when you give the totality of the evidence that might be, that might be presented here, to put her on, and essentially challenge her with all the things that the prosecution will present over the next four weeks and the type of witnesses that they'll present over the next four weeks. it's fraught with issues. and so, we'll just have to watch and wait and see what happens, steph. >> and we will be watching. tom winter, thank you. that wraps up this very busy hour. i'm stephanie ruhle. thanks for watching. jose diaz-balart picks up the breaking news coverage right now. and good morning. it's 10:00 a.m. eastern, 7:00 a.m. pacific. i'm jose diaz-balart. president biden is set to speak to the nation next hour about the omnicron variant, as questions remain about the seriousness of the threat, hours after the u.s. began restricting travel from eight countries in southern africa, where it was first detected. stock markets are open, up slightly after friday's huge losses. over on capitol hill, congress

returns to work with a long list of things to accomplish over the next couple of weeks. food stamp recipients get a boost in benefits, just in time for the holiday season, but is it enough with rising prices at the grocery store? meanwhile, a new group of migrants is making a trip through mexico towards the united states, just after another big group dispersed. and today is cyber monday. the biggest online shopping day of the year. a look at how supply chain issues could make it tough to find the gifts you're looking for. and we begin with our top story this morning. new cases of the latest covid variant, omnicron, are being detected around the globe, after being identified by scientists in south africa. as a result, the u.s., canada, and the european union announce a travel ban from south africa and surrounding nations in hopes of stopping the spread. just this morning, japan

announced it would ban all foreign travelers. in the next hour, president biden will deliver remarks on what this variant means for our fight against the virus. and while there are no confirmed cases in the u.s. as of right now, dr. fauci is warning the nation for what's ahead. >> it's inevitable that sooner or later, it's going to spread widely, because it has at least the molecular characteristics of being highly transmissible, even though there are a lot of things about it that we do not know, but that will be able to be ascertained in the next week or two, i believe. >> joining me now with the latest is nbc's antonia hilton live from boston, and matt bradley in london. good morning. matt, south african officials are calling these new travel bans unjustified. walk us through what the reaction has been. >> reporter: yeah, unjustified and discriminatory. here's the thing, you know, it's worth remembering, jose, that there's been no real proven or medically justified reason to believe that this new variant,

omnicron, is necessarily going to be anymore deadly than the existing variant. there's some evidence to show that it might be spreading quicker than some of the previous variants. but this is where the south african government and also governments from their neighbors around southern africa, who have really faced the butt of all of these travel bans from all over the world, this is what they're protesting. they say that this is going to have a devastating effect on their economies. and, you know, when it comes to what we're seeing, it really does look like there's a lot of abundance of caution. a lot of these countries, it's clear that they've been once bitten and twice shy. because, remember, back last year, there was a lot of skepticism about whether these travel bans would actually work. and so far, the world health organization back then, they were saying that the travel bans won't do anything at all. now we're hearing from the world health organization, they're not recommending travel bans like this one, but they're saying that they should be considered, they should be implemented, and they should be based on data and on facts. so the world health organization has softened their stance towards the travel bans, which

jose, this is all going to fall on some familiar grooves of debate between the global north and the global south, because what we're seeing here many britain today, britain is the rotating president of the g-7, that group of the wealthiest democracies in the world. britain has called on g-7 nations come together and try to come up with some sort of global approach. but this is, of course, going to be led by the world's wealthiest nations. the ones that have the most vaccine penetration in their populations. and it's not going to be led by countries like south africa, where the omnicron variant was first discovered last week. and a lot of these countries, a lot of the poorer parts of the world, are looking toward the developed countries and looking at confabs like the g-7 and saying, this is what happens when you get such vaccine inequality on a global level. you start to see variants popping up in countries like in africa, where only about 7% of the population is double vaccinated, compared to like 40% on the global level.

when you leave huge parts of the world unvaccinated without proper access to these vaccines, you're going to get these new variants and they're going to put even the countries where people are vaccinated back at risk again. expect to see a lot of finger pointing on the global diplomatic level in the days and weeks ahead. jose? >> matt, thanks. antonia, the news about omnicron comes as a new surge in cases comes in our country. tell us what you're seeing. >> that's right, jose. i'm here in boston and new england, where there has been a spike in cases of covid over the last several weeks, heading toward this holiday season. and now with the new news of this emerging variant, this is going to put pressure on an already strained system here in massachusetts. they're treating about 40 people at mass general behind me here with covid here, and the strain is actually not just due to hospitalizations, which have only ticked up a bit here, it's really due to other stress-related impacts of the pandemic. and so, you know, there are large numbers of physicians and nurses who are extremely burnt

out. they're in departments with low staffing and really critical groups right now. and so there are some hospital groups here that are going to have to consider pulling back on other important, but non-emergency procedures. you know, that means if you needed something like a hip replacement, you may soon hear that that is going to be delayed, because of the pressures already here. and so, now with this new emerging variant and the likelihood that if it's not already here, it will be soon, physicians are concerned. and watching very closely. take a listen to ali raja, a doctor here with mass general. >> right now, the entire hospital and the entire health care system in massachusetts is really strained, because not only do we still have patients with covid, we also have lots of patients who fortunately are vaccinated, but aren't afraid to come back into the hospital for everything from heart attacks to strokes. so our hospital and all the hospitals across the state are

completely full. if we end up with another respiratory surge of something like covid or really bad flu season, we're going to be really in a bind, because we don't have room already as it is. >> reporter: the message from physicians like him and others in the area is, in order to prepare for this, our best defense is still vaccination. and if you've been hesitant to get any of your shots, please go out and get them. or if you haven't yet gotten your booster shot, because they're concerned also about waning immunity among people who have been vaccinated here in massachusetts, so their message now is that that is still our best defense, no matter what we learn about omnicron in the coming days. >> antonia hilton and matt bradley, thank you very much. for more on this, i'm joined by mauricio gonzalez, an internal and emergency medicine physician at metropolitan hospital and also with us a former pandemic and emerging threats coordinate at the department of health and human services.

thank you for being with me. dr. ramirez, there's three top concerns when it comes to variants, transmissibility, severity of disease, and most importantly, vaccine efficacy. tell us what we know about the variant right now. >> so thing the take-home point is despite all of the anecdotal reports coming out of south africa and all of these other places is we really need a few more weeks to know for sure. one of the cautionary points i'm giving folks now, as we look back to the beginning days of the pandemic, there were times that we thought that this virus didn't infect kids, and we only knew that once the number of people infected became large enough. and that's really where we are with the omnicron variant right now. we have just a few thousand cases that we've detected so far, and we really don't know enough about how this virus behaves in populations that look more like our own in terms of vaccination rates, when those vaccinations were administered, what the ages of the population are, and so i think within the next two to three weeks, we're really going to be able to answer those questions that

you're asking. >> and the issue of how this variant is affecting people as far as, you know, hospitalizations, the severity, what does it look like as far as severity in these first cases? >> the anecdotal reports we're hearing out of south africa is that people are presenting with more fatigue and cough and some congestion, but aren't requiring hospitalization. and i certainly hope that those reports continue to hold, because that would be really a stroke of good luck if that's the case. the worst-case scenario would be if this is more infectious and it causes more severe disease, but we haven't seen enough cases to make that kind of generalization yet. >> dr. gonzalez, what does this variant mean for the importance of booster shots for all of us? >> well, again, as dr. ramirez said, there's a lot of uncertainty right now, but jose, you can definitely see the change of tone from the world health organization. at the beginning, they were like, well, we found this variant and we're going to be

taking a close look at it. now they're saying that, still, we don't know a lot of stuff, but it poses a high risk. so i think we should take things seriously and encourage all of the people in the united states that haven't had their booster shots to take it right now. >> and dr. gonzalez, because a lot of people are wondering, well, i'm going to get my booster shot and i'm going to do that shortly, but do i get the moderna, do i get the pfizer booster shot? which one is going to be more effective towards this or any future variation of the pandemic? >> that's a very common question, and unfortunately, we don't have a very strong answer. what i would say is either pfizer or moderna are excellent vaccines that have shown to be extremely effective at preventing hospitalization and death. so any of those two should be okay, should be good for now.

>> and dr. ramirez, there's always a lot of fear around this new variant. what's your new message to the folks at home to ease some of those anxieties? >> well, i think the first thing, as dr. gonzalez made is that the vaccines that we have right now are overwhelmingly effective against the primary strain that we face in this country, which is the delta strain. and we need to attend to the threat that is directly in front of us, which is the delta variant. if you're thinking about getting a vaccine or a booster, please go get it today. and we'll know more about omnicron in the weeks ahead and we can address to that threat as it becomes more clear. but for now, the most important thing is to make sure that you go get vaccinated and get your booster, right away. >> dr. gonzalez, very quickly, so if there is the need for a change in the formula of the vaccines or the boosters in the near future, how long does that take? >> well, if there's a need to do that, i'm very happy, because we

know that these companies, like pfizer and moderna, they can make it happen within weeks, jose. and also, we know, like preliminary report from novavax, that they're working on a specific vaccine that also attacks the omnicron variant. so if that's the case, we can be assured that good things will follow in a matter of weeks. i would say two or three weeks, they can make it happen. >> mauricio gonzalez and dr. mario ramirez, thank you both for being with me this morning. appreciate it. time now for a look at the headlines out west. we start with breaking news. sources tell cnbc twitter ceo jack dorsey is expected to step down from his executive role. dorsey currently serves as both the ceo of twitter and square, a digital payment company. stakeholders that sought to replace him questioning whether dorsey should run both of the public companies. it's unclear who's set to secede dorsey. and after months of speculation, actor matthew

mcconaughey will not be running for texas governor. the texas native announced his decision on twitter, saying it's something he's choosing not to do at this moment. joining me now with more on this and other headlines out west is nbc's steve patterson. steve, good morning! so mcconaughey leaving the door open for a future run, no? >> reporter: yeah, i would say the door is certainly still cracked open in some capacity. clearly the actor is interested in a career in texas politics, and despite no prior experience or even really stating a political affiliation, he was polling pretty well and his announcement really put some juice on this race. this may have been more a matter of timing than anything else, but the message was definitive. he's sitting this one out and here's what the actor said. listen to this. >> as a simple kid born in the little town of ualley, texas, it never occurred to me that i would one day be considered for political leadership. it's a humbling path to ponder.

and it's also a path that i am choosing not to take at this moment. >> ever a poet, the ut tyler poll earlier this month showed mcconaughey tracking better than moat incumbent greg abbott and beto o'rourke. mcconaughey saying right now, he just wants to focus on the private sector. >> and the recent strings of smash-and-grabs continue over the weekend. >> reporter: this is what so many feared heading into this holiday weekend. another coordinated flash mob burglary, coming off the massive thefts that happened days earlier in the barrier, at stores like louis vuitton and nordstrom's, but that's what happened across the country this weekend, including at a lakewood, california, home depot, which is right here in l.a. county. the sheriff's department said eight people went into the store, walked right into the tool aisle, grabbed about $400 in hammers and crow bars and then took off. detectives said they made four arrests, discovering this stolen merchandise during a traffic

stop. but there were also several others, including $30,000 worth of sunglasses stolen from a sun glass hut in monterrey and at least four smash-and-grabs in chicago. social media is spreading the idea to anyone who wants to jump in, which has made this a really costly start to the holiday shopping season. >> and an emotional loss for the riverside school for the deaf football team after an amazing season, right? >> reporter: the cubs, yeah. it was a miraculous and well-earned run for the team, ended in pretty tough fashion. they lost hair first game of the season, first game they lost, but it was 74-22. tough loss. but not before capturing the hearts of the entire country. the team made national headlines. they became so popular that that game had to be moved to a bigger field. and before that, they were absolutely stomping other teams, 12-0 on the season, putting up 62 points per game, relying on hand signals and body language to communicate. and while the cubs couldn't take the title, their future still

looks very bright with 21 of 23 eligible players set to return next season. jose? >> what an inspiring season they had. steve patterson, great to see you this morning from los angeles. thanks. >> thanks. still ahead, the biden administration, well, it's making an historic move to help families struggling to put food on the table. but is it enough? plus, congress is back in washington and members of a very busy and very difficult next couple of weeks. the issues they're facing, next. you're watching"jose diaz-balart reports". "jose diaz-balart reports"

(tiger) this is the dimension of imagination. ♪ ♪ the lasting cologne scent of old spice dynasty helps get you off your couch. and into the driver's seat.

cough cough sneeze sneeze... [ sneezing ] needs, plop plop fizz fizz. alka seltzer plus cold relief. dissolves quickly. instantly ready to start working. so you can bounce back fast with alka-seltzer plus. now available for fast sinus relief. tide pods ultra oxi one ups the cleaning power of liquid. can it one up whatever they're doing? for sure. seriously? one up the power of liquid, one up the toughest stains. any further questions? uh uh! one up the power of liquid with tide pods ultra oxi. this is elodia. she's a recording artist. 1 of 10 million people that comcast has connected to affordable internet in the last 10 years. and this is emmanuel, a future recording artist, and one of the millions of students we're connecting throughout the next 10. through projectup, comcast is committing $1 billion so millions more students, past... and present, can continue to get the tools they need to build a future of unlimited possibilities.

llar copays, deductibles and monthly premiums. even plans with prescription drug coverage, vision, dental and hearing aids. how much does it cost? healthmarkets service is free. dog barks ok bunker! ... he really doesn't want you to miss the december 7th deadline. don't wait. save time. find the plan that fits you. call the number on your screen now, or visit healthmarkets.com

healthmarkets 19 past the hour now. now to capitol hill, where congress returns to work today with a lot to deal with in the next couple of weeks. the top priority for lawmakers, to make sure the government doesn't shut down when funding expires on friday. congress also has to approve a defense policy bill and potentially raise the debt limit. the senate needs to deal with executive and judicial nominations and try to pass a nearly $2 trillion bill aimed at reshaping the social safety net and fighting climate change. with me now, sahil kapur on capitol hill and yamiche alcindor and moderator of "washington week" on pbs and an msnbc political analyst. good morning. sahil, the most pressing item on the agenda is keeping the government open. what is the likelihood of a shutdown at the end of this

week? >> a government shutdown is unlikely, jose. neither party really has much of an appetite, much of a desire for it. and neither side has drawn the kind of red lines that have led to a government shutdown in the past. now, the issue is, democrats are eager for a full-year government funding and appropriations deal. they complain that the government is still functioning at previously agreed to at the trump administration. but, are they going to force a government shutdown to push that? that seems highly unlikely. the most likely situation is that they punt this into january with another stopgap bill, likely toward the end of january, and keep the government funded at existing levels, and give themselves a little more time to do it. now, they could fall backwards into a government shutdown if day don't move quickly, in the next day or two. if you get to wednesday or thursday, a single senator objecting could push this past the friday deadline. it's been known to happen in the past.

>> and sahil, meanwhile, senator schumer says he wants the senate to pass a build back better act by christmas. there's a lot of confidence in that timeline? >> confidence, yes. is there certainty in that timeline? absolutely not. because they have a lot to do before then. and democrats are getting to work on this. the first thing they have to do is amend the house-passed build back better act, to make sure there are 50 votes in the senate. that is likely to mean changes to provisions like guaranteed paid leave, as well as the state and local tax deduction. the next thing they have to do is make sure everything complies with the rules. some provisions, most notably immigration are at risk of running afoul of what's known as the bird rule. making sure that everything is a matter of taxes and spending. and finally, after that, they'll have to go through this vote-a-rama process. and democrats have a very difficult task of keeping all 50 of their senators in line to

defeat poison pill amendments that could disrupt this deal. it's going to be a monumental task for senator chuck schumer, but jose, there's a strong, strong desire among democratic leaders not to punt this into the new year. once the year changes from 2021 to 2022, midterm jitters creep in, people can go home for the holidays, president biden's popularity is worrying some democratic lawmakers. they're desperate to get this done by the end of the year. >> and yamiche, south africa has blasted travel bans put in place by the u.s. and other places, saying it's being punished because of its transparency. does this have the potential to make other countries that come across new variants, for example, think twice? >> reporter: it's a good question. you can feel the tension on the world stage this morning, as you hear from african nations, specifically south africa, saying that they feel like they're being discriminated against, being punished for making sure that their science is up to date and making sure that they can detect new variants. you have the world health organization saying that this is the result of an imbalance of wealthier nations, they're

saying, hoarding vaccines. of course, we've seen a lot of vaccines not getting booster shots when there are people in africa, people in south africa and botswana and zimbabwe and all of these other african nations that have not even been able to get their first shot. this is really showing that there is real tension here between the haves, essentially, and the have-nots. and when it comes to people who have the vaccine and those who don't. i think it's going to be something that the white house and biden will really have to contend with. they'll be making remarks shortly in the next hour about the new variant. the white house will be taking a number of questions today. and of course, chief among them are going to be, is this fair. is it fair to ban travel to these nations? these nations say it's going to be a hard economic hit on them. i think that the united states is absolutely among the nations that people are looking at, to see whether or not they change their mind on this. >> and yamiche, over the weekend, we learned that former florida congresswoman, kerry meek died at the age of 95.

she was one of the first black floridians to be elected to congress since reconstruction. she was an extraordinary person. her legacy will be remembered forever. >> that's right. she was, as you said, a giant, an icon, someone who was a trailblazer. she was the granddaughter of enslaved people who then rose, as you said, to be the first african-american elected to represent florida in congress after reconstruction, and she really was someone who was seen as an advocate for immigrants, an advocate for african-americans. i can tell you, growing up in miami in the haitian community, her name was someone that you heard when people ran into trouble, when people needed help, when there were immigration issues. her office was seen as an office that had an open-door policy for immigrants in need. she was a fierce advocate for african-americans. in the florida, community, of course, her son also followed her footsteps, kendrick meek, and went into public office. this was really a family that has had a large legacy in florida. >> she was loved, respected, and

admired by everyone on both sides of the aisle. yamiche alcindor and sahil kapoor, thank you both for being with me this morning. well, with grocery bills and gas prices on the rise, we're taking a closer look at the historic effort to increase s.n.a.p. benefits for the one in eight family who use them. s.n.a.p. refers to the supplemental nutrition assistance program, it's a federal resource commonly known as food stamps. joining me now with more on this is nbc's ali vitali. ali, what more can you tell us about this investment? >> reporter: yeah, jose, this is an historic increase to the s.n.a.p. program and one that comes at a critical moment for the millions of families who access the program, including eric tucker's. >> get some cereal you want. >> reporter: the later it gets in the month -- >> we can afford them now. >> reporter: the further eric tucker's grocery budget has to stretch. >> if i can feed my family for 10, 12 bucks a night, that works. >> reporter: what happens when you get towards the end of the

month? >> less snacks. >> reporter: the father of two boys in orange county, california, lost his home and job during the pandemic and joined s.n.a.p. to help feed his family. >> you want any noodles? >> reporter: it's forced some tough choices in the checkout line. what's that been like? >> humiliating. you've got to pick and choose your battle, who am i going to upset? myself, my kid, what kid? it's got going to be the fulfillment of a meal. >> reporter: the decisions made in these aisles go way beyond dollars and cents, the decision can be between fruits and vegetables being swapped out for sugay cereals. >> reporter: but an increase to the s.n.a.p. program could mean less pasta and more produce. last month, s.n.a.p. upped its benefits by more than 25%. families now get an average of $36 more per person each month. for eric and his kids, that boost puts him at $606 per

month, or just over $6 per person per day. that extra money doesn't go as far these days. >> reporter: you might have more that you can budget with, but things cost more. >> milk went up $1. we do a lot of pastas and my kids eat cereal, so milk is a necessity. but when the prices went up without the blessing of the s.n.a.p. going up, it was like, okay, we're going to cut back on those things we used to eat. >> reporter: higher prices combined with the pandemic's continued financial fallout also means leaning more heavily on food banks to fill the gaps of what s.n.a.p. can't cover. gregory scott runs this one in southern california. their demand for food tripled in 2020. and is likely to stay that way. >> we had many, many people who we call newly vulnerable, who had never been in line before, were now dealing with food insecurity and hunger. >> during the pandemic, the single biggest request for my time as a congressperson was at food banks.

>> reporter: congresswoman katie porter represents this area. i think it's also important to think about these issues. they don't just happen in a vacuum, right? >> if we're not doing anything about housing costs, if we're not doing anything about the cost of child care or the cost of prescription drugs, even if we're stepping up with food assistance, at the end of the day, families can run short. >> reporter: now the table is set for the holidays. >> i've gotten to a spot in life where i had to bite my pride. >> reporter: and eric's table, fuller than it would have been. >> other men and families need to know that there is resources out there and we just need to ask for help. >> reporter: jose, we talked there about how food insecurity is an issue that's often intertwined with other issues. for eric and his boys, the pandemic didn't just mean that he lost his job, it also forced them into a housing crisis. and on the day that we met with eric, he actually got some really good news, they had been accepted into a rental assistance program and they were going to start looking for apartments really soon. so a lot of gratitude in that story, echoed across the country for the millions of families who

access these programs and others like it as we head into the holidays. jose? >> ali vitali, and our gratitude to you, to shining a light on these so-important issues. thanks. on wednesday, the supreme court will hear one of the most important abortion cases in decades, and the future of roe v. wade is at stake. a preview, next. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports."

- [female narrator] they line up by the thousands. each one with a story that breaks your heart. like ravette... every step, brought her pain. their only hope: mercy ships. the largest floating civilian hospital in the world. bringing free surgeries to people who have no other hope.

$19 a month will help provide urgently needed surgery for so many still suffering. so don't wait, call the number on your screen. or donate at mercyships.org. unleash the freshness... [upbeat music] still fresh ♪ in wash-scent booster ♪ downy unstopables

33 past the hour. now to what may be the most important week for abortion rights in this country if decades. on wednesday, the u.s. supreme court will hear arguments over a 2015 mississippi law that would ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, first big abortion case to come before the supreme court with its new conservative super majority. anti-abortion groups hope that the justices will use this case to undermine or overturn roe v. wade, the 1993 decision that bars states from banning abortions before the point a fetus could survive outside the womb. joining me to talk about this is barbara mcquade. she is co-host of the sisters-in-law podcast and an msnbc legal analyst.

barbara, good morning. does the supreme court's refusal to so far ban abortions at six weeks give us any sense of what it may do in this particular case? >> well, i think that decision early on, in early september, was a real red flag that caused a lot of alarm in people. i think that the oral argument we heard there gave a little bit of reassurance that justices amy coney barrett and brett kavanaugh might be willing to strike that down, but more as a procedural matter. i think, instead, what we're looking at on wednesday in the dobbs case is a head-on, full-smack attack of the substance on the right to an abortion, a chance to overturn roe v. wade, and i think that reluctance does suggest a hostility to the right to abortion. >> let's talk about a little bit about it. using this mississippi case to overturn roe v. wade, how could that happen? what could the supreme court end up doing here?

the ban in mississippi is after 15 weeks of pregnancy. and we know that in roe v. wade, they said it was unconstitutional to ban an abortion in the first trimester, which is somewhere around 22 to 24 weeks. so there may be some sliver where they could somehow distinguish roe v. wade there, but it doesn't seem like it. it seems like you would either have to strike down the mississippi law, or they would have to say, roe v. wade is overturned. if that happens, there are many states ready to go to trigger laws that are already on the books to make abortion illegal in their states. >> mississippi governor tate reeves was asked about this case during an appearance on "meet the press" yesterday. he talked about how he felt that roe v. wade was wrongly decided. take a listen. >> i believe in a simple reading of the united states constitution that when roe was decided in 1973, there is no fundamental right in our united states constitution to an abortion. and furthermore, chuck, i

believe very strongly that you read the constitution, there is nowhere in the constitution that prohibits individual states, states like mississippi, to limit access to abortions. >> barbara, what do you make of that argument? >> i think -- i'm so glad that he raised that argument, because it is such a straw man. the ninth amendment to the constitution also says that the constitution preserves unenumerated rights. it is not intended to be an exclusive list. and as a result to the supreme court over the decades has found other unenumerated rights, like the right to vote, the right to travel, the right to be presu ed innocent many trial. in fact, the supreme court has settled since 1973 and affirmed and reaffirmed the holding that the constitution does recognize a fundamental right to privacy, which includes the right to an abortion during that first trimester. >> so this case could, indeed,

possibly see the justices undermining or even overturning roe? >> it could, jose. and i think some of them have already expressed a hostility to abortion rights, in prior cases that have come down the road. so we've seen some of these tea leaves. but you know, chief justice roberts and others give me some hope, because there is this concept of starri decisis, how the law has developed around it since that time and whether people have relied on this precedent in their everyday lives. if you look at that standard, roe v. wade is 4 for 4 in terms of the favor and honoring that precedent. it shouldn't change just because of the makeup of the court has changed. it shouldn't change just because people disagree with it as a matter of opinion. and so, it would take, i think,

some intellectual dishonest to overturn roe v. wade, but this is the moment that many people have been waiting for. the reason so many people were willing to hold their nose and vote for donald trump is because he promised to appoint justices to the court who would overturn roe v. wade. >> barbara quaid, thank you so much for being with me this morning. i really appreciate it. and make sure you stay with msnbc all morning on wednesday. we'll have live special coverage of the supreme court arguments beginning at 9:45 eastern, that's 6:45 a.m. pacific, right here on msnbc. coming up, there's high hopes for retail sales on this cyber monday, after below-average black friday sales. we're at an amazon air hub with how much is riding on customers today. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports." day. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports.

♪ ♪ ♪ downy's been taking you back, since way back. with freshness and softness you never forget. feel the difference with downy. ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪

to make my vision a reality my varilux progressive lenses provide seamlessly transition from near to far. with every detail in sharp focus. that's seeing no limits. varilux lenses by essilor. ♪ ♪ well would you look at that? ♪ ♪ jerry, you've got to see this. seen it.

trust me, after 15 walks ...it gets a little old. ugh. i really should be retired by now. wish i'd invested when i had the chance... to the moon! [thud] [clunk] ugh... unbelievable. unbelievable. [ding] come here! i've got big news! now, nurtec odt can not only stop a migraine it can prevent a migraine as well. nurtec is the first and only option proven to treat and prevent migraines with one medication. onederful. one quick dissolve tablet can start fast and last. don't take if allergic to nurtec. the most common side effects were nausea, stomach pain, and indigestion. with nurtec, i treat migraine my way. what's your way? ask your doctor about nurtec to find out!

43 past the hour today, it is, of course, cyber monday. one of the biggest online shopping days of the year. businesses are hoping for a record-setting day after black friday saw less-than-stellar sales and supply chain issues and shipping delays persist. later today, president biden is set to meet with top ceos to discuss moving goods to shelves. joining me now from an amazon airfield facility in dallas, nbc news business and tech correspondent, jo ling kent. jo? >> reporter: hi, jose. this amazon plane, you'll appreciate this, is headed for miami, florida, today. they're processing millions of packages, and what you need to know about this cyber monday is there's a lot of pressure on retailers, as consumers can have their pick of where they shop. overall, discounts, according to the data that we're seeing, are less than they were last year. and if you also look at foot traffic, in terms of black friday, in-person, in-store shopping was also down significantly, even from

pre-pandemic levels. so that's why this cyber monday, and this cyber week across the board, is so important, as retailers try to meet that demand that customers are looking for, over this holiday shopping season. the deadlines are also coming up for your personal shipping, as well. u.p.s. ground, the deadline for that is december 15th. that's just a couple of weeks away. so shoppers really facing a lot of headwinds right now on this cyber monday, which means inflation and the supply chain crisis, but amazon says that they are confident that they're going to break their own records. and if that happens and if online spending across the board is as strong as the forecast, we're looking at an $11 billion day overall. jose? >> jo ling kent from dallas. thank you so much. coming up, new on the new omnicron variant overseas, plus a new attempt at saving the iran nuclear deal. we're live with the latest. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports." you're wat diaz-balart reports. okay, we're not gonna ask for discounts on floor models, demos or displays.

shopping malls can be a big trigger for young homeowners turning into their parents. you ever think about the storage operation a place like this must rely on? -no. they just sell candles, and they're making overhead? you know what kind of fish those are? -no. -eh, don't be coy. [ laughs ] [ sniffs, clears throat ] koi fish. it can be overwhelming. think a second. have we seen this shirt before? progressive can't save you from becoming your parents. but we can save you money when you bundle home and auto with us. but you know what? i'm still gonna get it. i've spent centuries evolving with the world. some changes made me stronger. others, weaker. that's the nature of being the economy. i've observed investors navigating the unexpected, choosing assets to balance risk and reward. and i've seen how one element has secured their portfolios, time after time. gold. an element so agile and liquid.

a proven protector. an ever-evolving enabler of bold decisions. an asset more relevant than ever before. gold. your strategic advantage. ♪ when you have nausea, ♪ ♪ heartburn, ingestion, upset stomach... ♪ ♪ diarrheaaaa.♪ try pepto bismol with a powerful coating action. for fast and soothing relief. pepto bismol for fast relief when you need it most. great care starts with understanding... we all have different needs. that's why unitedhealthcare offers more benefits to help more people in more ways. so call us today to get medicare with more. our medicare advantage plans give you zero-dollar copays

on tier 1 and mail-order tier 2 prescriptions. you'll also enjoy zero-dollar copays on primary care doctor visits, zero-dollar copays on preventive dental, and free yearly eye exams. so, take a closer look. with unitedhealthcare we'll help you get the care you need. got medicare and medicaid? our dual complete plan has even more... like up to $150 a month for covered over-the-counter products and groceries. enrollment ends december 7th, so call today. whatever your medicare needs are, count on unitedhealthcare to have more for you. (vo) t-mobile for business helps small business owners prosper during their most important time of year. when you switch to t-mobile and bring your own device, we'll pay off your phone up to $1000. you can keep your phone. keep your number. and get your employees connected on the largest and fastest 5g network. plus, we give you $200 in facebook ads on us!

so you can reach more customers, create more opportunities, and finish this year strong. visit your local t-mobile store today. 49 past the hour. we have breaking news. with new york city just reinstituting its mask advisory amid concerns over the omnicron variant, the mayor's office tweeting that every new yorker, regardless of vaccination status is encouraged to wear a mask indoors. meanwhile, beyond our borders, travelers in airports around the world are finding themselves stranding this morning after many countries, including the united states, the eu, israel, and japan instituted

travel restrictions over that variant. for more on this story and more, i want to bring in nbc's matt bodner. matt, good morning. what's the latest on this? >> concerns are growing around the world and it's palpable now. we're seeing governments everywhere basically rush to try to stay ahead of this one. what we're seeing more than anything else are travel bans. specifically focusing mostly on those southern african nations where the variant was first detected. this is not without controversy. there's one quote that stuck out to me from the u.n. secretary general antonio gutierrez who said the people of africa cannot be blamed for the immorally low level of vaccines available in africa. that said, not everyone is singing africa without. we've seen israel and japan shut the borders to foreigners entirely. israel for just two weeks.

japan indefinitely. the w.h.o. chimed in on this and said it's urging governments not to impose travel bans. it seems like at the moment that's a tough sell. >> and matt, the united states and iran are meeting with mediators in vienna to attempt to salvage the nuclear deal? >> reporter: yes. this is a meeting that the biden white house has wanted for a while. this has been on ice for five months. it's a complicated situation. it's important to remember the united states withdrew from the iran nuclear deal under former president donald trump. so iran issued a statement this afternoon saying there will be no way to return to the deal without a, a lifting of sanctions verifiable lifting. all sanctions that have been imposed since the u.s. withdrew from the deal, but also some kind of guarantee that the next administration, for example, won't turn around and withdraw one more time. iran for its part, though, is accused of violating several key provisions of the agreement since the u.s. withdrew.

there's concern among at least some analysts, some officials that iran is right now praying for time while it beefs up on the capability to making a bomb. iran did hold consultations yesterday with china and russia about the talks. we don't know what was said. it's worth noting that russia wants to salvage this deal. >> and matt, in honduras, we might have seen an historic election? >> reporter: yeah. definitely historic. we're waiting for a final tally, but with about 50% of the votes counted, she stands 20 points ahead of her opponent. it's kind -- waiting for the official result. if it goes the way it looks, she will be the first ever female president of honduras. >> matt, thank you very much. food to see you this morning. appreciate it. >> thank you. still ahead, hundreds of migrants form a new caravan in mexico, headed for the united states.

we'll tell you what prompted it. you're watching "jose diaz-balart reports." diaz-balart reports. nurse mariyam sabo knows a moment this pure... ...demands a lotion this pure. new gold bond pure moisture lotion. 24-hour hydration. no parabens, dyes, or fragrances. gold bond. champion your skin. ♪ ♪ traveling has always been our passion, even with his parkinson's. but then he started seeing things that weren't there and believing things that weren't true. that worried us. during the course of their disease, around 50% of people with parkinson's may experience hallucinations or delusions. and these symptoms can get worse over time. nuplazid is the only approved medicine prescribed to significantly reduce hallucinations and delusions related to parkinson's. don't take nuplazid if you are allergic to its ingredients. nuplazid can increase the risk of death in elderly people with dementia-related psychosis and is not for treating symptoms unrelated to parkinson's disease. nuplazid can cause changes in heart rhythm

and should not be taken if you have certain abnormal heart rhythms or take other drugs that are known to cause changes in heart rhythm. tell your doctor about any changes in medicines you're taking. the common side effects are swelling of the arms and legs and confusion. now this is something we want to see. don't wait. ask your healthcare provider about nuplazid. o man, that's a whole lot of wrinkly at least my shoes look good! don't wait. looking good start with bounce wrinkleguard, the megasheet designed to prevent wrinkles in the dryer. this may look like a regular movie night. but if you're a kid with diabetes, it's more. it's the simple act of enjoying time with friends, knowing you understand your glucose levels.

♪♪ the xfinity black friday sales event is happening now on xfinity mobile. now new and existing customers can get our best wireless deal of the year - up to $1,000 in savings - for a limited time only. on the most reliable network nationwide, plus nationwide 5g. act now and save up to $1,000 with xfinity mobile. so you can go all out on gifts for the family - during our best wireless deal of the year... the xfinity black friday sales event. click, call or visit a store today.

hundreds of migrants started walking out in southern mexico this weekend, beginning a long journey to the u.s. border. some said they wanted to leave because they have not been given humanitarian visas promised by the government. and wanting better living

conditions. joining me now is a reporter at "the washington post." thank you for being with me. how can mexico promise visas and then not give them out? i mean, this is not that unusual in mexico, is it? >> reporter: no, it's not unusual. these are promises that have been made for some time now. i mean, the u.n. human refugee agency has been working with the government of mexico to try and figure out different options for migrants. migrants have heard this all before. before have a,000 people arrived under the bridge in del rio also were waited for some kind of humanitarian or travel visa that allows them to move through the country without getting stopped by immigration or national police. this is the waiting period is getting folks. t not a place where people want to be any length of lime without working, especially if you have children and need to feed them. >> it's so difficult for people who haven't been there or seen

the conditions that they are living under in there and other areas of southern mexico. >> yeah. the haitians who are in del rio who i spent time with after they crossed back into mexico in northern mexico, told me about some of those conditions. there weren't any places to sleep. in some cases they're core towns. when an opportunity for business arrives with migrants, they get gouged, price gouged. food is more expensive, transportation is more expensive. these are not the conditions migrants are seeking when they decide to start the perilous journey. >> and this is something that is happening, and yet, i don't think people are really aware of it. nicaragua recently announced it would open up the border to cubans who want to leave the island. no need for a visa there. the cuban government says no need for visas that cubans that want to leave the island. we're going to see some movement in the near future.

what are you seeing as far as terms of migration rates? >> well, some of the migration that's continuing, for example, with venezuelans, you mentioned cubans in nicaragua. we've seen nicaraguans who ahead of some of the political turmoil expected, they are continuing to move forward. veezuelans in particular who have been coming from other countries, colombia or other south american countries are now traveling or have been traveling for some time through place like del rio. we're not seeing the numbers we did earlier this summer. it's been a trickle. as far as i hear from border advocates who work with migrant populations, but it's a steady stream. in terms of the caravans, this is a slow walk. right? they're being watched by mexican national police as they come northward, and it's with a traveling length of 1,000 miles, it's basically approximately between tampa and new york city length of mexico.

>> yeah. and it's men, women, and children. it's great to see you. thank you for being with me this morning. that wraps up the hour for me. i'm jose diaz-balart. you can always reach me on twitter and instagram. be sure to follow the show online @@j drks -- good mondy morning. here at msnbc head quarters in new york city, today the world is holding its collective breath as a brand new covid variant raises huge questions in this holiday season. and the approach is changing by the minute. in the last 30 minutes new york city announcing an indoor mask advisory. once again everybody in america's largest city is encouraged to wear a mask in indoor public settings