a painful start to the busy christmas travel week. a massive 69 car pileup leaves dozens injured in virginia what to expect if you're hitting the road today. lawmakers are home for the holidays, but the impeachment drama is dominating the hill the newly uncovered evidence raising the stakes even higher ahead of the senate trial. sunday night football, hard to bare for chicago fans, from the chiefs blowout to heartbreak for the cowboys. all the nfl action as the playoff picture comes into focus. plus, the legend is back in studio 8h. >> y'all wondering how mr. robinson can afford to live

in this fancy neighborhood that's the word of the day >> eddie murphy's deliriously funny return to "saturday night live." "early today" starts right now good morning i'm dara brown. >> i'm phillip mena. christmas is just two days away, but this extreme winter weather is not making it easy for holiday travelers. winter weather snarled traffic for millions on the road who are running into ice, freezing fog, and rain across the u.s., nearly 4,000 flights were delayed this weekend, and there was some frustrating situations at a couple major airports. nbc's morgan chesky joins us now from one of them >> reporter: phillip, good morning. just a few days to go until christmas, conditions not making it easier for the holiday travelers. with a record number of people taking to the air and hitting the roads, everyone is going to need to be keeping a close eye in the days ahead. the holiday travel rush brought to a scary halt on virginia roads. a 70-car pileup accident,

shutting down interstate 64 in both directions near williamsburg. >> i got out of my car and assisted a woman whose leg was pinned inside her door. >> reporter: hollowell captured this video of his car slipped on ice. he somehow walked away, while crews took 51 others to nearby hospitals. >> we do not know the cause of the accident at this time, but we do have causative factors, which is heavy fog and icy road conditions that morning. >> reporter: despite potentially dangerous weather, more than 100 million americans opting to drive to their holiday destinations at least 4 million people are under flash flood watches across the southeast, where a storm system is expected to dump heavy rain and bring with it gusty winds. miami and atlanta expecting delays mother nature isn't the only problem. at lax, this fiery scene caused a traffic nightmare.

flames torching empty buses. prompting a quick response but lucky no flight delays travel expected to jump 5% with nearly 7 million people planning to fly between now and new year's day in seattle, the issue was short staffing a lack of baggage handlers led to missing flights, bags, and waiting hours for answers. while it is now officially winter, the forecast here in atlanta not looking like a white christmas. that said, for those heading home on the day after christmas, which aaa says should be the busiest day, forecasts nationwide call for a warmup the drive home shouldn't be too bad. >> hopefully it'll make it safer out there. thank you. capitol hill is quiet amid the holiday break, but the buzz around impeachment is still building there is new information about the infamous day last july when president trump called ukraine's leader asking for a favor. the trove of previously unreleased emails has shed new light on the timeline

surrounding ukrainian aid. meanwhile, the president kept up his attacks on democrats ahead of the senate impeachment trial. in a flurry of tweets, claiming, quote, their case is dead. nbc's scott macfarlane joins us with the latest. what'd we learn from the emails? >> reporter: good morning. the emails may be a big witness in the senate impeachment trial. the trial will begin next month at the earlier, but both sides this morning are already making their case this holiday week, both democrats and republicans have a wish list. the gop wants a fast impeachment trial. >> well, i think the president wants to prove his innocence. >> reporter: democrats say speaker nancy pelosi and her party want witnesses including key, current, and former white house officials. >> she's trying to make sure there is an objective trial in the senate, as there's supposed to be. >> reporter: the stakes are rising because of revelations about one of the witnesses democrats want to call newly released documents show former white house budget official michael duffee told the

pentagon to withhold aid from ukraine july 25th, an hour and a half after president trump asked ukraine's president to investigate joe biden. as congress returns home for holiday, both sides are still digging in >> the charges are pretty thin gruel. i don't see anything impeachable in that. >> if there was ever an argument that we need mr. duffee to come testify, this is that information. this email is explosive. >> reporter: president trump has no public schedule but was actively tweeting through the weekend. including writing, the dems just wish it'd all end. scott macfarlane, nbc news, washington. now a case that has made headlines across the country we have new details in the murder of a texas mom, heidi broussard. in a shocking twist, broussard's friend was arrested and charged with kidnapping. people who know her believe she tried to steal broussard's baby. here is nbc's sam brock. >> reporter: heidi broussard's family and loved ones are trying

to process the sordid, shocking details of her death that appears to involve one of her oldest friends, magen humphrey tim is a family friend who specializes in missing persons cases. he talked to the suspect last week. >> she had me convinced. after i hung up talking with her, it was the last person in the world i expected that could possibly have anything to do with it. so, yeah, she fooled us all. >> reporter: last thursday, investigators uncovered broussard's body in the trunk of a car on humphrey's property heidi's three-week-old baby, margot, found alive inside the houston home a spokesperson tells nbc news margot is in foster care as they await the results of dna testing to make sure it's her. friends say humphrey, charged with kidnapping and tampering with a human corpse, stood in the delivery room when heidi gave birth and spoke of her own

pregnancy. putting out a baby registry listing the same due date as heidi's. something that struck her close friends as odd do you believe the suspect was pregnant >> no, sir i do not believe she was pregnant. >> reporter: why would someone lie about a pregnancy? >> she wanted the baby that's all i can process, that she wanted the baby. >> reporter: nbc reached out to h humphrey's court-appointed lawyer and haven't heard back. there is not yet a possible motive this as the family prepares for a vigil. sam brock, nbc news, austin. for the first time in over 200 years, there will be no christmas mass at notre dame cathedral. the landmark is undergoing restoration after a devastating fire destroyed its roof and spire earlier this year. the iconic paris cathedral celebrated midnight mass during both world wars. even during the nazi occupation of france. the mass will instead be held at

a nearby church. one week left in the regular season the nfl playoff puzzle is nearly complete the chiefs are a lock after cruising to an easy win over the bears. reigning mvp mahomes was on fire, rushing for a touchdown and putting up two more in the air. k.c.'s defense stifled chicago, allowing a single kick through the upright. chiefs win it, 26-3. cowboys are on the outside looking in after a crushing loss to the eagles. head coach jason garrett was already in the hot seat and is practically on fire this morning. phillies took the lead and never look back. win it 17-9. if war scarson wentz and compann win next week, they'll be in the playoffs also, baltimore got a win over the browns cleveland got on the board first, but lamar jackson took over, making another case for mvp, throwing for three touchdowns and running over 100

yards. ravens win it, 31-15 it was a stunning up in seattle, where the arizona cardinals beat the playoff-bound seattles that's drake there, 80 yards to the end zone in the first quarter. it was never really close from there. 27-13. cardinals, another record for the new orleans saints this time, receiver michael thomas breaking the single season record for most receptions he now has 145 catches on the year he finished the game with 136 yards and a touchdown. new orleans wins the game, 38-28. nbc meteorologist janessa webb is here with our holiday travel forecast. good morning to you, janessa. >> good morning. pacific northwest, we're seeing another storm system that's starting to brew, but we are unfortunately dealing with flood advisories and warnings taking place in miami right now the band of moisture will start to make its way out, and things will start to dry out, finally, for your christmas eve

another wave of rain though for los angeles to san diego that's going to cause flood concern, at least throughout the afternoon. all the way to the bay area. even the cascades, we are forecasting potential up to 6 to 9 inches then look at all this snow it is going to be for the higher elevations above 7,000 feet. 9 to 12 inches of snow you'll be playing in it for your christmas eve ane sunshine to s off your morning before that storm system makes its way in for california i'm kind of excited to see this. look at all the snow >> christmas. >> for the higher elevations skiers, get to it. >> all right >> sounds like a plan. thanks, janessa.

ahead, if you're planning a holiday get away, you should probably double check your charges at the end of your trip. and tragedy strikes the family of a 49ers quarterback. you're watching "early today." what'd we decide on the flyers again? uh, "fifteen minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance." i think we're gonna swap over to "over seventy-five years of savings and service." what, we're just gonna swap over? yep. pump the breaks on this, swap it over to that. pump the breaks, and, uh, swap over? that's right. instead of all this that i've already-? yeah. what are we gonna do with these? keep it at your desk, and save it for next time. geico. over 75 years of savings and service. ordinary tissues burn when theo blows. so dad bought puffs plus lotion, and rescued his nose. new puffs have more lotion... and soothing softness to relieve. a nose in need, deserves puffs, indeed. whether you were borne for more dance-offs... more travels... or more touchdowns. get the immune support that gives you more.

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and irritation on the face. get the shave you've been waiting for. gillette skinguard. leading the news, the san francisco 49ers are reeling from a sudden tragedy the violent death of a player's brother over the weekend during saturday's game, there was an emotional show of support for that player's loss nbc's sarah harman has the story. >> i didn't know what to say to you guys at the beginning of the day. you know what happened last night, man. >> reporter: 49ers coach, kyle shanahan, and his players filled with emotion after the fatal stabbing of quarterback cj beatha beathard's little brother. >> i spent time with him, he was struggling to talk >> reporter: the tragedy shook the entire team. >> known him for eight years kind of a little brother to me >> reporter: police say 22-year-old clayton and his

friend, 21-year-old paul, were fatally stabbed outside a nashville bar after an argument over a woman police are asking for the public's help identifying this man and releasing surveillance footage from inside the bar, saying they want to question the two men at the center booth and the man and woman who later joined them. the beathard family is football royalty. their grandfather bobby, an nfl hall of famer. >> i was not thinking about stats or anything like that. >> reporter: clayton, a college juni junior, played for long island university the beathard family remembering him as an amazing, big and soft-hearted human being, who loved kids, underdogs, and the less fortunate on saturday, as c.j. flew home to be with his grieving family, the 49ers managed a thrilling victory over the la rams >> the last thing he said when i walked out the door, he stopped me and said, you make sure the guys win this game >> reporter: honoring their teammate's final request for a little brother gone too soon

sarah harman, nbc news. just ahead, if you're booking a room, better check the charges twice. a warning for your holiday trip. how the nation celebrated the first day of hanukkah. you're watching "early today." t. dust mite droppings! eeeeeww! dead skin cells! gross! so now, i grab my swiffer sweeper and heavy-duty dusters. duster extends to three feet to get all that gross stuff gotcha! and for that nasty dust on my floors, my sweeper's on it. the textured cloths grab and hold dirt and hair no matter where dust bunnies hide. no more heebie jeebies. phew. glad i stopped cleaning and started swiffering. fthe prilosec otc two-weekymore. challenge is helping people love what they love again. just one pill a day. 24 hours. zero heartburn. because life starts when heartburn stops. take the challenge at prilosecotc dot com. does scrubbing grease feel like a workout? scrub less with dawn ultra. it's superior grease-cleaning formula gets to work faster.

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the national menorah is officially lit to celebrate the first day of hanukkah. hundreds gathered in washington, d.c. sunday for the lighting

ceremony faith leaders will illuminate one candle a night for the eight-day holiday. this menorah display is reportedly the largest in the world. we want to wish a happy hanukkah to all those who celebrate >> little dicey up there. >> made it happen. if you're heading off for holiday vacation, it might be worth taking a second look at your hotel bill. cnbc explains why. >> reporter: asyou prepare to travel for the holidays, watch out for the pesky resort fees that may be added on to your hotel bill at checkout hotels say the resort fee, ranging from $25 to $45 a night cover activities or amenities, like free wi-fi or access to the gym. it is seen as an effective way for properties to collect more money from customers without raising the room rate. >> it's been very challenging the last couple years to push room rates higher. one way that they've been able to at least make profits higher is by tacking on these resort

fees. >> reporter: resort fees are quickly becoming a source of frustration for travelers who may not even be using any of the amenities that are included in the resort fee, like complementary drinks at the bar or a beach chair it's not just hotels and travel destinations like the caribbean. many hotels located in cities are starting to implement an urban fee. research from hospitality firms show an increase in the number of urban hotels in cities like new york, chicago, and los angeles that are charging fees, even if they don't have the swimming pools and other amenities resort fees usually cover. guests are often not made aware of the fee when booking the hotel. lawmakers have taken notice. earlier this year, the attorney generals in washington, d.c. and nebraska filed lawsuits against the two largest hotel operators, marriott and hilton, for not properly disclosing these fees experts don't see the fees going away any time soon >> i think for many hotels, it's

been quite successful. it's not just the revenue. it doesn't cost any more employees to tack the fees on. because of that, you have a high profit stream from them. >> reporter: as fees continue to rise, experts caution that may push more travelers to opt to stay at a short-term rental over a hotel. >> something costs more, you may look at an alternative accommodation, such as airbnb or the like. >> reporter: depending on where you are staying, there may be a way to get out of paying the resort fee travel consulting firm tpg recommends booking hotels using awards or points, and advises clients to check in with the hotel manager to see if the resort fee can be taken off the bill if you're not planning to use any of the amenities or services it covers cnbc business news >> nice tips there just ahead, janessa has our holiday forecast. and a box office tour

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largest weekend of the year. "jumanji" earned $26.1 million in second. "frozen ii" in third with $12.3 million. "cats" had a disappointing debut, opening below its projections. that only made $6.5 million. let's check back with nbc meteorologist janessa webb janessa? >> good morning. i want you really to be outside for the next few days. we have this bubble of warm air that's making its way from the plains, midwest, northeast specific northwest, you're left out of the mix on this man, we are talking about temperatures 15 to 25 degrees above average for this time of year if you get a chance, be outside. we're going to wish for days like this when we hit january into february. the winter chill though in seattle to california. >> thanks, j naanessa. >> like that. >> bubble of warm air. as> up next, breaking out the clsics inside eddie murphy's triumphant return to "snl."

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what a big night it was to close out the year on "saturday night live" with "snl" legend eddie murphy hosting the show. it was his first time in 35 years. nbc's morgan radford has the highlights from eddie's much-anticipated return to 8h. >> reporter: eddie murphy back in 8h where he first rocketed to stardom. the crowd cheering him on. >> this is the last episode of 2019, but if you're black, this is the first episode since i left back in 1984. >> reporter: murphy saying in the decades since then, he'll mellowed out, to the surprise of many. >> if you would have told me 30 years ago that i would be this

boring, stay at home, you know, house dad, and bill cosby would be in jail, even i would be took that bet >> reporter: just 19 when he joined the cast back in 1980, murphy was credited with saving the show >> a beautiful day in the neighborhood >> reporter: he brought back classic sketches like mr. robinson's neighborhood. >> my neighborhood has gone through so much. it's gone through something called gentrification. can you say gentrification, boys and girls? it is like a magic trick white people pay a lot of money, and then, poof, all the black people are gone. >> reporter: buckwheat this time performing on the "masked singer." ♪ >> reporter: and the iconic gumby. >> they know who the hell it is. i'm gumby. how the hell are you going to put on a show and not have me in

the show until now i should have been in every damn sketch from the top. i'm the one that made that eddie murphy a star. i passed kidney stones with more personality than the two of you. >> that's a little rude. >> face it, kids the both of you together couldn't velcro my sneakers. >> reporter: murphy celebrating at the end of the show >> thanks for making this night. i love you merry christmas. >> our thanks to morgan radford for that report. it was a moment. >> just watch it every time, laugh and laugh and laugh again. >> it blows my mind that he was a teenager when this happened. he was only on for a handful of years. i mean, he's the legend of all of them. >> 35 years. >> just like that. now to a sport where fear of heights is not an option 14 competitors went head-to-head in a wing suit flying world cup. these fliers make the stomach-turning stunts look easy plummeting over 6,000 feet on to a tiny bull's eye. that takes guts. >> look at that. >> yeah, look at that.

thanks for watching "early today" on this monday. just before christmas. i'm phillip mena. >> i'm

weather woes kick off the holiday travel season. causing a 69-vehicle pileup that left dozens injured and snarled traffic on a busy virginia highway. what to expect if you're heading out today. a shocki case in a case of a texas murdered woman her close friend trying to steal her 3-week-old baby. the senate impeachment trial hangs in limbo over the holiday break new emails emerge what happened in the minutes after the president's critical call with the ukrainian leader. christmas is two days away but there is still time for procrastinators to pick up that perfect present. >>