plus, confusion and outrage over who should get vaccinated first. why one medical center is apologizing to its frontline workers. on alert more than 100 million bracing for dangerous christmas storms bringing fierce winds, heavy rain and snow. the threat of widespread power outages. caught on camera an incredible rescue after a house explodes >> here, baby. i got you, baby. >> the heroes who saved a 3-year-old from under the rubble and tracking santa a look back at norad's mission to keep kriss kringle on the move how it all began with a little boy and a wrong number >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt good evening i'm kristen welker in for lester on this christmas eve. we're tracking a number of major developments the airports packed with holiday travelers ignoring warnings from health officials to stay home. and that powerful winter storm complicating matters even more we begin with the tens of millions of americans in desperate need of financial help as they watch and wait for washington to act on a relief bill that president trump has threatened to block stunning both parties nbc's garrett haake is traveling with the president in west palm beach and starts our coverage tonight. >> reporter: d.c. bartender athena foltz has been struggling to make ends meet for months she's one of many desperate for help going into the dark of winter >> we'll have to pay taxes in april and it's for like, what? what have they done for us nothing. >> reporter: the president demanding congress boost direct payments from the $600 his administration had supported to $2,000 now >> due to apply only to the minority leader. >> reporter: a democratic effort to do just that blocked by house republicans this morning >> merry christmas >> reporter: with federal unemployment insurance, rental assistance and other critical programs set to expire this week, lawmakers from both parties appealing to the vacationing president's better angels >> this is christmas eve surely the president of the united states, whether he's in mar-a-lago or any place else, ought to empathize with the pain and suffering and apprehension and deep angst the american people are feeling this christmas eve and sign this bill >> i hope the president looks at this again and reaches that conclusion that the best thing to do is sign the bill >> reporter: the house plans to return to washington december 28th democrats will force a full house vote on increasing those direct payments to $2,000. if, by the end of the day, the president hasn't signed the combined covid relief and spending bill or another extension, the government shuts down >> garrett, how quickly can americans expect to see those direct payments? >> congressional sources tell me there's a copy of the bill on a flight to palm beach tonight if the president signs it, those payments could still go out before new year's. if he holds out, some critical programs begin to expire the day after christmas. >> garrett haake, thank you. that help just cannot come soon enough for millions of americans financially devastated by the pandemic. families who never thought they would have to ask for help with food tonight sam brock has their story. >> reporter: on christmas week, there's a crush of cars in san antonio waiting for groceries. >> i was like, thank goodness. i have food until i get paid on the 3rd. >> reporter: it's a scene eerily reminiscent of the spring, though the need has only strengthened since >> they were so excited to get this food, they got emotional. they break down in tears >> reporter: the lone star state is not alone in demand or tears feeding south florida now helps 200,000 families a week put food on the table, including debbie and her three kids >> not a position you ever want to be in it's hard to ask people for help i really don't want to, but i have no choice at this point >> reporter: some of these cars have been out here since 3:00 in the morning. and there's about 500 of them just in this field it's not just because it's a holiday week either. this is normal >> happy holidays. >> reporter: coast to coast, a crisis deepens feeding america estimates food insecurity this year at about 50 million people that's the equivalent of the populations of texas and florida combined but grassroots help is pouring in in cities like los angeles, community fridges are popping up where volunteers gather extra food from restaurants, bakeries and neighbors. >> it's amazing. if you stop by, you drop off some food. you come back a few hours, a lot of the fridges, it's empty again. >> reporter: these fridges are kept in homes, small businesses, some are even on the street. those unable to contribute food, bringing other items >> maybe you are food insecure but you have a lot of blankets you have access to something or know someone who does and you can bring things >> reporter: in florida, jolene most does just that. pick up food for her five kids and drop off blankets. >> everybody has to help everyone >> that's the only way we're going to get through this. >> yes >> reporter: cure of warmth in a painful pandemic sam brock, nbc news, west palm beach. >> those lines of cars are just devastating. tonight, americans are still on the move ignoring dire warnings from top health officials desperate to visit loved ones for the holidays, even as covid cases surge across the country. erin mcloughlin has that part of our coverage >> reporter: tonight, despite desperate pleas from the front lines to stay home, packed airports the most crowded since the start of the pandemic. up to 85 million americans are expected to travel through new year's, defying public health warnings >> i'm nervous, but i'm confident i'm not going to transmit anything to my family >> reporter: this as california's facing catastrophe. the first state to surpass 2 million cases, doubling in just six weeks. >> there's an overall feeling of anxiety, fear and uncertainty as we head into christmas and the new year >> reporter: in the state's hospitals, heartache over the number of lives being lost on average nearly 250 dying a day. >> every day, i look into the eyes of someone who is struggling to breathe. they want to be home with their family >> reporter: similar scenes nationwide hospitalizations have more than doubled since november adding to the troubles, the vaccine rollout is not going as planned. roughly a million doses administered, far short of the 20 million expected by year's end. while in some places confusion and outrage over who should get the doses first. forcing one university to apologize for vaccinating other staff before frontline workers >> this is a charged emotional environment where people -- a lot of people, of course, want to get vaccinated as soon as possible there were hiccups in what's a complicated effort >> reporter: for these sisters, it will be a sad christmas they lost their parents and grandfather to the virus and have this warning for anyone taking a risk. >> what do you have to say to them >> they need to ask themselves, should i give up this one holiday or should i give up a lifetime >> reporter: this hospital is so overwhelmed they set up triage tents to assess patients before thanksgiving, they were treating 22 covid cases. today they're treating 135 kristen? >> erin, thank you for that. now we turn to the massive christmas storm wreaking havoc from the upper midwest to the northeast. 100 million people on alert for heavy snow, rain and dangerous winds. dylan dreyer is tracking it all. what does it look like >> good evening, kristen the heavy rain is moving eastward with snow back behind this cold front. we're looking at a flood potential because of the heavy rain falling on top of the melting snow especially across new england as we go through christmas day. lake effect snow will produce some of our heaviest snowfall totals, especially off of lake ontario and lake erie where we coulsee d to 1inch2 of snow a white christmas there. inches of rainat about 3 to 4 again, with the snow on the ground, that could lead to some flding another major concern will be these gusty winds. we could see them gusting up to 50 to 60 miles per hour. that could lead to some power outages as well. >> dylan, thank you. heading into the winter, millions of americans are also concerned about keeping a roof over their heads jo ling kent with what they're facing >> reporter: derek and brenda durham have made some tough choices. >> we had to choose a roof over our head or our transportation >> reporter: derek was a quality control inspector for mercedes-benz making $15.50 an hour until he was furloughed in march. >> i'm between a rock and a hard place. >> reporter: the couple lives in south carolina with their daughter, relying on $216 a week in unemployment. they have fallen $6,500 behind in rent. >> we're going to be out on the streets. that's what's going to end up happening. we're going to end up being out on the streets >> reporter: until now the family had been protected by the moratorium on pandemic related evictions, set to expire right after the holidays congress extended it by another month. for many americans, that may not be enough. nearly 5 million believe they are likely to be evicted over the next two months. tri-county family ministries provides food, clothing and help with rent in south carolina, one of the states with the highest eviction rate. >> in the past when people came to us for assistance with their rent, normally they'd be $300, $400 behind. today we had a young lady come in, single mom of three. she is $4,500 behind on rent and there aren't enough resources in our community at this point to make a difference for her family and it's a tragedy because that's happening over and over >> reporter: a devastating cycle in this unforgiving pandemic >> everybody is trying to keep a roof over their head everybody is trying to keep food on their tables. >> reporter: critics say the one-month extension is a band-aid on a much bigger problem hitting communities of color especially hard. as the pandemic rages well past january, many families are on the brink with their backs up against a wall kristen? >> jo ling kent, thank you for that report. meanwhile, president trump went on another pardon spree last night just after he arrived in florida and tonight there's bipartisan backlash nbc's justice correspondent pete williams has those details >> reporter: in the first act of clemency for a trump relative, the president pardoned charles kushner, father of trump's son-in-law jared kushner the elder kushner, a multimillionaire real estate developer, pleaded guilty in 2004 to tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations the president also pardoned paul manafort, his former campaign chairman, convicted of hiding millions of dollars in income from political consulting that he did for the pro-russian government in ukraine. and the president gave a full pardon to former campaign adviser roger stone whose sentence he commuted in july stone says he's relieved >> any reasonable person who looks at my prosecution would understand that this is all about politics >> reporter: manafort and stone were both prosecuted by robert mueller's special counsel team looking into russian election meddling the white house statement called manafort a victim of, quote, perhaps the greatest witch hunt in american history. but those pardons especially issued after the president left for florida drew bipartisan condemnation congressman jerry nadler, a new york democrat, said the president is handing out rewards to his co-conspirators senator ben sasse, republican of nebraska, said, quote, this is rotten to the core another pardon went to margaret hunter, the wife of former republican congressman duncan hunter both were charged with misusing campaign funds he was pardoned tuesday. many of the pardons issued this week have gone to friends and political supporters administration officials say many more pardons will be issued in the coming days kristen? >> pete williams, thank you. now to breaking news tonight in the case of an unarmed black man killed by a columbus, ohio, police officer his chief is now recommending he be fired from his job, and the community is calling for justice. kathy park reports >> the family of andre hill has nothing to celebrate this holiday. >> reporter: tonight, dramatic action out of columbus, ohio, following the police shooting death of 47-year-old andre hill. the city's police chief making his recommendation >> today, i am announcing action to terminate officer adam coy. >> reporter: columbus officer adam coy, who shot hill, had been placed on paid leave. the body camera footage of the shooting released this week shows the moments leading up to the deadly encounter as coy walks up to an open garage and approaches hill who is seen holding his cell phone while his other hand is out of view. >> i have seen everything i need to see to reach the conclusion that officer coy must be terminated immediately >> reporter: in the aftermath of the shooting, hill lays on the ground for more than five minutes without anyone rendering aid. police say no weapon was found at the scene >> what does justice look like for andre and his family >> justice for andre hill looks a lot like justice for george floyd. justice for andre hill looks a lot like justice for breonna taylor >> reporter: the local fraternal order of police in a statement said, every citizen, including officers, deserves due process and that accountability is important. the case now getting extra attention from the state with the ohio attorney general named special prosecutor amid growing calls for action kathy park, nbc news we are back in just 60 seconds with a heroic rescue and a grateful family. we are back now with the remarkable body camera footage just released telling the story of a daring rescue after a house explosion in indiana the family escaped serious injury and is speaking exclusively with nbc news. here's morgan chesky >> we need a pry bar >> reporter: it's the frantic rescue caught on police body camera just made public. a gas explosion leveling a home in porter, indiana, back in september. jason boomsma's family somewhere inside >> coming to you >> looking back and seeing what i see, nobody was alive in my eyes >> reporter: buried in the flaming rubble, his 3-year-old granddaughter who jason saved himself. >> here, baby. >> you forget all about everything except for what you're focusing on, which is finding her. >> reporter: just feet away, jason's daughter kayla also trapped. >> all hands on deck let's go >> everyone lift up. >> reporter: emergency crews teaming up to pull kayla free. >> got her out >> i was like, why would they come and risk their life lifting this off me when they could just expire and they'll get burned or hurt >> nobody -- nobody thought twice about that >> reporter: and nobody stopped until every family member was accounted for. all seven injured but tonight, back home with a message for the rescuers >> i would like to tell them again, thank you you were a part of us being alive here today >> reporter: morgan chesky, nbc news >> a grateful family this holiday season still ahead -- how tracking santa's trip all began with one little boy and a wrong number. it's not easy now with this pandemic. second harvest makes me really really happy. meatballs, mexican rice, chicken enchiladas, and mole. for almost twenty years. *speaking in spanish every christmas eve, kids and parents alike flock to norad's website to see how close santa is to their chimney. nbc's kerry sanders with the unlikely way it all started 65 years ago. >> reporter: 'twas the night before christmas at norad command center >> on december 24th, it's the most important job that we're going to do. >> reporter: tracking santa started with a phone number misprint in a department store christmas ad a child called that unlisted phone number of the command operations center, believing he was calling santa claus. >> those phones only rang for serious reasons. >> that's exactly right. >> reporter: air force colonel harry shoup was the commander on duty that night in 1955. >> probably thought for a few moments that it may be some type of a prank call. but he quickly realized it was a young child looking for santa claus. >> reporter: the colonel assured the child that they would guarantee santa a safe journey from the north pole. >> he loved christmas so much and loved kids and loved stories. >> he could have hung up on the kid. he didn't. >> that's a lesson for all of us >> i think so. >> reporter: norad volunteers receive more than 130,000 calls to the hot line. >> what do you think the message is this christmas? >> the hope and the joy and the love are still there >> and the belief. >> believe in it, yeah keep believing >> merry christmas >> merry christmas to you. >> reporter: and to all a good night. kerry sanders, nbc news. >> a message and a legacy that endures. that's great tonight's midnight mass at the vatican was held two hours earlier than usual to fall in line with italy's 10:00 p.m. covid curfew millions joined pope francis virtually this year as he celebrated in the near empty st. peter's basilica up next, bringing smiles to kids in the hospital this holiday season for children in the hospital this christmas, some caregivers are helping to make special memories here's rehema ellis with tonight's "inspiring america." >> i'm glad i called you >> reporter: this year, santa's making virtual connections >> what a beautiful smile. oh, my goodness. you made my heart warm >> reporter: spreading holiday cheer from a distance, keeping kids like 8-year-old spencer doherty safe he's battling lymphoma >> we're just lucky he's alive and here to share this christmas with us. ♪ >> reporter: cincinnati children's hospital is his home for the holidays >> i thought it would be a really depressing time we've had a really great time. >> reporter: activities once done in groups are now more personal. children's hospitals across the country are going out of their way to make this a special season for kids who not only can't be home but also can't be with family because of the pandemic in orlando, the s.w.a.t. team is putting on shows in los angeles, professional athletes are making virtual visits >> think of anything you want? >> ask him for a heart >> reporter: in houston, a drive-through toy drop off gifts for patients and their siblings in westchester county, new york, holiday good night lights. police and paramedics putting on a light show, waving to patients watching from their windows. and the kids are waving right back >> why is it so important to do this >> we want to support them along their medical treatment and their medical journey here with us but also emotionally. >> reporter: 8-year-old kelly coffey had open heart surgery at texas children's hospital earlier this month. her parents, grateful for the staff and holiday cheer. >> it brings a tear to my eye just because they truly care and that's such a huge part of recovery >> reporter: holiday joy for children who need it the most. >> i want to wish you a merry christmas! >> reporter: so do we. rehema ellis, nbc news >> that kind of love is the real gift and that is "nightly news" for this christmas eve thank you so much for watching i'm kristen welker wishing you and your loved ones a very happy holiday. right now at 6:00, not even a pandemic can stop a tried and true christmas eve tradition, last minute shopping. we'll show you two of the busiest malls in the south bay. in this day and age, it's never going to come across right. >> a new year's eve party with thousands of people suddenly called off in sonoma county. why county leaders were powerless to stop it themselves. plus an 83-year-old woman released from the hospital after making a sudden turnaround from covid. why she was able to go home even though she's still contagious. we're hours away from christmas day. if you have outside plans, you might need a plan "b." your forecast coming up in a few minutes. the news at 6:00 starts right now. good evening, i'm terry mcsweeney. >> i'm jessica aguirre. it was a party that had an entire town worried. word spread that graton casino in rohnert park was preparing for a private new year's eve event with a few thousand people. >> but tonight a social media post about the event has the county breathing a sigh of relief. nbc bay area's anousha rasta has more. >> reporter: part of the reason why the county was so concerned about the party was because they couldn't do anything to stop it. the casino is not on tribal land. it was not subject to county or state rules. the casino says it was following all the cdc guidelines and they

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