with the flick of a pen, an historic new chapter begins on capitol hill the articles of impeachment now in the hands of the senate but how president trump's trial plays out remains to be written. an explosive new interview is raising the stakes even higher >> president trump knew exactly what was going on. he was aware of all of my movements. i wouldn't do anything without the consent of rudy giuliani or the president. >> the indicted associate of the president's personal attorney rudy giuliani breaks his silence in an msnbc exclusive. more major league fallout as the astros' cheating scandal

threatens to strike out another team's skipper life after the royal rift. how prince harry could follow in the footsteps of his mother, princess diana the new ice cream that's perfect for spooning on movie night. "early today" starts right now good morning, i'm phillip mena >> and i'm frances rivera. president trump dreads in uncharted waters this morning with a countdown to his impeachment trial officially underway this afternoon the house manager serving as prosecutors in the case will read the articles of impeachment before the senate. and on tuesday the impeachment trial will begin in earnest, only the third of its kind in our nation's history but several key questions remain including whether the senate will allow witnesses to testify. nbc's tracie potts joins us with the latest how about today, what can we expect >> reporter: so today the senate will formally accept those articles of impeachment.

and the supreme court chief justice, john roberts will come over to be sworn in. he will preside over the impeachment trial starting next tuesday. senate majority leader mitch mcconnell will formally explain what's going on happen he will make some comments and then we will also see the 50 senators sworn in. here you're seeing nancy pelosi who signed off on those articles of impeachment, and also named the seven managers who will make their case >> the president is not above the law. he will be held accountable. he has been held accountable he has been impeached. he's been impeached forever. that can never erase that. >> they passed the first presidential impeachment that does not even allege an actual crime under our laws >> reporter: president trump commenting that it's a hoax, let's take care of it. that trial's set to begin on

tuesday. frances? >> all right and here we go tracie, thank you. even as impeachment moves forward, house democrats continue to build their case releasing a fount of explosive new evidence on the president's pressure campaign in ukraine the source of that material spoke exclusively with rachel maddow telling his story for the first time lev parnas worked closely with the president's personal attorney, rudy giuliani. maddow asked him directly about what mr. trump knew. >> what do you think is the main inaccuracy or the main lie that's being told that you feel like you can correct >> that the president didn't know what was going on president trump knew exactly what was going on. he was aware of all my movements. i wouldn't do anything without the consent of rudy giuliani or the president. i have no reason to speak to any of these officials i mean, they have no reason to speak to me. why would president zelensky's

inner circle for all these people or president poroshenko meet with me whom -- who am i they were told to meet with me i was on the ground doing their work >> in terms of the president and what he has said about you, he said about you and mr. fruman, igor fruman, i don't know those gentlemen, i don't know about them, i don't know what they do. you're saying that was not a true statement from the president? >> he lied he knew exactly who we were. he knew exactly who i was especially because i interacted with him at a lot of events. >> giuliani responded to nbc news about that parnas interview saying, quote, he is a very sad situation and that parnas never spoke on behalf of the president. so that was just part one of maddow's interview with lev parnas part two will air tonight on msnbc at 9:00 eastern. president trump, meanwhile, strikes another trade deal with china. wall street applauded the deal closing above 29,000 for the first time in history.

the agreement comes after a two-year trade war that stirred up the markets in it china commits to buying an extra $200 billion worth of american products over the next two years. american families are unlikely to see cheaper prices on chinese products like tvs, shoes, and clothing because the u.s. tariffs will remain in effect until the second phase of the deal is complete now to a deadly crash in florida after a van carrying a women's rowing team collided with a truck that killed the star athlete >> reporter: police say the holy cross women's rowing team from massachusetts were in two vans headed to a practice in vero beach, florida, when one of the vans collided with a red pickup truck. authorities believe the van pulled into the path of the truck when both had solid green lights team members in that second van witnessed the collision. killed in the accident team member grace red

she recently broke an indoor rowing record 62 hours without sleep. and celebrated her 20th birthday >> grace was a light to all who knew her she was incredibly passionate. >> reporter: six others in the van are listed in critical or serious condition. >> it's terrible and it's a tragic event >> reporter: holy cross a jesuit college leaning on its faith in the wake of this unexpected loss this year's flu season is proving to be a tough and deadly one. the virus has sickened nearly 10 million people, hospitalized over 80,000 and killed nearly 5,000. it may not protect you from the main strain of flu that's going around right now according to the cdc, the vaccine does not protect against all strains, only the one it believes will be the most prevalent. but despite this new warning, doctors say the flu shot is still the best way to go the houston astros' cheating

scandal threatens to pull another team into its orbit this morning. the red sox parted ways with manager alex cora for his role in the sign-stealing scheme that has rocked major league baseball now a third team is facing tough questions about their skipper. nbc's ron mott has the new fallout. >> reporter: it wasn't long ago that red sox manager alex cora was on top of the baseball world guiding a dominating boston team to a world series title in 2018. but just over a year later, cora is unemployed agreeing to leave the club for his role in a sign-stealing scheme that he helped orchestrate while a coach with the houston astros. >> he admitted that what he did was wrong. >> reporter: he said he didn't want to be a distraction and in the past has talked only about stealing signs >> you just have to be prepared as a team. that's the only thing you can do

stealing signs, it's been going on forever >> reporter: adding to the darkness surrounding cora baseball continues investigating allegations the red sox also illegally stole signs during its championship season. yet, after the astros' world series championship in 2017, fired both its general manager and manager, experts say the red sox were left with little choice and now some focusing on new york mets manager carlos beltron who played for houston and is named in the damning commissioner's report. he has previously denied being aware of cheating and neither he nor the mets are commenting. nbc news newly released data is shedding more light on the earth's changing climate nasa and noaa announcing that the past decade was the warmest ever recorded and that 2019 was the second hottest year in recorded history, falling just shy of the record set in 2016. the data also showed that ocean temperatures last year were the highest ever, which is

consistent with another study that found that the pace of ocean warming has increased by about 500% since the late 1980s. so definitely grim right there with everything that's going on in australia with those wildfires. the canals are all dry so it's tough. >> these are dubious records that bill karins has been mentioning for as long as i can remember >> i was at a weather conference and talked to as many climate scientists as i could. and next year will be in the top five and the year after that until we start doing something so let's get into this forecast. the next storm that's coming into california, it's going to move across the country rather quickly. it's not going to be like a crazy impact but west coast will have some issues dealing with the rain today, snow in the high elevations friday the storm gets stronger snow across the northern plains, three to 6 inches, just rain

from i-70 and south wards. we'll stay all snow or mostly snow in areas of interior new england. that cold air will be traveling through the great lakes. and nor that will be in areas of new england. we have windchill values today in the negative 20s and negative 30s in areas of the plains so winter is happening robo calls were at an all-time high in 2019. according to u mail, americans received 58.5 billion robo calls.

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the trump administration will allow the island to access more than $8 billion in disaster aid funding. the aid will help recovery efforts from the devastating losses from those recent quakes as well as hurricanes irma and maria in 2017. this comes after the island was rocked yet again by another 5.1 magnitude earthquake on wednesday. >> reporter: from above the makeshift tent cities tell you something. >> i've been seeing a lot of broken houses. >> reporter: this captain has been rushing supplies to southwestern puerto rico, much like he did after hurricane maria more than two years ago. >> i see people sleeping outside because they are scared to sleep inside their own house >> reporter: on the ground, we spoke with this woman just minutes after the latest aftershock she and her wheelchair-bound husband lost their home during the hurricane, rebuilt it, and now feel like it'll buckle again. >> i don't know what i'm going to do right now because for me

it's hard. >> reporter: over the last few weeks more than a thousand tremors have displaced some 8,000 people here. this is the power plant, the largest one in puerto rico it is still out of commission after the earthquakes. and authorities estimate it could take a year to repair. but parts of puerto rico are still reeling from the hurricane. this week 13-year-old girl died, and the island had lost its main hospital and a vigil her family blamed inadequate medical care for her death. as for the quakes many puerto ricans want president trump to sign a major disaster declaration setting aside more money for relief efforts >> it's tough. >> reporter: so many here shaken beyond belief. gabe gutierrez, nbc news, guanica, puerto rico still ahead, a tale of two popes and their one major rift and iv willing the legacy of princess diana why prince harry's riff with the

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conditions are protected. vo: a broken promise. trump repeatedly tried to undermine coverage for 134 million americans with pre-existing conditions. mike: "he just doesn't care if you have a pre-existing condition he wants to deny you access to coverage. if he is re-elected, he'll keep trying to do that and i think we can't let that happen." vo: as president, mike will lower costs, and protect americans with pre-existing conditions. mike: i'm mike bloomberg and i approve this message. fast forwarding into thursday the man accused of going on a stabbing spree during the hanukkah celebration in new york will be arraigned on state charges. 37-year-old grafton thomas allegedly stabbed five people at a rabbi's home december 28th virginia became the 38th state to ratify the equal rights

amendment. prince harry is set to make his first public appearance since queen elizabeth gave him and his wife meghan permission to step back from their senior royal roles. it's been a week since prince harry and meghan markle told the world they would step back from royal life many defended harry claiming maybe he is trying to follow in his mother's humanitarian footsteps. here's nbc's keir simmons with what princess diana might've thought his decision >> reporter: imagine what princess diana would've thought in seeing her sons struggling to stay close her boys now grown men she never got to meet. she'd love meghan for loving her youngest son >> i think she would just be over the moon jumping up and down, so excited for me.

>> reporter: and she'd understand their decision to step away from royal life because she made the same one. >> my first priority will continue to be our children, with and harry >> reporter: the people's princess helping those who needed it most, a legacy her sons and their families are carrying on today. and like harry is doing now, diana was not afraid to challenge the royal status quo or the press >> but i was not aware of how overwhelming that attention would become >> reporter: just imagine how heartbroken she would be to see how her death impacted harry >> every single time i see a camera, every single time i hear a click, every time i see a flash, it takes me straight back >> reporter: at just 12 years old walking behind his mother's coffin alongside his brother >> we are both very grateful that each of us had a shoulder to cry on. >> reporter: diana challenged

the monarchy changing it forever, now unable to advise her sons or meet her grandchildren. >> i'm sure she's with us, yeah. >> reporter: we can only imagine what diana might say to her youngest son don't let duty and responsibility bind you, she might tell him just try to be happy keir simmons, nbc news >> it's hard to say obviously what she would have said, but it's his mother, so peace, safety, happiness, pretty obvious. >> but there was a detour for the royal family and we see this detour right now and what the path they'll take. britain's all up in the air. >> bill's snowy forecast is ahead. and a papal face-off over celibacy as controversy stirs at the vatican. then ra kept me from the important things. and what my doctor said surprised me. she said my joint pain could mean permanent joint damage. and enbrel helps relieve joint pain,

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pampers is the first and only diaper with air dry channels they stay up to 3 times drier, so babies can sleep soundly...all night. pampers. welcome back so with our next storm that's going to be friday in the plains, saturday in the northeast, no one's getting like a foot of snow, but we will see the possibility, the dark blue is 4, the purple is 6 inches kind of a general 3 to 6 inches from iowa to minnesota, to wisconsin, and then up through upstate new york notice that the i-95 corridor doesn't get quite as much. i don't think we're going to see cancelations, but delays are definitely a possibility >> get there early thanks, bill when we come back, how reese witherspoon became a new member

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pope frances and his predecessor appear to be at odds pope benedict has broken his silence in a new book that backs the church's tradition that supports celibacy. nbc's molly hunter reports from vatican city >> reporter: the much anticipated and already wildly controversial new book from the depths of our heart, the book which is written by pope benedict xvi it comes at the same time

benedict's predecessor pope francis is considering whether ordained men can be married in remote parts >> to put pressure on pope francis not to even go down that road of the ordination of married men. >> reporter: the vatican responding suggesting pope francis agree with his predecessor on principle, but the shepherd has to think of the faithful in remote areas at stake a century's old tradition and the fear of easing it may be a gateway for wider change >> there is a teaching authority in the church and the pope is the center of unity and the main teacher. >> there's only one. >> reporter: ever since benedict became the first pope in 600 years to resign, the relationship between the pontiffs has been the object of endless fascination.

when benedict retired in 2015, he vowed to remain hidden from the world. but as it turns out he is not great at hiding and some worry this latest religious rift made more of a divide than unite. >> reporter: he didn't bring it up in the general audience but it does raise questions about future retired popes, what can they wear, do, say, how involved can they be going forward? hol reese witherspoon is learning that friendship with jay-z and beyonce has great proof. she revealed that they sent that entire case right there to her home and then another big package arrived, this time it turned out to be beyonce's entire ivy park capsule collection and reese's reaction is priceless. beyonce also sent a new wardrobe

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right now at 4:30 a powerful storm is gearing up to take aim at the bay area, and it's going to make a mess. this morning meteorologist kari hall is timing out that wet weather. i want to thank you for joining us this morning. i'm marcus washington. and i'm laura garcia. right to that forecast. i know we have an accident on the roads as well. the rain will be moving in for the morning commute? >> later this morning, if you're up now and about to head out the door, you're going to beat the rain unless you're in santa rosa on northward a. look at storm