Breaking overnight. The First American victims that volcano disaster in new zealand identified as teenage brothers from chicago. Their parents still missing. This morning, inside the risky effort launched to retrieve the remains victims from that still active island. Hate crimes. New details emerge about the gunman in a deadly attac jewish Grocery Store in new jersey. Police releasing new Surveillance Video of the incident as thousands come together for the first funerals overnight. Those stories, plus ring terror. I dont know who you are. Im santa claus the disturbing hacking of a Home Security camera inside a little girls bedroom. Close call. Harrowing video of a man coming to the rescue of a neighbors dog after its leash was caught in an elevator. And today exclusive. A peloton the woman at the center of the most controversy holiday ad in years. Im excited. Whats her take on all the commotion . Shell tell us in her first interview today thursday, december 12, 2019. Announcer fr studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. Hey, everybody. Welcome to today. Thank you for joining us on this thursday morning. The young lady from the peloton ad is having her moment of fame. You know what . Reluctant yes. She didnt come to the today show willingly. She came because she felt like she should. Looking forward to talking to her. Looking forward to talking to monica and also send our best to our friend savannah guthrie. Recovering from eye surgery this morning. Well fill you in later. We were able to communicate with her yesterday. Shes in good spirits. She is. Got her kids around her, her hubby around her. Doing aokay. First, this top story, the heated debaterchin the president paving the way for the first crucial vote today. Two important reports what will be a busy day in washington day. We start with nbcs Peter Alexander in the hearing room. Good morning. Reporter good morning to you. That debate starting last night and picks up again today with republicans and democrats fighting for and against these articles of impeachment. Abuse of power and obstruction of congress. Democrats accuse the president of a constitutional crime spree. Republicans say democrats are simply trying to undo the 2016 election. All of it setting up the first vote on these articles of impeachment here in the House Judiciary Committee later today. The debate stretching late into the night. Republicans and democrats squaring off over impeachment. History will look back on our actions here today. How would you be remembered . This is the quickest, thinnest, weakest, most partisan impeachment in all of american president ial history. Reporter democrats after wrapping up their two and a half month inquiry arguing President Trump sacrificed Americas National security for his own personal political benefit, and blocked congressional efforts to investigate. We must hold this president accountable for his stunning abuse of power. We must hold this president accountable for corrupting our democracy. We must impeach this president. Reporter republicans say democrats have manufactured the ukraine scandal based on hearsay, accusing them of a lastditch effort to remove a president they detest. A threeyear vendetta to get someone they couldnt beat and desperate to do it before they beats them against next year. Reporter coming almost 21 years to the day after the Judiciary Committee approved impeachment articles against president clinton. The outcome of the committees vote remain as sure thing without a Single Member expected to cross party lines. So, peter, as this phase of impeachment wraps up, what happens next . Another live hearing inside the hearing room where republicans are offering up amendments. Democrats are pushing back on that. So let me walk you through exactly what. Committee members were expected to end their debate with a pair of vote, one on each article of impeachment today. That would set up a house vote as early as next tuesday. Twothirds of senators would have to approve that during a trial early in the new year and with republicans controlling the senate, President Trump will almost certainly stay in power. Back to you. Meantime, the fbi is under new fire this morning with the justice departments Inspector General now calling for changes, and how the agency conducts its investigations. Nbcs Pete Williams has more on this one. Pete, good morning. Reporter hoda, the first appearance before congress by the Inspector General since he issued that report on the fbis investigation of the Trump Campaign, and it ended up as a tale of two he republicans and democrats concentrated on two different parts they found the most important. Senate democrats wanted to know about the conclusion by Inspector GeneralMichael Horowitz that politics played no role in the fbis decision to launch its investigation of the Trump Campaign in july 2016. You didnt find a deep state conspiracy against candidate or President Trump . As to the opening we found no, no bias, no testimonial documentary evidence on that. Reporter horowitz said he found no evidence either that the fbis peter strzok and lisa page who exchanged hundreds of antitrump Text Messages played but republicans zeroed in on the Inspector Generals conclusion that the fbi made serious mistakes, some intentional, in seeking permission under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act or fisa to eavesdrop on carter page, a former Trump Campaign adviser. Horowitz said the fbi recently overstated the evidence against him. Do you agree every politician in america should be concerned about what happened here . Every american should want to make sure this fisa process works the right way. Reporter as for this claim by President Trump they spied on our campaign. Okay . They spied. Never happened before in the history of our country. Reporter horowitz said the fbi never inserted anyone into the campaign but said fbi confidential human sources did separately record their conversations with two campaign advisers, Paul Manafort and george papadopoulos. He said the fbi ought to require higherlevel permission to do that in a campaign. Who at doj knew about this . Did the attorney general know about this . Did the white house know about this . Nobody knew beforehand, nobody was briefed and frankly that was one of the most concerning things here that Nobody Needed to be told. Reporter horowitz said under the current rules an undercover operative with very low approval could even secretly record a conversation with a president ial candidate though he stressed that never happened in the last campaign. Pete williams in d. C. Pete, thank you. To the latest in that deadly volcano eruption in new zealand. Despite dangerous conditions a ricky rescue mission is on to retrieve victims from that island. That comes as we learn about the americans who died there. With us from new zealand, janis, good morning to you. Reporter good morning, craig. There is a plan, and it is a risky one. To have a team of eight highly trained military experts attempt to land on an island that just days ago erupted. A Perilous Mission set to begin at dawn recovering eight bodies from white island where the air is toxic, the ground spewing gas and theres a risk the volcano could erupt again any moment. It is not a zerorisk game and people are putting themselves on the front line to do the right thing. Reporter the new Zealand Military sending in teams with protective gear and devices to breathe. Specialized equipment thats crucial to even make the attempt. Satellite images show the crater smothered with ash. The volcano at its most active in years. There is still an increase in activity, and increase in pressure inside the volcano. Reporter authorities under pressure from families to retrieve the bodies. Reconnaissance flights and drones helped to pinpoint where six of them are. They arent sure where to look for two others. Important as we get them back we need to make it and have a go at it. Reporter the death toll, meanwhile, edging sadly higher. Matthew hollander, just 13, and his 16yearold brother barron, the First Americans confirmed dead. The brothers from the chicago area dieing from their injuries in the hospital. Their parents, martin and barbara, still listed as missing. Several injured australians have now been airlifted out, while across new zealand, surgeons are working around the clock treating nearly two dozen people for horrible burns from the volcanos explosion. I just want to let you know, this is not a joke. Reporter american matthew left a voicemail telling his mother he and his wife lauren needed surgery their conditions remain critical. My hands are burned i cant use my phone reporter the mission to retrieve the bodies will take several hours and there arent a lot of things they wont be able to control out there the wind, the weather, and importantly, the island itself a lot needs to go right. And officials here are adamant they have to at least try in order to bring some closure to the family whose have been waiting. Craig, hoda. I hope it goes right. Janis macke, thank you from new zealand. Also were learning more about the suspects in that deadly shootout in new jersey, and what may have driven them to kill four people, including a veteran Police Officer nbcs Gabe Gutierrez is following that investigation whats the latest . Reporter hoda, good morning. This is a Community Still on edge hundreds of people gathered to pay their respects to the victims overnight here in jersey city thousands more in nearby brooklyn all this as we learn more details about the rampage here at this kosher Grocery Store dozens of children huddled together at the synagogue next door the terrifying moments before the madness revealed through Surveillance Video a man gets out of a van, calmly walks across the street with a rifle in his hand. His passenger also armed followed behind. Pedestrians scramble in terror as the two enter a kosher market one man escapes. Police say he was shot and is the only survivor. Investigators say this man, 47yearold David Anderson and an accomplice identified at Francine Graham were the shooters after a threehour standoff, police found both suspects dead in the store along with three victims identified at 24yearold mosha deutsche, 31yearold mindy reche, wife of the owner, and 34yearold rodriguez. Three sources tell wnbc the van contained religious writing and anderson was a onetime follower of the black Hebrew Israelite Movement they track hate groups online statements pushed conspiracy and advocated for violence against Police Officers. Its hard to argue anything other than this person or these people motivated by anger and hate towards jews. We vow to crush the monstrous evil of antisemitism whenever and wherever it appears. Reporter this man wonders if the primary target was not the store but the synagogue next door. The assumption is that the synagogue, and entered the Grocery Store instead. Reporter yoshi was inside that synagogue which house as Daycare Center and locked down during the attack. The kids were terrified it was not easy for them i mean, its scary i mean, it sounded like a war zone. Reporter overnight thousands gathering to lay two of the victims to rest. A Community Bound by faith now praying for peace. And there is now stepped up security at synagogues across the region, but craig and hoda, many Unanswered Questions about the motive authorities do consider the pair that shot up this Grocery Store as prime suspects in the weekend murder of an uber driver nearby. Back to you. All right Gabe Gutierrez in jersey city, thank you. Now to that potential bombshell settlement between Harvey Weinstein and dozens of women who accused him of Sexual Misconduct nbcs Senior National correspondent kate snow joins us this morning with what it means and what it does not mean. Reporter right good morning, craig and hoda a tentative deal settles near all civil cases against weinstein just as the criminal case enters a new phase. Harvey weinstein, the onetime hollywood power broker leaving criminal court in new york city wednesday with help of a walker behind the scenes, the disgraced producer reaching a potential 25 million deal addressing an avalanche of civil lawsuits brought by dozens of women who have accused him of Sexual Misconduct according to two accusers and an attorney for a third weinstein would not admit wrongdoing and wouldnt pay accusers out of his own pocket instead, insurance would make the payout this woman says weinstein sexually assaulted her in france in 2014 would be part of the settlement but still feels justice has not been served. Hes not yet stepped up and faced his responsibility hes not yet admitted to anything in which hes done to any of these women. Reporter the Advocacy Group times up criticized the deal calling it a symptom of a problematic broken system, but others are embracing the settlements. There are women who are relieved who feel, listen, as the legal negotiations went on and the pots money got smaller and smaller, there were concerns whether or not there would be any civil settlement reached. Reporter the most highprofile women to come forward with allegations against weinstein including Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow are reportedly not involved in the deal neither is Ashley Judd Weinstein repeatedly said any sexual encounters were consensual representatives for weinstein and his film company declined to comment on the settlement. Weinstein still faces serious criminal charges his trial for rape and Sexual Assault begins in new york january 6th. In Court Wednesday a judge doubled his bail to 2 million after prosecutors said weinstein tampered with his electronic ankle monitor more than 50 times. As for weinsteins apparent health issues, his Attorney Says hell undergo back surgery today. While a deal may have been reached it is far from final a court and all other parties involved have to sign off on this its still tentative. We just heard from one of weinsteins accusers clearly not happy with this tentative deal what about the other accusers . A lot of them not happy about this deal. Feel its too little on the other hand as you sort of heard in the piece, it may be the best they can get now because everything is tied up in Bankruptcy Court only a certain amount of money to go around the thinking from some theyve got to get something while they can, and theyre all watching that criminal proceeding. The trial. Yes and what happens if he gets convicted . Okay. Kate, thank you. Big news this morning from major league baseball. The league announced yesterday that all 30 teams will extend protective netting for the 2020 season several teams already made the change last seasons the move after several fans were seriously injured by foul balls in recent years. Mlb commissioner rob manfred says no new rule passed but each team independently agreed to extend that netting to protect fans along the third and first baselines. Weve done so many stories on kids and grownups who get hit by foul balls. So see if that helps out. And years ago hockey did something similar. Fans concerned it would change the viewing experience it did not. And al roker is standing by. First check of the weather how we looking okay. The eastern seaboard and gulf coast is in trouble. Low intensifying in the coast today. Bringing rain to atlanta and georgia tomorrow isolated strong storms from charleston back to tampa saturday a mess in the northeast. Winter and advisories and all the way to roanoke, virginia big problems there and also looking at a lot of heavy rain southeast all the way, two to three inches of rain extending up into the northeast with rain, wind, flooding airport delays big problems through the weekend, and during the day today, this system tracks through the great lakes. Thats going to bring light snow accumulations. Some places could see upwards of 6 inches of snow well get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds. Good thursday morning. Im meteorologist kari hall. We can see the sun coming over the horizon in palo alto. And we do have some clear visibility here. Our temperatures will warm up into the mid60s and more clouds moving in. Weve seen some off and on light rain and that will be the case as we go into the afternoon as well as tomorrow, even lingering showers on saturday. We will have a chance to dry out on sunday and part of the day monday before more rain moves in by next tuesday. Weather. Guys all right. Coming up, anyone with a kid or Home Security camera needs to watch this in fact, wage and listen to this. Who is that im santa claus dont you want to be my bes