are pregnant or planning. don't take if allergic or have an infection. done settling? ask your rheumatologist for rinvoq. and take back what's yours. (♪♪) good morning. it is 10:00 a.m. eastern, 7:00 a.m. pacific. i'm christina ffini in washington, d.c. this hour, post-holiday moves. what we can expect on one of the busiest holiday travel days of the year and how the weather might come into play. and another stowaway. a passenger is caught sneaking on to a plane without a ticket, just after a different passenger was apprehended on a flight to paris. how does this keep happening? and immigration crackdown. we'll speak with the leading immigration lawyer who sued the

first trump administration about how she's planning to fight trump's promised mass deportations. and we begin this hour with the lingering questions and new developments following that devastating plane crash in kazakhstan on christmas day. the russian-bound flight was carrying 67 people. authorities say 38 were killed, but 29, remarkably, survived. and now a u.s. official says that there are early indications that the plane was hit by a russian anti-aircraft system. but moscow says that speculation is just that, adding that the kremlin won't comment until a full investigation is complete. all right, joining us now is nbc's steve patterson. steve, what is the latest? what do we know this morning? >> christina, this morning, we are hearing from a member of russia's aviation department, saying that during the incident, the area around grassny airport was, quote, very complicated and add l that ukrainian combat drones were carrying out attacks at the time. also noting that the aircraft tried to make two attempts to

land the plane, but they were unsuccessful. all of this while a tempest of questions swirl. >> reporter: this morning, new clues about what may have brought down this azerbaijan passenger jet in a fiery crash, killing 38 people onboard. new footage shows holes in the jet's fuselage, in what experts say appears to be shrapnel damage, evidence the plane may have been downed by russian forces, according to a growing number of government officials and aviation experts. a theory conflicting with the kremlin's narrative that a bird strike caused the crash. the azerbaijan air passenger jet with 62 passengers and five crew onboard had taken off from baku, azerbaijan, heading to grazny in russia, an area where they have used air defense systems against ukrainian drone strikes in recent months. russian officials says bad weather diverted the aircraft. they say the plane experienced a failure in its control systems

and an oxygen tank had exploded in the cabin, causing passengers to lose consciousness. this video from inside the plane in the air shows people calm, even after oxygen masks dropped. then the plane suddenly lost altitude, before crashing in a fireball, in a kazakhstan field. some of the injured airlifted to baku overnight. now as the people of azerbaijan mourn the loss of the fallen, a u.s. official tells nbc news that there are early indications that the plane may have been hit by a russian anti-aircraft system. aviation expert matthew boary reviewed the footage and agrees. >> that the likely cause of the events is a misidentification and damage sustained from that. >> reporter: this comes as a dutch corps recently concluded that a malaysian airlines flight was brought down in 2014 over ukraine by a missile fired by pro-russian fighters. ukrainian officials immediately blaming russia for this crash, too. the kremlin responding. it would be incorrect to make

any hypothesis before the investigation comes to conclusions. >> reporter: meanwhile, we know that investigators are combing through the ground wreckage and aircraft data. kazakhstan's transportation head say that they recovered a second black box and will hand it over to the authorities, but at a minimum, that data will take at least two weeks to parse through. christina? >> steve patterson, thank you so much. and for more on this, joining us now is jeff gazetty, he's of course an nbc news aviation analyst, and also u.s. retired lieutenant general hodges, who served as the commander of u.s. army europe. jeff, i want to start with you. there's been a lot of open sourcing analysis of this plane going down. and there's a couple of things that you said that you're able to assess from that data that, you know, people can see on sites like flightaware and tracking. one of those is aircraft control ability. can you explain to us what that means and what it could indicate in the course of why this plane went down? >> certainly.

good morning, christina. >> good morning. >> yes, the asdb-recorded data indicates that the plane was pitching up and down and having difficulties with controlling its altitude and its air speed. and that to me indicates a controllability problem. and it's also seen in this video here that you're showing, just prior to the impact, you could see the airplane pitching up and then pitching down, its nose going down, and trying to pitch up again, as it attempts this emergency landing. so, controllability is absolutely an issue. and there's also open source indicating that the crew even indicated that they were having controllability problems. so to me, it's -- you've got many different pieces of evidence indicating a problem with the flight controls and the crew's ability to control the airplane. >> and general, first the kremlin said that they think that it was a bird strike that

caused the crash, and just this morning, an aviation official with the russian government said that ukrainian combat drones were in the area where the plane was intended to land. what do you make of those statements? >> well, first of all, why was grazny airport even open? if there were, as russia has acknowledged, ukrainian drone strikes going on in the area, why would a commercial airport still be opened? to me, this is -- of course, we'll have to wait for the investigation, but i think the evidence points towards an air defense weapon that was used, the holes in the fuselage, the effects that jeff just described so well. those are consistent with an air defense missile strike. the type that detonates before it actually hits the aircraft. and that's what creates that sort of fragmentation. and look, it is complicated when you've got drones and a lot of things in the air. and if you don't have

disciplined, well-trained air defense crews, these are the kind of things that can happen. >> reporter: yeah, that's a good point, because even here in the u.s., you know, we have seen airports as big as l.a.x. shut down, if there's a commercial drone, somebody bought at radioshack too close to the flight line. jeff, i want to ask you about mh-17, which is that malaysian airlines flight that was shot down by russian-backed forces. this is all seeming very familiar to that case. there was a long investigation by dutch investigators. they did say that it was due to weapons systems that were from russian-backed rebels, but the kremlin never acknowledged that. how does that impact how investigators are going to look into that crash? and are we expecting to it follow a somewhat similar trajectory? >> well, christina, the mh-17 tragedy shed a lot of light on exactly what general hodges just talked about. conflict zones, commercial airlines flying in and out of conflict zones. and there were recommendations

made out of the mh-17 dutch investigation that apparently were not heeded in that event. because general hodges is correct. grozny should have been closed. there was warfare going on at the time. the dutch investigation of mh-17 looked at the same splatter pattern of holes in the fuselage and did their best to provide -- to present the facts from the black boxes, from the fuselage damage, to prove that a russian separatist-backed missile brought down that boeing 777. so hopefully, the same type of international civil aviation authority investigation will occur with this crash. it would be difficult to sweep this crash under the carpet and not conduct a thorough investigation, like they did with mh-17. >> what do we expect they're going to be able to see on those

flight's data recorders. and it sounds like they're in the hands of the kazak government. do they have the type of equipment they need to analyze that type of data? >> i don't think they do. they rely on moscow, they rely on a very robust accident investigation entity in russia to download those. kazakhstan may decide to send them elsewhere, but we'll have to see with what they do with both the cockpit voice recorder and the data recorder. >> yeah, that could complicate the investigation. general, i also want to ask you, if this was a russian shoot down, do you think it was accidental? do you think it was on purpose? and what oes that say about the regime one way or the other? >> well, i meant to say earlier, kudos to the pilots, by the way, who managed to do what they did after being hit. that's why 25, 35 people survived this terrible incident. we're never going to get

transparency from moscow. they have never been clear on these kinds of things. they'll deny, deny, distract before they would ever say, yeah, we screwed up here. but i think that's exactly what happened. unless it turns out that there was somebody, one of the passengers was somebody that they really wanted, i think this probably was a mix of incompetence and confusion in a very complicated situation. and you know, we put a lot of effort into our air and missile defense crews, training, on positive identification, making sure you don't accidentally hit your own aircraft. and of course, we know this still happens, as happened just a few days ago out in the red sea. so it is difficult. and you've got to have transparency, disciplined, well-trained crews when your doing this. >> the plane was headed to

chechnya, but we have no indications that there were any high-profile targets, muslim extremist that the russian or any other government may have wanted to go after. jeff, i also want to ask you, yesterday, russian authorities briefly closed all four of moscow's airports and another one about a hundred miles from the city, and this was on the same day that the kremlin warned about speculating what may have caused the plane crash. what do you make of that? what is your take on why they would have done that? >> yeah, christina, i don't know. maybe that was coincidental, but why close airports in moscow and ostensibly it was due to safety reasons. i don't know if the two were related. this accident and the closure of those airports in moscow. i really can't -- right now, i can't draw any kind of potential coincidence between the two. >> fair enough. i appreciate that. general, i want to ask you, generally, we were talking about a bit earlier, but you know, i'm sure you've been on flights around the middle east, where you look at the map and the plane is literally going all the

way around this particular area or country, and that's because the pilots are right to avoid conflict zones, but given the state of the world and global affairs right now, it seems like there are more and more places where perhaps commercial flights shouldn't be doing. what do you do about that? is it safe to get on a commercial flight in eastern europe, in the middle east? should airlines be taking the threat more seriously? >> i think that, yes, it is safe to fly, and the airlines on which i travel. and i'm in an airplane probably a minimum of twice a week. somewhere here in europe, write live, or back and forth to the states, of course. but these companies life lufthansa, for example, or united, or others are very careful about where they go. we know, for example, if you want fly from frankfort down to south africa, there is a very, very narrow window of where you can go because they are concerned about russian mercenaries that are down in so

many of the african countries. so airlines are very aware of those and -- which is why they are careful to avoid it. obviously, this adds to the cost and it adds to the fuel consumption, but nonetheless, i think the airlines when they say that passenger is safety is number one, they're serious about it. certainly, that's my experience here in europe. >> i want to ask you, gentlemen, this all comes after moscow unleashed another series of attacks on ukraine on christmas day, really hitting the power grid, putting half a million people into the dark and cold. between these attacks and the plane crash, does this tell you anything about the state of play in this conflict? >> well, what it should remind everybody is that this is russia. and this is who you're dealing with. they don't give a damn about loss of civilian life. they are deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure and populations all over ukraine. these are all violations of international law. but we know that they are probably not going to pay a real

price for it, unless we decide that they have to pay a price for it. i have to say, i was -- i thought it was a pathetic response when people were outraged. oh, my god, they did this on christmas. well, of course, they did. they kill innocent ukrainians every day of the year. and whether a child gets killed on christmas day or in the middle of the summer, it is a war crime. and so when we talk about negotiating with russia, somehow, we've got to find a peaceful a solution, this is who you're dealing with. and we should have our eyes wide open, that they will not live up to any agreement. they never have, unless there's a very, stronger compelling peace-keeping force that can make them do that. otherwise, they'll do what they have always done, which is thumb their nose at it, play along for a year or two, wait for us to lose interest, and then do what we want to do. i'm not against negotiating, but we have to be smart and clear-eyed about who we're negotiating with.

>> all right. jeff gazetty and retired john hodges, thanks so much for joining us. coming up, what you can expect if you're planning to travel today as storms hit parts of the country pap live report from atlanta. plus, new remarks on president-elect trump's agenda from his incoming border zpar what it means for undocumented families. and the holidays may be over, but that doesn't mean the deals are gone. where you can get the most for your money this week. we're back in 90 seconds. ur monk we're back in 90 seconds olay visibly firms, lifts, and smooths wrinkles, by penetrating the skin, to boost regeneration at the surface cellular level. try olay. ♪ at the surface cell♪lar level. ♪ ♪ whether your phone's broken or old, we've got you. with verizon, anyone can trade in any phone, any condition. it's your last chance to get iphone 16 pro

with apple intelligence, on us. and, ipad and apple watch series 10. all three on us. that's up to $2,000 in value. only on verizon. (cough cough) (sneeze) (♪♪) new alka-seltzer plus cold or flu fizzy chews. chew. fizz. feel better fast. no water needed. new alka-seltzer plus fizzychews.

this morning, severe weather is threatening travel plans from coast-to-coast, as we head into at busy holiday weekend. hundreds of flights have already been delayed or canceled today, with travelers now bracing for more storms this weekend. nbc's marissa parra joins us now from hartsfield-jackson international airport in atlanta. marissa, how are things looking over there? >> reporter: hey, christina. i can tell you right now, things are looking good at this moment. this is projected to be, according to tsa, one of the busiest holiday travel days of the entire season. we know that atlanta hartsfield-jackson airport is supposed to be the busiest airport in the world. i will say, at this time yesterday, it did look a little busier, but that doesn't mean that we couldn't see that change in a heartbeat. we know that storms always threaten the potential of creating traffic jams, and

that's exactly what we saw yesterday, when we saw those storms really focus in on texas, we're talking about dallas and houston, as well. we did see a lot of delays and cancellations around the country with those flights that were supposed to be going into that area. there was even a temporary ground stop in the local area. we know tornadoes had touched down. and that is something that we could see happen again with those storms, the threat not just today, but into the weekend. and we know what kind of domino effect that that has. even if you are in a part of the country that is not directly impacted, of course, when it comes to flights, they run on a tight schedule, that could still impact you. keep an eye on that, of course. but when it comes to travel, of course, we know the majority of people take to the roads. it's not just, of course, tsa and air travel that we're looking at. road travel. aaa projects that we are going to see an increase in travel. we're talking about, you know, we had two days of minimal traffic, on christmas day, christmas eve, first day of hanukkah. that was minimal. well, i hope you enjoyed it. there's going to be a lot more

people on the roads, especially today. if you are looking to take to the roads, which we're expecting to be record-breaking this year. just try to do so before 2:00 p.m. you still have time. you have a few hours, because they do expect the worst of the road travel to be between 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., christina. >> all right. some of our team here is planning on right to get home through an airport later this afternoon. i hope they're listening. marissa parra, thank you so much. now let's go to a look at the forecast as we head into the weekend. here's nbc meteorologist denise isaac. >> hello there, christina. today, we do have a risk for severe weather across areas of the south. mostly between mississippi, alabama, and also the panhandle of florida. but it will be on saturday when we do have a greater risk for severe weather, mostly the possibility for a few strong tornadoes, also wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour and damaging hail. this time will be for louisiana, alabama, mississippi. so make sure you do keep that in

mind if you have travel plans. all of that thanks to an active weather pattern that will continue to impact the nation. today, we're tracking showers, spreading towards the upper midwest and the ohio river valley, then tonight, into tomorrow morning, this system slides towards the northeast, where we could be seeing at least freezing rain, freezing drizzle around vermont, new hampshire, and even into maine by saturday, a new area of low pressure develops, and that's the one that could bring the potential for very strong storms in the south. and then that area of low pressure moves towards the northeast on sunday, bringing some downpours from buffalo down towards charleston and on the backside of it, some snow possible around detroit, michigan. once we take a look at the rainfall forecast, from now all the way through sunday, some areas picking up 2 to 3 inches of rain. one of those cities, asheville, north carolina. certainly a they doesn't need to see this much rain, because that could lead to some flash

flooding. as we slide to the west, we're getting a break over the next couple of hours, but tonight a new storm system moves in, bringing more rain and snow from washington to california, and tomorrow, another one comes back in, with more rain and snow possible. and the possibilities for rain across coastal towns here in california, especially eureka, talking about 5 inches of rain, possible. other locations, 3 inches inland. we're still dealing with some heavy rain, while the snowfall forecast, we're talking about up to 3 feet of snow possible. the rockies, as well as the cascades and the sierras. so the active weather pattern will continue, especially this weekend, as everyone is trying to get home after the holidays. back to you, christina. >> denise isaac, thank you for that report. and this morning, we're learning new details about another airplane stowaway. on christmas eve, an unticketed passenger was arrested after being caught on a delta flight

bound for hawaii. it comes just weeks after a different person snuck on to a flight headed to paris. nbc's morgan chesky has more. >> reporter: this morning, as millions prepare to fly back home post-holiday, security at seattle's sea-tac airport now the focus of a federal investigation. the case opened following a christmas eve stowaway authorities say made their way to a delta flight bound for hawaii, without a ticket or even a boarding pass. the delta crew discovering the unidentified passenger just before takeoff, prompting the pilot to return to the gate. the airline stating their staff followed procedures to have an unticketed passenger removed from the flight and then apprehended. authorities sharing they used airport security cameras to track the individual into a bathroom, after everyone de-planed. >> it's scary, especially this time of year, when there are so many passengers flying and it makes it easier to make mistakes. but it makes you think. >> reporter: tsa confirming the person passed their standard screening and did not possess

any prohibited items, but somehow bypassed the identity verification and boarding status stations. >> there's no such thing as the perfect security system, but each time an incident like this happens, everyone must work together to strengthen those vulnerabilities. >> reporter: it comes after another stowaway incident the day before thanksgiving. authorities say svetlana dali exploited security weaknesses at jfk international to board a delta flight bound for france. the 57-year-old russian national now facing federal stowaway charges. she has not entered a plea. former tsa director, keith jeffries says determining intent is crucial. >> you see these incidents so close together. how does this strike you? >> it's certainly concerning. it's the holiday season. and there's an extra vigilance put behind it with all of the elements involved in security. >> reporter: new security questions amid a holiday travel rush that isn't over yet. >> all right, lovely destinations, but please, buy a

ticket. thanks to morgan chesky for that report. and xt, what donald trump's immigration plans are looking like for his first day in office. we'll speak with a leading lawyer from the national immigration law center about what their next moves are going to be. you're watching "msnbc reports." you're watching "msnbc reports." tremfya blocks a key source of inflammation. at one year, many people experienced remission... and some saw 100% visible healing of their intestinal lining. serious allergic reactions and increased risk of infections may occur. before treatment, your doctor should check you for infections and tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms or if you need a vaccine. healing is possible with tremfya. ask your doctor about tremfya today. ♪ have you always had trouble with your weight? same. discover the power of wegovy®.

with wegovy®, i lost 35 pounds. and some lost over 46 pounds. and i'm keeping the weight off. i'm reducing my risk. wegovy® is the only weight-management medicine proven to reduce risk of major cardiovascular events such as death, heart attack, or stroke in adults with known heart disease and obesity. don't use wegovy® with semaglutide or glp-1 medicines, or in children under 12. don't take if you or your family had mtc, men 2, or if allergic to it. tell your provider if you plan to have surgery or a procedure, are breastfeeding, pregnant, or plan to be. stop taking and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or any of these allergic reactions. serious side effects may include pancreas inflammation and gallbladder problems. call your prescriber if you have any of these symptoms. wegovy® may cause low blood sugar in people with diabetes, especially if you take medicines to treat diabetes. call your prescriber about vision changes, if you feel your heart racing while at rest, or if you have mental changes. depression or thoughts of suicide may occur.

common side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, flu, or upset, headache, feeling tired, dizzy, or bloated, gas, and heartburn. some side effects lead to dehydration, which may cause kidney problems. with wegovy®, i'm losing weight, i'm keeping it off, and i'm lowering my cv risk. ask your prescriber about wegovy®. liberty mutual customized my car insurance so i saved hundreds. with the money i saved i thought i'd get a wax figure of myself. oh! right in the temporal lobe! beat it, punks! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty ♪

jen b asks, "how can i get fast download only pay for what you need. speeds while out and about?" jen, we've engineered xfinity mobile with wifi speeds up to a gig, so you can download and do much more all at once. it's an idea that's quite attractive. or... another word... -fashionable? i was gonna say- "popular! you're gonna be pop-uuuu-larrr!" can you do defying gravity?! yeah, get my harness. buy one line of unlimited, get one free for a year with xfinity mobile. and see “wicked,” in theaters now.

it was one of the defining issues of the 2024 campaign. and a topic that president-elect trump promised to tackle on his very first day in office.

immigration. the man he picked to lead his mass deportation effort, tom homan, is detailing how the incoming administration plans to implement those policies, including the possreturn of family detention centers. let's take a listen. >> look, family detention, if we bring it back, it's on the table. we haven't finished the plans yet. if you choose to have a child here in the united states while you know you're here illegally and you know you're on a court order to deport, that's on you. >> joining us now is kika matos, director of immigration rights and racial justice at the national immigration law center. kika, a federal judge actually banned family separations. but now that homan is talking about possibly reviving this policy, is that even possible? what is your reaction to that sound that you just heard? >> it's heartbreaking. it's cruel. it's unnecessary. it has no place in a civilized society, far less in a democracy

like ours. here's the thing. the family detention and family separation is all about cruelty for the sake of cruelty. it is not a deterrent. >> right. i mean, it hasn't -- it didn't prove effective, even when it was in process. it didn't seem to be limiting the numbers of people trying to come across. i'm wondering, what will the legal avenues be for undocumented immigrants who could potentially be swept up in these deportations. and should people have a plan? should they pack a bag, have a lawyer to call? what should people do? >> yeah, it's been heartbreaking since the outcome of the elections. many immigrant families have been calling immigration advocates. we have been flooded with calls. i personally have been flooded with text calls from families saying, what do i do? do i need to prepare? should i leave? and one of the things that we have been doing is encouraging people to put together family

preparedness plans. those include things like families making decisions such as, if i get deported and i have kids, who should be my guardian. who will look after my children? who will take care of my property? who will be the person who's going to be responsible for whatever assets and whatever responsibilities i leave behind. those are the kinds of heartbreaking conversations that are happening all over the country because of the policies that trump is threatening to unleash. >> i also want to ask you about the type of support you might be seeing or frankly, not seeing, as we come up on the start of this second term. "the new york times" wrote, quote, nonprofits are finding that some supporters are not energized by another round of resistance. instead, they've been left exhausted, wondering whether their donations made any difference. some are afraid that they could be targeted for retaliation by mr. trump and his allies for

donating to that group or groups that oppose his administration. are you noticing that dip in enthusiasm? the exhaustion, the kind of downturn in people thinking that they can make a difference one way or another? >> we noticed it immediately after the elections, but here is what has happened since. people are almost waking up and realizing that they have a role to play, both in defending and fighting for democracy and also for protecting immigrant families. and so what we have seen since the election is an increase in the number of donations, but not just that, people are also reaching out and saying, what can i do to protect my immigrant neighbors? where do i donate. what are the things that we need to do as a community to prepare for what we anticipate will be one of the worst moments in our nation's history when it comes to what is likely to happen to our immigrant populations. >> given how central this was to trump's campaign and how he won

the popular vote, this is obviously an issue that's resonating with a lot of americans, and we've heard it from democrats, too. the system just doesn't work. it's unfair to people who stay in line, as you were just talking about. it's inhumane to have these mass family deportations or detentions. so what do you think could be a better approach or a better way to try to work the immigration system for the u.s.? >> yeah, look, the fundamental problem with immigration is that our system is hopelessly broken. and congress has not had the courage or the grit to move forward with advancing immigration legislation and just to provide some level of context, the last time we saw comprehensive immigration reform happen by congress was in 1987. think about that, right? i believe reagan was still president and we just seemed to lack the courage of congress and the courage of people in power to make laws that are -- get us

up to speed, right? we need to get -- we need to create a 21st century system of immigration that hasn't happened. and so americans are understandably frustrated. and what they want is a vision for immigration that is implemented and they want the comfort of knowing that our laws are actually addressing the many systemic problems that we have, that have led to so much unhappiness and so much anger on the part of americans. >> we don't have a ton of time, but quickly, i want to ask you, what does it say to you as a country of immigrants that immigration is such a contentious issue in the u.s. right now? >> it's heartbreaking, but i believe that we have to keep fighting for justice and fighting for immigrant rights. i happen to think that immigration is a movement

responsibility. there's a reason we have an immigrant rights movement. and that is because we have a growing coalition of people who are committed to the fight for justice. i really believe that the pendulum will swing the other way, and part of it will because of the horrors of what we're about to see being unleashed. americans will realize, this is not who we are. this is not what we want. and this is antithetical to a nation, like you said, of immigrants, and a nation that believes in democracy and the rule of law and human rights. >> all right. kika matos, thank you so much for joining us. >> thank you. and up next, more insurance companies rejecting claims for cancer treatments. the devastating impact that's having and what can be done about it. you're watching msnbc. what can about it you're watching msnbc. me 50 days of continuous scent as febreze plug, including a cord for flexible placement options... and a boost button for extra scent. new febreze plug scent booster. ♪ lalalalala. ♪ money is tight, so we must make sacrifices. i give up my bespoke shaving subscription. new febreze plug scent booster. and i'll stop ordering everything

that's trending on instagram. and i will no longer agree to the add-ons at the oil change place just because the mechanic called me "ma'am." it really is a top-of-the-line filter, ma'am. and of course, we'll downgrade our insurance -to get a lower rate. -well, you know, you don't have to make sacrifices now that you're saving money with the progressive home and auto bundle. you couldn't have said that like 6 seconds ago? 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. (cough cough) (sneeze) (♪♪)

new alka-seltzer plus cold or flu fizzy chews. chew. fizz. feel better fast. no water needed. new alka-seltzer plus fizzychews. let's monopoly go! hehe. chris! keke! ready tycoons? it's go time! cash grab! keke, i won again? ow! daddy will be back soon. [cries] -ha ha! -boom!

we're swimming in it now. -rent's due. -toodle-oo! busted! nothing beats playing with friends, except bankrupting friends. 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, plus four lines for $25 bucks. and save on every plan versus the other big guys. what a deal. that's a lot if you ask me. ya'll giving away too fast t-mobile, slow down. our right to reproductive health care is being stolen from us. i can't believe this is the world we live in, where we're losing the freedom to control our own bodies. we need your support now more than ever. go online, call, or scan this code, with your $19 monthly gift. and we'll send you this "care. no matter what" t-shirt.

it is your right to have safe health care. that's it. go online, call, or scan right now.

it's becoming an all-too-familiar hurdle for patients battling cancer. and that's the extra challenge of getting their insurance company to cover their treatments. nbc's stephanie gosk has more. >> reporter: kay sue has been battling cancer for nearly a decade. one of the hardest moments was in 2018. the cancer returned, stage iv, metastatic. >> did it feel like a death sentence in that moment? >> absolutely. and it still does. it's just -- it's almost like being on death row and just waiting. >> reporter: remarkably, she was able to battle the cancer back,

but her oncologist said it could return again, and p.e.t. scans were key to detecting it. how often do you have to get the p.e.t. scans? >> should be four to five months. >> reporter: a schedule she followed until her private health insurance changed to cigna and the company wouldn't pay for the screening. >> they thought it wasn't medically necessary. >> reporter: does your oncologist think it's medically necessary? >> yes. >> reporter: so does dr. ashley summerall from the american college of medical oncology. >> p.e.t. scans are all part of guidelines. that means all experts believe that a p.e.t. scan is appropriate. >> reporter: but cigna refused to pay for the scans, which can cost $10,000 to $15,000 each. with the delay in her screening, sue worried the cancer would return. angela pike understands that struggle well. her husband, tracy, was diagnosed with stage iv stomach cancer in 2023. >> he was so sick, he went from a 250 pound man to about 130

pounds. >> reporter: tracy's doctors in louisville ran out of strategies to help him. they said he needed a surgery, a kind of chemotherapy that a cancer center in houston agreed to perform. >> it was about 10:00 or 11:00 at night, the night before the surgery, that we got a phone call from the surgeon himself that the insurance had denied the surgery. >> reporter: in the denial let, blue cross blue shield said that the surgery was experimental, but here's what the clinical psychology. >> it is no longer considered experimental, it has crossed the threshold into widely available treatments. >> reporter: but not for the pike family, whose surgeon appealed only to be denied. at one point, the mother of three took to tiktok with her guitar. hoping someone might be able to help them. >> the surgery was only $42,000. they put a price tag on my husband's life and they decided he wasn't worth $42 grand. >> reporter: how desperate did

you feel in those moments? >> it doesn't get more desperate than opening up your guitar case and standing in front of a hospital in a 100-degree weather in houston. >> reporter: he never got the treatment. instead, his cancer spread. and roughly a year after his diagnosis, tracy pike died at the age of 46. >> reporter: are you left wondering what would have happened if he had gotten that procedure? >> there are definitely a lot of days where i've thought about that. >> reporter: in a 2022 survey, clinical oncology professionals were asked about the effect health insurance authorization had on patient care? 87% said that they resulted in denials of therapy, 80% said they resulted in disease progression, 36% said they resulted in patient death. blue cross and blue shield of illinois, pike's insurance company, declined to comment on her husband's case, adding, we are committed to increasing access to safe, appropriate, and effective health care based on the best available information and research.

susan's insurer, cigna tells nbc news, we strive to do our best to ensure that each person gets the appropriate care as quickly and easily as possible. well fell short for miss hsu. cigna contacted hsu after nbc news reached out to the company for comment on our story. hsu did ultimately get that p.e.t. scan this fall, but only after her employer paid for it out of pocket. >> your health is in the hands of an insurance company. >> mm-hmm. >> do you feel like they care about your well-being? >> no. i don't think so. as a result of me fighting for that p.e.t. scan, i found out that i have metastasis to my liver. >> reporter: the screening that had been delayed confirmed her worst fears. her cancer has returned. >> reporter: thanks to stephanie gosk for that report. and coming up, back in the spotlight, the menendez brothers fight for freedom after decades behind bars. we'll take a look at what led up to their re-sentencing plea. you're watching msnbc. sentencin. you're watching msnbc. ...crafted to work with your body.

♪♪ bringing the power of nature... ...into your new chapter. there are some feelings you can get with any sportsbook. bringing the power of nature... ohhh! the highs! no, no, no. the no, no, noooos - oooooooo! the oh, oh, ohhhhs! now whatcha wanna do with this? but the feeling that, no matter what, you're taken care of. ohhh, i just earned a hotel suite! hee! you only get that here. at the sportsbook born in vegas, where they know how to treat you right. who you talking to jamie foxx? bonus bets. exclusive offers. real world rewards. betmgm. download and bet today.

carl: what's up, carl nation! it's your #1 broker with the best full-service wealth management skills in the biz. tech asst: actually i'm seeing something from schwab. (uh-oh) producer : yeah, schwab lets you invest and trade on your own. and if you want they can even manage it for you. not to mention, schwab has a team of specialists for taxes, insurance, and estate planning. both producers: all with low fees. carl: we're experiencing technical difficulties... uh, carl... schwab! schwab. a modern approach to wealth management.

growing your business is easy once you know the moves. with godaddy websites plus marketing, you can quickly create a website, and ai will customize it for you. get your business out there and get more customers in here. no sweat... for you anyway. create a beautiful website in minutes with godaddy. as we close out 2024, we're taking stock of some of the year's top stories, and that includes the menendez brothers. nbc's keith morrison has more. >> reporter: one of the biggest crime stories of the year is 35 years old. the murder of kitty and jose menendez, popping up all over tiktok. >> they should be walking tree on the sidewalks. >> reporter: the brother's supporters go beyond social media to hollywood.

here's kim kardashian speaking to "variety." >> i feel like they just never had that fair chance. and imagine if no one believed you. >> reporter: interest in the case ballooned with the release of the dramatized netflix series, "monsters: the lyle and erik menendez story," which hit more than 4 billion minutes viewed in the first ten days. the real story began august 20th, 1989. initially, lyle and erik menendez pointed the finger at the mob, but by march of 1990, beverly hills police had enough evidence to arrest the brothers. >> can you believe it? >> no, no. >> reporter: but then kitty's nice, diane hernandez, says that lyle confessed to her when she visited him in jail. >> did he offer you any speculation? >> no, not at the time. >> your full name and spell your last name. >> joseph lyle menendez. >> reporter: at trial, the

explanation would come out for the first time, in graphic, emotional terms, about what the brothers said were the darkest secrets of their family. >> between the ages of 6 and 8, did your father have sexual contact with you? >> yes. >> reporter: they testified that they had been sexually abused by their father. >> he would have me give -- give me oral sex. >> reporter: lyle said it all boiled over three days before the murders when he ed jose. >> i told him, i would tell everybody everything about him and i would tell the police, and that i would tell the family. >> reporter: in 2017, lyle told me that we could he was afraid of what his dad might do. in preparation, he and his brother had secretly purchased shotguns, because, he said -- >> we knew that we were in danger. >> reporter: the jurors were torn. the trial was hung. two years later, when they were tried again, evidence of sexual assault was contested and

restricted. and the brothers were convicted. >> the verdict was guilty on all counts. >> reporter: they were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. case closed. until 2024. when new generations who have grown up after me too got interested. >> the menendez brother should be freed. >> reporter: then the los angeles district attorney george gascon said that lyle and erik's sentence should be reduced, based solely on their exemplary behavior in prison. >> we're going to recommend to the court that the life without the possibility of parole be removed. >> reporter: but before that could happen, george gascon was voted out of office and the ew d.a., nathan hoffman said, hold on. >> i will do a thorough review of the facts. >> reporter: and after, the brothers menendez will rejoin the great wild world or stay where they are, in their small one. for "dateline" msnbc, i'm keith

morrison. >> thanks to keith morrison for that report. and still ahead, what deals are out there at rock-bottom prices and where to shop for them. we'll be right back. prices and r them we'll be right back. and i'm feeling free. ♪ ♪ control of my crohn's means everything to me. ♪ ♪ control is everything to me.♪ and now i'm back in the picture. feel significant symptom relief at 4 weeks with skyrizi, including less abdominal pain and fewer bowel movements. skyrizi helped visibly improve damage of the intestinal lining. and with skyrizi, many were in remission at 12 weeks, at 1 year, and even at 2 years. don't use if allergic. serious allergic reactions, increased infections, or lower ability to fight them may occur. before treatment, get checked for infections and tb. tell your doctor about any flu-like symptoms or vaccines. liver problems leading to hospitalization may occur when treated for crohn's. now's the time to take control of your crohn's. ♪ control is everything to me. ♪

ask your doctor about skyrizi, the #1 prescribed biologic in crohn's disease. bent finger appointment in 30 minutes. you got this. 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. ♪♪ my kids can't hide anything from me. i'm home! especially when they've been using toilet paper that doesn't hold up. hold it, mister! here's new charmin ultra strong. it cleans better*, you can count on it. new charmin ultra strong has a diamond-weave texture that's more durable and it cleans better* so you can use less. ahh, much better. hey! you passed the clean test, and your math test. oh yeah!

we all go. why not enjoy the go with charmin. whether you need to lose 10, 20, 50, or over 100 pounds, make the healthy choice with golo. head to golo.com that's g-o-l-o.com

it's not too late. some of the biggest retailers are still offering great deals, even after the holiday. nbc's vicky nguyen joins us with more. all right, vicky, if hypothetically i needed some retail therapy after my shift

today, what should i be headed this weekend? >> hypothetically, christina, i hope santa -- well, realistically, i hope santa was really good to you. hypothetically, if you have a bunch of money burning a hole in your pockets or maybe some gift cards, there are a lot of end of year sales happening at the major retailers. but make sure you're looking for final sale or clearance items, so you know you're getting the best deals, not just the regular cyclical markdowns. check out walmart and target. they're both offering up to 50% off of everything you want, clothing, beauty, tech, and toys. christina, maybe you had people over for the holidays and realized, we could use a couple more chairs or another little side table. check out way fair. they have an end of year chair going on right now. i checked the site. they're already offering decorations on sale for valentine's day. >> no, no. that's too soon. >> what is it looking like if you actually have to return things? is that still possible? >> absolutely. and this is where you want to be really super organized about

your receipts, do you have them perhaps digitally? don't forget, if you bought things using an app, for example, target, they will look up your order for you, just using your credit card or open it up on your phone and show them the order number. it's really seamless, these days. but it does get a little tricky if somebody gave you a gift without a receipt. sometimes you have to take a store credit for something like that. be prepared for that. there are a lot of other deals, by the way. i want to let you know, when it comes to our today shop team, they ated deals up to 60% off. ninja, kitchen appliances, up to 39% off there. oprah apparently loves these cozy earth bamboo bedding and pajama sets and those are on sale. i would look love for you to look at the section of the websites that says, we made too much. lululemon does it, cozy earth does it, where they are offering deals of up to 75% off of really popular items. crate and barrel, pottery barn,

but you want to look for items truly on sale. use those price trackers like honey or camel camel camel so you know you're getting the best deals of the year. >> vicky nguyen, thank you so much. >> good to see you. coming up, a look at how president trump's tariff and immigration policies could impact prices. and what russian president vladimir putin said about a possible peace deal with ukraine. all of this and more on msnbc starting right now. raine. all of this and more on msnbc starting right now good morning, we're coming up on 11:00 a.m. eastern and 58 a.m. pacific. in this hour, crash questions, the search for answers after a christmas day plane crash in kazakhstan killed dozens. new u.s. intel pointing to russia. plus, travel tribulations. the big storms threatening to disrupt post holiday travel on one of the busiest holiday travel weekends of the year. and then doubling down. donald trump's latest promise to make male and female the e official gender policy of the

united states. we'll speak with the lawyer who argued before the supreme court against a ban on gender affirming medical care. >> but we begin this morning just over three weeks away from donald trump's re-entering the oval office and when he does he may revive one of the most controversial policies from his first term. family separations at the border. nshis incoming border czar tom homan said family detentions will happen and the ensuing separations are up to the parents. during the first trump administration homan over saw the zero tolerance policy which led to thousands of children tobeing separated from their parents, hundreds of whom have not been reunited. here is sam brock. >> the impending clash between the incoming administration and sanctuary cities looks closer to combustion after the san diego board of supervisors require the feds obtain a judicial warrant

for migrants already in their jails. >> i'm shocked that san diego did it. bottom line, we're going to come to san diego and do our job. it is more difficult, but we're still doing it. >> thomas homan is the border s czar and the former director i.c.e. >> you see san diego's action as muster and you're going to move right through that. >> i think it will be in litigation. >> it is the latest salvo over immigration policy that affects cities like san francisco, chicago and new york. >> it is unfathomable to hear that the incoming administration wants to devastate over 28 million american families in this country who lived in mixed status households. >> this is president of the new york immigration coalition and concerns that the family detention policy may be back on the table. >> we need to understand, it is not -- it is detention, but it is not an jail setting.

it is an open air campus family type facility that is open air, right. so we're not talking about razor wire and a penal institution and things like that. childcare and education programs. such thing as a soft detention site. there sois no human way of detaining children in prisons. that is what it is. even if it is a trent structure. >> president trump has promised as soon as he step news office as concerns over family separations remain high. >> do you worry that you will actually be separating children from their parents and punishing children for the actions of their parents? >> our plan, we have to plan to separate children from parents. the parents will have to make a decision. that is parenting 101. if you choose to have a child here in the united states while you know you're here illegally and on a court order to deport, that is on you. >> the con sent decree banned

t family separations for eight years. >> do you believe the decree needs to be re-examined. >> i think we need to reexamine that and see if it makes sense from a national security perspective. >> reporter: homan said that a decades old agreement that prevents the detention of children more than 20 days needs to be looked at again and potentially relitigated. so many brock, new york. we're joining now by carlos cashello and brandon buck, carlos, i wab to start with you. family separations were politically unpopular not just with democrats but with republicans. not to meng they're now legally banned. so why suggest say move that would lead to more families being split up and how would they put this into practice being it's been banned by a court judge. >> immigration is an issue where

donald trump and republicans are on the offense. it was the weakest issue for joe biden during his presidency and it was a very weak during the harris campaign and just like in 2016 that donald trump emphasized the most and got elected doing so. so republicans definitely have public support for addressing the immigration issue in a meaningful way. but there is certainly risk there. if they get too aggressive, if they come across as cruel to innocent people, to people who are in this country not committing crimes or not cheating, but just trying to live in peace, then there could be pea backlash. and like you said, not just among democrats, but also among republicans in congress who are probably going to face some head winds in the 2026 midterm elections. so there is a careful balancing act here even though republicans

do have the wind at their backs when it comes to the immigration issue. >> brandon, i want to ask you about that exact thing. there was this swell of public opposition to the zero-tolerance policy this time around. could trump but undercutting his own support if they, you know, pursue these cruel policies? >> yeah, the how is really important. not just the what here. immigration enforcement as a concept very popular. and there is a lot of things that donald trump could be doing in a few weeks here, in a few months, that i think would be really beneficial to him. if he's able to stem the tide of s people coming across the bord and putting in strong border enforcement, i think that is really popular. when it comes to the interior enforcement, though, i think donald trump appreciates that. when he gets asked about this in any more specificity, he pivots, we're going after the criminals and the dangerous people who are

here. now that is a much easier said than done. if people knew that there were dangerous criminals here, we would be deporting them already. so, i think he understands after the experience of his first term that there are ways that you acould do this become really unpopular. if we know anything about donald trump. he wants to be popular. i think tom homan is a political liability. he has so much diesel zeal for issue and such disregard for the views of other people on this, that if let lose to run wild on this, he could do stuff damaging to donald trump politically and the real world effects to the people here in this country. so i think this is something that donald trump needs to keep a close eye on, not just let tom homan do whatever he wishes. >> when folks went to the polls in november, we're seeing divisions divisions within the party and there is a feud over h 1b visas.

it is getting really ugly on x. on one side you have folks like elon musk who are favoring loosing restrictions and on the other side you have laura loomer and mega nationalists on their feeds tweeting away and slamming the idea. is this an early test of which faction is going to dominate in this administration? >> well, for sure. and i think this is also going to play out in the house of representatives as brendan knows and remembers well. the republican party has a five families in the house, right. which is the way they describe the different groups that make up the house republican conference. and there are people who will likely find some common ground with miss loomer here and start attacking elon musk, vivek ramaswamy and some of trump's biggest supporters. so this is a complicated

process. immigration is probably the issue where republicans are most united. i think tax policy will be a lot more difficult. but even though they have momentum, even though the country wants to see a greater immigration enforcement, border security, there are these divisions among republicans and some of these positions are really kind of out there.ut i mean, these visas are important to the country, they're important to our economy. employers need people who do nethese jobs. so this is a good example of how complicated life could be d particularly in the u.s. hous next year -- that he assumed the gavel again, which i believe he will. i'm wondering, when you look at this republican coalition and these competing ideologies that are emerging within it, do you think it is durable? i mean we're even seeing factions within the supposed cabinet, can they hold this

altogether. will this get worked out in the wash as they start to govern or is it a real risk factor. >> it is going to be messy for sure. what ends up happening, you don't focus on the areas where we have disagreement. we have agreement on border security and some level agreement on what enforcement looks like. but this issue, which sort of comes down to do you want the best and the brightest to come to america and use their skills here and benefit our economy or do you hold that view that there is a job for an american and there should be no immigration. and that is what the nationists are saying. it has prevented us from doing anything on immigration because you could never again, everybody on the same page when it is a question of not just do you -- how you handle people who are already here. but what kind of legal immigration system do you want to have and what kind of things do you want to reward? . i imagine they will punt on this

issue and say we're not going to focus on this and binary is a common ground, because they have a lot of things they have to do, like tax reform and a debt limit, that will have them fighting and there is only so much fights you could take on as a leadership. they'll hold it together for the extent they have held it vetogether for the last ten yea ago, but there are deep divisions in our party and the trump era has elevated the voices that were much more of a minority and have much more sway than they ever have before. >> and changing the function of the machine from criticism to governing is tricky. i want to change to the economy. trump has also backed away from his initial promises to lower grocery prices. americans are also being squeezed by rent, dear god, i'm one of them, and home prices. nbc news looked at the growing number of people living in long-term motels as a result.

is there anything that trump can do to bring down housing prices? >> well, look, bringing down housing prices takes time because you need more supply in building home and units takes time. there is a permitting pros that's could be expedited.th a lot of that takes place at the local level. to the degree that federal permitting laws could be streamlined, that would be helpful. but i think you're putting a finger finger here on a very important issue. because donald trump got support from a lot of new members in his coalition this time around. i'm thinking a lot of hispanic and african american voters. these people, a lot of them for the first time took the chance and voted for republican. voted for democrat. these people are struggling to get by. if donald trump can't deliver for these people. i don't think they're going to show up in the 2026 election and that is could make for a very

erdifficult election for house d senate republicans. so, it is really important here in the early going for trump to do whatever he can to deliver and equally as important not make this inflation situation worse. we know that there are some risks on immigration. some risks to inflation also from tariff policies. so, again, this is going to be a very careful balancing act here in the early going for the administration. >> yeah, the "wall street journal" is saying tariffs will hit among other things, affordable cars the hardest. and "the washington post" reports that people in low income areas are nervous trump's budget cuts could off federal aid and that is the difficulty is going to be, to address things like high prices and housing prices. a lot of times that is going to require government intervention and that is not very popular with this party. so brandon, what do you do? >> the economy is what donald

trump will be judged on. he could do things on immigration but every president is judged on what they do on the economy. that is the story of the last election. people were sick y and tired of high prices. so tariffs are, i think, a huge problem for the incoming president. but carlos hit at this, inflation is ultimately the key, but also interest rates. whether it is housing prices and mortgages, but also just consumer credit cards and things like that. having a stable enough economy where interest rates could come down and where you're not putting extra pressure, not borrowing and spending. because you're right, there is not any huge housing bill that cost billions of dollars that republicans will get behind. that is not going to happen in this era. but they need to make sure they don't add too much to the debt and allow the fed to lower rates and that will pay off more than anything else, if they could pull it off. >> we'll have to see.

former representative carlos cashella and brandon buck, thank you so much. we want to turn to breaking news in new york city, where the man suspected of lighting a woman on fire and killing her on a subway train was just indicted on multiple charges. according to nbc affiliate, sebastian zeppeta was indicted on three counts of murder in the second-degree. also charged with one count of first-degree arson. his next court appearance is set for january 7th. and coming up, new details in the catastrophic azerbaijan crash and the growing demand for answers of what caused it to go down. and rfr russia's christmas day attack on ukraine energy grid. we're back in just 90 seconds. w. (balloon doug pops & deflates) and then i wake up. is limu with you in all your dreams? oh, yeah. only pay for what you need.

♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty. ♪ (cough cough) (sneeze) (♪♪) new alka-seltzer plus cold or flu fizzy chews. chew. fizz. feel better fast. no water needed. new alka-seltzer plus fizzychews. nature knows best. that's why new chapter vitamins... ...follows her example. with key vitamins, minerals, herbs, and whole food ingredients... ...crafted to work with your body. ♪♪

bringing the power of nature... ...into your new chapter. it's a lot to be a caregiver and a daughter. because you kind of have to take a step back. getting some help would be a great relief. from companions to helpers to caregivers. find all the senior care you need at care.com this morning the new search for answers after that devastating plane crash in kazakhstan that left 38 people dead on christmas day. and as officials search for answers, a u.s. official said there are early indications that the plane was struck by a russian anti-aircraft system. the kremlin is warning against speculation on the crash and said it won't comment on the situation until an investigation is complete. joining us now from london, nbc's danielle homeo and evo dalder. i danielle, what is new this morning? what do we know? >> reporter: well, the

investigation is obviously still ongoing and we had heard yesterday through the various media reports and survivors who managed to survive this plane crash, that they heard a loud explosion. well, today, one survive speaking from his hospital bed with the reuters news agency said that that loud bang was heard just moments before they approaching a final destination in southern russia. and this passenger said that they thought the plane was going to fall apart and there appears to be problems with the level of oxygen in the cabin after the lound bang was heard. this an area where moscow has used its air defenses to take down ukraine drones fired in this direction. azerbaijan airlines, they are conducting their own investigation. they are suspending a number of

flights to numerous cities in russia. but they say their preliminary investigations, the preliminary results suggest, and i quote, that the crash was caused by what it termed as physical and technical external interference but did not say what that interference was. just a recap, that in the moments after that crash, russian state media was suggesting this was caused by bad weather, potentially even a bird strike. but according to various aviation experts who have analyzed the wreckage and the footage of the wreckage, it is very likely that they say this was caused by a russian air defense system that was trying to take down a ukraine drone. christina. >> and ambassador, as you just heard danielle talking about, the kremlin wouldn't comment until the crash is investigated completely. but at the same time dimitri

peskov has made comments saying there were ukraine drones in the area. what is your take on all of this and how could russia's involvement, especially given the relationship with kazakhstan and who might be doing this investigation, how does russia's involvement complicate all of that. >> it complicated it a lot. because the one thing we'll never heard coming out of moscow is they were responsible for this airplane falling out of the sky because she thought it down. they have done this before. where wl it was mh-17 back in ukraine or the airline in 1983, russia is not training its people in the way it should in order to be able to conduct the kind of operations in a civilian environment and, in fact, they don't care. so the complication is that both kazakhstan and azerbaijan has linked to russia, which are important to them for a whole variety of reasons.

which will make it difficult for them to come out plainly and say what everyone now thinks that this is the case. that this was an accident, which happens. it was a mistake because they don't close the air space over the area when they were conducting military operations and leave it at that. i don't think that is going to happen because the russians, particularly vladimir putin, is not someone who is interested in criticism, let alone in claiming error when error is clearly on the russian's fault -- on the russian's side here. >> they're speaking earlier about the mh-17 flight that was downed by russia backed forces in the don bass of ukraine after a long investigation. the kremlin never admitted fault there. and aviation experts pointed out that the government play not have the resources to do things like analyze black boxes or the more technical stuff and are

likely deferring to moscow for those investigations which could be complicated to say the least. i also want to ask you, i don't know if it will have any impact. but given the global optics of this event and everything else that is going on, do you think this will have any impact on russia in ukraine, on where that war is going or how they fight it? >> no, unfortunately not. you would hope that they care about civilian casualties and people dying in war, particularly through mistakes made by their own military. but in the way that russia has conducted this war over the past almost three years now, civilian casualties is not high on their list of priorities. we've seen this with russia repeatedly, including in syria where we're seeing the devastation emerging from the regime that russia backed and the bombing that is in -- that inflicted in syria.

i don't think this will have much of an impact. and i hope it is continuing support for ukraine including the incoming president who has hesitated in the past to characterize this war as a war of aggression, which is what it is. who has hesitated to make clear that the united states and the world stands with ukraine. and that winning this war, defeating russia and making sure that russia does not gain militarily and politically from the use of force, is in america's fundamental national interest. and we have seen the brutality of this regime. the fact that it is not willing to acknowledge that perhaps a mistake, just demonstrates that there are people who are -- who should not be supported, who should not be backed and i think vladimir putin is one ever those people and hopefully this will have some impact in mar-a-lago and in -- to the president when he becomes president on the 20th of january. >> one of the fears with g-7

nations is not necessarily that the incoming president trump will fight against their efforts toward ukraine, but without that really strong unwavering voice of the us in support of it, that that coalition could fall apart. i ask blinken this a couple of weeks ago. he said he believes it will endure. can that coalition hold itself together without all of the support coming from the u.s.? >> it is more difficult. because the united states is the big gorilla in the support, militarily and financially. although the europeans and others are also doing a significant amount of support. but for the europeans and i would hope for the united states, there has to be an understanding that russia is at war, not just in ukraine. it is at war with us. we are seeing all kinds of military activities, although done by criminal organizations, or in the case of the cutting of critical communication links and pipelines across the baltic sea

by private so-called privately owned ships, by the chinese or others. but they're all designed for creating an atmosphere of fear. and an atmosphere of terror. and atmosphere in which russia is trying to undermine the unity of the west. and the one thing that it has not understood, and that has kept it back up until now, is that west has remained united. and so, you know, i will repeat, i do hope that the incoming administration understands that we are facing a man who is determined to undermine not just what is happening in ukraine, but undermine european and ultimately american security. and that stopping him now is what is really necessary. >> okay. all right, thank you so much. and coming up, the massive pet food recall that could keep your cats, you heard that, from getting sick with bird flu. but first, wild weather. the severe storms nationwide

threatened to upend one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. how to make sure you get home on time. we'll be right back. time we'll be right back. ♪ whether your phone's broken or old, we've got you. with verizon, anyone can trade in any phone, any condition. it's your last chance to get iphone 16 pro with apple intelligence, on us. and, ipad and apple watch series 10. all three on us. that's up to $2,000 in value. only on verizon.

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 to control our own bodies. last year, politicians in 47 states introduced bills that would block people from getting the sexual and reproductive care they need. where does it end? planned parenthood fights for you every day. but we need your support now more than ever. visit this website, call, or scan the code on your screen, with your $19 monthly gift.

help us win the fight for the constitutional right to control our own bodies. truly if planned parenthood had not stepped in, i would not be here today. they saved my life. your support is urgent. our rights and the rights of future generations are at risk. and lives are at risk. and that's why we have to keep fighting. in every state, everywhere. donate $19 a month, or whatever you can afford. and you'll help us fight against laws that block care, and take away our rights. we fight to make sure everyone and anyone can get the care they need. but we need your help. and there's never been a more urgent time to join. so go online, call, or scan this code now. sign up with your monthly gift today, and we'll send you this “care. no matter what” t-shirt. it is your right to have safe health care. that's it. we won't give up, and we won't back down.

we need you now more than ever. go online, call, or scan right now.

this morning severe weather is once again threatening to disrupt holiday travel plans. for some of the millions heading home this weekend, more storms are on the way and already today hundreds of flights have been delayed or cancel ed across the

country. and marissa parra joins us from hartsfield-jackson atlanta airport. how is it going? do people need to pack their patience. >> reporter: they should always pack their patience, you and me included. we've seen the volume of passengers passing through. of course, more than normal, which is exactly what we're hearing was to be expected from tsa. if you look on your screen, you'll see the three days that tsa projected to be the busiest for airport travel, well this is one of them. so definitely pack your patience if you're passing through because we are expecting severe weather just like we saw yesterday. so yesterday, it is a prime example of the domino effect, because in dallas, houston, we saw a lot of severe weather impacting airports around the country including here in atlanta, because the flights that were delayed or canceled were heading into dallas or houston. there was a ground stop in dallas. you might have seen all of those images coming out of texas and that part of the country. the funnel clouds and the

tornados that had touched down. with he know texas governor abbott activated a state emergency response resources due to severe weather, and we do expect more severe weather not just today, but through the holiday weekend. as we mentioned, that could create a ripple effect traveling throughout the country even if you are not in that part of the country. and we'll let our meteorologist tackle more. but the majority of people travel, they travel on the roads and this is a record-breaking holiday travel season. so if you are traveling, you are not aen lo. take a look. this is when aaa expects the numbers to be at their highest, their worse. if you're hitting the road today, try to avoid 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. because that is when we are expecting it to be at its worse. so pack your patience, whether you're taking to the skies or the roads. >> i'm going nowhere. i'm going to home. i'm going to watch christmas movies and that is it. thank you so much. >> lucky you.

on a less cheerful note, there is new concerns about a bird flu outbreak across the country and how it could impact your pets. one company is voluntarily recalling contaminated food. after the virus has killed 20 big cats at an animal sanctuary over the last few weeks. david noriega has more. >> reporter: a nationwide voluntarily recall of pet food linked to bird flu blaming a raw pet food product for the death of a house cat. the case prompting northwest naturals to recall a batch of the feline turkey recipe product. telling consumers across 12 states to toss any two pound frozen bags with sell by dates in may or june of 2026. it is only the latest case. >> viruss are very sneaky. they mutate easily. they're looking for the next

species they could enter into. >> and two cats linked to bird flu in raw milk and experts say this strain of influenza could be deadly to mammals and cats are vulnerable. including big cats with the virus claiming the lives of 20 including a tiger at a sanctuary in washington state. >> what should pet owners do to protect their pets, especially cats, from bird flu. >> if you have an indoor cat, keep them indoors. you have eliminated the majority of the sources there. also, you do not want the raw foods that we have out there. >> with raw food, a tiny fraction of the pet food market, most pet owners could rest easy. >> thanks to david noriega for that report. and coming up after the break, growing fears from activists that trump is prepared to bulldoze transgender rights. our next guest had a landmark

case on gender affirming care. we'll be right back. landmark case on gender affirming care. we'll be right back. (realtor) we've been telling clients it's nearly impossible to sell a home in winter. not true - i just help them sell directly to opendoor. it's hassle free. wait - this isn't going on the internet, is it? oh... (vo) it's true. opendoor makes selling easy in any season. i go by jackie, i'm 44 years old.

i had three kids at the time and single mother. i was working 60 hours a week, still couldn't pay the bills. skipped meals so that they could eat. it's been hard because one thing falls into place, ten things fall out of place. you know, i just can't do this alone and make it work. one in five children face hunger in america, and food costs are rising, but everyone needs nourishing food to thrive. and they can when we work together so our neighbors can feed their families. call or go online right now to join feeding america with your gift of just $19 a month, only $0.63 a day. together thanks to a nationwide network of food banks, dedicated volunteers and the monthly support of people like you. we can fill plates with nutritious food for families across america. one day, my mother came over to my house and said, there's a meeting at the pantry. i said, okay and i went.

there were some ladies in there. they were from the food bank. they had several questions. some of those were about me and my story. but it helped me to open up a little bit. we are getting closer to the day when no one in america faces hunger. but we can't do it without you. call or go online now. visit helpfeedingamerica.org and give $19 a month. just $0.63 a day. 98% of donations go directly to help millions of people facing hunger from coast to coast and in your own community. and when you give by credit card, we'll send you this exclusive canvas grocery bag to show you are a part of a movement of supporters working together to help end hunger. i have people that i can trust. i have, i have hope. please call now or make your monthly donation at helpfeedingamerica.org. and your gift can double in impact.

across the country right now, transgender americans are bracing for the upcoming trump administration, especially after the president-elect vowed to end, quote, transgender unacy and will end gender affirming care and get transgender out of the military and keep men out of women's sports. joining us now is chase, the first transgender lawyer to

argue before the supreme court and the codirector of the aclu, lgbtq, at hiv rights project. there is a lot in everything we just listed and a lot of nuance to every one of those issues. but what is your initial reaction to the president-elect's comments calling it all transgender lunacy? >> yeah, so thanks for having me. and starting out, obviously, framing a whole group of people's identity as lunacy creates such a horrible atmosphere, particularly for transgender young people who are looking to the leadership of their government and wondering what comes next. and it is not a pretty picture for our community as we look into the future and hear a host of really terrifying policies being proposed from the president-elect under this framework of transgender, quote/unquote, lunacy, which goes to show that the administration, if nothing else,

is going to have a completely ideological and aggressive approach to transgender people. just living in the united states. >> and you recently argued before the supreme court in a case that challenges a tennessee law that banned treatments including hormone therapy and puberty blockers for transgender minors and imposed civil penalties on doctors who violate the prohibitions. what was it like arguing before the supreme court and the justice, you could tell by the tone of their questions and what they were following up. do you feel like the justices were receptive to some of your arguments. >> i think this is a pretty straightforward at case. it is a law that bans treatment consistent with a person's sex and it is a form of sex discrimination. we had a robust argument. i think looking forward into the future,ly note that this is a

law that 24 other states in the country have passed that takes away the ability of parents and doctors to make medical decisions for their minor children and that is something that i think everyone should be concerned about as parents, as medical providers, as people who want to do right by the young people in our lives. the other thing i will note, just in terms of my own experience at the supreme court, i am a transgender lawyer, that is a federal government building, we're hearing an increasing amount of proposed legislation as well as rhetoric targeting transgender people's use of restrooms in public buildings. and if we can't freely go to the bathroom in public buildings, then we can't participate in our civic society. that is a full way that we can see trans people being expelled from public life if we can't advocate with our lawmakers and in court, then what are we supposed to do and that is something that we're bracing for in the incoming trump administration and we're gearing up to fight back against efforts

to expel transgender people from public and civic life. >> the rhetoric and sometimes hysteria around this issue, especially on the capital with bathroom issues , could make it hard to have any kind of gender affirming care for minors. in europe, norway for instance, just joined sweden an the u.k. in introducing limits after a series of studies found that the long-term benefits from youth gender transitions range from unknown to unfavorable. given that, i'm wondering what your take on those studies are and what you make of the broad fight to have access in the u.s. and if maybe there is room to have that reconsideration in there? >> so a few points. the first is that they aren't new studies. those are reports from governments identifying concerns about the treatment and issuings as you know it, from that

headline, a cautious approach. the united states has seen 25 states banning the medical treatment with no ability for parents and doctors and add adolescents to receive it. which is a far car even from the european countries that have you spoken to. in europe, adolescents who need the care could still get it. those in tennessee and texas could not get this treatment even if it is believed to be medically necessary. there are new studies documenting a lack of benefits to the care. these are systematic reviews that are taking the existing studies and making a series of findings. but france has come out with a completely different approach, looking at the same data as has every major medical association in the united states. so i don't think it is as simple as saying this is medical treatment that is increasingly being shown to be unhelpful or harmful. that is actually not what we

see. serge from the clinical experience over decades and as well as over a dozen studies that have documented benefits for the adolescents who need it. >> i also want to ask you, during the campaign, there were these anti-transgender ads that ran saying things like kamala harris for they, them. do you worry about the derogatory rhetoric toward transgender americans? you worried it could get worse? and then the onus is not on the marginalized society to reach across the aisle, but how much of this comes from a bad place or how much of it comes from uneducation, not understanding and is there anything advocates or the trans community could do to bridge that gap? >> i think if you look at the amount of gop spending targeting trans people in the 2024 election, that at the end of the day, this isn't about us as trans people. we're less than 1% of the population. this is about a commentary on

gender at large to make people fearful of a changing world and that is on all of us to say, look, the issues of transcript people existed in the country, this is an effort to spoke fear and turn to a aggressive approach to government. smsing this that we're seeing around the world. so i think the way forward s to build coalitions and alliances for people's lives. we talk about focus on the economy. well transgender people are underemployed and have faced discrimination in housing. our community cares about improving economic conditions across this country but that takes actually policies to improve those conditions and ending discrimination is one of those. and also expanding affordable housing, increasing access to health care, we have a lot of work to do in this country to improve the lives of so many people including transgender people. but that type of rhetoric is deeply divisive and not addressing people's real

concerns at all. >> a transgender friend of mine told me they advocate patients to the point of participation. so thank you for joining us. we appreciate it. >> thank you for having me. happy holidays. >> you too. up next, no contact. the race to find missing patients and staff after military forced them to evacuate one of the last standing hospitals in gaza. we're taking you live to the region to report, next. ou live e region to report, next it's an outlet-free air freshener that fights odors for 45 days. so even after every flush... you know your bathroom smells amazing. ♪ lalalalala ♪ ♪ you know your bathroom like a relentless weed, moderate to severe ulcerative colitis symptoms can keep coming back. start to break away from uc with tremfya... with rapid relief at 4 weeks. tremfya blocks a key source of inflammation.

at one year, many people experienced remission... and some saw 100% visible healing of their intestinal lining. serious allergic reactions and increased risk of infections may occur. before treatment, your doctor should check you for infections and tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms or if you need a vaccine. healing is possible with tremfya. ask your doctor about tremfya today. ♪ ♪ limu emu & doug ♪ woah, limu! we're in a parade. everyone customize and save hundreds on car insurance with liberty mutual. customize and sa— (balloon doug pops & deflates) and then i wake up. and you have this dream every night? yeah, every night! hmm... i see. (limu squawks) only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪

this morning, one of northern gaza's last remaining hospitals is under siege. israeli forces have stormed the hospital and removed health care workers and patients. joining us now from tel aviv is raf sanchez. there is so little health care as it is in gaza. what is going on with this particular site? >> reporter: so, christina, this is the hospital in northern gaza. it is one of three hospitals still functioning up in that area. when we see air strikes in that strip, we're seeing the patients taken to that hospital. around 7:00 a.m. this morning, according to hospital authorities, israeli forces stormed inside, they forcibly evacuated patients, as you could imagine, a forcible evacuation of people who are in desperate medical condition. you could have people on ventilators and people on

respirators and newborn babies in incubators. this is not a straightforward situation. the medics warn this is highly dangerous and the medical staff were striped and searched and israeli sources started a fire at the hospital. israel is saying this is a hamas strong hold and they had no choice but to go in and this is the second time in a couple of months israeli forces have been operating there. >> thank you so much. and coming up, a holiday price check. where customers found the best deals this shopping season. and where you could still score big savings on any last-minute to-do list. you're watching msnbc. beats 10 buckets of water, and for zero heartburn 1 prilosec a day... beats taking up to 10 antacids a day. it's that simple, for 24 hour heartburn relief... one beats ten. prilosec otc.

(dramatic music) time is running out to give a year-end gift like no other-

-a gift that can help saint jude children's research hospital save lives. those that donate to st. jude, i hope that you will continue to give. they have done so much for me and my family. please don't wait until the last minute. make a difference by supporting the children of st. jude. please donate now.

whoa! how'd you get your teeth so white? you gotta use the right toothpaste! dr. c?! ♪♪ not all toothpastes whiten the same. crest 3d white removes 100% more stains for a noticeably whiter smile. new personal best. crest.

what if your mobile network wasn't just built to work out here... ...but was designed differently to also give you blazing fast wifi where you are most of the time? reliable 5g, plus wifi speeds up to a gig where you need it most. xfinity mobile. xfinity internet customers, ask how to get a free 5g phone and a second unlimited line free for a year. the holidays are coming to a close. but that doesn't mean the deals have gone the way of rudolph or the rest of the reindeer. if you found yourself with a few

extra ft cards, many stores and sites are still offering some pretty good discounts. nbc business and data correspondent brian cheung is here with what you need to know. brian, if i need some retail therapy, where should i be going for post holiday shopping? >> christina, got news is there is still deals to be had out there. even though this is last-minute deals, it is after the buzzer deals. but at target, you could get up to 50% off and warm is having a sale and leaning in the new year as the crux for offering the deals. up to 40% some of the health supplements, things for the home and sporting goods. there are deals if you are exchanging things. you could get deals there. >> when is the best time to get them? do i need to get in my car now or do i have until the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, when does this expire. >> some will be offered for a few days but the best deals will

pass. we saw the best deals during black friday. we tracked here at nbc news, check out the air pods and ninja coffee maker, some deals now compared to earlier in the year but you're not getting the best deals. although for some items, the magnet tiles, those prices have gone up since black friday. take a look at reebok shoes, it was as high as $80 when we began tracking data and tvs remain at low prices. this is very interesting, through most of the year. it is only during certain times in the throws or the early part of the fall where they raise the price. you could get a 65 inch price tv for a good price. >> i brother is always telling me to upgrade my tv. consumers aren't feeling great about the economy but overall how did this year's holiday season shop up -- stack up.

or i guess stack up to the other years. >> a little bit of a slip there. when it comes to the shopping numbers, we've seen strong numbers come in. black friday weekend did break records in terms of nominal dollars but with inflation everything is more expensive these days so it is not shurping that it would break records but as people do say that economy doesn't necessarily feel that great, at least as of the many cases i was at the mall, it seems like there was a lot of activity out there. >> brian cheung, thank yo do it today, thank you for watching, i'm happy holidays and chris jag picks up our coverage right now. picks up our coverage right now. it is the calm before the political storm. big promises and even bigger ambitions. donald trump simultaneously