100% beef and hearty chili. try my $5.99 chili cheeseburger combo. it's pretty delicious. happy thanksgiving morning, a day sure to be filled with mixed emotions for millions. many remain home as advised because of coronavirus while others flock to family for turkey we'll tell you what's ahead. president trump prepares a thanksgiving pardon to michael flynn who twice lied to the fbi and president-elect joe biden says hang on amid a steep rise in covid cases >> as the pandemic shows know signs of letting up, millions are lining up for food and

supplies. it wouldn't be thanksgiving without the macy's day parade and the national dog show. how will each be impacted this this year? we've got a preview. >> i'm thankful all of these things that happened made me stronger as a person in a way, a strange way, the coronavirus has kind of made us better. >> that as we kick off thanksgiving what are you most thankful for in this incredible year we call 2020 a special edition of "early today" begins right now. good morning, everybody. i'm paul gehrke. >> i'm glad you're starting your holiday with us. i'm frances rivera thanksgiving has arrivied and i will be unprecedented. more than 8 million are affected the travel numbers tell a

completely different story here's nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: despite a raging pandemic and a skyrocketing death toll, americans are on the move this thanksgiving from miami headed north. >> so far being here has been safe everybody's following the rules, so no problem. >> reporter: to new york, headed west. >> i'm wanted to see my dad. >> reporter: roughly a million people flying each day since friday even as the cdc urges americans to stay home aaa projects 48 million people are hitting the roads. this family keeping a tight bubble driving to wisconsin. >> we want to stay safe and that's why we're staying in our inner circles and going to our cabin. >> reporter: experts worry about airports, planes, buses, and

restaurants. we'll pay a devastating price if hospit hospitals soar. >> we could see a new surge on top of the current surge. >> reporter: the cdc is considering dropping the recommended quarantined time from two weeks to seven to ten days. >> the accumulating data suggests we don't have to wait 14 days we know the average person will get sick about five days after their exposure. >> reporter: meanwhile workers are behind plexiglass and keeping travelers separated. >> reporter: if you're traveling today, a couple of pieces of advice from the experts, number one, wear a mask if you k wear eye protection stay in your seat on the airplane try not to use the restroom. don't eat or drink and keep this mask on until you

get into your rental car or in your home, and if somebody at home is compromised, keep your mask on as frances? >> thank you. new restrictions are taking effect across the country. our miguel almaguer takes a closer look. >> reporter: thanksgiving will be no holiday for those fighting covid. 261,000 lives lost in a battle this nurse is trying not to bring home. >> one of the things we have been struggling with is what we do with our kids if we feel like there comes to a point where we can't keep them safe, that includes potentially sending them to live with a relative away from us, so stay home, please >> reporter: to slow covid spread, there's a growing but confusing list of restrictions, landing in california from out of state, you'll be asked to quarantine for 14 days flying to illinois, no statewide mandate, but if you arrive in

chicago, you may need to quarantine or face up to a $7,000 fine, but there seems to be little enforcement. in pennsylvania, the governor may have found it easier to ban kohl sales at bars and restaurants. >> the biggest day for drinking is the wednesday before thanksgiving let's forgo that this one time. >> reporter: there's a new antibody test that measures not if you have protection but how much. >> reporter: help arrives too late for many families cliff anderson lost his mother mariay ann. >> we told her it was okay to go and we had to take the action. it was so hard. >> reporter: a reminder mr. of us still have so much to be grateful for miguel almaguer, nbc news. trying to keep families

fedover the weekend. los angeles set a goal of giving out over 1.5 million meals. >> reporter: nbc's steve patterson with all the effort. >> reporter: the school district putting on probably its biggest day of handing out free meals to families in need that they've ever had they've done a lot this year 80 million meals are predicted to have been handed out by the school district in a year. that's huge for families who need it. they have to give out more meals today because they're not able to put this on tomorrow and the next day they're not going to have -- they didn't have this on thanksgiving they're not going to have this during the weekend so they need to have families that have access to breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the next three, four, five days so that was the extent of what

happened here. 63 distribution centers. again, over a million meals, maybe closer to 2 million. when it was all said and done, families so thankful to be able to put thanksgiving dinner on the table this year, thanks in large part to the people of the lausd. i spoke to the superintendent. he said as long as there's a need, they'll continue to put this on, sustained by local food banks. you need to feed the district when you have this high of a poverty line it's projected 50% of the parents in this district have likely lost their jobs since the beginning of the pandemic. the need is huge, and they rose up to meet it and will continue do it as long as there is one. back to you. president trump is using his waning days in office to aid old

frenlsd. michael flynn was the only one to be convicted as part of the russia investigation by robert mueller. he pled guilty twice to lying the fbi. meanwhile president-elect joe biden presented an thanksgiving speech yesterday. >> remember, we're at war with the virus, not with one another, not with each other. this is the moment where we need to steel our spines, redouble our efforts, and recommit ourselves to the fight so hang on don't let yourself surrender to the fatigue. >> the official transition is also getting under way on monday president-elect biden will receive his first daily intelligence briefing. >> what are some of the things you look forward to about thanksgiving turkey, football, parades, maybe a little shopping.

one more thanksgiving day tradition you can't forget dogs mark barger is previewing the national dog show coming up this afternoon. >> reporter: 19 years in, the national dog show becomes a thanksgiving tradition. >> it's remarkable you're looking at number 19 normally i kill shows a lot quicker than that. >> reporter: but john o'hurley says dogs capture everyone's eyes >> when you see the little puppy eyes, you'll stop and watch. >> reporter: in fact, for 2020, tv is the only way doggy disciples can see it. >> we don't have any spectator this year. we're dining cutouts like they do at all the sporting events. >> reporter: that in-person ban extends to the hosts who are working from home. >> this will be the first time in 19 years we'll have gotten a

taste of turkey in the four walls of our own neighborhoods. >> reporter: the dog handlers, meanwhile, are masked up prepping their pooches outdoors. >> it's about the dog. the best handers get invisible and know what their dogs are all about and stay out of the way. >> reporter: 500 dogs down from the norm allege 2,000, all champions of their breeds will vie, following in the footsteps of last year's winner, thor, best in show. >> they tell you i'm the best there ever was a judge said it's a dog show and you've got to show. >> reporter: grabbing the hoimd spotlight. mark barger, nbc news. over the course of this pandemic, one thing i've grown to appreciate is the daily dog show people walking their pups, they

don't wear masks but they have cute sweaters and make my day every time. >> you're going to see holiday gear when it comes to is that. let's see if you're going to need it. check in with meteorologist bill karins good morning, happy thanksgiving. >> happy thanksgiving to you too. let's talk about the forecast. have a lot of rain early in areas from new jersey, back up into areas of new england. it's not going to rain all day we should clear out most areas by the often this is paused here at noon today. notice new york city, even connecticut is drying out, rain in the valley, heaviest in boston and providence. then we push it off the coast. it looks like by about 5:00 or 6:00, the rain will be ending. it's going to be an all day rain in the northeast the other story we get to watch, there's a high fire danger the winds are going to pick up later on today and tonight

if any fires do form, they'll have the potential to spread rapidly. so for your thanksgiving forecast, a rainy start in the northeast that will linger in areas of maine and the afternoon. much of the country looks great. if you can be outde maine and new hampshire. it looks like rain at the bases. there's rain in the southeast this afternoon i'll keep you updated on the forecast a big storm is headed to the northeast sunday and monday. details ahead. >> uh-oh thank you. when we return, remember to llf thankful even in a year fu oloss. >> what you need to know before you dump your turkey in the

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we all need this consumer alert this morning and a look at what 20 felt like pretty much in a nutshell the case of a turkey fryer fire. you can buy a turkey that's wet and put it in hot oil and steam and a flame is what you get. it's warned to keep the fryer outside. there are more cooking fires on thanksgiving than any other day of the year. every year we see it and we hear about it again and again, but people still do it, and so they need that reminder >> no matter how tough your turkey turns out, at least it's not that bad. in the middle of a pandemic americans are still finding reason to be thankful for what they have and what they can give. >> my name is orion jean and i'm in fifth grade from ft. worth, texas. i'm just thankful that all of these things that have happened

have made me stronger as a person so in a way n a very strange way, the coronavirus has kind of made us gbetter and more prepard for what happens next. >> my name is ben hurdle i'm a ups in minnesota there's beautiful things in the world. there's beauty everywhere. >> my name is eric heal and i teach second grade i remain grateful and hopeful. when i look in my students' eyes, i see it's my duty to give them five-star service. >> i'm doctor, desai at st. joseph's hospital. time and time again i realize i'm not doing this alone i'm on a mission with others it makes me thankful on a daily basis. >> it's hard to think positive

about the things we still have, but that's what you need to do to stay happy and focused and thankful. >> well said hopefully we can take a minute or two to say the same thing throughout the day. >> as is tradition. coming up, college hopes >>. ing off with the buzzer > black friday won't be tipping, the retail shops closing up for the holiday ♪ honey lemon ahh woo vicks vapocool drops now in honey lemon chill

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oh they're going to count the bucket. >> hands involved. >> the crowd goes wild at home most are closed today. not the case for memphis's boogie ellis his was open for deposits. he beat the halftime buzzer beater at st. mary's and luca garza had a big start to his season. he's the big fella, about 7 feet tall they downed central. and how aboutvillanova found itself in a slugfest with boston college early but the wildcats erased a nine-point deficit. they go on to win. walg street takes a break and many counseled their blessings. is a santa clause rally out of the question in the weeks ahead? let's ask cnbc's steve sedgwick.

i know you don't celebrate across the pond, but happy thanksgiving to you. >> with so many americans, i feel it's thanksgiving for us too. it was a sacred level. i'm not entirely convinced it was a sacred level the dow was down 174 points, but look the dow is up and s&p. the energy sector is up 35% as well in terms of the retailers as well, of course, they'll be looking to black friday. but they won't be opening in droves today of all days there's been a public backlash and because of covid, the likes of sams, walmart, target, nordstrom's and trader joe's, they'll be closed. so happy thanksgiving. >> and hopefully we can sit back

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stop cleaning. start swiffering so we know not even a pandemic can stop the thanksgiving day parade. we know it will be different with performances and spectacles for tv jay gray joins us. jay, tell us what's going to be different. >> frances, good morning this is the spot where it normally kicks off from the upper west side. you've got floats lining the street, banners and balloons the show must go on.

>> escorted by an asourcement of autumn leaves -- >> reporter: the traditional turkey march has shifted to a short walk now the thanksgiving day parade is not a parade at all this year. the 3 1/2-mile route reduced to a few blocks in a bubble of sorts at the square where it usually ends. >> it will be like a movie set where things are closed down while we're doing this. >> reporter: a lot will look the same bands and performers, floats and balloons including two new figures, lost babe and red titan from ryan's world. but the hundreds of handlers steering the balloons won't be there this year. >> i won't get to see people smiling and laughing and getting ready for the big dinner later in the afternoon personally it was something that's just exhilarating. >> reporter: they've been replaced by specially designed

vehicles covid-19 also performing many of the performances being pretaped, a different way of bringing some normal to the holiday and pandemic. >> you're still going to see it and have comfort and take comfort in knowing we're still going to deliver a little bit of light, a little bit of sense of fun when we really haven't had so much this year. >> reporter: a thanksgiving tradition so many say they need during this very untraditional season and look normally 3.5 million line the route. they'll be watching from home. it won't be that bad pouring rain this morning. >> i was thinking the same thing. my family stands out there every year i thought, hey, at least in 2020, we've got that, inside tv in the background. got that thank you, jeju before we go, an up close and personal friend of

jay gray, the owl. the owl was released on facility grounds in upstate rocky had been found inside the rockefeller christmas tree last we

right now at 4:30, stepping up enforcement amid the surge in covid cases. the action one south bay is taking as many prepare for their holiday shopping. plus -- >> i give thanks now for you. the trust you placed in me together will lift our voices in co the coming months. >> a moment of unity president-elect joe biden planned. with many families being forced to eat outside ts