6:59. that's what's happening "today in the bay." we're back at 7:25 with a live local news update. >> more news at 11:00. . good morning. on ice. the next phase of that major winter storm an ice storm threatening to knock out power to millions and it could last for days. massive hack. millions of passwords from some of the most popular sites on the web posted and stolen online. who were the victims? striking back. why thousands of workers in more than 100 cities from coast to coast are walking off the job today. and -- three, two, one -- all dressed up and ready to go. the rockefeller christmas tree puts on its holiday finest today, thursday, december 5th,

2013. >> from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from studio 1a from rockefeller plaza. >> and good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a thursday morning. >> i'm matt lauer. natalie is on assignment. that one back there. that norway spruce, we lit her last night. one of the prettiest trees we had in a long time. >> this is the most beautiful. >> so much fun at the tree lighting. we were up early and all slept under the tree. it was great. natalie is a cover hogger. >> the rain didn't come until overnight. >> it was spectacular. i'm telling you everything aligned perfectly.

>> so fun watching it from home. you guys were amazing. it was so festive. perfect. while we had good weather here, we're really still talking about weather as our top story today. new concern from that potent and powerful storm that we followed all week long. nbc and this time we're talking about ice, dylan, and you're in arkansas this morning. >> good morning, matt, nearly a dozen states in the path of this potentially dangerous ice storm. once it starts, it will coat everything it touches, especially the roads and the power lines. that could halt travel and perhaps create power outages that could last days. this is an issue that could affect millions of people as this storm stretches over a huge part of the country. >> too much, too soon. much of the nation dealing with bitter cold and mounds of snow.

parts of colorado already hit with up to three feet. >> you have to let me know. i can't see out that right side. >> reporter: leading to whiteout conditions even for the guy driving the plow. >> it gets a little stressful sometimes. >> reporter: in minnesota, a news crew out looking for a story became the story. >> we're going to hit, we're going to hit! >> reporter: no one was seriously hurt, but a reminder to take care driving your car. that's if your car starts at all in the freezing cold. but it didn't stop die hard fans of oklahoma state football from camping out to score tickets to saturday's game. >> sleeping bags. layers upon layers of blankets and about three pairs of socks per person. >> reporter: wind machines being used in california overnight to keep the frost off the orange crop. >> any amount of crop we can save is going to really help us towards making our money, so we're going to be in trouble if

we lose it. >> reporter: "today" show viewers using social media to share how they are coping with this wintry blast. this storm spreading misery as you want to pay attention to the thermometer in your car because freezing rain looks and sounds and falls just like regular rain but once that temperature gets close to 32 degrees, it will freeze up solid on anything that it touches. so, once you see the temperature getting close to 32, that's when you just want to stay off the roads and, al, that's the recommendation for several million people across the country because this storm is so huge. >> that's right, dillon, 52 million people could be affected by this. let's show you the watches and warnings. this is where we're really worried about. right here stretching from kentucky all the way into texas. this is an ice storm warning. that, i mean, this is really bad stuff, folks. this is the areas of pink. that's the ice, the areas of light blue. that's the snow.

from little rock, dallas on into cincinnati through friday, we're talking about ice. look at this. this is what i am most concerned about right in here. we're talking about anywhere from half an inch to an inch of ice. a quarter of an inch of ice and your windshield coated and the bridges get tricky and light ice on the trees. a quarter to half inch and power outages a big problem and half an inch or more and it becomes crippling and this is what we're talking about from texas and from dallas to cincinnati. widespread tree and power line damage and roads impassable and power outages that will last for days and, guys, i'm telling you, once they get this ice in the temperatures will drop and second hit of this coming into friday and saturday. this could be potentially crippling. >> word to everybody down there, just use caution over the next couple of days. al, thank you very. this major hack that has affected a lot of people.

>> i know a lot of us don't change our passwords often and this is why you need to. a warn tog people who use some of the biggest social media sites including faceback, change your user names and passwords. this after millions of names and passwords were stolen and posted on websites overseas. nbc pete williams has more. pete, good morning. >> using malicious programs that automatically record computer key strokes. the targets were subscribers to some of the most popular media sites including facebook, twitter, linkedin and roughly 2 million users had their names and passwords stolen. most of the victims were overseas in the netherlands, thailand and singapore and the united states ranked seventh on the list of targeted countries. the social media sites say they have notified their users and have reset log information and while 2 million users does sound

like a lot, actually 0.1% but if yours is one targeted, that's not much comfort. trustwave looked at the most common stolen passwords and they're not very secure. the most often used was this. 123456. with other variations the others include the word password or admin and a string of six number 1s, tamron. >> meantime, pete, more documents from edward snowden show a massive tracking of cell phone records worldwide. what can you tell us about that this morning? >> the nsa has long had the capability of getting the data where a cell phone call was made. it does not collect that information on cell phones used in the u.s. so these latest snowden documents reveal the nsa does collect that data on millions of cell phone calls overseas. the nsa says it's entirely legal but privacy advocates say it's unnecessarily intrusive.

tamron. >> thank you very much. well, a deadly attack on the defense mintry in yemen this morning. the attackers were said to be wearing yemeni army uniforms. dozens were killed or wounded. no claim of responsibility as of yet. despite pleas from families and investigators they not be released. officials in connecticut on wednesday did make public more than 20 minutes of 911 calls that came in during last year's shooting at sandy hook elementary school. the calls urged police to come quickly. in some calls shots can be heard. in one, a teacher shot in the foot told police there's children in this room. overall, the tapes show calm, bravery and professionalism. nbc news has made a decision out of respect for the families not to play those tapes. >> we should talk about that for a second more. we are coming up on the one-year anniversary of the shootings. the families said please to media outlets, don't play the tapes.

our policy, the decision was made based on this idea that if we had found something in those tapes that significantly advanced the story, that told us more about how this happened or why it happened or how it could be prevented in the future that we would have played that. we did not find that. nothing rose to that level, so we decided to respect the family's wishes. >> wonderful decision, i think. >> in an occasion where we were able to accommodate. >> the city leaders said upon this one-year anniversary they're asking people, they know you want well wishes and cards and things hold off as these families continue to grieve. they appreciate the thoughts, but they still need to heal. the other news officials in mexico are breathing easier. a stolen truck containing nuclear waste has been found. the truck was carrying radio active and it disappears three days ago. found wednesday in central mexico and a scientist said whoever stole it is in grave danger if they came in contact with that material.

a piece of americna, that's a record of any rockwell painting. that's more than double the initial estimates. and take a look, kate middleton set aside duchess duty wednesday long enough for what she loves most, mommy duty when she took the little prince for a walk in the park. appropriately she wore mommy wear. baseball cap and sneakers with her beautiful baby. it is now 7:10. matt, savannah and al. i bet that stroller sells out. everything she does. >> even the baseball cap. it's gone, it's out. >> tamron, thank you. mr. roker, we heard about this scary ice storm. >> that's right. we got record warmth along the east coast and it is a big dividing line. we have this front here. much below normal temperatures western two-thirds of the country and much above in the east. columbus today 64.

69 in tallahassee. right now, kansas city is at 17. it is 12 degrees degrees below zero right now in denver. >> that cold, butte 20 degrees below. denver at 13 with a wind chill of 33. tulsa 27. here in the east, new york city, we're getting up to 61 degrees. friday will be 54 in boston. washington 61. chicago only 25 and denver 17. albuquerque 36. there is another storm coming across the country that will sock the same area that will get hit today and tonight. we will have your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds. (ringing) ♪ the samsung galaxy s4.

available at verizon. 7:12 on the coldest morning we've had since last january. san francisco tells the story, it's clear out. there at 37 degrees in the city, so do count on plenty of frost. you're going to see that through the city streets of san francisco. north bay at 25 degrees. napa fallen to 19 degrees. it's really cold out there. temperatures are going to range in the 50s today. i want to take you through your city by city highs. temperatures climbing into the low 50s. weather. >> thank you so much. well, your fast food might not be quite so fast today. workers are scheduled to walk off the job in 100 cities across the country. a growing movement to push for higher wages. nbc's john jiang outside mcdonald's in chicago where protesters are gathering. john, good morning to you.

>> reporter: good morning, savannah. the crowd here growing in numbers and volume just in the last few minutes. nationwide, organizers hope this will be their biggest day yet in their campaign to focus on ways they say are way too low. amber is the single mom of a 2-year-old and a second on the way. trying to support a growing family on $8.40 an hour at wendy's means tough choices. >> i need work pants, work shoes. i have to decide am i going to get that or am i going to get my bus fare to go to work. >> reporter: today from coast-to-coast, organizers are staging strikes by fast food workers in 102 cities and support rallies in 84 more, demanding a $15 an hour wage. industry officials say that would be a job killer. >> doubling the base wage, the

starting wage and of course would dramatically increase the cost of operations for the business owner. prices would have to go up and less jobs would be created. >> make our wages supersized. >> reporter: federal minimum wage $7.25 an hour hasn't been raised in four years. >> you should probably have minimum wage actually raised, not just fast food workers. >> reporter: for some $15 bucks is too much. >> it's counter service and maybe not worth $15 an hour. >> reporter: amber stallings needs food stamps and medicaid to get by. she says she and her dough workers will the foundation of a multi-billion industry. >> if it wasn't for workers and shift managers and things like that, it wouldn't be a business because there would be nobody to run the store. >> reporter: if you had that extra money, what difference would it make? >> we probably wouldn't have everything we wanted. but we wouldn't be struggling. >> reporter: here there are other cities around the country,

these protesters will be moving from restaurant to restaurant all day long. savannah. >> all right. john yang on the protest lines in chicago. thank you. meantime in florida, it's a desperate time against time to save desperate pilot whales they were discovered by some fishermen in shallow waters in the remote part of the everglades. nbc's mark potter is there. mark, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt, the rescue effort was suspended overnight for safety. but this morning the volunteers had gone back out and joined by the u.s. coast guard and the miami-dade police. now we are to get they are worried of sharks in the area as they hope to save some of the stranded whales. this morning the rescuers are headed back to the beach, knowing the odds are against the whales, but still determined to do whatever they can to save them. >> we are hoping that when they get the chance or maybe with the change of tide they will head out. >> reporter: but it's a daunting challenge. there is an obstacle course of sandbars stretching 20 miles

between where the whales are and the much deeper water where they are normally found. on wednesday, a small flotilla of scientists worked feverishly to keep the whales from swimming closer to shore while trying to coax them back out to sea. for a while these boats were surrounding the whales, now they have backed off taking advantage of the high tide hoping the whales will swim off on their own into deeper water him some scientists believe that is unlikely because whales are such social animals so when one member of the family gets into trouble, the others stay, seemingly reluctant to swim off. >> they are a species that swims together and we are not able to get them to move away. >> reporter: little is known why pilot whales beach themselves. some think it may be disease or toxins and parasites that make them toxic and weak. for now, it's a race against time, rescuers to save as many of the whales as possible.

now, as the efforts continue along the beach, tissue samples are being sent to labs to try to understand why this happened. savannah, back to you. >> all right, mark potter, thank you so much. we will go overseas, celebrity chef nigella lawson back on the stand today. this one day after she admitted in court to using cocaine on several occasions. nbc's michelle kazinski. michelle, good morning to you. >> hi, savannah. this is the second full day of testimony for nigella lawson and defense attorneys were able to point out some expenses by her former personal assistant that she had to admit may, in fact, may have been authorized by her. she also admitted to drug use, even with her children, but said she would rather be honest and ashamed than bullied by lies about it. she is back for another day of grilling on the stand. her strong voice often trembling.

nigella admitted she used cocaine a hand full of times in her past while her husband was dying of cancer. and only once during her turbulent marriage denying there were things like credit card and rolls up bills around her desk and around her former home as one of the sisters claimed. or she was an everyday user. people who do that are a lot thinner than i am. she admitted to smoking marijuana, the odd joint, she said, during the last year. including at times with or in front of her teenage children. this was her chance to publicly and repeatedly rip into saatchi, which she re14ed from doing during their much publicized marriage meltdown calling him bullying, controlling. she said she was subjected to intimate acts of terrorism, shamed, isolated in fear, just unhappy. i did not have a drug problem. i had a life problem. i think i needed sedation since

freeing myself from a brilliant but brutal man, i am now cannabis, cocaine and drug free. they claim she had drawers full of xanax and anti-depressants. she said it was only as prescribed. fl flatly she allowed them to spend it on herself than lie to her husband out of fear saying it feels like i'm on trial. the personal assistants are on trial, her ex-husband partially blames her for their spending for her occasional drug use, she blamed him, making this fraud trial seem at times like a nasty spat between a couple who is supposed to be on the same side here. savannah? >> nasty soap opera. michelle in london, thank you very much. let's stick it to the right and say y. >> hello, good morning. >> i didn't recognize you without the facial hair. >> great job last night, everybody, on the tree lighting.

sending in your trees at your house. #orangeroom on that. i am back. i see our very thanks, tree here. sonny the elf sitting there. sunny obama. i heard the white house dog made famous yesterday. take a look at this. >> oh. >> that is 2-year-old ashley gardner at the white house as the first lady was doing the military family decorating party. sunny year and a half old pup got excited and knocked young ashley over. pastry chefs in shock. this is ashton's father, never worried. not a worry of fear in that man's eyes. the apology begins quickly. the dog says sorry. mrs. obama says, don't worry, you and your family will never pay taxes. we'll have more from the orange room in a bit. good to be back, guys. >> there has just been a lawsuit filed in that story.

>> you think she's so cute. >> good to have you back. coming up, production on the next "fast & furious" shut down indefinitely as former cast mates release an online tribute to the fallen star. back on skis, exclusive videos. lindsay vonn returning to the slopes a couple weeks after yet [ female announcer ] dove invited women to test their

body washes with paper that reacts like skin. if others can strip this paper, imagine how harsh they can be to your skin. oh my gosh. [ female announcer ] dove is different. its breakthrough formula changes everything. dove. this is care. so i can't afford to have germy surfaces. but a fresh sheet of bounty duratowel leaves this surface cleaner than a germy dishcloth. it's durable. and it's 3 times cleaner. so ditch your dishcloth and switch to bounty duratowel. abreva can heal a cold sore in as few as 2 1/2 days when used at the first sign.

without it, the virus spreads from cell to cell. unlike other treatments, abreva penetrates deep to block the virus, to protect healthy cells so cold sores heal fast. as fast as 2 1/2 days when used at the first sign. ♪ learn more at abreva.com. don't tough it out. knock it out! fast. [ female announcer ] only with abreva. knock it out! fast. ♪ you can fill that box and pay one flat rate. i didn't know the coal thing was real. it's very real... david rivera. rivera, david. [ male announcer ] fedex one rate. simple, flat rate shipping with the reliability of fedex. ♪

[ male announcer ] hurry in and get up to 30% off on select christmas items at lowe's. ♪ a good thursday morning to you. 7:26 right now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. 75 people were forced out of their homes after an early morning apartment fire in san leandro. it happened at the bancroft apartments across from san leandro high school. two people were hurt. no word on the cause. >> part of interstate 5 in stockton shut down after police officers shot and killed a man wanted for attempted murder. police say they were tracking the suspect from san jose when his car broke down on the freeway. he allegedly brandished a knife and that's when he was shot. a portion of i-5 is expected to be closed until at least noon. right now crews in san jose working to clear a big rig that crashed into a construction equipment on the side of southbound 880 near the stevens

creek boulevard off ramp. big rig not blocking lanes but it could be a distraction. chp says the driver of the rig might have fallen asleep at the wheel before that crash. talking about how cold it is. want to check the temperatures with meteorologist christina loren. >> good morning to you. you might walk out the front door and find a sight like this this morning, this was sent in from alex in san jose. you can see a lot of frost here on the hood and on the windshield. make sure you give yourself extra time to reach your destination safely. a pretty good looking day. temperatures are going to climb out of the 30s into the 50s. 50 in in gilroy, foster city 50 degrees and 51 in mid market area of san francisco. it's going to be cold all day long. tonight, another freeze warning until 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, then we have showers on the way, possibly some low snow friday night into saturday. let's check the drive. >> look at this bay bridge toll plaza. looks like warm sunshine but it's cold. the backup nothing a surprise.

and around the bay the maps show you a normal drive, we'll zoom in and we have the east bay, south 880 slow from san leandro through hayward and union city. the crash at whipple has cleared. the backup started and the ripple effect and will continue. the tri-valley no surprises but slowing in the congestion through pleasanton to the south bay where the northbound routes kick in and as wef@h÷ talked ab the big rig on the shoulder, 18 lanes clear at stevens creek. >> we'll have another update in about a half hour.

7:30 on a thursday morning. it's the 5th day of december, 2013. and that is a beautiful christmas tree, the 76-foot norway spruce glowing brightly in rockefeller ma plaza this morning. a lot of people glowing last night. it was beautiful tree weather for a lighting and we have that as our backdrop. we're happy about that. inside studio 1a i'm matt lauer, savannah guthrie, tamron hall and al roker. that storm moves east. parts of the south are now breaking for significant icing. forecasters already predicting wi widespread power outages.

fast food workers could have support rallies as part after coordinated on going effort to raise hourly wages to $15 an hour. a team of wild life rescuers are saving pilot whales stranded in shallow waits off florida's everglades national park. coming up, an interview with the sole survivor of a tragic rock slide. a 13-year-old girl saved by her father's heroic final acts. she will tell us how she is moving forward with the help of her family. >> look forward to hearing from her. by the way, a quick programming note. tomorrow here on "today" an exclusive interview with dick costello. he is the ceo of twitter. his first sit-down since that company went public. he will talk about the power of that site. the cardinal sin of tweeting. >> #tellusnow. >> how it feels to be the oldest guy in the room. he won't love that at the

fastest growing network. tomorrow here on "today." >> we will begin this half hour with a tragic death of paul walker. production on the next installment of his "fast & furious" is on hold. nbc's jason kennedy has the story. >> reporter: the initial autopsy findings reveal that paul walker died from combined effects of traumatic and thermal injuries and burns. the driver of that 2005 porsche roger rodas died from multiple traumatic injuries. last night, the cast and crew of "fast & furious" posted a tribute to the 40-year-old actor on facebook. >> the most important thing in life always are the people in this room. >> reporter: it came shortly after universal pictures nbc's sister company announced it would shut down production on "fast and furious 7" for a period of time.

the franchise was expected to be released summer 2014 and while fans continue to pay tribute across the globe. walker is remembered by one couple in particular. >> we had gone to santa barbara for the weekend. i had just gotten back from iraq. i wanted to get away from it all. next thing i know i'm sitting next to paul walker. >> reporter: they met him shopping for a wedding ring. >> reporter: they found the ring but toofs too it was too expens. >> reporter: the store clerk called and invited them back. >> the ring was bought and paid for in full. just utter amazement and sheer gratitude. >> reporter: the couple assumed the anonymous buyer was walker but

it wasn't confirmed until this week after the actor's death. >> he just did a wonderful and generous thing. >> reporter: an act of kindness adding to a still growing legacy. for "today," jason kennedy, los angeles. >> a beautiful way to remember him. take a turn now, get a check on the weather now from al. >> announcer: today's weather is brought to you by america's natural gas. thinkaboutit.org. we are starting now to see the freezing rain start to get together in central missouri. we're also lacking at activity now right along the border of oklahoma and arkansas. ft. smith, you're going to see ice warnings today and we're going to expect temperatures dropping below freezing. that's where the mess is. we have this ice storm stretching from abilene all the way to lexington, kentucky. some areas up to an inch of ice which will be devastating. and we have snow to talk about, anywhere from 6-9 inches of snow from amarillo all the way to scranton and then there's a second system that's going to be coming in.

this system is going to be causing big problems. in california snow and ice there. this is going to keep tracking across so it smacks the same system that will hit parts of texas and arkansas today. 7:35. it is freezing cold in oakland this morning. a live look, a pretty start to the day, however. temperatures this morning ranging in the 20s to 30s, at least for the next couple hours. we're not expecting to get above freezing in most cities until about 10:00 a.m. bundle up. we're looking pretty good. we're going to climb out of the 20s and 30s into the 50s for this afternoon. as we get into tonight more changes, we're going to see another freeze warning in place, however, there is a storm system tracking toward the bay area slated to bring us rain tomorrow. . >> and that's your latest weather. >> mr. roker. thank you very much. we have an exclusive look this morning at lindsay vaughan's return to the slopes as she continues to fight back against

her most recent injury. with 64 days until the sochi games she is showing remarkable progress. it was back to work for lindsay vaughan on wednesday. taking to the slopes of canada's lake louise for a training run two weeks after partially tearing the acl in a fall in colorado. >> i'm trying to make sure things are good with my knee. i feel confident every day. right now i'm focused on this particular moment. >> vaughan wrote on instagram, it was an amazing feeling returning to the pro cup after being away for ten months. vaughan will make a comeback in time for the winter olympics in sochi remains to be answered. >> if vaughan shows weak inside over the next six, seven weeks consistently, i think that's a problem for sochi.

but i also think that vaughan can turn things around rather quickly. >> as vaughan told me last week on "today," she has confidence she'll be ready for sochi. >> i feel like i have a lot left to achieve for this season. i have to take it day-by-day right now. i still have time before sochi. >> with this feeling there is so much pressure on her. we hope she takes it easy and goes at her own pace. >> absolutely. >> the 13-year-old soul survivor of people don't have to think about where their electricity comes from. they flip the switch-- and the light comes on. it's our job to make sure that it does. using natural gas this power plant can produce enough energy for about 600,000 homes. generating electricity that's cleaner and reliable, with fewer emissions-- it matters. ♪

on the table by not choosing the right medicare d plan. no one could have left this much money here. whoo-hoo-hoo! yet many seniors who compare medicare d plans realize they can save hundreds of dollars. cvs/pharmacy wants to help you save on medicare expenses. talk to your cvs pharmacist, call, or go to cvs.com/compare to get your free, personalized plan comparison today. call, go online, or visit your local store today. soft, luxurious, so comfortable. indulge in the warmth of the season with our embraceable pajamas. exclusively at soma and soma.com.

where beautiful gifts begin.

♪ ♪ ♪ check it out... what do you think, huh? subtle. brew the love. keurig.

>> back now at 7:41 with a remarkable colorado teenager. we will talk to her in just a moment. first nbc has her story. >> reporter: it was a blue sky day in late september an easy going half mile trail paved the

way for the johnson family as they hiked through the forest in colorado. nature was at its best until the union sons crossed paths with its worst. >> we heard this large crack. kind of a cracking or a thunder sound. then we saw like a big chunk of the mountain slide down. >> reporter: adam rodgers was halfway up the trail when he saw boulders as beg as cars tumble down the mountain without warning. fearing hikers could be trapped, he called the 911. searchers arrived at the massive unstable scene hoping to find signs of life buried beneath the rubble. >> i heard a small girl cry out and i could only see her hand coming up through the boulder, so i immediately went over there and tossing off the boulders. >> reporter: the uncovered 13-year-old gracy johnson told rescuers her father dwayne shielded her in his final moments. >> her dad is a real he. >> reporter: saved her life. >> reporter: in an instant

gracie lost her father dwayne and mother donna, both popular coaches, her sister and cousin were also killed. >> we may never get over this. they were so much a part of every single thing that we ever did. >> reporter: the sole survivor gracie escaped with a broken leg, thanks to her father whose final brave act was a reflection of his love. >> and we are joined this morning by gracie johnson along with her uncle dana and darryl johnson and cousin tyler. good morning to all of you. gracie, you are an amazing girl. i know that from spending a few moments with you. >> i am doing well, i am healing a lot. >> i heard you got rid of your crutches. isn't that great? >> yeah. it felt really good. >> there is so much to get used to and adjust to how are you handling this? how are your spirits? >> it's a lot different, but i

mean i am handling it really well. like i know i have to change a lot and i'm, i mean, i'm doing really good. >> i know you remember everything that happened and it's too much to even talk about. but i know you wanted to recognize your dad because he did a wonderful thing for you. >> he really did. i mean, i did cover myself, but i was just standing in the open and he did push me to a rock that was bigger than i was and saved me. >> he saved your life. your brother, i can't even fathom what a shock this must have been when you heard this news? >> yeah. i it really didn't set in. it still hasn't, you know, i really miss the guy. when we moved up there, i was the first guy i wanted to call was my brother to let him know,

hey, we're moving close to you, but, yeah, it hurt. >> what would you want people to know about gracie's parents? i have been reading about them. they seem like wonderful people. >> they were. they still are. my goodness, everybody in the community still talks about them constantly and dwayne was the life of the party, a great guy. you know, didn't really care about, you know, putting on, you know, any kind of i guess he was just a real guy, you know, just everybody was his friend and didn't know a stranger and donna was one of the most beautiful souls and she was a photographer and did wonderful pictures and they were great parents and, you know, they're really missed in the community. >> when you live in this community called bethune fa vista. it's a little town, as i understand it. i know it sounds like they have

really put their arms around you. >> yeah, i have always had a caring community. we've always had each other's backs. you know, after this happened, there was so much support that was given to me and like even just like including like they did, were really nice. you know, those are rivals. you know, we have a battle with them. they were just really caring and comforting to us. it's just kind of amazing how it brought everybody together. >> they were there when it matters. speaking of that, your aunt, uncle did an extraordinary thing. you moved from your town with your son tyler to gracie's town to all living together. how is that going darryl? >> it's going great. you know, you run into a lot of people in the grocery store that know us. that's kind of weird. the town is great. we got just everybody supporting us up there.

you don't know how many times you hear anything we can do for you, just give us a call. and so it's from everybody. so it's great. it's a great community. actually, it's a bit of a change going to a small town, but it is really nice. >> you like the town? >> kind of. a little bit. i leak it. >> well, you guys show what really matters and that is family. it's truly wonderful. gracie, thanks, for being so great and being here. we wish you all the best. >> thank you. >> we'll turn it over to matt. >> savannah, thank you very much. we have to take a break. when we come back, we will ask what has carrie underwood worried the most about tonight's "sound of music" event? natalie will take you behind the scenes. natalie will take you behind the scenes. and carson will she should be braiding her hair. not losing it. he should be battling video villains. not cancer cells.

they should be living life. not fighting for it. at st. jude children's research hospital, we're fighting for kids who aren't as lucky as yours. st. jude's research labs may not be in your community. but our discoveries are. our research has changed how the world treats leukemia, brain tumors and sickle cell disease. and no family ever pays st. jude. for anything. our discoveries today could save a child you know, tomorrow. so if you have healthy children, give thanks. give thanks. da las gracias. give thanks. give thanks. give thanks for the healthy kids in your life. and give to those who are not. go to st. jude dot org or shop wherever you see the st. jude logo.

don't worry, santa will find us. ♪ [ female announcer ] this christmas, light santa's way with the hallmark santa signal ornament. at famous footwear, we believe victory is [ female announcer ] this christmas, light santa's way more time loving the reaction and less time shopping for it. madden girl, nike and more at famous footwear. victory is yours. ♪ (beeping) ♪

(ringing) ♪ the samsung galaxy s4. available at verizon. colgate optic white dual action shines and whitens over 2 shades more than a leading whitening toothpaste. and whiten even more, with optic white mouthwash and the whole colgate optic white line. and whiten even more, with optic white mouthwash let's no.gifts. let's do surprises. yes. yes. bingo.

let's do confidence. let's do how did you know? let's see what's in santa's bag... and nail it. let's do this. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. the versatile dremel multi max, just $69 bucks. it's not the "limit the cash i earn every month" card. it's not the "i only earn decent rewards at the gas station" card. it's the no-games, no-signing up, everyday-rewarding, kung-fu-fighting, silver-lightning-in-a-bottle, bringing-home-the-bacon cash back card. this is the quicksilver card from capital one. unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, everywhere, every single day. so ask yourself, what's in your wallet?

. >> there is that pretty tree. we bhof pence where we find carson has done a little decorating in the orange room. they're do mennions. look at the color. >> dominions? >> the organization that sets color standards for commercial use. they have now declared that radiant orchid is the new color for 2014. look at your tie. >> i made the switch here. if we look back, here's some of the previous ones. you will notice tamron hall is wearing the old 2007 honeysuckle. honeysuckle hall. >> that's my new name honesuckle hall. you have to refer to me as such, what's up, honey? >> we will petition for orange room orange for 2015. all sorts of things, including a purple coffee maker. >> why don't you make at this time radiant orchid room.

wouldn't that be the obvious solution? >> there's a goldfish that's orange. you going to paint him? >> we need an orchid tree. >> thank you. coming up, what do you do with legos as a kid. an incredible remake of one of hollywood's most memorable scene. >> and carrie underwood my asthma's under control. i don't miss out... you sat out most o our game yesterday! asthma doesn't affect my job... you were out sick last week. my asthma doesn't bother my family... you coughed all through our date night! i hardly use my rescue inhaler at all. what did you say? how about - every day? coping with asthma isn't controlling it. test your level of control at asthma.com, then talk to your doctor. there may be more you could do for your asthma. ♪ i picked it out in a snap

♪ what made it genius ♪ was my camouflage wrap ♪ that's my kind of holiday [ male announcer ] the rhythm of life. [ whistle blowing ] where do you hear that beat? campbell's healthy request soup lets you hear it in your heart. [ basketball bouncing ] heart healthy. [ m'm... ] great taste. [ tapping ] sounds good. campbell's healthy request. m'm! m'm! good.® donuts? ♪ you're cute. [ door closes ] [ female announcer ] new special k protein cereal helps keep you fuller longer. willpower. what will you gain when you lose? how ya doin'? mmm. [ birds chirping ]

okay bye bye! [ female announcer ] help satisfy your hunger longer with special k protein bars and shakes. willpower. what will you gain when you lose? ♪ [ male announcer ] give 'em a gift they'll love. get this kobalt wrench set for only $29 at lowe's. ♪ get this kobalt wrench set for only $29 at lowe's. ghirardelli squares chocolate... ♪ a little rendezvous savor our luscious filling combined with our slow melting chocolate. ♪ that little reward for all the things you do. ♪ only from ghirardelli. ♪ thank you grandma for the dolls. ♪ ♪ i love it! ♪ i'm ninja kicking through the halls. ♪ ♪ i love it! ♪ mom's posting pictures on your wall. ♪ ♪ that's my kind of holiday.

good morning. i'm scott mcgrew. police are checking surveillance video after two women reported frighteningsb encounters with a suspicious man. the first incident happened on roberts road near highway 17, a woman said a strange man approached her car, opened her driver's side door, asked if she knew how to get to a bridge. the woman says she thought the man was about to attack her so drove off. >> it's not fun when somebody approaches you like that. but luckily she came out okay. >> then los gatos police say a waitress at the opa restaurant in the downtown area was held up by knife point. she screamed. the would-be thief took off with nothing. trying to figure out if they are connected. let's check in with christina and more cold. >> it is so cold. good morning, scott. 23 in napa. you jumped up from 19. the sun is out, we'll warm d÷u. we're not going to de-thaw until

about 10:00 a.m. so count on frost on your windshield and lawn until that poychbt 51 degrees later on. 52 in san francisco. north bay at 52, you can see deceptive sunshine across the bay area. this is san francisco, hard to find a cloud in the sky. yeah, you look out the window, you'll think it's warm. not going to be the case. we get a slight chance for low snow as we wake up on saturday morning, 49 degrees, then the seven-day outlook shows temperatures climb back in the 60s, tuesday into wednesday in the tri-valley. let's check your drive. >> a very, very slow drive now combined with potential for black ice on the road. we'll talk about that here. 880 northbound, you see that volume of traffic kicking in and the maps show you north 880 slow up in downtown and earlier stall a couple of them cleared from the roadway. slow in that direction. southbound look at that, south out of oakland in to the san mateo bridge black ice, a slow drive on the east bay. the peninsula watch the durand bridge through san mateo.

280 north, reports of black ice as well. those who love sweets your season is here. let's just call it the baking time of year. you need special ingredients. you need the staples for homemade. you need safeway sugar for just a buck eighty-eight. and that magic thing that makes everyone want another only two ninety-nine for challenge butter. and when hands get messy, quite surely they'll say, yum! wow! yay! what a sweeter holiday. safeway. ingredients for life.

. >> it's 8:00 on "today," the latest allegations against embattled toronto mayor rob ford, why these pictures are reigniting calls for his resignation. plus, there is an app to that. how would you like your christmas tree delivered to your door in the best text of the season and... ♪ the hills are alive with the sound of music ♪ >> the hills are alive with the sound of carrie. natalie goes behind the scenes with "the sound of music" live today december 5g9, 2013. [ music playing ] >> merry christmas, sweet home

alabama. >> hey, ya'all i turned 50 in new york city. >> here's to al roker. >> hooray! shots ♪ >> hi, we're from kansas. >> we're from california. >> welcome back to "today." good morning, everyone. a great crowd out here. christmas tree all lit up for the season. good morning, i'm savannah guthrie alongside matt lauer and carson daly. >> it's a part of throwback thursday him i love marvin gay. >> me too. >> aren't you a fan of the marvin gay channel on -- >> pandora. exactly, that is my go to channel. >> robin thicke does a bit of marvin gay. >> a controversy. natalie is on assignment today.

tamron is at the news desk. >> thank you, guys. brutal single digit temperatures are gripping planes in the mid-west where plows are trying to clear away as much as 3 feet of snow, northeastern minnesota along with lake superior hit hard especially. now an ice storm threatens to paralyze transportation and knock out power to millions. and the casualties are still being counted after a major attack this morning in yemen. a key u.s. allie in the war on terror. officials say a powerful car bomb powered the defence ministry. it was follow bid a half hour gun battle. at least 18 soldiers were killed as long with as many as 12 militants. vice president joe biden criticized americans and journalists today as he began wrapping up a two-day trip to beijing. reporters claim they face retaliation for stories that reflect poorly on the chinese government. biden also met for more than five hours wednesday with

china's president about chosen's new air defense zone. that has razzied tensions in the area, especially with japan. toronto mayor rob ford is back in the spotlight. new court documents allege he may have tried to buy a video that supposedly shows him smoking crack cocaine two months before news of the video first broke. >> reporter: new allegations this morning against embattled mayor rob ford. court documents just released describe police wiretaps on which two gang members are heard of saying an alleged offer of $5,000 and a car in exchange for a now infamous video that allegedly shows the mayor smoking crack. toronto's police chief says mayor ford isn't currently facing charges and won't comment on the tape. >> i don't believe it's appropriate for police to comment on the evidence. >> reporter: the alleged video hasn't been seen publicly or by ford in an interview with matt last month, leave income doubt its existence. >> show me the video. even according to --

>> does the video matter? >> i want to see it. i couldn't barely remember it. i was very, very enneeb bri-- inebriatod. >> reporter: this photo at a buffalo bills game. >> how am i supposed to know who is who, seriously? ? >> and this morning the toronto "star" reports a gang peb may have threatenned to blackmail mayor ford after the alleged drug video and, brian, texas is now the home to the world's biggest jenning jerbread house. it is tig i big enough to live in. 39,000 square feet for luxury for those who want to eat themes out of house and home. it is made of course of butter, sugar eggs and floir and more than 23,000 pieces of hard candy. you can have your house and eat it too. why wasn't it there when i lived

in bryant, texas. it is now time for the weather with al. . >> and we got the potential tamron or savannah replace him here. you are an anchor as well. how old are you? >> yes. 11. >> where do you do the news? >> back in maryland at my elementary school. >> you are a hard hitting journalist? very good. what's your name? >> daniel. >> there you go. coup reading the news. is this how you get to school? >> that's right. >> that's the news van right there. okay. let's show you what's happening as far as your weather is concerned. again, we got rough stuff to talk about. dallas looking at icing coming up. right now, pretty dry. it's going to get temperatures dropping as the day goes on into saturday with light precipitation. afternoon temperatures, look at that cold air streaming in.

sing him digits below zero at the planes. you hear in the east, 70s to 60s. for today we are looking at wet weather, icing >> 8:206. good thursday morning to you. want to start with a picture that was cents in from a viewer. frosty vehicles. of course, the hood of that car covered with ice this morning. make sure you give yourself extra time. still very cold out there. 23 degrees in napa. 32 in oakland. 32 degrees in san jose. later on today a nice sunny finish. temperatures will climb to the 50s. it will remain cold until we hit the end of the weekend. >> and that's your latest weather. >> thank you very much. all right, everybody. are you still hashtaging your

selfies? up next the warmest words of the year. >> that's a good seen. then maria schriver will be here. >> john goodman is here. [ male announcer ] at kay jewelers, we know that it's what's inside that counts. which is why in here you'll find levian, the world's only chocolate diamond jewelry, the open hearts collection by jane seymour, the leo diamond -- the first diamond certified to be visibly brighter. neil lane bridal -- from hollywood's premier jewelry designer. all this amazing jewelry and more in one place -- kay jewelers, the number one jewelry store in america. ♪ every kiss begins with kay

and you appreciate the things i do. tell me you love me. even if you say it every day. just tell me. [ female announcer ] everyone you love has something they need to hear this holiday. tell them with a hallmark card. like our new santa fe chicken quesadilla, burger bites, sandwiches, and more, served with fries and your choice of soup or salad. chili's lunch break combos, starting at 6 bucks. more life happens here. where does the united states get most of its energy? is it africa? the middle east? canada? or the u.s.? the answer is...

the u.s. ♪ most of america's energy comes from right here at home. take the energy quiz. energy lives here. ladies... kitchen counselor. it's likely your detergent. cascade platinum's triple cleaning formula delivers brilliant shine finish gel can't beat. it even helps keep your dishwasher sparkling. cascade platinum is cascade's best. [ laughter ] ♪ [ male announcer ] for tim and richard smucker, giving a gift of their family's delicious jam always made the holidays just a little bit sweeter. we forgot to put our names on them! richard, i think they'll know who it's from.

♪ thank you boys. you're welcome. you're welcome. [ male announcer ] happy holidays from our family to yours. i love christmas! so you want to drive more. safely? of smart. stop eating. take deep breaths. avoid bad weather. [ whispers ] get eight hours. ♪ [ shouts over music ] turn it down! and, of course, talk to farmers. hi. hi. ♪ we are farmers bum - pa - dum, bum - bum - bum - bum ♪ ♪ good night! good night... parting is such sweet sorrow ... that i shall say good night 'til it be morrow ♪ body washes with paper that reacts like skin. if others can strip this paper, imagine how harsh they can be to your skin. oh my gosh. [ female announcer ] dove is different. its breakthrough formula changes everything. dove. this is care.

congestion, for the smog. but there are a lot people that do ride the bus. and now that the buses are running on natural gas, they don't throw out as much pollution into the air. so i feel good. i feel like i'm doing my part to help out the environment. it's holiday time, and no fruit is as versatile as our ocean spray cranberries, which is why were declaring it the unofficial official fruit of the holidays! the fig's gonna be so bummed. [ laughs ] for holiday tips and recipes, go to oceanspray.com.

all right. here we go. it's 8:12. we're back with what's trending today. >> we're going to start with a question. we'd like you to be honest. matt, al, carson, have you ever set foot inside a victoria's secret? just so you know, next time you're in there, employees love it when guys go in the store.

>> why? >> for one thing, one worker is telling an insider this. male customers are really awkward and they feel uncomfortable. a, that's just amusing. and they get a kick out of it. also, because the guys feel so uncomfortable, they just want to spend money and get the heck out of there. women shop around. >> the pictures are larger than life. you're staring at them. >> you go straight to confession. >> it's confusing too. the sizes and the thing it's like letters and. >> colors and it's weird. i went in one with carson one time. the only awkward part is when you kept asking the salesperson to try on. >> i prescribe to the catalog. i get one at home and feel right at home. one for every room. >> all right, guys. sick of hearing the word selfie? it may be a little early to start making new year's resolutions, but "time" magazine is running a poll.

which word should we ban in the year 2014? selfie is on the list. here are other options. twerk, bromance, and foodie. you can't ban hash tag because you'd have nothing to say. >> we built a whole orange room built on hash tag. i'd be out of a gig. >> exactly right. selfie, enough. >> i hate fail. epic fail. it's terrible. >> you know what else? really. >> i love really. >> if it wasn't for that, we wouldn't know seth myers. >> really? >> okay. brace yourself. can you say this ten times fast. forget peter piper and she sells seashells by the seashore.

whatever. the smarty pants at m.i.t. have come up with what they say is the world's most tricky tongue twister. rea ready? pad kid poured curd pulled cold. >> we don't even know what it means. >> here's what it means. it doesn't matter because it sounds like it's nonsense. however, researchers say it proves so difficult that some test subjects were rendered mute. they couldn't even get the word out. >> they tilted. hash tag they did. >> hash tag, stop it. >> toy boat. try that. >> what about coin toss. >> still think sally sells seashells by the seashore is impossible. >> they're all hard. >> up with of my favorite movies of all time, "blues brother,"

famous for all the ridiculous car chases. one artist loved the movie so much he used legos to create one of its most iconic scenes. hit it. >> anything else? >> yes, do you have a miss piggy? [ sirens ]. >> you got us into this parking lot, you get us out. this is the incredible work of an australian artist. he says his frame-by-frame tribute took 70 hours to create. new oldsmobiles are in early this year. >> can we just do a slow clap for duncan? that is so amazing. >> slow clap, is that new? >> hash tag slow clap. >> they banned that like three years ago. >> he deserves it. >> it is throwback thursday. in honor of tonight's special live broadcast of "the sound of music" here on nbc, we're taking a look back at our favorite

musicals. i'm very excited for tonight's special. i will never say that on the air, but i am. i will start with "phantom of the opera," something my parents dragged me to when i was a teenager. i didn't want to go. i went, michael crawford was singing, and i fell in love. >> you mean kind enough to take you too. >> it changed my life. how about you? >> mine is "grease" because i wanted to be bad sandy once she got the leather. i've still been trying to find the leather pants ever since. i love "grease." >> her hair all crazy. i loved "west side story." i have to say, i grew up in arizona. i didn't go to a lot of plays. i've only seen the movie. i would like to go see "west side story." >> many opportunities here in new york. >> you can wear your leather pants. >> date night. >> i like "hair." no joke. at the time it was revolutionary. i thought that was pretty cool. >> i loved "a funny thing happened on the way to the

forum." just one of the greatest, to me, come disof all time. >> wow. >> well, we didn't really need to remind everybody about "the sound of music." of course, tonight all eyes and ears will be on carrie underwood and the ground breaking production. natalie morales went behind the stars with the scenes to see how they're planning on pulling this off. ♪ the hills are alive with the sound of music ♪ >> the songs are timeless. the lyrics unforgettable. and tonight 54 years after it opened on broadway, nbc will be live with "the sound of music." >> they cross side cross by. >> and i got a chance to catch up with the star herself, miss carrie underwood. though she's an oklahoma country artist, she says she's a lot like maria. what do you think are the similarities? >> i mean, i didn't grow up in the mountains, but i grew up

outside and nobody could stop me from singing. people tried. >> and your faith too. >> yeah. obviously i've never thought about being a nun, but i am a faithful person. she climbs the tree and scrapes her knee. that was me growing up. >> it took months of preparation to transform this long island sound stage into pre-war austria. wild underwood worked to hide her country twang, a crew of hundreds built the enormous set. and with 25 scene changes, there are no second chances. are you worried about mistakes at all? >> i'm not worried about them because i know they'll happen. something's going to trip or something coming down the stairs. hopefully not fall down the stairs. >> hopefully not you. >> hopefully not me. there's one point where i have to walk up the stairs backwards in heels. >> co-star steven moyer, who plays captain vonn trap, has a few concerns of his own. >> this is my vonn trap balcony.

i start exactly where we're standing. i walk down those stairs. that's going to be live. so that could be calamitous. >> are you nervous about the live aspect of this? >> not at all. >> you're trying to stay in character and really be focused and live in the moment and then it's like all of the sudden this camera like wanders into your eyeline. you think, oh, crap, they can't see me, i have to move, i'm in the wrong place, i have to take a step over so this camera can pick me up. >> there are 61 cast members, including seven kids selected from over 1500 who auditioned, all extremely talented, but none of them have ever done anything like this. >> these kids are so brave. they're so brave. i could not have done this at 7 years old. >> backstage, the very busy wardrobe room. over 207 costumes throughout the entire production. recognize these? the beautiful play clothes made from the mansion's curtains.

i hear carrie underwood even sewed these herself. she's amazing. and with more costumes than minutes in the show, it's all about the quick change. >> i think i have like 48 seconds to change my clothes for one change. they're like, we did a test run, and we got it done in 22. i'm like what? like, are there people just, you know, backstage ripping my clothes off? >> one thing underwood has totally under control, the singing, even if it involves a bit of yodelling. >> they're like, this is going to be tough. i'm like, i got this. let's not worry about this one. i've actually been yodelling my whole life. >> okay. i'm watching. >> the pressure. >> i have a confession. i've never seen the musical. i've never seen it. this will be my first time seeing it, and i'm going to tweet throughout the entire thing. >> you should.

>> shocking. >> mcdonald is the mother superior. this is going to be spectacular. >> you can catch "the sound of music" live tonight at 8:00. >> it's live? what do you mean? >> where have you been? >> didn't you people already shoot this? oh, this is going to be awesome. >> it is very exciting. live 8:00, 7:00 central. tomorrow, don't forget they're going to be here to perform live for us. >> savannah, thanks. trying to find balance in your life? nbc's special anchor maria shriver is launching a new series for us on the "today" show that stems from a topic very dear to her heart. this is doing it all. we're going to be launching this in january. before i talk about the focus and the specifics, i want youtoo tell people at home, women in particular, you want their input on this. >> we've already started. we've been getting responses from people saying, i am doing it all, but i don't have time in

my life, i need help financially, i need help spiritually. >> we hear the expression a lot, having it all. i think it's very different from women who say i'm doing it all. >> exactly. it's very different. one in three women in this country are struggling financially. there's millions and millions of single head of households who are women. they are being told to reach for the glass ceiling, and they say the foundation we're standing on is cracking, it's filled with cracks. we want to know, what would help you secure the foundation. what do you need in your life? do you need flexible hours, health benefit, financial assistance? what is it? >> and when a lot of women say, i'm doing it all, it's because they have to do it all. they are forced to do it all. they have to work. they have to take care of the kids. they have to take care of their parents. >> exactly. >> so the pressure on these women is enormous. a lot of them like to put on a brave face and say, i can handle it, but a lot of them are really struggling. >> and a lot of them feel alone. they feel invisible. they feel they're the only one not doing it all. i think women judge themselves very seriously.

i've been really inspired by a lot of the letters that have already come in and said, you know, that i'm trying to go back to work, i raise my kids, my husband lost his job, we need benefits so i'm starting an overnight job and working my way back up. >> just a portion of an essay you wrote as part of this. you say, millions and millions of women today find themselves being told to break the glass ceiling, yet they feel there's no foundation for them to stand on. it's hard to add another crack to the ceiling when you're standing on a cracked floor. we want to hear from you as to what would help you shore up your foundation. what do you want so that you can even think about the ceiling? what do you need to feel strong, stable, and secure? how can people get their stories to you? >> well, they can go to doing it all, the hash tag on "today" show. we'll come out and meet them, not all of them, but some of the best stories. we've already been inundated with people saying, i need time, i need a partner who can help me, i need a job who understands, i need time off to take my mother who has

alzheimer's. these are real people with real issues, and they need real help. >> and you're going to give them real tools for survival. you kind of alluded a second ago. we're going to go out. they may find if they send you a compelling story you're going to show up. >> maybe. i don't know. if they invite me. you know, people don't invite me that much. >> you're going to get a lot of invitations from this, i can tell you. >> we want to hear from men too. it's really important. so much of the women's debate has not included men. we also want to hear from men. what do they they the women in their lives need? so many men are also now doing it all. what do they need? because the two genders need to come together on all of these issues. what women really need is time. >> big, big series we're launching in january. want to hear from you. send us your stories on today.com or by tweeting us using #doingitall. mari maria, thanks so much. coming up, one of the most talented actors in hollywood, john goodman. and a live performance from grammy winner mary j. blige.

first, your local news. . bart's board of directors meeting this morning to talk about a plan to bring train service to livermore. the project would develop a five-mile extension from current stations in dublin and pleasanton to reach livermore. at tonight's contract meeting, the board will receive an environmental update on that proposal. the project could cost more than $1 billion. bart estimates the extension would transport 21,000 new riders every day. let's check our morning commute with mike. how is it looking? >> it's looking crowded. the nimetz freeway is the problem here. look at the northbound side. really jamming up. as you see, it's very slow in many spots around the bay. specifically the nimetz is a heavier flow of traffic.

there are a couple of accidents cleared towards hayward. the crashes are causing more slowdowns, and very slowdown in towards union city for the nimet sdmr on the east bay. freeway moves smoothly. northbound route. here are the problem. 87, 101 and 280. san mateo, very slow for 101, and watch the durant bridge. watch out for black ice there. laura, back to you. >> everybody recognizes that one. another local news update coming up in just half hour. stay warm out there, if you can.

in a perfect world every man would look like john stamos. wow! wow! and in a perfect world, what's delicious would be healthy too. wish granted. dannon oikos greek nonfat yogurt. this really is too good to be true! dannon oikos greek nonfat yogurt. ♪ dannon.

>> 8:30 on a thursday morning. a little haze moving into rockefeller center. just making it -- we are gathering toys for our 20th, that's right, the 20th annual holiday toy drive. if you come down to the plaza, bring a new unwrapped toy. go to today.com for details on. i think it's impossible not to be in the holiday spirit. just in case you need a little bit of nudgeing, mary j. blige is here. she has got a new christmas album. it is fan taft ec. she even looks fantastic. >> she performed last night at the tree lighting. >> unbelievable. >> also ahead, one of our all time favorite phenomenal actors. one of the greatest and most versatile guys, john goodman is

in the house. >> don't forget to head to today.com for the first orange room award. the most memorable viral moments, the pet of the year and digital standoff. >> we are collecting toys on the plaza. this is matthew schuller from "the voice." good morning to you. >> it's a pleasure to see you. >> this guy holds the record for the fastest four chair turn in blind audition history. he sang the blind you a dichlths all four chairs turned around in less than a second. >> christina made such an impassioned plea for you last night. so many people believe in your talent. >> i am honored. christina aguilera, she is an amazing artist and she taught me so much. >> sometimes when someone like you comes on the show and you have been sent home, we feel sorry. i am looking at you, you have a no. 1 song online in terms of a

video. you are still in college. what do you plan to do? >> i want to use some of this momentum to further my career. i will probably take online courses. i definitely don't want to go back to my old lie. i am ready to go to make more music. >> you are so talented. i thought he would be such a great star for a show like "glee." your future is so bright. i am so sad to see you go. new doors for you are wide opened. >> i love your version of "wrecking ball." you did good. >> hallelujah was one of the highlights. >> matthew schuler. remember that name. our live semi-finals next monday right here on nbc. >> another check of the weather. >> let's see what's going on. we got a lot to talk about. let's first of all start off, show you what's happening. we are looking at freezing rain and ice. memphis, they got wet weather, it will be icing up soon.

rain, cold, temperatures in the low 40s by the time we get on into saturday. wet weather from new england all the way down to the gulf, icy conditions. texas into any. clouds into the pacific northwest. 59 in los angeles today. tomorrow that icy condition moves to the east a little bit. spreading into ohio. more wet weather in the east. down to the gulf. look for showers and healthy storms moving 8:34. good thursday morning. it's still cold out there. write around freegsz. right at freezing in oakland. you're below in livermore at 30 degrees. napa, finally climbed out of the teens. now you're at 23. it's going to be cold just about all day long, though. want to make sure you're ready for that. only expecting low 50s as we head throughout this afternoon. getting into tonight another round of damaging frost on the way to the bay area. another night to bring in the sensitive plants and pets. . >> that's your latest weather, matt. >> all right, al, thank you very

much. john goodman probably the most beloved character actors in the new movie, he plays a surly musician who takes a roadtrip. let's say this is not a guy you want to spend a lot of i'm in a car with. take a look. >> solo act. >> yeah, i know. >> now, used to what, work with a cat? every time you play a c major with a major hairball? >> what happened? >> threw himself off the george washington bridge. >> well, i don't blame him. i couldn't take it either if i had to play jimmy crack corn every night. >> john goodman. welcome back. good to see you. >> thank you. >> sixth time you worked with the cohn brothers? >> there were five fake news reels. >> so did it take a lot of convincing when they called you or e-mailed you on this one? >> they had me at hey, john.

>> i think what they said is hey, madman. >> that's what ethan calls me. >> why is there such a connection? i was reading you said everything they write resonates with you? >> yeah, it's just the writing is so good, it acts itself almost. it's just all there on the page. they write such terrific characters. >> you say it's all there on the page. this is a little different. this guy roland turner when they came to you the back story was encomplete. they left a lot up to your discretion. >> i filled in a lot of it for myself just i am a loving breathing guy in the back seat and a lot of us don't know his business. >> here's what you say about it. you say he seems to me, he seems to a lot of people he's weird and way out there, to me he seems normal him you go on to say let's say he's a jazz musician that has a problem going with rec yaeshl drugs that's gotten a little more than

recreational. >> he's a junkie. so many of us are. >> is he an unlikable character? >> very unlikable. very angry at the world and it's just a device for the stick in a car, in a miserable car trip to chicago. >> music plays a big role in this movie. you were very impressed that the cohn brothers allowed the music to have a presence in the film. >> music is a huge presence in the film and thank god for oscar isaac because he's a very talented guitarist and singer and when he finally sings, he comes alive. you can see who this guy is. he's not struggling but why he's an artist. >> i think a lot of people here at work know i think the world of you as an actor. i loved your starring roles. but it's your move into these

character roles i think has shown your genius. how do you approach these roles when you are not the title character? >> well, i never thought about that even when i was a title character. you are all a part of the ensemble. you are there to serve the script and the story and your fellow actors. >> somebody wrote about you one time that said have you an indefinable your ra that makes audiences louf even when you are playing revolting people. which is about the nicest thing you can say about anybody i think. >> i'm a pretty revolting guy. >> no, when you play revolting people. >> sucker. >> somebody bought into that? >> dwrae. >> you are very busy. you got another show you are starring in only a fa house. this is on amazon. so it's a little new wave here in terms of production. how is it different from doing a show for a major network or production company? >> it's the same exact thing. we shot at a wonderful studio out in queens, terrific new york actors and withere is no

difference, yeah, just doing a normal show. >> i was reading somewhere you made a comment you were thinking in the not too distant future of slowing down a bit. i hope you don't slow down too much. you make every project better. i really do. >> if you look at "the sound of music" i'll be in the background. it's a wonderful show. >> we look forward to that. hustle over there. john goodman, always good to see you. "inside llewnn" opposite tomorrow. first on "today" this is nbc. .

>> we are back at 8:41. get ready to tech the halls. if you want to keep your holiday season jolly and app free, mary armstrong is here with what to download. good morning. >> good morning. the first ones, i'm flipping out over. >> why? >> i think it's a great idea. i want to do it. i kind of don't. the christmas tree is so fun. hauling it up the stairs is not so fun. tell us about this. >> here's the beg news, uva, an app that helps you find a car, a black car service or a taxi in new york city. it is doing something phenomenal today with home depot at 11:00 a.m. you can order through the uber app a christmas tree to be delivered to your house. >> can you 'ic the tree, a tall one, a bushy one? >> a maple fir. >> i want it to smell good? how many details? >> you are getting a tree from home depot. you can't get that detailed in

terms of what type and all of that stuff. it will come with a stand. they also are offering you a nice little gift an uber gift. they will drop it to your doorstep. that can be your front lawn or it could be your apartment building lobby. they won't take it up and decorate it for you? >> will they take it to your apartment building? >> to the lobby. >> that's a great idea. >> we have the home depot truck outside. people are thinking i can use that time. >> i may be a little pecky about my tree. i think it's a great idea for a lot of people. >> i bought a tree from home depot before. >> especially if you don't have a big truck. the next is slieth. >> all of your receipts, confermations. you are ordering a bunch of stuff online. this is perfect for those shopping online for a lot of items. how do you track these e-mails that come in? so i can instantly see all of the things that i purchased and

at any moment i can say, ookay. let me see where that photo blanket is. i can look at the shipping information as well and check the receipt so if i node to return it or have a problem with it. it's right here all in one app. >> these are for e-mail receipts? >> that's correct. >> not paper receipts? >> so if i'm shopping online on amazon or jump over to the gap or home depot, wherever i ham, it all comes into the one app so i can track it all. >> next one is red laser. if are you a bargain hunter, this is for you. >> it turns your phone into a scanner. this is a free app. what you do, you go into the store and see an item you like. >> i got this for you. merry christmas. >> you got me a 12-piece set for the kitchen. >> or a box. >> there is fwhug there there. >> i know. >> so it scans it. it will show you the item's price and where you can get it cheaper monita or online. so as you can see here, there

are a lot of different prices from a lot of different stores that i can actually purchase this from. >> so now let's say i'm at whatever store, can i show the app and say, look, this app shows i can get it for x, y, z, at amazon or whatever? >> ought only does it show you the provides, price matching. take it to the store clerk or the manager, lock, if i leave or shop an line, i can get it at this price. can you do the same? >> congratulations, there are no stinkers on this list. >> good, right in. >> great apps. the final one is called drink. >> drync. >> howe does this work? >> it's the holiday season. people have wine. have you ever taken your phone and said take a picture of that bought him of ween so i the boy it? >> yeah. >> it scans, it turns your phone into a scanner so i can actually pull it up right now. i can actually scan. >> do you want me to hold the ween? i have some experience.

>> that will be great. so i can pull up a bunch of ween lists. i can also scan that ween. once i've scanned it i can pop it right in here. it will show that i can order it from the app and then ship it to my address or to, if it's a gift, i can send it to someone else. >> so you can send it to yourself? it being the holidays, you can send us a gift. >> you can send it to someone else. this really keeps track of all the wines you have an interest in. you can create a wish list or rate them. everything you need about wine, they have other ideas where you can search weens. it's a fun and stress-freeway to remember your favorite ween. >> are all these free apps? >> yes, all free apps. four for four with free. you can't go wrong. >> take the rest of the day off. >> i'm good to go? >> this segment rocks. thank you is much. >> i think we have this on the website, a digital blog on today.com. >> coming up next, we got a

treat in store, a holiday for the queen of pop mary j. blige is here. first, this is

>> the toyota concert series on "today" brought to you by toyota. >> nine time grammy winner mary j. blige thrilled the crowd with a performance last night at the rockefeller tree lighting ceremony. we are delighted to have her here. she is out with a new holiday out, merry christmas. happy holidays. >> good morning. happy to see you. >> we were standing on a platform looking at you, what was it like? >> it was so much fun. i saw you guys, did you see me? >> i was clapping. >> the energy in new york, all those people. it was my first time at rocky fell ever center ever in my life so i had a beautiful time.

>> you got this new christmas album. it is fabulous. do you love christmas music? >> i love christmas mung. it's something i always wanted to do. i love classy traditional christmas music. that's the kind of music i grew up on. >> it came across beautiful. what are you going to sing this morning? >> i'm going to sing one of my fate christmas songs. >> ladies and gentlemen, mary j. blige. ♪ crestnuts roasting on an open fire

♪ jack frost niping at your nose ♪ yule tide fire ♪ and folks dressed up like eskimos ♪ everybody knows ♪ a turkey and some miscletoe ♪ help to make the season bright ♪ tiny tots with their eyes all aglow ♪ will find it hard to sleep tonight ♪ they know that santa's on his way ♪ he's loaded lots of toys and

goodies on his sleigh ♪ and every mother's child is going to spy ♪ to see if reindeer really know how to fly ♪ so i'm offering this simple phrase ♪ to kids from 1 to 92 ♪ although it's been said many times, many ways ♪ merry christmas ♪ merry christmas ♪ merry christmas to you

♪ oh ♪ you [ applause ] >> thank you. >> the album is "merry christmas." merry christ palace, mary, nice to see you. >> thanks, for having me. >> we are back in a moment. this is requested "today" on nbc.

up? >> we have it keeping your season good and healthy. >> do you think i

a good thursday morning. i'm laura garcia cannon. fast food workers in the east bay plan to walk off the job this morning. a rally in march is planned at the mcdonald's on jackson street in oakland. workers are striking already in dozens of cities across the country asking to be paid $15 an hour and be able to start a union. let's check that forecast now with meteorologist christina loren. >> hey, good morning to you, laura. it is still cold out there.

you're still at freezing in the north bay. 32 degrees. san francisco at 39. 40 in the east bay. the south bay starting to warm up. now the sun is out. we're still about 37 degrees. later on today only ramping these numbers up into the low 50s. as we get into tonight, another freeze warning in place. that will last until 9:00 a.m. tomorrow. hope you have a fab tossic thursday.

>> from nbc news, this is "today" live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. [ applause ] >> welcome to "today" on this thursday morning, i'm willie geist along with al roker and miss jenna bush hager while natalie is on assignment. >> hi, guys. i'm happy to be here. >> sort of the morning after. you got to be there. >> it's been really exciting. every year. it never gets old. i have done this now 30 years. it started when it was a 5 minute segment and lastly the 81st rocky fell ler christmas tree. -- rockefeller christmas tree.

i think it's the best tree. >> there it is. >> the moment you stay up and wait for it. it never gets old every year. >> roll it! >> here we go. >> all right, everybody ready to light the tree? >> we are ready. >> do it. >> 5, 4, 3, 2... 1! [ music playing ] . >> that's breath taking. >> i have to say, this year, i teared up a little bit. i did. and my husband came home and he was like, up on the hormones? >> i want a baby girl. i saw the faces of the little kids looking up at that tree i was like oh yeah! >> it will be spectacular. >> i had to get through the crowds first. >> we had great performances. >> oh my god. >> mary j. blige. >> mariah. >> check this out ♪ last night under the tree

♪ how much fun it's going to be ♪ to gather, this christmas ♪ all i want for christmas is you [ music playing ] ♪ you, baby [ music playing ] >> awesome performance. >> that song is my favorite of all times. >> she never recorded another song again and this would be an incredible legacy. >> it's the best song ever. somebody told me she looked like the elf on the shelf kind of in than amazing outfit. >> that's no elf on a shelf. >> i said if that's an elf on the shelf, i want her on my show. >> that's some shelf. >> the next topic. >> mary j. blige, i've loved her, her album, my senior year in high school, she's just the best, the coolest. she stan the test of time. her music was always good. she was so good last night. >> my mother is a huge mary j.

fan. i want to go up and say my mom loves you, so many people say my grandma loves you to me. i say, thanks, a lot. >> the subtext, you not so much. >> exactly. i don't love you, i'm 25. >> my mother loves you. >> actually my grandma. >> i'm not familiar with your work. >> i have been told you are liked by older people. >> that's really what happens. >> i totally have a picture of your tree, which is the real billing reveal. >> across town in manhattan. look what we lit up. >> the charlie brown choir. >> so you may not compare to what we have outside. >> did you light it outside simultaneously? >> i drugged it right in. >> can everybody stand up and count? >> everybody was like 3, 2, 1. you know what, we got a tree. we had some babyt over, older babies, they kept pulling the ornaments off. >> you got to hang them high. >> in fact, you buy some on

apples that you don't care about you put them low. >> that's true. i've learned. i'm learning that now after some things shattered. >> keep them up high. >> you know, we have been talking the last few days about paul walker and the word that comes up is humble. we are just learning actor paul walker who did die over the week anonymously bought an engage. ring for a soldier and his fiance about ten years ago. it was $9,000. he bought it in 2004 after learning the young military man had just returned from a tour of duty in iraq. he wanted to remain anonymous. he told the store to put it on his tab. in the wake of his death, the jewelry store associate came forward with this story. it speaks volume. he was in the store while they were shopping. they said, my go, i love that ring, it just costs too much. he goes to the clerk and says, boy that for them, put it on my

tab. >> they thought it was him. the store associate recently this week came forward and in fact confirmed it. >> i think it speaks to how we all want to live. he lived in a quiet way. he didn't shout that out. he lived in a quiet way, in his passing, we keep hearing stories about him. it's a real example for all of us. >> a way to live. >> absolutely. i didn't know about him personally. i liked him. man, the more you hear about him, the more you fall in love with him. incredible. universal piblths, by the way, shut down the product of "fast &io& furious 7". >> in life, there will always business a tribute to people in this room, right here, right now. a little different over here. ♪ i'm coming home ♪ i'm coming home ♪ tell the world ♪ i'm coming home

♪ i'm coming home ♪ i'm coming home ♪ tell the world ♪ i'm coming home [ music playing ] >> with somebody like that, you always wonder what would have been? where was he? he was really in the beginning of his trajectory. >> he had a lot of things ahead of him? >> a tough turn. >> totally different. >> toronto mayor rob ford, he called in this morning to a washington, d.c. sports radio show. >> with a really inappropriate name for him. >> yeah, maybe it could by a proept. >> could be. >> the sports junkies is the name of the show, 106.7 fm the fan. he talked about remember we showed that photograph on monday. he was at the buffalo bills game. eating the buffalo wednesday. >> and supposedly stole somebody's seat. >> stole the guy's seat to sit

and watch the game. >> that is a flattering photo. >> let me ask you, was it a bill's game. did you steel that dude's seat? what happened there? >> that's crazy, guys. the nfl brought me to my seat and said sit here. i had a security guard in front of me and my security driver besides me. i bought my tickets online. whoever is accusing me, i want to see their tickets. they told me to sit. they matched the tickets that i had. so. >> gotcha. >> i'd like to see this guy's ticket. >> mayor ford, do you regret eating the whens in the stand? >> no, i know, i have been training. my trainer bought me this bucket of whens. i told him if i eat one wing, mark my word, they will nail me. sure enough, i dipped into those hot wednesday and wamo! >> what is he in training for? training? to explode? >> i have to say, that one hot when is probably not the worst thing he's ever done, right?

>> that's right. >> i think the real problem is he has a personal trainer who buys him buckets of hot whens. >> that's a of aerobics lifting those wings. >> in court documents the toronto mayor may have offered gang members quote $5,000 and a car not to release videotape of him smoking crack. >> that songs like a great anti--gang policile i'll give you $5,000 and a car if you don't release a tape of me smoking crack. >> nice of him to throw in a car. he didn't have to do that. >> it's like a christmas special. you get a car and $5,000! >> they're allegations. i'm sure he is completely innocent of the charges. the next story you can relate to. >> i can. >> dogs in the white house. >> this took place this photograph gathering where the first lady michelle obama

unveiled the holiday trimmings. look at this sweet little girl, who joined in putting up the tree. oh, that's a little 2-year-old ashton, she lost her balance and fell down when the little dog jumped up. >> we have a video of it. >> here we go. >> she's okay. she's fine. she doesn't even cry. >> she held on to her goody bag. >> you think sunny is bad. he is leging the baby. she is sweet. >> you guys have experience. barney was a real jerk. >> wow. >> wow. >> i eno, i'm sorry for those, well, he was a little temperamental. there was a reporter that he bit. >> they were there. >> i feel bad saying that. he was he didn't like strangers. he bit a person twice when he

gave him a spank. my dad said he deserved it. >> barney showed a lot of spunk. >> you are smearing barney. >> here is a great picture that will make you smile if you have kids, you will relate to. 9-month-old, her mom it's not real snow. it's the 24th annual pickens downtown celebration in alabama. temperatures in the 60s. look at that scene. >> that is amazing. >> we want to see your picture. treat us your favorite photograph of your kid playing in the snow. hashtag orange room. >> we love that. >> that's the type of texas photos we had. the fake snow. whatever this white sen thet ec thing is amazing. >> we love this. wow! >> hashtag orange room. >> we will check out. we got some really severe weather to talk about. there will be an event from texas all the way into the mid-west over the next 72 hours. right along the

arkansas-oklahoma border. fort smith right now dry, rain will be coming in. we got ice storm warnings. as that rain comes in, it is going to be a mess. in fact, we are talking anywhere from a quarter of an inch to an inch of ice, ice, starting tonight from dallas all the way to paducah, kentucky. this could be a major crippling storm. there is a cold component to this. we are looking at snow anywhere from 3 to 6 inc >> good thursday morning. it is still very cold out there. marcs you travel cautiously. we're not expecting to thaw out until we hit about lunchtime today. especially up in the north bay where it was really cold this morning. we're still at 52 degrees there later on today. 52 for the east bay. right around 52 in the south bay, and temperatures are going to remain cold for one more night. we have a freeze warning in place, for tomorrow morning as well, and then showers move in tomorrow night into saturday morning. remember to dress in layers as you wake up tomorrow.

. >> and that's your latest weather. what happened to willie? >> he went outside, folks with willie watchers on. >> where are the goggles? tell me about the goggles. >> we wanted to make sure we got a good view of you. >> willie watch off my halloween costume. happy birthday, your before ithday? >> my birthday. possibly we're best friends. >> we can work on. those girls have been looking for willie all morning. >> so cool. >> thank you for coming out here. >> it's so great to see you. >> great to see you, too. happy birthday. i have to go back inside and do a tv show. nice to meet you. >> somebody close the door. hold the door on willie. >> we decided it will be the two of us. >> hold on, let's see. >> oh, wow! . >> hold on.

>> i guess i can take us to commercial? >> sure, why don't you do that? >> up next, are we closer to having a contraceptive pill for men? more on allergies when we get to the bottom of the biggest ♪ [ male announcer ] rocky had no idea why dawn was gone for so long... ...but he'd wait for her forever, and would always be there with the biggest welcome home. for a love this strong, dawn only feeds him iams. with 2x the meat of other leading brands... ...to help keep rocky's body as strong as a love that never fades. iams. keep love strong. with 2x the meat. love the iams difference or your money back.

with 2x the meat. buy susan a keurig brewer. brew the love. keurig. imagine a new level of skin quality. refined, perfected. at pixelev lel. new l'oreal texture perfector. refine texture reduce pores diminish lines even close up, skin looks remarkable. new youth code texture perfector, only from l'oreal paris. [ female announcer ] just about anywhere you use sugar, you can use splenda® no calorie sweetener. splenda® lets you experience the joy of sugar

without all the calories. think sugar, say splenda™ hopile on the arugula better burger? without all the calories. and load it up with italian prosciutto and fresh mozzarella. you haven't had a burger until you've had the new italiano burger. at olive garden! and explore 40 lunch combinations starting at $6.99. [ female announcer ] holiday cookies are a big job. everything has to be just right. perfection is in the details. ♪ pillsbury cookie dough. make the holidays pop! as where we came from. with the wind chill, it's 10 below. flight attendants, prepare for landing. [ attendant ] we have record lows out there so bundle up,

and thank you for flying with us. [ engine turns over ] ♪ [ male announcer ] now, with mybuick remote start, the new buick enclave makes sure you're ready for anything. ♪ just one more way the new enclave is smart made beautiful. there are things you want to know about including new research improving social research for kids with autism. >> could to we be one step closer to a controversial pill for men? >> professor of you arology and medicine at new york presbyterian hospital. let start off with this new male contraceptive, one step closer. tell us about this. >> it's unbelievable. sperm is made in the testical and goes out the reproductive tract. it blocks it from exiting.

now in genetically modified mice they take out two proteins responsible for the transport. >> that means it is made, sexual function is fine the sperm doesn't get out. that's a big break through i think for the future. it's not available for men. >> for mice. so mice are doing great. >> just mice, right? >> just mice. >> how far away are we realistically do you think of this being on the market? >> i would hope five years. it could be more than that. when it hits the mark, i think it will be a break through. >> oxytocin and autism. a lot of people are hoping this can help. >> potentially. it's a hormone responsible for bonding and trusting and a study was done to lock at how oxytocin affects children's brain. they found it lit up areas of the brain that was responsible for social behavior and

suppressed areas of the brain that were responsible for non-social behavior. so this could be a "potential" treatment down the road to help modify behavior in children with autism. >> it's a small study. >> a small study with 17 children. what is exciting is there is a federally funded study coming up with 300 children looking at the impact of children six to twelve months. right now the jury is out and experts are saying parents hold out. >> a third thing new moms like me, we are all concerned with this, to help your kids with allergies. there is a new study when we introduce solid foods. is that right? >> that's correct. a new study found if you introduce solid foods before sfoon weeks, which is four months and one week, your child is more likely to have food allergies. when you breast-feed after 17 weeks, you protect them even more from developing food allergies. >> so milo is in good shape i think. >> not completely. everybody is a little difficult.

i asked my wife about this all three breast fed t. one brft fed the longest most allergies. >> you don't know. >> we will come out with another study. thank you so much. coming up all the news you need before you head out the door. >> if you are only making it through the day because of that 20-ounce coffee. we have tips to help you get hey now... she's just gifing out. gif-ing out? cause of all the good stuff she got at kmart.

gif-out girl... thursday through saturday - all seasonal blankets and throws are on sale... and members always get more. kmart. get in. get more christmas. what does that first spoonful taste likok. honey bunches of oats. ching! mmmm! mmmm! mmmm! wow! it's the oats. honey. yeah. honey bunches of oats. this is a great cereal. [ woman ] the technology in these pads... best creation ever! [ female announcer ] always infinity. the only pad made with foam not fluff so mind-blowingly thin, you'll be surprised it's up to 55% more absorbent. genius. always infinity. he actually told me that a lot of the foods that i thought were really healthy for me can do damage to the enamel on my teeth. i am a healthy girl, i love salads, i love fruits, and it's not something i want to give up. my dentist recommended that i use pronamel twice a day as my daily toothpaste. pronamel will help protect the enamel from future erosion.

it's just so great because all of those foods that i enjoyed so much, i didn't want to give up, and now i can continue to have them. it's not the "limit the cash i earn every month" card. it's not the "i only earn decent rewards at the gas station" card. it's the no-games, no-signing up, everyday-rewarding, kung-fu-fighting, silver-lightning-in-a-bottle, bringing-home-the-bacon cash back card. this is the quicksilver card from capital one. unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, everywhere, every single day. so ask yourself, what's in your wallet? ♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] kleenex tissues help stop moisture better than the leading competitor. save yourself from an awkward situation.

don't get caught without kleenex tissues. and now try our new lotion tissues. they're more soothing than ever. with an ultra-thin coating and fast absorbing advil ion core™ technology, it stops pain before it gets worse. nothing works faster. new fast acting advil. look for it in the white box. turn to roc® retinol correxion®. one week, fine lines appear to fade. one month, deep wrinkles look smoother. after one year, skin looks ageless. high performance skincare™ only from roc®. take skincare to the next level with new roc® multi correxion® 5 in 1, proven to hydrate dryness, illuminate dullness, lift sagging, diminish the look of dark spots, and smooth the appearance of wrinkles. high performance skincare™ only from roc®.

. >> taking a look at the headlines, a nationwide fast food slow down could have you brown bagging your lunch today. fast food workers in hundreds of cities will temporarily walk off their job. they are demanding a $15 an hour wage. more than double the industry. they say such a large salary hike would cause jobs to be cut. more than 12,000 baby rattles are being recalled, some pieces may break off and pose a chokeing hazard. the recall effects, the manhattan baby rattles actually sold in the u.s. and in canada. hyundai gets good marks when it comes to the cost of repairs, car envy, you look at the cost of repairs, hyundais have the lowest annual cost of maintenance and repair. they have spent the last two years in 2nd pleas on the list behind toyota. and if your teen ageers aren't getting enough sleep, you might want to take a look at social and family life.

a new study finds teens active in their schools and have friends with positive attitudes sleep longer and better. interesting those with warm relationships with their parents get more sleep. on the flipside, heavy computer use is linked to core properties. two parents may not be getting sleep after having, wait for it, identical twins. they conceived triplets. i said twins, without fertility treatments. they are all healthy. they will stay in the hospital until they gain weight. the doctors say identical triplets without fertility drugs cannot be calculated. let's send it back to the triplets. i'm imsfrommed they had twins and it was triplets. >> when thes and a spare. >> talk about the work they will have to do. >> nap time. >> i was a twin. teenagers are worse when the baby is here. >> people manage it. coming up, how to keep your

real christmas tree fresh all lou the new year. >> how to make sure you are getting enough ♪ [ male announcer ] even well-planned holidays can wind up at the corner of "stockings are stuffed" and "quick -- duck!" luckily, walgreens is always nearby, so it's easy to get in and out for extra stocking stuffers... or anything else you might suddenly need. stop by walgreens anytime for hershey's kisses chocolates, gift cards, and more. plus get up to 20 dollars in jingle cash on next week's purchase of 30 dollars or more. here at the corner of happy and healthy. waiting for your wrinkle cream to work? clinically proven neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair. it targets fine lines and wrinkles with the fastest retinol formula available. you'll see younger looking skin in just one week. one week? that's just my speed.

rapid wrinkle repair. and for dark spots rapid tone repair. from neutrogena®. >> i'm laura garcia cannon. 75 people were forced out of their homes after an early morning apartment fire in san leandro. it happened at the bancroft apartments right across from san leandro high school. the injuries are minor. no word on a cause. part of interstate 5 in stockton is shut down right now after a police officer shot and killed a man wanted for attempted murder. police say they were tracking the suspect from san jose when his car broke down on the freeway. he allegedly brandished a knife, and that's when he was shot. that portion of i-5 is expected to be closed until noon. sentencing is scheduled today for the san jose man who pleaded guilty to murdering a 22-year-old campbell man during a crime spree last year.

27-year-old john than wilbanks is expected to spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole. bartlemay ask riders to reach into their pockets to help replace aging trains. it comes after an electrical short on a crowded train caused chaos in the berkeley hills tunnel yesterday. the emergency breaking gauged on the moving train stopping the train sending smoke and dust into the crowded cars. bart says its 40-year-old trains and infrastructure need to be replaced. transportation dollars will cover some costs, but bart is expected to ask voters to approve a rageal bond measure to fund the rest. we'll have a look at weather right after the break.

>> good thursday morning to you. it's going to be cold all day long with temperatures only reaching into the 50s. just want to show you the east bay. a little hazy out there. as we get into friday, some changes is it just around the

corner. damaging frost once again, and thn they know as we head through friday night into saturday, look at what happens. an area of low pressure moves through. this is going to bring us some showers and a chance for some very low snow. we stopped the clock at friday, 7:00 p.m. showers starting to push into the north bay at that point. they're going to pretty to the south as we head through the overnight hours, and look at this. saturday, 9:00 a.m. you see the pink. that's a mix of rain and snow right around san jose. the chance is slim, but it's there, and we want you to know about it. now, as we head throughout the next couple of days, temperatures are going to stay cool and then we'll reach into the 60s as we get into tuesday and wednesday. starting to feel more like average for this time of year. hope you have a fantastic day.

. >> welcome back to "today." it's thursday morning, december 5, 2013. >> al is having some fun. jenna your granddad one of the great americans that ever lived george h.w. bush, former president of the united states phone for those socks. >> sack man. >> what is he wearing there? >> oh my goodness. >> i have to say, if you know him or know of him, he's a very humble man. his mom always said don't be a bragadocious. >> those were gifts. >> a fan. >> they look like a hologram. it looks like a 1980 pair of

socks with a hologram. it's 3d. send me that pair. i don't know if you are watching or maybe not. send me that pair. i want them. >> this summer when we were in maine i got to introduce mila to my grandpa, obviously, look at those little baby legs on top of my grandfather's feet. they were a moment. >> look at the slippers. you know, got presidential slippers. >> cool. what a cool guy. let's check your weather see what's going on. you will see, we are looking at some icing that will be glowing and heading up over dallas. in fact, as we look at dallas right now, things are kind of dry, but temperatures are dropping. >> that rain will turn to sleet and ice and re-freeze again by saturday. so a real mess from texas into

anytoday. wet weather in the northeast all the way down to the gulf coast. cloud in the pacific northwest. tomorrow that ice moves to the east. snow behind it. we are looking at rain down to the gulf coast. another storm system comes pushing into the pacific northwest in northern california late tomorrow good thursday morning to you. hazy sky over oakland, but it is still very cold out there. make sure you travel cautiously. we're not expecting to thaw out until we hit about lunchtime today. especially up in the north bay where it was really cold this morning. still about 52 degrees later on today. 52 for the east bay. right around 52 degrees in the south bay, and temperatures are going to remain cold for one more night. we have a freeze warning in place for tomorrow morning as well, and then showers move in tomorrow night into saturday morning. remember to dress in layers as you wake up tomorrow. . >> and that's your latest weather. >> al, thampblgs. i'm a new mom, i'm lucky my daughter mila sleeps through the

night. before i clock in about six, seven hours. >> that sounds about right. six for me, too. that's short of the six-and-a-half hours you are supposed to get. so are we more tired than we think? megan murphy direct or of "self magazine." good morning to you both. >> good morning. >> the weather memo. >> i'm still shocked over the fact that your daughter sleeps. >> we are getting six-and-a-half, is that enough? >> what's the number? is there a number we should be getting? >> the range is seven to nine, six-and-a-half is definitely not enough. on average we need eight hours, we are very sleep deprived nation. >> i like getting nine-and-a-half. >> that's my perfect amount. even on vacation. i wake up early. i have to go to bed grandma special. you say this affects our health. >> that's the crazy part. it makes your brain fuzzy.

you are less alert. your reaction time is terrible. you can't remember everything. it does have an impact. the craziest thing is we don't realize how sleep deprived we are. that was the fascinating thing about this study in "self" magazine. they looked at groups of people. they didn't realize how low functioning they were. >> you got some tips for people to sleep better tonight. let's go through these. one of them, probably, i don't know if a lot of people thought about this. lowering your thermometer 3 degrees lower than your day time normal. >> it's a simple thing. you transition into sleep on a temperature drop and you maintain sleep in a cooler environment. so cooling your room could go a long way to helping you maintain qual of sleep. >> the sweet spot is 68 degrees. >> i like cooler. that's good to me. around the holidays, it's kind of bad, dicey. we're talking about drinking before we go to bed.

whether whiskey like my man here or water you say try to cut down what you are drinking? >> the problem is alcohol will help you sleep. what it does it disrupts the normal sleep patterns so you will have poor quality sleep. if you drink too much liquid before you go to bed you have to get up to go to the bathroom. avoid that. >> there is sugar and wine. >> you me ttabolize that. >> you say an hour before bedtime, that's hard for people. >> but make your bed a quiet space. if you need that time, do it on the couch. so when you get to bed, lights out. i'm trying to tell my husband, that includes the ipad. yes, it's smaller than a tv. a little bit of light okay. but for most of us it's a problem believe it or not, jenna. >> hey, it's still daytime, why am i sleeping? >> go back to the old faxed

book. >> we have to make sleep a priority. we kind of talk ourselves into i've learn e earned the right to sit here with this book. you got to get away with all that get to bed. >> finally, i'm a huge fan of this fourth tip. it's the sound machine. >> if you don't want to go the sound machine root. a fan. just the send e gentle like a lull a buy. it drowns out sirens if you are in the city. crickets in the country. a lullabye. >> we all gain weight. the less you sleep the more you gain. >> it about. s your brain's ability to stay away from those sugary foods. >> you will have to move up to ten-and-a-half hours. >> i'm going to. >> i'll be up at 4:30. >> up next, if you picked out your tree over the weekend, we

will help y across america people are taking charge of their type 2 diabetes with non-insulin victoza®. for a while, i took a pill to lower my blood sugar, but it didn't get me to my goal. so i asked my doctor about victoza®. he said victoza® is different than pills. victoza® is proven to lower blood sugar and a1c. it's taken once-a-day, any time, and comes in a pen. and the needle is thin. victoza® is not for weight loss, but it may help you lose some weight. victoza® is an injectable prescription medicine that may improve blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes when used with diet and exercise. it is not recommended as the first medication to treat diabetes and should not be used in people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. victoza® has not been studied with mealtime insulin. victoza® is not insulin. do not take victoza® if you have a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer, multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2,

or if you are allergic to victoza® or any of its ingredients. symptoms of a serious allergic reaction may include: swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat, fainting or dizziness, very rapid heartbeat, problems breathing or swallowing, severe rash or itching. tell your doctor if you get a lump or swelling in your neck. serious side effects may happen in people who take victoza®, including inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), which may be fatal. stop taking victoza® and call your doctor right away if you have signs of pancreatitis, such as severe pain that will not go away in your abdomen or from your abdomen to your back, with or without vomiting. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take and if you have any medical conditions. taking victoza® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. the most common side effects are nausea, diarrhea, and headache. some side effects can lead to dehydration, which may cause kidney problems. if your pill isn't giving you the control you need ask your doctor about non-insulin victoza®. it's covered by most health plans.

don'neutralize them odorand freshen.ash. with glad odorshield with febreze. guys... [ female announcer ] pillsbury cinnamon rolls, with cinnabon cinnamon, are an irresistible sunday morning idea. nothing calls them to the table faster. make breakfast pop! you give them the giggles. tylenol cold® helps relieve your worst cold and flu symptoms. but for everything we do, we know you do so much more. tylenol cold®. but for everything we do, we know you do so much more. ring in the holidays with 50% off family sleepwear... ♪"jingle bells" like joe boxer. plus members always get more. kmart. get in. get more christmas.

eat right, not less. [ woman ] hi, this looks interesting! would you like to try some hot cereal? [ women ] sure! [ female announcer ] introducing special k nourish hot cereal. special k? wow! wow! [ female announcer ] made with superfoods... i can definitely taste the quinoa. i can't believe that's less than 200 calories. [ female announcer ] ...to help you truly shine. this is a way to be good to me. [ female announcer ] nurturing yourself. what will you gain when you lose? also available in nourish nutrition bars in the diet & nutrition aisle. >>. >> we have a spectacular blue norway spruce. >> your tree at home may not be that big. we want it to last through the new year. ahmed has some tips. good to see you. you say your christmas tree is

unlike taking care of flowers. what do you mean by that? we all understand when it comes to flowers. you would not take them out of water and expect them to look good. we have our christmas trees sitting in lots. we will make that for a christmas tree. >> you like these add interesttive packets for flowers. it has softeners to soften the stem and allow it to stay opened and drink up water. >> so you have to pick a tree out, which ones are best to stay absorbent? >> i brought three that are sort of the best in my opinion. the douglas fir the noble fir and of course the frazier fir. i like the noble fir. >> after owl after these trees? >> they tend to hold onto the leaves the longest. they look the best cut and out of watt. they're all really dead trees. they don't know it yet. >> we need to actually hydrate

the tree before you leave the store? >> if you can. you took the flowers out of water. they would look at you, what are you doing? you got to keep it wet, right? >> it no longer has a root system. you basically have a dead tree. >> what's the fastest way to dry out a re? take it from the stand, drive it like 55, 65 miles an hour totally dead. >> how do you do that? with have a demo, the largest tree. you could take this free and basically just like that rose came with this little water tube, we could make something like that. >> where you get the tree. >> before you leave, you have to cut the end off. >> that whole cutting the end. >> specifically the guy with the tree end. he is eager. he wants to trim off a couple inches of your trunk. he will take a chainsaw. the magic is keeping it wet, right? then i can take this water.

having a water bottle, a rag, anything you can to keep it wet. we will have that here. >> okay. we will do this. a plastic bag. right? so basically, this is just like what that rose had. we will make one. then you will be the silliest looking guy driving around town. but you will have the freshest tree. we will climb that. when you get home, don't put that finger in there. once you get home, you may have to then cut the tree again, give it a fresh cut. the main thing is keep it wet. when you get it home, give it a fresh cut. put it in water. >> on average, how thirsty will it be? how much will you have to water that? >> you know, i'll tell you, it's a tricky question. i can't talk about this. i'm not a tree whisperer yet. i put it in there the first week. >> every week after it will take a little less water t. main thing is keep it wet. >> that little flower packet.

you have extras at home. keep the tree in water the whole time. it will last the longest. >> thank you so much. great to see you, my friend. >> all right. >> coming up next, need an outfit for that holiday or when you meet the parent. more after these messages. ♪ tell me you can't wait for christmas. and you appreciate the things i do. because we'll always be a family. tell me i bring out the best in you. ♪ that you're thankful. ♪ that it won't be the same without me. tell me you love me. even if you say it every day. just tell me. [ female announcer ] everyone you love has something they need to hear this holiday. tell them with a hallmark card.

give me a second, pete. go. man's second best friend. brew the love. keurig. start using olay fresh effects. a fresh collection of skin care. cleanse with s'wipe out wetcloths... and perfect with bb cream. with skin this fresh, you'll need no filter. get fresh effects by olay. like a squirrel stashes nuts, you may be muddling through allergies. try zyrtec® liquid gels. nothing starts working faster than zyrtec® at relieving your allergy symptoms for 24 hours. zyrtec®. love the air. mom swaps one of my snacks for a yoplait. i don't mind, i mean it's orange crème. and when mom said bobby was too edgy... 'sup girl. i just swapped him out for tyler.

'sup girl. mom never questioned bobby again. two can play at this game. [ female announcer ] swap one snack a week for a yoplait. and everybody wins. yoplait. it is so good. hopile on the arugula better burger? and everybody wins. and load it up with italian prosciutto and fresh mozzarella. you haven't had a burger until you've had the new italiano burger. at olive garden! and explore 40 lunch combinations starting at $6.99.

(associate) hi! where did you come from? oh... sorry. welcome to petsmart! aren't you kris...? christmas shopping? uh... yes. i have a list of... good girls and boys? good treats and toys. okay... (announcer) at petsmart, we care as much about your pet's happiness as you do. that's why we offer a wide variety of unique toys and tasty treats - they make perfect holiday gifts. celebrate your pet, celebrate the season! at petsmart®. at famous footwear, we believe victory is more time loving the reaction and less time shopping for it. madden girl, nike and more at famous footwear. victory is yours.

today's holiday fashion is brought to you by famous foot wear great holiday gifts for the whole family all within your reach. famous brands, famously easy, famous foot wear. victory is yours. right now your calendar is probably booked with all the holiday events from the company christmas party to cocktails at friends house. >> although there is nothing wrong with your favorite santa sweater, some holiday outfits that are more fashionable for men and women. editor and chief of "lucky" magazi magazine. >> thank you for having me. >> we love your sweater. >> it's fuzzy. >> in the best way possible. >> who doesn't love the muppets. >> i have to be festive and dress up for you guys, obviously. >> new take on the christmas sweater, right? >> no santas, no reindeer.

>> but it screams christmas. >> let's look at our first model pairing. karen and travis going to a holiday home party. >> you say you don't want to look. just because you're at home, you can't wear the sweats. >> not in blanket or sweats. karen we think looks amazing. men's wear is super hot. her entire suit is under $75 and a great beated tank top. it's good because wearing layers. you never know what degree, what temperature your house is going to be. you can wear layers. travis is wearing a super cool varsity jacket. >> i would start getting hot. he has like three layers. >> he takes it off then. >> take it off, travis. can you? >> oh, my gosh. >> oh, my goodness. >> he's still wearing a cardigan. >> and he has a shawl collar cardigan which is a hot trend for men right now warm and cozy. >> next we have the office party which al and i will be attending

ours next week. >> i love these guys. look at this. >> you have to wear something that you can wear to work and kind of snaz it up. >> you don't want to be that girl who buys a brand-new dress for the holiday party. you want to wear something appropriate. you don't want to wear -- wear a dress you would normally add to work and add festive layers to it. we think it looks fantastic. >> katie looks great. >> she looks great, doesn't she? >> how about rumauamando. >> he has a tweet kind of jacket which is fantastic and added fun with his tie. to keep the tie from being a little bit -- >> that's hard to do. >> but a good conversation starter. you never know you can chat with someone in the office that he may have wanted to chat with for a while. >> you wear holiday tie? >> no. no. holiday suaspespenders. >> the suspenders are under the jacket. you can flash them out. >> go to the next couple. thank you so much.

lisa and bobby going home to meet the parents. >> meeting the parents. this is very tricky. >> this is very important for the woman in particular, not to be, but you don't want to dress up -- >> you don't want to wear an animal bathing suit kind of thing. it's always better to err on the side of conservative. lisa looks amazing. tone-on-tone runway trend right now. it's feminine and at the same time flirty, not too much. you want to keep the hem lines a little bit longer and you don't want to wear anything too revealing. >> what about the guys, it's a holiday sweater, but doesn't look tacky. >> doesn't have santa clauses or candy canes on it and actually really classic scandinavian take. >> let's see all the models looking good for the holiday. looks really good. thank you. >> you can come by lucky party tonight. >> he may come. >> you going to come with me? >> let's do it. for more information on where to

look go to today.com. >> back in a moment. [ wind howling ]

[ female announcer ] it balances you... [ water crashing ] ...it fills you with energy... and it gives you what you are looking for to live a more natural life. in a convenient two bar pack. this is nature valley... delicious granola bars made with the best ingredients in nature. nature valley. nature at its most delicious.

. >> a great crowd on the plaza. >> bob and laura monaghan are the founders of up a baby. good morning to you both. >> good morning. >> jenna bush hager swears by you. >> i have them. >> we are so grateful you are a part of this again this year. what are you bringing? >> we are donating $150,000 worth of strollers. >> wow, thank you so much. >> a half million over three years. >> that is amazing. thank you for being so generous. all the kids can ride around in style. >> you have one that people can take part next to the retailers near where they live. >> we are excited as a part of our give back.

consumers can give back as well. really excited. >> thanks for being so generous. >> we love the name up a baby. you had us with the name of the company awesome. >> thank you so much. go to today.com if you'd like to donate. coming up, ambush makeovers with kathie lee and hoda. >> before we get to that, here are your photos with kids in the snow. that's jackie. >> here's a look at katie. >> oh. >> we have quinn. looking good cute. >> adelin. >> oh my gosh. >> fan taft ec. >> go to our website. check out more baby pictures go to hashtag oregon room. you will see them all. >> we will be right back after local news and weather. >> first, kathie lee and hoda drinking up.

good thursday morning to you. it's 9:56. i'm laura garcia cannon. los gados police investigated after two women reported a suspicious incident with a man. a woman says a strange man approached her car, opened her

driver's side door and asked her if she knew how to get to a bridge. the woman says she thought the man was about to attack her, so she closed her door and drove off. >> not fun when somebody approaches you like that. luckily, she came out okay. >> 24 hours later los gados police say a waitress from the downtown area was held up at knife point in a back parking lot. the waitress screams, and the would-be thief took off with nothing. do you recognize this man? if so, fremont police want to hear from you. they're searching for this man who was caught on camera burglaryizing a home. it happened saturday afternoon on egers drive near fremont boulevard. he goes from room to room searching for valuables. police say the man made off with clothes and electronics worth about $2,000. want to check the forecast now with meteorologist christina loren. a cold start to our day. >> cold start, laura. yes, this is from one of our facebook friends jim vega that

sent in the picture. he was able to write 25 degrees, gilroy, california, merry christmas, ho, ho, ho. he probably could have tbed writing on the car. it was really cold. we'll have another round of that between today and tomorrow. overall highs are going to be comfortable. today we'll end up in the 50z. low 50s headed our way all across the bay area. throughout the next couple of days, temperatures are going to remain cool. want to make sure you're ready for this. make sure tomorrow you're ready to have that car dethawed. 25 degrees. another round as we get into tonight. back to you, laura. >> i hope he put on his gloves after writing all that. another local news update coming up in half hour. have a great morning. [ female announcer ] i like to mix things up a bit

with grands mini pot pies. only four ingredients. and a few easy steps. weeknight dinner in a flash. and my family devours them. pillsbury grands biscuits. make dinner pop. guys... [ female announcer ] pillsbury cinnamon rolls, with cinnabon cinnamon, are an irresistible sunday morning idea. nothing calls them to the table faster. make breakfast pop! your season is here. let's just call it the baking time of year. you need special ingredients. you need the staples for homemade. you need safeway sugar for just a buck eighty-eight. and that magic thing that makes everyone want another only two ninety-nine for challenge butter. and when hands get messy, quite surely they'll say, yum! wow! yay!

what a sweeter holiday. safeway. ingredients for life. from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hey, everybody. it's thirsty thursday. it's december 5th. we are so happy you're here with us today. there's a lot going on. we've got our regular, you know, on thursdays, our ambush makeovers and a lot to choose from today because last night was the big -- >> the tree lighting. >> the christmas tree. a courageous woman, one everyone has a story winner we're going to sing a story with that. >> and gift guru robin, she has

gifts for people impossible to buy for. she's going to hang around for a while after the show so you can go to our facebook page and ask her questions and maybe she can help you find out what the person that you want to buy a gift for and don't know what it should be -- >> which is kind of that fascinating psychologically since you know the person and she doesn't, she's going to be able to because that's her gift, to tell you what you should get them. >> the crowds are swelling around rockefeller center. behind us today, usually there's two people. >> we have two people on. >> on a good day. but today the crowd out right now is beyond what we're used to. >> not that shot so much. >> the one behind us. >> it was rocking last night i guess. >> yeah. >> it was a big night when they finally lit the christmas tree and here we go. >> oh. >> it is a magical moment. >> it really is. >> especially for those who have never experienced that particular moment in their life, you know. they come here from all over the world this time of year and it looks like everybody from all over the world is here. >> yeah.

>> it's tough to get around but worth it for those of us who make it through the crowds. >> tonight is a big fight. >> i'm looking forward to this. >> this is a landmark new thing. >> i'm staying home. i think you all should. >> yep. tonight is the live performance of "the sound of music." we got a look at carrie underwood in rehearsals. >> this has to be nerve-racking, so many promos, you could forget, trip, forget your lives. every time i hear one of those interviews i get more nervous. >> she's not a theater pro but this is a woman singing all her life, still young in her 20s, but she's done hundreds, maybe thousands of shows. she knows what live performance is about. it's just a new venue for her. i am just pulling for her. i think she's going to be awesome. she's not trying to be julie andrews and this is not the movie version. >> this is important. a lot of us, me included, i'm going to sit here and watch the movie acted out live in front of me. it's not that. >> a lot don't realize the

original maria von trapp was mary martin on broadway and not julie andrews. julie did the "the sound of music" movie. what you're going to see tonight is the actual musical, bookt musical, that was from rogers and hammerstein. >> you may hear a song you don't know from the movie and may not hear some songs you heard in the movie on stage. anyway -- >> a lot of great broadway people that are also in the cast, so i'm reading some things that some of the broadway elitists are upset that carrie underwood is playing the role. first of all, this is not -- this is business and they needed a name and a great name and an extraordinary talent to front it. i just think she's sensational. she's going to be awesome. >> how well do you guys know the lyrics to "my favorite things." ♪ rain drops on roses and

whiskers on cattens, bright copper petals and warm wool mittens packages tied up with strings these are a few of my favorite things ♪ ♪ girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes ♪ ♪ snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes ♪ ♪ silver white winters that melt into spring ♪ ♪ these are a few of my favorite things ♪ >> all right. anyway, tonight you guys -- ♪ when the dog bites >> i like saying bites. >> we also like to say, what does the fox say? almost as good as that song. >> all right. >> anyway, we'll be glued. i think it's going to do huge number. >> yep. >> in the paper today, and yesterday really, it was breaking, nigella lawson, been in the news a lot lately because her two assistants were accused of stealing money basically from

her and her husband. >> they said it wasn't stealing because they were allowed -- >> they say -- >> alleging they were allowed to use it. >> she says they were stealing. they go to court. >> to keep her cocaine habit quiet is what they allege. >> they're all alleging this stuff about cocaine. >> a lot of alleging going on. >> in court it was sort of surprising when you read some of the transcripts and things that when she admitted when nigella did admit she did have some cocaine use and -- >> it's quoted in the news as saying, i took cocaine seven times. >> yeah. >> i've never been a drug addict, never been a habitual user. >> she and the mayor of toronto have so much in common. >> the funny thing about this is, we've heard about her and i mean like funny, like peculiar, we heard about her and her husband. >> we saw those infamous pictures where he looked like he was trying to choke her and did something with her nose. >> she's, i guess, categorizing that photograph that we saw and

she says, i said i'm so looking forward to having grandchildren and he grabbed me by the throat and said, i'm the only person you should be concerned with. >> yeah. >> i don't know what her life is like -- >> right now i would say it's hellish. >> not great. but when you think about someone who uses cocaine or other kinds of substances, and then you hear what their life is like, like it -- >> yeah. it doesn't matter if they're celebrities, make a lot of money. it's a very, very unhappy time. hard to know what the truth is. any time it's a he said/she said and you have three women saying something different. >> she's denying she habitually used drugs and she's accusing her ex of spreading that rumor. >> i'm sure it's a huge story to an awful lot of people. i had never heard of nigella until she came on our show to cook. i think you have to be a foodie and food network person. she could not have been more delightful. >> big overseas too.

she's a big deal. >> she'll get through this. >> so "snl," there is a bug have you seen it? >> yes. >> it's more like a small bird. >> it is. >> anyway, paul rudd, you want to talk about. >> going to be on "snl" and they always do great pro mos. we haven't seen this one yet but let's take a listen. >> starring with one direction. >> i love the band one direction. >> wait a minute. the band, with the hot british guys, harry and liam? >> yes. >> ah! >> oh, my gosh! oh, my gosh! >> he's adorable. that will be fun. >> all right. so now is the time you've all been waiting for, because it's thursday and time for my -- >> means it's time to read our column, hoda. >> yes. >> maybe we'll run out of time for ihoda. >> good for two reasons. our column is in "the daily news" and it's ihoda. know how i tell you i like to mix oldies with a what, like an

old song -- >> what that ruins it. >> this is an oldedy but goodie, most of us know the words to and it's nelly with what with it. my song called "batter up." >> the jeffersons. >> now we're up in the big leagues. >> that was your what. >> that was my part? >> that was your part. >> there's your part again. the jeffersons.

>> you know, i would rather fall on my face again than listen to that. i would rather fall on the other cheek bone and go through it again than listen to that. >> come on, that's nelly and the jeffersons. >> oh. >> here's the question. is it okay or not okay to call your child sexy? >> call that music. >> sorry. bruce jenner defended calling his daughter kendall sexy in some recent photos of her. billy ray cyrus supports miley cyrus' twerking and joe simpson same with jessica. here's what we have to say about it. >> no, i'm always uncomfortable when people sexualize their own children. >> i agree. no, it's not okay. i have one word for it, ew. >> do that again. >> ew. >> i like that hoda. >> by the way, we do want to say that all of the children are 18 or over. >> which is still a bit weird. >> okay. >> so shout out, new year's

resolutions. we want you to videotape, right, your kids telling them -- telling you, telling us basically what their new year's resolutions are. >> go to klgandhoda.com and hit the connect button and send us videos and we may play it on the air. >> and also lou is coming in next week and we love to have your home repair questions in advance so we can answer your particular question. go to the connect button. >> we like our connect button. there's always one person on your christmas list who's hard to shop for. >> and we're going to show you gifts we guarantee they are going to love with a personalized touch. >> and they are without their makeup chairs, they're ready to see themselves in the mirror for the first time. >> big reveal of our ambush make-overs. please stick around for our "everyone has a story" today. we'll be right back. walmart invited hundreds of kids to play with the hottest new gifts for christmas. like, disney infinity on the nintendo wiiu. there's so many characters and it's really fun. this game's pretty great because i can make whatever i want. (laughing) it's so cool, because you can make creative stuff.

whoa. i can play the games on here while he's watching tv. i want disney infinity and the wiiu for christmas. walmart has the hottest gifts chosen by kids... like disney infinity and the nintendo wiiu bundle with two bonus games. games rated e to e 10+. walmart. whoa! sweet mother of softness. paws off, pal. [ female announcer ] new charmin ultra soft is so soft, you can actually see the softness with our new comfort cushions. plus you can use up to four times less. enjoy the go with new charmin ultra soft. i need you. i feel so alone. but you're not alone. i knew you'd come. like i could stay away.

you know i can't do this without you. you'll never have to. you're always there for me. shh! i'll get you a rental car. i could also use an umbrella. fall in love with progressive's claims service. at famous footwear, we believe victory is more time loving the reaction and less time shopping for it. madden girl, nike and more at famous footwear. victory is yours.

guys... [ female announcer ] pillsbury cinnamon rolls, with cinnabon cinnamon, are an irresistible sunday morning idea. nothing calls them to the table faster. make breakfast pop! nothing calls them to the table faster. l'oreal introduces newfect. voluminous butterfly mascara. spread your lashes. l'oreal's revolutionary asymmetric brush instantly volumizes from the root and stretches lashes towards the outer corner. for remarkable spread... remarkable volume. your look... truly captivating. new voluminous butterfly mascara from l'oreal paris. bold fanned out volume. catch the butterfly effect... you're worth it. >> time for our plaza ambush make over. two ladies were plucked off the plaza and surprised with new head-to-toe looks. >> making these women look as

gorgeous as ever. sing along, luis va carry. and "today" contributing editor and author for "style watch" jill martin. >> what a crowd. the great news was were so many people wanting makeovers. the heartbreak for jill and myself, we have to say no. >> i know. bummer. >> you made two ladies very happy. >> the first one is laurie snider, 50 years old from indiana. she has had long hair for as long as she can remember because she doesn't know what else to do with it. she begged us to help her find a flattering new style. let's listen to her story. >> how adorable is this mommy/daughter combo. we're so excited. i love your sign, hey jill, my mom needs a make-over. she hasn't stopped bouncing. so tell me why. >> oh, my gosh. my mom is so excited. she has not done anything with her hair or makeup for the

longest time and i cannot wait to see what you guys are going to do with her. >> we are going to chop off her hair and make it one color. are you ready? >> i think so. >> so that can be a traumatic change. >> this is big. >> this is going to be big. >> she's here with her husband rick and their daughter. guys, are you ready? keep your blindfolds on. here is laurie -- >> she can't tell if you're talking to them. >> here's laurie before. all right. laur laurie, let's see the new you. >> oh, my gosh! >> all right. all right, guys. all right take off your blindfolds. >> wow. >> did they do good? >> wow. >> that's sensational. >> are you ready to see? >> get ready. spin right here. here it comes. >> oh, my gosh. >> did you realize how beautiful you are? >> no. >> wow. oh. >> you look gorgeous. we're going to need kleenex,

people. >> try not to cry. >> all right. >> crying too, over here too. >> louis, tell us. >> obviously we made her from brunette to the warm blonde. >> more for the family. >> gave us this super great haircut, he always does. she wanted to keep her long hair. she's active, she's a runner. her husband is a triathlete and they do everything together. this is a versatile haircut that can be worn natural as well. >> let's talk to the family. >> dad is speechless. >> gorgeous. gorgeous. >> what do you think? >> oh, my goodness. you look amazing. >> incredible. >> jill, that dress is perfect. it really is. >> it hugs you perfectly. >> i can't believe how little you are. >> that's very nice. very signed of you. >> we tried on so many dresses. they live in a farming community. she didn't have a little black dress. >> i didn't. i never owned one. >> new by shani.

>> big round of applause. >> oh, my gosh. we need to talk about that. >> i am wearing the same designer and it has that spanx stuff inside it. it's fantastic. all righty. second lady. >> i got carried away. >> wanda davis is 53 years old, from huntington, west virginia. never colored her hair before. her daughters begged us to give her a glam new look. she's here with her daughter. let's listen to her story. >> this is how she got our attention. >> hoda on her kotb. >> it was better in the plaza. it was a little better. but we picked you and tell me why this is so important. >> i just never done anything for myself and my daughters asked me if i would come and do this because i'm a plain janar and they thought i needed a make-over. >> look at these random clips in her hair. we're going to do something about that. what do you think? >> it's going to be so great.

jamie and andrea, don't take them off until we tell you. one last picture of rhonda before and let's bring rhonda out now. ♪ light up my world like nobody el ♪ >> wow! >> wow. gorgeous. >> great. >> all right. ladies, go ahead, take them off. >> do you like it? >> i don't know who it's more fun for. >> rhonda, turn around please, sweetie. >> oh, my gosh! i love it! >> you look awesome. >> you look great. >> you look fantastic. >> spin right around. >> what's not to like? >> louis? >> you don't look different. you look beautiful. this is just with a little haircut, little bit of makeup. >> and the right outfit. >> and that's arson's magnificent magic fingers, knows what he's doing. she has fine hair and he made it look like twice as much hair. if you only know the excitement

the ladies have, they don't know what's going on back there. >> no mirrors, nothing. nothing. >> not a clue. >> yeah. what do you think? >> she looks gorgeous. >> you're gorgeous. >> hope my husband thinks so. >> i'm sure he will. >> and jill, the outfit. >> self-proclaimed plain jane. wanted to give her a sparkle for the holidays. this is london times. >> congratulations. louis and jill. >> hoda and i get ready to learn how to pack our bags. >> who really knows how to party with a "bold and beautiful" tv star and personalized gifts and how do you make a better burger?

pile on the arugula and load it up with italian prosciutto and fresh mozzarella. you haven't had a burger until you've had the new italiano burger. at olive garden! and explore 40 lunch combinations starting at $6.99. yep. got all the cozies. [ grandma ] with new fedex one rate, i could fill a box and ship it for one flat rate. so i knit until it was full. you'd be crazy not to. is that nana? [ male announcer ] fedex one rate. simple, flat rate shipping with the reliability of fedex. so i can't afford to have germy surfaces. but after one day's use, dishcloths can redeposit millions of germs. so ditch your dishcloth and switch to a fresh sheet of bounty duratowel. look! a fresh sheet of bounty duratowel leaves this surface cleaner than a germy dishcloth, as this black light reveals. it's durable, cloth-like

and it's 3 times cleaner. so ditch your dishcloth and switch to bounty duratowel. the durable, cloth-like picker-upper. so ditch your dishcloth and switch to bounty duratowel. what does that first spoonful taste likok. honey bunches of oats. ching! mmmm! mmmm! mmmm! wow! it's the oats. honey. yeah. honey bunches of oats. this is a great cereal. unwrap your paradise. soft, sweet coconut covered in rich, creamy chocolate. almond joy and mounds. unwrap paradise. if you unwrap paradise. 'your life is a game of chance. chronic migraine, but what if the odds could be in your favor? botox® is an fda-approved treatment that significantly reduces headache days for adults with chronic migraine, 15 or more headache days a month, each lasting 4 hours or more. it's proven to actually prevent headache days. and it's injected by a doctor once every 3 months. the effects of botox® (onabotulinumtoxina) may spread

hours to weeks after injection causing serious symptoms. alert your doctor right away, as difficulty swallowing, speaking, breathing, eye problems, or muscle weakness can be a sign of a life-threatening condition. side effects may include allergic reactions, neck and injection site pain, fatigue, and headache. don't take botox® if you have a skin infection. tell your doctor about your medical history, muscle or nerve conditions, and medications, including botulinum toxins, as these may increase the risk of serious side effects. the dose of botox® is not the same as other botulinum toxins. put the odds on your side. visit botoxchronicmigraine.com and talk to a headache specialist. all right. imagine this, visiting gorgeous white beaches and exclusive resorts, riding camels and driving race cars that's in a days work for jacqueline wood. >> the actress is taking viewers to some of the most exotic locations and a-list hot spots

as host of "e's" travel series "party on." like a dream job. >> can i say. >>. ♪ the first don't fry in the kitchen ♪ ♪ everyone has a story >> where do you get to go? what sort of place sfls. >> all around the mediterranean? i go to greece. amazing. spain. >> it goes both ways. >> i know. >> so does barcelona. >> barcelona. >> istanbul. >> you meet the people and put together a nice show. >> plop me down in each location for 48 hours. >> barely unpack your thonk and you're on your way. >> i usual social media to reach out to people. >> look at this. >> yeah. >> how much fun. >> must have met cool, interesting people? >> i met some great people. it's about living in the moment. when we travel we let our alter ego out. >> right. >> your favorite place was mikinos? >> i loved the vibe, i loved the

people. >> laid back. >> packing is not something easy for all of us and especially if you're going somewhere and know you're going to go and there's a party you're going to attend. it's hard. i'm going away this weekend. it's hard to put all the important things, heels and stuff, in the bag and figure out how to put it in right. >> it is really tough. the main thing what i did learn from my mom, you can put things in your shoes. >> oh, i do that all the time. >> panties you can put in. socks. yep. >> oh. >> you have to figure out what you need. >> we need to start packing. they're giving us the -- >> we should do a packing challenge. >> all right. >> the best things you can put to go around the mediterranean. >> the mediterranean. >> let's go. okay. hat, san tro pay. >> we're going to the mediterranean. >> priority, people. wine. >> you can't. >> you can get it there. they've got great wine there. >> i would do -- you can wear the boa. >> hoda, you need this for your hair. >> good. hair. >> it's a shower cap. >> absolutely. >> a blow dryer. >> i only need hair products. i can buy everything else. >> you need hair --

>> that's for the beach. yep. >> hair spray. i'll tell you why. >> i let my hair go. >> frank's coming so we need a football. >> you need a hat. >> you don't need this. you got the beach. >> no. >> what happened? who won? >> hold on. >> hoda. >> why ♪ (applause) music: jingle bells

(applause) shop your way members can ring in the holidays with joe boxer. kmart. get in. get more christmas. one square inch of deliciously smooth chocolate in creamy milk... or rich dark. incredible indulgence. one square inch of bliss. hershey's bliss. a very good thursday morning to you. 10:26 now. i'm laura garcia cannon. bart's board of directors meeting this morning to talk about a plan to bring train service to livermore. the project would develop a five-mile extension from current stations in dublin and pleasanton to reach livermore. at today's contract meetings,

the board will receive an environmental update on the proposal. the project could cost more than $1 billion. bart estimates the extension would transport 21,000 new riders daily. today's meeting will also include a closed session on labor issues. we're going to have a look at weather right after this break.

good thursday morning. this might be sight that you

find when you walk out your door and find your vehicle this morning. as can you see, plenty of frost, and we're not expecting to dethaw until about 10:00 to lunchtime today. after that it's still going to be cold. highs at 3:30. 55 in the north bay. san francisco, 52. 52, that's it for today in san jose. as we get into tonight, another round of clear skies means another round of that damaging frost. 21 to 30 degrees. you want to dress in layers. another time to protect your pets and sensitive plants. this is the last day. we have changes just ahead, and they arrive on friday night. take a look at this. showers on the way. we stop the clock at 7:00 p.m. showers moving into morin county at this point. mostly north of the golden gate bridge, and they'll spread to the south as we head through saturday morning. you see this? the pink is a mechanics of rain and snow. we might see a little bit of that activity in the foot hills surrounding sentence jose. low snow level on the way as we get into saturday morning. it's going to get pretty interesting around here. seven-day outlook tells the story. if you are looking for warmer days, starting the warm upon monday. 67 degrees.

60 by tuesday. as we head to wednesday, finally 60 degrees. temperatures reaching averages for this team of year, and we'll get a little bit of break from that frost. hope you have a great day. ♪ . >> oh, my gosh. that's a mustache. >> a bink ki baby with facial hair. back with more of "today" on this thirsty thursday. driving yourself nuts trying to think of the perfect present for the loved ones on your list you might want to consider something very personal. >> not that kind of personal. the monogrammed kind of personal. here with ideas you can order in time for christmas is robyn spizman, author of "make it memorable." >> hey, robyn. >> haven't seen you in a while. >> great to see you again. >> glad to see you again. >> you always bring great stuff. >> people always love to open something with their name in it. >> or years. >> looks like you've spent years thinking of this. >> and extra money. >> we're going to make it great. this is the gift from called freckle box and these are personalized gifts for kids on your list. >> oh, my gosh. >> from birth to teenagers.

>> oh. >> journals, coloring books. these are cute, boredom busters. >> emma. >> there you go. >> but that's all right. it's close. she can't read yet. >> there it is. yes. >> so cute from $4 up. super affordable. >> love that. >> fantastic. >> santa raised the bar on this one. microncle books. the poem "'twas the night before christmas" your child is center stage, your pets, the city, your child's photographs. >> that's cute. >> it will be a keepsake forever. here you have "night before christmas". >> a naughty and nice list. of course you will put your child on the nice list. >> it depends. >> you know how that goes. >> i love this gift for photo buffs, pads for $22.95 you can have pads with your favorite snapshots, pets, kids, yourself, and add a saying to it, so these

are things like we have -- we have hoda's and kathie lee's to do "today" list. >> i need those. >> look at bambino. >> of course. >> those are so cute. >> i'm dying. >> and this is -- >> so cute. >> cards. >> so cute. >> oh, my gosh. >> adorable. >> stationary. >> yes. so you just -- it's a win/win and very affordable. >> yeah. >> now we also have from lapuff studios, everything old is new again. this is the family tree for $45. classic silhouettes, they did silhouettes before photographs, it was a prway to portray someo. your family tree for three generations. >> for only $40? >> 45. >> there you go. >> still a great deal. >> and then your jewelry, they'll take the same silhouette and put it on charles, necklaces, cuff links. super. >> and what does that cost?

>> $59.50. >> there you go. >> okay. what can i say? it's all those elves working hard. >> that's right. >> okay. . so so this is now purple mermaid designs from initial obsession. i love monograms and this is the new thing from $48. very affordable. >> for kid or everybody. >> teenagers are loving them but my 20 something year old had to have one. name necklaces and reasonable. initial obsession. the guy on your list. >> yes. >> say he's eco-friendly. >> pocket -- >> yes. >> handkerchiefs. >> very special, monogram is everything. and i love it on bumble bee lin nons. this is $15.99. >> wears those. a lot of people don't but it looks so -- >> snappy. >> as always we have to wrap it up a little bit. >> right. >> so custom labels for you. ho ho ho from koda. and a gift from kathie lee.

>> don't be offended. she has you and blake on "the tonight show". >> oh, my gosh. >> want to say i'm sorry. >> i'm sorry. >> terribly sorry. >> you can take your -- >> noncopyrighted photographs and make fantastic wrapping paper because when you give a gift in a little piece of yourself, it makes everything personalized, memorable, and fabulous. >> these are fantastic. >> you're welcome. >> merry christmas. >> happy holidays. >> if you have a difficult person to buy for, robyn knows her stuff, sticking around to answer your questions. go to our kathie lee and hoda facebook page and post your question. >> and every day is a gift for a mother who survived two types of cancer. >> sure is. she's our "everyone has a story" winner. you're going to meet her rig fall under the spell of your most hypnotic lips! new color elixir creamy lip lacquer from maybelline new york. the magic? a secret trio of concentrates creates the hyper-saturated color and shine of a lacquer with the addictive cushiony feel of a balm.

it's everything your lips crave, in one spellbinding sweep. new color elixir creamy lip lacquer. in 20 mesmerizing shades. lipnotic! maybe she's born with it. maybe it's maybelline. am i forgetting something? no holiday's complete without campbell's green bean casserole. wish you were here. ♪ [ doorbell ] [ gasps ] ♪ [ gong ] [ wisest kid ] m'm! m'm! good! [ female announcer ] let betty do the measuring and get a head start on delicious homemade cookies. visit bettycrockercookies.com for fun holiday ideas. betty crocker cookie mix. just pour, mix...love. betty crocker cookie mix. wout of landfills each year? plastic waste to cover mt. rainier by using one less trash bag each month, we can. and glad forceflex bags stretch until they're full.* so you can take them out less often.

you can get the latest smartphones for boost mobile. phone. and...shrink your bill. and you don't even need a shrink ray. just pay your monthly bill on time...it shrinks. what if i could build a shrink ray? we would use it to shrink something else. even bigger than a phone plan. something really big. a bandicoot. yes! nice! nice! what's a bandicoot? i don't know -- i'm not sure. own the season with the best price on the latest smartphones for boost mobile. pay from $55 down to as low as $40 a month unlimited talk, text and data. walmart. are so soft, chewy, and filled with their fruity selves... they think this world isn't big enough for the both of them. but we assure you - it is. bites. little greatness.

which comes out on top? it's just nice. that's what i was thinking! fresh. that's exactly what i was thinking. yeah. fresh. fresh. like i could wrap myself in it. odors are no match for febreze. breathe happy.

[ ding! ] losing your chex mix too easily? time to deploy the boring-potato chip decoy bag. then no one will want to steal the deliciousness. [ male announcer ] with a variety of tastes and textures, only chex mix is a bag of interesting. ♪ everyone has a moment today we hemeet our newest ever has a story winner. >> we're going to meet ashley and her mom kathie in a moment. first, listen to kathie's inspiring story. >> my mother is a miracle. a survivor of two different types of cancer. she was told in the fall of 2007 that she had ovarian cancer. she underwent two surgeries and

chemotherapy. she was very sick but always had a smile on her face. the next spring we were given the best news ever. my mom was in remission. we went on vacation to south carolina to celebrate. our vacation to an abrupt halt one day when my mom called me from across the beach house in a concerned voice. when i walked into the bathroom, i found my mom standing in the mirror where she was examining a lump on her neck. after visiting three different hospitals, we were told that mom had leukemia. yet again, my mom stayed positive. she told everyone that she was an overachiever and got the leukemia after the ovarian cancer to get it over with and be done with it all. after several rounds of chemotherapy my mom went into remission but needed a bone marrow transplant. family wasn't a match and we turned to the register and hoped for a donor. fortunately, they found a perfect match. a complete stranger saved my mom and we are forever grateful. my mom's main goal throughout

all of her journey was to dance at my wedding and dance she did. there wasn't a dry eye in the place. >> i love that. and kathie and her daughter ash this a thisly are with us. you look so great. even battling the crowding at rockefeller center. >> i feel terrific. everything is wonderful. and so many people helped. >> now just looking at that image of you dancing at your daughter's wedding that must have been one of the most memorable moments of your life. >> i think every single person was the tears. >> you're a wild woman. >> my husband, maybe, but not me. >> we had several people join us. i mean it was like a group hug dance. it was wonderful. >> the idea that a perfect stranger stepped in and changed your life and i think a lot of people when it comes to bone marrow donors they don't realize that, you know, it's a stranger that can save a life at times. >> nobody matched me, so they put me on the international

list. >> i didn't even realize there was one. >> there is. >> that's fantastic. >> international list and a woman from germany was a 10 out of 10. >> wow. >> a perfect match. and it's not hard to be a bone marrow donor. you can ask ashley. you go. the test is a cheek swab with a q-tip. >> sure. >> that's it. >> to see if you're a match. and if you are a match. >> they're going to draw blood. >> ashley, when you heard there was a donor match for your mom, because sometimes i think what's harder than being the person who's ill, is the person whose and standing next to the person who's ill that can't do anything. >> you feel so hopeless and helpless. >> they said as a child you can't be a match because you're partially your mom, partially your dad. so when i knew i didn't have hope of saving her we had to reach out to a stranger and when we found out it was a perfect match the lady said her daughter said mom, i'm so scared and she said, you know what, i'm going to save someone else's mom and that's what she did. >> oh, come on. >> oh, my gosh. >> why didn't you write that in the letter so i could have put

it in the song? now you tell us. >> that is -- >> can you give me five minutes and we'll work on that lyric a little bit. >> boy, what was the reaction from your husband when the news came in? i can only imagine. >> it happened so quickly. they walk in and they go, we got a 10 out of 10. we're going to get this going right now and they did. >> how soon later did you actually have the operation? >> it was -- >> she was diagnosed in august and we had to undergo chemo and when she couldn't find a match they extended the chemo treatment and february 2009 was her transplant. >> looking at the photos with west virginia t-shirts the support must have been something. >> i thought my husband was trying to kill me. we were -- i was sitting in a hospital bed and this whole team came in and thank god for nine west of ruby memorial hospital and dr. michael greg. >> it takes all of those people.

>> they came in and he said, i'm going to tell you this now. i don't know if i can say this on tv. >> say it with us. >> he said get the hell out if you're not in it to win it. well they left. they all left. ashley and i are there going oh, my gosh. they all came back with those wv t-shirts. >> oh. >> that's great. >> why didn't you put that in the letter? okay. >> when we come back, we're going to have a very special song. i thought it was until now. to honor kathie and the stranger. remember that who saved her life. >> broadway's danielle williamson treats us to a live performance coming up right after this.

soft, luxurious, so comfortable. indulge in the warmth of the season with our embraceable pajamas. exclusively at soma and soma.com. where beautiful gifts begin. ♪ ♪ ♪ it's an opportunitye to stop and savor, the unmistakable taste that reminds us that life is delicious.

in awow!fect world every man would look like jowow!tamos. and in a perfect world, what's delicious would be healthy too. wish granted. dannon oikos greek nonfat yogurt. this really is too good to be true! dannon oikos greek nonfat yogurt. ♪ dannon.

♪ everyone has a moment that >> we're back with our "everyone has a story" winner, kathi hahn and her daughter ashley. >> it's time to hear the song that david friedman and i wrote

to honor kathi and the brave stranger who donated the bone marrow that saved kathi's life. here's broadway's "scandalous" perform danielle williamson singing "you need a miracle." ♪ ♪ in a world where people come and people go barely a nod to the neighbor ♪ ♪ ♪ in a world where people smile at those they know and certainly not to a stranger ♪ ♪ in a world where hope is to fade it's hard to hold on to your dream ♪ ♪ you need a miracle when nothing else will do ♪ ♪ you need a miracle someone to come through ♪

♪ you need a miracle to happen just for you ♪ ♪ ♪ you need a miracle ♪ ♪ in a world where trouble comes out of blue and it seems like hope is dying ♪ ♪ in a world where things are happening to you that you can't control by trying ♪ ♪ in a world where there is nothing you can do without someone to save the day ♪ ♪ in a world where it is not all up to you there's a moment you just got to pray ♪ ♪ you need a miracle when nothing else will do you need a miracle someone to come through ♪ ♪ you need a miracle to happen just for you ♪ ♪ you need a miracle ♪ sometimes you find those

people out there who actually love, who actually care ♪ ♪ ♪ who give of themselves so others may live who know they receive the more that they give ♪ ♪ and when they give ♪ you got a miracle when nothing else would do ♪ ♪ you got a miracle because someone did come through ♪ ♪ you got a miracle it happens just for you ♪ ♪ you got a miracle >> awesome! >> that was great. >> that's awesome, danielle. we'll be back in a moment. first this is "today" on nbc. >> that was awesome. ♪ ♪ you need a miracle [ female announcer ] for those who love sweets

your season is here. let's just call it the baking time of year. you need special ingredients. you need the staples for homemade. you need safeway sugar for just a buck eighty-eight. and that magic thing that makes everyone want another only two ninety-nine for challenge butter. and when hands get messy, quite surely they'll say, yum! wow! yay! what a sweeter holiday. safeway. ingredients for life.

♪ you need a miracle when nothing else ♪ >> that's danielle williamson, just performed "you need a miracle" for kathi hahn and her daughter ashley, with us composure david friedman and david wildman. >> what did you think of your song? >> it was wonderful. >> thank. >> sung beautifully. >> did a great job. >> arranged beautifully. and the words. >> if i had only known the real story, you know. golly day. >> it was one of the shorter letters we've received you said because you were afraid. >> i didn't know how much i should incorporate or not. i made it bare minimal. >> your mom was surprised you wrote a letter at all. >> a lot of people don't tell the person they're writing the letter for. they want to see what happens. >> this is the time in the program -- >> my favorite part. >> we get to give you something. are you excited? we have been in contact with your bone marrow donor. >> oh, no. >> doris. we haven't been able to meet her. we reached out to the folks at

united and lufthansa airlines and they would like to give you roundtrip tickets to you and your daughter. >> and i think we have a special message from her. >> we do? >> look right there, sweetheart. >> i'm so excited for you to come visit germany. me and my family can't wait to finally meet you. i think about you every day and i hope you are fine. >> oh. >> oh, my gosh. >> oh, my gosh. >> so pack your thong. you are going to dusseldorf. >> pack your tng. >> oh, my gosh. >> what do you think? >> it's amazing. >> thank you. >> i don't know what to say. i mean, the woman did it all. i wouldn't be here without her. >> wow. >> please let us know how that goes. >> we would love to know. >> everybody out there, get on the donor list. it's not hard and you can save

somebody. >> oh. >> thank you. ashley, you're a courageous, wonderful girl. >> you really are. >> so beautiful and your love for your mom. >> i'm a wreck. >> we have an extra minute. ask your friends what they're up to. >> what are you guys up to? >> i'm working on a new musical. and i just finished my second book. it should be coming out. >> that's great, david. >> i have a show "dog with a blog" on disney xd and disney. >> he flies in from hollywood to do this every month. >> thank you, david. >> what about you? >> i start reherrals for "rocky" on broadway this month. >> i hear great things about the show. so happy for you. >> you've written an ehp book about your mom. >> "my mom the miracle" one woman, two cancers, three years, forever grateful. >> that's grateful. >> what a day. >> great. great. >> thanks, everybody. all right. tomorrow, random acts of kindness that will inspire you for the holidays.

>> plus kids holiday fashions and the only food you should be eating at the food court. very important. >> bobbie's buzz.

right now at 11:00 freezing temperatures putting a big chill on the bay area leading to two rare sights. black ice on the roadways and crews de-icing planes. good morning. thanks for joining us. i'm laura garcia cannon. let's get right to meterologist christina loren with a look at frig ed temperatures. >> hey, good morning to you, laura. now, traditionally we don't even see lows this cold, but year now at 11:00, and temperatures are still in the 40s. san francisco at 45 degrees. 45 in livermore. 44 in san jose. napa has climbed to 45 degrees after hitting 19 earlier this morning. it is going to be a frigid day. we're going to see another freeze warning in