national cathedral in d.c. canceling in-person christmas services amid the rise in covid cases. merry christmas. i'm jon scott. charles walt on in atlanta with the rise in covid cases. we begin with david lee miller at la guardia airport. >> jon, lots of turbulence for airline commerces. those are the ones who didn't get off the grounds. 944 flights coast to coast have been canceled due to staff shortages due to covid. 600 cancellations globally. delta canceled 12% of their flights today. that followed the flights yesterday, one of the busiest days of the year. most of the cancellations were made well in advance of the scheduled flights before people midwest home. but there was frustration and unexpected delays. listen to this man who made it to salt lake city after a difficult ordeal. >> we got laid over for 7 hours. and we slept in the nursing little room. we had nowhere to go. we had to figure out a flight. >> traveling with a toddler can be difficult. a 7-hour layover? >> a 7-hour layover. >> some europeans flights have reduced the quarantine time for those testing positive. triple aaa estimates 6.5 million americans will be flying this holiday season. a little hint. according to triple aaa, the best days to take to the air, christmas day today and january 1. that's when the fewest number of people are traveling. jon: let's hope they have pilots for all those planes. the rapid spread of the omicron variant is forcing some churches to cancel in-person christmas services as staff shortages prompts new york's governor to shorten the quarantine period for hospital workers who test positive for covid. charles watson * is live in atlanta. things are looking different this year as a number of churches are canceling or modifying services over concerns that the omicron variant continues to rise. some of the most prominent houses of worship cancelled in-person services. including the washington national cathedral and the old church in boston. they will be exclusive lie online as new york city deals with high transmission rates. holiday shows are also among the traditions that have been turned on their heads. what would normally be a busy time for the industry, the radio city rockettes canceled their shows after a break through of covid cases. they said they would end the run entirely this holiday season citing an increase in the number of cases. the governor said they are shortening the time period for those who test positive in an effort to people workers on the job. workers who are asymptomatic can return to work after 5 days. >> we want to make sure our critical workforce we relied on from the beginning, that our workers can get back, including healthcare, elder care, pharmacies, restaurants, you know who you are. you know you are the ones that got us through the many months of anxiety. we need you again. >> hard to find at-home tests are surely complicating matters as people have spending christmas with family and friends. pharmacy shelves are bare and folks aren't finding much luck at clinics either. we are seeing long lines at testing sites around the country as demand continues to grow. this is even touching the nba. so a nightmare situation for a lot of folks, jon. jon: americans gather for christmas, dr. anthony fauci says you should limit your holiday parties to only those who are vaccinated. listen. >> we are dealing with a serious enough situation right now that if there is an unvaccinated person, i would say i'm very sorry, but not this time. maybe another time when this is all over. >> it sounds extreme to say you are not allowed to come to christmas dinner. >> this pandemic is extreme. it's drop few chips job to give us the safest measures. science shows us if you are fully vaccinated and you are boost, then you are safer from getting hospitalized or dying from covid-19, even the omicron variant. if you are a person who is immunocompromised over the sage of 65, if you have co-morbidity, we know that reality brings different circumstances. i have many friends who are very pro vaccine. physicians, healthcare workers, those of us who sat here and watched people die from covid-19. but we still have loved ones, many of whom who don't necessarily agree with getting vaccinated. we have to make a choice. do we completely cut them out or do you find ways to celebrate safely. we have one friend who visited her loved one, they are against vaccinations. they celebrated but they celebrated outside. when it came time for you the sleepover, they have chose to sleep in another environment. you have to make the safe choice and the safe choice would be to celebrate with people who are fully vaccinated, boosted and even wearing masks. >> we read a couple articles that suggests there is good news and bad news when it comes to covid. the number of cases last week was relatively flat, which according to the experts suggests this omicron variant is kind of flattening out. it's flaming out, i guess i should say. >> you know, i wouldn't be too optimistic too fast. we do still see we are surging overall. we have 120,000 cases a day. we have had 70,000 hospitalized patients in the united states. we are averaging 1,300 deaths from covid-19 per day. but thanks to the boosters and more people getting boosters and getting fully vaccinated we have that protection. and we have people who put their masks aside are putting them back on and canceling large cell braitions. our mitigation activities are working. it's like if i had a patient i put on an exercise programming and they started losing weight, i wouldn't say stop the exercise. i would say what we are doing is work. a about while i would love to see the cases go down, i don't want to stop at this point. we have travel through the airports higher than ever. and we have many airports and broadway shows canceled due to covid-19. jon: there was a british study that took a look at the effect of the pfizer booster, and it found that after 10 weeks etch today i of that i shall -- the efficacy of that booster went down 40-50%. what are we to make of that? >> vaccinations are as they always have been. they sometimes need boosters. we have vaccines we have been getting all our lives that need boosters. what it means is yes we should look at data. but sometimes the data in the test tube is note the same as real life. so we have to understand science is dynamic. if we find even the boosters over -- over time wane, we have to get a booster. we have to just move as science moves and do what we can to protect ourselves for public health. jon: you see a fourth shot coming to the country or annual covid shots like you get the flu shot. >> it's too soon to say. but i will continue to follow the science. getting a 4th shot or 5th shot. if that's what it takes to keep from being hospitalized from covid-19 i will be for it. jon: a christmas eve shark attack. an update on what happened to a surfer in the water at the wrong place at the wrong time. an annual tradition tore presidents. thanking our it in members for everything they do. 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(carolers) ♪better♪ (kate) because everyone deserves better. new vicks convenience pack. dayquil severe for you... and daily vicks super c for me. vicks super c is a daily supplement with vitamin c and b vitamins to help energize and replenish. dayquil severe is a max strength daytime, coughing, power through your day, medicine. new from vicks. jon: president biden celebrating at the white house tweeting out well wishes to the troops. people got a first look at the new puppy, commander. >> merry christmas. president biden connected with troops who were everywhere but home as the president put it. he was joined by first lady jill biden and that adorable puppy. tie want to say thank you, thank you, thank you. you are the solid steel spine of the nation. steals vigilant. always ready when duty calls. during the holiday season we look for hope toward the possibility of a better year. >> this meeting was virtual, and the nature of a virtual greeting is something even nonmilitary families have been familiar with. lots much people wanted to be sure they could attend holiday gatherings safely. home tests were completely wiped out. police had to be called when a larger than expected crowd overwhelmed the site where free covid tests were being given out. he announced plans to distribute tests to the american people next month. republicans criticized the president's handling of testing. get this. according to reporting by "vanity fair," testing experts tried to sell the biden administration on avoiding a holiday crisis by manufacturing 7 million tests each month. the biden administration turned down the idea. jon: a christmas eve tragedy after the california coast. a surfer was killed in what appears to be a shark attack at morro bay. the shark could be a great white. >> a woman who was surfing saw the victim's body face down near a boogie board. the woman pulled this man to shallow water and the behar bore bay harbor patrol stepped in to help. the victim was 31 years old. >> it's terrible any day. but on christmas, our hearts are broken. hopefully they get through it okay. >> 25-30 people were within a mile of where this victim was found. authorities did not give details about the nature of the injuries. but said the bite was consistent with that of a great white shark. when-authorities reached the boogie boarder he was deceased. people are encouraged to be aware of surrounding in the water. >> these sharks, if it was a great white, it was probably look for seals. that's typically their food source. when seals congregate you will see birds crashing on the water and bait jumping. when you see those things, it's time to start paying attention. >> the last time there was a fatal shark attack in san luis obispo county was 8 years ago. jon: the pentagon issuing new rules to try to stop extremism in the military. but some say sit could violate free speech rights. with age comes more... get more with neutrogena® retinol pro plus. a powerful .05% retinol that's also gentle on skin. for wrinkles results in one week. neutrogena®. for people with skin. what do we want for dinner? 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ask your health care provider today about once-weekly ozempic®. oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! you may pay as little as $25 for a 3-month prescription. jon: let's take a look at stories make headlines this christmas. pope francis praying for an end to the pandemic during this christmas day address urging healthcare for all as well as vaccines for the poor. only a few thousand people flocking to st. peter's square as covid cases spike in italy. the faithful also descending on bethlehem, the birthplace of jesus. the number of visitors from manger square lower than usual. the christmas mission for nasa. the space agency launching the james webb space telescope trying to explore the origins of the universe. it took decades to assemble and cost $10 billion. a developing story across the pond. an armed intruder arrested on the ground of windsor castle where queen elizabeth and her family are spending christmas. they did not say what kinds of what he point suspect had but they did inform the royal family of the threat. the u.s. pentagon released new rules aimed at combating extremism in the military. but critics say these rules could violate first amendment rights. >> the 21-page report on handling protests, extremist and criminal gang activities among members of the armed forces recommends the pentagon revise its training and vetting materials. some fear this is a political witch hunt that will trample the first amendment rights of the troops. >> i am worried about what they may do to influence the opinions of members of the military. when you sign up to the military, you sign up to serve the country, not to become a tiktok star. >> the new social media policy focuses on liking posts that call for violence, discrimination, or the overthrow of the government. >> this isn't about political leanings or partisan inchicago nations. it's about prohibited extremist activity. >> the pentagon would not give a breakdown of the 100 extremists identified out of 200 million active duty military members. >> were they members of what you have would consider white supremacist groups or president of black lives matter protests. what is the breakdown of the times of activity you saw. >> these were individuals that were substantiated allegations of participating in extremist activity. >> it's not the first time the pentagon has been asked to address extremism in its ranks. the trump administration presented a report to congress on how to better screen recruits with a history of extreme' i'm and neo-nazi groups. jon: let's talk about this more with pulitzer prize winning journalist judith miller. and former deputy assistant secretary of state under president obama, joel rubin. the notion of extremism inside the military, judy, is there any way to know how big the threat is? >> i think the military was concerned about prove sizely that. that's why they attempted to update their rules to distinguish, to identify and distinguish not membership in a group, but activity that would be against the national security interest of the united states. i was struck by the defense department's attempt to distinguish between membership in a group. and political affiliation, and what you do with that. i think the balance is very hard to strike. but that is an essential balance to protect the first amendment rights of active duty service people. jon: how pernicious is the problem? do you get a sense of it? >> thanks for having me, merry christmas. this is not a problem that is overwhelming the military. it's a very small subset of military servicemen and women that engage in extremism. what we are seeing is an attempt to weed out the bad apples, to make sure the people who sign up and serve are protected from bad influences. in this case, the individual extremists are not part of their team. it helps their morale and insures we know we have a military that is adherent to the constitution. being in the military is not a right or earn titlement. one has to earn it and one has to serve. jon: i was sort of unaware that klu klux klan still exists. but it does. apparently these new rules don't prohibit membership in the klu klux klan. if that's the case, how effective can they be? >> that's what i was trying to get at in terms of identifying -- drawing a distinction between membership in a group. the dod does not want not business of saying you can be a member of this group but not this group. people on the left said if you are in the kkk, that should automatically exclude you from active duty military. but they were focusing on actions rather than membership. and action includes action on social media. if you retweet or support or write a tweet that encourages terrorism or violence, you are out. jon: timothy mcveigh served in the army with great distinction and went on to formulate views afterward that led him to bomb the murrah building. is this an attempt to root out timothy mcveighs who wear the uniform? >> it's an ongoing struggle. when i served in the government in a national security position i had to swear that i was not a member of a violent extremist organization. and i agree in order to be committed to that, that meant by opposing those views, that meant i was allowed to be considerr -- considered for a national security position. it's pane ongoing process. we have been updating for 2021 and it is needed to update. >> what about the idea that, you know, if uncle sam tries to prevent membership in certain groups among the troops, that it is scweching their free speech rights. they don't give up all rights as americans because they wear the uniform. >> that's why i agree with joel on this, why the military has not barred membership in groups or any distinction based on your political leanings. what is important is what you do, not what you believe, and how you act. whether for the first time what you say on social media can be held against you. i think this goes a long way to striking a balance. we'll see if they work. my problem is they have much depend on the reporting of other service members of people who may be involved in supporting terrorism and promoting violence. this is a new set of rules. we'll see how they work in practice as opposed to in theory. jon: i have always been impressed with the military and their ability to interest grate people of various races and colors. i think itment the biggest -- i think it'sthe biggest mern the united states. >> how it's led in many instances in opening up our society and being more inclusive. promoting people on the quality of their work. this is something we should all be proud of. weeding out the bad apples. and people taking advantage of the system in a negative way to harm others. these rules will help insure the bad apples are weed out, and they are focused on the people actively engaged in dangerous activities. jon: joel rubin and judy miller. to those of you watching on this christmas day. we've thank you have much. up next from the resignation of new york governor andrew cuomo to free britney. we look back at the scandals of 2021. your plain aspirin could be hurting your stomach. vazalore... is the first liquid-filled aspirin capsule clinically shown to cause fewer ulcers than plain aspirin. try new vazalore. aspirin made amazing! nicorette knows, quitting smoking is freaking hard. you get advice like: just stop. go for a run. go for 10 runs! run a marathon. instead, start small. with nicorette. which can lead to something big. start stopping with nicorette. i have something for you. 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' britney spears' legal drama taking center stage. a judge terminating the conservatorship in november. after mounting pressure and potential impeachment trial, andrew cuomo stepped down as new york's governor in august. the attorney general found he harassed several employees and created a hostile work environment. >> the best way i can help now is if i step aside and let government get back to governing. cuomo's brother was fired from the network for helping his brother, pressing sources for information on the governor's accusers. bill cosby now a free man. the 84-year-old released from prison in june after pence vein yams highest court overturned his sexual assault convictions. disgraced r & b singer r kelly found guilty in sex trafficking and faces up to 100 years behind jails. and allison mac beginning a 3-year prison sentence for her role in sex trafficking crimes. she pled guilty to charges she manipulated women into becoming sex slaves. country singer morgan wallen was suspended from his record company, dropped by his agency and had his music pulled from most of the radio stations for using a racial slur. the surf for a permanent replacement for late jeopardy host alex trebek continues after mike richards was booted from the role. he's stepping down from his executive producing role. as well as multiple discrimination lawsuits were filed. actor army hammer accused of rape and sexual abuse. the unverified messages describing graphic fanltd is like cannibalism. hammer dropped out of multiple. aaron rodgers revealed he was not vaccinated. many thought he did get his vaccine after he said he was immunized over the summer. there are sure to be plenty more scandalous stories in 2022 and we'll be sure to thereby to cover it all. jon: quite a year. tornadoes ripped through america's heartland devastating many churches. b. churches. 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[echoing] get a quote today. ♪ we are farmers. bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ♪ jon: it's been a tough december for many in america's heartland as they begin to recover from those devastating tornadoes. mayfield kentucky was especially hit hard by an ef-4 twister. >> i was with the congregation for their christmas eve service. you can seat roof caused in, structural beams exposed. last night i spoke to the pastor and others in the congregation about what this christmas means to them. all across the world congregations came together to celebrate. >> celebrate one of the highest and holiest moments in the church during the christian year. we'll read the christmas story itself. no matter how many pictures you have seen, it does not prepare you. >> the tornado killed dozens in the town. >> we heard furniture being picked up and thrown around. i thought chairs were being thrown against the wall. the sounds i was hearing was the sounds of the roof coming down. where we were inside that closet was heavenly protected. and maybe not just the stone and the structure. we were praying as hard as we could. >> the tornado tore apart their church and the lives of many in the congregation. christmas eve offered a chance to today they are are together. a different church, but still together. >> being around each other is something we need now more than ever. >> a piece of normalcy in so much chaos. >> a reflection of what's important. >> at the end of the day a church isn't four walls and a roof. >> a baker needs a bakery. if i'm a grocer i need a grocery. i'm a pastor and all that's required of a pastor is to have people. i will quote scripture that says you are here for such a time as this. >> bringing light into the world together after so much darkness. ♪ silent night, holy night ♪ >> it's unclear when this church will be able to rebuild. still they have continue to do good for this community. they handed out $10,000 of gift cards for those hardest hit by the tornado. jon: great story. the reason for the season might be more important than ever with so many churches forced to cancel in-person services because of the omicron surge. with us now pastor robert jeffress, a fox news contributor. you know as well as anybody, americans are tired of this virus. they are tired of maxing up, they are tired of being told they can't do certain things. how are we supposed to handle it? >> i think covid is a real threat to people's physical health, and i believe the isolation and disconnection many church members experienced the last two years threatens people's spiritual health. we just saw that last week in a pew research poll. fewer americans are praying than ever before. i think it's the fallout of being disconnected during the pandemic. get vaccinations. they pretty much guarantee you are not going to go to the hospital or die. last week we had a full christmas service on christmas sunday. president trump was with us. the reason we felt confident in coming together, the vast majority of our people had been vaccinated. i would say for your physical and spiritual health in the in n 2022, get vaccinated. jon: people say how can there be a god that would allow such a terrible thing to be unleashed on the world. >> it's a good question. ee suls said in this world you will have tribulation and persecution and problems. the good news is that baby born in the manger 2,000 years ago, the bible promises one day's coming back to eradicate peefl forever and recreate the world the way god meant it to be the. jon: christians have to abide by the rules of their elected leaders. even if they don't like them necessarily. wearing masks to church or social distancing or some churches are being closed as a result of the virus. >> it's a small inconvenience to wear a mask if that's necessary. we desperately need to be back together. i hope we'll do whatever it takes to do that. if churches shut down they won't do so for a long period of time. i think people are tired of it. we are suffering the spiritual ramifications of that. jon: what is your message of this christmas day 2021. what do you want to share with the world. >> 2,000 years after the birth of christ we are still calculates history by that event. next year we'll say it's been 2,022 years since the life of jesus christ. he offers us the forgiveness of sins. if our greatest need had been money, god would send an economist. but our greatest need was for forgiveness, that's why god sent a savior. unto you is born this day? the city of david a savior who is christ the lord. jon: he changed the world in just 33 years. and like you said, he's coming back again. we appreciate you coming on tonight. thank you. >> merry christmas. thank you for having me. jon: merry christmas to you as well. i will be back at:00 p.m. eastern for "the fox report." next you will not want to miss this. the you five celebrates christmas. ♪ you've got t ndness ♪ ♪ just shine your light for everyone to see ♪ ♪ and if you try a little kindness ♪ helen knew exercise could help her diabetes. but she didn't know what was right for her. no. nope. no way. but then helen went from no to know. with freestyle libre 2, now she knows what activity helps lower her glucose. and can see what works best for her. take the mystery out of your glucose levels, and lower your a1c. now you know. freestyle libre 2. now covered by medicare for those who qualify. ♪ ♪ >> hello, everyone, and dana perino along with harold ford jr., jesse watters, and greg gutfeld. it's 5:00 in new york city and this is "the five." ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ merry christmas, everyone, we hope that you are ready for a holiday extravaganza like never before. we have a huge show coming up including back by popular demand are naughty and nice list. at the feeding frenzy with some amazing holiday treats, a festive christmas e o