sales tax. what fills your heart about ireland? the coast. the people. if you find any pearls, give them to me. okay. all right. hi. how are you? the crack. i'm coming, i'm coming. ta da! three. two. one. oh, there we go. fill your heart hello, everyone. i am kate snow. zinhle essamuah is off today. nbc news daily starts right now.

today, monday, december 30, 2024. tributes pouring in, the world is remembering president jimmy carter today. he died at the age of 100 on sunday. we will take a look at is unlikely rise from peanut parmer to president and his lasting presidency both in and out of the oval office. american authorities are assisting the investigation into that deadly plane crash in south korea. the new questions being raised today and why families are increasingly frustrated and angry. that i was home of an nba superstar ransacked, the latest in a string of break-ins targeting high-profile athletes. what the thieves got away with. having a ball, the countdown is on for the biggest new year's celebration in the country. how police in new york city are planning to keep everyone safe and why it could be a saudi celebration. -- saudi celebration

a state funeral will be held on thursday, january 9 -- and it has been declared a national day of mourning by president biden. the 39th president of the united states died at his home yesterday. he was 100 years old and had been in hospice care for nearly two years. later today, a prayer vigil will be held at the home church of president carter in plains, georgia, where he taught sunday school for decades. flags are flying at half staff for 30 days, the longest period of time under federal law, an honor only reserved for sitting and former presidents. president biden said he lost a dear friend and called president carter a man for all time. >> jimmy carter lived a life measured not by words but by

deeds. he forged peace, advanced civil rights, human rights, promoted free and fair elections around the world. he built housing for the homeless with his own hands. >> president-elect donald trump paid tribute on social media, posting in part that the challenges jimmy faced as president came at a pivotal time for my country. he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all americans. for that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude. joining me now, priya sridhar was outside the carter center in atlanta. and then andrea mitchell is with us as well. what else do we know about the services being planned for jimmy carter? >> reporter: whenever a former president passes away, it is up to the family to determine exactly how they want the funeral services or memorial services to remember and honor his legacy.

in this case, we are waiting for the carter center to put out the schedule, that as you mentioned, a state service will be held for former president carter in washington, d.c. on january 9. between now and then, his body will be moved from georgia, which is about three hours away from here in plains, georgia, to atlanta. he will likely stay here in atlanta for a few days. there will be an opportunity for members of the public to pay their respects and see the casket in the meantime, there is a growing memorial that you can see outside of the carter center. people are leaving flowers, candles, a chalkboard, and a jar of peanuts to remember his roots, where he came from, a peanut farming family, of course. >> andrea, you have covered president carter for years. i wonder if you have a favorite story like when you are talking to family or friends about

president carter. >> reporter: i think of him going to havana, cuba, wanting to deal with human rights issues, but also wanting to break the barriers with the embargo that has been going on for more than 50 years. he played baseball with fidel cast. baseball is a passion in cuba. that is one of my favorite memories. also, he and troubleshooting around the world and, most importantly, jimmy and rosalynn carter at habitat for humanity, my last interview with him in 2019 on my program was after he had fallen. he had a black eye. he and rosalynn carter were building houses again. nothing was stopping him from doing that. he came on hour show -- our show. >> most of those things were

post presidency. it is hard to talk about him and not talk about rosalind. they were married for 77 years. it is an epic love story. >> reporter: it is. how long, they knew each other when they were in kindergarten together. it was always rosalynn smith. they knew each other. she had been delivered by a midwife who was jimmy carter's mom. they adored each other. i was touched by amy carter reading the letters he wrote when he was in the navy to her. it was so sweet, so heartwarming. it was a real romance. you could see that at their 75th anniversary when she whispered, i love you, too, jimmy. both were ailing by then. he wanted to be at her side. she predeceased him a little

more than a year ago. it was not just a love story. it was a partnership. the carter center, going around the world, doing good. that was motivated by their religion, their faith. it was a spiritual mission for them to do what they did every day of their working lives. >> some of these pictures we are showing from way back, it tells the story. andrea mitchell, priya sridhar, thank you both. still a lot of questions today about what led up to a catastrophic plane crash in south korea on sunday. 179 people have died. we have video. it is disturbing. you can see it landing without landing gear. it skids down the runway before slamming into a barrier and you see it explode. two crew members were pulled from the wreckage alive. one of them suffered major injuries to their ribs and

spine. thomas maresca is based in south korea and he has been following this story today. i understand a team of american investigators are trying to help south korean authorities in the investigation. what is the focus on today in terms of what uld have caused this? >> reporter: they are basically trying to piece together these few minutes between the moment when birds struck the aircraft, the pilots sent a mayday message to air traffic control that the plane was hit, and then within a few minutes the pilot attempted to make that landing that we saw on the video with no landing gear down. it was going at a high speed. the questions are, why didn't the landing gear go down? why didn't he try to take a longer run and burn off some fuel? those are really the questions. another focus is the concrete

barrier that the plane slammed into. there are some questions about whether that was a safety hazard. why was that there? people have been asking. the airport has defended it, but some others use a collapsible structure, something that holds an antenna or helps the plane land on the runway. those are basically the questions. we may have the inciting incident and know how it ended, but all the steps in between, we hope the black boxes will shed more light on what went wrong to cause such a disaster. >> there is now a national week of morning that has been called in south korea because of this disaster. we have seen a lot of distraught family members at the airport. we are all hearing that they are getting frustrated. they have formed a group demanding more from the airline. what is happening? >> reporter: i don't know if you can see behind me.

i am standing in front of the city hall and they are constructing a memorial altar here. that may start to become a focus for the general public, who i think are in a grief and shock phase. there has been so much political turmoil that it could turn into anger or frustration with the government in general if they seem to be mishandling the investigation or covering something up. that is something to watch. as for the families, those are the reports coming out of the site of the crash. anger, grief, anger with authorities about not being fast enough to identify the bodies, to release the bodies, and to keep them updated. the family's want more. the authorities say they are moving slowly because the bodies are in such damaged conditions that they don't want to make mistakes. it is sort of a tragic standoff

at this point. there is a way to go to finish identifying the bodies. >> you feel for the families. thomas maresca, thank you. time for the cnbc money minute. youtube is testing out a new feature. wicked dethroned mamma mia at the box office. contessa brewer joins us now. >> reporter: they are testing a play something button on youtube. they will use the youtube shorts player to play in both vertical and standard formats. that is similar to the random video picker netflix retired last year called, surprised me. cable pioneer charles dolan has died. he launched hbo and the amc network. they held madison square garden, radio city music hall, and the new york knicks.

a family spokesperson says he passed away peacefully of natural causes. he was 98. wicked is the highest grossing broadway adaption in box office history, overtaking mamma mia to take the top spot. the movie was produced by universal studios, owned by are parent company. kate, i guess you can say the movie is popular. we could go on singing. >> yes. >> reporter: not up roadway. >> you sounded fine. coming up, it is not even 2025 yet, but before you know it, tax season will be here. it, tax season will be here. what you need to do before the if you take or have taken humira for moderate to severe crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis and still have symptoms... you don't have to settle. ask your gastroenterologist if switching to rinvoq

is right for you. it's one of the latest treatments from the makers of humira. rinvoq works differently than humira and may help. rinvoq is a once-daily pill that can deliver rapid symptom relief, lasting steroid-free remission, and helps visibly reduce damage of the intestinal lining. rinvoq can lower ability to fight infections. before treatment, test for tb and do bloodwork. serious infections, blood clots, some e fatal; ...cancers, including lymphoma and skin; serious allergic reactions; gi tears; death; heart attack; and stroke occurred. cv event risk increases in age 50 plus with a heart disease risk factor. tell your doctor if you've had these events, infection, hep b or c, smokoked, are pregnant or planning. don't take if allergic or have an infection. rapid symptom relief and lasting steroid-free remission are possible with rinvoq. ask your gastroenterologist to switching to rinvoq is right for you. you could pay as little as $0 per month. my life is full of questions... how do i clean an aioli stain? use tide. do i need to pretreat guacamole? not with tide. why do we even buy napkins? thankfully, tide's the answer to almost all of them. —do crabs have eyebrows? —except that one.

for all of life's laundry questions... it's got to be tide. your parents have given you some amazing gifts, but what about the inherited ones? celebrate them with ancestrydna, the simple test that shows your deep family roots, from your mom's side and your dad's side, with some serious detail, trace the journeys and history that shaped who you are today, and see the traits they passed down. your connections to the past are all waiting. see just how gifted you are for only $39. with cascade platinum plus, i have upped my dish game auntie, in that dishwasher? watch me platinum plus gives you the highest standard of clean, even in your machine. clean enough for you? yeah! scrape. load. done. cascade platinum plus.

four people have died across mississippi, north carolina, and texas after

severe weather swept through the south this weekend. forecasters are working to confirm more than two dozen tornadoes, which are rare in the southeast in december. these images show the scope of the devastation in texas. thousands of homes in texas and mississippi remain without power this afternoon. georgia was hit with one confirmed tornado in fayette county, bringing 80-mile-per- hour winds. crews are working to clear debris today. kathy park joins us now in brandon, mississippi. i know you have been there for a while now. are you seeing folks come out and starting to clear out the debris? >> reporter: good afternoon. you can probably hear some of the chainsaws, the heavy machinery. it has been like that all day today. i will start with the good news. the weather has cleared up. you probably see the sun right now. crews are taking advantage of the improved conditions. they are making progress on the recovery. this is a far cry from what we saw a couple of days ago. saturday, we saw roughly 3 dozen reported tornadoes stretching from texas to georgia. i am here in mississippi, as well.

this home behind me, at the height of the storm around saturday night, four trees fell onto this home. this blue tarp is covering a massive hole. a woman was inside. she made it out alive. she wasn't injured. unfortunately, the death toll stands at four. a teenager was killed in mississippi when a tree fell into her home. another woman in the houston area was killed as well when a totornado swt through that region. >> this is the time of year when people are traveling. what impact did these storms haveon that? >> reporter: yeah, trhs and eight -- kate, that is a great question. it will likely be a record- breaking weekend of holiday travel period a lot of folks are driving to their holiday destinations. they are also flying, as well. we are monitoring a lot of the large airport hubs, with all them on saturday and sunday experiencing hundreds of delays as well as cancellations.

>> thank you. after seven decades of lighting up broadway and the tv, linda lavin has died. she was 87 years old. her prolific career began in theater in the 1960s. she became a household name in the late 70s playing a working- class single mom in the popular sitcom alice. she took this role into her real life, fighting tirelessly for women's rights and equal pay. we have more on her life and legacy. >> reporter: on television, audiences knew her as alice. >> what would you like? >> hey, hey, hey. >> on the menu. >> reporter: the fast talking single mother with a sharp wit working as a waitress at mel's diner. >> i want to know what you are teaching him. >> reporter: linda lavin leading the show over the course of a decade. >> the truth is i overslept. >> you have an alarm clock?

>> i do, but it just rings. i need a clock that throws cold water in my face. >> reporter: it struck a chord with audiences, from the iconic punch lines. >> would you like to do something for me? >> what? >> kiss my grits! >> reporter: she spoke about the impact of the character here on today. >> she changed my life. >> reporter: lavin often credited to show for raising awareness of the struggles of the everyday working woman. >> mel is paying him $2.50 an hour. >> we are only getting $2.35. >> reporter: she starred in several productions throughout the 1960s. she was first nominated for a tony in 1970 and finally hitting the award almost 2 decades later. >> i am so glad you liked my work. i am so proud.

i am so moved and so grateful. >> reporter: lavin's career spanning decades with her powerhouse presence felt on the big screen. >> i would like to check your reflexes once again today. you go for much younger women, right? if you are free this weekend, although i am sure you are not, maybe you would like to go to dinner? >> reporter: hollywood remembering an iconic actress remembering an iconic actress whose talent knew no bounds. if you're living with hiv, imagine being good to go without daily hiv pills. ♪♪ good to go binge-watatch. ♪♪ good to go out even later. ♪♪ with cabenuva, there's no pausing for daily hiv pills. for adults who are undetectable, cabenuva is the only complete, long-acting hiv treatment you can get every other month. it's two injections from a healthcare provider, as few as 6 times a year.

don't take cabenuva if you're allergic to its ingredients, or taking certain medicines, that may interact. serious side effects include allergic reactions or rash, post-injection reactions, liver problems, and depression. if these occur, get medical help right away. tell your doctor about your medicines or supplements, medical conditions, liver or kidney problems, mental health, pregnancy, and breastfeeding. the most common side effect is injection site reaction ♪♪ with cabenuva, you're good to go. without daily hiv pills. talk to your doctor about switching. (laughing) oh. i peed. that's so embarrassing. well, it's kinda your fault. after kids, the pelvic floor can weaken, and then perimenopause reduces estrogen. here. i have poise. how did you know all that stuff? well, i used to be a doctor.

no you didn't. money is tight, so we must make sacrifices. i give up my bespoke shaving subscription. well, i used to be a doctor. and i'll stop ordering everything that's trending on instagram. and i will no longer agree to the add-ons at the oil change place just because the mechanic called me "ma'am." it really is a top-of-the-line filter, ma'am. and of course, we'll downgrade our insurance -to get a lower rate. -well, you know, you don't have to make sacrifices now that you're saving money with the progressive home and auto bundle. you couldn't have said that like 6 seconds ago? [coughing] hi susan, honey? yea. i respect that, but that cough looks pretty bad. try this robitussin honey. the real honey you love, plus the powerful cough relief you need. mind if i root through your trash? robitussin, with real honey & elderberry. i'll be honest. by the end of the day, my floors...yeesh. but who has the time to clean? that's why i love my swiffer wetjet. it's a quick and easy way to get my floors clean. wetjet absorbs and locks grime deep inside. look at that!

swiffer wetjet. this is the fast forward on nbc news daily. i'm audrey asistio. president elect donald trump is threatening to deport millions of undocumented immigrants when he takes office in a few weeks. and in recent days, governor gavin newsom has floated a plan to help those people. here's nbc bay area's bob redell with more. reporter the online publication politico recently obtained a draft of a plan put forth by governor gavin newsom's administration here in california. according to this draft, it's the so-called immigrant support network concept. the governor wants to hubs throughout the state that would connect undocumented immigrants with nonprofits who would give them legal help and provide other community services. politico reports that the california department of social services would give money to those various nonprofits to

run those hubs, but advocacy groups tell the l.a. times that that's the wrong approach. they question how this regional hub approach would help immigrants. if there are, let's say, mass arrests, as president trump has promised. we spoke with an immigration attorney out of sf who believes newsom's plan is a step in the right direction, but agrees with other other advocates. the state should be providing funding directly to legal counsel, who can therefore then help people who've been detained, instead of putting the onus on nonprofits. and those organizations are already very saturated. they just have so much volume right now that i know that, you know, when in the past i refer clients to their when i can't take a case or other colleagues just because they're already so many people in queue with them. it's just they're so oversaturated and often underfunded. so i think if that's the case, then, you know, i think bringing in new lawyers to, to help them would probably be the best way, if that's the

route he wants to take. politico reports that a final plan for protecting undocumented immigrants will be announced mid-january. you might recall just after the election in november, governor newsom called for a special legislative session to approve $25 million in funding to fight the federal government in court against efforts to deport undocumented immigrants. bob redell, nbc, bay area news. all right, bob, thank you. people across the bay area are getting ready to ring in 2025 tomorrow night, but a new ap poll says the majority of americans are planning on ringing in the new year at home. it says 20% of people will be celebrating at aamily member or friend's home, and just 5% pl to go out to celebrate at a bar or restaurant. but if you're part of that 5%, there's plenty of events to choose from in san francisco, including the annual fireworks show at the embarcadero. your friends are chartering a boat so very different and new experience to

ring in the new year with some new friends and going to check out the fireworks from from alameda. we're going to be staying in this year. we've been doing a family reading challenge, and it's going to end on december 31st, so everyone might be squeezing in a few more books. and there's still a bustle around san francisco to celebrate. even before the clock strikes 12, restaurants like elena's in the west portal neighborhood say they have been preparing for a busy night tomorrow, and we are getting a break from the rain with clear skies today. here's nbc bay area's cinthia pimentel with your forecast. well, after a stormy weekend, we are seeing the skies opening up really some gorgeous sunshine as we go on and take it through the rest of the day. not many of us will break out of those upper 50s and 60s for today. it will be a dry and clear afternoon. 57 in san rafael, 54 out in dublin and 56 in south san jose. but at least a break from the rain. now, if you're going to the niners game, highly recommend bringing some

gloves and those thicker niners jackets as we do start the game off in the 50s, but then come down into the 40s right around halftime and third quarter. so bundle up, cheer on the team of course, and get home safely after the game. now, as we take it on and look towards new year's eve, we are looking at colder numbers. i'll be back with that coming up in about 30 minutes. sounds good cynthia. thank you. squirrels in the east bay are turning into carnivores. a team of scientists have been studying the animals behavior in a park near martinez, and they say the squirrels faced an unusually high population of competing rodents. in june and july. the squirrels have been seen actively hunting and eating voles. an ecologist says there's no reason to be alarmed about the meat eating squirrels. they could switch back to consuming seeds and plants when vole populations wane. scientists say they haven't seen an increase in size or aggression with the carnivorous squirrels. all right. that does it. for this edition of the fast forward. i'll be back in 30 minutes with much more news. until then, have

much more news. until then, have a great afternoon.wash my work shirt. just wear it again! i added unopables with odor blocker and it keeps our clothes fresh all day! [sniff] ooo, imma be feelin it at work today. she smells so good i'm actually paying attention! smell unstopable. ♪♪ whenever heartburn strikes, get fast relief with tums. it's time to love food back. also try new tums gummy bites. have you always had trouble with your weight? it's time to love food back. same. discover the power of wegovy®. with wegovy®, i lost 35 pounds. and some lost over 46 pounds. and i'm keeping the weight off. i'm reducing my risk. wegovy® is the only weight-management medicine proven to reduce risk of major cardiovascular events such as death, heart attack, or stroke in adults with known heart disease and obesity. don't use wegovy® with semaglutide or glp-1 medicines,

or in children under 12. don't take if you or your family had mtc, men 2, or if allergic to it. tell your provider if you plan to have surgery or a procedure, are breastfeeding, pregnant, or plan to be. stop taking and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or any of these allergic reactions. serious side effects may include pancreas inflammation and gallbladder problems. call your prescriber if you have any of these symptoms. wegovy® may cause low blood sugar in people with diabetes, especially if you take medicines to treat diabetes. call your prescriber about vision changes, if you feel your heart racing while at rest, or if you have mental changes. depression or thoughts of suicide may occur. common side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, flu, or upset, headache, feeling tired, dizzy, or bloated, gas, and heartburn. some side effects lead to dehydration, which may cause kidney problems. with wegovy®, i'm losing weight, i'm keeping it off, and i'm lowering my cv risk. ask your prescriber about

wegovy®. bottom of the hour, here are some of the stories making headlines on nbc news daily. a portland, oregon woman is recovering after being rescued from a fiery crash . video shows the car engulfed in flames last monday. the woman managed to call 911

to report that she was inside the vehicle after crashing into a tree. emergency responders broke into the windshield and pulled her to safety. moments later, they began cpr. the woman was taken to the hospital with serious burn injuries. she remains in stable condition. she was cited for driving while drunk and reckless driving. a rolex watch stolen from keanu reeves has been found in chili. it was found during a raid . it was stolen from his hollywood home last december. two other watches belonging to him were found in a different sweep. a man was arrested in santiago, chile in connection to the robbery. vladimir putin has apologized to the president of azerbaijan over the deadly

plane crash last week. 38 people were killed on christmas day when the plane crashed on kazakhstan on its way to russia. aviation experts and u.s. officials believe a russian air defense missile may have mistakingly downed the passenger jet. plan, putin called the crash a tragic incident, but stopped short of acknowledging that moscow was responsible. we are looking back today at the legacy of former president jimmy carter, who died yesterday at the age of 100. a peanut farmer and a nuclear sub officer who rose to political prominence, president carter presided over a tumultuous time in america post watergate. he spent more than four decades after his presidency focus on making the world a better place. joining me now to talk about the carter legacy is michael. it is good to see you. happy holidays.

when we remember jimmy carter, there is his presidency and his post-presidency. i want to start with the time in office. what do you remember about jimmy carter the politician, who wins that democratic nomination in 1976 as an outsider? >> as an outsider and probably the only year in the 20th century that he could have done that so easily. he had some easy acts to follow. lyndon johnson and richard nixon had been involved in the vietnam war and the watergate scandal in the case of nixon. gerald ford's approval ratings were quite low. summer of 1976 when carter was nominated, believe it or not, carter was running 32 points ahead of gerald ford because people were looking for someone who, as carter kept on saying, used to say i am not from washington. i am not a lawyer. i haven't met a democratic president my whole life.

>> let's turn to after the white house, michael. carter was involved in everything from habitat for humanity to global police efforts, erratic eating viruses. i spent time with him a couple of times. one was when he visited cuba in 2002. this picture is from africa in 2007. how much of an impact did he make after exiting the presidency? >> enormous. he was defeated by ronald reagan in 1980. he got 49 electoral votes only. it was humiliating. as a graduate student, i went down to see him in his office in atlanta six months after he left the presidency. he said that people weren't returning his telephone calls. he was having a hard time raising money for his library. even his business, which had been in a blind trust, had gone virtually bankrupt. he was in real trouble. he said as an ex-president, i think i can do some good for

the world in a way that most don't. he established the carter center for human rights. he built houses, as we are seeing on that screen. above and beyond everything else, kate , he was someone who was amazingly resilient and a piece of work. >> he lived to 100, the only president to ever live to 100. he interacted with how many presidents for more than four decades after his presidency. i know you talked to him about character. that was important to him. expand on that. >> it was a time when americans would say i want to elect the president who is someone my children would want to be like and i want them to be like that. that is why jimmy carter was elected in 1976. the world of 2024, politics are very different from 1976. that is not any longer seen as the premier credential. >> and yet he counseled so many other presidents about

character, i am sure. michael beschloss, great to have you. >> thank you, kate. times square is getting ready for the world's biggest new year's eve celebration, the famous crystal covered ball being in place. it is ready for the final drop ever. a brand-new ball is going to be raised next year to ring in 2026. new york city police have been ramping up safety measures ahead of the event. there will be a lot of guardrails, checkpoints, and metal detectors. walk us through the final prep. how are they getting ready for the big night? >> reporter: they are well underway. security prep, you can see some of it behind me here. there are barricades already all around times square to prepare for more than 1 million people who will come through here to celebrate tomorrow. if you are one of those people who plan to physically be here

for the celebration, there are a few important things you can expect. there will be checkpoints on 6th avenue and 8th avenue. you will have to go through security. you cannot bring backpacks or any kind of duffel bag. you will not be able to bring an umbrella for security reasons, too. that one is tricky, because we expect some rain tomorrow. it will not be freezing cold temperatures, but there will be a rain to put some -- to put a damper on the festivities here. you may want to bring some other water-resistant gear if you want to party in person. as far as the kind of security preparations that people are concerned about, given what we saw happen in an -- a market in germany recently, they will have plainclothes officers to handle any kind of surprise. there will be helicopters and dogs. all of this is to make sure that people feel safe and are

safe as these celebrations go forward. >> i feel like we will see a lot of those hooded rain tarps out there tomorrow. thank you so much. there has been another burglary at the home of a professional athlete. the house of luka doncic, the star guard for the dallas mavericks, was broken into on friday according to his business manager. he is the sixth known pro athlete to have his home others include patrick mamahome joe burrow, and mike conley jr. joining me now, we have been tracking some of this. it is good to see you. what can you tell us about this latest incident? >> reporter: the dallas police department tells nbc news that they received a burglary call around 10:30 p.m. on friday night. when you cross check that with where the dallas mavericks were playing , it was another situation where the team was on

a road game in phoenix, the first road game of a back-to- back road game set for the mavericks. the investigators are not saying that this definitely is connected to the other incidents that you have seen impact other professional athletes. the fact pattern here is pretty striking. teams are away on the road. the manager of luka doncic has told reporters that he was not home during this incident. jason kidd, the coach, said he talked to luka doncic after this incident and he was okay. they are glad no one else was injured. but this is the latest name on a list of athletes not just from the nba, but also talking about the nfl and possibly the national hockey league that have been impacted by this. that is why you have the league morning players do not post their specific locations, to activate those security alarms at their homes. at least one of the memos from

the nba to the players, they say that the fbi told them this was part of an international crime rained. they are connecting it to south american theft group's, kate. >> shaquille brewster, thank you. we are in the thick of the flu and cold season. while holiday gatherings are still going on, those meet ups can be hotspots for respiratory illnesses like whooping cough. the number of reported whooping cough cases has soared to the highest number in the u.s. in a decade. more than 32,000 cases were reported this year, 2024, according to the cdc. that is six times as many as the cases reported last year. joining us now is dr. john torres. happy holidays. whooping cough is different than a regular cold, right? why are we seeing so many cases right now? >> in two word second summit up, vaccination rates.

the rates have dropped. when you look at children, 90% have at least one of the vaccines they need, not necessarily all of them. for teenagers, 80%. for adults, it is down to 43%. you can see the vaccination rates have dropped. one of the other reasons is how whooping cough affects us as adults, it simply feels like a cold. you have a fever and a cough. you don't feel very well. you don't think much about going out and about. for children under the age of one year, it can cause devastating problems. and especially for those under the age of two months because they cannot get vaccinated yet. seeing a child suffer from whooping cough when they cannot catch their breath, it is devastating. >> we had on the screen what you can do to protect yourself. i want to talk about that. good hygiene is obvious. what else? >> the same things we talked about with covid and everything

else. cover-up when you cough and sneeze. you don't want to spread it. if you feel sick at all, put a mask on to keep the children safe. stay home until you recover. you might not know you have it and you might be spreading it. >> dr. john torres, thank you so much.

if you return a holiday gift, that item does not always go back to the retailer came from. it can end up in a warehouse operated by a third party, giving that gift a new life. brian cheung told us how one person's return can turn into another's treasure. >> reporter: if you returned this grill, these mouse ears, or this holiday lawn flamingo, you might be surprised that holiday gift you do not want did not 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. how big is this facility? >> this building is just over 100,000 square feet and has

about 10,000 items coming in every day. >> reporter: this person is the general manager of liquidity services, part of a growing industry of companies that have made a business off of returns with a boost from the holidays. for retailers, checking in returns and putting them back on the shelf takes time, money, and staff. >> there is and unboxing that has to happen. there is a warehousing aspect. >> reporter: companies like this take the stuff off of their hands and then turn around and sell it. they are busier than ever. >> sometimes we will do this as a service to retailers. sometimes we will buy the inventory from them directly. >> reporter: each day bringing literal truckloads of surprises. you don't know what is in there. >> it could be anything under the sun. >> reporter: ep one, sort through all of those returned items.

>> we are walking by pallets of mostly returns. this is any kind of product. we see furniture. we see home items. >> reporter: step two, inventory the items and check the quality. then a quick photo from a listing online. >> you win the auction, then you come and pick up the items. our you come about once a week? >> about once a week. our these items are bought at 80% to 90% of then they are resold. >> it is like christmas every time. our giving returns a second life is a win-win. the unwanted stuff does not end up in a landfill. >> consumers want great deals and products they feel good about buying. >> reporter: all sales are final. no returns. brian cheung, nbc news, pennsylvania.

with less than two days to go before the new year, there are moves you can make right now to keep more money in your wallet and get ahead of the tax season in 2025. joining me now, senior business correspondent. it is time to start thinking about the stuff. what can we do today? maybe people have time off. they can do some financial things. >> i think it is a great time. you have a cup of cocoa, the dogs at your feet you will make sure you are putting your entire employee contribution into your 401(k) that is vitally important. you may have missed all of the matches for this year, but you can do it for next year. right now, the flexible spending account, you have to use or lose the money by december 31. that is tomorrow. you need to plan on the minimum payment you need to take from your retirement account this year. >> in terms of taxes and paying less tax, what are your tips right now?

>> you want to lower your income. how do you do that? give money to charity. save for college in a savings plan. stash money in a health savings account. back to the 529 plan, i think 28 states or maybe 38 states -- it is a a lot of states where you can get either a tax deduction or a tax credit for stashing money away for the college for a kid or grandkid it is good for your taxes and it grows tax-free for a kid to take out for college later. >> i think it is 28. there are changes coming to the tax world. what do we need to know about the coming year? >> there are new limits for what you can put in a 401(k). the standard deduction will increase by $1500 or $750 depending on if you are married or single. increased earned income tax credit is about $400 extra.

they will adjust the income tax brackets for inflation. you may want to check the changes for this year. if you are over 50, you can put away an extra $7500 in your 401(k). >> or all of those changes for the taxes we are about to file for 2024 or for 2025? >> 2025. >> 2025. >> christin liberty mutual customized my car insurance so i saved hundreds. with the money i saved i thought i'd get a wax figure of myself. cool right? look at this craftmanship. i mean they even got my nostrils right. it's just nice to know that years after i'm gone this guy will be standing the test of ti... he's melting! oh jeez... nooo... oh gaa... only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty ♪

hi. i use febreze fade defy plug. and i use this. febreze has a microchip to control scent release so it smells first-day fresh for 50 days. 50 days!? and its refill reminder light means i'll never miss a day of freshness. ♪ if you take or have taken humira for moderate to severe crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis and still have symptoms... you don't have to settle. ask your gastroenterologist if switching to rinvoq is right for you. it's one of the latest treatments from the makers of humira. rinvoq works differently than humira and may help. rinvoq is a once-daily pill that can deliver rapid symptom relief, lasting steroid-free remission, and helps visibly reduce damage of the intestinal lining. rinvoq can lower ability to fight infections. before treatment, test for tb and do bloodwork. serious infections, blood clots, some fatal; ...cancers, including lymphoma and skin; serious allergic reactions; gi tears; death; heart attack; and stroke occurred. cv event risk increases in age 50 plus with a heart disease risk factor.

tell your doctor if you've had these events, infection, hep b or c, smoked, are pregnant or planning. don't take if allergic or have an infection. rapid symptom relief and lasting steroid-free remission are possible with rinvoq. ask your gastroenterologist to switching to rinvoq is right for you. you could pay as little as $0 per month. depend keeps you drier than ever... so you can say yes to more than ever. yes yes yes no. depend, the only thing stronger than us, is you. when a tough cough finds you on the go, a syrup would be... silly! woo! hey! try new robitussin soft chews. packed with the power of robitussin... in every bite. easy to take cough relief, anywhere. chew on relief, chew on a ♪ robitussin ♪ 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. this is the fast forward on nbc news daily. i'm audrey asistio. oakland's efforts to crack down on crime seem to be paying off. the city says 2024 has been the safest year since the pandemic. city leaders got together to update the community this morning. they say murders and non-fatal shootings have dropped by about 35%, and robberies have dropped by 25% in the past year. they attributed the improvement to what they call the ongoing oakland ceasefire strategy. ceasefire focuses on those at ththe highes risk of gun violence, those high risk individuals who are arrestable are prioritized for law enforcement action. others at the highest risk are informed of their risks and then offered intensive community based services to help them exit the

cycles of violence. you might remember just last week, governor newsom said the state's efforts to crack down on crime in the bay area have also been paying off, and he plans on extending chp operations in the new year, including in oakland. if you had to de-ice your windshields this morning, you might be doing more of that this week. here's nbc bay area cinthia pimentel with your 7-day forecast. we'll start the final day of the yea with some more frost advisories and freeze warnings, as places up in the north bay will start off tuesday with temperatures subfreezing. that will also be a story for parts of the tri-valley and down into san jose. and those cold numbers will carry us into new year's day. so bring a jacket if you are heading out and about to celebrate the new year. aside from the cold mornings, we do have more sunshine in the mix here as we take it on and look at our 7-day forecast. our inland highs will stay in the 50s and 60s pretty enjoyable. we will track our next shot of rain come friday. the new one of 2025

san francisco and the peninsula also look great over the next couple of days. staying in the 50s. it looks really

are focused on helping you save money. but today, consumer investigator chris chmura wants you to spend some money in a hurry to protect it. this is the only time of year we're okay with hurrying to spend money. we're talking about health care, fsa or flexible spending accounts. over the next two days, please check your balance to see if you're about to forfeit some or all of it. many workers have fsa to put away up to $3,200 for medical expenses like co-pays, glasses and medicine through pretax payroll deductions. it's a good deal, but the catch is some employers require you to spend your money within the calendar year. otherwise, you can lose it at

11:59 p.m. on december 31st. now, over the years, some, but not all fsas have begun giving you a grace period into the new year or a partial balance carryover. just not both. also, the irs says the maximum carryover is only $640 out of 3200, so a lot of money could be at risk. so now please check your account or ask your hr rep about your plan's rules. also, you can just go shopping. it's not hard to spend an fsa. many online stores even list items that are fsa eligible. some also let you filter your searches to only fsa eligible items. happy spending and happy new year! happy new year! kris bartenders in san francisco are keeping their eyes out for a man they claim only known as jared have been skipping out on tab after tab bars in the mission. say he claims his car doesn't work, tries to go to an atm and never

tries to go to an atm and never comes back. well, that mopping , but then i tried the swiffer powermop. it has a built-in solution that breaks down dirt on contact. plus, it's 360-degree swivel head cleans up along baseboards and even behind the toilet. bye, bye bucket. with the swiffer powermop. your best defense against erosion and cavities is strong enamel - nothing beats it. new pronamel active shield actively shields the enamel to defend against erosion and cavities. i think that this product is a gamechanger for my patients - it really works. the virus that causes shingles is sleeping... in 99% of people over 50. it's lying dormant, waiting... and could reactivate. shingles strikes as a painful, blistering rash that can last for weeks. and it could wake at any time. think you're not at risk for shingles? it's time to wake up. because shingles could wake up in you. if you're over 50, talk to your doctor or pharmacist

about shingles prevention.

if you're over 50, talk to your doctor or pharmacist i'm andrea canning, and this is "dateline daytime" on nbc.o? if i had to put it into one word, "numb" would be the closest. andrea canning (voiceover): she was a young actress starring in the role of a lifetime, a mystery. you never heard a gunshot? no. andrea canning (voiceover): one of her friends was dead. there's been a body discovered