in the north bay, we had some slowing. jordan, our sales manager, says flooding right there in the exit. >> jordan's excuse for why he's a little late. that's what's happening today in the bay. good morning. drenched. record setting rains triggering floods, mudslides and accidents across southern california. it could get even worse with another half a foot of rain possible today. >> breaking overnight a new accuser comes forward and files a lawsuit against bill cosby claiming the comedian molested her 40 years ago when she was just 15. this morning why she decided to finally go public. >> inciting a riot? michael brown's step father investigated for his angry comments moments after the grand jury decision in ferguson. could he face criminal charges? >> and tonight's the night.

we were here when it arrived and now we're hours away from setting the world's most famous christmas tree aglow wednesday, december 3, 2014. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> good morning. welcome to "today" on a wednesday morning. gang's all here early and will be late tonight for a great event. >> yes. getting lit as usual this time of year, a lot of stars going to help us light up the christmas tree. goes on and on. i was saying our rendition of joy to the world. you haven't lived until you heard it. >> should be fun. let's start with our top story this morning. it's that dangerous situation in california, caused by one of the strongest storms to hit that state in years.

nbc's jacob rascon is east of los angeles. good morning to you. >> reporter: matt, good morning. it's a rain california desperately needs but not like this. the fear is that at any moment the rain and the mud on the hillsides behind me that have been scorched by wildfire, it could come down at any moment which they know all too well has happened before. it's what many in california have come to expect when it finally does rain a decent amount. it does this. more than six inches fell tuesday in southern california. and across the state, many daily rainfall records washed away, some of them set more than a half century ago. many southern california cities have done this before. >> the fact of the matter is when the mountain does cut loose they are not going to be able to get out then and you'll be stuck. it's going to be very difficult for us to get to you. >> reporter: in a city where they haven't finished cleaning up after the last storm. >> it's extreme.

we've have mandatory evacuations. >> reporter: sand is their best present. hundreds of flights delayed, highways were blocked, power was lost including at bob hope airport in burbank. in the first wave of what meteorologists say may turn out to be the strongest storm system to hit southern california in many years. and we've got a wave of rain of course on sunday, we got the biggest one yesterday. and we're expecting yet another one at some point today. no mandatory evacuations in place right now, but many, al, are choosing to leave their homes anyway just in case. >> jacob rascon, thank you so much. so we've got winter storm warnings, flash flood watches, from northern california all the way into southern california because we've got more heavy rain pushing in. they need th i mean, it is rough, especially in southern california into central california. look at these deficits. three-year deficit.

san francisco, they are almost 28 inches below where they should be. los angeles, 25 inches below where they should be. san diego, almost a little more than a foot below as far as the rain is concerned. you can see more heavy rain coming in this afternoon, heavier as you get into the evening rush hour. into tomorrow morning it starts to let up. rainfall amounts generally 1 to 2 inches but we could see heavier amounts in the mountains just to the east of los angeles. we could see up to 5 to 6 inches of rain, guys. the good news is, it is finally starting to let up within the next 48 hours. >> thank you. bill cosby facing a new lawsuit from a woman who claims he sexually assaulted her at the play boy mansion 40 years ago when she says she was just a minor. kate snow is here with more on this story. good morning to you. >> good morning. for weeks talking about one allegation after the next, allegations cosby's attorney has refuted but the latest

allegation is the first civil lawsuit to be filed against cosby since one was settled out of court in 2005. this new stoot accuses cosby of childhood sexual abuse. >> yes, i saw what you saw. and don't be worried. >> this is 1974, and bill cosby was starring in movies. the woman filing suit says she was 15 with her 16-year-old friend when they saw a film set 18 park near pasadena. they walk over to see what was going on and were approach bid cosby who invited them to sit in a director's choir. judy huth says cosby invited him to his tennis club. and then he brought them to the play boy mansion. cosby allegedly told the girls if any of the bunnies asked their age they should say they were 19. late ter suit alleges huth found cosby on a bed. he asked her to sit beside him.

and proceeded to sexually molest her. >> this isn't a criminal case. this is a civil case where it's all about money. she is seeking compensatory damages. >> an attorney for cosby had no comments about the suit. cosby has never been charged with a crime. in the past his attorney said other allegations were unsubstantiated saying it makes no sense none of these woman who came forward asserted a claim at the time they alleged they were assaulted. huth says the incident 40 years ago at a tender age caused psychological damage and significant problems throughout her life, cosby she says, abused his position of trust. as for why she is filing this now, the lawsuit suggests huth did not recognize the connection between her injuries and the sexual abuse until recently. >> kate, thanks. let's turn to lisa bloom. good morning to you. and that's the real question

here. how does a lawsuit like this get past the fact there is a statute of limitations in california? >> good morning, savannah. california has an extended statute of limitations for child sexual abuse. i litigated a lot of case myself under this. she has three years from the time that she connects the dots between her psychological injuries and the sexual abuse she is alleging f. that only happened in the last three years and she can prove it she gets in the court house door. she has to prove the case. >> put on your analyst hat. is that a claim likely to prevail? >> as i say she still has to prove her case. one of the things that jumped out she said she had a friend with her during most of the incident. the friend was 16 then. is that friend still around? is that friend going to corroborate her story? i think that will be very important for her. >> isn't also the issue this notion that she only discovered that her psychological injuries were connected to this incident

more than 40 years ago, recently? is that going to be a high hurdle for her to cross? >> listen. the california legislature has understood in passing this law back in 1990 that many people who are molested as children take years to connect the dots between let's say depression, post traumatic stress, anxiety and the abuse. it recognizes child sexual abuse is different from other injuries and why there is this expanded period of time to file. bill cosby is say one, i didn't do it. if he did do it, 10 years ago, 20 years ago, there is some statement from her he hopes to find where she did connect the dots and can't get in the court house door. >> if you are cosby's side do you fight this, settle it? >> settle it out of the court as he's done. i expect this would too. >> thank you very much. >> there is a new investigation tied to last week's violence in ferguson, missouri. police are now considering whether to charge michael

brown's step fwaert inciting a riot. ron allen has the latest on this. good morning to you. >> authorities say the investigation is focused on emotional remarks brown's step father made after the grand jury decision captured on video and circulated. the issue is whether those and actions taken that day helped insight a riot. moments after the grand jury cleared darren wilson in the death of michael brown, brown's mother and her husband louis head were captured on video venting anger and grief. ferguson officials in an e-mail confirmed that louis shed being looked at as part of an ongoing investigation into the activities around november 24, pertaining to the rioting, looting and arson. on "today" leslie mcfadden talks about her husband and the video. >> just emotional. i don't feel that he stirred the crowd. the crowd was already stirred. it's been stirring since august 9. >> the day her son was killed. outrage over the grand jury's

decision not to charge wilson poured onto the streets, at least a dozen businesses destroyed by fire, others vandalized. at least 125 arrests during the next five days. >> everyone who is responsible for taking away people's property, their livelihoods, their jobs, their businesses, every single one of them needs to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. >> authorities added brown's step father is not being singled out as a sole focus of the inquiry but again is part of the ongoing investigation. >> officials say the findings of the investigation will now go to the st. louis county prosecutor, which means the same prosecutor whose vigorously defended the grand jury's decision may soon decide whether to charge brown's step father with a crime. adding i was wrong and for that i humbly apologize. matt, savannah. >> all right, ron, thank you

very much. meantime, a student conduct hearing involving one of college football's stars could wrap up. jameis winston was charged with assaulting a student in 2012. while criminal charges were not filed he is facing an investigation by the school. gabe has the latest from tallahassee. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the allegations that swirled for two years and through his attorneys jameis winston has denied them but on tuesday for the first time a former florida state supreme court justice brought in by the university began hearing the allegations here on campus. today heisman trophy winner jameis winston is back in a hearing to face allegations of sexual assault. >> and we are confident that justice harding when he hears her multiple lies and jameis' truth will find as every other entyty has to this point that she is lying.

>> reporter: a former student says the star quarterback raped her in december of 2012. >> there was a long time where she felt she had no voice and nobody would listen to what she had to say. >> reporter: the woman said she was drinking at a bar when a man took her to an apartment. she reported the assault in hours but did not identify winston until weeks later. >> this hurt the reputation. >> the prosecutor decided it new file criminal charges. >> we did not feel like that we had a reasonable likelihood of a conviction. >> reporter: it's one of 90 schools the government is now investigating for handling of sexual violence complaints. >> need to see campuses put in place prevention programs where they are educating about sexual violence. >> reporter: fsu says it is doing that and cooperating with the investigation. last night winston was on the field hoping to lead the defending national champion seminoles to another acc title

saturday. winston still has a lot of support among students here on campus. in this hearing he could face penalties from a written reprimand to expulsion. proceedings could wrap up as early as today. after that the judge has ten school days to announce his decision. >> gabe gutierrez, thank you. >> natalie is here, the latest on a massive auto-related recall. >> the story we're following, the japanese air bag maker takata defied u.s. regulators ignoring a midnight deadline to expand a recall of driver side air bags. the company faces fines up to $35 million and legal action. takata insists that the air bags are more likely to malfunction in high humidity areas but regulators insist the recall should be expanded to all states. the senior vice president is expected to testify today during a congressional hearing on the air bag recall. >> some disturbing news from the middle east.

an american teacher and mother of young twins was stabbed to death in the bathroom of an abu dhabi shopping mall. police say the woman reportedly was attacked with a sharp tool following a fight in the public restroom on monday. police released a security camera image showing the veiled suspect there on the right as you see. an investigation now is under way. >> still no official word this morning on the man believed to be president obama's choice to lead the pentagon. nbc nuls learned that ashton carter will likely be picked to succeed chuck hagel. carter curved both hagel and leon panetta. on tuesday the white house praised carter without confirming that he is the leading candidate. >> some troubled waters for a $21 million mega yacht. take a look at this beautiful yacht as it crashed right into the draw bridge in the miami area on tuesday. the rock star yacht belonging to the rock star energy company was attempting to pass through when

a section of the bridge collapsed on top of the boat creating a large hole. no one was hurt. the yacht is currently listed for sale. not sure what that does to that. >> ticket price. >> it's a steal now. and take a look at this rescue caught on camera after a woman's car plunged off of a roadway in a canal in eastern china. watch as the car veers off the road, knocks down the lamp pole and crashed into the water. witnesses came to the driver's rescue. they used clothing to pull her to safety after about 20 minutes. she was shaken up but is otherwise okay. >> and hollywood's superstar tom crews famous for his own stunts. he may want to consider a stunt double after a close call on a london street. take a look. yeah. thankfully he saw that double-decker bus just in time

and retreated back to the curb. cruise is filming for a movie. >> you get used to traffic coming from your right and you get to london and forget to look to the left. >> they tell you on the street, look right, look left. still. happened to me. >> walking across the street. >> it was driven by tom cruise. >> fluff about your dream life. >> mr. roker's back. >> all right. let's show you what we've got around the rest of the country. we are looking at icy wintry weather moving out of the new england area, we're going to look at that in the next half hour. gulf coast, temperatures mild, sunshine, morning fog will burn off. we'll get to your local forecast in the next 30 seconds.

7:17. good morning. the rain continues to stream into the bay area. we're going to keep heavier pockets in the forecast until about noon. everything is going to start to let up and we'll see a nice finish to this evening. still have a fair chance for thunderstorms to develop as we get into this evening. overall, temperatures will be cool. mid 60s for today. bring your jacket, bring your umbrella. ditch it for most of tomorrow. weather. >> a and that's your latest weather. >> thanks. tamron is here for carson. sad news. >> absolutely. but a wonderful life to celebrate.

let's look at it that way. take a listen to this song. ♪ >> recognize that solo? absolutely from rolling stones, played by long time band member bobby keys. absolutely. mr. keys passed away at the age of 70, he played on tour with the stones, guys, for 45 glorious years, making beautiful music for all of us. there has been reaction throughout social media. this one absolutely touched my heart. this is a handwritten letter from keith richards. bobby, i've lost the largest pal in the world and i can't express the sense of sadness i feel although bobby would tell me to cheer up, my condolences to all that knew him and his love of music. isn't that touching. you don't see that often on social media. hand written from the great keith richards. this also from the stones. bobby made a unique musical

contribution to the band since the 60s. and ringo starr, thank you bobby keys for the time we spent the together. god bless you peace and love to your family. but again, sad news, the legacy, the music will live on. that sax solo, maybe enjoy it on the way in to work. >> i might go up and play a little. that's cool. >> coming up, are women at greater risk? a look at depression in america. >> and garage door repair men put to the test. you're not going to believe how much some of them charged for a simple problem that should take about 60 seconds to fix. first this is "today" on nbc.

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aleve. all day pain relief with just 2 pills. get back to being you. and we're new to the pacific northwest. the rain, the mud -- babam! it's there. the outside comes in. it's kinda nasty so you start the towel-mop shuffle. where are you sun?! [ doorbell rings ] oh, wow, it's a swiffer wetjet. this puts my towel mopping to shame.

whoa! ewww. sunshine is overrated, now we can get messy. [ laughs ] a very good morning to you. it is 7:26. i'm laura garcia cannon. another morning of heavy rain across the bay area. literally leaving some drivers stranded on flooded streets. today in the bay is live in san jose where one car was struck for most of the morning. it's still there behind you, bob. >> it is. but getting the water down to a level where they would soon be able to tow this car out. the water, you can see right now, the tires. it was up at the time side mirrors for this poor woman. she was coming back from a road trip before 4:00 this morning from southern california. it was just a few moments away from her home here at the railway under pass at the alameda and stockton not far from the sap center when she got

trapped in what was at the time very deep water. she's okay. of course, her car was drenched. she was able to get out and ever since the city of san jose has been trying to get that water pumped out. what it looks like, they had a lot of leaves in the drain, they were able to unclog the drain. because there's so much water out here, the pumps have been at full capacity. reporting live here in san jose today n bay area. we're getting a little identity of a break for the very first time from the heavy, steady rainfall. as i step out of the way, you can see that across the board in the bay area. but there's more on the way. this line of showers, moderate and heavy. about to hit the peninsula as we hit the next 10 to 15 minutes. and it's all going to press to the east. let me show you the future cast for today. at 11:00 a.m., still getting lingering shower activity. between 11:00 and 6:00, we start to clear out.

and we'll have a really good look at your totals by this evening. but so far, i've got to tell you, more rain in san francisco over the past 48 days than we saw in all of 2013. here is mike and your drive. over here, i've widen out out of our city. this is jammed, west 92 all the way to the highway 101 where there's a crash at the interchange there. we have a big backup where it's slowing for 880 southbound. now, that stretches slow, but it's a wind advisory. there's your south bay. back to you. >> another update in half an hour. we'll see you then.

7:30 now on this wednesday morning, the 3rd of december, 2014. that means the big day is here. tonight we flip the switch on that majestic 85-foot norway spruce, the world's most famous christmas tree. we hope you'll join us for "christmas in rockefeller center" tonight, idina menzel, tony bennett and other stars. we'll get started here at 8:00. do you know how many lights are on the tree? >> 45,000. >> how many miles? >> five. >> we know every nonsense fact you could ever know. >> let's take a look at what's

making real headlines. a second straight day for tuesday los angeles broke another single day for rain. following a deadly collision between two school buses, two schools are closed. two children and an adult were killed and 23 others injured. attempting to incite a riot moments after last week's grand jury decision not to indict the officer who shot and killed that 18-year-old. they'll be considering that and much more today. can you trust the repairmen who come out to fix your busted garage door? rossen reports team puts them to the test with surprising results. suze orman will be here with scams from fraudulent bank calls to fake shipping sites. what she says you can do to

avoid becoming a victim. >> or as she says, girlfriend, avoid being a victim. let's get a check of the weather with mr. roker. >> announcer: "today's" weather is brought to you by kay jewelers. every kiss begins with kay. sloppy weather moving out of new england. few showers in the northeast. good news is will clear in time for the big christmas tree lighting. caribou and maine in 95, slick mess there. winter weather advisories the next 12 hours from caribou to springfield, massachusetts, and parts of upstate new york. temperatures still about 10 to 15 degrees below average around the great lakes and into the northern plains. the wet weather continues in the southwest. southern california as well. northern california also. this will start to move to the east as we move on through the day today on into 7:32. for most of you across the bay

area, more rain than since 2009 for most of you. as you make your way out that front door this morning. we are going to get a break from the heavy stuff. right now, most of the pa nins law is dry. that batch of rain will move over to the east shore. temps in the 60s for today. rain returns by friday. >> and that's your latest weather. matt? al, thank you very much. more than two months ago, dr. nancy snyderman travelled to liberia to cover the ebola crisis there. while she was there a photojournalist working with her team was diagnosed with the virus. before coming back to the u.s., nancy agreed to a voluntary self quarantine, which she later violated. nancy, good morning. it's good to see you. >> hi, matt. good to be back. >> critics said your behavior is

unacceptable. you've had time to digest it, think about it, reflect on it. what's your response? >> i'm very sorry for not only scaring my community and the country, but adding to the confusion of terms, i think, came as fast and furious as the news about ebola did. suddenly we're talking about quarantine, isolation, controlled monitoring, who should be in hospital rooms, who shouldn't be. and so when i came back from liberia with my team, we had already been taking our temperatures four, five, six times a day. and we knew our risks in our heads but didn't really appreciate -- and, frankly, we were not sensitive to how absolutely frightened the americans were. came back, agreed to a voluntary quarantine in my home and 7 hours later left my home. >> i think there's a great debate going on about the medical protocol, the casey hickox situation is a good example of that. >> right. >> in your situation it wasn't about what was medically right to do. it was about breaking a promise.

>> it was about breaking a promise and it was also about my association with ashoka mukpo, who we hired on our team and now is okay as well. and those early days of how this is spread. i have two hats, my doctor hat and my journalist hat. and when the science and the messaging sometimes collide and you leave the optics of, in this case, a hot zone and come back to the united states, good people can make mistakes. and i stepped outside the boundaries of what i promised to do and what the public expected of me. and for that, i'm sorry. but i'm also very glad, i should say, that the whole team is healthi and that ashoka is healthy. >> that's what i was going to say. he was here last week with other ebola survivors. the rest of your team is healthy. you are healthy. have you given consideration, considering the fact that the crisis continues in west africa, of going back? >> the things we saw, matt, like

anything i had seen before, 18-year-old girls being delivered to the hospital in wheel be wheelbarrows, men in puddles reaching for help. i would go back tomorrow. my concern is this has been a distraction from the real issue at hand. >> you mean your situation? >> my situation and we can't afford not to concentrate on west africa. this epidemic isn't going to go away. the ebola epidemic. there will be viruses in the future that will jump from animals to humans. so how we message from the cdc to nbc news to me personally, i've learned a lot through this. but we have to remember that we live in a smaller world, day by day. and this may be a big lesson for all of us in how we treat epidemics in the future and how we message better and keep our promises. >> i wanted to talk to you about this. actually, it's not the entire reason you're here this morning. >> no. there's real news, too. >> you have another story to

bring us. >> good to be back as a journalist. >> thank you. >> and? >> and now we have the journalist part. we're going to talk about depression. interestingly a study came out overnight that shows it's more prevalent in women and people below the poverty level. and overall there's a lack of understanding and a lack of patience seeking treatment for a disease that now affects about one in 12 americans. according to the cdc, the stressful life of a mother, juggling kids, work, marriage and parents takes a heavy toll. a study released overnight by the national center for health statistics finds that 8% of americans, about one in 12 people, suffer from depression. the most likely groups to be affected are people between the ages of 40 and 59 and women regardless of age. >> women have many role conflicts in our society and they have many conflicting responsibilities. the depressive syndrome can be a reaction to severe stress or to

the burdens of life. >> also highly impacted are the poor. with people living below the poverty line nearly 2 1/2 times more likely to have depression than those at or above that income level. one of the more troubling findings to the medical community is that those who need help aren't seeking it. just one-third of those with symptoms of severe depression have spoken to a medical professional about their mental health within the last year. with these symptoms affecting life at home, work and in social settings, the pervasiveness of severe depression and the need for treatment, experts say, can't be overstated. >> we have a major illness with serious morbidity and mortality, which we know how to treat and to which a great extent is not adequately treated. that's a social tragedy. >> and the social tragedy really comes, i think, with stigma.

if we look at our families and we're really honest, the reality is there is mental illness in someone. we have to find the courage, the social courage to acknowledge it, to seek help and, frankly, it's not always reimbursed by insurance plans. but this problem is not going away. >> have to stop whispering about depression. >> we have to stop whispering. absolutely. absolutely. >> thank you very much, nancy. >> you bet. our rossen report team puts garage door repairmen to the test. you won't believe what they caught on hidden cameras. and the hottest vacation caught on hidden cameras. and the hottest vacation destination, nor and, by some miracle... a little differently. she actually said "yes." to me. the charmed memories collection at kay jewelers, featuring open hearts and new disney frozen. get this free bracelet or a charm valued up to forty-five dollars with any charmed memories purchase of $99.99 or more. at kay, the number one jewelry store in america. and she will be the best mom ever.

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we are back at 7:43. this morning on rossen reports, new hidden camera investigation. jeff and his team have been keeping home repair contractors honest for years. jeff rossen is "today's" national investigative correspondent. good morning. >> hey, savannah, good morning. good morning, everyone. winter is here. it's getting cold out. which means we're putting our cars back in our garages. when your garage door breaks, well, that's an emergency. you call the repairman, desperate for help. you trust them to find the problem and fix it at a fair price. this morning, we are testing them out. you know how we do it, with our hidden camerasrolling. this time we capture something so bizarre on camera, we have never seen it before. >> why were you going to charge

her over $400 for a new sensor? >> these repairmen don't want to talk to me. you don't want to answer my question? >> no. >> reporter: climbing in their trucks and racing away and the one that does stick around seems to have a guilty conscience. >> you're not mad at me, are you? >> reporter: trying to sell this homeowner garage door parts our experts say she doesn't need. we're setting up at this house in the new york suburbs. the garage is in great shape. how do we know? because we had two independent certified experts inspect it from top to bottom. >> everything is working perfectly. >> everything in this garage is working fine. >> then we had them rig a tiny little problem. >> we're going to loosen the bolt on this sensor and angle it downward so the door is inoperable. >> how long should it take them to find this? >> just a minute to find it. >> if they tell us you need a new garage door opener, we have to order a part?

>> they're lying to you. >> i'm having a problem with my garage door. >> reporter: then we had her call repair companies. >> hi. how are you? >> things start off great. it take this is repairman less than 25 seconds to fix the sensor. >> can you try it right now? >> try it right now. >> that was easy. >> reporter: he charges us a small service fee and is on his way. but our luck is about to come crashing down. >> hi. how are you? >> hey. >> reporter: when these two repairmen show up, they notice the problem right away. >> you have a problem with the safety sensors. >> they say they can't fix it. she needs a brand new one. >> i need new sensors? that's what you're saying? >> yes. >> reporter: remember, all they had to do was tighten the screw. instead, they charge her $210. hi, guys. jeff rossen from nbc news. that's when i pop out. >> i don't need to answer your question. >> reporter: are you trying to rip her off? >> no. >> reporter: they drive right

off. their company later telling us they have a flawless customer service record. but watch this next repairman. he is about to do something we've never seen before. >> how are you? >> good. >> reporter: when our homeowner goes inside, our cameras capture this. he walks to the trash can, holding his fly, lingers a bit and zips up his pants. when he returns, he doesn't even inspect the door sensor before telling her this. >> the sensor is no good. you need to replace the sensor. >> reporter: his price? $410. why were you going to charge her over $400 for the new sensor when it's not even broken? you didn't even check it. but this last repairman is about to break the bank. whistling while he works. and within minutes, he has some dire news. >> what you need is a set of

light sensors. >> i definitely need those? >> reporter: yep. >> but that's not all. >> reporter: these pulleys up here need to be replaced. >> reporter: he charges our homeowner $683, plus tax. hi, jeff rossen with nbc news. why are you charging this homeowner nearly $700 for part that is she doesn't need? >> well, i'm trying to do a much better job and she does need it. >> reporter: but when our experts come in and show him he's wrong, he finally admits this. >> we all make mistakes. >> reporter: i'm going to show you the garage door works. i'm sunderstand you now say you made a mistake but the garage door is working. >> okay, it works but -- >> reporter: you were going to charge her $700. but before he leaves he has a question for me. >> you're not mad at me, are you? >> reporter: i'm not mad at you. i just don't want homeowners to get ripped off. >> reporter: experts say three of them charged us for parts we didn't need. >> it's a shame.

it just absolutely makes me sick. >> reporter: >> don't worry, i'm not mad at you. none of the companies that came up had any signage on their vehicles. experts say that's actually a pretty big red flag. make sure they have a legit company name so you have recourse if something goes wrong and a license number on the side of the truck. before your garage door breaks, like right now, for example, talk to family and friends and see if they use somebody tha they trust and you can use them too. >> it's not bad enough that they rip you off. then they pee on your lawn? >> in fairness, he didn't charge for that. >> jeff, thank you very much. coming up, do you use white lights or like the multi-colored ones? tamron is in the orange room with how you can decide. the great american holiday light debate after this. ♪

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because we do. we're exxonmobil... and powering the world responsibly is our job. because boiling an egg... isn't as simple as just boiling an egg. life takes energy. energy lives here. we may have mentioned we're getting ready to light the rockefeller christmas tree. tamron is in the orange room with a great debate tied to holiday displays. tamron? >> you call it the great american debate over christmas lights. anticipation is building for the big rockefeller tree lighting tonight. we have a beautiful live shot. and viewers have been sharing photos -- there's the tree -- of their christmas trees. michelle, taylor, cinder. very beautiful trees. do you like white lights on your

tree or do you like multi-colored lights? it's a showdown. #white lights, #multicolor. we are tapping into new technology in the newsroom. as you tweet, based upon your tweets, from the bottom to the top, the winning idea will light. that's a demonstration there. so go online. based on your tweets -- >> our tweets will power the tree? >> from the bottom to the top, it will rise. and a reminder, if case i didn't already, here you go. tonight, 8:00 pm, 7:00 central, watch the fun in technicholor. >> isn't it likely that both trees will be fully lit by -- >> tomorrow's debate, color tree or not and after that, real or >> tomorrow's debate, color tree or not and after that, real or fa this is the one. can we go for a test drive? oh sure, i'll be right back. thanks. leather, running boards... carmax quality certified, low, no-haggle price,

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dgood morning. it's 7:56 been a life look now at downtown san jose. it has been a wet morning. the bay area is getting some of its heaviest rainfall in literally years. it left many streets throughout the region flooded. for drivers, the wet weather is making for another difficult commute this morning. here is a live look at highway 101 in san jose. that is near 680. traffic has been slow on roadways across the bay area. this is a much needed series of storms, but it doesn't mean it's causing you some inconveniences this morning. let's check in with christina and see where things stand. >> the timing is pretty bad, sam, right in the heart of the morning drive. steady showers coming in on top of already flooded roadways. i can tell you right now, though, later on today, we will get a break from the heavy

stuff. expecting that to start up between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. as we head throughout the second half of this evening, we will start to dry out. let's me show you what we are expecting. we stop the clock for you at 11:00 a.m. that's when the last band of moisture will come through. we continue that future cast and take you into the evening hours. you can see here at about 8:00, a lot of letup when it comes to the showers. getting light activity up into the north bay. we'll tell you how much we received so far in moments. here is mike with your drive. >> southbound 101 at the sausalito exit. folks jamming up down into that flooded area in fathe north bay pap slow drive because of flooding in pretty much any of the counties around the bay.. slow on either side of the bridges there. in the south bay, your northbound route is starting to sack up.

87 coming into downtown with flooding. back to you. >> shaky and crowded, per usual. we'll see you again in 25 minutes with another update on news, weather and traffic.

it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, more "i dos" than "i don'ts," an in-depth look at the state of marriage in america and the news is good. holiday scams. financial expert suze orman stops by with advice on what to avoid this time of year. and putting toys to the test. get them into the hands of kids themselves as they share which ones are naughty or nice, "today," wednesday, december 3rd, 2014. ♪ >> all the way from arkansas, we love the "today" show!

>> good morning from ohio. >> traveled from idaho and here to meet al. >> whoo! >> turning 30 on "today." >> whoo! ♪ it's 8:00 on a wednesday morning, the 3rd day of december, 2014. we've got a very excited prechristmas tree lighting crowd on rockefeller plaza. >> they are excited. they are loud. can you hear me, tamron? >> i cannot hear a word! . i think you asked me about the lights. >> yes. >> and white is winning big. let's go into the orange room. #white lights. white christmas tree is almost from the bottom to the top. and, matt, you were doubtful of my new technology. >> no, no. i just think at the end you might find two well-lit trees. i'm not surprised to see the all

white lights winning. >> here is the thing. we just had a little pow wow. we both grew up with multicolored lights. >> as did i. but later in life -- >> all white. >> tinsel or no tinsel? >> no tinsel. >> garland or no garland? >> no garland? >> judy garland, though. >> there we have it. we'll keep an eye on the trees and let you know at the end of the show. >> what color are your christmas balls? >> we are so excited this morning, not just because of the tree lighting but supersized steals and deals. to get it started early, jill, is inside. she is inside with the first bargain. let her rip. >> we wanted to get everything started. here is the sneak peek. i lot a lot of tweets. first, what about the men? izod men's coats, $230 to $250. four coats, three colors. i love this one. it has a detachable scarf. if you lose everything, like me, this is foolproof. retail $230 to $250.

the deal? $69. that's up to 72% off. coming up in 16 minutes, we will have eight more unbelievable deals. see you then. >> jill's just getting started. we'll see her in a bit. all right. let's get a check of the top stories. natalie is inside. take it away. >> all right, guys. good morning once again, everybody. >> people in parts of california are on edge this morning with more heavy rain expected and the threat of more flooding for the next day or so. nbc's jacob rascon is in glendora, east of los angeles. jacob, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. this is the second strongest storm to hit southern california this year. with another wave of rain, we are expecting it could be the strongest system the area has seen in many years. we have already had mud flows in the mountains. more than 6 inches in one area. we've seen massive preparations of what they take very seriously here. all of the sandbags. people have lost homes here,

especially those who live in the foothill communities near where there have been area that is have recently burned. the rain is expected later today so they are getting ready today. >> jacob rascon in glendora, california. thank you. two schools are closed in knoxville, tennessee, this morning after a tragic crash leaving three dead and more than 20 injured. nbc's kerry sanders hat story. >> reporter: it's a parent's worst nightmare. an accident the tennessee highway patrol troopers have yet to fully piece together. what they do know is one school bus was headed east on the rain-slicked road when, without explanation, it crossed the median and right into oncoming traffic, hitting another school bus on the other side of the road. in all, 27 passengers, some in kindergarten, were thrown violently from their seats, including fifth grader joy raymond. >> oh, my gosh. i was scared. everybody was screaming. we have to get out, we have to

get out! >> reporter: two students and a school aide died in the crash. >> we just ask the community to pray for -- for the loss of life. >> reporter: the school buses in knoxville are like those in most states. they have no seat belts. the national transportation safety board is helping the tennessee highway patrol investigate the accident this morning while awaiting answers from the driver who lost control of the bus. kerry sanders, nbc news. new allegations this morning against bill cosby. a 55-year-old woman has now filed a civil suit against the comedian, accusing him of childhood sexual abuse. in the suit, judy huth claims cosby abused her at the playboy mansion when she was just 15 years old. she claims the incident caused psychological damage and significant problems throughout

her life. she's the first civil lawsuit against cosby since one was settled out of court nine years ago. with the lighting of the rockefeller center christmas tree just hours away, last night, the focus was on capitol hill. >> 3-2-1. >> house speaker john boehner, other congressional leaders on hand for the tree lighting at the capitol. this year's tree is an 88-foot white spruce from minnesota decorated with thousands of handmade ornaments. just gorgeous there with the capitol dome under construction off in the distance. 8:06 now. let's get another check of the weather with mr. roker. al? >> thanks so much, natalie. we've got these kids. my friends say i'm crazy to stand out here. where are you guys from? >> connecticut. >> connecticut. you're missing school today? that's a good mom and dad to let you do that. wow! my mom wouldn't let me do that.

all right. let's see what we have for you today. more rain in california. they need it. that's the good news. heavier rain to the north. they'll get heavy rain moving into southern california as well just as we get into the morning rush hour. some areas picking up five to six inches of rain, especially in the foothills. even as you get down into southern california. and it's going to be windy, too, with wind gusts of 45 miles per hour. that's what's going on around th 8:07. still getting some rain, not quite as steady as it was at this time yesterday morning, but we have heavy pockets and we'll continue to see this rain stream onshore, at least for the next few hours. you can see we're getting pretty good down pours right now through san jose and that extends into the tri-valley. as we get into the afternoon, showers stop to clear. i stop the clock at 11:00, last wave comes through. by 8:00 tonight, mostly dry for the bay area. light showers for thursday and next rain on friday. est weather. >> al, thank you very much.

coming up on trending, new take on taylor swift's hit "shake it off." anyone who is tired of no-shave november. >> divorce on the decline. why the state of marriage in america may be far better than you think. plus. can you really trust that attempted delivery slip left on your door? suze orman is here with a warning on holiday scams and we will see what tree she prefers. first, these messages. ♪ . this is the first power plant in the country to combine solar and natural gas at the same location. during the day, we generate as much electricity as we can using solar. at night and when it's cloudy, we use more natural gas. this ensures we can produce clean electricity whenever our customers need it. ♪

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it's been popularized in movies and tv shows like "mean girls." researchers at the university of georgia say actually when it comes to that nasty behavior at school, boys are much worse than girls at every grade level studied. researchers said boys are more likely than girls to engage in what they're calling relational aggression. >> i have a 13-year-old boy and 11-year-old girl. i disagree with this. >> i'm going to go from personal experience. i with his a 13-year-old girl. i feel like girls are meaner than boy. >> girls hold a grudge where guys get into it and then they're friends. >> it settles more quickly. >> if they hated you at the beginning of school they didn't like you at the end of school. >> boys talk about a lot of other things together and girls talk about each other. >> i agree. >> all right. >> so much for that study.

>> entitled to their own opinion. vacation hot spot. this is nice. colorful photos, fun water park, slides, pyramids, other attractions. >> love to go here. >> this looks like a great place to take the family, >> yeah. >> here's the catch. >> what's that? >> it's north korea. it's that same north korea run by kim jong un. launching a new site to lure tourists. huffington calling the post more strange than inviting. here is the other little problem. >> what's that? >> isn't that the same country that put a ban on tourism because of the ebola crisis? >> but come on down. >> wow! >> got to go. on tuesday we mentioned brian williams is marking ten years as anchor of "nightly news." how better to celebrate than going on "the tonight show" and slow jamming the news with jimmy

fallon? speaking of jimmy, entertainment weekly declared him entertainer of the year. >> wow! >> i think we all agree. >> definitely. >> well earned. it was for a good cause, we know that. guys, no-shave november is over. it is time to trim your facial hair. i was the worst offender last year. i kept it going until after february. ladies sick of seeing scruff are having a new anthem. it's called "shave it off," obviously a spin on taylor's "shake it off" ♪ make my tummy ache ache ache you just got to shave shave shave shave it off shave it off ♪ >> where was that anthem a couple of days ago? >> it's an intervention. >> all right. that's what's trending today. >> you know what's not trending? divorce. >> hmm. >> you hear all the time the statistic that half the

marriages in this country end in divorce. is that actually true? today, sheinelle jones is here with surprising new findings. good morning to you. >> good morning. it's practically become conventional wisdom, the notion that a couple getting married only has a grim 50/50 shot at making it. recent numbers are showing that more couples than we think are living happily ever after. it's a familiar story. first comes love, then comes marriage, then for half of couple s comes the divorce. according to the "new york times," that story is now fiction. >> it was true in the '70s and early '80s, but it has not been true for three decades now. >> turns out when couples say "i do" nowadays they really mean it. >> divorce rate is declining for each generation, for people married in the 2000s, it appears it will be lower than it has since well before the boom in divorces we had in the '70s and '80s. >> 60% of couples in the 1970s

and '80s made it to their 15th anniversary. in the '90s, 70% made it. if the trends continue, experts predict two-thirds of all married couples will keep their vows. one reason? gender roles just aren't what they used to be. >> marriages tend to be about love now. women don't need men to support them. we have our own salaries, our own careers. they no longer feel they need one man to validate their lives. >> and with that comes freedom to wait for mr. right. >> they're choosing much more carefully and they're marrying the right man. >> it's a modern generation of couple with his a whole new set of social norms. >> both of them are likely to work. both of them are likely to do child care and housework and both of them can share time spending their passions and their shared interests. it's not like it was before and is creating more stable

marriages. >> reporter: why has this 50% myth continued? >> it's still around because of pop culture. it's a running joke. it's a punch line. because we hear it all the time, we assume it's true. >> reporter: a story debunked, giving new hope for couples looking to live the fairy tale. another interesting finding in that "new york times" article, while fewer couples are choosing to get divorced, if it does happen, two-thirds of the time it's initiated by the woman. so, guys, times are changing. >> interesting. >> wow! >> isn't it true a lot of people are staying together because it's expensive to get divorced. >> it's expensive to get divorced. a lot of couples are living together, choosing not to get married all together and a lot of couples are saying we're going to stay single and leave our kids so that leaves the pool of people deciding to get married, a lot of them are doing it for love and not money or anything else. >> little better new. >> good news. >> we're staying with it. >> sheinelle, we appreciate it. let's go over to savannah. >> all right. let's keep the party going. to our special supersized

edition of steals and deals. cue the confetti. twice as many bargains, ready to be shipped to you in time for the holidays. jill martin is here with the detail. >> i love confetti at 8:19 in the morning. >> let's do it. tell us about it. >> we showed the izod coats. if you want these, get on immediately. everything has been selling out. italian silk tie. retail $125. choice of 15 italian silk ties in different patterns and colors. 100% silk, retail $125. the deal $37.50. that's 70% off. >> beautiful. tie for dad, boyfriend, what have you. >> boyfriend? >> that's another segment. tell us about these wraps. >> always big, barrel cashmere wrap scarves, retail $595. super soft. you can attest to that. cashmere scarf. handmade in the u.s., 100% italian cashmere, available in

four colors. angelina jolie, demi moore and sharon stone. retail $595. deal is $79. >> real good. love these for traveling. it's like wearing a blanket. >> they're terrific. it's freezing here. >> we have a fan in natalie morales. >> for the tree lighting tonight, these are perfect. >> natalie, get yourself over here. she put the steal in steals and deals. >> i want the gloves. >> they're good. they're soft. >> they're beautiful. cashmere lining. >> i don't even need to be here. retail, $140. classic leather gloves with cashmere lining. available in extra small to large. so i wear medium. just if you want to check it out so you know what to get. extra small to large. carried at neiman marcus, retail $140. deal $42. that's 70% off. >> cashmere lining is -- >> fabulous.

>> great. great gift. handbags. >> always big. the retail $498. this is called the kim bag. genuine leather. spacious enough for this to be your everyday bag that you throw everything in. looks really chic. available in six colors. cameron diaz and mila kunis. $498. the deal $99. >> you can fit everything in here. >> it's an investment. it's a bag you have for a very long time. >> tell us about this. >> ayres body care gift sets, three different set options includes body lotion, body cream, body powder, body polish. retail $109. the deal $33. >> guys or girls? >> they're unisex but they come packaged really beautifully. so this is one of those easy ones. you throw a bow on it. >> did you do the smell test? >> yeah. i like it. i think you're going to like it. >> i'm sure i will.

>> i'm not saying anything this week after the alpaca debacle. >> alpaca gate. >> yeah. necklace retails for $198. great to layer. offering necklaces with inspirational words on them. love, peace, dream. available in silver and 18 karat gold. >> this one says alpaca. how interesting. >> or joy. fans of brand include cameron diaz, jessica alba. retail $190. deal $49. 74% off. >> really pretty. nice staple there. gorgeous candles. >> these are major and also a great housewarming gift. dl & company luxury candles, retail $85. you get a set of four. and then there's a medium candle and a large candle. you have to choose one.

go online to see the situation. >> either a set of four or the medium or the large. >> candles range from 80 to 100 hours of burn time carried in barneys, bloomingdale's. retail $85. the deal $25. >> good hostess gift, that kind of thing. >> and great packaging also. i'm very into getting everything, throwing a bow on and being done. >> wrapping. >> speak of bows, it's great to have the wrapping paper to present the fabulous gift. retail $126. it's an exclusive wrapping paper set just for us. the set includes 36 sheets of paper, 24 gift tags and over 8 yards of string for gift tags, four styles to choose from. >> it's not your traditional holiday paep paper. it's kind of interesting. >> for your personality. like you would be -- >> oh, the leopard print? >> animal print. wild child. >> maybe it's an alpaca actually.

it doesn't have to be holiday shopping. it could be any wrapping all year long. >> deal $31.99. 75% off. supersized. >> it is supersized. men's coats from izod. the ties from serica. the wrap scarf from beryll. the portolano gloves that natalie stole, the purse, the ayers beauty set, lena wald necklace, dl & company candles and the wrapping paper. let's send it over to matt. i have suze orman. how do you know if you've been scammed? >> you just checked your credit card statement or credit report go to annualcreditreport.com. it's free! that's what you need to

you're watching today in the bay. >> good wednesday morning. it's 8:26. i'm sam brock. thanks for joining us. another wet morning around the bay area. many places have not seen this much rainfall in at least a couple of years. here's a live look right now at downtown san jose, where the back end of this morning's storm is still kind of rolling through. the rush of water left some drivers stranded in san jose this morning, including one very unlucky woman along the alameda near s.a.p. center. that woman was forced to wade from her car to safety. you see there several feet of standing water. crews had to clear a nearby clogged drain to get the car out, but those scenes playing out all over the bay area roadways. for a check of what's closed, we'll check in with mike.

>> there's been reports all around the bay right now, still a couple lanes closed at the sausalito exit. here in the south bay, water on the lens causing a odd effect, but this is north of 680, wet roadways here as the sun comes out. stlouer drives northbound throughout, flooding at 101 and first street. things are better crossing the bay view and dunbarton or san mateo bridges, but slow because of the build to the commute starting to calm down now. earlier flooding here. bart delays into san francisco. back to you. >> some issues for drivers this morning, no doubt.

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8:30 now on this wednesday morning. it's the 3rd of december, 2014. and our holiday toy drive is in full swing now. that is pauly shore, collecting toys this morning. and right behind him, paddington bear helping out this morning. we'll be talking to pauly in a couple of minutes, and a documentary on his life coming up in our next half hour. soon you'll be able to catch this guy right here, paddington,

on the screen. the first movie based on the popular children's series out january 16th. other stars like nicole kidman, lending their voices to paddington as well. >> he's also donating these stuffed toys, dolls to our toy drive. >> i loved paddington as a gkid more of our naughty and nice toys, elementary set will be testing out the toys, including this year's hottest gifts. does our panel approve? what do you guys think? like it? >> that is so cute. suze orman is here to protect you from the holiday scams that you can get caught up in. and the very talented and beautiful actress rosario dawson is here. first let's get a check of the weather. >> it will clear up in the northeast. rain will be coming to an end. plenty of sunshine through the plains. more heavy rain, northern california, parts of oregon into southern california. look for gulf coast sunshine.

for the christmas tree lighting tonight, winds out of the west at 10 to 15. scattered clouds, temperatures mid to upper 40s. great night for everybody to come down to rockefeller center. tomorrow, more rain through the mid mississippi river valley, into texas. wet weather into southwest. mountain snows in the cascades, sierra. look for wet weather there as well. sunshine returns to the eastern seaboard. temperatures start to moderate through the gulf coast, good morning to you. the time is 8:32. some good news from all the rain we've received. showers are starting to let up, but some great totals to tell you about. over three inches, almost three and three quarters in san francisco since sunday. that's more rain than we've seen, four days in all of 2013. and that takes 18.5% of the total amount necessary to get out of the drought. just over four days. i want to show you san jose. we're still picking up heavy rainfall down here. otherwise showers starting to

really let up. >> and what a cutie. who is this? >> caroline. >> she is gorgeous. matt? >> for most of us, the holiday season is a pretty busy time. that holds true for criminals as well. seasonal scams to watch out for is our good friend, suze orman, host of the suze orman show. >> good morning to you matt. >> comes to holiday time, you might as well hang a big old sign outside of your house saying i'm ready to spend money. and the criminals see that. >> they see that because you're more into spending than saving. >> you just purchased something online. now you get a notification to confirm your package delivery. what do you have to watch out for? >> here is what will happen. two things. normally what will also happen, you could come home and see on your door a little tag that says tried to deliver the package. you weren't here. please give us a call. you call them. they ask you for information. you give it to them and, guess

what, it's not them. >> what would they ask you for? credit card or social security number? >> prove to me that it's you. if anybody in any situation, whether it's online or not, it's asking you for information. do not give it to them. they should have the information that you need. >> often times this time of the year, and i think this happened to you, you'll get a call from your bank saying we're noticing a lot of activity on your credit card. where is the scam there possibly? >> the scam is it wasn't even my bank. we see activity on your american express card. they didn't address me by name or say anything else, on your american express card. please call this number. now i knew that it wasn't them because they don't have the number i was at. so be very careful. if anybody calls you, do not call them back at the number they give you. call them back at the number that is on your card and see if they really called you or not. >> a lot of people going into the store today and the next couple of weeks. in their wallet they have a debit card and credit card.

which should they be using through the holiday season? >> truthfully, cash but use a credit card. >> why? >> you're protected so much more with a credit card by how it works than a debit card and many debit cards are connected to your savings account. they can get all the information and there you go. use a credit card. like i said to you, check your credit card statements to see if you've been scammed. >> especially in the months of january and february. you have a lot of charges on there. go through them carefully to see if they're all yours. >> chances rrks they're not. or if you bought something you can be charged twice for it. you never know. just look at your credit card statements. it's not a big deal, people. >> this one is going to get me. you go to a public place during the holidays or any time. you have wifi. you want to log on. you say be very careful. >> really careful. >> before public wifi. >> god forbid we should just use 3g, 4g. how do you know whose wifi system it is? you could be logging on to

somebody's wifi that isn't the airports. >> you mean someone set up a hot spot? >> absolutely, getting all your information. now they have your information and now you're primed to have your identity stolen. >> it seems they have gotten more sophisticated. phishing scams seem passe but they're still around. >> hey, we have a great discount for you. go and do this. be very careful. how do you know it's really the retailer contacting you? be very careful of any retailer link that you connect to, it might not be what you think. >> gift cards are so popular this time of year. you say be very careful where you're buying them. >> buy them from behind the counter. those that are out for everybody. thieves are coming, scanning the numbers. they then put them back. you then buy them. they keep checking. once you activated, now they can steal all the money on that card. only buy a gift card if it's

held behind the counter. >> wow! we're going to call you mrs. grinch from now on. >> just use cash. just use cash. >> suze orman, always good to have you here. >> thanks, matt. >> thank you very much. coming up, more tips on today.com. and up next, naughty or nice? putting the toy's hottest seasons for elementary kids in the experts themselv sexperts, d

♪ we're back at 8:39 with our series, naughty or nice, kids put toys to the test, and we put the hottest new toys in the hands of kids and parents, and each one was reviewed by families around the country. this morning we are focusing on the early school years, ages 5 to 8. stephanie is co-founder.

remind us of the criteria. >> we asked parents to look at the packaging. how easy was it to get the toy out of the box. we asked them to look at the quality of the toy and design, and assembly, were the instructions clear? was it fun? that's the big question, right? and we asked kids to score the toy and also the parents, and sometimes those didn't match up, which brings us to our first toy. and one of the kids wanted to give it the double perfect score, but his mother thought the motor of it was noisy for the apartment building. >> you have to mount it to the wall. >> another parent thought that all of these instructions were a bit much and not as clear as could be, so it got a 23 overall. and then this is a mouthful.

it's a max trax racer tracer, and they light up, the tracks light up and glow in the dark, and you turn on the cars and the cars lead a tracer of light, which will be demonstrated for us over there, but you have to be in the dark room to make it work. parents wish there were more accessories and you can buy other loops and track options. >> it only comes with the one c car? >> no, comes with two. and you can build on it. and then james is working on the lego "star wars" star fighter, and that's the only toy for the whole week that got a perfect score. parents love that it really goes together and their kids have a prop for pretend play and it got

high marks for clarity of instructions. and erin is working on ro roominates. it has circuits where you can turn the lights on, and when the circuit is connected proper it can spin. >> it looks complicated. >> it's something you can do with parent and child, and erin is older so she will be fine on her own. that was the parents had that there were a lot of pieces to it. and then kids love to make things that they can show up and enjoy, and this is one of the hot toys of the season. this is so cool from spin master. the idea is that kids get the sense of sewing, but the needle is basically inclosed so you don't have that injury issue. parents wanted to test this toy

and some kids thought it was fun and engaginengaging, and some p said it jammed, and you can only use their fabric or felt, and so it lost a few points on that basis and got a 23. and then there's a headbands kit. i like giving kids craft for the holidays and they are home and need an activity. they have lots to do and can share with a friend. ten headbands. and this is wonderful, these are journey girls from toys "r" us. our testers loved them because they said they were almost too beautiful. this collection of dolls are going to london, that's the theme, and they are $39.99. you don't have to spend a fortune to get a beautiful doll. and one comment was that they

take a long time to get out of the packages, very complicated. and then this is the "it" toy of the season, and our kids loved him. he was very hard to get out of the packaging. he is motion activated. he also has a remote control. one of the parents said the remote did not work so lost points on that. >> stephanie, thank you so much. we'll see you tomorrow. if you want to know more about the reviews you just saw, go to today.com. tomorrow we'll have toys for tweens. rosario dawson and what it's like to be directed by chris rock. first this i

we're back now at 8:46 with one of the stars of the movie

"top five," rosario dawson plays a journalist who follows chris rock's character around the city for a day. they get to talking about comedians and authors. >> i say that and they're like, yeah, i really love -- i'm like, you haven't read truman capote. stop! >> even jesus didn't tell his followers everything. >> eddie murphy. >> i once saw murphi and michael jackson within two months of each other and eddie was better. >> too much love no love at all, that kind of broke my heart. >> rosario dawson, good to see you. >> good to see you. >> two words, chris rock. >> love, j'adore. >> he was here monday. >> i've known him since i was 19. we took our banter that we have

in real life and trying to translate it into this movie. he saying the crazy things he does and me putting rainbows. he's kind of the stick in the mud. >> it also ups the ante for an actor when you start shooting it. >> he says i probably auditioned him for this movie. when i read it, i was like, this is really great. that's awesome. have fun with that. and he was like, wait, no! i like this character a lot. she wasn't jumping off the page at me. my grandmother had passed and i said i need a break. he said we will be collaborative. i want to make it happen. and i fell in love with chelsea brown. it was exciting. >> we see that clip. i showed another clip when chris was here on monday. there's an incredible banter. i know chris is a big fan of woody allen. it reminds me of a woody allen type of banter but heavily reliant on timing and rhythm. >> yes. >> did it come naturally?

>> yes. >> what do you mean? >> comedic timing. he would just -- as much as i would say we need more space to get to this part, and he would go absolutely. we ended up even reshooting. we had ton one seen on union square we shot three times and went back to the location over and over again. i was like, i love you, but it's not working yet. we did reshoots and we added a scene in a liquor store that hadn't been there before. on the other side when i'm having to do things with with hot sauce and anders is there and he's super game. i'm like, really, do i have to? he's like, you have to do this with two fingers. he knows his comedy, i know my drama and it was a good fit. >> he is a little intimidating. as an interviewer -- >> he is not intimidating. >> it is. you know you're sitting across from one of the greatest stand-up comedians of the last ten years. >> he will be impossible if you

continue. >> i already told him that. it's such a nice holiday story. you recently adopted a daughter. >> yeah. i very rarely talk about tabloid speculation. this is not an exception. my family is incredibly private, most of us anyway. i don't think anyone is going to be writing a book any time soon. just because we're too lazy. >> it's such a sweet story. >> no. believe me, if anyone were to talk about this, including myself, they would be like, no, you're out. mum's the word but i'm really glad to be here to talk about "top five." thank you. >> you get the drama, he gets the comedy but you cross over into comedy a lot. >> he got me. he got me to cross over. it was very exciting. >> rosario, good to see you. >> good to see you, too. >> "top five" opens friday. and up

we know what that music means. we are back with "the voice" on "today." after a triple elimination, one of the coaches is without a team. carson gets us updated with how it all went down. ♪ that your dreams came true >> last night, america cast their votes and decided which of the top eight contestants on "the voice" made the right song selection and would advance to

the semi finals. america saves taylor john williams. >> coach gwen instead stefani w quite sold on "royals" by pop star lorde. >> what if we did something like -- ♪ >> sounded -- i don't know. maybe it was too weird. try it again. >> he stuck to his gun and performed it his way. ♪ we'll never be royals >> turns out he made the right call. fans loved it and voted him through to the next round. >> all the choices that he's making, i'm questioning. i'm like, are you sure you want to do that? that's crazy and he's like, yeah, i'm sure. and that's why i really wanted him on my team. how you do your little shuffle shuffle. >> i love that she challenges me and she wants to know why i want to do something. she trusts me but doesn't just let me say i want to do this and

then say, okay. >> in a season packed with superstar performances, the top eight performed nick jonas" as he performed his single "jealous". ♪ i still get jealous. >> as a signed artist singing my song, it was nerve-racking. >> the nerves really kicked in as three singers were eliminated from the competition. five remain to battle it out next week. three of them from team adam. >> adam is such a good coach. >> there is now definitely a chance where all three of us could end up in the finals. >> team pharrell is out of the running. >> there will always be a team pharrell. >> ultimately i plan to be on the show. they're super talented. ♪ >> for "today," carson daly, nbc news, los angeles. >> no team pharrell. >> i know. i can't believe it.

>> that is unreal. >> he was in shock. >> i'm in shock. >> we all are. >> exactly. you can catch "the voice monday and tuesday nights here on nbc. >> by the way, natalie doesn't like gwen's hair. >> ow shrks. >> i love her as a plain platinum blond. i'm not sure about those blackeneds. >> wow! pauly shore is coming up.

you're watching today in the bay. >> and a good wednesday morning to you. it's 8:56. i'm sam brock. a developing story right now. our chopper live over the west oakland bart station. there are major delays right now through the transbay being felt. the problem, a small fire reported earlier on the tracks near san francisco's embarcadero bart station. that clogged everything up temporarily, allowing one train

coming in and out of san francisco at a time. they have cleared that up, but there are still residual delays we continue to follow. the weather a big story, the bay area getting doused from the latest storm. a live look at downtown san jose. christina says this should get better come early afternoon, but something we'll continue to follow. more updates in 25 minutes.

>> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today's take" with al roker, natalie morales, willie geist and tamron hall, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. welcome to "today" on this special wednesday morning here in new york city and rockefeller plaza. it's december 3rd, 2014. and that means we're lighting up that big old christmas tree right across the way. >> huge crowd already. >> big crowd assembling for that. i'm willie along with al, natalie, tamron. you know that by now. >> right now, in that dead zone between thanksgiving and christmas. >> happy holidays. >> yeah. >> tree lights, boom.

>> then it's all bets are off. you can come with any holiday you like gl and you can start playing the tune. >> they've been playing them at least for a week. >> i watch -- >> lots of people argue with me about that. >> we've had this conversation. >> by some people you mean -- >> "die hard." >> we maintain, the ladies, that "die hard" is not a christmas movie, blowing up buildings and terrorists. >> ho, ho, ho. >> hans gruber is kind of like -- he's my santa claus. great performance. lady gaga. tony bennett, cyndi lauper, idina menzel. >> the very talented -- >> darius rubbing rucker.

>> if you're here in new york, come down and join us. >> there's a bonus hour that starts at 7:00 on some local station. >> what's the bonus hour? >> it's more of us. >> and more of the performers. >> and more of the performers. mostly performers, little of us. performers, us. >> cool. >> you guys see this video? we had this on earlier in the newscast. this is coming to us out of eastern china. take a look. a woman who -- she was driving along and -- do we have the video? she's driving along. she goes into the canal. falls in. she's in there for a couple of minutes. thank goodness there were some bystanders who actually used their clothing to help rescue her and pull her to safety. it's incredible that she was okay otherwise. >> we run this back from the beginning, here is what --

>> she hits the pole. >> she hits the circle and that knocks her into the water. >> you're so crazy. >> they have a barrier. was she speeding? >> she hit the pole and that ejected -- >> it was bobbing up and down like an apple. >> do you have that fear when you're going over bridges or near canals? if it's a windy day especially, i hang on and my hands are at 2:00 and 10:00 on the steering wheel. >> oh, sure. >> the florida bridge near tampa, the bridge that never ends. >> the bridge -- >> the keys. >> gosh! >> i still see where they blew the bridge up, "true lies." >> that's what i think of. where he holds on -- >> that's the best. >> guy movies. >> you never seen true -- jach y

jamie lee actually. >> the little boy runs in the airplane, holds up the sign, tells her he loves her. >> one thing we can agree on. >> what? >> brian williams is america's anchor. >> yes, he is. >> and he marked his tenth anniversary the ""nbc nightly news"." the only way you can mark an anniversary, join jimmy fallon. >> if you want me to stop taking executive action. ♪ my pres obama don't my pres obama don't ♪ ♪ my pres obama don't want none unless you pass a bill hon ♪ >> congratulations on hosting the 16th hour of the "today" show. >> excuse me, jimmy. how long have you been behind your desk?

>> ooh. >> ten months. >> ooh. >> and then it goes on into peter pan. all right, peter pan sr. >> i love that. >> peter pan will be amazing tomorrow night. >> tomorrow night. 8:00, right? >> i cannot wait. >> watching television with family week. >> it is. >> i like that. i like that. >> go on nbc and rip off the dial, man. just leave it right there. >> take the batteries out. >> out of the remote. >> olden days you ripped off the dial. >> when there were actual dials. i'm old enough, i remember -- i remember back in the day, you had two dials on your tv. you had one that went from two to 13. then a little slide that didn't even click that went from 14 to 107. that was uhf. >> remember we had to adjust the antenna? >> there were two separate antenna, the rabbit ears, then there was a circle.

and you had to try to find -- >> back in my day, we had that, too. >> yeah. but you were probably -- you were probably sitting there on your mama's lap. >> on your mama's lap. >> i remember adjusting those rabbit ear. >> i love that natalie is your backup. you go and she's like, yeah. >> what happened to you? >> my dad had a remote. he would go up to one of those, change the channel. channel five. okay. >> is that all we need? >> if i had been smart enough, i would have moved one kid over. there were six of us. >> cackling over here. oh, my god. >> with that exact act. unbelievable. we did a survey this week about the most popular baby

names of the year. >> right, baby center. >> baby center.com released the top baby names, mason, liam, olivia, ava. >> all in my kids class. >> now parents are kicking themselves saying i thought it was so unique when i chose it five, six years ago and it turns out everyone was naming their kids the same thing. >> liam was a cool name. officer kid i knew as liam. now it's everywhere. >> my son, nicky, had three other nicky's in his class, three other nicholases in his class. nicky, nicholas, nicholas s. and ni nicky r. >> they call her lucy g. at class. and that kind of stuck. sometimes we call her lucy g. >> don't say that. we have a colleague.

the kid's name is sophie. there were three other sophie's out of the class. they had taken out of the class because they wanted her to feel special. >> what? >> like a sophie's choice. >> true story. true(;s)xstory. >> huh? >> true story. had her taken out of the class because she felt like she blended in and they wanted her to feel unique and special. >> home school her? >> no, no. there was another second grade class. >> you said they took her out. >> took her out of that one class. >> oh, okay. i don't know. people do that. >> no, no. they took her out of that particular class and had her moved -- >> back in my day, you said take her out, it meant something else. >> what is happening to you? >> i don't know. >> dr. google. >> i'm sorry. >> wednesday. there's a trend happening at some fancy restaurants, some high-end restaurants. they are actually switching to advanced ticketing system. what that means is you pay for your meal when you make the

reservation. so before you get there, before you get a feel of the place, before you get out of your car, you pay for your meal. not refundable. >> what? >> service charge is included. bar bill paid at the restaurant. you walk in. boom, bam. >> what? >> couple of things. these are literally the fanciest restaurants in the united states. >> right. >> great restaurants. >> just high end. >> i'm telling the audience at home. the reason they do this is because no-shows kill restaurants. >> yes. >> if a bunch of people don't show up -- >> i guess if it's a large party or big table that you're reserving but if it's me and my husband going out to dinner -- >> the babysitter doesn't show -- >> no show kills restaurants. bad food kills me. i want to be able to eat my food and pay if it's delicious or not. especially if it's high-end. if i get a meal that's terrible or service is bad -- >> you run out the door. >> no, i'm saying, if it

happens -- i rarely -- i don't send anything back because i was a waitress and you don't ever want to do that. eat it or go home hungry. you don't want to send your food back. with that said, i think that's a little shady. i don't like that. >> when you call for reservation and they ask for a credit card number, i don't know. not doing it. >> i understand the business side of things but the bottom line is your job is to make your customers happy. >> seems like they're taking advantage of you. >> a customer's world. if you're in the service industry. >> #pay before #pay after. if you're a restaurant owner go to our page and explain why this makes sense. >> ahead of time for my mcrib. >> they don't make those anymore, do they? >> yeah, they do. certain places. they're limited.

anyway, we are not limited as far as rain is concerned. out in california, flash flood watches, central and southern california where we're talking about heavy rain. still moving in to the area. in fact, you can see, heavy showers and thunderstorms now moving into stran. some mountain snows. also rain continuing into southern california as well. we'll be watching this now over the next 24 hours. in fact, three-year deficit -- they need the rain. almost 27 inches below normal, 27 inches down as far as rainfall in los angeles. san diego more than a foot down. they do need this rain. as it comes in, they're going to get t unfortunately, it's all coming very heavily at the same time. and these burn areas where they've had the wildfires, there's no vegetation to hold the soil in. we also have the flood watches. mudslides are in danger. one to two inches of rain possible in the mountains. could be even more. and you've got wind gusts to 45

miles per hour. it will be a mess for another 24 hours in northern and all right, al. that's what we're talking about here at home. you can see the radar still lit up from santa rosa down into the santa cruz mountains. valley floor picked up an inch since midnight and in the north bay, two and a half inches. we have more rain trailing along the coastline. the core moves over the bay area, that's when we're expecting another round of severe thunderstorms, maybe even lightning. back into the 60s with showers and thirms ending by tonight. >> and that's your latest weather. >> all right, al. up next, we will always love him as the weasel, but pauly shore has had some success since those this holiday.

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we first met pauly shore with his alter ego. we have seen him since then in "encino man" and more. he just said ugh. hitting the road, doing stand up across the country. in a new documentary "pauly shore stand as loan." take a look. >> the show, everything that i've done since i started has meant something to some people. it's one of the reasons why i'm always on the road, to give them the calming and love and for me to receive the calming and love. it's reciprocal. >> pauly shore, good morning. >> yeah, it's true. yeah, it's true. you go out there, you get it,

you give it. it's reciprocal. >> "pauly shore stand as loan" is about your life on and off the road. >> yeah. >> you're getting rid of the schtick a little bit here and showing us more the real side of you. >> in this particular -- i kind of -- i remember joan rivers did that documentary. i think it -- i forgot the title of it. was it called "a piece of me" or -- >> yeah, i think you're right. >> where she dropped everything and just rolled. that's what i did in this documentary. you guys saw it. they sent you a link to it. so it's relatable. i'm out there, busting my butt on the road, playing these small towns, telling jokes, you know, making a living and, you know, it's -- and then, you know, the stuff with my family, dealing with my mom's stuff and all that stuff. i'm not goofing off.

it's just like straight. i think it's hilarious, too, thoug though. >> for those of you who don't know, your mom, mitsy shore, she founded the comedy store, launched so many careers like jay leno, all these folks. were you destined, do you feel, to do stand up or did it come naturally? >> i think it's similar to a lot of kid that is fwroe up in the entertainment business. charlie sheen was into it with his father, martin sheen. i have two brothers and a sister. my one brother does real estate. my other brother say psychologist. my sister teaches stand-up. stand-up comedy -- i even talk about it in the film. it's not one of the things that you choose. it chooses you. like i can't wait to get to tennessee. there's that ov and there's that

thin thing. i don't care about the flying, hotels, the bad food. i care about getting up there and feeling that connection with people. it's like the best. >> is that easier than being at home and dealing with your mom has parkinson's and dealing with the harder issues? >> yeah. it's interesting because you would think it would be the opposite. you always hear rock bands, yo, i can't wait to get home. fo r me, i can't wait to get on the road. the road is like my home. i'm dealing with my mom -- you're telling me your father. >> my dad, yeah. >> your dad has parkinson's. my mom has great care. she's doing awesome. awesome caregiver named alfred, who takes care of her. but it's sad. being around the comedy store it's a little bit sad. she started it with my father. that's my childhood place. so it's like, it's heavy, you know. >> but there is humor in the film as well.

pauly shore, thank you very much. >> thank you. >> watch "pauly shore stands alone" on showtime. >> watch "pauly shore stands alone" onmusical chairs. fun, right? welllllllll, not when your travel rewards card makes it so hard to get a seat using your miles. that's their game. the flights you want are blacked out. or they ask for some ridiculous number of miles. honestly, it's time to switch to the venture card from capital one. with venture, use your miles on any airline, any flight, any time. no blackout dates. and with every purchase, you'll earn unlimited double miles. from now on, no one's taking your seat away. what's in your wallet? from now on, no one's taking your seat away. okay buddy, what's your favorite kind of cheerios? honey nut. but... chocolate is my other favorite... but apple cinnamon is my favorite too... and fruity... oh yeah, and frosted! okay, but...what's you're most favorite of all? hmm... the kind i have with you.

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taking a look at headlines, takata is defying u.s. regulators, defying a midnight deadline, facing fines up to $35 million. they insist a demand for recall nationwide is not necessary and the united states doesn't have the authority to tell a manufacturer to order a recall. suffering from moderate to severe depression and many are not getting help. according to the center for health statistics, the groups most likely to be affect are people between the ages of 40 and 59 years old and women regardless of age. the report also finds people living below the poverty line are more than twice as likely as others to suffer from depression. people with severe depression only one-third say they have spoken with a medical or mental health professional about it within the last year. some new research suggests that many chest x-rays done on

children are unnecessary. a study at the mayo clinic looked at hundreds of pediatric chest x-rays and researchers found only 12% of those patients had pneumonia, bro inform chial infections or some other lung problem. they say it exposes children to unnecessary radiation. new study suggesting added benefit from the mediterranean diet. british medical journal study found those who ate had fewer signs of aging. earlier studies showed that it protected against heart disease and this new study show it is may protect your dna. you see a shark jumping out of the water it. the amateur photographer taking picture notified competition organizers. they cleared the water.

the surf er near the shark said he was not worried because he "we can climb the highest mountain, reaching up to catch our dream together there is nothing we can't be. dive into the deepest oceans, dance upon the rolling seas, make a moment, keep the memory." "you'll lift me up, for we are free, v/o: "wherever life takes you, take it with you." pandora: unforgettable moments. losing your chex mix too easily?

deploy the boring potato chip decoy bag. with a variety of tastes and textures, only chex mix has twenty bags of interesting. pick your mix. good morning, i'm sam brock. it's 9:26 on your wednesday and the bay area continues to get soaked for a second straight day, causing plenty of headaches for drivers and residents alike. look at this, a car sitting in the middle of that pool of water in mill valley. live look where we're getting reports of extreme flooding on miller avenue and al monte boulevard near highway 101. it's the 101 junction, where we are seeing reports of the most flooding. definitely having an impact on the roadways. we are going to keep you abreast of everything we know as soon as we get more information on that. now to a live look at downtown san jose. the bay area is receiving some of the heaviest rainfall it's seen in years, really.

the latest storm started rolling in a little after midnight, leaving some streets flooded. making matters worse for some commuters this morning, major delays on bart through the trans bay, too. our chopper flew over the west oakland bart station about 30 minutes ago. service from bart is now back to normal, but there are still residual backups after smoke reported near the embarcadero station earlier this morning. they had to single track it for awhile, causing residual delays. more on that, as well. a look at weather coming up right after this break.

♪ wow something sounds sweet in here!!!! ♪ need a little honey in the bowl. yeah!!! badabopbopbopa!!! no? must be the honey!!! welcome back now. 9:28. we have heavy rain moving through the north bay. that's the heavy stuff moving through santa rosa, napa, and we are still watching along the coastline. later on this afternoon, another round of storms is going to move through and around noon, 1:00, 2:00, that's where we're going to see the main core push overhead, then things become more spotty. we are talking about showers and thunderstorms later on this

afternoon and evening, just like we saw last night. today's highs cool, obviously, with the rain in place, only in the 60s. let's check the drive with mike. >> still a wet, slippery drive. look at here san jose, 101, northbound routes very slow. likely yesterday, a late commute really holding on. slow south 17, as well. keep that in mind, slower on each side of the bay. typical towards fremont and palo alto. saw the flooding in the north bay, marin, mill valley, over here, slow and shaky as the wind starts to build. back to you. >> how about this, mike, in three days, as much rain as we've seen in san francisco in all of last year, just amazing. another update for you in 25 minutes.

welcome back to "today" on this wednesday morning, december 3rd, 2014. nice crowd gathering outside, getting ready to light up that tree out there in rockefeller plaza. i'm willie with al, natalie and tamron. you're going to lead us through a taste test. >> try some different coffee here. let start with the blue mug. >> sure. >> okay. all right. get a little sip. >> it's good. >> okay. >> cleanse your palate with a sip of water. >> you're not a coffee guy. >> do the cloear mug now. >> i drink my coffee with milk in the morning, milk and sugar. >> this is about the different kinds of coffee.

>> okay. >> and then the white mug. >> hide it a little bit. >> we're not telling the brand. >> poker face is not good. >> okay? all right? >> so strong. >> which one tastes the strongest to you, transparent, blue or white? >> transparent for me. >> blue. >> blue. wow! >> really? a recent study at the federation university, which sounds suspect to me, people's perception of the taste of coffee differed depending on the color of their mug. the white mug should have tasted strongest or most bitter. >> this is all the same coffee? >> all the same coffee. different mugs. >> i was going to say i think they're all the same. >> the white in people's mind, the concentration of the brown reinforced. >> is it darker the color, i think, because of the white? >> right. >> the bolder the flavor you think. >> or by the third one, your tongue is overwhelmed by the

bitterness. >> there's that. >> we like cream and sugar. >> the big question is, why would one study this? >> because we don't have much else going on. and you figure there's some tv station in america that will run it. >> because any of these studies, here's willie. what's the point of this? >> what are you thinking at home? >> and, again -- >> study from australia, kay? >> our producer, kay, who is from australia. >> she is. >> will take any opportunity to, you know -- >> i think she gets a kick out of -- >> she's trying to validate her continent. >> coming in with all these fabulous out fits every day. getting a kickback. >> talking about all the rain out west. hoo take a look. right now, heavy rain going on around the san francisco bay area. we asked folks to tweet out their pictures. crews trying to remove multiple cars trapped in deep water in san francisco near cesar chavez.

and this also, watch out for flooding. cars stuck from san francisco to san jose. folks thank you for tweeting those to us. it's really pretty amazing. and then hold on a sec. here's another one from nick smith news. nonstop rain pushing sewers to their max. backed up water causing that's right. 9:33 the time right now. still a very active morning, even though we're seeing showers taper down, you can see we have a few pockets in santa rosa and more showers continue to develop just near the monterey bay. all of this activity is going to move in throughout the day. we are not done, in fact, right around noon, 1:00, line of storms is going to push through. then after that, scattered showers and thunderstorms through the evening. temperatures cool with rain and clouds in place only in the mid to upper 60s.

>> and that's your latest weather. helping hundreds of deserving kids rest easy with simple nightly comfort. >> being able to read to our kids as we tuck them in at night is something we take for granted. one woman wants to make sure every child has that opportunity. >> on the list, pajamas, books, stuffed animals. these aren't just any gifts. they are comfort items. >> a comfort item is anything that makes you feel good, makes you feel safe at night. >> it's the mission of the precious dreams foundation, founded two years ago by nicole russell. the goal? to help children in transition, foster care, homeless shelters and underserved communities. >> most children have comfort items, whether it be a favorite blanket or bear that they sleep with at night. sometimes parents read stories to their kids before they go to

sleep. to know that there are a lot of children that don't have these items and they are sleeping in unfamiliar and uncomfortable environments, they need these items more than anyone. >> with the help of fellow volunteers, nicole puts together these sweet dream bags. each item hand picked for the boy or girl receiving it. >> for ann marie. she's 9 years old and a size 12. >> nicole likes to say it all began with a miracle. >> the idea for precious dreams actually came foov yeaive years. my mom took in a little girl miracle, who used to suffer from nightmares because of things that happened to her before she came to live with our family. >> nicole knew she could help many more kids like her sister and partnered with the department of homeless services, as well as foster agencies throughout new york. >> precious dreams really fills a unique need.

at that time of night, in bed alone, sometimes can be the most difficult time. >> but what really makes precious dreams special goes beyond the bags. >> i didn't really have a home. i was moved from home to home, different foster care units and my parents weren't around. >> at each comfort drop, speakers and volunteers share their own experiences. >> i always pushed myself to make sure i got through whatever challenges that came my way. >> and get to know the kids themselves, attacking nightmares and encouraging the right kind of dreams. >> we're going to go around. i'm going to ask each of you to tell me what it is that you want to be when you grow up. >> i want to be a computer technician. >> i want to be a teacher. >> a doctor. >> i want to be an artist. >> artist and i want to build. >> being called out is a big

deal for these kids. >> trying to give as many kids possible comfort and precious dreams. >> i'm not going to have any more bad dreams. >> when the children feel comfortable at night, they're able to sleep better, then they wake up with more hope. that's something that we want for all children. >> right now precious dreams serves the new york city area with two comfort drops a month. one of her goals is to open new chapters in 2015. to learn more about precious dreams, head to our website, today.com. coming up next, we'll show you how some great holiday coming up next, we'll show you how some great holiday getaways for the what you're doing now, janice. blogging. your blog is just pictures of you in the mirror. it's called a fashion blog, todd. well, i've been helping people save money with progressive's discounts. flo, can you get janice a job? [ laughs ] you should've stuck to softball! i was so much better at softball than janice, dad. where's your wife, todd? vacation. discounts like homeowners', multi-policy -- i got a discount on this ham.

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al, there's nothing like fake snow falling across the tv screen. >> i thought that was dandruff. if you're thinking of taking a great vacation with your family, here with the best winter wonder lands out there. christmas is coming right up. >> only three weekends away, breev it or not. >> great wolf lodge. i love these. >> have you ever been? >> i have. >> it's amazing. there's 12 locations throughout the country. and they have indoor water parks, which is awesome when it

is really cold outside, like it is in here. you can go inside and they have all these slides and water activities. they also transform the hotel in a winter snow land for kids. you can also dine inside of a real gingerbread house, gigantic gingerbread house. you can't eat the gingerbread house, but you eat inside of the gingerbread house. >> by the end of the season, the house is gone. >> eat the walls for dessert. >> it's $199 a night for a suite there. gaylord hotels has a bunch of locations including a good one in nashville, i must say. what are they providing this holiday season? >> they have an exhibit called ice, aptly named because they have colored ice sculptures and a giant ice slide that kids can slide down. this is really cool. they also have an exhibit of frosty the snowman made out of ice. they start at $256 a night.

>> different from the ice slide you had in college. and let's go to the self-described sweetest place on earth, hershey, pennsylvania. >> hershey park. the land of chocolate. this time of year it transforms into candy lane where they have more than 2 million lights. 30 of the rides are open and they have live reindeer. i don't know if they get them on loan from santa or -- >> sure. >> -- what's going on. they have a trail that you can drive through in your car, two miles with 600 different light displays. that's really cool. if you're so inclined, if you want to have a snowball fight indoors, nice and snug, you can go to the hershey story museum and they'll let you just have at it. >> hershey park, getting it done. let's move out west to riverside, california, mission inn hotel and spa. >> historic hotel outside los

angeles. 4 million lights on display. gorgeous hotel. you can have sleigh rides and there's 400 amnitronic characters for kids that are praut to life for children. and the rates start there at $199. >> finally, missouri, center of the country, big cedar lodge. >> it's really cool. you can have an elf tuck you in at night. it's pretty cool. kids will get a real kick out of it. they also have -- if you get one of their little log cabins, you get a fully decorated christmas tree waiting for you upon arrival. >> that's cool. >> sanda, thank you so much. >> thank you for having me. the photo that has everybody talking. one of hollywood's hunkiest men beefing up for a meaty role. >> who is that? >> your pop fix. >> who is that? >> your pop fix. yum. ♪

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pop fix! >> pop fix time. raise your cups and mugs and your bottles if you are a baby, we start with bradley cooper's addiction mission. the 39-year-old star we love opened up about prepping for his film. the book is amazing as well and why he vowed to gain muscle the old-fashioned way. i did it naturally because i have been sober for ten years and didn't want to do anything. i had a conversation. can i do this in three months naturally, can i gain 30 pounds of muscle. i didn't know if i would be able to do it or not. thank god luckily my bleep body reacted fast. i didn't know the connection in gaining the muscle. why? >> chris kyle, i saw the movie, it's unbelievable. yeah, i guess you know, to do the role you really do have to be -- he was a huge guy.

>> taking anything that's not natural, put in your body, not even like steroids. so he did it naturally. >> the old-fashioned way. >> sobriety an inspiration. >> i put on 30 pounds but it wasn't muscle. >> speaking of beefing up can we talk about jake for a minute. everyone meaning me buzzing about this. >> that's snim. >> yes. >> this is for a film, the pounds he shed to play a cameraman in night crawler. it opened up next year. all in the same year. >> that can't be healthy. >> he said it tore up his metabolism. it was difficult but yeah, that's jake. >> this guy, he gives it all to his craft and he brings the best performances.

i would love to talk to him about that. >> playing a black man see what he does. >> let's move on. tom cruise, close call. according to the hollywood reporter while shooting scenes for mission impossible the 52-year-old star walked out on the street in front of the iconic double-decker bus. you see him. honking, create a big scene but he survived. so mission impossible scheduled to be released next yearment tom lose looks amazing. walking alone by himself. that clear video like high quality video there that someone shot. >> i think somebody -- there is tom cruise. >> no camera phone. >> could have been the paparazzi following him. >> wasn't he shooting a movie? >> in london. >> that wasn't a scene. there were other people who missed getting hit by the bus. >> happens all the time there. >> okay. >> tom cruise, give me an interview, i won't ask you that. the stars of the movie adaptation for the county jail

book suicide squad, so here we go. will smith will play villain, along side jared lado, and rounding out the cast, margo roberts. harley, and cara, a super model. release date in august. >> great cast. >> amazing. >> pop fix. >> that's your pop fix.

we've been collecting gifts for our 21st annual toy drive on their way to kids across the country. >> and joining us, publisher of little brown books for little readers. >> good morning, megan.

>> hi, megan. >> this is the best gift, the gift of books. what are you donating? >> $2 million worth of books. one of the ones we're donating is this funny book called "the secret life of squirrels" which is a photographer who took real pictures of real squirrels in her backyard. she created little sets and -- >> come on. >> making hot dogs. >> get out of here. >> taking a bath. >> secret life. >> why is it so important, a book as a gift? >> it's great for them to get toys but kids need to get books, have book in the home to develop a love of reading so that you can go back to them again and again. >> i'm getting that book today. >> you can come to the plaza and donate or online amazon.com/today show. >> quick

good morning, everyone, 9:56. scott mcgrew. another wet morning across the bay area. there are a lot of problems to tell you about. this is a live look from our chopper in san francisco. a sinkhole has opened up on lake street. at this point, aren't they all

lake street? crews trying to fix that there. our stephanie chuang is there, as well, she'll have an update during the 11:00 newscast. flooding also a major concern this morning. this is a look at mill valley. about 30 minutes ago, look at that. this is miller avenue, along with el monte boulevard. flooded near highway 101. well, let's talk to the man of the hour, anthony slaughter. >> seems like the lakes are everywhere here across the bay area. we have a shower right now, heavy cell making its way into san francisco and eventually into mill valley, right where you saw that flooded roadway. more heavy rain on the way within the next hour, then after that, look, more showers and thunderstorms forming along the core that's going to move through as we head through this evening, so not done just yet. rain is still in the forecast for the rest of the day and pretty heavy rain, especially in the next hour or so. we'll be here at 11:00 to track it for you for a full hour of news. let's toss things over to mike.

>> traffic and weather going together. over here we have some rain and more slowing as we head around 101 around the curve, also down to that flooding up in mill valley. over here the bay bridge, show you that shot if we have it, there we go, rain falling on the lens once again. traffic moving better, but look at the maps, we have the recovery that has to go on, slow through san rafael because of the closure and a couple of lanes in the area for marin and the approach. here it was slow southbound 880 through fremont and across the dunbarton bridge, san mateo bridge looking better. watch the wind, as well. potential there. northbound routes through the south bay still very slow and wet. back to you. >> all right, mike, thank you much. more local news coming up for you in a half hour. again, that sinkhole, lake and 7th.

>> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hodi kopke. >> hello, everybody. >> welcome to wednesday, december 3rd. we have a great show here. dean cain is here. >> and we have a big thing happening on our show today. our great friend, bobby thomas is back with an update on her journey to get pregnant.

she's here with her husband michael and her doctor. we've been dying to know what's going on with bobby. she's been drying ibf. >> very brave to share the whole experience. >> not very easy to do. >> we're curious to hear their news today. >> and we have the recipe for the dump cake. >> i love those. >> you put a can of coke in with the mix. >> yeah. >> you almost have to do nothing. >> you're kind of cooking. >> we are wearing the gloves, hat, scarf and apparently -- >> everything went crazy yesterday. >> we wore them during the show yesterday. >> and people were asking where did you get it? where did you get it? >> now we'll tell you. >> yeah. you can get these on amazon. >> all three together for the great price of -- >> 12.99. you get the scarf, which is know flaky. you get the hat, which looks so cute on you. and the gloves. all three for 12.99. >> and if you call now -- >> here's what you have to search for. it's hard on amazon.

search simplicity adult snowflak snowflake. >> something else will come up. >> you know it well. >> would you like some words of wisdom? >> all right. >> here it is. be strong. you never know who you're inspiring. >> who said that? >> i don't know. another google search. that quote is very appropriate. last night i did this event called the l'oreal women of worth. something karen fondue and her team puts on every year. they were amazing women around the country doing all kinds of things. mary k. hood is a brave woman that i introduced. diane keaton was there. a great bunch of women.

mika. look at blake lively. >> look how fantastic she looks. >> everybody kept looking at her. >> she has a great sense of styl style. >> is that red dress the same one you wore to the salvation army on monday night? >> it likely is. here's the thing. i'm out of clothes. i've worn, reworn and worn. i don't think i did wear that one. i was going to, but i didn't. >> you look gorgeous. >> we've been -- originally we were hoping to do "today" the musical as a live event. due to technical difficulties, and unions, we ended up not doing it this way. so we started taping yesterday. >> yeah. >> and as a result, it's coming out so great that we'll take our time doing it. and we are going to -- there's reg. we will bring it to you in a

couple of weeks during the holidays. everybody is having so up much fun with this. >> to see everybody decked out in outfits, singing, dancing. it was such, such fun. so you guys, we'll give you the date soon. tba, coming up between christmas and new years. sometime in the holiday time. >> we'll let you know as soon as we know. >> and the entertainer of the year -- >> the winner of entertainer of the year according to wshg ew i jimmy fault lon. his demo, and the age group of the kids watching his show, mainly 18 to 49. his demo is up 31%. higher than jay leno. >> the young kids know they'll get a different show from him. nothing bad about jay. just a new day. we were on fallon, apparently,

because he can't get through a show without mentioning us. >> pro, having afternoon tea with the mayor. con, having morning chardonnay with kathy lee and hoda. >> at least he's mentioning us. >> i don't understand that. >> what? >> so why should we question it. >> i think we should bring kate to the studio. >> all right. all right. >> #klg and hodawantkite. >> what hoda really wants is harry? >> who doesn't want harry. >> yesterday on fallon, brian williams was on. first, we love brian for a bunch of reasons. number one because he loves our show. >> yes. apparently. >> no. he's watching now. he slow jammed the news last night with jimmy fallon.

♪ my prez obama don't -- my prez obama don't want none ♪ >> hold up. it's your anniversary of "nightly news." from all of us here at nbc, we want to say congratulations on hosting the 16th hour of the "today" show. >> excuse me, jimmy, how long have you been behind your desk? >> ten months. plus five years if you count late night. >> no one counts late night. >> that's so peter pan senior. >> oh, okay. that's what we're doing in two days time my daughter gets to fly. we couldn't be prouder of her. >> i wonder who is more nervous, allison or her parents. >> can you imagine watching your daughter live? >> very exciting.

>> you know who else is excited? >> who? >> madonna. >> she is. >> she's posing topless again. okay. so, there -- >> is there anyone in the world who hasn't seen her topless? >> i don't think so. >> are three different covers of interview magazine featuring the material girl. this is the only one we could show on tv. inside, there's a topless shot that we censored. i wanted to see how we censored it. >> is that supposed to be m marlana dietrich? >> that's the smuckers jar thing, isn't it? >> yes. >> she's i think 56? >> 58? >> 56. she's 56. so, what do you think of that going topless at 56? what do you think of her going topless at 56? >> you don't want to know. you don't want to know. nobody cares what i think. >> i care. >> i let other people do what they want to do. you'll never see me doing it, baby. first of all, two cranes. time for "the voice."

this is the semifinals. the top five were revealed last night. three were eliminated. here's what we'll do. we'll watch the bottom four. only one person of these four was saved by america. we want to know who you think was saved. here are the bottom four. >> chris, danica, luke and ryan. ♪ ♪ ♪ every second of the night i live another life ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ nothing to hide

♪ could mean what i say ♪ so here i am >> i think america saved that last kid. >> i do, too. >> everyone was tweeting. we think we're right. let's see who was saved. >> america instantly saves chris jamison! we'll see you for the semifinals. >> okay. this is shocking. do you know what happened? >> no. what happened? >> pharrell has no singers left in the competition. pharrell was supposed to take the whole thing! >> wow. blake and gwen have one, adam has three. >> there are no girls -- no girls. >> i'm happy for adam, because he's not sexiest man alive anymore. he needed something. >> he has three? there are no women. >> that's surprising. >> i'm surprised there are no women. wow. all right. >> that's depressing.

>> we want to see your ugliest christmas sweaters. go to our facebook page, submit your pictures, we may show them on the air. >> thank you very much for sending in your everyone has a story stories. we have some amazing ones. we picked one. they all were worthy. thank you. >> coming up, just call him the king of christmas movies. dean cain has one more to his resume. >> and talking about exes, we'll get him to talk about those, maybe. ♪

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good puppy. good puppy. ok, well there you go. clearly they're excited that walmart has the hottest toys. get special financing when you use your walmart credit card. more ways to christmas joy. walmart. it wouldn't be the holiday season without a new movie starring -- >> dean cain. he's made not one, not two, but 16 christmas films. he'll be starting production on his 17th next month. his latest is called "merry ex-mas." >> you're running out of titles. >> no way. >> he plays a bodyguard accused of having an affair, of course, with his pop star client. >> oh, no. >> have we not seen that before?

despite his denials, his ex-wife doesn't believe it. >> let's see it. >> i think you need something more sophisticated. >> like you? >> keep it simple. >> i want simple. >> you want escape. >> escape from what? >> you want a list? >> put your name at the tippy-top. >> how about i put a six letter word up there -- a-f-f-a-i-r. >> never. >> be honest. >> you can't admit it that i did not have an affair. >> i don't have to because you did. >> a picture is not proof. you just can't be wrong. >> oh, because i'm always right. >> i'm sorry. but that's snappy dialogue. >> that's real life. >> that's real. >> christie and i have done a number of films together. we're great friends. it wasn't hard to get that quick snap. sometimes she would cut me off, too. >> like in a real relationship, like hoda's and mine. >> was there proof of the affair? was there a photograph? >> there was a photograph. a photo, it can be cropped, omit a lot of other things. my character was just too proud

to -- to really show her everything. >> okay. he didn't say anything. he thought she should believe him based on his words. they drifted apart and they get stuck many years later in a cabin they shared. they got snowed in like buffalo got snowed in a few weeks ago. >> didn't you write this with a couple of friends? >> we were sitting in a coffee shop talking about what kind of christmas movie to make. it was a lot of fun. we made one the year before. we were saying what should we do, what would be fun to do? we came up with the concept, pitched it to them. they said make the movie. >> it's a family affair. you your mom in it, your son in it. hello. >> it's christmas. it's family. >> what's your mom play? >> my mom plays my disapproving mother-in-law -- ex-mother-in-law. i'd say it's typecasting. she hadn't done anything in a while and she was a little nervous acting. i said mom, you're going to play yourself, disapproving of me. it's perfect. >> is she an actress? >> she is an actress. she was very good. >> what about your son? you beam every time you talk about him. >> that's my man.

he's in the film. he wanted to -- he said dad, make it simple. he's in this scene, he had one line. i wasn't there the day he shot which is probably better. he was great. he was fantastic. he liked it. i don't know if he wants to be an actor. he comes to visit the set on "hit the floor" where i have 14 dancers age 20 to 24, 26. >> more perfect than the next. >> he shows up on that set all the time. >> i wonder why. >> trying to figure it out. >> you are in your fourth season of "hit the floor?" >> we are starting our third season. we've been around for a while. we start in february. i love that show. it's a joy to go to work every day. it's also reason to want to make you get to the gym because those guys are in great shape. >> since you're the king of christmas movies. >> you won't ask about brooke? >> yeah, brooke is more important. >> tell us about brooke.

>> brooke is a wonderful, wonderful girl. we were college sweethearts. she's obviously written the book. i haven't gotten to the part where she talks about us. it's really insightful for me. we discussed a lot of things with her mother. her mother and i sometimes butted heads. it was really interesting to see how that all began. we didn't really get into that during our relationship. so i found it to be really raw. >> she says in the book she lost her virginity to you. is that what she said? >> i don't know if those are the exact words. >> i don't think a girl loses -- >> it's on my podcast. yes, it is. >> they give it. >> you know what? she said it was everything you would wish for your own daughter. >> wow. >> we were in love. she's a wonderful girl. >> she was in l.a. >> we love you and we're excited for your 16th, we are waiting with bated breath for your 17th. >> when is it happening? merry ex-mass premieres this sunday. >> she shared her personal journey to get pregnant with ivf. our be loved bobbie thomas is

here with the latest turn. >> we'll find out how she's doing coming up. ♪hark how the bells, sweet silver bells, all seem♪ ♪to say, throw care away. ♪from everywhere, filling the air♪ chex party mix. easy fifteen-minute homemade recipes you just pop in a microwave. like chocolate caramel drizzles. happier holidays. chex party mix. he told me there's a whole new way to treat sensitivity. he suggested i try new crest sensi-stop strips. [ male announcer ] just apply to the gumline of sensitive teeth for a quick 10 minutes. the special ingredient forms a lasting barrier that provides immediate relief

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for the past several months our good friend bobbie thomas has been honest about infertility and her effort to get pregnant through in vitro fertilization. she's been talking to us, documenting her appointments and procedures in a video diary. >> after four rounds of ivf, the doctors were able to get two viable embryos. on the day of the transfer she made another video. >> today is transfer day. unfortunately we did lose one of the embryos this morning and had to absorb that pretty quickly because we then had to realize how fortunate we were to have a second embryo to work with. we did get good news that the embryo looked great, and we are -- when i say we, my husband and i, michael, are on our way

to hopefully have a successful transfer. >> bobbie is here with her husband michael and her doctor shiva tall le'veon, an infertility specialist here in new york city. >> bobbie, we've been sitting patiently. >> it's been a while since i've been allowed to talk to both of you. >> what did you guys find out? >> share the news? >> still obviously super early in the process. so far the news has been great. >> it's so early and i'm so sorry that i didn't say anything sooner. >> we thought it was bad news. we really did. >> we've both been so sad looking this morning. >> well, a, i'm sick, been very sick in the morning. i love you both like family. it's been very hard to not share every bit of this. it's so hard to still believe. i'm so connected to so many of you out there who posted. i mean the thousands of comments

i've read, that didn't get this news. i just feel so fortunate to have the support and to have this opportunity. they already stuffed these in over here. >> they're not for you. >> my husband is an amazing and shiva is the best support system, doctor, everything in one. i just can't believe that after four rounds, surgeries, everything, losing the embryo. it's soon. i'm nervous because anything could happen. >> that's in a normal pregnancy, if there is such a thing. >> doctor, you tried different things there that are really cutting edge at your clinic. what did you do with michael and bobbie, with this embryo? >> so we had a kind of extensive discussion before everything and talked about standard ivf. i discussed some of the newer technology that we have where we

actually test the embryo prior to putting it back. so the main advantage to that is really lowering the miscarriage risk and increasing the possibility of that embryo implanting. that's what bobby and michael opted to do. that's why we kind of did several rounds. >> at what point is it that bobbie and michael can breathe a little sigh of relief and say, okay, we're on the way? >> we pass add big hurdle with the positive test. >> that means she's pregnant. >> exactly. >> can we say it? bobbie is pregnant. [ cheers and applause ] >> how do we know how far along she is? it gets crazy? >> with ivf everything is very calculated and we know everything very early on. she's about five weeks pregnant. so really very, very early. if we can make it i think through the next couple weeks and get a good heartbeat, then i think we can -- >> should she be on bed rest?

>> anything you want, you're going to get. >> how has this been for you? i know this is a journey for both of you. we've heard from bobbie. what's it been like for you? >> well, at this point it's very exciting, of course. we're just trying to stay positive. >> he's being nice. i have been so emotional with the hormones, and he's had to give me shots. he's let me cry and scream. >> it's been a challenge. it's not for the faint of heart. >> no, and it's not for the not truly in love either. >> can we give bobbie a hug? >> shiva, thank you so much. >> we love you, sweetheart. >> shiva, thank you so much. >> we love you, sweetheart. >> we're going to be ri they're going to love you. >> shiva, thank you so much. >>at famous footwear we're not just selling the hottest shoes of the holiday season. we're selling "here comes your future daughter-in-law" confidence this year give exclusive carlos santana boots.

only from famous footwear. victory is yours. fousugar. only six?ns. six grams of sugar? that's really good. excellent, delicious... and yummy! honey bunches of oats. tasty! yummy! you're watching today in the bay. >> good morning, everyone, 10:26. i'm scott mcgrew. boy, another wet one around the bay area, leaving some areas flooded. this is what it looked like above mill valley near tam high about 30 minutes ago. the streets along miller avenue

and el monte boulevard flooded. bart back on track through the trans bay tube after big delays earlier today. lots of people waiting during the morning commute trying to get on those trains at the west oakland station. this wasn't water. this was a small fire on the tracks in san francisco, forcing bart to single track. bart faced serious residual backups once the situation was cleared. well, we'll have a look at the all-important weather and traffic after the break.

welcome back now, 10:it will the time. we're tracking more heavy rainmaking its way into san francisco right now. half moon bay, pacifica, you're getting the brunt of this. all of that yellow and red, that's heavy rain falling and eventually it will move into the south bay, peninsula, and east bay and tri-valley. another round of wet weather on our heels as we speak right now, and you'll notice temperatures are going to be cool across the south bay and north bay, as well. only low to mid 60s. we'll track the time line coming up at 11:00. in the meantime, let's talk with mike. >> showing some of the rain coming out of the mountains. look here in the south bay san jose, definitely soupy conditions and more rain coming in. look at your map, slower drive continues, just like yesterday, late into the morning commute. because it is wednesday, not a tuesday, we have a recovery happening through san mateo, oakland approaching the san mateo bridge. look at this, foster city side still soupy conditions and camera shaking around a bit.

back to you. >> we'll continue all of our weather coverage coming up at 11:00. that's our next newscast. we'll see you then. we're back with more of "today" on this wines day wednesday, ready to play "who knew." listen closely. that's from a new musical called "under the bridge." hello. that's our way of getting you ready for tomorrow night's big musical event peter pan live. today's trivia is about musicals. kathie lee is ready to hand out $100 to anybody who gets the questions right. those who don't, get one of her wonderful cds. that was totally staged. here to help me, features editor for broadway.com, lindsay.

>> a nice man from great neck new york. what band's story is the basis for the musicals "jersey boys." >> frankie valley and the four seasons. >> on a roll. >> wow, he got it. the broadway hit tells a story of the band's rise to fame. frankie valley had musical experience before this, sang the total song in "grease." >> where are you from? >> miami. >> meryl streep played one of the lead roles in which film? mamma mia, greece or once? >> yes, mamma mia. >> she was so great in mamma mia. >> she was unbelievable. she must have loved it. she's going to be in "into the woods" this december. maybe she'll win her fourth oscar. >> amazing. back to you kathie. >> from arizona, two different jennifers hit the billboard

charts with therrien nigs of "and i'm telling you i'm not going." "ain't misbehaving" or "dream girls." >> it's an honor show. >> i'm going to say "dream girls." >> that is the thing you should have said. >> just hold on a second. three for three, that was such a moment in the "dream girls" movie. >> yes, jennifer holiday inn nishlly played it on broadway and won a ton of awards. jennifer hudson won the oscar. jennifer holiday won a tony and a grammy. it's obviously an awards magnet. >> a great, great scene. back to you. >> from st. louis, carol king is the inspiration for which musical currently running on broadway "rock of ages," "the last ship," or "beautiful." >> beautiful. >> beautiful i saw for my sixth time this weekend.

it's a great show. >> one of my favorites. i absolutely love it. you know who was afraid to see it was carol king. she said originally it was too painful to watch a story about her life. she eventually did go and put out a statement praising how wonderful the performance was. >> she went in disguise. jesse mueller plays an incredible carol king. >> from new york. the classic song "maria" is from west side story, the sound of music or lay miserable. >> i love it. maria was song by the character tony. rumored to be the first choice for tony in the movie? elvis presley. he turned it down which might have been good because he used to date natalie wood who played maria. >> one last one. >> from southampton, new jersey, which tv and film star played

the title role of annie during the musical's original run on broadway, brooke shields or sarah jessica parker. >> a. >> she's going to love everyone. the correct answer sarah jessica parker. >> she was just a teenager, a big break on broadway. she ended up playing several other broadway roles through her career, even though we know her as carrie bradshaw on s"sex & te cit city". >> don't forget. you can catch "peter pan live" here tomorrow on nbc. here is something that may be music to your ears, a delicious dump cake. be music to your ears, a delicious dump cake. plus affordable gift ♪ be music to your ears, a delicious dump cake. plus affordable gift

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he loves me, he loves me not he loves me, he loves me not he loves me! warm and flaky in fifteen... everyone loves pillsbury grands. make dinner pop. it is time for our holiday gift guide. you know what your mother taught you. never show up to someone's house empty-handed. >> whether you're invited to a holiday party or spending weekends with your friends, you'll want to show thanks with thoughtful hostess gifts. you know who is here? lilianna vasquez. >> happy holidays. >> you could do cheese and crackers -- >> absolutely. you never want to show up empty-handed. this is a gorgeous cheese and cracker plate from uncommon goods. you come with a dish and leave it for your hostess.

you can't forget about the kids. a lot of times the kids are there. seedlings have these fun craft kits so your kids can make a snow globe. don't forget about the hostess. she loves to cook. this is available at sterliss hob. >> i found these gorgeous wood ornaments, handmade from timbergreenwoods.com. i personalized these for you, hannah. and for the giffords, one for you right here. >> thank you, hon. >> i love custom stationery. you can customize with names, family names. we did it for to "today" show. those are available at expression expressionary.com. >> this is the gifford stamp. >> we made that just for you. >> that's adorable. >> under $30.

and i love marquis lights. one of the biggest trends in home dee core, these are available at nordstrom.com for only $34. they are l.e.d. operated with batteries. don't even have to plug them in. >> no extension cord. >> first of all, i'm thirsty. oh, wait. we have a guest. hold on. let's see who it is. oh, my god. >> who is at the door? >> karen. >> she's here with cookies. these are on the giving place. this is available at sc. the giving plate is the gift that keeps giving. it moves from party to party so everyone can enjoy the giving plate. >> who is here? i hope it's not alex. >> hey, alex. >> i brought this for you. >> so sweet. >> what is it?

>> this is a gluten free sweet box. they can suit anything, food or nut allergies. you can accommodate with a whole treat box for them or their children. how cute is that? >> the party is not a party, guys, unless -- >> a party is not a party unless paul manson comes. >> paul! >> be careful. it's full. >> so this is such a great idea for a basket. this has all the essentials that you need the next day. so cute. i got all these at home goods. you can also bake all your own -- >> i'll move on. >> don't give him too much sauce because you know how paul is. not good. >> party is not a party yet. >> all right. so now we have -- >> last but not least. >> you know who is usually late,

sandy. >> i am so sorry. >> sandy! >> how cute is this idea. this basket is my home to yours. so you bring special treats and books from your home to someone else's home. i live in chelsea. this is a chelsea-themed basket with different foods, cookies and treats for the holidays. [ doorbell ] >> there's more? >> paul's brother charles. >> it's anthony. he took the top -- [ laughter ]. >> that's a special "today" show gift. >> by the way, lilianna, that was a great segment. thank you. so much fun. >> paul, welcome. >> tell your brother charles we missed him. okay? >> shear a sweet idea for the hostess. here you go. why not a dump cake.

nothing says love like a dump cake. >> don't say dump. >> we'll talk to her after this. you've been part of this family for as long as i can remember. and you just mean so much to all of us. the holidays wouldn't be the same without your crescent rolls. we got you a little something. we got you jeans. it's about time. pipin' hot pillsbury crescent rolls. make your holidays pop!

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it's time for fo today's kitchen. if you iron vited to someone's house for the holidays or throwing your own party, you could bye a desert like hoda does. >> you didn't need to say that. >> we promise it doesn't get any easier than this. kathy mitchell is the author of "dump cakes," where you(+ take mix, dump it in the can and bake it. it's easy pizzi. >> a huge hit last time. >> i'm glad. we'll make a sweet hot apple dump cake. >> you grease the pan. >> can you pam it? >> absolutely. >> you smush it around. >> two cans of apple pie

filling. spread them out. >> now what? >> now we're going to add these red hots. >> that seems counterintuitive. save a few of them. you all put them on the top. go ahead and dump your cake mix in there. dump it across the top. >> don't stir. >> don't stir. >> you can spread a little with your fork to make it even, but you don't want to stir. >> you don't want to stir. >> now, the recipe calls for a cube of butter where you sliced up. you can use your potato peeler to get nice thin slices. you want to lay them on top. i also found if you're really in a hurry, go ahead and melt it and dump it on there. >> and just put it in the microwave for like 30 seconds. >> microwave it for a few seconds. >> i can't believe you don't stir the cake. i still find it so weird. how long do you cook it for? >> for about 50 minutes or so. >> and?

>> and when done, about ten minutes before you take out, the last few red hots, this is what we'll have. >> adorable. but i'm busy doing it right. >> we have another cake. >> another one to go. >> i know. >> take that bite. >> there you go. >> i'm not crazy about red hots, but it's very good. >> let's make another one. >> oh, my gosh. >> this is called granola caramel carrot dump cake. we have pineapple in the pan already. we'll sprinkle the cake. >> dump. >> dump the cake. >> can you use any cake mix. >> sure. this is just a carrot cake. >> pineapple on the bottom. >> pineapple on the bottom, carrot cake on the top. >> smush it around. >> and add your butter. this time i melted it for you. if you want to, you can put the

slices on. and then the granola. sprinkle it on there evenly. >> evenly. that's the word. >> the hardest part, right? >> look at how easy this is. >> you can have more fun with your kids making these. they'd love to be a part of this. >> drizzle right on top of the granola. >> this is my kind of cake. this stays in the oven for about 45, 50 minutes. >> crazy that there's no eggs in there. it's nuts. >> we're going to taste. >> here we go. all done. >> beautiful. >> get involved. >> get in here. >> if you want more caramel on the top. >> she loves the sweet stuff. >> you forget who you're talking to. >> you can find these recipes, by the way, you guys, on

klgandhoda.com. >> check out our million meals by christmas food drive and how you can get involved. >> first this is "today" on nbc.

we want to thank everybody who has been so generous to donate to our 21st anti toy drive. >> one of our biggest contributors over the years has been kay jewelers. kimberly khan nair ray is the vice president of public relations. here with 13-year-old mika barker with st. jude children's research hospital. hello. both so beautiful. >> you are. >> you guy haves always been such a great partner. st. jude is very important to your organization as well. >> absolutely. we're so excited to be back for the 15th year donating $100,000 worth of these adorable plush puppies and teddy bears. they're available at kay jeweler

stores across the country. >> what does st. jude mean to you? >> it's like a second home. i feel like i can go, it's not a hospital. i get to meet everyone, see the old friends. the kay cafe is like the best food ever. it's fun. it's like a family. >> when you walk in that place, it's hard to believe it's a hospital. >> by the way, so important to have something like a little bear to hold on to for kids in the hospital, right, mika? >> yes, ma'am. it's so fun. they're so soft. i love them. >> we can't thank you enough for everything you do. >> our pleasure. >> thanks to our customers, we e eve raised over $40 million for st. jude. so proud. >> that's awesome. >> thank you so much. >> you co-donate on our toy drive at the nbc experience store or online at amazon.com/todayshow. you have until december 19th. >> tomorrow, kathie lee shines

the light with her book "good gifts." have a nice wines day wednesday. tomorrow is

nbc bay area news begins with a microclimate weather alert. >> and indeed we are tracking rain in the bay area. here's a live look at our radar on the left and the view from outside in san francisco and san jose, as well. good morning, everyone, thank you for joining us, i'm scott mcgrew. >> and i'm kris sanchez. this is video just into our newsroom, a sinkhole that just opened up in san francisco. crews are working on fixing that hole right now before it gets worse, before anyone gets hurt, and now we want to see whether or not they are going to have good working conditions. here's meteorologist anthony slaughter with your forecast. >> unfortunately, couldn't come at a worse time. now we're tracking another round moving into the bay area and some of this is heavy. you can see from o