an american warship threatened in the middle east, shooting down several armed drones. it's sparking new fears that the israel-hamas war could spread as israel expands its ground invasion throughout gaza. we'll have a live report with the latest.

an impeachment inquiry into president biden looms on capitol hill. the critical vote could some com as soon as this week. our team in d.c. joins us live with a look at ongoing investigations into the first family. a major airline merger shocks the travel city. alaska airlines set to buy hawaiian air. what it means for your future travel plans. five weeks left in the nfl season. the stakes get high every sunday, and we break down the biggest moments from the gridiron. after years of propsing to rock 'n roll all night, this band gives a final kiss farewell from madison square garden. it's monday, december 4th. "early today" starts right now. >> glad you're with us. i'm frances rivera. >> and i'm phillip mena. the israel-hamas war is continuing to have ripple effects far beyond the borders of the gaza strip. american defense officials confirm to nbc news that the uss carney warship shot down three

drones heading toward it in the red sea off yemen. yesterday there were four missile and drone attacks on civilian ships along that major shipping route. we've got a lot to cover. let's get right to it with our claudio lavanga whoa joins us live. claudio, good morning. do we know who is responsible for these attacks? >> reporter: good morning, phillip, yes, we do. the houthi rebel group in yemen has claimed responsibility for the attacks now on sunday. the u.s. central command said that as you mentioned, the uss carney shot down three drones over the red sea, even though it's not clear whether those drones were aimed at the american warships at the same time and the same day, the two missiles were struck. two commercial vessels who were navigating international shipping lanes in the red sea. while no casualties were reported and minor damage was reported there, the u.s. has called this attack a threat to

international maritime security. it's said that the attacks were enabled by iran and also that the u.s. and its allies are considering the appropriate response. now going somewhere else in the same region, although the u.s. has carried out still on sunday an air strike over the northern iraqi city of kirkuk, killing five iraqi militants that the u.s. believed were about to -- planning to launch explosive projectiles toward u.s. forces based in iraq. now the islamic resistance group in iraq has said confirmed that five of its men have been killed and pledged retaliation against the u.s. now let's go back to the source of the tension in the region, of course. gaza, where fighting has resumed since friday after the ceasefire has collapsed. since then israel has pledged to

prevent civilian deaths and casualties during its air strikes, claiming that they're also telling people, palestinians to leave the areas it is about to target. but despite that reassurances, gaza officials say that since friday, since fighting has resumed, another 700 palestinians have been killed in the air strikes. phillip, frances? >> claudio lavanga starting us off this morning. claudio, thank you. back in the u.s., an update on one of the palestinian american students shot in vermont over thanksgiving weekend. hisham awartani's family says that he is now paralyzed from the chest down. the brown university junior was shot while walking don the street with his friends. his parents live in the west bank and had thought it would be safer for him to remain in the u.s. over the thanksgiving break and visit his grand mother rather than flying into a war zone. dallas police are investigating a shooting that has left four dead, including a toddler. according to officials, three adults died at the scene and a

1-year-old died later at a hospital. a 15-year-old girl was also shot and is hospitalized in stable condition. authorities say they don't have a suspect in custody, but they don't believe there is a threat to the public at this time. now let's get an update from capitol hill where the house could vote as soon as this week on formally authorizing impeachment inquiry into president biden as republicans probe the business dealings of his family members. nbc's brie jackson joins us now from d.c. and house republicans launched this inquiry in september. so how could this vote change the investigation? >> good morning, frances. republicans initially said they did not need this formal author authorization, but now their investigation has stalled without it. the house oversight committee recently subpoenaed several biden family members including the president's son hunter biden. but white house lawyers have pushed back against the request, saying the investigation is not legitimate, that the constitution requires a full house vote for impeachment inquiry, and the request for

documents and interviews with private citizens is unjustified. the new house speaker mike johnson says that he believes he has the votes necessary to get the authorization, but with george santos expelled from congress, republicans now only hold the majority by three votes. so they would need nearly every republican to vote yes. the white house says republicans have been investigating biden since taking the majority in january, and they have failed to find any evidence of wrongdoing. in a statement, nbc news overnight, the white house counsel's office called this effort a baseless attempt to smear the president with lies, and said the house republicans are focused on the wrong priorities. 2024 hopeful ron desantis also weighed in with some words of caution. he warned his fellow republicans to make sure they are not ignoring other issues and responsibilities. house leadership has not given any specifics about timing of a possible vote, but some members are pushing for it to happen

soon. frances? >> brie, thank you. the supreme court today will hear arguing on the $6 billion bankruptcy settlement involving purdue pharma and whether that deal was legal. the manufacturer of the highly addictive painkiller oxycontin agreed in 2021 to pay the giant settlement, but crucially, without admitting any liability in the opioid epidemic. if the justices strike down the deal, the sackler family, which owned purdue, could find itself back in court facing a torrent of lawsuits. hundreds of thousands of americans have died from opioid addiction caused by an overprescription of drugs like oxycontin. as the winter weather rolls in, anyone wearing a ski mask in philadelphia will now have to face a fine. the security council overwhelmingly approved the plan. ski masks or balaklavas will be banned in places like schools, parks and transportation among others. violators will be slapped with a

$250 fine. if t-bill is aimed at helping police catch criminals, the critics say the move targets young people of color. 32 female student fleets have filed a discrimination lawsuit against the university of oregon. they're accusing the school of failing to fulfill key title nine requirements. the lawsuit says the university deprives its female athletes of equal treatment when it comes to things like equipment, facilities and financial assistance. they say the treatment of varsity male athletes is, quote, shockingly better. oregon says it's committed to providing a quality, positive experience for all student athletes. washington state's snoqualmie pass hit with winter weather this week. over the weekend, dozens of spinouts were reported on i-90, shutting down that busy nate. at one point the state's transportation department said avoid the pass entirely. many under a flood alert thanks to a slow-moving storm. michelle grossman is here tracking rainfall levels.

good morning. >> good morning. it's going to be a lot of rain. we had a lot of rain last week. it's an atmospheric river event. we get a little break as we go throughout the day. the intensity picks up once again later on tonight. so we're looking at nine million people at risk where. you see the green, seattle, portland, eugene, brookings. and some these alerts through thursday. looking at a chance for localized flash flooding, urban flooding. that's going to be the story as we go throughout the day. especially tonight into tomorrow. but really throughout the week we're looking at a very wet week once again. winter alerts in place. jackson park city, steamboat springs, that's where you see the hot pink. and winter weather advisories as well. wind alerts in place. with the snow, the rain, it's also windy. looking at winds gusting up to 65 in spots. we are looking up to 11 inches in some spots along the olympics. where you see the darker colors, that's where we're looking at the highest amounts ofsoutheast.

temperatures mainly in the 60s and 70s, although we're looking at 80s in orlando. 86 in miami. and that's your monday forecast. >> okay, michelle, thank you. an unexpected intruder led police on a wild chase through a new jersey elementary school. a deer entered this school through a tiny window and then tashed through a classroom where it jumped on a bookshelf, making a mess along the way. it also broke a window trying to escape. police worked to corral the deer with a dog snare to eventually get it back outside. they say the animal they called rudolph didn't seem to be seriously injured. stay with us, "early today" is back in just 60 seconds with a new airline acquisition set or the takeoff. and the packers and the

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some big news in the business world. alaska airlines is buying hawaiian airlines for a whopping $1.9 billion. well, the company they say once combined will offer more flight options throughout the u.s., providing service to 138 destinations. alaska is now the fifth largest airline in the country. it expects the deal to close in about a year. but the latest consolidation in the airline industry will likely draw strut crutiny from fedregu. jesse kirsch has details. >> disturbing new allegations and questions about the safety of american air travel. >> that was shocking. >> reporter: according to "the new york times," over the past two years, multiple air traffic controllers have been reported for falling asleep on the job.

others allegedly directing traffic under the influence of alcohol and illegal drugs. "the times" reports one air traffic controller showed up to drunk, joking about making big money buzzed. adding another controller routinely smoked marijuana during breaks. >> it's a very, very different job. and you wouldn't want anybody impaired with a dose of alcohol. >> reporter: citing dozens of interviews and government testimonies not reviewed by nbc news, the newspaper describe answer overworked staff at times struggling with mental and physical health. michelle hager says he is a former controller who regularly worked six days a week. that is not a sustainable lifestyle to be working that hard at a job that requires so much mental focus at all times. >> reporter: as thousands of controllers retire, 77% of critical atc facilities are understaffed, according to a recent government report.

shortages coming with serious close calls at u.s. airports, also under scrutiny. 23 this year alone. >> southwest abort! fed ex on the go. >> reporter: like when a fed ex plane almost landed on top of a southwest jet in austin, texas. the faa calling the "new york times" report not reflective of the overall high safety standard that exists throughout the national airspace. the air traffic controller's union writing this article does not portray the professionalism and skill with which air traffic krerls perform their stressful and complex duties ever day. but both the union and faa acknowledge there are staffing issues, something the faa says it is working to fix with so many lives at stake. jesse kirsch, nbc news. still to come, putting the no in seminole. t, bcollege bowl play-offs are seut not without outrage over the snub of one school. that's coming up right after this. [laughs] oh, come on now.

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here comes the chiefs. pressure is on. love, throw, end zone. watson, oh, did he catch that? he did. but there is a flag now. >> love green bay style. a little dance too. the young quarterbacks jordan love conquers his greatest challenge yet on sunday night football, throwing for three touchdowns against the reigning champs kansas city chiefs. patrick mahomes threw for only one score in his first visit to lambeau field. he was sacked three times before throwing a crucial fourth quarter interception. after a final drive, filled with penalties and fumbles, mahomes, he dubbed one last prayer after scrambling around, but it came up short. the green bay packers walk away with a statement home victory, 27-19. so surprise, surprise. patrick mahomes' first trip to lambeau, and he came up short. my goodness. >> yeah, sure did. a little something for everybody who aren't sports fans, people

watching taylor swift, she was there. her streak now broken, the fact that they lost. also simone biles also there too. something to watch on the side. >> she was going for the packers, though. there is just five weeks left in the nfl season. but as sunday's game proved, anything can happen. the denver broncos' five-game win streak came to an end at the hands of the upstart houston texans after a game-stealing interception thrown by russell wilson. in pittsburgh, steeler fans had to deal with weather delays and being upset by the cardinals. former steelers running back james connor powered the desert birds to a 24-10 victory, running in for two touchdowns. and it was an afc south grudge match in nashville where the colts and titans traded blows in overtime. gardner, minshew, michael pittman giving indy their fourth victory in a role. and fans in south philly who are looking for a repeat of l.a. week's rain-drenched epic got the opposite.

the 49ers took revenge for january's nfc championship game with brock purdy, christian mccaffrey and deebo samuel dropping 42 points in the league-leading eagles. here we are. play-offs starting to take shape a little bit. >> it's still a bit cloudy. the eagles were the best team in the league, at least record wise and they get blown out by the 49ers. anything can happen. the texans the worst team in the league last year and look at them now. let's turn to an omission that is causing quite an uproar. undefeated florida state who took down louisville in this weekend's acc championship finished at number five in the play-off rankings of the season. the final ranking include fellow undefeated teams michigan and washington at 1 and 2, and texas and alabama. you can see rounding out the top four. florida state athletic director michael alford called this unforgivable and it was disrespect for the players' performances and you do not see

them there, even though they're undefeated because their starting quarterback got hurt and now the committee doesn't think they're good enough to be there. >> tough to watch. and the play-offs january 1, new year's day and january 8th. >> it's a big one. still to. could, if you've got a bmw, you want to stay tuned for a new recall alert. and police in australia are searching for a krulle criminal. the van transporting them. ...bo. that's one word for it. i guess i blacked out. this is the best squeaky toy ever. probably shouldn't. but we did get you a few more gifts. honey. ooh, there's more. chewy's prices were so great. you don't need to explain yourself, linda. keep on saving. pet's aren't just pets. they're more. well, i hope i got a leaf blower this year. you got a turtleneck. unwrap the excitement with deals up to 40% off at chewy. ma, ma, ma— ( clears throat ) for fast sore throat relief, try vicks vapocool drops. with two times more menthol per drop, and powerful vicks vapors to vaporize sore throat pain.

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inflaters are been recalled worldwide. mcdonald's has plans for a new restaurant and it's appears the first location is in a chicago suburbs. it's called cosmos. a woman in australia stole an unattended van from a 7-eleven. she also made off with 10,000 krispy kreme donuts inside. police have not made any arrests or been able to track down the sweet treats. we'll be right back. this is not just a sewing kit. - oh are you in a rush? - oh very much so. thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. (♪♪) this is help with the holidays... ...right in your neighborhood. give me the hat! walgreens. let's go! we're going to make it. i'm adding downy unstopables to my wash. now i'll be smelling fresh all day long. [sniff] still fresh. ♪♪

get 6x longer-lasting freshness, plus odor protection. try for under $5! no more rocking and rolling all night. kiss made history this weekend, playing what they called their final concert ever at madison square garden. our george solis took us inside the show. ♪ keep on shouting, you keep on shouting ♪ >> reporter: for 50 years --

>> i want to rock 'n roll all night and party every day. >> reporter: they rock 'n rolled every night. the party finally ended. >> this is the end of the road. >> reporter: the legendary rock band kiss playing for one last time at a sold-out madison square garden. >> it seems sad, but tonight's the night for joy. tonight's the night to celebrate what we didtogether. ♪ >> reporter: the band formed in 1973 and quickly rose to fame. powered just as much by their music -- ♪ i was made for loving you, baby, you were made for loving me ♪ >> reporter: as by their over the top costumes, elaborate face paint, and live on stage antics.

from pyrotechnics, electronic guitar smash at the end of every concert. but after five decades and 100 million albums sold, original members gene simmonds and paul stanley decided it was time to hang up the leather boots. >> you make us possible, and we will always remember and love you. >> reporter: simmons overwhelmed with emotion. throwing one last party and one final kiss goodbye. ♪ i want to rock 'n roll all night and party every day ♪ >> reporter: george solis, nbc news. >> what an iconic band. truly arena rock. they put on a show like no other. >> for that very reason, our ep

cody brought his 5-year-old son max to make sure that was his first concert. it couldn't be any better. conservationists in south africa have discovered a species thought to be extinct for nearly 20 years. the golden mole has not been seen since 1936. so look at this thing. geneticists from the endangered wildlife trust and the university of pretoria collected environmental dna samples from the soil to confirm the species is still around mp it's known for sand swimming and super hearing abilities. cute too. >> it is. i mean, we

tensions sky high in the middle east after the u.s. shoots down attack drones in the region, plus israel expands its grown invasion in gaza issuing a new round of evacuation orders just days after the country's truce with hamas