anytime. i could talk to you for three hours. >> i don't think he wants to do that. >> thank you so much. final thoughts. >> bring the guitar next time. >> definitely will. >> the new book, "the spamelot diaries" is available now. comedy legend, eric idle, thank you for being on this morning. we appreciate it. >> that is it for the special edition of morning joe. thank you for watching. we hope you have a great thanksgiving! the news continues right now here on msnbc. right now on a special two are thanksgiving addition of

msnbc reports, we have breaking news from the middle east. is proclaiming the cease-fire with hezbollah has been violated. we are in the region with the latest. also this morning, swatting and bomb threats targeting trump's cabinet picks. how law enforcement in trump's circle are responding. a weather walloping impacting millions this thanksgiving. forecast and just moments. later, the most wonderful time of the year for shopping. we will help you get a jump on those black friday deals. . it is 10:00 eastern and 7:00 a.m. pacific. reporting from new york on this thanksgiving morning. thank you so much for joining us. we begin in the middle east were israel claims the cease- fire with hezbollah has been violated and says that the idf struck a hezbollah target and southern lebanon after detecting what it calls terrorist activity. has blood, meanwhile, accusing israel of attacking people returning home to their

villages. >> this now calls into question, what happens to the truths that was just brokered by the u.s. after 14 months of deadly bombings. let's get right to the outskirts of jerusalem. and our nbc military journalist retired jack jacobs. what are you hearing about this reported cease-fire being breached? >> reporter: we were about 3 miles from the lebanese border. we heard outgoing artillery fire on five or six occasions in fact and believe one of those strikes we heard might have been the bombing on that facility that the idf, the israeli military claims housed hezbollah mid-range rockets. as you mentioned, has will is saying that in fact the idf is firing on residents, civilians returning to their homes and many of which have been destroyed. several months of intense bombings on the border. right now it is kind of a

rhetorical for tat. it is also in practice, we are seeing, as you mentioned, an aerial bombing of the facility that the idf says housed hezbollah rockets and hazlet self accusing the israeli military of in fact targeting civilians. as far as civilians on both sides of the border, it is a very different picture. in lebanon, you see bumper-to- bumper traffic still. tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of displaced lebanese people returning to their homes. it is very different picture in the north of israel where in northern communities, it was pretty much a ghost town. we asked people that went back today, many of whom were there just to retrieve their belongings, toys for their kids, et cetera, whether or not they were confident that the cease-fire would be permanent as we have heard president biden say that it is designed to be and not a single person told me that they believed that this would hold and that they were

scared and believed hazlett would still come at some point in the future, continue to launch rockets. >> so what happens now? can the cease-fire proceed proceed? will there be a gathering to try to get this deal back together? >> it can proceed and probably will proceed. it is extremely difficult if you are at the top of the food chain to control absolutely everybody all the way down to the bottom of the food chain. and i have seen it many times before were people that disagree with what the leadership has decided and in this case, a cease-fire, they disagree with it and they take unilateral action. but the israelis, as a hand of control of the area between the river and the israeli border to the lebanese and to an international force, that includes some united nations forces, the chances of there being a mistake get greatly ameliorated. it is just a matter of time

before the desires and the designs of the cease-fire really take hold. >> israel struck gaza earlier today as well. yesterday, president biden posted a statement saying that over the coming days, the u.s. will make another push with turkey, egypt, qatar and others to achieve a cease-fire in gaza with hostages released and the end to the war without hamas and power. where do things stand and that effort right now? >> reporter: it is a tall order and certainly not a deal that really, if you speak to people here, anyone expects to materialize in the 50 plus days that president biden has left in office. we did hear from hamas after the hezbollah cease-fire signaling they are open to an agreement. the defense minister in israel, the new defense minister here in israel is warning against any deal that wouldn't involve the release of all hostages. but

you have to member that israel's position from the beginning has been that they reserve the right to occupy certain portions of gaza and continue retaliating against any hamas threat. this has been a no starter for hamas and a deal breaker and fact. they have always stuck to the position that any cease-fire should involve the complete withdrawal of israeli forces from gaza. it seems we are still in that standstill territory even though there are this is happening for egyptian intelligence delegations in israel and other talks happening. but i don't really think that there is any kind of firm belief that we are anywhere near a cease-fire in gaza. >> clearly this is very dynamic situation. it always is in the middle east but right now there is sort of an acute experience happening. you ask officials expressed optimism that the cease-fire of his will in lebanon could break the logjam in negotiations with

hamas. do you see one impact the other? >> they are very closely related. and the linchpin a here is iran. both hezbollah and hamas are both proxies of iran. iran is quite tired of all of this and is very much exposed and doesn't want to get involved in a shooting war, a serious shooting war, long range shooting war with israel and the west and as a result, while it is not withdrawing support, it won't be giving the kind of support to either hezbollah or hamas, that will keep them continuing to attack in large measure against israel. so the independent variable here is iran. it is important to keep an eye on what they do and what they say. >> i cannot help but wonder, colonel, about hamas being a weaker entity in many ways other than has blood. and if hazlett sees a need in their best interest coming to the table and doing the cease-

fire. does that potentially mean that hamas is an even more weak position? or do they have a bigger leverage because of the hostages? >> it is very interesting question. you are right on two counts. the first is that they have a hostages and the israel populace would like to get them back and has been pressuring benjamin netanyahu and the government to get them back and focusing on getting the hostages back as the primary concern. the other thing related to this is the terrain and the situation in comparison between hamas on the one hand and has will on the other. the area that has blood controls, even though hazlett is much stronger, is much easier to control, especially since it is inside a sovereign country, lebanon. and lebanon is working very hard to make sure that the war there does not continue or start up again. gaza is a completely different

situation. it is totally lawless. it is difficult to control. and no matter what hamas would like to see, israel will not be leaving gaza anytime soon unless it is absolutely convinced there is some way to control it and at the moment, that is only israel. >> colonel jack jacobs, thank you so much and thank you for your reporting. please keep us posted. at home, tracking thanksgiving storms causing massive headaches for travelers today. cold rain already saturating the northeast in the mid- atlantic along the interstate 95 corridor and snow was in the forecast for parts of the northeast and new england. it is a storm that is set to bring the coldest air of the season so far to much of the country. potentially snarling plans for many of the estimated 71 million americans expected to hit the road today to make it to their turkey dinner. we are following the travel

crush from dix hills, new york. let's start with the storm everybody is watching. angie, what do we know? >> we know and some parts across new england woke up to some snow. it is raining and other locations and we will see that so they wrap up for some spots as the day goes on. others continue to deal with wet conditions and snowy conditions. here is the satellite and radar. it shows improvement for folks across the mid-atlantic. washington d.c. is just starting to dry out. new york to boston, you are still in it for a little while longer. notice the snow falling for the interior portions of new england. that will stick around a little longer. you watch how this plays out for the rest of the afternoon and the evening, this is a stop at 8:00 p.m. notice the snow still impacting folks in interior new england. you also see the wind ramp at. that will have other implications that we will show you in a moment. even for the rest of the morning hours and into the early afternoon, i expect interstate 95 to be a slow-go and other interstates across the region. take some extra

time. we have a lot of places to be today. it will take additional time to get there. that is what we deal with on the backside of this. notice the wind ramp up. lake effect snow starts to ramp up as well. we will see the lake effect snow machine stay on basically to the weekend. this will be something our friends downwind of the great lakes will see additional snowfall impacting potential travel as we round out the holiday weekend. today, thanksgiving day, trouble spots are focused across parts of the east coast. we have course have cold conditions settling into the northern plains but most of the country is dry otherwise. boston to new york really and a couple spots across the southeast will see the wet roads and snowy conditions. looking at tomorrow, heading home or being on the roads, it is the lake effect snow that might slow you down. otherwise, nice conditions and bright conditions for most of the country. detroit and chicago would be a couple spots i would watch as far as air travel goes. and the same kind of area if we

are looking at some of the road issues. interstate 75 and interstate 90 will be two trouble spots we might have to watch as we wrap up holiday travel. >> cozy weather in terms of staying inside and hunkering down. starting a fire and eating good food. have a wonderful thanksgiving. >> what are thanksgiving travelers in store for today? we have a look at the roads. >> reporter: that is right. i'm not sure how cozy it is out here on long island. a lot of rain right now. a lot of wind. which is why authorities are urging folks that are driving to be extra cautious today. meanwhile, authorities say that they are investigating a stowaway and how that stowaway flew from jfk to france. >> this morning, the thanksgiving travel crushes on with nearly 80 million people hitting the road, air and the

rail. it comes amid a major security breach at jfk airport. >> a stowaway managed to get through the airport security screening process without a ticket boarding a delta flight from new york to paris according to the tsa. she was not discovered until shortly before the plane landed. >> there were no empty seats on the flight. the assumption is that she was hiding in one of the laboratories during takeoff. >> the tsa said they expect to screen a record 18 take a $3 million from tuesday through monday. about 6% more than last year. >> i should not have made my flight. >> winter weather posing challenges and the air and on the road. denver leading the country and flight delays for much of the day and newark passengers experiencing 95 minute delays amid an ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers. but despite

long tsa lines, most flights are on time for most of the country and with most thanksgiving travelers heading the road this week, dangerous conditions from an arctic outbreak causing headaches in the center of the country. white out conditions on highways in wyoming and snow in the mountains colorado. >> we have seen a lot of stock cars and cars off the side of the road. >> back to the incident involving the stowaway, delta air lines did put out a statement this morning saying that they are investigating and adding that nothing is of greater importance with matters of safety and security. in terms of this, what remains of this holiday travel stretch, experts say that sunday will be the busiest travel day with 3 million passengers expected to pass through tsa checkpoints at the nation's airports. >> thank you for wrapping that up for us. stay dry. thank you.

>> next, trump's high-profile mar-a-lago meeting with a billionaire who is in elon musk. what we are learning. helping those in need. how one organization is making sure people have food on that table this thanksgiving. >> and all about the based. butterball turkey experts are here to answer your questions to avoid burning your turkey. we are back in 90 seconds. he's melting! oh jeez... nooo... oh gaa... only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty ♪ (vo) this black friday, verizon will turn your old or broken phone into a gift. anyone can trade in any phone,

in any condition and get samsung galaxy s24+ with galaxy ai and watch and tab, all three on us. even if your phone is old or dated, you can turn it in at verizon for gifts for you and the family. all three on us. that's up to $1,900 in value. only on verizon. for more than a decade farxiga has been trusted again and again, and again. ♪ far-xi-ga ♪ ♪ far-xi-ga ♪ ♪ far-xi-ga ♪ ♪ far-xi-ga ♪ ask your doctor about farxiga.

i will be honest with you. i have not taken it seriously until this point. now that i know what has happened in the last 24 hours, i'm not going to be intimidated by these people. they are not going to silence me. i am going to do this job. >> that was the end coming orders are tom home and after several picks were targets of swatting and bomb threats. three senior law enforcement officials briefed on the incidence tell nbc news that these were not credible threats and no explosives were found. let's get morning from kelly o'donnell covering the trump transition in west palm beach in april ryan, white house correspondent and washington bureau chief. kelly, what is the latest on these threats? >> this is something that has set off alarm bells for a number of prominent figures associated with president-elect trump and

his incoming administration. a number of them have identified themselves publicly but not all of them. basically what happened is they received threats through e-mail and social media posts of electronically generated threats of pipe bombs at their homes and that kind of thing. they are not considered credible threats and they are being described as hoax threats because no actual explosives or devices were located with local law enforcement want to the homes of these officials. this is over a widespread area. from upstate to new york to florida and elsewhere where they had to have these things checked out. the good news for those families involved and the figures associated with president-elect is that there were no actual threats threats. but it is deeply unsettling and it is a sign of the potential environment of hostile words that can become actions that require law enforcement involvement. at this point, officials say it is a fluid situation in terms of trying to determine who was

behind it. because these were electronically generated. there are certainly ways through the cyber slew thing that they are able to identify a source of these threats. we will have to see how that plays out. for now, no actual concern about potential for real harm but certainly a lot of uneasiness over the last 36 hours or so for the families of those that were directly involved. >> just an uneasy political climate we are all in. and kelly, trump has retired keith kellogg. and ukraine insisting they will only have peace talks if there is a withdrawal from territories. tell us about the general and what he brings to the table. >> what russia believes is not what the sovereign boundaries of ukraine are. there is a lot there of course. that is why there has been a war for the last few years. keith kellogg was part of the first trump administration and

the national security role that started within vice president mike pence and he has been aligned with donald trump for a number of years now and the president-elect is asking retired general kellogg to come in as this special envoy to ukraine and russia. this is a newly created position. critical of course because donald trump has said that he wants to see this war over quickly. he has claimed during the campaign period that he could end it and 24 hours. obviously it is a very complex situation in general kellogg has written about this and talked about this and certainly in recent months has said, it is his view that the u.s. would continue to support ukraine to stall any additional advances way russia. his view is that any future support for ukraine would require ukraine to participate in talks with russia. that is part of what gives us a sense of how they are positioning themselves before they are an office.

at the same time, there is only one president at a time and that is joe biden right now and his administration has been trying to fortify ukraine with resources as there have been signs of escalation in the war. until january 20th, it is joe biden pick the situation to manage. we are getting key clues about how the president-elect would like to see this handled going forward. >> thank you for all the reporting from west palm beach. april, talk about the significance of this position, general kellogg. given questions about u.s. support of ukraine in this war when trump retakes the oval office. >> you always have to remember this. number one, the overarching peace is that donald trump is pro- russia. general kellogg wants to bring peace from what we understand, peace talks, et cetera. and is expected to bring in conditional military, u.s. military aid. what does that look like? is a boots on the ground?

is it money? is that equipment we don't know of yet? they want to come with a solution but the issue is, again, as kelly said, ukraine doesn't want to relinquish to russia. so how long will this take and what will the negotiations be? this is a key piece of this trump administration to come. we also have to remember once again that donald trump is pro- russia and he has made comments over the past of how close he is to vladimir putin and how often he talks to vladimir putin. we will see how this all transpires when he becomes president on january 20th chip he also previously said he believes vladimir putin over u.s. intel. trump is spending thanksgiving at mar-a-lago. he hosted mark zuckerberg. the two have had a contentious relationship to say the least.

not a fan of elon musk. what you make of this meeting? >> first of all, contentious is kind of a light word for the president to say he wanted to put mark zuckerberg in jail. and mark zuckerberg has put a ban on him from ig instagram as well as facebook. i believe the meeting was to lay a new groundwork. mark zuckerberg is a man who is running some powerful social media platforms and donald trump will be the president of the united states. and donald trump can make or break institutions as we have seen. they are trying to lay the groundwork particularly on donald trump's ground, mar-a- lago. so this was an important meeting to possibly solve that iceberg of a relationship the two have had and let's see what comes from it. let's see what parameters are now in place and let's see if donald trump gets back on ig

and facebook anytime soon. >> thank you for joining us. happy thanksgiving. next, 22 balloons, 34 floats and a whole lot of fun. soggy fun today. we have an update from the macy's thanksgiving day parade and the unofficial kickoff to the christmas season. >> and if you want to get a jump on santa and get an holiday shopping, we are breaking down the big black friday deals that you need to know about. to know about. tion that breaks down dirt on contact. plus, it's 360-degree swivel head cleans up along baseboards and even behind the toilet. bye, bye bucket. with the swiffer powermop. my moderate to severe crohn's symptoms kept me out of the picture. now i have skyrizi. ♪ i've got places to go and i'm feeling free. ♪ ♪ control of my crohn's means everything to me. ♪ ♪ control is everything to me.♪ and now i'm back in the picture. feel significant symptom relief at 4 weeks

with skyrizi, including less abdominal pain and fewer bowel movements. skyrizi helped visibly improve damage of the intestinal lining. and with skyrizi, many were in remission at 12 weeks, at 1 year, and even at 2 years. don't use if allergic. serious allergic reactions, increased infections, or lower ability to fight them may occur. before treatment, get checked for infections and tb. tell your doctor about any flu-like symptoms or vaccines. liver problems leading to hospitalization may occur when treated for crohn's. now's the time to take control of your crohn's. ♪ control is everything to me. ♪ ask your doctor about skyrizi, the #1 prescribed biologic in crohn's disease. we really don't want people to think of feeding food like ours is spoiling their dogs. good, real food is simple. it looks like food, it smells like food, it's what dogs are supposed to be eating. no living being should ever eat processed food for every single meal of their life. it's amazing to me how many people write in

about their dogs changing for the better. the farmer's dog is just our way to help people take care of them. ♪ with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis my skin was no longer mine. my active psoriatic arthritis joint symptoms held me back. don't let symptoms define you... emerge as you, with clearer skin. with tremfya®, most people saw 100% clear skin... ...that stayed clear, even at 5 years. tremfya® is proven to significantly reduce joint pain, stiffness, and swelling. serious allergic reactions and increased risk of infections may occur. before treatment, your doctor should check you for infections and tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms or if you need a vaccine. emerge as you with clear skin. ask your doctor about tremfya®. ♪♪ (cough cough) (sneeze) (♪♪)

new alka-seltzer plus cold or flu fizzy chews. chew. fizz. feel better fast. no water needed. new alka-seltzer plus fizzychews. whoa! how'd you get your teeth so white? you gotta use the right toothpaste! dr. c?! ♪♪ not all toothpastes whiten the same. crest 3d white removes 100% more stains for a noticeably whiter smile. new personal best. crest. ♪ ♪ ♪ something has changed within me ♪ ♪ it's time to try defying gravity ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ you gotta give the people ♪ ♪ you gotta give the people ♪ ♪ you gotta give the people ♪ ♪ what they want ♪ wait till you see this. welcome back.

the storm impacting the northeast isn't stopping the 98th annual macy's thanksgiving day parade underway right now here in new york city. millions of spectators lining the streets. look at the big balloons. the nypd by the way is in full force making sure that the spectators, thousands of volunteers, and your favorite balloon characters from spider- man to many malls, make it down the parade route safely. that is where we find stephanie this morning along that route with your umbrella in hand. hopefully staying dry picket is always such a joyous, family- friendly event. but this weather. >> nobody out here is staying dry. we have been watching a lot of the balloons go by. i don't know about you. i like the new ones. they are terrific but i kind of like the throwbacks. we just watched snoopy go by

and they reminds me of being a little kid. when we were out here earlier this morning, there are people that had been out here since about 3:00, 4:00 in the morning staking out their spots. we are super lucky we get to be right on the parade route. this parade means so much to so many people. it is the people that come in locally and come in every year and then the people that come in from around the country. we talked to people from colorado and illinois and georgia. people coming to see their friends and family marching in the bands. a shout out to east tennessee state university marching band. they are here. they almost thought they were not going to make it because of the terrible string of hurricanes that we had that went through that part of the country. but they made it. and the people here won't let a little bit of rain or in this case, a lot of rain, get in their way of all the thanksgiving fun. >> we can hear the crowds fired up behind you. it really is a wonderful thing to

hear especially with the dark times we have been experiencing. we talked about millions lining the streets. talk to us about the security measures and what that looks like compared to years past. >> it is an incredibly complicated security operation here. obviously this stretch of the parade route is miles long. so the nypd is out in force. if you are an officer of the nypd, you know that you work on thanksgiving day. the idea is to have security in place but did not get in the way of the fun. there is a lot of security that people in the crowds here do not see. counterterrorism units and special ops units. there are drones in the sky that people don't see. all that to keep people safe. you have the sanitation divert vehicles filled with sand to block the streets. the nypd said there is no credible threat out here today. it is all hands on deck. for the most part, officers on the streets not having fun with everybody else. >> have fun my friend.

happy thanksgiving. thank you for checking in. next, thanksgiving for those in need. and said the efforts of a group delivering home-cooked meals to hundreds of families. talking turkey. all of your top questions answered by the butterball expert himself. how to make your thanksgiving meals simply the best. celebr with ancestrydna, the simple test that shows your deep family roots, from your mom's side and your dad's side, with some serious detail, trace the journeys and history that shaped who you are today, and see the traits they passed down. your connections to the past are all waiting. see just how gifted you are for only $39. do your dry eyes still feel gritty, rough, or tired? with miebo, eyes can feel

♪ miebo ohh yeah ♪ miebo is the only prescription dry eye drop that forms a protective layer for the number one cause of dry eye: too much tear evaporation. for relief that's ♪ miebo ohh yeah ♪ remove contact lenses before using miebo. wait at least 30 minutes before putting them back in. eye redness and blurred vision may occur. what does treating dry eye differently feel like? ♪ miebo ohh yeah ♪ for relief that feels ♪ miebo ohh yeah ♪ ask your eye doctor about prescription miebo. ["the glory of love" plays] giving. [♪ you've got to give a little ♪] [♪ take a little ♪] giving without expecting something in return. ♪ giving that's possible through the power of dell ai with intel. so those who receive can find the joy of giving back.

♪ [♪ that's the glory of love. ♪] when i hear cancer, i hear death sentence. every 15 seconds, someone will hear the words, “you have cancer.”

at the american cancer society, we're here... to help people through their entire journey. and today, we're asking for your support. your gift helps fund important research that saves lives. [bell ringing montage] i owe it all to the american cancer society... ♪♪ we can't do this without you. donate today. everywhere but the seat. the seat is leather. we can't do this without you. alan, we get it. you love your bike. we do, too. that's why we're america's number-one motorcycle insurer. but do you have to wedge it into everything? what? i don't do that. this reminds me of my bike. the wolf was about the size of my new motorcycle. have you seen it, by the way? happy birthday, grandma! really? look how the brushstrokes follow the line of the gas tank. -hey! -hey! brought my plus-one. jamie?

as millions of us gather with loved ones today to sit down and share big feasts, dozens of volunteers for "hosea helps," would've atlanta's well- known organizations, are right now preparing meals for hundreds of struggling families to make sure those most in need have something to be thankful for today as well. we have more from atlanta. give us a little taste of the holiday spirit there this morning and talked about the feasts that the volunteers are packing up to deliver to families in need today. >> it takes a lot of information to help build this. >> i think we are having audio issues. >> getting ready to prepare meals for those in need.

we will try to check back. in the meantime, no need to stress today. it is all good. it is thanksgiving. there is help for your turkey, roasting, basting frying questions. operators are ready at the butterball turkey hot line. there is a turkey hotline. and we see how they talk turkey. >> catherine, if this turkey tastes half as good as it looks, i think we are in for a big treat. >> in a country that turned to ruining holiday dinners into a time honored as the turkey itself, there stands one ultimate, if not iconic solution. >> the butterball hotline. >> butterball has a hotline? >> yes. >> i'm sorry. i love my country. >> how can i help you? >> welcome to the real life war room of america's thanksgiving feast. >> you are looking for 170 in

the breast and 180 in the thigh. >> it sounds like the feathers on there. >> embedded in this chicago office building. >> and listening. it is nonstop. >> yes. the phones are stacked. we have people coming in one after another. >> gwen carlisle is one of more than 50 turkey talk line experts manning the butterball phones, live chats and e-mails from sun up until sundown. >> what size turkey do you have? >> fielding every culinary question available from cooking the bird to perfecting sides. >> to people cry when they call? >> some people and it is awful i want to cry. >> what is the weirdest question you have gotten? >> i had one person call and ask about the stopper in the sink, if it is oven safe. i said why are you asking? she said, we were frying the

turkey and we took it out and did not realize it was stuck under the wing. they cooked the turkey with the sink stopper through the whole thing. they are busy and doing so many things. common sense sometimes goes out the window and things happen and they call us. >> all talk line experts come in with backgrounds in food and cooking but go through extra training at butterball university. >> this is only bring all the incoming freshman and we run them through making a turkey. we want to teach then the butterball way. >> the experts are trained in every method imaginable, from deep-fried and even microwaved. >> there are a lot of new ways that have emerged over the years and we keep up on it. >> that dedication, a lifesaver for even the least skilled among holiday shafts. >> i have called before. >> heavy really? >> yes. >> we have to look it up. >> when i tell you that my friend and i were roommates in our 20s and one of your experts talked us through pulling out the mostly frozen

neck. and on the phone with one of your experts, we screamed bloody murder and she responded so sweetly with, is this your first turkey? >> so a big question for you. how did it turn out? >> it was so good. it went beautifully. >> since launching in 1981, staff estimates they have helped millions eager to feed their families. some stories stick. >> i had a gentleman call me. he was the sweetest guy and his wife had passed away. he was asking me for advice. i literally could cry. it was just such a unique experience to help people. >> that one stuck with you. >> they do. >> and the calls keep coming. as americans count down to their annual feast. >> we hear stories on stories of people having the best year or the worst year. we are just there to help. it is really an honor.

i honestly enjoy it. >> many giving thanks that someone is there to help so that they can leave the holiday pitfalls to hollywood. maggie vespa, nbc news, naperville, illinois. >> joining us now, retired chef and expert at the butterball turkey talk line, bill nolan. i am already loving this whole topic. and i'm hoping my husband is watching at home because he is in charge of our turkey today. how are things going so far on the talk line? is it a busy morning? >> it is a busy morning. we started at about 6:00 this morning taking calls. as you can see behind me, we have a lot of representatives taking calls from customers and from all over the country. we will be here until 6:00 tonight central time. we are right outside chicago. we get all kinds of questions. we are the lifeline for people

really. whether you have cooked a turkey 15 times are is your first time, give us a call. we have never heard a question that we can't answer. >> let's get through some of these questions. first, what is the most common question and what are some of the weirdest turkey questions you get? >> the most common question is the 43 years we have been open, is how do you thaw your turkey? turkeys or something people don't make all the time. it is a little imposing and it is a big piece of meat. we walk them through that on ways to do it using the cold water method in the sink. leave it in the wrapper. it will expedite that process. that is number one. as far as the weirdest questions we get all kinds of strange things. things that were a little bit out of our control. we have had people call us and say that they forgot to thaw it out and they wanted to thought out in a hot tub or jacuzzi. which of course is a big no-no as far as food safety goes. people that lose their turkey, they put it outside in the snow

and it is stuck in a snow bank somewhere. most questions we can answer and that is what we are here for it. let's do a lightning round. let's start with the most common. let's say that folks are waking up now and it's almost 11:00 here. 8:00 on the west coast right now. they open their fridge and the turkey is still a little bit frozen. what is the quickest way to defrost it? >> it is to leave it in the wrapper. take it over wrapper. take to the sink it ov. plug the si put the turkey in first and fill it with cold tap water. it will thaw out about 30 minutes a pound. it might be several hours. as opposed to thawing out in the refrigerator which takes several days. you might eat dinner a little later. change the water every 30 minutes and it will expedite the process. >> what is the best, most delicious way to cook a turkey? >> we recommend the butterball

method. the most simple way to cook a turkey. take your turkey out of the wrapper and remove the neck and giblets. put in a flat pan with a flat rack. about 2 inches deep or so. 2-3 inches deep to catch the delicious juices. brush it with oil. no basting necessary. we brush it with oil. we get into the oven at 325 degrees depending on the size of the turkey, it will be done in anywhere from three hours, too hours. simple, no basting. it comes out golden brown and delicious. >> what would be the easiest and fastest way? that might be the most delicious way but if someone did not defrost and now they have less and less time to cook, how can they go fast? >> interesting way. we talked about this this morning. i use this when i cook a turkey. this will take a little more expertise as far as the anatomy of the turkey. basically you will butterfly it like you would with any piece

of meat. you turn it over and remove with poultry shears, the backbone on both sides and flatten the turkey out so you will cook it when it is completely flat and it will do it in about half of the time. and it cooks it very evenly. and i highly recommend it. as long as you can get the backbone out. that is the tricky part. credit on either side, turn it over. it will cook it evenly and fast. >> that is truly eye opening. i imagine you will get calls from people watching right now. what is the biggest mistake people make when cooking a turkey? >> probably not having one of these meat thermometers. that is your best friend, whether it is thanksgiving day or at any time your making food, just to be safe. also to have it at the optimal eating quality. 170 degrees in the breast. 180 degrees in the thigh and.

when you could get to the temperatures, number one, it will be food safe and it will also be juicy and delicious. a lot of times people call and say that the turkey was dry and the first question i would ask them and return, because we had to do detective work, is to say, what was the internal temperature when you pulled out of the oven? they will say, i didn't take the temperature. the chances are you overcooked it and you have dry turkey. that is a common mistake people make. it is easily fixed by picking up a nice and reliable food thermometer. >> what if you don't have a thermometer. and a lot of stores are closed on thanksgiving and you need to know if the turkey is done. is there another way to tell? >> there is not a safe way to tell as far as food safety goes. it used to be years ago that people would say, if i could wiggle the leg or if the juices run clear. that is one way that people try to determine but it is not really food safe.

so the second thing to do is make sure you are adhering to the guidelines. for example, a 10-18-pound turkey will take 3. three and half hours at 325. make sure you are keeping it in the oven for the amount of time you are supposed to and then you can take it out and check it . >> i will circle back to the top. i want to know, what is the weirdest question of all time that you have gotten and you have been doing this for years. >> people ask is things like, how do i cook a frozen turkey. something we wouldn't have recommended years ago. we now have a product cooked from frozen turkey and and available in select markets. it will ask if they can cook a turkey on a. can of bread in the oven. people will want to cook it in parts. people want to do things sometimes that are not food safe. that is where it has to be serious.

as far as really weird, people get creative. they read a look at things on the internet. they look at youtube videos. they try to do some butchering they shouldn't do. just for the sake of the integrity of the meat. the best thing to do is give us a call. 800-butterball. we are ready to walk you through from buying the turkey all the way until you get a turkey like this and ready to enjoy. >> bill nolan, you do great work. thank you for joining us. pleasure to chat with you. i hope you get a chance to take time with your loved ones today too after these phone calls. >> happy thanksgiving to you as well. >> hopefully today's turkey won't slow you down for the black friday preparations. next, we break down some of the major deals and steals that will even have santa taking notes.

throughout the day when you can take 1 prilosec. for easier heartburn relief, one beats ten. prilosec otc. one pill. 24 hours. zero heartburn. ♪ limu emu & doug ♪ woah, limu! we're in a parade. everyone customize and save hundreds on car insurance with liberty mutual. customize and sa— (balloon doug pops & deflates) and then i wake up. and you have this dream every night? yeah, every night! hmm... i see. (limu squawks) only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ ♪ only pay for ♪hat you need. ♪ (vo) whether your phone's broken or old, we've got you. with verizon, anyone can trade in any phone, any condition. this black friday get iphone 16 pro with apple intelligence,

on us. and, ipad and apple watch series 10, all three on us. that's up to $2,000 in value. only on verizon. speaker: who's coming in the driveway? speaker: dad. dad, we missed you. daddy, hi. speaker: goodness. my daughter is being treated for leukemia. [music playing] i hope that she lives a long, great, happy life and that she will never forget how mom and daddy love her.

saint jude-- maybe this is what's keeping my baby girl alive. [music playing] narrator: you can join the battle to save lives by supporting st. jude children's research hospital. for just $19 a month, you'll help us continue the life-saving research and treatment these kids need now and in the future. speaker: cancer makes me feel angry, like not in the feel on the outside, just the inside. i'm angry at it. speaker: when your kid is hurting and there's nothing you can do about it, that's the worst feeling in the world. [music playing] narrator: 1 in 5 children diagnosed with cancer in the us will not survive. speaker: those that donate to st. jude, i hope that you will continue to give. they have done so much for me and my family. [music playing] narrator: join with your credit or debit card for only $19

a month, and we'll send you this st. jude t-shirt, or, for a limited time only, join for $39 a month to receive this exclusive st. jude jacket you can proudly wear to show your support. speaker: are you ready to go have some fun? speaker: yeah. speaker: when we came here, we didn't know what tomorrow would hold. st. jude showed us that tomorrow, there's hope for our little girl to survive. narrator: let's cure childhood cancer together. please donate now. [music playing]

when you see what it's really like when our skin touches wool... you see why we need downy free and gentle with no perfumes or dyes. it not only makes your clothes softer, it is gentle on your skin. it breathes life into your laundry. just a few hours until black friday officially begins which means the busiest season for shopping is upon us. with so many stores touting deals and discounts, how do you know if you are getting the best bang for your buck? our nbc news business and data correspondent brian cheung is here to help. take it away. >> happy thanksgiving. black friday is coming tomorrow.

before we talk about will be open and with the deals are on black friday, let's talk about today. there are a number of stores that will be open at all on the list. walmart, target, best buy, costco and kohl's. they will be closed for the entirety of today to give associates a break. what will be open is anyplace you need to go to get your last- minute ingredients. your local kroger or whole foods and cvs will be open if you need ingredient. you can make a run to those stores which will be open today. when it comes to black friday, a lot of the stores and mentioned that will be closed today will reopen at 6:00 a.m. that is best buy, target, walmart, home depot and lowes. some stores will open as early as 5:00 a.m. that would be jcpenney's. all to get started on the black friday deals. pretty decent discounts. we talk about air pod pros. we have been tracking the price on the business team. we have not seen prices this

low since he began tracking prices in july. air pod pro is about 30% off. about $154. and televisions and washers. people may not be thinking about that for potential purchase on black friday but some appliances getting steep discounts in the 30% range as well. experts tell us that if you want to buy anything on black friday, you might see good discounts. if you want to hold out until cyber monday for online savings, you might get better deals on specifically the categories of electronics and also clothing. a bit of a game of chicken because you don't want to wait so long where the stock isn't there. if you see something on the shelf and it is available, may be considered buying that now. especially in the 20-30% range which adobe analytics said these would be the discounts they are expecting. and again, happy shopping to all those out there and happy thanksgiving to you as well. back to you. >> thank you so much. there is news you can use

today. coming up, he said she said. what president-elect trump and mexico's new president is saying about the recent phone call after threats of tariffs and with lives of migrants at stake. stay with us!

my moderate to severe crohn's symptoms kept me out of the picture. with skyrizi, feel symptom relief at 4 weeks. many people were in remission at 12 weeks, at 1 year, and even at 2 years. don't use if allergic. serious allergic reactions, increased infections, or lower ability to fight them may occur. before treatment, get checked for infections and tb. tell your doctor about any flu-like symptoms or vaccines. liver problems leading to hospitalization may occur when treated for crohn's. ♪ control is everything to me. ♪ ask your gastroenterologist about skyrizi. i've been worn by celebrities, athletes, and world leaders. but i've always felt most comfortable up here, with the folks that made me who i am. i'm right at home, out here on the land. and i'm in my lane on the shoulder of the interstate. because this is where i come from.

i've been showing up here for nearly 200 years. and i can't wait to see what's next. hats off to the future. nothing runs like a deere™ what do people want more of? more “oh yeah!” more laughs. more hang outs. more “mmmmm, so good!” yeah, give us more of all of that little stuff that makes life so great. but if you're older or or have certain health conditions, you also have more risk from flu, covid-19 and rsv. but vaccines help keep you from getting really sick. and that, is huge.

it's 11:00 eastern. we begin in the middle east

where the cease fire appears to have been broken about 36 hours after it went into effect. israel's military says it struck at hezbollah's target after detecting terrorist activity. accusing people of attacking people returning home to their villages. let's get the latest from matt bradley. also with us, jake jacobs. matt, what are we learning. >> reporter: both sides are accusing the other side of breaching the terms of the cease fire. you mentioned that the cease fire has been broken and while that's certainly true as far as these accusations are concerned, we can also say that the cease fire seems to be holding. we were in a neighborhood today, the southern suburb of beirut, that was pounded by the israelis for the past two months.

it was where the slain head of hezbollah was killed and right here where we are now, we almost always have front row seats to all of the bombardments the israelis are pelting and so far, we haven't seen anything today. so yes, while both sides have said that the other side has violated or breached the terms of this truce, we haven't seen that this is actually not holding. it is precarious. just goes to show how this could break at any time, but so far, it looks as though the vast majority of the guns have remained silent. >> so, colonel, what do you make of that? this pointing fingers at each other and the possibility that it's holding? the cease fire hasn't been broken. >> our experience over a long period of time with cease fire is pretty much the same. the agreement, the arrangements

generally speaking, but the word sometimes doesn't get down to the lowest part of the food chain. there are errant actors who decide they're going to, they don't like the arrangement and they're going to break the cease fire, but by and large, it holds. these kinds of things happen from time to time. but that's principally because it's extremely difficult to control. absolutely everybody up and down the chain of command. it's likely to hold here, at least for a while in lebanon because you've got the lebanese government behind it. and you've got iran, who really wants out of this cycle of violence. they're behind it as well. so we might have other incidents like this, but it's likely to hold, at least long enough for the combatants. >> you sound optimistic. this is good to hear as always in the middle east though, it's a tinderbox. situation could be fragile. what are you watching for next?

>> well, iran. they're the lynch pin here. they're vitally important to the existence of hezbollah. to the, to what hezbollah does. they're a proxy and they carry out what iran likes to carry out in the region. so, if we keep an eye on iran, we'll know what's going to happen. we have to keep something in mind. the last time israel was in lebanon and there was a cease fire was 2006. the cease fire lasted quite a long time but wasn't forever. so it's important to keep an eye on iran. see what they do, see how they support hezbollah, and hear what they say. that will give us an idea of whether or not this cease fire will hold over a long period of time. >> thank you so much for being there for us and helping us understand. matt, you have been been doing some extensive reporting on a

village in southern lebanon. it was literally blown off the map in a series of coordinated explosions. tell us more about that. >> reporter: this is one of the story that is really is the story of lebanon and some of the characters you're going to meet in this report are the characters of lebanon. this kind of defines what we're seeing now. what i saw earlier today. people going back to their homes, desperate to return to normal lives. lives that for many, no longer exist. here's our report. on october 16th, israeli forces released dramatic footage of their units detonating explosives in a small village in southern lebanon. they are sisters who evacuated at the start of the war. they learn of their hometown's

destruction on social media. an idf spokesperson told nbc news that the goal of the invasion has been to dismantle hezbollah's military capabilities and address their threat. they claim to have limited goals for the invasion of southern lebanon, but an nbc news investigation found that whether israeli troops have tread, they've left behind massive destruction and desolation. the idf occupied towns like mhaibib and demolished them, creating an uninhabitable zone. they said they were destroying underground tunnels once used by hezbollah.

[ speaking in a global language ] this is what mhaibib looked like before. it was home to about 250 residents and was the site of ancient shrine that drew pilgrims and visitors. [ speaking in a global language ] hezbollah began firing missiles into israel a day after, october 7th, 2023. the sisters are among 1.3 million lebanese displaced from their home. on september 30th, 2024, the idf announced it would escalate the conflict by invading southern lebanon. at the time it was destroyed, mhaibib, located just a few miles from the border with

israel, was empty. the town was one of dozens the idf ordered to fully evacuate as it invaded southern lebanon throughout october. the idf captured mhaibib. in this video, israeli soldiers can be seen watching and celebrating the demolition from a safe distance. satellite imagery from before and after the detonation shows little remains of the village of mhaibib. the 2,000-year-old shrine of the prophet benjamin in the town was also destroyed. researchers from city university of new york and the university of oregon are using satellite radar day to detect damaged buildings in lebanon.

since the start of the conflict, they've identified over 12,000 destroyed or damaged buildings. nbc news analyzed this data along with data on troop movements and found the area the idf antured on the border, more than 5,600 buildings have been damaged or destroyed. 42% of all buildings in this area. in many villages, the destruction is total. 86 of the buildings in mhaibib have been demolished. images of southern lebanese towns give a full picture of how the idf has made them uninhabitable. this october 5th satellite image shows armored vehicles crossing the border and entering the town. here, you can see these idf vehicles adjacent to a raised section of the town and here,

there are signs of bulldozing. by the end of the month, 62% of the town has been destroyed. nbc verified videos posted to social media of idf demolitions. these videos show the destruction of mosques, large groupings of homes, and entire neighborhoods. this demolition took place in a border village called ramyeh. by november, 67% of their buildings had been destroyed. influential members of the israeli military and government have advocated for a depopulated buffer zone, but the idf hasn't said this was the goal of their invasion of lebanon. in this house, a storage. >> vests. helmets. you see the hand grenades here. >> reporter: in a statement to nbc news, a spokesperson said it

doesn't aim to cause excessive damage to civilian infrastructure, but hezbollah embedded military assets in and beneath civilian assets and cultural sites. >> explosive rpgs here. >> reporter: now, residents like the sisters have learned there's nothing left to return to. [ speaking in a global language ] and anna as you saw there, the war seems to be over. the two months ong offensive by hezbollah if this truce holds. but for the sisters, the relatives of the more than 4,000 killed during the last year of

fighting and 1.2 estimates million people that were displaced by this war, this latest conflict is just beginning. they have to figure out what to do with the rest of their lives and have been forever sered by the last couple of months. >> great reporting. thank you very much. now, i want to take you to president biden. he is on the move in nantucket and made a stop just now at a local fire house. let's listen in. >> long, long stage and i'm really happy. i got to talk to -- alaska and reyupt unit with the families and very happy. >> canada and mexico that the president-elect is talking about? >> i hope he rethinks it. i think it's a counterproductive thing to do. look, one of the things you've heard me say before is that we, we have an unusual situation there.

we're surrounded by pacific ocean, atlantic ocean, mexico and canada. last thing we want to do is screw up those relationships. we're in a good place. by the way, you know, the cooperation of the outstanding president and incoming president, the crossings of balance considerably than they were back when he was in office. there's a lot more to do. i just think i hope they reconsider. i -- we have reached a relationship with the status quo regarding china. china has, is, we've set up a hot line between president xi and myself as well as the military, direct line. one thing i'm confident about xi is he doesn't want to make a

mistake. and i'm not saying he is our best buddy, but he understands what's at stake. that's why i spent so much time, as you know, getting the situation in the south pacific as well as the indian ocean. so combination of japan, australia, india. things are going in the right direction. one last question. >> mr. president, many americans are worried about the future this holiday season. what is the message to them? >> my message is to just remember who you are. he'll have a very tough job. a really tough job. think about it. i remember couple of weeks ago the survey done how people feel about where they are.

62%, 35% thought they were doing pretty well. worried about the direction of the country. only 35% thought we were moving in the right direction. i think there's an explanation for that. think about it. it's not a criticism of the president. you know me too well. is that turn on the television, don't see a lot of good news. even stuff that is good news doesn't seem to sell very well. so turn on the tv, everything looks bad. everything looked bad. and now you have, forget the numbers, but a small number of people watching mainstream television and reading the newspapers. forget the number. you would know better than i i would. and they're way down. so where do you get your news? and how do you know, it's not just looking for as opposed to what's happening. not because of you. i'm not being critical. i've talked to too many of you

privately, been around a long time. got a hell of a job. you know, any way. i don't think -- i want to make sure this transition goes smoothly. i want to make sure it goes smoothly. and all the talk about what he's going to do and not do, i think there may be a little bit of internal reckoning on his part. what he is going to do. the congress is within across the board. it's going to be, i think it's going to be -- some real compromise, but we'll see. we'll see. happy thanksgiving. >> happy thanksgiving!

>> again, that was president biden delivering those comments live in nantucket, making this stop at a fire house on thanksgiving morning. he talked about the u.s. china prisoner swap that happened about 24 hours ago. he also spoke about president-elect trump's tariff threats to mexico and canada and china. let's go to mike memoli who's standing by there in nantucket. tell us about this stop and what stood out to you from those comments? >> reporter: this is the most extensive comments we've heard from the president on a range of issues including some issues he has been very careful in trying to navigate the politics of as it relates to the transition to the trump administration. i'll start there because the president really weighed in on the tariff threats that are coming from president-elect donald trump. now, interestingly just a few days ago, i was traveling with the president on air force one. as he was boarding, we tried to ask him about the new threats president-elect trump had made about imposing tariffs on canada, mexico, and china.

he said no comment. well, today, he was much more free in discussing this subject. talking about how important our trade relationships are with our neighbors to the north and to the south, but also with china. as the president put it, he said it's important we don't screw that up. and so really weighing in on the politics of a decision that the next president is preparing to make although we know obviously he's having his own conversations including with mexico's president on that subject. he also did say he spoke, he made some news there, with those three detained individuals who have now returned to u.s. soil after the prisoner swap that his administration was able to negotiate with china. he talked about the importance of the relationship with china, referring to his recent conversation with president xi in south america. he was also weighed in on when asked what he was thankful for on this thanksgiving holiday. he said he was thankful for that cease fire agreement between

hezbollah and israel. hopefully that is extending perhaps to a broader agreement in the region. the president weighing in on topics, talking about the news environment as well. the president with some pointed comments at us when he was asked about what his message to americans who are looking to the future with some anxiety about the result of the presidential election in talking about the way in which people consume information. so, the president making those comments. as you can see, it's a blistery, rainy day here in nantucket where the president has been spending the holiday with his family and his little grandson there, beau. >> it strikes me this is perhaps the most extensive comments we've heard from the president about the whole transition that's taking place from his administration to soon to be the next trump administration. >> reporter: yeah, absolutely right. i was really struck by that because there has been some criticism from within the democratic party of president biden for the tone that he has

set. the smiling pictures he took with president-elect donald trump when he came to the oval office. of course, many people saying you were just warning the country that this man was a threat to democracy so how can you strike such a friendly tone, a tone of a peaceful transition of power and the importance of it. you heard the president there, that's still his commitment. despite the fact he's critical of some of the president-elect's policy decisions. he talked about the importance of that smooth transition. i thought it was striking that even as he was making criticisms, his desire is to have that peaceful transition of power. i've talked to people close to the president and they say of course he wishes there were a different outcome in this election, but the president respects the verdict of the american people. it was a close election but the president-elect, donald trump, did win seven out of the seven battleground states so the president wants to be respectful of those voters who chose a

different direction than he himself would have chosen. up next, coast to coast storms just in time for millions to hit the roads and skies. also ahead, from a target on the trail to a dinner date. the president-elect's thanksgiving meal with a tech billionaire not named elon musk. it was pre thanksgiving, but you know what i mean. later, we'll take a closer look at the concerns over a spike in respiratory illnesses heading into december. what you can do to protect your family. we're back in 90 seconds. prote family we're back in 90 seconds giving. [♪ you've got to give a little ♪] [♪ take a little ♪] giving without expecting something in return. ♪ giving that's possible through the power of dell ai with intel. so those who receive can find the joy of giving back.

♪ [♪ that's the glory of love. ♪] when i hear cancer, i hear death sentence. every 15 seconds someone will hear the words, “you have cancer.” at the american cancer society, this is why we're here... to help people through their entire journey. i was ready to battle... to be there for my family. and today, we're asking for your support. call, go online or scan the qr code now. your gift helps fund research that saves lives... and provides support, like free rides to treatment, and lodging in our hope lodge communities, where patients stay for free. i want to thank you guys... for your donations that make my stay here possible. your donation will help support our efforts to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. i owe it all to the american cancer society.

call now or go to give.cancer.org to donate today. it's a soggy start to the day in the northeast and we're tracking a storm system that could affect how fast you get to your thanksgiving dinner. cold rain saturating the northeast and mid-atlantic cities all along the i-95 corridor right now. while snow is actually falling in parts of new england. this storm could be a real bump in the road for the tens of millions of people hitting the highways today. we're seeing big travel numbers in the sky, too. the tsa expecting it to be the busiest thanksgiving ever. michelle, how's the storm looking at this hour? >> great to see you. happy thanksgiving. we are looking at that snow falling in the interior northeast and then we're going to see lake effect snow really

cranking up. it's a gloomy day in the northeast. it could be cozy inside. the roadways are wet and that's the biggest story on this day. the other big story is arctic air. bitterly cold temperatures in the northern plains to the central plains. temperatures well below normal for this time of year. 10, 20, 30 degrees below. on the roadways, the biggest impacts will be along the east coast. we could see strong to severe storms in parts of the carolinas to the southeast into the gulf coast states and it's going to be wet for many of us in the interior parts of the northeast, into new england. you can see the snow on the map. places like i-90, i-75, i-90 could be tricky and slow. this is what satellite looks like. we have plenty of cover in the northeast area, new england as well. where you see the blue and white, that is snow falling. we'll see a good amount of snow in those areas. so feeling like the holidays on

this thanksgiving. also looking at the rain falling. the orange, yellows, that's the heaviest rainfall. parts of boston, new england, the northeast, long seeing heavy rain. that's into new jersey and delaware as well. big story over the next several days. we have very cold air working in that siberian express. we've been spoiled throughout the early part of this fall with warm temperatures but temperatures are as cold as 30 below zero. this is like a train of cold air that will be coming down to the u.s. and it's going to cause a few problems. first, bitterly cold air. that's going to create issues then we're going to see the lake effect snow machine really cranking up over the next several days. friday through monday, could see up to 3 feet of snow. temperature, 10, 20, 30 degrees below typical for this time of year. denver today, just 37 degrees. 11 degrees below normal. 30s in chicago, kansas city. 23 in st. cloud. if you're out and about today, you want to bundle up.

if you're shopping tomorrow, black friday, it's going to be chilly, too. 10 degrees in fargo and into the northeast, we're going to be well below normal. the cold air will set the stage for lake effect snow, up to 3 feet. >> i am not ready for that cold air. happy thanksgiving. thank you so much, michelle. let's talk about how the storm is impacting travel. joining us now, the points guy founder himself, brian kelly. good to see you. happy thanksgiving. so, we know -- >> you as well. >> thanks. yesterday, it was the busiest travel day of the year. what are the numbers we're seeing so far? >> the numbers are really strong. not quite as high over july fourth where 3 million passengers passed through the tsa, but this thanksgiving season is longer so we'll probably see the highest traveled, in the air at least,

thanksgiving we've seen. so far, smooth sailing. minimal delays and cancellations. if we could have picked a day for this storm to happen and the time, i think we couldn't have picked better. >> fingers crossed that all the good karma keeps going. what are the potential obstacles as they try to make it to their turkey dinner on time and how can people avoid those? >> the roads. with this inclement weather and snow, so i highly recommend even without weather these days, leave for the airport early and here's a little tip. even if your flight's delayed, you may be home saying i'm going to get an extra hour at home with family. go to the airport. i recently had a time when my flight was delayed and that can happen. if the airline gets an opportunity to get that plane out, so i recommend everyone pad in extra time.

get to the airport early and prebook your parking when possible. parking lots are sold out. try to take all those factors. >> tomorrow is the biggest shopping day. any travel deals we should look out for? >> there's some really fun deals this summer, this year -- >> i wish it were summer. >> i'm already thinking of summer with that siberian blast coming through. i think about half off to go to asia next year. $700 round trip. if that's too far, portugal is running in the $300 round trip to portugal next year. usually these fares are up until may. i highly recommend to people, europe in the summer is so crowded and hot these days that april, may time to go to europe, the shoulder season, is where it's at. and also, i saw rose wood hotels

is offering 30% off and for a luxury hotel chain, that's rare. >> never too early to start thinking about those summer or spring vacations. brian kelly, good to see you. thanks so much for joining us. >> thanks. and i want to give a live look at vice president harris who is making a stop in a d.c. central kitchen where she's volunteering this morning. again, on thanksgiving day, giving back to the community and there's the vice president in d.c. up next, the latest from mar-a-lago where the president-elect dined with a tech billionaire. not named elon musk, last night. we'll be right back. lionaire not named elon musk, last night. we'll be right back. (vo) this black friday, verizon will turn your old or broken phone into a gift. anyone can trade in any phone,

in any condition and get samsung galaxy s24+ with galaxy ai and watch and tab, all three on us. even if your phone is old or dated, you can turn it in at verizon for gifts for you and the family. all three on us. that's up to $1,900 in value. only on verizon. hi. i use febreze fade defy plug. and i use this. febreze has a microchip to control scent release so it smells first-day fresh for 50 days.

50 days!? and its refill reminder light means i'll never miss a day of freshness. ♪ we all need fiber for our digestive health, but less than 10% of us get enough each day. good thing metamucil gummies are an easy way to get prebiotic, plant-based fiber. with the same amount of fiber as 2 cups of broccoli. metamucil gummies the easy way to get your daily fiber. your business needs a network it can count on... metamucil gummies even during the unexpected. power's out! -power's out! power's out! comcast business has got you covered, with wifi backup to help keep you up and running. wifi's up. let's power on! let's power on! -let's power on! it's from the company with 99.9% network reliability. let's power on! power on with the leader in connectivity. get wifi backup for your business,

or get started with comcast business internet. and for a limited time, get an $800 holiday bonus. call today. president-elect trump spent thanksgiving at mar-a-lago after being with mark zuckerberg last night. threatening the ceo with jail

time for alleged election interference. a meta spokesperson saying quote, mark was grateful for the invitation to join president trump for dinner and the opportunity to meet with members of his team about the incoming administration. calling this quote, an important time for the future of american innovation. and joining us now from west palm beach, florida near mar-a-lago is kelly o'donnell. also with us, msnbc political analyst and republican strategist, rick tyler, and max rose. kelly, elon musk. now, mark zuckerberg. what do we know about the latest tech titan vying for the president-elect's attention? >> reporter: well, this very much fits into the model of donald trump as host and wanting to have powerful people from a broad array of fields come to him. so he has long used mar-a-lago for that purpose and as president-elect, it is sort of

the home base of his transition for the remaining 50 plus days until he is back in office. and it's a useful time for him to be able to both entertain, engage, and have a running dialogue and so this is a way for the president-elect to try to do that. for mark zuckerberg, it's certainly a recognition along with many others. whether they are world leaders, other business figures, that the public has spoken. there is a new administration coming and those who want to get on board are doing so in terms of being able to at least have conversations with the incoming administration. that's how this was framed. that mark zuckerberg was there to have a meal with the president-elect. to meet some members of the coming administration and to talk about ideas going forward. they have had publicly a tense relationship. there have been both positive and negative things about their very public interactions. of course, the former president was removed from facebook for a period of time after january

6th, then you had zuckerberg not really engaging in the political space of the campaign in 2024. allegations of being too involved in terms of what was allowed on the content of their site in 2020. and then after the assassination attempt, referencing the former president at that time, his response to the butler shooting as in zuckerberg's word, bad ass. so this is one of those ways where we're seeing the different use of power for donald trump. he's doing it as the president-elect and using it home base here in florida as a way to invite prominent people in. >> and congressman, how do you see this? this meeting on top of his cozying up with elon musk? what does the meeting mean, the time and for democrats? for your party. is that party losing silicon valley? >> look, i don't knock zuckerberg for going to dinner

but what it seems yet again is donald trump is actually at this point an oligarch in populous clothing. you take the rhetoric of the campaign, which was we're going to disrupt the system, taking traditionally democratic populous language. turns out that is more than likely not a fraud and that is the lane for the democrats in the coming years. not saying donald trump, we oppose everything you said you were going to do, but calling him out on the fact that he lied. that he never had any intent of being anything but a useful tool and vehicle for the wealthiest amongst us to continue to advance their interests. >> so what do you make of those wealthy people cozying up to him? how do you see that? >> it's a valuable lesson for democrats that you know, whether it's silicon valley or wall street or all the rest, you know, at times, they may be

supporters of yours but the truth of the matter is they are agents of their own company and at times, their own pocketbook. i think at times, the democrats probably got too cozy with silicon valley thinking they were a fully owned subsidiary of theirs. not to say there's not a tremendous amount of supporters in that area, wealthy and otherwise, on the side of democrat, but it's in the as if it's uniform. by the way, nor should democrats ever assume that it is. that's not how they're going to win elections in the future. >> meantime, elon musk and vivek ramaswamy will head to the hill next week to meet with republican leaders on slashing government spending. numbers like $2 trillion will be cut from elon musk. what kind of hurdles do you think they'll face on the hill?

>> first of all, most politicians love big government despite what they say. reagan tried to do this back in his term with the grace commission. it didn't come out very well. it remains to be seen what the structure is going to be. if it's going to be a commission, it will be mostly outside government. but if it's going to be a department, then elon musk is very much conflicted because he has billions of dollars in contracts with the federal government and you can't put the guy in charge of efficiency who's benefitting from those decisions. so we'll see how how it goes. look, the government does need to be cut, i think. it's too powerful. but it also needs to be transparent. american people need to know what it is they plan to cut, how it's going to work. i've always been suspect of people who think that government can be run like a business. it cannot. and so we have these business people go in thinking they can

run a government like a business. it is not a business. it has no incentive that is drive it the same way as a business. therefore, it has no downward cost measures, which is why the government power needs to be reduced. but at the same time, you can't have people going in there and thinking that somehow the government's going to perform like a business. it simply won't. >> also overnight, trump posted he spoke with mexico's president and quote -- effectively closing our southern border. meantime, she took to social media saying she explained mexico's comprehensive strategy to trump and that mexico's position is not to close the borders but to build bridges between governments and people. congressman, it doesn't really sound like they're in complete agreement over this conversation. what does that mean? >> trump's looking for an out because he doesn't actually want to put tariffs on mexico. you saw the reaction of the market the second he said

there's going to be a 25% tariff on all goods coming in from mexico and canada. market reacted horribly. people realized they'll be spending much more on their goods and there will be a de facto tax on the working class, a regressive tax, and now he's looking for a way out. another example of how it's so much easier to say things during a campaign than to do them. bring it back to doge. you might find a billion here or a billion there, whatever else it might be, but they want to cancel hundreds of billions of dollar, they're going to have to go after prooiftizing the va. cut medicare. all thing that is the american people are not actually supportive of. the chickens are coming home to roost right now for the trump administration even before they're sworn in. >> we just heard from president biden last hour. he was asked about these tariffs and the threat that trump had made that president-elect.

rick, i'm wondering, we heard from president biden. he hopes that trump and his next administration will reconsider the ariffs. you think they'll reconsider? >> i hope it's all bluff and bluster. i outlined this tariff idea in my book, still right. tariffs have a dramatically negative effect on the american economy and while billionaires are not affected by tariffs, the ones that visit mar-a-lago, the average person is because other countries don't pay taxes to the american government. people pay taxes. americans pay those taxes. so i thought that trump was elected because people didn't like all these high prices and we just stabilized inflation and now he's going to add 25% to everything people willingly buy. it also has a huge impact on the auto industry. about 400,000 jobs could be impacted if he were to put a 25% tax on mexico. also one of our biggest, our

biggest trade partner, canada. that just means higher prices for every consumer. it won't affect billionaires but it will affect the average person who's just trying to buy things for their family. >> thank you so much, rick tyler, max rose, for joining us. rick, i see you're in the holiday spirit there at your house, getting an early jump. >> have a happy thanksgiving. >> happy thanksgiving to you and your family as well. and our thanks to kelly o'donnell for her reporting as well. up next, a scary spike in respiratory illnesses as so many of us are gathering for the holidays. why are people getting so sick and what you need to know. stay with us. le getngti so sick and what you need to know. stay with us vicks vapostick provides soothing non-medicated vicks vapors. easy to apply for the whole family. vicks vapostick. and try new vaposhower max for steamy vicks vapors.

i've been worn by celebrities, athletes, and world leaders. but i've always felt most comfortable up here,

with the folks that made me who i am. i'm right at home, out here on the land. and i'm in my lane on the shoulder of the interstate. because this is where i come from. i've been showing up here for nearly 200 years. and i can't wait to see what's next. hats off to the future. nothing runs like a deere™ what's up, you seem kinda sluggish today. things aren't really movin'. you could use some metamucil. metamucil's psyllium fiber helps keep your digestive system moving so you can feel lighter and more energetic. metamucil keeps you movin'. and try fizzing fiber plus vitamins.

as americans gather near and far with loved ones this thanksgiving, health experts are warning of a spike in respiratory illnesses that could come after these gatherings.

nbc's stephanie gosk has more. >> reporter: as the winter approaches, it's a sound everyone braces for. this year, the cdc says two serious respiratory illnesses are on the rise. whooping cough cases are up five fold compared today a year ago. walking pneumonia, up 450% since the spring. >> my daughter got sick in september. >> reporter: dr. mcswain's daughter recovered from walking pneumonia, but then her mom got sick. >> i took a course of two antibiotics and steroids and initially improved but then got worse again. >> reporter: and that was kind of for you, the red flag that it was time to go to the hospital. >> right. >> reporter: at virginia and nova hospital, there has been a noticeable increase. >> we're seeing more cases and more severe cases where folks are coming into the hospital, our clinic, with more wheezing and shortness of breath. >> reporter: as for whooping cough, multiple states have seen

spikes. >> i'm just wondering why we have this. >> reporter: patients start with normal, cold like symptoms then often develop violent coughing this can last for weeks. doctors say people should be vigilant when they develop a cough. >> hand washing and staying home is important. >> reporter: familiar, but still important advice to stay healthy this holiday season. >> that was stephanie gosk reporting for us. up next, from an accidental text message to an annual thanksgiving tradition. what started as an unlikely friendship blossomed into a very special bond. unlikely friendship blossomed into a very special bond when you wanna be laughing? it's time to upgrade. only always discreet has a unique drytech layer to keep you drier than depend. so you can laugh harder, and stay drier. we've got you, always. always discreet. liberty mutual customized my car insurance

so i saved hundreds. with the money i saved i thought i'd get a wax figure of myself. cool right? look at this craftmanship. i mean they even got my nostrils right. it's just nice to know that years after i'm gone this guy will be standing the test of ti... he's melting! oh jeez... nooo... oh gaa... only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty ♪ ["the glory of love" plays] giving. ♪ giving that's possible through the power of dell ai with intel. so those who receive can find the joy of giving back. my name is brayden.

i was five years old when i came to st. jude. i'll try and shorten down the story. so i've been having these headaches that wouldn't go away. my mom, she was just crying. what they said, your son has brain cancer. it was your worst fear coming to life. watching your child grow up is the dream of every parent. you can join the battle to save the lives of kids like brayden, by supporting st. jude children's research hospital . families never receive a bill from st. jude for treatment, travel, housing, or food, so they can focus on helping their child live . i'm sorry, yeah. life is a gift, especially for a child battling cancer. call or go online

and help save another lives of children like brayden. now, i'm 11 years old. we were actually doing the checkup for my brain. and they saw something in my throat. it's thyroid cancer. it was heartbreaking to find out that he has cancer again. but we knew who we had behind us. it just gives me hope. you can make a difference. join with your credit or debit card for only $19 a month. and we'll send you this st. jude t-shirt. without st. jude or its donors, we would have been in a bad place. these kids, they've done nothing wrong in the world. finding a cure for childhood cancer, it means everything. help st. jude give kids with cancer a chance. [audio logo]

eight years ago, a mistaken text message brought wanda and jamal together. now as they reunite for their ninth thanksgiving, the two reflect on how their unexpected friendship has endured through love and loss. kate snow has their story. >> reporter: chances are, you've heard what happened back in 2016 when wanda accidentally included a stranger on her text. 17-year-old jamal hinton answering, you're not my grandma. can i still get a plate though? >> i've been over.

we've been over every year and here we are today. >> reporter: for eight years. it's been more than a friendship. >> i felt like almost since the first year, we were a family. >> we spent hours, remember that, jamal? talking about everything under the sun and there was no generation gap whatsoever. so i, because of him, i see things a lot different. >> reporter: they text, talk, and get together, lean on each other. >> she's someone i can call. someone that i can go to with my problems. she helps me sort them out. someone i can go to with my happiness and my pride and the good things i have going on in life and make me feel even better about them. >> reporter: they've been through highs and lows. wanda lost her husband during the pandemic and earlier this year, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. >> it's been a journey. an awakening for me. i see some things different. i see what's more important now than what used to be. and now i appreciate every day.

>> reporter: is this friendship one of the things you appreciate? >> oh, you better believe it. jamal taught me so much about friendship. >> reporter: jamal and his girlfriend have supported wanda through her treatment. >> i was uplifted every day. i was always getting a text message. how are you doing? what's up? what can we do for you? >> reporter: and last month when jamal posted a special message about wanda, about her diagnosis, more than 8 million people saw it. >> i thought that was something we could do. have everyone send her support and love. >> they were so positive and wonderful. some of the messages came across as hey, wanda, thank you so much for your message. i'm going to go get my mammogram now because of you. >> reporter: she's feeling better but this year, hosting thanksgiving would be a bit too much, so for the first time, jamal is planning to host wanda. what's on the menu? >> we're going to have do a fried turkey, a smoked turkey. i think three different turkeys

and everyone's going to bring their own favorite side dish. >> reporter: love it. >> good food. good conversation. that is the best. >> reporter: a holiday all about gratitude. >> jamal will always be a part of me, part of my family. once in a while when i call him, i try to give him some advice on something he's going through and yet he gives me even more wise advice than i give him. so i'm very, very grateful that he's in my life. >> i feel like if i would have never met her, i would have a piece of me missing in a weird way. i would have never known what that piece was, but i feel like that piece of me is filled. so, i'm just happy that we got to meet and that we share this bond that we have now. >> our thanks to kate snow for that story. what a beautiful, beautiful story. that does it for us today. thank you so much for joining us. wishing you a very happy thanksgiving and don't forget, you can catch our coverage all around the clock here and on

youtube and other platforms. for now, i'm anna cabrera reporting from new york. see you next week. chris jansing picks up our coverage after a short break. jar coverage after a short break try cascade platinum plus. for sparkling clean dishes even on the toughest jobs. just scrape, load and you're done. switch to cascade platinum plus. ( ♪♪ ) eggs make all our family moments better. especially when they're eggland's best.

taste so fresh and amazing. ( ♪♪ ) deliciously superior nutrition, too. for us, it's eggs any style. as long as they're the best. eggland's best. ( ♪♪ ) ♪ ♪ eggland's best. ♪ ♪ ♪ (vo) whether your phone's broken or old, we've got you. with verizon, trade in any phone, any condition. and for a limited time, get iphone 16 pro with apple intelligence. get four, on us. on any unlimited plan. only on verizon.

(cough cough) (sneeze) (♪♪) new alka-seltzer plus cold or flu fizzy chews. chew. fizz. feel better fast. no water needed. new alka-seltzer plus fizzychews. (vo) sail through the heart of historic cities and unforgettable scenery with viking. no water needed. unpack once, and get closer to iconic landmarks, local life, and cultural treasures. because when you experience europe on a viking longship, you'll spend less time getting there and more time being there.

viking. exploring the world in comfort. drop everything and get some magic of your own during the xfinity black friday sale. xfinity internet customers, our best deals of the year are back! switch to xfinity mobile and get your choice of a free 5g phone, plus your next unlimited line free for a year. get amazing savings and connect to wifi speeds up to a gig on the go with xfinity mobile. fly don't walk to get our best deals of the year. connect to the world of wicked this holiday, in theaters now.

all aboard! come with me to meet the wizard. why couldn't possibly. this is your moment. i'm coming. if you think that's something to see, wait til you see this. ♪ ♪ you're good. -very good. good afternoon and happy thanksgiving. i'm chris jansing and new york. we begin here at the