good morning. coming up on "early today," the new york premiere canceled. one movie theater chain pulling the film. the department of homeland security is aware of the 9/11 references. new details on "the interview" and the sony hacker scandal. the unspeakable terrorizing and murder of over 140 students. now will there be retribution against the taliban? shrieks of panic as violent turbulence tosses passengers aboard american airlines forcing them to make an emergency landing. that and a whole lot more on this wednesday, december 17th. "early today" starts right now. good morning. i'm dara brown.

stirring up fear by using 9/11 references. this in preparation of the release of sony's movie "the interview" a comedy that depicts the assassinations of north korea's leader king jong-un. sources tell cnbc that sony is telling theaters they would support a decision to not run the movie, and that carmine cinemas has already canceled the showing. are they credible? terror analyst >> i doubt it's a credible threat. i don't mean to encourage people necessarily to go to the movie and think they're necessarily safe. that said, really honestly there has never been a case where a movie showing or any cyber terrorism threat has really resulted in people losing their lives. >> the movie's stars, james franco and seth rogen have canceled the rest of the

publicity tour for the movie. nbc's dan shenaman reports. >> reporter: after embarrassing e-mails, movies, careen place and employees personal information being released, they're making threats that extend far beyond hollywood all in an attempt to force the company to stop the release of the comedy film "the interview." >> the goal is very clear. they want this movie pulled and not released. >> in the latest, it's aimed at movie theaters that will show the movie. the message says the world will be full of fear. remember the 11th of september, 2001. the department of homeland security officials say they are aware of the threat and in a statement say, quote, at this time there is no credible intelligence to indicate an active plot against movie theaters within the united states. >> we take this threat very seriously and we will take extra precautions during the holidays at theaters. >> reporter: meanwhile, as federal investigators say they're closing into the source of the attack, the movie giant could be headed to the courtroom.

former employees have filed a class action suit. sony declined to comment on the lawsuit or the latest threats from the hackers. dan shenaman, nbc news. this morning in pakistan a new threat. revenge. the country vowing payback against the taliban over that horrific school attack. earlier this morning, schoolchildren in india standing in silence honoring the 145 victims. nbc's tracie potts is live in washington. tracie, the u.s. is offering support. any word on specifics? >> not really. we haven't heard that from the white house yet as the families in pakistan begin three days of mourning for their children. candles are lit across pakistan as the country prepares for mass funerals. 141 people, most of them children. >> this morning wherever you live, wherever you are, those are our children, and this is the world's loss. >> reporter: in a statement president obama cited the

depravity of terrorists behind this attack. as it was happening, a u.s. drone strike killed four taliban militants next door in afghanistan where most u.s. troops will be leaving by year's end. >> the president is committed to ensuring that we remain on track. >> we better be wary of thinking that things are good enough for us to leave afghanistan. this is a very unstable region. >> after tuesday's school attack the u.s. is offering counter terrorism expertise. just three days ago congress approved billions of dollars for security. the country launched more airstrikes on the taliban late tuesday with growing pressure on pakistan's government to do more. >> we need to take on taliban by now because enough is enough. >> reporter: taliban leaders in afghanistan condemned the attack, but this morning a pakistani newspaper reports they actually ordered it. and we're also hearing that the army chief will be in

afghanistan today talking about how they go after the taliban typically hiding in the mountains between those two countries. >> tracie potts in washington, d.c., thank you so much. taking america's pulse, a new poll reveals a bleak view on race relations in america. just four in ten believe race relations in the u.s. are good. that's down from 77% in president obama's first term. 31% would support a jeb bush run at the white house while more than half oppose. but half of voters say they could get behind hillary clinton. whoever wins, more than seven in ten want the next commander in chief to take a different approach from president obama. there's this, 64% think the country is headed on the wrong track. the good news for the president, among all adults his approval is up a point to 45%. congress's approval is also up to 16%. a mid-air scare on board an american airlines flight. the plane slammed by severe

turbulence. everyone on board sent into a panic. the 777 was flying from south korea to dallas when the pilot was forced in japan. bianco castro with the video as it happened. >> reporter: the video shakes just as violently as those on board flight 280. shrieks of painic as turbulence jolts these passengers on and off for nearly an hour. and it started out of nowhere. >> just without warning whatsoever the plane just dropped. >> reporter: mark stanley was sitting in the third row. he started recording video and snapping pictures right after plates, glasses, even a beverage cart were thrown around the cabin. the woman next to him shows him the plate that hit her in the head and broke into pieces. >> you can only walk with shoes on because there's so much broken glass and plates. >> reporter: he said one flight attendant was thrown towards the ceiling knocking out an exit sign. he heard several calls for nurses and doctors and after an hour and a half they heard from

the pilot. >> he came on and said the plane and the crew, we're going to avert. >> reporter: a massive medical team greeted them as soon as they made an emergency landing. >> that was bianca castro reporting. russia's economy continues to sputter as their currency loses value, their investments fall and oil continues a downward spiral. the headlines on time.com read russia's black tuesday followed by putin watches russian economy collapse along with his stature. this morning our report from nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: on the streets of moscow, the economic crisis is worsening by the hour with the russian currency in free fall. the ruble has now lost 50% of its value so far this year with the price of oil also in free fall, going from $115 a barrel to 60 since june. the problem is half the revenues come from oil and gas and moscow is still facing crippling

actions over its actions in crimea and ukraine. >> it will be up to president putin to decide whether or not these economic costs are worth it to him and the russian people. >> the russian foreign minister was defiant. >> i can ensure you russia will not only survive but come out stronger after this. >> reporter: but the international banking community is losing confidence in russia. >> this crisis is hurting the average russian. when they go to the store and all the food that they buy is imported, it's going to be a lot more expensive. >> reporter: while the drop in oil prices may mean sky high inflation in russia, it's been a boon for americans. more than half the country is paying less than $2.50 a gallon. that was tom costello reporting. prosecutors in los angeles decided not to pursue sexual abuse charges against bill cosby stemming from an alleged 1974 incident.

prosecutors say the statute of limitations has run out on claims by judith huth that the comedian sexually molested her at the play boy mansion when she was 15 years old. huth is suing cosby and he filed a countersuit claiming extorsion. it's more than 20 sex assault accusations made against the 77-year-old comedian in recent months. cosby has never been charged with any crime and through his lawyer has consistently denied all allegations. on tuesday "access hollywood" obtained an exclusive statement from his daughter evan saying, he is the father you thought you knew. the "cosby show" was my today's tv reality show. thank you. that's all i would like to say. moving on to weather, nbc meteorologist bill karins is here with your hump day forecast. >> it's been a rainy night, a couple evacuations in ventura county, flood advisories still. the active weather continues through california. it looks like the worse of it will be over with shortly as we watch the heaviest rain passing through los angeles and san diego. look at san francisco.

so close, .30 of an inch away from ten inches. am magz. l.a. at 3.5 inches for the month. good stuff. it's still raining pretty good. notice san francisco, you look like you're pretty much done. much of central california is just about done. to the south, one batch of heavy rain, you see it going through santa barbara there, through downtown l.a. over the last hour. now that's about to roll through. oceanside through san diego. you're going to get about an hour's worth of pretty heavy rain out there and then lit clear out. over the next five days, we don't see a lot of additional rainfall from l.a. to san francisco. it looks like the pacific northwest, it will be your turn starting this weekend to get that nasty weather. again, your wednesday is a little soggy and it into

arizona during the day today. more scattered showers to the north. we're close in san francisco, almost ten inches for the month. >> that's huge. >> that's a lot of rain for miami. >> that's a lot of rain for anyplace, let alone san francisco. thank you, bill. just ahead, an "oh, god, it's mom" moment on c-span. why mcdonald's is rationing its french fries in japan. it is the ultimate high five. we'll show you an astonishing stunt. that's when we come back. what i'm wearing,peoplee i tell them aveeno®. because beautiful skin goes with everything. [ female announcer ] aveeno® daily moisturizing lotion has active naturals® oat with five vital nutrients naturally found in healthy skin. where do i wear aveeno®? everywhere. aveeno® daily moisturizing lotion.. and try the body wash too.

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i can't keep a secret in this family. that's my tide. ♪ok. then we will do it all together. treats! teets...teets...teets... yeah, look at this! it seems like the best family traditions.... always start in the kitchen. happy holidays from rice krispies. welcome back. does isis have a new twisted weapon? in the daily mirror, isis launches scorpion bombs to spread fear in iraq. actual scorpions are being blasted into iraqi towns. it's not a first for this kind of weapon. iraqis used it fighting against the roman empire.

jeb bush is close to getting into, well, let's say, the family business. on tuesday he tweeted i am excited to announce i will actively explore the possibility of running for president of the united states. it comes after he agreed to release thousands of e-mails from his time as florida governor. politics could use more moms. on cspan a pair of political pundit brothers were left silent. their mom called in to scold them for arguing. take a listen. >> let's go to joy. let's go to joy in raleigh, north carolina. >> hey, somebody from down south. >> you're right i'm from down south. >> oh, god, it's mom. >> and i am your mother. i was very glad that this thanksgiving was a year that you two were supposed to go to your in-laws, and i was hoping -- and i'm hoping you'll have some of this out of your system when you come here for christmas. >> you got to love that.

? australia, a winged suit flier pulls off something so cool, the would's first air-to-ground high five. nathan jones flew around the hills before smashing through the giant hand. wow. time to get down to business >> you want something other than fries? mcdonald's in japan is limiting the number of french fries due to a shortage from a labor disruption japan's fries mostly imported from america. wall street looking to bounce back. the dow is down about 900 points, is closing at record highs on december 6th. sprint is facing a $100 million fine. they allegedly charged cell phone customers for services

they didn't want such as text message alerts and horoscopes. it's pretty gross. what fell out of sharon osborne's mouth on live tv. plus a rain delay in the nba. sports is up next. puffs knows winter is hard on your face. the start of sneeze season. the wind-blown watery eyes. and of course, the snow angels with your little angels. that's why puffs is soft. puffs plus lotion is gentle on sensitive skin. they help soothe irritation by locking in moisture better. so you can always put your best face forward. a face in need deserves puffs indeed. try puffs softpack today. it's the flexible pack that fits anywhere. with ingredients like roasted hazelnuts, skim milk and cocoa, there's a whole lot of happy in every jar of nutella. spread the happy.

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moving on to sports a new

nhl record was set between the capitals and panthers. the game tied at 1-1 ended up in a record-breaking 20-round shootout. just how long is that? 40 shooters, 11 goals. the previous record was 15. the eventual winners, the panthers with a 2-1 victory. here's something you don't hear every day. the nets-heat game was halted during the first quarter. a new green roof was installed at the bark lay's center and it sprung a leak. arena workers scrambled with garbage pails and towels. the game resumed after a 29 sdsh minute delay. the heat took a win at 95-91. jabari parker is out for the season. an mri revealed parker suffered a torn acl in monday night's 96-94 win against the suns. a-rod can leave his glove in the dugout this season. yanks gm brian cashman says a returning alex rodriguez will be a dh.

chase headley will be starting third baseman. the u.s. olympic committee is submitting bids to host the 2024 olympics. the cities in contention are boston, l.a., san fran and washington. the decision which city the u.s. will put together is expected next month. actor liam neeson and wizards star john walsh have an christmas promo. >> christmas day they're going to unleash their skills on you and your team and they're going to defeat you. >> good luck. up next, "the game of thrones" teaser that has fans upset. plus, were they really the best? you be the judge. the viral videos that had people watching in 2014. you're watching "early today."

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♪owfit ♪ whoafit ♪ findyourfit ♪ it's all fitbit now for some entertainment news. >> the winner of "the voice" is -- craig wayne boyd! >> the seventh season of "the voice" ended last night and team blake won again. look for winner craig wayne boyd later on the "today" show.

during the entire harry potter series christmas was always featured. j.k. rowling didn't want to leave anybody out. when they asked if there were any jewish wizards, she tweeted back anthony goldstein and ravenclaw. >> my tooth is falling out. it's on one of those -- >> implant. it's an implant and i paid a bloody fortune. >> yeah. while hosting "the talk" yesterday sharon osbourne's tooth really fell out. because it was only an implant the star was able to get the tooth fixed during a commercial break. since angelina jolie could not appear at the premiere of a film "unbroken" husband brad pitt took the kids and hit the red carpet in her place. take a look at this nine-second "game of thrones" trailer. don't blink or you'll miss it. i'm going to be watching. >> what did i just see?

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[ gong ] [ wisest kid ] m'm! m'm! good! as we approach the end of 2014, we want to take a look back at some of the heartwarming and hilarious moments that millions of americans are sharing online. nbc's kevin tibbles have gathered the best viral videos of this year. >> reporter: from a big sister's wish pulling the heartstrings of 30 million online viewers. >> you want him to stay little forever? >> yeah, he is so cute. >> reporter: it has been a wonderful year ever inspiration. news mom is expecting doesn't inspire this little fella.

>> what were you thinking? >> who throws a tantrum. >> this is exasperating. >> reporter: 8-year-old liam fitzgerald has down's syndrome, has beaten leukemia and is as tough as the boston bruins he loves. 5 million have seen j.p. gibson also fighting leukemia slam dunking with the utah jazz. >> he rises to the rim and hammers! >> reporter: while 8 million shared kelly gunderson's joy as her mom suffering alzheimer's suddenly recognizes her. >> i love you, kelly. >> i love you, mamma. >> reporter: casey the schnauzer, a woman's best friend, fainted with excitement. viewed 38 million times. and tara is no scaredy cat. she came to the rescue of a young boy attacked by a dog. >> so the tickets to trinidad. >> reporter: who says the internet is all frivolity. 18 million shared as a canadian

bank machine dispensed airline tickets for a mom to visit her sick daughter. >> thank you. >> reporter: and charity runners pause to honor a 95-year-old veteran. >> you're doing a good job. >> reporter: mining the web for a few hidden gems can sometimes remind us of who we are and the wonderful things we're capable of. >> you can be brave also. >> reporter: kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. >> imagine how many he had to go through just to pick those. >> some of them i hadn't even seen. we show them all the time daily. >> pets, got to love it. now time for a look ahead. today in the u.s., postal service's busiest delivery day of the year. workers are shoveling through an avalanche of greeting cards and letters. most packages delivered tomorrow. happy birthday to manny pacquiao, eugene levy and pope

francis. i'm dara brown. thank you for watching "early today." we hope you enjoy your wednesday and your morning.

this morning as hillside starts to give way. what's being done now to shore up that slide. >> the latest round of wet weather may be helping out water shortage, it's putting too much pressure on some water lines. demanding answers. leadsers in one city getting an earful after protesters say police went too far. >> the beautiful bay bridge. it's wednesday, december 17th. this is "today in the bay." >> from nbc bay area, this is "today in the bay." very good wednesday morning to you.