that the president consciously was involved in misleading the department, deceiving the government, and playing games after he had received a subpoena for the documents, those are serious -- >> that serious -- >> those are serious. i personally think they probably have the basis for legitimately indicting the president. >> and new word today on speaker nancy pelosi's plans to step away from democratic leadership, as republicans step into the majority rule. hakeem jeffries is bidding to become the democratic leader, as katherine clark and pete aguilar seat to serve in leadership positions alongside him. a bit earlier on msnbc, majority whip jim clobbered with his take. >> i learned a lot working alongside nancy pelosi, but we are all in our 80s, we want a good future for our children and chant children, that we

believe will be provided by this new generation of leadership, and i want to be a part of giving them the to succeed. >> it just a few minutes, we will talk about the new change and democratic leadership with former dnc chair dnc, but that's not what we're seeing as i welcome josh lederman at the white house, with the very latest on merrick garland special counsel appointment from that position, what is the reaction from the white house, josh? >> well, alex, the white house says they have no reaction, or it involved, weren't even given a heads up. that's intentional, right? because of how importance the justice department thinks it is, that is this investigation does not seem political, because this huge decision about whether to charge a former presidents with federal crimes just got way more complicated after trump declared this week he is running again. and legal experts say this is a key reason the attorney general it's bringing in outside help. >> two sprawling criminal

investigations into former president trump are in the hands of an independent special counsel. career prosecutor jack smith once ran the justice department unit that prosecutes political corruption. now, he is tasked with recommending whether mr. trump should be charged with federal crimes. attorney general merrick garland citing the extraordinary circumstances involved in investigating a former and possible future presidents. >> such as appointment underscores the departments commitments to both independents and accountability in particularly sensitive matters. >> mr. trump responded from mar-a-lago, claiming that without evidence that smith is part of a super radical left. >> this horrendous abuse of power is the latest in a long series of witch hunts. >> garland is hoping to shield the justice department from claims the investigations are politically motivated. especially after mr. trump this week announced he is running for president again, on the heels of unexpected republican losses in the midterms. but some democrats fear a special counsel could drag the process out.

>> i am confident that this appointment will not slow the completion of these investigations. >> with enough centrally unlimited budgets, the special counsel will oversee the probes into mr. trump's role in the january 6th attack on the capital, and into classified documents he kept at mar-a-lago. but the attorney general must still sign off before mr. trump could be indicted. in an exclusive interview from meet the press, former president mike pence arguing americans want to move past the trump investigations. >> no one is above the law. but i would hope the justice department would give careful consideration before they take any additional steps. in this matter. >> the big question, alex, is how long these investigations will take. we don't know the answer to that, but alas the special counsel to investigate trump, robert mueller, took nearly two years. so, if that kind of timeline holds, these investigations could likely hangover the 2024

presidential primary, even possibly the election itself, alex. >> we will see. that certainly is a consideration, the timing of it all. thank, you josh, from the white house. joining me now, sadie gurman, justice department reporter for the wall street journal. and criminal defense attorney, msnbc legal analyst, welcome to you both. we'll go ladies first, sadie, what is the attorney general's justification for appointing a special counsel in these two trump probes? >> even before attorney general garland's appointed this special counsel yesterday, these investigations were among the highest profile and the most sensitive in those departments portfolio. but the attorney general said that trump's announcement that he is running again for president, and president biden's own likely intention to run again, or what sort of change the calculus for him, it ultimately deciding to appoint a special counsel was something he did not do lightly. it was something he sought not to do four months, but

ultimately, felt like he had no other choice. in the pointing this special counsel, given sort of the political landscape we are experiencing right now. >> to that and, danny, merrick garland said the appointment of special prosecutor's in the public's interest, right? do you agree with that, and does he mean from a legal perspective or political one? >> oh, a political one. it is arguably a conservative thing to do to sub appoint a special counsel, but to any of us really have any additional questions about trump's involvement in january six at this point? no matter what side you come down on, january six committee spent all summer educating us in detail about what they think happens. and before that, there was the impeachment trial of donald trump in february 2021. also very well produced, plenty of video, plenty of information. we feel like we have a handle on what happens, and mar-a-lago, the doj originated this

investigation! there are the ones that went and got a search warrants based on probable cause, so they have all of that information as well. what is it that jack smith actually have to do? go over the main justice and pick up a flash drive? as long as he's been watching a little tv over the last 20 years, like everybody else, everyone seems to have a pretty good handle on what happens, no matter what side you're on. if you are pro trump, anti trump, the facts are all out there. so, the idea that this is a special counsel that will conduct some new and broad reaching investigation like the mueller case did, it's a very different case. it's a very different situation. we won't be waiting around for baited breath to see who jack smith and gaetz, the way we did for robert mueller. >> point well taken there. sadie, you have written that's matt smith will take on this roll with a wide ranging prosecutorial career, and a low political profile. tell us more about him. first of all, can he satisfy

both sides as an independent arbiter? i'm not even talking about donald trump, who paints him as being very, very, crazy left. the reality, in that, by the way, it's his term. the reality is, i've heard a couple places he is a registered independent. >> that's right. the attorney general chose jack smith for a number of different reasons. the appearance of independents certainly being one of them. he has also been out of the country as chief prosecutor of the hog for the past 12 years and has no express political views on what has been happening of the trump administration and some of the dramas that have continued to play out under this administration. so, he has no real vocal opinions that we are aware of at this point. he is also someone who worked on public corruption cases for a long time without the justice department. so, somebody who is very familiar with this terrain. that said, it is hard to believe that anything will satisfy the criticism coming from the former president and his supporters about the

justice department's move and in fact, as you forget that with your click, this is giving the former presidents some leverage to say, look the justice department is treating me differently. it will be interesting to say whether this actually satisfies any of the criticism coming from the right about how the justice department has been handling these investigations. >> and then to that point, let's take a listen to how conservative presidents are responding to this news. i'll ask you again, a question on the other side. >> merrick garland's today may be breeding some sort of a sigh of relief, because he is now dumping this major, major job onto somebody else, and it's not a coincidence this timing. >> clearly, as a result of donald trump announcing for president, merrick garland took a look at this and said, to what a political potato. i'm turning this over to the special counsel. >> this is ridiculous! this is politics at its worst! >> danny, if the ag's goal in appointing the special prosecutor to avoid the appearance of bipartisanship,

does it work? i'm not talking about the last 24 hours, but ultimately, does it work? >> it might work. look, you can look at this two ways. one is in the clips you just showed, that this is a kind of hot potato merrick garland maybe doesn't wants. but on the other hand, merrick garland's, and has always been, and institutionalist. arguably, as a former judge, on the d.c. circuit, he is hyper aware of the separation of powers issues involved here. so in a way, we shouldn't be surprised that he appointed a special counsel. he's been incredibly careful, very cautious in what he says, especially at press conferences. so, why not appointed special counsel and then try at least to remove the appearance of impropriety? now, critics will say look, a special counsel is still technically parts of the doj. so, you can never completely remove impropriety. this is the biden administration. their criticism, but it's also understandable that merrick garland probably just wanted this to be as impartial as it

possibly could be, even if he believes he already has enough to make a decision, whether it's to indict or not to indict. >> but danny, can you explain the role of this special counsel? because garland said jack smith will exercise independent prosecutorial judgment to decide whether charges should be brought. so, how much control does merrick garland now seed over to jack smith? >> well technically merrick garland does retain control. if that statement is to be believed, he's going to leave all those decisions up to this particular special counsel. they almost surely will be not our main justice campuses. maybe they will be in a conference room many blocks away. they will be separate, walled off, maybe have people on their team who emerge from private practice and rejoin the government, just like mueller's team did. they will make every effort to make this as independent as they possibly can. again, nothing can remove the criticism that you never truly independent of the justice

department. >> sadie, in a statement, jack smith, on his part, said that pace of the investigations will not pause or flag under my watch. i will exercise independent judgment, and remove the investigations forward expeditiously and thoroughly to whatever outcome the facts and law dictate. do you, sadie, expect that the special counsel changes the pacer trajectory of the doj's investigations? >> well, the justice department has already been moving pretty quickly with these investigations. and one of his first acts as special counsel, jack smith said, the pace is not going to slow under my watch. we're going to keep pushing things along. i expect that we will see that, in part because this is not a new investigation. he is not starting from scratch here. this is a mature investigation. he will be -- a lot of people who have been working on this investigation for months and months, and so i don't think he is proving any new ground. i think that this will be -- we won't necessarily see the long and protracted process that we saw from the last two

special councils in the past five years. >> do you have conventional wisdom, say, the on how long it's not that long? >> i don't. it's anybody's guess. this is something they're going to want to take their time on, you've, now and make sure that every tee's crossed at the i's dotted. this is something they want to make sure they've covered, uncovered every stone, and i do think it will take some time. i don't necessarily think it will take years, as opposed to months. >> right. they don't have a teflon coating, all the barrage of the artillery fire that we will take from this, they want to be able to deflect. it on the ask you this. you heard josh lederman earlier saying this could spill, not years that's viscerally, but potentially, does this go into 2024? the buildup to, or congruent with the presidential election? >> i think, as a matter of course, that is something the justice department often seeks

to avoid. they don't want to have any appearance of influencing elections. so, that very well could be the case, but i think the attorney general will try to keep that from happening. like i said, a lot of the evidence in these cases has already been collected and is broad, but it's not totally expensive. it's just hard to say at this point where the investigation goes. if you uncovered something new, what that means for the investigation. so, everybody is just waiting to see how things will play out, but both the ag and the special counsel have promised to move quickly. the ag has said we are issuing to revive enough resources to ensure that that happens in a timely way. and so, we're all sort of waiting to see what the next turn of the screw. is >> okay, say the government and then east cevallos, we appreciate both of your excellent insights. thank. you some new details to share for you in the very disturbing story out of idaho, where for college students were mysteriously murdered almost a week ago. police there are still looking for the killer, the murder weapon, and a motive behind

those killings. let's go to nbc's kathy schwartz in idaho with the very latest on the investigation. 30? n the investig>> a, good morniny day that passes here in moscow, the fear is building with the suspect not being caught. this is a college town, and so many students in this town have left early because they just don't feel safe. meanwhile, reinforcements have arrived. police say 100 local, federal, and state officers have now been assigned to this case. >> it's been nearly a week since police in moscow, idaho, seen off the scene of a gruesome murder. investigators are still collecting evidence. at one point friday, taking something out of the leaves in the backyard. the families of the victims in disbelief that the killer of four people is still on the loose. >> we've been contact with him every day, the fbi, moscow, the police, and every day, he just does nothing. >> now, police confirming the victims were attacked with a large knife. some had defensive wounds and

killed in their sleep, and there is no sign of sexual assault. meanwhile, police remain tightlipped of why they can't share who killed 9-1-1 after the murders, but telling them they had ruled of the man seen near two of the victims in this suspect, as well as to other females who were inside the home but unhurt when the attack happened. >> now that the rumors have been ruled out conclusively, can you tell us if they were the ones who called 9-1-1? >> so, still, we're not going to set information yet. that particular piece of information seems to be fueling a lot of conspiracies and making your jobs harder. >> that is correct. there are a lot of conspiracy theories out there. there's a lot of conjecture. but we have to work on the facts. >> the most pressing facts are still a mystery. no murder weapon, no motive, and even the suspect description. devastating for the families xana kernodle of, ethan chapin, madison mogen, and kaylee goncalves. praying for justice in their grief. >> turn yourself in. you owe it to these mothers of

these children, these fathers, these families. you are wrong. turn yourself in. >> police have said they have received about 500 tips so far. they've processed about 30 to 40 interviews, and they continue to ask the public for any information as to where these victims were. they've established a specific timeline on the night of the killings. meanwhile, the biggest lead so far still seems to be the fixed blade weapon was used, possibly a combat knife. back to you. >> okay. scotty schwartz, thank you for that. don't look now, but it's already starting. the marjorie taylor greene wing of the republican party launches a flurry of investigations against president biden, even before they've taken over the house. let's hear what she and her colleagues are saying, and you're gonna be shaking her head. now, subway® is refreshing their catering with easy-order platters and lunchboxes perfect for any party. pool parties... tailgates... holiday parties... even retirement parties.

man, i love parties. subway keeps refreshing and refreshing get early access to wayfair's black friday sale. man, i love parties. save on seasonal decor from $30. washable rugs up to 80% off. and living room seating up to 65% off. search, shop, and save at wayfair! ♪ wayfair you've got just what i need ♪ allergies don't have to be scary. spraying flonase daily stops your body from overreacting to allergens all season long. psst! psst! flonase all good. it's nice to unwind after a long week of telling people how liberty mutual customizes your car insurance so you only pay for what you need! (limu squawks) he's a natural. only pay for what you need. ♪liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty.♪ i may be close to retirement but i'm as busy as ever. and thanks to voya, i'm confident about my future. voya provides guidance for the right investments. they make me feel like i've got it all under control.

voya. be confident to and through retirement. covid-19 moves fast and now you can too by asking your healthcare provider if an oral treatment is right for you. oral treatments can be taken at home and must be taken within 5 days from when symptoms first appear. if you have symptoms of covid-19, even if they're mild, don't wait, get tested quickly. if you test positive and are at high risk for severe disease act fast- askif anoral treatment is right for you.

covid-19 moves fast and now you can too. good news! a new clinical study showed that centrum silver supports cognitive health in older adults. it's one more step towards taking charge of your health. so every day, you can say... ♪ youuu did it! ♪ with centrum silver. well, we fell in love through gaming. but now the internet lags and it throws the whole thing off. when did you first discover this lag? i signed us up for t-mobile home internet. ugh! but, we found other interests. i guess we have. [both] finch! let's go! oh yeah! it's not the same. what could you do to solve the problem? we could get xfinity? that's actually super adult of you to suggest. i can't wait to squad up. i love it when you talk nerdy to me. guy, guys, guys, we're still in session. new insight into what the gop and i don't know what the heck you're talking about.

-- focused on in the house. it is not jobs, nor the economy, or ukraine. it's investigations. joining me now, nbc news capitol hill correspondent, ali raphael. ali, welcome. what is the latest on the republicans planned when they take the majority in january? >> alex, good morning. house republicans are wasting no time letting the american people know what their priorities are going to be for the next two years under this new house majority. they are saying, the new subpoena power and key control over committees is going to be used to investigate president biden and his son, hunter biden, 's business dealings. the house is top republican, who is still trying to cement the votes needed to become how speaker, released a statement on this yesterday, saying in part, quote, house republicans will be ready on day one to exercise our article one authority to hold the biden administration accountable. and we intend to finally get answers to the american people that they deserve. now, we know the white house has been anticipating this for

months, staffing up with lawyers, expecting this republican onslaught. but now we're learning more about what other probes republicans are planning on launching when this new congress is officially sworn in, come january. take a listen here. >> i want to be clear, this is an investigation of joe biden and that is where the committee will focus in this next congress. so, this is a focus on the judiciary committee. the political nature of the justice department. >> we can impeach secretary mayorkas. we can impeach mary garland. >> i'm introducing articles of impeachment against joe biden on monday. >> republicans, vowing to investigate everything from the u.s. withdrawal of troops from afghanistan and the border policies at the mexico, u.s. border, to allegations that the doj is acting as an armed to the biden administration. definitely something we're going to be watching very

closely during a very interesting next two years here on capitol hill, alex. >> well, that's one word used to describe it. thank you very much, ali raphael. house democrats are working to determine who will fill the parties top leadership roles, following speaker nancy pelosi and other leaders announcements that they will not seek leadership positions in the next congress. initiating a changing of the guard in the house democratic caucus, led by a new generation of leaders. that could usher in a new era for the party, as the house convenes in january under republican control, of course. joining me now is former -- democratic national committee chairman, howard dean, which makes you the perfect person to talk to about this. welcome, governor. going forward, i'm calling you howard because we go back way too long. so here we go. after steering the democratic party through two tumultuous decades and her never losing a floor vote and legislation, that's a record, how do you reflect on nancy pelosi's leadership accomplishments of hertz fanned out most to you? >> well, first of all, i think

nancy pelosi is the greatest speaker in the history of the house of representatives. i really do. there have been, of course, legends before. sam raymond, tim o'neil. nobody has been more productive and nobody has more successfully worked with a bare majority as speaker pelosi did this past year, these past two years. the other thing that she did is, i mean, i'm glad that gerontocracy is moving on, but let me just say that, nobody has handled the very difficult and very broad coalition that forms the democratic party of the house better than she has. including progressives, brown voters, or brown congressman, black congressman, white congressman. she was at the new women's movement. i think she when she came, there was something like eight or 18 congresswomen. now there are 90 of the democratic congress people are women. i mean, she's presided over

remarkable changes of the house, remarkable changes in the democratic party, and she's on it and never lost a floor vote. she's really extraordinary public servant and has done a terrific job. >> yeah, absolutely. i think there are a few people who are democrats who would dispute that. it was quite remarkable watching how the republicans seated when she was giving her farewell speech, if you will. all right, farewell from leadership. she would still be in the house. house republicans have already signaled, you heard that report, the investigations into the biden administration that they are going to dominate the control of congress. but the gop faces a democratic white house and senate. how can democrats get their legislative goals passed with a republican controlled house? what's it going to take to avoid two years of little to no progress, other white notes as roadblock? >> first of all, the problem for the republicans is they're basically known as the party of crack pots. all the people that you had on there were cracked parts, including speaker mccarthy, who appears to be a crock pot. i don't actually think he is, but he has the crack putt green,

he has to please. so, i think it's great news they will do all these investigations because they will not get anything done. and when their bill comes two years from now, the republicans have nothing to run on. nothing. all they are going to do is spend their time with people like jim jordan and comer in front of the who are basically whack jobs in front of the american people. that's not going to -- >> you were saying something that many people have been uttering in the wake of their focus on investigations. these are not kitchen table issues. most people as they gather on thursday around the family table, they will talk about crime, talk about the economy, talk about the inflation and levels of immigration, blah, blah, right? that's what they will discuss. why do republicans not see that? why are they going to focus on this? because two years from now, >> they are stuck. it's exactly the same reason they didn't win in these races. they have such a tiny majority when they thought they were going to get a plus 30 or 40

seats. and they lost the senate because they're held hostage by the right wing conspiracy theories, fueled by donald trump. two things in my opinion, one, this election for us and i guess the media expectations, we won it. the first is that donald trump was on the ballot. and he made himself the issue, and we were rewarded for it. the second is, we simply ran much better candidates, partly because donald trump selected a lot of the candidates, that represent the republicans. people are tired of this. they would really like something done about these problems and we are actually getting something done. i think two years from now, we are going to see inflations down, the crime statistics were hyped up a little bit anyway. they really weren't. the only pitch i would make to the media is, if you spend all your time covering these ridiculous hearings, just like

you spent all your time talking about donald trump, this station, you, know donald trump interview -- while he was in his bathrobe and slippers and the trump, whatever it, is department that you overvalued, and they would barely give hillary clinton the time unless she came into the show. we can't have that. the problem is the media in this country's interested in spectacle and they're not interested in substance. that is a major, major problem for the country. >> well, i would like to think, in defense of the station and any other, that we do, we are able to learn and review, and see what history has taught us. i hope that people do so going forward. in terms of our attention focused. but let me ask you about 2024 specifically for a moment here. because i'm looking at the washington post, which just published a list of the top ten republican presidential candidates. no surprise after the development since election day, you've got florida governor, ron desantis, taking the top spot. donald trump is actually down to second. you are the front runner, howard, in the 2000 for iowa democratic congresses before

finishing third in that race. given your experience, what's your sense of this ranking and how meaningful are these prognostications before candidates actually hit the campaign trail? >> they are not meaningful at all. we lost in iowa because our organization was not what it should have been. and i was not terribly organized person, so the campaign wasn't organized and we had a lot of internal problems. everybody says it was the i have a scream speech. but the truth was, i already lost iowa when you're supposed to come in first and you come in third, you are done. and so, whoever has a good ground game and really knows how to run a good campaign, that's the person who's going to win in iowa. i don't know who that is because we don't know much about some of these other people. we know that trump has bombast and a very core, devoted following that's probably not enough. but it might be in a very divided primary. >> many democratic strategists, as you know, they see john

fetterman's win pennsylvania, he flipped a republican held senate seat there. it's seen as a blueprint for appealing to white, working class voters. fetterman campaign aggressively for more than a year in the states rural counties there. but i want to play some of what you, howard, said on meet the press. this was back in 2004 and it was following john kerry's loss to george w. bush. here. >> we ran the best grassroots campaign that i've seen in my lifetime. they ran a better one? why because we sent 14,000 people into ohio from elsewhere. they had 14,000 people from ohio under their neighbors. that's how you win in rural states and rural america. if we don't do those things, we are not going to win and we have to learn to do those things. >> how do you feel about that statement? >> i think there's a lot of legitimacy. i do think fetterman was the rising star not just, we don't know what he's going to vote record is going to be in the

senate. but the reason he's a rising star is because he is one of the people that is best equipped to talk to the working class, which democrats seem to have forgotten about. and it's not that we forgot about them and we didn't do anything for them, we've done far more than the republicans have ever done for the working class. they don't give a darn about the working class, they just like their employers, who gave them all those campaign contributions, which, of course, amount greatly since citizens united was overturned. so, what we need is people like fetterman, who can talk to everybody in the working class. fetterman had the coalition the democrats used to be. we had voters of color, we had women in enormous numbers because of the dobbs decision, and we had a much increased white working class from rural america, who felt left behind. and the truth is, we are going to have, we don't have to embrace antiabortion and all these other things from the republican party. but we do have to address economic justice and we can't address it in the language of

sort of, you know, let's screw all the corporations and all that stuff, although that is popular. we actually have to do something about social security, about medicare, about universal health care. we don't have to use the language of the progressives to do it, but we have to do it. and the republicans certainly are not going to do it, and white working class people know that, but they feel terribly desperate. i am thrilled with the new house leadership because it looks just exactly like the democratic party looks like, and we have got to build that image all over the country. and fetterman was the person who did best in this past election. >> okay, howard ian, good to see you again, my friend. we will see you soon. >> thanks very much. >> donald trump said two things about kari lake last night. both of which are astounding and puzzling, but not surprising. in minutes, you are going to hear at and judge for yourself. plus, repeat after me. at least we are not in buffalo today. western new york, getting slammed with more than five feet of snow and more is on the way. and did you know that you can

hear the latest news and updates from all your favorite msnbc hosts anytime, anywhere, on any device? with tuna, and you can scan the qr code to hear right now. qr code to hear right now. ♪ kevin! kevin! kevin? oh nice. kevin, where are you... kevin?!?!?.... hey, what's going on? i'm right here! i was busy cashbacking for the holidays with chase freedom unlimited. i'm gonna cashback on a gingerbread house! oooh, it's got little people inside! and a snowglobe. oh, i wished i lived in there. you know i can't believe you lost another kevin. it's a holiday tradition! that it is! earn big time with chase freedom unlimited. ♪

earn big time with chase freedom unlimited. ♪ living with metastatic breast cancer means being relentless. because every day matters. and having more of them is possible with verzenio. the only one of its kind proven to help you live significantly longer when taken with fulvestrant, regardless of menopause status. verzenio + fulvestrant is for hr+, her2- metastatic breast cancer that has progressed after hormone therapy. diarrhea is common, may be severe, or cause dehydration or infection. at the first sign, call your doctor start an anti-diarrheal and drink fluids. before taking verzenio, tell your doctor about any fever, chills, or other signs of infection. verzenio may cause low white blood cell counts, which may cause serious infection that can lead to death. life-threatening lung inflammation can occur. tell your doctor about any new or worsening trouble breathing, cough, or chest pain. serious liver problems can happen. symptoms include fatigue, appetite loss, stomach pain and bleeding or bruising. blood clots that can lead to death have occurred. tell your doctor if you have pain or swelling in your arms or legs, shortness of breath,

chest pain, and rapid breathing or heart rate, or if you're nursing, pregnant or plan to be. every day matters. and i want more of them. ask your doctor about everyday verzenio. (vo) with verizon, you can now get a private 5g network. so you can do more than connect your business, you can make it even smarter. now ports can know where every piece of cargo is. and where it's going. (dock worker) right on time. (vo) robots can predict breakdowns and order their own replacement parts. (foreman) nice work. (vo) and retailers can get ahead of the fashion trend of the day with a new line tomorrow. with a verizon private 5g network, you can get more agility and security. giving you more control of your business. we call this enterprise intelligence. from the network america relies on.

grandmom! walgreens find rx coverage is here to make medicare easy... even easier than those dances your grandkids love doing with you. ok, i got it. (laughs) start medicare shopping today with walgreens find rx coverage. ♪♪ plus, find low-cost copays.

when you need to talk medicare. walgreens, is here. ♪♪ ♪♪ walgreens. two big problems facing travelers this weekend. first up, a massive snowstorm in western new york, causing dangerous conditions and airport delays. and the holiday getaway, bringing up a big crowds at airports now five days before thanksgiving. nbc news correspondent, jesse kirk, is covering the storm in buffalo, new york, and guava naked says that miami international airport for us. welcome, guys. glad to have you both here. jesse, we will start with you because we've seen the latest numbers on these snow totals. it is astounding. 77 inches in orchard park. i mean, show us how bad it is there. >> yeah and alex, for people who may not be familiar with the buffalo area, orchard park is where the buffalo bills

should have been playing this weekend against the cleveland browns. but they made the right call in moving that game to detroit because we've seen images of that stadium completely covered in snow. again, we're talking about upwards of six feet of snow on the ground there. and with the snowfall totals in orchard park, this is now a record-breaking storm here in downtown buffalo. you can see, this looks like the cleanup aftermath of a storm. but if you can believe it, we are expecting more snow in this region overnight. >> this morning, thunder snow. spin up and more than five and a half feet of snow piling up for a record-breaking storm. overnight, the buffalo area's lake effect snow storm became the single highest 24-hour snowfall event in new york state history. >> this is very concerning because we already got our first report of a building collapse at the town of hamburg. >> here in lackawanna, york, south of buffalo, they're moving snow by the truckload. police say, they need to make space here with even more snow

on the way. >> at least 66 inches reported in orchard park, new york, the same community where the buffalo bills and cleveland browns were supposed to play this weekend. before the game was moved to detroit. the bills home turf, buried in snow friday. but fans still showing their pride. >> this is great football weather. great football weather. >> and another 6 to 12 inches of snow could fall in this region by tomorrow. that did not stop some residents from getting a head start on cleanup friday. >> it's still falling, what's the rush? >> i mean, might as well get some of it out of the way. it's going to keep coming down. >> officials still pleading with people to stay home. >> when people drive and they get stuck, that causes a logjam that really inhibits our ability to clear the streets, so that we can open up sooner. >> and unfortunately, the storm has already turned deadly. officials in erie county, new york, say two people died following cardiac events tied to shoveling snow. >> our deepest condolences to

their families at this very sad time. this snow is exceptionally heavy and wet. you have to shovel smart because cardiac events, heart attacks, always occur in these situations. >> again, officials stressing for people to not over exert themselves, alex, when they are picking up the snow with shovels. that 24-hour snowfall event record here in new york state, the previous record, was set in 1966. alex? >> okay, jesse kirk, looks cold there. , that is for sure. so, we are going to all head now to nbc's guad venegas. he's in miami where the weather is significantly better. but that airport is bracing for big crowds, guad. aaa, in fact, predicting that nearly 55 million of us are going to be traveling over 50 miles this year. that makes this thanksgiving the third busiest ever since it was last reported in 2000. are you seeing the stats and the people there to back it up? looks pretty crowded behind. >> alex, good morning. those numbers, by the way, go

from wednesday through sunday. those numbers that aaa released. so, a lot of the travelers we are going to see over the week, that's extra. so, it's been busy. a normal weekend busy is what i've been told here at miami international airport. by the way, jessie kershaw reporting in new york with all the snow, that's one of the top five destinations for thanksgiving travel. along with southern california where a lot of the parks are at and orlando florida. a lot of people are planning to head to new york as the storm, the snow is hammering that part of the country. so, what we've seen here today, speaking to travelers, they tell us that it's been busy. but things have been flowing. now, a lot of the airports around the country, not just this one in miami, but others, they've been preparing for this. we saw what happened after the height of the pandemic, when passengers began returning to airports. it was crazy. we saw a lot of cancellations and airlines readjusting. so things here today are flowing. it's busy, but it's working. a lot of the things that airports have done include

valet parking for some of the passengers, prepaid parking in some of the structures. here for example at miami international, there's a train that passengers can use. a lot of people tell me they've been using shuttles. for the time being, the saturday has worked out. now, the vast majority of people traveling this thanksgiving is expected to hit the roads. despite the very, very high gas prices. here's a spokesperson for aaa talking about travelers this thanksgiving week. >> we are going to see the roads start to be very busy on wednesday. say, mid morning to late afternoon. and then again thursday morning for those that are staying even more local. so, the roadways are going to certainly be crowded. >> so, if you are going to be hitting the road, expect to be patient and i will say, alex, compared to last year, travelers using airports, they do expect aaa, is predicting an 8% increase in travelers at

airports, compared to last year. so, that's a big difference. that's very significant, alex. >> that is. pack your patience, as we say. thank you so much, what, from miami. so, how the big lie became a big headache in arizona. my next guest spent some time with kari lake. does she really believe her own hype? ies menu the new monster has juicy steak and crispy bacon. but what about the new boss? it looks so good it makes me hangry! settle down there, big guy the new subway series. what's your pick? ♪3, 4♪ the new subw♪y series. ♪hey♪ ♪ ♪are you ready for me♪ ♪are you ready♪ ♪are you ready♪ ♪ my name is austin james. as a musician living with diabetes, fingersticks can be a real challenge. that's why i use the freestyle libre 2 system. with a painless, one-second scan, i know my glucose numbers without fingersticks. now, i'm managing my diabetes better,

and i've lowered my a1c from 8.2 to 6.7. take the mystery out of managing your diabetes and lower your a1c. now you know. try it for free at freestylelibre.us psst! psst! with flonase, allergies don't have to be scary. flonase sensimist provides non-drowsy, 24-hour relief. in a scent free, gentle mist. psst! psst! flonase. all good. (customer) hi? in a scent free, gentle mist. (burke) happy anniversary. (customer) for what? (burke) every year you're with us, you get fifty dollars toward your home deductible. it's a policy perk for being a farmers customer. (customer) do i have to do anything? (burke) nothing. (customer) nothing? (burke) nothing. (customer) nothing? (burke) nothing. (customer) hmm, that is really something. (burke) you get a whole lot of something with farmers policy perks. see ya. (kid) may i have a balloon, too? (burke) sure. your parents have maintained a farmers home policy for twelve consecutive months, right? ♪ we are farmers. bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ♪

♪ ♪ ♪♪ voltaren. the joy of movement. ♪♪

it's the subway series menu. 12 irresistible subs. the most epic sandwich roster ever created. ♪♪ it's subway's biggest refresh yet! here's a look at today's other top stories for you. the biden administration is asking the supreme court to allow its student loan debt

relief program to go forward. it comes after that program was blocked by a federal appeals court in st. louis. the program allows eligible borrowers to cancel up to $20,000 of debt. amid mass resignations and twitter headquarters, elon musk was asking some of his employees to come back. musk emailed twitter staff friday, asking any employee who writes software code to report to the san francisco headquarters. more than 1000 twitter employees have now resigned after musk asked them to sign up for long hours or leave. and here's a look at the white house right now for you, as president biden's 28 year old granddaughter -- there's peter neil on the south lawn. in fact, that ceremony is underway. you're looking at the spot where guests were entering their. the couple currently lives at the white house and have kept most of their wedding plans private. this marks the 19th wedding to take place at the white house. arizona republican gubernatorial candidate, kari lake, is refusing to back down after losing the election to democrat, katie hobbs. nbc news projects hobbs being

the winner with 99% of the votes in. but instead of conceding, lake says, she's considering legal action and continues with her unfounded claims of voter fraud in arizona. >> for two years, i've been sounding the alarm about a broken election system here in arizona and this past week has confirmed everything we have been saying. now, i'm busy here collecting evidence and data. rest assured i have assembled the best and brightest legal team. we are exploring every avenue to correct the many wrongs that have been done this past week. >> joining me now is ruby kramer, national political enterprise reporter for the washington post. ruby, big welcome to you. so, kari lake is one of the most high-profile election deniers to run for offices here. with what we just heard there, was that inevitable? i mean, did she hedge her bets, as she says, the last couple of years, with her false claims so she could challenge the results if she lost? and what's your bet that she --

that word if she overtly one? >> i think the most important thing to understand about kari lake's campaign is that the entire enterprise was predicated on the idea of election denial denialism. so, it was the vehicle for her to sort of and gender support among the trump movement. it made her one of trump's most loyal and ardent supporters. it enamored trump to her. it was the vehicle for her to stir up her supporters online. it was the vehicle vehicle for head of picking fights with the press, which became that sort of fodder for that online for her. so, it was central in every way and i think back to actually erase that she won. her august republican primary, where she scraped out a win in a very crowded, expensive republican primary and one of the first thing she said after winning that race was, we outvoted the fraud. so, actually think, tantilized question, you know, if the results had been different and to be clear, you know, kari lake, it's looking like she will lose this race by close to

20,000 votes. it's somewhat we know now. perhaps even if she had one, she would've made a similar comment. that is how central these doubts about the election system have been to her entire political persona. >> didn't expect that answer, but i will believe you since you spent a lot of time out there. during his speech at mar-a-lago last night, donald trump expressed his support for lake, backing up her unproven claims of election fraud in arizona. take a listen to this. >> kari lake, who just went through an incredible election. there were a lot of broken voting machines. you heard that, lots of them that haven't to be in largely republican areas. and what happened there is a disgrace. but i want to just say, you did some job, carrie, and i know it's not over yet. >> so, this was just one day after lake traveled to mar-a-lago to meet with donald trump. what can you tell us about the nature of her visit? >> i also just want to quickly fact check something that he

said. in maricopa county, the voting locations that they'd experience problems on election day were not found to be overwhelmingly republican areas, according to analysis by the washington post that we did. >> can i just say, rudy, to that, i appreciate you doing that, but you, know you could make an entire career out of just fact checking donald trump whenever he speaks, if you care to. but prolific this he's continue. >> yes, in fact people have. so, kari lake a few days after her race was called, flew down to mar-a-lago to kind of join this policy conference that donald trump was hosting. she was seen alongside marjorie taylor greene, kimberly guilfoyle, donald trump jr., all the sort of key figures in trump's orbit right now. we know that she was greeted to a standing ovation in that crowd. i think that particularly for this moment for donald trump, where you've seen other republican figures, other key stars in the party, somewhat

back away from him. kari lake showing up at mar-a-lago's is sort of beneficial to both of them. i mean, this is someone who people said could have been a vice presidential candidate for him on the ticket in 2024. i think her political future now, obviously, remains a little bit more unclear now that she has lost. >> interesting, yeah, we had heard that as well. you think that's gone? you don't think that he may be continuing to look at her potentially? because she's a firebrand, for sure. she could match him at the campaign trail. >> i think she remains one of the most special, i guess, would be one word, figures in trump's world. i think as the circle around him sort of narrows, that may become more true. i don't think she necessarily needs to hold elected office to be a star in the maga movement. >> do you think she's going to concede anytime soon? >> i would bet no.

i think her team has said they're going to explore various legal options we. are waiting to hear more about what those look like. i believe that they will try to drag this out into a fight as much as they possibly can. >> all right, that's one way to spend the holiday season. ruby kramer, thank you so much. coming up next, the story that has a lot of people worked up this morning. it has nothing to do with politics, by the way, and this aftermath could impact millions. ions ions just a car. (vo) through the share the love event, subaru retailers have supported over seventeen hundred hometown charities. (phil) have i witnessed and seen the impact of what we do? you bet i have. (kathryn) we have worked with so many amazing causes and made a difference. (vo) by the end of this year, subaru and our retailers will have donated over two hundred and fifty million dollars to charity. (brent) it's about more than just selling cars. (phil) the subaru share the love event going on now. (bridget vo) with thyroid eye disease... i hid from the camera.

and i wanted to hide from the world. for years, i thought my t.e.d was beyond help... ...but then i asked my doctor about tepezza. (vo) tepezza is the only medicine that treats t.e.d. at the source not just the symptoms. in a clinical study, more than 8 out of 10 patients taking tepezza had less eye bulging. tepezza is an infusion. patients taking tepezza may have infusion reactions. tell your doctor right away if you experience high blood pressure, fast heartbeat, shortness of breath or muscle pain. before getting tepezza, tell your doctor if you have diabetes, ibd, or are pregnant, or planning to become pregnant. tepezza may raise blood sugar even if you don't have diabetes. and may worsen ibd such as crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. (bridget) now, i'm ready to be seen again. (vo) visit mytepezza.com to find a t.e.d. eye specialist and to see bridget's before and after photos. if you're turning 65 soon or over 65 and planning to retire...

now's the time to learn more about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan from unitedhealthcare and get help protecting yourself from the out-of-pocket costs medicare doesn't pay. because the time to prepare is before you go on medicare. don't wait. get started today. call unitedhealthcare for your free decision guide. a reckoning for ticketmaster. it's now facing an antitrust investigation, after the company canceled its public sale for taylor swift's upcoming tour. swift broke her silence yesterday, saying, it's really difficult for me to trust an outside entity with these relationships and loyalties, and excruciating for me to just watch mistakes happen with no recourse. nbc's ellia quetta's and rutherford, new jersey, with the very latest.

hi, emily. >> hey there. this week's demand for taylor swift tickets was unprecedented and could have filled 900 stadiums like this one. but that traffic said ticketmaster's website into a tailspin, stirring up bad blood with even the popstar herself. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> ticketmaster, apologizing to taylor swift and her fans for a botched ticket roll up to the popstar's first tour in five years. >> i didn't get tickets to the taylor swift concert. [crying] >> ticketmaster, blaming record-breaking demand and a staggering number of bought attacks for the hours long waits and website crashes endured by swift fans trying to get tickets. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> how would you describe the ticket buying experience this week? >> chaotic. frustrating and really disappointing. >> the apology comes hours after the 11-time grammy winner vented her own frustration on instagram, not specifically naming ticketmaster, but saying,

we asked the multiple times if they could handle this kind of demand and we were assured they could. the new york times on friday, reported, the justice department over an antitrust investigation into ticketmaster's parent company, live nation entertainment. apparently before this week's meltdown. live nation, telling nbc in a statement overnight that a, quote, does not engage in behaviors that could justify antitrust litigation. swift says, she's trying to figure out how the situation could be improved moving forward. her response, leaving some fans unsatisfied. >> basically, what i'm getting for this is she saying, you're on your own, kid. >> as swifties have trouble shaking it off. >> okay alex, so is there any hope for empty-handed swifties? well, perhaps. taylor swift such, she's hoping to provide more opportunities for fans, but whether that means she's going to expand her tour again remains to be seen. in the meantime, you will have to rely on the secondary market. but buyer beware.

asking prices for tickets can exceed $10,000. alex? >> i'm so glad i'm sitting down, emily. thank you. unpacking merrick garland's big announcement. what trump's decision to run again for president was a big factor and later, how might the former president be handling this news? plus a familiar face who might be auditioning for for trump's vice president, omarosa right there -- will explain it all for you coming up. will explain it all for yo coming up. coming up. the drummer, the dribbler, and the day-dreamer... the dribbler's getting hands-on practice with her chase first banking debit card... the drummer's making savings simple with a tap... ...round of applause. and this dreamer, well, she's still learning how to budget, so mom keeps her alerts on full volume. hey! what? it's true! and that's all thanks to chase first banking. freedom for kids. control for parents. one bank with tools for both, all with no monthly service fee. chase. make more of what's yours. (vo) with verizon, you can now get a private 5g network. so you can do more than connect your business, all with no monthly service fee. you can make it even smarter.

now ports can know where every piece of cargo is. and where it's going. (dock worker) right on time. (vo) robots can predict breakdowns and order their own replacement parts. (foreman) nice work. (vo) and retailers can get ahead of the fashion trend of the day with a new line tomorrow. with a verizon private 5g network, you can get more agility and security. giving you more control of your business. we call this enterprise intelligence. from the network america relies on. the eat fresh® refresh just won't stop! now, subway® is refreshing their catering with easy-order platters and lunchboxes perfect for any party. pool parties... tailgates... holiday parties... even retirement parties. man, i love parties. subway keeps refreshing and refreshing i may be close to retirement but i'm as busy as ever. careful now. nice! you got it. and thanks to voya, i'm confident about my future. oh dad, the twins are now... ...vegan. i know, i got 'em some of those plant burgers. nice! nice! yeah. voya provides guidance for the right investments and helps me be prepared for unexpected events. they make me feel like i've got it all under control.

because i do. ok, that was awesome. voya. be confident to and through retirement. ♪ ♪ ♪♪ voltaren. the joy of movement. ♪♪ xfinity rewards is a program whose sole purpose is to say thank you. with experiences big, small, and once in a lifetime. sometimes it's about cheering hard enough to shake the stadium. let's go! -haha, woo! sometimes it's as simple as movie night right here at home, on us. you mean the world to us. so we're bringing you closer to what you love. kinda like this- welcome to 30 rock! join xfinity rewards for free on the xfinity app today. our thanks. your rewards.