Family reunions. Msnbc live starts right now. Good morning, everyone, im ayman mohyeldin. For those who wished for a White Christmas this morning, well, many of you may have gotten your person after a Winter Weather alert was put into effect for some 55 million americans, blanketing parts of the country in snow as santa continues to make his way around the globe. From illinois to ohio, massachusetts to indiana, americans will wake up this morning to find their own Little Christmas gift left by Mother Nature herself. It even hit chicago as the bears tried to celebrate and find warmth in the bleachers. It may make for a cozy morning opening gifts and drinking hot cocoa, it may make for a treacherous commute to woon the roads. Well go to Bonnie Schneider for the weather and White Christmas possibilities. What do you have . Youre right. At least the Northern Tier of country covered in snow. Waking up to a snowcovered ground across much of the region. In the northeast, itally still snowing. That its still snowing. That might make for weather troubles. Watch for heavy snow, especially areas in red today. Take it easy on the roads. Not only are we looking at the snow, but were looking at windy conditions, as well. Well see substantial snow in the great lakes. The winds will be strong. Even where its not snowing. Wind advisories posted through the midatlantic to the northeast. Snow from idaho through the midsection. Then sunny and cold. A cold one in the south. Look for highs in the 40s in tennessee and georgia. Snow will be heavy for areas of wyoming back toward montana, and bitter cold temperatures. Thats the main thing to note. An arctic blast will stick around from christmas through 2017. Thanks. As families wake up this christmas morning, there was lastminute scrambling going on, especially if you did shopping on line. Shippers were working overtime to make sure your gifts made it to the tree in time. Kristen dahlgren has more. Standing here waiting for a package from u. P. S. On my porch. Reporter when alan kidd ordered the ewok legos almost a week ago, he knew how much his son wanted it for christmas. Hes talked about it once a week for the last two years. Reporter with hours to go, still no legos. Checked the front door no less than 100 times. Nothings there. Reporter while the u. P. S. Website shows a scan near his home in georgia on december 21st, the system said not to expect it before christmas. . Ve its disappointing. Reporter the u. P. S. Has sent special teams from around the country to help with the crunch. Office employees like accountants and desk workers step information to assist sorting and even driving. U. P. S. Acknowledges its more than in years past. The majority of 750 million packages have arrived on time. Online shopping reached record numbers this year. Americans expected to spend half their holiday budget on line, which translates into record deliveries. For u. P. S. , more than 300 packages a second over the past week. Fedex says in spite of bad weather near its memphis hub saturday, it expects to complete all deliveries. As for alan kidd, hes bought alternate presents. Got here for him, i could see his face lighting up already. That was Kristen Dahlgren reporting. We want to turn to florida where the holiday turned tragic for some. Team five people were killed when a plane crashed on Christmas Eve. The family headed out on a day trip to key west in their heavy plane, took off in heavy fog, and unfortunately it crashed. More now from Maya Rodriguez. Reporter the plane never even made it past the airport. The wreckage of a cessna 340 on the tarmac. Five People Killed when it crashed on takeoff. One of our helicopter pilots was in the hangar, heard the plane started to take off and thought to himself, my gosh, i cant believe someones trying to take off in this weather. Reporter shortly after 7 00 a. M. , heavy fog blanketed the area. The plane took off heading east. Visibility was less than 300 feet. A member of the Sheriffs OfficeAviation Unit heard the crash. He said it was just seconds later that he heard the change in the pitch of the blades and the impact at the north end of the airport, not far from our hanger. Reporter when First Responders arrived, they had trouble seeing the crash scene. Were on scene now. The air base says theres a plane down. Its foggy and hard to see it. Ill try to make it to the airfield. Reporter the plane already engulfed in flames by the time crews got to the scene. The victims on board known to many in this small town. John shannon, president of the Republican Club in lakeland. And according to the sheriff, he was an accomplished pilot. Also killed in the crash, his daughter, victoria, her husband, another one of shannons daughters, and a family friend. Hug your children today and your grandchildren a little tighter. And say prayers for the family of these folks on the airplane. Absolutely tragic story. Our thanks to Maya Rodriguez for that report. This morning, the president and his family are spending the holiday at his private maralago resort. The president sharing a moment with the troops this weekend on wish them a Merry Christmas while still finding time to take aim at a familiar target, the media. Still, its revealing words the president made upon arriving at maralago that has him in hot water after he reportedly told friends, you all just got a lot richer, hours after signing the tax overhaul bill, according to cbs news. Kelly odonnell has more on the president s Christmas Eve weekend and what has been dubbed as the winter white house. Appreciate it reporter a holiday greeting by video conference. We say christmas again proudly. Reporter the president connected with Service Members from each branch around the world. Were grateful for each of you who spend this christmas away from your families and defend all of our families. Reporter but not all tidings were joyful. The president again delivered coal to the media on twitter. The fake news refuses to talk about how big and how strong our base is. A Political Base energized by the president s views on immigration. Earlier this month, me said the u. S. Should stop the policy where naturalized citizens ask bring family members to the u. S. Were calling for congress to end chain migration. Reporter saturday night, the Trump Administration linked chain myself to a gun attack by a 51yearold naturalized citizen from egypt killed by police after Authorities Say he fired on pennsylvania law enforcement. The department of Homeland Security can confirm the suspect involved in a terror attack in harrisburg, pennsylvania, came to the u. S. Through extended family chain migration. The white house argued for congress to make changes to clarify rules for temporary immigration programs that get extended for many years. Already ordering nearly 60,000 haitians with temporary residency, to leave within 18 months. The people here from haiti are here from the earthquake that happened roughly ten years ago under temporary protective status. Reporter while back at maralago shannon moves quickly. Reporter the president and first lady called children to chat about the global travels of santa as tracked by the governments norad radar. Thanks to Kelly Odonnell for that report. This morning, a story on the president s choice of words is giving the white house grief after the New York Times claimed the president used racially insensitive words against certain immigrant groups during an Oval Office Meeting. While the white house denies it, activities and immigration officials are crying foul. Jennifer johnson with the story. Reporter the New York Times is reporting that President Trump during a june Oval Office Meeting was frustrated after reviewing a memo on the number of visas granted. According to unnamed sources, he said haitian granted entry all have aids and that thousands admitted from nigeria would never go back to their huts. The white house calls it lies saying general kelly, general mcmaster, secretary tillerson, secretary neilson, and senior staff in the meeting deny these outrageous claims. Immigration reform remains a top priority. President trump on sunday didnt address the controversy. Instead, praised u. S. Troops. Were incredibly thankful for you and for your families. Your families have been tremendous. Always under appreciated. Reporter even this month, the president pushed his travel ban for mostly muslim countries. We dont know who they are. We dont know where they come from. Reporter and has repeatedly pushed for changes in immigration laws. Jennifer johnson, nbc news, washington. Overseas this morning, north korea is lashing out over tough new sanctions imposed by the United Nations on that country. Kim jonguns regime calling the sanctions an act of war that violates its sovereignty. The North Koreans went on to say its a pipe dream for the u. S. To think the regime will give up its nuclear weapons. And developing overnight, the u. S. Announced it has negotiated a dramatically reduced budget for the United Nations to the tune of 285 million. This comes just days after the u. N. Voted to condemn trumps decision to recognize jerusalem as israels capital. Envoy nikki haley praised it saying we will no longer elect let the generosity of the American People be taken advantage of. The news comes as mounting tensions in the mideast leave arab christians on edge this christmas season. We have more. Merry christmas reporter a rare moment of joy in a land thats seen too little of it this season as bethlehem prepares to celebrate christmas. Security is tight. The west bank and jerusalem have been the center of unrest in recent weeks. President trumps decision to recognize jerusalem as israels capital sparking clashes. In the center of this city, a symbol of peace. Fear may have kept some tourists away, but not all. I like being here at christmas because jesus was born here. Reporter and at home, Christian Palestinian families gathered around their own trees. Oh reporter the musalam family worries about what the coming years will bring. Ten years ago, i used to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Now i dont see it at all. I dont see any opportunities for peace. Reporter at the vatican, pope francis presided over mass at st. Peters basilica. A prayer for unity and for peace. That prayer echoed in Bethlehems Church of the nativity where they celebrated the birth of christ amidst uncertainty across this contested land. Nbc news. Now to some high drama that played out high bulletproof the french alps after more than 150 skiers were stranded in chair lifts when a gondola broke down near a resort. The rescue operation lasted three hours. In fact, helicopters were seen swoop information to save the people that were on those. About 80 feet off the ground. Rescuers opened the hatches in the rooftops and safely lowered the skiers to the ground. Ahead, the treasury secretary gets an unwelcome surprise, sparking a bomb scare. Plus, making our streets safer. An ambitious effort in cities across the country, and some of the results are dramatic. David. Whats going on . Oh hey thats it . Yeah. Everybody two seconds dear sebastian, after careful consideration of your application, it is with great pleasure that we offer our congratulations on your acceptance. Through the Tuition Assistance program, every day mcdonalds helps more people go to college. Its part of our commitment to being americas best first job. [hawaiian music playing] when you have a really traumatic injury, we have a short amount of time to get our patient to the hospital with good results. We call that, the golden hour. Evaluating patients remotely, is where i think we have a potential to make a difference. We would save a lot of lives if we could bring the doctor to the patient. Verizon is racing to build the first and most powerful 5g network, with ultra lowlatency that will enable things like precision robotic surgery from thousands of miles away. As we get faster wireless connections, itll be possible to be able to operate on a patient in a way that was just not possible before. When i move my hand, the robot on the other side will mimic the movement, with almost no delay. Who knew a scalpel could work thousands of miles away . There you see the president and First Lady Melania Trump heading into church for Christmas EveServices Last night. The two attending service at the Episcopal Church of bethesda by the sea in palm beach, florida. Its the same church the first lady and mr. Trump were married in some 12 years ago. Guatemala is moving its embassy in israel to jerusalem, becoming the first country to follow the united statess decision in making the change. Guatemala was one of the only of nine members at the United Nations that sided with the u. S. When the International Body overwhelmingly voted to condemn President Trumps decision to recognize jerusalem as the capital of israel. President morales said he instructed his Foreign Ministry to move the embassy after speaking with israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu on sunday. Morales gave no timetable for the change. In the u. S. , a scare near the home of a member of one of President Trumps cabinet. Authorities responded to a bel air mansion. The lapd bomb squad examining a suspicious gift that was addressed to treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin which was delivered to his neighbors house. In the end, police found a pile of horse manure inside. It was labeled as being from the American People. The secret service is now investigating. Now to a major effort sweeping our country. A drive to make streets safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. In some places, the results have been dramatic. Steve patterson looks at how its being done. [ horn ] reporter in a city infamous for its traffic, the right of way can be difficult, sometimes fatal. He was a fabulous husband and father. Reporter Jennifer Knapps father jeff, an avid bicyclist, was called by a distracted driver one year ago. Just as we turned right on foothill, i could see the police. Reporter jennifer is part of a movement called vision zero. Slow down, your choices matter. Reporter an ambitious, Global Project to cut traffic deaths to zero. Vision zero transformations include reducing lanes, expanding crosswalks, sidewalks, and curbs, and adding bike lanes. What were talking about is shifting our systems and placing priority on managing speed. Reporter cities and counties across the country have adopted the program in an effort to save lives. Seattle transformed a onemile stretch of rainier avenue cutting bike and pedestrian accidents by 40 . New york redesigned parts of queens boulevard. Once called the boulevard of death. Not a single pedestrian or bicyclist has been killed here since 2014. Vision zero has hit speed bumps. It basically created havoc in our community. Reporter in l. A. , officials implemented vision zero in the Beach Community of Playa Del Rey by reducing the number of lanes on a busy road. We had rush hour basically all hours of the day. From 6 00 in the morning to 8 00 at night. We had the conga line of cars through town. Reporter commuters, residents, and Business Owners complained and filed lawsuits. Within a couple of months, crews began restoring the lanes. Were not against vision zero. Were against removing lanes on our arterial boulevards because you push traffic into the neighborhoods. Reporter despite setbacks, vision zero continues its steady rollout across the country. Theres a my bike lane on the road where Jennifer Knapps husband used to ride. To create a line to say, careful. Just like a crosswalk. Reporter a comforting site for knapp who hopes one day the number of traffic fatalities will finally hit zero. Steve patterson, nbc news, los angeles. Just ahead, how american soldiers are celebrating christmas overseas. Plus, Magic Moments that will make you smile on this holiday. You are watching msnbc live. Welcome back, everyone. Despite being thousands of miles from home, american troops at Bagram Air Force base got into the Christmas Spirit with a visit from the uso holiday tour. Service members enjoyed performances by actor and comedian adam devine. They enjoyed food prepared by celebrity chef robert irvin. This year marks the 16th christmas overall for american troops in afghanistan. This christmas among those helping make sure its an unforgettable holiday in new york, the men and women in blue are joining the man in red. Heres Peter Alexander with more. Just in time for christmas, santa is getting backup. In brooklyn, joining forces with some super friends. An assist from new yorks finest. Also some of its jolliest. Here, santas sleigh stretches 20 police cars. A caravan overflowing with a bundle of 7,000 toys. Thank you reporter the gifts all donated and delivered to hundreds of new york city kids. Some people dont get gifts. But its nice for cops and santa to come around and give people gifts before christmas. So i thank them for that. Yeah. Merry christmas. We want to give them a moment, a magical moment to feel like children and forget about some of the daytoday realities. Reporter these elves turning their precinct into a workshop, sorting and wrapping every gift themselves. To see the look on a childs face after they received the toy especially from the superheroes, their eyes lit up, as well as ours. I wanted to see all the superheroes because one day im going to be a hero. Who wants a ninja turtle . Me. Merry christmas, enjoy. Reporter making someones holiday brighter awesome to be a part of it. Reporter might be the best gift of all. Thats a nice scene. Our thanks to Peter Alexander for that report. Now to a little holiday magic on this christmas morning. That moment when you see your loved ones for the first time in a long time. Many of you know exactly what were talking about. Those unforgettable greetings at the airport and other places. They capture the true meaning of home for the holidays. Check this out. Shes nationally recognized for her compassion and care. He spent decades fighting to give families a second chance. But to help others, they first had to protect themselves. I have afib. Even for a nurse, its complicated. And it puts me at higher risk of stroke. That would be devastating. I had to learn all i could to help protect myself. Once i got the facts, my doctor and i chose xarelto®. Xarelto®. To help keep me protected. 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If youve had spinal anesthesia, watch for back pain or any nerve or musclerelated signs or symptoms. Do not take xarelto® if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. Tell your doctor before all planned medical or dental procedures. And before starting xarelto®about any conditions, such as kidney, liver, or bleeding problems. Its important to learn all you can. To help protect yourself from a stroke. Talk to your doctor about xarelto®. Theres more to know™. Let out your inner child at the lexus december to remember sales event. Lease the 2018 nx 300 for 319 a month for 36 months. Experience amazing at your lexus dealer. A lot of christmas merryment on the set this morning. Merry christmas. I wonder its so good to be together on christmas. I can be like luke sky walker. Like my kids right now, is that the real me or youre projecting out of r 2 d 2 right now on christmas morning. Hey, what about that game last night . That Football Game and