countries to initiate a travel ban followed quickly by the 27 nation european union moving to contain the variant. taking no chances before it spreads around the world. the ripple effect has been swift with emergency meetings of health officials and the stock market plunging. the dow down 8 00 points at the open. 900 now. the world health organization meanwhile is urging caution on travel bans and u.s. health officials say while a ban is possible, it is too soon to know. >> well, i mean, obviously as soon as we find out more information, we'll make a decision as quickly as we can. you always put these things on the table, but you don't want to say you're going to do it until you have scientific reason to do it. that's the reason why we're rushing now to get that scientific data to try and make an informed decision about something like that. you're prepared to do everything you need to do to protect the american public, but you want to make sure there's a basis for doing that, and that's what we're doing right now. >> joining me now is raph sanchez and josh letterman who is with president biden in nantucket. msnbc medical contributor and politico chief economic correspondent. thank you for being here. raph, you're in israel. the first cases were found outside of africa in israel and belgium. i know tel aviv and israel is shutting down travel from south africa. what else is happening there? >> yeah. katy, israel's government is moving more aggressively than any other. they're stopping travel from pretty much every country in africa with only a handful of exceptions. this comes after one confirmed case, two suspected cases of that new variant. the confirmed case in a traveler who returned recently from ma law way. now, all three of those people are in isolation. but the israeli prime minister is preparing the public here for further spread. he is telling people that israel is at the threshold of an emergency situation. we've seen similarly the uk and the european union moving to restrict travel slightly less drastically, but from south africa and five other southern african nations. we've seen other travel restrictions coming into place in japan, in singapore so far. as you heard from dr. anthony fauci, there's no indication yet that the u.s. is planning to bring in a similar travel ban. and there is some debate among medical professionals in israel and around the world about whether these travel bans actually work to stop the variant spreading, whether they serve a medical purpose or if it's more about the government being seen to do something in the face of an alarming new variant like this one emerging. >> so the variant has just been named by the world health organization. omrikon. israel has also been skittish when it comes to this virus. they closed their borders down for quite a lot of time. is there any chance they're going to be closing their borders again to travelers beyond south africa? >> i think the israeli government hasn't ruled anything out, and the tone coming from the israeli prime minister today was not looking to calm people. he was looking to really get their attention. things here in israel have pretty normal feel to them right now. most businesses, restaurants, shops, cafes, are open. this is a highly vaccinated country. boosters were rolled out here. much sooner than everywhere else. but despite those levels of protection, you know, much higher rates of vaccination than what you're seeing in the u.s., the israeli government is really trying to sound the alarm that this is serious. the virus is already in israel. it may spread further. the israeli prime minister saying it does appear from what he knows, that this variant may end up being more transmisable than the delta variant. there are a lot of outstanding questions about how vaccines will stand up to it. whether or not this variant causes more severe illness. right now the israeli government is not taking anything off the table. >> oh, gosh. josh, let's talk about what's happening here. i know that we have been slow to shut down our borders even when other countries have done so. how is the president weighing this right now, if this is a more contagious variant. they're trying to figure out more about it. why wait to shut down the borders to south africa? >> well, katy, i've been posing that question to white house officials as they are watching very closely that w.h.o. meeting today about this variant. they want to see what comes out of that. but at this point, there are no indications that the u.s. is on the verge of enacting new travel restrictions in response to this variant. the white house really wants to avoid a knee-jerk response. they feel like it has been their message from the get-go that any response to covid needs to be science-based. based on data and facts. frankly, date back to the time when they were campaigning against donald trump and trying to draw that contrast with him. so they don't want to take policy measures that are based on people's emotional concerns about this variant legitimate as they may be. the white house is really watching two particular concerns when it comes to this variant. transmisability, meaning is this more infectious than the delta variant even or the previous strains of this virus? and then, of course, immune response. is this something that the vaccines are going to be effective against. at this point, the white house has largely been deferring to dr. fauci who as you were showing a few minutes ago, is saying look, we need more science, more data before we can draw those kinds of conclusions. so the white house at this point in time not ready to really change the current plan for fighting covid in response to this variant until they have those kinds of answers that our scientists are just starting to get as they look at this virus in much more detail, but, of course, the other big concern here, katy, is the implications on the economy, on the markets with people once again unsettled by this news of potentially yet another variant that could change the game with covid. the white house is tracking that economic shift very closely while trying to encourage people to take a deep breath and wait until there's a little bit more information about exactly what this means before they start altering their economic behavior or trying to predict what could happen one, two, three months into the future. >> remember the dow and wall street, these are just snapshots, the stock market just snapshots in time. we often see big plummets only to see massive rises again a couple days later. hold your breath on that. we'll get to more of the economic fallout from this in a moment. i want to focus on what we know about this variant. doctor, josh was mentioning science and data and facts. that's what the white house says they're going to be relying on. what co-we know concretely about this variant so far? >> well, this is interesting and potentially alaw enforcementing, but not yet alarming situation. there are several things we need to watch about the virus. it's a variant with its own number. it doesn't yet have a name. the world health organization will help determine that. the things we need to watch are number one, will this be more transmisable? will it be some ways resistance to the vaccines that are out there? the third thing is will it be more dangerous? will this particular variant cause more hospitalizations and more fatalitys? all of these factors are being watched very carefully. but those have also heard about the spiked protein with this virus will understand that this is -- the new variant has caused a lot of mutations on that particularly critical protein. a couple dozen new mutations which is why we don't understand yet what the trajectory is going to be of this new threat. and by the way, i'm calling it a threat, but i want to even keep that on check a bit until we have more information really start following this the way it needs to be. and by the way, this is not the end of new mutations and variants. more to come unfortunately in the future. >> we're told the more people get infected, the more the virus mutates. it's trying to survive as we're trying to escape it. to be clear, the w.h.o. has named it now. just moments ago. you might have missed it. omicron. this is the 15th letter of the greek alphabet. if i'm not saying it correctly, i'm sorry. i'm sorry to make greek family members be upset by my mispronunciation. ben white, let's talk about the economic impact. we're seeing the stock market go down quite a bit. are you taking a lot of stock in that reaction? no pun intended. >> i'm selling all my stock. no, obviously i don't do that. good to be with you. this was always going to happen. this was always the risk to this economy and to the stock market. i don't know how many times on your show and in stories and elsewhere when people ask about the trajectory of the markets and the economy, what is the big risk? the big risk is future covid variants that are resistance to our vaccines and that can spread quickly. and i think as the doctors have correctly pointed out, there is so much we don't know. there is no reason to panic yet. there is no reason to be terribly concerned about this as of yet, but it is a thing that was always going to knock markets off their record pace. when we hit the bottom of covid, we rocketed up in the stock market to record levels. we've been at record levels. we're not slightly below those. we're very much up on the stock market, but if there's something that's going to slow the recovery and get people scared, not taking jobs, not moving the economy forward, it was always going to be the direction of the virus and new variants like this that could threaten us. but i think taking the cautious approach, the scientific approach, let's see how bad it is and see how our vaccines hold up, see if it comes to the shores should give people comfort that we're not at the point to panic or dump all your stocks or the economy is going to fall apart. this is negative news. it's going to hit the market a day or two, wait for details. see where we are. everybody on wall street will tell you this is the story they've been waiting for. >> can you explain why we would be watching the stock market in these moments? i don't mean that to be dismisive, but we've seen this over and over again. the stock market crashes, plummets down, 900 points, 1,000 points and a few days later, it skyrockets once again. >> yeah. yeah. no, it's a very fair point not to take any move like this out of context. these moves of 900 points aren't what they used to be since we're at 34,000 on the dow. i like to say they don't start to freak out unless we're at 7 % movement. this is 2 %. it's not that much. it's what you would expect when traders wake up and read in the papers there's a new variant in africa. the israelis are thinking of shutting down borders and many in europe are shutting down worders. these scare traders and they start to sell stock, but they're taking off profit before the holidays. people made a lot of money. put it in context, and it's not the biggest concern in the world what the market does. the biggest concern in the world, obviously, is beating this virus. so i would pay a lot more attention to that. >> ben, because it is black friday, we're going to get our money's worth out of your. you're sticking around. in the meantime, other gentlemen, thank you for joining us and helping us understand what's going on. coming up, the investigations into the up tick in the smash-and-grab-robberies. plus black friday as we've been saying, is in full swing. what to buy now, what to wait on, and with demand and prices high and the supply low, what to expect. help wanted in the north pole. the jolly old elf no one can seem to find. this is "msnbc reports". orts". our sleigh is now ready, let's get on our way. a mountain of toys to fulfill many wishes. must be carried across all roads and all bridges. and when everyone is smiling and having their fun i can turn my sleigh north because my job here is done. it's not magic that makes more holiday deliveries to homes in the us than anyone else, it's the hardworking people of the united states postal service. o man, that's a whole lot of wrinkly at least my shoes look good! it's the hardworking people of the looking good start with bounce wrinkleguard, the megasheet designed to prevent wrinkles in the dryer. this... is the planning effect. this is how it feels to have a dedicated fidelity advisor looking at your full financial picture. this is what it's like to have a comprehensive wealth plan with tax-smart investing strategies designed to help you keep more of what you earn. and set aside more for things like healthcare, or whatever comes down the road. this is "the planning effect" from fidelity. 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>> i'd say ten times faster. because only focussed on picking your product, and getting it out the back door. >> now, that's damion harmon, executive vice president of best buy. he's going around the country shrinking the stores by more than half, adding a warehouse to get packages out quickly. right now we've become so accustom to fast delivery, that's how a store like this is trying to compete with a amazon or target or neighborhood electronics store. very much about instant gratification. our patience is warn thin and we're dealing with a massive supply chain crisis. >> i miss my neighborhood electronics store. tell me where to find one and i'll happily go there. does this mean if you go to a best buy and you're trying to get a printer or tv, that you're going to have to order it when you get there and then it will be shipped to you? i've been to stores lately that do that. it's the most frustrating thing. i want to walk in and walk out with what i'm purchasing. >> yeah. i have the same frustration as well. it really depends on the product you're buying. if you're buying something they have in stock, obviously it's going to be maybe a less popular item, you can walk out with it. but i asked damion that same question about gaing consuls, for example. play station 5 and x boxes are hard to find and sell out mostly online. the question is will there be more stock on time for question. that's not necessarily going to be a yes. the issue is because of all the clogged ports of l.a., long beach not being able to get the stuff over from asia in time for the holiday season. so my advice and the advice from a lot of shopping experts is go ahead and have a plan b. and also have a plan c. because if you can't get it now, it's only a few weeks away, but those few weeks mean a shorter time compared to last year or the year before. it's a totally new game that we're playing out here for retail. >> very interesting. alison, you're down there in georgia. what's it like there? >> you know, this mall is very busy. there were a decent amount of lines outside when it opened up at 7:00 a.m. santa behind me used the amount of photos taken of paid photos santa photos to kind of get a barometer at this mall in terms of what their holiday season traffic is going to be like. and santa has been here a little over a week, and they tell us that the amount of santa photos sold this first week is more than the amount they sold the first week he was here before the pandemic back in 2019. so people are coming to this mall and we've spoken to a lot of people who said they are opting to shop in person in part because they are nervous about shipping delays. listen. >> we hear so much of people talking about supply chain issues, labor shortages, delays, bottle necking, all that sort of stuff. is that impacting how you shop this year? >> yes. yes. for real. because it's a shortage of everything. >> i don't feel like it's been affecting me. because the store is full. everything looks open. >> a lot of deals weren't there. we actually went to two stores already, and one of them we came out basically two things, and basically there's nothing on sale at this moment. >> usually i would spend a lot more than i do. and the christmas presents this year, it's not going to be as much due to the fact that everything is increased. and you're not saving as much. which is quite sad. but you got to do what you got to do. >> and speaking with the general manager of this particular mall, she thinks that the supply chain issues could actually help brick and mortar stores because you will have more people in her view who don't want to risk getting some sort of delay or getting a product that they didn't necessarily want or it was different than they thought and sending it back and waiting even more for it to come. she thinks that all of that will factor in on more people showing up and shopping many person this year. and again, they seem like they're on track here to see levels that are above what they saw prepandemic. >> ben, maybe i'm just getting grumpier. i hate black friday. i hate the concept of black friday. i hate the rampant consumerism of it. i hate that everybody spends a day at the mall instead of time with their family. i hate the big box stores are replacing main street. i like walking out of my house and going to a local shop and getting a vacuum cleaner if i need one or -- i don't know, a baby monitor if i need one. are we -- >> of course. >> are we just moving past that entirely? are those days gone? is everything going to be either online or at a big box store from now on? >> right. no. i don't think so. i think we've moved in that direction largely over the recent decades to big box and getting rid of mom and pop stores and smaller venues. but i think there are still a nich market. i was in a brand new general store on hastings and hudson the other day. there's a desire for people to shop at smaller stores and maybe the delays and slowdowns and problems with big box stores and problems with the orders will push people to shop more local. the larger trend. it would be a good idea this year in particular, shop local, shop local. there are places around you that have cool stuff that are small businesses where you can get gifts. it might not be an ok you lus or ipad, but something cool you or your loved ones might like. but overall, this is one funny anecdote. i'm in the car driving my younger kid home from a play date. he's 12. organized. has his full list of items. he said you know slr supply chain disruptions and port delays. you might want to get on this quickly. i'm like you're 12. he was well-aware and eager for me to order sooner, which i did not do, which i have to do after we get off this call, and the windows open on my computer are things to order. but yeah, there could be a move back to more local shopping. i would recommend it this year. help out your local business and not deal with the supply chains. overall, just to put the big picture on black friday and the holiday season, we should do better. it should be a record. we spend something close to a trillion dollars on holiday sales this year. it will be a record. there is a higher volume in stores. not that much higher but a little higher than last year, and not as big a jump in online sales. people are going back to the stores, but it's not necessarily the giant everybody kill yourself knock yourselves down lines which i'm in for that. nobody needs to get trampled on black friday, but katy, let's find a local electronics store, a local craft store, and buy a couple nice things and then have hot chocolate and hang out with the family. >> if you want your neighborhood to stay nice and enjoy the people around you, shop local. get the book at the bookstore, not on amazon. you can walk down the street and get it at the bookstore. >> this is the year to do it. >> i'm going to stop ranting. i can feel my executive producer in the control room telling me to shut up even though she's not saying it in my ear yet. can i feel her doing it. ben white, thank you. allison barbara, jo ling kent, thank you. and happy black friday. i hope you get time with your families eventually after this is over. still ahead, the president faces his lowest approval rating. record inflation, and a massive not a sure thing spending plan. what is the white house doing to try to overcome it? but it is not just the white house. congress has a lot to get done and not a lot of time. big functional bills that need to get passed for the government to keep working. you're watching "msnbc reports". . ♪ there are beautiful ideas that remain in the dark. but with our new multi-cloud experience, you have the flexibility you need to unveil them to the world. ♪ ♪ ♪ to unveil them to the world. when the chapstick goes on. it's on. get yours on at chapstick.com >> man: what's my safelite story? my truck...is my livelihood. so when my windshield cracked... the experts at safelite autoglass came right to me... with service i could trust. right, girl? >> singers: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace. ♪ our retirement plan with voya, keeps us moving forward. hey, kevin! hey, guys! they have customized solutions to help our family's special needs... hey, graduation selfie! well done! and voya stays by our side, keeping us on track for retirement... ...giving us confidence in our future... ...and in kevin's. you ready for your first day on the job? 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"the washington post" reports that those close to the president are reassuring his allies he will run for reelection in 2024. joining me now is jonathan allen and jeremy peters. gentlemen, great to have you. jonathan, let's talk about the build back better plan, the second part of his infrastructure push. the social part of it. does he have a good chance of getting it to the senate without joe manchin going in and tinkering away? >> i mean, you can't get it through the senate without joe manchin doing what he will with it, because he needs the 50 votes even in this reconciliation, the expedited version of the legislation. joe manchin is the 50th vote and he needs that 50th vote in order for the vice president to be able to break a tie. joe manchin has, i think, signalled some bearishment, and there are provisions in the house version. we'll have to see when the senate comes back exactly where senator manchin stands. it doesn't look good for the white house moving quickly on this. >> he does want to move quickly. so when it gets to the senate, what sort of expectation should the white house have, jeremy, on what this bill is going to look like? >> well, i think that there's practically zero chance that it looks like what the house passed. and that's going to be quite disappointing to a lot of progressives, but also it doesn't necessarily spell doom for a very progressive reform package that will have sweeping impacts on everything from the way people raise their children to what the future of our country looks like in terms of climate. so we just don't know what manchin is going to want to change. he is quite mercurial and seems to enjoy his time in the spotlight and the king-making role he's been playing. and it really going forward, it's all as john said, going to be about what joe manchin wants. >> well, yeah, okay. so there's two things that are going to get raised here. at least on my reading of it. one is paid family leave. joe manchin said he's not into paid family leave. he thinks people should get paid for working, not paid for not working. there's a month of paid family leave in the build back better version that the house passed. this is not just for mothers and fathers or adoptive parents or parents in general. it's for any family member who needs to take care of another family member who has gotten sick. it's a month paid. there's also the child tax credit. jonathan allen, that might be in the cross hairs to make it a little bit less generous or a little bit less easy for a wide swath of americans to receive. those are two big deal points for the democratic agenda, and two big deal points that democrats campaigned onto get to where they are back in 2020. >> yeah. absolutely. those are huge ticket items. i don't think the bill would have passed through the house as easily as it did. it doesn't easy, but it wouldn't have passed through the house as easily without that paid family leave, and there were a lot of objections to try to move it without that. it was put back in. they passed it. but senator manchin is not a big fan, as you note, of that, and he's also questioned extending the expanded child tax credit that we already saw earlier this year from the biden administration and congress. i think he is interested in reigning in the overall spending and drawing different lines an who is defined as middle class, who needs that assistance than president biden was. >> let's talk about reelection. jeremy, the president's privately assuring his allies that he will be running again in 2024 according to "the washington post." >> yeah. that's right. i don't think that's necessarily surprising even though there's been some parlor game speculation going on in political circles, will he, won't he? as far as he is concerned, he's the only one who has proven that he's capable of beating donald trump. and as it looks increasingly likely that donald trump will run again, that's biden's case that he'll be making. i think the question is what kind of campaign, 2024 looks like. it's going to be much different, because the coronavirus pandemic really limited what biden had to do publicly. and if he's out there every day campaigning as one would expect if the world is returning to normal, that kind of opens up the question of whether or not he can withstand the scrutiny. he's always been somebody who puts his foot in his mouth on occasion, and pretty damaging ways. and the difference this time will be a much less forgiving to put it mildly, republican party and like the republican nominee who are just out for blood and out to embarrass and humiliate biden and exaggerate every misstep he makes. so there's really not a whole lot of room for error here. >> it's going to be a tough election year. jeremy, you also have another book coming out or a new book coming out. insurgency, how the republicans lost their party and got everything they ever wanted. when can i purchase this book? >> you can purchase it now. go anywhere online. your favorite book seller, amazon, barnes & noble, and it's preordered that way. it will be delivered to you february 8th. that would be a great black friday move for those of you who are not venturing out to the malls. >> february 8th. congratulations. i know how hard it is to finish a book. my hat is off to you. jonathan knows as well. they're tough, painful. gentlemen, thank you so much. still ahead, california takes aim at the growing trend of smash and grab robberies. and why santa may not be coming to a mall near you. comin. d by a heart valve problem. so if there's a better treatment than warfarin that's a trail i want to take. eliquis. eliquis reduces stroke risk better than warfarin. and has less major bleeding than warfarin. eliquis has both. don't stop taking eliquis without talking to your doctor as this may increase your risk of stroke. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. while taking, you may bruise more easily or take longer for bleeding to stop. get help right away for unexpected bleeding, or unusual bruising. it may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. the number one cardiologist-prescribed blood thinner. ask your doctor about eliquis. are you tired of clean clothes that just don't smell clean? 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wait i'm out of time? >> man: what's my safelite story? hold up. the subway logo? my truck...is my livelihood. so when my windshield cracked... the experts at safelite autoglass came right to me... with service i could trust. right, girl? >> singers: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace. ♪ in california a string of coordinated thefts have shoppers and retail workers on high alert. the robberies are being carried out by mobs of looters. they smash their way into high-end stores and leave with tens of thousands of dollars of stuff. our correspondent has the story. >> reporter: katy, we're seeing so-called smash-and-grab robberies in california from san francisco to los angeles. and it's a problem that law enforcement officials say is only getting worse. amidst the black friday frenzy, retail stores and shoppers across california on edge. >> it is kind of scary. the fact that this has happened now makes me wonder if i should even walk in there. >> following a spring of smash-and-grab robberies, striking retail stores across the state. wednesday night outside los angeles, suspects attacked a department store security guard. smaching $25,000 worth of high-end purses. >> they attacked him with a chemical. after the initial suspect attacked the security guard, additional suspects removed a number of high dollar purses. >> reporter: criminals seen using similar tactics in the heart of san francisco. >> hands up. >> reporter: and in a nearby suburb. organized shoplifting crews breaking into high-end retailers and fleeing as a cluster of get away cars block traffic. an estimated 200$,000 worth of merchandise gone in a matter of minutes. >> i saw people running down the street. i probably saw 50 to 80 people in ski masks, crowbars, a bunch of weapons. >> reporter: many of the robberies orchestrated authorities believe by criminal master minds. who stay far away from their crimes. >> they're paying the individuals to do the robberies. they collect the goods, and then fence them and move them to other parts of the country. >> reporter: the situation is getting worse. in 2020 the state saw more than five times the number of investigations into organized retail crime compared to 2019. designer clothes and handbags now among the top targets. according to law enforcement officials, california is now home to three of the nation's top ten cities for organized retail theft. you're a holiday shopper in california. how concerned should you be about this? >> i think people need to keep their wits about them. don't flash cash. keep your purse in two hands or close to your body under your coat. at the sign of trouble, loud noise, cars where they don't belong, get off the sidewalk, get off the street. >> reporter: we don't know why it's happened here and now. some are pointing to legislation that downgrades the penalty for this kind of crime. others are pointing to copy cat attacks and the internet. many of the goods are on sale on fringe websites. >> erin, thank you so much. with me now is retired seattle police chief and analyst carmen best. it's great to have you. california in particular did change the laws to make low level crimes like stealing not as -- the time for them not as long or the punishment not as hard. part of the reason is because there's overcrowding in jails. do you see this as the issue that's fueling the rise in the smash-and-grab thefts? >> well, there's a lot of things to consider here. we know, for example, that each year about $65 billion worth of merchandise is stolen through criminal organized gangs. so this is not necessarily new, but now we are seeing this trend where these flash criminal mobs are coming through as well. and we do know that there are ways that we can combat this. now that we're seeing this trend, not only in california but it's also happened in chicago and other places in the country. that there's a combined effort for law enforcement to work with retailers to ensure that they have better safety mechanisms in place, that they provide undercover officers in high-end retail stores, that they do intelligence and they gather information, because it is organized. and that they're able to get people in custody further up the chain, if you will, than the young folks they have out there doing the smash-and-grabs. prosecution is a part of that. prosecution is a big part of that. if they don't feel like they're going to be prosecuted, they're more inclined to continue. >> if you don't feel like the punishment is that strong or stiff, you don't feel like you're risking as much. >> right. >> that being said, this is an organized crime issue, and how do you get it to stop? what is the solution? i mean, it sounds like if it's organized crime, that we're going to be dealing with this for quite a while. >> it could be. once we get people in custody and start getting some of the master minds behind it in custody, obviously that will have an impact on what's occurring here. a lot of ways to do that. gathering intelligence, tracking cell phones, tracking vehicles. and other mechanisms to get additional information to get further up the chain, so to speak, of where these houses are occurring and who is master mining the plot. >> we talk about the black market where folks are selling the items. it's not just the black market. define the black market, number one, but there's also talk that a lot of this stuff ends up on popular sites that you and i use all the time. not necessarily just a guy on a street corner selling stuff that came out of a warehouse or the back of a truck. >> yeah. that's true. some of the products end uppen, there's a proliferation of places where they're figuring out how to sell them. sometimes unwittingly people purchase the products. there has to be a coordinated effort through law enforcement retailers to go after the folks who are master mining the thefts. >> certainly scary to be there when this stuff happens. scary to work in one of those stores as well. chief, thank you so much for joining us. we appreciate it. happy holidays to you. >> thank you. you too, happy holidays. >> thank you. coming up next, help wanted. red suit and white beard required. and forgot where she was. you can always spot a first time gain flings user. ♪ as someone who resembles someone else, i appreciate that liberty mutual knows everyone's unique. that's why they customize your car insurance, so you only pay for what you need. 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>> reporter: from the silver screen -- >> oh, my god! i know him. >> reporter: to holiday jingles. ♪ santa claus is coming to town ♪ >> reporter: santa claus is synonymous with the joy of christmas and time with him a tried and true childhood tradition. >> would you like to see by santa? >> reporter: this year st. nick may not be coming to town. the u.s. labor shortage stretching as far as the north pole. >> we've never seen the demand or the shortage of santas like we're doing this year. >> reporter: mitch allen is head of hire santa, a company that provides christmas characters to stores and event nationwide. >> ho ho ho! >> reporter: he says while the demand for santas has surged, the number of available kris kringles has dropped by double digits. tell me why we're seeing less available santas. >> you can say imagine santa claus entertainers are at high risk for negative consequences if they catch covid. >> reporter: this man is among those sitting it out because of temporary health issues. i know you have to stay home this year. are you excited to get back at it next year? >> i want it so bad, i miss it. the kids need santa. especially this time of year. >> reporter: with santas in short supply, some families are making reservations weeks in advance to see him. >> it's a family tradition. we believe in santa. >> we didn't get to do it last year because of covid. so we were excited to experience it with him, finally, this year. >> reporter: when visiting santa's village you'll likely find covid safety protocols. >> tell me what you wanted for christmas. >> a "star wars" lego set. >> reporter: at the glendale galleria outside los angeles, santa is vaccinated. kids can sit six feet away or next to him but not on his knee. masks are required for those over 2 years old. exceptions can be made for the picture but that's up to the customer. >> safety is the number one thing for our guests first and foremost. their level of comfort and how they feel about the santa experience is what matters the most. >> reporter: for this 3 1/2-year-old, this was the the holiday highlight. what did you think? >> i like it. >> reporter: the pandemic reshaping holiday celebrations. but santa's message steadfast. what is your christmas wish for this year? >> i would love people to be happy. and to be safe. >> reporter: industry experts say if you're having trouble pinning down santa for your event, consider hosting mrs. claus or elves to bring that festive spirit. if you're set on seeing santa in the mall, a lot of locations offer online reservations. katy, just be sure to book yours early. >> it is worth it. and i'll show you request. look what i found in a box in my basement. that's me on the right. my husband on the left. and one day you'll have these photos and you'll be able to put them up in your house. they're cute. i think they look like they were meant to be. anyway, coming up in the next hour of "msnbc reports," crunch time at the capitol as our friends at punchbowl put it. rest up for a mess of a december in washington, oh, joy. and we'll explore the buy nothing project. i love this. millions of people have joined this group. what are they? 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