" i'm tom llamas in new york. stay right there, there's more news on the way. news on the way. the house ethics committee releasing a bombshell report

finding that matt gaetz paid for sex with a minor. lui mangione pleading not guilty. and mangione's lawyer says she's worried he won't get a fair trial. from shocking assassination attempts to an incumbent president bowing out. 2024 was a historic year in politics. we have a look back. a lopsided victory sends the packers to the playoffs. we have all your monday night football highlights coming up. and a head coach leads her team to a national championship, all while battling cancer. we have her story on this christmas eve, as "early today" starts right now. starts right now. good morning. i'm jessica layton. this christmas eve, a former florida congressman is facing the fallout of a damning ethics

report. matt gaetz strongly denies breaking any laws, but a years-long report from the house ethics committee accuses him of committing several illegal acts while he was representing florida in congress. nbc's ryan nobles kicks off our coverage. >> reporter: a bombshell report on capitol hill. the house ethics committee revealing the results of their investigation into former congressman matt gaetz. determining there is substantial evidence that gaetz violated house rules related to prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges and obstruction of congress. democrat glen ivy, a member of the committee, voted to release the report. specifically, they pointed to an encounter gaetz had with a woman who testified she had just finished her junior year in high school and was only 17 when she and gaetz had sex twice at a

party. gaetz has repeatedly denied having sex with anyone underage, and the woman says she did not tell gaetz she was 17. the committee also detailed $90,000 in payments to 12 different women that investigators concluded was used to pay for sex and illicit drugs. while women testified the encounters were consensual, one witness testified that, quote, when i look back on certain moments, i feel violated. gaetz has admitted it's embarrassing but not criminal. but, despite gaetz' defense, the committee believes there could be enough evidence that gaetz violated state laws. >> i would think they would give strong consideration to investigating the allegations. >> reporter: he also points to a lengthy investigation by the department of justice that was closed without prosecutors bringing charges. despite these accusations, gaetz' political future remains open. he's not backed down from the idea of running for higher office.

>> maybe i'll just run for marco rubio's vacant seat in the united states senate. >> reporter: he was out of the running for attorney general. the committee's chairman argued if would set a bad precedent to release the report but a bipartisan majority of committee members believed the report's release was in the public's best interest. and gaetz made a last effort to prevent it from coming out. by the time the judge had a time to review the request, the report had already been released. >> rye >> thank you. in one of president biden's last acts as president he will be commuting the sentences of dozens of prisoners. president biden says he condemns the murderers, and he grieves for their victims but says he cannot stand back and let

executions resume. a spokesman for president-elect donald trump called this a slap in the face to the victims and their families. three men will remain on death row, including the boston marathon bomber, the killer of nine people at the mother emmanuel ame church and the mass shooter at the tree of lyphocin going. luigi mangione, the man accused of killing unitedhealthcare ceo brian thompson pleaded not guilty to murder and terror charges yesterday. his attorney arguing it will be difficult for the 26-year-old to get a fair trial after comments made by the new york city mayor. from our new york city station, sarah wallace has more. >> reporter: under heavy guard, luigi mangione handcuffed and shackled, walked through a crush of media into a manhattan courtroom. he wore a sweater and chinos. inside he was asked if he wanted to enter a plea to the 11-count indictment that includes murder in furtherance of an act of

terrorism. >> how do you plead, guilty or not guilty? >> not guilty. >> reporter: those are the only words mangione said in court. his attorney much more vocal. karen friedman agnifilo saying she is concerned about her client's right to a fair trial. she specifically cited the very public display when authorities escorted mangione from the heliport to manhattan federal court last week after he waived extradition from pennsylvania. >> they are literally treating him like he is, like, like some sort of political fodder, like some sort of spectacle. he was on display for everyone to see in the biggest staged perp walk i've ever seen in my career. it was perfectly choreographed. and what was the new york city mayor doing at this press conference, your hononor.

that made it utterly political. >> reporter: s referenced mayor adams' own legal troubles. >> and frankly, your honor, the mayor should know more than anyone of the presumption of innocence that he, too, is afforded in dealing with his own issues, and i submit he was trying to detract from those issues by making a spectacle of mr. mangione. >> reporter: the state charges against mangione could get him life in prison, but the federal murder charge could mean the death penalty. his attorneys vow to fight them. outside, a few dozen demonstrators voiced their support for him. >> free luluigi. former president bill clinton is in the hospital with a fever. clinton's deputy chief of staff says clinton was admitted to medstar georgetown university hospital for testing and observation. but we're told he's in good spirits and is grateful for the care that he's getting.

a source close to the 42nd president said the situation is, quote, not urgent and that clinton was awake and alert. the christmas eve travel day is looking wet and pretty wintry for parts of the u.s. nbc meteorologist michelle grossman is very busy tracking it all this morning. good morning. >> good morning, jess. great to see you. we're waking up to some snowow i some spots. some are going to see a white christmas. radar showing us where we're seeing precipitation. the west is really active, too, with that rain falling, and the south central states seeing lightning in portions of oklahoma. so that's the outlook for this christmas eve. we're looking at slick a.m. travel. spotty showers in the south central states and the west really active with heavy rain and snow. what does that mean for the e d

seattle to san francisco. we'll see slick spots, mainly of the northeast. even icy spots. then in the south central states, a chance for showers and gusty thunderstorms. that's your christmas eve forecast. >> all right, michelle, thanks. wishing everyone safe travels. one of the world's most active volcanos has erupted again, according to the u.s. geological survey, kilauea began spewing lava around 2:00 a.m. with fountains reaching 226 feet. the eruption has stabilized and entered a pause with no

immediate threats to human lives or roads. volcanic gas.erning thing g is e still ahead, the latest in football highlights and the year in politics. ighlights and the yr in politics. oral-b's dentist inspired round brush head hugs em, cleans em, and gets in between em, for 100% cleaner teeth. your perfect clean starts with oral-b. for more than a decade farxiga has been trusted again and again, and again. ♪far-xi-ga♪ ♪far-xi-ga♪ ask your doctor about farxiga. (♪♪) skincare can start in the laundry room. that's why i always recommend all free clear for sensitive skin. it's free of dyes and perfumes. it's a key part of my self-care routine. 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. when you really need to sleep.

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zone. adnan syed, the convicted murderer whose case was made popular in the podcast "serial" legal team says a request was filed that allows people in prison for at least 20 years for crimes when they were minors to ask for reductions. they will keep trying to overturn the conviction. another big retailer is filing for kruptcy. but first we look back at the historic year in politics. at t historic year in politics. the thousands of real people who go undiagnosed. 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

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it was no doubt one of the most chaotic election years in recent memory. from two assassination attempts

on a presidential nominee to an incumbent president stepping aside and naming his vp as his successor, all of it ending in a decisive victory. kate snow has this look back. >> reporter: it may be the biggest political comeback in modern american history. >> this was, i believe, the greatest political movement of all time. >> reporter: donald trump heading back to the white house after a year of dramatic highs and lows. the former president locking up the republican nomination with ease back in march. then, along the way to election day, battling two federal legal cases and a conviction in new york for falsifying business records in an attempt to cover up a hush money payment. >> that is 34 felony counts here, all guilty verdicts. >> reporter: trump's supporters undeterred. believing he could best tackle the economy and immigration. >> i'm the only one in history who got indicted and my numbers

went up. >> reporter: initially set for a rematch against president joe biden. >> i'm still the only person to ever beat donald trump. >> reporter: they made history as the oldest major presidential candidates in an election. a concern for voters, as whispers about biden's mental fitness grew louder. >> a special counsel referred to the president as an an elderly man with a poor memory. >> reporter: setting off three weeks of political upheaval. >> look. if we finally beat medicare. >> this night got off to a tough start for president biden. >> i think it's a legitimate question to say, is this an episode? or is this a condition? >> reporter: calls for biden to end his reelection campaign sidelined by an unthinkable twist. >> take a look at what happened. .

>> the 45th president of the united states injured but alive. >> all of this unfolding with republicans now gathering to officially nominate donald trump at their convention. >> reporter: with his ear bandaged, the former president accepting the nomination, two days after the attempt on his life. >> i stand before you in this arena only by the grace of almighty god. >> reporter: that same week, biden testing positive for covid. >> news broke of different democratic leaders calling for the president to step aside. >> my fellow americans -- >> reporter: days later, the president ending his reelection bid. >> i revere this office. i love my country more. >> reporter: endorsing his vice president, kamala harris, and upending the race with just over 100 days until the election. >> we choose freedom. ♪ freedom, freedom ♪

♪ ♪ >> thank you. >> reporter: harris campaigning on the issues of abortion rights and protecting democracy. >> ours is a fight for the future. >> reporter: trump pivoting to his new opponent. >> i didn't know she was black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn black. >> reporter: a convention coronation in august. >> i accept your nomination to be president of the united states of america. >> reporter: trump and harris meeting for the first time in their only debate. >> i've never seen a worse period of time. people can't go out and buy cereal or bacon or eggs or anything else. >> the government and donald trump certainly should not be telling a woman what to do with her body. >> reporter: the dangers of our nation's divisiveness still on display. >> fbi says there has been another possible attempt on former president trump's life. >> reporter: by fall, the critical battleground blitz. >> i'm a gun owner.

>> i did not know that. >> i think the bigger problem is >> reporter: a razor thin margin. podcasts taking center stage with harris and trump taking to the mic. and on election night? a decisive victory. >> we are now projecting that the next president of the united states is donald trump. >> the 45th president of the united states will become the 47th president of the united states. >> reporter: the electoral map a sea of red. the president-elect sweeping every battleground state. >> trump is overperforming, harris is underperforming in the counties she needs to win. >> reporter: trump's win fueled by increase support from women, independents, latino and black voters, becoming the first republican to win the popular vote since 2004. >> in new york city, trump has posted a 15-point gain from the last time around. >> reporter: the gop taking

total control of washington, ousting democrats to secure a three-seat majority in the senate and keeping control of the house. and one we won't soon forget.r. kate snow, nbc news. ews. when we come back, the container store is facing a setback. and craving crispy tenders? kfc's new spot has just what you need. s new spot has just what yu need. and services. i realized i could be successful in a civilian career. we stand by warriors and advocate for their needs going forward. they were by my side in the hospital, and they're still with me today. through our programs, community and advocacy, we're proving anything is possible. learn more at wounded warriorproject.org/connect what's up, you seem kinda sluggish today. things aren't really movin'. you could use some metamucil.

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we're back with what's making headlines this morning. another big retailer is filing for bankruptcy. the container store filing for chapter 11, citing its 243 million dollar debt. it should have no impact on customers, and all stores will stay open. nissan and honda in talks to merge and create the third-largest car maker in the world. changes not expected until at least 2030.

a nearly week-long strike by starbucks workers has expanded. they are demanding the company resolve legal issues around unfair labor practices. and kfc opened a new restaurant in orlando, focussed on crispy chicken tenders. it has 11 sauces, a nod to the 11 herbs and spices. more locations coming soon. atio. i love that my daughter still needs me. but sometimes i can't help due to burning and stabbing pain in my hands, so i use nervive. nervive's clinical dose of ala reduces nerve discomfort in as little as seven days. now i can help again feel the difference with nervive. (♪♪) skincare can start in the laundry room. that's why i always recommend all free clear for sensitive skin. it's free of dyes and perfumes. it's a key part of my self-care routine. 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. for more than a decade farxiga has been trusted again and again, and again.

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volleyball coach just led her team to a national championship this week while she's battling cancer. our emilie ikeda has her story. >> hannah again! >> reporter: with that point -- >> make room in the trophy case! >> reporter: they secured their eighth national title and the coach cemented her place in history. >> for that woman right there. >> reporter: the first woman to lead her team to win a division one volleyball championship. has that sunk in for you? >> no, it hasn't. it hasn't. i'm just thinking of, you know, everyone that's gone before me and just how grateful i am for them. >> reporter: history on the hardwood, playing out against louisville. a record-breaking crowd of more than 20,000. but the road to this sea of confetti and snow angels was not without adversity. in october, shoemaker collie revealed that she was diagnosed with breast cancer, promising to approach the disease with

strength, determination and an unwavering sense of hope. she continued coaching, in between, attending treatments in philadelphia. >> i felt normal when i go to the gym and when i'm with the team. and i'm grateful for this support. it's where i felt my best. >> reporter: jess merzic was the most outstanding player. >> that helped us as a group also believe that we are capable of this. >> repter: players praising her as an inspiration, reaching far beyond the court. emilie ikeda, nbc news. meanwhile, the world is paying respects to a cinema legend from down under this morning. burt, the crocodile who starred in "crocodile dundee" died over the weekend. his passing was announced by australia. he was estimated to be more than

90 years old. coming up on "today", keir simmons is in paris where the notre dame cathedral reopened. he brings us the heartwarming festivities surrounding the revival. and here's al roker with what else is ahead. >> this morning, dylan's going to conquer her fear of heights. and dennis quaid getting personal about his life and career. and walker hayes with his fun christmas hit. all that and more on the third hour of "today". thanks al, and thank you for watching "early today." i'm jessica layton. have a great christmas eve. i'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning. tomorrow morning.

conditions this morning as rain falls across the bay area. it comes just after that partial collapse of the wharf