the race to reshape the federal government. overnight, the cia offers to buyout its workforce, as elon musk and his team move at break neck speed to overhaul agencies. we're live with the growing

backlash from democrats and federal workers. president trump proposes a u.s. takeover of gaza. we're live with his new pitch to create, quote, the riviera of the middle east after suggesting palestinians should leave the land. the first migrant flight lands at guantanamo bay, laying the ground work to turn the naval base into a detention center. tariffs hit temu as the trade war with china heats up. got to break the bank along with a few eggs to make an omelet. how restaurants are scrambling to fight skyrocketing egg prices. and get ready for the weekend box office. the blinding light singer brings his light to the big screen. hi there. glad you're with me. i'm frances rivera. we begin with the latest drastic move to reshape the federal government.

the cia has now offered buyouts to its workforce. a spokesperson says the offer includes eight months of pay and benefits, and it's similar to the offers that went to other agencies. a spokesperson for the office of personnel management told nbc that at least 20,000 federal workers have accepted deferred resignation offers so far. the u.s. agency for international development announced that nearly all of its direct hires will be placed on leave. and, two sources tell nbc news the white house is preparing to try to abolish the department of education, something that cannot happen without congressional approval. nbc's alice barr joins me now. we're seeing more backlash against the white house and the involvement of elon musk. >> reporter: good morning, frances. yeah, democratic lawmakers spoke out at what they're calling the nobody elected elon rally. a crowof protesters gathered outside the u.s. treasury building. democrats in congress are raising the alarm that these

efforts by the white house and elon musk to dismantle federal agencies go against the authority of congress. but some republicans are praising the work done by musk and his team at the department of government efficiency. >> i told him to continue the effort, because it's really important for us to get, to restore fiscal sanity to washington. >> we don't pledge allegiance to elon musk. we don't pledge allegiance to the creepy 22-year-olds working for elon musk. we pledge algiance to the united states of america. >> reporter: the "washington post" is reporting that government officials are privately warning that some of musk's actions appear to violate federal law. they cite more than two dozen current and former officials, some federal workers spoke out at a town hall in virginia. >> my colleagues are getting 15-minute, one-on-one check-ins

with 19, 20, 21-year-old college graduates asking to justify their existence. one of musk's top lieutenants and his wife and child have shacked up on the sixth floor and are living there. >> reporter: meanwhile, a group of unnamed fbi agents has filed two lawsuits against the justice department, saying they're trying to stop the unlawful termination of employees who investigated january 6 cases. this administration has removed eight senior fbi leaders. now thousands of agents are under review. staff were required to fill out a survey about their work related to the capitol attack. agents are asking courts to block the release of fbi personnel names, saying that they fear for their safety and their privacy. frances? >> the landscape of our federal government looking very different, alice, thank you. breaking overnight, the first flight of u.s. deportees has landed at guantanamo bay, less than one week after the

trump administration suggested detaining tens of thousands of migrants at the u.s. naval base in cuba. earlier this week, dozens of marines were deployed to guantanamo to support holding operations there. it comes amid the president's crackdown on immigration. later today, a federal court will hear arguments from advocacy groups challenging mr. trump's executive order to end birthright citizenship. it is one of three challenges to that order being heard this week. and president trump made a bombshell announcement yesterday. the united states will seek control of the gaza strip. the president's proposal coming during a press conference with israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu. >> the u.s. will take over the gaza strip, and we will do a job with it, too. we'll own it. and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous, unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site, level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings. level it out. create an economic development that will supply unlimited

numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area. >> let's get right to it with foreign correspondent raf sanchez. good morning, raf. where does this leave the palestinians in gaza? >> reporter: frances, good morning. the president seems to be suggesting displacing the 2 million palestinians who live in gaza, potentially on a permanent basis, moving them to a third country, while the u.s. takes not just control but ownership of gaza. and he is not ruling out sending in u.s. troops to make this happen. it is hard to overstate, frances, what a radical idea this is. for starters, the palestinians have been very clear. they have no intention of leaving gaza. it is their home for the last 16 months of war, even with all the suffering there. what we have heard consistently from palestinian civilians is their top priority is to stay on their land and get back to their houses. this idea being rejected by both

hamas and the palestinian authority. and the president is suggesting that these 2 million palestinians could go to egypt and jordan. these are both key u.s. allies in the middle east. but they are both flatly rejecting this idea, saying it is a non-starter, that they will not participate in the displacement of palestinians. and human rights groups are warning that any effort to displace palestinians by force is a potential war crime. now steve witkoff, the president's middle east envoy spoke a little bit about this idea last night. i want you to take a listen to what he had to say. >> peace in the region means a better life for the palestinians. a better life is not necessarily tied to the physical space that you're in today. a better life is about better opportunity, better aspirations for you and your family. that doesn't occur because you get to pitch a tent in the gaza

strip. >> reporter: now you're seeing this being framed as a way to give palestinians more security, more opportunity. that is certainly how it is not being interpreted across much of the arab middle east. and frances, we should say that while the esident announced this and the high-profile forum standing next to the israeli prime minister, it really isn't clear at this point if he's actually doing anything to turn this into u.s. policy or what that policy would look like on ground. >> here at home, bipartisan lawmakers calling it dee ranged. mr. trump's cabinet is starting to come together. only one democrat voted for pam bondi. and two of the president's most controversial choices have cleared a key hurdle on the road toward confirmation. robert f. kennedy jr. was approved by the senate finance committee and heads to a full vote in the senate.

and the intelligence committee advanced tulsi gabbard for director of national intelligence. dates for confirmation votes have not been set. remember sharpie gate? the noaa chief has been rehired. in 2019, he supported mr. trump's false assertion that a hurricane would hit alabama. neil jacobs was later rebuked by his own agency for his role in the fiasco. turning to the tragic mid-air collision in d.c. crews have recovered all 67 victims and identified all but one. the recovery team pulled parts of the plane's cockpit, fuselage and tail from the potomac. and the ntsb has confirmed that radar data and the black box have confirmed that the helicopter was flying at about 300 feet during the collision, higher than it was supposed to. now to a possible break in

the case of the break-ins at the homes of top athletes. two men were arrested for selling items they knew were stolenen. three sources familiar with the matter say one of the cases might involve joe burrow's home. we've got 97 million people included in these as we gear up for rain, snow and ice across this region. there will be slick spots specifically from iowa to delaware as we see ice accumulating. some of the snow still lingering into the later parts of the day tomorrow. but the i-95 corridor, early in the morning, you'll deal with the wintry mix. so a little extra time on your commute tomorrow, too. we'll see the highest totals, anywhere from 2 to 5 inches.

and then as far as the ice accumulation is concerned, we'll see about a quarter of an inch in some spots across parts of the appalachians. isolated patches of ice, slick travel. look how warm it is across the southern tier of the country. it stays t for pittsburgh. mid-30s for philadelphia. washington, d.c. tops out at 39 today with cloudy conditions. and that's a look at your forecast, frances. back to you. >> okay, angie, thank you. "early today" is back in minute with how temu could get caught up in the trade war with china. and bad news for breakfast. why the skyrocketing price of eggs isn't going over easy for restaurants. hari melon and aloe vera line is changing the game.

up to five days of moisture and no wash days in between? let's see about that. day two, headed to work, but i feel like i'm about to drop a hit single. all the cuties are at the run club. good thing these curls are curling. can you believe this is day five? i think i could go even longer. up to five days of lasting moisture. endless possibilities. imagine what you could do in five days. can neuriva support your brain health? mary, janet, hey! eddie, no. frasier, frank. frank? —fred, how are you? —fred! support up to 7 brain health indicators, including memory. when you need to remember, remember neuriva. —what's on your mind, deon? —my sensitive skin. and how old spice total body isn't on it. gabby, is there anything you want to share? not this old spice deodorant. with 24/7 freshness, it can go everywhere. every. where. ♪♪

honda and nissan could be pumping the brakes on their mega merger. but first, bad news for temu shoppers. the u.s. postal service is temporarily halting inbound packages from china. >> good morning, frances. yes, as you say, the u.s. postal service e has said that it is suspending imports from china and hong kong post until further notice. this part of president donald trump's tariffs against china, which also impact a tax loophole called de minimis. now this is something that has been used by chinese e-commerce giants, the likes of temu to import their goods into the u.s. at lower costs. the loophole allows shipments worth below $800 to come in

without duties. and this is allowed, then, to grow their presence in the u.s. but the concern is at that this loophole does allow such companies to bypass tariffs. now neither temu nor shein have responded to this change and it's not clear whether it will impact private mail carriers. elsewhere, talks of a merger between nissan and honda could potentially be going cold according to local reports. this was a deal to create the world's third largest auto maker. it appears things aren't going as planned. honda had hoped to make nissan a subsidiary, but that doesn't look like something the other party is happy with. the two boards of the companies will be meeting soon to discuss terminating the deal. turning now to the growing pain at the griddle with egg prices rising and hitting

restaurants across the country, including waffle house. kathy park has the widening impact of the bird flu obreak. >> reporter: the average price for a dozen more than $5. that's a 50% spike in just the last year. >> they've gotten really expensive. >> reporter: avian flu infections, also known as bird flu, have led to more than 13 million hens being slaughtered since december and 140 million birds killed since 2022. the move to slow infections disrupting the egg supply in a big way. leading to price surges and empty shelves at grocery stores. eateries coast-to-coast also feeling the pinch, and passing their cost increase to customers. waffle house diners now paying 50 cents more per egg, a surcharge the company says will be short-lived. we cannot predict how long the shortage will last. what about you personally? >> me personally, i'll just stop eating eggs here. >> this is just the time we're

living in. it makes sense. they've got to make up for the prices that they're paying. >> reporter: and it's not just waffle house. this restaurant in new york is charging $2 extra for egg items. while in los angeles, the cost of eggs at this new breakfast spot went from 25 cents to $1 per egg. >> i'm between a rock and a hard place. i'm paying almost as much for eggs as to employ someone. >> reporter: with so many hens already lost, and even with the outbreak under control, the agency predicts the cost of eggs will go up another 20% this year. still to come, ladies and gentlemen, the weeknd isitng thbiscen e g re. hti a pivotal moment as he looks for the win. if i were him, i'd bundle with the personal price plan. bundle, jake from state farm? that's right jan if this were home and this were auto,

the bundle move could bring home the real victory, savings. that's a weird analogy, jake...here we go. whoo! yes! this is a great moment for bundling. bundling. just another way to save with the personal price plan. there it is. his signature dance. like a good neighbor, state farm is there. can neuriva support your brain health? mary, janet, hey! eddie, no. frasier, frank. frank? —fred, how are you? —fred! support up to 7 brain health indicators, including memory. when you need to remember, remember neuriva. even when us women's national team forward mallory swanson isn't on the field... ...she always makes the perfect play. thanks to the bank of america customized cash rewards visa card, she'll earn 3% cash back on her purchase after choosing the online shopping category. ♪♪ no more gross cough syrup. we all want you to feel better. i want extra tv time or i'll walk! how about this? introducing the only kids soft-chew

for medicated cough relief. aaaaghhh! new mucinex children's mighty chews are mighty clever. 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. ♪ is your liner the right liner for bladder leaks? ♪ (dramatic music) ♪ ♪♪ poise locks in wetness... ...and stays drier. switch to poise... ...and see for yourself. can neuriva support your brain health? mary, janet, hey! eddie, no. frasier, frank. frank? —fred, how are you? —fred! support up to 7 brain health indicators, including memory. when you need to remember, remember neuriva.

this is all really intense. but i'm not trying to hurt you. i'm really sorry about this. i really am. >> just days after making peace with the grammys, the weeknd is setting his sights on the oscars. the superstar dropped the first trailer for "hurry up tomorrow." it is inspired by his first album. the psychological thriller hits theaters may 16. you see this cast. the creepy factor is really, really high with these actors. you remember with the weeknd, from he idol and how he immersed himself. so he plays a musician with insomnia. going to be really creepy, i can imagine. what's greater than taking home two grammys? how about getting an assist from a music icon.

sabrina carpenter announced short and sweet which she called a thank you for her wins on sunday. the upgraded version includes s fi new tracks including a remake of please, please, please featuring none other than dolly parton. the album drops on valentine's day. just perfect. valentine's day, i love sabrina carpenter so much, and dolly parton is an icon. up next, luka makes his lakers duteb after his bombshell trade. and the change to the end zones ahead of super bowl sunday. part. premier protein, my ride or die. boom! if you know, you know. let's go. this stuff changed my life. so good. high protein. check. one gram of sugar. oh, yeah. and a flavor for every vibe.

(♪♪) (♪♪) premier protein. sweeten the journey. can neuriva support your brain health? mary, janet, hey! eddie, no. frasier, frank. frank? —fred, how are you? —fred! support up to 7 brain health indicators, including memory. when you need to remember, remember neuriva. (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. (bill) when we started blue buffalo, we made a promise to our boy blue - be a doctor. that we would create the best pet food we possibly could, made with the finest natural ingredients and none of the things you find in many other pet foods. we call it the true blue promise and it's our commitment to feed your pet just like we would feed blue. it's what makes blue buffalo unlike other pet food companies... ...which have many different brands with different standards.

we have one standard —the one inspired by our boy blue, for the wellbeing of your dog or cat. because like you, we love them like family, too. ah mornings! cough? congestion? i'm feeling better. all in one and done... with mucinex kickstart. aaaaaaaaaaaaa. - headache? - better now. mucinex kickstart gives all-in-one and done relief with a morning jolt of instant cooling sensation. it's comeback season. ( ♪♪ ) feel the power of osteo bi-flex®. taken every day, it's clinically shown to improve joint comfort in 7 days, with significant improvement over time. ( ♪♪ ) even when us women's national team forward mallory swanson isn't on the field... ...she always makes the perfect play.

thanks to the bank of america customized cash rewards visa card, she'll earn 3% cash back on her purchase after choosing the online shopping category. ♪♪ 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. can neuriva support your brain health? mary, janet, hey! eddie, no. frasier, frank. frank? —fred, how are you? —fred! support up to 7 brain health indicators, including memory. when you need to remember, remember neuriva. now for what's making headlines this morning. the nfl says it will emove the words "end racism" from the end zone ahead of the super bowl. it will be the first time since 2021 that those words will not

be included. instead, it will stencil in "choose love." tiger woods' mother has died at the age of 80. and the lakers announced nc., kaewest superstarlu doic he's excited to play for his storied new team. is launching something huge. ♪♪ the bare minimum. anti-dandruff shampoo made with only nine ingredients. no sulfates, silicones or dyes. and packaged with 45% less plastic. giving you outstanding dandruff protection. and leaving hair beautiful and moisturized. major dandruff protection, minimal ingredients. job done. head & shoulders bare. can neuriva support your brain health? mary, janet, hey! eddie, no. frasier, frank. frank? —fred, how are you? —fred! support up to 7 brain health indicators,

including memory. when you need to remember, remember neuriva. whoa! how'd you get your teeth so white? you gotta use the right toothpaste! dr. c?! ♪♪ not all toothpastes whiten the same. crest 3d white removes 100% more stains for a noticeably whiter smile. new personal best. crest. finding pieces of the past in the wake of the los angeles wildfires. liz kreutz introduces us to a woman who found her new mission after discovering photos of a total stranger. >> reporter: it started with one picture. >> it says nora and eddie, new

year's eve eve, 1989 >> reporter: then another, and another. family photos. a yearbook. a child's artwork now charred. >> i think it was probably on somebody's fridge. and then when everything burned down it got ripped off and flew away. >> yeah. >> reporter: claire schwartz says these images are among dozens that rained down during the firestorm that ripped through altadena, found in some cases miles away and then posted online. >> more and more posts like that started turning up. >> reporter: and so claire began collecting and cleaning these lost images, creating eaton fire found photos in hopes of reuniting them with their owners. >> i only get one photo back with its owner i'll be happy. the wind's blowing and branches are hitting our face. >> reporter: enter hootie, who says boxes of their most precious photos flew out. a family friend recognized her

on claire's instagram. >> i said oh, my goodness, like, yay! >> so happy we found you. >> reporter: now claire returning these irreplaceable photographs. >> it's pictures of my parents that are both deceased. pictures of my childhood. a lot of missing people in my life. >> reporter: what does it feel like to have actually found a match and reunited someone with their photos? >> it feels great. it means a lot. and i appreciate you. >> i can't build houses. i can't put the neighborhood back together. but i can do this. >> mm-hm. >> reporter: a single snapshot developed into so much more. liz kreutz, nbc news. >> people always say the first thing you'll grab in an emergency are those pictures. what an amazing reunion. turning to another story of hope. after meeting a 15-year-old who lost everything, meghan markle set out to replace the one thing the girl was looking for. it was her billie eilish tee shirt from the concert she had just gone to. in an instagram video markle

explained that she worked to get in contact with eilish who sent her signed merchandise for that teen. she was about to e-mail the girl's mom and thanked everyone for making sure that surprise happened. the sur bowl is just days away. and all eyes will be on saquon barkley. in their showdown against the chiefs. kaylee hartung will sit down with barkley's mom and teammates to talk about his unforgettable first season in philadelphia it may be an unforgettable ending to the season, too, depending on the outcome, something you don't want to thss.

a ave gaza, and the u.s. would take over the land. the swift backlash to his remarks this morning. growing