♪ ♪ covid hits home for the holidays cases surging nationwide once again. creating chaos at airports as crews call out sick, forcing thousands of flights to be canceled it's a one-two punch for travelers out west where winter weather is wreaking havoc on the roads. >> 'twas the season to shop. the holiday surprise for retailers despite pandemic and supply chain woes. the nfl playoff picture snaps into focus the highlights from across the league, including a sunday night blowout. it is monday, december 27.

and "early today" starts now good morning i'm steven romo. >> and i'm philip mena hope you had a safe and happy holiday. we begin with a medical warning. experts say the pill may not be safe for everyone as they ma be risky with other drugs one of the two drugs in the anti-viral cocktail could cause severe life threatening interactions with widely used medications. this as omicron continues to interrupt holiday travel here's nbc's sam brock >> reporter: an omicron surge in the midst of a travel rush, partly to blame for another spike in flight cancellations. >> they said that the reason why the flights were canceled was crew availability due to covid >> reporter: more than 2,000 domestic flights saturday and sunday, wiped away >> jetblue has canceled 10% of

their flights. that's a huge amount of people that are inconvenienced. so it's fair to call this is a meltdown >> reporter: delta, american and unite have had seen 2% to 5% >> it's been kind of difficult there's been delays in the lines and the flights. >> reporter: how worried are you about covid spreading like wildfire right now >> it is a concern >> reporter: the demand is in overdrive for those seeing loved ones >> we have to do better. i think thing also improve greatly as we get into january that doesn't help us today and tomorrow >> reporter: from family gatherings to football fields, there's massive spread the fenway and military bowls, the latest games to go bark after boston college had 40 players unavailable due to covid. the daily average for omicron

sits around 200,000 infections a day. around 200 counties are in red alert. >> couldn't come at a worse time people are getting together, traveling, doing more high-risk activities than they normally do >> reporter: before we started the day, there were 130 flights canceled the expectation is this could go on for days. companies say they're doing whatever they can to mitigate staffing issues and have reached out to the cdc to cut the quarantine time for vaccinated employees in half. sam brock, nbc news. extreme winter weather also disrupting many travel plans millioning of americans in the west are still under alerts this morning. some areas could see several more feet of snow. >> reporter: extreme weather crashing the christmas holiday a 20-car pileup in nevada, sending at least three to the hospital

while across the state line, heavy snow stranding drivers in northern california. >> we're trying to make it >> reporter: to whiteout conditions in washington, snowy and slick streets in seattle sent cars sliding. and more bad weather out west. when a reported tornado touched down in santa barbara, california uprooting trees, knocking down power lines and carports in oregon, the governor declaring a state of emergency but it's a mayor warmup for the southeast. parts of texas soring into the 90s with more record setting heat through wednesday >> incredible. everybody is out having a great time >> reporter: weather whiplash, from sizzling temps to a rare white christmas. kathy park, nbc news the texas attorney who argued and won the roe v. wade case has died. she worked as an adviser on

women's issues to president carter weddington wrote a book on roe v. wade and taught courses her death comes as the high court is considering a mississippi case, widely considered the most serious challenge to the roe decision in years. she was 76 years old tributes are pouring in from all over the world after the passing of archbishop desmond tutu he was instrumental in the overthrowing of apartheid in south africa chris clackham has a look back at his extraordinary life. >> free at last. >> reporter: bishop does mohammed toutu was recognized i the world for his fight against apartheid in south africa. in 1984, he received the nobel peace prize. hi used the church as his base

of power in his battle for freedom for south african blacks he said he would never force the pat porks blacks were forced to carry. he was always looking for ways to improve the life of blacks in south africa >> i'm always a man of hope, and i feel the best about everybody. >> reporter: his search for a nonviolent method of protest led for his call against worldwide sanctions against the oppressive white south african government in 1984, he was named archbishop of johannesburg, and two years later, became archbishop of capetown but in his happiest days he said was the day nelson mandela was released from prison he knew then the country was changing but he never wavered in his fight to promote brotherhood and

peace. after his retirement, he worked as a global activist on issues pertaining to democracy, freedom and human rights he campaigned to fight hiv/aids, tb, poverty, racism, sexism, and homophobia he received numerous awards for his life's work to include in 2009 the u.s. presidential medal of freedom the nation's highest civilian honor for president barack obama. chris clackham, nbc news japan became the latest nation to announce a diplomatic boycott of the olympic games the government made the official to not send government officials to beijing joining the u.s., the united kingdom and australia japan will send officials with ties to the olympics, including the chief of the tokyo summer games, and the japanese olympic committee president. now to the nfl and demolition derby in dallas on "sunday night football."

the cowboys offense didn't give washington a warm welcome. getting out to a 21-0 lead in the first. dallas nearly doubled washington's offensive yardage, and dak prescott spent a chunk of the second half on the bench. the cowboys nabbed the 56-14 win. but it was another offensive performance that had the league roaring. >> 2nd and 7 williams downfield look at this on the fly footrace leaping into the end zone, 68 yards. >> the bengals quarterback joe burrow put on a clinic cincinnati he finished with 525 passing yards, good for the fourth most in a game in nfl history the bengals beat down on the ravens 41-21 and the bills and patriots went back and forth in foxboro.

damian harris ran the pats back into the game, only for dawson knox to catch the shovel pass that sealed it for buff loaf bills winners 33-21. buffalo's isiah mcdenlzckena among the top performers the rams and the vikings, they came into sunday jostling for position in the playoff picture. minnesota kept it close, but never found themselves in the lead l.a. heads up north and spurs a the vikings 30-23. jalen hurts threw three picks the last time he played the giants but this time he put the hurt on the big blue the eagles' win puts them in the playoff picture. all four division leaders and the cardinals have clinched a playoff berth. all right.

nbc meteorologist michelle grossman is in for janessa today. good morning >> good morning, guys. and we are looking at a lot of winter weather alert across the country, especially out west where all that weather continues to take place. we're seeing some winter weather advisories and warnings also in the northern plains into the northeast, as well 26 million impacted today, with those storm after storm after storm. we have seen up to ten feet of snow in some spots so cool and soggy week we have a lot of cold air in place that's setting the stage for the snow, especially in the higher elevations in thelook at

cold in the northern plains. just 8 degrees in bismarck all right, guys, we have summer in some spots, winter in others. >> michelle, thank you coming up, another lawsuit filed against lawmakers investigating the january 6 attack and nasa is on a mission to travel back to the very beginnings of the universe back in 60 seconds 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. when they're sick, they get comfortable anywhere and spread germs everywhere. it's going to be a long bus ride home for the defense.

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and has now filed suit to shield them despite supply chain issues in surging covid cases, holiday sales rose, increasing 8.5% from last year and 10.7% from 2019. those numbers were fueled by clothing and jewelry purchases online sales were up 11% from a year ago and 61% since 2019 nasa launching one of their most anticipated missions so far. the world's largest and most powerful telescope blasted into space. the $10 billion space telescope is 100 times more powerful than the hubble telescope it will travel nearly a million miles away from earth and capture images showing what happened 13 billion years ago, possibly even the bertirth of t universe

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coming up, a look back at the life of archbishop doesmond tutu richard louie got details about the plan richard, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. out in front today, the government's plan to battle alzheimer's disease. we got a sneak peek at the plan. the secretary sitting down with us to discuss new details while revealing why it's so personal to him javier becerra this holiday

season, has an important reminder for families. >> probably the best way to discuss this issue today is to talk about the family members who are right now alone. because of covid >> reporter: alzheimer's costs more than $355 billion annually. >> my mother-in-law never was a day without a family member at her side my father, who passed on new year's day 2020, and we, the family, became his caregivers, his pos his hospice caregivers >> reporter: he game 1 of 53 million americans taking care of a loved one living with a disability >> when he started to decline,

we would sleep in his bedroom with him you know, those are tough days you don't get a lot of sleep you do things for your aged parent that your parent did for you when you were an infant. >> i go through that battle now. how does the plan address that >> the plan, which is updated every year >> reporter: the government plan on alzheimer's disease and dementia tracks five goals and this year, a sixth goal, funding research on what behaviors may cause alzheimer's disease. >> can i make sure they're eating less risky food absolutely can that help us when it comes to dementia? that could help reducethe risk >> reporter: and that risk is higher for certain groups. in black and latino communities, the late of alzheimer's can be

twice of others. we grew up in poverty, essentially. when you think about health equity in this plan, bring those two together for me. >> in racial and ethnic minority communities, dementia hits hard and more often in some cases >> reporter: most ambitious of the plan, to prevent and treat alzheimer's disease within three years. what is inspiring one thing that your father said to you in your years growing up, if you get up and go to work, it's a good day. there was a man who really impacted by life, who makes it possible for me to jump high, to get up in the morning and have a good day and so i am -- i won't forget my dad. >> reporter: and one side note, each new year marks the anniversary of his father's passing. he takes solace in that he can

care for his mother and be there for her as they share the bittersweetness of the holidays. the new updated plan, which addresses the mental health of people living with alzheimer's disease and their caregivers, that plan releasing today. >> such an important story still to come, michelle will are a look at your weather >> and "spiderman" a post pandemic record. nothing kills more viruses, including the covid-19 virus, on more surfaces than lysol disinfectant spray. lysol. what it takes to protect. nyquil severe gives you powerful relief for your worst cold and flu symptoms, on sunday night and every night. nyquil severe. the nighttime, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head, best sleep with a cold, medicine. truth is... i've never really known how to care for my hardwood floors. then i found swiffer wetjet wood.

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try always discreet. i'm sorry, kid >> yeah, me too. >> don't >> "spider-man: no way home" continues to hit astonishing numbers, as it became the first pandemic era movie to cross $1 billion at the box office. the marvel sequel hit that in a near record 12 days. and "the matrix resurrection" reached almost $70 million by the end of this weekend. >> lots of great movies out.

a dallas teenager spreading sc cheer for a good cause his christmas displays raised tens of thousands for cancer patients >> i started out with just one inflatable >> reporter: for seven years now, 15-year-old luke jackson has been building a collection >> i have that big nutcracker. >> reporter: accumulating christmas inflatables. >> the nutcracker is new, the stand is new >> reporter: all to create a display like the ones he used to visit with his dad each holiday season, before he passed away. >> just making him proud by doing all this >> reporter: each year, he spends hours designing and installing his display that includes 35 inflatables, that

never fails to draw a crowd of all ages to his lawn but all of this is about so much more than just spreading christmas cheer. >> when my grandfather passed away from pancreatic cancer. >> reporter: a couple years ago, they raised money for the cancer institute of texas last year, his display raised $30,000. >> proud very proud >> reporter: this year, his mom said interest started building in november. they hope that, plus a qr code, can help luke raise even more. >> i'm just amazed by him. that he found a way to channel everything that he's gone through into this project that is really his passion. >> reporter: honoring his loved ones and helping north texas families one christmas decoration at a time

>> so great. our thanks for that report thanks for stating your week with "early today. >> have a great monday stay safe out there. and see you tomorr the neowws

the omicron surge wreaks havoc on the holiday travel rush a crush of new cases for airline workers grounds hundreds of flights. how the latest watch could affect your child's classroom. a winter wallop out west millions of americans digging out of the historic storm this morning. and more snow could be on the way. and spiderman swings into theaters to save them. the latest sequel sets a new box office record. with christmas in the rear-view mirror, 'tis now the season of returns.