>> bacon. >> he loves it like everyone. good morning. breaking news. reports that bill cosby will be charged in a sex assault case in pennsylvania. prosecutors are set to hold a news conference at any moment and we'll be live with the very latest. historic and dangerous. widespread flooding across the midwest. evacuations ordered in parts of ssouri. a state of emergency now in effect and the national guard will be called in. we'll be live with the latest on that. facing justice. the so-called affluenza teen and his mother expected to be brought back from mexico as early as today as we learn more about the phone call that may have helped lead to their capture. why some fear the 18-year-old given probation could get off easy again.

>> and k.o..ed. >> former boxing champ mike tyson adds his name to the growing list of hoverboard victims today, wednesday, december 30, 2015. from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning, everybody. welcome to "today." 7:00 a.m. and charges set to be filed against comedy legend bill cosby and the results of an investigation into an allegeden counter with a woman 12 years ago. to be transparent, we are just getting this information and expecting a news conference at any moment. >> it comes as a bit of a surprise. this is vacation week and this investigation that had been reopened since 2005 when

prosecutors decided not to charge bill cosby in this case and they are about to reveal that investigation and there are charges that are expected and we don't know the details. the case, from 2004 a former temple university, who alleged as dozens have that she was drugged and violated by bill cosby. this would be the first criminal charges against cosby in this storm of accusations that have been swirling now for quite a while. >> as you mentioned, this employee had sued civilly and settled that suit. this notion of a criminal charge, as you said, is quite unexpected. let's turn to our legal analyst ari who is on the phone. the first thing that comes to mind is the statute of limitations. they have to be right up against it. >> reporter: they are right up against it, savannah, and this is the only place in the country where prosecutors feel they have a recent enough allegation to

even do a criminal investigation. as viewers will recollect, many different women have made these charges. bill cosby has never, however, been criminally charged. this would be the first and reflect the recency of this allegation. >> there was a prosecutor who closer to the time when this incident occurred there was a prosecutor that looked into this and obviously declined to prosecute. now we have a new prosecutor who is taking another look at the case? >> that's exactly right. i've actually interviewed the previous prosecutor. he explained that he was very interested and concerned about the underlying charges, but he didn't feel he had enough evidence including physical evidence which as we all know is so critical in cases or allegations that have a denial and an accuser. physical evidence is crucial. he said he didn't have it. as you mentioned this was an

issue in the reelection, there is a new person coming in who had worked in the office previously and apparently, savannah and we'll learn more at the press conference that they have more now when this office started the inquiry earlier which did not result earlier in any bringing of charges. ari melber, stay close. we await this news conference out of pennsylvania with charges expected to be filed, criminal charges against bill cosby. now to another major story, severe weather and torrential rains from the storm system that's killed dozens and gave the northeast its first taste of winter now has more than 18 million americans bracing for potentially historic flooding. we've got it all covered and we'll start with morgan ratford where the rivers are rising fast. >> reporter: good morning. you can probably hear the choppers above me surveying as the floodwaters continue to rise. a state of missouri after 13 people were killed over the weekend and after the governor

has already called in the national guard. a city submerged. >> it's very clear that the city is in a very historic and dangerous flooding event. >> reporter: 16 counties are under flood warnings including the areas where the missouri and mississippi rivers meet. >> this one came up a little quick. >> reporter: volunteers turned out on tuesday in the blistering cold to fill sandbags in st. louis where a waterway threatened hundreds of home. >> you grab everything and walk out the door. >> pretty much. >> reporter: rachel chambliss and her family is trying to prepare for what's to come. torrential rains over the past several days pushed already-swollen rivers and streams to unheard of heights forcing waters and levees and rivers at all-time highs. in certain areas some 20 to 30 feet above flood stage. floods forced and scattered evacuations and the closure of interstates and hundreds of roads. a waste water treatment plant shut down after it sent sewage

directly into nearby rivers and streams. it's a frightening flashback for those who went through the devastating 1993 flood that destroyed over 10,000 homes and impacted hundreds of towns. experts predict the mississippi river will reach 15 feet above flood stage, becoming the worst flooding in the region since 1993. >> we've got a lot of water that we have to get out of the state, so to speak. we have countless roads that will stay under water for several days. again, everybody get their message out. this is not done yet. we still have a lot of dangerous situations out there. >> reporter: carson, savannah, this water is expected to rise another eight feet before thursday blocking roads all throughout missouri. in fact, if you look behind me, you can see this red truck that started to move down the street here and trying to make it through these treacherous waters when, as you can see, it got stuck. that's why the governor is asking people to avoid travel

and to specifically avoid flood-ravaged roadways like this. >> morgan radford in missouri for us. thank you. >> let's turn to dylan who is keeping an eye on the situation. >> the rain is long gone, that's why we're still looking at the threat of record flooding through the end of the week. we have 400 river gauges with those levels above flood stage. 47 of those looks, the red ones here and those are the ones at major flooding and it's only going to get worse. so we have seen close to records if not touching those records in chester illinois. 49.7 is the record crest and that's what we're forecasting by friday and falling shy of a record in st. louis, but in missouri, we are going to see those flood gauges get to those record levels or tie old records. >> i want to take you through the mississippi river in st. louis and that's where the river

will crest at 43.1 and it will go below flood stage, but still that is producing major flooding and we will see in the low-lying areas significant flooding and it's because this has been the wet of the year on record in st. louis. the old record was in 2008. this year we picked up over 61 inches of rain and it's not raining right now, but all of that water eventually funnels in and that's why we'll see flooding through the end of the week. >> dylan, thank you very much. now to alarming terror arrest. authorities in europe say they you wi foiled a plot to attack new year's eve celebrations. bill neely has more. bill, good morning. >> good morning, carson. two attacks planned on two capital cities this new year. in turkey police have arrested two men believed to be isis bombers who came from syria and planned attacks on bars near the main square in ankara where crowds traditionally gather to celebrate new year. police found chris side vests and explosive devices and what prosecutors describe as an isis

safehouse. they're on alert in ankara because two months ago isis suicide bombers killed more than 100 people at a peace rally there. further north in belgium, two men were arrested on suspicion of planning to attack new year crowds in the main square of its capital brussels. belgian media say they were members of a motor bike gang called the kamikaze riders. in french the word kamikaze means suicide bomber. no weapons or explosives were found and brussels is going ahead with its new year's celebrations and fireworks. no repeat there of the lockdown a few weeks ago after the paris attacks. belgian militants, of course, have been at the center of a number of attacks including paris, but across europe from moscow to here in london, police are on high alert after one intelligence agency warned of possible terror attacks using explosives on crowds some time before christmas and new year. carson? >> bill neely, thank you. >> now to another big story out

of washington and this one also tied to national security. the nsa caught spying on israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu despite promises from president obama to curb eavesdropping on allies. kristen welker is following that story for us. good morning. >> the allegations could further complicate the relationship between u.s. and israel. according to "the wall street journal," despiekt the promise that he would restrict eavesdropping some spying continued. the report indicates that in some cases the spying tracked communications between members of congress and israeli leaders including prime minister benjamin netanyahu. this all came as the u.s. is negotiating a nuclear deal with iran and some communications reportedly showed israeli officials trying to turn u.s. lawmakers against the iran deal. in a statement the white house tells nbc news while it won't comment on specific intelligence activities, quote, as a general matter we do not conduct any

foreign intelligence activities unless there is a specific and validated national security purpose. this morning the israeli intelligence minister said he is not aware of the report and he insisted israel is not spying on the u.s. you might recall nsa contractor edward snowden first exposed spying operations in 2013 and created tensions between the u.s. and its allies. there is a wink and nod understanding that many countries do spy on each other, however this revelation could be yet another potential embarrassment for the u.s. savannah? >> kristen welker in washington, thanks. in the presidential race get ready to see a lot more of donald trump on the campaign trail. he is planning to launch a massive ad blitz in several key battleground states. hallie is in hiltonhead, south carolina. >> reporter: good morning. this is just part of the line of people waiting to get into donald trump's rally. a couple thousand of them, at

least. the trump, the unconventional candidate is now planning a more conventional plan of politicking. trump is promising to spend at least $2 million a week in tv ads. he's hoping to convince voters in key early states like south carolina here this he should be the republican nominee. the candidate constantly talking money. >> i'm really rich. i've made billions and billions of dollars. i'm much richer than anybody ever dreamed. >> reporter: now ready to spend it. >> i feel i should spend and honestly, i don't want to take any chances. >> reporter: donald trump telling reporters on his plane he plans to flood tvs in iowa, new hampshire and south carolina with ads on issues like the border wall, trade and fighting isis. while other candidates have been running tv spots for months. >> the person behind this desk will have to protect your family. will he be reckless like donald trump?

>> reporter: the front-runner shelled out less than a quarter million so far and the least of any candidate. spending the most? jeb bush and his allies $41.1 million. >> he hasn't spent 40 million. he's wasted 40 million. there is a big difference. >> reporter: while trump is blasting bush and other politicians. >> it's all trump and no action and it's all bull [ bleep ]. okay? all bull [ bleep ]. >> reporter: some rivals refusing to respond. >> i'm not going tit for tat with him. >> reporter: hillary clinton ignoring trump. >> i will go anywhere to find common ground with anybody. >> reporter: even as trump takes aim. >> if it's got to be a woman which i'm all in favor of some day, it shouldn't be hillary. >> reporter: clinton in new hampshire. trump on the iowa border drawing thousands and raising the question, can he turn his crowds into caucusgoers or are supporters simply showing up for

the spectacle? >> who is the best? wow! you have a lot of friends in iowa, right? you call every one of them on february 1st and you make sure they get out and vote. >> reporter: trump has a little less competition this morning. former new york governor george pataki announcing he is dropping out of this race, guys. the republican field getting a bit smaller about a month ahead of the iowa caucuses. >> hallie jackson, thank you. this morning the faa is launching an investigation into a dangerous incident. a jet that landed on the taxiway and natalie is following that story. >> the incident happened earlier this month and officials say the weather there was clear at the time so they're now trying to figure out how an experienced pilot ended up in the wrong area. this morning faa officials tell nbc's king 5 news they're investigating why an alaska airlines passenger jet landed on

the central taxiway, not the runway at seattle tacoma international airport on december 19th. just a few minutes before landing, the air traffic control tower opened up the runway to alaska flight 27. >> 27 roger. thank you. we'll take 1-6 center. >> actually 27, change to runway 1-6 center. >> instead, the crew did not make it over to the center runway. the pilot mistakenly landed on the taxiway. the unmarked strip of concrete in between the runways. using a simulator, sean pratt points out the runways are marked, but a mixup is still possible. >> 1-6 left and 1-6 is the center and 1-6 right. >> while no one was hurt in the incident, experts say had another plane been parked on the taxiway the results could have been catastrophic. >> although this was a dangerous condition, a condition that should be avoided, it's something that can be learned from. >> alaska airlines says this

wasn't that pilot's first time landing at sea-tac. they're trying to find out why the mistake was made. the last incident happened back in 2004. the investigation continues into this matter. >> it's kind of understandable, but then again, we're not pilots. >> i look at that and it looks the same to me, but to them if they've landed there before they know the drill. >> natalie, thank you. there are new tensions between the u.s. and iran after a close call involving the aircraft carrier and an iranian rocket. u.s. military officials say iran's navy began conducting a live-fire exercise last week while the uss harry s. truman was traveling on the strait of hormuz. a rocket came within 1500 yards. the iranians weren't targeting the ship, but it was unnecessarily provocative and unsafer and iran says it was a planned training exercised and all vessels in the area had been warned. to chicago where mayor rahm

emanuel is expected to announce a overhaul about how police officers are trained and equip. every officer responding to a call will be required to carry a taser. the mayor facing mounting pressure to resign following the release of a video of a man being shot by a police officer and last month's accidental death of a woman during a domestic disturbance call. rescuers found eight surviving miners. they used infrared cameras to look inside the darkness and find the survivors. one worker was killed in the christmas day disaster and nine remain missing and 11 other miners made it safely shortly after the collapse. it was this year's hottest christmas gift and the most dangerous. all week we've been showing you videos of people falling off their new hoverboards and now proof that heavy weight champ mike tyson is no match for the self-balancing scooter. >> oh!

[ laughter ] >> oh! >> boom. the hoverboard gets the knockout. tyson shared this video on instagram with the #i'm too old for this -- fill in the blank. >> al's going to join us in the next half hour out in pasadena, california, where he's gearing california, where he's gearing up for the rose parade. to the woman in the mid-90's showstopper... california, where he's gearing up for the rose parade. you're right. it's time to set this bird free. ♪ hot blooded, check it and see...♪ ♪ got a fever of 103... feelin' hungry? how 'bout a donut? ♪ i'm hot blooded..i'm hot blooded! ♪ whether it's 30-years old or 30-days old, carmax will appraise it in as little as 30 minutes. and then your only concern will be how to spend the cash. rad.

good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. another cold start to the day. most of us in the 30s, a few spots below freezing. a few more clouds in the mix this morning. we'll see that throughout the day. look for the highs in the mid to upper 50s. a few showers will be possible in the north bay, at least for the morning hours. and then throughout the afternoon we all will have some dry weather. 56 degrees today in the east bay and in the tri-valley looking at 54 degrees. in san francisco, a high today of 53 degrees. >> that's your lat guys. we'll show you around a little bit later and we're also going to show you how the drought is affecting what they're doing here at the rose parade. the 127th rose parade friday live at 11:00 a.m. eastern and 8:00 a.m. pacific right here on nbc. hoda kotb joins me. this will be the third year in a row the hodster and i get to do it. >> except when she does it she calls it the rose parade.

a little different. thank you very much. how a pizza helped authorities helped track down the so-called affluenza teen in mexico. could he possibly get off easy again? plus allegations that human growth hormone was shipped to peyton manning's home. we ask the question just what is hgh? are there reasons for someone to take it? we'll take i closer look at this, but first this is "today" on nbc.

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to say, if not now, when? are you ready? let's do this together. concord went up in flames this morning about a very good wednesday morning to you. it's 7:26. i'm laura garcia-cannon. a home in concord went up in flames about 2:30 on the 1900 block off willow pass road. investigators believe squatters may have been responsible. no official word yet. the search is on for what may be gang members who attacked a tourist couple last night. a man and woman are said to be hospitalized this morning in critical condition. want to check the forecast this morning with kari. how are we look? >> very cold to start out the day. more clouds than we've seen recently. low 40s now for san francisco.

expect high ms. the mid 50s today. upper 50s as well in a few spots. in santa rosa more clouds, 54 degrees, oakland 56. pleasanton look for a high of 54 degrees. how is it looking on the roads, anthony? >> really good. you can tell it's a holiday. you see cars getting through here. metering lights not turned on. there's a report of a fire but i haven't been able to find it. the volume is so light, you'll probably zoom on past whatever is happening. you can see we have a stall approaching the treasure island off-ramp. heads up for orinda, fish ranch on-ramp is closed due to icy conditions. across parts of the san mateo bridge, slowing here, but had word that actually a few folks, a few toll takers called in sick today. so that's why you might see that. again, volume light, same thing across the south bay. >> i guess it's a good day to be

sick. see you in half an hour.

♪ we're back at :30 on the west coast on a wednesday morning, the 30th of december, 2015. this is the day that bill cosby was charged criminally in connection with a case in pennsylvania. prosecutors just announcing that a few moments ago. this is in connection with an alleged sexual assault that took place in 2004 according to authorities. >> these are the first criminal charges tied to the flood of allegations that the comedian has faced and cosby is set to be arraigned today. >> let's go to stephanie gosk who has been following this and watching this news conference. what can you tell us? >> it was dramatic and a surprise news conference and the conclusion is this. bill cosby faces one count of indecent aggravated assault. it's a felony charge and today

the prosecutor had this to say. >> on the evening in question mr. cosby urged her to take pills that he provided to her and to drink wine. the effect of which rendered her unable to move, respond to his advances and he committed aggravated, indecent assault upon her. today, after examination of all the evidence we are able to seek justice on behalf of the victim. >> this is actually three charges against him and they come after a flood of accusations against cosby that he was drugging and assaulting women. he has, from the very beginning, denied all of these accusations. >> this accuser is a former temple employee who actually sued cosby civilly, a lawsuit that was settled, but presumably

there is evidence that's out there that potentially could be part of this criminal case now. >> the prosecutor mentioned that that the civil case was actually released by a u.s. federal judge and it was in part the impetus to reopen this investigation, and also that slew of allegations as well, and they said according to the prosecutor that it was their duty to reinvestigate a case where a former prosecutor decided there was not enough evidence to charge cosby. >> how is the arraignment going to happen today? is there any word from mr. cosby and how will it all go down? >> his lawyer apparently knows about this according to the prosecutor, he would have to be in pennsylvania and we would imagine that we might see him in court later today. >> yeah. that's the formality come in, get charged and often a mug shot is taken and we'll certainly hear more about this this morning later today. stephanie gosk with the breaking news. thank you very much. we'll check in with dylan foa look at the weather. >> guys, we are counting down to new year's and we're looking at

a pretty decent forecast for anyone heading into new york city for new year's eve and across the country for the day, we're looking at lake-effect snow showers and rain down along the gulf coast and? snow and ice is possible especially near west-central texas. as we count down to the ball dropping, in new york city we're looking at temperatures around 43 degrees and pretty mild this time of year and off the great lakes and most of the country is looking pretty dry and we are looking at spotty showers down into the south and northern florida. and new year's day, cooler than what we've been seeing so far this winter and temperatures in the 20s and we're chilly out west and temperatures in the we have a beautiful sunrise from the north bay as the sun comes up. you can see it under the clouds. we will have more clouds in the mix as we go into the afternoon. a chilly start to the day. only 0 degrees in livermore, san jose at 35 degrees. look for highs today in the mid

50s with a mix of sun and clouds throughout the day. gilroy, 56 degrees. pacifica, 57. 53 in san francisco. napa 54 degrees or 53 rather as we go through the next few days, more weather like this. >> and that's your latest forecast. >> thank you very much. >> coming up next, we have new developments this morning in the capture of the so-called affluenza teen and the phone call that may have helped lead police to him. we'll talk to the sheriff ♪ i am never getting married. never. psssssh. guaranteed. you picked a beautiful ring. thank you. we're never having kids. mmm-mmm. breathe. i love it here. we are never moving to the suburbs. we are never getting one of those (minivan). we are never having another kid. i'm pregnant. i am never letting go. for all the nevers in life, state farm is there.

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we're back at 7:38. on the west coast we have new developments this morning on what led to the capture and arrest of the so-called affluenza teen and his mother in mexico. >> we'll talk to the texas sheriff who is overseeing that case, but first, nbc's gabe gutierrez is live with the latest. gabe, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. breaking developments. the u.s. marshal service saying ethan couch and his mother will not be returning to the u.s. today after their attorneys

filed a motion that would delay their extradition, but investigators are now looking into whether the pair may have had some help during their time on the run. a local sheriff saying that they threw what was described as a going away party before they went missing. this morning the so-called affluenza teen is in custody, but ethan couch may only face a few months of jail time for failing to check in with his probation officer. the tarrant county district attorney says he may go free on his 19th birthday this coming april due to texas law. the case could be transferred juvenile to adult court, but even then a judge can only sentence him to 120 days in jail. >> based on what he did, running from police for two weeks should he face more time in jail. >> he should face more time in jail because he killed four people. >> reporter: as for his mother, tonya couch she faces a charge of aiding and abetting a felon and if convicted she could spend

up to ten years behind bars. >> her entire focus has been on protecting ethan and her entire focus is on making sure he didn't see any justice done and making sure he was not accountable. >> reporter: and the two-week international man hunt ended here in the apartment complex in the mexican resort town of puerto vallarta. this moment captures the moment of the a arrest. >> reporter: this butcher told nbc's kerry sanders that couch came into his shop and his hair was dyed black and he seemed nervous and suspicious. he had worldwide attention after driving drunk in 2014. the then 16-year-old did not fully understand the difference between right and wrong due to his affluent upbringing. a judge gave him ten years' probation. families of the crash victims are now relieved the search is over. >> my clients are glad because it moves it to the next chapter of what's going to happen to

them as opposed to it hanging over their head for months on end, where is ethan? >> reporter: the associated press citing mexican authorities reports that the couches ordered some pizza from one of their phones and that may have helped authorities track them down. so far the couches' attorneys have not commented. savannah? >> all right. gabe gutierrez. thank you so much. dee anderson, the sheriff of tarrant county is with us. good morning to you. thanks for being with us. >> my pleasure. >> we've heard this report that it was actually a call to the domino's pizza that tipped off authorities to the location of ethan couch and his mom. can you confirm that? can you tell us any more? >> well, that's a very oversimplification of what happened. we had a lot of work going on. a lot of old-fashioned police work going on. there wasn't one phone call that actually turned the case. we actually, on christmas eve had gotten christmas eve on the part of puerto vallarta they thought they were in. it wasn't as simple as just a single phone call and we had to

do a lot of work to pinpoint their location on where they were. >> based on ethan couch's change in appearance, the fact that they were found in mexico, is it your assumption that they had planned to stay on the run for some time? >> i believe so. i believe they were planning a long-term disappearance. i don't think there was any intent for them to come back because they knew as soon as they returned to this country and were located that they would both be arrested. so i think it was a long-term intention. i don't know how far out in advance they planned. >> and here you have ethan couch's mother now presumably going to be charged and the d.a. said the charge could carry up to ten years in prison so there is a certain irony that she ultimately might face more time in jail than her own son. >> yeah. that's true. she's facing a felony charge in adult court and unfortunately, ethan's case is still under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court and because of the way texas law is it's very -- they're very limited in their

options to do what they can do with him. what we hope to happen is that he will also get his case transferred into an adult court here very shortly and then at least he can do some jail time and then he will hopefully be placed if on a very, very intense probation with much more supervision than he had when he was on probation as a juvenile. >> before i let you go. i know you've been on this case since the beginning investigating the drunk driving accident that killed four people and injured another person. here is a young man who was given a second chance e essentially and kind of had to stay on the straight and narrow. are you surprised that this is how it turned out? >> not at all. i said two years ago when he didn't receive any significant sentence, i said two years ago that we weren't through with him and we'd see him back in the criminal justice system and as i said many times, i hate to say i told you so, and i'm just surprised he lasted two years, to be honest with you. i expected him to make a mistake

long before the two-year mark. it wasn't a surprise to me at all that he couldn't follow the rules. he's never had to follow rules. he doesn't believe in the rules, and it didn't surprise me at all when this occurred. i just was surprised it didn't happen sooner, to be honest with you. >> tarrant county dee anderson, i know there's been a lot of work on your part to bring these two to justice. appreciate your time, sir. thank you. >> you're very welcome. all right. a warning before you plan your next getaway, why you shouldn't always tru st t

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but i wondered if this was the right treatment for me. then my doctor told me about eliquis. eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots and reduces the risk of them happening again. not only does eliquis treat dvt and pe blood clots, but eliquis also had significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. knowing eliquis had both... turned around my thinking. don't stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. if you had a spinal injection while on eliquis call your doctor right away if you have tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily... and it may take longer than usual for bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. eliquis treats dvt & pe blood clots. plus had less major bleeding. both made switching to eliquis right for me. ask your doctor if it's right for you.

some of these experimentse're notmay not work.il. but a few might shape the future. like turning algae into biofuel... ...new technology for capturing co2 emissions... ...and cars twice as efficient as the average car today. ideas exxonmobil scientists are working on to make energy go further... ...no matter how many tries it takes. energy lives here. if you're planning a last-minute trip for the holong holiday vacation. >> the question is can they be trusted. here's joe fryar with the story. >> reporter: thanks to the internet, these days everyone really is a critic, able to post their own reviews on websites

like tripadviser and yelp. >> i'm going on five stars or one star. >> i would say it was sublime and most decorated, but the street parking wasn't that great. two and a half stars. >> reporter: such websites are popular with travelers seeking a hotel getaway in the spring. >> when i'm looking for sites i'm looking for anything four stars or higher. >> reporter: a survey finds 65% of consumers trust such review, but should they? while no one knows the exact number of fake online reviews, the company reputation communications estimates anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 are not real, they can unfairly hurt a competitor. >> you get the feeling like, no, they had to write that themselves. there's just no way. >> tripadviser says 93% of its consumers found hotel reviews to be accurate of their actual experience.

most will read six to 12 reviews before making a decision where to stay. >> yelp advisers weed out possible fakes, biased reviews and unhelpful rants or raves. fake reviews tend to be posted by accounts with little or no history. >> a few more tips, look for reviews with photos which are harder to fake and be wary of reviews that are glowingly positive or negative, but lack details. like them or not, online critics have power and something recognized by the wedbury hotel. it's ranked as one of the top ten hotels in los angeles and makes a point of replying to every single review, good or bad, sending a message to potential guests. >> they like to see that the management is informed and that they are interacting with the guests and they are responsive to people's feedback. >> because in a world where everyone's a critic, every star can make a difference.

"today," joe fryer, nbc, los angeles. one toddler's priceless reaction when he tastes bacon. for the first time. >> and we showed you mike tyson. just ahead. another hoverboard video going viral. viral. a priest riding one during mass, the citi double cash® card comes in very handy with cash back twice on purchases. earn once when you buy, and again as you pay. that's cash back now, and cash back again later. it's cash back déjà vu. the citi double cash card. the only card that lets you earn cash back twice on every purchase with 1% when you buy and 1% as you pay. with two ways to earn, it makes a lot of other cards seem one sided. after trying brookside chocolate, people talk about it online. love at first taste. i would liquefy it and bathe in it.

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a very good morning to you. it is 7:56. i'm laura garcia-cannon. a grandmother is under arrest charged with drowning her 4-year-old grandson. police say 51-year-old dawn raines-hewes was babysitting her grandchildren. the two other grandchildren were not hurt. police are not releasing a possible motive. a man caught on surveillance camera trying to break into a east bay home is under arrest. john winchester. let's get a look at the forecast with kari. >> a cold start. very cold all across the bay area. a few more clouds moving in as we get a live look at ocean beach. temperatures now in the low 40s in san francisco, 32 degrees in

livermore. so still freezing in some spots. we will be warming up gradually as we go through the day with a little sunshine peeking out. a few showers pos nbl the north bay that could lead to a wintery mix. how is it looking on the roads now, anthony? >> we do have slippery conditions. you'll notice the colors here, purple, that denotes black ice in some spots across the east bay, discovery bay, bitsburg, antioch. a couple of spinouts because of icy conditions on 80 eastbound. across the bay bridge, no major concerns. we have the stall near the treasure island off-ramp and also getting onto the on-ramp at 24 from fish ranch road in orinda is actually closed because of icy conditions there as well. across the east bay, not so bad, because it is lighter-than-usual volume. we have an accident near the dublin interchange. >> looking pretty good out there. we'll be back with another local

news update in half an hour. have a great morning.

it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, hgh in the spotlight. a lot of people talking about human growth hormone after allegations surfaced it was shipped to the home of star quarterback peyton manning so what exactly is hgh? is it a medical miracle or medical mistake. and then new year, new wish list. didn't get everything you wanted for christmas? don't sweat it. we'll have the big-ticket items you can score in january at even deeper discounts. and the new breakfast blend. your morning coffee not doing it for you anymore? the surprise ingredient people will say will give you an extra jolt in your cup of joe, today, wednesday, december 30th, 2015. ♪

>> i'm back to check off more of my "today" show to-do list. >> shout-out to you and steve from the "today" show. ♪ >> happy new year to union, georgia! >> we're here on the "today" show. >> good morning. and welcome back to "today." it's 8:00. it's wednesday, december 30th, 2015. beautiful morning out here in our plaza, feeling a little wintry but not too bad. as we say hello to all the folks getting ready for perhaps new year's eve celebrations. >> awesome. carson, new year's is like your super bowl. >> let's do it. i think it's like my 17th year in times square presiding over the ball drop. >> so exciting. >> yeah, it's great. >> matt has the morning off. it's his birthday. >> new half hour, new birthday

wish. >> meredith vieira's wish, they share the same birthday and al is out in california gearing up for the rose parade. good morning to you, wherever you may be. al? >> he's there. trust us, he's there. coming up, how to prepare your car for the worst of winter so you don't get left how the in the cold. plus, more of our "today food" last hurrah let's head inside to natalie, she's got the top stories of the morning. hi, guys. once again, we begin with the breaking news, bill cosby charged today with sexually assaulting a woman at his home 12 years ago. it was the first criminal charge brought against the actor and comedian. stephanie gosk has been following the case. stephanie? >> good morning, natalie. these charges them back to an alleged sexual assault in 2004 against a former temple university employee. prosecutors at the time feel they did not have enough evidence to prosecute cosby, but

the montgomery county prosecutor today said that in light of recent, very similar allegations and some new court filings that were unsealed by a federal drudge, they new believe they have enough evidence to prosecute. on the eaching in question, mr. cosby urged her to take pills that he provided to her and to drink wine. the effect of which rendered her unable to move, respond to his advances and he committed aggravated indecent assault upon her. the prosecutor says that cosby's attorney is aware of these charges and that he will be arraigned later on today in a pennsylvania courtroom and it's also really important to point out here that from the very beginnings can bee has denied all of these allegations. >> stephanie gosk, thanks so much. in other news, unprecedented flooding shows no sign of easing in parts of the midwest. the national weather service is

calling the flooding historic. nbc's morgan radford is in missouri where a state of emergency is in effect. morgan? >> natalie, good morning. as you mentioned, a state of emergency here in missouri, this is after 13 people died this weekend and the governor has called in the national guard. you can see that these floodwaters are continuing to rise. you can also see these sandbags piled five and six high along local businesses and homes that have been closed and this is to protect the water from actually entering the crevices around the doors and around the windows. you can also see this truck here beside me and this car got flooded as it tried to cross these treacherous waters. that's yet governor has asked people to avoid travel and to avoid flood-damaged roadways just like this. back to you. >> good advice. morgan radford near eureka, missouri, thank you. alaska airlines flight 27 was coming in from chicago earlier this month when the

pilot landed on the taxi way instead of the runway. no one was hurt, but if another plane had been on the taxi way, the results could have been catastrophic. some heavy lifting in chile where beach goers and loca fishermen teamed up to rescue a blue whale more than 60 feet long that got stranded in shallow water. they were able to use a very big net, as you see and pushed and pulled and used a boat to eventually get the whale back into the deep water. be free, whale. be free. >> natalie, thank you. this week's bombshell allegations against peyton manning have a lot of people talking about human growth hormone. the star quarterback says he did not take it. the nfl bans it for players and it is tightly controlled by the fda. nbc's stephanie gosk has been taking a closer look at all of this, as well. good morning to you. >> good morning, savannah. there's been a lot of talk about it. the al jazeera report claims manning's wife received

shipments of hgh, but what is hgh exactly and are there legitimate uses for it? >> it's completely fabricated. complete trash, garbage. >> reporter: the nfl's beloved quarterback peyton manning vehemently denies taking the performance-enhancing drug hgh and he did not describe any prescription medication for his wife. >> nothing that was sent to her have i ever taken. my treatments that i do, she may have hers and that's her business. >> an al jazeera documentary alleges his wife received multiple shipments. >> ashley manning drugs. >> the only source, a former pharmacy intern recanted the story, but al jazeera stands by the reporting. hgh is naturally produced by the body's pituitary gland to regulate growth in children. adults need the hormone, as well, but in much smaller amounts. synthetically produced hgh is

banned in the nfl because it is believed to stimulate muscle growth and muscle recovery. the fda allows very limited legal use of hgh for adults. an intestinal problem called short bowel syndrome. a sudden weight loss condition caused by hiv or aids and a deficiency of naturally occurring hgh. >> the fda has found that there's no support for the use of growth hormone for any purpose other than these three uses. >> reporter: but there is still an off-label market for hgh. clinics around the country illegally prescribe the hormone to reverse the aging process. >> it's quite likely that an anti-aging clinic would prescribe to a woman in her 40s. that's the business that they're in. >> reporter: there's one problem. experts we spoke to say there is no science to back up the claims. in 2011 a study showed that more than twice the quantity of hgh was prescribed than what

americans with legitimate illnesses would have needed suggesting it was prescribed illegally. the guyer institute where manning received treatment in 2011 and where al jazeera alleges the drugs came from promises to help patients to live longer and more vibrantly. nbc news reached out to them for comment, but we didn't receive a reply. >> thank you so much. there are a lot of questions about this and we want it turn to nbc news medical contributor dr. natalie azar. we saw in stephanie's piece the legitimate reasons for hgh to be prescribeded. what do people think they'll get out of it? >> saa van a the three main reason why people are using it is to improve athletic performance and people who use it for bodybuilding purposes and also this anti-aging idea. there is a natural decline in growth hormone as we get older and some people think if there is a deterioration in your body

because of reducing levels of certain hormone, perhaps if we give those hormones back we can slow down or mitigate some of that, and i think here the idea that the growth hormone does regulate body composition so it is involved in muscle mass and bone strength and other funk functions and the idea that you will regain muscle mass is the main, peel for most people in the anti-aging idea. >> is there any drug that would prevent aging or weight loss it would be considered a miracle drug. the question is does hgh actually work? >> an extensive review of the literature would not suggest that using synthetic hormone like this hgh doesn't achieve what people are using it for, both in improving athletic performance and achieving any anti-aging effect and i would like to add as stephanie pointed out in her piece that it's only been around for 20 years. whether or not it truly has an advantageous effect, we will not

see for a number of years and to point out, yes, there are risks. if you talk about people who actually have growth hormone in excess, they actually die sooner than normal people for cardiovascular reasons. so the side effect of illicit use of this do include potentially high blood pressure, diabetes and joint and muscle issues. >> not so cut and dry. >> there is a reason that the fda has required legal prescribing for those conditions. >> good information. >> thank you so much. just ahead, a life-changing experience. we'll get a load of this, one toddler's reaction to tasting bacon for the first time. >> plus "star wars" has taken the world by storm and there is one thing director j.j. abrams regrets. >> we'll tell you about that and proof that good things do come to those who wait. the best items to buy in january and we'll help you figure out what they are, but first these

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yes. you know, that reminds me of geico's 97% customer satisfaction rating. 97%? helped by geico's fast and friendly claims service. huh... oh yeah, baby. geico's as fast and friendly as it gets. woo! geico. expect great savings and a whole lot more. all right. we're back at 8:14. time for what's trending. everybody feel like that double latte is not getting it done anymore? there's an old world fad having a bit of a resurgence. have you tried adding butter to your coffee? >> trying to stay away from butter. >> no, i know, but apparently it's the thing. butterfat, they say, helps boost your energy and increases cognitive function. now, yes, there are more calories in butter than cream, but there are more nutrients if

you get the grass-fed butter. >> not butter. >> and unsalted butter, of course. >> just black coffee with a tablespoon. >> it's actually called bulletproof coffee, and a lot of athletes -- >> really, really creamy. >> you like it? >> you like it. >> you don't like it? >> what don't you like about it, describe. >> it's not like the coffee mate is >> a creamy film. >> but it's supposed to give you -- the butter gives you energy? >> i don't care for just straight black coffee and the butter really takes that bite away. >> when i was training for the boston marathon i did drink my coffee like this because they say it gives you more energy and also it's more satiating so you're not as hungry. did that work? >> i was still hungry after running a long way. >> i don't think it's bad. let's move on to videos with people struggling to stand on their hoverboard. this video involves trouble with a hoverboard but for a different reason. this is a priest in the

philippines who rode a hoverboard during mass, that's right, during mass. congregation loved it, cheering and clapping. ♪ singing a christmas song. however, the diocese did not find it as funny. they found that the antic took away from the service and put all of the focus on the priest. that priest is reportedly suspended after the church released a statement saying he'll be out of the parish and will spend some time to reflect on this past event. >> oh. wow. >> i think that's kind of harsh. >> going to church, the homily isn't always the most lively part of the whole mass, and as child especially if the priest did something fun i was that much more interested in listening to what he was saying. >> it kind of goes with the flow, with the song. >> pro hoverboard during homilies. >> as long as he doesn't fall. >> okay. now for something i think a lot of the ladies can relate to. do you ever say i'm sorry, i just stink, all the time. now there's an app there's a just not sorry extension.

it will actually scan your e-mails to point out when you have the weak words in them so here we'll show you a graphic. it underlines in red the problem words or phrases. see how it says. i'm sorry to bug and i'm no expert but i think we should fix that typo on the home page. just a thought. not a big deal at all. does that make sense? >> you could have written that. that could have come from savannah. >> i feel like that is an e-mail that i wrote. it's stupid and i probably shouldn't say this but dah, dah, dah. >> you pre-qualify everything you're writing and ultimately you're maybe worried about what people will think. >> is this an intervention, carson? >> i'm going to put the app on your phone. >> are you prone to saying sorry? >> no, no, not at all. >> not without the qualifiers. >> you would be more direct. >> don't judge me but here it comes. don't take this the wrong way, but i'm sorry.

i'm sorry. >> the only thing missing from that e-mail, i would have put a smiley face at the end and also love you. >> and here's my latest picture of vail vale. because we're halfway through the week and we've got the bacon here to celebrate. there's a point guard. did you see this making the rounds? >> bacon and coffee. >> a great video, young boy enjoying his very first piece of bacon. this is memorable. enjoy. >> while we eat. >> look at him. >> bacon. >> bacon. >> bacon. >> yeah. >> bacon. >> bacon. >> he's got his eyes on. >> it goes on and on. like euphoria on his eyes and the look on his face like it's the best thing i've ever eaten. >> good every time. >> now to the stars of "star

wars" and the reason why jennifer lawrence hates tomorrow night, but carson, that's your night. new year's eve. >> it is my night. let me put my bacon aside. the internet began buzzing back with the black and white photo started circulating. this photo was posted by sergio mendez, an oscar-nominated actor -- musician. and if you look to the right in this picture, do you see that? a young harrison ford. he was a carpenter at the time. this was taken seven years before he became han solo in "star wars." pretty good? >> is he wearing much there? >> more "star wars" news, explore that on your own time. co-star carrie fisher fired back at critics who commented about her weight and how she's aged. please stop debating about whether or not i've aged well. unfortunately it hurts all of three of my feelings. my body hasn't aged as well as i have. and she ended with, "youth and

beauty are not accomplishments." >> she looks great. next up, russell crowe is very upset with virgin airlines. the actor and his kids were stopped from boarding after trying to bring on hoverboards. as we all know, hoverboards were the hottest gift this christmas and banned at all major memos and he tweeted, ridiculous, virginaustralia. no segway boards as luggage. too late to tell us at airport. kids and i offloaded. good-bye, virgin. never again. and i'm assuming by segways he means hoverboards. we feel bad for him and the kids but feel worse for mike tyson. there's the former champ on the hoverboard. >> whoa. >> it hurts every time. >> right on the back. >> if we didn't have the word hoverboard in this show today it would be 15 minutes long. >> absolutely. and finally jennifer lawrence has not set new year's eve plans yet.

the actress sat down with bbc's graham norton to tape his new year's eve show and revealed she actually hates new year's eve saying everyone is chasing a good time and it's always a disappointment. i plan on doing nothing and then if something lands in my lap, but i always end up drunk and disappointed. well, there you go. >> she's had some good years, so -- >> i mean, i get it. i get it. if you think new years is going to be epic or something. >> don't want to overhype it because you'll be underwhelmed. >> have some bacon. >> or you can watch nbc. >> absolutely. >> the ball drop show. andy cohen. we'll all be guests on this show tomorrow. we'll explain, but it will be a great couple of hours. >> jennifer lawrence. and then after that is the rose parade with mr. roker in pasadena. hey, al. >> that's right, jennifer, afterwards, come on down here to pasadena, 127th rose parade. we're right now at the 30th

anniversary edition. union bank float. this is the union of hearts. it's awfully nice. it is actually the largest hoverboard you've ever seen. it's unbelievable. we've got all these volunteers putting stuff on it and it's a really nice float. let's show you what's going on. chilly here about, 40 degrees here but look at this in the northeast. all those cities, it's the warmest december so far, albany, buffalo, boston, new york city, d.c. and philadelphia as well. more heat will be coming more cold air all across the bay area. temperatures are struggling to make it out of the 30s. more clouds have moved in. stre san francisco at 41. the sun comes out every now and then. highs in the mid to upper 50s. the tri-valley expect a high in the mid 50s. in the south bay, 57. north bay and san francisco, around 53 degrees and mostly clear skies.

>> carson, hoda and i will be up late watching you as you get ready for new year's eve. >> thank you for that, al, appreciate it. we're wrapping up our winter tune-up series this morning with ways to get your car cold weather ready. lawrence is fr-- lauren is from car care council, good morning. let's start with things that people can do at home. >> a lot of things you can do yourself and there's basic things you can do and save up to $1,200 a year if you're proactive, and one of the things that you can see is adding winter de-icer washer fluid. buy that at any gas station. >> yeah. >> keeping the wiper blids. >> swap them out and get something heavy duety. >> 80% of your driving decisions are based on visibility. that doesn't mean you leave the winter blades on all year round. that's a problem. that's going to definitely impact your visibility. >> is this changing difficult

for somebody who doesn't know about it. >> aautoparts store will do for you for free. just buy them and ask. and the next thing is fluids. change your oil. there's clean and dirty oil. same as dirty and clean brake fluld. >> right. >> do with synthetic oil, your best choice, especially if you're in really cold climates. >> filters, swap them out. >> headlights, 80% of your driving decisions are based on visibility. winter tires are critical. make sure that you check your tire pressure once a month. >> take some air out if you are driving in snowy conditions. >> that's a great condition actually. always check the number inside the driver's door and get a quarter, take washington's head and put it right into the tread. we want to kick, we want to kick. no kick tires. you could break a toe. >> coin toss. >> you'll break a toe but the winter tie, think of the 45-degree rule. temperatures below 45 degrees go with a winter tire. i use these on my car. every vehicle i have, including my suv. >> do you have to have tires on?

>> absolutely if you have snow. soft and you get better grip. what should you take to the me can snick. >> a mechanic should do things you can't do, brakes, exhaust system, check engine lines, use an asa certified mechanic. number one thing. >> lots of people take cross-country trips, see family, the weather is bad. >> an emergency kit should be your base, in the winter add a snow brush, ice scraper, food, boots, jacket, gloves. why? put it behind your seat pand in the trunk. you get stuck you can't see it in the trunk. >> see it all the time. the traffic jams and storms come out of nowhere. >> i live in buffalo and this happens all the time. i'm prepared year round. have everything you need, tire inflation product and glass cleaner and paper towels. hand warmers. >> blankets for everybody, all the passengers. don't just put one blank net there. >> especially if you've got little kids. want to be presumed. if you need medications, carry

those with you as well because you don't want to be stuck out saying i need something >> over to savannah. >> coming, a sweet end oi'm ...n concord went up in flames this morning about a good wednesday morning. it's 8:26. i'm sam brock. a home went up in flames this morning about 2:30. it's on north 3rd street. they think squatters might have been responsible for starting the fire. there's no official word on a cause. the search is on right now for what may be gang members who attacked a couple in san jose. the man and a woman who were victimized are said to be hospitalized this morning and in critical condition. we will get a check of roads right now. i don't know if this is just in name only, anthony. how many incidents are you looking at? >> in the last 15 to 20 minutes, things have picked up. i have a few things to cover

across the east bay. a couple of accidents 880 southbound, starting to see a backup because of the accident. in the south bay, 101 headed over north northbound shoreline boulevard in mountainview, an accident blocking the off ramp getting off the highway. also 101 and alum rock, shut down because of a vegetation fire. crews are trying to battle that. back to you. >> good to know. thank you very much. we will follow-up on the fire in 25 minutes. another update for you. we send you back to "today." ♪

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good morning, everybody. welcome back to "today." it's 8:30 on a wednesday morning. taking selfies out here on the plaza, yeah. don't you love that song? let me take a selfie. yeah. got how many more days, two if you count the day tomorrow of this year. >> yeah. got the crowd getting ready to party and coming up the must-v.first we'll help you pick the right champagne, the bubbly. sparkling wine. >> plus we've got to keep eating ridiculous amounts of food

before the diets kick in. >> and the alcohol, yeah. >> head into the kitchen for decadent desserts and recipe. talking unbelievably delicious cookies and some pecan pie bites as well. >> resolutions that a lot of parents are making for their new year when it comes to the kids and how to stick with the resolutions. >> good food for thought there and first a check. weather with al who is in pasadena for the rose parade. >> hey, guys, and we are here. i mean, look at this bear. this is unbelievable. this is actually coconut bark. this is purple straw flower we use to fish and everything has to be covered with some sort of organic plant material, amazing stuff. this is for the rowes prayed on new year's day. let's take a look at your new year's eve forecast. wet weather down through the southeast. some snow around the great lakes. all in all not too bad, but then as we make our way into new year's eve night, much of the country fair skies. it will be good weather for much of the country as far as the new year's eve celebrations,

including new york city, and then as we make our way to new year's day it's looking pretty darn nice. again, some showers and still hanging around the southeast and the weather for the pasadena roese parade, 127th roese parade, looking pretty good. temperatures eventually will get up into the low 60s but to start the parade it's going to be in the upper 30s and low 40s under fair skies. that's w we have more clouds across the bay area and spotty light rain moving across parts of the north and east bay. also wintry mix in there as well as our temperatures are chilly. concord is 37 degrees. into the day, we will be warming up. the sun coming out with highs in the mid 50s. in napa, 53. oakland, 56. and livermore, a high of 52 degrees. more of the dry weather tomorrow. hey, you know, they are

using these mushrooms up there. got to be a pretty fun guy to use these. >> al, it's new year's eve eve so it's time to make sure you're stocked with bubbly. >> here to walk us through some of the best options for your midnight toast is patrick, wine director and wine columnist for "playboy" magazine. patrick, good to have you. where do we want to begin with the real deal? >> talk about champagne, traditionally to celebrate new year's, a wine that comes from one particular region in france, champagne region, that's the only way it can wear that name on it which means it's -- >> are we tasting? >> the champagne from the northeast. >> just outside of paris, a little bit east of there you'll fine the champagne region. that's where it has to be from. >> that's one you recommend. >> what's the price?

>> about 42 bucks. this is from one of my small growers. >> love that whatever you said, yes, very nice. okay. next, if you wanted to do something a little different. >> yeah. >> this is the pink champagne, a rose. >> this actually comes from california. ultra marine is a wine made by a young man in sonoma, entirely made from pinot noir and rose champagne gets that color because it's made from a red grape, just a little skin contact makes it pink and more fun and festive. >> is it more expensive because it's red? >> no, not necessarily. most of these wines are made from pinot noir and don't give it contact with the skin. >> do you call it wine as well? >> everything is wine and then there's sparkling wine. >> oh, okay. >> i like this. >> it's a little fruitier. >> it's more like a wine wine, so i like it. this is a little bit of a better budget item here. >> most wines cost between 40 and 50 bucks. those two selections around the $20 mark. >> a lot of people for new year's eve and you just want to

have a big toast, you know, want to buy eight bottles, this is a good one. >> get a case of it for sure. local from new york from the finger lakes region upstate. that's weimer, a small grower that makes sparkling wine, chardonnay and pint noir blend. >> just like shopping in a liquor store and looking for $20 to $30. is there any tips? i usually go by the label, if i happen to like it. >> me, too. >> there are certain areas that make good value, good sparkling wipes, like prosecco, that's a good value, but there are other areas here in new york and south in france. >> that tastes good. did you tell us about this one already? >> this is a sparkling wine made in france but made in burgundy which is further south, an area more known for their still wines but they do make sparkling wines and as a result they are not as famous for their sparkling wines. >> don't mind if we do. >> they are a better value. >> you can taste the difference between the southern region and the northern region. >> you really can. and can you please tell us about this.

>> got to get to the opening. >> can we give them the punch. >> great opportunity to make cocktails with sparkling wines and this is a french 75 which is a traditional cocktail. you might get that in a restaurant or a bar, but you can make a big patch. >> fun for a party. >> how do you do it? >> give us a tip on opening it. >> for sure, for sure. you're going to move that, remove the foil and put your hand on the cork. >> this way. >> twist slowly and pull a little bit, exactly perfect. i've done that before. >> that's one way of opening. >> a veritable pro. >> and there is another option. >> kids, don't try this at home. patrick is a professional. >> okay. here we go. >> drum roll, please. >> oh, my gosh. do it again. sometimes you try not to get it on the floor. >> just for fun. >> you have to be careful. the glass blows out after you pop it off so there's no glass

left in the bottle, but you do want to be careful. i wouldn't do this at home unless you've taken some practice, a lesson. come and get a lesson and it doesn't always work either. >> hey! >> you shouldn't try it at home but if you are an expert, how cool would that be? >> don't do if if you've had too many glasses of champagne. >> thanksle. >> patrick, thank you so much. for more tips and new year's eve ideas head to today.com/food. coming up next, how to make and keep your parenting resolutions in the new year, but, first, this is "today." we got to try the punch on nbc.

. we are back at 8:39. tomorrow negotiate's arrival. new year means you're likely to declare a few resolutions so we

asked our parenting team to share some of theirs. >> my parenting resolution for 2016 is to spend more time around the dinner table and have a lot less of this. >> i'm going to do a better job of getting my kids to their school activities on time, and by on time, i mean within 15 minutes of when they are supposed to be there. >> mom, we're going to be late! >> 2016 i'm going to stand by no more of this for my 2-year-old's hair. >> we're starting a new program we are done speaking naftly to each other. guys, which words are we done saying? >> i hate you. >> dumb. >> and other fun swear words. >> and what happens if you screw up, you lose your device for the rest of the day. good luck, gentlemen. >> my resolution for my middle school daughter is that i want age-appropriate apps and i don't want her being introduced to

things before she's ready. i also need to teach my son how to drive and today is our first lesson, and i think it's going great. >> yu. >> can i get this app, mom? >> no, that's for sectioning. >> what's sexting? >> two of the things we're committed to are -- >> no electronics at the table. >> no electronics at the dinner table and aliya? >> a bed time for our electronics. >> our new year's resolution is to watch less television because we really love tv in our house, don't we, cassidy? >> yes. >> yeah. >> hurry up. we're really, really, really late for soccer. move, move, move, move. >> sometimes in the craziness of life with three kids i forget that it's supposed to be fun so this year my resolution is that i want to laugh more. >> we're going to call our resolution a revolution, and it's going to be playing together and being outside and having fun. >> our new year's resolution is

more joy, less stress, and we are finally going to organize all these toys! >> can you say resolution. >> resolution. >> good job. >> my resolution is to replace a negative thought with a positive one. >> i'm going to take care of me in 2016. it's always about the kids first. i can't remember the last time i had a warm me. i'm going to take care of me and in doing so it's going to make me a better father to my kids and then everybody wins so, boom. >> so boom. betsy brown braun is a parent educator. good morning. fun watching that with you, but you make a really good point about resolutions. >> yeah. >> they are supposed to be parenting resolutions, something that you are promising to do, not something that you want your kids to do. >> can't make somebody to do anything. you have to make a resolution for yourself to decide to make a change. that's hard to do, but you have to be the one to make that decision. >> a lot of people want to do this. you've got some tips. the first thing you say is to focus on self-discipline.

explain. >> self-discipline, otherwise known as self-control is critical to make any kind of a change and resolving to make a change means it has to be focused and deliberate. can't just be a whim or an impul impulse, but the thing about self discipline is anybody can have it. people think oh, no, i don't have self-discipline. there's no self-discipline gene. you have to make a concerted effort, decide you're going to do it and stick to it. >> i love your tip. find the motivation. the thing that will keep you going when it's hard. >> the best motivation is to go public. when you go public, tell your kids, tell your family, you're going to be embarrassed if you blow it. your kids are watching you. they are your accountability, and you don't want to model something for your kids that they are not going to be able to do. >> and kind of feeding off of that you say we should create a means of self-inspection. >> oh, yeah. so many ways. you have to be accountable and check in, so you can check in positively or negatively, and negative self-inspection would be a swear jar, maybe the old-fashioned days when you throw a dollar in the swear jar

and a positive one would be a marble in the marble jar. have reminders. put a little sticker on your rear view mirror so every time you look at you remember you won't swear. write it on toothpaste in the mirror of your bathroom. keep it at the front of your head. >> and finally be persistent, like new fall off the wagon just keep going. >> absolutely. be aware of what your plan is, if you fall off, aware of what the saboteurs are, lousy local conditions, what's going to make you trip up and state it out loud if you're going on the dark side, if you're leaning that way. someone will help you or remind you where you want to be. >> good for parenting resolutions horany resolutions. >> i think so. >> thank, betsy, thank you very much. coming up next, did you not get everything on your christmas list? we'll tell you what to buy when the new months arrive, but, first, this is "today" on nbc.

and welcome back. if you missed out on all the big

pre-christmas sales, don't worry. our today.com contributor and financial expert is here to walk us through all the deals you can expect to find in stores next month. she was also on "total request live" 15 years ago as a teeny bopper screaming. >> totally. >> gave a shout-out. >> i forget the band. >> look at you now. >> i know, right. >> mom, will be at me. the first thing is flat screen tvs. january is the month, and shall we move down. flat screen tvs. we're seeing discounts of about 35%. this is the month to do it. >> why is this the month? >> the consumer electronics show is every time in january. that's when the new products come into the market, so best buy, stores like that. >> get the inventory out to make way for new stuff. >> everyone from vizio to samsung, deals, $200 markdowns. >> what else? >>the next one is gym memberships. >> of course. >> and fitness equipment. everybody wants to look good in the new year so gyms go to your local gym and ask for a

discount. >> get a deal on a membership. >> sometimes they will waive the initiation fee, give you 20% off and fitness stores. seeing deals in the 25% to 50%, dumbbells, tread mills and yoga pants. >> a good time to buy for the home gym. >> yes, yes. >> all righty. >> what other sorts of deals can you get in january on goods in general? >> linens, january is the famous linen sale. >> why? >> stems back to the 1800s. source like wanamakers in philly, they wanted to offload linens during the slow months. >> do you need to know what stores to go to. >> west elm, target, costco and ziera home. >> kitchen appliances. >> if you want to maybe get new pots and pans, cutlery, go to macy's, if you want to renovate your kitchen go and get new cabinets, lowe's, seeing a 20% off deal. >> remodeling the kitchen, january is the month to do it. >> and getting someone to help you out, painters, they are cheaper this time of year.

>> even doing it later in the new year, buy the appliances now and store them in the garage. >> exactly. >> video games. this is the month to do it because we have the toy fair next year and also comic-con later this year so we're expecting new announcements in the video game world so get some deals. microsoft right now and xbox 1 and xbox 360, a sale about 40% to 60%, sometimes even more than 60% on those games. >> this is hard for parents to see because they just spent money on some of these gaming devices. >> gift cards, this time of year, the time to go and spend them. >> the game is similar to the tvs all have new inventory coming in, new technology. >> right. >> a good time to get this. >> january in general is good because either historically there's inventory going on. >> do you remember who was on trl? >> p. diddy and vince vaughn and you, you were there. >> you're the best. we posted these other great january deals at today.com. coming up next, the recipe you've been red for.

get ready for junk in the trunk cookies, but, first, it's

we're back now at 8:51, "today's food," our last hurrah before we start watching what we eat again. >> that's right. we've about busy waiting for moment right here. hedy goldsmith is here with an indulgent cooky that she's going to make for us. walk us through the ingredients. >> salty, sweet, carmely

delicious, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, vanilla bean paste, very important, butter, everything is better with butter. >> i'm like in love. >> junk in the trunk cookies. >> absolutely. >> let's do it. >> got to do that. >> junk in the trunk, yeah. salty sweet. we've got butter that's screaming. keep it at room temperature because it's going to really air ate and incorporate. so we're doing white suger and brown sugar to keep it nice and soft. brown sugar is going to keep it soft. once that dreams, we're going to add the vanilla bean paste and i love that because you see all the little speckles of vanilla. >> the vanilla bean paste is a special ingredient. your wife sy ri loves vanilla bean paste. >> absolutely. what it does it gives you a little bit more for your money, a little bang for your buck. >> what are you mixing it. >> an egg, and that's going right into the cream. >> the whole egg, vanilla bean paste and you want to keep all

of your ingredients room temp. never mix cold butter and warm egg and like little fish form kind of things. this way it all incorporates perfectly well. >> okay. >> then you'll get your flour sifted with baking soda and that will go in, goes in very slow and very low. don't want to create like a little white issue all over your walls. >> yeah, that's happened to me. >> you can kind of do it all together in a matter of a few minutes. >> oh, absolutely. >> all right. >> don't want to overmix your cookies because that will make a tough cookie. >> they had a tough cookie. >> okay. >> tell me about this tray of delightfulness of candy. >> this is obsessive compulsive because that's the way i rocks, all kinds of deliciousness. the candy-coated everything. it's whatever you have in the house. it's leftover >> this is the junk of the junk in the trunk. >> this is the junk in the trunk. >> look at this. >> really a super bowl when i

had a little crumb left of potato chips. >> kettle cooked, nice and crunchy and stay -- >> you're doing this. this is happening. >> so you've got caramel and salt and sweet and you've got everything, and it's -- if al were here it would probably have bacon. >> not a bad call. >> i'm feeling a little bit of love right now. >> i am, too. >> it does my heart good. >> and that you'll mix by hand. >> we'll add this right into that base. >> any candy you have lying around that's good. >> halloween, my favorite. >> throw in some m & ms for the heck of it. >> because it's festive. >> whatever you have in the house. it changes all the time. >> okay. >> so it will never be the same. >> i love cookie dough. >> and then i take this and we're going to scoop. now you're using an ice cream scoop. that's a pretty big cookie. >> it is a big cookie because you've got to get all that junk in the bowl. >> how do you knowful cookie

will stay in that farm or if it will become flat and big. >> is there enough real estate. >> this is. >> and why does it do that because i feel like my cookies would flatten out and be one big cookie. >> you know what the key is chill your dough first. >> very important so it doesn't flatten out. >> i didn't know that. >> and how long are you going to cook these for? >> well, it depends on your oven but usually about 10 to 11 minutes. >> got about a minuteest. >> what do you do when you pull them out. >> shall i grab them. >> you do a little -- >> put a little sea salt. >> a little bit of salt in there. >> all right. >> all right. >> oh, my gosh, looks so good. that's the junk in the trunk. >> that's the emergency junk in the trunk just in case you're between sglets what are these little doodads. these are pecan pie bites with a little bit of salt on to. got a little bit of bacon fat in

the there. >> of course you do. >> it's delicious. >> i like the whole way you're rolling this morning. >> very sweet kind ofning. >> people will be making these before the new year kicks in. >> yeah. >> try it. >> or they can order from sweet hedy. >> that's even better. >> hedy goldsmith, thank you so much. all the recipes on i'm ... =vo= under arrest, charged with good wednesday morning. it's 8:56. i'm sam brock. a grandmother is under arrest charged with drowning her 4-year-old grandson. police say she intentionally drowned him in a tub when she was reportedly baby-sitting the boy and his two other sib lilin at her home. the boy's mother has been notified. a man caught on surveillance camera trying to break into a home is now in jail.

the union city couple whose home he is suspected of trying to break into posted the pictures on social media and generated several leads. over the holiday, probably had it coming. coming up in 25 minutes, a look at your weather and traffic on yet another cold day. more on that in 25. [male announcer] in ireland, we live in

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this morning on "today's take," star-studded. many of the celebrities who visited us in 2015. plus, we'll go spanning the year for the wildest and whackiest sports bloopers, and a tweet 16 simple dessert hacks to guarantee a delicious new year's eve. all that coming up now. >> announcer: fro nbc news, this is "today's take" with al roker, natalie morales, willie geist and tamron hall live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> i love you, mom. >> we love you, mom. >> mrs. daly. >> love. >> you good morning. wednesday morning. december 30th, 2015. natalie morales along with dylan and a rare appearance by

mr. carson daly. >> thank you ladies. should be lucky to be sounded by the both of you. >> thanks for sticking around with us. >> the previous hour ends and we were eating cookies from hedy goldsmith. >> i cannot put down. these rin sane. >> every employ at nbc is upstairs in the kitchen in line waiting. >> no one is running the show right now. >> the picked this song "work this body" by walk the moon after the way we've been eating, have bacon coming up and buttered coffee and junk in the trunk cookies. >> really good. >> so many people have had monday, january 4th in their minds and on their calendars, objection that you will holiday, even going back to thanksgiving and rolled into the office parties and the family meals. >> like a month and a half of straight eating. >> and then i'll work this off. always great to have you. >> thanks. >> can we say congratulations one more time because i know you haven't heard it enough on your marriage to siri. we just love her around here. she's a member of our family

too. >> boast you were glowing in the picture. siri has been posting a lot of pictures on instagram and i love every new picture. >> show was glowing and i was sweating. >> yes, i appreciate that. >> you guys have been together for a very long time. has it changed. do you feel i'm a married man now? >> finally we got a charges you know, to have the sacrament of marriage be a part of our lives. got mayor i'd in our catholic church which was an important detail for us. yeah. >> talked about this day for a long time, been together ten years and know that we've done this the new normal, three beautiful kids but to us as i've always said the goal is to be a family and be together forever. >> you've been a family. >> at a time when that doesn't seem to be happening as often as it used to. >> sure. >> we did things a little backwards and it's working for us and we've been very blessed. >> everybody has their own version of love. >> happens in different ways. >> and our parents and grandparents and the benefit that have was our kids, you know, jackson, my 6-year-old was the ring bearer and they really

understood what was happening and it was great. >> the whip and nae-nae afterwards. >> they did that. >> that was me. they were asleep. >> a big day coming up tomorrow night. are you prepared for your new year's duties. >> 17 years. >> i think back to my time at mtv and starting doing their new year's eve show, did it every year until i came to nbc. took one year off and did it for 17 years. a great night and obviously a great tradition. i've always felt safe in times square, an issue now in the news. there at y 2 k. guarantee the law enforcement in this city, as mayor de blasio said on tuesday, times square will be the safest place to be. >> i believe that, yeah. >> a great show, it's fun. so hope you tune? >> you've got i think that's blake -- gwen is one of your guests. >> buy one, get the over. i don't know where they are at these days. >> i would think they would be together.

>> yeah, we have the great. gwen stefani. i don't know if blake will be in tow. every day is new year's eve when you work with blake shelton. >> i would think. >> andy cohen. >> ever wondering what's in the starbucks cup on "the voice" it's not coffee. it's new year's eve. >> keeps it more livelily. >> right before your show, kathie lee and hoda kick off the special, the party gets started with a toast to 2015 at 8:00 p.m. and a lot of us are featured on that show. >> that's always fun to watch. we watch that in the hotel room getting ready for the live show. from 8:00 p.m. to the ball drop at 12:30 there's really great stuff on nbc >> you look back at the year that was and all the crazy viral videos that captured our attention like pizza rat. >> what are you guys going to do? >> something you forget about during the year and they recap everything. >> i got married, that's right, i forgot. >> that's sglig what are you going to do on new year's eve? >> small little dinner party at my house and just hosting with

neighbors and my kids will keep me up hopefully. >> mom, wake up. it's only 9:00. >> you slept through "star wars." the only human being hey live who literally fell asleep. >> dylan fell a little bit asleep. >> i ate a steak this big before we went to "star wars" sglars what are you doing in. >> supposed to go to a restaurant that has a great time for the regulars and i walked by the restaurant and it's closed. >> that's not good. >> i guess there was a landlord dispute which happens in new york, so, yeah, i guess we're back to staying home. >> come on over. >> i hear you're having a party. >> the more the merrier. it will be fun. >> in times square with an estimated 1 million people who will ring in 2016. if you've never been to times square before, it's kind of a collection of, you know, the big restaurants, the bigger version of the olive garden, bigger version of red lobster. >> ruby tuesday's, and the amount of money if you want to go to these restaurants for newyear, hundreds of dollars.

olive garden, $400. >> you're basically paying for the access to get into. >> you're right there. >> the zone. >> and i feel like you're going to get that seat that maybe you don't even get the view but there's a bathroom. >> a bathroom. >> that's it. >> once you're in depenthe pens can't get out to go to the pens. >> screening, no bags, whole thing and a secondary screening and pen you in 65 different pens and wand and waved and can't move and people there at noon so you wonder how people are going potty. >> making reservations. >> you pay $400 at the red lobster sounds pretty good. >> red lobster is $349 and does include a five-hour open bar. >> that's great. i could drink that no problem. >> and ruby tuesday has a couple's table for a bargain, $1,700. >> wow. >> what do you get with that? >> all you can eat shrimp. >> the long conversation you've been avoiding all year.

>> how much for the ball drop? >> 800 bucks a seat. let's talk about your family. >> if you're not going out, netflix did this last year, they have the countdown for kids. >> i like this. >> the countdown that can start really at any time of night. >> i'm going to need this for sure. >> natalie, turn this on at 8:30. >> they are just short video, like five minutes. >> basically allows your kid to stay up for the ball drop but not really getting the ball drop. >> i think it's fun to stay up. one night. >> one of my favorite new year's we celebrated in vail, at 10:00 p.m., counted down and then we went to bed. >> were the kids okay. >> got to celebrate. >> you know what, we watched the ball drop in new york and when that happens to me it's on new york time. >> there you go. >> do you guys have your resolutions planned? >> well, you know, i think it's one that i change it daily, but

i think the idea of being more present around my kids and just -- just enjoying the moment. we heard in the last hour some parents talking about the things they wanted to do more with their kids. like what the mom said about just remembering to have fun. sometimes we get caught in the trop of i've got to get them to soccer. it should be fun. having time with your kids is a joy. >> how about you? >> well, you know, i get busy with all the work that i've got with "the voice" and the year gets busy. my resolution is really to eat and drink a little more actually. >> to get through it all. >> try to work out a little less. >> if you need some advice. >> i'll go the other way. >> i like your resolutions. >> if you need some kind of things to get you started on your resolutions pop sugar has a list of easy resolutions, don't have to be elaborate big deals. like what, stretch while watching tv. >> i can touch my toes. >> stretch while watching.

>> give someone you don't know a compliment. >> that's a good one. >> hand learn to accept a compliment. if somebody says something nice to me, i'm like, no, you're crazy. >> blue looks beautiful on you. >> no, i look better in green. >> just say thank you. >> no, in your case it might be weird. >> is that a back-handed compliment. >> i will say thank you. >> there you go. >> another one. reconnect with an old friend, off of facebook. >> good. >> and that was up of my resolutions this year is to pick up my phone and call my brothers who live out west and not like something on instagram or comment on something or send a text. actually pick up the phone and call them. i feel like we don't do that enough. >> nobody does. >> another one. do squats while you brush your teeth. >> i like this. >> that's insane. >> i feel like the toothpaste just runs down your arm. >> how does this workers actly? >> yeah. >> 52 on this list. i could go through all of them.

when you're cold, don't turn up the heat do ten push-ups insgled that will get the body temperature up in that. >> you're not liking of that. >> i'm just thinking of something, i'm thinking of bacon, hold on, bacon. who doesn't lost sound of bacon. do you hear? >> i'm not crazy, i heard it. >> did you see this little kid's reaction, easton. >> priceless. >> this young man tasted bacon for the very first time and has the same exact look every time we have it. >> is that good? >> bacon. >> bacon. >> bacon. >> bacon. >> i'm right here. >> bacon. >> bacon. >> bacon! >> there's your viral video right there.

>> what is it about bacon that is so worthy of a reaction like that? >> everything in here. here's some delicious bacon for you guys. >> hall, i think we got you some bacon. al is out in pasadena, california, getting ready for the rose parade. >> is that your reaction when you taste bacon every time, al, euphoria in. >> every time. >> bacon! i think that's going to replace the begging strips dog. i'd get it myself but i don't have numbers. >> bacon, bacon, bacon. >> awesome. you're there for the tournamench of roses parade. >> after everybody watches carson for the new year's eve, hoda and i will be doing the 127th tournament of roses parade. this is the western assets float. this thing is gorgeous. i mean, that's unbelievable. friday live 11:00 a.m. eastern time and 8:00 a.m. pacific and look at this thing. i mean, it's just beautiful. it's let your imagination run wile. it is fantastic.

all tolled with all the folds, takes about 80,000 volunteer hours to put all the flora and fauna on this. look at this raccoon. i mean, the detail, poppy seed and all this -- this is all plant. it's really amazing stuff. so let's show you what's going on as far as your weather is concerned. we have been talking about flooding in the mississippi. this is the flood stages. st. louis is going to come close to a record crest. they may tie it in chester and cape girardio as well. the good news, rain will be stopping. look at this. it will crest tomorrow in st. louis at about 43 feet. major flood stage is at 40 and it will take really until monday until it gets to below where it should be. our new record rainfall amount for st. louis for the year, that gives you an idea of the problems they have been having with the mississippi river with all this rain. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's

good morning, i'm kari hall. we've had spotty light rain moving through. we're in the low 40s in san francisco as well as the east bay and peninsula. in the north the bay, we're still in the upper 30s. a lot more clouds today than we had yesterday. expect the sun to peek out every now and then with a high of 56 degrees in the east bay and peninsula, san francisco up to 53 degrees. and we will have a little bit more sunshine heading into tomorrow. >> that's your latest weather. i've been doing this parade now for 19 years, and i tell you. >> wow. >> i never get tired of it. >> wow. >> this thing is fantastic. >> it's so beautiful. >> always amazing -- it's like bacon really. every single time you watch the parade you're in awe. >> that they can make what they make out of flowers and fauna. >> look alternate right behind you. >> and these are volunteers, al? are they trained in this or do they teach them? >> you get -- you get a lot of

repeat volunteers coming in. i mean, weave seen -- i've seen -- literally some of these kids grow up on these floats. it's really amazing. >> that's cool. all right, al. have fun. >> all right, buddy. well, yesterday, i don't know if you all had an opportunity to see it, i had a private reading with the long island medium theresa caputo and it was pretty emotional. we want to remind you though the season premiere on january 3rd on tlc, an she owes got a lot of celebrities who are getting readings as well. >> i saw that, read about that, you and others. >> yes. >> for those who haven't seen it without spoiling it, can you just remind us quickly of your experience. >> it was fascinating, whether you choose to believe or not believe, i mean, she tapped into a lot of things, including the loss of my mother-in-law and i had had a miscarriage years ago and some things that i haven't really talked about openly so she -- i -- >> are you the premiere? >> we just did a little reading here for the show. >> got it. >> but, yeah, anyway. coming up next, we're going to

have plenty of star power as we take a look back at some of the celebrities who paid us a visit in 2015, but we live in a pick and choose world. choose, choose, choose. but at bedtime? ...why settle for this? enter sleep number, and the lowest prices of the season. sleepiq technology tells you how well you slept and what adjustments you can make. you like the bed soft. he's more hardcore. so your sleep goes from good to great to wow! only at a sleep number store, find the lowest prices of the season. save $600 on the #1 rated i8 bed, plus no interest until january 2018. know better sleep with sleep number. is a woman she knows she can be.

many times you look in the mirror and you don't even recognize your own self, because you got lost, buried, in the weight that you carry. nothing you've ever been through is wasted. so every time i tried and failed, and every time i tried again, and every time i tried again, has brought me to this most powerful moment. to say, if not now, when? i feel that way, and i know millions of other people feel that way. are you ready? let's do this together. if you could see your cough, you'd see just how far it can spread. robitussin dm max soothes your throat and delivers

fast, powerful cough relief. robitussin dm max. because it's never just a cough. i did it too... they took nature's bounty hair, skin and nails, it's a vitamin supplement that nourishes from the inside... with biotin for beautiful hair and strong nails. and vitamin c and e for vibrant skin. give it a month, if your hair, skin and nails don't look and feel more beautiful, we'll give you your money back. i did it...and i feel beautiful. take the nature's bounty hair, skin and nails challenge, visit naturesbounty.com for details. in delicious gummies too!. there's nothing more difficult about working in morning tv than having to constantly rub elbows with some of the biggest names in showbiz. >> it is a tough job but someone's got to do it, and as we prepare to ring in the new yore a look back at the stars who brightened our days in 2015.

>> there are days where i look through my phone and all of the celebrity selfies and moments on this show that we've snapped. it's like that happened? >> thanks for having me on this. this is the cool hour, right? >> i watch you guys every morning. >> cheers. >> why is there never anyone in my nightclub? >> not long ago tamron was doing her "pop fix" and a figure comes out of the shadows. >> he's 21 years old, so that makes this legal. >> i took it for every 16-year-old girl out there, took that kiss and embrace it had. >> i'm down. >> people who show up, pop up during our weather segments. >> that's what's going on around the country and here's what's happening in chrissy teigen's world. >> maya rudolph. >> there's some thunder so be careful out thereto. >> thank you. >> in your noosds. >> can you put the weather up in there. >> tsunami, yeah. big swells here and it's going

to clear up and al, i need help please. >> most fun set visit ever was getting to play a zombie on "the walking dead. ". >> this will be great if it doesn't come off tomorrow. >> i still have nightmares looking at that picture of me. ♪ >> the patti labelle surprise was incredible. >> oh, no! ♪ on my own ♪ once again >> mystery guest. come on out. >> yes! >> we had to pity them fools. >> yes, we did. >> thank you, al. >> all worthwhile. >> the al mind and the tamron body. >> don't laugh. >> sit right over there. >> i'm an actress and i'm full of crap, and it's early and i'm lying. >> little known fact about gina

rodriguez. sheets also raps ♪ trying to dress dapperly like my friend natalie ♪ >> we've expanded our family to include some really cool folks. >> have a pan of my legs. >> good, good. >> i let everybody know the real champ is here. >> john cena is a big guy with a big heart. >> the most important part of the year so far. >> who ever thought we'd have a wwe wrestling champ. >> co-hosting our program. >> ellie and jane krakowskiy. >> not only did i co-host with ellie and allegedly but tina fey showed up, natalie, willie and tamron were not there. >> we dare take a couple days off to be with our beloved families. >> we had to hear about it every single day.

>> you want to replace us with them? come on. >> it hurts. >> it was the best show ever. ha, ha, bam! >> good for you, al. >> one day invited jane to come back, and it was just the two of us. allegedly roller skated out on to the set. >> this is the jane loves willie hour. >> i think win that one. >> hello, miss tamron. >> ladies and gentlemen, prince. >> prince, good morning. >> hi, prince. >> whoa. >> good morning, all. >> oh. >> all i need is a horse. >> there we go. >> good to see you. >> thank you. >> great to be seen. >> i mean, it's fantastic. >> don't i look hot. >> i'm going to do this when i'm delivering the library boar, you know. >> a lot of families that are probably cool with this. >> just give -- >> what happens now? >> oh. >> yeah! >> so much fun. >> wow. >> would have been quicker to

show who wasn't on the show. >> 2016. >> going to be big an better so come on down. this is the fun house, ♪ only kraft natural cheese has a touch of philadelphia cream cheese, so whatever you make, is creamier than ever.

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dylan? >> and we're going to go spanning the year with len berman looking at 2015's most memorable and forgettable moments in sports. >> you going to share but grandmcause we uses we don't charmin ultra soft.clean. charmin ultra soft gets you clean without the wasteful wadding. it has comfort cushions you can see that are softer and more absorbent, and you can use up to 4 times less. enjoy the go with charmin. because i trust their quality. vitamins. they were the first to have a vitamin verified by usp.

an independent organization that sets strict quality and purity standards. nature made. the number one pharmacist recommended went up in flames this morning about good wednesday morning to you. it's accou9:26. a home in concord up in flames this morning about 2:30. this is on the 1900 block of north 3rd street. investigators believe squatters may be responsible for that fire. but there is no official word yet on a cause. meantime the search is on right now for what could be gang activity and gang members who attacked a couple last night in san jose. this is right in front of the ca carl's junior. the man and woman said to be hospitalized and in critical condition this morning. police are asking anyone who might have seen something to help them catch the suspects. and that wayward elephant seal back on tut on the coast t

morning after being moved yesterday, but it was a long process. she proved very stubborn through most of the day. workers with the marine mammal center eventually trapped her, sedated her and loaded her up in the back of a truck for a trip to pt. reyes. on a side note, they did a sonogram and it turns out indeed she is pregnant. your forecast right after this. weather toss to traffic

traffic ck san jose 101/280/680 good morning. i'm meteorologist care ray hall. we've had spotty light showers moving across part of the bay area. we will see that through the morning as a weak cold front moves through. now it's 35 in the east bay, south bay 41 and also 41 in the peninsula. looking at highs today, that will be in the low to mid-50s. and mostly cloudy skies. every now and then the sun comes out. and we're looking at good conditions, in fact earlier in the last report, we talked about a closure on the 101 southbound at story road. that has been opened.

crews were battling a grass fire. hard to believe as cold as it was, but it is open now and traffic moving. no concerns in the south bay. same deal for the east bay, but a slick spot coming through dublin because of the wintry precipitation we saw. same story concord. slick spots you through the delta. and you can see wide open lanes at the bay bridge toll plaza. >> a lot of people moving likely right n now, but next week a different story. we'll be back in 25 minutes with another update.

taking a look at the headlines. break news out of pennsylvania. bill cosby has been charged with drugging and sexually assaulting a woman stemming from an incident 12 years ago. cosby previously said he had sexual contact with her but said it was consensual. he's charged with a felony and will be arraigned later today. customers with verizon and sprint have until tomorrow to claim refunds in a settlement over so-called cramming. the companies agreed to pay a total of $158 million to consumers who were charged for unauthorized third-party services for things like ring tones or horoscopes on their wireless phone bills. the s.e.c. estimates cramming has affected tens of millions of americans. to file a claim they need to

file on the company's website by tomorrow. a new study suggesting that some american heart patients are getting exposed to more radiation than patients in other countries. according to a report in "jama internal medicine," researchers looked at nuclear strength tests performed on about a million americans a year to detect coronary heart disease. they found on average that americans get a 20% higher dose of radiation during the test, partly because they say u.s. labs are less likely to comply with dosing guidelines. but experts say the benefits of these tests still outweigh any risks. by now you've seen countless videos of people falling off their new hoverboards. proof that even former heavyweight champ mike tyson is no match for the self-balancing scooters. it scores the knockout here. tyson shared this video on instagram tuesday with the hashtag i'm too old for this. let's get a check of the weather. al is in pasadena ahead of the

tournament of roses parade. >> you talk about the roses. this is the rose room. every conceivable color and shade of rose is here. let's look at your new year's forecast and show you what's happening as far as that's concerned. we start with new year's eve day, and we are looking at some wet weather down through the mid-atlantic, southeast. look for snow around the great lakes. new year's eve night, more rain in the southeast. leftover snow showers around the great lakes. otherwise fair. and new year's day, wet weather, gulf coast, texas into the southeast. look for snow showers around the great lakes. that's what's going on around the country. here's we have some chilly temperatures and spottily light showers. we may have some slick conditions on the roads today, but then as we go from the low 40s now into the mid-50s this this afternoon, a bit more sunshine. and we're looking at a high of 56 degrees in the east bay and peninsula. in the try valley, a high of 54.

53 in san francisco in the north bay and south bay up to 57 degrees. drier weather in the forecast tomorrow, but still some chilly temperatures overnight. >> that's it >> that's froo here where we're getting ready for the 127th rose parade. the tournament of roses parade. it will be on friday morning, nbc, starting at 11:00 a.m. 8:00 a.m. pacific time. hoda joins me. guys, happy new year. we will see you friday. we will see you friday. >> happy new year, uncle al. look forward to seeing that friday morning as well. thanks for that. now the countdown is on for a sweet 16. literally justin chapel host of "food & wine" mad genius tips and back with a few new year's eve desserts and recipes that are very, very easy. >> yeah. >> let's start with the hot chocolate and whipped cream. seems like that would be good enough. >> hot chocolate alone is amazing, but we'll make it even better because we're going to make these awesome whip cream

toppers. >> okay. sure, you can -- dollop your whip cream on top but we'll take our whip cream that we've made, heavy cream, confectionier's sugar. >> homemade. >> put it on a foil lined baking sheet just like this. >> okay. >> and take a very nifty spatula and spread it into an even lake, just like this, and when you get it nice and flat what you're going to do is pop this right into the freezer. i'll step right behind you here. >> almost treating it like a dough in a way. >> get it to a consistency where you can make shapes. >> check this out. >> after a couple of hours it's nice and firm. you can see that this is the side that we spread out and got it nice and hard and what you do is take the awesome little cutters and cut out shapes and get these little floaters, almost like marshmallows. >> that's awesome. >> that could just melt or stays

in pretty good foam. >> it will last a little while. >> isn't that great? >> awesome, super fun. >> okay. now we have biscuit bowls. >> let's do it. >> using them for a sweet application, fill them with whipped cream and strawberries. everyday store bought biscuits that i'll let you open. >> see, i didn't even tell you how to do it. >> everyone knows that's how you open the biscuits and we'll take a muffin pan and invert it on to a your surface and take this non-stick spray and coat it a little bit here and do a little bit of flour. >> you're putting it upside down. >> smash it around. >> you're making a form. >> you're making a bowl, just like that. >> once you get them all down. pop them in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, 375. >> where do you learn these things? >> you know, i get around. >> that's a whole other story, justin. >> and after they come out they are beautiful little biscuit bowls. >> you have great savory vessels. >> using sweet whipped cream,

strawberries on top and like a perfect dessert. >> awesome. >> beautiful. >> and then this is even better. >> very cool. >> those are presentee good. >> caramel sauce that we're making in the microwave. normally you do this on the stove top, it's really difficult and dangerous. what we'll do is in the microwave, easier and safer. we've got some sugar and adding some light corn syrup and a little bit of water to get it going and you'll mix it really well. >> how long? >> knife to seven minutes, and when it just starts to turn color it will look like this. whisk in softened butter. >> that easy to make caramel. >> very easy. >> looks good. >> all right. >> got about 30 seconds. let's go down to the cake. decorating a cake using sprinkles and cookie cutters. put it on top and take your little sprinkles with the spoon, use that as a little guide. >> kids you the star shape. >> and when you take it off. >> you get a little star. >> wow, look at that. great ideas. >> thank you so much.

>> thank you for having me. >> get back to that ice groom. >> coming up next, places to go and people to see and the best places to travel in 2016. get to that right half these messages. do you know the secret to a happy home in these modern times? it's a housewife who's in control of the finances. actually, any wife, husband, or human person can use progressive's name your price tool to take control of their budget. and while the men do the hard work of making money, she can get all the car insurance options her little heart desires. or the women might do the hard work of making money. [ chuckling ] women don't have jobs. is this guy for real? modernizing car insurance with -- that's enough out of you! the name your price tool, only from progressive. where is your husband? the name your price tool, only from progressive.

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jane didn't like restrictions. not in life. and not when it came to watching her calories. why settle on taste? jane thought. that's why jane loves light & fit greek nonfat yogurt. bursting with rich creamy awesomeness and 12 grams of protein. all for 80 calories. no settling here. what else does jane love? that you could win a fitbit flex from light & fit. learn more on specially marked packs. light & fit. feel free to enjoy. woenl two days until 2016 adventures in the air can be just a flight or a drive away. >> "travel & leisure" magazine has compiled a list of the 50 best places to visit in 2016.

the special project ed for tore "travel & leisure" is here to get us started. good morning. >> good morning, guys. >> what are the requirements for the list of the 50 best places? >> we looked at what was going on in the world, classic destinations that maybe had something new, under dat, dat radar gems that some of our editors scouted, what were the travel specialist booking what, were clients saying to them i want to come here and the whole list, 50 places on "travel & leisure".com. >> surprising to see some, detroit, don't see it as a tourist destination. >> so much going on, desolate streets and business taking place for restaurants, river park and there's a fresh water aquarium, great for families and the aloft hotel, $179 a night.

located right downtown, and one of those historic buildings built in 1915 that's been revitalized and transformed, classic architecture and modern design. love this hotel. >> a great city. glad to see it's making a comeback. next on the list a city i love, also true to us jersey girls. asbury park. for the music lovers, the place that bruce springsteen made famous as well. >> asbury park is on the mend and recovering following hurricane sandy. 90 minutes away from new york city. great weekend getaway. go to the skateboard and shops. new restaurants have opened, too, and right in town you've got the empress hotel, $69 a night, right on the ocean front and in the summertime cool sites, tiki huts, dance club, lots of locals like to come here and next year look out for the asbury, a new hotel that's set to open as part of a whole multi-million dollar redevelopment plan. >> really revitalizes the last

couple of decades. >> moving on to richmond, virginia. i think old school colonial, but it's changing a bit. >> it's changing, so what's happening in richmond, first of all, virginia's capital and known for its civil war monuments and history and distinctive architecture and a lot of creative types are moving here an opening up several galleries. several neighborhoods, check out churchill, jackson worked the west broad street area is also famous right now because there's a new hotel that just opened called the quirk and we love this property. $199 a night, set in an old department store. >> how cool. >> quirky. >> it's quirky. >> exactly. >> pink and cream rooms, standout restaurant downstairs called maple and pine and gallery showcasing work by local artists, so it's setting a new vibe in richmond. >> i love, that contempry. also in the u.s., city i've yet to go to, bozeman, monmornings great outdoors. >> beautiful. >> how has it turned into a,mountainside mecca? >> it was a cowboy town and now it's a mountainside mecca because it's becoming more

sophisticated, a university town and a lot of people here, shops opening and if you go to bozeman get into the great outdoor, wintertime all about the skiing and summer you can go mountain biking and a new breeding is breathing life into the destination, lark hoe will tell, $129, set in an old 1960s motor lodge that's been reimagined. outside they have a really cool retro silver truck called victory taco and that's where everybody goes to get their breakfast breatho and communal spaces, the dark, touch it out. >> and i want to touch on rio de janiero. >> of course, the olympics. >> rio's big year but also beyond the lifnlgs, 380,000 spectators are set to come. >> awesome. >> lots of growth. $2.5 billion is being spent on the port to build new museums and attractions. >> "travel & leisures" best place to visit internationally is topping that list. thank you so much. great list, and to find out more about other destinations on the list head to our website

today.com. coming next, we get to go spanning the year with len berman, the whackiest sports moments of 2015. remember these, af anybody who struggles with their weight and i'm at the head of that class, knows that it's not just about the weight; it's about something bigger. you've been fighting with then wrong tools; you've been looking in the wrong direction. so every time i tried and failed, and every time i tried again has brought me to this most powerful moment. to say, if not now, when? are you ready? let's do this together. ♪ ♪

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our favorite time. we welcome back our friend len berman, morning show host on radio 710 wor. >> he's going to take us on a wild ride through the wonderfullly wacky world of sports. >> really. >> this all for 2015. >> leave me alone. carson daly. carson daly. >> a legend. >> unbelievable. >> mr. berman, you are the legend. >> just play along. 2015 featured american pharoah, serena williams, jordan spieth and the u.s. women's soccer team, but what were truly the top sports stories. let's go spanning the year. ♪ >> unbelievable! . >> hey, all rise for 2-year-old

trent harris singing the anthem in new jersey. ♪ and the rockets red glare ♪ the bombs bursting in air >> get that kid on "the voice." that's what we should do. play ball. our shot for the year. the soccer star in barcelona. yeah! perfect. how about this one. never saw this one but the roller coaster in santa monica, shot of the year. >> swish. >> nothing but net. >> our oops of the year, no, you have one job to do, only one, have you to hold the tape at the finish line. oh, no. oh, my goodness. look how the. >> here's the only way you can slow down usain bolt. oh, my goodness, terrible, wasn't it? in singapore a rare score indeed, the filipino diver. this is a perfect zero. true story. that's not easy n.charleston, jacqueline zimmerman does her routine and she brings down the

house which is never good. and nobody got hurt. carson, play along, will you. too many people are attached to their cell phones these days. margin jones lost his in the middle of the fight. fell out of his shorts. come on. he wound up lose. in the state of washington, does the ref really need to be on the phone in the middle of the game? really. he's still talking. isn't the law hands-free officiating. i thought it was. our dunks of the year. best blindfolded attempt in the philippines. >> hey, the ow it a jazz employee, much better, yeah. >> our moves of the year, what do you do if you're a mail carrier and they close the road for the tour de france. come on. come on. well, you know, the postman always delivers. >> hey, you wave to the crowd in oregon and you won the race and let the other guy pass you. that's premature exhiliration. the jack rabbit, there he goes.

he had some serious hops at the goal line, don't you think. in the real of mexico. the estonian team. that's a slam dunk. well, that's not good, and jockey in australia, wardrobe issue gives new meaning to bringing up the rear. there you go. i did. did that work okay? >> that was amazing. >> carson daly, everyone. >> mr. berman, thank you. >> so much fun. >> thank you so much. happy new year. we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. >> the best.

fun having our good buddy carson with us. thanks for joining us. >> thanks for having me. >> come join us from the nosebleed seats anytime. >> i would love to. >> kathie lee and hoda with a i'm ... =vo= a grandmother in

fairfield is under arrest, accused of 9:56. good morning. grandmother in fairfield is under arrest accused of drowning her 3-year-old grandson. police say dawn hughes intentionally drowned the bowl in a bathtub when she was

baby-sitting him and his two other siblings at the her fairfield home. the two other children are okay. let's check your weather. >> after another chilly morning, we'll have more clouds in the mix came with some peeks of sunshine. and temperatures about the same reaching 56 degrees in gilroy and palo alto. the outer sunset will be at 50. and as we go into the north bay, more clouds, a chance of a spot shower or two. otherwise we'll see the highs a little bit milder today, napa up to 53. oakland 56, and danville a high of 52. let's check in with anthony to see what is happening on the roadways. [ inaudible ] >> as we get over to the bay bridge toll plaza, you can see there clouds in place. traffic moving right along. we also because the clouds are in place have the potential of seeing wintry mix this morning and that is showing up on our

map here through dublin and pleasanton. same near the delta. we're see something spin jouout across the extvenetian bridge. >> another update in half an hour. why let someone else have all the fun?

the sometimes haphazard, never boring fun. the why can't it smell like this all the time fun. the learning the virtue of sharing fun. why let someone else have all the fun? that's no fun. unleash the power of dough. give it a pop.

>> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. okay. made it again this winesday wednesday december 30th, and coming down to it. hard the believe one day away from new year's eve, baby. >> this is a song by maroon 5 called "sugar." and speaking of sugar, we have something for you looking back to the outrageous and hilarious moments. and we have watched them all. >> some of them were out-regis. >> all of the br