live local news update. >> join us for our midday news at 11:00 a.m. the "today" show is coming up next, but we leave you this morning with a live look outside. christmas in the park, downtown san josé. have a great morning. ♪ good morning dominant strain. omicron fuelling the rapid surge from coast to coast, and now claiming its first life here in the u.s. president biden set to address the nation today, announcing new measures to fight the spread and ease the burden on overwhelmed spitals and testing sites. >> it's been frustrating, to say the least. >> all of it just days before christmas with growing uncertainty over the safety of large, indoor gatherings this morning, we'll go one-on-one with dr. anthony fauci, live. scrambling the white house in damage

control mode, attempting to save the president's agenda after that latest road block from democratic senator joe manchin is there any way forward without his support? and what does it all mean for americans waiting for an answer? we're live in washington daring escape, new details on how those 12 missionaries kidnapped in haiti apparently freed themselves sneaking out in the middle of the night and hiking for hours >> they eventually found someone who helped he them make a phone call for help. they were finally free >> inside their harrowing journey and an exclusive interview with a freed member of the group sharing his story for the very first time. speaking out, the stars of "sex and the city" break their silence together, on the disturbing assault allegations against fellow cast mate chris noth just ahead, their show of support for his accusers and the new fallout now facing the

actor. those stories, plus real life x-files inside the government office being created to investigate and respond to ufo sightings all across the u.s and two for one, the vikings defeat the bears to keep their playoff hopes alive. >> touchdown, vikings! and here comes the dance. >> raiders doing the same on the final play of the game this one counts and the raiders have won it as the drama builds on the road to the super bowl. today, tuesday, december 21st, 2021 from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb.

from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hey, guys, welcome to "today." it's a tuesday thanks for starting your day off with us. savannah is joining some time off. carson is somewhere screaming his brains out over the raiders win. >> i was texting carson yesterday. he was quite celebratory and for gooden is. more football today as well. top story. covid's tightening grip on the nation with just four days to go before christmas >> less than three weeks after the first omicron case was discovered here in the united states >> cities and states all across the country taking new steps to slow the spread, including this morning's return of indoor mask mandates in washington, d.c. >> meanwhile, all eyes will be

on the white house later today because president biden will tested negative on monday after close contact with a staffer who contracted the co-individual virus. >> reporter: amid another coast to coast covid surge, the rapid rice of omicron is staggering. the variant now makes up 76% of all covid cases, up from 13% last week. the first omicron death has been found in texas, an unvaccinate ed man in the 50s. ahead of the speech this afternoon on which the president will draw sharp distinction, telling vaccinated americans they can enjoy the holidays while delivering a dire warning to the 40 million unvaccinated but they're at risk of severe illness and death this winter.

it comes as his predecessor, former president trump heard boos in his show in dallas, alongside bill o'reilly, after revealing he received the booster. >> both the president and sigh are vaxed. did you get the booster? >> i got it, too okay, so -- >> don't, don't, don't >> reporter: the white house is showing out new measures vowing to ship the free at-home covid tests for americans who wants them starting next month and expanding upon the 20,000 free testing sites already available in the u.s >> it's been frustrating to say the least. >> reporter: the first opening this week in new york city, as omicron rages. d.c. is now reinstating its mask mandate just weeks after lifting it in boston, proof of vaccination will be required starting next month, at indoor spaces including restaurants, gyms and theaters

and overnight, the nhl announcing it will pause its season until after christmas, call, off five gamed scheduled thursday and new york state just announced a record number of covid cases for a fourth straight day but the governor is insisting vowing that schools will stay hope with better access to at the timing, craig. morning at a testing site. joining from us washington, dr. anthony fauci. dr. fauci, good morning to you, sir. >> good morning. >> so, again, here we are, some two years in, and it's deja vu, all over again. we've got the indoor mask mandate coming back there in washington, d.c. the nhl pausing its season, a number of other cities looking to impose new restrictions. we know that the omicron variant is more transmissible but it's also less severe. is this an overreaction, perhaps? or is this prudent?

>> oh, it's by no means not an overreaction. you're dealing with a virus that has an unprecedented capability of spreading extremely rapid. it has a doubling time from about two days. as you just heard mentioned it went from around 13% up to now 73%. the idea that it can spread so rapidly, even if in fact it is somewhat less severe. and it appears, at least, from the south african data, that there is less of a ratio of hospitalization. to cases and duration of stay in the hospital. so, it very well may be less severe. we're hoping that that's the case. and we're hoping as this evolves here in the united states, that that will be our experience. but even if it is, the quantity of infections, given the extraordinary efficiency of spread, might actually obviate

that diminution. >> and with the shipment of hundreds of millions of tests in january. we talked about the importance of testing going into the holiday travel season. if folks can't get a test before this weekend, should they skip the test, or should they skip visiting their loved ones over the holiday? >> well, first of all, if you are vaccinated, particularly boosted, and you're going to be involved in an indoor home setting with family relatives who are also vaccinated and boosted, you can feel comfortable in doing that social interaction. if tests are available, by all means, go the extra step, go the extra mile to get tested, which we're recommending just to get that extra added cushion of alleviation of concern. but if you don't have the availability of the test.

and you are fully vaccinated and boosted, you should feel comfortable having a holiday meal or gathering with family members who are also vaccinated and boosted. >> if you're vaxed -- if you're boosted, if you've tested but you have small children who don't qualify for the vaccine yet, then what do you do, regarding travel? >> well, what you do is that the best way to protect children who are not yet at the age, that they can be vaccinated, is to surround them with people who are vaccinated. you protect yourself and you protect your unvaccinated children, by making sure that they are in an environment with vaccinated people. >> and the president tested negative on monday. given his age. given his exposure. should his doctors at all be concerned about the president's health? >> no, i mean, the president is very careful. i mean, i'm with him, virtually, at least once a week. if not more. and we are very careful around

him. everyone gets tested before they can even come into the room with him. and he wears a mask. and we wear a mask when we're with him. so the president is very prudent and takes good care trying to protect himself for obvious reasons. he's the president of the united states. as well as he's the fact he's a man that wants to protect his health and that of his own family. >> dr. fauci, presumably, we'll survive this variant, the delta variant and this variant as well. but then there's another variant, another variant after that. what's the end game here? how does this all stop? >> well, one of the ways we can get it to stop to get a lot more people vaccinated. it's very unfortunate we still have 50 million people in this country eligible to get vaccinated who will not get vaccinated. it will stop when we get the overwhelming majority of people vaccinated and boosted.

the people who don't get vaccinated, ultimately, this virus is going to find them. they will get infected. many of them will suffer, get hospitalized and die. when you get to that point, when you have people already infected or vaccinated and boosted, you will see a diminution in this surge which we see right now which certainly is very, very troubling. but hopefully, we'll get over that as quickly as it came upon us. >> dr. fauci, thank you. oh, by the way, a little birdie told us someone is celebrating a birthday on christmas eve. happy early birthday to you as well. >> thank you very much, appreciate it. you, too, have a good holiday. >> programming note nbc news will bring you live coverage on most of these nbc stations today. the party still reeling over senator joe manchin's decision to publicly oppose the administration's nearly $2 trillion build back better bill. manchin now back home, defending

his decision, while the white house and allies are searching for a path forward to the president's agenda. nbc's capitol hill correspondent garrett haake has the latest. garrett, good morning. >> hey, hoda, good morning. democrats are trying to turn down their tensions and come up with a new plan over senator manchin's surprise on sunday. they're trying to push ahead on an agenda too important to simply abandon even as manchin and senate republicans remain dug in. >> reporter: this morning, president biden under pressure as one man, senator joe manchin could derail the president's biggest part of the agenda. the president speaking on sunday. >> we're ready to move forward and get that done. we're going to do that. >> reporter: manchin saying he's frustrated at white house staff in explaining his decision for the president's signature legislation. >> i want reform that has responsibility and accountability.

>> reporter: supported by some voters back home. >> anything that would alter west virginia right now is kind of scary. i can see why joe would be skeptical to do it. >> reporter: and by republicans who balk at the bill's cost. >> it was an exciting thing to hear for the country. >> reporter: all while engaging progressives. >> i think what senator manchin did yesterday represents such an egregious breach of the president. >> reporter: among the parts of the bill manchin opposes expanding tax credit child payments which the senator has concerns would be spent on drugs by some parents. and paid leave he said could be abused to go hunting instead. manchin's office saying in a statement that he supports the child tax credit and paid leave if they're targeted to those who need them and sustainable funded. democrats now hoping they can bring the bill back from the dead in the new year.

>> it was infuriating to hear the senator pretty much trying to bill the build back better act. it might be on the deathbed. but we're going to make sure, we're going to resurrect it to make sure it passes at some point. >> progressives have said for months they trust president biden to deliver joe manchin's vote, but they don't trust manchin at all. that call between the president and senator sunday night described by two sources as cordial. perhaps starting to thaw out a chilly relationship still critical to democrats hope. hoda. >> garrett haake on capitol hill. thank you. let's welcome in sheinelle jones. >> good morning. we're learning stunning information about the road to freedom about that group of kidnapped missionaries in haiti. turns out the last 12 who were being held, weren't released but made a dramatic escape. nbc's chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell has the story and an exclusive interview with one of the first

to be freed. morning. >> good morning, sheinelle, that interview with matt miller telling me he forgives his captors after a harrowing ordeal that left develop of his fellow missionaries with no option but to escape in the dark of night. ♪♪ >> reporter: this morning, new images of the captured missionaries safely back home after the final group of 12 pulled off a stunning escape. >> when they sensed timing was right. they found the way to open the door and filed silently door and filed silently to the path to follow >> reporter: the eight adults and two children including an infant spoke out moving out to a light they recognized in the distance >> after a number of hours of walking, day began to dawn and found someone to make a phone call to help they were finally free

>> reporter: within hours, the group was on a coast guard flight to florida where they reunited with the five other hostages previously released including 29-year-old matt miller who got out until november speaking for the first time were you allowed to pray when you were held captive? >> yes, we were, we prayed and sang for hours every day the captors got a chance to hear a chance to hear the gospel. they got to see what love looks like. >> reporter: the kidnappers had demanded a $1 million ransom for each of the 17 missionaries. it's not clear whether any money was paid the group was kidnapped in october by a notorious street gang after visiting a local orphanage. do you forgive them? >> we forgive them, we long for them to turn their life around we pleaded with them to realize the harm they're doing to their own country. we pleaded with them to find a better way >> security in haiti, of course,

has collapsed following the assassination of its president in july and the devastating earthquake in aug. sheinelle. >> andrea, thank you >> wow, that's a daring escape it's time for the first check of the weather, 7:16, we say good morning to mr. bill karins hey, bill. >> hey, good morning i'd like to -- we all take a deep breath. but we do have weather of concern, so far, so good tornadoes are possible all of our friends from orlando to tampa, southward. the storm moving through earlier this morning you see the lightning strikes in sarasota that will sweep on through again, isolated tornados, hopefully noll like we saw last week, but there is at least a chance of that as far as that, 10:00 a.m., fort myers, naples and marco island we have 8 million people included in the enters of yellow of intervention.

we see it spreading northward, umbrella day in coastal carolinas and virginia and tomorrow, watch out those in maine. snow for you that's a look at the national forecast i am meteorologist, kari hall. we are under a microclimate weather alert as we get ready for the incoming storm that will bring the north bay rain later this morning into the afternoon, and most of the bay area seeing rain later on today. as we welcome in the first day

of winter, we will see rain on and often into early next week. we will see temperatures in the low to mid-50s. coming up, i'm going to show you a place where it snowed yesterday that i've never, ever seen before. that's next half hour. >> ooh you're good. >> thank you, bill still ahead, the stars of "sex in the city" sending a message of support to the women accusing their costar, chris noth, of sexual assault. what they are saying about those allegations as noth is fired from another popular show. plus, we are taking you inside the record setting holiday travel rush at airports, the busiest days of the entire pandemic this morning, tom costello is going behind the scenes with one airline in miami how they're keeping up with demand and what you can do to ensure that you get to your destination on time. but first, this is "today" on

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and they found shell casings from inside the mall but it's unclear if anybody was hit. i am cierra johnson in san francisco, and today is a big day in the city of oakland as it relates to showing that proof of vaccination in places like gyms, senior centers and libraries. today city council members will address an emergency proposed ordinance that will require people the indoor public gathering places to show proof of vaccinations. let's check in with meteorologist, kari hall. the first full day of winter? >> yeah, and it's about to start soon, and we are going to see a storm system arriving as we go into this afternoon. we may see a few light showers move into the north bay by 1:00, and novato right now is free degrees. off and on rain in the forecast through the weekend. we will see some breaks but we see a chance of rain in the

forecast through early next week. laura? >> thank you. thank you for joining us as well. another local news update is coming up in half an hour. hope to see you then. have a great morning.

heart ♪ 7:30 it's a tuesday morning it's december 212th, 2021. it doesn't get old, does it? >> not at all. >> all you have to do is get sent here. we walk in, exhale, we get to look at that baby, that magnificent norway spruce across the street shining bright. just four days until christmas, guys guys >> i want it to go nice and slow i actually just want to take my time >> you want to savor it. >> on the ice-skating rink at 7:30 in the morning.

>> the rink is crowded let's begin this half hour with your 7:30 headlines former president donald trump suing the court. the lawsuit accuses letitia james of having exploited her powers james responded with a statement accusing trump and his company of repeatedly seeking to delay her investigate. parts of northern california were rattled yesterday by a strong 6.2 magnitude earthquake. take a look at this video. as it shook a lakers store, leaving behind a huge mess the quake struck around noon local time, about 45 miles off the coast of eureka. some people reported feeling it 200 miles away in san francisco. there was some damage reported, but thankfully, no one was hurt. turning to the nfl now, and two "monday night football" games for the price of one let's start with the raiders and the browns, los angeles down by two with a second left

>> this one counts and the raiders have won it! >> a 48-yard field goal to seal the deal the raiders improving to 7-7 on the season .500 that means their playoff hopes are still alive. >> cool. and let's go to the late game. kirk cousins threw two touchdown passes as the minnesota vikings beat their division rivals, the bears. score there 17-9 the bears, by the way, officially eliminated from playoff contention >> there have been so many nice postgames this season. >> by the way, i feel like no other year has been quite like this one meantime this morning, "se in the city" star chris noth facing new fallout after sexual allegations. >> they came to light last week. many wonder what the reaction from his famous female costars would be now the three leads of "and just like that" are speaking out. overnight, the stars of the new

"sex in the city" series "and just like that" speaking out about the sexual assault allegations against chris noth after last week several women accused the 67-year-old actor of sexual misconduct. >> these are my very best friends, miranda and carrie. >> hi. >> sarah jessica parker, kristin davis and cynthia nixon writing, in fuel, we are depply saddened to hear the allegations against chris noth we support the women would came forward and shared their painful experiences. we know it must be a very difficult thing to do and we support them for it. >> it's a chemical reaction, boom >> it comes as the fallout for noth's career continues. he has been dropped from cbs's series "the equalizer. the network said in a joint statement monday with the show's production company universal television universal television is a

subsidiary of nbcuniversal, the parent company of nbc news this as a third anonymous woman came forward accusing noth of sexual assault a friend of the author says noth sexually groped her in 2010 at a manhattan restaurant where she was a hostess. at the time, she was 18 and noth was 55 the actor's publicist says noth denies this ever happening and has no idea who this woman is. that allegation following a report of two other women who came forward anonymously last week speaking to "the hollywood reporter," unaccusing noth of rape from an encounter in 2004 the other of sexual assault in 2015 noth calling those accusations categorically false, saying the encounters were consensual nbc news has not independently spoken to any of the women or corroborated any of their accounts it comes amid buzz on the new series first episode twist

showing noth's character dieing after working out on a peloton >> john! >> should we take another ride >> the company had filmed another tongue and cheek ad following the scene. last week, it pulled the ad. >> the talent agency a3artist has dropped noth, it confirmed meantime, kim cattrall, the fourth star of the original "sex and the city" series who did not appear in the reboot has yet to speak out. we have reached out to her and have not heard back. coming up next, a behind the scenes look at how the airlines have ramped up over this year's holiday travel rush. tom costello standing by at a very busy airport that is breaking an all-time record for passengers, coming up right after this is now a good time for a flare-up? enough, crohn's! for adults with moderate to severe crohn's or ulcerative colitis, stelara® can provide relief, and is the first approved medication to reduce inflammation on and below the surface of the intestine in uc. you, getting on that flight?

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>> yeah, it is, the tsa just screened more than 2 million travelers for the fourth straight day and already, some airports are seeing a record number of passengers taking to the skies >> yeah, nbc's tom costello has a behind-the-scenes look at american airlines for miami international. tom, good morning. miami is driving a lot of that heavy passenger volume >> yeah. listen to this number. miami has already seen more travelers over the -- over this holiday break than they have ever seen, over any holiday break. so this is not just a pandemic record this flight behind me is going to go from miami to l.a. later today, but we got a behind the scenes peek at how america is busiest travel season in at least two years. >> thank you so much >> reporter: day two of the christmas week travel rush is now fully under way. even with the rapid spread of the omicron variant, many travelers appear undeterred. some airports now on target for record traffic, including miami

international, projecting 156,000 passengers each day, breaking an all-time holiday record after foregoing family gatherings last christmas, many are determined to go this year >> i think as long as you're doing your part and, like, wearing your mask and getting vaccinated, you know, just being careful, i think that's what matters. >> reporter: here in miami, the american airlines ramp tower manages more than 700 flights a day, arriving and departing from their gates. everything from catering to luggage to fueling to maintenance issues and the occasional plane that is too heavy like this one at gate 49 what happens if the plane is too heavy, you have to offload some cargo? >> yeah. if the plane is heavy, it all depends. do we have anything we can move on the cargo side of the house or we might have some roll tiers on the passenger side. >> reporter: miami international has more than 11 miles of luggage belts, carrying an average of 35,000 bags a day

this 777 300 just flew in from jfk fully loaded that means it's carrying 380 bags on top of that, cargo. >> we hope for the perfect scenario of getting planes to planes within 20 minutes >> how about does that happen? >> 63% of the time >> meanwhile, police confronted an unruly passenger who they say took the keys to an airport golf cart, the situation escalating to the point the officer drew his gun. more than 5,600 cases of unruly passengers so far this year, with the nation's flight attendants asking the traveling public for patience and kindness >> lately, we've been punching bags >> reporter: airline workers now released a number public service announcement >> we're your friend and we're trying to get you where you need to go. >> we all remember those meltdowns that some of the airlines suffered during the

fall where flights were not going. things did go better over thanksgiving, so what's the story this holiday >> so all airlines cumulatively are hiring about 30,000 employees, from now all the way through next year. american alone hiring about 18,000 they believe that that staffing surge is going to help them navigate through christmas and through 2022 when they really expect traffic will only continue to ramp up you and pick up, hoda >> all right tom costello, thanks and he looks good in that vest >> he was going to say, that vest looks good on you, tom. >> you wear it well. >> i don't like fat in this? that's what i worry about, you know >> oh, tom >> let us head over to bill karins in for mr. roker. got another check of weather >> slimming safety vest. all right. so anchor participation time where do you think this video is from it's not from the united states. it's a city on the mediterranean. it only snows there about once every 10 to 20 years and yesterday they had accumulating snows. >> is it somewhere in turkey >> northern egypt.

>> your people >> my people wait, it snowed in alexandria, egypt? >> yes hardly ever happens. it's so rare why am i saying this because this put snow lovers over the edge because a lot of our big snow cities have yet to get snow so it has now snowed in alexandria, egypt, before it has snowed in chicago. last night at midnight, this is the latest chicago has ever gone in their 112 years of recording that they have had no snow denver is right behind them. denver is stitt still waiting for their first flakes it's winter in some places, just not here we're watching our friends in florida with the severe weather possibilities and the west coast, get ready you are going to have some epic storms right through the holidays you are going to have some issu. major, major issues. one report saying up to 10 feet of snow, that's like -- that's like up there. i think that window to

travel to and through the sierra is quickly closing as the storm system will be coming in. we do expect some heavy rain at times as we go into the next several days. i do think the rain will become more widespread later this afternoon into the evening, continuing throughout the day tomorrow and thursday with some of it starting to lighten up and taper off on christmas eve. on christmas day we have new rounds of rain that will be coming in and continuing into monday. >> now i feel like i need to jump to redeem myself. >> no. >> no. >> it's done when we come back, the government ready to make a very big investment to investigate ufo sightings. even opening a special office for the task >> so just what are they looking for and why? we're on the hunt for answers, right after this wow, we're crunching tons of polygons here! what's going on? where's regina? hi, i'm ladonna. i invest in invesco qqq,

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guys, the truth is out there at least it could be >> so it seems that way because we're now learning about a brand new government office that's dedicated solely to investigating ufos >> gadi schwartz is our resident ufo correspondent. he joins us now with a closer look what is the word, gadi >> hey, good morning, guys, yeah, this might sound you outlandish, but buried in a ne government program dedicated to investigating having ufos and their scope is pretty wild we're talking everything from a rapid response to sightings to investigating cases where people say they were injured after encounters sound familiar >> reporter: if the x-files were real life, this would be the >>rt where mulder and skully get new funding. >> aircraft can't maneuver like

that >> what else could they be >> lasers maybe. >> oh! >> now sci-fi becoming reality a government office tasked with identifying unidentifiable aerial phenomenon, also known as ufos >> if there's a reported incident, now, there's a requirement for us to react to that information and go and collect that information >> reporter: it's all part of a bipartisan amendment backed by an act, spearheaded by senator kirsten gillibrand >> to me, it's not having a head in the sand perspective. these are huge issues of national security and technology that we should know about. >> reporter: the effort calls on a rapid response to new uap cases, sharing information with other countries, briefing congress on whether there might be foreign adversaries or something else, and where service members say they might have suffered health effects by encountering unknown phenomenon. in the past, those issues were made for "saturday night live.

>> yeah, like a blanket made out of pure love >> reporter: but today, even the highest levels of academia seem to be taking ufos much more seriously. one stanford researcher lookin at the brain scans of some service members who say they've encountered ufos meanwhile at harvard, the focus is on the skies. the national fizzists professor co-founding the galileo project to invest in high-tech telescopes, infrared cameras and special software to specialize on the mysterious objects who say they seem to break the laws of physics >> the answer to this question will have huge implications to the future of humanity will affect our operations for space and it basically affects each and every aspect of human life here on earth. >> reporter: that's right. the big questions there being asked by harvard as well as one researcher over at stanford. guys, back to you. >> all right

>> gadi, i'm intrigued >> it's intriguing >> cue the music >> yeah, every time you hear someone from the military talking about what they say in the brain scans, that's big. that's heavy >> i thought the space force was -- >> they should hire keith morrison, whatever because when i hear that music, i expect to hear his voice guys, coming up on "pop start," coming up a return to harry potter hogwarts for the return of harry potter we have the new trailer making fans even more excited about that 20th anniversary than they were before. if that's even possible. but first, a quick check off your local news and weather. meow mix tasty layers. the only one cats ask for by name. imagine having someone else do your books for you. as your quickbooks live bookkeeper, i'll categorize expenses, reconcile accounts, and close your books. cool. yep. know where your business stands. intuit quickbooks live bookkeeping.

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a very good morning to you. it's 7:56. i am laura garcia. happening now president biden getting set to unveil a new response to tackle the latest covid surge. the white house says the president will address access to testing amid recent long lines and high demand for at-home test kits. he is set to issue a warning about the risk of remaining unvaccinated. right now we want to get you informed when it comes to the forecast, because it's changing. >> it is changing. we are under a microclimate weather alert as we prepare for

the rain and the atmospheric river is that will be arriving into this afternoon and evening. off and on rain in the forecast, and we could get several inches of rain, two to three inches in some microclimates, and we will continue to see rain in the forecast for the weekend into next week. while we get a couple inches of rain there could be several feet watch that with our temperatures here and in san francisco reaching into the mid-50s. >> thank you for joining us. we will have another local news update in half an hour. hope to see you then. stay warm out there.

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it's 8:00 on "today. coming up, stunning surge. the cdc announcing 73% of new covid cases are from omicron just weeks after the new variant arrived in the u.s >> things are moving quickly and i know people are concerned. >> the white house expected to announce a new strategy to combat the rising numbers. what experts are saying and what you can do to protect yourself, including the best way to keep your holiday gatherings safe then chasing the cure. >> you're going to have your down days, but just don't stay there too long

>> we'll introduce you to a woman defying the odds in her battle against cancer. the advice she's giving others on the fight of their lives and why her story brings hope to so many plus, last minute travel tips from covid concerns to insurance advice everything you need to know before booking your trip, including the exciting getaways you can reserve today. and magicayears since the f harry potter film and we've got a sneak peek at the highly anticipated reunion special. a first look at the cast together again today, tuesday, december 21st, 2021. >> from south carolina. >> eagle river, alaska. >> satellite beach, florida. >> megan is 15 a from charlotte, north carolina.

>> it's my 13th birthday. >> from houston, texas. >> home from japan. >> it's my 60th birthday. >> from denver, colorado. >> 60 looks good. we have a great crowd outside. we want to thank everybody. it's chilly outside, but we're so happy they're joining us. savannah has taken a day a off, which she deserves big time. meantime, guys we're about to mark a really special anniversary here on our program. in 2022. 70 years of "today." that comes up next month, and we've got some special things planned on air and off air, including an event next month to honor the show's legacy, its memorable moments and we all feel real privileged and lucky to sit in their chairs. think about all the people that sat in these chairs before us. it's a real wow. >> this celebration is going to

be on january 13th. at the paley center here new york. for more information, go to our website, today.com. let's get right to our news at 8:00. president biden is addressing the nation today with his new plan for battling the omicron variant which is now the most dominant covid strain in the u.s. nbc's gabe gutierrez joins us with the latest on the holiday surge and how to protect yourself. >> hey, gabe, good morning. the cdc says now that omicron makes up 73% of all covid cases nationwide. that's a remarkable rise considering last week it was just 13%. now, hoda, as you mentioned, president biden is set to address the nation today, and the white house is rolling out new measures including shipping out 500 million free covid tests to any american who wants one, starting next month. and also deploying members of the military to help understaffed hospitals. now, here in new york state, the

covid testing lines stretched down the block. the state just reported another day. broadway has canceled some performances. the nhl has hit a pause on its season and earlier on "today," craig asked dr. fauci whether the cancellations were an overreaction. >> you're dealing with a virus that has an unprecedented capability of spreading extremely rapidly. we've really not seen anything like this before. it has a doubling time of about two days. we cannot take this lightly at all. >> reporter: and take a look at this, hoda. this line is now actually stretching around the block. now, pediatric covid cases have also jumped about 28% compared to two weeks ago. a conversation that many parents are having right now. will this latest surge lead to more school closures where new york's governor is vowing that schools will stay open with better access to testing. hoda. >> all right, gabe gutierrez,

gabe, thank you. by the way, nbc will bring you live coverage of president biden's address to the nation later today on most of these stations. a utah college student who calls herself a fighter is recovering after vanishing for a week and surviving a terrible ordeal. nbc's erin mclaughlin joins us now with the latest on the case and how police found the missing woman. erin, good morning. >> good morning, craig. 19-year-old madeleine allen left snow college last week. she was missing for five days, finally found after a massive manhunt. police say they have a suspect in custody, but this morning there are new questions about what she may have survived. >> reporter: this morning, harrowing new details in a case involving a 19-y involving a 19-year-old college student who went missing >> we are so excited to have our maddie home. >> reporter: on saturday, police found maddie alive the culmination of a five-day search operation >> he said i have her.

and we dropped to our knees. >> reporter: last week, snow college shared this individual, showing allen walking out of the campus dorm. the last time she was seen before she went missing. police say allen was found nearly 90 miles away at a house occupied by a 39-year-old utah man. identified by police as brent brown, now in custody. brown is charged with obstruction of justice, kidnapping and rape. >> we did a fair amount of door knocking, as well, to help locate her >> reporter: according to court documents obtained by affiliate ksl and reviewed by nbc news, allen told police brown held her against her will at times tying her up and threatening her. the documents say when police found allen, she was without clothes and completely covered in coal. according to the affidavit, the two first met of the messaging app kip. brown told police it was a kidnapping role play >> we don't know how extensive his relationship or her knowledge of him is thus far

>> reporter: according to authorities, allen was taken to the hospital for examination, before being reunited with her family last week, they detailed her mental health struggles created by the teen's first scholarship application. >> i remember i am a fighter >> reporter: this morning, her parents thankful to have her home the court documents show investigators pinged madeline's cell phone to help track her down it's unclear when brown is expected in court. craig. >> erin, thank you president biden's white house family just got a little bigger the commander in chief posted a picture yesterday of his new german shepherd. youly commander. the pure-bred pup is just shy of 4 months old the bidens originally brought two dogs to the white house. sadly they lost champ in june and major has been staying at the bidens' house in delaware. >> that's great. >> i know, i know. >> hopefully commander will make

himself at home. how about a boost. >> we've got a good one for you, hope you like this one tipping in the borough is a group in tennessee so what it does, it collects money from the community and every month, they surprise a local restaurant worker with a big tip. mariah is a waitress who has been struggling to keep a roof over her head for a while. this is what happened. >> here is $300 for you. >> you are kidding me. i can't take this. i don't even know what to say. i have a -- i just -- living in a shelter. so just went to an apartment and i had to have $600 so you just gave me a chance to -- >> you're welcome. >> oh, my goodness >> okay. okay let's start tipping in the borough. it encourages people to donate 50 cents or a dollar december is their biggest month. they try to do 12 of these acts of kindness for all 12 days of

christmas. >> i'm in. >> mariah, good four >> what a great concept. >> i know. let's start it >> let's do it up next, vicky nguyen is here to answer your questions when it comes to holiday gatherings >> from safe ways to celebrate, to those conversations about vaccinations and testing that need to happen today vicky is going to have everything we need to know but first, these messages. s to r spending is trending. just ask overly confident diy rashida... wait, was this the right wall? ...or last-minute gift shopping rashida... i'm putting a bow on it! wow... ...even sneaking away for a vacay rashida. shhh! i've earned this, okay? earn 5% cash back in your top eligible spend category, up to $500 spent each billing cycle. with the citi custom℠ card. meow mix tasty layers crunchy and meaty textures with a mouth-watering gravy coating.

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meow mix tasty layers. the only one cats ask for by name. we are back. it is 8:13 with more of on our special series, today's holiday handbook >> we have a sump in covid cases nationwide a lot of people are wondering what to do with those holiday get-togethers. >> nbc's correspondent vicky nguyen has everything you need to know. good morning to you. >> hey, vicky. >> hi. >> let's start with the obvious question people are wondering should they keep their plans for christmas this weekend

what is your best advice >> this holiday is not like last year and for that we say hallelujah this year, we have vaccines. we have boosters we have data that let's us know that is our best teal to protect ourselves and our loved ones from getting sick. number two, thing to consider, masks and upping your mask games. a lot of public health experts doctors are recommending that we trade in those cloth masks for higher level kn95 or n95 masks, especially if you're spend any time on a crowded train or airplane number three, ventilation will be key for our holiday celebration here if you can move that celebration outside, or at least keep the windows open to increase airflow, fantastic if you cannot, consider investing in an air purifier, the best one you can buy, the most powerful for the room that you're in. crank that sucker up full blast and keep running finally, something that a lot of people might not think about is ask a family member to pick you

up from the airport or train station. if you have to take a ride share or a taxi, keep the windows down >> let's talk about the at-home covid tests. first of all, they're really tough to find right now. would you feel safe, if like right before you open the door to grandma's house, you did a rapid swab, it's negative. are we all good? >> yeah. we heard dr. jha tell you yesterday and dr. fauci talked about it again today, if everybody is fully vaccinated and boosted, we should feel comfortable to celebrate as you normally would if you can get some of those at-home rapid antigen tests, it's very spotty some spots in the country have a ton on the shelves others, you can't find them anywhere but if you have them, it's one more piece of data in that moment that lets you know, okay, right now, i'm feeling good and i'm testing negative, we're going to have a great time so if you have that extra layer of protection, go for it these cost about $15 to $30 for a test kit of two, generally, and you're looking for that rapid antigen at-home test that you can take yourself. they're easy to administer and you get the results in about 15 minutes.

>> i just administered some of those last night myself. vick, remind folks, again, if you test negative but you were exposed to the virus, what is the protocol there what should you do >> this is super important, craig. and let's remind everybody what exposed means. the cdc considers you to be exposed if you were within close contact, six feet of someone who is infected for a total of 15 minutes over a 24-hour period. so if you and i were in contact for five minutes and one of us was infected, that's not considered a close contact now you move on to the next level. if you're fully vaccinated and boosted and you're not showing symptoms and you don't feel sick, you do not need to quarantine another benefit of being vaccinated if you're unvaccinated, the cdc says you should quarantine and test until you find out if you're negative. regardless of vaccination status, if you feel sick or you test positive, you are supposed to quarantine for ten days you might be able to get out at day five, six or seven if you test negative, talk to your doctor about that

>> and there's a conversation that a lot of people don't want to have, but this maul day season, the reality, some of your relatives may not be vaccinated it's one thing to say you can't come over. you know how that works. sometimes they still come over how do you handle it >> so this is important. we talked to a lot of etiquette experts. they say the best approach is to be firm, polite and direct some people are fine having mixed company, right you're vaccinated, you're boosted, you feel good and you should it's the unvaccinated person who is at a higher risk. even if they had a prior infection. but if you don't want that relative or family member to come over, you have to be up front about it, direct, put it in the invitation. so that everybody knows what to expect people can make their ow personal risk calculation about whether or not they want to come and attend that event. but you as a host, your health, your safety, that should be the priority and you shouldn't be shy about expressing it. >> and i guess if we reverse the situation, you go to a party or a get together, i'm sure you would say to politely exit >> yes so we've talked to folks about

that and the quicker you can make that exit and the less dramatic, the better use the old adage, it's not you, it's me. put the blame on yourself. tell them, listen, i've had a great time we're going to scoot, but we'll see you at the next event. go ahead and leave don't linger and make it more awkward the same thing, if you're not sure about an event you're going to go to, prepare the host say, you know what, we may only stay for a little bit. that way if you have to make a quick getaway, there are no surprises. >> there are a lot of families who have kids. what are you supposed to do if one of the grown-ups or maybe a single mom tests positive? >> that is really challenging, but hopefully if you are in that family setting and someone else can step in for you, then absolutely have, you know, it takes a village and have folks help you if you have to care for your child and you are sick, definitely, you want that n95 mask you want to limit your contact as much as you can

but, yeah, that's a sticky situation. >> vick, party hopping quickly, that's something a lot of folks like to do over the holidays you might have lunch at your in-laws, but then you have christmas dinner with your family considering the circumstances, is that something we should rethink this year? a lot of public health experts say fully vaxed, boosted, that's probably okay. however, the more households mixing it up, the more exposure. this is where those at-home rapid test kits come in handy. it is just a snapshot in time. they're not 100% but on top of vaccination and booster, it gives thaw extra layer of, hey, we're talking into this house and we know we're negative in this moment. >> all right vicky, vicky nguyen, thank you for all that good advice i like her background. >> i like her foreground >> just solid. i like her foreground.

mr. cairns, how are we looking with the weather, buddy? >> vicky is great. she even mentioned my name she's my favorite. maybe outside, barbecue, it will be 70 in charlotte, north carolina let's first get into today's travel issues. if you're heading into the airport, let's go through the next three days with the trouble. we have a lot of thunderstorms moving through florida this morning. tampa, orlando, and eventually into miami that will cause some delays. i don't think you get cancellations out of it, but some delays. a little wind and snow in minneapolis. the west coast is fine today, but that's going to go downhill big time as we head towards christmas eve. wednesday, seattle, i have you in red, possible significant delays mostly because of rain los angeles, you should be fine, but you won't be seeing really nasty weather until wednesday night into thursday. same goes for san francisco. the west has all the problems so good morning. live look outside in san jose. it's dry, it's sunny, but it's very chilly and we're starting out with temperatures in the

upper 30s. it's going to slowly warm up today. heading for the upper 50s then rain comes in today as the storm system will be arriving first in the north baby the next several hours then early into the afternoon. more widespread rain tonight then off and on showers in the forecast through at least sunday into monday. >> you guys are still talking about what vicky was saying. cabbage patch kits are like the rapid test, it's hard to find them >> that's so true. all right. bill, thank you. i don't know if you know this, but this is our favorite part of the morning. carson daly with "pop start. >> bring it on let's get to it. >> popstart. first up, harry potter is back daniel radcliff, emma watson and rupert grint together once again to take a look back at the magical series that inspired a generation of muggels to sit by their mailboxes and wait for a letter from hogwarts

harry potter 20th anniversary return to hogwarts is set to feature more than a dozen of the franchise's biggest stars and filmmakers here is a peek >> one of the highlights of my part is when i had to pretend to be hermoine. >> i don't like to be kept waiting. >> my sister has children who are around 10, 11, 12, and i said to them, what you'll be asked to play voldemort? you've got to do it. >> when things get really dark and times are really hard, there's something about harry potter that makes life richer. >> we'll always have >> we're family. >> oh. >> it's hard to believe that dan, emma and rupert were only 10 and 11 years old. look at that shot when they were cast in the very first movie "return to hogwarts" starts streaming on hbo max on new

year's day next up, hugh jackman took the stage last night, first preview performance of "the music man. while other new york shows have been put on hold due to outbreaks, a packed house showed up for jackman's debut as professor harold hill. >> even the great professor harold hill wouldn't try to sell them next-bowed hawkeyes out here >> what! gentlemen, you intrigue me [ applause ] >> i think i'll have to give iowa a try [ laughter ] >> i don't believe i caught your name ♪ >> well, you heard that applause so apparently during the show, they had to stop the show like multiple times because of the rounds of standing ovations for hugh and the cast there. after months of rehearsals, jackman finally got to show off that fancy footwork you see there. two-time tony winner sutton foster making the perfect dance

partner as marion peru opening night for "the music man" is set for thursday, february 10th. >> that's good to see. >> hugh jackman is incredible. >> absolutely. finally, elton john, in honor of the rocket man's latest album, sir elton john sat down with his collaborator for a pandemic-style celebration it was on zoom it featured stevie nicks, even stevie wonder hopped on and shared what it was like getting to work together during this very strange time. >> if there's anything that's going to make a difference in the world, connected with love, it's music you know and we do it from our hearts we do it from our experiences. and we share those emotions with you, the people. stevie, i love you so much thanks for doing this song with me it's one of my favorite things ever >> congratulations >> does that look anything like your family zoom aunt annie in north carolina and the cousins jump on.

star-studded boxes there the lockdown album was recorded over the last year and a half. and that album features so many chart-topping artists. it's available to stream now still ahead, last minute advice and deals if you're looking to get away over the holiday beak but first, some news, the weather and these messages

a very good morning to you. it is 8:26. anytime now, jurors will resume the deliberating the trial of elizabeth holmes. yesterday was the first full day. the jury will have to decide 11 counts against holmes tied to the downfall of thernos that cost investors millions. changes coming in the weather department today. some much needed rain. >> and it will start later this afternoon. first in the north bay. by 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, we see the

rain starting to push in into the east bay and for the evening commute, it looks wet. we'll continue to see rain in the forecast tonight and tomorrow and this rain will be with us for several days with some breaks in between, but some of the heavier rain will be arriving wednesday and thursday and getting less widespread on friday. some breaks, but scattered showers continue in the forecast for the weekend into early next week. and we're looking at about 2 to 3 inches of rain across the bay area. >> thank you very much. keeping tabs on that. we'll be back in about half an hour. hope to see you then. have a good morning.

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♪ hey, guys, welcome in. we've got an awesome crowd out here today it is a tuesday morning. it is the 21st of december we want to thank every single person who lined up early and came out today y'all look real good as our fully vaccinated crowd. guys, you know it's the first day of winter. >> is it >> does it feel like it? >> hey >> it kind of does anyway, just another reason to celebrate. >> another reason to celebrate on the 21st of december, my mother's birthday. >> oh! >> betty jo melvin

one of my favorite pictures of my mother there? >> she has a cigar >> she has a cigar she didn't smoke it, just held it up for the picture. >> guys, if you're celebrating a birthday this week, please raise your hand. happy birthday coming up, guys, the uplifting story of a woman who defied the odds, battling for years to overcome a disease that is considered mostly incurable morgan radford has this message for hope for others. and the tips you might need if you're heading to the airport or you're planning on a trip, some great deals for holiday getaways even if you like to ski or surf. >> okay. and after that, one of new york city's premier pasta chefs, her name is missy robins missy is going to stop by and share the recipe for a delicious dish and here's the thing missy says, sure, you can have it for dinner, but pasta can be even better at breakfast >> i'll take it. why not.

meantime, coming up on the third hour, melissa joan hart is here live to tell us about her new romantic christmas movie, and this one has a twist that was actually inspired by a true story. she will tell you all about it and santa might be able to use some help in these closing days before christmas, we're going to walk you through all the best toys you can pick up for kids of all ages >> there's still time! >> yes >> but before we do all of that, another check of the weather for mr. karins mr. cairns >> hey, bill >> i found two people here winning our geography challenge next to each other eagle river, alaska, is right next to satellite beach, florida. that's about as far as it gets would either of you switch the alaska people are like, mmm, maybe. let's get to the christmas eve and christmas day forecast we are going to have some issues out there. a huge storm in areas of the west we are going to be watching that not just christmas eve, but day after day, through the holidays, mild in the middle of the country. there could be a chance for a little bit of snow christmas day. i'm not going to promise you a lot.

but the northern plains, maybe in the northeast, especially north of new york city, but look at how warm it's going to be record highs possible in texas if there's one spot that i think could have a white christmas that typically never does, seattle, washington. watch out. you have snow in the forecast both saturday and coming up on sunday that could be quite a sight to >> and you listened. you wore your gloves today >> i did at least someone is going to get

a white christmas. mr. cairns, thank you. when we come back on this tuesday morning, morgan radford is going to introduce us to an inspiring woman who overcame what for most is a fatal diagnosis. her remarkable story and her message of hope, as well but first, this is "today" on nbc. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

back now, 8:36 with our chasing the cure series. >> yes, it's been 50 years since the national cancer act was signed the first step in america' war on cancer, this morning we're focussing on promising new advances and some of the people that they've helped. >> yeah. morgan radford joins us with a truly incredible story of survival from a form of cancer to just a decade ago was nearly a death sentence morgan, good morning >> that's right, guys, good morning. this is truly an incredible story because despite being diagnosed with stage 4

pancreatic cancer more than a decade ago, elizabeth o'connor is not just beating the odds, she's defying them entirely. i was lucky enough to speak with her about her journey and learn how she's sharing her story in hopes of giving hope and strength to others >> all right >> reporter: elizabeth o'connor, moments like these with her kids were never a given after an especially difficult pregnancy in 2010, she got news that no one wants to hear. a diagnosis of stage 4 pancreatic cancer. >> i just felt numb. i just had a baby two weeks prior. >> reporter: pancreatic cancer is a disease with a five-year survival rate of just 10%. the average age of those diagnosed is 70. and elizabeth was just 31. when you thought of your kids, what did you think of? >> i had struggled for so long to get pregnant with my second

child. and here i had a disease that was most likely going to take me out. it's just a sadness that i was going to miss out on major milestones in their lives. at first, doctors told her there wasn't much they could do, but after more than 20 months of chemotherapy, surgery and recovery, elizabeth began to see progress first a shrinking of the tumor then -- >> i went out and had a scan and they saw something on my lung. i had a lung biopsy. and it was pancreas cancer >> reporter: so the cancer spread >> yes >> reporter: elizabeth geared up for a fight. undergoing multiple surgeries and even more chemotherapy >> we're trying to fight this disease. all the while you're a mom to two beautiful children what was it like when you thought about this fight through their eyes >> we tried to be very honest

with our kids and, you know, not hide anything. would come in there and watch tv in my bed. he would just give me a hug when i couldn't get out of bed. >> reporter: then after nearly 11 years of fighting, the news she'd been waiting for >> i just had recently a scan. it was clear like no cancer >> reporter: wow, congratulations. i know thank you. >> reporter: elizabeth credits the team at honor health in arizona for her survival thanks to their research, her treatment included new combinations of chemotherapy drugs and immunotherapy. >> we do have more hope with pancreatic cancer now than we did ten years ago. we are able to offer more targeted therapies there are more and more individuals living with pancreatic cancer for several years. >> reporter: years that elizabeth now uses to encourage others

what would you say to other people who are also in the fights of their lives? >> you're going to have your down days. but just don't stay there too long get mad. really you know feel all the feelings. whatever the illness is, say, you know, i'm going to beat this >> reporter: fighting and defying the odds >> the mental fight is much more difficult than the actual fight. mentally say i'm going to get over this. your mind is so powerful >> elizabeth credits research and new combinations of keep theory and immunotherapy for her survival and doctors say although it's really important for everyone to talk to their own family about their history of cancer. because that knowledge can help determine whether you might be at higher risk for a certain type of cancer or whether you should go in for early screenings, and it gives doctor

that extra weapon to find out which genetic therapies might actually work if cancer is in fact detected, guys. >> i like how she said just get mad. you can tell that she has that perseverance >> how much hope this story just brought people who are watching this we're in a fight for their lives and you see something like elizabeth, if she can do it, you should do it >> thanks, morgan. coming up, what you need to consider before heading to the airport this holiday season. plus, how to snag last minute deals to some great destinations but first, this is "today" on nbc. we learn about covid-19,

the more questions we have. the biggest question now, what's next? what will covid bring in six months, a year? if you're feeling anxious about the future, you're not alone. calhope offers free covid-19 emotional support. call 833-317-4673, or live chat at calhope.org today.

we are back with more of today's holiday handbook and the season's travel rush despite covid challenges, traffic at airports this week and next, expected to shatter pandemic era records joining us with more on what we can expect and some last-minute getaways to consider, travel expert mark elwood mark thank you, sir thanks for being with us this morning. nice tree there in the

background >> thank you so much i thought it would be festive. >> let's start with travel insurance, mark. is that something that everyone who is considering taking a trip should consider? >> if you bought a trip on auto credit card, check that. but yes, you must get travel insurance. it costs per day about the same as a fancy coffee. if you need stand-alone travel insurance go to somewhere like ensure my trip.com travelinsurance.com and get a policy there they're very, very affordable. check that it does cover covid check the small print. these days, almost every policy does, but double-check to make sure >> mark, what should you do if you can't travel because of covid? >> look, we want travel insurance to feel like a waste of money basically, you don't have to have to use it but if you do, if you test and

unfortunately test positive and can't travel home positive before a trip, get a doctor's note that you can use as part of your plane. if you're on your trip and you unfortunately test positive and can't travel home, contact the insurer, keep your receipts. it's all about staying in contact with them and keeping the paperwork. >> what if you're so freaked out right now because of this new variant that you decide, you know what, i don't want to take this trip after all. what's your resource then? >> well, look, i think everyone has different levels of comfort. travel insurance is not there for you if you change your mind. that's not what it's intended for. if you want that ability, you can buy a policy that's c-s-a-r, cancel for any reason. but it's much, much more expensive. what i would do in the current situation is i'd contact customer service at the airlines, go on to twitter, email your hotel and say, hey, guys, i'd like to postpone my trip could you work with me and they're not as forgiving as they were, say, a year ago with all the rules. they brought some things back in

but look, if you ask nicely, they want to work with you >> mark, let's get to some of these great destinations that you you've picked out for us i understand you have three different kinds, beach, city and snow so let's start with the sun. where can we go right now? where can we get a good deal where there might be some sunshine >> i'm going to send you to the caribbean, to aruba. have you been? >> no, but i'd love to go. >> this amazing hotel, north side of aruba. aruba is different from the northern caribbean quite a desert island. but it's got that beach that you can see right there. lovely colonial era capital, which is a bit like new orleans. and frankly, the caribbean is a great destination for the covid era travel because what you're doing is very covid safe it's all about being outdoors and being in nature. >> that's a good point what about something a little closer to home, something perhaps here in the united states >> look, if you want to drive somewhere, you don't want to get on a plane, i'm going to send

you to the emerald coast of florida, just up on the panhandle. gorgeous, gorgeous beach getaway. really that classic. really a classic americana this beautiful new hotel every hotel we're talking about has opened in the last year and they're offering great rates, under $250 a night that's where they start. look at that wouldn't you want to go there, have some food by this superstar chef who is on any tv show it's fantastic goals there it's a classic family beach getaway. >> you have a few city destinations, as well, right >> city, i don't know if fredericksburg is a city or a really big town, but you want to stay at the trueheart hotel. this gorgeous 13-room pioneer chic little hotel but most people -- >> uh-oh i think we -- i think we lost

mark >> fredericksburg is at the heart of american -- >> you know what well, mark, we're having some technical difficulties, but i'll tell folks the rest of them. palm springs, california montreal, quebec, canada, and stow, vermont. those were the rest of mark's recommendations. we'll get those on the website, as well. when we come back, are you looking for an out of the box idea for breakfast, perhaps? well, believe it or not, chef missy robins says her pasta dish, that's right, pasta is ideal. she's going to explain and share the recipe but first, t

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we are back with "today" food. this morning, award-winning chef and cookbook author missy robbins. >> so she's going to show us how to whip up one of her favorite pasta dishes, one that makes for a great dinner, but missy, you say this could work for breakfast. we're all dieing to know, what sort of pasta do we have for breakfast? >> today we're making spaghetti

carbonara. and simply, that's -- it's got pork rendered. it's got eggs. it's got cheese. and always kind one of my favorites after a night of kind of a night of celebratory holiday stuff. my tradition is to make this new year's day after kind of a night of champagne. >> you know, i wonder why the pasta breakfast hasn't caught on. because you're right, it has the eggs, it has the pork or bacon or whatever it is in there. it has the pasta. let's get started. how do we make this dish? >> it's also the best time to eat pasta. >> so, the best thing, this is a really easy recipe. i think this is a great starter pasta. our book pasta which just came out has anything from this to really complicated stuff. and it's kind of something for everyone, but i think this is a great place to start.

this is guanciale, this is cured pork jowl, similar to pancetta, salty, porky, spicy. and i've got some that is rendering in the pan here. you cut it, you want to dice it up really small. you want to get that fat out of it. and you want to -- you want to be able to get it crispy at the same time. so what we start with here, this is awesome. this never goes on the stove. this is called -- i like to call it the bowl method. so you have egg yokes in here. you can see it's rich. this is not a light breakfast or a late dinner. it's rich. so we've got egg yolks. we've got a combination of pecorino and parmesan cheeses. >> mm. look at that. >> one is kind of richer, one is saltier. we make this paste, we do a little black pepper in it, give it a little heat, a little

depth. and then i've got a little of the rendered guanciale here. so it's crispy. and then really important is the rendered fat. >> you put it back in? >> if you can't find the pork jowl, can you just use bacon? >> you can use bacon. it's going to give it a little smokiness. but pancetta is a better substitute. pancetta is readily available. either works. this someone of those recipes where everyone has an opinion and everyone wants to do it that way. and many people think that bacon is the right way. >> you don't have guanciale? >> who doesn't have guanciale? >> and we use a important ingredient here, pasta water. this is going to help you form the sauce. it's important to drizzle that in slowly so you don't cook the egg. you're just tempering the egg. >> missy, going back to the egg for a second, are those just yokes?

are the whites out? >> those are just yokes because i like it as rich as possible. again, everyone has their own opinion. my opinion has always been yokes. i was taught by an italian when i lived there and was cooking there and, you know, that never goes away when you get taught your first time. so we've got spaghetti cooking here which we started. salted water, really important. you don't want to go crazy salty for this dish because there's so much salt. >> look at that. >> but you always want to remove your spaghetti, your pasta from the sauce right into your pan or your bowl. >> and it keeps cooking a little bit. so you have to pull it out al dente. >> yeah. >> this is not going to cook as much because you're not putting it on the stove, but you can see here, you're almost done already. and it will -- >> it looks so good. >> -- a little bit. so as that is happening, you

drizzle a little pasta water and you get this creamy, beautiful sauce. >> how long does that sauce keep? >> you've got to eat this right away. this is a -- this is a -- you know, as we like to say in the kitchen, ala minute, ready to go, eat it right away. and then you kind of go in this fold here. >> look at this. >> this is one of my favorite pastas. >> i want some so badly. >> look at how fast it was. the hardest part of this -- >> where is that pig jowl? >> it's in there. the fat is in there. >> and the pecorino and the parmesan. >> oh, there it was. that was the move i was looking for, missy. you just made christmas. >> you're going to get hit with more guanciale.

>> give me a fork, please. >> your whole new year's day thing for this is genius, especially people are up late, they've been drinking, it's a perfect brunch pasta. >> yes. >> i might steal that. >> way to go, miss. >> missy, thank you. >> today.com/food for that recipe. >> stick around. we're going to have more fun with missy coming up on hoda and jenna. >> oh. coming up on the third hour, just in case you don't get exactly what you want this christmas, we've got a consumer confidential all about holiday returns. i'll see you next year. >> i'll see you next year, you guys. you, too. >> yes. >> all right. merry christmas. a very good. it is 8:56. police should talk later today about the shooting that sent panicked shoppers running for cover at the oak ridge mall. happened outside the forever 21 store about 6:00 p.m.

no one was injured. police say it appears to be an isolated incident. you can link to more on the back story on our home page. president biden getting ready to address the nation on efforts to combat covid. it comes amid rising numbers of cases tied to the omicron variant. you can stay with nbc bay area for the white house address scheduled to get started at 11:30 a.m. ♪ i see them bloom for me and you ♪ (music) ♪ so i think to myself ♪ ♪ oh what a wonderful world ♪

at atmospheric river is heading for the area. >> and the morning commute is going to be treacherous. the trouble you might see on the road. join us tomorrow morning 4:30 to 7:00. i'm starting to worry he.

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this morning on the third hour of "today," omicron exploding. it is now the dominant strain here in the united states. covid cases on the rise, tests are running low. all as millions prepare to gather to celebrate christmas. what it all means for our holiday plans. and later, a super sized she made it. how this entrepreneur went from small business owner to beauty billionaire with an a will have list clientele. and from the return of some old friends to free britney, a