Hardship its a crisis that is causing real Mental Stress for millions of people millions of people and its within our power to solve it. And to grow the economy at the same time and his vision for the countrys place in the world. Americas back. Were at the head of the table once again plus, new covid records and new restrictions here at home as millions ignore the Travel Warnings and food banks have trouble keeping up announcer this is nbc nightly news with lester holt reporting tonight from wilmington, delaware good evening from wilmington, where a short time ago President Elect joe biden sat down with me for his first postelection interview where he discussed among other things the official president ial transition now finally under way tonight, whether he would support investigations of donald trump after he leaves office, and how his administration plans to distribute covid vaccines to millions of americans. We met at wilmingtons queen theater, where just an hour or so earlier the President Elect introduced several of his key cabinet and National Security team picks, which include some familiar faces. And thats where our half hourlong conversation began the team meets this moment, this team behind me. You announced some key members of your cabinet today, a very experienced group, a very Diverse Group clearly youre trying to send a message. Can you articulate what that message is americas back. Were at the head of the table once again ive spoken with over 20 World Leaders and they all are literally really pleased and somewhat excited americas going to reassert its role in the world and be a coalition builder. This lineup, those youve selected so far, a lot of familiar faces among them what do you say to those who are wondering if youre trying to create a third obama term this is not a third obama term because we face a totally different world than we faced in the Obamabiden Administration the president President Trump has changed the landscape. Its become america first. Which meant america alone. We find ourselves in a position where our alliances are being frayed its a totally thats why ive found people who join the administration and keep points that represent the spectrum of the American People as well as the spectrum of the Democratic Party have you considered for the sake of National Unity selecting or nominating a republican, someone who voted for President Trump . Yes and we still have a lot more appointments to make. I want this country to be united. The purpose of our administration is once again uniting. We cant keep this virulent political dialogue going it has to end. Should we expect an announcement no. Not ever or not soon no, not soon. Okay. What about former rivals from your own party . Bernie sanders, Elizabeth Warren have you talked to them about Cabinet Positions . Well, ive talked to them look, as ive said, we already have significant representation among progressives in our administration, but theres nothing really off the table. But one thing is really critical. Taking someone out of the senate, taking someone out of the house, particularly for a person of consequence, is a really difficult decision that would have to be made. I have a very ambitious, very Progressive Agenda and its going to take really strong leaders in the house and senate to get it done. The head of the gsa yesterday unlocked the mechanisms for there to be a formal transition of power, recognizing your status right now is that happening on the ground are there people talking right now yes who werent talking yesterday . Yes immediately weve gotten outreach from the National Security shop, from just across the board and theyre already working out my ability to get president ial daily briefs were already working out meeting with the covid team in the white house and how to not only distribute but get from a Vaccine Being distributed to a person able to get vaccinated so i think were going to not be so far behind the curve as we thought we might be in the past and theres a lot of immediate discussion, and i must say the outreach has been sincere. Its not been begrudging sfar. And i dont expect it to be. So yes, its already begun. Did you receive the president ial daily brief today . Not today but we are it will be starting very shtly. Maybe as early as tomorrow have you had any conversations with President Trump postelection about, you know, paving the way for this transition to happen any back Channel Communications no. I believe that his Chief Of Staff and my Chief Of Staff have spoken but no, i have not heard anything from President Trump. You dont anticipate any harm from this delay in terms of your ability to do what you want starting day one look, its a slow start, but its starting and theres two months left to go so im feeling good about the ability to be able to get up to speed, and i fully expect based on what ive heard so far well get full cooperation from each of the agencies in question the day you take office there could be two, maybe three vaccines out there yes we understand that Health Care Workers will be first in line. What about the rest of us how will it roll out will we go to our Doctors Office . Will we line up at a stadium to get them . Who will determine the order of recipients . Well, look, first of a, allegedly that i dont mean that in an accusatory way allegedly the administration has set up a rollout how they think it should occur, what will be available when and how and well look at that and we may alter that. We may keep the exact same outline but thats in train now. We havent gotten that briefing yet secondly, i think talking to as you may know, ive talked to ive had a zoom with leading governors in the country, five republicans, five democrats. Weve talked extensively about the need to cooperate and get the vaccine into places where you can actually get vaccinated and their ideas of who they think should go first. I think we should be focusing on obviously the docs, the nurses, those people who are the First Responders i think we should also be focusing on being able to open schools as rapidly as we can i think it can be done safely so theres a lot to work out in the next two months as to exactly how it will be distributed. Now, maybe the hope is we can actually begin to distribute it, this administration can begin to distribute it before we are sworn in and take office. And so its all in train right now. Im feeling good, though, that now well be able to get all the hard data we need which has been unavailable to us now. We know the vaccine is going to happen but as we speak, people are ignoring advice to stay home. Theyre crowding airports around the country right now. Youve called for a National Mask mandate. How much power as president will you have to influence people in ways you have not been able to as a candidate i hope as president and many of the republican governors and mayors felt the same way i hope that were going to be able to have a united voice on the need to mask, socially distance, testing and tracing. Theyre critical, critical pieces to dealing with bringing down this virus in a more manageable place. The words of a President Matter and i think its critically important i think its a patriotic responsibility to wear a mask, to socially distance a moment ago you mentioned schools. I want to ask you about that New York City recently went back to athome learning only. Some other big cities have made the same choice what will you do to get kids back in school how much will you be working the phones and working with governors and mayors it takes a lot of money to get them back the estimates are 150 to 200 Billion Dollars for the year it would take to safely open our schools. For example, we know that we have to change everything from the Ventilation Systems at schools. We know we have to change the we have to make sure everyone from sanitary workers right through to the bus drivers, they have to be clued in, they have to be protected they need the ppe. They need the gear they need the ability to have smaller modules of classes youve got schools closed right now in places where restaurants are open are our priorities correct . I think we should be able to do both but look, im very concerned about schools. And i for example, i was on a call yesterday with mayor de blasio, the Largest School district in the country. He is in a position where it costs tens of millions of dollars to be able to safely open the schools. So theres a lot we can do but it is the single best expenditure of our dollars we can engage in now is provide for these kinds of protections not only protective gear but the ppp, meaning the ability to allow businesses and other operations to be able to open and have the wherewithal, the Financial Aid to open safely coming up, i talk the first 100 days in office with President Elect biden and what he thinks about some democrats calling for investigations into President Trump. As you just heard, the pandemic will be an urgent challenge for joe biden, and the impact is still staggering cases spiking in 47 states, lines growing not just at Testing Sites but at food banks and airports this holiday heres Miguel Almaguer reporter tonight as covid cases surge across the nation so does the number of americans traveling since the start of the pandemic despite the cdc warning for families to stay home facial coverings must be worn at all times. Reporter these are the scenes at airports from coast to coast. Full Flight Reporter some of the busiest are in the same states where the virus is exploding im in the medical field. So i needed a little break. Just trying to mind my ps and qs. Reporter with over 50 million expected to travel for the holiday, when you land here at l. A. X. Outofstate travelers must fill out a covid awareness form california wants them to quarantine for 14 days though many hardhit states are implementing restrictions on private gatherings, enforcement is nearly impossible were having a family thanksgiving, having all of our family over. And we would welcome anybody that wants to join us including any kind of state agent that wants to come in. Reporter while many are worried about catching the virus, a growing number are more concerned about their next meal. At food banks around the Nation Americans like connie alfonso need a helping hand. Very grateful i dont even have a car. My car broke two weeks ago, and i asked my daughter to please, you know, bring me reporter Tonight Americans are lining up at food banks, Testing Sites and airports amid a pandemic that rages on Miguel Almaguer, nbc news in just 60 seconds President Elect joe bidens Top Priorities for the first 100 days back now with more of my exclusive interview with President Elect joe biden here in wilmington i asked him about his agenda in the first days of his presidency tell me about day one in the white house and day 1 through 100. Your first 100 days. What are your priorities going to be in those first days . Some of its going to depend on the kind of cooperation i can or cannot get from the United States congress but i am going to i made a commitment, in the first 100 days i will send a Immigration Bill to the United States senate with a pathway to citizenship for over 11 million undocumented people in america. I will also be moving to do away with some of the i think very damaging Executive Orders that have significantly impacted on making the climate worse and making us less healthy, from methane to a whole range of things the president has done as in my view has eviscerated the epa, the Environmental Protection agency. Theres also things that i want to do that relate to the ability to make sure we get immediate assistance to state and local governments to keep them from basically going under. So its going to be instead of what in a normal circumstance youd set your priorities, theres multiple things that are going to have to be taking place at the same time. But the most important thing i think is while i do while we try to do all of this, focus on those folks who Alwa Wheyscrisis hits are the first one hiand when recovery comes are the last one in thats basically minority communities, who have been hurt very badly making sure we get the aid that was voted on the house and passed by the senate in some cases and much of which has not passed, get the kind of help to keep people afloat people i an, i remember i remember my dad being restless. And i remember one night feeling i could hear my dad, you could just hear the bed moving so the next night i said mom, whats wrong with dad she says honey, hes worried. He just we just lost our he had moved jobs he lost his health insurance. He doesnt know what to do. Think of all the people, all the people who are laying awake at night staring at the ceiling thinking god forbid, what happens . We have to act we have to act to guarantee them they have access to Affordable Health insurance. This is more than just a financial crisis its a crisis that is causing real Mental Stress for millions of people millions of people and its within our power to solve it and to grow the economy at the same time. The same time. Some democrats want investigations to go forward against President Trump after he leaves office do you support that . I will not do what this president does and use the Justice Department as my vehicle to insist that something happen there are a number of investigations that ive read about that are at a state level theres nothing at all i can or cannot do about that but im focused on getting the American Public back in a place where they have some certainty, some surety, some knowledge that they can make it. The middleclass and workingclass people are being crushed. Thats my focus. 2020 is not only the year of covid. Its the year of breonna taylor, of george floyd if Something Like one of those cases happens on your watch, what will be the response how will the Biden Administration approach that . Well, first of all, the way we approached it in the last administration and that is not hype it up, not make it look at the facts, make sure that it is determined what happened, have the agency, the police agency, have to be investigated if in fact it were get all the detail look, the only thing i know all the years ive worked with both the community as well as police is that the only people that dislike bad cops more than the community are cops the vast majority of them are straight, honest, and responsible. And the last thing they need is bad cops, Cops Who Act Out and so there has to be accountability and were going to be working with police chiefs, with the community, with civil rights organizations, and convening conferences in the white house, in the white house to determine how we move forward. Its about bringing people together. Were back in a moment with analysis of our exclusive interview with joe biden. All right. More now on our interview today with President Elect joe biden. White house correspondent Kristen Welker is covering the transition good evening, kristen. Reporter hi, lester good evening well, President Elect bidens first and biggest challenge will be fighting covid19 late tonight he said he had not yet spoken to dr. Anthony fauci but that his staff has been in touch. I thought it was notable that he told you despite the delay in communicating with the Trump Administration he feels confident he will be able to tackle the crisis hes going to have to show that on day one and then his next big challenge, trying to unify this country he suggested to you that he wants senator Bernie Sanders and senator warren, two progressives, to stay in the senate to help him get legislation passed could that backfire with progressives . And then expect him to come under pressure from conservatives to appoint a trumpsupporting republican something he indicated he was open to with you. Late tonight reporters traveling with him asked if he would meet with President Trump if invited he said of course i would, lester. Kristen, thank you very much. Ill have much more of my interview with President Elect biden tomorrow on today. And on nightly news tomorrow evening up next here tonight, serving up a very different thanksgiving celebration. Ed how do you put on a Thanksgiving Day Parade safely in this year of covid . Joe fryer shows us how macys is working miracles on 34th street reporter whats a parade without a route or spectators . Well, in 2020 its something to be thankful for we need this, dont we i think we need this now more than ever theres so much thats going on, so much uncertainty right now, that we need a little bit of normalcy. Reporter the macys Thanksgiving Day Parade is back instead of Marching Down New York City streets the beloved spectacle will only hover around Herald Square with floats and local bands and musical performances but without an audience this is a show for your tv. Reporter we went behind the scenes for rehearsal where the Iconic Rockettes took the stage for a test kick theyre back, and so are those colossal balloons, with Human Handlers replaced by specially designed vehicles for safety reasons the parade has cut the number of participants by 88 but one outoftown visitor is invited thats right, santa claus is still coming to town. Joe fryer, nbc news, new york a touchstone of normalcy thats nightly news for this tuesday from wilmington, delaware thank you, everyone, for watching im lester holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night right now at 6 00. A desperate plea from california top doctor. I think that certainly the numbers of deaths will likely go up. His words for people looking to gather inside for thanksgiving. Taking a risk while hitting the store. Crowds of shoppers head to the mall. The reason some turned around once they got there. Stuck 60 feet in the air. For 24 hours. I was like please come down. We want to be a happy family. The extreme lengths a unity w to free a cat named k love. The news starts now. Good evening. Raj is with us. With a message from california Surgeon General about thanksgiving. For many people this is not a health issue. Its a political issue. And that is a major problem. Well have that story. Thank you so much. The worst we have seen so far. That is what california is experiencing right now in the pandemic. Cases are at a record high across the state. Right now the bay area has six counties in the purple tier. The most restrictive. San francisco said it could enter the purple tier as soon as this weekend. It comes as thanksgiving is just two days away