kristen dahlgren, nbc news, new york. rosemary: scientists also say they've used the crispr technique to erase a gene that causes a type of heart disease that can lead to sudden death. now, according to the doctors at oregon health & science university, the gene editing did not alter dna in other ways. they also say the embryos were never meant to be implanted, and were only grown for a few days. the research is a long way from clinical use, but marks a major milestone in the prospect of one day protecting babies from a variety of hereditary conditions. joining me now is dr. michael glassner. dr. glassner is the founder and medical director at mainline fertility and reproductive medicine. dr. glassner, thanks for being with us. so, are you surprised that this is where we are, or did you see this coming? michael glassner: not surprised because it's essentially a marriage of two scientific advances that we've been working with. crispr's been being used for treatment of hiv, for cancer research. and locating a genetic defect

kristen dahlgren is in ventura county where the largest of six wildfires has wiped out entire neighborhoods. >> reporter: the winds out here this morning are just incredible. they are strong and they are unpredictable and that is just the worst combination for wild fires. over the past 24 hours we have seen new evacuations even as some people are allowed to come back home to scenes like this. as whipping winds fuel the fires, no relief for the 8,500 firefighters on the front lines. exhausted and dirty but determined. >> it's december and it is amazing to be able to say we are now the fire season. this is the challenge we face in california. >> a terrible tragedy for so many people. this is kind of the new normal. >> reporter: >> it's so hard to put to words. it's hard. >> reporter: in ventura veteran mark richmond finds his flag and a few things he and wife eleanor can use to rebuild as firefighters hose down hot spots in their garage. down the street relief. >> we came back and saw our homes were here we couldn't believe it. >> reporter: an offduty firefighter sought his own neighborhood i

nbc's kristen dahlgren has more. >> standing here wait fing for package from ups. >> reporter: when heered the leg owe set a week ago he knew how much his son wanted it. >> he talked about it once a week the last two years. >> reporter: with hours to go, still no legos. >> he checked the door a hundred times. nothing there. >> reporter: the ups shows a scan near his home on november 21st, the system said not to expect it before christmas. >> it is very disappointing. >> reporter: this year atlanta along with houston, kansas city, and denver are the four spots ups has sent special teams from across the country to help with the crunch. several hundred office employees like accountants and desk workers stepping in to assist sorting and even driving. ups acknowledges that's more than in years past, but the company says the vast majority of 750 million packages have arrived on time. online shopping reached record numbers this year. americans expected to spend half their holiday budget online, which translates into record deliveries. for ups, more than 300 packages a second over the past wee

kristen dahlgren has more. >> reporter: author michael borenstein in an emotional return to auschwitz 72 years after he was liberated as a 4-year-old. that's him in this video. >> we are so lucky to be alive. >> reporter: when we last saw him borenstein's book "survivor's club" connected him to two women who were at his side as children. >> i just want to hug you guys. can we hug? >> reporter: only 52 children under 8 survived the nazi concentration camp. now michael has met even more. at a book event in detroit, saul schulman. >> i thought it would be special to see someone actually who was even younger than me. >> reporter: he was 6 when both he and michael were hiding probably feet apart in the infirmary. >> jewish soldiers would come in periodically and yell for everyone to go out. i decided as long as i could stay here, i will. >> reporter: like michael, it was a decision that likely saved his life. >> i didn't expect to find somebody who was there in the infirmary with me. >> reporter: he's met four other survivors. >> i'm a survivor, too. >> reporter: and michael's research has

here's kristen dahlgren. >> in fargo, north dakota, it's the christmas that almost wasn't. >> we were-bye to grandma. >> she was in a coma for six weeks, due to a rare medical condition. she was totally unresponsive and on life support. even doctors at the mayo clinic said there was nothing more they could do. >> i don't know if my heart could break any more. >> her family brought her home to die, 12 days off life support, no food or water. her eight grandkids saying their good-byes, when stubborn sheila changed their plans. >> she woke up saying, help me and water. >> we were -- looked at each other like a deer in the headlights. did we just hear her voice? >> the grandma they were getting ready to live without was getting better. >> even at mayo, where they don't use that term lightly. >> i think sheila's recovery is not necessarily explainable by silence. i have witnessed a miracle. >> sheila doesn't remember her time in the coma. but she's starting to hear some of the promises her family made to her if she would only wake up. >> one was going to vegas, another was going to florida

kristen dahlgren has more. >>> standing here waiting for a package -- >> reporter: when alan ordered the epoc lego set, he knew his son wanted it most for christmas. >> he's talked about it once a week for the last two years. >> reporter: with hours to go, still no lego's. >> checked the front door no less than 100 times. nothing's there. >> reporter: while the u.p.s. website shows a scan near his home on december 21st, the system said not to expect it before christmas. >> it's disappointing. >> reporter: this year atlanta along with houston, kansas city, and denver, are the four spots u.p.s. has sent special teams from across the country to help with the crunch. several hundred office employees like accountants and desk workers stepping in to assist sorting and even driving. u.p.s. acknowledges that's more than in years past, but the company says the vast majority of 750 million packages have arrived on time. online shopping reached record numbers this year. americans expect to spent half their holiday budget on line, which translates into record deliveries. for u.p.s., more than 30

kristen dahlgren has the warning tonight. [ cheers ] >> reporter: she's known as the queen of giveaways. >> you get a car, you get a car! you get a car! >> reporter: but this holiday oprah giving a warning. >> i just wanted you to know that somebody out there is trying to scam you using my name. >> reporter: the scam is on social media. an official-looking post that appears to come from oprah promising $5,000 to the first 100,000 followers. >> it's a fraud, it's a fraud, it's a fraud! >> reporter: oprah says it's not her, and the subsequent request for your personal financial information -- >> don't believe it. don't give up any of your bank accounts or personal information to anybody posing as me or anyone else for that matter. >> reporter: this fake account has now been disabled along with about 100 others pretending to be oprah or affiliated with her. instagram has apologized to the media maven and anyone who may have been affected, saying it takes inauthentic and abusive behavior seriously. but for scam artists, the season of giving can be all about taking advantage. >> giving and r

. >>> i'm kristen dahlgren. this is the first thing i saw when i arrived in southern california -- a thick haze filling the skies. everything stinks like a campfire. smoke so dense you can see it from space. >> oh, it's horrible. it's hard to breathe. >> i want to take the kids out of the house. >> reporter: so dangerous that people are lining up for face masks. air quality warnings are in effect over several counties. residents cautioned to stay inside. sports teams canceled games, and more than 200 schools are closed. >> we're really worried about our students, and we're worried about our staff. and we just want to make sure that everybody's safe. >> reporter: so we're miles away from any fire, but take a look at this normally blue pool now filled with soot. and it's all of this particulate that people in this area are now breathing. particulate that could contain toxic chemicals. >> it's like smoking cigarettes. it's more particulates going in your lungs, which is never a good thing. >> reporter: here's what

kristen dahlgren has the latest from the front fire lines. >> reporter: in the hills of santa barbara county, firefighters making a stand. >> it can literally feel like you're trying to put out a blow torch with a squirt gun. >> reporter: many entering their eighth day on this fire, hot, tired and still putting everything on the line. firefighter maeve juarez is a mother of three, married to a firefighter. she just learned she won't be home for christmas. >> we just tell them that mommy and daddy have to be there to help other people. >> reporter: so many lives and homes now in their hands. people like the cooneys waiting for firefighters to tell them to flee. >> we are ready to go. >> reporter: flames now getting closer to million dollar mansions. the area home to celebrities like oprah and ellen, who tweeted about evacuation. >> it's coming. >> reporter: for now jay peterson isn't going anywhere. >> if the wind picks up and starting really charging down out of the canyons and everything, then i'm out of here. >> reporter: the massive plume of smoke can be seen for miles as helicopte

here's kristen dahlgren. >> reporter: as the inferno rages along this roadside, a dramatic rescue.s, falling to his knees. >> he's saving an animal. >> reporter: all to save a tiny wild bunny. the video now viral, but the hero opting to stay anonymous. one of the ordinary stepping up under extraordinary circumstances. >> watch this! >> reporter: five high school friends grabbed garden hoses ducking embering and dangerous smoke to fight back the flames. the house belonging to a complete stranger. it wasn't even their town. >> either you help or you kind of stay in the background and leave. you know, for us, it's just kind of second nature. >> reporter: with wildfires spreading, so were the stories of incredible bravery. no man or animal left behind. whether it's horses or a car full of kittens. and on social media, not always the nicest of places, today generosity overflows. use my truck. leave your animals with me. i've got a spare room. what can i do to help? sometimes when mother nature is at her worst, human nature can be at its best. kristen dahlgren, nbc news, camarillo, calif

kristen dahlgren, nbc news, del mar, california. >>> let's turn now from fire to ice as the season's first major snowstorm takes aim from the deep south all the way through new england. some 60 million people in the path, even parts of texas seeing snow for the first time in more than a decade. nbc's blake mccoy now with details. >> reporter: a rare sight across the deep south and parts of texas, an early blast of winter leaving a blanket of snow. >> this is crazy. >> reporter: and ice. for drivers, treacherous conditions including a 15-car pile-up in san antonio. houston seeing its first snowfall in eight years. >> it's gorgeous. >> reporter: leading to snowball fights at one elementary school. snow totals across the south range from 1 to a whopping 6 inches. birmingham on the high end. their first snow before christmas in two decades. and temperatures could drop into the 20s overnight. across louisiana, more than 50,000 people are without power. >> this storm will continue to ride up the east coast through the weekend with snow all day on saturday and then it will exit new england

our kristen dahlgren is in philadelphia now with the latest. >> reporter: just before 5:00 p.m., a rare 4.1 magnitude earthquake hit near dover, delaware. the impact felt from new york city to baltimore. >> the house was shaking. i had no idea what it was. i thought maybe it was a close flying plane. i had no idea. but our house was shaking. >> reporter: it was the strongest earthquake to strike the east coast since 2011 when a 5.8 quake hit 90 miles southwest of d.c. shaking the nation's capital so strongly it cracked the washington monument. >> this is a large earthquake for the east coast. it's one of the largest in the last decade and is felt from new york to washington, d.c. >> reporter: this earthquake caught the region by surprise. now, some people here say they didn't even feel it. they only learned about it afterwards on social media. but experts say with an earthquake like this, a 4.1 magnitude, the average aftershock is about a 3.1. so people in this area, especially in delaware, can expect more shaking in the coming days. >> kristen dahlgren in philadelphia, thanks. >>> now

kristen dahlgren, thank you. >>> to politics now.is strongest endorsement yet for embattled senate candidate roy moore. president trump gave a rally in pensacola, florida. how he is going to mississippi. kristen welker is in jackson, mississippi, with more on all of that. good morning. >> reporter: hi, sheinelle. good morning to you. there is a charged back drop with president in jackson for the opening of this civil rights museum behind me. a number of people here say they're absolutely honored to host the president. others say they are outraged. including civil rights icon congressman john lewis, who has cancelled his keynote address today. he is not going to attend. neither is mississippi congressman thompson. both releasing a joint statement, president trump's attendance and to policies are insult to the people portrayed in the museum. the white house calling the division to boycott unfortunate. president trump held the rally in pensacola, florida, overni t overnight. of course, it is just across the border from alabama. there's

kristen dahlgren, nbc news, philadelphia. >>> on that note, that's nightly news for this wednesday nighti'm lester holt, and for all of us at nbc news, good night and thanks for watching. bumper to far as the eye can see. >>> right now at 6:00, breaking th news. it's bumper to bumper traffic as far as the eye can see. it's a night hamare commute in south bay. the news starts now. thanks for joining us. >> we've been tracking this breaking story on air and online for nearly six hours now. give you another live look at the traffic. this is just amazing. this is the view from our nbc bay area sky ranger. that's all the backup in the southbound direction. >> that's not the only backup. here is what it looks like on 101. traffic goes to sunnyvale. this is because there was man who was on the overpass for hours. nbc bay area joins us live in san jose. the chp got the man off the overpass but the traffic is still just a nightmare. >> reporter: well, you can see it's probably a pretty good backup at the moment heading onto 101. that's kind of typical for this evening commute except it's roebl go

that was kristen dahlgren reporting. >>> a major milestone in the fight against the islamic state.gratulating iraq after the prime minister announced the war against isis is over. now, the announcement was made yesterday after more than three years of combat operations. iraqi officials say the country's security forces drove the extremists out of the territory they once held. the u.s. state department praised the iraqis who gave their lives fighting, but officials say on both sides here that that does not mean that the fight against terrorism is over. [ shots ] >>> and just days after president trump recognized jerusalem as protests continue to rage in that region. yesterday, some turned violent as israeli riot police on horseback confronted palestinians. it came as funerals were held for two hamas militants killed by israeli warplanes. israel has retaliated after rockets were fired across the border. israel's prime minister says he will defend president trump's recognition against european critics. >>> well, back here at home, the catholic church wants to put christmas ads on the

nbc's kristen dahlgren has details. >> reporter: this morning, president trump stepping into the middle of a western land battle. >> i'm a real estate developer. when they start talking about millions of acres, i say, say it again. that's a lot. >> reporter: by daftically scaling back the size of two national monuments in utah. >> some people think that the natural resources of utah should be controlled by a small handful of very distant bureaucrats located in washington. and guess what? they're wrong. >> reporter: grand staircase escalante national monument had been 1.9 million acres. mr. trump split it into three separate monuments, totaling just over 1 million. bears ear had been 1.35 million acres. it's the largest rollback of federal land protection in u.s. history. the president arguing for fewer restrictions and more development on public lands. >> unfortunately, previous administrations have ignored the standard and used the law to lock up hundreds of millions of acres of land and water under strict government control. >> reporter: while critics say the move threatens archeologi

really today is a critical day. >> kristen dahlgren in del mar, california. before this most recent batch of fires even started, roughly $10 billion in damage had already been done, making this arguably the worst spate of fires the state of california has ever seen and that's saying something. thank you. >>> meanwhile, in the west bank, gaza strip, palestinians are taking part in a third day of rage. they're protesting president trump's decision to recognize jerusalem as israel's capital. in gaza, one person is dadead, three people are in critical condition. thousands are protesting across the muslim world, bringing a rare agreement between saudi arabia, turkey, iran, and other countries as well. the u.n. secretary-general called a meeting of the security council this morning as allies from the region to europe, even the vatican, are all criticizing this move. msnbc's eamon is live in jerusalem for us once again. what's the situation there today, sir? >> reporter: late this evening the situation here in east jerusalem relatively calm, thousands of worshippers

nbc's kristen dahlgren has more from the ground. >> reporter: in the hills above carpenteria, luis contreras is on edge. >> highway 150 is way below, three quarters of a mile and just -- >> reporter: watching the fire rush toward his home and avocado groves as fire fighters try to slow the relentless spread. >> if a wind comes it is going to kill this in ten minutes. >> reporter: from the air a constant assault. choppers lining up to grab water, one after the other. dousing the flames. but the blaze just keeps coming. the fire fighters gather here, one of them in the truck has been injured. they are trying to treat him. this is where they are trying to make a stand, trying to save these homes. but the fire getting very close to one along the ridge there. >>> the work is dangerous and exhausting. crews who have been on seven days straight barely get a moment to rest. >> that's the nature of the work. we go from zero to 100. >> reporter: now more evacuations ordered in santa barbara county, residents told to run as gusty winds send embers flying. >> this fire is intensified every single day. >

nbc's kristen dahlgren tells us what it's like on the ground. >> reporter: in the hills of santa barbara county, firefighters making a stand. >> it could literally feel like you're trying to put out a blowtorch with >> reporter: many entering their eighth day on this fire, hot, tired, and still putting everything on the line. firefighter may juarez is a mother of three, married to a firefighter. she just learned she won't be home for christmas. >> we just tell them that mommy and daddy have to be there to help other people. >> reporter: so many lives and homes now in their hands. people like the cooniys waiting for firefighters to tell them to go. >> we are ready to go. >> reporter: flames now getting closer to million mansions, celebrities like oprah and ellen who tweeted about evacuation. >> it's coming. >> reporter: for now jay peterson isn't going anywhere. >> if the wind picks up and really starts charging down out of the canyon, then i'm out of here. >> reporter: the massive plume of smoke can be seen for miles as helicopters fly a constant rotation, dropping water and crews light

. >> kristen dahlgren out west. chris tep, thank you. >>> less than two days to go before the controversial senate election in alabama. today we're hearing the strongest endorsement yet from president trump and new denials from republican candidate roy moore who has been accused of sexual misconduct. gabe gutierrez reports from alabama on the latest. >> reporter: tonight president trump with his most direct involvement yet in the critical alabama senate race. >> hi. this is president donald trump and i need alabama to go vote for roy moore. it is so important. >> reporter: the president recording this robocall for republican roy moore. >> i'm going to make america safer and stronger and better than ever before, but we need that seat. we need roy voting for us. >> reporter: moore speaking with the host of media outlet, the voice of alabama politics. >> i've stood for moral values so they are attacking me in that area. i understand that. but it's also part of the scheme of political parties today and political candida

. >> nbc's kristen dahlgren has the latest from ventura, california. >> reporter: on the front lines, around-the-clock battle, from the air and on the ground, 8,500 firefighters desperate to hold these deadly fires in check. the military bringing in its big guns to help. but it's clear more homes are in danger. more people ordered to flee. >> it's december and it's amazing to be able to say that we aren't out of fire season. >> reporter: the flames moving quickly. but many who were forced to evacuate allowed to return. for some, relief, a house still standing. >> when you see the rest of the neighborhood and then you see us, we're very grateful. >> reporter: reminders everywhere of how lucky they are. >> i feel really guilty because my house is here and my neighbors' are not. >> reporter: eleanor and mark richmond came home to heartache. >> it's hard. it really is. >> reporter: showing their daughter in portland all that remains of her childhood home. >> your room is right here. >> i can't do anything from here, and my parents are taking it. >> here we are. >> reporter: searching thro

nbc's kristen dahlgren has more. >> standing here waiting for a package from ups. >> reporter: after he ordered the lego set almost a week ago, he knew how much his son, caleb, wanted it under the tree for christmas. >> he's talked about it probably once a week for the last two years. >> reporter: but with hours to go, still no legos. >> check the front door no less than 100 times. nothing's there. >> reporter: while the website shows a scan near his home in georgia, this afternoon, the system said, not to expect it before christmas. >> it's very disappointing. >> reporter: this year, atlanta, along with houston, kansas city, and denver, are the four spots ups has sent special teams from across the country to help with the crunch. several hundred office employees, like accountants and desk workers stepping in to assist sorting and even driving. ups acknowledges that's more than in year's past. the company says the vast majority of 750 million packages have arrived on time. online shopping reached record numbers this year. americans expected to spend half their holiday budget online.

kristen dahlgren, nbc news, north caldwell, new jersey. >>> we appreciate you spending part of your evenings" for this wednesday night. i'm craig melvin in for lester. for all of us here at nbc news, thank you michael: i'm thankful that i'm alive and have a second chance. james: i'm thankful for the help and the opportunity that i received. darlene: i'm thankful to be able to help people in crisis. vanessa: i'm thankful that addiction is treatable, and that help is available. christie: new jersey is experiencing a heroin epidemic fueled by opioid painkillers. but if you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, i want you to know: we are here for you. this holiday season, choose help. call 844 reach nj or visit reachnj.gov. ♪ extra extra. >>> now on "extra." john legend and chrissy teigen on the flight from hell. the live twitter play by play aboard a jet bound for japan forced to turn around. >> a scary travel alert. how did the wrong passenger get on the plane. >>> oprah in hawaii, cindy crawford, new photos of the stars on vacation. >>> tragedy for rihanna, her cousin murdered. b

nbc's kristen dahlgren has the details on this. hey, kristen. good morning. >> good morning, hoda. well, the move takes away protections for about half of the grand staircase national monument here. about 85% of bear's ears. what many say it really does is signal a new approach to federal land management. one long sought by ranchers and energy companies. >> reporter: this morning president trump stepping into the middle of a western land battle. >> i'm a real estate developer. when they start talking about medicals millions of acres, i say say it again. that's a lot. >> reporter: by drastically scaling back the size of two national monuments in utah. >> some people think that the natural resources of utah should be controlled by a small handful of very distant bureaucrats located in washington. guess what, they're wrong. >> reporter: grand staircase escolante national monument had been 1.9 million acres. mr. trump split it into three separate monuments, totaling just over a million. bear's ears had been 1.35 million acres. it's now two smaller monuments totaling just under 229,000

nbc's kristen dahlgren has the latest. good morning. >> reporter: hey, good morning, hoda. yeah, the fire really flaring up this morning. take a look at the hillside behind me. we have a closer view and you can see those flames. the good news, if there is any right now, is that the smoke and those flames are going straight up. that means that we're not seeing a lot of wind, but officials really worried that any change in that and it could send those flames rushing down the hillside into these e populated areas. this is already of historic proportions, the fifth largest wildfire in california history. this morning california's coast in flames. santa barbara county full of thick, dry brush, fueling the inferno. >> this fire has intensified every single day. the first night, it burned five hours in less than three hours. it's continuing to do that. >> reporter: nearly 6,000 firefighters are battling the thomas fire, the region's largest blaze. on the ground, exhausted crews are working their seventh-day straight, helped by choppers in the air. all battling to contain this fire

kristen dahlgren joins me in san diego county where at the fairgrounds the animals are being rescued and saved. tell me what you know now from at least the wildfires in that part of the state. >> reporter: hey, andrea. we moved down here because this fire has had a devastating, devastating effect for the animals. hopefully we can show you the video last night as the fire raged through thoroughbred training facility. 25 horses were killed in this fire. and then hundreds were brought here. that's why we moved down here, just to show you how much this community has come together. take a look. just buckets of carrots, of apples, things like that, hundreds of volunteers have come out and this is where the animals in that area are moving. you can see just all of the stables here now full. 850 horses here. they also have cats, dog, turtles. they're taking in everything they can here. these animals that had to flee the fire. a devastating situation. 65 structures have been burned in this fire here. and they're looking now at the acreage. as of last night, 8:00 p.m., 4100 acres have burned. t