a very merry christmas to you. coming up on "early today" a state of emergency after tornado tears through servlveral states. j gun fire erupts sending shoppers running for cover and celebrations round the world as pope francis shares his christmas message that vatican. and santas take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather here at home. "early today" starts right now. and good morning to you on this christmas day. we start with the latest on the deadly weather which slammed much of the south. and a series of spring-like tornados killed at least 14 people. parts of mississippi are now under a state of emergency as crews continue to search for those missing. here with the latest. >> reporter: a devastating scene

twisters tore through the midpart of the country p.. a possible ef three believed to have travelled more than 100 miles. mississippi was the hardest hit. seven lives lost, including a seven-year-old boy. >> looks like there's two. >> reporter: who died not far from where these twin tornados were spotted. powerful winds flipped this semi. 22-year-old hailey dikes hid under a mattress with her mother, grandmother and dog. >> just about every house around us is gone. it's still standing but it's not going to make it. >> reporter: search teams work night and day going house to house looking for victims. >> we're just trying to go through the mangled up mess and just the disaster. >> reporter: mississippi governor declared a state of emergency in seven counties. >> families have lost loved

this should be a joyous holiday season. >> reporter: in arkansas, high winds pushed a tree on to a house and killed 18-year-old mukayla miles and learned she was shielding her 18 month old sister, pected to be okay. and it's been battering georgia and alabama with hevheavy rain. and so many spending this holiday rebuilding homes and coping with heart breaking loss. and meanwhile in the north, strong winds knocking out power to a quarter million people in parts of michigan and canada. the latest forecast in about five minutes. in charlotte, north carolina, fire erupted in a mall packed with shoppers on christmas eve and people ran for their lives. blake mccoy has details. >> reporter: gun fire on

the upscale north lake mall in inletin charlotte charlotte, north carolina. >> it sounded like fire crackers for me and i heard people trampling each other. >> reporter: they say it start would an argument around 2:00. an officer working off duty heard gun shots and intervened. when he encountered one of the men with a gun, he opened fire. and she was at children's place with her twins and became separated from them in the chaos. >> people went running. they ran through the store and actually rushed aright through the twins, grabbed the twins and were gone. >> reporter: her kids are okay. a terrifying ordeal, the shoppers hadn't bargained for. there were no protests on the streets of chicago over the death of a teenager shot 16 times by police officer, an incident caught on video that

first time we're hearing the police dispatched call and that a taser was repeatedly requested and minutes later, laquan mcdonald was dead. >> reporter: they marched in the heart of chicago. calling for the resignation of mayor rahm emmanuel over the shooting death of laquan mcdonald. >> it breaks my heart to see this and i couldn't stay home wrapping gifts. >> reporter: and they targeted an apple store trying to stop shoppers from entering. on christmas eve, one of the bisiest shopping day tofz year, chicago's popular avenue shut down. laquan mcdonald who was carrying a knife was shot 16 times last year by chicago cop jason van dike and his attorney setz he

and nbc chicago station obtained audio recordings from the night he was shot revealing a taser was requested. the dispatcher repeatedly asked for a taser. four minutes after the initial request for a taser, gun shots. whether an officer with a taser arrived at the scene before mcdonald was shot is unclear. mcdonald later died. officer van dike is scheduled to be arraigned next week on first degree murder charges. nbc news chicago. it may be the holiday season but that does not mean presidential candidates are taking time off from greeting

minute shots at each other. >> reporter: don't feel guilty about your last minute christmas shopping even presidential candidates are prokrastinating. >> normally i'm much better organized organized. >> reporter: jeb bush looking at board games and taking shots at donald trump who's focussed on his own feud with hillary clinton. trump's attacks, just getting started, he warns, cautioning clinton to be careful after she said this to the des moines register. >> this is not the first time he's demonstrated a pension for sexism. >> reporter: and he's under fire now for what plit ifact calls the lie of the year and determining three quarters of the comments aren't true and

>> he's the only candidate i've seen in i don't know how many cycles that has been able to get away with what he gets away with. they constantly forgive him for the things he says. >> reporter: trump making plenty of noise but on christmas, quiet on the campaign trail. candidates spending time with families, sending greeters to supporters. and in rand paul's case, airing his annual festivus grievances, light hearted swipes at hiss rivals, at least some of them. >> quiet for now. you know last night, christmas eve was celebrated around the world. pope francis leading mass for nearly 10,000 pilgrims at st. peters basilica.

essential values of life and calling for those intoxicated by consumerism to threat birth of jesus inspire their lives. and they had security tighter than usual and thousands of people are expected to flock to st. peters scare to hear the pontiff deliver his christmas day speech. and here at home many are taking advantager of the warm weather. like here, sanltta and his elves went skiong the potomac river. and that event set a world record with 648 jolly st. nicks taking on the waves p. ss swaves. owner holly are ringing in the holiday, they're slowing down the usual and bussal, reminding people of the true

the true meaning is also not this stuff, generally speaking. new york city down right balmy. and record breaking warmth will go into the weekend and that's a whole different story in the west with snow. i 90 closed at -- you know i know this pass too. snoqual snoqualmie pass and meteorologist bonny schneider saying snoqual me andmie. >> and right now, they're looking at that risk for flooding. atlanta, for example, 3.67 inches and record amount of rainfall, it's still raining there. and look at alabama and mississippi, these are flood warnings, a very dangerous

and emergency officials are advising stay off the road in some parts of mississippi and the record warmth. look how warm we're exect pd to get. high temperatures in the 60s and 70s and in the south, we're expecting these warm numbers to stay with us through saturday. by contrast, get ready, a big winter storm is brewing out west. a blizzard watch now in effect saturday through monday for parts of texas and new mexico, two feet in some areas and into the upper midwest, look for snow in minneapolis and the northern plains as well. so, it will start feeling a lot more like winter over the weekend. that's a look at the national weather, now a look at the weather closer to where you are. we're looking at mild conditions across the east with a couple cold numbers in michigan. rain is brewing across a good portion of the region as well.

in billings. so, richard, definitely cold weather is starting to work its way in and we have a big pattern change. >> so, montana getting normal weather, the others are not. and breaking news from nigeria, scores dead in a gas explosion there. and it fandual and draftkings fire back at illinois's attorney genple.. eat well, live well, and take of what makes you, you. right down to your skin with aveeno aveeno daily moisturizing lotion with the goodness of active naturals oat and 5 vital nutrients for healthier looking skin in just one day. healthy skin equals beautiful skin. and for shower softness, add the body wash, too! aveeno naturally beautiful results looking for 24/7 digestive support? try align for a non-stop, sweet-treat-goodness

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they will get up to $4.4 million. it lasted for 444 days from 1979 to 1981 after the shauh of iran was ousted from power. and this comes a day after the state 's attorney general out lawed them as gambling. both companies have said they will continue to operate in illinois pending the outcome of their lawsuits. and the parent company, comcast are among the investors in fan dual. a mexican volcano put on quite a christmas eve show when it spewed bright red tower, 6500 feet into the sky. it has erupted three times since wednesday. no evacuations have been ordered. bristol palin, the oldest daughter of former alaska governor sarah palin named her new born daughter, sailer grace

her mom followed up with a sweet christmas eve note saying oh perfect love, the best gift ever. it was a mad dash for last minute gifts during a holiday shopping season like no other. and that meant big bargains for the prokrastinaters out there. and olivia sterns. >> reporter: the race was on. retailers hoping last minute shoppers would finally come to their stores. >> i have to do it now or it won't get done. >> reporter: after a season where more and more americans are choosing to buy online. about 2 million americans estimated to be picking up at least one last present on christmas eve and 16% hadn't even started holiday shopping a week ago and the prokrastination has paid off. >> we're actually seeing huge

tailor putting 60% off signs in their windows and really attracting customers using black friday-escpromotions. >> reporter: and remember there's always a gift card. you can have it delivered via email before anyone knowess you forgot. a pair of tropical bowl games and you're watching "early today."y." we're only human. we rely on our courage. the kind of courage that shows up when we need it... and when cancer is least expecting it. courage. just one reason more of us are surviving cancer than dying from it.

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this morning on "today," cardinal timothy dolen sits down with a special sneak preview of his christmas message and a look back at the pope's historic visit to the u.s. a christmas eve edition of thursday night football. in what is future hall of famer charles woodson's last home game. the raiders fans in the holiday spirit. the raiders take the lead on this michael crabtree td and converting the two point conversion with that catch. and lambo hits a 46 yard field goal forcing over time. in the extra, setting up this 31. there you go, 31 yards. it would prove to be enough, raiders win 23-20. college football and a pair of

and the bahamas bowl in an offer offensive benanzau. and on this 36 yard run by richie james and this was domflatedom dominated dominated and they go on to win for their first bowl vilktry. and san diego played cincinnati in the hawaii bowl. and sean penny, who you can see is extremely fast, took the opening kick off 100 yards for the score which set the tone for this one and dominate cincinnati 42-7. up exnext, make itke it just head around the corner to walgreens when you're searching for that perfect little something.

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your concert tee might show your age... your skin never will. olay regenerist. olay. ageless. . all right, christmas entertainment news. today host carson daly married long time girlfriend in a small ceremony yesterday. they have been together for 10 years, have three children and we wish them a long and happy life together. "star wars" the force awakens headed for $1 billion at the box office, faster than any film in history. surprising? probably not. and it's expected to reach the $1 billion mark by this week's end. robert downy jr. received an

yesterday, california governor pardoned him for his late 1990s drug conviction and prison sentence. the pardon will remove the blemish from the actor's record. and leonardo dicaprio stars as a hunter in "the revinant" samuel jackson and curt russell play in the "hateful 8". and will smith is a doctor who pioneers research linking profootball players and severe head traumas in "concussions". this is "early today." coughing...sniffling... and wishing you could stay in bed all day. when your cold is this bad... ...you need new theraflu expressmax. theraflu expressmax combines... maximum strength medicines available without a prescription...

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everyone's favorite jolly old elf is known by many names, santa clause, and good old st. nick and as richard angle reports, the real st. nick is a far cry from the santa we know. >> merry christmas. . >> reporter: everybody knows santa's real name is st. nick but you may be surprised to learn the real st. nicolas was born here in southern turkey. almost 1800 years ago. his statue still stands in the center of town where he served as bishop and acted like a saint. his prison day successor is revered her too. once a year he holds mass in the church where his famous predecessor was buried. >> and there is an icon of st. nicolas in every greek orthodox church?

>> reporter: but old st. nick is nothing like the santa we know. those stories are fun and would be even more fun if i was a child and had gifts coming my way. so how did he go from a real life crismanhristmas saint to a fairy tail figure, to a greek orthodox bishop to a man with a team of flying reign dear? much of that happened in america. the 19th century poem described st. nick as jolly and plump. flying in a slay pulled by reigndeer. and cartoonist came up with a famous image and coca cola has a bigger advertising budget than the greek orthodox church. and do you try and tell people

santas, that's not the guy? exactly he says i've been doing that for 30 years now but without much success because it seems people like santa just the way he is now. nbc news, istanbul. >> you know he was describing for us history behind santa clause. it's very in theestingteresting. >> it was very fascinating. >> and in progaug, he does not look like santa clause. and sissy spacic, 66, and jimmy buffett, 69. we hope he's spending his birthday in margaritavill.