with hope and help from some good samaritans. i ve been a lot of places. this place is devastated. there s a lot of need out here. anything can help. also this morning, this is mayfield, kentucky, candle factory before and after the storm. eight people died, according to the factory. employees who spoke to nbc news say folks inside heard warning signs, but at least five workers tell nbc that supervisors warned employees they would be fired if they left their shifts early. a company spokesman has called the allegations absolutely untrue. we ll have more on that story in just a moment. plus, a pandemic progress report. the cdc director says omicron is gaining a stronger foothold in the u.s., although delta does remin dominant. pfizer says its anti-covid pill is 80% effective at preventing