Strategist. Democrats are carrying out a coordinated attack on his appointment. Meanwhile, republicans warn to ease concerns over bannons past. Thats not the steve bannon i know, and ive spent a lot of time with him. Hes Harvard Business school, London School of economics, ten year naval officers. I find him to be a very, very decent, very good extremely smart man and a loyal, patriotic american, and sometimes in politics you get labeled a certain way or another way, but i think people will find in him a real asset to the country. Despite democrats efforts to bash bannon, president obama in his First Press Conference since the election is refusing to attack trump for the hiring decision. It would not appropriate for me to comment on every appointment the president elect starts making. The people have spoken. Donald trump will be the next president , the 45th president of the United States. And it will be up to him to set up a team that he thinks will serve him well and reflect his policies. President obama even went so far as to vouch for trumps own Foreign Policy positions, saying while Trump Campaigned hard against nato, the relationship with the organization would continue. The president s olive branch comes as intense jockeying inside trumps Transition Team has Rudy Giuliani as the top contender for secretary of state. News reports have giuliani and john bolton as the leading contenders to become the countrys top diplomat. However, whispers from within the Transition Team coupled with giulianis flatout refusal of the department of justice position put him squarely in the lead for that job. While speaking at a wall street journal conference, he continues to veer the conversation back to Foreign Policy. Giuliani also called for a resit in diplomatic relations with russia, and it may have gotten a kick start after president elect trump spoke with Vladimir Putin by phone. Putin telling trump hes ready for a dialogue and hopes for a nonintervention into each countrys internal affairs. All of that as we learn the trump Transition Team is openly inquiring to get top secret security clearances for the older children as well as soninlaw jared kushner. No formal request has been made, however, come inauguration day, president elect trump would be at his leisure to grant the clearance to whoever he chooses. While trump may be adding his children even in an unofficial capacity, it is president obama who is trying to bring the country together. Hes asking the public to give trump a chance while implicitly hitting Hillary Clinton for her failed campaign. And rea mitchell has more. President obama opening up about his successor and the first meeting in the oval office. We had a very cordial conversation. With protests nationwide, revealing his advice to the president elect. I said to him its really important to try to send some signals of unity. And to reach out to minority groups or women. When asked if he still thinks donald trump is unqualified, he dodged. He successfully mobilized a big chunk of the country to vote for him, and he is going to win. He has won. I dont think he is ideological. I think ultimately, hes pragmatic in that way. And that can serve him well as long as hes got good people around him. With trump hitting 133 battleground stops in the last 100 days, versus Hillary Clintons 87, many democrats, nbc news has learned, including bill clinton, said Hillary Clinton didnt reach out enough to White Working Class voters. President obama agrees. We have to compete everywhere. We have to show up everywhere. We have to work at a grass roots level, something thats been a running thread in my career. You know, i won iowa not because the demographics dictated that i would win iowa. It was because i spent 87 days going to every small town and fair and fish fry. Other democrats are also agreeing with president obama, theres a mad scramble to take over the Democratic National committee coming into full swing with keith ellison, the first muslim congressman formally announcing his bid. Heres what he told chris hayes about his run. I believe you got to return that focus right back to the working man and woman in this country, affirm the idea of better wages, affirm the idea of the right to bargain collectively on the job. Affirm the idea of having a clean environment. These are the things that our core values and thats where i want to take the democratic party. This morning, we are getting new reaction from bernie sanders. He says democrats need to change. The democrats cannot continue to be run the democratic party, by what i call a liberal elite. The party has got to transform itself to be a party, which first of all, opens the door, that is a party that feels the pain of working class people. Of the middle class, of low income people, of young people. Brings people into the party on virtually every issue. Now, wildfires are raging across the country with more than 70 still burning overnight. Air quality alerts are in place from charlotte, north carolina, to atlanta and even nashville, tennessee. A view from nasa of the southeast United States reveals the extent of the smoke. Firefighters are coming unfrom as far away as alaska and california to combat the fires. Authorities expect arson as the cause of some of these fires. Several already have been made. The man accused of killing his young toddler son knows his feat. Justin ross harris has been convicted of murder and other felonies related to the death of his 22monthold son. Cooper died in june of 2014 after he was left in his fathers suv for seven hours while he was working. Prosecutors argued harris planned to kill his son to escape family responsibilities, while he pursued sex with prostitutes and women he met online. Those charges are backed up by sexually explicit texts and photos he sent to an underaged girl. The defense said while he may have been a bad husband, his sons death was an accident and his actions were not criminal. His exwife testified on his behalf, saying he loved his son. Sentences is scheduled for december 5th. He faces life in prison without parole. A fascinating survey of burglars, thieves, and the mates serving time. They offer key advice to keep your home from getting ripped off. Bill karins with a soggy northwest and possible snow . It could be a significant snowfall, but first, we get through the setup. This is the yara of rain through the Pacific Northwest, and a piece into Northern California around mt. Shasta, and eventually, this is going to spread slowly through the rockies and by friday, head out to the plains. A lot of this snow on thursday could be significant snow in areas of wyoming and how about minnesota, a potential for a foot, foot in a half with a blizzard by friday. Big changes in store in the day but an umbrella day from Northern California all the way through areas of western washington and oregon. A little bit of snow, and we also have great weather in southern california. Not everyone is going to be dealing with bad weather. Good news for those of us excited about ski season. Thank you very much. Just ahead, fists were flying along with offensive accusations. Find out what set off these ukrainian leaders. Plus, donald trump promises jobs for American Workers but can he deliver on his promise. Put your money where your mouth is. Its as simple as that. Thanks for giving victor the energy to be the rowdiest fan. And joseph, the ability to see monsters. When you choose walgreens, you choose to make a difference. Like how every vitamin and flu shot you get at walgreens helps give lifechanging vitamins and vaccines. To children in need. So, really. Happy thanks for giving walgreens. At the corner of happy and healthy. You have dinner on the table at 6 00 every night. Hey guys, im home of course no one said it had to be cooked. Campbells one dish recipes, designed around one pan and your schedule. Made for real, real life. If youvtry clarispray. Mes to escape your nasal allergies. From the makers of claritin. Clarispray provides 24hour, prescription strength relief from sneezing, runny nose, and nasal congestion. Return to the world. Try clarispray today. And dale, welllping he loves colleen. Nt. They have their differences. But they make it work, most of the time. And at least they agree one thing. New tide purclean its the first biobased detergent. With the cleaning power of tide. So you can actually clean your clothes and still. Do your part. New tide purclean. The first biobased detergent with the cleaning power of tide. If its got to be clean, its got to be tide. It may seem like politics in america couldnt be more divisive, especially after the Campaign Season but things came to a head literally in ukraine in a session of parliament. The leader of the radical party accused the leader of the Opposition Party of having ties with the russian kremlin. The Opposition Party leader wasnt going to take that sitting down. Several stepped in to end the melee, but they continued with the accusations and a second round of fisticuffs ensued. Sometimes we should be counting our lucky stripes we dont have that violence in congress. Seeing it now, but speaking of hot topics, the president elect promised jobs to voters, but can he deliver . Theres a fascinating report ahead, but first, apple may have the next big thing up their sleeves. Whats happening with apple, landon. The dow has been up for six days in a row, and begins the trading day at a fresh record high, 18,868. So now wall street is watching to see if the posttrump victory rally continues, and if the dow might top 19,000. Its only 132 points away. The nasdaq starts in negative territory, way down by worries about the tech second esector under a trump administration. Today and all of this week, just one big focus for investors. That is retail. The government is expected to report that retail sales grew last month by more than half a percent, pretty encouraging, and as for earnings, well hear from big retailers like home depot and tjx. And looking for the next big thing with apple. Maybe we found it. The company is reported to be working on a pair of smart glasses. The project is said to be in the early product testing stage but thought to be advanced enough to involve suppliers already. The plan is to introduce the glasses steve jobs style, no doubt, in 2018 at the earliest. And amazon is ditching its customary blue and gold christmas wrapping paper in the u. S. , mexico, and canada this year. Its guiding north star is minimizing packaging and wrapping paper has no value. It will be replaced by velvet gift bags in five sizes and three colors. Back over to you. All right, for a nice fancy wrapping there, too. Landon, thank you. One of the cornerstones of the Trump Campaign was a vow to bring back jobs to america. And now its time to put his money where his mouth is. Kevin tibbles talks to workers who voted for donald trump because of his jobs promise. When carrier air conditioning told its 1400 employees it was shutting down. To move production from our facility in indianapolis to mexico. It became a focal point for donald trump in the election. Were bringing jobs back to our country. Were not going to let carrier leave. Many at carrier are now counting on him to keep his promise. Put your money where your mouth is. Thats as simple as that. Across from the plant, sullys bar and grille, where workers after their shift say they have High Expectations for the president elect. We want you to do what you say youre going to do. Were going to hold your accountable. Carrier says its trying to ease the workers transition, providing three years advance notice of the move and funding education and retraining programs. Some carrier workers see politics at play. They say whatever needs to be said to get peoples vote, especially in a time like this where were losing our jobs. If he could come here and save these 1400 jobs here tomorrow, ill gladly vote for him again. Many of these American Workers say they took a gamble on trump and are now hoping the payoff means winning back their jobs. Kevin tibbles, nbc news, indianapolis. From the focus of the president elect to the first daughter elect, just ahead, is ivanka trumps jewelry line trying to cash in on her 60 minutes appearance . Youre watching eearly today. Geico has a long history of great savings and great service. Over seventyfive years. Wait. Seventyfive years . That is great. Speaking of great, check out these hot riffs. You like smash mouth . Uh, yeah i have an early day tomorrow so. Wait. Almost there. Goodnight, bruce. Gotta tune the a. humming take a closer look at geico. Great savings. And a whole lot more. And grease in just a minute on dirt and grime mr. Clean will clean your whole house and every room thats in it floors, doors, walls, halls hes so tough, he cleans em all mr. Clean eucerin has been solving dry skin problems for over 100 years. Discover eucerin advanced repair. It moisturizes dry, itchy, rough, skin. For immediate relief and proven 48hour moisture. For healthierlooking skin. Look for eucerin, now in the red cap. Ltry align probiotic. N your digestive system . For a nonstop, sweet treat goodness, hold on to your tiara kind of day. Get 24 7 digestive support, with align. The 1 doctor recommended probiotic brand. Now in kids chewables. Fast forwarding today. Some 200 rallies protesting the north dakota pipeline across the country. The army corps of engineers says it will delay its decision on the pipe line as it looks for more information from tribes. President obama has arrived in athens, greece, and then he will head to germany and peru. The last Foreign Policy trip of his presidency. And tomorrow, Hillary Clinton will speak for the First Time Since conceding the race. Shell give remarks at the Childrens Defense Fund gala. Leading the news, ivanka trump is under scrutiny after what some call an attempt to make money off a recent interview she did. Her companys vp of sales sent oun an email to journalists alertic them to the bracelet she wore in her 60 minutes interview. The bracelet comes in at 11,000. Its not the first time shes gotten into trouble mixing politics and business. They tweeted a picture of her at the rnc urging people to shop ivankas look. Many experts dont believe trump would actually follow through on his comments about killing the families of terrorists, there is speculation he could easily rescind obamas policy of limiting nonwar zone drone strikes. Everybody has had kind of a rough couple weeks when it comes to politics here, but there is a member of the new bush family that should make you smile. Former president george w. Bush and laura bush adopting a new puppy, freddy. Its a rescue dog they met in dallas. The president and mrs. Bush showed the picture on social media. So the family cats are reportedly getting along with the new pup whose charm is described as, quote, futile to resist. Any time you see a family growing especially when its a first family and a puppy. Just ahead, tracking your luggage will never be the same again. Plus, saying goodbye to a Television News trailblazer. Youre watching early today. Little dakotas nose was quivering in fear. Because it knew an ordinary tissue was near. The fiery tissue left her nose sore and red. So dad slayed the problem with puffs plus lotion, instead. Puffs have pillowy softness for dakotas tender nose. With lotion to comfort and soothe when she blows. Dont get burned by ordinary tissues. A nose in need deserves puffs, indeed. Now get puffs plus lotion in the squeezable softpack. Fortified. Tored. Replenished. Emerge everyday with emergenc packed with b vitamins, antioxidants, electrolytes plus more vitamin c than 10 oranges. Why not feel this good everyday . Emerge and see. 83 try to eat healthy. Yet up 90 fall short in getting key nutrients from food alone. Lets do more. Add one a day womens gummies. Complete with key nutrients we may need. Plus it supports bone health with calcium and vitamin d. One a day vitacraves gummies. As we remember trailblazing journalist gwen ifill, anchor of the news hour and Washington Week on pbs. She died after a long battle with cancer at the age of 61. Nbcs Pete Williams reports. Good evening. Im gwen ifill. She was one of the most successful africanamerican women in journalism. Coanchor of the pbs news hour and moderator of Washington Week. Their greater vulnerability was on things like the tax return. She started as a newspaper reporter in boston where she faced racism on the job. She moved on to the baltimore evening sun, the washington post, and New York Times before becoming a television correspondent, joining nbc news in 1994 to Cover Congress and politics. Involving the president , the first lady, and their political supporters. Then came the switch to pbs in 1999. Washington week. For what became Washington Week with gwen ifill. As we welcome governor palin and senator biden. Widely respected for her reporting, she moderated the Vice President ial debates in 2004 and 2008. President obama, one of the rising black figures she wrote about in her west selling 2009 book, praised her. She was an especially powerful role model for young women and girls. Her cleareyed reporting brought dozens of awards, but she was proudest of the women and minorities she inspired. Pete williams, nbc news, washington. Gwen ifill was 61 years old. Youre watching early today. Well be right back. Per roll more doing chores for dad per roll more earning something you love per roll bounty is more absorbent, so the roll can last 50 longer than the leading ordinary brand. So you get more life per roll. Bounty, the quicker picker upper happy thanks for giving thanks for giving lien the strength to outrun her brother. Thanks for giving victor the energy to be the rowdiest fan. And joseph, the ability to see monsters. When you choose walgreens, you choose to make a difference. Like how every vitamin and flu shot you get at walgreens helps give lifechanging vitamins and vaccines. To children in need. So, really. Happy thanks for giving walgreens. At the corner of happy and healthy. I tell you what, this doesnt if i didnt know where it was from, i wouldnt think it was real. Three cows stranded in new zealand after a powerful earthquake struck monday, causing landslides all around them, 360 degrees. Its like theyre on a pedestal or a platform. Thankfully, afarmers were able o rescue the cows earlier today. Can you believe that . As far as todays forecast, the truvl trouble spots, new england, airport delays with rain and wind, and the Pacific Northwest with occasional rain. A dose of that right now in the seattle area southwards down to olympia. The middle of the country looks just fine, and into tomorrow, we clear the northwest out and we start to watch the storm move to the rockies. Those pictures of those cows, thats thats something i have never seen. I know youre talking about travel delays and a lot of groans out there, but maybe one less reason for headache out there when you travel this holiday season, and thats because you dont have to worry about losing your leggage. Delta installed a 50 million tracking system to minimize baggage losses. The airline is now embedding microchips and antennas into luggage tags. Once you check in a suitcase, it transmits a gps location so any piece of luggage can be tracked to your final destination. You can even check the location on your phone. In 2015, nearly 2 million bags were mishandled. Theyre hoping they can cut the number way down. Impressive, that technology. Its costing them 50 million, but theyre saving 3 milli billion. Dont stop drinking, thats what runchers are saying. Cleeming its good for your heart. According to a study from penn state, a daily dose of beer actually preserves good cholesterol levels. In fact, researchers recommend two pienlts for men and one for women. They say controlled consumption reaps more rewards than excess drinking and even abston nls, believe it or not, but only healthy chinese adults were examined. Further study is needed to see if it applies to other groups. If you ever wanted to get inside a criminal mind, our affiliate in portland, oregon, sent out surveys to inmates serving time for burglary. When they asked what time of day they prefer to break in, most said 12 30 and 2 30 p. M. To avoid lunch breaks and kids. Also, looking for hidden valuables, everywhere, from the stove, the freezer, the fish tank, even your toilet. The best advice, leave a tv or radio on, or leave an extra car around. Thank you very much for watching early today. Well see you right back here tomorrow. Lepes f oods is a locally owned family company, here in santa rosa. As a small business, were always looking to save money, and pg e was able to help us. I help the Small Businesses save money and energy. It feels great. We looked at their lighting, their refrigeration system, and with just those two small measures, they were able to save a good amount of money. I was shocked. I couldnt believe that i could save 1,500 a month. With the savings that we get from pg e, were able to pass it on to our customers. Its pretty awesome. Learn how your business can save at pge. Com businessenergycheckup. Together, were building a better california. Am good morning. Were watching the clouds build in san francisco, tracking changes including rain making a comeback today. What you can expect coming up. Plus a south bay teacher is on paid administrative leave after reportedly telling students that they would be deported under a trump presidency. Well hear from a student who explains what led up to that strange incident. Turning violent at a recent pot shop. Today in the bay starts right now. Tuesday morning. We made it through monday together. Now lets make it through tuesday. Good morning, im laura garciacannon. Im sam brock. Thats the kind of cando attitude weve come to love. Lets do irt. San francisco just