Retailers and the Small Businesses fighting to survive. How to find a deal and support your community. Shocking death the founder of zappos, the revolutionary shoe company, dies after a house fire keeping it real. The sudden run on Real Christmas trees. Why are so Many Americans dumping the fake one and kicking into history. I just want to tell like all the girls out there that you can do anything you set your mind to. Like you really can. The first woman ever to play in a Major CollegeFootball Game this is Nbc Nightly News with jose diazbalart good evening. The message from Public Health officials remains the same socially distance. Wear a mask. But the numbers keep changing this weekend we surpassed 13 million covid cases in the u. S. We now have more people hospitalized for the virus than ever before. And tomorrow the number of people traveling is set to hit its highest number since the pandemic began. In one city the number of cases quadrupled in a month. Theyre now taking extreme new measures but a vaccine is on the way. Literally. Pfizer has begun flying planeloads of its vaccine into the country. We have all angles covered this Holiday Weekend, beginning with Meagan Fitzgerald reporter tonight the nation bracing for what could be its darkest days ahead the u. S. Adding a million cases each week this month, now surpassing 13 million infections nationwide. In los angeles, the most populous county in the nation, daily infections have quadrupled since the Spring Officials now cracking down it feels like we were hit with a board right now. Reporter residents are being told to stay home as much as possible, banning gatherings outside the household, all public and private gatherings except Church Services and protests are prohibited restaurants reduced to takeout and delivery only the scary part is so many Small Businesses wont make it reporter but despite the surge and warnings from the cdc, more americans are traveling since the pandemic began more than 6 million americans have already traveled over the holiday. Sunday expected to be the busiest yet. To be home for the holidays many willing to roll the dice i definitely took precautions with the travel keep distance and stuff like that. Reporter sparking concerns about more superspreader events like this concert in houston, where cases have tripled since october. But in this packed nightclub no masks in sight. Health officials warn these gatherings will likely cripple hospitals before christmas. The nation already seeing icu wards filled at an alltime high in illinois some nursing home workers reaching a breaking point, striking to protest the lack of ppe and demanding higher pay weve had our workers die from covid. Housekeeping, laundry, dietary workers. Reporter the cost of covid also devastating families Brayden Gonzalez is now an orphan afte losing both parents to the virus, forced to celebrate his fifth birthday without them. This is a milestone birthday hes been very upset because, you know, his mom and dad are not here to celebrate with him. Reporter an undescribable pain felt by far too many and meagan joins us now from los angeles even tougher restrictions than l. A. Have just been announced further north. Reporter thats right. Santa clara county, which is just outside of San Francisco, says hospitals will be overrun in three weeks. So now they are asking residents to stay home and are even further limiting capacity inside nonessential businesses jose Meagan Fitzgerald in los angeles thank you. There is a Major Development in the move to get americans vaccinated one airline is already flying doses of the vaccine as well as more than seven tons of dry ice to keep them cold. All ahead of fda approval Gabe Gutierrez now on whats next. Reporter tonight the first doses of pfizers covid19 vaccine are on the move a source familiar with the planning tells nbc news that United Airlines has already flown its first Charter Cargo Flight to the u. S. From brussels to chicago with the vaccine on board. Itll be distributed if and when the vaccine is approved by regulators united wont confirm details but says it will support a Vaccine Distribution effort on a global scale the faa says its supporting the first mass air shipment of a vaccine. A source familiar with the process tells nbc news the agency is allowing united to carry 15,000 pounds of dry ice per flight five times more than usually permitted to keep the doses cold. For Frontline Workers across the country it cant come soon enough its been really tough for us resources have been stretched thin you know, staff has been stretched thin. Reporter now advisers to the cdc have called an Emergency Meeting for tuesday to vote on who should be the first to get a vaccine. I would tell americans that theyre going to need to be patient. While the first doses may be distributed and put into people by the end of this year the people that are most likely going to get it will be Health Care Personnel and perhaps residents of longterm care facilities. Reporter the cdc estimates there are 21 million healthcare personnel, 87 million essential workers, 100 million adults with highrisk medical conditions and 53 million others 65 and older. The cdc will issue recommendations but it will be up to states to decide who gets the vaccine first. Some are already sounding the alarm right now only approximately 340 million has been given to the states for the distribution and administration of the vaccine. So we do require more federal funding. Reporter new york has already released its priority list, with Health Care Workers being among the first group. And gabe joins us now from pfizers headquarters in new york gabe, theres one Critical Group the cdc is debating vaccinating first. Reporter yeah, jose theres broad agreement about Health Care Workers but the cdcs advisers that are meeting on tuesday plan to debate whether residents of longterm care facilities or Nursing Homes should be included in that first group or whether more research is needed jose Gabe Gutierrez in new york, thank you very much. Now to Breaking News overseas on the swift backlash following the killing of irans top nuclear scientist. Leaders there now promising to retaliate against those behind the attack nbcs ali arouzi is in iran with the latest reporter Tonight Tensions In Tehran running High Hundreds of antiamerican and antiisraeli protesters in the capital calling for revenge. Outraged that Irans Nuclear mastermind, an architect of its missile program, was ambushed and killed on home turf. A sentiment echoed today by irans supreme leader, ayatollah khamenei, vowing payback for the assassination of mohsen fakhrizadeh, saying irans First Priority was the definitive punishment of the perpetrators and those who ordered it iran believes israel was behind the attack. Fakhrizadeh had long been on that countrys radar. Israels Prime Minister even identifying him in 2018 remember that name, fakhrizadeh. Reporter israeli media is reporting that in response israel has now put all of its embassies worldwide on high alert, fearing a possible attack. The white house has not officially commented on the attack, which comes as a precarious time for iran, the final weeks of the trump administration, which took an aggressive stance toward iran even pulling out of the nuclear deal and just before a new president takes office today irans president Hassan Rouhani also blasted the u. S. And israel but vowed revenge at the proper time the change in administration in washington may also change calculations here in tehran not to push the envelope too far before Joe Biden Takes Office as he may be the only person that has the power to reverse irans fortunes jose ali arouzi in tehran, thank you. This is one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year, and the early numbers show that online retailers shattered records on black friday but for Small Businesses its a fight just to survive. Senior Business CorrespondentStephanie Ruhle now on why this Small Business saturday is so important reporter for nearly 40 years jenny bergmans family has owned west side kids in manhattan the holidays should be her busiest time what does november, december normally look like for you i wouldnt have the time to talk to you right now. Reporter like many Small Businesses november and december make up about a third of her business for the entire year. But this year right now i think were all just treading Water Reporter her business is down a whopping 60 how long can you go on like that . I dont know. A few more months maybe. Reporter she hopes she can survive but not everyone has as of september just over 1 in 5 Small Businesses in new york city were closed due to covid19. Across the country, 25 were shut down in some cities its even worse in San Francisco nearly half of all Small Businesses closed in washington, d. C. , portland, oregon, and san antonio over a third remain shuttered. For now im just hoping that we can survive 2021 reporter we first met Mackenzi Farquer in the spring. She was reopening her five stores. To boost sales she expanded her business online, pitched a tent in the backyard, and turned to social media. 10 00 a. M. To 1 00 p. M. Really are the best times to shop reporter how crucial is this next month . Typically starting on Small Business saturday through christmas that money will pay off all of our debt it will pay for my staff bonuses and health care. And it will also pay for all the upcoming merchandise. Reporter while Small Businesses fight for survival, their corporate competition with their ability to undercut prices has seen online sales soar amazon sales were up 37 . Walmart nearly 80 and target a whopping 155 there are ways to support your local Small Businesses check their websites first. Many offer Online Shopping and Curbside Pickup on social media promote the stores that mean the most to you. And the easiest way . Give gift cards from your Favorite Stores what needs to be done to keep Small Business alive and thriving we need consumers back we need people to shop local, not just, you know, say the mantra, actually do it reporter Stephanie Ruhle, nbc news, new york and still to come, sidelined. The nfls new extreme efforts to curb covid. What the latest outbreak means for the rest of the season and first on the field. The female College Player making history. For Football Fans thanksgiving weekend is usually packed with some of the biggest matchups. But this Holiday Weekend both professional and College Leagues are running into some big problems both canceling games amid new Covid Outbreaks. Blayne alexander now on what it could mean for the rest of the season there goes Malik Williams in Motion Reporter on this College Football saturday with games kicking off across the country several matchups scratched due to a rise in covid cases. Notably absent, ohio state university, set to take on the University Of Illinois instead ohio state forced to cancel after a number of positive covid tests. It is a big hit for the powerhouse team. The undefeated buckeyes already playing a shortened season big 10 football delayed at the start because of the pandemic the margin for error is a lot smaller. They have a much shorter window to get all the games in that they need to reporter it comes as a different Covid Outbreak temporarily sidelines the nfl. Commissioner Roger Goodell announcing all inperson Team Activities monday and tuesday will be canceled, citing rising cases nationwide and noting a number of players and staff celebrated the thanksgiving holiday with outoftown guests just this week the highly anticipated game between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers postponed twice after nearly a dozen positive tests including reigning mvp quarterback lamar jackson. Right now the steelers are the nfls only Undefeated Team and the ravens are a Team Fighting for a playoff spot so this is a game that matters and they want to make sure they get this game in just two teams but this is a tremendous Domino Effect for the entire league. Yeah. Absolutely reporter across the nfl all players, coaches and staff are required to wear these electronic Contact Tracing tags we expect to have positive cases with, you know, over 10,000 people involved across 32 different sites and communities. Its almost impossible to not have positive cases. But we want to identify them as quickly as possible. The nfl has not been immune from whats been going on in our communities and as cases have been rising across the country so have cases been rising around the nfl. And Blayne Alexander is with us blayne, a California County has issued an order that could impact the San Francisco 49ers. Reporter absolutely, jose thats Santa Clara County they are banning all sports that involve physical contact and that includes professional sports. So of course that raises questions about what that means for the San Francisco 49ers. The team says that theyre working with the nfl and their partners on a plan and they will share details as soon as that becomes available. As for that leaguewide ban on all activities monday and tuesday, there is an exception for scheduled games. Those are allowed to move forward jose Blayne Alexander, thank you very much. In the middle of this unprecedented Football Season another barrier broken the first woman ever to take the field in a Major CollegeFootball Game molly hunter has her remarkable story history is on the field in columbia, missouri, as sarah fuller is about to put her right foot into a football, speaking volumes to women Around The World reporter and shes done it. The 21yearold Soccer Star Making History with this kick to the 35 yard line starting off the second half. With that she became the first woman ever to play a game in any of the top five College Football conferences. I just want to tell like all the girls out there that you can do anything you set your mind to. Like you really can. And if you have that mentality all the way through, like you can do big things. Reporter on the back of her helmet play like a girl. Sarah, huge congrats this is so exciting. Would you do it again now that youve got a taste of it . Yeah. I would love to. I would love to get out there and score a Field Goal Reporter fuller was tapped early this week to suit up after members of vanderbilts Football Team were benched because of possible exposure to covid. So the texas native and member of the womens Vanderbilt Soccer Team stepped in inspiring even her coach, a dad of four daughters. And hes like theyre watching and i think whats so cool is ive had girl dads come up to me and theyre like you are inspiring my little girls. Reporter little girls and the rest of us molly hunter, nbc news up next, comfort and