his considerable political and legislative skills far from the spotlight. during his time in the senate he pushed through the passage of obama care as well as the sweeping economic stimulus after the great recession and new rules governing wall street. a one-time amateur boxer he could bob and weave on the political stage as well. and tonight the current majority leader chuck schumer wrote this. harry reid was one of the most amazing individuals i've ever met. he never forgot where he came from and used those boxing instincts to fearlessly fight those who were hurting the poor and middle class. schumer has ordered flags at the capitol lowered to half staff. we'll have more on harry reid's legacy just ahead. our other big story tonight continues to be omicron. the latest variant converging with the delta strain to drive covid infections to a new record in this country today. the latest cdc data showing the seven day average of new cases topping 250,000 per day. as of this afternoon shattering the previous high of some 248,000 cases nearly a year ago. this ongoing surge is hitting as we near the end of year two of an exhausting battle with covid, the virus now everywhere. that is challenging officials from the white house all the way down to the local level. yet as of tonight slightly less than 62% of all americans are fully vaccinated. fewer than 38% of those fully vaccinated are boosted. today the cdc said omicron represents roughly 59% of all covid cases in the united states. that is a very big change from last week when the agency had the number at 73%. there is also growing pushback to the cdc's latest guidance reducing the isolation period for people who test positive but show no symptoms to five days down from ten. critics say this evolving message isn't confusing, it's dangerous. >> the cdc should be loud and clear about implementation here because no worker should be forced to come to work when they are still sick. that is i believe what we are going to see here. we are very concerned about that. >> it is only going to lead to more illness, more cases. this is when you should be tightening your controls not lessening them. >> tonight dr. fauci was back on tv defending the cdc decision. >> what happens is you are isolated for five days. then if you are still asymptomatic at the end of the five days you can go out and do your job and re-enter society hopefully getting functions of society normal but you have to wear a mask. early in infection for the first several days you have more likelihood to have a high level of virus and to be capable of spreading it. as you get into the second half of the dane period we know that the virus in general not for every single 100% of the people but for most of the time for most of the people that level of virus diminishes to the point where the cdc feels and i don't disagree with them at all that wearing a mask is ample protection during that second half of a ten-day period. when you balance that against the importance of trying to get people back functioning in society, of course the alternative is something that no one wants. that's to shut down completely. >> when it comes to saving lives hospitals on the front lines are bracing for an expected surge of covid patients in the weeks to come. many are already seeing a steady rise in covid admissions. the administration is preparing to deploy a thousand u.s. service members to help medical staff at hospitals nationwide. hospitals are also facing a rapid increase in the number of children admitted for covid. nbc news reports that in the last four weeks the average number of children hospitalized with covid is up 52%. five states -- florida, illinois, new jersey, new york, and ohio are reporting the most admissions. also tonight the house select committee investigating the january 6 capitol riot has struck a deal with the white house to stand down on some of the documents requested from the trump administration. the "new york times" notes the agreement, quote, does not represent a major policy shift for the administration. president biden still rejects former president donald trump's claim that all internal white house documents pertaining to the riot be withheld on the grounds of executive privilege. "the times" adds the trump records involved in the agreement were ones the biden white house deemed sensitive or unrelated to the investigation. there is also news about the criminal investigation into the pro trump mob that carried out the siege on the capitol. today a federal judge, a judge by the way appointed by donald trump, refused to dismiss an indictment charging four alleged leaders of the far right proud boys with conspiring to attack the capitol. judge timothy kelly rejected the defense attorney's arguments that the four are charged with conduct that is protected by the first amendment right to free speech. with that, let's bring in our lead-off guest this tuesday night, philip rucker pulter prize winning senior correspondent for "the washington post," coauthor of the "new york times" best seller "i alone can fix it." the founding director of columbia's national sector for disaster preparedness who advises us on public health. he is also a professor of pediatrics at albert einstein college of medicine. and former u.s. attorney joyce vance who spent 25 years as a federal prosecutor and hosts the podcast, "sisters in law" along with others. good to see all of you. we again seem to be at the receiving end of confusing messaging from the cdc and biden administration as they try to combat this omicron variant. what do you think is going on here? could we be doing better? >> we could. there is a continued amount of confusion because the science or data coming in is causing changes in how we're managing people who are positive. the messaging is very confusing. they need to get their act together. i understand the science. it is basically what dr. fauci said which is the point you get infected yourself and would be positive you would be able to carry that infection a few days before and after. once you've been positive and you've waited five days, you are now okay to go out and about without getting another test as long as you continue to wear face masks especially indoors. that is the sum and substance. >> so what you are saying is you are confident the science is leading this? i'm thinking as i'm coming into work and broadway shows are shut down, hugh jackman tested positive for covid. he is on broadway now. it is about the science and not too much about the economy even though we heard the acknowledgment from dr. fauci that is part of it, too? >> right. and the question is is it entirely 100% public health science? no and it never can be. there is a bit of the economy concern and the politics a bit inserted. but we have to get it straightened out so you and i and everyone watching and the public can understand what are the rules we have to follow? the other thing, chris, is the cdc must do a better job in explaining, in giving caveats. we're making a policy change but folks we're getting more information and maybe next week we'll have to change it. right now here is what we are recommending. people are not comfortable with uncertainty. i'm not and i'm sure most people aren't in this situation but we have to get used to it unfortunately. >> we heard this earlier from the republican governor of arkansas. >> it's not a time for shutdowns. it's not a time for repressive measures. let's work our way through it and all survive together to keep the economy going at the same time addressing the urgent need of our work force and our increased vaccinations. >> it feels to a lot of people like, philip, that it is the shift, the feeling that covid is with us, here to stay. we have to maneuver, figure out how to live with it and not ruin the economy. is that the whitehouse strategy here? what are you hearing? >> chris, the political strategists inside the white house are well aware of the peril for president biden and for the democratic party because there is simply not an appetite among the american people for a return to what everyone experienced in the early months of the pandemic in the spring of 2020. the lockdowns, shutdowns, the continuing work from home, the restaurants being closed. now that the economy has largely reopened and we've survived sort of the delta variant and trying to move our way through the omicron variant, there is a real desire around the country especially when you get out of the major cities like new york and washington to push through to try to safeguard against people getting sick and hospitalized and ill of course but not to shut things down. that could eventually come into conflict with some of the scientific findings. one of the dangers i think for the biden white house and the administration right now is convincing the american people that all of these decisions being made are based purely on the science which is of course what biden campaigned on. he said he would be governed by the science in the covid strategy and these are not political or economic motivated decisions. >> it said that many times since. doctor, i'm very curious how concerned you are about what seems to be a pretty dramatic increase in children hospitalized with covid. we mentioned five states in particular. i mean, for example you have a lot of school system including here in new york city the nation's largest opening back up within days. >> well, chris, we spent a long time in the middle and early month of this pandemic thinking children were relatively free from the major complications and impact of covid-19. what we are seeing now with very dramatic increases in the number of children who get sick and the number of children testing positive and being hospitalized we have to kind of keep reassessing where we are in the state with respect to the state of the safety of children. i think we'll probably be okay but it is way too early to make a definitive -- get a definitive understanding about will children continue to remain relatively safe. i worry about it. i don't know where we're going yet. >> much more we could talk about. i want to talk about this agreement between the biden administration and the january 6th committee over former president trump's white house records. i wonder how you see this fitting into the big picture. is this in any way a setback for the committee's investigation. does it mean anything concerning trump's appeal to the supreme court to shield his records. what do you make of it? >> well, it sounds pretty alarming when you hear the biden white house has reached out to the committee and asked them to relinquish their request for some of these documents but ultimately this is not really a problem of any type and not significant. won't have impact for instance on the supreme court case. what happened is fairly typical when you as a lawyer, investigator, prosecutor write a request for documents you write it broadly and that is what the committee did here. apparently some of their requests were drafted broadly enough that they reached beyond documents that would have reflected events on january 6th in connection with the insurrection and the over running of the capitol building and some of these documents stumbled into national security territory. and, chris, you can imagine this pretty readily when you request documents for instance from the pentagon on january 6th there were other event besides the insurrection occurring. some could have involved the intelligence community, the military, and national security events. now the biden white house is simply saying your requests are a little overbroad. let's not dip into national security. >> we're also getting more detailed information about the progress of the january 6 committee. more than 300 witnesses have been interviewed. 35,000 pages of records they've gotten so far. they say they have about 250 plus substantive tips, two and a half criminal referrals. 52 subpoenas sent. they have spent so far about $418,000 through the end of september. i look at the numbers. they seem big, it seemed impressive but i've never run an investigation. from your perspective what do these numbers represent to you? >> well, it is pretty impressive. i like the 2.5 criminal referrals. of course that reflects the fact they voted out of committee but have not taken to the floor one of the referrals for a doj witness who they are still trying to work a deal with. these numbers are impressive. the numbers of witnesses and what the committee has reviewed in a relatively short period of time as it ramped up really does give you a sense that they are looking broadly at the issues. likely more important is what we're not seeing, what is being done with all of this information, the way evidence is being put together to understand what happened on january 6th. we hear that the committee is following the money and there's a lot of indication here there is some work being done for instance with forensic accountants. we'll have to wait until the committee hold its public hearings next year but i think this will rival the work of the 9/11 commission in terms of telling the american public the true story the facts about what happened on january 6th. >> we have to talk about harry reid. i want to read what president obama said tonight about him. here's what i want you to know. you were a great leader in the senate and early on you were more generous to me than i had any right to expect. i wouldn't have been president had it not been for your encouragement and support and i wouldn't have gotten most of what i got done without your skill and determination. most of all you've been a good friend. as different as we are i think we both saw something of ourselves in each other. a couple of outsiders who had defied the odds and knew how to take a punch and cared about the little guy. and you know what? we made for a pretty good team. i think you and i both covered the obama administration and i think when historians talk about obama's successes, they will include how harry reid was instrumental in so many ways. what do you see as his legacy? >> chris, he is an american original. he grew up from humble origins in tiny search light, nevada and made his way to washington. he had to fight for everything he got. he made his way through law school at george washington university here by working as a u.s. capitol police officer and then of course climbed the ranks in the senate. it was dovetailed with the obama rise. reid became majority leader as obama had arrived in the senate and then quietly encourage obama to run for the democratic nomination for president at a time when most democratic leaders were rallying behind hillary clinton because he saw potential in obama. you know, reid was a fierce partisan. he fought for the democratic party. he loved nothing more than getting in mitch mcconnell's way and blocking republicans but he did so not merely to amass power but to enact historical change and historians will remember the work he did in the first two years of the obama presidency as transformational. the affordable care act, economic stimulus, dodd/frank returns on wall street. don't ask don't tell being revoked as policy at the military and we could go on. it was quite a record of achievement and a lot of former colleagues in the senate are missing him tonight. >> he was on this network, very ill in the end, but on this network in the fall and october and i want to play what he had to say about the filibuster. >> get rid of the filibuster. it is nothing as barack obama said at john lewis's funeral it is part of the left overs from the days of the slave owners. got to get rid of it. it is very, very bad. >> tell us what you really think, harry reid. you know, phil, just about an hour ago on the network chuck schumer said he is going to move ahead with trying to change the rules of the senate. harry reid again being felt years after he left. >> i think that is right and i think senator reid knows what is at stake in this country. he knows this you could argue is a national emergency moment for american democracy. it is fragile, institutions were tested, reid spoke out about that during the trump presidency. i think he is thinking ahead to what the next few years could be like if voting rights is not enacted. that is a view shared by a lot of activists in the democratic party but you don't hear the urgency in the message from democratic leaders elected in washington and reid as you just played in the clip there is trying to change or create momentum by the way to try to fortify the institutions here. >> rest in peace, harry reid. his wife put out a beautiful statement. our thoughts are with his family tonight. good to see all of you. thank you. coming up, the supreme court is about to weigh in on a couple crucial cases including one concerning vaccine mandates. neal katyal has made arguments before the court and is standing by. later a look at the struggle between public health and politics and the confusion that comes with mixed messaging. 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>> it is not. ron klain the white house chief of staff is absolutely right in saying the administration shouldn't back down in the face of this supreme court hearing next week. absolutely. this is after all a supreme court, the john roberts court that traditionally defers to the president when national security or public safety is being invoked and most poignantly for me i challenged president trump's banning of muslims the so-called muslim ban and the supreme court 5-4 disagreed saying they had to defer to the president because the president said public safety required this ban. if you can ban muslims in the name of national security undoubtedly you can insist on vaccine mandates. i think it puts the supreme court in its traditional role of deferring to the president when the president says, look. we need this for public safety. >> is there something you might be watching for from the court's six justice conservative majority that would say to you maybe they'll do something different this time? what worries you if anything about the argument that the folks on the other side are making? >> oral argument is kind of a sport, a half hour per side, and would devin cases so tough questions asked of both sides. that is the job of the justices. i think we will be watching for those so-called swing justices, chief justice john roberts as well as brett kavanaugh to see where they are going to land on this issue. i think that, you know, there have been some hostility toward some vaccine mandates at the state level but justices gore such and others but those are about religious exemptions and people saying there is not enough of a religious exemption. the way the white house crafted these vaccine mandates is really different. there is a broad exemption for religious accommodations and the like so it makes it really hard for those justices to attack these biden initiatives before the supreme court now. and so i think we'll hear a lot of tough questions but at the end of the day i think this is a matter in which there is just massively, you know, this is kind of what the presidency is about, protecting the american public. congress has said the osha shall the office of safety and work place safety have the ability to enact emergency legislation or rules when there is grave danger from exposure to substances or agents. that is language congress used. when congress used the words grave danger they weren't talking about undertakers but exactly this. many americans right now are afraid to go to work because they'll be exposed to the virus. that is what osha is designed to stand for and why i think it is not a hard case next week. >> that is even stepped up since this was first filed. so again, that date is on the 7th of january. i also want to ask you about harry reid. i know you had working relationship with him when you were part of the obama administration. you worked on the affordable care act. what do you remember about harry reid? >> something really poignantly after the white house put me in charge of defending the affordable care act in court i did receive a call from senator reid before my first court appearance and he basically said you better win this thing. you know, he fought for the act. he cared a lot about it. to me the thing that i remember is him calling me and saying, look. here's why this is important to me. i grew up in rural nevada. my brother, i think he broke his leg, i can't remember precisely but i think broken his leg as a boy, couldn't get any medical care whatsoever. that is the way they lived. he said to me that is the way a lot of americans are living right now. your job is to go and tell the court that story and why this legislation is so important. in a way that is not that much different than the conversation about the vaccine mandates a moment ago. there's a lot of people suffering. a lot of people afraid to go to work. a lot of people who -- whose voices aren't heard and we finally have a white house standing up and protecting these people. absolutely it is the right of the people to challenge that and plaintiffs but at the end of the day the job of the court to stand for public safety. >> indeed. well said. always good to see you. thank you. coming up, as people line up for covid testing in the nation's capital, we'll get into the frustrating struggle between politics and public safety when the 11th hour continues. because with the right pain reliever... life opens up. aleve it... and see what's possible. ho ho ho! not again. oh no. for the gifts you won't forget. the mercedes-benz winter event. get a credit toward your first month's payment on select models. one of my favorite supplements is qunol turmeric. turmeric helps with healthy joints and inflammation support. unlike regular turmeric supplements qunol's superior absorption helps me get the full benefits of turmeric. the brand i trust is qunol. i've been telling everyone... the secret to great teeth is having healthy gums. crest advanced gum restore. detoxifies below the gumline... and restores by helping heal gums in as little as 7 days. crest. the #1 toothpaste brand in america. nicorette knows, quitting smoking is freaking hard. you get advice like: just stop. go for a run. go for 10 runs! run a marathon. instead, start small. with nicorette. which can lead to something big. start stopping with nicorette. i applaud the president. while we disagree on some strategy issues i do appreciate him depoliticizing this effort. we're all in this together. it doesn't make any difference your partisan stripe. let's get the vaccinations out. there is a greater cohesiveness about the importance of vaccinations now than ever before. >> that is the republican governor of arkansas the president's depoliticization of covid efforts again this afternoon. yet his reference to a greater cohesiveness around vaccinations doesn't really hold up. another republican, wisconsin senator ron johnson, was back spreading damaging vaccine misinformation just last night. >> we all hoped and prayed the vaccines would be a hundred percent effective and safe but they're not. we now know fully vaccinated individuals can catch covid, they can transmit covid. so what's the point? >> we welcome back juanita tolliver a veteran political strategist and our nbc political analyst and veteran political strategist. i think a lot could be said about what the point is but despite governor hutchinson's optimism political affiliation remains one of the best predictors of vaccination status. take a look. a recent economist poll found among unvaccinated americans republicans are three times as likely to democrats to say they'll never get any shots of the covid vaccine. susan, where do we go from here? >> no one knows at this point. if you, at this point people know the facts if they choose to look them up and speak to their doctor. when there are individuals who say i don't want the vaccination because of whatever reason you're not going to change their mind and we have to find a way to move beyond them. yes it should be available. these people are causing a clear and present danger to a lot of people who may end up in the hospital who need surgeries that are going to get postponed because hospitalizations are up around the country. and i just, when you look at donald trump getting booed for talking about vaccinations i think these people are unreachable. there is a "new york times" study, well, they looked at counties around the country and the data shows that in about one in every ten counties death rates have more than doubled since vaccinations started. many of those are in heavily republican areas. you know, is there really any political fall out for saying the kinds of things that ron johnson is saying or is there in fact political gain? >> definitely no fall out among republicans. i appreciate susan mentioning trump's statement. while he was booed at that crowd keep in mind it was him who started the lies and misinformation from the white house as soon as the pandemic started. so that just shows how heavy an impact that has on voters. i think there is no blowback for people like senator johnson and sadly governor hutchinson might face more. the reality is fully tracking what research showed month ago when the vaccine was widely available as republicans dug their heels in and stood beside the misinformation. back then the assumption was okay maybe if their lives are impacted by covid, their family members are, they'll change their minds. 800,000 people in this country dead from this virus, we're still seeing this resurge. i think the economist poll said 30% of republicans are worried about omicron. 30% of republicans are worried about or know someone who has died or lost their life in this pandemic but still won't get vaccinated. i think the white house has a massively uphill battle to combat and counter act the misinformation. yes, keep the vaccines widely available but in addition to the public service information they're releasing you have to combat the misinformation actively and consistently. >> susan, ongoing criticism about confusion most recently caused by what many see as the latest poor messaging from the cdc or changing their tune about how much, how many of the infections are attributable to omicron is it fair or political? we're changing guidance with an unpredictable pandemic. >> it is okay to say based on the science we know today and things may change. you tell me the difference or how the average person is supposed to know the difference between quarantine and isolation. five days testing if you have symptoms what your symptoms are. there needs to be clear cut lines when talking about science. we have been told all along, follow the science. now we're hearing, well, follow the science but. that doesn't work. and then when you top that with the lack of testing we have and that this administration really should have been geared up on testing like most other countries are in the world to put emphasis on testing and we have not, those two things in one week is a real one-two shot to people and trusting government right now. >> juanita and susan are staying with us. just ahead the political stakes are high as the investigation into the january 6th committee-into january 6th comes to the more public phase. we'll explain. congress may be on winter recess but the january 6 committee reportedly plans to ring in the new year with a more public approach to the investigation. as "the washington post" reports the rough timeline discussed among senior committee staffers includes public hearings starting this winter and stretching into spring followed by an interim report in the summer and a final report ahead of november's elections. that approach may prove popular with the american people. the bulwark pulled together a focus group of trump to biden voters from swing states. as one wisconsin voter put it, people need to be held accountable. that was a terrible day in our history. you know, that focus group also found the antics of anti-january 6 republicans don't seem to be gaining a lot of support. do you think folks like marjorie taylor greene, matt gate, paul gosar think they can attract new voters or are they just playing to their base? >> they're just playing to their base. i don't think they are in any position to attract voters. as a matter of fact i think kevin mccarthy is worried about them turning off voters because they are not the voice of most republicans right now within the gop. they are the extreme extremists. yes, there are still a lot of extremes. i won't play that down. but they're really the looney tunes of the bunch. they are the worst messengers for 2022. that being said, i think that the select committee need to be a little careful on releasing timelines and promising things to the public because we know they're not very good when it comes to self-imposed deadlines. so i think they need to be careful there. >> so, juanita, let's asuper the public hearings are going forward and i think there is a general feeling they have a lot of information there to sort of put out the narrative of exactly what happened based on information in real time. we have texts, you know, we have phone calls, etcetera. is it likely to change any minds? maybe does that matter? the important thing to put it on the record? >> well, as we saw from that focus group, it absolutely will have an impact on those swing voters because this public hearing, these open opportunities to reach the public is the opportunity for the select committee to bring the drama, to bring the theater, to bring it to the public because we know that people are not watching their work day in and day out as closely as we are. so getting to the heart of the american public and making sure they can have a clear picture of who tested whom, who called whom, what was said and when, and said by whom, is critical. because that's what they want to be in the fronts of voters' minds. i also point out that the other big deliverable from that focus group was we want accountability and we want to make sure this never happens again. and so they are looking for that tangible referral whether for criminal charges to the doj or otherwise. and what would be more tangible and concrete than referring a former president in trump to the doj for some criminal prosecution? that is what people want to see happen because they recognize if nothing happens, if no one is held accountable, this absolutely could happen again and we will likely not be able to survive as a democracy. >> susan, robert riesh published a klum today on the true meaning of january 6. this is part of what he wrote. the republican party is close to becoming a cult whose central animating idea is that the 2020 election was stolen from trump. is he right? is it a case of are you kidding we're already there? >> we're already there. and what's worse is i think this cult has moved even beyond donald trump. i don't think he controls it. i don't think they're worshiping him. they found a place for frankly their hatred and they're getting together in spite of donald trump now because he doesn't have the voice that he once had. but they are active. they are planning. they are extreme and putting up the most extreme candidates possible for 2022. >> before i let you go, juanita, i want to ask you about harry reid. i don't know if you had a chance to hear what neal katya had to say. it is similar to a lot of statements. yes how much he accomplished for progressive causes, so many things he was able to help presidents get done. and yet it is his uniquely american story. in some ways even more compelling when you realize this is somebody who grew up not just in poverty but in the nevada desert without any indoor plumbing and neal katya was talking about how his brother broke his leg and it wasn't possible to have health care. what are your thoughts tonight on harry reid? >> senator reid was a legend. he is a legend. i keep coming back to his parting words when he left the senate and left congress. he said, be proud of who you are because you cannot escape who you are. and he truly overcame so much. but he didn't abandon it. he used it as a motivator and driving force for his leadership style and his fervent desire to deliver for the people. we saw it come through landmark legislation time after time. he stayed true to himself. i really appreciate president obama's statement when he said not bad for a poor skinny kid. i think that gets to the heart of who senator reid was and what will be at the core of his legacy. >> and certainly, susan, republicans learned just how formidible he could be, that former boxer. >> yes they did. it reminds me a lot of what we heard about when senator dole passed away. these were fierce, political competitors, but also had heart and also knew they had to work for the public good. we just don't see enough of that now. >> we also saw the other side giving credit where credit was due a lot more than we ever do now. our thanks to juanita tolliver and susan for being with us tonight. coming up we'll update the challenges getting here to there during the holidays when "the 11th hour" continues. stem your body needs a routine. centrum helps your immune defenses every day, with vitamin c, d and zinc* season after season. ace your immune support with centrum. now with a new look! aleve-x. it's fast, powerful long-lasting relief with a revolutionary, rollerball design. because with the right pain reliever... life opens up. aleve it... and see what's possible. when it comes to autism, finding the right words can be tough. finding understanding doesn't have to be. together, we can create a kinder, more inclusive world for the millions of people on the autism spectrum. go to autismspeaks.org do you struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep? 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[cheering] that was awesome. and, the hits won't quit, with peacock premium included at no additional cost. all that entertainment built in. xfinity. a way better way to watch. well, i hate to be the bearer of bad news but travel nightmare continues. first it was getting to grandma's house for christmas. now airlines are con tibd to force to cancel thousands of flights as many travelers are trying to get home. winter weather continues grounding hundreds if not thousands more. nbc news correspondent steve patterson has our report. >> reporter: tonight a travel nightmare forecasted for thousands of americans making the long journey home. more than a thousand flights canceled just today. >> we've been in an airport since about 7:30 this morning. >> reporter: in seattle snow and frigid temperatures putting the airport at the top of an unenviable list, the most cancellations in the world. >> we're actually on the plane. >> at the gate. >> for two and a half hours. >> reporter: in northern california, a 51-year december sierra snowfall record shattered. thousands left without power. major highways still shut down causing massive traffic jams as officials scramble to clear the roads. residents trying their best to shovel out. >> it is rough because when you come home to this many feet of snow it is days and days of digging out. >> reporter: authorities there on a desperate search for a 43-year-old skier missing since christmas, his family praying >> i do have hope but it is definitely going to be a miracle. >> reporter: meanwhile the south is seeing soaring temperatures. forecasters say at least 70 daily record highs could be set by the end of the week. >> this is like a gift from the heavens after the freeze last year. >> reporter: and this week officials worried about even more damage. heavy rain and thunderstorms predicted to hit the same region where just three weeks ago an historic tornado outbreak took more than 90 lives. extreme weather in all corners of the country and it is not done with the west coast. another system is moving in expected to dump another 2 feet of snow on the region. back to you. >> thanks so much for that report. coming up, remembering a true multi generational legend. when "the 11th hour" continues. such tree-mendous views. i'm at a moss for words. when a cough tries to steal dad's punchlines, he takes robitussin naturals powered by 100% drug-free ingredients. are you gonna leaf me hanging? soothe your cough naturally. ♪ baby got back by sir mix-a-lot ♪ unlimited cashback match... only from discover. ho ho ho! not again. oh no. for the gifts you won't forget. the mercedes-benz winter event. get a credit toward your first month's payment on select models. the last thing before we go tonight, the passing of nfl coaching and broadcasting legend john madden at 85. his success as a coach included a record-setting win-loss record and a super bowl victory. but after that, in the broadcast booth, he was a singular sensation. when he got excited, we got excited. and he got excited a lot. as if winning 16 emmys wasn't enough, for many of a certain generation, he may be best known for the madden video game that became a cultural phenomenon. in a 2013 interview madden's former broadcast partner al michaels was quoted as saying, john madden is as important as anybody in the history of football. a fox sports documentary about madden's many achievements was just recently released. here is some of what is included. >> football is my life. it's something i say proudly. but it's complicated. >> you can't write the history of professional football without john madden. >> the hands. >> yelling and screaming at guys. >> what are you trying to do? >> a coaching genius. >> downhill, full speed. >> you can't win 'em all. i say what the hell can't you? >> as head coach you live and die. >> you don't stay on top forever. >> his retirement signals the end of an era and perhaps the end of a dynasty. >> we didn't know what he was going to do >> i wasn't the guy when i was coaching to say i want to be a broadcaster. >> but i knew after i did the first couple games that that's what i wanted to do. this is it. i embraced it. >> john does a rehearsal game with another young, aspiring broadcaster by the name of bob costas. >> how high is the shot? >> you look like a 12-year-old kid. i don't know what's going on there. >> pull to the right. boom. >> john had this energy. cbs saw something they hadn't seen before. >> john madden made me a better player. i was pretty good. he just made me better. simple as that. >> i think the audience perceives what is genuine. that's who he is. the same guy who just happens to have extraordinary football knowledge. >> he made everyone want to watch football. >> if you just heard his voice in the distance. >> hi i'm john madden. >> that was a tv you had to run to. >> you know, he coached with a passion and love for the game. he went into broadcasting, changed the way football was broadcast if not greater sports. >> some things just go together. >> he changed the way america celebrates thanksgiving for crying out loud. >> now, this is what the game of football is all about. >> his love of the game was indeed contagious. that is our broadcast for this tuesday night. with our thanks for being with us on behalf of all of my colleagues at the networks of nbc news, good night. rachel has the night off and we start tonight with that very important breaking news. you know, one of the things that was almost most surprising about the former-senate majority leader harry reid was just how quiet he was. in fact, during interviews, it was not uncommon to be almost unable to hear him. that's how soft spoken he actually was. but there was another side to harry reid in all this. in fact, in the late 1970s, harry reid was the chair of the nevada gaming commission overseeing the state's very important casinos. now, this is the story of a man who tried to bribe him from a new yorker profile back