breaking overnight, at long last, relief for the millions of americans struggling in a pandemic congress striking a $900 billion deal after months of gridlock. what that aid package will provide and when it will arrive, including those new stimulus chks. another shot of hope the second vaccine approved in the u.s. is rolling out right now as new fears infect the uk london locks down to try and slow the spread of a new, more contagious covid strain. procrastinator, better watch out. the shipping woes that may prevent your gifts from getting under the tree in time

"early today" starts right now good morning on this first day of winter. >> glad you're with us, i'm frances rivera. breaking overnight, another round of covid relief is on the way. congress struck a deal late last night on a $900 billion stimulus package that will provide much-needed aid to struggling families and businesses. lawmakers are expected to vote on the legislation today president-elect joe biden praised the bipartisaneaeal in a statement but added, this is just the beginning, our work is far from over. >> reporter: congress is delivering an early gift in the form of a $900 billion coronavirus aid package. >> we can finally report what our nation has needed to hear for a very long time more help is on the way. >> reporter: the package is designed to be an emergency bridge through the first quarter of 2021. president-elect joe biden and leaders of both parties have said they intend to revisit

covid-19 relief in the new year. >> the bipartisan agreement is simply a down payment. it will establish a floor, not a ceiling, for coronavirus relief in 2021. >> reporter: the deal includes $600 in direct payments to qualifying americans, an unemployment insurance bonus of $300 a week, more money to help small businesses pay their bills, extra funds for vaccine distribution >> our purpose has always been to crush the virus, to put money in the pockets of the american people, which we do in this legislation. >> reporter: the bill is the second-largest federal stimulus in u.s. history, but does not include additional aid to state and local governments. officials say president trump will sign the bill as soon as it gets to his desk the vaccine rollout phase continues with two at-risk groups next in line. the cdc announced anyone aged 75

or over, along with some 30 million frontline essential workers, should be next in receiving the covid-19 vaccine shots. president-elect joe biden is also set to be vaccinated this morning. that news comes as moderna starts to ship its vaccine across the country our morgan sheskey has the latest. >> reporter: the new weapon hand packed inside a massive freezer vault where hundreds of bundled-up workers check vaccine kits, then rolled it onto trucks, ready to ship. there it is, history being made inlive branch, mississippi on board this fed ex truck. some of the very first doses of moderna vaccine in the country now headed for memphis after that community's in need and nationwide. >> we're very confident in what we'vprepe ed for. >> reporter: fed ex joining u.p.s. to split deliveries. >> i can't go into details around security plans but can

say, there will be security around -- heightened security around every one of these shipments. >> reporter: the new vaccine bound for nearly 4,000 locations by the end of this week. >> with the moderna vaccine, we should be able to start vaccinating at all of our hospitals in the coming days. >> reporter: from james jarvis says because pfizer's vaccine required a special deep freeze, smaller hospitals missed out moderna is able to be stored in a regular freezer. new details on who gets vaccinated next. the cdc advise recommittee including phase b, including those older and frontline workers. 1-c vaccinates 65 to 74. 16 to 64 with high-risk conditions and essential jobs. combined, nearly 180 americans one of those, u.p.s. driver tim elby, whose vaccine turned personal after losing his dad to covid-19. >> after many years at u.p.s.,

this has been the most important load that i've hauled. and to bring this back, i feel dad was in the truck with me today. >> reporter: with shipments already in flight, some hospitals could see their first doses for their health care heroes can't come soon enough. >> we're going into the holiday season and it's a difficult time what a christmas present. >> reporter: the second and third wave of vax thagss will not come immediately it will be at least several more weeks until medical workers in 1-a will get their vaccinations. 1-b will include firefighters and day care staff to corrections officers the third and largest group will consist of essential workers, everyone from bankers to reporters to fast food workers able to then get their shot. frances, paul, back to you. >> morgan, thank you. a new and more contagious strain of covid has spawned in the uk, creating global travel

nightmares with several countries banning flights from the united kingdom now there are growing calls for the u.s. to follow suit. sarah harmon h the details. >> reporter: frances, paul, good morning. this is not christmas as usual here in the uk in the u.s., calls are growing louder to test or even outright ban passengers traveling in from the uk, as england grapples with a mutant strain of coronavirus that's even more contagious. the british isles are increasingly isolated as countries around the world race to block all flights from the united kingdom and stop the spread of a new mutant strain of covid-19. >> the new variant is out of control. we need to bring it under control. >> reporter: the announcement left passengers stranded just days before christmas. british travelers are now barred from large parts of europe, including italy, ireland, france, and germany, as well as israel, kuwait, and saudi

arabia the new coronavirus strain isn't more deadly, nor is it thought to be more resistant to vaccines but it does appear to spread 70% faster than the original virus so far, the u.s. is still allowing flights from the uk to land normally. >> a number of countries have now restricted flights from the uk should america consider doing that >> my sense is that we can consider it, but i don't know that it will make a big difference these strains are popping up in multiple different places, in the uk, denmark, the philippines. i suspect some strains like that may already be circulated in the united states. >> reporter: in london, dramatic scenes as thousands raced to catch the last trains out of town. >> it is with a very heavy heart, i must tell you, we cannot continue with christmas. >> reporter: after the prime minister announced fresh lockdowns to try to stem the spread of the mutant strain. christmas effectively canceled as millions brace for a holiday like never before. new york governor andrew cuomo

is calling on the federal government to test or even outright ban passengers from the uk right now, new york's health commissioner says there's no evidence of this new strain in the state, but there are six flights today from the uk to new york frances, paul? >> alarming developments, sarah, thank you. back stateside, frontline workers at hospitals across the country are overwhelmed with covid-19 patients. overcrowding at hospitals is hitting a critical level, especially in hard-hit states like california, where more than 16,000 people are hospitalized with more than 3,000 in intensive care units this has led tech giant apple to temporarily close all 53 of its retail stores in the state nbc's megan fitzgerald has more. megan, good morning. >> reporter: frances and paul, good morning to you. as cases of the coronavirus continue to surge to record numbers here in california, los angeles county health officials are warning frontline workers

about the darkest days ahead covid-19 bringing california to its knees. hospitals overwhelmed with patients who keep coming. >> we're getting crushed i'm not going to sugarcoat this. >> reporter: rising cases already impacting the quality of care doctors and nurses can provide. a document from l.a. county health officials obtained by the "l.a. times" warns that overwhelmed hospitals may not be able to provide optimal care for covid or noncovid patients "some compromised standard of care is unavailableable. >> this affects anyone who needs to go to a hospital for care the number of patients that need care, covid and oncovid alike, are exceeding the capacity of care hospitals can optimally provide. >> reporter: la county out of icu beds, averaging 13,000 new infections a day in the last month, hospitalizations for covid-19 patients increased 330%. across the state, icu availability at dangerously low

levels and dwindling. >> it's what we call a disaster situation. our hospital is in a disaster situation. >> reporter: this doctor's southern california hospital is operating at 270% capacity "the washington post" getting this video from inside patients gasping for breath. forced to wait hours for care in packed hallways. people being seen in the parking lot and lobbies. >> i felt like we were in a movie, some disaster movie when you are in such dire circumstances, you turn to what's called a code triage, where you're going to give your patients who have the best chance of survival, you know -- yeah, the priority >> reporter: the state throwing a hail mary to try and stop the surge, moving the rose bowl semifinal game to texas, the first time since world war ii. new guidance sent to hospitals across los angeles county

detailing best practices for frontline practices during the surge. they've also reached out to the state for additional resources frances and paul, back to you. >> megan, thank you for the update it's tough to think about the difficult decisions our health care professionals are having to make every single day. >> hope we turn those numbers and scenes around. let's turn to nbc meteorologist bill karins with a look at the first day of winter. good to see you. >> good morning. this week's going to be wild starting off kind of quiet, not a lot going on by the end of the week, which is looking at christmas, things get interesting. we start off today relatively tranquil we have snow and lake-effect showers heading through the great lakes with a little system then the mild temperatures are in the middle of the country as we fast forward through the week, the new storm comes into the middle of the country. we'll have some areas of snow on the back side, but the real effects of the storm is going to be very heavy rain that's going to move to the east coast. we think heavy rain could fall

in the same spots that got snow. we have to worry about roof collapse, flooding, and and that anuld all be on christmas eve e northeast. windy in the northern plains temperatures in the 20s and 40s. we're also going to see very cold temperatures. we'll talk about that coming up. >> all right, bill, see you in a bit. we're also in the home stretch of the nfl schedule, for those of you lucky enough to be playing fantasy. as potential playoff teams jockey for position, including the browns and giants on this network, hey, a field goal to give new york an early 3-0 lead. i'm a broadcast major, math's not my strong suit the last time i checked, 6 is more than 3. how about 6 more just before halftime

baker and jarvis landry. 14-3 at the break. the browns down the giants in the meadowlands 20-6 how about a potential super bowl preview in new orleans? chiefs visiting the saints drew brees returned from 11 broken ribs and a collapsed lung he could not overcome the force of nature that is patrick mahomes. kansas city 13-1 this year, they win 32-29. neither eagles nor cardinals could afford a loss in arizona philly kept this interesting behind jalen hurts philly can't get it done, deandre hopkins has better mitts than the hamburger helper hauling in that touchdown. 33-26 the final. dolphins/patriots in miami tua and the fins enacting sweet revenge upon their afc east tormenters, new england. patriots losto miami, ensuring bill belichick and company will miss the playoffs for the first

time since 2008. miami wins 22-12 fins 9-5 on the year, alive in the afc wild card picture. here's logos on your screen. ravens and raiders need a little help with two weeks to go. >>stl ce,heatest on major shipping delays hitting days before christmas. ion. a string of lights sparks family ties. a last-minute gift makes a lasting impression. a tray carries your heritage. and an ending means a new beginning.

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so that's why they tried to start deals earlier this year. but there's still many procrastinators out there. >> reporter: to meet the unprecedented need this season, u.p.s. expanding pickup and delivery services on the weekends customers can redirect their deliveries to a u.p.s. access point location and pick it up themselves >> it's just easier to order gifts online there are consequences to that, and retailers are trying to work through getting those packages to you on time. >> reporter: the strain impacting the u.s. postal service, too they say mail delays in part are caused by staffing shortages due to covid-19. for those still shopping, there's still time to take advantage of amazon's one-day delivery if you're a prime member, order by december 23rd to get packages before christmas some customers opting to shop in person to avoid possible delays. >> you know, i do a lot of online shopping. but we're getting to that point where the delivery times are not matching up with christmas. >> reporter: in a holiday season unlike any other, there's

gratitude for those making the deliveries in virginia, neighbors consider u.p.s. driver anthony gaskins a local hero for dropping off their packages all year. families ready to celebrate and hoping it's rth wothe wait jolene kent, abc news. it's true, i will rescue you oh, i will rescue you a blast of immune support that's more than just vitamin c. it's a unique crafted blend of vitamins, zinc, other minerals, and herbs. take on your day with airborne. your daily dose of confidence.

♪ just one look at you... ♪ ♪ and i know it's gonna be... ♪ no matter how you celebrate this year, make this holiday extra special with a gift from pandora jewelry. and my water broke. at only 23 weeks. andrew: we had to stay in the hospital for 10 weeks, 1000s of miles from family. our driver kristin came along in our most desperate hour. suzanne: bringing us home-cooked meals and gifts. andrew: day after day. we wanted to show you something. kristin: oh my god! andrew: kristin is the most uncommonly kind person that we've met. suzanne: thank you so much.

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every time you see me, i'm a different guy. there's a good chance this tim next year, i'm going to be mario lopez. >> say it ain't so, jim carrey stepping down from the role. >> i know. but you know what, picking up right where he left off. >> i thought he looked the part. >> 100%, named it. it was great while we had him. lizzo is spreading christmas cheer, starting with this big surprise for her mom. >> okay, merry christmas, mommy. open your eyes. >> oh! >> with a big red bow and everything, lizzo shocked her mom with a new car the singer shared this video along with an emotional message about her dad, who died in 2009. she said she remembers have nothing where to live and wishing she could take care of her family, so now she can, and she's going to spoil her mom in doing it still to come, bill is up next with details on an arctic blast just in time for christmas. plus the great holiday

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sometimes the smallest gestures can be the most refreshing. give extra, get extra. ♪ just one look at you... ♪ ♪ and i know it's gonna be... ♪ no matter how you celebrate this year, make this holiday extra special with a gift from pandora jewelry. welcome back here's the christmas eve forecast this is what all the travel problems are in the areas of the ohio valley. we're going to have the rain, then go over it with snow. cold and windy back behind the storm. christmas day itself, that cold air is going to plunge into th southeast. lake-effect snow in the great lakes. the network of home cooks across the country serving

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the big difference a small gesture can make, and how everyday cooks in kitchens across america are helping others feel loved with a simple hot dish here's nbc's kate snow >> reporter: across the country, the need has never been greater millions impacted by covid's economic fallout lining up for food donations. >> i was feeling pretty helpless friends were losing jobs, friends were losing child care >> reporter: in california, rihanna decided to step up when the pandemic began, she found families who could use a

home-cooked meal along with her daughter, made lasagna after lasagna. >> the perfect comfort food. it says, i'm thinking about you, i care, here's warmth and kindness and love. >> reporter: it started something she never expected >> in the first two weeks i got some people replying saying, i really love what you're doing, can i make lasagnas too? >> reporter: now a mouth-watering movement called "lasagna of love." people sign up online, and givers and recipients are paired by location. in seven months, lasagnas mamas and papas delivering over 10,000 meals. marcie volunteers from chicago. >> i can't think of a better way to tell somebody you care about them. >> yummy, yummy, yummy in my tummy. >> reporter: in jacksonville, florida, amy and daughter essa making meals ahead of the holidays. >> it feels really good to be

passing our blessings on to others. >> reporter: for mom katy perry in boston, getting help with dinner became a bright spot in a difficult time. >> it's been rough we have the kids home now, so things are really heck kick. trying to juggle lots of things at once. >> reporter: she's paying it forward, cooking for others in her community. simple dishes that mean so much. >> my hope is that the people who are volunteering the first time, the people who are inspired to lend a helping hand during christmas that they'll have the same feeling i had. that feeling of warmth and love. >> and organizers say there's still time to make a lasagna or another hot dish to donate in time for christmas i imagine there's fans of italian cooking watching and nodding in agreement, cooking is an act of love. >> it is love. food is love lasagna is amazing even more so, you get the love behind it and you get the kids involved making it too love to see it.

>> a layer of cheese, a layer of love thanks for watching "early today. i'm paul gehrke. >> i'm frances rivera. honor the frontline workers in your life. send us your pictures on instagram and we'll share some of them here on "early today."

we can finally report what our nation has needed to hear for a very long time more help is on the way. >> it's a christmas miracle on capitol hill congress finally strikes a bipartisan deal to help millions of americans whose lives were upended by the pandemic. we're live to explain where that $900 billion in critical relief will go. moderna on the move. a second round of vaccines rolling out across the u.s