>> reporter: he said he watched it yesterday before hearing the news writing, she made me laugh 30 years ago when she shot that scene and she made me laugh today just as hard. i am so sad and so grateful for all the time she made me laf. alley parlayed that talent into the look who is talking films with john travolta. travolta writing a tribute last time, kirstie was one of the most special relationships i have ever had. i know we will see each other again. in a prolific career that spanned 30 years alley played a vulcan, savic on "star trek." >> i'm aware of my responsibilities. >> reporter: to a romance expert in veronica's closet. >> i just hate watching myself on tv. >> no, you don't. >> yeah, i know. >> reporter: in recent years she kept fans on their toes with appearances on dancing with the stars and the masked singer and even earned a star on the hollywood walk of fame in 1995.

alley was famously open about her weight struggles. >> i think i lost the 50 pounds in 44 weeks. >> reporter: and while fans remember her as a comedy icon, her children say she is best remembered as a loving mother and grandmother. >> this is one of the best things that's ever happened in my life to be a grandmother. >> nbc's anne thompson with that report. it is exactly the top of the fourth hour of "morning joe." 6:00 a.m. on the west coast, 9:00 a.m. on the east coast where polls are open in georgia's senate runoff election right now. democratic incumbent rafael warnock will try to retain his seat and help democrats expand their senate majority against republican challenger herschel walker. we will go live to atlanta in just a moment. we will also speak with the incoming secretary of state of arizona after officials there certified the recent midterm election results amid ongoing resistance from some election denying republicans. plus, tens of thousands of

north carolina residents spend another night in the cold and in the dark after officials say someone deliberately opened fire on two energy substations. more on the state of emergency and the criminal investigation now under way. and the worst flu season in more than a decade is pushing hospitals to the brink. we will have the urgent message from top doctors for you, and i believe, because it's 9:00, eddie glaude is right now upstairs on the ninth floor getting his flu shot. >> let's hope so. he does have a class to teach at princeton, there may be a conflict there. we will keep our viewers posted but i know you are fascinated by this detail. let's begin in the state of georgia where polls is open for the state's highly anticipated senate runoff election between incumbent democratic senator rafael warnock and republican challenger herschel walker. before any ballots were cast today senator warnock did have momentum thanks to a sizable

lead in the early vote as well as some recent polling showing a 4 to 5-point edge for the senator. walker now has to rely on strong election day turnout to win that senate seat. let's bring in nbc reporter trymaine lee live outside of a polling place in atlanta. it's good to see you this morning. set up the day for our viewers, if you would. >> reporter: good morning, willie. this is a big day, certainly, with this truncated time frame between the midterm and runoff. folks have been amped up on this full sprint to this day right here. as you mentioned, herschel walker is hoping for a big turnout, but so is senator rafael warnock. i talked to him yesterday, he's saying, folks, don't get excited about those same day -- those early voting records, you have to come out. so organizers, the voting advocates like these here, these folks here in southwest atlanta are having a party at the polls. they want folks to show up and show out and, again, despite that enthusiasm and excitement that they experienced last week

they're still out here. so, you know, polls open this morning at 7:00 a.m., there was a line out here at this polling place, it's a library, but, again, folks are excited, free food, fee coffee and organizations are trying to make sure folks don't get complacent, don't get too excited, come out to vote. herschel walker certainly needs that. the democrats are hoping that folks don't sit on that you are laurels to make sure there is a win for senator warnock. >> we are just looking by your shot there it looks like it's misty but not rainy, which is good news for turnout, whichever side you are hoping will win. let's hope it stays that way across the state. >> is it cold? >> he's like it's not great here. >> reporter: it's surprisingly cold. it's a little rain. >> sneaky in georgia and atlanta especially in the winter. where do you see the most enthusiasm? you've been out on the trail talking to voters, we seem to have heard an argument for herschel walker that we accept and recognize he is not a great candidate, but he is a vote for

us, republicans say, for us conservatives say. so it's worth it. where are you seeing more enthusiasm? >> reporter: i will tell you what, willie, i've been kind of surprised the level of excitement and opposition to walker. certainly folks won't agree on the other side with his politics, right, as a conservative who is a trump acolyte, but folks say they see his candidacy as an affront to black folks. i have talked to young people, black people, working class folks who say they see his candidacy as a way of the gop showing how little they think about black voters. it's amazing how much of a galvanizing force that herschel walker has been for the other side. even going out in the community you see signs that said vote early with barack obama, john lewis and martin luther king. folks connecting to something bigger than just a simple election. so the enthusiasm even though there has been some fatigue, right, here they are going through this process of a general election, then a runoff again, folks are actually surprisingly excited because for

many people, especially those who oppose herschel walker they cannot imagine a day that there is a senator walker representing them. so even though there are a lot of republicans falling in line, i see most of the excitement, young people on college campuses, working class and black folks in opposition to herschel walker candidacy. >> what are you hearing from voters about the ease of voting in this runoff election this go round? because georgia has been plagued with problems and long lines in the past. how easy is it to vote? >> reporter: so far talking to folks it's been pretty easy. i was here for the general election and then early voting and folks found it relatively convenient, but i think one thing we're missing here is despite the obstacles from sb 202, trunk indicating the time frame, making it a little harder to vote, organizers have been so intentional about making sure folks are informed and educated around the new law and the voting process. so many people i talk to said it's still kind of a pain in the butt but there are opportunities to vote early. so i think the part about the --

you know, these voter suppression and folks are concerned about is how much you won't see, how many people were turned away, there was a lady who came out earlier incensed that she had the wrong voting place and no one had told her. she wasn't aware, there's no one reminding folks to line to make sure they are at the right polling place. there still is some confusion, but otherwise folks have found it under the circumstances relatively straightforward. >> that's underlined by the record early turnout those days leaving up to the election. trymaine lee live in atlanta, stay warm, my friend. turning to arizona which has certified its 2022 midterm results following push back from election deniers. at an event in phoenix yesterday secretary of state and governor elect katie hobbs along with governor doug ducey and arizona's attorney general signed documents to certify results from that -- from the state's 15 counties. it's a routine step in arizona's

election process that was delayed after some republicans claimed without evidence that there were problems with the vote count. at yesterday's ceremony hobbs spoke about the importance of protecting democracy. >> as we've learned these past few years, protecting our democracy requires everyone's participation to help discern truth from fiction. arizona had a successful election, but too often throughout the process powerful voices proliferated misinformation that threatened to disenfranchise voters. democracy prevailed but it's not out of the woods. 2024 will bring a host of challenges from the election denial community that we must prepare for. >> meanwhile, republican kari lake who lost the race for governor has suggested in recent days that she will file a lawsuit protesting arizona's election results. joining us now arizona's secretary of state elect democrat adrian fuentes.

foou for coming back on the show. good to see you. >> always happy to be here. >> i'd like to start with your reaction to kari lake's potential plans. >> well, i think most of those plans have been laid in mar-a-lago since that's where she's spent a heck of a lot of time since the election. look, arizona's elections are fair, clean, solid, accountable and they are secure. secretary now governor elect hobbs and i met after that ceremony, she said that governor ducey was doing what he could to make sure her transition to power up to the ninth floor from the seventh floor was solid and she also visited with me in her office on the seventh floor to make sure my transition was solid. the noise on the sidelines, i don't think anybody is paying too much attention to it. >> except there was a delay of the ceremony. what do you make of that delay and how important was that ceremony symbolically at this time in our country's history? >> well, it's too bad that we have to make hay about something that's relatively mundane and

mostly administrative. the certification by the secretary, the witnessing of that certification by the governor and the attorney general are things that have happened year in and year out, cycle in and cycle out for decades and decades since statehood and it was never a big deal. so whether or not it was delayed for an hour or a day really is irrelevant. the fact of the matter is it is done, 2022 is over but for our recounts now that we have to deal with and we're going to move on. >> mr. secretary elect, i don't want to amplify the conspiracy theories that are out there but as you've said many times you have to fight back against this with facts and true information. the conspiracy theory that kari lake is pushing has to do with the printers on election day in maricopa county. what is the truth about what happened there? >> well, the truth about what happened has been addressed thoroughly and completely by the maricopa county election officials. the board of supervisors, the county recorder and the co-election directors.

we will continue to move forward to improve systems in arizona. one of my first agenda items as secretary of state will be to get to every single one of our 15 counties very soon, talk with those officials and make sure they have the support they need from the state to see that those sorts of things don't happen again. in fact, tomorrow i will be speaking with the county recorders at the arizona association of county officials. they are the ones that need the support across arizona and i'm going to be happy to give it to them. >> mr. secretary of state elect, congratulations. you tweeted with the last 24 hours the 2022 election was only the first battle in election deniers' war against american democracy, arizona of course a major battleground state, going to be hotly contested for 2024, president biden as an aside will be there today. what are some steps that can be put in place to safeguard the elections in arizona in 2024 to make sure that they are, indeed, fair and freely contested, but also to prevent election deniers causing more trouble?

>> well, first and foremost, we are not just going to call them election deniers they are maga fascists they don't care about american voters, they don't even care about their own voters based on the delay we saw in cochise county, a heavily republican county in southeastern arizona. we are going to attack their lies with vigor and with the truth because we have the truth on our side. we have justice on our side. we've got american democracy and american voters on our side and so we're going to push as hard as we can against the misinformation and disinformation they continue to pedal with no evidence, no legitimacy and those lawsuits being threatened right now, they are not going to go anywhere. so we won't countenance even a short discussion of them. >> before the election arizona seemed like if anywhere in the country was going to be the location of mass protests and even violence it seemed primed for t but that moment really seems like it has passed. do you think that democracy

prevailed this year in arizona? >> absolutely. i think, you know, the spirit of american democracy is alive and well in arizona and in every battleground state. regular americans want to move away from the nonsense, the chaos, the unpredictability. they want to move towards government that's going to help them prosper, help them have opportunities for themselves and their families, help them live happy, healthy lives. that's what we're supposed to be doing and i hope we can move our focus away from the nonsense and into governing for all americans. >> arizona's democratic secretary of state elect adrian fontes, thank you very much. we appreciate you being on this morning. >> thank you. coming up on "morning joe," we will get the latest from north carolina where thousands of people are still without electricity after a deliberate attack on a power substation. plus, what do twitter, britney spears and espresso

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a community in north carolina still is under a state of emergency this morning after what authorities are calling a targeted attack on the area's power grid. nbc news correspondent blayne alexander has the latest there. >> reporter: after more than 48 hours in frigid temperatures and pitch black nights -- >> we have no heat. we have no cooking facilities, we have none of that? how are you getting by? >> barely. >> reporter: this morning more than 30,000 north carolina residents are bracing for their third straight day in the dark after officials say at least one gunman broke into a pair of

power substations saturday night and opened fire, causing extensive damage and a widespread blackout. >> what happened here saturday night was a criminal attack and federal, state and local law enforcement are actively working to bring those responsible to justice. >> reporter: officials say so far no motive and no suspects, but they have not reeled nug out. >> are you possibly looking for somebody who was an employee? >> we're looking at all aspects of it. this was not no random act. this was something targeted. >> reporter: this morning duke energy which runs the substation says they will take a closer look at security measures after the breach, but would not say whether surveillance cameras may have captured those responsible. >> how were they able to access these areas so easily? >> well, you know, we maintain hundreds of thousands of miles of overheadlines, equipment that's all around. it's impossible to protect everything from any type of interaction. we have robust security measures. >> reporter: this morning the

county remains under a state of emergency with a 9:00 p.m. curfew in place until power is restored. the red cross has opened a 24-hour shelter for those struggling to stay warm and with the majority of impacted customers likely to remain in the dark until thursday, this grocery store one of the few with power is a rare refuge. >> it's cold and i come over here a couple of times a day to get some hot food. >> just to get warm? >> yeah. >> it just doesn't affect one person, it effects a whole community literally. >> nbc's blayne alexander with that report. residents of beijing have been allowed into offices, grocery stores, parks and airports without a negative covid-19 test, the latest sign that chinese authorities are loosening some of the world's toughest covid policies. the move comes after a series of protests last month that marked the biggest show of public discontent since president xi took power a decade ago.

reuters reporting china is expected to announce additional easing measures as early as tomorrow. meanwhile, here in the u.s. new numbers from the cdc show flu cases, hospitalizations and deaths are up. doctors say it's early in the season for that kind of activity. nbc news correspondent sam brock has the latest. >> reporter: this morning doctors nationwide gearing up for a major fight with the flu. >> a lot of young healthy people come in, about as bad as they have ever felt. >> reporter: in california one of the hardest hit states this doctor says his er is feeling the crunch. >> we are already at kind of mid-january levels, you know, it will be interesting and a little scary to see where this goes from here. >> reporter: it's a scene that's playing out coast to coast, with nearly all states seeing high or very high flu activity ahead of schedule. >> i am very concerned about it because i myself am immune

compromised. >> reporter: the cdc says over thanksgiving week outpatient visits for flu-like illness tripled the national baseline and hospitalizations nearly doubled from the previous week. since flu season began the agency estimating 4,500 people including 14 children have died. that's already close to the total number of deaths for last year's entire flu season. in dallas/fort worth pediatric hospitals are near capacity. doctors say the best line of defense is to get the flu shot. >> i need to be protected and i believe in the vaccines. >> reporter: though some blame vaccine fatigue for their inaction so far. >> i haven't gotten a flu shot wins i was a kid, the last shot was the covid shot, to get an appointment it was a hassle to go in and wait. >> reporter: experts worry about high risk populations like older americans and pregnant women. places with close contact like day cares, classrooms and college dorms can be settings for superspreaders. michael just caught a bad case

of the flu after eventually attend ago wedding. >> since i had just had covid a few weeks prior i felt completely safe and my guards were completely down. >> doctors recommend you consider pandemic precautions like masking and remind people that a little vigilance could go a long way to ensure a healthy holiday season. >> nbc's sam brock reporting. in washington law enforcement officers who defended the united states capitol on january 6, 2021, will be presented with congressional gold medals today. that's the highest honor given by congress. that is to recognize the hundreds of officers who were at the capitol on the day of the attack and the medals will be placed then in four locations, the u.s. capitol police headquarter he wishes, the let poll tan police department in d.c., the capitol and at the smithsonian institution. house speaker nancy pelosi will award the medals, one of her final ceremonial acts before she steps down from leadership. pepsico is laying off workers at the headquarters of its north american snacks and

beverages divisions. sources tell the "wall street journal" that hundreds of jobs will be eliminated, a signal that corporate belt tightening is extending beyond tech and media. the company employs over 300,000 people world side including 130,000 in the united states. up next, donny deutsch rejoins the table with his latest installment of brand up/brand down, including the christmas song that might not make this year's holiday play list? "morning joe" will be right back. lay list "morning joe" will be right back with unitedhealthcare my sister has a whole team to help her get the most out of her medicare plan. ♪wow, uh-huh♪ advantage: me! can't wait 'til i turn 65! take advantage with an aarp medicare advantage plan... only from unitedhealthcare. research shows people remember commercials take advantage with an aarp medicare advantage plan... with nostalgia. so to help you remember that liberty mutual customizes your home insurance,

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this week since elon musk bought the hate tweets are up so much dramt click. >> something is different. >> up 300% against gay men, up 56%, against juice up 61%. you have to put that on musk and his new doctrine. brand down for twitter, the advertisers that i said last week are going to continue to speak and pull. >> twitter, yuck. >> it's also annoying, all these tweets from people i don't follow. >> no thank you. brand up, i didn't see this one coming easy rider. >> supposedly they're bringing it back, peter fonda and dennis hopper. i don't know what that's going to look up, let's give it a brand up. >> jonathan. >> here is one. >> it's his favorite. he's so excited. >> britney spears on broadway? this one is for joe. >> they're coming out with a musical inspired by britney spears' songs called once upon a time one more time. she is not in it. you see the temptations, michael

jackson, neil diamond. i find this one showing a little dearth of creativity. >> the alanis morissette one was great. >> and another name i didn't expect to see lindsay lohan and pepsi. >> this is -- >> brand down? >> they're doing a tiktok promotion called something called santa and pilk. >> why? >> pepsi and milk mixed together. >> that's gross. >> you lay it out for the kids, that's disgusting, don't try it at home, kids, do not try pepsi and milk at home. >> you're ruining the milk. >> yuck. >> okay. mcdonald's, brand up? >> this one is for willie, there is a fresh brand in finland recycling mcdonald's uniform, it's recycled uniforms into high fashion. >> still with the logo on it. >> on the topic of food. >> yes, mayor inspired eggnog.

i like a nog around the holidays. >> what the heck are you talk being? >> they are replacing egg, now they want to put mayonnaise. >> that's disgusting. >> it's disgusting. once again -- you can't fault me for this stuff, the kids ask for this stuff, i come, i bring it on. >> here is the tease, we played it, heard it on the way in, the song santa baby. >> least favorite christmas songs at the bottom of the list is "santa baby" and close behind is i saw mommy kissing santa claus. >> always been weird. >> even as a kid -- what? >> number eight is for you. >> espresso martinis, up or down. >> very upsetting for joe also. they pushed out manhattans. espresso martinis one of the top then not just martinis, requested drinks. where is old fashioned, manhattans, side cars.

>> shaq, tom brady, steph curry, brand down. >> i love all of those, but a cautionary tale for enforcers, they all endorsed ftx, being included in class action suits. when celebrities endorse something what they're saying is i endorse this, buy this, a lot of people lost a lot of money on this, i caution celebrities particularly in these new age of crypto and all kinds of other things be very, very careful. i'm sure they got paid in stock so they took a bath also. >> good business manager. >> you need john rosen. >> that's right. >> number ten. >> cheap dates, brand up, what do you mean here? >> my middle name. no. >> personal submission. >> this is what he likes. >> everything is about you, donny. >> yes, it is. there is a dating website put out a lindh th i think that basically the average cost of liquor up 18%, average food of cost at restaurants 20%. people are requesting cheap dates, camping trips, straight

fairs, straight food, miniature golf. what do you think the average cost of a date was last year? all in. >> last year. >> 80 bucks. >> 98 bucks, people are saying that's a little too much. >> it is. >> miniature golf. >> mini golf is good. >> always worked for me. always kind of just -- you go through the wind mill and do the whole thing. >> i'm really good at it. >> are you a good mini golfer. >> it's surprising. everyone goes, what? how did that happen? donny deutsch, thank you. >> before i go, very, very quickly there was a scandinavian family that stopped me on the street and said my mom bjorn watches this over in denmark, will you please talk to him. this is hitting internationally, the kids. >> the finnish universe. coming up on "morning joe" -- thank you, donny -- our next guest shares the message of unity based on the example of the life and legacy of george h.w. and barbara bush, the author of "witness to dignity"

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today we are gathered to celebrate the life of a man that we all adored. at the beginning of a journey that began june 12th, 1924, george herbert walker bush was born into the cradle of a loving family that held fast to the values of friendship and family and faith, of integrity, honesty and loyalty, of character, courage and service. now at the end of that journey that cradle that sustained him throughout his 94 years of life has released him into the loving arms of his heavenly father. the end depends on the beginning and this is a good ending because from the very beginning george bush was committed to a life not for himself, but for

others. >> that was the reverend russell levenson jr. exactly four years ago today delivering the memorable opening lines of the homily at the funeral in houston for president george h.w. bush. he is the author of a book titled "witness to dignity: the life and health of george h.w. and barbara bush." also rector of st. michael's episcopal church in houston. reverend, thanks for being with us. we appreciate it. so fascinating to hear your insights into the former president and first lady. we've known them publicly to live their lives with integrity and with dignity, especially i'm reminded of the letter that the former president wrote, left for bill clinton even though he suffered a defeat that was obviously devastating to him, but with grace and dignity he went on and encouraged the next president. tell us a little bit about the man and the woman that you knew in a way that the rest of us

perhaps didn't. >> well, thank you, willie, it's really delightful to be on. i will say i was watching a little bit as we came in so i'm glad we're moving from cheap dates and prices to something -- >> from donny to reverend. >> all of it i perfectly understand. 'tis the season. 'tis the season for a book like this, too, i think. yeah, i suppose we scheduled this interview four to the day since the burial of the 41st president. wonderful people. everybody knows and remembers that, i think. i have been asked on occasion what -- you know, as their priest and pastor what i have to share that other people might not know or expect and i think the thing that surprises people is i like to say who you saw was who they were. you know, and that is a surprise. we knew them, my wife laura and i knew them very well for 11 1/2 years, certainly with them in great times and when i first

arrived in houston to serve at this church, the very healthy and vibrant, active in the church. as their years increased i think what we saw and i try to lift up in the book is a life of continued service, self-sacrifice and dignity. they showed us how to live with dignity, how to serve with dignity, how to age with dignity and in the end how to die with dignity. that really was the impetus to kind of share the book but particularly in the time in which we live in which i think we need important reminders like that are offered in their life. >> reverend, you recount a story in your book's preface is quote says this shortly after the president's death and prior to a state funeral in washington i was being interviewed by a reporter in a british program. we met in the bethlehem chapel, the interviewer asked several questions but then got around to one that i suppose might have been considered tantalizing. can you tell us something that perhaps no one else knows about

president bush, something that might surprise us all? there are matters with which i had spoken with the president over the years in confidence and i will not share those, but this i can share, and it is what i told that reporter, i suppose what would surprise people that there really are no surprises, there are no skeletons. no skeletons lurking in their closet. the public life and the private life were lived in the same way. what you and i were fortunate to see is what you and i got. there was no broken continuum between the person i came to know and the person the world saw. and i know that you spoke to members of the family, including the 43rd president, to get the blessing to write this book, "witness to dignity," and you spend time with both of them, president h.w. bush and barbara up until the moment they died and i'm wondering what you

learned, how you were impacted, how they might have changed you in having that very, very intimate and personal time with them. >> thank you, mika. yeah, i think when i was around them, despite my vocation, and i'm around, obviously, church folk all the time, religious folk all the time, but when i was around them, both of them, really made me want to be a better person, made me want to live my faith in a more authentic way. i say toward the end of the book i'm not trying to make them out to the saints, but i do think they were shaped and formed by their faith and i've said this at a few other places, their faith was never, i don't think, ever used to promote or further their agenda or their politics or the role they played. i think the faith shaped them in such ways that what happened is

their policy making, their thought process, the way in which they lived their lives was the fruit of that faith and so you see all kinds of ways of that sprinkled, i think, throughout his years in washington. he was a man of prayer, faithful in prayer, faithful in church, both of them, and then when they got back to houston that didn't change and that continued. so i think they grew into such a place that when we got to the end and i was with both of them at the end and with the family at the end, that they were completely at peace. and those were poignant trender incredible moments that i retell in the book, but to be kneeling in prayer with several people in the family when barbara took her last breath, to, you know, be there in that moment and the same with the president and his good dear friend james a. baker iii who was there with us at the end with the president and susan

baker and other members of the family. we all knew that that was -- those were passing of giants, but they were giants not because of their size, they were giants because of the way in which they lived their lives and, you know, the way in which they both saw across the lines that we often draw in our culture to do good things for other people was remarkable. and i do think their deaths and their funerals really spoke to that. those were -- those were uniquely american moments, i think. one of the things i like to tell, and i share this in the book, is that when we were discussing barbara's funeral, members of her staff and family, we all felt like there needed to be a visitation and barbara actually kind of pushed back against that. first of all, she said who is going to come and that was a much larger story, i said everybody wants to come i said, but barbara we need to do that, give people an opportunity to come and the staff felt the same

way and so she eventually agreed to that. that took a lot of security and a lot of setup and those kinds of things, but, you know, when it happened 8,000 people came through in about 12 hours and that was people of every color, every faith tradition, i think we had christians, muslims, jews, buddhists, people who probably didn't believe at all, republicans, democrats, independents and they came through to pay their respects to barbara in the same way they did for the president just four years ago, that was about 12,000 people that came through in 12 hours. because they hunger for -- as we all do -- to be drawn into places of honor and dignity and integrity and character. and i think they did that in such wonderful ways. >> the new book is "witness to dignity: the life and faith of george h.w. and barbara bush."

reverend russell levenson jr., thank you very much for being on. >> thanks for having me on. >> good. >> god bless you. up next, a look at some of the stories making front page news across the country including the body camera footage that has tampa's police chief out of a job. plus big oil is being taken to task for making too much money and now may be forced to pay a price. "morning joe" is coming right back. d to pay a price. "morning joe" is coming right back hot cinnamon apples would be coaxed with a spoon on the fluffiest french toast with red currants on top we wish you a happy holiday, only at ihop. new gingersnap apple french toast, part of our new holiday menu. try all three flavors. ♪ ♪ voltaren. the joy of movement. ♪♪

[coughing] hi, susan. honey. yeah. i respect that.

but that cough looks pretty bad. try this robitussin honey. the real honey you love, plus the powerful cough relief you need. mind if i root through your trash? robitussin. the only brand with real honeyand elderberry. a live look at l.a. for you this morning. kyrie irving is no longer a nike athlete. that's how the sportswear official aly announced the end of its relationship with the brooklyn nets star yesterday. one month after the company suspended the partnership in the palout over irving's promotion of an anti-semitic film on social media. at the time, nike cofounder explained kyrie stepped over the line saying he made some statements that we just can't abide by. that's we ended the relationship. irving's agent called the decision mutual while irving,

without mentioning nike by name, appeared to address the matter on twitter wriing, anyone who spent their money on anything i have relowsed, i consider you family and we are fvr connected. it's time to show how powerful we are as a community. had he also posted a memes captioned there's nothing more priceless than being free. irving's signature smu line was nike second most lucrative only behind had that of lebron james. so it took them a month to make the decision. this guy was pretty adamant about his position that he just doesn't care about what he said. >> he was very, very slow to offer any sort of apology for promoting this film. it wasn't much of an apology when he got around to it. he is the latest in one of a number of high profigures. kanye wests a pouzing a lot of rhetoric, really hateful stuff.

irving has not gone as far as west, but he's some of the views in that film that he promoted are pretty terrible. this is a side note. he's also cost himself an extraordinary amount of money. not just this nike deal, but he's a free agent at the end of the year. the nets have been trying to give him away. no takers. the police chief of tampa resigned after body camera footage showed her using her position to get out of a traffic stop. he was behind the wheel of a golf cart when a sheriffs deputy pulled the couple over because their vehicle was unregistered. here's how things played out. >> is your camera on? >> i'm the police chief in tampa. >> how you doing? >> i'm doing good. >> ooip hoping you'll let us go. >> you look familiar. >> i'm sure i do. >> all right, have a good night.

>> you ever need anything, call me. serious. >> appreciate that. >> thank you for yours. >> tampa's mayor said she requested and received the chief's resignation after she found she violated the policies and standards on abusing her position. now to a look at the morning papers. the bakersfield californian reports that the state could become the first to find big oil companies for making too much money. governor newsom and his democratic allies yesterday introduced the proposal during a special legislative session focused on the oil industry. newsom said the goal of a legislation would be to prevent gas prices from shooting up. and while we're in california, it's reported that air travelers will have more time to get real i.d. compliant licenses. the deadline has been extended

to may of 2025. delays stemming from the pandemic have cost the department of homeland security to postpone the enforcement date. and the los angeles times covers the teachers union rallies across the school system. the union is pressing demands for a 20% raise and smaller class sizes. it's also calling for a reduction in standardized testing as teachers struggle to address learning setbacks in the wake of the pandemic. colorado submitted a proposal to the fda seeking to um port prescription drugs from canada in an effort to save coloradans money. the move would reduce drug costs by 65% in colorado. that figure could add up to between 53 and $88 million in savings each year. and finally, in nevada the rno

journal covers tesla's long awaited semitruck that's finally on the road. the delivery to pepsi came more than three years after tesla's ceo said his company would start making the vehicles. tesla plans to ramp up semitruck production and make 50,000 of them in 2024. so we have one minute left if the show. final thoughts. what are you looking at today? >> georgia, georgia, georgia. it's all about turnout. republicans know they feed to get their voters to come out today since it seems like democrats had an advantage in the early voting. we have been monitoring the weather carefully. it's cold and rainy, but not so bad it wonlt allow people to get to the polls. >> i'm watching for what's the blame game going to be in the aftermath of georgia if herschel walker does lose. who is donald trump going to blame for his candidate, it his candidate doesn't make over the finish line. >> we'll see what happens. that does it for us this morning. jose diaz-balart picks up the

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[coughing] hi, susan. honey. yeah. i respect that. but that cough looks pretty bad. try this robitussin honey. the real honey you love, plus the powerful cough relief you need. mind if i root through your trash? robitussin. the only brand with real honeyand elderberry. 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. and i don't know what the heck you're talking about. as a business owner, your bottom line is always top of mind. so start saving by switching to the mobile service designed for small business: comcast business mobile. flexible data plans mean you can get unlimited data or pay by the gig. all on the most reliable 5g network.

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