i'm jay gray. back to you. >> jay, thank you. >>> nbc meteorologist bill karins with where these storms are headed next. >> we've been tracking them all night doing damage through pennsylvania with power outages and they raced through new york city, the good news is that they have weakened about 99% compared to what they did yesterday. it wasn't with much fanfare that it went through new york city winds gusting 30 miles per hour. you can see they started about noon yesterday and these are just flyinging. i mean traveling highway speed. people had very little time to get safe places. it's actually amazing how strong they were that we haven't had more fay facilities and watching new york city. storms just rolled through out on long island right now and just about all the severe weather is over with with these. the winds gusting to 31, jfk, still have gusty winds and rain up in new england especially about 7:00 a.m., providence, right across the mass pike of new hampshire and maine and 89:00 a.m. just

jay gray, nbc news, washington, illinois >> thank you, jay. 11 daysfter tyoon haiyan slammeinto the philippines, sident of some rote villas say they still he not received any help. some, as you can see, are making sign pleadingorhelp. and aid has arrived elsewhere, though towns have been turne into tent cities as the estimated number of peopl displaced by the typhoon jumped to 4 million. 350,000 of them are still in evacuation centers. the official death toll stands at almost 4,000. still difficult to watch every time. >>> right now a follow-up to a story had as breaking news all morning long. the chp sayspeed likel played a factor in a deadly crash that shut down the southund lanes of 880 this morning. but athis point they're still looking to see ifnything else y have contributed. investigators say a bmw w heading northbound near oakland going about 110 miles per hour when it rear ended a big rig. the bmw then flied over that center divide and hit a crvead on. the driver of the bmw and the cr-v both died at scene. >>> in the sou bay, investigators in san jose are trying to solve two murders fo

live from the mall of america, i'm jay gray. angie, back to you. >> jay, you mentioned a the lot of people with a lot of bags. what are we finding in them as far as big ticket items they're scoring big deals on? >> reporter: clothes are always a big deal and a lot of people with a lot of clothes bags, people buying sweaters, a lot of people buying jeans and things like that. of course electronics is always the big deal this time of year and it's no different this year. the gaming systems, sony has a new psp4 out. the newest pads or smart phones and laptops are making a resurgence. a lot of people are buying laptops. any of those -- when you get out and do your shopping today. >> i've taken the note. thanks, jay, so much. >> i'll take a laptop while you're at it. >> amelia, do you want anything? >> i think i'm good right now. maybe some warmer weather, though. thanksgiving, the coolest thanksgiving since about 2000. >> really? >> yes, absolutely. it was definitely very cold yesterday and a little bit breezy, too are, for the fi

jay gray, nbc news, at the mall of america. >> thanks, jay. not everyone was just shopping. across the bay thousands spent their thanksgiving helping those in need. >> let's eq.everybody! >> that's a good call for many. that's bob mann. he assembled a small armiy to make turkey sandwiches and handed them out in san jose. he also served more than 1,000 slices of pie as well as donuts and coffee. he got the idea after people in the park flocked to him to get his leftovers last year. he says the meal was such a hit he plans to come back on christmas day. so will we. >> at glad memorial church it was a tradition with a musical twist. they broke into song helping serve lunch at the church. ♪ amazing grace how sweet >> that's nice. they do serve it every year, the church served several thousand people yesterday. many who depend on them say they wouldn't survive without the services. >> i'm in the shelter, you know. and without this i wouldn't -- i probably wouldn't be eating today. i wouldn't be eating thanksgiving food, you know. >> wonderful things they do. in addition to the

jay gray. happy thanksgiving to you, nbc news. >> thanks so much. we'll check back with jay throughout the morning. you can see the thanksgiving parade here on nbc bay area. our coverage will start at 9:00 a.m. happening now dozens camping out for the holiday door buster deals. this is new video in san jose. about 20 people braving the cold, got their tents out. not on black friday but at 6:00 tonight. the shoppers, some coming as far as the peninsula say the great savings makes missing out on the hot turkey dinner worth it. >> it's going to be like $150 t ipad $100 off, and certain tvs are discounted to like 200, 300, 400 off. >> that's worth it. >> it's worth it when you add it up. >> it's not just best buy. walmart opening up at 6:00 tonight followed by macy's and target opening their doors just two hours later. >> the first retailer to open its door today is kmart. it opens at 6:00 this morning, giving a new way to pay. it's offering a rent to own finance program, if you choose the plan it will make your first lease paymt followed by monthly or

jay gray reports from dealey plaza. >> reporter: the images still eche c can echo. the grainy film. the shock and pain from one of america's darkest moments.the g. the shock and pain from one of america's darkest moments.echo. the grainy film. the shock and pain from one of america's darkest moments. its that yet to fade. >> i was 13. i knew exactly where he was the minute he was shot. and if changed my outlook on the world. he was just stunned. couldn't believe it could happen in america. >> reporter: specifically dallas, texas. >> dallas was known throughout the world after the assassination by this stigma. >> reporter: the events of that day still haunt the city. terrific legacy outlined by the buildings where the tragedy played out still in use today. the texas school book depository, parkland hospital where john kennedy was rushed, and where a nation learned its president was dead. and the texas theater where police arrested lee harvey oswald. >> when i heard the shots, i thought some idiot has fired it as a demonstration. it was inconceivable that the shots would have been dir

where nbc's jay gray is at the latest. >> reporter: an eerie silence settled across the strike zone but that is i len will soon give way to families returning to sift through the splintered remainder of their lives. >> hard to look at. >> reporter: washington, illinois. the community ravaged by a massive twister that opened up a path five miles wide and a tenth of a mile long. >> people not in their homes. >> reporter: not nearly enough. every where you look it's impossible to escape the evidence of the tornado's fury and raw emotions of what some across the region have been through. >> i was waiting for it to bust through that wall at any second. >> and take you with it. >> yep. then just like that it was over. >> reporter: while the storms have passed the tragedy is still far from over. the clean up is only just beginning. >> we will recover. we will prevail over these tornadoes. >> reporter: signs of resilience so many will need as they begin the long and difficult recovery here. jay gray, nbc news, washington, illinois. >>> well, with shouts of shame, toronto's scandal scarred mayor

jay gray, nbc news, dallas. >>> thank you so much, jay. now we look at a few local newspaper headlines from 50 years ago. the yellow san francisco examiners saved by my own mother. in fact, the headlines read president's death, how the assassin struck. he is charged with murder. that was the day after the assassination. a look at a few other headlines. dramatic day from the u.s. a stunned nation mourns, and then also a last salute to the president with a picture of little john john in his famous salute to his father. >> what a very personal and unique perspective. thanks for sharing that, marla, and we will have continuing koj of today's commemoration on air and also on-line. just go to nbc bay area.com. we have a special page set up on our website to president kennedy's leg as where i. to see it search jfk 50. that is, again, on our home page. >>> just into our newsroom, we are now hearing from the wife of the palo alto man detained in north korea. she's asking the north korean government to send 85-year-old merrill newman home to his anx

jay gray, nbc news, dallas. >>> we have a section of our website dedicated to president-elect and today's events. we've posted never before seen pictures from his funeral as well as all of the reports from dallas this week on nbc washington.com. >>> coming up, her cell phone was stolen in the district and now weeks later she says she knows who did it and even gets pictures of the suspect on a daily basis. >> a warning for drivers. more than a hundred new cameras are going up and they're not just looking for speeders. >>> also using your cell phone at 30,000 feet, a heated debate over plans to allow travelers the option to use their iphon >>> from a bank in orlando, florida, yesterday, surveillance video captured it all. police say the thieves ripped the atm from its foundation and used a stolen front end loader to drop it into a getaway truck. so far nobody has been arrested. >>> tonight a d.c. visitor is upset and not just because somebody stole her cell phone. she gets new photos every night from the woman who now has her iphone. dawn ball lives in kentucky and was in town last month fo

nbc's jay gray reports. >> reporter: the report indicates the massacre lasted about five minutes and includes photos of the shattered glass where 20-year-old adam lanza shot his way into the locked school building. there are also pictures of empty shell casings from the more than 150 shots fired and the weapons lanza used during the rampage, killing 20 students and 6 faculty members before turning a gun on himself. investigators say lanza acted alone and planned his actions, including the taking of his own life. there's no clear motive, according to the report, which goes on to discuss lanza's significant mental issues. he was diagnosed with identified emotional and/or pervasive developmental disorder, a high level of anxiety, asperger's characteristics and obsessive-compulsive disorder. investigators say lanza refused to take medicines and did not engage in suggested therapies. newly released photos shows his blacked-out bedroom, a safe in his house and the gun he used to kill his mother before leaving for sandy hook. there are also pictures of a home computer he apparently battered

jay gray, nbc news, dallas. >>> we have much more about all website. wendy rieger will join us live at 5:00. go to www.nbcwashington.com, search jfk 50 for video of local ceremonies, historic photo, videos of his speech in which he proclaims, ask not what your country can do for you. also, jfk conspiracy theories from popular to the most obscure. again, www.nbcwashington.com. >>> breaking news now about the referee involved in a verbal spat with one of washington's offensive linemen. jason pugh has details from the live desk. jason? >> profane and derogatory statements has been suspended one game without pay. post game comments, he accused him of using profane language toward him during sunday's veri complaint, but handed down the one game suspension for ellison. from the live desk, i'm jason pugh. >>> teenage girls eating cotton balls to stay thin? how the cotton ball diet got so popular. >>> i'm liz crenshaw. is it safe to cook stuffing in your thanksgiving turkey? that's the question. the >>> all right. we are talking turkey today. should you buy yo

jay gray is live at the mall of america. jay, of all the assignments you could get, my friend, i know this has got to be a tough one. >> reporter: yeah, erika, you gave me your list, so i have a lot of shopping to do. the crowds have been building all day long. tens of thousands of people searching for bargains on what's become an unofficial shopping holiday. one that, this year, is expanding. this year, black friday actually began on gray thursday, otherwise known as thanksgiving. >> dinner is cooked, my belly is full and i'm ready shop. >> reporter: and shop and shop and shop and shop. dozens of retailers decided to start things a day earlier this year in part because a late thanksgiving means six less shopping days this season. >> we were encouraged with what we saw last night. the customers were out in droves. they were excited and shopping. >> reporter: not all were excited about the idea. >> they should all be closed on thanksgiving. it's thanksgiving. >> reporter: rolling into black friday, the day that is all about b

we are going to start with jay gray in the middle of it all, the center of the shopping universe, the mall of america. how you holding up there jay? >> reporter: hey there, wendy. i'm doing good. the crowds here have been building all day. nearly 200,000 have already come through the doors. that number is going to go up. everybody is looking for the best deals and bargains on what's become an unofficial national shopping holiday. one that's expanding this year. this year, black friday actually began on gray thursday, otherwise known as thanksgiving. >> dinner is cooked, my belly full and i'm ready shop. >> reporter: and shop and shop, shop and shop. dozens of retailers decided to start things a day earlier this year in part because a late thanksgiving means six less shopping days this season. >> we were encouraged with what you saw. the customers were out in droves. they were excited and shopping. >> reporter: not everyone is sold on the idea. >> they should all be sold on thanksgiving. it's thanksgiving. >> reporter: rolling now into black friday, the day that is traditionally all ab

that's wheree go to nbc's jay gray le from the city of washgton. good morning to you. >> reporte good morning, richard. good t talko you. those six falities you talked about all from this area of ntralllinois. >> reporter: the dastation is widespread and overwhelming. >> within less than a minute, everything srted collapsing within the house. cracking and sputtering. annext thing we know, 's light inside the house. >> reporter: at ast six people are dead, dozensnjured after a string oviolent storms including 40 tornadoes or more ripped across eight stes sund. central ilnois took the most severe hit >> all of a suddenthe wind started picking . >> reporter: when it finly stopd, communities like washington and n minden are fothe most part wiped ay. >> it's pretty bad as far as people n being able to stay in their homes. the roofs are gone. church steeple gon some dage on the inside. i would say it's pretty bad. >>eporter: a path of splinted homes and communities leveled by the intense storm stretches from ktucky to michigan. morehan 250,000 families w

jay gray has an update on conditions in new york city. >> reporter: good evening. the conditions here have been frankly miserable. still they are inflating the balloons with the hope that the show goes on as planned early tomorrow morning. despite the falling temperatures and at times falling rain, the holiday week is on the rise just outside of central park. crews are working through the weather to inflate the massive balloons for the annual macy's thanksgiving day parade, while keep an eye on conditions that could keep them from flying. >> we're inflating all the giant balloons that we feel confident will fly in the parade. and we're going to keep an eye on it. >> reporter: the balloons aren't the only ones with a holiday trip in jeopardy right now. flights have been canceled across the country. we have a little bit of rain, but if there's problems elsewhere it could affect us here. >> >>> rain, snow and ice are impacting the highways as well. some are inches along because of the wintery mess. >> we're nervous with all of the weather. it was pouring, but it was g

in new york, jay gray, news 4. >>> right now at 5:00, rain, sleet, even a little bit of snow. we've seen it all in the last couple of hours, so what next? >>> cleared for takeoff tonight. a mega airline merger will mean big changes for local travelers looking for a deal at one of our busiest airports. >>> and a frightening attack on a local woman on a local street that's really busy. and she was doing something many of us do every day. good evening. i'm wendy rieger. >> and i'm jim handly. storm team coverage begins right now. here's a live look at the conditions at this hour. temperatures are continuing to go down. >> and now the cold rain is turning into snow, and all eyes are on the thanksgiving day forecast. >> we have live team coverage for you tonight as we track every inch of the storm. we begin with chief meteorologist doug kammerer. doug? >> yeah, we are watching rain change to snow. most areas have seen a few snowflakes, but that's about it. on the radar right now you notice that rain and snow line is along the i-95 corridor from baltimore to d.c. we have seen a coup

jay gray, nbc news, dallas. >> after the fateful day came the funeral. one of the memories was the riderless horse. a young soldier was assigned to lead him that day. >> when i started working with blackjack he was a middle aged horse. i think he was about 16 and calm, knew his job. when he was a young horse when he first got there he was wild and very controllable. he was starting to dance, starting to throw his head. i said i don't know what is wrong with this horse but i am in big trouble. >> he said he did everything to control the horse. he said there was an upside to the wildness, no one tried to crowd the procession. as you heard people were in shock then, as well. >> i feel like i missed out on that whole thing, the whole camelot, the ora of it. it wasn't our generation's thing. that is why i like today because i learn. >> and seeing images i have never seen before so it >>> switching gears to amazing surveillance video to sunday's violent storms in the midwest. keep an eye on the wood frame house across the street. the video shows the tornado bl

our favorite including jay gray out there live giving us a thumbs up. hey, the good news t big balloons are going to be headed up to the sky, jay. >> reporter: thank goodness. yeah, everything is going to fly. it is great news. that's why the thumbs up. they have gotten the go. they are lined up, ready to roll. you can see the wind pushing them around but it hasn't reached the thresh old to keep them on the ground. 900 marching bands and all of the floats are getting lined up and read the get under way. we're going to see some celebrities. if you like duck dynasty, they are going to have a float. that should be interesting. duck dynasty making a roll down central park west. a gun time with cary underwood, kellie pickler, some of those that will be performing. exciting time, the activity, the energy building and i hope it's the start to a happy thanksgiving. >> thank you so much, jay. i love -- it's like an animated theme. it's a good time. thanks so much. >> reporter: for once i'm not the only clown on camera. >> i didn't say that, my friend. have a gre

jay gray is liv in central illinois which took the mos severe hit. good morning, jay. reporter: goo morning. good to talk to you. and you'reright, six fatalitie associated with this storm all from here in central illinois and thers concern this morning that numr could climb as teams get in. work through the debris left behind as they ctinue to try to asss the extent ofhe damage. the devastations widespread d overwhelming. >> within less tha minute everything started collapsing inside the house. cracking, the next thinge know it's light inside the house. >> reporr: at least six people are dead dozens injured after a string of violent storms including 40 tornados or more ried across eight states sunday. central illinois took the most severe hit. >> all of a sudde the wind started pickg up. >> reporter: when it spped communities like washington a new minden wereor the most part wiped away. >> it's pretty bad as faas people not being able to stay in thei homes. the roofs are gone. church steeple is gone. some damage on the inside. yeah, would sayt's pretty >> reporter: a p

and nbc's jay gray is out with some of the shoppers at the mall of america. what you got going on there, man? we're trying to find you. >> reporter: good morning, t.j. this is something you won't see much of today. it's an empty corridor. we're in between shifts, if you will. the late people have gone home. materially shift is just starting now. it's funny, this black friday merging with thanksgiving this year. not everybody is buying that. the dash for deals, the push for presents. the rush for a little retail therapy actually began just after all the turkey was gone. >> i live for this day and take this day off of work every year. dinner is cooked, my belly is full. and now i'm ready to shop. >> reporter: the lines stretched around stores, shoppers all searching for the same thing. >> trying to save some money. it's the holidays. >> reporter: starting early and analysts say even stretching past the weekend. >> i think black friday is gaining relevance because it is becoming more of a season than one day in particular. >> reporter: not everyone is sold on th

jay gray, he's live at the starting point where the floats are starting to roll through. what have you got behind you. i'm trying to make it out. >> behind me, diary of a wimpy kid. there was concern that the wimpy kid and the rest wouldn't tli but that's all cleared and so we're going to see not only these balloons put one passed the grand stand. we're going to see some celebrities in the crowd. we know that the clan from duck dynasty is going to be here. so if you love that show they are going to be are here. it is shaping up to be a beautiful day. a little chilly. the winds are good. it's going to continue this way. hundreds of thousands are lined up and have been for hours. exciting and the start to what i hope is a very happy thanksgiving for everyone at home and for you, laura. back to you. >> thank you so much. so many line the streets but don't they sell out the hotels so people can get a view? >> absolutely. the hotels are packed. that might not be the worst choice when it's chilly, but i have to tell you we've been out here all morning. 3:00 this morning there w

jay gray is with the shoppers at the mall of america outside minneapolis. hopefully you are picking up some items, as well. >> reporter: i'll do a little shopping. it is already busy here, believe it or not. black friday is the day for shoppers set up just to find the product or perfect gift. this year it merged with thanksgiving and not everybody is buying that. the dash for deals, the push for presents, the rush for a little retail therapy began after the turkey gone. >> i live for this day and take this day off of work every year. >> reporter: the lines stretched around stores shoppers all searching for the same thing, savings. >> trying to save some money. it's the holidays. >> reporter: starting early and stretching past the weekend. >> i think black friday is gaining relevance because it is becoming more of a season than one day in particular. >> reporter: not everyone is sold on the idea of shopping thanksgiving day. >> they should all be closed on thanksgiving. it's thanksgiving. >> reporter: if there is a debate about what to do on thursday -- >> f

those images were from the ha-hit city of washington illino, and that's where nbc's jay gray has the latest. >> reporter: aeerie silence settled across thetrike zone this morning but that silence will soon giveay to families returning to sift through the splintered remnants of the lives scatter for miles by more than 50 tornadoes that cut a path through at least a dozentates. >> hard to look at. this is oucommunity. >> reporter: washington, illinois a community ravaged by a massive twister. rped open a path fi miles ng and a tenth of a mile wide, destroying hundredof homes. >> it happened at church time when we had people not at eir homes. >>eporter: but not nearly enough. evywhere you look it iimpossible to escape the evidencef the tornado's fury and a raw emotions of at so many have beenhrough. >> i w waiting for it to bust through the ll at any second. >> reporter: and te you with it? >> yep. i mean and just like that,t was over. >> reporter: while the storms have passed, the trady is still far from over. the cleanup is only st beginning. >> we will recover. we will prevail over t

who better to give us the scoop than jay gray at the mall of america in bloomington, minnesota. i have never been there but that's supposed to be huge, jay. >> reporter: it's a city, laura. i can't tell you how big this place is. it's roller coaster and more stores than you can imagine. we're between waves now. the late group that came in, they have gotten everything, maybe coming back. now the morning shoppers, they will fill in this corridor at the mall. you see it's starting to fill up. this year a little different because seems like black friday merged with thanksgiving and not everybody right now is buying that. the dash for deals. the push for presents. the rush for a little retail therapy. actually began just after all of the turkey was gone. >> i live for this day and i take this day off of work every year. then it's cook, my belly is full, now i'm ready to shop. >> reporter: the lines stretch around stores, shoppers searching for the same thing. savings. >> trying to save some money. it's the holidays, trying to get as much as we can for the kids. >> reporter: starting

jay gray is in washington, illinois. it's unusual to get storms this strong so late in the season. what are you hearing and seeing on the ground? >> reporter: no question, tour'e, always good to talk to you. what we hear and see is shock. people still don't understand what happened here. this splintered wood and twisted metal. these pieces of people's lives scattered for miles right now. some moving into the neighborhoods for the first time within the last hour. let's push through some of this debris and you'll get a look at now poring through what's left of their homes and community, searching for anything that may represent their life, but when you see the magnitude, the intensity of what's happened here, you begin to understand it's going to be very difficult to come by. we now know at least eight people are dead, six victims killed during storms here in central illinois, two in michigan. dozens have been injured. thousands still without power right now. teams are continuing to move into some of the hardest hit areas like this one. poring through this debris and rubble. there is

nbc's jay gray is live along the parade route in new york city. good morning, happy thanksgiving. will it be happy for those looking to see those balloons in the air? >> reporter: hey there, good morning. so far, so good, betty, and a happy thanksgiving to you. let's look at the balloons you're talking about, snoopy in the background, one of the bigger balloons, 16 of those are in jeopardy are not flying if the wind is sustained at 23 miles an hour, if it gusts to 34 but right now it's looking good, seven wind monitors are watching things closely. the decision won't come until right before parade time, right before things start to roll. even if the big balloons don't fly and we don't think that's the case, looks like they'll go, even if they don't plenty of balloons and floats. the floats will line the parade route as well and tom turkey is ready to lead things off as he should on thanksgiving day. christian chenoworth will be one of the stars, and robertson family from "duck dynasty" carrie underwood part of the nbc broadcast, and kelly pickler, some of the musical acts. should b

jay gray, nbc news, dan bury, connecticut. >>> this report also says lanza wrote a book in the fifth grade, and included tales of children being killed and a son shooting his mother in the head. a state judge will listen to 40 minutes of 911 calls from the massacre before deciding to make them public. >>> president obama's westward trip in full swing on monday the democratic controlled senate pass add kpree hence inch bill earlier this year. it would provide a pathway to citizenship. the president supports the bill, but one heckler focused on deportations in recent years. >> you have the power to stop -- >> and that's why we're here. okay. >> stop deportations! >> if, in fact, i could solve all these problems without passing laws in congress, then i would do so. but we're also a nation of laws. that's part of our tradition. >> the president's trip included major political fund-raising for house and senate candidates, and magic johnson and his wife hosted one of the events, as well as diane keaton and samuel jackson. heinz saban and his wife hosted another. at one event, one ticket co

nbc's jay gray is with the hearty shoppers at the mall of america outside minneapolis. jay, i wonder how many have been there all night long? >> reporter: i can tell you, they have, betty. good to talk to you this morning, and they plan to be here all along. it's finally here. shopping's big day. as you talked about, it's kind of merged with thanksgiving this year and not everybody's buying that. the dash for deals -- the push for presents -- the rush for a little retail therapy actually began just after all the turkey was gone. >> i live for this day, and i take this day off of work every year. dinner's cooked, my belly is full and now i'm ready to shop. >> reporter: shoppers shopping for the same thing -- savings. >> trying to save money. trying to get as much ras as we for the kids. >> reporter: and even stretching past the weekend. >> i actually think black friday is gaining relevance because it's becoming more of a season than one day in particular. >> reporter: not everyone is sold on this. >> they should all be closed op thanksgiving. it's thanksgiving. >> report

nbc's jay gray is with those hearty shoppers at the mall of america outside minneapolis. jay, i wonder if some have been there all night long? >> reporter: i can tell you, they have, betty. good to talk to you this morning, and they plan to be here all day long. it's finally here. shopping's big day. as you talked about, it's kind of merged with thanksgiving this year, and not everybody's buying that. the dash for deals. the push for presents -- the rush for a little retail therapy actually began just after all the turkey was gone. >> i live for this day, and i take this day off of work every year. dinner is cooked. my belly is full, and now i'm ready to shop. >> reporter: the lines stretched around stores, shoppers all shopping for the same thing -- savings. >> trying to save money. trying to get as much as we can for the kids. >> reporter: starting early, and analysts say stretching even past the weekend. >> i actually think black friday is gaining relevance, because it's becoming more of a season than one day in particular. >> reporter: but not everyone is sold on the

nbc's jay gray is live along the parade route in new york city. good morning, jay. happy thanksgiving. a lot of people looking at you because we need to know if snoopy is going to get up in the air? >> reporter: good morning, betty. happy thanksgiving to you and everyone out there. fingers still crossed here we won't have a decision until right before parade time. take a look behind me, the balloons are inflated and ready to roll should they get the chance. snoopy, one of the larger balloons in this parade and there are 16 that are threatened by the forecast here. if we see sustained winds of 23 miles per hour, gusts up to 34, then the bigger balloons won't fly. don't worry, there will still be plenty of balloons and floats along the parade route here. seven wind sensors line the route so they will keep a close monitor on this thing and make that decision again right before everything starts to roll here. even if the big balloons don't go, and i know everybody wants to see that, i want to see that as well, even if they don't it's going to be a great parade, a lot of

that's where nbc's jay gray is standing by. how do things look this morning? >> reporter: hey there, brian. good morning to you. tragedy really still unfolding here and we'll only see it get worse as the sun comes up and assess the damage. take a look. you can see what we're talking about here and this type of debris and the splintered wood stretches for miles in this area. all six of those fatalities came from the central illinois area. there is concern talking to officials here that as the recovery teams continue to pore through all of in that that number could climb so that's something they're concerned about. not only here but across that entire region that you talked about where severe thunderstorms and tornadoes as many as 40 actually just ripped across the nation's midsection leveling communities like this one. still hundreds of thousands without power. fema teams are on the ground here and across the region right now. we're told that the white house is continuing to update the president on the situation. we know that recovery teams are making their way

i'm jay gray. mika, joe, back to you. >> thanks very much. right to bill karins for the latest on how the weather is looking at this point. bill? >> these storms have moved from the midwest now racing through the northeast this morning. just amazing that this was mid-november. we do get tornado outbreaks in november, but not typically this far north. this is the northern ohio valley. they get snowstorms in november. the number of tornadoes, too. this turns out to be the second most active severe weather day we've had this year. even compared to those big events we had back in the spring. the blue tdots show you wind damage all last night from ohio to pennsylvania. r red triangles all the tornado reports. philadelphia, you are all clear. new york city, you are all clear. line of storms trying to move up over the top of providence, right now, boston. still could get strong gusty winds that could take down some isolated trees. for the most part, the worst of our stormy weather, the tornadoes and wind

jay gray at the mall of america in bloomington, minnesota. we'll start with you, jay. we've been talking to you all morning. how is it looking now? >> t.j., i'm the king of shopping. i'm looking down on my subjects and i say spend, spend everyone. maybe it's getting to me. i have been here for a while. look, people are spending. things are going really well at this mall and across the country apparently. we see people not only shopping but they are carrying bags. not one or two but several. the news looks good on that account. a lot of retailers are very concerned because they have six less days in shopping season between thanksgiving and christmas this year. it falls late in the year. but statistics show and analysts believe that this weekend the average family will spend around $650, that's up 11% from last year black friday weekend. so vitally important for retailers. what happens between thanksgiving and christmas makes up between 20 and 40% of their entire yearly intake. that's according to the national retail federation. on the other side of the ledger, all the s

nbc's jay gray is live at the mall of america with how things are looking there. shoppers trying to get bang for their buck, right? >> absolutely. always good to talk to you. they are searching for deals here. the shoppers in this mall do it at a different level. they are going through in waves, looking for the bargains. this year, black friday and thanksgiving have merged together and not everyone is buying into that. the dash for deals. the push for presents. the rush for a little retail therapy. it began just after all the turkey was gone. >> i live for this day and i take this day off of work every year. dinner is cook and my belly is full and i'm ready to shop. >> searching for the same thing. savings. >> trying to save some money. this is the holidays and trying to get as much as we can for the kids. >> starting early and stretching even past the weekend. >> i think black friday is gaining because it's more of a season than one day in particular. >> not everyone is sold on the idea of shopping thanksgiving day. >> they should all be closed on thanksgiving. i

we start with jay gray at the mall of america. it doesn't look too chaotic. you tell me what's really going on? >>. >> good morning. we are smelling the fresh scent of cinnabon. they pulled some out of the oven. we are in between the late shift. the people that came at midnight have gone home. the morning shift started for the serious shoppers. rachel and her crew fit that description perfectly. you have a bunch of bags and everything. rachel, is this a big deal for you? >> definitely. we have been planning it for like a week. >> so far are you just starting out? >> we have been here for a few hours, but we take our time. don't want to rush through. >> how are the deals? >> fantastic. everything is at least 50% off. >> really? >> yeah. >> analysts are saying some may spend more. will you spend the same or less? >> it depends on the person, but i already spent more than last year. it's good. >> how long will you go at it today? >> we are about halfway through the circle. i will have to hit a couple stores again we have been comparing. >> anything for an older

jay gray was there this morning. >> as the sun comes up, take a look. this is the devastation that crews will be working through. the kind of debris that families will be coming back to. many getting their first look at what is left of their communities here. they will be searching for any part of their lives that is left from the time before the storm. it's going to be a difficult task as will the recovery. >> we are told to evacuate their seats and find a covered concourse while the storms moved through that area. let's get right to my first reads of the political morning. a month ago, federal employees went become to work after the 16-day shut down leaving them blaming republicans and democrats seeing the largest lead in the ballot since early 2009. house democrats picked up new recruit who is have been on the fence about running. democrat his a chance of taking back the house. the senate seems to be slipping away. 30 days later and political fortunes reversed. that advantage for democrats is gone. it's vulnerable incumbents who are angry and scared.

. >> fir we'll srt off with c's jay gray liv on the ground now in the town of washington,llinois which appears to ven hit with the heaviest damage out the. jay, looks like comple devastatio where you're at reporter: good morning. good to talk to you. unfortately, this i an area this is playing out for miles across not only this area but the entire region that was really overrun by this massive storm stem. very severe thunderstorms using damage, then the toados you talk about, many of them captured, home videotape of these intense funnels that rip aidross the area. many as 40 if not more and that's still being investigated byorecasters but we should get a better number later in the day. also, we'll lea more about the intensity of the storms as th national weaer service is on the ground in other hard hit areas trying to determine how werful the storms were for thosthat lived here doesn't matt. the numbers don't matter the ratings don't tter. mostverything they h is that go. as teams work through thi rubble and debris, those families will also likely later in the day get their chance to c

jay gray joins us from what some say is the middle of shopping universe. the maul of america in minnesota. is it getting more crowded or calming down? >> reporter: we're between shifts. take a look. something you're not going to see often, an empty corridor. the late night shoppers came in around midnight, took their bags, went home. they will sleep and come back later today. the early morning shoppers starting to drikle in at this point. this year thanksgiving merged together. the dash for deals, the push for presents. the rush for a little retail therapy. actually began just after all of the turkey was gone. >> i live for this day and i take this day off work every year. then my belly is full and i'm ready to shop. >> shoppers searching for the same thing -- savings. >> trying to save money. usually try not to get as much as we can. >> analysts say stretching past the weekend. >> i think black friday is gaining relevance because it's more than one day in particular. >> not everyone is sold on the idea of shopping thanksgiving day. >> they should all be c

jay gray is in washington, illinois. it's unusual to get storms this strong so late in the season. what are you hearing and seeing on the ground? >> reporter: no question, tour'e, always good to talk to you. what we hear and see is shock. people still don't understand what happened here. this splintered wood and twisted metal. these pieces of people's lives scattered for miles right now. some moving into the neighborhoods for the first time within the last hour. let's push through some of this debris and you'll get a look at now poring through what's left of their homes and community, searching for anything that may represent their li,

jay gray is in the city's upper west side for a first land look. what is the wind speed cut off for flight. >> reporter: good to talk to you and everyone else in the dry, warm studio there. the wind speed for cutoff for the larger balloons is a sustained wind of 27 miles an hour, gusts to 34 miles an hour. we're going to be right on the edge tomorrow. it's rainy out here and the wind has been gusting at times. seems this is as much a tradition as the floats and everything. take a look. you can see people lining up. this is the one place where inflation isn't that bad of a thing. a lot of people come out and want to see the balloons blown up. it's something that will continue through the evening and early tomorrow morning the balloons line up, won't make the call on whether the big balloons will go until right at game time. we won't know until we get those exact conditions right before the parade starts in the morning, whether a lot of the floats just like snoopy, longest and oldest float -- >> back to you. >> stay warm out there and from the news c

we go to jay gray at the mall of america in minnesota. good morning. >> reporter: hey, there. good morning, kayla. here people take blad friday very seriously at america's largest mall. they work in shifts. so the late night shift that came in looking for deals have just about wrapped up and the good news, for retailers anyway, that. >> walking around has a bag or two bags or three bags. it looks like they're shopping and talking to them. they say they are finding deals. they say it takes some work and some walking but that they are finding deals. a lot of people are saying they're spending a little more this year than last year. so all good signs for the retailers. >> jay gray, good luck out there in the mall of america. >> let's bring in stacy and brian. brian which retailers are doing it right and will win this season? >> it's tough to say now but within my group, best buy will be a winner. they're pricing better against the competition offline and online. >> stacy, welcome. it good to see you. not to get into best buy for a little bit are you surprised at how well it been?

. >> and my good buddy jay gray, who goes anywhere for a story, at the mall of america in minnesota. so we'll get to them all, do a channel check on retail, over the next couple of hours. >> what an assignment -- have you been to the mall of america? >> i have. >> it is just enormous. >> that's crazy. neither of us is a shopper. >> yeah. >> and this may be black friday, with but this is also the last trading day for the month of november, and it's been another very good month for the equity markets. so let's talk about that, shall we? >> sure. joining us in the "closing bell" exchanges is patricia powell from the powell financial group, eric kugan, rich peters, and mike mcqueen from hightower, john manley from wells fargo, and our very own rick santelli. so good afternoon to all of you. you know, rich peterson, let's just start with you. what are the numbers that surprise you most today about these markets? >> quelwell, again, kelly, we'r seeing the continuation, the war of 1812 was not with the fight over british. the war of 1812 is investors moving to higher ground. we're seeing th

jay gray is out there among them and getting ready for the parade to start. >> good morning. happy thanksgiving to you and everyone watching at home. a big day. the excitement and anticipation building here. take a look at the balloons behind me. snoopy is under the net and the hope is he is going to fly. the big concern is the wind and the 16 big balloons. there sustained winds of 23 miles per hour. the balloons won't get in the air. it being looks like that's going to happen and everything will be fine. seven wind monitors. it looks like everything is going to fly here today. even if the balloons will be a part of this parade, all of the clowns, 900 or so that are out and about on the parade route right now getting ready. the band is warming up and the floats are all lined up and ready to roll. it's an exciting morning. the start to what i hope again is a very happy thanksgiving for you. everyone at home. that's the latest from central park. richard, back to you. >> thanks a lot for that. we have been watching the wind gust based on what you are reporting and the latest we