making santa proud the heroic young boy battling for his life but still fighting to help other kids "early today" starts right now good morning thanks for joining us. i'm paul gehrke. >> i'm frances rivera. at long last, another shot of critical covid relief is on the way. congress struck a deal late last night on a $900 billion stimulus package that will deliver crucial aid to families and businesses still reeling from the pandemic lawmakers are expected to vote on the legislation today nbc's chris pollone is on capitol hill with the latest. >> reporter: as you well know, democrats and republicans have been going back and forth on this covid relief bill for weeks now. it would appear that they had an agreement, and then something would scuttle it but now an agreement has been reached and set to be voted on today. take a look at what's inside, according to lawmakers first of all, important to most people, $600 in stimulus checks to people who qualify. unemployment, people who are unemployed will get an extra $300 in their check per week small business loans, rental assistance as well, and money for people who are struggling to pay their rent both sides say this is a start, not an end >> at long last, we have the bipartisan breakthrough the country has needed now we need to promptly finalize checks, avoid any last-minute obstacles, and cooperate to move this legislation through both chambers. >> this bill is a good bill. tonight is a good night. but it is not the end of the story, it is not the end of the job. anyone who thinks this bill is enough does not know what's going on in america. >> reporter: president-elect joe biden is echoing the sentiment of congressman schumer there, saying he applauds the bipartisan effort but says that, our work is far from over. now, this will be voted on in both houses of congress today. president trump says if it reaches his desk today, he will sign it. there is a midnight deadline frances? >> all right, thank you, chris as nationwide vaccinations continue, president-elect joe biden and incoming first lady jill biden will get their doses of the coronavirus vaccine in delaware today according to a cdc advisory group, the elderly and people on the front lines should be the next to receive the vaccine. people 75 years or older make up 8% of the population but 25% of hospitalizati hospitalizations our wendy woolfolk has the latest on the moderna vaccines. >> reporter: escorted by u.s. marshals, the first vials of the second vaccine heading to nearly 4,000 locations nationwide. >> those shipments come into the memphis facility, they go to a designated covid-19 vaccine sort in a dedicated area, they get processed. then they will be loaded into containers for launch via truck or aircraft to the destination market where they will be prioritized for delivery the following morning. once we have it within our possession, outside of a weekend period of time, within 24 hours. >> reporter: moderna, teaming with health care giant mckesson, packing thousands of vaccine kits en route to smaller hospitals across the country >> there's probably another hard month in front of us but i really do believe things are about to start getting better for rural texas. >> reporter: like pfizer's vaccine, moderna also requires a second dose about a month apart, for those 18 years of age and older. unlike pfizer's vaccine, these vials don't require storage in a deep freeze. >> between pfizer and moderna, we have allocated 7.9 million doses of vaccine, and we are ready for that distribution. >> reporter: with covid cases still spiking and many hospitals nearing capacity, this second rollout is not the time to let our guard down. >> as we are proceeding with the rollout of the vaccine, we absolutely have to adhere to the public health measures that we're talking about all the time. >> reporter: this includes mask-wearing, social distancing, and avoiding crowds and holiday gatherings wendy woolfolk, nbc news. across the pond, a fresh new wave of lockdowns after a mutation of the covid-19 virus was discovered many are blaming prime minister boris johnson for canceling christmas. but neighboring countries aren't taking any chances, as european nations roll out travel bans against the uk joining us from london is nbc's bill neely good morning, what more do we know >> reporter: frances, good morning. what a big new mess. and it is now a race between injections and infections as a result of this new variant it was first seen by health experts in september but it's only in the last two weeks that the infection rate from this new variant has really exploded, especially here in the southeast of england, and now around london. so what boris johnson, the prime minister, has done is tight new restrictions in london and the southeast. he has basically canceled christmas. people just will not be able to go to other houses and have a normal christmas the same is taking place in scotland and wales, in northern ireland. a lot of people are very critical saying it was too little, too late from the prime minister and now there is the reaction from europe. so france, for example, has banned all vehicles coming from the uk, and that is having a huge effect on freight traffic so there are trucks, thousands of trucks lined up on both sides of the english channel, and it means that supermarkets are going to be short of products. there's a bit of a rush now, a bit of panic buying in the uk. flights have been banned from most european countries. british people can't travel abroad, brits abroad cannot get home there is an issue here, because remember the pfizer-biontech vaccine is manufactured in belgium. people are being -- have been getting injections for the last three weeks, but if that supply dries up, then the vaccination program ends as well and there is the possibility in the next few days, the british military will be brought in to fly in those vaccines that are made in belgium into the uk, and all of this is compounded by the crisis of brexit because britain leaves the european union formally at the end of the year. there's a lot of discussion about a trade deal frances, it is one big mess. as i say, the key thing is it is now a deadly race between these new infections and the injections that we have here >> certainly dire circumstances you're seeing there in the uk. bill neely, thanks for the update. despite renewed warnings about travel from health experts, this is shaping up to be another busy travel week for many americans airports are seeing a rush of customers. nbc's kathy park joins us with the latest kathy, good morning. >> reporter: frances, paul, good morning to you both. the travel rush is on, and millions are on the move this holiday season despite warnings to stay at home. the cdc says if you do decide to travel, there are a couple of steps you should consider to protect yourself as well as others holiday travelers packing airports from san francisco to houston, despite warnings from health officials to stay home. >> wear a mask, watch your distance, wash your hands, avoid travel >> reporter: more than 84 million will be on the move starting this week through the new year friday and saturday, the tsa screened more than 2 million passengers >> i'll quarantine i mean, i work from home it's easy. >> reporter: meanwhile, backlash against dr. deborah birx, the coordinator of the white house coronavirus response breaking her own guidance after thanksgiving, heading to her delaware property with three generations. in a statement to the associated press, dr. birx said everyone belonged to her immediate household. her trip underscores the challenges that many families are facing during a pandemic as they weigh the risks before travel >> i have to remember to be safe and be conscious of myself and also other people around me. >> reporter: across the country, preholiday testing is in high demand in new york, waiting outside in frigid temperatures. out west, cars wrapped around dodger stadium, creating its own l.a. traffic jam in chattanooga, tennessee this line stretched nearly a mile the cdc says testing before and after air travel can reduce the spread of the virus, so the agency recommends testing one to three days before your flight, plus another test three to five days after travel in addition to seven days at home many states now require a negative test or self-quarantine after arrival. dozens of airports across the country are offering covid testing to travelers, including right here at laguardia. there is a site set up where passengers can walk through without an appointment the testing is free and they find out the results in 48 hours. guys, back to you. >> kathy, thank you very much. it's hard to avoid travel, especially when everyone wants to get home, but warning here. >> we've heard it time and again with those warnings. let's take a look at weather and how it's looking for the holidays nbc meteorologist bill karins is here with the forecast >> good morning. great to see you guys. the week ahead starts quiet and gets active by christmas eve and christmas day. we're starting off today, a little clipper system going through the great lakes. there's not a lot of precipitation, some areas may get an inch of snow, not a big deal, or rainshowers in the ohio valley bottom of the country is doing fine the next storm system comes through the rockies into the middle of the country wednesday. it starts to pick up more moisture it gets light rain spreading from the southeast, light snow on the back side it's really on thursday and friday as the storm reaches the east coast, that's when we're going to see heavy rain in the northeast christmas eve in the evening. then exiting christmas day but that's going to have some problems with heavy rain over the areas that just had heavy m compared to the end of the week, so enjoy it while it lasts. that's the other big story, how cold it's going to get by the end of this week for christmas we'll let you know about those details coming up. today's "quick hits. a man dresses santa while on a hang glider, rescued by firefighters after getting stuck in power lines his electric parachute lost power. thankfully he wasn't hurt. the rose bowl game has been moved. officials blame increasing coronavirus cases in southern california the game will be played in dallas and might have fans. ariana grande reveals she's engaged to dalton gomez. she announced the news on she announced the news on instagram. gingerbread builds tradition. a string of lights sparks family ties. a last-minute gift makes a lasting impression. a tray carries your heritage. and an ending means a new beginning. when they're sick, they get comfortable anywhere and spread germs everywhere. nothing kills more viruses, including the covid-19 virus, on more surfaces than lysol disinfectant spray. lysol. what it takes to protect. new aveeno® restorative skin therapy. 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star the editor of the newspaper says the death of george floyd sparked an honest examination of the paper's past, saying in part, the newspaper disenfranchised, ignored generations of black stories, writing when black people were written about, they were cast primarily as perpetrators, advancing a toxic narrative. battling for potential playoff positioning. new york on the board first, but we wouldn't be showing you a field goal if the giants had better highlights. browns qb baker mayfield cooking, hitting off to cooper, then jarvis landry the browns make like zeus and slay the titans, the giants rather, an attempt mythology joke. for the first time since 2008, the patriots will miss the postseason i don't think their afc contemporaries feel bad about that at all. at 9-5 the dolphins are in the afc wild card chase. the ravens and raiders need a little help with two weeks left to play. a christmas song has taken a profound new mean. >> 2 canadians took a daring plunge in the middle of the darkest night it's true, i will rescue you oh, i will rescue you a blast of immune support that's more than just vitamin c. it's a unique crafted blend of vitamins, zinc, other minerals, and herbs. take on your day with airborne. your daily dose of confidence. ♪ just one look at you... ♪ ♪ and i know it's gonna be... ♪ no matter how you celebrate this year, make this holiday extra special with a gift from pandora jewelry. and my water broke. at only 23 weeks. andrew: we had to stay in the hospital for 10 weeks, 1000s of miles from family. our driver kristin came along in our most desperate hour. suzanne: bringing us home-cooked meals and gifts. andrew: day after day. we wanted to show you something. kristin: oh my god! andrew: kristin is the most uncommonly kind person that we've met. suzanne: thank you so much. stop me if you've heard this one before two men from canada took their game of chess to the next level by completely submerging themselves in a frozen lake and playing atop the ice this time-lapse video shows how long the two were sitting in ontar ontario's oak lake someone watched "the queen's gambit" and thought, that's too easy. i'll be home for christmas is one of the most iconic christmas songs. it tells the story of wanting to celebrate together but being kept apart this year it's striking an even more poignant chord. here's kevin tibbles on what the classic means now. ♪ i'll be home for christmas ♪ you can plan on me >> reporter: treasured moments timeless for the holidays. like the classic "i'll be home for christmas. recorded in 1943 by bing crosby during world war ii as a homesick letter from a soldier fighting overseas. originally the song was turned down as too lonely, as it reveals in the end the soldier wasn't going to be home at all, only in his dreams ♪ where the love light gleams >> reporter: for over 70 years it's been the holiday song for those far from home. covered by everyone from sinatra -- ♪ i'll be home >> reporter: to elvis. ♪ for christmas ♪ if only in my dreams >> reporter: to dolly. note i'll ♪ i'll be home for christmas >> reporter: it remains a favorite for pianist michael feinstein. >> there's no question there's an added emotion to the song this year because of all that ♪ i'll be home the world. >> reporter: when "this is us" stnd country singer chrissy metz recently recorded it, she had no idea how meaningful the song would become in 2020 to her. >> it's very bittersweet, because i won't be home for christmas, as many people will not be it is my mom's favorite christmas song so yeah, it represents this year particularly, not being home, and wishing i was. >> reporter: for decades it has been the soldiers on the front lines sending messages home. >> i love you, and i'll be home soon. >> reporter: but this year, in many ways, the front lines are at home. demanding a different kind of sacrifice. >> hi, grand may and grandpa merry christmas! we miss you and hope to see you soon >> we miss you, we hope that the coronavirus ends soon so that we can see you again for christmas! >> even at the end when they say, if only in my dreams, i guess a lot of people will be saying that this year as well. >> more people will be imagining being home for christmas than ever before. and may this song bring them comfort. ♪ if only in my dreams >> reporter: kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. can make the biggest memories... big enough to last a lifetime. ♪ kinder joy treat plus toy a little surprise goes a long way. treat plus toy each febreze car vent clip gives you up to 30 days of fresh air. so, you can have open window freshness... even with all the windows up. enjoy fresh, any time, with febreze. brushing only reaches 25% of your mouth. listerine® cleans virtually 100%. helping to prevent gum disease and bad breath. never settle for 25%. always go for 100. bring out the bold™ less sick days! cold coming on? zicam® is clinically proven to shorten colds! highly recommend it! zifans love zicam's unique zinc formula. it shortens colds! zicam zinc that cold! it shortens colds! when they're sick, they get comfortable anywhere and spread germs everywhere. nothing kills more viruses, including the covid-19 virus, on more surfaces than lysol disinfectant spray. lysol. what it takes to protect. sometimes the smallest gestures can be the most refreshing. give extra, get extra. ♪ just one look at you... ♪ ♪ and i know it's gonna be... ♪ no matter how you celebrate this year, make this holiday extra special with a gift from pandora jewelry. christmas eve and christmas forecast as advertised behind our big rain system, cold and windy. maybe snow on christmas eve on the back side of the storm, especially if you're near the great labels christmas day, the heavy rain will exit new england early in the day and cold and windy all the way to the southeast >> all right, bill, thank you. next, one boy's heroic effort to spread holiday joy ornaments create time to hang. gingerbread builds tradition. a string of lights sparks family ties. a last-minute gift makes a lasting impression. a tray carries your heritage. and an ending means a new beginning. shh! i took mucinex dm for mye phlegmy cough. what about rob's dry cough? works on that too, and lasts 12 hours. 12 hours?! who studies that long? mucinex dm relieves wet and dry coughs. my gums are irritated. i don't have to worry about that, do i? harmful bacteria lurk just below the gum line. crest gum detoxify works below the gum line to neutralize harmful plaque bacteria and help reverse early gum damage. crest. welcome back now to a story about the spirit of giving and a boy who embraced that, even as he faced his own unimaginable challenges. here's nbc's kate snow. >> reporter: he's one of santa's biggest helpers. >> great, now we have two of these. >> reporter: 9-year-old alex myer is making sure this holiday season is special for kids already going through so much. he's leading a toy drive for southwest florida's golisano children's hospital. his efforts all the more remarkable, since he's a patient too. >> hi, guys, how's it going? >> reporter: battling inoperable brain cancer. >> every treatment he would tell me, i have 1,000 gifts, i have 2,000 gifts, now 3,000 gifts and counting and it's just incredible that he has not stopped. >> reporter: it all started when he heard nurses talking about the empty toy closet. >> the toy closet is something that has toys in it for kids because of covid-19, they lost a lot of their funding. >> reporter: with the help of his parents, tim and tiffany, alex created a facebook group called iron man alex fights brain cancer, directing people where to donate. >> 400,000 toys, thank you so much try and double it! >> reporter: as packages arrive, they're sorted, and alex uploads photos, thanking each person online. >> i've made a joke a few times that it's almost like a -- a second full-time job for us. >> reporter: then they're delivered to the hospital, an hour drive alex and the family make each week for his own treatment. >> what alex has done has been amazing. all the toys that he's given us and the community's given us, it's really been a blessing to our hospital and to our patients >> what do you think >> good. >> reporter: they're now at 5,000 gifts. >> we were kind of planning on it getting big, but we weren't planning on it getting this big. >> reporter: lifting the spirits of other kids going through tough times. >> even during a pretty challenging time for us, to say the least -- >> and the world. >> it's truly been a blessing to see that come to life through a 9-year-old boy's eyes. >> and here's the best part, alex plans to continue that toy drive even after the holidays. i was pressed to be a part of a similar event when i works in phoenix called "big night hope." there's nothing more inspirational, especially this time of year, than people helping people. >> you see it in their faces for those giving and receiving as well more power to alex we are rooting for him and hope he gets healthy as wel birthdays today, "24" actor kiefer sutherland turns 54 "everybody loves raymond" ray roman dough is 53. jane fonda is 83 talk show host phil done new hue is 85. i'm france breaking overnight relief finally in sight. after months of negotiations, lawmakers agree to a $900 billion stimulus bill to help the millions of families struggling amid the pandemic, but does the deal go far enough? london on lockdown the u.k. takes a r extreme measures and as if 2020 could get any weirder, the cleveland browns beat the giants and inch closer to ending their postseason drought. we'll have the full playoff picture ahea

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