the year. >> the last tuesday of 2020 today. >> it is. here is a look at the golden gate bridge. a beautiful shot. make this last tuesday a terrific one. we'll see you back here tomorrow morning. the "today" show is next. ♪ the bill has passed. >> good morning. checks and balances. the house votes to boost relief payments for american families from $600 to $2,000. the move pushed by president trump, backed by democrats, and setting up a showdown in the senate can the president now coince his republican allies there to fall in line >> these senate republicans have followed you through thick and thin get them now to act. >> the very latest from capitol hill, and when you can finally see that money crisis mode, more than 1 million new coronavirus cases in

less than a week here in the u.s. hospitals already pushed to the brink, now bracing for yet another post-holiday surge >> this is the worst crisis i've ever seen at our hospital. we're just getting hammered with patients. >> this morning, the dire picture from the front lines, and the mounting anger and confusion over the slow start to the vaccine rollout. motive mystery, investigators expand the search for clues behind the powerful christmas morning bombing in nashville, as police release dramatic new images of the explosion. snow, and the chaos that followed. holiday storms, a dangerous mix of ice and rain sweeping from coast to coast. tens of millions in the path this morning the impact on your new year's plans back in the air, the boeing 737 max set for its first

flights with paying customers in the u.s. today, nearly two years after the fatal crashes that grounded the entire fleet. just ahead, why the faa says it is certain those planes are safe those stories, plus the baby bump nine months after the first lockdowns, areas of the country now seeing an increase in childbirths, as more families say, oh, baby. today, tuesday, december 29th, 2020 >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today," with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza welcome to "today" on this tuesday morning. thanks for waking up with us kristen welker here with us as savannah and hoda continue to enjoy time off >> always good to be back as we inch closer to the new year. we do have a busy morning.

a lot to get to, including the newest wave of coronavirus infections right here in the u.s. and why some health officials are now sounding the alarm on the pace of the vaccination effort first our top story and it is directly tied to the pandemic the battle over the next round of stimulus checks for most americans. it's now in the hands of the senate after the house approved a measure to more than triple the amount to $2,000 nbc's garrett haake has been following all of it. he is traveling with president trump in florida of course, the president demanded that large increase garrett, good morning. >> reporter: hey, craig, good morning. the house pass today big boost of stimulus payments largely with democratic votes, despite the president's pleas. now it will be up to the republican-controlled senate to decide how big of checks americans will receive >> two-thirds being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed. >> reporter: overnight after a brief debate, the house voting

to more than triple direct stimulus payments to $2,000. >> it's never too late to do the right thing. >> this free money doesn't come from heaven. >> reporter: despite president trump's adamant support for the increase, the vote fell mostly along party lines, with his own party o posed and democrats supporting the bigger checks the senate's hop democrat now asking the president to convince senate republicans to back the bigger payments today. >> get on the phones, get those republicans in the senate to support $2,000 in relief that's what we're pushing for. >> reporter: the senate's action today means the amount of those direct stimulus payments isn't selgs sel settled yet. but a senior treasury official says they may be able to start sending out payments by the end of the week. it's part of a massive bill that will restart two federal unemployment programs, fund for vaccine distribution and provide nearly $3 billion in loans to

small businesses, like colorado's morning glory cafe. >> the past few months have been, quite honestly, hellish and put me in the hospital >> reporter: the relief bill and larger payments now a rare covid policy backed by both the president and the president-elect. >> can we afford the $2,000 payment, sir >> y >> reporter: biden accusing the outgoing administration of hamstringing his administration, primarily at the pentagon. >> right now we just aren't getting all the information that we need for the ongoing -- from the outgoing administration, in key national security areas. it's nothing short in my view of irresponsibility. >> reporter: the white house has not yet responded to that accusation. today's vote on those $2,000 checks can be blocked if even one senator votes no, but overnight senator bernie sanders said he would force the senate to stay in session as long as necessary to guarantee a full

vote on boosting those direct payments. >> garrett, i know a heated debate over that. one more headline you're tracking this morning, last night the house voted to override president trump's veto of a key defense bill. >> reporter: this got buried a little bit, but the house voted overwhelmingly. the president opposed this bill in part because it required military bases named after confederate figures to be renamed. but this override now goes to the senate. if the senate follows suit, it would be the first time president trump's veto has been overridden in his entire presidency. >> garrett haake, thank you. meanwhile, as for the coronavirus itself, the number of cases continue to soar all across the country, even as hospitals from coast to coast brace for a post-holiday surge. nbc's meagan fitzgerald is in los angeles with more on this. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning to you. here in los angeles stay-at-home orders are expected to be extended today. the covid situation not

improving much since thanksgiving, as more states struggle to keep up with the surge in patients and officials across the country are urging americans to celebrate the new year at home. this morning top health officials warning the impact of holiday travel will likely haunt the nation well into the new year. >> there is no question we are going to see another surge just like we did after thanksgiving, we're going to see another surge in january. >> reporter: the u.s. adding more than 1 million cases in less than a week, total covid infections now accelerating past 19 million, and the cdc predicting the country could surpass 400,000 deaths by mid-january. from coast to coast, hospitals are in crisis. in california, the epicenter of the pandemic, infections are spiraling out of control. >> we prepare ourselves for what is inevitable, a surge on top of a surge, arguably on top of, again, another surge. >> reporter: the department of

health in l.a. county announcing a new travel restriction, ordering anyone who travels outside of the county to quarantine at home for ten days when they return. overwhelmed medical centers are inching closer to prioritizing care for people more likely to survive. >> this is the worst crisis i've ever seen at our hospital. >> reporter: in tennessee, now second to california with the highest number of new daily cases per capita, many critical care nurses are seeing patients die on every shift. >> we are working so hard and working to support our team, and we need our community to support us. >> reporter: meanwhile, growing concern over a slow vaccine rollout. the cdc estimates over 2 million have been vaccinated. that number likely undercounted due to reporting lags, but far short of the 20 million originally promised by the end of the month. >> it's probably realistic to think the pace will be slower as we try to move through

hard-to-vaccinate populations next month. >> reporter: positive news, nursing home residents and staff joining frontline workers and first responders in getting a shot of protection in a battle that's far from over. more help could be on the way. on monday, novavax announced the start of phase three trials of its vaccine candidate t fifth company to launch a large-scale trial here in the u.s. craig. >> meagan fitzgerald for us, thank you. let's turn to the dean of brown university school of public health. doctor, good morning to you. >> good morning. thanks for having me on. >> i follow you on twitter and i've read what you've described as a bit of a rant last night about the vaccine rollout. the federal government said we would have some 20 million vaccinations by the end of the calendar year. we've got two days left. we're at just over 2 million. what happened, doctor? >> good morning again, craig. look, this is frustrating because it's not like we didn't

know vaccines were coming. it's not like this has caught us off guard. two things have gone on. one is we have not gotten the vaccines out to states as quickly as we were promised, but that to me is the less important issue. the more important issue is that there really has not been much of a plan on what happens after the vaccine arrives in states. how do we get it into people's arms? we just left it up to states and states are really stretched. we've given them very little money and we're just sort of -- we're repeating all of the mistakes we made with ppe and testing all over again. >> to be clear, dr. jha, at least it was my understanding from the beginning that the federal government, federal officials said that the actual rollout of the vaccine, the needle in the arm, that responsibility would fall to local governments, local municipalities and states. was that not made clear? >> look, there's two parts of this. the longstanding relationship in public health has always been a federal/state partnership, so that part is right.

the issue is departments of health across the country right now are incredibly stretched with all the testing and everything else they're doing. they really need a lot more planning and help. and that planning of what do you actually do to get this out there isn't happening. so we have two choices. we can either decide that all of our 50 states are failing us, i don't think that's the right way to look at this, or we can realize we need the federal government to be helping states and not just saying to every state you're on your own. >> from a practical standpoint right now, what should the federal government be doing to help expedite the rollout of these vaccines? >> i think there's a lot. first of all, i think congress finally passed a bill that gives real money to states. i think that will help. personally i would love to see -- look, we can stand up hospitals, field hospitals in days. we should be able to set up places to get people vaccinated. i would like to see places use things like the national guard or other sorts of services, but, again, part of the problem here, craig, is we knew this for

months and we just didn't do the planning and now we're trying to play catchup. i do think they're going to catch up. i think states are going to figure this out, but i wish he had planned a bit more carefully. >> i want to talk about herd immunity, because as you know over the last few days there seems to be a bit of confusion over what is going to constitute the herd immunity and we know that to get to the finish line in the pandemic we have to achieve this to a certain extent. we've heard 90% of the population would have to be vaccinated. what do you say, dr. jha? >> we don't know the exact number and part of it really depends a lot on exactly how contagious this virus is and we know new variants are more contagious. that may bump up the number. the bottom line is a vast majority of americans are going to have to get vaccinated for the pandemic to come to an end, certainly north of 70%, 80%, maybe 90%. the number is changing because

we're learning nor about the virus, but more will need to get vaccinated. we all want to put this pandemic behind us. >> thanks as always, sir. thank you. also this morning, police have now released body camera footage of the christmas day bombing in nashville and its immediate aftermath. this as more details come to light about the suspect and the fbi works to unravel the mystery surrounding a motive. nbc's morgan chesky joins us from nashville. good morning to you. >> reporter: yeah, kristen, good morning. authorities giving a lot of credit to the public for valuable tips and surveillance video for helping them piece together this complicated puzzle. today we are seeing body cam video from police officers near the blast zone when the rv exploded. newly released police body cam footage capturing the massive explosion rocking downtown nashville on christmas morning.

the video shows officers running into the wreckage, rushing to evacuate residents. >> are you guys okay? where is your car? okay, go to your car. >> reporter: this morning a monumental task for investigators. >> it's a block long of evidence and they're going to literally have to go on hands and knees to go through the detail of what's there. >> reporter: the evidence helping to tell the story of anthony quinn warner, a 63-year-old i.t. serviceman who police believe acted alone. parking his rv with blaring music and a warning to evacuate before a countdown to the blast. the explosion killing warner, injuring three people and wrecking entire city blocks. authorities say warner's mother who lives close to her son's home is cooperating with police. at her home, we were declined an on-camera interview. >> i'm not ready to talk. >> reporter: neighbors describing warner as a quiet man. >> we would joke around and talk and he never had any kind of

like dark disposition. >> reporter: property records show warner transferred ownership of his home to a woman in los angeles a month before the bombing and the tennessee br bureau of investigations tells us he recently gave one of his cars away, telling the woman he gave it to he had cancer. the fbi linked warner to the crime using dna. part of his remains found at the scene matched dna on a glove and hat found inside another vehicle he once owned. as for a motive, it could be weeks if one is ever determined at all. >> we know people want the answer. we want the answers. but we may not get them. >> reporter: for residents, it will take time to heal. >> i will never, ever, ever look at christmas the same. >> reporter: this morning, investigators expected back out here at the blast scene in hopes of figuring out what that explosive was comprised of. they're going to have to scour the crater the bomb left behind. meanwhile, at&t says that their massive system outage is hopefully repaired with temporary measures and say that permanent replacements are on the way.

kristen, we'll send it back to you. >> boy, that new video is just chilling. morgan chesky, thank you for that report. the other big story this morning, there's a new year's eve winter storm that's sweeping across the country. dylan is in for al, working from home. hey, dylan. >> good morning, guys. we do have this big storm system that's still gathering itself and it comes in two parts. the first part is going to produce a significant amount of snow and perhaps even some ice. so you can see in the white and pink areas that's where we have our winter weather alerts for 41 million people right now. and as we go through the next several hours, we are going to see the snow move out of nebraska and move into iowa, into northern missouri and eventually make its way across minnesota as well. it's an area of low pressure and on the northern side we have enough cold air and right in between the snow and rain we have that ice potential, that goes for areas like chicago, too, before it does change over

to mostly a rain event as we go into wednesday and thursday. so we finish off the year mostly with a rain event as the area of low pressure moves out of texas and brings some of the heavier rain eventually to the southeast and into the east coast as well. so we could end up with about a tenth of an inch to a quarter of an inch of ice that would make road conditions very dangerous and it could down some trees as they continue to accumulate the ice. and we're also looking for about 6 to 8 inches of snow on the northern side of that, especially across southern iowa, northwest of chicago, but into southern wisconsin, too, where we could see heavier snow totals we'll get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds like stefanie from carmax. she suggested test drives should last... 24 hours. or the rock stars who figured out how to put our whole lot... ...right there in your living room. so you can shop online, in-store, or both. because sometimes the way it is isn't good enough.

the way it should be. carmax. and it is cold outside right now. a live look over downtown san jose. 39 degrees. we're waking up to 30s and 40s throughout the bay area. san mateo, 41. as we head into the afternoon a closer look at what you can expect. sunny skies. temperatures will top out in the upper 50s, low 60s. a dry day today. we are tracking rain heading into tomorrow evening so enjoy the sunshine and comfortable weather into the afternoon. >> and that's your latest forecast back to you guys coming up here, after two fatal crashes grounded the fleet, and after safety changes, boeing's 737 max will carry paying passengers for the first time today in fact, nbc's sam brock will be on that flight he's going to join us live from

miami international airport. plus, our interview with the father who recorded his son being falsely accused of stealing a woman's iphone. what he's saying to us about that confrontation as police and prosecutors op investigations.en

still ahead, do you know someone who is expecting >> we're going to explore the covid baby bump in states where stay-at-home orders were issued roughly nine months ago. first, your local news we're going skating. we're going to nana's. wherever you go this holiday, chevy can help you get there. which is why we're making our chevy... ...employee discount available to everyone. the chevy price you pay... ...is what we pay. not a cent more. so wherever you go, happy holidays from chevy. use the chevy employee discount for everyone to get over six thousand eight hundred dollars below msrp on this equinox. get the chevy employee discount for everyone today.

keep cosentyx accessible and affordable. if you're taking cosentyx and your insurance or coverage changes or you need help paying cosentyx connect is here to help. don't use if you're allergic to cosentyx. before starting, get checked for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor about an infection or symptoms, if your inflammatory bowel disease symptoms develop or worsen or if you've had a vaccine, or plan to. serious allergic reactions may occur. call us or visit us online. we're here for you. (drill sergea(private) what a pleasawhy's he so happy? warm, but not too warm. call us or visit us online. (buzz) he's happy because found out that honey nut cheerios can help lower cholesterol. (drill sergeant) so, i propose a quiet, meditative walk through nature. (privates) yes, drill sergeant! ♪ifeelin' trendy y'all, with the straight jeans ♪ showin' off those curves, 'cause you the queen ♪ ♪ everyone go slay in your old navy jeans ♪ shop up to 75% off storewide! only at old navy, and oldnavy.com

olay regenerist faced 131 premium products, is skincare from around the world better than olay? from 12 countries, over 10 years. olay's hydration was unbeaten every time. face anything. find out more at olay.com you can do better, steve! get a freshly made footlong, from subway®! you can even order on the subway® app! did i just get picked off by deion sanders? you sure did! now in the app, get a free footlong when you buy two. because it's footlong season™! downtheredownthere...ttonelle. 'cause you're all over your overall wellness so #treatyourself with the cleaningripples of cottonelle toilet paper and flushable wipes, the refreshingly clean routine that leaves you feeling... ahhhh inside and out, care. downtherecare with cottonelle ahhhh

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. ♪ oh, oh, (announcer)®! ♪ once-weekly ozempic® is helping many people with type 2 diabetes like emily lower their blood sugar. a majority of adults who took ozempic® reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it.

here's your a1c. oh! my a1c is under 7! (announcer) and you may lose weight. adults who took ozempic® lost on average up to 12 pounds. i lost almost 12 pounds! oh! (announcer) for those also with known heart disease, ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death. it lowers the risk. oh! and i only have to take it once a week. oh! ♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! ♪ (announcer) ozempic® is not for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. do not share needles or pens. don't reuse needles. do not take ozempic® if you have a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer, multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if you are allergic to ozempic®. stop taking ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, itching, rash, or trouble breathing. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. tell your doctor if you have diabetic retinopathy or vision changes. taking ozempic® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase low blood sugar risk. common side effects are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and constipation.

some side effects can lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. once-weekly ozempic® is helping me reach my blood sugar goal. ♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! ♪ you may pay as little as $25 for a 1-month or 3-month prescription. ask your health care provider today about once-weekly ozempic®. good morning. it's 7:26. i'm laura garcia. here are today's top stories. >> reporter: i'm cierra johnson in san francisco as the number of available icu beds fall and cases climb, there's a chance the current stay-at-home order could be extended. now governor gavin newsom did provide us other reasons. san joaquin valley and southern california will have their stay-at-home orders extended. today an update by the health and human services secretary to discuss the bay area and the numbers. there's a chance we should know whether we, too, will have that

extended order. good morning, everyone. i'm scott mcgrew. the dow, the nasdaq and the s&p 500 all started at new records and stocks continue to move higher. this is as the house has passed a change to the stimulus checks that would bring it up to $2,000. don't count your money just yet. the senate would have to do the same and that looks a lot less likely. let's see what the day looks like. vianey arana is in for kari hall this morning. it was cold overnight. definitely. a couple 30s and 40s. it will get nothing warmer this afternoon. a look at your microclimate highs. a little bit of fog and temperatures will top out in the upper 50s. dry through today but get ready. by tomorrow evening a quick moving storm that is expected to bring a couplehundredths to a

tenth. more rain chances are expected into the first weekend of 2021. laura? okay. another update in half an hour.

♪ ♪ digital transformation has failed to take off. because it hasn't removed the endless mundane work we all hate. ♪ ♪ automation can solve that by taking on repetitive tasks for us. unleash your potential. uipath. reboot work.

a holiday week for a lot of folks as we turn the page on christmas and get ready for the new year. the christmas tree at rockefeller center still shining bright, ready to turn the page on 2020. >> even the christmas tree. >> even the christmas tree. >> we're going to keep the tree up for a few more weeks. let's start this half hour with your 7:30 headlines. growing outrage this morning over a video that shows a park ranger tasing a man at a national monument in new mexico.

>> help, help, help! >> what are yodou g? >> it happened sunday at the national monument in albuquerque. darrell house, a native american, says that he veered off the trail in an effort to maintain social distancing from a group of visitors. he says he complied when a park ranger told him to get back on the trail. but moments later the ranger tased him for refusing to show his i.d. the spokesperson from the national park service says the incident is under review and that it takes any allegation of wrongdoing very seriously. and meanwhile, act dress lori loughlin was released from a federal prison on monday. the former "full house" star served a two-month sentence for her role in the commission admission scandal. loughlin and her husband paid half a million dollars as part of a skooem cheme to get their

daughters into usc. an update on a story that we brought you earlier this month. chianti johnson, the florida gators basketball player who collapsed on the court during the game, has rejoined his team. johnson has not been cleared to play and the cause of his collapse has not been revealed, but he is keeping busy by scouting opponents, coaching teammates and playing referee during scrimmages. the gators took 15 days off following johnson's collapse but they say they are eager to take the court again tomorrow night against vanderbilt. taking a turn for the first time in nearly two years, boeing 737 max will return to the skies with paying u.s. passengers today. this after the two fatal crashes overseas that grounded the fleet worldwide. nbc's sam brock is at miami international airport for that first flight sam, you're going to be on it. tell us all about it good morning >> reporter: i am, indeed. good morning

we are about to get a firsthand look at the updated 737 max. this comes as america is adding two max days to start and gradually ramping up this comes on the heels of multiple unthinkable tragedies the faa administrator is promising strength and safety, this aircraft is going to be safe and this very specific situation, after undergoing an unprecedented level of scrutiny. this morning the boeing 737 max returns to the sky, taking off from miami for its first u.s. commercial flight in nearly two years. american airlines plans to fly the single max from miami to new york and back on round trips through january 4th, before adding more routes united and southwest plan to relaunch the max early next year the new flights coming after two fatal crashes in ethiopia and indonesia claimed 346 lives. the accidents were linked to faulty sensors and software failures that caused the planes

to nosedive, ultimately grounding all max flights in march of 2019. after massive overhauls, software upgrades, pilot training and maintenance requirements, the faa has given the green light, with a dry run earli earlier this month. >> we're proud of this airplane. i flew on it last night and my daughter will fly on it. we're proud of all the work our team has done. >> reporter: ryan ewing will be on the first trip. >> i'm not worried at all about being on this airplane qualified pilots and a very rej meanted effort to get it back in the air, i have enormous confidence that it will be safe. >> reporter: that confidence not shared by all passengers a new poll finding 57% of americans said they were not likely to fly on a boeing 737 max when told of the plane's history. for loved ones of crash victims, it's too soon for the max to

fly, with one writing, it is infuriating that american airlines is rewarding boeing for the corrupt and catastrophic process that led to the max. passengers on all of american's max flights will be given advanced warning with the option to rebook. >> do you get on the 737 max and you don't want to fly, we're going to allow you to change >> reporter: as the industry looks to build the max's reputation, the biggest x factor still up in the air, trust >> sam, with air travel at a record low because of the pandemic, why are airlines so eager to get the 737 max back in the skies? >> reporter: kristen, it's a very good question the 737 max is coveted because of its high performance and fuel efficiency certainly it allows airlines to be able to hedge against rising fuel costs it also comes at a time in the pandemic where some of the airlines are having a hard time generating revenue this represents an opportunity to be able to stem some of those costs, kristen. >> sam brock, we know you will keep us posted and updated on

your trip. thank you. coming up next, the investigations, plural, now launched into this confrontation, a black teenager accused and accused accosted by a woman who falsely claimed he stole her iphone we'll have a conversation with that boy's father right after this notut c even if everyone . another burger truck? don't listen to them! that means cooking day and night until you get... [ ding ] you got paid! that means adding people to the payroll. hi mom. that means... best burger ever. intuit quickbooks helps small businesses be more successful with payments, payroll, banking and live bookkeeping. who experience occasionalthe millions obloating, gas, or abdominal discomfort? taking align can help. align contains a quality probiotic to naturally help soothe digestive upsets 24/7. try align, the pros in digestive health.

it's a beautiful reflection of everything you've been through. that's why dove renews your skin's ceramides and strengthens it against dryness for softer, smoother skin you can lovingly embrace. renew the love for your skin with dove body wash. renew t(chilno-aughs)ur skin we're making breakfast! (ding) yes, chef. chef, behind. thank you, chef. breakfast service is a wrap. is your sous chef a busser too? get your wins where you can. (ding) l'eggo with eggo we're portuguese? i thought we were hungarian. can you tell me that story again? behind every question is a story waiting to be discovered. this holiday, start the journey with a dna kit from ancestry.

or psoriatic arthritis, little things can become your big moment. that's why there's otezla. otezla is not an injection or a cream. it's a pill that treats differently. for psoriasis, 75% clearer skin is achievable, with reduced redness, thickness, and scaliness of plaques. for psoriatic arthritis, otezla is proven to reduce joint swelling, tenderness, and pain. and the otezla prescribing information has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. don't use if you're allergic to otezla. it may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. otezla is associated with an increased risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts or if these feelings develop. some people taking otezla reported weight loss.

your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur. tell your doctor about your medicines and if you're pregnant or planning to be. otezla. show more of you. broken windshield... take 1... hey guys, my windshield just got broken, i feel like i need to blow off some steam. let's go... 1, 2, 3, 4... mr. blanks? there's no need to be stressed. geico makes it easy to file a claim online, on the app, or over the phone. yeah, but what if i never hear back? that's gonna make me want to go jab...jab! nope! your geico claims team is always there for you. that makes me want to celebrate with some fireworks. 5,6,7 go... boom, boom, boom, boom boom boom boom boom boom, yeah! geico. great service without all the drama. we are back at 7:39 with in depth today.

an update on a story we first brought you yesterday. >> new york city police and prosecutors are now investigating the hotel confrontation that saw a woman falsely accuse a teenager of stealing her iphone. nbc's kathy park talked to that boy's father, who captured the whole thing on camera. good morning >> reporter: craig, good morning to you a noted jazz musician told me he's still in shock and that the experience has been traumatic for his entire family, especially his teenage son harold says he is overwhelmed with response to that video, but appalled that he had to hit record. >> this morning jazz musician harold is calling for assault and battery charges against this woman who is at the center of a viral confrontation. >> i tried to tell her best as i could that he doesn't have your phone. >> reporter: harold says he began recording the incident that played out at a new york

city hotel where they were staying. he says the stranger wrongly accused his 14-year-old son of stealing her iphone. >> are you kidding me? do you feel like there's only one iphone made in the world >> he's a beautiful soul him experiencing this is super traumatic. >> we see at some point she gets close to you and towards the camera, but then it cuts off what happens next? >> basically she tackled my son trying to reach in his pockets, reach in my pockets. >> reporter: nbc news does not know what happened before or after the minute-long video and was not able to make contact with the woman who has not been publicly identified. police did confirm a harassment complaint has been filed and the manhattan district attorney's office says they're thoroughly investigating the incident harold is now working with attorney ben crump, who is calling for a civil rights investigation into the hotel >> we can't have this double

standard in america where young black people are guilty until proven innocent. >> reporter: the hotel says the manager on duty promptly called police regarding the woman's conduct and apologized for the inexcusable experience. >> no, he's not leaving. show me the proof. >> reporter: the widely viewed footage triggering outrage on social media new york city's mayor bill deblazio tweeting this is racism, plain and simple this case now joining other caught-on-camera moments, demanding accountability and harold says that the woman's phone was later found in an uber he adds that hotel surveillance footage could shed more light on the confrontation from beginning to end, which he says lasted for about five minutes craig, kristen >> kathy park for us there thank you. let's get another check of the weather with dylan tracking another storm coming our way >> hey, good morning again, guys yeah, this is now the second

part of the storm that we're going to see i already focused on some of the snow we'll see in the midwest. now we are looking at the second part of the storm to arrive in time for new year's day. so here it is, the area of low pressure moving out of texas, still cold enough air in the northern side of it. so we'll see another round of snow through the upper midwest and we'll see icing possible across new england mostly rain from the great lakes down into the southeast and then as we go into saturday, most of the snow and even a little bit of ice will be isolated to central and northern new england, while the rest of the northeast and coastal areas will get hit with some rain but it could become heavy at times. so the second round of rain that we're going to see, the thursday through saturday timeframe, we could end up with locally 6 inches or more, especially back through arkansas into parts of texas. we're also going to see some significant snow in parts of texas, too, especially down how is this for a beautiful

sunrise over san jose. 39 degrees. it's very cold. that's not the only spot in the 30s if you're feeling chilly in the north bay. novato, we have those clear skies. in through livermore, 34 by the afternoon. expect that sunshine to stick around with dry conditions ahead. temperatures will be in the upper 50s. low 60s for this afternoon. very seasonable for this time of year. and then we have rain moving in by tomorrow evening. >> and and that's your latest forecast back to you. >> coming up next, a trend that's emerging from the covid lockdowns that should make you smile. this is a good one the hospitals now seeing an increase in baby deliveries. that's right after this. ♪ but come ye back when su-- mom, dad. why's jamie here? it's sunday. sunday sing along. and he helped us get a home and auto bundle. he's been our insurance guy for five years now. he makes us feel like we're worth protecting. [ gasps ] why didn't you tell us about these savings, flo?

i've literally told you a thousand times. ♪ oh, danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling ♪ i'm just gonna... ♪ from glen to glen i'm just gonna... because i trust their quality. vitamins, they were the first to be verified by usp, an independent organization that sets strict quality and purity standards. nature made. the #1 pharmacist-recommended vitamin and supplement brand. ♪ifeelin' trendy y'all, with the straight jeans ♪ showin' off those curves, 'cause you the queen ♪ ♪ everyone go slay in your old navy jeans ♪ shop up to 75% off storewide! only at old navy, and oldnavy.com the #1 pediatrician recommended brand, pampers, helps keep baby's skin dry and healthy. so every touch is as comforting as the first. pampers. the #1 pediatrician recommended brand . 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. and mine's unlisted.. try boost® high protein... -with 20 grams of protein for muscle health- -versus only 16 grams in ensure® high protein. and now enjoy boost® high protein in café mocha flavor. don't settle for less. revitalift triple power with pro-retinol plus hyaluronic acid and vitamin c. it visibly reduces wrinkles. firms. and brightens. now that's triple power. revitalift triple power moisturizer from l'oreal.

♪ i was born right in theof my doorway♪ ♪ i don't know where i am, ♪ i don't know where i've been ♪ but i know where i wanna go essential for sewing, but maybe not needles. for people with certain inflammatory conditions. because there are options. like an "unjection™". xeljanz. the first and only pill of its kind that treats moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, or moderate to severe ulcerative colitis when other medicines have not helped enough. xeljanz can lower your ability to fight infections. before and during treatment, your doctor should check for infections, like tb and do blood tests. tell your doctor if you've had hepatitis b or c, have flu-like symptoms, or are prone to infections. serious, sometimes fatal infections,

cancers including lymphoma, and blood clots have happened. taking a higher than recommended dose of xeljanz for ra may increase risk of death. tears in the stomach or intestines and serious allergic reactions have happened. needles. fine for some. but for you, there's a pill that may provide symptom relief. ask your doctor about the pill first prescribed for ra more than seven years ago. xeljanz. an "unjection™". morning to our buddy carson daly working from home this morning good to see you, my friend >> good morning, guys. have you noticed, by any chance, something on your social media feeds, a bit of a trend, like a lot of baby and pregnancy announcements? well, if so, you are not alone if my math is correct, and historically it usually isn't, but it is now, we're about nine

months away from after the very first stay-at-home orders that took effect nine months ago. >> just drawing conclusions, carson, your math is correct nbc's kerry sanders has more on the rise in childbirths happening in several cities. good morning >> where are you >> reporter: good morning. i'm at the baby boutique here in miami's design district where they're definitely seeing an increase in sales. as carson just pointed out, yes, the math is correct. this is nine months since coronavirus hit the united states and now across the country some hospitals are beginning to report pandemic pregnancies are producing a new population meet the adorable faces of the covid baby bump. while it's not quite a full-on baby boom, hospitals in some parts of the country are seeing an uptick in childbirths yes, it's nine months after stay-at-home orders went in

effect. >> it's certainly higher than what we've seen of late. >> reporter: the woman's woman in louisiana is one of many neonatal units seeing a rise in numbers. 200 more babies expected january to april than last year. >> we already do know with weather related events that those stay-at-home times and stay-at-home orders kind of keep people a little bit closer together and then later we see a little uptick in births. >> reporter: one of those infants of these inside times is casien jones she and her husband have been sharing advice with other soon-to-be parents. >> some have had to postpone trips and other family commitments, and so rather than pushing out having a baby, i have seen friends say, you know what, we're just going to try to pull the trigger now. >> reporter: experts say some states like here in florida that never fully went into a lockdown are unlikely to see an uptick in

births but in spots like new york city, expected soon, more strollers crowding sidewalks >> my oldest is 7. it's been this special time for my older kid to bond with his baby brother >> reporter: so far the numbers are slight births up between 2% and 8%, but historically birth rates decline during tough economic times. not so during this pandemic. >> but we had kind of anticipated and even thought during our budgeting process that we would have even less births this year compared to last year, so we are a little surprised. >> reporter: parents who planned their babies see it another way. >> i think for us as a family, even though 2020 has been really hard, i actually look at 2020 through rose-colored glasses now that he's around >> reporter: historically this baby shouldn't be a surprise because after the spanish flu in 1918 there were a lot more births given around the world,

including right here in the united states. >> kerry, you win for the cutest video. i hope you get to keep that stroller well done. and, carson, if my math -- go ahead. >> it's iconic. >> it is iconic. carson, if my math is correct, goldie maybe fits into this, baby goldie? >> yeah, so she was born right when the pandemic began in the middle of march, but the nine months prior to that who knows? in fact, kerry, if you could find me a onesie, that would be lovely they look good behind you. appreciate that story and more a lot more ahead, including golf legend greg norman's very stern warning. he spent christmas in the hospital fighting the coronavirus. we're going to hear from him coming up in a little bit. on a lighter note, we've got pop start on the way why dolly parton holds onto christmas and her decorations a little longer than most of us.

first, your local news a must in your medicine cabinet! less sick days! cold coming on? zicam® is clinically proven to shorten colds! highly recommend it! zifans love zicam's unique zinc formula. it shortens colds! zicam zinc that cold! (drill sergea(private) what a pleasawhy's he so happy? warm, but not too warm. (buzz) he's happy because found out that honey nut cheerios can help lower cholesterol. (drill sergeant) so, i propose a quiet, meditative walk through nature. (privates) yes, drill sergeant!

♪ should auld acquaintance be forgot ♪ ♪ and never brought to mind ♪ should auld acquaintance be forgot ♪ ♪ and auld lang syne ♪ we'll take a cup of kindness yet ♪ ♪ for auld lang syne next customer please. ♪ ♪ subway is open and serving footlongs contact-free. order in the app for quick and easy pickup. or, get contact-free curbside pickup! staying home? get delivery! so many ways to get footlongs contact-free! subway. eat fresh. i felt gross.

it wasind of a shock after i started cosentyx. four years clear. real people with psoriasis look and feel better with cosentyx. don't use if you're allergic to cosentyx. before starting, get checked for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor about an infection or symptoms, if your inflammatory bowel disease symptoms develop or worsen, or if you've had a vaccine or plan to. serious allergic reactions may occur. learn more at cosentyx.com. test test test test test test test test test tes

in palo alto a new pop-up covid testing site that will allow you to skip the deep nasal probe. the first people with appointments will get to swab their own mouths under trained supervision. health leaders say getting tested is not a pass to gathering for new year's celebrations. bay area hospitals are seeing a surge in patients who were likely exposed over thanksgiving pushing hospitals to the brink not just for covid patients but anybody who needs intensive care. good morning, i'm scott mcgrew. president trump has a rare rebuke for the republican party calling leadership of the republican party weak and tired. this after republicans are likely going to override his veto of the defense bill in the senate. they've already done so in the house.

and we had a very cold morning. it's still cold even now. look at walnut creek. 38 degrees. we woke up to plenty of sunshine, clear skies beautiful over san francisco. 41 degrees through there. how about we take it over to san jose. 40 degrees right now. we'll warm up a little bit into the upper 50s. a mostly sunny afternoon. it will be dry today. then as we head into tomorrow evening we'll have a couple changes in the form of much-needed rain. as we head into wednesday evening and early thursday expect showers lingering. we are tracking even more rain into the first weekend of january.

. it's 8:00 on "to it's 8:00 on "today. coming up, stimulus bill battle, the house green lights $2,000 coronavirus relief checks with president trump vocally supporting the increase. all eyes now on the senate >> get those republicans in the senate to support $2,000 in relief >> will the bill pass and will it put more money in your pocket we're live with the latest and cozy christmas >> i got a robe. >> why this viral snl sketch is

inspiring moms across the country to show off the really, really nice robes they unwrapped on christmas morning today, tuesday, december 29th, 2020 >> we're celebrating our sister's birthday and i like to give a shoutout to the state university rams. happy new year. >> happy birthday to my twin sister we love you, aunt jenny! >> from our family near manhattan, kansas. >> to the "today" show in manhattan, new york, we love you. >> today is michelle's 50th birthday. >> and we're celebrating in the windy city >> happy birthday, michelle. welcome back to "today." craig melvin here. glad you're joining us on tuesday morning with savannah and hoda off we have our weekend today co-anchor, kristen welker. enjoying yourself? >> i am enjoying myself.

it's great to be here this week. i was looking at the segment about the moms and robes, love it that just epitomizes christmas. coming up tomorrow on t "today," after what has been an unprecedented year, what will hollywood look like in 2021. >> we are going to get into that and have a sneak peek at some big releases to begin the new year from family films to some of the top contenders for the award season. >> a lot of the films that are coming out were films that had to be delayed because of the pandemic all of that tomorrow right now let's get to your news at 8:00 the house passed a bill monday night to increase those pandemic relief checks from $600 to $2,000, but now the measure faces an uphill battle in the republican-run senate, despite support from president trump nbc's garrett haake is traveling with the president in florida. he has the latest for you. good morning >> reporter: hey, craig, good morning. the house did vote last night to

more than triple the direct payments from $600 to $2,000, but they did also largely on the strength of democratic votes it appears the president's push did not move many republicans, at least in the house, to vote for those bigger checks. that does not bode well as the action moves over to the republican-controlled senate, at least if you're looking forward to getting a $2,000 check. according to the treasury department it is possible that the checks either at the $600 level or whatever the senate might vote for today could start moving fairly soon if you got your last stimulus payment by direct deposit, you may start seeing the money in your account possibly by the end of this week and while the president remains down in florida on vacation, congress has been busy the house also voting last night overwhelmingly to override the president's veto of the national defense bill remember, the president opposed that measure in part because it required changing the name of some military bases that were named after confederate figures. the vote moves to the senate and if the senate votes to override

override of the trump presidency, coming with weeks left in his administration. >> garrett haake in florida for us thank you. now to the latest on the coronavirus, this morning top health officials are warning the effect of holiday travel will likely haunt the country into the new year the u.s. added more than 1 million new cases in less than a week and the cdc is now predicting the nation could surpass 400,000 deaths by mid-january. meanwhile, there's growing concerns over a slow vaccine rollout. the cdc estimates over 2 million people have been vaccinated so far but that number is far short of the 20 million vaccinations originally predicted by the end of the month. golf legend greg norman is recovering this morning after a harrowing battle with covid-19 gabe gutierrez talked to him good morning to you. >> reporter: craig, good morning. greg norman, the great white shark, is known for not pulling any punches. but even he was stunned by his fight with coronavirus

now he's opening up and hoping skeptics hear his story. greg norman is used to being on top of the world and at the top of his game. >> i normally start off with 30-45 minute cardio. >> the golf legend was even documented his intense workouts on "shark shredded" so when he posted another video on christmas eve, fans took notice. >> i have a mild fever. >> norman would soon test positive for covid and spend christmas day at a florida hospital where he says he received an antibody treatment >> right now i feel pretty fatigued >> reporter: now he's quarantining at home after being discharged >> this is once in a 100 year pandemic and we're all learning on the fly and just trying to understand it. >> reporter: he says he tested negative before playing at the exhibition pnc championship in orlando where tiger woods played

with his 11-year-old son charlie. but after norman's son's wife tested positive for covid that sunday, norman soon noticed his own symptoms, including back pain. >> i couldn't move it was severe tightness and aches and pains and then as each day went by, progressively, there was a time just before christmas eve, i went to walk my dog and i couldn't even open the door handle with my hands. my hands hurt that much. >> reporter: norman says he also lost his sense of smell and taste. >> what most surprised you about this virus >> oh, how it just totally hit me from the top of my head all the way down. >> reporter: he has a warning for anyone who thinks the virus only strikes those with pre-existing conditions. >> that is total bs, because i'm a very fit guy >> what would you tell people who are skeptical about how serious this virus is? >> i wouldn't wish this on anybody. any of the symptoms that i've had, not the combination, but just any one of the symptoms

i've had, i wouldn't want to wish this on anyone. >> reporter: at one point norman's son and his son's wife also tested positive for covid, but they're now no longer experiencing symptoms. we reached out to the pga for comment and have not heard back. >> and of course our best to mr. norman on a speedy recovery. gabe, thank you so much. >> so important to hear warnings like that from well-known people and such a strong athlete. hoda is not here, but you've got the morning best i'll try when a california woman recently got married her grandmother was not able to attend the ceremony so this christmas when the family was finally able to be together, she had a special surprise in store. take a look. ♪ right beautiful. >> amber and >> oh, my! >> amber and her father bob came out dressed to the nines in

their wedding normals, grandma seeing amber in her dress for the first time and then the two recreated that father/daughter dance from the wedding right there in the living room and you can hear heartland's "i loved her first" playing in the background. amber sharing this video on instagram, adding the caption, i love you so much, grandma. >> how special is that especially the dancing at the end. good moves there >> that was pretty special. coming up next, what makes a dress worn by a little girl on her first day of school so important that it now hangs in the smithsonian? >> harry smith standing by to share another remarkable story that he uncovered in america's attic. but first, these messages. 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. tonight, try pure zzzs all night. unlike other sleep aids, our extended release melatonin helps you sleep longer. and longer. zzzquil pure zzzs all night. fall asleep. stay asleep. (chilno-aughs) we're making breakfast! (ding) yes, chef. chef, behind. thank you, chef. breakfast service is a wrap. is your sous chef a busser too? get your wins where you can. (ding) l'eggo with eggo until i found out what itust? it actually was.d me. dust mite droppings? ewww. dead skin cells? gross! so now, i grab my swiffer heavy duty sweeper and dusters. dusters extends to 6 feet to reach way up high... to grab, trap and lock away gross dust. nice!

for dust on my floors, i switch to sweeper. the heavy duty cloths reach deep in grooves to grab, trap and lock dust bunnies... no matter where they hide. no more heebie jeebies. phhhhew. glad i stopped cleaning and started swiffering. ♪ifeelin' trendy y'all, with the straight jeans ♪ showin' off those curves, 'cause you the queen ♪ ♪ everyone go slay in your old navy jeans ♪ shop up to 75% off storewide! only at old navy, and oldnavy.com to customizes yourcan gocar insurancetual.com so you only pay for what you need? really? i didn't-- aah! ok. i'm on vibrate. aaah! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ ♪ oh, oh, (announcer)®! ♪ once-weekly ozempic® is helping many people with type 2 diabetes like emily lower their blood sugar. a majority of adults who took ozempic® reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. here's your a1c. oh! my a1c is under 7!

(announcer) and you may lose weight. adults who took ozempic® lost on average up to 12 pounds. i lost almost 12 pounds! oh! (announcer) for those also with known heart disease, ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death. it lowers the risk. oh! and i only have to take it once a week. oh! ♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! ♪ (announcer) ozempic® is not for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. do not share needles or pens. don't reuse needles. do not take ozempic® if you have a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer, multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if you are allergic to ozempic®. stop taking ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, itching, rash, or trouble breathing. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. tell your doctor if you have diabetic retinopathy or vision changes. taking ozempic® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase low blood sugar risk. common side effects are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and constipation. some side effects can lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems.

once-weekly ozempic® is helping me reach my blood sugar goal. ♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! ♪ you may pay as little as $25 for a 1-month or 3-month prescription. ask your health care provider today about once-weekly ozempic®. more on our special series mr. smith goes to the smithsonian, unlocking some really remarkable stories behind objects held in the museum's washington, d.c. area. >> we've got an item from the national museum of african-american history and culture. this is a good one and special indeed good to see you, my friend. >> good morning to both of you i'll tell you, this was one of those stories that just unfolded in so many profound and really wonderful and powerful ways. a warning to those who are viewing this morning, there's language in this story that

reflects some of the hatred and the vitreal that this student who wore this dress faced all those years ago. >> reporter: a black print dress, adorned with the letters of the alphabet in white and blue and teal. to whom did it belong? >> what are we looking at here >> that is the dress that i wore on the first day of attending little rock central high school. >> carlotta walls laneir was excited about attending a new school where she hoped to fit in. >> my mother took medo downtown and we picked out this dress i wanted to look like the other students, new clothes, new shoes. >> it was carlotta's first store bought dress little rock central was known as one of the best in the country and a significant step up from the all-black high schools in the city.

>> i never had a new book to put any name in. it was always the eighth or ninth name. >> handed down from the white schools? >> handed down from the white schools. >> reporter: 1954, brown versus board of education, the supreme court agreed with thurgood marshal and ruled that segregated schooling violated the constitution when the opportunity arose to attend little rock central high school, carlotta did not hesitate. >> did your parents know you were signing up? >> not really. >> did they back you >> they backed me. we were taught every day that if you have an opportunity, be prepared to go through the door, whether it's a crack in the door or it's flung wide open, that you need all the education possible >> reporter: clad in her new dress, carlotta first attempted to go to school on september 4th, 1957.

but carlotta and her black classmates who came to be known as the little rock nine, were met by an angry mob. >> could you hear what was going on in the mob? >> oh, i heard all of the name calling and so forth, all of that was like water off a duck's back for me. >> reporter: on their way to the scho school entrance, carlotta and the other students were stopped by the national guard, ordered by orval faubus, not to protect the new students, but to prevent them from entering the school. the shock and disappointment plain on carlotta's face carlotta would not return to the school until september 23rd. the guard was gone, but the mob had grown. now 1,000 furious white segregationists were there to protest. the little rock nine snuck in, but barely made it to third period.

>> they were all escorted to the bowels of the car where there were police cars and one policemen had said they want to hang one of these niggers, which one should we basically give to the crowd is how -- >> that was the conversation in the mob? >> with police with two policemen. >> to two policemen? >> right, saying they are wanting one of these kids to lynch. >> president dwight eisenhower had seen enough. on september 25th, the little rock nine had an escort, the 101st airborne >> he calls out not just the army, but the 101st airborne >> the most prestigious group that we had, who had made a name for themselves in world war ii. >> reporter: but even with a

member of the 101st airborne by her side, the white students of central high still found ways to let her know she was not welcome. >> people are spitting on you? >> yes people are spitting on me, they are calling me names they're knocking me into the walls. if they knocked my books out and i picked the books up, you better have your backside to the wall, otherwise you get kicked in the rear. >> reporter: despite the spit and kicks, carlotta made the honor roll that fall her report card also at the smithsonian. >> did you know how courageous you were >> we were just doing what we were supposed to do. we were going to school. that's all we were wanting to do, to get the best education available. i really didn't understand any of that until i was a parent myself and really realized that the real heroes and sheroes in

this were really our parents to allow their children to continue to go each day >> reporter: the governor shut the school down for a year her home was attacked. and yet she persisted. and in the spring of 1960, carlotta became the first black girl to graduate from little rock central high school >> i remember my name being called and i walked up to the principal and to the superintendent and received my diploma, but did i hear anything, any clapping or anything of that nature? no but that was okay. i had completed what i started >> carlotta wrote a book about all of this that came out about ten years ago. it is such a good read it's called "a mighty long way" and in a long career of doing these sorts of things, one of the honors of my life pre-covid, of course, because we were so close together, was to be able to sit down and have a conversation with her.

an amazing, amazing woman. >> and the point that she made about parents back then being willing, being able to allow their children to go to schools like that day in and day out, thank god she found that dress and wore that dress and graduated from central high hool >>an i c- >> go ahead, i was just going to say -- i was just going to say because the buildings of the smithsonian are closed, but for people -- it doesn't matter if your kids can go to school or not, the sittismithsonian has l including one on integration, in which the dress story is told. so they just have this amazing array of opportunities for which you can learn all kinds of great stuff online >> america's attic online. harry, thank you that was another great one. >> just beautiful. amazing to hear her tell her story in her own words and striking to think about how much courage she had to have and

determination just to learn. >> and here's the thing, it look at the arc of history in this country >> it sure is humbling. >> harry, thank you. let's turn to mrs. dryer how is the weather, my friend? >> we are going to see nasty weather right through the middle of the country it's the storm system that moved out of california yesterday, well, now it is bringing some snow, especially through the plains states and this will move up into minnesota, across iowa, into wisconsin even northwestern areas of illinois just to the northwest of chicago where we will see some of the snowy weather, too we are looking for obviously where the snow is for some of our coldest temperatures, teens and 20s for the most part. farther south we've got 60s and 70s. across texas and oklahoma that comes with heavier rain. we are looking for a cooler day across the northeast, cooler than yesterday highs basically down into the 30s and 40s in the southeast, only 50s and lower 60s

. >> and it's clear and cold to start our tuesday morning. here's a live look over san francisco. 43 degrees right now. but it is even colder in through some of the interior valleys. south bay right now, san jose, 40 degrees. and let's see how your day will be shaping up. this afternoon, mostly sunny skies. not worried about any rain for today. temperatures in the upper 50s, low 60s but we can expect to see some rain move in over the next couple of days into wednesday evening. >> of course don't forget to check us out on our "today" show radio on serious xm channel 108. >> carson daly also working from home this morning. how about a little "pop start" >> i've got "pop start." i don't have any graphics department they're off for the break, playing among us in the other room

not even five bucks goes anywhere these days. there you go first up, we've got dolly parton christmas isn't over until this woman tells you that it is as we've talked about before, the country star released her first christmas album in three decades this year. people were loving it and getting into the holiday spirit. but when is enough enough when it comes to christmas cheer? well, leave it to dolly to tell you. talking to the cody allen pocast rerevealed how long she keeps them up. >> i put them up the day after thanksgiving and i celebrate christmas and thanksgiving until my birthday on the 19th of january. i always make them leave the decorations up until after my birthday because i'm sill st celebrating. >> is that too long for you guys >> no way. >> not if dolly says it's okay. >> i'm a february 1st kind of girl. >> craig, that's the right answer whatever dolly says goes

next up, we've got another cool story about the late "star trek" actor james doohan he played scotty in the show and films and it turns out that he really did make it to that final frontier after he passed away in 2005 doohan's son revealed that the actor's ashes essentially smuggled onto the international space station 12 years ago it was part of a long-time dream of his to rest among the stars this photo shows one of the cards laminated with doohan's ashes that were secretly brought aboard by astronaut richard gearey in 2008 for more proof, here is richard with the card in space. >> onboard the iss, i just want you to know mission accomplished, your father has made it here into space and, in fact, all the way up to the

international space station. i'm very proud to have had the chance to do this for you and for your family and for your father >> wow >> yeah, how cool is this story, guys he sent one of the cards into space and hid one onboard and then brought one home for chris. >> that's cool. >> that is cool. that's dedication. >> it's dedication and we're just hearing about that story now. amazing. next up, how about this? this is the best christmas sketch we've been singing this song in our house from snl it's gone viral. it's called christmas morning, the sketch features host kristen playing the part of a mom who receives a stereo typical mom gift, a robe the rest of the family gets all these cool and tons of presents. >> i've got a tie. >> i've got a copy of the catcher and the rye. >> i got a drum set. >> i got a phone. >> and i got a robe.

>> i got a pizza oven. >> and i got a cameo >> i got a hover board. >> i got a drone. >> i got a laptop. >> and i got a robe. thanks for the robe. it's really, really nice i love this robe, guys this is great. >> that sketch hit so close to home for so many moms out there, they've now begun tweeting pictures of the robes that they unboxed on christmas morning this year. let's go through just a couple hey snl, i got a robe! adrian tweeting here i am in my robe with a cold coffee and a garbage bag full of everyone else's wrapping paper i picked up and annie writing, oh, i can top this i got a robe, it's the wrong size and it's backordered until march. >> that wins >> which is great. >> can i also add, i was actually going to take a picture

because, no, i didn't get a robe, but i was the only one with an empty christmas stocking. >> oh, dylan we'll send you some stocking stuffers, dylan. >> thanks, carson. just ahead, the vaccine rollout under way. 8:26. i'm marcus washington. a new self-testing pop-up will allow people to swab themselves and better news for some. the self-test is a swabbing of the mouth only, not the deep nose probing. a trained observer will be watching and results come back within 24 to 48 hours except during high demand. governor's stay-at-home order could be extended today. it will depend on the covid-19 cases and hospitalization numbers that will be tallied and finalized. the news conference is expected at noon today. let's get a check of the forecast. vianey in for kari with a look

at what we can expect. >> good morning. it's 38 degrees still in walnut creek so, you know, it gives you an idea, a little nippy outside. a little cold. san francisco, 43 degrees. clear skies and overall sunshine ahead. 40 degrees right now in san jose. let's see how your day is going to be shaping up. this afternoon, expect upper 50s. low 60s. pretty seasonable. don't have to worry about the rain for today but we will be seeing some rain moving in tomorrow evening late into early thursday morning. a quick moving storm. a bigger storm by the weekend. another local news update coming up in 30 minutes. see you back here then.

this week jimmy has president barack obama, melissa mccarthy and virtual drinking games. and tonight daniel craig, plus billie eilish and finneas tonight. it is 8:30 now on this tuesday morning of this holiday week savannah and hoda are enjoying time off craig and i are in studio 1a and we've got carson and dylan working from home today. >> the song playing is one of your cousin's favorites.

>> loves it, loves bts now you know. just ahead on a tuesday morning, my visit with some really terrific people that are getting their hands dirty, farming right here in the big city there's a very special reason why. we'll tell you all about this urban farm. >> we're looking forward to that. plus, the outlook for travel in 2021 when hopefully things will be safer. what you need to know about how hotels and airlines are changing to win back your business. carson >> all right, kristen, thanks. coming up, we have some incredible dads to meet who used a fun competition, if you can imagine this, around baking cookies that's now become a nationwide movement to say thanks to essential workers. it's a good one coming up. >> we are looking forward to that also coming up in a few minutes, on the third hour of "today," sheinelle is going to introduce us to a mom of a superstar, usher's mom she also doubled as his manager.

their conversation about the early years and the moment that she realized that her son might have "it", might have had some real talent. >> we'll look for that first, dylan, you've got a check of the weather >> sure, since we are inching closer to new year's eve, let's take a look at the forecast and what you can expect. we are going to see a pretty significant storm bring rain and even some severe storms, especially down south for the final day of the year. it is going to be wet but mild in the southeast you see the little line of pink and that's why we could see icing, especially across southern missouri. on midnight we are looking for the icing to affect areas like chicago, perhaps up across northern indiana, cleveland area and northern ohio, also parts of pennsylvania and then severe storms are possible across the gulf coast at mid knight in the city, it should be clearing out as the storm system, the first storm system

moves away then the next one moves in for new year's day and we will see ice change over to rain, especially across the mid-atlantic where we could see stronger storms. as for snow, for a white first day of 2021, we could see that across northern michigan and wiscon >> and it's cold but clear outside. we're going to have a lovely afternoon with plenty of sunshine. temperatures will be cool and comfortable, in the upper 50s, low 60s. don't have to worry about the rain for us today, but enjoy the dry weather because we are expecting rain to move in tomorrow evening with a storm that will move from north to south into early thursday morning taking a brief break before we see more rain on the way. expected for the first weekend and week of the new year. >> that's your latest forecast. >> dylan, thank you.

coming up next, can't wait to introduce you to the urban farmers hard at work in big cities to provide fresh and healthy our new house is amazing. great street, huge yard. there is a bit of an issue with our neighbors fencing. neighbor 1: allez! (sound from wind chimes) neighbor 2: (laughing) at least geico makes bundling our home and car insurance easy. which helps us save even more. neighbor 2: hey, sarah, hey, peter! neighbor 1: touché. neighbor 2: ahhh! neighbor 1: pret! neighbor 2: en garde! for bundling made easy, go to geico.com

we are back now with our ongoing series inequality in america. this morning, craig, you're looking at the nation's food crisis, which is just that, and what some people are doing to help. >> yeah, hunger is an age-old problem and these days it's hitting black and brown communities especially hard. so in some places where access to healthy food is hard to come by, they're turning to age-old solutions and i recently met some folks willing to get their hands dirty to help out. >> reporter: there's a patch of green in red hook, brooklyn. you can find it on an abandoned ball field, across the street

the ikea and a future amazon warehouse. behind the chain link fencing grows row after row of fruits, herbs and vegetables the urban farmers have been at it here for years. this is one of the farm managers >> you're an urban farmer? >> yes, i was born and raised in new york. >> that's pretty cool. >> our ancestors did it, so i also feel connected from that. >> reporter: it's a calling she's answered at a time of great need across the country we've seen the food lines more than 50 million americans are projected to go without enough healthy food in 2020 and that is up more than 13 million from 2018. she and her colleagues at red hook farms have seen it. >> so imagine your elders during covid, imagine women who have just given birth, imagine people who have disabilities. >> reporter: people in red hook live in what's often called a

food desert, areas that lack access to affordable healthy foods. so the farm offers an alternative. people in the neighborhood can buy produce at the farmers market as part of a food co-op, or they can get a fresh food box delivered. between march and october, the farm delivered more than 7,800 free food boxes in residents in need but they're not just growing crops here, they're cultivating futures for young people in the area, people like 18-year-old alex rivera isadora. >> what have you learned here? >> i learned all the different vegetables on the farm i learned about preserving, like, the seeds for the farm. >> reporter: the paid apprenticeship alex went through shows the ins and outs of farming. how do you help a community where there is no farm they found an answer to that in washington, d.c. with a program

called healthy corridors they buy produce from farms in virginia in bulk and then distribute it for sale in corner stores >> a lot of residents visit their corner stores every single day. it's a way that they access some of their basic necessities during the pandemic they're also able to access fresh fruits and vegetables on that daily basis. >> healthier options could not come at a better time for many black and brown communities already dealing with a greater risk of chronic health conditions health officials say those conditions are more likely to land a person who also contracts the coronavirus in the hospital. back in brooklyn, they hope the work they're doing will uproot some of the nation's most deep-seeded disparities. >> i've heard the term food desert for years, you just use a term i've never heard of food apartheid. >> that's a definition of food

desert, no access to healthy food we don't have that choice. it's not like we want to live in an area where there's only liquor stores and bodegas. i feel like food brings people together we don't have to speak the same language, but we're talking through this food. >> it is a universal language. we should point out both red hook farms in brooklyn and down in dc, they bring these nutrition programs as well and that's key because there have been a number of studies that have shown even if you put a nice supermarket in a neighborhood that was a food desert, a lot of folks don't buy the healthier food because you eat what you know. so to change those behaviors, you have to learn about, you know, healthier food options. >> i think you make that point so well, craig, in the piece the fact that it's not just about getting food to people, but about getting healthy food to people. that makes all the difference. >> yeah, hard to imagine in 2020

you still have these food deserts, though. speaking of 2020, we're going to look ahead to 221 when we come back will you be taking a vacation next year? yes, yes, we will. >> we sure hope so all our hands are raised what the future of travel looks like and how the industry plans

we are back at 8:43 with a look at the future of travel >> given the pandemic, most people didn't take a traditional vacation this year with the vaccine rolling out, could your next trip be on the horizon in 2021? >> our fingers are crossed for that travel expert mark elwood joins us so good to see you talk to us about what some travel sites are doing to make it easier and safer for folks to be able to travel. >> i was going to say, first of

all, what i would say, it's lovely to see you. of course this is all happening within the parameters of what your local health guidance is. so we should cognizant of what our states say but travel is a big part of the economy, millions of jobs depend on it. it's really important to get it restarted and i think the big focus right now is this vaccine passport have you heard about that? >> oh, yeah, we've done reporting on the passport. >> it's a brilliant idea it exists already in a form for yellow fever, which is a disease that developing nations still have a problem with and you have to provide an internationally recognized proof that you've had a vaccination so you can't carry yellow fever there's a nonprofit that is working on an equivalent for covid and lots of airlines, jet blue, united, virgin, atlantic, have already said we're going to work with them so the idea is this qr code, we're going to have a qr code which will say i'm safe to board. now, there are some privacy concerns, i know they're working

through that but it's really a way to guarantee destinations and airlines, hotels, that we're not putting other people at risk. >> so, mark, for folks who do decide that they're going to travel in a traditional way in 2021, how have airlines changed, how have hotels changed, cruise ships? what have they done? >> so i think, actually, destinations are a great way of understanding the protocols that have come in, because all of those providers work with destinations and i would point to somewhere like barbados as a great template island nations in the caribbean, hats off to them they have been brilliant about this, because travel is such a central core of their economy. in general, almost every nation, the ones that i would talk about anyway, have the same kind of pre-trip expectation you'll show your airline a covid negative test taken within a certain amount of time before you board.

you'll fill out a questionnaire and then when you arrive, you'll go to a covid-certified hotel, which sounds -- i know that doesn't sound great. you picture a little cubical but, no, no, no, this is things like the crane, which is one of the most luxurious hotels in barbados, which has created a hotel within a hotel for covid arrives. you wait there and have your usual fun by the pool and a few days later get a test and are released into the country. you can also look at places like anguila. same prep and it will charge you -- it starts about $500 per couple for the tests you're going to have to take. you should check with your insurer whether you can reclaim some of the covid tests. they've got bubble activities. so, in other words, you can enjoy it and go kayaking, scuba diving, trips to the keys, but you're going to do it within a

group of people who are waiting to take their second test. it's like a little country within a country, but you're still having a great time. and i also would point to my favorite, a lovely little island, one of the last to reopen what they are doing is basically saying you've got to stay on property and you have to download a tracer app. if you're going for the weekend to a place like goldenrod, you don't want to leave anyway so what's the difference so they've managed to create vacations within all of these parameters, which is so amazing. >> they all sound like heaven, mark elwood. thank you so much for the great information. appreciate it. >> it also sounds like for some of these places, you're going to have to block off almost two weeks. >> that's okay just ahead, the sweetest story that you are going to see all day. how these two dads, how they used a friendly cooking/baking competition to start a national

we are back with a friendly cooking competition that's become a heartwarming way of saying thanks to health care and essential workers. >> that's right, kristen now more than 18,000 cookies later, their idea has spread into a national movement we're going to talk to the two baking guys in just a few minutes here first, a little more on their killer story >> reporter: for two good friends of huntington, pennsylvania, a passion for baking started as a friendly challenge. >> it begins to incorporate and you go a wee bit quicker. >> after mckenzie was furloughed earlier this year, he used his free time perfecting his chocolate chip cookie recipe

his buddy of 15 years thought he could do better and challenged him to a bake-off to be judged by the mayor their goal, to serve the cookies to those who have served the public others joined and cookies for caregivers was launched and now 1,500 batches have been delivered to essential workers around town, like doctors, animal shelters and lab technicians. today bakers across the country are continuing the mission, hoping to sweeten the day of essential workers. and those cookies for caregivers, the founders scott and jeremy, are with us now. guys, this is a great story. good morning take us back you've been friends for 15 years. you do the bake-off at the mayor's office, you give the cookies to the city workers. was there a moment you looked at each other and said we've got to keep this thing going? >> yes, and first of all, good morning, and thank you for helping us to spread the word. it was pretty quick that we

thought we may have caught a little bit of lightning in a bottle it was the reaction we got from the workers. they were so appreciative of being recognized and we can remember that was all back in april when this was all new and even more scary than it is now, because of the unknowns. and people were just so thankful for being recognized and for having the risks that they were putting themselves under appreciated. and that was pretty quick, it was evident that we had maybe caught something that was needed >> well, it's just remarkable, and one of the things that i think makes it so remarkable is the fact that when you think about frontline workers, you think about health care workers, you think about police, firefighters but you guys are extending your reach way beyond that, right tell us about that >> yeah, originally when scott and i got together, we wanted to reach out to our essential workers and frontline workers. scott and i were blessed to be

at home, safe, but we knew that there were a lot of people out there risking their lives. but after the first week or two, we realized, although our community is small, there are others that need to be recognized and it turned into just finding different people and different businesses and community members who we could just recognize, acknowledge, and, again, to spread that kindness and joy and thanks for what they do that's the mission and the goal of this group and this movement, to just be kind and to just be thoughtful to others. >> scott, jeremy, i heard the mayor there being very diplomatic about the quality of the cookie but shoot me straight here, who has got the better chocolate chip cookie? >> oh, boy well, one of jeremy's high school student-athletes also joined us in the first weekend of baking and when we took the cookies down to the mayor's

office, she divulged that it was her grandmother's recipe and the minute we heard grandma's name dropped, we knew there was no way we were going to win and sure enough, rachel's cookies were viewed as the best and then, i don't know, it's not important, but mine were second and jeremy's were third. nobody cares about that. >> jeremy, i know your house has pretty much turned -- >> go ahead. sg >> your house has turned into a bakery and i know you have two young boys at home what do you hope they take away from this whole thing? >> early on they were questioning, obviously, why is this house turning into a bakery and why do we have so many cookies stacked up early on it was a great opportunity for me not only to bake with my boys, but also to use it as an educational

opportunity and to teach them, again, your father, your mother and you, we're all at home we're safe there are people out there every day risking their lives, so we can hopefully be safe as well. so it was a wonderful chance for me to teach them some values and to understand the importance of giving back and thanking people. >> well said, jeremy and scott you were furloughed last april like so many millions of americans and this is what you chose to motivate and do it's inspiring thank you, both. we appreciate it if you want to learn more about this incredible group, cookies for caregivers, head to today.com. appreciate your time this morning, gentlemen. >> dylan, i think we've got a little time to celebrate a few birthdays. >> of course we do, from cookies to jelly let's spin around those smucker's jars and we want to wish happy 1st birthdays to some lucky guys and gals out there. let's say happy 1st birthday to

aaron butash of buffalo, new york his favorite hobbies are music, trains and baseball. and new york, new york, this little man also turning 1. he's a big fan of reading and he loves to dance happy 1st birthday to this little fighter he's had a tough year in and out of the hospital, but he is doing much, much better now and he is very excited to spend his birthday playing with his big brother. and marie danforth is from new york and whether he's chasing his cat or running from his good morning. 8:56. i'm marcus washington. about an hour ago, vice president-elect kamala harris received the covid-19 vaccine. harris said it was safe, and she trusts the doctors and the scientists behind it. the vice president-elect received the moderna version. she says it is important to get

the vaccine to keep people safe. plus, at mitchell park library in palo alto, a new self-testing pop-up will allow people to swab themselves. and better news for some out there, the self-test is swabbing of the mouth only, not deep nose probing. the trainer observing that will be watching over you to make sure everything is going well and the results come back within 24 to 48 hours except during high demand. there's a lot of demand this week. bay area hospitals are seeing a surge in patients who were likely exposed over thanksgiving pushing hospitals to the brink not just for covid patients but for any patient needing intensive care. the governor's stay-at-home order could be extended today. it depends on covid-19 cases and hospitalization numbers that will be tallied and finalized. a news conference is expected at noon today. we'll air that for you here on nbc bay area. more news coming up in an hour.

from studio ia in rockefeller plaza, this is the third hour of "today." >> good morning. welcome to the third hour of "today," tuesday, december 29. getting ready for new ar's eve. >> i don't think anything will change january 1, 2021 >> i don't know that it will but let's be positive about it some of our most memorable stories hoping we'll bring you some hope.