right now at 11:00, people across our area are taking to the roads, to the sky, and to the rails. to get to their thanksgiving test nation with. mid-county tolls in montgomery county. traffic flowing well there. now a look at 95 from our comcast camera at the wells fargo center, the i-95 bridge there. girard point bridge, rather, looks like traffic is going well there and it's going to be a busy day at philadelphia 30th street station as you look live at 30th street. if you're taking amtrak, the

high security follows a worldwide travel alert. live team coverage checking out this busy traffic day. jessica? >> we're checking out the schuylkill expressway around the blue route where we had a disabled vehicle causing delays, you can see the total drive time in the green, 13 minutes westbound. we hardly ever see 95 like this. this is around girard avenue. southbound into center city, no problem there is. a 13-minute drive time. i wanted to use this turkey graphic but watch out for the thanksgiving day parade prep, kelly drive eastbound closed between fair mount avenue and art museum circle. and watch out for the no parking zones that go in effect tonight. parts of jfk boulevard, market street, arch, vine, race and in between 19th and 30th will have no parking signs. don't get your car towed. pay attention. vai? >> thank you, jessica. an airplane problem is delaying thanksgiving travelers headed to

philadelphia. an american airlines flight bound for philly had to make an emergency landing just after takeoff from tampa international airport this morning. the plane reported a mechanical issue with an engine. the passengers got off the plane safely and are being put on other flights. and air travel has been on the decline in the leadup to the thanksgiving holiday. fewer than 10% of turkey day travelers are choosing to fly. officials say it may be because people are spreading their travel plans throughout the week. nbc 10 first alert chief meteorologist glenn "hurricane" schwartz is here with our holiday travel forecast. glenn, what have you got? >> vai, it's looking good, not just around here but all up and down the east coast. we have bright blue skies in many parts of the area, the temperature is up from what we saw over the last couple of days and so it's relatively comfortable as well. in our area, we're talking about nothing but sunshine during the

day today as temperatures get into the 50s so a little bit warmer than what we have seen the rest of the week. now, if you're headed to the west today and tomorrow we're talking about great conditions. the poconos fairly sunny as well, scranton mostly sunny. headed in other directions, as long as you're in the eastern half of the country you're doing okay. harrisburg, sunny, pittsburgh, well, we'll get clouds on thursday but that's about it. temperatures get warmer in every part of the northeast. the poconos looking good as well. so we're going to be talking about the rest of the holiday weekend, just how much warmer it's going to be. there could be some record warmth in parts of the area. plus a chance for at least some showers before the weekend is over. that's with the seven-day in just a few minutes. a 17-year-old is now

formally charged in connection with the wild chase that ended with the shooting of a state trooper and a fiery crash involving a school bus. monique braxton is live at hahnemann university hospital in center city with new details on the case. monique, what can you tell us? >> reporter: 00 vai. we have learned trooper patrick casey will be released some time this afternoon. in the past couple of hours since we arrived we have seen both state police and philadelphia police stopping by to see him. one officer told us casey is sitting up and talking. the teen suspect, giovanni cotto, has been charged as an adult and remains in custody. the six-year state police veteran has a bullet in his shoulder. doctors say it's safer to remain in place for now. investigators say the 31-year-old trooper was left with the wound after a high-speed chase, shootout, and fiery crash here on the vine expressway. investigators also tell us when police pulled a car over for an expired registration, three people got out. the suspected 17-year-old

gunman, giovanni cotto, jumped behiennd the wheel and sped off. trooper casey pulled up alongside cotto on 676 then the teen bailed out of his car, firing shots. casey returned fire through his windshield. now, cotto's car hit a school bus, causing a fiery crash, but the driver escaped. >> did you do this? what do you have to tell the cops? >> reporter: cotto declined comment when led to southwest detectives. he's charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and assaulting a law enforcement officer. his bond, we've learned, is set at $3 million. we're going to be here outside hahnemann hospital when trooper casey is released and have that for you in our evening newscast. live for now, monique braxton, nbc 10 news. meanwhile, a man shot by police in camden last night has died. skyforce 10 was above the seen on rutledge walk in camden

shortly after 7:00 last night. the prosecutor's office says officers responded to a domestic disturbance call when a man fired at least one shot at them. police returned fire. the officers are on leave per protocol pending the outcome of an investigation. happening today, a state senate committee will weigh in on pennsylvania attorney general kathleen kane's ability to do her job without a law license. the panel could recommend her removal from office. the state court suspend ekane's law license. the committee is deciding if the suspension affects her ability to do her job. after nearly five months there is still no budget in pennsylvania but state lawmakers could be closing in on a deal soon. lawmakers plan to work through the holiday week end to put a budget proposal in place by early next week. last night, senate republicans called off a vote to override governor wolf's veto of a short-term spending bill.

uber wants to help prevent drunk driving on one of the heaviest drinking nights of the year, otherwise known as thanksgiving eve. the ride-sharing company will set up a breathalyzer kiosk in manayunk. people leaving bars can take a breathalyzer test to see their blood alcohol level. in return, uber will give them a free ride home whether they are drunk or not. mistaken identity. we're learning new information about last month's air attack on a hospital in afghanistan. and the price some military members have paid as a result of that air strike. as you prepare for your thanksgiving feast, think about the people in our area who are going hungry and what you can do to help them. my buddy steve is getting ready to take this show on the road once again to help the camp out for hunger. i'll talk to them live next. i'm tracking near record warmth for a part of the holiday beak end. i'll let you know when the colder weather returns just ahead.

♪ ♪ with the name trusted for nearly 80 years, you have the courage to enjoy the ride. independence blue cross. live fearless.

we're keeping an eye on the roads this morning as people are heading out on thanksgiving trips. this is a live shot from skyforce 10, the new jersey turnpike in the fort washington area, looks like traffic is moving pretty well there and nbc 10's deanna durante is live

along the turnpike. how is it looking? >> reporter: it's the day before thanksgiving and i've never seen it look so good. take a look here. nice and clear, great day for traveling. bright sunny skies. we have talked to people from florida to new york to new jersey who all say they are surprised just how clear the roads are -- at least for right now. >> yesterday we came in to atlantic city, my parents live in jackson and then i'm going to see some friends because i used to live in pennsylvania so we're here till monday and the weather is a little chilly. >> we're enjoying it. >> it's very nice. we were getting a cold front in florida when we were leaving so it was like 65. >> we are going to spring grove, pennsylvania. >> reporter: how long have you been in the car? >> only about an hour and a half so far. >> reporter: how is it? >> not bad. it's better in the morning, the kids are good. yeah, the travel has been light so far -- traffic, i should say. >> reporter: you see the travel plaza here at king of prussia. pretty empty for mid-morning on a wednesday. especially when it's supposed to

be the busiest travel day of the year. the pennsylvania turnpike commission says that tuesday has become the biggest day for travelers on the road here. they estimate about 600,000 people passed through yesterday. they are expecting a half million drivers to hit the road today. we're working on getting peak travel times for you so you can avoid them on your trip home or your trip to wherever you're going and we have talked to a number of people who say sure it's great now as they're going to or from work but tonight when they're traveling they're curious if the roads will stay this clear. deanna durante, nbc 10 news. we have new information on the terror in paris. france is deploying additional police and troops to guard president obama and other world leaders expected at the climate summit monday. meanwhile, belgium says it carried out raids sunday to stop an imminent attack in brussels. authorities detained 16 people but released all but one the next day. the raid yielded no explosive or firearms. we're learning more about the dead suspect, abdelhamid

abaaoud. french authorities say he was plotting another suicide bombing in the paris district. he died in the police raid before he could carry out the deadly plan. authorities are looking for this man, mohammed abrini. they say he was seen in a car along with terror suspect slala abdeslam. russia says turkey's downing of a jet was a planned provocation. yesterday turkey confirmed it shot down the russian fighter near its border with syria. one pilot died by ground fire as he parachuted from the crippled plane. syria's army now says it helped russian forces rescue the surviving pilot. russia's defense minister says moscow will send new anti-aircraft missiles to syria. turkey claims the russian plane violated its airspace and ignored repeated warnings, a claim russia denies. investigators say the crew

of a u.s. warplane misidentified an afghan hospital and some have been suspended from their duties. officials found the plane crew thought they were attacking a government compound controlled by the taliban. a u.s. army general led the investigation into the mishap. according to a summary of the investigators' report, the crew relied on a physical description of the compound provided by by afghan forces. dozens of civilians were wounded or killed. vice president zwroebd joe in croatia to meet with leaders. his trip comes as tensions are rising over the influx of syrian refugees in the region. biden is expected to discuss the response in the refugee crisis as well as energy and economic issue. happening now, president obama is meeting with his national security team. they are talking about guarding against terrorist attacks.

nbc news will have a special report in that meeting in about a half hour from now. we'll bring you the president's remarks live when they happen. as you're busy preparing for your thanksgiving meal, two of philadelphia's most popular morning show hosts are getting their camping gear ready. wmmr's preston and steve as well as the rest of their morning team are getting set for their 18th -- i can't believe it -- campout for hunger. preston elliot and steve morris are here with me this morning. we've known each other for 20 years. i was there for the first one across the street. did you think it was going to get to this? >> not really, no. >> not at this level. >> our goal back then was to get one ton of food. over the course of a week. and back then, you know, we were still growing as a morning show, we were just beginning. >> you weren't even sure if you were going to be employed. >> the whole thing was a ploy just to meet you, vai. >> [ laughter ] sure. >> we ate the food we corrected.

but it's grown exponentially and now it's this sort of military -- it's a juggernaut putting it all together and so many different parties are now participating to make it happen. it's amazing to see it and you're constantly humbled by the generosity. >> you guys create this energy around this whole thing so people watch and see what will happen. >> we have a lot of guests that will stop by. it will be local athletes and politicians and actors and actresses who might be in town and so forth so we have things we're lining up still. the guest lineup is fluid as we go through the week. we'll do contests and stuff. we've added things in the evening as well. what we learned over the years, vai, is it took on a life of its own. people would hang around for a while and we'd say we need to give entertainment for them so we're doing comedy on monday night, free concert tuesday night. we're showing a knew spree in the parking lot for families on wednesday night.

>> you guys are unbelievable. i'm coming by tuesday, you already know that with tracy davidson and sheena parveen. sheena is always a big draw. >> she's wonderful. you're the guy we swung in the rope in the parking lot, human bowling. >> thanks for that. >> preston and steve's campout for hunger is happening november 30 to december 4 at the parking lot of xfinity live at 1100 pat thys son avenue in south filly go. to our web site at nbc10.com or check out the nbc 10 app. guys? thank you very much and good luck. i can't wait to see you tuesday. >> thanks, vai. >> appreciate it. snow and ice are causing problems for thanksgiving travelers in northern california. officials are requiring all drivers to use chains on interstate 80. the road conditions have caused several accidents. some drivers say it took three thundershowers go only 15 miles because of the traffic backup. >> and the west coast is about the only part of the country with any kind of serious weather

issues as we go through this holiday weekend. california up to the pacific northwest. in the east we have this warming trend that will continue all the way into friday. we could be setting some high temperature records. we have some cooler changes coming over the weekend but nothing too dramatic, especially for this time of the year. sunshine out there now and temperature already 50 degrees. that's as warm as we got yesterday the wind is seven miles an hour. five degrees warmer than we were at this time yesterday and we're already in the mid-40s in pottstown and reading and allentown, trenton and mount holly at 46 degrees. 50 in wilmington 51 atlantic city international. some places will be getting into the mid-50s today. yesterday 50, the day before that on monday only 43.

by tomorrow over 60 and friday close to record levels. probably not a record in philadelphia but there's a chance in allentown where their record is 62 degrees. we have a dry week out there and not much in the way of moisture. a couple sprinkles in missouri and arkansas otherwise the eastern two-thirds of the country is dry and for the macy's parade it's going to be pretty comfortable not a lot of wind, either and the wind is a big thing with those balloons if it gets too strong then they have problems. here's futurecast. as we go into tomorrow there might be clouds around from time to time but the precipitation, well, if there's going to be any other the weekend it's coming with this cold front it's coming down. as you can see by friday evening it's still not here. we still have at least some sunshine pushing temperatures way up and then everything kind of weakens as it comes down into our area.

so that's why i just have a chance of a couple of showers on saturday this front could go through parts of the area dry but it's going to cool temperatures down from thursday and friday. colder air coming down saturday into sunday but did you notice it's not surging down to the south? so we just get brushed with cold air and next week it starts warming up again sunny skies today, right around average for this time of the year it gets even warmer tomorrow.@28 62 degrees with mix of clouds and sun, 67 on friday. just a chance of showers as temperatures drop quite a bit on

saturday and into sunday but not intentionally cold. then we warm right back up. >> thank you, glenn, christmas miracle and mystery. a baby is found swaddled in a nativity scene. how the infant got there and who may have put him there. some tips to keep you and your family safe before you start preparing your meal.

a local organization devoted to helping local children reach their full potential is celebrating its one-year anniversary. the group is called young educated athletes and zero -- here is roe shana from young educated athletes. tell us about it. >> we're devoted to youth in philadelphia and the surrounding cou counties and our mission is to provide activities as far as recreational activities where children can have an outlet outside of home, off the streets doing something positive. >> is part of that outlet the basketball clinic you guys have planned for later in the week? >> yes, part of that is the basketball clinic that we have planned. they come do skills drill, get to meet guest speakers, special guests come out and speak with them and play basketball games at the end. >> give us a thumbnail sketch of the success stories of your organization. >> well, actually, my cousin is

a young educated athlete who just graduated from georgetown university. he's in the d leagues right now and he is a definition of you can be educated and also play sports at the same time with a college degree. >> what else does your organization have planned in coming weeks? >> we have december 15 we're feeding the community at darby rec center in darby and we'll feed up to 100 families from 6:00 to 8:00. we'll sit down, have a nice dinner and just talk. >> talk. that's what i'm talking about. i believe in what you're doing. i have do. i'm a product of that. i'm a former athlete and it's important to get an education and take advantage of the opportunities you get to get a degree. good for you guys. young educated athletes will be presenting a basketball clinics skills on friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at west catholic high school in philadelphia.

all skill levels are welcome. we posted a link for more information. if you want to know more about it on the mobile app. thank you very much. appreciate it. >> thank you. >> holiday scare. what caused frightening moments for passengers aboard a plane heading to philadelphia this morning. plus the steps authorities are taking to keep you safe for holiday travels.

♪ i finally did it! ew. let sparkle paper towels clean it up. it's perfect for cleaning spills... ...desktops... ...and chalkboards. too clean? sparkle. because it's a messy world out there. ou're 50 to 85, here's a question for you: how many people have called about guaranteed acceptance life insurance through the colonial penn program? 100,000? 500,000? the answer is... over 10 million! that's right, over 10 million people have already called in the past 20 years. i'm alex trebek. this guaranteed acceptance whole life insurance, through the colonial penn program, is a very popular plan. the price is a big reason. coverage options start

at just $9.95 a month. less than 35 cents a day. people also like these four important no-risk guarantees. there's no risk you'll be turned down for any health reason. your acceptance is guaranteed. there's no risk your rate will go up. it's locked in for life, guaranteed. there's no risk this coverage can be cancelled. pay your premiums and it's yours for a lifetime, guaranteed. you even get a no-risk 30-day money back guarantee. colonial penn specializes in protection for mature men and women. see how much coverage you can get for just $9.95 a month. call right now. you'll get this information kit and this free gift. don't miss out. millions have already called. call now. (soft music) ♪ (colonial penn jingle)

just about 11:30. right now at 11:00, lots of people trying to get an early start on their thanksgiving travel to grandma's house. here's a live look at florence, new jersey, where the pennsylvania turnpike meets the new jersey turnpike.

new jersey residents like myself know it as exit 6. jessica boyington is keeping an eye on the traffic in our area. jessica, what have you got? >> a few things going on. we have one in montgomery county, a structure fire between kendallbrook drive and mundock drive. take us susquehanna road. a water main break around jackson street so avoid that area as well. on 55 in new jersey, cameras will r looking here, you can see no problems in either direction on deptford center road. but in franklin township, watch out for a vehicle fire northbound around exit 39, the right hand shoulder is closed there. the rest of our drive times are doing great, though, especially for thanksgiving travel. just a little slow eastbound into center city but not too bad. but thanksgiving day parade prep is going on right now on kelly drive eastbound between fairmount avenue and art museum circumstance that will will be there until 3:00 p.m.

vai? thanksgiving travelers are delayed after a plane made an emergency landing in tampa due to an engine problem. that american airlines flight was bound for philly. the plane turned around shortly after takeoff. all the passengers got off the plane safely and they were put on other flights headed back to philly. amtrak is stepping up security. riders can expect to see federal marshals with dogs like this trained to spot explosives or illegal substances. they're keeping an eye out for unattended bags. don't be surprised if you're selected at random for an on-the-spot search. glenn "hurricane" schwartz is here now with the forecast. 49 degrees and getting a little bit warmer, right, glenn? >> a couple days ago the high temperature for the day was 43. we're already way past that and going into the 50s. you can see there's going to be a lot of sunshine this afternoon. right now 50 degrees at philly international. 44 in pottstown, one of the cold

spots. 46 in mount holly and in trenton, reading also at 46 degrees. temperatures go into the 50s as we head through the afternoon. not exactly upper 50s. not to be warm out there but certainly not as chilly as the last couple of days and then we're going to go up from there and as far as thanksgiving is concerned. we're going to be seeing some clouds around and it's not going to be as cold in the morning. 9:00 a.m. in philly, 44. 39 lehigh valley, south jersey 46. now, it's not going to warm up as much toward the jersey shore tomorrow because of the wind coming in off of the ocean but as you can see getting into the 60s in philadelphia. then it gets even warmer on friday. we'll see if we'll set any records and when rain is coming with the seven-day in a few minutes. if you're driving this day before thanksgiving, be aware. an insurance company that

analyzed claims found accidents increased by 25% the day before turkey day. as for heading home the sunday after thanksgiving has the highest percentage of accidents. the company says it's the safe toast head home later on monday. an extra layer of difficulty this year. security concerns are added to traffic and weather issues as nbc's peter alexander says police departments around the country say they're on high alert and are ready for an emergen emergency. >> reporter: that's the latest video from isis taunting the u.s. and mocking the american military. "you attack with us $250,000 missiles" the narrator says, "while we send your proxy to held with 50 cent bullets." president obama is trying to calm nerves here insisting the u.s. is doing everything in its power to keep americans safe.

>> we can not and will not succumb to fear. nor can we allow fear to divide us. that's how terrorists win. >> reporter: a new bulletin is urging law enforcement stay vigilant. despite fears of another paris attack overseas, in the u.s. the top concern remains homegrown extremists and copycats with soft targets from coast do coast almost impossible to protect. across the country, a show of force. from los angeles -- >> we have a number of different tourists destinations. that's a big part of our economy. we're always vigilant to anything happening there. >> reporter: to new york city with nbc gotten a exclusive look at the nypd's new critical response command. hundreds of new officers training in counterterror measures. police holding drills battling both active shooters and hostage takers. >> this is a dedicated force

trained in counterterrorism, briefed on intelligence everyday. over time they'll have a context. >> reporter: in boston, beefed up security from faneuil hall to fenway park preparing to host a new england thanksgiving tradition -- high school football. >> any special event we have we make sure that people are safe going to those venues. >> reporter: that was nbc's peter alexander reporting. protesters filled the streets of chicago following the release of a video showing a police officer shooting a black teenager. the officer is now charged with first degree murder. protesters came out last night after officials released the dash cam video showing the shooting of 17-year-old laquan mcdonald last year. demonstrators blocked streets, tied up traffic. police say they made arrests but reported no serious incidents during the protests. investigators say the dash cam video from the incident in october of last year shows officer jason van dyke shooting a teenager 16 times. police say the teen had a knife.

prosecutors say a three-inch knife was recovered from the scene with its blade folded into the handle. >> thor? this case took a young man's life and he's going to have to account for his actions. >> it's truly not a murder case and we feel we'll be very successful in defending in case. >> a few hours before the video was released the officer turned himself in. his attorney says his client feared for his life. months after the teen's death, the city agreed to pay a $5 million settlement to the family. ste stedman bailey is in critical condition after being shot in the head. the st. louis rams issued a statement saying he was involved in an incident and that they've spoken with him. bailey is in the middle of serving a four-game suspension for violating the nfl's substance abuse policy. a miraculous discovery at a

nativity scene outside a new york city church. a worker finds a real live baby. the worker at the child of jesus catholic church in queens found a crying baby in the manger. church members say surveillance cameras caught a woman entering the church tuesday about 20 minutes before the newborn was found. no word on whether she'll be charged if she's found. >> the child we believe was a gift almost to this >> emergency medical workers checked the baby. some members of the congregation have expressed an interest in adopting the baby boy. happening now, pope francis is in nairobi, kenya, he arrived at the airport a short time ago and headed to the statehouse for a welcome ceremony. this is francis's first time to the continent. he'll visit uganda and the central african republic. the pontiff hopes to bring a message of peace and reconciliation to the countries

torn by extremist voy violence. is. happening today, two turkeys will be spared a trip to the thanksgiving table. like these two right here. president obama will pardon the two lucky birds in the rose garden at the white house and that will happen this afternoon. the number of kitchen fires triples on thanksgiving, that's according to consumer product safety commission. the experts sty cook your turkey dinner safely avoid loose clothing with long sleeves near ranges and ovens and watch children closely so they don't come in contact with hot stove tops. and turn pot handles toward the back of the stove to prevent spilling. plus, if you're cooking your bird in a turkey fryer, do it outside away from the house not in the garage or on your porch. philadelphia's love park is once again being transformed into a traditional open air german christmas market. the christmas village will open on thanksgiving and this year visitors can help some less

fortunate people's holiday wishes come true and here to tell us more about what's in store this year is christmas village president thomas bauer. thomas, welcome. what should visitors expect when they come to the village this year? >> well, people should expect as in the last years a great shopping experience, a little trip to europe with a lot of german food we have the mulled wine that is very popular but also, yeah, belgian fries, french crepes, waffles and, of course, a lot of holiday shopping opportunities german christmas. polish pottery, russian glass ornaments. just like a little trip to europe. >> you have something special planned for opening ceremony? >> we will bring again the original figure head of the nuremberg kriskindle market.

and everyone is invited to bring the family that is staying for thanksgiving to join us this opening weekend. >> and the christmas village is partnering and helping raise money for the make-a-wish foundation. tell us about that marriage. >> for the last years we partnered with make-a-wish foundation in doing also a charity aspect of the whole shopping so people should also we are selling hearts for our wish wall so people can place wishes on our wall. a dollar for each wish and heart. it's being contributed to make a wish. and they also will come out for special programs on december 12 and 13 so people should check out for their special kids

choirs they bring and also people, volunteers from make a wish will be available to accept donations. >> sounds like a good time and for a good cause. thomas bauer, thank you for joining us. >> thank you for inviting me. >> christmas village will be open daily between thanksgiving and december 27. for a link for more information on the christmas village, go to our nbc 10 mobile app. there's nothing more philly than rocky and today is creed day in philadelphia as we get you ready for one of the most anticipated film this is holiday season. we'll talk to a local boxer who has a very important role in the new rocky movie "creed." with

. we continue to check on the roads this morning since today a busy thanksgiving travel day. here's a live look at 295/route 73 interchange in mount laurel, burlington county. looks good. the. >> here's what i want you to do. keep your left under the radar, then come up with the hook. you see an opening, put it right on his chin, that will drop him. your old man did that to me. it worked. >> there's progress nothing more philadelphia than "rocky." the popular movie franchise made the store story of an underdog boxer from philly a household name worldwide and the newest installment "creed" is about a young boxer who never knew his

famous father, world heavyweight champion apollo creed. adonis comes to philadelphia to track down one of his dad's closest friends, rocky balboa. philadelphia mayor michael nutter declared this "creed day" in philly as one of the most anticipated films of the holiday season opens today and this morning we're thrilled to welcome one of the stars of the movie, native ricky "padman" mcgill. i'm going to call you padman because that's what they call you in the gyms and the movie. tell me how this happened that you ended up in the movie. >> i was in the gym one day training two of my fighters, 15 and 16 years old and when i pulled up they said "the producers and directors are talking about shooting a movie." so i said i'm going go to the store, get me a soda. come back out, the producers and director was out there talking to them again.

they said there go my trainer right there. so they came to me. >> so they scouted you out? were they scouting you to see if you could play a role in the movie or they stumbled into you? >> well, that i stumbled into two of my fighters, 15, 16 years old, two young kids. and when they came to them i said go to youtube, go to padman 1 and padman 2. and they went to padman 1, padman 2. >> this is you working. >> yeah. right there. that's what they went to. >> and this is -- and they call you padman because of the pads you're holding in your hands that makes it softer otherwise they could tear your hands up. >> right. right. >> so you do this all day long. >> all day. >> your story is interesting. you grew up in the game, grew up around boxing, had trouble with the law, straightened your life around so boxing helped you get back on your feet.

>> god bless it. they were crazy about -- when they shot "rocky 1" in 1976 i was in susquehanna. >> when they shot "rocky 1" you were two and a half blocks away. pretty remarkable. the movie opens today. i'm going to go see it with my family. have you been surprised -- what kind of response have you gotten from people. i've read good reviews of this movie. >> the movie made me cry myself. not cry but tears to my eyes. i saw it three times already. two times in philly, one time in l.a. and i just came be from the red carpet friday every time i see this movie it's joy. it has me because i watch it from "rocky 1" up to now i'm in

it. >> what's it like working with sly. >> great. great. i felt uncomfortable but after the second day he made me feel comfortable. >> you know what? you're great. ricky "padman" mcgill, you're an inspirational story. i can't wait to see the movie this afternoon. >> you will love it. >> i'm a boxing guy. >> look for pad knaman that ope later today -- already opened i guess. we're coming on from new

york on the air because president obama is expected to make a statement after a closed-door meeting with his national security team. this comes as millions of americans take to the roads and sky traveling for the thanksgiving holiday. security has been increased at airports throughout the u.s. in the wake of the terror attacks in paris 11 days ago. the state department has also issued a worldwide travel alert for americans and the fbi has warned law enforcement across the nation to be on alert for potential paris-style copy cat attacks. nbc national correspondent peter alexander is on the north lawn of the white house. peter, what do we expect to hear from the president here? >> kate, we will hear from the president speaking directly to the american people. i think the desire of the white house and the president is to try to ae shire anxious americans given what's happened in paris and mali about the state of homeland security right now and what is a rare move he will be standing with some of his top national security advisors from the fbi, homeland security counterterrorism among others standing beside him on that stage in the roosevelt

room, as it were, today, they want to make it clear there is still no credible and specific intelligence to indicate that they have any awareness of any paris-like plot targeting the united states specifically but the president wants to update americans on the status right now and on what the u.s. is doing in its fight against terror, acknowledging a majority of americans right now are not satisfied with the president's handling of terrorism. kate? >> peter, as we await the president, we got a two-minute warning so it should be any moment now. talk about what the state department is saying about the travel alert. >> obviously you have the state department focused on americans traveling overseas and the potential threat, the fear of increased terrorist activities overseas but there is a new fbi department of homeland security bulletin that has been urging local police to stay vigilant. it talks about the biggest fear at home being soft targets but specifically targets being

threatened by lone wolf attackers, which is to say they don't think there is an isis-type attack like in paris but the potential from a lone individual attacking soft targets from los angeles to boston, obviously, a place where security will be focused over the course of the next several days over this toll holliday. the president himself is trying to balance security with pageantry, the tradition of the holiday as well. he's going to be pardoning the thanksgiving turkey a few hours from now but the white house recognizes the urgency of the situation, the need to speak directly to americans, especially after nearly two weeks where the president was overseas and people views his comments i think being out of touch with the anxiety and the fear that americans are experiencing right now given what they witnessed happening overseas. >> i want to go to pete williams who covers the justice department for us. pete, you were with the fbi director just the other day talking with him about security in this country what do we know

right now? >> the picture hasn't substantially changed. the threat, as peter says, remains in the u.s. the potential for home grown extremists, people directed or more likely inspired by isis to carry out an attack here, that's the most difficult thing to track. administration officials i've talked to said one of the reasons for the president's statement, which is unusual, is to tamp down anxiety. basically to say, look, we're watching for threats we're on the security beat, you go about your business in the holidays because of the relentless attention to this isis threat i think that's what they want to do. it's a delicate balance when officials come out and say we know of no threat, if something happens one of these untrackable homegrown extremists does something it looks like they weren't aware of it so they're trying to balance that as well but the fbi director has said the concern here remains about what he called dozens of people we've been told the numbers is about 50 of people at that the

fbi has been tracking is most closely. people that have been in touch with isis sympathizers but their concern may go from merely being interested to communicating to going operational and that's the people they've been concentrating on the most. but this notion that the worst threat is how many grown extremists is something the government has been saying about isis for a year and a half. >> so much news out of paris, even this morning more news out of belgium about potential foiled attacks there. we learned there might have been a plan afoot in paris to attack again. you say the biggest concern here in this country is not so much isis but someone inspired by? >> correct, not isis coming here to carry out an attack. the fbi director explicitly said he knows of no one few from isis who's tried to entered the u.s. in the last weeks or days. if you think about the situation, 5,000 people in western europe that have gone to

syria to join up with isis and then have come home. contrast that with the number in the u.s. which is in the teens of people who have left here, associated with isis and come back. so it's a very different threat and that's one reason why they say the threat picture here is so different. the concern about paris-style attacks, the concern about soft targets and large public gatherings is the subject of the state department worldwide travel alert but it's aimed at people overseas because the government says they believe the threat picture here is so substantially different because of the nature of who's here and who may have joined isis to return, kate. >> as we await the president, peter alexander on the white house lawn, we expect he'll come out with a number of officials. this is his national security briefing he's just had. is it typical on a wednesday morning for him to hear from these folks? >> it's not typical for him to speak on the eve of

thanksgiving. he didn't do it in 2011, 2012, or 2013. he spoke last year when we had the ebola threat but the white house recognizes the need to speak directly to the american people right now. i'll ask you to interrupt me as soon as you see the president. but as i was speaking privately to a senior administration official, they recognize a lot of the things that have been said about this administration and the president himself and his advisors say they would rather appear weak but be strong in terms of their actions than be strong and wrong. to be weak and right is more important than strong and wrong. they insist that's what got the u.s. into the mess that exists in the middle east right. now certainly with the iraq war, specifically. one of the other points they made as we speak about that ebola threat a year ago, they recognize the harsh rhetoric that's been out there on the campaign trail right now specifically focused on syrian refugees and they say we've seen this before with the ebola threat when there was great fear and anxiety around the country and angry rhetoric saying don't

let anybody fly to our shores and they recognize the need to get out in front of it. last time they brought out an ebola czar to hand this will threat to do as pete said, to tamp down the anxiety and reassure americans they have this under control. >> peter, we're still looking at the empty podium in the roosevelt room so as soon as we see the president we'll take a break and listen to him but this morning the state department clarify ago travel alert saying people shouldn't be afraid to travel. that americans should still travel overseas, travel domestically but be village and prudent. that's probably the same kind of message we expect to hear from the president, no? >> i think that's the message. he will likely thank the members of his homeland security team he communicated that yesterday alongside the french president, francois hollande, that the u.s. is doing everything in its power right now to try to defend the u.s. homeland, to defend

americans as best they can. but it's -- be clear, this is a very challenging situation and it underscores a point we've been making. the fact that with these homegrown extremists, with these lone wolf type of attackers, it's next to impossible to protect every one of if soft targets across the country, from rodeo drive in los angeles to potentially fenway park or faneuil hall in boston. we spoke to law enforcement officials from both departments, that i recognize the challenge they face right now. they have a heightened state of alert but they are trying to calm fears and they're hoping the american people will continue to maintain their vigilance as well and if they say something that they will certainly -- if they see something that they will certainly say something about it. >> pete williams othat note, as you look at law enforcement agencies across the country and what they are doing just in case, what's happening operationally on the ground that's maybe different now than a month ago?

>> more attention paid to potential isis sympathizers in the u.s. something like 80 of them have been arrested in the last year and a half. but the number of arrests this year has been higher than in the past. that's thing one. thing two is more vigilance and more presence. more visible presence at large public gatherings, sporting events, parades. just out on the streets. and that's really for three reasons. one is to be there in case something happens. secondly, is to reassure people that the police are well aware of the threat and are doing something about it, and third is, as deterrence. especially for copycats. if people are looking at what happens in paris and thinking about doing something and that may push them over the edge, the hope is that if they head out to the street and see this large presence of police, they may have second thoughts. so all three of those things are not police are doing. but in a substantial measure,

the isis threat in the u.s. today is what it was two weeks ago, two months ago. as a matter of fact, i think anxiety in law enforcement was actually higher right before the fourth of july holiday than it is right now. because there were a number of people that were arrested, if you recall, in the days leading up to the forth of july. a number of plots uncovered and a great deal of sense that maybe the government didn't have its hands fully around what was going on. so that was a very active period. but this isis threat, the nature of isis reaching out through this relentless social media campaign. relentless rmpaign. relentless reach through their video propaganda. they are finding people in the united states who are responding to that maeessage. and the isis message is, if you can't come here and join the caliphate, just go out and kill somebody. that's been the big worry in the u.s. and it remains that in terms of the threat here at home.

>> i want to go to richard en l engel. he's in istanbul. you're awaiting with us as we wait for the president to speak in the roosevelt room at the white house. you've been monitoring what's happening overseas, reporting on a russian plane shot down yesterday by the turkish. that's something the president is learning about today as well. >> i think the president knew a great deal about what happened with the turkish plane and the russian plane yesterday, as well. but i think he chose his words cautiously because this is so incredibly sensitive. this was the first time in decades that a nato country shot down a russian plane. so you saw the president sort of not wanting to go there. not wanting to blame turkey, not wanting to blame russia, just calling on all sides for calm. but i think the real concern right now that the american people want to hear about is what pete was just talking about. there's a sense, at least that isis feels, that it has momentum.