>> struck without warning. a massive tsunami catches indonesia off guard, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. the new fears this morning as the death toll continues to climb. chaos on capitol hill. president trump wages war on his outgoing dsense secretary a the shutdo showdown drags intoe th christmas week. the height of luxury hits new lows. china digs in deepith an underground skyscraper. speaking of going deep -- >> heaves one to the end zone. it is caught! >> one of the most epic plays you'll see all football season witho call t match. "early today" starts rw.ht

good morning. i'm marlie hall. >> and i'm phillip mena. more drama in d.c. this morning as the cabinet shake-up continues. defense secretary james mattis is heading out the door sooner than expected. president trump announced on twitter that mattis will lea on the first of the new year, two months earlier than previously announnd. the decis possibly prompted by the defense chief's highly critical resignationletter. nbc's susan mcguinness joining us from d.c. with the very latest on this. susan, good morning. i hear the president h named a replacement for mattis this weekend. >> that's right. that hapned pretty quickly as well, phillip. but yeah, the president announcing in a tweet on sunday fense secretary james mattis will be departing his post much earlier than expected, two months earlier. this follows mattis's resignation last weehat was in protest over the president's decision to withdraw troops froa sy and later from afghanistan as well against the advice of the pentagon and many, many others. the president initially praised mattis after he made his

announcement but reportedly became fious following that. evidently, reports that he didn't raeld the letter, didn't realize this was all in protest and became very angry after seeing the news coverage. but here's how the incoming white house chief o staff mick mulvaney characterizes the decision. >> i think the relationshi between these two men had been fraying. i think the president no longer relied on mattis to be able to deliver the president's vision. the president has to know, i don't have to agree with the president on everything he asks me to do. in fact, we're not going t. nk he hires people who disagree with him because he likes that different input. but if'm physically incapable, completely incapable of doing what he wants me to do just because i don't believe it, i cannot serve him well. >> reporter: and the president named a new acting sec of defense that is patrick shanahan. he worked for boeing for some 30 years. the president tweeting that shanahan has a long lcot of lishments and he will be great. phillip and marlie? >> all right. so the delayed reaction was cause he did not read t resignation letter immediately. all right, susan, thank you.it

>> day three of the government shutdown and still no end in sight. hundreds of thousands of federal employees are on furlough this morning as president trump digs in on his demands for border wall funding. he doubled down on itter, writing late last night, "everyone knows you can't have border security whout a wall." earlier he wrote, "it is only a good old-fashioned wall that works." nbc's geoff bennett has the te st. >> reporter: the government shutdown drags on. no truce on the horizon in theve battle o funding mr. trump's border wall. acting white house chief of staff mick mulvaney offering his prediction on how long it will last. >> i think that is -- it's very possible that this shutdown will ss beyond the 28th and into the new cong >> reporter: and who's on the hook to pay? >> none of that is mexico paying for th wall. t's just be -- >> technically, you and i both know that it cannot work exactly like that. >> reporter: mulvaney says the white house has dropped downts from $5 billion demand for border security money, hoping democrats move uprom their

$1.3 billion counteroffer. democrats say they're willing ti nee on the price tag but want a guarantee on what the money buys. >> the democrats want to see for real border security not some medieval wall. >> reporter: the department of homeland security estimates the entire $5 billion would be able to build or beef up 215miles' worth of barrier along the border. the administratioays its top priority is adding about 100 miles of mostlyew barrier in the rio grande valley, a hot spot for illegal crossi rs. with test of the money the administration says it would build barriers near laredo, texas, parts of new mexico, in yuma, arizona and parts of eastern california. >> it's a spectacle. and candidly, it's juvenile. the whole thing is juvenile. >> reporter: it's government workers held hostage in the standoff. >> we're at their mercy at this point. so it's going to be tough for people's budgets when paychecks aren't coming in, can't beag

making mor payments and other things like that. >> that was geoff bennett reporting. overseas teath toll is rising from a powerful and deadly tsunami that struck off the coast of indonesia without any warning. the catastrophic event killedmo than 280 people with thousands more injured. officials say an eruption from the anak krakatoa volca set f the tsunami. this sent walls of water into the area between the islands of sumatra andava swallowing everything in that path. the tsunami rushed ashore about 9:30 local time on saturday night. it wasol localay weekend in indonesia. resorts and hotels along the coast in western java wacld have beend with people. this morning aid organizations are rushing surprise to the thastation is massive. region. entire roads toss add way, vehicles tossed by waves and hospitalsoverwhelmed. officials expect the number of ctims to rise as the recovery effort continues. police in west virginia have ised arrest rrants for four people who got trapped in the mines earlier this month. w

the fouere reported missing, then found days later. authorities say the gro was suspected of enteringin the m to steal copper. all four are facing charges for entering the mine. eddie williams jr. is also charged with conspiracy and lying to police. now to theve controversy what some see as an unfair and potentially racist choice forced on high school athlete last week. it happened in new jersey, where a wrestler was told to cut his locks or h couldn't compete. nbc's kathy park has more. t reporter: the crowd wednesday's wrestling match watched andrew johnson's drdlocks drop to the ground. the new jersey high school wrestler reportedly had to choose, trim the hair or forfeit the match. a decision handed down by referee alan maloney, who said the athlete's hair len head gear broke the rules. johnson won the match, b response was swift. some calling the haircut a case ofsm ra >> wrong. flat out wrong. >> it's very disrespectfu's and

discrimination. >> reporter: social media quickly lit up as well. civil rights activist shawn king called it disgusting and jersey wrote n no student should have to choose between his or her identity and playing sports. the refereelan maloney grabbed headlines before. in 2016 the "courier post" reported he was accuse of using a racial a slur againstnother referee at a privateer gag. maloney laterap ologized. wrestling champion and olympic m goldalist jordan burrows shared his response to johnson's ordeal. >> in high y school as're growing and you're developing, you're establishing w you are, you're creating an identity, i know as a young black man how much my hair meant to me. >> reporter: buena high school administrators issued a statement saying thefessigned reree will no longer be permitted to off iate any more school sporting events for its athletes. the association thategulates new jersey athletics adding the ref will stay on the sidelines as state authorities complete their investigation.

kathy park, nbc news. >> hardo watch him getting his hair chopped off like that. >> yeah. i think we know why, though. we saw a picture of the ref. >> there you go. well, in florida a htoric launch of a spatecex falcon rocket. >> ignition, lift-off. >> after several delays the rocket blasted off from cape canaveral sunday carrying a new gps satellite for the air force. first time a spacex rocket has been launched on a national security mission. >> amazing. it is christmas eve, as we all know. let's toss it over to meteorologist bonnie schneider. good morning. how's it look out there? >> good plorn morning, phillip and marlie. it's looking nice. maybe not as much snow as you hoped for b we do have some lake effect snow that's working its way into parts of the great lakes and the northeast. the travel weather, where we'd have trouble spots i'd say out west. otherwise, most of the country r enjoying a pleasant christmas eve and a nice christmas day as well. that's a look at the story of the day. now here's a closer look at the

day ahead. temperatures are looking warm igough to keep that snow all rain for b cities in the northeast. it will be a little cooler as you head up further to the north. but warming comfortable from texas to floridca the linas. everybody's enjoying some nice nditions. so white christmas where we have an inch of snow on the ground christmas morning, you may see it in some of the cities here, but generally speaking i think most of us will not be seeing a white christmas.nn >> all right, , thanks so much. would you be willing to stay overnight in an abandoned quarry? ople in china are paying over . 600 u.s dollars a night to stay in this luxury hotel which provides a view of a giant pit. with two floors above ground and 17 floors below ground, this quarry hotel is the world's lowest skyscraper,r more precisely it's an quaerth skrea. looks interest bg. >> it's inutiful setting for sure. just ahead a dangerous virus sweeps across the university of

maryland crisis. and stillzi buzng from the drone scare. the latest on the suspects that shut the airport down. could lead to way cleaner teeth. she said, get the one inspired by dentists, with a round brush head. go pro with oral-b. oral-b's gentle rounded brush head removes more plaque along the gum line. for cleaner teeth and healthier gums. and unlike sonicare, oral-b is the first electric toothbrush brand accepted by the ada for its effectiveness and safety. what an azing clean! i'll only use an oral-b! oral-b. brush like a pro. unpredictable crohn's symptoms following you? for adults with moderately to severely active crohn's disease, stelara® works differently. studies showed relief and remission, with dosing every 8 weeks. stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections and cancer. some serious infections require hospitalization. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection or flu-like symptoms or sores, have had cancer, or develop new skin growths, or if anyone in your house needs or recently had a vaccine. alert your doctor of new or worsening problems,

including headaches, seizures, confusion and vision problems. these may be signs of a rare, potentially fatal brain condition. some serious allergic reactions and lung inflammation can occur. talk to your doctor today, and learn how janssen can help you explore cost support options. remission can start with stelara®. explore cost support options. sometimes we forget what is like you!eball? diagnosed with an aggressive cancer, johan came to st. jude children's research hospital. our discoveries have helped to increasee erall childhood cancer survival from 20% to 80%. and we won't stop until every child survives. how big is 80%? this big! visit stjude.org or shop wherever you see the st. jude logo. this is charlie not coughing because he took delsym 12-hour. and this is charlie still not coughing while trying his hardest not to wake zeus. delsym 12-hour. nothing lasts longer for powerful cough relief.

looking for alast-minute christmas gift idea? you could give the chance to win hundreds of millions of dollars. no big winner in friday's mega l ns. the next drawing will happen christmas night. the jackpot now stands about $321 million. meanwhile wednesday's powerball jackpot has climbed to an estimated 294 million bucks. >> that would be a nice gift. >> unlesshey win. >> right. well, leading the news, gatwick airport officials are offering 50,000 poun, about $63,000, to anyone withn informatn the suspects behind last week's drone scare. a drone sighting led to three days of chaos after the airport shut down completely, leaving thousands o passengers stranded. investigators have recovered a damaged drone and are testing it for forensics. over the weeks a couple was arrested andd later releath no connection to the incident. the airport is back and operating on a full schedule as

the investigation contues. t university of maryland is working during this holiday break to contain a virus that has led to the death of one student anen made d of others sick. nbc's matt bradley lookst what the virus does and what they're doing to stop it. >> she is just -- she's just a free spirited kind girl. >> reporter: it's been more than a month since ian perigal's 18-year-old daughter olivia died. >>ju we watched he get weaker and weaker and that's the worst experience you can possibly have as a parent. >> pierre: olivia developed complications related to the adenovirus duringma her fre year at the university of maryland where the number of infected students now stands at 40, leaving an entire campus on edge. >> there'sball one case of fal -- being fatal. and it's kind of worrying that more people are getting it. >> reporter: another outbreak last month killed 11 children in a pediatric center in new the virus itself is common but it rarely leads to death. the admonth virus can cause the

common cold, onchitis, pinkeye, and for those with weak immune systems deadly teumonia. >> f majority of us it's not a problem. we get over it because we have imnity to, it because we've been exposed as children. >> reporter: olivia's family says she's been taking medicine for crohn's disease which may have weakened her immune systemd thtor says the best thing is to take precautions like washing hands arf cleaning es. and the university of maryland says it will begin deep cleaning dorms next month whi students e away, hoping to prevent another tragedy. matt bradley, nbc news, new york. up next, loo mcfly for less. nike brings back its self-lacing shoes with a major perk. and a miracle on the gridiron. the play of the year gets the call of the year. you're watching "early today." hey. i heard you're moving into a new apartment. yeah, it's pretty stressful. this music is supposed to relax me, though. ♪ maybe you'd mellow out a bit if you got geico to help you

with your renters insurance. oh, geico helps with renters insurance? good to know. yeah, and they could save you a lot of money. wow, suddenly i feel so relieved. you guys are fired. get to know geico and see how much you could save on renters insurance. i am not for just treating my symptoms... (ah-choo) i am for shortening colds when i'm sick. with zicam. zicam is completely different. unlike most other cold medicines... ...zicam is clinically proven to shorten colds. i am a zifan for zicam. oral or nasal. huseventy five percent off andthe entire store, with last minute gifts from three, four, and five dollars! you still have time for last minute gifts! buy online and pick up in store. the entire store is on sale, with up to seventy five percent off, only at old navy. new listerine® ready! tabs™ aren't gum, mints, or marbles. seriously, what is this? if you guessed they're tabs that turn into liquid as you chew, so you can swish and clean your whole mouth instantly, then you were correct.

and that was a really good guess. nice job. alice loves the smell of gain so much, she wished it came in a fabric softener too. [throat clears] say hello to your fairy godmother, alice. oh and look they got gain scent beads and dryer sheets too!

a deep one for the end zone. it is caht! touchdown! >> touchdowhd toucown! >> oh, baby! >>wow. that's what's texas football all about. north shore high school wonhe state title on that hail mary pass. like something from "friday night lights." as you heard the announcers. the call from the booth was one for the ages. iting h, that was an e play. >> i want to hear the version in

spanish now because that one's always even more exciting. >> there you go. well, tom hanks got into the smeert of a giving an in-n-out burger in southern california. the oscar winnerk selfies with fans and grabbed lunch with wife rita wilson. haurs thenised people at the drive-thru. >> that' for the next cars. >> thank you so much. >> have good christmas. >> well, fans say he wished them a merry christmas on his way out. that's pretty cool. >> it is.he and it's only thing that will justify walking to the drive-thru. yo know, a lot of people. they won't let you in. they won't let you pay or get -- that's very cool. >> he's tom hanks. >> that's right. we want to sew you s shoes now. remember these, the self-lacing shoes from "back to the future 2"? nike made them a only if you had 720 bucks to spend on them.

now nike ceo mike parker has announced the base price will be cut in half, more than half. $350 now. that will be availablerin the . the cheaper version of the shoe will mark the line's move into the performance bketball arena. instead of marty mcfly you're going to see them on a basketball court, m be an nba court. >> why does anyone really need self-lacing shoes? because they'recool. why does anyone need any of these shoes? you can buy some jordans for 350. maybe because since you were a kid you watched that movie. now those kids have mon to spends. just ahead the nflyo pff picture takes shape. which teams punched their ticket to the postseason? uld lead to w. she said, get the one inspired by dentists, with a round brush head. go pro with oral-b. oral-b's gentle rounded brush head removes more plaque along the gum line. for cleaner teeth and healthier gums. and unlike sonicare, oral-b is the first electric toothbrush brand accepted by the adas

for fectiveness and safety. what an amazing clean! i'll only use an oral-b! oral-b. brush like a pro. mucinex cold & flu all-in-one. fights... ...sore throat, fever, cough, sinus pressure, chest congestion, headache, nasal congestion, body pain... all in one. did you really need the caps lock? get tough on cold and flu symptoms. mucinex cold and flu all-in-one. you'll make my morning, buty the price ruin my day.ou? complicated relationship with milk? pour on the lactaid, 100% real milk, just without that annoying lactose. mmm, that's good. loand everyone i've ever opd away from me. everything everything.i ew my ankle out and i got prescribed pain pills by my doctor. if making my detox public is gonna help somebody i'm all for it. i just wish i would've had a warning.

you said you'd rather sniff than clean the bathroom? that's nuts! with scrubbing bubbles cleaning doesn't have to stink. it gets rid of tough soap scum and it smells amazing. it's cleaning reinvented. sc johnson. (vo) ovewhelming air fresheners can send you running. so try febreze one. with no aerosols and no heavy perfumes. so you can spray and stay. febreze one.

or championship time fantasy football this week. also nfl playoff picture's going to starto come into focus after this week. thech seahawks pung their ticket. they got a stunning win over the chiefs. patricks,mahoe did his thing. as always, he threw for three touchdowns but it was not enough to keep one russell wilson and seattle's ground game. they lead the league, andat the he chiefs at home 38-p 1. high stakes and high drama in the superdome. the steelers facing a must win against the saints, had to win to get into the playoffs or it was going to be really, really tough. the saints took an early lead on a tough run there, but the steelers as always muscled their way back. this was a perfecthrow and tch here. an then drew brees right back. that is a connection to michael thomas. was it a touchdown or not?

the refs had to go back and look at it. it was. at was thewi nner. saints secure the number one seed with that win in the nfc. the texans were fighting to clin cht afc south. darren sproles is pretty oldsn t it d't .matt you cannot tell. look how fast he is. that was not swed down at all. eagles, they get win after deseanon wats, he would throw this perfect passl stilidn't matter. the eagles would get the win on this field goal. there it is. 35 yards in the final seconds. another big game in big d. the cowboys looking to clinch the n east. dallas leapt out to a early lead. up 14-3. then jalen smith scooped up this fumble by jameis winston and took it to the house. ianother huge turnovern the third. the cowboys they take a 27-13 lead. it was enough for the boys to cement their spot in the playoffs. finally out in the bay the bes were hunting for home field advantage in the nfc. i don't know about that dance, though. that is not what had everybody talking. it was this hit right here and

what happened after.h mi trubisky, the quarterback for the bears, everybody started fighting, they put some people inime out, thr people got ejected. the niners lose 14-9. >> all right. well, bonnie is back with a holiday look at our forecast. what can we expect? >> marlie,phillip, we're looking wor ate christmas and we'll see it out west across the rockies. that's where it's more anlikely. in the northeast not so much with some exceptions. lake effect snow coming in and that may give you a white christmas in places in upstate new york. a wet christmas that's possible across parts of the south. lots of rain likely to accumulate but this is straight through friday. we'll be looking at a wet week ahead. something to keep a watch on as we look forward toshis ch eve tonight. phillip, marlie? >> all right, bonnie, thank you. just ahead, love has no borders. we want to show you this hostor a man in the u.s. made a young girl in mexico her christmas wishes come true. it's a great story. stay with us. welcome to saturday. sure, mom does all the heavy lifting during the week. but on this day dad makes flapjacks dripping with hot, melting california butter.

and somehow dad's the mvp? most valuable parent. it's just not fair. love ya, mom! return to real food. dairy products made with california milk. from our family farms to your table. return to real. look for the seal. huseventy five percent off andthe entire store, with last minute gifts from three, four, and five dollars! you still have time for last minute gifts! buy online and pick up in store. the entire store is on sale, with up to seventy five percent off, only at old navy. there it is the coffee ring, it's been sitting there all week. and just like that, it's shining. look at you. beautify it with pledge. s.c. johnson.

about the colonial penn program. here to tell you if you're age 50-85 and looking to buy life insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three p's. the three what? the three p's? what are the three p's?e the ths of life insurance on a fixed budget are price, price, and price.ic a you can afford, a price that can't increase, it and a price thatyour budget. i'm 54 and was a smoker but qui alex, what's my price? you can get coverage for $9.95 a month. i'm 65, retired, and take medications. what's my price? i just turned 80 a month.an i'm on a fixed income. what's my price? $9.95 a month for you, too. if you're age 50 to 85, call now about the number one most popular

whole life insance plan available through the colonial penn program. it has an affordable rate starting at $9.95 a month. that's less than 35 cents a dayn you cannot be down because of your health. no medical exam, no health questions. your acceptance is guaranteed, and this plan guaranteed lifetime rate lock, so your rate can never go up for any reason. and with this plan, you can pick your payment date, so you can time your premium due date to work with your budget.at options star9.95 a month, plus, you get a 30-day money back guarantee. so call now for free information. and e u'll also get this fneficiary planner, and it's yours just for calling. so call now.

the f working day of the government shutdown is here. some progress has been made to get a budgeteal done but some are warning it could last into the new year. >> hundreds are dead after

tsunami slams into parts of indonesia. now t frantic rescue efforts are underway. >> today is your last chance. the deadline is here. if you missed out on black and the d cyber monday free shipping, now you have to make sure that you do not sho up a holiday celebration empty handed. we'll have last minute shopping tips for you. >> good morning, thank you for joining us. we are bot color coordinated on this christmas eve. we're looking at an unseasonwaly weather tomorrow. >> i still have a couple of people to cross off the list i didn't make it out. >> i can thi of at least two people that you may