good morning. breaking news. a monster blizzard wreaking havoc up and down the east coast. up to 30 inches of snow in some spots. with states of emergency in at least six states from north carolina to maine. driving is nearly impossible. the dangerous conditions are far from over, today, monday, the dangerous conditions are far from over, today, monday, december 27, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

and welcome to "today" on a baby it's cold outside monday morning. i'm ann curry. >> and i'm lester holt. it's not a case that meredith and matt couldn't come in because of the snow, although i like that version. >> we're actually standing on a pile of snow that's about to be plowed. did you have trouble getting in this morning? >> i was only about a mile away. i was waiting for a ride that couldn't get through. they have got mounds all over midtown manhattan. you get in okay? >> got in okay. got in behind a truck. thank goodness the driver had a shovel. weeot n sure how many inches from fallen in boston, but we

know they're getting hit. at least 18 inches has fallen here in manhattan. there was more than seven inches of snow in raleigh, north carolina. that town had its first white christmas in history. >> we're getting a little break right now, but there are huge drifts up and down the east coast because of the wind, that's causing big problems at the airports. lots and lots of flights have been canceled. many of the airports are closed right now, they say call the airline or check online. >> all three major metropolitan airports here in new york city are closed at least until noon. we have got this business covered all up and down the east coast. we begin this morning with jeff rossen who's standing by, i

think just a few blocks from us this morning. hey, jeff, good morning. >> reporter: getting out of the way of a tractor trailer. you never actually know where these trucks are actually going to slide. on some of the main avenues here in new york city, we're told actual buss are stuck in snow about clearing snow, but take a look at it. it looks like a plow hasn't been by, even though they've been working through the night. as you swing over this way, the snow driflts we mentioned are real bad. look at these police cars buried up to their taillights as the wind keeps blowing. six states have already declared a state of emergency. overnight, no mercy. the snow kept falling and the winds kept howling, nearly 60 miles per hour. sending cars spinning. >> it's horrible. i'm stuck here. this is really a blizzard. >> whiteout conditions up and

down the east coast with blooming thunder snow in the heart of manhattan caught on home video. and visibility really dropped. that's times square down there, and that's the atlantic city boardwalk. can you see it? even more dangerous, drivers could barely see the road right in front of them. >> everybody needs to get off the road. >> it's ridiculous out here. i don't think anybody can make it in this snow. >> reporter: in massachusetts, a snow emergency. workers plowed into the wee hours. same in philadelphia, where the mayor is urging people to stay home and took to the streets himself. >> our forces are out. i mean we have hundreds of pieces of equipment, hundreds of personnel out all over the city. they're all over the storm. we're going to keep fighting it as long as the snow is coming down. >> reporter: too late for monday night football. >> the reason this game has been

postponed until tuesday night is out of concern for public safety. travel in and around. that's the reason. >> reporter: to new jersey, where they're expecting a foot of snow, so bad officials declared a statewide emergency. when the snow does stop, forecasters say the wind won't. >> it's blowing horizontally right now. >> reporter: right into oncoming traffic. 125 accidents, one of them deadly. plows are trying to keep up, but the snow is falling too fast. >> just stay in your home and relax. it's very dangerous out here. >> reporter: a white christmas can be magic. a blizzard a day after christmas, scorcher. amtrak delayed service from virginia to maine and by sunday night air travel was even worse. newark airport, jfk and laguardia all shut down entirely, crippling almost all operations in the northeast. 2,000 flights canceled and

counting with more planned tonight. >> they say they're all closed. there's about 25 to 60 people on standby. >> i've gone out to ohio and pittsburgh and they're booked solid. >> reporter: now comes the clean-up from boston to new york city where the great white way needs salt. and you can see it's probably going to take a lot of salt to do it. in fact, they say for every inch of snow that falls in new york city, it costs $1 million to clean it up. so far we've gont 13-plus inches. they expect it could go up, especially with the snow drifting up to 18, 20 inltches. the only saving grace is that it's a vacation week for a lot of people. not us, lester, and many of the schools are out. at least we have that. jeff starting us out in new york city. mike seidel is about 200 miles up the coast.

mike, good morning to you. >> reporter: and good morning, lester. we're still in the thick of it here in southern new england. a blizzard until noon, up in portland until as late as 5:00 p.m. logan airport is officially open. we take you back to yesterday and last night. snow and blowing snow. 50-mile-per-hour wind gusts here. out on the cape it has been a horrible afternoon and evening and overnight. we've got at least 30,000 customers without power. wind gusts clocked as high as 80 miles an hour, but it's changed from snow to rain. one the snow goes over, it will change back to snow. as far as travel. it's next to impossible where the snow and blowing snow is drifting. amtrak announced the morning that they will get the trains rolling between new york and boston. and, lester, i don't know if my pile is higher than yours, but i'm going to try to mount this one. look at this. you talk about where do they put

it? well, all night long, all you hear is plows, plows, and more plows. and there you go. mountains of snow and more on the way. three to five more inches today. >> good grief. i think your mound is tall. ours is being cut down to size as we speak, but nice climbing shot there. >> yeah, i know. >> mike seidel, thanks. >> he gets credit for climbing. we should have done that live. >> maybe not. >> how long will this blizzard last? we've got al roker tracking the storm. al, good morning to you. >> good morning to you. this is where it will be ending in the northeast and new york city to the south. philadelphia has picked up almost 12 inches. officially, new york city, 13 inches. look at these averages. these are seasonal averages. they've come close to their seasonal average. new york city is more than halfway to what we normally get for anot entire season, and bosn picking up almost a quarter of

that. now, as you look at the winds, hartford between hartford and ston.. 30 miles an hour. up in new york, 41 miles per hour, that's what's going to cause all the problems with the airports with the blowing and the blizzard snow. we have blizzard warnings from atlantic city all the way to caribou, maine. three inches longer of sustained winds at 35 miles per hour, blowing and drifting snow. that's going to cause all the problems. windchills in the single digits. as this makes its way up the coast, the snow comes to an end, but the big problem, the winds will remain. that's going to cause a problem. another three to five inches in boston. as you get up into new england, those are going to be the heavier amounts. up to a foot of snow in parts of northern new england. lester? >> we'll see you in a bit with more. we want to talk about the ripple effect. you mentioned the airports.

there is gridlock from coast to coast because of this. all three major airports that service new york city are closed to start the day. the weather channel's eric fisher is at laguardia airport with more on that. eric, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lester. we have the planes grounded, train service limit and the roads are a complete disaster. 7:00 a.m., laguardia airport, it is a ghost town. latest report, not expected to open until 7:00 this evening, 9:00 at jfk and 2:00 at newark or perhaps later than that. we're talking a total travel nightmare and for some that nightmare is just zwing. for millions of people travels over the holiday weekend, nobody had this scene on their wish list. thousands of flights canceled, hundreds of thousands of people stranded in airports. as the eastern seaboard battled its first major storm of the winter, air travel froze to a stop. >> we came early this morning at

10:00 and found out our flights are canceled. rescheduled till wednesday. hopefully we can get out by wednesday. >> reporter: by 5:00 jfk and newark were closed. flights out of laguardia, barely moving. flights fr flights from atlanta to boston, people were forced to change their plans. >> i've been here two and a half hours already just to see if i've got another flight. >> reporter: in response to the severe weather most flight carriers have waived their fees. >> everybody has been very nice, airtran has been very gracious to try to get us out of here. >> reporter: with the heavy snow to last through the northeast corridors throughout the evening, travelers can expect long lays, long delays, and a good deal of frustration. >> i'm trying to get on amtrak like evidently a lot of other people are doing.

>> reporter: by last night even the train option had been taken off the board as they canceled awe service from new york to boston. the choices become very simple. >> we're debating whether to try to get a hotel room or just stay troopers and stay all night here -- or survivors, and stay all night here tonight. >> you know, some of of these folks are not going to get out until wednesday or thursday. i think about a hotel. the cost in though new york is about $300 to $500 a night. there's a financial concern. a number of them spent the night here in the terminal. lester, it's just a nightmare for many of these people. you wish for the best. hopefully they can get to their destinations soon. >> eric fisher, thanks very much. >> as we mentioned the blizzard

postponed the football game. michelle kosinski with more on this story. >> reporter: good morning. is this minnesota? because of the gusts that keep whipping up, the snow is still horizontal in the air, even though it has finally, finally stopped falling here. every couple of minutes we will see this wall of swirling white just come blasting down one of these side streets. it just stings your cheeks and your eyes. you breathe in and get a mouthful of snow. the snowplows are all out but here in the downtown philadelphia suburbs the roads are tear tobl drive on, if not impossible. from the moment the snow started falling about 18 hours ago you could tell this was not just a heavy snowfall but a fierce storm. it basically feels like a snow hurricane. we're talking in some places 60-mile-per-hour winds.

we talk about rain bands coming in from from the coast. this storm had snow bands. how much snow depended on where you were located along the heavy band. coastal new jersey got up to 20 inches, here in downtown philadelphia, about 11. as you go further west, you've got a few fewer inches but plenty of snow to cause a lot of trouble here. ann? >> all right, michelle kosinski. nice hat. get inside. >> you can watch the matchup starting at 7:00 p.m., here at 8:00 p.m. central time here on nbc. the south was not spared from this storm. more than seven inches of snow fell in raleigh, north carolina. the weather channel adam berg is there for us this morning. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lester. i'll tell you what. it is cold right now for raleigh. temperatures around 22. the wind is not so bad but even a little wind makes it rough out

here. windchill about 15 degrees now. the storm is through north carolina. a lot of the roads are still a little tricky. a lot of black ice. the skyline is beautiful but traveling is still tricky. look at the backlogs being created everywhere else. here's some interesting stats. this snow is not so impressive necessarily. it's impressive how early it came. storm totals around 11 inches but the half inch on christmas day, in raleigh, that was the first time we've seen a measurable snow in raleigh. that's not the only city. more trouble. 1.2 inches, that was your first measurable snow on christmas. even in columbia, south carolina, first measurable snowfall on record. you've got to go back to 1887 for that one. it's not so impressive for some.

it's just odd how early some of the snow came and how crippling some of the windchills are and the cold weather behind it. so a lot of the snow you see right now, as pretty as it is, it's going to be sticking around for a couple of days. i was look at the long-term forecast. i want to warm these hands up. looking like it's going to get nicer, like in 260s. the kidding are loves this but the adults are ready for a little bit of a warming trend. >> adam berg for us in raleigh, thanks very much. now for a check on some of the stories. natalie moralez is in for me. good arms are here to stay according to homeland security secretary janet napolitano. napolitano said that travel safety has greatly improved thanks to better technology, intelligence sharing, and those unpopular pat-downs. violent crashes between

christian and muslim groups that sent nigeria into turmoil. pope benedict condemned the series of bombings that included attacks on two churches. well, with that east coast blizzard keeping some would-be customers bundled up at home and not at the stores on one of the busy jeiest shopping day of the year, retailers are working extra hard to spur that post-holiday rush. >> reporter: for some, this is a family tradition. shopping for deals the day after christmas. >> a sport jacket for $99.95. that's ridiculous. >> reporter: across the country, retailers expect to make up to 15% of their year's sales between now and the end of the year. much of that thanks to shoppers redeeming gift cards. >> the girls got gift cards and we had to come shop.

so we're looking to see exactly how much we can get for how little. >> reporter: despite the near 10% unemployment rate, retailers say this was a record holiday season, both in stores and online. >> we've seen a lot of pent-up demand and a lot more confidence to spend conspicuously and not worry about the fact that there are others who can't even put a meal on the table. >> reporter: the national retail federation estimates a stunning 33% of all gifts will be brought back to the store for an exchange or refund. we're watching a return right now. she's just come in and she's returning -- was this for you or a gift for somebody else? >> it was for me. >> reporter: does the person who gave it to you know you're returning it? >> no. >> reporter: okay, we won't tell anybody. and the shoppers in los angeles found return policies are stricter this year, especially with electronics. a warning, don't delay more than two weeks or -- >> you may discover that the retailers either, a, won't take it back, or may charge you a large restocking fee after that timetable's expired. >> reporter: sales are expected

through the end of the year, but with inventories low, experts say pickings will be slim. for "today," kerry sanders, nbc news, florida. in southern california this morning, residents continue digging out their cars and homes from those massive mud slides caused by days of heavy rain. nine counties have declared states of emergency. damage estimates are so for a in the tens of millions of dollars. now for a check of wall street. cnbc's courtney reagan is at cnbc world headquarters. courtney, investors, what are they going to be watching there today? i imagine everybody's going to be back on the floor, or trying to get back, at least. >> reporter: the weather on wall street is frightful with traders digging out, but investors should really expect a relatively quiet day for the markets, thanks to a perfect three-pronged storm. not just the blizzard, but traditional light trading during the holidays. so we'll have to sit tight and see if this santa claus rally that pushed the dow to its

highest close since august of 2008 will continue through today's closing bell. >> all right. cnbc's courtney reagan, thanks so much. it's now 7:19, you're update now. we've got al back with more on the storm and the national outlook. al, i actually heard thunder last night. a little thunderstorm. thundersnow. >> a very intense storm, a lot of instability in the upper atmosphere. it's not unusual to see along the great lakes, i used to see it in cleveland and ososwego, b unusual for here. gives you an idea of the intensity of this storm as it made its wayur friends down in florida, we haven't forgotten about you. look at these temperaturings for tomorrow morning. atlanta in the upper teams, orlando, 26, miami tomorrow, 37. we're talking record lows tomorrow in the morning. temperatures will rebound a little bit in the

>> and>> that's your latest weather. lester. >> al, thanks very much. we'll have much more on the bliz around its impact in the east. first this is "today" on nbc. ay nbc.

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it feels wonderful. i don't smoke. i don't smoke. [ male announcer ] it's a new year. so, ask your doctor about chantix. and find out how you could save money on your prescription go to chantix.com to learn more and get terms and conditions. >> good morning. time is 7:26. airport closures from the big storm on the east coast are having a ripple effect across the country. kimberly terry is live at oakland international airport with a look at how people are faring. if there delays for bay area travelers. >> there delays. look at the fog. it's not causing major problems here at oakland, but there was one cancellation of a flight headed to new york. it's the same in san jose. so far so good. in san francisco, that is the airport that is being impacted.

that airport has more direct flights to the northeast. it is seeing the effects of the massive storm hitting the new york area. here say live look at san francisco international. at least 20 inbound flights and six outbound flights have been canceled. they are also seeing up to an hour. airlines are contacting passengers to let them know of canceled flights. stay with us. we'll be right back.

>> good morning, bay area. many cities are dealing with dense fog. look at the visibility map. less than a quarter of a mile in oakland and san mateo checking in with less than a quarter. fog will be the case until about 10:00 a.m. rain will be the story for tomorrow. hope you have the coat handy. >> i have one. looks like the mish lip man. the "today" show returns in less than a minute. see you in a bit.

7:30 now on this monday morning, the 27th of december 2010. you're looking at conditions in natick, massachusetts. and the snow is blowing around there. we've got a nice view of times square in new york city where crews have been work to clear broadway all night long. you won't see broadway very often with too few cars. we'll have much more on the storm and al's forecast coming up. >> thank you for being here, by the way, i'm glad you made it in. we have a lot of other stories to talk about this morning, including a mystery in missouri. a 27-year-old woman, an aspiring model, has been found dead in the home of a beer tycoon.

his name is august busch iv. we're going to get details on that coming up. plus, why some say your cell phone could be threatening the pristine habitat of giraffes and other animals. let's begin with the big story, the blizzard of 2010. nbc's peter alexander is in new jersey for us this morning. peter, good morning. >> reporter: to give you a better sense of exactly what drivers are dealing with, we got out on the roads right now, we're strapped in and bringing the camera out the snow roof today you can get a sense of what it looks like right now. it's really the unforgiving drifts that's been the problem. the houses and cars paralyzed. they are totally buried by snow. the luxury for the people here is that this main road is safe to drive, a plow going through here within the last 15 minutes, but a lot of these side streets are really impassable. snow up to your waist in some

places, driving through new york city and parts of new jersey for the last several hours, we've literally seen cars abandoned in intersections. that's not always the case, there's some cases where people physically i had to sleep in their cars overnight, including parts of i-95 in new jersey. one family trying to return home from a wedding, the entire family of five including an infant stuck in that car. the same situation for the buses as well from washington, d.c., all the way to boston. most bus carriers have canceled their service. i can speak from personal experience about this, lester, last night we did "nightly news" for you from laguardia. and then at the end of that, i tried to get home to the city. it should take 30 minutes for to us get home. instead it took three hours. we ourselves were stuck in two drifts for about an hour each. thankfully there were a few people who were out there enjoying the snow who got behind and pushed us out.

but even when the temperatures warm up and the snow melts, the problem will then begin again, because when the snow melts and then freezes overnight, it will cause black ice. >> we all were coming in very late this morning. i think i got in about 6:20. and they're like, that's the last of them. they're all here. >> everyone came in a bit late. it's a good thing if you don't have to to stay home, stay safe, as we heard pointed out by peter's report. al roker dik mate it in. he's outside in it. what are you finding? >> we have got all these nice folks and the skies are starting to brighten a little bit. let me show you what i had to do to get in this morning. normally we're very lucky, the company sends a car for us. but they sent out two cars. two accidents. luckily i parked my minivan in front of my house. that's what i had to dig out. 30 minutes later, and boom! i was out, baby.

wow! all right. a little bit of a workout this morning. let's check your weather and we'll show you what's happening and we'll show you. we have got more stormy weather for our frnd friends out west. they got slammed last week, guess what. they're going to get slammed again tomorrow into wednesday, mountain snow, interior sections of the northeast, along with a lot of wet weather along the northwest coast. here in the east, of course, we have got that storm system moving out, windy conditions, sunny skies in the gulf coast, but it's going to be chillier than normal, 36 degrees in atlanta today, 49 in phoenix a little on the chilly side. snow showers in the northern rockies. we've got a little light

looking forward to 58 degrees and another winter storm over the course of tomorrow night into wednesday morning. have a fantastic monday. >> and that's your latest weather. ann? >> all right, al, thanks. and we'll have much more about the storm throughout the morning. but for now, the death of an aspiring young model. john yang has the story. john, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. it's not just that a 27-year-old, a seemingly healthy 27-year-old woman suddenly died. it's where she died. she was in the home of her boyfriend, august busch 14. the former chairman of anheuser-busch and the great, great grandson of the founder of the brewery. adrian nicole martin was on her way up. >> everything seemed to be

coming together in her life. >> reporter: but her life came to a mysterious end in a wealthy st. louis suburb. >> emergency 911. >> yeah, we need an ambulance. >> okay. what's the problem? >> this girl is not waking up, we can't get her to -- >> is she breathing? >> we don't know. it's dark back there, i'm going to get a light and try to see. >> reporter: paramedics found martin dead at her boyfriend. at 46, he's the heir and ceo to the former anheiser-busch dynasty, which was sold to enbev in 2008, ending 106 years of family control. according to police, there were no apparent signs of trauma or other indications of cause of death. >> in a case like this when you see no evidence of trauma to the victim's body, you have to consider some type of natural cause or perhaps some type of overdose. >> reporter: according to her ex-husband, she had a rare heart condition. friends say martin was not a drug user.

and describe her as a friendly william, a divorced mother who once worked at hooter's and was pursuing a master's degree in art therapy. >> to make any type of a criminal case out of this, it's going to have to be her cause of death and who may have had some responsibility for her death. >> reporter: in a statement, busch's lawyers said there was absolutely no indication of any suspicious circumstances in what he called the tragic, untimely death of a young person, a very nice young person in fact. in his 20s, busch had some run-ins with the law. >> we are looking at someone who's a known playboy, who has a daredevil past. >> reporter: in 1985, he was accused of trying to run down two detectives during a police chase. he was acquitted. when he was a college freshman in 1983 his corvette crash and his passenger, a 22-year-old william was killed. police found him at his home six hours later disoriented and with a fractured skull. no charges were ever filed. >> from an investigator point of

view, law enforcement is going to want to know where she died, what time she died. what was the condition of her body at the time of death. these questions with the autopsy and the toxicology, that will determine whether or not a case will be filed. >> reporter: those toxicology reports could take four to six weeks to come back, and it won't be until then that officials will make an official determination of the cause of death. ann? >> john yang, this morning. john, thanks. julie macintosh is a former righter for "the financial times," and wrote a book, "dethroning the king." julie, good morning. >> good morning. thanks for having me. >> sure. while writing your book, you learned a lot about august busch iv. how would you characterize him? >> i would say that he is a little bit of a tortured soul. he has spent his whole life trying to live down those two

altercations, run-ins with the law in his 20s, and he has never really been able to. i've learned a great deal about him both as an individual and as a ceo. he has had a very difficult relationship with his father. august busch, iii and they have had antagonistic relationship their whole lives and it was something that undermined his job as a ceo and has made his life very trying at points. >> so now comes word about the mysterious death of adrian martin. what do you make of that and also why do you think the police report was held for days after her death? >> i have spent a good amount of time in st. louis both writing the book and since it's been published, and the busch family wields a lot of power in the city of st. louis and people were suspicious when he had the high-speed chase with cops. they were suspicious that the police took so long to release a lot of detail and that he got

off in the jury trial. so i chatted with a few people in st. louis in this go-around, and they think there's a little bit of not only complicity by the cops, but they treat the busch family a little bit more gently an they might treat others. in the same vein, the family has been incredibly philanthropic, and they've spent tens of billions of dollars. the busch stadium is named clearly after that. people feel very strongly about the busch family and are in many ways very positive about them. >> as john yang just reported, we're waiting for the toxicology reports that may indicate the cause of adrian's death. could this -- could you tell us what the sort of risks are for august busch? in other words, could this affect his position, for example, as a member of the board of directors of the company? >> right. i would say that's the clearest major issue going forward. he's not the ceo of the company anymore for certain, but he is a

board member of anheuser-busch inbev, and he's actually the only holdover from the old company. whether he's charged with anything or not, whether this becomes a legal issue, the board may have to make a determination whether this situation is something they feel comfortable with. >> julie macintosh. thanks for getting up early and talking to us about this this morning. coming up next, a wildlife wipeout. mysterious roads that are threatening to destroy. plus much more on this fierce winter storm that's stranded thousands of holiday travelers. but first these messages. aveler. but first these messages. at red lobster? or maybe skewers of tender, wood-grilled shrimp. or your choice of shrimp paired with wood-grilled chicken. all served with unlimited, freshly-baked cheddar bay biscuits. seafood lunches starting at just $6.99 that fit into your budget and your lunch hour. only at red lobster.

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call for details. we're back at 7:44, and one of the last pristine environments on earth that could be in grave danger. nbc chief foreign continue richard engel recently travelled to tanzania where a controversial project has conservationists up in arms. >> it is an important story and conservationists are very

worried about it. the environmentalists say they know exactly what the impact will be if the government of tanzania goes ahead with its plan to build a road right through the sarangetti. the name means endless plains and it's no wonder why. the 5,700 square mile national park in northern tanzania is widely believed to be one of the only remaining place where is the world looks as it did a million years ago. with two ton hippos yawning confidently, too big for any predators. grateful giraffes, zebras with their plump bellies, and lions, the kings as they're called here. but this eden of biovdiversity s

in danger. conservationists say the road which has strong political support in this poor country is a scandalously bad idea. we set off in a four by four jeep on the trails and dirt roads that could soon become a 33-mile, two-lane highway. our first impression, zebras, wildebeests and others -- >> now there's just a few trails used mostly by tourists and park rangers here, but you have to drive very slowly so you don't hit the wildlife. imagine a thoroughfare through here. zebras jumped out of the way, lions -- environmentalists say the road could even stop the

great migration of animals. thousands of wildebeests on the open plains, it's the greatest migration of land mammals on earth and it is breathtaking. you can hear the snorting, feel the hooves pounding the earth like a tremor. but not if the road cuts them off from food. princeton university professor andrew dobson was one of 27 renowned environmentsalists to make an appeal not to build the road. >> you get a reduction in the wildlife. in this area it could be as much as 50%, 70% of decline in species such as the wildebeests. >> not far from the morrow river, we found the government has already started making preparations. these stones have already been sunk into the ground, concrete markers to show contractors where this road is supposed to

go. there are markers in place nearly every mile. what about those trees? they have to be knocked down? >> yes, they have to cut down where there is a direction of roads. >> reporter: so this will all be cleared? >> yes. >> reporter: this is an undisturbed ecosystem, trucks could introduce foreign plants and change the environment. we found a ten-ton truck that had tried to cut through the sareng sarengeti but got stuck. another concern of course is poaching. it's long been a problem in this area, but the road would make it much easier, poachers could just come in, make a kill and drive away. so why build the road? the reason, is probably in your

pocket. cell phones. the lake victoria region in central africa is rich in rare earth metals that are essential for cell phones and hybrid car batteries. china is buying them as fast as it can and tanzania want toss supply. the shortest route to move the minerals from lake victoria to the coast is through the serengeti. on a balloon ride over the vast plains, floating over gazelles and vultures, tourists told us they're horrified. >> total disgust. i don't agree with it whatsoever. >> totally inappropriate. >> reporter: a road that could bring prosperity to a poor nation, but also irreversibly change and perhaps destroy one of nature's greatest treasures. there is an alternative to build the road that would go south of the serengeti.

but the government argues it wouldn't be profitable and they could lose potential business if they had a road that went south of the park instead of right through it. more on the massive east coast blizzard that has dumped more than 30 inches on some spots, but first these messages. guy: hey. son: hey mom! wife: what are you doing? what is that? what is this? guy: it's a special paste i invented to replace socks. we're dipping our feet in it. wife: why? guy: because we can't find socks that shape to our feet. we're sick of it! son: sick of it! wife: that's really stupid. guy: that's the future. announcer: hanes makes better-fitting socks the whole family will love. guaranteed, or your money back.

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8:00 a.m. this morning on a monday, december 27th, 2010. and you're waking up to a picture here of philadelphia. where people, like people all across the northeast, are waking up to a thick blanket of snow from the intense winter storm that's been impacting travel nationwide. roads are impossible. airports are shut down. and yet -- >> three new york city airports now closed until 4:00 this afternoon. >> they've made it until 4:00. well there you go. news that's breaking. but nevertheless, people did make it down here to the plaza. we're looking at the truly committed this morning. >> you need to be committed.

>> some of them might be a captive audience. >> dedication. >> meantime, i'm ann curry, along with lester holt and al roker, good morning, guys. >> did you have a good christmas? >> fantastic. really nice, that's the thing, right? but it was a great christmas, i think for people in raleigh, north carolina, they got their first white christmas ever. which is terrific. how was your christmas? >> my christmas was terrific. i would have been fine with a white christmas on christmas, as opposed the day after. meantime, a holiday story about a tragedy. >> a horrible tragedy in egypt, tour buses carrying a group of americans and eight were killed when this bus was in a collision. we're going to talk to a michigan man who survived. his wife was injured. she was airlifted to cairo, he's made it to cairo. we'll find out how she's doing. and we'll be talking about dealing with debt. a lot of people looking to the new year, they want to fix their

finances. we'll talk to an expert who says he's come up with a way to pay off everything you owe once and for all. and he said that basically clearing your debt is the best investment you can make. but, let's begin this half hour with more on the winter storm that's been gripping the east coast and we've got the the weather channel's mike seidel, who is in massachusetts with more on the story. hey, mike. >> hey, good morning, ann and we are out here on route 9 here in nadick, 20 miles west of boston. we've had a foot of snow. the real problem are the winds, overnight on the cape, power outages, minor damage, 30,000 power customers without power. they had wind gusts out there clocked at 80 miles per hour. logan airport officially is open. but you know, planes aren't getting in and out. so basically nothing is moving, but it is open, unlike the new york city airports. on route 9, you get a sense of how much snow has been piled up. about an hour ago, i saw a convoy of nine plows coming up the road.

they don't mess around out here. these gusty winds, as high as 40 to 45 miles per hour will continue. the warning is until noon, we're expecting several more inches of snow here. even more through down east maine, travel is not recommended. school is closed, easing up on the rush hour. the long-term outlook, ann, a pattern change. this storm is going to change, the overall cold weather we've seen for the past three or four weeks. and as we get into new year's and new year's day, we'll see temperatures on the east coast running five to ten degrees above average. so a big meltdown by the end of the week. back to you. >> mike, please get out of the road. please get out of the road, mike. >> get out of the road, mike. >> and mike generally when he does the story, he never looks cold. but in this particular one, i know he looks cold. first, let's go inside to natalie morales at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone.

et cetera been a deadly day in afghanistan again today, a car bombing has killed at least three people and wounded more than a dozen others in the southern city of kandahar. a nato service member was also killed in a roadside bombing today. at least 34 people lost their lives in a bus crash in india on sunday. officials say it happened when a speeding bus collided with a truck traveling in the opposite dregs. suspected u.s. missile strikes have killed at least 18 militants in pakistan along the afghan border. this according to pakistani intelligence officials. the region has been a primary target for american missile strikes, aimed at taking out taliban and al qaeda insurgents. a package bomb was found and defused at the greek embassy in rome this morning. four days after similar mail boxes exploded at the swiss and chilean embassies in the italian capital. investigators today were also examining suspected explosive packages at the embassies of denmark and monaco. new clashes have broken out in parts of nigeria between muslims and christians after

christmas eve bombings killed more than 30 people and wounded more than 100. crew members on board a sinking ferry boat off south korea are safe this morning after being rescued by the coast guard sunday. the vessel capsized after being pounded by 16-foot waves, throwing about half the crew into the rough water. the woman known as octo mom, nadya suleman, may soon be kicked out of her california home. the owner of suleman's home said he's moving forward with eviction proceedings, because she hasn't coming up with a $450,000 payment. it was a whitehristmas of sorts in shanghai over the weekend, where some 600 people celebrated the holiday with a massive pillow fight. public pillow fights have become popular in china as a way for young people to relieve stress. it looks like a good idea right about thousand. it's 8:05. as i do, i have company in the studio, a bird who is smart enough to come inside and join us here.

whoever came up with the expression, bird brain, i think the bird has a pretty big brain. >> a snowbird would go to florida, this one got lost. >> smart bird. >> we're here outside. meantime we've got al standing by with the weather. and natalie, because you talked about snowball fights relieving stress, maybe we should do this to you! [ laughter ] sorry, i didn't -- >> that's kind of nasty. >> sorry, sorry. are you okay? >> that takes tastes real good. i'll lose the taste of that in i don't, know, about two days. thanks, ann. hey, look at these nice folks, you don't normally see all this violence on the "today show." you guys are stuck here. >> we think we are. >> what time is your flight, 6:00 p.m. >> who is this beautiful young lady? >> this is reece. >> where are you guys from? >> portland, maine. >> you're not going anywhere soon are you?

>> no. >> let's check your weather there. that actually tastes pretty nasty. kcra nbc 3, morning fog giving way to sunshine and 53 degrees. here's the storm, 50 to 60-mile-per-hour wind gusts, wind chills in the single digits, it moves through. that's the good news. the snow ends late tonight. the bad news is, we've got strong winds behind it. snowfall amounts, anywhere from six to 12 inches in northern new england. that's what's going well, we actually some pretty patchy, dense fog out there this morning but you can see from the san bruno cam above the clouds, collie skies. it's going to be a beautiful day once the clouds lift out of the area. we have reduced visibilities. less than a quarter of a mile. take it easy out there. we have a light commute and fog probably impact your drive. a dense fog advisory in place

until 10:00 a.m. make it a great monday. latest weather. >> ann, i'm sorry i made you eat some snow. >> that's okay. >> by the way, we want to say that we want perspective from the people in the midwest. this is nothing. we're from the midwest. there you go. anyway, coming up -- >> you're not going back to the midwest. >> we've got a certificate just story coming up this morning. about the tragic end of a holiday trip of a lifetime, eight american tourists were killed in a bus crash in egypt. o ll hearf fr vors coming up rhtfter s. the survivors coming up right after this. drain ♪ ♪ we're over i'm so done with that ♪ ♪ i found a new ovov♪ ♪ we're over i'm so done with that ♪ ♪ that comes from a little green leaf ♪ ♪ zero-calorie, guilt-free no artificiality ♪ ♪ my skinny jeans zipped in relief ♪ ♪ its name is truvia i had no idea ♪ ♪ no more sprinkling my coffee with grief ♪ [ announcer ] truvia. honestly sweet.

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man: whoa! mom just caught air. not that she'll describe it that way to her book club. she'll probably say something like, "everyone had a wonderful time. the food was great. it was good to get away." but let's be honest... mom just caught air! now, there's a first. tell us what you've always wanted to do, on facebook. [ ship horn blows ] back now at 8: 11 with a tragic didn't in egypt. eight americans were killed when a tour bus collided with a truck in southern egypt. nbc's martin fletcher has the latest. martin, good morning. >> reporter: lester, good morning. while driving in the dark in egypt is always a risky

business, fast drivers, poor roads, almost no traffic police and most of the heavy traffic is in areas used by tourists. all that's left of a crushed bus, the whole right-hand side torn away. this is where the eight dead americans and most of the 21 injured were sitting. barbara from detroit, michigan got off lightly and so did her husband bob, their first meeting since the crash. sharing news of their friends. >> we're blessed to be alive. it happened so quickly, we were just laying there and all of a sudden there was this tremendous, tremendous crash and just trauma, just noise and screaming. it was horrible. it was really horrible. >> reporter: it was dark before dawn sunday. 116 american tourists set off in three busses. many were lying back trying to sleep. on a narrow road through the sand, the first bus sideswiped a

truck parked halfway on to the road. egyptian truck drivers often sleep in their trucks. they had been traveling between two world renowned tourism sights. >> they are connected by a road which is like many roads in egypt, somewhere between barely tolerable and in an appalling state. >> it's the third tourist crash in egypt in three months. in total 22 foreign tourists killed. >> reporter: families in america were informed sunday, but the names of their hometowns has not yet been released. >> in one second, their loved ones were ripped away so it's very hard.

>> reporter: many of the tourists will continue their vacation. the next stop on the nile has been called the greatest open air museum in the world, but the trip of a lifetime has become a nightmare too. >> martin fletcher in london for us. bob gelster survived the crash. bob, we're glad you're safe, i know you and your wife were separated. she was injured and taken to cairo. you're there now, have you seen her and how is she? >> she's fine. i saw her this morning. the doctor has released her, the one that did the c.a.t. scan on her and now she's waiting to here from the doctor on the injuries to her legs. >> and you guys were on the bus how long when this happened? >> we got on at 5:00 a.m. and we stopped at the police station to pick up a police escort and we were probably 15 miles out into

the sahara, it was probably about 6:00 when the accident happened. >> and what do you remember about the accident? >> i was trying to sleep at the time and i could remember hearing just the noise of the tires on the road. and then just like the big bang and getting showered with glass and then the bus spinning around and so i took my -- i had eye shades on and i could see the side of the bus was gone and i felt to see if i was bleeding and i had some blood coming from my mouth and my chin and i asked my wife if she was okay and she said she was, but i could see she had some facial cuts. there was a lot of crying and stuff like that. >> but you were obviously able to move as were a couple of others and you, i understand, administered aid and tried to free some of those people who were trapped? >> yeah, a couple of us weren't really injured and we were able to get out.

most of the people were trapped like accordions and trapped with other people. >> was this the same bus you had been traveling throughout egypt with prior to this? >> yes. it was the same group. we had done a pretrip with them also for a week in israel. so all the people that had done the trip to israel were on the same bus. so we had gotten to know the people over the two weeks, some of them pretty good. >> were you able to call home rather quickly to alert them to what had happened? >> yes. there was a fellow right at the site who had a cell phone that worked so i was able to call my son and let him know and he called my sister and let my mom know and barbara's brothers. >> and as soon as your wife is able, do you plan to continue the trip? or is the plan now to go home to detroit? >> as soon as she's released,

we'll try to get a flight out as soon as possible. >> we're glad you're both okay and thank you for sharing the story with us, we do appreciate it. >> okay, thank you. > >>l ta'lke a break and we're back with more right after this. keep you awake... sleep is here, on the wings of lunesta. and if you wake up often in the middle of the night... rest is here, on the wings of lunesta. lunesta helps you fall asleep and stay asleep, so you can wake up feeling rested. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions, such as tongue or throat swelling, occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness and morning drowsiness.

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[ female announcer ] sound familiar? then try the slim-fast 3-2-1 plan. 3 snacks, 2 shakes or meal bars, and 1 balanced meal. clinically proven. ridiculously simple. slim-fast. who has time to slim slowly? back now at 8: 20. this morning on "today's" money, the post christmas topic, eliminating debt. when you add up the credit cards, mortgage and car payments, america is in debt -- his newest book is called "debt free for life" the finish rich plan for financial freedom. david, good morning. your best investment advice for america this morning as we head into the new year -- >> so simple. pay down your debt. instead of focusing on putting money in stocks or bonds or gold or silver, the best investment i can give you in 2011 guaranteed

is to pay down your debt. i would rather have you pay your debt down. >> what about so called good debt. debt like the old days college those kinds of loans. >> we were told that mortgage loans was good debt and now people are losing their homes and can't pay back their college loans. debt is debt and if you can't afford to pay it back or you pay it back over 25 or 30 years you're always broke. if your goal is, i don't want to work forever, here's a simple plan, pay the debt down faster. we have a plan for you to do that. >> if people follow this plan, they can be debt free on average of 15 years faster, they'll safe at least $30,000 in the process. how do you get start. >> super simple. if you want to lose weight in the new year, what's the first thing you do? you get on the scale, you look

down and you cry. debt is the same way. a lot of americans are in complete denial. we start with our families attacking how much debt do we really have. you've got too get on this and you've got to tell the truth. we start with credit card debt. you first look at how many credit cards do we really have? if you're married, you've got to take your spouse, your children. you total the number of credit cards up, you write down the amount of debt. you look at the actual interest payments and then your minimum payment. it shocks many families. when we do money make overs on tv shows. they say david, this person's got $20,000 in debt. when they go over their homes and they pull off their documents out, they're usually $10,000 to $15,000 more than they told the producer. it starts by looking at what you really have. >> you look at it as a worksheet. make it as simple as possible for us.

>> you got a little worksheet that you can use. you start by writing all your debt out. first you put the account, the name of it, the balan, the monthly known payment and the due date. then you divide the minimum payment by the balance. so in this case, $500 divided by $50 this person can be out of credit card debt with that card in ten payments. with this credit card down here, it would take them 39 payments. so we call this debt stacking. what this means that we want you to with this mathematical formula, pay off your smallest credit cards first. all debt can be expensive, small credit cards with over the limit fees, late fees can actually add up to higher debts than higher credit cards. >> this next one is counter intuitive. because people have often been told, pay off the credit card with the highest interest rate. >> and i disagree. because again, we want you to

reduce the amount of credit cards that you have. we have seen people where maybe they have got a car that could actually be paid back in six months, get. minimum payments on everything, get rid of it. fewer debts better, fewer debts more freedom. families fight over bills, you reduce the debts, you have less fights. >> is book is called debt free for life. you're back tomorrow with more on how people can get credit card companies to lower their interest rates. but now here's lester. just ahead, the latest on the winter storm that has people snowed in up and down the east coast. but first we want to look at more of the most compelling images of 2010. and remember you can vote for your favorites todayshow.com.

you can't see the roadway

now. >> that's why the national weather service issued a dense fog advisory in place until 10:00 a.m. this morning. if you don't have to go to work this morning, do so. especially in places like oakland with less than a quarter of a mile visibility. we are expecting rain for tomorrow. starting early. really picking up in the evening hours. have a great day.

8:30 now on a monday morning, the 27th of december, 2010. a winter wonderland across much of the east. we're a little frozen over here. we have the plaza cam that kind of says it all. you're looking live at the

conditions here in midtown manhattan. that's over by columbus circle. just on the everything of central park. a few flurries right now, but it certainly hasn't stopped folks from getting out and about and enjoying this beautiful site and gathering here at rockefeller plaza. outside on the plaza, i'm lester holt along with ann curry and al roker. >> there's one guarantee when you come visit us on a bad weather day, and that is every single one of you is going to be on television. also coming up this morning, call it the school of rock with a classical twist. we're talking about one family and what they're doing to inspire children to play music in a brand-new way. it's all about the musician. a lot of us did a lot of overeating over the holiday and a lot of us are making new year's resolutions to lose weight and get fit.

does drinking a daily glass of wine lower your cholesterol? and is there such a thing as sea salt? is it better than regular salt? we'll find out in a little bit. a lot of people have airplanes they would prefer to be on right now. the winter storm has made air travel a mess. eric fisher is at laguardia airport to tell us more about the situation there. >> reporter: it's pretty festive at rockefeller plaza, it's not so fest tiff here at laguardia airport. we have a lgot a number of folk sleeping in the terminal. it is very peaceful, a lonely meteorologist today because no one has been coming in. last word, 4:00, that's when the airports are going to be opening up. we're going to be talking about a 4:00 reopen for laguardia, jfk and for newark. but that is tentative.

i would definitely call ahead if i was flying today and definitely show up early for your flight as well. >> the lonely meteorologist. >> thanks, eric, it was really nice of you to do that. now a check of the weather with mr. roker. >> it's below normal temperatures here in the east. above normal in the plains. a mess along the east coast, with rain and mountain snows. that mess moves east, heavy snow in the rockies, wet weather along the west coast. above normal temperatures in the midsection of the country, and the latter part of the week, temperatures warm up here in the east, but they stay below normal good morning to you, bay area. well, we don't have reduced visibility of snow. it is the fog. you can't see your arm in front

of you on the san mat owe bridge this morning. i think the situation improves in the next hour and less than a quarter mile in several locations. fairfield. take it easy out there and we have a big winter storm on hand for tomorrow. that's going toring maybe two inches of rain our way. >> and on a day like today, you want to check the weather channel three, four, five, six times a day. never turn it off, just stay on it all day. >> especially on a day like today. love that hat by the way. very dapper. meantime let's say hello to a figure skating sensation, his name is michael white. he's a three-time national champion. good morning and welcome here. he's supposed to be on the ice this morning. he drove nine hours for a three hours drive. you're such a good sport. you're even willing to skate on

that ice. but it's really not fit under this weather. >> he could put snowshoes on. >> i showed up and i was ready to go this morning and i looked out on the ice and there's snow blowing every which direction. they're shoveling trying to get the snow off. it's not going to happen. but an adventure to say the least. >> you've got this big show, peggy phlepeg peggy flemming is part of this? >> it will be on january 9 from 4:00 to 6:00 on the east coast. it is a fantastic show and has evan who's our current olympic championship in the united states. we have the music of lone star as well. they perform live on stage while we're on the ice doing our thing. i skated to a piece called "already there" which is a piece that i skated to when i was on the smucker's live on ice tour.

>> do you mind coming up here? there she is. >> you're trying to help bring more people into the sport? >> yes. >> that's pretty cool. >> i started the michael weis foundation, it's very expensive to figure skate. i started this foundation to help up and coming athletes. we support them with scholarships and we put on a show each other. our nation >> thank you so much, michael weisz. coming up, kids giving the classics a rock 'n roll makeover, but first, this is "today" on nbc.

we're back now at 8:38 with the perfect blend of classical instruments with a flare of rock 'n roll. it's giving kids across the country a whole new appreciation for music. >> reporter: brian martin's been hitting the strings before school and after. a violinist since the fourth grade, the classical kid is about to get a rock 'n roll makeover. >> i saw mark wood with a group of high school students about seven years ago and when i saw it, we were at a convention, my husband just looked at us and said you're doing this, aren't you? and i said oh, yes. let me get this number down. >> reporter: maria wrote the music department at -- she hired electrify your strings. >> we're dropping the atom bomb

tomorrow night and i want it to project a blow torch. >> reporter: working with the students for two days, mark and son elijah provide a seminar for rock's edge performance. >> it helps them connect in a deep way with music, it's really about not just playing the notes, but thinking about what you're trying to say in that music. >> reporter: how do things change when mark dame into the picture? >> the songs are crazy, they're really good. >> reporter: did you know that the violin could sound like that? >> you guys are on a level three of ten, we must reach ten. left, right, left right. >> reporter: for students tuned in to hitting precise notes, wood encourages the kids toward self-expression. no easy task in the adolescent

world. >> do your kids become better musicia musicians. >> oh, definitely. >> how have they changed before and after? >> the level of confidence that they get. ♪ born to be wild >> reporter: what's it like working with your two parents like this? >> it's very interesting. >> reporter: laura kay and mark woods have a hard core musical pedestri pedigree. they their return to the high school stage is a vital gig in their touring life. >> we need to inspire more artists musicians, business people to come into school and inspire kids of the next generation so we really are participating and being responsible to i think the best investment that we have in our future is these kids. >> reporter: as any performer

knows, the hour of practice pay off in front of a live audience. here at oak hill, more than 500 people have lined up to get a charge out of their own electrical charged high school orchestra. are you excited about tonight? >> just a little bit. ♪ hey hey hey >> reporter: is this a once in a lifetime memory? >> i don't think they'll ever forget that they played a live concert with these rock stars. i think it's going to be enriching for them forever. >> it was awesome. it was a great experience.

>> reporter: for "today," amy robach in cincinnati. >> still ahead, the problems left behind in the wake of the blizzard of 2010, but first this is "today" on nbc. [ alarm clock buzzing, indistinct conversations ]

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things grow fast, even the squirrels. dr. russell donor has been looking after his neighbors for 55 years. in all that time, he has not taken a vacation, not even a full day off. >> well there's somebody on sunday that needs some help too. >> reporter: the morning we first met back in 1983, he had been to surgery twice, prepped a broken arm, handled two emergency cases, checked on 50 patients and delivered three babies. >> looks like one of yours, doesn't it? >> reporter: it was not yet 10: 30. here's megan thompson today, with her niece, piper. >> how old do you think he is? >> 35. >> reporter: doc was born 85 years ago on a nearby farm. one of seven children. he worked nights to pay his way through northwestern university medical school. had his heart set on being a big city cardiologist, but decided -- >> i have to take care of my people first.

>> reporter: everyone pays just $5 to see him. >> is that all? >> yes. >> reporter: 5 bucks. doc doesn't toss away a tool just because it has a few years on it. that keeps costs down. >> ever see rotary phones anymore? >> reporter: the only thing modern in his practice is his medicine. most of his nurses have been with him longer than his furniture. >> reporter: how can you make it on $5 a patient? >> millions and millions of patients frequently. >> reporter: if they can't come to him, he goes to them. perhaps that's why bill bartlow is still nimble enough to play the organ at 90. his wife margie just got home from the hospital. >> you're doing good, just keep it up. >> reporter: doc will go anywhere for a house call, sometimes even arriving before

emergency services. he once saved a boy that was -- broke his own back and suffered a heart attack a few years ago, took some time off until patients started arriving at his house seeking medical care. >> it's probably gastrointerrights. >> but he does have help. half the people working in rushville hospital are doc donor babies. >> he's been doing this for 55 years. >> i think every stay he makes a difference to at least one person. >> reporter: susan parks runs his office on weekends and holidays. >> she shows up when i show up. >> reporter: for free, as does her husband rick who doc saved from a swarm of hornets. >> me mows his yard once a week pays it back. >> reporter: russell donor was

in the army during world war ii the last time he took a day off, but knows exactly what he would defensive he took another. >> i would like to go to missouri someday. >> reporter: 58 miles away. missouri's not too far from here. >> no but it takes some time to do it. >> reporter: he also loves trees, doc's donated 10,000 around town. dr. donor has no children of his own, he married only briefly. but he's delivered 3,500 babies, more than rushville's population. >> three, two, one. >> reporter: there are no statues to his kind of devotion, just lives. >> i can make it all right. >> reporter: because the town looks after him. for "today," bob dotson, nbc

news with an american story in rushville, illinois. >> wow, that's really something. making a difference every day of their life. >> $5 a visit. >> bless his heart. oh, dear. that's a great story from bob dotson. we have much more still ahead this morning, how to tell if you or your spouse is actually a secret spend.

this morning on "today's" pets, therapy dogs, what if you could bring the joy you share with your dog to those who need it the most. all you need is a little training and a lot of puppy love. >> reporter: meet fenway and his owner bess. they spend a lot of time here at the 80th street residence, a place for people living with alzheimer's. fenway has been a trained therapy dog for 2 1/2 years. his visits bring back precious memories. >> i had a little dog and i couldn't wait to get home every day to see her. >> reporter: the dog? >> yes. >> reporter: but it's not just the residents who appreciate the visit. >> do you notice a difference in your grandma when the dogs come? >> just to see her smile and pet the dogs and be like her old self and it just brings her back. >> reporter: and for the therapy dog owner --

>> i get so much more than i give. when i see how happy fenway makes them, it's just the greatest feeling. >> he likes you. are you happy here fenway? fenway loves it here. >> reporter: so what does it take to be a therapy dog. my chihuahua trixie and i decided to find out. the good dog foundation here in new york city trains owners and their pups to be therapy dog teams. >> it's a team effort. it's not just your dog being a therapy dog or passing or failing the class, it's you with your dog. >> reporter: over the course of four weekly sessions, you and your dog learn to obey basic commands. >> trixie sit. >> reporter: adapt to wheelch r wheelchairs and walkers and become comfortable with, well, strangers. and after working like a dog --

>> everybody here just passed the class. >> reporter: it was time to make our first visit as a therapy dog team. the first of many to come. >> you're nice and warm, yeah. thank you for coming. >> that's really adorable. they are here puttic. meanwhile we should talk about the main story of the morning has been this weather. 18 inches in manhattan. >> 20 inches in newark, new jersey. 29 inches of snow in lynnhurst, new jersey. >> when they say blizzard, that's not snow, that has to do with the wind? >> three hours plus of winds of over 30 miles an hour blowing and drifting snow.

>> is it done now in philadelphia? >> yes. it's done here in new york city. northern new england now. >> okay, well, much more on the storm and other news and weather coming up. morning.

fog has. good morning. fog has been an issue today. >> it has. we'll show you there. not really any backup at all. all morning, low beams on through the fog but the visibility is the story and lowering the speeds not because

of the volume of traffic. fog advisory for the bay bridge. smooth drive through san rafael and thick in spots and pothole repair. owndo t one lane probably all morning long.

former dog walker charged with stealing his client's jewelry will appear in a san mateo courtroom today. jewelry worth more than $5,500 he was a dog walker last year and prosecutors say he -- the clients gave him the keys to the homes to walk the dogs and when he allegedly stole the jewelry on several occasions. he is in jail on bail.

another update for you in half an hour. have a great monday morning. see you back here in a little bit. last week we called california's 22% high school dropout rate an epidemic there prompted these calls for reform. jean, what about trade schools for teenagers? teach kids what they will need to get a job or career. pat agrees. our dropout rate in california is embarrassing. california could use a school to work program that prepares our students to join the work force. a former teacher from oakland said, teachers are highly understood paid and undervalued. are i don't surprised our children are failing? mark took issue with

studentsfirst.org. if outstanding teachers are the core to reform, create an environment to attract them to these positions. union bashing and witch hunts for the bad teachers is a poor star we appreciate your comments. join our debate. back now with more today on this monday morning, december 27, 2010. it's a day of shoveling here in the east after a major blizzard dumps up to 30 inches of snow in some spots. and we have got some bad news for travelers because hundreds of flights have already been canceled and new york's three airports will now not open until at least 4:00 this afternoon. meantime, inside studio 1a, i'm ann curry along with lester holt and al roker. just ahead, we have got the latest on the storm and it's impact nationwide. >> you talk about flights not

leaving here, that means flights aren't getting here. we're also going to move on and talk about dieting questions you may have, from keeping your cholesterol in check to making sure your new year's resolution sticks this time around. and we have got some friends in the studio. >> where is he now? >> he's been on the move. so our cameraman will have an extra something in his stocking for next year. he's smart to stay inside as natalie pointed out earlier. a big problem for a lot of marriages is credit spending, whether it's little trinkets for yourself, a credit card your spouse knows nothing about, coming up the pitfalls that can create. let's get right to that winter storm that's socked the east. we have got the entire east

coast covered. let's start with jeff rossen. >> reporter: how are things in that studio right now? >> lovely. >> reporter: i'm sure it's beautiful. >> almost too warm. >> reporter: what we have right now is the wind, what looks like tornadic activity with the winds in the canyons. we're on columbus circle which is typically one of the busiest spots in all of manhattan. you can see there's very few cars on the roads and people are getting back to their roots and walking to get to work. there's kids sledding and part of the problem here and what makes it so treacherous is trying to get through these snow banks. it's like this all over the east coast right now with six states in a state of emergency. overnight no mercy, the snow kept falling and the winds kept howling, nearly 60 miles an

hour. sending cars spinning. >> it's horrible. i'm stuck here. this is really a business saturday. >> reporter: whiteout conditions with thunderer snow in manhattan caught on video. and visibility really dropped. that's times square down there. and that's the atlantic city boardwalk. can you see it? even more dangerous, drivers could barely see the road right in front of them. >> everybody needs to get off the road. don't come out unless it's absolutely necessary. >> i don't think anybody can make it in this snow. >> reporter: in massachusetts, a snow emergency. workers plowed into the wee hours, same in philadelphia, where the mayor is urging people to stay home and took to the streets himself. >> our forces are out. i mean we have hundreds of pieces of equipment, hundreds of personnel out all over the city. they're all over this storm. we're going to keep fighting it as long has stuff is coming down.

>> reporter: too late for sunday night football. in a rare move, the nfl canceled a big matchup in philly between the eagles and vikings. >> the reason this game has been postponed until tuesday night is concern for public safety. >> reporter: so new jersey where they're expecting nearly a foot of snow, so bad, officials have declared a state of emergency. and when the snow ends, officials say the winds won't. 125 accidents, one of them deadly. plows are trying to keep up, but the snow is falling too fast. >> just stay in your home and relax. you know, i mean this is very dangerous out here. >> reporter: a white christmas can be magic, a blizzard the day after christmas, torturous, amtrak canceled service from virginia to maine. newark airport, jfk and

laguardia all shut down entirely, cancels almost all operations in the northeast. 2,000 flights canceled with more already planned today. now comes the cleanup, from boston to new york city. where the great white way needs salt. it needs a lot of salt and this is a pricey, pricey situation for a lot of cities across the northeast. here in new york city, it costs about a million dollars per inch to clean up that snow. so far we have gotten 13 plus inches, they're expecting possibly 18 to 20 by the time this is all over and so you can see they're still shoveling the snow as people try to get out. 2,400 sanitation workers out all night and this morning, ann and you can see, they have barely made a dent here, even as they continue to come by, that's how

much snow and it's we have on the ground. >> all right, jeff, get inside, get some hot chocolate, get a jacket. i have to do some mothering in this storm. speaking of that, where is this storm going? >> it's over here in the mid-atlantic states, places new york city south, but you move to the north, and they're still getting slammed. between new york and phiaadphel, over ve 42-mile-per-hour wind gusts. that's highhe t airports are still closed, not just snow, but blowing and drifting snow. they clear a run way and as soon as it's cleared, the snow gets blown over it again. that's going to be the big problem. snowfall amounts through this evening, three to eight inches in northern new england. but here we're done with the snow new york city south. >> the weather channel's mike

seidel is about 20 miles outside of boston where he's been freezing in the town of natick. >> reporter: boston continues under that blizzard warning until at least now. windchills are down around 10. amtrak has resumed service, at least limited service between boston and new york. out on the cape, they had to evacuate about a dozen homes early this morning with high tide and 20 to 25-foot seas. meanwhile logan is officially open. planes aren't going in and out at all. and the winds will continue to be an issue through tonight and tomorrow. they put these sticks in the parking lot so you don't run over the curbs or the fire hydra hydrants. this is just one small hotel parking lot. and only a foot of snow. not like the 29 inches they had in lindhhurst. you get up to the top and you

get a sense of how much snow has been piled up all night and they're still plowing. >> mike, you need to stop climbing that mountain and get inside. thank so much for your reporting. poor guy. the timing of the storm could not have been worse for post holiday travelers, flights canceled up and down the east coast. the weather channel's eric fisher is at new york's laguardia airport. lonely duty on this snow day. >> reporter: things are starting to come to life here. i suppose that's a bit of good news, we have the plows out in full force. they're trying to clear the tarmac. it looks like northern siberia and if the last 24 hours are any indication, we still have a long way to go. for the millions of people traveling over the holiday weekend, nobody has this scene on their wish list. thousands of flights canceled, hundreds of thousands of people stranded in airports. as the eastern seaboard battled it's first major storm of the

winter, air travel froze to a stop. >> we came early this morning at 10:00 and found out our flights were canceled. rescheduled until wednesday. so hopefully we can get out on wednesday. >> reporter: by 9:00 last night. jfk and newark airports were closed. flights to laguardia barely moving. from atlanta to boston, where they were coming from or going on vacation, people were forced to change their plans. >> you have to wait in this long line. i have been here 2 1/2 hours already just to see if i got another flight. >> reporter: in response to the severe weather, most carriers have waived their fees for flight changes through the 27th. >> air trans has been very gracious to try to get us out of here. >> reporter: with the heavy snow to last in the northeast corridor through this evening, travelers can expect more delays, long lines and a good deal of frustration. >> i tried to get on amtrak, but

it's the same situation, they're an hour holding on amtrak to try to get through. >> reporter: last night even the train option had been taken off the board as all traffic was canceled between new york city and boston. >> we're debating whether to try to get a hotel room or just be troopers or survivors just to stay all night here tonight. >> reporter: the latest word is that newark, jfk and laguardia should all open at 4:00 this afternoon. it won't be easy going, it will still be big delays and those delays should linger into the day tomorrow. it will be a while before we get back to normal. there's a bit of good news, looking at the computer models, no snowstorms in the next few days. >> peter, good morning. >> reporter: and good day to

you. you were talking about how folks need to get inside. we're inside the car and we have put the camera outside the sun or in this case the snow roof. you'll see what the streets look like. literally an automobile burial ground in places. are being used as sidewalks because the sidewalks are impassable. a lot of the side streets themselves impassable. some plows have made their way through parts of this area. but a lot of people were physically -- >> kind of hard when you run that cable across the river. it runs out after a point. >> it's a miracle that we could get a glimpse like that as we're rolling live. peter has been doing a great job. the storm also delivered a blanket of white on parts of the south as well. we have got the weather channel's adam berg in raleigh,

north carolina. where they experienced the first white christmas ever? those kids must have been so thrilled. >> everyone's inside right now, it was a ghost town yesterday. you couldn't even see those buildings. now we have been noticing the fiery ball in the sky. and when the wind actually stops every now and then, you can almost talk yourself into not feeling as cold out here. but the windchills are in the teens. let's talk about some of the stats quickly. it's not that the south doesn't get snow, we just normally don't get it this early. so in raleigh, we have never seen snow on christmas day. those records go all the way back to the 1800s. in atlanta, you have to go back to 1882 to get any sort of snow on christmas. and in columbia, south carolina this is the first time we have seen any significant snow regardless of the day. we have seen snow in the south, but typically not this early. >> adam berg, thank you so much

for your reporting and for standing out there in the snow. all of our correspondents deserve an extra, well, hug anyway. we get a check now of the other top stories not morning with ann here, natalie morales is at the news desk. eight american tourists were killed in egypt when their bus collided with a truck sunday. they were en route to the site of a famous ancient temple. this is the third fatal tour bus accident involving tourists in that country since september. those airport security pat downs that have some travelers up in arms are here to say according to homeland security secretary janet napolitano. napolitano says that security is better thanks to those pat downs. violent clashes between christian and muslim groups have left at least 32 people dead.

pope benedict condemned the series of bombings that included attacks on two churches. officials are calling for calm as armed mobs set fire to buildings and had to be disbursed by the military. all that snow is also hitting retailers hard as the east coast blizzard kept customers bundled up for the christmas sales. stores will have to extend their post holiday business counts to recoup their lost sales. this weekend at the box office "little fockers" came in first, true grit second and tron legacy third. let's go back over to ann, luster and al. that little fockers always makes me nervous swhen i say that. >> let's begin with your shoes, you did show what was going on

here, you've been talking about the forecast, but my goodness. it's the shot of the morning. >> good morning. dense fog advisory should expire at 10:00 a.m. live picture there. you can see we have reduced viz bltds in coastal areas. another hour or so. after that, sun out in full force to 58 degrees and the highs, the warmest day of the week. rain on the way tomorrow. have a great monday. >> and that kwees your latest weather. coming up next, your dieting questions answered right after this. man: whoa! mom just caught air. not that she'll describe it that way to her book club.

she'll probably say something like, "everyone had a wonderful time. the food was great. it was good to get away." but let's be honest... mom just caught air! now, there's a first. tell us what you've always wanted to do, on facebook. [ ship horn blows ] so hurry, and use your gift card to buy the things that make all your other gifts even better. the holiday season doesn't have to end. quick, now's the time to use your gift card at walmart! the event you've been waiting for is almost over with 30 years of great deals, everyone's going. fabio? ♪

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question for joy? >> i have heard that drinking a class of wine daily will help you -- >> i think he was saying would help cut down on the includes troll. >> he got a little cut off there. >> unfortunately, no. although drinking a glass of red wine or any other alcoholic beverage for that matter does offer up some heart health benefits, it specifically will boost the hdl. remember h for hero. but it didn't lower the bad cholesterol. that's call your ldl, and you can remember that as l for lousy. the best way to lower your cholesterol other than medications is to follow an overall heart healthy dpit. that means you really want to minimize the saturated fat and the refined carbohydrates and you want to exercise as much as

you k and you can certainly include that daily glass of red wine as part of your heart healthy diet. if you have high triglycerides you don't want to be drinking regularly because alcohol can raise your triglycerides. >> our next question comes from che celeste who joins us on the phone. >> caller: i have heard a lot of people saying that sea salt is better for you than regular salt. >> that's a good question. >> it's a really good question. and it's a little bit tricky to answer. here's the story. depending on what type of sea salt you buy and how much you use, the answer is going to vary. sea salt comes in fine grain sea

salt and coarse grain sea salt. if you're buying fine grain sea salt. it has absolutely no advantages over regular table salt. if you're buying a coarse grain sea salt or kosher salt, it has larger grains compared to a fine table salt. so it has less sodium per volume. and if you're following a recipe and it calls for one teaspoon of salt, you can significantly reduce the amount of sodium in that particular recipe. do i think it's a marketing ploy on some of these products that are out there? probably because companies know that we automatically think sea salt is healthier. so they're putting it on potato chips and on crackers and they're integrating it into canned goods. the bottom line is it doesn't matter what type of salt they're

using, it's the amount of salt. check that nutrition panel and make sure that it doesn't have a lot of sodium and compare it to other products that are on the shelf. that's the only way to know. >> celeste, thanks for your question. and we'll talk new year's resolutions next time. >> it's right around the corner. >> joy bauer, thanks so much. five snacks to serve at your new year's eve party. but first these messages. big ones. ♪ little ones. and ones with fresh step litter inside. that's because fresh step scoopable litter with carbon is better at eliminating odors than arm & hammer super scoop. fresh step. cats know what they like. i'm loving weight watchers new pointsplus program and the edge it's giving me.

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the classic hairstyles that will be coming back in 2011. also secret spending, what to do if you suspect your partner of it. healthy lifestyle? well, you should also start enjoying activia or activia light. activia, for us? sure, it's for people who want to feel good inside. when you feel good, you're more likely to get out there and enjoy life! mmm! mmm! i like this resolution. mm-hmm! here is the activia promise-- love how you feel or your money back! ♪ activia [ male announcer ] it's here. the all-new chevy cruze. msn autos called it "the class of its class right now." but that's not the only story. it's got turn-by-turn navigation, onstar, an available six-speed automatic transmission, remote keyless entry, and 10 air bags. it's a big story for a compact car. the all-new chevrolet cruze. get used to more. very well-qualified lessees can get a low-mileage lease

on a 2011 chevrolet cruze ls for around $159 a month. call for details. good monday morning to you. 9:26 right now. mike has a look at the morning commute. getting better? >> getting better. as far as visibility, no. the slow traffic, yeah. we have a disabled vehicle. only thing to report. there's not a lot to report. the bridge got over there from the san francisco side. the approach to the toll plaza, no metering lights all morning. you can barely make out the work. we have a fog advisory now for the san mateo bridge and just about every other bridge in the bay area. >> coastal areas seeing pretty

foggy conditions. socked in this morning. less than a quarter of a mile visibility. slow it down. have the low beams handy. by about 10:00 a.m., the sun will be out. looking good for today. temperaturewise, 58 degrees but just remember foggy conditions. very dangerous driving conditions for at least another hour. we'll have another uat eeor f you coming right up. or

the snow that brought a white christmas to parts of the south now creating a post-holiday mess or postcard, depending on your perspective. >> yeah, postcard. >> let's go with postcard. up to 30 inches of snow in some areas outside of manhattan, and well, there's a great shot of a frozen lens. >> that's on top of the rock. >> on top of the rock. but the wind and the moisture and that's what happens. and al's going to fill us in on when this is all going to come to an end in a moment, because we understand it's now blasting its way up to new england. >> but look at the snow on the branches of the christmas tree here at rockefeller plaza. >> i saw the guys out there spraying it with their stuff,

very difficult to get a can up there. >> the best thing to do on a day like today, go get a pair of cross-country skis and get out there and get on the avenues or on to central park. >> i was thinking a remote control and -- where'd we go with the whole postcard nightmare. >> making s'mores. >> i bet our producer is saying, move on. he said he wanted a snappy open. that worked out pretty well. >> also ahead -- >> we've got the thorny topic, relationship and money. everyone's bought something without their spouse knowing about it, but what if it goes beyond that, to big purchases or secret credit cards. we'll talk about the problems that can cause, coming up. also, the iconic hairstyles of the past about to make a big comeback. from farrah's big feathered look to demi's 'do from the '80s. a lot of people are planning their new year's menus, and we have a bit of advice, using only five ingredients.

some tasty snacks to make it easy for you. courtesy of our experts. but, first, al, the latest on the storm? >> it's finally moving out. as we take a look at the week ahead, that storm moves out. cold air remains behind it in the east. another big storm in the west coast early in the week. then that spreads to the east, it's bringing a lot of snow through the rockies. great news for skiers. above normal temperatures midsections of the country. and the latter part of the country, above normal here in the east, colder out west well, our neck of the woods is still fogged in this morning. especially close to the peninsulas. you can see from the golden gate bridge, definitely dangerous driving conditions out there. heading throughout the afternoon, nice, warm day. 58 degrees as the forecasted high. high pressure in control for another day. rain showers for tomorrow.

have a fantastic monday. >> and that's your latest weather. >> al, thank you. coming up next, what you should do if you suspect your spouse is secretly spending, coming up right after this. tly right after this. st over with 30 years of great deals, everyone's going. fabio? ♪ wow. [ male announcer ] for a limited time, get 0% apr financing on select new corollas, camrys & tundras. plus, every new toyota comes with toyota care, featuring a complimentary maintenance plan with roadside assistance. this legendary event only happens once-a-year. don't miss out on the amazing deals at toyotathon. hurry in today. sleep is here, on the wings of lunesta. and if you wake up often in the middle of the night... rest is here, on the wings of lunesta. lunesta helps you fall asleep and stay asleep, so you can wake up feeling rested.

when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions, such as tongue or throat swelling, occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. get lunesta for a $0 co-pay at lunesta.com. sleep well, on the wings of lunesta. no pills, no pain. how can you get pain relief without taking pills around the clock? try thermacare heatwraps, for all day relief without pills. i was surprised, thermacare worked all day. you feel the heat. and it relaxes and unlocks the muscle. you've got to try it. [ man ] thermacare, more effective for back pain

than the maximum dose of acetaminophen, the medicine in tylenol. go to thermacare.com today for a $3 off coupon. thermacare. no pills. no pain. just relief. progresso. oh yes hi. can you please put my grandma on the phone please? thanks. excuse me a sec. another person calling for her grandmother. she thinks it's her soup huh? i'm told she's in the garden picking herbs. she is so cute. okay i'll hold. she's holding. wha? (announcer) progresso. you gotta taste this soup. with walmart's end-of-the-year clearance event, starting december 26 at 6am. get unbelievable clearance prices on select toys, home decor, clothing, candy, and seasonal items. it all starts december 26, while supplies last. it's the end-of-the-year clearance event at walmart! [ male announcer ] not sure what to take?

now click on the robitussin relief finder. click on your symptoms. get the right relief. makes the cold aisle easy. the robitussin relief finder. it's that simple. >> this morning> on "today's" relationships, your spouse's secret spending. according to a recent survey, 80% of all married people hide bills from their spouses. so what do you do if you suspect

your partner of doing it or maybe you're the secret spender. david bach is with us and gail saltz is here. good to see you. so, dave, what does this actually mean, this study mean to us? >> i'll tell you, what is shocking in this survey, almost one out of two couples said, if their spouse knew what they were spending secretly, they might leave them. so that tells me, financial infidelity is more serious than anything we've ever talked about. we saw on here, couples had -- 18.5% of couples had a credit card they wouldn't told people about. there's a lot of secrecy when it comes to money, and we need to help couples get clean about it. and what they're really fighting about is their debt. >> so, gail, it's interesting in this study, it's different what men spend and women spend. women more likely to spend on clothing and gifts. men, alcohol, music, and dating

sites. >> this one made us look bad here. >> it's not surprising, since these are the things that the person wants, but thinks that their spouse would look down on our say, you know, i don't want you to get that or i don't understand why you get that. and the dating websites are about the fact that men are more likely to cheat than women, but women are doing it too. >> and given the fact that probably everyone does a little secret spending. where's the point where it becomes detrimental to a relationship? >> here's the thing. it's about, is this a consequential purpose? of course, people fill their gas tanks, buy their kids socks, and don't mention it because that's not consequential. but you can fool yourself into believing -- use denial to say, this wouldn't matter. so you have to loudly ask yourself, what would my spouse say if i said, hey, honey, i'm getti ting "x," how do you feel about that? >> and you probably already know the answer. >> right. and if the answer is a negative

one or you do it anyway or don't ask yourself that question, then you're betraying your spouse. and this subject matter is not so much about the dollars, per se, it's about the betrayal. >> and what about the debt part of this, david? >> for couples, do fight about, why did you buy this, when really what couples are afraid of is being broke, often. i think what couples should do is start by looking at financial ame amends. coming clean. how much debt do you actually have? a very easy way for couples to do this is pull each other's credit reports and credits score, because all the debt is listed. and sit down once a month and say, let's not fight about what we spend, let's look at how we make progress. because if we're shrinking our debt, we're making progress. if our debt's growing each month, we're not making progress. and it's having that value-based conversation, saying, it's not what we're spending money on that matters, it's about our future. i want us to have financial

security. >> our philosophy, our plan, have we come to some sort of agreement. it's okay to have separate pots, if that's your choice. but if your choice is, no, we're going to talk about all our purchases and then you don't, that's where the betrayal sets in and that does often lead to divorce. >> and it goes back to being on the same page. as a couple, you need to be a team. if you're separating this right now and not working as a team, you feel separates. >> i think couples should sit down and say, what is your plan? do they want to have separate pots or feel like we really should run everything together. and if you're having trouble with this, see a therapist or a financial planner -- >> or a therapist who's a financial planner. >> and many financial planners become therapists. >> david bach, dr. gail saltz, thank you so much. and coming up, flashing back to being fashion forward when it comes to your hair in 2011, right after these messages. 2011. right after these messages.

"dietary supplement weight-loss pills." ooh, "consult a physician if you experience rapid heartbeat, "dizziness, shortness of breath... "side effects may include chest pain, nausea..." yeah. couple days of that, and i will be in a bathing suit in no time! [ female announcer ] need a clinically proven way to lose weight now? then try the slim-fast 3-2-1 plan. 3 snacks, 2 shakes or meal bars, and 1 balanced meal. slim-fast. who has time to slim slowly? jordyn was given just weeks to live. then my mom saw your st. jude commercial. i know... at st. jude children's research hospital, jordyn received our pioneering research procedure and now jordyn has hope. ...and now i'm in the st. jude commercial. in it...you're the star of it. give thanks for the healthy kids in your life. and give to those who are not. go to stjude.org or shop wherever you see our magnifying glass.

just joined? we want a healthier lifestyle. well, you should also start enjoying activia. for us? it's for people who want to feel good inside. when you feel good, you're more likely to get out there and enjoy life! mmm! mmm! i like this resolution. love how you feel or your money back! son: hey mom!

wife: what are you doing? what is that? what is this? guy: it's a special paste i invented to replace socks. we're dipping our feet in it. wife: why? guy: because we can't find socks that shape to our feet. we're sick of it! son: sick of it! wife: that's really stupid. guy: that's the future. announcer: hanes makes better-fitting socks the whole family will love. guaranteed, or your money back. the event you've been waiting for is almost over with 30 years of great deals, everyone's going. fabio? ♪ wow. [ male announcer ] for a limited time, get 0% apr financing on select new corollas, camrys & tundras. plus, every new toyota comes with toyota care, featuring a complimentary maintenance plan with roadside assistance. this legendary event only happens once-a-year. don't miss out on the amazing deals at toyotathon. hurry in today.

don't miss out on the amazing deals at toyotathon. ♪ [ pop ] right now at h&r block, and you could get it fast. just bring in your tax information... and get a refund anticipation check for up to $9,999. you pay nothing out of pocket... to get the maximum refund guaranteed. never settle for less than fast. call 1-800-hrblock... or visit hrblock.com to make an appointment. h&r block. never settle for less. ♪ [ continues ] this morning on "today's" beauty. hairstyles through the decades. the more things change, the more they stay the same. liz mccarthy is "today's" contributor and hairstylist to the stars. as we mentioned, you do see hair always changing evolving, but still somewhat the same over the decades. >> the more things change the

more they stay the same. there's nothing more fashionable than hair and makeup. >> it's your greatest accessory. >> it absolutely is your greatest accessory. the iconic hair dos of the '60s, '70s and '80s have really influenced what's going to happen in 2011. >> let's talk about first the '60s. i think twiggie really celebrated that look. >> she took over the world, this girl. >> yeah, the short hair do. very -- definitely it was a statement hair do. >> it was definitely, if you notice, it's very stiff, she had no bangs. her hair was sprayed in place. it was more of a solid blond. also notice her makeup, the way that she had those eyelashes that were each one individually planted. >> and the very heavy eyeliner. >> how will this look, how will we see this evolve in 2011 as we

look at our beautiful model here larissa. >> it's much softer. the tip to 2011 is softer hair. she has this fringe, it's more layered, it's softer. so the hair will move. it doesn't look so frozen in place. twiggie looked like she had a can of hair spray in her back pocket. larissa looks like she used it once and threw it away. >> and the hair is blonder? >> we used the appropriate shade to go with the skin color, which is hair rule number one. in this case we used paler skin tones, paler hair color. she has a slight olive collection. . >> of course farrah fawcet, charlie's angels. had this gorgeous california glow. that look. and the feathered bangs. >> feathered bangs.

again, frozen in place, really with a round brush and hair spray and setting lotion and everything else to keep the hair in place. >> so how is that going to influence 2011? here's kristen. >> here's kristen and you can see here hair is still off the face to mimic farrah's look. the difference is number one, it is more of a rounded edge, number two, it is not so frosted looking. if you notice, there's a stroke of color on your face. basically the blond is on the tips of the hair. this does two things, number one it's more natural, number two she'll never have roots. number three is the look of hair color today. we have been talking about roots for years, madonna roots that were not that attractive. this is the kind of roots that we'll see in 2011. it adds depth and it will flatter your face. >> a last look at the '80s, think we think of demi's

hairstyle in st. elmo's fire. tell me what we're going to see. >> look at this. this is great. now by the way. dana did all the makeup, but we had help from the great staff at nbc hair and makeup which i want to thank from the bottom of our hearts. the difference is that before she was very hard to touch. she had so much -- if you put your hand in her hair, it gets stuck in her hair. >> right. >> now you see it's soft, it's romantic, it's not frizzy, it is believable hair. it's the kind of hair, you know, tip three, your hair should be able to blow in the wind and still look good. it will. >> more natural is n we always love that, lewis. >> and notice the chocolate brown. make the hair color a little bit richer. >> ladies, i know it was brutal getting in this morning.

so i appreciate the effort you all made. >> we loved it. what a great way to start 2011. >> coming up next, easy and elegant new year's eve party tips. but

this morning on "today's" holiday kitchen, quick and easy party treats you can serve to your new year's eve guests. we have got claire robinson, the author of five ingredients for elegant recipes. we're gearing up for this new year, it's exciting, and you've got some easy simple ideas beginning with how we greet our guests. >> i always say hand them a cocktail right away. >> in fact you say lay all this stuff out so people can be making it themselves. >> it is pomegranate juice that

we have made into ice cubes. the fun thing about this is that you can make it your own. i love these flavors because it's a little bit tart and refreshing and we have all had heavy meals over the past few days. so a little bit of this. that's actually citrus vodka. and then this is a lemon simple sugar, we added lemon juice and some sugar and water equal parts, just a touch of that and then top it with seltzer. >> you can leave a card there so people know how to make it themselves. >> exactly. >> yum. that looks beautiful too. >> another good tip, i'm going to let you mix, it's a little bit of lime juice into some soy sauce some brown sugar and another four ingredients. there's a little bit of flank steak. >> also you cut against the grain, you said. >> cut against the grain, because some people avoid flank

steak because they find it tough. it's actually a wonderful, tender steak as long as you cut it the right way which is just against the grain like that. and you let it sit in the marinade. >> how long do you marinade it? >> i let it sit about ten to 15 minutes, then right on the grill. it immediately sears. a really hot grill pan, you do it about 30 seconds per side. >> it ends up like this with these beautiful marks on it. and then you roll it up? >> i roll it up. i cook it until it's a little bit thicker, it takes about five minutes. >> we have one right behind me. >> and people can dip it themselves. >> they can dip it or you can

drizzle it over. a little bit of tahini. and then you can use lemon or lime juice, whatever you've got at that point. >> i notice that you use a lot of citrus. this is the third dish with citrus. you like that? >> i like the citrus with the and then the coriande. >> and then a little bit of hummus. >> lester and natalie's reaction is any sort of guide. people would like this on the new year's. >> absolutely. >> the hardest part about cooking is actually operating the equipment. this is the easiest thing in the world to make. >> you want to taste test the

pomegranate drink, you guys? >> i'm going the give it a try. >> ann made it for you. >> these are premade. i think they will be better. >> we'll have some makeovers with hoda and kathie lee. >> first your local news and a lot of weather to talk about. >> good luck, everybody.

good morning to you. 9:56 right now. mike has an accident to tell us about.

>> major one. southbound 101. the onramp with an accident between a prius and a box truck. blocking a couple of lanes on the onramp. so that will be slow passing by the dealership and the car wash. foggy day. fog will be an issue. also slowing the golden gate bridge. not because of the volume of traffic but the visibility over the bridge. this is a problem. in this spot. >> yeah. actually a problem all across the bay area right now. high pressure is compressing the leftover moisture of the christmas day storm and less than a quarter mile of visibility. so really take it easy if you're waking up near the bay this morning. looking really good in terms of this afternoon. 58 degrees and back to you, laura. >> thanks so much. most people are driving to their holiday destination this year and paying big for it. 93% of drivers drive this year

according to aaa. bay area gas prices hit their highest points in more than two years. average price for a gal listen of regular gas in oakland, $3.31. san francisco, 3.37. prices up more than 18 cents over the past few weeks and experts blame higher global costs of crude oil. chp reporting that deaths due to duis are down this year. between friday and saturday 6:00 p.m., three people were killed across california by drunk drivers, that is down from the 12 killed last year. in the bay area, there were no fatal duis this weekend and coming to dui arrests, 507 drivers arrested this year comparing to 552 last year and statewide. were, 85 drivers compared compared to 53 last year. i'll have another local news update for you in about a half hour.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television hey, everybody. so nice see you. welcome to fun had-day. hope your holiday weekend was just amazing. mine was. hoda's was. >> outstanding. >> but now it is december 27th and we move on. time passes, hoda. >> it is one of those thing that after christmas it's hard because you spend all of this time building up to christmas, you decorate the house, the tree, the yard. then there is a time when you

have to start undoing all that you did. >> sometimes you know how careful you are when you do the tree, then you start taking the tree down -- >> tear. the question is when should you take down your christmas tree? the one out here, big one out here, comes down on january 2nd. >> we usually put ours up right after thanksgiving and take it down right after new year's. which i think makes sense. when it's over, it's over. but apparently not for everybody. because -- there are people in o our neighborhood that leave -- some of the people leave their stuff up all year long. they don't light it, but it's up there. a santa claus in july sitting on a roof waiting to get lit at christmastime is depressing. >> this is what happened in our family. this is how we roll. so it was february, maybe it was march. i can't remember -- february. february. for some reason we had an artificial tree and it was in the basement downstairs and it was just there. i don't know why, no one bothered to take it down, we

like it, it was festive. so someone came, ding dong at the door, my parents said, oh, my god, the tree, we didn't want to embarrass our family so we went running for the tree, unplugged it ran it into the storage room and shut it. then it came time for next christmas. we went to the storage room and it was already decorated. it was like -- and that became -- >> you didn't make a trip to the storage room in nine months? ten months? >> we just left it. it was already done. the great news is that tree -- we laughed because we would just turn it a little for a different view. >> what people don't know is traditionally christmas trees were not brought in an deck rayed until like christmas eve. then down the 12th day of the new year. >> everyone's decorating way before thanksgiving. people get their trees around thanksgiving day weekend. >> i find i'm doing less and less and less.

that's probably because i'm older and older and more arthritic as days go on. so much of what we do, we do for our little ones. as we get older -- what's so funny, cody came home from school of course and was just like thrilled to see the big wreath on the gate. you realize that it might not mean the same to you but it really does instill great traditions for your kids. >> i like that. >> i like it, too. >> you guys i'm sure got gifts that you didn't want. the question is what do you do with those gifts? what do you do? you know what i do? i just keep them. >> you regift. >> i either give them away to somebody else an mistakenly as i did to you, gave you a gift jill martin gave to me and she saw it. she goes that purse looks familiar. i was like, oh, no. she did give it to me, then you have it now. >> i've since given it to somebody else. >> nobody likes that purse. >> it's like a fruitcake. the gift that just keeps giving

and gives. but it is a very bizarre thing because you are given something to the spirit of the holiday, it is the spirit of giving, but what are you going to do with something you're not going to wear or use it -- donate it to charity. give it to somebody in need. sell it on ebay or a swap party. >> i think swap parties are cool. come with the gifts you didn't love and wap out. the gift receipt that goes in the bag is a good thing. there was some debate about whether or not there should be a gift receipt in the package. >> if you are in the spirit of giving you want someone to love what you've given them. if you don't, you should love them enough to get them what they'd really like. >> what if you don't like the color? i've gotten things i like but i don't like the color -- >> i don't think anybody would mind that. you're great with thank-you notes. >> only to you because i know you're sticky about them so i make sure you get one.

>> i'm not as good as i used to be. >> you always, always write thank-you notes. >> i think we're losing in our culture so many of the little niceties. i don't want to be a stickler about stuff, people are very, very busy. they say that if you open a gift in front of someone, there's no need to then write them a thank-you note because you were able to say thank you in front of them. >> but sometimes do i e-mails. i know emily post and those people say it is terrible but sometimes you just want to let someone know i got it, it was beautiful, thank you. >> i compromised with my kids on that. i used to make them write to ef single person. i say then get on the phone and call them right now and tell them how much you appreciate it. i still don't think it is right but what are you are you going to do? what do you think about hiding purchases from your significant other? would you do that? >> yes, i did that. well because you get shoes that are way outranlous and you just are a little bit embarrassed and you don't want to have a

discussion about it so you just put you the them under the bed. >> do you ask yourself first would this be a problem? oh, beautiful shoes, honey, good for you. >> once they ask about how much you spent. i don't usually talk about those things but when you get too many things you're kind of embarrassed. >> you were the breadwinner in the relationship. that's where it gets touchy kind of feely. you snow what i'm saying? if you're one that makes the bulk of the income. >> you want to be able to spend on what you want. >> at the same time if you're in a trust relationship, so many problems in life. >> they say women often hide things like clothes and shoes and accessories. >> guess what men hide? booze. >> booze and porn. no, it is. it is porn. >> no. music. >> music. >> maybe porn in your life. >> i thought it was porn. okay. no, it's not.

>> we all go under -- we hear about people going under the knife for all kinds of reasons. some of them very, very legitimate. >> yes. >> but women are so crazy about shoes that they are literally going under the knife for procedures to wear the shoes a little bit easier. i had both my feet done because i had 85-year-old little lady feet from performing in high heels all of my life. this is unbelievable. >> there's one called a foot tuck. it takes the fat from the midsection. put it under the bones of the feet to provide extra padding. yuck. >> just put those dr. scholl things in. foot surgery is not very easy. not everybody can have a dr. michael maclean. you know how some people have a long second toe -- what is that? anthony's got a that big toe. if you have a longer weird second toe, some people get it

shortened. >> i don't think anthony is going to do that. >> then the cinderella procedure takes bumps off the joint of the big toe and re-aligns it to make it narrower. i had both feet done. right? and you would think that i would have a smaller shoe now. smaller shoe size. >> aren't your feet bigger than they used to be if. >> i gained a half size with each baby but then you'd think the bunions would give you a size 15. depending on the size of those babies. no. i wear a 7 now but i would have a 6 1/2 before the surgery. but i'm not complaining. shall we do our favorite things? >> i think we should. there is a very cool sweater it shall it shall i want to show what it looks like. britta brittany's doing it. this is a dk -- first, this comes in two price ranges. one is kind of pricey, $300, the other is kind of expensive,

around $70. you can wrap it. it's so cozy and comfy, you can sling it over your shoulder if you want, you can wear it the other way so the back is in the front. it's great for airplanes when you're flying an chilly. i love that. >> i have a million of these. they're fantastic, hoda. how much do those cost? >> you can get one for $60 or one for $300. >> we've been talking about manners and that sort of thing. this is a fantastic -- we should have sent it before christmas but it is not too late. take some of those gift receipts you got and get this. it is called blunders and it is interactive manners adventure for children. they learn all kinds of -- it is for ages 5-up. they learn table manners, honesty, responsibility, school etiquette, telephone manners, respect and kindness, confident introductions, hosts and guest gifts. all things that you are so busy, parents, you are too busy to

teach your own children. so get them a little game and you, unfortunately, don't know who you are. but maybe this is a way to solve the problem of the disability in our country. >> i like it. coming up, it is a very special "ambush makeover" monday. >> but this time hoda and i got to do the picking from some of our friends. people we love very much. >> check out their hot new looks right after this. just joined? we want a healthier lifestyle. well, you should also start enjoying activia. for us? it's for people who want to feel good inside. when you feel good, you're more likely to get out there and enjoy life!

mmm! mmm! i like this resolution. love how you feel or your money back! sleep is here, on the wings of lunesta. and if you wake up often in the middle of the night... rest is here, on the wings of lunesta. lunesta helps you fall asleep and stay asleep, so you can wake up feeling rested. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions, such as tongue or throat swelling, occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. get lunesta for a $0 co-pay at lunesta.com.

sleep well, on the wings of lunesta. ♪ [ pop ] right now at h&r block, and you could get it fast., just bring in your tax information... and get a refund anticipation check. you pay nothing out of pocket. h&r block. never settle for less. ♪ ♪ it's that chocolate ♪ it's that whipped cream ♪ it's that caramel, and espresso you mix in ♪ ♪ i must be, i must be, i must be, i must be ♪ ♪ i must be dreamin' [ male announcer ] for the first time at mcdonald's -- your two favorite flavors together. new mccafé caramel mocha. well? what do you guys think? perfect. [ male announcer ] the simple joy of sweet harmony. ♪

today on our "plaza "ambush makeovers,"" we dye ecided to ambush some of our own friends. >> "today" contributor and shilist to the stars -- everybody -- louis licari la-la-la-la-la. >> and jill martin. hey, kids. so we hand-delivered our people to you. >> you sure did. >> i don't like your tone. >> at all.

>> no, they were absolutely wonderful women but colorwise and stylewise we had a lot of work do in a very short time. and jill had to get them dressed -- >> a lot of work? i don't like that. >> they were so grateful that you gave this to them. it was really an amazing experience. >> all right. >> the first is my friend, lisa west, 53 from laurel, maryland. do i not know anybody that loves helping other people more than she does. she works in a retirement community. she's a single mom to her 18-year-old son mario who is just precious and she has no time for a beauty routine or shopping. she hasn't highlighted her hair in nine months. she wants to look classy and not frumpy and here she is. >> i cannot looev beliebelieve known kathie lee for 30 years. >> we were both babies. >> tell me about your friendship. >> she just reached out to me. i was ill at the time and needed

to have surgery and she helped find the surgery you surgeon for me and -- which literally in turn saved my life. >> no more tears. >> okay. >> because it is time to have some fun with louis and i. >> i am so excited. and thank you. >> she's just absolutely precious. >> here's what you're going to do. put on the blindfold. kathie is going to be reacting. >> i love this girl. >> blindfold on. >> this is tight and unsightly. >> it's not about me. this time. >> all right. here is lisa's before picture. all right, lisa. come out, let's see the new you. >> oh! ready, kath? >> yeah! >> take off your blindfold. she's over here. >> oh, my gosh! o oh, my gosh! >> lisa, you got to see yourself though. you ready?

do you have your glasses? you don't need them. you look so good. >> oh, my gosh. >> that hair, louis, is awesome. >> i love the color. >> thank you so much. >> i've never known you to be dark before. this is great. >> she expressed an interest in being dark. i wanted to make her a dark that worked for her. it was dark enough that it looked to harsh. we found the perfect combination. debbie gave her this great haircut. there's nothing frumpy about you. >> look at her figure, your skin, everything. >> look at this body. she was so grateful but a little bossy when we were dressing her. i want classic items. so we gave her all items that she can wear throughout the year from ann taylor. >> lisa! >> walk right over there, lisa. >> next up, is a wonderful woman named blair holman. she's worked at nbc for 40

years. she's now assistant to the president steve capus who's in the house. she's been trying to color her gray. she's one of the funniest, greatest people you'd meet. she's got two daughters. listen to blair's story. >> blair is a little mortified right now because you are victim number two. but you tell me you are excited. >> i am so excited. i've been waiting to do this for a long time but hoda didn't know that. so when she asked me, it was right up my alley. >> you've told me you've had a tough year so you really deserve this. >> i have. my mom passed away in may and it was unexpected and so this will be something to perk me up. >> i know hoda is so honored to give this to you. >> thank you. i'm glad she thought of me. >> are you ready to be pampered for three hours? >> aii am. i need it. >> blair is here with her posse. laura, sharon, steve capus, the boss of all of us is here.

we're very nervous. we want this to work. turn around. here's blair before. blair, let's see you. oh! girl, you are such a -- all right, guys, one, two, three, turn around, take them off! girl! >> oh, lord! oh, my god! >> this is fabulous. >> come here, girl. blair is one of the pistols in the newsroom. tell us about the hair. you like? >> i love it. everyone, oh, my god. that before picture is bad. >> tell us about it. >> okay, first of all, blair -- she's dynamic. i can't tell you anything more. her hair was colored dark. she made it too dark. i didn't like it. i added a few highlights. again, debbie gave her this great haircut the bangs,

slightly beveled in the back. >> we want to know what steve thinks. steve capus, the news president. >> you're always beautiful, but this is great. people are going to be stopping at your desk before they come to see me, which is. perfect. looks great. >> maybe a little party at your desk now. >> we wanted to give her something just to amp her up for the holidays. that full outfit from talbot a's. >> big round of applause, guys. looking good, looking good. >> gorgeous! gorgeous. up next, we've narrowed down the choices. we'll show you who we pick to be fan of the week. >> how do louis and jill work their magic? first these messages. ♪ [ female announcer ] tide with acti-lift technology

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it feels wonderful. i don't smoke. i don't smoke. [ male announcer ] it's a new year. so, ask your doctor about chantix. and find out how you could save money on your prescription go to chantix.com to learn more and get terms and conditions. it is time now to reveal our "fan of the week," the series

where we give a shout out to our most devoted groupies. >> who is this we's big win per. >> after searching through countless entries we found some great klg and hoda devotees. drum roll, please. winners are -- alice jones and chelsea thomas. best friends from south lake tahoe. they've been best friends since childhood. they're now roommates but, no, they are not sick of each other. they also enjoy playing bingo with chelsea's grandma. it is no joking matter, it is pretty intense. they watch the show every day together with a cup of coffee in hand. >> that's hysterical. they love wines-day. they love klg and hoda because, like you both, they greet every day with laughter, love listening to themselves talk and nef turn down a chance to have a

little vino before lunch. >> they're practically oprah and gayle. >> they watch you every day and they literally do beauty things. it is cute. >> thanks so much, you guys. still to come, an entire ambush half-hour. two more women get glamorous makeovers. plus ambush like you've never seen it before. we'll take you behind the scenes while louis and jill answer your questions. ice sculpture means i don't have any margin for error. one wrong turn, and i could end up unloading a puddle of water. >> gps: turn right ahead. >> man: so i make sure i have the right guidance to get me exactly where i need to be. it's the same with taxes. turbotax has a unique gps feature that guides me step-by-step. automatically double-checks along the way and even lets me talk to a tax expert so i'm never alone. which helps me know it's done right and get to my maximum refund, guaranteed. >> try turbotax online now. you don't pay unless you're satisfied with the results. leftover desserts, boardroom, now.

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good morning to you. 10:26. mike has an update on our commute. >> what little of it there was this morning. san mateo bridge over towards the peninsula side. we saw the fog roll in an hour and a half ago. a break on the hayward side. sunshine throwing through just at the toll plaza itself. very light commute in the bay and low clouds on the east shore freeway and east of there, further south we see sun right around the golf course there and

low clouds just on the other sides of the hill. what do you see? >> the dense fog advisory expired. looking towards lots of sunshine. probably five miles of visibility or greater across the board. take it easy in oakland and san mateo with less than a quarter of a mile. through this afternoon, pretty warm day considering. 58 degrees. we have a big storm on our hands for tomorrow. showers starting probably tomorrow morning. bulk of the moisture coming through tuesday into wednesday. laura's back with more news in just minutes.

the season is essentially over for the raiders. they played better this year but won't make it to the playoffs. they were out of it before they started yesterday against the colts. kansas city won eliminating oakland. they lost to indianapolis and close out the season in kansas city next sunday. beginning the first week of january, people living in san francisco can start recycling their christmas trees. the morning, city leaders kick off the curbside kris yas tree recycling program. once all the trees are chipped, the material is shipped to a facility to serve new purpose and bio mass fuel. the demonstration is today at 11:00. thanks so much for joining us this morning. see you bright and early

tomorrow morning starting at 5:00 a.m. have a great day. hey, we're back with more of "today" on this fun-day. since it is end of the year, we wanted to do a little rec n reminiscing. >> let's look back at some of the year's best makeovers. ♪ ♪ ♪

>> just nef had a makeover before. >> let's bring out the new monica. ♪ >> i think we need a broom. >> we found two sisters. this is a big surprise for both of them. >> one, two, three. >> all right, let's see the new you. >> she has a hair style that she

begged them get it under control. what do you think of your wife? >> holy mackerel. >> oh, gosh! so fun. they spent three hours in hair and makeup, now our two friends are ready to show us their new look.ti ... and get a refund anticipation check for up to $9,999.... you pay nothing out of pocket... to get the maximum refund guaranteed. never settle for less than fast. call 1-800-hrblock... or visit hrblock.com to make an appointment. h&r block. never settle for less. ♪ [ continues ] the moisturizer in other body washes sits on top of skin. only dove has nutriummoisture, which can nourish deep down. dove body wash with nutriummoisture. superior natural nourishment for your skin.

i'd get this tightness in my chest. so i went back to my doctor again. we chose symbicort to help control my asthma symptoms all day and night. [ man ] symbicort improves my lung function, starting within 15 minutes. symbicort will not replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. it is a combination of two medicines and should not be taken more often than prescribed. symbicort contains formoterol. medicines like formoterol increase the risk of death from asthma problems, and children and adolescents may have an increased risk of being hospitalized for asthma problems. symbicort is not for people whose asthma is well controlled with a long-term asthma control medicine like inhaled corticosteroids. once your asthma is well controlled, your doctor will decide if you can stop symbicort without loss of control, and prescribe a long-term asthma control medicine. be sure to see your doctor if your asthma does not improve or gets worse.

symbicort is a good choice to help control my asthma all day and night. [ inhales ] [ exhales ] ask your doctor if symbicort is a good choice for you. [ male announcer ] if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. takes care of 33 loads. tide stain release only handles 11. and clorox 2 gets rid of tough stains right before your eyes. clorox 2. find it next to the clorox bleach. by giving me ginormous discounts with these: how can expedia save me even more on my hotel?es. unpublished rates. which means i get an even more rockin' hotel, for less. where you book matters. expedia. which means i get an even more rockin' hotel, for less. [ male announcer ] it's here. the all-new chevy cruze. msn autos called it "the class of its class right now." but that's not the only story. it's got turn-by-turn navigation, onstar, an available six-speed automatic transmission, remote keyless entry, and 10 air bags. it's a big story for a compact car.

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makeovers." >> this week hoda chose two of our friends who agreed to be good sports. now it is time to reveal the new looks of two more people dear to our lives. louis licari la-la-la-la-la. >> a "today" contributor and stylist to the stars, jill martin. what did you guys think? >> we had so much fun. great girls. it's so great when people are so receptive. these ladies were so excited to be in our chairs. >> first up, sandra cohen. she is one of the security guards at nbc. great lady. she stands right there at the east bank elevators. she's 45 years old, born in bolivia. work at nbc for the last couple years. she loves her job. she's so friendly. people fall in love with her. she -- look at her hair. she flat-irons it every day. i know she has issued, we discuss all the time. she tries to look like a lady but it is hard got to got to

wear that foxy guy uniform. >> here's how it goes. hoda comes through here every day, then tell me about what you think of her. >> well, she is wonderful. she always have a beautiful smile. >> you told me you're just so honored that she nominated you. >> yes. you couldn't believe it. you know? when she remembers me. >> what do you hope to look like? >> ooh -- beautiful! and spectacular. >> ooh. all right, well we are going to take you from security guard to sizzling. are you ready? >> oh, yes! i can't wait. i'm so excited. >> i'm so excited, too. >> she's darling. >> we lovesan dra. her daughter, carla, is there. keep your blindfold on. here's sandra -- oh, girl! oh hello hello hello! come here come here come here! you ready, carla?

take off your blindfold, check out your mom. >> oh, my gosh! mom, you look so beautiful. >> ready? right here, girl. turn around. >> oh, my god! hello, sexy. hello, sexy. >> i really look hot. woo! >> louis, tell us about the hair. >> the first thing i did is she made her hair dark. she already had dark hair. darker than dark. i wanted to soften it. look at how much younger and prettier. soft softer. then this great layered haircut which takes the hair off her face because she has more hair than five women. >> the outfit is hot! >> we had so much fun with her. that uniform does not fit her personality.

she saw the leopard on the rack she said that is what i want! just a simple black look, then the jacket from talbot's. >> if you guys ever come to 30 rock to visit, you'll see sandra, east bank elevators. big round of applause for sandra. join your daughter right there. >>. >> our second lady is 55, born in poland. now lives in pennsylvania. she has worked in housekeeping for 31 years an recently switched from the night shift to the day shift here at nbc. she used to color her hair but nothing more. pays no attention to fashion and wears only cover-up. she's the single mom of four kids. >> you've known kathie for two years. how excited are you that she chose this for you? >> very excited. i love kathie, she's no nice. >> what do you want to look like

after this makeover? >> i want to look a little younger. >> a little younger, a little hotter. are you ready to get rid of that gray hair? >> oh, yes. i am ready. >> we are going to pamper you for three hours. you ready? >> yes, i'm ready. >> she's adorable. she's here with her son, mark, 18 -- let's take one last look. bring the new one out. oh, my god! take off your blindfolds, you guys. >> oh, my gosh! wow! she's gorgeous! >> turn around. take a look at yourself. >> oh, my! >> that's you, looking good, hottie. >> you look beautiful.

>> this just goes to show you wash away the gray, you wash away the years. she's at least ten years younger. this great snappy haircut by debbie, a little bit of makeup. it is soft, it is natural. >> oh, my goodness. jill! >> i couldn't help myself. this is one of my all-time favorites because she was in that white t-shirt and those pants. i said i can do something with this body. we gave her this leather jacket. great black pants from talbot's. now you have all the classic items to be hot all the time. >> come op out, sandra. you both look hot, hot, hot! >> we go behind the scenes of "ambush," right after this. [ alarm clock buzzing, indistinct conversations ]

[ female announcer ] important events can sneak up on you. oh, i am not ready. can i have a couple weeks? [ female announcer ] but with yoplait light's two week tune up, you could be ready. you could lose 5 pounds in 2 weeks when you replace breakfast and lunch with a fruit, grain, and yoplait light. betsy bets. you haven't changed a bit. oh...neither have you... sean. well, yeah. [ female announcer ] go to yoplait.com to start your two week tune up. if you're a fan of our "ambush makeover"s, you may have asked yourself how they get that

done in just a few hours. >> it takes a team of true professionals to get it all together. >> who wants a makeover? >> you want a makeover? >> you want a makeover? >> you want a makeover? >> all right, it's 7:00 a.m. we're here on the plaza and it is time for us to pick our victims. >> jill, let's go get them. the crowd is waiting. >> what do we look for? certain candidates, well, have it in the bag. crazy stories, wild signs, desperate pleas. we have seen it all over the years. >> well why do you want a makeover? >> along with the help of our producer, louis and i pluck two lucky ladies out of the crowd who truly deserve a whole new start. all right, it's time for the rules now to set the record straight because there have been so many misconceptions over the years and so many questions. one we're always asked do we

ever use plastic surgery. >> the answer is a big no. we only have three hours! >> number two, we are always asked are these women planted or do we just pick them randomly. >> we pick them randomly. >> three, do the women really see themselves live for the first time on the air. the answer is yes. look at what we do. we cover every mirror with these sheets so they can't see themselves during the three-hour process. now that you know the rules, it is time to see how this all goes down. >> tell me why you think you deserve a makeover. >> there will be a full-length mirror right here so you'll turn around and see yourself because we don't let you dpiz look at yourselves during the makeover. >> reporter: then the magic

begins. it is 7:35 a.m. and we are here in ambush headquarters. let me show you around. hair and makeup where louis and his team are. here is the big wardrobe room. we are ready to go from frumpy to fabulous. first up -- new outfits. >> do you like dresses or more comfortable in two pieces? we try on a bunch of different things that i like an she likes. after going through racks and racks of clothing where we have every size, it is time for louis to take over. >> what we're going to do is make her skin color come alive. >> we're ready. let's go! >> as the women get dressed the mirrors are still covered so the makeoverees have no idea what they are about to see. >> i'm nervous. >> after a few final crimps, a

few nervous laughs and three hours of pampering, it is time for the big reveal. >> all right! >> woo! >> wow! >> beautiful! >> oh, my god! >> look at that sexy haircut. >> oh, my god. >> wow! >> two more success stories, and these taransformations continue well after our ambushes leave 30 rock. >> we are constantly getting letters from makeoverees telling us how we really changed their life. >> head to the plaza friday mornings. who knows? you might be our next victim -- i mean -- makeover maven. >> maybe we could do it for everybody. up next, louis and jill answer your questions. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

now it is time for our fabulous ambush team to answer some of the facebook fan questions. >> "today" contributors. ♪ louis licari la-la-la-la-la and jill martin. >> now when. people on our facebook page are asking for makeovers, they write louis licari la-la-la-la-la. here's one question -- do you have an entire closet filled with clothing ready to choose from or do you rush out and schlepp and bring things over -- >> people ask me this all the time. we actually have three huge ambush closets and i have tons of clothing for every size and shape. no matter who we pick in the morning i always have something. we have two people there, ryan and nicole and jeannine --

sometimes -- an they hem and they put everything together so it is really a scramble. >> you change that up all the time. right? with new things and new friends and fresh -- >> every couple of weeks i'll go to a different store and bring things in in the morning. i'm always schlepping with bag though. >> here's one for louis. do you know the hair color you will use immediately or do you go up to the woman and say, what color would you want? do you choose o or they? >> when i look at them i immediately have a picture. i can sort of say this is going to work. but in the course of that period, i do have a conversation with the lady to make sure that i'm not going to to anything that -- >> what if they say i just don't want to be brunette but you say brunette. from there is always a compromise. if people are here they want to be made over, they want to become a star. >> have you ever walk up to

someone who didn't really want one and wasn't even there for that and went, why are you picking me? >> that happens sometimes. you walk up o to someone. and the husband will say why do you think she needs a makeover? there is balance in how you phrase it. a lot of times we phrase it "celebrity stylist louis licari" will do it and that's how it seems safe. >> jill sells it, too. >> it is just the idea somebody is going to be doing for you that you've never done for yourself. >> it is the chance of a lifetime. it really is. >> it change's people's lives. >> does it beyond the day? i know one of our facebook questions is do you follow up with makeovers do they usually keep up their new look or go back to the old ways? >> i think to an extent they'll keep some of it. will they keep it up perfectly, if you live in ohio -- >> it is a matters of expense. >> but who's available, who's accessible.

>> how do they match the color? >> i give them the formula. >> you do? >> yes. ♪ louis licari la-la-la-la-la >> i know it is hard to pick a favorite but what are your favorite makeovers? >> it was hard. i have pam. u'll remember pam and josie? little josie that reacted and i think we have some of the video here when she started hysterical crying. >> i loved her. >> because she actually wanted this o so much. pam didn't want it at first and josie helped convince her. >> sobbing. >> that was the best soap opera in town. >> was that your favorite as well. >> i loved her obviously. nicole sellers, she was just entering into the professional world and she looked like a college student.

her friends -- >> she was going out looking for a job. >> before we go on, i want to bring out these three ladies. >> you three, come on. >> the whole team. >> whoever is here. it takes a village. come on. come on, guys. coming up tomorrow, we go behind the scenes of "everyone has a story." how to add sparkle to in your new year wardrobe. save $523! 16 minutes could save you 16%!

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