two sensations that work together, so you can play together. winter wonder land with a massive winter weather advisory in effect. will americans wake up to a white christmas this morning? we'll have the live forecast. presidential backlash, the president may be celebrating the holiday inn florida, but d.c. politics and his choice words on the tax bill may end up making things more complicated by the minute. plus, tragedy in the sky. a deadly christmas eve plane crash. no survivors and questions about why the pilot tried to take off at all. helicopters swoop in to save more than 150 skiers hanging in mid-air for hours. and anxiously awaiting that last-minute shopping gift to get to your door? why you may not be alone and what shipping companies are doing to get that present nestled under your tree.

"early today" starts right now. a very merry christmas to you. i'm phillip mena. for those of you who wished for a white christmas this morning, well, many of you may have gotten your wish. after a winter weather alert was put into effect for some 55 million americans, blanketing parts of the country in snow as santa continues to make his way around the globe. from illinois to ohio, massachusetts to indiana, americans will wake up this morning to find their own little christmas gift left by mother nature herself. it even hit chicago as bears fans tried to celebrate and tried to find warmth in the bleachers as well as victory. while it may make for some nice cozy mornings of opening gifts and drinking hot cocoa, it is likely to make for a treasury rust commute for those just now getting ready to hit the road. let's go to meteorologist bonnie schneider for more on that winter weather advisory and this year's white christmas. good morning, bonnie, happy holidays. >> happy holidays to you as well, phillip. if you're where you need to be for this christmas morning, no

problem. it's a pretty picture out there. the advisory will make travel a little more hazardous than we'd like for this christmas. not only do we have the snow that's fallen, we also have strong winds. it's all rain for cities like washington and new york city, but the winds will stay strong. many are under a wind advisory. 59 million people at risk for dangerous winds. gusts could climb up to 50 or even 55 miles per hour. got to see these temperatures because we're kind of wrapping up 2017 and with that we're seeing the cold blast of air. currently our wind chill in minneapolis is negative 19. it is very cold in detroit as well. and those colder numbers are pushing to the east. in fact, it feels like on wednesday we'll be feeling temperature about 15 degrees in new york city. so, look for some really cold numbers. for this christmas day, not only will we see snow in the east, but also across the rockies and the west and into areas of the center of the country. just sunny but cold. mild, of course, down in florida, miami, 82 degrees. and we'll see temperatures stay very comfortable there. but it's cold and chilly into

tennessee, georgia, alabama. it's cold and kind of a white christmas depending on where you are. phillip? >> still seasonal. thanks, bonnie. developing overnight, the u.s. has announced it has negotiated a dramatically reduced budget for the united nations to the tune of $285 million. this comes just days after the u.n. voted to condemn president trump's decision to recognize jerusalem as israel's capital. u.s. envoy nikki haley praised the reduction saying we will no longer let the generosity of the american people be taken advantage of. the news comes as mounting tensions in the middle east live christian arabs in a wonder. >> reporter: a rare moment of joy, seeing too little of this this season. as bethlehem prepares to celebrate christmas, security is tight. the west bank in jerusalem had been the center of unrest in recent weeks. president donald trump's decision to recognize jerusalem as israel's capital sparking

clashes. but in the center of this city, a symbol of peace, fear may have kept some tourists away, but not all. >> i like being here at christmas because jesus was born here. >> reporter: and at home, christian palestinian families gathered around their own trees. but this family worries about what the coming years will bring. >> ten years ago i used to see a light at the end of the tunnel, now i don't see at all. i don't see any, any, any opportunities for peace. >> reporter: at the vatican, pope francis presided over mass at st. peter's basilica. a prayer for unity and for peace. that prayer echoed in bethlehem's church of the nativity where they celebrated the birth of christ amidst uncertainty across this contested land. lu lucy kavanov, nbc news. >> the president and first lady

attended christmas eve, the same church the two were married in just 12 years ago. the president and his family spending the holidays at his private mar-a-lago trump, the president sharing a moment with the troops to wish them a merry christmas while still finding time to take aim at a very familiar target. the media. still, it's revealing words the president made while arriving at mar-a-lago that have him in hot water after he reportedly told friends, quote, you all just got a lot richer just hours after signing the tax overhaul bill according to cbs news. nbc's kelly o'donnell has more on the president's christmas eve weekend which has been dubbed as the winter white house. >> we appreciate it. have a great christmas. >> reporter: a holiday greeting by video conference. >> we say christmas again very proudly. >> reporter: the president connected with service members from each branch around the world. >> we are grateful for each of you who spend this christmas away from your families and defend all of our families. >> reporter: but not all tidings

were joyful. the president again delivered cold to the media on twitter. the fake news refuses to talk about how big and how strong our base is. a political base often energized by the president's views on immigration. earlier this month, he said the u.s. should stop the policy where naturalized citizens can bring family members to the u.s. >> we are calling for congress to end chain migration. >> reporter: saturday night, the trump administration linked chain migration to a gun attack by a 51-year-old naturalized citizen from egypt, killed by police, after authorities say he fired on pennsylvania law enforcement. the department of homeland security can confirm the suspect involved in a terror attack in harrisburg, pennsylvania came to the u.s. through extended family chain migration. the white house argued for congress to make changes to clarify rules for temporary immigration programs that get extended for many years. already ordering nearly 60,000

haitians with temporary residency to leave within 18 months. >> the people here from haiti are here from an earthquake that happened roughly ten years ago, under temporary protected status. >> reporter: while back at mar-a-lago. >> santa moves very quickly. >> reporter: the president and first lady called children to chat about the global travels of santa as tracked by the government's norad radar. >> our thanks to kelly o'donnell for that report. overseas this morning, north korea is lashing out over tough new sanctions imposed by the united nations. kim jong-un's regime calling the sanctions an act of war that violates its sovereignty. the north koreans went on to say it is a pipe dream for the u.s. to think the regime will just give up its nuclear weapons. and high drama, high above the french alps. 150 skiers were left stranded in chair lifts when a gone dole sa broke down near a resort. the rescue operation lasted three hours. you can see the helicopters swooping in to save them about

80 feet above the ground. rescuers opened hatches in the roofs, then safely lowered those skiers to the ground. one montreal man to a canadian problem is gaining in popularity. mark manning created the goalie up app. it connects local hockey goal te tenders to fill last-minute holes. they pay $40 for a subwhich covers the goal i's pay plus a booking fee. this has grown to roughly 2000 goal is across candy. a good idea. let's check back in with meteorologist bonnie schneider. >> an app for everything, including the weather. cold temperatures, arctic air is plunging south ward. some people will say what a difference the final days of december right after christmas. our temperatures are going to get even colder as we work our way through tuesday. look at the numbers. we'll be looking for high temperatures and even lows so cold that they will be in the single digits and below zero. it will feel like that way anyway as we go through the

week. later this week temperatures are getting a lot colder as we work our way further to the northeast. look at the numbers towards boston and philadelphia going down from highs of 30 down to the teens and 20s. that's a look at the big weather story of the day. now here's a closer look at your day ahead. cold with snow in buffalo, a high of only 25. in syracuse, 30 degrees. it's going to be colder in the northern plains. your high temperatures are in the single digits or below zero in fargo, bismarck, even minneapolis, a high of 2. that colder air is here to stay at least through the end of 2017. we'll look for morning lows that are going to be quite cold this morning, straight through the end of the week. phillip? >> it is that time of year, bonnie. thank you. if you are afraid of heights, then this bridge is not for you. thousands of tourists have braved the world's longest glass bottom bridge which opened to the public over the weekend in north china's province. he's afraid to go. i would be, too. 13 feet wide and hangs 2300 feet

above the valley between two steep cliffs. why did that guy even try to did? all right. a look ahead at how american troops are celebrating christmas overseas. plus the surprise show in the sky this weekend. a lot of people wondering if that was a ufo. while trying his hardest not to wake zeus. this is charlie not coughing while sitting ververy still. easy, walter. and this is charlie not coughing while getting a little too into nana's party. because he took delsym... the #1 12-hour cough medicine. nothing lasts longer for powerful cough relief. delsym. the joy of not coughing. you wouldn't do only half of your daily routine, so why treat your mouth any differently? complete the job with listerine® help prevent plaque, early gum disease, bad breath and kill up to 99.9% of germs. listerine® bring out the bold™

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i used to maybe give a little. then i got so much back. ... i used to have cancer. please give at cancer.org. despite being thousands of miles away from home, american troops at the air force base in afghanistan still got into the christmas spirit with a visit from the uso holiday tour. service members enjoyed performances by actor and comedian adam devine among others. they also enjoyed food prepared by celebrity chef robert irvine. this year marks the 16th year american troops have been in afghanistan. leading the news, five members of the same family were killed christmas eve when their private plane crashed in central florida. authorities say the twin engine cessna took off in heavy fog as the family was headed to key west for a day trip. according to police, the plane never made it past the airport.

crashing into flames moments after take off. the victims include 70-year-old john shannon, a prominent lawyer and accomplished pilot. also on the plane his two adult daughters, son-in-law and family friend. the ntsb and faa are investigating. turning now to a scare near the home of a member of president trump's cabinet, authorities responded to a bel air mansion for the l.a.p.d. bomb skod examined a suspicious gift addressed to treasury secretary steve mnuchin delivered to his neighbor's house in the end they found a pile of horse manure inside. labeled as being from, quote, the american people. the secret service is now investigating. and in case you missed it this weekend, there was a surprise show in the skies over southern california. and it generated all kinds of speculation over what exactly it was. the sudden burst of light there. nbc's steve patterson helps with some answers. >> oh, my god, it's a meteor. >> reporter: it lit up the night

sky. >> so beautiful. >> reporter: from hollywood to san diego to phoenix. >> oh, my gosh, what is that? >> oh, my god! >> reporter: people wondering what in the world is that. >> it was weird. >> reporter: of course, we know now, that was the spacex falcon 9 rocket blasting off on a mission to haul satellites into the earth's orbit. at the time -- >> this is pretty bizarre. >> reporter: folks out west freaked out. what is is it? >> i thought it was aliens. >> reporter: had the divine finally arrived? >> an angel. >> reporter: or could it be an attack? >> we're being invaded. >> reporter: spacex founder elon musk chimed in. nice try. our ingenuity and vivid imagination. steve patterson, nbc news, los

angeles. >> looks like a blimp of some sort. just ahead, one of the nation's biggest shipping companies runs into a holiday snag, plus something to cheer about. a holiday surprise that will excite fans of serena williams. you're watching "early today." on christmas. ns better than a manual. and my hygienist says it does but they're not all the same. who knew? i had no idea. so she said, look for one that's shaped like a dental tool with a round brush head. go pro with oral-b. oral-b's rounded brush head surrounds each tooth to gently remove more plaque. and unlike sonicare, oral-b is the only electric toothbrush brand accepted by the american dental association for its effectiveness and safety. my mouth feels so clean. i'll only use an oral-b. oral-b. brush like a pro. why do people put why does your tummy go

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this morning something extra to cheer about for tennis fans. serena williams will return to the court in abu dhabi this saturday for an exhibition match. it's her first time back in

action since giving birth to her first child. daughter alexis. the last time we saw her on the court was when she won the australian open back in january and that earned her her 23rd grand slam title. don't forget she did that while she was pregnant. incredible athlete there. as the families wake up this christmas morning, there was a last-minute scramble going on, especially if you did your holiday shopping online. shippers were working overtime this holiday to make sure that your gifts made it under the tree just in time. nbc's kristen dahlgren has more. >> standing here wait fing for package from ups. >> reporter: when he ordered the leg owe set a week ago he knew how much his son wanted it. >> he talked about it once a week the last two years. >> reporter: with hours to go, still no legos. >> he checked the door a hundred times. nothing there. >> reporter: the ups shows a scan near his home on november

21st, the system said not to expect it before christmas. >> it is very disappointing. >> reporter: this year atlanta along with houston, kansas city, and denver are the four spots ups has sent special teams from across the country to help with the crunch. several hundred office employees like accountants and desk workers stepping in to assist sorting and even driving. ups acknowledges that's more than in years past, but the company says the vast majority of 750 million packages have arrived on time. online shopping reached record numbers this year. americans expected to spend half their holiday budget online, which translates into record deliveries. for ups, more than 300 packages a second over the past week. fedex says in spite of bad weather near its memphis hub saturday, it expects to complete all deliveries. as for alan kidd, he's bought some alternate presents. >> it got here for him, i can see his face lighting up already.

>> that was kristen dahlgren report being. just ahead, mariah carry 34r5eya new year's eve comeback. you're watching "early today." e children's research hospital where we developed a new treatment that reduces chemotherapy. and because we freely share our discoveries, we're giving kids like nolan everywhere a chance to beat cancer... and live healthy adult lives. story, done. story, just beginning. give thanks for the healthy kids in your life. visit stjude.org or shop where you see the st. jude logo. heare you one sneeze away from being voted out of the carpool? try zyrtec® it's starts working hard at hour one and works twice as hard when you take it again the next day. stick with zyrtec® and muddle no more®.

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the bbc from his home office when his daughter makes the grand rapids entrance, the little brother rolling in, and the mother swooping in, like she can't be seen, but everybody saw her swooping in. now the whole kelly family is wishing everyone a merry christmas with this photo. you can see little marian there wishing everyone a peaceful new year. this had to be one of everybody's favorite videos. >> i liked it. i didn't get a good look. the kids are adorable. >> if your kids swoop in, acknowledge they're there. he's trying to brush them off. it's worth one more watch. run here, push them away. oh, gets me every time. >> well, who needs missile toe when you can get engaged for christmas? that's how megan trainer spent her holiday weekend. the grammy award winning singer said yes to actor darryl sabara after he popped the question under the lights. the pair were greeted by family and friends as seen in this video the couple posted to social media.

she is best known for playing jenny core tez in the spy films. they have been dieting since july of 2016. congratulations. >> helps to have a professional photographer there, music played in and all that. >> terrific moment captured. >> congratulations to them. all right. al all mariah carey wants for christmas is a good performance. she returns for rocking eve after you might want to call it the problematic show last year filled with a lot of technical issues. carey announced her return on twitter with a simple take-two along with a statement saying she and dick clark production s are thrilled to move forward after the public spat following the live performance last year. >> he i'll always be a fan. i don't care. >> yeah, do songs in the top 10 again. just ahead santa joins forces with the n.y.p.d. and then surfs up for hundreds of santas. this holiday season... give the gift of effortlessly smooth feet... from amope. amope pedi perfect with diamond crystals.

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♪ ♪ christmas is coming the goose is getting fat ♪ ♪ please do put a penny in the old man's hat ♪ ♪ if you haven't got a penny, a ha' penny will do ♪ ♪ if you haven't got a ha' penny, then god bless you! ♪ ♪ if you haven't got a penny, don't wonder what to do ♪ ♪ you are always rich enough to say, yes god bless you! ♪ ♪ ♪ christmas is coming and with a raucous band! ♪ ♪ please do slip a penny in a lonely hand. ♪ ♪ if you haven't got a penny, a ha' penny will do; ♪