more are expected as pilots and flight attendants get sidelined by covid. jetblue tells nbc news it is proactively canceling more than 1,200 flights through january, heading off the wave of sickouts, all fueled by another record in new cases. the u.s. is now averaging nearly 300,000 new infections a day. but with home testing kits still in short supply and hours-long waits to get a pcr test, there is a consensus that that 300,000 number is well short of the true number of daily cases. yes, cases are spiking, at a dizzying rate. but, and this is a big "but," the caseload is not matching an equally dizzying hospitalization rate. new cases up 60% in the past week. new hospitalizations up 14%. and covid-related deaths are actually down, that's right, down, by 7%. we are not in the same place as we were in march 2020. there are vaccines and boosters along with promising data about that much-maligned j&j shot. there are antivirus. and we have masks, high quality ones. so let us keep that in mind, that is, unless you're planning on going on a cruise. the cdc announcing just moments ago americans should not go on a cruise regardless of vaccination status. my apologies to my cruise-happy husband. let us bring in our nbc news reporters. antonia hylton in greenwich, connecticut. we're joined by dr. esther chu, a professor at the center for policy research in emergency research. antonia, what are you seeing in connecticut? i know testing is still a big issue. >> that's right, on tuesday, they had a 15% positivity rate. by just yesterday it was just under 18%. and the hope was that today they would launch a statewide effort to give out new testing kits and n95 masks to residents all over the state. 3 million at-home testing kits and 6 million masks was the hope. but the governor had to announce last night that because of supply chain and shipping issues, they weren't able to get those supplies in. and so now all these local governments, these municipalities, don't have the supplies they wanted to have on hand today. and they really wanted them now because everyone is still looking toward new year's, worried that people are going to be spending time inside with friends or family or heading out to big parties and, you know, testing is a major part of having an understanding of what's happening here on the ground in connecticut right now. at institutions like the one behind me here, greenwich hospital, not only are they seeing a spike in the patients coming into the hospital but they're also dealing with a very burned-out staff and they're worried about that workforce getting stretched very thin. take a listen to my conversation with their chief nursing officer about all of this. >> our numbers here remain manageable. but what we're seeing now is a workforce that is getting burned out. they are exhausted. as the chief nursing officer, i'm trying to do everything in my power and that of my nurse leaders to assure that they are supported, that they continue to be resilient. we want to make sure, because they remain dedicated, compassionate, and continue to deliver extraordinary patient care. >> this hospital is testing about 600 to 800 people a day. and while many people are scrambling to find at-home tests here, and they're waiting to find out when these shipments are finally going to arrive and get disbursed, officials, doctors locally are urging people to come to sites like this to get tested before they see anyone in the coming days. >> the covid case number is just extremely high, a super high case number is going to mean an increase in hospitalizations. couple that with the fact that so many people are getting covid-19, you're seeing staffing issues as antonia was just saying, as we said at the top of the show, with the navy going and helping people, the pentagon sending people. gary, talk to me about what you're seeing in dc. >> yeah, we spend a lot of time talking about how critical services will start to be impacted by just the sheer number of people getting coronavirus. that's exactly what we're seeing here in washington, dc. 25% of the people that work at december hospitals across this city are not working today because they have coronavirus. so as a result, and as a response to that, the city is starting a $15 million grant initiative to bring in traveling nurses. traveling nurses to the rescue here in dc to supplement what's happening. $15 million because traveling nurses are expensive, they cost up to $200 per nurse per hour. that really does add up. this is on top of other emergency services that are also seeing issues in staffing. we're seeing more than 300 members of the metropolitan police department not at work today because they have coronavirus. more than 300 members of the fire department not at work today because they have coronavirus. so this is really becoming a real problem. katy? >> dr. chu, let's talk about j&j, the vaccine. a lot of people not so happy with the j&j vaccine for a while, there was a lot of talk about side effects that it would have and there were questions about how effective it was. a new study, though, out today saying that perhaps the j&j vaccine is more effective against omicron and severe disease than the other, the booster at least, than the other shots. >> yeah, i think, katy, this is an exciting study. it provides real world data of how the j&j vaccine with a booster might perform. this is a look at nearly 70,000 health care workers in south africa who got an initial single shot of j&j and six months later received a booster shot and looked at how that worked in terms of vaccine effectiveness in preventing hospitalizations. they found the effectiveness at preventing hospitalizations increased to 85% one to two months out from the booster. and, you know, again, this is very contemporaneous data. this is in the omicron era. so it provides a lot of confidence for how j&j may perform right now. and of course here in the united states, the standard, the recommendation has been to follow up a j&j with an mrna vaccine. but that is not practical for much of the globe, because of the storage requirements for mrna. so to restore faith in j&j over the most serious outcome is an extraordinary thing. and hopefully will even be relevant to people in the united states who cannot get mrna vaccines for some reason. >> dr. choo, we're learning israel has approved a fourth vaccine dose for those most vulnerable. israel has been the lead for how we treat covid-19 because their entire population is a data set for pfizer to see how the pfizer drug is doing. when should -- or should we expect to see that at some point here in the united states? >> yeah, that may come. i wouldn't be surprised if we see a fourth dose. or if a booster becomes part of the routine response to covid the way that the flu vaccine is. but we have to be careful in waiting for the data and also understanding what it is that we're trying to do with our vaccination program. we are not going to vaccinate our way out of any infections. that's not what vaccines are necessarily designed to do. but we want to make sure we keep our eye on the ball, which is preventing severe hospitalizations and death. so i think we wait to see what the data shows about the outcomes that matter. >> that's such a good point, and we have to remind people of that, the vaccines were great, they avoided a lot of infections for other waves of the virus but they were never intended to make it so that nobody ever got this disease, they were intended to keep you out of the hospital and keep you from dying. on that point, the vaccines are incredibly effective. in fact when we're looking at this omicron wave, the staggering. for caseloads. they're up a little bit for hospitalizations. but the average number of daily deaths, dr. choo, is down 7%. explain that to us. >> well, there's a number of things going on here. first of all, we're not seeing the tail of omicron yet. this is really new to us. it takes a while to see the full extent of hospitalizations and deaths. so a big caveat that we need more time to really understand how serious omicron is going to be here in the united states. but it could be that omicron overall is milder. it also could be we've reached a certain level with vaccinations that we're going to blunt the full effect of omicron. and i will say, of all these hospitalizations, we're talking about, talking to my colleagues across the nation, we're largely seeing unvaccinated people in the hospital. so any level of vaccination works. those with boosters appear to be having really mild disease. where we're lagging is in our young people getting vaccinated. so for the 5 to 10-year-olds, only 20% have gotten vaccinated. for all pediatric populations who are eligible up to the age of 17, we've only vaccinated about a third. so we're going to see that children are more vulnerable to getting covid and getting ill from covid and the number one thing we can do right now is to improve those numbers so that we can get back to school and stay there. >> for those who might be a little worried about getting their kid a shot, who might not just be sure even though they have a shot themselves, dr. choo, very quickly, have there been any adverse reactions to kids getting shots? >> the safety profile has been incredibly reassuring. that was true when we had small numbers in the early studies. but now we have mobilized the vaccines across tens of millions of children and the safety profile has been incredibly robust. i have four kids, i felt very good, even with one kid who has very dramatic reactions to vaccines in general, i felt very good taking them in and getting their covid vaccines and their reactions were minimal. so a lot of reassurance for parents with young kids. >> gary grumbach, antonia hylton, and dr. choo, thank you very much. more snow is headed to the pacific northwest just days after the last storm. that means icy conditions for parts of california, washington, oregon, and nevada, again. and the southeast is also experiencing hail and getting ready for possible tornadoes. this time the severe storms are avoiding kentucky. georgia and alabama do have warnings in place. meteorologist michelle grossman is here. michelle, what can we expect? >> hi there, katy. we have winter weather in the west, spring-like weather, 70s and 80s in the southeast, and we're tracking some storms in the southeast as well. we have avoid from alabama, a roof being torn off. we had stormy weather through the overnight hours. this morning we even had a tornado watch that expired right around 6:00 a.m. a lot of destruction there. that's the biggest threat right now, these really gusty, dangerous winds. let's look at what's happening right now in terms of radar. you can see it lit up in the southeast. we're looking at a lot of rain and we're looking at heavy rain. where you see the darker colors, lightning associated with these storms, flashes on the radar. also it's moving very slowly and over the same area. so flash flooding is going to be a concern, is a concern, and continues to be a concern through the next several hours, afternoon and evening. so this is what it looks like in terms of what we're expecting over the next several hours. we're under a slight risk for severe storms. we could see gusty winds, hail, and even the chance of a few tornadoes. by tomorrow that threat sort of moves to the north. it expands also. so dallas, little rock, memphis, nashville, slight risk of severe storms, gusty winds. large hail, we saw hail as big as golf balls overnight and a few tornadoes are possible as well. that threat continues into saturday and sunday. so, tough travel for many over the next few days. now, this is part of the puzzle. very warm air in the southeast is a fuel for these storms. we have a cold front moving through, that's a trigger that should ignite these storms. 82 degrees in baton rouge today, 21 degrees above normal. 66 in nashville. so many records have been broken over the past few days. we'll continue to break the records. this warmth expands tomorrow, as far north as pittsburgh. we're near 60 degrees, that's 16 above normal, and 80 degrees in new orleans, 84 in houston. it's new year's eve, certainly feeling toasty there. we do have winter in the country, or it's back to the west. 26 million people impacted. a ton of advisories, watches, warning. we even have a flood watch in los angeles county. we've seen rain after rain, hours of rain in los angeles county causing lots of problems at the airport there. the good news is we'll see it lessen overnight and we'll be better off in terms of the rainfall in los angeles tomorrow. we'll still see snow falling in feet in some spots in the west. in terms of your holiday hub impacts, we're looking at some slowdowns in charlotte, los angeles, phoenix. this is weather-wise. friday, towards new year's eve, we'll expand those to major impacts in some hubs. >> weather-wise, not to mention the covid sickouts cancelling flights across the nation. michelle, thank you very much. ahead, five killings in nine days. after years of decline, lethal force by the los angeles police department is on the rise once again. president biden is about to meet with vladimir putin for the second time this month. can they find a way to reduce tensions around russia's military buildup at the ukrainian border? but first, the jury found ghislaine maxwell guilty. does justice end there, though? i could use some help showing the world how liberty mutual customizes their car insurance. ow! i'm ok! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ only in theaters december 17th. johnson & johnson ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ is the world's largest healthcare company. building a future where cancers can be cured. strokes can be reversed. joints can be 3-d printed. and there isn't one definition of what well feels like. there are millions. we're using our world to make your world a world of well. snacking can mean that pieces get stuck under mike's denture. but super poligrip gives him a tight seal. to help block out food particles. so he can enjoy the game. super poligrip. when you have xfinity, you have entertainment built in. which is kind of nice. ah, what is happening. binge-watching is in the bag, when you find all your apps, all in one place. find live sports faster just by using your voice... sports on now. touchdown irish! [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. it's mind-boggling. it still hasn't dawned on me that justice is finally being served. the thought of spending the rest of your life behind bars, you must understand, she destroyed so many hundreds if not thousands of other women, young women and children. you know, so i'm pleased that she'll never be out again, ever, to hurt anybody else. >> survivors of jeffrey epstein's alleged abuse are reacting today to the verdict. a jury in new york found his former girlfriend ghislaine maxwell guilty of abusing girls. epstein committed suicide in jail. nbc's kathy park joins us from new york city. so cathy, ghislaine maxwell was found guilty of five of the six counts. >> reporter: that's right, ghislaine maxwell is back in a federal detention cell today. when the verdict was read, she had very little emotion. she sat still and was stoic. this after a mere month-long trial filled with explicit and emotional testimony from her accusers. ghislaine maxwell, the former jet-setting companion of jeffrey epstein,is waking up a convicted sex offender who could spend the rest of her life behind bars. after five full days of deliberations, a jury found the socialite guilty of five out of six federal charges including the most serious, sex trafficking of a minor. >> a unanimous jury has found ghislaine maxwell guilty of one of the worst crimes imaginable, facilitating and participating in the sexual abuse of children. >> reporter: the jury of six men and six women heard emotional and graphic testimony from four accusers who say maxwell groomed them for sexual abuse by epstein when they were just teenagers. the women also accusing maxwell of sometimes participating in the abuse herself, an allegation maxwell has denied. one of the accusers wrote in a statement, i am so relieved and grateful that the jury recognized the pattern of predatory behavior that maxwell engaged in for years. i hope that this verdict brings solace to all who need it and demonstrates that no one is above the law. during the nearly month-long time, prosecutors focused on placing maxwell at the center of epstein's sex trafficking ring between 1994 and 2004, calling her the key to the whole operation. their close relationship unveiled in new photos shown in court. the defense argued maxwell was a government scapegoat, after epstein took his own life in 2019 in a manhattan jail cell awaiting his own sex trafficking trial, saying in closing arguments, she's being tried here for being with jeffrey epstein. maybe that was the biggest mistake of her life, but that was not a crime. >> it's been a long time coming. >> reporter: for virginia roberts giuffre, one of epstein and maxwell's most prominent accusers, who was not part of the trial, the verdict was a step towards justice. >> we were told constantly, you know, these people will never go to jail, they're too powerful, they're too rich. and we live in a new day. it goes to show that, you know, this is not the end. this is just the beginning. >> reporter: and in a statement issued last night from maxwell's family, they said the legal team is already starting the appeal process. meanwhile, we are still waiting for a date for maxwell's sentencing, katy. >> kathy park, thank you very much. i want to bring in former new york federal and state prosecutor tali weinstein. tali, we're awaiting sentencing. can she reduce her sentence somehow? >> she can. it's more common for defendants to do that by cooperating with the government before trial. it's better for prosecutors, they get the information earlier, and it's better for defendants to accept responsibility earlier. it's more favorable to the court. but there is a process called rule 35 whereby she can give information and ask for leniency. >> the question is will she sing, if she testifies about others in jeffrey epstein's orbit, if she tells, how difficult will it be for prosecutors to try those cases? >> katy, the question before will she sing is the question of whether the government at this point will want her to sing. just a couple of things to think about. one is that federal prosecutors only prosecute federal crimes. and so she might have information about crimes that they can't prosecute, things like rape, sexual assault, general are not federal crimes. she's been convicted of different things that involved interstate commerce like trafficking or transporting minors. and so she may not be able to offer these prosecutors something that they can use. that's one consideration. the other is that, you know, generally speaking, there's an unwritten rule that prosecuors want people to cooperate up, not down, to use people's testimony to get people for more serious crimes. we just don't know if she's going to be able to help them do that. i'm sure that they are incredibly interested in talking to her and will approach her, but she may not even ultimately have that opportunity at this point to help herself. >> what does this conviction mean for one of the other high profile cases surrounding this, the civil suit? >> the person who has sued prince andrew, virginia giuffre, was not one of the four girls, now women, who testified and were the subjects of this prosecution. but any evidence that came out here is something that she can use in her civil suit to develop and paint the picture of the predatory behavior that he was participating in and to connect the dots between ghislaine maxwell and prince andrew. so i think this is going to strengthen ms. giuffre's claim. >> tali, thank you so much, and if i may say that is a beautiful bookcase. >> thank you, katy. >> sorry to be lookee-loo-ing into your background. >> i'm delighted. happy new year to you. >> happy new year to you. from abortion to guns, a look at the critical cases that will come before the supreme court in 2022. first up, though, president biden is just one hour away from a call with vladimir putin. what the white house has planned amid a mounting crisis at the ukrainian border. 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. we are just about an hour away from a call between president biden and russia's president vladimir putin. the call, according to white house officials, was requested by president putin ahead of scheduled talks between the two countries on january 10th. top of mind is russia's buildup of troops near its border with ukraine. during a video call between the two leaders earlier this month, president biden threatened sanctions for any further aggression while putin called for diminished ties between ukraine and nato. what's going to happen with this call? nbc's richard engel has more on the stakes in the upcoming meeting between the two countries. >> reporter: it has become something of a guessing game among international diplomats, will vladimir putin invade ukraine or not or stage a partial invasion. negotiations have been under way. detailed talks about ukraine are supposed to take place in mid-january. before those talks go forward, vladimir putin said he wants to have one more direct conversation with president biden. once again, president biden and vladimir putin are trying to pull back from the brink of war in ukraine. u.s. officials say this call is at putin's request. they wouldn't speculate why, but added, if putin wants to talk, president biden is ready to engage, and that the u.s. goal is de-escalation. with muddy trenches stretching for miles and fields of land mines, ukraine's border with russia this morning is perhaps the most volatile flashpoint in the world. a military escalation here could trigger the biggest conflict in europe since world war ii. it's an uneven tale of the tape. on one side are u.s. allies ukrainian troops, battle-tested from years of fighting russian-backed separatists. the ukrainian troops are armed with american tank missiles including those recently supplied by washington. when we visited the front a few days ago, ukrainian soldiers told us they couldn't withstand a russian onslaught for long. on the other side of this dangerous border stands the full might of russia's powerful army. despite reports of a russian pullback, a significant force remains in position. presidents biden and putin have already spoken twice about the crisis, in geneva this summer in person, and by video call three weeks ago. president biden has said u.s. troops wouldn't fight russia directly but the u.s. and europe have come up with a battery of new sanctions they claim will cripple russia's economy if it moves further against ukraine. putin's goal for the call is unclear. yesterday he was playing hockey with the president of belarus. the russian leader is in the process of strengthening a political union with belarus and may want to add ukraine to russia's expanding domains. russia says it has no hostile intentions for ukraine and is merely trying to defend itself against nato expansion. u.s. and ukrainian officials do not agree. >> richard engel, thank you very much. i'm joined now by nbc news white house correspondent mike memoli and former undersecretary of state for public diplomacy, member of the biden transition team and msnbc analyst richard stengel. president putin believes he can come to some sort of agreement with president biden. what's the white house saying? >> it's not quite clear what that agreement would look like especially when you consider how deep the divide was when these two leaders spoke a few weeks ago. president biden made it clear that unless russia pulled back from the brink of appearing ready to invade ukraine, if they did that, the u.s. and its allies would impose severe economic sanctions. putin wanted a firm commitment from the u.s. and other allies that ukraine would never be a member of nato, something president biden has said is a nonstarter. putin made it clear in the last few days especially that he wanted to speak directly with president biden if possible. the white house says even if they don't necessarily know what his goal is coming into this, they were willing to take that invitation because president biden believes there's no substitute for these kind of direct conversations. and so the goals are pretty clear from the white house's perspective. they want to impress upon putin the need to de-escalate further. there's been some movement of forces back from the border. but the u.s. clearly wants to see more. they know that president biden has been making some more demands, including really basically nato to back off his doorstep entirely, even in countries that are already nato members, he wants sort of the group military deployments there to be withdrawn. the u.s. is also saying that's a nonstarter. the u.s. is prepared to put down not just its concerns but the concerns of its allies. the white house and top administration officials have been working the phones relentlessly over the last few days talking to its allies, making sure there's a united front, which they say there definitely is. >> rick, what do you think is going on from your experience with vladimir putin requesting a call with president biden this soon before another meeting? >> i have to admit, katy, it is kind of peculiar. i think the biden administration made the right call, which is to say, yeah, let's talk. you know, the history of u.s./russia relations is a continuum between those people who think you have to be really tough with the russians and on the other hand, the people who say, you know what, all the russians want is some respect, and, you know, you have to try to give them a little bit of that. putin has always, you know, wanted that respect and veneration from the west. and i think it's not a bad idea to say, yeah, let's talk, i'm recognizing you as a fellow superpower, world leader, and that could be part of it. the other thing is, as mike mentioned, he issued these demands a couple of weeks ago, which were kind of crazy. and the question is what kind of negotiation is it when you ask for something you know you're not going to get. well, maybe he thinks he can get something else. but to say you have to issue us a letter that says ukraine can never be a member of nato for the history of time, that's just a nonstarter. >> what is the benefit for the white house and president biden to make a deal with vladimir putin? do they really expect he's going to invade ukraine, that he would potentially trigger an armed conflict with not just ukrainians but the western world? >> i hope not. and i think their calculation is that putin is doing this as a way of negotiating, by putting those hundred thousand troops on the eastern end of ukraine, that that will force the u.s. and the allies to capitulate in some way. but there is no deal, katy, on the table. putin is making these demands but the negotiations haven't even begun yet. so it's not like, you know, munich in 1938 where, you know, putin is like hitler saying you have to cave in on this, which i would hope the u.s. would never do. but there is no deal that's going to come out of this phone call today. >> rick stengel, very good to see you, my friend, it has been too long. mike memoli, good to see you as well. coming up, new scrutiny on los angeles police tactics after an increase in fatal shootings by the lapd. and we sent a fake space captain to real orbit. 2021 was out of this world. so where do we go in 2022? tradition in a cadillac. don't just put on a light show—be the light show. make your nights anything but silent. and ride in a sleigh that really slays. because in a cadillac, tradition is yours to define. so visit a cadillac showroom, and start celebrating today. ♪ ♪ the supreme court is primed to make significant news in 2022. a major abortion rights decision could upend decades of supreme court precedent. and what about the court itself? will there be an opening when the term ends next summer? nbc news justice correspondent pete williams has more. >> reporter: abortion began dominating the supreme court term even before it officially started. in early september, the justices allowed texas to continue enforcing sb 8 while a battle over its constitutionality raged on. the law bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy and allows anyone to sue anyone who provides it. it made it nearly impossible for successful court challenge to shut the court down. >> the supreme court said we can't sue judges, we can't sue clerks, we can't sue the attorney general. we can't get the lawsuits blocked. and the lawsuits are what are making it impossible for the clinics to open, because this law allows anybody to sue anywhere in the world against the clinics in texas. >> reporter: a ruling in an even more consequential case is coming by late june on mississippi's law that would ban abortion after 15 weeks. a victory for mississippi would mean the state could undercut roe if not overturn it. >> will this institution survive the stench that this creates in the public perception that the constitution and its reading are just political acts? >> reporter: the court will also decide the fate of a new york law that bans carrying a handgun in public. residents can get a permit to carry a concealed weapon but only if they can show some general need beyond the general desire for self-defense. gun advocates say that violates the constitutional right to keep and bear arms. >> it's contrary to the second amendment. i mean, does your right to self-protection stop when you leave your home? >> reporter: a majority on the supreme court seemed to agree that the new york law is unconstitutional. such a decision would be a boost to second amendment rights. the court this term will decide whether to loosen restrictions on using public money to pay for religious education. whether boston the boston marathon bomber is entitled to a new hearing. the term is unfolding as president biden's commission on the supreme court ended its work with no recommendations. it was divided on adding more justices to the current nine-member court. and we may learn whether justice stephen breyer intends to retire at the end of the current term while democrats still control the white house and the senate. he is now the court's senior liberal. justice breyer will turn 84 in august and says the timing of his retirement will depend on his health. pete williams, nbc news, at the supreme court. last week the lapd mistakenly shot a 14-year-old girl in a dressing room. valentina orellana-peralta died after police opened fire on a suspect in a burlington coat factory. she was trying on holiday dresses with her mother when she was struck by a stray bullet and killed. it's been a brutal end to the year for the lapd. the department has killed 18 people in 2021, more than twice the number of 2020. the author of that reporting joins me now. los angeles correspondent for "the guardian," sam levin. >> thanks for having me. >> the lapd is seeing an increase in deaths. what's going on with the tactics? >> we've seen five people killed by the los angeles police department in just nine days this month, a devastating month for the loss of life at the hands of the lapd. we've seen a massive increase this year in shootings of civilians by lapd. there are a lot of concerns about the tactics police are using and their ability to de-escalate situations. there are a lot of concerns about the tactics. >> sam, let's talk about what we saw at the coat factory, the burlington coat factory. the surveillance video of the suspect is very scary. the guy was hitting a woman with a bike lock. it was terrifying. he was extremely violent. that being said, the lapd came in full tactical gear, long guns, came in like they were going to war. and we've seen that, the militarization of police departments across the country. are there discussions being had about the equipment that is being used to respond to these incidents? surely the high-powered nature of the guns they were using enabled that bullet to go farther than it would have if they were using something with a little less force. still a gun, but maybe not that sort of force. >> one of the terrifying things about the shooting was that the officer who came in with this assault rifle, you know, came in with it drawn. and the force of it was so powerful that the mother of valentina said it knocked both of them over. that is a very serious weapon that they're using. and there are questions about whether that is necessary in a case where, you know, this person did not have a gun, did he not have a knife, he was holding a clock. what was frightening about the video was you saw this officer shooting at the person from quite a distance when that person was by himself. he was not near this victim who he had been assaulting prior. and, you know, he didn't have a gun, he didn't have anything in his hand except this bike lock. there are questions why fatal force was used so quickly when in the video it appeared he didn't make any commands, he didn't tell the individual anything, he just quickly shot almost as soon as he saw him. so i think there are questions about those tactics as well as the specific equipment that lapd brings into a situation like this. >> questions about training. how has the lapd responded to your reporting? have they? >> they have not responded to my reporting. they've basically declined to answer questions about this case and about the other, you know, four killings that happened over the last week. the police department itself has, you know, sent their condolences to valentina and her loved ones for this obviously tragic and horrific loss of life. but beyond that, they've said very little. and in fact they canceled a commission meeting that was supposed to happen next week. >> just awful, a teenager in a dressing room trying on holiday dresses, shot through a wall. sam levin, thanks so much for joining us and thank you for bringing us that reporting, we appreciate it. now to a different story entirely. coming up next, where are we going next? to infinity and beyond, it seems. our out of this world plans for 2022. system 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! it was a big year for space geeks, especially those who had billions of dollars to burn to get out of this world while also starting a side hustle in space tourism. do not sleep on nasa and its latest mission to mars. the space races are heating up again. tom costello has more. >> reporter: if 2021 proved anything, it's that the age of civilian space flight is here, if you're rich, famous or you know somebody who is. a billionaire paid for three civilian astronauts to join him on a three-day spacex trip around the earth, raising an astonishing $220 million for st. jude's children's hospital. >> welcome to our dragon capsule here in space. i want you to know we're doing this for you. >> reporter: jeff bezos sensually funk to space and then 90-year-old william shatner. what does 2022 hold in store? >> for the next generation of dreamers, if we can do this, just imagine what you can do. >> reporter: a lot of unfinished business. richard branson went to space over the summer, but his virgin galactic has not carried a single paying passenger as they work out redesign issues. they hope to start flying the backlog of famous paying passengers by the end of 2022, including justin bieber, lady gaga and tom hanks. at least paying $500,000. next month elon music plans to test his monster starship rocket that nasa hopes to use to send astronauts back to the moon in the next decade. they could be in the class that is just announced. ten candidates chosen from 12,000 applicants. jeff bezos' blue origin plans to continue taking passengers for quick ten-minute rides into space. but his new venture is this, a sort of floating business park that will be ready in three to five years. but the coolest mission of 2022, nasa's dart. it will purposely crash into an asteroid's moon at 115,000 miles per hour next fall. >> the dark mission is to basically go hit an asteroid and see if we can move it. >> reporter: nasa hopes to use that know-how to deflect future asteroids on a collision course with earth. >> we have this unique opportunity to demonstrate the method and learn exactly what happens when you crash a spacecraft at high speed into an asteroid. >> but the u.s. is not alone. china is going big on space. already building its own space station with plans to put humans on the moon as soon as 2030. from international competitors to america's rich and famous, space race 2022 is about to heat up. >> really exciting. can't wait for that. after this break, restaurants are bouncing back but are they going to survive omicron? and sick-outs across the airline industry are canceling more than 1,000 flights. when will it get better? how not to be a hero: because that's the last thing they need you to be. you don't have to save the day. you just have to navigate the world so that a foster child isn't doing it solo. you just have to stand up for a kid who isn't fluent in bureaucracy, or maybe not in their own emotions. so show up, however you can, for the foster kids who need it most— at helpfosterchildren.com

Related Keywords

Nbc News , Katy Tur , Coverage , Network , Msnbc , Catch Savannah , 00 , 7 , Police , Country , Hospitals , Airports , New York City , Fire Departments , Workers , Signs , Necessity , Mandate , Shortages , Down , Subway Lines Frozen , Mta , U S , Staff , System , Personnel , Request , Health Care System , Michigan , Pentagon , Pennsylvania , Arizona , Fema , Nurses , Doctors , Flights , Hospital Workers , Travelers , Relief , Green Bay , Wisconsin , Naviy , 23 , A Thousand , More , Jetblue , Wave , Pilots , Flight Attendants , Covid , 1200 , Wall , Cases , Infections , Consensus , Pcr Test , Home Testing , Record , Supply , Covid Sickouts , 300000 , Number , Caseload , Rate , Yes , Hospitalizations , Deaths , Hospitalization Rate , 60 , 14 , Vaccines , Place , Boosters , Mind , Shot , Masks , Data , J , Ones , Antivirus , 2020 , March 2020 , Cruise , Vaccination Status , Apologies , Cdc , Dr , Esther Chu , Reporters , The Center For Policy Research In Emergency , Husband , Connecticut , Greenwich , Antonia Hylton , Testing , On Tuesday , Issue , Positivity Rate , 15 , Residents , Hope , Governor , Effort , N95 , Testing Kits , 6 Million , 18 , 3 Million , Don T , Issues , Supplies , Governments , Shipping , , Everyone , Hand Today , Supply Chain , Municipalities , People , The One , Family , Part , Parties , Friends , Ground , Understanding , Institutions , One , Hospital , Workforce , Numbers , Chief Nursing Officer , Patients , Conversation , Spike , Nurse Leaders , Everything , Power , Patient Care , Compassionate , 600 , 800 , Officials , Shipments , Sites , Scrambling , Case , Increase , Anyone , Fact , Case Number , Staffing Issues , 19 , Lot , Show , Top , Navy , Gary Grumbach , Seeing In Dc , City , Washington Dc , Services , 25 , Response , Rescue , Dc , Result , Grant Initiative , 5 Million , 15 Million , Emergency Services , Nurse , Add Up , Staffing , 200 , Fire Department , Members , Problem , 300 , Questions , Katy , Cannot Get Mrna , Vaccine , Let S Talk , Talk , Side Effects , Omicron , Other , Booster , Shots , Study , Disease , Look , World , Health Care Workers , South Africa , 70000 , Terms , Booster Shot , Vaccine Effectiveness , Six , Effectiveness , Two , 85 , Course , Recommendation , Confidence , Standard , Globe , Thing , Outcome , Storage Requirements , Faith , Choo , Lead , Reason , Vulnerable , Vaccine Dose , Israel , Point , Pfizer , Drug , Population , Data Set , Way , Flu Vaccine , Dose , Eye , Death , Ball , Vaccination Program , Nobody , Waves , Outcomes , Virus , Matter , Bit , Omicron Wave , Caseloads , Things , Tail , Caveat , Extent , Nation , Vaccinations , Level , Effect , Colleagues , Russians , Vaccination Works , Lagging , 10 , 20 , 5 , Children , Populations , Age , Third , 17 , Kids , Reactions , Little , Kid A , Safety Profile , Millions , Studies , Tens , Kid , General , Reassurance , Four , Snow , Storm , Parts , Conditions , Parents , Pacific Northwest , Oregon , California , Nevada , Storms , Hail , Tornadoes , Southeast , Alabama , Kentucky , Georgia , Michelle Grossman , 70s And 80s , Warnings , Winter Weather , West , 70 , Weather , Roof , 80 , Heavy Rain , Threat , Winds , Radar , Tornado Watch , Destruction , 6 , Concern , Flash Flooding , Colors , Lightning , Area , Risk , Chance , Gusty Winds , Moves , North , Nashville , Little Rock , Memphis , So Dallas , Front , Trigger , Many , Fuel , Travel , Golf Balls , Puzzle , Records , Warmth , Baton Rouge , Pittsburgh , 21 , 66 , 82 , Houston , New Orleans , 26 Million , 84 , 16 , News , Los Angeles County , Watches , Flood Watch , Airport , Warning , Problems , Advisories , Ton , Lots , Rainfall , Holiday Hub Impacts , Feet , Spots , Weather Wise , Impacts , Slowdowns , Hubs , Friday , Charlotte , Phoenix , Presidents Biden , President Putin , Killings , Los Angeles Police Department , Rise , Decline , Five , Nine , Jury , Ghislaine Maxwell , Border , Justice , Russia , Liberty Mutual , Help , Military Buildup , Tensions , Car Insurance , Liberty , Healthcare Company , Pay , Theaters , Johnson , December 17th , Where , Cancers , Strokes , Joints , Isn T One , Definition , Building A Future , 3 , Well , Pieces , Snacking , Mike S Denture , Super Poligrip , Food Particles , Game , Seal , Kind , Entertainment , Xfinity , Nice , Sports , Binge Watching , Voice , Bag , Apps , Touchdown , Irish , Cheering , Cost , The Hits Won T Quit , Peacock Premium , Life , Rest , Bars , Thought , Hasn T , Mind Boggling , Women , Thousands , Hundreds , Jeffrey Epstein , The Verdict , Abuse , Anybody Else , Survivors , Girls , Girlfriend , Suicide , Reporter , Jail , Counts , That S Right , Cell , Cathy , Detention , Kathy Park , Accusers , Trial , Testimony , Jet Setting Companion , Emotion , Sex Offender , Socialite , Deliberations , Men , Sex Trafficking , Serious , Charges , Minor , Crimes Imaginable , Teenagers , Allegation , Sexual Abuse By Epstein , Statement , Predatory Behavior , Pattern , Law , Prosecutors , Maxwell , Key , Solace , Center Of Epstein S Sex Trafficking Ring , 2004 , 1994 , Court , Defense , Relationship , Operation , Photos , Government Scapegoat , Sex Trafficking Trial , Manhattan , 2019 , Virginia Roberts Giuffre , Crime , Closing Arguments , Mistake , One Of Epstein , Step , Beginning , Sentencing , Team , Appeal Process , Tali Weinstein , Information , Defendants , Government , Responsibility , Process , Question , Rule , Leniency , 35 , Couple , Orbit , Others , Will She Sing , Crimes , Sexual Assault , Rape , Something , Consideration , Interstate Commerce Like Trafficking Or Transporting Minors , Opportunity , Conviction , Person , Andrew , Suit , Profile , Evidence , Prosecution , Subjects , Picture , Behavior , Dots , Ms , Giuffre S Claim , Background , Beautiful Bookcase , Lookee Loo , Abortion , Guns , Call , Supreme Court , White House , Crisis , Coming Up , 2022 , Cough , Naturals , Words , Moss , Ingredients , Punchlines , Dad , Tree Mendous Views , Robitussin , Me Hanging , 100 , The Call , Ukraine , Countries , Video Call , Leaders , Talks , Buildup , Troops , January 10th , Sanctions , Meeting , Putin , Nato , Richard Engel , Guessing Game , Ties , Aggression , Stakes , Invasion , Negotiations , Diplomats , Brink , War , Mid January , Talks Go Forward , Goal , Wouldn T , Trenches , Flashpoint , Morning , Conflict , Fields , Land Mines , Military Escalation , Europe , World War Ii , Tale Of The Tape , Allies , Side , Fighting Russian , Separatists , Battle Tested , American Tank Missiles , They Couldn T , Soldiers , Onslaught , Force , Reports , Position , Might , Army , Pullback , Three , President , Battery , Economy , Belarus , Hockey , Leader , Union , Domains , Intentions , Expansion , Undersecretary Of State For Public Diplomacy , Mike Memoli , Sort , Member , Agreement , Richard Stengel , Biden Transition Team , Divide , Commitment , Nonstarter , Conversations , Goals , Substitute , Invitation , Demands , Perspective , Forces , Movement , Group , Military Deployments , Doorstep , Concerns , Administration , Phones , United Front , Experience , History , Continuum , Russia Relations , Peculiar , Respect , Hand , Veneration , Idea , The West , Fellow Superpower , Say , Crazy , World Leader , Letter , Negotiation , Something Else , Deal , Armed Conflict , Benefit , Negotiating , Calculation , Ukrainians , End , On The Table , Munich , Negotiations Haven T , Hitler , 1938 , Tactics , Phone Call , Out Of This World , Shootings , Space Captain , 2021 , Anything , Tradition , Ride , Sleigh , Cadillac , Cadillac Showroom , Decision , Abortion Rights , Term , Supreme Court Term , Correspondent , Pete Williams , Precedent , Opening , Justices , Abortions , Battle , Constitutionality , Pregnancy , Texas , Sb 8 , 8 , We Can T Sue Judges , Court Challenge , Lawsuits , Clinics , Attorney General , Anybody , Sue Clerks , Anywhere , Ruling , Late June On Mississippi , Victory , Roe , State , Institution , Constitution , Stench , Reading , Perception , Weapon , Handgun , Permit , Public , Fate , Acts , Gun Advocates Say , Self Defense , Desire , Self Protection , Right To Keep And Bear Arms , Second Amendment , Need , Home , Boost , Restrictions , Rights , Majority , Money , Biden S Commission On The Supreme Court , Boston Marathon , Education , Hearing , Boston , Stephen Breyer , Work , Recommendations , Health , Liberal , Senior , Timing , Retirement , Democrats , Senate , Orellana Peralta , Suspect , Dressing Room , Valentina , Fire , Girl , Burlington Coat Factory , Mother , Bullet , Reporting , Sam Levin , Author , The Guardian , What S Going On , Thanks , Loss , Hands , Civilians , Situations , Ability , Bike Lock , Surveillance Video , Coat Factory , Being , Guy , Woman , Equipment , Police Departments , Militarization , Gear , Discussions , Nature , Incidents , Officer , Gun , Shooting , Assault Rifle , Both , Knife , Video , Victim , Clock , Officer Shooting , Distance , Commands , Situation , Training , Police Department , Condolences , Loved Ones , Commission Meeting , Dresses , Teenager , Plans , Story , Infinity , 2022 System , Vitamin C , Centrum , Defenses , Support , D , Season , Body , Ace , Routine , Zinc , Billions , Space Geeks , Space Tourism , Side Hustle , Nasa , Space Races , Mission To Mars , Tom Costello , Somebody , Astronauts , Space Flight , Billionaire , Space , Children S Hospital , Dragon Capsule , Earth , Jude , 220 Million , 20 Million , Jeff Bezos , Store , Sensually Funk To Space , Generation , Unfinished Business , Dreamers , William Shatner , 90 , Virgin Galactic , Richard Branson , Passengers , Summer , Passenger , Backlog , The End , Starship Rocket , Monster , Tom Hanks , Justin Bieber , Lady Gaga , Elon Music , 00000 , 500000 , Moon , Class , Candidates , Applicants , 12000 , Ten , Blue Origin , Asteroid , Venture , Dart , Floating Business Park , Moon At , 115000 , Collision Course , Asteroids , Dark Mission , Spacecraft , Big On Space , Method , China , Space Station , Competitors , Humans , Space Race , America S Rich And Famous , 2030 , Restaurants , Break , Sick Outs , Airline Industry , 1000 , Hero , Foster Child Isn T , Emotions , Foster Kids , Helpfosterchildren Com , Isn T Fluent In Bureaucracy ,