blizzard-like conditions blanketing parts of the midwest and northeast, causing dozens of traffic incidents and collapsing the roofs of several buildings. meteorologist angie lassman is here tracking how long the snow will last. a growing mystery in new york and new jersey now gaining the attention of capitol hill. lawmakers are demanding answers about car-sized drones seen for several days now and growing frustrated with the biden administration's limited insight. amid the search for a missing american journalist in syria, another detained american is found, freed from the prison where he was held for months. what he told nbc's richard engel about his ordeal. a couple crushed by medical debt finally getting some relief. their insurer reversing course after a nbc news report. and are shopping malls making comeback? how gen z is abandoning online shopping in favor of the good

old brick and mortar stores. "early tod" starts right now. good morning, and thanks for joining us. i'm jessica layton. we begin this friday morning with a nasty winter storm slamming the great lakes region, creating perilous conditions out there. shocking video out of michigan showing a truck losing control and slamng into first responders who are already there working on another crash. the driver of the truck has minor injuries. parts of new york are under a state of emergency. dozens of cars became stuck on the roads upstate as that snow quickly piled up. >> did you guys just come off the road? >> no, a couple hours ago. >> you've been stuck here for a couple hours? >> yes. >> we might be able to get you out here in a second. i don't know about you. you're really in there. >> he sure is. in fact, officials in one county say they responded to at least 50 traffic accidents in just 24 hours.

so, for an update on this winter blast and what happens next, let's go to nbc meteorologist angie lassman. she has been tracking it all for us thimorning. what a mess. >> what a mess indeed. and we're going to start to ee things improve through the rest of our day today. we've got a little bit of snow working across ohio and pennsylvania. but we're going to likely see improvements. the lake effect warnings are still up. winter weather advisories are still going to be there for a little while longer, then we'll start to slowly but surely see things quieting down. the bitter chill is here to stay. notice parts of the upper midwest. one degree in minneapolis but feeling like minus 9. even as far east as roanoke feeling like 25 degrees this morning. afternoon highs not all that much warmer for a lot of folks,

especially across the northern tier. the warmer air is centered across the middle of the country and eventually that does spread to the east. 50 degrees in cincinnati and st. louis. and then the rollercoaster ride of temperatures continues, jessica. we get back to the near 60s by tuesday. >> all right, angie, thank you. new details about how police say luigi mangione fled new york city after allegedly murdering unitedhealthcare ceo brian thompson. the nypd said think lost the suspected shooter after he took off from the scene on an ebike. he went into central park and ended at a bus stop in uptown manhattan. the chief of detectives now telling nbc news how they believe mangione fled to pennsylvania. >> we believe he may have taken the subway back to penn station and then made his way to philadelphia from there. >> mangione current remains in a pennsylvania prison. yesterday his lawyer filed a petition contesting mangione's

detention, arguing pennsylvania has not prove than mangione was in new york the day of the murder or provided probable cause that he was responsible for this crime. an extradition hearing is set for december 30th. well, now to the growing mystery in the skies over the northeast. members of congress are demandnding answs about the drone sightings over new jersey and some other states, asking for clarity about what they feel could be a security threat. nbc's ryan nobles has more from capitol hill. >> this is over my house right now. >> reporter: as mysterious drones continue to pop up in the skies over the east coast. >> now it's hovered over my other neighbor's house. >> reporter: lawmakers in washington are growing frustrated that the biden administration isn't explaining what they are. >> you see the internet's running wild with conspiracy theories. do you feel like the administration needs to fill that void? >> well, they, i think they should get out something as quickly as they can.

>> reporter: theories are running wild about what the objects may be. one new jersey congressman said think were being launched by an iranian mothership off the coast. the white house saying an investigation is under way but there is no cause for alarm. >> right now? there's just no indication that this is some sort of foreign, malign activity or in fact even criminal. >> reporter: adding the objects being seen in the sky aren't even necessarily drones. >> it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully. >> reporter: and while the pentagon has said they aren't military drones, and they do not come from a foreign threat, senators like new york's kirsten gillibrand are demanding more information. >> we cannot simply say they're not causing any harm. do we know that? what are they doing? and who's s sendinthem? >> reporter: the fbi is leading this investigation, but they are getting help from both the faa and dhs, but none of these agencies have revealed any information about what their probes have discovered. meaning the mystery of what's up in the sky continues.

>> all right, ryan, thank you. turning to syria now where a young american who was held for months by the assad regime is finally free this morning, although there's still no word about american journalist austin tice who disappeared 12 years ago. richard engel is there. >> reporter: as we drove through damascus looking for information about missing american journalist austin tice, suddenly, a video appeared online. an unidentified group claimed to have found an american who'd been held by the former regime. we immediately contacted our sources. information is coming in piecemeal. the latest that we just heard is that, yes, an american was found but not tice, a different american, who'd been traveling in the region on some sort of pilgrimage. he was in a small house packed with rebels, aid workers and journalists, and there on the floor was travis timmerman from missouri. as i pushed in, i knocked our

microphone, making it buzz. what is it, seven months that you've been here? >> yes, i was in prison for okay. months, but it's been i'm on a pilgrimage, and that's when i was arrested. >> reporter: timmerman says he crossed into syria from lebanon without a visa. what did they say when you were picked up? >> i was interviewed to see if i was a political actor, but then they cleared me, essentially. and then i was just held in prison. i wasn't beaten or anything like that. >> reporter: timmerman was freed on monday when the rebels overthrew the government and broke into jails to free political prisoners. he was found walking barefoot and alone. >> last night i slept outside. and then the night before that i slept with a friend. and the night before that i slept in an abandoned apartment. >> reporter: have you been in touch with your family? >> i haven't, but i plan to do that when i can. >> i was excited. but i was hurt. >> reporter: we spoke to his mother and stepfather back in the u.s.

>> you always want your kids safe. you know. i don't know, i don't know if he's safe right now. >> reporter: you said this was a religious mission, was this sort of following in the footsteps of jesus, road to damascus, that kind of thing? >> i heard the voice of god. >> reporter: now a free man after his religious journey met the harsh reality of the modern middle east. timmerman told us he didn't see any other americans while he was held captive by the assad regime and knows nothing about the whereabouts of austin tice. >> all right, richard, thank you. evacuation orders in southern california now beginning to lift this morning, as firefighters make progress against the franklin fire in malibu. so far, the fire has burned more than 4,000 acres and destroyed several homes. officials now say it is about 30% contained, with firefighters getting some help from the rain and cooler temperatures. nearly 4,000 residents have been

allowed to return home. another 1600 a under evacuation. so, could the west coast continue to get relief this weekend? let's go back to nbc meteorologist angie lassman for the answer on that. >> the answer is yes. they'll get a little bit of rain in southern california. they're going to get heavy rain and heavy snow in parts of northern california and points north of there. but notice how many winter alerts are spread across the map this morning. 8 million people, parts of the midwest, you're going to see the chance for accumulating ice as well as heavy rain. that freezing rain today centers over parts of nebraska, across that region. here's the areas we're going to watch for difficult travel across this region. minneapolis to kirksville, davenport, omaha. we'll see heavy rain bring us a couple inches of rain. in the for green bay but

plenty of sunshine. more sunshine on tap for new york and boston with highs into the low 30s. and that's a look at your forecast, jessica, back to you. >> all right, we'll take the sunshine, thanks, angie. on sunday, the rams and 49ers might have combined for over 80 points. last night, different story. >> to give the 49ers the lead, and jake moody is able to bang that one through. >> neither team managed to score a single touchdown on this rainy thursday night football in santa clara. despite the conditions, l.a. made enough big plays to stay ahead, and they neutralized san fran. they stay alive in the playoff hunt, 12-6. coming up, the big winners

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and is gentle for my skin, and her's too. for an effective clean that's gentle on skin, all you need is all free clear. we're back now with a couple getting a new start after their secret struggle with some crushing medical debt. nbc's christine romans on the life-changing news on this crisis that has impacted so many americans. >> reporter: for 15 years, donna and gary lindeberry worried they'd lose the home they built in the mountains of western north carolina. >> you wake up every day, and you wonder, is this going to be my house tonight? >> reporter: it started in 2009. gary lindeberry's heart attack required a quadruple bypass. at 64 years old, the retired factory worker didn't have insurance, figuring in six months he'd be eligible for medicare. >> i said we don't have the money for this.

i can't do this. >> reporter: he told the doctor he'd just go home and wait. >> he was pretty plain that i didn't have six months. i probably didn't have two days. >> reporter: the bills for his care totaled close to $100,000. >> i wouldn't have made that in five years. >> reporter: the hospital sued the couple for payment, putting a lien on their home they kept their plight a secret. did you tell your kids? >> no. both of us come from families that paid their bills. >> reporter: by one estimate, americans owe $220 billion in medical debt, a leading cause of bankruptcy. the lindeberrys paid what they could but barely made a dent. then came the story of terry belk. you weren't running away from these bills. >> no, i wasn't running away. i was trying to actually pay them. >> reporteter: the nth carolina man who was struggling with medical debt he took on for the cancer treatment of his late wife more than 20 years ago. >> like an albatross around my neck. >> reporter: after belk's story

aired on nbc "nightly news" back in september, a few days later, belk received a call from the hospital. >> they're going to be lifting liens and canceling judgments. >> reporter: not long after belk had that call, the lindeberrys received their news. >> i'd say the first thing i felt was just a tremendous weight was gone. >> cancellation of judgment. >> reporter: advocate health, the parent company of atrium was canceling the judgment against them. zeroing out the $92,000 of debt that was hanging over their heads. >> we're both just ecstatic. >> reporter: advocate heth has stopped taking new liens out and is canceling judgments against 11,500 families in six states, totaling millions of dollars. in a statement telling nbc news, quote, removing judgment liens on homes to recover unpaid medical bills was a natural next

step in our ing efforts to make sure patients aren't burdened by medical costs. you built it and part of it belonged to the healthcare system. but now it belongs to you again. >> yeah, it's ours. >> reporter: the lindeberrys now free to enjoy their health and their home. christine romans, north carolina. the eras tour may have ended. but the accolades keep coming in for taylor swift. find out the history she just made at the billboard music awards. plus all the other big winners of the night. other big winners of the night. 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... 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

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it means the world to me that you guys have embraced the things i've' made and the fact that you've cared so much about my music. this is like the nicest early birthday present you could have given me. thank you very much. >> taylor swift couldn't close out 34 without making a little more history. she took home ten more prizes at

billboard's music awards, including top artist, top streaming artist and top billboard 200 artist. she holds the title of the winningest artist with 49 awards. zach bryan took the runner-up spot with five awards. also in non-swift awards, chappell roan was named top artist. the show also featured plenty of performances from award-winning acts, including shaboozey and jelly roll. what will taylor swift do next? she wins 150 awards last night. >> i don't know that there are other awards for her left to win. she has done so much in so many arenas. she's got to find some random award. not many people are worthy of opening for beyonce, but the queen of christmas is. there will be a pre-taped

arrangement of all i want for christmas is you. carey's festive kickoff will be the warmup for the ravens facing the texans. halftime will of course feature a cowboy carter christmas starring, you guessed it, beyonce. how much more festive can we get? no one's complaining about that performance for sure. >> that will be in our head all day. coming up, check your giant water mugs. stanley is issuing a major recall. and dumbledore lands a star on the walk of fame. lands a st on the walk of fame.

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and her's too. for an effective clean that's gentle on skin, all you need is all free clear. and here's what's making headlines this morning. stanley is recalling more than 2 million switch back and trigger action stainless steel travel mugs due to a lid defect. the mugs' lids treads shrink, causing the lid to detach causing a burn hazard.

consumers can contact stanley for a free replacement lid. another price hike for youtube tv. it will increase to $83 a month. the service launched in 2017 for $35 a month. buzz feed has sold the first we feast studio for $85 million. it's home to the wing-eating talk show, hot ones. the host of the show, shawn evans along with other investors bought the studio. and jude law received a star on the hollywood walk of fame. his career spans three decades, starring in films like "the holiday." ring in films like "th holiday." ♪ vapocooooool l ♪ woah. dayquil vapocool. the vaporizing daytime, coughing, aching, stuffy head, power through your day, medicine. ( ♪♪ ) feel the power of osteo bi-flex®. taken every day, it's clinically shown to improve joint comfort in 7 days,

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holiday resurgence for malls. according to a n survey, gen z is forgetting about online shopping carts and choosing to shop in stores. melissa repco has the story. >> i typically am an independent person, but i love going to the mall with someone. >> reporter: despite a number of closures, u.s. malls are making a comeback due in part to a surge in younger shoppers. nearly 60% of shoppers 18-34 say they shop at the mall often or sometimes, compared to 48% of 35-55-year-olds. members of gen z born between 1997 and 2012 are spending money at physical stores at a similar rate to their grandparents. >> i love going to the apple store or to abercrombie. >> reporter: she is a 23-year-old from marlboro, new jersey. her shopping journey begins online. >> i like to get the experience of looking through a whole entire catalog, website. >> reporter: but it often ends

at the mall. >> i can collect all the items that i want on an app and then go into a store, like abercrombie, american eagle, and i can go in, and i can actually shop all of my photos or all of my collections. >> reporter: gen z-ers say they like to shop in person because it allows them to touch and feel what they're buying, and they avoid shipping charges. there are about 69 million members gen z. they make up about 20% of the u.s. population. the group has the pending power of about $150 billion. do you ever buy online and pick up at the mall? >> i love doing that. free shipping, it comes really fast. it's here in one to two days. and if it doesn't fit i can return it. >> reporter: it comes with other perks.

some of it is instant gratification. >> i'd rather go pick up the pair of jeans. >> reporter: and it's an activity they can do with their peers. 60% of gen z say they meet with friends. >> reporter: a lot of people say malls are dying, they don't have any relevance. what would your response be? >> i don't think they're dying. i think they're evolving. every time i go to a mall, they're definitely thriving.g. >> our thanks to melissa for that report. and coming up on the "today" show, the holiday rush begins. your ultimate guide to making sure christmas gifts arrive on time for the big day and tips to save money on shipping. you do not want to miss this. thanks for waking up with "early today." i'm jessica layton, have a great weekend. great weekend.

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