paul mccartney, coming up right [ cheers and applause ] this morning on "early today," end of the road. the long, nasty battle over tax cuts reaches its conclusion with a late-night vote. a free man for now. the man behind wikileaks is released from jail and pledges to expose more secret documents. and bust brawl. fists go flying on a washington bus with aregnant teen caught in the middle. captions paid for by nbc-universal television hello, and good morning. welcome to our viewers across the nation, including the pacific time zone.

i'm lynn berry. today, we begin with for better or worse, finally, a done deal. house lawmakers cleared the final hurdle last night, sending a sweeping, bipartisan bill to extend bush-era tax cuts to the president's desk before they expire january 1st. tracie potts joins us from washington with more. good morning. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. the house voted late last night 277-148 in favor of the deal, both democrats and republicans supporting it. so now it goes to the president's disc. here's what it does for you, keeps the current tax rate until january 1st, more unemployment for people who run out, a payroll tax cut that will put more money in your pocket next year. and if you own a business, be on the lookout for tax credits that could benefit your business as well. also here on capitol hill, don't ask, don't tell, the repeal of that policy. it's been passed by the house. the senate expected to take that

up with a vote tomorrow it needs 51 votes to pass, a simple majority. they are looking for 60, and democrats believe they have 61 who are willing to vote in favor of that. government spending, temporary extension runs out tomorrow, and now it looks like they'll have to pass another one because that trillion-dollar bill that democrats put forth is not going to come up for a vote. after some late-night back-and-forth it looks like democrats and republicans could not agree on bringing that to the floor, so it will be extended temporarily again into next year. finally, the s.t.a.r.t. treaty, the nuclear treaty with russia still on the table here. secretary of state clinton is now saying she believes there are enough republicans who have a growing willingness to back this and to get it done. after some late-night debate, expect that to continue today, too. lynn? >> tracie potts in washington. tracie, thanks, as always. wikileaks founder julian assange made a triumphant exit

from a london prison yesterday. meanwhile, the former head of the u.s. department yesterday said assange and his wikileaks website must be prosecuted to prevent future copycat operations on the internet. nbc's jenny wivel has our report on assange's new-found freedom. >> reporter: julian assange emerged from the royal courts of justice in london at the end of a very long day. he looked extremely pleased with himself, however, as he brandished his release documents and gave a short statement to the hundreds of journalists who gathered from all around the world on the steps, saying first of all, that he was very grateful for all of the support that he's received, but that he remains defiant. >> i hope to continue my work and continue to profess my innocence. >> reporter: he then had to head

off to his lodging where he'll be staying over the coming weeks as he fights his extradition to sweden. those lodgeings cobbs be more different than where he's been the last few days. he's been, of course, living in solitary confinement inside britain's largest prison in london. where he's going next, he's going to be in a ten-bedroom mansion on a 600-acre country estate. jenny wivel, nbc news, london. and now here's a look at some other stories making news early today in america. five washington teens are in police custody after they viciously attacked a pregnant teen and her boyfriend on a seattle bus. the confrontation started when one of the teens took an mp3 player from the girl. when she approached them to get it back, they attacked her and her boyfriend, punching, slapping, and even kicking them. fortunately, the girl was not hit in the stomach. her baby was not hurt, but she did require stitches for a cut above her eye. one houston woman warns

do not do what i did. supermarket security cameras showed the moment a man snatched her wallet the second she left her bag unattended. police are looking for the man who they say tried to use her credit card ten minutes later. with a little help, the hard rock hotel and casino in florida set a world record for smashing 2,400 guitars. but it didn't go all to waste. the broken guitars were donated to disabled artists who will create art pieces, which in turn, will be sold for charity. and in rhode island, tony lapour, the dancing cop, is out of retirement, kicking up his heels, and as always, spreading some holiday cheer. he'll be performing at different intersections all around town, but his grand performance will be on christmas eve when he comes, as, you guessed it, santa claus. now for a look at your national and regional weather, here is nbc meteorologist bill karins. he's got some moves. >> i was thinking like a

post-holiday diet routine, put a little exercise -- >> right, new years resolution, get fit zoom bakinde of thing. >> exactly. put the whistle in your mouth and just start. >> i like it, bill. i'll suggest it to him. >> i'll do it. >> exactly. >> of course, he'll know i stole his idea. good morning, everyone. if you are in california, this is going to be a rare week for you, this weekend in next week, it's going to be good for a duck and that's about it because the heavy rain is already moving in, and you can see the moisture just streaming in off the pacific. so, this is just all pacific moisture. there's kind of a stationary low pressure system. there's actually going to be a couple different storms rotating just off the coast here. the weather pattern is not going to change for at least the next five days. the green on the map is rain. so, it's raining pretty good around bakersfield, just showers around l.a. but the forecast, you just don't see a forecast for los angeles like this. look at this. all the way into tuesday next week there's a chance for rain. this is a seattle forecast. even up the coast in san francisco, it looks the same. the next five days, a chance of rain each and every day.

so keep a towel by the door for the dog, if you have to take him out on a walk and keep that umbrella -- maybe you need a routine, you have like four different resorts. temperatures will not be that cold, but we will see highs in the 40s and 50s. for once, washington state, you're dry. lynn, the stormiest spot in the country is going to be california, at least the next five days in a row. >> southern california. it's a conundrum. bill, thanks so much. well, upbeat economic data, sizzling stock markets and the feel-good option of the year. your early-morning business headlines are straight ahead. plus, it was a cool concept back in the early '80s, but will film audiences go for it today? coming up, vincent jackson

leads the charge against the niners, the celts continue their december to remember, and quite possibly the dunk of the year. we're running out of time, so it ought to happen soon. you're watching "early today."

good morning, and welcome back to "early today." i'm lynn berry. here are some of your top headlines this morning. president obama says the u.s. is making "significant progress" in its goal of dismantling, and ultimately, defeating al qaeda in afghanistan. that assessment follows the release of a long-awaited review on the war at a news conference yesterday where the president stressed that security gains are also fragile and reversible. however, the international committee of the red cross, which rarely makes public statements, is painting a much bleecker picture, saying humanitarian conditions there are the worst it's seen in decades. an army doctor who refused to deploy to afghanistan because

he questioned president obama's eligibility to be commander in chief is headed to a military pris prison. lieutenant colonel terrance lakin who became the poster boy for the so-called birther movement, will serve six months and be dismissed from the army. former president jimmy carter thinks america may be ready to elect a gay president. in an interview with bigthink.com, carter said the country's population has made tremendous strides forward in dealing with the issue of homosexuality and that the u.s. may have a gay president in "the near future." and researchers in spain are showing off what may be the wheelchair of the future. it's an exoskeleton with a sensor on the chest that enables users to stand, walk and climb stairs. and now here's an early look at how wall street will kick off the day. the dow opens at 11,499 after gaining 41 points yesterday. the s&p was up seven points. the nasdaq added 20. and taking a look at overseas trading this morning, in tokyo,

the nikkei shed seven points, but in hong kong, the hang seng rose 46. on wall street thursday, upbeat economic news and general optimism kept the profit-takers on the sidelines. stocks gained across the board with markets hitting two-year highs. worrisome treasury yields fell as did both the dollar and gold. and unlike the last three days, there was no late-day sell-off. here's what did it, first-time claims for unemployment fell last week to 420,000, the third drop in four weeks. housing starts rose slightly last month, reversing a two-month decline. businesses and consumers are shipping more packages, so fedex raised its earnings prediction, seen as another sign the economy is improving. not all news was good. visa and mastercard tumbled after a fed proposal that would force banks and card networks to slash the fees they charge retailers on debit cards. american express was the dow's worst performer. keep an eye on oracle today.

after the bell, the softwaremaker was up after reporting a surge in quarterly sales. also after the close, research in motion jumped after reporting third quarter results. elsewhere, the food and drug administration citing recent studies recommended avastin no longer be used to treat breast cancer, likely causing swiss drug-maker roche hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue. honda plans to recall 143,000 fit subcompacts in the touz fix defective head light wiring. congress passed a law to make silent hybrid cars and trucks to make an artificial warning noise when traveling below 20 miles per hour. finally, the purse used by school board member ginger littleton, attempting to disarm a gunman tuesday, will be auctioned on ebay for charity. proceeds go to a bicycle repair project run by mike jones, the security chief credited with saving the lives of the board

members. happy ending there. lightning strikes thrice in san diego. the celtics streak reaches a dozen. and hockey powers collide north of the border. plus, the arena may still be shaking after this stunt last night by denver's j.r. smith. your early-morning sports headlines are straight ahead. in weather, i'll have an active weekend forecast for you. that's coming up. you're watching "early today." that's going to go right in your glove. ohhh.

oh. see that? great job. ok, now let's get ready for the ball... here it comes... here you go. good catch. perfect! alright now for the best part. let's see your pour. ohhh...let's get those in the bowl. these are way too good to waste, right? oh, yea. let's go for it... around the bowl and... [ male announcer ] share what you love... with who you love. mmmmm. kellogg's frosted flakes®... they're g-r-r-reat!™ good catch, dad. [ laughs ]

good morning. if you're just waking up, this is "early today." and in sports, last night in nfl action, a receiver for san diego picked a perfect night to put a charge into the home team. here's nbc's fred roggin with an early look at all your sports headlines. >> good morning to you. when the season started, chargers wide receiver vincent jackson was nowhere to be found. he held out because he wanted a new deal and missed first ten games. well, last night, jackson was back and proved his worth against the niners. he put on a show in the first quarter. philip rivers threw up a jump ball down the sideline. jackson went up and he got it. 7-0, chargers and he was just getting warm. rivers found him again in the second quarter. san diego up 17-0 at the half. jackson completed the trifecta in the fourth, made the grab and jumped toward the end zone, touchdown number three.

chargers won it, 34-7. basketball, the celts' rajon rondo will be out at least a week with an ankle injury. cue nate robinson, up and under. a pretty reverse. nate can do it inside. nate can do it out. drilled the straightaway three. the celts up 11 on the hawks. boston red-hot, won their 12th straight, 102-90. now, this is a dunk that may take the cake. the nuggets' j.r. smith soared to the ram for the two-handed jam. that's impressive. one more time. he threw over george hill for the dunk of the night, maybe the year. to the fourth, nuggets up one with 7 seconds to play. manu ginobili drove in and somehow, some way got the circus shot to fall to give the lakers the lead. carmelo anthony gets it at the buzzer. nuggets win, right? wrong. anthony was called for an offensive foul. the spurs won it 113-112. it's the most exciting play in hockey, the penalty shot. the canadiens, michael cam lani with the honor. montreal led 1-0, but here's

what brought everybody to their feet. subon leveled marshon. that is going to hurt in the morning. canadiens beat the bruins 4-3. that's your early look at sports on "early today." have a terrific weekend. i'm fred roggin. an american icon of the airways signs off for the last time. your early-morning entertainment headlines are straight ahead. plus, speaking of americana, they've been entertaining our nation for decades. we'll tell you how the oldest living harlem globe trotter made his most important comeback. you're watching "early today."

welcome back on this friday morning. let's take you through your weekend forecast. a lot of people trying to get their errands done before the big holiday next weekend. we're going to watch los angeles, all of southern california, central california, the mountainous areas of snow. that's the stormy weather today. and then by the time we get to saturday, the storm's pretty widespread out there. temperatures not the coldest, but it's going to be definitely damp and wet, maybe a mixture of some rain and snow in portland and definitely the mountainous areas will get a little bit of snow. even by the time sunday arrives, the forecast really doesn't change. well, if you're watching us on ktra 3 in sacramento, california, enjoy a heart-warming treat for the whole family. see a holiday production of charles dickens' immortal tale, "a christmas carol" at

sacramento theatre :h that's your event of the day. and a big question at the box office this weekend, is 28 years too long to wait to do a sequel? experts are saying no. "patron legacy," the follow-up to the classic "tron" will be the number one this weekend, beginning to earn back the reported $170 million it took to make. experts say it should take in $40 million to $50 million. film-hungry family audiences will flock to "yogi bear." despite reviews, many pricier 3d showings should help it finish second above $20 million. critically acclaimed, award-nominated, but not exactly what you'd call fun, "the fighter" is expected to finish third with decent numbers, in the low teen millions. the romantic comedy "how do you know" starring reese witherspoon, paul rudd, owen wilson, will struggle and be

lucky to top $10 million. and larry king signed off last night after 25 years on cnn. and this comes to us from wnwo, nbc 4 in toledo, ohio, where a practically new man performed some of his old tricks. a few months ago, al price was wheelchair-bound with balance problems, but all of that changed when the 93-year-old's therapist put a basketball in his hands. and in the 1940s, al was one of the top trick basketball players in the world. and now the oldest living harlem globe trotter is back to his old tricks, even showing a younger globe trotter a few moves. i'm lynn berry and this is "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station.

the roads in norway are getting a bit safer this holiday season, at least for reindeer. a new program tags the animals with velcro reflectors to make them more visible. wranglers had to wrestle a slew of the feisty ones to get them prepared before they hit the road. they hope it will cut down on the thousands of reindeer hit by cars every year. now to the ultimate holiday bake-off. in sweden, chefs showed off their seasonal spirit at an architecture museum exhibit. people around the country submitted their best baked gingerbread structure. not to be outdone, a snowman bucked the trend of the dozens of houses and buildings. still, all of them created a winter wonderland, and of course, plenty of eye candy.

all right, put down your cereal, we have a pie-eating contest for you. in england, a group of heavy lifters gobbled their way through meat and potato pies at the world pie-eating championship. the winner devoured his pie in just 23 seconds. that crushes the old record by nearly 12 seconds. and to celebrate, get this, he claims he's going to have a couple of pies and more pie! why not? >> if you can't put ice cream with it, it's not pie. >> well, come on, bill. it's like shepherd's pie. >> no. >> no. not buying it? >> no pot pie, either. >> it's all delicious. time now for an early look at some of the stories we'll follow throughout the day here on nbc. secretary of state hillary clinton will announce this year's winners of the nation's prestigious award for corporate excellence. the highly competitive prize is awarded to three companies each year in recognition of their innovation and exemplary work, setting corporate standards around the world. first lady michelle obama will bring some holiday cheer to

the white house for the toys for tots distribution center at boeing air force base in washington, d.c.. and procrastinators, rejoice. if you've put off your holiday shopping until today, you're in luck. more than 1,000 online retailers are offering free shipping today. all day long you can stay on top of the very latest developments in those stories and others as they break on msnbc. and tonight, be sure to watch brian williams with "nbc nightly news." and sunday on "meet the press," an exclusive with vice president joe biden. and finally, here's a look at what's coming up later this morning on the "today" show. meet the security guard called a hero for shooting a gunman who terrorized a florida school board meeting. and two-time oscar-winning actor kevin spacey talks about his new movie, "casino jack." keep it here for continuing local news, weather, sports and more. i'm lynn berry. thanks for watching "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station. have a good one.