shot how light traffic is and no metering lights and no wait. >> that's a beautiful look, mike. thanks to all of you for making us a part of your christmas eve morning. we hope you have a great day. >> we're tracking santa over china. go to bed early tonight, kids. "today" show is next. good morning all the president's men. president trump issuing pardons overnight to some of his closest allies, including his former campaign manager paul manafort, controversial adviser roger stone, even the father of his son-in-law jared kushner this morning, the swift reaction, including one publican senator who is calling it rotten to the core. chaos and confusion. new fallout this morning after the president hinted he might veto the covid relief package, leaving the $600 checks in limbo, and making a government shutdown a real possibility. >> i wouldn't recommend to the president he veto this >> so where does it go from

here white christmas or washout the massive holiday week storm is marching across the country snow, wind, and flooding alerts affecting a huge portion of the u.s. and despite covid warnings, millions are on the move aaa saying 85 million americans could be traveling for christmas. we'll have a live report caught on camera an indiana police lieutenant pulls a little girl to safety after a house explosion. >> i need a -- hold that. i got you, baby. >> we'll show you the miraculous rescue and hear exclusively from the hero himself. peeking in on old st. nick, as santa passes out presents and spreads joy. a look at how things may be different this year. >> i'm 100% convinced that santa is more than prepared to make this trip through a coronavirus

environment. >> but the message is still the same >> the hope and the joy and the love are still there. >> and the belief. >> believe in it. >> yes >> keep believing. >> today, christmas eve, thursday, december 24th, 2020. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza >> nice look at the tree this morning. welcome to "today. thanks for joining us on this christmas eve thursday morning savannah and hoda are enjoying time with their family kristen and i are together i'm asking if you're ready, but it may be too late. >> we're ready you celebrate both holidays. are you ready? >> yeah. and i like the focus on believing message. >> it was a good one. a lot of news today.

despite the covid warnings from health officials, we are seeing a pandemic peak. >> airports are crowded this morning. 81 million travelers hitting the road could be hindered by bad weather. 100 million under wind alerts. 57 million under flood watches 20 million with a winter weather alert. dylan tracking all the details this morning. first, our top story president trump in florida for the holidays, issuing a second wave of high-profile pardons to a series of loyalists. congress is trying to figure out what to do now, after the president vetoed the spending bill, and balked at another bill aimed at covid relief. nbc's garrett headache is traveling with president trump in palm beach today. garrett, good morning. >> hey, peter, good morning. yeah, the president left washington last night with congress poised to override one is veto, looking ahead at the possibility of another his first business after landing in florida, issuing a raft of

politically charged pardons. >> reporter: president trump delivering an early christmas surprise overnight, pardonning more than two dozen people, including some key political allies. former campaign chairman paul manafort pled guilty to financial fraud, then lying to investigators. roger stone convicted of lying to congress, witness tampering, and obstructing a house inquiry. mr. kushner, the father of jared kushner. he spent two years in prison for tax evasion and lying to the fec. prosecuted by then u.s. prosecutor chris christie who described the case on pbs last year. >> it is one of the most loathsome disgusting crimes they prosecuted when i was u.s. attorney. >> reporter: the president arriving in florida overnight, leaving chaos and confusion behind in washington on tuesday, vetoing the $740 billion defense bill, upset over military bases renamed and the unnamed protections for socialis

media companies. nancy pelosi calling it reckless and vowing to bring congress back after christmas to override it it's the president's apparent threat to veto the $900 billion covid relief bill that has the country looking to palm beach this christmas. >> i'm asking congress to amend this bill and increase the ridiculously low $600 to $2,000. >> reporter: an anticipated presidential signature on the bill could have sent $600 stimulus checks and other aid out before new year's. now, anxious americans like brooklyn bar owner sam getz are left waiting. >> $600 is better than nothing, for sure. >> reporter: republican lawmakers are publicly pleading with the president to sign the bipartisan package which also funds the government well into next year. >> i wouldn't recommend to the president he veto this i'd worry this spending won't get smaller, it will get larger.

>> reporter: today, house democrats will attempt to pass a bill, boosting the direct payments from $600 to the $2,000 that the president says he wants. house republicans are expected to block them, leaving the fate of this entire covid relief bill hanging in the balance this christmas eve. peter? >> garrett haake with the president in florida this morning. thank you. rich lowry is the editor of the "national review," a conservative opinion magazine. merry christmas eve. thank you for being here let's dive into this you heard garrett talk about the backlash from the pardons. by one count 60 of 65 of president trump's past pardons have helped either his allies or those who will help him politically, so what is the message that president trump is sending here, rich >> well, he's always just, obviously, had a highly personalized view of his office. pardon power is nearly absolute. you can wield it any way he wants, and this is the way he wants to wield it. i will say, i think the russia

investigation, special counsel investigation, did run out of control. i think the russia narrative was basically a hoax it is not unusual for presidents to pardon people caught up in such investigations. the thing is that the likes of paul manafort and roger stone and the nature of their offenses, the way they conducted themselves, they do not deserve this kind of clemency. especially paul manafort basically ran an international lobbying operation that was more or less a criminal enterprise. >> rich, let me ask you, quickly, at the same time, you have the president signing off on the pardons, he is also denouncing this coronavirus relief bill. $900 billion, threatening the direct payments to americans, the enhanced unemployment benefits for those tens of millions who so badly need them right now. what is the president's strategy on this? >> it's a little unclear i think big spending bills like this at the end are hastily thrown together by congress. bad process, bad government. but the president, if you wanted

the $2,000 checks, he could have really worked it prior to the bill's passing it's hard to see how he is going to get what he wants wouldn't surprise me if he backs down and doesn't veto it. if he vetoes it, there is a significant chance it'll be overridden by congress if it's not overridden, it'll just pass maybe with a bigger number in a biden administration >> rich, just taking a step back, if you are republicans watching all of this unfold as you are, obviously, you know, less than two weeks away, the critical senate races in georgia which will determine the balance of power in the senate, could this actually hurt republicans' chances in georgia and hurt the republican party more broadly moving forward >> it certainly is a complicating factor in georgia, where you have the two republican senators there, voted for the relief bill but they don't want to alienate trump voters

so having trump coming tout denouncing the bill makes it awkward like many of the things that he has done in the post election interlude. we'll see. my sense is everyone down in georgia and on both sides is turning out in a massive way, and those are going to be really close elections. >> of course, rich, we're less than a month away, less than four weeks from president-elect joe biden being sworn in what does what we've witnessed over the course of the last several days and weeks do to his opportunities and what he'll be able to accomplish in the early days of his presidency >> i don't think anything has happened, anything the president has done will affect it much obviously, georgia is huge if the democrats take the senate, it totally changes what biden can do when he takes over. if they don't, he's going to have to -- everything is going to have to go through mitch mcconnell in the senate. so the outcome in georgia is more important than anything that president trump has done in recent weeks. >> all sides bracing for more political drama ahead of the inauguration rich lowry, thanks so much for joining us have a great holiday.

>> merry christmas. >> to you as well. now the other story this morning, the volatile combination of the travel season, winter storm sweeping the country, and on top of that, a pandemic in full force across the u.s. our team is following those developments very closely today. we want to begin with a crush of christmas travel now under way, despite health officials warning folks to stay home because of the surging pandemic millions now take to the skies, and severe weather is throwing a wrench into plenty of folks' plans. sam brock is outside ft. lauderdale airport sam, good morning. >> peter, kristen, good morning and happy christmas eve. so much for the warnings. things are picking up here in fort lauderdale. but at airports across the

country, they've been packed with travelers for days now. families are determined not to let covid capture christmas. they're now facing brutal weather, too, complicating matters even more. >> reporter: this morning, it's already looking a lot like christmas, as severe weather strikes parts of the country. knocking trucks off roads. decking the midwest with whiteout conditions, and tangling travelers like this family caught by the cold on the way in >> landed in philly for the connection, and our plane froze to the tarmac. we missed our connection flight. >> reporter: the plane stuck to the tarmac many are bundling up. >> it is probably going to be really cold. we went from being in bikinis to having to put jackets back on. >> reporter: and battling long lines. at miami international, checkpoints moving slowly. >> been waiting an hour. >> reporter: would you describe this as busy >> very busy. >> reporter: airports packed, as tsa shows 1 million people have flown every day for five straight days. this despite officials pleading with americans to stay home and avoid spreading covid. >> travel is a proxy for more social gatherings. more social gatherings, fewer precautions, more spread.

>> don't screw up christmas. don't go big don't go multi-generational. >> reporter: many people simply determined to see their families, despite the dangers. >> i worry about it, but what are you going to do? i want to see my granddaughters. >> we haven't seen each other in about a year, and we're going to take the risk and hope it's worth it. >> reporter: phyllis richberg is traveling with 11 people. >> you only live once, so i'm going to enjoy life. i have the man on my side. >> reporter: even as the inclement weather from snowfall to whipping winds stokes an already dangerous path home in a pandemic. >> getting together for the holidays is simply too risky this year. >> reporter: so the good news here is that aaa is forecasting 34 million fewer people this year traveling over the holiday week the bad news is they're still projecting more than 80 million between december 23rd and january 3rd. as you hear more planes taking off behind me. peter and kristen, back to you. >> one of the few warm spots these days, in south florida

sam brock, thank you very much. dylan is in for al this morning, tracking the path of the storm across the country dylan, merry christmas eve to you. plicate busy one travel for a lot of folks. >> it certainly is. merry christmas eve to you, as well. we have a lot of wind and rain with the storm. mostly rain, though there will be snow on the back side of it. it is heavy from update new york to the gulf coast. 22 million people impacted by winter weather alerts. most of that will be lake-effect snow. we also have wind alerts for 98 million people, with the potential for gusts up near 60 miles per hour. flooding is a major concern because of the rain. it's rain on top of snow melt, so especially across new england and into the northeast, when you get 2 to 3 inches of rain on top of the equivalent of about 2 to 3 inches of water on the ground, that could lead to flooding. on the back side of this cold front, temperatures will take a tumble. that's why we could see snow, especially across parts of northeastern ohio, northwestern pennsylvania.

we could see 6 or more inches of snow once the lake-effect snow kicks in. here are your rainfall totals. we could see 2 to 3 inches of rain, again, on top of the snow that's melting. that could lead to extreme river rise, especially very quickly, as we go into tomorrow. especially into tomorrow morning for parts of the northeast. winds, again, could gust near 60 to 70 miles per hour. time frame would be overnight into early friday morning. montauk could see gusts up to 60 miles per hour, and atlantic city up to 65 miles per hour. keep that in mind if you have the decorations on your lawn. they could get blown around for sure. guys? >> dylan, thank you. at's a good tip there about the decorations. now to the very latest on the covid crisis the country is facing on this christmas eve. as health officials fear a post holiday surge on top of the surge already playing out. erin mclaughlin has the very latest on that. erin, good morning. >> peter, good morning. here in the united states, hospitalizations have more than doubled since november.

many states are seeing the exponential increases in case numbers as california is the first state to surpass 2 million cases, and with christmas gatherings already happening, the officials are worrying that the darkest days of the pandemic are ahead. >> reporter: the day before christmas, health care workers are fearing that this is the days before the darkest days of the surge. >> the trend lines just continue to go up. there's no sign of a plateau. >> reporter: with cases spiking across california, icus at nearly 99% capacity. patients spending christmas eve in hallways, conference rooms, even parking lots. >> everyone is a different size, shape, age, background. we can't predict who will come in next. >> reporter: the holiday threatens to push the system further over the edge. >> this is why christmas where there are large gatherings should not happen. if it does happen, people that you love may not be there for the next gathering. >> reporter: across the country, 11 states have seen an over 60%

rise in deaths. as new york's governor cuomo says hospitals should start testing for the new possibly more contagious strain, already detected in the uk. >> if it is here, i want to know exactly where it is. and then isolate it immediately. >> you're doing really good, okay? >> reporter: tennessee nurses say they're seeing patients die on every shift. in utah, they're watching each other fight for survival. >> i actually have the wonderful privilege of taking care of her and being her nurse for quite a few nights, and it was hard. >> reporter: after caring for covid patients for months, nurse jill holker is now on life support, battling the virus herself while waiting for a double lung transplant. >> she's fighting for her life, and we can't do much about it. we have to hope and pray and just think the best every day. >> reporter: amidst the uncertainty and despair, compassion. at a hospital in los angeles, santa claus brings christmas cheer. >> oh, my goodness. >> reporter: passing out gifts in the neonatal icu, including

tiny clay molds of the baby's feet. >> oh, my gosh. so sweet. >> reporter: a powerful gesture of hope and care. >> my one wish for this season, we're only going to get through this okay if we abandon selfishness. >> reporter: cdc has announced a million people have received the first dose of the vaccine. far short of the 20 million vaccinations that the federal government projected by the end of the year. operation warp speed's top official acknowledging the shortfall, saying the vaccine process is happening slower than they thought it would be. 9 million doses have been shipped so far, and vaccinations are expected to pick up pace in the coming weeks and months. guys? >> erin mclaughlin in hard-hit california today. thanks. meantime, dr. anthony fauci is enjoying a rare honor to celebrate an important milestone. the mayor of washington, d.c., has declared today dr. anthony fauci day. the infectious disease expert, a long-time d.c. resident, turns 80 today happy birthday to him.

dr. fauci, of course, made headlines earlier this week when he rolled up his sleeve for his covid vaccination. >> joining the birthday wishes for dr. fauci. >> indeed. a look at the full forecast right now, good morning. >> good morning again. elsewhere across the country, we are going to see quiet weather, but chilly weather, through the western half of the country. especially north carolina, we have a threat of severe storms today and isolated tornadoes are possible, too. that's a look at the weather across the country we'll get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds

good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. we're seeing some clouds move in right now, but the main event with the rain is set to move in for tomorrow. and then we also will be tracking another storm system moving in between sunday night and monday. so we are in a busy weather pattern but we're mostly dry today. maybe just a few spotty sprinkles and also good tonight for santa's arrival and then tomorrow some scattered showers start during the afternoon and continuing through early next week. forecast back to you guys. >> dylan, thank you so much. coming up here, a dramatic, life-saving rescue from a house explosion. all of it captured on body camera we'll have an exclusive interview with the hero who saved the toddler. plus, time is running out for those last-minute holiday packages to arrive at your doorstep don't panic yet if your gift is stuck in transit we have some creative solutions for you.

still ahead on "today" on this christmas eve, it is a tradition, watching santa and his reindeer travel around the globe on norad's santa tracker you don't believe how it all started more than six decades ago. it's a great story first, your local news enough, crohn's. for adults with moderate to severe crohn's or ulcerative colitis, stelara® can provide relief, and is the only approved medication to reduce inflammation on and below the surface of the intestine in uc. you, getting on that flight? back off, uc. stelara® may increase your risk of infections, some serious, and cancer. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, sores, new skin growths, have had cancer, or if you need a vaccine. rpls, a rare, potentially fatal brain condition, may be possible. some serious allergic reactions and lung inflammation can occur. lasting remission can start with stelara®. if you've been financially impacted by covid-19,

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it's not tthis week...ave on last-minute gifts. save on toys... ...select tvs... ...home appliances and more until december 24th. this week only. save on last-minute gifts. at target. good morning. it is 7:26 on this christmas eve. i'm kira klapper's san francisco leaders crediting the stay-at-home order with saving lives. >> i'm cierra johnson. if you're one of the families to stay home and follow the stay-in-place rules you helped save lives. 330 lives have been saved by folks simply following that shelter in place order. they say the lack of mobility along with people wearing the face cover and practice social distancing has let to a reduced. good morning i'm thom jensen

in san jose and outside calvary first where church officials did respond to bay area news that they do plan to hold a christmas eve service tonight that despite the protests from county health officials and demand that they close down and mounting fines against the surge. county officials are really concerned that having the service here could become a super spreader event. meteorologist kari hall has a look at your christmas eve forecast if people are heading to work or heading to shop. >> visibility down to a quarter of a mile in fairfield, so be careful if you are going to head out. if not, just enjoy the day. we are going to have some mild weather, dry conditions for today but rain rolling in here tomorrow. off and on showers between tomorrow evening and moving out by saturday morning and then we are going to see some clearing for saturday before another

storm system comes in late sunday into early monday. we'll be tracking that. kira. >> i know you will, kari, thanks. yell be back in half an hour with another local news update for you. see you then.

♪ he's making a list he's checking it twice ♪ familiar sight there. back at 7:30 on a thursday morning. december 24th, 2020. it is christmas e, and that jolly old elf has already started his rounds, delivering joy to children everywhere. >> this is a live look at the norad santa tracker. bring your kids to the screen, because we are told that he just past fiji. in a few moments, we'll take a look at how it got started about 65 years ago. how it all began with a typo.

the fact that santa is in fiji right now, like, any chance we the hang out? we've been at the north pole for a while. >> nothing stops santa. not even a pandemic. great scene. 7:30 headlines. holiday travelers impacted by the covid pandemic, now dealing with a major winter storm. snow has blanketed highways across the midwest, along with high winds. it just about wiped out visibility for drivers. air travelers are facing massive delays. the storm should hit most of the east coast by christmas day. areas that escape the snow could hit with heavy rain and flooding. the makers of excedrin are recalling more than 400,000 bottles of their popular headache medicines. some bottles have holes in the bottom that might allow children to remove the contents. the recall covers five different types of excedrin sold in the larger bottles with 50 or more

capsules or gels inside. no injuries reported. one of the largest icebergs on record is breaking up. it is drifting in the southern atlantic ocean. it's broken into three pieces. scientists were worried the massive iceberg might crash into a nearby island, possibly disrupting wildlife habitats and blocking penguins from reaching the sea to feed. scientists are hopeful that those smaller, broken up icebergs will do a lot less damage. >> remarkable sight there. other news now, an incredible, life-saving rescue was all caught on body camera footage. you have to see it to believe it. an indiana family pulled to safety after a house explosion. morgan chesky has an exclusive interview this morning. morgan, good morning. really remarkable. >> reporter: kristen, you're absolutely right. this morning, lieutenant kevin van clay is being called a hero for being one of several who literally ran into the flames to pull this family to safety. again, this video is truly

something you have to see to believe. >> we're coming to ya. we need a ply bar! we need a ply bar. >> reporter: dramatic rescue captured on camera. >> get your leg out. >> reporter: the video released wednesday shows the chilling aftermath of a house explosion in porter, indiana. it happened back in september. jason's family trapped in the debris. incredibly pulled to safety, as fire wages. >> we called out, "where's the baby?" i jumped up. i had to go find her. >> hey, we need to move. we have to get moving. >> my leg is broke. my leg is so broke. >> it is going to get hotter. keep moving her. >> reporter: jason's 3-year-old granddaughter pulled from the rubble. >> her leg is stuck. i need a ply bar! i got you, baby. hold it, buddy. hold it, okay? hey, baby. hey, baby. go. go, go. come with me. >> reporter: kayla also buried in the debris with collapsed

lungs, yanked to safety by the responding emergency team. >> all hands on deck, let's go! pull her out. >> came in and lifted the mattress off me. everybody had to drag me out. i was, you know, safe. it was a huge relief. >> reporter: authorities say a natural gas explosion leveled the home, causing multiple injuries to those inside. the 3-year-old girl was air lifted to chicago for medical treatment and is now back with her family. >> we're coming. >> reporter: seven people were seriously injured, but, amazingly, everyone survived. lieutenant kevin van clay was awarded the medal of honor this week for the harrowing rescue. more are expected in the weeks to come. >> that day you truly saw everybody put everything aside. we had an entire neighborhood come together. >> hey, baby. hey, baby. >> reporter: an inspiring act of courage and care that will never be forgotten. >> i'll be forever grateful. >> go, go! >> seven people went into the house.

seven people came out. >> reporter: it really is amazing. overnight, the porter county sheriff's office tells us that lieutenant van clay is humbled by this honor, but was quick to point out to the other first responders and neighbors there at that very scene who made sure that that family made it out to safety. pretty modest words from a guy who put his own life on the life. peter, kristen, send it back to you. >> for sure. what a well-deserved honor. great interview, morgan. you can hear the tension in their voices. it's just unbelievable. >> that moment when kevin, the hero, finds kayla, the young girl there and says, "hey, baby." as a parent, your heartbreaks. imagine that moment. it'll be a special christmas. well-deserved for both of them. glad they're okay. >> sweet little girl there. coming up next, shoppers are just overwhelmed this holiday, so what should you do if that special gift for your loved one is still in transit? we've got some great backup plans for you. that's right after this.

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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. ow! so, you think santa will like these red and green m&m's? i don't know! i never met the guy! whaaaaa! he does exist! they do exist! uhm... santa?

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♪ i want to thank you baby we are back and taking an in-depth look at christmas eve crunch time. we all know the feeling. it's all about those presents with so many americans wondering if those final packages will arrive in time to put under the tree. >> only so much wondering left to do at this point. if you're one of the people anxiously following those online tracking notifications, we have some tips on what to do if they just do not make it. nbc's kathy park has the very latest kathy, fingers crossed for those folks. good morning >> reporter: hey, peter. good morning to you. that's right really is a final stretch for the postal service, u.p.s., and fedex. they've all been maxed out this year, meaning millions of packages could be arriving late. not to worry, a little patience and some creativity could just save the day on this christmas eve, u.s. shipping services are now on the final push a tidal wave of packages this holiday season swamped their systems.

roughly 3 billion, 30% more than this time last year, as the pandemic drover more shoppers to buy online for those who deliver for a living, it's been a rough nine months >> when you add in the stress of the covid pandemic, going to work every day as front line, essential workers since march with a short staff, i think postal workers are truly exhausted. >> reporter: post office added tens of thousands of seasonal workers, extended overtime, and expanded sunday deliveries still, the pandemic hit their ranks hard roughly 19,000 workers are out every day nationwide because of virus-related issues competitors, u.p.s. and fedex, have contracts with retailers. when the number of shipments hits a limit, the surplus spills over to the postal system. >> the postal service ended up receiving 6 million packages a day more than what they could have planned for. >> reporter: for those who

waited until the last minute, there's still options. retailers partnered with food delivery companies, so check individual websites. macy's and bloomingdales are working with doordash. sephora and dick's with instacart. for those still waiting on delayed packages, well, here's another idea. >> they don't come, cut out a picture of what the present is and give it that way in a little box. >> reporter: at this point, you might want to consider buying virtually and sending someone an e-card and let them know the gift is on the way meantime, same-day delivery is an option, as well. amazon prime, fedex, and u.p.s. offer the service, but it is coming with a price tag and eligible in certain areas. peter, kristen >> if all else fails, that's called a re-gift kathy, on top of the packages, companies are shipping millions of vaccine doses is that playing any role in the delays >> reporter: peter, so fedex and

u.p.s., they have been planning the vaccine rollout for several months now they have been prepared for this, in addition to the holiday shipments. fedex released a statement saying they're using their express service to ensure a timely delivery with all of the vaccines meanwhile, u.p.s., despite all the challenges they've faced this year, they said this is the most successful shipping season ever guys, back to you. >> all right kathy park in new york thanks so much. >> i like the idea of cutting out a picture of the gift. >> yeah. >> i think that's a good plan. >> this is what i was going to get you. it'll be there by easter what's the weather looking like today a lot of folks, it'll feel christmasy today. >> especially for areas through the great lakes. want to point out an area in the southwest where we have an elevated fire risk even a critical fire risk in red because of the low humidity and winds gusting up to 30 miles per hour it'll also be windy tonight and tomorrow morning up and down the east coast with wind gusts up to 60 to 65 miles per hour. today, it comes with warm temperatures highs in the 60s

50 in buffalo. behind the cold front, 3 for a high in minneapolis today. the colder air settles in on christmas day. cincinnati will feel like christmas, 23 for a high 37 in raleigh. temperatures will rebound a bit as we go throu good morning, i'm meteorologist kari hall. we're going to see more clouds today and light sprinkles and some of the heavier rain to move in on christmas day and starting in the north bay around noon and continuing to work its way across the bay area to afternoon to evening hours and some of the heaviest rain, once again, for the north bay and it does all clear out by saturday morning and temperatures reach the upper 50s with a new storm arriving late sunday evening into monday morning. >> that's your latest forecast peter? >> dylan, thank you very much. up next, norad has been tracking santa's sleigh on christmas eve for over six decades, and it started with a happy accident

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norad monitors the air space over north america 24 hours a day, 365 days a year tonight, christmas eve, they have one special mission twas the night before christmas at norad command center. >> norad tracks santa, this is ruth. >> december 24th, it's the most ant job we do. >> reporter: norad, which tracks everything, friend or foe, in the air space over north america, has been tracking santa for 65 years >> we're fortunate that santa does slow down for our fighters at times, and allows us to escort him >> where are you calling from? >> reporter: tracking santa started with a phone number misprint in a department store christmas ad a child called that unlisted phone number of the command operation center, believing he was calling santa claus. those phones only rang for serious reasons. >> exactly right.

>> reporter: air force colonel harry shoup was the commander on duty that night. >> thought maybe it might have been a prank call, but he quickly realized it was a young child looking for santa. >> reporter: the colonel assured the child they'd guarantee santa a safe journey from the north pole. >> he loved christmas so much and loved kids and loved stories. >> i guess the flavor of think want to be is, do the right thing. do the kind thing. he could have hung up on the kid. he didn't. >> reporter: that's a lesson for all of us. >> i think so. i think so. >> reporter: your father was a colonel but also earned a nickname. >> yes. >> santa colonel. >> reporter: that tradition has continued for 65 years norad volunteers receive more than 130,000 calls to the hotline. on their website and social media, millions of kids across the globe watch santa's sleigh ride this year, santa is safe during

the pandemic >> i took a trip up the end of the north pole i went there, and i vaccinated santa claus myself i measured his level of immunity, and he is good to go. >> reporter: how do you feel, knowing santa claus is in your sights >> i'm 100% convinced santa is more than prepared to make this trip through a coronavirus environment. he's been doing this for many, many years, as you know, through challenges all around the globe. i'm confident santa going to make it. >> reporter: the track santa program has come to mean so much, bringing much joy to children everywhere. we're in the middle of a pandemic what do you think the message is this christmas >> the hope and the joy and the love are still there. >> and the belief. >> believe in it. >> yeah. >> keep believing. >> reporter: merry christmas. >> merry christmas to you. >> reporter: and to all a good night. remember, kids, you have one important mission, be in bed and

go to sleep by 9:00. >> yeah. >> reporter: guys, back to you. >> good luck with that tonight. >> most important part of that mission. what a beautiful story kerry, thanks so much. if you want to track santa, head to our streaming channel, today all day to follow jolly old st. nick as he travels the globe the festive fun begins at 3:00 p.m. eastern you can get a call from the big man himself. i love santa colonel his kids said that was one of the things he was most proud of. >> keep believing. >> the message stays the same. >> no doubt. still to come, on "pop start," a royal christmas. how charles and camilla are marking the holiday. plus, a sneak peek at harry and meghan's christmas card. first, your local news ghan's ch. first, your local news.

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merry christmas eve morning. it is 7:56. i'm kira appekl here's a look at what's happening now. >> i'm thom jensen in san jose. we're outside calvary first where officials did confirm to nbc bay area news they do plan to hold a christmas eve service tonight that despite the protests from county health officials and the demand that they close down and mounting fines against the church. county health officials really afraid that having the service here could become a super spreader event. i'm cierra johnson in san francisco. if you're one of the families that decided to stay home and follow the shelter-in-place rules the city's top doctor said you helped save lives.

according to grant colfax 330 lives have been saved by folks simply following that shelter in place order. the lack of mobility along with people wearing the face coverings have led to. as we check out your forecast, we are going to see some sun and clouds today. temperatures reaching into the low 60s and rain set to arrive tomorrow especially during the afternoon and most of it clears out by saturday. we should see some cool temperatures and sunshine but a new storm system will arrive between sunday night and monday. we'll be tracking that along with those chilly temperatures we'll see next week. i'll have another update in a few minutes. for now, we'll send you back to "today" show. in a land not so far away,

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in customer satisfation, they live happily ever after. again, again! xfinity mobile. your wireless. your rules. your way to stay closer together. click, call, or visit an xfinity store today. it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, pardon wave overnight, president trump announces 26 full pardons, including two long-time allies paul manafort and roger stone, and to his son-in-law's father, charles kushner. one republican senator calling it rotten to the core. we're live with the latest. plus, winter whiteout. a massive storm begins to wreak havoc across the u.s., while many americans are still hitting the roads and airports despite all the warnings. >> i think people want normal. they're ready to be with family and travel and see people. they're willing to take risks to be able to do that.

>> how the dangerous conditions could affect your holiday plans. merry and bright this christmas eve, jon bon jovi sheds light on an inspiring community pastor. >> if i can do a little to give someone an opportunity to say, i can be encouraged and make it through another day, that impacts my heart every day. >> as we get into the festive spirit with a performance by the detroit youth choir. today, thursday, december 24th, 2020 ♪ santa, if you get this >> this morning. >> we're on "today." >> and tonight. >> santa is on his sleigh! >> it's almost here! >> one more sleep until christmas! >> from our family to yours. >> wishing you joy and peace >> the sweetest way to spend christmas eve. >> with the "today" show

>> welcome back to "today. so glad you're waking up with us on this thursday, christmas eve morning. savannah, hoda and craig all taking a break for the holiday. one more sleep until christmas she knows well, the last sleep is the toughest. trying to convince the kids, you have to go to bed. i promise, santa will be here. >> they're not going to bed tonight. they're staying up as late as they can to get a glimpse of santa claus himself. we have got a huge guest, speaking of which, tomorrow on "today." our keir simmons worked his sources and landed an exclusive interview with the jolly man himself. santa claus. so cool. >> kids, the headline is covid is not stopping st. nick from delivering presents on christmas eve. we can't wait to hear more from him tomorrow. >> that's right. while we're waiting for the big interview, this is important, guys, it's not too late to get involved with our season of giving toy drive >> so the qr code -- sorry, i was looking at it, on your screen. >> see it there? >> toys for tots, a group delivering gifts and a message

of hope to millions of children this holiday season. >> just scan it with your smartphone you can click the notification, and you'll learn more about ways you can help >> so many people making such a big difference already this holiday season, and it's not too late to do the same. we want to get to your news at 8:00 right now. of course, there's a lot of news going on this morning. president trump's second round of pardons is causing even nor controversy, all while holding up money for defense and covid relief. garrett headache is traveling with the president and in florida this morning. garrett, good morning. >> hey, peter, good morning. yes, the president is leaving chaos and confusion in his wake as he heads to florida for the holiday break. the first thing he did when he got off of the plane last night is issuing some 30 commutations

and pardons, including some to close political allies. former campaign chairman, paul manafort, former political adviser, roger stone, both caught up in the russia investigation. also a pardon for charles kushner, the father of his son-in-law, jared kushner, who spent two years in jail on tax evasion charges. before leaving washington, the president also vetoed the annual bipartisan defense spending bill, known as the ndaa. congress is likely to come back and try to override the first veto of the first presidency the bigger question is, what is the president going to do about that $900 billion covid relief bill the other night, threatening perhaps to veto that bill, as well, if the direct payments in it weren't increased from $600 to perhaps $2,000. today, house democrats are going to try to give the president exactly what he asked for, introducing a bill on the floor to raise those direct payments to $2,000. that's expected to be blocked by house republicans. all of that leaving the enormous covid relief bill many americans depending on the aid, hanging in limbo on christmas eve kristen? >> millions of americans watching all of this anxiously thank you, garrett holiday travelers who are

forging ahead with the plans despite warnings, are dealing with frustrating and even dangerous weather. sam brock joins with us that part our coverage. sam, good morning to you. >> good morning, kristen it is sunshine in south florida and obviously that is not much of the case for the rest of the country which is getting hammered with severe weather as people are traveling out in the middle of a pandemic. starting from the midwest from minnesota to nebraska and blizzards are snarling traffic and pulling trucks off of the roads and creating white-out conditions, and we are expected to see the heavy winds and snow into the morning as airports are packed across the country. at miami international airport, the security line that we looked at last night, it was stretching down the terminal, because there were so many people out there, and this is going on as so many millions of americans are ignoring the advice of governors

and others to not hit the road. >> more travel is a prompt for more social gatherings more social gatherings, fewer precautions, more spread. >> reporter: aaa forecast about 84 million or so travelers over this holiday season. most of them, they believe, are going to be on the road. about 3 million aaa forecast by the skies. kristen, we've jumped that number in the last five days 5 million people have traveled by air according to aaa. ft. lauderdale, where i am now, is the 18th largest airport in the country. they're anticipating a million travelers over the holiday just right here kristen? >> just unbelievable scenes there. sam brock, thank you for that. turning now to a deadly police shooting in ohio. columbus police officer has been relieved of his duties with pay after shooting an unarmed black man. the victim's family is demanding justice this morning nbc's blayne alexander has the latest on that we warn you, the video of the shooting is disturbing >> reporter: it was less than 60 seconds from the moment officer adam coy got out of his car to when he shot andre hill, an

unarmed black man who later died this body camera video shows the final moments of hill's life here you see officer coy approaching a garage and here, hill is walking towards the officer with a cell phone in one hand and the other out of view. seconds later, the officer shoots there is no audio, because coy did not activate the body-worn camera until after pulling the trigr. once he turns the camera on -- >> get your hand out from underneath you now. >> the camera captures the chaotic aftermath including hill lying on the ground for more than five minutes before anybody rendered aid. >> the city's mayor is outraged. >> to see him lying in the driveway minute after minute after minute with no attempt to

render aid or comfort, that is a stunning disregard for life, and in this case, black life. >> reporter: this morning, the officer, a 19-year veteran of the force, has been relieved of his duty with pay. >> my commitment, my legal obligation, is to conduct a fair, impartial hearing, and that is what i intend to do. >> reporter: nbc news has reached out to the police union for comment, but we have not heard back the initial 911 call came from a neighbor concerned after hearing a car running in the middle of the night. >> you can hear it revving up a little bit >> reporter: officials say hill was known to the people in the house, not an intruder in a facebook post, hill's sister, shanna, writes, my brother was snatched away from me, our family i'm deeply hurt and in pain. the violence against us, this has to stop right now. and attorney ben crump, now representing the family, writing overnight, police reforms and a national standard for police behavior is desperately needed we will not stop until we get justice for andre.

for "today," blayne alexander, nbc news now to a man in wisconsin who risked his own life to save an animal in distress. the way he did it is one of the more unusual things you're going to see today gil was headed home for lunch when he spotted a deer stranded in the middle of a frozen reservoir. he walked on the thin ice, gently sliding the deer over the surface, knowing at any minute, their weight could crack the brittle layer. how brave is that? but good fortune was with them, and they both made it safely back to ground. >> not just good news for the rescuer, the deer, but the person shooting the whole thing, on the ice. >> probably trembling. >> no doubt. glad they made it safely. that's the news, now time for a morning boost. >> let's do it. >> our boost is a good one it is about a mother's love and the secret santa who answered

her prayer. the mom couldn't find the one present her son, jake, wanted so badly. he already has an adaptive video game controller, but jill couldn't find out the new xbox anywhere she turned to social media a stranger in florida came through in the clutch. the strange wer -- stranger was restaurant owner kevin d'angelo asking jill for only one thing in return, to pay it forward by supporting struggling restaurant workers in her own area. a great christmas for that family, and a good message for the rest of us, to pay it forward this holiday what a difference he was able to make there. >> his smile says it all that was the gift he wanted. he could feel his mom's love. >> did a good thing. >> sure did. up next, jon bon jovi introduces us to someone helping him keep the faith these days. an inspirational and wildly popular pastor who is all about healing during this challenging year was proven superior to humira®

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we are back with more of our season of giving series. this story actually comes to us from a viewer who wrote to savannah about a hero in his community. >> that's right. that viewer's name is, you may have heard of him, jon bon jovi. the rock n roll icon wrote about a pastor who gives to others >> reporter: for jon bon jovi, this is what living on a prayer means these days. >> let us pray. >> reporter: the music superstar is shining a spotlight on a community hero who he says is a rock star in his own right. >> i can do all things in christ who strengthens me >> reporter: pastor terrence porter of pilgrim baptist church in red bank, new jersey. he originally planned for a career with the nfl. the college football star had a brief run with the chicago bears before becoming a division i coach. >> i want to tell america about

the harley riding, chicago bear, who ended up the pastor of a church in red bank, new jersey >> i was coaching at rutgers at that time. at one practice, a gentleman came up to see me. i don't know how he got in he introduced himself, i'm the dean of students at new brunswick theological seminary he shook my hand and he said, this is not where the lord wants you to be. >> wow. >> that's basically the beginning of a journey into ministry >> reporter: for 17 years, pastor porter has extended his service far beyond the four walls of his church. from local community outreach to international missionary trips, helping build medical centers in haiti and sponsoring students in jamaica. he's dedicated to building a community in every sense of the word >> my wife, dorothy, and i have been in the community for over 30 years we both know what a great place this is. but there's the haves and there's the have nots. >> unfortunately, when i arrived, there was this stigma,

shrewsbury avenue, separating the east side from the west side there is a perception that one side was better than the other because of their socio-economic backgrounds. life should not be dictated based on what side of the tracks you live on, so we got involved with affordable housing. rather than rentals, our development is 100% ownership. now, those who own the property have a vested interest in your community. they're giving back. they're going to be your volunteer firefighters they're going to be your little league coaches it gives them pride. >> reporter: the two met at john's jbj soul restaurant, where the pay what you can policy provides meals to those in need. they decided to join forces to provide much-needed community shelter. >> when the temperature falls below freezing, we can open up our doors and call it a place of hope and comfort we refer to them not as the homeless we refer to them as guests we all set for tonight >> yes, we are. >> we give them a room they can take showers at night

take their old, tattered clothes, throw them away, and we provide brand-new clothes for them they have an experience where they feel welcome. >> let's show a lot of love, warmth. >> reporter: just as important as building physical walls, pastor porter says, is breaking down walls that may divide us. >> 2020, of course, was a very trying time for all of us. there was civil unrest there was doubt. i wrote a song on our new record called "american reckoning" after i saw what happened to george floyd ♪ use your voice if you remembe me ♪ >> you took it to another level, where you're bringing the community together. >> we brought the police chiefs, the prosecutor's office, members of the sheriff's department, community leaders, students, and other clergy to sit down and have a conversation about social justice. then we realized that we have more in common, i think. really where we're struggling at right now as a society is everybody wants to talk over

each other, but nobody wants to talk with one another. if we can get more people to engage in wholesome conversations, even the difficult conversations, we can work to a better end than we are right now. >> i know it's the season of giving, but what is it that motivates you, that gives you that hope? >> my faith. jesus, i believe, if he lived in the day and time that we are in now, he would still call us to be about trying to help others >> yeah, i agree >> to provide hope to others if i can do just a little bit to give someone an opportunity to say, i can be encouraged, i can make it through another day, that's what impacts my heart every day. >> such a powerful message from pastor porter there. i love the idea that they say, we don't call them homeless when they're with us, we call them our guests >> treat them that way, too. >> should resonate with everyone. >> making sure you are respecting the people that you

are reaching out to. so important it's just fascinating that he is reaching out to so many different facets of his community. what a great lesson. >> jon bon jovi does a mean interview, too. >> sure does, yeah >> sign the man up. >> yeah. what is it looking in terms of the forecast? >> it is an absolute mess. taking a look at the radar, and we have pouring rain literally from the great lakes to the panhandle of florida. we also have the threat of winter weather on the back side of this storm. 22 million people under winter weather alerts we have 98 million people under wind alerts. that is going to be a huge story, especially tonight and tomorrow we also have the flooding potential because a lot of the rain is falling on snow that's melting. that clogs the storm drains, rivers fill up quickly, too. it is because of this cold front. on the back side of it, where colder temperatures are, we'll transition from rain to snow tomorrow morning, especially on the east coast, we'll see the heaviest downpours, then it moves into new england throughout the day on friday most of the snow we'll see will be 3 to 6 inches across the appalachians, also lake-effect

snow, perhaps up to a foot in your typical areas off lake erie and lake ontario but all of the rain, the 3 to 4 inches of rain falling on top of the melting snow of the northeast, mostly tonight into tomorrow morning. winds will be strongest, as well we could see gusts up to 50 to 60, nearly 70 miles per hour a lot of christmas decorations outside, and they can easily get tossed in winds that strong. we also have the potential for power outages, especially along the east coast and new jersey, long island. also southeastern massachusetts and into rhode island, too so it is going to be very messy, especially for tonight, christmas eve, and christmas morning. >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we'll see more clouds moving in today, but tomorrow is when the rain arrives with this storm system that we can see. and then we'll have another system that will bring us some more showers between sunday night and monday. so our seven-day forecast is mostly dry today, but with those clouds we could see some spotty

sprinkles, especially along the coastline. some of the heavier rain arriving tomorrow afternoon and a break on saturday. we'll see some more scattered showers in the forecast late sunday evening. >> and if you are heading out today, don't forget to check us out on sirius xm 108. >> dylan, you're doing double duty carson is off. what do i have with "pop start"? >> i love the holiday when i get to do it all kristen, we're talking about the royals few hours ago, prince charles and camilla, they tweeted this star-studded video recording of twas the night before christmas. they were joined by britain's acting legends for a reading to benefit the actors benevolent fund take a look. >> twas the night before christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse >> the stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that sir nicholas soon would be there. lively and quick. >> i knew in a moment it must be

st. nick >> more rapid than eagles his coursers they came. >> and he whistled and shouted and called them by name. >> now dasher, now dancer, now prancer and vixen. on comet on cupid on donner and blixen. >> i put a lot of effort into reading the story, and it doesn't hold a candle. >> dame judi dench. >> you have to watch the whole thing, because you will be dragged right into it. that is maggie smith and judi dench and daniel craig, james bond himself. >> so good. more royals for ya prince harry and meghan, they're joining in on the holiday greetings this morning we're getting a peek at their christmas card, thanks to the british animal welfare charity, who posted this picture to instagram. in it, you can see the duke and duchess posing with son archie and their two dogs, guy and hula

the original photo, according to a spokesperson, was taken by the duchess' mother earlier this month. one thing folks are excited about is seeing how archie has a head of red hair to match his dad. >> they downsized, that family. >> that could be the doghouse. >> so sweet. i can't get enough royals. >> we only have two stories for you. >> that's okay that was a good christmas eve gift. >> nice to see their christmas. >> i love it. let's talk about dolly parton and willie nelson since the release of his "holly dolly christmas," parton has been dropping animated music videos to go along with the tracks she's done it with her duets with michael buble and jimmy fallon now, willie nelson is getting the animation treatment for "pretty paper. here's a peek. ♪ pretty pencils to write i lov you ♪ ♪ oh pretty paper pretty ribbon

of blue ♪ >> it's so hard to make a music video these days, so what a way to do it getting the animation treatment. >> so creative of her. >> such a beautiful song, too. >> she make the drawings, too? >> probably. >> that would be impressive. that's great. finally, to another talent, conen o'brien. this month, the late night talk show host has brought back his old house band to play some christmas classics, and is showing us he really can do it all. here is conan leading in "santa claus is coming to town. ♪ got no favorite reindeer ♪ got no sack on my back ♪ you ain't going to see me coming in a big black cadillac ♪ ♪ it's christmastime pretty baby ♪ ♪ where the snow is falling down ♪ ♪ girl you been a good girl ♪ because santa claus is back i

town ♪ >> i know he could sing, but, i mean, that's -- >> this is impressive. i am blown away by that. yeah, he might have a whole second career. >> the conan christmas album. >> no doubt. don't give him any ideas i'm sure it'll be coming soon. dylan, thanks. coming up, new orleans bread baker brian ford is going to be sharing his baking secrets. here's a little hint, it involves sourdough and chocolate. we call that a winning combination.

good morning. it's 8:26. i'm marcus washington. it may soon be more difficult to get to angel island and it's all due to the pandemic. the blue and gold fleet ferry has filed a request with the public utilities commission to stop service there. the ferry operator says the route no longer profitable due to the health risk factors and stay at home orders. if they allow service to be cut, the only remaining ferry there will be from tiburon. but more than 250 people have already signed a petition urging the puc not to cut that service. meteorologist kari hall has been tracking the forecast for us this morning.

>> well, we've seen more clouds moving in this morning. and there still may be the potential of spotty light rain but the main event will be tomorrow with some heavier rain first moving through the north bay ain the early afternoon and spreading across the bay area with lighter rain tomorrow evening. our christmas day will be wet, but saturday looks like it will be drying out before another storm system comes in. we're looking at highs up to 60 degrees today and once again, rain arriving tomorrow. by sunday, we'll be tracking another storm system to add on to those rainfall totals. marcus? >> thanks, kari. we'll have another local news update coming up in 30 minutes. see you back here then.

♪ santa baby it is 8:30 now on this christmas eve morning. the 24th of december, 2020 thanks for enjoying your holiday with us. >> just a reminder, we have teamed up with toys for tots, a group that's been bringing joy to kids for more than 70 years we've said it so many times, that qr code at the bottom of your screen is an easy way to donate just click your camera on it, and it'll take you right where you need to go. >> we keep saying it, and people

keep donating. we're grateful it's not too late to do it if you missed out on the sourdough baking trend, we have instagram favorite, bryan ford he is here to show you how to get started, as well as to do a little santa -- look at that, a strong effort today, bryan really proud. >> these are a few of my favorite things, chocolate and sourdough. >> he's not messing around today. going strong see you in a little bit. >> we sure will. plus, the tradition continues. the detroit youth choir of "america's got talent" fame is back with us and spreading holiday cheer. we are so excited to hear a long from their new holiday album you don't want to miss that. just ahead in the third hour, santa shouldn't be the only person who sees the inside of your chimney. we have an informative consumer confidential on fireplace safety. coming up tomorrow on "today," our harry smith is going to reflect on this holiday season at the end of a tough year for so many as only harry can do it, he is going to look at our current struggles through the lens of a classic christmas story, "a christmas carol. >> we look forward to that we are, of course, tracking santa today. dylan, you're tracking the storm, and some people are going

to have a white christmas, too. >> very true, which is always nice to see. the plus side, if you are stuck at home. we are going to see the heaviest rain, though, up and down the east coast, as early as tonight. i mean, we're already seeing the heaviest rain across the interior northeast the snow will wrap around on the back side of it. the winds will kick up, as well. flooding rains are likely for the east coast tonight and early tomorrow morning flooding is possible winds could gust up to about 40 to nearly 70 miles per hour. again, these are your areas where we are going to see that beautiful white christmas, the interior northeast, the great lakes, where we could end up with several inches of snow, especially up near erie, pennsylvania, up into cleveland, ohio also looking for a white christmas across the upper midwest where the snow is already falling. and back through the rockies and higher elevations, where we could see our best chance of snow >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we still have very low visibility in parts of the delta. fairfield, visibility down to a tenth of a mile.

really dense fog as well as some clouds rolling across the rest of the bay area. for the afternoon, we're going to see some clearing. temperatures reaching up to 60 degrees for the inland areas and rain starts in the north bay. tomorrow, late morning into the afternoon, spreading across the rest of the bay area throughout your christmas day. >> dylan, thank you. now a new twist on a beloved holiday tradition. the nutcracker ballet, one of my favorite. >> most performances are virtual, but one company is performing the classic in a special way. nbc's kerry sanders is back from the sugar plum fairy's land of sweets. kerry, good morning. >> good morning, guys. because of the coronavirus, so many things have changed b one tradition remains the same, the

"nutcracker" performed by the miami city ballet. because we have such great weather here, it's outdoors. ♪ >> it's about a young girl who is given a nutcracker, and she goes to sleep and, all of a sudden, she dreams this wonderful dream. >> reporter: "the nutcracker," a timeless holiday classic in our year of the pandemic, some changes a smaller cast by almost half, wearing masks and socially distanced rehearsals daily covid testing for the dancers and production team. performing on an outdoor stage in doral, florida, with seating by pod for a limited number of guests >> about 120 individuals that are putting the nutcracker together on a daily basis, so it's a lot of responsibility i have to tell you, i feel tremendous joy in any heart, because i think this is life-giving. >> reporter: with many theaters dark and miami city ballet cancelling performances since march, this outdoor stage providing the cast with an

opportunity to dance >> it's so exciting, being able to perform once again. no matter where it is, what the stage is, it's still so exciting >> when we heard we were going to do this, it was just even more inspiring, and it's just going to be thrilling. i'm going to have to hold back tears. >> reporter: i see you excited here. >> yes, i am >> reporter: opening night, a free performance for first responders and essential workers. >> every day is an up and down roller coaster, and you're physically and mentally exhausted when you leave every day. >> i think it's really sweet and nice because they're in the hospital 24/7, helping people. when they have this opportunity to come and watch. >> being able to perform in front of heros who sacrifice their lives every day for us it's really an honor. >> reporter: a holiday tradition bringing hope and joy to all >> it's just so amazing.

to be here, it's a blessing. it gives me a will to keep going. >> reporter: what do you hope this brings to everybody at home right now? >> some hope, some christmas magic. >> reporter: something you think we all kind of need right now? >> i think so, yeah. we need a little hope at the end of the year. >> i think this performance will spark a little bit more hope in people, and remind people that there is light at the end of the tunnel our future is going to be bright, and just like the end of "the nutcracker" is magic and bright >> reporter: tickets for the remaining performances through the end of the year are available. $120 for those pods. "the nutcracker" is especially near and dear to me. as a young boy, i danced with the boston ballet company in "the nutcracker. famed conductor arthur feidler the young performers now, bringing so much joy that, quite frankly, after 2020, i think we

all really need. right, guys? >> kerry, that's for sure. the picture of kerry as a little boy, that is cute. >> that is a surprise. >> that is the win there kerry wins for masks of the year three already today. the guy is crushing it >> the last one was a nutcracker that was impressive. kerry, thanks. great report coming up next, bread baker and best-selling cookbook author bryan ford is whipping up holiday treats for your whole family, and they will love them. to sweeten the deal, they both involve chocolate.

we are back this morning with "today" food, and welcoming bread baking phenom, bryan ford, behind "new world sourdough" and founder of artisanbryan.com. >> making me hungry. he is going to show us how to whip up baked treats in time for

christmas. thanks so much for being here. >> merry christmas. >> how much a part of your holiday tradition is baking? how important is that to you and your family? >> listen, baking and eating in general, just being together is so important for our family. there they go right there. i see you. >> nice. >> you know, it's always part of our tradition for sure >> so let's start cooking, if we can, this morning. do some baking, as it were. >> yeah. >> start with the coco pande. >> co, co, co. the no, no, no. >> trying to give parisian flavor how do you do this is. >> you mix the flour, cocoa powder, chocolate in a bowl. ferment overnight for this beautiful dough. divide it into six pieces.

get a loaf tin here. we get it divided into six pieces it is very simple. have some shredded coconut, more chocolate. put the pieces into the loaf pan. you don't roll it into balls just put it like that. it is for the pull apart effect. shove it in there like that. all right. then we top it with our coconut flakes those get toasty when they're in the oven, all right? >> bryan, you talked about the starter. can you explain, what is the starter? i think we have some in my refrigerator, and i don't know what it is. >> absolutely. i wish y'all could smell the sourdough. know what i mean flour and water mixed together over five days let it ferment, it rises and falls. you can put this in anything put it in the coconut bread, your cookies, which i'm about to show you in a second regular white bread, sandwich bread, doesn't matter. smells delicious it is all in my book, so don't miss out on that let this cool for three hours. pop it in the oven, then we get

this beautiful -- >> wow. >> this absolutely delicious chocolate pan de coco. there it is right there. >> looks amazing. >> before i open it up for you guys, i'm going to bust out the cookie material. >> let's do it. >> chocolate chip cookies, right? >> absolutely. sourdough chocolate chip cookies, guys. first step, i'm not going to show you how to cream butter and sugar. eggs, vanilla. this is the most important part, the liquid gold, sourdough starter. goes right into the mix. i'm not even going to measure it. >> five days for that? >> yeah. just five days if you feed flour and water me it. >> five days for that? >> yeah. just five days. if you feed flour and water together in equal quantities, let it rise and fall over five days, as long as your house isn't too together in equal quantities, let it rise and fall over five days, as long as your house isn't too cold, get it warm, around 70, 75 degrees, and you'll get a sourdough starter, ready to make anything rise,

including the delicious sourdough chocolate chip cookies. eggs, butter, flour, don't overmix it add half the flour. >> you have to use regular flour, too >> yeah. i'm using all-purpose flour. you can use cake flour, pastry flour. honestly, i'm the type -- i'll use any flour. bread flour, strong fly, rye flour. >> i've never done sourdough with chocolate chip before seems like a unique flavor. >> honestly, you get the funky fermentation flavor and the delicious chocolate flavor all right. we're going to get the flour incorporated here. this is so fun, guys, making cookies on christmas eve you already know, the santa outfit. >> are you going for soft or crispy, bryan? >> i'm going for soft. sourdough when it bakes, they get a little inflated. i'll show y'all the finished product. >> one more question for ya. how do you get into the cabinets with those christmas lights

behind you >> let me tell you a secret, guys i don't cook i just order takeout i don't need to get into the cabinets. >> that's for dessert. >> after our cookie dough is mixed -- >> let's see it before we say bye. >> we ain't saying bye yet, huh? you didn't see the cookies, man. i'll leave it there, guys. >> can you have those shipped to 30 rock? >> i can actually messenger them over to you real quick, if you want. >> please. >> coconut bread for y'all, if you want i'll open that bread, if that's okay. >> fantastic. >> bryan, looks amazing. >> it really does. thank you, thank you what a christmas gift. thanks for being here. >> absolutely. >> to check out for of bryan's delicious recipes and learn about his online video course, head to today.com/food looks good. >> that was an experience. >> it really was. >> that was fun. coming up next, a little

every year, we set out to do one thing: 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.

series on "today" is proudly presented to you by citi >> we are back now with our citi music series on this christmas eve morning. we have a really special musical performance that is sure to get you in the spirit of the season. >> singing "mary did you know," ♪ mary here is the detroit youth choir. ♪ mary did you know that your baby boy would one day walk on water ♪ ♪ mary did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters ♪

♪ did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new ♪ ♪ this child that you delivered will soon deliver you ♪ ♪ mary did you know that your baby boy would give sight to a blind man ♪ ♪ mary did you know that your baby boy would calm the storm with his hand ♪ ♪ did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod ♪ ♪ and when you kiss your little baby you kiss the face of god ♪

♪ mary did you know mary did yo know mary did you know mary did you know ♪ ♪ mary did you know mary did yo know ♪ ♪ the blind will see the deaf will hear the dead will live again ♪ ♪ the lame will leap the dumb will speak the praises of the lamb ♪ ♪ the lamb mary did you know that your baby boy is lord of all creation ♪ ♪ mary did you know that your baby boy would one day rule the nations ♪

♪ did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect lamb ♪ ♪ that sleeping child you're holding is the great i am ♪ ♪ mary did you know mary did yo know ♪ ♪ mary did you know mary did yo know mary did you know ♪ ♪ mary did you know >> unbelievable. >> wow >> if you don't have chills after that. >> thanks to the detroit youth choir. that was just beautiful. >> you d

we are back, and it's time to celebrate some milestone birthdays. >> yeah, it's the season of celebrating, so let's keep it going and spin around those smucker's jars we have some amazing people to meet let's start with a happy 100th birthday to catherine o'keeffe, proud grandmother from loveland, colorado, and she has seven great grandchildren and a new addition born just this month. >> nice. >> congratulations to the family arthur grossman of new rochelle, new york he is 101 years old. in addition to his birthday, arthur and his wife are also celebrating 70 years of marriage. >> aw. >> lots to celebrate in that family happy 100th birthday to glen nelson of naples, florida. he served his country during world war ii we salute you for your service looking good in that hat lizzie stevens is from madisonville, tennessee. celebrating 100 years.

she worked as the head cook for the local county jail, and she didn't retire until she was 88 let's say hello to dean ladd of spokane, washington, and this former marine is 100 years old, and he published his own book about his time in the pacific war, and thank you for that book and your time in the service. 100th to eddie robinson. former cleveland baseball player from ft. worth, texas. he was part of the team that won the world series in 1948 he is the oldest living major league baseball player how about that >> incredible. >> if you'd like us to honor your family member's big birthday, go to today.com/celebrate. >> what a legacy we salute all of them. thanks, dylan. coming up on "hoda and jenna," michael bolton and

matoma will sing a new christmas song. in the third hour, an entrepreneur that hit at the right time how she's trying to revamp the video call. a very merry christmas first, your local news and weather. >> merry christmas, everyone

good morning to you. it's 8:56. i'm marcus washington. 2 million cases and counting. california passed that threshold last night and it continues to add more cases than any state in the country. averaging more than 40,000 per day over the past week. this has led to a dire warning from bay area health leaders who say the next two days will be

critical with holiday gatherings threatening to add to the surge. hospitals are already overwhelmed. santa clara county's top doctor and other leaders are pleading with people to cancel any travel plans they may have for -- as well as those family gatherings. happening now, one bay area county is starting to turn the corner on covid cases. the fear is it will all be undone by the christmas holiday. that full story at midday.

from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza, this is the "3rd hour of today." >> good morning, everybody welcome to the "3rd hour of today" on christmas eve. i'm al, along with dylan and sheinelle. i guess if folks sent you christmas cards, you won't -- you won't probably know because yolost the keys -- >> i know the running joke is i don't check my mail. sheinelle, you don't either. >> no, i don't. >> i love checking my mail this time of year because it is christmas cards. i hang them on my front door i went to get the key, and it wasn't there i looked in every jacket pocket, and i can't find the key to my mailbox. >> like your