into high gear, the president-elect ramps up his search for the next cabinet as he prepares to meet face-to-face with president biden for the first time since the election. what to expect from the white house meeting. wildfires take a tragic turn in the tri-state area, a volunteer forest ranger dies white battling a fire on the border. and a historic winter blast in colorado and new mexico, the monster storm that shut down highways and left drivers stranded. you can follow the yellow brick road but don't follow that link. new toys from "wicked" pulled from shelves after a printing mistake linked to an adult website. the statement from mattel this morning. spend a term at sea, the cruise line sailing to the rescue for anyone looking to escape politics.

and as we honor our nation's heroes this veterans day we're breaking down the best deals and freebies for military members. it's monday, november 11th "early today" starts right now. good morning, glad you are with me, i'm frances rivera. we begin with the election results, still coming into our newsroom. nbc news projects that donald trump has won the state of arizona, a state that president biden narrowly won in 2020. meaning president-elect trump has won back all of the battleground states that flipped blue in the last election. we are still waiting to find out the balance of power in the house. 17 seats in that chamber still need to be called. the senate will be back in republican hands when the new trump term begins with the gop picking up a net gain of at least three seats. nbc news has spoken to two sources familiar with the transition process and they say the president-elect is favoring people for his cabinet who come from outside washington and people who have business

experience over members of congress. on nbc's "meet the press" republican senator john barrasso was asked about the importance of keeping the justice department independent. >> do you think it's important to preserve the independence that's traditionally existed between the white house and the justice department, senator? >> i think what john kennedy appointed his little brother bobby as attorney general the president gets to choose who he wants. we will have hearings on whoever the president appoints as the attorney general of the united states. >> late last night mr. trump announced that tom homan will take on the role of border czar in the new administration and will be in charge of all deportations. homen served as the acting director of i.c.e. during the last trump administration. he enforced the zero tolerance family separation policy. nbc news has reached out to homan for a comment. mr. trump also has a message for whoever wins the role of senate

majority leader saying they should let him make recess appointments. senators john thune, rick scott and oncornyn are looking to replace mcconnell. senator thune says the senate must act quickly and all options are on the table. donald trump will make his first return to the white house on wednesday, president biden has invited him for a meeting in the oval office to mark the peaceful transfer of power. president-elect donald trump is said to have called russian president vladimir putin last week and advise him not to escalate the war in ukraine according to a "washington post" exclusive. several sources familiar with the call spoke to the "post" but trump's team would not confirm or deny trump's alleged message to putin and nbc has not verified the call which is set to have happened thursday from trump's florida resort. for more let's turn to nbc's

matt bodner. good morning. >> good morning. according to the "washington post" president-elect trump spoke to putin last thursday, this marks the first time that they have spoken since trump won reelection last week. we don't have a full picture of what the two discussed but the post reported that trump warned putin not to escalate thewar in ukraine. trump boasted during the campaign that he could end this conflict in as little as 24 hours. trump reportedly on that phone call also reminded putin of the u.s. military's significant presence in europe. trump's communications director told reuters on sunday they do not comment on private calls with other world leaders. nbc news has reached out to the trump team for comments, but we have not yet confirmed this directly. and just now the kremlin has actually denied that the phone call took place. but this reporting on trump's conversation with putin follows a call with ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy that took place on wednesday and a source familiar with the matter told nbc news that elon musk was present with trump during that call and that musk even took the

phone to speak with zelenskyy himself. it's not yet entirely clear what the incoming trump administration plans to actually do with the war in ukraine, though many critics have expressed concerns that trump will push ukraine to accept major territorial losses to end this war with russia. that of course is an outcome that ukrainian officials have explicitly rejected. also unclear in all of this is m musk's role in the process. the "wall street journal" reported that musk himself has been in regular contact with vladimir putin since 2022 and at times the tech mogul has openly criticized u.s. support for ukraine. president-elect trump will meet with president biden in the oval office this week and biden is expected to make an appeal to the president-elect to maintain america's support for ukraine. back to you, frances. >> matt, thank you. the justice department is shifting its approach when it comes to the january 6th investigation. a law enforcement source tells nbc news that the doj plans to focus on arresting the most

egregious rioters in the remaining days of the biden administration. zeroing in on people accused of felony assaults on law enforcement. president-elect trump is expected to shut down the investigation and has said he would consider pardons for his supporters who stormed the capitol. a trump campaign spokesperson has not responded to a request for comment. one person was killed and 16 injured in a shooting at tuskegee university in alabama during homecoming weekend. cellphone video shows people sheltering behind a car during the shooting a 25-year-old man was later arrested and charged with possession of a machine gun. police are looking for additional suspects and are still gathering information on what led up to the shooting. the victim is an 18-year-old who is not affiliated with the university according to tuskegee officials. a ban on student cell phones in a florida school district is raising safety concerns. broward serves 200,000 students and it's the district where the 2018 parkland shooting happened.

some parents worry that students won't be able to communicate in an emergency. an online petition demanding the ban be reversed has over 25,000 signatures. at least 15 states adopted similar policies against cellphone use in school classrooms. firefighters on both coasts are battling raging wildfires in new york. in new york and new jersey the wildfire has burned 2,000 acres and is 10% contained. it turned deadly when an 18-year-old state park employee was killed by a falling tree. the fire department says there are currently 25 structures threatened by the flames. it comes amid a record dry period in the tri-state area. >> new jersey hasn't seen anything this dry since, you know, we began keeping records. which is one of the obstacles we're facing. not only is the fire burning on top of the ground but it's burning under the ground. and in california firefighters have been battling the mountain fire currently 31% contained with more than 20,000 acres burned.

winds are expected to kick up again tonight. and from fire to ice, a dangerous fall snowstorm is breaking records in parts of the west bringing blizzard-like conditions in colorado. nbc's dana griffin has the details. >> reporter: an historic winter storm in the west prompting an emergency across two states. in colorado that storm caused a highway headache. stuck drivers rescued after several feet of snow snarled friday traffic for hours. more than 500 flights have been canceled or delayed. >> this is a snowstorm the national weather service is calling historic. by the time this is all said and done they are measuring it in feet. >> reporter: it's the first significant snowstorm of the season, breaking records. colorado springs saw its largest november storm ever with at least 24 inches. the unprecedented early fall storm causing tree branches to snap under heavy powder and tens of thousands lost power.

in new mexico, unsafe weather conditions forcing highways to shut down and schools to close. some areas saw a year's worth of snow. and on a lighter note, this grizzly bear taking in the winter wonder, catching snowflakes on his tongue. the winter weather whiplash now one for the ages. dana griffin, nbc news. and how about everybody else? let's get a check of the weather for the week ahead with nbc meteorologist michelle grossman. good morning, michelle. >> good morning, frances. we're going to see some snow throughout the west, we are looking at an active pattern this week in the west, looking at valley rain that will be heavy at times and mountain snow. a series of cold fronts, atmospheric river that will be moving on shore. today bright colors indicating we could see heavy rain especially in parts of northern california. the middle of the country we will be dry, above average in terms of temperatures that is correct includes the northeast as well. looking at a lingering rain this morning in the northeast, much needed but that's moving off the coast. some rain throughout the great

lakes, carolinas, spotty rain throughout the gulf coast states. the west remains active on wednesday, looking at snow continuing, also that rain. rain, too, from the midwest down to the south central states. plenty of sunshine in parts of texas, oklahoma, kansas and seasonable temperatures return in parts of the northeast down to the carolinas and also the southeast. by friday, wintry impacts still impacting the west and more season into the south central states. need the umbrella, though, if you are headed out in oklahoma city and dallas. all right. that's your monday forecast. >> thanks so much, michelle. it is veterans day and restaurants across the u.s. are offering deals to our service members and their families. at applebee's veterans, active duty and reserve national guard

members can get a free meal. ihop is offering veterans and active duty military members a free red and white blueberry combo and at starbucks you can get a free 12 ounce coffee today, dunkin' donuts is also giving a free doughnut to those who served. if the election has you down a cruise offers you a get way way for four years. my active psoriatic arthritis joint symptoms held me back. don't let symptoms define you... emerge as you, with clearer skin. with tremfya®, most people saw 100% clear skin... ...that stayed clear, even at 5 years. tremfya® is proven to significantly reduce joint pain, stiffness, and swelling. serious allergic reactions and increased risk of infections may occur. before treatment, your doctor should check you for infections and tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms or if you need a vaccine.

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cryptocurrencies also were trading higher over the past few days and that's because investors see the election of donald trump at the white house paving the way for more crypto-friendly administration and more favorable regulatory environment for the digital currency. that would be a shift from the policy under the democratic administration that was seen as more hostile towards crypto. on the campaign trail donald trump promised to turn the united states into, quote, the crypto capital of the planet and the crypto industry also poured millions of dollars into the presidential and congressional races supporting some pro-crypto candidates. frances, if you feel like you need a break of it all, how about this idea, it was announced next week new pass injuries who set sail for up to four years. if that is too much you can also book tickets one, two, or three years but the all inclusive

tickets on the cruise ship is $276,000 but you can visit 140 countries and all seven continents so that could be an idea if you want to get away from it all. >> charlotte, thank you. the best place in america to find a turnover sunday night was at houston's nrg stadium. the lions and texans combined for seven interceptions on sunday night football with jared goff throwing five himself. despite their mistakes detroit managed to dig themselves out of their early hole, scoring 16 unanswered points in the second half. all tied up the lions placed their fate in the leg of rookie kicker jake bates. >> from 52 for the win it is just good! >> the native -- the houston native bates barely thread that had 52 yard tore give detroit the gutsy win 26-23. and the 49ers got christian mccaffrey back for the first time this season but it was

kicker jake moody who played hero against the bucs. despite missing three kicks earlier in the game he snuck through the last-second game winner 23-20. and the broncos could have been the one to hand the rival chiefs their first loss of the year as they got in position to kick a walk-off field goal. >> the kick to win it. oh! blocked! the chiefs have won! >> kc remains perfect as denver suffers a heart-breaking finish, 16-14. still to come a wicked era that defies more than just gravity. rmio dai s, let's get in foatn,etls on yale's class that combines queen b and blackish use. o. you should use it every wash, otherwise the flakes will come back. he's right, you know. is that tiny troy? the ingredients in head & shoulders keep the microbes that cause flakes at bay. microbes, really?

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a winner don't quit on themselves ♪ the bulldogs may run yale but they are about to be taught a lesson by iet con who runs the world. beginning next semester they will offer students a class titled "beyoncé makes history." they will use the music of beyoncé to examine black history, intellectual thought and activism. she follows the footsteps of taylor swift and lady gaga who have had college courses dedicated to their work. this isn't new when it comes to other colleges and universities. rutgers have offered a course, cornell as well. but for huge fans they are -- they probably already are in. >> i wonder who else is next, too. now to a gaffe that's making one toy company turn green. nbc news confirmed that the packaging for mattel's line of dolls based on "wicked" lists a different website than the one for the movie. the site that's listed wicked.com directsusers to the home of wicked pictures in

quotes, a company that produces adult films. mattel says they are aware of the printing error and advise parents to discard the packaging. director john chu was a no show at the los angeles premiere saturday. he showed up on video explaining his absence tendlling attendeese was at the hospital waiting for the birth of his fifth child. >> kicked movie.com is the official website. when we come back how chatgpt fought deepfakes during the election. and it's beginning to lo a t ke christmas at rockefeller center. our first look at this year's tree. called tardive dyskinesia, or td. so his doctor prescribed austedo xr— a once-daily, extended-release td treatment for adults. ♪ as you go with austedo ♪ austedo xr significantly reduced dan's td movements. some people saw a response as early as 2 weeks.

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navy federal credit union has to pay over $95 million in refunds and penalties after charging customers illegal overdraft fees over a five-year period. according to the consumer financial protection bureau, customers were charged $20 overdraft fees on certain atm withdrawals and debit card purchases, even with sufficient funds. the credit union collected nearly $1 billion in overdraft fees. and the rockefeller center christmas tree has arrived at the plaza. the 74 foot norway spruce will be decorated are 50,000 lights and a 900 pound swarovski star on top. the tree lighting is set for december 4th. "early today" will be right back. ♪ like a relentless weed, moderate to severe ulcerative colitis symptoms can keep coming back. start to break away from uc with tremfya... with rapid relief at 4 weeks. tremfya blocks a key source of inflammation. at one year, many people experienced remission...

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we're back with a little good news to kick off your week. our josé diaz-balart has the joyful reunions and a special surprise for a brooklyn teacher. >> reporter: at the new york city marathon teacher malia bruce had her very own cheer squad. look, it's a wave of support from her current and former students at ps 270 in brooklyn. the kids jumping for joy when their beloved ms. malia ran by at mile nine right outside their school. >> i feel seen. i feel loved. it's truly one of my favorite moments of teaching outside of the classroom. >> reporter: in kentucky this birthday surprise brought 15-year-old isabelle pike to tears, but for isabelle that car there is so much more than just a birthday present, it's a

powerful connection to her past. you see, it belonged to her dad, brian, who built the mustang when she was just a little girl, but after he passed years ago it was lost until loved ones recently tracked it down for her. >> i told you we was going to get it, didn't i? >> reporter: she says it's a comforting reminder of the man she calls her guardian angel. there were these military home comings in milwaukee. as about 100 members of the wisconsin international guard finally returned from overseas. rushing right into the arms of loved ones. major andrew kiefler hugging his family for the first time in months. including cousin jenny grace who was there honoring andrew and all the service members there that day. >> this was so much more than just a homecoming for a family, it's also a celebration of service. >> everyone that serves is

definitely a hero. >> andrew, why is it that you decided to serve? >> we have several different family members, uncles, grandfathers and my dad that have all served so it's something that early on i really wanted to be a part of. >> so what was it like for you to be reunite at this massive ceremony. >> it is a massive moment for each and everyone person who walks off the airplane. when you come back and complete the puzzle it's very special. >> extra hugs on his veterans day. thanks to josé for sharing those stories. coming up on "today" an interview with jordan chiles. she's opening up about the controversial decision that stripped her of a bronze medal at the paris olympics. that you don't want to miss. thanks so much for being up early with me on a holiday. for "early today" i'm frances rivera. have a great monday and see yo