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battering the pacific northwest was blizzard conditions. hundreds of thousands are without power. meteorologist michelle grossman is tracking the path of the storm. a guilty verdict in the murder of laken riley. donald trump's controversial pick to lead the pentagon reigniting the debate over women in combat. the current defense secretary and trump's former joint chiefs chair now weighing in. a man who got a second chance at life gets a new face after years of reconstructive surgery. meet him and the team behind the mayo clinic's second-ever face transplant. and the shimmy that became donald trump's signature dance moves now taking over the sports world. how it went from the campaign trail to the field and beyond. it's thursday, november 21, "early today" starts right now. good morning. i'm frances rivera. a bomb cyclone is battering the

northwest. the storm claiming at least two lives in washington state, as large trees crashed on homes, cars and buses. the system bringing heavy rain, snow and hurricane-force winds in some areas. with gusts up to 80 miles per hour. more than 300,000 are still without power in washington. and over 20,000 are in the dark in california. and, more dangerous weather may be on the way. let's turn to nbc meteorologist michelle grossman who is tracking another storm that could threaten the region friday. >> we are looking at back-to-back storms. this is a tough situation. we're measuring rain in feet and snow in feet. winds will be howling nearly 80 miles per hour. we'll see intense bands of moisture. that's the atmospheric river, that plume of moisture moving onshore. heavy coastal rain, feet of mountain snow in the sierras and the northern rockies. and the heavy rain will spread

into central california. you see the dark colors, where we're expecting the heaviest amounts of rain. elevating the flood risk. and then by saturday, more unsettled weather as the rain and the snow continues. difficult travel in flooded areas, not only today, tomorrow and saturday. this is what we're looking for. the heaviest amounts into fort bragg. we're talking about rain finally in the northeast in just a few minutes. >> we so need it. lots to cover still. the man accused in the murder of laken riley has now been convicted. jose antonio ibarra was sentenced. >> reporter: after four days in testimony, a judge here in athens, clark county courthouse delivered the verdict. 26-year-old jose ibarra was found guilty for all the charges he faced in the brutal killing of 22-year-old nursing student, laken riley, back in february when she was on a morning jog at

the university of georgia campus. we heard very emotional victim impact statements from her family members. and some of her closest friends before the judge sentenced jose ibarra to life in prison without parole. many of her family members remembered her as a young woman who loved jesus, who was incredibly excited to become a nurse and serve her community and a very kind friend. they say that the past year has been incredibly traumatic. they feel guilty about what happened, and their lives will never be the same without laken riley in it. reporting from athens, georgia, priya sridhar. nbc news. a florida man is under arrest for alleged plot to bomb the new york stock exchange and reboot the government. the fbi began investigating the suspect earlier this year. in the course of the investigation, yenner told undercover agents he wanted to bomb stock exchange the week

before thanksgiving. he also allegedly made a series of recordings to send to nbc news around the time of the bombing. yenner has been charged with attempt to use an explosive device toe damage or destroy a building used in interstate or foreign commerce. he will be detained while awaiting trial. it was a crime that shocked the nation 30 years ago. susan smith got a chance at freedom yesterday. she appeared before a parole board for the first time, saying what she did was horrible. despite her tearful plea, the now 53-year-old was denied parole. she can reapply for parole in two years. let's turn now to the transition of power coming to washington, d.c. president-elect trump has chosen matthew whitaker to serve as ambassador to nato. whittaker briefly served as acting attorney general in the last trump administration when jeff sessions was asked to resign. vice president-elect jd vance will be back on capitol hill

today, rallying support in the senate for the cabinet nominees. nbc's alice barr has more on that effort. >> reporter: in a public push for president-elect trump's embattled pick for attorney general matt gaetz, vice president-elect jd vance joining the former congressman on capitol hill, sitting down with the republican senators who will decide whether to confirm him. >> the senators have been giving me a lot of good advice. i'm looking forward to a hearing. folks have been very supportive. >> reporter: that as the bipartisan house ethics committee in a closed-door meeting could not come to agreement on whether to release results into an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and drug use which gaetz forcefully denies. >> there was no consensus on this issue. we did agree that we would reconvene as a committee on december 5th to further consider this matter. >> reporter: the investigation ended when gaetz resigned from the house last week.

and house speaker mike johnson about a now-private citizen should stay private. the committee's republican chair saying that report has not gone through the review process. >> i have some reservations about releasing -- >> i really don't care to comment on the status of the report, except to say that we were in a position to vote today. >> reporter: president-elect trump standing by gaetz as he keeps naming administration picks, tapping former world wrestling entertainment executive, linda mcmahon to lead the department of education, which he campaigned on shutting down. >> sending all education and education work and needs back to the states. >> reporter: the president-elect also announcing tv personality, physician and former pennsylvania senate candidate, dr. mehmet oz to head the centers for medicare and medicaid services. in washington, alice barr, nbc news. mr. trump's nominee to lead

the defense department has faced backlash for his views on women serving in the military. in his book and in interviews, pete hegseth said that he made it clear he doesn't think women should be allowed to fight on the front lines. but current defense secretary lloyd austin spoke exclusively with nbc news, and he disagrees. >> they do impact readiness. they make us better. they, they make us stronger. and, again, what i've seen from our women is quite incredible. and i'm not, i'm not -- this is not hyperbole. i'm telling you what i've seen. >> that sentiment was echoed by retired general mark milley. he served as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff under trump. he spoke at an event in washington d.c. last night. >> what's your take on women in combat in the military?

>> women have been in combat. it doesn't matter when that 762 hits you in the chest. nobody gives a [ bleep ] whether you're man or a woman. you're still dead. it should be a standards-based, merit-based military. >> milley says the u.s. military is still the most powerful in the world. the u.s. expects its embassy in kiev to return to normal operations after specific information about an air attack forced the embassy in ukraine's capital to close yesterday. it comes as ukraine launched its first strike on russian territory with u.s.-supplied long-range weapons and after vladimir putin lowered the threshold for a nuclear strike. let's go to matt bodner for the latest. good morning, matt. >> reporter: frances, good morning. tension was high in kiev yesterday, following that u.s. embassy statement but the ukrainian military has since said it was part of a russian

psychological operation aimed at scaring the public. zelenskyy said panic only helps the russians but he did urge ukrainians to heed warnings. russia has already conducted some of its largest missile and drone attacks on ukrainian cities since the start of the war just over 1,000 days ago. with that in mind, yesterday's concerns were amplified by the contexts. there have been a number of significant developments, beginning with the biden administration lifting some restrictions on american long-range weapons on russian territory. we've seen similar restrictions lifted by some european allies on their weapons and ukraine has already conducted strikes with these weapons.

vladimir putin on tuesday announced alterations to his nuclear doctrine which appeared to lower his threshold for this use. they said they're not surprised by the move. the kremlin does have a history of trying to scare the west with nuclear threats when things don't go its way. frances? >> matt, thank you. here at home, another wildfire has ignited. this time in berkshire county, massachusetts. the fire has torched nearly 1100 acres in the mountains and is continuing to grow, now just a quarter mile from some structures. as of yesterday, it was 0% contained. and fire crews are working to keep the flames at bay. but the steep terrain is posing a dangerous challenge. so far, there are no evacuation orders. let's check back in with nbc meteorologist michelle grossman for the trouble on the east coast. good morning, michelle, but trouble we will welcome. a little bit of a nuisance, but so needed. >> i know my windshield wipers were working overtime, but i was thankful for it. we are looking at rain this

morning, much-needed, beneficial rain. it's not going to clear the drought out, but it's going to help at least a little bit. we have a system moving through, the biggest rain for the season for this area, with really the biggest rain since september for many of us. heavy snow developing in the appalachians. and later on we could see snow in the poconos and lakes, the up. and it looks like a nice day.

in the south in in the south central states in the 60s. we're back in a minute with the face trans plant. what you hope for when life tosses lemons your way. cirkul, available at walmart and drinkcirkul.com. if you're frustrated with occasional bloating or gas, your body's giving you signs. it's time to try align. align probiotic was specifically designed by gastroenterologists to help relieve your occasional bloating and gas. when you feel the signs, it's time to try align. when you smell the amazing scent of gain flings... time stops. (♪♪) and you realize you're in love... steve? with a laundry detergent. (♪♪) gain flings. seriously good scent. ♪♪ [laughters] mom. ♪♪ mmmmmmm. repeat the sounding joy. [laughters] kinder joy.

[laughters] open a world of surprise. a man's life transformed forever after going the second and most-complex face transplant ever performed at mayo clinic. from our rochester affiliate, we have the story. >> reporter: march 4, 2014 was like any other for the family, going to bed with plans to go to church the next day. that was the day derrick puff made an attempt on his life. >> derrick doesn't remember getting the gun. derrick doesn't remember that night. derrick doesn't remember shooting himself. >> reporter: derrick lost his face, changing his and his family's lives forever. >> derrick was in good shape, and they didn't anticipate derrick making it. >> reporter: from 2014 to 2020, derrick underwent 58 reconstructive surgeries. the 58th was supposed to be his

last. but it didn't work. the puffs were left with only one option, a face transplant. >> it was a big decision to make, if he wanted to pursue that avenue. and he said, mom, i've went through 58 surgery, why would i not finish now? >> reporter: which led derrick to mayo clinic. >> derrick, when he came to us for his facial deformity. he wasn't saying i want a face transplant. he was saying i want to be normal again. >> reporter: the doctor performed the first face transplant in 2016. when he met derrick, a lengthy process began. dr. mardini planned the operation for months. they combed through donors. blood types, skin type and age. then in february 2024, derrick finally got the call. he had a match. >> all of a sudden the door came open. we have a donor. >> reporter: the surgery lasting more than 50 hours. then, on march 5th, ten years to the day of derrick's incident,

he got to see his new face. >> it's like, wow. >> derrick now an advocate for suicide prevention, encouraging others struggling that there is hope. >> it all happened for a reason. a lot of good has come out of it. >> just remarkable. our thanks for that. if you or your loved one is struggling and need help, call or text the suicide and crisis lifeline at 988. coming up, mcdonald ales aims for a bounce back. how the fast food giant is looking to boost sales after the e. coli outbreak. why coachella is dropping its why coachella is dropping its next lineup earlier than ever.—- a once-daily, extended-release td treatment for adults. ♪ as you go with austedo ♪

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>> how big a plane? >> that part is a little dramatic. >> robert pattinson is reportedly once again joining forces with christopher nolan for a new feature film project. the e film will feature film wi ensemble cast. nbc universitial will distribute the film. it is expected to hit theaters july 27, 2026. can you imagine, you're able to get major a-list names. >> there's a lot of them. all of the pairing up is going to be a blockbuster for sure. the 2025 coachella lineup is out earlier than ever. and it's jam-packed. lady gaga, green day and post malone will highlight, and other

artists like missy elliott and charli xcx will also perform. presale tickets are out tomorrow. i always love the pictures that come out of there. >> and the festival is core, when it comes to the boots, the fringe. they've got their lineups. it's now a matter of nailing down the logistics. you've heard of all the nightmares of people getting stranded, having to walk for hours. hopefully there's time to iron all that out. we've got good news for turkey lovers this thanksgiving. and this appealing piece of art just sold at auction. but the cost? not your average inflation price not your average inflation price tag. with tremfya®, most people saw 100% clear skin... ...that stayed clear, even at 5 years. 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

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unusual thigh bone fractures have occurred with evenity®. building bone? we dig it. want stronger bones? ask your doctor about evenity ® . here's what's making headlines this morning. thanksgiving meals are cheaper this year thanks to lower turkey prices. according to the american farm bour poe federation, the cost for a feast for ten will run about $58. about 5% less than last year.

mcdonald's is working on a new mcvalue approach for 2025. it includes keeping a $5 menu meal menu. operators are still voting offering, but the initiatives look like they will pass. pamela hayden, the voice actor behind simpsons' actors says she is retiring from the show after 35 years. and a banana duct taped to a wall just sold for $6 million. the artwork labeled "comedian" in twoint. that smells good! or turn it down... hmm. nice and light. enjoy 40 days of freshness, your way. ♪ lalalalala ♪ look g for a reason to try the new $5 meal deal at mcdonalds? here's one, two, three, four and the price makes 5. that's everything you get with the new $5 meal deal

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from the end zone to the ufc, the trump dance is taking over pro sports. steven romo looks at why pro athletes are taking a page out of the president-elect's playbook. >> so play ymca. there we go, nice and loud. >> reporter: it may be donald trump's signature shimmy. ♪ ♪ but this dance move now the latest victory celebration to take over pro sports, from gridiron football on sundays. to international soccer matches. >> christian pulisic has the early goal! >> reporter: the trend first performed two weeks ago by 49ers star nick bosa. >> what was said during halftime? >> reporter: a day after he was fined almost $12,000 by the nfl for wearing a maga hat in this post-game interview in violation of the nfl's uniform policy. >> nick bosa with a message there. >> reporter: the nfl telling us,

there's no issue with a celebratory dance such as what took place on sunday or the previous week with the 49ers. >> i think the nfl is creating some different lanes here, whereas they see a dance as a celebration, as doing something right, they're not just doing it. they're celebrating something that's been accomplished. versus an overt political statement that involves words and a particular political campaign. >> reporter: u.s. national soccer team captain, christian pulisic distancing himself from politics and trump, after celebrating with the dance. telling the athletic, it was just a dance that everyone's doing. he's the one who created it, i just thought it was funny. and it's not the first time trump's dance moves have crossed over into the cultural zeitgeist. ♪ you used to call me on the cell phone ♪ >> reporter: back in 2015, he poked fun at drake in this hotline bling parody on snl. but this latest trend, perhaps less a parody and more celebration, in line with

trump's second white house win. >> i think that one of the things to think about with these players in this particular age group, which was certainly a demographic that we saw an uptick, a significant uptick, a double-digit uptick in how they voted in this election. >> reporter: mma heavyweight john jones even performing the dance directly to president-elect trump in the ufc octagon. >> man, what are you going to say to donald trump? check it out. >> reporter: ushering in what could be a new type of "dancing with the stars." and next they'll be saying, "i like my suitcase", after that dance. thanks to steven romo for that report. you know what i'm referring to, right? get on tiktok, go viral, you'll figure it out. thanks so much for waking up with "early today," i'm frances rivera. see you here tomorroy. w.

right now. at five, rain arrives

in