remembering jimmy carter, a look back at the life of the 39th president as the nation remembers decades of public service that defined his legacy. also the probe into the deadly plane crash in south korea.

what investigators are focusing on as they hunt for what went wrong. also, extreme weather. we are in mississippi after a rare december tornado cut a trail of damage across the south . musk versus maga, the debate over immigrant visas pinning the president-elect's favorite billionaire against other trump allies. good morning, it's 10:00 eastern, i am ana cabrera reporting from new york. today the nation begin celebrating a legacy that spans a full century . president jimmy carter, the 39th president of the united states, died in his home in plains, georgia yesterday at age 100. carter was the first american president born in a hospital or the tributes today are pouring in from across the political spectrum celebrating a man who went from peanut farmer to president after defeating republican incumbent gerald ford in 1976.

he helped guide the nation through the post-watergate era but an economic recession at home and the iran hostage crisis sunk his reelection bid. the single term in the white house was followed by a lifetime of public service and just this year, carter told his grandson he wanted to make it to november, to cast a vote for kamala harris. at 100, he did. last month, president biden shared his memories of jimmy carter. >> it's a day but it brings back an incredible amount of good memories. today, america and the world in my view, lost a remarkable leader. he was a statesman and a humanitarian. jill and i lost a dear friend. i've been hanging out with jimmy carter for over 50 years. he stands as a model of what it means to live a life of meaning

and purpose. >> let's bring in chief white house correspondent peter alexander, jimmy carter leaves behind a vast and complex political legacy, doesn't he? >> jimmy carter, the late president, is celebrated as much for what he did after leaving office as for anything he accomplished while he was working there in the oval office. he had continued efforts over the years to help fight disease, pursue peace, and help provide for the poor. a man who's admired for his work on behalf of the world and here at home. >> my name is jimmy carter and i'm running for president >> he was the longest former living president in the ussr, jimmy carter, virtually unknown outside of the state of georgia when he ran for president in 1976. the political outside was viewed as a welcome change,

carter narrowly defeated president ford in the general election once in the white house, his lack of experience in washington politics became a severe handicap. congress blocked some of the initiatives that he prioritize, but carter found more success with matters of foreign policy emerging as a champion of human rights. the camp david accords, a major achievement of his presidency, then, there was iran, dozens of americans were taken hostage, a mission to rescue them, ending in tragedy. >> it was my decision to attempt to rescue operation. >> at home when the economy tanked, so did his popularity. in 1980, he lost his reelection bid to ronald reagan in a landslide but never lost faith in himself or in his principles carter's love story was one for the ages, he married rosalynn smith in 1946 and she became

not only his closest friend but his most trusted advisor. >> after leaving the white house the carter's dedicated themselves to public service, they establish the carter center in 1982 committed to advancing human rights and promoted democracy around the world. >> the bond of our common humanity is stronger than the divisiveness of our fears and prejudices. and in 2002 at 78 he became the third american president to be awarded the nobel peace prize. his work for habitat for humanity spanned decades.

in november of last year, carter said goodbye to rosalynn, his wife of 77 years. after a post-presidency unlike any other, this year carter made history one last time celebrating his 100th birthday at home surrounded by family. a leader who worked to serve not only his country but the world. >> it's always nice to see those beautiful pictures alongside his beloved wife of 77 years. rosalynn carter, you heard from biden before we played the piece, the two had a long relationship, joe biden, the first senator to endorse jimmy carter's bid for president in 1976 and donald trump said while i strongly disagree with them philosophically and politically, i also realize that he drew the love and respect for our country and he said and all it stands for, he works hard to make america a better place and for that, i give him my highest respect. >> truly a full life of service. thank you. the state funeral is set for january ninth my, what can you tell us about that and the plans in his hometown? >> that's right, well he obviously passed away in his

hometown in plains georgia where he had been in hospice care since february of 2023. we know that his state funeral will take place in washington, d.c. on january nine >> and his body will be brought back to plains, georgia where he will be buried alongside his wife, rosalynn. we know between now and then his body will eventually come here to the carter center. this was such an important part of his life. he came back to georgia after he left the white house and founded the carter center in 1982 where he did about 43 years of humanitarian work around the globe, trying to alleviate human suffering and poverty. he worked to eradicate diseases and monitor elections around the world. a lot of the work is what led him to win the nobel peace prize but he really was a son

of george and many people here are very proud of him. peter noted that he was relatively unknown outside of the state of georgia until he made his way to the white house. let's take a listen to what president carter had to say himself about his roots in plains, georgia. >> i was a farmer for 17 years and when i got through being governor, i came back to plains, wherever we are, we always look forward to getting back to plains. that's where our land is, we still grow peanuts and cotton and my roots are there and my closest friends are there in our church is there, which is very important to me. so plains has just been the focal point of our life. >> so many of these characteristics that he is now being remembered for today, his

down-to-earth nature, his humility, people say it ties back to his roots in plains where he was the son of a peanut farmer and grew up on a farm without electricity and running water, so of course, it's very fitting that ultimately, you will be buried there as well. >> joining us now, jonathan alter, the author of his very best, jimmy carter, a life. and presidential historian michael, thank you both so much for joining us today. jonathan, talking about a guy who started out on a peanut farm. he went and landed on the second ever u.s. nuclear submarine. he was a governor, a president, he won a nobel peace prize, he taught sunday school and built houses for the needy. his biography is just incredible. how do you sum up this life? >> it's an epic american life,

and as you are indicating, he was a renaissance man. the only renaissance man we've had as president since thomas jefferson, so there are another dozen or so skills that he had and things that he did. he wrote a novel, wrote a book of poetry, wrote a children's book. he was a master woodworker. he had one of the best arrowhead collections in the united states. there are so many dimensions to this man and his skills as a diplomat, almost more than as president. many of his major achievements as president were laid into this enormous skill he had, diplomatically, the camp david accords, are the most durable peace treaty since, imagine if israel and egypt were at war right now? they fought for wars before he made peace between them. so this is a big story, a great american story, and an inspiring story. only 12 years in actual public

office but you know -- >> that includes his time as state senator, governor and president. >> but look at the level of public service. that can inspire and i think will inspire other people to see what they can do to make a contribution. >> nevermind the disease efforts to eradicate diseases but we also have discussed, his life and legacy, just touching so many people and places, michael, he's a man who seems to have lived many lives. i think, the presidency was just a small part of his body of work. which part of carter's presidential legacy looms largest to you? >> the camp david accord of the middle east which has stood for

all these decades is the one that stands out. also a lot of his ideas as john knows, he knew president carter better than i did. i knew him a little bit but it was nothing that called jimmy carter more than to be told he was the best ex-president in history. it was like the guy who said you've got the best restaurant i've ever eaten at that's in a hospital, sort of an implied insult. people didn't mean it that way but carter would say, you know, if you like the things i did in my ex presidency, take a look at my presidency. but the other thing, johnson's making a great point, this was an unbelievable life force. he comes out of this as john said, 19th-century atmosphere of rural georgia, gets to the naval academy, has a successful peanut business. he was a millionaire by the time he went into the white house, in those days, from this business, so he was a successful businessman. at the same time, was able to rise in politics, get elected president of the united states

and the second time, defeated by ronald reagan but what does he do, he says rather than be flat on my back, i'm going to see what an ex-president can do. so i'm going to, for the first time be an ex-president who tries to do things like eliminate disease and spread democracy and judge elections, and build houses at home. unbelievable life force that even if you set aside him as president, this is a human being and a degree of character that we almost never find. >> you both have talked about how his most defining moments involve foreign policy, both his successes and his failures including the camp david accord between israel and egypt, but he boycotted the 1980 moscow olympics, that was controversial of course there was the iran hostage crisis which many saw as a failure of

his administration. jonathan, what do you think the carter administration meant for america's place in the world? >> well, at the time, he was seen as diminishing our stature, he told me if you bombed iran he would have been elected. but the hostages would have died. and he prioritized maybe to a fault, the lives of the hostages and they all came home safely. they want -- weren't released until moments after reagan took the oath but carter got them released. he did do things that were very unpopular in some cases, unwise. in retrospect, boycotting the olympics to protest the soviet invasion of afghanistan was ineffective. so there were shortcomings but even on the domestic side, there are big wins, that people have minimized. he signed 15 major pieces of environmental legislation. he doubled the size of the national park system -- >> in some ways he was ahead of his time with the environmental piece? >> he wanted electric vehicles

by the mid-1980s. he was 30 years ahead of his time. people remember that he put those solar panels on the roof of the white house that reagan took down. that was symbolic, there was actual legislation funding for the first time, clean energy. there was important good deregulation of things like the trucking industry, that allowed us to have this just-in-time delivery system that makes amazon and fedex possible, that's all because of changes that were made in the carter administration. so, even though, you know he failed in certain areas which we all need to talk about, and his very best, is very much warts and all, there are these big, underappreciated successes both at home and abroad. >> i'm glad you bring up some of those.

a lot of us are just learning about his life's work in this moment as we honor and celebrate that legacy and his impact. domestically, i think you know, carter took office as americans were still reeling from nixon's watergate scandal and he's known for the economic piece of all of this, the country faced a recession and it led to this pivotal moment of the carter presidency. let's watch. >> i want to talk to you right now about a fundamental threat to american democracy. i do not need our political and civil liberties. they will endure. and i do not refer to the outward strength of america, a nation that is at peace tonight, everywhere in the world, with unmatched economic power and military might, the threat is nearly invisible in ordinary ways, it is a crisis of confidence. >> truly famous last words or infamous last words, michael, why was that 1979 speech

considered such a political lender for so many years? >> it was considered a blunder because people said, you know, if you are a leader, you don't criticize the people saying that a lot of the problems are their faults, even if sometimes in history, they have turned out to be. and he also fired half of his cabinet which made him extremely unpopular. but what carter was addressing i think was just the standard of jimmy carter. this was a leader who, you know, fdr said that the presidency is primarily a place of moral leadership. jimmy carter believed that in his heart, that's how he got elected in 1976 after his exposure of americans to the watergate scandal and the vietnam war and the lies that have been told. that was the essence of who he

was. by 1980, people were so concentrated on the economy, justifiably and what they felt was america's role in the world which seemed to be hamstrung by a hostage crisis in iran, and soviet surges in afghanistan that carter paid the price, was defeated by reagan, got only 49 electoral votes that second time. >> it's a lot to discuss, we could go on and on, again, just such an impressive life's work. thank you both for joining us this morning. more coverage to come as we remember former president jimmy carter including a look at his special relationship with president biden. also the deadly plane crash on a runway in south korea, the latest on the investigation as to what went wrong. the storm system that spawned multiple tornadoes across the south. we are live in mississippi where the cleanup is just beginning. we are back in 90 seconds. compl to caregiver

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country's history. investigators are combing through the evidence as they try to figure out what caused this crash including whether a bird strike played a role. the planes final tragic moments are caught on camera and a warning, it's tough to watch. you see the plane skidded down the runway crashing into the wall and him golfing into a fireball. only two people, crewmembers, seated in the tail of the plane survived. joining us from seoul, south korea is thomas maresca, also with us aviation analyst captain cox, a 30 year veteran with us airways. he was in charge of us airways safety office and ran the pilot union safety office. thomas, what is the latest in this investigation? >> good morning, so, just a few more details have come out, we've gotten some confirmation that the pilot did report actually getting struck by birds in his made a request a couple of minutes before the control tower had warned that there were birds in the area

and he called in and said that he had been hit by birds and he requested doing a go around to approach the runway from the other side, beyond that, you know, the details of what happened and why all of these failures for the landing gear to come down and the flaps to properly extend, we don't know and we won't for a long time. the government is looking into areas that may have exacerbated the situation for one thing, the planes themselves, the transport ministry is going to inspect all 101 boeing 737 800's that are operated by domestic carriers, that was the plane involved in the crash and a spokesperson for the transport ministry said they will focus on some questions about problems that they had with some of the landing gear.

another aircraft returned to its departure airport, turned around and landed back because they reported there was some issue with the landing gear just as a precaution. they will focus on that, maintenance of the air crash, the transport officials said that jeju air is known to have a higher utilization rate of its aircraft, operating the shorter turnaround times and comparable airlines, so they are going to look into that as well. the acting president is also ordering an overall overview and inspection of south korea's aviation system writ large. >> a lot of moving parts right now, the bird strike report,

and the issue with landing gear not being deployed at least when we look at the images of the plane hitting the ground, uncertain, how that came to be. the captain, based on what we know at this moment, what stands out to you and what could have gone wrong? >> well, first, it's important to recognize that it still very early in this investigation. what we've heard so far, is there was an advisory about birds in the area. one of the pilots reported that they had taken a bird strike and they would go around. this would be absolutely normal. where things began to get unusual is, it is a very short period of time from the time they announced that until they are back on the runway, and it's important to understand that this airplane landed on the runway, and it had some 6000 feet to stop, so, have that concrete burn not been

there, this would be an entirely different event. the reasons for the landing gear not being extended, could be the fact that the second engine was no longer producing power. that would cause a number of things such as the wing flaps and slats not to be available and it would require an alternate extension of the landing gear. so, given the time that they had and the fact that we know the airplane landed with the flaps and slats in the retracted position and the landing gear, it is likely that the pilots had a higher priority of just getting the airplane onto the runway successfully, which they did, to maximize the chances of a good outcome, had it not been for that concrete burn, i think

the likelihood of a large number of survivors is quite possible. >> just such a tragedy that only two people survived, again, they were in the tail of the plane. captain, this plane is a boeing 737 800, boeing has been in the news for a lot of reasons it wouldn't want to be recently. what do we know about this plane and its track record? >> the 737 800 is one of the most successful planes ever to enter commercial service. there are well over 4000 of them flying. they've been in service for over 20 years. it's widely utilized as a plane and it's got a great record. >> thank you so much, i appreciate the reporting on the conversation. let's turn it to the cleanup after a storm system unleashed havoc over the weekend.

take a look at this, this is an elementary school in alvin, texas. 111 mile-per-hour sustained winds, crushing the schools sign, tearing off pieces of its roof, sending pieces of debris flying into trees, the national weather service calling it maximum damage. luckily the school was closed for winter break. kathy park is joining us in brandon, mississippi. kathy, clearly a mess behind you, what is the aftermath of these tornadoes? >> reporter: ana, good morning, the storms across the south were violent packing quite a punch. believe it or not it triggered more than three dozen tornadoes across several states on saturday alone. some of that damages right here

in brandon, mississippi. look at this house. we are told that for large trees toppled onto this home, the tarp is covering up a massive hole. a homeowner was actually inside at the height of the storm, about to fall asleep but incredibly, she made it out alive and unharmed. this morning, people across the south, cleaning up after a weekend of wild weather. a deadly outbreak of storms going through parts of texas and georgia, with nearly 40 possible tornadoes reported across five states and at least for storm -related fatalities. among the victims, an 18-year- old woman in mississippi who died after a tree slammed into her family home. days of severe weather leaving streets flooded and trees and power lines down across the south. this morning, tens of thousands remain without power and countless homes have now been reduced to rubble. >> you can look down the hall there, there is a tree.

>> she says she is lucky to be alive. >> if i had gone to the bathroom, i would be dead. >> is it tough to see your home this way? >> in alabama, neighbors are helping neighbors pick up the pieces. >> it's a blessing to see the people coming together and helping out. >> with millions headed home after the holidays, the weather also disrupting travel on the roads, and in the air, with hundreds of flights canceled and thousands more delayed on sunday alone. >> we got a text at 1:00 this morning that the plane was delayed five hours. >> rainy weather could put a damper on new year's eve celebrations in time square. but massive crowds are still expected to watch the iconic ball drop. >> reporter: the same storm system that caused all the problems in the south this weekend is actually headed east towards new england to bring heavy rain and wind as well but in the south, looking at much better weather today and the

next few days so the cleanup can begin. >> best wishes for that community there. thank you. next, trouble in paradise? the feud over immigrant visas that is dividing trump world. i'll talk to connecticut attorney general william tong who is threatening to be the first to sue over trump's birthright citizenship.

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we're back with breaking news on president-elect donald trump's 2023 defamation case. a federal appeals court upheld a $5 million verdict that e. jean carroll won against trump when a jury found him liable for sexually abusing and later defaming the comments. the jurors did not find that trump committed rape. meanwhile, president-elect trump appears to be choosing a side in a debate over highly skilled immigrant visas which can cause division among trump world. it comes as trump is also attempting to beat the clock with the upcoming ban on tiktok and the u.s., just weeks away. gabe gutierrez is covering the trump transition from florida. we just learned donald trump

posting his support for house speaker mike johnson, bring us up to speed on all of this. >> yeah, good morning, there's breaking news that happened in the past few minutes, as you said, donald trump endorsing house speaker mike johnson, and this comes after the contentious fight over the last few weeks to avoid a government shutdown right before christmas, just a few moments ago, president-elect trump posted on his social media platform, speaker johnson is a good hard-working religious man. he will do the right thing. he has my complete and total endorsement. this is significant because mike johnson can only afford to lose one republican vote to remain on as house speaker in the new congress. now, speaking of infighting within the republican party, now, there's a new fight, usually, it's president-elect trump's vow to crackdown on illegal immigration that has headlines but there's a new fight over legal immigration and which worker should be allowed to come to this

country. >> president-elect trump weighing in on an issue that has been dividing some of the most high profile supporters, the controversy is over h1b visas, that allow foreigners with highly coveted tech skills to work and the u.s. for up to six years. >> h1b visas, that's not what it's about. it's about taking american jobs and bringing over essentially indentured ways is to >> i've always liked the thesis trump said even though he criticized it while running for president in 2016. he now says i've been a believer in h1b. the controversy has been dividing republicans for days. some of his closest advisors including musk, have been defending the program along with others in the tech industry which rely heavily on those workers. some republican skeptical of the program. >> i think the abuses of the

h1b program have been absent. >> trump appearing to agree with must this summer. >> somebody graduates at the top of the class and they can't even make a deal with a company because they don't think they will be able to stay in the country, that will end on day one. >> over the weekend, musk threatened to quote go to war on the issue but later, wrote that the program is broken and needs major reform. it all comes as the tech industry faces another battle, a ban on tiktok and the u.s., set to begin january 19th if the social media giant is not sold by its parent company. in a new legal filing friday, the president elect is trying to buy himself time asking the supreme court to delay the ban, arguing the unfortunate timing of the law interferes with the incoming administration's ability to negotiate a resolution. it's the latest move in trump's complicated history with the app, trying to ban it in 2020 and then promising throughout his 2024 campaign to save it.

the supreme court is scheduled to hear arguments in the tiktok case on january 10th, leaving just nine days to issue a decision for the ban to take effect. >> thank you, and now joining us connecticut attorney general william tong. you've said america runs on two things, duncan, and immigrant workers. how do you view this internal gop battle over these h1b visas which the president-elect now appears to support? >> thanks for having me. america runs on dunkin and immigrant workers. immigrant workers are essential to america's economy and finally ramaswamy and elon musk are finally figuring this out which they've known all along, and this is about the, the big cases about asian americans, there was a supreme court case and it was about chinese workers out west in the transcontinental railroad, you

know, about 100 years ago, and that decision understands that our economy depends on immigrant workers and they are waking up and seeing this is not workable, how are they going to make it happen, how are they going to deny citizenship to the children born in america of so-called highly skilled tech workers and in so many other industries, skilled or not skilled that we depend on. >> do you see it as a change in his position or how do you square trump's apparent support of this kind of immigration with all of the other anti- immigrant rhetoric, his plans for mass deportations, his desire of ending birthright citizenship on day one? >> what it shows is that it's totally unworkable. i don't think it's a change in his position. it shows that they are in a box

on this issue and they need workers not just for tech or hospitality, not just for all of the industries that america runs on and needs to be successful but what about food, agriculture, meatpacking, we know half of all workers in america's farming, agriculture and meatpacking industries are undocumented. 50%, what are you going to do about those people, how will you incident people to work in those industries? that is why this proposal to end birthright citizenship is unworkable as a legal matter because constitutionally it's clear, all persons born in the united states are subject to the jurisdiction thereof, >> you said you would be the first to sue if it comes to the desire of trump to end birthright citizenship, if he tries to do something about that but talk to us about why you feel so strongly about this battle. this is personal to you, right? >> it's personal for so many of us, when he talks about the

naturalizing american citizens, he's talking about my parents and my grandparents, when he attacks quote unquote anchor babies and denying birthright citizenship to the children born in america of immigrant parents, he's talking about me. and my parents, i grew up in the chinese restaurant, my parents ran a chinese restaurant and i grew up in that hot kitchen and one generation, i've gone from that chinese restaurant kitchen to being the attorney general of the state of connecticut. that is america's enduring promise. that is the heart of the american dream and that's what we are fighting for. >> i appreciate your expertise on these issues. thanks for joining us. coming up here on ana cabrera reports, another home burglary targeting a pro

athlete. what we know about the latest in a string of unsolved break- ins. first the special relationship between the biden's and the carders as president biden honors number 39 and his place in history. >> i think jimmy carter is an example of his simple decency.

tributes are pouring in from around the world for former president jimmy carter as current and former leaders honor his life and legacy. president biden has the unique distinction of being the first

national figure to endorse carter in his bid for the white house nearly 5 decades ago. the two men's enduring friendship on clear display during president biden's comments last night following the news of president carter's passing. >> millions of people all around the world, all over the world, they feel they lost a friend as well. even though they never met him. that's because jimmy carter lived a life not by words but by deeds. >> joining us now nbc news white house correspondent mike memoli who's traveling with president biden in saint droit and tia mitchell, bureau chief for the atlanta journal- constitution. president biden and president carter were said to be members of the small presidents club

but they had a bond that went even beyond politics, right? >> reporter: that's right, when president biden then senator biden made that endorsement of jimmy carter that you referenced in 1976, there were policy reasons that he offered at the time including their shared views on issues like the environment, but also talk about jimmy carter as somebody who, as biden saw himself at the time, represented a new generation in the democratic party of progressive leadership of also breathing fresh air in washington at the time of watergate, when decency and character were so important, and that was really the root of the bond between these two men as you heard the president talking about, talking off-the- cuff and from the heart about the ways in which they continued their personal relationship over the years including carter being a console her to him after he lost his son bow, to cancer. another thing that distinguishes carter is his post-presidency, of a long time and i think it's poignant that president biden is set to leave these present -- tributes to carter as he is leaving the presidency. listen to this exchange.

>> [ inaudible ] >> yeah, didn't give up hope, never give up hope. i mean it from the bottom of my heart. so much negativity out there. i know you are tired of hearing me say it over the last four years but folks, there's nothing beyond our capacity. nothing beyond our capacity if we do it together. i mean it. i mean it. he believed it. >> now jimmy carter had the long and distinguished post- presidency, 44 years, that's as long as president biden served in the senate and as vice president combined. biden, looking to his own post- presidency coming up, one in which he says he's not going away and plans to continue to

be active for the issues he cares about as well. >> tia, he said that he learned the best lesson from carter, decency. tia, can you hear me? i think we just lost tia, unfortunately. mike, talk to us a little bit more about that bond because it wasn't just the presidency that they shared but they also had a real passion for trying to fight disease, cancer, specifically, that seemed to be one of the reasons they formed such a tight bond. >> that's right, so many parallels between their two presidencies as well. as you look back on jimmy carter's presidency, he worked to try to help israel make peace with its neighbors.

they both worked to secure the release of american hostages during their time in office and ultimately, the economy was such a driving issue in their political struggles at the end of their one terms respectively. but i think it's so notable to look at these two men and their mutual respect for one another. jimmy carter was a member of the presidents club but not one that was shown the respect that biden showed in the earliest months of his office. biden, traveling to georgia on air force one, with the first lady, to spend some time with president carter and rosalynn carter, his beloved wife. that was something that was really important and significant to president carter and you saw just this year, the way that the president kept in touch, and the tributes continued from president biden to president carter. you saw that displayed on the north lawn honoring his 100th birthday just a few months ago.

it speaks to the uniqueness of that presidents club, they both know the struggles, the loneliness of the office and how important it is to have that respect for one another. >> thank you so much. not a bad assignment that you have in st. croix. next on ana cabrera reports, another athlete burglarized amid a wave of high profile break-ins. the eye-popping amount of what was stolen from the home of one nba star. because the fight never stops. narrator: every gift counts, and whatever you can give will make a difference for children like gideon. make your donation today to help st. jude save lives. 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.

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remission are possible with rinvoq. ask your gastroenterologist to switching to rinvoq is right for you. you could pay as little as $0 per month. this morning, we are following another burglary at the home of another sports

person. the target was dallas mavericks player luka doncic. it reportedly happened friday night. no one was home. he is now the sixth professional athlete targeted since october. others include nfl quarterbacks patrick mahomes and joe burrow. shakeel brewster is tracking the developments. what do we know about what was taken? >> ana, they are not publicly making the connection to the other burglaries but when you look at the pattern, it's truly striking, down to how much the value of the items taken. according to a police report obtained by the dallas morning news, about $30,000 worth of jewelry was taken from his home and when you look at the timing of it, it happened on the day that we know the dallas mavericks were playing on the road in fact, it was the first of two back-to-back road games.

now lucas manager says no one was home at the time, that's also a pattern that you've seen in some other burglaries and coach jason kidd said he spoke to luke after the incident and said luka is fine but he's just glad no one got injured but you mentioned, this is the latest in a series of burglaries that have targeted not just nba players also nfl players, also reportedly a hockey player as well. we spoke to an expert about this who's been looking at the public reporting. listen to what he said that can help explain why this is happening to these professional athletes. >> it's very simplistic stuff, and once they are there, they are in and out quickly, they simply go to the main bedroom, the closet associated with the bedroom and they look to see if somebody has valuables to take and they are gone. >> the nfl and the nba have sent out warnings to teams and players and say that the league has been briefed by the fbi and the fbi is connecting this to south american theft groups, talking about the level of

organization behind these, and they are also advising that players do things like set up their alarm systems in their homes and don't post expensive items on social media. >> pretty crazy. thanks. still to come in the next hour on msnbc, more on the life and legacy of jimmy carter and how he broke the mold for life post-presidency. looking at the political storylines to watch in 2025. we will be right back. max!

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right now on msnbc reports, honoring a president. the life and legacy of jimmy carter as the nation remembers its 39th commander in chief. plus, how did it happen? the search for answers after the deadliest plane crash in south korea's history. extreme weather. picking up the pieces after a rare tornado outbreak. and new york city getting ready for the big night. prep right now at times square as they get set to ring in the new year. we begin this hour remembering the life and legacy of the 39th president of the united states, jimmy carter. we learned this morning a state funeral will be held in washington, d.c. on january 9th. carter, a democrat with humble

beginnings in georgia, was elected in 1976 in the aftermath of nixon's watergate scandal. while his presidency faced major setbacks including the economy, iranian hostage crisis, carter's commitment to diplomacy set him apart as a leader who valued humanitarianism above all else. carter served one term in the white house. his service to the country spanned 40 years after leaving washington, earning him the nobel peace prize in 2002. he dedicated himself to charity including his work with habitat for humanity which build housing around the globe for those in need. carter was the longest living former u.s. president and had been receiving hospice care since february of 2023 after he was diagnosed with cancer years prior. he died in plains, georgia,

surrounded by his family. joining us now, priya sridhar in atlanta, kelly o'donnell at the white house, peter baker, chief white house correspondent at the new york times, and eleanor, washington respondent at the daily beast. priya, you are in georgia wow. what more are we learning? >> reporter: that's right, ana. the state service will be held in washington, d.c. on january 9th and in the days between now and then, we know his body will be coming from plains, georgia to atlanta where there will be a service and an opportunity for the public to come inside and see his casket and pay their respects. there is a makeshift memorial growing outside the carter center. people have been stopping by with candles and a chalk board that says we love you, president carter.

in his hometown, of course, he came from humble beginnings. he was the son of a farmer and grew up on a farm that didn't have any electricity or running water and he's known as the only person from georgia ever to make it all the way to the white house, so today he is being remembered fondly here wow. he is the embodiment of the american dream and so many characteristics. we are hearing world leaders and a former president commenting on his humility and the fact he was so down to earth. that is a testament to his childhood and upbringing, ana. >> kelly, you followed his career and years of public service after leaving the white house. what has the reaction been in washington? >> reporter: this was once home to the carter family in 1977 to 1981 and there is a real sense of transition unrelated to his passing. behind me there is work going

on to remove holiday decorations. right outside of the gate they are building the platforms and staging areas for january 20th, so transitions are happening all around us here and it's notable president carter's passing would come at the final month of joe biden's presidency because biden had endorsed carter for president. he had shown a lot of respect and connection to president carter and the carter family. it is within the power of the sitting president to provide the authorization for the kind of state funeral we will see unfold in the days ahead. when a former president goes into retirement, planning begins long ahead of their passing to plan what the funeral service will look like.

judy carter was certainly in the planning of the range of events we will see. this is times by the fact we have the new holiday and with the new year, we've got the certification of the elect doors for president trump and that that is its own event and they are keeping that separate. the washington events will begin after that point. we will see a lot of outpouring and what is notable about a life that is so long, there are a lot of people that would have been contemporaries of jimmy carter who have also passed so those remember him know there is a historical sense that we are learning. ana? >> peter, you wrote his obituary in the new york times and wrote his presidency is treated more kindly by historians, not just by what he did in office but what he did after leaving office.

his postpresidential legacy is truly unmatched. how did he redefine the years after the oval in his own terms? >> no question about that. he was in the white house for four years. he was out of the white house for 40 years afterward to extend and build on the legacy of his time in office but to go beyond it, right? he said he could get some things done as a former president that he couldn't as president like his humanitarian work, efforts to fight disease, to bring peace to various parts of the world. he really brought his stature to a new high and earned him the nobel peace prize in 2002. many people may not remember his presidency but do remember him as a former president, so you see in polls for instance in gallup last year they asked americans do you approve of the

way carter handled his presidency? 20% more said yes and felt that at the time of his presidency which reflects on people's views of him and the way he conducts himself, the way he has conducted his life in post presidency than simply cashing in or making money like other former politicians. >> eleanor, you say you learned most about carter when you build houses with him, volunteering alongside him one summer at habitat for humanity. tell us about that experience and his life of public service. >> right. well, we stayed in the dorms at a college in an atlanta housing project and the bus would take us to the worksite to arrive at 7:00 a.m. and that you would look out the window and there was carter jogging along.

he left the white house at age 56. he was a pretty young man and he dreamt big. he initially visioned the carter center as a mini camp david where he would bring warring parties together and do what he did best, this diplomatic achievement of bringing peace between israel and egypt. that evolved into the carter center which does more than peace making but it dives into social equality and all kinds of things. but when carter was working, he was a serious craftsman. he was a good carpenter, by the way. the people who came to habitat for humanity were almost like a jimmy carter cult and that began soon after he left the white house, actually. the democratic party and certainly the republicans, but there was a core of people and he didn't want to waste time taking pictures with anybody.

everybody would go to the worksite and 40 minutes would be set aside in the middle of the day and they line would form and he would sign j carter. he wouldn't even look up. despite the big smile, he was too busy working all the time and psychologically, his father and his three siblings all died in the prime of their life, really, because of pancreatic cancer. his mother lived into her 80s and died from the same disease. he was the survivor in the family. he had to excel for everybody and he needed to make money. the peanut business was in disrepair after his years in the white house. he wasn't making money in front of corporations and i don't think they would have invited him. he was not a friend of big business and i don't think he ever picked up a golf club. he chose to write 32 books and

to do these good works. he wanted his presidency to be reevaluated, and i think he has gotten his wish and we will hear more about that over the coming days and weeks. >> the legacy he leaves behind, literally thousands of houses he helped build with his own hands for those in need. he leaves behind a legacy of eradicating diseases. peter, you wrote about the presidents club, a group of men who served as president and commander in chief which was contentious. quote, he was a thorn in their side and would do his own thing foreign-policy. other former presidents generally held their tongues out of deference to the current occupant of the oval office. mr. carter rarely stood on ceremony. how did carter view his place

in that club, and how was that approach received by his successors, like clinton, obama, and members of his own party? >> reporter: he was keen on clubs. he pursued what he perceived to be the right thing to do regardless of it ruffled feathers. you know, he wasn't making the most congenial person in the world at all times and he didn't care if the white house disapproved of what he was doing. that didn't mean he always freelanced without consulting, but a lot of times he would go further than the incumbent president wanted him to go. you mentioned bill clinton found that to be annoying when jimmy carter was in haiti or north korea or something like that, but he had a real feeling his experience mattered, that he could accomplish something on the world stage you cannot do while in office. in fact, he said he thought at one point the former president

made him superior than someone sitting in office because of his experience but the freedom he had to operate. people knew when he came to town when he was trying to work on something whether it be a peace deal or elections or fighting disease, he was doing it for what he felt for the right reasons, even if it conflicted with official policy. i think that got him a bit of leeway, even when he did, you know, we've a few nerves raw in the oval office. >> eleanor, the post presidency defined life after the white house. he was a peacemaker, homebuilder, peace fighter, and so much more. what was behind all of that drive? >> reporter: why not the best. back his first book. he went to the naval academy. what was the name of the naval

captain who said to carter, "how did you do?" and carter sites, "second." and he said, "why not the best?" in the white house, when he would get his hair cut, he brought in a barber who spoke spanish so we could work on his spanish while getting a haircut and that was a controversial move because the same barber had been servicing presidents for years and carter upended that. he had little tags or placards placed on every tray so he could identify the foliage. he excelled at so many things. he never seemed to want to waste a single minute. he was not a schmooze or, as peter referred to him. he did not like to have members of congress and shoot the breeze over drinks.

in fact, his white house was a teetotal white house. he didn't get along with the democratic leaders as well as ronald reagan did, to be honest. that was a failure in that step. but he did have big democratic majorities when he first took office, so he does have a lengthy list of accomplishments, but unfortunately we often remember presidents for their biggest failures in his biggest accomplishment should be right up there, the peace treaty certainly between israel and egypt, and his recognition of climate change, and his attempts to wean us. he was a man ahead of his time in many ways, and i think you are going to see carter really refuse the notion he represents an era gone wrong.

>> [ laughter ] >> reporter: i think he is more of a man we could certainly use somebody like him again today, but he wasn't a big personality. he even banned hail to the chief when he first walked into a room and later reversed that. he was so intent on carrying forward the humility that was a reaction to the excesses of the watergate era that he overdid it and i think the country was looking for a bigger personality and they got that with reagan. it is a position that is rather similar to today from biden to trump. >> interesting. you both are a wealth of knowledge. thank you so much for sharing that with us. truly a one-of-a-kind kind of man as we honor jimmy carter. peter baker and eleanor clift, thank you for joining us.

also ahead, an investigation into the deadliest plane crash in south korea's history. code of bird be to blame? plus, the moment a high- speed train in florida crashes into a fire truck. what happened? and later, we are live the aftermath of a deadly tornado outbreak in the south. >> if i had gone to the bathroom, i would be dead because the tree landed right through the bathroom. even replaces multiple cleaning products. ooh, those suds got game. dawn powerwash. the better grease getter.

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right now, investigators are trying to determine what might have caused a horrific plane crash in south korea. 181 people aboard the flight, only 2 survived. dramatic video shows the plane hitting the runway with no landing gear, skidding across the tarmac, hitting a wall, and bursting into flames. let's get over to steve patterson in south korea with the latest. steve? >> reporter: this is the worst air disaster on korean soil in the country's histories as investigators work to determine what exactly happened in that crash. shocking new video showing the final moments of a deadly plane crash in south korea. the passenger plane touched down without lowering its landing gear skidding down the runway and colliding with the wall.

the air flight carrying 175 passengers and 6 crew from bangkok to taiwan. only two survived. a bird strike or poor weather may have caused the accident. ntsb investigators say that does not appear to add up. >> bird strikes don't bring down airplanes like this, nor do they prevent landing gear from extending. >> reporter: emotions running high as passenger names were read to waiting family members. this distraught father saying his daughter was almost home. south korea now observing a week of mourning. this incident a string in the last week. a flight to amsterdam was forced to make an emergency landing in norway after what was called a hydraulics failure. and flight 2259 caught fire, landing in halifax. and on christmas day, an

azerbaijan air flight. russia apologized for the crash but stopped short of admitting fault. now we are learning about the possibility of a second flight that may have landing your issues as well. the family on board at the flight was getting alerts from the company while they were still in the air. the company confirmed this at a press conference and is a fear spreading throughout the country. back to you. >> steve patterson, thank you. joining us now, msnbc analyst and former faa and ntsb investigator. jeff, so many questions left unanswered. from the footage released of the accident, what we have learned from investigators, what jumps out to you? >> this bird strike probably wasn't what initiated the event

and we are going to have to wait for the investigation to determine exactly how things unfolded and the sequence of events that led to this airplane having to basically glide onto the runway and hit that cement wall there. the black boxes will be very critical in determining what may have happened here. >> can you explain the risk of a bird strike during takeoff and landing? we know that while bird strikes are not uncommon, in 2023 in the u.s. alone, there were 19,603 wildlife strikes reported, so what are the risks and i guess the safety backups in the system in order to not lead to some kind of horrific tragedy? >> well, bird strikes are common.

they do a lot of damage to large commercial airlines in terms of structural damage. really, a single bird strike or a couple of bird strikes won't take down an airplane. bird strikes are only hazardous if they go into both engines and snuff out all of the engines, which is what happened with the miracle in the hudson. swarms of birds, canadian geese in that case, took out those engines. it required landing in the hudson river. we may have a similar case here. the flight crew did declare a mayday from a bird strike. perhaps both engines were snuffed out and at that altitude, they had no other alternative but to glide to the nearest runway and that is maybe what we see. we don't know.

perhaps one engine went out and there was an inappropriate response to that, or the crew was challenged. we just don't know at this time. we do know the airplane landed very fast with no flaps or landing gear and the investigative team will have to find out why. >> if the landing gear wasn't working, how would that be handled typically? >> if you have enough time, you can manually release the landing gear even if you lose hydraulics. there is an access panel in the floor of the cockpit. the pilot can release the mechanical locks to allow the gear to drop down but that takes time. you have to follow the checklist and perhaps the crew didn't have the time given the fact they may not have had any engine power. >> i am thinking about all of the other airline issues we have been covering lately. for those who may be concerned about the different incidents

over the last few weeks, what do you want people to know about how safe it is to fly? >> commercial aviation is extremely safe. you get a lot of response like this to an accident because accidents are so rare. this was a horrific accident, there is no doubt. and there has been a string of recent accidents but overall given the tens of thousands of commercial airline flights that occur each day in this country, commercial aviation is the safest form of transportation out there. people should not panic. let the investigators determine what happened here, glean the lessons learned, and prevent the next accident. aviation is built on redundancy and lessons learned and that will be the case, i'm hopeful, in this case. >> they do have those black boxes as you mentioned so hopefully those will bring us some answers. jeff guzzetti, appreciate your expertise and insights. up next, violent storms in

the south and more severe weather expected today. plus, one of former president carter's greatest achievements, the pinnacle of his life, was built with his one true love. a look back at the marriage that lasted almost 80 years. >> we've gotten old but our marriage is full of love. and we always will be. research hospital save lives. speaker 2: these kids, they've done nothing wrong in the world, and they end up having to go through all of this to survive. speaker 3: is your throat sore? speaker 2: your donation, it means everything. speaker 1: please don't wait until the last minute. make a difference by supporting the children of st. jude. please, donate now. 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.

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this morning communities in the south are looking to rebuild after a rare tornado outbreak ripped across five states. dozens of tornadoes left destruction from texas to georgia and killed at least four people. the severe weather isn't over yet and can impact holiday travelers with more than 10,000 travelers already delayed. let's get the latest from meteorologist michelle grossman tracking it all for us. but first, let's get over to kathy park in mississippi. kathy, what can you tell us this morning? >> reporter: ana, fortunately , the weather has cleared. you can see the cleanup underway. in fact, take a look at this. this is a tree trimmer up very high. there was widespread damage in mississippi and beyond and it

really was an active weather weekend. in fact, we have been tracking severe weather since thursday. thursday, then through saturday, saturday night. in fact, there were three dozen reports of tornadoes across the south stretching from texas, louisiana, mississippi, as well as georgia. the damage was quite widespread. in fact, here in mississippi, i want to point out this home. you may notice this blue tarp. well, it is there for good reason. it is covering a massive hole. four trees fell on top of the home and the homeowner was inside, about two fall asleep, but incredibly, she was able to make it out alive. unfortunately though, the death toll has climbed and right now stands at four. there was one death, another here in mississippi, an 18-year-

old. a tree fell onto her home. and in houston, likely tornado slept through the area killing a 48-year-old woman and her partner found her body just yards away and tried to give her cpr but it was just too late. those are the harrowing stories we are hearing. we were tracking wind gusts between 70 miles an hour on saturday because that was a very active weather day. a school in texas completely destroyed, so a lot of cleanup ahead, ana. >> sad to see this around the holidays. kathy, thank you for your reporting. and michelle, whatfor those traveling this week? we are not looking at severe weather today but that does not mean we are not wet out there. wet weather in new england and it will linger in this is a new system we are

watching. wintry weather in blue. pink popping and there is freezing rain or sleet. that does not mean we will not see thunderstorms today but they will not be near the severe limit. as we go throughout today, we have portions of the planes and the northern and central planes into the l hallow valley -- ohio valley with record temperatures. winds gusting up to 60 miles an hour bringing down power lines as well. new year's day, this same storm system is moving off further to the east and we are talking from the great lakes to the ohio valley, and unfortunately that will be wet weather for some of us by midnight, new year's eve night. dropping highs throughout the south central plains. plenty of sunshine in the southwest looking good there. cold but dry in the northwest. cold and dry in the northern plains as well. new year's eve, we are looking

at rain. you will need the rain gear but not a lot of layers because temperatures will be cold but not so cold. clear and chilly throughout the south central states. frigid in the northern plains and another system moving onshore in the pacific northwest. we are all wondering what will happen in new york city for the ball drop ringing in 2025. sounds amazing to me. you will need some rain layers but it's trending drier towards midnight so fingers crossed we will see the rain ending near midnight but it will be wet until then. ana? >> michelle, we will be in touch with the new year's eve celebrations. turning out to florida and a train collision. new video shows the moments leading up to the crash between a train and fire truck that injured a dozen people. dana griffin has more. >> reporter: newly released video shows the heart stopping moment this high-speed passenger train slams into a

fire truck in delray beach, florida. video shows the red and white crossing arm down as the fire truck crosses the tracks on the wrong side of the road. writing on x, for everyone's safety, never drive around crossing gates when they are down. zach thrasher was on the train. describe the moment of impact. >> it was intense. pretty violent. i remember seeing the cargo train go by us and immediately afterward, it felt like a slight break and the impact immediately after. >> reporter: federal and local officials are investigating. the saturday morning crash sending 12 passengers and 3 firefighters to the hospital. >> three firefighters were transported. two of them were deemed critical at the scene. they have since been upgraded to stable condition. >> reporter: the video does not show the impact but the mingled

fire truck shows how brutal the collision. >> it was a loud crash and the moment i heard it, i knew it was a train and nothing else. >> reporter: witnesses tell nbc news the fire truck bypassed the crossing gate after a freight train with through the intersection first. back to you. >> so scary. thank you, dana griffin. still ahead, steve kornacki has the top elections he's watching in 2025. plus, as we remember jimmy carter's life, we will look at his love story with rosalynn, the longest marriage in presidential history.

this morning, we continue to honor the life and legacy of former president jimmy carter. he was known for a nearly eight decade marriage to his soulmate, rosalynn, one that made them the longest married residential couple in u.s. history. here is nbc news chief washington correspondent andrea mitchell with a look back on their enduring love story. >> reporter: jimmy and rosalynn carter were married for 77 years until rosalynn's death last year and those years were filled with lots of sweet memories.

a love story that spanned more than seven decades, former president jimmy carter and first lady rosalynn carter, the longest married first couple surpassing 77 years of marriage. both growing up in georgia, the carters went on their first date in 1945, though rosalynn initially rejected the first proposal, the couple would tie the knot on july 7th, 1946. their love spanned a presidential term, humanitarian work around the world, and a cancer diagnosis. from sharing a kiss on the presidential debate stage to sharing a smooch on the kiss cam at an nba game, their relationship was not without tribulations though. >> really did have quite the time writing the book. >> [ laughter ] >> reporter: former communications director in 2021

reflecting on how they worked together as a team -- >> they treat each other as equals, and they always have. >> reporter: the 39th president sharing this marriage advice on pbs -- >> we make up before we go to sleep. >> reporter: the carters celebrated their anniversary together in their hometown of plains, georgia. >> to my wife, rosalynn, i want to express a particular gratitude for being the right woman that i chose for my wife. >> [ applause ] >> thank you. i love you. >> reporter: last year the former first lady passed away at the age of 96. carter coming out of hospice care at home to bid her goodbye. his daughter spoke on his behalf, reading from a love letter he wrote while serving

in the navy. >> every time i've ever been away from you, i have been thrilled when i've returned to discover just how wonderful you are. >> reporter: the carters were partners in everything. rosalynn attended cabinet meetings, even speaking on behalf of the white house during ceremonial gatherings. she became a champion of mental health care, creating centers across the nation. together they created the carter center in atlanta improving global health in africa and elsewhere around the world, monitoring elections, and promoting human rights. in everything, they were partners and soulmates for life. >> thanks to andrea mitchell. such a beautiful love story. up next, steve kornacki is here with what donald trump's election could mean for several big elections in 2025. plus, prepping for new year's eve celebrations. we are live with what's happening right now. ew. ohhh! yes, see defense!

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and will be watching that will be worth keeping an eye on because there are questions out of this presidential race we just had. these are the three big ones we have coming up in 2025. the race for mayor for new york city. why the heck should i care about the race for mayor of new york city? it is a big city, a blue city. donald trump lost new york city in 2024. he made big gains though because when we talk about this nationally, the new support he got from non-white voters, hispanic voters in particular you are seeing in places like the bronx. pretty dramatic gains there. there is this group of voters we used to think of as pure democratic voters who said they are up for grabs a bit. how will they handle the new york city mayor's race? if we learn about those new trump voters for new york city and for that matter, new

jersey, still a blue state. trump lost it in 2024 but only by six points and he was blown out before. this is trump's biggest improvement in terms of any state in the country. trump improved in virginia, still lost but improved his performance significantly. the big question overhanging american politics coming out of 2024 is the new trump support he has attracted, especially from non-white voters. was a trump specific, or will it work for another republican not named donald trump? that is what the republican party is hoping for because this new coalition could be really powerful politically, but it is unknown how much trump is the key ingredient to that. take a look at a place like virginia. trump did not win. it was still a blue state but this was a double-digit fight and win cut basically in half, the margin by trump.

you saw it particularly right here in 2025. loudon county. big loudon county, more than 400,000 people. kind of the suburbs of washington, d.c. take a look here. harris wins by 16 points. well, again, biden had won back 25. from 25 down to 16. what happened in loudon county? when you look closely, again, large hispanic population, asian american population. donald trump took very big strides in 2024 compared to how republicans and donald trump had been doing in the past. that brings a county like loudoun down like this. big race in virginia with a question of can republicans pull this kind of thing off without trump? we will see places in new jersey with similar stories as well. yes, it will be a big year in elections. big year in elections.

>> especially if you are steve kornacki, who is just so into politics. thanks. up next, the final crystals added to the new year's eve ball, check. ball drop test, check. we are live in times square with the preps for the massive celebration. 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. narrator: time is running out to give a year-end gift like no other, a gift that can help st. jude children's research hospital save lives. woman: cancer doesn't care how old you are,

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your's eve parties in the world kicking off in times square. earlier this hour, the iconic crystal covered ball was given one final test ahead of tomorrow night's festivities. look at that sparkle. nbc's antonia hylton is live there from times square this morning. already a very busy, bustling place. antonia, how are the preps going

for tomorrow night? >> reporter: hey, ana, they are well under way. you can see behind me here, the stage is already set up. there are tons of partiers who are already in that 2025 outfits and hats right now. ready to go. and just a few moments ago, we already heard from the mayor and the nypd commissioner, jessica tish, and they laid out the extensive plans the city has to make sure revelers are kept safe. that includes numerous officers who are going to be in uniform and a whole lot of plain clothes officers. mayor eric adams explained that was to help handle any elements of surprise. they're also going to have officers in helicopters out on boats in the water, and they're also going to be using dogs throughout the day and then well into the night. already, they're setting up barricades all over the city. if you're planning to be part of the festivities, you should know they're going to have checkpoints on sixth and eighth avenues. you're going to expect long lines and bag checks. they're going to make sure

people don't have major backpacks, big duffel bags. you can't bring big bottles of alcohol. if you're planning to party, check the rules in the city first so you're not turned away. there's going to be a major presence way beyond what you see behind me here. on the fun side of things, that crystal ball that you mentioned is going to weigh almost 12,000 pounds and has 2,600 triangle crystals on it, and the see is going to be celebrating its 400th birthday which is coming in 2025. you can expect musical performances from big names like lenny kravitz, carrie underwood and even the jonas brothers. expect a big party tomorrow, all through the day and well into the night. >> hopefully not too cold. looks like the sun is shining today. thank you. that's going to do it for us today. i'll see you back here tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. eastern. i'm ana cabrera reporting from new york. alex witt picks up our vege