covid surge snarling much of the country with snow in the mid-atlantic and soaring coast-to-coast omicron cases leaving schools and others scrambling more evidence from the january 6th committee insurrection committee to enlist trump to stop the uprising meanwhile, ivanka and donald trump, jr., are suspend by the new york tax general probe in

the organization at&t and verizon delayed 5g technology while the faa figures out how they will impact plane's electronics. the megablockbuster deal of the late day of the u david bowie has the music world buzzing this morning "early today" starts right now good morning, i'm stephen romo a lot to get to, including covid investigations which are soaring in the united states at a rapid rate it's all due to the fast soaring omicron variant. it stood at more than 561 million cases. on monday, more than a million people were diagnosed with covid. the fda green lit booster shots for kids 12-to-15. nbc news' chris pollone has

those details. more american children will become eligible for booster shots this week. children 12-to-15 should get an extra pfizer dose as well as those with compromised immune systems should get it five months after the second dose instead of six the change is awaiting final approval by the cdc the move comes as children across the country return to schools after the break. cleveland and neuralgic, new jersey are going temporarily others are continuing in classroom learning >> when we have our children in school, they're safe i have been very clear of this my children are going to be in school. >> reporter: can it be sustained during what one expert described as an omicron blizzard >> a lot of teachers and staff will come down with covid. whether the schools will be able to remain opened with reduesed

staffing, we'll have to see. >> reporter: after harsh criticism, the cdc has been clarifying the five-day isolation guidelines for people that test positive in at least one new jersey hospital, though, that new rule has been a welcome stage for the staffing shortage. >> many are calling saying they want to come back, what that rule did is allow them to come back safely. >> reporter: thousands monday hit by covid sickouts and winter weather, chris pollone, nbc news, washington >> >> at least five people have died in storms, in maryland, people were killed, two children were killed by falling trees in georgia and tennessee, several states are experiencing power outages, worse affected by far is georgia, where 300,000

customers are without electricity. extreme weather came on top of a covid surge. more than 3,000 flights were grounded yesterday and cancellations and delays continue this morning. our tom costello has more from reagan national airport. >> adding more misery to wary and stranded travelers coming back from the holidays, a massive storm stretching from the deep south, florida and alabama to the nation's capitol in the bulls eye, air force one returning to joint st. andrews, the president emerging in a blinding snowstorm in the i-95 snowstorm, thousands stranded and stuck amtrak also affected at the center of the bulls eye, reagan national airport. topping the listing of most affected airports 84% of departures canceled. >> i have been here since 7:00 i have been delayed three times

and then cancelled. >> reporter: the latest blow to airlines and hundreds of thousands of holiday passengers. since christmas eve more than 18,000 flights cancelled hit by airlines and tsa staffers with covid then a series of winter storms here at reagan, they've closed the main row for plowing at 8:00 a.m. >>. >> reporter: thousands of passengers stuck >> my flight got changed twice. >> reporter: cancellations rippling from chicago-o'hare to ft. lauderdale, where andrea lynn and her kids were trying to get out thursday we had to stay in a home and they're outrageous new years eve. >> reporter: the airline industry has been under staffed for months, before this latest surge with covid going back to

the summer >> reporter: so far this as i remember, we have 400-plus flights canceled nationwide. that is a vast improvement over monday, when we had 3,000 flights cancelled, 18,000 flights cancelled. so it is very much all about trying to recover today and giving the airlines the time and the space to get everybody to their final destinations back to you. >> a lot of headaches for those travelers. tom, thank you well arc pair of telecom giants are putting the brakes on the launch of 5gvm at&t and verizon were set to roll out the service on wednesday the faa warned the signals could interfere with plane's systems the wireless companies have offered to make changes to mitigate and in addition the faa thanked them for agreeing to that delay representative bobby rush is officially expected to retire.

he served 15 termsin the house back in 2000, he beat then a state senator barack obama in the democratic primary for illinois's first congressional district we are set to see an exodus from congress this year 24 house democrats and 13 republicans have announced their planned departures we're just two days away from the one-year anniversary of the january 6th insurrection and the house committee investigating the capitol riot is ramping up its investigation. nbc oolz 's garrett haake has te latest. >> reporter: then president trump they tried to stop it from happening. >> we have first-hand testimony his daughter ivanka went in at least twice to ask him to please stop this violence.

>> reporter: since the creation, they interviewed more than 300 people and collected 35 pages of documents, including e-mails and tech messages, while still battling the former president in court and for testimony from top aides like former chief of staff mark meadows, who has claimed executive privilege. >> shortly before his scheduled deposition, mr. meadows walked away from appearing. >> reporter: they released a comprehensive report before the mid-term elections. >> we got to tell the truth about that and have a recommend with the reality of prapd. >> republicans slammed the credibility of the investigation because house speaker nancy pelosi did not allow top gop leader kevin mccarthy to select members for the committee. mccarthy accusing them as using january 6th as a partisan political weapon two former president trumps children are embroiled in

deposition, they were demanding testimony and documents as a part of a civil probe of the business practices shortly after, lawyers for the siblings filed a motion to quash those subpoenas. the trump family has not been accused of wrong doing in this investigation and the former president called it politically motivated. haiti's prime minister escaped an assassination attempt over the weekend they were attend ac cathedral on saturday when an armed group attacked local media reports at least one person died in the gunfight that follow with the prime minister's security detail. henry became initiated last year arrest warrants have been issued in this latest incident. let's turn to the weather with meteorologist janessa webb. >> hi, good morning.

if you are in the friengt st49th state, my friends have been going through it with power outages in that area the same storm system is impacting the pacific northwest. this will be a series of storms we will watch the next two days impacting the area you see the rockies dealing with snow currently but it's the rainfall across the coast we will watch from seattle to northern california some of these totals are significant. three-to-five inches so flash flood watches will go in place this afternoon. then it's widespread snow that will launch all the way into the plains look at some of these totals, 12-to-18 inches for boise, we will be watching significant wind gustsl durham 64 -- raleig

64 section of the northeast in the mid-30s. a series of storms, one will track all the way into the northeast. we will talk about future snow coming up. >> round two, all right. thanks turning to today's ground breakers the u.s. navy setting sail on history. captain amy bowenschmitd became the first to command the uss abraham lincoln in august. the carrier deptd san diego on deployment following nine months of training. deputy amy snyder becomes the show's top female owner and th theranos founder elizabeth holmes is found guilty of

several counsel, we'll have more on that coming up in the next 60 seconds. try align, the pros in digestive health. and join the align healthy gut team up and learn what millions of align users already know. how great a healthy gut can feel. sign up at alignprobiotics.com also try align dualbiotics gummies to help support digestive health. i lost 26 pounds and i feel incredible. with the new personalpoints program, i answer questions about my goals and the foods i love. i like that the ww personalpoints plan is built just for me. download the ww app today for a 14-day free trial. don't settle for products that give you a sort-of white smile. try crest whitening emulsions... ...for 100% whiter teeth. its highly active peroxide droplets... ...swipe on in seconds. better. faster. 100% whiter teeth. shop crestwhitesmile.com.

welcome back "jeopardy" champion amy schneider, the first transgender player to qualify for the tournament of champions addressed those twitter users saying, in part, quote, every single one of you is the first person ever to make that very clever point schneider's historic "jeopardy" run continued to grow in winnings over her 24-day streak. last week, she broke the wins in a show's history by a woman. breaking news, the blockbuster trial of theranos elizabeth holmes was found guilty of four of 11 counts. she was convicted for four counts of fraud for lying to investors and found not guilty for defrauding patients.

she was guilty of three counts of deceiving investors the judge is expected to declare a mistrial holmes will be sentenced at a later date now to colorado, where there is an urgent search for two people mission after the marshall fires that consumed more than 6,000 acres, reducing nearly 1,000 homes to rubble the origin of the fire is under investigation. authorities have received several tips about the potential cause. a search warrant was executed at an unnamed property related to that well, an update this morning on a cause of death for beloved actress and comedian betty white. her agent confirming she died of natural causes, shutting down rumors that she died of covid. white died on new year's eve,

two years shy of her 100th birthday twins in monterey county were born 15 minutes apart but they arrived in different years and months antonia came in december 2021. followed by his baby sister who arrived 12:00 a.m. january 1st, 2022 aylin became the first baby to be born this year. alfredo wade 6 pounds 1 ounce. the chance of the twins born in different years, by the way, is one in 2 million fraternal twins also share three siblings coming up next on "early today," is this good-bye for big ben. steelers' star quarterback put on a show for fans at what could be his last home game. and the man that sold the rights to david bowie's catalogue changes hands for a jaw-dropping song.

it's specially-designed with the soaking, scrubbing and rinsing built right in. cascade platinum's unique actionpacs dissolve quickly... ...to remove stuck-on food. . . for sparkling-clean dishes, the first time. choose the detergent that lets your dishwasher do the dishes! cascade platinum. the number one recommended brand in north america. where does your almondmilk come from? almond breeze starts here with our almond trees in our blue diamond orchard in california. my parents' job is to look after them. and it's my job to test the product. the best almonds make the best almondmilk. blue diamond almond breeze. even after you sanitize, every touch can leave new bacteria behind? microban 24 keeps killing 99.9% of bacteria touch after touch for up to 24 hours. use the sanitizer 4 out of 5 doctors would use in their own homes. microban 24. my two favorites. looks like you already chose your favorite. knife. two favorites. i'm gonna take this now.

enjoy any two classics for 6 dollars like the quarter pounder with cheese and 10 piece mcnuggets for a limited time at mcdonald's. i'm 53, but in my mind i'm still 35. that's why i take oste bi-flex to keep me moving the way i was made to, it nourishes and strengthens my joints for the long term. osteo bi-flex, plus vitamin d for immune support. what happens when you block heartburn with one prilosec otc in the morning? osteo bi-flex, plus vitamin d heartburn doesn't stand a chance - day... or night. excess stomach acid can cause heartburn. prilosec otc works differently by preventing excess acid production. so don't fight heartburn, block it. prilosec otc. one pill in the morning blocks heartburn, all day and all night.

>> first and goal. germane johnson, hang on to that one. touchdown, steelers! in there it was the season's monday night finale in pittsburgh, where ben roethlisberger threw a touchdown in what could be his last game for the steelers pittsburgh ran away with it in the final minutes. the steelers get the win 26-14 well, from big ben to big bucks. mega millions music deal for song writing catalogue that belong to the late david bowie first to the only $3 trillion company. here with the details, cnbc's steve sedgwick good morning, steve. >> reporter: steven, absolutely extraordinary story that apple in 2018 was $1 trillion in terms of its market capitalization it's worth its value last year it hid 3le from. it's hit in the first days of

2022, $3 trademark some analysts say it seems expensive. it's seen as one of the companies out there rated by the moody's aaa, it's one of the safest bets in the market as well it's had an enormous rally on a course set of hardware, iphones, imaccomputers, et cetera, ipad also software, which is growing really aggressively. not too many people taking the bet when it will become a $4 trillion company the late great david bowie's estate sold for we think about $250 million u.s. dollars. great songs out there, space odyssey, changes, ziggy start-ups, they include a part of 1,100 singles he produced the producers and i decide hero is our favorite. what about you >>ly go with changes, it will be stuck in my head all day

thanks so much, steve. meanwhile, janessa is monitor ac another winter wallop for the east anthe d eris no limits on fun. the big changes coming to toy stores in california texted the next day? same guy. is that even legal? and get this - he remembered my name. of course. hey, blink twice if you're in danger. whoa, guys. at state farm, we actually get to know you. it's called service. come on! like a good neighbor, state farm is there. sweet pillows of softness! this is soft! come on! holy charmin! excuse me! roll it back everybody! charmin ultra soft is so cushiony soft, you'll want more! but it's so absorbent, you can use less. enjoy the go with charmin. i may have moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. or psoriatic arthritis.

but we are so much more. we're team players and artists. designers and do-it-yourselfers. parents and friends. if joint pain is getting in the way of who you are, it's time to talk to your doctor about enbrel. enbrel helps relieve joint pain, and helps stop permanent joint damage. plus enbrel helps skin get clearer in psoriatic arthritis. ask your doctor about enbrel, so you can get back to your true self. play ball! enbrel may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, nervous system and blood disorders and allergic reactions have occurred. tell your doctor if you've been someplace where fungal infections are common. or if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if you have persistent fever, bruising, bleeding or paleness. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. visit enbrel.com to see how your joint damage could progress. enbrel. eligible patients may pay as little as $5 per month. honestly, i thought my floors were clean. but it turns out, they weren't. huh.

well, now i use swiffer sweeper wet. so i can keep my floors really clean. these heavy-duty wet cloths come prepped with a cleaning solution that absorbs dirt and grime. even hidden dirt i can't see. sweeper wet traps and locks without pushing dirt around. and makes quick work of tough, sticky messes. keeping up is so easy. now i know my floors are really clean! stop cleaning. start swiffering. ready to shine from the inside out? try nature's bounty hair, skin and nails gummies. the number one brand to support beautiful hair, glowing skin, and healthy nails. try jelly bean vitamins with two times the biotin. for people who could use a lift new neutrogena® rapid firming. a triple-lift serum with pure collagen. 92% saw visibly firmer skin in just 4 weeks. neutrogena® for people with skin. from the very first touch, pampers, the #1 pediatrician recommended brand,

helps keep baby's skin drier and healthier. so every touch will protect like the first. pampers destructive winds strong enough to slam down houses, it knocked out power to thousands of homes and forced some schools to close monday a. wind advisory is still in place until wednesday night. nbc meteorologist in alaska janessa webb is back with us good morning, janessa. >> stephen, i have lived in alaska over 20-plus years. some of the photos coming out of anchorage and the valley unbelievable high wind warnings still in place for palmer watson today, we will continue to see wind gusts at 60 miles per hour.

>> incredible wind up there. up next, why toy stores in california are going to look different. now there's dawn powerwash dish spray. the faster, easier way to clean as you go. it cleans grease five times faster. on easy messes, just spray, wipe, and rinse. on tough messes, the spray-activated suds cut through grease on contact, without water. just wipe, and rinse. get dishes done faster. dawn powerwash dish spray. now available in free & clear. does your vitamin c last twenty-four hours? only nature's bounty does. immune twenty-four hour plus has longer lasting vitamin c. plus, herbal and other immune superstars. only from nature's bounty. you don't get much time for yourself. so when you do, make it count with crest pro-health.rstars. it protects the 8 areas dentists check for a healthier mouth. the #1 toothpaste brand in america. crest.

california made history when it became the first state to mandate gender neutral toy aisles as larger stores began to make those changes. jay ward shows us how this could shape the toy industries. >> reporter: if you have been inside a big toy store, you know how it's traditionally organized, a boy's aisle, a girl's aisle the new california law gives them go two years to get gender neutral aisles

big box toy stores have been moving in this direction walmart and target have done away with gender toy sections. experts say that's good. because gender toys shape how children see themselves and each other. >> we are teaching them to be separated, to be competitive to be in very different worlds. >> reporter: companies looking to maximize sales tend to focus on boy toys him they say the industry assumes girls will play with boy toys and watch boy programs but not vice-versa. a destructive market force >> girls are much stronger and gains earlier. it's economic am to produce more action-oriented boy's toys in the program. >> reporter: the toy-making potential could determine what a show is about. >> broadcasters look at the children's block on television as a 30-minute commercial or a

commercial product they want to sell. >> reporter: because toys have originally been gendered, tv producers who make gender-neutral characters may lose out on that money. >> because of the profitability that exists, corporation and media companies will not put that stuff out there on their own. >> reporter: bias experts say it's been a terrible cycle tv producers had to feed into stereotypes in order to get toys on to store shelves and toys with gendered toi sections didn't know where to put them. the bill's opponents call it government overreach the bill's co-author says it's a part of a state effort to fight bias in society. >> in the state of california, we recognize disparity that's why we pass gender legislation. that's why we pass legislation to require women and minorities on corporate boards. this gender neutral retail continues in that spirit. >> reporter: now the question is

whether the reshaping of the toy aisles can inspire toy makers and broadcasters to change as well >> our thanks to jake ward for that report. and thanks for waking up i'm stephey today.

there's the least available -- >> right now at 4:30, the crushing demand for covid tests. ahead, the guidance about when and your family should be taking one and the long lines being spotted all-around the bay. what is next for elizabeth holmes, after a jury finds her guilty on four counts. the prison time the fallen ceo is now facing. this is "today in the bay." we are broadcasting to your television, but streaming live on nbcbayare