good morning. explosive testimony. penn state assistant coach mike mcqueary describes in great detail what he says was jerry sandusky sexually molesting a boy in a shower in 2002. now two top officials at the university will face trial for lie to go a grand jury about the allegations. hazing homicide. autopsy shows that a drum major at florida a&m university died of blunt force trauma. now his parents are demanding justice and suing the university. and super saturday. it's the last full weekend before christmas and retailers

are pulling out all the stops hoping to cash in by luring you in with great details today, hoping to cash in by luring you in with great details today, saturday, december 17th, 2011. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a saturday morning. i'm lester holt. >> and i'm amy robach. lester, did i hear you say you're just now going to start shopping? >> i'm thinking about it. they keep hitting us with black friday and super monday and what is this? >> super saturday. >> i'm waiting for procrastinator's saturday. >> that's christmas eve. >> oh, that's what they call it. that will be my big day. >> for those of you waiting for the deep discounts, today they say could be your lucky day. there are deals to be had, but

are you buying? we'll take a look at why consumers may be holding back. >> then we're going to head to washington state where the so-called barefoot bandit has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison for an infamous inter national crime spree. he was charged with 80 crimes and he's just 20 years old. >> and call him constant the survivor. this little pup was hit by a car. his heart actually stopped beating. he stopped breathing. he was believed to be dead by his owners until they woke up the next morning to find him sitting up. so was it a miracle? we're going to ask him. >> eight more accidents like that and they'll call him cat. and he was a trailblazer in more ways than one. roy rogers would have turned 100 this year. now his son and grandson are keeping his legacy alive, blazing trails of their own. we're going to tell you more about that coming up. it's a great story. we want to begin with the

explosive testimony in the child sexual abuse investigation involving former penn state assistant football coach jerry sandusky. nbc news national investigative correspondent michael isakoff is in hairrrisburg with more on th. >> reporter: good morning, lester. a judge ruled that the case against those two former penn state officials can now proceed to trial. once the starting penn state quarterback, now a star witness for the government. mike mcqueary took the witness stand and graphically described seeing a naked jerry sandusky engaged in what he called extreme sexual activity with a young boy. the boy was up against the wall, mcqueary testified. jerry was directly behind him in a very, very close position. i believe jerry was sexually molesting him. mcqueary slammed his locker door shut causing msandusky and the

boy to stop looking him directly in the eyes. both penn state officials are charged with lying and failing to report it to authorities. mcqueary acknowledge he never saw any sexual intercourse and never intervened. i was shocked and horrified, to be said, and to be frank with you, i was probably not thinking straight. >> mcqueary was a great witness. very articulate, very sincere and very respectable. >> prosecutors read from joe paterno's testimony. mcqueary told the panel he saw jerry doing something with a youngster doing something of a sexual nature. he later passed along the information and never took any steps to investigate. defense lawyers hammered mcqueary over why he never told police. noting schultz's position overseeing the campus police,

mcqueary shot back, i thought i was talking to the police. now, lester, defense lawyers were frustrated yesterday because the judge limited their ability to question mcqueary about inconsistent statements that they thought might impeach his credibility. but they fully intend to do that when this case goes to trial and they say they're confident they can win a dismissal of the charges. lester. >> mike, thanks very much. now here is amy. lester, thank you. now to last-minute deal making on capitol hill. the senate is expected to vote on a deal regarding tax cuts. lawmakers agree on a $1 trillion spending bill avoiding that shutdown. mike viqueira is at the white house with more on this. >> reporter: good morning. it was yet another trip to avoid a government shutdown. the government was set to run out of money as of midnight last

night, but democrats and republicans came together. was a rare bipartisan deal to fund government operations well into next year. as you said, amy, there's extending a deal on those tax cuts, but everybody is not going to be happy about it. first, it's good for only two months and congress will be back at it again early next year. and after the president said he would reject it, republicans were successful in attaching a controversial provision that would require the president to make a decision on that pipeline. remember, environmentalists are against it and would run from canada to the gulf of texas. it said that the president would have to decide within 60 days or recall if the administration had put off that decision for as long as a year until after the election to further study the environmental impact. even so, the white house says they're going to accept a deal. the senate is going to vote on it today. the house expected to take it up early next week and everyone should be home for the holidays. amy. >> mike viqueira, thanks so much. mark helprin is an nbc analyst and cnbc's political

analyst. good morning. >> good morning, amy. >> let's talk about that deal on the payroll tax cuts. forces the obama administration, of course, to make a decision on the keystone xl pipeline within 60 days. how is this going to play out? >> well, you can see why a lot of americans hate washington and you can see why all the republican presidential candidates are running against washington. this is not the way to make policies approximately p. the white house wanted to do this -- claimed they wanted to do this in a way that was in the public interest, not being political. republicans are suspicious of that. this puts a timetable on the president where he has to make a decision. and the worst thing is, it's in all likelihood the president could kill this deal, could kill something that would create a lot of jobs because he's being forced to make a decision quickly. it's a horrible outcome for the public, and policy, as well. >> okay, fine, they avoided a

government shutdown on friday, but it's only good for two months. why can't washington come to a long-term plan? >> if you look at the history of congress, the general rule is they never do anything until the absolute last minute when they have to. and in the partisan period in which we're living right now, that rule is magnified 20 times. so they wanted to go home for christmas. neither side wanted to do a short-term extension, but because they wanted to get home for christmas, they decided to punt it into next year. that means the fight will take place on a lot of these issues all over again. both sides think they get the upper hand going into february negotiations instead of december. the president has to make it work or he's going to lose to somebody who can tell the american people i can make it work. >> and let's talk about 2012. that election cycle hoot heating up right now. nicki haley endorsing mitt romney. this is, of course, the first southern state to hold a primary election. what does this mean for the romney campaign?

>> well, ironically, it probably means more for romney nationally than it does in south carolina. nikki haley's popularity is down within the tea party, but it sends a signal to the establishment of the party. mitt romney is the front-runner. we went through a period where some day we might think newt gingerich is steaming towards the nomination. he still may do it. but mitt romney, make no mistake, is the established favor right now. people like nikki haley are saying, we're going to make our choice now. >> quickly, i want to talk about thursday's debate, the final one before the iowa caucuses. we saw romney and gingerich playing iowa nice, the other candidates taking shots at gingerich. how did romney and gingerich fare with all of that? >> this is shaping up nicely for

mitt romney. he's getting what he wants for christmas which is all the other candidates, michele bachmann, rick perry, ron paul are focusing on trying to take doubt newt gingerich. that could help romney wrap this up quickly if romney is able to hold the center establishment. he could win this quickly. newt gingerich needs a second act starting today, starting this weekend to get a strong finish or you may, before he knows it, be eliminated with everybody else by mitt romney. >> it was interesting. he didn't really fight back. >> well, it's ironic. gingerich rose to power by being one of the best negative campaigners and attack politicians in the country. he's now basically saying, come hit me all you want. i'm not going to hit back. he hit mitt romney last week and now says he regrets it. it's an interesting strategy for any politician, particularly someone like newt gingerich with his history.

>> mark, as always, thank you. once again, here is lester. now to the war in iraq which the u.s. declared officially over this past thursday after nearly nine years, $800 billion, and some 4,500 american lives lost. now, with the last of the u.s. troops are heading home to their families just in time for the holidays. we'll get more now from nbc's chief foreign correspondent, richard engle. >> a last roll call before going home. the u.s. military command closed last week in baghdad, but troops are still leaving iraq, crossing the border and coming here to kuwait. >> this was, you know, so nice to be able to leave the country. >> kuwait is the official outprocessing center where the war began nine years ago is where it is ending. kuwait's lob 58 is now being described as the world's biggest parking lot. it's packed with $8 billion worth of vehicles. >> it's coming all here. it's getting put on the property

book and making sure we can account for all the equipment. >> but not quite everything is going back. the military estimates about $220 billion worth of equipment is staying in iraq. transferred to the iraqi government. for the troops in kuwait, the procedure is all relatively simple, but can seem boring and slow. most of the troops spend about five days in kuwait, turning in gear, filling out paperwork, packing and loading. until, finally, a preflight inspection. then, as they pass a sign that reads freedom, the troops move to a holding pen, ironically called lockdown. with home so close and a war at their backs, kuwait can feel like the worst five-day layover. but the flights do eventually come. and after a war that tested and at times tore our nation, the army is going home. richard engle, nbc news, kuwait. >> a welcome sight, i'm sure,

for many families of this holiday season. let's head over now to the news desk for the rest of the morning's top stories. >> good morning, amy. good morning, lester and good morning, everyone. we begin with a tragedy just a week before christmas. authorities in eastern illinois say a five of five, including a baby and two other children have been found shot to death. it's not certain if the shooter is among them. this happened on friday in emmington. the family had just moved there in the last six months. an autopsy shows a florida a&m drum major was beaten to death in a hazing incident. 26-year-old robert champion died november the 19th following a football game in orlando. the medical examiner has ruled his death a homicide. the board of trustee's publicly reprimanded the school president but chose not to fire or suspend him. we'll have more on this story in our next half hour. country singer mindy mccready is still fighting for

custody of her son. mccready was in an arkansas courtroom on friday a little more after a week she was fleeing with the 5-year-old. the judge made no decision in the case which pits mccready against her mother. nfl wide receiver sam herd has been thrown for a big loss. the popular player has been let go by the chicago bears and released from a federal lockup on $ 00,000 bail. hurd was rested in a sting operation wednesday nice for trying to set up a drug distribution network in the chicago area. four new york high school students have been flagged for organizing kneel downs for tim tebow, a very vout christian known for kneeling on the field. some say tebowing in school poses a hazard for blocking the highways. tebow said while he precious

their boldness, they have to respect their elders. at the chinese zoo, sweetie and sunlight arrived from china a few weeks ago, the first pandas at the british squeak in years. who doesn't love a panda? >> we really ooh and ahh over baby pandas. we'll have to wait for that. >> thanks very much. bill karins is here with our first check of the forecast. >> every weekend, i keep telling you guys, where is winter? >> we're good. >> you guys aren't skiers, though. good morning, everyone. we are watching cool temperatures this weekend. we haven't had any big stor snowstorms this winter and we with aren't going to see any for now. for getting the arpds done, you . yesterday morning, chilly

temperatures to kick off the weekend. numbers in the 30s across the north bay. 29, gilroy. 46, san francisco. a little bit of an east breeze, which is pumping in some of those low clouds into the delta. patchy fog inland. as we head towards lunchtime, temperatures mainly in the 50s. low to mid-60s in the warmer places. south bay, 59. 63, oakland. tomorrow, more patchy fog and look at that. seven-day forecast, still very dry for this time of year. that's a look at your saturday forecast. lester. >> bill, thanks. two former ceos of mortgage giants fannie mae and freddie mac are being accused of misleading the public. the s.e.c. says they misled the public about the mortgage crisis that continues today. lisa myers has more. >> reporter: three years ago, the former ceos of fannie mae and freddie mac infuriated a congressional committee by denying any blame for the financial crisis.

>> we thought we made the right decision at the time. >> you have exhibited no sense of accountability for your actions here. none. >> reporter: but on friday, both former ceos, daniel mudd and richard siren of freddie mac were accused of civil fraud. the securities and exchange commission, or s.e.c., alleged that they and four other executives made false and misleading statements to conceal the extent of risky subprime mortgages. >> today's action is about holding individuals accountable for their role in misleading the public. >> who got hurt here? >> a lot of hard working americans saving for requirements. >> fannie and freddie were two of the most common companies that the average guy on the street invested their retirement in. their retirement accounts took a real hit. >> when the companies imploded, taxpayers had to bail them out.

these are the highest profile individuals facing charges in the biggest meltdown. no one on wall street has even been looked at. >> the former ceos emphatically deny any wrongdoing and say the allegations are without merit. they insist they fully disclosed all risks to investors. mudd says he looks forward to his day in court where the standard is not politics. the millionaire developer convicted in september of second degree murder in the shooting death of his wife in their florida mansion has been sentenced to 30 years in prison. no more now from nbc's mark potter. >> all rise. court is in order. >> reporter: on sentencing day

on the advise of his attorney, 63-year-old bob ward had nothing to say in court. the clanking of chains could be heard. ward was convicted nearly three months ago of second degree murder in the shooting death of his wife, diane, inside their mansion in an exclusive neighborhood in orlando. ward claimed the shooting was accidental and called 911 to alert police. but prosecutors say it occurred during a fight over money. >> mr. ward picked up the gun, pointed it at hits wife and shot her directly in the face. >> reporter: in a plea for mercy, ward's daughter described him as a loving father. >> i beg you to look at my dad as a man seriously loved by family and friends. >> reporter: ward's youngest daughter, sara, also spoke

arguing that the killing of her mother was a horrible accident. >> my father is on heest, caring, kind, loving, but most of all, he's heart broken. his soul mate is gone and he's been taken away from his children. >> reporter: but the state argued, someone needs to speak for the victim saying she deserved justice. in imposing her sentence, judge jennifer davis xooet exceeded the minimum 25 years required by law for second degree murder. >> at this time -- >> reporter: ward's lawyers are appealing his conviction. if he serves his full sentence, ward will be 93 years old. for "today" mark potter, nbc news, miami. still to come in this season of giving, some of the many people working hard to make sure every child has a christmas gift, that's coming up. but first, this is "today" on nbc. [ monica ] i'm away on a movie shoot

and it hasn't been going exactly as planned. cut. cut! [ monica ] i thought we'd be on location for 3 days -- it's been 3 weeks. so i had to pick up some more things. good thing i've got the citi simplicity card. i don't get hit with a fee if i'm late with a payment... which is good because on this job, no! bigger!

[ monica ] i may not be home for a while. [ male announcer ] the new citi simplicity card. no late fees. no penalty rate. no worries. secondhand smoke affects rate. everyone's health. it's not just irritating. it can cause heart disease and even death. speak up about secondhand smoke. your health and the health of your family depend on it. it's that time of year when a lot of worthy charities are

asking for your support, including toys for tots, a long-running toy drive founded by the u.s. marine corps. with just one week before christmas, marines and scores of volunteers across the country are scrambling to fill a spike in requests for toys for children in need. ron mott is in boston to tell us more. >> reporter: last christmas, marine sergeant was surrounded on the battlefield in afghanistan. this year, he's surrounded by dolls and footballs. as coordinator for boston's toys for tots drive. >> this year's christmas and last year's christmas were very different. i was deployed to southern afghanistan, didn't even really know it was christmas, to be honest, except for the care packages that i got from the loving kids. >> reporter: with eight days to go before kids rip into all this fun, the mad rush is on to get toys to them. in new york, anxious youngsters were thrilled to see a mountain

of toys, reaching first in one case, at least, for the arms of a marine. back in boston, volunteers haul donations in, sort it, baghdad before sending them back out with big smiles, opening even bigger ones are to come. >> i know it's the thought that com counts, but it's always nice to have something to open on christmas. >> while they just might reach that number this year, they're worried they won't be able to meet the surge in demand. across the country, a million and a half more kids are on the list for toys. officials here say the increase is about 30%. >> demand right now is very big. with the unemployment out this -- >> reporter: and though the economy is clearly sour, this soldier says there is clearly something sweet about returning the favor from all the care packages they received during war. >> now i get a chance to give back to the kids. >> reporter: giving as good as they got. for "today," nbc news, boston. still to come, it's the last

full weekend before christmas. >> plus, 60 years after his tv debut, rogers is still entertaining fans young and old. we'll find out how.

good morning to you. looking live at the bay bridge. quite chilly, the rest of the day will be mild as yesterday. i'm kris sanchez along with meteorologist, rob mayeda. >> y could see the walter there. great reflexes. not a lot of wind around the bay. our temperatures are bone-chilling cold again. solano county, inland, o east b, north bay, numbers in the low 30s. notice the winds, northeast at 5 into fairfield. we have to, watch the central valley fog machine where some g can drift in from the

central valley into east bay. it will make for a cool afternoon in the inland east bay. if you are heading to southern california, showers around there and around l.a. and south of the grapevine. back to the bay area. patchy fog and frost inland through 8:00. mainly fairfield, napa, cooler than yesterday. nice yesterday with the north winds. the east wind will keep things a bit cooler into fairfield. 60, again, san jose and los gatos. pretty nice afternoon. as you wrap up the weekend, numbers pretty nice. tomorrow, not much change. chilly mornings, nice afternoons. dry weather taking us into the start of winter officially. coming up wednesday evening here in the bay area. i can't believe no rain or snow in that. >> thanks, rob. the occupy wall street movement is hitting its three-month mark. to celebrate, occupy ss is going mobile. they are calling it occupop. they haven't been able to camp

since the police tore down their camp. they are creating pop-up camps in random locations. protesters are occupying a march and rally for today. the army private, bradley manning, accused of leaking classified documents to wikileaks. a berkeley company was forced to fire 200 workers after a company audited their employment records. they have been using skilled immigrant workers for more than 20 years. in the past six weeks, many lost their jobs after the government fltsed irregularities in the paperwork. >> department of homeland security came to the company and demanded all the immigration documents that the employees had submitted and, of course, the company turned them over. then, the federal government came back with a lift of documents that -- or a list of employees whose documents didn't check out. >> the company says it had no choice but to let the people go.

california's cash-strapped public schools are getting a boost from the federal government. they were awarded more than $52 million in grants for early childhood education. california beat out 26 other states to gets its share of $500 million in early learning challenge grants. eight other states received federal money. the contra costa times reports that they will help 800 million children, the majority whom are english language learners. a bay area court puts a stop to california's death penalty. some wonder whether this will end it for good. we will show you what's at stake. more at 7:00, more local news in 30 minutes. the droid razr by motorola. the droid that wirelessly pulls files, music and movies, all at 4g lte speeds. and introducing the droid xyboard. with an 8 inch hd screen and adaptive surround sound, a home theater for your hands.

powered by verizon 4g lte, these droids are too powerful to fall into the wrong hands. buy a droid razr and get $100 off a droid xyboard. we are back now on this saturday morning, december 17th, 2011. we have an exciting crowd filling rockefeller plaza, taking time to check out the christmas tree and all the sights and sounds. we want to thank them for sending part of their morning with us back inside studio 1a. i'm amy robach along with lester holt. coming up in this half hour, it's a hazing scandal that has rocked the campus of florida a&m. >> it was the death of robert champion, a member of one of the college's top.

his death was deemed a homicide and now his parents are suing the university. we'll hear what they have to say coming up. also ahead, on friday, a judge sentenced barry bonds to 30 days of house arrest and two years of probation. the issue of doping in baseball doesn't end here. we're going to take a closer look. and then, it's not only about shopping for gifts this time of year. what about shopping for a home? the holiday season can be a pretty good time to buy or sell some real estate. barbara corcoran will be along to tell us why. >> reporter: but we begin with the tragic hazing death now ruled a homicide at florida a&m university. nbc's tom trung has the story. >> reporter: hazing was first suspected in the death of drum major robert champion. and now, autopsy results confirmed that suspicion. the official can all cause of death, mrunt force trauma sustained during a hagz incident. >> it hurt because it -- i found out that my son had to suffer.

and he must have gone through a lot of pain. >> reporter: last month in orlando, he was with the band and hours later was found unresponsive on the band's bus. this is part of the frantic 911 call. >> eyes are open. he's not responding. >> reporter: according to the medical examiner, he died from internal bleeding. he had multiple bruises on his chest, arms, shoulder and back. >> no kid should go to school, trying to learn, trying to better themselves and come back the way my son come back. >> reporter: following champion's death, a fellow band member filed a police report claiming that she, too, was hazed. berea hunter says she was hit repeatedly and suffered a broken leg as a result. this week, three band members were charged with hazing for the attack on hunter. two denied the allegations while a third is reportedly

cooperating with police. >> some people characterize it as hazing. i say it's a beating because you beat her. >> the university president has been suspended as the state conducts a criminal investigation. >> the band itself is sudden suspended indefinitely, its long time director on administrative leave. so far, no arrests have been made in connection with champion's death. >> everybody needs to pay for what they've done. >> reporter: champion's parents are suing the university for what they call a culture of hazing. it's part of the justice they're demanding for the son they had to lay to rest. for "today" i'm tom trung, nbc news, atlanta. time now for a check of the weather. bill karins is out on the plaza with a look at your forecast. good morning. >> good morning. we would like to start with an engagement here. >> when did you get engaged? >> last night in rockefeller center. >> did you hesitate at all? >> no, not at all. >> good luck to you guys. and your mom loves lester, too.

mine, too. let's talk about this forecast out there. we are watching for the most part a simple, quiet forecast. there's not a lot of troublesome weather out there today. we have showers in texas and florida. this is about as simple and quiet as a december forec we've got a cool start to the morning around the bay area, 29, gilroy. 37, sunnyvale, san jose, oakland, dn to 38 degrees. we are not quite as windy in the hills like we saw yesterday. as we go through the afternoon, you will notice mostly clear skies.d, patchy fog out towards fairfield and into napa for the early part of the morning. 60s further away from the east bay today. pretty nice afternoon with some 50s inland. tomorrow, more patchy frost and fog and hazy afternoon sunshine. dry weather through the middle part of next week. florida, 80 degrees in miami. that's a look at your weekend forecast. lester. >> okay, bill, thanks.

lawyers for barry bonds say they are going to appeal after a judge sentenced home run king to house arrest and probation. bonds could have spend 15 months in prison for obstructing justice at his doping trial. mike taibbi has the latest. he looked trim enough for a comeback in his well cut suit. but for barry bonds, it was a day of reckoning. prosecutors wanted 15 months in prison for his conviction of a single count of object structing justice. but judge susan illson ruled otherwise. 30 days of house arrest, two years probation, 250 hours of community service and the sentence suspended pending an appeal the slugger's legal team says will be pursued. >> we absolutely believe that barry was wrongly convicted of a felony offense. we intend to fight it on appeal and overcome that judge. >> but bonds' journey from mythic sports hero to convicted felon isn't the end of the story

of baseball and performance enhancing drugs. roger clemens faces a second trial next spring for alleged steroidses use. mark mcguire, who admitted he took steroids for years on the way to his record number continues to be often ignored by hall of fame voters. and this year's national league mvp ryan brawn reportedly tested positive for a banned substance a and. and now after four years in and out of court, the tainted 47 years-year-old baseball icon. >> i know that barry's legal team plans to appeal the case and that may take a year longer. but i feel that i can personally move on with my life now. >> there was a time when bonds

was routinely described as the best mrabl player ever. his legacy now, forever different. for "today" mike taibbi, nbc news, los angeles. there is more to come on "today." still ahead, he's known as the barefoot bandit. now colton harris moore will spend the next seven years behind bars. and up next, is the holiday season the right time to buy orrer sell your home? we'll have the answers. but first, these messages. so you earn 50% more cash. according to research, everybody likes more cash. well, almost everybody... ♪ would you like 50% more cash? no! but it's more money. [ male announcer ] the new capital one cash rewards card. the card for people who want 50% more cash. what's in your wallet? woah! [ giggles ]

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to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients who have heart disease or risk factors for heart disease. it's backed by over 19 years of research. [ female announcer ] lipitor is not for everyone, including people with liver problems and women who are nursing, pregnant or may become pregnant. you need simple blood tests to check for liver problems. tell your doctor if you are taking other medications, or if you have any muscle pain or weakness. this may be a sign of a rare but serious side effect. [ man ] still love that wind in my face! talk to your doctor. don't kid yourself about the risk of heart attack and stroke. if lipitor's been working for you, stay with it. lipitor may be available for as little as $4 a month with the lipitor co-pay card. terms and conditions apply. learn more at lipitorforyou.com. and this time of year, i send out a lot of gifts. sweater for mom, free shipping from brian. i'm brian andrews. i ship the gifts that last. the holidays are made here at l.l.bean.

this morning in today's real estate, buying examine selling your home during the holidays. december is typically a slow month for the housing market. there are some advantages you may want to take advantage of this season. barbara, good morning. >> good morning, amy. >> the conventional wisdom was, it's not a great time to buy or sell a home during the holidays. but with record low interest rates, this may be a really great time to do just that, correct? >> there's really been a rush on interest rates in the last month. they've gone up by 40%, the applications. so people are out in the market. this is an exceptional year, driven by the large part by the cheap money out there. >> and i actually bought my house on the week, or we put in an offer between krems and new year's and mainly because you can get a pretty good deal this time of year. >> and i hope you got a good deal. >> i think i did. >> good. because i don't want to make you feel badly here.

you know why you get a great deal? every homeowner out there is trying to sell their home and is at their lowest point of discouragement. they'll often entertain their very low offer. they won't do that other times of year quite like they do in december. >> on the flip side, if you're trying to sell your house, is this the a good time to try and sell insist it sounds like no, but are there reasons why it might be better? >> yeah. one, you have less competition. lots of people pull their homes off the market. you've gotten rid of the competition. what you also have as a homeowner, is you have very serious buyer out there. they don't shop during the holidays unless they're serious. >> that's true. in terms of staging your home for the holidays, what do you want to try and do? you probably don't want to overdo it, i'm getting. >> you put up a lot of decorations. you put the big santa claus in your front yard. to the buyer's eyes, that's

nothing more than clutter. it doesn't look good to them and it gets them away from seeing the house. that's a very important thing to keep out of the way. >> and what about putting your home -- you can make it look pretty, as well. >> you can make it look pretty. and there's one thing true anytime of the year. that is that after location, the number two reason people cite for picking any particular home is light. so in the wintertime, the light st flat, it's rather depressing. you have to be very careful to make sure that you light up your house. >> all right. and january, we should mention, only a few weeks away and think the real estate market will start heating up again. so anything we can do right now to prepare if you're planning on putting your house on the market or you know you're going to be in the market for a house. >> it's a very important time. you have a halfway mark where you can sit and reassess. the number one thing you should reassess is the price of the home. if you ask your real estate broker for the last five sales that happened in the fall of the year and base your price on beating out those sales, you'll

have that right price for that particular house to be sold. >> barbara corcoran, as always, thanks so much. coming up next, he was born leonard sly, but we all know him by roy rogers. we'll find out why so many celebrate his life and his music. [ male announcer ] it has a famous song.

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six decades ago, the roy rogers show premiered on tv. he would have turned is 00 last month. now his legacy of being a straight shooting good guy are being carried on by his son and grandson who are still blazing his trail. to millions, he was the king of the cowboys. but to dustin rogers, he was a grandpa. >> people ask me all the time, what was it like having a famous grandfather? and it was very normal. he was as down to either as they come. >> the 35-year-old is the youngest grandchild of roy rogers. >> you look like your grandpa. >> now this father and son are carrying on roy rogers legacy by performing some of that classic cowboy music in grand brapson, missouri. >> my job as his son is not to

stand in his shadow. my job is to lengthen his shadow. >> roy roj everies would have turned 100 years old this year. the cincinnati native emerged out of the national spotlight as a singer with the sons of the pioneers back in the 30s. from there, rogers would cement his place in history, becoming one of the biggest stars of his era, making more than 80 movies and starring in his own tv show. >> if you look at any one of the 100 episodes, every one of them had a message. >> the roy rogers show made its debut on nbc 60 years ago this month. along with roy, it starred his wife, bullet, the family dog and trigger, his palamino. >> when his wholesome good looks and enduring charm -- >> you know you're kind of cute. >> rogers was the ultimate good guy. >> he felt that the kids of

america needed him to be what he was on screen. >> reporter: and that image extended towards his family. >> i'd like you to meet the two newest members of our family. >> he adopted four kids and had one foster child. he gathered us all in one day and said, guys, look, we do things in public appearances and you're going to have a lot of people around you and you're going to have to get used to it. so we all said, well, okay. >> reporter: but he wasn't just a hero on the big and small screen. he was a hero in real life. >> every time we would go out on the road and do a stare fair rodeo, my dad would leave the front 15 rows of his shows open for the kids. >> a champion for children that his son says is roy rogers' greatest legacy. >> it's a very humble legacy, also. he remained true to himself, to his audience and to his family and that he hopes that he influenced the young people of this country in a positive way. >> reporter: a legacy that still lives on today through roy rogers son and grabbed son. >> he's taught me a lot of

things. the bottom line is to be true to yourself and what you do and if you don't believe in it, don't do it. >> and now this father and son are blazing the trails happily for generations to come. >> we all hope that we can influence our own children in a positive way. that's all i want to do. i'm just like my dad. >> merry christmas, everybody. god bless you. merry christmas. >> reporter: and we can tell you that in honor of roy rogers' 100th birthday, there will be a roy rogers float in which his son and grandson will be performing on in the parade, the float will be drawn by palaminos. >> there's no really great family shows on television like that any more. but it's nice to see that his life did have such an impact. we'll be right back. but first, this isonfr "t t

still to come on "today," star witness for the first time the assistant coach from penn state tells his story on the stand. plus, he is one lucky puppy. we will meet this little guy who gave his owners a christmas miracle. but first, these messages. laces? really? slip-on's the way to go. more people do that, security would be like -- there's no charge for the bag. thanks. i know a quiet little place where we can get some work done. there's a three-prong plug. i have club passes. [ male announcer ] now there's a mileage card that offers special perks on united, like a free checked bag, united club passes, and priority boarding. thanks. ♪

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good morning to you. all clear in the distance. no clouds, chilly start. i'm kris sanchez along with meteorologist, rob mayeda. it is going to continue to be chilly, at least in the morning. san jose looking at 60s. clear skies. san jose, 37 degrees. that's relatively mild compared to gilroy, down to 29 this morning. 46, san francisco. 33, santa rosa. 32, fairfield. were still seeing a little bit of an east wind maybe pumping in a little bit of fog into the

kurkina strait. a lot less windy than yesterday around the hilltop areas. southern california, heading south, you may run into that. hour by hour, 30s and 40s through 8:00. by about noon, we will start to see the temperatures climb on up. generally, in the 50s around lunchtime today. you will see the numbers start to creep on up for places like the east bay. we will see the in um ns tnumbe low 50s. mid-60s in santa rosa. tomorrow, more of the same. maybe a little more fog for the morning. dry conditions taking us through the official start of winter which comes through wednesday of the new week. a dangerous stunt gone wrong is prompting a community meeting with alameda county. last week, a 30-pound cannon ball tore through a dublin neighborhood. it was being shot for the

discovery show mythbusters. the cannon misfired and despite several safety barricades, sent the cannon ball flying into the neighborhood. no one was hurt but the residents are understandably upset. the community meeting starts at 11:00 in the morning at the county offices of emergency services in dublin. new developments this morning in the animal cruelty case. a teenage boy has been arrested in the killing of more than two dozen birds in concord park. 24 geese and ducks have been shot and killed. they happened at newooul park a palo park. they arrested the boy yesterday. a san francisco bell ringer for the sail salvation arm any is shooting for the 48 hour-mark this morning, 48 hours of nonstop bell ringing. he is one of 24 salvation army workers around the country going for that world record in nonstop

bell ringing. he has already beaten the old record of 36 hours. he still had to outlast the competition. the bell ringers ring for four hours straight and get a ten-minute break. he says he hasn't eaton since thursday. give the man a snack. he says he can stick with it through 59 hours, which is 8:00 tonight. he has a family obligation. so he will have to stop then. we will keep you posted. good luck to him. coming up on "today in the bay." even during tough economic times, kids ask for christmas gifts that perhaps santa is struggling with. find out how you can help families in need. cracking down on duis, how cops are making sure everyone drives safe during the holidays. more local news in 30 minutes.

♪ welcome back to "today" on a saturday, the 17th day of december, 2011. i'm lester holt. >> dramatic testimony. he testified on friday that he saw jerry sandusky allegedly molesting a young boy in the shower. where does the case go from here? we'll have a live report coming up. >> if you are going out shopping, have comfy shoes. the stores are pulling out all the stops to get you to part with your money. they call it supersaturday.

every day has a special name to get you to shop. what they are doing to get you to buy. are you buying what they are selling. we'll take a closer look. >> if you are hosting a dinner for the holidays, putting out the big feast can get expensive. how to create a family feast on a budget. >> i just decided what i want for christmas. >> what? >> gloves. >> what are you thinking? >> i don't know. we have a story of a pooch left for dead. he came back to life. how it happened has a lot of tongues wagging, if you will. we'll have the story in a minute. >> he's a cutety. let's get the rest of the headlines from mandy. good morning. >> good morning, amy. good morning, everyone. a deal to extend payroll tax cuts and jobless benefits is expected to pass the senate today and move on to the house.

the senate is expected to send president obama a $1 trillion spending bill to keep the government running. there's been a deadly shooting in a southern california area. two other people are in critical condition. they worked for southern california edison. the gunman was upset about not receiving a holiday bonus and possible layoffs. clashes continue for a second day between egyptian soldiers and protesters. we are there. have there been anymore casualties? >> reporter: good morning. egyptian health officials increased the number of those killed as a result to nine. the number could go up to 14 people. the number injured stands close to 300. it follows a deadly few hours from a protest outside the government office.

that led to at least 24 hours of fighting that continued on saturday with the military attacking protesters and burning the tents. back to you. >> thank you very much. in other international news, flash floods and a tropical storm killed 200 people in the southern philippines. 150 others are missing. many may have drown in a rain swollen river. leon panetta is in tripoli to meet with the government. he's the first chief to set foot on libyan soil. kobe bryant's wife is breaking things off for good. she broke it off friday citing irreconcilable differences. they have been married for ten years. britney spears is reportedly engaged to marry her former agent. he popped the question this week in las vegas giving spears a 3

ct engagement ring. michelle obama gets an unexpected surprise. it happened friday while delivering toys at the toys for tots campaign. a 20-year-old marine asked her to accompany him to next year's marine corps ball. she said she would love to attend but would have to check with her husband first. that is the news. back to amy outside the plaza. >> thanks so much. let's get another check of the weather from bill karins. it's cold. >> it's 36 degrees. >> it's freezing. >> it's the middle of december. >> all right. >> it is cold. the windchill. i'll give her a tiny bit of slack. good morning, everyone. i like your sign. it's creative. the animals escaping from the sanctuary. you are embracing it. i like that. the new first "today" show. i was looking for a little one.

how far along are you? >> six month. >> good luck. a lot of people are complaining about the lack of snow and lack of cold trying to get into the mood and the spirit. we are looking at the percentage of a white christmas. these are the chances. the further north, minneapolis has an 80% chance for a white christmas. let's look at what the map looks like now. not many of us have snow on the ground. much of new england, the mountains aren't open yet. there's not many chances of snow left before we get plenty chilly around the bay area. upper 30s around new york. 29, gilroy, 34, livermore, 32 fairfield. a little bit of an offshore breeze pushing in some fog into some of our inland, east bay and

north bay valleys. we should see a spread of temperatures in the upper 50s inland across the east bay. 60s for santa rosa down towards santa rosa and los gatos. dry weather to wrap up the weekend. when high school students wake up this early in the morning, we like to reward them. where are you from? >> tie yoga falls high school. >> back to you lester. back to the testimony involving jerry sandusky. mike isikoff is in harrisburg, pennsylvania with the latest for us. good morning, again. >> reporter: good morning, lester. after dramatic courtroom testimony, judge ruled they can now proceed to trial. once a starting penn state

quarterback, now a star witness for the government. mike mcqueary took the witness stand and described seeing a naked jerry sandusky engaged with a young man. the boy was against the wall. jerry was behind him. i believe he was molesting him. he shut his locker and made him look him in the eye. it was against tim curley and senior vice president schultz. they failed to report it to authorities. mcqueary said he never saw sexual intercourse and never intervened. i was shocked and horrified he said. to be frank with you, i was not thinking straight. >> he was a great witness, clear, articulate, sincere and

respectful. >> reporter: they read from joe paterno's testimony. mcqueary said he saw sandusky with a youngster doing something of a sexual nature. he didn't push for details. he passed along the concerns to curley who met with mcqueary a week and a half later but never took steps to investigate. defense lawyers hammered mcqueary over why he never told police. noting schultz's position, mcqueary shot back, i thought i was talking to the police. the defense lawyers were frustrated. they couldn't raise questions that could challenge his credibility. they intend to do that when the case goes to trial and they are confident when they can get the perjury trials. >> thanks.

rickie is a criminal defense attorney. good morning to both of you. ricky, this testimony was over a low bar to see if they could get to trial with curley and schultz. this is a key witness. he's locked into the testimony. this is what he has to say in the trials, correct? >> yes. it's a low standard. it's to get through the preliminary. the trial, lester, is really about words. the jury, in an ultimate trial has to believe mike mcqueary beyond a reasonable doubt or else there is an acquittal. >> i was struck by the way he phrased things. did you describe for them the body positions of the two in the shower. i would say he was in close proximity. another question, i would have made it clear, he kept i would have, i would have, i would have. not this is what i said. >> he pedals it and did at the

time. it may make him more credible to a jury rather than less. he saw something of an extremely disturbing sexual nature, so disturbing, he didn't want to use the actual words. >> let me ask gail about that. this is traumatizing. he was disturbed, called his father. is that a natural response and does that make him more credible? >> i think it is. when you are overwhelmingly horrified you throw up a defense. is that really what i saw? i don't want to say those words. those words make it more real to me. what he describes is so identifiable to us, a public, a jury that we would feel that way. this person was his mentor, his superior. when you see, essentially a father figure of yours doing something you consider to be heinous and, you know, it's so

disturbing that this is a natural reaction. >> one of the thing that is will be brought up by defense is whether he described it differently to other people. is there a tendency when you see that to rationalize it and maybe it wasn't what i thought it was or maybe it was this or that? >> you could say he's trying to introduce that. i saw them in close proximity. i saw hands up on a wall, arms around somebody. he's saying i didn't see penetration. it leaves that little bit of room, which he mind needed, if you will, to not be horrified. he paints a picture. even if that didn't happen, it doesn't matter. this is a picture that is totally inappropriate. it's sexual abuse. >> the defense knows what he's going to say. was there anything he said or anything he might have been weak on that they might seize on? >> there is is question of

precisely what he told curley and schultz. that's the case. they say they were never told by mcqueary or anyone else they were acts of a sexual nature. it's a perjury case and the case against sandusky for the sexual molestation. >> he said horsing around, no sex. >> horse iing around in the sho. perhaps he shouldn't have been in the shower. they have a defensible case, curley and schultz. mr. sandusky stands on a different ground. >> thanks so much. up next, supersaturday sale s begin with one week until christmas. what you need to know, coming up after these messages. l this weekend coming up after these messages.

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on this super saturday, retailers want you to spend, spend, spend. store sales have taken a dramatic tumble in the weeks since black friday. now retailers are slashing prices. no more now from nbc's tom costello. >> if you thought the stores were packed over the thanksgiving weekend, and they were, then prepare yourself for today. on this last weekend before christmas, some of the biggest retailers are slashing prices. from the promenad in san monica -- >> i haven't bought anything for anyone yet. >> i don't have a strategy yet. i think when i get to the stores, i'll figure it out. >> to the magnificent mile in chicago. >> anything over 50%, i think it's a good deal. >> while store sales soared at the weekend after thanksgiving, they have since suffered the biggest drop in 11 years with americans struggling through a rough economy while still carrying high levels of debt. retail analysts dana telsey is on a ten-city tour gauging

holiday sales. >> what we found is that promotions drive traffic. on average, the average promotion is around 40% off. >> still, despite lower than expected sales since black friday, the national retail if he federation has raised its holiday shopping forecast. now expecting an increase in sales over last year. but for that to happen, this weekend is critical. since the saturday before christmas falls on christmas eve this year, many retailers are calling today super saturday. in salt lake city, overstock.com was itself overstocked and just auctioned off an entire warehouse for pennies on the dollar. and with consumer spending accounting for 70% of the economy, what happens in the next week is critical. >> the stages are huge, not only for retailers, but all businesses. it sets the tone for activity as we make our way into 2012, whether businesses broadly are going to go out, invest and

rehire. that's vital for the economic recovery. so just how super will these deals be? and are consumers willing to spend in this tough economy? here with some insight are janis liborman and robbie. janet, we just heard tom mention this is a critical weekend for retailers. let's talk about for those of us who may need to buy a few gifts, how big of a day is today and what kind of deals are we going to find? >> we're a week out. they have to get the push out right now. basically every retailers, macy aes, target, jcpenney, they want you in the stores and they want you spending. so the deals are out there today and may remain for the rest of the week, but today is a big push. >> and farnush, there are still people, lester, who think that maybe if they wait a few more days, say midweek, they'll get an even better deal. is that true? >> certainly you can maybe get

the better deal and a lot of stores are extending their hours. but i'm shopping today and tomorrow because the fact is, i want to have the selection. and studies show that the longer we wait to buy gifts around the holidays, the more we procrastinate, the more guilty we feel because we're like, why did we wait until the last minute? and we overcompensate and buy things that were probably out of our budget. keep in mind, some stores may price match. walmart is having a christmas price guarantee. if you buy something at walmart and you go hope and you're out shopping still and you find it for less, a local retailer or competing retailer, they will refund you the difference in the walmart gift card. >> and, janice, what about online retailers? are you going to see great deals from them? and when is the last day the gift arrives before christmas? >> amazon is giving you free shipping until monday.

most of them will expire. my advice is ask for an operator and bag. >> they have that lenient at thissy? >> i would ask. say, please, can you give me the cheaper price? it's worth asking. >> you gave us one tip for buying early so you don't buy and spend too much. but any other tips in terms of not overspending and getting that big credit card bill. >> january? >> yeah. i think one smart thing to do is you have an iphone or any smart mobile phone, download a free application like red laser or shop savvy so you can scan prices while you're shopping and stay informed on the go. if you find it for less elsewhere, maybe you can get that price match. shop locally. these independent retailers, there's more room to negotiate. and you're helping small business, which is always great. and think of alternative gifts. you don't have to buy something off a shelf. give something to a charity. choose to save -- sorry,

changethepresent.org is one site. and wrap a skill or give the gift of time. i'll baby-sit your kids one night for free. >> and the day after christmas, great sales, right? >> slim pickings, but apparel and electronics will go up in january, so buy them now fult if you want to get the cheap electronics. >> overstock had some things there, too. >> if we were only in salt lake city. >> thank you both and happy holidays. >> you, too. >> we're back after a moment.

still to come, a story straight out of a hollywood the adventures of the barefoot bandit has come to an end. >> and meet the dog that has nine lives.

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good morning to you. we are waking up in san jose. you can see a little bit of sunrise headed our way. very chilly. pull the blankets up and stay in bed for a little bit longer. thanks for joining us. i'm kris sanchez along with meteorologist, rob mayeda. how long do we need to keep those up to our chills? until 9:00. you can see the numbers around san francisco, 46, 42, oakland. 32, fairfield. a little bit of a northeast breeze into fairfield pushing a little bit of fog into some of the locations by solano county this morning. by lunchtime, mostly 50s, just

like yesterday, not a bad day. 60s, san jose, he los gatos. redwood city, pretty nice. napa and fairfield, breeze out of the east. tomorrow, patchy morning frost. dry weather through the middle of next week and very likely, approaching christmas eve this time next saturday. things looking dry. >> people are going to go out a little bit longer. >> dry for the travel day. thank you very much, rob. the "occupy wall street" movement hits a three-month movement. occupy access is going mobile calling it occupop. they haven't been able to camp at justin her man plaza since police tore down the camp. they are creating pop-up camps. they are organizing a march and rally in support of bradley manning, the army private accused of leaking classified documents to wikileaks. a berkeley company was forced to

fire 200 workers after the department of homeland security audited their employment records. they have been using skilled immigrant workers for 20 years or more. in the past six weeks, many have lost their jobs after the government noticed irregularities in the paperwork. department of homeland security came to the company and demanded all the immigration documents that the employees had submitted and, of course, the company turned them over. then, the federal government came back with a list of documents that -- a list of employees whose documents didn't check out. the company says it had no choice but to let the people go. california's cash-strapped public schools are getting a boost from the federal government. the state was awarded more than $52 million to improve early childhood education. california beat out 26 other states to get its share of the $500 million grants and early learning challenges. eight other states received federal money. the contra costa times reports

that the grant will help 1.8 million children in the state of california, the majority of whom are english language learners. coming up on "today in the bay," a busy bay area court puts a stop to california's death penalty. some wonder if this could be the end of it for good. find out what's at steak when "today in the bay" starts at 7:00 and all of the day's local news. that weather forecast in case you are traveling or you have folks coming in to visit. we will be back with you in 30 minutes.

and we're back on this saturday morning, december 17th. it's a beautiful start here to rockefeller plaza. we're happy to see these folks who have stopped to say hello. look at that cutie in there. >> santa claus came. >> yeah. actually, i think these are loaners, so you might see matt or al or somebody wearing those. >> i might have worn those. i'm kidding. still to come on this half hour of "today" the so-called barefoot bandit has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison for an infamous

crime spree. he's just 20 years old. we'll have the latest on his sentencing. >> he was out there a long time pulling off those crimes. we'll have one of our favorite people in the house cooking for us. sandra lee is taking us on a shopping excursion. of course, she's throwing in a few of her signature cocktail recipes, as well. >> we'll be eating and drinking. looking forward to that. and it's the best gift one family could have received for christmas. their beloved puppy, scam, was hit by a car. he stopped breathing. the family assumed he was dead. but guess what? he was alive and kicking. we'll tell you all about it, with coming up. bill has a final check off our weather. >> do you guys ever wonder if you're on the naughty or nice list? i know you were here trying to get a firsthand knowledge. did lester make the naughty or nice left? >> he plead the fifth.

>> still undecided on you two. i would have brought my list, too, if i had known you were here. but i'm not going to sit on your lap, but we'll discuss that later. good morning, everyone. let's talk about what's going on out there this weekend. we are looking at beautiful weather conditions out there for all of your holiday traveling or errands or whatever you have to do. i know if you're a skier or snowmobilers, this isn't a great condition for anyone in it country. much of the weekend here is what you see is what you get. showers in texas, but for the most part, a lot of us will have sunshine and cool temperatures. this looks we have a chilly start to the morning around the bay area. here is a sneak preview of what you can expect this afternoon. mo, son jose. taun mountain view to los gatos. fairfield, napa, a little bit cooler. nurt north across the north bay, from santa rosa north, should be 60 today.

again, tomorrow morning, patchy frost and fog. that fog around solano county into the delta, pushed in by the east winds. look at the dry weather, taking us into the middle part of next week and the start of next weekend. it's going to be tough to top last sunday's game with the cowboys and the giants. we're heading all the way to qualcomm stadium in san diego. we have the ravens coming to san diego. san diego the trying to hold on to a feint hope of the playoffs. 54 to 58 degrees, no problems at all weather wise. back to you, lester. >> bill, thanks. now to washington state where colton harris moore, the so-called barefoot bandit was sentaned to more than seven years in state prison after an international crime spree. >> anxious for his day in court to come to an end, colton harris moore said little to the judge, at one point whispering to his attorney.

>> as to count two through count 16, what is your plea? >> guilty. >> sentenced to more than seven years in prison, harris moore, better known as the barefoot bandit pled guilty to an international infamous crime spree that began in puget sound. >> mr. harris-moore was a menace. charged with more than 80 crimes in eight states, the barefoot bandit stole cars, boats, and after he taught himself to fly, planes. during two years on the run, harris-moore burglarized homes and businesses, taunting police and his victims with footprints after committing his crimes without shoes. harris moore was finally arrested barefoot in the bahamas. >> as a victim, i felt and still feel the unrest on our islands, which colton brought. >> but in court, some victims and the judge showed compassion

for the now 20-year-old. though his mother denies the claims, court documents show colton was an abused youth, exposed to alcohol prenatally and suffered psychological harm. the judge did not impose the maximum sentence. >> this is not a -- to come before me and any other judge and say, i had a bad childhood. i am staying within the standard range. but i do have discretion within that and i will impose the lower end of the standards. i wish him well. >> the barefoot bandit's story is scheduled to soon become a movie. proceeds will go to the victims as the real live star sits in prison. >> up next, we'll meet the dog who certainly is a christmas miracle. his story in a moment. [ female announcer ] holiday cards are not for sending. ♪

[ laughs ] [ laughs ] [ woman ] i want to see that. careful. careful. careful. good. ♪ [ female announcer ] they're for bringing us together. ♪ this holiday, select hallmark cards come postage-paid.

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the family thinks i'm out shipping these. smooth move. you used priority mail flat rate boxes. if it fits, it ships for a low, flat rate. paid for postage online and arranged a free pickup. and i'm gonna track them online, too. nice. between those boxes and this place, i'm totally staying sane this year. do i smell snickerdoodles? maybe. [ timer dings ] got to go. priority mail flat rate shipping at usps.com. a simpler way to ship.

earlier this month, paul mckinley was outside with his dog, scam, when he got loose and was struck by a car. scam wasn't bleeding and paul couldn't find a heartbeat, so he assumed the worst. he wrapped him in a blanket and placed him under the wheelbarrow. the next morning, to his surprise, camp was alive and sitting up. scam looks so adorable, sleeping peacefully. good morning, everyone. >> good morning. >> and, paul, i want to ask how scam is doing, but he looks likes he's doing great. >> he is doing great. >> oh, you were outside with scam when he got out of the yard. he was struck by a car. tell me what happens when you reached him. what did you notice? and i know you were checking for vitals. >> yeah. i checked for vieltss. it seemed like to me he was dead. i had picked him up off the road and i wasn't getting much

response. at that point, i wrapped him up in a blanket and put him under the wheelbarrow. >> it was cool that night and the vet told you that keeping him outside overnight, you were just putting him there so that you can bury him the next morning actually saved his life. tell me about that. >> what the vet said is that usually when little dogs get hit, their brain has a tendency to swell up. they said the cold weather kept the brain from swelling but the towel around him kept his body warm enough to keep him alive. >> the next morning, when you lifted the wheelbarrow, thinking you were going to have to bury your dog, what was your reaction when you saw scam? >> surprise and disbelief. i wasn't sure if it was just some type of reaction, if he had passed away and he had a reaction, was -- that's what happened. but relief, happiness, joy. >> and i know, rita, scam spent several days at the vet. he had quite a few injuries,

correct? >> yes, he did. >> tell me about that. >> he had severe head trauma. they believe he possibly had a hairline fracture of his jaw. he was bruised all over and he just -- it was the head trauma that was the big problem for him. >> does he face any long-term health issues, rita? >> at this point, every day he's getting a lot better. and he seems to be interacting more. but we still have to watch him because -- and he's on medicine. and we just have to wait and see if everything comes back the way he was. >> he is sleeping right now, correct? >> yeah. he's -- he's having a big day today, so he's just resting right now. he's supposed to stay resting

and kind of quiet, so this is actually pretty good for him. >> well, we wish the best for him. we're so happy for you to share your story with us. thank you, scam, and thank you for joining us. >> thank you so much. coming up next, holiday entertaining made easy with sandra lee. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

good company at dinner parties, and also tight budgets in this tough economy. >> but not to worry. one of the people who always brings great meals and great tips on stretching your money is sandra lee. sandra, good morning. >> good morning, you guys. how are you? happy holiday peps. >> hal happy holidays. >> thank you. now, i've got some delicious recipes and cocktails to share with you. before we get to that, saving in the kitchen starts at the

grocery store. so i went on a shopping trip just to show you how easy it can be. welcome to my grocery store. this is where i shop for groceries in my neighborhood. i'm going to show you today how i shop for groceries. come on. first up on my menu is a ginger brown sugar gladz ham. we're going to pick up some ham, but if you have guests that like ham and turkey for christmas, buy smaller amounts of both of them and pull them both off and make everybody happy. here is a great money saving tip for you. of course you're going to use coupons because you're smart. you're going to take care of all of the sales and make them work for you, right? i need apple jelly. store private label. goes on sale at the end of the month. all of the name brand products go on the sale at the beginning of the month. check out your sales because that's a great way to make a difference in your bottom line. another money saving tip is use what they have in your pantry.

stock your pantry with things like light brown sugar that you can use for all sorts of recipes. i've been baking all season so i need more brown sugar. another thing i have to get is apple cider vinegar. my sister puts this in absolutely everything. again, look for what is on sale, name brand, store name brand. then, i need some spicy brown mustard. i haven't even talked to you about the the wonderful ham that i'm going to put to the side. i'm going to make a ham skillette casserole. need bisquick for that. spices, i normally buy spices in my club stores because it's a membership and you get a huge reduction on things like this. why do you put pumpkin pie spice in everything? because this is the all in one spice. whether it calls for all spice, nutmeg, whatever it is, pumpkin

pie spice can substitute for any of those. use your pantry and know how to shop your store. thank you. merry christmas. >> a power shopper. >> and i have to tell you, it smells so good, ginger and brown sugar glazed ham. it's also affordable, correct? >> preheat your oven to 350 degrees. this is a seven pound ham. it's going to go fat side up and it is just over $13 for this entire thing. >> that's incredible. >> that's under $2 a pound. so you get a lot of bang for your buck. what's the inspiration for the meal? >> i wanted to do something that was a little bit sweet but had some zing to it. in here is a sauce made from brown sugar, apple jelly, apple cider vinegar, ginger and garlic. all this is in here. an hour and 15 minutes in the oven, 350 degrees, you pour your glaze over the top. this has been tinted until this

point. pour your glaze, take the tinting off. put it back in there for about 20 minutes. >> what makes this affordable is there is a round two. >> there is a round two recipe with this. that's not a leftover. a round two is a planned meal. so breakfast or brunch the next day is a ham skillet casserole. cut off ham, chop it up, bisquick goes in here. you've got your egg, ham, it's absolutely delicious. >> and we know we've bought enough that we're going to have some ham left over. >> i premade you a lovely martini. that's what this is called, just for you, miss amy. now, in here, i have some things that you like. some chocolate godiva liquor, bailey's had lf & half. and for you, i have a country christmas cocktail. in here, this is your country christmas cocktail. >> actually, i'm the designated

anchor. >> merry christmas. captain morgan's spice rum. in there is vanilla vodka. in there is a sweetened condensed milk. >> you're going to have to designate an anchor, by the whie. >> and chi tea. >> i love chi tea. >> it's very zen this christmas. >> what are you doing for christmas? >> i am going to sleep. i don't know how you guys do this. >> i always wonder if people like you actually cook on the holidays. >> yeah, yeah, we normally do. >> but the bar is set so high, how do you meet all those expectations? >> i get my rear-end in that kitchen and i go power shopping. >> you serve these to everyone and then they're always happening. >> you did say signature cocktails are important for every meal, correct? people like to know that they're going to come in and get something special. >> yeah. so if this is the cocktail you were serving, you would call this amy's lovely martini or lester's country christmas. >> sandra, always a pleasure. thanks for coming on. good to see you. b>>e'rristmas.

>> we're back in a moment. but first, these messages. i'm phil mickelson, pro golfer. if you have painful, swollen joints, i've been in your shoes. one day i'm on top of the world... the next i'm saying... i have this thing called psoriatic arthritis. i had some intense pain. it progressively got worse. my rheumatologist told me about enbrel. i'm surprised how quickly my symptoms have been managed. [ male announcer ] because enbrel suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculis, lymphoma, other cancers,

and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. get back to the things that matter most. ask your rheumatologist if enbrel is right for you. [ male announcer ] enbrel. the #1 biologic medicine prescribed by rheumatologists.

♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] big mac and mac snack wrap. the simple joy of one-of-a-kind flavor.

ltsdz. the holidays are often the time to owner men and women who serve our country. tonight, nbc joins forces with wwe and the fourth annual wwe tribute to the troops special. >> and this morning, wwe superstar mick foley and wwe diva kelly kelly are here to tell us all about it. good morning and happy holidays. >> thank you for being here.

>> it's nice to be here. thank you for having us. >> this event has been going on for years. a special bond has developed with military personnel and the wwe personnel. >> it's almost insxlixble. the woman shrugged her shoulders and said, slim jims and wrestlers. i don't understand either one of them. but that's what our troops like. >> and you're doing a diva's match in front of some of these troops. is that different than a typical match? >> actually, we had maria menudo from extra come. so it was us four against four other girls. it was really, really fun because the troops were so excited and so into it. they were excited to see the girls out there kicking some butt. we were all in our army gear, too. so it was a really fun match. >> kelly, kil kelly and nick

foley, thank you so much. >> can i give a quick shout out to mrs. gallagher. >> we can watch you guys tonight at 9:00 p.m. here on nbc. that does it for us on this saturday morning. tomorrow on "today" surviving the holiday season stress. >> so long, everybody. have a great saturday.

good morning. i'm kris sanchez. is it death for california's death penalty. a bay area judge puts a stop to lethal injections. find out what it means for criminals on death row. what leaders are doing to make sure this doesn't happen again. holiday partygoers want to make sure af tvees ekd.we what they are doing to crack down on drunk driving. "today in the bay" coming up next. the droid razr by motorola.

the newest droid armed with motocast. granting you wireless access to files on your home computer from almost anywhere. 4g lte equipped to pull pictures, music, and movies. all at mind-melting speeds. powered by verizon, this droid is too powerful to fall into the wrong hands. we were the first to ban smoking on airplanes. the first to have smoke-free bars and restaurants. all while saving over $86 billion in health care costs... and over a million lives.

we've done a good job. but even if you were born today, you'd still grow up in a world where tobacco kills more people... than aids, drugs, alcohol, murder and car crashes... combined. we have a lot more work to do. [ female announcer ] martinelli's gold medal sparkling cider is the perfect choice for holiday gatherings. martinelli's is non-alcoholic, festive like champagne, and tastes great! martinelli's: since 1868.

goods good morning to you. look at this beautiful sunrise. lots of clear skies. lots of low temperatures around the bay area. thanks so much for joining us on this saturday. i'm