let's begin with gabe gutierrez. >> reporter: with the omicron variant running rampant. >> we should all be concerned about omicron, but not panicked. >> reporter: president biden today with a direct message for the unvaccinated >> get vaccinated now. i promise you, it saves lives. i honest to god believe it is your patriotic duty. >> reporter: the president under pressure to do more for states with overburdened hospitals. and shortage of covid tests, announcing starting next month, his administration will distribute 500 million at home tests to any american that wants one by mail for free he is also deploying a thousand members of military to help understaffed hospitals, open new test sites >> we're taking more steps to make it easier to get tested. >> reporter: comes two weeks after white house press secretary jen psaki downplayed the need for more at home tests. >> why not make them free, have them available everywhere. >> should we just send one to every american >> maybe. >> then what happens if every american has one test. how much does it cost and what happens after that. >> t

here's gabe gutierrez. >> reporter: today two new deaths from the devastating storms were confirmed in kentucky, but now only one person is reported missing. >> the level of destruction, we think now is in the billions across kentucky. >> reporter: claire protected her two young grandchildren in a bathtub as the tornado roared through. >> i felt the shaking of the house next thing i knew the tub had lifted and it was out of my hands. i couldn't hold on. >> incredibly, they survived as places like mayfield begin their cleanup efforts, support is pouring in from across the country. including one city that knows what lies ahead all too well in 2007, an ef-5 tornado shredded 95% of greensburg, kansas. including the home of peter and haley marks. >> probably for the next six months, we were kind of just operating in shock. >> reporter: dennis mckinney is a former state representative who live on the air described losing his home. >> the roof started going off, so i ran down the stairs. >> now 14 years later. >> the tornado is a great leveller it doesn't matter what your social status is. >>

gabe gutierrez thank you. >>> and convicted murderer scott peterson was back in a california court today where he was resentenced for killing his pregnant wife laci peterson in 2002 it comes after his death sentence was overturned last year erin mclaughlin is at the courthouse >> reporter: after nearly 20 years on death row, scott peterson back in court, re-sentenced to life without parole for the murder of his wife laci and unborn son conner peterson shackled to a seat and wearing a mask showed little emotion in court the judge declining his request to speak lacy's mother sharon rocha addressing peterson directly. i've seen no sorrow and no remorse from you at all i still feel the grief. every day after 19 years. peterson was moved off death row following a california supreme court decision overturning his death sentence citing a series of clear and significant errors in jury selection in 2004, peterson was found guilty of murdering 27-year-old laci then eight months pregnant with their son connor on christmas eve. their remains washed ashore months later, just miles from where peterson

gabe gutierrez now with the latest on the victims and an incredible story of survival >> reporter: tonight, days after tornados sliced through multiple states, there are still more than 100 people unaccounted for in kentucky alone. >> we have people missing. i still expect that we will find at least some more bodies. >> reporter: in bowling green, 11 people from 2 families died on 1 street. >> everything else you can replace, family you cannot >> reporter: here in mayfield this debris will be here for some time all of this used to be a steakhouse today utility crews scrambled to install row after row of power poles, trying to get back at least some sense of normalcy. while in missouri, a gut-wrenching picture. smiling 9-year-old annistyn rackley seen clutching her favorite doll while sheltering in the bathtub with her two sisters. >> i knew where they were going to be in their safe spot. >> reporter: 15 minutes after her parents posted this photo, annistyn died in the tornado that ripped through her home >> she was a wonderful, wonderful little girl. i'm going to miss her so much. i alread

migrant advocates are skeptical, lester. >> gabe gutierrez, thank you. >>> sad news from the world of horse racing. this year's kentucky derby winner, medina spirit collapsed and died today after a workout at california's santa anita racetrack. his trainer bob baffert says the cause was a heart attack medina spirits derby victory came under scrutiny after he failed a drug test, and the kentucky horse racing commission investigation continues. dozens of horses have died at santa anita in recent years, but the number has been declining. >>> up next, our exclusive look at a potent new american weapon of war, but is it also making us more vulnerable ♪ i see trees of green ♪ ♪ red roses too ♪ ♪ i see them bloom for me and you ♪ (music) ♪ so i think to myself ♪ ♪ oh what a wonderful world ♪ >>> we're just hours away from that high stakes call between president biden and russia's president putin. tensions are flaring on ukraine's border with new signs russia might be preparing to invade richard engel is in ukraine tonight. >> reporter: new satellite images tonight show ru

. >>> our gabe gutierrez has an exclusive look in the path of the week's historic tornadoes in kentucky >>> the abortion level moved to the new level with the fda allowing abortion pills sent through the u.s. mail. >>> police request the cell phone alec baldwin used on the set "rust. >>> global seas are rising by 2 feet it's friday, december 17th "early today" starts right now. >> glad you are with us. i'm fran res rivera. >> i'm phillip mena. >>> the omicron virus has the u.s. on edge they are predicting a grim winter over 1 million new infections could be detected by christmas, which is one week away >> reporter: 38 states in washington, d.c. have seen covid cases rise over the past two weeks. hospitals in some states once again filling up, with the fast spreading omicron variant now here, it's a matter of time before it becomes the dominant strain. >> it is the most transmissible virus of covid we have to deal with thus far. >> reporter: by the end of christmas week, the cdc predicts a massive spike of if you infections 1.3 million cases in just seven days the death toll could shoot

gutierrez leads our coverage >> reporter: tonight, we're one step closer to a pill for treating covid. an fda advisory panel narrowly voting to recommend authorization of merck's antiviral pill >> this is an oral medication that can be administered in the comfort of the patient's home, can be given as a prescription and picked up in the pharmacies. >> reporter: how does this drug stack up against the omicron variant? >> i wish we knew. we are looking at it very carefully. >> reporter: while as the omicron variant spreads, the world health organization is advising people 60 and older and those with co-morbidities like heart disease and cancer to postpone travel meanwhile, the white house covid response team says there are now at least 226 confirmed cases across 20 countries >> one thing has become clear over the last 20 months we cannot predict the future, but we can be prepared for it. >> reporter: the cdc is now expanding its surveillance to four of the busiest airports in the country, new york's jfk, newark, atlanta and san francisco, with increased testing for specific internationa

we have a lot to tell you about tonight starting with gabe gutierrez. >> reporter: tonight a covid surge coast to coast. omicron now the most dominant variant, making up three-quarters of cases. testing lines and new restrictions mounting. >> it is time for boston to follow the science. >> reporter: boston announcing it will require proof of vaccinations starting next month for some indoor spaces. to ease the strain its mask mandate at least six states have called in the national guard to ease the strain on hospitals. among them maine and new hampshire which just hit hospitalization records. today downtown los angeles canceled its in person new year's celebration in grant park new york city is considering whether to do the same for its bash in time square. the mayor saying he'll make a decision before christmas. >> thank god based on everything we are seeing so far, the cases are more mild than what we have experienced previously. >> reporter: broadway canceling more performances more sports teams weighing whether to postpone games and snl this weekend getting going without a live audien

nbc correspondent gabe gutierrez has the lated. >> reporter: president biden face-to-face with towns nearly wiped off the face of the map. >> the scale and scope is beyond belief. when you look around here, it's almost beyond belief. >> reporter: victims of last week's historic tornadoes. >> the government is going to cover 100% of the cost for the first 30 days for all the emergency work. >> reporter: in hard-hit mayfield, the national guard is on the ground cleaning up and buckling down for a massive recovery effort now under way, the cost of the damage here staggering. >> i wouldn't be surprised if we see a number upwards of $100 million if not a billion dollars. >> reporter: these twisters were especially remarkable. some of this debris was blown 130 miles away. people on social media reuniting owners with personal belongings. this treasured family photo from kentucky was found on a car windshield in indiana. the losses are crushing. on this street were lost three small businesses, a soccer training field for children. he has barely any insurance. >> how overwhelming does this no

nbc's gabe gutierrez has the story. >> reporter: we boarded a black hawk helicopter for a look at the exclusive damage. general dan hokkinson leads the national guard. >> it's utter devastation. the scope at this altitude, it's just terrible. >> reporter: what's truly remarkable to see from the air is how far it was on the ground, for more than two hours. the national weather service is still assessing the damage. but it's said to be the longest trek in american history. it was classified as an ef-4 with winds up to 190 miles an hour. the number of those missing has dropped dramatically from more than 100 -- >> the missing appears to now be 16. that's good news. >> reporter: on the ground, almost 700 air and army national guard members are searching through the debris for the missing. >> the dynamic is everybody knows everybody. some of our soldiers working right here know someone killed in the storm. >> reporter: it's a lot to take in. >> that's the remainder of where the candle factory was. >> reporter: a place where recovery will be measured for years, not months. >> our thanks to

gabe gutierrez is in tijuana, mexico, near the border. gabe, explain why this policy is being reinstated and how it will impact migrants at the border. >> reporter: hi there, craig. yes, it is being reimplemented starting today. the biden administration says that is because of court order. states like texas and missouri sued, and essentially a federal judge said that the biden administration had to reimplement this policy. that's why it's happening. first, i want to show you where i'm at. there are hundreds of migrant families here, and critics of this remain in mexico policy say that it will -- if it continues, that it will contribute to a bottle neck here at the border. and that these migrant tent camps will get worse. we learned this morning from customs and border protection from the remain in mexico policy, which is, of course, known as mpp, migrant protection protocols. it is starting to be reimplemented in el paso, and the border. but it will expand to several other places like tijuana within the next couple of days. so, craig, you

thanks to our colleague, gabe gutierrez, in kentucky for that report. >>> coming up, it is the nation's highest and most prestigious military recognition. the stories behind the three newest recipients of the medal of honor when "the 11th hour" continues. 11th hour" continues. now subaru is the largest automotive donor to make-a-wish and meals on wheels. and the largest corporate donor to the aspca and national park foundation. get a new subaru during the share the love event and subaru will donate two hundred and fifty dollars to charity. ♪ ♪ cases of anxiety in young adults are rising as experts warn of the effects on well-being caused by the pandemic. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ at intra-cellular therapies, we're inspired by our circle. a circle that includes our researchers, driven by our award-winning science, who uncover new medicines to treat mental illness. it includes the compassionate healthcare professionals, the dedicated social workers, and the supportive peer counselors we work with to help improve - and even change - people's lives. moving from mental illness to m

our thanks to our colleague gabe gutierrez in kentucky for that report. coming up, it is the nation's highest and most prestigious military recognition. the stories behind the three newest recipients of the medal of honor. when the 11th hour continues. 11th hour continues ...and dry, cracked skin. new gold bond advanced healing ointment. restore healthy skin, with no sticky feeling. gold bond. champion your skin. well, would ya look at that! it was an accident. with no si was—feeling. speaking of accidents, we accidentally left you off the insurance policy during enrollment, and you're not covered. not even a little bit? mm-mmm. no insurance. no. when employees can't enter and manage their own benefits enrollment information, it can be a real pain. not even— nope! with paycom, employees enter and manage their own hr data in a single, easy-to-use software. visit paycom.com and schedule a demo today. the last thing before we go tonight, an important one. president biden awarded the medal of honor to three soldiers earlier today. army sergeant first clas

nba's gabe gutierrez has our sunday focus. >> from kentucky to illinois, arkansas to iowa, this morning communities are rebuilding. for the rare december tornadoes. >> the level of destruction we think now is in the billions across kentucky. and it's going to take us some realtime. but we are not broken. we don't break. >> reporter: the national guard, we took in the widespread damage across kentucky from the air. >> it's devastation at the scope of the scale of what this altitude, it's just terrible. >> reporter: the national weather service has classified the main tornado that decimated mayfield as a powerful ef-4 packing winds of up to 190 miles per hour. it was on the ground for more than two hours. experts are now questioning whether these kinds of weather events might become more common. >> you have tornadoes in december like we've seen in the last few days, the record is warmness is a huge factor. >> a meteorologist says violent tornadoes might not be more frequent, but their timing might be different. >> what is happening is the seasons are getting reshuffled and rearranged. her

gabe gutierrez has more from new york gabe, good morning. >> reporter: frances, good morning. last week, omicron made up 3% of cases around the country now the cdc says it's up to 73% a. remarkable rise that helps explain these long testing lines behind me that stretch around the block. new york state just announced another record number of cases for a fourth straight day a. covid-19 surge coast to coast. omicron the most dominant variant, testing lines and new retricks mounting. >> it's time for boston to follow the science >> boston announcing it will require proof of vaccination starting next month. d.c. is reinstating its mask mandate. at least six states have called in the national guard to ease the strain on hospitals. among them, maine and new hampshire, which hit records downtown los angeles cancelled the in-person in new york park new york wants to do the same for its bash in time's square. the mayor saying he'll make a decision before christmas. >> thank god based on everything we've seen so far, the cases are more mild than what we've experienced previously. >> repo

nbc's gabe gutierrez went up in a black hawk helicopter with the national guard as it assessed the damage in mayfield. >> reporter: we're here with the national guard for a tour of the devastation over mayfield. the destruction is extensive. we've been seeing these pictures for several days on the ground but it is entirely different when seen from the air. the most devastating twister that tore through kentucky could potentially be the longest tracked tornado in american history. the national weather service is still assessing the damage. the tornado was three-quarters of a mile wide and was on the ground for two hours. you can see the damage is extensive. kentucky's governor says more than 100 people are still unaccounted for in this state. the death toll is at least 74. it could be months before we see the full scope of the devastation here. the national guard is on the ground, some 700 members right now, doing wellness checks, helping to distribute supplies and helping local authorities. we have heard a few reports of looting so far. one of the major concerns over the coming days is he

i want to bring in nbc's gabe gutierrez. he is in tijuana, mexico. gabe, good morning. what does this policy change do for migrants coming in from mexico? >> reporter: hey, there, jose, good morning. yes, as you mentioned, the policy change will get started in one location. we actually just found out from customs and board protection, and that will be starting today in el paso, in ciudad juarez. uh see this migrant tent camp. hundreds of migrants are here. this is one of many places along the southern border where a bottleneck might be created. and jose, i want to -- i just spoke with a woman here a short time ago. [ speaking spanish ] she says she's from southern mexico. [ speaking spanish ] jose, she says she's been here for six months. as you know -- [ speaking spanish ] >> reporter: she says it's been very difficult, because she has several kids. we just saw two of her daughters here and it's been very dangerous, she said. why has it been so dangerous? [ speaking spanish ] >> she says it's very dangerous here because the children have been playing, you know, in the

. >>> first, up next, gabe gutierrez joins the national guard on a helicopter tour on the tornado destruction as the search for the missing continues in kentucky. lester holt joins us in a few seconds. >>> tonight, the new alert on johnson & johnson's covid vaccine, and the stark new warning of a potential holiday surge. the cdc advisory panel saying unanimously people should not get the j&j vaccine if pfizer or moderna shots are available. the data they cited involving rare blood clots. it comes amid the double threat of the rapidly spreading omicron variant and the still dominant delta variant. the cdc warning cases could surge 55% by christmas. deaths could rise 71% by the first week of january. dr. fauci is here. what you need to know before gathering for the holidays also tonight, the second deadly tornado outbreak in less than a week in this country. multiple people killed in the central u.s hundreds of thousands without power. minnesota's first december tornado ever. our team in the storm zone tonight. >>> just in, the major decision by the fda expanding access to abortion pills. >>> a

that was my friend. >> reporter: our thanks to nbc's gabe gutierrez for that heartbreaking report. later this hour, i'll be joined by white house press secretary karine jean-pierre traveling with the presidentlater today. >>> secretary of state blinken is speaking at the university of the capital of indonesia, blinken said that the u.s. will strain our relationships with other allies in asia to push back against assertiveness. he reiterated that the biden administration is committed to the maintaining peace and prosperity in the region. joining us now, our friend john hudson in malaysia. john, good morning. whatever time it is where you are. what can you say about secretary blinken's comment to these other asian nations to unite them towards beijing? tell us why this is such an important step about that? >> reporter: yeah, it's an absolutely critical trip in the biden administration's goal of countering the influence of china. they are here in the indo pacific region which counts for about 60% of the global economy. here, you have countries making very difficult decisions about to

. >> reporter: this is gabe gutierrez in kentucky where today we boarded a black hawk helicopter for an exclusive look at the historic damage. >> i look at previous responses to tornados. >> reporter: general daniel hokanson leads the national guard. >> it is just utter devastation. the scope and the scale from this altitude, it's just -- i mean, it's just terrible >> reporter: so we're over mayfield now. you can see the destruction extends for miles. neighborhood after neighborhood it's truly remarkable to see from the air just how long the largest tornado was on the ground nearly two hours the national weather service is still surveying the damage, but it could be the longest tracked tornado in history the monster tornado just classified as an ef4 with winds up to 190 miles an hour. today's kentucky's governor announced a number of those missing has dropped dramatically from more than 100 to now -- >> the missing appears to be down to 16 that is good news. >> reporter: on the ground, almost 700 army and air national guard members are distributing supplies, removing debris and searc

with me now, nbc news national correspondent, gabe gutierrez in mayfield, kentucky. nbc news correspondent, ellison barber in dawson springs, kentucky, and nbc news white house correspondent, mike memoli in dawson springs, kentucky, covering the president's visit. thank you for being with me. gabe, what will the president see and hear from people in mayfield when he visits later today? >> reporter: well, hi, there, jose. good morning. the president will see scenes like this. this car picked up and tossed. this business just shredded. and you can see, jose, and we've been seeing this for several days now, the devastation just extends block after block here. if we look all the way down there, you can see, there are some workers on top of that building, throwing out some of the insulation. they are trying to clean up this part of downtown mayfield. but this is something we've been seeing over and over again. they're moving, surprsurprising jose, at an amazing pace. you see all of these power poles that have just been tossed around. we have been seeing many of the utilit

gabe gutierrez has more. >> reporter: for many cities, big and small, this has been the deadliest year ever. in philadelphia, 525 homicide breaking a record for 30 years and too many agonizing moments to count what will you miss the most about him? >> oh, tamir always smiles he makes me happy. he cheers me up. >> reporter: she speaks about her 14-year-oldson samir, but as he waited for bus last week, he was killed two people got out of a car, chased him across the street and fired about five shots he was hit 18 times. >> the people that killed him, they're monsters, they shot my son 18 times. >> reporter: one of the cities setting records, portland, tucson, toledo, st. paul andal berke. the debate is raging some blame the pandemic, in part, keeping more criminals out of jail, more gups and fewer officers, indianapolis hitting an all-time homicide high. >> we are definitely recruiting. i want to put those officers on the streets. >> reporter: philadelphia district attorney argues while homicides are up in his city other crimes rape and robbery that don't involve a gun are down >> we don

the intiefrs i survivors sharing their stunning stories nbc news' gabe gutierrez is on the ground in mayfield, couple good morning. >> reporter: phil, good morning. it's now been about six days since those tornadoes tore through kentucky yesterday, president biden visited the contrary in his role as consoler in chief, promising more federal aid president biden face-to-face with towns nearly wiped off the map. >> the scope and scale of this destruction is almost beyond belief when you look around here, it's almost beyond belief. >> reporter: touring devastating communities in kentucky. victims of last week's historic tornadoes. >> the government will cover 100% of the costs, 100% for the first 30 days for all the emergency work. >> reporter: in hard-hit mayfield, the national guard is on the ground cleaning up, buckling down, for a massive recovery effort now under way. the cost of the damage here staggering >> i wouldn't be see a number in the upwards of hundreds of millions of dollars. >> reporter: the sheer power of tornadoes can often be tough to comprehend these twisters are espe

gutierrez is there tonight. >> reporter: tonight president biden face to face with towns nearly wiped off the map. >> the scope and scale of this destruction is almost beyond belief when you look around, it's just almost beyond belief. >> reporter: today touring devastated communities in kentucky, victims of last week's historic tornados. >> the government is going to cover 100% of the cost 100% of the cost for the first 30 days for all the emergency work >> reporter: in hard hit mayfield, the national guard is on the ground cleaning up and buckling down for a massive recovery effort now underway. the cost of the damage here staggering. >> i wouldn't be surprised if we see a number upwards in the hundreds of millions, if not a billion dollars. >> reporter: the sheer power of tornados can often be tough to comprehend but these twisters were especially remarkable some of this debris was blown 130 miles away people on social media now reuniting owners with family belongings this treasured family photo from kentucky was just found on a car windshield in indiana. >> in hours it was all gon

nbc's gabe gutierrez has more. >> reporter: good morning. the first of new federally run testing sites is set to open here in new york sometime this week this all comes as the biden administration is struggling to contain this rapidly spreading variant. with the omicron variant running rampant -- >> we should all be concerned about omicron but not panicked >> reporter: president biden with a direct message for the unvaccinated >> get vaccinated now. i promise you, it saves lives. i honest to god believe it's your patriotic duty. >> reporter: the president under pressure to do more to help states with overburdenedsh hospitals and tests, he said start next month five million at-home tests will be distributed to any american who wants one by mail for free the president is also deploying 1,000 members of the military to help understaffed hospitals and opening new testing sites. >> we're taking even more steps to make it easier to get tested. >> reporter: it comes two weeks after the white house press secretary had downplayed the need for more at

hoda. >> all right, gabe gutierrez, gabe, thank you. by the way, nbc will bring you live coverage of president biden's address to the nation later today on most of these stations. >>> a utah college student who calls herself a fighter is recovering after vanishing for a week and surviving a terrible ordeal. nbc's erin mclaughlin joins us now with the latest on the case and how police found the missing woman. erin, good morning. >> good morning, craig. 19-year-old madeleine allen left snow college last week. she was missing for five days, finally found after a massive manhunt. police say they have a suspect in custody, but this morning there are new questions about what she may have survived. >> reporter: this morning, harrowing new details in a case involving a 19-y involving a 19-year-old college student who went missing >> we are so excited to have our maddie home. >> reporter: on saturday, police found maddie alive the culmination of a five-day search operation >> he said i have her. and we dropped to our knees. >> reporter: last wee

i believe this was gabe gutierrez's package. >> here is the difference between those who are vaccinated and not. among the vaccinated, there are 451 covid cases. among those who are vaccinated, that number drops to 140 cases. here is the crucial part, among the unvaccinated, there are six deaths for 100,000 people. among the vaccinated, that drops considerably to 0.5. among those boosted, 0.1. >> we are seeing break through infections in elderly people. they are boosted. it's turn out mild. moderna is out with its own data. >> steve ratner and i thank god for the booster and thank god that you took it and that your symptoms are extremely mild and you are able to be on the show this morning to talk about a number of things including the cause of build back better bill, why don't you take it away with your charts. >> i am happy to be on the show today. you guys have been talking about joe manchin. what i want to do is illustrate, he's got a lot of different objections. the core of them has to do with the cost and what he's particularly upset about is the white house and the congressional

nbc's gabe gutierrez has the latest. >> reporter: covid surge coast to coast, omicron now the dominant variant, cases and new restrictions mounting. >> it's time for boston to follow the science. >> reporter: announcing they're going to start proof of vaccination. at least six states have called in the national guard to ease the strain on hospitals, among them, maine and new hampshire. downtown has canceled its events. times square said they'll make a decision before christmas. >> thank god based on everything we see so far, the cases are more mild than what we've seen. >> reporter: broadway canceling more performances, sports canceling games and "snl" going without a live audience and most of its cast. omicron cases doubling. >> it's been frustrating to say the least. >> this is the third clinic i've gone to in the last hour. >> this is not march of 2020. it's not even december of 2020. >> reporter: according to the latest cdc data, here's the difference between those who are vaccinated and those who are not. among the vaccinated, 451 covid cases among 50,000. among those vaccinated,

joining me now is msnbc news correspondent gabe gutierrez in new york city, nbc news correspondent dr. alba. she has served on white house committees and worked with the world health organization. so, gabe, tell us what you're seeing in new york, especially when it comes to testing, because remember, new york is the future for much of the rest of the country. >> hey there, katy. you can see if we swing to this line, as so many others are throughout the city, if you're standing all the way up there, this is the second testing site, actually, that we were at today. we were in another one in queens. people have told us they've been there for several hours. if you look at this line, it actually extends all the way down the corner. this is midtown in east manhattan. today new york city announced it will offer $100 for people to get the boost. that's how they're trying to contain this spread. katy, as you mentioned, 73% of new omicron cases with the omicron variant. just last week it was 13%. it is incredible to see how quickly this variant has really spread across the country. here in new

nbc's gabe gutierrez is in mayfield. president biden touring storm damage in kentucky, taking on this role as consoler and chief. what can we expect to see and hear from the president today? >> reporter: yeah. that role of consoler in chief is part of the job the president takes seriously. it's a loss he's experienced in his own life. if he can spend people who lost potentially family members and offer them solace, that's something he wants to be able to do. there's also another reason for the on the ground visit. president biden is somebody who always considers himself a tactile politician. he's been getting briefings on the devastation, first the tornadoes itself on saturday when he was home in delaware. then at the white house every day. but he really believes it's important to be on the ground and get updates, to have the kind of conversations with local officials with affected individuals, one on one, in person to really inform his thinking about what the government needs to do. the white house press secretary descr

. >> mike, i think we have gabe gutierrez in mayfield fighting through some of the transmission issues we were just talking about. gabe, you're where the president is today. what will he be seeing there? >> garrett, well, you're right, the cell phone transmission goes up and down. obviously, in the aftermath of these disasters. but what he will be seeing is just other devastation. just look behind me. this is just one of the many blocks, one of the many neighborhoods that has been dismated by this tornado several days ago. and today we have seen people in this community, garrett, you know coming together as they often do following these types of disasters. but what has struck so many people here is the scope of all this. they're still trying to figure out the death toll and dozens of people dead and more than 100 people still unaccounted for, although the hope is that number will continue to drop in the coming days. garrett, just on the other side of this debris pile we spoke with a business owner who owns three businesses. small businesses. one is a training facility for young childre

here's nbc news correspondent gabe gutierrez. >> brittany has always been a fighter. >> she was born with congenital heart and lung disease where the blood vessels that communicate between the heart and the lungs were abnormal. and had to have emergency surgery at her first day of life. >> as she got older, her condition got worse, again. >> i was very limited doing anything. just walking from my bedroom to the kitchen was taxing. >> her doctors at northwestern medicine in chicago tried everything. >> we tried treating that with medications, diuretics, but it was just not going to be enough. and her quality of life was really deteriorating, and we knew something had to be done. >> that something, a rare heart and double lung transplant. >> combined heart and lung transplant is exceptionally uncommon. i mean, we're talking fewer than about 50 done total in the entire country per year. >> brittany was placed on the transplant list on september of last year, but finding the perfect match can be a long and grueling process. >> we need to make absolutely certain that we're matching up bri

gabe gutierrez is in queens new york and mike at the white house, dr. jha of brown university health and a surgeon and board chair of the new jersey doctor patient alliance and white house correspondent for pbs news hour and of course, moderator of "washington week." michael, we got to go to you first. we need these tests today but they're not going to be sent out until january. that's a week away. right now, if i go to a local pharmacy, they are hard to find. >> reporter: we've been talking about supply challenges but with this surge of omicron, the availability of testing, we've seen long lines around the countrychallenge for this white house. they have quadrupled it since this summer and the president will talk about the steps he's taking. yes, you can go to a new website the federal government will stand up to request half a billion tests that the president says administration has purchased to make available for everyone. the white house announcing they're establishing new testing federally supported testing centers around the country starting with

i want to go straight to gabe gutierrez in kentucky. what will the president be seeing when he arrives? >> reporter: hi there, stephanie. as you can see behind me, he will be seeing a lot of destruction. this is one of the businesses here in mayfield that has just been ripped apart. the president will be coming here to mayfield and also to dawson springs. the death toll in kentucky remains at 74. a dozen of them are children. we spoke to another one of those survivors, stephanie, from that candle factory, a woman named michaela emery, and she told me a harrowing story where she was trapped underneath a concrete slap for six hours with a pregnant co-worker. they were able to get out alive, but another one of her co-workers who she had spoken to right before the tornado hit did not make it out. here's some of our conversation in her hospital room. >> the only thing i remember after that is i heard all kinds of noises, and the next thing i know i opened my eyes and i'm stuck. i can't move my legs. >> so all this concrete had just fallen on

gabe gutierrez is live in tijuana, mexico. president biden ended this policy when he took office. why is it coming back? >> reporter: it's coming back because of a state order. the state of texas sued and the biden administration ordered to reimplement it. i want to get to more on that in a second. this is a migrant tent camp in tijuana texas, right across the border near san diego. hundreds of migrant families are staying here right now. what really hits you here is the children's toys. we've already seen as we wake up this morning several mothers carrying their children. now mpp, migrant protection protocols, that was the name given to it by the trump administration. that's that remain in mexico policy. it is restarting, and so migrants while they await they so in mexico. now, the biden administration, we just learned, saying that it's starting today in el paso in ciudad, juarez. but basically, there are some changes, stephanie. and the biden administration says that now migrants will have backyard access to lawyers and they will also have to have these asylum proceedings taken

nbc news national correspondent gabe gutierrez has the latest. >> reporter: president biden face-to-face with towns nearly wiped off the map. >> the scale is almost beyond belief. when you look around here it's almost beyond belief. >> reporter: touring devastated communities in kentucky, victims of last week's historic tornadoes. >> the government will cover 100% of the cost for the first 30 days for all the emergency work. >> reporter: in hard-hit mayfield the national guard is on the ground cleaning up and buckling down for a massive recovery effort under way. the cost of the damage staggering. >> i wouldn't be surprised if we see numbers in the millions. >> reporter: the sheer power can be tough to comprehend but these twisters were especially remarkable. some of the debris was blown 130 miles away. people on social media now reuniting owners with personal belongings. this treasured family photo from kentucky was just found on a car windshield in indiana. >> in hours it was all gone. >> reporter: for people like luis, the losses are crushing. on this street he lost three small busine

gabe gutierrez. >> reporter: good morning, this is a migrant tent camp in tijuana. they t remain in mexico program, or migrant protection protocols. that's the name given by the trump administration, is set to begin here in tijuana and several other locations across the border in the coming days. now, mika, the situation with this policy is very controversial. advocates are upset the biden administration has not done more to do away with it. as you mentioned, the administration did get rid of it earlier this year. the state of texas sued and now because of the court order is being reimplemented. the biden administration did get some -- did come to an agreement with mexico, and now what's different is that these migrants are supposed to have access to lawyers, and their cases are supposed to be adjudicated within six months. several advocates question if it's realistic or if this will contribute to bottle necks at different parts of the border including in tijuana that could turn into a humanitarian disaster. mika, as you said, the biden administration is saying that

nbc news correspondent gabe gutierrez reports from hard hit mayfield. >> this morning, across kentucky, a massive outpouring of support after immeasurable loss. >> everything else you can replace, but family you cannot. >> more than 100 people in the state are still unaccounted for amid the devastation, michael of dawson springs is grateful. his 8-year-old son can still meet santa. >> it's hard for us. everything we had in the house is gone. >> reporter: but in kentucky alone, at least a dozen of the 74 people killed are children. in missouri, 9-year-old aniston and her two sisters took shelter in a bathtub. 15 minutes after her parents posted this photo, she died in the tornado that ripped through her home. >> he was a wonderful, wonderful little girl. and i'm going to miss her so much. >> reporter: here in mayfield, kentucky's governor says state authorities will investigate what happened inside the town's candle factory where 8 people were killed and more than 100 were working when the tornado hit. >> it hurts so bad, and there's nothing that i can do. >> reporter: the memory of a l

but first, nbc national correspondent gabe gutierrez is in mayfield, kentucky, for us. gabe, good morning. >> reporter: sheinelle, good morning. this is some of the widespread destruction that the president will witness firsthand today. neighborhood after neighborhood shattered. power is slowly being restored to the region, but the governor here expects that authorities will find more victims. this morning, across kentucky, massive outpouring of support after an immeasurable loss. >> everything else you can replace, but family you cannot. >> more than 100 people in the state are still unaccounted for. amid the devastation, michael jarbow is grateful his 8-year-old son can still meet santa. >> it's hard for us. everything we will in the house is gone. >> reporter: but in ken condition alone, at least a dozen of the 74 people killed are children. in missouri, 9-year-old anniston and her siblings took shelter in a bath to be. 15 minutes after he parents posted this photo, anniston died. >> she was a wonderful, wonderful little girl and i'm going to miss her so much. >> rep

as nbc news national correspondent gabe gutierrez reports, there could soon be another new tool in the fight against the virus. >> reporter: we're one step closer to a pill for treating covid. an fda advisory panel narrowly voting to recommend merck's pill. >> this can be administered in the comfort of the patient's home, can be given as a prescription and picked up in the pharmacies. >> how does this drug stack up against the omicron variant? >> i wish we knew. we're looking at it very carefully. >> reporter: as the omicron variant spreads, the world health organization is advising people 60 and older, and those with comorbidities like heart disease and cancer, to postpone travel. the white house covid response team says there are at least 226 confirmed cases across 20 countries. >> one thing has become clear over the last 20 months. we cannot predict the future, but we can be prepared for it. >> reporter: the cdc is expanding its surveillance to four of the busiest airports in the country. new york's jfk, newark, atlanta, and san francisco, with increased testing for specific interna

nbc news national correspondent gabe gutierrez has the latest. >> reporter: with the omicron variant running rampant -- >> we should all be concerned about omicron but not panicked. >> reporter: -- president biden with a direct message for the unvaccinated. >> get vaccinated now. i promise you, it saves lives. honest to god, i believe it is your patriotic duty. >> reporter: the president under pressure to do more to help states with overburdened hospitals and a shortage of covid tests, announcing that starting next month, his administration will distribute 500 million at-home covid tests to any american who wants one by mail for free. the president a also deploying 1,000 members of the military to help understaffed hospitals and open new testing sites. >> we're taking more steps to make it easier to be tested. >> reporter: it comes two weeks after press secretary jen psaki downplayed the need for more at-home tests. >> why not make them free and have them available everywhere? >> send one to every american? >> maybe. >> then what happens if every american has one test? how much does