee actually in terms of russian election interference after the mueller report the justice department already gearing up to fight that, asking the judge and perhaps appeals court to stay that ruling. but legal experts say it is unlikely that the supreme court would overturn it. frances? >> a lot to think about. tracie, appreciate it. >> the battle between the navy's top brass and commander in chief. president trump defending his decision to allow a navy s.e.a.l. to keep his title after a controversial war crimes case. and now it's the navy secretary who is out of a job. nbc's miguel almaguer has the latest >> reporter: defense secretary mark esper says the order came from the president do not remove embattled navy s.e.a.l. edward gallagher from his elite commando unit, a command from the commander in chief who became entangled of the navy's review of gallagher's behavior >> they wanted to take his pin

away i said they're not going to take it away. he was one of the ultimate fighters >> reporter: with gallagher keeping his trident pin, thechay disagreed with the president's longsion to intervene wrote this share the same understanding with the commander in chief who appointed me iprciple of good y an order that i believe violates the sacred oath i took earlier this year, gallagher was acquitted of shooting iraqi civilians and killing the captive enemy fighter with a knife. he was convicted of posing with a dead isis soldier. gallagher on fox sunday. >> this is all about ego and retaliation. this has nothing to do with good order and discipline >> reporter: with spencer appearing to have been pushed out for defying the president, the pentagon says spencer was forced to resign after going behind his boss's back, proposing a secret deal with the

white house that would have allowed the review to proceed with a guarantee gallagher would remain a seal. the president tweeting, eddie will retire peacefully with all of the honors that he has earned >> we're going to protect our war fighters somebody has their back and it's called the president of the u.s., okay >> reporter: this navy s.e.a.l. keeping his trident at the order of the president and the cost of the navy secretary miguel almaguer, nbc news. >> it is beginning to look a lot like christmas the white house, first lady melania trump, welcomed the delivery of the 23-foot douglas fir. the tree from valley farms arrived with horse and carriage. it will be the center piece of this year's white house decorations in the blue room no word yet on what this year's theme will be. >> this week's theme will be i think chaotic i guess a little bit outside, bill. >> hard to believe we have severe weather to deal with, snowstorm to deal with a classic storm brewing in the middle of the country. we have 22 million people under

winter weather advisory watches, warning, from california right through the central plains the heaviest snow throughout the day is colorado, nebraska the northern half of iowa. then northern portions of wisconsin. minneapolis could pick up 6 inches of snow with he have a risk of severe storms later today we gohave to watch this in throughout the day today if you want good travel weather, stay on the east coast, looking great from the northeast to the southeast. we'll give the parade forecast coming up for macy's. >> all right, bill, thank you. in today's quick hits, a legendary guitar pete townsend of the who showing support forte letter swift in a recent interview he said watching taylor swift go through what she's putting herself

through is heart breaking. >> celine dion scored the first number one album in 17 years with the release of her new album courage, it's the 5th number one album >> young hit maker billy eilish is 2014 woman of the year. they say eilish has disrupted the entertainmentnd rist through her music and social music platforms. we'll be right back. superior to humira®a® wasn in providing significantly clearer skin. tremfya® may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. serious allergic reactions may occur. tremfya®. uncover clearer skin that can last. janssen can help you explore cost support options. upbeat music♪ no cover-up spray here. cheaper aerosols can cover up odors in a flowery fog. but febreze air effects eliminates odors. with a 100% natural propellent.

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u.s. stocks kicked off the week in record-high territory. new signs of progress. in trade talks between the u.s. and china, the dow rose 190 basis points and the s&p gained 23 and the nasdaq adde far, fary to ebay. that's right j.j. abrams reveals the script from the rise of sky walker.

an actor left a stray script under their bed where it was stolen and put up for auction. luckily a disney employee saw the ebay listing and got it back before it sold abrams also revealed the new "star wars" will run 2 hours 21 minutes making it the second longest movie in the franchise >> a manhunt is underway in germany for a pair of thieves police say broke into the world reknowned green vault in dresden. they were caught on surveillance video. they smashed their way through a glass case and made off with an unknown amount of priceless jewels and rubies. here's nbc's kelly cobiella. >> reporter: in a matter of minutes, police say thieves broke in a security camera capturing two of them before dawn with flashlights in the jewel room, pulling out an axe, hacking their way through display cases, holding nearly 100 sparkling artifacts. getting away with diamond

broaches, an ornate sword. officials say they can't put a price on them. museum director said the stolen treasures from the 18th century were handed down over generations. the green vault in dresden's royal palace is one of europe's oldest museums, home to nearly 4,000 artifacts, including the 41 karat dresden green diamond it and more than a dozen other valuables are safe and sound in new york on loane tr museum of art investigators in germany are combing for clues. they think someone set a fire at a nearby power station to plunge the area into darkness but so far no sign of the brazen thieves or dresden's priceless treasures. kelly cobiella, nbc news >> from oceans 14 right there. >> incredible to get away with that you never know maybe they'll catch them just ahead, monopolizing your time like never before the grueling new version of monopoly threatening family game nights everywhere. >> and your kids won't sleep

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with that joke i think he nailed it, though >> right on. game night is about to get a lot moreed i longest game ever edition. for those who like to be tortured, this new version 66 pe doesn't end until someone owns every single piece of property on the entire board. i have yet to finish a game of regular monopoly >> yeah. >> never going to happen with this one >> i was about to say the exact same thing i don't know how many times i've played monopoly. i've never finished the game why would you want it even longer than that we have shorter attention spans now. >> that's not going to happen. >> even when there was nothing to do back in the day. >> in that closet, money, monopoly guy >> all right thanks to a new children's book out today, parents can teach their children the abcs of metallica. >> k is for kirk who shreds on the guitar

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good news in australia after over a month of brush fires, long-awaited rain helped the volunteer emergency service fire brigade to fuse the flames. the team couldn't help but rejoice. and they weren't alone after posting the video on facebook, they received an outpouring of gratitude for their efforts and also the rainfall >> let's toss it back to bill karins looking at the holiday forecast >> the parade forecast is still iffy i was looking at the new update for it the wind, the criteria is it can't have gusts over 34 miles per hour now the wind cast is 35 to 40 right during the middle of the pa it's going to be iffy. hopefully it will improve in the next two days. we'll be right back with more news eeeeeww! dead skin cells! gross! so now, i grab my swiffer sweeper and heavy-duty dusters.

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in today's top stories, the supreme court is putting a halt on president trump's tax records. justices temporarily blocked the release of the financial information sought by congress last month a three-judge panel ruled the house has the authority to subpoena the records. the stay will allow time for the president's lawyers to file an appeal, and then the high court will decide whether to take up the case >> the new york yankees are swinging through baseball's glass ceiling. according to "the new york times," the team has hired rachel balkovich, believed to be the first woman hired as a hitting coach in baseball. she previously worked as a strength and conditioning coach with the cardinals and astros. according to "new york times," she's more than qualified. she has two masters degrees in the science of human movement. >> good for her. now to the redwood city fire department in california made a very adorable rescue theyd seal

that made a detour in a parking lot and parking garage there back at the station, the baby seal nicknamed santos posed for pictures before taking a nap he will be treated at a marine center and eventually released >> we've all been there, lost in a parking garage >> and the nap, too. we all know that here. we understand. we're right there with you >> a dog day afternoon in d.c. conan the hero dog, you may remember he chased down the world's most wanted terrorist. he was honored at the white house. here's kristen dahlgren. >> reporter: in a surprise ceremony, the combat canine getting a hero's welcome at the white house. >> conan came over from the middle east. just arrived with some of the great people from the special forces >> reporter: the belgian m alamo a was involved in the killing of the isis leader. he received a medal and a plaque

along with some pats on the head >> the dog is incredible actually incredible. we spent some good time with it. and so brilliant, so smart >> reporter: the world first learned of conan in a tweet after the raid the president then teasing the white house visit. but could 1600 pennsylvania avenue be a permanent home for the pooch? >> melania, do you want to adopt the dog for barron >> no. >> reporter: so his future may not be his first pup, but in many minds, he is definitely top dog. kristen dahlgren, nbc news >> all right he's a lot of our first pups >> that is so cute i am so surprised melania didn't want a loyal companion in the white house, so surprised. >> thanks for watching i'm frances rivera >> i'm phillip mena. tomorrow on "today" an epic live event on the plaza as chefs from all 50 states plus washington, d.c. and puerto ri washington, d.c. and puerto ri prcoes

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welcome to tuesday, november 26th. get ready, here comes the rain. we fired up the nbc bay area storm ranger to track the incoming storm, which arrives in just a matter of hours. cool start to our morning, too. a very good morning to you. thanks for joining us. i'm laura garcia. >> and i'm marcus washington. let's get straight to that weather. we are expecting the rain to come, any time soon? >> later on this afternoon. we can see on the satellite imagery as i widen it out it's still well to the north of us but moving quickly and we should start to see rain moving from north to south as we go into later this afternoon into the evening, and so once again we have storm ranger that's our mobile doppler radar, we have it parked on san bruno mountain scanning the bay area. it will give us