an american that vanished in iran nearly seven years ago was actually working for the cia and now his family is demanding the government do more to secure his release. bearing down, the fifth snowstorm in five weeks set to batter the east cot this weekend. al has the latest on this new round of snow and ice. feeling lucky? there's $400 million up for grabs tonight in the second largest mega millions jackpot ever as ticket buyers line up coast-to-coast. and beyonce's bold move. she releases a new album overnight with no advanced warning. how she is shaking up the music world today, friday, december

13th, 2013. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie, live from studio 1-a in rockefeller plaza. good morning and welcome to "today" on a friday morning. friday the 13th. >> i'm savannah guthrie along side matt lauer and al roker. you were up all night downloading songs. >> 14 new songs from beyonce. and video. she just dropped it. it was cool. >> i like how you used the lingo. >> yeah, a little marketing by no marketing. it's interesting. news that the longest held hostage in u.s. history that disappeared in iran seven years ago was, in fact, working for the cia. this was something the

government always denied. nbc justice correspondent pete williams is on the story this morning. pete, good morning. what can you tell us? >> reporter: well, savannah this information does shed new light on what bob levinson, a former fbi agent was up to when he vanished in iran in the spring of 2007. turns out he was doing contract work for the cia. since the day robert levinson went missing overseas nearly seven years ago after a meeting on iran's kish island, the u.s. government maintained that he was there on his own. according to this statement. >> on march 9th, 2007, robert levinson went missing during a business trip. >> reporter: but now the ap and "the washington post" revealed he was there doing contract work for the cia. something officials familiar with levinson's case now confirm. but the cia officials that dealt with him had no authority to approve what he was doing and they say ten agency employees have since been disciplined.

the only traces of levinson surfaced two years ago when family members released still photos and a photo they sent where he pleaded for health. >> i am not in good health. i'm running out of diabetes medicine. >> reporter: iranian officials denied knowing anything about him. >> is he alive? >> i don't know. how could we know that? >> reporter: but with a new moderate president in iran u.s. had hopes of finding levinson. they strongly urged the ap not to run the story about his work for the cia for concern about his wellbeing. in a statement, the ap said it could be impossible to judge whether or not it would put him at risk but the importance of the mistakes justifies the publication. the u.s. government has failed to make saving this good man's life the priority it should be.

it's time for the u.s. government to step up and take care of one of its own. the family says some in the government have done their duty to help find him but too many have not. in late november robert levinson became the longest held hostage in u.s. history. >> pete, we have seen them talking to each other and potential deal over iran's nuclear program. what do you know about any contact with the iranians on this issue. >> over the years the fbi and other government officials made repeated trips to geneva to deal with the swiss acting and intermediaries and one of the complications is the u.s. was never able to establish for certain where he is and who is holding him. >> pete william with the latest on this story. thank you very much. we're following another major story this morning. the bitter cold and snow from yet another strong storm system. al will have more on that in a moment but first dylan dreyer is in sandy creek, new york dealing

with heavy snow from a different system. dylan, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. you know this band of lake-effect snow aren't that wide. i'm in right now is only 30 miles from north to south. and driving into it last night, it goes from perfectly clear to not being able to see the front of your car in an instant. here in sandy creek we already have about 18 inches of snow on the ground but there's places just to the east of us that we can't get to. they have four to five feet of snow on the ground and it's still snowing at a rate of three inches per hour. this area, of course is famous for lake-effect snow. we have the cold arctic air crossing over the warm great lakes. that produces the relentless amount of snow. this is going to set the stage for the bigger system that the east coast is going to feel this weekend.

>> all right. well, dylan dreyer there in sandy creek and upstate new york, thank you so much. that's been the arctic air that dylan is talking about. that's really the big difference from last year. we had winter weather advise advisories stretching 1,500 miles. here's the beginning of the system. it's starting off as rain. as we get into this afternoon, friday, storm system moves from the east. breaking out from missouri all the way into detroit and cleveland. it continues to move to the east so saturday by noon, new york is starting to see snow. and then a secondary system develops. we see snow in the alleghanys. we have snow going in new york, boston, syracuse and cleveland into sunday morning. this system draws in warmer air so we get an icy mix in new york. it stays snow in new england through sunday morning and then eventually moves out.

snowfall amounts, the heaviest stuff here in the northeast. this is partly lake-effect around boston but look at this, parts of interior massachusetts, upstate new york, upwards of a foot to 18 inches of snow. so this is going to be a big one and guys, we still have lake-effect snow. in fact, where dylan is, not only are they going to have lake-effect but they're going to get this storm system enhancing it. so they maybe looking at another three to four feet of snow on top of what they have already gotten. >> dylan has been on a real snow tour. >> every snowy location in the country. >> i've been on that tour. i know what that's like. >> she has been doing a great job. >> she has. we're moving overseas and following an unsettling story this morning. >> kim jong un's uncle who was second in command in north korea has been executed. jang song thaek was accused of trying to overthrow the state. andrea mitchell has more from us in washington. >> reporter: good morning. this is a shake up in the brutal

north korean regime setting off alarms in washington and beijing. kim jong un, young and untested. cementing his grip on north korea by executing his second in command, his uncle, jang song thaek. the official announcement said he was executed as a traitor calling him despicable human scum, worse than a dog, with the wild ambition to grab the supreme power of our party and state. jang was believed to be in charge of training his nephew to take the reins of power. he was also the point man for maintaining the relationship with beijing. earlier this week north korean state tv signalled the downfall by showing him being arrested

pulled out of a public meeting. the government claims he confessed at a military tribunal. clearly a show trial. >> it can lead to some sort of instability in the system or collapse or lead to external act of aggression by north korea. a nuclear test or missile test. >> reporter: tensions remain high since the spring when they threatened south korea and the u.s. and said they would start reproducing nuclear fuel. kim recently released an american tourist held since october. merrill knewman. but the regime is still holding kenneth bae for more than a year and in the two years since he succeeded his father, kim jong il, he has proved to be erratic bonding with former nba star dennis rodman and spending scarce resources on amusement parks while threatening missile launches. the white house releasing a statement saying, if confirmed this is another example of the extreme brutality of the north korean regime. the white house is monitoring events closely and so is beijing. the chinese have not commented

indicating that they're concerned and don't know what to say and there's rising concern about this unpredictable and violent young leader of a nuclear armed nation. >> incredible story there. thank you so much andrea mitchell. a surprising turn in the case of a newlywed bride accused of pushing her husband off a cliff. she agreed to plea guilty to second degree murder thursday. in exchange for the plea, they agreed to drop a first-degree murder charge. graham is accused of intentionally pushing her husband off a cliff last july from glacier national park. she could get a maximum of life in prison when she is sentenced in march. rescuers hope to recover the body of two rock slide victims in southern utah today. several crushed the log cabin house and the two people inside. this happened near zion national

park. officials believe believe the boulders came loose when ice around them began to fall. the house approved a budget deal that would eliminate another shutdown. they said the agreement was far from perfect but the deal represents a common ground break through that's been absent in the budget battles of recent years. the senate will have to pass the deal before it goes to the president's desk. the two most prominent faces of the bill, paul ryan and patty murray will join david gregory for an interview on "meet the press". most basketball fans will never forget michael jordan's famous flu game in 2007. well, the shoes he wore on that day hit the auction block and went for a stunning amount. jordan wore this against the utah jazz. he had flu-like symptoms but still managed to score 38 points leading the bulls to a win and after the game jordan gave the

shoes to a utah ball boy. he stored them in a safety deposit box before choosing to auction them off on thursday. >> how much? >> $105,000. the buyer remains a secret. a little jordan trivia since you're a huge fan. what was his pregame meal? >> egg mcmuffin -- i have no idea. >> you were selling it. >> applesauce and graham crackers. apparently that's how the boy earned his trust and got those shoes. by the way, al is going to auction off the tie he wore on that nasty head cold day a couple of years ago. >> yeah. >> i pushed through. >> no extra charge for the germs either. here's a video pop quiz for you. >> okay. >> tell me where this is. >> snow town. >> i don't know. >> not buffalo. >> no. >> new york. >> london. >> jerusalem. >> wow. >> amazing. >> they had a huge snowstorm. biggest snowstorm in 50 years and, in fact, they get snow

every five or six years but just a dusting. this was in feet. amazing stuff. all right. lake-effect snow. the lake waters are generally in the 40s. the air temperature in the 20s. so when you get the winds coming across the lake, that's what -- it picks up the moisture and then it gets over the land it cools. but you can see it's a very narrow band. as dylan dreyer mentioned, a 30 mile band. in fact, take a look. we have a live shot. this is sandy creek, new york. this is buffalo. just to the south of buffalo it's snowing like crazy. everywhere else we have decent weather. over the next 24 hours, generally three to six inches in the tug hill plateau, about another foot. but then you add the storm system moving to the south. we're talking another foot and a half to two feet from syracuse on into central eastern new york state. we'll get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds.

>> seeing changes outside this morningch 30s and 40s right now but the low clouds and fog have kind of pushed back into the bay area as an onshore push of marine air. you can see san francisco right now looking at the low clouds. as we get into the afternoon forecast not bad. the low clouds are clear, highs in the upper 50s and low 60s today. climbing into the upper 60s next week, some spots even approaching 70 by wednesday.

>> thank you. to the bottom of the world where prince harry has just completed his trek to the south pole this morning. ben fogle is tracking the prince's journey. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. just after 7:45 eastern time, prince harry and the teams of injured soldiers from the u.k. and the u.s. and commonwealth are within sight of their goal and they're due to arrive imminently at the geographic south pole. after two weeks of battling blizzards and extreme temperatures as low as minus 43, these 12 war veterans lead by prince harry are in reach of the south pole this morning and nothing will stop them says harry. >> we're going to the south pole

friday the 13th. unlucky for some but lucky for us. >> reporter: it was a trek as dramatic as anything nature can throw at adventurers. >> the expedition has been tough. the conditions have been absolutely terrible. you may have heard it's been one of the worst seasons for storms. >> reporter: and these injured veterans had more than the trials of nature to overcome. when the skies cleared, the antarctic landscape was rippled with ice waves two or three feet deep. it became an epic struggle. >> a three foot icy drop is not something you can handle with as much ease as some of the other guys. >> reporter: the american team 1 leader, trueblood star alexander skarsgard playing the role of team motivator for the exhausted veterans. >> pretty big moment. pretty exciting. >> reporter: halfway into the

trek organizers decided to abandon the race. conditions were becoming a health concern. but the teams voted to continue the trek as friends rather than opponents. >> everyone is feeling a bit tired but got to get used to the rhythm. it's almost finished. >> reporter: an achievement that will surprise many, but most of all, those who are doing it. well, after battling those extreme conditions, prince harry will not only have grown a beard but he will become the first royal ever to have walked to the geographic south pole. of course his grandfather and aunt have both visited the continent but prince harry wins the prize for doing it the hard way. >> all right, ben, are you growing a beard in solidarity with harry? >> reporter: i'm trying to catch up with matt as well. >> you're way ahead of me. let me tell you right now. >> go back to the bunker now. >> thank you, ben. >> good to see you. >> i should mention there will be a special on prince harry airing early next year. did you get your tickets?

the mega millions jackpot now stands at $400 million for tonight's drawing. nbc's kristen dahlgren is out getting her tickets and hopefully some for us as well. kristen, good morning. >> that's right. al, i can jump in and get you guys some. the line not very big right now but the excitement expected to build throughout the day. this is the second largest mega millions jackpot ever. the fifth largest in north american history of any kind. this has been building since october 1st. it rolled over 20 times. if you have one of these, you have to be thinking, could this be the one. >> now, let's see if we can make you a millionaire tonight. >> reporter: maybe you think you have a good chance of winning tonight's $400 million mega millions jackpot even though it's friday the 13th, you're feeling lucky. >> i have my notre dame on. luck to the irish.

>> the odds are 1 in 259 million. which means according to tulane university it's 1,000 times more likely you'll be hit by a comet or asteroid. >> give me the money please. >> reporter: that person could get a lump sum payment of $216.4 million before taxes. >> i feel like you're limited in what you could do with it. >> reporter: really? let's say you opt for the $13.3 million a year for 30 years. that's more than $36,000 a day. more than $1,500 an hour. meaning at today's price, you could buy one ounce of gold every hour and still have almost $8,000 left at the end of the day for incidentals. >> that reminds us, we have to buy tickets. >> reporter: and it could grow from 400 million. they'll meet later on this morning and decide whether it's going to be worth more than that

400 million. maybe that will help that guy who said it's not going to be enough. i don't think i would have that problem, matt. >> i think i could make due with that. we have done this all before. let's do it once more. lump sum? >> lump sum. >> yeah. >> lump crab meat too. >> you are already winning this morning if you love beyonce. she dropped, to use your lingo, a surprise album overnight. tamron has more in the orange room. >> what do you mean if we love beyonce? while we were sleeping beyonce was proving why she is queen b. the music game yesterday you would announce the date for your album to be released. the music game today, surprising us with a new album. 14 songs, 17 videos and queen b explained why she did it. >> i felt like i don't want

anybody to give the message when my record is coming out. i just want this to come out when it's ready and from me to my fans. >> a couple of things to note, beyonce said she grew up in the world of michael jackson and you guys will relate to this as well, michael jackson fan or not, we would buy an album and listen to the entire thing from top to bottom. you would read the lyrics and she wants her fans to have that immersive experience and wants to get away from selling one song on a cd. so you have a lot to choose from but you have to buy the whole thing. $17. and little blue ivy is featured in one of the videos. so juggling being queen b and being mommy. >> yeah, i like the idea of listening to a full album. >> i do too. >> people are saying this way she got no advanced publicity. she is getting plenty this morning. a lot of people talking about it. tamron, thanks. >> we'll shift gears and lea michele is opening up for the

first time about the death of her boyfriend and costar cory monteith. >> i literally lived every day of my life feeling like the luckiest girl in the whole world. >> we'll bring you her emotional new interview. and then has your doctor or dentist ever offered you a credit card moments before a procedure. why that has some officials crying foul. but first, this is "today" on nbc. nbc.

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♪ [ female announcer ] this christmas, light santa's way with the hallmark santa signal ornament. good morning to you. 7:26. i'm laura garcia-cannon. the fbi will hold a news conference today to talk about the berkeley fugitive wanted for blowing up two bay area buildings a decade ago. the bureau will release more information about daniel andreas san diego. the fbi thinks he bombed two buildings in 2003. he is a vegan with ties to animal rights extremist groups. the fbi raised the reward for information about his whereabouts and released these photographs of what he might look like now. a rodent may be to blame for a fire in oakland near a street. one of the residents say they

had to use the stove as a heater and they think a mouse caught fire when it possibly ran across the burner, then set fire to the rest of the house. the fire spread to two neighboring homes but fortunately everyone made it out okay. we'll check the forecast with rob mayeda. he is in for christina. >> we're seeing the return of low clouds, patchy fog and you can see some of the low clouds around san jose and some of that at least is helping to keep our temperatures up a few degrees this morning and you can see the extent of some of the low clouds toward napa, not right down toward ground level so visibility at times reduced in spots around the north bay and then through the afternoon sunshine, we'll see numbers close to 61 in san jose, 58 in san francisco, near 60 in santa rosa. low 60s in the tri-valley and the forecast closer to 70 inland by next tuesday and wednesday. >> we're seeing the haze, the low clouds and some fog creeping into some of the camera shots. might be a slight issue for

drivers. the big issue is the volume starting to kick in. look at the maps. the issue here is a slowdown, top of the screen we look at the south bay map, we have coming through the middle of the map, reports of a car fire, a smoking car as we start off the slowdown and it continues to build around the interchange. over here slow 880 out of the union city and the tricity area. an earlier crash. back to you.

♪ 7:30 now on friday, the 13th of december. there's a pretty shot of the sun coming up in st. louis, missouri. 24 degrees there, al? that's the beginning of a strong storm that's going to impact people all the way up to maine over the weekend. we're going to see snow. >> i love that picture. makes me crave an egg mcmuffin. >> everything makes you crave an egg mcmuffin. >> whatever the question is. >> exactly. morning everyone. nice to have you along with us this morning. also making headlines today. the bombshell of a revelation in the case of an american that vanished in iran nearly seven years ago. turns out robert levinson was, in fact, working for the cia. this is something the u.s. government has always denied.

also a bipartisan budget deal is heading to the senate after easily winning approval in the house. a lot of people are racing out to buy mega millions tickets. tonight's drawing is an estimated $400 million. that qualifies as megamillions. that's the second largest in the lottery's history. coming up, a warning for people. if you have ever been offered a credit card application at your doctor's office, why you could be hit with a massive bill out of the blue. we will tell you about that coming up. first, we want to start with lea michele speaking on "ellen" for the first time about the tragic death of cory monteith. >> yeah, it's been a pretty rough year but i have been surrounded by such great people and such great family. >> reporter: in her first sit down interview since the death of cory monteith in july, lea michele opened up about losing her boyfriend and costar. it's really hard. there's so many different emotions. ♪ >> reporter: michelle defended

her decision to return to work on "glee." ♪ ♪ >> reporter: where the couple met and fell in love. >> but people also don't understand is that going to work is no harder than being at home and being in the house and opening up a closet and seeing a pair of shoes. grief goes with you every day, whatever you're doing. >> reporter: last december with reports the two were dating. >> you're a couple? >> yeah, of course. >> reporter: monteith appeared on "ellen" and confirmed that he and michelle were a couple. >> i remember when he came home last night he puffed out his chest and said, "i talk about you on' ellen'today. i was so happy. he was such a private person and i literally lived every day of my life feeling like the

luckiest girl in the whole world. i just thought he was the greatest man. and so, you know, at that moment, that memory it means so much to me. >> i think you have been so strong. >> thank you. >> anyone who has lost someone close to them knows what that feels like. you have been really, really brave. >> i really feel like i'm still this. it's been only a few months but my mom experienced a lot of loss in her life. she told me, at one point, there is and empowerment that comes with grief and at some point, you will find it. it's hard but you will find it. i'm trying to do my best for him because i know that's what he would have wanted. >> michelle also thanked actress kate hudson who opened her house to michelle this summer as a place to hide out for the paparazzi and get the privacy she needed. >> hard enough to grieve. but hard in public. let's take a turn and get the check of the weather from mr. roker. >> announcer: today's weather is brought to you by kay jewelers. every kiss begin with kay. >> guys, about two-thirds of

the country going to be dealing with active weather this weekend. we have rain in the pacific northwest. icy conditions in the central plains. snow through the great lakes. plenty of sunshine along the east coast. temperatures warming up down into florida. for saturday, it is going to be frigid from the great lakes into the plains. nice and mild. sunny through the south. here's where we get the mess. lake effect snow across the great lakes. icy conditions in the mid-atlantic states on saturday and rain in the southeast. then on sunday, sunday! we have got frigid weather through the great lakes. lots of snow. sunny but cold along the mid-atlantic states. rain along the florida coast and some more showers and snow showers in the interior pacific northwest. that's what's going on around you saw the weekend looking pretty nice on the west coast. right now we've got low clouds and fog around san francisco, that is the view now around downtown, low clouds blocking the view. a blanket of low clouds over downtown san jose, temperatures from the 30s and 40s, the extra moisture helping to keep

temperatures up a little bit. we'll see gradually clearing skies into the afternoon today and patchy low clouds heading into tomorrow morning. high temperatures today in the upper fexts to near 60 in san jose and upper 50s closer to san francisco. all right. of course, this is the perfect weekend weather for "sunday night football," "football night in america." big rivalry, the bengals try to claw their way to heinz field. that's right! the steelers in town! >> have you been tailgating, al? >> that's right. out there in the parking lot having some brats and some beer! it's going to be cloudy and cold. you want to make sure you're all bundled up. don't forget bring your own ketchup at heinz field. it will be wind chills in the single digits. that's sunday night. "football night in america"! i'll teach you the meaning of respect. >> here's some coffee, al. >> one of the best ever. >> thank you.

coming up next, doctors encouraging you to sign up for credit cards right before an important medical procedure? we have a warning you should see before you sign on the dotted line. coming up on trending, an adorable performance. how a 5-year-old girl made sure that her parents could enjoy her school's holiday concert. but first, these messages. [ laughter ] [ grunts ] kids today. it's all gadgets and internets. everything needs a battery. oh, hank. merry christmas. oh! hold on now. kay jewelers? it's beautiful. looks like we got us a young man here. [ female announcer ] the charmed memories collection at kay jewelers. featuring nfl, collegiate, disney and hello kitty charms. at kay, the number one jewelry store in america. that's long enough, son. ♪ every kiss begins with kay

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we look forward to shakira next week here on today. now we're back with an important consumer alert. this is a warning to be ware of credit cards you're encouraged to sign up for in your doctors office. tom costello has been looking into this story. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. we're used to turning to our doctors and dentists for advice but now offices are offering medical credit cards after telling patients they need a procedure or hearing aid. they look like a normal credit card but there could be a big catch. just imagine you're in the dentist chair, your tooth is aching in the person in the mask says you need thousands of of worth. no insurance, no problem. he has a shiny new instrument. a medical credit card. >> you're actually just trying to get your teeth fixed. >> reporter: sandy brown thought it made sense facing extensive dental work and no insurance she

signed up for a medical credit card in the dentist office but then 18 months later a surprise. the balance jumped from $2,600 to more than 4,000. the warning was in the small print. don't pay off the balance and get hit with a penalty, nearly $1,500. and her interest rate suddenly jumped from 0 to 30%. >> 30% almost is outrageous. i just think that that's criminal. >> reporter: the new york attorney general has received hundreds of complaints. >> you don't expect your health care professional who you are trusting with your health to steer you wrong when it comes to something like this. >> reporter: it's a good deal for the doctor who is guaranteed to get paid for his or her work but customers are encouraged to sign up when they're most vulnerable. >> because the clinic is signing people up they don't always expose the hidden terms or trip wires. you don't always expect them to be pedaling a credit card. >> reporter: in new york the ag

reached a agreement with ge capital retail bank that is providing patients with a 3 day cooling off period and no more rebates to doctors and dentists who drum up business for the credit card and clearer information about business rates. and ge tells nbc news it continually enhanced transparency and 80% of its card holders pay off the full amount and never pay interest. ge did issue some customers refunds. sandy brown got the $1,500 taken off her bill. but consumer advocates caution anyone considering a medical credit card should read the fine print. >> this isn't a good solution. people are late on the payments or miss a payment it's going to jack up the cost of the care dramatically. >> reporter: they're also paying the consumer financial protection bureau $34 million to settle federal complaints. medical credit cards can be a helpful solution for some people that can pay off the bills on time but shopping around before

signing on the dotted line, sometimes asking your bank for a small loan at a low interest rate could be a better deal. >> that is good advice. tom costello on the story. thank you very much. coming up, looking forward to this, alexa ray opens up about growing up in the spotlight but more importantly she is going to perform live one of her dad's signature hit songs. >> awesome. love her. also coming up next, instagram ceo is in the orange room to reveal your instagrams of the year. that's coming up right after this. christmas bells might be jingling. but you've got steady hands... icicles in your veins. you know walmart's still got it all. xbox one, video rocker, easy-bake oven. oh yeah, you just made out like a bandit in a one-horse open sleigh. mom, you own this season.

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there's a pretty picture on this friday 13th. it brings us to the question, what was your favorite picture of the year online? we have someone in quite the position to answer. tamron is in the orange room with one of our favorites, the ceo of instagram. >> kevin is with us. #kevin or @kevin depending. i'm so good to see you because we're looking at the year in review. pretty knowledgeable about things and you have the insight for us on the most popular photo on instagram this year? >> the most popular photo was a photo of justin bieber and will smith. >> why? >> people love pictures of people and it seems like a fun

picture. they were having fun. >> but it's not like they were doing anything extraordinary. just being cool. >> there's 1.5 million likes on this photo and i think it's because he has 12 million followers. >> very nice and i said #kevin. you're @kevin on instagram. the most popular #of the year was what? >> love. >> love? because that's all we need? >> that's all we need. throw back thursday and food were in a close second. >> and today you guy versus taken it next level on instagram where we can directly now communicate with our followers. >> we're really excited about this launch we did yesterday called instagram direct. it allows you to send photos and videos to your clous closest friends. >> why was that important? >> usually you post to all of your followers and this lets you select a few followers. >> we just took a selfie and we'll post that but i guess instagram is here to stay. >> catching on. >> thanks tamron.

>> coming up on trending, wait until you hear what susan says she has done before every award show she ever attended. >> and alexa ray joel sings one of her dad's beloved hits. >> how does a designer handbag for 73% off sound? sounds good to me. new holiday

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a very good friday morning to you. 7:56. i'm laura garcia-cannon. in about an hour b.a.r.t. and its two largest unions meet to try to avoid another strike. a costly proposal was rejected twice and withdrawn but a temporary worker misunderstood the markings on the document and rather than deleting it kept it in that contract. b.a.r.t. union leaders say a deal is a deal. it had been signed. berkeley police search for two teen suspect who is assaulted and robbed a cal student tuesday night. police say the suspect slammed a woman against a wall before taking off with her cell phone and wallet. let's check the forecast with rob mayeda. he's in with our temperatures. >> the temperatures are warmer this morning. we're seeing more low clouds which is helping to keep the temperatures up around san francisco now. but high pressure above this is

not good news for air quality. we've got a spare the air alert for today, it's going to be in effect tomorrow and it looks like sunday and now even into monday. this will be nine days in a row of spare the air alerts. but on the flip side our temperatures are mild today. turning even warmer in the seven-day forecast. 61 degrees today in san jose, upper 50s closer to san francisco, near 60 in santa rosa, 60 degrees once low clouds clear. >> speaking of low clouds, that's pretty much all that's going on. very mild back up to the metering lights are on. we'll look at the maps and the bay, friday lighter volume of traffic. kicking in for the south bay. north 280 at ray street the earlier smoking car not much of an issue there. lighter now toward 880 and the interchange as well. southbound 880 still slow out of union city and into fremont. slowing as you head over the dumbarton bridge. >> thank you very much.

♪ pose! yeah! ♪ flash! yeah!

♪ pose! yeah! ♪ flash! yeah! ♪ get the family to strike a pose, ♪ ♪ and show off your brand new clothes! ♪ ♪ that's my kind of holiday.

it's 8:00 on today, coming up, love, loss and moving forward. >> i guess i really missed the cuddles. three families from newtown open up one year later. >> i really miss his cuddles. getting to the heart of christmas. a big holiday surprise for some very deserving children. plus, what it's like to grow up with a super model mom and a rock star dad? alexa ray joel on her famous family and staying strong as she sings one of her dad's classics live, today, friday, december 13th, 2013. hello everybody. >> hi, auburn, alabama. war eagle [ inaudible ]

hey mom and dad in mississippi. we've got some news. you're going to be grandparents. >> happy holidays. look at my hat. and we're back now on this friday morning. friday 13th, 2013. december 13th. i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie, al roker, and tamron hall. anybody here freaked out by friday 13th? >> no. >> no. >> good. >> i'm not really. i want to get this little cute face on tv. >> i love the sign. >> are you cold right now? >> yes. >> some might say frozen. thank you so much. >> mrs. natalie morales has the top stories of the morning. >> good morning. >> good morning to you all once again. the white house is keeping a close watch on north korea after the country announced the execution thursday of the

government's number two man who was also the uncle of leader kim jong un. he was accused of plotting to seize power. was accused of plotting to seize power. tensions with north korea remain high since it threatened last spring to attack the u.s. and south korea and said it would resume production of nuclear weapons fuel. an american who disappeared nearly seven years ago in iran was reportedly on a cia spy mission. as recently as last month officials insisted publicly that levinson vanished during a private meeting with iran. they reported his mission was unauthorized and ten cia employees have since been disciplined. levinson has been held longer than any other hostage your seas. the last known trace of the florida man came in photographs and video sent to his family two years ago. his wherebies are officially unknown. the death of a football fan outside of kansas city's arrowhead stadium this month has

now been rule add homicide. police say 30-year-old keith van winkle left the game early and climbed into a jeep that resembled the one he came in. they say the car's owner found him, there was a struggle and van winkle collapsed. four people were taken into custody but no one was charged at the time. new british study suggests that women with a strong family history of breast cancer might reduce their rif welcome a pill that is already on the market. the drug is called anastrosal. and in those who took the pill for five years were half as likely to develop breast cancer compared to those who took a placebo. that is slightly better than other drugs now being used to prevent cancer such as tamoxifen. are you worried your cell phone calls may soon be allowed on airplanes? if you're a little worried about that, you can rest easy because it's not going to happen any time soon. apparently in a close vote, 3-2,

the fcc agreed to look at the issue from a technical side but all commissioners express their reservations about the social implications of allowing phone calls on commercial flights. this is only the first step toward the approval. the entire process will most likely take more than a year. and good things don't only come in small packages. a giant gift box was unwrapped thursday during intermission at a philadelphia flyers hockey game and inside was one genuine g.i. joe action figure. private came home early to surprise his parents who thought they were there to watch a jumbotron video honoring their son. got to love that story. well, two extreme athletes seem to defy death when they raced to the bottom of a 75-foot waterfall in california. one went by kayak and the other went by somersault. they say they're not reckless because everything they do is calculated and backed by years of experience, and it's some

pretty cool video to watch there. it's 8:05 now. time for the weather and al. >> all right, thanks, nat. we've got a huge crowd on a friday. look at this group, coming all the way -- huge. let's show you what's happening as far as your weather is concerned for today. let's check out our friends in chicago. where they're going to be looking at light snow today, cloudy and cold. temperatures getting up up into the upper 20s. more snow in the northeast as the system starts to come up. we'reejuz looking at a little rough stuff today. catalina island looking good. you can see we've got winter storm watches and winter weather advisories all the way into new england and snowfall amounts about 9 to 12 inches. some areas as much as a foot and a half.

buffalo, upstate new york, on into new england. now, where are you guys from? >>. >> we're from pennsylvania. >> you're going to see snow. and that's your latest weather. >> all right mr. roker. that's your latest weather. >> all right. mr. roker. thank you. >> coming up vrks you ever wondered if the tell marketer is real or a robot.

why it's hard to tell the difference. >> alexia ray joel, life in the spotlight. she's going to give us a real treat. she's going to sing a billy joel holiday classic. a designer sandbag for 73% off. i'm on my way off. first these messages. music: jingle bells (applause) shop your way members can ring in the holidays with joe boxer. kmart. get in. get more christmas.

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it's not the "juggle a bunch of rotating categories" card. it's not the "sign up for rewards each quarter" card. it's the no-games, no-messing-'round, no-earning-limit-having, do-i-look-like-i'm-joking, turbo-boosting, heavyweight-champion- of-the-world cash back card. this is the quicksilver cash back card from capital one. unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, everywhere, every single day. now tell me, what's in your wallet? back now it's 8:10. here's what's trending today. >> if you were to rank people's top pet peeves, you'd probably find robocalls way up on that list. they can be annoying. companies are getting smarter and using technology much more advanced and voices that sound a lot like a real live person and not a robot. well, a reporter for time magazine found that out recently when a charming woman named samantha west called to offer

him a deal on health insurance, but he started to notice something a little strange about her. listen. well, i'm good. how are you? >> well, i'm calling about an online request you once made about health insurance coverage. >> okay. >> we work with all major companies and compare. >> hey, are you a robot? >> what? no. i am a real person.g7i maybe we have a bad connection. i'm sorry about that. >> that's crazy. you just sound so much like a robot. >> i am a real person. maybe we have a bad connection. i'm sorry about that. >> will you tell me you're not a robot? just say i'm not a robot, please. >> i am a real person. >> i mean i believe you, but will you just say, i'm not a robot? it will make me feel better to hear you say it. >> there is a live person here. >> wow. >> i like the laugh. >> creepy. >> the back and forth continues.

at one point the reporter asks what vegetable is found in tomato soup. >> well, that's a hard question. >> she could not answer. then he asked what day of the week is it. she cannot answer. i guess we're vote machines. >> i don't. that laugh sounded so real. >> anyway, that's good technology. you have to be careful these days. >> by the way, the compa behind the call said they don't use robo telemarketers. >> that's bad. >> okay. well, you know, "saturday night live" has been under pressure lately to add a black female cast member. this is a show they addressed head on with host kerry washington. >> well, in that case i will leave and in a few minutes oprah will be here. >> thank you, mrs. obama. >> well, apparently snl minced their apology. loren michaels, the show's creator, tells "new york times" he plans to add a black female

cast member by next month. she would be the first since miya rudolph who left in 2007. he has been traveling the country and holding auditions. one performer tweeted out a photo of some of the women that tried out for the coveted spot. look forward to that announcement soon. >> the next item is the top story on today.com and the most shared post on our facebook page. you're about to see why. it's about an adorable little girl making her parents so proud. meet 5-year-old clare. i'm obsessed with her. she can hear, but both of her parents were born deaf. deaf. so during a christmas concert at her school, clare found a touching way to make sure they did not miss out. take a look. ♪ s-a-n-t-a >> you can see there clare is singing with her class. she's also translating for her parents. clare's mom tells us that her daughter wanted to make sure they felt included.

>> oh, man. >> love he >> hollywood's award season is just gearing up and there's lots of glitz and glamour but it can get so tiresome for celebrities. well, in an appearance on "watch what happens live" with andy cohen, susan sarandon reveals her secret to making sure she has fun. >> name one major hollywood event that you showed up to stoned. >> only one?+çv i would say almost all except the oscars. >> okay. >> oh. >> there you go. >> very honest. >> i wonder what she was like when she was here on our show. in case you're wondering, susan sarandon has won eight golden globes, been nominated for an emmy four times. >> that's a lot of cheese doodles. >> how do you remember the speeches if you're stoned? >> wow. that is what's trending today. straight ahead we're going to catch up with the very talented alexa ray joel. but first, let's take a look at her story. she is the only daughter of two american icons. piano man billy joel and

supermodel christie brinkley. but despite their close and loving relationship, alexia ray admits she struggled growing up in the shadow of their celebrity. as she grew older she faced scrutiny following an overdose in 2009 and for making the decision to have plastic surgery, but the 27-year-old has made it a priority to move past her sum bling blocks often using her story to empower young women, and she makes music, even delivering a version of her dad's classic hit, "just the way you are. " . >> alexia ray joel, good morning. nice to see you. >> good morning. nice to see you. >> i know both your parents a little bit. i watched you grow up from a distance. are you enjoying making me feel old this morning? >> no, you look like a spring chicken. >> how are you doing? >> i'm doing great. >> you seem to be in a really wonderful place right now. >> thank you. yes. it took me a minute. being the daughter of such

iconic figures, it took some growing into and just to be in the spotlight, you're exposed to the spotlight at such a young age, and that, of course, can be challenging, but, you know -- i don't know. >> you made it through. >> i made it through. >> it's nice. i think people probably warned you about that pressure when you were very young, but for some reason, it was still hard to deal with, especially in your teen years. >> absolutely. yeah. i mean it was definitely a struggle. i was a late bloomer, and i was painfully shy, and i don't know why i decide god into performing because i am such an introvert at my core. but music has always been my

solace and where i go to and it's pulled me through everything. >> when you say pulled me through everything and saved you, one of the other issues, not only that you're the child of very high profile people but when you went through tough times, alexia, it was in the headlines. >> oh, yeah. >> so you had to wake up and read about a pill overdose and plastic surgery. when you think now and you look back and you've got -- by the way, younger siblings. >> absolutely. >> you've got a 15-year-old sister, and jack is how old now? >> jack is 19. and sailor is, gosh, 15 already. >> 15, yeah. >> but she just started modeling and she's got this blossoming career. >> do you offer them advice? >> of course. i advise her constantly. she is always compared to mom. and she is just her own bright blossoming beauty. but, you know, she does look similarly to mom. so there's always -- you always feel such a pressure. i was always compared to my father, of course, piano man, piano girl. i'm a musician.

you're always fighting for your own identity, and hopefully -- i do a lot of work with young women. they write me on facebook and social media, and i just want to be able to be a lending hand to young women to show them that we all go through this. it's okay to be vulnerable and okay to go through personal struggles. there's light at the end of the tunnel. >> what i think is nice about where you are now -- you're on the cover of a magazine here in new york, "resident" magazine, and you're on the cover, and nowhere on the cover does it say billy joel's daughter or christie brinkley's daughter. it's just you. >> it's a relief. >> people are viewing you as your own woman which i think has got to make you feel great. >> it's wonderful. everybody deserves the opportunity to be seen for who they are in their own light. and everyone is really -- i know there was, you know, a time i was sort of in a darker place, but i'm really grateful. there's been much amazing

feedback for this new song "just the way you are," my tribute to dad, which i'm going to sing now. it's been amazing feedback, and i'm just grateful for this welcoming response. >> i think it's so gutsy of you to sing that song. you said for awhile that music found you. you didn't find music. it was in your family. you also said that some of your dad's songs are incredibly personal to you. some were even written about you. >> yeah. >> so when you take on this song, was it somewhat nerveracking? >> you know what? it was sort of a relief, matt, honestly. there was always this sort of pressure and i think this sort of feeling of is she going to do her father's material and i'm such a huge fan of his work musically as an artist myself but i always felt like, okay, i have to walk on eggshells. even at live shows when he used to play, i wanted to do his material, but i wasn't confident enough yet, how can i pull this off, there's going to be so much

harsh criticism. and then with gap, to have this opportunity to be in one of their amazing cool commercials, they let me run with it artistically. ghav me so much creative freedom, and i think thanks to that, i was able to kind of put my own stamp on it. if it was done -- just the way you are is done just the way my father does it it would have been like she's not really making it her own and wouldn't have been a proper tribute to him. >> we'll hear it in just a little while. it's nice to have you here. >> nice to be here, matt. thank you. >> we can't wait to hear the song. >> thank you. we'll take a turn now. tomorrow marks one year since the horrible day at sandy hook elementary school. and since then the families have mourned, they've grieved, and they've looked for ways to honor their loved one. nbc's correspondent kate snow sat down with three of the families. >> and many asked for privacy so

we're not there this morning. but these three families wanted to speak to us to honor the children and the mother they lost. we taped these interviews several weeks ago, and while they know the world wants to remember them on this one-year mark, for them, tomorrow is just another day without their loved ones. >> i guess i really miss his cuddles. he was really affectionate. i remember the night before, on december 13th, getting into bed with him. we would read every night. i miss reading to him.bgh i haven't red a book out loud since. >> dylan was autistic, and he was a flapper. he would flap really strenuously, and it was just his way of showing happiness and excitement, and i asked him once, why do you flap? and he said because i'm a beautiful butterfly.

>> what do you miss the most about your mom? >> today it would probably be how warm her hands always were. yesterday, probably would have been how tiny she always felt when i hugged her. depends on the day. >> reporter: in their grief, time has become elastic. days take an eternity or pass in a blink. mark and jackie barden lost their son daniel. >> every day that passes, it's further away from our life with our little daniel. >> to think that it's almost a year since i've held him, it's no time at all. >> reporter: nicole hockley keeps her son dylan's ashes in an urn on her dresser. she talks to him every day. >> what do you say? >> i kiss his urn. i say hello to him every day and say good-bye to him every night. >> reporter: erica lafferty's mom dawn hofstra was the

principal who stood up to the gunman that day, who loved chocolate and signed every note with a smiley face that's now tattooed on her hand. >> you called your mom every day. >> every day. >> do you still pick up the phone? >> i do. i had to cancel the phone because i called all the time. >> reporter: in the months followed the shooting, they prompted questions their other two children were asking. >> how could this happen? why did this happen? we didn't have any answers. and james said i just hope this never happens to any other family ever again. we had the option to do nothing or to do something, and then when you think of it like that, we didn't have any options. >> reporter: the results have been mixed. over a dozen states passed tougher gun laws. congress has not. >> do you think america missed an opportunity to do something right in the wake of this disaster? >> possibly. some changes happened. not enough. but i do believe it's a matter of when and not if.

it will come. >> it has been probably the worst and best year of my entire life. >> reporter: in july, erica got married visiting her mother's grave in the wedding dress her mom picked out. >> i know you'd been planning the wedding with your mom. how was it? >> exactly how she would want it. it was a perfect day. she would have loved it. >> perfect except that she wasn't there. >> she was. she gave me a beautiful gust of wind on a very hot day. she was absolutely there. >> reporter: mark used to make his living playing guitar, also loved having his kids on stage. he stopped a year ago. but now he's slowly finding his way back. last week his band played to a packed house in newtown.

daniel, by his side again. and as the night wore on, mark was able to let go just a little. how's that feel? i've been slowly getting back into it. it does feel good to play. i'm enjoying the music. it does feel good. >> reporter: all three families hoping with time change will come. >> i need something to drive me, and my mom's memory is what drives me. now i have something to fight for. now i have something that gives meaning back. >> some of the families plan to light candles tomorrow. what they want us to do to recognize this mark is to support them. they all said perform an act of kindness tomorrow if you'll do anything, and also they have a centralized website now. we have the logo up behind us there. there's information there about all the foundations they have all created, and you can find that on our website today.com. >> thank you so much.

it's so hard to remember, but i just k it's 8:26. i'm laura garcia cannon. one of the people living inside an oakland home gutted by fire overnight says a mouse living in the kitchen may have been to blame. the man says he thinks the mouse caught fire while the stove was on and then ran across the house spreading those flames. residents have been using the stove top burners as heaters. the fire spread to two neighboring homes. fortunately, everyone made it out to safety. time to check that morning commute with mike. how is it looking for this friday? >> it's tough to see here. from our roof top camera, you're looking at nimitz freeway with the taillights. you to have slowing north past high street. part of the issue is visibility from oakland hills.

we'll look at the map. the fog not having a heavy impact. also west 80 the east shore freeway. around powell an earlier crash. mild slowing through richmond and into berkeley. no major problems at the bay bridge toll plaza. very light backup there, and we're looking at south 880 down past the dumbarton grij. fremont, a slower drive down towards mission, and then things clear up. there's the bay. it's not so bad. speeds in the 40s. at theirs worst for the most part. at the bay things are starting to clear as well. >> another local news update coming up in half hour. i hope to see you then. in the meantime, enjoy your friday morning.

8:30 on this friday morning. it's the 13th of december, 2013. you recognize our elf. that's steve wentz from fall out boy collecting the toys from the wonderful people that brought them on to our plaza. there's still time to donate. if you can't come here, just go to today.com. coming up on a very special holiday edition of steals and deals we'll tell you how you can get up to 77% off great gift ideas, especially for the women in your life. meantime, we have a reminder

about our today's start up to success. we're looking to feature entrepreneurs ready to take their small businesses to the next level. >> you could be able to make your picks. self-made millionaire host of "the profit" you can find out more information on today.com. >> a lot of light bulbs going on right now. let's say hello to pete wentz. fallout boy has been riding high. pete, good morning to you. >> hi, how are you? >> you're not in your winter coat. >> i lost my bag. i'm in the middle of tour right now and i lost my bag. >> oh. >> you guys just announced you're going to go tour europe. >> we are. we're doing an arena tour in europe which is exciting because we haven't gotten to do that in about four or five years. >> you have a lot going on. you have great music. you have great tours. you have a television show on oxygen. >> yeah. >> all about the world of tattoos. >> it's pretty wild.

but a lot of fun to do. seeing 12 artists who are really all about tattooing and about competition and getting to host and be on the other side of it for once. >> how many tattoos do you really have. >> i'm pretty covered on the top of my body. they all kind of become one, you know, like two different sleeves. but too many. >> thank you so much. good luck on everything. appreciate it. >> good morning. >> thank you. >> mr. roker, how about a check of the weather. >> let's check it out for you. it is cold. we know that much. let's head right now to the beautiful city of philadelphia. snow on the ground. they're going to be adding more on saturday. we're going to pick up a few inches of snow before it's all over. through the rest of your day today, expect to see icy conditions in the mid mississippi river valley. rain pacific northwest. snow coming across the great lakes. tomorrow, icy conditions and wet weather through the southwest. lake effect snow into the

er midwest to the northeast. sunny and mild in the southwest. sunday look for frigid conditions with more snow in new england and the northwest. wet weather down through the southeast. that's what's going on around the country. chilly conditions. clear skies. two to three miles around oakland and to across the bay, low clouds spilling into the santa clara valley for the morning. towards the afternoon, highs closer to 60 in san jose. upper 50s near san francisco. near 60 in oakland. for today low 60s in the tri-valley, andize to the mid to upper 60s inland. as we wrap up the wednesday -- warmest spot by next tuesday. latest weather, savannah. >> time for another holiday edition of steals and deals. jill martin is the head of

people style watch and the head of steals and deals around here. >> the ceo and only employee. >> exactly. >> i want to whip through the deals on today.com. everything is flying. all descriptions are on there. i'll be seeing you over the spring. i want to start with the crystal frame. 51 to $72 is the retail price. now you see all the options here. this is a major gift. >> pretty weing gift, too. >> three five by seven crystal frames. you can choose one. 51 to $72. the deal is 16.50. that is up to 77%. >> was that a hint for a wedding gift. >> no, just remarking. >> we have candles, $96. two scents. you get four candles in the set. pretty major. you can split them up so you get four gifts in there. celebs are ben stiller and alicia keys. the retail is $96. the deal for the four, 32.95. that's 66% off. >> awesome and a good hostess

gift this time of year. >> what is this? >> these are bags. >> retail is $180. it's a pleter. it's a plether. it's not real leather. but it's a cross body back so the strap comes off. it becomes a clutch. day to night. fans are carrie underwood and miranda kerr. the retail is $180. it's $48. that's 73% off. i want to show the detail when you open it. it's a pop of color. >> cute. >> the lining is wild. >> i do like to see wild lining. and finally we have jewels. >> two options here. the born to charm bracelets. these are kind of for teens. retail $75. motivational charm bracelets. so born to play soccer. you see the charms and it matches up. >> does it come in a set or you do one by one? >> one by one. >> $22.50. 70% off. beautiful gift. last but not least,

and diamonds are a girls best friend. these are $119. they're 6 carat total czs. choice in 18 carat gold plate. the retail $119. the deal $33. that's 72% off. if you go to today.com right now we have our caption contest and we'll be giving some away. >> love that. >> let's run through the deals. the picture frames, bracelets, the candles, handbags, and if you have any questions about these products or past orders head to today.com. jill, thanks for the speed steals and deals this morning. >> thank you. >> coming up next, getting to the heart of christmas. a special holiday surprise for a group of very deserving kids and then a real treat for us. alexa ray joel will perform one of her dad's classics. but first on a friday morning, this is "today" on nbc.

we're back with our special series getting to the heart of christmas. for the fifth year in a row we teamed up with walmart to brighten the holiday season for great people. kerry sanders is here with details on that. good morning, happy holidays. >> back at you. good morning. if i say the word prisoner you might just tune out. after all they committed a crime and they're in prison for a reason. but have you ever stopped to think about their children? after all, you can't choose who your mom or dad is. well, in tulsa, oklahoma, i had a chance to meet some of these innocent kids at an organization that is helping to change their lives. the tulsa fire department said no one would miss this party. ice and snow may stop cars but not these trucks. with kids that had no idea what was about to unfold. ♪ we wish you a merry christmas ♪ >> reporter: on this day and in some cases for the first time,

christmas includes the child's big joy, ripping open a present. but let's bring the celebrations to a stop for a moment so you better understand why these kids are different. it's all matter of fact for 9-year-old daisy why her dad, aunt, uncle, grandparents, and two older brother are not at home christmas or ever. >> most of them are in jail. >> so you won't see them. >> i won't see them for a long time. >> help your friends stand tall. >> reporter: daisy is among 400 kids in tulsa that attend new hope. a year round nonprofit program that helps children with a parent in prison. >> they really help me feel like i'm a part of something other than being alone. >> i've heard people say sins of the father or all kinds of other things that makes me want to scream because it doesn't matter

what your parents did. it doesn't matter who your parents are. this is an innocent child that deserves a fighting chance. >> reporter: 26,000 children here in oklahoma have either a moerks a father or both doing time. >> studies show that the future doesn't look great for those children. they're more likely to go to prison. they're more likely to become pregnant and drop out of high school. >> reporter: but new hope is trying to change these children's odds. with after school programs, home visits, and summer camps. chase's parents are both convicted felons. he came to new hope at age 8. now 17. he is a straight a student headed to college. >> it helped me so much and changed my entire outlook. i like to get back. i really do. i like to come here and volunteer twice a week and give back to what they did for me. >> reporter: and for daisy. >> when i first come here i had

dyslexia and i didn't know how to spell things or read stuff. so i came here and this is a great spot and i really like it. >> reporter: she still struggles with the learning disability new hope helped diagnose. i asked daisy to write what she wants for christmas. she wrote. >> my friends. >> reporter: look closely and then when pressed daisy asked for something else. >> christmas holiday barbie 2001. they're really new. >> reporter: after gathering lists from other new hope children, it was time to go shopping. >> there's a computer. >> skinny jeans. looking for skinny jeans. >> walmart. walmart. >> 3, 2, 1. merry christmas.

>> reporter: for the first time those so often forgotten -- >> look for your names. >> reporter: now the center of attention. >> i always wanted a camera. >> brandon, here you go sweetheart. merry christmas. >> reporter: oh, and of course daisy is thrilled. she now has what she wanted. >> mine is a holiday barbie 2013. >> better turn her over. she is standing on her head. [ laughter ] >> so daisy and all the kids are just so cute and appreciative. walmart also made sure that every kid left the party with a new winter jacket, bags of groceries for a special christmas dinner and gave new hope, art supplies, computers for summer camp, tents and

sheets and $10,000 in gift cards so they can keep other things going in the gift card. >> hats off to them. that's a great idea. it really is and a well done story, kerry. >> your favorite assignment all year. >> you're still smiling. >> i am. >> those skinny jeans. >> mom jeans. >> up next, the different take on hope. one man's unique project to get guns off the street by turning them into jewelry. but first on a friday morning, this is "today" on nbc. them into jewelry. but first on a friday

we're back at 8:46 and as we know tomorrow marks a somber anniversary of the shooting at sandy hook elementary in connecticut and in the wake of that tragedy there's an effort toward reducing gun violence. craig has that story. >> good morning guys. tragedies like sandy hook always beg the question of how to best

prevent gun violence. it's a devicive topic with few clear solutions but there's a company trying to do its part in a unique way. >> reporter: in his manhattan student he works medal into artful jewelry. but if you ask him; he's making much more than a ring or bracelet. >> for me, it's an amazing opportunity to do what i do and actually make a difference. >> reporter: making a difference because at one time this metal served a different purpose. >> each bracelet is a gun no longer killing people. >> reporter: they work with liberty united. a company that takes illegal guns, destroys them and transforms them into jewelry and gives part of the profits to those trying to stop gun violence. >> we're turning it into something positive and

beautiful. >> reporter: it's the vision of this social sbrentrepreneur. he started a similar thing in africa. assault rivals taken all too often out of the hands of children. >> we now removed 32,000 guns from circulation in africa. >> reporter: while he thought about bringing the idea to the u.s., it was an unthinkable tragedy that prompted him to act. >> word of a school shooting at an elementary school. >> after sandy hook peter and his wife kara came to us and they were like we really need to focus on the united states. >> when you meet someone and they tell you how they lost their kids to gun violence, if everyone could have that conversation, i think we would all view this issue very differently in this country. >> reporter: he contacted local city and police officials across america about getting guns from

buy back programs and those being released from evidence. he found partners in places like philadelphia. >> the police are helpful in helping us to get into the communities where these things are happening to meet the people involved. >> reporter: liberty united sends every piece of jewelry with a serial number of a gun they destroyed. their success not in terms of firearms or bullets but on a human scale. >> we're willing to invest this time and energy because if we can save one person's life it's worth it. >> and peter is in the process of trying to get syracuse. he's trying to get more cities on board as well. but the website is fantastic and lots of cool pieces. >> great idea. >> i love the idea of making something beautiful. >> taking that tragedy and trying to turn it into something good. >> thanks for the story. appreciate it. coming up next we'll all be sitting here and watching. alexa ray joel will be back

singing one of her dad's biggest hits. a beloved song. but first, this is "today" on nbc. 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.

the toyota concert series on today brought to you by toyota. singing already with alexa ray joel and the performance we have been promising all morning. >> she is about to sing one of her dad's classic hits just the

way you are. good morning again. >> good morning. >> before we get to the song, can i say your dad was honored with the kennedy center honor. >> he was. >> that's a huge event. >> i was so proud of him. it was major. i was crying when i saw the shots and all the pictures. i was like, oh, dad. such a great tribute. >> this song is a tribute to him and you talked about you putting your own stamp on it but i was wondering did you ask him for advice or his blessing? like hey, dad, can i do your song? >> i did ask him for his advice initially because he knows he's good and amazing at what he does. he wanted me to do it his way. oh, you have to get that cuban beat going and i said dad then it would be just like your song and i have to redo it and he went that's pretty good. you did it your own way. >> let's hear what he's talking about. ladies and gentlemen, alexa ray

joel. [ music playing ] ♪ don't go changing to try and please me ♪ ♪ you never let me down before ♪ no ♪ don't imagine you're too familiar ♪ ♪ and i don't see you anymore ♪ i would not leave you in times

of trouble ♪ ♪ we never could have come this far ♪ ♪ no ♪ i took the good times ♪ i'll take the bad times ♪ i'll take you just the way you are ♪ ♪ i need to know that you will always be the same old someone that i knew ♪ ♪ what will it take till you believe in me ♪

♪ the way that i believe in you ♪ ♪ i said i love you and that's forever ♪ ♪ and this i promise from my heart ♪ ♪ oh ♪ i could not love you any better ♪ ♪ i love you just the way you are ♪

[ applause ] >> alexa ray joel. >> thank you. >> i'm pretty sure mom and dad are watching this morning and probably beaming right now. happy holidays to a good morning to you. it's 8:56. the mega millions jackpot for tonight's drawing estimated $400 million. it's the fifth largest lottery jackpot in any kind in u.s. history. what are your chances of winning? about one in 259 million. not good odds. >> better odds of seeing warmer weather. still low clouds in san francisco. hazy sunshine now in san jose.

as we see there with kind of overcast skies reason, heading into the afternoon weshgd see the temperatures climbing into the upper 50s to near 60 today and mid 60s by the time we get through the weekend. another local news update coming up in half hour. a closer look at your seven-day forecast coming up at 11:00.

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>> announcer: from nbc news, this is today's take with al roker, natalie morales, and willie geist. live from studio 1-a in rockefeller plaza. >> welcome to today on this friday morning, december 13th, 2013. i'm willie geist along with al roker and natalie morales. nice big crowd outside on friday 13th. >> friday 13th. >> anybody superstitious here? >> not really. >> let me get this black cat over here. >> it's usually bad luck but could be good luck today for somebody. >> my lucky day. >> mega million is up to $400 million. >> it just magically appeared. >> $400 million. >> the mega millions elf showed

up. >> do we get to keep these? >> we'll share these with everyone. >> the producers saying we get a cut. maybe not. >> she is forwarding -- >> jerry is like he got them so he keeps them. >> that's not how it works. >> they're in front of us right now. >> possession is nine tenths of the law. although in a fair fight jerry will take us down. >> 10% jerry. >> this is the 5th largest ever in north america. second largest ever in history. >> odds are 1 in 259 million. it's more likely you would be hit by a comet or asteroid. >> just my luck. >> got to be in it to win it. >> this beyonce story is incredible. >> i love this. a christmas present to all of

her beyonce fans. i am one of them. >> a few minutes before midnight, completely out of the blue, beyonce surprising her fans and releasing an album. self-titled. it's exclusively on itunes. no promotion. >> turned out overtime. [ music playing ] >> got to get the beyonce groove. >> oh, yeah. >> that's right. >> she also made videos too. the whole thing is a major production and nobody knew about it. nobody meaning her fans and people were on to it. >> and 32 songs with collaborations with everybody you can think of. beyonce talking about why she decided to release the album this way. >> i felt like i don't want anybody to give the message when my record is coming out. i just want it to come out when it's ready and from me to my

fans. >> wow. >> you got jay-z, drake, fra ocean, even her daughter blue ivy. >> blue ivy turns up in one of the videos. let's check that out [ music playing ] ♪ hold on to me ♪ hold on to me ♪ come on baby won't you hold on to me ♪ ♪ hold on to me >> hello. >> a little tweak for a minute there. >> this is just pure brillance. because everybody is talking about it. so who needed to promote it beforehand. drop it and then promote it. >> she is the queen. queen b. >> the power of beyonce. no marketing ands going to go to number one. there's no question about it. >> it certainly is. i have downloading to do.

>> you have some downloading to do. lucy. >> put a little spin on that. >> in fact, maybe joe biden can get this for the president. because i know he has been shopping. >> he has been shopping. >> it's hard to find a gift for the president. >> yeah. it is. my favorite part of the story is tmz was hanging out on capitol hill. the reporter from tmz asking vice president biden as he walked the hallways there if he's hard at workshoping for president obama. >> have you gone christmas shopping for the president yet. >> are you kidding me? he's shopping for me. >> how hard is it to shop for the president? >> by the way, we exchange birthday gifts. we don't exchange christmas gifts. >> okay. >> and he gave me a great birthday gift. >> how hard is it to pick out gifts? >> well, it's hard but since we both love golf we usually give each other something having to do with golf. i gave him a unique golf bag

last time and he gave me this really cool deal where you practice putting. it's a little gadget he gave me. it's really great. >> you ask joe biden a question, he's going to give you an answer. >> straight up. >> so now you know what to get the vice president. >> i am. they have got the vice president and dr. biden having a holiday party for media. >> since your best buddies now. >> i'm going down. >> are you going to make the pitch? >> i'm going to make the pitch wrapped in a box. i'm going to deliver myself on the front steps. big bow in a box. he's going to open it. mr. vice president. >> that will get security. >> it's going to be sad when they drive on you and lock you up. >> for three seconds. >> we cowill come bail you out promise. >> bring him one of these for the holidays. >> the gift that will keep giving. >> absolutely. >> it's great photographs. the bark post -- >> al and i have rescue dogs so this hit home with us.

>> these are beautiful photographs of dogs from chicago animal care. the photos are taken on the freedom ride. their ride from the shelter to their new home after they have been adopted. >> that is pure joy right there. >> i'm going home. i'm going home. >> that right there so me is how grateful these dogs are. they know they got a good thing. we saw your pepper last night getting belly rubs from everybody. >> there's my girl. >> and she is a happy dog. it's like thank god the rokers adopted me. >> except for the older roker. >> my parents adopted a dog from a shelter in south carolina and they met the dog and had this moment in the parking lot where they met her. >> and then my girl zara who stole my heart. met her here on the show. she is in a great psa i did, helping people to try to adopt a pet. she is just awesome.

that's my girl. >> go visit a shelter. >> yeah, there you go. >> beautiful. >> we have a huge, huge guest on the program this morning. >> huge. >> one of the biggest we've ever had. >> the man himself, orlando bloom is going to be with us shortly. it's solitary over there, isn't it orlando? hang out in the orange room. >> just finished playing romeo on broadway. >> yeah. >> he's very excited. the release of the hobbit, the desolation of smaug. >> that's right. >> we looked something up. 90% of fandango ticket sales this weekend already are for the hobbit. 90% for one film. are you anticipating a huge weekend here? you must be. >> i'm hoping so. yeah, absolutely. >> great. we'll catch up with orlando. we did ask our viewers to tweet in some questions. this one came in from michelle m mowery. what has been the most difficult role you played so far. >> this is great. our steady cam was on the way

out. and suddenly a 90 degree turn. >> i would say i just finished up romeo on broadway and that would be up there with the hardest. launching a show on broadway was something else and it was hardest in the best way. >> i saw you. you guys were terrific. >> thank you. we had a great time. it was wonderful. >> orlando if you want to try a little bit of heaven if you go past that monitor, one of our producers zoey has made this concoction. it's like a praline with a graham cracker. >> this dangerous looking thing here. >> how good is that. >> that's outrageous. you have to love christmas. >> yeah and zoey is going to love that orlando bloom just tried her sweet treat. >> let's get a check of the weather, al. >> i'm going to check that out. we have a lot of weather to talk about coming through. it is amazing.

is that not fantastic. >> best thing i've had all year. >> it's a revelation. >> it is. we should be marketing this. there's big money in this. >> you've got to put the recipe on #orange room. it's spectacular. let's show you what we've got going on. here we go again. another big storm coming in. look at this. 1500 miles worth of winter storm watches, winter weather advisories and lake effect snow warnings. so we'll show you what's going on. first of all, we are looking at the radar coming in. this is just the moisture from this system. it's also going to run into this colder air. here we go, tonight by 12:00 midnight, snow spreading from missouri all the way into ohio. then as we get into tomorrow morning, chicago, detroit, cleveland, into western new york, western pa and we continue to see this move over. rain down to the south but snow spreading into new york. by saturday evening, boston, syracuse, detroit, chicago, and then as we get into saturday

night, early sunday morning, changes over to an icy mix and rain from new york to the south but snow continues in boston right through early sunday morning and then the system gets out of here. before it all over we're talking generally in the northeast, especially around new england, about a foot of snow to the west of boston. some areas in upstate new york picking up a foot and a half and then around the tughill plateau a foot and a half as well. that's what's here's what's happening right now. sunshine in the north bay with chilly temperatures. now hazy sun in san highways yea. the fog still around in oakland, into san francisco. visibility down to about two and a half miles. currently in oakland. we will break out the sunshine closer to 60 in san hose way. upper 50s near san francisco. oakland ethwe'll closer to 60 for the afternoon, and low 60s around the tri-valley for the weekend. we're going to see warming temperatures as highs get into the mid 60s this weekend, close

to 70 inland by next tuesday. that's your latest weather. >> all right, al, thank you very much. up next t tragedy at sandy hook elementary one year later. we'll remember one of the heroic elementary one year later. we'lthis holiday we'rethe heroic pulling up chairs and putting down phones. we're raising our glasses and lifting our spirits. here, the hottest gift is a fresh baked breadstick. heartwarming new recipes are coming right out of the oven. and we're touring the classics of italy without leaving the table. at olive garden, the best holiday gift is being together. so join us! cause we're all family here. get a free $10 bonus offer when you purchase a $50 gift card. they're not freaking out, why arthey're gifing out.? gif-ing out? ...because of the great deals they got at kmart. right. thursday through saturday, family fleece is buy one get one free. and download the shop your way app for exclusive deals. kmart. get in. get more christmas.

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maybe smarter than we know. cats are smart. so they deserve new fresh step scoop-able litter. it eliminates odors better than ever. thanks to carbon and added plant extracts. it's the smart litter your smart cats deserve. tomorrow marks the one year anniversary since the unthinkable happened. the shooting at sandy hook elementary school in newtown connecticut. >> 26 students and teachers lost their lives today and this morning we honor those that died including a brave substitute teacher trying to protect her first graders. >> reporter: she was having the best year of her life. she had her dream job teaching young kids, a new boyfriend, and a tight knit family nearby. it's been said that lauren was the glue that kept everyone together. a loving daughter and caring

friend. >> we're coming on the air from new york with word of a school shooting at an elementary school in fairfield county, connecticut. >> reporter: six weeks before that tragic day, 30-year-old lauren was hired to be a permanent substitute teacher at sandy hook elementary and on december 14th she was filling in for a teacher in a first grade classroom. when the shooting began, lauren made the students hide. some even in the tiny back room in the back of the class. the coroner told lauren's father she died instantly without any pain. 15 out of the 16 children in her classroom died that day too. but today, some of the victims families are trying to make some good come out of this darkness of that day. >> this is lauren's dad and step mother. good morning to you. >> i see the pain. it's always there. i can't imagine it ever goes away. but how are you all doing?

>> we're doing pretty well. it does feel good to talk about her. it's my therapy, actually, to talk about lauren makes my day. and i think of her all the time. and she is with me in spirit all the time. so i'm doing well. >> joyce, if there was any light to come out of this horrible darkness of a year ago it was the story of teachers like lauren and what they did in that moment and i think we all like to think we would have been as brave as she was. but i don't know. what do you think about when you think about what she did in those moments? >> teachers are always the strongest person in the classroom when anybody even thinks of threatening or questioning the children. and it's amazing that the inner strength in not only educating and meeting all of the students needs, but in trying to get them home in the same condition that

they left the house. that's the parents' main control and i'm sure lauren, although new to the game, she was very determined to do absolutely the best she could do. >> yeah. she had just started her job there. just been hired as a permanent substitute teacher. sandy hook was a very special place for her, right? >> yes. it was. she loved the town of newtown, the school system and she loved the school where she was teaching. she knew the principal. i knew the principal personally myself. we had this connection with them. so she was very happy and dawn was such a nice, warm person and lauren was able to deal with her very nicely. >> joyce you and your familiar almost immediately tried to turn this into a positive and to do something for other people including the establishment of a scholarship fund. explain what about fund does and

why it was so important for you to bring positivity out of this. >> i was a teacher at danbury high school in connecticut and lauren happened to be one of my students in 9th grade and was the reason we met. >> she set you up, right? >> she was the reason. and she was so determined to become a teacher and her pathway was not easy but she has friends who were her classmates, who graduated with her and i worked on the scholarship committee at the school and when she was killed i said a permanent memorial to her would be to establish a scholarship fund. the money is awarded yearly and it goes to a student attending the university of connecticut where lauren graduated from and she absolutely loved it, majoring in elementary education. >> that's wonderful. i know so many of the families, in fact, have set up funds as well. they have established a unifying place, one website where everybody can go to donate.

it's called my sandy hook family.org and this is to honor all of the victims. and you'll be taking the special photographs for this as well. >> yes, we hope so. >> we appreciate you being here to help honor lauren and all of that he has that lost their lives. our thoughts are with you. we know this is so hard to deal with. thank you. >> thank you so much. if you would like information on lauren rousseau's scholarship fund as well, go to our website today.com. we'll be right back. i'll call y♪u in a little bit. google... how do i get home? getting directions.

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kmart. get in. get more christmas. ♪ taking a look at the headlines. in health news this morning a new study suggesting that women aa strong family history of breast cancer might reduce their risk with a pill already on the market. it's called anastrozole. it involved postmenpausal women and those that took it were half as likely to develop breast cancer compared to those with a placebo. exercise may lower the risk for developing kidney stones. researchers at the university of washington studied data collected from women and found that those who exercised regularly were less likely to

develop kid sney stones but it' possible that they're just healthy in general. >> a recall to tell you about. ikea recalling millions of wall lamps after the child pulled the lamp cord into a crib and was strangled. in a separate incident another child was nearly strangled. the lamps were sold in 8 different shapes from 1999 until may of this year. >> and on a lighter note, a lawmaker in mexico gaining worldwide attention this morning for his very unique way of making a point on the parliament floor. he is a member of the leftest democratic revolutionary party. they were about to take a historic vote about opening the country's state run oil industry and he stripped down to his underwear to protest the bill calling it a plunder of the nation. i wonder what's really plunderring there. well, the debate went on for over 20 hours. eventually it worked. the bill passed by an

overwhelming margin. so there's something to be said for that. >> yeah. like don't do that again. >> it didn't work, actually. >> ♪ [ male announcer ] this holiday, don't get stuck at the corner of "oh! you got me something" and "oh...this is awkward." remember, walgreens has a great assortment of little somethings, and we're always nearby, so it's easy to get in and out. see you on your lunch break. swing by walgreens for lindt lindor truffles, hallmark 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. [ female announcer ] only aveeno daily moisturizing lotion has an active naturals oat formula that creates a moisture reserve so skin can replenish itself. aveeno® naturally beautiful results.

a nutritional products business in pleasanton back in 2003. he is a vegan with ties to animal rights extremist groups. yesterday the fbi raised a reward to a quarter of a million dollars for information about his whereabouts. they also released these photos of what san diego might look like now. a rodent may be to blame for a house fire in oakland. it happened on 90th avenue near a street. one of the residents said they

had to use their stove top burners as a heater. he thinks a mouse caught fire when it ran across the burner and then ran around the house setting fire to other things. the fire pretty to two neighboring homes, but, fortunately, everybody made it out okay. day two of bargaining is about to get underway as bart and its two largest unions meet with a federal mediator to try to avoid another strike. bart has released a copy of the disputed contract agreement to nbc bay area, and bart says the costly family leave proposal was formally rejected weiss and withdrawn from the contract, but a temporary worker misunderstood the markings on the document and left it in. we'll have a look at weather after the break.

hazy sunshine. visibility down to about two and a half miles there in oakland with gradual clearing now in parts of the south bay moving into the afternoon we'll see our temperatures climbing eventually closer to 60 degrees.

later today around san jose. upper 50s closer to san francisco. near 60 in oakland and the tri-valley today should see those temperatures climbing into the low 60s with hazy sunshine today. unfortunately, another spare the air day as high pressure locked in over the bay area, but our temperatures are going to be climbing up. this weekend we'll see these numbers in the mid 60s out near the trivalley closer to the upper 60s in santa cruz, and near 70 as you approach tuesday and wednesday of next week. terry. >> all right, rob. thanks very much. another local news update for you in half hour on this friday, the 13th.

welcome back to today on this friday morning, december 13th, 2013. i'm wil lay long with al and natalie. we dug up a little something we thought would get you in the holiday spirit. do you guys know about billy iker in? >> sure. >> he has a great show billy on the street. next season comes out in march. one of his guests is amy poehler and he and amy dressed up and ran the streets of new york city carolling with perfect strangers. >> do you want to sing christmas carols with me and amy poehler. >> oh my gosh. >> here we go. >> joy to the world the lord has come. let earth reserve her king. >> amy poehler wants to sing christmas carols. ♪ dashing through the snow in a

one horse open sleigh, oer the fields we go laughing all the way ♪ ♪ bells on making -- making >> do you want to sing christmas carols with me and amy poehler. there she is. do you know her? >> no. >> she was on saturday night live. >> you don't know me? you know me. >> you know me. >> oh, amy. >> come over here and sing with us. >> if you know billy, that's the very sanitized version of that clip. i encourage you to go online and watch the whole thing. >> how many of those do you not know all the lyrics to. >> or you know one chorus. >> if you are ambushed on the street you might not be able to come up with it. >> making spirits bright. >> i'm still think toing of the songs. here comes the storm.

take a look. guess who is right in the path? our friends in st. louis. and as you can see they're going to start off with sunshine but then rain, cloudy showers. might be some icy mix in there as well. as you can see, it's coming in. sunshine along the eastern seaboard. we're also looking at snow. another clipper comes across around the great lakes reinforcing that lake enhanced snow. icy conditions tomorrow along the mid-atlantic states. rain in the southeast. a lot of snow making its way into the great lakes. western two third of the country, not bad. sunday we're looking at more rain in the pacific northwest. fridged conditions in the northeast into new england with more snow hanging out but the system moves through quickly. looking a little on the damp side. that's what's going on around here's still a little area of low clouds right around san francisco across the inner bay. we're seeing some of that probably break up here in the next hour or two. notice mostly sunny skies as we

move into the afternoon, and then a few more patches of low clouds heading into tomorrow morning. our temperatures today looking pretty good. at least near 60 in the warmer places inland around san jose. upper 50s around the pins la over towards san francisco. 60 in santa rosa. 60 today in oakland. for the weekend with the raidsers game, looks good there on sunday. game time just after 1:00. mid 60s this weekend. that's your late e weather. >> do you have your ticket yet? not talking about the mega millions. we're talking about your ticket to see the hobbit. >> it already accounts for 90% of ticket resales this weekend. orlando bloom reprises his role as the elf prince. >> but i'm not on my own. >> you knew i would come. the king is angry. for 600 years my father has protected you, favored you. you defied his orders. you betrayed his trust.

>> orlando bloom joining us this morning. >> yes. >> and mine. >> i take it you still speak elf ten years later, right? >> yeah, i do a little. you learn it as you go. i had to keep up the elf. it's funny getting back into all of that and it's funny to be talking about this around christmas as well. >> have you ever met the elf on the shelf? >> no. >> he's a different elf. >> we have an elf in the orange room. >> i was always like, that was my big battle growing up is no he's a red blooded killing machine this elf and then kills it at christmas. >> that was the role that was your break out role for you. to be able to come back, it's been ten years so when peter jackson called you up and said we want you back, there's no hesitation. >> yeah, if pete says jump i say how high sort of thing. i was 20 when he cast me in lord of the rings and gave me the opportunity to get to wear the

blonde wig and pointed ears. it was fun. >> how is he different today than -- now that you have been playing him awhile -- >> oh, i thought you were going to say pete. the great thing about getting to do this in the hobbit was because he doesn't feature in the books, it kind of gave us the opportunity to sort of do a back story. sort of getting to do a back story for the characters. so essentially i got a chance to play the character going into lord of the rings which was great. >> another clip there. >> there's another one. you just finished a run here on broadway in romeo and juliet. we talked about it a minute ago and we hear this from film actors that go to broadway and say it was exhilarating. it was a different experience. what about the stage brings such an excitement to you? >> you really learn about your audience and about how the audience really is the third wheel of this vehicle and without it you can't get

anywhere and so, you know, it's just -- shakespeare in itself, the language of shakespeare is so vast and great. it just sort of evokes a big change in somebody and my whole life shifted having been a part of this. it's been amazing. i really feel so blessed to have the experience. but it's about the audience and how they respond. you get it immediately. i'd love to. the right thing. i'm looking for the right thing. some things are being written and stuff. so hopefully there will be a chance. i loved being a part of that community. i love new york city. sort of now i want my son to go to school here. i sort of have my eyes open to the city and the seasons and to being a part of it all and broadway buzz -- the community of broadway was wonderful. so supportive of each other. it's been great. >> we're so glad to have you here with us. we'll be talking about the big blockbuster movie on monday is going to be desolation of smaug.

congratulations ahead of time. >> thank you so much. >> coming up next, we're going to be throwing a dessert party. do you want to hang around for that? who doesn't like dessert? natalie and i will be sharing our ♪ pick up the paper, pick up the bags. ♪ ♪ clean up the bows and the ribbons and tags. ♪ ♪ whoever's first is the first to play, ♪ ♪ with the good things that we got today. ♪ ♪ that's my kind of holiday. ♪ ♪ the new trésor, lancôme

♪ nothing says, "you're my #1 copilot," like a milk-bone biscuit. ♪ say it with milk-bone.

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♪ no presents beneath the tree? ♪ ♪ wait a minute, now i see ♪ my gifts are above me ♪ that's my kind of holiday >> announcer: today's holiday guide is brought to you by target. what's your kind of holiday? >> if you are hosting in the

coming days make it easier on yourself by skipping the feast and throwing a dessert only party. >> i like that. here to show us how to throw a bash with drinks desserts and decor is. >> good to see you guys. >> sweet treats. >> i love the idea of a nice, hot drink to introduce to people. >> we have done a white hot chocolate. i got these amazing peppermint spoons which are really cute and i think it's about what you garnish the tray with. >> these dissolve. >> yeah and make it taste like peppermint. >> and you found these at michaels craft store. >> yeah. >> and you can do gift marshmallows. whipped cream, white chocolate. so this is actually just a spin on eggnog. so it's niced eggnog with a little bit of coffee and then you garnish it with cinnamon and a little bit of nutmeg. >> very nice.

>> eggnog and coffee. that's a good mix. >> it's a little bit of a kick. >> this is neat. >> all i did is i took clear ornaments and you can actually pull the tops out of them. stabilize them and i have done m&ms here in a candy and you can actually serve punch in them with little paper straws. it's a different take that's really fun. >> very festive. >> what i love to do is different levels of things. i took these trees and i spray painted them silver. >> nice. >> probably everyone thought i was outside spray painting in 18 degree weather but i also used feather boas you can decorate with. i did a plain fabric and layered a ribbon on top of it. it's a lot of stuff you might have in the house already. you can use it again and again. >> i have lots of feathers boas at home hanging out. >> something we didn't know about natalie. >> hold on. >> kidding.

>> stay right there. natalie and i are going to share our favorite desserts and ♪ it's the night before christmas, ♪ ♪ our plan is in place. ♪ we've rigged up a trap to catch sight of his face. ♪ ♪ if only we could, just stay awake... ♪ ♪ >> announcer: today's holiday guide is brought to you by target. what's your kind of holiday? >> we are back with more ideas for throwing a dessert party and some of our favorite treats and desserts. it brought my signature flan.

and al, what did you bring? >> i brought an apple crumble although some people call it a brown betty. depending on where you come from the topping maybe different. >> a signature dessert. what else do we have. >> everyone laughs but it's the cupcake. it's so easy to decorate too. this is something you can get the kids involved as well. you can have all of this set out. i just use icing and i love the ruffle r ruffle wrappers. >> that's cute. >> set out different icing and sprinkles. get in here and sprinkle the cupcakes and then i actually made these little north pole signs with paper straws. >> fantastic. >> very cute. >> the problem with cupcakes is everyone tries to get them home without mashing them. so what i like to do is set them in tops of mason jars and you can push the mason jar right on top of it. >> sweet. >> that's something nice to do for the kids as well. >> sending people home with

sweets, very nice thing. >> very nice thing. i always have friends that i >> so you're giving them a little something. >> you can send them home with a nice assortment of things. these are plain boxes you can decorate with different ribbons and different things you have around the house and i actually like to send people home too with -- >> cookie dough. >> with cookie dough. the directions on how to bake them is on the front. >> that's fantastic. that's never going to get home. >> that's my favorite part right there. >> that's the best. >> i'm going to send these down to the control room because they have been asking for them. chris schultz, thank you so much. >> excellent ideas. coming up next, which hollywood star had fun with this multitasking photo of gisele bundchen? we'll show you after this. ♪ yeah her gift ♪ i picked it out in a snap

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everyone tells a little white lie now and then. but now she wants my recipe [ clears his throat ] [ softly ] she's right behind me isn't she? [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. it's not the "fumbling around with rotating categories" card. it's not the "getting blindsided by limits" card. it's the no-game-playing, no-earning-limit-having, deep-bomb-throwing, give-me-the-ball-and-i'll-take- it-to-the-house, cash back card. this is the quicksilver cash card from capital one. unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, everywhere, every single day. so let me ask you... what's in your wallet? ♪ no presents beneath the tree? ♪ ♪ wait a minute, now i see ♪ my gifts are above me ♪ that's my kind of holiday

so a long time celebrity couple separates while another hot duo makes their relationship official on twitter. great to see you. >> good morning you two. hi. >> we were just thinking about the first one. come on. >> this is a hot one. they have been married 11 years. just before the holiday, they announced that they are separating. >> they had a terrific charity. >> they do, a broader way. it really increases access to the arts and broadway for underprivileged girls here in new york city. they also have a 4-year-old son together. little walker. so there's really no sense of what lead to the split but one can only thing schedules, just their work obligations, separation. who knows. >> and then talk about a bizarre turn she is going to be on

broadway in a new musical what she plays a divorcee. >> she will be in a new show called "if then" and plays a recent divorcee. but she has been in l.a. and filming on glee and working on this new musical. they had a role where they were never away for more than two weeks but i think is separation. >> but he has a lot of girls waiting to get a call from him. >> let's move to this, now made official. mila kunis and ashton kutcher. >> so they have been dating for almost two years, almost immediately following his split from demi moore but they've been so low key about the relationship. they have never been seen making out in public. they never tweet about each other but now we see this steamy

pda filled selfie of them smooching. it took twitter by storm. this is something we have never seen from ashton. big deal. >> photo of the week. >> everybody buzzing about this photo. gisele bundchen instagraming this. >> a model mommy. >> she is not multitasking. she is being multitasked. >> don't pretend you don't have a similar team behind the scenes. but this photo went viral and while she was a huge part of the conversation, now emmy rossum too because she posted a funny spoof of this picture on the set of her new show shameless. look at that. she even has a fake baby on there with a mancurist hair stylist and now we're kind of -- she gets our attention.

she is a funny gal. >> i feel you girl #kidding #fake baby #soy milk #shameless plugging her new show. >> well done. >> tune in to see her in january when the new show premieres. >> thank you so mup. >> great to see you. thank you so much. we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. wouldn't it be nice if there was a wireless company

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there is just one week to go in our 20th annual toy drive and we have shipped out more than $12 million in gifts. >> while children look forward to receiving presents it's important to teach them the joy of giving as well. thank you for being with us this year. >> thank you very much. this is our 8th year. we're excited to be part of this program and congratulations on your 20th year and to celebrate we're actually mounting to $20

million in the years we've been with you. >> amazing. what are you giving this year? part of the idea is to teach children the gift of giving as well to the people they love. >> that is our edge. we love to give children the opportunity to give to their parents because, you know, they don't have that opportunity. so we have scented candles, home scented products and we have this lovely bunny and it's a lavender bunny with a little pouch. 30 seconds in the microwave and put it behind your back and it's soothing. >> that's a nice bunny. >> such a lovely job. thank you so much for all you do for us. not only now but year round. >> thank you. we appreciate it. by the way, you have until december 20th. if you would like to donate go to today.com for details. >> comin

9:56. i'm terry mcsween where i. bart and its two largest unions meet with a federal mediator to try to avoid another strike. bart says the costly family leave proposal was formally rejected twice and was withdrawn

from the contract, but a temporary worker misunderstood the markings on the document and rather than deleting it left it in. bart union leaders say a deal is a deal. berkley police are looking for two teenage suspects that robbed a cal student. the 21-year-old woman was held against a wall before taking off with her cell phone and wallet. she suffered minor injuries. several san francisco leaders will gather today to honor the victims of the sandy hook elementally school shooting. tomorrow marks one year since the gunman stormed into the school at a newtown, connecticut, school and killed 20 first gradeers and six teachers. the san francisco committee to end gun violence and mayor ed lee and others will hold a vigil in their honor. let's check the forecast. here's rob. low clouds still hanging on around the bay area. especially in parts of the east bay. you can't really see much of san francisco right now. we can see the bay bridge toll plaza, low clouds and not much sunshine there. other locations further inland.

out towards the tri-valley, north bay, and areas near san jose are getting a little more sunshine for the moment. as we go through the next 24 hours or so we're going to see this pattern kind of repeat itself eventually. low clouds breaking up as we head towards lunchtime across the inner bay. then as we head through the afternoon into tomorrow morning, more areas of high clouds mixed in with patchy low clouds at times heading into tomorrow morning. we're seeing the low clouds linger and likely looking at highs closer to the 50s near the peninsula and san francisco. san jose with hazy sunshine closer to 61 degrees. into the east bay we'll see the tri-valley already in the sunshine seeing the warmest temperatures around the bay area today as highs are in the low 60s. terry. >> thanks very much. we'll have another local news update for you in half hour. we have a half hour of news for you coming up at 11:00 this morning. hope you can join us.

from nbc news, this is "today" with kathcat kathie lee and hoda kotb from sdio 1 a in rockefeller plaza. >> we have a fun show for you. we have the italian trio. we love when they perform. >> i think they are here like every week now. >> did they sing with barbara?

they have grown up. do you think we should return to the old fashioned dating habits? because nowadays kids don't know what it is like to get flowers. they don't know what it is like to do all of those things. >> wait for a telephone call. >> is he going to call? that wasn't so great but the waiting thing, we didn't have such an instantaneous world. >> and the dressing up. a list of old fashioned dating habits. the first example is dressing up. if you go to new york and go to broadway and some people wear shorts and flip-flops and ugg boots. or people would dress to get on the plane. now you are in your cozy. >> we are guilty of that. especially if it is a long flight. i am not dating.

>> really? >> haven't had any offers. i can't imagine going back into the dating world like you are in. >> receiving flowers is a great one. >> my husband sends me flowers. the best thing ever is when they pick flowers for you. >> no one has ever done that for me. >> and people go clubbing now but they don't know dancing. the slow dancing. that was the beginning of something with me and frank. >> slow dancing. >> we went to a party. there he is. we went to a party. i had broken up with a guy that i had been off and on again for two years, good guy but one of those roller coasters. he said you are going to hang out with me until you are over this guy because he is not right for you. there was a party that everybody was going to. about a half an hour later he

says i'm coming back. i'll take you. so we go to that party. and i wasn't expecting anything. i really wasn't. he said he was going to stick with me. >> you said you were going to go with someone else. >> i had nobody in mind but i wasn't going to sit at home alone. we danced that night. this guy has been my friend for four years, never been anything there. >> you were going to go with someone else and he came running back. >> old fashioned romantic. >> just the slow dancing. there is something about someone asking you to dance -- >> it is better than twerking. >> here is the thing, kids, if you are listening. >> they are not, but what? >> it is so much sexier than twerking. it is so much sexier. >> they don't get it. >> you guys go straight to home base before you get to first. >> you have to go to first and then second. >> look who's talking.

>> round third. >> no need to show that photo again. >> but it does -- there is something about it. >> now everyone dates online. and there will be a time, i think later where people say you met that guy in a bar? how did you know anything about the guy? it's got to go backwards. >> the pendulum has got to swing. we are more comfortable with machines, technology than we are with fellow human beings. we are going to pay a price for it. >> important topic. are women hard wired to be catty? do you think women are hard wired to be mean girls? we want you to look back at one of the iconic movies of all time, "mean girls." >> let's go out. >> i'm on the other line with

gretchen. >> don't invite gretchen. she is driving me nuts. >> it's rejeenta. she wants me to hang out with you but she does not want me to tell you. >> you can tell me. hold on. >> oh, my gosh, she is so annoying. >> who is? >> who is this? >> gretchen. >> hold on. >> oh, my god, she is so annoying. just get rid of her. >> i did love that movie. i don't think women are hard pired for it. i think human beings are. i have heard men be just as catty. >> i think there are mean girls and girls who are not mean girls. guys, too. i think there are some women who love making other women feel

bad. they will make a comment about something you are wearing. it sounds like it is funny but it is kind of mean spirited and keep doing it and doing it. it is a cruel thing that they do. there are others who have been the subject of that. you know like when you are a kid. >> all of it is bullying whether a man doing it or a boy or girl doing it it is bullying. >> have you ever been done something like that? >> no. i haven't. i would like to -- i have that little crickett. >> don't do it. >> i have done unkind things i'm sure but not on purpose. some people wake up in the morning and did not have a good day and say let's screw up everybody else's. >> i think the personality of the kind of person who makes a really biting mean remark and

laughs, i find that to be the worst because they are maxing it. you are like okay. not cool. >> it is try day friday. that is a big day. we have a guy here named josh allen. >> he has been standing there for 15 minutes. >> these are something special. >> hi. >> what are these exactly? >> pretzel croissants. it is all butter that we put through a sodium hydroxide bath which makes it a pretzel. then it bakes off. and then we have pearl sugar on top so it mimices the look of salt. >> oh, my god. >> i bet they were hot ten minutes ago when we started talking. >> they are so delicious. >> they are not too sweet.

i was going to use the word we use sometimes, moist. >> you are a friend of ours' cousin, we understand. >> does he favor andy? >> i would hope so. he is a handsome man. >> these are $40 a dozen. where can people get them? >> companion [ inaudible ]. >> is it an escort service? >> i have five kids to put through college. >> delicious. they are not gooey street. they are delicious. >> thank you for having me. >> i like try day friday. time for friday funny. >> that's such a mercy thing. from facebook fan charlene jernigan. an american rancher went to australia and asked for a tour

of his farm and field. when they got to his property the american looked around and said my fields back home are twice as big as your property. next the australian shows off his herd of cattle. i have long horns back at home three times as large as your cattle says the american. finally kangaroo comes hopping across the field. wow says the visitor. the australian says don't you have grasshoppers in america? >> i don't get it. >> i saw what you were doing. >> i don't get it. >> thank you everybody for your kindness to me. >> i don't get it. >> was there something that i'm not getting? >> it is time for today's johnson baby announcement where we celebrate new moms and the aadorable new additions to their families. >> our first baby is shiloh marie laurensy.

her parents say baby shiloh is the most amazing gift they have been given. >> until their next one. our next one is adilynn. her parents say she loves to kick. now to francis bennettt ohprecio. her parents say their son is a strong boy already trying to hold the bottle on his own. our finalal baby is gianna o'rourke. you will not believe how fast it is gone. >> if you want to appear in our johnson's baby of the week go to the website for details.

>> check out what happens when we stop by mariah carey's house. right after this. jingle bells might be getting rattled but your nerves aren't. you know walmart's still got the xbox one. pa-pow! mom, you own this season. get the season's hottest gifts like the xbox 1. at walmart. from the innovators in dark spot correction... garnier introduces dark spot treatment mask. our 1st tissue mask concentrated with half a bottle of serum plus vitamin c.

for brighter, more even toned skin. plus 24-hour hydration. garnier dark spot treatment mask. wanted to be here for your fist christmas? you see grandma lives waaaay down here, and you live way up here. brian, your cousin, he's a little bit older than you, he lives here, in chicago. and your aunt lisa lives here, in baltimore. uncle earnie? waaay out in hawaii. but don't you worry, we will always be together for christmas. [ male announcer ] being together is the best part of the holidays and cheerios is happy to be part of the family. you just ate dallas! and cheerios is happy to be part of the family. from the big screen to small screens near and far twizzlerize your entertainment every day with twizzlers. the twist you can't resist.

[ female announcer ] trying for a baby? only clearblue advanced digital ovulation tests can identify your four best days to get pregnant -- two more than any other test. maximize your chances of getting pregnant. they're not freaking out, why arthey're gifing out.? gif-ing out? ...because of the great deals they got at kmart. right. thursday through saturday, family fleece is buy one get one free. and download the shop your way app for exclusive deals. kmart. get in. get more christmas. we rented this resort, hid smelly objects all over each villa and plugged in febreze. then real people were asked to stay for a long weekend. would they smell anything? the room itself was like [sniffs] ahhh. feels like someone has pumped fresh oxygen into the room. [ male announcer ] on the last day we revealed everything. [ both ] oouugghhh. we were sitting right on it. febreze is stunningly effective. [ laughing ]

[ male announcer ] pluggable febreze eliminates odors and keeps your home continuously fresh for up to 30 days, so you can breathe happy. mariah carey's all i want for christmas is you is one of the most popular christmas songs heard this time of year. it gets everybody into the holiday spirit. mariah invited us to her house for holiday cheer. >> we had a lot. >> take a look. >> this is what we call an apartment. >> i love it already. >> this is how the big stars live. >> hello! >> going to be a casual event. >> merry christmas. >> sorry, fancy. >> once in a lifetime. first cheers and welcome to our home. >> thank you.

merry christmas. >> are you comfy in the kitchen? >> i am so comfy. >> either i am dressed like this or hard to get me in a robe. >> a robe or a gown. >> this is just fun and festive. it is what it is. you guys were coming i said why don't we cook? >> what are we making? >> we don't have a name for this. what should we call it. >> they are pretty awesome. >> we feel kind of disappointed. >> i did my best to be appropriate. >> we have a nice prisoner population that would have had a merrier christmas had you worn something a little more revealing. >> next time we will have a revealing moment and have a utine. >> we are making hot cocoa with

butterscotch schnaups. anybody lactose intolerant? yus wanted a special moment with that. >> here is what we have to do. this doesn't have sugar in it. just because i have a sweet tooth. >> so far we have hot chocolate with raw shugar in it. >> i'm looking for the booze. a little help, please. this must be it. santa, if you really want some i will try to find another glass for you. >> what is santa doing here? >> i don't know. he is helping. if you want to top it off with whipped cream. >> who wouldn't want to? [ laughter ]

>> you got it. stir. >> thank you. >> this is a beautiful thing. >> you have -- whatever. i get a little blast of that. >> i think we should sing a carol. ♪ we wish you a merry christmas ♪ ♪ we wish you a merry christmas ♪ ♪ we wish you a merry christmas ♪ ♪ and a happy new year . >> can we sing all i want for christmas is you? >> we can put it in the background. ♪ i don't want a lot for christmas ♪ >> no more cooking. >> if you can't compete with my merry mix i'm so sorry. >> thank you. >> you are so welcome. >> merry christmas. >> hope you feel better. >> your arm.

>> as long as i can hold up my drink i'm all right. >> santa, have a safe flight. >> santa, will you escort the ladies because i assume they had a little too much. >> bye, ladies. ♪ all i want for christmas is you ♪ three of the handsome hunks from ultimate survival alaska who will teach us a thing or two. >> and then a performance. and then bobbie is all abuzz with her holiday hair tricks. my mother and my grandmother are very old fashioned. i think we both are clean freaks. i used to scrub the floor on my knees. [ daughter ] i've mastered the art of foot cleaning. oh, boy. oh, boy. oh, boy. [ carmel ] that drives me nuts. it gives me anxiety just thinking about how crazy they get.

[ doorbell rings ] [ daughter ] oh, wow. [ carmel ] swiffer wetjet. you guys should try this. it's so easy. oh, my. [ gasps ] i just washed this floor. if i didn't see it i wouldn't believe it. [ carmel ] it did my heart good to see you cleaning. [ regina ] yeah, your generation has all the good stuff. [ daughter ] oh, yeah. [ regina ] yeah, your generation has all the good stuff. why wouldn't everyone get a straight talk wireless plan? with savings like that yeah, there's unlimited talk, text and data and you can save up to $950 a year... with savings like that you could buy a lot of things. like an industrial size blender. we could have smoothies for days. tuesday smoothies. wednesday smoothies. this phone plan sounds delicious. own the season with the latest straight talk smartphones. get nationwide coverage on america's largest and most dependable networks. and pay only $45 a month for unlimited talk, text and data with no contract. walmart.

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you know what it is time for? bobbie's buzz. >> holiday parties your best excuse for your best dress and makeup and head out on the town. >> you cannot forget about your hair. >> sometimes when i put my hair up we get lots of e-mails did you cut your hair. here is my secret. it is a wrapup. she designed this for the up do stop knot. if you turn side ways there is

another way to use it by taking your long hair, rolling it under to create the illusion of a very hot and sexy -- isn't that cute? >> i love it. >> we can make it look hot, though. you just pull it out and make it a little bedroom sexy. and then the messier it will hide the imperfections. >> next is a cool idea if you want to get quick curls. basically you take pieces of your hair, twist them and take a flat iron and move the heat up and down to get the beachy wave without curling and setting.

now, andrea has helped us model this perfect tool for a french twist. it is a cone. all you have to do -- i'm going to undo hers. you have a couple of bobby pins at the ends. basically you clip your hair in the barrette. i know we are short for time. i think this is a clever idea. so you just roll it around. you can use this if you have shorter hair. i am going to put online the braids. don't be intimidated. it will take two seconds. >> thank you. what does it take to survive in the most extreme arctic conditions?

>> three rugged guys show us what to do. >> after your local news. ♪ hey, that's the last crescent! oh, did you want it? yeah. we'll split it. [ female announcer ] made fresh, so light, buttery and flakey. that's half. that's not half! guys, i have more. thanks, mom. [ female announcer ] do you have enough pillsbury crescents?

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. good morning. the fugitive wanted for blowing up two buildings a decade ago. the bureau will release more information about daniel andreas

san diego tonight. they think san diego bombed a building and a nutritional products building in 2003. he is a vegan with ties to animal rights extremist groups. yesterday the fbi raised the reward to a quarter of a million dollars for information about his whereabouts. a rodent may be to mram for a house fire in oakland. it happened on 90th avenue near a street. one of the residents said they had to use their stove top brner as a heater, and he thinks a mouse caught fire when it ran across that burner and then set fire to the rest of the house. the fire spread to two neighboring homes, but, fortunately, everyone made it out okay. we'll have a look at weather after this.

it's been another cool stort at that time building with patchy low clouds and fog and high pressure on top of the bay area. unfortunately, today is the sixth consecutive spare the air day. the worst of the smoke pollution will be in the south bay, but this trend is likely to continue through the weekend. without any wind or storms to scatter the smoke out of the bay area. high clouds at times for the afternoon, and generally clear skies as we head into tomorrow morning, and temperatures around the bay area today as warm as the low 60s inland. mainly upper 50s for most of the bay area today from around the peninsula. 58 degrees in palo alto. closer to 60 in san jose. 58 in san francisco, and to the north bay we'll see highs in 60 near santa rosa. 6 on degrees today, and mid 60s for the big game against the kansas city chiefs as we head into sunday afternoon. we'll have much more local news

corrupt in a half hour at 11:00. hope to see you then. we're back on this try day friday with more of "today." can you imagine trekking through miles with only gear in on your back. >> today we are here with three guys who lived through all of it. they make up a team of military geologists on "ultimate survival alaska". they are here to show us how it can be done. >> even hoda and i can survive it. >> it is a real survival tip. if you use alcohol you can use it as a fire starter or numb the pain. >> was it really difficult -- i

can only imagine with just the stuff on your back what is some of the most difficult stuff you had to endure? >> him snoring. >> the most important is maintaining the attitude that you will live to see another day. >> that is easier said than done in some instances. what was the most heroing? >> grisly bears and glaciers. >> a glacier ate he and spit me out. >> he went through a hole in the glacier. >> we were all attached. we pulled him out. >> how heavy are the packs you are lugging around? >> this is not that bad. when we started the expedition about 80 pounds. >> how much land would you cover during that time? >> overall about 1500 miles. >> in a day how much would you do? >> it depends on the terrain.

sometimes it was so slow. >> stop for a sushi lunch along the way. >> tell us what you put in your packs so we can get an idea. >> military what is so important is rednesis. to be ready for survival or emergency situation like a fire, power outage, terrorist attack we use go bags. it is made of durable and waterproof material. inside you need these basic pieces of equipment. first of all, medic kits. >> always. >> you have to know how to use that stuff. >> it all has multipurpose. you have shelter. this is signaling here. >> this is not much of a shelter with the temperatures you went through. >> fire making is absolutely paramount. >> and cuddle with your buddy. >> we don't touch. >> we have water and then you have rations.

they all can work together with training, innovation and most important -- >> take your little kiddy pool with you. >> tell us about the fishing. >> everything that we use has multipurpose. i'll give you an example. my boots that i am wearing they work as cramp ones. >> we have heard of those. >> another thing because everything we have has multiple purpose. this is a regular water bottle. we made it into a method to fish. so you take the fishing line and unspool about 15 or so yards. you attach your fly and your hook and your weight to it. and all you do is you give it -- point it in the right direction,

give it a spin. >> into your kiddy pool. >> we only have a couple of seconds left. what happens if there is a bear? what do we do? >> make yourself big. make yourself big. we have a bear. >> do you like them in the eye? >> no. what do you do? >> stand your ground. >> and then what? >> make noise. >> we made these. we used these dingers. they work just fine. >> if he does attack you you head for the hills. >> you go hello big bear. >> even if he has bad breath. >> that's exciting. congratulations. >> very exciting. the new season of "ultimate survival alaska". >> premieres this sunday night. >> who is next?

>> you think you the only three hunks we have here today? they are going to sing a christmas carol for us. 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.

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pampers swaddlers was there. and now swaddlers are available through size 5, for many more firsts to come. ♪ pampers. ♪ (whisperi just can't let can my family know...4 , it's my son's christmas gift. well you should give him the chance to play with somebody who actully knows how. you should ask santa for a new face. i'm about to deck your halls. did you get my tank you note? tanks for the memories. whatcha doing? whoa - hey! just, uh...watching the news. a lot of unrest over there in... this looks like... merry christmas! you should ask santa for a place to hide. rated m for mature. give battlefield 4 and all the hottest ea games with up to $20 bonus in-game content. only at walmart. an intense ache all over. it was hard to do what mattered. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia... thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can significantly relieve fibromyalgia pain. for some, as early as the first week of treatment.

now, i can do more with the ones i love. lyrica is not for everyone. it may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. or swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, changes in eyesight including blurry vision, muscle pain with fever, or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. those who have had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. with less fibromyalgia pain, i'm feeling better with lyrica. ask your doctor about lyrica today. when you are busy getting food ready the one thing you always seem to run out of is time. >> here with kitchen gadgets is the host of america's test

kitchen and editor of cook's illustrat illustrated. >> what do we have? >> cookie press for sprits cookies. it is easy to clean which is nice. there we go. >> works great. >> christmas trees. >> a lot of these don't work very well. this is easy to fill and clean and it works. >> is the price right? >> $29.99. >> okay. >> pie weights are used when you prebake a crust. you have to put this in the oven for 20 minutes and the pie weights. it is messy and hard to do. >> what? i don't know what you are talking about. >> you prebake it so it sets. i have never heard of that. >> this are ceramic balls which you put in over tin foil.

this is a ventilated pie weight which means forget that. >> you just put this in like this. it stops the pie dough. >> you leave it in there. >> then you take it out. >> so here is the problem. you have a bottle of white wine. it is warm. you want a glass or two. so you want to chill it fast. this does it in 15 minutes. you put the wine in the bottle. this has an insert which you can fill with ice. and then put that in. put the top back on like that. >> and this is what i want for christmas. >> i'm observing. and you put it up as it were. then you have a glass of wine. it takes about 15 minutes to chill this to 50 degrees which is about where you might want it. >> what if you put the bottle in

the freezer for 15 minutes? >> the freezer takes quite a long time and then you risk the possibility of leaving it in too long. >> i'm going to let that one slide. >> so this is when you want to take the temperature of something at a distance. this hooks up to your iphone or ipad. you can set a timer on it and set an alarm to go off when it hits a predetermined temperature. if you were doing a steak, for example you might set it at 120. this is a pork tenderloin you might set at 140 or so. when it reaches the temperature the alarm goes off. and you have it with your iphone so you can be hundreds of feet away in your house depending how big your house is and the iphone says go back to the oven. these wires come out of the oven. >> this -- you put this in the oven with the meat and the probe. seems dangerous to me. >> you have this wire that comes out. the door closes on the wire. >> that is what i asked. or you can put it on the grill

and do the same thing. >> seems like sparks might fly. this is the american innovative. it has four things you can time at once. you can set them like this. one, two, three, four. then you use the outer ring to set the minutes you want. and it has come it is finished, these are the four timers that will beep different colors. >> that's a good one. >> i just don't understand it. >> four things at once is easy to see. >> how about just watch it. >> when you wake up in the morning and find this in the kitchen. >> that means your kids are home from college. >> all eight of them. this squeegee gets it off. >> i like that. and when you put this in the dish washer it does a better job of cleaning than if you have little bits of food. the bread or bun warmer can be

heated in the toaster or oven for about ten minutes. >> it is an old concept. and this you would put in the bottom of the bread basket. >> that's a nice hostess gift. >> this would be very hot for 15 minutes and warm for about 45. >> thank you. >> low tech. >> like you. things are getting cooking. >> the italian trio is here with a special performance right after this.

they're not freaking out, why arthey're gifing out.? gif-ing out? ...because of the great deals they got at kmart. right. thursday through saturday, family fleece is buy one get one free. and download the shop your way app for exclusive deals. kmart. get in. get more christmas. too small. too soft. too tasty. [ both laugh ] [ male announcer ] introducing progresso's new creamy alfredo soup. inspired by perfection. new creamy alfredo soup. perfectly bite-sized drops of rich and creamy chocolate happiness. when the chocolate is hershey's, life is delicious. get to walmart's christmas countdown savings event this weekend. the hottest toys, electronics and more on your list.

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since coming together in 2009 they have performed all over the world. >> the italian trio is here to

perform a christmas carol off of their new album. >> il volo. they are all here. >> we love having you guys here. you were terrific on barbara's pbs special. >> what a beautiful song. >> singing christmas songs you always make things your own. how did you go about doing it for these songs? >> we love christmas. christmas we are here with family. when we sing the christmas song "i'll be home for christmas" we feel home ♪ we'll be home for christmas >> you know who wrote that? >> how about this one on the end? >> you are a shodo of yoadow of

former self. >> he is the same. >> he didn't change me. i am the same. >> what are you tisinging for u? "o holy night". ♪ oholy night the stars are brightly shining ♪ ♪ it is the night of the dear savior's birth ♪ ♪ long lay the world in sin and error pining ♪ ♪ until he appears and the soul

felt its worth ♪ ♪ a thrill of hope the weary world rejoices ♪ ♪ for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn ♪ ♪ fall on your knees ♪ oh hear the angel voices ♪ oh night divine ♪ oh night when christ was

born ♪ ♪ night divine ♪ oh night ♪ oh night divine ♪ noel ♪ noel ♪ oh night, oh holy night

>> that is beautiful, guys. thank you. we'll be back with a special guest and more of "today" on nbc.

so many of you have stepped up to help needy children through our toy drive. >> thank you so much. >> so glad to be here. >> how important is music to any generation? >> critical to children's development and helps bonding with children and caregivers and parents. >> when funding is cut that is one of the first things to go. >> people don't realize how much music learning supports all learning. >> tell us what you are

donating. >> we are giving ysong books to thousands of families and including these sing along story books. >> fantastic. you wrote one of the songs didn't you? >> i wrote this song for the 40th anniversary of unicef. >> thank you so much. thanks for all you do. >> on behalf of all the children. >> our toy drive continues through december 20. you can donate on the plaza, at the nbc experience show. next week big week. >> actor justin long, the winner of "the voice." >> finally. >> have an awesome weekend. be safe.

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we believe it may have been a mouse that caught on fire, yes, and maybe ran around and caught something else on fire. >> right now at 11:00 a rodent being blamed for turning a stove fire into something much, much worse. good morning to you. thank you for joining us. i'm peggy bunker. >> i'm terry mcsweeney. the fire started early this morning at the corner of 90th avenue and a street in oakland not far from international boulevard. >> nbc bay area's christie smith has more on this bizarre story. i have, to christie. >> it is very odd. the family says they can't say for sure that they saw anything, but they did think they heard something skurrying in the kitchen. they think that one of those myself may have