Sunday TODAY with Willie Geist

In Part 1 of this edition of Sunday Sitdown Live, superstar standup comedian Jim Gaffigan joins Willie Geist and a packed audience at City Winery in New York City for a conversation about his Fathertime bourbon company, his family, growing up in Indiana with a secret dream of comedy and his whisky-centered special, "Live from Old Forester: The Bourbon Set." At least 24 Palestinians were killed and dozens more wounded in a series of Israeli strikes in Gaza. The Israeli military said it was responding after an armed terrorist shot at troops in Southern Gaza. Tatiana Schlossberg, granddaughter of former President John F. Kennedy, shared in an essay that she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2024. The married mother of two has largely avoided the Kennedy spotlight, working as an environmental journalist. NBC's Valerie Castro reports for Sunday TODAY. A University of Alabama at Birmingham football player is in police custody, accused of stabbing two of his teammates before their game on Saturday. Daniel Mincey faces charges of aggravated assault and attempted murder. Both players are said to be in stable condition. Max Verstappen won Las Vegas' Formula 1 Grand Prix in a thrilling race where he held a steady lead. Lando Norris finished second, but he was later disqualified on a technicality. One week before Thanksgiving, President Donald Trump and New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani both found common ground at a White House meeting on Friday, tapping into Americans' anger over the cost of living. Trump has rolled back tariffs on more than 200 food products including bananas, beef and coffee as prices for many staples are on the rise. NBC's Christine Romans reports in this week's Sunday Focus.

In this week's Sunday Sitdown, Oscar-nominated actor Paul Mescal joins Willie Geist to discuss his rise in Hollywood from the hit series "Normal People" to the blockbuster "Gladiator 2" and now his role as William Shakespeare in "Hamnet." Mescal also shares how he is preparing for the role of another iconic English artist, Paul McCartney, in a four-part "Beatles" biopic. President Donald Trump sent out a warning that everyone from airlines to drug traffickers should consider the airspace over Venezuela closed. The president has no authority over their skies, but his message comes as he has threatened U.S. strikes inside the country and puts pressure on its leader Nicolás Maduro. NBC's Kelly O'Donnell reports for Sunday TODAY. Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker joins Sunday TODAY's Willie Geist to discuss how President Donald Trump is shifting immigration policy after the deadly attack on National Guard soldiers by a suspect who is an Afghan national. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner are meeting in Florida with Ukrainian officials to discuss a proposed peace deal with Russia. Meanwhile, Ukraine's President Zelenskyy reports that Russia launched a series of attacks killing at least two people in Kyiv. Russia's defense minister claims the strikes were in response to a Ukrainian naval drone assault on Russian tankers in the Black Sea. College football's Rivalry Weekend saw the biggest programs across the country duel it out on the gridiron for a chance at glory and for some, a chance at the playoffs. NBC's Steve Patterson reports for Sunday TODAY. Democratic lawmakers put out a video two weeks ago reminding American troops they can refuse an illegal order from their commander. President Donald Trump has since accused the members of sedition, the FBI has opened an investigation into them and the Pentagon has threatened a court martial of Sen. Mark Kelly. What prompted the video and what is behind the controversy? NBC's Courtney Kube reports in this week's Sunday Focus.

In this week's Sunday Sitdown, iconic actor Jamie Lee Curtis joins Willie Geist to share her role in the new film from James L. Brooks called "Ella McCay." Curtis talks about embracing age, reveals why she has tried to claim retirement on her own terms and also opens up about the Oscar and Emmy-winning run she's been on over the last couple of years. Ceremonies will be held on Sunday in honor of the 84th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Only 12 survivors, all over the age of 100, are still alive today and for the first time, none are able to attend this year's ceremony at the site of the attack. A selection committee is huddled in Texas debating which college football teams will be in the 12-team playoff and which deserving hopefuls will be left-out. The unveiling of that bracket comes after a busy Saturday of conference championship games that provided new plot twists to the drama. NBC's Morgan Chesky reports for Sunday TODAY. The bitter blast of cold that has gripped the Midwest and Northeast is sticking around for a few more days. Temperatures in the Northeast could drop by another 10 degrees on Monday with many areas not expected to get above freezing. Netflix announced this week that it would be purchasing Warner Brothers. The consolidation of the two behemoths may be good for business, but some producers and politicians are not as excited about the deal. NBC's Chloe Melas reports in this week's Sunday Focus. 

In this week's Sunday Sitdown, Academy Award-nominated actor Josh Brolin joins Willie Geist to discuss his role as a devious preacher in "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery." Brolin opens up about his burst to fame as a teenager in "The Goonies," but then spending most of the next two decades as a struggling actor in Hollywood. His career finally got a jumpstart with acclaimed performances in "No Country for Old Men" and "Milk" and when he played Thanos in the Marvel cinematic universe. Australian officials say at least two people on Saturday opened fire on a crowd celebrating Hanukkah on the popular Bondi beach in Sydney, Australia, killing at least 11 in what police are calling a "targeted terrorist attack on a Jewish celebration." NBC's Raf Sanchez reports for TODAY. President Donald Trump is vowing retaliation after two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed and three others injured when they were ambushed in central Syria. Central command says the shooter was a lone ISIS gunman who also was killed in the firefight. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner are in Berlin ahead of peace talks with European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. President Trump has been pushing for a plan to bring an end to Russia's war in Ukraine by Christmas even as President Vladimir Putin continues to attack civilian targets in the country. Millions in the Northeast are facing the first snowfall of the season after several inches fell overnight from Baltimore up through New York City. The snow comes ahead of a massive cold front with temperatures expected to be 20 to 30 degrees below normal on Sunday. The United States Senate rejected a pair of health care bills that would have delivered relief to more than 20 million Americans before the end of the year. Now, cost-saving subsidies added to the Affordable Care Act in 2021 are likely to expire on New Year's Eve, causing patient prices to increase by as much as 100%. NBC's Anne Thompson reports in this week's Sunday Focus.