right now on msnbc, travel headaches this christmas eve. a technical grinch up-ends plans in the air as snow blankets some roads. what you need to know to make it home in time for presents.

plus, defiant in defeat. new reaction from former congressman matt gaetz after that damning house ethics report. what he's saying, what his future might be in the republican party after the scandal. and later, too much publicity as luigi mangione officially enters his not guilty plea, why his lawyer is raising new concerns about the chances for a fair trial. it's 10:00 a.m. eastern, 7:00 a.m. pacific. i'm yamiche alcindor in washington, d.c. happy christmas eve. we begin with breaking news this morning. many americans are still hoping they'll make it home in time for christmas, but it might not be that easy. today american airlines briefly grounded all flights in the u.s. due to a technical issue, and travel on the road is also looking bumpy. a wintry mix and icy roads are expected to cost traffic with

people under winter weather advisories. we have our team to break down everything you need to know about the forecast and the roads. we have nbc news' adrienne broaddus at chicago's o'hare airport, in east point, georgia, nbc news meteorologist michelle grossman is also here. adrienne, we will start with you. american lifted that ground stop, but what are you seeing? >> reporter: hey there, yamiche. we are seeing the ripple effect of that ground stop that lasted about an hour earlier this morning. american airlines calling it a technical issue, releasing a statement, which i want to read to you which says in part, a vendor technology issue briefly affected flights this morning. we sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience. it's all hands on deck as our team is working diligently to get customers where they need to go as quickly as possible. now that technology issue impacted systems needed to

release flights and, again, that ground stop lasted about an hour and for customers still traveling right now, they are seeing the residual effects, for example, delays were already piling up and right now the board, we were just looking at it, some delays lasting up to two hours for those american flights out of o'hare. a bit of a silver lining for american. they say their busiest travel day during this holiday rush was yesterday where they saw more than 6,400 flights. today they're expected to see about 3,900 flights. but still a bit of a concern for travelers traveling on christmas eve trying to get to their final destination ahead of the christmas holiday or the start of hanukkah. >> and even though the ground stop has lifted, adrienne, when i heard it, what if you have a connection and you're trying to get somewhere and miss that small window, what are you hearing about connections?

>> reporter: you know, that is the tricky part. american is telling passengers to check their app. some people may have been here in chicago with a connecting flight to perhaps arizona, phoenix. we know some flights going there were delayed. they were supposed to take off around 8:00 this morning. they're not scheduled to leave until 11:00 central standard time. it's only 9:00 here right now. so the connecting flights could be tricky even for those passengers who had flights delayed later in the day. that is something we will keep our eye on. the good news is, you know, aaa estimates nearly 119 million people expected to travel. by now a majority of the folks have gotten to their destination but still no fun for these last-minute travelers today, yamiche. >> yeah, we're hoping that people get to where they're supposed to be going. driving in even to d.c. here there was some ice on the roads. there are icy roads around the country and also some crowded

roads. what are you seeing on the highways? >> reporter: yamiche, i have some good news and bad news. the good news is in places where i am in atlanta, minimal traffic, this behind me. i have spent about a year coming to atlanta on and off and this is actually the clearest i have seen the highways and the interstates. it can get pretty bad with traffic. the good news is aaa said if you're going to hit the roads today and tomorrow is the day to do it, christmas eve, christmas, hanukkah, not a lot of people are taking to the roads, hopefully they've gotten where they need to be. you're seeing some images of places where it's not and that's the bad news. in the northeast, you have a lot of snow, a lot of ice making for a lot of congestion and a dicey situation. so if you are in that part of the country and you are not where you're hoping to be tonight, please take it easy, take it slow because we know that it is, of course, not just

causing backups but causing some dangerous situations, so please be safe if you are on your way and we know that the worst day to travel is behind us. aaa projected that to be sunday, december 22nd, which is already in the past. they do expect traffic to pick back up starting on thursday, yamiche, between 12:00 and 5:00 p.m. the worst time to travel. if you have to travel, perhaps travel outside of those hours if you're trying to dodge traffic. yamiche? >> certainly be safe is a good message to have there. how much might have a white christmas tomorrow? >> we're seeing that snowfall in d.c. it's a quick-moving system. so the northeast is dicey this morning. slick in spots. not enough to cause some problems and then in the west we're looking at snow as well, some lower elevation rain.

we're going to see that over the next several days. also looking in the south central states, so the overall picture on radar showing us that. that will calm down in a bit. in portions of new england, accumulating snow in maine, some showers in the carolinas as well. showers across the south central states could bring gusty winds, winds gusting up to 60 miles an hour could bring hail as well. the tornado threat is low but it's not zero. in the west heavy rain, some snow from washington to oregon down to california. big area in the west, could see wet weather. how will this affect the airways? more trouble in terms of weather compared to yesterday. likely delays in san francisco,

seattle and possible delays in southern california and l.a., also in dallas, new york and boston. we never want to see this. and then the roadways, it's dicey, icy in some spots. it's a glaze of ice in spots to the northeast. that makes it difficult to travel. going to watch for that in the northeast and watching for snow and rain in the west and the south. the southwest looking good. with the exception of the carolinas looking nice and dry as well. the northern plains, the ohio valley looking it good. what does that mean for christmas? we'll clear it out in new england, the mid-atlantic, so it will be clear. hopefully get some layers for christmas. temperatures right around freezing, 34 degrees in philadelphia. notice in the south central states we'll keep that rain in place for christmas day. back to you. >> well, i am still looking at that 78 in florida, but i'm not in florida anymore. i want to ask you, though, what's the rest of the week look like.

>> christmas looking aokay in many spots. people are traveling also on christmas. looking at heavy rain as an atmospheric river. this has been weeks of that and we're going to see that still, winds in the mountains. heavy mountain snow. could see up to 24 inches in some spots. we're looking at that snow as we head out this morning in portions of the northeast. 14 million people impacted by winter alerts, winter weather advisories, winter storm warnings. so do be careful but we'll clear it out tomorrow and nice as we head throughout the later part of the week. we're focused on this this afternoon. the severe threat, tyler, port arthur, places like that could see gusty storms. we could see heavy downpour that is will lead to the chance for flooding. we're looking at the rainfall forecast. the dark colors is what you want to focus on, the highest amounts

of rain. the legend at the top we could see two, three, four inches of rain and gusty winds and the chance for hail. back to you. >> yeah, well, thank you so much for breaking all that down, adrienne, michelle and marissa. after the release of the house ethics report, the defiant message on social media, plus a new verdict related to the january 6th attack on the capitol. why priorities said a former d.c. police intel chief was working as a double agent for the proud boys. and it's been a whirlwind 365 days in politics. a look back at what's been another historic year. another h. y'all see this, patrick mahomes is saying goodbye! patrick! patrick! people was tripping. where are you going!? he was actually saying goodbye to his old phone. i'm switching to the amazing new iphone 16 pro at t-mobile! it's the first iphone built for apple intelligence. that's like peanut butter on jelly...on gold. get four iphone 16 pro on us,

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more defiant messages from matt gaetz after the house ethics committee released its report. lawmakers say they found substantial evidence that he engaged in a long list of conduct that violates house rules as well as some actions that could be criminal at the state level. last night gaetz posted this photo of an article from november on social media. it says, matt, very unfair. matt gaetz says it's from president-elect donald trump but nbc news has not confirmed that. gaetz has denied all wrongdoing in the ethics investigation. and joining us now is nbc news' julie tsirkin tracking the fallout, congressional

investigations reporter for the "washington post" also joining us. we're not hearing from leaders of the republican party but what does matt gaetz's political future look like given the fact he's floated running for office, maybe even the senate in florida? >> the release of this ethics report, the findings in this 42-page report, complicate matt gaetz's political future and is a big reason at least two republicans on the panel voted with all democrats to move ahead and republic lease this report even though the panel's chairman in a statement later on said that was not a move he supported because matt gaetz is not currently a member of congress because of the precedent that could set. either way, this report is out there and the committee had found gaetz had violated florida's -- or may have violated florida's statutory rape law by engaging in sexual activity with a 17-year-old. this was years ago but that 17-year-old was interviewed by the panel. she said she was just a junior in high school at the time. also, the panel found that gaetz had texted women, text messages

showed, rather, he had paid thousands of dollars to women to engage in sexual activity and, also, that he did use illicit drugs. gaetz does deny all of that, but he did say a couple weeks ago, yamiche, when we first reported the committee had voted to make this report public that he did engage in womanizing and he did smoke and drink too much but none of that should be criminal and, of course, the doj did not criminal charge gaetz. >> it's interesting when you break that all down and the idea the doj did not charge him. jackie, yesterday steve bannon, someone who still has a very loud megaphone, said matt gaetz, quote, must return like trump return, don't back down. double down. that's the words of steve bannon. any support in trump world for a political comeback for matt gaetz? he's lined up a sort of anchor job at a right-wing network but i wonder the political stakes here. >> yamiche, it's hard to tell just yet, but we do know as often happens in trump world

there's a domino effect when one maga figure with a big megaphone starts the rallying cry for political retribution. bannon yesterday said that gaetz needed to take a cue from trump and fight back and make some sort of comeback to prove his critics wrong and that doing otherwise would be tantamount to accepting defeat. of course gaetz said last month he had no plans on returning to congress whether or not he's eyeing the vacant senate seat remains to be seen, but the message couldn't have been clearer from some of the most extremist maga adherence on social media, which was that gaetz should keep fighting and that returning to his job that he's expected to start as anchor at one america news network in january should not be accepted and that gaetz should remain in

the arena or that trump should appoint him to a different position after he withdrew from attorney general last month. >> really interesting. and matt gaetz, of course, has denied all wrongdoing, jackie, and said he was never charged. what does the house ethical report say to the evidence? >> this is important, yamiche, because gaetz has, over the past several months and years, really, adamantly denied these allegations and actually his denials were so vocal the committee took the rare step of issuing multiple public statements, advising the public of their status updates on their investigation into gaetz and sort of previewing what was to come and, as julie noted, took the extraordinary step of issuing a report after he had already resigned from congress. but i think the most important thing the committee found that gaetz has repeatedly denied is

he did have sex with the 17-year-old in july of 2017, that they concluded is in violation of florida's statutory rape law. there's a key graph that i'll read which the committee received evidence gaetz did not learn victim a was 17 years old until more than a month after their first sexual encounter. however, statutory rape is a strict liability crime. after he learned that victim a was a minor, he maintained contact and less than six months after he met up with her again for commercial sex. the florida state prosecutor has not commented on these allegations but it is possible local enforcement authorities could pursue further review of the allegations made by the ethics committee. >> something we're going to keep watching but i want to switch gears and talk about news regarding the january 6 capitol attack. a former d.c. police chief has been found guilty of tipping off

a proud boys leader ahead of the january 6th attack. what more can you tell us about this? >> this is shane lamont, indicted last year but found guilty of sharing intelligence. this is somebody who was not just the chief or not just somebody who worked at the top. he was in charge of the intel unit. of course no longer, but he provided information to proud boys founder who was one of the 1,500 defendants charged and convicted for their actions on that day. he tipped him off there was an arrest warrant out for him and that is something, of course, that the d.c. police, that prosecutors at least, say he was a double agent for the proud boys and for the d.c. police at the same exact time. this is, of course, relevant all over again because january 6th, once again, the certification of this election is coming up, and because president-elect trump did vow to pardon january 6 defendants, it's not clear if he is on that list, yamiche. >> yeah, definitely an interesting, interesting story

to watch. so, julie, jackie, thank you so much. this has been a wild year for american politics. there was president-elect donald trump's conviction and two assassination attempts against him. president biden dropping out of the 2024 election. vice president kamala harris whirlwind, 107-day general election campaign, and donald trump's historic political comeback on election night. this year had no shortage of huge political news. nbc news' kate snow had a look back at the political headlines that defined 2024. >> reporter: it may be the biggest political comeback in modern american history. >> this was, i believe, the greatest political movement of all time. >> reporter: donald trump heading back to the white house after a year of dramatic highs and lows. the former president locking up the republican nomination with ease back in march. then, along the way to election

day, battling two federal legal cases and a conviction in new york for falsifying business records in an attempt to cover up a hush money payment. >> that is 34 felony counts here, all guilty verdicts. >> reporter: trump supporters undeterred believing he could best tackle the economy and immigration. >> i'm the only one in history who got indicted and my numbers went up. >> reporter: initially set for a rematch against president joe biden. >> i'm still the only person to ever beat donald trump. >> reporter: they made history as the oldest major party presidential candidates ever in an american election, a concern for voters as whispers about biden's mental fitness grew louder. >> the special counsel referred to the president as a, quote, sympathetic, well-meaning and elderly man with a poor memory. >> my memory is fine. >> reporter: that first debate in june setting off three weeks of unprecedented political upheaval. >> look -- if we finally beat

medicare -- >> this night got off to a tough start for president biden. >> i think it's a legitimate question to say is this an episode or is this a condition? >> reporter: calls for biden to end his campaign sidelined by an unthinkable twist. >> take a look at what happened -- [ gunshots ] >> get down, get down, get down! >> the 45th president of the united states injured but alive. >> all of this unfolding with republicans now gathering to officially nominate donald trump at their convention. >> reporter: with his ear bandaged the former president accepting the nomination two days after the attempt on his life. >> i stand before you in this arena only by the grace of almighty god. >> reporter: that same week, biden testing positive for covid. >> news broke of different democratic leaders calling for the president to step aside. >> my fellow americans -- >> reporter: days later, the

president ending his re-election bid. >> i revere this office. i love my country more. >> reporter: endorsing his vice president, kamala harris, and up-ending the race with just over 100 days until the election. >> we choose freedom. ♪ freedom, freedom ♪ ♪ i can't move ♪ ♪ freedom, cut me loose ♪ >> thank you, thank you. >> reporter: harris, campaigning on the issues of abortion rights and protecting democracy. >> ours is a fight for the future. >> reporter: trump pivoting to his new opponent. >> i didn't know she was black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn black. >> reporter: a convention coronation in august. >> i accept your nomination to be president of the united states. . >> reporter: trump and harris meeting for the first time in their only debate. >> i've never seen a worst period of time. people can't go out and buy cereal or bacon or eggs or anything else.

>> the government and donald trump certainly should not be telling a woman what to do with her body. >> reporter: the dangers of our nation's divisiveness still on display. >> the fbi says there has been another possible attempt on former president trump's life. >> reporter: by fall, the critical battleground blitz. >> i'm a gun owner. >> i did not know that. >> if somebody breaks in my house, they're getting shot. >> i think the bigger problem is the enemy from within. >> reporter: polls suggesting a razor thin margin, the candidates bringing out big names. podcast interviews taking center stage with both harris and trump taking to the mics. and on election night -- >> these are not the trend lines democrats are going to want to see. >> reporter: -- a decisive victory. >> we are projecting the next president of the united states is donald trump. >> the 45th president of the united states will become the 47th president of the united states. >> reporter: the electoral map a sea of red.

the president-elect sweeping every battleground state. >> trump is overperforming. harris is underperforming in the counties she needs to win. >> reporter: trump's win fueled by increased support from women, independents, latinos and black voters, becoming the first republican to win the popular vote since 2004. >> in new york city trump has posted a 15-point gain from the last time around. >> reporter: the gop taking total control of washington, ousting democrats to secure a three-seat majority in the senate and keeping control of the house. an election year like no other. and one we won't soon forget. kate snow, nbc news. a not guilty plea for luigi mangione as he faced a judge this week back in new york. why his defense attorney says she's concerned about his high-profile walk to and from the courtroom. and new details about actress blake lively's complaint against her co-star and director of the film "it ends with us" as

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we're learning more about the suspect in that deadly new york city subway fire. a 33-year-old guatemalan citizen charged with first and second-degree murder as well as arson. police say sunday morning he set a sleeping woman's clothing on fire and then watched on a nearby platform as she died. i.c.e. officials say the suspect

entered the u.s. illegally, entered through arizona in 2018 only to be deported several days later. officials do not know where or when he entered the country again. and today luigi mangione is spending his christmas eve in a brooklyn jail. yesterday he pleaded not guilty to state charges in the killing of united healthcare ceo brian thompson. he left and entered the courtroom with a circle of security we have grown accustomed to seeing him with. his attorney took issue during the arraignment saying she is concerned about mangione's right to a fair trial and calling the perp walks, quote, absolutely unnecessary. joining us now msnbc legal analyst danny cevallos. thanks for being here. mangione's attorney is essentially saying that she is really concerned about the high publicity in the case and calling the perp walks political. would you be concerned about your client's right to a fair trial if you were standing next to mangione in court? >> of course. that's her sworn duty and all of

our sworn duty as defense attorneys. this was a clever bit of pr because arraignments are procedurally important events but in terms of what happens, they're not that exciting. they're just the basics. you're advised of your rights. you enter your not guilty plea. it should only take a few minutes. it was clever of defense counsel to raise this knowing it would be broadcast and it is an effort to soort of fight back at all of the negative pub lis licity the client is getting. generally speaking the traditional rule is don't say anything in public about your client, but sometimes when the media attention is so negative for the client, you have to try and get out there in front of it. it's a tough decision to make, and this was a very clever way of getting some of their narrative out there into the public because, as you saw, the judge said, look, there's really nothing i can do about that. the nypd chooses to perp walk the way they choose to. she got the message in the

public, and sometimes, although generally speaking it's a good idea not to put too much out there on the defense side, sometimes you have to get a message out there. >> and you mentioned what the judge said. i wonder, would you expect the judge to sort of do anything different in this case? >> no. certainly not in an arraignment. the fact that defense counsel was complaining about the perp walks, she has a point. there's nothing really the judge can do short of enter being an order, but that would it be a risky thing to do. that's not something the judge was ever going to do. it was more a statement and less a request for some relief from the court. >> and do you expect mangione's attorney to maybe argue for a venue change? >> i don't expect that, but if they do -- only because if they do i'm not entirely sure what venues that would be much more helpful because the rules require that you choose a venue relatively close. i don't expect mangione's chances will improve -- they

might be the best shot he has with a manhattan jury more so than with a queens or certainly a staten island jury. that would be a really bad choice, i think, for mangione in terms of jury pools. i don't necessarily think you're going to see a request for a venue change. it's certainly possible. mangione has very competent defense counsel. they may look at that as a valid motion to make and something that may help their defense. >> and mangione's next court date is in february. what can we expect for that? >> at this point after arraignment cases on both the federal and state side, they move relatively slowly. there will be motions scheduled and then from here really the defense is going to start digesting the massive terabyte worth of reports, video and other evidence they're going to have to acquire, digest, organize and get ready for trial if they plan to go to trial. >> well, thank you so much, danny. it's a pleasure to see you on christmas eve. and we're learning new

details this morning about actress blake lively's legal complaint against her co-star and director of the film "it ends with us." lively accuses justin baldoni of sexual harassment on the film's set and a coordinated public relations effort to, quote, destroy her reputation. nbc news entertainment correspondent chloe melas has the latest. chloe? >> reporter: hey there. the fallout from the dispute continues to spread. this morning we're hearing more from individuals closely connected to the film at the center of the controversy. this morning new developments in the blake lively/justin baldoni dispute. a fellow cast member in "it ends with us" siding with lively following her explosive legal complaint against her co-star and the film's director. >> it's never been the same since. >> reporter: jenny slate, who plays baldoni's sister in the film, telling us, as blake lively's castmate and friend, i voice my support as she takes action against those reported to have planned and carried out an attack on her reputation.

slate did not mention baldoni or anyone else but added, the attack on blake is terribly dark, disturbing and wholly threatening. in a legal complaint lively says baldoni repeatedly sexually harassed her on set and crossed boundaries during intimate scenes. his longtime publicist is depending herself about a manipulation campaign on baldoni's behalf. according to "rolling stone" publicist jennifer abel is defending her work saying her team never launched any campaign to smear lively. nbc news has reached out to abel but has not hard back. according to the complaint baldoni and his team obtained crisis pr, the same team johnny depp hired during his high-profile defamation trial against former wife amber heard. heard also weighed in on the controversy writing, a lie travels halfway around the world before truth can get its boots on.

i saw this firsthand and up close. a lawyer representing baldoni and his production company, wayfarer studios, called lively's allegations completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious with an intent to rehash a narrative in the media. baldoni's attorney also defending the publicity team writing tag p.r. most be the most powerful group of publicists the world has ever seen for it to completely change the perception of both amber heard and blake lively. as the crisis escalates, liz plank, the co-host of the podcast the man enough is announcing she is bowing out posting in part, i will miss you, the listeners, so much. meanwhile, an award baldoni received for advocating on behalf of women and girls has been rescinded. back to you. >> thank you, chloe, so much for that report. and up next if you're still working on finishing up your holiday shopping, you still have just a few more hours. the best places to go for last-minute deals is next.

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we're now getting a clearer picture of the changes that a new year and a new administration will bring to the u.s. economy. investors are bracing for overhauls that could impact the day-to-day finances of americans. here to break it down, cnbc senior analyst ron insana. before trump takes office, what

are you watching for in the next month or so? >> the next month or so should be on autopilot. the economy is looking pretty good. the atlanta federal reserve estimates we're growing 3.1% in the fourth quarter, the same rate as we saw in the third quarter. inflation is still sticky, although we can get good news on that last week. consumer spending is still very strong, and we have markets that are doing just fine. the dow is up double digits. the s&p is up 25% for the year. the nasdaq is up more than 30. until really there are policy changes enacted if, indeed, that comes to pass, the economy is good for the next month or so and then i think markets will start dissecting any new policies once they see them in writing. >> i wonder what major financial changes do you expect and can we expect from the second trump administration? >> it's a tough call. and i've talked to stephanie ruhle and katy tur, the last month and a half. do you take donald trump

seriously or literally or literally or seriously or both? and if it's both, then you're looking at day one tariffs put on canada, mexico and china, which could be inflationary and could weaken the global economy. it would affect the labor markets dramatically. there's talk the incoming trump administration wants to, a wall street positive but won't be enacted for some time and then there's also deregulation that comes along with that that will give some businesses the right to perform as they please, if you will. it's kind of a mixed bag. if i had to analyze this, it feels somewhat stagflationary to me if the policies were put together at the same time, i think we'll have to wait and see how much leeway the president has on executive orders versus getting things passed through congress. >> yeah. and, of course, they will be folks watching us right now wondering how might this impact

me? how might these new policies impact people day-to-day? >> until they are, not much, but, again, if you see tariffs put in immediately against some of our biggest trading partners, mexico, canada and china, that would boost the cost of goods coming into the united states and consumers, it's estimated, could feel that rather quickly and it would cost them upwards of $4,000 a year, increased prices for imported goods, and then if there are mass deportations that would have a dramatic impact on the labor market, could create labor shortages, push up the price of wages and, again, add to the inflationary pressures, things the incoming trump administration has suggested are day one initiatives. i would be most alert for when it comes to main street versus what wall street might be looking for. >> definitely a great place to be talking about this on the day before a lot of people are spending a lot of money. so thank you so much, ron. >> have a good holiday. as santa puts his gifts in

the sleigh, you may be thinking of all the last-minute presents you still have to buy. that could mean long lines, empty shelves and even closed doors but we have an expert to help us navigate those must-have items. kristen, where should people who are scrambling to get those gifts under the tree, where should they be shopping today in particular? >> i recommend going for those places that are still offering in-store pickup. you avoid a lot of the crowds in stores. sephora, ulta and kohl's are offering in-store pickup and those cutoffs will come into effect this afternoon because they are closing early. >> and there are a few of us who might be working until maybe 5:00, so i'm wondering, what are you doing for the people who might be running late and

looking for stores open past 6:00 p.m.? >> at that point you're going in the store. you might not be able to order by the same day delivery or in-store pickup cutoff. stores are open. target is open until 8:00, for example. places are closing early, you will have a few hours of stores being only after you get off work at 5:00. >> i wonder when you think about deals, and it's always, to me, interesting because you have holiday deals and then the real deals that are worth your time. are there those real deals that people can still find? >> yeah. you can still get deals and discounts. a great thing if you're looking for gift cards, restaurants are offering bonus gift cards when you purchase gift cards. target is doing the same thing if you buy certain stanley products you get a $5 gift card. offering up to 50% off. you can use coupons in store. macy's has jewelry deals.

barnes & noble and groupon is great. a lot of options delivered digitally if you buy a groupon gift. someone doesn't need to know you ordered them at restaurants.com gift card at the very last minute. they just know they're getting a gift. >> they just know they're getting a gift. after the gifting comes the rush to return, so what can shoppers, maybe even my husband in charge of the returns, what can he do and others to avoid long lines on thursday? >> so the good news is a lot of stores are generous with their return policies after the holidays. they give you extra time even if the gift was purchased in late november, early december, you have a little bit of extra time and to january past that usual 30-day return policy, so if you want to avoid those crowds, give yourself another week or two to return that stuff. there's no rush. >> there's no rush, honey. there's no rush. thank you so much, kristen. >> all right. thank you so much. and five years after a devastating fire ripped through

notre dame in paris, the 800-year-old cathedral is finally welcoming back people for christmas mass. a look inside the newly restored church is next. (agent) we've always said never sell a house in the winter. that's not true. with opendoor, you can skip the showings and get a real cash offer. you are disguising my voice, right? (director) ahhh, of course. (agent with altered voice) foof, just checking. (vo) it's true. opendoor makes selling easy, in any season.

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please join easterseals with your monthly gift right now. ( ♪♪ ) five years after the world watched one of history's most iconic sites burn, notre dame cathedral has risen from the ashes and is celebrating christmas once again. tonight thousands will pass through notre dame's famous 13th

century doors to worship before its brand-new altar. keir simmons is in paris where the facilities are -- festivities are a few hours away. >> reporter: five years ago fire ravaged this until 800-year-old cathedral. now it's reopened to the public and they're getting ready to celebrate christmas mass, a transformation so fast, so spectacular you can call it a christmas miracle. sflenen? racle. sflenen? ♪♪ >> reporter: this holiday the doors of notre dame have opened to christmas congregations. ♪ hallelujah ♪ >> reporter: the crown of thorns on display again as christians mark the moment of jesus' crucifixion, the chance to admire the ivory interior, the sparkling stained glass windows and to worship in front of a brand-new very modern altar and golden cross for this medieval

cathedral. christmas hymns will be played on an organ brought back to life each and every pipe, 8,000, individually restored. five years after the inferno tore through the interior of the church, obliterating over 800 years of history in hours and thanks to the incredible work of 2,000 crafts people using medieval methods. the cathedral officially opens with a service that drew more than 100 world leaders when the fire ripped through in 2019 craig covered the aftermath. >> the fire is, thankfully, finally, out as investigators continue to search for a cause. >> reporter: and now, he was one of the first invited back inside to exclusively take in the transformation. >> one of the things that's most noticeable. it is so much brighter. all of it. this is roughly where all of

that burnt debris fell from the ceiling. now it's all gleaming. ♪♪ >> reporter: this holiday the cathedral has been at the center of festivities again, a christmas market offers a breathtaking twilight view of notre dame. it's perfect. and traditional mulled wine. >> notre dame is very special because it's the heart of paris. so we're really happy now. >> reporter: a christmas to remember, a miracle of sorts, a cathedral rising from the flames, truly worth celebrating. millions of dollars were raised for the restoration of notre dame cathedral including almost 60 million from the u.s. now that is a christmas gift to the world. >> so beautiful to see notre dame rising from the ashes. and now a technical issue with american airlines is snarling holiday travel across

the country this morning. the latest on the morning ground stop and the issues it's still causing for travelers. a major fallout from the release of the house ethics committee on matt gaetz. how he's responding to the allegations against him next. stick with us. with verizon, trade in any phone, any condition. it's your last chance to get iphone 16 pro with apple intelligence. get four on us. only on verizon. lawmakers are trying to shut down planned parenthood. the health care of more than 2 million people is at stake. our right to basic reproductive health care is being stolen from us. planned parenthood believes everyone deserves health care. it's a human right. future generations are beginning to lose the rights we fought for. the rights for ourselves, our kids, and our grandkids. gone. just like that. i can't believe this is the world we live in, where we're losing the freedom

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it is 11:00 a.m. eastern, 8:00 a.m.

pacific. some chaos on christmas eve in the skies, american airlines briefly grounding all of its flights in the u.s. this morning do to a technical issue. here is the moment that was announced on one flight. >> thank you so much for your patience. this is a national computer failure, american airlines computers are down we are getting off of the plane. >> american says it is all hands on deck to get people to their destinations. travel on the roads can be touch and go to a wintry mix and icy roads are expected to cause traffic from the northeast to the great lakes with millions of americans still under winter weather advisories. joining us now, jesse at miami national airport.

what kinds of delays are you seeing and what are you hearing from american airlines? >> no comment on the first question, here is what we are seeing in terms of delays at this point, as you mentioned this was a delay a ground stop that lasted for about an hour according to american but we are still seeing the impact because of course people have connections. going behind the scenes. we went into the terminal and talked with some people i talked with one family that is trying to get to guyana, the fact that they got here it would've been a more devastating thing if your early flight had an issue and then you missed the connection. hopefully that is the case for

a lot of people because it happened in the early morning, we are going to watch to see how this plays out throughout the day but what i can also tell you is that american is saying they had more than 2000 fewer flights scheduled today compared to yesterday because there is a lot of people already going where they are going for a holiday with this being christmas eve, hopefully that makes it easier for this recovery to unfold. we have had people see these delays as well, this is something that is cascading and we will be seeing how long it persists throughout the day. >> when you hear that on christmas eve, what do you make of that? >> i saw something about the flights being grounded, i don't know what it is about but i am hoping that it is not too bad. >> so that is the situation here in miami. as you alluded to before, at least they have the warmth.

>> when do they expect things to go back to normal? >> we don't have any timeline on that from american at this point but i think going back to what we were talking about before as someone who flies dozens of times a year, if you have the early flight and it gets you somewhere, that is often the hardest part if you miss the connection so hopefully people are making the first flights out or they had enough time after the connection. in terms up the actual flights being on time i can tell you that we are seeing some delays around 20 minutes some multiple hours long so there is a range. this wrapped up around 9:00

a.m. and is still too early to have a full scope of how this is going to play into things there is also the weather impacts which can always be a problem as well whether it is snowstorms, severe storms, that kind of thing. looking to see if that exacerbates some of the issues as well. >> thank you so much. and now to the growing fallout from the ethics committee report, the panel's report on the years long investigation of matt gaetz says there is substantial evidence that he engaged in conduct that broke house rules and violated florida laws. the report says that between 2017 and 2020, he regularly paid women likely for engaging in sexual activity with him, he has denied allegations against him as the report was released yesterday, he fired back in a

series of posts in which he denied paying for a sex. ultimately he declined to bring charges against him and with us now to talk more about this is nbc news national politics reporter jonathan allen, he is the white house bureau chief for the washington post and she is a former rnc executive community member cofounder of the lincoln project. is it just me or have we all lost our minds, a great title. we have been reporting some of the details of this report for a while now but what is significant about the actual release? >> is it just me, or are we all losing our minds here, i mean what is significant in this is that it's going to make it a lot harder for him to run for office in the future i think there are members of congress

who voted to make it public because they don't think that he should be a public servant given what they were able to determine about him. of course the bar is very different for the justice department to determine that a jury is going to actually convict somebody in the house ethics committee says a, whether or not he's going to get convicted he has done things here, they believe that he has done things here and certainly this report will be used against him should he have a run for office again. >> he has resigned from congress but he is thinking about possibly returning to the political arena. so, i wonder how could this report potentially impact any plans for political future for matt gaetz . >> certainly today's republican party if you are talking about

republican voters, will they care? will they just elected to the highest office of land. this report included information that matt gaetz is a grown adult was having sex with a teenage girl, it includes testimony from women who have absolutely said that they were paid for sex they have identified financial transactions that the ethics committee believes was a payment for sex and that drugs and alcohol were involved many of these women felt that they were impaired at the time that they interacted in a sexual manner with him. my greatest hope is that the state of florida is looking at the information that has been released in this report because statutory rape is an extremely

serious charge, it's not enough that he's just not elected to the senate again, he needs to be held accountable in a court of law. >> we should just say that president-elect trump was found civilly liable for sexual assault, i wanted to come to you because there is this idea that he bow down to the consideration of attorney general, could president-elect trump find another place for him to serve? >> he certainly could, this is a big test of whether or not donald trump is a singular figure who could come back from the ashes of not only being convicted on fraud charges and being charged on dozens of various felony charges and come back and win the presidency and come back with the support of the public, whether or not the kind of grace extends to someone like matt gaetz, that remains to be seen. he is in a position to potentially elevate matt gaetz. that was bridged through a

number of people who would need to confirm it, there are a number of roles that don't require senate confirmation and donald trump appreciates loyalty, matt gaetz is charged with a number of different things but in trump's mind, he has never been charged with the disloyalty to trump so he is good as gold. there is a position that he could offer him in the white house or elevate him with endorsement for the senator for the governorship and we will have to see whether or not donald trump's grace and his ability to come back from the dumps and come back from these kinds of charges in the public embarrassment weather that extends to someone like him, it remains to be seen so far only donald trump has that ability. >> there is also this idea i want to talk about the trump transition because that is also of course coming up upon us. over the last couple of days he has threatened to retake control over the panama canal

and sell greenland to the united states, what do you think prompted all of this? >> i think first of all we saw donald trump in the last administration, his last presidency talk about greenland, there is an expansion that is part of or perhaps a tangent of his american first policy. if greenland were for sale there would be a lot of reason to buy one of the largest pieces of land in the world. it is not for sale so i think it is unlikely to have an unbelievably, the president is looking to make sure that they are trying to make sure the u.s. get some deals and transits as well as possible think he's going to push them, the question is how far is this

something is willing to go to war over? they said he doesn't like war i think mostly this is talk until we see some sort of action on his part. >> jennifer i wanted to come to you, you talk about the canal and talk about greenland, what do you think is behind this? >> i think he has a very putin view of the world and of americans position of the world and while i am as big of a supporter as anybody of maintaining the strength in the security of our country to the former gentlemen's point, these properties are not for sale. i think that there is kind of a sense that donald trump, he likes to be the big man the tough guy, we are going to do this, we are going to do that i think it feeds his supporters, the image that his supporters have of him, he also wants to

annex canada as our 51st state and if you see the way that he talks about puerto rico as a canadian i think canadians would probably be very concerned about that but this is just, it's hard to know and this is part of what makes him so dangerous. it is hard to know if this is just him being himself and spouting off or if he is laying the groundwork for trying to take some actions that will be very, very dangerous and create a tremendous amount of chaos in the world or is this just another case of elon musk acting as puppeteer pulling the strings behind the scenes telling trump what to say because he thinks there's something to be gained about this but it is dangerous rhetoric it creates chaos and it has the threat of damaging some very important relationships that we have around the world.

>> i want ask you, inauguration day is just 27 days away, we have all lived through this year what is the feeling inside trump world just under four weeks to go until he takes the oath in office and is back in office? >> they are trying to put together an agenda that they can pass. they want to have the most impressive day one, the most impressive first 100 days the most impressive first year of any president in history, they need to be focused and have a strategy and a game plan and stick to it. when donald trump starts talking about canada and greenland and the panama canal it can make it very hard to get all of the republicans that he needs behind him and behind his message. it's going to be something that

the people in trump world are going to be trying to focus on but we all know that he is guided by whatever comes to his head at any given moment and that can make it very hard with a very slim majority in the house and a slim majority in the senate. they are trying to pass big tax cuts border legislation, legislation on energy in order to do all of that you have to be focused on a playbook and a game plan that is very specific and whether or not they can get donald trump the leader of his party to follow the playbook that is the big question in trump world there trying to figure out how to do it the past shut down that we almost had makes it very hard to believe they're going to be successful. >> definitely the rocky government funding showdown is definitely a window that will be happening next year. former president bill clinton is said to be in good spirits after being hospitalized here in washington, d.c., clinton's deputy chief of staff says he was admitted to a washington area hospital for testing and observation after developing a

fever, the situation is not urgent and the former president will be just fine, the 78-year- old has faced a number of health scares since he left office in 2001 including a quadruple bypass operation in 2004 and another heart procedure in 2010 he was hospitalized for six days with an infection that spread to his bloodstream. hoping he gets better and feels better. more and what to do and what to expect for one of the busiest travel dates of the year. how to make the return trip even easier. is rates of flu and covid infections start to climb, the best ways to stay healthy this holiday season. plus, the new hope of progress toward a cease-fire and hostage deal in the new year, we will be back in 90 seconds. 90 seco. .

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to help promote a healthy digestive system every day. plus, they're packaged in individually-wrapped pouches, for daily digestive support on the go. look for new align yogurt coated probiotic fruit bites online and in the digestive care aisle of your local retailer. brand power, helping you buy better. back to our top story this morning a potential delay disaster on christmas eve, american airlines temporarily grounding off lights this morning due to a technical issue, the ground stop has now been lifted. it comes on an expected record- breaking year of holiday travel. more than 119 million americans will travel more than 50 miles between december 21st and january 1st, joining us now, katie. katie it is the day before

christmas, christmas eve, the day before hanukkah as well. if anyone is dealing with delays after the ground stop, what is your advice to that? >> you have to give credit where credit is due because even though american airlines did incur this ground stop this morning, the delays that we did see were only about 90 minutes and if you remember just a few months ago over the summer when people were experiencing the crowd strike outage, some carriers were faced with delays for days and days even up to a week so all things considered, travelers traveling with american airlines should actually not feel much ripple effects from this ground stop and it is likely that even in cities such as dallas as well as charlotte which are two main hubs that were really impacted the hardest, we are seeing below average cancellation rates and for travelers, it is

far easier to deal with cancellations and delays, for anyone that is dealing with traveling with american airlines are today, have the app downloaded. >> he said have that downloaded but i wonder if you have any other advice for people who might have flights later in the day were watching and wondering, what should i be doing? >> if your flight is later today definitely keep an eye on it of all forms of communication going on with american airlines as well as maybe even see if you can get redirected through another one of their hubs if you are flying through dallas or charlotte and you just want to mitigate as much as possible anymore delays but again, like i had mentioned, this ground stop has not had the impacts that we saw just a few months ago. travelers that are traveling later on throughout the day shouldn't be totally a grinch

about it, they should keep as many forms of communication as possible so you can get any notification the minute it drops. >> going to the destination but also getting back from the destination. what should people plan to do later this week or even in the new year? met over the 12 day winter holiday period, we are expectinto see an average of 2.8 million people traveling through tsa and those are record-breaking numbers that we just saw a few weeks ago over the thanksgiving period with so many people traveling you want to safeguard yourself as much as possible, having what i like to call a fallback flight in mind you don't necessarily have to book a backup flight but have a flight in mind with your carrier that you can get ahead of the game if something does go awry you can be the first

one to get to it there is not going to be an endless supply of seeds so you have something in mind it makes the whole process a little bit faster as well as pre-booking parking and rideshare. that is something people tend to forget and often times you might not have the rideshare readily available when you need to get to your destination and with so many more people traveling via road as well as in the air you want to make sure that you are not only buffering more time within the airport to navigate the long lines but getting to the airport with the roads congested especially during the afternoon and evening windows and people tend to hit the roads after work or after a big meal celebrating with family and friends. >> that is all great advice. thank you so much, katie. >> thanks for having me, happy holidays. the flu is on the rise this holiday season, an almost 10% spike over just one week, the organization also reports

louisiana and oregon specifically have a very high activity of general respiratory illnesses as well as confirmed flu cases. joining me now is msnbc's medical contributor. is it too late to get a flu shot is the first question we have to ask. >> the answer to that is no, it is not too late, i get asked this more than you think. people get this and it happens. you can get the covid and flu shots at the same time. i got them in the same arm. it doesn't impact the effectiveness of each individual shot but it is not too late. all respiratory viruses probably through the beginning of march. it can still protect them. there it is good to still be protected. we see flu season every year but last year we saw extra risk to children with high pediatric cases. is the risk still high as well? >> we are seeing all sorts of things for kids. flu especially.

we recognize that flu can impact all ages to a pretty significant degree. rsv pretty young, young babies and now we are seeing even a rise in things like stuff you can get vaccinated for. we are seeing a rise, there are rates that are higher than pre- pandemic levels and this is the multifactorial reasons. a lot of threats out there for kids. >> i'm sure there are folks going to see their families wondering okay how do i see that cute baby but not get the sickness from that cute baby. what shed prevention look like? >> is going to be all of the things that you and i and everybody has talked about, everybody that is watching right now knows what i'm about to say that especially if you are medically higher risk and you are flying at 30,000 feet,

i would wear a mask. especially if you are medically higher risk, there is no reason to expose yourself there is a ton of stuff going around. hygiene is critical, hand sanitizer is really vital and i always carry a clorox wipes to wipe down my seat. a lot of these bugs out there that are still on the surfaces, you can get infected so all of the common things matter in addition to prevention through vaccines but what i will lastly say is despite all of that, this is the first year of all of the years of covid and flu that we have a test at home you can get online for about $10. it is important because all of these viruses mimic each other, all of the symptoms overlap. we have early testing and it enables early treatment and can keep you out of the hospital but the sooner the better. >> that is all great advice,

get that test, kiss the baby but then maybe use the hand sanitizer after the baby. thank you so much. >> happy holidays. new possible progress toward a cease-fire and hostage deal in gaza. president biden moves dozens of inmates off death row, how americans in incoming president are reacting. . d nowk 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.

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israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu is offering hope of progress towards a potential cease-fire and hostage deal. there has been headway made in negotiations but did not offer any timeline for when an agreement could finally be met. is real defense minister confirmed for the first time that they had killed a leader of hamas in an explosion in july. people around the world get set to celebrate christmas and the start of hanukkah tomorrow. joining us now from beirut, what is the latest? >> reporter: the israeli prime minister said there was, quote, some progress toward a deal. . the latest round of

negotiations that we were closer to a deal. what would a deal look like? they spoke to nbc and said that it would be under ruled in three phases, the first one involving the release of live hostages against palestinian prisoners in the withdraw of troops in gaza. they are doing quite the opposite of preparing for a departure, they are becoming more and more entrenched especially in the northern part where hospitals are being targeted and one in particular is being bombed according to the health ministry and there are a few hundred people, patients and staff held up inside. the big question is, once this deal is agreed upon, what will the implementation look like? and can it hold is indeed the israeli military stays in parts of the strip and if there is more violence from either side on the other. it is still very tentative in

the backdrop. the prime minister is testifying in its own corruption trial. >> thank you for the report. joining us now, a father who is still being held hostage by hamas, thank you so much jonathan. i first have to ask you how you and your family are holding up? >> thank you for asking, we are doing the best we can but every day is a new that we have to endure not knowing what his condition is, your viewers may know hamas has never allowed red cross or any other international agency to visit with the hostages. amongst the 100 israelis still being held, we have no idea who might still be alive.

>> i'm very sorry, my heart goes out to your family, such a tough thing to have to deal with. i want to also ask you about prime minister netanyahu, he says there has been some headway toward a potential cease-fire. we know they have been close before but didn't get a deal, we don't know what the timeline could be, what do you make of this talk of progress and the lack of progress? >> you're right, we have all had to go up and down and i'm sort of on this roller coaster for more than a year now. the major change this time around or the major difference is a line in the sand that president-elect trump has laid down three weeks ago, monday in a statement which has been reinforced since then by himself and so the incoming administration officials that his expectation of all sides, first and foremost, hamas but

also egypt and israel but by the time of his first inauguration, we all will have reached an agreement to get the hostages home and stop the madness in gaza. it remains to be seen what exactly will happen but having put a date on it and also made it clear to all sides mostly hamas but to all sides that there will be a price to be paid if it is not done. clearly that has created a new situation in which there is added motivation and added urgency from all sides to get this done but hamas has to get the yes which has not happened in the israeli government is going to have to see this through despite its own internal desires to continue the conflict but the world has spoken, the president-elect has spoken and his people are working very intimately with biden administration officials in the step which is extremely

unusual to get all of the hostages home, the seven americans amongst them of course and to end the killing. >> it has deafly been a roller coaster. i also want to ask you, this morning we learned about the passing of a former hostage who spent seven weeks in captivity, what was your reaction when you heard the news? >> silky, i have known her for 40 years, i have -- she was in a small farming community on the border, she worked in the communal laundry for most of her adult life, her husband taught me a lot of what i knew about agricultural mechanics believe it or not, he was murdered on october 7th and their son was murdered by the

islamic sometime in january his body was recovered so this for me is not another news item, she came back and was never the same after about 50 days in captivity and whatever her physical ailments where i'm sure she died of heartbreak, her husband and son having been murdered by hamas and just a very sweet woman who did not deserve this and nor do the people of gaza deserve what has been happening to them and the only thing that will make it stop is hamas getting to yes and we all wait for that and i recall on anyone who considers themselves, forget about a friend of israel but a friend of the palestinian people, do what you can to get hamas to yes, that is only when i get my

son back, another 99 israeli families get their loved ones back alive and the remains of those who have been murdered and the people of gaza can return to something that resembles normalcy. >> this is a heartbreaking situation for your family, for israelis, and for the people of gaza and palestinians. really sad. i am praying for your family and for this to end, thank you for joining us. >> thank you for having me. started up next, president biden communing a historic number of death sentences. the reactions from both sides, that is next. . planned parenthood believes everyone deserves health care. it's a human right. future generations are beginning to lose the rights we fought for. the rights for ourselves, our kids, and our grandkids. gone. just like that.

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this morning several people are recovering after a scary incident on the slopes. it comes at one of the busiest times for skiers as they had to

the mountains for the holiday season. what is the latest on this incident? >> reporter: officials from heavenly ski resort are confirming that an incident happened on their common express chairlift. there investigating what exactly happened. it comes during one of the busiest times for skiers with many heading to the mountains during this holiday stretch. this morning a scary scene on the slopes. during an incident at heavenly ski resort in south lake tahoe. >> six-year-old male, falls in the snow off a little higher than 30 feet. >> reporter: this close-up photo appears to show two chairs colliding monday, one person trapped in between them, five people were injured and taken to a nearby hospital. >> we could see about 15, quite a few ent medics there surrounding someone. >> one witness telling them

that it happened shortly after the skiers got on the left. the resort says, the safety of our guests is a top priority and we are investigating the incident. this is a massive and popular ski resort operating 28 lifts. the mountain had another terrifying incident early this year where a woman was stranded overnight at the same resort. it comes just after another frightening scene in winter park, colorado over the weekend. a crack in the ski lift left nearly 175 skiers and snowboarders stranded high above the rocky mountains. this was the scene when the gondola stopped mid-trip dangling passengers helplessly on a busy ski day. ski patrol arriving on scene to instruct this group on how to get to safety. >> winter park confirmed there

were no injuries and they are back up and running after a new part was installed, the 150 skiers that were stranded were given two days of free skiing because of that. as far as heavenly, they will be open today but the common express chairlift will be closed. >> i just couldn't do it, if i was stopped, you would have to put me under or something to get me out of there it is so scary. >> that is a tough one, rappelling down on ropes? >> thank you so much. and new this morning, president-elect trump weighs in on president biden's decision to commute 37 federal death row sentences to life without parole. trumps plan will resume federal executions that were positive under the biden administration, last month he posted writing that he will direct the justice department to, quote,

vigorously pursue the death penalty to protect american families and children. nbc's lester holt has more. >> reporter: anger as president biden commuted the death sentences of 37 of the 40 men on federal death row to life without parole saying in a statement, "make no mistake, i condemned these murderers and grieve for the victims of their despicable acts but guided by my conscious and my experience as a public defender, i am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level." he declined to commute the sentences of three men, the mass shooter of the tree of life synagogue in pittsburgh where 11 people died, the killer of nine people at the mother of manual church in south carolina in 2015 and the boston marathon bomber. can reflect on the historic nature of this decision by the president? >> it is unprecedented, we have never had a u.s. president commute this many people who

were awaiting execution. >> reporter: brian stevenson is the founder and the leading death penalty opponents. >> it is not whether people deserve to die for the crimes we committed, the question is whether we deserve to kill, if we have a flawed biased unreliable system, we cannot impose this perfect punishment with an imperfect system. >> a drug dealer involved in organized crime, convicted of murdering 12 people. four of them children during a fire bombing incident at a house of a federal witness. he is a former assistant u.s. attorney who helped prosecute him. >> we are sacrificing the safety and security and concerns of the american public as well as the family members of those that were adversely affected directly by this while the president is giving a christmas present to these 37 out of 40 death row inmates.

>> reporter: also learning his sentences being commuted, billy allen, sentenced to death at 19 for the murder of an armed security guard in missouri. he has always maintained his innocence. we spoke to alan by telephone from prison. >> it shocked me, you know i am like okay make sure i am reading this right, i was excited. the people i thought about the most, my family. >> reporter: death penalty opponents are hoping that some blue state states may follow and spare the lives of prisoners on their death throes. >> thank you for that company has a report. up next, moments ago on former president bill clinton's health, stay with us. . when you feel the signs, it's time to try align.

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i'll get a second opinion. let's go! take charge of your treatment. if you can't lay your hand flat, visit findahandspecialist.com to get started. ♪♪ breaking news with an update on the story we brought you earlier this hour regarding former president bill clinton who was admitted to the hospital because of a fever. joining us now, aaron gilchrist two is reporting from the white house, aaron, what is the latest on former president bill clinton? >> we understand that the former president is now out of the hospital. we knew from a source that he developed a fever at some point and yesterday went to georgetown hospital here in washington, sources said just to get checked out, he wanted to be checked out after developing the fever. we can share with you the statement that we just received

from one of his aides a little while ago saying that president clinton was discharged earlier today after being treated for the flu. he goes on to say that he and his family are deeply grateful for exceptional care provided by the team at georgetown university hospital and are touched by the kind messages and well wishes that he received as well, this was something that caught our attention, didn't really raise alarm bells but certainly caught our attention when we learned that the 78-year-old had been admitted to the hospital because there have been past incidents with the former president's health, we know a couple years ago he spent several days in the hospital in california with an infection and back in 2004, he had the quadruple bypass surgery. a few years later -- he was back in the hospital to have some stints put in his chest as well. when we learned he was admitted to the hospital it definitely caught our attention but the

good news today is that he is out of the hospital, he has the flu, but he is out of the hospital and expected to continue with his recovery from the flow. >> we certainly hope the president, former president will make a full recovery, thank you so much for the report from the white house. and it could be an unforgettable holiday surprise for one lucky winner, the massive mega millions jackpot is said to be drawn tonight. (cough cough) (sneeze) (♪♪) new alka-seltzer plus cold or flu fizzy chews.

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you know what would be the best christmas gift? how about a billion dollars? emilie ikeda has more on a massive mega millions jackpot. >> hey there. talk about the potential for a christmas miracle of mega proportions. the mega millions jackpot is closing in on $1 billion, at $970 million. look, no one has won the mega millions jackpot on christmas eve since 2002 when the game started, and that ticket went unclaimed. let's say you are incredibly lucky, you win, what can you do with your winnings? if you opt for the cash option, we have laid out some festive choices for you. how about 255 million boxes of candy canes? probably should save some money for the destist, too. and those giant inflatable santas, you could get 5.5 million of those. or explore the north pole some 13,000 times. the mega millions jackpot has

only been 1-3 times so far this year, and a new jersey player just claimed their billion dollars prize nine months after the drawing. the ticket was sold at a shop in neptune township, new jersey, and many other states as well. you have up until a year to claim your prize before the ticket expires. we are told that the player chose to remain anonymous, which is what many experts recommend. tonight the drawing is at 11:00 p.m. since i am feeling in the festive and holiday spirit, look, i stopped at a drugstore, i picked up a ticket. we can go havasis on this if it's a winning ticket. back to you. >> i am going to make her stick to that for ma half of that mega ticket. thank you. and that does it for us today. see you back right here tomorrow on christmas day noon eastern. richard lui picks up our coverage right now. >> good day. live at msnbc headquarters here

in new york city, right now on msnbc reports for