virus concerns take off. the dire warning from health officials as millions of americans head home for the holidays despite record covid cases across the country. >> the road map to the white house. president-elect joe biden readies his list of key cabinet members whe president trump faces growing calls to end his legal barrage on election results. grab your turkey and a side of safety. how to navigate the packed supermarkets ahead of thanksgiving great protection again mahomes to the end zone. wide open! touchdown, kelce

>> the mahomes magic on full display in the chiefs' showdown against the raiders. "early today" starts right now. glad you're starting your week with us i'm frances rivera. >> and i'm phillip mena. as we begin this holiday week, a lot of americans seem to be shrugging off warnings not to travel despite health officials urging people to stay home for thanksgiving, about 2 million people passed through airports on friday and saturday nbc's lindsey riser joins us from new york's laguardia airport. lindsey, good morning. >> reporter: phillip, saturday saw 984,000 people going through u.s. airports. friday saw nearly a million, so clearly even though right now the cdc is warning against holiday travel, not everybody is listening. here at laguardia we've seen a steady stream but nowhere near some of the scenes we're seeing play out in some other airports across the country some images people elbow to elbow, people, no room for social distancing. this is the backdrop right now the u.s. is at 12 million cases

and we went from 11 to 12 million in just a matter of five days, so experts are worried that with so many people traveling there is going to be cross-contamination of sorts here in the united states. the cdc says if you have to travel, bring your mask, make sure you bring lots of hand sanitizer, wash your hands frequently and get your flu shot before you go. i talked to a couple of travellers about why they feel comfortable getting on a plane right now. let's listen. >> i'm not too nervous everyone has a mask and follows the rules, it seems like i'm not too nervous. it's obviously a risk and you obviously take them, you know, for better or for worse. >> i feel like everyone's taking the measures that they can, and i feel like we have to live our lives, so let's do what we can do and move on we have to left people live lives, and we can't just keep people in the bondage of being homebound all the time. >> reporter: now, we aren't seeing the same travel levels that we saw in 2019, so it does appear that some are listening

to the cdc right now phillip? >> all right lindsey, thank you. november turning out to be the worst month by far there have been 3 million cases reported this month, bricking the total number of americans infected past the 12 million mark huge process on the vaccine front. oxford university and astrazeneca say their vaccine can prevent up to 70% of people from getting covid-19 and is effective with different age groups the fda cleared regeneron's antibody treatment for emergency use. in a clinical trial of 800 people, the treatment significantly reduced virus levels. meanwhile, california governor gavin newsom is under quarantine with his family after being exposed to a california highway patrol officer who tested positive for the virus. this as hundreds of protesters storm huntington beach to protest the governor's curfew

mandate. and the cdc just raised the risk level to its highest one yet. saying passengers should avoid cruise travel altogether warning the risk of covid spread on ships is very high and passengers who go should get tested and stay home for a week after travel. coronavirus continues to push the nation's hospital system to the brink. in the past week at least 15 states have ordered increased restrictions, made changes to business rules or rolled back reopening plans. all of this as americans are preparing for the holidays nbc's meghan fitzgerald has more meagan, good morning. >> reporter: phillip, good morning to you as covid-19 continues to sweep the nation, it's hospitals from coast to coast that are taking the biggest hit. the nation's hospitals on the brink. more than 83,000 americans hospitalized due to covid, breaking records for the 12th day in a row overworked health care providers terrified that with thanksgiving days away, a surge in cases could be devastating.

>> people are still getting tremendously sick. people are still dying every day from this disease. this is not something that's getting better as we go by >> reporter: the midwest still crippled by covid as hospitals there continue to struggle with the demand >> it's an emotional toll. like, for me and my team, just going in and seeing these patients, they deteriorate pretty quickly. >> reporter: an emotional toll felt nationwide, now roughly 1 in 5 hospitals is facing staff shortages. a survey of 15,000 hospital nurses shows nearly half believe staffing issues are getting worse. in amarillo, texas, hospitals are filled with covid patients capacity so critical, one patient even died while waiting for an icu bed. >> she was kept comfortable, but i've never seen the situation where if i called the hospital a bed simply is not available. >> reporter: dr. whit walker warning of the possible consequences if we don't stop the surge. >> if you had a car crash today, we would try very hard to take

care of you. i think today we could do that i'm afraid two weeks from now or six weeks from now, especially if there are three of you in a car crash, it would be very difficult. >> reporter: field hospitals going up in vermont and massachusetts, joining states like wisconsin adding hundreds of beds to help cope with the surge. doctors on the front lines say they're not only battling the disease but covid fatigue. 28-year-old emergency room dr. david burkhardt became a patient himself. >> i was definitely scared as i sat in my room getting oxygen, not knowing which way it was going to go. i was scared. >> reporter: he is now sounding the alarm to keep up precautions. >> i seriously can't say it enough times if doing that can save one life or prevent one person from being hospitalized, isn't it worth it? >> reporter: a question to the nation as we begin the holiday season new orders went into effect here in los angeles on sunday,

banning outdoor and indoor dining it goes into effect on wednesday and it's just the latest measure to try and stop the surge and prevent hospitals from reaching capacity phillip? >> all right thanks, meagan. president-elect joe biden is filling out his cabinet this week last night nbc news learned that veteran diplomat anthony blinken is the president's top choice for secretary of state blinken previously served as deputy national security adviser in the obama administration as well as deputy secretary of state. and citing three sources, "the washington post" reports that biden is planning to nominate linda thomas greenfield for ambassador to the united nations. she served as assistant secretary of state for african affairs from 2013 to 2017. our capitol hill correspondent tracie potts joins us with the latest and tracie, i big week ahead for biden. >> reporter: so, officially, frances, we're expecting to see those announcements on tuesday that's when biden said he promised it would come before

thanksgiving so he's starting to fill out his cabinet despite the fact that the members of the cabinet will not be getting fbi security clearances until the trump administration signs off, and that has not happened yet. the president now really beginning to exhaust his legal challenges to the election results. he's asking for a recount, a second recount in georgia, and he's lost lawsuits in michigan and pennsylvania, both of which will start certifying their results today. today is the deadline for them to start that process. meantime, republicans are now turning up the heat on the administration to cooperate with this transition. >> what's happened here is, quite frankly, the conduct of the president's legal team has been a national embarrassment. >> i hope that the administrator of the gsa will do her job the law only requires her to find who is the apparent victor of the election, and i can't imagine there's any dispute, any dispute that joe biden is the apparent winner of the presidential election.

>> reporter: and without the connection happening between the biden transition and the trump administration, biden and his chief of staff are now warning it could slow the distribution of a vaccine, frances. >> all right tracie, thank you. now to week 11 in the nfl and the chiefs were in las vegas on sunday night looking to avenge their only loss of the season against the raiders vegas kept the defending champs guessing early derek carr here finding nelson agholor in the corner of the end zone to make it 14-7 fast forward now into the fourth, under two minutes to play, carr scrambling around and he would find jason witten, blast from the past with the go-ahead score looked like the raiders were going to upset kc for the second time this season, but kc has patrick mahomes and travis kelce. they get their revenge on the raiders, 35-31 in indianapolis, the packers had the colts' numbers in the first half, but indy would outscore

green bay in the second half to force overtime in overtime, the packers coughed up the ball at a costly time and that would allow rodrigo blankenship to line up the game-winning field goal right through the uprights the colts earn the win at home, 34-31. in baltimore, derrick henry did what he did best, that is finding an opening in overtime he took it to the house to end the game the titans proved that last year's playoff win against the ravens was not a fluke they take it 30-24 did the twang early here now i'm talking about the cowboys. they took to the skies in minnesota to turn their season around look at that catch from cd lamb. they were down by four in the fourth quarter here. andy dalton, his first game back he would find dalton schultz wide open. the cowboys back on track, 31-28. and a bad sight in washington. bengal quarterback joe burrow, he had to be carted off the field after an ugly knee injury.

the 2020 number one draft pick reportedly suffered a torn acl, and he told his fans on twitter, "see you next year". let's take a turn and check in with nbc meteorologist janessa webb to see how we're starting the week off. janessa, good morning. >> soggy conditions in the east coast, all due to a cold front if you're across northern new england, it's colliding with some cooler air and that's why you're seeing that wintery mix of freezing rain, even a little bit of snow. the front is going to move pretty quickly out of the east coast, but with that lake enhancement throughout the day clearing skies through new york city and boston. the winds really stirring up you'll notice that this afternoon. up to 25 to dwest, just above t

freezing mark for fargo, duluth, only a high of 28. and we'll take a look at that all-important holiday forecast coming up. >> all right thanks, janessa. in today's "quick hits," spacex is set to launch more starlink broadband internet satellites into the air tonight. targeting 9:34 eastern for the launch for the batch of 16 satellites from cape canaveral. rockefeller center officially open for the holidays, but limited capacity and social distancing due to the coronavirus. santa is coming to town, but he will not be spreading covid-19 dr. fauci says, quote, santa is exempt from this bauecse he's got a lot of good innate immunity we'll be right back. harmful bacteria lurk just below the gum line. crest gum detoxify works below the gum line to neutralize harmful plaque bacteria

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henson the show aired live from los angeles's microsoft theater with a limited audience justin bieber kicked off the night with a medley of his latest hits, holy" and "lonely." ♪ the way you hold me hold me hold me hold me, it feels so holy holy holy ♪ >> hair growing out, huh the show also featured some very memorable performances from billie eilish and jennifer lopez with maluma, megan thee stallion and bts showed up live from korea. doja cat took home the award for new artist of the year the weekend was awarded favorite male r & b artist. and taylor swift, she got the night's highest honor, which is artist of the year her roll continues. >> nothing for lil nasx and "old

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for many this thanksgiving, the challenge isn't just staying healthy, it's putting food on the table. that is the line of cars sunday

morning in atlanta to receive food and gift cards. it went on for miles the food was donated by superstar tyler perry. he supplied the gifts for 5,000 families through his studio there. with thanksgiving and black friday just days away, shopping is risky business with crowds a major concern as covid cases concern. how, when and even where you go could make a difference in staying safe here is nbc's molly hunter. with thanksgiving just days away and more people staying home this year, that means more turkeys than people cooking. >> people are going crazy and rushing. >> reporter: the safest way to gather all your ingredients for stuffing and pumpkin pies is right there from your couch. fresh direct, instacart, and walmart all banning for a record week check with your grocery store. they may be closed on

thanksgiving but offing delivery or curbside pick-up in the next three days in new mexico stores are closing if too many employees get sick, forcing people to travel farther for food if you absolutely must go in person, keep it short, bring a shopping list so you don't linger, check store policies and be prepared to wait in outdoor lines. avoid peak shopping times. according to google data, grocery stores are pretty empty monday at 8:00 a.m always mask up and keep your distance every year the crush of shoppers in all kinds of stores this week is maddening at the best of times, but in 2020, it's even more important we avoid the crowds. >> i think this idea of the black friday door-buster that is really being transformed online this year. >> reporter: experts say more than any other year it's black friday season and stores are stressing they don't really want all of us to show up in person

>> the recommendation is shop early. if you see something that you want, go ahead and buy it. don't say, oh, i might wait a week or two, you know, buy now or you will risk, i think, potentially not getting what you want this year. >> and do it online. there is no reason to go see it in person this year? >> absolutely. >> reporter: and if you're not a big online shopper, many of these big balks stores like dick's sporting goods and bed, bath & beyond are offering curbside quicker, safer and still cheap. still to come, how first responders are honoring young cancer survivors. and how a quick-thinking florida man saved puy omhis ppfr the jaws of a gator. to show up... ...for the sweet. the hectic. the tender. the tense. and the fiery. but for many, migraine keeps them... ...from saying... ..."i am here."

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try gain flings and smell the difference or we'll give you your money back. in florida, a normal day in the sun turned into a fight for survival for a puppy named gunnar an alligator dragged him into the pond, the owner is wrestling with the gator in the water, forcing its jaws open so the dog could escape thanks to that his pooch only had minor injuries they're doing just fine. how amazing is that. look at this guy. >> probably wasn't his first time wrestling a gator >> savage moves right there. >> all right janessa, that's her voice there with a look at the holiday week. janessa? >> yeah, he definitely was a pro. i'm glad the doggy was okay. right now we are watching a few ows at asherthre going to linger

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we're back now with a story about heros helping heres. first responders getting kids overcoming cancer a way to celebrate and feel special along the road to recovery here's nbc's kate snow. >> what are they all doing >> reporter: it was all a big surprise for 9-year-old cal. a celebration at his rhode island home earlier this month >> they're going to arrive like they're celebrity. >> reporter: police and firefighters escorting him to hasboro children's hospital in providence >> all the lights are flashing behind us. >> reporter: for his very last chemo treatment following a

courageous fight with leukemia ♪ ♪ chemo's done let me out of here ♪ >> i think you have a whole entourage. you want to ring your bell >> reporter: outside, cheers and mounted police cal's mom ali says it was the joy he needed that day. >> he loved every second of it. >> reporter: the vim motor cade all because of a special friendship cal met lorenzo when they were both getting chemo treatments. >> what's special about your bond, your friendship? >> because we can both understand how we're feeling. >> reporter: by the time cal was diagnosed two years ago, the disease had ravaged his body. >> what was life like the last two years of treatment >> i used to joke it felt like a nightmare. >> you become family to some of these other families that are going through the same thing so we've definitely grown close during the course of the boys' treatments. >> reporter: lorenzo's dad david is a firefighter, mom rebecca a

police officer, so back in april when lorenzo had his last day of april, they arranged a similar show of support. >> i think it was really cool. >> reporter: it was only fitting they'd do the same thing for cal. >> all these kids deserve this. >> reporter: now they're working to organize an escort for other young cancer survivors. >> i'm cancer-free and finally in remission. >> watching these police and these firemen, it was all about their love and compassion, and i think every kid battling life-threatening illnesses like this, to have that kind of sendoff is pretty amazing. it's really, really an overflowing of love. >> thanks to kate snow for that report ali told the family she'd love to see the escort go nationwide one day. i see no reason why it can't. >> a perfect way to make them feel special. let's celebrate birthdays. miley cyrus is 28. snooki from the jersey shore

turns 33 today "good morning america's" robin roberts turns 60 and bruce

amid the record surge in coronavirus cases comes the surge in holiday travel. the risks of getting home for thanks giving. plus, the new time line for a thanksgiving. this thanksgiving joe biden is setting the table for his administration the president-elecs leading picks for top cabinet positions as the walls close in on president trump's legal fight for legal fights. all the winners and surprises at the 2020 american music awards this is "early today." good morning i'