i want to thank my guests, dwayne johnson, nicole perretta and, of course, kevin eubanks at the el rey theatre, december 5th. "jimmy fallon," happening right ♪ this morning on "early today" -- so much to do, from tax cuts to don't ask, don't tell, to unemployment benefits. a mountain of issues pile up in washington. storm lashing. twisters wreak havoc in the south while snow and flooding pound other parts of the nation. and a florida holdup. surveillance video captus florida employees being held at gunpoint during a terrifying robbery. captions paid for by nbc-universal television hello and good morning. i'm lynn berry. today, we begin with getting along.

high-stake talks between president obama and gop leaders seemed to take on a notable shift in tone at the white house yesterday, resurrecting hopes that washington leaders could be ready to put party politicking behind and advance several major issues. nbc's tracie potts joins us from washington with more. tracie, good morning. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. after that white house meeting, both sides are pledging to work together. it's going to be a challenge, though, because they're really on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to what to do about these expires tax breaks at the end of the year. president obama appointing his treasury secretary, budget director, to work with republicans. they and democrats, to come up with a quick solution before the end of the year. they'll start meeting today. also today we'll hear from the deficit commission. their controversial play-end to reduce the massive debt in this country, including things like slowing down social security benefits, raising the retirement

age to 68, or 69. raising the gas tax, limiting your tax credits and deductions. they don't have enough to pass it yet. that vote pushed off now until friday. another vote that's pending here on capitol hill. what to do about unemployment benefits for 2 million people. they run out starting today. congress has a lot to deal with, and it's still unclear if, in fact, that's going to pass. also, they're trying to get the don't ask, don't tell. just yesterday the pentagon release its long-awaited survey that found most members of the military really don't think it will matter if, in fact, that is repealed, but republicans are now saying they will block votes for don't ask, don't tell and other issues until this tax issue is dealt with. and, by the way, earmark those pet projects that lawmakers have. they tried to get a ban on that. it didn't work. only 39 members voted for it. lynn? >> tracie potts there in washington. tracie, thank you.

a global hunt is on for wikileaks founder julian assange after the international police agent interpol issued a red notice to assist in his arrest on suspicion of sexual charges. his appeal to have two rape charges thrown out of court was rejected last week. the ramped up search for the former computer hacker comes amid global war of a massive dump of government documents business his website wikileaks. meanwhile in an interview from an unknown location, assange called for the resignation of secretary of state hillary clinton if she ordered u.s. diplomats to spy on foreign officials. while traveling in kazakhstan, secretary clinton addressed her latest concerns over the release. >> i particularly worry about the human rights activists, the religious leaders, the critics of government who speak to members of our embassy about abuses in their own country,

whose name may either be in a reporting cable or who may be identifiable because of the description of the person. >> and now here's a look at some other stories making news early today in america -- in florida, police are looking for two armed men who robbed a local walgreen's pharmacy. one of the men forced two employees into the back office and demanded they open the safe while his accomplice waited out front. a third employee, unaware of the robbery, came into view, but ran away. the man got away with an unknown amount of cash. fortunately, no one was hurt. a new jersey transit light rail operator has been suspended indefinitely without pay after a passenger shot video of the employee texting while driving. officials say it's a clear rule violation, and it's against the law. the passenger said it's not the only time he's seen a distracted train operator. nasty weather gripped parts of the country yesterday, particularly in the south and midwest.

in atlanta, georgia, a tornado reportedly destroyed more than 50 homes. the area also received a record 2.1 inches of rain, washing away the old record of 1.8 set in 1880. in north dakota and minnesota, heavy snow and high winds created blizzard-like conditions cutting visibility to near zero. more chilly whiteouts are expected there. and in louisiana, a photographer captured this remarkable video of two tornadoes that touched down side by side. several homes, including a brick house were completely destroyed. gives you an idea how strong these storms are. for a look at your national regional weather here's bill karins with the weather channel forecast. lots going on, bill. >> good morning, lynn. the end of november, here the first day of december and still talking about severe weather moving up and down the eastern seaboard. anyone flying across the country to the big airports, new york, d.c., baltimore, there will be significant delays there. middle of the country is quiet.

disorganized storm system moving through the west. yesterday it brought snow in the pacific northwest especially the mountains, in and around spokane. today it's beginning to taper off a little bit. the areas that are still seeing moisture flow coming, northern california, mount shasta, significant snow, in the mountainous areas of oregon and idaho. specifically idaho is really going to get a lot of snow during the day today with more pure powder for ski resorts. you can see from boise all the way to twin falls, we have on and off snow at this current time. a forecast is calling for another 3 to 6, possibly 12 inches of snow at higher elevations. the cities down in the lower valleys will definitely see less. the forecast for today, showery and snowy throughout much of the interior west. california warming up a bit.sno.

crescent city, showers, same for eugene and astoria. thursday's forecast coming right up. >> thanks, bill. also coming up, more euro debt problems. wall street thinks it knows the next wikileaks target. your early business headlines are straight ahead. plus, with an acting career in high gear, looking at a possible nomination is justin timberlake ready to give it all up for a weekly tv show? coming up on battle of the bigs in the big apple, the lakers struggle again and a finish in college hoops. you're watching "early today."

good morning, and welcome back to "early today." i'm lynn berry. here are some of your top headlines this morning --

michigan police are warning the public to expect the worst as they continue their search for three young brothers missing since thanksgiving. that admission came after authorities talked to the boys' father who was arrested and charged with their kidnapping yesterday. a new government report finds that one in five drivers killed in car crashes last year tested positive for drugs. that's a 5% increase from 2005. although the study did not say whether drug use was the cause of the accident, researchers say the findings provide a warning signal that too many americans are not realizing the danger of driving after taking drugs. a survey of the nation's airports named portland, oregon, their international airport as the best in the country. for the fourth year in a row, new york's laguardia ranked the worst for significant delays, heavy congestion and few amenities. and jewelry from a royal love affair has broken the record for the most expensive bracelet ever sold at auction. the diamond and onyx panther

piece went for a whooping $7 million. it once belonged to the american woman whose relationship with king edward viii led him to advocate the throne. >> and now here's an early look at how wall street will kick off the day -- the dow opens at 11,006 after falling 46 points yesterday. the s&p shed 7 points. the nasdaq lost 26. taking a look at overseas trading this morning, in tokyo, the nikkei added 51 pounds while in hong kong the hang seng rose 241. a mixed day on wall street tuesday suddenly darkened late in the session, and those storm clouds loomed large over today's opening. minutes before markets closed, standard & poor's warned portugal's credit rating might be downgraded, expecting the country to join ireland looking for a multibillion dollar bailout. that set off high volume selling investors fear could resume this morning. news on the u.s. economy was mostly good.

consumer confidence rose to its highest level in five month, and data showed increase strength in the midwest business activity. weak home sales data was somewhat offset by the home improvement chain lowes reaffirming its sales and profit outlook sending shares up 1.5%. bank of america lost more than 3% on wikileaks fears. founder julian assange told "forbes" to expect a mega leak on a major u.s. bank early next year. last year in another interview he specifically mentioned bank of america. google fell 4.5%. the online search giant is said to be close to buying advertising website groupon for $6 billion. paying for its late entry into e-books, barnes & noble's holiday forecast missed expectations. that combined with a larger than expected quarterly loss sent its shares down nearly 10%. general motors and chrysler,

two companies revived by government bailouts, each announced it plans to hire 1,000 engineers and researchers. and bailed out insurer aig returned to the debt market after a more that two-year absence. and finally, one of only 11 known first edition copies of "the star-spangled banner" goes on auction this week at christie's where it's expected to fetch between $200,000 and $300,000. coming up, the lakers look lost. the lightning strike twice, and a college showdown in the show-me state. plus, the new and improved new york knicks get their chance to beat up on a local rival. your early morning sports headlines are straight ahead. the big weather story continues to be the storm moving off the eastern seaboard and a new storm system will be affecting the wednesday. your wednesday forecast is coming up. you're watching "early today." that's going to go right in your glove. ohhh.

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ok, now let's get ready for the ball... here it comes... here you go. good catch. perfect! alright now for the best part. let's see your pour. ohhh...let's get those in the bowl. these are way too good to waste, right? oh, yea. let's go for it... around the bowl and... [ male announcer ] share what you love... with who you love. mmmmm. kellogg's frosted flakes®... they're g-r-r-reat!™ good catch, dad. [ laughs ] good morning. if you're just waking up, this is "early today." and in sports, on paper the los angeles lakers are the nba's defending two-time champions, but on the court, could you hardly tell. here's nbc's fred roggin with an early look at all your sports headlines. >> good morning. the miami heat are not the only high-profile team struggling through november. the l.a. lakers have now dropped

three straight losing to the grizzlies. mike conley averages 14 points a game, but he stepped it up. he had 28. the three foot memphis up by 7. lakers had a chance. kobe bryant got caught in the air, had to kick it to ron artest. the three for the win. blocked. the grizzlies held on, 98-96. the magic aren't having any problem winning taking on the pistons. this jumper no good, but vince carter was there to take it down. orlando up 3 after three. the magic won their fourth straight, 90-87. battle of the bigs in new york. the nets lopez got things going. an easy alley-oop. lopez finishes with a season high 36. stoudamire started to feel at home in the garden. alley-oop. felton looked like steve nash feeding stoudamire whatever he could. another dish, another bucket. amare had 35. the knicks won, 111-100. hockey -- great finish between the lightning and the maple leafs. unloaded a rocket from the point.

a rocket unloaded. it tied the face and forced o.t. gagne missed his return in style. a minute in overtime, and the lightning win it 4-3. college hoops, final seconds, hoyas down three. first intent was off the mark. got the ball back. georgetown forced overtime and grabbed momentum. they outscored the tigers, 17-8 in the o.t. georgetown upset missouri, 111-102. that's your early look at sports on "early today." i'm fred roggin. the king of pop's father takes his case back to court. your early morning entertainment headlines are straight ahead. plus, sure star performances kept the crowds entertain, but what they really came for was seeing the tree lit up. you're watching "early today."

welcome back on this wednesday. still wet weather today. moisture streaming in off the pacific and north california along the or organize coastline where you'd need the umbrella. snow around mount shasta and boise, significant snow at the high elevations. much of california, l.a. 71. a little more like it. a little warmer. tomorrow a little warmer than that. 75 in phoenix tomorrow. 72 in l.a. unfortunately, more moisture

streams here to the pick northwest. so kind of a murky weather pattern starting december in northwest. if you're waging on kndo 23 in yakima, washington, looking for a one-stop holiday shopping, pottery, jewelry, photographs and more at the art of holiday giving exhibit at allied arts. that's your pacific event of the day, lynn. >> all right, bill. thanks. now here's a look at this morning's headlines in entertainment. earlier this year, a federal judge refused to hear a wrongful death lawsuit regarding michael jackson saying it belonged in a state court. yesterday, that's exactly where jackson's father refiled it. joe jackson's lawsuit seeks unspecified damages against dr. conrad murray and added a defendant. the las vegas pharmacy that records show sold the physician a powerful anesthetic blamed for the singer's june 2009 death. murray has pleaded not guilty in

a separate case for involuntary manslaughter. ryan seacrest extended his contract with a radio channel for another three years. the report is he got $60 million on top of his current contract, which sdss 35 million. not bad, ryan. finally, blogs are abuzz that justin timberlake wants to be a regular on "saturday night live." timberlake is currently busy campaigning for a best supporting actor nomination for his role in "the social network" but he did tell "usa weekend" that he could see living in new york for a season doing it, which has led to all this speculation, and he's hilarious. we would love a little company here at "30 rock" with timberlake. >> he's got it all. he wins. >> throw in a little more. and this comes to us from right here in new york where rock stars and one sparkling

swarovski starlit -- the star lit up the plaza. mariah carey was among those who lit up the square as the tree was lit. tree lighting dates back to 1933, two years after workmen on the unfinished site erected the first tree to spread a little cheer, which it does every year. bill, did you see the tree lighting last night? >> i did watch it. this is a tree. plump. 40 feet wide. >> some years you can see through the branches. really, you can see through the tree. this year, they did well. >> they did well. >> right. i'm lynn berry, and this is "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station.

in san francisco, your commute just got a little easier and fun. bus stops have been outfitted with video games for in-patient passengers. 20 different touch screen devices have been loaded with four different games, and set up all around the city. the six-foot gaming system is a great way to pass the time. just don't get distracted and let the bus pass you by. one electric eel has put its energy to good use. in japan, it joined visitors and powers an eco friendly christmas tree. each time the efficient eel moves around his tank, it generates electricity for the lights. visitors can put their best foot forward by dancing on a special

mat which creates energy. if you're nervous about your waistline this holiday season, there might be an app for that. researchers in tokyo have developed software that let's smartphone users count calories by photographing their food. the software analyzes the color and shape of the images. so far, the database recognizes over 100,000 types of food, and the app can't identify portion sizes. so you're on your own for that, which is great, because then can you eat a huge plate of whatever you want, and they'll tell you -- >> right. take a picture of one french fry and dump the whole thing out afterwards. >> can we worry about diets after the new year, please? let's hold off. >> do you think we'll do new year's resolution stories about being more healthy? >> let's hold off. okay? we have enough of that. time now for an early look at some of the stories we'll follow throughout the day here on nbc. in support of world aids day, alicia keys, lady gaga and

justin timberlake will join other celebrities who are signing off social networks like facebook and twitter to raise money for charity. the world's aids campaign is called digital life sacrifice. the entertainers will sign back online after the charity meets its fund-raising goal of $1 million. it's a big day for reese witherspoon. she will cement her role in hollywood history with a star on hollywood walk of fame. and happy hanukkah. the eight-day jewish holiday of lights begins at sunset. all day long, you can stay on top of the very latest developments in those stories and others as they break on msnbc. and tonight be sure to watch brian williams with nbc "nightly news." and, finally, here's a look at what's coming up later this morning on the "today" show. the latest of the diplomatic fallout from that massive wikileaks release, and kate gosselin sets down with meredith vieira to set the record straight about her kids, her show and her love life. now keep it on this channel for continuing local news, weather, sports and more. i'm lynn berry. thanks for watching "early

today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station. have a good one. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com [ male announcer ] don't let aches anslow you down. morning introducing bayer am. its dual-action formula delivers extra strength pain relief, plus it fights fatigue. so get up and get going with new bayer am, the morning pain reliever.