local news update at 7:25 and every half hour after that. >> want to keep you informed. go out and enjoy the cool, brisk weather. have a great day. see you tomorrow. emotional return. students and staff from sandy hook elementary head back to class this morning for the first time since the tragic school shooting. the pain staking steps school officials have taken to ease the transition. battleground washington. a new session of congress begins on capitol hill today, and fresh off the fiscal cliff fight, the republican party appears from the throws of its civil war. we'll speak to a gop congressman who urged those in his district not to ease to a republican campaign. an 8-year-old boy devastated

after he accidently bought a $50,000 car. harmless prank or parent going too far? we'll ask her and her son today, thursday, january 3, 2013. from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning, welcome to "today" on a thursday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> i'm erica hill in for savannah guthrie. students from sandy hook elementary school. >> classes held today in a school in a neighboring town in monroe, connecticut. classes in that school have been recreated to look just like the rooms in sandy hook and parents are being allowed to join their children. more from connecticut on that story straight ahead.

also, secretary of state hillary clinton back at home after leaving a new york hospital where she's been treated for a blood clot. how much longer, though, will she remain secretary of state? more on that coming up. the paparazzi killed while trying to get a photo of justin bieber. then an unusual fight for a sperm donor in kansas. he helped another couple have a child, signed away all parental rights, now three years later the state wants him to pay child support. we'll share his story. we begin this thursday morning with the staff members and students of sandy hook elementary heading back to class for the first time this morning since the tragic shooting last month. in monroe, connecticut, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. the media is being kept about three miles from the school as

district officials try to get these kids to normal routines, but they won't return to the school where the tragedy occurred. volunteers worked for several days transforming a former middle school in a neighboring town into a place that looks familiar for nearly 500 sandy hook elementary students. >> at one point, there were 80 people in the building cleaning out the building, doing the kinds of things, painting, to make it really look -- look cheerful and happy. >> reporter: they brought the children's desks, bookbags, and jackets about seven miles from their newtown school and even renamed the building sandy hook elementary. >> we will go to our regular schedule and do the kinds of things that we know are good for kids. >> reporter: some comfort for anxious parents, whose two sons survived the shootings. >> the teachers themselves are putting on a good show, they

have smiles on their faces, excited to see the kids, excited to get back, but, obviously, they've got emotions running high, i'm sure. >> reporter: parents, teachers, and students toured the building wednesday under a heavy police presence. >> right now it has to be the safest school in america. >> reporter: authorities say increased patrol will be in place for days to come. another comfort for students, parents can be with their kids in class today. matt? >> we wish them all our best. rahema, thank you very much. erica? secretary of state hillary clinton is out of the hospital this morning as she recovers from a blood clot near her brain. andrea mitchell has the la good morning. >> good morning, erica. it was all good news according to hillary clinton's doctors. she's making good progress on all fronts, and they expect a complete recovery. the secretary of state's motorcade pulled out of the hospital around dinnertime

wednesday heading to where she'll continue to rest and work from home. earlier in the day, an upbeat clinton walking hand-in-hand with chelsea, along with bill. discharged from the hospital and is heading home. even more grateful she'll make a full recovery." thank you to the doctors, nurses, and staff for taking great care of my mom. doctors not involved in clinton's care say patients with blood clots such as hers will be monitored closely. >> worsening headache, changes in their level of consciousness, so if they get lethargic, too sleepy, weakness in one side of the body, speech difficulty, we need to respond by reevaluating and see whether the blood clot has increased in size. >> reporter: hillary clinton's

illness will postpone benghazi. >> this is going to sound crazy, but reduce the level of cynicism in washington, that she had a benghazi headache and she was just malingering or making up. >> reporter: it's unlikely the secretary of state will be adding more miles on that airplane before stepping down from office, assuming john kerry is confirmed her succeeder, but staff says she is looking forward to getting back to the office and back to work soon. >> thank you. >> erica, thank you. president obama has just signed the fiscal cliff bill into law, ending what was an immediate crisis, but the bitterness in washington lingers as a new congress con seens today. kelly o'donnell is there. kelly, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. no break in the action, no breath between these bitter partisan battles, yet today the congress who has served for two

years through all those dramas says good-bye and a new one takes the oath at noon today. day one on the job for 82 house freshmen and a dozen senate newcomers. the record books take note, 20 women, the most ever, will be called senator. a changing america means 28 hispanics hold seats in the house. today marks the return of the kennedy family. r.f.k.'s grandson joe becomes a congressman. >> it is my honor to be here with all of you this evening as your next congressman for the 4th congressional district of massachusetts. >> reporter: and a return to work that meant a year of hard-fought recovery for illinois senator mark kirk after his devastating stroke. >> i wanted everybody to say that depressed moment you can have when a stroke hits, say, look, kirk is even walking up the capitol steps as an example to patients.

>> reporter: but this new congress faces leftover problems. >> absurd, absolutely absurd. >> reporter: billions in emergency funding for superstorm sandy victims across the northeast was abruptly postponed by house speaker john boehner at nearly midnight on tuesday. >> i think it's inexcusable that we did not have this vote. >> reporter: setting off anger and disbelief among democrats and republicans. >> we cannot believe that this cruel knife in the back was delivered to our region. >> this is time to stop debating and take the gloves off, jersey style. >> reporter: new jersey gop governor chris christie pulled no punches. >> it is why the american people hate congress. >> reporter: then came damage control, a private meeting with the speaker. aides say boehner decided the house could not demand fiscal cliff spending cuts and vote on the same day to spend billions in disaster relief, but boehner promised the new congress will

vote on sandy help starting tomorrow. >> extremely positive meeting. >> reporter: but more proof that in this political environment, every kind of issue can veer off into another crisis. >> the country is fractured, conservatives and liberals, republicans, democrats, have very different views of how to deal with issues of taxes and spending and entitlements. that's not going away. >> reporter: and this is a critical political day for john boehner, as well. we've watched him have some political setbacks in recent days, and part of a new congress is electing the speaker. john boehner's aides say despite rumbles his way, they do expect him to be elected speaker. matt? >> kelly, thank you very much. peter king is a republican house member from new york, good morning. >> good morning, matt. >> message received, speaker boehner said they'll vote on sandy relief this week for a total of $160 billion. are you confident that money will be delivered to the people in need?

>> matt, i am. this is a well-drawn bill. $9 billion this friday, and on monday, january 15th, will be the remaining $51 billion. this money is desperately needed. my own neighborhood, my own community has been devastated. staten island, breezy point, new jersey, as governor christie pointed out yesterday, this is absolute devastation, in some ways comparable to katrina. >> take me back to tuesday night, congress is debating the fiscal cliff bill and you an other lawmakers were adamant the sandy relief bill be taken up. did you speak directly to speaker boehner, and were you as angry and outraged as you were yesterday? >> yes, matt. we were told during the week, we worked on this with eric cantor, governor cuomo, mayor christie, and were told it was coming up for a vote either tuesday evening or wednesday morning, and then we started getting rumors on tuesday evening that

it may not come up, might be pulled, congress may adjourn. >> did you express your outrage directly to the speaker? >> at that time it was not raised, i was concerned. let me talk to you about the fiscal cliff, 99% certain the bill did come up. john said he would talk to us right after the vote and decide what was going to happen, but instead after the vote, the speaker left and we found out from an aide that the bill was pulled. >> here's what you said wednesday. you said that speaker boehner had a, quote, dismissive and cavalier attitude and republicans have no trouble finding new york when it comes to raising money, and i would just say to anyone from new york or new jersey who contributes one penny to congressional republicans after this should have their head examined. do you stand by those comments? >> i stand by what i said at the time, it was shock therapy. >> did you mean it?

>> at the time, certainly. if we did not get this aid, it would be disastrous for the people in new york. this wasn't a special gimmick, this is life and death. i have people in my district living in the back of cars, dilapidated homes. john boehner yesterday agreed to put everything we wanted on the calendar, it will be voted on, money will be there. john boehner is a friend. i give him credit. >> you came out of the meeting and not only say he's a friend, you'll vote for his reelection as speaker of the house. i want to go back to your words, "john boehner has a dismissive and cavalier attitude towards people in new york and new jersey." how can you vote for a speaker who has a dismissive and cavalier attitude to the people in your district? >> what's done is done. decision had to be made, john boehner made the right decision. john boehner agreed to put it all on the calendar, the vote will be held. i wish it had been done the other night, yesterday morning, the fact is it is going to be done by january 15th, and if

we're going to carry grudges the rest of our lives, we'll never get anything done. >> take me inside the meeting yesterday. john boehner is known to be a guy not to mince his words. did he call you out for publicly calling him out on wednesday? >> not really, he made a joking obscene gesture, then said i love you. then went into the meeting. very cordial, business like, at the end of the meeting, we shook hands, we'll be friends. i do consider john boehner a friend, which is what really hurt the other day, but i felt i had to do what i did for the voters in my district. john said he understood that, the pressure, the suffering, he said he thought there was just too much going on, and i disagree with that, but he's the speaker and the fact that he came around so quickly and is willing to work with us and put it on the calendar, i give him credit for that. >> any doubt he'll be reelected speaker? >> no, john will be reelected

speaker. john is really a voice of reason in our congress, despite some of the things i said yesterday. >> okay, what a difference 24 hours makes. congressman peter king, thanks for your time this morning. >> matt, thank you. >> my, how things change. time now for a look at the top stories, good morning, willie. >> good morning, erica, matt, everyone. we begin this morning on wall street where the dow saw its biggest gains in more than a year on wednesday. courtney, another good day today? >> reporter: good morning, shaping up to be another active day on wall street after the dow gained more than 300 points on wednesday, that also marked the biggest point gain we have ever seen on the first trading day of the year. the market is cheering that fiscal cliff deal. the relief rally could be fading a little bit. today the investors have a slew of data to invest, employment

data, auto sales, and retailers report their monthly sales. willie? >> thanks, courtney. the death toll in syria has hit a terrible new milestone, more than 60,000 people have died in the 22-month-long conflict, this according to the united nations. a government air strike on damascus on wednesday killed dozens of people. al jazeera is making a strong push for a wider american audience as the news network purchases current tv, which was cofounded by al gore in 2005. gore confirmed the sale saying al jazeera provides diverse points of view. a christmas surprise can turn even a grown man into a excited little boy. the wife and son decided to cheer him up, when they asked dad to help unload the groceries from the car, he found something

special. >> hello! >> dad named the little guy monty. as you can see here, they are already inseparable. now 7:16. back to matt, erica, al. guys, the puppy gets him every time. >> no question about it. willie, thank you very much. mr. roker is here with a first check of the weather. >> snow where you're not expecting it and other places where you will. rain in the southeast, less than an inch to two inches. also a quick clipper coming across, that's going to bring lake effect snow over the next 24, 48 hours. basically looking at one to three inches, not a big deal. but the big story is down in texas, the big bend area. winter storm warnings, winter weather advisories, that's going to bring a lot of snow over the next 24 hours. we're talking some areas picking

up to eight inches of snow in the mountains there in the southwest of texas. we'll get to your local forecast, but first, this message. southwest texas. ♪ i'm halfway to your heart ♪ you have to let me know ♪ so i don't make my worst mistake ♪ ♪ turn around and let you go [ female announcer ] when sweet and salty come together, the taste is irresistible. made with sweet, smooth peanut butter and salted, roasted peanuts. sweet and salty nut bars by nature valley. nature at its most delicious. you can certainly feel the winter chill out there this morning. temperatures are frigid. at frosty morning to get through before we hit the 60s later on today. 60 degrees in livermore. 6 2 degrees in gilroy.

we do have some changes around the corner. looks like we may see showers late saturday into sunday. nothing heavy. by monday into tuesday clearing you out and warming you up. that's your latest weather. erica erica. >> al, thanks. new concerns about the paparazzi this morning after a photographer was killed trying to get a shot of justin bieber's ferrar ferrari. >> good morning to you. friends say chris was always hustling, looking for the next big shot and payday. but after an exclusive photo, he paid the ultimate price. >> the flash bulbs, the screaming. >> it's high stress. >> the mob scene. >> it's a price to pay. are you willing to pay it. >> a cat and mouse game between paparazzi and stars that can get downright scary.

>> please don't chase me, i'm pregnant. >> justin bieber's car was pulled over for speeding. he didn't know he wasn't in the car and as he tried to get a shot in a busy road, he was killed by a passing suv. >> reporter: saying the right picture can bring anywhere from 50 to $100,000. >> we're dealing with a billion dollar industry called hollywood. this ain't no joke. it is money that drives you. >> reporter: justin bieber has had his own share of run-ins with the paparazzi including this confrontation in a parking lot last may and high speed chase on a los angeles freeway that landed bieber a speeding ticket in july. in a statement released wednesday, bieber expressed his condolences for the family and said hopefully this tragedy will finally inspire meaningful legislation.

a statement echoed by miley cyrus, hope this accident is a wa wake-up call. wasn't this enough of a wake-up call? sn>> sponsoring two paparazzi ls in effect in california since 2010. >> the one law we can go after is anti-stalking law to keep them from stalking the celebrities day and night. >> reporter: their sometimes dangerous relationship will go on as long as fame goes with so much fortune. >> it this is price of fame you have to deal with the paparazzi and you have to put up with it. >> late last year, prosecutors in los angeles used one of those new anti-paparazzi laws to file charges against the photographer in that high speed chase with bieber but a judge threw out most of the charges calling the anti-paparazzi law vague and problematic. >> jason, thank you.

>> it's about money. if they keep paying big money for pictures like this, people will still take risks to get those photos and accidents like this happen. >> and if people keep reading those magazines -- >> we've been calling for a wake-up call since 1997, when diana died and haven't had one yet. still to come, the sperm donor who signed away his responsibilities as a father but is now being asked to pay child support. and an 8-year-old burst into tears after his mom convinces him he accidentally bought a $50,000 car online. did she take a joke a little too far? we'll ask her. first, this is "today"

coming up, this isn't good news, why this flu season could be the worst in years. and who invented the french fry? first your local news.

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lose up to six pounds in two weeks. with the cereal you love... and so much more. what will you gain when you lose? good morning, everybody. i'm jon kelley. a man stabs his father in tadal city and now both are in the hospital. the two got into an argument. at some point things got very physical and police say the son stabbed his father several times. the father called 911 from his cell phone. >> the officers responded to the scene and they saw the dad had multiple stab wounds and the son had trauma to his head. we're not sure where he was stabbed yet. he was definitely stabbed with a sharp object. >> we can confirm both father and son were taken to the hospital and they are expected to be okay.

right now let's look outside and get your friday eve forecast and say good morning to christina loren. nice shot. >> thank you. good morning to you. 7:26 now. a live look over the san francisco bay. sun up to come up over the next ten minutes. we have certainly seen temperatures dropping this morning to 27 degrees in petaluma. 29 in gilroy. 35 in san jose. 33 degrees in sunnyvale. cold enough for frost everywhere. moderate range when it comes to air quality so you don't have to worry about sparing the air. today's highs are going to creep up just a touch in places like gilroy to 62 around 60 in san jose. another mild finish to tomorrow. went to be as frigid when we wake up tomorrow and meet back here. more clouds mean a warmer start to the day. black ice out there. >> watching it also in woodside. we're looking over to the opposite side. this is san mateo bridge and tow

truck facing us over on the left side of the screen finished helping someone stalled there. that's cleared from the lanes. anything going on for the span other than your commute that moves nicely here. also nice through berkeley westbound with headlights coming toward us. eastbound at central reports of a big hot hole in middle lanes between second and third lanes. stay to the right or over to the left as you pass by that area into richmond. to the bay bridge where this got very light. we have a light commute at the toll plaza itself. there you go. back to you. >> thanks a lot. that's a wrap for now. another local news update for you in one half hour. we'll see you then.

why did you buy that $50,000 car on ebay? >> i didn't. >> you did. >> oh, can we -- >> it won't cancel it. you hit buy. >> that is 8-year-old kenyon getting a little upset after his mom told him he had accidentally bought a mustang online. she posted it on youtube. you know what, not everyone is laughing about that. is it funny or a prank gone too far. we'll talk about that with kenyon and his mom when they join us in a couple minutes. they seem to be smiling about it. 7:30 on a thursday morning, the iii of january, 2013. i'm matt lauer with erica hill in for savannah.

a georgia woman free on bond after she allegedly hit a 17-year-old student with a car with a dispute over a parking space. you won't believe who's behind the wheel. we have bad news when it comes to flu season, off to a quick start, cases now reported in all 50 states. we'll talk about that with nancy snyderman. >> you are hearing more and more people complaining about the flu. and al's battle with obesity, a struggle that started when he was a child with ups and downs and he will explain why he's never going back to being overweight. this is a new book that will be inspirational to more people. a sperm donor at the center of a bizarre legal battle. can the state force him to pay child support. michelle franzen is in topeka. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, erica. the state of kansas is seeking at least $6,000 in child support

from a topeka sperm donor who signed away his parental rights more than three years ago to give a family the child they wanted and he's now preparing for a long court battle to prove he's not the legal parent. when william decided to be a storm donor in 2009, he thought it would be an act of kindness to help a lesbian couple conceive a child. >> it's difficult when there are no men in there and i donated. now the 46-year-old is caught up in a child support legal battle, not with the couple but with the state of kansas. >> no good deed goes unpunished. >> reporter: the former mechanic found and ad posted on craig's list. it offered $50 but decided, along with his wife, kimberly, to take no payment. >> this is nowhat we signed up for. >> reporter: he signed a legal contract with this woman and her

partner at the time giving up any legal rights and the contract also says he would never be held responsible for any child support. the couple has since separated but still care for the child together. >> we never intended for him to financially support her. that was our responsibility as her two parents. >> reporter: bauer became ill last year and her partner applied for financial assistance and kansas does not recognize same sex marriage and bauer could not legally adopt the child. have the joy of raising her and loving her every single day. it's only because of william that i have that. >> in a statement, kansas officials say the state is entitled to pursue child support costs in cases where the parties do not go through a licensed physician or clinic. there remains the question who actually is the father of the child or children. in such case, dcf is required by statute to establish paternity

and then pursue child support from the non-custodial parent. >> the idea is the state of kansas shouldn't be paying support if there is a person legally obligated to pay support. >> reporter: maurada says the case made him question his good intentions. >> with what i know now, i don't think i would have been a sperm donor. >> reporter: his family has filed an argument to have this case dismissed and he's trying to figure out how to pay the thousands of dollars in legal fees he's already had to in cur. >> thanks. now, a check of the weather now from mr. roker. >> thank you so much, mr. lauer, as we go to the big weather wall and show you what we have. it is cold not only in the northeast but southern texas where they're looking at snow. look at these temperatures, amarillo, 12 degrees below zero,

salt lake, 27. it's in the teens in cleveland. look at these afternoon temperatures, only in the teens throughout the plains and 40s in the pacific northwest. you have to go to southern florida to find warm weather in the ideas. look for snow showers around the great lakes, we are now at the coldest point of the day. 7:35. good morning. i'm meteorologist christina loren. that sun has now moved up above the horizon and as a result our energy source will start to warm us up nicely. a nice finish to the day. clear conditions making for a cold start. 60s inland around 59 bayside and 58 degrees at the coast. as we get into your weekend, temperatures are going to creep up. a chance for a stray shower late saturday into sunday. very slight chance. hope you have a great day. don't forget that weather on

cable and weather.com. got the ducks going up again. wildcat wildcats! matt. >> al. thank you very much. now, to a parking dispute in georgia police say got way out of hand. surveillance video shows a driver hitting a high school student with her car. that's shocking enough. what's even more surprising is the identity of the driver. gabe is in cartersville, georgia. good morning. >> reporter: matt, good morning. it seemed like any other day just after christmas, a busy walmart parking lot, shoppers vying for a space. a teenager claims one driver went too far. >> reporter: a parking lot showdown caught on camera. pay attention to the girl in the dark pants, right there. then watch this white suv, as it drives down the aisle, pauses, then -- >> i thought she was going to pull out. i didn't think she would actually hit me. emily says she was holding a

parking spot for her brother's girlfriend, a new mom. things got ugly. >> she approached and rolled down her window and told me to move. i politely said i'm saving the parking space. she tells me to move again and rams me with her vehicle. >> reporter: the case is getting a lot of attention as it turns out the driver is the vice chair of the school board, the same district where she is a high school senior. >> i was a child in this situation and she acted like the child. >> reporter: police reviewed the video, measured the tire marks on the girl's jeans and arrested co coronett. >> from the video, it's obvious the pedestrian was standing there and the vehicle lurched forward and has to get out of the way quickly. >> reporter: but her attorneys s says the student leaned against the vehicle and the tire marks only show it brushed against her

not that she was run over. >> mrs. coronette regretful this occurred and don't believe any l laws have been broken. >> this video says it all. >> reporter: it is something the police are looking into. >> i can't believe somebody would hit somebody, especially over a parking space. that's not really important at all. >> reporter: the district superintendent is with holding comment until this case works its way through the courts. the school board member's attorney says while his client regrets the incident, she did not break the law, matt. >> that's going to be open for debate, gabe. thank you very much. looked like a pretty big parking lot. one more loop around might have yielded a parking spot. seems a little out of control. flu cases in all 50 states, is this going to be the worst season in years?

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decade with cases reported in all 50 states and has some of us wondering if it might be a sign of worse things to come. dr. nancy snyderman. if you haven't gotten your flu shot, it may not be too late? >> it may still be early. we may be looking at a flu season that goes into spring. normally we tell people to get their flu shots in september, november, october, if you haven't done it, do it now. >> normally we see a spike in january-february, this started more early december. >> it started early. it started in the south where we don't normally see it and we've seen a continuous spike. not only early but a lot. that's probably because it's isolated to this influenza a, hta, technical term. the last time we saw it was in the 2002-2003 flu season which was notoriously bad. i don't expect this one to have

a lull right now, especially with the cold snap in the northeast. people are coming in and closing their door and we're passing germs more readily in the north and i suspect it continues in the winter and early spring. >> and we don't havehave a map l 50 states and strongest in the south and east. >> if you look at that southeastern red hot zone, i suspect we will see more states turn red over the next couple months. >> you mentioned the h strain. how successful was this? >> they nailed it. they turn this scientific guest work what will be around the bend. we have hits and misses. they nailed it this year. the vaccine is not only good, it's for everybody. even if you're a young healthy woman and thinks it's not for me. if you're pregnant, it protects your fetus, if you're grandparents around children, it

protects your kids. and it is hard to knock out and there's the nasal mist if you can't muscle up the courage for the needle. >> and people young and old and most at risk, besides getting the flu shot or washing your hands, anything else you should be paying attention to? >> it's so interesting, we have become so lax about public health and we can prevent disease, we thank our doctors for giving us antibiotics and going to the hospital, something as simple as an immunization can keep you from getting sick in the first place. if i can keep you from getting sick at your sickbed two weeks and a compromised person, young person, pregnant woman, that's a really important part about public health. last year, we saw pregnant women as their own isolated group. i think it's safe to say for

everyone 6 months or older, get your flu shot and prevent illness. 25 to 40,000 people die every year from the flu and no reason to do it anymore. >> it's not just you, the people around you. >> absolutely. protect those around you. >> nice to see you. still ahead, al shares his personal candid story about his life-long struggle with weight. up next, the battle royale with french fries. are they really french? had a cl. she'd been doing her own tax returns for maybe two or three years. i said, "let me just look'em over and make sure there's no mistakes." they were really, really wrong. i did them over, and i called her... and said, "you're gonna get a total of about $10,000 back." i wave my wand and refunds suddenly appear. i can help you. now you can get 4 box tops for education

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the question is this, are french fries really french? michele kaczynski is in paris, good morning to you. >> reporter: here, they call them fried potatoes. the americans named them french. the bell gins decided to investigate. the french don't really care. for the centuries of peeling, chopping, luxurious hot oil treatments, whether in the suddenly gone translate bag or work of culinary art. >> bon appetite. >> reporter: could it really be the crispy salty, restoratively groce french fries is actually not french? we took to the streets of paris and found surrender. >> are they really french? >> yeah. >> no, they're belgian. >> you think they're belgian? >> yeah, i think so. >> reporter: we asked foodies. would you be terribly upset if

french fries were not actually french? >> no. >> reporter: consulted authors, experts. >> even though they're belgian, i still think of them as french. >> reporter: you know they're belgian? >> everybody says they're belgian. >> reporter: belgians, who serve thousands with mayonnaise decided to find out which tale from the deep fryer of history might be true. could those from the revolution not eat cake but potatoes to survive or was it belgian fishermen lacking fish to fry invented fries. the belgians finally decided the french story was the more plausible but still as unclear as a well-used fry pit. >> reporter: is it important to you they be french? >> no,it isn't. the most important is it's delicious. i don't care. >> doesn't any dispense their fries as french?

you're willing to fight for the french fry? >> not really. >> everyone say they're belgian so -- >> reporter: you don't mind? >> no. i think we have more than just french fries. >> reporter: but of course. >> it's not belgian fries? >> no. >> reporter: my hand slipped! whatever they are, they're still good, aren't they? >> we hope so. [ speaking foreign language ] well, some accounts have this spanish scarfing down fries as early as the 1500s and long before freedom fries, remember those? it may have been american soldiers in world war i who named them in french but only after trying them in french speaking belgium. all that matters is they're hot, slightly crispy and seasoned

with coarse salt because we may never know the truth about fries, matt. >> no. we're going to get to the bottom of it right now, michelle. thank you very much. we turned to willie geist all things world history. french or belgian? >> i think they're belgian. i've done the work. >> southern part of the country? >> i spoke to someone else and he says they're belgian. >> which tastes better? french fries or belgian fries? should we try? >> only one way to find out. which one's which. >> you have to ask which one's which? >> they're more of a meal in belgium. in france, more of a side dish. in belgium, lots of mayonnaise. >> do you like mayonnaise on it? >> a little too much oil. >> i like the way it clears out your sinuses. >> is that the belgian? >> those are belgian. those are french. >> those are pretty good, too. >> belgian is the father. >> sorry, paris, back after your local news.

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good morning, everybody. i'm jon kelley. five people on the run after police say they broke into a home in san francisco and robbed a group of college students at gunpoint. police say the suspects got into that home in the outer richmond district and threatened students with a gun. one of the burglars also pointed a kitchen knife at the victims. the students say the burglars stole cash, cell phones and l laptops and then took off. we're happy to report no one was hurt. it's cold outside. i can tell you that much. let's go over to christina loren. >> we look out the window and it's pretty to start. sunol very pretty to start. it's so cold out there not a great morning for a bike ride at 29 degrees it will hit you in the face in gilroy. 35 in san jose. 33 degrees in sunnyvale. temperatures are going to be mild as we finish off the day. until about noon you'll probably need your jacket.

at 3:00 p.m. we'll start to increase your clouds. you'll notice that makes a good difference as we wake up and meet back here tomorrow morning clouds serve as a blanket trapping in the warmth from today and tomorrow morning not looking as frigid. we'll trade into 20s and 30s for 30s and 40s. highs today above average in some spots. 60 in san jose. 62 degrees in gilroy. best chance for rain comes into play 20% late saturday into sunday. not looking good. overall you have to wash that car by yourself. let's check the drive with mike. >> cold. a note saying it's cold. very cold. let's just say that. through the area palo alto looking at a slow drive southbound past the university. things bogging down but it's that sun in your eyes as you head south down toward embarcadero. the map shows you both directions bogging down. northbound side and southbound showing signs of that morning commute and the sunrise slowdown north 101 past the airport slows from 680 and 87 into downtown. mild as well as south street in

fremont. >> we'll have another local news update for you in one half hour from right now. the "today" show rolls on.

we're back on a thursday morning, the iii day of january, 2013. you know what? >> what! >> even though it's chilly out, we're in the mid-20s, pretty cold out here. gold star for everybody sticking out the chill. we appreciate you sticking by. >> think about it. it's 1-1-3-13 today. erica is here while savannah is taking a little vacation time. we're joined by mr. roker as

well. coming up, the excitement we all remember probably when you get your first car? >> yeah. >> a good thing, when you mean to do it. that is probably not the feeling this 8-year-old had when her mom let him use her ipad and told him he had bought a $50,000 car online. as you can see he was a little upset about it. the video was posted on youtube getting plenty of reaction and some people thought it was funny and others said, mom, you went a little too far and we'll talk to mom and kenyon and see how they feel about it. >> we will talk to mr. roker. we've known each other 20 years or so. throughout that time, al has made no secret about the fact he has struggled with weight, on and off successfully and not so successfully and he's written a new book called "never going back." if you're someone that has struggled, you will find a lot of inspiration in it. and we'll be back with you.

>> i'm looking forward to sharing thoughts and in sight, not a preachy book and maybe giving you my path and maybe it will help you. >> we look forward to it. we will go inside. natalie is off and willie geist standing at the newsdesk. good morning. >> good morning, everyone. it is back to school for the children of sandy hook elementary. it is back to school for the first time since a gunman killed 20 children and six of the staff at a connecticut school. and they have outfitted a building in nearby monroe connecticut to accommodate him. secretary of state clinton has been released from the hospital after doctors treated a blood clot in her head and expected to make a full recovery. president obama signed the fiscal cliff bill raising taxes on the wealthiest americans, and the battle over spending cuts will be taken over by the 113th

congress that begins today and their first priority is approving aid for hurricane victims and the senate will have a new look with over 20 female victims. families that lost loved ones in the aurora colorado e-mail massacre have a new source of outrage, an e-mail inviting them to the movie's re-opening. good morning. >> good morning. many of these families say the pain is still too fresh to revisit the place they lost their loved ones. >> reporter: 12 lives were taken in just seconds, when a gunman opened fire at a movie theater in aurora, colorado. that theater is set to reopen this month. the parents of victim jessica, won't be there. >> none of us are ever interested in stepping foot in that theater, that killing field ever again. >> reporter: what hurts even more, they say, they were invited to the re-opening via

e-mail from the colorado office of victim assist stance two days after christmas. cinemark, the owner of the theater would like to invite you and a special guest to an evening of remembrance. the invitation asks guests to please reserve tickets for you and your guest by responding to this e-mail. we understand this may be a difficult time for you. counselors will be available at the theater if you would like to speak to someone. >> they never returned a phone call, they never sent a condolence letter. but now they want the public relations ploy of having us there to support their grand re-opening. jessica's family and several other victims' family countdoer with their own lettered, our family members will never be on this earth with us again and a movie ticket and some token words from people who didn't care enough to reach out to us nor respond when we reached out to talk to them is appalling. as early as last september, the

mayor of aurora sent the theater a letter saying after hearing from the victims of the shooting and the community, we are hearing a collective wish and desire for the community to reopen. >> at least one family who co-signed the letter placed a lawsuit against the chain accusing them of security measures. and they asked for it to be dismissed because there was no of a viral

video. >> nobody would do that, willie, right? never. never. thank you, sir. mr. roker has a check of the weather. it's a little chilly outside. >> it's very recoupup prative.

you're 91 years old? you look fantastic. it's grandma? >> happy birthday, grand ma. >> me, especially, yeah, grandma! let's check your weather and see what we've got for you. seattle, washington. cloudy, cold, 44 degrees, we'd take 44 today. look at that front bringing showers in the gulf coast and atlantic states, bringing light snow, no big problem. we have another big front coming in bringing showers in the pacific northwest. snow in the big ben area of texas, anywhere from 3 to 6 inches in the mountain and could see 8 inches of snow before it's all over. i like this drawing of the four of us, anime. it's you 8:07. taking a live look at sales representative taking a live look at san

rafael. mostly sunny conditions. 35 degrees in san jose. 31 in gilroy. grab your coat in concord and livermore at 29 degrees. the coldest city right now on this map is santa rosa at 28 degrees. as we head throughout the day, clouds will return, tomorrow morning, a milder start. that's your latest weather. >> you know that picture willie showed a second ago of the c-section, baby grabbing he hand. this is jimmy, our cameraman, who said what the baby was saying, hey, pull my finger! you should be so proud of yourself. thank you so much. >> a beautiful moment ruined. coming up, a mom who had her 8-year-old son in tears when she told him he accidentally bought a $50,000 car online. we'll talk to them but first these messages.

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just about 12 minutes after 8:00 now. back with a mother's prank that has a lot of people talking. her 8-year-old son was using her ipad looking at cars on earthquakebay, when he thought he accidentally purchased an expensive car. >> why did you buy that $50,000 car on ebay? >> i didn't. >> you did. >> i did? can we get it? >> it won't cancel it. you hit "buy." is that true? did i? >> i'm afraid so. >> we'll have to sell everything, i'm horrible. >> you're not horrible, baby, you make a mistake. >> oh, no! >> what kind of car was it?

>> it was a mustang. i didn't mean to buy it. i was just looking at it. then when i tried to exit out it buyed. i didn't mean to. i was like, oh, no! >> hey, bub. you didn't buy it. you didn't buy it. >> oh. >> so you're sitting here watching that. you're kind of laughing as you're watching yourself. you weren't laughing when it happened. what did you think when your mom said she was kidding? >> i was like, that was a funny little prank. >> so you weren't too worried? you thought it was kind of funny. >> what made you grab your phone and start recording this? he got pretty upset at one point. >> he has some emotional responses sometimes and i thought it would be pretty comical. i thought i would just record it mostly for him to watch, but it

turned out to be a lott funnier than i anticipated. >> you had a little cabin fever trapped inside passing the flu back and forth among your family. then you decided to put it on youtube. boy, what a response you got. >> my goodness, yes. >> what kind of response are you hearing from people? >> some positive and some negative. heard a lot of things about my parenting. i think i caught more flak for a vertical video than even my parenting. you kind have have to let it roll off your back. >> there have been some pretty pointed comments, one saying this is a classic example how to teach our children how not to trust any. >> right. i think honestly teaching your kids to have a sense of humor is pretty important and teaching them to take a joke is a good deal, too. i think he's just fine. i don't think it's going to cause trust issues. >> so, kenyon, have you been back on the ipad since? >> yeah. i go on the ipad, i just don't go on skype as much.

>> you were trying to find a car to build with your dad? you guys were trying to restore a car? >> yeah. >> we can't get you a $50,000 mustang. just as a little something to tide you and your sister over we heard in the background offered to share her allowance with you. we have a couple of cars for you to take back with you. one for you and one for your sister to tide you over. >> you think you will post any videos? >> if i do, they will not be vertical. >> for those watching, that's how the shot was taken. >> it's a collectible. >> glad we passed the test. coming up next, al opens up his struggles with weight and what it finally took to overcome them right after this. ♪ we were skipping stones and letting go ♪

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to create options for you. not only that, we're using what we learn from these partners to shape our curriculum, so that when you find the job you want you'll be a perfect fit. let's get to work. back now at 8:18. millions of americans making a resolution to lose a little weight. as al will tell you, it's a struggle. he lost more than 100 pounds a decade ago. in his new book "never going back," he kept it off. talking with dr. nancy "spider-man." >> reporter: ten years after undergoing gastric bypass surgery, al roker has finally shed the fat man image. >> you look more handsome in

person. >> reporter: but five yea when his mother was in the hospital, his old habits came creeping back. al turned to junk food to deal with the pain and gained 40 pounds. >> one thing you drive home is surgically is not the be all and end all? >> no. it is a means. just another tool in the toolbox to lose weight. you can eat through a bypass. >> you have. >> i've done it. i was lucky, i was able to put on the brakes and found something that helped me get back on track. you can eat through it. >> here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> reporter: it was from that moment gone al changed his diet for good. he went on a 28 day detox plan cutting out caffeine, alcohol, sugar, dairy and gluten. he lost 28 pounds in the first 28 days. >> i think the problem for most people is not the losing of the weight. i think most people can lose the weight. it's the keeping the weight off.

maintaining was a killer. >> reporter: so how does he do it? al began a workout routine called the slow method, exercise for 30 minutes three times a week. strength training creates more lean body mass, in turn burns more calories. al changed his diet to only whole unprocessed foods, high in protein and low in carbs. it sounds basically you need a discipline and rules around a very specific part of your life? >> that's when i do best. i don't want to do points, i don't want to do this, i don't want to do that. just tell me what i've got to eat. >> reporter: he's stuck to his new routine for the past four years and says he's never going back. >> i was there and i went back. i hated it. i didn't like the way i felt. i know what i have to do now to keep that from happening again. >> we're joined now by al and dr. nancy. good to see you guys.

i think there's points people want to know about. 340 pounds at your heaviest, you talked about binging. >> yes. >> you are a successful public picture, happy family, everything. people want to know what was the cause of the binging? what was the unhappiness. >> one of those things to a certain extent, you don't feel worthy, don't feel like you're going to be found out as a fraud and not as good as you think you are, all those different things and i really like food. beyond having a good piece of steak or something like that, i'd have to have two steaks. >> i remember after the surgery, i sat here and it was like the incredible shrinking man in front of our eyes, you were dropping the pounds and dropping the pounds. it seemed as if it was going off without a hitch. you write in the book there were a lot of challenges. >> absolutely. it's a breakfast program,

dumping issue if you eat something high fat and high sugar. >> you can have an embarrassing experience. >> at the white house with the easter egg roll. i thought one thing would happen and something else happened and had to get rid of my shorts. >> it's a breakfast show. you also open up in your book the pressures being obese put on your marriage. you once said your wife said to you, she once told me my feelings weren't just about my weight about my lack of discipline and low self-esteem. >> how do you feel when the loved one in your life says that to you? >> it brings you up short. even that really wasn't enough to say, you have to do something about this. that was the problem. for the folks in their life who are overweight, i will help them. it's not just a help. we know we're fat. >> i've known al's wife longer than i've known al. when debra sat down, she said i

always thought there was a third person in this marriage, food. it's not my problem. it's al's. i can be supportive but it's al's problem and he has to do it. was she worried about him? she was there in a supportive role knowing this is his life to live. >> a lot of people can identify this. i have shared a very special relationship with my scale. sometimes i think i'm more married to my scale than i am to deborah. i live by the number i wake up to every morning. how does it feel today when you wake up and look at the number? are you still as careful about it? >> i weigh myself -- dr. nancy thinks i'm nuts. >> in the morning makes sense. >> in the morning and at night. i knowy that number is. if i've gone off over the new year's holiday i gained three pounds and working to get that off again and i don't want that number to go up. >> you also know what triggers your eating these days. are most people as good about identifying it? >> the great thing about al, this is a life-long change, not

a diet. he knows what his triggers are. he loves food. he loves great food and he loves junk food. when mcrib came up in the conversation, i could see the spit coming out of his mouth, he was like, seriously, seriously? >> where have you been my friend! >> this is the real al. he knows it. it's not that he's done with it. he knows the demons, and, frankly, he's figured out ways to get around them. is that fair? >> yeah. >> you talked about eating through the bypass. >> right. >> you also talked about finding something that could get you back on track. i'm not sure i understand exactly what got you back on track. >> you know a friend of mine, john harris, gained 40 pounds, lost it, looked terrific. i saw him, say what are you doing? people do deficit cleanses and i use that in combination with this slow workout from this trainer, melissa bowman.

it really helped change me. >> here's the part that made me a little sad. you write this in the book, you talk about how much more you could have achieved if you didn't feel -- while being fat, if you had been fit you could have achieved more. you still have doubts about that. >> not that i'm complaining about where i'm am, i'm thrilled where i am. >> life is pretty good. >> terrific. i wouldn't trade it for a moment. you always wonder where you would be if x hadn't happened. look, i'm thrilled i finally got to this place, at 58 years old, i finally got it figured out and feel good about it. >> do you still get the occasional person that walks by and say i preferred you when -- >> that's their problem. >> and others say that hey, you cheated by a gastric bypass. >> you look great and feel great. that's more important.

good morning. 8:26. i'm laura garcia-cannon. one of google's top executives getting ready for a major trip to the internet restrictive country of north korea. eric schmidt traveling to north korea on a travel humanitarian mission led by former new mexico governor bill richardson. he's expected to leave as early as this month. although it's not a business trip, it is seen as a significant visit. u.s.-based google is the world's largest internet search provider. and this trip will be the first by a top executive from the company to a country considered to have the most restrictive internet policies on the planet. let's check the morning commute right now with mike. >> looking a little better here. this is palo alto.

away from us, traffic is slow. but look at the map, even though it's clear at university, it backs up approaching the area coming out of redwood city. this is the ripple effect. the northbound side, typical slowing out of mountain view. 280 jams up, a recent accident at 87 approaching downtown. has to clear from lanes. that's bogging things down. slow south 880 through fremont. >> thank you very much, mike. i'll have another local news update in half an hour.

it's the new year and jay welcomes an old friend, plus arnold schwarzenegger. the best and brightest. freestyling with the roots. tonight on nbc. 8:30 now on a thursday morning. t the 3rd day of january 2013. take a gander at the rockefeller plaza and the christmas tree, only a few days to check it out. it comes down on monday. get down here and enjoy a last like at that iconic holiday symbol. i'm matt lauer and here with

erica hill while savannah is taking time out. and mr. al roker and mr. pickpocket with those gloves, be careful, he can pick a wallet in two seconds. >> what's coming up? it's that time of year everybody wants to lose a little weight. what if you didn't lose weight and want to dress like it. you know, al, i could save you a lot of time and effort here. >> but when you get to a size 60 suit, it doesn't matter. >> we have style secrets to maybe help you dress a little thinner and make you feel younger in what you wear and better walking out the door. >> let's be honest. after the holidays, you feel a little bit blue and wonder what's coming up in the new year. and we will tell you how to master your emotions. >> a lot of college grads hitting the streets, it's tough out there. we will tell you about 13 companies doing great from

high-tech to retail and where you should be looking. >> before we get any further, for a second straight day, meredith vieira has kathie lee gifford locked in a closet so she can take another turn at the fourth hour with miss hoda kotb. good morning. >> good morning. >> what are you doing today? >> we are going to talk about this controversial tv show called "buck wild." buck naked but called "buck wild." and critics say it's the appalachian version of "jersey shor shore". >> we will have stars on. >> i said that. >> i don't listen when she talks. >> we will have mimi leaks on, a nice little actress, talking about "the new normal," that show he's on. >> and having al on our show. >> no cursing, nothing today? >> i did not curse. >> okay. i thought i heard something slip

yesterda yesterday. >> hoda. >> and meredith in our fourth hour. mr. roker, check of the weather. >> you bet ya. let's see what's happening going into the weekend. showers in the eastern great lakes. look for showers in the pacific northwest. on saturday, we have more lake-effect snow showers hanging around. wet weather in the gulf coast, showers in the gulf coast, and in the new england, sunday-sunday more showers in the great lakes, frigid in the plains and cold weather into texas and more rain into central california and the gulf coast. that's what's 8:33 now on a thursday morning. good morning. i'm meteorologist christina loren. this is sunol. beautiful start to the day here. you do have a little bit of low cloud cover. not a whole lot. that will return as we head throughout tonight.

the temperatures will come up as well. still 29 degrees, though, in concord and livermore. you're right at freezing in gilroy. 32 degrees. throughout the next couple of days, temperatures are going to warm up. next chance for rain arrives late saturday into sunday. plan on maybe a stray shower or two. d that's your latest weather. >> we will tell people we will have more on your book "never going back" and struggle with weight loss over the years on "dat l "dateline," mr. roker telling more of the story. >> thank you, sir. now, let's head to washington d.c. and say hello to big willie scott. >> reporter: the national gallery of arts hosting us today. how nice of them. i'll get my hockey skates and do and show you figure 8 united states states -- figure 8s in a minute. you will be here a long time. if you look at hans moen, from

bridgeport, washington state. 100 years old today. he loves restoring old cars. i have to send him a couple, he might love my old cars. i have a couple. >> paula blumenfield, of new york, new york, a former model and still looks fantastic. beautiful ankles and gorgeous knees. and we have father richard raner, from fort myers, beach, ordained as a priest in 1958. god bless. still performs daily mass. here is the highly acclaimed katherine atwater from boomer, west virginia. avid seem stress and very active in her church. and take a look at emerson burkhardt, from margate city, the great state of new jersey. 100 years old today. he was a flight surgeon in the

air force during world war ii. god bless you. here is lucretia martin. 100 years old today. a registered mid-wife. and she loves to dance. can't beat that. take a look at glenn if you will, please. glenn cunning ham from des moines, iowa. he is 100 years old today. he loves to play golf. he is a good man and played golf once with dwight eisenhower. how about that? now, back to the great city of new york on the hudson. >> thank you very much. when we come back. simple style tricks that will trim years off your appearance. first on a thursday morning, this is "today" on nbc.

back now at 8:38 with "today's" style. simple changes that will make you look younger and thinner in

a mere seconds. fashion contributor and fashion editor, nice to see you. >> we need instantaneous gratification. we have really great styling tricks. >> we will start off with people thinking they need to look a little more youthful sometimes. you have options for us michelle is sporting for us. >> michelle head to toe looks much younger. i think she won't mind me saying she's 43 and looks not a day over 25. it looks casual and don't want it to look sloppy. >> you don't want to look like you're try toing to look too young. >> this is the big friend for the season. almost a little bit schoolgirlish, not too much. opaque tights better than sheers, more youthful and this

shoe has a youthful appeal. >> and lady like strap rather than purse with a handle, a grownup schoolbag. >> a good look if we want to look a little bit more youthful. and there are other ways to make yourself appear slimmer. >> it's amazing. the right accessories can drop areas you don't want attention to. your bag for example. >> your bag can make you look slimmer. >> if you have a tiny clutch. and if you're heavy-set, but not even for heavy-set, it's disproportionat disproportionate. >> and big and sloppy. >> that will add pounds. this is the natural skinniest part. you use a belt, it's miraculous. put it over a blazer or dress and do something with stretch in it and not too skinny. skinny belts should be for skinny skinny people.

>> you don't want muffin top going over it. >> and this is worn by the duchess of cambridge. >> she has supported this more than once. >> who's counting? >> these are great pumps, nude, elongate the leg. think about the heel size, every inch, five pounds lost and why i wear five inch heels. >> so do i. >> and on someone heavier set will look disproportion at and bigger. >> and it's a bit to walk in without the platform. >> yes. >> and then you don't fall. >> jewelry. >> jewelry on the necklace, draws the eye down and elongates. >> elongates. love the elongate. some other makeup tips you have for us that can help wipe away the years which we all love. >> fake tan -- we're not

encouraging orange look but fake tans can take back the years, makes you look more toned and fresh and covers a multitude of flaws. this is my favorite for the moment. get something two shades darker than your skin. you can fake muscle definition, if you put one more layer on the tricep and bicep, it can make you look more toned. >> makeup, if you want to look more natural, you're wearing makeup. >> it has oxygen in it and it plugs the skin instantaneously. it's sheer, not a heavy look and not add the ages. knew don't feel you have to scrape it off. hair is important, too? >> fringes and bangs, hides the crow's feet and wrinkles. this is a fringe you can place in. >> if you don't want to commit to the bang. >> exactly, angela david, a great friend. ponytail is a quick shortcut to

a face lift, lifts the eyes and forehead. >> shows off your cheekbones. >> and this is very important, always use shape wear. how fitted should it be? you don't want it too tight? >> absolutely. some women buy something too tight and thinks it will have a better benefit. no, it budges in all areas. it should compress you and helps you keep your posture better because it sucks you in. >> you should be able to breathe, too. we have a layer here, layering can actually help us look thinner? >> layer yourself thin. if you choose a darker color underneath, it draws attention to here and minimizes the area. it also makes you look like you know what you're doing when it comes to styling. you have a cardigan, blazer streamlines it, two thin layers. not talking bulky. clean slimlines and choose a

jean that's not tie-dyeed but washed. >> thank you so much! up next, the top companies for new college graduates looking for a job in 2013. first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪

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we're back at 8:46. as college seniors head into their final semester, many are starting the all important job search. this morning, we have the top 13 companies college graduates will want to work for. editor of "inc" magazine which focuses on this. good morning. glad to have you here. as we mention these, not in any special order. >> that's right. my team put together a mix, some politic and some public.

employees who worked there said we love working here. who knows better than the employees themselves. >> are these companies hiring? >> that's right. they're all growing. can't be a great place to work if they're not hiring. >> let's talk about companies, facebook, google, microsoft, some of the ones you like. why? >> tech is a hot field. this is the place job seekers have the upper hand. there's a lot of competition for software engineers. all the companies different. facebook, the biggest company in the world with a billion people logging in every month. if you work there, you know your work affects a billion people. >> you want a degree in computer science? >> that's where the premium is. >> to zap pos, online retailer and trader joe's. >> zap pos is based in nevada and has a silicon valley feel. great pay and perks and fun culture. the model there is create a little fun and weirdness. >> i always heard recently

airlines are struggling yet you like one airline in particular, southwest airlines. why is that on your list? >> your perception of airlines is right. southwest is the exception. southwest a long time ago decided the best way to forgive their customers a great experience is make sure the people who work there are having a good time. they have great pay, great benefits and really fun culture. >> what jobs specifically might people be looking for at southwest airlines? >> there are a lot of jobs at southwest. it's the same culture. work had the gate, flight attendant, pilot. >> have to have the training to be a pilot. recent college grad, might want to train a little bit. you say the state department and government it contracting company called fci federal are good places. >> if you're going to work for the government, why not work at the part of the government that will send you to a foreign lo kail, teach you a foreign language. that would be the state department. >> ftic is a government

contractor and the government out-sources paperwork to them. what's unique about them, they hire mainly high school graduates. this is a great place to go if you want to launch a career as a high school graduate. >> edward jones cuonsulting, boston consulting group. edward jones is a financial planning group. it is a hot profession and as baby boomers age, they need financial advice. edward jones got through the financial crisis without a lot of layoffs and its reputation intact. one other country, the owners of the shake shaq. union square hospitality group. >> like southwest, they own a lot of restaurants in new york and the shake shack decided the best way to please customers is make sure employees are happy. they put employees first. great pay and health benefits for restaurant workers almost unheard of. >> you talk about great pay. the last thing we talk about is teach for america, a nonprofit

company and makes me wonder what kind of salaries they offer. >> this is an interesting company. you don't do teach america for the money. you do it because you want to help the country. it recruits college students from the best colleges and asks them to teach in inner city schools for two years. people who graduate from the program say it is a great resume booster but most of all, it gives you a good feeling you've done something for the country. >> good information. we hope the soon to be college graduates were listening. thank you. >> my pleasure. up next, how to keep your emotions from sabotaging your goals in 2013. first, this is "today" on nbc.

this morning on new year new you on 2013, controlling your emotions to get the most out of life. the founder of life choice psychology and author of the new book, your killer emotion. seven steps to masking the top emotions and impulses that sabotage you. he is an agent for a number of news anchors, including some of our own. nice to have you this morning. you've down sampled people over the years and you say mastering your emotion is the first step. what do you mean by that? >> i wrote "killer emotions" because i have found over the years counseling people to make great life choices your emotions

can sabotage you. they can sabotage your life and the lives of those you love. you must control and master your emotions. if you make life choice, erica, when you're sad, hurt, angry, when you feel rejected, oftentimes you opt for a quick emotion essauging quick fix. that life choice is often counter to what you really want in your life and decision you'd make when your ogtively clear. >> that can have serious consequences. because especially so many of our choices in life are emotional. obviously, you said don't make important life decisions when you're feeling really emotional. you also talk about identifying what's most important to you. what you value most in this decision. >> absolutely. i call those your personal emotional triggers. that's a discussion i have throughout your killer emotions. if you can figure out what you love, what you want more than life or what you hate, what you

loathe, what you fear, those motivations can drive you to make great life choices and break through your toxic emotional skipping. >> you mention the word "toxic," a word that comes up with a lot of people talking about their emotion es. you talked about consequence, cogniza cognizant. you want to be aware what the consequences are. that should be a part of your entire thought process, thinking it through? >> absolutely. we so often don't think about the consequences of what we do. think about ex-cia director, david petraeus, if he thought about the consequences. tiger woods, kobe bryant in eagle, colorado, if they thought about the consequences to their lives, their livelihood, they might not have done what they did. conversely, if you can think about the great consequences of doing great things. al talked about losing weight,

foregoing food, whatever that is, if you can think about the things that drive you the most, that can change your life, your decision making pattern, and all of that. >> in terms of things that can really drive you, giving to others in need. it feels good, the right thing to do in many ways but also can benefit you. >> absolutely. if you put a little self-love in your heart, you can fill your heart of hearts with positive feelings, high self-esteem. i found that if you have high self-esteem, you will make great decisions because you know that you're worth making great decisions for, you feel like you deserve it. so one be gets the other. >> you talk a lot about visualization, this is something my husband is very big on, really picturing that outcome that you're hoping for. what's the best way to do that? how do you make that happen then in reality? >> the seven steps of emotional mastering your killer emotions, the first four steps are prepare torey. i believe if you will make a great life decision, ryou want o

prepare ahead of time and anticipate you making a great life choice. one of the ways you anticipate that is by visualizing the scenario and the decision you want to make. you always want to know the result of the interaction that you're going to have. >> the last tip you talked about a couple times, keep those toxic emotions in check. great to have you here and thank you so much. happy new year. more after your local news. good morning. 8:56. i'm laura garcia-cannon. police searching for a petaluma teenager who disappeared on new year's eve. 19-year-old alyssa burns was attended the snow globe music festival with friends in south lake tahoe monday night. investigators say she took a shuttle back to her hotel around 11:30 and that was the last time they saw her. police are looking over

surveillance video but have no solid leads as to where she could be. want to check the forecast now with meteorologist christina loren. how are we looking? >> still cold out there. good morning to you. the sun's been up for over an hour now. still at 35 degrees in livermore. but climbing nicely. 34 in gilroy. headed toward the 60s inland. 58 at the coast. slight chance for a shower on sunday.

back now with more of "today" on this thursday morning, 3rd day of january 2013. a lot of folks with coats on the plaza, getting one last look at the tree before it comes down on monday. i'm willie geist along with al rok roker. and back from your day job at hollywood access live. you were outside yesterday. >> absolutely. whose idea was that? if i'm not going to be out there, you will be out there. i keep showing up and y'all keep letting me in the door. i wasn't invited back, i keep showing up. >> al and i were talking. we love having you. >> thank you.

>> coming up, if you resolve to get healthy in the new year, takes more than cutting calories, five easy lifestyle changes you can incorporate everyday to help lose the weight. >> and from decades past, beehives and bobs, the old trends are back and how to look better than ever. i personally like the '80s, diffuser and john hughes movie. >> tell me about the diffuser. >> you pump up the hair. you know the '80s, al. >> sure. i had a mullet. if one of your resolutions is to save more money, we will tell you what to expect when it comes to prices in 2013, gas, college tuition, what's cheaper and more expensive, we will help you plan your budget. first, a look at the news. >> >> i do. for the first time since the massacre at sandy hook

elementary, students return to class but not to the scene of the shooting, going to nearby monroe, connecticut to make things as possible as normal for students on their first day back. secretary of state clinton is out of the hospital, resting at home and eager to get back to the office. she was released from the hospital yesterday and she is expected to make a full recovery. during the night, president obama signed the fiscal cliff deal that raises taxes on the wealthiest americans. today, the 113th congress will be sworn in with dozens of new members. the new senate will include 20 women the most ever. the new house is expected to vote for aids for victims of superstorm sandy after the vote was put off earlier this week by speaker boehner. that move drew sharp criticism from republicans and democrats alike. a federal judge has ruled the obama administration does

not have to probably disclose legal justification for carrying out attacks by drone attacks overseas. and lawyers discussed the so-called targeted killing program. in the ruling, the judge said she had no authority to order the documents disclosed. meanwhile, pakistanian and officials said u.s. drone strikes during the night killed at least 13 people including mullah nazir. the death toll in syria's civil war is staggering, saying more than 60,000 people have died since the conflict began. today, fighting is around a strategic air base in northern syria. a missile hit a gas station near damascus killing dozens of people. a new study shows fructose may play a role in overeating. when someone drinks the sugary

beverage called fru does, the brain apparently doesn't feel full. researchers say the study is small but fructose can trigger changes in the way people are eating. and nasa bringing in facilities for use by the space program for sale or lace. -- or lease. among those, the launchpad where the shuttle was launched and the last shuttle flight ended july, twen 2011, when it launched. have your next event on launch p pad. >> i have to get barbara corcoran on the case. >> now, a check by al. today brought to you by massage envy. this new year, start your wellness with massage envy. >> let's see if you have any

weather envy, in case you don't like where your weather is headed, looking at wet weather. nothing too heavy, less than an inch of rain and accumulation and we have snow firing from syracuse, north carolina, -- n york. and maybe in tughill. we have winter advisory warnings in central mexico and texas and it will last right on into friday morning where we're expecting anywhere from 3-6 inches of snow in west texas and southern texas and some areas of good thursday morning to you. 9:05. i'm meteorologist christina loren. starting with a live look, beautiful stay over san jose. clouds are increasing and less haze out there today. our air quality hazard improved. we've fallen back into the moderate range across the board. today, highs are going to be comfortable but still very cold

out there. 60 degrees in livermore. 60 in san jose. and 58 in san francisco. getting into the weekend, maybe a shower or two late saturday into sunday. now to today ease ta"today' where we share our take on stories. we're never going back. we will blow through these first couple and get to al. here's a couple anyway. take 1, caped crusaders and crime. a new study from the university of nebraska finds cartoon costumed crusaders may be confusing young children about crime. >> what! >> if i could boil it down, cartoons portray villains as evil and ir deemible, always. under all circumstances. >> the riddler, of course, and joker -- >> also, it suggests cartoons

show cops inept. police need a super hero being to come in and rescue them. >> the way we look at cartoons, growing up, jerry beat the stew out of tom. we grew up all right. wiley coyote. >> this is a new study in the criminal justice review. i don't think many people confuse dr. evil or joker with a petty criminal and suggest that person should be locked away. >> this is just happening when we were growing up. remember? if it wasn't for scooby-doo and the gang, i would have gotten away with that and you turn them over to the cops. you meddling kids when they take the mask off. >> hey, scoob, look! >> scooby, back in the van. >> this study suggests it's not teaching our children well about the relationship of police and criminals and eliminates the possibility of rehabilitation, all criminals are bad guys ir deemible forever. >> that's a stupid study. >> you heard it from al.

the biggest charitable donations. warren buffet donated $3.09 billion. >> with a b. >> with a b. mark zuckerberg gave up 500 million bucks of his cash. microsoft co-founder, paul allen, $300 million, mort zuckerman, newspaper tycoon, $200 million, and the top biggest donors gave up $500 billion and of that, $3 billion from warren buffet. >> it's not chump change but not a big deal. i like the big and little. i like more like donating your time. my grandmother always said do as much as you can for as many people as you can as long as you can. that's what we try to do. >> that's what make this country great founded on charitable giving and volunteerism because giving of your time is just as

important. >> we don't have the billion with a b. >> wall street brokers and others have been mall lined but they have put a lot of time and money in there. now, we've arrived. al, as you may have heard is never going back. his new book "never going back" winning the weight loss battle for good. al's advice, i love this, shut your mouth! >> guess what? those of us who are fat, we know it. tell me about this home that has no mirrors. we know we're fat. we know our clothes are tight. you telling us to lose weight, if you just try a little harder, it's not helping us, we already know it. in some cases it makes it worse for us. >> did that happen in your life? >> god rest her soul, my mom always wanted me to lose weight, i'd come over, oh, sweet sweetie -- would you like some pie? we equate food with love and it's difficult.

a lot of us have saboteurs in our life, both intentional and unintentional. it's tough. we know what we need to do. it's up to us to make the decision to do it. >> i'm curious, al, what you think when you look at some of the 60th anniversary tapes we saw last year and see yourself 10 years ago, 15 years ago, 20 years ago, what goes through your mind? >> i can't imagine they let me come in here. i just was huge. >> do you remember being that guy? >> i stopped watching. i think unconsciously i stopped watching because it was painful to see myself lumbering around. they say the camera puts on 10 pounds. we have six cameras, so you know, 60 pounds right there on top of what i already had. i was huge! >> was there a breaking point? was there a day you can remember, week or event or something you said, i have to change this? >> no. unfortunately, it was one of these things i had been fooling myself. my dad was dying of lung cancer. i had gone in to see him before

the show one morning. finally he point-blank said, look, i'm not going to be here to help you raise your children. i need you to swear to me right now that you will lose weight. swear to god you will lose weight. so i did. >> how? after that moment. >> then he passed away a week and half later. i forgot about it to be perfectly honest. in january of 2002, i decided i've got to do this, i've really got to do this. then we went to the olympics in salt lake city. i already made an appointment to have the gastric bypass. i ate like a pig. >> game-time. >> it was fantastic. literally, this could be my last meal. >> the last supper. >> i had many last suppers. >> we know one of your secrets is this peculiar drink you're always walking around with. we wonder what it is. >> it is a mix, a fermented chinese tea. i put a lot of fresh ginger in

it. i have a straw but i suggest you sip it because you want some ginger. >> is this every morning? >> every morning i have this. i also make a protein powder shake i do as well. >> what does it do? what is it with the ginger root? >> antioxidants, kind of helps the digestion. >> it's chewy. >> chewy stuff. >> what do you do breakfast-wise in addition to this? you come in so early. >> i do a protein powder shake with almonds in it and strawberries, almond milk, mix that up, generally do that for breakfast, maybe have something like that for lunch as well. there are all sorts of tips. i wear a jawbone ups that challenges myself to keep moving instead of taking the elevator, i'm taking the stairs. >> wait. i'm sorry, what? >> jawbone. nike has it, nike plus pulse and fit-bit. they measure movement.

>> this tells you how many steps you're taking today. >> how much movement you're doing, measures your sleep. >> keep track of it on your computer. >> i like that. your wife, deborah, has been with you every step of the way. >> i wouldn't say every step. she kind of backed off and thought i would trip and they would be peeling her off, little cartoon, here you go, honey. but she's been there for me, i appreciate. >> there's intimacy in the book we won't get into here. >> yeah. read the book. >> it's disturbing. al's never going back. five healthy tips. [ female announcer ] what would you call an ordinary breakfast pastry

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a little more. there's a real, like, camaraderie in the parking lot... shut up! that's it! let's go in the car. my time to shine is the smoked pulled pork. i think it's done broseph! pretty much got it down to a science... pretty much. we also really like a great pulled pork sandwich even when we can't make the game. you ruined it! some people even like it better. really? yep. [ male announcer ] new carving board pulled pork, get that delicious slow smoked taste without the hassle. it's game time food. it's oscar mayer. this morning on new year new you. getting into shape for 2013 the right way.

carey glassman is a registered dietitian and author of the "new you and improved diet." >> thank you very much. happy new year to you. >> thank you. you have new rules people need to establish to get the year started off right. >> exactly. clients come in and they're always surprised when i ask them about stress and sleep and how organized their fridge is and when was the last time they got a massage. the fact is if you don't look at these other areas of your life, it doesn't matter how great that meal plan or motivated you are, grocery list is, you're not going to lose weight. on a positive side, if you focus on these other areas of your life, you will be healthier and lose weight almost automatically. >> it almost sounds counter intuitive, eat more to lose weight. >> only one rule directly relates to food. eat more not less. what i mean is eat from place of empowerment, not deprivation.

flip your food attitude, think about what you can eat and can't eat. when you focus on the health benefits of food, weight loss is a byproduct of that. focus on eating real foods. get rid of as much processed foods as possible and eat real foods and listen to your body, i know can be hard. stop when you're satisfied and you don't need to obsess about calories, something everybody can start right now. >> you need to change these habits. >> exactly. you need to look at all these other habits. your stress and your sleep. >> one of the things that really does play a big role. i know i'm a stress eater, a lot of people are stress eaters. our camera guy is a stress guy. how do you deal with that? it's easy to say it but another thing to put it in action. >> here's what i say, breathe your way thin. everybody has a certain amount of stress in your life. if you don't focus on that you won't be able to lose weight. it wreaks havoc on your health.

i want everybody to breathe in for 8 and out for 8 and do an 8 count breath 8 minutes a day. if i can sit still for 8 minutes a day, i promise you anybody can. >> at one time. >> yes. even if you do it 3 or 4 minutes, you will feel better and ultimately lose weight. >> are there foods to help bust stress? >> you can. i have a lot of stress busting foods as well. not talking about mac'n cheese. dark chocolate, celery, cashews and even grass fed beef. >> you said another thing, slip your way slim. >> exactly. we heard before you need to hydrate. i'm sticking to those 8 glasses of water a day. you need it to cleanse your body. it's good for your skin. you also don't mistake hunger for thirst. when you add all this water with

lemon or mint leaves and herbal tea, you get rid of drinks and bevera beverages that may not have calorie but loaded with chemicals. you can start to do that now and lose weight by making that change. >> what do you say to people who crave carbonate d beverages? >> selzer with mint leaves. >> and you say you feel sexier and also helps your attitude as well. >> exactly. feel sexy to slim down. sex actually boosts your feel-good hormones! when you have a healthy sex life, you increase the common connection hormone, oxytocin. this helps you manage stress and helps you sleep better and lose weight. you don't have to have sex to increase benefits. >> but it helps. >> it definitely helps and slimming down makes you want to have more sex and slimming down increases oxytone 9 and you feel

better. another rule is taking care of yourself, putting yourself first. when my kids were babies, taking a long shower is indulgent. depending where you are in your life, take some time for you everyday. >> thank you so much. great book. beauty trends making a comeback. first, these messages. ♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] take the special k challenge. lose up to six pounds in two weeks. with the cereal you love... and so much more. what will you gain when you lose? and so much more. we replaced people with a machine.r, what?

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coming up, everything old is new again. beauty trends making a comeback this year. plus from groceries to tvs, what will cost you more in 2013? >> everything! weight watchers online worked for us.

we don't argue much. we really don't. meg usually just gets her way, and i go along with it. i think it worked for matt because i did it for him. when i'm the one cooking, i'm the one calculating the points. i can microwave things. you get to eat real food. we still get to go out. we're just so much smarter about it. we can keep each other in check. going, "okay, i see you." we've lost about 110 pounds together. it helped our love life. happy wife, happy life, right? right. [ jennifer ] weight watchers online. the power of weight watchers completely online. join for free today. release fragrance into the air, the welcoming scent of fresh lavender and juicy, sun-ripened peaches quickly fills your home. then fills you with a little something, too. try the long-lasting one-of-a-kind scent of lavender and peach blossom. available in plugins scented oil, only from glade. find glade refills, now with a new look.

s.c. johnson. a family company. good morning. 9:26. i'm laura garcia-cannon. five people on the run this morning after police say they broke into a home in san francisco and robbed a group of college students at gunpoint. police say the suspects got into the home in the outer richmond district, then threatened the students with a gun. one of the burglars also pointed a kitchen knife at the victims. the victims didn't want to show their faces on camera but say the suspects were looking for drugs. >> like high on something. >> their eyes were all bloodshot. >> he asked for weed. and we were like, we don't have any. and he was silent. and he was like, don't give me lip or whatever. and he went through -- pretty much hit every boy.

grabbed the girl by the hair. >> these students say the burglars stole cash, cell phones and laptops and then took off. luckily, no one was hurt. we'll have a look at weather and traffic right after this break.

welcome back. the time is 9:28. still cold out there but a pretty shot over san francisco. our winds are shifting. right now still coming out of the east. it's an offshore flow right now. we'll see onshore flow return through the tsecond half of the day. 41 in gilroy. our air quality has improved. back in the moderate range. as we head throughout the weekend, maybe a stray shower late saturday into sunday. enjoy the sunshine while it lasts. 60 in livermore. 59 in fremont today. 60 right here in san jose. next week looks good. >> we had a big slowdown across the san mateo bridge for about 20 minutes.

we have had a problem. but the disabled vehicle has cleared. now look at the traffic coming over. the map shows you the slowdown from 880 across the bridge. speeds coming back up to the 40s and 50s. a little slowing for 101. dumbarton bridge to the south, very clear by comparison. but you can tough it out across the san mateo bridge. easy drive across the bay bridge although east 80 toward central, slow there again. >> thank you very much. thank you for joining us. another local news update coming up in half an hour.

it asks you if you're operating a machine. >> those are important if you're going to have a baby, you need to -- >> that's a look into the hit movie "girls," a live look at the hit "20 something" about to debut. we'll have one of the cast members on. allison williams, brian williams' daughter who obviously gets her looks and talent from his wife. >> and thankfully escaping the

clutches of- >> i feel like you all are going after it. >> bad news when it comes to prices for 2013. we'll tell you what's coming up and going down in the year ahead. in the new year comes new beauty trends, a cue from the past for 2013, everything from big hair to updated makeup. who doesn't love big hair. >> have you volunteered for big hair? >> i'm from the south. big hair and blush and you're money. a big fight brewing in entrepreneur ov europe over the favorite snack, french fries. we don't really care where they're from. we want to sink our teeth into them. tomorrow, looking into wet weather, down to southern texas and wind and snow in central texas and snow and flurries

flying, saturday and more rain on the gulf coast. more showers, frigid in the plains. then sunday-sunday we are looking at more lake-effect snow on the leeward side of the eastern great lakes and rain in the pacific northwest coast and northwest central, nevada will see snow as well, hit and miss showers and 9:32 now. taking a live look at sunol. a few high wispy cirrus clouds. the clouds will increase throughout the dap. temperatures will be comfortable. 61 in santa teresa and 60 in san jose. highs come in between the hours of 3:00 and 4:00 this time of year. but still cold enough for a jacket right now. no real significant rain in the forecast, maybe a stray shower saturday into sunday. and that's your latest weather. >> al, thanks, we're sirting in ah. watching you do the weather.

>> you're flawless, not an um or breath, not a prompter. >> i'm making it up. >> now we know the secret. >> pro! up next, old beauty trends making a come back in 2013. kit hoover with big hair. >> yeah! >> first, these messages. fr omrogressive, but don't just listen to me. listen to these happy progressive customers. i plugged in snapshot, and 30 days later, i was saving big on car insurance. with snapshot, i knew what i could save before i switched to progressive. the better i drive, the more i save. i wish our company had something this cool. you're not filming this, are you? aw! camera shy. snapshot from progressive. test-drive snapshot before you switch. visit progressive.com today. [ annoyed ] i'm pure milk chocolate on the inside. and i love that about you. and here i thought you loved me for my brain. is that made of chocolate too?!!!

kit hoover with big hair. returns out there. with h&r block's second look, people bring in old tax returns, and i'm like, "who did this to you?" you have a return. bring it in; i'll look at it for free. i'll go back three years. i'm going to get you every single deduction out there. get your free second look from h&r block now. a great clean doesn't have to take long. i'm done. are you thinking what i'm thinking? ♪ give me just a little more time ♪ okay. all right. oh! [ female announcer ] the 2-in-1 swiffer sweeper uses electrostatic dry cloths to clean better than a broom. and its wet mopping cloths can clean better than a mop in half the time so you don't miss a thing. mom, have you seen my -- hey! hey! he did it. [ female announcer ] swiffer. better clean in half the time.

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its creamy, thick texture helps satisfy you. so you won't feel like you're running low on satisfaction. up next, old beauty trends light & fit greek. be light and fit. and satisfied. this morning and "today's" beauty. updated friends from years past, the chic bob you know you love. rachel is editor of "new you"

magazine. a good friend of mine. >> it's our debut issue, courtney cox on the cover. everything every woman wants to know about beauty. anti-aging, products, trends, game changers, stem cells. it's incredible. >> we're starting with the 20s. this is a harder look to rock. >> it's harder look. but it was all hollywood glamor and we're seeing naomi and others rocking. it's a short option, super easy to do. find a texture cream you work through your hair. easy as literally rolling it around your finger. taking a pin, either a $1.99 and doing that and putting throughout the hair and put in hair spray. >> the pin curling, i can do.

the red lipstick, you want to be good at that. red is an instagram. put that on and suddenly, you feel like you can go anywhere. definitely a fabulous look. we have a couple of options with chanel or super matte or you want more glossy. that's the key to this 1920s glam look. >> with red lib stick, remember to liqueur finger so it doesn't get on your teeth. >> and to the '50s, we have the high ponytail. we saw a lot of it on the runways. the '50s was like sandy from "greece" the '50s was like sandy from "greec "gra "grace -- "grease" and they're under $50. it creates a huge look and i popped it on and gives the wavy wavy look. the other thing about the '50s,

you want this flushed look. >> i love it. >> we interviewed courtney cox for this issue of "new you" and says she looks prettiest after being fresh from the gym. this is one you dust on the cheeks and gives you a perfect pi pinkish glow. >> i love it. it is not matted and makes you look younger. >> and you can do that in a major way. >> now to the cardigan and '60s. >> and you want to add volume there as well. use that tease to get high volume. >> looking nice. >> the '60s, i'm thinking feathered hair. >> we have the mod version of '60s. emma stone was recently out. it looked just like this, super cool, super sexy. number one if you want that king king-winged eyeliner. >> i see that. >> a lot of companies are making

the eyeliner. it looks like a tip like this and makes it very precise to give you that perfect black line there. when you're wearing that, you want to make sure you keep the rest of your makeup pretty neutral. nude lib -- lipsticks in. red and nude. and we all like a little tease in our hair. you can take a comb, teasing spray, this will help and make the back comb. the other thing is extensions are women's best friend, the clip-on. here, we can add bangs literally. >> you can add bangs? >> literally clip this on, here you go. >> it's a different color. >> she's a little blonder with these bangs and gives you the emma stone look. >> don't be afraid of extensions, they're not that scary. >> s there easy when you do it. >> my decades, '80s, tell me you have a diffuser.

>> i love the '80s. all you need is a triple dual hot waver. these are great tools. you can get it at the drugstore. kind of waver and crimper at the same time. instead of rolling it like a typical curling iron, you go down and get this great crimp look. she looks just like beyonce! you have to have your super loreal hairspray to keep that going. the other thing about the '80s, color shadow. i love it. she's wronging the blues. greens and ideologicals and super fun. think neon in bright colors. big brows are back. >> whoa! >> yes. i like it. and we have it here. everything you want to do to look like every decade is in the stores and in the pages of "new

you." >> thanks. >> thank you. >> up next, from tvs to tablets, what will cost more-or-less in the new year. right after this. [ mom ] dear chex cereal, i just had to write. you can't imagine how long i've been searching for something like this for my family. i'm amazed you make so many great flavors that are gluten free. my guys are crazy for chocolate chex and honey nut chex. for me, it's cinnamon. it means a lot to be able to give them something that's good for them, that also puts smiles on their faces. 'cause i really love those smiles. we're the harris family. and we love chex. [ male announcer ] love chex? connect with us on facebook. to make peanut butter so deliciously creamy. ♪ it can even be a game changer. that's why choosy moms and dads choose jif. it can even be a game changer. we asked total strangers to watch it for us.

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back now with what's going to happen to prices in 2013. some popular items may be getting more expensive and the price of others may go down. now to jean chatzky. good morning. >> good morning. >> you say we'll start with more

expensive in 2013. you say cars will get more expensive? >> yes. and we pulled together this list and we picked our favorites. cars will get more expensive because standards for fuel economy has shifted making car manufacturer manufacturers produce engines that will cost a little bit more. we have seen prices of the toyota camry up $175 for next year and cars like the lexus more expensive, even $3,000 on some models. >> there are some cars we should be looking at that may not jump in price? >> these fuel economy standards are across the board but your negotiating standard is best if you pair one model against the other. >> we heard about the fiscal cliff and we heard about the milk cliff. have we averted the milk cliff? >> we have. >> what does that mean for grocery prices? sn>> they are going up but the

milk price has been averted but the problem is we had a big drought, big in 2012. grain prices, grass was at a shortage, feed, corn feed was at a shortage. as a result, if you go down the food chain, we've seen higher prices on beef, on poultry, grain related items, on dairy. prices will be up next year, anywhere from 3-4%. you want to be more careful about clipping coupons and that sort of thing. >> that's a big jump. what about health care premiums, paying more? >> significantly more. they will go up about 6%. how much of that gets passed onto you depends on your employer and the type of health care. come october when it's open enrollment time, you want to choose carefully. >> talk about college and the skyrocketing price of furthering your education. when we do that, a lot of times we talk about private schools. state schools are getting very

expensive, too. >> they are. states have been under a huge amount of fiscal pressure, as a result, they have not been able to fund these state universities to keep up with increase intuition prices and more are passed to you. we expect state prices to go up a little less than 5%, fees at those same universities and colleges to go up a little less than 4%. that's big and student financial aid is not keeping up with it. >> financial aid is not rising with that. >> not necessarily. you have to be smart about filling out the fasfa right now and getting what you deserve. >> i don't buy a lot of copper but it is going up in 2013. >> you care about this because the price of copper is going to affect the price of beer. >> oh. thank you for drawing the line for me so i could understand it. >> copper is brewed -- beer is brewed in copper in many cases. as a result -- also, if you have any pipes burst in your house and have to replace them, copper

more expensive. >> we go right to beer. >> less expensive, streaming video, netflix. >> that's right. they have a new competitor in the marketplace from red box. we're used to seeing them in the supermarket. they're rolling out an $8 a month service half of what netflix is costing. >> and e books. >> if you have a kindle, amazon will discount the price of the ebooks and we're not sure how much. >> gas expensive? >> absolutely. 2012 was the highest priced year on record. we've seen prices fall in december and expect that to continue. >> but the copper and beer -- >> very disappointing. >> big problem for a lot of us. great to see you. up next, the origin of the french fry. was it french or belgian? we'll answer the question. but first, "today" on nbc.

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one of america's favorite snacks is the subject of a fierce debate in europe. is the french fry. french or did it begin in belgium? michelle is in europe. good morning. >> reporter: hi. here, they call them fried potatoes. it may be americans that name them french. the belgians decided to investigate. the french don't really care. for the centuries of peeling, chopping, luxurious hot oil treatments, in the suddenly gone translate bag or work of culinary art. >> bon appetite. >> reporter: could it really be the crispy salty, restoratively glorious french fries is actually not french? we took to the streets of paris and found surrender. >> are they really french? >> yeah.

>> no, they're belgian. >> you think they're belgian? >> yeah, i think so. >> reporter: we asked foodies. >> french. >> reporter: would you be terribly upset if french fries were not actually french? >> no. >> reporter: consulted authors, experts. >> even though they're belgian, i still think of them as french. >> reporter: you know they're belgian? >> everybody says they're belgian. >> reporter: belgians who pride themselves on putting mayonnaise on, we decided to find out which tale from the deep fryer of history might be true. could those from the revolution not eat cake but potatoes to survive or was it belgian fishermen lacking fish to fry invented fries. the belgians finally decided the french story was the more plausible but still as unclear as a well-used fry pit. >> reporter: is it important to you they be french? >> no,it isn't. the most important is it's delicious.

i don't care. >> reporter: doesn't any dispense their fries as french? >> i am. >> reporter: you're willing to fight for the french fry? >> not really. >> everyone say they're belgian so -- >> reporter: you don't mind? >> no. i think we have more than just french fries. >> reporter: but of course. it's not belgian fries? >> no. >> reporter: my hand slipped! whatever they are, they're still good, aren't they? >> we hope so. [ speaking foreign language ] well, some accounts have this spanish scarfing down fries as early as the 1500s and long before freedom fries, remember those? it may have been american soldiers in world war i who named them french but only after trying them in french speaking belgium.

chefs here say all that matters is they're hot, slightly crispy and seasoned with coarse salt because we may never know the truth about fries. back to you guys. >> michelle, thank you so much. how's your hand? >> you never even looked away, just got him. >> that's a mom, the flip of the wrist. >> got it the mom slap. >> what's next? be belgium waffle? >> you going after that? >> i think so. >> you want the fat one or skinny one. >> i like the belgian. >> it's hands down, you can't go wrong with it. >> meredith and hoda up next again.

one of the murder suspects accused of silling a silicon valley businessman will face a judge today. deangelo austin will be

arraigned this afternoon for allegely taking part in the murder of ravi kumra. prosecutors seance along with two others killed kumra during a home invasion robbery. they're accused of stealing cash and jewelry. investigators are looking for other possible suspects in this case. we want to take a look at the forecast with meteorologist christina loren. >> good morning to you. this is a live look at san francisco. you can see the beautiful bay bridge there. high clouds. clouds will increase today ahead of a cut-off low that might bring us showers over the weekend. looking a little bit more promising. we'll time it out for you coming up. a.m. fog returning tomorrow keeping your temperatures in the morning a little bit more on the mild side. the showers likely between saturday and sunday overnight. 62 degrees in gilroy today.

we'll do our best today at 11:00 to give you the forecast. >> looking over to the south bay, these folks left alone. the traffic flow nice. look at the maps, the south bay looking really good. but i have west 237 in the last ten minutes, an accident has -- a crash is reported here at first street. there's slowing coming from 880 over to the area. let's look at oakland. traffic flow is much nicer there. a smooth drive north toward high street. and no delays to the bay bridge toll plaza which is clear. >> we'll be back at 10:26 for our next news and weather update.

from nbc news this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> it's thirsty thursday. it's jan 3rd, 2013. kathie lee is still enjoying some time off and recovering from her root canal. >> oh, did you talk to her? >> i left her a voice mail, but she wasn't answering. >> she's probably sleeping. >> taking drugs. >> taking drugs. >> which she likes to do. >> how was your night recovering after your birthday? >> yesterday we did this whole segment about how you want a dog and you're so excited, and you could handle a dog and then i go

home, and i'm taking down my tree, christmas tree, which is so dry. people should take their trees down and let go because they're dangerous. they really are dangerous. >> right. >> anyway, i'm taking it down, and i smell something awful, and my poor little doggy jasper has vomited all over the rug, okay? all over. then proceeded to have problems throughout the house. >> what does that have to do with the tree? >> nothing. except i went to dr. kay, who is our vet. he is unbelievable. i digress. i went to dr. k. i was so worried. he was trembling. the doctor said did you take your tree down by any chance? i said yeah, how funny that you ask that. he said if the dog drank any of the water that could make him quite ill. i don't know if that's what it was, but my point in all of this was when you get a dog, you are really getting a baby. have you to prepare yourself for the fact that animals have accidents. it's not on your time frame. it's when they're ready.

you can't just leave it for somebody else. >> why do you think i wouldn't be good at this? >> i have seen you in the dressing room. >> okay. >> okay. >> don't get a dog. >> wait a second. i have already -- i already have a dog walker. this is before i have the dog. that way, see what i mean, when i come to work during the day, someone can walk the dog. >> you don't want to walk the dog. >> i do. when i'm out. i know when i was going to starbucks right by my apartment, there's a vet right there. >> that's good. okay. >> i'm ready. >> all right. i just hope you're prepared for all the things that can happen in your home. if you have really nice things -- >> i don't. forget about it. i don't. speaking of dogs, there was a little bit of a controversy yesterday during our show, okay? i was holding a dog that was kind of like a kangaroo. its legs were really long. >> oh, my gosh. >> it was long. anyway, so while the -- we were doing the segment, the dog got a little out of control. >> crazy. >> and then it ran away from me, and there are a couple of places

that said i cursed, which i don't think i ever do on the air. >> i think they thought you said the s-word, right? >> the s-word. let's watch and see what really happened. >> this is called keighley. yeah. did you catch her? >> i probably did. [ slow motion ] >> well, that doesn't help when they slow it down. >> i didn't say -- >> what did you say? come on. >> i think i said she's -- she's -- shiz, like sheeeez. >> gawker both think there was some cursing going on. >> why do they care? >> i don't know why they would care. if they really want to hear cursing, they can just go to your dressing room. there's another side of meredith that only we know. >> i am a little bit bad that way. you're right. >> it's nice. >> i had an accident on the air once. not an accident on the floor.

>> you did? >> let's take a look back. >> meredith. oh, jeez. you shouldn't be -- oh [ bleep ]. >> okay. >> i'm just going to clarify something in that last segment we did that i was behind the wheel. i thought i saw a shift in front of me. it wasn't a shift. it was actually a vehicle. that's the finest driving i've done. >> no, you said -- >> i said chip. i said chip. that's what i said. exactly. >> there's some video out there that is causing some controversy. we saw if in the make-up room earlier, and it's one of those things that makes you cringe a little. this is a woman from south dakota. her 8-year-old son, right? >> it's christmas time. >> yeah. >> she's running a video of him. he has gone on ebay, right, to look around and thinks that he pressed the buy button for a mustang. >> a real mustang. >> and he -- it's heart-breaking

actually to watch it. he is crying and saying i'm so bad or -- >> let's watch the tape. this is while his -- his mom taped it while he was craig. >> why did you buy that $50,000 car on ebay? >> i didn't. >> you did. >> i did. oh -- >> it won't cancel it. you hit buy. [ crying ] >> is that true? did i? >> i'm afraid so. >> i am horrible. >> you're not horrible, baby. you made a mistake. [ crying ] >> what kind of car was it? >> it was a mustang. i didn't mean to buy it. i was just looking, and he said -- i hit buy, and i didn't mean to. i'm, like, oh, no, oh, no, so i turned the ipad off. >> hey, bub, you didn't buy it.

[ laughing ] >> you didn't buy it. >> oh. >> that sounded very upsetting to look at. the mom and the son were actually on earlier in the morning. >> yeah. she was asked do you have any regrets, and she said my regret is i took the video vertically because that's where she got criticism. i think it's weird to -- first of all, that kind of stuff is being funny, i don't get it. i don't get -- she said she wanted her kid to learn how to take a joke. >> develop a good sense of humor. when he was asked how did you feel when she told you that it was a joke. he said that was okay, right? it's not okay. >> this video -- a lot of these, they live forever and ever and ever. i can even just think of today like this kid's classmates are saying it's already on youtube, and it's gotten a gazillion hits. she thinks it's funny. you are watching her embarrass him. i was totally turned off. >> i don't know the family dynamic. when you look from the outside at it, you just see a kid that's

heartbroken. he thinks he is going to have to sell everything. >> we're against it. >> okay. so meredith vieira, we asked people to tweet you yesterday. okay? meredith has a twitter account, which we found out. >> that sounds disgusting when you say it. tweet you. it's a contation. >> you are a total sicky, okay? these are the tweets that you have done over the last -- your last one was 607 days ago. okay? >> you have never err -- yes, you did. i was with you when you tweeted. don't you remember when you were learning? >> yeah, but i never -- i don't think i ever -- >> you did. here. you wrote this one. two of them. now that i'm tweeting, that twit lauer can't be far behind. >> that sounds like me. >> and then you wroted this one. it's cold outside, but i'm one hot mama. >> i did not write that. >> apparently you did. >> 600 and -- how many days? i can't see.

>> i don't know. i can't see. >> 678 or 687. let's do a tweet, should we? okay. we're going to tweet your first tweet. her twitter handle, by the way, is meredith --@meredith vieira. >> that's so original. >> what do you want to tweet? >> i do not -- >> don'tven do that. >> i do not want -- >> wanty. >> want to tweet. >> i'm not tweeting. i'm deleting that. good-bye. good-bye. how about i'm just going to write tweet me. come on. by the way, i just want to let you know how many -- no. this is what you're doing right here. >> okay. >> okay. tweet me. send. now, the thing is you got since yesterday -- >> right. >> -- an additional not just 1,000 twitter followers. not an additional 2,000, but an additional 3,000. >> why would -- how do you get followers if you are saying you don't tweet? i don't -- they're following me. >> they're following you. they're waiting patiently for

you. >> we'll see. >> all right. >> play list thursday. >> go ahead. >> this is a good one. i think you're going to like it. it's old school. you may know it. >> wait, wait, wait. i know all about this music, okay? kathie lee and i have talked about your play list. >> get ready. this one is so good. get ready. >> we've hijacked -- >> what? >> take a listen. ♪ >> what is this? oh, no. note my love could hold you ♪ >> oh, no. k.l.g. is singing at alabama jack's. ♪ i'm crazy for crying >> oh, no. ♪ i'm crazy for loving you >> oh, no. >> what is alabama jack's? a hang-out? >> yes. it's a hang-out that she loves. it's where -- bambino is front and center. >> this is in key west where

kath is, and this is one of her favorite hang-outs where she says people do clogging and they drink a lot. >> clogging? really? i thought that was north carolina clogging. >> yeah, i like it. >> all right. >> does she ever do this, or it's always you that does the music? >> it's always me. what happened, meredith? can we do mine still? >> sure. i guess. >> you'll like this one. let's do it. no? we don't have it? what? >> that was it. >> oh, no. ♪ >> is it okay or not okay. we do this thing every week. let's see. the question is is it okay to leave your underwear at your home? >> you mean not wear underwear? >> yes, not wear underwear. >> okay. >> what do i say? >> i needed a little -- >> i can't read it. >> no, it's not -- why do you have this prop? no, it's not okay. why, oh why, would you ever go without your you understandies? if you are wearing a super clingy dress and you don't want

panty lines, i kind of get it. apparently have you done that. otherwise, keep your undies on, please. >> kathie lee says ask the people who regret doing so, ask there's your answer. >> have you ever done that? seriously. be honest. be honest. just be honest because -- >> who cares? >> no. >> no, i have worn spanx without underwear, but i always wear spanx buzz i'm very really? >> i always wear spanx. even if they're hanging out, i don't care. i would rather have them hang out an that not have them on. do you ever go without your underwear. >> not where these women do where they get out of cars with legs wide open. i do not do that. >> why would you ever go? >> when i was a kid i took tap dancing, and so i always wore a l leotard, and it is covering up. >> but you would never go free. >> no, no. no, i would never do that. >> it is time for webtastic.

>> we have another fun one to make you laugh. go ahead. run it and we'll talk. >> it is okay. it is okay. >> the vacuum scares the little baby. they have seen the reaction earlier and wanted to see if it was the vacuum and they turned it on again to scare the kid again. it is good parenting, today is the theme, good parents >> this is a cruel program. coming up, he dropped the weight and kept it off. we're excited to talk to our friend, al roker. he is reading to the children. >> talking about amazing transformations, two women get ambushed on the plaza forehead to toe makeovers. first these messages. ♪ ♪

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gawker immediately. >> i am so sorry. >> i will get this. stay where you are. stay where you are. >> [ bleep ]. >> i dropped all of my cards. >> a little late with the beep. >> a lot of people are vowing to lose weight and to get a little inspiration for you to get going. al roker is here and spent a lifetime battling his weight. >> yes, he did. >> at his heaviest -- >> today he is more than 100 pounds lighter. never going back. he talks about breaking the yo-yo dieting cycle for good. hello, al. >> how is it to have meredith back, al? >> so good. meredith has done this. >> a cleanse. >> what is in this? >> almond milk, strawberries, protein powder. i usually put almonds in it as well. >> put that down. >> i will put that down. >> al, by the way, this book is

riveting. for those of us who have known you for a long time, it is funny how revealing it was even to us. were you at all uncomfortable revealing that part of you? >> i wrote it and i work with a terrific co-writer, a woman laura morton, but i didn't think it was that big of deal, and then i started hearing from people and it is brutally honest. i thought wait a minute. maybe i shouldn't have put this in here. >> why did you? it is brutally honest. some of your stories are. >> whenever i go out to speak or at functions people people wanting -- what did you do? how do you do this? what did you do? i thought maybe i should write it down. so that's what i decided to do. >> your dad was such a major player for many, many years, and on his death bed he asked you, he said to you, al, i want you to lose weight. that's a lot to carry around. >> yeah. you know what, it was one of these things where i did it. he made me promise. he made me swear to god i would do it. i did. then he was gone about a week and a half later, and you kind

of forget about that stuff and then the new year started and i started really thinking about we found out we were pregnant with our second child nikki, and i thought i have got to do this. i had been thinking about bypass earlier, kind of had gone back and forth and then i finally said i am tired of this. i am tired of doing this dance. >> right. >> i decided to go ahead. i met with this fantastic surgeon and got it done. >> you said you have to do it and anybody dealing with weight issues, you have to do it for yourself. >> look, we know we're fat. you're telling us oh you've got to lose weight. we know we have to lose weight. that's the way it works. until you -- in a sense it is like any alcoholic or anybody who abuses drugs. until you're ready to do this, no program, no 12 step program, nothing is going to work for you until you're ready to say i think enough of myself that i am going to take the steps to do

it. >> the pain you carried around from when you were a kid is something i think a lot of overweight people can identify with. when the comic strip fat albert, the cartoon came out, that was something that really cut to the quick. >> oh, my gosh. i am a sophomore in high school in new york city, and let's see, he is black, he is fat, he is funny, and his first name is albert. well, check, check, check. it was horrible. the first day, the first morning after going into school and hearing everybody going hey, hey, hey, and you joke about it and oh, yeah. >> you play along. >> you're dying inside. >> you said you were an incure kid and very shy kid. >> i am still very shy. >> you hide that well. >> my mentor, willard scott, he is afraid of speaking in public, and instead he is one of the most famous weather people ever. you find ways to mask that pain and for me it was food.

>> you have had issues with weight and then have you lost weight and regained weight. the name of the book is never going back. how do you know that? what are you doing now that convinces you? >> i think, look, i had the bypass. i lost almost 140 pounds. then about four and a half years ago my mom got sick, and i was driving back and forth to north shore, new long island jewish, 33 on the and i fell back into same old habits, the trigger, the pain, the fear of losing my mother and after she passed i said i cannot do this. i put 40 pounds back on. just so happened a dear friend of ours, john harris, had lost weight doing this cleanse with a nutritionist melissa bowman lee in chicago and i thought i am doing this. your assistant brook had done this and i thought i met with her, and it was great. it changed my life. whether you do this cleanse or a juice cleanse or whatever you do, that, but the exercise as

you know, it is so important. i found melissa does this slow exercise, a little less, you're not sweating. you do it in a cold gym and i found it changed my physique and how i feel about exercise. i still hate working out. >> but all of that stuff is great. this is a terrific read. it is fun to read. there are recipes in the back. there is a lot of take away and i think it is inspiring and we're so happy for you. so happy for you. good luck with this. >> i am glad i got to do this with you here. you're the gift that keeps giving. >> i don't know how to take that. >> yesterday when you said that and obviously you haven't had any work done. >> i have feelings too, you know. >> whatever. >> you look fantastic. >> going to twitter some more? that was riveting. >> al's book is never going back. he is never coming back. you can check out the full story on "dateline" new year, new you tomorrow on sunday, two hours,

7/6 central on nbc. >> coming up, small town stores have made their way to the big city and we're going buck wild with mtv's newest reality show. first these messages. ho w do es it feel to try smooth, wdelicious hershey's chocolate with 30% less fat? hershey's simple pleasures chocolate. 30% less fat, 100% delicious. to say get well to your loved ones. this came for you, mommy.

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yer always after me lucky charms! whoa. i forgot how good these taste! [ lucky ] ♪ they're magically delicious with a samsung galaxy ii from we straight talk wireless.one i forgot how good these taste! he'll get the same great nationwide coverage for half the cost. let's see if he notices. everyone noticed. joe saved $950 a year. enough to buy some sweet mother of glory pyrotechnics. rock on, abigail. rock on. same phones, same networks. half the cost. a samsung galaxy s ll with unlimited everything just $45 a month. straight talk wireless. only at walmart. >> they're starting off the new year with a brand new look. ambush makeovers zoosh he is the no nonsense reality star serving up sass. >> oh, look at nene. look what kathie -- >> plus, how to look like a

million bucks on a dime. we have beauty insider tricks. local news -- >> what else? >> weather. >> i've heard that rumor. >> okay. at a dry cleaner, we replaced people with a machine. what? customers didn't like it. so why do banks do it? hello? hello?! if your bank doesn't let you talk to a real person 24/7, you need an ally. hello? ally bank. your money needs an ally. that's been wrapped in a flaky crust stuffed with a gooey center toasted up all golden brown then given a delicious design? a toaster strudel. pillsbury toaster strudel. so delicious...so fun.

yeah we both relieve coughs, sneezing, aches, fevers. and i relieve nasal congestion. overachiever. [ female announcer ] tylenol® cold multi-symptom nighttime relieves nasal congestion. nyquil® cold and flu doesn't. very interesting. cool. i like "success." joy. i got cracker chips. [ laughing ] chocolatey pretzel. mmmm.... special k! [ female announcer ] snack and stay on track with special k. i like "confidence." i am a confident lady. [ laughter ] good morning to you. 10:2. i'm marla tellez. a maintenance worker at a san jose apartment complex could face murder charges after he allegedly shot and killed a man he thought was a burglar.

luis hernandez saw a man casing cars in an apartment complex garage on louis road on new year's eve. he confronted the man, a fight broke out and ended with hernandez shooting and killing the suspected burglar. the district attorney will now decide whether hernandez should face charges. we'll take a look at the forecast and also the roads after the break.

welcome back.

mt. t 25 degrees this morning. that was in places like campbell. it was really cold out there. our air quality has improved. our highs, a torp warmer this afternoon. we get into the weekend, temperatures will continue to climb. rain in the forecast. we'll talk about that coming up at 11:00. >> i want to point out this sign in the middle of the road. we're looking at folks heading from the bottom of the screen up to that sign. there's a crew traveling slowly. it looks like a sweeper crew but there are reports of a big pothole at central avenue at the top of the screen. that may be what's going on. may be construction work. lane could be blocked for at least half an hour. fremont moving smoothly, no

problems after the early morning burst. and here in palo alto, smooth sailing. >> more of the day's top stories coming up in 30 minutes. jon kelley and i will see you at 11:00. s. ♪ i said are you going to be my girl ♪ >> we're back with more "today" on this thirsty thursday. it's time for our ambush makeovers who two lucky ladies get plucked off the plaza and we surprise them with brand new looks. >> today contributor and stylist to the stars lewis lacari, la, la, la. >> thank you, meredith. >> today contributor and contributing editor, people style watch jill martin. >> all right. how were the pickins out there, lewis? >> it was good. it was freezing cold, i have to tell you, so it was one of those days where you had to look at the eyes, but other than that, it was great pickings. a lot of people were there. >> you got sisters, didn't you? first up is doris. she's 61 from montana.

until recently she hasn't done anything to her hair in 20 years, so she was thrilled when we approached her on the plaza. take a listen. >> well, i love doing sisters because this is going to be so much fun, and i can make you look better instantly with this blanket on you. tell me why you -- >> she works so hard. she's a grandmother. she deserves a new, fabulous look. >> oh. i know you're surprised, but excited? >> i am. i'm totally -- i need this. >> are you ready to ditch the blanket for a hot new dress? >> i am. >> oh, my god, yes. >> how exciting. okay. she's here with her sister, who we're going to make over next, but she's also here with a couple of friends. bobby is here and linda. ladies, please keep on your blindfolds. here is doris before. all right, doris. let's see the new you. >> wow. >> whoa. >> wow. >> oh, my gosh. >> are you ready? bobby and linda, take off your

blindfolds? >> oh, my -- all right. doris, are you ready to see yourself? all right. put your glasses on and turn around. right here. >> oh, my god. >> wow. you look -- >> do you love it? >> you look absolutely beautiful. spin right around, sweetie, and look right there, if you wouldn't mind. tell us about the hair, lewis. that was -- >> what a better way to start the new year than with a makeover. this is all about being rich and glum russ. we made her hair color. added depth, and, of course, gave her this great very simple but very chic haircut. >> how do you decide the hair color? it's really beautiful. >> it's a brown, but it has different nuances of color in it, and that's what makes it special. it's very much alive. >> look at the friends, by the way. we need kleenexs galore. tell us what you guys think of the makeover. >> montana is not going to be the same. >> do you love? >> my aunty is beautiful.

>> jill, that's the perfect dress. perfect. >> you get some sparkle. this is great for maggie. i just want to show the back. show the back. how beautiful is that back? >> gorgeous. love it. >> the jewelry -- >> love it. >> perfect. all right. doris, why don't you take baby steps over to your friends. now we're going to talk about -- you're going to face the wall, okay? >> you're going to face the wall so you can't see. >> all right. doris's sister, cindy is 53 from south carolina. her daily beauty routine consists of putting her hair in a ponytail. she jumped at the opportunity to receive a glam new look. let's listen to her story. >> now it's cindy's turn. what do you think about all this for her? >> you know, i think that she works very hard, and she never gets dressed up. she never does anything for herself, and so she deserves this. she needs to feel better and,

yes. >> that's so nice to hear, right? >> yes. >> okay. >> she's beautiful anyway. >> all right. it's a love fest, and there are tears, but we're going to turn them into smiles. are you ready? >> i'm so ready. >> okay. so obviously cindy has never -- hasn't seen doris since her makeover, and -- >> look at doris, she's being block the by our floor manager. we've seen cindy before. let's see cindy now. come on. >> wow. wow, wow, wow. >> hot mama. >> all right. are you ready? everybody turn around. ladies. get the masks off. >> oh, my god. >> did you see your sister too? >> all right. want to see yourself? >> take a look. look in the mirror. >> surprise. >> wow, wow. >> oh, my god.

>> you look so beautiful. look right in the camera. >> right there, sweetie. wow. >> right? >> this starts with the hair. the darkest blonde, the darkest warm blonde. then this is very close to her natural color, which she was born with, actually. she looks a little more alive. the swept away bang erases years. combine that with the make-up, which is soft. the tip is the aging process goes on, less make-up goes a long way. >> i don't think people realize that that less is more. >> the outfit is fantastic. >> a little leather. when we put this on, she said i want this. it's from andrew market. it's an indoor-outdoor jacket. you can wear it indoors and out, and the jewelry statement necklace is scott. >> take baby steps. big round of applause. good job, sisters. beautiful. >> all right. a woman is always looking good. real house wooif diva nene leakes is here after this.

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don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you develop these stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. if you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems, tell your doctor if you have new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack. use caution when driving or operating machinery. common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. with chantix and with the support system it worked. it worked for me. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. >> she's famous for speaking her mind and serving up sass on bravo as hit reality show "the real housewives of atlanta." >> nene leakes has that role on "the new normal" where she plays rocky, a fierce assist yabt who is not too different from the real nene, as we've noticed. hey. how are you? >> good morning. >> how are you? >> you're a busy bee, i have to say. >> i am. >> you got your fame from "the

real housewives of atlanta." you quickly took it and ran with it. not everyone can do that, can they? >> not everyone can do that. that's very true. i've been very lucky and very blessed. i think when you get an opportunity or a platform such as "the real housewives of atlanta" you have to use it to your advantage, and i was able to do that, and now i'm on a primetime television show. >> yes, you are. >> are you loving that? >> i do. i love ryan murphy. he is the creator of "glee," "american horror story." i love it. quite different than reality. it's a whole hour. lots of hours. >> you earn the money. >> yes, you do. >> there's a scene that was the part with the turkeys and all that where you and -- you're actually playing your mother's role, your father's role, and your role. that must have been such a trip. so much fun to play all three roles. >> i couldn't wait to do that.

>> look at this. >> look, i got awe new job. >> i love that strawberry lemonade. that menu is huge. thank god for those pitchers. >> i am assistant to mr. -- >> daddy, my dreams are coming true. >> dreams don't pay no bills. >> you dummy. >> you won't make it out there. >> this is so fun to watch you. it must have been fun to do. >> i was so excited for me to play the characters. i called up a few friends who have done that same thing before, like tyler and i was excited. >> tyler perry. >> i was excited to do that. >> you're also on the cover, right, of "ebony" magazine, money and power. >> look at you. >> pretty big stuff. some people were not happy with that. why do you think that is? >> i did some interviews, and i talked about -- i just -- my personal thoughts are i felt like i got a lot of flack from my own community, meaning the african-american community. i feel like we don't support

each other the way that we should. i feel like i deserve to be on the cover more than anybody else. i am an african-american who crossed over to primetime, which is not easy to do, and it's not a lot of african-americans who are on a primetime scripted series, so that was huge. and i did so many other things. i have my own charity. i own restaurants. i did so many things that i felt that i deserved it. the editors over at "ebony" felt i sdefshed it, and that's why sigh me on the cover. >> i know not everybody is kind, and you are known to speak your mind. do you say what you think? >> i do. most of the time i try to keep it really real and say what i think. sometimes i'm very direct, which can sometimes hurt people, but when i say direct, i'm just -- i don't feel like i have that tone, you know, that voice like a really sweet. i feel like if you ask me and i just tell you very directly, and sometimes it can shock somebody who -- >> can i ask directly, are you

back with greg? what's going on? >> greg andry definitely back together. >> okay. did he propose to you? >> we heard a rumor he proposed to you on new year's. >> no. it's not -- >> you tweeted about it. >> i tweeted about it on new year's eve. i love twitter. please follow me on twitter. @neneleaks. so you can hear me trash talk. i'm not trash talking. no, i think people can see on the real housewives of atlanta that greg and i are together, and i think people want to know if we're going to go to the next level. >> right. that's what i'm asking. >> the answer is? >> you'll have to tune into the housewives. >> that's not very direct. >> thank you. >> oh, man. >> tuesday, 9:30, 8:30 central time. >> from normal to buck wild. >> oh, no. >> some people are calling it the new jersey shore right after this. >> okay. ♪ my skin loses moisture nearly twice as fast as yours does, mom.

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>> move over jersey shore. mtv has in smu kids in town. >> the new show is called buck wild, and it follows the lives of nine adventurous friends. if you haven't been to a dump truck pool party, then you are missing out. shane and shay bradley are two of the show's stars. >> are you ready? tonight is the premier. we've seen some of the clips. there's a lot of people diving in mud baths and laughing and hooting and hollering. what happens in this show? >> you know, that was a little bit of it, but it's just nine of my friends living in the middle of nowhere. just making our own fun, doing what we want and when we want. >> with what we got. >> with what you got. >> what do you got? >> not much. that's what i'm saying. we got away we got. >> there's ridiculous stuff. >> tell us what you think is rid you can husband that people can have fun with? like what? >> you can have fun with a tire.

>> that was just tarps, and we just put soap and water and slide around. >> what's the message you're trying to get out, besides your having a good time. is there something you want the audience to walk away with? >> have fun. >> you only live once. live it up. >> the senator of your great state was very upset that this was going to be on mtv, and actually said, look, they went to mtv and said it's going to make all of us look terrible. we don't want to all be cast with this broad brush. what do you think about that? >> well, as far as the criticism goes, i represent myself and myself only, so to say that nine individuals represent the whole state of west virginia is just silly. you know? >> but do you think that it's a good thing for west virginia? i think that's what he is saying. >> it's not a good thing. >> that it totally represents young people in west virginia. >> i'm representing myself. >> we aren't representing everyone there. we are who we are. >> even my best friends on the

show, if they do something embarrassing, that's on them. i represent myself only. >> i picked you as the crazy one. what kind of crazy stuff? >> i get in this big old tractor tire, and first she starts it up. she's on flat ground. she rolls on it. let's take it back there to the holler and roll down this big old hill. >> you roll down in a tire inside it? >> in the tire. >> oh. >> my knees hit me in the face. oh, my gosh. then it flips me out. >> then what happens? >> then i can't do nothing. i'm laying there in a maze. oh, my gosh. oh, that was awesome. >> he does the craziest stuff, and he gets up like nothing happened. >> you know your lives are going to change because the fame that happened on the jersey shore kids could be happening to you. are you ready for that? >> we haven't changed at all. our friendship, nothing has changed. >> okay. we wish you guys good luck because "buck wild" premiers tonight on mtv. >> good luck. >> uh-huh. >> okay.

>> next up we're going to show you how to look like a million for way less. back with more of "today" on nbc.

back now with "today's beauty" and how to look like a million bucks for just pennies. beauty editor is the author of the new book "how to look expensive." it's full of beauty advice that celebrities pay top dollar to get. hey. >> hi, guys. thanks for having me. >> you're going to tell us how to do things. >> i'm going to show you how to do great things that are celebrity secrets. they're simple, easy, and most important, they're free. essentially free. first thing has to do with champagne. >> why are we putting champagne on our hair? >> we highlighted half of her hair. this is a before. that's the after. >> just wait. champagne on your hair --

>> champagne on your hair. if you have leftover bubbly, it doesn't have to be good champagne. it can be the cheap stuff. what you're going to do is pour some -- i'm going to show you what we did. >> pour champagne on your hair. >> save a little for us. saturate the hair. then the heat of a blow dryer, and a diffuser. if you can see the ends of her hair that have the gorgeous ombre effect that people spend a fortune on. >> it doesn't -- >> it adds body to your hair and makes it bright, shiny. >> you blow it dry. >> next time you shampoo, you'll still have the highlights. >> wow. >> okay. >> now, these tips come from jennifer aniston's dermatologist. >> shhh. >> secret is out. >> i'm talking gauze pads with soy milk. it helps with pigmentation. it counter acts the pigmentation. dip it in. i'm going to do it on your face.

you could do it on your chest for pigmentation. just go like that. do this a few times. >> what exactly does that do? what exactly does that do? >> it counter acts pig meantation. it will even out your skin tone. >> dark spots, will it get rid of them? >> yes. >> really? >> soy milk. >> what about bags under the eyes? >> bags under eyes we have two fun ideas. we made squares wrap them in seran wrap, and -- >> freeze them. >> we froze them, and can you keep them in the frig for when you have those nights when you are going to have a bad morning. >> that is really rude. >>. >> how long do you keep them on? >> leave them on for ten minutes. >> okay. >> i'll give you each one of these. >> yeah. >> do you eat it? >> the anti-oxidant pop sickle. it would be great on the bags of your eyes, and it's also a great skin treatment for redness, and

everyone has green tea. how easy is that? i keep one in my freezer all the time. feels great. i'm not going to give you one. i think you're busy enough. >> okay. >> this one i didn't quite understand. it's using your mascara wand for eye liner. >> any mascara you have will work. this is one of my favorites. what i did is i use a eyeliner brush stick it in, and then you have a two-fer. >> what's the difference between using regular eyeliner and that? >> xheeper. >> saves some money. >> saves a few bucks. it's also a great trick. make-up artist dozen this because you can do it subtly, and it makes your eye lashes look really thick. >> i like the gold too. >> this is blake lively's make-up artist tip. she said blake would kill her tore going that. after you apply the black you rim your eye with gold. it's almost like walking around under candlelight. gives you this gorgeous glow. >> wow.

>> we all love. >> what's the olive oil? >> this is -- >> okay. >> we're out of time. >> we have to run. >> this looks good. >> meredith will be back