use at st. jude's. >> i could do this for 100 years. if someone breaks a law and sexually molests someone, there should be consequences. if someone breaks a law and is misrepresenting something, they're purgering something or bringing a false accusation. but judge moore -- judge moore at this point has denied it, and i believe him. >> and today reports of four more women describing encounters as judge roy moore digs in for a fight. then to the president's tax cuts. moving front and center today amid an internet exploding with comments over these images of the president's treasury secretary. salvator mundi selling here at christie's, and the piece is sold! >> da vinci's

now the most expensive piece of art ever sold at auction. and get ready for an epic food fight leading up to america's biggest feast day of the year, with prices dropping big-time. "early today" starts right now. >> great being with you on a thursday. i'm frances rivera. >> and i'm phillip mena. this morning embattled alabama senate candidate roy moore says he is in his state senate race for good. even after more women came forward with allegations against him. describing unwanted overtures from the former gop judge when they were still teenagers or young women and he was in his 30, then serving as district attorney in alabama. nine women have now come forward, describing alleged encounters with moore with a new accuser, jenna richardson. it caused one store manager to tell his new hires to, quote, watch out for this guy. >> moore was ultimately rebuffed, only to then call the then teen's high school a few days later. i said hello,

according to the post. and the male on the other end of the line said gena, this is roy moore. what are you doing? i'm in trig class. nbc has not independently verified her account. still, her story is one of new allegations leveled against the beleaguered candidate as he digs in with just weeks left until the special election. nbc's gabe gutierrez has more from alabama. >> reporter: roy moore's campaign is standing firm. >> release the yearbook so that we can determine is it genuine or it is a fraud. >> reporter: beverly young nelson claims moore signed her yearbook shortly before the alleged assault. but the campaign now says it is a forgery, and may have been lifted from a divorce case judge moore presided over. moore strongly denies the allegations, first reported in "the washington post" of sexual encounters with teenaged girls when he was in his 30s. >> obviously, i've made few people mad. i'm the only one that can unite democrats and republicans.

because i seem to be opposed by both. >> should roy moore resign, mr. president? >> reporter: though the president declined to answer questions about the scandal, ivanka trump is weighing in for the first time, telling the associated press there is a special place in hell for people who prey on children. i have no reason to doubt the victims' accounts. fox news host sean hannity seeming to back away from moore. >> for me, the judge has 24 hours. you must immediately and fully come up with a satisfactory explanations for your inconsistencies. >> reporter: moore is being outspent 11-1 in alabama. and one poll has him now trailing by 12 points. >> i refuse to vote for roy moore at all. >> reporter: as the rnc yanks its resources from the state -- >> the alabama gop is doing what we do best. >> reporter: local gop officials are sticking by moore. >> we do not care what washington, d.c. thinks or wants us to do. >> reporter: the race ahead of the special election december 12th could get ugly. a pastor

from someone pretending to be a "washington post" reporter, offering to pay for damaging remarks about roy moore. >> for a reward between $5,000 or $7,000. we will not be fully investigating these claims. >> reporter: the post claiming we are shock and appalled that anyone would stoop to this level to discredit real journalism. gloria all red who represents beverly young nelson says her client is willing to testify under oath at a senate hearing and hand over that yearbook to an independent expert if roy moore would also testify under oath. franc frances? >> all right, gabe gutierrez, thank you. in hours, president trump will make his way to capitol hill and meet with house republicans just before they vote on their version of the gop tax bill. overnight the president tweeted why are democrats fighting massive tax cuts for the middle class and business? jobs? the reason, obstruction and delay. and big vote. tax cuts are getting close. gop leaders say republicans have enough votes to get the bill passed. but we're learning it

entirely different matter on the senate side where a new plan to alter obamacare is being met with skepticism, and at least one gop defection. for more on this, we go to nbc's tracie potts on capitol hill. tracee, good morning. >> hey, good morning. good morning, everyone. the vote that is happening today on the house side does not include this new controversial plan to mix in health care. what senators want to do is get rid of the obamacare mandate, the requirement to have insurance, or pay a penalty. they want to do that to help pay for the tax plan. but some republicans are skeptical. listen. >> i don't think it's a good idea from either a political or a policy perspective. health care is such a complex issue. >> i think it shows a fact that they didn't have the votes, and now this kind of hail mary pass, which i think will actually hurt them more.

republicans skeptical, but at least one is already saying he's a no vote. >> i wouldn't vote for this senate version. bottom line, again, i was asked. can you support the current senate version? i wouldn't vote for it. it's just that simple. but it doesn't mean i don't want to vote for a real solution. >> reporter: now, senator ron johnson says he got a personal call from the president about this. it didn't seem to make much difference. we do know that the president is headed here to capitol hill today to try to take on some of this concern, some of these concerns, some of the skepticism head-on. again, the house is voting today. and also, new reporting this morning from usa today about details of this tax plan. phillip? >> all right, tracie, thank you. the death toll in the northern california rampage rose to six wednesday after a grim discovery. police say the killer's shooting spree began in his own home where he fatally shot his wife. one day before he gne

others in the rural community of rancho tehama reserve. kevin jansen neal opened fire in seven locations tuesday morning, including an elementary school where he crashed a stolen vehicle through a gate and sprayed the building with dozens of bullets. the school staff have now being hailed as heros for preventing more deaths by placing the school under lockdown. >> it is monumental that that school went on lockdown. i mean, i really truly believe that we would have had a horrific bloodbath in that school if that school hadn't taken the action when they did. >> neal was shot and killed during a standoff with police. meanwhile, his sister has spoken out, saying the gunman had a long history of emotional illness. >> and to think that somebody you know and love and lived with for 20 years would drive a car to a school. it's heartrending.

ucla is spending three of its star basketball players indefinitely after they were caught up in an international legal drama. the three were facing up to a decade in the chinese prison for shoplifting last week, prompting president trump to intervene. as nbc's joe fryer reports, they're now back on u.s. soil, and say they're sorry. >> reporter: three ucla basketball players now trying to rebound off the court. >> i'm grateful to be back home, and i'll never make a mistake like this again. >> reporter: cody riley, lianglo ball and jalen hill offered their first statements since arrested in china for shoplifting. >> i take full responsibility for the mistake i made, shopl t shoplifting. >> what i did was stupid. >> reporter: ucla says the freshmen are suspended indefinitely while the school investigates. the players returned to ucla, released from china with help from the white house. >> what they did was unfortunate, and, you know, you're

prison sentences. they do not play games. >> reporter: president trump spoke to china's president about the incident. the white house says that, along with diplomatic efforts by the state department led to a reduction in charges. before the players' news conference, the president tweeted do you think the three ucla basketball players will say thank you, president trump? they were headed for ten years in jail. >> i'd also like to thank president trump and the united states government. >> reporter: lianglo is a member of the high profile ball family, one of three fast rising athletes relentlessly promoted by their father. >> i didn't exercise my best judgment. >> reporter: but the spotlight is on lianglo and two of his teammates who are apologizing for their actions overseas. joe fryer, nbc news. dallas cowboy running back ezekiel elliott's battle with the nfl has come to an end. his attorney says elliott would no longer pursue an

his punishment over allegations of domestic violence. he will serve his full six-game suspension. elliott missed sunday's loss to the falcons and will miss five more games. but he is eligible to return for week 16's matchup against the seattle seahawks that son christmas eve. >> all right. let's get a check of the day ahead with nbc meteorologist bill karins. how are you doing, bill? >> good morning. umbrella weather for some people in the northeast this morning. not a big deal. the only snow we'll get out of it is in the higher elevations of new hampshire and maine. through new york city, philadelphia, d.c., it looks yike you're just about done. let's time this out. by the time we get to the noon hour today, new york city is finished. philadelphia is finished. but rain will be coming down and boston also to providence. up into portland. and some areas of maine will get some snow out of this. that's mostly up in the ski country. then we'll get colder air and move it in. we'll get lake-effect snow showers. that's a look at the big weather story of the i day. now here is a closer look at your weather ahead. temperatures are plenty warm today in

that big storm in the west. the southerly winds are pumping the air up, warm air into areas of oklahoma and colorado. still chilly through the great lakes behind this storm system. as i mentioned, cooler temperatures. the weekend forecast looks for like another storm heading through the northeast and ohio valley also. >> bill, thank you. in today's quick hit, the former usa gymnastics doctor accused of sexual abusing more than 140 women and girls is expected to change his plea to guilty in two michigan sexual conduct cases. larry s thnasser is scheduled t sentenced next year. photos of mnuchin holding an uncut sheet along with his wife quickly went viral. and the cost of the 12 days of christmas is going up. all those gifts would cost $34,558. that's about $195 more than last year. we'll be right back. psoriasis does that. it was tough getting out there on stage.

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salvator mundi selling at christie's. $400 million is the bid, and the piece is sold. >> after several rounds of intense dueling between bidders, you heard it. the gavel came down and leonardo da vinci's salvator mundi sold on wednesday night for record breaking price. the ethereal portrait of jesus christ ultimately sold for $450.3 million with some added fees to boot. christie's auction house says this rare painting dates back to 1500 and is one of only 20 believed to still be in existen existence. >> wow. what a day in the life of the buyer. just going to drop $450 million on a da vinci today. like any other day. >> and the only privately held da vinci now that exists. >> fascinating. leading the news, army chief of staff mark millie now says the service has rescinded a september memo that recently stated people with mental issues including self-mutilation

the army. it added the decision had been delegated to a lower level for approval. the change if ultimately passed would help the army in its goal to recruit 80,000 new soldiers through september of next year. it's an effort to meet their recruiting goal waivers which have been granted for those with marijuana use and those who scored low on aptitude tests. get ready for a massive food price fight between some of the nation's biggest grocers. plus, a light in the sky lit up police switch boards in multiple states. we've got the details, next.

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the american meteor society says it has received over 100 calls from arizona to utah to california about that spectacular sight in the sky. so the question is what is that thing? a fireball striking across phoenix area tuesday nightcap cherred by security cameras. the light show lasted about ten seconds. experts say it was likely a meteor. i don't know. a little too big and a little too close. >> too big or too close? is that what you think? >> i want those things as far away as possible. now to the latest move in the ongoing food fight your money. amazon is launching a price war in the grocery business. three months after buying whole foods, they're announcing big price cuts just in time for thanksgiving. it's also forcing competitors to do the same.

>> reporter: the grocery chain once known as whole paycheck is moving fast to drop its prices and that reputation. with new owner amazon.com, whole foods announced a fresh turkey will be at least 20% cheap their thanksgiving. organic turkey, which can average about $5.49 a pound at grocery stock, now $3.49 at whole foods. nonantibiotic turkey, $3.50, now $1.99. amazon prime members will get another 50 cents off and deep discounts on boneless chicken breasts and organic sweet potatoes. forcing change on the grocery business. thinking season a all-out war that amazon whole foods is going against walmart, going against shoprite, going against every other supermarket in the country. >> some news from amazon this morning. it is cutting prices further on certain items at whole foods, including some holiday estimates. >> reporter: on wall street, competitor stock sank. wa

lower. future price cuts could eat into profit margin, even employee wages. but in the aisle -- >> price war helps the consumer in the long run. >> as a shopper, i can't hate on cuts. >> but keep their employees happy. that's important. they have families. >> reporter: the biggest grocery chain competitors have yet to respond with their own price cuts. but with the ceo of whole foods saying we're just getting started, it could be just the beginning of a very big price war. tom costello, nbc news, washington. >> wow. i was always a trader joe's person. but i have a whole foods closer to me, and i'm a big amazon person. i'm going to start checking things out. >> amazon is changing the game. still ahead, ryan reynolds does his best bob ross impression. plus, a favorite is cruising back to the big screen. you're watching "early today."

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because your carpet there's resolve carpet care. it lifts more dirt and pet hair verses vacuuming alone. resolve carpet care with five times benefits hello there. welcome back. i'm glad you could join me today. let's just drive right in and run all the colors across the screen that you'll need to paint along with me. >> the hair is a giveaway here. dead giveaway for dead pool, offering a first look at the upcoming sequel. the teaser imitates the late bob ross from the pbs show the joy of painting, and gives us a quick montage from scenes from the movie and returns to the rendition of a roman rockwell painting featuring dead pool characters. clever. it hits theaters june 1st, 2018. so that right there makes it like so much

>> little happy trees here. >> and the soothing voice along with it. >> this is my favorite super hero movie. i watch as an adult. i'm excited for that. fans never let go of "titanic" when it released back in 1997. but now they can relive their favorite moments with rose and jack in theaters. and for a limited run, in the first week of december, the blockbuster hit will return exclusively to amc movie theaters all across the country to mark the movie's 20th anniversary. the film has been digitally remastered in dolby vision, and some theaters are often offering this in 3-d. and as james cameron, the director says it will be like seeing it for the first time. >> especially when the ship is vertical and about to go down in the water, 3-d. that's going to be amazing. >> i still think there is enough room on the ship for jack. that's all i'm saying. too teen entrepreneur who is getting people to wear their hearts on their coffee sleeves and raising money for breast cancer research. you're watching "early today." yeah.

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good morning. i'm chris lawrence. straight ahead on "news4 today," the call is going out for prayers and information. after so mumeone shoots a polic officer in the head. the search for the shooter. we've had a little rain in the overnight hours and it's now quickly kooming to an end as the cold friend brings in a

good morning everybody. i'm chris lawrence. thank you for waking up early with us on this thursday

hats, this would be the kind of day where you'd say hold on to your hats. it takes a lot to blow off the bean is that hipsters wear. >> you bet. hats and hair pieces, just if case. >> wow. >> not for you or me necessarily. i wouldn't buy a gray wig. temperatures are going to be on the mild side briefly today before colder air comes back into the play for later tonight and tomorrow. but yeah, the weather front itself is still back to the west. you'll know when it comes by because the wind will turn around to the west northwest and increase dramatically. could have winds over 30 miles per hour later on in the day. they could be ready for that. the last of the raindrops drifting across parts of southern maryland. out they go. then a briefly mild period of weather. in the mid to upper 40s. nowhere near as cold as the last couple of mornings. what do you need to know? puddles around. rain is clearing. a gusty wind this afternoon and temperatures near 60 degrees