the christmas travel week is off to a chaotic start. trains coming to a halt in the northeast corridor as amtrak goes dn for hours, leaving so

many passengers stranded. the suspected shooter in the death of a health care ceo due back in court today. luigi mangione set to be arraigned on new york state charges of murder and terrorism. what his attorney is saying about how he will plead. president-elect donald trump making his biggest speech since his election in november. we're live from d.c. with what he told the turning point usa conference, including addressing rumors that elon musk is pulling all the strings. new fallout from blake lively's allegations against her "it ends with us" co-star. the major talent agency that just dropped him. and as we approach the christmas holiday, we look back on the good news that brought us so much joy this year. it is monday, december 23rd, and early "today" starts right now. good morning, and thanks for joining us. i'm jessica layton. we begin this monday and the holiday week with a travel

nightmare in the northeast. delays, cancelions, and winter weather as millions begin their holiday travels. nbc's priscilla thompson has more. >> reporter: line after line after line, this was the chaotic scene at new york city's penn station where hoards of rail passengers were left stranded for hours. how long have you been -- >> we -- >> reporter: routes between new york and philly, d.c. and new york, and boston and d.c. delayed d or canceled due to downed power lines blocking tracks and equipment unavailability, amtrak says. how frustrated are you? >> i'm enraged. and our christmas celebration is -- this evening. we have gifts and trying to get out of here. >> reporter: all of this couldn't come at a worse time for holiday travelers, desperate to get where they're going. lake caroline keen. >> there are so many delays this time of year. really choose amtrak because you can count on the trains.

>> reporter: at the airports, mostly clear skies. things getting a little better after days of winter weather. across the country, there have been more than 4,000 delays, but fewer than 100 cancelations. back at penn station, many left hoping for a miracle on 31st street. do you think you're getting out today? >> i don't think so. i want to know sooner rather than later. >> our thanks to priscilla for that report. accused killer luigi mangione is expected to be arraigned in new york city today. the 26-year-old is facing an 11-count indictment that includes state charges of first-degree murder and terrorism in the killing of united healthcare ceo brian thompson. his lawyer now saying late last week that mangione will plead not guilty to all state charges. the manhattan da's office said it was coordinating with federal authorities who are holding mangione in a brooklyn detention center. mangione was flown to new york city last week after waiving extradition.

he will be detained until his next hearing come is expected -- which is expected in mid-january. to a frightening scene at a mall in texas when a man drove into a jcpenney store during a high-speed chase. the driver is john darrell shultz who was killed by olice after plowing through the killeen mall. our texas affiliate has more. >> reporter: the killeen community is left shaken and shocked after 53-year-old john darrell shultz crashed into the jcpenney. he injured five, their ages reportedly ranged from as young as 6 to 75 years old. on sunday afternoon, the mall was opened to the public, and dozens drove past the scene. one killeen family said while the situation is over, they're now reluctant to visit the mall or any public place. >> it made me reluctant. i was itant. today we had a successful trip.

we got what we wanted. but it definitely made my anxious. i was on high alert like looking, kind of scoping out kpilts exits. reminded me when i was in school and like school shootings would happen. everyone would kind of like get a game plan of how they would exit afterwards. >> reporter: the family added that they send well wishes to everyone injured in this situation. >> our thanks to adriana alexander for that report. president-elect donald trump just made his first major public appearance since winning another term in office. he spent sunday in phoenix rallying supporters at a conference for the conservative group turning point usa. mr. trump spoke about his cabinet picks and says that russian president vladimir putin wants to meet as soon as possible. nbc's chris pollone joins me from d.c. he also addressed the rumors that his billionaire bestie, elon musk, is pulling the strings behind the scenes. >> reporter: yeah. that's right. good morning to you. the spacex ceo has been a near

constant presence in mr. trump's orbit since the election. and democrats blamed both president-elect donald trump and elon musk for tanking a funding deal, sending congress into chaos right before the holidays. lawmakers were able to narrowly avert a shutdown, passing a plan to keep the government funded until march. in his speech mr. trump did not address the budget battle directly but did defend elon musk. >> all the different hoaxes and -- the new ne is president trump has ceded the presidency to elon musk. no. no. that's not happening. we want to thank him. but no, he's not going to be president, i can tell you. and i'm safe. you know why? he can't be, he wasn't born in this country. >> matt gaetz also spoke. the former congressman hinted at what might be next for him after

he withdrew from consideration for attorney general. he says he might run for marco rubio's senate seat if rubio is confirmed as secretary of state. any future camampaign mit be complicated. the house ethics committee will release its report into allegations of sexual misconduct and drug use, allegations that gaetz denies. a source tells nbc news the committee is expected back at the capitol this morning, so we could see that report released as early as today. >> all right. lots to happen. chris, thank you. new questions this morning about the health of a member of congress who has not voted since july. the son of texas congresswoman kay granger says his mother is in a senior living facility and that, quote, dementia issues have kept her away from congress. a spokesman denies that granger is in memory care. in a statement granger says she has been navigating unforeseen challenges that make travel to washington difficult. the 81-year-old is not seeking re-election, but she is being

paid by taxpayers to represent her district until january 3rd. two u.s. navy pilot were forced to evect over the red sea because of an apparent case of friendly fire. central command says the american jet was shot down early sunday morning by the "uss gettysburg." it appears to have mistaken the jet for enemy aircraft. the two pilots ejected safely, and they werrescued by u.s. forces. the f-18 was part of a strike group carrying out operations against the iranian-backed houthi rebels in yemen. officials say a full investigation is now under way. the faa is trying to figure out why multiple drones crashed and fell onto a crowd saturday night during a holiday drone show in orlando, florida. this video shows hundreds of drones in the sky when several of them appear to move out of sync. one person was taken to the hospital. the city of orlando apologized for what it called technical difficulties during the show.

will it be a white christmas? i know so many of you want to know. nbc's michelle grossman is tracking wet and snowy weather from the plains to the northeast. michelle, good morning. >> good morning. we're waking up to ten million people under winter alerts from the northern plains to the northeast. we will see a quick burst of snow today and also tomorrow. this is what the outlook looks like today. we will have trouble specially along the northeast. a series of fronts will move through bringing lower elevation rain, higher elevation snow. record warmth in the southwest. looking dry through parts of new england. it's a chilly start in new england, the mid-atlantic, the northeast, and only getting to near 24 degrees in new york city this afternoon. 36 in d.c. a chilly day there. then by tomorrow the west staying very active. notice that rain falling from washington to california. seeing the snow, as well. we'll be dry throughout the northern and central plains. parts of the central plains will

see rain, though, into the southern plains. some could be heavy at times. there's that quick burst of snow throughout the great lakes into the northeast tomorrow. new england, as well. just 25 degrees in bangor on christmas eve. this is christmas day, crisp and clear in new england. temperatures right above freezing in new york city. we'll see those rain showers li ng the southern plains. looking at temperatures mainly in the 70s and 80s. 80 in corpus christi. that's your monday forecast. >> thank you. coming up, we've got all the highlights from sunday night football and the rest of the week 16 action. first, growing fallout from llatnslively's aegio against her co-star from the hit movie "it ends with us." w with r and it keeps our clothes fresh all day!

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all right, boys. try and keep up. >> come on, grand-daddio. we've got dirt to do. >> with shadow's power, we can rule humanity. >> it's not hard to top the box office when you're rolling around at the speed of sound. "sonic the hedgehog 3" debuted at number one taking in $62 million. meanwhile, mufasa will have to wait longer to be king. "lion king's" prequel came in at number two with a disappointing $35 million. "wicked" rounded out the top three with $13.5 million. now to new fallout from blake lively's sexual harassment allegations against her co-star and director of the hit movie "it ends with us." now the author whose book inspired that movie in the first place is speaking out. david noriega has the latest. >> reporter: scandal rocking

hollywood. >> blake! >> reporter: as the fallout begins from blake lively's explosive allegations against co-star justin baldoni. talent agency giant wme telling "the new york times" it dropped baldoni from its roster one day after lively filed a legal complaint accusing him of sexual harassment and retaliation. >> i want to see you again. >> now you see me. >> you know what i mean. >> reporter: he starred in and directed the box office hit "it ends with us," a film about domestic violence based on the bestselling book by romance novelist colleen hoover. hoover herself coming out in support of live leave on social media this weekend, urging her to never change, never wilt. the allegations first made public in a "new york times" investigation by megan touhy whose reporting in hollywood helped trigger the me too movement. why do you think it's important in this moment? >> it's a story that raised questions about the integrity and authenticity of the online

narratives that exist today and to what extent they're being manipulated by people for hire. >> reporter: the 80-page complaint, a precursor to a possible lawsuit, alleges in graphic detail harassment by baldoni on the production set, including kissing and touching lively in unwanted ways during filming and commenting on her appearance, weight, and sexual history an attorney for baldoni calling the allegations categorically false. lively and baldoni never promoted the first together after its release sparking rumors of a feud with lively coming under fire on line. >> i'm wondering if blank is actually the problem. >> reporter: something she alleges was the result of a smear campaign masterminded by baldoni's crisis pr team. >> this reveals a new playbook. this raises questions about who else is sort of being targeted. to use their own language, they used the terms social manipulation. >> reporter: the legal battle only beginning, the pr battle raging on. david noriega, nbc news, los

angeles. still to come on "early today," that's not what he wanted. dallas makes baker and the bucks walk the plank as their path to the playoffs becomes harder. that and the sunday nfl action when we come 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 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. ♪ incoming dishes. —ahhh! —duck! dawn powerwash flies through 99% of grease

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♪ he got a peek -- rush, hangs in. fires -- touchdown! hold on to the ball! >> leave it to the cowboys to play some of their best football with nothing at stake. despite being eliminated from playoff contention hours before sunday night football, dallas delivered what could be a major blow to a red-hot buccaneers team. tampa's hopes of a comeback were dashed by two crucial turnovers in the fourth quarter including a wild fumble recovery by daron bland. the cowboys killed the streak 24-26. first time cowboys missed the ploft since 2020.

-- playoffs since 2020. i know a few people saying boo hoo. >> a lot of people. in they be -- despite injury concerns, detroit stayed on top of the nfc putting on another defensive showcase against the bears, 34-17. they have to duke it out against the white-hot division rival the vikings. they eked out a crucial win, 27-26 over the seahawks with two touchdown kasz by justin jefferson. after three weeks of the mvp play, josh allen led the bills finally in the spotlight. james cook scored two touchdowns, and buffalo's defense brought in another as they dampen the patriots 24-21. and you would think it was the fourth of july. the frontrunner for rookie of the year threw five touchdown passes in the commander's win.

the birds couldn't overcome losing, jalen hurts took possession early, and that unfortunate respect to by smythe. the eagles eye ten-game win streak came to the end with the 36-33 loss. painful. >> my condolences. i can't believe we have hit week 16. in golf an early highlight for the son of the g.o.a.t. >> really good contact. this is a great looking shot if it's the right number. oh -- >> it is the right number. hole in one! >> charlie woods made his first-ever hole in one playing alongside his father at the pnc championship. despite charlie's historic efforts, it was not enough for a victory. the woods finished as runners up in the tournament falling to bernhard langer and his son jason in a playoff. is that not the dream for every father and son? >> i love that -- his daughter

was the caddy. just the whole family affair. when we come back, the fda gives the gsd to treat a -- guys the go ahead to treat a condition with a popular weight loss drug. are you drmieang of a green christmas? how much the next winning mega millions ticket could be worth. no way. ♪♪ if you have postmenopausal osteoporosis, and are at high risk for fracture, you can do more than just slow bone loss. you can build new bone in 12 months with evenity®. evenity® is proven to significantly reduce spine fracture risk. she said the evenity® she's taking builds new bone. builds new bone! evenity® can increase risk of heart attack, stroke, or death from a heart problem. tell your doctor if you have had a heart attack or stroke. do not take evenity® if you have low blood calcium or are allergic to it, as serious events have occurred with evenity®. signs include rash, hives, swelling of the face or throat, which may cause difficulty in swallowing or breathing, muscle spasms or cramps, numbness, or tingling. tell your doctor about severe jaw bone problems,

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we're back with what's making headlines this morning. the fda has approved the weight-loss drug zepbound to treat obstructive sleep apnea, a common condition that makes it hard for some people to breathe properly as they sleep. the fda's authorization is for those with obesity and moderate to severe sleep apnea. it's the first prescription medicine approved to treat the condition. party city is closing all stores after almost 40 years in business. the company filed for bankruptcy for a second time after mounting financial struggles. going out of busess sales are already happening with discounts up to 50%. all 700 stores will close by february. 12,000 people will lose their

jobs. netflix says it has secured exclusive rights to stream the fifa women's world cup in the u.s. for the 2027 and 2031 tournaments. coverage will include commentary and original documentaries. it's the first time the tournament will appear on a streaming service. and mega millions jackpot now $944 million. the seventh largest ever. the next drawing is tomorrow night at 11:00 p.m. eastern. we'll be right back. (background noises) hey! get off your— (donkey hee-haws) citrusy. ahhhhhhhh! (crash) show-off! (♪♪) mountaaaain dew! dad i got a huge barbeque wing stain. this bottle says i need to pretreat. that stuff has way more water. a a little b 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. long after guests leave, viruses and bacteria linger. air fresheners add a scent.

but ly lysol air sanitizer helps erase the trace, eliminating odor and killing 99.9% of viruses and bacteria in the air. scent can't sanitize. lysol can. whoa! how'd you get your teeth so white? you gotta use the riright tootaste! dr. c?! ♪♪ not all toothpastes whiten the same. crest 3d white removes 100% more stains for a noticeably whiter smile. new personal best. crest. finally we want to start your week off with good news. here's jose diaz-balart and hallie jackson. ♪ .

>> reporter: there were so man moments that inspired us this yeyear ♪ profound words of wisdom from a beloved crossing guard retiring after almost 20 years. >> the world belongs to you guys. you goat to make a difference -- got to make a difference in the world. that's what i want for all of you, to make a difference. ♪ happy birthday to you ♪ >> on campus, these guys giving their dorm security guard a birthday he'll never forget. >> this is first time someone is going to celebrate my birthday for me. since i've been in this country. thank you. [ applause ] >> reporter: so much love and solidarity. >> no -- please no. no. >> reporter: people supporting each other during tough times. >> nobody should fight cancer

alone. so i'll do it with you. >> reporter: in this season of light new beginnings. >> i'm happy to grant the adoption and make it official. yay! [ cheers ] >> reporter: adoption -- >> the adoption is granted and rendered. yay. >> reporter: after adoption. nearly 20 kids in all finding their forever families in texas. >> nay have given me the opportunity to be a mother because i didn't have any kids. ♪ o say can you see by the dawn's early light ♪ >> reporter: andhere were people united in song. ♪ what we proudly we hailed ♪ >> reporter: lifting their voices for our national anthem. ♪ the twilight's last gleaming ♪ >> reporter: a double dose of

pride for this navy sailor meeting his new baby and becoming a u.s. citizen all in one week. >> there's a joy i cannot describe. i don't cry easily. but i -- i have her and was like this is part of me. becoming a u.s. citizen was like a cherry on the pie. i'm living the dream. ♪ of the land of the free ♪ >> reporter: americans spreading joy, giving each other hope, all year long. ♪ and the home of the brave ♪ >> our thanks to jose diaz-balart and hallie jackson. thanks for watching "early today." m

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