a holiday headache from snow-covered roads to relentless rains, the trouble in store for families hitting the road this morning. bipartisanship looking more like a christmas miracle on capitol hill as democrats and republicans dig in for an all-out battle over the senate impeact trial. boeing fires its ceo after a turbulent year who is now tapped to steer the company past its 737 max scandal? and not the kind of donuts you want to see in the morning detroit bliss police on the huna driver behind a dangerous stunt that backed up traffic for miles. santa has made his list and checked it twice have you done the same what stores are still stuffed

with the last-minute stocking stuffers "early today" starts right now. good morning i'm phillip mena. >> i'm dara brown. millions on the move making their last-ditch efforts to make it home for the holidays a record 115 million americans expected to travel over the holiday stretch and airports across the country are bracing for a crunch of passengers winter weather is already snarling holiday traffic things got off to a bad start for drivers in the southeast they were hit with up to 8 inches of rain causing serious delays in the west, drivers got caught in a snowy mountain in el doraod county, california. >> good morning, everyone. we have this storm system still continuing for the south trying to pull away, but still these bands of moisture from jacksonville to charleston, south carolina, also savannah this morning behind this front, though, the winds, they're going to continue to pick up, about 35 to 40 miles per hour, but then that storm

system goes out to sea then we'll start to see some dryer air. unfortunately, on the other side of the country, pacific northwest, even to southwest, we have rain that going to be steady from phoenix to las vegas here, possible delays. and salt lake, up to 3 to 6 inches of snow so these are some major hubs for these areas, for the pacific northwest that are going to cause some delays. >> all right thanks for the update, janessa. the fate of the senate impeachment trial is still in flux this morning amid a showdown between the chamber's top democrat and republican. senate majority leader mitch mcconnell showed some room for capitulation, saying he hasn't ruled out witness testimony just yet. while senate minority leader consumer said any trial without witnesses is a sham. meanwhile, president trump continues to decry democrats on twitter. nbc's susan mcginnis has the latest. >> reporter: the impeachment impasse showing signs of

cracking. >> we haven't ruled out witnesses. we've said let's handle this case just like we did with president clinton. fair is fair. >> reporter: the senate's top republican signaling he may concede to democrats' demand for witnesses at the upcoming impeachment trial. a key sticking point keeping house speaker nancy pelosi from releasing articles of impeachment to the senate. >> send the articles over to the senate and let them see the tragedy of what y'all just put the american people through. >> reporter: among four witnesses democrats want to see, white house official mikel michael duffy. minutes after the july phone call when president trump asked ukraine's leader for a favor. >> the president keeps saying he wants a trial with witnesses and then they are saying, well, we don't want these key witnesses to testify what do they have to hide? >> reporter: the senate's top democrat, chuck schumer, shifting focus from witnesses to documents. asking senators for relevant evidence withheld by the administration's directed to

defy all subpoenas issued by the house. >> we say to president trump, if you are so confident you did nothing wrong, why won't you let your men testify >> reporter: the president facing trial, now also facing a potential threat from north korea with kim jong-un warning the u.s. to prepare for a, quote, christmas gift. new satellite photos raising concerns north korea could soon test a missile capable of reaching the u.s susan mcginnis, nbc news, washington justice for khashoggi. saudi arabia has sentenced five people to death for the murder of jamal khashoggi he is "the washington post" journalist who was killed in the saudi consulate in istanbul last year his body has never been found. three others were also sentenced to prison time for covering up the crime. a killing that shocked the world and drew condemnation from the international community. here's nbc's keir simmons. >> reporter: the white house describing death sentences for the murderers of "washington post" journalist jamal khashoggi as an important step

the saudi public prosecutor announcing capital punishment for five individuals for committing and directly participating in the murder. another three men sentenced to a total of 24 years in prison for covering it up but this man, formerly a senior adviser to the crown prince, was cleared because of insufficient evidence the deputy head of intelligence also acquitted that despite the cia believing crown prince mohammed bin salman ordered the killing. the crown prince denying it in a september cbs interview. >> translator: absolutely not. this was a heinous crime >> reporter: and many questions remain unanswered. mr. khashoggi's body is still missing. after he entered the saudi consulate in istanbul in october last year, and was dismembered -- >> the sentences welcomed by one of jamal khashoggi's sons, but criticized by many around the world. "the washington post" and a senior u.n. investigator calling it a travesty of justice

>> nbc's keir simmons in london. thank you. in austin, texas, friends and family came together to remember heidi brassard. dozens attended a candlelight vigil in memory of the texas mom who was recently killed. it brought together those who knew her as well as strangers who were touched by her story. brassard was found dead last week she was allegedly killed by a friend who wanted her baby last night brassard's family also announced that her daughter was reunited with her father after being held by officials. boeing's ceo is out. the company fired dennis muhlenberg over his handling of two deadly plane crashes and the grounding of the 737 max here's nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: with the global 737 max fleet grounded since march and losing billions of dollars, boeing's board of directors decided late sunday the company needs new leadership now, firing ceo dennis muhlenberg and immediately replacing him with

board chairman david calhoun. >> the biggest issue for dennis muhlenberg is the fact that boeing's relationship with the faa has broken down completely >> muhlenberg had tried to pressure the faa into fast-tracking approval of the 737 max fixes after two fatal crashes killed 346 people, but now approval may not come until february or later. forcing boeing to temporarily shut down the max production line it was only in october that muhlenberg met with the families of those who died. >> we are sorry, deeply and truly sorry. >> reporter: but anger only intensified over revelations boeing had not been fully transparent about the plane's problems the world's airlines are demanding compensation michael, whose daughter sonya rose died in the ethiopian crash is demanding a change in boeing's executive culture. >> i can't help my daughter anymore. but we can try to make aviation safer for everyone else. >> reporter: boeing says it

needs to repair damaged relationships with airlines, world regulators and the faa boeing's ceo has reached out to the faa chief promising transparency and cooperation dara >> tom, thank you. two more women are suing jeffrey epstein estate died in august while in federal custody on trafficking charges the women claim the abuse took place decades ago. one says she was only 13 when epstein abused her in 1984 the other said she was 15 years old when episteep assaulted her after a modelling casting call in 1990. nine other women sued epstein for similar actions earlier this month. detroit police are looking for a wild driver, a red camaro doing donuts in the middle of detroit's i-94 and blocking major traffic in the process the authorities say the dangerous stunt put innocent lives at risk.

police chief james craig said we are going to come after you, and that is a promise. the green bay packers are still king of the nfc north. the pack trounced the vikings to clinch the division. minnesota quarterback kirk cousins got the team on the board early, but was pretty abysmal the rest of the game he is now 0 for 9 on "monday night football." ouch the packers got the job done on the ground with a pair of big runs, including this from former utep mineer aaron jones. still heading to the playoffs are the vikings. already a lock for the final wild card spot in the nfc. >> another great game. >> and the end of week 16. >> janessa's back with another look at our holiday forecast janessa? >> good morning. good morning, everyone we're seeing the storm system for the southeast really start to pull away, but the gusts behind it going to be a problem across parts of alabama, mississippi and parts of the carolinas, but by later on this afternoon it really pulls away

and then travel concerns will not be an issue across the east coast. also, look at this warm air. soak it up here. 62 for kansas city about 20 to 25 degrees above average for the plains i have started to track santa. i'll have all the details coming up. >> my favorite part. thank you. >> see where he's at all right. in today's "quick hits" five people were hospitalized after a mall stunt went awry in sidney, austral sydn sydney, australia. some shoppers suffered injuries.

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across the country the new alert comes amid a spike in measles cases sam brock is in austin with the latest >> reporter: an urgent health alert from texas after a passenger infected with measles passed through the austin airport last week after traveling in europe. it's travis county's first detected case in 20 years. >> we're trying to get on top of this, share as much information as we can to try to really contain this. >> reporter: the passenger left from austin international airport on december 17th but then proceeded to go to airports in chicago and virginia, meaning that other passengers in not one, not two, but three different airports were potentially exposed. this after separate cases at lax and denver international airports earlier this month. but health experts say austin is at greater risk because of low vaccination rates of children. >> austin, unfortunately, is one of the epicenters of the anti-vaccine movement in america. >> reporter: a startling study earlier this year estimates one infected person could lead to an outbreak of more than 400 cases in austin.

with nearly 1,300 confirmed cases of the measles nationwide this year, more than three times the number last year, the highly contiguous virus can linger in the air for hours. symptoms include cough, rash, fever and sore eyes. doctors say it's another stark reminder to get vaccinated sam brock, nbc news, austin. justified ahead, . just ahead, wrapped up in last-minute shopping we've got great aldes ahead. people are celebrating even out in space

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christmas arrived prematurely for astronauts aboard the international space station. on monday they opened their holiday care packages which were filled with santa hats, stockings and even some special christmas treats their intergalactic holiday dinner consisted of salmon and fruit cake and hot cocoa the crew has plans to dim the lights and watch "how the grinch stole christmas. >> i love how they were doing those loopty loops. >> i guess it's better than watching "gravity. >> i think i'd be looking out the window that would be enough for me. >> entertainment in and of itself. well, it is crunch time. just one full day before continues and the rush is on for

those with holiday shopping still left to do nbc's erin mclaughlin has what you need to know >> reporter: it's christmas eve, and for those who have left shopping until the very last minute -- >> i panicked. >> reporter: -- no need to panic. plenty of stores are open but you can always buy online. prices for overnight shipping and same-day delivery are getting steep. picking up the online purchases in-store may be your best bet. while there may be long lines for the pick ups, there are less distractions. >> i get distracted in the aisles and end up buying other things that i probably didn't need. >> so it actually saves you money? >> yeah, it does. >> reporter: for those trying to avoid the in-store holiday crush, consider e-gifts. many big retailers along with websites like gift card granny sell gift cards at a discount. a $50 gift card in some cases could cost you less than 40 bucks. looking ahead, december 26th is the biggest day of the year for

returns. that inventory bump will push prices down even more. so this late into the holiday season, the smartest play might just be to wait for old saint nick to make his rounds and then go shopping for those post-christmas deals >> nbc's erin mclaughlin, thank you. you only have, what, not that much time you can always go to walgreens, cvs, they're open 24 hours a day. >> last-minute gift cards always work. >> stop by on the way. >> after my coffee. >> there you go. janessa's forecast is just ahead. peacaread, a sctul eruption 17 years in the making. no matter what i wore, i worried someone might see

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cascade platinum. one of ecuador's most active and remote volcanos has erupted. this is video of the volcano spewing incandescent rock and lava down its slopes and into the sky on sunday. officials say the last major eruption took place in 2002, and that affected some 2 million people well, janessa joins us once again with the christmas forecast janessa? >> yeah, good morning. this is a very important forecast for santa and his reindeer they're going to have trouble from the rockies to the southwest as rain and kind of that snow mixture making its way into the plains, though, for christmas day near record highs. we're talking about temperatures about 25 to 30 degrees above average with just a ton of sunshine so i hear that you guys have an update of where santa is >> we do are you ready for this

>> the north pole currently below, so -- >> that is cold. >> very cold for santa right now. >> he's okay with it because he made his list, he checked it twice and now santa claus is coming to town saint nick has officially left the arctic circle and he's on his way to deliver toys to all the girls and boys, and he jumped on his sleigh santa said he was ready to start delighting people all around the world. according to santa claus village in finland, more than 500,000 people visit kris kringle there every year >> why they need to leave him alone. >> no, he needs to sleep >> he's busy a lot of preparation involved. he absolutely needs sleep. you know how dangerous it is to drive when you're tired. >> those elves are so busy. >> leave him alone send him the letter. it's enough. when we come back, before we dive into the new year, we take lelook at some strange but real tas of 2016 as vanessa walks away in disgust. janessa.

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as 2019 comes to a close, we want to look back at the events of the past 12 months. it wasn't all serious news and government infighting. there was some fun to be found nbc's rafael seth takes a look at the lighter side of the past year. >> reporter: before we dive into the new year, let's retrace our steps through the old one. 2019 was like kissing an alpaca. hairy, a little scary and probably not something you'd want to repeat even the easter bunny was in a mood, handing out seasons beatings but to get to a smile, sometimes you have to slap the frown right off your face. we start with a competition in denmark where the power and

majesty of equestrian dressage meets the skill of air guitar. ♪ >> reporter: this piano man in switzerland hit all the high notes. tickling the ivories while suspended in midair for a tune he hoped would not end in "b" flat >> reporter: others included this donkey duet and an orchestra keeping it cool with instruments made of ice and the armed forces paying tribute to the song of the year >> baby shark. >> reporter: this woman inspired a case of the feels by bringing her best friend to work, but if your spouse is your friend, i wouldn't recommend it. we reaffirmed some truths in 2019 birds of a feather do flock together, and kitties love to play with string, but sometimes it's best not to keep your eye on the ball. in sporting news, juneau the otter rocked the rim with a two-hand jam and a harlem

globetrotter redefined the sky hook by jumping out of a plane. >> oh, baby. >> reporter: but somehow a skydiver won her sport's championship indoors winter competition bring dramatic moments some before the games even start. curling has become such a popular sport that sometimes you have to use the players as pieces but if you've ever felt like you were up a creek without a paddle, try going without a creek. this snow boating race was eventually cancelled after a seemingly obvious discovery. >> kayaks are not designed to work on the snow they're for the water. >> reporter: other things that to do not go togt, a gentleman koozie on a boat, ballet and dinosaurs. and a boat bed of nails. pig-caso, reasonable to expect a few hiccups along the journey. just rememberto stop and smell the flowers. rafael seth, nbc news. >> that is so cute

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airborne gummies have 50% more vitamin-c than emergen-c... plus our crafted blend of vitamins, minerals and herbs. airborne. welcome to christmas eve, tuesday, early morning, taking a live look outside overlooking san jose, for all you procrastinators ready to hit the stores, chilly out there. you better layer up. >> time to get started. >> started? >> welcome to mike's world. thank you for joining us. i'm laura garcia. >> and i'm kira klapper in for marcus washington. kari hall has a look at how cold it is out there right now. >> it is cold this morning. the bottom of the screen, it's 43 degrees and a live look outside in san francisco, we are starting out with mostly clear conditions. look at that, napa, ooh, it is 29 degrees. >> wow. >> ooh. all right, it's 39 in san martin and freezig