emily ikeda has what travelers need to know. >> adding to the stress of holiday travel, tonight, newked at airports across the country. at the world's busiest airport, more than 300 cars have been stolen this year according to atlanta police, three times as many as last year. >> it is frustrating. we are not the only airport that is experiencing this increase. we are taking steps to prevent this. >> it happened to atlanta resident wes clark who was traveling overseas last month when his bmw was taken. >> i parked intentionally right by a camera so i was surprised when the car was gone. >> in texas, police say they recently arrested the leader of a cuban auto theft group, accused of stealing more than $5 million worth of cars from dallas-fort worth alone, using technology to reprogram key fob's according to court documents. >> if they see something, they need to say something. >> open to security at the major airports in the new york city area and says auto thefts have progressively become an organized crime issue nationwide. >> they are doing it to see increasingly high retail value

here's emilie ikeda. >> reporter: tonight, wildfires wreaking havoc coast to coast. firefighters up against dangerous conditions in new york and new jersey, working to douse the jennings creek fire. >> we're getting tired. we're getting tired. so don't create any new fires. >> reporter: this photo showing the last moments before 18-year-old volunteer firefighter dariel vasquez was killed by a falling tree while fighting the fire. fueled by whipping winds and bone-dry conditions. stephen lee can smell smoke from his cranberry farm in chatsworth, new jersey where there are more signs of the region's unrelenting drought. so we shouldn't even be able to be standing here right now. >> no. we're standing well below a normal water level. >> reporter: a first for the five-generation farm that typically uses this reservoir to flood its colorful cranberry bogs every fall for harvesting. >> we had to run the pump 24/7 to do our harvest. that required roughly $800 a day of diesel fuel over a three-week period. so another $20,000 just for harvest watter. >> reporter: parts of sou

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nbc's emilie ikeda has our "sunday spotlight." >> reporter: baseball hasn't been played on this dustyll field at this former japanese incarceration camp, now a national historic site. >> i think of all the spirits who played on this field, 80-some years ago, and i feel like we're here to honor them. >> reporter: including his mother. she was among the more than 125,000 incarcerated during world war ii seen as a security threat, innocent japanese american families lost their homes, businesses, and most of their belongings. but baseball was one thing they got to keep. >> there's a quote on a sign over there by a guy putting on a baseball uniform. it was like wearing the american flag. you could take a group of people, take away everything they have, the way the japanese american community responded was, we're going to live life. we're going to build gardens. we're going to make music. we're going to play baseball. >> reporter: after months of sawing and sanding the commemorative double header drew athletes spanning three generations. 23-year-old logan marita was the first up to bat foll

nbc news correspondent emilie ikeda is following the story. good morning.ant to know because ever since we learned the astronauts were stranded in space, their trip-much longer than anticipated going from roughly a tweak to a matter of months, everyone's really been invested in their well being. now we hear from the international space station both suni williams and barry wilmore saying they are doing fine. nasa trying to end the concerns over the health of two astronauts stranded in space now more than 150 days longer than planned. >> i think there is some rumors around outside there that i am losing weight. >> reporter: images of suni williams and barry wilmore prompting questions about weight loss and status of their health. she says she weighs the same at launch. explaining how zero gravity can impact their appearance in space. >> i think things shift around quite a bit. you probably heard of a fluid shift where folks in space, their heads look a little bit bigger because the fluid evens along the body. >> reporter: nasa says crew health is monitored by

joining us now is emilie ikeda. this is the craziest skoir story all around. some o.f the questions of people saying are they okay? >> the first remark says a lot. i think when a mission goes from what's supposed to be a week long to months long, people have been inherently interested in these astronauts well-being because of the course of this trip gone awry. there was release of some photos, some chatter online, are they okay, is their weight loss. here's how the chief medical officer is responding. here's what he told me. >> talk to me about the kinds of strains on the human body, when you're in space. >> the crew is absolutely healthy and in really good shape. the things that occur in long duration space flight. you have the fluid shift, all the fluid in your lower extremities moves to your head and thorax. you're working out two hours a day. >> you hear him talk about that fluid shift. another important factor here, when you're experiencing weightlessness, floating in space, there's a lot less forces on your muscles and bones. there's concern around muscl

emilie ikeda reports. >> reporter: what was supposed to be a roughly week-long mission. >> houston --reporter: has turned into months for nasa astronauts suni williams and butch wilmore after they were stranded at the international space station. >> i think there's some rumors around outside there that i'm losing weight and stuff. >> reporter: now nasa is trying to dispel rumors that their health is in jeopardy in the wake of recent images from their extended stay in space. >> actually, almost every mission we have we prepare for the astronauts to be able to have to stay longer. >> reporter: nasa's chief medical officer says the duo's weight has not changed. how are suni and butch feeling? >> they are feeling tremendous. they are exercising. >> we work out two and a half hours a day every single day. >> reporter: biking, lifting and running. >> i've just run seven miles on this treadmill. >> reporter: experts say exercise is critical to combat muscle and bone density loss while living in weightlessness, along with carefully curated diets, as they slowly float closer to their february

here's emilie ikeda. >> reporter: wildfires wreaking havoc coast-to-coast. firefighters up against dangerous conditions in new york and new jersey, working to dowse the jennings creek fire. >> we're getting tired. we're getting tired. so don't create any new fires. >> reporter: this photo showing the last moments before 18-year-old firefighter darriel vasquez was killed by a fallen tree while fighting the fire, fueled by whipping winds and bone dry conditions. steven lee can smell smoke from his cranberry farm in new jersey, where there are more signs of the unrelenting drought. so we shouldn't be able to be standing here right now? >> no, we're standing well below a normal water level. >> reporter: a first for the five-generation farm that typically uses this reservoir to flood its colorful cranberry bogs every fall for harvesting. >> we had to run the pump 24/7 to do our harvest. that required roughly $800 a day of diesel fuel over a three-week period, so another $20,000 for just harvest water. >> reporter: parts of new jersey have seen less than a quarter

emilie ikeda has more. >> reporter: the body video as the criminal trial gets under way.he marine veteran facing manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide charges for holding jordan kneely in the chokehold on the support way. the medical examiner said that chokehold killed the 30-year-old. penny's attorney says he was just trying to protect other passengers. >> he went to protect the lives of innocent strangers on the subway train from the terror. >> reporter: kneely who struggled with mental illness, was making threats of i will kill and had drugs in his system. but the prosecution argues that penny used too much force for far too long and unarmed kneely was unconscious for 51 seconds before penny let go. >> jordan was lying on the ground after being choked for six minutes straight and was never given aid. who is the villain? >> reporter: attorneys reported this statement last year. >> i saw women and children and he was yelling in their faces saying these threats. i couldn't sit still. >> reporter: the trial is expected to last four to five weeks, penny could face

emilie ikeda has what travelers need to know. >> reporter: adding to the stress of holiday travel, tonight parked at airports across the country. at the world's busiest airport, more than 300 cars have been stolen this year according to atlanta police, three times as many as last year. >> it is frustrating. we're not the only airport experiencing this increase in auto thefts. we are taking steps to prevent this. >> reporter: it happened to wes clark. when he was traveling overseas last month, his bmw was taken. >> i parked intentionally right by a camera. so it was a surprise when the car was gone. >> reporter: in texas, authorities recently arrested the leader of a cuban auto theft group that targets airports in multiple states, accused of stealing nearly $5 million worth of cars from dallas-ft. worth alone, using technology to reprogram key fobs according to court documents. >> if they see something, they need to say something. >> reporter: he says auto theft has progressively become an organized crime issue nationwide. >> they're doing it for the increasingly high resale value on these

as emilie ikeda will show us, the interaction is more dangerous for the bear than you. dden within the tree tops in new hampshire are 18 black bears. jumping, climbing and snacking through the center's 20-acre closure. >> we feel responsible to do something for the cubs to give them a second chance. >> reporter: for more than three decades, dr. ben killam and his wife have rehabbed 600 orphan cubs back to the wild. what types of things lead the cubs to be handed over to you? >> they have no food and they travel and they get hit by cars. more vulnerable to hunters. >> do you return them to the wild? >> all they go back to the wild. they all have to go back. >> reporter: the cubs are brought to the couple by the agencies. each one stays until they are 18 months old. when they are ready to be on their own in the wild. here, the bears are well fed and protected from threats and learn how to survive in the wild. >> what is it about bears that's fascinating to you? >> there's something about a bear that reminds us of ourselves. you can have a relationship with them. they have

emily ikeda, nbc news, newark, new jersey. and next for us tonight, the remarkable comeback for a band that made it through a hurricane and all the way to the macy's thanksgiving day parade. good news coming up. for people who feel limited by the unpredictability of generalized myasthenia gravis. season to season ultomiris is continuous symptom control with improvement in activities of daily living and reduced muscle weakness and ultomiris is the only long acting gmg treatment, with the freedom of just 6 to 7 infusions per year for a predictable routine i can count on, ultomiris may lower your immune system's ability to fight infections, increasing your chance of serious meningococcal and other infections which may become life threatening or fatal. complete or update meningococcal vaccines at least two weeks before you start. if treatment is urgent and you're not vaccinated, you should receive antibiotics with your vaccines. don't start if you have a meningococcal infection infusion reactions may include back, belly, limb, or

first, nbc's emilie ikeda from one of the fires burning in new jersey this morning.d morning to you. >> reporter: hey there, craig. good morning to you. there have been roughly 1,300 wildfires that have broken out across the state this year. nearly half of them started burning within the last six weeks. it's made for the busiest firefall season here at coil airfield with firefighters relying on helicopters like these, not only to track blazes movements but to dump water, douse flames in hard-to-reach places. this morning there are growing fears strong winds could fan the flames of wildfires across the northeast over the next couple of days. in new york city, smoke seen above upper manhattan as a brush fire burned it week amid an historic dry spell in the big pumpkin. >> as the dry conditions continue, we anticipate we will see more of these before rain comes. >> reporter: new york city's fire department says it responded to a record 229 brush fires, over a two-week period. the jennings creek fire burning in new york and new jersey is now 50% contained, nearly week af

emilie ikeda is following that story. >> good morning to you.eeklong mission, now months long, for those two astronauts aboard the problem plagued starliner. nasa trying to shut down rumors their health could be in jeopardy. coming up, an update from the international space station. >> emilie, thank you. >>> ahead, huge news from skiing legend lindsey vonn this morning announcing her return to the slopes five years after retiring. could we see her at the olympics once again? what lindsey is saying. >>> we have a wicked good surprise. >> we got our staff together for a special screening. and then the stars stopped by, shocked our audience and "today" show staffers. we had a great interview. lots of news in there. after your local news. (woman) no hurry. [dog barking.] ♪ (vo 1) love begins with trust. (woman) i'm not going anywhere. that's why i got a subaru. (vo 2) the all-new subaru forester. safe. long-lasting. trusted. loved. different dogs have different needs... like skin and coat... mobility support and healthy digestion that's why iams™ ad

em emilie ikeda looking into it for us. of americans want a bi-annual time change. time change. the lactaid is 100% real milk, what's the word? >> good morning to you. we're in the countdown to falling back this weekend. a survey shows the majority of americans want to good night the biannual time change. coming up, a look at the latest from lawmakers pushing the change. plus, tips on bouncing back after the fallback. stay with us. no idea. real milk. real delicious. and don't forget to try some delicious, creamy lactaid ice cream. what's that mabel? (mooo) wow, smart cow! this week on chewy, shop and get a $30 egift card to use on treats they want, toys they love or food they devour. at prices everyone feels jolly about. for low prices for holidays with pets, there's chewy. [clears throat] sounds like you need to vaporize that sore throat. vapocool drops? it's sore throat relief with a rush of vicks vapors. ♪ vapocooooool ♪ whoa. vaporize sore throat pain with vicks vapocool drops. (dad) i'm thankful we are all happy and healthy. (kid) hey what are you going to say

back to you. >> emilie ikeda, thank you so much. >>> still to come, a push for peace.ael and hezbollah means for the war against hamas in gaza. >>> plus, trump picks a covid lockdown critic to lead the national institute of health. who is he and what he could do from his prominent post. so i saved hundreds. with the money i saved i thought i'd get a wax figure of myself. cool right? look at this craftmanship. i mean they even got my nostrils right. it's just nice to know that years after i'm gone this guy will be standing the test of ti... he's melting! oh jeez... nooo... oh gaa... only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty ♪ let me set the record straight. are people born wicked? or do they have wickedness thrust upon them? oh! -ah! [ laughter ] no need to respond. that was rhetorical. hm, hmm. >>> welcome back. 11:00 a.m. eastern, 8:00 a.m. pacific. i'm jose diaz-balart. we begin this hour with just 54 days until president-elect donald trump becomes president donald trump. overnight, trump named his picks for key roles including the heads of his

emilie ikeda is following that story. hey, am. hey, there. good morning. auto theft isn't new, but officials are warning it's growing increasingly sophisticated as thieves are targeting airport parking lots and garages across the country. coming up, why? experts say the holiday season is a prime target. and what you can do to help make sure you're not turning up empty handed upon your return. all right, then, we'll come to you in just a few moments. meanwhile, an even faster way to get fast food. cheeseburger, fries, all of it. arriving at your door by drone. come on. yeah. it's happening. happening now. our inside. look at the new service being tested for the very first time. how it could help revolutionize the entire delivery business. but first, this is today on nbc. but to your point. fall in love all over again with shrek the musical, an epic tale filled with hijinks, adventure, and lots of gassy fun. i know it's shrek the musical. get tickets now at broadway san jose.com. if you get sick with covid 19, someone will feel all alone. get an updated vacc

first, emilie ikeda is joining us from new jersey this morning.t ready to head on out? >> reporter: good to be with you. expect even more cars on the road here tomorrow as the lowest gas prices in years drive millions of americans to get behind the wheel to reach their thanksgiving destination. and the stormy forecast could further complicate the mad rush, both on the roads and in the skies. this morning the thanksgiving travel crush is officially underway. >> just coming to the airport, it took us half an hour to get through. >> reporter: with the holiday now just three days away, americans are packing up and heading out in record numbers. >> these will likely be some of the busiest travel days in u.s. history. >> reporter: aaa estimates some 80 million people will travel this holiday week with 90% of them expected to drive to their thanksgiving destination. >> we recommend tuesday and wednesday try to leave early in the morning. the afternoon hours on tuesday and wednesday are the worst. >> reporter: many grateful for cheaper gas prices, down fr

emilie ikeda was on the front lines on friday. she joins us now. >> good morning to you. i spent the day with the new jersey forest fire service on friday and got a sense of the unrelenting demands of the season. not only are they responding to new brush fires popping up every day but they are also managing blazes still burning from monthses ago as the bone dry conditions continue. >> reporter: smoke over new york and new jersey as firefighters make headway on the jennings creek fire. officials cautioning the wildfire risk for more than 40 million remains. forecasted 30-mile-per-hour winds could spark new flames this weekend with crews from across the country now joining the fight. it is welcomed help amid an unrelenting fire season. of the roughly 1300 wildfires in new jersey this year, nearly half of them have broken out in the last six weeks including this one encroaching on homes 50 yards from here. all while crews are still battling fires from months before. >> have you ever seen a fire burn this long? >> i have not, no. >> reporter: woe followed fire warden ben bric

first, nbc's emilie ikeda is over in new jersey with more. emilie, good morning. >> reporter: hey there, craig. good morning to you. well, here in parts of south jersey, they have seen less than a quarter inch of rain since october. that's about 5% of what's typical for this time of year. just about everywhere you turn you can see evidence of the drought from nearly empty nearby rivers and reservoirs to burn scars like this that are more typically seen out of the west coast. this wildfire racing through the area in recent days, and you can see just how dangerous ly close it came to homes and neighborhoods. this morning dry conditions and whipping winds fueling new concerns over the firefight from coast to coast. 35 million facing elevated wildfire risk today. first responders battling the jennings creek fire that is spreading between new jersey and new york, scorching at least 3,500 acres. >> in my over 50 years of living here, this has been the most significant and probably the most potentially dangerous situation i've seen or been involved i

first, nbc's emilie ikeda joins us from monmouth county, new jersey. ie, good morning. >> reporter: hey, there, craig. these bone-dry conditions are fueling new wildfires and shrinking water supplies. the manasquan reservoir here is at about just half of its 4 billion gallon capacity, which is why i can now walk on its sandy bottom. we've been watching the water levels recede week after week, more and more. it's staggering scenes like this that are multiplying across this region and causing concern amid unprecedented dry conditions. this morning, a split screen of weather extremes, as the country's midsection is battered by storms, toppling trees and snarling traffic, the northeast remains desperate for rain. overnight, crews battling a raging brush fire just south of boston in milton, massachusetts. >> this is actually pretty scary, to have this-sized fire here in more of a metropolitan area. >> reporter: bone-dry conditions fueling two new fires in heinousport and lakewood, new jersey. the city declaring its first drought warning in more than two deca

first, nbc's emilie ikeda joining us with the very latest. emilie, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. you can expect even more cars on the road tomorrow as the lowest gas prices in years drive millions of americans to get behind the wheel to reach their thanksgiving destination. and a stormy forecast is expected to cause even more trouble for drivers and further complicate what's supposed to be a massive travel rush, both on the roads and in the skies. this morning, the thanksgiving travel crush is official underway. >> just coming into the airport, it took us half an hour to just get through. >> reporter: with the holiday now just three days away, americans are packing up and heading out in record numbers. >> these will likely be some of the busiest travel days in u.s. history. >> reporter: aaa estimates some 80 million people will travel this holiday week, with 90% of them expected to drive to their thanksgiving destinations. >> we do recommend tuesday and wednesday, try to leave early in the morning. the afternoon hours on tues

it's a very mixed emotion. >> nbc's emilie ikeda with that report. >>> now the morning papers acrosssal would hike fares across the board on new year's day, and lus includes major service cuts beginning next summer. the authority services the surrounding philadelphia area and faces an annual deficit of $240 million as federal pandemic aid for transit slowly phases out. in california, the "sacramento bee" is spotlighting an effort to provide farmworkers with gear to protect against bird flu. the state confirmed 21 human cases of the disease. now public health officials are tapping into state and federal stockpiles to supply up to 10,000 farmworkers with masks, gloves, goggles and other safety gear. >>> and in colorado, the gazette leads with the president-elect donald trump's plan to move space command from colorado to alabama. president-elect trump has long favored placing the space force's headquarters in deep red alabama while president biden has favored keeping it in deep blue colorado. space command employs over 1,000 people and collaborates with the u.s. army, air force, marine

nbc news correspondent emilie ikeda has the latest from new jersey. >> reporter: this morning there arehill park this week amid a historic dry spell in the big apple. >> as these dry conditions continue, we anticipate that we will see more of these before rain comes. >> reporter: new york city's fire department says it has responded to a record 229 brushfires over a two-week period. the jennings creek fire burning in both new york and new jersey is now 50% contained nearly a week after it started. some nearby schools are closed today as a precaution as crews used smaller controlled burns in an effort to control the larger blaze. >> we are setting fire to fight the fire. don't be alarmed. it's where we want it. it's fire we're putting down to do a job. >> reporter: nearly 60% of the northeast is currently under moderate drought. with it especially pronounced in new jersey, the state seeing its driest conditions in nearly 120 years. this fire in burlington county has been burning since july 4th. parts of pennsylvania, new york, and all of new jersey and delaware are under drought watches