i am not sure that everybody saw it that should have seen it? >> there is a role that i just did. knives outs. i was very pleased that i was chosen for that. it was a great cast. it is a brilliant script. he is a bright director. i am happy about that. but i will go back and do floating -- flirting with a disaster. i am a character actor. >> that is very specific. the new memoir is on sale now. josh brolin. thank you so much. thank you for sharing. we really appreciate it. president joe biden and president-elect donald trump sitting out very different messages yesterday. one call for kindness and

compassion. the other ranted about canada. the prime minister and the panama canal. we will go through all of that in just a moment. the latest from ukraine following a massive christmas day attack. targeting the energy infrastructure. we will have a look at the biggest move yet into livestreaming events with two nfl games and a star-studded halftime show in houston. good morning and welcome to live coverage on this thursday. it is great to have you here. we began with the record number of travelers hitting the road or flying home after the christmas holiday and the start of hanukkah. snow and thunderstorms pose a risk of severe weather upon -- across parts of the country. we had the latest from atlanta international airport. this morning, a white

christmas throughout the country means millions may be dealing with a travel mess on their way home from the holidays. millions across the south are facing severe storms including flash flooding. police and texas with a grim task of searching for persons swept away in floodwaters. the only thing i can communicate to anyone who was wanted to do more, is simply pray for a quick and successful recovery. >> reporter: the west coast is facing a storm with powerful winds and heavy snow. in california they are assessing a damage after a part of the peer collapsed. three people were plunged into the water. authorities say a man and a nearby beach died. that is now closed indefinitely. meanwhile in the sky, travelers are facing several delays after a chaotic start to the busy

holiday rush. >> american airlines are deporting. >> reporter: it comes after scares. overnight, police were responding to gunfire at the airport. there were no reported injuries. reporters say no suspects are being sought after. in hawaii a body was found in a plane after landing from chicago. in a statement, united airlines said, it was only accessible from outside the aircraft. it is not clear how or when the person accessed it. president biden celebrated the holidays at the white house yesterday. he marked christmas with a post that reads, for the last time as your president, it is my honor to wish all of america a very merry christmas. my hope today and always is

that we continue to seek the light and liberty of love, kindness and compassion, dignity and decency. may god bless you all. they also called for eat units from each branch of the military to thank them for their service. he posted on social media to mark hanukkah, people that can walk through a valley of a shadow of death and still rejoice is a people that cannot be defeated by any force or fear. that capacity for faith is the light of the jewish people. as hanukkah begins, may shine around the world. president-elect donald trump took two social to mark the holiday himself. merry christmas to all, including the wonderful soldiers of china who are lovingly but illegally operating the panama canal. and also to canada who citizens taxes are four too high. but if canada was to become a

51st date, their taxes would be cut by more than 60%. merry christmas to the radical left lunatics who are constantly trying to do obstruct the court system and our elections. and are always going after the great citizens and patriots of the united states but in particular, their political opponents, me. let's bring in the washington bureau chief. she is also a msnbc political analyst. it is great to have you here today. two very different tones in these messages. i want to get your thoughts on the president elect christmas message. he is back. definitely. on social media. what was striking to me, two things. the lunatics on the left and

this court system issue. that was basically directed to joe biden and his veto of adding more federal judges. when donald trump is indeed present. that was a blow really for donald trump as joe biden is fighting back. because, there is a republican white house starting january 20th. a republican house and senate. there is a conservative supreme port. there are no checks and balances. i will say this again. the bottom line is, joe biden is hoping to bring balance. that little bit will not bring it but at the end of the day, think about what happened when barack obama wanted to nominate and put on the supreme court, garland. the republicans held it up. joe biden definitely was shot over and said, no.

and then we go to canada. canada paying the 51st day possibly? and the canadians would have lower taxes? he is back, as i said. both the president and president elect are two different people. president biden gave a conversation about immunity. a message of unity. donald trump is being donald trump. weather is entertaining or real. that is left to be seen. >> you bring up a great point. whether it is real. we have heard a lot about the panama canal, greenland. is this real? or it is a message to detract from the greater issues? which is why america voted for him, which is the economy. >> what i have learned, he has a lot on his mind at one time. he puts a lot out. he might be watching fox or msnbc. he might go through the newspaper. or get the bullet points from

his national security team and start talking about things. we have to see what remains and what happens on january 20th. will he tackle panama? will he even talk about it? will this be an issue? what we know is there will be mass deportations in the immediate future after he becomes president on january 20th at 12:00 noon. >> last question. for joe biden, he talked about it being his final message of his presidency. i want to get your thoughts on his final days and anything you think you might do. >> he is the president. he is saying he is not a lame duck. he is calling for unity because he understands, he really understands the magnitude of what happens when parties fight. january 6 is one of those issues. he is trying to keep people at

peace and calm leading into the next administration. but from what i am hearing from the justice department and the counsel's office and from those who had the ear of the president, he is not done yet. we know they are still reviewing and taking a lot of time reviewing these requests for pardons. there are a lots of people. a lot of people. a lot of people made requests. you can also look at those online and see who has made the request. they will not quantify how many they have reviewed and how many more they will pardon for the end of this administration. we want to look out for that. >> maybe after all, he does not go quietly. thank you for joining us. let's start with the christmas message from the president elect. i wonder how congress is responding? >> the response certainly to

this has been one that i think there is a lots of head scratching. people would suggest that what we saw particular yesterday on social was indicative of the chaos that they have talked so much about donald trump bringing back to the white house. certainly as this relates to other countries, we now have conversations that we were having about the panama canal. a country that quite frankly does not get a ton of attention. we talked about formulations. we are talking about greenland. we know that that is a place where the u.s. has a military presence. but, it is also a territory of the kingdom of denmark. a place that we do not talk often about. there is a sense that the president elect is starting these conversations without anyone being able to articulate what the primary purpose of

that is. are these actually goals that the president elect is laying out for his second term? or, are these really just talking points, things that are designed to get our attention? answer conversations and leave us to wonder, what the next move might be as a relates to taking back the panama canal, or trying to buy greenland. he talked about that in his first term of buying greenland from denmark. they said at that time, no deal and this time around, they are saying the exact same thing. >> we know that he ran so much of his campaign on promising to lower prices. now he is saying, it is not going to be so easy to fix economy. is he saying, don't look fair, look here? and now we are hearing about these other issues? >> the reality i think is that you are not going to see the public be willing to not talk about the economic issues that are important to them.

he is still the person who is making the decisions for the country. but come january 20th, donald trump takes office and the questions about how to improve the economy -- although things have been getting better, the question is how to improve it more so people realize it in their own homes, that will be something that gets a lots of attention that the new presidents will be asked about repeatedly. even if it seems like now, there is this fake and trying to divert attention, come january 20th, you can expect that any problems that arise or issues will's -- will fall squarely in his lap. >> i wonder about the dwindling days in office? >> you know, president biden obviously wants to be president

again. he wanted to serve another four years. that is not going to happen. the attitude in the white house right now is somber for the reality that they are leaving but, there is also resolved. we have seen time and again memos come from different leadership positions saying, we need to vanish strong. there is still work to do for the american people. this president seems to be intent on doing that. we know there is now a decision in front of him about the merger of the steel companies. this was under national security review. the team that was doing it could not come to a conclusion. so now biden has to decide if he wants to block that deal for national security reasons. that will be on his plate in the immediate future. you heard april say there are potentially preemptive pardons that the president my issue. we know that from sources he

was talking with his senior aides about issuing pardons in an effort to get ahead of any investigations or charges that might come from a trump department of justice. and then there is the trip the president will take in a few days. another foreign-policy trip. that will be just 10 days before he leaves office. >> still work to do. thank you. now to midtown manhattan yesterday where three people were hospitalized on christmas day after a taxi hopped a curb and plowed into multiple people including a young boy and his mother who we were told were visiting from austria. at least six were struck and they are all expected to survive. police are looking into that. sources do say the 58-year-old driver may have suffered a medical episode. so far, no charges have been filed. russia launched a christmas strike on the energy grid in

ukraine hiring 70 missiles and 100 drones. the air defenses intercepted most but the attacks caused severe damage leaving that country with widespread outages. at least six people were injured and one killed with a toll expected to rise today. the ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy called the strike inhumane. he accused vladimir putin targeting intentionally. president biden condemned the attack calling it outrageous and bows to continue weapons support for ukraine. now to the latest out of kazakhstan. a passenger plane carrying 67 people from azerbaijan crashed. 29 people survived including three children. they were going to russia but

it was diverted because of fog. according to russia, a preliminary investigation found the plane collided with birds and was then diverted due to an emergency on board. while it seems to be the initial cause, the wall street journal is reporting that ukrainian officials claim the crash was likely caused by russian air defenses. siding the damage as one example. we are learning that the white house is aware and is following the investigation closely. as of now, azerbaijan says the case is ongoing and additional information will be provided soon. in his traditional message to the world, the pope urged all people of all nations to overcome divisions and lay down arms. speaking to thousands, he called for a cease-fire in the middle east and ukraine and a release of all of the hostages taken. and for more aid to be brought to the people of gaza.

the situation is extremely grave. he hoped the start of the year will be an opportunity to tear down all walls of separation. the big gamble on the nfl for netflix seems to have paid off. it streamed two games highlighted by a anticipated halftime show from beyonce. we will go through the trouble brewing for mike johnson after the bipartisan deal to fund the government through march. we are back in just a moment. do not go away. three away. >> . ♪♪ four — i want options — nonsurgical options. and five... and if nonsurgical treatment isn't offered? ♪♪ 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.

play action for jackson. steps on the brakes. extending the play. touchdown. lamarr jackson. making magic. baltimore ravens quarterback with an incredible scramble and touchdown pass in a blowout win over the houston texans. baltimore never trailed taking an early lead. jackson improving his chances for a third mvp. he had two passing touchdowns. he rushed for another. it not only put the game away, it gave him the most career rushing yards by a quarterback in nfl history.

the highlight for many during this game is what happened in halftime. the live performance from beyonce. the show was the first time she performed any of the music from her country album. she was joined by her daughter along with a guest performer. the first game of the doubleheader yesterday was not that much closer. the chiefs dominated against the pittsburgh steelers. the chiefs locked up the top seed. meaning, they will have the home field advantage during the playoffs. our the tide and became the leader in receiving touchdowns. passing the hall of famer, gonzalez. joining us now, sam. great to have you here. it seems like the netflix deal and the plan for the future was a success minus the score.

>> it was a smashing success. the reality is, look at what we are talking about. we are talking about the fact that travis broke the record for touchdowns. lamarr jackson was his usual self. we are not talking about any kind of a netflix meltdown. the company right now seems to be primed for live sports moving into the future. it was domination on christmas day with the kansas city chiefs and baltimore ravens. the chiefs crushing them in a win. locking up the top spot. with kelce catching a record from patrick mahomes, and gonzales. it wasn't -- was an iconic

celebration. >> the postgame festivities including a cake that looks like it but all than a pastry. >> i'm scared. >> it is red velvet. >> look at that. >> clinching the top seed means it stars can take a longer rest before the first round. that means a lot to him. >> i told her i was going to get the number one seed so we can have that baby. >> for houston, lamarr jackson dazzled. they broke the record for rushing yards for the quarterback. he celebrated with a special jacket. and made a fan day. >> that is a christmas to remember. >> netflix made its rookie debut. >> welcome back to the netflix christmas kickoff. >> with only a couple of

hiccups. both contests came with the queen of christmas, mariah carey. and then during the halftime, a texas size welcome. for the queen, beyonce. it was dubbed as the beyonce bowl. rocking out with a cowboy carter showed joined by her daughter. beyonce not surprising , crushing there in her hometown. the bigger picture is the budding relationship between the nfl and netflix. they have a deal. for 2025 and 2026 as well. they spent $150 million for

those two games. that could pay dividends and then some when you think about how popular the nfl is. >> talking about smooth, you said they were a couple of hiccups. do we have to stop the jokes about the mike tyson fight? >> it is a good point because they were still -- there were still minor complaints. you are talking about people watching this everywhere. we watched without any hiccups at all. it was a smooth operation. and so this is the new template. clearly live sports streaming is the direction of the future. >> so great to have you. thank you. up next, why reporting on the allies are now blaming johnson for the government shutdown drama and how it could complicate his future. we will be right back. back. >>

israel is marking its second hanukkah since the war began. the prime minister lit the first candle in his office. he was joined by officials, and families. he honored them and vowed strikes pledging that they will learn the lesson.

we will get a live report coming up in the next hour. president biden has just a few weeks left in his presidency and is reflecting on his term. the new york times reports, he is voicing regrets about his decision not to sign his name to covid relief checks and about his longtime reputation, once considered a virtue, of being the porcine congress. at a event earlier this month he told a story about his time in office. for 36 years, i was listed as the poorest manning congress, he told the crowd with a laugh, before adding, what a foolish man. given the current atmosphere, the joke carried the sting of the bitter truth. the billionaires are at the white house gates ushered in by boaters who were again siding with a wealthy man.

aside from joking about his wealth, he has openly sued over one of trumps flashier and apparently effective start as president. during the same speech he said, he had been to but not to sign his name to the stimulus checks that were distributed. surprisingly, one thing that time says the president does not regret is is disastrous debate. it directly led to his stepping down as the nominee. he has privately told allies that he only regrets not changing the timing because he had a cold. he believes he would have performed better had he been a better health. for president trump, there is -- according to a recent piece, the discontent with the speaker is widespread within the inner circle for members of congress to prominent voices in the media. steve bannon told the new size,

speaker johnson hit the scale of his betrayal in 1500 pages of a spending for democrats. he turned a simple, clean, continuing exercise that everyone agreed on into a maelstrom of chaos. let's bring in the author of that article. it is great to have you here this morning. what can you tell us about the trump world reaction to that continuing resolution? and also is there an indication on where he is going with mike johnson? >> publicly, and lots of people in the orbit of trump was celebrating. he did successfully cut this package down. but, he did not get his core argument demand that he wanted. which was to address the debt ceiling. we have been told that he is not happy about the fact that he did not get that demand. it was public. it ultimately -- his allies are

arguing, mike johnson tended not get it. they are not sure they want to vote for him again as speaker. there is also privately lawmakers saying the same thing. the interesting thing is, donald trump has stayed quite about this. ultimately, i think, the chances for mike johnston will depend on if donald trump decides to weigh in or stay out. >> we all remember what happened to mccarthy. do you see taza going that way? >> i think it is a possibility. nobody in their right mind would want this job because it is so difficult. there is such a narrow majority. there are 70 different opinions within the republican party. it is easy to get into trouble with these lawmakers. as mike johnson has seen. i think it is interesting. right now, when we are talking

lawmakers, it seems like my johnson has more than he can afford. if donald trump supports them publicly, this could all be a wash. but right now, donald trump is frustrated with not getting his core demand in the spinney bill. >> let's talk more about that. although he did not get his wish, he still has his allies on capitol hill. how are they continuing to react to the still? >> again, there is celebration that they got this deal done. they wanted the government for a few months. they did cut the deal down. there were pictures socially -- the original bill was thousands of pages long. the new was only 116. that is a win. but at the same time, they want more. there's frustration that the original bill had so many concessions. i think that is notable. that also speaks to the

frustrations people are happy with mike johnson. >> there will be no checks and balances that we have relied on for so many years in the next administration. thank you so much for joining us. it was a great article. up next, when we come back, we will take a look at the top pop-culture moments of the year. stay with us. us. >>

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from country carter to the end of an era, we learned that pink goes good with green and we met a hippo that can seal hearts. we look back at the best pop- culture moments of 2024. 2024. where to begin? from arenas to a zoo in thailand. pop-culture is popping. just when it seemed the box office was in free fall, the popularity for wicked proved it to be -- the musical defied gravity. smashing records and turning green and pink into the color combo of the year. the costars turned friends seemed to be dancing through

life with every pass -- press appearance. >> it is extraordinary to be trusted with these roles. ♪ ♪ >> i am very grateful to have the space to breathe ourselves into these roles. to expand it. many turned into a double feature with gladiator two. we had an obsession with popcorn buckets. we also had this galactic outfit. he knows how to make his own entrance. he had a surprise appearance at a look-alike contest. it was a brat summer. and a whole year of email

powerhouses. if you are losing sleep over the end of an era, we have espresso that was hot. and a round of texas hold 'em. a new era for celine dion making a comeback after stepping away to battle a rare disease. the real star of the year. the baby hippo who stole our hearts. thank you for that report. how much did americans spend this holiday season? we are breaking down the numbers after the break. break. >>

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in 2024 we saw the first interest rate cut since the pandemic and record wall street highs. the biggest story may have been the american consumer. >> reporter: in a year were a lot happened, the u.s. economy was kept in stride. they got choosier with their dollars. big-time names in corporate america got pushed back. >> why are we not talking about these fast food restaurants?'s >> reporter: the shoppers still opened their wallets spending a

record amount of money online over the extended black friday weekend. >> we still buy. >> reporter: that bleed -- will you'd -- we don't want the labor market to soften. >> it is tilted up a half a percent from a year ago. but the good news is, the pace of christ's -- price declined over 2024. but still prices for household staples state high. the price for beef and eggs up from a year ago. many questions based on the u.s. consumer going into 2025. >> can you guarantee american families will not pay more? >> i cannot guarantee anything. >> they plan to hit america's

biggest trade partners with tariffs. raising the costs of electronics and even oil. another question, what will happen to tiktok? they will hear arguments on the constitutionality of the tick- tock band after a court upheld the law. it could disappear as early as january 19. >> tick-tock is getting banned again. is it real? not sure. >> we have breaking news. a massive, global technical outage. >> the microsoft outage due to a faulty update on the security company. that was not the only blackout. in february, at&t had a massive outage and in march meta-hat those issues. it did pileup. companies did file for

bankruptcy. it just means they are reorganizing. not necessarily gone forever. here's to more cheddar biscuits after what was already a busy 2024 for the u.s. consumer. speaking of the consumer, despite a shorter holiday shopping season, americans spent a record amount of money. between black friday and christmas eve, shoppers were expected to spend up to $989 billion on gifts and seasonal things. joining me now, business and policy reporter for the new york times. it is great to have you here. we just came off a season where people were complaining about the price of eggs. what drove this record number of shoppers? >> it is seemingly consumer confidence. the holiday season is about spending.

it is about people wanting to put money out there. they have been frustrated. we saw that in the supermarket. but overall, inflation has come down. and we are seeing the reaction to that in the spending. >> the biggest came from online shopping. there you have it right there. 67% followed by department stores. >> which is fastening. because i have covered retail and department stores really struggled to get people in the stores. while online was up, so was in store. it is a shocking development. you would have never thought it. >> perhaps it is competence with the new administration. we know that wall street will open. what you see happening? >> futures were down a bit. they are closing at 30% for the year. it has been a strong market.

investors do seem to be optimistic about the stock market under a trump presidency. we will see. there are a lot about -- unknown. but they seem competent. >> while you are here, we want to ask about your reporting with the potential sale. what are the latest updates? >> it is a fascinating development. the japanese company is trying to buy the iconic company, u.s. steel. it has become this political football. a part of the election. do we want to let this company be sold to a foreign buyer? a lot of unions have come out against it. earlier this week was a split decision by the agency that oversees with deals pertaining to national security. some said it was okay and some said it was a security risk. president biden said he was previously opposed and he will

come out with his own decision about the future. i foresee him moving to block it and the companies trying to sue it. >> we will have you back to talk about that soon. thank you so much. one more story this morning. apple is expected to smash a historic milestone. they are supposed to be the first publicly traded company worth $4 trillion. sam is doing double duty. he has more. even for a brand as iconic as apple, a new milestone looms. it was smash expectations of what is possible. the company started in 1976 by two friends both named steve, is now on the verge of a $4

trillion cap. >> they became the first u.s. public company valued at $1 trillion. >> and a meteoric leap. now sitting a half trillion dollars ahead of the second most valuable company, the chipmaker. though it's at -- epic product releases have been parted for years. it is the recent splash into a high which apple believes will cycle more upgrades and a second foray into the smart home appliance market. >> they say they will take another crack at this. >> they could challenge powerhouses from doorbells to security cams. even though, not every apple product has been a home run, its ability to adapt and grow continues to defy expectations.

possibly creating the first $4 trillion company. still ahead, the latest on the severe weather impacting travel for millions of americans. a live look at l.a.x.. it is expected to be packed today. msnbc coverage continues after this break. break. >>

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hanukkah begins with dozens of families marking the second

holiday without their loved ones still being held by hamas. this comes as israel and the terror group are blaming each other for a delay in a cease-fire deal. we'll go live to jerusalem for the latest. also ahead we'll bring you some of donald trump's social media posts from yesterday spending christmas going online about hockey legend wayne gretzky and calling for the u.s. to take control of the panama canal. and we'll take a look at president biden's to do list with less than a month before he leaves the white house. ♪♪ good morning. welcome to msnbc's live coverage on this thursday, december 2 ofth. i'm christina ru finney. snow, heavy rain and thunderstorms pose a risk of severe weather across most of the u.s. as a record number of travelers are hitting the road or flying home following christmas holidays. airports nationwide are already facing significant delays. joining us now from

hartsfield-jackson international airport in atlanta nbc news national correspondent marissa para. i feel like you spent your whole holiday in that terminal. thank you for keeping tabs on things. how is it going? are they bad enough they're going to strip people of their lingering christmas cheer or are these delays workable? >> first happy boxing day to you, christina. i have been on the holiday travel beat this week. i've been on the roads and airport and i can tell you in a few hours i've been here at atlanta's airport this is the world's busiest airport, we are starting to watch not just the activities start to creep up but we are also starting to see those delays creeping up as well. so flight aware, that misery map that we all go to, i have seen that start to jump up. we have a couple hundred delays around the country right now and we know that that has the potential to creep up even further because we are seeing some severe weather risks around the country. we know in the northeast they have atmospheric rivers and further south we are expecting later in the day some severe

weather risk impacting potentially 13 million people. i will point out as you had seen on your screen this is all coming on the heels of just a couple of days ago on christmas eve there was a travel snafu we had that temporary grounding of american airlines flights because of a glitch. of course that was quickly resolved, but, you know, we have seen quite the variety and mix of travel snafus here. of course things here at atlanta, again, just starting to pick up. when it comes to travel on the roads we had two days of minimal traffic, but i hope you enjoyed it because according to riple a that's going to creep up as well we'll keep an eye on all of it. back to you. >> nbc news national correspondent marissa parra, thank you so much. we turn to news from overseas russia targeting ukraine's energy grid in an attack on christmas day. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu issuing a warning to

iran-backed houthi forces during a hanukkah candlelighting. joining us live is international correspondent raf sanchez. what is the latest? >> reporter: well, christina, this was a large-scale russian attack all across ukraine. it involved around 70 missiles, ballistic and cruise and more than 100 attack drones according to ukrainians officials and they are saying the goal here was to cripple ukrainian's power grid cutting both heat and light in the middle of winter. this morning, ukraine still reeling from a massive christmas day drone and missile attack by russian forces. at least six people killed in strikes like this in kharkiv officials say. in the capital thousands of families spending christmas seeking safety in the subway. it's scary to stay at home so we came to the shelter, says this mom.

russia is once again targeting the energy grid, ukraine says, leaving half a million without power in the depths of winter. president zelenskyy saying putin deliberately chose christmas for an attack. what could be more inhumane. president biden calling the attack outrageous, vowing to surge u.s. weapons to ukrainian forces. nearly three years into this grinding war, ukraine is losing ground in the east. and struggling to hold territory it captured inside russia where putin's forces are supported by thousands of troops from north korea. also bracing to see if donald trump will try to end the war and on what terms. >> got to be a deal. too many people being killed. >> reporter: but on the front lines in donestk ukrainian soldiers celebrating christmas with their comrades saying they're not giving up. we can't be with our families right now but we're united by our military family, he says. in his christmas day address in

rome, the pope appealing for a cease-fire not just in ukraine, but also in gaza where israeli strikes continued over christmas. and just a few hundred christians remain in what was once a vibrant community. ♪♪ while israeli hostage families marking a second hanukkah without their loved ones. now cease-fire negotiations had been continuing in qatar earlier this week. the israeli negotiators led by the israeli spy chief, the head of the mossad, have returned here to israel. they are in consultations with prime minister benjamin netanyahu about the next stage of these negotiations. israel and hamas both publicly blaming each other saying that they are setting up new last-minute demands which are slowing down these negotiations, but i can tell you everybody is feeling the pressure from president-elect trump who has said there will be, quote, hell to pay if a deal is not in place

by the time of his inauguration on january 20th. >> that's right, but i mean that's just around the corner. is there -- this rhetoric coming out doesn't sound like it's potentially good news to make that deadline. what are people thinking? are they going to get it done in time? >> by january 20th? possibly. by the end of the year, which was the biden administration's hope. it's looking increasingly unlikely. the fact that both sides blaming each other publicly in the media, not necessarily a sign that talks are breaking down inside of the room. it may be they're trying to create external pressure on the other side, trying to extract some of these last-minute concessions. but as you can imagine for palestinian civilians in gaza, reports from gaza three newborn babies froze to death in the last 24 hours, and for the families of the israeli hostages whose loved ones have been held

450 days, every additional delay, day of delay, in the negotiations is agony. >> all right. raf sanchez live in jerusalem, thank you so much. joining us now is democratic congressman from massachusetts. thank you for coming on with us. you half heard raf mention there are hostages remaining in gaza and as the presidential transition looms what are you watching in regard to this potential cease-fire? what are you hearing from democrats, from the white house? how are they pushing to try to get this done? >> a deal seems closer now than it has since the last hostage negotiation was successful, and that's because israel is in a stronger position relative to not just hamas, but also to hezbollah and ultimately iran than it has been since october 7th. president biden deserves credit for ignoring calls from the hard left to unilaterally disarm israel and strengthen hamas and calls from the extreme right to

engage directly with iran which would have been inappropriate at that time. because i think of president biden's ability to thread the needle through the middle east because of israel's successful tactics against the ring of fire that encircles it israel is in a stronger position relative to these terrorists than it has been and has more leverage in the negotiations. no one can predict when exactly they will come to fruition, but it's always going to look hopeless until a deal is struck. >> you know, since that attack on october 7th the biden administration has tried very hard with mixed results to exert influence over israel to get netanyahu and israeli officials to the table. do you think the biden administration should have done more to put pressure on israel or do you think they did everything they could given the circumstances? >> the pressure needs to be put on hamas and iran and on hezbollah. these are the terrorist organizations that have as part of their mandate the destruction of israel and jewish people globally. these are the organizations that coordinated attacks against israel that massacred civilians, took hostages, raped women.

they're holding people under ground in terror tunnels for almost 500 days, including executing some in cold blood. the pressure belongs on hamas in particular because this is a barbaric death cult that has no place in governance of gaza. >> i want to pivot and bring things a little closer to home. speaking of the presidential transition, you like all of us i'm sure are tracking president-elect cabinet picks. i'm wondering what your assessment of those picks are, what choices you're concerned about and which ones you think are pretty solid if any, i guess. >> there are solid picks for sure. marco rubio at state, nih, fda. the one that concerns me the most, though, is rfk jr. for health and human services secretary. and that is because he may get bipartisan support for confirmation in the senate which is wholly unacceptable and would signal to the american public there is consensus around him being fit for purpose in that role. let's be clear, any democrat who

votes to confirm rfk is betraying the democratic party's long-standing commitment to children's health and science. this is a man that thinks no vaccine is safe and effective despite the fact that vaccines have saved 146 million lives in the last 50 years. a plan that does not think that aids is caused by a virus. this is a man who admitted to sexual assault against a family babysitter claiming, quote, i'm not a church boy when confronted with the allegations. no democrat, no democrat, should be voting yes for rfk. >> congressman, thank you so much for joining us. investigators are looking into what caused a commercial flight bound for russia to crash overseas and how despite dozens of deaths 29 passengers survived. nbc news correspondent steve patterson has the latest. >> reporter: new images this morning of that terrifying plane crash. [ bleep ] witnesses capturing the final moments before an azerbaijan airlines passenger jet with 62 passengers and five crew on board sharply started

losing altitude and then seemingly straightened out before crashing in a kazakhstan field in a fiery explosion. a stunning survivor stumbling out of the plane's wreckage. this russian rescuer on scene told reporters we saw the plane crash with our own eyes and quickly packed up to head to the scene for rescue. at least 29 people survived the initial crash including three children. stunning video from inside the plane as it was still in the air shows people calm, even after oxygen masks dropped. the flight took off from azerbaijan wednesday heading to grozny in southern russia. the aircraft was diverted due to fog according to russian state media reports. tracking data from flight radar 24 shows the plane making a figure eight near the airport in kazakhstan and then gaining and losing altitude in the final minutes before impact. the russian aviation authority blaming an apparent bird strike

for the devastating crash. birds famously struck u.s. airways flight 1549 the so-called miracle on the hudson, where all 155 people on board the plane survived the dramatic landing. in russia, russian president vladimir putin calling the crash a tragedy and offering condolences to the victims' families as the investigation remains ongoing. >> thank you. steve patterson with that report. turning now to the british royal family which kept some beloved traditions alive this season, reflecting on a rough year for the family as both king charles and princess kate battled cancer, charles made a major change to his annual christmas message. nbc news london correspondent kelly cobiella has more. >>. >> reporter: cheers, smiles, and an armful of gifts for the royal family on christmas day. chocolates and stuffed toys for the youngest and a hug for princess kate. the prince and princess of wales and their three children joining king charles and queen camilla for christmas mass.

♪♪ in a break with tradition, the monarch's holiday message usually delivered from a royal palace, this year from a hospital chapel, praising health care workers. >> i offer special heartfelt thanks to the selfless doctors and nurses who this year have supported me and other members of my family through the uncertainties and anxieties of illness. >> reporter: the king and princess kate both back in the spotlight after their own cancer journeys. >> welcome to our together service. >> reporter: kate creating a new tradition for the fourth year hosting her together at christmas concert at westminster abbey broadcast christmas eve choosing the theme love. >> love that listens with empathy, love that is kind and understanding, love that is forgiving and love that brings joy and hope. >> reporter: sending a personal message to all who were there. >> it was talking about the need

to recognize people who have shown love and support to others going through their darkest times. >> reporter: prince william offering a prayer. >> the people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light. those who lived in a land of deep darkness, on them light has shined. for a child has been born for us, a son, given to us. ♪♪ >> reporter: the couple's three children all in the audience and this time princess charlotte the unexpected star, lighting her brother's candles, the crowning moment of a much-anticipated return to public duties for princess kate after her cancer diagnosis. >> i think that the focus will continue to be on her remaining cancer-free. being involved in the children's school life and then taking care of herself. she knows she has a very big job coming down the line and it's only right she takes this time

while she can. >> kelly cobiella with that report. coming up, "wicked," mufasa moana 2. the top movies and look at new films sure to break records in the theater. we'll be right back. cords in the theater. we'll be right back. one — remember, i don't want surgery for my dupuytren's contracture. two — i don't want to wait for my contracture to get worse. three — i want a treatment with minimal downtime. four — i want a nonsurgical treatment. and five... and if nonsurgical treatment isn't offered? 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. ♪♪ ♪ [music] i could open the garage ♪ ♪ for sam's band to get stentourage ♪ ♪ protect them from the rain ♪ ♪ ♪ my garage i'd be closing ♪ ♪ while i'm hiking in wyoming ♪ ♪ if my home just had a brain ♪

here you go. is there anyway to get a better price on this? have you checked singlecare? whenever my customers ask how to get a better price on their meds, i always tell them about singlecare. it's a free app. accepted at major pharmacies nationwide. before i pick up my prescription at the pharmacy, i always check the singlecare price. it's quick, easy, and totally free to use. singlecare can literally beat my insurance copay. you just search for your prescription, and show your coupon in the app to your pharmacist. i just show you the coupon and i get this price? that's right! go to singlecare.com and start saving today. giving the people what they want and by people we mean former nerds like myself, theaters across the country are offering "wicked" sing along screenings to boost ticket sales

this holiday season. fans have the opportunity to actively participate in the movie by singing along to the popular musical sound track. nbc news correspondent joe fryer has the details. ♪♪ >> reporter: after weeks of debate, there's finally harmony at the movies. >> finally you're invited. ♪ you're going to feel ♪ >> to sing along. >> reporter: showings of "wicked" hit theaters on christmas. ♪ i want to be ♪ >> we invite you to sing as loud as you can. >> reporter: a gift for fans who just could not hold it in. >> now to be able to sing along with this is so surreal. >> reporter: especially after the movie's soundtrack topped the billboard charts. >> it's me! >> reporter: crooning at previous screenings sparked loathing. >> there is one answer. no! no, absolutely not. >> reporter: and not just from me. >> do not sing along to the film no matter how much you love

"wicked" and. ♪ defying gravity ♪ >> reporter: elphaba did give us permission when hoda asked. >> you're okay with it? >> i'm okay with it. we spent this long singing it ourselves. it's time for everyone to join in. it's wonderful. >> reporter: the box office has been wonderful. "wicked" with sequels to gladiator and "moana" $425 million in ticket sales and this past weekend was big for "sonic the hedgehog 3." there's also a big appetite for movie merch from popcorn buckets to a coffin shaped tub for the vampire theme. >> ready to match our -- >> reporter: the theaters releasing old flicks in new ways. "interstellar" hit imax theaters for its tenth anniversary. >> we can expect great things from you. >> reporter: in february the first four "harry potter" films

will return in 4d x which features motion controlled seats. >> it's not just about going and sitting and watching movie. it's doing it in the best possible way, the most state-of-the-art settings possible. ♪♪ >> reporter: something for fans and theaters to sing about. >> nbc's joe fryer defying gravity and expectations with that report. all right. the 2024 box office boom continued through this holiday season. "sonic the hedgehog 3" brought in more than $7 million on christmas eve alone. with "mufasa" the lion king not far behind. joining us media and tech correspondent for cnbc julia bore stein. if i missed "sonic 1 and 2" do you feel i can understand what's going on in "sonic 3." who is ahead of the pack which could mean big money for these films? >> i think you're fine. you're going to be able to figure out what's going on in

"sonic 3." these sequels want to pack theaters here. if you look at the year in total, "sonic" is a paramount film that topped the box office last weekend. look over all of 2024, disney holds the number one spot. its studios including both 20th century as well as the original disney studio, that has 25% market share. disney, 25% market share. it's back in the number one market share spot after last year universal took the number one spot with "oppenheimer" a massive film back in 2023. so universal fell behind back into the number two spot. what we saw with disney it had three of the top five films of the year including "moana 2" and "inside out 2." they were really able to -- with these old franchises, bring them back to life. they also lad and

wolverine." disney had a great year overall in 2024 and they have more wide releases next year. this year eight wide releases. next year they will have 12 wide releases including sequels such as to "avatar." >> aside from sequels or threequells studios think have enough of a fan base to get people to the theater are we seeing any difference in the type of films getting released in theaters and straight to consumers on demand. i watched "conclave" a movie you could buy immediately. are more studios trying to get the smaller films into theater or is the audience still not there? >> look, i think that there's a sense that next year the audience will be there. comscore told us 2025, disney has the best slate it had since before the pandemic and next year the first year we could see the total box office return to prepandemic levels. we're seeing a lot of these films, films like "conclave"

become available in theaters because they want to qualify for the oscars. they want to have a qualifying run. we're seeing films like complete unknown, a smaller film, an oscar film, that that's a film that's going to get a lot of awards attention but also is going to draw audiences to theaters. also you hear a lot from filmmakers about how they really care about having their films in theaters and there's a thing with the box office where it feeds on itself. it's a virtuous cycle. once people get back into theaters to see films they see trailers and that gets them to keep coming back to theaters over and over again. there's a sense that this rebound we've seen in the box office since thanksgiving and now with "wicked" and other films will drive more attendance next year because people have been exposed to these see quells -- sequels -- all the trailers for the sequels. >> i got you. julia boorstin, thank you so much. still ahead, donald trump

suggests a sports icon should run for prime minister of canada and floats of idea of buying a nordic country. more from his christmas day social media posts. president biden has less than a month left in office but still has key priorities he hopes to tackle in his final weeks. we'll go through that when we come back. back.

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president-elect trump took to truth social to mark the christmas holiday writing in part, quote, merry christmas to all including the wonderful

soldiers of china who are lovingly but illegally operating the panama canal. also to the governor justin trudeau of canada whose citizen taxes are too high but if canada was to become our 51st state their taxes would be cut by more than 60%. to the people of greenland needed for national security purposes and who want the u.s. to be there and we will exclamation point. merry christmas to the radical left lunatics trying to obstruct our court system and elections and are always going after the great citizens and patriots of the united states but in particular, their political opponent me. in another christmas day message president-elect trump threw his support behind wayne gretzky to replace trudeau. trump says he has, quote, no interest in the role. trump challenged canadians to start a draft wayne gretzky movement because it would be fun to watch. trump's post comes amid

heightened tensions between the u.s. and canada as he continues to threaten a 25% tariff on canadian goods unless the country addresses border security and trade issues. now despite being a legendary figure in canada it is unlikely gretzky will appear on the ballot. donald trump has named florida commissioner kevin cabrera to serve as his ambassador to panama. trump won endorsement this year when he ran for vice chairman of the florida republican party. the announcement a few days after trump called for the u.s. to take back the panama canal. cabrera's thoughts on that are tba. writing let's get to work. trump has suggested his new administration could try to regain control of the panama canal saying shippers are charged ri tick includes fees to cross through the channel. the president is quietly winding down his term in the white house but still looking to

accomplish a few more major items on his to-do list. for more let's bring in white house correspondent for the hill. alex, president biden has less than a month left in office. what are his administration's biggest priorities to try to get done before he takes off from the south lawn that final time? >> that's a good question. i think january 20th is going to come pretty quickly for the biden administration while he's looking at how to make his legacy stand with this final weeks. we're going to see him continue working on his foreign policy agenda. a cease-fire deal, and the war in gaza, that's helping ukraine and adding to the aid there ahead of the trump administration, so i think we're going to see a lot of his legacy focused on foreign policy. that was a lot of his focus in the senate before he became vice president and president, so we're going to see him kind of revert back to that. then i think we're also going to continue to see some pardons. we saw some earlier this week.

we saw a student loan announcement this week and another item for the administration is to get more funding out the door from the ira and from the infrastructure bill, so that, you know, when there's threats of rollbacks from the trump administration, they already have that funding out to communities to get something like tax credits or some sort of a climate agenda or an infrastructure project up and running especially to make his mark on some of those projects. >> they're trying to get money out the door to ukraine as well that may not be a priority in the next administration. how are democrats preparing for a trump term 2.0? >> yeah. we're hearing from the hill it was just a lot of let's buckle down and get ready to work with the fact that there's going to be a very slim republican majority in the house so how can we use that to our benefit.

we heard from house democratic leader hakeem jeffries just before the holiday saying if speaker johnson has a chaotic speaker battle come early january, we're not going to step in and help you because we want republicans to look chaotic and you guys have to figure it out on your own without our caucus stepping in. i think that kind of a point is going to -- you know, that shows what the next year will look like, that democrats are going to, you know, not try to intervene when republicans are looking like they aren't aligned on an issue. i also think jeffries had a lot to say about the fact that johnson took the advice of president-elect trump and elon musk and, you know, killed that first bipartisan cr that they had and so he's going to now say okay, apparently a deal is not a deal, so on my end it's going to work like that, too. i think we're going to see a

defiant house democratic caucus as they try to make their mark on the next year while republicans are in charge. >> is there any fear that that could be almost self-defeating for democrats? sometimes the better argument and a democratic argument said about johnson i may not agree with anything he stands for but he will come across the aisle a pretty good negotiator and somebody we can work with. is there a risk the next guy may not want to do any of that? >> yeah. that's exactly right. i remember having this same conversation when it was speaker mccarthy getting ousted and democrats it was, you know, someone who they knew would work with him, someone who would go up to the white house and actually sit down with president biden and try to reach a deal. i think that's the kind of leadership they've been seeing from speaker johnson as well. there's always the fear if he were to get ousted by his own party, is the next person who is going to come in, somebody who's just not willing to do anything with democrats, not willing to make any kind of a deal?

you're definitely right. i think democrats are going to have to choose their battles here. do they help out a johnson if that becomes necessary in a couple weeks in order to get some things they want. it's a deal striking situation, too, if jeffries can save johnson i'll have ten people help you out, or so, in order, you know, a couple months from now when we're dealing with something else, you'll look out for me. you're right. when push comes to shove democrats will need to figure out where to pick their battles and where they can figure out they can have the person in place willing to actually work with them and right now that is johnson. >> all right. white house correspondent for the hill alex, thank you for joining us. a new rule will go into effect for medicare recipients january 1st. under the inflation reduction act older adults receiving medicare benefits will not spend more than $2,000 a year in out-of-pocket expenses on prescription drugs. nbc reports the cap on drug

costs is expected to bring relief to cancer patients. a recently survey from the american cancer society found nearly half of cancer patients have some sort of medical debt, despite most patients being insured. before the new rule people on medicare typically had to spend about $7,000 or more on their prescription drugs before qualifying for catastrophic coverage. the new price cap will apply to all prescription drugs under medicare part d but will not apply to drugs given to patients in a hospital or a doctor's office like chemotherapy or anesthesia. tens of millions of americans with student loans could see changes to what they owe with some getting notices they may have to pay back refunds. nbc news senior consumer investigative correspondent vicky nguyen has more. >> reporter: during the pandemic student loan borrowers could get a temporary refund on payments they made. >> and the first student loan payments forgive interest until further notice. >> reporter: money to help during the covid crisis they would need to pay back.

>> i was able to get a refund for $10,000. >> you can get a refund on those payments. >> reporter: few applied for that refund until president biden planned to forgive up to $20,000 in federal student loan debt. >> we did it. >> let's just say i've been forgiven. >> reporter: borrower will adams a director for nbc bay area in california had paid off his son's $15,000 loan during the pandemic. so when he heard about the forgiveness plan, he applied for the refund thinking it was debt cancellation. >> i was hesitant a little bit when we got the money is this fake, a scam. >> reporter: but the check was real. and he says he spent the 15 grand on travel and home expenses. now two years later, he's expected to pay it all back plus interest. >> how did you feel when you heard you were on the hook for almost $16,000? >> you know i was shocked. the check i'm looking at it right now says fed student loan refund. to me it's a refund. i wouldn't think i would have to

pay it back, but now here i am. >> reporter: adams is not alone. an estimated 250,000 borrowers now owe the government for those so-called refunds. why? the supreme court rejected biden's debt forgiveness plan so anyone who received a refund is now being asked to return that money. which confused many borrowers like adams. >> the communication from the government was very spotty during that period of time. >> reporter: scott buchanan the executive director of the student loan services alliance. >> that's why we strongly advise be thoughtful before they requested a refund and continue to wait until actual loan forgiveness occurred. >> these borrowers are stuck in an unfair situation. >> reporter: the student borrower protection center is helping families navigate the confusion. >> what is your advice to people in this situation? >> the only path forward is to try to figure out how to make their day-to-day finances work. >> reporter: the department of education declined to be interviewed and say borrowers should contact their servicers

before the end of the year to avoid going into default. ask about different income repayment plans that can lower your interest and monthly payment and if you're a public employee see if you qualify under the public service loan forgiveness program the $78 billion is currently approved to help more than a million people wipe out their federal student loans. for will, who now has to pay $700 in interest on top of the loan he paid back, this repayment will be a family affair. >> everybody is going to have to pitch in to pay it off again. >> nbc's vicky nguyen with that report. and coming up, we'll take a look at 2024's year in space. nbc's tom costello brings us milestones and the latest on the two astronauts still waiting to return home. we'll be right back. o astronaut return home. we'll be right back.

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it was an eventful year in space with major advancements and amazing feats of engineering including a giant leap for one of america's rivals. senior correspondent tom costello takes us back over the year and tells us what's ahead for the next one. >> touch down. starliner is back on earth. >> reporter: america's 2024 space odyssey had drama. >> the troubled boeing starliner capsule back on solid ground but the two astronauts it took to space didn't make the return trip. >> reporter: breakthrough

technologies. and international intrigue. >> we have liftoff. >> reporter: above all it was yet another year of triumph for elon musk's spacex six rockets one day will carry astronauts to the moon and maybe mars with stunning capture technology for the booster rocket. spacex will soon provide the ride home for astronaut suni lee and wilmore whose ten-day mission last june will last nine months until at least late march. after nasa brought the troubled boeing starliner spaceship home empty, concerned it wasn't safe for the astronauts. 2024 was also another big year for the chinese space program. landing a second robotic mission on the far side of the moon and then returning home with soil samples that suggest ancient

volcanic activity. china is moving at full throttle to land its own astronauts on the moon by 2030. that's also nasa's goal for its artemis program. >> it is [ inaudible ] for us to land on the south pole so that we do not ede portions of that lunar south pole to the chinese. >> reporter: nasa is now delaying an artemis loop around the moon until 2026 to improve the heat shields needed for re-entry. the goal now a moon landing in 2027. new astronaut dr. chris williams. >> have you dreamed of being among the first to return to the moon? >> i absolutely hope it's me and, you know, i get the chance to do that. >> now opening dragon resilience. >> reporter: jared isaacman became the first astronaut to person a spacewalk in 2024, now president-elect trump's choice

to lead nasa. 2025 will be a year of private business and china pushing to go farther faster. >> nbc's tom costello reporting there. and still ahead, reuters publishes 1.6 million photos over the past year. a global editor for the news agency will join us to go through the top images of 2024 and the stories behind them. we'll be right back. we'll be right back. with the money i saved i thought i'd get a wax figure of myself. cool right? look at this craftmanship. i mean they even got my nostrils right. it's just nice to know that years after i'm gone this guy will be standing the test of ti... he's melting! oh jeez... nooo... oh gaa... only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty ♪ you got this. one — remember, i don't want surgery for my dupuytren's contracture. two — i want to be able to lay my hand flat. three — i want a nonsurgical recovery.

♪♪ four — i want options — nonsurgical options. and five... and if nonsurgical treatment isn't offered? ♪♪ 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. ♪ [music] i could open the garage ♪ ♪ for sam's band findahandentourage ♪com ♪ protect them from the rain ♪ ♪ ♪ my garage i'd be closing ♪ ♪ while i'm hiking in wyoming ♪ ♪ if my home just had a brain ♪

1.6 million photos, 611

photographers and 120 countries later, reuters is out now with its top pictures of the year. they are from all around the world and these images capture some of the year's most dramatic moments and influential figures. like president-elect donald trump and ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy. let's bring in global editor ricky rodgers. going through these photos last night i was so impressed by the diversity. they really captured the whole human experience, but i want to start with this photo of one of the most dramatic events of the year, which is president-elect trump, you know, there were a lot of memorable photos taken that day but this one with his fist raised blood on his face, take us through why this image stood out to you? >> well, this picture was taken from a different position from most others. it was taken head-on from a long distance, with a long lens, and trump is looking straight at the camera it looks like, and it's -- it's another version of

published photos that made this one of the defining moments of the election, of course, and it's the fact that, you know, we don't usually see subjects looking straight into the camera, and it does look as if he were looking straight at the photograph year. >> usually does know where the media are at any given event. i want to take you to another photo of a different world leader, ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy. i've covered zelenskyy and the war. when i saw this image i didn't know this was him, and i read the caption twice because it's such a different angle, different lighting. why did you choose this shot? >> well, because it's a portrait photo that says a lot about a person in the news so much, and it -- it raises a lot of questions, but it also gives us some sort of an insight into a moment in -- this is at a summit southeast european summit in albania and the photographer

used his camera creatively to under expose the photo, but it's -- it's a thoughtful photo. it gives some sort of a pause to the story where the reader can think about this person who is so important in a major conflict that's happening across more than two years now. >> i also want to talk about this next photo which is this really emotional photo of a mother at the u.s.-mexico border. one thing still photos do well is take an issue that can be overwhelming and kind of distill it down to a moment. can you explain to us what's going on here? >> yeah. so the woman is iliana from venezuela. she tried to enter the u.s. through a hole that was cut in barb wire by other migrants. she's carrying her 3-year-old daughter and a u.s. border patrol agent is stopping her. she was stopped at that time, was not able to cross over, but another migrant came over and

pulled her baby into the u.s. and the baby was taken into asylum. we don't know what happened to the family after this moment, but it's a beautiful photo aesthetically of a difficult moment for this migrant, and it contains so many elements and shows us exactly what it's like at the border. >> and finally, i also want to talk to you about climate change which can lead to startling images. the effects of climate change were felt all over the world this year including here in the u.s. what can you tell us about this next picture which was taken in california? >> yeah. you know, whether or not we can relate this directly to climate change it was in question. this is a wildfire in california. the reason i chose this picture and the editor who did this selection chose it because it shows that climate crisis and natural disasters affect all

income levels of people and crosses socioeconomic barriers and this is, obviously, a wealthy family and a car that's being rescued by firefighters and makes them wonder why they're spending so much time on a car when the house is burning behind sglits ricky rodgers, thank you so much. see all the reuters pictures of the year online now at reuters.com. that was global editors picture ricky rodgers again. much more live coverage ahead on msnbc after this short break.

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♪♪ good morning. it is 10:00 a.m. eastern, 7:00 a.m. pacific. i'm christina ruffini. winter weather is snarling holiday travel across the country with delays out of at least 15 major airports. snow is blanketing parts of the west and stormy conditions brew in the south, east and midwest. 13 million people are at risk for storms in texas, louisiana and arkansas. this is sierra, california, after crews worked through the night. one manager for california's department of transportation said there's more to come. >> we're going to get the snow cleared out.