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 college football game >> this is "nbc nightly news" with jose diaz-balart >> 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. they're 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 won't 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 all-time high in illinois some nursing home workers reaching a breaking point, striking to protest the lack of ppe and demanding higher pay >> we've 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 he's 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: that's 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 non-essential 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 what's next. >> reporter: tonight the first doses of pfizer's covid-19 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. it'll be distributed if and when the vaccine is approved by regulators united won't confirm details but says it will support a vaccine distribution effort on a global scale the faa says it's 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 can't come soon enough >> it's 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 they're 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 long-term care facilities. >> reporter: the cdc estimates there are 21 million healthcare personnel, 87 million essential workers, 100 million adults with high-risk 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 pfizer's headquarters in new york gabe, there's one critical group the cdc is debating vaccinating first. >> reporter: yeah, jose there's broad agreement about health care workers but the cdc's advisers that are meeting on tuesday plan to debate whether residents of long-term 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 iran's top nuclear scientist. leaders there now promising to retaliate against those behind the attack nbc's ali arouzi is in iran with the latest >> reporter: tonight tensions in tehran running high hundreds of anti-american and anti-israeli protesters in the capital calling for revenge. outraged that iran's nuclear mastermind, an architect of its missile program, was ambushed and killed on home turf. a sentiment echoed today by iran's supreme leader, ayatollah khamenei, vowing payback for the assassination of mohsen fakhrizadeh, saying iran's 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 country's radar. israel's 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 iran's 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 iran's 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 it's a fight just to survive. senior business correspondent stephanie ruhle now on why this small business saturday is so important >> reporter: for nearly 40 years jenny bergman's 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 wouldn't 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 we're all just treading water >> reporter: her business is down a whopping 60% how long can you go on like that? >> i don't 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 covid-19. across the country, 25% were shut down in some cities it's 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 i'm 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 nfl's 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 match-ups. 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 match-ups 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 in-person 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 out-of-town 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 nfl's 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. it's almost impossible to not have positive cases. but we want to identify them as quickly as possible. >> the nfl has not been immune from what's 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 that's 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 they're 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 college football 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 she's done it. the 21-year-old 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 you've 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 vanderbilt's football team were benched because of possible exposure to covid. so the texas native and member of the women's vanderbilt soccer team stepped in inspiring even her coach, a dad of four daughters. >> and he's like they're watching and i think what's so cool is i've had girl dads come up to me and they're like you are inspiring my little girls. >> reporter: little girls and the rest of us molly hunter, nbc news up next, comfort and joy. why so many are making the switch to real christmas trees this year tonight we're remembering a tech pioneer. tony hsieh revolutionized online shoe shopping with his retail site zappos and spent millions working to revitalize las vegas. hsieh had recently retired from the company. he'd been injured in a house fire and was with family when he died yesterday at age 46. an historic first at the vatican today archbishop wilton gregory, washington, d.c., became the catholic church's first african-american cardinal he joined a dozen other men from around the world elevated during today's ceremony with pope francis. the new cardinal vowed to be a voice for the african-american community. this holiday season so many are seeking comfort like never before and that's playing out in skyrocketing sales of real christmas trees, not the artificial ones steve patterson now on the rush for the real deal >> reporter: with thanksgiving now in the holiday rearview mirror the countdown to santa is on time to put up the mistletoe, take advantage of those cyber deals, and of course pick out your tree >> every year's an argument on what tree should we pick, is it a little faster, a little taller. >> reporter: the tree shopping season starting early this year >> which one do you like >> reporter: customers at wilkins fir farm in new york are spending a little green of their own this year. >> just having the real tree there makes it warm and cozy >> reporter: owner barbara pratt says demand for real trees during this pandemic season is way up >> we have a lot of new customers that have not visited us in the past there's a lot of people that are looking to get outside of their homes >> reporter: across the u.s. more people are looking for the real thing, not an artificial one >> honestly i'm not sure that any of us could have predicted that it would be this busy >> reporter: some from the comfort and safety of their own car last year re tmon 20 million real christmas trees were sold in the u.s. now in the middle of a pandemic experts say that number could go up a recent survey und fo that nearly 25% of people who had an artificial tree or no tree at all last year plan on buying a real tree this holiday season >> we've been through a heck of a year people are trying to end it with something positive, something happy, and real christmas trees can do that time with your family to go out and get the tree, bring it home, be together. that's really what it's about is making memories >> reporter: for many a real tree is an experience and a symbol >> i think that's why so many people are here buying their trees because we all want hope. >> reporter: something we could all use hope along with a little christmas cheer. steve patterson, nbc news when we come back, a remarkable friendship built mile by mile. there's good news tonight about unlikely friendships and the two extraordinary boys achieving their goals by crossing the finish line together. tethered by a common goal -- >> there's some gravel don't trip >> reporter: -- and a passion for running -- >> go rebel! go paul! go boys! >> reporter: paul scott and rebel hays can navigate almost any cross-country course paul, a freshman at west fork high school in arkansas, is legally blind. but with rebel's help and a lot of determination he's become a successful cross-country runner >> people are surprised sometimes because they think that if you're blind you cannot run so i have proven that it can be done >> reporter: rebel, an 11-year-old in nearby fayetteville, has always loved running so when west fork was looking for volunteers to help blind runners, he answered the call to action. >> i just wanted to jump in because it makes me feel good when i help people >> come on, paul, you can do it! >> reporter: the two pairing up for the past three years, scaling hills and crossing finish lines, all with rebel's careful instruction. >> all right we're turning left here in a minute >> reporter: and under the guidance of coach tiffany surber >> looking good, guys. keep it going. >> reporter: surber welcomed paul's older siblings, who are also blind, onto the cross-country team starting in 2014, making inclusion a core value >> we're called in this life to love others and serve others and use our talents to the fullest. and rebel's just a perfect demonstration of that. >> reporter: off the field paul and rebel forming a lasting friendship >> is this your card >> yep >> reporter: paul's mom, valita, moved by rebel's efforts. >> i am humbled that people are willing to be so generous, just for a genuine need in someone else >> reporter: she says when the run is done they get to just be kids again >> they do typical kind of goofy things you know, joke around. things i don't see paul doing with any other students ever. >> reporter: rebel's mom louann says it's a unique bond built on kindness with a unifying message what have you learned from these two boys? >> there's so much more to paul and rebel's story than running. they're showing the world that it doesn't matter you can be nice to people and you can make friendships no matter the differences. >> paul's coach says the boys will continue training together to reach new goals. i'm jose diaz-balart thank you for the privilege of your time and good night right now at 6:00, covid-19 cases soaring at an alarming rate across the bay area. tonight south bay health leaders outline new restrictions that will impact businesses, travelers and even 49ers. >> but it is a matter of life and death, and we must slow this train or it will derail. >> hospital capacity rapidly dwindling while health care workers are fighting fatigue. >> we know that we're heading into probably one of the most toughest periods of the pandemic. and more counties in the bay area move into the state's most restrictive tier. what this will mean for businesses in san francisco and the peninsula. the news at 6:00 starts right now. good evening, thanks so much for joining us. i'm anoushah rasta, terry has the night off. 760 new cases, it's the most the county has seen in one day during the pandemic and leading to a dire warning. there are currently 240 covid patients in hospitals. 71 patients now in the intensive care unit and concern is growing about the number of b

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