And let there be light. The worlds most famous Christmas Tree just hours away from lighting up Rockefeller Center today, wednesday, december 2nd, 2015. Announcer from nbc news, this is today with matt lauer and Savannah Guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. And good morning, everyone. Welcome to today on a wednesday morning. Big day here in Rockefeller Center. Going to be an even bigger night when about 300,000 people pack the streets behind us. They are all counting on one thing. Thats al rokers forecast for tonight, hoping there wont be rain when that Beautiful Tree gets all lit up. Al . Going to be nice. Were hoping that it is. Oh, not good. Uhoh. You know what happens if that switch gets wet. Yeah, a lot of disappointed folks. Well check in with al to get the forecast in a little while. On a wednesday morning. Days after the head of Chicagos PoliceDepartment Said he had the support of the mayor in the wake of that videotaped Police Killing of a teenage suspect, mayor rahm emanuel has now fired him, and protesters say emanuel should also step down. Nbcs Stephanie Gosk is in chicago. Steph, good morning to you. Reporter matt, good morning. Well, the attorney general for the state of illinois says that the trust between the chicago Police Department and the public is broken. She is calling for a federal civil rights investigation into the entire department. Among the questions she wants answered, is there a practice here of discriminatory policing . [ chanting ] reporter the mayor fired the head of the chicago police, but overnight protesters still stood outside Police Headquarters not satisfied, wanting more to be done. The mayor needs to resign, now. Reporter protests began last week after the release of this video. The 2014 killing of 17yearold laquan mcdonald. The cop who fired the gun is out murder charge. His lawyer says he fired in selfdefense. In a letter to the justice department, the illinois attorney general calls the shooting shocking and says it highlights questions about the historic, systemic use of unlawful and Excessive Force by chicago police. Asking for a civil rights investigation, the letter lists five cases. Among them the Police Shooting of 25yearold ronald johnson, eight days before laquan mcdonald. Police say he was armed with a gun. His family says there is a dashcam video that proves he wasnt and that the officer shot johnson as he ran away. They are still seeking to hide this video. They are still seeking to deny this video. They are still denying justice for ronny. Reporter on tuesday mayor emanuel announced the creation of a task force to look into police abuse. Were hoping that we add our part to making sure that people have trust and faith in the Police Department. Emanuel fired police claiming he had become a distraction, but the mayors fiercest critics are calling on him to resign, too. Mr. Mccarthy had become a distraction. There are a lot of questions in this room about you and your office. Have you become a distraction as well . Well, youll make that judgment. I think im doing my job, and i try to do it every day and do it in a professional way. Reporter mayor, who served as president obamas chief of staff, is scheduled to travel to paris tomorrow for the climate talks. When he was asked about that trip, he said hes still thinking about it. Guys, back to you. All right, Stephanie Gosk in chicago, stephanie, thanks very much. Big shakeup this morning in the republican president ial race. According to the Newest National poll donald trump is still rubio and ted cruz are surging. Nbcs Hallie Jackson is in New Hampshire and has a closer look. Hallie, good morning. Reporter hi there, savannah. Even as new reports describe Establishment Republicans as getting more and more worried about donald trump actually winning the nomination on the new National Poll shows that hes not just still in the lead hes actually increasing support, but a couple of other candidates are also picking up momentum. Just the latest shift in this republican race. This morning a shakeup of sorts in the standings. Still dominating the republican race, donald trump, but the Newest National poll shows marco rubio edging out ben carson for the second place spot and carson tying ted cruz, up three point to third. Can anyone here kick field goals . Reporter all smiles in alabama, rubio faced a firedup crowd, one of his biggest yet coming off his best fundraising month yet according to a Campaign Aide who tells nbc news rubio is on track to raise 15 million by the iowa caucus. Im the only one running for office that has scored victories against obamacare. Reporter rubio, promoting his health care but his rivals see him vulnerable on a different topic, immigration. Practice. You look at rubio very, very weak on illegal immigration, i mean, extremely weak. You look at his stance on amnesty. He wants amnesty for everybody. Reporter trump, campaigning in his ninth state in the last two weeks, still hammering home his now widely discredited claim that thousands of new jersey muslims cheered 9 11. And things are all of a sudden materializing. Reporter and now new fallout after some black religious leaders came out in support of trump. One telling nbc news hes being crucified by africanamericans for endorsing the frontrunner. Now in, that new poll, democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton would beat donald trump in a headtohead matchup and every other republican, guys, but its marco rubio who comes closest. Hallie jackson, thanks so much. Lets turn to nicolle wallace, msnbc analyst and former White House Communications director for president george w. Bush. Good morning, guys. This is the first National Poll weve seen recently where theres a real change. I mean, trump is still at the top so that hasnt changed. And now were seeing rubio rising and cruz rising and carson falling. For rubio, this has got to be hes got to be thinking this is his moment. This means that the republican electorate has internalized the tragedy in paris and the dire importance of selecting someone as our commander in chief who can make those sorts of decisions about not just Counterterrorism Measures which Chris Christie talks about a lot but about the intricacies of Foreign Policy and rubio has that experience and is benefiting from it. Ben carson was on the show yesterday and saying paris was a commander in chief moment and voters are looking at him saying were not so keen with him being commander in chief during these difficult times. Voters internalizing paris. We wont get other that between now and election day. What we understand now is the nature of isis and the strategy now is to wreak havoc along what they did to the innocent people let go of a feeling of the importance of experience and the importance of strength and dealing with isis. You dont think he can rebound on that side of the equation . I think as long as his opponents for the republican primary vote, allow us to like him. We want to be able to like ben carson and respect his career as a physician and sort of honor the civility with which hes carried out his race but we dont want to choose him with the nominee. The problem with that argument you is still have donald trump at top of the polls and he has the exact same Foreign Policy experience ben carson has which is to say none. Almost worse. I mean, he brags about getting all his military advice from sunday shows. God bless chuck todd. Show. People are attracted to strength, his attraction to the truth, the straight truth and nothing but the truth, as he about him. His opponents for the republican lesson, that people want to hear it straight, want to hear exactly whats wrong with washington and they will shake it up, trump will continue to thrive in the polls. 15 seconds left, off topic a little bit. Rahm emanuel in a tough time mayor there, firing the chief of the Police Department. Well, listen, we know him as a political figure, somebody thats been on the political scene for decades. Theres an editorial in the New York Times today that basically alleges hes involved in a coverup, that a coverup about that tragedy there goes all the way to his office. I dont know how as a political question you recover from that. All right. Nicolle wallace, thank you very much. Thank you, guys. In other news this morning, the pentagon says it is unleashing u. S. Special forces to carry out raids and gather intelligence on isis in iraq and in syria. Critics say far more needs to be done to defeat that terror group. More on that. Richard, good morning to you. Reporter good morning. The pentagon specifically said u. S. Troops will be carrying out raids in iraq, but critics say its just more of the same, and today british lawmakers are expecting to hold what could be marathon debates about that countrys role in the war on isis. After the u. S. , france and russia have been bombing isis strongholds, today the uk decides if it, too, will bomb isis in syria. This following new tough talk from defense secretary ash carter saying that of a paris more needs to be done to defeat isis. Were at war. Tens of thousands of u. S. Personnel are operating in the broader middle east region and more are on their way. Reporter on their way are u. S. Special ops to iraq. These special operators over time will be able to conduct raids, free hostages, gather leaders. Reporter but will it change the battlefield . Its not really different from what washington is already doing. Special ops were operating in iraq in october. Commandos from the top secret delta force joined kurdish fighters to raid an isis prison and freed dozens of hostages. One american was killed. Whats new now is that the Iraqi Government, which complained it wasnt informed, is supposedly on board. Raids in iraq will be done at invitation of the Iraqi Government and focused on defending its borders and building the iss and capability. This the force will also be in a position to conduct unilateral operations in syria. Reporter but only a tiny force will be carrying out those raids. Little change to a strategy critics say is too slow and underestimates the isis threat. Local group, u. S. Intelligence officials now say that isis has international ambitions, yet there remains no coordinated effort to fight the group. Matt, savannah . All right, Richard Engel on this story, richard, sorry. Thank you very much. Now to whats become an epidemic across the country, aircraft being targeted by a laser strike. It happened overnight and this time in arizona. Nbcs tom costello has been covering this story for us. What can you tell us about the latest incident. Reporter hello, savannah, good morning to you. Police say its a constant battle, last night they had a regional jet, a cessna and a helicopter and piper. Police went looking but was unable to find whoever is responsible. This morning the faa is investigating a series of laser strikes across phoenix late tuesday. The craft had a laser, unauthorized laser, one mile east of phoenix sky harbor. Reporter in all four small there were no injuries reported. The incidents come a day after a coast guard helicopter on a Training Mission near port anglos, washington was ground after a bright green laser blazed the aircraft, heading the pilot in the eyes and forcing the crew to immediately change course. They were flying over fairchild airport when one of the crew members spotted a laser beam shined at them. Reporter as of midoctober faa reported more than 5,300 cases of laser strikes nationwide, from a Washington State ferry captain and first mate injured when a laser was shined into their eyes to an nbc news chopper in new york city. Dont look tat. Reporter pilots across the country say they are under attack. American 1472. Weve got a green laser shooting at us right off of the left wing about a mile out. They are literally flying blind in this sort of situation so thats why its so important to make sure they get to ground as soon as possible. Use the same term over and over to describe the suspects, knuckleheads, usually young men or teenage boys playing around with a laser. They dont know what they are doing, but they face up to 20 years in prison, a quarter Million Dollar fine. Its serious. They argue its not possible. Guys, back to you. Yeah, consequences all around. Tom costello, thank you. We now know Oscar Pistorius will learn tomorrow if hell be sent back to prison for the killing of his girlfriend reeva steenkamp. Today National Investigative correspondent jeff rossen has been covering this case from the very beginning and is in pretoria this morning. Jeff, good morning. Reporter hey, matt, good morning to you. Oscar pistorius is here on house arrest inside of his uncles mansion behind me. And what he must be thinking right now. In less than 24 hours the Appeals Court here will deliver the final ruling. Was it murder when he shot and killed his girlfriend reeva steenkamp. The lower court said no, involuntary manslaughter, but some legal experts say the case against him is strong and he could be enjoying his final days out of a cell. This morning our first look inside Oscar Pistorius prison cell. This is where he spent a year could end up in the very same cell again if the Appeals Court convicts him of murder tomorrow. A small cell with a bed, a sink, a cabinet and even drapes on the bars, and this is the bathroom he used. In south africas Appeals Court, the prosecutor trying to send him back. He says pistorius should have been convicted of murder all along, that the original judge got it wrong. The court misapplied the principles regarding circumstantial evidence. Reporter pistorius shot and killed his model girlfriend reeva steenkamp, it was an accident. He was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Her mother showing compassion to him. I dont want him to be thrown in jail. That wont bring reeva back. In my heart i dont want revenge towards him. Im past that. Spends most of his time inside his uncles luxury compound on house arrest. In this rare photo, pistorius is seen smiling when family and friends came over for his 29th birthday party. In this picture hes outside, reporting for a courtmandated community service, but legal experts say his relative freedom may come to an end tomorrow when the Appeals Court finally rules. In my opinion the judges are going to overturn his conviction and convict him of murder . Reporter why . One look at what the judges said during the appeal hearing. They basically found oscar knew what he was doing when he pulled the trigger and had intent to kill whoever was beyond that door. Reporter not necessarily reva, murder here whether it was reva behind the door or an intruder. He intended to kill somebody. Exactly. Thats what our laws say. Reporter this case is so big that the Appeals Court ruling will be broadcast live across south Africa Tomorrow morning. Right now between us, this will actually happen overnight tonight your time, so when you wake up tomorrow and flip on the today show we will know if pistorius is convicted of murder or not. If he is, guys, he faces at least 15 years back in prison. Jeff rossen on this story for us, thank you very much. Lets turn to the mysterious death of juneau, alaskas, newly elected mayor. Police have not decided whether greg fisk died of Natural Causes or whether foul play was involved. They have tentatively ruled out gunshots, drugs or suicide. The 70yearold was found dead with injuries in his home on monday. Police have not given any more details. They are hoping that a state medical examiner will have more answers in a couple of days. Lets take a turn now. Mr. Roker joins us at the desk. Whats the definition of misting . Yeah, exactly. Think of yourself as a fern. Yeah. Am i going to be happy or sad . Well, it depends, you know. Are you a happy fern . Think youll be happy. If you like showers weve got a that is making it way northeast. Well continue to watch that as we push through. Basically this thinks sem it going to be making its way slowly into the east. Rain moves from south to north. Were going to see more airport delays again from atlanta, washington, eventually into new york. Low clouds, fog and mist will impact that air travel. As we get into tomorrow that rain will push offshore. It will end up having some accumulating snow for our friends in Northern New England and look at rainfall, the heaviest rainfall from down south from alabama to northern virginia. Talking anywhere from 2 to 3 inches of rain before its all over, and theres snow on the other side of the system. Well look at that coming up in the next half hour. In the meantime, well get to your next 30 seconds. Temperatures below freezing, we are dealing with those slick spots. Too much thanks to the cloud cover that we will see throughout the day across the area. Heres future track, showing the flurries and light snow showers tracking out of the area this morning. We will be left with mainly cloudy skies. There could be a few breaks in the clouds, but generally it will be an overcast day. As we go thr