no end in sight for the government shutdown with president trump re his calls for wall funding. his message as tragedy strikes for a second time this month at the border. a heart stopping warning from a new jersey surgery center. y thousands of patients may be at risk for hiv and hepatitis. sabotage or space debris? scientists race to sol the aboardf a mysteous hole the international space station. l.a.s laker now without lebron james. you can see still a lot of pain. >> you heard that right. lakers superstar lebron james out after an injury against the warriors. we will have an update on his nd

coion. and apparently not even santa can deliver a mega millions winner. "early today" starts right now.o good ing. i'm marlie hall. >> and i'm phillip mena. as the government shutdown stretches into its fifth day, president trump isn't backing down from his demands for border wall. on christmas, he vowed to keep0 80federal workers furloughed until he gets funding from congress. customs and.s. border protection is ordering an extra medical check on every child in cusdy after the death of an 8-year-old guatemalan boy detainedlong the u.s.-mexico border. he is the second child to pass away inovernment custody this month. while nbc news hasn't independently verified the victim's name, in a statement, texas congressman joaquin castro identified the boy as plippe alonzo gomez. nbc's garrett haake has more on this story as well as theut government wn. >> i want to wish everybody a really merry christmas. orter: president trump started christmas morning making calls to american service members deployed around the

world. n john, how is it going guam? >> reporter: but when the holiday cheer was eer, he mad it clear what's still at the top of his christmas list. money for his border wall >> i can't tell you when the government's going to be open. i can tell you it's not going to be open until we have wall, a fence, whatever they'd like to call it. >> reporter: mr. trump saysute gave a contract on christmas eve for 115 miles of wall construction in texas with buildingexet to start week. he said he planned a visit in january. >> the new secti is very, very exciting, what's going on there. so while we' o fightinr funding, we're also building. >> reporter: but the white house provided io furthormation on where that wall might be built, how much it would cost, or who would build it. congress hasn't appropriated any money new wall construction. >> but we want the wall money to be increased because i want to finish it. >> reporter: and customs and border protection announcing the death of8- aar-old guatemalan boy in their custody in new mexico. he became sickis on cas eve, cbp said, and was taken to a

hospital for treatment. 8 theear-old passed away just after midnight. cbp says it is reviewing what happened. he was the second migrant child to die in custody this month. and the white house still hasn't death.ted on that boy's his passing a reminder that this debate about immigration in washington isn't jus debate. there are actual lives at stake. >> and the grief is very real for those families. garrett, thanks. in indonesia, fears of yet another tsunami sent hundreds of residents running for their lives. the death tol from turday's powerful wave now standing at more than 420 with nearly 1,500 people injured. nbc's sarah harman is in the disaster zone again this rning. >> reporter: panic. ther tsunami was about to hit. just 18 miles from saturday's deadly wave, hundreds ran to higher ground after a rumor started that mor water was on the way. even though it was a false

alarm, it rattled a region already i shock days after the wall of water slammed ashore. rescuers haven't given up the search for survivors. this man said he almost didn't make it, clinging to aut coc tree so he wouldn't get swept a couplf days ago, this was a eay. lively beachfront resort area. you can see how the tsunami came crashing through here, leaving nothing but rubble in its wake. these musicians were performing nearby when the wave hit. they returned looking for their yitar. so m here are desperately trying to salvage anything they can. while thousands here are displaced, all are keeping a close eye on the volno that caused the landslide, sending deadly waves into this community. the volcano continues to erupt just off the coastline,

pele are being told they need to stay away from the beaches just in case. >> sarah, thank you. another volcano, this one in italy, grounded flights and forced an airport to close. mt. etna erupted again this week, spewing lava and cloud of ash into the skies above sicily. more than rattled that region on monday. now to a medical warning. a new jersey surgical center says moren 3,000 patients may have been exposed to hiv and hepatitis. as nbc's matt bradleyells us, there's an urgent call for patients to see whether they've been affected. >> reporter: thousands of people got a disturbing greeting this holiday season. health plus surgery center sent warnings that patients may be at risk for diseases like hiv and hepatitis b and c. the centeraid lapses in infection control and sterilization in cleaning instruments and the injection of medications could pose an infection risk. the patients treated there between january and september. the new jersey department of he ath added in statement that

while the risk of infection is low, out of an abundancef caution, health plus and the new jersey department of health recommend patients get blood tests. those will be free, and so far no reports of any accidental infections. ergency physician dr. robert gladder is not affiliated with the center. he's at new york's lenox hill hospital and says most patients don' >> i think the risk is very small. that said, i still think there is a possible sk, and i think that anyone who was treat at this surgical center should be tested. >> reporter: meanwhile, health plus c surgeryter says it has taken crucial steps to ensure patient safety, including thorough cleaning andro ing infection control. but it's recommending patients get tested as soons possible. an unsettling request even if the risks arema low. bradley, nbc news. in california, governorro jerry ordered a crucial dna test that offers a death ron te one final chance at freedom. kevin cooper was convicted decades ago in the murder of

four people in theos angeles suburbs. nbc's gadi schwartz has the story. >> reporter: from san quentin state prison, death row inmate kevin cooper h been claiming innocence for decades. speaking out in a phone interview earlier this year. >> they planted idence. they destroyed evidence. they lied about evidence. >> reporter: cooper is on death w forurdering four people in 1983. >> all were found hacked and stabbed to death in this house id the horse country of the sch >> on christmas eve, a last minute order from governor jerry brown allowing for new dna testing on key pieces of evidence including a hatchet and a t-shirt hayrs lawye say was tampered with. >> i know never had that shirt. >> reporter: the prosecutors say the evidence was sod. ooper, an escaped convict, had a history violence, and the case has been re-examined again and again. cooper lsing numer appeals. >> there n iso doubt in my mind that this is t the persont committed those crimes. >> reporter: but the case continues to draw the scrutiny of former judges,

and celebrities. pointing to the initial description from the sole ee survivor of thite men as the attackers. and possible eviden pointing to otherpe suss like bloody cover alls that were throw away. >> with current technology, we think we'll be able to show he's innocent. >> reporter: currently awagadi well, if you like to play the odds, there is still a chance to win hundreds of dollars.of there were no big winners in last night's christmas drawing for the mega millions. this brings the estimated jackpot for friday up to a whopping $348 million. meanwhile, tonight's powerball jackpot has risen to $294 million. let's check out on our weather day. >> it's going well. unfortunately for parts of texas, the odds are high you'll be facing severe weather. we have 19 million people at risk, mor t towards austin,

san antonio area. this storm system won't just s.pact te for those of us that are going to be traveling these days after christmas, this is a massive storm system that will not only bring downpours but also the threat for snow. and some of thatl snow w be heavy. even blizzard conditions are expected with a foot or more of snow and very strong winds. this will be very blusteryound dang for today and into tomorrow. that's a look at the big weather story of the day. now here's a closer look at the day ahead. temperatures are cold enough to be well below freezing, even in the teens in the northern central part of the untry. butsouthward, mild temperatures above normal.ti stormy cons will prevail in texas. after a couple of quiet days, christmas eve and christmas day, it looks troublesome for travelers today and into tomorrow. >> bonnie, thanks so much. well, in sydney, australia, and their iconic beaches, that was the place toe for

christmas day as thousands took advantage of perfect summerr weato celebrate. all decked out in red and tinsel, tourists flocked to the shoreline for the festivities. christmas is typically one of the busiest days of the year on cstralia's beaches. i've never spentistmas on the beach. definitely on my to do list. >> espnially australia too. save up for that. ea> just ahd, the highlights from the nba christmas exavaganza and an out o this world mystery. scientists trying to figure out what happened to the international space station. and everyone i've ever loved away from me. everything. i blew my ankle out an i got prescribed pain lls 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. my dbut now, i take used tometamucil every day.sh

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wow, that's an pretty great, huh?low. if you're a banana. i find it very...appealing. new kellogg's raisin bran with bananas. two scoops meet real banana slices. i've done a great job of raisin ya. have you seen the elf? >> i don't know. where is the elf? where could he somebody. >> can't find him. >> naughty guy. >> let's go look over here. >> it looks like the international space station was also undersanta's watch. nasa astronaut anne mcclain couldn't take her son with her, but she could bring christmas cheer as well and says this holiday season she found herself looking down at home a lot and shared this photo of the moon

setting over the horizon. really cool pic. >> looks likeun and games. but there's also a high stakes mystery going on, playing out on that same spacecraft. russian cos nauts are investigating what caused a hole on the side of the space station. kerry sanders has more on the possible criminal investigation being lnched in outer space. >> reporter: it sounds like a plot line from a movi a soyuz capsule losing cabin pressure. at first scientists suspect a meteor strike opened a hole discovered under external insulation. >> and a good unobstructed view now of that black spot. that's the hole onhe external hull. >> reporter: but now a sinister plot twist.ve cosmonauts dis the hole, about half the seize size of the of a match stick was drilled from inside the capsule. questions invtigators want answers, was it drilled while in orbit, or did someone access the

capsule on the ground? russian media investigators probed the possibility u.s. astronauts deliberately drilled the hole in august to get a sick colleague sent back home. russian and nasa officials have since denied that report. scientists hope a more innocent simple explanation can solve a mystery discovered 220 miles over earth. kerry sanders, nbc news. >> i hope it's not sabotage. that would b horrible. we need to send george clooney or dattamon up toigure it out. ahead, a christmas surprise from aolice officer. and the new hotline lending a helping hand to our veterans. t. neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair's derm-proven retinol works so fast, it takes only one week to reveal younger looking skin. making wrinkles look so last week.

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an officer in colorado surprised a christmas presents after theirs were stolen. earlier this month, some thieves broke into the perkins family home, lving nothing behind but a tree and wrapping paper. >> i wassurprised. i mean we were sitting down to eat dinner, and he just knocked on the tdoor. >> j seeing the little girls in the house kind of pulled on my heartstrings a little bit. >> the officer was just happy to bring them someheer on this holiday season. how about that? >> an officer with a b heart. now thetatn o a hotline for troubled veterans promised on tpa cn trail by president trump. that's now up and running. nbc's catie bk tells us how it's already making a difference

in the lives of u.s. service men and women looking for help. >> you're welcome, mr. smith. you hang in there. i'm going to send that message now. >> reporter: an urgent call from a veteran whose heat i't working. help now on the way. whether it's a healt uestion, access to v.a. benefits, transportation, or issues problems, life where veterans have found red tape and roadblocks areow findingore direct line to someone who cares. >> sometimes veterans take a long time to be able to recognize that they're in is cr and we want to be available when they contact us. >> reporter: 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, tucked in the hills of shepherd'st town, w virginia, the hotline a promise of then-candidate donald trump. sne year after its opening, the white house veter affairs hotline a growing operation with 56 employees trained to help vets. >> many of them are lonely or separated from their family,

homeless. then when they call, they're just looking for someone to sten. >> reporter: almost all agents are veterans or from a veteran family. veterans group say the results gve been mixed. >> we hope thereng to be this continued evolution and effectiveness becomes enhanced by each complicated call that gets handled. >> reporter: the team has answered close to 130,000 calls. many from vets lost ia complex system. >> from one veteran to another, i want to thank you for your service andsacrifice. reporter: with problems no longer on hold. catie beck, nbc ws shepherds town, west virginia. >> a step in the right n. direct still plenty to be done to heprovide the supporty deserve. your christmas day nba highlights are just ahead. they say that the league doesn't even really get going until communities show their diversity and inclusion with some pride flags that went up in a neighborhood in illinois when we come back.

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without him. plenty of firepower. they flow oblow out the warrior. the jazz and blazers burning the midnight oil. utah leapt outo the early lead and never looked back. th utah pulls away with the win, 117-96. down in houston, james hardend contino make his case for yet another mvp season. the beard put up 41 points on the thunder, scoring over 30 in his seventh straight game. the rockets edge oklahoma city 113-109. and in boston, i was an overtime thriller. the celtics and the 76ers put on a show. the fireworks coming in the final minutes. sixers go up by four points on a jumper from jimmy ttler. but i was kyrie irving who d wouldeliver the daggers. he hit a pairee of-pointers and that would seal the deal fon bost. 121-114. and at madison square gaen, thenicks are making losses part of their christmas

tradition. for the seven eth yea in a row, they dropped their holiday games this year it to the milwaukee bucks. the greek freaket gng the job done on both ends of the floor. he had 30 points and 14 reboun. gee iannis antetokounmpo led th bucks to a 109-95 win. >> it's a mouthful. >> he's going to be a star in this league for a decade, and we'll all know h to say his name. bonnie, how is the weather? >> it's going pretty well so far, but we are looking at some travel troubles on this day iter christmas. a winter storm brewing, and it may even bring blizzard conditions to parts of the rthern plains. just the opposite, though. some severe weather and war temperatures as we look towards areas to the south. >> bonnie, thank you. >>d, just ah celebrities are reacting to that bizarre video that was put out yesterdayviy spacey. he was in character, and it was odd. "the most perfect boy in the world". she's right. love your confidence. when diagnosed with cancer, alexander went to

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good morning. i'm aaron gilchrist. >> i'm erica gonzalez in for eun yang. loca firefighters spending the holiday putting outflames. to the sceneng you and looking at the aftermath. what may have caused them. chuck? >> skies areea temperatures below freezing across most of the area. i'm optimistic

"news 4 today" starts now. just about 4:00 a.m. now on this wednesday morning. it's wednesday, right? wednesday morning. i'm aaron gilchrist. >> i'm erica gonzalez in for eun

yang. chuck bell is here. chuck,ayhings be a little calm right now. we may need to break out the umbrellas by the time the week is over. >> 2018, the year of the rain drop. we will bery today. unfortunately, i'm real worried about your friday. th could be another inch of rain across the area. keep padding the all time annual long ll level which has since been broken. cold this morning. 21 degrees in gaithersburg. 21 inmanassas. 21 in washington. away from the city and the bay, it is a cold start this morning. what a nice start it is going to be today. it will be bright and sunny today. no chance for rain until probably after the sun goes down toborrow. more aut that and whether the rain drops linger into the en we good morning wtop, dave