now xfinity customers can add streamsaver including netflix, peacock, and apple tv+ for just $15 a month. stuff your stockings with tons of entertainment and tons of savings. bring on the good stuff. xfinity. good afternoon, and it is 12:00 p.m. eastern and 9:00 a.m. pacific. imam even alcindor. the bombshell release about matt gaetz. while serving in congress he regularly paid women for sex including a minor back in 2017. plus this morning in a new york courtroom, the 26-year-old man charged in the killing of united health care ceo pleads

not guilty. we're bringing you an update in the case that has captured the nation's attention. and later in hour, an update from the middle east, israel's war there gaza is raging on leaving the region in ruins minute midst of a massive humanitarian crisis. we begin with that breaking news here in washington, d.c. where just this morning the house ethics committee released the scathing report into now former florida congressman matt gaetz. the report, which comes after a year's long investigation, contains evidence that gaetz regularly paid women for sex over a number of years, while he was a member of congress. the report also said that in 2017 gaetz he gauged in sexual activity with a then 17-year-old girl and found that he used or possessed illegal drugs including cocaine and ecstasy. gaetz has always denied any allegations and has continued to do so on x after the reports release this morning.

hours before the release, the congressman filed a lawsuit seeking to block the report's release but that was denied by a court citing filing issues. joining us now, ryan nobles who is live on capitol hill and brendan buck, former press secretary to house speaker john boehner and paul ryan and an msnbc political analyst. and you're there where this is taking place. what are the new details in this report. >> well we've known for some sometime broadly the allegations against matt gaetz. but what this house ethic committee report does more than any other report that we've had into gaetz's conduct, is put direct testimony connected to the accusations to paint a full picture of what is the house ethics committee believes was an abate ant abuse of house ethical and criminal conduct at the state and federal level. and just the kindch behavior that they would argue is not something that is becoming of a member of congress. and they specific accuse gaetz

of statutory rape. saying that a witness who is the victim of this particular incident testified to their committee that at a party, in 2017, that she and gaetz did engage in sexual activity. she had just finished her junior year of high school at time. and it was at a party that was filled with drugs and other little listity substances and there were other witnesses that witnessed and saw one of those encounters take place. the committee also goes to great pains to accuse gaetz of paying for sex over a significant period of time. from 2017 to 2020. they talk about how in detail some $90,000 in payments that gaetz made to 12 different women during that period of time. and then connecting it to cash app transactions and text messages and interactions with

other people including in interviews with some of the witnesses involved. they've concluded that much of the money was used por paying for sex or for drugs. and and the final big moment is a 2018 trip to the bahamas that gaetz took and paid for with four other women. he engaged in sexual activity with all four of these women and one of the women testified that she believed that the trip was payment in exchange for sex. and also another one of the women testified that they witnessed gaetz taking ecstasy at the time. gaetz has vehemently denied having sux with an underage girl and spent a lot of the morning on x pushing back on this idea that he's ever paid for sex. pointing to a transcript from a different civil matter where you claimed that one witnesses that testified to the house ethic committee never expecting that gaetz was paying for her sex.

so this, of course, is the end result of a very lengthy investigation. that also was buttressed against some controversy about whether the report should be released. but the ethics committee decided that even though he had left congress, it was worthy of the public's attention. hence the release this morning. >> and bendan, this committee decided to release it but the republican chairman said it broke with long standing practice since gaetz has resigned from congress. he's no longer a actual member of congress. what do you make of the decision to release the report? >> really interesting. the substantive findings are the most important. but interesting note at the end of the report, from that chairman, saying that he disagreed and the report notes that he was not alone in that. there is only five republicans on that panel. so i imagine there is a lot of interest in who were those republicans who voted.

it is an evenly divided panel. 5-5 each. you needed one republican. but it sounds like there were at least two who voted to release it. i guess we don't know who they are and they'll try to figure that out. could be a couple of things going on here. while matt gaetz is resigning from his current term, he did get elected to serve in the upcoming congress and he does not plan to take that seat, there is nothing that would stop him at the moment from coming on january 3rd and being sworn in. so that they thought what was interesting. and the house speaker mike johnson, weeks ago, came out and sort of directed the ethics chitty and said i don't think you should report it. that was striking to me. the house ethics committee considered itself quite independent and not really something that serves at the behest of the speaker but the whole house. i wonder if some of the members thought they need to demonstrate their independence and don't want to be pushed around by the

speaker. i don't know if we'll know the motivation for releasing it. one thing that is clear, i don't think he gender any good will with this committee. it is noted throughout that he refused many opportunities to participate, to explain things, and i imagine that there was not a good taste left with members of that committee. so i think there will be a lot of speculation as to why. but who the republican members were that voted with democrats to release it. >> well, it is really interesting to think about who voted, of course, we don't know. but over the weekend gaetz gave a hint about his political future. here is some of what he said. >> it seems i may have not had enough support in the united states senate. maybe i'll run for marco rubio seat in the senate and join some of those folks. >> what does this mean for his future and political aspirations in particular? >> oh, well, would you like to

say that this is the type of thing that would end someone's career. i'm not so sure i could say that any more. look, he went to a gathering of base republicans these days and was welcomed there. he is clearly playing the sort of trump card here of playing victim and saying that people are out to get him. and there has been proven to be some currency in that. i'm not saying that this is helpful for him in in way. florida is a conservative state. it is not hard to see him getting in and getting the support of donald trump and being alive. i would guess he's not going to have a higher office any time soon but it shows the mentality that republicans have these days. you never concede and you never give in and you fight and play victim and donald trump has shown that works and i won't be surprised if matt gaetz tried that down the road. >> a big question of what will happen after this. so ryan nobles, thank you so

much for your reporting from capitol hill. brendan you're going to spike with me. turning to another figure is elon musk. in a weekend speech, president-elect trump touted the new committee the spacex committee will use to tackle government waste. in the same remarks he addressed criticism from democrats who say that musk has too much influence in washington. >> the new one is, president trump has ceded the presidency to elon musk. no. no. that's not happening. but elon has done an amazing job. we want to thank him. but, no, he's not going to be president, that i could tell you. and i'm safe, you know why. he can't be. he wasn't born in this country. >> and joining us now, it is aaron gilchrist live at the white house and brendan is still with us.

and so some have raised concerns about elon musk power and presence in trump's orbit do those concerns have legs and how concerned are trump allies. >> i think you saw yesterday a couple of things here. he said very clearly that he likes elon musk. he thinks that he's a smart guy. he wants to have him around. he intends to keep him around as an adviser. at the same time, he said that elon musk is not going to be president. not going to be a defact or president either in terms of the concerns of late, particularly last week as we were facing the government shutdown where there was this perception that elon musk was driving the conversation and perhaps even telling the president-elect how he should move in terms of supporting or not supporting the original deal that had come through the house prior to the vote that we saw last week where the government shutdown seemed as though it was going to happen. so, i think there is also part of the conversation here that we got from people like senator big

hagerty over the weekend saying that elon musk uses his social media platform to shed light on things that perhaps some citizens don't see as their moving through the washington political machine. that light, senator hagerty suggested, led to phone calls in many of the house members offices through the course of last week. and the american people are the ones who drove the change that we saw in terms of support for the original deal that was struck in the house to keep the government open. >> it is really interesting, though, brennan, looking at pictures of elon musk standing next to donald trump. i wonder what you make of president-elect trump's quip that elon musk wasn't born in this country so he can't serve as president anyway. the idea isn't that people are saying that he's going to be president. he's a shadow president, brendan? >> yeah. not surprising this gets under donald trump skin. it was only a matter of time before he said, look, i'm in charge here and that is effectively what he's doing.

this is a little bit of reaping what you sow. donald trump elevated this person and took plenty of his money and was happy to do it at the time and now that you see that he's exerting his influence, not only, i probably think he gets under his skin, but could be perilling his agenda. one of the striking things about this entire saga in the last few weeks is that elon musk is very clearly just learning a lot about congress and how it works an the legislative process. a lot of the tweets that he was sending out and there were a lot of them, but several of them were with some blatant wrong information about what was in the bill. but senator hagerty made a comment, it is not unusual that republicans hear from outside voices. it used to be rush limbaugh and now it is steve bannon that would throw their weight around from the outside. the wealth that elon musk has and the threats to run challenges again the members if they don't get in line.

if you're a house member and elon musk has more than enough money to come into your district and spend millions of dollars to unseat you, that is going to get your attention far more than a rush limbaugh was having. it is fun to help get donald trump elected, very different perspective when you're getting pushed around, not just by the president, but this figure who only has a thin grasp of how a lot of this policy making actually works. >> and still, there is still this real question of how much influence he'll have even if he is still learning how washington works. over the weekend tony gonzalez shares what he sees elon musk's role in the party. here is what he said. >> we have a president, we have a vice president, we have a speaker. it feels as if elon musk is our prime minister. and i spoke with elon a couple of times this week. >> unelected. >> unelected. but he has a voice and a large part of that voice is a reflection of the voice of the people. >> he said it is a reflection of

the voice of the people. what do you make of that? what that congressman is saying and especially the pressure that you just talked about elon musk able to maybe even primary some members? >> yeah, donald trump is clearly getting tired of it. and i think members of congress will get tired of it really quickly. when donald trump was president last time and i was in the speaker's office. we were always one donald trump tweet away from things going haywire and now you have this person who is just hovering over at all times. there is a lot of members of congress who work hard to get bills across the finish line and on the floor. if he has someone with this mega phone tweeting things that may or may not be true, and trying to derail what is going on, you're going to say, i'm the elected person here and this is not what i came to washington for. it just reinforces how dysfunctional the entire place is. it is not a series of deliberate legislation body, it is part of the conservative entertainment complex. where sort of anything goes and

being friends with elon musk has more cache than passing bills. but i think at some point they have to have some self-respect for their job as a member of congress. so i imagine he will run thin and they hope that he tires of this and moves on to his other pursuits. >> well, definitely something we're going to watch in 2025 and how much influence. and thank you. and in 90 seconds, new developments following the killing of the united health care ceo, we're live outside of the manhattan courthouse where the suspect is being arraigned today after this quick break. y k . chew. fizz. feel better fast. no water needed. new alka-seltzer plus fizzychews. ♪ with verizon, trade in any phone, any condition. it's your last chance to get iphone 16 pro, on us. and ipad and apple watch series 10. all three on us. only on verizon.

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appearing for the first time in a new york state courtroom this morning. luigi mangione pleaded not guilty to state charges in the killing of united health care ceo brian thompson. the 26-year-old faces both state and federal charges including murder and terrorism. today for the first time his lawyer was able to formally respond to the allegations against him. his lawyer argued she's concerned about mangione's right to a fair trial and pointed to the spectacle created by the public person walks and comments from people like mayor eric adams. steven romo is outside of the courthouse in manhattan and paul carlton is an attorney. steven, tell me what it is like in the courtroom today and how

did mangione appear? >> reporter: a lot of eyes on this court appearance which did not take too much time. he did enter that not guilty plea on his own. we were able to hear from him then. other than that, whispering with his attorneys appearing fairly stoic until he was outside of the courtroom where he did appear to smile before being taken away. you mentioned his attorney karen freedman speaking about the spectacle, as we're seeing here, the images of purpose walks with heavily armed people around her client, mangione, saying this could potentially prejudice potential jurors against him before trial. raising some concerns there. and reiterating the right to a fair trial and placing the blame for this what she called spectacle on mayor eric adams saying that he should know better than others, the importance of a right to a fair

trial, referencing his own legal troubles in the process. and then we see here, mangione also being taken out the same way he was brought in after that. >> when you look at the images and all of the people surrounding mangione. paul, i was a reporter in new york city for a long time. there are person walks and then there are these really big person walks. who do you make of the argument that the lawyer is making here, whether or not it could affect if he gets a fair trial or not? >> it is a legitimate concern. it is one that she is right to point out and make a record of. because you don't want the jurors to be unfairly influenced by publicity that they received before the trial. that said, as you point out, high-profile cases occur often. they certainly do in manhattan. we most certainly have been -- very recently saw them with the trial that relates to president trump. what happens during the trial

and as you begin the trial, you voir dire the jury and you make sure that the jurors who will sit in judgment of the defendant can be fair, can be impartial and won't be determining guilt or innocence based upon what they've seen in the press. >> and it is really interesting, we should point out for folks, the appearance today was in state court. that mangione also faces parallel charges in federal court. what are the differences between the two cases and will his appearance in state court has any impact on the federal case, paul? >> it is fascinating, because it is unusual for there to be parallel prosecutions. one that takes place in the federal arena and another in the state arena. that is a constitutionally permissible kind of prosecution. you could think about this as separate sovereigns or nations and the government could go forward at the same time that the state is. but there is a federal policy

that discourages federal prosecutors from bringing cases when there is a state case taking place at the same time and the policy behind that is that you ought not to be spending resources on a case when another government is going forward. the other aspect, that i find interesting, is that the federal government has available to it the death penalty. it is a penalty that is not available to state prosecutors. and, as you know, president biden just today commuted the sentences of 37 individuals who were facing the death penalty. so the likelihood of the federal prosecutors in this case seeking the death penalty, at least until the new administration comes in, seems highly unlikely. >> well definitely interesting to watch both of cases. now, steven, when is mangione expected to appear in court again? >> reporter: yeah, they did set that next court date today. they set that for february 21st. we've also previously heard from

the manhattan d.a. office that the state charges, this state case will be taken to trial before those parallel federal charges you mentioned. and you see all of the counts there on your screen that mangione is facing on the state level, including those terror related charges that are getting a lot of discussion right now. >> really striking. to see all of the charges. steven and paul, thank you so much to both of you. and coming up, millions across the country are hitting the roads and taking to the skies. as they travel to see family and friends for the holidays. but will it be a smooth ride? the latest forecast in a live report from one of the nation's busiest airports is next. busiest , trade in your busted old phone, and we'll give you a new iphone 16 pro with apple intelligence on us. nature knows best. that's why new chapter vitamins... ...follows her example. with key vitamins, minerals, herbs, and whole food ingredients... ...crafted to work with your body.

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it is just two days until christmas and it is time for tinsel, trimmings and traffic. according to aaa, over the coming days, a record 990 million people will crowd the nations airports and roads to reach their holiday destinations. but how soon will they get there. well that depends on the weather. right now across the northeast, and great lakes, there is another agonizing winter weather alert for 10 million americans. and for those driving in some of those areas, up to six inches of snow could be on the way. nbc's adrian broadous is live for us at airport and bill

karins is tracking the forecast. flights have already been canceled. hoping people could get out to their families. how is it looking there? >> reporter: well i could tell you, chicago here at o'hare is living up to its reputation as one of the busiest airports. right now the average wait is 20 minutes to get through the security checkpoint line. and that is for regular security. the goal for tsa reps is to have people through those lines in less than 30 minutes. now chicago is a hub to watch for any residual effects of a snow to our north in wisconsin and michigan. but the weather here right now is good. this, as nearly 120 million people are expected to travel 50 miles or more this week, for christmas or hanukkah. we spoke with travelers moments ago. here is what they told us. >> for me, it was best travel day because i avoided a $250

baggage fee because my bag is overweight. >> living in chicago is just like, it is going to be a mess. so, i'm hoping that everybody that is here could make it home safe. because i've been stuck on the holidays. >> reporter: and we've seen a lot of people repacking their bags, trying to meet that weight requirement. because they don't want to pay an additional fee and they're doing their best to navigate the crowds. the best advice is to arrive early. if you're driving to the airport, try to book a parking spot in advance because the parking ramps do fill up. and make sure you don't have any prohibited items in your carry on bags. for example, if you're taking gifts with you, make sure they're unwrapped. >> that is all great advice. ab you said the weather is good, i have to look. it is something like 37 in chicago, as a miami native. i wouldn't call that good but it is clear so i'll take that. now bill, you're the big picture here. how bad is the weather expected

to get today? >> it really depends on why wr you're located. many of the country is looking travel free, no issues. but the great lakes and tomorrow in the northeast, we'll have some minor problems. not as bad as the last storm. and it is still cold. this is a hard cold blad from the great lakes. it is still negative 2 in burlington, vermont, new york city at 16, at 8 in fargo. so there is still cold air in place. and those are areas to worry about, snow and freezing rain. that is why we now have winter weather alerts. we've added philadelphia and baltimore and washington, d.c. into here. so, now, up to 24 million people dealing with wintry weather. this is not a high impact storm but just enough light snow or freezing drizzle for a coating of ice early tomorrow around d.c. and philly. that is why they're trying to give everyone a head's up. don't travel christmas eve morning if you don't have to. and this is the storm. it doesn't look that impressive.

the blue shows the snow. the pink is where we have the freezing drizzle. this is wisconsin here. so la cross, you have a mixture of freezing drizzle and light snow heading for madison and sheboygan and just rain in the milwaukee area. dreaming of a white christmas. northern new england, another two to three inches come tomorrow morning and it is plenty cold. that will stay with us. south of albany and boston, maybe a coating of snow. not a lot, just a little bit. here is your christmas eve tome forecast. slick travel early in the northeast. that means bring the umbrella handy and the west coast, that is where the biggest problems will be. we have a big storm coming in. it is mostly rain and wind. but it is not enjoyable traveling around if san francisco to sacramento, redding and from portland back to seattle. those areas, it is a slow go.

i don't think we'll have a lot of problems getting to your destinations but it is slower than normal. airports may be a different story. and by the time we get to kplas day, we look clear out on the west coast, east coast just some showers in the south. a lot of people that wouldn't get to their holiday destination. but it is still cold and you're not alone. you don't have to be for miami to say it is from the northeast right now. it is freezing. >> well a coating of ice in d.c. is not what i wanted to hear but you said no snow. so thank you. and coming up, more than a year into the conflict nbc news chief correspondent richard engle takes us inside of the israel-hamas war and how it has reshaped the middle east. you're watching msnbc. atching m.

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over the last year, what began as a war between israel and hamas expanded far beyond the boundaries of gaza. eventually reshaping the balance of power in the middle east. for the first time, we saw israel and iran trade drikts attacks on each other's territories and lebanon, and tehran's most powerful proxy hezbollah was decimated by a campaign of espionage and assassination. and in syria, rebels seized the moment and toppled a dictator. richard engle takes a look back. >> reporter: it has been one of the most destructive, violent, and transformative years in the

middle east in a decade. israel's war on hamas payback for the october 7th massacre. has left gaza in ruins. >> everywhere you look, there is just nothing left standing. >> reporter: lawless and teetering on the brink of famine. israeli forces killed hamas's top leader, along with more than 45,000 palestinians according to local officials. for the first time, the clerical regime in tehran abandoned its caution and launched two direct attacks against israel, firing hundis a lot of activity in the sky, you could see some of the flashes of light. the only person killed was a gazan, crushed by a missile, shot down by air defenses. wrong time, wrong place.

israel responded with restraint. so far. with complex long range air attacks that targeted iranian defenses. it was a clear message that israel can launch a devastating air campaign at will. lebanon felt that firsthand as well, when israel launched a war against hezbollah to stop the group from firing rockets into northern israel. you get a sense of how powerful this blast must have been. just by how much debris there is. >> hezbollah blaming israel for an unprecedent add tack that involves blowing up the member's pagers. >> reporter: and assassinated its leader, too, and his chosen successor. by early december, a shaky cease-fire was in place. >> the fighting across the lebanese-israeli border will end. will end. this is designed to be a

permanent cessation of hostilities. >> reporter: weakening hezbollah changed a power of balance across and it creates a opportunity for islamist rebels. rebel forces marched into the capital of damascus and overthrew the regime of bashar al assad whose family had ruled the country with an iron fist for over half a century. assad's government has been propped up by three backers. russia, hezbollah and iran. but none of them would or could step in to save his government. the rebels saw an opportunity and took it. there is one word i'm hearing over and over again. it is -- arabic for freedom. and a lot of celebratory gunfire. syrians were in a state of shock. delighted the dictator was gone, but not sure if they could trust

the rebel's promises that they would be more moderate. the map of the middle east is being redrawn by the hour. richard engle, nbc news. >> our comprehensive report by nbc news chief foreign correspondent richard engle. thank you for that report. i want to bring in colonel jack jackons, retired army and msnbc analyst and recipient of the medal of honor. thank you for being here. now october 7th set in motion all of what we just saw in richard's report. negotiators say they are close to a cease-fire and hostage deal between israel and hamas, but the white house has pointed out that they've been close before without reaching a deal. just yesterday we saw israel launch another deadly hair strike on a refugee camp in southern gaza. so how optimistic are you that a deal can be reached? >> well, if you go by what is happened in the past, you have to be not particularly

optimistic. everybody has been here before. there have been cease-fires before that eventually devolved into more violence. there are a lot of difficult questions that have to be answered before there could be a cease-fire and one that lasts. chief among them is the concept of returning hostages. which hostages will be returned, when will they be returned and in what phase. even identifying the hostages, extremely difficult to do. but the principle problem after the agreement is reached on how the hostages will be release and when they will be released is who is going to govern gaza. nobody trusts abass and the palestinian authority can't control gaza. gaza is in a mess. israel wants to lead but needs to have a buffer zone. that has to be agreed and who is going to administer the area while it rebuilds.

there is a lot of talk about the possibility of a international force. but the track record of international forces in the region has been deplorable. all we have to do is take look at what happened in '06 in lebanon. it is extremely difficult to get a multi-national force to do what it needs to do in order to preserve the peace. in the end something will have to be done. but unless the arab countries in the region all band together and decide they're going to participate in solving the problem of gaza, generally that is not going to be achieved. so we've been here before. i'm not particularly optimistic that we're going to get where we need to go in the near future. >> as you talk about where we need to go. there is the idea that israel said it is been fighting a war on seven fronts over the last year. what do you think victory looks like at this point and is it even possible to have victory in the way that israel has been

talking about militarily? >> well, you know the old saying, you just declare victory and go home. that is the old gag. and it is frequently worked in the past. israel has some actual defense concerns that need to be satisfied. chief among them is a buffer zone between its adversaries and its borders. otherwise it will not have any reaction time in order to respond to any potential attacks. anybody in the region knows how small it is, how easy it is to go from one place to another and therefore how difficult it is to respond quickly to any attacks. israel does not want to be in gaza. but it needs to have a buffer zone and it is got to have a buffer zone in the north as well. at least for no other reason than to satisfy domestically the requirement for security. there are a lot of problems there, that are not going to be

solved easily. one could ask what is america's role in all of this. and other than encouraging everybody to do the right thing, which is what we've been doing, it is difficult to envision that any administration, particularly in the incoming administration, is going to be actively interested in having forces on the ground in order to ensure whatever agreement is reached, maintains and there is no resumption of violence. >> well thank you so much, colonel jake jackons for your great analysis. i appreciate you coming on. and still to come, how grieving families impacted by gun violence are finding strength during the holidays. the mother of a child who was killed at sandy hook helps others going through grief and drama. that is next. others going throud drama. that is next and if you want then manage it for you. not to mention, schwab has a team of specialists for taxes, insurance, and estate planning. both producers: all with low fees. carl: we're experiencing technical difficulties... uh, carl...

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most people think of the holiday season as filled with joy and happiness and a time for togetherness and festivities with family and friends, but for many the holidays are filled with grief and morning for lost loved ones. in particular the families of children killed by gun violence. the holiday season just never gets any easier for them. it is been 12 years since the mass shooting at sandy hook in newtown, connecticut. and the family of 6-year-old anna grace marquez green was killed that day along with 25 others, continues to work through heir grief and honor her legacy. her mother joins us now and a specialist in grief, loss and

trauma. thank thank you for being here. today is 12 years since you buried your daughter anna grace. how have you and your family approached the holidays and what advice would you have for others watching maybe right now that are struggling this season? >> first of all, having watched the last ten minutes, we grief but we're also not alone in our grief. there probably isn't too many people -- aren't too many people in the country who aren't grieving right now. they aren't grieving the loss of a person or a job or what they thought was a future. certainly that hit for us in a very public way. but there are so many people across the united states who are grieving and grieving is a public health issue, because we don't have enough grief literacy in this country. we don't have enough people who understand that what grief needs are resources and witnesses and not just this superficial thing that it is all going to get

better, because very often it doesn't. >> it doesn't get better for so many people. it is time -- time doesn't heal wounds as people say. the other thing that i've been watching and following, you've really documented it in clear ways, historic flooding in august this year severely impacted your family and destroyed many of your late daughter's possessions along with your family belongings. how are you coping with that sort of loss as you push forward? >> i'm glad that you brought that up. because very often what we're dealing with also is grief that is compounded by secondary and other losses, right. so, for us, this is actually our 12th, 13th christmas without anna, but it is the first christmas that we don't have her or her things. the things that were lost in that historic flooding in the flooding of the century in august 18th in connecticut. and the same holds true for other people who might be listening. so when people say time heals

all wounds or maybe it is the 30th anniversary of when you lost your wife or your husband or that special person. remember, that grief time is not the same as chronological time so it is normal and okay if you continue to grieve. what is not normal, specifically in this country, is our inability to support and hold griefers where they are. again, grief needs systemic support. we need more ber reefment time and supporting people who are kate cally hurting because i know as public as our loss was, we're not alone in our grief and that is compounded by commercials that show in tact families and consumerism, everybody is getting a new car. but, in fact, everybody doesn't get that and there are many of us hurting. >> yeah. and as you talk about your hurt and also your activism, you've been open about your frustration that you became an inadvertent gun safety advocate. you woet once in "the new york

times" in an op-ed, i will not be used as bait to shame legislators to do the right thing. ly not dishonor my family demand others do so so that you could sleep at night. i will not allow you to suffocate me under your version of a superhero. ask more of our legislators and less of those that are grieving. as you take in those words and such powerful words how concerned that you are as this year goes by that more americans are complacent in getting real change, especially when you think about the power dynamics next year, shifting in washington. >> i want people who are listening to this sound of my voice, especially those who worked so hard for something different that we did not get in november to understand that the biggest and best activism is that you stay alive. that you stay alive, and that you stay healthy, that you stay in alignment with what you know to give you light. because this journey will be long. and that is what i wrote about in that piece in "the new york

times." because that is a direct response to call and show images of our daughter as she lay dying, right. as in some effort to move legislators. quite frankly, we ask more of hurting people than re do our legislators because we understand that it is easier. but it is not what we should do. so i am asking for a bit of justice here. i'm asking for activists to take care of them selves, and to kno that coming is long but we need to take care of ourselves first. but yes, if you are grieving, it is okay to take care of yourself. it is important that you rest and take care of your physical and mental health. that matters just as much as your activism. it is your activism. >> and your daughter was such a beautiful little girl. what would you want people to know about her? >> i would want for anyone listening to me to understand that anna was a well loved child and so all of our people lost to

gun violence. and this thing we keep kicking the can down the road and saying we'll get to it later. it means that every day between 100 and 120 families are impacted by the loss of a loved one and it could be christmastime, it could be fourth of july, it matters and this should end. >> yeah. well thank you so much for injure powerful wonds and your activism and making grief something that you're so open about. thank you so much. >> thank you. and coming up, another hour of msnbc reports. right after this short break. ms right after this short break start your day with nature made. the #1 pharmacist recommended vitamin and supplement brand. 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

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it is good to be back with you this hour, it is 1:00 p.m. eastern, 10:00 a.m. pacific. i am in washington, d.c. happening right now, the house ethics committee has released the results of the years long investigation of forma -- former florida congressman, matt gaetz . gaetz has denied allegations against him. will speak to a member of the ethics committee about the report. a u.s. delegation is in syria trying to build their relationship with the rebels who brought down the country's longtime dictator. started there trying to find out more about the fate of an american journalist who has been missing for more than a decade, we will hear from his

mother. >> for only the fifth time since 1900 we get to celebrate chrismukkah, i am learning about it, you will too. we begin with breaking news from capitol hill, hours ago the ethics committee released its much anticipated report on allegations against public congressman matt gaetz. he found substantial evidence that he paid for women to have sex with him and paid for illicit drugs and sought to impede the investigation, the committee wrote in its report, quote, the committee determined there was substantial evidence that matt gaetz violated house rules and other conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape. gaetz has repeatedly denied any

wrongdoing. he has also noticed that a separate investigation assesses trafficking and the department has not said why they decided to not file charges. we begin our coverage on capitol hill. ryan, what more did this report tell us about former congressman gaetz and how has he responded to the reports release? >> reporter: it is important to first point out that this was a bipartisan report, this was a report that was released with the approval of both republicans and democrats and it comes for an exhausted investigation over several years, it backs up all of these accusations that have been swirling around him during his time as a public figure with hard evidence and testimony from witnesses that were directly involved in some of these instances perhaps the most important witness being that a woman who was a 17-year- old girl at the time where she said she engaged in sexual

activity on two different occasions during a party in 2017, she said she had just finished her junior year in high school and she then went on to say that she also believed that matt gaetz paid her in exchange for the experience, he is also witnessed taking drugs at that party . the report also details a trip to the bahamas in 2018 with four other women where matt gaetz was said to have taken ecstasy during the trip and one of the women that went on the trip said that she believed the sex was payment for the trip to the bahamas. a significant part of his time in congress, the ethics committee details over $90,000 in payments between 12 different women of which they say were directly connected to either paying for sex or for illicit drugs. all in violation of house rules. some of which could be

considered a violation of state law perhaps even federal law. the report does point out that there is no evidence or they could not find any evidence that gaetz knew that the woman he was sleeping with was a minor at the time and the witness testified that she did not tell gaetz her age but this is a pretty damning report and it does come with a lot of previously unreported evidence to back up the claims against gaetz. he continues to insist that he never had sex with an underage woman he has admitted to past drug use saying that he partied too hard in his 30s and that he also was a womanizer, is how he describes it. while his conduct was embarrassing, it was never criminal. he points to the fact of the department of justice looked into the claims against him but then never ended up charging him. there was also a pretty serious debate among the house ethics committee of whether or not they had seen the light of day, you will remember that he resigned his seat in congress where when he was picked for

attorney general, that was of course just a short window of time but there was some debate over whether or not they had jurisdiction over him anymore so whether or not the report should even be released. that led to the delay of the reports release but eventually they decided that it had to come out. that was in defiance of the committee's chairman who put out a statement and wrote a dissenting opinion that he believes that releasing the report would lead to a dangerous precedent. this obviously is a highly anticipated report something we have been waiting for for some time. of course it comes up the backdrop of the political future being a little unclear we know he is going to go work as an anchor for a right wing news network but he also floated the possibility of running for united states senate over the weekend so there is no doubt that this report could play a big role in

joining me now is glenn i.v., he is a member of the house ethics committee, thank you so much, congressman for joining us on this holiday monday, the committee noted on the report that it has typically not released its findings after losing jurisdiction which it did after he resigned from congress last month. why is it so important that this report be released to the public and that it was important for this to be released to the public and are you concerned about what this could say? >> i would note that there have been at least four instances previously where the committee has released a report after the member of congress has resigned or retired or departed congress so it is not unprecedented by any stretch and that goes back over for republicans for democrats, i think the thinking here when the members put our

resolutions to the production of the report, you had members arguing that this is something public should know. they should see with this information is you never know what he might do down the road. it is important there. the reason they exist is to make sure our members know what they can do, what they can't do what crosses the line and what doesn't issuing the report certainly provides guidance on that as well. >> i wanted for you, someone who courses sitting on this committee but is a member of congress of course, is there anything that was a shock to you, disturbed you about the alleged conduct of matt gates? >> i mean you know, the public can draw his own conclusions about that certainly the focus from a media standpoint and i

think from a public standpoint would be the things that you guys just covered the issues about use of an illegal substance, those are the ones that seem to jump out of the report i think they were swirling around in the public rumor mills for several years now but i think at the end of the day putting the the report out gives the republic the chance to draw his own conclusions. and what it means i think from their perspective, we have a lot of people concerned about congress, i think it is important for us to be able to show that we are trying to keep our own house in order in this way. >> i want to point out that your colleague was asked about releasing this report, here's what he said take a listen.

>> that is something that they should do with a great deal of caution you open up a pandora's box of a lot of other investigations over many years conducted by the committee. if they have thought it through, reviewed the material, and made the decision, that is their decision. >> he says this could open up a pandora's box by releasing this report, what you make of that? >> i think we need to be careful for sure. i think at the end of the day given the nature of the allegations here given what happened a moment ago, they are pretty significant and consistent with the previous precedents. i also think that this is important to give for us to give our colleagues a chance to see how the committee works and draws conclusions about members conduct. >> he has at least suggested

that he might run for elected office maybe even the senate in florida concerned are you about him seeking public office again. >> that will be for the florida voters to decide if he chooses to run there. certainly we served on the house judiciary together i think there is any secret that we had significant disagreements while we were serving their but i will say this, we are able to disagree without being disagreeable. agreeing on the pieces of legislation an issue, i don't know where he is going to do or where he is going to go i think the public has a right to have this information and when it makes its evaluations but what they think he should be able to do especially if it is running for public office. >> a member of the house ethics committee, i appreciate you

coming on. >> with us now to continue this conversation, the msnbc political analyst and a former aide to george w. bush, white house and state department's. former executive director of emily's list, what do you make of what we've learned so far of this report? >> i find incredibly sad, these victims went out of their way to cooperate with the department of justice, spent years cooperating and then they were let down it's in the report just how disappointed they were when the department of justice didn't go forward and i think that we know that matt gates engaged in disgusting behavior, we know that he is sleazy, we know about the drug use, it is why

the department of justice did not do anything with the substantial evidence they had and why they were so reticent to actually pursue charges if there was actually there. >> i want to come to you, we just of course talked to congressman glenn i.v. and he said that the panel decide to release the report and talked about why they did that. >> more people have to hear about this, i'm concerned probably that only part of the country will hear about this. i think we are at a stage right now they're going to hold criminals and correction accountable we are starting to see some of that we are in a

place where we are going to have to have courts that are holding people accountable and moving swiftly around that and also i think we mentioned this, we can't forget victims, women and girls the exultation and violence that we are seeing, just because that is the brand of the incoming administration doesn't mean we should accept it we are going to have to keep talking about these things because it is outrageous and unacceptable and you can hear it in the response, boys will be boys, that was back then, not now, it is totally unacceptable. >> it's interesting anything about the future, what you think the potential legal and political repercussions for former congressman matt gaetz? >> i don't think anything, donald trump is about to go into office, he is a strong ally, donald trump wanted to make him he's attorney general and only backed on because of the opposition from republicans and media pressure even though all of this was out there. even

before the contents had been formally unveiled. and an that he really pays any consequence the cash payoffs he had to pay to the victims for years and years. >> there's also this idea of going forward, when he was running for attorney general the brief time period, a number of republican senators said they wanted to see this report. what is essay for future administration nominees who find themselves in this vision? >> i think the republican senator is going to be working hard on some of this and we are going to need them to. donald trump knew about these allegations when he nominated him to be his pick he understood who he was nominating

these members are going to have to stand up there going to have to be on guard. in large part that has to be in charge there are victories that are possible and i think they left congress, we are going to have to have a bunch of victories one day at a time and that is what we are looking out over the next couple of months and years. >> there think it is a victory that the government has a shutdown, it comes just days after the government shut down but passing a bill through march 13th, a lot of republicans defied them to get

the government-funded with the second administration of trump's agenda, once they have all of the power in washington. >> i think it remains to be seen . all kinds of folks are impacted when we play games with the budget especially at the end of the year. i think that donald trump when he is actually coming in, his nominee comes in to the government and he unleashes some of the things we have been talking about into this process. we don't know exactly what is coming here. a second donald trump term i

think we could see intense pressure on them in the coming months. >> talking about intense pressure, how much pressure is he under when you think about next week and the speaker vote given the fact that he took a lot of heat over the funding crisis this week. >> that is a guy you don't really want to be in his position right now. you have him coming out against him a big government spender, he is under an incredible amount of pressure right now and just this whole episode underscores how it's not going to be business as usual anymore congress is not going to have a president two dozen metal with their internal negotiations.

trump is going to be in there and using his powers and his surrogates like elon musk to try to bend them to his way. >> coming up, the search to find missing american journalist as u.s. officials visit. we are back in 90's to

for a u.s. diplomatic delegation spent the weekend attempting to build a relationship with the group that toppled serious longtime dictator. they are encouraging a transition to a more democratic and inclusive government. number -- another organization is trying to figure out what happened to him. earlier on the today show his mother spoke about the role that he -- she hopes putin will play in the search. >> our countries have differences but as far as bringing austin home, i do think that our government can work with the russian government. as we know, he is in russia now. it puts him right in a place where putin can talk to him

directly and i am just really glad at the very positive response that vladimir putin gave. >> with us is retired journalist . thank you for being here let's start with the latest. what more can you tell us about the work underway right now? >> it has really been a daily occurrence in the former -- today we saw them just a few days after that very high level delegation who is the assistant secretary of state. the united states is said to lift the $10 million bounty that was offered in exchange for information leading to the

arrest. the leader, the rebel force that spearheaded the stunning defeat of the assad regime. only a few days really to get there. and what a difference three weeks makes here. just three weeks ago , bashar al-assad now exiled with his family is receiving delegations in the presidential palace. what we are seeing is, as i said, an every day a high level delegation we had the european union, we had the united kingdom as well all trying to kind of suss out the new leadership. he has lost his military rebel outfits he is wearing a suit and tie he is wearing a

different kind of watch even his really presenting himself as a civilian leader and saying all of the right things he is using the language of inclusivity he is saying that the country's minority should not be afraid that they will be protected and part of a greater syria, of course many people, not just the u.s. but syrians are watching the deeds of this government and making sure that the words match what happens on the ground. >> as we think about that, the main militia in charge in syria is still officially designated as a terrorist group and the leader has a $10 million bounty on his head. the biden administration has announced that the bounty will be lifted. how should they be dealing with the rebels? >> i think it is an opportunity not just for the u.s. but the entire middle east.

what we have to do is get syria back to a place where it is inclusive it is moderate, it is not a breeding ground to terrorist activity, it can work with its neighbors and it can prosper and do right for the people. the way to go about it is to get in get in there, start the dialogue early. the majority of the world showing up at his doorstep, this is an opportunity and i think it is the right way to go about it. >> i also want to turn to austin, we heard from his mother she was wearing the shirt saying free my son she is clearly holding out hope that she can get connected and reunited with her son. do you

believe washington and moscow can work together to find austin? do you think putin even cares about this situation? >> first of all my how -- heart goes out to them as they await good news on their son. i do think there is room for washington to work with russia. more importantly, he is in russia and he has to know something and oh, there are several more infections within syria it's not just hts, there are several and we have to start that dialogue and we have u.s. forces in syria. they have the capability and they have been monitoring this for a while so we have three letter agencies plus u.s. forces who are doing a full court press trying to find them but russia has an opportunity to do right by this as well.

>> we're definitely holding out hope that he can be found in reunited with his family. thank you so much for your great reporting and your great analysis. straight ahead, mother nature's holiday gift how snow and frigid temperatures are impacting the roads and a potential record-breaking holiday trouble, what you need to know and how you can prepare, it is next. carl: believe me, when it comes to investing, you'll love carl's way. take a left here please. driver: but there's a... carl's way is the best way. client: is it? at schwab, how i choose to invest is up to me.

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hour since we last talked it is still really cold in chicago but i was tsa handling all of the traffic and what are you hearing from travelers? >> reporter: i do want to address the cold, i am a midwest girl through and through so 37 degrees feels good to me but it is chilly. it could be much worse, inside it is nice and warm, folks are not letting the chilly weather dampen their spirits as they make their way through the security checkpoint line, tsa agents are working overtime to handle the surge, for this holiday season, tsa added nearly 600 additional officers to help folks get through the security checkpoints with ease. the average wait time here is about 15 minutes. meanwhile, one of the biggest challenges travelers have had this morning hasn't been dealing with delays but it has been with their luggage, take a listen. >> we did arrive three hours early so not that concerned about time but i'm indefinitely

the bag, we were 10 pounds overweight so we had to figure that out witches a little difficult. >> they were over the weight limit and did not want to pay the additional fees, for anyone who may be traveling, flying that is the recommendation is that you arrive at least two hours early for domestic flights, if you're parking her vehicle, go online and try to book in advance because the parking ramps to fill up quickly and make sure you do not have any prohibited items in your carry-on bag. >> a luggage scale is a great christmas gift because 10 pounds overweight is a lot. i want to talk gas prices this holiday season. average price is surprisingly low so how can people were watching, myself included, take advantage of that? >> road trips are back on the table for a lot of american families right now. getting lower gas prices

certainly help. there are lots of apps that you can find like gas buddy, i recommend getting a loyalty account with a gas station that you frequently most often sometimes you can find really good deals and don't sleep on big-box retailers like walmart and costco for gas they often have the cheapest prices. look to make a little longer road trip maybe this year. >> we don't like to think about this but things sometimes don't go as planned so if something does go wrong, what is the first thing you should do? >> i would say knowledge is power, you want to make sure you have the airline app installed so in case things go sideways, you can rebook yourself elite members like me are not getting the free upgrades anymore they're often selling them to consumers to

have installed in your phone and just know what's happening at your local airport, the airport you're going to you want to be tracking all of the i'm seeing the delays across the country now we have severe weather here so it pays to pay attention both to where you are leaving from and where you are headed. >> there's also not just going to your destination but getting home do you have any tips to make that part smoother? >> i would say because we are at record-breaking crowds this holiday season, i would just get to the airport a little bit earlier than normal, one of the people that you spoke to in chicago said she got there three hours early that is a great idea there is even entertainment at some airports i think get there a little earlier better safe than sorry and obviously don't overpack. >> don't overpack, that is a message for you, mom do not

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this morning president biden commuted the death sentences of 37 of the 40 federal inmates on death row joining us now is aaron

gilchrist. why did he make this move and what does it mean for them? >> president biden took this action just ahead of the new legislation. he could not resume executions that he stopped. 37 of the 40 men on federal death row he change them to life sentences without the possibility of parole, we know the administration had halted all federal executions back in 2021 and consistent with the presence belief that he re- articulated today said that there should not be a death penalty at the federal level. he did establish a caveat here, this does not include cases of terrorism or mass murder that is motivated by hate, there are three men who remain on federal death row, the boston marathon bomber, the tree of life

synagogue shooter and the south carolina shooter who killed nine people at the mother of manual church. he was guided by his conscience and his experience as a public defender and his time in federal office as well. we know that there is also some recent action, president biden spoke to the pope on thursday he plans to travel to the vatican early next month it is also worth noting that president-elect trumps communication director here has called this move a slap in the face to victims and their families as well. during the campaign he said that he would push for death sentences for drug dealers and migrants who have killed american citizens, when he is back in the oval office, he will deliver on those promises. >> very interesting to hear why he took this action and also

who he did not take this action for, thank you so much, aaron gilchrist. in a new york court room this morning, the man accused of killing brian thompson pleaded not guilty to state charges. they have three decades of experience as a prosecutor back with us from outside the courthouse is nbc news correspondent stephen romo and also joining us his criminal defense attorney. so, stephen, the prosecutor noted today that the discovery in this case is extensive, what else did he say about the evidence they will have in this case? >> use of the volume of evidence here is more than he's seen in any case. that came in response to mangione's attorney asking for an expedited discovery in this

case. something that the judge agreed should take place. now, the prosecutors did say that they would try to do that, they would try to have this expedited discovery but they said that there is just so much evidence that they have to sort through. they are going to take a look at this again in just a couple of weeks. luigi mangione's attorney driving home the point that this is needed. they have had this evidence for weeks now and they really want to get their hands on it and get this adjusted as soon as possible. >> in the state case he faces life in prison on the federal case there is a chance he may face the death penalty. what work lays ahead for his attorney in both cases? >> a lot of work, they are going to get terabytes worth of discovery, this is not like a money-laundering case for all of the discovery is going to be bank records, is going to be video, fingerprint evidence, they have so much evidence that they need to digest, organize,

and it is exactly true in that the defense counsel is always running behind the prosecution who has a head start. admittedly in this case they have only had a few week head start because the crime is only a few weeks old but they still need to play catch-up and that is a daunting task with this level of discovery evidence including video digital evidence, things that not only needs be received but process, reviewed, understood and then a coherent defense strategy formulated across it two different jurisdictions with two different charges. yes they are similar but they have different elements and different crimes that have to be defended against. >> talking about video and fingerprints and other things that might be there, how can that potentially hurt an insanity defensive if he goes down that route? >> is evidence builds against him, they will consider the possibility of the insanity defense. movies and tv have people

thinking that this is used all the time with success, it's not true, it's not used very often and it's not often used successfully. a high-profile case in new york successfully was acquitted or found not guilty by reason of insanity. there are exceptions and it may be a signal that a manhattan jury could possibly be receptive -- receptive to an insanity defense. both of these cases are in the same block yards apart, two different insanity tests will apply. he must prove that he was insane by clear and convincing evidence which is a highly probable standard. he only needs to prove it by a preponderance of the evidence. if he decides to go that route. >> that is really interesting when you think about that. i also want to ask you about his attorney, she worked aside

vance, now has her work as a prosecutor helping her work in this case? >> it is not unusual for prosecutors to cross the line and go into defense work, that part is not unusual. there has been plenty reporting on this. she is a very good hire by the defense team she is not to someone who is in the manhattan d.a.s office, she was a high ranking member of the manhattan d.a.s office. this is an area in which she has specific experience, she is a very good hire. she is among a handful of attorneys that would be perfect for this job they went out and got an attorney is going to be very well suited for trying this case whether it be in state court or in federal court. where the procedure is dramatically different but all the same, something without much experience is going to be doing just fine in either venue. >> definitely a case we will be following very closely. >> straight ahead, a confluence

of cultures, how families are preparing for the rare and special holiday celebration that is known as chrismukkah . that's next on msnbc . is b. i can't believe this is the world we live in, where we're losing the freedom to control our own bodies. we need your support now more than ever. go online, call, or scan this code, with your $19 monthly gift. and we'll send you this "care. no matter what" t-shirt. it is your right to have safe health care. that's it. go online, call, or scan right now.

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day this year, wednesday december 25th, for many this marks the rare opportunity to celebrate the combined chrismukkah. joe fryer has more. >> reporter: good morning, the holiday countdowns are emerging this year, we are two days away from both christmas and the start of hanukkah. many families are double dipping on festive celebrations. >> 'tis the season for a festive fusion. for the first time in nearly 20 years, christmas and the first night of hanukkah are both falling on the 25th, that means this wednesday will mark an official chrismukkah as popularized on the oc. >> don't worry about it, buddy, in this house you don't have to choose, allow me to introduce you to a little something i would like to call --

chrismukkah. >> the rare confluence of religious cultures is giving families a chance to blend yuletide joy with the festival of lights. >> what if i do have the tree for christmas and the other half of the tree for hanukkah? >> this only happens when the hebrew calendar which is based on the moon and has shorter months aligns with the more common solar calendar putting the start of hanukkah and christmas on the same day. >> it is going to be a mary chrismukkah . >> our you for hanukkah too because i am part jewish. >> you are? me too! >> move over holiday armadillo, online retailers are cashing in on the chrismukkah craze selling festive sweaters, split holiday reads and even santa inspired yarmulkes -- we can

come together, learn about each other's holidays and each other's experiences and just be in community together with everyone. >> reporter: when it comes to holiday celebrations, the more, the merrier. another fun aspect of having this overlap is for kids who usually don't get their winter break during hanukkah, this time around many will have all eight nights off of school. are looking to get an early jump on the next official chrismukkah, the two holidays won't line up again until 2035 so you do have some time to plan. back to you. >> what a great rapport and happy chrismukkah early, that will do for me, thanks for watching and happy holidays, richard louis picks up our

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