if you could give me some dance lessons you would be saving my life. how do i know that you're legit? ♪ ♪ yeah, that's more like it. we are in for a world of trouble, i'm afraid, in the next month or two it is just, you know, raging through -- through the world really >> a new week but a similar refrain we had all hoped would be behind us new covid variant omicron spreading fast and furious this morning we've got three medical experts answering some of the most asked questions of the day. the sports world rocked from the nfl to the nba and nhl athletes across the board testing positive for covid schedules upended and games cancelled. bye bye to president biden's

build back better. west virginia democrat joe manchin shocks the white house with a 20-minute warning that he was putting the ka bosch on mr. biden's signature piece of legislation. plus we've got the return of tiger woods to the golf course "early today" starts right now good sunday morning. i'm francis rivera >> we begin with breaking covid news out of the political world. two democratic senator versus tested positive for coronavirus. on sunday senator elizabeth warren of massachusetts and senator cory booker of new jersey announced they had break through cases of covid both senators said they're fully vaccinated and have had booster shots. in a sbeet, senator warren said she's only experiencing minor symptoms senator booker tweeted his symptoms started saturday but have been relatively mild. neither senator identified which strain of the virus they have. the latest wave is forcing the cancellation of sporting events,

broadway shows, concerts and much more. here's nbc's kathy park. >> reporter: the holiday rush taking on a whole new meaning, people waiting in long testing lines around the country ahead of family gatherings, this as the nation's top doctors issue warnings about the weeks ahead >> we're in for a world of trouble, i'm afraid, in the next month or two >> it is just, you know, raging through -- through the world, really >> elizabeth warren saying she tested positive for covid, tweeting she's only experiencing mild symptoms. covid disrupting the world of sports and entertainment too the nba announcing it's postponing five games the next three days as cleveland, orlando, philadelphia, and brooklyn all battle covid outbreaks. the nfl has already delayed three games for the first time this season after more than 100 players tested positive. and the nhl says it will postpone all cross-border games

through december 23rd. covid infections are climbing to new highs in places like new york, massachusetts, and washington, d.c., all now at daily levels that haven't been seen since january as omicron sweeps the nation, delta is shattering records with frontline workers bracing for the next wave. >> mid-november we had active covid cases, and it looks like today we're up to 40 active cases. >> reporter: and it's getting worse in europe, where officials are cracking down with tough restrictions to curb the spread. the netherlands back in a full lockdown until january 14th, denmark shutting down public venues, and ireland enforcing an 8:00 p.m. curfew back in the states, covid is stealing the pot slight, shutting down miami's jingle ball concert while "snl's" last show of 2021 featured a smaller cast, no musical performance, and no

audience >> covid came early this year. >> reporter: public schools from maryland to new jersey moving back to virtual learning as nyu, princeton, harvard, and cornell all go remote at least through the end of the year. soaring infections fuelling covid fears and dimming the holiday spirit >> and here in new york city, all eyes are on new year's eve and celebrations still scheduled to happen at times square. the majyor says the event is under review right now with cases rising we should have news on whether the event is moving forward before christmas phillip? >> we'll see about that. meanwhile across the pond the uk and other european countries are weighing a potential lockdown could omicron ruin christmas this year and jingle bell lock, lockdown it's shaping up to be a critical week for decisions for several european nations joining us from roam is claudio.

how is italy handling this >> reporter: good morning, francis. well, italy has already some of the strictest anticovid measures in place it really tightened the screw on the unvaccinated by banning them from accessing public places like bars and restaurants. but when the government meets again on thursday, they may introduce even further measures. they may go even further by for instance reintroducing mandatory wearing of face masks outside or even requiring a negative test even to the unvaccinated when they get into public places where large events are being hosted well, now, let's move up north to france where paris cancelled the traditional and much-anticipated, of course, new year's celebration, that includes fireworks because the omicron and covid in general is spreading so fast.

and in france on saturday, thousands of people protested in the streets not only in paris but also in the rest of the country because there are word there that the country may introduce a covid certificate to get into public places like we have already here in italy and up north even further north in the uk, they're experiencing the fastest spread of covid omicron than the rest of europe with 80,000 or 100,000 cases every single day there the scientific community is saying you need to tighten the screw there. but of course boris johnson is really worried that a rebellion will take place among some members of parliament if such measures will be implemented francis? phillip? >> we know those measures all too well claudio, thank you the omicron variant has many people concerned, especially with holiday travel season underway jose diaz ballard spoke with a

handful of key health experts to answer your questions. >> reporter: the biggest curveball from this new variant -- >> there will be plenty of break through infections, that's for sure >> reporter: -- people who are fully vaccinated and boosted testing positive >> it seems kind of the break through cases in omicron are going to be very common even if you're boosted >> break through cases are inevitable >> this is a highly transmissible varpt. >> reporter: that may be driving part of this surge look at what's happening in highly vaccinated new york the graph of positive cases is literally shooting skyward >> doctor, the difference between omicron and delta for those who have been vaccinated and gotten their booster >> if you've been vaccinated and have had your booster, whether you're exposed to delta or to omicron, you should be very well protected against serious disease that could put you in the hospital >> reporter: but larger questions about omicron still remain >> at the moment our sense of how ferocious, how deadly omicron is is still in flux.

>> there is some preliminary data that suggests it could be mild first early lab studies suggest omicron may not attack the lungs like other variants. >> omicron replicates, multiplies very well in the upper airway but less well in the lung >> reporter: second in south africa, the headlines are stoking some optimism. hospitalizations are down 91%. >> we can say one thing though, it's definitely not more severe. what they've seen in south africa is they've had lower rates of hospitalization, almost one-third of what they saw with the delta wave >> but there are caveats to much of this. >> i think a lot of this is still emerging, it's very preliminary. >> reporter: south africa is a very young population with built-in immunity from previous infection. >> when will we know about the effect of omicron on the vulnerable population. >> we don't know a breakdown but we know in general people who

are older and immunocompromised could have a severe case >> reporter: for many this confusing data couldn't some at a worse time with christmas just one week away. >> should you be getting on an airplane this christmas? >> get on an airplane, but keep the mask on. >> should people be gathering for the holidays >> everybody's tolerance is different but i don't think large gatherings should be encouraged >> i think we should hang our stockings with care. i think we need to be careful. we should all be vaccinated and if eligible boosted. >> our experts recommend getting a rapid test that day. >> take a rapid antigen test right before you gather, not earlier in the day that's the best way to understand if you're in an active infection >> what should people be doing these last seven days. >> i'm choosing not to do activities that may expose me to other people, not going into large crowds >> i think we all ought to be

careful, withdraw a little bit so when we do get together we're less likely to bring the virus with us. that would be an unfortunate christmas gift now to the nfl and the sunday night battle in tampa neither the saints or buccaneers found the end zone, but it was hill who won the qb battle over tom brady. the saints defense around tom brady for four sacks, and a costly late interception new orleans gets the tough road win, 9-0 from a big road upset to a massive home upset in detroit. >> throws it, caught, touchdown amon-ra st. brown. >> the detroit lions came into sunday with the nfl's worst record but pounce out of the gate with the nfl's worst teams.

the lions run away with it with a big win over the cardinals the jags played their first game since firing coach urban meyer but defensive struggles kept them away from the league wire to wire. >> and a wild finish in green bay where the packers dominated on offense until tyler huntley flew the ravens down field for two late scores. baltimore went for two packers defense stands tall and wins it 31-30. >> even in defeat ravens tight end mark andrews landed among sunday's top performers along with packers quarterback aaron rodgers. time for a check of monday weather with janessa webb. janessa, good morning. >> hi, happy monday. pretty quiet weather conditions if you're in the east coast. but we do have another storm system that's growing for the pacific northwest. but right now want to focus on just a little bit of rain across the gulf coast

this starts to pick up as we go into tomorrow. but today it's definitely going to be a nuisance rain even for the southeast through the florida panhandle, daytona beach to tampa, definitely not a beach day. they're going to pick up at least one to two inch of rain. pacific northwest, that storm system coming in from the gulf of alaska. we have winter weather alerts.tt lakes to the northeast mostly sunny today big travel week ahead. we'll take a look at your travel forecast coming up, guys >> talk to you in just a bit, janessa. thank you. call it luck call it magic. but the washington mystics won the draft lottery. washington had the third best

odds in the draft lottery but walk away with their first number one pick since 1999 when they took future hall of famer the fever, dream, and wings all had top five picks last year as well as this year. the wnba draft will take place this coming spring all hope may be gone for president biden's build back better plan after a fellow democrat says no we're back in one minute with the reaction stay right here. wha — wait, wait, is that a... baby on the field?? it looks like it, craig. and the defensive linemen are playing peek-a-boo. i've never seen anything like that before. harris now appears to be burping the baby. that's a great moment right there. the ref going to the rule book here. what, wait a minute! harris is off to the races! we don't need any more trick plays. touchdown!! but we could all use more ways to save. are you kidding me?? it's going to be a long bus ride home for the defense. switch to geico for more ways to save. hi. so you're the scientist here. does my aveeno® daily moisturizer really make my dry skin healthier in one day?

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the door on the $1.7 trillion bill in its current form >> i cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation i just can't i've tried everything humanly possible i can't get there. >> reporter: the white house firing back in a lengthy, blistering statement writing manchin's comments are, quote, at odds with his conversations with the president this week, where he pledged to keep negotiations going. if his comments represent an end to that effort, they represent a sudden and inexplicable reversal in his position and a breach of his commitment to the president. the proposal, which democrats hoped to pass this year, but ult patly punted to 2022, included $555 billion to combat climate change as well as funding for child care, elder care, and health care. just days ago, the president was optimistic manchin would come around, saying we will bridge our dichbss and advance the build back better plan

but soaring inflation put manchin's support further in doubt, leaving progressives livid sunday >> if he doesn't have the courage to do the right thing for the working families of west virginia and america, let him vote no in front of the whole world. >> reporter: senator manchin's staff contacted the white house shortly before the fox interview sunday but when biden officials tried to get in touch with the senator directly, a source familiar tells me manchin declined the call francis, phillip >> monica, thank you still to come on "early today" the trial of the former police officer accuse of killing daunte wright enters its final stage. and ahead, a sweet visit, santa trades in his sleigh for a fire engine. eliminates and prevents odors... ...to freshen up any small room... ...for up to 45 days. febreze. ♪la la la♪ cheez-it snap'd! they're on a mission to save every sandwich from a boring bag of chips.

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we have got several court cases on our radar this week, starting off with the kim potter prosecution. closing arguments begin today in

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american ticket sales this weekend, third biggest opening of all time, and highest debuting film of 2021. and in a distant second, incanto followed by west side story and ghostbusters afterlife so, a lot out there, kids not in school for the holiday break, lite of movies to see. "west side story" is the one i want to see. i saw the original >> out of all of those well, the amount of the original, "spiderman" being number two, that is incredible all those people would go back good for the theater and good for the movie industry what you're seeing there is dozens of volunteers helping students feel the joy of giving holiday cheer. it will really inspire you "early today" will have that story when we come back from this break

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try always discreet. nearly ten months after a terrifying car crash, tiger woods was competing again on the golf course. woods and his son charlie fin sh pd second at the pnc championship in orlando. but it was getting back into the match that had tiger smiling after the match. >> one was to have fun and two, no bogeys. we accomplished both two weeks ago we didn't know whether i would be doing this, and here we are. and we had the best time ever. >> and golf legend gone daly and his son took home the wind

elementary students spent all year earning holiday points so they could trade them in for gifts to give others >> we've got 14 points left. >> first known as project gift, the program is now called earn to give. then the i don't know set of covid forced an abrupt halt to the live shopping day. but that didn't stop the scores of earn to give volunteers this year they found another way. more than 60 volunteers joined forces at the school and armed with individual tally sheets for each student totaling the points and naming each family member, the volunteers set out to personally shop for the students they went from table to table, brimming with toys, sporting equipment, jewelry, hand bags, games, stuffed animals and all kinds of other gifts then each gift was wrapped and labelled with the family member's name.

>> we don't get the see the smiles immediately, but we package the smiles and they open them up the following day. >> there are many ways to earn points >> they are being bold and loving and accountable, they are being zealous, showing integrity. they are demonstrating good character. >> and the message that students can only shop for family members and not for themselves is a strong one >> you've earned an opportunity to give to every member of your household. i want to say congratulations to you, congratulations how does this make you feel? >> good. >> good! i love it, i love it >> a day the students and volunteers won't see in person this year will all remember. >> just grateful truly grateful >> nbc news. >> love it >> santa traded in his sleigh with a fire engine this year with the help of the clearwater fire and rescue department, st.

nick brought an early christmas present. the holiday cheer continued. santa could not return to the north pole without delivering gifts first. >> making those kids and everybody there smile. >> thanks for watching

this morning, america's top infectious disease says omicron, quote, is raging through the world. we have multiple reports to answer your most pressing >> with holiday season set for travel home testing kits are hard to find >> joe manchin puts a halt to president biden's built back better bill. tiger wood