now. good morning. d-day and the day to roll out the vaccine is beginning for the first americans to get shots in a matter of hours and not too soon as the country to hit 3 million deaths. the secretary of health and human services will be here to tell us about getting this under way.

and the electoral college will be meeting to formally cast their votes for the president of the united states. and now, the commerce department suspected of being hacked by russian hackers and what they may have accessed. and a one-two punch of a strong storm hitting the east coast today, and then behind it a massive system to race across the country targeting the northeast with one of the biggest snowstorms the hit in years. al has the latest. and now, reports that clevela cleveland's major league baseball team is ready to drop the controversial name it has used for years and when a new name may be announced. all that and the final countdown

and with 11 days to go and the deadline of the you want your packages to arrive on time and when it could be the grinch that stole chris mtmas this december 14th, 2020. this is "today" on nbc. from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb live from rockefeller plaza. good morning. d-day. >> and the double whammy of the storm that al is tracking on the east coast and the big storm that is brewing behind it. >> and plus we will look at the electoral college vote to elect vice president biden's win etve as the president continues to try to overturn the votes.

and in the form of the insulated boxes carrying the pfizer's vaccines. >> it is happening as we speak and in a moment, the health and human secretary alex azar is going to give us an in depth look of the rollout and what to expect. and first a look at the rollout with tom costello. >> good morning. we begin with the first vaccination with sandra lindsay who says it felt like any other vaccine. >> reporter: this morning the most ambitious vaccine is under way. trucks are hitting the road. >> there goes the first shipment. >> reporter: hospitals are set to receive the first shipment of the covid-19 vaccine. and those vaccines that are to

be kept at arctic temperatures are to be moved from pfizer to planes and trucks to 636 predetermined locations nationwide, and the rollout coming as the cdc director signed off on the advisory panel's recommendation to use the vaccine for anyone 16 and older. >> it is an extraordinary day for science and extraordinary day for humanity. >> reporter: those who staff the icus and covid units. >> we will have the pharmacy units and those other qualified to be on site to vaccinate. >> reporter: and senior officials in all three branches of government, but overnight, president trump said that those working in the white house should not receive a vaccine until later and unless specifically necessary. overnight, 2.9 million doses will be distributed in the first

week and then the numbers to be ramping up rapidly and more than 2.9 million doses coming up to ramp up to over 2 million by the end of the year. >> it is astounding that we have gone from the recognition of a new pathogen to the vaccine that we know is safe and effective. >> reporter: news that cannot come soon enough as the cases skyrocket. today, the u.s. has more than 16 million cases and a sharp increase of 15 million five days ago and not even halfway into december, it is the second deadliest month of covid so far behind november, and roughly 1 in 5 hospitals have hit 90% icu capacity. mississippi and parts of california now completely out of icu beds. medical experts say that this round of vaccine won't have much of the immediate impact on the overwhelmed hospitals. one concern about this pfizer

vaccine is the deep cold it may be kept at and only available, the freezers in big city hospitals and the concern is the remote areas of the country may need to wait for the moderna vaccine expected next week. back to you. >> it is just a stunning logistical effort needed here, tom. thank you. >> let's get a look at the massive operation. we now have a live look. those are fedex planes lined up at newark airport. morgan chesky joins us from louisville, kentucky. they are receiving some of those initial doses. hey, morgan, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. a massive operation is exactly right. we are at the u.p.s. world port where every shipment has to go through before it gets sent out all over the country. we're walking on to a boeing 737. these are slightly larger than

shipment in yesterday and this is where the specially crafted boxes are specially offloaded not far from where i am standing and we know that the boxes, hoda, they are specially crafted to keep the vaccines at that specially negative temperature fahrenheit so they will be safe in the shipping process. a couple of the boxes were dropped here in louisville, kentucky, by u.p.s. truck to the hospital and they can expect a second wave tonight and a third wave tomorrow, and this is the beginning of the long-standing process to try to combat this pandemic, hoda, and we know that right now, there are 75 of the 757s in the fleet, and 747s are ready to carry them at a moment's notice, and u.p.s. is saying that each one of the boxes contains that bluetooth device that can monitor the temperature, the location, and

they can track this every single step of the way. we did speak to a high school senior who works at u.p.s. yesterday helping to unload the boxes, and she told us that the teachers have suffered from covid-19, and it meant so much that she had a chance to bring this pan dem toik demic to an e hoda. >> i will take it. and joining us now is alex azar from the department of health and human services. thank you for being with us. >> so good to be with you, savannah. >> we're watching this roll-out live on air. this is the first day that americans are going to actually get shots in the arm. i know you have a media event later where patients will get some shots. how many people do you expect to be vaccinated this week with this first batch? >> we are sending out 2.9 doses of vaccine. that will be up to our nation's governors and where we have sent

the vaccine. hope to see as much as humanly possible used this week. >> there are roughly six manager pfizer doses. it is a two-dose regimen so presumably three million people from the first batch will be able to get vaccinated. you said we will be able to get 20 million people vaccinated by the end of the year, which is in two and a half weeks. are you still sticking by that time line? is that possible? >> we certainly hope so. we know that we have vaccine available to get to 20 million people by the the end of december and a total of 50 million by the end of january and as the dr. slawi said 100 million people by the end of march. but we hope to have 100 million shots in terms in february between first and second doses. today is such a historic day as we hopefully see the light at the end of the tunnel of this horrible pandemic and the toll of human suffering we have seen. i'm excited i will be able to see some front line health workers getting vaccinated today.

>> obviously there is that priority understandably for the front line workers and the nursing home residents and the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions, and the lot of people watching are like what about the rest of us? and like the flu shot to go to the pharmacy and get the shot whenever you want, and when is that moment going to get it? summer? late fall? >> no, no. i think that we will see it by late february and going into march. and and again it is going to be up to the nation's governors, but with the moderna and the vaccines is i believe we will have the shots in the arms by february and if we can get the johnson and johnson and the astrazenica vaccine coming in, we will have additional supplies and again, late february and march time period, you will see much more like the flu vaccine campaign and people going into the kroger and the walmart and the --

>>population >> yes. >> and now i saw a poll coming out from nbc news and ipsos that said that 88% of americans were willing to get vaccine, and which is a higher number than we have been seeing in the polls. but it says 44% of them wanted to wait. didn't want to get it right away should people wait >> well, i would advise people to do what their governors say in terms of prioritization just as we are rolling out these historic new supplies, by their nature, we will all be getting it. >> if you could get it, should you get it right away if you are in line and your time is up? >> i hope you will this is a 94% effective vaccine. it's gone through every aspect of fda process with integrity and transparent data no, if you are recommended to get it and it is available to you, please do get it and protect those around you please get the vaccine. >> you just mentioned integrity at the fda process

i have to ask you because you and other officials are out there this is safe it's science that dictated this. just on friday the president was tweeting again and said among other things get the damn vaccines out now to dr. hahn, referring to the head of the fda and stop playing games and start saving lives and does that drive you nuts as somebody sitting there saying that, no, it is nothing to do with politics, but this really is about science >> what i can assure you and the american people is we have called every ball and strike according to the process here, science, evidence, law the fda announced they had already communicated to pfizer they would be approving the vaccine. i made the announcement we would be doing that. everything has gone according to the normal fda scientists here career scientists made the call. as they will with any vaccine or other pew tick and i will ensure

the integrity of the process, because the american people need to know that these vaccines, these therapeutics are safe and effective through a regular standard, transparent process that we use. >> well, before we let you go, it is a happy day in terms of vaccine. our hats are off to the scientists who worked so hard to reach this historic milestone, but we're about to cross another milestone. 300,000 american deaths. 90% capacity in its icu beds how difficult are these next few months going to be >> i'm actually glad you mentioned it because while it is a historic and happy day in terms of the hope. it is also a call to action. we are in that bridging period you have to to act responsibly, and please, wash your hands, and watch your distance, and wear your face coverings, and be careful of the indoor gatherings, where you let your guard down, because we have

these vaccines coming to you. i want you to be there to get these vaccines i want everyone in your family to be there. so please be careful over the next several weeks be very careful. >> it is a critical moment, mr. secretary. thank you for your time this morning. >> thank you. >> the very latest on this week's starter vaccinations throughout the morning. another major story. today's vote by the electoral college expected to further cement joe biden's victory in the presidential election and traditionally a formality and this year, it is taking on greater significance given the president's attempts to overturn his loss. nbc's chief white house correspondent has the latest, hallie jackson. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. and you are so right about this. normally it is a process that is hardly a big headline. it happens every presidential election but 2020 has been an extraordinary year so there is extraordinary attention on states locking in their electoral votes. will this be enough for more republicans in the president's own party to push back harder on his false claims of a stolen election starting this morning states

will seal the deal in a process to f formally confirm joe biden victory in a presidential race as he is set to speak tonight to acknowledge the moment. electors meeting to cast their ballots across the country most required to vote for the person who won their state's popular vote congress will count the votes on january 6th. even with a new trump loyalists, the chances of that happen are virtually nonexistent. still, the president is defiant, existing he still has a chance, despite his loss. >> no, it's not over we keep going and we will continue to go forward i worry about the country having an illegitimate president. >> reporter: the country will not have a illegitimate leader when president biden takes office january 20th, and the president is getting close to leaving office with some republicans questioning his

position. >> the courts resolved the disputes >> america likes comebacks, but they don't like sore loser, and he is going to look like it after january 6th. >> reporter: president trump's supports undeterred, with some members of the proud boys rallying to support him this weekend in washington. clashes turning violent. four people stabbed according to police and more than 30 people arrested as for the electoral vote process we're talking about, electors will mostly meet at their state's capital. some of which putting in more security because of concerns about protests, but this is not happening all at the same time, so watch for the various votes throughout the different states throughout the day, hoda. >> all right. and there was more breaking news, haley, alhallie, and newsa cyber attack.

what do you know about it? >> reporter: so it appears that the russians are the ones suspected of hacking the treasury and congress departments. the official says this breach looks like part of a campaign by a russian intelligence arm that has also hit private cyber security companies we don't know. it is not clear what these hackers were after but any would be key targets for foreign adversaries given what they do. the part of regulate financial industries or on the part of commerce which is confirming the hacks negotiating trade deals. the government's cyber security agency is working to help the departments affected they're asking companies to stop using a product suspected of compromise. no word from the fbi yet, but we will keep you posted. well, santa claus is busy these next few weeks, but right behind him is al with all these storms. >> we start in oklahoma. the storm system has been bringing quite a bit of snow in oklahoma the most snow they have seen. they got seven inches of snow. this is the biggest amount they have seen in about seven years

this system itself, as we look on the radar you can see that we have current storm warnings and winter warnings through the appalachians, and this system is bringing snow to central pennsylvania and into upstate new york, and we are talking about 1 to 3 inches of snow to appalachians and western pennsylvania. and this new low pressure system is coming through the rockies and bringing a new inches of snow and then tomorrow, through the south and picking up moisture from the gulf and bringing the snow from the plains and transfers the energy off of the eastern seaboard by wednesday and making its way up the coast. the european model is going to bring this thing close to the coast, and this is going to mean heavy snow up to the north, but the american model is going to bring it further east and south of washington and so we are going to be looking at a lot of

rain along the i-95 corridor and going snowfall amounts from philadelphia 4 to 8 inches of snow thursday and 8 to 12 in new york, and 4 to 8 in boston and 2 to 6 in d.c., and again, the track of the storm is going to be really determining what we see as the snowfall totals that will continue to fine tune this over the next 24 hours. we will get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds. good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. let's take a live look outside

in san jose. such a beautiful start to our morning. and this is after all of the rain moved through over the weekend. so as we go into today, we're looking at more sunshine. high temperatures reaching into the upper 50s. and as we go through the forecast we'll see the rain returning by wednesday afternoon into thursday. and that's when we are also looking at more showers looming back into the bay area. and that's your latest weather. >> we love rope. it is magic snowblower. >> we love rope. >> all right. just ahead, guys cleveland's baseball team reportedly set to change its name, following in the steps of the washington football team reaction to that breaking news overnight. remembering charlie pride. the tributes pouring in. one of c

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but with walmart's low prices, you still know how to do it up. and keep costs down. let's end the year enjoying more. ♪ you are all i need baby baby to get by ♪ good morning. it's 7:26 am i'm marcus washington. the first covid vaccinations arriving in the bay area. >> reporter: i'm sharon katsuda at ucsf where they're expecting the first vaccine doses to he had or tomorrow. ucsf says the first shipment will have 975 doses which will go to first responders and health care workers at ucsf. since the shipment could come today or tomorrow the earliest to administer might be this wednesday. another with a second dose for those 975 people is coming in the next couple of weeks with the shipments of millions of doses from pfizer now under way, ucsf says it expects several

thousand additional doses next week or the following week. >> reporter: i'm bob redell. the new covid-19 vaccine rolling out. it doesn't use a live virus. pfizer's vaccine is the first fda-approved messenger rna vaccine. that messenger rna sends a code to create a protein that triggers an immune sponresponse. there is no live virus which is safer for people with compromised immune systems. now time to get a look at the forecast for you today. meteorologist kari hall has been tracking that. it was nice to get the rain over the weekend. today sunshine and we're going to see more sunshine tomorrow as well. we will see in the storm system coming in on wednesday into early thursday morning and back to the dry weather by the end of the week as our temperatures stay seasonable over the next several days. marcus? thanks, kari.

another local news update for you in 30 minutes. i'll see you back here then.

7:30. it is a monday morning december 14th, 2020. being called d-day in the u.s. as the first doses of a coronavirus vaccine distributed and delivered all across the united states. pretty historic. >> it really is. d-day meaning the beginning of the mission. according to the general in charge of the logistics and of course, the hospitals are anxiously awaiting getting the

doses to be the very first shots in the arm for first responders. gabe gutierrez has one of them in columbus, ohio. walk us through what you expect today. >> reporter: we're here at ohio state university. they are eagerly anticipating that. they plan to vaccinate between 20 and 30 front line workers. we were there on monday as the first doses rolled out escorted by u.s. marshalls. it was a seismic moment. those half million doses travel to u.p.s. and fedex hubs across the country. they have arrived already here in ohio. once the shipment is delivered here, again in just a few hours, we expect the first shots in the arm about an hour after that. hoda and savannah, it is the moment so many front line workers have waited for. we have spoken with so many of them. they have been working tirelessly, risking their health to preserve the health of others. here in ohio, there are 10,000 cases reported sunday.

nearly 200 hospitalizations. as we have mentioned, these first vaccines won't have an immediate impact on the case load here. that will likely take many months. but it's a start. >> just in time, too. another developing story overnight. cleveland's major league baseball team reportedly set to drop its controversial name, a decision that comes just months after washington's football team did the same. kathy park has the latest. good morning. >> reporter: hey, hoda good morning to you. the team name dates back to 1915. this would be a historic transition native american groups have been fighting for this change for years, and some saying it is never too late to do the right thing. >> jose hammers it and the indians have their first run of the season. >> reporter: according to a number of reports, the franchise is expected to drop indians, a

nickname it's had since 1915, but one that's long been criticized for being racist and incentive to native americans. bob nightingale writes about it. in "usa today" >> reporter: why now >> this summer particularly with the george floyd death it is like, okay, the time has come now. we to change the name. >> reporter: last year cleveland phased out the wahoo logo of the chief and the hat on the jerseys and hats. at the time the team said that the organization fully recognizes that the team and name is how we are recognized with the team and the community.

then the nfl team the washington team changed its name back in movement says he's skeptical. >> i want to be hopeful. i am hopeful, but i'll believe it when i see it. >> hits this one high in the air. july. the announcement coming after the nfl's washington football team stopped using its name which was considered a racial slur president trump, who opposes the move for cleveland weighing in overnight tweeting, oh, no what is going on this is not good news even more indians. cancel culture at work the executive director of the cleveland-american indian movement says he's skeptical. >> i want to be hopeful. i am hopeful, but i'll believe it when i see it. >> hits this one high in the air. >> reporter: rebranding after more than a century likely won't happen overnight, and embracing a new name among passionate fans could also take time. >> it is not a popular decision in cleveland, but it had to be made. >> reporter: "the new york times" which first reported the news said an official announcement could happen as

early as this week. >> kathy, coming up with a new name is not an easy task how does cleveland plan to get to that decision >> so there are a couple options that may be considered the team could not replace the name right away, similar to what the washington football team decided to do it it could be a generic name and a permanent one could be rolled out by 2022 after having fans input. a frightening moment during a college basketball name. a star player in the hospital this morning after collapsing on court. we will have an update on his condition and the support he's getting across the country but first this is "today" on nbc. hustling through the hurt. asking for science, not sorrys. our time... ...for more time... ...has come. living longer is possible- and proven in women taking kisqali plus fulvestrant or a nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor. kisqali is the only treatment in its class with proven overall survival results in 2 clinical trials. helping women live longer with hr+, her2- metastatic breast cancer. kisqali was also significantly more effective

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good morning. >> reporter: good morning. keyon ta johnson is at tallahassee memorial hospital, and it is not clear what caused the 21-year-old to collapse on the court. he reportedly contracted covid earlier this year with several of his teammates in tallahassee, what started as a typical college basketball game -- >> we've had a heart-breaking situation here. >> reporter: -- immediately turned into something bigger. >> johnson with the strong finish. >> reporter: florida junior keyontae johnson threw a dunk and then moments later following a time-out collapsed face first. johnson ultimately taken off of the court on a stretcher as he his teammates were shaken and

trying to comfort each other. the game wasn't called off with florida opting to continue and opposing coach leonard hamilton taking it all in. >> it had a really dramatic effect on my team. several of my players were crying. >> reporter: both squads physically overcome with worry the interstate rivals suddenly bonded by hope and prayer for a friend and competitor. >> and then immediately, i had several players that got on their knees and started praying. >> reporter: johnson was the sec preseason player of the year and florida's leading scorer florida's coach didn't comment after the game but tweeted saturday please keep praying for keyontae and his family. we all love him. fellow coaches and players took to social media with well wishes. one posting, we know that you are fighting, bro, god got you. and former all-star bradley beal

tweeting, prayers up for keyontae johnson and his family. the university of florida saying, quote, we're glad his parents can be by his side no medical condition has been given for johnson's collapse but last month the team canceled games because of positive covid tests. the associated press and other outlets reporting johnson was diagnosed with the virus earlier this year. >> sam, we are underscoring again there has been no medical diagnosis behind what happened there. but there are concerns on covid's effects on athletes. what do you know >> reporter: as we wait to learn about johnson's specific diagnosis, something that's been on the radar, hoda is covid, athletes and developing mild carditis that's a condition that can cause help inflammation and in some cases cardiac arrest. one of the pitchers for the boston red sox sat out the mlb season specifically because of that reason. that's the highest profile example we have. it's not clear if there is a connection to that and what happened with johnson, but it is

worth exploring. >> yeah. our thoughts and prayers go out to his him and his family. >> yeah. we're thinking of him. >> mr. roker is standing by. busy man. >> that's right. we were looking at this past snow season. we didn't get much boston 15.8 inches of snow new york under 5 inches. that is way below normal and as we continue down i-95, philadelphia, and look at, this less than half an inch and little more than that in washington, d.c., and again low snow fall deficits and the second lowest for philadelphia and the third lowest winter snowfall total for d.c., but we have a lot of cold air out there, and the temperatures are anywhere from 5 to 15 degrees below average from salt lake to the northeast. tomorrow, boston, you will be at 34, and amarillo is 15 degrees below average as well, and the temperatures are staying chilly right from new york, and gainesville to denver and down the lafayette and up to green

good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we take a live look outside in san francisco, expect that sunshine to continue today. and it's going to be cool. reaching into the upper 50s for highs and a breezy wind. we're up to 58 degrees in martinez. as we go through the forecast it will be just slightly warmer tomorrow. we're getting ready for more rain and continues into thursday morning. then back to the dry weather in time for the weekend. weather. guys >> all right, al thank you. coming up next, the tributes coming up for fans of country music icon, charlie pride. but first these messages ♪ kiss an angel good morning better. and as we work to integrate sprint's network, our nationwide 5g keeps getting stronger.

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we are back, and sheinelle is joining u a ing us, and list that music. the music world is in mourning after a true pioneer charlie pride is celebrated as country music's first black country music star. >> yeah. he passed away from coronavirus complications at the age of 86 this morning his remarkable life is being celebrated by fans and stars, the ones he influenced. here's blaine alexander. >> largely dominated by white f performers -- ♪

>> reporter: charlie pride broke into country music in the 1960s and broke barriers. celebrated as country music's first black superstar and the first member of the country music hall of fame. >> how does it feel to be the jackie robinson of country music? ♪ >> someone loves you honey ♪ >> reporter: with more than 50 albums and multiple grammys, he graced the stage at the grand ole opry and right here on "today". >> i'm going to do by latest single from my latest album. >> last month, pride was celebrated on country music's biggest stage. >> thank you so much. >> reporter: accepting the cma awards lifetime music awards but after pride's death over the weekend from complications of coronavirus, some are now wondering whether that recent performance potentially put him at risk. in a now deleted tweet, i don't want to jump to conclusions, but if this is a result of the cma's being indoors, we should all be outraged.

the country music association defended the event writing, everyone affiliated with the cma awards followed strict testing protocols. knowing that pride tested positive multiple times before and after the event. over the weekend, a sea of tributes for pride lit up social media, from former presidents to fellow legends one of my dearest and oldest friends wrote dolly parton charlie, we will always love you. >> all my fans, i want to say thank you. >> reporter: for "today," blaine alexander, nbc news. >> he touched so many people i mean you heard from dolly parton, but also from the young country music artists as well. he crossed over genres and -- >> feels good to know that he knows that he was so loved. >> yeah, he was. had a beautiful sendoff. >> straight ahead, we will turn our attention to pop stars and kick off something we hope you

will be into remember we did the holiday sides for thanksgiving. >> we love a bracket. plus, a reality check on last-minute holiday shipping the deadlines that start today don't forget, we got a snowstorm looming, so let's get shipping. >> sure, blame us. >> your local news and subaru and our retailers would proudly make a donation. but now, in times like these, companies are having a hard choice to make. but subaru is more than a car company. and as charities struggle, we cannot just stand by. which is why we plan to donate over twenty four million dollars, again this year. the subaru share the love event, going on now. (vo) make your holiday ♪ legendary with chex party mix.

♪ we pray. we pray kids don't go hungry. and those who've lost jobs can keep the lights on. now is the time to put hands and feet to our prayers. our community needs our help more than ever. ♪ cue rachael ray. hey friends! today we're whipping up some delicious recipes. so? who's hungry? pets love rachael ray" nutrish® and its kitchen-inspired recipes. with real meat, poultry or fish. rachael ray" nutrish®. real recipes. real ingredients. real good.® ohhh... i'm looking for coupon codes. well, capital one shopping instantly searches for available coupon codes and automatically applies them. save me some cheddar! capital one shopping. it's kinda genius. what's in your wallet?

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over video calls. with sweatpants. house plants. and a 3pm happy dance. with pizza buying. and reindeer flying. and just a little joyful crying. with all your family. and all your friends. first bites. and happy ends. it's all essential. in every way. and together. it makes a holiday. let's end the year with what matters. ♪ ♪ ♪ i can we will idôle the fragrance lancôme

good morning. it's 7:56. i'm marcus washington. here is what's happening now. >> reporter: i'm sharon katsuda at ucsf medical center where they're expecting the covid-19 vaccine as early as today. ucsf says the first shipment will have 1,975 doses which will go to first responders and health care workers at ucsf.

this shipment could come today or tomorrow, the earliest to administer might be this wednesday. another batch with a second dose for those 975 people is expected in the coming weeks. good morning, everyone. i'm scott mcgrew. in states all across the nation this morning members of the electoral college are meeting to actually vote for the president of the united states. there is still a push by the trump administration to try to put a stop to it. that likely will not happen and joe biden today will be voted the next president of the united states. a good look at the forecast today. rain this weekend. are we seeing any more rain in sight, kari? more rain coming in by wednesday. we're taking a break today and the sunshine that we're seeing right now will continue. we're looking at highs that will reach into the upper 50s. a cool and breezy day. more of the same tomorrow but wednesday is the next round of

rain. it will come in early thursday. marcus? >> another local news update coming up in 30 minutes. we'll see you back here then.

it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, making history, the first coronavirus vaccines begin to arrive at hospitals here in the u.s. >> this is a vaccination effort that's never been seen or taken in any manner. >> the hopeful news as covid cases skyrocket across the country. what could all of this mean in the fight against the virus? we are live with the latest. what jill biden is saying after an op ed called for her to

drop her doctor title. a message for the younger generation. plus, ship off. a look at the last-minute deadlines facing last-minute shoppers. >> we have to experience social distancing. we have to wear ppe, which slows us down. >> what you need to get out today to make it in time for christmas. plus, will this weekend's winter storms impact the deliveries? and the cookie, and will shortbread to gingerbread, and will your favorite make the final? today monday, december 14th, 2020. ♪ >> surprise, mom! look, we're on your favorite show. we love you. >> to my awesome dad, former marine. >> and best pop pop in the world. >> happy 90th birthday! >> we go to michigan state. >> and we start every day with "today." go green! >> we're the evans family.

>> and we're celebrating gain yell. he's turning 11. >> you can just go around and hug each and every one of those folks on our plaza. good morning. we're so glad you started our day with us. >> thank you for those well wishes. coming up tomorrow, you guys, something really cool. it is a season of giving. we hope it will help a lot of people in need. >> we have all been watching you watching the show, and we have been seeing it on the news everyday, long lines at food drives, and an estimated 50 million americans coping with food insecurity during this pandemic. millions lost their jobs. a lot of times we air these stories and you ask, how can we help? we have teamed up with feeding america, and we are hoping to really, really make a difference. >> tomorrow across all four hours of "today," our team will be reporting live at food drives. we will be in chicago, houston, connecticut. we'll give you a look at why this is such a great need.

and how to donate, how you can pitch in. some people don't because they're like, i don't know how to do it. we'll make it super simple. we will follow that up on wednesday with a big toy drive because there are a lot of families in need this christmas. >> absolutely. we want to do some good work this week. we also want to take a moment and send all of our love and wrap our arms around craig. he lost his older brother lawrence, lawrence meadows a few days ago to colon cancer. lawrence was only 43 years old. he is survived by his wife and two kids. craig called lawrence one of the best human beings ever known. >> yeah. and a lot of us got to know lawrence, too, because he shared his fight right here on "today" because he wanted to raise awareness about colon cancer and help others. so our hearts go out to craig and his family. >> we are sending him all of our love this morning. let's get to the news at 8:00. and the first americans are

getting their covid-19 shots today, as the most ambitious vaccination program gets under way. it is happening as the death poll in the u.s. approaches 300,000 people. tom costello joins us. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. so the vaccines are right now arriving at fedex. and a nurse at long island's jewish center is getting her first vaccination, and she said it feels like any other. this is as one in five icus now at 95% capacity or more. we expect three million doses of the pfizer vaccine will ship this week to all 50 states and some territories. front line medical workers, as you would expect, are the priority. early this morning on "today," savannah asked alex azar what the time line is for the rest of the country. >> when is it going to be like the flu shot where you could go into your pharmacy and get the shot any time you want it? how soon is that moment going to

happen, do you think? summer? late fall. >> no, no. i think we can be seeing that by late february, going into march. if we get the johnson & johnson or astrazeneca vaccine approved in january when their data comes in, we will have significant additional supplies. and again late february, into march time period, i think you will start seeing much more like a flu vaccination campaign going into their kroeger or cvs. >> the general population? >> yeah, yeah. >> wow. >> reporter: that is a little bit more aggressive time line than many more experts had been providing, but it does suggest that things are moving along quickly, and they want to see what is herd immunity with 75% to 80% of the vaccination to get there, and from there they have to convince people that it is a safe vaccine, and so this week, we will see the medical and the political leaders getting vaccinated themselves. savannah?

>> thank you, tom, very much. outpouring support for the future leader joe biden after a controversial op ed that suggested biden drop the title doctor even though she earned. anne thompson has more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. jill biden famously punched a bully in the nose to defend her sister. this morning she finds herself at the center of another fight that she didn't pick this time with an op-ed columnist who questioned her use of an academic title. >> i have always loved the sounds of the classroom. >> reporter: she's known as dr. b. to her students biden earned her doctor of education from the university of delaware in 2007. >> teaching is so much more than a job to me.

>> reporter: but in a wall street journal op-ed this weekend, the author called on biden to stop using title, addressing her as madam first lady, mrs. biden, kiddo, and any chance that you might drop the doctor before your name and it sounds a little bit fraudulent and if not a touch comic. epstein wrote no one should call himself doctor unless he has delivered a child. for the record, jill biden gave birth to a child and she also delivered this tweet overnight writing, together we will build a world where the accomplishments of our daughters will be celebrated rather than diminished her response was praised on social media as pure class and intelligent, and vice president elect kamala harris' husband

doug emoff adding that dr. biden earned her degrees through hard work. this story might never have been written about a man. northwestern university pointed out he has not been a lecturer there since 2003 adding northwestern is firmly committed to equity and strongly disagrees with mr. epstein's misogynistic views. now, letters to the journal's editor this morning use other words such as sexist, sour grapes and uninformed. and the paper's editorial page editor made his own accusations accusing the biden team of fanning the controversy to play identity politics, describing his encounters with them over the weekend as very trumpian hoda >> all right anne thompson for us

thank you. this morning fans are remembering an author whose spy novel captures the thrills and betrayals of cold war espionage. his best sellers included "the spies who came in from the cold "and tinker tailor spies." at least 15 of his novels were turned into films or tv series he started his tv career while working in british intelligence. george smiley, a shabby middle-aged answer to james bond he died this weekend from pneumonia. >> okay, guys. we got our news covered. how about a morning boost. dr. james brown has been changing lives at chatman university. during their final zoom class, his students pulled off a surprise that had their professor confused at first. >> it was a cool thing to do, not turn your camera on. i have heard that. i have heard that in some classes nobody turns their camera on, including the

instructor my god okay here we go seriously? is it my fault that you have your cameras off >> so, dr. brown, we actually kind of wanted to do something. >> with your cameras off >> everybody, you want to go ahead? >> oh, you guys. you're going to make me cry. oh >> as you can see there, it was a screen full of thank you notes to bring dr. brown to tears. his course helps new students make the transition from high school to college. anyway, that's probably one of the many reasons they appreciate him so much. a little moment right there. how sweet. >> lovely. >> coming up next, guys, the last-minute holiday shipping scramble.

an important dates that you need to know of the round-up of the important deadlines that start today. and take a look. that's hoda and al zooming on saturday and wait until you hear the explanation behind that picture. someone's birthday we'll be right back after this 'd mcdonald house charities keep families like sam's together for more than 40 years. so that not everything changes for sam with cancer. or for his brother liam, without. ♪ or for his brother liam, cross e'erbody off ♪ heyour gift list.e♪e-mas. ♪ ♪ the whole squad lookin' fly in the half-zips. ♪ ♪ it's the coziest fleece-mas that ever existed. ♪ shop cozy styles for everyone on your list. we holiday. only at old navy and oldnavy.com less sick days! cold coming on? zicam® is clinically proven to shorten colds!

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so, we built a future for each of them. we electrified the mustang, and engineered it to get from 0 to 60 in under 4 seconds. put a hybrid engine in the all-new f-150 that works as hard as it does smart. then reimagined the bronco, as an off-roading, high-performance wild animal. this is the future we're building, and we're building it today. we're back it's 8:14 with today's holiday consumer those dreaded holiday shipping deadlines are upon us. >> yes, they are christmas 11 short days away it is crunch time to order from major brands if you want to avoid paying extra for rush delivery did we mention the snowstorm nbc business and tech correspondent jo ling kent joining us with more. >> i will have more on the way

that the storm will affect your packages, but we are certainly in the final countdown. you still have some time albeit, very little. this morning, the holiday shipping scramble is on, with just ten days until christmas eve. today, the shipping scramble is on with 10 days before christmas eve. the disney store, kohl's, game stop warning anything ordered now will not arrive by christmas. so what is left? today is tlas day for anything sent to you from jc penny and lowe's and nike's deadline is tomorrow afternoon. and barnes & noble will need you to check out by wednesday. the holiday stretch coming earlier this year as the pandemic pushed many shoppers indoors and online tomorrow is the deadline for ontime ground delivery with u.p.s., fedex and the postal

service. then you have friday for u.p.s. and ground mail and then next monday for three-day delivery for fedex and u.p.s. and those options may cost you more than the gift, itself. while major retailers like target, walmart and best buy are offering two-day shipping for some items, they have to be in stock, which has been a challenge for covid constrained >> we have to experience social distancing we have to wear ppe which slows us down. >> reporter: that has many retail giants thinking small >> reporter: how has this season been going >> it is going very small. >> reporter: fair game in illinois is feeling the holiy hustle from local customers. >> company's like amazon have the perception of being the two day shipping and super efficient. a lot of small businesses can do that exact same or better. >> reporter: as present procrastinators have to blitz to check off their list one other thing you can do is sign up for delivery alerts that will let you know when your

package should arrive and if there will be any significant delays also, when stores are telling you it will arrive by christmas, as you check out online, it could mean christmas eve night or christmas day night so giving you little time to get it wrap and under the tree night. >> i could just imagine that christmas night you are waiting outside for the fedex gal. we're also, just to another another wrinkle, al has provided us a christmas gift called a major winter storm this week there he is. he is fired up but that could really actually impact the shipping across the country. >> reporter: yes, it really can. i called up u.p.s. i just got off of the phone with them, and they have contingency plans in place to route your packages around the storms with the staff of meteorologists and they will work around that bad weather and focus of getting the packages on time, but the advice from u.p.s. and all of us frankly is the same, order now,

and ship now and avoid the delay s and paying those additional shipping charges. >> i know. those shippers are working so hard right now. >> roker, what's going on? >> buy on line, catch the waves. >> it is catching on. >> if you want to get your present, bopus, baby we are looking at two storm systems. maybe bring about one to two inches of snow in the northeast. heavier rain to the south. the second system in the rockies is 3 to 6 inches, and this is the thing that is going to rocket across the country and by wednesday make its way up to the east coast and become a nor'easter. the european model has it closer to the coast from d.c. to boston the american model is further to the south and east and that means less for northeast and more the atlanta. this is what we are going by thursday, 8 to 12 in scranton to

new york, and philadelphia is 4 to 8 and less to washington, d.c. hartford, connecticut, 8 to 12. and boston is 4-8, and again, we >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall as we take a look at the rain that just moved out. we're seeing our next round of rain that's off the coast and that will be here on wednesday. in the meantime, we have sunshine, temperatures today only making it into the upper 50s. but that's about normal for this time in december. as we go into the rest of the forecast, we'll be looking forward to our next round of rain once again wednesday afternoon into early thursday morning. >> and that is your latest weather. guys >> thanks, al. sheinelle is back, and carson is working on "the voice" and you

are here with pop start. >> yes we have some good stuff for you this morning. "saturday night live," the show has given us a ton of amazing impressions over the years this weekend we got a new one. cast member melissa joined weekend update under the guise of singing her favorite christmas songs but instead decided to debut her amazing dolly parton impersonation >> i real like like the classic "jingle bels" and it goes like this. ♪ jingle bells jingle bells all the way ♪ ♪ i am begging of you please don't take joline ♪ >> that is not how "jingle bells" goes and also not how "joline" goes. >> all right i will sing you an actual one. okay. growing up, my family and i would go to midnight mass and it was in latin and this was my favorite hymn. ♪ working 9:00 to 5:00 and what a way to make a living ♪

>> she sounds good. >> real good. that is really good. >> more dolly to come. >> by the way, the actual music guest on saturday was none other than bruce springsteen and the east street band their first time at the show in five years they performed their song "ghost." ♪ ♪ i can see you in my bones >> what a treat, right >> wow. >> i love this next one. "snl" is not the only funny thing that happened this weekend. al roker got quite the nice celebration from hoda and her kids. >> what's happening here >> i'm making you a cake, al roker. love you bye! >> what kind of cake >> chocolate. >> why are we making al a cake today? >> because it is al roker's birthday.

>> is this the best part of making a cake? hello. >> there you go. all right. al roker, we're about to put this baby in the oven. >> here's the thing. the only problem it was not al's birthday so hoda? >> al, i have been laughing all weekend. and there is a newsletter that comes out from the show that said it was your birthday and so i got haley, and we put on hats and baked a cake. and roker's face, and i laughed because you were looking at us doing the zoom like, what are you talking about? >> and we were driving upstate and deborah is driving like, what is happening? i didn't want to burst the kid's bubble because she was doing such a lovely job. >> but kept going, read your texts. deborah's face was the best. she was dead eyed going like, yeah >> it's the thought that counts. >> exactly. >> al, you are loved, baby.

>> so now i'm 67. fantastic. >> kids like half birthdays, so maybe it was your half birthday. >> it's my assistant taylor's birthday. >> happy birthday, taylor. and you too, al. next up, the country singer thomas ret has countless hits to his name, but it was not always like that. hay had a chance to sit with his mom, thomas ret's mom, and this is an interesting part of our conversation, because we talked about the moment that thomas told us about the moment he told her that he was dropping out of college to write songs. >> he came home and he said, you need to sit down for this one and i was like, what and he said, i'm going to drop out of school and sign this writing deal and i was like, no, we're not going to do that you only have like a year and a half left. i even went and met with the publisher of the guy who was signing to him and to this day, he said i've never had a mom sit across from me i was like, listen, i do not want him to drop out of college, so this better be worth it, you

know, that sort of thing and then from there he got offered record deals and the rest is kind of history. >> yeah. >> after our conversation, i got up smiling she is such a delight. i actually learned a lot from her, too so you can check out more of our conversation with paige in our next hour and we put it all on today.com. it is a great conversation. and finally, we could not let the year end without one more bracket challenge. so today, we are launching today's ultimate holiday cookie bracket. competing for the title of top cookie, we have ginger bread versus the snowball. and jam thumbprint versus the chocolate peppermint cookie. >> oh, chocolate peppermint. >> jingle all the way? >> yeah. i think the chocolate peppermint has a good shot. >> i feel like shortbread.

>> well, sugar cookie. >> yeah, the biscotti is going to come in last. >> and i don't feel good about the linzer's chances. >> if you are at home, go to today.com/food we will reveal the next round tomorrow >> all right sounds good. >> all right straight ahead, someone eager to weigh in on that ultimate holiday cookie bracket, as mentioned. there she is ina garten will share a few of her holiday baking tips. she has some good trick, and i'm all ears, ina, because i am ready to bake. after your local news.

good morning. it's 8:26. i'm cierra johnson. contra costa county is contemplating raising its fines for businesses that ignore pandemic health orders. it's not clear how much the fines will increase but last week one supervisor said she wants the penalty to have a bigger bite to it so businesses think twice about skirting the rules. currently businesses face a $250 fine for the first violation, $400 for a second and $1,000 for a third. supervisors will debate the issue tomorrow. and we've seen some rain earlier this week. what can we see for the remainder? >> well, we are going to take a break from those showers, and we get sunshine today.

highs reach into the upper 50s. tomorrow is also dry but our next round of rain gets here on wednesday. starts in the afternoon. continues through early thursday. and then we see the dry weather coming back for the weekend. really not too much of a change temperaturewise as we'll stay seasonable. our near normal temperatures for this time of december will continue into the weekend while san francisco will see our highs reaching into the upper 50s over the next few days. we'll be tracking that, of course, with more updates on the rain coming up in the forecast. cierra? and i'll have another local news update for you in a half hour. to all the businesses that helped us

make it through 2020... thank you for going the extra mile...

and for the extra pump of caramel. thank you for the good food... and the good karma. thank you for all the deliveries... especially this one. you've reminded us that no matter what, we can always find a way to bounce forward. so thank you, to our customers and to businesses everywhere, from all of us at comcast business.

♪ >> oh, it is a celebr >> oh, it is a celebration 8:30, guys it is monday morning, 14th day of december, 2020. coming up, we're spreading some holiday cheer a little early. >> oh, i love it what you can do for somebody who is helping their community, despite incredible personal hardship we will show you as we surprise a chef who is a true hero among us. >> there were a lot of tears that day if you have shopping left to do, stick around for our holiday hot list we have gifts for gamers, beauty addicts, kids and kids at heart. >> all right one of our all-time favorites is here to give us her picks for

our ultimate christmas cookie challenge. i don't think biscotti is going to make it she's going to share tips on how to make your sweet treats turn out perfect every time. >> guys, coming up tomorrow, something everyone is going to love this is super sweet. i got some help from a jazz great wynton marsalis, and we walked up on this jazz musician who was playing on a random street on the upper west side, and up walks wynton, and it is a great moment bringing life back to the community and there was love on the street, and we will have that for you tomorrow. >> oh, vi chills. >> super sweet. >> let's get a check of the weather, because it is a great time. >> and it is also my sister alicia smith's birthday. >> maybe that is the al -- does she spell it a-l --

>> it is for my dad's first name al and my mother alycia. >> maybe the cake was for her. >> yeah. so if i could get that cake from more heavy rain into the pacific northwest and then toward the end of the week on friday, dry, cool sunny. mountain snows back through the rockies into the upper plains, and we're looking at sunshine and mild through the gulf. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. let's take a look at our high temperatures for today. we're going to enjoy sunshine and highs reaching into the upper 50s all around the bay area. and then for tomorrow, just slightly warmer as the sunshine continues. but then more clouds come in on wednesday. and this is ahead of our next round of rain. it will bring us some showers moving from north to south, from wednesday into thursday morning. and then we're dry once again going into the weekend, but we

could be watching some rain early next week. and that is your latest weather. guys >> al, thank you. just ahead, an inspiring chef crying happy tears and a touching show of tnks for the ha ernest hemingway wrote the old man and the sea at 52 satchel paige was still dominating batters at 59. celia cruz was still winning grammys at 77 john wheeler illuminated our ideas of the universe at 70 and roger crouch was 56 when he first went into space your best is yet to come

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heroes among us is created by "today" with our sponsor, ford, built for america. >> and we're back with our inspiring series heroes among us we all know what a tough year it has been for the restaurant industry. >> it is this morning we are going to shine a light on one restaurant worker who struggled to keep his business open. through all of this, he found way to help his community in all of it. >> new numbers show more than 110,000 restaurants have closed this year. it's taken a toll on people

outside the industry that can't afford to put food on the table. but the nonprofit world central kitchen found a unique way to help restaurants survive and feed communities in need. with the help of our sponsor ford, world central kitchen introduced us to one owner who has gone to great lengths to bring hot meals to his community, even if it meant losing his business. >> serving others is walter green's lifelong mission. >> i have always loved cooking since i was young. and i thought that i would be able to give back. and the best way to show love is to give food. >> reporter: an army veteran with a passion for cooking, he opened uncle willy's wings in newark, new jersey, because he said that the city felt like home. >> newark reminds me a lot of chicago back in the '90s it is nothing nostalgic. >> reporter: but then a few months later, the pandemic hit, and walter faced the

unimaginable. >> i, myself, contracted covid. so uncle willy's was closed for almost a month and we weren't able to generate any revenue it made me feel like my dream was over, but i was afraid for my life. >> reporter: he spent three weeks in the hospital, not knowing if he would ever make it out and if his restaurant would survive. >> i reached out to various family members on a facetime and i kind of said my good-byes. >> reporter: but walter pulled through, making a promise to help his community during the pandemic, launches willy's day, a huge barbecue for the neighborhood. >> i cleaned out my savings to do all of that i knew that possibly this was going to be my last hoorah for my restaurant. so if i am going to go out, i wanted to go out with a bang. >> reporter: that's when walter found a lifeline, a program that pays restaurants to serve meals to people in need. >> it was like everything aligned, the skies parted.

this light came down, and my restaurant was saved. >> reporter: so walter got to work, cooking and delivering up to a thousand meals every week witnessing firsthand the impact of a hot meal. >> you make the food and deliver it and you get to see the smile on the children's face and the parents, the sigh of relief, and you know that you are really making a difference. that is the best part of it. >> reporter: thanks to the program, uncle willies has slowly started to bounce back, but walter wanted to reach more people in need. using money that he made to buy a used van with more than 130,000 miles on it to keep delivering food. >> it gets me from a to b and allows me to drop off meals where they are needed in newark. >> reporter: so to thank walter for all his hard work, we have a little surprise. we followed walter on a meal

delivery and secretly invited the community that he serves to help celebrate him. >> reporter: i'm sheinelle jones from the "today" show, and how are you doing? >> good. >> reporter: we have heard all about the work that you been doing to give back to the community and serving those delicious meals. in honor of his work and to help you continue to serve those delicious meals all around the community, our sponsor ford has a surprise for you are you ready? >> yes. >> reporter: they are giving you a brand-new ford transit this is yours. >> oh, wow oh, my gosh. >> reporter: yes, yes. we were told this makes it a little easier for you to serve all the people in the community at a time when people have restaurants and need help themselves, you are still helping everybody else we want to make it so you can do it in style, my friend. >> thank you i think i could put a lot more food in there and take care of a lot more people.

oh, man. this is so cool. this is perfect. i wanted to get one of these i couldn't afford it man. >> reporter: where do the tears come from? what are you feeling >> i almost lost my restaurant and my van has been giving me trouble. now i got a new van. >> reporter: yes, yes, yes >> it means a lot. >> reporter: thank you. >> thank you. >> reporter: happy holidays! >> so great. because of the program, walter has been able to hire back four of the six employees he had to lay off, people who helped him cook, package and deliver all of those meals. it was a cold day out there in newark, but it was worth it when he pulled up. >> he's incredible so empty out your bank account at that moment to help other people. and give it to the folks in the community. >> really appreciate it. and they say it's so good, by the way. >> what a great moment you got to share with him.

>> that's what the season is all about. >> thank you coming up next, "today's" holiday hot list here they are, the last-minute gift ideas g♪ we're going to find the perfect tree. we're going skating. we're going to nana's. wherever you go this holiday, chevy can help you get there. which is why we're making our chevy... ...employee discount available to everyone. the chevy price you pay... ...is what we pay. not a cent more. so wherever you go, happy holidays from chevy. use the chevy employee discount for everyone to get over six thousand eight hundred dollars below msrp on this equinox. get the chevy employee discount for everyone today. help the world believe in holiday magic. and this year was harder than ever. and yet, somehow, you all found a way to pull it off. it's not about the toys or the ornaments but about coming together.

santa, santa, you're on mute! just wanted to say thanks. thanks for believing.

we are back. it is 8:43 with "today's" hot holiday list, and christmas arrives in 11 days, and if you are still shopping -- i'm scaring myself. >> you love it. >> it's terrifying today.com is coming to the rescue to help us all. >> we rounded up a few must-haves the best products around our shop today editorial director adriana good morning i got a sneak peek at what you got. you got good ones on your list this morning. >> do not be worried these will ship in time for christmas.

the "today."com editors have scoured the internet to find the hottest gifts of the holiday season. >> let's start with nintendo what do you have >> yeah. so the nintendo switch was the hottest gaming console of the year, and it has sold out multiple times and sold out in november again and sold 1.3 million units, so for the gamer in your life, why not get them a bunch of fun games and accessories to go with that console they just got. we have the ring fit adventure, a fun way for the whole family to interact with the game, get out there. it is super fun. we also found a really cool controller it's the nintendo controller people love it, because it is ergonomic and great for the gamer in your life and if you are super last-minute for me, they can shop for anything with the egift card like super mario

to animal crossing. it's great. >> let's get to the next one the skin care edit i like the sound of that. >> yes it is for the beauty lover in your life. the brand came out with this seven piece set, which is $50. so you are getting a bunch of items for one price. it's super cute. it comes in this really cute little case. you don't have to gift wrap it, and it is coming from the anti-aging serum, and skin cleanser, and it is perfect and the perfect beauty kit. >> and let's talk about the gifts for the men. i hear you have some really great man pants [ laughter ] >> i hear you have elevated man pants. >> yes. >> they're elevated sweats. >> what you got? >> we cannot forget about the guys in our life al, you are going to love these. >> i can't wait. >> their mission is to provide the perfect fit in men's wear. >> i like them. >> wfhq pants are no exception they look as amazing as they feel they have an elastic waste they're basically like the male equivalent -- they're man

leggings they're super great. >> meggings. we want to get to everything, and what about the bala bangles, and what is that >> well, it is going to take the workout to the next level. dick's sporting goods has these, and it is for the person who loves to work out for the next gym item they want to work out with, and these are great. >> all right let's talk about for our kids. some are going to be, you know, hanging out at home a lot. so what do you have for them >> we've got the three it's a 2021 finalist for toy of the year it combines stem and creativity. folks will want to get in on this one use this little pen. create, draw, do whatever you want it is kid-friendly, because no external parts, and it is really great. >> what ages

>> i know, asking for a friend. >> it is made for 8 and up and i promise you that the adults want in on this one. >> last but not least, the voice melt. >> this is for the music lover the hard to shop for perp on the list, and this is from casey s musgraves and it is boy smells, and it is inspired by her song, and it is perfect for the winter and it came out earlier and sold out immediately and this is a hot one that you want your hands on well. >> thank you, adrianna, and if you missed anything, you can get you missed anything, you can get these products and other items

(soft music) hey dad, i'm about to leave. don't forget your hat . good morning. how can i help? i need help connecting with my students. behind every last minute save, ok, that works. and holiday surprise, thank you! a customer service rep is working unseen, making it happen. and at genesys, we're proud to help them help you everyday.

this morning on "today," get your baking sheets ready because we are talking cookies. >> we couldn't stop debating about our favorites. we revealed our ultimate holiday cookie brackets. let's bring in the smartest cookie of all of them to help us out, ina, good morning, how are you? >> good morning. so good to see you. >> you just want to be in a nice cozy blanket what kind of cookies are you making for us? >> so for christmas, everybody has to make lots of different doughs, but i don't want to do that, so i just take shortbread dough. which is four ingredients plus salt and i make short bread dough and lots of cookies out of it i cut it out in stars. i cut it out in wreaths. i do a drizzle of sugar and then silver balls on it

i do hearts. and i dip them in chocolate. so we have chocolate hearts. i have peacon cookies. and i put them in the container and you can save them like that and bake two or 20 and then you can freeze them, because of the flour on them, so they won't stick together, and you can freeze them, and people say, can i make christmas cookies, but no, you can freeze them and then just bake them off, and this is what they are looking like when you bake them off, fabulous shortbread in fabulous shapes, and so you take each one and make something special with it. the stars, i do a glaze with the red sprinkles on it, and little

bit stylish. wreaths i do a glaze and i do silver balls on it, which is kind of elegant. for the linzer cookies, i take two of them. that's my particular favorite. >> that's my favorite, too. >> your linzers are going to win in our cookie bracket. >> there is something that shortbread and raspberries together that i think is incredibly delicious simple but really good i do chocolate hearts. so i take the hearts and dip them in chocolate. so you have chocolate hearts, and then the scraps, what i do is to chop up pecans and do some chocolate shortbread and little chocolate on top so they stick. then you have lots of different cookies in one dough so you can really bring them to friends. you can leave them at their front door you can send them. they're really sturdy and they're just incredibly delicious. and so i just -- >> i know you like to chill your dough. >> i do. >> i like to chill my dough, too. don't laugh, but i do.

>> i knew we had a lot in common. >> i know. just another thing we can bond over but sometimes i chill it and take it out, it's so hard it is hard for me to -- what is the sweet-spot between a cold dough. but not so hard as a rock -- >> 15 minutes. >> okay, thank you. >> 15 to 30 minutes tops you want it chilled enough so that the butter is just cold. roll it out and then chill them and then lit have a sharper edge so it is more professional looking. roll it out and it will be really easy. it is better if you cut them out and then chill them and bake them because they have certain sharper edges, a little more professional looking. >> so you are saying make the dough, roll it out and then put it all in the fridge. >> exactly. >> hey, ina, what is the best way to ship cookies? >> well, i used to do this to jeffrey when he was in college, so i'm an expert i think lots of -- i put them in boxes. i have these great christmas boxes that came from target. i put them on little paper cups from the -- you know, from what you put muffin cups in and put

each cookie on a muffin cup and put them in here, right in there and stack them up neatly and put crushed paper or something so it's tight and then just close the box up and everybody has got a really nice christmas box of cookies. or the other thing i sometimes do is plastic bags and you can just stack them up in here with a big ribbon and then everyone else has a nice bag. it looks festive it's a simple cookie, but it's taken to a christmas taste. >> what would jeff choose? your man, if he were going to choose a ultimate cookie, what would he choose? >> i never had to make him choose i think he would take one of each. >> one of each >> i think chocolate hearts because his heart is so good >> who do you think will win our cookie bracket

we want your prediction? >> me. >> you >> i would say linzer cookies are like right up there. >> but it starts with a good cookie. >> ina, you put your shortbread recipe online, right >> i did indeed. >> i will be checking it out and chilling my dough. >> that sounds like a t-shirt. >> i know. like we always do, ina and i. thank you, sweetheart. >> so nice to see you. merry christmas, everybody and happy holidays. >> we will give a plug all day all day that streaming on peacock will air the cookie swap special which that sounds really fun. thursday night at 8:00 eastern. >> all right a lot more sweet treats just ahead on hoda and jenna. that can also double as ornaments. >> first on the third hour of today, chopra joining us first your local news and weather.

good morning. it's 8:56. i'm cierra johnson. while you were sleeping, a long island nurse became the first in america, among the first in america to receive pfizer's covid vaccine. andrew cuomo watched via live stream. afterward the critical nurse named sandra lindsey said she felt hopeful. a few hours earlier, the first

vaccine destined for california arrived at l.a.x. the state's first doses will be distributed to a handful of medical centers across the state including ucsf. sarin our sharon kasuda is there. she'll have the latest in our midday newscast. we're also digging deeper into the ways the vaccine is different than the other vaccines we've seen before. you can go to our home page right now for more details. in a land not so far away,

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live from studio 1a in rockefeller la plaza, this is t third hour of "today". >> it is monday, welcome to the third hour of "today." craig is off. did you have a nice weekend? >> yes. with family and you are starting to absorb those weekends more. we have a great show for you on this monday. our friend is back with the consumer confidential that is all about holiday scams and why young people may be especially susceptible this year. >> that's a good one. >> i can't wait for this one. for t