the embers are burning as fewer sweeps through the smokey ground, three died in the cherished areas, that includes dolly parton's dollywood, what brought down a brazilian plane that brought down almost every player of a brazilian soccer team. more about president-elect trump's denner with mitt romney.

it was enlightening and engaging and i enjoyed them very, very much. a dangerous pipeline explosion in the kansas city area. the long awaited return of tiger woods. "early today" starts right now. it's good to be with you. i'm frances rivera. we begin this wednesday morning with breaking news on a deadly and destructive weather in the south. there are at at least confirmed fatalitiesft through southern alabama. nbc's bill cairns is tracking this severe outbreak. talk about the threat. is it still over? >> no, it's not over yet. we are dealing with a tornado watch in areas of southern tennessee. the worst of it overnight had been earlier in areas of mississippi. then it shifted into alabama overnight. as far as the reports go, as of now, we have about 85 reports of either wind damage or tornado.

tornadoes and it looks like the one that was the deadliest was in jackson county, located radio it here the extreme northern corner of alabama. also reports of many destroyed buildings there, including a 24 hour-hour day care center they said were destroyed. these numbers of injuries an deaths will fluctuate. these are overnight tornadoes, very little warning in the way of these. most people are asleep. when daybreak comes, whole see a lot more destruction. we will continue to watch it. thank you very much. also overnight, firefighters are battling wildfires that forced the evacuation of 14,000 people in gatlinburg and pigeon storm, tennessee. residence and vacationers thought they were safe until they looked out their windows. >> panic. that's all we had was panic. we could zee feel the right, it was nothing but red.

? >> the gates of hell. >> that's scary to see. this is a resort town about an hour from foxville. the flames threatened several popular tourist destination the most visited national park in the country. also an aquarium with 10,000 animals, dollywood was spared, parton who just released a psa about wildfires says she is heart broken and paying for all the families. three people have died ever seen. >> this is the largest fire in the last 100 years in the state of tennessee. >> tonight, authorities are beginning to assess the damage. entire neighborhoods destroyed. officials are investigating the cause of the fire and have not ruled out arson. this morning, we are learning more about that plane crash in colombia that killed 71 people. investigators retrieved two

on the flight were a brazilian soccer team on the way to a playoff in medellin. the plane crashed a mile before the airport a. flight attendant who survived said the plane ran out of fume t. death toll from monday night's crash was lowered from 75 on tuesday after it was learned four people didn't board the flight. only six peopl survived, including team members. last night they packed the soccer stadium to remember the players. brazil's president declared three days of national mourning. this morning, we are one step closener finding out who will be the country's top diplomat. president-elect donald trump had a second meeting with mitt romney and in-house chief of staff reince priebus. there are reports a third

today. trump is taking his time in choosing secretary of state. here is trump shortly after that dinner with trump and priebus. >> i had a wonderful evening with president-elect trump. we had another discussion about affairs throughout the world and he continues with a message in bringing people together. all of those things combine candidate give me increasing hope that president-elect trump is the very man that can lead us to that better romney that was very different. >> donald trump a phony, a fraud. the bullying, the greed, the showing off, the mysogeney t. absurd 3rd grade theatrics. >> and we are also getting word that former goldman sachs executive and hollywood producer stephen menuchin will be tapped

to head up transportation offing is. wilbur ross and tom byrum price join. simply so much for draining the swamp. this morning, there is one promise trump made will come to fruition. carrier says it will now keep 1,000 jobs in the hoosier state. initially it made the decision tooc trump had been strongly against. on thursday, trump will travel to indiana to celebrate the decision. he is expected to visit ohio with mike pence kicking off their thank you tour. overnight, several activists took to trump's newest hotels to burn two-foot long trumps that flag burners should be jailed and their citizenship revoked for thing a.

protests. an investigation that caused a pipeline to burst into flames. crews were called to the scene tuesday evening after this fire broke out near kansas city airport t. pipeline was carrying ethane and pro pane. the flames which could be seen from miles away didn't affect any flights to and from the international airport. no one was hurt in the incident. police in manchester, england, have released new video of incident, in the hopes they will lead them to this man here. police say the truck driver turned violent when he was asked to share his insurance information a. fit broke out. it didn't end with that, the man repeatedly slammed his truck into the vehicle the victim's vehicle, he took a shovel, smashed apart their windshield the two victims were not hurt, after this you can imagine very shaken up. there is a whole lot to

a tennessee metal manufacturing plant. they hit the massive jackpot. the group claimed a $420 million dollar prize, the cash value is $230 million. they will get about 12 million before taxes. just ahead the return of tiger woods, first meteorologist bill cancer joins us on a busy weather day and a whole lot to watch within it comes to severe weather, bill inter like what we see. this damaged path was 400 miles down to areas of tennessee. the tornado threat will be ending through the rest of the morning. we do have a slight risk of severe weather in pensacola, new orleans, wind damage will be the biggest threat throughout the day today. it shouldn't look anything like what we saw in the deep south. watch out in the northeast a.

now, here's a closer look at your day ahead. so we'll track those storms this morning as they continue to push through alabama and areas near new orleans, mobile and biloxi. in the east, it will be a period of heavy rain, warm temperatures out there, it could be windy, too, as you go throughout the day. fan, we'll give you updapts and new developments from the tornadoes overnit. >> watching it at nbc news, still to come, the last person you will meet born in the 1,800s. the 898th ranked in the world a. year ago he couldn't get outut of bed. tir explains. that's next. more "doing chores for mom" per roll more "doing chores for dad" per roll

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117th birthday in more than italy. her life spans three centuries, more than 90 italian governments. she is gathered there with her friends and neighbors in her small apartment. she swears secrets to a long life, she says separating from her husband in 1938 and then her diet of two raw eggs a day is what's keeping herhelthy and strong. all right, leading the news this morning, scores of protesters were arrested a for 15 minimum wage demonstrations got under way in major cities across the country. from minneapolis to chicago and los angeles, the fast food and airport workers took to the streets, calling for higher pay. they are demanding over the double, the current minimum of $7.75 an hour. opponents say higher costs will force jobs to be cut. >> the defense has rested its case in the trial over a deadly police shooting caught on

officer took the stand in his own defense. he is accused of gunning down walter scott, an unarmed african-american man in april of last year. gabe gutierrez has the details. >> reporter: this bystander's dramatic cell phone video appears to show walter scott shot in the back multiple times. in a charleston, south carolina courtroom the former officer accused of scott's murder gave his first detailed account of what happened. >> i fired, the threat was tops. >> reporter: mikal slager says he pulled scott over for a broken taillight in april, 2015 and was preparing to give him a warning but scott bolted from his car. >> it was in my mind that people don't want to see that. >> prosecutors say he fled

times with a stun gun. >> it was total fear that mr. scott didn't stop. >> reporter: the cell phone video he says picks up the encounter seconds later as scott breaks away from the struggle t. prosecutor pressed him why he moved the taser closer to his body? >> you don't leave a weapon in a field like that. >> reporter: he says in hindsight he wouldn't claims on foot and called for backup. >> his entire testimony things he's remembering now that he didn't remember then, which was just shocking. >> the jury made up of 11 white people and one black man is expected to begin deliberations later this week. gabe gutierrez, nbc news. tiger woods believed the most famous golfer in the world has a simple request for his 7-year-old son, he said, don't touch these putters, one he used

wooed is returning to competitive golf for the first time in 15 months. he will play in the baum's world challenge, he is currently ranked 898th in the world. listen to how he says he felt a year ago. >> i just couldn't get out of bed. i needed help. it was a tough, tough time. and, yeah, you asked me then, could i play? no, how club at 120 miles an hour. that's just two different worlds. >> we will see if he does, if his rankings move up as well. still ahead, some companies are pushing back against donald trump's advisers. you are watching "early today."

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>> in today's face forward, snoens pelosi face congressman tim ryan. today democrats will hold a secret ballot if they want to give her a turn or pass the gavel to ryan, later on today, nbc's jeff rossen looks at new technology you can add to your phone to keep you safe. a night in new york city, a huge night, a fate holiday

rockefeller center christmas tree is lit. rehearsals are in full swing, including josh groben, dolly parton and the famous radio city rockettes. christmas in rockefeller center hosted by matt lauer, savannah guthrie, al roker begins tonight right here on nbc. donald trump making waves as another company pulls advertising from bart.com and a new treasury secretary. with that and all that's going on in the market, nancy, good morning to you. >> good morning to you. right now, investors are keeping an eye on oil, that's because confident news out of the opec meeting in any, the opec secretary general saying with le have a deal today this as ministers went into formal talks of an official decision on that

elsewhere, you announced donald trump is expected to name his finance manner steve mnuchin, he spent 17 years at gold man sax, he eventually became a partner and went on to avatar. we we heard kellogg is the late toast pull advertising from that website. watch for additional developments there, back to you. >> nancy, thank you. just ahead, a look at which hollywood starlets made it on this year's perelli cattleen dhar. plus, what it'sike to wynn run

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absorbent, so the roll can last 50% longer than the leading ordinary brand. so you get more "life" per roll. bounty, the quicker picker upper my sweethearts gone sayonara. this scarf all thats left to remem... what! she washed this like a month ago the long lasting scent of gain flings >> i love how they're doing this year. today we are getting our first look at the 2017 perelli calendar. here's a glimpse. 14 had their pictures photographed by peter lindberg. they were photographed without makeup and photos without any retouching. you see these women. >> bold, right? >> look at nicole kidman.

stunning. it looks like she has a little makeup on now. >> do you like them more or less for doing that? >> more. helen mirren, also, aging phrasefully. julian moore. he said he wanted to portray them not through their perfection, through their feelings and emotion. >> the black and white helps. >> without a doubt drama there with these photos. want to do something extreme? >> no. >> this is as extreme as it can get. this is one of the coldest and difficult races in the world, the arctic race marathon. 50 people were running in the frozen tundra. the winner in the men's division finished under four hours t. women's in just over six hours. she didn't know she won when she bought the to the finish line. >> if you were a runner would you do it?

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>> overnight tornadoes have struck in alabama. we know of at least three fatalities in jackson county. we still have strong storms we are dealing with, including one northeast. we will track these storms, saying the worst should be over with. at daybreak, it will not be pretty across portions of alabama, where the overnight storms destroyed businesses and maybe one elementary school, frances. >> a lot to watch. thank you very much. one of the most ambitious engineering projects is now complete, marking significant progress after the worst nuclear accidents in history. the $1.6 billion shelter was locked in place in the ukraine

construct that arch, which will prevent deadly radiation for 30 years ago. 30 years ago, chernobyl killed scores and sickening thousands of others. president obama made his 23rd visit to a walter reed national medical center tuesday and perhaps his last as president. a few pictures of past visits to show you. he likes to keep his visits private. most are photos the wounded walter reed are where service men and woman dock back to be put back together. yesterday the president met with 13 soldiers and decorated 12 with a purple heart. it is beginning to look a lot like christmas at the white house. michelle obama unveiled decorations on tuesday. family members and u.s. service members were invited for an early view.

500 hours designing and building the decorations. 200,000 legos. >> that one is impressive the american flag, great to see. i don't know if you we heard of this, i haven't, we probably all experienced it or have been guilty of doing it, phone snubing, when someone is distract bid their smartphone, i don't want to talk to bill karins so i will be hon my phone phubbing interacting with partners. more than half in a relationship aren't satisfied because of familiar culprits like money problems or having kids t. latest romance buster is apparently smartphones. so if i'm having dinner. >> i have two. >> if are you on a bad date, now you purposely grab your phone and start? >> you have a fake friend call you. >> you are an expert on this, you should write a book on phubbing.

relationships. >> better tell your husband. >> don't worry about that.

popular tourist towns left to pick up the pieces wildfires leave an area of death and destruction extract a wild scene inside of a tampa gun store there is a hefty reward to catch the thieves pitch fidel castro sparking controversy even in death you can here with cuban people have to say about the fallen dictator. good morning and welcome to news channel 8 today.