>> okay. be safe tonight. enjoy all those festivities and we'll be back with you in 25 minutes with a live local news update. happy new year's in tokyo. good morning. the defendant, bill cosby, accused of sexual assault more than a decade ago. a frail looking cosby posts bail. the first criminal case against the one beloved start after a slew of accusations. this morning cosby's attorney speaks out live. >> from bad to worse. historic flooding in the midwest. the mississippi and other major rivers get set to crest at record heights later today. >> back in the u.s. the mother of the so-called affluenza team arrests back in the u.s.

this as her son fights his own extradition. why he could remain in mexico for months. and prepping for a party with an increased eye on security, the world gets set to celebrate the arrival of a new year. today thursday, december 31, 2015. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> good morning, everybody. it's new year's eve morning. i'm alongside craig melvin, who is in for matt. isn't this the day morning show anchors fear the most, we have to stay up until midnight? >> you won't be staying up until midnight. >> i'm going to try. >> i can't believe 2015 flew by like that. >> it did. later in the show we'll tell you how to say good-bye to 2015 in style. we want to start with our top

story, a breaking one. bill cosby was arraigned on a sexual assault charge. his attorney calls the charge unjustify. we'll talk to her and the woman representing more than 20 accusers. stephanie gosk, we go to you. >> the district attorney was racing against the clock to beat the statute of limitations. he said it was cosby as own word that triggered the reopening of the case and led to a stunning announcement. the 78-year-old bill cosby, carrying a cane and stumbling his way into a small pennsylvania courtroom to face felony charges of aggravated

felony assault. andrea constand said cosby had her take pills and drink wine when she was then paralyzed as he sexually abused her. cosby's attorney asked him about quaaludes. "it was in your mind you were going to use these quaaludes against young women you were going to have sex with?" cosby's answer: yes. >> the district attorney run this attack ad against his opponent. >> a former d.a. who refused to prosecute bill cosby. >> we examined all the evidence we had available to us and made this determination because it was the right thing to do. >> in a statement to nbc news,

cosby's attorney suggested the charges were made by local politics and said "we intend to mount a vigorous defense and expect mr. cosby will be exonerated by a court of law." one jane doe who came forward said she does not believe cosby will come forward and testify at trial. >> i've never known him as a person who tells the truth. >> cosby's legal team has filed nine defamation lawsuits in the last several weeks against accusers. if found guilty on these charge, he could face up to ten years in prison. >> stephanie, thank you. >> mo'nique presley represents mr. cosby.

thank you for being with us. >> what is his state of mind? >> i can't testify about his state of mind personally. he's been accused unjustly as a crime so certainly that's upsetting. but he's in good spirits. he knows he has a legal team that's intent on defending him until he is exonerated. >> this is a set of charges that could carry up to ten years in prison. does he fear jail? >> it's a charge and any person charged with a crime, the threat of liberty interest being lost is there. but we're focused on getting to the facts in this very old case that was once decided such that the former d.a. said there was no need to go further and that it belonged in the civil courts and now through a game of political football, at which my client's life is the center, we're back again. >> given your dealings so far with this prosecution, do you think there will be discussions about a plea agreement? would you be open to some kind

of a plea agreement or in your mind is this a case that will go to trial? >> i have no idea what the prosecutor's office is going to do and what the inner workings are. >> are you open to it? >> my client is not guilty and there will be no consideration on our part of any sort of arrangement. >> you said in your statement yesterday that you are expecting he will be exonerated. what is the source of that confidence? do you think that this is a weak set of allegations? >> well, it's that but it's also the fact that a court of law doesn't run like the media does, for example, in that any person who has a picture or a story or something that they'd like to say, if they're saying it about the right person and bill cosby is the right person to say something about, then they can air that grievance and have been doing so for the past year. but in a court of law, there's a

system of laws and rules that judges follow and i have confidence in that system of justice and as i've said in any number of interviews on this network and elsewhere, i believe when you separate what happens in the court of law from what has been allowed to happen in the fictional court of public opinion, you will get an outcome that justice requires. >> one possibility is if a judge were to allow it in a pretrial hearing that other accusers could come forward. now, it is not at all certain that they would be permitted to testify, but is that a key consideration in your mind that, you could see a set of other accusers be allowed to testify to try to establish some kind of pattern? >> we expect the d.a., who is highly motivated, he's fulfilling a campaign promise, not necessarily interested in effectuating justice but in the fulfillment in that promise and the ad that he played was the promise himself where he said bruce caster doesn't care about

the victims, isn't tough on crime. these are the things that campaigns are made of. now backed into a corner, it seems like the almost new d.a. has had to fulfill that promise and i'm sure that they will do whatever it is they can to try to convince a judge to consider all types of evidence that doesn't belong in a court. but, again, we will defend against it and i have confidence in the judicial system and that judges will make right decisions. >> sorry to interrupt. part of the reason that this case was brought, according to the prosecutor, is a look at the deposition taken in connection with the civil litigation in this case. is this a situation where mr. cosby's own words have come back and -- come back to bite him? >> no, i think this is a situation where the district attorney's office has come back to bite it and that's what we will see happen. it was that d.a.'s office that chose to end the investigation publicly saying that there was not sufficient evidence to go

forward, it was that d.a.'s office that-- practically induced my client to testify and it's that same d.a. office using that never would have happened and was frankly illegally released through a court reporter, they're trying to say that is the basis for these charges. if you look at the deposition itself which now is out there, wasn't supposed to be but is, but you'll see there's no admission of criminal wrong doing with respect to mr. cosby. there's detailed testimony about this incident and others. >> a lot of people will say if he's not guilty, why would he have settled a case with her? obviously there's a difference between a civil case and criminal case but a person watching at home thinks if you think someone's lying, why do you pay them money, why do you settle? >> i don't really think that's what people at home think.

i think people at home are much more savvy than that and they have to deal with situations in their own lives where they have people who are threatening them, threatening to come after their homes or their lifestyle or their work or their reputation or their career, decades of whatever it is they've done in their own capacities and they know there are times that it's wise to settle claims rather than fight them, especially if it's something where you believe that everything that you're working for will be lost. this may have been one of those times. i'm bound right now, oddly enough, just i can't even believe it myself, my client is still bound by a confidentiality agreement in this case, even though the person who brought the civil suit is apparently voluntarily cooperating. we still have to toe the line until a court tells us we're free to speak. i'm sure that in the court documents for this case once we are allowed to say what needs to be said, everything will be made clear.

>> monique presley, thank you for your time. >> also speaking out, gloria allred represents 29 women who say they also faced sexual misconduct at the hands of bill cosby. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> what is the reaction of your clients after the news from yesterday? >> very happy that andrea constand is going to have her day in court, that the justice system is going to permit her to be able to testify and have a jury decide on the allegations that she has made. and that's so important because for most of the many, many alleged victim that i represent, if not all, they are barred by the statute of limitations, by that arbitrary time limit set by law from having their cases prosecuted, even if there were a district attorney who believed that that case could be prove i

don't know beyond a reasonable doubt. but andrea is within that statute of limitations in pennsylvania and, therefore, a prosecution is going to go forward and i'm very, very happy about that. >> i want to pick up on something that miss presley just said there because a lot of what miss constand alleges, a lot of the details are eerily similar to what dozens of these other women have said happened to them. how real is the possibility that some of these other women could be called to testify and are your clients prepared to do this should this go to trial? >> the district attorney's office and law enforcement montgomery county has indicated in their press release if there are other alleged victims, they should contact detectives. certainly law enforcement is well aware of the many clients that i have represented and that i do represent and what they allege that mr. cosby did to them because it's all on my web

page, gloriaallred.com, we've done many news conferences. they're aware it have. and if in fact the prosecutor feels that some of the descriptions by my client are of same or similar acts as are alleged in the charges against mr. cosby, many of my clients have already indicated that they will be prepared to testify in the criminal case if their. would be considered relevant and admissible. >> are there women who have contacted you who have not come forward yet who have made similar accusations against bill cosby? >> the answer is yes, yes and yes. even before the charges yesterday, some of whom said they would be prepared to testify but just didn't want to go public before that time and since yesterday i've had even more contact from even more women. >> gloria allred, thank you so much for your time. >> thank you. >> another big story we're

following this morning, historic flooding wreaking havoc in several states, as officials monitor a number of leave yeses in danger of breaching. miguel almaguer is in valley park, missouri. good morning to you. >> reporter: gd morning. a very fluid situation here. just a short time ago we were on the bridge with the fire department when the national guard asked to us move to this position for our safety. the river has crested about an hour or two ago but it's reached 30 feet above flood stage. it is still a very dangerous situation in this area. this morning the mississippi, the missouri and the merrimack rivers are raging. homes here have washed away. neighborhoods are torn apart, at least 21 in the area are dead. a death toll many fear will rise with the water. >> i've never seen this before. well, it's an historic flood. >> parts of i-44 shut down.

the coast guard and the national guard have been deployed. all hands on deck ready for rescues and in some spots outside st. louis, flood records have been shattered. in you're eureka, they've never hit this hard. thousands more are in danger. more than two dozen levees are at risk. power plants and water if a sits are down. and in valley park, nearly 900 have been forced to pack up and get out. >> it's really devastating to think about our own homes with everything in it. >> with the mississippi river in st. louis expected to crest today, the flood stage sits at 30 feet. the water here expected to reach 13 feet above that. they're packing tens of thousands of sandbags to fortified cities big and small.

the next 24 hours critical as the water rises, any sense of comfort vanishes. >> i just pray that everything goes good and that we're safe. >> overnight they shut down i-55, another major artery in this area. that's never happened before because of a storm like this one. the u.s. army corps of engineers is concerned about 19 levees here, about their infrastructure. that i am certainly be keeping a close eye on that. meantime they are concerned about this area all across the region. savannah? >> miguel almaguer, thank you. >> we are now just hours away from the start of a new year. as people get ready to celebrate here at home and around the world, police are tightening security in the wake of recent terror attacks and foiled plots. ron mott is just a few blocks away in times square. good morning to you, sir. >> reporter: good morning. the big day is finally here and

officials say they are confident about detickecting any problem e tonight. >> this morning americans are getting ready to ring in the new year. law enforcement is preparing, too. on the lookout for any suspicious activity in cities throughout the country. in new york police, deer emplar deploying up to 6,000 officers in times square where nearly 1 million people will gather to watch the ball drop tonight. >> we strategically deploy our officers to where there will be large crowds. in los angeles, city officials are gearing up for tomorrow's rose parade. and in chicago, security preparations are under way for their new year's eve celebrations. u.s. law enforcement officials

say there is no credible terror threat. tonight's major events are scheduled to go on as planned. overseas authorities are taking more extreme precautions. in paris there will be no fireworks show. the city still reeling from november's terror attack is mobilizing more than 11,000 police and military officers, 2,000 more than last year and belgium officials have cancelled new year's eve festivities in brussels over fear of a possible terror threat. >> three, two, one, happy new year! >> back here at home spirits remain high. law enforcement training for weeks, hoping to ensure that americans have a safe and happy start to 2016. and considering the high level of security that will be in place today and tonight, one city official said that new york city and especially sometimes square here just might be the safest place on the planet. guys, back to you.

>> ron mott in times square, thanks. >> a federal grand jury on wednesday indicted a friend of one of the san bernardino shooters. enrique marquez is charged with conspiring to commit terrorist attacks in 2011 and 2012. he's also accused of making false statements when buying the guns used in this month's shootings. 14 people were killed when farook and his wife opened fire at that conference center. >> dylan is here with us. >> the rain has been stopped for a couple of days but it takes a while for all that water to work its way from the tributaries and smaller rivers to fill in to the mississippi. we have had a lot of our flooding up near st. louis but over the course of the next couple of days, we're going to see the threat go a little farther to the south, once the area reaches areas like arkansas where we will see some flooding. there are 46 locations still seeing major flooding right now and we will see that again

through arkansas all weekend long. we do also have some rain across the southeast. we have pockets of heavier rain. that has produced flooding down across the southeast. with this moisture streaming in from the gulf of mexico, northern florida could see flooding with some of those heavier downpours today and tomorrow. your local forecast is coming up in just 30 seconds. program puts the focus on you and not just the number on the scale. . join for free now and lose 10 pounds on us. . good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. another one to bundle up. we've had some freezing fog in parts of the north bay, a major heads up there.

all clearless where across the bay area. in the afternoon we're looking at highs around 53 to 54 degrees. a lot of sunshine and a light wind. heading into tonight, we're dropping back into the lower 40s right in time for the new year. and we'll have dry and chilly weather for the next few days. >> that's your latest forecast. >> dylan, thank you. coming up, the mother of the so-called affluenza teen, brought back to the u.s. overnight as her son fights extradition from mexico. the decision that could drag out this case for weeks or months. also ahead, a year in the life of the president through the lens of his official photographer. first, this is "today" on nbc.

coming up, which ones were your favorites? we're looking back at the best commer

to the couple wondering what a good deal looks like... no. seriously? we'll give it a 6 for composition. scary. wow, what about just putting a fair, no haggle price on the window? not zany enough?

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that's no fun. unleash the power of dough. now... ==topvo== a very good morning to you. 7:26 now. i'm laura garcia cannon. 2015 entering the home stretch as the bay area braces for new year's eve celebrations. an estimated 100,000 people are expected to gather along the waterfront. the san francisco police will be out in full force. officers will be on high alert. b.a.r.t. is suspending its hours until 3:00 a.m. call train will provide free rides on some run and aaa will run its tipsy tow service where drives can get a ride and have their car towed for ooh free up to ten miles. play a safe and warm. bundle up. at frosty morning across the

bay area as we take a live look at san francisco, the sunrises with clear skies. it's 44 degrees there. in oakland 34 degrees. fog play create some icy conditions. but we warm up into the low to mid 50s today. no major changes in our temperatures today but we'll have more sunshine owed than yesterday. if you are about to leave yoith flow, we've had up to three to four spinouts this morning because of ice in the north bay. along with that we've got fog from san rafael. folks are easing up on the speed. the first accident near state route 1. earlier, a five car accident near the petaluma bridge. across the bay bridge toll plaza, wide open lanes. looks good. thank you for joining us. another local news update coming

up in about half an hour. have a great morning.

7:30 now, thursday morning. it's the last day of 2015. bye-bye 2015. >> i can't believe it. >> i know. there's times square getting all ready, all dolled up. about a million people will come to ring in the new year later tonight. >> let's take a quick look at some of the news that's happening right now. bill cosby free on a $1 million bond. the case involves a former temple university employee who cosby invited back to his home in four. in our last half hour, cosby's

lawyer said he's confident his client will be exonerated. >> and in missouri, waters are 13 feet above flood stage. >> and flight from shanghai to toronto was forced to make an emergency land. >> and the mother of so-called affluenza boy was return to the u.s. her son, though, has won a temporary delay in extradition. gabe gutierrez. >> reporter: good morning. there were a lot of fast moving parts overnight. her son is still in mexico but for how long. this morning tanya couch, the mother of the so-called

affluenza teen is back in the u.s. from mexico. prosecutors in texas planning to charge her for hindering arrest, helping her son run from authorities, a felony that could put her behind bars for ten years. meanwhile ethan couch was rushed from guadalajara to mexico city. his new attorneys have pilfiled paperwork to block his exportation. >> it could take two weeks to two months. >> does this motion indicate that ethan couch wants to stay in mexico for the long haul? >> i think it does or at least that ethan wants to stay anywhere besides the united states.

>> this gritty apartment is where they lived. a phone call to order pizza helped law enforcement pinpoint their location. the defense argued he grew up too affluent to know right from wrong and a judge game him ten years probation instead of jail time. authorities are investigating whether friend and family knew they were leaving. they were reportedly given a going away party. investigators do not believe the father helped them run from the law. >> gabe gutierrez, thank you very much. >> let's get a check of the weather now from dylan, who is in for al. again, another sun seasonably

warm day but it's coming to an end. >> it is. but it's not going to get that cold. it's just going to be regular. >> so much of january. >> it's been so much above average up and down the east coast that we've been getting used to the warmer temperatures. it is going to feel like a little shock to the system once weep get into the colder air. as we go through today, new york city will still be above average with a temperature of about 48 degrees, roanoke 54, charleston 16 degrees above average with a high of 75 degrees. but then as we go through the weekend, we'll get back into the 30s, up into cleveland, raleigh will sink into the lower 50s. new york will be in the low to mid 40s, which is more typical for this time of year, if not just a touch above average. atlanta will sink down into the mid 50s, too. so as we plan for the day today, there's not a whole lot going on. we will see lake effect snow around the great lakes. tonight for the big new year's eve celebration, we're looking at mostly clear skies. and then on new year's day, we're still looking at showers

down along the gulf coast but our temperatures are slowly warming up as we go through the morning. we'll have a lot of sunshine for this last day of 2015. highs today reaching 54 degrees in san jose and los gatos, as well as palo alto. not a wide range in temperatures. low to mid 50s all across the bay area with a light wind. right around midnight we're looking at temperatures in the lower 40s for most to have bay area and more of the dry weather as we head into the next several days. >> that's your latest forecast. that's your latest forecast. >> dylan, thank you. what's the deal with that? president obama was trading some one liners with jerry seinfeld. >> and then they made us laugh, they made us cry. the top commercials of 2015. we'll show them to you. but first these messages. we'll show them to you. first, these messages. nk was ranked highest in initial quality by j.d. power. hmm. can i look around at them?

sure. highest ranking in initial quality. it's gotta be this one. this is it. you are wrong. really? actually it's all three. you tricked me. j.d. power ranked the chevy malibu, silverado half-ton and equinox highest in initial quality in their segments. that's impressive! i'm very surprised! i am. i'm very surprised. chevy hit three home runs. if it doesn't work fast... you're on to the next thing. clinically proven neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair. it targets fine lines and wrinkles with the fastest retinol formula available. you'll see younger looking skin in just one week. one week? this one's a keeper. rapid wrinkle repair.

and for dark spots rapid tone repair. from neutrogena®. and for dark spots rapid tone repair. after trying brookside crunchy clusters, @carlybeyar tweeted: at this point, i should just be a brookside chocolate ambassador. well, i am sorry, carly... it's something you earn. brookside. talk about delicious. 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 letter vitamin brand. [ laughter ] ♪ [ male announcer ] for tim and richard smucker, giving a gift of their family's delicious jam

always made the holidays just a little bit sweeter. we forgot to put our names on them! richard, i think they'll know who it's from. ♪ thank you boys. you're welcome. you're welcome. [ male announcer ] happy holidays from our family to yours. i love christmas! from our family to yours. it takes a lot of work... but i really love it.s. i'm on the move all day long... and sometimes, i just don't eat the way i should. so i drink boost® to get the nutrition that i'm missing. boost complete nutritional drink has 26 essential vitamins and minerals, including calcium and vitamin d to support strong bones and 10 grams of protein to help maintain muscle. all with a great taste. i don't plan on slowing down any time soon.

look for savings on boost® in your sunday paper. 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. we are back at 7:40 with the best commercials of 2015. >> the digital age made it harder on advertisers to get our attention, but the right spot we are back at 7:40 with the best commercials of 2015. >> the digital age made it harder on advertisers to get our attention, but the right spot can keep you from reaching for the remote or looking for the skip button online. barbara is an editor at media post.com. barbara, good morning zbhood morning. >> i have to say the first ad figures it out. we all hate the online ad. >> we want to swat it away. >> look what geico did. i think they got it right. >> don't thank me. thank the savings. >> you can't skip this geico ad because it's already over. geico, 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. >> then the dog, it's this corny old ad. you can't believe it. the geico label is there the whole time.

then the dog rampages over the table and eats everything. it could go on for three minutes. you're spellbound. instead of begging you to watch it, it's daring you not to watch it. the actors are sitting frozen trying not to laugh. they move their eyes a tiny bit. the people are frozen. >> this next one from amazon tugs at the heartstrings. >> it has a twist. >> take a look at this one here. ♪ little man when you stand by my side then i know i don't have to hide from anyone ♪ >> then you've got this miniature, miniature horse that's going to come through the doggy door right about now. >> just poking through the door. so the point is that you can order anything overnight your honor mobile phone, but it's --

you know, they use the sonny & cher "little man" music and it's like this little horse movement, little house movement, little horse. there's like this rudolph scenario set up and you really feel for the guy. humor comes through the door. >> humor works in ads. as it does in the next one. i remember this from the super bowl. >> marcia, what happened? >> peter hit me in the nose. >> i'm sure it was an accident. >> eye for an eye. it's what dad always said. >> i never said that, honey. >> shut up! >> marcia, eat a snickers. >> this has been a formula for snickers five years. no one expected these two. then steve buscemi for the win. you get steve buscemi for the win. they're acting like marcia and jan. they also redid the mouths of

the mother and father to say those things. >> marcia, marcia, marcia. this next one played at the emmys for apple music. it was a modern-day take on the mix tape. >> you have a boyfriend that makes you a mix tap on your laptop. >> watch what's next. this is incredible. >> come on! >> one of the things i liked about this ad is you got to think that this is something that could actually happen with these three women. >> yes. they had such chemistry. that's a party you want to be at. 90% cooler than most ads just because of the star power, but it's relatable. when women get together to watch the emmys, it stole the show at the emmys because it was so interesting. it was another story. people wanted to go there. >> if they ever get together, i'd like to be invited. >> there are two more parts of the commercial. they try to cook dinner, try to eat it. >> doesn't go as well. >> barbara, thank you. >> barbara, thank you so much. coming up, a big change coming to the menu at chick-fil-a and why customers

are not happy about it. from the serious to the silly. a unique look at what life at the white house was like in 2015. first, these messages. big news!

the new sprint lte plus network is faster than verizon and at&t... based on data from the world's foremost authority on independent measurement. to celebrate, we're gonna cut some prices in half. switch to sprint and save 50% on verizon, at&t or t-mobile rates. no gimmicks. no tricks. it's the biggest offer in u.s. wireless history! what about verizon? 50% off. at&t too? 50% off. even t-mobile? 50% off. plus, we'll even pay your switching fees, up to $650 per line. so switch today. [elf] here's one of our best [kid] what's back there? [elf] nothing... [santa] touchdown. come on... [elf] santa, the davidson's are here to see our workshop... [santa] oh... well...hello!

uh, this is my sleigh! it's how i deliver all the presents by myself! [team member] santa, you got anything else going to albany? [santa] by myself! [santa](muffled noises) [vo] ship with fedex ground at fedex office. it's how the holidays arrive.

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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. we're back. 7:48. sheinelle is in the orange room for carson. you have the president's year in photos s s photos. >> white house photographer turns out two million words a day, if a picture is worth a thousand words. here's nbc's ron allen. >> reporter: they are unique behind the scenes, close-up images of a president. many never have seen publicly until now. serious matters inside the white house. a first daughter drops by the oefl offi

oval office to see her dad. the president with a mom's twin sons. the first lady wiping a tear. nbc news lot an exclusive first look. >> i probably take between 500 and 2,000 a day. probably about 250,000 a year, somewhere in that -- >> over seven years? >> over seven years. >> we're talking -- >> a lot of pictures. >> reporter: part of his mission, to document history. president obama and the first family greeting pope francis. a handshake with cuba's castro. a big smile after the iran nuclear deal. mr. president there for vice president biden at his son's funeral. >> he is the president of the united states, but he's also a human being. i try to show his personality as best i can. there's obviously a lot of pictures with little kids in my year end gallery. he loves babies. >> reporter: that's deputy national security adviser ben

rhodes daughter ella before the party. >> have you ever seen a president lying on the floor with a baby in an elephant suit? >> definitely not. >> reporter: the obama administration's wide open policy door for staff children. >> a lot of them are children of working moms, and he knows what a sacrifice they make, in terms of being at work a lot. >> reporter: this gallery has 111 pictures. what's his favorite? >> it'll hopefully be the one i make later today or tomorrow. that's what keeps you going. you're trying to get a good picture tomorrow. >> reporter: ron allen, nbc news, with the president in honolulu. >> 2,000 pictures a day. pete is active on instagram, giving a behind the scenes look of the white house all year. one of the most favorited the

president with a baby in a mini pope mobile. the number one picture of the year, the president with ella in the white house. year in photos at today.com. 2,000 photos a day. >> amazing. >> what a fantastic job. >> it's amazing. he's so be professional. he comes in, takes the picture and is out. can you imagine the stories he has to tell, not that he'd tell them. he's seen it all. >> thank you, sheinelle. everything you need to know about tonight's celebration. mr. manners will help us dodge those embarrassing situations. >> i thought you were talking about these two. carson and and i sure had a lot on my mind when i got out of the hospital after a dvt blood clot. what about my family? my li'l buddy? and what if this happened again? i was given warfarin in the hospital 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. after trying brookside chocolate,

people talk about it online. love at first taste. i would liquefy it and bathe in it. curse you, brookside! your nefarious plans have succeeded. nefarious? are we still talking about chocolate? brookside. talk about delicious.

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police are offering this new year's eve a very good morning to you. 7:56. i'm laura garcia cannon. san francisco police offering this new year's eve reminder. anyone caught using or selling fireworks will pay a hefty fine. the city has a stee ro tolerance in place. fines start at 1,000 dollars and can reach $5,000. oakland police have issued a similar warning but theirs also includes illegal gun fire which likely will get you more than a c 5. anonymous tips can be provided online. travelers now have more flight options from the south bay to sin city. delta launched new nonstop flights to vegas. those flights leave and arrive three times a day. until now southwest was the only airline offering nonstop service from sjc to las vegas. let's check the forecast

right now. meteorologist kari hall. >> all clear but cold across the bay area. it's still freeze in the north bay with concern of the freezing fog on the bridges and overpasses. today highs in the mid 50s, mostly sunny skies. chilly tonight adds we ring in 2016. let's see what's happening on the roadway. heads up for north bay commuters. we have four active spinouts right now because folks just aren't heeding the warnings. in fact we've got the fog but we've also got freezing temperatures which makes for a dangerous condition. you can see what i'm talking about. there are the three around san rafael. one on state route 1. this is 101 southbound, state route 1. 101 southbound has two accidents, one at 37 connecter, another one at san rafael off-ramp and another one off of this. all of this because of black ice. take it easy. a very happy new year's eve to you.

another local news update in half an hour.

♪ a little party never killed nobody ♪ it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, your one-stop shot to bring in 2016. a preview of the crowd in times square. we'll kick off a preview with hosts carson and andy cohen. today, thursday, december 31st, 2015. >> happy new year! >> we're here to see the ball drop. >> happy new year from the "today" show. we're having twins! >> from mississippi, happy new year. >> may your new year's sparkle

and shine. bring it on, 2016. >> happy new year. welcome back to "today." good morning, everyone. it is december 31st, 2015. in sydney, australia, it is 2016 already. that's a live picture. they know how to ring in the new year. >> happy new year to the plaza, as well. large crowd. >> we are not far behind sydney. we'll celebrate the new year in a few hours from now. thanks for having you with us. we have craig in for matt. dylan in for al. sheinelle in for carson. why am i working today? >> you got the short straw. today, the attorney for bill cosby says her client has been unjustly accused in a game of political football. cosby is free on $1 million bail

after being charged with aggravated indecent assault. stephanie gosk has more. good morning. >> good morning, natalie. i'm outside of bill cosby's home, the scene of the alleged crime from over a decade ago. the prosecutor in the case was racing against the clock to beat an expiring statute of limitations. he says, in part, this case was reopened because of cosby's own words from a 2005 deposition. that led to the stunning announcement. now, cosby's legal team suggests that it was motivated, the decision in part, by local polit politics, and the d.a. used this case as political football in a recent election. cosby's defense attorney spoke with savannah this morning. she was asked if her client would consider a plea deal. this is what she had to say. >> my client is not guilty, and there will be no consideration on our part of any sort of

arrangement. >> cosby's defense team has denied these allegations from the very beginning. in recent weeks, they've filed nine defamation lawsuits against the accusers. cosby is expected back in the courtroom on january 14th. if he's found guilty on these charges, natalie, he faces up to ten years in prison. >> stephanie, thanks. the mother of the so-called affluenza teen, ethan couch, is back in the u.s. after she was deported from mexico. tonya couch arrived in los angeles early this morning on her way back to texas, where prosecutors plan to charge her with hingering an arrest. her son is still in mexico after a judge blocked his deportation. he's been held in mexico city. today, the mississippi river is expected to crest in st. louis, 13 feet above flood stage. in valley park, missouri, some neighborhoods are surrounded by water. hundreds of homes are flooded. thousands more are threatened. the flooding is blamed for more than 20 deaths. in the presidential race,

jeb bush is shaking up his campaign with a few weeks to go before the first votes are cast. hallie jackson is in hilton head, south carolina. good morning. >> good morning, natalie. jeb bush says his new year's resolution is winning. to have a shot at that, his campaign says they're changing up their strategy. in a sudden move, pulling money off the airwaves in iowa and south carolina. >> reporter: jeb bush, now insisting his latest move is not a desperate one. >> because it's not. having the best organization on the ground is how you win. >> reporter: it's why bush says he's shifting staffers out of his miami headquarters to key early states, like new hampshire, where he's betting it all, and cancelling $3 million worth of tv ads. the latest shakeup in a campaign struggling to find its footing, slowly sliding since the summer when bush led the gop race. even presidentiasidential star

support from his father and brother hasn't lifted him out of single digits in recent national polls. >> i'm tough, and i'm tough. >> reporter: call it the donald trump effect. in a new interview this morning, bush is calling trump a creature of barack obama. >> but for barack obama, donald trump's effect would not be nearly as strong as it is. we're living in a divided country right now, and we need political leaders rather than continuing to divide us, as both president obama and donald trump do, to unite us. >> reporter: trump, sounding frustrated with bush's attack. >> i shouldn't even talk about him. he's down to two or three. it bothers me, when i see a guy spending $60 million on ads against me, a lot of it. >> reporter: suggesting a new move for his republican rival in the new year. >> why is he doing this? doesn't he have something better? he should go home, relax. >> as we look ahead to the start of 2016, on this new year's eve,

a deadline for candidates, how much money they've raised over the last three months. overnight, ben carson's campaign pulled in about $23 million, moreha that's more than last quarter and a bit more than ted cruz coming in at 20 million. they're releasing this figure to show cruz's strength heading into the iowa caucus just a month away. if you thought baseball fans went all-out to catch home runs and fly balls. take a look at this. this happened at a cricket match in australia. a ball was hit into the stands. one fan lunges for the ball and landed upside down. the women he landed on not as excited about it. nobody got hurt, right, guys? >> i hope one of those women wasn't his girlfriend or his wife.

>> cricket balls hurt. >> they're kind of like lead. >> didn't know that about cricket balls. thank you. >> the more you know. >> it's new year's eve and we of course know all about that. sometimes you have a party and there can be difficult party personalities. you know those people. >> we called in mr. manner's himself. thomas farley is here to help us politely mix and mingle as we ring in the new year. >> good morning, everyone. >> one of my favorite games. >> role play. you're going to talk about the different personalities you might encounter and how to deal with them. you start with your friend shlubby sam. >> we're able to be our best self on new year's eve. you have a chance to make a good impression. you want to step it up. if your party wardrobe is a polio shirt and khakis, throw on a jacket or tie.

ring in the new year in style. >> even if i'm dressed to the nines and i show up, i certainly don't want to be wallflower walter. >> wallflower walter is shy. doesn't talk to anyone. you'll be at parties where you don't know people. this is the easiest night of the year to come up with good questions to ask people. >> what are good conversation starters? >> what are new year's resolutions? what was the favorite moment of 2015? what's the favorite movie of 2015? >> you make it sound so easy. what's going on? how was your last physical? >> i'm unannounced ursula. >> get in your rsvps now. better now than minutes before the party. if you're the host, the more the

merrier. welcome. don't show that angry face when someone shows up at your doorstep with unannounced guests but don't be that person. >> okay. i'm kissed on the lips kendra. i'm kind of afraid of this person actually. what do i do? >> this was not typecasting by the way, natalie. >> thank god. >> at midnight keep it playful but not passionate unless there's been obvious chemist kc throughout the night. you will get a reputation going into 2016 that you probably don't want. >> guzzling gabby could be the same person. >> i thought we weren't typecasting here. >> i have my glass of champagne. how do you stop me? >> i want to give you a couple tips. you'll keep it always in your left hand. that's going to keep your right hand free for hand shakes and

you're going to grab the flute by the step and not by the ball. grabbing it by the bowl will warm up the champagne past the point that it should be drunk and not to make you drunk of course and it will remove the clink. as we clink glasses you get a nice clink you don't get if you grab the ball. always by the stem. >> i heard you weren't supposed to clink. you were supposed to approach. approach and not clink. how do you feel about that? >> drinking champagne and wine is about engaging every sense. absolutely, clinking is part of engaging the senses. >> we always learn something. >> you guys need champagne. >> i'm going to approach. >> make eye contact. >> happy new year. >> when we come back, more help. how to get out of awkward situations. >> worlds colliding. jerry seinfeld goes one-on-one with the president. >> two guys helping to count down to the new year. what you have planned here on

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♪ how else do you think he gets around so fast? take the reins this holiday and get the mercedes-benz you've always wanted during the winter event. hurry, offers end january 4th! we're back. 8:14. time for what's trepiding tod i. the last trending of 2015. >> we'll trend next year. >> we will. >> we're not stopping. >> have you heard this disturbing story? chick-fil-a discontinuing the coleslaw. >> i love their coleslaw. >> you're not the only one. they were swapping it out for something more healthy. salad and things like this. a lot of people are upset.

chick-fil-a has given the makeup gift for the change. i'll show it to you. what you are about to see is chick-fil-a's 70-year-old secret coleslaw recipe. >> wow! >> they're giving it away? >> they said because this recipe holds a special place in our hearts and history, we're excited to give it to you to enjoy at home. the coleslaw is going to be off the menu as of january 11th. >> they're going to replace it with healthy options. >> yeah. >> broccoli, salad. >> i don't understand it. if people love it, leave it on. if people don't order it, it's their business. >> don't remove it completely. >> let the people decide. >> it's paying for itself. >> now, you can get the recipe. >> the coleslaw may come back. >> it may. >> is that your prediction for 2016? >> like the mcrib. phase it out and it comes back. >> never completely goes away. >> it's on demand. >> a lot of folks upset with old navy over shirts they designed

for toddlers. check these out. old navy selling these shirts that said, aspiring young artist. as you can see, the word artist is crossed out and replaced with astronaut and, you know, president. people, naturally, took their outrage to twitter. have you seen this? old navy clearly ignorant to the value of young artists in our world. you lost me, old navy. another made a comment about who likely designed the shirt. old navy doesn't employ artists. oh, wait, they do. old navy said, we take our responsibility to customers seriously. we would never intentionally offend anyone, and we are sorry if that has been the case. this particular tee, we've decided to discontinue the design and we'll work to remove the item from our stores. >> i can see why people were irritated. >> they maybe thought it was funny but they were ditching artists. >> president obama could wear

it. he did not become an artist. >> way to find the silver lining, dylan. rebecca of sunny brook farms over here. we've all experienced an awkward moment. pretty much every day on this show. we're told when a situation violates the social norms, of course, we don't know how to react, so it's basically awkward because we make it awkward. so we have tips. we're here for you. >> this is good. >> how to recognize and manage a case of awkwardness. one, recognize that has happening is normal and everybody experiences it. two, call it out. acknowledge the weirdness. maybe do a joke, lighten the mode. don't run away, is take three. that would be even more awkward. like, bye. most importantly, be kind. you can always bring up something else. mutual topic. >> situations are awkward, and sometimes running away is

justified. in an elevator, there was a woman not pregnant, and i -- >> oh, no! >> rule number one. >> you know what? it was a long time ago. >> never ask if someone is pregnant. >> i got off on a floor not mine. >> unless it was the maternity floor, you do not ask. >> nobody is pregnant here. >> i know. >> craig may be a little pregnant. now to jerry seinfeld and the president, and taylor swift's tease. >> i love this. jerry seinfeld's web series kicked off last night and featured a special guest, president barack obama. take a look. >> don't you think every american child is a president, and a grow up loving the president? >> i do well with the 0 to 8 demographic. >> really? >> they love me. partly, they think my ears are big, and i look a little like a cartoon character. >> right. can you adjust the temperature

in here? have you touch add thermostat? >> no, i make a call. >> if i slid open your underwear drawer, one brand or a number of brands? >> you have to go with one brand. >> one brand, one color? >> of course. this is a critical concept. >> more work you don't need. you have to go off at some point with food. what's your thing? >> nachos. it's one of those where i have to have it taken away. i'll have the guacamole coming out of my eyeballs. >> what sport is politics? is it chess? is it liar's poker? >> probably most like football. you have to punt a lot. but every once in a while, you'll see a hole, and then there's open field. >> i love it. i can't wait to see the whole thing. jerry seinfeld tweeted about the episode. me, the most powerful man in the world. results 19 minutes of nonsense. said as only jerry can.

the sequel to "finding nemo" is set to come out in june. the first look at two new characters. bailee t bailey the whale. voiced by ty burrel. finally, 2015 has been a good year for taylor swift. the singer released her fifth album, 1989, and went on a world tour. taylor isn't done yet. she tweeted a screen grab, teasing her new video for "out of the woods." the singer appears to be covered in dirt as she looks into the camera with a fierce gaze. the video will premiere tonight. >> looks like something out of the hung "hunger games." >> her videos are involved. >> she perfected the fierce gaze. i'll perfect mine in 2016. >> mine is awkward. >> very cute. >> let's run

we have clear skies for most of the bay area. and such a chilly start to the day. we are at 33 in livermore. concord, 37. 41 in san francisco and oakland. freezing in the north bay. highs in the low 50s today. a few spots making it into the mid 50s. napa and santa rosa, 54. oakland, we're looking at 53 into the next few days. more cool mornings and sunny afternoons as we welcome in the new year. >> that's your latest forecast. savannah and craig? >> thank you so much. times square is one of the top destinations in the world to ring in the new year. if you can't be there in person, you can count on carson to bring the festivities to you. >> in about a minute, you're going to get the baptism of a brand-new year. another chance to get it right. >> 20 seconds! >> where's my wife? >> feels good. >> four, three, two, one!

happy new year! >> very impressive. >> we're singing. >> happy new year, everybody. >> i'm here with my man, carson, taking over. >> oh, my gosh. man b toobs. look who is with carson. >> andy cohen. >> i'm taking my shirt off at midnight. >> and your pants, you promised. >> both. >> this is a broadcast network. keep it family. >> right. >> you have a special edition of hollywood game night. >> it's live. >> is that a good idea? >> that's a good question, craig. >> live with celebrities playing games on new year's eve? >> with alcohol, yes, it's a fantastic idea. >> andy doesn't do anything not live. >> it's true. >> i can appreciate that. >> then i can't get in trouble if something goes wrong. it was live. >> we have you on a 15-second delay. >> as always. >> last year, i turned away when the shirt started coming off. >> yes.

>> you look like you may have been the only sober person there on the stage. >> i've been doing this almost 20 years in times square, and it's really changed throughout the years. i used to get up and it was a serious broadcasting night, you give the information. over the years, that has given away to really just doing what everybody else at home is doing, and that's having fun. we have andy, great friends that are really funny. we have great music. gwen stefani. more importantly, we have the right crew. we're going to be drinking and looking back on the year. we'll have a party in times square. >> what's your drink of choice? >> makers ginger ale. >> that's mine. >> if you want makers market anything in times square, every bottle, andy collected it. >> who are your celebrities for game night? >> we have a bunch. john stamos, bob saget, whitney

cummings. >> bob saget live? i hope you have a delay. >> serious delay, yeah. >> what are the resolutions this year, 2016? >> for me, it's to try and drink and eat a little more. i go the other way. i'm a busy man. >> more cardio. work on my friendship with carson. >> it seems like it's solid. >> it's rock solid. >> it's been fast. >> what else can you tell us about tonight? >> what else do you want to know? >> it'll be great. >> game night for an hour, and that's live. it'll be a disaster. let's be honest. >> yeah. then we're walking to you. >> he's like, no, we have to do it live. >> then we're walking over to you. >> they'll come to me. >> a live walk? >> to you. that's the only way to get to you, allegedly. yes, we'll cover the walk with all the roof cams in new york. make your way to me, sit by a fake fire, drink real alcohol and it'll be like donald trump, no. all these witty, cool, funny

people will go off. >> folks are already starting to packpee? >> where are you? >> should i have to go at 30 rock before i go? >> you're going now. >> go right now, before you leave. i don't know what's going to happen. >> oh, my gosh. >> don't mix anything. it's more. >> oh, my gosh. >> carson daly, andy cohen, looking forward to tonight. >> thanks, guys. >> happy new year. >> so excited. >> love you guys. >> drink lots of water. >> 10:00/9:00 central with nbc's new year's eve game night with andy cohen. andy walks to carson in times square to bring in 2016. >> you have to get out of here. >> that's true. i'm going on vacation. peace out. >> happy new year's to you. >> right now. >> literally. >> yes, they said to go. >> you have everything? >> yeah, sort of. >> don't forget to take your mike off. >> we're not done yet.

coming up, last-minute recipes to make your party pop as you watch andy and ci'm ... ==anim=g now... ==topvo== good thursday morning. 8:26. i'm sam brock. 2015 entered the home stretch. the bay area is bracing for celebrations. 100,000 expected to gather along san francisco's waterfront for tonight's fireworks show. san francisco police are going to be out in full force. officers will be on high alert. bart is extending its hours until 3:00 a.m. new year's day and offering more trains. caltrain will provide free trains on some of the runs. aaa will run its tipsy tow service. drivers can get a ride and have their car towed for free up to ten miles. some cars could be stuck this morning.

a lot of fog and ice in the north bay. >> in fact, vta runs until 5:00 in the morning if you are in the south bay. north bay, this is what we have been finding tuble spots, 101, you can see traffic is light. but we have ice in some spots. i want to show you maps. we have up to five spinouts right now. 101 at 37 and a couple off of the highway. take it easy. adverti ice is out there. >> thank you so much. we will be back in 25 minutes with another update. until then, we will see you. we send you back to "today."

welcome back. it's a thursday morning, the 31st of december, 2015, the last day of the year. we have a huge crowd here on the plaza. getting a jump start on their new year's celebration. hello, folks. some of the folks are probably going to -- >> who is going to see the ball drop tonight? a loud crowd. they have to save the voice to

ring in 2016. >> some folks don't care about their folks. good looking crowd. as we mentioned, savannah really did have to leave early. she was going on vacation. >> had to get out of here. >> hopefully, she'll make it to the airport. a procrastinators guide to throw a party at home. easy things you can do. mindy kaling's project for 2016, read a book. she'll walk you through her favorites. bob harper is here to fill us in on a twist coming to his show, and tips to get the year off to a good start. first, get a check of the weather from dylan. >> times square, it is going to be nice in the northeast. temperatures near 50 degrees today. the great lakes, we have lake-effect snow. across the southeast, we'll see storms, especially through southern georgia. temperatures are cool through the northern plains. tonight at midnight, temperatures still in the '40s

in new york city. we're in the teens and 20s through the upper midwest. temperatures only in the upper 20s for areas like seattle. 32 in oregon. on new year's day, the first day of 2016, little showery along the gulf coast, but the northeast in the 40s. it is a little chilly but still cold in the bay area. even freezing in the north bay. we have had freezing fog but elsewhere it's clear and in the low 40s. as we go through the day, look for a high of 53 in the east bay and san francisco. north bay up to 54 degrees. more of the same temperatures in the tri-valley with a lot of sunshine and a light wind. 54 also in the peninsula and south bay. into the weekend, we will have some more weather like this. highs in the mid 50s and morning temperatures in the upper 30s. >> that's your latest forecast. >> dylan, thank you. what's a new year's eve

party without kathie lee and hoda, especially when new year's eve is on a thirsty thursday. >> they're kicking off the celebrations on nbc with a toast to 2015. it's the ultimate look at the buzziest stories and events of the year. they invited their celebrity friends to the party. >> 2016, non-resolution, i am not willing to drink less. >> one thing i won't be doing in 2016 is diving further into technology. i'm going to try to keep it simple this year, and just be in the moment. >> i will not be giving up cheese. i know that for certain. >> to not look back at this past year. instead, i look forward to the future. >> next year, i will not be wearing culottes. >> i won't be getting an iphone. no, i might. i probably will. >> i'm not going to wear culottes. >> i'm not weaning myself off social media and i'm not weaning myself off my phone. >> i will not stop eating chunky

peanut butter out of the jar in the middle of the night. >> i will not start dressing like a proper gentleman. >> fantastic. >> it's going to be a fun night. >> what are you not going to be doing next year? >> i am not going to be looking back. i'm going to seize the day. >> i love the energy. >> i enjoyed it so much, i wanted you to say it again. you're passionate about that. >> getting on my case. once again, the two-hour special, a toast to 2015, airs tonight at 8:00/7:00 central, on nbc. up next, we're watching up with mindy kaling. she'll reveal her list of must-read books. first, this is "today" on nbc.

>> announcer: year in review on "today" is brought to you by mercedes-be mercedes-benz. the best or nothing. back now at back now at 8:36 with help

for a new year's resolution that may be on your list. reading more in 2016. we went to skylight books in los angeles and mindy shares some of her favorite books with us. >> this book i love. what i love about it is that it has amazing photographs. great recipes. simple recipes. you also get to see beautiful pictures. that picture is awesome. if my fridge looked like this, i would be pretty stoked. look at these fruit. my fridge has never seen fruit. here are two of my favorite books. one is a classic. "bridgette jones diary." it became one of my favorite movies and the other is a more recent book that is about modern

romance. "the love affairs of nathaniel p." is cringe worthy in how detailed it is that they make a good pair of gooks to give to somebody. this is a great book. it was edited by one of my favorite mystery authors. sometimes an entire book seems like a big assignment. read one before you go to sleep and have terrible nightmares and wake up and want to read another one the next day. "we should all be feminist." >> believe in social, political, economic equality of the sexes. >> when she says something, immediately you wish you had said that. that's my opinion instantly. i think a lot of people feel reluctant to say that they are feminist which to me is a pity.

if you read this more people would be, like, i'm a human. i'm a feminist. they would not be so scared of the term. humor section. i don't know. i think it should be in classic section. and this was my favorite book reading as a kid. i think it's because i bear resemblan resemblance. it's about her just being smart and using her brain, which i love. and my dad used to read this book to me when i was growing up. one chapter a night. the thing i looked forward to the most. thank you. well. i hope you like my picks. i just bought a bag full of more books to read.

yeah. that's it. i think they're good. i think you're going to like them. >> i love that. huge thanks to mindy. you really should add her latest book "why not me" to your list. great read and insightful. we also have mindy's picks on our website. today.com. we asked all of us to come up with our favorite books to share with you as well. i love this book. "orphan train." it's a moving book about two generations of women who were orphans but completely different decades but how they come together and it's about finding family and survival. >> how about you? >> i decided to shake it up. the question was the books that really mark your 2015. here's the deal. these two books we read every single night. i decided to keep it real with you. "pete the cat" and "hats for sale." do you cry? goodness no. do you cry?

goodness no. classics. ♪ i love my white shoes >> mine is commitment. 1,000 pages long. it's the third book of the ken follett trilogy series. the first one happens around world war i. second one around world war ii and this one is vietnam era and all of the lives intertwine. it's so good. i did travel with this one. >> yours? >> it's if the t"the world and me." it is absolutely fantastic. beautifully written. >> let's do an exchange. >> dylan, you talk about this on the weekends. >> it's a letter he wrote to his 15-year-old son in the wake of what we've seen in this country

over the past year. the violence we've seen. anyway, it's a fascinating read. >> cheers, guys. >> thank you. >> we should do a book club more often. >> we should. up next, bob harper has the skinny on beginning the new year in a healthy way. tips, as well. first, this is "today" on nbc. [male announcer] in ireland, we live in what we like to call the now. it's a wonderful place where the conversation flows. in the now, the sun always shines, even when it's raining. you might even meet friendly locals with long shaggy hair. and find yourself lost in music in the middle of the day. ♪

jump into the now. jump into ireland. visit ireland.com to find out more.

back now at 8:44. nbc's "the biggest loser" returns monday night. the theme of the season, temptation. there will be new twists to keep the challenges fresh. >> we've changed the house. >> whoa. >> we've changed that gym. >> oh. >> we've even changed me. >> really? >> because this season, i'm not just training you, i'm your new host. >> yay! >> the crowd goes wild.

bob harper is here with us on this new year's eve. >> they were excited. >> you've been with the show from the beginning. from training and, as you mentioned, the host. how has it been? >> really exciting this year. i have been on the show since season one. being the host of the show, i really wanted to bring my passion, my flavor into this show, and it was a lot of work and a lot fun. >> temptation is the theme this year. >> that's right. we are facing every single temptation you would face in the real world. money, food, luxury, time restraints, which i'm sure you know. you have a busy schedule. >> how do you respond to one of the criticisms of the show, that it is too extreme? >> i would just say that our show is meant to wake you up and to inspire you. of course, it's extreme. we're doing a reality show. but what i have found is that people get something from our audience, from our contestants, and that's what we want. we want you to be inspired.

get up off the sofa and move around a little bit. >> you are not a fan of folks who make the new year's resolutions to lose weight. >> i hate new year's resolutions because no one ever -- it never lasts. it sets people up for failure. it's like, they're going, it's january 1st, i'm going to change everything. i'll go to the gym every day. the gyms will be packed. after a couple weeks, all those people will go back to their old ways. i want you to focus on 30 days. don't think -- >> not 365? >> give me 30 days. >> 30 days of what? >> i would say, cut out all sugary drinks. that means when you go to the soft f coffee shops, don't get the frozen mocha lattes, whatever they are, energy drinks, stay away from sugary drinks. >> for 30 days. what else? >> i think what's going to happen is you'll feel better because you have all the crap out of your body. and you're going to be more likely to sustain that because you're going to reap the

benefits. >> what about exercise? >> i'm a big cross fitter. i do it all the time. >> i know. >> i recommend it all the time. i tell people, for this month, find some sort of exercise program that you would like to do. cross fit, soul cycle, whatever the case may be, three times a week. >> group exercise? >> it brings you with like minded people. it's like, you're more likely to keep going with it because you're going to make friends, you're going to be with people doing the same thing. misery loves company. >> one of the things i found is it helps with the accountability, when you have somebody on the bike next to you, where were you today? i didn't see you. >> exactly. that's a good benefit. >> and you also say folks should consider changing their diet, as well. >> always. when it comes to changing your body, it's all about diet. >> what should we be doing? >> i want people to eat more vegetables. in the 30 days, why don't you make sure that for six days a week, you incorporate some sort

of vegetable to every meal you're eating? you're going to fill up on good, fibrous foods. you'll feel better, and i mean, it's naturally going to be low in calories. no one is going to get fat eating broccoli. >> true. biggest mistake folks make when they make the new year's resolutions. >> they try to change too many things. they set themselves up for failure. give yourself a break. find one thing to focus on the month of january. stick with it. it's 30 days out of your life. you're going to feel so much better. >> bob harper, good to see you. >> you, too. >> the season premiere of "the biggest loser," next monday, 9:00/8:00 central. if you're planning to have folks over tonight, some tips. first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪

(vo) some call it giving back. we call it share the love. during our share the love event, get a new subaru, and we'll donate $250 to those in need. bringing our total donations to over sixty-five million dollars. and bringing love where it's needed most. love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru.

back at 8:50. you don't have to hit the town tonight to have a good time. last-minute ideas to add sparkle to your stay at home celebration. i love what you've done. happy new year already. >> happy new year. >> we have the countdown clocks going throughout here. that's the theme. >> we'll have a drop the ball party at home. >> perfect. >> wonderful ideas if you are staying home with family and friends. >> that's what i'm doing tonight. this is perfect timing. >> so am i.

>> i love this. this is the flower centerpiece at your table, but also the ball theme. >> exactly. all this is is a floral foam sphere. burgundy carnations, the grocery store flower. easy and anyone can don't. it adds a wow pafactor to the party. >> fantastic statement. >> the cocktails, i love to serve a signature drink to the adults who come over. tonight, we're having clock tails. >> i like that. >> it's fun. i'll show you how i made it. you have a number here, and all this is is a sticker. decals. stickers from a craft store. >> peel them off. >> you peel it off. i'm going to do the 7, and you do the 3. we'll see how easy this is. >> right. >> they're stickers. you stick them on the champagne glass. >> meanwhile, you have on the tray -- mine is crooked. >> it's good. it's a great way for guests to know what drink is theirs the entire evening.

>> you have the clock configuration. i love it. fantastic. >> and a great dessert to bring, this is wonderful. we've done clock cakes. you can pick up a store bought cake at a grocery store, then craft store numbers imitating the clock. if you want, you can do the ice k numb -- icing numbers yourself. >> even i can do that. >> we can't forget about champagne. do it yourself. so easy. i used a craft glue, modje-p modje-podge. >> you can use the bloom of your choice. also a hostess gift if you're going somewhere, glitter it, go to the party with it. it'll be a hit. >> perfect. >> look at these cup cakes. they're amazing. i'll take some home. >> we can send them home with

you. >> how do we do this? >> we can't forget about the kids. it's great to give your kids an activity. white cupcakes. this is edible silver glitter. you sprinkle it on. i love a metallic cupcake wrapper. it was the key to the sparkle. an oreo truffle ball. >> to create the ball dropping look there. >> it imitates the ball. we'll paint this on, all edible. >> you can find this glittery paint. >> in the craft store. pick it up for the evening. then we'll put the lollipop stick in here and pop it on the cupcake. >> kids love oreo. so festive. hors d'oeuvres, appetizers. this is adorable. tuxedo cheese slices. >> if you don't want to dress up, you can dress up your cheese and crackers for the season. >> right. >> so you take a round cracker,

any thinly sliced cheese. for the buttons and the bow tie, black olive. easy. go ahead if you want to help me, we can make one. >> you're assuming i'm crafty. >> you can tie the bow tie. three olive buttons. >> very cute. great. >> now he's all dressed up. >> last but not least, you have to leave our guests, dylan, craig and sheinelle, favors. >> the black-eyed peas for good luck. >> i love sending guests home with black-eyed peace. also a great opportunity for leftover holiday ribbon. we can all use a little good luck in the new year. a great parting gift. >> great idea. >> happy new year. >> cheers. >> happy new year. >> great job. >> thank you. >> by the way, the recipes and

ideas are on our website, today.com/food. we're back after your local news. we're not sure i'm ... ==topvo== a big

surprise for one lucky s- f-o traveler. good thursday morning. it's 8:56. i'm sam brock. a big surprise for one lucky traveller. not because she was bumped. much better news. she was the airplane's 50 millionth passenger this year. you get a prize for that. the first for sfo. the airport marketed the milestone by giving her a pair of tickets to hawaii, the 50th state. she had no idea what was coming

when they called her name at the gate. as you can see, celebrations, hopefully, maybe she gets to bring someone with her besides hitting 50 million travellers in one year, sfo is marking its 12th straight year of growth. if they do this for 50 million, you can only imagine at 100 million. we will be back in 25 minutes.

this morning on today's take, new year's spectacular. we'll look back at 2015. plus the most buzzed about ads of the year. the commercials that had everyone talking and clicking. and some cocktail hacks and downloadable apps that will have you ringing in 2016 in style. coming up now. ng up from nbc news, this is "today's take" with al roker, natalie morales, willie geist and tamron hall. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. ♪ >> sing it, dylan! >> this is the sing that will keep me awake until midnight. party across the entire world. >> everywhere. >> ring in 2016. australia, right?

>> already rang it in about an hour ago. that's right. welcome to "today." it's girl's hour on this thursday morning. >> yes, it is. >> woo! happy new year's. >> what's with the mug? switch over to caffeine. >> we demand champagne glasses from here on out. >> time for champagne. >> let's start right now. why not? >> it's going to be a long day. might as well ring it in now. welcome, i'm natalie along with dylan, willie, tamron and al, enjoying -- willie and tamron enjoying time off. al getting ready for the rose bowl parade tomorrow. >> is this his 19th time? it's incredible. >> i know. >> he's an amazing man. anyway, beautiful tradition. we will be watching al tomorrow morning, if i can pry my eyes open. >> that's not going to happen if you start drinking champagne now. >> that's right. come on. recount. we demand champagne. obviously, one of the big stories everybody is talking about this morning, and i think we were talking about a little earlier, somewhat surreal that it's finally come to this. but bill cosby has been charged

now -- criminally charged. he walked into a courtroom yesterday to face a felony charge of aggravated indecent assault. he was set free on $1 million bail. he's now at his home. his accuser is a temple university employee, andrea constant from 2004 at cosby's pennsylvania home. she says she agreed to take pills and drink wine but then felt frozen and paralyzed as cosby allegedly performed sexual acts against her wishes. so there are no criminal charges at that time. she did file a civil suit back in 2005. it was later settled a year later. earlier, we had cosby's attorney on, one of his attorneys on, monique pressley, and she spoke to savannah. take a listen. >> a lot of people will say, if he's not guilty, why would he have settled a case with her? obviously there is a difference between a civil case and a criminal case. but a person just watching at home thinks if you think someone is lying, why do you pay them

money? why do you settle? >> you know, i don't really think that that's what people at home think. i think that the people at home are much more savvy than that, and they have to deal with situations in their own lives, where they have people who are threatening them, who are threatening to come after their homes or their lifestyle or their work or their reputation or their career, decades of whatever it is they have done in their own capacities. and they know there are times that it's wise to settle claims rather than fight them, especially if it's something where you believe that everything that you're working for will be lost. so this may have been one of those time >> obviously a big story in 2015, and it's going to continue to be in 2016. the preliminary hearing, january 14th. if he is found guilty, he could face up to ten years behind bars, and in a statement to nbc news, cosby's attorneys also said they intended to mount, as you heard, a vigorous defense against what they call unjustified charge, and they expect cosby will be exonerated

by a court of law. >> you talk about how surreal it is. i think for our generation, it's hard for us to remove what we know, as -- >> dr. huxtable. >> dr. huxtable, american dad, for so many years, for so long. and then to see this story play out, and -- it's hard to remove the view you had of him, and hear all the stories that are coming out and to see him trip when he walked out of the car. >> i think a lot of people felt that, as you said, when you saw him sort of trip and stumble. and you wanted to feel compassion. obviously, he's innocent until proven guilty. but, you know, i think everybody -- i think at that moment felt somewhat sad. >> right. for the whole story. we feel sad for the alleged victims as well. so we'll see what happens. it's going to be an ongoing story in the new year, for sure. >> that's for sure. on a lighter note. >> the fun stuff. >> commercials. >> i love this. i love commercials. i think i was one of those

frustrated -- if i could have been an ad executive in a previous life, i probably would. "mad men." so many things. >> there are so many commercials you actually like seeing. we had barbara lippord on earlier today, gave us some of her favorites, the favorites across the board. natalie, you love the amazon commercials. >> i did. i love this whole idea of amazon prime, obviously delivering right away. but they have this lonely horse commercial. take a look. adorable. ♪ ♪ little man ♪ when you stand by my side >> i love it. that's sonny and cher, by the way. and then the horse is lonely. so what do you do? you go on amazon prime and you order a little companion miniature horse. >> the horse looks a lot smaller outside in the field than in her

living room. >> it's great. i love that commercial. >> and actually -- it's right on. amazon prime, you can pretty much find anything on amazon and it comes to you the next day. >> and it's right there. >> i love, you know -- there are so many ads online now that you just wait and count down the five seconds before you can -- but geico's genius advertising department came up with the unskippable ad. take a look. >> don't thank me. thank the savings. >> you can't skip this geico ad, because it's already over. geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance. on car >> skip it. you don't want to look away. >> you watch the dog eat the whole plate of mashed potatoes. and then i was watching to see, like, who would twitch or if the kids would get out of character. >> and they don't. >> i would be cracking up. i don't know how they -- >> slopping up. >> it goes on for three minutes. i've actually watched the whole thing a couple of times because you can't skip it. >> genius. and then we also loved google

android's "friends forever." take a look. ♪ ♪ robin hood and little john walking through the forest ♪ >> cute animals. >> baby animals. ♪ >> what could go wrong? adorable. ♪ i love it. i don't know what it's for, but i love it. google. >> i believe it's google android. but there are so many things that people send you or you see on facebook or new hot video, and they all happen to be associated with baby animals. so -- >> if they're baby animals -- exactly, i'm watching. i'm in. a lot of people are playing -- have you played this emoji game? >> i have, and i realize -- >> predict your new year. >> i used all my emojis wrong. >> i'm not an emoji person, so i'm surprised what came up. there are some there that i swear i never used. >> you take your top 12 most-used emojis and you'll

match them to all the months in 2016. it's supposed to predict how your year will go. >> okay. >> yours -- you were skeptical. but yours is very -- >> very skeptical. okay. so here we go. january -- >> you're winking. >> i don't know what's happening there. sassy. >> i don't know if you're camping in february. >> no, that's a purse. i have never in my life used a purse emoji. but i am looking for a new purse. maybe i'll get it in february. >> march is just weird, because you -- >> march i'm mixed up. >> but can we take a look at august? >> uh-huh. >> what happens in august? >> well, obviously, we've got the olympics in rio. so the brazilian flag. so that kind of is true. i think i was doing it -- i'm half brazilian so i use that emoji a lot. >> a little eerie. >> it is. what about yours? >> my first january is going to start off not so good. i didn't know that was a crying emoji. i thought it was i'm laughing so hard -- >> it is. laughing so hard -- laughing so

hard you're crying. >> exactly. i'm being told it's like you're devastated crying. >> really? okay. >> so i don't even know what october is. swimming in december? i don't -- i don't know. i still use a colon and closed paren sees. >> here's the thing. there's no science to that whatsoever. just another bogus thing. >> fun, though. >> have fun with it. >> it's fun to do. >> all right. you're going to do the weather too. double duty. >> i'm just trying -- to squeeze in. >> everywhere. you're everywhere. >> they're letting me do it all on the last day of the year. we are still focusing on some of the flooding that's going on through missouri and eventually the focus shifts to arkansas. it takes a while for all of the rain we saw the past couple of days to filter through the smaller streams and make its way to the mississippi. we are going to see more of a flooding threat near arkansas as we go through the weekend. there are now 43 locations with major flooding, and this is going to be an issue for a while, because not only do you hit the crest, but then you have to wait for all of that water to

recede. down in the southeast, falling rain creating flooding problems. moisture streaming in off the gulf of mexico, could see some flooding because of the heavier downpours and that could lead to flash flooding, and that will continue to shift down into northern florida as we go into new year's day. he we have a cold start to the last day of 2015. and it's still below freezing in the north bay. napa and santa rose, 32. livermore, 39. we have a warm up into the low to mid-50s today. this is the same weather we've had all throughout the week, but a lot more sunshine today in san jose, palo alto, it will be 54 degrees. and 54 in santa rosa. 53 in oakland and looking at 53 in pleasanton. expect a very chilly night down to 40 degrees at midnight. r latest forecast. >> all right, dylan, thank you. coming up, we're going to take a look back at the year that was. all the news makers and celebrities that defined 2015, after these messages.

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2015 saw its fair share of highs and lows, especially in news stories that grabbed headlines. here to help us reflect on the year that was, joe levi, "rolling stone" and host of incoming on spotify. good morning. >> good morning. >> let's start with bill cosby. >> we were just talking -- you were just talking about it moments ago. here is the story we were talking about this time last year. we're talking about it today. he's free on bail. charged in second degree assault. in a pennsylvania courtroom. this is a story we'll probably be talking about this time next year, as well. >> absolutely. all right. >> and such a sad year with all the shootings and the gun violence. >> unfortunately, we had far too many shootings to talk about. far, far too many. in charleston, south carolina, nine killed in a church. on live tv in virginia, a cameraman and a news reporter

killed. just -- >> san bernardino, most recently. >> san bernardino, of course. colorado springs, three killed there. the paris attacks, as well, both in january and then recently just this month. >> sadly, it seems it's not going to end, either. yeah. >> no. >> moving over now to -- actually, a symbol of peace. the pope's first visit to the united states. >> the pope's first visit to the united states. he stopped in washington, d.c., where he described himself as the son of immigrants. he was here in new york, celebrated mass at madison square garden and then on to philadelphia where he talked about america as a land of religious tolerance and freedom. that's great. >> that was a moment we needed. >> absolutely. uplifting moment in our news. >> so a lot of politics. a shy man by the name of donald trump took some headlines. >> i'm unfamiliar with who you mean. he did indeed take headlines. remember, he announced his candidacy descending on an escalator. we didn't take it seriously, waited for it to end.

still ahead in the polls. a recent cnn poll of republicans puts him ahead of it ted cruz, 39% to 18% for cruz. we'll see what happens in february when we finally get to iowa and new hampshire. >> who could have predicted this a year ago? >> donald trump. i think is probably the only one. it's going to be fabulous. >> huge. also, hillary clinton. looking pretty good as she is putting her husband, former president bill clinton to work on the campaign trail. will head out and do a couple events in the new year. >> that's right. and guess who had something to say about that. donald trump! >> of course. >> hillary has said recently that donald trump has a penchant for sexism, he insulted hillary and donald trump has -- i'm rubber, you're glue kind of philosophy. he's turned that around and saying, well, you're married to bill clinton. i'm not quite sure what it all means, but let's look for this to heat up in 2016. >> even more. so absolutely. now on to pop culture.

>> lighter moments. >> this is a huge year for girls. >> we love that. >> and women, i guess. we should call them women. >> let's call them women. let's call them women. let's call them powerful women on television, in the movies, in music. we're talking about jamie alexander on the breakout hit "blind spot." melissa benoise on super girl. "empire." and, of course, amy schumer jumped from the small screen to the big screen on "train wreck" and an unknown singer named adele made an impression this year selling breaking records, shattering records. it took her three days to have the biggest-selling record in 2015. that's amazing. >> and it's going to be her year in 2016 with her concerts, as well. >> one of the hottest tickets out there. yep. and -- >> finally -- >> a little movie called "star wars." >> i've already seen it twice. i'm ready to go back a third time. i'm obsessed with it. >> well, you're part of the reason it became the fastest movie to earn $1 billion at the box office in just 12 days.

everyone loves this movie. >> and it's girl power, too. >> it is. >> girl power story. >> love her. >> everyone in this movie except george lucas. >> really? you're kidding me. >> he complained recently he saw "star wars" as more of a family soap opera and disney made it into a movie about space ships. i like space ships. >> i thought it was awesome. and quickly, we have to mention caitlyn jenner. >> of course, a big year for caitlyn generjenner on "vanity " a break through moment. at the espys said a few months ago i had never met a transperson and was giving the opportunity to a lot of america. it was wonderful and maying. >> and a fascinating 2015. we'll see what 2016 looks like. >> all right. it's going to be a good one. >> thank you so much. >> thank you. coming up next, what to download so you can have an appy new year. get it? huh.

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thank you boys. you're welcome. you're welcome. [ male announcer ] happy holidays from our family to yours. i love christmas! from our family to yours. iand i'm jerry bell the third. i'm like a big bear and he's my little cub. this little guy is non-stop. he's always hanging out with his friends. you've got to be prepared to sit at the edge of your seat and be ready to get up. there's no "deep couch sitting." definitely not good for my back. this is the part i really don't like right here. (doorbell) what's that? a package! it's a swiffer wetjet. it almost feels like it's moving itself. this is kind of fun. that comes from my floor? eww! this is deep couch sitting. [jerry bell iii] deep couch sitting! mid-90's showstopper... 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! ♪

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with 2016 just hours away, we're all thinking hard about the changes that we want to make in the new year and whether it's getting in shape, saving money, learning how to decress, astres things i want to do, there's an app for that. >> we've called in the founder of cool moms tech to narrow down the list and have an appy new year. good morning. >> hi, guys. appy new year. >> we'll use that as much as we can. >> we'll say it over and over again. >> so many people's resolution is to stay fit, be healthier. there is an app for that. >> unless you're bob harper. what does he have on his list? >> right. >> i love lark. the free app for ios and android. what's different about it, it acts like your friend. the virtual companion. you can talk to it. >> it's texting you? >> gives you support. i walked here to the stud oio a it's saying, good job. it uses the sensors. look how much sleep i got.

ten hours. how is that possible? >> amazing. >> all my activity. >> how does it monitor your sleep? >> when you put the phone down, it's assuming you're sleeping or binge watching netflix. >> same thing. >> it's supportive. not nitty getty with the calorie counting. >> finance, i need this app. who doesn't love to save more, spend less? >> we've done a lot of mother apps but what's different about level money is it taps into your spending. when you safely sync about your bank account, it's going to show you exactly what you've been spending your money on. i'm an amazon fan. if you've been spending hundreds of dollars on coffee every month, you might not have known that. it'll show you. it taps into all of your bank account and your bills and gives you a spendable amount. it's kind of like a goal that you want to stay under, whether it's daily, monthly or weekly. >> level money.

download it now. >> one of my biggest problems is my e-mail. i have signed up for so many e-mails, it's like 20% off here, 30% off here. it fills up and i lose track of the good e-mails. >> my phone had 111,000 e-mails. i need unroll.me. it's been around a while, but they just launched their iop app. it is fantastic. so you sync your e-mail. i use our pod cast, and it brings up our news and e-mail subscriptions. it lets you swipe left to unsubscri unsubscribe. >> i love it. >> kind of like a dating app for e-mail. >> amazing. >> breaking up with you, bloomingdales. >> it lets you roll up, the button in the middle, gives you a daily digest of everything you want to keep. >> great. >> we have time for one more? nope, we don't. >> real quick. it helps you destress. >> it's a medication app, stop,

breathe, think. it gives you custom meditations based on how you're feeling. >> amazing. thank you so much. >> happy new year. coming up, automated voice: to file a claim, please state your name. carnie wilson. thank you. can you hold on? ♪ hold on for one more day really? hey, i know there's pain. why do you lock yourself up in these chains? ♪ this would be so easy if you had progressive. our mobile app would let you file a claim and help you find one of our service centers where we manage the entire repair process. things will go your way if you hold on. [ sighs ] someday somebody's gonna make you wanna turn around and say goodbye. ♪ say goodbye no, you just made it weird. after trying brookside chocolate, people talk about it online. love at first taste. i would liquefy it and bathe in it. curse you, brookside! your nefarious plans have succeeded. nefarious? are we still talking about chocolate? brookside. talk about delicious. after trying brookside crunchy clusters, @carlybeyar tweeted: at this point, i should just be a brookside chocolate ambassador.

well, i am sorry, carly... it's something you earn. brookside. now... ==topvo== wrapping up 2015 - as the bay area wraps good thursday morning. 9:26. i'm sam brock. happening right now, wrapping up 2015, its the bay area wraps its arms around new year eve celebration. an estimated 100,000 are expected to gather along the waterfront for tonight's fireworks show. police officers, though, will be on high alert. police also tell us that there have been no specific threats to public safety. san francisco police are also offering new year's eve reminder, nip cauganyone using selling fireworks will fork over a hefty fine. the city has a zero tolerance policy in place. fines for illegal fireworks start at $1,000, they can reach all the way up to $5,000.

oakland police have issued a similar warning, but theirs also includes illegal gunfire. anonymous stips culate tips can provided on it the line. and travelers have more flight options to sin city. delta has new nonstop flights. until now, it had been only southwest that offered them. you do not need to go to vegas to celebrate tonight's holiday. a look at your forecast after this break.

good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. clear blue skies and a beautiful way to wrap up 2015. although it is cool. we are still in the 30s in the tri-valley. oakland is at 45 degrees and 46 in san francisco. we're looking at highs today that will be in the low to mid 50s sunny sky.

tri-valley, a high of 53. san rafael saw lots of spinouts this morning because of ice on the road. visibility starting to improve. we had fog, as well. we still have a few spinouts especially on side streets off of 101. same deal for 37 where we had a five car accident earlier. things are starting to improve and fog starting to lessen out. bay bridge toll plaza wide open. >> it was pretty messy in the north bay earlier. we leave you with a live shot of the benjamin franklin fresh from china. we'll have more on this story on the midday show.

taking a look at the headlines. the ball has not even dropped yet for 2016, but the irs is already thinking about next year's tax returns. the 2016 tax season will kick off on january 19th when the irs will start accepting individual returns. it expects more than four out of five taxpayers to e file their returns. the deadline for most americans is april 18th. microsoft says it will warn customers if it suspectses a government is trying to hack into their accounts. the policy change came after two employees concluded china had been behind a hacking campaign a few years ago, and said the company decided not to tell more than 1,000 users whose accounts were hacked. it follows similar recent moves by facebook, twitter and yahoo.

at&t plans to stop offering two-year contracts early in the new year. starting january 8th, at&t customers will only be able it to get new phones by paying the full price or paying in monthly installments. verizon and sprint got rid of wireless contracts a few months ago. if you are counting calories while you celebrate tonight, why would you do that? be mindful about what you eat and drink. experts say it would take 35 minutes of racquetball to burn off the calories in one margarita. drink it anyway. and nonalcoholic drinks can put on the pounds too. it would take 45 minutes of moderate intensity exercise to burn off a medium peppermint mocha. we still have several hours to go before we ring in the new year here in the u.s. but in other parts of the world, the celebrations are under way already. take a look. this is a scene in automatic land, new zealand, one of the first countries to usher in the new year. and in australia, the party started early. a special fireworks display held

at sydney harbor at 9:00 p.m. local time, aimed at families who couldn't stay autopsy up. and a second show at midnight. beautiful display as always. let's move over to dill an for our temperatures are slowly warming up. we're now at 33 in the north bay and low to mid-40s elsewhere across the bay area. all clear skies and we'll see more sunshine as we go through the day. we're looking at 53 in the east bay and san francisco. tri-valley, look for a high of 52. 54 in the south bay, peninsula and north bay with a light wind. and as we welcome in 2016, our temperatures will be in the lower 40s tonight. tonight is the big night. but if you dropped the ball on planning your new year's eve party, no need to panic. justin chapel, host of mad genius tips is back to pop the

cork on a night of fun. justin? welcome back. >> fun indeed. thanks for having me. >> i love this idea, first of all. beautiful cotton candy, champagne that i'm already -- >> two amazing things. we're going to combine them into something extraordinary. it's going to be a champagne cocktail. what you're going to do is take some of that cotton candy and lay it right in the glass. stuff it right in. >> okay. >> a little more. >> all the way. >> there you go. and then we're going to pour some champagne right on top. >> this is going to dissolve. >> it dissolves. >> i feel like you want to pour that in front of people. >> it's a magic trick indeed. and is you can garnish the glass and it adds this beautiful pink hue. >> cheers. >> we have been waiting all day. >> you can also pretend you're serving rosettes, because it changes in color. >> adds sweetness too. >> and next we have a neat way of shaking a cocktail. because a lot of people don't have shakers. so you just add your little

booze in here, some lemon juice. we're making a side car. and some ice, of course. and then you pop the top on, make sure it's nice and tight. >> so any sort of portable bottle would work. >> yeah. anything with a lid that has a nice, tight seal. >> although i like the tin, because then it has the sound. >> check it out. clearly not enough booze in here for me, but -- >> we'll work on that. >> exactly. >> this is a fantastic idea. >> of course. you were telling me you're making sangria. >> and you're going to show us how. a lot of people think sangria is a summer drink, but winter as well. you're going to freeze the fruit? >> yeah. we're doing a winter one. and the reason we're able to do that, citrus is so abundant in the winter. put it on a baking sheet, freeze until nice and firm. and then we're using rose. and you're going to add your brandy and mixed citrus juice. grapefruit juice, tangerine, lime juice. add it in. simple syrup. the best thing is you see all

this frozen fruit here is going to keep nice and cool. all throughout the night. and it even works as a beautiful garnish. >> ooh. love that. >> keeping with the whole frozen garnish theme, for a martini, so often the glass -- it takes a long time to drink a good martini. >> it does. it's a zipper. >> you freeze. so you freeze the garnishes. >> exactly. so you skewer them, you can do olives, onions, both. just like there. pop them on a plate in the freezer until frozen, just like the fruit. and then check these beautiful -- >> great. frozen cocktails. >> i could bite into all of them and lose a tooth. >> fantastic. >> we'll keep them cold. justin, thank you so much. happy new year to you. and before -- sorry. >> coming up next -- >> the champagne. >> go for it. of. >> here are the befores and the afters when we reveal the transformation of three "today"

show viewers who spent the last 16 weeks reshaping their bodies for 2016. keep drinking, dylan. after these messages. my moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis made a simple trip to the grocery store anything but simple. so finally, i had an important conversation with my dermatologist about humira. he explained that humira works inside my body to target and help block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to my symptoms. in clinical trials, most adults saw 75% skin clearance. and the majority were clear or almost clear in just 4 months. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection.

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for a cleaner, fresher, brighter denture every day. for the last 16 weeks, we followed three "today" show viewers on their journey to fitness to 2016. >> how far have they come? today. they're going to ring in a happier, healthier new year, thanks to their lovely coach, joy bauer. good morning. >> good morning. >> they've been a remarkable dream team. >> get ready. you won't believe it. >> transformation is amazing. let's start off with mary jean. 16 weeks ago, 196.5 pounds, starting weight. that was her before picture. mary jean is now down to 159.5 pounds. a total loss of 37 pounds. mary jean, come on out, girl!

[ applause ] >> incredible. >> wow. >> look at that waist, right? by the way -- >> look at that dress. >> -- she's lost 20 inches from head to toe. >> walk the carpet, mary jean. >> look at your waist. >> incredible. >> next up, we have rochelle who, in the beginning of this whole thing, weighed in at 173 pounds. just 16 weeks ago. now, she's down to 143 pounds. total loss of 30 pounds. rochelle -- >> incredible. >> -- come on out! >> 16 weeks. >> wow! [ applause ] >> oh, my goodness. >> by the way, rochelle also has lost 22 inches from head to toe off her body. >> look at you. >> look at the muscles. >> wow. >> finally, ken started out at 221 pounds in the beginning of the journey. now, weighs in at 189.5 pounds. he lost a total of 31.5 pounds. ken, let's see how you're looking. come on out.

[ applause ] >> look at that. >> handsome. he has trimmed 28 inches off of his entire body. >> oh, my gosh. >> high-five! >> whole new suit for you. >> unbelievable. >> by the way, you hear a lot of cheering and clapping. their families are here. big support system. >> wow. >> clearly, it comes to good coaching, as well. joy, what was the secret to this incredible success? >> i think, first off, they were psychologically ready. 50% of it is really a can-do attitude, and they had that. secondly, you all trusted me. i told you what to do, and you followed through. i think that you can validate to everybody that you don't have to exercise five hours a day. they were eating delicious food but learned how to prepare it in better for you ways. they were sneaking in exercise when they could. they lost significant amounts of weight and dramatically enhanced their health. i'm so proud of you. >> mary jean, you seem

emotional. >> i am. >> it's been an emotional journey. long and hard, but so rewarding for you, right? >> very rewarding. i'm thrilled. i can't believe that it's here, today is here, and that we've all been so successful. >> yeah. >> you're going to continue on the path? >> definitely. >> good health. >> more to go. >> what were some of the challenges that -- are you surprised you passed through them and have gotten to this point? >> i think the important thing for me was, and i mentioned this to joy, we all think we know what we know, and i confessed i didn't know anything. the moment i completely trusted joy, this happened. >> amazing. >> joy! making us all cry. >> ken, what was it for you that worked, and what do you think would help viewers at home, struggling with their weight, too? >> for me, it was consistency. finding a routine, sticking to it, day in and day out. resolving to do this. i was ready to make the change. >> consistent. >> all your families. >> 2016, what better time to

inspire people? everybody watching can do this. >> with all the weight you guys have lost, the "today" show promised to donate food to families in need, and we are now going to donate more than 17,000 meals. >> because of you. because of you. >> to feeding america. [ applause ] >> whew! >> a little warning would be nice, guys. >> well done. >> happy new year! >> congratulations. happy new year. >> you all look amazing. i have to give you all hugs. >> final look back at the fun we had, including with these guys. >> wonderful. >> you did it! >> thank you, joy. [ applause ] i don't have like a pair of jeans i'm trying to get into; i've been down that road honey child. and i don't have like a dress or some big red carpet thing i have to do. im really just looking at 2016,

as the year of my best body; that's what i want for you too. lets let 2016 be the year of our best bodies.

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your concert tee might show your age... your skin never will. olay regenerist. olay. ageless. new year's eve is a sober time to reflect on what it is we hope to accomplish. our goals, aspirations, dreams for the future. >> it can be sober. or to look back at a bunch of the ridiculous things you did this past year. i had a great time in 2015 with al, tamron, willie and, of course, dylan. she filled in often. here's a look at some of the laughs we shared. >> driving! >> birthday. >> this is a trump wig. >> wow. >> i felt it. hold on. >> we made it. ♪ looks like we've made it >> there was a lot of fun. >> chaos.

sweet, wonderful chaos. >> uncertainty was the buzzword. >> oh, no! >> every day, something epic happened. holy moly. >> i have my two sisters. tamron and natalie. and my brother al. >> this year, we got our groove on. where do we begin? >> tamron likes to think that she's a good dancer. >> we call this the choo choo train. >> as does natalie. willie and i both know we're not good dancers, and we don't pretend to be. >> we love to dance. >> you have to be willing to laugh at yourself, make fun of yourself. >> she's good at the salsa. then this other dancing comes out, and you're like, what is going on there? >> fudge brownies. >> wow me week with three cool . >> yeah! >> my voice drops down sub james

earl jones' darth vader. >> that is unbelievable. >> it was as though i were out of my own body. if you watch the clip, i generally scare myself. >> you need to howl at the moon. >> how's the weather? >> i want to you imagine and believe it's possible to take the dents out of the can. >> tap on it. it's resealed. >> no way. >> oh, come on! amazing. >> that is crazy. >> i'm a sucker for a magic trick. clearly, the viewers saw it that way. >> i swam with sharks. sort of. from behind a wall. they swam and i watched. >> the rokerthon this year was daunting. 50 states in a week's time. it was as exhausting as it was exhilarating. every place we went -- >> i got the goat! >> -- people had goats. like, really? >> got a little chill in the air. only one thing to do, and that is have an ice dancing

competition. >> how does that happen? >> whoa! baby! >> you're mean. >> there you go. >> for the first time in my life, i see the love. >> willie goes urban. >> we did a little audition for john cena, what it takes to be a wwe star. >> looking at the headlines, you're all about to be in a world of pain, because dark natalie is coming for you. >> i was born to brawl, i'm the belle of the ball, i got the guts. >> the forecast for today, pain. i feel a cold front coming in from the east. >> i'll take it, drive it to the canvas, get on the top for the splashdown to finish it. >> i can't get down. help me. >> i'm sorry you had to see this. >> spinning image. >> we were scary. >> wow. >> the feet. >> wawa wawa. >> i love my life! >> the "today" show has evolved.

you can't do the same show we do from 7:00 to 9:00. at 9:00, it's a more conversational program. put my weather to the test. good times. i'll tell you what's going on. >> what usually happens at the end of an hour is you get something delicious. >> willie, get this. >> they win, they got it! >> and something that's hopefully fun, hopefully you'll learn a little something. >> the majority of our job is to report the news. if we can smile and laugh together, it means a lot. >> the one person -- >> oh! >> i'm waving our "today's take" flag. >> what i've learned, as i think our team dunk crew, is we're better when we work together as a team. the "take" team.

>> and that's just 2015. >> wait until next year. >> wait until 2016. it's going to be huge. back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. who coined the term "side bread?" because there's nothing "side" about this bread. it may look like the moon. but it's the star of the show. unleash the power of dough. give it a pop. that sound. like nails on a chalkboard.

but listen to this: (family talking) that's a different kind of sound. the sound of the weekend. unleash the power of dough. give it a pop.

we want to ring in the new year with traditions. did you bring pickle ed herring? >> on january 1st, you have to have it. >> why? >> it's disgusting. you are allowed to hold your nose and swallow. >> what kind of friend are you? >> it's supposed to bring good luck. disgusting. >> awful. >> drink. drink. >> that was awful. >> have some grapes.

i'm ... ==vidbox== why get behind the wheel on new years eve? bart is extending its hours 9:56. good morning. why get hichd tbehind the wheel year's eve. b.a.r.t. will extend its hours p till 3:00 a.m. and offer more trains, as well. cal train will be providing free rides on some runs.

and aaa operating its tipsy tow service. you can get your car towed for free up to ten miles. taxis, walking. let's check in in with the weather. >> nothing but sunshine all across the bay area. it will help us warm up after a chilly start. and for the last day of 2015, we'll have highs in the low to mid-50s all across the bay area. oakland, 53 and also in dublin. let's see what is happening on the roadways with anthony. all morning we've been tracking fog and icy conditions across the north bay. things are improving because temperatures are warming above freezing, but we still have a light volume of traffic just because it is a holiday week. so spinouts haven't been a huge deal, but still a couple near petaluma. all the yellow was fog. and a stall approaching treasure

island. and approaching walnut creek, there is an accident there headed off 680. back to you. we'll have more local news in a half hour. we'll see you then.

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.

from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb. from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> this is not i-hoda day, what's going on? >> deejay mixing it, baby. >> thirsty thursday, december 31st, 2015, the last time we'll say that. happy new year's eve, everybody. >> i feel like it's the same song over and over. >> yeah. he's going to be spinning tunes all hour. so we're going to turn this into -- what else you got deejay