warning. >> good to know. you know what is coming up next? >> what? >> the "today" show. >> but did you know we continue on "today in the bay" on roku and other streaming platforms. can you watch our 7:00 a.m. newscast next, and you can see it online at nbcbayarea.com and also on the smart trap. if you want to know what is happening in the bay or are traveling, we got you covered. >> thank you for making your day start with us here on "today in the bay." taking a live look outside. where are we going? it's beautiful. have a great morning. hi, there. happy thursday the holiday travel rush kicking into high gear this morning. >> we've got everything you need to know to brave those crowds. it is december 21st. good morning

this is "today." ♪ on the go. tens of millions of americans heading out the door to start their christmas vacations. the tsa set to screen nearly 3 million passengers today alone this morning, what you'll face at the airports and on the roads. al's got good news for much of the country when it comes to the forecast heading home ten americans returning to the u.s. after being freed in a prisoner swap with venezuela >> all you think about when you're in prison is how you didn't appreciate being free >> inside their happy homecoming what the u.s. gave up in exchange for the release and the growing backlash over the deal breaking overnight, waiting game a new effort underway to pause israel's war in order to free more hostages. the sticking points in the negotiations, as the families of the hostages mistakenly killed by israeli forces speak out. shop 'til you drop an encouraging sign for

last-minute holiday bargain hunters. prices falling on everything from toys to tvs a trend expected to continue in the new year we'll break it all down. all of that plus, spreading holiday cheer, from the crowds around our tree to a neighborhood going very big with these gigantic santas. >> just took off like wild fire. >> we'll share the many ways americans are feeling festive with christmas just four days away today, thursday, december 21st, 2023 >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb, from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza well, good morning good to see you. welcome to "today. we're so happy you're joining us on this thursday morning four days, girl, until christmas. >> let's go! actually, let's go is what a lot of americans are saying right now.

we've got crowds around here, huge people stopping by the plaza to stay hi, and of course catch a glimpse of the beautiful tree right behind us >> this is kind of interesting a lot of sightseers are getting up super early as early as 5:00 a.m. they want to see that tree and do it without tons of crowds so it's part of a new viral trend that we're going to explore in a little bit. >> we were so ahead of that trend getting up at 5:00 a.m. in the morning. speaking of the countdown to christmas, we're going to start with the holiday travel rush crowds are already building this morning at logan international airport. that's up in boston. >> overall, 115 million americans are expected to be on the move in the coming days. that's the most, by the way, since 2019 good news aside for some heavy rain across the west, travel conditions looking pretty good al is standing by with the full forecast, but first, let's go to nbc's tom costello watching the skies for us this morning. hey, tom how's it looking >> hey, guys really, really good. now, i do have to give you an alert. if you're flying to amsterdam, boy, they've got bad weather in

amsterdam, 22% of flights canceled, but that's europe. here in the united states, we've got a pretty good picture for flying today you mentioned the west coast rain is causing some problems. i just checked on flight aware, just 49 flight cancellations nationwide right now most out west. that's amazing you picked a really good day to fly. with the east coast still recovering from the flooding and heavy rain that disrupted travel earlier in the week, this morning it's california feeling mother nature's fury flooding, heavy winds, rain-soaked highways and runways. >> flood watches are in effect through at least friday. >> reporter: on wednesday, the flight aware misery map showed delays in red extending from l.a.x. up to sfo, locked in with heavy fog. >> coming down like buckets. >> reporter: but for most of the country, long lines but relatively clear skies >> we are going to boston logan and it's been fine so far.

>> reporter: no repeat of last year's christmas meltdown when southwest cancelled 17,000 flights. though there was a disruption for travelers in new orleans yesterday. flights delayed after one southwest plane turned around mid air after a bird strike. >> you have smoke coming out of one of your engines. >> we have a burst cycle >> reporter: the aircraft returned safely. for most passengers things are running smoothly >> walk through one at a time, one at a time. you good >> reporter: today, tsa check points across the country expect to screen another 2.5 million people and the 3-1-1 rule still applies. 3 ounces or less in one quarter-sized bag per passenger. anything that you can spray, spread, pump, or pour must be 3.4 ounces or less more than that, you've got to check it >> keep it under that 3.4 ounces it's going to be great once it exceeds that, now we run into issues. >> reporter: and again this year, tsa on track to detect a

record number of guns. 6,300 already, 93% of them loaded tsa screeners in new york, they actually just found a bunch of bullets in a baby diaper believe it or not, kind of strange listen, 104 million people are going to be driving, and so we wanted to give you a list of the best and worst times to start driving. the worst times to drive, we've got it coming on the worst time as saturday, 11:00 to 7:00 p.m., and next thursday, 2:00 to 8:00 p.m. the best times to drive, saturday before 10:00, and then almost every day next week before noon. by the way, we're averaging $3.09 a gallon right now on gasoline that's about 20 cents, more than 20 cents cheaper than a month ago. that's a heck of a lot cheaper that's the national average. i always hear from people in california how much they pay, yes, we know but the national average is 3.09 they're paying a lot more out west >> you're doing the math all right. tom costello for us, thank you tom, thank you

>> al's here with a check of the weather. hello, al. >> hello and hello to you good news, other than the southwest and southern california, things are looking great today.e east under 26 million people from san luis obispo and just to the east of phoenix under flash flood watches. you can see no that rain is starting to fire up, especially los angeles in between there and santa barbara. so today, this strong storm slowly moves eastward. heavy rain and wind across southern california through tonight, through tomorrow night i should say now, we move into friday and you can see that heavy rain now stretching all the way into arizona. rainfall amounts, 1 to 3 inches possible in some of these thunderstorms. this rain spreading into the desert southwest we move into saturday, that cold pushes in across the plains and the great basin bringing in snow behind it. rain and snow for the central and southern rockies we do have a moderate risk for heavy flooding, possible mud slides, rainfall rates of an inch or more per hour from west

of santa barbara just to the west of los angeles. but we do have a risk all the way down to san diego and up to san luis o bispoe. you can see that rainfall, heavier rain just to the north of phoenix, santa barbara, on into palm springs. here's what we're looking for. snow up into the rockies you're probably going to see a little bit of a white christmas. airports, friday and saturday, possible delays. seattle and portland, also for salt lake city, las vegas, back into denver. but we've got red for phoenix, los angeles, and san diego so we're going to be watching this very closely as this system -- but as we said, look at this, much of the country looking pretty good. in fact, the winter solstice tonight, 10:57 p.m.. >> so just, as you're going to bed and feel a little chilly that's winter coming in for you. >> that's what it is all right, al. thank you. let's turn to breaking news overnight. a prisoner swap that has led to the release of ten americans detained in venezuela. nbc's monica alba joins us from the white house with more on

this monica, good morning what's the latest? >> reporter: hoda, good morning. it was an emotional return for that group of americans landing in san antonio, texas, overnight, after being wrongfully detained in venezuela, according to the u.s biden and pres and as part of the prisoner swap deal struck between president biden and president nicolas maduro, venezuela also agreed to arrest and return leonard frances back to the u.s., who had escaped from house arrest in california to venezuela to avoid jail time over his role in one of the worst bribery scandals in u.s. navy history. now, in exchange, the u.s. released maduro ally alex saab, a colombian businessman himself accused of bribery, money laundering, and profiting from starvation, who was awaiting trial in miami on federal charges. and in a statement, president biden vowed to still remain very focused on securing the release of other wrongfully detained americans around the world >> so, monica, is this a larger effort from the white house to try to improve relations with venezuela? >> reporter: exactly

and the u.s. had recently eased some sanctions on venezuela in exchange for certain promises from maduro's government, including holding free elections and resuming deportation flights to deal with the migrant surge at the southern border but it has also drawn criticism for similar deals involving authoritarian governments and the fact that it could encourage other countries to detain more u.s. citizens abroad president biden addressed that directly, saying that it's okay, because they are freeing american people that were held illegally, and venezuela has agreed to hold a fair election next year. hoda >> monica, thank you so much we appreciate it also this morning, both israel and hamas facing new calls to negotiate another pause in the war, so that more hostages could be released we're also hearing more from the families of the three hostages who were mistakenly shot can and killed by israeli troops nbc's molly hunter has the latest for us this morning hi, molly. good morning to you. >> reporter: savannah, good morning to you and our team in tel aviv reports there are sirens sounding right now as that happens. the u.s. is still pushing for talks, according to president

biden. john kirby calls them very serious. and this comes as hamas releases a statement just in the last hour that says that they won't even engage in talks until an agreement about a comprehensive cease-fire is reached. this morning, the u.s. pushing for a truce so more hostages can be released, but no deal yet and now, new revelations about those israeli hostages killed by the israeli army, ramping up the pressure the israeli military now revealing three men who were shot by israeli soldiers while waving a white flag actually escaped from hamas five days earlier, surviving on their own. now there's unreleased video, the israeli military says, from a military dog at the scene. the gopro recorded the hostages' voice. avi shamriz is the father of alon previously told hallie jackson, he wanted to see the video >> and i ask the idf

investigators to see the movie, if there is any movie. i know it's supposed to be somehow filmed >> reporter: the army chief of staff said on hebrew tv last night, the idf protocol does not allow soldiers to open fire at any one that raises a white flag the idf is responsible for what happened and last night, iris haen, the the mother of 28-year-old yotam, another one of the killed hostages granted her forgiveness in a note widely published in israeli media, blaming hamas i love you all, she says to the battalion in the recording, i know what has happened is not your fault and as anger grows at prime minister netanyahu's government, secretary of state blinken stands firmly by israel. >> i hear virtually no one saying, demanding of hamas, that it stop hiding behind civilians, that it lay down its arms, that it surrender >> reporter: but today, the 2 million civilians inside gaza continue to bear the brunt of this grinding war.

our nbc news team on the ground as drone strikes hit rafah it was meant to be safe. displaced from his home in the north, this man asks, where is safety mustafa tells our team, these are all civilians. i came to find a bite of bread to eat and this little girl says, i want to go home. i want to kiss my mom. >> also this morning, the w.h.o is raising the alarm about the lethal combination of infectious diseases and malnutrition right now in gaza. people are dying from treatable diseases and the w.h.o says that there are no fully functioning hospitals right now in the gaza strip. savannah >> molly hunter with the latest on the region. okay, molly, thank you here at home, there's new fallout over the ruling by colorado supreme court disqualifying donald trump from the state's 2024 ballot. the justices who made it facing an immediate wave of online threats. nbc's garrett haake covers the trump campaign and joins us with the latest hey, garrett, good morning >> reporter: hey, hoda, good morning.

this colorado court's conclusion that donald trump is in violation of the 14th amendment's prohibition agains insurrection and is no longer eligible to serve as president sent shock waves through the political world. but it's also the latest example of a presidential campaign now being waged in courtrooms, just as much as it is on the campaign trail. the legal ruling that could keep donald trump off colorado's primary ballot looming large on the campaign trail, with his republican rivals defending the man they hope to defeat. >> just because these liberal justices don't like him, they want to take him off the ballot. that's not a democracy >> reporter: former attorney general bill barr who has been critical of mr. trump questioning the legal merits of the case, arguing it will work work to his former boss' advantage. >> he feeds on grievance, just like a fire feeds on oxygen. and this is going to end up as a grievance that helps him >> reporter: at issue in colorado, mr. trump's role in the january 6th attack on the capitol, with the colorado supreme court citing his own words as evidence as inciting an

insurrection >> we fight like hell, and if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore. >> reporter: president biden on wednesday calling mr. trump's role in the capitol attack, self evident. >> he certainly supported an insurrection there's no question about it none, zero >> reporter: the trump campaign has vowed to swiftly appeal the colorado case. a 4-3 decision by justices appointed by democratic governors. and cases like the one in colorado have faced an uphill battle, litigation and appeals are pending in more than a dozen states, with lower courts already rejecting some of those cases. and efforts to ban trump from the ballot have not succeeded in the past mr. trump also faces more than 90 charges in four separate criminal cases, including in washington, where the special counsel has asked the supreme court to weigh in on the issue of whether the former president has immunity for his efforts to challenge the 2020 election results. now, the nation's highest court could have to rule on whether mr. trump is even eligible to

run, all before the first primary votes are cast and now in a little more than day since that colorado court's decision became public, social media has been flooded with threats and violent rhetoric against the judges who wrote it. a non-partisan public public interest research group has found much of the rhetoric comes in direct response to mr. trump's posts on truth social, the researchers say, including the posting of the judge's personal information now, no comment on those threats yet from the court or from the campaign hoda >> all right garrett haake for us there in d.c. garrett, thank you a quarter after the hour much more to get to. craig joins. good morning >> good morning, hoda, savannah. good morning to you as well. we are, folks, entering the final days of holiday shopping and apparently, americans are feeling rather jolly about the health of the economy. consumer confidence has surged past expectations, up nearly ten points month-to-month, to reach the highest level since july that's according to the conference board's latest index. meanwhile, fears of a recession have dipped to the lowest level

of the year. so what does all of that mean for our money as we head into 2024 nbc's senior business correspondent christine romans breaking it all down for us. it seems like it was just a few days ago we were talking aboutne economic data an this chasm that exists between, you know, quantifiable, economic data and the way americans feel about the economy. are we ending the year with some cheer? >> people are feeling a little bit better i guess, no coal in the stockings this year, the way people feel about the economy. and they're looking at their own personal finances, and they're saying, we feel good about job availability we feel good about our own kitchen table economics over the next 18 months or so and right now, they're seeing, as they're shopping for the holidays, they're seeing lower costs for things like gas, airfare, car rentals, toys, sports equipment, tvs. you're actually seeing some d, the d word, deflation in some of the things people are buying every day, some of the things people are buying every day, and they're starting to feel a little better this number was a big shocker. >> it's surprising when you look at polls,

political polls often ask, how do you feel about the economy? that's what we were just talking about, how people think the economy stinks we're not going to use the curse word that your mother doesn't approve of, but how do they measure consumer confidence? why would there be a disconnect between these two things >> i think you're starting to see the consumer confidence catch up with the rest of those economic numbers we have been saying for a year, the economy looks pretty good. there's not a recession in 2023. the economy looks good and people have this sourpuss look that i think they're catching up to it but you still have inflation that's a problem inflation is going in the right direction. the fed and the white house are saying things are moving in the right direction. but if you go to the grocery store, i don't know about you guys, but my grocery bill is still higher than it was two years ago. eggs and milk prices are down, but meat and bread, those prices are still up people when they -- every day, you know it's not the economy from 2019 in terms of prices, but overall, the job market is good, people have money in their 401(k)s, record high in the stock market >> it sounds all cheery, but not all consumers are the same, are they >> they're not

and when you look at these numbers, consumer confidence rose for everybody, but rose the most for peoples ages 35 to 54 that's because they have a lot of money in a house. they probably have a 401(k) that's at record highs and households earning every $125,000 it's just the way it is in this post-covid economy the people who have the money feel better about everything, because they didn't suffer through the pandemic like the rest of us did so there are some disconnects, you know, not even, but all people in this survey think they feel a little bit better i think that's good news to get into the end of the year you didn't get a recession in 2023 >> we'll take the good news, christine. >> thank you, christine. all right. 7:19 almost. let's go over to mr. roker with a check of the weather >> more good news on the map cold highs up in new england, but temperatures very mild as you get into the southeast very mild through the plains, as well showers and breezy stretching from texas into oklahoma again, plenty of sunshine out west, but there's a flood risk down through southern california

and that's going to be spreading into the southwest we're going to get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds. s with lindor. ♪ ♪ irresistibly smooth chocolate. from the lindt master chocolatier. good thursday morning. i am cinthia pimentel. it's the first day of winter and we are drying out after we saw the storms at the beginning of the week. san francisco over the next couple of days, we will see lingering clouds and the rest of the holiday weekend looks to stay dry and sunshine for our saturday plans. we will stay dry up until through christmas, then our next

weather. guys >> al, thank you here's a question, how far are you willing to do for that perfect holiday photo we'll introduce you to people going the extra mile to beat the crowds for a little quiet time with our famous tree and other iconic landmarks around the world. and then actress cameron diaz calling attention to a growing trend, couples sleeping in separate bedrooms she says it's time to normalize what they call sleep divorce well, you think it could work for you? we'll talk to a sleep expert but first, this is "today" on nbc.

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coming up, a few out of the box ideas for last-minute holiday shoppers >> vicky nguyen has a fun guide to some thoughtful do-it-yourself gifts so you don't spend the weekend racing around those stores. but first, your local news,

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was observed after getting shingrix. fainting can also happen. the most common side effects are pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, muscle pain, tiredness, headache, shivering, fever, and upset stomach. ask your doctor or pharmacist about shingrix today. (vo) the love that goes into a subaru comes out when subaru and our retailers share the love. one hundred and sixteen thousand animals supported. thirty-three hundred wishes granted. four point three million meals provided. and over four hundred national parks protected. be a part of something bigger. get a new subaru during the share the love event and subaru and our retailers will donate three hundred dollars to charity. get two point nine percent apr financing on a new 2024 outback during the 2023 subaru share the love event. good morning. i am marcus washington along with laura garcia. we are moving you forward with a look at our top stories, including that search for a gunman that shot and killed a

pizza delivery driver. >> it happened yesterday in front of the victim's family home in oakley. police say the 24-year-old domino's delivery driver was sitting in his car just before 5:00 last night when another car pulled up alongside and a passenger in that car got out and shot him at close range multiple times. the victim's mother told police she saw the entire thing happened. authorities have not identified the man that died. and the countdown until christmas is in high gear for airports everywhere. about 2.5 million passengers will fly on the busiest days, which this year is projected to be december 29th and the new year's day. >> let's get a look at the forecast with cinthia pimentel.

>> yeah, the first day of winter, and we will see the shortest day of the year today but don't worry more sunshine after this, and more sunshine in our forecast as we see a few more clouds make their way around san francisco. we should stay dry into saturday and sunday, christmas eve. on monday things turn more cloudy as we get ready for the next round of rain that should come about as we go into the middle of the week. temperatures in the 50s and 60s. the morning lows, however, will cool down back into the 30s and 40s where the sheltered valleys could wake up to patchy frost in the next couple of days. a full

(música). ♪ with a corncob pipe and a button nose and two eyes made out of coal ♪

♪ frosty the snowman was a fair tale, they say ♪ ♪ he was made of snow but the children know how he came to life one day ♪ ♪ for the children know ♪ ♪ how lovely is that 7:30, choir week started wednesday is rolling right along. this morning, special guests, the young people's chorus of new york city. we'll hear from them throughout the morning. they sound and look terrific >> i love the scarves, too, by the way. >> and don't you love new york you're like, gosh, i love new york what that great choir. speaking of the holidays and celebrating, early birthday to you, miss guthrie. we'll miss your special day because your much-deserved holiday, all of ours, starts tomorrow, and we won't be around until the new year but happy birthday >> happy 40th. >> exactly plus, plus, plus

thank you so much. i didn't expect that appreciate it. you know when people have -- there's a whole meme, all i want for christmas is someone to remember my december birthday. thank you. thank you so much! meantime, along with that choir, we've got a great crowd outside. a lot of them eager to see the world's most famous christmas tree >> that's right. and it is the reason that sheinelle happens to be out there as well. good morning, sheinelle. >> good morning to you guys. our tree draws people from far and wide and everyone wants to capture that perfect photo, but there could be a big problem standing in your way all of the other people hoping to do the same the question this morning, how do you take the ultimate holiday selfie, just you and the tree? set your alarm the early bird just doesn't catch the worm, it gets that picture-perfect moment, too. >> it is 4:40 in the morning and we came to see the rockefeller tree light up. >> reporter: brandy and hector maldonado had their game plan all set. >> we went to bed pretty early to make sure we were here today.

>> reporter: for their family to have this one-on-one moment with the world-famous rockefeller center christmas tree. during the day, it usually looks like this. packed with people but this morning, the maldonados aren't the only ones hoping to get some pre-dawn christmas memories new york city during the holidays is known for its iconic landmarks, dripping in dazzling decorations, enchanting window displays, and endless crowds everywhere >> here before 7:00 a.m. >> reporter: but if waking up before sunrise just isn't your thing, look for off the beaten path alternatives. this beauty is just a five-minute walk from rockefeller center, not another tourist in sight >> all of those hidden gems are the things that aren't always on all of the lists >> tourist hot spots like london look absolutely picturesque this time of year, too, but it's often so full of people, it can be hard to just walk down the

street during the day, rome is always packed 35 million tourists came last year but in those quiet hours before the sun is up, not a soul stirring, not even a mouse the glow of the christmas tree in the city center's plaza, serene and beautiful prague's old town square, famous for its christmas market and daily hoards of visitors but at dawn, it feels like you've stepped back in time. >> there's something so magical and so, almost precious about being there at that time you're there and you get to breathe in the experience and really take it all in. >> the dedicated rise and shiners outside of 30 rock's iconic christmas tree this morning, grateful they didn't sleep in >> i think it was like pretty magical, because i haven't gotten to see it like with no one here >> magical is a really good word for it can you say hi to all of my friends out here on the plaza?

i've been going down the line. these folks woke up earlier than we did this is the dennis family. tell everybody where you're from >> alabama >> how many folks did you bring with you this morning? >> five. >> you went ice skating yesterday. >> we did, and got a picture in front of the tree. >> you got a picture in front of tree anybody else want to get that picture before it gets too crowded? anybody else want to say hi? >> hi! >> what time did you wake up this morning >> 5:00 a.m. >> here's the deal sometimes we take it for granted, but it's one of those things where people are all around the world come to take a selfie with this tree. it's just so darned beautiful. isn't it >> it's gorgeous and that magic moment happens, 5:00 a.m., it goes from all dark to bright louds. lights. >> crowds and crowds of people >> you having a good time already this morning >> yeah! >> thank you for waking up with us the gang will be back out here this morning and you can take more selfies >> thank you, sheinelle. coming up, carson is back. and he's got a very special pop start filled with holiday headlines, including ryan gosling's early gift for fans of his hit song in the "barbie"

movie. first, are you tired of feeling tired? well, one star has really ignited this new debate over so-called sleep divorces liz coit is taking a closer look for us this morning. hey, liz >> cameron diaz is now the latest celebrity to say the secret to better sleep and maybe even a healthier relationship is to sleep in a separate bedroom from your partner. we're going to talk to a couple that's been doing that for eight years right after this look at that. that's your heart. that is pretty awesome. with kardiamobile, you can take a medical grade ekg in just 30 seconds from anywhere. kardiamobile is proven to detect atrial fibrillation, one of the leading causes of stroke. for a limited time, kardiamobile is available for just $74. hurry, these prices won't last. get kardiamobile today at kardia.com or amazon. (vo) get in the holiday spirit hurry, these prices won't last. with chex cereal's 12 days of surprises! learn easy recipes, get festive freebies, and more.

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♪ tiktok song ♪ sfx: [tea kettle] sfx: [ding!] ♪ l'eggo with eggo. can we... (speaker 1) louie... stop... (speaker 2) blue does have pretty good ingredients. (speaker 1) like what? (speaker 2) deboned chicken, chicken meal, brown rice, barley, oatmeal. (speaker 1) huh... (speaker 2) why, what's in beneful? (speaker 1) chicken, whole grain corn, chicken by-product meal, barley, whole grain wheat. okay louie! we'll switch to blue! it's been said that when someone you love has parkinson's, you have parkinson's. the truth is parkinson's disease doesn't just affect the diagnosed, it affects everyone who supports and helps care for them. if you have questions, the parkinson's foundation has answers. we can help you understand the disease, and give you tips for living a better life.

to learn more, please go to parkinson.org or call 1-800-4pd-info. the parkinson's foundation. better lives. together. ♪ we're back and so is carson. this next story right up your alley, my friend >> yep. >> a new conversation that has erupted over sleep divorce >> and it's thanks to hollywood star cameron diaz who just gave it her seal of approval. >> so nbc's liz croit joins us with a little bit more on this this is quite controversial, liz. >> hey, guys, good morning it is. but how annoying is it when you're trying to sleep and your partner is snoring, kicking, taking all the blankets. you might be happy to learn that you're not alone and more and more couples are saying it's okay and even healthy to sleep

apart. >> reporter: it used to be something prominently featured on national tv >> good night. >> good night. >> couples sleeping in separate beds yet in modern times -- >> maybe we could just keep the beds apart >> it's assumed happy couples sleep together >> but we're married aren't married people supposed to -- >> reporter: but now times are achanging. >> my husband and i no longer sleep together >> reporter: it's called sleep divorce. the idea that couples can sleep not only in separate beds, but separate bedrooms. while it's not for everyone, the hashtag has more than a million views on tiktok, even cameron diaz is now giving it her endorsement. >> we should normalize, we should normalize, like, separate bedrooms >> thank you >> reporter: while diaz says she and her husband don't currently do it, others like gwyneth paltrow and even our own carson daly have admitted to at times sleeping separately from their spouses. >> we both slept better apart. it's the best thing that happened to us >> one recent survey found that

a third of respondents say they regularly or occasionally sleep in separate bedrooms from their partner. >> it's just that you snore a little >> what? i do not >> reporter: snoring and different bedtimes are among the many reasons elizabeth pearson and her husband, ryan, chose eight years ago to sleep in different rooms. >> i was like, geez, why couldn't he just go to bed when i go to bed? and it wasn't fair, because people have different sleep patterns and so once we connected the dots that we slept so much better separately, we really embraced it. >> what do you say to people who say that sleeping in separate bedrooms could hurt your sex life and your intimacy >> do you wake up resentful from not having a good night of sleep because maybe i was snoring and i didn't have a great night of sleep, and that's not great for intimacy and sex life either people say money is the key to happiness, i would say that sleep is the key to happiness. >> reporter: one secret to a healthy marriage that doesn't involve fights an who's hogging the blankets

>> and the couple says it's not only helped their marriage, but also their careers, leaving them more rested and alert at work. and they said the way they explained it to their two kids is just like their two daughter is just like their two daughters don't like sharing a bed, one kicks the other, they also like and need don't like sharing a bed, one kicks the other, they also like and need their own space, guys >> hmm >> okay. >> thanks, liz >> sets up nicely with dr. carol ash. a sleep expert dr. ash, good morning, point and counterpoint other here. carson who is pro-sleep divorce. let's get it out you're the sleep expert. are you pro sleep divorce? >> no. i want people to sleep together. >> you do. why? >> why i want people to sleep together is when you sleep with a bed partner, what happens if you have synchronization and stabilization of the pattern of sleep brain waves. and what that does is improves the quality of your sleep. and that synchronization, we believe, is responsible for a healthy relationship >> but that's if you're sleeping, right? i think the argument is, people

aren't sleeping. >> they aren't, but that's what you have to ask yourself, why. if it's snoring, then there's medical intervention for that. we can solve that. if it's really relationship conflict, you want to solve that, too. not only the brain waves are synchronized, but bonding hormones are released. >> bonding hormones? >> oka >> yes >> and when you sleep together with someone, you have improved mental health and you're better able to respond to challenges. you have decreased stress response, and an increase in your resiliency. so sleeping together is a solution for healthy relationships. >> respectfully, i don't understand any of that that you've just said i've never been happier. >> why do you sleep in different rooms? >> we're more sleep separated now. mostly, my snoring and we went and i got a cpap, and then the cpap broke, and i slept in the guest bedroom because it broke but the truth is, most couples don't like to say it out loud, but they both sleep better -- we have four children under the age of 13.

we're better off because we're getting good quality sleep at this cost we're secure enough in our relationship that it's not a sign of something larger, we sleep better especially when the islanders are on late at night, i don't want to put the tv on. when i was in my guest bedroom the other night, i was thinking, this is all i need it was like my first apartment and i've never been happier. i think i'm a better husband for it >> sometimes you do sleep together >> we do, yeah i try that, yeah >> let's go back to the good doctor >> it's okay if there's misaligned schedules, kids -- there are legitimate reasons why sleeping in separate bedrooms could be okay. but it's really going back to the why. solving the snoring and sleeping together, it is healthier for the relationship >> all right i'm going to write a counterpoint essay to that and post it to today.com >> thank you, dr. ash. >> thanks for joining "crossfire." appreciate it. time now for another check of the weather mr. roker? >> we know you slept together four times at least. >> that's right. >> al.

>> the winter's running late the pacific jet stream, mild pacific airstreaming across the northern tier. what's that doing? it's keeping the arctic air trapped up in canada plus, we've got this bermuda high that's pumping up warm air from the gulf of mexico. so even though winter is coming officially tonight at 10:57 eastern time, we're not seeing that omaha, 53 degrees, dallas, 62 degrees. cincinnati, 52 albuquerque, 55 degrees. tomorrow, charleston, you're going to be at 55. 12 degrees warmer than average and chicago, albuquerque, 54 and as we head into the weekend, look at how mild it is new york city, 50. 43 on monday in burlington 55 in cleveland. same in chicago. ththat's good thursday morning. on this first day of been tur we are hanging on to a few clouds that remain from the storm system we saw earlier on in the week. it's now moving down towards the southern california, and it's going to bring us nice and calm days here in san francisco and the bay area at least through christmas eve and christmas day.

beyond that we are looking at that cloud cover return and temperatures dropping. we will get ready for the next rainmaker that should >> oh, by the way, it's 10:27, the winter solstice. it's a little early. >> thank you >> gotch ya, roker thank you. coming up, the very, very large santas that have taken over a florida neighborhood, bringing a community together with super-sized holiday fun they're all in on it together. we'll take you there and also get your morning boost, but first these messages

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saratoga spring water, served on the finest tables for over 150 years. and now, the official water of bravo's top chef world all stars. ♪♪ ( ♪♪ ) ♪ all right ♪ hoping for your love (horn honking) eggo liège-style waffles are a no toaster needed, grab and go breakfast. l'eggo with eggo. we're back. coming up on we're back coming up on 7:50. we'll take you to one of the most festive neighborhoods in the country. >> that's right. we found it and it's in florida, where families are proving that you don't necessarily need snow to get in the holiday spirit, because they're doing it with

supervised inflatable santas >> nbc's morgan chesky has the story for us hey, morgan! >> reporter: hey, guys good morning leave it to the holiday season every year to remind us, when it comes to holiday decorations, personally, i'm fine with especially these big beautiful inflatables, beauty can really be in the eye of the beholder. personally, i'm fine with a nice string of lights, a well-decorated tree. but for one florida neighborhood, they decided to blow up the holiday tradition in a very big way when it comes to ringing in the holidays, in florida, they've perfected the art of dressing the part even if it doesn't feel like it. but south of tampa in sapphire point, the neighborhood's on a supervised mission, spreading christmas cheer, 14 inflatable feet at a time >> have you realized yet that you caused all of this >> i merely ignited the spark. it was really my neighbors that came together and brought the idea to life >> reporter: brianna winter's big idea, a text to neighborhood

moms asking the question, what if we lined our street with the biggest inflatable santas we could find >> i was so glad when brianna reached out and said, are you down for this? and i said, absolutely, give me five minutes she just sent out a text message, and like she said, it took off like wildfire >> reporter: we confirmed it ourselves, courtesy of the most festive golf cart maybe ever >> is this the epicenter of your florida north pole >> absolutely. >> but if you thought spreading this much christmas cheer was easy, think again. >> inflatables are polarizing. and some people would consider them to be tacky >> i don't like inflatables. >> not even a little bit >> no. >> reporter: but not even ashley king could resist, especially after seeing how the neighborhood came together, one inflatable kriss kringle after another. some stores selling out. >> it's not my normal christmas visual

but i'm going with it. >> the younger generation rolling with it, too loving to count every single new santa they can find. at last check, well on their way to 100 >> it's so cool to see like it all up >> my favorite bit is like everybody helping each other and making new friends along the way. >> reporter: new friends from a new tradition that likely isn't going anywhere >> they are going to say, you know what, i was growing up in my childhood, all of my neighbors put up the same santa claus. it was magical and i loved that for them. >> reporter: i got to be honest, guys, i loved it, too. i went in a little bit skeptical, as to the inflatable power of the holiday spirit, but i left kind of wanting to do something of my own. this is not my personal decoration i can assure you but get this, next year, sapphire point neighborhood

already talking about finding bigger and better inflatable santas, trying to one-up themselves going to be incredibly tough to do guys >> yeah, impressive. i think they're at the mountaintop there. >> great job >> i like them >> i could move right in that neighborhood >> i love that >> way to go >> morgan, thank you coming up on pop start, the iconic star back on the billboard charts for the first time in 56 years we'll give you a hint. he may or may not be known for his blue eyes. first, a quick check of your local news things like chicken by-product meal, or whole grain corn. that makes the choice pretty easy - blue buffalo. pick up blue wherever you buy pet food.

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good thursday morning. it's 7:56 right now. i am laura garcia. here's a look at what is happening now. i am bob redell outside the oakley police department where police are still looking for the person who shot and killed a domino's pizza delivery man as

he sat outside from his home. the chief of the police department tells us his investigation unit is making this case its top priority and is asking the public for help in solving the crime. the driver that worked for domino's was 24 years old and on break when just before 5:00 last night another car pulled up alongside him and a passenger in that car shot him at close range multiple times before driving off. i am ginger conejero saab at sfo. tsa projects today as one of the busiest holiday travel days of the season. the times have been fluctuating from 12 to 14 minutes. let's get a look at the forecast for this thursday morning. cinthia pimentel is in for kari. >> good morning, laura.

good morning, everybody. it's the first day of winter and we are starting to dry out after we started the week with heavy storms at times. it's now making its way to southern california for your travel commute there. otherwise we should have clear and calm weather through the start of the next week. we are tracking the next round of rain that should approach as we get to the middle of the week. >> thank you for joining us. another update in half an hour. here we go. can we land? you're old enough to do it in the sky now.

but it's gross. there is no way we're landing. are you sure no one is watching? gwen mallard! do it now, or we leave without you. ok.

♪ it's 8:00 on "today. coming up, on the move the holiday travel rush in full

swing. so will weather get in the way everything you need to know before you head to the airport or hit the roads, including al's forecast then, christmas self still need a present for someone on your list >> diy gifts are definitely the trend. they become sentimental, which everyone loves and it does not cost you a lot >> vicky nguyen is here with some last-minute do-it-yourself gifts you do not want to miss. plus, "home alone. ever wonder what it would cost to live like the mcallisters >> kevin, you spent $967 on room service! >> well, we've got the answers on how much the fictional family would shell out today. the results will leave you saying -- >> ahhhhh! and lights, camera, christmas. we're taking you on a trip down memory lane with a look at the time-honored tradition of holiday lights bound to get you in the holiday spirit, today, thursday, december 21st, 2023.

>> celebrating rachel's birthday, from raleigh, north carolina >> visiting from ottawa, illinois >> tennessee >> boston, massachusetts >> and houston, texas. >> turning 21 on the 21st -- >> from carlyle, illinois. >> sending love to my son jacob. >> in los angeles, california. woo! >> welcome back. welcome back so happy to see you. and so happy to see you. everybody who has come outside on our plaza to come see the show, come see the tree. happy birthday we can't wait to see everybody in just a little bit >> so much to celebration out there. craig, you've got a good story for us tomorrow. >> this is a season where we celebrate the birth of christ, tomorrow we are going to spend some time talking about the rise of a genera that's called christian hip-hop. it's been around for a couple of decades, but it's really started to take off. we spent some time with one of

the faces of that genera his name is lecray, he's a grammy winner. he sort of redefining it >> cool. >> we look forward to that, craig. let's get to our news at 8:00 the holiday travel rush kicking into high gear this morning. tens of millions of americans taking to the roads in the air nbc's tom costello is at reagan national has a look at some of the challenges travelers may face, including there's a big storm out west that al's been talking about. hey, tom >> reporter: that's what we're watching this today is the biggest pre-christmas air travel day of the entire stretch 49,000 flights today that's both commercial and general aviation the tsa screening 2.5 million people today alone but you're right, we've been watching very closely the west coast. the rest of the country is looking pretty good. but the rain in l.a. and up into santa barbara and the low clouds and ceilings there in san francisco, those are really the problem areas today. we have a few delays, and

nationwide, only 50 flight cancellations. that's not much at all it's looking really like a pretty good day to fly, according to the flight-aware misery map we don't have a lot of problems nationwide we did, however, have a situation yesterday. a southwest airlines flight leaving out of new orleans hit a bird or birds on takeoff and immediately had smoke coming out of the engine. they turned around, landed safely, everybody's fine landed safely back in new orleans. that was really the only major hiccup yesterday, in addition to, of course, the weather that we've been watching closely on the west coast if you -- listen, i've got to tell you i've covered aviation and i've covered the holiday travel story for a long time. this is one of the best weeks to fly over a holiday stretch i've ever seen. so you're in luck if you're flying right now or over the next few days. >> that is some good news, tom we were talking about the weather, though, out west, causing some big problems in california al, how's that looking

>> right now, we have from san luis obispo from phoenix, flash flood watches. basically the problem for 26 million people, al of rain in a short period of time already firing up between santa barbara and los angeles. we do have a risk, a moderate risk, these prolonged rain bands from santa barbara to los angeles. rainfall rates of about an inch. we've got those burn scars, could be mud slides and debris flow heavy rain around santa barbara, all the way back to phoenix, arizona. and you can see heavier snow as you get up into the rockies. here's the deal. if you're going to be traveling along i-5, i-15, i-40, i-10, going to be some problems there. los angeles, san diego, phoenix, some major airport delays. san francisco looking good some delays possible seattle, portland, and denver, but as tom mentioned, you look at the map today and really, other than some showers in texas and oklahoma and that ongoing flood threat that's developing through southern california, things are pretty quiet. guys >> all right, al, thank you. we've got an important auto recall to tell you about this morning. toyota is recalling more than 1

million vehicles worldwide because of a sensor issue that could cause air bags not to deploy as designed the recall covers model years 2020 through 2022 and includes vehicles such as the avalon, camry, carolla, highlander and sienna toyota plans to begin notifying owners in february dealers will inspect and if necessary, replace those censors. it's a sign that new year's eve is almost upon us, folks the 2024 numerals arrived in times square yesterday check them out here. they stand at 7 feet tall. the numbers will officially light up the night sky with that iconic crystal ball drops at midnight on january 1st. the numbers, however, are going to stay on the ground until this friday morning, so the people can take photos with them. just like with the tree. after that, those numbers will be placed high atop the one times square building where they will await the new year's eve countdown. >> cool. we got our news covered. i have a boost for you two a milwaukee bucks fan named

austin wanted to come up with a really fun way to propose to his girlfriend, sarah. pop the question on the court during with help from his boss and the bucks, he arranged to pop the question on the court during halftime of the game sarah thought she wa participating in a contest to win a big prize. little did she know, that prize was coming in the form of a diamond ring >> let her know. is she close is she close?! how close is she?! you found bingo! uh-oh! ♪ sarah, what do you say she said yes >> crushed it. >> oh my god, that was so beautiful. sarah said she was actually supposed to go to her company christmas party that night austin had to convince her, come to the game with me instead. she did, glad she did, and said she can't wait to start her life with the man she loved >> i love her reaction

>> when she sees him, just gets down >> like, "yes" just ahead, guys, something very special happened on broadway last night. check this out you see the guy with josh gad and randalls look familiar? another broadway performance from mr. roker we'll tell you about it on pop start. first, vicky nguyen is here with creative ideas to wrap up that holiday shopping. >> hey, craig, savannah, and hoda i have some simple ideas for sweet homemade gifts that pack a big bang and not expensive and can we re-gift what are the rules around that to help with our holiday budget? that's next right here on "today." acqua di gio. the new refillable parfum. giorgio armani at macy's. the fragrance destination.

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worldwide, over 10 million people are living with parkinson's, a neurological disease that affects movement. and with so many places to search for information, it can be difficult to know where to begin. the parkinson's foundation has answers. answers for everyone in the fight. we can help you understand the disease, help you find expert care... give you tips for living a better life, share the latest research, help you find local support, and there's a free helpline you can call. find your answers and join us in the fight against parkinson's. to learn more, please go to parkinson.org or call 1-800-4pd-info. the parkinson's foundation. better lives. together. announcer: try tide power pods with 85% more tide in every pod. who needs that much more tide? everyone's gonna need more tide. it's a mess out there. that's why there's 85% more tide

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christmas just four days away, it is go-time, procrastinators >> so, here's an idea. instead of rushing out to the stores to buy some last-minute gift, nbc's vicky nguyen has a better idea, and she says it will save us some money. hey, vick. >> i'm not even a crafter, but after this piece, i'm all in good morning to you. bank rolling santa can really add up but it turns out you really don't need a christmas miracle to create a thoughtful gift. just some effort and creativity. >> reporter: from decking the halls to buying presents, budgeting for the holidays can seem more like the nightmare before christmas despite nearly a third of americans still paying off credit card debt from last year, this year shoppers expect to spend more than $800 on gifts alone. leaving some dreaming of a diy christmas.

>> diy gifts are definitely the time to become sentimental, which everyone loves and it does not cost you a lot >> shannen doherty has bright ideas using items you likely have at home >> some trepidation about crafters >> i've been making crafts with my kids. i want this to turn out perfect and it doesn't, but it turns out so cute or funny and there's such a story behind it, that that's really all that matters >> with no way to scrooge this up, shannon puts our three little elves to work first, personalized ornaments, using fillable bobbles like this costing about a dollar each. from pom-poms and tinsel >> even i can stuff some tinsel. >> to mini instant photos. >> one, two, three >> today >> you decide how to fill the blank space. >> we all have friendship beads around our house right now right? >> total swifties. >> and we bring pets into our festive area >> he's having a little foot massage. >> call him santa-paws

our dog moose completes his first commissioned piece a holiday wreath >> you can also write merry christmas in his name and the year >> that's cute >> our next gift idea, easy as one, two, three. >> we are making three-ingredient sugar cookie fudge. >> no way! three ingredients! >> batch, please all you need, sugar cookie mix, white chocolate chips and condensed milk melt the mixture over low heat, pour it into a dish and decorate >> the art of the sprinkles, just throw them on. >> awesome. >> before chilling in the freezer for 30 minutes >> that's so good. you like it? so yummy, right? >> cheers, girls >> cheers. ♪ >> christmas is coming, no time left to spare. the last gift we bring, small jars of self care. >> one of the hot gifts this year is definitely the body scrubs >> whip up a candy cane sugar g6 scrub with sugar, coconut oil, peppermint essential oil and

crushed candy cane pieces for flare. >> you scrub it on your body, if you get hungry in the shower, you can eat it, too. >> two for one >> we get the little jars, girls, and put a bath loofah over them.un-see. >> when santa delivers a present that doesn't exactly slay, just remember, one person's ugly >> i glow up so bright it rifles a tree but remember that gift the one you can't un-see >> when santa delivers a present that doesn't exactly slay, just remember, one person's ugly sweater is another's treasure. re-gifting can be a great way to keep some extra jingle in your pocket >> a box of chocolates, a candle, hand soaps >> micah meyer says re-gift guilt free, but avoid making a fa la la la faux pas >> make sure you're not re-gifting to the same social circle it's not something that is a really personalized gift, wasn't homemade, that it's in its original packaging >> there was a time that re-gifting was really frowned upon have we evolved upon that? >> younger generations are seeing it more as sustainability >> how do you bring up spending caps with your friends and family >> just be completely honest and

say, why don't we all have a secret santa so we each give one gift instead of buying gifts for everyone or how about this year, we all have a cap of "x" amount >> a way to ease stress and focus on what matters most >> happy holidays! >> it was a very fun afternoon if you plan to re-gift this holiday season, just remember, you can't spell "presentation" without the word "present. our experts say, you can make a gift look nor intentional by adding personal touches like special wrapping paper and always a thoughtful note and one easy for an easy two-fer buy a bunch of fuzzy holiday socks, use them as the wrapping for a bottle of wine or apple cider. boom, done >> those were doable >> savannah, you have to make that fudge that's right up your alley >> three ingredients, i love and love a sugar cookie dough. >> that's exactly what it tastes like a sugar cookie dough >> will you put the recipe online >> absolutely. >> thank you >> that expert from your piece there, shannon daugherty, she's

going to join us live in the third hour with even more diy holiday crafts that you can create with your kids this weekend. mr. roker? >> you know, chris, could you bring over -- chris made some eggnog this is a lovely gift that keeps giving here. >> thank you >> whoa. >> we'll share >> thank you, my friend. >> it's like martha stewart. >> very nice oh, santa got run over by a reindeer take a look at this. we have some showers down in los angeles, rest of the country, a few showers in texas, but no big deal >> that's florida, al! >> that's florida! wherever what are we looking at what are we looking at some 20s in new england, 30s up along the northern plains, some 70s down in california we've got a very quiet map showers and breezy conditions down around texas into oklahoma. cool in new england. winter not flood risk in califo. that's what is happening around the country, here's what is happening in your neck of the woods. good thursday morning. at 8:19, let's check in, in san

francisco, the next couple of days, a few lingering clouds as that storm system continues to move down to southern california. we should stay dry, as we go on into friday, and saturday and sunday of the holiday weekend ahead. monday, also looks fairly dry. we will start to see a few more clouds coming about. dropping down the temperatures and also getting ready for the next rainmaker that approaches the bay area. coming up in the middle of next week. that's your latest weather morning. carson is back, baby >> i was deferring my eggnog until after "popstart. >> go right then >> let's start with gutenberg. the broadway hit famous for closing almost every show with a celebrity cameo, and last night was a good one take a look. >> i'm a famous broadway producer >> yes, yes, yes

>> and i hold in my hand a broadway contract! >> congratulations may you live forever >> uncle al, tell us about that. is that a permanent gig? >> no, no, no, they do the thing, the whole premise of the show is that these guys are doing this musical about gutenberg and have a broadway producer trying to give them some backing so at the end, you get to come up and they're so terrific. >> did you get to bring your own interpretation, add an accent, was that all you i don't know i have no idea where that accent came from. i don't know i just know it was loud! there you have it! go see gutenberg until january 29th -- with andrew reynolds and josh gad. >> you turn into a british doc watson >> sort of yes. >> congratulations >> way to go, al >> next up on pop start, we have ryan gosling

the actor has gone full ken for christmas. yesterday gosling dropping an ep as his barbie character, featuring "i'm just ken" and three remixes, including this festive version called "merry christmas, barbie" and that's with a k and "kristmas ken." ♪♪ ♪ >> merry christmas, barbie wherever you are >> well, on social media, writer and producer mark ronson wrote, all praise on high greta gur wig whose glorious vision of a world ran by women still carved out seven minutes for all the emoe boys who struggle to express their feelings

you can stream that now. committed to that. >> yes next up, speaking of getting in the holiday spirit, glenn powell, yesterday the "top gun" actor shared the surprising way that he and his family celebrate. >> pine trees are my favorite! >> it's santa! >> i know! >> santa >> we elves stick to the four main food groups >> candy, candy cane, candy corn, and syrup. >> you don't smell like santa. you smell like beef and cheese >> you sit on the throne of lies >> he captured the video and thanked his family who shares my affinity for elf culture next up, "home alone," three decades since this moment made getting left behind look like so much fun >> what else could we be forgetting

>> kevin >> but does anybody ever think about how much that cost this epic vacation fail? how much did that cost the mcallister family. the folks at "the washington post" tallied up the price tag adjusting for 30 years later they tallied up the price tag. we'll start with the van to the airport, those come in about $265 next the flights for a family -- 15 people going to paris, would be over $25,000. and then those emergency flights back that they had to take there's a couple thousand more there. so what was totally free was the carpool ride that john candy and the polka van. the grand total comes to $28,000. and i can't believe they did that the next year >> and what's even stranger, we don't know what they did for work >> that's true >> no idea >> how'd they make that money? ♪ next up is frank sinatra rising up the billboard hot 100 chart, thanks to this 1948♪ ♪ oh, what fun i

holiday recording. "jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way ♪ ♪ oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh ♪ >> that's right! made the brackete christm "jingle bells" by old blue eyes climbing up the charts, number 20 it is frank sinatra's version of the christmas carol, the only version to ever hit the hot 100. sinatra's first song on the top 20 in six decades. congratulations. speaking of music, finally, it's time for today's holiday hits bracket once again as a reminder -- sorry, savannah -- mariah is not in this competition she's already the queen of christmas. we know. we want to give other songs a chance let's move into that big results here the festive final four. it turns out 65 years later, it is finally brenda lee's year "rocking around the christmas tree" took down dean martin's "let it snow." over in the west, "last christmas" didn't stand a chance against andy williams and "it's the most wonderful time of the year." williams walked away with 64% of

the vote those are your classics! go to today.com to vote. >> tomorrow, the winners are revealed >> yes, ma'am. coming up, guys, harry smith's ode to the holiday lights that brightened the season, as we head into the longest night of the year tonight, it's 10:27, al? >> 10:27 >> but first, a check of your local news and weather good morning, 8:26, i'm marcus washington. crabbers are learning they will have to wait a little longer

until they can cast their net into the bay area waters. state fish and wildlife just reassessing the delayed crab season and they green lighted a january 5th start date for the northern-most part of california. the northern zone, that is. stretching from mendocino up the north coast. but all of those zones south of that area, closed due to concerns of migrating hump back whales becoming entangled. the next assessment takes place january 11th. time to get a look at the zero rain forecast. i don't know if it is zero rain but not like what we've been seeing all week cinthia. >> definitely not, marcus. the storm system is barrelling down into southern california. that's what is next for them. for us in san francisco over the next couple of days and the bay area, a few lingering clouds for today. as the storm makes its final exit. we should stay dry, however, as we go on into the weekend. christmas eve, christmas day, also looks fairly dry with a few clouds coming back. as we go on into late monday.

and notice the temperatures that start to come back down into the low 30s and 40s. and for the start of our days, with the temperatures for highs in the 50s. >> thanks, cinthia. we will have another local news update for you

another one in the books. but we're just getting started. everything going well? oh yeah. let's take a look at this knee. because it's the work behind the scenes, that truly matters. [ physical therapy staff discusses results ]

for your mind. for your body. and for the community. -team! for all that is me, for all that is you. kaiser permanente. rated pg ♪ ♪ i'm hearing sleigh bells ♪ ♪ deck the halls with balls of holly ♪ ♪ tis the season to be jolly, ♪ ♪ >> wow that was pretty incredible >> wow we are back. we're so happy to see you. we've got some great music from the young people's chorus of new york city, stick around. there's more where they came from we're just so proud that we live

in new york, you guys, looking at y'all thank you guys for being here today. >> meanwhile, in case you haven't heard, christmas, four days away, but our toy drive spectacular, it's still going strong this morning's elves, there they are! country star roy and his daughter indiana out here on the plaza as well. we're going to chat with both of them in our third hour but right now, they're collecting some gifts. and if you're sitting at home and you want to participate, all you have to do is scan that qr code or check out today.com if you would like to take part in today's toy drive. >> merry christmas to you. >> just ahead in this half hour, harry smith is paying tribute to one of the best things about the holiday season that bow tie also, the festive lights that really do brighten the darkest of days. don't want to miss harry essay on the light >> and delicious desserts that will be welcome at any holiday celebration, coming from social media sensation behind bake it better, matt allard.

>> and we'll cook tomorrow, too. uncle al it will be a good one. we have a huge saturday in the nfl on the menu. smash burgers, also, your favorite bones with sauce, aka, chicken wings, delicious two big games, bengals, steelers, 3:00 p.m. eastern here on nbc and peacock that's followed by bills and chargers, exclusively on peacock. big lineup on saturday >> bones with sauce! al what do you got? >> yes, everybody loves those. let's show you what we're looking at as far as your holiday weekend. a chill in the air on friday, some mild highs around the plains a flood risk through the southwest. rain in the pacific northwest. on saturday, sunshine up and down the eastern seaboard. a few record highs in the plains southern storms continue down in texas. snow in the rockies. on sunday, sunday. again, the east looking great. midwest warmth heavy rain through the mississippi river valley much colder through the rockies, and then on christmas day, mild again in the northeast and new england. some southern storms down through the gulf

the cold continues in the rockies and more wet weather for our "friends" in the puget sound areaea int good thursday morning. at 8:33 on this first day of winter, we're watching the tomorrow system make its way down to l.a., and what it is doing for us is bringing about some cooler temperatures over the next couple of days with a few lingering clouds for today. we should see more sunshine, as we go on into saturday and sunday, for christmas eve. things dry out for christmas day but we do see the clouds return, the temperatures dip down, into the morning lows, 30s and 40s, and our next rainmaker is set to arrive next wednesday. hey, guys, to celebrate the release of "migration" in theaters tomorrow, we are throwing a migration celebration on the plaza take a look right here we've got gwen the duck. that's one big duck. now we just need some cheese and we would have cheese and quackers any way. we're gifting everyone on the

plaza with "migration" merch we've got toys, hats, shirts, but wait, guys, there's more everybody here on the plaza, you are going to the theater to see "migration," the movie once again, "migration," from illumination and our sister company, universal pictures opens in theaters tomorrow this actually really fits the bill for -- >> how exciting. >> i got booed on that one wow. >> i think we're on everybody is turning fowl on me. >> hold that thought from christmas lights to hanukkah candles, the holiday traditions that brightenhe traditions that brightenhe darkest days o tf look mom, i found one. oh, yeah, you did.

but we need an atm from our bank unless you want to spend a small fortune in fees. uh, no, thank you. banking with us means more fee-free atms than the two largest us banks combined. well, that would be convenient but there is no b-m-o here. ah, you can just call us bee-mo, and there is now. you know what else is convenient? mobile banking that makes it easy to track your goals and manage your money get out of town. but we... just got here. when a bank helps you get and stay ahead. that's the bmo effect. ♪ bmo ♪ teens have drama. whone more minute!you get and stay ahead. braces add more drama. ahh! how does anyone do this?! invisalign is better oral hygiene, and no drama. ♪ baby don't forget it's the holidays ♪ ♪ give me something sweet let's celebrate ♪ ( ♪♪ )

♪ oops, oh, it's gettin' late ♪ ♪ and i almost forgot to celebrate, ♪ ♪ we snackin' ♪

♪ 8:37 with one of our absolute favorites, mr. smith goes to -- >> well, harry is here with a heaping dose of holiday nostalgia. we need you, harry >> well, think about it, today is the shortest day of the year. tomorrow also as short and what do we hunger for this time we kind of like really need the light, really want the light so, we go find it. >> we love the lights at christmastime. as kids, we would load up in the car to tour neighborhoods with the best lights. we would oh and aw and think, this was a truly great thing to do noses smashed against the fogged up windows in the backseat, we would roll the windows down to get a better view. especially the certain streets that were just plain superior. there was no price of admission, no barrier to entry. it wasn't even difficult to

convince someone to go nowadays, neighborhoods still compete, but the allure of the light has gone from quaint to colossal mega-light displays can be found from coast to coast. the callaway show in georgia boasts 10 million lights and christmas in kansas city claims is it the world's largest. we also do all right here in new york 50,000 lights for one tree seems to get the job done. the season sneaks up on us warm gives way to cool and then to cold. the foliage takes its turn, too. amazing ambers and burgundy and rust then one day they're gone. trees and bushes bare, the sun so low on the horizon, there are shadows all day long where did the light go we miss it so we make up for it we pretty much always have solstice festivals go back to the ancients from which cultures ever since have borrowed liberally.

we shouldn't be surprise that hanukkah and christmas occur in december, bringing light to our darkest days we stroll through downtowns and gaze at the window displays and smile at the over the top wonder of the annual appearance of things like this, selfie magnets. but be it candles or l.e.d.s, the light warms us up inside it cheers us, and reminds us that there is light in the world. maybe even light within us and especially this time of year, we should let our light shine. >> lovely, just what we need >> beautiful >> beautiful, harry. >> can we also give a shout-out to the wonderful little town of 3,000 people in nebraska, minden, where we stopped by. >> what do they do in minden >> for over a hundred years, they've lit up the courthouse, since 1922, they lit up the courthouse lights.

you can drive around that as many times as you want for free. >> is that still a thing, families getting in cars and finding these areas, these neighborhoods. >> it is kind of near where we are. there are a couple of places >> my hometown, we went last year >> here in new york. >> out in the rock aways, a great place out there. >> that was incredibly simple and beautiful. thank you, harry >> that's what christmas is all about, charlie brown coming up next, cook book author, social media star matt adler is here serving up some easy to make holiday desserts, including, let's go, triple chocolate brow

this morning on "today," we're baking with matt adler he's a self-taught baker and i just love that, an pastry chef from the uk. he has more than 2 million followers on social media. he is also the author behind, "bake it better.

matt, good morning i love to bake i do not have the skills you have but you're saying all of this is within reach >> i promise it is i'm going to level up your baking skills today. we'll make this amazing brownie recipe i promise. >> triple chocolate brownies >> this is super decadent with gorgeous piping on top it starts with really good quality dark chocolate and butter i'm going to melt that over it, a gentle simmer of boiling water. >> you do like a double boiler >> it just stops anything from burning. and you end up with this beautiful like glossy chocolate mixture. >> that's just butter and chocolate. it's really important to let that mixture cool because we don't want to scramble the eggs. we don't want chocolate scrambled eggs here. >> so what is this here? >> so this here is eggs, light brown sugar and white sugar. we use a little bit of light brown sugar, because it has that kind of molasses flavor in there. it will give you more moisture >> very creamy

light brown sugar, granulated and eks. >> almost kind of like a meringue to get this beautiful, crinkly texture on top of the brownie. >> once this is cool -- can you put it in the fridge or is that wrong?l we do -- i'm >> you could you have to stir it every so often or it will set around the edge of the bowl all we do -- i'm trying not to splash this all over your lovely outfit we pour it in really slowly. we want to temper those eggs we don't want them to freak out. hey, this chocolate is too hard. >> calm down, egg. >> this is a very good skill you've got here. >> i've done it a long time. a lot of browny practice, trust me >> and you're using the whisking attachment if you don't have one of these fancy mixers, can you still do this >> you'll do it by hand, but you'll get a serious arm workout. you'll be a little tired afterwards absolutely, the idea that it's approachable anybody can do it, and it's kind of your intro into a great browny recipe. >> okay, cool. >> once that all comes together, it's really thick, and that's what translates into the texture of the brownie

we'll add in cocoa powder, flour, salt. >> whisk >> whisk or sift you can do either. >> i can do that i've whisked before. >> we'll put that into this mixture here >> i want to check in with our tasters. how are we doing >> it's amazing! >> it's okay >> it's like the best ding dong -- like the most expensive fancy ding dong ever >> you know what a ding dong >> no. we don't have ding dongs you need to educate me >> you're missing out. >> the cousin of a twinkie >> you do the rest you want me to do it >> the whole thing dump it in >> yes dump it in >> sometimes you get so precious about you do it slowly >> we're live. we'll roll through this. so we'll just fold this in really gently. it's a thick brownie mousse-like texture. once that pulls together, we'll put it in a 9 x 9 inch pan and lined it with parchment paper. >> now this is interesting to me i always do the parchment and

get the corners and have a whole mess you didn't do the corners. >> you can do the corners. i was probably short changing myself >> but what it gives you is this >> yes amazing lifter you can pull it out and it doesn't stick. and add some lovely flakey sea salt, which sometimes in baking, sounds like -- you don't need flaky sea salt but it melts in your mouth >> wait, you do it before you bake >> before you bake, sprinkle it on top, add nuts, white chocolate, anything you want on top of the brownie >> one minute, so here we are. >> we've got to brownie here, this is chilled. we've cut it up. what we'll do to level up. you can leave the brownie as is. we'll dunk it in this chocolate glaze, right >> you're showing off. >> yeah, we're showing off, guys >> and then we just, we're showing off there, guys. we'll add this lovely chocolate -- >> you think that's ridiculously sweet, but it's not. >> so you'll pipe some frosting on there that's the triple chocolate. >> so -- so even the frosting by itself would be a sufficient

dessert. >> really nice. >> is it the dipping of the chocolate that gave you ding dong vibes, carson >> no, just the bite of it >> you get this amazing -- >> can i try to pipe i've never piped i watch all the baking shows i've never done it >> quick spiral. >> oh, oh, oh. >> oh, geez, now what? >> that's rude >> what's happening there? >> there's a reason why you've never piped before wow. >> your results look very -- >> you can't pipe icing? >> you can pipe icing? >> i mean, i can take my shot. >> come on over, buddy let's pipe >> show her, carson. >> we have time for a piping -- >> go get her. >> looks like we have to go. >> this is awesome >> there you go, girl. better better >> you look like a drunk -- >> unbelievable.

>> if you want to get the recipes go to today.com/food coming up next, we'll head outside for more festive music from the young people's chorus of new york city come here. i'll pipe your face. oh, here we go

♪ thank you. hey oh >> welcome back. welcome back before we get back to the choir, mr. roker, some birthdays? >> we have a very special smucker's birthday never happened before. let's first up show you happy 100th birthday to frank wang of troy, michigan secret to longevity, scheduling time to relax. alma nottinham, when she's not singing, you can catch her watching "the price of right." come on down happy 100th birthday to juan guerrero of california served in the u.s. army. we salute you for your service charles buck is 100.

a fisherman from lewiston, montana, married to the love of his life, milly, for more than 60 years and we have one more celebrant but i need help spinning this jar. you remember her from -- as meredith from "the office," kate flannery is here one of our faves so kate, your dad turned 100 on monday, so cheers to your dad, tom flannery >> we love you >> native philadelphian. >> philadelphian and been of service his entire life, served in world war ii, was a prisoner of war for over a year, he ran flannery tavern and was a friend to the forgotten man, raised seven kids with my mom, if that's not being of service what is >> what do you want to say to tom? >> dad, i love you, i'm so proud of you, slow, but sure that is what he always said. slow but sure. he's the real deal so much love in his heart, twinkle in his eye, so irish, so wonderful. he helped so many people so humble. he's the greatest.

we love you, dad >> happy birthday. >> come on down and visit us >> appreciate it >> the first live smuckers we've ever had kate, always great to see you. merry christmas. >> that's special, kate. >> but first, this >> announcer: the citi music series on "today" is proudly presented to you by citi >> that was special. and so is our choir week the young people's chorus of new york city is here this morning >> established in 1988, the group serves more than 2,000 children with programs in 20 schools across the city. led by creative director elizabeth nunez, here they are with "run, run rudolph." take it away, guys ♪ ♪ you know you're the master mind ♪ ♪ run, run, rudolph ♪ ♪ run, run rudolph, santa's got

to make it to town ♪ ♪ santa, make to make it to town ♪ ♪ santa, make him hurry, tell him he can take the freeway down ♪ ♪ run, run, rudolph, because i' feeling like a merry go round ♪ ♪ santa tell a boy, what have you been longing for ♪ ♪ all i want for christmas is a♪ ♪ and away went rudolph, rock 'n' roll electric guitar ♪ ♪ and away went rudolph, whizzing like a shooting star ♪ ♪ run, run, rudolph, santa's go to make it to town ♪ ♪ santa, make him hurry, tell him he can take the freeway ake down ♪ down ♪ ♪ run, run, rudolph, because i' reeling like a merry-go-round ♪ ♪ santa said a girl, child, wha♪

♪ all i want for christmas -- ♪ ♪ and then away went do you hope most to get ♪ ♪ and then away went rudolph, whizzing like a jet ♪ ♪ run, run rudolph, santa's got♪ ♪ santa, make him hurry, tell him he can take freeway down ♪ ♪ run, run, rudolph, because i'm reeling like a merry-go-round ♪ ♪ run, run ♪ ♪ run, run, to make it to town ♪ ♪ santa, make him hurry, tell him he can take freeway down ♪ ♪ run, run, rudolph, because i' reeling like a merry-go-round ♪ ♪ run, run ♪ ♪ run, run, rudy, run ♪ ♪ run, run, run, rudy, run ♪ ♪ run, run, rudolph, because i' reeling like a merry-go-round ♪ ♪ run, run, run, rudy, run ♪ ♪ run, run, rudy, run ♪ ♪, run, run, run rudy, run ♪ ♪ run, run, run, rudy, ♪ run ♪ ♪ santa's got to make it to town ♪

♪ run, run, run ♪ rudy, ♪ ♪ santa's got to make it to town ♪ ♪ run, run, run ♪ ♪ run, ♪ run, run, run ♪ ♪ run, run, run ♪ ♪ take the freeway all the way ♪ run, run, run, rudy, run, run, run ♪ ♪ down ♪ ♪ run, run, run, rudy, run, run run ♪ ♪ run, like a merry-go-round ♪ ♪ you better run ♪ ♪ ♪ i said, rudy run, ♪ yes, you better run ♪ ♪ i said, rudy run, run, run ♪ >> yes yes! great job! that was -- y'all, that killed it

by the way, can we just shoot a camera right there real quick. good morning. it is 8:56, i'm marcus washington. developing this morning, the search is on for a gunman who shot and killed a pizza delivery driver last night in oakley. police say the 24-year-old victim was parked outside of his family home on rutherford lane, when another car pulled up and the shooter got out and fired multiple times into that car. police later learned the victim's mother saw the whole things happened. meanwhile the domino's pizza location where the victim worked closed for the night. it is not clear if they will reopen today. authorities still have fot identified the man who died. happening now bob redell is speaking with police and will have a live report on our midday forecast. head to our home page for more details. today marks the first day of

the peak holiday season. some 7 million americans are expected to ply over the holidays between now and january 2nd. we have more on an update from sfo at midday, including the best way to avoid the worst travel headaches. and one battle now taking shape in colorado may soon play out here in california. head to our home page to learn i know the importance of taking care of myself. how are you doing between practices? i feel pretty good. surrounding myself with a great team. de'aaron we're going to take a quick look at your knee with ultrasound. everything is looking great. but not just for me. for them. it's great to see you again man. thanks jb. for all that is me, for all that is you, kaiser permanente.

this morning on the third hour of "today," the big getaway. millions of us on the move.