remembering an american trail blazer who touched lives around the world. former president jimmy carter has died at the age of 100 at his home in plains, georgia. the nation's longest-living president shaped the model for life after office, leaving his mark as a human rights champion,

a peace maker and paragon for decency. the tributes pouring in for carter from around the world. a look back at his unbelievable love story with rosalynn carter. the investigation into a south korean plane crash that killed 179 people. we're live with the possible cause. and a deadly tornado outbreak tears across the southeast. at least four dead and thousands left without power from texas to georgia. our team is tracking where that system is heading next. and the rush to return holiday gifts, where unwanted presents find a second chance. it's monday, december 30th. "early today" starts right now. good morning. i'm frances rivera. we begin with tributes pouring in for the 39th president of the united states, jimmy carter. president biden says it was an honor to call carter a close friend for decades.

and in remarks overnight he expressed at that millions felt the same way. >> millions of people all around the world, all over the world, feel they loves a friend as well. even though they'd never met him. that's because jimmy carter lived a life measured not by words but by his deeds. >> former president obama also recognized carter's life of service, saying he did not just profess his values, he embodied them. president-elect trump says carter did everything in his power to improve the lives of all americans, and for that we owe him a debt of gratitude. president biden proclaimed that january 9th will be a day of national mourning. nbc's mark barger has a look back at jimmy carter's life and legacy. >> i jimmy carter do solemnly swear. >> reporter: jimmy carter personified the person dream, rising from farm life in the rural south to become the 39th president of the united states. he was born and raised in the

small hamlet of plains, georgia. after serving in the navy he returned to plains and made a success of family's peanut farm. he also married his wife. he began his political career as a state senator before winning the governorship. >> my name is jimmy carter, and i'm running for president. >> reporter: carter's 1974 campaign for the white house began as the longest in long shots. in the wake of watergate and vietnam, he narrowly defeated gerald ford in 1976. the carter presidency was highlighted by the camp david but economic recession and high interest rates crippled his term in office and the iranian hostage crisis devastated it.

americans grew frustrated with the situation and the aborted rescue attempt. ronald reagan's sunny optimism ended carter's reelection bid. private citizen carter began a new career, helping build homes for the poor in america. making habitat for humanity an international name, even while focussing on global humanitarian causes. in 2002, jimmy carter won the coveted nobel peace prize. but, in 2015, at the age of 90, he announced he was diagnosed with melanoma, which had spread to his brain. >> i was surprisingly at ease. you know, i've had a wonderful life. i've had thousands of friends. >> reporter: carter underwent cancer treatment and recovered, remain active well into his 90s, teaching sunday school at his south georgia church. even after suffering a series of

falls, carter's resilience allowed him to continue building homes for habitat. >> i say peace and human rights and treating everybody the same has been what i hope will be my legacy. >> reporter: by the end of his life, jimmy carter had won the deep respect and admiration of not only americans but people around the world. mark barger, nbc news. >> president carter will be honored with events in washington, d.c. and also across his home state of georgia. priya sridhar has more from atlanta. >> reporter: i'm here outside the carter center in atlanta where they have confirmed that the 39th president of the united states, jimmy carter, did pass away at the age of 100, making him the longest-living president of the united states. he, of course, was born here in georgia, began his career in politics here, entering the state senate, being elected to the state senate and then to the governor's house here in atlanta. he of course went on to the white house.

and we're hearing an outpouring of condolences from world leaders and former presidents who are remembering him and his accomplishments. he, of course, came back to georgia after his time in washington, d.c. and started the carter center, where he worked for decades, doing humanitarian work, trying to eradicate diseases around the world. he traveled to move than 80 countries, also monitoring elections. and all of that work ultimately earned him the nobel peace prize. he also, in addition to all his professional accomplishments is being remembered as a devoted husband and loving father. of course the last time we saw him in public was at his wife rosalynn carter's funeral last year. but his health had been deteriorating. he had been in hospice care since february. he is now survived by his four children, 11 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. and we've got a memo from the carter center that said that

president carter had requested that those who were wishing to honor his memory do so through acts of service to humanity. and of course we're continuing to await logistics regarding his funeral service, but we do know that there will be public observances for him both here in atlanta and this washington, d.c. there will be a state funeral for him in washington, d.c. but ultimately, he will be buried back in plains, georgia, where he was born. reporting in atlanta, priya sridhar, nbc news. >> chip carter says, my father was a hero. not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights and unselfish love. my brother, sisters and i shared him with the rest of the world. through these common beliefs. jimmy carter, the 39th president of the united states dead at the age of 100. turning to south korea where a fiery plane crash has left

families devastated after 179 people on board were killed sunday. there were just two survivors who were hospitalized after being pulled frorom e wreckage. we should warn you, some of the images are disturbing. claudio lavanga joins us. what more do we know about this tragic accident? >> reporter: good morning, frances. well, what we know is that that plane took off from bangkok, thailand, and just as it was approaching its final destination, the airport in south korea, the pilot declared mayday after issuing a bird strike alert. well, now, what we know is that the plane then touched down, apparently without landing gear on its belly. it just skidded off the runway, crashed against the barrier and exploded into a fireball. now, as you mentioned, 179 people, nearly all on board, including 11 students from elementary, middle and high schoolere killed in that crash, only two people survived. apparently crew members.

they were rescued. they were taken to hospital. now authorities say they sustained moderate injuries and are conscious. now, it would be down to investigators to establish what really caused that crash, if it really was a bird strike. the aviation authorities are already saying that that is the primary cause, and we did see that engine in this footage that was aired on local television in south korea. we did see fire coming out of that engine just before landing. but it will take about six months to three years for this investigation to close. what we know is that this was a very modern and safe plane. a 737-800 boeing, considered, with an accident safety track record and still, it was involved in what is being considered now the worst aviation incident in south korea in three decades. frances? >> a tragic end to the year for those involved. claudio, thank you. at least four people are dead as multiple tornados and storms wreaked havoc in the

south over the weekend. in the city of brandon, mississippi, a woman was nearly crushed by a tree that toppled onto her house. >> the roof was falling in on me. i mean, stuff is falling on my head and my face. the dog is right there beside me. he won't leave me. >> he must have been terrified. >> saturday's storms alone produced more than two dozen preliminary tornados across texas, mississippi. now millions are picking up the pieces as we head into the new year. and this morning, another round of rain and snow hitting the east. let's turn to nbc meteorologist angie lassman who's tracking it all for us. good morning, angie. >> good morning, frances. that's all part of the same system we've been watching for days and days, with the severe threat much lower today. we're going to look at snowshowers spinning across parts of the great lakes. as we take a look at this system, it's eventually going to be out of here. notice the rain across new

england. it will be heavy at times. umbrellas needed for folks there. on the backside of this, we'll see winds really ramp up. 60-plus miles per hour is what we're expecting. now big picture look for basically the next couple days as we roll into 2025. we've got record highs possible across the south. still we're going to see another system working across parts of the plains. that's going to leave us with slick conditions for anyone traveling on the road or maybe in the air. we'll see a storm system developing here as we get into tuesday. and plenty of clear skies for most o dallas. plenty of sunshine in san antonio today. 78 in tampa and orlando. and that's a look at your forecast, frances, back to you. >> all right, thanks so much, angie.

coming up, the overtime thriller in sunday night football. and we're back with a growing battle in president-elect trump's inner circ over worker visas. (splash) protect mode. adding lysol disinfectant spray to your cleaning routine is 3 times more effective at stopping the spread of germs. ♪♪ did you know.... 80% of women are struggling with hair damage? just like i was. pantene miracle rescue deep conditioner with melting pro-v pearls. locks in moisture to repair 6 months of damage. for resilient, healthy-looking hair. if you know, you know it's pantene. when your clothes come out looking newer, longer... you get to take them for a spin. again... ...and again... ...and again. persil cleans and helps keep clothes looking newer, longer. get that new clothes feeling. wash with persil. feeling backed up and bloated? good thing metamucil fiber plus probiotics gummies work harder for your digestive system. with fiber to help promote gut health. and probiotics to help relieve occasional bloating.

so you can feel your best. metamucil fiber plus probiotics gummies. we are back now with the growing rift in donald trump's inner circle. the president-elect now expressing his support for h-1b visas that are typically granted to tech workers. aaron gilchrist has the story. >> reporter: an immigration cyber battle brewing among supporters of president-elect donald trump. far right activist laura loomer taking to x to slam trump's new artificial intelligence adviser for easing restrictions on skilled foreign workers coming to the u.s. loomer launching a series of posts, such as our country was built by white europeans, actually, not third world invaders from india.

>> it's about becoming indentured servants at lower wages. >> reporter: the controversy is over h-1b visas. letting highly-skilled tech workers work in the u.s. for six years. the tech industry is heavily reliant on foreign workers. musk saying if you want your team to win the championship, you need to recruit top talent wherever they may be. >> i think this is a pregame, a sign of things to come. the tensions between what you call the populist nationalist wing of the republican party and the new tech elite. >> reporter: while trump has promised a hard-line on illegal immigration and mass deportation, many in the tech industry are pushing him to expand legal immigration for high-skilled workers. an idea he's hinted he's open to for foreign students. >> somebody graduates at the top of the class, they can't even

make a deal with the country because they don't t think they can stay in thcountry. that is going to end on day one. >> are they going to focus on the best talent or a more protectionist agenda. 2024 may be ending tomorrow, but the race to the nfl playoffs is just getting started. find out which teams areocng home field advantage and shattering records as we recap week 17. re-mark the spot. resolve gets rid of pet messes better than the leading competitor. destroying stains, neutralizing odors, and preventing re-marking. love the love, resolve the mess. the first time you try bounce, it hits you. your laundry feels way fresher, softer. so you start to wonder. if i put a sheet of bounce on the finance guy, will it make him softer? bounce can't do it all but for better laundry, ♪ put a sheet on it with bounce. ♪ always dry scoop before you run.

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two rookie quarterbacks gave us a back and forth battle with nothing less than the playoffs on the line in sunday night football. jayden daniels and the washington commanders controlled much of the second half, but michael penix jr. brought the falcons right back into it, throwing the tying touchdown pass to kyle pitts, after atlanta missed the w walkoff fid goal, daniels ensured only one team would be touching the ball

in overtime. >> it is jayden daniels, end zone! it is caught for the touchdown! >> the rookie capped off a season of sensational plays by finding veteran tight end zach ertz for the game-winning score. the commanders punch their ticket to the playoffs, 30-24. so, with this win, the rams also officially clench the nfc west, thanks to tiebreakers. you also have the falcons. meanwhile, they're going to need some help to make the playoffs for them. >> it was an exciting game nonetheless, but good for the rams. i'm sure rams fans are happy about that. now sadly for atlanta, last night's loss isn't the only thing standing between them and the playoffs. baker mayfield served up a five-touchdown masterpiece against the panthers sunday as the bucs keep their hopes of a fourth nfc title alive, 48-14. elsewhere, the bills had no problem locking up the two seed, dropping four touchdowns of their own, 40-14.

aaron rodgers earned the honor of being the most sacked quarterback in nfl history. the birds' 41-7 rout of the cowboys featured saquon barkley rushing for 2,000 yards in a season. and it's going to take one final game to crown the kings of the north and nfc itself. sam darnold led the vikings to a huge 27-25 win over the rival packers. the vikes' victory sets up a prime time match with the lions to determine who will have home field advantage for the playoffs. it doesn't matter who gets the home field advantage, but we'll see. >> here we are on week 17 and the jets really painful, and aaron rodgers with that record. at least he has a sense of humor, joking this is one record that he's had tom brady beat.

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re's what's making headlines on this monday morning. if you spend more than 10 and a half hours a day sitting or lying down, a new study suggests exercise may not be enough to offset the detrimental heart risks. it put people at 80% higher risk of heart failure. according to new research, a single cigarette can take up to 20 minutes off a person's life. nearly double what a study found in 2000. and good news for teenagers in the u.s. drinking, smoking and marijuana use declined this year.

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mouse ears or this holiday lawn flamingo, you might be surprised to find that holiday gift you just didn't want, well, it didn't go back on the shelf. it comes to places like this, where tens of thousands of items a day will come in, returns that will be someone else's discounted treasure. so how big is this facility? >> this building is just over 100,000 square feet. it has about 10,000 items coming in every day. >> reporter: he is the general manager of liquidity services. part of a growing industry of companies that have made a business off returns, with a boost from the holidays. for retailers, checking returns, then putting them back on the shelves takes time. costs money and requires more staff. >> there's also an unboxing that has to happen. if a retailer is online only, there's a warehousing aspect. >> reporter: so, instead, companies like jeff's take the stuff off their hands and then

turn around and sell it. and they're busier than ever. >> sometimes we will do this as a service to retailers, and sometimes we'll just buy this inventory from them directly. >> reporter: each day bringing literal truck loads of surprises. so what's coming off the truck? you don't know what's in there sometimes? >> could be anything under the sun. >> reporter: step one. sort through all of those returned items. >> we're walking by pallets of mostly returns. and, again, this is any kind of product. we see furniture. we see home items. we see kid pools. >> reporter: step two. inventory the items and check the quality. then, a quick photo for listing online, where buyers bid. >> you win the auction, then you come and pick up your items. >> reporter: so you come here once a week about? >> about once a week. >> reporter: stacy adam buys home products at 80% to 90% off and then resells them on facebook. it's like treasure hunting.

>> it is. >> reporter: shoppers save big, and that unwanted stuff doesn't end up in the landfill. >> consumers really want great deals, and they want product that they feel good about buying. >> reporter: although once taken off the lot, all sales are final. no returns. brian cheung, nbc news, pennsylvania. >> so now we can make those returns guilt free. thanks for kicking off your week with "early today." i'm frances rivera. have a great monday and a great new year's eve eve. see you back here tomorrow.

this morning, the nation remembers former president jimmy carter. his lasting legacy stretched far beyond the walls of the white house, thanks to his lifetime of service. his dedication to human rights and the pursuit of international peace. the 39th president of the united stes died at his home in