Plus, a remarkable story about finding family five brothers and sisters finally back together. Its the good news story that will have you smiling all day. Early today starts right now glad to have you with us im frances rivera. And im valerie castro. The country reaches yet another grim coronavirus milestone as state officials scramble to contain the pandemic the virus is spreading at alarming rates the United States has now surpassed more than 11 million infections. At least 15 states have ordered increased restrictions with michigan and washington joining that list. Indoor dining suspended and nonessential businesses shut down. The pandemic leaves a family devastated in san antonio. 4yearold Raiden Gonzalez lost both his mother and father who died just 100 days apart after contracting covid19 the community there rallying around raiden who turns 5 this week. And ballots werent the only things circulating on election day. According to a report by the associated press, poll workers in several states have tested positive for coronavirus the biggest outbreak coming from kansas city, where 28 were infected theres no way to determine if the surge is linked to election day, but officials are taking note of the alarming coincidence. Retail stores are working to control the crowds this Holiday Season walmart is now counting customers who enter and exit the store out of an abundance of caution. Theyre joining kroger, wegmans and publix in limiting items such as toilet paper, paper towels and cleaning supplies. Now to the impact of the covid crises on schools. Michigan ordered all high school and College Classes must go online as new yorks mayor prepares parents for possible closures nbcs kathy park has details. Reporter the last School District in the country could be shooting down classrooms again as coronavirus cases climb in new york city. Just under 2. 6 of covid tests are coming back positive the mayor has said if it goes over 3 schools will go allremote. Every additional day school is open is a blessing. Reporter but a fractured school year has created a new crisis for families. Its difficult to have them, you know, everybody be home. Its been really hard for me to get accustomed to, like, the remote learning. Reporter with infections spiking some schools in georgia and boston have temporarily closed the same for sheridan, colorado. Lets get out in front of it and not wait for it to happen to us lets be proactive and be smart about what were doing. Reporter philadelphiaarea School Districts made a decision to go remote, too, upsetting some parents. The strategy is a failure it doesnt work because the stuff doesnt spread in the schools. Reporter there is evidence pointing to low inschool transmissions. Randomized testing in new York City Schools showed a Positivity Rate of just 0. 16 , compared to the citys Positivity Rate of roughly 2. 6 numbers adding up to be a Success Story during a pandemic. And due to rising covid cases in the state of michigan, the governor announced sunday that all inperson learning for high schools and colleges will be shut down starting wednesday and lasting three weeks. Frances . All right kathy, thank you in illinois residents are stockpiling items as officials threaten a statewide lockdown. Infections there have now climbed past 573,000 with over 10,000 new cases in the past 24 hours. Our cal perry is in chicago with the latest cal, good morning. Reporter valerie, its not just the numbers on their own, it is also the rate at which they are changing. If you look week to week, for example, here in the city of chicago, we have doubled the number of hospitalizations week to week, the number of cases is up some 40 , which is what drove the mayor to put in this stayathome advisory while it is not legally binding, theyre urging folks to stay home unless you absolutely have to go out, for example, for groceries or to get a covid test one of the concerns is that the surrounding areas are also being crippled by the coronavirus. In the state of wisconsin, for example, 85 capacity at these hospitals and a Positivity Rate of 35 it is the big picture that the governor of illinois is worried about. He says they could but in a statewide stayathome mandate but hopes he wont have to. Spacex successfully launched their crew dragon capsule last night and this liftoff marked a major milestone for the company and nasa. Thats right. Flying inside is a full team of astronauts on their way to the International Space station. This marks the first Operational Mission as spacex embarks on a new era of chartering flights for nasa nbcs tom costello was there good morning reporter valerie, gorod morning to you just a phenomenal experience at the Kennedy Space center as we watched the Spacex Falcon 9 rocket topped with what the crew has dubbed resilience taking off on a perfect evening launch here in the night sky. Really coming up the entire east coast of the United States, accelerating before finally dropping off its various stages. Well on its way now to intersecting with the International Space station. Hoping to meet up with the space station about 11 20 or so tomorrow evening a good 24 to 27 hours before meeting up with the space station. Heres what makes this mission so important this is nasa handing over a real mission, not a test flight, a real mission now to the private sector, to spacex. And spacex entrusted with the lives of four astronauts carrying them up off of the pad and well on their way now to the space station. This is what nasa is all preparing for, really handing over this job, going to the space station, to the private sector, spacex and boeing. Nasa now wants to focus on going long, returning to the moon, maybe eventually going to mars the spacex track record right now is absolutely phenomenal having had a very good test flight this last summer with two astronauts and now a real mission, four astronauts safely on their way to the space station really a very good morning here at the Kennedy Space center. Valerie, back to you. All right always exciting to see those launches tom, thank you. Michigans governor announced new restrictions as covid cases spike in that state. The White House Coronavirus adviser dr. Scott atlas reacted by tweeting, the only way this stops is if people rise up Governor Gretchen Whitmer responded on cnn we know that the white house likes to single us out here in michigan, me out in particular im not going to be bullied into not following reputable scientists and medical professionals. Some of the new restrictions in michigan include no Indoor Dining at bars and restaurants and high schools and colleges will be fully remote the changes start wednesday and will last three weeks. As coronavirus cases surge across the country, dr. Anthony fauci is warning that a delayed president ial transition is a danger to public health, saying that it would be better if his team could start working with president elect joe biden. Were joined now by nbcs tracie potts. Tracie, the biden team would also like to see more cooperation. Right they think its really important that the two be talking right now. But what were finding here, valerie, is that the biden team is being blocked by the administration from doing so we do know that they plan to meet with drugmakers this week with pfizer and others who are working on a vaccine, but what the biden chief of staff is saying, that its really important at this point that his team be talking to the government officials who are planning vaccine distribution. In other words, not just making a vaccine, but actually getting it out there so people can use it he explained on meet the press why that level of cooperation needs to be happening soon joe bidens going to become president of the United States in the midst of an ongoing crisis that has to be a seamless transition we now have the possibility we need to see if it gets approved of a vaccine, starting perhaps in december, january. Right. There are people at hhs making plans to implement that vaccine. Our experts need to talk to those people as soon as possible so Nothing Drops in this change of power were going to have on january 20th and, of course, thats not happening because President Trump and the Trump Administration allege that the Election Results are not final and there are challenges, like the lawsuit that the trump team has lodged in pennsylvania, but now they have slimmed down that lawsuit, taken out a key provision, saying that none of their representatives were allowed to watch the balloting and the ballot count for more than 600,000 ballots in that state. They still have a lawsuit, but, valerie, that key claim has been taken out. The hearings tomorrow. All right tracie, thank you so much. Olympics during a worsening Global Pandemic . As of today, the 2020 summer olympics in tokyo are set to take place japan and the Olympic Committee are determined for the games to go ahead matt bradley live in paris. Reporter gorge, frances. Those games have already been delayed once supposed to be held this summer, now next summer in tokyo and obviously theres a lot of questions about whether this can go on, but as you mentioned, the Olympic Committee, everyone involved, especially the japanese government been they a are determined to follow through this with. We have thomas balk, the head of the ioc, hes in tokyo he met with the japanese Prime Minister and basically they came up with a plan that everyone involved is going to have to be immunized before the olympics start in july 2021. You might be wondering, what are the going to be immunized with they havent had yet some sort of vaccine, but we do have two vaccines that are close to being approved one from russia, one from astrazeneca and that german company. Were going to start seeing possibly that becoming available on the market and Olympic Committee planners are hoping that a vaccine will become available before the olympics, but there have been other Big International sporting events over the past year, so its not unprecedented to have Something Like this, frances. They have vowed one way or the other they will have these games. Matt, thank you. The new York New Jersey area was hit with some wicked weather on sunday. Tornado warnings were issued for half a dozen counties in and around new york city 60 to of 5mileperhour winds were reported throughout new jersey the heavy rain and damaging winds downed trees, tossed debris and knocked out power to an estimated 100,000 customers what a mess. Lets check in now with nbc meteorologist janessa webb who joins us with an early take of our monday weather good morning, janessa. Good morning, ladies. Wow, it did feel like a tornado in some parts of the northeast over 200 reports of wind damage across sections of the ohio valley and the east coast. That onshore flow is going to start to push offshore towards northern new england, but still going to be dealing with gusty conditions throughout the afternoon. I think the big weather story, unfortunately, is the cat 4 hurricane about to hit central america. Talk morabout thate noon 33 more sunshine for colorado springs. Well talk more about hurricane iota coming up wow, here we go again another week, another hurricane to talk about. Thank you, janessa. New york city sheriffs broke up an unlicensed fight club in the bronx over the weekend over 200 people in the rumble in the bronx event not practicing social distancing. Deputies also seized two illegal guns and marijuana as they broke up the party a total of ten people were arrested, including rumble in the bronx ceo michael roman. When we come back, the trailblazing woman who shattered glass ceilings in Major League Baseball where can a healthier heart lead you . For people with Heart Failure taking entresto, it may lead to a world of possibilities. Entresto helped people stay alive and out of the hospital. Dont take entresto if pregnant; it can cause harm or death to an unborn baby. Dont take entresto with an ace inhibitor or aliskiren, or if youve had angioedema with an ace or arb. The most serious side effects are angioedema, low Blood Pressure, kidney problems, or high blood potassium. Ask your doctor about entresto. Our essential mist transforms fragrance infused or high blood potassium. With natural essential oils to create a mist. To invite the scents, comfort and warmth of the season into your home. Its air care, redefined. Connect to nature this Holiday Season. Did you try it yet . Comparing plans . Oh yeah. They sure can change year to year. I found lower premiums and lower prescription costs. And those new insulin savings hundreds of plans, 35 a month. Thatll save you money. So uh, mark . On medicare. Gov now. Open enrollment ends dec 7th. Comparing plans. Really pays. Paid for by the u. S. Department of health human services. Isnt like yesterday. grrrr. Put down that rake. and pick up that pb and j. daddy . Silence your growl. With kelloggs frosted miniwheats. Made to help fill you up. Are my smile cant compete. On for this . With kelloggs frosted miniwheats. Anyone . Mmm. Nope for a smile thats always camera ready. Crest 3d white removes 95 of stains in just 3 days. In todays quick hits, the Miami Marlins announce that kim aung will be the teams new general manager. The first woman and Asian American to be named a general manager in Major League Baseball a 2yearold belgian racing pigeon has been sold for a recordbreaking 1. 9 million. The iconic rudolph and santa claus figures from the holiday special rudolph the rednosed reindeer have soled for a whopping 368,000. The buyer was not identified. Wild finishes and trick plays lined nfls week ten schedule theyve had a pretty good run in this area over the past couple of decades. Now the pass goes to meyers and its behind the line of scrimmage. Hes going to throw. High school quarterback, he was. And burkhead will make the catch. In the end zone. A nailbiter in rainy massachusetts on sunday night football where cam newton and the patriots did all they could to get back to their winning ways against the ravens. Late in the third, la mamar jaco finds willie social media, but the kyler murray needed a hail mary to beat the bills his prayer was answered in the form of deandre hopkins, making that incredible catch in traffic and pulling it down in the end zone buffalo had just taken the lead 30 seconds earlier but hopkins and the cardinals rip it from him. Arizona pulls off the incredible win, 3230 in miami, the dolphins improved to 30 with tua at the helm of their offense, threw for a pair of touchdowns, including this nifty through to Durham Smythe 2921. On the final day of the masters, Dustin Johnson swung his way into the history books johnson capped off his run in the tournament with a 4 under par sunday, winning him the masters by five strokes. His last day propelled him to 20 under par for the tournament, making him the first golfer to shoot 20 under in masters history. 2019 champion tiger woods, who finished 19 strokes behind johnson, awarded the champion with his first green jacket. This is johnsons second major victory. His first since the 2016 u. S. Open still to come, we are shining a light on the winners of the 2020 e peoples choice awards. In the year dominated by the pandemic, tyler perry had a messagof he ope and inspiration to share during his acceptance speech well be right back. You need luvs prolevel leak protection. 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But if you had it all with nobody to call maybe then youd know me and that was Justin Biebers moving performance last night at the 46th annual e peoples choice awards. Demi lovato hosted the show live from santa monica and the virtual audience members got to be a part of it. Tyler perry accepted high praise as for peoples champion of 2020 and encouraged fans to keep digging if you can hear me now, just keep digging you may be 4 inches away from every gift and blessing you ever wanted in your life. And jenny from the block took the cake for this years peoples choice icon plus tonight show starring jimmy fallon won nighttime talk show of 2020 while ellen pompeo was named female tv star of the year for her beloved role on greys an anatomy, highlighting the shows theme of love and acceptance. More in store, plus janessas forecast one man goes to incredible lengths to give five siblings a loving home. Maybe its a memory of you alone. Or one with him. Or them. It could feel like magic. 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I mean, we have very quiet conditions across much of the nation the northwest, we are going to watch a stormy pattern develop, but look at the northeast to the midsection of the country. Were going to seeing temperatures pretty cool, but quiet conditions. Thanks, janessa finding family five brothers and sisters reunit a tnktoneanedllhas o m d healthy. So every touch is as comforting as the first. Pampers. The 1 pediatrician recommended brand. Try natures bounty sleep 3 a unique tri layer supplement, that calms you helps you fall a sleep faster and stay a sleep longer. Great sleep comes naturally with sleep 3 only from natures bounty you cant fake the goodness gthe crunch of real almonds. How chocolatey chunks taste in cold milk. We keep it real. Because you cant fake. Delicious. Kelloggs special k. Iwith vicks sinex saline nasal cmist. Tion for drug free relief that works fast. Vicks sinex. Instantly clear everday congestion. We are back with a heartwarming story about finding a people and a young man opening his heart and home to five brothers and sisters because he wanted them to be together heres nbcs kate snow on mark, get set, go. Reporter its nonstop at the carter home in cincinnati. I think it was a tie n reporter exactly what Robert Carter was hoping for. Good job. Reporter one of nine children himself, when he was 12 he went into foster care his youngest brother was 2 at the time robert didnt see him for 14 years. You know what its like to be separated from siblings. Yes, maam. Thats why i couldnt let it happen to my kid. Reporter two years ago robert took in three boys, robert, giovanni and kionte. Months later he found out they had two sisters and found a way to arrange a visit once everybody got out the car, everybody hugged and crying i had to adopt all five. You couldnt let them stay apart . Yes, i couldnt let them go through the pain i went through. Reporter just 29, the owner of a with shop, he applied to become their forever parent. When i was 18 i got custody of my little brother, at 21 i got custody of my sister this is what ive been doing my whole life who helped you pick out your outfit this morning . Reporter and last month it finally happened congratulations you are dad. Thank you really easy being a father of five just because the kids that i do have, like, theyre some naezing kids its a lot louder than what im used to, but its joyful noise, so im okay with it. Go. Reporter the oldest . Mariana, used to play the mom to her siblings now she can just be a fifth grader. So, like, here at the house, i wont even let her make a bowl of cereal because its not her job. Shes done it for too long reporter when he thinks about that day at the courthouse, he gets emotional. Everything is completely complete and my life has started to fall into place. Whats that emotion im just relieved im excited. I just feel blessed to be able to have my kids in my life they changed me. They pushed me to want more out of life, not just for them but for me also. Friends and strangers have been contributing to find the family a new house with roberts business slowing down because of covid. Frances . All right kate, thank you for that wow, what a special Holiday Season thats going to be for this family, too. What a big heart. So much love there. Big heart, and hopefully will fav the way for, you know, a bigger home, too, with the help of everybody else. Well, thanks for watching early today. Im valerie castro. And im frances rivera. On the today show, a coronavirus conversation with dr. Anthony fauci. But for now, though, keep it right here more news is straight ahead. Have a great monday and well trelegy for copd. Birds flyin high, you know how i feel. Breeze drifting on by you know how i feel. Its a new dawn. If youve been taking copd sitting down, its time to make a stand. Start a new day with trelegy. No oncedaily copd medicine has the power to treat copd in as many ways as trelegy. With three medicines in one inhaler, trelegy helps people breathe easier and improves lung function. It also helps prevent future flareups. Trelegy wont replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. Tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high Blood Pressure before taking it. Do not take trelegy more than prescribed. Trelegy may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. Call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating, vision changes, or eye pain occur. Take a stand and start a new day with trelegy. Ask your doctor about oncedaily trelegy. And save at trelegy. Com. Speeding up the spread of new infections is moving at a faster pace than at any time during the pandemic as the u. S. Surpasses 11 million new cases and surges towards a precarious holiday of gathering together. President trumps twitter storm ramps up the first sunday admitting that joe biden won the election, then taking it back and around midnight tweeting, quote, i woman the election. Spacex launches into the history books with a successful liftoff and space flight for four u. S. Astronauts as they hurtle their way to the u. S. Space station at this very