♪ ♪ a holiday headache for travelers. back-to-back storms expected to throw a wrench in thanksgiving plans for millions hitting the roads and skies. meteorologist angie lashman is

tracking the trouble in what could be a record-breaking travel week. special counsel jack smith drops the cases against president-elect donald trump. we are live with the move to dismiss charges against the president-elect. plus, the terror threat against some of the country's biggest trading partners. a setback in the fight for freedom for the menendez brothers. why the judge delayed the hearing until after the new year. a reversal from the nation's largest employer. why walmart is rolling back diversity policies. drake strikes a cord with new legal action over kendrick lamar's streaming numbers. it is tuesday, november 26th. early today starts right now. glad you are up early with me. good morning. i'm frances rivera.

we begin with potential travel trouble looming over the u.s. this holiday week. 80 million americans are expected to hit the roads and skies this thanksgiving and weather could seriously hamper travel plans. our tom costello starts us off. >> reporter: with heavy rain expected midweek from the midwest through the east coast, travel pros warn it could be a week of delays just as nearly a quarter of the population travels 50 miles or more. in boston, an american plane clipped wings with a frontier plane. no injuries, both planes taken out of service, passengers rebooked. meanwhile, the faa warns a shortage of air traffic controllers could also slow operations this week. >> control, united 2238, gate charlie 29. >> prepping for the flight to newark. >> i want to confirm you guys will be de-icing at the gate. >> reporter: on this day a snowstorm dropped 3 inches on o'hare. >> we are going through some

snow and then some rain as well, so that will be our challenge operationally today. >> taking a look at the snow totals already. >> reporter: at united's open center they use ai to watch weather worldwide, moving planes and rebook passengers. >> reporter: what goes into a decision to delay or cancel a flight? >> we look at how many are on the flight, where is it going, how can we minimize disruptions to other flights if we have to cancel or delay flights due to weather conditions. >> reporter: gags nationally $3.05, a year ago $3.26. some peak congestion hours, tuesday at 3:45 p.m. on i-95 in boston. wednesday, 7:45 p.m., i-5 in l.a. sunday, 3:45, indy to chicago. while back on the flight deck -- >> passengers get frustrated

when there's a delay or a cancellation. >> and we do too. we want to go on time. we also have families to go home too. >> reporter: full flight. >> great perspective. thanks, tom. let's get a check on the holiday travel forecast with meteorologist angie lassman. good morning. >> good morning. we have spots to watch closely across parts of the northeast, the i-95 corridor specifically we will see a wet morning. we will see interior ice and snow for parts of new england, too. looking ahead to tomorrow, it is the rain across the ohio valley that will slow you down and we have snow for colorado. the east looks great. it is denver though and potentially chicago and st. louis you could see delays in the air. on the roads, the same spots, rockies in the midwest, slower go on the roadway because of the rain and snow. looking ahead to thanksgiving, a busy day across the east. plenty of rain and some interior

snow. the rest of the country looks pretty good. denver, chicago, plenty of sunshine there. i-70, i-95, i-20 across the east is where the rain will likely slow you down for thanksgiving travel. heading into friday, lake-effect snow across the great lakes will see cool and chilly conditions across the east and plenty of sunshine across the west. back to you. >> thank you. special counsel jack smith filing motions to drop all federal charges against president-elect trump. nbc's alice barr joins me. good morning. mr. trump was facing dozens of felony charges. >> reporter: good morning. that's right. the president-elect was facing four felonies in the election interference case and 37 felonies related to the mishandling of classified documents. the cases were slowed down by

appeals and were not close to trial. special counsel jack smith says his decision, quote, does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the government's proof or the merits of the prosecution. the justice department has a longstanding policy against prosecuting a sitting president. smith is expected to step down soon before the president-elect can fire him, something he promised to do. on social media president-elect trump called the cases empty and lawless and said they never should have been brought. there are still legal problems lingering at the state level. we are waiting do see what the judge will decide about dismissing the hush money verdict in new york and the georgia election interference case has been bogged down by appeals. the president-elect is not letting all of this stop him from getting to work. he just announced he will sign an executive order on day one to charge mexico and canada 25% tariff on all products coming into the u.s., and china he says

will be charged an additional 10% tariff on all of their incoming goods. mexico and canada are the top two trading partners of the u.s., and these proposed tariffs go against a trade agreement that was negotiated by the last trump administration. it went into effect in 2020. it is likely these tariffs would quickly face legal challenges. frances. >> thanks for the insight in what is ahead, alice. thank you. israel and lebanon hezbollah hezbollah are moving closer to a cease-fire deal amid continuing strikes from both sides over the weekend but a few issues are yet to be resolved which could take some days according to three senior biden administration issues. let's turn to nbc's claudio lavanga. >> reporter: good morning, frances. one of the officials from the biden administration you just mentioned said it may take a couple of days to finalize the cease-fire deal between lebanon and hezbollah.

despite this further small delay, while there is widespread optimism across the board the deal may be finalized in the end, on monday the white house national security advisor john kirby said that the talks had been productive but also warned that nothing is done until it is done. now, the comments were also echoed by the israeli ambassador to the united nations who said that the deal has not been finalized yet but it is moving forward. now, and yet the optimism around this cease-fire deal doesn't mean that the conflict has stopped in lebanon. on the contrary, over the weekend israel carried out airstrikes that killed at least 20 people in and around the capital beirut, while hezbollah fired at least 200 rockets into israel. now, the cease-fire deal will only involve lebanon, not gaza, but the families of the hostages who are still being held in gaza said that any deal including this deal should include the

demand for the release of the hostages from gaza because they say that the conflict in gaza and lebanon are linked, frances. >> claudio, thank you. the menendez brothers have been waiting nearly 30 years for freedom, but it looks like they will have to wait a little longer after a judge pushed back their resentencing hearing until january. the judge argued the newly elected da nights time to review the case as does the court. the original sentencing was scheduled for december 11th but now it will be january 30th. the brothers' attorney says he hopes they will be released by then, if not sooner. a woman will spend 25 years in prison for fatally shooting her neighbor through the door. susan lorincz was convicted of killing a.j. owens, a mother of four. she was banging on the front door to confront her for yelling at her young children. neighbors say she had a history

of harassing children and using racial slurs. the judge called the shooting, quote, completely unnecessary. a man who drove a car off a parking garage in evansville, indiana, is pekted to face charges for reckless driving. the car went through the roof of the 7th floor and plunged into a casino conference center. the driver was taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. let's check in with meteorologist angie lassman with the post-thanksgiving travel. you covered us goleaving, how about going? >> we have a couple of storms impacting. we will watch for additional snow across the region today. there's one storm system we will keep a close ooh on. for today slick travel from nevada to colorado. we will see that on the move for tomorrow, and that means that slick spots across parts of the great lakes, cincinnati to st. louis and stretching to memphis

dealing with snow and potentially some rain, but for folks there we will see this work into unfortunately the east as we get through thanksgiving. this means wet, kind of slow travel across that region and this will be something we will deal with even on the backside of thanksgiving as it starts to move out. cooler air will move in. it will be a busy one across the region. again, the heavy snow and wind likely wil l cloudy skies. 39 degrees in chicago today. plenty of sunshine for green bay and minutes. and that's a look at your forecast, frances. back to you. >> appreciate it, angie. thanks. it was a rematch over ten years in the making on "monday night football." the ravens, coached by john harbaugh, went up against the chargers coached by younger

brother jim harbaugh. it was a close contest through the first three-quarters, but like the 2013 super bowl showdown it was the older harbaugh who got the last laugh. >> here is hill. he gets the first down. and on he goes. inside the 10. end zone, touchdown! >> ravens running back justice hill exploded to 51 yards to punch in the game-sealing touchdown for the ravens. john harbaugh remains undefeated versus his younger brother with a 30-23 victory. "early today" is back with an employee accused of hiding over $150 million in expenses. and a dei reversal at america's biggest retailer. why walmart is rolling back its diversity initiatives. people whose psoriasis can look very different depending on their skin tone. as the makers of tremfya®, we understand that everybody's moderate to severe

plaque psoriasis doesn't look the same. so, we undertook a first-of-its-kind study of plaque psoriasis in every skin tone. like hers and his and yours. 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. ask your dermatologist about tremfya®. ♪ ♪["dedicated to the one i love" by shirelles]♪ ♪♪ nothing tastes as good as that first bite. so... get a 10 piece chicken mcnuggets© for just... $1. ♪ ♪ the nation's largest retailer is rolling back its diversity initiatives, but first another record day on wall street. the dow soared about 440 points

yesterday, closing at an all-time high. the s&p nashedotched a new reco. karen gilchrist is here with a look at what fuelled the rally. good morning. >> good morning. the dow and the s&p hit all-time highs. this was as investors celebrated president-elect donald trump's pick for treasury secretary, scott bessent. now, the markets see the former fund manager as a positive for equities and they also see him as taking a slightly more cautious approach to trump's proposed tariffs, but, of course, we have seen overnight trump has suggested he will be moving ahead with tariffs on china, canada and mexico so we can expect some volatility perhaps in markets going into tuesday. ambassadors will be looking ahead today 20 minutes from the fed's last meeting for an indication on the future path for interest rates, and we will be seeing a lot of movement this week with a shortened trading

week ahead of the thanksgiving holiday on thursday and a shorter trading day on friday. elsewhere, walmart has decided to roll back some of its diversity efforts and to remove some of its lgbtq-themed items from its website. now, this is seen as another of companies who are sort of responding to increased conservative voices against these kind of diversity, equity and inclusion measures, and it is also in response perhaps to the supreme court ruling last year to roll back affirmative action for colleges. we see that walmart is the latest company here that's sort of making amends there as a result of the changes. >> we are seeing it happen more and more. karen, thank you. macy's says an accounting employee hid up to $154 million in expenses over several years. the retailer reported stronger than expected third quarter earnings, but says it is delaying the full results while finishing an internal investigation. macy's said the person is no longer employed there and that

there's no indication that their conduct impacted cash management or vendor payments. still to cutch, stich comes to life in the latest disney adaptation. drake took his break from this beef, and now the superstar takes aim at the number one summer jam right after this. igh. incoming dishes. —ahhh! —duck! dawn powerwash flies through 99% of grease and grime in half the time. yeah, it absorbs grease five times faster. even replaces multiple cleaning products. ooh, those suds got game. dawn powerwash. the better grease getter. ♪♪

[laughters] mom. ♪♪ mmmmmmm. repeat the sounding joy. [laughters] kinder joy. [laughters] open a world of surprise. downy light adds a subtle fresh scent to your wash. it doesn't overwhelm like: it's campfire leather musk overload. because downy light is gentle and balanced. it's a nature inspired scent, to breathe life into your laundry. (background noises) hey! get off your— (donkey hee-haws) citrusy. ahhhhhhhh! (crash) show-off! (♪♪) mountaaaain dew! regina king is in our studio looking radiant as ever. don't cover up your glow. ♪♪ flawless. all eyes on you. skin esteem is a beautiful thing. ♪♪ we all need fiber for our digestive health,

but less than 10% of us get enough each day. good thing metamucil gummies are an easy way to get prebiotic, plant-based fiber. with the same amount of fiber as 2 cups of broccoli. metamucil gummies. the easy way to get your daily fiber. my name is douglas. i'm a writer/director and i'm still working. in the kind of work that i do, you are surrounded by people who are all younger than you. i had to get help somewhere along the line

to stay competitive. i discovered prevagen. i started taking it and after a period of time, my memory improved. it was a game-changer for me. prevagen. at stores everywhere without a prescription. ♪ ♪ whop. whap. >> experiment 626 is on the loose in the world and the first look at "lilo and stitch" live adaptation of the 2002 classic features the original voice of stitch, chris sanders. it invades theaters on may 23rd. if you look ahead, this is

full-on live-action because you have mufasa of "the lion king" and snow white to look forward to when we calm down from the whole "wicked" extravaganza. >> exactly. it has been interesting seeing how many live action remakes they make. we will see that in may. instead of new bops we are getting court filings. on monday drake initiated legal action against universal music group and spotify. the superstar alleges the label conspired with the streaming giant to artificially boost lamar's "not like us." he accused the label of an illegal scheme to inflate the popularity of the eventual number one hit. a rep said that the accusations were untrue. it is interesting they're both represented by the same group, so how does that work?

>> who are you going to side with? yeah, taking it to another level. maybe when somebody drops something new it was like, all right, we've got -- >> divert. >> -- build it up again and get it started. when we come back, why the blue man group is fading to black in two major cities, and an early present with anyone with a sweet tooth. the holiday presents from krispy kreme and dairy queen. ispy kreme and dairy queen. tear edges, charmin ultra soft smooth tear has wavy perforations that tear so much better for a smooth more enjoyable go. plus it has more cushiony softness than ordinary squares. try charmin ultra soft smooth tear. voted #1 product of the year. can neuriva support your brain health? mary. janet. hey! eddie. no! fraser. frank. frank. fred. how are you? support up to seven brain health indicators, including memory.

when you need to remember, remember neuriva. mr. clean magic eraser... wow - where has this been my entire life? support up to seven brain health indicators, including memory. having to clean with multiple products is a hassle. with magic eraser... i use it on everyday messes. i even use it on things that i think are impossible to clean. you need mr. clean magic eraser in your life. i know we only just met, but i can't imagine my life without you. [dog whimper] (♪♪) what's up, you seem kinda sluggish today. things aren't really movin'. you could use some metamucil. metamucil's psyllium fiber helps keep your digestive system moving so you can feel lighter and more energetic. metamucil keeps you movin'. and try fizzing fiber plus vitamins.

looking 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 at mcdonald's. dad i got a huge barbeque wing stain. this bottle says i need to pretreat. that stuff has way more water. a little bit of tide goes a long way, so you can save your shirt and maybe even a little money. moat the... library.s right... for a better clean with less... it's got to be tide. ♪♪ [laughters] mom. ♪♪ mmmmmmm. repeat the sounding joy. [laughters] kinder joy. [laughters] open a world of surprise. ♪♪ herbal essences is a force of nature. our shampoos and conditioners are made with supercharged botanicals. ♪♪ these sulfate-free formulas deeply penetrate

and replenish nutrients. ♪♪ to boost hair health in just one wash. ♪♪ all without the salon naturals price tag. ♪♪ ♪♪ it's supercharged herbal essences. ♪♪ ♪ ♪ here 'what's making headlines this morning. microsoft 365 had major outages impacting services like outlook and teams. users reported that they couldn't access their e-mails or calendars. microsoft said a system update caused the issue. tiger woods won't play his own tournament amid his recovery from back surgery. the golf legend says he won't be competing in next week's heroes world challenge in the bahamas. he expressed his disappointment he won't be playing but looks forward to hosting. the blue man group is ending

shows in new york and chicago. kristi cream is rolling out the merry grinchmas doughnut collection on friday. you have the inspired treats including a santa belly doughnut and a whoville christmas tree. dairy queen is bringing back its holiday december deserts including a peppermint frozen blizzard and frozen hot chocolate. i'll be right back. i'll be right back. emfya... with rapid relief at 4 weeks. tremfya blocks a key source of inflammation. at one year, many people experienced remission... and some saw 100% visible healing of their intestinal lining. 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.

healing is possible with tremfya. ask your doctor about tremfya today. ♪ (background noises) come on, let's go! get off your— (donkey hee-haws) citrusy. ahhhhhhhh! (crash) touchdown! (♪♪) mountaaaain dew! ♪ ♪ we are back with the incredible journey for a christmas tree we first told you about last week. it arrived at the white house after a long trip from hurricane-battered north carolina. stephanie gosk has the story.

>> reporter: by horse-drawn carriage, a special 20-foot fraser fir arrived at the doorstep of the white house, the end of its roughly 400-mile journey from cartner's christmas tree farm in north carolina. >> they named it tree-mendous for the extraordinary hope it represents. >> reporter: cartner's and other farms in the region were hit hard by hurricane helene. >> three, mend, us. so this tree is going to mend us. >> reporter: tree-mend-us will stand tall in the blue room. in the '50s first lady mamie eisenhower placed a tree there every christmas, a tradition that has carried on through administrations. the honor of supplying the tree goes to the farm that must first win state regionals, then nationals, only to be dubbed grand champion grower. we visited the farm last week where the fir began its journey to stardom.

>> the taper is number one. it has absolutely perfect taper on it. >> reporter: what makes perfect taper. >> well, it is not too this way, it is not too slim. it is just right. >> reporter: handpicked after the farm by white house staff, volunteers from around the country will now do the decorating. >> out of the whirlwind of glitter and garlands will come the warmth and comfort of the season. i can't wait for you all to share in it. >> reporter: the white house ending the great christmas tree debate. a tree this nice can definitely go up before thanksgiving. stephanie gosk, nbc news. and the white house already celebrated one thanksgiving tradition. for the final time in office, president biden spared the lives of two turkeys. >> raised by the -- yeah, i hear you. peach wants to speak a little bit. peach is making a last-minute plea here. i hereby pardon peach and blossom. keep calm and gobble on. >> the turkeys were named after

delaware's state flower, the peach blossom. they will retire to a farm in southern minnesota. all right. as we get our preps ready for thanksgiving we have this coming up on "today." a special preview of the macy's thanksgiving day parade from the floats to balloons, and here is al roker with what else is ahead. >> this morning on the third hour of "today," a special look back at thanksgiving day parades from years past. plus, two fantastic thanksgiving recipes to try on "today" food, and a performance by jeremy zucker and chelsea cutler, all coming up this morning on the third hour of "today." >> thank there.

more news on the way. uilding up this week, as people head to their holiday destinations. the faa dealing with air traffic controller shortages, as storms threaten to