good morning. breaking overnight, deadly tornados. devastating twisters strike from tennessee to illinois, missouri, arkansas, and kentucky. leaving a historic trail of destruction in its path. around 50 people feared dead in kentucky. many of them at a factory where the roof collapsed. >> it is tragic. very hard. really tough. >> we're live with the latest on the carnage and a forecast for the storm that's not done yet. now headed for the east coast this morning. rising pain.

a new government report finds groceries and gas prices more expensive than they have been in nearly 40 years. >> they're paying more for things they need than they had to pay before. that's the bottom line. >> the president saying this is the peak and he hopes prices will go back down soon. but for the millions of americans struggling to get by, will it be fast enough? soaring covid cases. health officials across the country sounding the alarm. new york's governor enacting an indoor mask mandate in an effort to keep residents in the state safe from covid. >> and we could either plateau here or our cases could escalate beyond control. as the cdc releases some hopeful new information about the omicron. all that plus remembering one of the monkees. ♪♪ ♪ we're the monkees ♪

>> fans from around the world humming some of michael's most popular songs this morning after the singer and guitarist passed away at the age of 78. we'll look back on his life and musical legacy. today, saturday, december 11th, 2021. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with peter alexander, kristen welker and dylan dreyer. welcome to "today" and thank you so much for joining us on this saturday morning. peter, we are waking up to a morning of tragic breaking news. >> yes. it's been awful move from overnight, a terrible night in the southeast and mud west with these tornados leaving what is an unfathomable amount of destruction behind. our thoughts are with everyone in the area. the governor of kentucky has declared a state of emergency in

his state. and speaking at a news conference a couple of hours ago said 50 people could be dead. the deaths appear to be coming from a candle factory in western kentucky. several other states are also reporting deaths at this hour. at least one person died in a nursing home in arkansas where the roof collapsed. >> one of the tornado warnings came from a rare quad-state tornado, meaning one tornado, just one, spanned four states and travelled 200 miles in arkansas, missouri, tennessee and kentucky. and there are fears this deadly weather may not be over yet. we're going to speak to kentucky's governor in a moment but we want to begin with morgan chesky, who's been tracking the devastation overnight. morgan, good morning to you. >> reporter: peter, kristen, good morning. it will be a devastating day for so many communities following this massive storm outbreak. you mentioned mayfield,

kentucky, the governor there saying at least 100 people were inside the factory when a tornado struck and 12 people may have perished at that one business alone. the extent of the devastation only expected to rise with daybreak. more than 100 people were inside a candle factory when the tornado ripped through mayfield, kentucky. >> it blew the house away. the only thing standing was the bathroom and the halls. >> reporter: the governor believes at least a dozen people could be lost at that business alone. >> it's very hard, really tough, and we're praying for each and every one of those families. >> reporter: now kentucky officials believe this storm is one of the most severe in the state's history. >> we believe our death toll from this event will exceed 50 kentuckyians, probably end up closer to 70 to 100 lost lives. >> reporter: the powerful twister demolished the mona

manor nursing home in arkansas, at least one person is reported dead and five seriously injured. a massive emergency response rushed to the sight. a second nursing home in truman was damaged. power lines down there, the roads still blocked. >> the nursing home is hit. the fire department has been hit. >> reporter: still more damage in leechville as the twister cut a 100 mile path through northeast arkansas. winds swept through illinois too shredding an amazon warehouse. relatives fought through the storm to reach the scene. >> we lost power for about two hours now, and then my phone died. i have no idea to get ahold of him, what's going on.

we're just worried sick. >> reporter: and search and rescue operations are ongoing as we speak in multiple communities. the power of this storm, incredibly clear, debris that was part of that mayfield tornado was seen lifted up as high as 30,000 feet in the air. back to you. >> one more staggering figure in a morning of so many. and just an unbelievable death toll. morgan chesky, thank you. we want to bring in kentucky governor andy bashir. good morning to you, we want to start by expressing our deepest condolences to you and the people of your state. >> thank you. we are hurting this morning. once dawn breaks, we're going to get a better idea of just how staggering this loss is. as we sit here right now, we know our death toll is going to exceed 50. probably going to closer to 70 to a tough morning in kentucky.

>> give us a sense, if you can, with the death toll that's staggering here, can you tally how many people are still unaccounted for at this hour this morning? >> no, we can't. because this happened in the dead of night. it is in dozens of counties that either one of these four tornados touched down and/or we had real severe weather. i've been in our emergency operations center since about 1:00 a.m., in real time hearing a family trapped in their basement, the factory collapsed on so many individuals, my dad's hometown, i know we're going to have multiple casualties there and still trying to get family on the phone. so morning will show us a whole lot more. at least one of our towns almost totally decimated. but we're strong, we're resilient. we will grieve but we will rebuild. >> governor help us to understand where the bulk of these fatalities may have been.

you talked about the candle factory in mayfield, presumably people working overnight as we get closer to the holidays. is that where you think most of these fatalities you said possibly even 100, may have occurred? >> that we believe, will be the largest site, the largest place of loss. graves county, which that's in, and mayfield the city, lost people in multiple locations. this was part of a tornado that was on the ground for more than 200 straight miles in kentucky. something we've never seen. but we have reports of lost life in more than five kentucky counties. so this thing is like something we have never seen before. certainly that candle factory was a difficult place, dawson springs, kentucky, multiple losses. marshall county, close by. warren county. bowling green. we've lost some individuals too. so it's going to be a hard day

all day. but i know that we will wrap our arms around those families. we'll grieve together and then we'll move forward. >> governor, can you give us a sense of how much warning residents had that this massive tornado was coming? >> we had warning that a tornado was coming. we were going to have strong storms. but listen, we have strong storms a lot. in kentucky we flood 52 weeks a year. but we've never seen a tornado that touches down through four states, 227 plus miles and goes through the very middle of multiple towns. so you can be prepared, people can know, and it still be absolutely devastating. >> yeah. >> governor, we can hear the emotion in your voice. we heard you say you have not been able to contact some of your own family members still. can you talk about the emotion, the weight this morning for all of you and the search and rescue

efforts that are still under way? >> it is hard. it is incredibly difficult. to know that there are people who need help that we have to clear the roads to get to, that's why we declared a state of emergency, called out the national guard, the transportation cabinet has the heaviest equipment out, clearing roads. the division of forestry chopping up the trees that are across our roadways. we've got ems strike teams that are headed there, two tractor trailer full of water and the moment the skies clear enough, i'm going to be there too. >> governor andy bashear of the state of kentucky. we'll be thinking of you over the course of this day. thank you so much for your time today. >> our condolences and thoughts and prayers to all of them. the tornado struck another five states overnight and that threat continues this morning. so we want to turn to somara

theodore. >> it's the month of december, tornados may not be the first thing on their mind. i want you to call any friends and family you have living in central tennessee, kentucky, and northern alabama give them a heads up. we have a tornado warning happening in williamsburg, kentucky there. 5 million people are waking up this morning to the threat of possible tornados stretching from kentucky and tennessee. this is the line of storms that wreaked havoc last night. the storms stretch from the gulf coast to new england with the greatest threat impacting areas like the mid atlantic, into areas like columbus, cincinnati, right through chattanooga and

into northern alabama. tornados are still possible, 60 mile an hour wind gusts. the winds especially are going to be dangerous. we're looking up to 120 million people impacted by strong winds today from two different storms. we'll talk about the west coast storm later. focussing on the east coast we could see 70 mile per hour wind gusts as we head throughout this afternoon, that could be dangerous because we're looking at power outageoutages, downed from the great lakes region to the tri-state region down into nashville and alabama. as far as when this is going to let up, when we get reprieve, not until tomorrow. by tomorrow this clears out, high pressure moves in and we're quieting down. the storm is not over yet, we have to get through today. timing on the east coast seeing that as we head through the afternoon and evening hours. things are about to get active even here in d.c., kristen.

>> i know you'll continue to track it, thank you for that. we'll have much more in our next half hour, including a conversation with a woman who had been trapped inside that candle factory that we were just talking about and she was able to make it out. we have some other news to get to this morning, the white house acknowledging what most americans are feeling, the prices we pay for everything from gas to groceries are at the highest point in decades. monica alba is at the white house with more on the worst inflation numbers in nearly 40 years. >> reporter: the white house was already bracing for tough numbers but the reality of soaring inflation has created economic and political fallout for the biden administration as millions of americans see their everyday expenses go up just weeks before christmas. this morning, inflation rates not seen in nearly 40 years. consumer prices up 6.8% in november compared to last year. >> inflation is affecting

people's lives. >> reporter: gas, rent, used and new cars, all more expensive. with meat, poultry, fish and eggs up by 1%, pork by 2.2%. president biden acknowledging the pain people are feeling. >> they're paying more for things they need than they had to pay before. that's the bottom line. >> reporter: while predicting costs will go down soon as supply chain back logs ease. >> it's not gone down quickly enough, but i think it will. >> reporter: the president making the case for his massive social spending and climate plan to bring down costs for things like child care, health care, and prescription drug prices. but that legislation is far from a done deal with senator joe manchin of west virginia pointing to high inflation as a reason for the government to limit its spending, not add to it. president biden is scheduled to speak with him next week. as gop lawmakers uniformly oppose the proposal. the senate's top republican

blasting democrats for, quote, more borrowing, more printing, more reckless spending. saying, inflation is out of control on the democrat's watch. the challenge all too real for luis hankins in washington d.c. >> we can survive something in the short term for sure, but is this going to continue through the next three months, six months? >> reporter: now the white house can't say for sure how long rising inflation will last with experts predicting it will go into next year, but senior officials point to gas prices coming down in about 20 states with hopes the economic picture will continue to improve as the country navigates its way out of the covid pandemic. >> monica, thank you very much. with christmas exactly two weeks away, health officials are getting more concerned about a covid surge around the holidays. today the number of cases is expected to hit 50 million. and by the end of the weekend,

covid is likely to have killed 800,000 people. >> there is hopeful news when it comes to omicron. emily is in los angeles with the latest on that. good morning. >> reporter: peter and kristen, good morning. overnight idaho reporting its first confirmed case of the omicron variant. the affected individual experienced mild symptoms and was vaccinated. health officials say it underscores just how transmissible the variant is. this morning, the u.s. quickly closing in on a grim milestone. 800,000 deaths from covid-19. as omicron extends its reach to the majority of states. >> we'll follow the variant -- >> reporter: the cdc reporting most with confirmed infections are young, 80% fully vaccinated, some with boosters. and in a possible glimmer of hope, so far no deaths, symptoms including cough, fatigue, congestion or a runny nose. the new variant arrived in the u.s. earlier than initially

thought confirming a case from mid november. >> we should remember that still over 99% of cases in this country right now are caused by the delta variant. >> reporter: this week, maine and new hampshire hospitals telling a record number of patients prompting the northeastern state to call in the national guard. in michigan, the health care system stretched thin with omicron detected there thursday. >> we're running at 100%. >> reporter: and in new york, mandaing masks indoors. >> we could either plateau here or our cases could escalate beyond control. >> would you say colder states are at a disadvantage right now? >> this virus loves cold environments where people are indoors, in close proximity to each other, that is the best place for this virus to spread. >> reporter: while the u.s. largely dodged a twin-demic last

year, doctors warn this season we may not be so lucky. >> testing is going to be critical so you know what you have. >> reporter: studies show omicron is more skilled at side stepping vaccines but pfizer's booster shot appears to provide stronger protection. fuelling the debate over what the definition of fully vaccinated should mean. so far more than 50 million americans have been boosted. peter, kristen. >> thank you very much for that report. abortion provider in the texas are discussing what their next move will be this morning after the partial victory fighting sb-8. the supreme court said they can challenge it in federal court but for now the law remains in effect. pete williams has the latest. >> reporter: texas abortion providers are considering their next steps this morning in fighting sb-8 a law the state tried to make impossible to challenge. the law bans most abortions

after six weeks of pregnancy and allows anyone to sue abortion providers that violate it. state officials don't enforce it, so who can be sued. the supreme court ruled challengers cannot sue state force judges. with chief justice roberts and the three liberals decenting it ruled they cannot sue state court clerks or texas attorney general either. but they ruled they can sue the state's members of the medical board. even so the court said the state can continue enforcing the law while the legal challenges play out, a win for abortion rights opponents. but president biden in a statement said he was, quote, very concerned the law can be enforced, adding there is so much more work to be done to protect women's rights. >> i think this goes down as one of the most disgraceful decisions in supreme court history. it has allowed the state of texas right now to null fie the

supreme court decisions there's a right to abortion. >> reporter: so they can still challenge the law in federal court but from a weaker position because they can't sue anyone who has the power to stop enforcing it. friday's ruling was about the structure of the law, not about abortion rights. a ruling on that in a separate case from mississippi probably won't come for several more months. pete williams, nbc news, at the supreme court. >> we want to go back to weather. somara is back with a look at the rest of the country's forecast. you're tracking weather in the northwest, some flooding? >> yes. the moisture high up in the atmosphere is going to be pumping bands of heavy rain, even snow in parts of the mountain region in the northwestern part of the country. they're going to see winds gusting 45 miles per hour. here's a look at the timing on this. it begins today but pushes through 8:00 p.m. sunday. that's why the threat for flooding is so high.

it's go be to be continuous throughout much of the weekend. let's look at how much rain we could expect, seattle, portland, renault, reading, they could see up to five inches of rain out that way. because of that, flooding and flash flooding is a threat through today. it's not just the rain, it's also the threat for snow as we head throughout much of the weekend, head to the rockies, utah, they could be seeing copious amounts of snow throughout the day as well. the weather across the country, the action in the northwest, then the middle parts of the country from texas into the northern tier try and sunny skies, but we've been tracking the threat for severe weather all night into tomorrow. the strong storms that impacted . mu ch o f th e dwest d par of the great lakes that's going to make its way to the east coast tonight. we'll be on high alert from georgia to the northeast.

we're also tracking record warmth. it's december, what's going on? still to come, the latest on those deadly storms in the southeast and midwest. we'll also speak live to one woman who was inside that candle it's a cold morning today. right now live look over san jose, current temperatures as you head out the door in the 30s. morgan hill 32 degrees. san jose, 36. 36 in napa as well. 35 degrees. there is currently an active freeze warning. we did see some isolated upper 20s. patchy fog is possible. expect to see nice temperatures today, we got plenty of rain tomorrow. coming up we'll have more on

those devastating storms. >> we're back right after these messages.

we'll go live to kentucky for the latest on the overnight storms where dozens are feared dead. >> plus the life and legacy of monkees

it's december 11th, i am kira klapper. law enforcement agencies want to get unwanted guns off the streets. in san francisco, united playaz is holding a gun buy back event organizers will pay $100 for handguns and 200 or rifles. san mateo will also hold a gun buy back event. they'll pay $100 for handguns

and shotguns and $200 for assault rifles. buy back will be anonymous and no questions asked. the omicron variant is in the south bay health leaders say the individual recently returned from florida, they were vaccinated but had no booster. omicron case is not unexpected. health leaders believe boosters could add another layer of protection. let's check in with vianey

arana. >> it's so cold today. >> it is. some low 30s. there is an active freeze warning in effect right now. it's going to remain in place until 8:00 a.m. we could see some patchy frosts which could make the possibility of some slick roads. be careful out there as you commute this morning. as we head in towards this afternoon, it's going to get warmer, 36 degrees right now. notice the icon, we got a nice mix of sun and clouds, we'll top out in the 50s this afternoon and heading into tomorrow p we are talking about the big atmosphere event that's going to bring us a lot of rain. kira. >> we need it. coming up this morning at 7:00 on "today in the bay," a terrifying night for an east bay neighborhood, gunfire and evacuations. a house set on fire. the tense situation sent neighbors running for safety and how it all ended.

we'll have that and all your top stories and vianey's forecast, we hope to see you then, right now we'll send you back to the "today" show.

we are back on this saturday morning, december 11th, 2021. we are following this devastating news from overnight, where dozens of people are feared dead after severe weather ripped through six states. as the sun begins to rise, officials are only now starting to get a better sense of this devastating situation across that region. >> you can see the search and rescue efforts under way there. morgan chesky has been following this all night. what's the latest as we wait for the sun to come up? >> reporter: the latest is that

those search and rescue operations are ongoing and when the sun comes up today it will be a devastating day for so many communities here across multiple states. this storm system created one tornado that's now been con firmed to cross at least four states and was on a path that could be 200 miles long. the community that took the brunt of its wrath was mayfield, kentucky. that's where the kentucky governor says at least 50 people could be presumed dead following that tornado that struck under the cover of darkness catching many people offguard. we know 100 people were inside a candle factory there where the roof collapsed. the governor telling us that 12 people may have perished inside that one business alone. that is far from the only example of what this massive system left behind. we know there are confirmed deaths in arkansas, in tennessee, in northern mississippi from this storm system that created multiple

tornados. in monette manor, arkansas there was a nursing home struck causing a partial collapse. first responders getting there as soon as they could but not before one fatality was confirmed. they were able to usher the elderly residents outside of that building to safety, but that story will be one we hear many times as the sun comes up today as first responders are still having trouble going from damaged area to damaged area with power lines, debris still covering so many roads across the trail of this tornado, which as i mentioned before, hundreds of miles long. this covered four separate states. we know that at least six states had reported tornados and as of this hour right now, this is a storm system that could pose problems into the next 24 hours. peter, kristen. >> morgan chesky, thank you very much. we want to bring in kiana

parsons perez, she was inside that candle factory in kentucky, fortunately she made it out safely. we're glad to see you this morning and you're okay. can you give us a sense what was the scene like, what was it like inside the building where you were trapped, this candle factory, for two hours as the storm hit. >> good morning. it was extremely scary. it was extremely scary. everything happened so fast. they had us in the area where you go in case there's a storm and we were all there, and then the lights got to flickering and then all of a sudden we felt a gust of -- we could feel the wind and then my ears kind of start popping as they would as if you're on a plane. and then we did like a little rock like this way and this way. and then boom, everything came down on us. all you heard was screams. the factory has a lot of hispanic people, there was

puerto rican, mexican, gaunt mall lens and african americans. you could hear people screaming and hollering, trying to figure what to do. i went live -- first i called 911 then i went live because i was trying to stay calm and keep everybody calm and get us as much help as possible. if i went live maybe more people could come to help us and get us out of there. it was absolutely the most terrifying thing i've ever experienced in my life. >> when you say something fell on top of you, was it a wall that fell on top of you? did you worry you weren't going to make it out alive? >> i did not think i was going to make it out. i was so worried, i tried to stay positive. we were down there -- i was where i was at for two hours and i fell in an awkward position,

my back was against the wall and i was right by the air - i mean, the water fountain. so i didn't know, but behind the water fountain was an air conditioning unit. so when the search and rescue person came, i believe his name was nate, when he came, he says -- i said, can you please get this off of me so i can move my legs because i couldn't feel my legs, i had been in a weird position for so long that i couldn't feel my legs. i asked can you give them off me so i can move my legs. he said, ma'am, we're trying but there's five feet of debris on top of you. >> when you looked at the building after you were evacuated, could you describe what it looked like to stare at the place you used to work? >> a complete mess. i didn't walk around to go -- if you look on the pictures. i literally had to climb up out of the building to get out from everything that fell on us. and so, like i said, i was one

of the last people to get out in that little area i was at, there was maybe six or seven of us. we were over there, couldn't breathe, people were coming in and out of consciousness. they were telling us not to move but one o so he was getting her. but in order to get her out, he had to get somebody else out first. they also had some prisoners working there from the graves county jail. when i tell you those prisoners was working their tails off to get us out, they were helping. they could have used that moment to try to run away or anything. they did not. they were there, they was helping us. once they got one person out, it was like we all just kind of fell on -- we were able to get the debris under us to move around and were able to get out -- i was -- i -- the water fountain and the air conditioning unit behind it was in between my legs so i have

bruises on my legs and things. but i was able to -- and with the help of the -- the firemen, i was able to shift my body in a way. we couldn't move it. but i was able to shift my body in a way we were able to get out. >> as we understand it, this is also your birthday. a heck of a way to have a birthday. we're glad that you're safe and okay, and thank you for spending time with us. >> thank you. >> we appreciate your time very much. >> thank you for that. as we continue to track this ongoing story, somara is back with another check of the forecast. so let's talk about right now as the sun is coming up, as this community is just starting to process everything. how is the region looking right now? >> right now obviously they're going to see all that devastation as the sun comes up. as far as the weather goes, they're on the back end of it so that's good. but there are still more cities in the line of these storms. that includes areas like knoxville, tennessee, portions

of northern alabama into huntsville, into parts of kentucky as well. it's making its way towards the i-81 corridor and will impact areas like west virginia and making its way to the east coast this evening. so we are going to be keeping a close eye on this all day long. not done yet. something else we're watching which could help to fuel the storms is the record warmth. we have the storms in december and seeing record warmth. today temperatures are in the 70s on the east coast. look at some of these records in washington d.c., 68 degrees is the record and we're going to break that good morning, it's fair to say it's cold out there. you are not imagining it. temperatures were extremely frigid over night. right now we are in the 30s. san jose, 36 degrees. 32 in morgan hill. there is still an active freeze warning in effect until

8:00 a.m. santa rosa and napa could see some patchy frosts on the road. we'll top out in the 50s with a little cloud cover. that's a look at your local forecast. kristen, back to you. >> thank you for that. just ahead, the prosecution rests after testimony by a key witness in the ghislaine maxwell trial. >> will maxwell testify in her own dense? a fepr people everywhere living with type 2 diabetes are waking up to what's possible... ...with rybelsus®. (♪ ♪) rybelsus® works differently than any other diabetes pill to lower blood sugar... in all 3 of these ways... increases insulin when you need it... decreases sugar... and slows food. the majority of people taking rybelsus® lowered their blood sugar and reached an a1c of less than 7. people taking rybelsus® lost up to 8 pounds.

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annie farmer testifying she was just 16 when the british socialite and her companion jeffrey epstein forced themselves on her. >> she's the only one using her actual name and she does connect up maxwell with epstein. >> reporter: she told the jury she met the pair through her older sister and was invited to epstein's sprawling new mexico ranch in 1996 saying in court it made me feel special they wanted to spend time with me. but she said that visit took a troubling turn when she was pressured into a massage by maxwell who rubbed farmer's naked chest. adding that epstein got into bed with her. i think this was a pattern of them, confusing my boundaries she said. in 2019 farmer and her sister came forward with a complaint against jeffrey epstein, but with drew their lawsuits the following year. in her testimony she said she received $1.5 million from a

fund for epstein's victims. over the days, three others shared encounters with maxwell, alleging she groomed them for sex with epstein and other men. maxwell denied any wrong doing. the trial resumes next week when the defense is expected to begin its case. >> the biggest question is whether or not maxwell will testify. if you're just playing the odds, the odds are she will not. but we've seen a number of defendants in high profile cases testify in just the last few weeks. >> reporter: for "today," kathy park, nbc news. coming up next we're going to remember monkees [upbeat music] ♪ i am what i live my waye new eau dee giorgio armani

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♪♪ all the gifts you really, really, really, can't wait to unwrap. ♪♪ joy. fully. ♪♪ we are back this morning with pop start. joe fryer is in the house. nice to be with you today. >> always good to be here in person. first up we have michael nesmith, the monkees singer and guitarist passed away friday at the age of 78. ♪♪ >> they were the made for tv

band that more than made their mark on '60s rock and roll. but today fans of the fun loving monkees in mourning, michael nesmith has died at 78. his family said in a statement with infinite love we announce that michael nesmith has passed away, surrounded by family, peacefully and natural causes. known for his texas drawl and his green hat, he had many of the groups hits some of which he performed a few weeks ago during a farewell tour. >> those were good times. >> the music magic kicked off on nbc in 1966. michael nesmith's passing, the monkeys have now lost three of their own. leaving mickey as the sole surviving member who shared this tribute on twitter.

i lost a dear friend and partner. i'm so grateful we could spend the last couple of months together doing what we do best. rest in peace. >> i was raised by the monkees. they were amazing. >> the show was only on a couple of seasons but it was on over and over again. >> and the songs forever in our minds. >> and the rest of the day now, too. >> that's exactly right. the royals are getting in the holiday spirit. in keeping with tradition the duke and duchess have shared their christmas card picture. it shows them on a family trip that they took earlier this year. adorable. finally, kate mckinnon, the long time snl cast member is making her return. she's been away all season working on the series "joe exotic". tonight billie eilish is pulling

double duty as host and musical guest. you can catch them on snl tonight at 11:30 eastern here on nbc. favorite character you guys hope you get to see? >> i love when she is recounting seeing aliens. and that moment where she makes ryan gosling laugh in real time. >> do yourself a favor today, google christmas morning, kate mckinnon snl. >> i'm going to look it up. >> good timing, too. >> good timing, too. the restaurant

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saturday december 11th. i am kira klapper. omicron joins more counties with positive cases. a person recently returned from florida and had mild symptoms. they were vaccinated but not boosted. the omicron case was not unexpected. health leaders believe more people getting their boosters could add another layer of protection. happening today law enforcement across the bay area are trying to get unwanted guns off the street. in san francisco, united playaz is holding their buyback event

. organizers will pay $100 for handguns and $200 for rifles. san mateo will also pay $100 for handguns and shotguns and rifles and $200 for assault rifles. the buybacks will be anonymous, no questions are asked. our vianey arana has a quick look at our very cold micro climate forecast. >> we are in the 30s through parts of the bay area, 36 degrees right now as you head out the door in san jose, 32 in morgan hill. there is an active freeze warning in effect for santa rosa and napa. that's set to be in place until 8:00 a.m. could see some area of frosts. please be careful and slow it down. look right now on satellite radar, this is the big story we are monitoring heading into

sunday and upcoming week. the river flow you can see it right here on satellite radar. this is expected to bring several inches of rain and snow for the sierra. prepare for that, we'll see an increase in high clouds and temperatures in the 50s. >> kira. >> good to have the warning. today is the day. it's 6:29. coming up at 7:00 on "today in the bay," it's a story you will only see on nbc bay area, a trip to a mall ends with a big scare for a mother and her young child. what happened in the parking lot had her vowing never to go back. we'll have more and your top stories and vianey's forecast coming up at 7:00. right now back to "today."

good morning. breaking overnight, deadly tornados. devastating twisters strike six states from illinois to arkansas leaving a trail of destruction in its path, at least 50 people feared dead in kentucky alone. many at a factory where the roof collapsed. >> it is tragic. very hard. really tough. >> we're live with the very latest on the destruction and a forecast for the storm that's not done yet, now headed for the eastern half of the country. innovative treatment doctors

with memorial sloan kettering now telling cancer survivors they avoided in the past. instead of rest, they should start vigorous exercise. >> i feel like i'm flying. it just gets me very excited, motivated. >> why doctors say this may help patients and survivors in their recovery. scathing review, a food critics takes on a top star rated restaurant both calling it the worst food ever. now both sides weighing in. this morning saturday, december 11, 2021. >> good morning, welcome back to "today" on this saturday, two weeks from christmas. we're following the news in the southwest where tornados touched down across six states. >> entire buildings destroyed and at least 50 people feared dead, many more in one factory

in a small town in kentucky. >> there are fears the weather may not be over yet. we want to begin with morgan chesky, who's been following it over the course of the night. good morning, morgan. >> reporter: search and rescue operations are ongoing in multiple states right now after the massive storm system spawned multiple tornados and one in particular crossed four state lines and has a path that could be more than 200 miles long. the death toll only expected to rise, unfortunately, with daybreak. more than 100 people were inside a candle factory when the tornado ripped through mayfield, kentucky. >> and it blew the house away. the only thing standing was the bathroom and the halls. >> reporter: governor andy beshear believes at least a dozen people could be lost at that business alone. >> it's very hard. really tough. and we're praying for each and every one of those families. >> reporter: now kentucky

officials believe this storm is one of the most severe in the state's history. >> we believe our death toll from this event will exceed 50 kentuckians, probably end up closer to 70 to 100 lost lives. >> reporter: the powerful twister demolished the monette manor nursing home in arkansas trapping 20 people inside overnight. at least one person is reported dead and five seriously injured. a massive emergency response rushed to the site and were able to bring the rest of the residents out safely. a second nursing home in truman was damaged. power lines down there, the roads still blocked. >> the nursing home is hit. the fire department's been hit. >> reporter: still more damage in leechville, as the twister rtheast arkansas. powerful winds swept through illinois too.

trashing an amazon warehouse. anxious relatives fought through the storm to reach the scene. >> yeah. it was lightning bad. we lost power for about two hours now and then my phone died. so it's like i have no idea to get ahold of him. no idea what's going on. we're just worried sick. >> reporter: and early estimates show this could go down as one of the worst december storm outbreaks in recent history. radar showed debris from the massive tornado, pulled up debris more than 30,000 feet into the air. peter, kristen. >> morgan chesky, thanks so much. you imagine that's where airplanes are flying and debris from the ground was flown that high in the air. and somara theodore has been tracking the storms overnight into the morning. and some areas are still under threat at this hour. what are you watching? >> the same line of storms making their way now closer to the east coast here in

washington d.c. we'll see active weather later today. but for now i want to talk till to the threat for tornados. we have a tornado watch stretching from huntsville, alabama right up through chattanooga into livingston, tennessee and further into parts of eastern kentucky, areas like williamsburg and london. they had a tornado warning a few moments ago in williamsburg, that's since expired. here's a look at the line of storms. by 8:00 p.m. tonight this line of showers and storms hits the east coast. it stretches from the gulf states to new england with the areas from the southeast and to the mid atlantic in the prime area of concern for severe weather. we're seeing it in the yellow zone which is more elevated. as we head through the afternoon and evening wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour, an isolated tornado still possible from atlanta, through parts of north carolina like charlotte up through the mid atlantic region

into washington d.c. another threat is the winds. we can see downed trees, power outages, with 120 million people impacted by gusting winds today, these are two different storms and this is the one we've been focussing on this morning because we could see wind gusts upwards of 70 miles per hour, stretching from nashville into parts of the great lakes through the mid atlantic and new york. we get a reprieve from this but not until tomorrow. high pressure does dominate tomorrow, everyone that saw storms last night we quite out through the second half of the weekend but we have to get through today. we'll keep a close eye on the east coast as we prepare for severe weather this evening. >> by tonight the storm will touch the entire east coast. thanks very much. still ahead here on "today" why rigorous exercise may be tackling tough messes can take more time than you have, but mr. clean clean freak delivers the power of a deep clean in minutes unlike bleach sprays,

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we're back now with our nbc series, chasing the cure and the new efforts to fight cancer. this morning how vigorous exercise may be the key for getting better for some patients. >> dr. john torres has more now on the new program helping cancer survivors. >> reporter: monday through friday, louis is on her treadmill at 7:00 a.m. sharp. >> i feel like i'm flying. i listen to my music, which i love disco music from '70s. >> reporter: she was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer and had to undergo chemo and radiation treatment. >> i felt like the chemo was going through my body from my head to my toes it totally wiped me out and made me nauseous. so i laid in bed until the feeling went away. >> she's now part of a ground

breaking new study asking patients to do vigorous exercise, which goes against everything i learned in my training. the typical medical advice after somebody gets sick or injured is to rest and even after cancer treatments, chemo therapy in particular, we've been saying take it easy. this goes against that. >> exactly. this work that we're doing suggests that resting and taking it easy is the exact opposite of what patients should be doing. there's a lot of deconditioning that happens to the heart and your muscles and your blood vessels. >> dr. scott began her career at nasa as an exercise researcher now you'll find her at memorial sloan kettering where she's discovered a surprising link. chemo patients have a lot in common with astronauts in space. >> what's most surprising about your research so far? >> believe it or not, astronauts

and cancer patients have a lot in common. >> both astronauts floating in zero g space and cancer patients experience similar damage to the body, including bone and muscle loss, decrease in brain function and weakened heart. at nasa they're focused on how to keep the heart strong while enduring space flight. why does it cause such a problem? >> the heart doesn't have to work as hard to move blood through your body. >> it's a muscle. >> it's a muscle. like any muscle you have to keep it strong. >> back in new york, the doctor had cancer patients come to the hospital but then the pandemic hit. then they came up with a solution, shipping treadmills to all participants, along with a heart monitor, blood pressure cuff and ipad so they can do their sessions remotely.

the same way nasa's mission control monitors their astronauts in space. louis's exercise prescription is monday through friday with hard, high intensity days and low intensity endurance days for 32 weeks. results are expected next year. but meanwhile for patients like louis, exercising like an restaurant is already paying off. >> great workout. exhausting a little bit. >> reporter: despite her cancer treatments her heart is now pumping strong and healthy. so she can focus on the things she loves. like working at the library and playing tennis. and now her newest passion. >> i wouldn't trade it for anything. i love my treadmill here. she's very good to me. >> reporter: it's one small step for louis and one giant leap for cancer recovery. for weekend "today," dr. john torres, nbc news, houston. >> first let me say how much i

love louis. i want her mixed tape, she's awesome. >> she's great. we don't have the results yet but hearing how energized she feels, that's what matters. wishing her the best. we'll have a lot more on our series chasing the cure throughout nbc news all next week. we want to get another check of the fast with somara theodore. checking more weather in the northwest. >> that's right. we've been keeping an eye on the system on the east coast that's wreaking havoc and bringing severe weather to the region. we're anticipating another storm to impact the northwest pacific through sunday as well. bands of heavy rain, snow continues, wind gusts reach up to 45 miles per hour. these showers continue and stretch to parts of northern california through tomorrow night. we could see 5 inches of snow. and get this, you could see 6 feet of snow in some of the highest elevations of the sierra nevada, talking two to four feet

of snow possible. then you get to the northern areas and they could see a ton of snow up that way. as far as the rain goes, we are very concerned about flash flooding in areas like northern california. for the rest of the country, outside of the severe weather in the east, the snow in the northwest, things are actually pretty dry that's what we are monitoring here, to start it's very cold in the bay area, 32 degrees right now at morgan hill in the low to mid-30s. there is still an active freeze warning including santa rosa and the napa area that's going to remain in effect. you can see the in coming system right here that's expected to bring us rain and snow in the sierra. temperatures in the 50s. >> that's your local forecast. kristen, back to you. >> thank you. and still ahead, why one

food critic called

we're back with today's talker. when you hear a restaurant has received a top rating for its food, you probably think that place must be amazing. >> you think my wife wants me to take her there for my birthday and i was thinking of the chinese place on the corner. that's what one critic thought. >> yeah, molly hunter has more on this one. >> reporter: this is a doozy. we have talked to this morning both sides about what was certainly an epic dinner experience and no big surprise, they have different recollections of that dinner. take a listen. this morning in italy, a juicy

culinary conflict is heating up, a food writer had dinner at a restaurant and her review went viral. the decor had the chicness of an underground bunker. she then dives into the offerings. a tablespoon of crab, an orange, a marshmallow flavored cuddle fish and then there was foam served in a cast of the chef's mouth. foam cast mouth course was when things rapidly, rapidlydownhill. >> reporter: there was also the oyster loaf that tasted like newark airport. i can't explain how much we were fed. >> i don't know if they forgot they needed food for that day. >> reporter: so nbc news went straight to the source.

what is art, what is good taste, what is a man on a horse came the response withdrawings? we had more questions and reached out for additional clarification. for you these diners didn't see the man on the horse. we didn't get what you were giving them. >> exactly. yes. i think yes. they didn't understood what we were making. maybe they -- they were just in the wrong restaurant, i think. >> reporter: and what about the cast of the chef's mouth? >> actually, they let us sell all the lips we had. >> you're sold out of all the -- >> we sold out them. so thank you. >> reporter: now, guys us bella, the co-owner says most diners know what they're getting before they enter the restaurant. she's hoping bad reviews in the future might be more respectful. the only way to settle this is a

"today" show field trip to southern italy. i'll see you all there. >> we'll meet you there. >> consider our tickets booked. what a great piece. have you ever had a bad meal in a michelin star restaurant? >> i went once and my steak was kind of cold. >> i always whip up a mean foam cast mouth so i was disappointed -- >> now you know what to give everyone for the holidays. >> we'll have >> we'll have dunkin' is here with your holiday helpers peppermint mocha and toasted white chocolate signature lattes. a touch of delicious holiday magic to help you seize the season. sip through the holidays with signature lattes at dunkin'. america runs on dunkin' i've lost count of how many asthma attacks i've had. at dunkin'. america runs but my nunormal with nucala? fewer asthma attacks. nucala is a once-monthly add-on injection for severe eosinophilic asthma. not for sudden breathing problems. allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for swelling of face, mouth, tongue, or trouble breathing. infections that can cause shingles have occurred.

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that is going to do it for us on this saturday morning. we'll have a lot more on those deadly tornados throughout the day on nbcnews.com and msnbc and the latest on nbc "nightly news." >> hope you have a good saturday. stay safe, eve ry

coming up next on today in the bay, breaking over night, more than 50 people killed as 30 tornados went through the midwest. a story you will only see on nbc bay area, a major shopping scare for a mother and her young child why she says she will never go back to the mall. >> it's a cold start to the weekend, today is the day for prepare your home and the bay area braces for rain. the full forecast from meteorologist vianey arana at 7:00.

. good morning, it's saturday, december 11th, 7:00 on the dot. as we take a look outside