happy friday, everybody. coming up on "early today," 26 million americans are hitting the stores for the black friday discounts. the best deals from new cars to those must haves coming up. but in ferguson, missouri, some residents are protesting black friday with a blackout on shopping. down under, the mind blowing christmas display with well over a million lights and 75 miles of multi-colored wires. it goes beyond jaw dropping but it's got a good purpose. today is friday, november 28th. "early today" starts right now. thank you for joining us. i'm betty nguyen. breaking news out of austin. one male suspect dead after a police involved shooting.

want to give you live pictures from the scene of that shooting in downtown austin. for now, all police are saying is that they were tipped off about a suspected shooter via twitter. the associated press reports that a suspected gunman allegedly shot at several downtown buildings. police shut down a section of a highway and even evacuated police headquarters. the alleged shooter has been killed and, of course, we will give you more details as they come in. but also this morning, other big news, millions are getting their shop on. the holiday frenzy playing out all over. my goodness. they're running over each other. in the uk, the hunt for hot deals turned dangerous. shoppers losing their cool. the police stepped in to help with that. how are things here? nbc's jay gray is at minnesota's mall of america. good morning, jay. how is it looking there? >> reporter: good morning to you, betty. shoppers coming in waves. we had the late night shoppers here at the midnight hour and

now early morning hour, more people are moving through and they're carrying bags. that's great news. this is shopping heaven. 4.2 million square feet, 520 stores, a roller coaster, log ride, aquarium. if you're shopping here or anywhere else across the country, today is a day all about bargains. overnight a mad dash for deals. >> i'm here to shop. got to get my kids some christmas gifts and why not go out. >> reporter: just like turkey and stuffing, this has become a holiday tradition. lining up or camping out overnight, braving the elements for bargains. >> i think for some people, it's -- they're adrenaline junkies, they're bargain hunters. they want to get the best deal. >> reporter: there are deals. >> pillows for $1.99. >> reporter: analysts say there will be more shoppers spending more money today than over the last few years. >> the national retail federation is predicting a 4.1% jump over last year, and that counts for november and december.

we're anticipating about $616 billion in total sales. >> reporter: sales. >> a new toy came out. it's 50% off. that's a good deal. i wanted to buy it for my little son. >> reporter: that's exactly what this day is all about. couple of black friday fun facts. first of all, analysts say the average black friday shopper will spend about $418. 76% of those doing their shopping on black friday, they're shopping not for grandpa, not for the kids, they're shopping for themselves, but, betty, you know, i'm a giver. me and you. >> what are you giving? bring it on. >> i've been all morning, i've been trying to find you something. to the point where i'm just -- i look to the heavens and i'm,

please, please, something for betty. and look, there it is. the perfect gift. a saw it and knew i had to have it for you. >> that is awesome. i think that's the best hat i have ever seen. it fits you perfectly too. all right, jay. well, you've done well. >> for you, though. >> for me? all right. i'll wear it at some point, no doubt. thank you, jay. a quiet thanksgiving in and around ferguson, missouri. today, a national call to boycott black friday. the walmart in ferguson will open later this morning after managers delayed a black friday opening for safety precautions. members of the national guard stood watch as a quiet group of protesters demonstrated outside of the store. and just days after breaking his silence, we are learning about what is ahead for officer darren wilson from his attorney. >> realistically speaking he'll never be a police officer again. he understands that. it is going forward, it will be school and trying to carve out a new niche, new career for he and his family. >> his biggest concern is that

while he knows how to do the job and can do the job, he believes if he ever went back to the department, he would put other officers at risk and he just -- he won't do that. he won't do that. >> wilson has been on paid suspension with the ferguson police department since the august 9th shooting. more schools are saying no to bill cosby. the university of massachusetts amherst is cutting its ties, cosby agreed to resign as honorary co-chair. he got his masters and doctorate in education from the school in the '70s. and at berkeley college of music, a scholarship in cosby's name is no longer available. 15 women have accused the comedian of sexual assault. cosby has never been charged with a crime and has denied all allegations over the years. a special thanksgiving dinner to tell you about for u.s. troops halfway around the world and a phone call from the commander in chief. nearly three tons of turkey and all the fixings were carefully prepared for the troops aboard the uss carl vinson.

they're deployed in the persian gulf to support ongoing air strikes against isis militants. president obama made his annual round of calls to thank the members of the armed forces. the white house says he spoke with representatives from each of the five service branches. and he also held a call with troops helping to fight the ebola epidemic in west africa. the first lady tweeted this grateful message, thanking servicemen and women. and because yesterday was also throwback thursday, on social media, president obama tweeted this picture of the first family's first year in the white house to show what they are thankful for. and in case you were wondering what the obamas ate at thanksgiving dinner, here is the menu. thyme roasted turkey, honey baked ham, corn bread stuffing, oyster stuffing as well. brazed winter greens. macaroni and cheese. sweet potato gratton, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole. dinner rolls. and that's not all. six different pies including banana cream, coconut cream,

pumpkin, apple, pecan and cherry. i'm kind of hungry thinking about all of that. thanksgiving was much rougher for a few others around the country. there were lights and sirens in south carolina. over two dozen people were reportedly taking a holiday picture when the deck beneath their feet collapsed. a 15-foot fall right on to cement. the fire chief said 22 people went to the hospital. >> you can imagine, we had our hands full, treating and transporting the patients off the scene. this is not the way you want to spend the holiday. >> not at all. finally in hal beamalibu, california, a geyser of water from a pipe shut down part of the highway. they shut it off after three hours. now crews are left with a gaping water-filled hole. this might just be one of the most awesome christmas displays of lights ever assembled. you to take a look at this. in australia's capital city, a new guinness world record for the largest display of l.e.d.

lights. there are 1.2 million multicolored individual lights. the amount of them, well, the amount they had to install covers the distance between hartford, connecticut, to providen providence, rhode island. that's 75 miles. it is all for a good cause. the display will help raise money for a charity supporting families who suffer sudden infant death syndrome. if you're getting any ideas, you might want to step outside now and start on your lights because it took an army of volunteers months to complete and then, of course, there is that small matter of your electric bill. kind of scared to see how much that might be. the northeast freezes, southern california is cooking. really? >> yes. >> good to be there. >> stare at the numbers. you looked right past me. you looked right to here, like -- i know. we got done yesterday. i hope everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving. yesterday in minneapolis, one of

the coldest they ever had. now we have one of the warmest we ever had in the desert southwest and southern california. wasn't fair for some people. today, all the action over the northwest, very strong cold front will be going through. the temperatures are going to dive and with it we could see some snowflakes in portland and in seattle. all the lowland areas. not expecting accumulating snows. you could see a rain and snow mix tonight to saturday morning. this cold front is the big player. that's what's going to kick all the warm air out, all the warm pacific air and will dry you out a little bit too. won't be as wet as it has been lately. those temperatures will go from the 50s back into the 30s for your saturday. much colder. i'm happy to say in the way extended forecast, in early next week, still looking at the chance of significant rain in california. fingers crossed. that

will be dropping of course through the passages in the cascades with the cold front. and you don't have to feel too bad, for southern california, they'll go from upper 80s to mid-70s. >> that's rough. >> yeah, maybe a long sleeved shirt. >> it's november. almost december. all right, thank you. if you're in the market for a car, we have details that you do not want to miss. plus, a smash and grab caught on tape. you're watching "early today." [ male announcer ] are you so stuffed up, you feel like you're underwater?

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government's handling of the missing students. yesterday protestors marked the two month anniversary of their disappearance by blocking a major highway and vandalizing the home of the governor of the state where the students went missing. police in chicago are investigating another smash and grab store burglary. a red pickup truck was used yesterday morning to crash through the wall of a clothing store. there have been six other similar break-ins around the city recently including at a louis vuitton store. nbc's tom costello reports, buyer better get the facts on that car loan first. >> reporter: nationwide, 2014 has been a year of full showrooms and surging sales for car dealers. and something else, much bigger and longer loans. while loans used to average three years, today, the average car loan runs 5.5 years. even longer for theresa bane who just signed a six-year loan at

2% to put her college son into a 2011 toyota tundra. >> we wanted a good product. something that would last him a long time, with a nice payment. >> reporter: why the longer loans? to begin with, good cars are simply more expensive today. the low rates are making it possible for buyers to drive away in more expensive cars that used to be out of reach. the average car loan is now $27,000. with good credit, 5.5 year loans are averaging 3.2%. total cost to finance, $2500. but for customers with weaker credit who pay a 5% rate, the cost of financing jumps to $4,000. the good news, outside kansas city, toyota dealer scott adams says cars are also lasting longer than ever before. >> people are keeping their car past the length of the loan, no matter how long the loan is. >> reporter: the risk, some people are buying more car than they can afford. >> if you're the kind of consumer who is likely going to want to be back in the market

in, you know, two or three years and get something new, then chances are you'll likely be upside down when you go it buy the next car. >> reporter: cars depreciate the minute they're driven off the lot, a big reason many money experts advise putting down a big payment and sticking to three and four year loans. tom costello, nbc news, vienna, virginia. a busy thursday on the playing field as megatron sets new records and a gorgeous bloodhound wins best in show. we have sports next. at panera bread, our hearty all-natural turkey chili is back in season. slow-cooked with turkey raised thout antibiotics, tart tomatillos, chilies, carrots, edamame and more. the savory spice of the chili pairs perfectly with the black bean hummus and the fresh crunch of napa cabbage blend in our southwestern chicken flatbread. and it all comes together in a you pick two made just for you. only at panera bread.

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this morning on "today," royalty in the city. william and kate are planning their first trip to new york. find out what the duke and duchess of cambridge have planned while in the big apple ahead on "today." and now it's time to go to sports. seahawks/49ers capped off thanksgiving day football. cornerback richard sherman had two interceptions on the night. the seahawks ended a five-game losing streak on san fran's home field with a 19-3 victory. eagles/cowboys. quarterback mark sanchez scores on the opening drive to get philly rolling. lesean mccoy with a 38-yard score in the third to up their lead by 20. a late fourth quarter punt. cowboys duane harris takes this cheap shot on nolan carroll. you'll see that in a second. scuffle ensues and harris gets called for unnecessary roughness.

the eagles win 33-10. and in detroit, the lions are pretty thankful for the return of calvin johnson. megatron caught 11 receptions for 146 yards and two touchdowns in their 34-17 victory over the bears. he becomes the fastest player in the nfl history to reach 10,000 receiving yards. johnson also set the record for the most touchdowns scored on thanksgiving day with eight. ohio lineman george has been reported missing. he's one of 24 seniors set to be honored ahead of saturday's big game against rivals michigan. pele is assuring fans that he is a-okay after being hospitalized for a urinary tract infection. the hospital created a bit of a scare when they released a statement saying he was being moved to a special care unit after his condition became unstable. well, pele clarified things on twitter saying he was simply

relocated for privacy purposes. and a new champ was named in the american kennel club's national dog show. 4-year-old nathan the bloodhound took home the title best in show. what a cutie. just ahead, jimmy fallon's thanksgiving rap. if you like the movie avatar, director james cameron has news for you about the sequel. [ julie ] the wrinkle cream graveyard. if it doesn't work fast... you're on to the next thing. clinically proven neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair. it targets fine lines and wrinkles with the fastest retinol formula available. you'll see younger looking skin in just one week. one week? this one's a keeper. rapid wrinkle repair. and for dark spots rapid tone repair. from neutrogena®. and for dark spots rapid tone repair. of this year's superstar... (coughs) coughing can really be disruptive. with a record breaking fifty million votes, your superstar is... that's why there's delsym.

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burt reynolds needs cash so the actor is selling off memorabilia. up for sale, the boots he wore in "striptease" and his golden globe for best supporting actor in boogie nights. items go on sale next month in las vegas. james cameron can't contain himself. the first "avitar" sequel hits theaters next christmas. but in an interview with "empire" magazine, cameron said, i can tell you one thing, you will blank yourself with your mouth wide open. that's an endorsement, i guess. >> we need to find half a million dollars to get us our company back. >> the movie where kidnappers weren't incarcerated. >> i'm designing machines that will allow us to break every message. >> remain calm, penguins. you are now under the protection

of the north wind. >> private -- ♪ i'm an outlaw >> we're not going anywhere with you. >> in case you missed it, jimmy fallon and rasheedia jones gave popular music a holiday twist. ♪ i'm so hungry you already know so pop the stuffing and the green bean casserole ♪ ♪ won't you drink with me i hate my family ♪ ♪ they're insane it's plain to see ♪ ♪ so won't you drink with me ♪ >> cheers to that. i'm betty nguyen. this is "early today." have a great one. you know how she keeps it interesting?

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leading the news, in the san jose mercury news, backpack left at burger king holds a big surprise, and that was $100,000. i believe it was mine. i want someone to return it, in fact. ten bundles of cash each containing $10,000. the store owner called police and they're looking for the owner. he could have pocketed it. in "usa today", too little sleep poses long-term health risks. we already knew that poor sleep is linked to heart disease, diabetes, obesity and depression. got all those. now researchers are finding a link between bad sleep and alzheimer's. great. add that to the list. national geographic channel will air a special sleepless in america on november 30th. i will be watching that. now to some other stories that we're following. new research suggests that one serving of yogurt a day may keep

type 2 diabetes away. harvard scientists found people who consumed 12 ounces of yogurt daily were 18% less likely to develop the condition possibly because of the probiotic bacteria that it contains. just in time for black friday, the consumer product safety commission has released some tips on how to avoid buying dangerous toys for the little ones on your list. they suggest reading the age recommendation on the packaging, especially for kids under 3. check that all art supplies are labeled non-toxic. always buy a helmet or other safety gear for new bikes, scooters or skateboards. >> i put my kids in bubbles. >> the cpsc estimates over 120,000 children are treated in ers for toy-related injuries each year. an suv with two people inside hit black ice on a highway in montana causing it to slide on its side into a frozen lake. fortunately the ice was thick and the vehicle didn't break through. no one was hurt.

apparently a rescue ensued. a little lamb chop takes an extraordinary voyage. no joke here. four friends in the u.k. sent it into the stratosphere 18 miles up. they attached it to a balloon and camera all in an attempt to get their picture on the wall of a restaurant. well, shortly after liftoff they lost contact with their piece of meat, but a month later, yes, a someone 82 miles away found it and contacted them. their photo now hangs on that restaurant wall. they got what they wanted. >> a story on the air too. >> i wonder what the lambchop looked like found 82 miles away. now it's time for a look ahead. first lady michelle obama will welcome the official white house christmas tree. this is video of last year's tree. this year an 18 1/2 foot douglas fir from pennsylvania will grace the blue room once it's installed.

happy

well, good morning, everyone. i'm scott mcgrew. >> and i'm laura garcia-cannon. >> it's really nice and now everyone gets to enjoy -- temperatures are sure chilly this morning. we have a lot of rain on the way starting tonight. i'm going to take you through that forecast, show you how much we're expecting, days of rain, that we desperately need. so it's a really great story to tell. yeah, we're