>> good morning. supersoaker. the potent storm system that's already spawned nearly a dozen tornadoes in the south takes aim at the northeast. heavy rain and widespread flooding expected. al is tracking the storm. most wanted. a global arrest warrant issued for the founder of wikileaks, as hillary clinton gets set for face-to-face damage control for some of the leaders talked about in those classified documents released by the website. and let there be light. the rockefeller center christmas tree comes to the life as we begin the 25-day countdown to

christmas today, wednesday, begin the 25-day countdown to christmas today, wednesday, december 1st, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a wednesday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> and i'm meredith vieira. we've made our way upstairs for a better look at the freshly lit rockefeller christmas tree. a 74-foot tall beauty. >> it really is gorgeous. they flipped the switch on that thing last night, courtesy of al and natalie. there she is in all her wet glory this morning. >> yeah, but it didn't actually rain during the ceremony, which was great. it rained before and then afterwards, but it's going to rain a lot here today. and al is actually talking about flooding later on in the northeast. we'll get his forecast, straight ahead. >> all right. one more look at the tree. also ahead, a story of both tragedy and triumph. a father and daughter set off on the sailing adventure of a

lifetime, but a massive wave hit their boat, killing father and leaving the daughter adrift for 12 days before being rescued. this morning, she's here to tell us about what happened in an exclusive live interview. plus, kate gosselin will be here as well, and she wants to set the record straight on a number of rumors, including reports that two of her kids were expelled from school. we'll talk to her about that coming up. first, let's get to that powerful storm system that's causing problems up and down the east coast. the weather channel's mike seidel joins us now from washington, d.c. mike, good morning the you. >> reporter: and good morning, matt. heavy rain and gusty winds are now moving through d.c., baltimore, and up into philadelphia and new york. and a cold front. temperatures here fell 16 driveways in ten minutes this morning. this is the same storm system that has caused big problems in different parts of the nation. this is what's left behind after heavy rain, high wind, and a possible tornado hit an atlanta suburb tuesday. more than 50 homes were damaged, some with rooftops torn right off.

>> the wind was pushing really hard on the house. kind of like a train was coming through. >> reporter: in central mississippi, buildings were crushed by tornados with winds estimated as high as 140 miles per hour. some homes knocked right off their foundations. and over the past two days, tornado also touched down in louisiana and alabama. 11 confirmed in the south so far. in the midwest, snow is the problem. visibility was down to zero at times in fargo, north dakota, as the blowing snow covered the road. homeowners in redwood falls, minnesota, were doing their best to get out from underneath the blanket of snow. all of this is from one big storm system that's now make its way up the eastern seaboard. and this morning, huge delays at all three new york city airports, matt, now averaging 2 1/2 hours. it was so bad in atlanta yesterday, that some people spent so much time at theat airport, they ate lunch and

dinner. >> thank you very much, mike. mike seidel in washington. al's downstairs tracking this storm for us. good morning to you. >> thanks a lot, matt. this is a powerful storm. in fact, here it is. behind it, it's bringing in much cold, behind it it's bringing in much colder air, snowshowers, great effect snow behind it. rain and strong winds, subtropical force winds with this. we right now have flash flood watches, we have got flood warnings back into virginia and albany and binghamton, upstate new york, mid parts of pennsylvania. we're talking about flood watches as well. here you can see we have got heavy rain and tornado watches stretching along the carols up into virginia and all the way up into southern new jersey. you can see heavy rain and snow behind it. we take a look at rainfall amounts, we're talking about anywhere from one to three inches, some areas picking up five inches of rain over the next 48 hours, up into new england. we'll continue to track this storm and we have got big lake-effect snows to talk about a little bit later on. meredith? and now to politics. what was accomplished at

tuesday's meeting between president obama and the new republican leadership we're going to talk about that with white house press secretary robert gibbs in just a moment. but first chuck todd has the very latest. >> reporter: well, it took almost a month to make happen what washington's political leaders finally gathered at the white house for a bipartisan meeting to attempt to tackle a number of thorny issues. >> the american people did not vote for gridlock. >> reporter: the president and congressional republicans came away from their meeting with an optimistic tone. >> i was pleased on a number of accounts. >> reporter: it went well enough that republican speaker john boehner and the president seemed to share talking points. >> the american people want us to focus on their jobs, not ours. >> the american people want us to create jobs and to cut spending. >> reporter: and they even seemed to agree -- >> we have two parties for a reason. >> reporter: -- on why they disagree. >> there's a reason why we have democrats and republicans. >> reporter: today the hard work

begins, both sides will sit down and figure out a compromise on what to do about the bush tax tax rates. but it's not going to be easy. republicans still want to make the current tax rates permanent for everybody, while democrats want those making more than $250,000 a year to pay more. privately white house aides acknowledge some sort of temporary extension for everybody will be the compromise. the question is how to get all democrats on the same page. >> i think it's a huge problem that confronts the president and he has to be the executive who takes the lead and convinces people in his own party. >> reporter: besides the tax rates the president once again pushed for senate ratification of s.t.a.r.t., the u.s.-russia nuclear arms reduction treaty. >> this is essential to our national security. we need to get it done. >> reporter: mitch mcconnell said that s.t.a.r.t. is important, but needs to take a backseat for now. >> we're wrestling with a lot of other matters that may have some

level of importance but aren't in the same category. >> reporter: also discussed, the anticipated release of the bipartisan debt commission plan which is trying to figure out ways to cut the country's massive debt. the commission's two leaders, bowles and simpson will include spending cuts to popular programs and tax increases. >> america, you have a serious problem. >> reporter: also talked about in this meeting was the issue of unemployment insurance, it expired for millions of americans last night. no deal this week, but i'm told by democratic leaders that part of the tax cut compromise will include something to do with extending unemployment benefits. >> robert gibbs is the white house press secretary. mr. gibbs, good morning to you. >> good morning, how are you? >> i'm great, thank you. let me start with something that chuck mentioned in his piece that white house officials are privately conceding that the

president will bend on this tax issue and allow for the temporary extension of tax cuts for everyone including the very wealthy. will you go on the record publicly about that this morning? is the president willing and ready to make that compromise? >> the president's going to send his representatives our budget director and our treasury secretary up to capitol hill to begin talks on that compromise. our principles are fairly, i think, straight forward meredith. first and foremost, we should make permanent middle class tax cuts. those who are in the middle class should not see their tax s go up at the end of the year when these tax cut expires. but at the same time we can't afford to make permanent tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires at a cost of $700 billion. >> but will he allow for a temporary tax cut for the wealthy? >> all i'm going to say is those negotiations begin today. i think the president believes somewhere in all of this we can find common ground to strengthen our economy, to create jobs and

ensure first and foremost that the middle class in this country doesn't see their tax rates go up on new year's day. >> the president has said repeatedly that he is opposed to extending tax cuts for the wealthy, so if he takes this compromise, what message will that send to his base, many who will wondering what happened to the fighter that they elected president? >> the fighter they elected president got a lot done newspaper the last two years. but we also understand, meredith, that we have the responsibility both parties do, to govern this country. we're not likely to get everything we want just as republicans aren't likely to get everything they want. that's how you move forward in government and that's how we find common ground. i think that's what the american people want, they didn't vote in november for gridlock, they didn't vote for the continuation of the same partisan political gains that they have come to understand dominate washington. they want two political parties that can sit at the table like yesterday, talk civilly to one another and come out and get some things done on behalf of the american people that

strengthen our economy. >> right before that white house meeting, republican senator mitch mcconnell spoke out on the floor of the senate and he accused democrats of having the wrong priorities. he said their entire legislative plan for the rest of the lame duck session appears to focus on anything except jobs which is astounding when you consider the election we just had. is there any truth to that? >> well, you know, senator mcconnell seemed to be pretty focused in the meeting as president obama was on trying to move forward on ensuring that we get some agreement on taxes. the president doesn't want taxes to go up on the middle class. if that's not about strengthening the economy and creating jobs, i, meredith, don't know what is. i think that's what the president wants and certainly he hopes that republicans come to the negotiations that begin today the same way that they came yesterday and that was, at least behind closed doors, looking the find common ground. >> before you go, i want to

discuss wikileaks. all of these cables have been embarrassing to the administration and particularly hillary clinton. yesterday julian assange spoke with "time" magazine and he said he believes the secretary of state, should resign if it can be shown that she was responsible for ordering u.s. diplomatic figures to engage in espionage. did she do anything wrong? >> our diplomats are just that, they're diplomats, i don't know why on earth we would even solicit the opinion of somebody that has been an accomplice in a great security breach that threatens the people that do good work on behalf of keeping this country safe. secretary clinton is doing a great job and that interview and that statement that he made are both ridiculous and absurd and i don't know why anybody even listens to them. >> so does the president believe that wikileaks should be designated a foreign terrorist organization?

>> our government is looking at all options and i certainly wouldn't say that we have ruled anything out. >> all right, white house press secretary robert gibbs, as always, thank you for your time. and happy holidays to you sir. you mentioned wikileaks founder julian assange, well interpol has now placed him its most wanted list after a warrant was issued for his arrest as part of a rape investigation in sweden. nbc chief foreign correspondent andrea mitchell has more on this story. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. interpol calls it a red notice, the equivalent of the fbi's most wanted list. sweedish officials say it is serious, this as hillary clinton continues at a summit in kazakhstan. even in far long kazakhstan, hillary clinton faced questions about wikileaks. even in kazakhstan hillary clinton faced questions about wikileaks. >> and i particularly worry about the human rights activists, the religious

leaders, the critics of governments 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. >> reporter: in a bit of bad timing for clinton, as she travels this week, she'll be face to face with leaders slammed in the cable. germany's angela merkel, risk-averse and rarely creative. russia's dmitry medvedev, and more embarrassment, another cable from secretary clinton's office asked about the mental health of argentinargentina's p who succeeded her husband in office. how does stress affect her behavior? democratic congresswoman jane harmon is mentioned in some of the cables.

>> i feel personally violated by what wikileaks did. its alleged lofty purposes is to encourage openness and transparency in government. in fact, the irony is it will discourage openness and transparency. >> the defense secretary robert gates downplayed the importance of the leaks. >> is this embarrassing? yes, is it awkward? yes. consequences for united states foreign policy, i think pretty modest. >> reporter: and perhaps the most bizarre twist of all, wikileaks' founder julian assange suggested clinton could be fired over the leaks. >> would firing be an outcome you would want over this? >> reporter: his voice was muffled but he said -- >> she should resign if it can be shown she was responsible for ordering u.s. diplomatic figures to engage in espionage

activities at the june nated nations in violation of the international covenants to which the u.s. has signed up. yes, she should resign. >> reporter: clinton again today said that wikileaks will not hurt u.s. diplomacy, but foreign officials say they will be much more careful of what they say to the united states from now on. >> let me ask you about this warrant issued by interpol for the rape investigation in sweden. it comes just a couple days after the latest dumping of these classified documents by wikileaks. is the timing raising any eyebrows? >> well, certainly the timing is a little bit more than coincidental. it has to raise suspicions among assange's supporters. he is wanted for a completely unrelated case. as recently as yesterday officials in sweden said it is a serious case. they've looked into it. the prosecutors do want him. clearly he is now wanted, perhaps not legally, but wanted

for a much more serious reason diplomatically. the u.s. is very concerned about this, no matter what they do say. >> andrea, thank you very much. >> it's 15 minutes after the hour, once again here's meredith. we're learning more about the 15-year-old gunman who held around two dozen classmates and a teacher hostage in a wisconsin high school. kevin tibbles, good morning to you. >> reporter: people called him very quiet, very polite and very smart which is why they still can't comprehend what went on in this high school. he was just 15 years old, a high school sophomore, a boy scout. and yet, police say sam hengel armed with two handguns held 25 students and a teacher hostage for some six hours after his marninette, wisconsin high school. eventually shooting himself when s.w.a.t. teams stofrmd the

classroom. he died it he died tuesday in a green bay high school. >> he was a student in good standing. >> reporter: neighbors say sam hengel was a quiet teen and a good student who just returned from a hunting trip. >> what kind of a kid was he? >> quiet, smart, really smart. >> this is the kid i literally would have thought because of the smarts he had, was seriously going to give bill gates a run for his money. >> reporter: outside his rural wisconsin home, a handmade sign saying we do not wish to speak at this time. although his parents did release a statement. we wish we knew and could provide insight to what led sam to take these drastic acts. unfortunately we may never know the answer to the question why? here's what police say went on inside the school on monday. at 1:30 there were 26 kids in the classroom for the sixth period social studies class. one of them, sam hengal asked to go to the bathroom. he returned shortly with two weapons in a dufl bag.

at 3:45 the principal went to check on the classroom. he was confronted by the gunman and told to leave. >> at which point they told me to step back and get out of the room, so they shut the door and i called 911. >> reporter: for the next several hours, students engaged the gunman, talking to him about fishing, hunting and movies. >> we were all just talking to him. that's all he wanted to do, talk. >> reporter: hengel allowed valerie byrd to speak to police. her composure is being credited with saving lives. >> her leadership was the calming attitude that the students needed to get out safely. >> reporter: but in this small community, people remain stunned and saddened. >> hug your kids tonight is what i want to tell most of the parents. >> reporter: the high school reopens this morning and there will be counselors on hand to speak to any students who do feel the need to talk and, yes,

meredith, there will likely be a lot of hugging. >> kevin tibbles thank you very much. his parents also are donating his organs so that something positive can come out of this. ann curry is standing by with all the headlines of the morning. >> good morning, everybody, i wish i had some good news to start with. in fact, it's not good news, because just as the holidays arrive unemployment benefits start expiring today for two million long-term jobless americans. there are currently no plan to reinstate the benefits as republicans and democrats in congress are concerned about the national debt. men and women serving in the military favor allowing gays to serve openly. jim miklaszewski is here with more on this story. >> reporter: the pentagon report found that integrating openly gay service members into the u.s. armed services can be done. but it also shows it won't be easy. >> this past february --

>> reporter: defense secretary robert gates says the time has come to repeal don't ask don't tell. >> this can be done and should be done without posing a serious risk to military readiness. >> reporter: a pentagon study says 70% of service members have little or no problems serving with gays and lesbians. the answer is dramatically different from american forces surveyed in the middle of the wars in iraq and afghanistan 48% of army combat troops, 58% of combat marines strongly oppose serving with gays. gates made it clear that ultimately military service members don't get a vote. >> if the congress of the united states repeals this law, this is the will of the american people. and you are the american military. and we will do this. and we will do it right. >> reporter: gates does say any repeal will take time to implement, to make sure there's no serious disruptions to the forces. >> there is a low risk to repealing don't ask, don't tell.

>> reporter: just ask air force lieutenant colonel victor ferenbauk. he says gays can openly serve in the military. >> i have gotten so many messages who have literally said, dude, this doesn't matter, i will go to war with you, i will fly in combat with you tomorrow. >> reporter: it's still unclear if there are enough votes to pass the repeal of don't ask, don't tell during this current lame duck session. amid all the saber rattling on the korean prince, the u.s. military exercises are now over and the ""uss george washington"" is leaving south korea for japan. and new yorkers are hailing carlos flores a hero after he leapt into the path of an oncoming train on sunday to save a man who had fallen onto the subway tracks. he wasn't looking for fame, he just didn't want to be late for work.

the 36-year-old earns extra pay at a grocery store because he says his 10-year-old son has a very long list for santa. let's go back to matt, meredith and al. let's hope that santa is very good to that family. >> we're talking snow, now that the tree is lit around the great lakes and the pacific northwest. we have got rain and snow to talk about, about one to three inches in the pacific northwest. and then here in the east, lake-effect snow, anywhere from nine to 12 inches of snow from ashtabula, ohio to buffalo, new york. water town looking at about three to six inches before it's all over another cool and hazy start to the morning. you can see the smoke particles trapped pretty close to sea level. one of the reasons we have a wintertime spare the air alert for some particulate matter pollution around the bay area. in terms of raindrop or breezes,

not seeing that but some of that will start in the far north bay this afternoon but late thursday and friday we'll see showers dropping further south. as we edge into the weekend, then some breezy and cool conditions sunday and monday. >> coming up a father and daughter's tragic sea voyage. he was killed when a wave overturned their sailboat, she survived. she was left stranded for nearly two weeks. her remarkable story in an exclusive live interview. lightning fast. lightning strong.

rule the air on the most advanced 4g network in the world. ♪ i gotta make this holiday glow, like a light bulb ♪ ♪ ♪ tie it all up in a big shiny bow. i'm a "home for the holiday" superhero ♪ ♪ mrs. claus ain't got nothin' on me. i'm dancin' circles ♪ ♪ around the christmas tree.

just ahead, just ahead, should women in their 40s get yearly mammograms or not? and were kate gosselin's kids really suspended from school? and were kate gosselin' kids really suspended from school? blrk ! we're cereal here!

what? just cooling it down. enough said. gotcha. safety first. whoo-hoo! watch the whole grain! [ female announcer ] try kellogg's® frosted mini-wheats® hot. just add warm milk and you've got a hot way to keep your kids full and focused all morning. oops. dude your eight layers are showing. [ female announcer ] mini-wheats® hot. keeps 'em full, keeps 'em focused. good morning to you. 7:26 right now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. mike has a look at the morning commute. some accidents still around. >> we've had a number of accidents over the last 45 minutes, laura. southbound 880 right around 92. we still have a couple of activity in the lanes so we're watching one lane blocked. there's a slowdown souf san lorenzo and san leandro. 238 going through hayward is an alternate. or cut over at tennison. there was an accident turned

into a car fire, now it's still an accident, the fire is out. still in lanes. that was a considerable distraction for the south bay commute, rob. weatherwise, distractions might be patchy fog around the bay area right now. the rain still up on the north coast. that will slowly slide further south. today not a bad day, upper 50s and low 60s around 2:00. cooling as we head towards 4:00 today. our evening temperatures, again we'll see 30s and 40s tomorrow morning. for the north bay showers late thursday. for the rest of the bay area as we head into friday. more news after the break.

temperatures are down but the surf is up so the annual maverick surf competition could happen at any moment. the famous surf contest could happen any time between today and february 28th. the newly named jay's at mavericks big wave invitational is known for 20 to 40-foot waves a half a mile from pillar point harbor. the event only takes place when there are ideal conditions for the big waves. usually caused by storm swells. another local news update in half an hour. the "today" show back in less than a minute.

7:30 now on this wednesday morning, december 1, 2010. that is a look at the capitol, beautiful sight to see. our crowd is basking in the glow of the newly lit rockefeller stress christmas tree. no basking? >> it's rather dismal there in washington, with rain that's moving up the entire east coast. >> there's the tree. there they are, basking under their umbrellas. i'm meredith viera alongside matt lauer.

coming up this hour, an incredible story of heartbreak. >> a father and daughter were sailing with a family friend when they encountered a powerful storm. a wave overturned their boat tearing off the mast. amanda thorne's father was killed. she and her friend survived but would spend nearly two weeks adrift at sea. when should women start getting annual mammograms? there is no research adding to the confusion felt by millions of women on the heels of another study that suggested women should wait until the age of 50. plus a live interview with kate gosselin, what is fact and what is fiction when it comes to her love life, her show being canceled and her kids being expelled from school. she'll join us and talk about that in a little while. and we'll meet the kate middleton clone who's turning heads everywhere she goes. let's begin with a father and daughter's fateful sea

voyage. nbc's michelle kosinski har her story. >> reporter: anyone who know it is water knows there are times you can skirt trouble and other times you're completely at its mercy. well amanda thorn set out on her dream trip with her father, sailing down to the tropics. it was their first voyage together and their last together. for amanda thorn, it was going to be the trip of a lifetime, the first open ocean voyage from massachusetts in november down to the virgin islands. and the first time in her life she would have this kind of time with her father. >> just to have a vacation and spend time with dad. >> reporter: willie thorn, a master carpenter and sailor lived in boston. and this excursion was to be one to remember. but for all the wrong reasons. they set out in their sturdy 45-footer, but right off hit nasty weather.

it wouldn't stop. 30-foot seas and pure fear. >> it was like the perfect storm, they don't predict it, it comes up at the last minute. >> reporter: and like the movie "the perfect storm" it was a nor'easter. for the most experienced of sailors, for four days battered. >> it was like a bus hitting the side of the boat over and over again. >> reporter: then a monster wave overturned the boat and broke the mast and generator and communications. amanda spotted her dad in the dark water tangled in rigging. they tried to pull him back. >> i told him i loved him, i said don't leave me here. >> reporter: and just as quickly, she was swept away. >> i wanted to sit down on the deck of the boat and cry and cry, but this other part of me that was bigger, said i don't want to die. >> reporter: for amanda and

dennis, it would be 12 days of that, drifting in despair before they were able to craft together a new mast and flag down help. rescued not far from bermuda, now amanda faces life without her father, her hero, but life. >> i told my dad on the second day we were throughout right before he went on watch, you're the strongest and bravest person i know, and i do want to be like him like that. he didn't waste a single day, that's for sure. i got to tell him that i loved him for the last time. >> reporter: amanda says she doesn't want to let this conquer her, she wants to take what she learned from her father, his love of nature and his protection of those around him and she plans to sail again soon, maybe even to complete the route that they had started together. >> michelle, thanks so much. and amanda thorns is with us

exclusively. good to see you, and my condolences on the loss of your father. >> thank you. >> i think some people are going to watch this and say, wow, this storm, it sounded like, as we mentioned, "the perfect storm." was there no way to predict this was coming? could you not turn and run from it once it approached you? >> we had forecasts that we were supposed to have northwest winds the whole way to bermuda, it was i was told the most ideal forecast that we had gotten. we quickly on tuesday became aware that -- i mean weather got worse and worse and on tuesday we did get a report that a nor'easter was coming. but you can't turn around, you have to sail with the wind and the weather at that point. >> when the storm hit, did you immediately know there was going to be trouble or did you think you could ride this out? >> we thought we could ride it out. i was aware that the captain and my father were concerned, but nothing like this ever in our imagination. >> can you describe the storm?

i mean what was it like to be in that boat, what 45 feet long as these massive waves were hitting it? >> it sounded like a bus was hitting the boat over and over again. i was confident in the structure of the boat that it would hold, but there were waves breaking over. i was in my bunk most of the time, it was impossible to sleep because you were being tossed around. it was scary. >> you say you saw your father after the boat was hit and turned on its side in the water, tangled in the rigging. do you know what killed him? was he struck by a piece of the structure of the boat? >> he was still alive at that point. he was taken away by a wave. i assume he drowned. >> that moment could have made most people collapse and they would have fallen apart and probably been left to the storm as well. but it seemed to give you strength in some odd way. can you explain that? >> i did want to sit down and cry. i didn't want to go on.

i did want to jump in the ocean. but there's this part of me that i didn't know was there was bound and determined to survive and to get through it. >> and in some ways emulate your father, you describe him as the strongest and bravest guy you ever met. >> once he's gone, i guess maybe he gave it to me. >> unusual that you describe i think it was the night that he passed away, the storm passed, and you looked up and you say there was just this beautiful sky filled with stars and that must have been almost eerie to you. >> it was a very strange, surreal juxtaposition of the beauty of the night and the horror of what was happening. it was my first time on deck since we left because i was sick and it was cold and rough. and we were still in the storm, there were high seas and the high winds, but somehow there weren't any clouds in the sky really and i looked up and we were out at sea and there was no

moon and there was a million stars. the water glowing all around my dad as i looked down at him. it was so strange. >> you survived 12 days, luckily you had food and water on board because you were planning a really long journey and this happened at the beginning of it. amanda, there might be people watching who say this is what happens when you take risks and this is dangerous to do something like this, and that's why we should stay at home safe and sound. i have a feeling that's not the message you want people to take away from this. >> i knew there were risks and i spoke to my mother at the -- when you take a journey like this, there's the possibility of things going wrong. but if you're going to go, what better way to go, has been my attitude before i went on the trip, and it's still my attitude. i'm very -- i get peace knowing

that my father died doing his very favorite thing with his very favorite person. and that's sort of what i'm clinging to right now. >> our condolences on your loss and we're happy you're here enjoying this. let's get a check of the weather from al. "today's" weather is brought to you by office depot, give more, spend less, give smarter this holiday season at office depot. >> and good morning, everybody, as we look to show you what's going on, the afternoon temperatures, well, here in the northeast, warmer than usual, we're talking about temperatures in the 60s, 30s in new england, teens and 20s as you get into the plains with some snow blowing around there, we're looking at 50s and 60s in the southwest, cooler than usual, rain in the pacific northwest. slight risk of strong storms along the mid-atlantic states, in fact we have tornado watches until 11:00, from parts of the carolinas on south to new jersey with the possibility of strong storms and we also have gale force winds along the east coast.

here's a look across the bay and you can see that low-level ha haze out there this morning. the temperature inversion traps the smoke which is why we have the spare the air day for smoke particles. the afternoon will look a little more like l.a. with smog around parts of the bay area. low 60s from san jose southward, upper 50s across the north bay and a chance at showers increasing around the bay area, especially friday into early saturday. >> and we have a day after wild weather, you want to track it on the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. women started copying kate middleton's style since before her engagement was announced. there it's one girl who can call herself a two copy kate.

>> reporter: these days what young lady wouldn't want to be kate middleton, she's bright, she's beautiful and she's soon going to marry a prince. here in britain, royalty of course has its privileges and it's becoming increasingly clear that being a royal look alike has plenty of perks too. if imitation is the finest form of flattery, this 21-year-old from northern england named kate fittingly enough is offering kate middleton a royal complement. she's giving up her job as a pharmacy assistant to be a professional kate look alike. >> it's the first time i was made over as her, when i looked in the mirror, i could see it for sure. >> reporter: this kate says she's been mistaken for that kate for years. what do people say to you when they see you on the street. >> how's william. >> reporter: the.

>> it's so nice to meet you, sir. >> reporter: that's kate, right? kate who was just married herself says her husband is more prince harry than water vapor imagery. -- than william. she's already receiving bookings from as far aw waway as germany the u.s. >> i've got the perfect job, really. >> reporter: she's not alone, here the kate middleton market is swelling with a stunning new number of look alikes advertising online. so what do these kates have to look forward to? not bad, your majesty. mary reynolds has been impersonating the queen for 22 year years. do you have any advice for young kate. >> she has to keep a level

playing ground and not let it get to her head. >> reporter: this kate is already turning heads across london. >> does she look like anybody to you? >> kate middleton. >> reporter: if kate middletare with it? >> who wouldn't like dressing like a princess every day. >> reporter: to be fair, kate middleton and prince william look alikes are now cashing in. they have doubled or tripled their prices. when you walk in with kate and the queen, you just walk right in. >> they were saying when they walked in with you, peter, that's why they got in, but that's all right. >> reporter: that's why it was a five-hour wait until they came. up next, should women in their 40s get annual mammograms or not. the results of a new study right

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this morn on "today's" health women and mammograms. this report seems to fly in the face of last year's report that women don't need mammograms until the age of 50. last year, the u.s. preventative services task force recommended changing guidelines for breast cancer screening. it recommended that women begin getting mammograms at the age of 50 instead of 40 and then only once every two years. that caused a lot of confusion and a lot of controversy last year. now you have this new study out of england which finds that women over age 50 had a significantly reduced risk of mastectomy. why is that significant? >> this is significant because this current study from the uk

helped us identify another benefit for breast cancer screening. the task force was very focussed on an analysis of whether or not mammograms helped save lives. this study says we can find another benefit to early detection, so not just survival is an issue, but the ability to have more favorable and acceptable treatment methods and avoid mastectomy if the cancer is detected early. >> this comes on the heels of another study that came out that said that breast cancer screenings between the age of 40 and 50 reduces the number of breast cancer deaths. do you envision the task force possibly changing its recommendation? >> i think good guidelines should be revisited from time to time in the light of new date that that emerges and a task force this like that bases their recommendations on modeling of

outcomes not on real data from real people should probably be revised at some point in the near future based on this new information. >> the national institutes of cancer have not followed it at all, they continue to recommend that women get their first screening at the age of 40. >> that's correct, most of the major groups in america, including the american cancer society have stood by the original guidelines and i think that our general message to women is to maximize the benefit from screening and early detection, we recommend annual mammography after 40. >> i hope that clarifies things for people. st woo hoo! 'tis the season. yeah. we're buying gifts. i gotta decorate the yard. people are coming over. i want to make sure i get something for my spending. some credit cards... they have all these rules and... restrictions with their rewards. they make us jump through hoops. i have the bankamericard cash rewards™ credit card. -1% cash back... -with every purchase.

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good morning to you. 7:56 right now. i'm laura garcia-cannon with mike who's got a look at our morning commute. >> i'll take you to the peninsula where some traditional slowing but made worse because the southbound side, a pickup dropped rocks all other the roadway. four cars got involved in a minor accident there. no injury, off to the right-hand shoulder but it's adding to the slowdown. both directions of 101 slow through san mateo. and you see the yellow across the san mateo bridge. highway 92, speeds about 50. no major surprises as far as the volume goes, but on the east bayside, look at that, southbound, all the way down to fremont, highway 84, a very slow drive after a couple of accidents earlier cleared. clearing by the time you get to

milpitas. >> we hope we see clearing the second half of the weekend. let's take a look at your seven-day forecast. today hazy skies to start. low 60s the next couple of afternoons. starting thursday night into friday, i think late tomorrow we'll see a chance of rain on into friday. for the weekend probably a few showers and things will try to clear out but stay cool as we wrap up the weekend. it's zchb:57. more news after the break. when it comes to getting my family to eat breakfast,

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special honors are being handed out later today for several employees of the fairfield police department. a number of officers will receive distinguished service medals for their response to a deadly fire in april that killed four children. other awards being handed out, special recognition of newly hired employees, reinstatements, promotions as well as other harps and awards. the ceremony is 3:30 this afternoon. tom sinkovitz will share a little holiday spirit in san francisco. he's going to host the lighting of the ritz carlton christmas tree at 6:00. as always, a child gets to throw the switch through the greater bay area make-a-wish foundation. another local news update in half an hour. the "today" show back in less than a minute. have a great morning.

we're back now, 8:00 on a wednesday morning, guess what? first day of december, 2010. as we bask in the glow and the glory of the rockefeller center christmas tree, 74-feet tall, it really does mark for us the start of the christmas season here in rockefeller plaza. a bun it was lit last night with al and natalie and a bunch of celebrities. >> do you know what this means? 29 days until our birthday.

>> i'm not sure that's what most people think. >> and other things are coming up too? >> 24, 25 days until christmas. i'm matt lauer, with meredith viera and al roker. kate gosselin wants to correct some rumors, that two of her children got suspended from school and that her and jon will spend christmas together. martha stewart is coming by and it's the holidays and nothing says holidays like some cookies. >> am i correct that hanukkah starts today? >> that's right, first night of hanukkah. matt, good morning, once again, everybody, overnight wikileaks founder julian assange was put on sweden's most wanted list. they want to question him in a rape investigation just days

after assange made a release of u.s. classified documents. a 15-year-old student held his classmates hostage on tuesday. he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wounds. the hostages were not harmed. today the head of the fcc starts network neutrality. provider also treat all internet traffic equally on their network. there are reports today that republican congressmen in congress -- that is not relateded to tax and spending cuts. such a pledge couend attempts t repeal the don't ask, don't tell policy. here's brian williams. >> tonight when we join you for "nightly news." it was the trip of a lifetime, something closer to a reality

check and a simple idea to bring smiles to little girls faces, how american women are making a difference thousands of miles from here. that's tonight on nbc "nightly news." hanukkah begins tonight. in los angeles on tuesday, there was an early celebration with california governor arnold schwarzenegger joining a group of rabbis to dance. looks like he's got some moves here. it is now 8:03, let's get a check of the weather from al. >> hey, he can dance. i like that. the dancing governor here. we got a lot of nice folks here. shuffle off to buffalo, george? you're going to get a lot of snow there, excited? >> hopefully a snow day. >> but you're here, george. >> but like tomorrow. >> tomorrow, are you going home today? >> yeah. >> let's check your weather and see what's happening and we'll

show you niagara falls. slowly i turn. step by step, just outside of buffalo, some morning rain, afternoon snow, temperatures in the 40s, the jet stream will bring that storm track right here along the east so we have got a mess and also in the pacific northwest, and as we head toward friday, you can see it really digs down here in the east, so we're going to keep the cloudy and cold weather with it and the storm track also continues along the paci and here's your view of san francisco right now. you can see the sunshine but also haze out there this morning. this is the view before sunrise. san bernadirdino mountain. when you're lined by mountains, that could trap smoke particles. we have that wintertime spare the air advisory. i don't think it will be an umbrella day. no showers in the far north bay. 50s and 60s for highs today. late tomorrow, rain starts to drop back in.

>> and that's your latest weather. and as the drizzle becomes a downpour, coming up next, kate gosselin is live in the studio, she'll set the record straight about the show, her life, her children, all kinds of things right after these messages. america had to offer. t oft ingenuity. integrity. optimism. and a belief that the finest things are the most thoughtfully made -- not the most expensive. today, the american character is no less strong. and chevrolet continues as an expression of the best of it. bringing more technology to more people than ever in our history. inventing new ways to get around our planet while helping to preserve it at the same time. exploring new horizons of design and power. and making our vehicles amongst the safest on earth. this isn't just any car company. this is chevrolet. and the strength of our character

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back at 8:08, it has been more than a year since jon and kate gosselin announced their separation and subsequently divorced. but that happened prior to the chatter about the gosselin gang. from her kids being suspended from school to her show "kate plus 8" and her relationship with jon. how are you doing? >> we're doing wonderfulfully. we're functioning, we're in a routine and we're very happy actually. >> so let's talk about -- i haven't seen you since june, but i have certainly read a lot about you, all of it in the tabloids, let's separate fact from fiction. reports are that two of your kids were expelled from school. is that true or false? >> that it's false, they were

not expelled from school. my kids are in acc/big ten challen challenge -- academic school. kids who have gone through divorce and are suffering all of those feelings and the two collided and they were not doing well with the combination. >> what's the problem. >> they were having anger issues, they were acting out having behavior things, things that i felt very alone once i did the research, talked to other moms that have gone through divorces, very normal, normal stuff in that regard. and so i did what i could do, we mutually grow lly agree, i bro home, i have a private tutor, early education teacher and she's teaching them one-on-one and they are act seexcelling, a they're functioning and they're happy again.

>> is the goal to reintroduce them to school? >> the goal is at the end of the school year to get them back in school, just giving them time to take the pressure off a little bit and focus on schooling but also dealing with the very normal resultless of a divorce. >> and you're being very open about the fact that there are -- there is fallout when there is a divorce and often the kids suffer and you have two that have the anger issues as you said, what about the other kids? >> the rest of the kids, when you have two kids that are not following the course, all eight of my kids have always followed the same path and this is the first time we have kind of had kids that haven't. you have to focus on, you know, it's so hard because you're thinking, oh, my gosh, what in the world? and then i look at my other six who are excelling at home and doing everything wonderfully that they should be doing, they're amazingly well, no they are not being watched in school, no, they are not doing anything

other than doing wonderfulfully think we have done very well. going through the divorce, my eyes were open, i knew to watch for stuff. it will happen and this is not abnormal at all. >> we're now in the midst of the holiday seasons, we had thanksgiving, christmas is coming up, hanukkah, have you and jon reached a truce? >> there's no truce necessary in that regard. the holidays have always been something that we have worked out peacefully. i always approach it as the kids need to see both of us, if not together on the holiday, it's an understanding that we always split the holidays in some way. and that has been very peaceful. so it's been great. and the kids, you know, have done a few holidays now and so they know that this is what they need to do. they do ask things like are we going to be home on christmas morning? and they want to know the schedule and i lay it out there and they're very happy to spend time with both of us.

>> do you work it out with jon through the lawyers or by phone or how? >> it depends on the day, or the hour. i always reach out to him first trying to do it in a normal manner, and i do it am cabably. which goal is to always to do it peacefully. >> maybe he was thinking of the old days because he took to his twitter account and said i'm acutely aware of the mistakes i made in 2009, i'm ashamed of the choices i made. i have apologized to kate, my family and to my friends. >> i have never personally been apologized to. i don't really consider an interview on tv or a tabloid as an apology, unfortunately. but i have strangely and

ironically, i have forgiven him for the sake of my kids. he will always be their dad and i think that people that are close to me are actually annoyed with me that i don't get or -- i am angry, i'm hurt and i'm angry, but what good does it do to live that way? i'm pushing ahead trying to build a future for my kids so i don't have time to waste sitting around being upset. >> he also tweeted or twittered about the kids. he's very upset that they're still on television. as you know, he went to a judge to try to stop it, and the judge ruled against him. he said kids rely on the adults in their lives to ensure their best interests. >> absolutely. >> he doesn't feel that their best interests is being had right now with them being on this special series. >> the best interest is what is good for the kids, what they enjoy, what i see on their faces and there have been nothing but positive that has come out of it. you know, i am able -- i am working while they're by my side

enjoying life and traveling and that is not only providing us trips of a lifetime, but it's providing for their future. and i am still sitting here honestly telling you, meredith and i believe it wholeheartedly, as does the evidence that you see on tv that it is in their best interest and it is something that's wonderful for them and we would not be doing it if it wasn't. i am so -- it's a heaven on earth job, it really is. >> and the show is not canceled. >> no, my show is not canceled. >> kate gosselin, always a pleasure to see you. how is the so-called bionic he'leet the woman who's kept alive by a battery powered car. right after this. [ man ] on your mark...

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are you sure these letters will get to santa? yes, of course. hold still. almost there. a little bit higher. i can't hold you up much longer. ah! whoa! [ all giggle ] ♪ hi, fellas. hi, virginia. why are you on the floor? [ female announcer ] bring your letter to santa into macy's and we'll donate to the make-a-wish® foundation. together, we'll collect a million reasons to believe. this morning on "today's" update 2010, the bionic bride, we first metal alley smith last may. here's allie's amazing story. this past spring, 22-year-old allie smith looked like any other blushing bride-to-be.

a bionic heart was keeping her alive. >> this is the battery and controller. it connects through here and it right here goes through my abdomen and goes right through here into this part that goes to my heart. so it's all connected. >> what's the hum? >> it hums. >> four years ago, allie was diagnosed with a virus of the heart. it's often fatal without extreme medical intervention. >> her chance of living one year was only 50%. >> but allie had something else on her side, the love of a boy named mike. >> it was just a lot of commitment in our relationship, we have been through some hard times but we definitely have some good times and i wanted to

see it through to the end, all the way. and i just love her, you know, and no one in my life could ever replace her. >> allie smith and mike babineau were married on june 6. >> when it came to exchanging vows and it was my turn to say, you know, until death do you part, i didn't want to say it, i want to love him just until i die. >> for now, allie smith babineau is enjoying her time as the bionic wife. >> he's been with me four years and not once did he ever leave because it's going to get too tough. it's a book that's not done being written. we're going to be 95 years old and still kicking. ♪ have a little faith in me

>> allie is here with her parents, chris and ronnie smith. allie's husband could not be here because of his work. how did those electric blue cowboy boots go over at the wedding? that's what i really want to know? >> they were awesome, everybody was like, are you sneers i sa serious? i said why not? it's texas and i wear boots all the time. >> it must have been an incredible day for you. >> i was waiting for the day to go. i wanted to get married, i didn't want to get all dressed up, i just wanted to be there. >> let's get hitched. >> i do, i do, we're done. >> mom and dad, wedding day for any parent is an emotional time,

but let's face it, with all you've been through with allie and her health, can you describe the emotions you were feeling on that day? >> it was one of the most emotional days i had was giving her away at that dance. >> it was amazing. >> when you walked down that aisle? >> a year to the day that she almost died was the day she got married, so it was like a rebirth, we were getting married on a day that we shouldn't have been there. >> and the guests were there, they all had to be just marveling at the fact that this was actually taking place. mom's crying. get tissues for mom. there we go. was it everything you dreamed of, allie, the event? >> to this day it's surreal, it's like a fair yi tay tail. it was beyond my expectations to say the least. >> we're talking about this emotional moment and yet it's

hard not to notice that we're sitting here, there's the hardware. you don't travel lightly. you've got the batteries and the pump is still inside. how is it feeling? are you getting used to it? >> i'm ready for it to come out. my body's not ready for it, but i'm ready. just mentally. i want to enjoy the things i can't do in corpus, living on the beach and not being able to play in the water. >> doctor, let's talk about it. i remember the last time we were all here, the idea is for this pump to be in there to give allie's own heart time to rest and get better. where are we in terms of the progress? >> that's correct, matt, at the american heart institute they have been studying this since the early '90s. when doctors would take patients to the operating room for transplants, they found that their heart had improved because of these pumps. in patients like allieallie--

>> when is it ready to come out? >> not quite yet. but she's made incredible progress. we have turned the pump down to where it provides essentially no support to her heart. she's able to exercise on a treadmill and her heart has dramatically improved. >> you suffered a set back, an infection around the tubing? >> yeah, the little line that goes in through here, for some reason, there's some fluid that had just collected so the only way to figure out if there was an infection or not was to surgically go into the operating room and suck it all out and have the infectious disease do cultures and let it grow. luckily, that turned out okay. >> it was a minor infection that has been treated with antibiotics and will not affect

her long-term. >> talk about the holidays, you guys have a lot to be thankful for. we're excited that you decided to stop back and spend some time with us. our love to mike i want to check in with mike. >> the signaller has been declared for southbound 880. stevens creek is the closest exit and that's a huge issue, two of your fast lanes are blocked but your two slow lanes get backed up by the off ramp, heading over towards valley fair. we have an overturned wood chipper amongst other things going on. that's considerable slowing off of 101, consider 87 or 101 itself down through the area. oakland, we see the slowdown at high street.

it's hazy there, too. >> it is. the skyç looks orange in some spots in the east bay this morning. nothing in green showing up on the radar, but the bay area just yet, though. areas north of santa rosa, we'll see a few showers. eventually you'll see the rain trying to drop back into the bay area. today, showers to the far north bay, closer to us, midday thursday and rain off and on for friday and the weekend, a few scattered showers and cool with partly cloudy skies. time right now is 8:27. more news after the break. [ female announcer ] martinelli's gold medal sparkling cider

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this afternoon a traffic headache is over for commuters on 580 and 101 in the north bay. the 580-101 connector ramp will open today. they've been building the new connector since april. the original connector ramp was built in 195. the new ramp has two lanes, two shoulders, to reduce congestion. another local news update for you in about half an hour. the "today" show returns in less than a minute. have a great morning.

8:30 now on this wednesday morning, first day of december, 2010. you know what? these folks get extra gold stars today for sticking around. not only are they braving the rain, they're donating to our 17th annual holiday toy drive. kate gosselin is sticking around to help gather the gifts for us.

martha stewart is going to show us how to make some quick and easy cookies from her favorite cookie recipes. and then how to turn these into fantastic home made gifts that people love during the holidays. >> we're going to get to make glitter balls. if you haven't decided what to get your kids for christmas, we have toys for every age group. >> we want to say get well to a good friend of ours, nate berkus. you remember, nate was on the show yesterday during the holiday decorating segment. he said before the segment he wasn't feeling so well. guess what? he wasn't kidding. he soldiered on, got through the segment. he went to the hospital and he had appendicitis. he went through emergency surgery and he's recovering in the hospital.

if you're watching we're all like ooh. >> i went through that before, it's not fun. >> he's a trooper, nate get well soon, pal. >> where's jim lang when you need him? >> let's check the weather and show you what's happening, at least for today. we got a slight risk of strong storms along the mid-atlantic states, almost into the northeast. snow back through the rockies and the intermountain regions of the pacific northwest with rain along the coast. lake-effect snows around the great lakes, tomorrow more lake-effect snows around buffalo, erie, ashtabula, ohio, we're talking 6 to 18 inches of snow in some spots. rain in the pacific northwest. mild in texas and into the southwest.

here's a view around the bay area this morning. hazy skies to start things off. kind of a cool start begun. 30s earlier. but no rain for now. in fact, mostly clear. the rain line you see off to the north of mendocino county will drop slowly south later tomorrow. that will bring a chance of showers north of santa rosa, closer to us by midday tomorrow. to start off the weekend, partly cloudy, cool and breezy to wrap up the weekend. of the day or night, the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. let's say hello to big willie scott. >> and the tree looks fantastic, you did a great job. we have first day of hanukkah and the beautiful capital christmas tree. happy birthday, a beautiful ornament.

happy birthday to you from smucker's how sweet it is. this is margaret, sweet margaret. isn't she pretty? she's got a nice hair do. this is margaret ryan of farmingdale, new york, she's 102 years old today. she attributes her longevity to a wonderful vitality and spirit in her heart. and we have errie ball, he played in the first masters tournament, how about that? and he actually came into the money. and we have grace kovacs, 100 years old today, makes the world's best apple pie. and we have mary wiggins, from raleigh, north carolina, 104, fifth time she's tried to get on

the show. taught kindergarten until she was 99. gladys winters of mesquite texas is 100 and a rangers fan and loves to eat anything she can get her hands on. and we have liberty speros, she lives in the bronx, new york, when she was 11, she came to this country from greece. that's where she got her name liberty. and we have bennett and grace geiser, orrville, ohio, 76th anniversary. and now back to the big apple. >> willard, thank you very much. coming up ways to bake holiday cookies from martha stewart, but first this is "today" on nbc.

martha on "today" is brought to you by macy's, the martha stewart collection is at macys.com. >> if you need a gift to please anyone on your list, how about a tasty treat from your kitchen. martha is here with recipes that are featured on her new cookie app. martha, nice to see you. >> we're going to make four different cookies here. >> we have all of the experts. >> i have to say, these sound simple. we're making cranberry coins? tell me about it. >> butter and sugar, flour. >> we have butter, sugar and vanilla in there. >> whooo! >> martha! >> and some salt, a little bit of vanilla, and some cranberries. >> dump those all in there.

>> mix it up and you roll it in parchment or waxed paper or plastic wrap into a nice little log and then chill. and then cut them like this and put them on a sheet. >> they're looking an awful lot like the pillsbury cookies. >> pillsbury got the idea from me. >> good come back. >> these got a little warm, they should be easy to slice. >> bake them for 15 minutes until they are golden brown. >> a great way to send them to people as gifts. you can put them in a cylinder like this and send them away. >> perfect. >> millionaires, i believe they are. what are the ingredients? >> it's a very nice basic short bread, which is flour, sugar, butter and that's it.

>> mix it all together. >> and a little bit of salt. >> and you can do that the day before if you want to? >> you can put it into a little square like a brownie. bake it until it's hard, and then melt one cup of toffee. here we have all this melted. pour that on top. >> what are you laughing about, roker? >> matt tossed me a cookie and i missed it. >> he's tossing my cookies. >> we can all do the toffee. don't get sick on that. >> there's something, a piece of dust. >> it's probably the flour. >> sprinkle the toffee on top. >> you're making glitter balls. >> great name, you think it's always important to match the glitter with your sweater? >> i did that just for you because i knew you would notice. >> i did notice.

>> first you got to make this, right. >> basic cookie dough, sugar dough, roll the balls into the beautiful -- this is obviously not glitter. >> this is sugar, but how do you find these colors? >> you mix them yourself. you buy white sugar and with a little bit of powdered food coloring, you can create any color, any shade you would like. so make two of each of course. when they're baked they look like this and then you can sandwich them together, and this is a delicious flavored icing. >> you have a little ginger in them that gives them a pop. >> oh, my gosh. >> this is something you can do with the kids. >> yes. and these are simple. and these are so fun. and you can do this over here,

and very slightly shake that powdered sugar over, don't move anything until you're done. and then you lift it off and that kind of sticks on to the cookie and all these lovely stencils you can find in the cooking department. and then there's a little package of gifts and packaged up like this and this is called for the little ones. and then over here, look at all of these. >> mexican wedding cakes. >> these are for the traditionalist, more for the hedonist americans of the world. for health conscious, there's coconut, for the near and dear, it's lemon. all of these recipes are in our

special issue. >> i love the cookie app. >> cookies with martha. up next, good housekeeping's best toys of the season. but first this is "today" on nbc. [ female announcer ] safeway talks hostess gifts. hey, trout, what gift did you bring? my dance moves. [ beat-boxing ] that's not a gift. [ female announcer ] it's the thought that counts. and the gift. safeway. ingredients for life.

that smells scrumptious. yummy! smells delightful.

awesome! i'm not smelling anything. [ female announcer ] everything for holiday baking. just add love. safeway. ingredients for life. back at 8:45, this morning on "today's" countdown to christmas, the perfect toy fos for children on your list. mary aaron is here with a few of the winners. how did a toy get on this list? >> this year we started by reviewing hundreds of toys, selecting those that looked most promising and then we invited dozens of children, almost 100 into the lab for four days. they played with the toys, they filled out their evaluations. and they were reviewed for safety. >> for the kids who played with

them? >> that's right. >> every little kid loves a shopping cart. >> pretend play is important for kids, they like to pretend they're adults. it's the kind of toy a child will play with over and over and over again. we want to make sure they're going to go back to it. >> go back to it again and again. i'm drawn now to mickey and we know that elmo sings and dances, but mickey? >> dance mickey was not only a hit with the children, but a hit with the adults. as you can see, he leads you in dancing. it's very hard not to join mickey in the dancing. >> it's for ages 2 and up, but really it's for any age. >> as for moms, my kids used to love crafts, but they can make a real mess. but you think crayola has come up with an interesting solution? >> they have come up with clay

that won't stick with the upholstery, it won't stick to the carpet. it has everything you need to make really colorful creatures, monsters and it dries in an hour. so children have these wonderful creations that they can display. >> does this work? >> it's very natural for children to test the limits and of course they start fibbing often by the time they're 5 or 6, but this has a lot of fascination, a lie detector kit. it's very simple how it works, you put two fingers on and the sensor will tell you whether or not you're lying. it is sensitive to moisture, it's picking up if you're sweaty. >> so if i say something -- >> if i ask you, what color is your skirt, meredith. >> it's green. >> it's saying that you're telling the truth, but it usually did work. >> let's move on, it's still a steal, folks.

>> anthony is modeling this, this is a guitar and shirt in one. >> and can you play it? >> that is really cool. >> it's very cool. it is really, really cool. how do you wash this? >> i think you hand wash it. but what's great is this comes in adult sizes too, so the whole family can strike up a band. it really takes air guitar to a whole new level. >> this is one of the takeoffs on the old wooden paddle. >> an electronic paddle ball game, it's great, it really challenges a child's hand-eye coordination and motor skills. there are six challenging games, there's an electronic voice that will tell you what to do, bounce it higher, bounce it faster, bounce it lower. >> it's good for agility training. this is a helicopter that hovers in the air and takes

video and pictures? >> this is a hawkeye helicopter. and turn it on. >> you can put it over there with the lie detector. >> this absolutely does work. but maybe the charge did not go. i'm sorry. >> did we take pictures before? >> this is a fantastic toy because this hawkeye helicopter doesn't just fly by remote control, what it does is it actually takes pictures and video. >> we're seeing it, that's where the video it was taking when it was flying before. this is a 3d video game that does not require a whole gaming system. >> that's right. >> and abby is showing us how to do that. >> it's a plug and play, you can plug it right into your tv set, it comes with these infinity 3d glasses, it has 30 mini games, point and shift games, it's altidor-cespeda l lot, a lot of fun.

we sent these toys -- >> so if we get the magazine, we'll see the whole list? >> kids, thank you very much. you want to play us out? anthony keep playing the guitar. we'll be back in a moment, this is "today" on nbc.

we are back now with the newest trend in real estate. "today's" jenna wolf is here to explain what's going on. >> good morning to you, matt, we're not talking about homes or houses, but tree houses, why stay grounded when we can enjoy the perks of life from way up above. what was once a simple and relatively easy project, a few planks of wood, an hour of help from your dad on the weekends has turned to all out eye candy. >> reporter: pete nelson builds home for a living. average amenities for a house, but this isn't just a house, it's a tree house. >> one project two years back came in at $360,000 for a tree house. >> reporter: big, beautiful, lavish tree houses, branching up and out from coast to coast. >> it's really such fun stuff, i'm just like a grown up kid with this. >> reporter: it's that wide eyed imagination that has turned pete's passion into a career. >> i mean as early as 5 years

old, my dad and i were in the backyard in new jersey building tree houses and then in my mid 20s, it suddenly grabbed me again and i just thought, wow, what about doing this as an adult thing too? >> reporter: welcome to tree house point, literally a hotel in the trees, check in, get your room number and climb. room one is the temple of the blue moon, room for has floor to ceiling windows. >> it is a great feeling, i think trees has a certain energy that you can't deny. >> reporter: a self-described tree house builder, pete also runs a unique workshop, for $1,000 and a love of the craft, you can spend a week here in washington learning to build your dream house. >> i'm a furniture maker and tree house builder. >> i'm really happy to be here, i'm like charlie in the

chocolate factory right now. >> reporter: it's hard enough to build a house, but pick a house and put it 80 feet up in the air, you have to have an appreciation not just for the trees, but for the great outdoors as well. >> reporter: alex is 12 years old, last summer, his dad gave him a choice, take a vacation for build a tree house. >> that's like a house in the tree. >> this is teter. very strong, be careful walking across this, it is a rope bridge. they put in the cross braces like this and then they put in the plywood floor. you can see the stairs to the top floor there? >> reporter: so we're not even on the top floor yet. >> this is where you can see everything and anything. i'm not exactly a huge fan of heights. >> reporter: we're 60 feet high, we're on the floor of your newly

build tree house and now you're telling me you're not a big fan of heights, are you nervous being here? >> not really because i know it's built well. >> reporter: but you're still afraid of heights? >> yes. >> reporter: alex is only beginning to grow into his tree house, much like the folks who show up at pete's workshop. and attend of the day, when the tool belts are put away, they're all just kids who love hanging out in trees. >> i have to remind myself sometimes that i'm a tree house builder, every time i think about it, i think, wow, i'm a lucky guy. i had this idea that i wanted to be the tree house guy. i mean why not? >> by the way i asked peter if he would consider building something, something in the rockefeller christmas tree. he hasn't gotten back to me yet, but i feel like it's a yes. >> got to get a "today" show tree house. >> we have the tree.

we're almost there. >> no boys allowed. >> the women hater's club. lightning fast. lightning strong. verizon 4g lte. rule the air on the most advanced 4g network in the world. good morning. it's 8:56. >> there was an issue for southbound 880 right at the 280 interchange. that has cleared. all lanes have cleared and the slowing now pretty much cleared from stevens creek.

northbound 880 at 101, we had another accident happen over the last few minutes. expect slowing near that interchange. a new accident westbound 80 at san pablo avenue. consider more slowing through the area as you get down towards the berkeley curve, things are congested because of the bp. metering lights still on at the toll plaza. more news after this. ♪ ♪ you can find your feet and you can find your way ♪ ♪ you can find yourself in bed at the end of the day ♪ ♪ you can find some fun on a tropical isthmus ♪ ♪but you'll never find my... ♪ you can find it in your heart to be patient with me ♪ ♪ you can find a new star for the top of the tree ♪ ♪ i don't mean to be coy and i don't mean to be vicious ♪ ♪ but you'll never find my christmas ♪

breakfast? in this house? in the morning i can use all the help i can get. that's why i love nutella, a delicious hazelnut spread that's perfect on multigrain toast and even whole-wheat waffles. it's a quick and easy way to give my family a breakfast they'll want to eat. and nutella is made with simple, quality ingredients, like hazelnuts, skim milk and a hint of cocoa. they love the taste and i feel good that they're ready to tackle the day. ♪ nutella. breakfast never tasted this good. a student caravan will make a stop at the pleasanton office today. legislation would create a path to legal stall us for undocumented immigrants if they serve in the military or get a college degree. house speaker nancy pelosi and senate majority leader harry reid have promised they will

make it a priority during the current lame duck session. brent will have another local news update for you in about 30 minutes or so. the "today" show returns in just a moment. have a great morning.

back with more of "today" on a wednesday morning, december 1, 2010. that was an amazing scene last night, natalie and al threw the switch on the rockefeller center christmas tree. lots of great stars and lots of people in the plaza. this is the way it looks this morning, a little rain falling here in new york, but it has not lessened the beauty of that tree.

here on "today," we're thankful for that. >> the tree is really beautiful. well done. coming up, we're going to have some answers to your money emergency. what you need to know about interest rates on your credit cards to reverse mortgages and more in just a little while. if you're heading home for the holidays, you haven't been there for a while, you might see a change in your folks and that can be a shock. just ahead, we're going to talk about how to figure out when it's time for you to step in to help your parents. plus, if you can't be a princess, you can certainly look like one. we're going to meet a kate middleton look alike that's turning heads across the pond. she's making a living at it now. let's get a check of the morning's top stories from ann curry over at the news desk.

in the news, a global man hunt is underway for the founder of wikileaks. swede on has added julian assange to it's most wanted list. bank of america rejects reports that it could be the next target of the next wikileaks release expected in early 2011. the 15-year-old who held his classmates hostage for five hours at a wisconsin school has died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds. and now the boy's family and friends are searching for answers as to what made him turn violent. spanish police say they have dismantled a terror cell. we have an important safety notice this morning. several lowe's home centers are recalling about 6 million roman shades and 5 million roll up

blinds because of cords and loops that can pose a strangling hazard for children. the father of those three missing boys in michigan are now in custody. he's being charged with kidnapping saying they do not believe he gave his children to an unknown woman last week. skeleton has given them new information that indicate that the boys may no longer be alive. the majority of servicemen and women are in favor of allowing gays to serve openly in the military. defense secretary robert gates warned that if a don't ask, don't tell policy is not repealed quickly, the military could be exposed to a disruptive battle. wild weather was one for the record books overnight with record rainfall in parts of georgia, north carolina, and alabama. 11 reported tornadoes ripped through mississippi with winds up to 165-mile-per-hour. in the midwest, snow and sub

zero temperatures snarled traffic and shut down schools. and unusual weather seems to be a growing trend. deadly scorching heat waves could soon become the new normal for the summer according to the world meteorological organization addressing a global climate conference currently underway in mexico. and extreme heat isn't the only potential danger, the pattern of hurricanes is shifting to more powerful category 4 and 5 storms. and it may not be the solution to global warming, but it's a bright idea. an aquarium is using an electric eel to light its christmas tree. the muscles of the eel generates over 500 volts, enough to light a christmas tree. let's see what's happening, we have got some severe weather to talk about here in the

northeast, low pressure with a funnel system attached to it. we have got a lot of cold air and snow, ahead of it a lot of high winds and rain. wind gusts 40 to 50 miles an hour. albany and binghamton we're talking about flood warnings and tornado watches as well, including washington, d.c., norfolk, virginia until later this morning. and a lot of heavy rain as well. we're talking rainfall amounts of one to three inches, some the tower once again. low-level haze outside. still cool temperatures. 30s inland across some of the valley areas. 43 san jose, 45 san francisco. should not have to worry about rain today. though if you're up in the north bay, up toward mendocino county, you may see a shower or two. look for the showers to start dropping further south tomorrow into friday. we may see lingering rain into friday, and saturday.

partly cloudy and cool to wrap up the weekend. now it's time for "today's" money 911, answers to your financial problems. this morning our experts are tackling everything from reverse mortgages to still soaring interest rates. jean chatzky is the author of "money 911." and the author of "finish rich" a let's check it out. first of all, we have got a viewer e-mail to go to. this is jennifer from los angeles. it reads i have a credit score of over 720, yet one of my credit cards are still charging 28% interest. i have had this discover card for over 10 years. i set up an automatic debit for twice the monthly payment.

after speaking with three different departments at discover, they still cannot lower my interest rate. why is this and will this affect the other cards i have? >> it's really frustrated. it doesn't affect the other cards that you have, but they like 18% because you are paying them more money. the thing to do is to switch credit cards. >> 28%. >> 28%, well then you're paying them a lot more money. go to low cards.com, find yourself a new card, transfer the balance and the reason this is not going to hurt you that much is because your credit score is already 770s. generally we don't like to see people closing cards they have had for a very lodge time. but in your case it's fine, get out of there and pay it off. >> the amazing things is that she googles credit cards, she's going to find a rate below 8%. >> she's been working the phones, she's been talking to

the supervisor so sometimes you have to move on. >> melanie, what's your question for your crowd? >> caller: i'm trying to help my mother decide whether or not to take out a reverse mortgage on her home. she meets all the qualifications. so my questions are what happens if she outlives the money from the reverse mortgage or if she dies, is my family responsible for paying back the amount and also who owns the home at that point? >> quickly, what is a reverse mortgage for folks who don't know? >> the home isn't paid off and now you're borrowing money back out. your mother can get a lump sum check, or they'll give you monthly payments. what happens wren you run out of that money, you run out of that money, you don't have to pay the reverse mortgage back. but there's three ways in which you have to pay the reverse mortgage back. one, you move out of the house

for 12 months, so if you have to go to a nursing care facility, you have to pay the reverse mortgage back, you sell the home or your mom passes away, you will have to pay money back. who's the beneficiary of the home right now? >> that would be me. >> you would have to pay back that reverse mortgage and in order to do that, you will have to sell the home unless you have money of your own to pay off that loan. the good news on reverse mortgages right now is the cost has gone down. if you go to fha.gov, go into the search energy put in hemz savor. october 10 they put a lower cost option. the cost of doing a reverse mortgage are extremely -- go to aarp's website, they have phenomenal information there. aarp has the best stuff. so go to aarp.org, all of the

questions about reverse mortgage that i haven't answered, you can get on that website. >> caller: thank you very much. >> we have marianna from huntsville, alabama. we are newlyweds looking for our first home, my husband and i are young professionals with great credit but we don't have a lot of money for a down payment. we are trying to buy a home that requires 3.45% down or a bank loan with no pmi. but we would have to pay closing costs. >> closing costs can be up to 10% of the mortgage. here's what i am really concerned about. putting that little bit of money down puts them in a lot of danger. if the housing market goes under a little bit and they only have 3.5% down, they're not going to own the home, if they have to move, they will not be able to sell it.

how much longer would it take you to save up another 6% to at least put down 10%. this is a bigger cushion and saves you from mess. and as the housing market moves, the less money you put down there's a dangerous there. folks are saying i've got to chase the fact that houses prices are low. i've got news for you, everybody, experts economists, have said that these rates and also housing prices are going to be low for a long time. at least the next year or two, so don't be in a rush. if you're going to buy, buy right, this is a long-term contract, a long-term relationship. >> we have got jane from georgia, jane, good morning. >> caller: good morning. >> what's your question, jane? >> caller: we are getting ready to sell a few stock share this is month and we're trying to decide between two options, we have a couple of car payments and a college loan payment. but we also need to do a few home repairs. we don't know whether we need to reduce our debt by paying off

one of our cars or to invest back into our home. >> good question. >> it is a good question. jane, very, very quickly, how necessary are these home repairs? are these things you want to do or you need to do? >> they're not urgent. >> you just answered your own question. if you don't need to do the home repairs, put them off, save the money, pay down your debt, make yourself a little more financially secure overall. and then you'll be able to do the other things later. >> all right. now let's go to skype, we have got valerie in hancock, maryland. good morning, valerie. >> i filed bankruptcy about five years ago, but since then i haven't been working very hard on building up my credit. my fiance doesn't have a good -- we want to purchase a vehicle in the next new months and be ready for a mortgage in the next few

years. i do have multiple school loans that i pay on i'm teach month and i also have some stashed away for emergencies. so what else can we do to boost our credit scores. >> the fact that it's been five years since you went bankrupt. you're really in a position right now to build your credit. what you want to do is use the credit card and pay it off on time every month. the best way to do that is make an automatic payment, five days before the bill is due so you'll never be late. make at least the minimum payment, ideally twice the minimum payment. six months from now you'll start to see your credit increase. once you've done that for six months, you need to take out another credit card because the more access to credit you have, that will actually increase your credit score, that will put you in position to buy a car, but it all comes down to making those payments on time and not racking back up the credit. so whatever money you're buying

you're paying it off every month. >> thank you so much, guys. if you've got a money 911 question for our panel, send it to us at todayshow.com. weight loss makeovers, new holiday looks for three women who have dropped between 50 and 100 pounds. but first, these messages. [ female announcer ] imagine the possibilities with stelara®. for adults, stelara® helps control moderate or severe plaque psoriasis with 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. in a medical study, 7 out of 10 stelara® patients saw at least 75% clearer skin at 12 weeks. and 6 out of 10 patients had their plaque psoriasis rated as cleared or minimal at 12 weeks. stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and increase your risk of infections. some serious infections require hospitalization. before starting stelara®, your doctor should test for tuberculosis.

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this morning, caring for your aging parents. roughly 65 million people in the u.s. are now family care givers. it's an already challenging role that can become even more difficult during the holidays. we have asked psychotherapist robbie ludwig to join us this morning. it's the time of year, when we go home, we hang out with our moms and dads and we notice that they're grayer, that they're moving slower and their eyesight is failing. at what point do we know we need to step in? >> i think if you have a concern, you should certainly follow up, discuss it with family members, gather information, care.com has a senior assessment quiz, where people can go spend like three

minutes of their time and answer six questions to get on the right path. because if you're starting to have that question, then maybe you're on to something, and this is going to be happening more and more because as we know, there are going to be more seniors, there are diseases that used to be fatal in the past that are more chronic now. so we're seeing a lot more elderly who are suffering with chronic illness. >> in facing this with my own family, i also remind myself to think about how i would want to be treated. >> yes. >> and one of the things that we should do as you suggest, once you determine that our parent or someone in our family needs help is to gather the family together and start thinking about whatever loving unit. >> bring it up with your siblings so you can use the holiday as a time to observe what's going on, observe if your parent is having difficulty walking, do you notice bruises,

do you notice the food in the fridge is expired, things that used to be neat and organized no longer are. are there fender benders. so you want to observe if there's any legitimate differences and then ask your family to observe. and weigh in because you really want it to be a collaborative process. everybody really needs to be involved here. >> it's not the time to have a family meeting about it. >> you don't want to over dinner say hey, mom, you need a nursing home. that's in the the time. >> but after the holidays. >> how do you approach the family member? what are the words you use? >> what you basically say is i have a concern and i'm worried about you and i'm concerned about you being on your own. and you hear also, you meet your parent where they're at, you find out what their ideas are for themselves. and you try to work with that

and you do it in inclements, you don't necessarily say we're moving you to a nursing home tomorrow, but maybe you start with a caretaker who comes in once a week and helps out with the cooking and the cleaning and then you see how that goes and you take it from there. >> you want to send the message that you're there to support them, to love them, to help them. >> and talk about the pragmatics, the finances, what finances are in place, because it's very hard to make a future plan if you don't know what resources you're dealing with. >> if there's one thing you could say to the 65 million people who are currently facing the holidays as care givers, it would be? >> to take care of yourself, there's help out there, go to care.com, there's articles out there to support you, you're not alone. >> thank you so much. and coming up ahead, he's going to talk about how to stand out in the cyber crowd, the right and wrong way to navigate the tricky world of online dating. but first these messages.

dad, where does breakfast come from?

mom...? umm...in a far away land there is... the kingdom of breakfast. every morning giants go on a long journey and make a delivery to some breakfast wizards. they use magic wands to turn everything hot & tasty...

and before you know it, you've got a hot and delicious breakfast. so -- where did i come from?... [ male announcer ] the simple joy of a real breakfast. ♪ ♪ you are my sunshine ♪ my only sunshine ♪ you makes me happy ♪ when skies are grey ♪ you'll never know, dear ♪ how much i love you ♪ please don't take my sunshine away ♪ [ male announcer ] as long as there are babies, they'll be chevy's to bring them home. ♪

the donations are rolling in for our 17th annual holiday toy drive, both from our viewers and many company who come back year after year for our holiday toy drive. >> this year we have a lot of toys and games, but two that stampbd out, one of the hottest games right now, scrabble flash and it's five tiles that come up with different letters and you have to put your words together and it knows from a computer what words you're putting together. and after 60 seconds, you've got eight out of a possible 15. it's a great preschoolers educational toy, helps them with numbers and shapes and sorting and things like that. >> it's good to get families together around a game.

>> to be able to sit across the table and be able to play, you can play on a wii, if your kids like monopoly, my son loves that. >> we're back after your local news. warm up the whole family with sweaters for $15 and under with crewnecks, turtlenecks and v-necks in every color, sweater season has never been so stylish! from argyles to stripes, tunics to cardigans, we've got a style for everyone on your list. hurry in, cause sweaters for $15 and under won't last long. plus get $15 in sears come back cash when you spend $50 or more in apparel, now through saturday. this christmas, be the santa you want to be. now at sears. ["stir it up" playing] stir up a smile with hershey's syrup.

good morning, everybody, i'm now 9:26. we want to check your morning commute. >> out of the walnut creek interchange off of highway 24, southbound side still slow. had an earlier accident around alamo. that caused a couple lanes to be blo blocked in the last 20 minutes. should be clearing out further over the next half an hour. getting down to the bay bridge toll plaza, 345, 36 minutes off the carquinez bridge. a look at the toll side itself. the backup starting to thin. the haze continuing on for the east bay. it's kind of cold out there as

well. what do you have? >> 30s and 40s outside right now. we should see highs near 60 for this afternoon. we're tracking rain dropping down the north coast by tomorrow afternoon we see more of that spilling into the north bay. we're expecting areas north of santa rosa. a chance of showers, highs otherwise across the north bay. mid to upper 50s, close to 60 around 2:00 this afternoon in san jose and we cool down towards the evening. the chances of rain increasing tomorrow into friday. more showers as we t t off the upcoming weekend. more news after the break.

there are even more good reasons to go down to fisherman's wharf in san francisco today. cody ross is going to hand out autographed baseballs at the cost plus world market on taylor street. those balls will be given to the first 300 people who bring a minimum of five nonperishable food tinaonondos. all of the f food will be donat to the san francisco food bank. union square will mark the start of hanukkah this evening.

the eight-day holiday starts at sundown tonight. the first candle of the menorah will be lit at 5:00 tonight and a new candle will be lit every night until december 8th. move it or lose it. parents can take public schools to court if they do not offer enough physical education. a small survey found less than half of all the state schools provided the required amount of physical education for kids. state law says elementary schools have to have at least 200 minutes of p.e. every teoç days. in high school, that number increases to 400 minutes. more local news coming up in a half hour. the "today" show returns in less than a minute. have a great morning. we'll see you back here in a bit. s.

♪ i want to rock 'n roll all night and party every day sno♪ d >> that's the supergroup kiss, besides rocking and rolling all night, he's now the father of two teenagers and the star of his own reality show. and he's going to be here tomorrow here on "today." he's always fun whenever he's here. we're going to show you that kate middleton may have found her prince, but we have actually found, actually a lot of people in britain have found her look

alike. she's already getting calls from all around the world to make appearances as her future princess. she is quite the fitting image. >> now we need a prince william look alike. also ahead, special holiday makeovers for women who have lost between 50 and 100 pounds. we're going to talk about their new looks and how to dress for your shape if you have lost weight. and we're going to be cooking up sweet potatoes. >> we have got top chef all-stars begins tonight on bravo and we have got the unsuccessful chef contestants from the past looking for a chance for culinary redemption. good morning to you. how does this work exactly? you're taking people who did not win the last time and you're

trying to get them to come back, about 18 of them to come back and try again. did you have anybody say no? >> a few people said no because they're busy. brian insists he couldn't make it up, probably a few others were busy, but we have a great cast coming back, most of them made it to the finale. some of them felt they should have won. some of them pretty much got into the middle of it. but all really great chefs and also a lot of good characters. >> so they have played the game before, they know some of the tricks. >> i think the hard part as a judge was typically in a season, we don't really get to know the contestants, we're kept away from them so we don't get to know them at all, so it's easier to judge them, it's easier to be harsh sometimes, but after the show is over, we hang out and now you get to start judging your peers. >> besides bob and dale, you've got a new addition? >> we do.

he's been around the set a little bit. anthony bordane is back. you never know what's going to come out of his mouth. we shot new york and so we have had another sequence we shot. but this is more new york centric than the first season and so, it's great, we did some pretty cool things, we're out fishing, we're celebrating new york, new york is sort of the 19th contestant in a way. these chefs have been through it before so they think they know the game. >> they know how to play you. >> but they're all really supercompetitive and after the first or second episode, they're like, oh, this is the competition i want to win. >> tom, we're going to end this and say by the way congratulations because i know your wife is about to become a mother. and pop chtop chef all-stars be

tonight. as we take a look at today, we have got a raw day here in the northeast, a slight risk of strong storms in the mid-atlantic coast, for tomorrow, lake-effect snow continues, some areas in the eastern great lakes may see up to a foot and a half of snow. showers from central california to the pacific northwest, rain in northern new england, sunny and cool through the southeast, mild from texas on into the hazy sunshine across the bay right now. temperatures in the 40s. finally after another chilly start to the morning. areas south of san jose today, not so bad. getting close to 60 for the afternoon. 50s elsewhere today. for the north bay, high to mid to upper 50s. north of the golden gate, into friday, rain off and on. plan on showers off and on as we move to the weekend with cooler temperatures.

>> and that's your latest weather. coming up next, you're going to spend the day in the life of kate middleton's look alike hey boss! do we have aflac? nah. we have something else. but if you're hurt and miss work does it pay cash like aflac does? nah. or let you spend it in any way you want like for gas and groceries? nah. or help with everyday bills like aflac does? nah nah nah. [ male announcer ] there's aflac and there's everything else. visit aflac.com for an agent or quote. aflac!

we always make time for just us cousins. like the other night at olive garden. hey susan, you gotta tell the aunt jessie story again. -yes, you do! -ok, ok. joe: love that story. try olive garden's two new scaloppini dishes. pan-seared chicken breasts

in a lemon-herb glaze. or sauteed pork in a creamy white wine sauce. both served with asiago filled tortelloni. with our unlimited salad and breadsticks. this is like being back at the kids' table. [ laughter ] olive garden. when you're here, you're family. ♪ just love me ♪ oh oh oh ♪ just hold me ♪ oh oh oh ♪ just kiss me ♪ oh oh oh ♪ just want me ♪ l-o-v-e ♪ love, love, love set to island time. rich chocolate over creamy coconut. almond joy and mounds. enjoy more.

♪ ten thousand watts of xmas cheer ♪ ♪ ten thousand watts glow brightly clear ♪ ♪ the colored lights will shine sincere, ho, ho, ho ♪ ♪ ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ♪ as we all know, kate middleton has become a fashion icon overnight when her engagement to prince william was

announced. but one woman is copying more than just kate's style. hey, peter, what's going on there? >> reporter: ann, good morning to you, from what is a remarkably frigid morning this morning. who wouldn't want to be kate middleton? she's bright, she's beautiful and then soon she's going to marry a prince. but here in britain, being royalty has its privileges and it's turning out to be increasingly clear that being a royal look alike has plenty of perks too. if imitation is the finest form of flattery, this young woman named kate, fittingly enough is offering kate royal imitation. she's giving up her job as an assistant to be a professional kate look alike. >> the first time i had a makeover as her, i looked in the mirror and i knew for sure. >> reporter: this kate says she's been mistaken for that indicate for years.

what do they say to you when they see you on the street? >> how's william? >> reporter: she's even signing up for voice lessons to take up kate middleton's accent. >> it's very nice to meet you, sir. >> reporter: kate who was just married herself says her husband is more prince harry than william and at nearly $1,000 a day, she's already receiving bookings from as far away as germany, the netherlands and the u.s. >> i have to do the royal engagements that kate has to , do,. >> reporter: kate's new market is swelling with a number of new look alikes advertising online. so what do these kates have to look forward to? mary reynolds who's been impersonating the ining the que

years. do you have any advice for young kate? >> she has to keep a level playing ground and not let it go to her head. >> reporter: does she look like anybody to you? >> oh, yes. kate. >> pretty good. >> reporter: if kate middleton's popularity is any indicator, kate bevens could be the royal career. >> reporter: to be fair, kate middleton look alikes and prince william look alikes are really cashing in, there's been a surge in demand since their engagement a couple of weeks ago, some are charges twice or even three times what they did before the engagement. we're told that on a normal weekday it could be several hours to get in, reservations tough to come by, but if you show up with the queen and kate

middleton, you get in. coming up next, three women, three amazing weight loss stories, three remarkable makeovers. the results right after this. okay, which picture for the card? hellllllo...that one, everyone looks great. [ female announcer ] when you make your christmas cards at hallmark.com... my show, perfect. ♪ la la la la la la laaa ♪ [ daughter ] dad! sorry. aww yeah! that one! [ female announcer ] ...we address and mail them for you... [ little boy ] now that's a good one. [ indistinct conversations ] [ female announcer ] ...which gives you more...

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justin, i want you to pass this class. mrs. fahey! give him one more chance. be in charge! be the mother! [ male announcer ] what would you learn... trish, you can't go home just yet. how do you know my name? [ male announcer ] ...if you stepped into someone else's life? family movie night is back. what's going on? [ justin ] i never got to say i was sorry. everything's gonna be okay. funny how when you help someone else, you heal your own wound. [ male announcer ] "a walk in my shoes." december 3rd 8/7 central on nbc. this morning on take it off today, holiday makeovers, three women decided to lose weight. now it's time to learn how to

dress for their new beautiful shape. good morning, ladies. these ladies are to be applauded. you'll see them in a minute, they've done all the hard work but now it's about learning how to accentuate their new shape. >> the biggest mistakes women make is not dressing for their body shape. >> they used to hiding it. >> now how to wear the right clothing for your body. >> karen, who we see a before picture of karen, and she has lost a lot of waelt. >> karen is a kinder guagarten teacher in my hometown. karen struggled with weight her entire life. she was on medication for blood pressure, for high cholesterol and for chronic back pain. last year she took charge, she

followed the meal plan from weight watchers. she went to boop boot camp and just ran a 5-k marathon. she's lost 100 pounds. >> i want to be able to point out for the holiday, because you can wear a jean for a holiday, a lot of people think you need to wear a dress. i like these because they've got these tight lifting panels. >> they are the best, aren't they? >> a lot of people don't want to expose their arms. we have got the polka dot, big trend. we have a long neck to make sure she's longer and leaner. a nice new look for her shape. >> 102 pounds lighter. >> congratulations, karen, welcome. let's talk about our next model, 41-year-old tricia. >> trish dropped 110 pounds and

her weight started spiraling out of control when she was in college. she joined a local fitness club right before her 30th birthday. and she started the action packed exercise classes that had a built in support, like 300 plus people that talked about their successes and their set backs. look at her 110 pounds lighter. >> you look amazing. >> and her husband and her son are all leading a healthier life as well. >> that's the story, how you inspire others in your community, your family. so good for you. >> we actually found this at run way.com. so you don't have to invest in a dress. i like to rent things for the day. one shoulder shows off her beautiful neckline, just head to toe red, great for the holiday. we have some great cocktail

rings. but really a lovely dress. >> next we have marjorie, and let me bring marjorieut now and tell us her weight loss story? >> marjorie actually came to my office to lose weight. we took out all of the gunning, the sugar and the fat and we showed her how to fill her meals and snacks with fiber and produce. 60 pounds lighter. >> and still going, right? >> and she's off all her medication. >> tell us about her outfit. >> mng by mango. it's just sparkling, a great look, the shoes and it's all about the bronze and the sparkling tones, gate for the holidays. >> ladies great job. congratulations, enjoy the holidays, well done everybody. coming up next, in "today's" holiday kitchen, la t, tktw a twist, for tonisht start

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this morning on "today's" holiday kitchen, sweet potato latkas. hanukkah begins at sun down. nicky is a chef and she has a great potato pancake recipe. >> it made me nervous when you said that. >> congratulations on the restaurant and the little one coming soon. >> there's nothing like doing it all the at the same time. the restaurant and the baby. latkas are a tradition during hanukkah? >> it's all about frying with oil. growing up it was one of my favorites. who doesn't love fried foods, right? >> it's global, jewish whicuisi.

>> tell us about the sweet potato latkas. what do you do first? >> you can shred these with a box cutter, but the easiest thing to do is a food process for. the trick to getting a really great latka is to get all the quick lid out of there. there's so much water in the potatoes. we chopped up some onions, notice i grate them. we mix that all together. we have some egg here, a little bit of flour, this is the thing that absorbs all of that liquid. i have some baking powder. and then ancho chili which gives it a nice little kick. >> it gives a little spice to it. >> that goes with our garnish

very well. and nutmeg and cinnamon. those are classic sweet potato classic. >> you could do this with regular flavor. >> at the restaurant i tried even leaving some of the skin on and getting more knew nutrients the sweet potatoes. i always give it a little squeeze before i make my latkes. i use a ring mold. >> to get that perfect shape. >> exactly and they don't fall apart in the pan, so that's kind of great. and we have some here working hard. it's about a half an inch of oil, i use canola oil, it's just as healthy as your olive oil. >> and you get it going. >> and you kind of want them -- >> sometimes they fall apart. >> that's fine, it reforms. >> tell us about the garnish,

because like most people sour cream or like an applesauce mixture, and you actually have something different. >> i do this with a duck breast and a spicy vanilla applesauce. see that beautiful thing that you have? you're hired. >> good. >> we have some lime juice. >> and if you can always use sour kreechl.

twizzlers. the twist you can't resist. good morning, folks. got a look at northbound 880 where you have a slow drive past

the coliseum. heading down towards 92 things start to clear up. the map shows you further coming into fremont, northbound 880 at mission boulevard. we have a disabled vehr!sq currently in the lanes, happened just a few minutes ago. things are pretty clear through malpedis. as far as the lag time there, really jamming up right around sunnyvale. up to woodside, things are clear, heading up towards san mateo. rob, we had fog and haze hanging out around there. >> we still have a lot of that. we don't have the wind to stir up what we woke up to earlier. a few clouds drift over the north bay, temperatures 50s to actually low 60s south of san jose around 2:00 this afternoon. areas north of santa rosa, a shower or two today. a little bit of that coming in for tomorrow. friday, scattered showers as we move into the weekend and staying somewhat unsettled,

especially in those illtops along the coast, even in the sunday and monday. brent, back to you. >> the car that you probably never heard of is about to set the record as the first all-electric car to be sold in the united states for under $100,000. it's the two-seat we go. it will go 100 miles per charge and at $33,000 it's about $70,000 less than the only other electric option on the road and that's the tezla roadster. consumers are advised to take a wait and see approach. >> they might want to wait a few years to increase their options. we're expecting electric cars from all major carmakers in the next two to three years. >> wigo says it will set itself apart with customer service. more local news coming up in a half an hour. the "today" show returns in

about a minute. have a great morning. we'll see you back here in a little bit.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television from nbc news this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda ktob live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. so glad you're with us today. it's wines day, december 1st, and almost hanukkah and it's the first day of december obviously and it's world aids day and it's 60 degrees or something outside. >> the temperature has been strangulatel strange lately. >> i was worried about the treat

lighting last night. >> it was calling for rain. >> here's the moment. >> wow. i love the moment. driving in this morning and seeing it was just gorgeous. >> it was beautiful. natalie and al did a terrific job last night. it's always beautiful to see that tree. it getsi you going. they had the best singers. a lot of people hadn't heard of singers. i think jackie, people have heard of her from the contest. s sharice. this is jackie. ♪ >> she is just the sweetest little thing in the world. i always it's a 40-year-old woman. it's amazing. >> only when she sat across from us did she feel so little girl, didn't she? >> she's a sweet, innocent

thing. pray to god she stays that way. >> there's another singer that sang with david foster. her name is sharice. watch her. >> david wrote that song. ♪ a childhood fantasy >> yeah, she's excellent. ♪ >> it's great. >> you just want to close your eyes when you hear that music. >> once in a while you and i agree on music, and anybody david foster produces i'm there. >> she's amazing. >> she is just simply the best. >> she's on "glee" also, that young girl. >> i know. >> the first night of hanukkah was last night, right? >> it's tonight. >> why was arnold dancing last night? >> because around was doing the

dance last night outside the sacramento state capital. oh, my gosh. that is unfortunate. i see a "saturday night live" skit. i'm sorry. i do. >> he tweeted it dancing at the manora lighting, and you can tell. >> he's not quite ready for "dancing with the stars." >> not exactly. >> we should point out that you're being honored today at a nice luncheon by the salvation army. it's the pinnacle achievement award. you've been selected among all the people to receive this award. >> it's an extraordinary organization. hoda is going to emcee the event. we'll bring it it to you a little bit tomorrow. i really believe in the work of the salvation army. they understand the power of love to heal not only a person's body but their spirit as well. god's love touches people, and

they're never the same. they get that. they feed people and take in the homeless and don't judge the drunk guy. >> take everybody in. >> they just love them. >> churches would be filled in our nations if we stopped judging people and loved them. there's a christmas concept for you. we had you're look-alikes the other day. it was unusual because my mine was 10 feet tall and one was four feet tall. >> she looked like condoleezza rice. >> you can make a lot of money, hoda, if you happen to look like somebody. >> the right person, right. >> of course, we have to find the new kate middleton look-alike. >> peter alexander found her walking around lon tdonlondon. this is a 2 is-year-old woman. >> her name is kate as well. she took voice lessons. if you look at her walking down the street, because it's hard to see her there. >> she looks like tammy there.

she's getting her hair done, and i think they have her all done up. when you watch her, she does look exactly. >> there you go. >> she can make up to $1,000 a day. she's getting booked all over the world. lots of stars show up as themselves and make a fortune, but speaking of royal look-alikes and in a lot of how much we adored leslie nielsen who passed away the other day, this is my favorite, favorite royal look-alike moment. makes me scream every single time. let's take a look at it again. i don't think the queen's ever had quite a ride like that. >> leslie nielsen is genius. >> look at the look on his face. >> let's show it again. show it one more time.

how could you not? we want to see it again. >> there we go! >> that's from "naked gun" if you're curious. in case you want to get it on tivo. >> i wonder how many times they had to shoot it to get it right. can you imagine? >> here we go! >> all right. this is a controversy in norway. their bosses were upset that employees went to the rest room all the time, so they were trying to figure out ways to increase the productivity and lessen the amount of time that people go to the rest room. while they were searching, learning about these companies, they found a company in norm way that actually made women who were going through that time of the month to wear a bracelet. >> a red bracelet. >> so that they would justify their frequent trips to the bathroom. >> that is disgusting, by the

way. >> it is. i'm the only one around here that wouldn't have to wear one, if you know what i mean. i don't mind at all. >> isn't that unbelievable when you think -- if you were worried about your employees' trips to the rest room, you have bigger problems than how long they're in the john, don't you think? >> yes. were they also monitoring the men going to the john? they have their reasons for going in there, too, but don't think they don't. >> the company is being investigated by the way. one couple placed video surveillance to find out. >> that's even worse. where's the camera? >> i don't know. >> talk about wikileaks. >> you are ridiculous. you're ridiculous. okay, now i know you're going to be sad, because i'll be off for the next two days. >> how can you leave me, hoda? >> justin long will be here tomorrow. >> he is hilarious. >> he is a lot of fun. last time he was with us, we

said to him you would be terrific. he's coming with me, and we don't know on friday yet. >> it's a surprise to you as well. here's the thing, usually i do my play list on thursday, and here's the good news. we get to do it on wednesday because i'm not going to be here. >> i thought i was going to miss it, but no. >> if you watch "dancing with the stars" you heard this song. it's an oldie but a goody. white it down. it's "tootsie roll." hit it. you're on the treadmill and tired. you're tired. people on the treadmill know it it. >> they must have spent -- >> wait. listen. here we. ♪ to the left to the left

♪ to the right to the right ♪ to the front to the front ♪ to the back to the back ♪ now slide baby slide baby ♪ to the left to the left ♪ to the right to the right ♪ to the front to the front ♪ to the back to the back ♪ come on baby now baby dip dip dip ♪ >> they must have spent hours on the leer kiclyrics. >> so ht. >> the man who wrote the hokey-pokey you know passed way very peacefully a few years ago. the most traumatic part of the funeral service is when the family had to put him in the coffin. they put the left foot in, and then it got difficult after

that. be sure to tip your waitress. >> i love that. today, by the way, is world aids day and there's a big red ribbon on the capitol. >> and also at the white house, too. it's beautiful. >> there's going to be a lot of celebrations. thankfully we're making progress. a new drug that came out recently looks like it will show great hope, but there are a lot of companies making products available so that you can be a part of finding a cure for aids. they're available con verse.com. 100% of the profits, and then the t-shirt by the gap. i love gap t-shirts. they're fantastic. >> there's wine. >> there happens to be wine. >> it's called one hope wine, and it's a merlot, which you love. it goes to aids life cycle. shears to a cure. up next we have to wait to talk to our sarah girl because she doesn't want to talk to us.

>> we're going to talk about online dating and how fun it is, especially during the holiday, what's better nthan that. a good friend, richard dreyfus is here. we're going to find out what he's up to. est eggs. the best in nutrition... just got better. even better nutrition -- high in vitamins d, e, and b12. a good source of vitamin a and b2. plus omega 3's. and, 25% less saturated fat than ordinary eggs. but there's one important ingredient that hasn't changed: better taste. better taste. better taste. yum! [ female announcer ] eggland's best. better taste -- and now even better nutrition -- make the better egg. better taste -- and now even better nutrition -- to stay fit, you might also want to try lifting one of these.

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being among married friends and relatives when you're single isn't always that easy. to put it nicely, especially around the holidays. >> people want to know if you're dating, who you're dating and why you didn't bring your date along and by the way at your age. they didn't stay that. >> that's what they mean, though. what the hell is wrong with you? sam is the co-founder and ceo of okaycupid.com. >> he's a creator of goodinbed.com. >> nothing says the holidays like discussing sex and online dating. great, great. this is good. >> this is the time of year when people do get into a little bit

of' funk because they may not have a significant other or boyfriend and girlfriend and turn to online dating. that's all the rage, isn't it? >> online dating is about 20% of all merarriages that take place next year. >> people don't tell the truth when they fill up questionnaires. npr says they always say they make 20 grands more than them do and two inches taller and 20 pounds less. >> i say in your profile be real or someone will be really disappointed. i have the three rs. real picture, no photo shot or cropping or none of that. you need to be recent, and that means like always changing your pictures. if you just went to egypt, you change your pictures like you did on facebook. the last thing is to be ready, and that's like, okay, i'm ready to go on a date. on match we have the headline that's the dating bumper sticker. it says running the marathon, anybody want to go for a jog?

want to see the eliot spitzer movie? >> this holiday season she has the three rs, i have the one f. forget about it. >> really? >> i think with this holiday season -- you got to go out and go to parties, you hang out with friends. i say that it should be about meeting real people in life. i lead a very boring plif, and if i get invited to as many parties, so can -- >> some people don't. >> the i think you should work on that. instead of working on your profile, just for the holiday season i think there's so many great opportunities to get out there with your friends and get invited to parties. >> is that maybe the basic problem we have anyway, which is it's all about us? it's all about me, me, me. how about you go out to a party and think i'm going to meet somebody nice and ask them about them, get out of yourself, you know?

>> go to the salvation army -- >> where you meet like-minded people. we're so selfish in our culture. >> you should do online dating and offline dating. you have to do both. get that profile started and make na new year's resolution before valentine's day. >> what about the lying about it? what do you do when the person shows up? >> pull out your driver's license. who hasn't added two inches to their height or taken 10 pounds off their weight. if it's a little lie like that it's okay. >> i recently adopted a dog. sorry, kathie. i'm sorry. i recently adopted a dog, and take her to the shelter a lot to visit her friends. there are a lot of single people there hanging out and doing thing. you can get out and do quirky,

counterintuitive things to meet people. >> we were saying you have to get online and tell all of your friends you're single and get out. this survey we just did said that 49% of singles are more stressed out about finding somebody to date around the holidays. >> that's the point. you're the only one that doesn't have someone. >> i can't believe this is a question. should you ever give a single friend a gift certificate to an online dating service? if anyone ever gave me that i would die. >> that's what i'm giving you this year! >> imagine if you give a gym membership to a friend that needed to lose ten pounds? you'd never do that. >> instead of giving them that, go to the gym with them. get on their profile with them and help them get a good picture. >> go to their house and get a bottle of wine and do it together. >> buy a certificate for a wine tasting class. >> i like that.

>> we'll send you one in the mail. >> you know what? i'd rather be single for the rest of my life than ever again be in a bad marriage, so keep that in mind, too, everybody. i have a lot of single friends that live very vibrant, exciting fulfilling and lives and a lot of miserable married friends. >> if you're in a miserable marriage, get out. there's lots of places to go to find someone new. if you're miserable. >> 49% of the people we surveyed said that their single friends stress them out more than their parents do about being single. >> quite making it about you. >> thank you guys so much. happy holidays. >> that was uplifts. sarah haines has a video everybody is going to be talking about. actor richard dreyfus, someone with talent is here, that's great. >> what about our guests? some of nature's best ingredients. we created purina one with smartblend.

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♪ [ female announcer ] when you fill your home with fragrance... ♪ ...the holidays come alive. wow! [ female announcer ] release the magic of the season [ santa ] ho! ho! ho! with the new winter collection from glade. s.c. johnson. a family company. [ santa ] ho! ho! ho! with the new winter collection from glade. get flawless skin, even in harsh, unflattering light. revlon photoready™ makeup. revlon's photoready™ formula bends and reflects light to help diffuse every flaw. revlon photoready™ makeup. find your perfect light. we always make time for just us cousins. like the other night at olive garden. this is like being back at the kids' table. try our two new scaloppini dishes. pan-seared chicken or sauteed pork. both served with asiago filled tortelloni. at olive garden. justin, i want you to pass this class. mrs. fahey! give him one more chance. be in charge! be the mother! [ male announcer ] what would you learn... trish, you can't go home just yet. how do you know my name?

[ male announcer ] ...if you stepped into someone else's life? family movie night is back. what's going on? [ justin ] i never got to say i was sorry. everything's gonna be okay. funny how when you help someone else, you heal your own wound. [ male announcer ] "a walk in my shoes." december 3rd 8/7 central on nbc. we're back with webtastic. >> since she spends so much time on the web, who better than sarah to show us the newest viral videos. >> if you were a fan of light bright when you were a kid,

you'll love this one. it belongs to the david crowder band. it's a self-made music video for its single "shine." ♪ shine your light i can see you ♪ ♪ hold me up to be near you ♪ hold me ♪ you'll feel love ♪ can you overcome this ♪ can you overcome >> how did they do that? >> they wanted to tell a really compelling story. they did every single part by hand. they started wanting to be nostalgic with the light bright on the table. as they got going they said it would take 15 minutes to make the screen. every movement is one screen on

the light bright, and then they started to evolve and put things like something joins the light bright. this took 2150 man hours to do. a couple other interestings numbers here, there were 10,000 light brights used. they had to separate each color. it took 1200 light bright images, 83 friends and 148 pizzas to complete this video. >> am i the only one that doesn't know what light bright is? >> you plug in a light and -- >> still come actor richard dreyfus on who should be running the country. >> who? richard dreyfus? after your local news.

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give a razor ground force drifter just $269.99. all disney bikes and scooters on sale starting at $29.99. plus, get a $15 coupon with any video game $39.99 and up. one simple click and we can relive it forever. there's smart and there's kmart smart. good morning, everybody. time is 10:26. we check the commute in l.a. >> you have a backup going back to the end of the parking lot. things continue to get lighter as far as the volume goes. cheaper now than it was an hour ago. a price change there. close to 60 miles an hour all the way down to the berkeley curve where you find the slowing because of the metering lights. oakland, bottom of your screen, i found one 25 mile-an-hour speed limit. it's not that bad. across the san mateo bridge

across 880. i can't even see the peninsula. we saw the haziness hanging around today. >> still soupy out there. we don't have wind to stir up some of the smoke particles from overnight. the temperatures slowly warming up. sunshine but mostly 40s outside. lunch time temperatures climbing into the 50s near 60 today. eventually a chance of showers dropping out of the north bay as we head into tomorrow. today, near 60 areas south of san jose, mid-50s across the north bay. our best bet for seeing showers late tomorrow and into friday, partly cloudy and cool for the lo forid wweeld.eny scokteatloor widely scattered showers. time now is 10:27. more news after the break. or

the derby will last through january 28th. tom sinkovitz will share holiday spirit in san francisco today.

he will host the lighting of the ritz-carlton christmas tree at 6:00. as always, a child gets to throw the actual switch to light it through the great irbe area make a wish foundation. thanks for joining us this morning. "today" show continues coming up next. we are back on this wines day with more of "today" and a man whose resume ranges from oscar-winning actor to teacher. >> he just told me he's not wearing any panties, we're talking about richard dreyfus who recently star add longside bruce willis and morgan freeman in the action comedy "red." >> you don't have any idea what you're getting into. first of all, you can't touch me. >> sure we can. >> let's try that. anyway, today richard is not getting slapped around but he's

here to talk about lending his voice to the audio version of "america the beautiful: reflections on her past, present and future." hello, richard. >> slap me around. >> so the proceeds to this book actually go to the -- to an organization. tell us about that organization. >> the dreyfus initiative is the attempt to bring revived and enhanced study of what we used to call civics, and we hope not to call civics in the future because it is the most boring word in the english language. what it really is about is practical political power, which is not dull. when you teach power to the people who are mandated to know excellently how to run this country, then you're really giving them an exciting time. >> well, the constitution and the preamble and all the things are actually gorgeously written pieces of literature, aren't they?

regardless if you believe or don't believe in the political aspect of them, the language of them is beautiful. >> they're beautiful. it would be really nice if people actually paid attention and followed them. >> i think people do when they finally start to study it, they fall in love with it. >> they're not studying it. >> the curriculum -- it's been removed from the curriculum? >> why? >> there are different theories about that. people think we're not rich enough to educate our kids. we're the richest country in the history of the world, but we can't educate our kids, so that's stupid. some people think that our kids aren't smart enough, and they can't handle it and it makes their heads hurt, and that's stupid. and some people think that some powers that be want to have an inert, uncurious, stupid work force. >> keep the masses dulled. >> when you look at what the kids are paying attention to and watching on tv, we talk about

the reality shows, the pregnant teen shows, all these things that glorify those things. >> none of those shows came because of masses of people came to the windows of nbc and said we want stupid shows. we want low class "survivor" shows. they didn't do that. they had them put in front of them, and the people that did the putting said, that's what they want. . tre'sn appetite for it, and we're giving the people what we want. >> that's right. >> this book is written by a guy who spent half his life in india, the second half in america. he fell in love with america so thoroughly, the potential of america, because america is a completely unique nation in 13,000 years of history, we're the only country bound only by ideas. we have no common ancestry or common religion, and the ideas that bind us are the ideas of reason, logic, and come from the

enlightenment era. >> and decency to one another. >> that's what all our founding documents came out of, and they are -- the united states is probably the greatest complement to mankind that has ever been done, because it says that the ruler and the ruled can be one thing. so -- >> of the people and for the people. >> if i can accomplish one thing while i'm here and i'm desperately serious about this but i'm also desperately serious about sitting next to her. >> it happens. can we hear the beginning of the preamble. >> i want to say this, first. if every history teacher put on their wall a statement that said very simply, we want a more rigorous, excellent training in how to run the country. we want to be better at that. help us get excellent at running the country before it's our turn

to run the country, okay? if every kid signed it, if every history teacher put it on their wall and i had 500,000 signatures, i'd show you how powerful the people are. >> richard -- >> it's true. >> richard, thank you so much. we love you for coming. "america the beautiful." >> how much do you know about today's holiday, hanukkah? we'll find out when we play "who knew?" mrs. fahey! give him one more chance. be in charge! be the mother! [ male announcer ] what would you learn... trish, you can't go home just yet. how do you know my name? [ male announcer ] ...if you stepped into someone else's life? family movie night is back. what's going on? [ justin ] i never got to say i was sorry. everything's gonna be okay. funny how when you help someone else, you heal your own wound. [ male announcer ] "a walk in my shoes." december 3rd 8/7 central on nbc.

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time to play our weekly quiz name "who knew?" we' we're starting off about hanukkah. to those who don't answer correctly, they get that lovely cd. the lucky ones. rabbi sworley is here to mep me out. welcome, rabbi. >> great to be back. >> let's get back to the questions. go ahead, kath. >> this lovely couple is from new orleans, and they're on their honeymoon. i told them it was nice to take time out of their busy schedule

for us. how long does the jewish holiday of hanukkah last? >> eight nights. >> wow. >> wow. >> oh, yeah. >> oh, wow. i was going to give you a cd, but no. >> the new orleanians are in the known, eight nights. >> the jewish kids needed more and more present. that is the largest hanukkah bush i have ever seen in my entire life. >> the lights on and everything. >> the jews have taken over 30 rock. >> this couple is from orlando. what is is the middle candle of the menorah called? >> the mitzvah. >> this will make a lovely christmas gift or hanukkah. >> exactly. so it is actually the -- >> luckily he didn't say the ka bash. it's the servant that lights all the others.

i am your humble servant. that's what that candle does. >> this lady is from minneapolis. what's another name for hanukkah? >> festival of lights. >> wow. bad day for kathie lee. >> but a good day for the rabbi. festival of lights. >> a lot of people think it's not christmas, but it's the festival of lights because of all the beautiful lilts around and the way we try to illuminate the world on hanukkah and stop making it dark. >> sure. back across to kath. >> this gentleman came the farthest to be with us today, the upper west side of new york city. l latkes are a popular food even during hanukkah. what are they? >> potato pancakes. >> they're really nice, because basically it's a big pot of oil with a little sprinkling of

potatoes. sometimes you take the entire bottle and drink it. a lot of oil on hanukkah. teenagers stay far away. >> where does that tradition come from? >> it comes from companies from clearisil. we light the lamps with oil, so we make greasy, oily food. why not? >> why not? >> these ladies are from wilmington, delaware. the dreidel has four sides? >> false. >> that's false. >> all right. but you'll love "everyone has a story." it really is good. >> the dreidel has four sides. tell us about it? >> it was used because the greeks didn't allow jews to practice religion. whenever they would check, they pulled out the spinning top to

hide it. it's a way to teach jewish kids how to gamble at a very early age. it's vegas life. >> who are you? >> i'm still trying to figure it out. >> back across. >> i don't think these three ladies are jewish, but maybe they will understand. true for false. the mack bes found a loaf of bread that lasted for eight days and eight nights which inspired the holiday that is hanukkah. >> true. >> i was right. >> all right. tell us the story. >> actually i found a loaf of bread under my 9-year-old's bed the other night. it wasn't a loaf of bread. they lit the menorah with oil and it was only supposed to last one night and it lasted eight. that's the nature of the great miracle. that's the reason we try to make the miracle known, to know god is with us. it's a similar boem of religious freedom. this was a first time there was a battle to practice their faith without others getting in the

way. hoda, you realize the jewish get three weeks more. we're going to get all the deals. >> of course. >> that's why we planned it that way this year. >> all right. come ing up next, turning sp into supper. >> i found a wonderful jewish couple. they were so excited. >> just give them the money. we'll come back after this. d. nice! i know, the design just adds the perfect touch. and when you're ready for a new look or scent... just pop on a new shade... and it flickers like a real candle. [ male announcer ] also from the home collection... febreze wooden wick candle. i probably have one of these in every room. they last so long! nice! you can even hear it crackle. [ candle crackle ] [ male announcer ] the febreze home collection. featuring soy blend candles, wood diffusers and flameless luminaries. of gourmet coffee and tea to choose from. it's the way to individually brew fresh, delicious coffee in under a minute.

way to brew, hon. [ female announcer ] choose. brew. enjoy. keurig. [ woman ] what's going on? [ young man ] i never got to say i was sorry. everything's gonna be okay. ♪ [ male announcer ] "a walk in my shoes." december 3rd, 8/7 central on nbc. [ male announcer ] "a walk in my shoes." twizzlers. the twist you can't resist. if you're using other moisturizing body washes, you might as well be. you see, their moisturizer sits on top of skin, almost as if you're wearing it. only dove deep moisture has nutriummoisture a breakthrough formula with natural moisturizers that can nourish deep down. it's the most effective natural nourishment ever.

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today's holiday kitchen is brought to you by homemade chex party mix. if time for today's holiday kitchen for soups to warm your soul and body. >> she's the author of "soup for jenny cooks" as well as the chef and owner of super jenny in atlanta. >> good to see you. >> the last time we were together, we did the makeup show and you rallied with us. >> the only guest.

>> you're high on our list. >> your girls have come out to play, too. lookid. let's make some soup, jenny? >> this is great soup weather. today it's freezing and raining in new york, so we start with a fall vegetable soup. start with onions and garlic sautei sauteing. dump those three things in. butternut squash, sweet potatoes, parsnips and at whole foods you can buy it xhoped up. you don't have to do any of it. >> we did thanksgiving from whole foods. we just paid for it, and that's it. >> i'm putting unsweetened pumpkin in here. brown sugar. >> about a half a cup? >> you can dump the whole thing. >> i dumped it, baby. >> then we have fresh sage, and the only thing you need to do is you want to pour that great

vegetable stock -- can you do it? do you need help? i would help but i'm protecting. >> you better not lean over. >> we're covering that with our vegetable. >> they would enjoy it. they like that. >> we're going to take the soup up to a boil, and then you lower it to a simmer. that's all you have to do. >> can you do that in a crock pot? >> absolutely. aum of these soups are great whether you're busy in a crock pot this time of year. you can dump it all in, turn it on simmer and all of them are ready when you get home. >> this cheese and maple syrup part of that? >> yes, while that's cooking. give me a little drip of that lovely maple syrup. >> how much is a little? >> that's good. >> we're going to stir that up, and this is our topping for the vegetable soup. >> really? >> you can use a whisk or a little spatula, and it's super easy to do that. that's going to be on top. >> you can thin it out with as

much maple syrup as you like for sweetness. >> now we have a mushroom soup? >> this is a great wild mushroom white bean soup. we have the same onion saute. a little garlic and onion sauteing. we have fabulous mushrooms, baby porta bella and shiitake. throw it all in. it's delicious. that's all you have to do. >> not yet. >> stop it, hoda. >> the most important thing -- that is sherry. this is wines day. put all the sherry wine in, in. not yet forgeten and then the greens. you're so impatient. come on. the greens and then the winter greens. the kale, broccoli leaves, swiss chard, your favorite green. they're all in season right now. now you can do the broth.

chicken stock or vegetable. and then the white beans, throw those in, too. >> white beans. >> it's time to go we have 30 seconds. >> my favorite tool, i like to puree things a little bit. stand back. then we go ahead and taste. you taste the wild mushroom and bhit bean and we did the little drizzle. >> that is delicious. >> isn't it great? you can puree these or not. you can add chicken or make them nonvegetablian. >> thank you so much. >> we'll be back with more of "today" on nbc. e. >> thank you so much. >> we'll be back with more

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it is that time of yearwhenourtoydrivegoesintohigh gea gear,and we like to salute the

many people as possible. >> and today we have a wonderful donation that encouraging a love of storybooks. she's representing cheerios. everybody loves cheerios. >> thank you. >> what are you donating today? >> we're so proud to contribute to the "today" show toy drive. we're giving 200,000 children's books. >> fantastic. >> we're very excited. >> that's wonderful. >> and those are books translated in other languages? >> they're available in both english and spanish. this is part of our annual spoonful of stories programs in which we make books available in cereal boxes. we have 6.3 million out on the shelves right now in specially mashlged boxes of cheerios. we have wonderful titles. we have some that are really silly like this book "jump" and some that are moving like "all the world." >> something for everyone.

>> you have kids, don't you? >> i have an 8-year-old and two 4-year-olds. they love these books. they're awesome. >> thank you. >> hi to your mom and grandmother. >> thank you. >> don't forget every week until december 22nd we'll have a celebrity outside collecting the gifts for our toy drive. >> jean us tomorrow, gene smons in the house. >> jean us tomorrow, gene smons in the house. >> lock up the children! -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

♪ ten thousand watts of xmas cheer ♪ ♪ ten thousand watts glow brightly clear ♪ ♪ the colored lights will shine sincere, ho, ho, ho ♪ ♪ ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ♪