>> thank you very much. new details about the death of grant wahl who collapsed last week covering the world cup. this morning his widow, dr. celine gounder said this. >> he had an autopsy done here in new york by the new york city examiner's office and it showed he had an aortic aneurysm that ruptured. >> turning now to the latest out of the tournament where the first team has secured its spot in sunday's final, yesterday argentina defeated croatia 3-0 what an amazing series of plays by lionel messi. and at 2:00 p.m. eastern today, france taking on morocco. as both look to take on argentina in the finals on sunday. morocco looking to be the first

ever african team to make the final in a world cup tournament. that wraps up the hour for me today, i'm jose diaz-balart. thank you for the privilege of your time. lindsey riser picks up with more now. good wednesday morning, i'm lindsey riser at msnbc headquarters in new york. right now millions of americans are facing extreme weather and danger from a dual winter threat that has left multiple people dead, including a child. snow and ice tearing through the heartland and inches towards the northeast right now. in the south more rare tornados are possible today after a terrifying barrage of twisters swept through texas, oklahoma and louisiana. a stretch of the south remains under tornado watches until this afternoon. we're in one of the states in the danger zone. we have an update on where the

extreme weather is headed. we're following two hearings in capitol hill. threats against the lgbtq community. in moments i'll talk to a survivor of the club q shooting after his testimony. and a hearing digging into the crypto catastrophe. the collapse of ftx. you should recognize ben mckenzie, famous for his roles on "the oc" and "gotham". >> in my opinion the cryptocurrency industry represents the largest ponzi scheme in history. it may well represent a fraud ten times bigger than maid off. >> things are going from bad to worse for sam bankman fried.

he was denied bail, called a flight risk and is facing charges that could yield more than 100 years in prison. what's next for him and the world of crypto. groundhog day at the federal reserve, a new report showing deflation is decreasing but get ready for the fed to hike interest rates again. what it means for your wallet ahead. we begin with the extreme weather sweeping across the weather. quad vega is in louisiana and bill karins is tracking it all. tornados are blamed for dozens of injuries and two fatalities so far in louisiana. what are you seeing this morning and what further threats remain? >> lindsey, we woke up with those images of the northwest part of louisiana, right. as you know in cado two people

died. and we spoke to local authorities who said the destruction is about a mile long, 20 properties there significantly damaged, three completely destroyed. and west of there in union parish we know several people were left injured. that's what the storm can do. you look at the map and the area that could receive the severe weather extends from jackson, mississippi to louisiana, here in baton rouge, and as far east as tallahassee in florida. this is where people have to pay attention for the possibility of tornados, strong winds and hail, and then, of course, flash floods. one of the interesting things we've been told here that people have to keep in mind, is because of the large amount of rain expected, these tornados, the possibility is that they would be rain wrapped, which means they're much more difficult to identify. so often people who are outside when the storm hits, they're looking for the tornados, these tornados are very difficult to

see because of the rain. what we've seen here as we wait for the bad weather to come in, it's been raining lightly, some wind. but also been sunny, hot and humid, which experts tell us are the favorable conditions for these tornados to occur. as we wait for the worst part of the storm to hit this part of the state. >> thank you, quad. bill i want to talk about the track we just heard quad saying it's headed there. but it feels rare for this time of year, if you look at your graphic, 16 tornado reports. >> this was a significant december tornado outbreak. have we had december tornados before and outbreaks? yes. they're in the rare category. it isn't unprecedented. so yesterday 16 reports, a couple in texas, north through the dallas area. and overnight we had these in northeast louisiana and a couple in mississippi during the day today that a threat is now

shifting, more towards the south and east. this tornado watch does include hattiesburg. does not include new orleans yet. the baton rouge area also going to be in risk. but we have heavy rain in the same areas. slow moving storm systems, rain and flash flooding. the storm center saying they're going to enhance to a moderate risk, a four out of five, the highest is high, five out of five. we're going to get an upgrade here likely soon that means they're expecting more strong tornados the rest of the afternoon into the evening. areas at greatest risk here in shading. it includes the southern portions of alabama, mississippi, and the panhandle of florida. we have flooding through louisiana, a large area already picked up a significant amount of rainfall. we still have our blizzard going on in the northern plains where the highway are still shutdown and may not be until tomorrow we

can get back out there. and then the storm heads up to the northeast, interior sections get the worse of it. ice and snow, especially in the higher terrain. still dealing with blowing and drifting snow in rapid city, that's why the highway are still closed. so here is the timing of this mess coming into d.c. tomorrow. also philadelphia, looks like a brief period of ice in philly and d.c. up i-95. new york city to boston should start as rain not ice. hopefully it avoids any issue with the afternoon commute on thursday. interior sections on friday will get a big thumping of snow. snow fast out of this, minneapolis northwards lake enhanced snows up to a foot in northern wisconsin and interior sections of the northeast, from ithaca to binghamton, everyone has a chance of a foot but a lot of big cities get less than that. there's a lot going on, and i

wanted to mention the fact that next week we'll have a significant cold outbreak and another big storm right before christmas. i'll be seeing you all. >> you'll be busy. thank you, stay safe. right now on capitol hill, survivors from the club q massacre in colorado springs are testifying before the house oversight committee. the focus, violence and threats against the lgbtq community. the u.s. is seeing a spike in anti-lgbtq rhetoric and state legislatures have passed or are weighing hundreds of bills limiting the rights of lgbtq americans but about half targeting transpeople specifically. one person testifying is michael anderson, a bartender at club q who survived the mass shooting there. and he directly called out anti-lgbtq lawmakers. >> to be activists who accuse lgbtq people of grooming

children and being abusers, shame on you. as leaders of our country, it is your obligation to represent all of us, not just the ones you happen to agree with. >> we're joined with more. ali, powerful testimony there. this is likely one of the last committee hearings before republicans take over the chamber. what are the most powerful moments to you? >> reporter: you're right this is one of the last chaired by carolin maloney because control of the house chamber flips to republicans in a matter of weeks. so with that goes control of the gavel for this committee. what you're seeing here from the house oversight committee today is testimony on two fronts. two epidemics that are happening right now in the united states. both with gun violence and mass shootings today on the ten year anniversary of sandy hook elementary shooting and also the rise in hate crimes,

specifically against the lgbtq plus community. what we heard from both lawmakers on the democratic side and the witnesses asked to testify today, both advocates from these groups but also people who survived the club q shooting themselves is a conversation around not just what they experienced that day, the traumatic moments when a gunman entered that club but also where they think the blame lies for this. which is at the feet of that rise of anti-lgbtq policy we've seen, specifically from republicans across the country. listen to a piece of those testimonies. >> were being slaughtered and dehumanized across this country in communities you took oaths to protect. >> hate is at the root of the attacks like at club q, and it needs to stop now. >> reporter: we heard chairwoman maloney echo that sentiment as well in her opening remarks, of course, the ranking republican said he sees this as a moment where crime broadly is on the

rise and this is not just meant to target one community over the other. but i think there's a really fascinating juxtaposition here as i've covered the passage for protections of same sex couples in the instance the special counsel were to take up or topple the protections they offered in a 2015 ruling that gave same sex couples the right to marry in the first place. there's a release and happiness from the gay community and advocates i've spoken to they're being treated and protect d as they always should have been. but the stark reality as you see the shootings and rise in violence against the community that you have the need for conversations like the ones you're having in front of this committee right now, testifying to what this committee is experiencing in real time. and where they believe the root causes of that are. >> quite the juxtaposition. ali vitali, thank you. and michael anderson who just testified will join me

shortly. today is a day of remembrance for another american tragedy. today marks ten years since the horrific massacre at sandy hook elementary school in newtown, candidate trump. 20 first graders and six adults were killed. this morning we're hearing from a survivor who was in third grade at the time, megan has never before told her story until now when she shared how the tragedy has affected her life with my colleague kate snow. >> i think it impacts me on like more of an everyday basis than anyone could imagine, honestly. i think it makes me very cautious person, always looking around on edge all the time. >> is it hard to trust things? >> yes. it's very hard to trust people or feel safe. >> tonight a white house official says the facade of the white house will be lit in green in honor of the 26 victims. crisis averted.

why lawmakers are now optimistic they can pass a government spending deal and avoid a shutdown fight before the holidays. as we learn new details about the criminal charges against disgraced ftx ceo sam bankman-fried. how a celebrity is calling out those who promoted crypto. a preview of the historic world cup game in a few hours. morocco taking on france. this first time an african country has made it to the semifinals. >> my whole life i have been watching every game, every game, and i dream of this moment. that liberty mutual customizes your home insurance, here's one that'll really take you back. wow! what'd you get, ryan? it's customized home insurance from liberty mutual!!! what does it do, bud? it customizes our home insurance so we only pay for what we need! and what did you get, mike?

i got a bike. ♪ only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ my asthma felt anything but normal. ♪ ♪ it was time for a nunormal with nucala. nucala is a once-monthly add-on treatment for severe eosinophilic asthma that can mean less oral steroids. not for sudden breathing problems. allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for swelling of face, mouth, tongue, or trouble breathing. infections that can cause shingles have occurred. don't stop steroids unless told by your doctor.

tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. may cause headache, injection site reactions, back pain, and fatigue. ask your asthma specialist about a nunormal with nucala.

call it a holiday miracle, a bipartisan group of lawmakers appear to have reached a funding deal that would avert a government shutdown just before christmas. a leading republican on the senate appropriations committee

suggests the package should be completed by december 23rd. senior capitol hill correspondent garrett haake joins me now. what do we know? >> reporter: a little christmas magic towards the end of the year, it tends to sharpen lawmakers minds. shelby and others in both parties and chambers last night announced they reached a deal in principle on this government funding bill. we don't know much of the details except it's going to run $1.7 trillion, half for the pentagon and half for other priorities. it appears other big policy pieces on the last train leaving the station this year will go with it, including more money for ukraine, and the electoral act, trying to tighten the rules of what a vice president can and cannot do when counting votes.

time is of the essence, the clock is supposed to run out this friday. today we'll see congress work to give themselves an extra week to finish this bill. the goal of course to do so by the 23rd. republicans don't have a lot of cards but they have a threat saying if we can't get this bill done by the 23rd we'll do a short-term continuing resolution, fund the government at current levels into early next spring. that gives house republicans a lot more control over the process. democrats don't want to see that. that too is sharpening minds and keeping people more focused on meeting the deadlines. so looks like we're in good shape to get it done and avert a shutdown. but when you wait this long to do your homework, any one thing may trip you up. that's what we're watching for in this next week on capitol hill. >> thanks so much. >> you bet. the man accused of violently

attacking paul pelosi husband of house speaker nancy pelosi, will be back in court this afternoon. he faces charges of first degree assault, attempted murder and threatening families of public officials along with two federal charges. in a few hours the federal reserve is expected to announce another rate hike what it could mean for your wallet and the fight to get inflation under control. first, new york prosecutors revealed the criminal charges against sam bankman-fried. >> i want to be clear. this case is about fraud. fraud is fraud. >> the latest on the case and the senate hearing happening right now about his company's collapse. y's collapse young lady who was, you know, mid 30s, couple of kids, recently went through a divorce. she had a lot of questions when she came in. i watched my mother go through being a single mom. at the end of the day,

my mom raised three children, including myself. and so once the client knew that she was heard. we were able to help her move forward. your client won't care how much you know until they know how much you care. we planned well for retirement, but i wish we had more cash. you think those two have any idea? that they can sell their life insurance policy for cash? so they're

basically sitting on a goldmine? i don't think they have a clue. that's crazy! well, not everyone knows coventry's helped thousands of people sell their policies for cash. even term policies. i can't believe they're just sitting up there! sitting on all this cash. if you own a life insurance policy of $100,000 or more, you can sell all or part of it to coventry. even a term policy. for cash, or a combination of cash and coverage, with no future premiums. someone needs to tell them, that they're sitting on a goldmine, and you have no idea! hey, guys! you're sitting on a goldmine! come on, guys! do you hear that? i don't hear anything anymore. find out if you're sitting on a goldmine. call coventry direct today at the number on your screen, or visit coventrydirect.com.

this morning it's the senate's turn to probe the collapse of crypto giant ftx. i want to show you a live look right now at the hearings. will a star witness, actor ben mckenzie, a critic of cryptocurrency. sam bankman-fried remains behind

bars in the bahamas this morning, denied bail by a magistrate judge who deemed him a flight risk. he'll remain in the bahamas until at least february 8th until a hearing. with prosecutors punctuating their case this way. >> this is one of the biggest financial frauds in history. >> ryan nobles is on capitol hill and david bellamy, a reporter focused on cryptocurrency. >> we know ben mckenzie has had a lot to say about crypto and the dangers and the people who promote it. what are we hearing so far? what does this signal about how congress is looking at crypto. >> there are two different issues here. the ftx scandal unto itself is a fraud by any measure with or without crypto involved. that's what federal prosecutors are looking at and something that congress is concerned about.

but in general cryptocurrency is something that congress is increasingly concerned about. there are supporters of crypto in washington who would like to see it regulated in a way that people could have access to it but they haven't yet been able to come up with a solution that satisfies everyone. this ftx scandal has really changed the conversation in a big way because now there are people warning that cryptocurrency on any level is dangerous, including the actor ben mckenzie. listen to what he said this morning. >> i believe they, and the estimated 40 million other americans, who have invested in cryptocurrency have been sold a bill of goods. they have been lied to. in ways both big and small by a once seemingly mighty crypto industry whose entire existence, in fact, depends on misinformation, hype, and yes, fraud.

>> reporter: so the big question is what to do about it. you know, there are still members of congress, torres is an example, a progressive democrat from new york city who believes the ftx scandal is not indicative of the crypto market in general but right now lawmakers are kind of talking past each other, no real solutions in place as to how to deal and regulate the crypto industry. >> you spoke with ben mckenzie in march and he's been critical of his peers who are crypto boosters. can you explain more of the criticisms here and why he's taking this on. >> sure i think he recognized a lot of colleagues, fellow actors and entertainers were accepting money from the crypto industry, promoting it without fully explaining the risks involved in these experimental financial products and it really bothered him. that was the spark that got him working on this. i think he also watched the

m.i.t. lectures that the chair did on cryptocurrency and that was the origins of his whole project. >> david, you also interviewed sam bankman-fried. in the indictment, prosecutors allege sbf and co-conspirators made tens of millions of dollars in campaign contributions to democrat and republican candidates that were disguised to look as though they were coming from wealthy donors when it was allegedly from his hedge phone. what more can you tell us about those allegations? >> well, you know, one of the more extraordinary allegations that we saw in a kind of extraordinary day yesterday and still unfolding saga, basically the idea is that all of this money that sam bankman-fried and that his colleagues at ftx were giving to politicians in washington was actually, you know, at least in part, you know, customer funds that ordinary people had deposited in

the exchange that alameda had taken and then was loaned out to these individuals who made the political donations. so interesting to see how the ramifications it has in washington as people, you know, think about the money they accepted. >> i want to turn gears here, because while i have you, the secretary says eight social media influencers were part of a $100 million scheme, the secretary of state rather, to use platforms to discord the price of certain stocks. are the problems with crypto the tip of the tech iceberg here? >> i think influencers are an important area to target. this is something i've reported on at "the new york times." it's a culture people are willing to accept money to promote whatever the exciting product is, if it's a new shampoo that's not going to do damage, but if it's financial

engineering the risks of which customers don't understand that's a big problem. and people promoting those types of projects have more legal and moral obligation to disclose their compensation than they would if it was just a pair of sneakers. >> thank you both so much. i'll be talking to ben mckenzie who testified at that hearing today at 11:00 a.m. eastern tomorrow right here on msnbc. in today's cnbc on msnbc reports, we could see yet another interest rate hike from the federal reserve today. chair jay powell is set to make the announcement this afternoon at the conclusion of the fed's two-day meeting. the question isn't whether there will be an increase but how much, especially given yesterday's consumer price index report showing inflation still high but finally showing signs of cooling. joining me is morgan brennan. what will you be watching for when the fed's decision drops this afternoon? >> lindsey, good to be with you. it's not a matter of if the fed

raises rates it's a matter of by how much. the expectation which has been broadcast by fed officials, both current and former, as well as what's priced into the market ahead of this report is we're going to see a half a percentage point increase when the fed does announce the increase later today. historically speaking that would be a very large increase but we're coming off three 75-basis points hikes -- four excuse me, ahead of this meeting. so it represents a down shift in the pace of financial tightening by the fed coming off the heels of the cooler than expected cpi inflation report yesterday. which is perhaps more signs we're seeing inflation come off a little bit. the bigger key question is what does the trajectory of rate hike increases look like going into 2023.

>> i want to talk about mortgage application volume, it's finally rising after months of decline. what can you tell us about that? >> what happens with the federal reserve affects the bond markets and treasury yields and mortgage rates in return. mortgage demand is increasing as interest rates have moved lower. albeit talking slight levels here. so applications rose 4% on the week last week, but still 38% lower than what we saw in the same week a year ago. for mortgage applications to refinance a home loan, those rose 3% from the previous week but down a depressed 85% for the same week versus a year ago. you're seeing that 30-year fixed rate mortgage average 30-year fixed rate mortgage with a conforming loan balance at about 6.4%. so much higher than we saw a year ago but actually e represents a decrease from the highs of over 7% in october.

so home buyers, refinances looking to jump in given the fact we've seen it come off the most recent peak but it circles back to this idea of what happens in the mortgage market is affected by. the reason we've seen the rates come off is because of the expectation around the fed being closer to the end of the tightening cycle where interest rates are concerned and what that means for economic growth next year. >> thanks for breaking it down for us. still to come, more major changes from elon musk about how twitter will moderate content. what's the plan, and is there one? the concerns about user safety. and put your masks back on. that's the recommendation from health experts in major cities as flu and covid cases keep rising. will that message sink in? in?

good morning, kaleb. alec. are you seeing this? are we cartoons? i think we are. this is awesome. look over there! is that alec, kaleb, welcome to shriners hospitals for children village. we call it fezzyville. and i'm the mayor.

mayor fezzy you boys got here just in time. we need your help. oh, wow. this is shriners hospitals workshop, where you can discover the moments our donors make possible. this is amazing. wow! kids, it takes a whole lot of support from caring people out there to make all this happen. and i can't think of anyone better than you two to deliver this important holiday message. what do you say? think you can do that? sure thing, fezzy. i can't believe we got to hang out with fezzy. that's mayor fezzy to you, alec. wait, we have a job to do, kaleb. oh, yeah. it takes a lot of support from caring people just like you to fund all the important work that everyday heroes at shriners hospitals do every single day. can you become a monthly donor today?

when you do, we'll send you your very own love to the rescue blanket to show that you're a part of our shriners hospitals for children workshop team. i hear the blanket is adorable. laughs but seriously, whether you call or go online to loveshriners.org and become a monthly donor or just make your very best one time gift. we want to say thank you and happy holidays, everyone! for people living with h-i-v, keep being you. and ask your doctor about biktarvy. biktarvy is a complete, one-pill, once-a-day treatment used for h-i-v in certain adults. it's not a cure, but with one small pill, biktarvy fights h-i-v to help you get to and stay undetectable. that's when the amount of virus is so low it cannot be measured by a lab test. research shows people who take h-i-v treatment every day and get to and stay undetectable can no longer transmit h-i-v through sex.

serious side effects can occur, including kidney problems and kidney failure. rare, life-threatening side effects include a buildup of lactic acid and liver problems. do not take biktarvy if you take dofetilide or rifampin. tell your doctor about all the medicines and supplements you take, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis. if you have hepatitis b, do not stop taking biktarvy without talking to your doctor. common side effects were diarrhea, nausea, and headache. if you're living with hiv, keep loving who you are. and ask your doctor if biktarvy is right for you. 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. we want to turn back to capitol hill and the house oversight hearing on anti-lgbtq

threats and rhetoric. earlier we heard from survivors of the shooting at club q in colorado springs including who you see now, michael anderson. he was bar tending at club q that night. thank you for being with us. >> thank you for having us. >> you called out lawmakers that contributed to the anti-lgbtq rhetoric. what do you hope not only lawmakers but the american people take away from your testimony today? >> absolutely. i think one of the points i made today was an important one. the president has called for an assault weapons ban and that's, you know, some people act like that's a pipe dream or fantasy. but we've had that in the past. we've had that policy from 1994 to 2004. and it was pretty effective at preventing incidents like the one i had to go through. and i think it's important that we realize, you know, let's look back at our recent history here and realize there are things we

can do because there's a lot of lawmakers on the republican side saying there's nothing we can do. this reality of gun violence is the price we pay for freedom so we have to deal with it. that's a lie, and i hope i made that clear today. >> when you say what you had to go through. let's remind people. because you told nbc news that you saw a silhouette holding that long gun, you his underneath the bar, you heard the shots until then you heard silence because some of the patrons were actually beating up the suspect. but you still heard the dance music and other than that deafening quiet. you said today it was places like gay bars and clubs that helped you embrace who you are and formed you into who you are today. do you think club q will still be that place? >> it has to be that place. there's not many places like that in the region of colorado. there has to be kids like me, me ten years ago, there are kids in

that position today they need a place like club q to go to to be formed into the person they'll be down the road. it's a necessary space. it's a necessary environment. i've said that christians go to church to be around other christians. muslims go to mosques to be around other muslims. gay people are not a religion. so we go to places like bars and clubs and social gatherings to find that same sense of community. >> just to say for many people, it isn't an identity choice it's an identity. but we've seen a pile of anti-lgbtq bills being proposed and the rhetoric that lays people in the community as groomers, pedophiles, and you did a talk about this in your testimony today. do you have a members of the jury to people -- do you have a message to people? you said it was lawmakers' responsibilities to represent everybody not just the ideals they choose.

what's your message? >> absolutely. you know, it -- the representatives don't get to choose their constituents, their constituents get to choose their representatives. so they need to keep that in mind as we move forward from the process, particularly in colorado because if our representatives do not choose to represent all of us, city, local, state, all the way up to federal, if they choose to ignore a huge group in their population of the lgbtq plus community, then they don't get to choose us in their district but we're going to remember to choose not them moving forward at the next election and the one after that and the one after that. >> michael anderson, i'm so sorry for the reason you have to be on capitol hill today. thanks for your time. >> thank you so much. a trio of respiratory viruses continue to push hospitals to their limits leading experts to make a familiar request to the government. mass gov, major cities are recommending that residents return to wearing masks indoors

and the cdc is encouraging masking to prevent the spread of the viruses. joining me now is dr. vin gupta. doctor, thankfully rsv cases appear to be declining but we still have covid. the flu has been brutal. do you agree it's time to return to masking? >> lindsey, good morning. i do agree. and this is one of those temporary necessities that we have to adopt and accept in this era that we live in of respiratory epidemics and pandemics, this is the times we live in. masking at the population level we know protects hospitals, protects children's hospitals in particular that are feeling the brunt in this early part of the winter time. and critically, for those out there listening that are skeptical, that are tired, we fully understand.

but it's key. especially with the holidays here that for your individual health the vaccine you get against flu and covid keeps you away from somebody like me in the hospital. it does not prevent you from feeling crummy. i'm sure you know, just like i do, many people with mild flu, mild covid feel terrible seven, 14 days. something you can avoid. >> doctor, you talked about this mask fatigue is a real thing. there's a recent poll that spells it out, it actually found 45% of americans feel public health officials lied about how effective vaccines and masks are. you and i have been talking for literally years now about what you just said, the vaccines don't necessarily prevent you from getting it but prevent severe illness and seeing someone like you. but what do you tell people who say we never had to mask up before and we had bad flu seasons before? >> well, i think the root cause there -- there's something in what you just said that's really

critical, let me amplify it. there was messaging that was just not clear up front about what vaccines against contagious respiratory viruses do and don't do. we didn't get that right at scale. some of us were putting out the message that these vaccines keep you away from the hospital and that's all they're expected to do. with that as the basis, the main argument here, it makes sense why you want to mask on top even if if you're fully vaccinated to give yourself an added layer of protection. i think we have to wrestle with that, be clearer in our messaging moving forward and those who have a podium with the federal government have to make sure they're putting out the clearest message as possible. there is truth with what you said. >> on the vaccine front you looked into what the next generation could look like and possibly cost. what did you find? >> we found there's a lot of exciting innovations out there,

nasal spray vaccines that could potentially maybe down the road prevent transmission of a respiratory virus. these efforts need funding, though. the united states is falling behind. >> thank you for bringing that to us. i encourage people to read that. coming up a historic game, france and morocco two countries with a long, complicated history, face off at the world cup in a few hours to see who takes on argentina ahead of the finals. we're live from doha ahead of the match. e live from doha ahea the match. after a tnf blocker like humira or enbrel, rinvoq is different and may help. stand up to your symptoms with rinvoq. rinvoq is a once-daily pill that tackles pain, stiffness, swelling. for some, rinvoq significantly reduces ra and psa fatigue. it can stop further irreversible joint damage. and rinvoq can leave skin clear or almost clear in psa. that's rinvoq relief. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections,

including tb. serious infections and blood clots, some fatal; cancers, including lymphoma and skin cancer; death, heart attack, stroke, and tears in the stomach or intestines occurred. people 50 and older with at least one heart disease risk factor have higher risks. don't take if allergic to rinvoq as serious reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you are or may become pregnant. ask your rheumatologist for rinvoq. rinvoq. make it your mission. learn how abbvie could help you save.

turning now to new scrutiny for two of the most popular and controversial tech platforms on the market. first, twitter ceo, elon musk is facing fresh criticism after the company suddenly disbanded its trust and safety counsel, according to an email seen by nbc news. the group offered twitter outside expert advice on safety. second, tiktok is being targeted by a bipartisan group of

lawmakers who are trying to ban it in the u.s. they unveiled legislation that would do that after warnings from the fbi and cyber security experts that the mega popular chinese-based platform could be used for spying. multiple states have already moved to do the same but only on government devices. joining me to talk about this is drew harwell. and linette lopez. so drew, let's start with twitter. what more do you know here about the decision to disban the trust and safety platform and will that affect how users experience twitter? >> totally, yeah. it was a huge surprise to everybody who was on the counsel, many of whom had been involved for six years helping create this into a company that was safe for everybody who could use twitter. but of course these were civil rights groups sparring with elon, elon did not like their advice so instead of having the conversation remain open it went away as with many other things

that elon doesn't like at twitter. this is another piece of the puzzle in which elon is reshaping the company what he wants it to be not a functioning business with all sorts of factors listening to the public and how they want to share things online. >> also according to "the new york times," twitter has laid off the kitchen staff and begun to list office supplies and industrial-grade supplies. is this cost cutting informing the decisions or more to it? >> well, it's not -- sorry, go ahead. >> elon doesn't have money right now. if every -- every dollar that he's sinking into twitter comes from tesla or his own -- his own it really didn't make a lot of money before this, but it's making even less now that advertisers are leaving in troves. i don't think he has a lot of

options right now, and a lot of the things that he has, used the means he has used to raise money, before like the stock market or people who believe in his mission, that's not going to work this time. so, i don't really know where he's going to go aside from selling off kitchen equipment and begging on twitter. and selling more tesla shares, he just doesn't have a lot of options. >> true, your response? >> it's not the sign of a company that is confident in its budget. i would love to cost cut by not paying my mortgage, but that it's not an option. i think it will cost twitter more and elon more in the long run. but this is a company, like lynette said, elon has to pay a billion dollars a year just to debt interest payments. that is not something back and just go on on its own. he really needs to start making money, and he is not convincing advertisers to come on the platform by spewing this kind of far-right memes and conspiracy theories.

it has to become part of how it becomes a functioning business and platform. >> we could talk about twitter all day, but let's turn to tiktok. i had four states have gone ahead and banned the device on government devices. how significant is this legislation that would scrap the app from the u.s. completely? >> it's the nuclear option, right? it would take tiktok away from american users, 100 million people who use tiktok in the country. it's one of the most popular social media apps in the u.s.. this would be a total ban. this is not new from people like senator rubio and other republicans. they have been very skeptical and sharing suspicions about tiktok for a long time. i think it's important to say, they kind of alluded to these fake national security concerns. we don't really know what is facing them besides the fact that they don't like chinese companies and feel like there is a spying threat. i think it's time that we get some real evidence behind these massive bands of something that millions of people know and love, not just conspiracy

theories. >> lynette, keeping drew comments in mind, here this is unlikely to be taken up in the current congress. but what house republicans take over the majority in the new year, do you see this having an urgency? >> i expect there to be a lot of crisis theatrical around anything that has to do with china from a republican house. but the thing about tiktok is that there are rules that are being made through cvs, this kind of security agency within the treasury. they're trying to come to an agreement with the chinese government and tiktok as well about where our data is held. i think we need to see what they come up with before we start banning tiktok outright. that said, cbs is not afraid of completely destroying chinese companies is footprint in the united states of america. it has banned companies like china's cte and basically destroyed them here.

i wouldn't be surprised if, you know, these rules come in and republicans are not satisfied. and the complaining continues. but let's see what the biden administration and cvs come up with first. >> linette lopez, so good to see you here. true, good to see you as well. we're about two hours out from defending world cup champion france facing off against morocco in the second semifinal of the world cup. and while the anticipation has been hired for so many of these matches, as the new york times puts it, today's match will be about quote, more than just soccer. from their past colonial ties to waves of contemporary immigration, the two nations are intertwined by a century old shared history and culture. there's great hope that these bonds, and bodied by a vast community of dual nationals, will give the game a fraternal tone. nbc's megan fitzgerald is live from doha, qatar ahead of the match. megan, what are you seeing and hearing there from fans? >> lindsey, we're seeing a sea

of red. we are seeing moroccan fans everywhere we go. but then again, this is a really significant advancement for morocco. this is the first arab nation to advance to the semifinals. the first african country to advance to the semifinals. what we know from speaking with fans is that this is a win that is felt all throughout the arab nations, people from all different countries are supporting morocco. fans say, look, added significance because it's also played here in qatar, the first arab nation to host the world cup. so, there's a lot going on here. fans truly believe that they can win. morocco has defied the odds the entire time. so, why not tonight? of course, france, the reigning world cup champions, led by mbappé, but you never know what's going to happen. whatever, happens we know they're going to be going up against argentina. agitated with that conclusive win against croatia last night. 30. fans are pretty pumped about, it take a listen.

>> did you ever doubt that argentina would win this game? >> i never doubted, i always thought messi can do it. >> how are you feeling right now? >> i'm feeling very, very, very happy. >> messi is the g.o.a.t.. >> that is he is just one game away from cementing himself in soccer history. this is the guy who has pretty much won every title there is in soccer, except for one, and that is the world cup. so, better believe he's going after that on sunday. but tonight, in just a couple of hours, we will find out who he's going to be going up against against. >> real quick, megan fitzgerald, i want to ask you because there have been a lot of cinderella stories this world cup. are people really happy with the play they're seeing? >> yeah, it's such a good question. and yes. this has been such an exciting tournament to watch, because of these upsets that we've seen. we've seen these teams defying the odds, so, why not? it's inspiring people to

believe that their team could win. specifically in the situation, people truly believe that morocco could pull this off. we also saw tunisia pulling off an upset against france. so, you never know. but it's exciting. whatever happens, it will be a good game to watch. >> i can fitzgerald, thank you so much. that does it for me this busy hour. andrea mitchell reports starts next. next the world through their lens and invest accordingly. you can call us christmas eve at four o'clock in the morning. we're gonna always make sure that you have all of the financial tools and support to secure your financial future. that means a lot for my community and for every community.

i have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. now, there's skyrizi. ♪things are getting clearer♪ ♪i feel free to bare my skin♪ ♪yeah, that's all me♪ ♪nothing and me go hand in hand♪ ♪nothing on my skin♪ ♪that's my new plan♪ ♪nothing is everything♪ achieve clearer skin with skyrizi. 3 out of 4 people achieved 90% clearer skin at 4 months. in another study, most people had 90% clearer skin, even at 4 years. and skyrizi is just 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. ♪it's my moment, so i just gotta say♪ ♪nothing is everything♪ serious allergic reactions

and an increased risk of infections, or a lower ability to fight them, may occur. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, had a vaccine or plan to. ♪nothing is everything♪ now's the time to ask your doctor about skyrizi, the number one dermatologist prescribed biologic. learn how abbvie could help you save. >> right now, on andrea

mitchell reports. survivors of last month's horrific club q shoo