like so many others, desperate for relief peter alexander, nbc news, wilmington. >>> in california, high winds are prompting new warnings of late season fire danger as steve patterson reports many are still waiting for federal money to rebuild after years of wildfire destruction. >> reporter: it is the worst wildfire season in california history. and the alarm is still sounding tonight the national weather service issuing new red flag warnings for millions of southern california residents predicting gusts up to 70 miles an hour. the warning comes as many wildfire victims from years past ar still waiting on relief california received more than $1.3 billion in federal aid after thousands of homes were leveled during the devastating wildfires in 2017 and 2018 but with funding tangled in a bureaucratic red tape most homeowners are still waiting to see a single cent to help them rebuild according to state records the 2017 tubbs fire leveled 80-year-old linda adrian's santa rosa home. three years later she's still in temporary housing isolated in a small space. >> i don't know what to do. i'm

reporter: mcclain's family and activists now hoping other states will follow suit erin mclaughlin, nbc newsdenver. >>> in upstate new york, a man who drove off a road and trapped in a mountain of snow is recovering tonight. kevin crescent's car was buried by a snowplow and 40 inches of snow that fell on the area he was able to call 911 and after 10 hours without heat a state trooper found him. he was suffering from hypothermia and frostbite but he is okay. >>> up next, a coach who's going the extra mile and "inspiring america. >>> finally tonight as we wrap up our spotlight on inspiring teachers we meet a coach who found his own way to stay engaged with his kids. here's morgan radford. >> i started with a shape. >> reporter: with students in front of screens and stuck inside, physical education teachers are getting extra creative. >> rotation curl. >> the hardest part about it is just not being with the kids. >> reporter: those kids are the reason athletic director joe went the extra mile taking his class on the road in illinois. >> my goal was ten a day. >> reporter: and paying each of his

accept it. >> reporter: the cdc will release guidance once the vaccine is authorized ron allen, nbc news, new york >>> tonight you can see my interview with the top executives of the vaccine makers on a special "dateline" at 10:00/9:00 central time >>> president trump noncommittal tonight on whether he'll keep attorney general william barr in that job. plus late developments on the pandemic relief that so many are waiting for. with that, here's hallie jackson. >> reporter: fuming over widespread fraud that doesn't exist president trump has his attorney general in the crosshairs. >> do you still have confidence in bill barr >> ask me that in a number of weeks from now. they should be looking at all of this fraud. >> reporter: the president's unhappy after bill barr said this week the justice department has so far not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected a different outcome in the election now multiple sources familiar with the discussions say president trump's not ruling out firing barr with some in his circle working to persuade the president to hold off. the president's mostly

hood soldier was brutally murdered >>> our year-long nbc news investigation into prescriptions by mail what we found. and could it be putting lives at risk? >>> and the disturbing new fbi warning on those ring and nest cameras. >> announcer: this is nbc "nightly news" with lester holt >>> good evening and now it finally begins through the pain, loss, and tears of the worst days of the pandemic, tonight we're now on what most experts believe is the long road back from the pandemic it starts in the uk, where the first vaccinations are under way of a clinically proven covid vaccine, the same vaccine that could be in use here in the u.s. sometime this month and it comes on the day we learn that vaccine may be far more effective than we imagine. there's a lot to cover. let's begin with richard engel with the developing news from london >> reporter: at 6:31 this morning a grandmother in a donated christmas sweater made history 90-year-old margaret keenan became patient "a," the first person in the world to receive a clinically tested and proven covid vaccine. >> it's fine it was fine. i wasn

anne thompson, nbc news, teaneck, new jersey >>> in just 60 seconds, the revealing and deeply personal message from an oscar-nominated actor. >>> back now with that personal announcement from a hollywood star. elliot page, who was nominated for an oscar for the movie "juno," telling the world today that he is transgender. kate snow on the important message. >> reporter: in the netflix hit "umbrella academy" vanya has unparalleled superpowers. today the actor who plays that character found power sharing a deeply personal message. "hi, friends i want to share with you that i am trans," elliot page began on twitter. "i feel lucky to be writing this, to be here." >> i'm pregnant. >> oh, god >> reporter: formerly known as ellen page, the star of the film "juno" expressed gratitude for all who've supported his journey. "i can't begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who i am enough to pursue my authentic self." but page also said he's scared, citing hate and violence against trans people >> all of a sudden the guy is attacking my friend >> reporter: last weekend actress lav

miguel almaguer, nbc news. >>> now to the breaking news on the other major front on the war on this pandemic today biotech compan moderna is submitting its covid vaccine to the fda for emergency use authorization. like pfizer which submitted its own vaccine days earlier, moderna said its vaccine is about 95% effective. in an interview today, with top execs from three top vaccine makers today moderna's president told me he expects approval very soon. >> we're quite optimistic actually that the vaccine is -- the data speaks for itself and they'll be supportive. >> once approval comes, how quickly does moderna spring into action and begin shipping the product >> so like the others we're partnered with general pern and his team at "operation warp speed." i have been told they want trucks rolling within hours if not a day and so what we have been done is we have been helping to position the vaccine in the warehouses where they can access it immediately if it's approved. and start distribution >> as you wait for this fda approval, is there a plan "b" if for some reason they don't approve >> there'

kathy park, nbc news new york >>> up next, your covid passport may be coming soon. what you need to know. >>> after all these months of the pandemic, it could be a key to regaining normalcy, a high-tech way to prove you have been vaccinated. here's carey sanders >> reporter: today, nurse christine cummings got her first moderna vaccine shot and her cdc card proves her vaccination. but in january, the system to prove you have had the immunization will go digital on smartphones. >> people, in order to get back to certain things in life, will have to show that they have either been tested or vaccinated and need to do that in a secure way and we are providing a platform that enables people to do that while protecting their data privacy >> reporter: the apps created by several developers use existing technology that is used for concerts and airline travel it sounds like without the proof, you will be excluded from many of the things we do every day. >> i think certain communities, certain institutions will make those decisions. and ultimately, what we want to do is provi

the rescue caught on camera >>> the new marvel comic celebrating real-life superheroes. >>> this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >> good evening. we start with that breaking news from an independent fda advisory panel of experts. late today giving its endorsement for emergency use of pfizer's covid vaccine here in the united states their recommendation now in the hands of the fda itself which could give its go-ahead any day now and that will start the beginning of a mass vaccination effort as the country reels from the loss of over 3,000 people in a single day from the virus. let's begin tonight with tom costello. >> reporter: the virtual vote came after eight hours of back and forth on efficacy and safety. an outside advisory panel of experts charged with giving the fda unbiased and unfiltered analysis of pfizer's covid vaccine. >> the american public demands and deserves a rigorous, comprehensive and independent review of the data. >> reporter: now the fda will decide whether to follow the uk and canada in green lighting the vaccine for emergency use. that decision could come w

stephanie gosk, nbc news, new york. >>> in just 60 seconds, our exclusive interview with the formula 1 driver who walked away after that fiery crash. >>> back now with our u.s. tv exclusive. the race car driver involved a fiery crash on the track just days ago speaking out to our molly hunter about how he managed to escape with his life >> reporter: by the time this extraordinary video was shown on live television, the driver's family had been waiting for 2:43 after watching this. >> no way to imagine that i was going to stand up and jump out of that fire >> reporter: perhaps the most shocking scene in recent formula 1 history, the american hunt team car struck the barrier a 137 miles per hour >> i thought, okay, well, that's it. this is my day i'm going to die and then thought about my kids and i said, no, this can't be true so i tried. >> reporter: the 34-year-old frenchman walked off the track with just a broken foot and second-degree burns. >> i removed my gloves because i know the skin has -- i don' want the skin to stay with the gloves and yeah and then i sit down and yeah, rea

another family left to grieve in a season of hope, now marked with so much sadness meagan fitzgerald, nbc news, los angeles. >>> a stark new warning from president-elect joe biden that tens of thousands more lives will be lost in the months to come as he slammed the trump administration's plan to distribute vaccines here's geoff bennett >> reporter: president-elect joe biden tonight slamming the slow rollout of the coronavirus vaccine under president trump. >> the trump administration's plan to distribute vaccines is falling behind, far behind >> reporter: the trump administration vowed to vaccinate 20 million americans by the end of the year. >> we are poised to have vaccine for 20 million americans before the end of december it is truly a medical miracle. >> i think that's a reasonable prediction, and i have confidence around that. >> 20 million vaccinations this month. >> reporter: but the latest numbers from the cdc show that only about 2 million people have received the first dose so far. >> the pace the vaccination program is moving now, if it continues to move as it is now, it's going t

kathy park, nbc news new york >>> up next, your covid passport may be coming soon. what you need to know. (soft music) hey dad, i'm about to leave. don't forget your hat . good morning. how can i help? i need help connecting with my students. behind every last minute save, ok, that works. and holiday surprise, thank you! a customer service rep is working unseen, making it happen. and at genesys, we're proud to help them help you everyday. >>> after all the months of the pandemic, it could be a key to regaining normalcy, a high-tech way to prove you have been vaccinated. here's carey sanders >> reporter: today, nurse christine cummings got her first vaccination and her cdc card proves her vaccination. but in january, the system to prove you have had the immunization will go digital on smartphones. >> people, in order to get back to certain things in life, will have to show that they have either been tested or vaccinated and need to do that in a secure way and we are providing a platform that enables people to do that while protecting their data privacy >> reporter: t

to s stand with h americans, anand for the e planet. >>> nbc news has >>> nbc news has teamed up withor tots to brighten the holidays for children in need the organization is struggling to keep up with demand this year. you can help right now by scanning the qr code on your screen. as of this evening $880,000 has been raised. >>> which brings us to our series this week on teachers inspiring their students 2020 style. rehema ellis on one teacher creating just the right chemistry. >> i'm going to place a good amount -- >> reporter: this may look like a high school chemistry lab but it's actually science teache jonta lee's kitchen. >> we do chemistry every single day. in and outside of our kitchen. >> reporter: when the washington, d.c. school went remote transforming it into a lab seemed like the best way to bring science to life. with his own money lee now known as the kitchen chemist also bought lab supplies for his 35 students and delivered them personally >> the only way to that i was able to think to do it successfully is to do it as interactive as possible. >> reporter: his weekly

gadi schwartz, nbc news, santa monica. >>> despite calls to stay home, som 85 million americans are expected to travel for the holidays stirring fears of a new post-holiday covid surge but there is encouraging word from the cdc tonight. 1 million people in the u.s. have now received their first doses of the covid vaccine and the u.s. just cut a deal to double its pfizer doses. more now from tom costello. >> reporter: tonight health experts fear a superspreader event is playing out in realtime as a million travelers a day fill airports nationwide. >> i don't have any preexisting conditions i'm thin, and i'm feeling confiden if i get covid that i'll survive. >> reporter: the most travelers since the pandemic began, despite official pleas to stay home to ensure loved ones are alive next year, too many people say they can't stay away from family any longer. >> we haven't seen my two granddaughters and my daughter since last christmas, and they grow so much and we see them on skype. but it's not just the same thing >> reporter: 20 states plus d.c. have travel restrictions for new arrivals concern

rehema ellis, nbc news. >> what a way to engage the kids. that's great that's "nightly news" for this wednesday. thank you, everyone, for watching i'm lester holt. please tak >>> right now at 6:00, a new order puts all bay area counties in the same boat. >> i'm so nervous about that. if the shutdown takes more than three to four weeks, it's not good for the small business. >> so many businesses will be crippled. we'll tell you when this all starts. >>> also are blacks and hispanics hesitant to get vaccinated? we're joined by a ucsf doctor who is trying to set the record straight. >> most of us have canceled or changed holiday travel plans. >> no, no holiday travel plans. >> so when can we safely book our next vacation? we'll ask the doctors. >>> the news at 6:00 starts right now. good evening and thanks for being with us. i'm raj mathai. the numbers are changing about the sentiment remains the same. our deadliest day yet. the question now, when will things actually get better? will it be days from now, or weeks? today the bay area's icu avail

rehema ellis, nbc news >> that kind of love is the real gift and that is "nightly news" for this christmasve thank you so much for watching i'm kristen welker wishing you and your loved ones a very happy holiday. ♪ ♪ late at night when all the world is sleeping ♪ ♪ i stay up and think of yo

miguel almaguer, nbc news. >>> now to the other major breaking news tonight, president trump announcingorney general william barr has resigned effective next week after barr contradicted his claims of voter fraud. hallie jackson joins us now. hallie, what do we know about this? >> reporter: it is unusual an attorney general would leave this close to the end of an administration but it is not altogether unexpected. the president has been fuming for weeks according to sources familiar with his thinking after barr publicly said he has not seen widespread voter fraud so far people close to barr say for his part he was considering departing by the end of the year even before that. the president describes their relationship as very good and barr's resignation letter is very complimentary, praising what he calls president trump's historic record. barr is set to leave december 23rd and the deputy attorney general will step in until inauguration day. lester >> hallie jackson, thanks very much >>> president-elect joe biden took another critical step toward the white house today with the vote by t

in fayetteville, sam brock, nbc news. >> it is such a new normal. >>> up next, one boy's heroic effort to spread holiday joy. >>> there's good news tonight about the spirit of giving, and a boy who embraced that, even as he faced his own unimaginable challenges. he's one of santa's biggest helpers. >> great now we have two of these. >> reporter: this 9-year-old is making sure christmas is special for kids who have already gone through so much. he's leading a toy drive for a children's hospital. his efforts all the more remarkable because he's a patient, too >> how's it going? >> good. >> reporter: battling inoperable brain cancer. >> every single treatment we ho come in and tell me, i have 1,000 gifts. i have 2,000 gifts now 3,000 gifts and counting it's just incredible that he has not stopped. >> reporter: it all started when he heard nurses talking about the empty toy closet. >> the toy closet is something that has toys in it for kids, because of covid-19, they lost a lot of their funding. >> reporter: with the help of his parents tim and tiffany, alex created a facebook group called

it's all right ♪ don't think twice it's all right ♪ >> reporter: harry smith, nbc news, new york. >>> veteran of three wars honoring. veteran o three war did you know you can go to libertymutual.com to customizes your car insurance so you only pay for what you need? really? i didn't-- aah! ok. i'm on vibrate. aaah! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ [ fizz ] joini[ coughing ] [ gasping ] skip to cold relief fast with alka seltzer plus severe power fast fizz. dissolves quickly, instantly ready to start working. ♪ oh, what a relief it is so fast. but today there's a combination of two immunotherapies you can take first. one that could mean... a chance to live longer. opdivo plus yervoy is for adults newly diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer that has spread and that tests positive for pd-l1 and does not have an abnormal egfr or alk gene. it's the first and only approved chemo-free combination of two immunotherapies that works together in different ways to harness the power of the immune system. opdivo plus yervoy equals a chance for more days. more

tipping off tonight, but will the new season be successful outside the bubble >>> after beating the odds, a miracle baby finally headed home for the holidays ♪ >>> this is "nbchtly news" with lester holt. >>> good evening, everyone public health officials are pleading with americans to forego holiday travel and gettogethers in order to slow the spad of coronavirus, but adding to the domestic worries that brought a post-thanksgiving wave of cases, tonight there are heightened concerns about flights coming here from the uk where a mutated strain of the coronavirus has forced that country into lockdown and raised alarm here and around the world. >>> miguel almaguer has details. >> reporter: tonight flight after flight from the uk continued to touchdown at jfk. hundreds of travelers arriving from london where a highly contagious mutation of the coronavirus is spreading like wild. as some 40 countries put a stop to the arrival of similar flights, the president-elect weighed in today. >> one of the things i'm waiting to get a response from my covid team is whether or not we should require testing before they get on an aircraft to fly home, number one and, number t

new scam alert for amazon prime and apple customers. >>> bob dylan's historic $200 million deal. >>> i talk with a world war ii veteran celebrating a milestone on pearl harbor day today >>> this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >> good evening, everyone across broad parts of california tonight stores are nearly empty. restaurant dining indoors and outdoors banned to name just a few of the covid restrictions that have put life on hold for tens of millions there's no shortage of business at hospitals but the urgent measures to ease the strain on icus being met with resistance. including among some of those charged with enforcing the rules. let's begin with miguel almaguer in los angeles. >> reporter: tonight in california, as covid cases skyrocket, and open icu beds drop to critically low levels, a new lockdown has been triggered for 33 million people implementing the nation's toughest restrictions, the new mandates prohibit an mixing of households even for a walk outside. retail businesses including pharmacies must cap capacity at 20%. >> they didn't have any toilet paper they were out of bottled water. >> reporter: amid the frenzy to buy basics hair and nail salons are also fo

gadi schwartz, nbc news >> a new kind of christmas story. all right. >>> well, up next, special delivery, the inspiring way one teacher is making sure her students don't go hungry during the pandemic (soft music) hey dad, i'm about to leave. don't forget your hat . good morning. how can i help? i need help connecting with my students. behind every last minute save, ok, that works. and holiday surprise, thank you! a customer service rep is working unseen, making it happen. and at genesys, we're proud to help them help you everyday. >>> we are back now with families trying to make ends meet. as many struggle to get food on the table, one teacher is determined to make sure her students don't go to bed hungry blayne alexander with tonight's "inspiring america. >> reporter: every friday when classes end at north grade elementary school in florida, for this teacher the work is just beginning rebecca curry started her mission a few years ago after a chance conversation with a school secretary. >> during lunch she would watch students stuff their fa

rehema ellis, nbc news >> that kind of love is the real gift and that is "nightly news" for this christmasve thank you so much for watching i'm kristen welker wishing you and your loved ones a very happy holiday. >>> right now at 6:00, not even a pandemic can stop a tried and true christmas eve tradition, last minute shopping. we'll show you two of the busiest malls in the south bay. >>> in this day and age, it's never going to come across right. >> a new year's eve party with thousands of people suddenly called off in sonoma county. why county leaders were powerless to stop it themselves. >>> plus an 83-year-old woman released from the hospital after making a sudden turnaround from covid. why she was able to go home even though she's still contagious. >>> we're hours away from christmas day. if you have outside plans, you might need a plan "b." your forecast coming up in a few minutes. the news at 6:00 starts right now. good evening, i'm terry mcsweeney. >> i'm jessica aguirre. >>> it was a party that had an entire town worried. word spread that graton casino in rohnert park was preparing

gadi schwartz, nbc news >> a new kind of christmas story. all right. >>> well, up next, special delivery, the inspiring way one teacher is making sure her students don't go hungry during the pandemic >>> we are back now with families trying to make ends meet. as many struggle to get food on the table, one teacher is determined to make sure her students don't go to bed hungry blayne alexander with tonight's "inspiring america. >> reporter: every friday when classes end at north grade elementary school in florida, for this teacher the work is just beginning rebecca curry started her mission a few years ago after a chance conversation with a school secretary. >> during lunch she would watch students stuff their faces or collect extra food on fridays because it was their last meal until monday and when i heard that, i -- i couldn't sleep really it just bothered me so much >> so, every friday, a special delivery, backpacks filled with food courtesy of the school pantry delivered directly to classroom doors. but now with the pandemic, a different

couldn't save him. >> reporter: tonight the loss is staggering and still far from over miguel almaguer, nbc news >>> in other news tonight, much of the northeast is bracing for a dangerous snowstorm already hitting the plains al roker is tracking it al, what's the latest? >> reporter: lester, we've got 65 million people under a winter weather alert tonight and what we've got now is low pressure developing along the southeast and atlantic coast. it's going to have a lot of moisture available to it from the gulf and the atlantic it pushes north and slams into cold arctic canadian air that's a recipe for heavy snow one to three inches from washington, d.c by thursday we got upwards of a foot and a half interior sections of pennsylvania from philly, new york, to hartford upwards of a foot, maybe less in boston of course lester, it all depends on the track. we'll update that tomorrow morning on "today." lester >> all right, al, thanks very much >>> if we can, we're going to move to the political storms now post-election. the senate's top republican for the first time acknowledging joe biden will be t

nbc news reported back in 2018 that u.s. intelligence officials considered these to be potential attacks by microwave weapons and that russia was a leading suspect. but they don't have hard evidence on that. kate? >> all right. thank you. >>> that big nor'easter is winding down tonight. it brought high winds and more than a foot of heavy, wet snow in some parts of the northeast. and now crews are working to restore power to more than 200,000 customers throughout new england. authorities at jfk airport here in new york are investigating a bomb scare tonight. port authority police are responding to the incident involving a flat that landed from moscow just -- a flight that landed from moscow just after 3:00 p.m. passengers were safely evacuated. the airport is open and operating without delay. >>> coming up, the show must go on. the new and inspiring ways the christmas hi, i'm pat and i'm 75 years old. we live in the mountains so i like to walk. i'm really busy in my life; i'm always doing something. i'm not a person that's go

garrett haake, nbc news, the capital. >>> president-elect joe biden gave a year-end address today with stark new warning about the pandemic and accusing president trump of failing to protect the u.s. from the massive suspected russian cyberattack. here is geoff bennett. >> reporter: tonight president-elect joe biden delivering a fresh warning about the coronavirus crisis. >> our darkest days in the battle against covid are ahead of us, not behind us. >> reporter: biden calling the $900 billion in coronavirus relief just passed by congress a down payment on a bigger bill >> congress did its job this week. i can and i must ask them to do it again next year. >> reporter: the president-elect calling for more funding to help firefighters, police and nurses, and to expand covid testing, plus a third round of stimulus checks to americans. biden also blasting president trump over the suspected russian hack of u.s. government agencies. >> this assault happened on donald trump's watch, when he wasn't watching. rest assured, even if he does not take it seriously, i will. >> reporter: meantime, pr

jo ling kent, nbc news, los angeles. >>> when we come back, mission accomplished some good news about a little girl who wanted to change a classic toy. how a toymaker in a different state helped make her wish come true >>> there's good news on this christmas holiday weekend. you know those little green soldiers that have been popular toys for decades well, they're finally being updated to look like a modern, more inclusive military, thanks to one little girl with a big idea >> reporter: from under the christmas tree -- >> amazing >> reporter: -- a special gift more than a year in the making but well worth the wait for 7-year-old vivian lord in little rock, arkansas >> i'm so happy. i just opened the box and there the woman figures were >> reporter: the toys were based on women in the military something vivian wanted after noticing there were just boy toy soldiers >> she came over and said, mommy, why are none of these girls? and it was one of those moments where i was like, i never thought of that. what a cool question >> reporter: so vivian reached out to toy companies last year, wri

joining me now, nbc news political reporter, ali vitali, nbc news correspondent heidi przybyla, and dr. vin gupta. welcome to you all, guys. heidi, i want to start you and your excellent reporting on this, especially with the ill preparedness, it seems of the trump administration, the steps forward for operation warp speed. after phase i, essentially, when the health care workers get their first vaccine, what happens on january 21st? talk us through this cliff that you're reporting on. >> yasmin, phase i is essentially a shipping operation. we already have the infrastructure to vaccinate the health care workers. we have the infrastructure to vaccinate those in long-term care facilities. cvs and walmart associates will go out there and we know where to find them for the second doses. that's expected to go pretty smoothly. after that, yasmin, and this coincides almost perfectly with february, when we're looking at rolling out broader vaccination, to more groups, older people with pre-existing conditions. first responders. this is a much broader population. right now, my reporting is that

as his presidency comes to an end, sources tell nbc news president trump has floated the idea of doing exactly that before they are charged with any crimes "the new york times" was first to report that the president discussed preemptive pardons for don jr., eric trump, ivanka trump, jared kushner, and rudy giuliani, his long-time ally who went to ukraine to dig up dirt on the bidens and is leading the president's failed legal fight to overturn the election giuliani told nbc news the reports about the pardons are totally false. so, can a president grant pardons before any crimes are even prosecuted? pete williams is here. nbc news chief justice correspondent. pete, preemptive family pardoning. can a president do that? >> absolutely. it will surprise some people, but the supreme court said as far back as 1866 that a pardon applies, quote, to every offense known to the law so that means a pardon can be given at any time after an offense is committed, either before legal proceedings have begun or while they are still going on or after conviction the authority comes from the constitution it

nbc news has not confirmed who is sporesponsible. the prime minister called for an end to the fighting. a lot of the the aid organizations, the humanitarian organizations, they are in sudan on the border, really want the u.s., urging the u.s. to step up, get involved and try to mediate and end this fighting. eamon? >> humanitarian crisis that continues to worsen. thank you. >>> desperate times call for desperate measures. a hospital parking garage in nevada became a medical place to take care of patients. l place to take care of patients. got to hand it to you, jamie. your knowledge of victorian architecture really paid off this time. nah, just got lucky. so did the thompsons. that faulty wiring could've cost them a lot more than the mudroom. thankfully they bundled their motorcycle with their home and auto. they're protected 24/7. mm. what do you say? one more game of backgammon? [ chuckles ] not on your life. [ laughs ] ♪ when the lights go down [ laughs ] finding the right words can be tough.n it comes to autism, finding understan

. >>> our nbc news exclusive, john kerry on his role in the new biden administration and what he is calling a climate moon shot. >>> the big holiday shipping deadline that may hit your wallet harder than you think. >>> this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >> good evening, everyone no sooner did the uk become the first country to start mass inoculations with pfizer's covid vaccine than a caution flag went up. british health officials warning tonight those with a history of serious allergic reaction should not take the shots after two people who received the vaccine suffered adverse reactions. it's yet another question for american regulators to consider as a fda advisory committee meets tomorrow to discuss approval of the pfizer vaccine for use in our country. richard engel has late details now from the uk. >> reporter: as the uk's rollout of the world's first fully tested coronavirus vaccine charged ahead 90-year-old recipient "a" went home happy. a new warning about possible side effects from the pfizer-biontech vaccine. two nurses showed allergic anaphylactoid reactions most commo

christmas next year is more kind to all of us >> god bless us every one. >> reporter: kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. >>> that's "nightly news" for this friday. thank you for watching, everyone i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. >>> unexpected show of support. >> i'm feeling stressed. myself and my partners. it's beyond depressing at this point. >> a roller coaster ride for people. restaurants looking to keep out doors open. get a doctors note. as they sue the county. >> where the rain is headed and how much we can expect this weekend. >> a numbers gape. 14 day quarantine for the 12 days of christmas. >> i don't want to be the reason my loved one ends up in the hospital or dies. it was an easy decision. >> a sacrifice a family is making for the holiday. >> why oracle is moving its headquarters and where it's going. >> good evening, thanks for being with us on this friday. >> pressure mounting right now on the fta to approved pfizer vaccine. president trump tweeted this morning and also called on the fda to give final approval this evening. so far no decision. once

blayne alexander, nbc news. >>> all right. for the first time today members of the family behind the company that makes oxycontin answered questions publicly about their role in the opioid crisis. appearing before a house committee and provoking even more outrage. here's kate snow with that >> reporter: videos from families destroyed by oxycontin addiction set the tone >> and now our family approaches another holiday season without my son. >> reporter: the current ceo and members of the wealthy family that founded purdue pharma, david and kathe sackler, all offering apologies. >> i am profoundly sorry. >> i am deeply and profoundly sorry that oxycontin has played a role in any addiction and death. >> reporter: but the sacklers who both spent time on purdue's board argued they didn't know what the company was doing to push sales of oxycontin. >> will you apologiz for the role you played in the opioid crisis? >> i have struggled with that question there is nothing that i can find that i would have done differently. >> reporter:

joining me now is nbc news correspondent shaquille brewster. he is at a vaccine distribution center in olive branch, mississippi. shaq, what can you tell us about the distribution so far? any hiccups? >> reporter: well, it hasn't started yet. they're waiting for that green light, that emergency use authorization from the fda. but when that comes, things will move very quickly at the mckesson plant in olive branch, mississippi. mckesson is responsible for distributing the vaccine, turning moderna's stockpile of doses into individual shipments. what we know about the time line at this point, we're waiting for that emergency use authorization from the fda. next the cdc will then place an order with mckesson asking them and telling them where to send the specific amount of vaccines all across the country. mckesson is a company that has worked with the cdc before, not only for the seasonal flu vaccine but also for the h1n1 or swine flu vaccine about ten years ago. workers then will combine the vaccine doses in boxes with kits of medical supplies and

nbc news data shows that the u.s. added more than 225,000 cases and 3,100 deaths yesterday. the cdc director gave the sobering news yesterday that covid-19 is now the leading cause of death for americans, surpassing heart disease and canc cancer. >> probably for the next 60 to 90 days, we're going to have more deaths per day than we had in 9/11 or that we had at pearl harbor. and the reality is, the vaccine approval this week's not going to really impact it i think to any degree for the next 60 days. >> the u.s. covid project also reports a record number of people were hospitalized with the virus yesterday -- 107,000. >>> several states continue to roll out heightened coronavirus restrictions amid this surge. in pennsylvania, governor tom wolf, who tested positive for the virus on wednesday, announced a halt to school sports and other extracurricular activities. he closed gyms, theaters, and casinos, and banned indoor dining. governor ralph northam ordered virginians to stay home between midnight and 5:00 a.m., to wear a mask in indoor and outdoor settings, and to limit socia

behold harry smith, nbc news, new york >> you can bet i'll be looking tonight. hope you will, too that's "nightly news" for this monday. thank you for watching, everyone i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night >>> right now. tracking a new coronavirus strain. what california's top doctor is doing to keep it out of the state. >> our foggy and dry conditions about to be replaced by plenty of rain and snow. the time line and how it could impact holiday plans. >> playing by a different set of rules. >> this is a new test. you balance staying safe and the situation. >> the reason the golden state warriors don't have to follow the mandatory travel quarantine in san francisco. >> the journey of a vaccine. >> there is light at the end of tunnel. >> what the front line doctor hopes to accomplish by documenting her experience. >> good monday. >> governor newsom will likely be asking californiaens it stay at home longer. the order set to last until january 8 could be extended. the governor says we'll know by end of this week or next week. s